The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-16
Denounces A ction of
House in Defeating
His Resolution.
WANTS PROBING
OF SUGAR TRUST
He Openly Charges That Friaz
Lands Have Been Gobbled Up
Through collusion With
Attorney General and War
Departmental Sweep
ing Indictment.


sentative Martin (Democrat), of Colo
rado. who for weeks has been wasing
a fight in the House In an effort to
show that the friar LANDS of the Phil
ippine Islands are being selned by the
sugar trust" with the acquiescence OF
Attorney General Wicnersham and the
war Department., tonight gave to the
press an interview In which he reviews
his efforts. assails the government Of
fc.als alleged TO be involved. charges
that information which would prove
his contention is being withheld by the
War Department. and demands fui!
congressional inquiry into the matter.
Mr.. Martin characterized the action
of the Republicaln majority in the
House yesterday in defeating his res
olution calling upon the War De-
partment for information in regard to
"hlanketing move He points out
number of alleged discrepancies in the
| reports sent by the War Department
to the House Committee on Insular
Anairs concerning the rsiar land
| transaction. and accuses the govern
ment officials of duplicity and deceit.
Take on the Lid.
| He charges the administration with
having begun "a policy OF exploitation
in the Philippines and declared that
I III it has been falsely accused. let It
take off the lid
| Mr.. Martin announced that he was
| preparing a new resolution of inquiry
| into the friar land deal, which he said
| ne would Introduce in the House as
| soon as he had finished drafting 1t.
Mr.. Martins statement follows:
"If thcre waseveT any doubt about
] the necessity for an investigation of
/ Philippine affairs it is removed by the
disclosures made by the War Depart
ment in response to my resolution OF
| inquiry.
THE war Department report. upon
| examination. fully justiies such
move. 1t discloses negotiations between
4 the War Department and the Philip
pine government, whereas the war
| Department, in communication pub
| lished in tho Congressional Record
| March 2s made the statement that Its
! first information concerning the sale
| OF this estate was received through
the public press. This afTirms my con-
/ IeNLlOn tIldI lDiS usdl ldd pSSba aiiACA
way for months, and was practically
consummated before Attorney-General
Wickershanl was asked for an opinion.
No Such Cablegram.
ut was also stated that when the
| Secretary of War heard about this
/ matter through the newspapers he
cabled the Philippine Governor-Gen-
eral to hold up the sale until he could
get an opinion from Acknowledgement
| Wickersham.
NO such cablegram appears in the
| information now furnished. On the
| contrary, there appears one from the
War Department to the Governor
| General dated December 4. 1909 the
/ very day Wickersham's opinion was
asked for. approving the sale of the
San Jose estate. which had already
4 been made.
another cablegram from the Gov
ernor-General. antedatirg the request
for Understands opinion, shows that
| the sale was not to Poole. as hereto
! fore reported by the War Department
but to Poole or his nominees. Poole's
nominees is, or will be, subsidiary
/ Mindoro Development Company. al
ready organized by dummy incorpora-
tors under the laws OF New Jersey
/ Then there is Il cablegram dated
| October %, from the Goyernor-Gcn
a eral to the Secretary of War. stating
\ that Prentiss and Poole desired tt
purchase the San Jose estate which
1 cablegram refers to prior negotiation.
!, by one Harmon with the War Depart
I ment about these frlar lands.
This Hammond, it develops, is
, member of the -sirm of Strong ane
Cadwalader. of New York. of which
! Henry W. Taft is now the second
member TO which rank he was pro.
, NOTED from fifth place when Mr.
Wickersham left the firm to becom,
i Attorney General. Mr. Hammond
) opened negotiations with the War De
> partment and then, obviously for ap
5 pearance sake, turned their consum-
: nation over to another firm of attor
. neys. Hammond represented Have
! meyer. The purchaser Poole represent
! cd Havemeyer. Havemeyer is the su
Y gar trust
/ Has Other Evidence.
, II could point out many other things
but the proper time and place to poin
them out will be in congressiona
investigation, The administration
must Investigate this matter or sticl
I | its head in the sand like an ostrich I,
blind its eyes to the storm that is com
Ing,
Il have charged the administration
!, with having begun a policy of unlaw
I, full exploitation in the Philippines. an
$ every development goes to establisl
7 the truth of the charges. II the ad
J ministratlon has been falsely accuse
: let 1T take off the lid
s War Department officials so-nigh
& declared that the statement made b,
4 Representative Martin is not worth,
/, of serious consideration, as he ha
. taken the facts in the case and gar
i. government, had been g party to wronl
I dealings.'5 Ii a 4. Il, @ 8 /. B.
: 1T was said that the records FUR
\ l5nished to- tho Insular Committee n h
III the War Department would prove ina
4 | the department had acted lin the mat
1l tnx.I ,nri Adnf,t,f ant A