The Sentinel=record., 1911-06-03
TAFT CLASHES
With HOUSE
REFUSES REQUEST OF CONGRESS
TO PRODUCE BOOKS SHOW
ING EXPENDITURES.
Payment of Portrait Of Former Secrs
tary Of State Day in Question:
$2,45o Voucher Cause of In
vestigation. -.

Washington. June "A lively con.
troversy over the executives right to
withhold confidential papers from a
congressional probing committee, was
precipitated today by fiat refusal
Of Secretary of State Knox on the in
struction of President Taft to 'ay be-
fore the house committee on expendl
lures in the state department books
showing the record of the paymen.
Of tle portrait of ex-Secretary Of
State Day.
The committee is seeking to lis
cover what became of the 81 900 bal
ance on the $2,450 voucher drawn for
the payment of the portrait. Artist
Rosenthal received only $3.50 for lis
work and the $1,000 is yet unac-
counted for.
The president held that the $2.450
was paid out Of the emergency fund
for unforeseen emergencies in the
diplomatic and consular service AM
for extending diplomatic intercourse
with foreign nations, which congress
had provided, need not be accounted
for il the president tertifies that an
item should be pad from this fund.
President Roosevelt lad r,ada q Ger.
tification and President Taft hesi-
tated to go back of that cer'ification
Furthermore, Secretary Kncx ex-
planned to the committee that 1t was
improper to produce the books be-
cause thereby other unlisciosei
items Of expenditure would be re-
vealed. Secretary Knox said he WAS
directed to complete his investigation
into what became Of the money and
to rep.rt the fsct.; to the president.
'Do you mean to say that S2,th0
may be spent for portrait and cen.
gress refused all Information in re-
gard to it?" aske. Chairman Hamlin
Of Missouri.
Secretary Knox replied that 1t was
proper when former president GER
tifiei to the expenditure from the
emergency fund.-
Mr.. Hamlin threatened to take
the matter to the floor OF the house
and the secretary suggested that the
chairman might be allowed personally
to inspect the particular record. This
course probably will be followed
Mr.. Knox said the books saowed
committee was in possession of.
tee was in possession of.
Mr.. Hamlin questioned Secretary
Knox closely as to what justification
there was for paying for a portrait
out Of secret fund set aside for
unforeseen emergencies and extendins
diplomatic intercourse.
Mr. hnox said it had been the
practice since 1896. He informed the
committee that no trace had yet peen
found of the $2.450 voucher which
Mr.. Rosenthal said he signed in blank
after receiving tae $3.50 personal
check of former Chief Clerk Michael,
now consul general at Calcutta. He
conceded it was very irregular f,r A
voucher to be made out for more
than the signer received and that
such action placed burden on hin
WHO male it out to explain the
circumstance.
In answer to the letter Of Secretary
Knox. dated today, in which he
asks President Taft for instructions
in regard to producing the record, as
requested by the probing OF the
committee, the president in rep,y
said he felt that nothing but some
extraordinary circumstance would
Justify me in directing you to take
such records before the COMMITTEES
named, because the discretion thus
exercised under the statute should,
in my judgment. in general, De
conclusive and bimiing upon this
point"
The president said he would later
determine whether the money had
been lawfully "or dishonesty and
improperly misappropriated." He
would then. he said, direct what
steps should be taken.
Senator Root, who was secretary q
state about the Cine the portrait was
paid for, will testify next Tuesday