The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-03-29
I,,r.%' Islands
BY n, CHARGES
Declares Attorney General Was
Former Attorney for Sugar
Trust

Washington, March 29-The charge
preferred on the floor of the house
last Friday by Representative Martin
(Dom.) of Colorado, that "the former
attorney of the sugar trust is now at
the head of the department of Justice
of the present administration. !"
brought forth letter of denial from
Attorney General Wickersham, ad-
dressed to Representative Bennet of
New York and read into the Record
today. MIR. Wickersham's letter fol-
lows:
II have read in the Congressional
Record of March 25 statement made
by member from Colorado to the
effect that the former attorney of
the sugar trust is at the head of the
department Of justice of the present
administration and later on what
purports to be quotation from q
newspaper editorial reading Attorney
General Wickersham, the former at
torney of the sugar trust
I'm order that such statement may
not gain any currency l should like
to state through you that l never was
attorney for the sugar trust-by which
understand is meant the American
Sugar Refining company and its allied
or subsidiary corporations-nor had
any professional or business relations
to 1t.
"The only possible foundation for
such a foundation lies in the fact that
one partners some three years
ago was retained as one Of counsel
for the American Sugar Refining COM
pany in q single lawsuit brought
against 1t, and pursuant to such re-
tainer. he assisted in the defense Of
the company in that action and an
appeal taken from judgment in its
favor, but in that lawsuit l neither
was consulted nor old I render any
service"
Representative Martin was not on
the floor of the house at the time the
letter was read by Mr.. Bennet, but
when advised of the mater secured a
copy of the attorney generals letter.
MIR. Martin announced that he intend
ed to carry his charges against the
department of justice to a definite
conclusion. He now has a resolution
pending for an investigation of the
acquisition of frier lands in the
Philippines by the Havemeyer inter-
ests. Mr.. Martin said in an inter-
view:
"The attorney general, you will OBJ
served. carefully avoided making any
denial of the principal features of my
charges. that his decision gave the
sugar trust $4,000 acres of friar lands
for a. price less than the government
paid for it, and that there was no
warrant of law for such a decision.
The law plainly limits the sale of
public lands to any one person or
company to $500 acres and there is
no question Of the friar lands being
public lands.
"Mr. Wickersham says that his
partner, whom understand was
Henry w. Taft, q brother of the presi-
dent, and not he, was attorney for
the sugar trust. This form of dis
avowal will not carry much weight.
II shall continue my efforts to show
up what believe is but the beginning
of gigantic gram of the friar lands
of the Philippines by the sugar trust,
all made possible by an unwarranted
decision of the attorney general.
shall decide upon further course
within day or two
There are 100000 acres of these
friar lands in the Philippines acquired
by the government at cost Of $780,
900 which is SIS per acre. The sugar
trust acquired this $4,000 acres for
Sc an acre."