Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-06-15
Difference between Amount PAID
tary Knox and Chairman of
House Committee.
HALE PAYMENT EXPLAINED
Difference between Omount Pait
Artist and Receipt Said to
Have Been Used in Chin
ese Matters.

Washington June illumination ting
the now famous Day portrait vouchd
had been doctored a consequent liveR
colloquy between Secretary Knox ana
Chairman Hanlin Of the House investiga-
ting committee. and testimony Of Dis
bursting Officer Morrison's messenger
that he found the voucher on the floor
near Morrisons desk. after the archives
had been Intellectually ransacked, fea-
tured to-day's State department invesd-
CATION. Correspondence between Secre-
tary Root and Consul-General Michael
at Calcutta indicated that the difference
between the amount Of the voucher and
the amount paid to the artist was ap-
piled to emergency accounts, probably
Chinese matters, according TO Mr.
Michael.
Mr.. Morrison probably will be recalled
to explain how the voucher happened to
be among the "crumpled envelopes" near
his waste basket. long after the search
for the document had been on.
Secretary Knox explained, apparently
to the satisfaction of the committee the
payment of 5000 to Frederick Hale, son
Of former Senator Hale OF Maine, for
services in connection with Canadian
boundary negotiations. Mr. Hale was
employed for this work performed his
duty to the satisfaction of Secretary
Root and Secretary Knox approved his
bill of 5000 a few weeks after coming
into control Of the State department.
NEW ELEMENT IN MYSTERY.
AS TO the voucher signed by Albert
Rosenthal the portrait painter. calling
for s2.45o, of which Rosenthal got but
$3.50, Mr.. Knox could give no new
facts. week ago. he said, Mr. Carr,
chief Of the consular bureau, brought
the voucher and papers to him, saying
that they had oeen found on the floor
Of Disbursng Clerk Morrison's office
Mr.. Knox asked how they got thevo
and could learn nothing. He added Il
new element to the mystery by saying:
| You will be Interested in another
receipt from Mr.. Rosenthal that is at
tached to the papers. 1t was signed
January 1s, 1904, and Is for $3.50, with
notation that $50. for the frame OF
Secretary Days picture, had been paid
to a Washington picture dealer.
| found this section receipt with the
papers; that is all know of it,"
| The members of the committee
found that it was not actually dated
January IS, 1904 but read: Received
January IS, 1904. the sum OF $500"
with an explanation of the purpose.
Mr.. Hamlin intimated that he be-
lieved the receipt had been fixed up
after the present investigation began
"Do you mean that you suspect some
one in the State department is guilty
lop a i
Secretary Knox, with heat.
NOTHING Personal MEANT.
There is no intention to reflect on you
personally Mr.. Secretary" returned the
chairman. but am strongly of the opin-
| ION that this was prepared after this in
quiry began" Mr.. Han1lin said he intend
cd to probe the circumstances to the bot
tom.
II will welcome such an investiga tion,"
said Secretary Knox. land II you can cor
rohorate your theory. and can show that
any one in the state department was cog
infant Of such an act, there Will be some
! vacancies in the department"
! Howard Sangston, messenger IN Clerk
| Morrsons office, testified that he found
the envelope among lot of crumped ones
| by Mr.. Morrison's waste basket, about
41-2 feet from the latters desk
Il laid it on Mr.. Morrison's desk" said
sangston. "and he said Why. Howard.
where did you get this? This is the
voucher that has been causing all the
trouble" "
SanGston said he had not put the envei-
cpe there had seen no one throw It there,
and had no idea how II got there. The
office had previously been ransacked for
T..
| EXPLANATION BY MICHAEL
Secretary Knox introduced letter
Secretary Root had written to W, II.
Michael, now consul-general at Calcutta
and former chief clerk when the
Rosenthal matter first came ur. In 1906,
and the reply OF Mr.. Michael. The Root
letter called Michaers attention to the
fact that the voucher had been found
without the usual memorandum attached.
and that the amount was much in excess
OF the sums usually paid for portraits OF
| former secretaries.
Mr.. Mlchael's reply was that the pay
ment has been agreed upon between Jus
tice Day and Rosenthal He had handed
Days letter to that effect to Secretary
Hay "who took memorandum out of
his portfolio and after looking at it.
directed me to make out a voucher for q
certain amount, don't now recall the
amount. to pay for the portrait and to
hand him the balance, which he desired
to apply on other emergency accounts"
Michael did not know what these ac-
counts were, but got the impression that
they related In some way 10 Mr., Rocllhlll
In connection with Chinese affairs"
/,
PEARY LAUDS WILL POWER
Troy, June l4.-Scventy students were