Evening star., 1911-08-12
BOWERS HITS HARD
Text of Letter Which Caused
Row at Seal Hearing.
SAYS NAGEL APPROVED 1T
Sharp Criticism of Committee Mem.
bers and Witnesses.
CALLS ELLIOTT A NUISANCE
Declares Accuser Has Long Since
Been Discredited as an
Authority on Seals.

oeen O1SCreQ1IeQ as an
Authority on Seals.
The House will probably be called upon
10 go on record before il adjourns. with
reference TO the alleged destructive
slaughter, with the connivance OF govern
ment agents, OF the once great seal herd
of the Pribilo Islands. IL IL quite likely
that both Representative Rothermel Of
Pennsylvania. chairman OF the House
committee on expenditures in the depart
ment of Commerce and Labor, and Repre-
! sentative Townsend of New Jersey. au-
thor of the resolution upon which that
committee is investigating the alleged IL
legal killing of seals, will have something
to say on the floor of the House, in the
near future. concerning United States
Fish Commissioner Bowers.
Made Sweeping Charges
At recent meeting of the committee
Mr.. Bowers made serious and sweeping
charges against the committee and
| against Mr.. Townsend. which. he said.
were indorsed by his chief. Secretary
Nasel of the Department of Commerce
and Labor. At one time the row became
so violent that Chairman Rothermel had
to threaten MIR. Bowers with the authori-
~ of the sergeant-at-arms.
The details of that sensational contro-
versy have never been printed, but today.
for the first time, Chairman Rcthermel
made public the stenographic report OF
the hearing. II is Of unusual interest.
The charges against the committee in
general and against Chairman Rothermel
and Representative Townsend in particu-
lar. were contained in letter addressed
to Mr.. Rothermel by Mr.. Bowers. 1t Is
the warmest document Of Its kind that
has been officially presented to a commit
tee of Congress in a long time. Here it
Is.
Text of Bowers Letter.
The proceedings before this commit
tee are being held as a result of res
olution presented in the House of Rep
resentatives by Representative Town
send of the seventh district of New
Jersey, and it was Mr.. Townsend who
appeared at the opening session of the
comNittee and by virtue Of his position
gave to the charges OF malfeasance.
violation of law, deceit and perjury
| that element of respectability that
Mr.. Townsend. however, knew person
ally nothing about this matter. and he
relied entirely on the representations
that were made to him by or through
one Henry w. Elliott.
| Mr. Townsend might well have de
voted a small fraction as much time 10
| inquire into the credibiity OF his witness
and prompter. as he has to sustain. JUS
tify and explain the forged. nctitious.
| libelous or long-since discredited matter
offered by that witness: he might thus
have escaped responsibility for a costly,
tedious and unnecessary Investigation:
| "The matter that is being given to the
committee by Townsend witnesses is not
intended to enable the committee to as
certain the truth, but is offered with tho
deliberate purpose OF conceaiing the feai
facts in connection with the fur seais'
and of bringing the present administra-
ton of the fur seal service into disrepute.
Mr. Townsend is simply permitting him.
| self to be made the tool of an unscrupu-
Ilous manipulation OF records. dangerous
besmircher of character and a perenniaily
lrecurrent nuisance. The committee can
easily determine the validity OF the Town
| send Elliott charges as a whole by going
into executive session for ane hour and
examine any one of those charges in the
| light of the official records
Bureau Seeks Publicity.
1.-The course OF the bureau In its dealing
| with the fur seal question has been die
tated solely by proper regard for the IN
| terests of the fur seals and the govern
ment, and il is desirous that every act
| of its agents and administrative officers
shall be laid bare for public inspection.
| 1t is willing to be judged oE wnat il
| has done and to suffer reproof or con-
! demnation from responsible authority tor
1 any errors of judgment IL may have COM
\ mitted: bCt IL is manifestly unIair 1or
! you 10 place the government IN the posi-
| ton OF having to defend itself against no
| toriously false aspersions and charges ut
| tered for the personal ends or no
! toriously untrustworthy individuals, long
since discredited by committees OF Con-
gress and by executive departments. Mr..
| Townsend has seen fit to withdraw and
disclaim responsibility for any piece of
the manufactured evidence he submitted
at Elliotts behest
THE charges. insinuations. reckless
assertions. misstatements of fact and
perversions of truth with which Elliott
| is occupying the attention OF the COM
mittee are nothing new: they have been
presented in similar or identical form
| to every committee OF Congress that
has been willing To listen To him for
! the last twenty-five years. and l nave
no doubt will continue 10 be put forth
| as long as hc can get an audience, quite
| regardless and independent OF whatever
developments there may be in connee-
| ton with the fur seal herd or its ad-
ministration.
| EFT is of course well known TO you
| that Elliott has attacked in most sour
rilous language every public offciai OF
1 this government VINO mas re1uSeu To
| taken him seriously or too put any faith
| in his fantastic mental acrobatics by
which he advocates one season the
identical practices he condemns another.
Support of Authorities.
TT is an easy matter to ascertain
from the published records IL you are
| not already aware Of the fact. that at
| one time or another Elliott has cham
pioned nearly every improper. vicious
and pernicious practice possible in the
| conduct Of the fur seal industry. and
| has opposed and ranted against every
meritorious salutary and legitimate
| measure adopted in the interests OF
| the fur seals and government.
1T must be well known to you that
every full seal authority in the United
| States is in accord with the depart
| ment's policy and practice in the ad-
| ministration Of the fur seal herd: ene
| IL must be apparent that the mere fast
| that the departments course has met
| with the approval OF experts Is to Eli
iiott sufficient reason for condemning
| them. and in some cases making scand-
alous charges and vicious mfsState-
ments regarding them. You have been
furnished with the names OF most OF
| these experts. all men OF high stand
| ing. whose integrity, scientific attain
ments and experience have not been
questioned. and most OF whom have
made a study OF this matter at hrst
hand on the islands.
"It has been represented TO the ccm-