Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-11

President Roosevelt had no basis of
fact on which to charge Congress with
limiting the efforts Of the government to
detect and punish crime. as he did charge
in his last annual message. This Is the
opinion of the Senate committee on ap-
preparations.
A partial report was submitted to the
Senate today. through Senator Hemen-
way, member of the subcommittee di-
rected to investigate the black cabinet"
as the secret service has come to be
called.
The report was drafted by Senator'S Gal
linger, chairman of the subcommittee;
Hemenway and Clay. Mr.. Hemenway, in
presenting 1t, made a statement Of the
findings of the committee thus far.
Statement of Hemenway.
81 want TO, as nearly as possible. cor.
rect an erroneous impression that seems
to exist in the minds of Senators as well
as the public said he, ''as to the effect
of the limitations upon the secret serv-
ice contained in the sundry civil appro-
priation bill for the fiscal year, 1909. The
report furnishes brief history Of this
particular item of appropriation, showing
that in 1851 it commences with an ap-
preparation OF $500, and from time to
time was increased and decreased, until
for the fiscal year 1908 the appropriation
was for S125.OOO, and under this appro-
priation about sixty-tive men were regu-
1.rl ,r,Ir cd fbo orxyfa
The particular purpose for which this
appropriation was to be used was de-
tecting. arres,i ing and delivering into
the custody of the United States mar
shall dealers and pretended dealers il
the counterfeit money and persons en-
gagged in counterfeiting Treasury notes,
bonds, national bank notes and other
securities of the United States and for
eign governments. and for the protec-
tion of the person of the President Of
the United States.
Under this appropriation about sixty
five men were employed At the close
of the fiscal year 1908 there had been
expended about $106,000, and there re-
mained an unexpended balance of $4,000.
so that, in making up the appropria-
tiOn bill for the fiscal year 1909, in view
Of the fact that only $106,000 had been
expended during the fiscal year 1908, the
appropriation was reduced from S12o,00o
to $4,000, and limitation which pre-
vented the transfer or detail of the Sc
cret service force Of the Treasury De-
partment was placed upon this bill, which
resulted In that portion Of the Presi-
dents message and criticism Of the &C.
ton OF Congress.
Treasury Alone Affected.
TT should be made clear to the Senate
and to the public that this Limitation
in no way affects any portion, OF the in
spection or secret service. so-called, in
any Of the departments of the govern
ment except the sixty-five men employed
in the secret service division Of the
Treasury Department.
1t had come to the knowledge of the
committee on appropriations that men
from this limited force, in place of devot-
ing their time to the duties which Con-
voted to, had been transferred to the in
spection Of land frauds and other work.
The effect of this transfer. as shown
by the testimony Of Secretary Garfield
and by the statements of the Attorney
General. resulted In an agreement be-
tween the Secretary Of the Interior and
the Attorney General to dispense with the
service of secret service employees and
use the force they had under their own
departments for this particular purpose.
THAT no harm has resulted from this
restriction is shown by the fact that
during the fiscal year 1908 there was not
a single secret service man used by the
Interior Department. and the statement
Of Secretary Garfield that he had no de-
sire to use any one from the secret serv-
ice in connection with the land fraud
Investigations.
Government Adequately Equipped.
by the further fact that a proper
cret service bureau has been organized in
the Department of Justice, which has
complete power to investigate every crime
against the government. with the possible
exception of counterfeiting, which is pro-
vided for by this specific appropriation,
out of which the secret service of the
Treasury Department is paid.
"It is in evidence. and there is no
question to the truthfulness Of this
statement, that the Department of Justice
have complete power to investigate lot
teries, trusts, customs and frauds and all
other crimes against the government. 1t
is further shown that the agreement made
between the Attorney General and the
Secretary of the Interior that dispensed
with the use of the secret service men
was made before this limitation was
placed upon the appropriation bill. and
that the Limitation had nothing whatever
to do with the agreement, but that 1t was
made prior to the time the limitation
was placed upon the bill and made for the
good of the service.
''Of the thousands of employees in the