The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-06-03
Flatly Refuses to Per-
nit Committee to Elk
anime Them.
SEARCHING FOR
LOST. VOUCHER
Probers Want to Know What
Became Of the $2,45o Which
Was Not Paid to Artist for
His Portrait Of Ex-
Secretary of State
Day.

Washington. June "a lively con
trofersy over the executives right to
withhold confidential papers from a
congressional probing committee was
precipitated at the Capitol TO day by
q hat refusal of Secretary of state
knox, on the instruction of President
Taft TO lay before the House Com
mittee on Expenditures in the state
Department books showing the record
OF the payment for the rortrnit of en-
Secretary OF State Day The commit
Tee is seeking to discover what be-
came OF the $500 balance on the $3.50
voucher drawn for the payment Of the
portrait, Artist RosenthaI received
only $3.50 for his work. ana the $1,000
IS yet unaccounted for.
The President held that the 1880
Was paid out OF the emergency FUND
Tor unforeseen emergencies In the Dip
lomatic and consular service and for
extending diplomatic Intercourse with
foreign nations, which Congress had
provided need not be accounted for IL
the President certines that an item
should be paid from this fund Presi-
K dent Roosevelt had made ccrtiflca-
ton. and President TAFT hesitated to
go back OF that ccrtification Further
more, Secretary Knox explained to
X the committee that IL was improper to
produce the hooks because thereby 9TH
nr undisciosed Items Of expenditure
would be revealed. Secretary Knox
said he wRs directed to complete his
inves,ig alton into what beca me Of The
money and to report the facts to the
President.
Takes Issue with Secretary
m Chairman iIomlin. Of Missouri took
issue with the secretary's asserted
right to refuse to produce the record
OF the expenditures.
DO you mean to say that 5a.450 may
4 beaspent for a4portrait and Congress
4 refused all information IN regard to
Z it?'' he asked.
Secretary Knox replied that 1t WAS
pr"pet when former President GER
titled to the expenditure from the
emergency fund.
Mr.. Hamlin threatened to take the
matter to the floor of the House 4
coiloauy between the chairman and
the secretary finally resulted in the
suggestion that the chairman might
be allowed personally to inspect the
particular record. This course prob
ably Will he followed. Mr. Knox said
that the books showed no further IN
formatio than the committee was in
possession Of
Air. Hamlin questioned Secretary
Knox closely To what justifica ion
there was for paying for portrait out
OF secret fund set aside for unfore-
seen emergencies and extending diplo-
4 matte intercourse.
Mr.. Knox said IL had been the prac-
tice since 1880. He informed the com
mittee that no trace had yet been
found OF the S2,l50 voucher which Mr.
Rosenthal said he signed in blank af-
ter receiving the $3.50 personal check
OF former CHIEF Clerk Michael now
consul general at Calcutta. lie con
coded It was very Irregular for 4
voucher TO be made out for more than
the signer received and that such ac-
tion placed burden on hin who made
II out TO explain the circumstances.
.'I surmise-it is Just my impress
sion said the secretary, that If We
find that this $1,000 was legitimately
expended notwithstanding the irregu-
1arity of the record, that will end It,
but II It has been tiiched, the greater
the punishment of the offender the
&c reater will be our pleasure a
Taft VIII Not Permit 1t. s
President Taft. in his reply to Sec
rotary AnoX's letter to him asking
what course he should pursue In ODE
( dience to the Committees summons TO
produce the records, said that in view
OF the facts and circumstances. and
that the emergency fund expenditures
for this period have, under the express
authority of Congress, been certitied
by Secretary Day, for my predeces-
sor. President Roosevelt. as being of
such q character as ought not to he
made public feel that nothing but
y some extraordinary circums ance
would justify ne in directing YOU to
take such record before the commit
tee named, because the discretion thus
exercised under the statute should, in
my Judgment. in general be conclusive
\ and binding upon this point"
The President added that when Sec
I rotary Knox concluded his investiga-
ton of the particular expenditure and
submitted the matter to him he (the
PresidenD would determine whether
the money was lawfully or dishon-
es;ly and improperly misappropri-
ated"
"If I have reason to believe that
the latter alternative is the true one
the President added. then j shall di-
rect you TO submit the result of your
investigation with respect to the item
20 the committee. In the meantime,
HI do not deem 1t proper that you
K should submit TO tile committee the
kilograms and other steps or partial
/ details, of your investigation"
4a Senator Root. who was Secretary OF
State about the time the portrait was
paid for, will testify next Tuesday
H as to what he may know about the
case. aAsiHI atSa!SE slG