The San Francisco call., 1909-02-22
REPLIES TO ATTACK
ON SECRET SERVICE
President Roosevelt Says Sem
ator Hemenway's Report Was
Inaccurate and Misleading
Agitation Against Alleged "Spy''
System Followed Convic=
tiOns for Land Frauds

Oy yStCil IUltUWCu %UuNlS
tiOns for Land Frauds
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21.-President
Roosevelt today added another stirring
chapter to the secret service contro-
versy in vigorous and lengthy reply
to the attacks made on this branch of
the government in report made re-
Gently by Senator Hemenway of the
senate committee on appropriations.
Hemenway asserted that it never had
been the intention of congress to build
up spy" system and with evident
reference to this part OF the report, the
president said that If the limitation of
the use of the secret service had been
in force when the sensational land
frauds were unearthed a few years ago
"a senator. representative and various
men of wealth and high political infiu-
ence, who at that time were convicted,
would all have escaped punishment.
The presidents letter is addressed to
acting chairman Hale of the senate ap-
propriations committee.
REPORT CALLED MISLEADING
Characterizing as Inaccurate and
misleading in various important re-
spects" both Hemenway's report and
the debate which it aroused in the sem
ate, the president presented a mass of
facts and figures in defense of the
secret service during the seven years of
his administrat tion. Some of the presi-
dents data is based upon information
supplied by Attorney General Bona
parte and Secretary of the Interior
Garfield in support of the efficiency of
the secret service in the detection of
crime.
The presidents letter, dated Febru-
ary 10, is in part as follows:
| have seen the report presented by
Senator Hemenway on behalf of your
committee in reference to the secret
service. The report is inaccurate and
misleading in various important re-
spectS, and l desire to make certain
corrections in reference TO statements
which appear therein and in the subse-
quent debate.
WORK AGAINST CRIMINALS
Until last year the secret service, a
small body of SO or 30 men in the treas
ury department, under Chief Wilkie,
was practically the only body of public
servants engaged almost purely in GRIM
mai investigation. The secret service
dlnerent departments to investigate
crime and criminals. They were thus
assigned on different occasions for in
stance, to the state and navy depart
ments; but, above all. to the interior de-
partment and the department of Justice.
During the seven years of my admin
lstration they We're instrumental in
bringing to justice great numbers of
valuable assistance in securing the con-
vlctlon OF many criminals of desperate
character and of many other offenders
of great wealth and of social and po-
litical prominence. In not one single
instance during these seven years has il
been shown that their action leopard
with Illegal transactions. In not SIN
gle instance has it been shown that they
took any but proper steps against a
criminal. No pretense has been made
that they did not do their work against
criminals efficiently.
CONGRESS HAMPERED JUSTICE
| desire to put on record my emphatic
belief that the secret service under
Chief Wilkie has been composed or
men OF an exceptionally high grade or
dered exceptional service to the public,
and that Chief Wilkie himself in a
very trying and responsible position.
has shown qualities Of the highest kind
and has been one of the main standbys
OF the government No other man in
the government employ is so dreaded
and hated by law breakers, and they
especially desire to see his activitis
ana those of the men under him re-
stricted in every way.
congress last year forbade by law
the use of the secret service men to
put a stop to crime aside from counter-
feiting, and thereby not only hampered
Justice in other departments but de-
prlVed the secretary of the treasury
the ofhclal guardian of a billion and a
half of the nations actual money. of
the power effectively to~-exercise that
guardianship. Moreover, the congress
provided no substitute whatever for the
secret service In consequence the de-
partment of justice was obliged to de-
Velop as speedily as possible its corps
or special detectives to take the place
or the secret service agents which it
thls force was made up of officers for
merfy connected with the secret service
ana trained in such methods. .
SIZE OF SERVICE OyERSTATED
Your committee in it's report states
that 1T has never been the intention Of
congress to build up spy" system
But in your report and the
subsequent debate direct and Indirect
attacks are made upon the secret serV-
I've. with curious persistency and a
curious Indifference to the fact that
your committee recommends that a
precisely similar secret service to the
one attacked be now established in
the department of Justice; and be ii
observed, that no limitation is proposed
ior 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 terror to criminals
senator Hemenway states that
there are more than 5000 men now i'm
the secret service and inspection work
OF the government" and that in the last
lew years the number has trebled and
that If they were to march through the
streets of Washington they would
make an army" while it was also
stated in the same debate that at the
close of President McKinley's admins
tration there We're only 167 such men
on the payroll, whereas it was alleged
that we now have "ovex 5000 and that
the appropriations on that account for
last fo aI