Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-27
NO STATEMENT
FROM PRESIDENT
Upon Either the Financial or
Railroad Situation.
Mr.. CARNEGIE AT LUNCHEON
He Endorses Administrators Attitude
Toward the Roads.
ILLINOIS MANUFACTURERS
They Had Free Talk With Executive
and Will Write Up Statement
for Publication.
Mr.. CARNEGIE AT LUNCHEON
He Endorses Administrators Attitude
Toward the Roads.
ILLINOIS
MANUFACTURERS

There is not a word of official confirma-
ton that President Roosevelt intends to
make statement or deliver a speech that
will soften the hard spots that have con-
fronted the railroads and financial cap
tains In the last few months. There is
every reason to think that the President
would like to do so, but the subject is one
so full Of trouble that he hesitates and
In all probability, will permit the situa-
ton to work out through the help of Sec
rotary Cortelyou and the insterstate COM
merce commission. The President has
found that whenever he talks on the sub
ject Of the present financial uncertainty,
so far as 1t relates to railroads, no two
persons put the same construction on his
words. The chances now favor the Presi-
dent standing pat as to personal elucida-
ton. But there Is a probability that II
the railroads and financiers show desire
to confer with the interstate commerce
commission to try to devise plans where
by there can be wrought out some as
surance to railroad people. the President
will willingly direct the commission to put
forward the olive branch Of peace,
Long Conference Yesterday.
There was long conference at the
White House yesterday afternoon, at
which there were with the President Sec
retaries Cortelyou and Root and Commits
sioners Lane and Clark Of the interstate
commerce commission. They talked and
they talked, but the best information OBJ
tainable is that no action by the President
was agreed upon. The best friends of
the chief executive point out to him that If
he should come out with a statement that
appears to be reassuring he will lay him
self open to the accusation of Welding to
the railroads and practically standing pat
on present legislation. when, as a matter
OF fact he is known to regard existing
laws dealing with the roads as needing
perfection. His intentions have been to
make suggestions to the next Congress for
rounding out OF the rate laws, although
he will not propose drastic laws except so
concerned
That the President has been worried over
the outlook and DESTROYS of making the
public understood him is not doubted. but
he knows that 1t would be mighty easy for
him to be misunderstood. no matter what
he would say. He could not really an
nounce his program for the future. because
it is in a formative stage. He could not
we'll say that he believes that there is suff1-
cient legislation on the books, inasmuch
as he does not at present think so. Conse-
quently he is in a situation that is not in
wiling to a man confronted by lack of con-
fdence in the financial world
Last night the President had a conference
with Edward r. Bacon, vice president of
the Baltimore and Ohio road, and Edward
]. Berwind of New York. president of the
Berwind-White Coal Mining Company. and
director in banks and railroads He fig
ured in the Pennsylvania railroad investiga-
ton They left the White House after IL
o'clock and took midnight train for New
York. Finance was the sole topic of this
conference.
Andrew Carnegie With the President.
Andrew Carnegie was with the President
this morning, and in the afternoon was
rnA ct the guests Of the chief executive at