The Washington herald., 1912-01-23
VOUCHERS WANTED,
KNOX GIVES Def
Secretary Tells House Committee
He Will Not Explain With
out Presidents Order.

Secretary of State Knox appeared yes.
terday before the House Committee or
Expenditures in the State Department, OF
which Representative Hamlin, of Mis-.
souri,, is chairman. and refused all inror-
nation concerning the expenditure OF
10000 appropriated by congress for the
Lake ChampIain centennial celebration in
1909. This fund was expended under the
direction OF the State Department.
Mr.. Knox based his refusal on the
executive order issued by President Tar,
last summer. when the committee was
probing the Day portrait mystery This
order prohibits officials or the State De-
partment from giving information to any,
body about expenditures certified by the
Secretary of State as secret"
The Hamlin committee intends TO make
an issue of this secret voucher propo-
sition. Mr. Hamlin and his colleagues
say they recognize the TIgnt OF the Sec
retary of State to refuse Information
about expenditures from the emergency
or secret fund OF $4,000 a year, but they
insist that all details OF the ChampIain
fund, and about a dozen others of similar
character, should be furnished TO Con-
gross
Secretary Knox was before the Foreign
Affairs Committee OF the House dis
cussing the diplomatic and consular ap-
preparation BILL when a deputy sergeant
alarms broke into the meeting and
served him with a subpoena TO appear
before the Hamlin committee at O'Clock.
This unexpected action was taken fol-
lowing the declaration by Thomas Morri-
son, disbursing officer OF the State De-
partment. who appeared before the Ham
lin committee, that the Lake Champlain
vouchers had been taken from him and
not returned. He refus-d TO say who
had taken them or why. insisting he
must talk with Secretary Knox frst-"
Mr.. Hamlin and his colleagues becamG
excited at all the mystery and hurriedly
issued the Knox subpoena.
When Mr.. Knox appeared before Mr..
Hamlin and his colleagues he was asked
how he had been able to spend s2,SSl-A
out Of the departments secret fund last
year when the total allowed by Congress
was only $4,000 He explained this by
saying that sometimes advances were
made from the secret fund which were
returned within the same fiscal year. and
therefore credited to the fund. making
an apparent but not real expenditure OF
more than the funds total
Chairman Hamlin asked Mr.. Knox II
this had happened last year. The Secre-
tary replied that he didn't know, as he
wasn't familiar with the details Chair
man Haml!n then referred to Mr.. Morri-
sons refusal 10 furnish the Lake Cham
plain vouchers.
Have you any objection to furnishing
them?' he asked Mr.. Knox.
Il couldn't do that without an order
from the President" the Secretary re-
piled.
Mr.. Knox then was asked why he had
placed the ban Of secrecy on the ex-
penditures from the Lake ChamplAin
celebration fund.
Il suppose II was the practice" he
replied. 81 had very little knowledge at
that time OF the rules and practice or
the department Since then ! have pro-
mulgated a rule that there shall be no
from the secret fund un-
less such are presented to the Secretary
Jf State for his personal consideration"
The Secretary added that this rule had
gone into effect some time last spring