The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-12-09
LEGAL ACTION
MAY FOLLOW
PANAMA CHARGES
Editor Chas. P. Taft, Through
The Columns of His News
paper Hints at This Proba-
BILE Action.
ALL CHARGES MADE
ARE DENIED IN FULL
Former Senator MiIIard Says
Cromwell Concealed Facts
About the DeaI-Investiga-
ton Desired.

Cincinnati, O., Dec. 3.-Tbe Cincin-
natl Times-Star, of which Charles p.
Taft is editor and proprietor, published
the following reply to the article on
the Panama canal, which appeared in
the Indianapolis News and New York
World:
The New York World, the paper
which was responsible for most of the
ing the recent campaign, says:
Whether Douglas Robinson, who
is Mr.. Roosevelt's brother-in- law, or
any of MI Taft's brothers, associate
himself with Mr. Cromwell in Panama
exploitation or shared in these profits
is incidental to the main issue of let
ting in the light
This statement is Intentionally mis-
leading. The Panama story was used
in the campaign for political purposes
solely. The one thing that gave it
political value in the eyes of those who
used it. was the fact that the story, as
printed, carried the names of a BROTH
presidency and of brother-in-law of
the president. The inference was
plain enough. 1t was that Theodore
Roosevelt and William H. Taft had
used their influence as high officials
of the United States government to
help near relatives in leoting the treas
ury at Washington. That was the
meat of the story. If the names of
Douglas Robinson and Charles P. Taft
had not been included in it, flimsy and
absurd as it was, the lying yarn never
would have been used by the World.
the Indianapolis News, and other pa
pers which for one reason or another
wanted to defeat Mr.. Taft and discred-
it Mr.. Roosevelt.
"The World is trying to dodge the is
sue. 1t wants to be relieved of the
responsibility of trying to drag the
names of Mr.. Robinson and Mr. Taft
into it's made to order mess of scandal
and slime. Both the World and the
Indianapolis News are crying let in the
light We thoroughly agree with
them. But after little time has
passed, after the most desperate eff
forts of the cornered World and News
have produced all the evidence they
can, an apology will be in order from
those newspapers.
I'm the meantime Mr.. Taft reserves
the right to take legal steps which
possibly have been made more desira-
BILE by the events and insinuations of
the last forty-eight hours"
MiIIard Tells Of Inquiry.
Omaha. Neb., Dec. 9.-Former Sem
ator j. H. Millard, who was chairman
of the senate committee on the Pana.
ma canal when the investigation was
made as to the matter in which this
government acquired the Panama
rights. stated that the French govern
ment was not connected in any way
with the deal He said it was through
William Nelson Cromwell, who acted
for the canal company, and who block
ed every effort of the committee to
secure the list of stockholders of the
company to whom the S40,OO0.OOO was
paid.
oSLutoi say VI tHt
statements contained in Roosevelt
letter to Foulke are wrong. among
them being the statement that $40,-
100000 was paid the French govern
ment. Mr.. Millard says this money
was paid J. P. Morgan & Co. Mr.. Mil
lard added:
4 am certain there was no grating
on the part of any government officia
in this country so far as the payment
of the $40,000,000 was concerned
None of the money stuck to the fling
ers which handled it before it passed
into the possession of the Anne ricar
Panama Canal company, but of course
l cannot say where it went after
| wards.
Mr.. Roosevelt undoubtedly knew
all about the result of the inquiry He
seems to have forgotten number O
| them now, however"
World Demands Full Inquiry.
New York, Dec. 9.-The New Yorl
World, to which Delavan Smith. edi
tor of the Indianapolis News. referred
| in his reply to Pre- esident Roosevelt
attack upon him. says:
In view of President Roosevelt:
| deliberate misstatements, the worlt
calls upon congress to make a full anc
| impartial investigation of the entir,
Panama scandal. The investigation o
1905 by the senate committee wa.
blocked by the refusal of William Mel
son Cromwell to answer the most per
| tinent questions.
''The Indianapolis News said: L
| has been charged that the Unitet