The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-12-15
VoIuminous Amount of Matter
Relating to History of the
Panama Canal Case Sub
mitted to Congress.
DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS
>WAS NOT DICTATED
Says That Chief Concern of
United tates Was to Sc
cure Canal Property-Jour-
naIists Scored.

Washington, D. c., Dec. 15.-Presi
dent Roosevelt sent a scorching spec
ial message to congress today, deal
ing with the Panama canal purchase
The president says he submits al
information and communications rela
ting thereto, because of the constant
reiteration of assertion that there was
some corrupt action by, or on behalf
of the United States government and
because of the repetition of the story
that the American syndicate owned
Tie Panama Canal company.
Pulitzer Scored.
He says these stories were first
brought to his attention as publish,
ed in the Indianapolis News. editer by
Delevan Smith, and adds: These
stories were scurrilous and libellous
in character, and false in every es
sential particular. Mr.. Smith shelf
ers himself behind the excuse that he
merely accepted the statements which
had appeared in the New York World
1t is idle to say that the known char
acter of Mr.. Pulitzer and his newspa-
per are such that statements in that
paper will be believed by nobody. Un-
fortunately thousands of persons are
i'll informed and believe the state
ments seen in print, even though they
appear In paper published by Pulit-
zer''
The president then quotes the sub
stance of the articles referre\ to,
which were published in the World
and says that William Taft did not
become secretary of war until the
canal transaction was closed: Doug
las Robinson had not the slightest
connection with the deal and Root
which was entirely arranged through
the department of Justice under At
torney General Knox
No Investigation Needed.
The president continues: Now
these stories, as matter of fact. need
no investigation whatever. No shadow
of proof has been or can be produced
in behalf of any of them. 1t should
not be left to private citizens to sue
Pulitzer for libel, He should be prose
cuted for libel by the governmental
authorities. The attorney general has
under consideration, the form in
which the proceedings against Pulitz-
er shall be brought
Tells of Negotiations.
The president then takes up the
Panama canal deal from it's very in
ception, calling attention to each
phase of the negotiation in its regular
order, as shown by the correspon-
dence which he submits with his me S.
sage, with view to establishing the
fact that the entire transaction was
carried out in accordance with the
will of congress and states that he
(the president) directed and approved
every action and acknowledges the
responsibility for all that was done.
Distribution Not Directed.
The president further states that
the distribution of money received as
the purchase price of the canal by the
French Panama Canal company was
not our affair. but gocs into the de-
tails as to how the money was paid
over and afterward distributed in
France under the supervision of the
French courts, to the stock holders
of the French companies, which were
not owned or controlled in any way
by any American syndicate, as had
been insinuated in the published arti-
cles The payment was made through
j. P. Morgan & Co., agents for the
United States and the Bank of France,
and the president wants it distinctly
understood the United States govern
ment had nothing to do with the dis
tribution of single dollar.
Concern to Get Property.
The president says our concern was
to get the canal property, which was
owned by the French company and to
see that the title was clear. and If as
matter of fact the Canal company had
been owned by American citizens or
citizens of any other nationality. it
would have not altered in the slight
est degree the action taken by this
government. Mr.. Cromwell did, how
ever, of his own accord. submit a
fun list of the stock holders of the
Panama Canal company of France at
tie Ese of appraisement of the canal
psoResty by the canal commission.
Volaminous correspondence and
data accompanies the message, the