Evening star., 1913-07-29
Mr.. Kahn Champions Course
Taken by McNab in Cam
inett+Diggs Affair.
SCORES ADMINISTRATION
FOR PART IT HAS TAKEN
Californian Severe on President vii.
son and Attorney General
McReynolds.

In a vigorous attack upon the Presi-
dent and the Attorney General and their
attitude regarding the Caminetti-Diggs
white slave case, Representative Kahn
Of California declared today in the
House Of Representatives that the Pres
ident had missed a golden opportunity
when he reprimanded John L. McNab,
who resigned from the case after hav-
ing been instructed to delay 1t. Mr..
kahn's speech, which he has been pre-
vented from delivering for several days
on account Of democratic parliamentary
tactics, was filed with indignation
against the administration. He said the
President and his advisers had taken
the wrong course generally and that it
was the mistake Of a lifetime to try to
hush up the Diggs-Caminett case. Be-
tween his bitter sentences. directed
against the administration, he sand
wiched in several brand new contribu-
tions to the Caminetti case. and intro
duced letters which deal directly with
the case and have not been published
previously. He said the administration
had the appearance Of trying even now
to shield some one by not producing
all the papers in the case. He lauded
John L. McNab to the skies.
Purpose accomplished.
The republican fiNbuster, after paralyz-
ing business in the House more than q
week, accomplished its purpose today,
when the democrats decided to allow five
hours discussion Of the Diggs-C -Caminetti-
acknowledgements imbroglio.
Weary OF the obstructive tactics the
democrats brought In q report from the
judiciary committee on resolution by
Representative Kahn Of California, call
Ing for q telegram from the Attorney
General May 16 directing McNab to take
no Affirmative action In the Diggs-Cami-
netti white slave cases until after re-
ceiving further advices from the Attor-
ney General
McReynold's Telegram.
the Attorney General had supplied q
telegram which read az follows:
''McNab, United States District Attor-
ney. San Francisco. Cal: Please wSite
me fully concsruing charyes against
Caminetti and Diggs. ana take no az
until you receive advices from me-
Answer. (signed3 McReynolds. Attor-
ney General"
Accompanying the telegram was q
memorandum showing it was sent by the
ing Of May 16. Presenting the papers,
the judiciary committee recommended
that the Kahn resolution be tabled since
its purpose had been accomplished. On
for i've hours debate to allow Represent
ative Kahn and others to discuss all
circumstances Of the Caminetti case.
Mr.. Kahn was especially severe on
President Wilson's acceptance Of Nc
Nab's resignation. which scolded Nc
"Mr. Speaker, instead Of having been
blamed and condemned. Mr.. McNab
should have been commended by the
President Of the United States. II the
President had called upon him to with
draw his resignation and proceed with
the trial Of these cases. he would have
made himself infinitely stronger with his
countrymen. / believe he would have
even aroused patriotism to the highest
pitch Of enthusiasm by such an approval
nance of official integrity. Instead Of
that he said one thing to Mr.. Mercy
nolds. but did the very lhing that Mr..
McNab had wanted done.
And how is 1t to be done, lLr Speak
er? BY special counsel who will be paid
large fees for doing the very thing that
the United States attorney would have
performed as q matter Of duty. Oh. the
administration has not come out Of this
controversy with honor and credit, and
IL ID Smau WONDER tnot the chairman OF
the committee on the judiciary (Mr. Clay
toni and the gentleman from Tennessee
CMr. Byrns) did not desire any discussion
of these cases. Small wonder that they
did not seem to desire the light of public
| ity on the conduct of the --ttorney Gen
eral and the President Of the United
States in this matter.
'Mr. Speaker. the Department Of JUS
tice above all others must be above sus-
picion. 1t has long been believed by the
masses that there n one kind Of law for
the rich and the politically powerful in
this country and another kind Of law for
the poor and weak. The action Of the de-
partment in the Diggs-Caminetti cases
and the Western Fuel Company cases
would seem to stamp these charges as
true. Mr.. McNab did the country q sig
| nal service when he sent his forceful
| resignation to the President Of the United
States. He did the country q signal serv-
| ice when he refused to be a party to a
program that would have given verisimili.
tude to the statement that Diggs, Cam
| inetti and the Western Fuel Company di-
rectors. being rich or politically powerful
could secure delay and thus possibly de-
| feat justice. The Department Of Justice
and the President of the United States In
| the final analysis were compelled to &C