The Washington times., 1909-01-18

eI war and Navy Department ofNtlatHi
would be absolutely required
Service could he made upon Mr.
tto0seVeit tie moment be ceases 10 be-
come President. and lnaAIllCA as t4e
present proceedings are upon ils militia
tive, he might regard if as bis duJF %
remain ln thlz country until final 1uog-
ment IS had
C. P. Taft's Trip Spoiled
Charles p. Taft, ucon leaving the
White Horse SITTER his conference with
the President. said that he had, planned
trip 90 Cuba when BE received the
District Attorneys request to come 90
washington The tTlps he said, would
bo made iH few days Asked If he had
been requested 20 bring the uies OF ms
Newspaper with him, ar. faft replied
ia - not nay newspaper tnat ls I'D
question.
Lancey NlCh0u appeared before JUS
tIce Ward iu New YORK ana demand
ed the squashing Of the subpOenas on
the ground thai the forms We're IT.
regular and that the matter upon
which the witnesses were called TO
testify was not mentioned the Gov
eruments attorneys feGutteo lue ar
gument on the plea That TIC Iotm hao
been used iu number 81 Instances
heretofore and that there could be no
defendant named until an lndictment
was found The argument VIII De re-
sumed at q o'clock.
Is Ordinary Libel Suit.
The explanation is made IN some quar-
ters that this is an ordinary libel suit
in which the Government appears as
prosecutor, as it has a right 10 do.
The presumption is that the President
of the United States. OF some ore on his
behalf. called the alleged libel 10 the
attention OF the Government prosecu-
tors as any other citizen might have
done. IL is C0ntended that eventually
30 win be shown that il Is not libel
against the Government but against
the individuals named in the articles In
question
one theory about the appearance OF
Jeremiah Matthews before the grand
jury today is that action may be con-
r6mplated against his employer. the
New York sun. on account Of It's publi-
cations during the campaign on the
Prairie oil and Gas Company matters.
Another Is that he IS TO be questioned
about the ownership of the indianapolis
News.
What Lawyers Say.
Lawyers generally maintain that no
action can be maintained that presumes
the Government itself to have been
iibeled.
Senator La Toilette. who has just be
gun to edit a paper of his own. and
who is also well posted on law, was
asked today 81 DE thought the Govern
Went could maintain suit for libel
replied.
newspaper owner. was In doubt
As "A newspaper publisher L tremble. Do I
ne said. Il do not know that the Gov
eminent can bring an action for libel
learn.
One Of the Objects
II developed today that the virtual
wholesale summoning OF newspaper /
men before the District grand jury. in
the case OF the United States against /
the Press Publishing Company. or New
York World. publishers of the Panama /
canal scandal articles, may have for
enc OF its objects the ascertaining OF
whether or not Vice President Fair
banks Is a large. stockholdeF in the IN I
dianapOns News, which publication has
also Incurred Presidential displeasure.
IL is known that since the publication
or the Panama char ges in the World, I
and their republication IN the News, /
sources close 10 the President have
made cautious inquiries In some quar-
ters as to whether or not the Vice
President owned controlling interest (
tn the News. Delavau Smith. publish
er OF the Indianapolis News, in common
with Joseph Pulitzer. was an object OF
condemnation In the President mes
sage so Congress on December Is ia
which he explained the Panama canal
deal and threatened to bring suit
against those whom he DESIGNATED as
tFaducers or the national honor
Cousin OF Fairbanks.
NJ. smith is a cousin of Vice Presi- /
dent Fairbanks and it has long been ru- /
mored that the Vice President was q
large stockholder in the INDIANAPOLIS /
News Corporation. Should this prove to /
be the case, in view of the Presidents 4
declaration that the owners of the pa /
pers IN question rather than the writer's /
OF the objectionable articles should 4
be hello mainly &c blame, il is apparent /
that the case iu its ramldcations NAV
eventually involve no less parsonage i
than The Vice President of the United F.
states.
Shrouded in mystery as are the entire I
proceedings so far it is believed in some /
q ldrLerS that the SUETOenaeinr OF the 1
News oInclals Ia the matter against the
New York World must be FOR the pur-
pose OF obtaining Information to bring
similar action against that publication .
ano its real owners.
Another person sUbpoeuaed, who. SO .
lar as ls known, has no connection
whatever with the case Of the New
York World IS jeremiah Matthews /
" Washington correspondent of the New
York sun
Fairbanks Secretary.
Ar Matthews, however. was at one
time private secretary to AfT. Fairbanks
is familiar with Indianapolis aRairs. ana /
it is possible might be able 10 throw
light upon the ownership OF the News
Harris H. Crist OF the Brooklyn /
Eagle. who was also innocent Of auvI
participation in the publication Of the 4
world articles, left Washington last
night fer New York, where he appears !
today before District Attorney Stimson
otto Carmichael. Charles Albert and
Jesse Conway, of the New York World /
Washington stan, Wiu appear before the /
grand Jury here tomorrow.
II is practically known that the Presi- /
dents plan in causing these witnesses /
20 be summoned before the District !
grand jury IS 20 have the case placed 1
under the jurisdiction OF a United States /
rather than a State court The latter
court would have Jurisdiction I'm q libel
suit 81 brought iH state OF the Union
The peculiar laws OF the District, how
ever, may AFFORD the President an op-
rorunitN Go switch the action here
The utmost secrecy is sun maintained
az the Department OF Justice, as TO the
real nature Of the unusual PROCEEDINGS
The apparent attitude is.
his is the Presidents case Let him
do the talking
BOnaparte Silent
Mr.. Bonsparte returned this afternoon
fpor7 Ea1rIunara and has declined Ia