The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-16
Railroad President VIII Not
Confer With Roosevelt
TO "ALLAY PUBLIC ANXIETY
Embarrassed Position Due to Lack OF
Authority to Represent Corporations.
The President Willing to See
Them-UpheId by Ryan.

New York, March 15.-Messrs. MeRea.
Mellen, Hughitt and Newman, the four
railroad presidents for whose visit to the
White House ]. p. Morgan arranged be-
fore his departure for Europe, met here
today, canvassed the situation, and de-
cided not to go to Washington. 1t is un-
derstood that the four gentlemen involved
did not feet that they had any proper
mandate from the railroad corporations
to represent them. They felt they could
not assume the position of self-const-
tuted committee to formulate or renre-
sent the views of the hundreds Of railroad
companies owned by millions of share-
holders. They recognized that the rail-
road managers of the United States are
not themselves in perfect accord. and
that until some method could be adopted
for securing a consensus of opinion, a
visit to the President would be idle
AT the conclusion of the conference thu
various presidents left for their homes.
T. F. Ryan's Opinion.
Thomas f. Ryan, when asked today for
mis- opinion about the meeting arranged
by Mr.. Morgan, said:
Il believe that If Mr.. Morgans visit to
the President is followed up as 1t should
be by all our great business interests. II
Will do much good.
Il also believe that the Presidents at
titude toward corporations is much mis-
understood by the general public 1t ia
unfair to assume that 1t is his desire to
hamper the business interests of thu
country. l am, however, convinced thar
he purposes to enforce the law as he
finds it upon the statute books, and
think the sooner the business interests
OF the country conclude to aid the Prest-
dent in solving the problems that con.
front him every day the sooner conn.
| dence will be restored, but let business
of the country move on without inter-
ruption. So far as general business liz
concerned, the only fault to be found with
| II Is 1t Is too active"
President Not Advised.
Washington, March 15.--At a late hour
tonight President Roosevelt had received
no word from the four railroad presidents
who were suggested by j. Pierpont Nor
gan on the eve of his departure for Eu-
rope as conferecs to discuss with the
President the railroad situation and to
urge Mr.. Roosevelt to take some action
TO 'allay public anxiety as to the ad-
ministrations attitude.
The President will not invite NTossrs
McRea Hughitt. Newman and MeIlen
to the White House, but If they ask for
an appointment the President will be
glad to receive them.
The embarrassed position in which the
railroad magnates have been placed is duo
to the fact that Mr.. Morgan arranged the
conference with the president witnouf-
f11a .f.,I
the audience. it is known that within the
last few days President McRea of tha
pennsylvania communicated with tha
President and made 1t clear that while
lie did not want to show any discourtesy.
he did not want to be placed in the atti-
tude OF rushing to the White House To
make plea for executive clemency.
Since so much publicity has been given
to the proposed conference 1t Is the gem
eral belief In official circles here tonight
that the railroad presidents will decide
to keep the appointment which Mr.. Nor
gan arranged for them.
Policies Outlined.
"The Presidents policies have been out-
lined so clearly in his messages to Con-
gress, and In public addresses" said a
member of the interstate commerce com
mission today, that it is possible the
railroad presidents have decided that their
klSlt 10 the w mite House would be use
less Mr.. Hughitt, who is one of Presi-
dent RoGsevelts personal friends, has ON
several occasions discussed the railroad
situation with the President, and he
knows that the administration has no de-
sire to punish the good railroad corpora
tons simply because the bad railroad
corporations refuse to abide by the laws
regulating common carriers"
Governor Deneen and Attorney General
Stead of Illinois. who were invited to
Washington by President Roosevelt, ar
rived tonight, and will call at the White
House tomorrow. While Governor Deneen
refuses to discuss the object OF his con-
ference with the president. 1t can be au-
thortatively stated that the Chicago and
Alton deal and other disclosures brought
out at the recent Hartman investigation
will be discussed, and the situation in gem
eral gone over.
Attorney General Bonaparte and meu-
bers of the interstate commerce commits
sion will participate in the conference