The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-07-20
WILEY CASE PRODUCES WORRY
SECRETARY WILSON SEEMS TO
BE ~ A DILEMMA.
whichever Way lie Turns He Is Likely to
re Embarrassed President Taft Calls
on Him TO Make lamentations
Somebody Likely to Lose . Job.


on Him 10 Make Recommendations
somebody Likely TO Lose . Job.
WASHINGTON. July I9.-The Wiley case
is causing Uncle James Wilson. Secretary
OF Agriculture. more worry than he has
ever before experienced from any official
problem in his department Secretary
Wilson seems to be in more embarrassing
situation than DR. Wiley himself. DR..
Wiley knows he is not going to lose his
job and Secretary Wilson also knows 1t.
Nevertheless Secretary Wilson has been
called upon by President Taft to make
recommendation in writing as to whether
or not Dr. Wiley ought to go.
II Secretary Wilson supports the report
Of his committee on personnel and holds
that the pure food specialist ought to
resign and then the President fails TO
follow Mr.. Wilson's recommendation it
will leave Uncle Jim in ticklish place.
He will have been overruled by the Presi-
dent in matter regarded as vital to his
department and also will find himself
n the position of having man as head
of one of his most important bureaus
whose fitness he will have questioned.
Such a situation. in the opinion OF wash
ington officials, would lead to disorganiza-
ton in the Department Of Agriculture
end would be practically intolerabe.
II on the other hand Secretary Wilson
recommends that the violation OF the
appropriation law by DR.. Wiley be con-
doned and that he be retained for the
good OF the service he will find himself
locking horns with three of his principal
,h1 To- 10 n, 49, ~ Anrt.
culture. These subordinates are As
sistant Secretary Willet NJ. Hays, So
licitor George b. McCabe and Chief Clerk
c. c. Clark. As the committee on per-
sonnel Of the Department they investi-
gated the alleged irregularities by DR..
Wiley and reported that DR.. Wiley's
resignation should be called for.
It is inconceivable to officials in WASH
ington that question of this magnitude
should have been passed on by the COM
mittee on personnel without consultation
with the head of the Department. II
Secretary Wilson encouraged the report
it will be difficult for him TO go back on
it now. for his Reputation Of the findings
of the personnel committee would leave
them with very fiimsy ground to stand
on 30 far as their future in the Depart
ment Of Agriculture is concerned. Any
way the Wiley problem is viewed 1t is
pretty certain that somebody eventually
will lose his job, and the most definite
1 thing at present seems to be that this
somebody" will not be DR.. Wiley.
There had been talk to-day that Score
tary Wilson might not make a recon-
mendation in the case. but he cannot
very we'll avoid this inasmuch as Presi-
dent Taft has called on him for his opin-
| inn 1r1iparilv m "A Ipf,A rfrnanf ffar
OF this kind the Secretary opinion would
have been made before the case reached
the President, but Secretary Wilson some
how or other failed to act on the Wiley
charges further than Ia lay them before
| President Taft. Ii is practically certain,
however. that President Taft will do
everything he can to make the situation
| easy for Secretary Wilson. There are
some Of the Presidents friends who he
! lieve that any break between him and his
Secretary of Agriculture would he as
serious from political standpoint as
the enforced resignation of DIR. Wiley.
! These persons point ont that Uncle Jim
! Wilson lis still the farmers friend and
that Mr.. Taft at this time cannot ahord
to antagonize the toilers of the soil.
II was reported to-day that Dr. Wiley
in the defence which h" has filed with
Secretary Wilson cmphatically declines
TO Acknowledge his guilt in even tech
nical violation of the appropriation law.
| Ii is intinated that Dr. Wiley IL he Is 10
he publicly reprimanded will insist that
the responsibility he placed upon persons
! who have established the precedent under
which he acted Mr.. Taft < friends how
ever. do not doubt that he will speak
! sharply and TO the point in addressing
| DR. Wiley and that he will give the pure
food specialist clearly TO understand that
the affairs of his bureau in the future are
TO be run in harmony with the policy and
under the general direction Of his superior
officers,