The Washington herald., 1913-06-23
HEAD OF BUREAU
CAUSED DELAY
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

l
riously IL he was not there. Secretary
Wilson, 1t is understood. did not feel
that he could do without the services of
the new commissioner general so soon
after his appointment. and he asked him
to remain in Washington.
Failing to receive the sanction of his
chief to absent himself from Washing
ton at this time, Mr.. Vaminetti. through
Secretary Wilson, turned to the Depart
ment of Justice. AS a result. the order
was sent to United States District At
torney McNab to postpone the case until
autumn. It was this request for post
ponement coming at this time and asked
| in a case of this character that seeming
" incensed Mr.. McNab to the point
where he felt that he was justified in
telegraphing to the President
Serious situation Created.
st seem unable to convey to the De-
partment the understanding of the seri-
Gus situation in which this action will
leave this Office. If the department IN
future has to review the findings of grand
juries and nullify their indictments, then
this office might as well be abolished.
for its functions will have ceased 10
exist
Secretary Of Labor Wilson issued a
statement tonight assuming all respon-
sibility for the postponement OF the Can't
netti-Diggs trial. Here is his statement:
THE Attorney General postponed trial
! in the Diggs-Caminetu case solely upon
my request. ] am. therefore, respon-
sible for the postponement. Mr.. A. Can't
netti has but recently assumed the duties
of Commissioner General of Immigra-
ton. He has not yet fully familarized
himself with the duties OF the office.
He asked me for leave OF absence
| in order that he might return to Cali
fornia to be present at the trial of his
son. / insisted that he remain here
until he was sufficiently acquainted with
the duties of the position OF Commits
sioner General, to be able to properly
inspect the immigration stations at Pa
cific ports when he returned to Califor-
mia.
Il, therefore. suggested that I would
ask the Attorney General to postpone
the trial of the case until the next
term Of court II is nothing unusual
for the District Attorney of that or
any other district, or the Attorney
General, to grant a postponement of
trial in such cases, when an immediate
trial would seriously inconvenience
either party. The suggestion and the
request came from me purely in the
interest of the public service"
Up TO MCHeynOtds.
Representative Julius Kahn OF Cali
fornia said last night:
1T is squarely up to Mr. McReynolds
to make public at once all OF the cor
respondence. both in the form of letters
and kilograms that has passed between
himself and Mr.. McNab.
Mr. McNab is one OF the brightest
and one OF the best attorneys on the Pa
cifc Coast. He is a fighter from the
word go. He has a reputation for recti-
tude that | know he wants to have sus-
tanned. and I can sympathize with him
most heartily in the attitude he has
taken in this case He felt that the dig
nifty of his Office was being besmirched.
and he felt that his standing in the COM
munity was being jeopardized by his be-
ing put in the position of holding up the
prosecution of these suits. The Digs
and Caminetti case in particular was
case of the sort that the public does not
like to see trifed with. The evidence
was pretty definite. The indictment had
come in proper course. and was for the
infraction OF a law that people do not
care to see considered lightly. There
should be light and lots OF 1t on this
whole case"
Representative John T. Nolan OF Cali
fornia, also a San Franciscan, said:
I set great store by Mr.. McNab as
an attorney of marked ability and the
highest standing in the city OF San
Francisco. / have known him for years
He is not a man to do a hasty or an ILL
considered thing or to act for political
effect whether the matter involved were
serious or trivial. He happens to be
Republican and a hold-over In the ONCE
OF United States attorney, but he Is
man of repute and this is not political
question"
While nobody doubts that the case
against Caminetti and Diggs will be
pushed to a definite conclusion by the
department of Justice. some members
OF Congress. particularly in the Cali
fornia delegation, were inclined to crit
icise the favor that had been conferred
upon the Commissioner General in the
matter of a postponement. They con-
tended that even-handed justice should
be meted out to all. even in the matter
of the prompt trial of cases.
This development is bound to be seized
upon by Republicans and probably ex-
aggerated to the embarrassment Of the
Wilson administration.
While the Attorney General declined to
dignity McNab's insinuations by a for
NAL reply, he insisted that his action in
ordering postponement of the Diggs and
Caminetti cases must not be taken as
indicative OF any disposition on the part
of the Department of Justice to avoid
bringing the cases to trial. He said that
the men regardless of their relationship
to persons of prominence would be prose-
cuted in due course. He was not dis
posed to make any further statement
than this at the present time.
In the matter of the postponement of
the trial of directors of the Western
Fuel and Ore Company for alleged vio-
lations of the customs laws, 1t was said
that the Department of Justice had been
informed by Assistant Attorney General
Harr who had been reviewing the evil |
dence produced by Mr.. McNab, and
which he intended to use at the trial, |
that postponement was desirable because |
he feared the evidence thus far in the !
hands Of the department was sufficient |
to insure a successful outcome OF the |
trial. Mr.. Harr expressed the view that
IL would be better to make further in |
vestigations, and If more evidence were |
obtained, to take the case against the |
Western Fuel Company officials TO trial |