The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-18
CHECKING HARTMAN FLIGHTS
JUDGE LOVETT REDUCES THAT
INTERVIEW TO FICTION.

lie Took Upon Himself the Duty OF an 40
monishing Message and Back Came Q
Reply Mud ~ MINK Let IND Politicians
do the Talking. Says the u. r. Crowd
Though f. II. Hartman was way Out
West. there was a great deal OF animation
and a lot Of harsh talk about tho Union
Pacific offices in the Equitable Life Build
ing Friday afternoon and yesterday morn
ing. IL was all brought out by the in
terview in which MIR. Hartman was quoted
as saying that he would control every
railroad in the United States II he could
and that his railroad policy wal directed
entirely toward the payment OF dividends.
Bankers associated with Mr.. Hartman in
one enterprise or another, brokers OF prom
iuence and ~fnanciers very intimately con
nected with Union Pacifc's president
called up the U. p. Offices and wanted to
know about it.
It was the opinion Of all these hat Mr..
Hartman had let fall very tactless and
impolitic remarks, remarks which ought
to be recalled II they were actually makie
and that ought to be ~repudiated promptly
and unquslifiedly IL they were not
made. But the question OF the right person
to impart this advice TO Mr.. Hartman re-
mained open.
Alexander Millar, the secretary. a ex-
cellent gentleman who dislikes unpleasant
conversations at long or short ran &c. would
not, or at least did not. The tsciturn and
reserved Joseph HELEN. the assistant secre-
tary, also held aloof. 1t appeared then to
be up to Judge Robert s. Lovett. the coun-
sci OF the Union Pacific and q man without
fear.
Wall Street opinion has 1t that Judge
Lovett is one OF three men before whom
Mr., Harriman's mind yields on those &C.
casions when mind meets mind point blank
and there can be no lodging or stepping.
The others, il is said. are William Nelson
Cromwell and II. II. Rogers. Mr.. Rogers
was out of town. Mr.. Cromwell probably
was not consulted. for there are reasons to
believe that he would have undertaken the
mission with pleasure. Perhaps one reason
that he did not was that Judge Lovett was
entirely willing.
Mr.. Lovett. according TO an Official state
mem given out at the u. P. Offices yester-
day. simply wired Mr.. Hartman advising
him of the purport Of the alleged inter-
view sent out from Reno, New. That is
all the official statement says Of Mr.. Lovett's
telegram II credence is to be placed in
other reports, however. there were things
in the telegram which might have burned
the wires had they not been cooled by the
strike Of the operators. According 40 the
official statement also the reply was not at
all irascible put as mildly worded a pos
sible. .
MIR. Hartman wired back" the state
ment read. that the interview was a piece
Of fiction throughout. that he never made
the statements attributed to him and that
they do not represent his views. Mr.. Hsr-
riman says hat he cannot understand
where the story originated. but since it
has been published he can only give II his
absolute and unqualified denial"
And ] hope that will end this episode"
said a banker in fairly close touch with
U. p. -and that there will lie no more loose
talk from any high railroad source or any
other f~inancier Of note. In these times
it is well for the business men TO attend
to business and let the politicians do the
talking. II certain policies are wrong
give them a chance to work out and let the
facts, however painful the facts may be.
tear them down"