The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-06-17
MORRISON SAYS
 HE WAS WARNED Told to Keep Quiet About
 Voucher IS A SERIOUS MATTER
State Department Seems Very Much Worried Over Constantly Increas- ing Entanglements in Day
 Portrait Mystery

Washington, June 16.-Thomas Morri- son. disbursing clerk of the state depart ment. told the House committee on ex- penditures in that department today that he had been instructed, when the miss ing voucher in the Day portrait case was found on the floor Of his office a rev days ago, to keep still about the discov- cry. This instruction, he said, was given him by Wilbur J. Carr chief of the con sular bureau.
 The disclosure was made when Chair man Hanlln asked him if he had made any further attempt since his examinaton a few days ago to discover how the long
 missing voucher came to be on the floor
 of his office.
 T was instructed not to say much about it." MT Morrison testified.
 "Who instructed your"
 'Mr. Carr told me not to discuss the matter. He said it was not advisable to say much about 1t, as it would be inves- tigated.''
 The serious view taken of the matter by state department officials was re- fected in a copy of letter from Charles DenDY, CONSUL SeuSldl el V lCiiao, AO't--SN chief clerk of the state department under Secretary Root, when the first investiga- ton into the mystery of the $2450 vouch- CT for an $s5O portrait was made. secre- tary Knox submitted this letter, dated Vienna, May So 1911, and cablegram previously received.
 Answering MT. Knox's first cablegram for an explanation of the portrait pay men, MT. Denby cabled from Vienna on May 30:
 NO written report was made. Carefui preliminary investigation failed to con- vince the department that criminal charges could be sustained Discrepancy Discovered in 1906 Reporting by mail, MT. Denby ex- plained the voucher discrepancy was discovered in 1906, when the depart mont negotiated for portrait of Sec retary Hay and that prior to the Root regime it was customary to include Tn one voucher smaller sums paid for a number of expenses out of the appro- priation allotted to the department to be expended at the secretary's discre- tion.
 As to the result of the investigation conducted by the department in lsoo which MT. Denby says was never known outside of the department, the former chief clerk reported:
 "How far the alleged irregularities in the use of the particular fund Tn question were within the knowledge of Secre tary Hay could not be ascertained as he died in 1905, in which year also AIr Michael went as consul to Calcutta. Such practices were not continued un- der Secretary Root but reports were brought to my knowledge while chief clerk that the practice had existed pre- Viously
 "In view of the entire lack of reliable proof of misrepresentation of funds, the inevitable, unpleasant criticism of the administration of an honored man, which would result in public action, the incident was passed over and no off clal action was taken"
 Mr Morrison explained to the com niittee further today that on the day he maid the s245O in cash to former Chief Clerk Michael on June IS, 1904, he had ordered his clerk to insert the words, two hundred and fifty dollars" in the printed voucher and that half an hour after he paid the money to Michael, he inquired what the payment was for and was told in Michaels of fee that it was for the Day portrait Then he immediately instructed the clerk to write on the voucher that it was for the Day portrait. Rotations on the back which appeared later referring to emergency payments for diplomatic business, MT Morrison declared were not on the voucher that day.