The Washington herald., 1912-04-29

Of Mr.. Herbert Knox Smiths letter OF
| September q to the President until after
my administration had begun. and the
| time when the question OF the prosecu-
tion came up in 1910 or 1911 And never
saw or read the letter until about two
/ months ago.
| This correspondence shows that the
| subject matter OF the prosecution Of the
International Harvester Company came
before President Roosevelt on August -.
| 1907. which is the date OF his letter TO
Attorney General Bonaparte; that Mr..
Herbert Knox Smiths letter discussing
! the question and advising against suit
was dated September p, 1907, and that
Mr.. Smiths letter was forwarded. by di
rection of President Roosevelt. under date
| OF September a. to the Attorney General
with direction to the Attorney General
| to bring the letter to the President that
week to talk over the matter.
THE official records show that Presi-
dent Roosevelt left Washington in June.
| 1907. for Oyster Bay, and returned from
Oyster BAY to Washington on Septem-
Der "A; that on September - he left
Washington for trip down the Missis-
sippi River. returning to Washington on
October g, 1907. and that he remained In
Washington from that time on
THE official records Of the War De-
partment show that I left Washington
Murray Bay, Canada; that 1 remained
there until August. when I visited Oyster
Bay on August 13. and then went to
Washington on the 18th and left Wash
ington on August Is for a Western trip
through Oklahoma, Missouri. the Yellow
stone Park Oregon, and Washington,
reaching Seattle on September 8. and
sailing from Seattle for the Philippines
on September 13. did not return to the
United States until December %, 1907.
Letter from smith.
'T have a letter from Mr.. Herbert
Knox Smith. Commissioner of the Bureau
OF Corporations. written at my request. in
which he uses the following language:
ION November I. 1907. which date T
fix from my personal diary, telephoned
Mr.. Perkins. at the Presidents order,
that the President took the view that the
bureaus investigations SHOULD come be-
fore the suit
This indicates with certainty the time
when the matter was deaided, and shows
that IL the matter did come before the
Cabinet at all II must have been after
September "a and on or before Novem-
Der Z, 1907. a period when was out OF
the country and could not have been
present, and certainly could not have
made a motion OF suggestion In the Cabi-
net, that no suit be prosecuted until
after the investigation
aNr. Roosevelt asks why suit has not
been brought in this administration
against the Harvester Trust. A report
made to me by the Attorney General
shows that shortly after the decision by
the Supreme Court Of the Standard OIL
and Tobacco cases, the Attorney Gen. 7
eral was about to begin suit against the,
International Harvester Company, when
its representatives requested an oppor- I
tLnity. In apparent good faith. TO submit
a reasonable plan OF reorganization or
dissolution. which would meet every jusS
cause Of complaint With my approval.
the Attorney General delayed bringing
suit pending the consideration of this
proposition, and during negotiations
which ensued looking to the accomplish
ment OF such result These negotiations
were delayed, first. by reason Of the time
required TO make an examination of the
books Of the Harvester Company. and.
second. because of delay In completing
the report OF the examiners. due to the
fact that they were obliged TO suspend
work on u in order TO complete their
work on the Steel Trust investigation.
These negotiations had continued until
April "a 1912. when, as I have before
mentioned, they came to a conclusion,
and II was determined that no agree
ment could be reached which the gov
eminent could accept; and on that date
the Attorney General was directed 70
orins " - ~