Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-08
UNHAMPERED BY LAW
Garfield Prefers Not to Bor-
row Secret Service Men.
HIS OWN MEN SUFFICE
Tells House Committee He Stopped
Practice of His Own Accord.
HE SOUGHT BETTER RESULTS
Department of Justice Detectives
Were Duplicating Work-Did Not
Anticipate Congressional Action.

Chief Wilkie OF the Treasury brancn
of the secret service told the appro-
priation committee OF the House or
Representatives during the hearings on
the sundry civil bill that the detective
work of the government had not been
hampered as result of the so-called
limiting provision adopted by Congress
last year. President Roosevelt took
issue with him. Yet, in his statement
to the subcommittee. Secretary OF the
| Interior Garfield went even further
than did Mr.. Wilkie.
People here who have followed the
secret service controversy between the
President and Congress are wondering
| whether the President will take occa-
sion to publicly contradict the utter
ances of Mr.. Garfield, who has been
and is not only a member of his official
family but his intimate personal friend.
Secretary Garfield not only told the
committee that the Interior Depart
! ment had not been hampered by the
| provision limiting the activities of the
Treasury branch of the secret service.
but insisted that the department was
at present in much better position to
prosecute frauds on the public domain
than ever before.
He appeared before the committee to
urge that $1.OOO.OO0 be appropriated in
the sundry civil bill to enable the gov
| eminent to begin proceedings to re-
cover 100000 worth of public lands
alleged to have been Illegally acquired.
Did Not Anticipate Congress.
MIR. Garfield was asked by the commit
tee the important and interesting ques-
ton If the discontinuance of the use of
secret service men procured from the De-
partment Of Justice was due to antici-
patton of the limiting provision later
passed by Congress. He replied that it
was not.
Then you do not understand" asked
Representative Smith of Iowa, that it
had its origin in any anticipation that the
so-called secret service in the Treasury
Department was no longer to be loaned?
so far as l am concerned" replied the
Secretary, lit had it's origin with the
knowledge 1 acquired Immediately upon
becoming Secretary Of the Interior. that
the condition was not a good one"
conditions prior to the making of this
arrangement in the investigation of land
frauds were not satisfactorily asked
Chairman Tawney.
Mr.. Garfield replied. There was a force
under the Department of Justice that was
doing work Of which the land office had
no information. L found they were en-
gagged upon cases upon which our own
men were engaged. There was overlap
| ping work. conflict and friction between
| the two bodies Of men.
Did Away With Borrowing.
ut was only after months of inquiry
that the Attorney General and 1 were
able to get clear and definite statement
| Of exactly what cases were being worked
up, whether they were old cases or
whether they were instituting new cases.
AS soon as we got that information we
| did away with the Independent force I'M
der the Department Of Justice, initiating
| new cases..
from the secret service division of the
| Treasury to the Department of Justice?'
| Mr.. TaWney inquired.
| Yes. / so understand" the Secretary
replied.
'Then. to make it absolutely clear"
| suggested Mr.. Sherley, lit was the quail
| ty of the work being done and no antici-
| patton of any action to be taken by Con-
gress looking to the prevention of the de-
tail of secret service men to other de-
| partments?'
The latter point" said the Secretary,
had no influence on my mind.
Laxness Not Due to Congress.
The following question was then put to
Mr.. Garfield:
"As a matter Of fact, Mr.. Secretary
| there is nothing in the record to show
that laXness could be attributed in any
| way to the failure on the part OF con-
| gress to provide all the money that
was estimated to be necessary for the
service?"
He replied
You are quite right There has never
been any criticism by me made of the
action Of Congress in giving the depart
ment the appropriations that have been
asked for this purpose. l simply at
tribute the conditions we find now to the
fact that there was not the present
keenness for careful administration and
careful investigation and examination of
the work itself. and the methods of con-
Quoting the work
An interesting sidelight on the methods
of the department in detecting land
frauds was given by Secretary Garfield.
In certain instances, he said. agents of
the Department of Justice were used for
special work.
For example, they We're employed to
watch Jurors, shadow witnesses and per-
form other acts, which. members of the
committee appropriations declare.
would be punished as contempt of court
by some judges. Mr.. Garfield explained
| thus:
Men Not Qualified.
"There are certain classes of investiga-
tions which the agents of the Depart
ment of Justice might be called to make
! NJ tod Tod