Salt Lake Tribune | 1915-01-14 | Page 6 | Probe Needed

PROBE NEEDED There appears to be some fire as well as smoke in connection with the ap pomtment of James M Sullivan as mm ster to the Dominican republic Wal ter W V ck former general receiver of Dominican customs is positive in his convictions that the appointment of Sul livan was procured by certa n interests for the r own selfish ends and did not conceal h s suspicions when interro gated by Senator elect Janes D Phelan of California who was appomted special commiss oner by the state department to take the testimony in the case The arrival of Mm ster Sullivan a cousm on the island claiming to rep resent a $90 000 000 synd cate caused the rect tude of the United States rep resentative to be suspected and re suited in h s recall to th s country to make the necessary explanation Apparently Ap-parently the charges were too strong and too direct to explam "away and the ap pomtment of Phelan as commiss oner followed It is unfortunate that the United States sho ild be compelled by force of ireumstances to administer the Dom n can customs revenue for tho benefit of European creditors m order to prevent forcible colle t on It is doubly unfortunate that th s country should become i olved m a scandal by reason of ts activ ty1 m the island It is to be hoped the bearing con dutted by Senator elect Phelan will be both impartial and exha st ve The state department cannot afford to rest under the mputation that it was unduly mfluenced in the matter of the ap po ntment of Mr Sull van as m n ster still less can it afford to shield h m in case it turns out he was culpable Let the strongest poss ble light bo turned upon what appears to be a very d b ous transaction upon the part of all con cerned