Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-12-16
ROOSEVELT SCORES
EDITOR PULITZER
In Special Message on Panama
Canal, Suggests Possibility Of
B|ackmai|ing Intentions.
SAYS STRING OF INFAMOUS l|BElS
Declares New York Publisher Had
No Shadow Of Proof Upon Which
to Base Charees-Should be Prose.
cuted by Government. He Says
Admits Morgan Received None.

(By Associated PrcsS)
UNSATISFACTORY. u. G.. Dec. ID
Rep at"d p"als of laughter greeted
the reading OF tn" opening raraEraph'
OF the Presidents message to Con
prcss on he Panama canal charges
Ioday As tn" secretary read the
Stat. mcnt tina; the charges w"r"
false in every particular Senator
Bailey laughed outright as n" was
passing along the rear Of The cham
her to his seat.
Other senators ON boln sides OF tn"
chambtr joined with him. when tn"
reader reached tn" statement that a
statement in new paper which he
mentioned would not be h"li' we'd.
there was general mtrrim"ni from
both sides OF the chamber.
There was Only a small number or
senators present when the reading
begun. and IL was hurried through,
the papers accompanying the message
not being read at all.
House Displays Interest.
The mcssac" elected the greatest
intsrt"t in the House. The members
gave close attention during the read
ing OF the document, and there was
ripple of laughter at the President :
characterization Of Joseph II. Pulit-
ger, publisher OF the New York
World.
The message with its accompany
ing papers was referred 70 the proper
rommittee
Many Documents In French.
l..
large bundle of documents hearing
upon the transfer of The canal prop
crty to the United State@
Many of these documents were in
French without English translation.
There was no; hing which showed d.
rectly the persons who received the
s4o.G00 900 paid lT the United States.
iu, there was include! list of about
1000 stockholders in the Old and new
Panama canal companies, all OF them
citizens OF France. and Of the Colon
bian republic. There was MOI the
rame Of citizen Of the United
States in the entire list.
The Presidents special message
comprises more than 10000 words.
The following is a synopsis:
To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentativ-s: In view of the constant
reiteration Of the assertion that there
was som" corrupt action by or on be-
half of the United States Govern
mt in connection with the acGuisi-
ton OF the title OF the French Com
pdny to III" Panama Canal. and Of
the repetition Of the story that a
syndicate OF American citizens own
ed either one or both of the Panama
comnan'ps I deem il wise TO submit
to the Congress all the Information
| have on the SUI j"ct. These stories
weT" first hrOugh' 10 my attention as
puElish.d in paper IN Indianapolis.
called The News" EDITED ny Mr..
Dc,avan smith. The stories were
scrrriiOus and libslDus in character
and false in every essential particu ar
Mr.. Smith shelters himself behind the
excu%" that h. merely accepted the
statements which had appeared in a
paper pubtised in New York. The
World" owned hv Mr. Joseph Pulit
z"- II IS id" 10 say 'ha' IN" known
character of Mr.. Pulitzer ard bis
n"wypap"r are such tina :he state
mrnts in that paper will be believed
b. nobody: unfortunately thousands
Of PRISONS arr. III informed in his TO
sp"@t and believe the statements the"
Sc in print. even though they ap
near m newspaper published ny W
Pr'irI"r \ member % n" Congress
has actually introduced resolution
IN reference to thcSr charges 7
therefor" lay all the facts before yoI
The story rep atrd at various lime
hv tho World and ty its followers in
the newspaper press is sui stanfiailv
as follows That Their" was cor;up
ton nv or on behalf q: tho Govern
mcnt % the United States in the
transaction by which tho Panama
Canal prop rty was acquired from
It's F-"nca owners: ths; thor" wcr"
imrrc y dealings OF some Kind no
tween ~ents Of ,hr Govcrnm"nt and
0uisid" rr--~ rCpr' sen;inC or act
ing for p American .yndiC1'c. who
hal gotten possession ~ III" French
Company. that among hos" PERSONS.
= brother Of Mr. william " Taft
then candidate for the Presidency. and
Mr. Douglas Robinson. NV hroiheT-in-
law: that MIR Cromwell. the counsel
for tho Panama Canal COMPANY n the
noeC:'a ions. was in so-ne way impli'
Gated with the tinted states govern.