The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-02-22
R0OSE VEL I
SENDS HIS
REPLY
To Senator Hemenway'S
Attack on Secret Service
in the Senate.

Washington, Feb 20.-President
Roosevelt today added another stir
ring chapter to the secret service con-
troversy in vigorous and lengthy re-
ply to the attacks made on this branch
of the government in a report made
recently by Senator Hemenway OF
the senate committee on appropria-
tion upholding the limitation In the
scope of the secret service. asserted
that 1t never had been the Intention OF
congress to build up a spy system
and made evident reference to the re-
port. The president declared that IL
the limitation OF the use OF the Sc
cret service had not been In force
when the sensational land frauds were
unearthed few years ago. senator.
a representative and various men OF
wealth and high political influence,
who at that time were convicted.
would all have escaped punishment.
The presidents letter Is addressed to
Acting Chairman Hale, of the senate
appropriations committee.
CharacteriZing as inaccurate and
misleading in various important re-
sects." both Senator Hemenway's re-
port and the debate which 1t aroused
in the senate, the president presented
mass of facts and figures in defense
Of the secret service during the seven
years Of his administration. Some of
the presidents data is based upon in
formation supplied by Attorney Gen
eral Bonaparte and Secretary Of the
Interior Garfield, in support of the
efficiency of the secret service.
The presidents IelIei 4 -
19 follows:
II have seen the report presented
by Senator Hemenway on behalf of
your committee in reference to the Sc
cret service The report is in accurate
and misleading in various important
respects and / desire to make certain
questions in reference to statemente
which appears therein and in the sub
sequent debate.
Until last year the secret service.
small body of sixty or seventy men
in the treasury department under
Chief Wilkie, was practically the only
body of public servants engaged al
most purely In criminal investigation.
The service men were assigned nt diff.
ferent times. TO different departments
TO investigate crime and criminals.
They were thus assigned on different
occasions, for instance to tho state
and navy departments, but above all
to the interior department and the
department OF justice. During the
seven years of my administration
they were instrumental In bringing to
justice great numbers Of criminals.
l approved the furnishing Of the do.
partment of justice during the wear
1907 with secret service. They ZEN
dered invaluable assistance in secur.
ing the conviction Of many criminals
of desperate character and of MANY
other offenders Of great wealth and az
social and political prominence In
not one single instance during these
ceVen years has 1t been shown thar
their action jeopardlzed any man who
was not connected with Illegal II ars.
actions. In not single instance mas
1t been shown that they took gnv INF
proper steps against a criminal No
pretense has been made that they aid
not do their work against criminals
efficiently, / desire to cut Oh record
my emphatic belief TIM. The secret
A''NN 'a'hCi NliieI Wllklc n1S hpen
composed OF men of an exceptionaIIy
high grade of character and capacity
who have rendered exceptional ser.
vice TO the public and that Chief Wi.
kie himself, in very trying and re-
sponsible position, has shown ounu
ties of the highest kind. and has been
one OF the main stand bys of tbe Yov.
ernment- No other man in tbe
government. employ is so dreaded ana
hated by law-breakcrs and thew espe-
oially desire to see his activities and
those Of the men under him restricted
In every way.
Congress last year forbade by law
the use of the secret service men 70
put stop to crime aside from com.
terfeiting. and thereby not only ham.
pereo justice in other departments
but deprived the secretary OF the trea'
sury. the official guardian OF a billion
and a half OF the national actual
money OF the power OF effectively ex.
ercising that guardianship. More