Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-25
PROSECUTOR SOUGHT
TO SUCCEED M'NAB
Administration Hunts Attorney
to Conduct California
Criminal Cases.
HENEY, SULLIVAN AND
HAYDEN ARE MENTIONED
President Directs Secretary of Labor
to Permit Senior Caminetti
to Attend Sons Trial i


g-'
1t was stated at the White House thai
the hunt for special prosecutors in the
oan francisco criminal cases is going on
ana that the President Will make an
houncement Of their selection as soon as
possiole The names most frequently
mentioned today as likely to be chosen to
succeed United States Attorney McNab.
VINO resigned. are Francis ]. Heney the
1htreplo prosecutor of California's big
criminals; Matt ]. Sullivan, who assisted
MIN Tor long time. and Thomas Hayden.
Little attention was paid today to
stories mat Antonio Caminetti, father OF
the young man to be tried, is likely to
rose MS position as commissioner of i'm
migration on account of the publicity
given the case. The President 1t is said
today. directed the Secretary of Labor to
permit Mr.. Caminetti to proceed to Cali
fornia whenever his sons case is called
for trial. The President feels that this 10
the humane view to take.
With the wheels of the Department
of Justice grinding again on the cele-
brated cases. administration offic' al,
made no effort to conceal their relief.
Of1c'al Washington refle cted tha; fe-l-
President Wilson has he'll to zeal since
his inauguration has attracted sIch
widespread attention.
Decline to Make Comment.
The attitude Of the White House cffi-
cials today In declining t. comment
on the latest declarations of the federal
I.and jury in San Francisco and the
attacks of former United states At
torney McNab upon Attorney General
MoR~ynolds for his oostponenent Of
the prosecutions was tina: the action Of
the President and thu Attorney Gem
eral In ordering the cases ID trial
speaks for itself
mistaken Mr.. McReynolds' cursory view
OF the situation upon which he ordered
the postponement, his action was free
from any unworthy motives and 1t
was pointed out that the correspondence
made public at the White House last
night shows that the Attorney General
was approved by the President
President Wilson's attitude now was
said at the White House to be that the
selection of capable counsel to carry the
cases to trial was a sufficient demon
stration OF the sincere wish of the adj
ministra ton to have a vigorous prosecu-
ton With the selection of prosecutor
and McNab's resignation the White
House will consider the noted cases q
closed incident.
Wilson Accepts Resignation.
President Wilson telegraphed to United
States District Attorney McNab last night
acceptance of Attorney McNab's resigna-
ton. the form of which the President
characterized as IAN inexcusable intima-
tion of injustice and wrongdoing' on tho
part Of Attorney General McReynolds.
In letter to the Attorney General the
President exonerated him from blame and
adopted Mr.. McReynolds' suggestion that
the Caminetti-Diggs and the Western
Fuel Company cases be prosecuted i'm
mediately by special counsel for the gov
ernment. The subject absorbed the cab
met meeting yesterday, and last night the
President went to his Office to make pub
lie the full correspondence.
First the President telegraphed Mr.. Nc
Nab as follows:
First Message to McNab.
Washington, ID. c., June -, 1919
John l.. McNab. esq.,. San Francisco
Cal:
II greatly regret that you have acted
so hastily. and under SO complete a mis-
apprehension Of the actual circumstances.
but, since you have chosen such a course,
and have given your resignation the form
of an inexcusable intimation of injustice
and wrongdoing on the part of your su-
peTlOG, 1 TeledSt you WltnOuI neSudtlOu
and accept your resignation to take ef-
feet at once. WOODROW WILSON.
Attorney General McReynolds state
ment that he ordered a postponement OF
the cases as an ordinary procedure in
criminal trials. without anticipating that
ANY fair-mnded man would attribute
"a malign motive to him, was acknowl-
edged by the President in this letter:
McReynolds Is Exonerated.
My Dear Mr.. Attorney General:
ALLOW me to acknowledge with sincere
your letter Of today, giving
me a full account of the way in which
the Department of Justice has dealt with
the Diggs-Caminetti and the Western
Fue! Company cases. pending in Cali
fornia. and transmitting the documents
with the two cases necessary
for their elucidation. l am entirely satis-
fed that the course you took in both these
cases was prompted by sound and i'm
partial judgment and clear instinct for
what was fair and right. l approve your
course very heartily and without hesta-
ton. But | agree with you that what
we may think of what has been done
does not relieve us of the obligation to
press these cases with the utmost dill
gence and energy. / approve very hearth
ly of your suggestion that, I'm the cir
special counsel be employed.
the ablest we can obtain 1 will be very
glad to confer with you about the selec-
ton. | hope that you vii! do this with
out delay. l am very ad. indeed. that
you are giving your personal attention
to the immediate and diiigent prosecution
Of the cases which l agree with you in
REGARDING as of serious Importance from
every point of view.
Sincerely yours.
WOODROW WILSON"
Besides the Attorney Generals letter to
the President the White House gave out
a letter written to Mr.. McReynolds yes
terday by Secretary Wilson of the De-
partment of Labor. in which Secretary
Wilson declared that Anthony Caminetti
asked for leave of absence to attend the
trial of his son before he took the oath OF
office as commissioner general of immi-
grafton Furthermore, Secretary Wilson
stated that neither Mr.. Camnetti nor any
one suggested that he ask for the post
ponement Of the cases, but that he did
it of hfs own volitiOn, SO as to keep Mr..
Caminetti in Washington for the work OF
organizing the immigration bureau.
In his letter to the President, Attorney
General McReynolds cited the history Of
the two cases, and submitted the COM
plete files in each case.
McNab Reports on Cases.
Responding to instructions from the At
for AafoS Slad 90