The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-06-17
Investigation Of Fin d.
ing Of MissingV oucher
+ cared.
GRAVE VIEW OF
MATTER TAKEN
Department Looked Into Irregu
larity as Far Back as 1906. but
Had No Reliable Proof and
Did Not Want to Besmirch
Administration of Secre-
tary Hay.

Washington. D. c., June 16.-Thomas
Morrison. dlsbursing clerk OF the State
Department. told the House Commit
tee on Expenditures in that depart
ment to-day that he had been In
structed, when the missing voucher
in the Day portrait case under inves-
tigaton. was found on the floor of
his office a few days ago. to keep still
about the discovery. This instruction.
he said was given him by Wilbur ].
Carr. chief of the Consular Bureau,
who said 1t was not advisable to say
much about 1t. a S 1t would be investi-
gated The disclosure was made when
Chairman Hamlin asked him If he had
made any further attempt since his
examination few days ago TO dis
cover how the long missing voucher
came to be OIL the floor of his office
Serious View Taken.
The serious view taken of the mat
ter by State Department officials was
reflected in a copy OF letter from
Charles DENLY, consul-general at vi
emma. Austria. former chief clerk of
the State Department under Secretary
Root, when the first investigation into
the mystery OF the $3.50 voucher for
an $3.50 portrait was made. Secretary
emma, May 80, 1911. and cablegram
previously received. Answering Mr..
knoN's. first cablegram for an eXpla-
nation of the portrait payment, Mr.
DENLY cabled from Vienna on May 40:
No written report was made, Care
full preliminary investigation failed to
convince department that criminal
charges could be sustained"
Reporting by mail, Mr.. DENLY ex-
lot m
was discovered In 1906, when the de-
partment negotiated for portrait of
Secretary Hay, and that prior to the
Root regime 1t was customary to in
clude in one voucher smaller sums
paid for number of expenses out OF
the appropriation allotted to the de-
partment to be expended at the secre-
tary's discretion.
AS to the result of the investigation
conducted by the department In 1906,
which Mr.. DENLY says was never known
outside of the department, the former
chief clerk reported:
How far the alleged irregular rites
In the use OF the particular fund liz
question were within the knowledge
of Secretary Hay could not be ascer-
tained. as he died in 1905. in which
year also Mr., Michael went as consul
to Calcutta. Such practices were not
continued under Secretary Root, but
reports were brought to my knowledge
while chief clerk that the practices
had existed previously.
No Reliable Proof.
In view of the entire lack of reli-
able proof of misrepresentation of
funds. and inevitable unpleasant crit
icism of the administration of an hon
ored man. which would result In public
action. the incident was passed over,
and no official action was taken"
Mr.. Morrison explained to the com
mittee further to-day that on the day
he paid the $2,45O in cash to Clerk
Michael. ON June Is. 1904, he had or
dered his clerk to insert the words
two hundred and fifty dollars" In the
printed voucher. and that half an hour
after he had paid the money to Michael
he inquired what the payment was for,
and was told in Michaels office that 1t
was for the Day portrait. Notations on
the bock. which appeared later. refer
ring TO emergency payments for diplo-
matte business. Mr. Morrison declared
were not on the voucher that day.