The San Francisco call., 1913-07-30
BUT KAHN SEES AN
"INSIDIOUS PULL"
Shows Message Ordering
McNab to Halt Trial Was
Sent Month Before Secre-
tary Wilson Asked Delay
House Airs California
Scandal in Long Debate

WASHINGTON July 29.-vigorous
criticism and determined defense of the
attitude OF Attorney General Mercy
holds and the administration in the
Diggs-Caminetti white slave cases
marked hours of political debate in the
house today
Representative Kahn OF California
declared that .insidious political innu-
ence" had something to do with the
postponement of the cases in Califor-
MIA. and Chairman Clayton of the house
judiciary committee, in a spirited de-
fense of the attorney general. said
that the attacks growing out of the
case were a part of a general con
spiracy of the special interests to dis
credit an honest public Official
Chairman Clayton declared that the
special interests were instigating the
attacks on the attorney general be-
cause Of his fearless prosecution OF all
offenders. high and low" AS an instance
OF these attacks. he put into the rec
ord a newspaper article which set
forth that the attorney general had
issued Instructions to United States at
torneys not to proceed under the Mann
white slave act except in cases where
the offenders profted commercially
from the transactions.
READS McREYNoLDs' DENIAL
Representative Clayton read a vig
orous denial of this article in Of
fetal statement from the attorney gen
eral.
The gentleman from California"
said aIr. CLAYTON. shaking his finger at
Representative Kahn, us an innocent
accessory to the conspiracy to dfscredit
public official of unimpeachable in
tegrfty and undoubted honesty
Republicans. progressives and demo-
Gratis generally joined in the debate,
the democrats defending the admins
tration and decrying the attempts of
"muckrakers" to discredit public Of
fcials
The debate, forced by the republican
filibuster which tied up business in the
house all last week, followed the pre-
sentation of a report from the judiciary
committee. recommending that res
olution OF Representative Kahn. call
ing on the attorney general for a tele-
gram relating to the cases to be laid
upon the table, as the data asked for
had been furnished.
When the house adjourned tonight
the FIVE hours debate on the resolution
had not exhausted and the discussion
VIII be renewed when the house meets
Friday
TELEGRAM TO McNAB
The committee report sets forth that
the attorney general had supplied
telegram. which reads as follows:
.McNab. United States district at
torney. San Francisco. CAL:
please write me fully concerning
charg against Caminetti and Diggs
and take no affirmative action in re-
spect OF same until you receive advices
from me- Answer.
'sMcREYNOLDS. Attorney General"
accompanying the telegram was a
memorandum showing it was sent by
the attorney general personally on the
evening of May is.
Representative Kahnspointed out that
the telegram holding up the trials was
sent more than a month before Secre-
tary Wilson asked the attorney general
for delay.
Why was this telegram sent from
his hoteI?'' he demanded. Did some
one call on the attorney general at his
hotel and try to exert insidioCs polit-
ical pull in having the cases post
poned?r
1T was evidently necessary to white
wash the action of the attorney gem
eral," said Kahn discussing President
Wilson's action in the cases. Why the
president saw fit to scold and censure
McNab and at the same time adopt his
policy CT proceeding promptly with the
cases passes all comprehension.
"INsIDIOLSv POLITICAL PULL
If McNab did right in insisting on
the early trial Of these cases-and both
the president and the attorney general
now adopt his views and insist that the
cases must be tried promptly and at an
early date-why should McNab have
been censured? If insidious political
pull was being successfully used TO
cause the attorney general to order a
nnstponement of the cases. why should
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