Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-29
MARTIN WRONG.
SAYS BALLINGER
SECRETARY DENIES CHARGES
OF CONGRESSMAN
CoLoRADoAN DECLARES LETTER
is EVAsIVE IN CHARACTER
Asserts He viii Press Charge That
Sugar Trust Has Been Aided
-qeo "a sueld s@l VI
IsogIo 4sul
ASSOCIATED Pressl


WASHINGTON, March 2S.-The
charges preferred on the floor of the
house last Friday by Representative
Martin, Democrat, of Colorado, that
1.-The former attorney of the sugar trust
is now the head of the department of
justice" brought forth letter of denial
from Attorney General Wiekersham,
addressed to Representative Bennett
of New York and read into the house
record today.
Mr.. Wickershams letter follows:
Il have read in the Congressional
Record of March 25 a statement made
by a member from Colorado that the
former attorney for the sugar trust is
now at the head of the department of
justice of the present administration
and later on what purports to be
quotation from a newspaper editorial
reading, Attorney General Wicker
sham, the former attorney for the
sugar trust
THAT such statement may not gain
any currency. 1 would like to state
through you l never was attorney Tor
the sugar trust-by which, | under
stand is meant the American Sugar
Refining company and its allied or
subsidiary corporations-no had any
professional or business relations
with it.
Partner 7do One OdSC
1.-THE only possible foundation for
such statement lies in the fact that one
of my partners some three years ago
was retained as counsel for the Ameri-
can Suga Refining company in
single lawsuit brought against 1t. and
pursuant to such retainer he assisted
i'm the defense of the company in that
action, and on appeal taken from
judgment in it's favor, but in that law
suit I was neither consulted nor did l
render any service"
! Representative Martin was not on
| the floor of the house at the time the
letter was read, but when advised OF
the matter secured a copy of the attor-
ney generals letter. Mr.. Martin an
nounced that he intended to carry his
charges against the department of jus
tice to a definite conclusion He now
has a resolution pending for an inves-
tigation of the acquisition of friar
lands in the Philippines by the Have
meyer interests.
Martin to Press Charges
Mr.. Martin said in an interviews
1.-The attorney general. you will OBJ
serve. carefully avoided making any
denial of the principal features of my
charges. to-wit: That his decision gave
the sugar trust $4,000 acres of friar
lands for a price less than the govern
ment paid for it, and there was no
warrant of law for such a decision.
The law plainly limits the sale of pub
| lie lands to any one person or company
to $500 acres. and there Is no question
of the friar lands being public lands
MIR. Wickersham says his partner
! who. I understand, was Henry w. Taft
| a brother of the president, and not he,
was attorney for the sugar trust. This
form of dsavowal will not carry much
weight
81 shall continue my efforts to show
up what I believe is but the beginning
of a gigantic grab of friar lands of the
Philippine islands by the sugar trust,
all made possible by an unwarranted
| decision of the attorney general. I
shall decide upon a further course
| within a day or two.
There are 100000 acres of these
| lands in the Philippines, acquired by
the government at cost of $7,200.000
which is SIS an acre. The sugar trust
acquired the $4,000 acres for Sc an acre"