The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-02-22
DEFENSE OF THE
SECRET SERVICE
70 MADE nv PRESIDENT RoosE.
WELT IN A LETTER TO sENA.
TOR HALE OF MAINE.
PRAISES WORK OF SLEUTHs
He Says the Men Under Chief Wilkls
/ Have Performed invaluable serv-
Ice and Should Not be
Hampered by Congress.

WHB0l0BIOUt Ftu. 80 - ilNoluOh'
Roosevelt yesterday added another
stirring chapter to the secret service
controversy In a vigorous reply to
the attacks on this branch of the gov
eminent in a report made recently by
Senator Hemenway of the senate com.
mittee Senator Hemenway in this
report asserted that II never had been
the intention Of congress to build W
q spy" system, and with evident ref
erence to this part Of the report the
president declares that If the limita
tion of the use of the secret service
had been in force when the sensa
tional land frauds were unearthed a
few years ago a senator, representa-,
tive and various men Of wealth and
high political influence who at that
time were convicted, would have
escaped punishment. The presidents g
letter is addressed 10 Acting Chair.
man Hale of the senate appropriations
committee.
.crltlclses Hemenway's Report.
Characterizing as inaccurate and
misleading in various important re-
sDects." both Senator Hemenway's re,
port and the debate which II aroused
in the senate, the president presents a
mass of facts and figures in defense
of the secret service dgring the seven
years of his administration. The
president among other things says:
Until the last year the secret serv.
ice, small body of go or 20 men in
the treasury department, under Chief
Wilkie, was practically the only body
of public servants engaged almost
purely in criminal investigation. Dur,
ing the seven years of my administra.
tion they were instrumental in bring.
ing to justice great numbers of Grim.
inals. They rendered invaluable as
sistance in securing conviction OF
many criminals Of desperate char,
acter. and uf many other offenders of
great wealth. and Of social and polit.
ical prominence.
I'm not one single instance during
these seven years has It been shown
that their action jeopardized any man
who was not connected with illegal
transactions. In not a single instance
has II been shown that they took any
but proper steps against criminal
High Praise for Wilkes Men.
''I desire to put on record my EN-.
phatic belief that the secret service
under Chief Wilkie has been com
posed OF men of an exceptionally high
grade Of character, who have rem
dered exceptional service to the pub
lie and that Chief Wilkie himself has
shown qualities OF the highest kind
and has been one of the main stand
bys OF the government. No other
man in the government employ is SC
dreaded and hated by law-breakers.
Congress Hampered Justice.
Congress last year forbade by Law
che use Of the secret service men tC
put stop to crime aside from coun
terfeiting; and thereby not only
hampered Justice in other depart
ments, but deprived the secretary o
the treasury, the official guardian o
a billion and a half of the nations
actual money, of the powers effective
iy to exercise that guardianship
Moreover, the congress provided m
substitute whatever for the secre
service. In consequence, the depart
ment of justice was obliged to develol
its own corps of special detectives Il
take the place Of the secret servic,
agents which II had previously used
and the nucleus of this force wa
made up Of officers formerly connect
ed with the secret service and traine,
in its methods. | call your special al
tention to the fact that II the depart
ment Of justice had not taken thi
action there would have been a CON
plete failure to enforce the Law
against many types of criminals"