The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-26
Vigorously Says There Was Not Any Collision With
 Department Officials
BEAUTIFUL MESS IN
 REPUBLICAN PARTY
Taft Wanted to Use Information in Massachusetts-Ha to Go to the Senate First, so He Seized
 the Opportunity
By WALTER HARPER

Washington, April -tSpecial)- innocent looking resolution introduced in the Senate yesterday by Senator Johnston of Alabama. calling upon the Attorney slellertl for oer'ash infosnauen in Fe- gard to inc Harl ester trust. has preeipi- tated beautiful mess in the republican party.
 While Senator Johnston denies that he acted in collusion with the administration republicans or with any knowledge that lis resolution had been anticipated or was desired by the administration. 1t served a momentous political purpose.
 History of Case
 Though frequent attempts had been made by Senate resolutions 10 secure in- formation from the departments on this question all had been denied or ignored until Senator Johnston's resolution was adopted yesterday just after o'clock. About o'clock, or less than two hours after the resolution had been introduced, the information asked for had been pre- pared and was delivered to the Senate.
 When charged by Senator Bristow, a Roosevelt defender. that he had acted m collusion with the administration repub- lieans by introducing the resolution at their suggestion and according to their ideas, Senator Johnston made a strenu- ous denial. He declared that several at tempts had been made by the democrats to secure this information and that he had only added his feeble effort in hope that it might meet with some success. Senator Johnston declared that he was as much surprised as anyone that his de- mand had been met with such prompt response.
 Johnston Got Information
 l. is rumored today that Senator John ston was innocent Of what the immediate result might be- but he was used by Sen ator Crane through another friend to put through tile scheme that just at this time seemed tosoffer some political advantage to Mir raft But however true this may be, Senator Johnston has the satisfaction Of having produced some very valuable in- formation thar the senate desired. that other senators had failed to get, and he has tle additional satisfaction of being an instrument in starting the biggest row
 
 party 1t promises the elimination of both Taft and Roosevelt, and the utter ruin of the party.
 \ spirited discussion of the Johnston esolution and the sensational result consumed the entire session of the Sen ate again today. Senator Bristow again mtiinated that Senator Johnston had act ed in collision with the administration republicans and Senator Johnston again denied that he had had any communica- tiou with either the President or any of the departments involved for 30 days. lie stated Hat he had introduced the res- oIution with hope that 1t would secure the desired information. and was himself surprised tlsat it Tad brought such quick results.
 Taft Wanted It Published
 Senator Hristow charged that the pulp lication of the Roosevet-H Harvester trust correspondence was des;red last night for rhe use n, the President in his Massa- chusetts campaign 10 begin today.
 And this appears to be the truth. The administration had withheld this infor- nfation on former requests of the Senate partly fo the reason that previous, reso- lutions had desaanded all the corresponds cnce up to tllc present time and partly for the reascn that the administration had not decided to lay this bit of infamous party history bare to the public.
 The Johnston resolution only called for the specific correspondence of l907 which. incidentally or otherwise. is the part of the Harvester transactions that the ad- ministratlon desires to make public at this time.
 The determination to go after Roose- welt hammer and tongs gave the occa- sion for the making public of the bit of inside history. Mr. Taft wanted to use the information In New England 1t had to be made public first. So the Johnston resolution. in it's fortunately specific form. came at 2 most opportune time. The department of Jus,fes seemed
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