Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-27
BY CONGRESS
General Probe of Sugar Trust
Frauds Possible.
nIlDI IN kRcM cnEAH NnT
PUBLIC MEN SPEAK OUT
Investigation Certain Unless De-
partment of Justice Objects.
TALK OF COMPROMISE HEARD
Senator Borah Regards $4,000, 900
Payment as Too Small, if Guilt
Is Established.

Investigation Of the sugar trust frauds
and of other means of evading the Gus
toms laws of the country at the port
of New York by a special committee Of
Congress will be demanded by several
senators at the opening of the coming
session.
The only thing which may Interfere
with the proposed plan is warning
signal from Attorney General Wicker
sham that q congressional inquiry would
hamper his department In its investiga-
tions and in its efforts to bring the guilty
parties to justice.
The object of the congressional investi-
cation, as proposed, would be, in the
main, to measure the extent of the
frauds and to demand full payment from
those guilty of evasions when the
amounts are determined.
Difference Of Opinion.
Several of the senators who have ar
rived in the city think there should he
a special inquiry into the sugar frauds,
but some of them believe Congress should
not act until assured that hearings be-
interfere with the administrative
branches of the government which are
already probing the alleged illicit trans
actions. Some Of the senators, too. think
the entire matter Is one of administration
and that the legislative branch of the
national government should keep hands
off.
Senator Borah of Idaho declared this
morning that he would push for con-
gressional inquiry OF the frauds, unles:
Attorney General Wickersham should in
terpOse objections
Sum Proposed Is Too Small.
IF the sugar trust is guilty of all they
say 1t is, declared the senator this morn
Ing, "a compromise for anything like
3,OOO.OOO is a joke; it ought to be $50
0O0,OO0. I am in favor of a congressional
| investigation, unless Gen. Wickershan
should say, as I have heard it intimatet
he would. that the inquiry by Congress!
would interfere with the Department o.
would not affect the efficiency OF tn,
work of the Attorney General or woulc
help it. l most certainly favor a con
gressional inquiry
Senator Culberson's Views.
Senator Culberson of Texas, leader o1
the Senate minority. has also been quoted
as favoring such action by Congress- Il
no resolution calling for a sugar trust
Is ltoih lic IcpuDHtdi
side of the Senate. it is declared, he viii
introduce such a resolution and urge it:
adoption.
Big bosses of the Senate are not enthu
siastic over the proposal for an inquiry
into the methods OF the sugar trust a.
the port of New York. 1t is believed
however. that they will support the ad
ministration and will oppose any resolu
ton for inquiry until the tip come:
from the White House that such an In
vestigation would be advisable.
President Favors Prompt Action.
Callers who have spoken to President
Taft about the sugar trust frauds have
found him most earnest in the assertion
that the government will follow these
frauds to the very bottom and viii
prosecute high or low who are guilty OF
violating the laws.
Representative Weeks of Massachu.
Setts was one of the men who today
complimented the President upon the
work that has been done by the admin
told the President he had no idea tha,
any set of men could ever engage in the
schemes that had resulted in defraudine
the government in these sugar truS,
cases. The President repeated what he
has said as to the intention of the gov
ernment to pursue the guilty to the
and letting up on nobody, rich or poor
dent added, too, that he felt that the
government would be able to succeed
in the prosecutions it will undertake
and set such an example of vigor that
similar frauds will not be undertaken
for many years to come.