Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-12-07
PANAMA CANAL DEAL
President Sends Tart Reply to In
dianapolis News O. ges.
SAYS THE EDITC ~ LIED
Every Dollar of Purchs Paid
to French 5over.
NO KNOWLEDGE WHERE Il
Neither Brother-in-Law or Aaft's
Brother Received Dollar.
RECORDS OPEN TO INSPECTION
Anyone who wishes Can Know All
that Any OF the Government Of
ficials Knows Concerning
the Matter.

HOT SPRINGS, Va. Nov. 29 19Os-The
President, Sir The Indianapolis News not
its close has been repeatedly and continu-
ally making serious charges against your
administration as well as against Mr.. raft
In connection with the Panama purchose
al for example, the following
THE PANAMA MATTER.
The campaign is over and the people
official knowledge concerning the Panama
deal II has been charged that the United
S-U,VU0,OOO property that cost those citizens
Oniy Sl2VJ0,U0, Mr.. Taft was secretary
OF war at the time the negotiation was
closed. There Is no doubt tnat the gov
ernment paid s4O,VOGOOO for the property,
but who got the money? We are not to
know the administration and Mr.. Taft
do not think II right that the people should
know. 1ne presidents brotner-in-law in
involved In the scandal, but ne has moth
been charged with being member of the
syndicate. He has, II is true, denied 1t,
q but ne refuses to appeal to the evidence,
all of which Is In the possession OF the
aumlnisuaton and wholly inaccessible to
ou.siaers. For weeks this scandal has been
before the people. The records are in
Washington ana they are public records.
but he people are not to see them
until after election, II then"
Even after the election, this has been
continued, It being said that Mr.. Tafts
'weRkness' in Indiana (where he ran many
thousands ahead OF any other republican
candidate) was due TO great measure 10
this alleged scandal" What are the facts
in regard TO Il? Where are these inacces-
siDle reeordsT When did they come into
fne possession Of the government and
what do they contain? Ii the statements
OF the News are true our people ought To
some Just means of estimating what credit
should be given in other matters TO a jour
nal which tIas dIsseminates falsehoods.
Yours, WlLl.isAM DUDLEY FOLl4kE.
Prestdent's Reply.
WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON, Dec. /.
My Dear Mr.. Foulke: l have received
III, in c5,,nsction ' with YOUR previous letters
inclosing quotations. from the Indianapolis
News, a paper edited oy Mr; DeisHan .sIa.,
all the statements he made were false. both
as to this Panama matter and as, to the
clippings, and inasmuch. therefore, as the
exposure of the falslty win not affect his
rat good %ill result from such
But inasmuch as YOU eviden''y desire some
answer to be made ana inasmuen as yo
believe the falsehoods OF the News and Mr..
Smith. and inasmuch MS you seem to think
that his falsehoods as regards the Panama
matter are the most prominent, VIII an
swer them
probably some OF the documents dealing
with the matter probably had been de-
stroyed. This Is false Not one has been
ments were sent over I'm June of this year
the object OF this particular falsehood be-
some way with the nomination OF Mr. Taft
AS n matter of fact the last papers that
over to to us In in May of 1904. and they have
been accessible to every human being who
cared 70 look at them ever since, and are
accessible now. Any reputable man within
or without congress. republican or demo
crnt has now and always has had, the
rents You quote the News as stating
ttat THE people have no official knowl-
The fact St' * s that The ' peopie have had the
most minute official knowledge; that every
important sten In the transaction and every
important document haa been made public
in communications 20 congress and through
the duilv press. and the whole matter has
been threshed over in all its details again
and again end AGAIN.
No Money to Americans.
The News gives currency to the charge
that '"T6e United States bought from
American citizens for $lOOOoOOO property
that cost these citizens only Si2,OCo,OOo. "
The statement is false. The United states
did not pay a cent of the $iOO00.OOO to any
American citizen. The News says there Is
no doubt that the government paid $4,000
900 for the property and contnues-but
who got the money! We are not to know.
The administration and Mr.. Taft do not
think It right that the people should
know. Really this is so ludicrous as to to
make one feel little impatient at having
20 answer It. The fact has been officially
published again and again that the govern
ment paid S40,OO0,oOO and that 1t paid this
S40OO0.000 direct TO the French gIVernfent
getting the receipt Of the iiquidator APP
pointed BY the French government to
receive the same. The United States
govenment has not the slightest knowl-
edge as to the particular individuals among
whom the French government distributed
the sum. This was the business OF the
French government The mere supposition
French government a rake Off is toe
absurd TO be discussed. II is an abomina.
BILE falsehood and 1t Is slander, not
against the American government but
against the French government. The News
conninues saying that 1.-The president
brother-in-lsw is involved In the scandal
but he has nothing to say" The presi
dents brother-in-lsw was involved in nC
scandal Mr.. Delavan Smith and the Other
people who repeated this falsehood LIED
about the presidents brother~in-law; bu
why the fact that Mr.. Smith lied SHOULD
be held to involys Mr. Robinson in
scandal Is difficult. to understand. The
scandal affects no one but Mr.. Smith and
his conduct has not merely been scan.
dalons but Infamous. Mr.. Robinson hat
not the slightest connection OF any kind
sort or description at any time or under
any circumstances with the Panama mat
Ter. Neither AID Mr.. Charles Taft.
Records Made Public.
The News says that Mr.. Taft was "a
member OF the syndicate" SO far as
Know there was no syndicate There Ger,
talnly was no syndicate In the UniteC
States that to my knowledge. had anS
dealings with the government directly OF
Indirectly. and inasmuch as there was nc
evndicate Mr., Taft naturally could not be
long to H. The News demands that Mr.
TaG appeal to the evidence" by which 4
!. means What it calls "the recOrds"-that Is
fhe mass OF papers which are stored IN IN,
War department, save such as because O
tcontinusd on Second Psse)