Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-12-11
William Nelson Cromwell Ex-
plans Transaction From Be-
ginning to End and Brands
Editors as Malicious Liars,
ROOSEVELT WOULD SUE
THEM FOR CRIMINAL LIBEL
President Angry at Attempt to.
Stir up Scandal in What He.
Considers Nations Most I'M
portant Project,

New York, Dee. lO.--Wilham Nell
son Cromwell today authorized the
following statement:
My attention has been called to a
statement issued by the editor of the
indianapolis News in which he at
tempts to reply to the charge made
by President Roosevelt that certain
statements made in the News both
before and since the recent election
and relating to the purchase of the
Panama canal by the United states
were false and untrue,
The president said
The News gives currency to
the statement that the United
states bought from American citi-
Zens for $40,00O,600 property that
cost these citizens only $12,000,000.
The statement is false, the United
States did not pay cent of the $4O,-
000, 600 to any American citizens
etc
From the statement issued in re-
ply 20 the editor of the News, | quote
the following
The only man who had paid any
attention to the4q Chat is the crit-
cism referred TO, rtc,) was Mr. c, J.
Taft, who did deny that he was in
any way related to the affair. We
had no word from the president or
Mr. Taft The other men, such as
Cromwell and Morgan, who were be-
lieved 10 have fun information in re-
gard to the business, said nothing
And he attempts to justify the
publication of false statements APP
pearng in his paper by saying that
they were based largely on state
ments of the New York Worlds critt-
cisms. which were made over and
over again during the campaign, and
were utterly ignored until today
THE reply of the editor of the
News furnishes another proof of the
justice of the presidents charaCteri-
zation for the very journal, under
whose skirts it now takes refuge,
namely in the New York World of
October 3. 1908, appears an explicit
and unqualified denial by me of the
story referred to. and in which | used
the following language:
We may expect, during a heated
political contest all kinds of stories
which are not worthy of notice, but
this one / wish to depounCe in the
strongest terms as a lying fabrication
without a shadow Of truth I'm 1t. Mel
ther /, or anyone allied with me,
either directly or indirectly. at any
time or in any place in America or
abroad, ever bought, sold, dealt in or
even made penny of profit out Of
any stocks, bonds or other securities
Of either the old Panama Canal cusn-
pany or the new Panama Canal COM
pany, or ever received for the same a
single dollar of the forty millions paid
by the United states. / make this
the most sweeping statement that
language can convey.
AS everybody connected with the
affair knows. abstained from re-
ceiving the forty millions in my own
hands at Washington or New York. as
the general counsel for the company
and myself arranged for the payment
Of the entire forty millions direct from
the treasury OF the United states
through the bankers Of the govern
ultHl iltlD the lihilh VI fthllft at ei -
TO the credit of the liquidators OF the
two companies. There It remained
subject To the order of the liquida-
tors until distributed by them 10 the
hundreds Of thousands Of beneficial
ries and not ono dollar of IL ever came
to me or any one in any way con
nececd with me-. OF course, do not
refer to our regular compensation as
counsel
Il wish to cali attention to the
fact that on the first day of the hear
ings before the committee on interoce-
aniC canals of the senate of the Uni
ted States, in February. 1906. / vol
UNFAIRLY made an explicit and detailed
statement. showing how the 10000
600 was paid by the United STATES
through Messrs. j.. p. Morgan and
company. as their agents. Co the Bank
OF France. at Paris. for account Of
the new Panama canal and also ex-
planning the subsequent payment Of
the fun amount 20 the Hquidators OF
the old Panama canal company. who.
In turn distributed the money 10 their
respective stock and bond holders.
numbering hundreds of thousands Of
persons.
Il further submitted To- the senate
committoe. with tho permission OF the
Panama government. detailed state