Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-12-11
NEW YORK WORLD ANSWERS MIR
ROOSEVELT'S LETTER BY PASS
ING LIE TO PRESIDENT.
S35,OOO,OOO GRAFT CHARGED
Newspaper Declares Cromwell, the Exec
utive and Secretary Root Managed
Revolution in Colombia.
CHALLENGE is MADE SPECIFIC

of the Indianapolis News, referred IN MS
reply to President Roosevelt's attacs
upon him, as the authority for the artl
Gle on the Panama canal which appeared
in his paper and called forth the Presf
dents letter, says today:
'In view of President Roosevelts DE
liberate misstatements of facts In nN
scandalous personal attack upon ME
Delavan Smith. editor of the lndlanap
oils News. the World calls upon tht
Congress of the United States to MAKE
Immediately full and impartial lnves
tigation of the entire Panama cana
scandal.
'"The investigation of 1906 by the
Senate committee of the interoceanH
canals was blocked by the refusal OF
William Nelson Cromwell to answer the
most pertinent questions of Senator MOT
gan of Alabama. Since that time noth'
ing has been done because after Senator
Morgan'S death there was no successor
to carry on his great work OF revealing
the truth about Panama corruption.
Quotes News Charge.
'"The indianapolis News said in tn
editorial for which Mr.. Roosevelt assalls
Mr.. Smith: 1t has been charged that the
United States bought from American
citizens for $40,OOO,OOO property thai
cost those citizens only S12,OOO,OOO
There is no doubt that the government
paid $4O,00O,00O for the property. But
who got the money?
president Roosevelt's reply to this
most proper question is for the most
part a string of abusive and defamatory
epithets. But he also makes the follow
ing statements as truthful information
to the American people:
"'The United States did not pay 8
cent of the $4O,OOO,OOO to any American
citizen. The government paid the $4O,'
100000 direct to the French govern
ment, getting the receipt of the llqulda,
tor appointed by the. French government
to receive the same.
""The United States government has
not the slightest knowledge as to the
particular individuals among whom The
French government distributed the same,
$50 far as l know there was no syndi.
cate: there certainly was no syndicate IL
the United States that to my knowledge
had any dealings with the government dl'
rectly or indirectly
Calls Statements Untrue.
"To the best of the Worlds knowledge
and belief each and all of these state.
ments made by Mr.. Roosevelt and quoted
above are untrue and Mr.. Roosevelt
must have known they were untrue wher
he made them.
GAS to the detailed distribution of the
Panama loot only one man knows it all
And that man is William Nelson Crom.
well. The two men who were most ii
Mr.. Cromwells confidence are Theodore
Roosevelt, President of the United
States and Elihu Root, former secretary
of war and now secretary of state. Il
II. L. I NT-.
summating the Panama revolution, ar.
ranged the terms of the purchase Of the
Panama canal, made the agreement to
pay $4O,OOO,OOO on the canal properties
and an additional $1O,OOO,OOO for "a
manufactured Panama republic, every
penny of both of which sums was paid
by check on the United States treasury
to j. 2. Morgan & Co;-not to the
French government, as Mr.. Roosevelt
says, but to J. P. Morgan and company.
1.-THE natural query of the Indianapolis
News as to who got the money was
based on the Worlds historical summary
Of Mr. CromwelI's connection with the
Panama canal. The inquiry was orig
inally the Worlds and the World ac-
cepts Mr.. Roosevelts challenge
Asks Congress to Answer.
eff Congress can have all the docu-
ments in the case, as Mr.. Roosevelt says.
let Congress make a complete investiga-
ton of the Panama canal affair, and in
particular of William Nelson Cromwells
relation with the French company, with
Panama and with the government of the
United States. Let Congress officially
answer this question: Who got the
money!"
Then follows a history Of the deal
by which the transfer of the canal prop
erty is alleged to have been made. the
World concluding its challenge with the
following:
"Why did the United States pay $40
100000 for bankrupt property whose
control could undoubtedly have been
bought in the open market for less than
$4OOO,OOO?
''Who were the Panama Canal com
pany?
"Who bought up the obligations of the
old Panama Canal company for a few
cents on the dollar?
Among whom was diveded the S15.-
100000 paid to the New Panama Canal
company?
whether Douglas Robinson, who is
Mr. ROosevelt's brOther-in-law, or any
of Mr.. Tafts brothers associated him
self with Mr.. Cromwell in Panama ex-
ploitation or shared in these profits is in
cidental to the main issue Of letting in
the light
whether they did or not, whether all
the profits went into Mr.. Nelson Crom-
wells hands or whatever became of
them, the fact that Theodore Roosevelt.
as President of the United States, issues
public statement about such an i'm
portant matter full of fragrant untruths,
reeking with mis-statements, challenging
inc by line the testimony of his associate,
Cromwell and the official record, makes
it imperative that full publicity come at
once through the authority and by the
action of Congress-"
Steady Increase in Postal Receipts.