The Sentinel=record., 1911-06-15
MYSTERY IN
 DEPARTMENT
HOUSE COMMITTEE PROBING IN. TO MYSTERIOUS VOUCHER
 FOR PORTRAIT.
Secretary Knox Can Give No Informa. tier. and Comes Near Having Serious Clash With Com
 mittee.

Washington, June 14-The mystery that surrounds the sudden discovery in the state department of the Day portrait voucher, found week ago on the floor of the office of Disbursing Clerk Morris. was not cleared up when Secretary Of State Knox appeared to- day before the Hamlin committee of the house in response to the commit tees subpoena issued yesterday.
 MT Hale was not employed actu- ally to locate the boundary, but for the diplomatic work of agreeing on the line through Passamaquoddy bay" said MT. Knox" When he failed to reach an agreement with Great Britain the matter automatically went to arbi, tration. Congress then appropriated s15,000 for that work but MT. Bryce and sat in my office one day and set tied the matter, not regarding it of enough value to go to the expense of arbitration.
 We reduced the agreement to a writing, 1t became a treaty between the United States and Great Britain and as such was ratified by the sen ate," said Mir. Knox.
 As to the voucher signed by Albert Rosenthal, the portrait painter calling for $2,450, of which sum Rosenthal got but 1850, Mir. Knox could give no new facts
 He only knew that he had started a search for it as soon as he heard about the case, and the search failed to reveal any trace of the voucher or letter supposed to be with it.
 A week ago. said MT. Knox. MT Carr chief of the consul bureau brought the voucher and papers to him. saying they had been found on the floor of disbursing Clerk Morri- sons office.
 Did you make inquiries to fini out how they got there?" asked Chairman Hamiin.
 q did" said Secretary Knox, "and could learn nothing. All I know about the whole case is embodied in this voucher and the papers attached to it."
 At this point Secretary Knox adde new element to the mystery.
 You will be interested in another receipt from Mir. Rosenthal that IS attached to the papers" ne said to the committee. "It was signed Janu ary Is, 1904, and Is for $790, with a notation that s60 for the frame Of Secretary Days portrait has been paid to Washington picture dealer
 Mir. Hamlin grabbed the papers.
 Where did this second receipt come from?" he demanded.
 s'1 found 1t with the papers, that is ali know of it. said Secretary Knox.
 The members of the committee found that it was not actually dated January IS, 1904. but read: Receive January IS, 1904, the sum of $1so' with an explanation of the purchase
 Mir sHamlin declared he believed there was something wrong about the receipt. He intimated that he be- lIeved 1t had been fixed up. at least as to the explanation written in Ink across the bottom. after the present investigation began.
 Do you mean that you suspect some one in the state department ls guilty of committing perjury de manded Secretary Knox with neat.
 There is no intention to reflect or you personlly, NIT. Secretary, re- turned the chairman" but l am strongly of the opinion that this was prepared after this inquiry began
 "Then you think that Mir Rosentha las written at least part of this re ceipt since the time indicated in II. asked Mir. Knox.
 MT. HamIin replied he thought Il was a curious receipt and that ne in- tended to probe the circumstances te the bottom.
 q will welcome such an investisa tion,'' said Secretary Knox, and J you can corroborate your theory ans can show that any one in the state oe partment was cognizant of such al act. there will be some vacancies II the department
 Howard sangston, the messenger II