New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-08-21
TRUSTH HUNTERS ANSWERED.
GENERAL KNOX HAS NO IN
FORMATION ABOUT STEEL COR
PORATION-MIGIIT NOT GIVE
IT IF HE HAD 1T.
IT IF HE HAD 1T.

Washington, Aug. 20-Attorney General Knox
to-day sent the following letter to the joint
committee Of the American Antitrust League
and District Assembly No. 66. knights of Labor,
in reply to one from the committee requesting
information regarding the United States Steel
Corporation:
Washington. D. c.. August 20.
II. B. Martin. chairman joint committee OF
American Antitrust League etc
Sir: have the honor TO acknowledge the re-
ceipt of your letter OF August -, 1901, In
which you request TO obtain for you certain
information with reference TO certain alleged
agreement or agreements made between the
constituent companies and individuals VINO OF.
ganized the United States Steel Corporation.
You ask me TO afford you all the Information
that l may possess or can obtain. and you
specifically refer TO an alleged trust or syn
dicate agreement which you state the presi-
dent Of the United States Steel Corporation, c.
NJ Schwab refused to furnish to he Indus
trial Commission when on The witness stand
before that body and YOU further state that
covering any other contracts or a similar
kind with which you are acquainted or wnich
you obtain for US"
You also state that your request for informa-
ton is founded upon information and behef
that at the time this contract. or these con
tracts was or were made" / lin some
way officially connected with the Carnegie COM
pany'' and you therefore assume that the IN
formation which you request must he IN my
possession or conveniently at hand" am
therefore requested TO give you the substance.
or. II possible copy thereof.
Primarily, permit re 70 say that your request
is founded upon erroneous assumption.
do not know who the individuals are who or
ganiZed the United States Steel Corporation
II they the persons usually named IN the
newspapers as the promoters Of that crgRriza-
ton with the single exception OF G. Nj
Schwab I do not know. never saw and was
| never in any way corrected with any Of them.
| l never heard Of any agreement between them
! and the constituent members OF the .teel cor
! poration. Neither at the time of the formation
| Of the United States steel Corporation nor al
any time was l officially connected with the
Carnegie Steel Company. was formerly one OF
| its legal advisers In the conduct OF It's manu-
| featuring business, but was never consulted
with reference TO the formation Of the United
States Steel Corporation nor in relation to the
! sale 10 that company of the shares and stock
! held by the stockholders OF the Carnegie COM
pany ] have never seen the papers or agree
| formed Of their contents. ! have no knowledge
| whatever Of their existence, terms or scope.
! spirit and the letter OF your inquiry.
| 1 may say. moreover. that l have no access
10 the agreement or papers TO which you refer
| know nothing Of the one 10 which you espe-
| ciallv refer, and do not even know that such
| an agreement Is in existence. The informa tior
| which you request, therefore, Is not in my pos
| session or conveniently at hand as you as
| sumo. and il is therefore impossible for me tc
| comply with any of the requests as set forth II
| any time have acquired through the usua
| method OF direct personal inquiry thereby
avoiding the doubtful propriety OF addressing
| me through the medium OF an open letter which
| you concurrently delivered 10 the press
| Whether. If such papers were accessible to me
| Il would be my duty obtain them and fur
nsh them for in legal proceedings 10 which
! you party, and the nature OF which you
DO not explain, is a question which l do no
! care at this time to discuss.
II may regard the letter addressed to mt
! officially. I will say: II this department is un
| der obligations to furnish information TO pros
! pective tigants in undisclosed proceedings III
! responsibilities and labors are necessarily great
| er than they have ever been imagined from th'
| time of it's formation. Indeed. there arr
| generally two parties to every controversy. 4
! would be difficult to discharge such ALLEGED
| duty to both parties in view OF conflicting IN
| terests. This department not called into
being TO furnish information TO private litigants
| It's duty and it's object is to enforce the Fedora
| statutes as interpreted by the courts wherever
| there is probable cause for believing that they
| have been violated. Very respectfully.
p. c. KNOX, Attorney General.