Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-02-23
BIG STICK HURLEDAT
HEMENWAY'S HEAD

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22-President
Roosevelt has added another stirring
chapter to the secret service controversy
in vigorous reply to what he terms ''in-
accurate and misleading" statements con-
tanned in a report made recently by SEN
ator Hemenway, of the senate appropria-
lions committee. attacking the secret SER
vice. Senator Hemenway, in this report,
asserted that 1t never had been the inten-
ton Of congress to build UP spy sys-
tenn.
With evident reference to this utterance,
the president declared that If the limita-
ton OF the use of the secret servic had
been in force when the startling land
frauds were unearthed a few years ago, a
senator, a representative and various men
of wealth and high political influence,
who at that time were convicted, would
all have escaped punishment.
misleading" Says Roosevelt
The presidents letter, which is address
ed to Acting Chairman Hale, Of the sem
ate appropriations committee, also points
out, as misleading" many statements
made in the debate which the senator's
report aroused, and mass of facts and
figures are presented in defense of the
secret service and it's efficiency during the
seven years of his administration.
I'm not one single instance during these
seven years." the president states, has it
been shown that their action jeopardized
any man who was not connected with IL
legal transactions" He lauds Chief Will
kie's exceptional service to the public,
and adds, that mo other man in the gov
eminent employ is so dreaded and hated
by law-breakers, and they especially de-
sire to see his activities, and those of the
men under him, restricted in every way"
The president further charges that when
congress, last year, forbade the use of the
secret service to put a stop to crime,
aside from counterfeiting, 1t not only
hampered justice in other departments.
but deprived the secretary OF the treas
ury, the official guardian of a billion and
half of the nations actual money, OF
the power effectively to exercise that
guardianship"
Committee Scored
But. in your report, and the subsequent
debate" the president continues, direct
and indirect attacks are made upon the
secret service, with a vurious persistency,
and a curious indifference to the fact that
your committee recommends that a pre-
cisely similar secret service to the one at
tackled, be now established in the depart
ment Of Justice, and be it observed, that
no limitation is proposed for the new
secret service; so. that the limitation is
only imposed upon the secret service
which has already shown it's efficiency
and has already become an object of ter
ror to criminals"
Answering the assertion that the secret
service had become an army of 5000 men,
the appropriation for whom was said to
have been 100000 last year, the presi-
dent says that ito speak of these men as
having become an army or as 5000 men
engaged in secret service, and similar
work. is comically out of accord with the
actual facts"
The president then produces data to
show that during the last fiscal year the
secret service cost the government ap-
proximately 81, coo, OO0 and much of this was
expended in the punishment of violators
of the internal revenue laws, the enforce
ment OF the pure food and meat inspec-
ton laws, the suppression OF the liquor
traffic among the Indians, etc.
Referring TO the land fraud prosecutions,
the president, in concluding, says that at
that time no effective desire was shown
10 limit the use of the secret service, but