The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-16
CauStc EycoriaHon of Roosevelt
 Is Made Public
INVESTIGATION DEMANDED
The World Says Roosevelt Is Inaccu- rate and That No Other Man Has Ever So Grossly LibeIed
 the United States.

New York, December 15-The World, In the course of its answer to Presi- dent Roosevelt's references to that paper in his special message to Congress to- day, says:
 MT. Roosevelt is mistaken. He cannot muzzle The World.
 While no amount of billngsgate on his part can alter our determination to treat him with judicial impartality and scrupulous fairness, we repeat what we have already said that the Congress of the United States should make thor ough investigation of the whole Panama transaction, that the full truth may be known to the American people.
 "rhe World fully appreciates the com pliment paid to 1t by Mr. Roosevelt in making 1t the subject of a special message to the Congress of the United States.
 "The World likewise appreciates the importance of MT. Roosevelts statement when he declares to Congress that the proprietor of The World should be prose- cuted for libel by the governmental au- thorities, and that the Attorney Gen. eral has under consideration the form under WHICH the prOCeeulllBS d6diIsl NIT. Pulitzer shall be brought
 Lese Majeste.
 'This is the first time a President ever asserted the doctrine of lese majestic or proposed in the absence of specific legis- lation, the criminal prosecution by the government of citizens who criticised the conduct of the government, or the con duct of individuals who may have had business dealings with the government Neither the King of Great Britain nor the German Emperor would venture to arrogaie such power to himsef John Adams attempt to enforce the sedition law destroyed the federalist party in America. Yet MT. Roosevelt, in the ab- sence of law, officially proposes to use all the power of the greatest govern ment on earth to cripple the freedom of the press on the pretext that the govern ment itself has been libeled-and he Is the government.
 Tt Is true that the World printed the public reports concerning the Panama canal affair." which resulted from William Nelson Cromwell's appeal to the district attorneys office during the recent cam paign to prevent the publication of story which was said to be in the hands of the democratic national committee. It was Mr. Cromwells own action which raised the issue in the campaign.
 Appeal for Investigation.
 'It is true also that when MT. Roosevelt made his attack upon Delavan Smith the World called attention to certain state ments which MT. Roosevelt must have known to be false or misleading, and ap- pealed to Congress to end all scandal by a full and impartial investigation. If this be treason, let MT. Roosevelt make the most of it.
 1or, fol1 ol,i+ o< making inaccurate statements makes it impossible to accept either his judgment or his conclusions. In his message he does not state correctly even so simple 6 matter as the pretended causes of his grievance. The World has never said that Charles P. Taft or Douglas Robinson made any profits whatever. MT. Taft de- nied that he was concerned in the trans action in any way, which denial the World published and accepted It would have been equally glad to print MT. Rob- inson's deniai could it have succeeded in obtaining one from him, as it frequently attempted. The World has no evidence that he was associated with MT. Crom- well, and would accept his word to that effect; for MT. Robinson Is an estimable gentleman of high character, whose repu- tation for veracity is infinitely better than that of his distinguished brother-in-law.
 Cannot Be lntmldated.
 If the World has libeled anybody we hope 1t will be punished, but we do not intend to te intimidated by MT. Roose- velt's threats or by MT. Rosevelt's denun- citation or by MT. Roosevelts power.
 NO other living man ever so grossly libeled the United States as does this President, wlo besmirches Congress, bull dozes judges, assails the integrity of courts, islanders private citizens, and who has shown himself the most reckless, un- scrupulous demagogue whom the Ameri- can people h,er trusted with great power and authority.
 We say thls not in anger but in sim cere sorrow The World has mmeasura- ply more respect for the office of presi- dent of the United States than Theodore Roosevelt has ever shown during the years in which he has maintained a reign of terror and villifed the honor and the honesty of both public officials and pri- vate citizens who opposed his policies or thwarted hirn In his purposes.
 "So far as the World is concerned, it's proprietor may go to jail. if MT. Roose- welt succeeds, as he threatens, but even in jail the World will not cease to be a fearless chan pion of free speech, a free press and q free people,
 PuItzer's Answer. Joseph Pulitzer, proprietor of the World. tonight said:
 "So far IF < am personally concerned, I was at sea during the whole of October and In facr, practically for two years I have been yachting on account of my health. I rever read word or syllable of this Panama story, was not In connec- tion with the paper, and had nothing to do with it. MT. Roosevelt knows this per fecNy. He knows am chronic invalid and mostly abroad yachting on account of my health I think his anger is simply due to the sharp attacks made by the World on him politically. For that, per haps, I am responsible; that Is, for the political criticism of Roosevelt on public and political grounds. I am really sorry he should be so very angry; but the World will continue to criticise him with