The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-08-27
LOEB IS READY
To TAKE STAND
FOR ROOSEVELT
Former Secretary of Ex-Presi.
dent Volunteers to Testify
as to Interview With the
Late E. H. Hartman.
BY International News Service

! BY lnterna tlonal news service.
a TEW YORK, Aug. 26.-William
nj Loeb. Jr., collector OF the port
Y of New York by appointment
of President Taft, came out
boldly today in vigorous defense of
Colonel Roosevelt against attacks be,
Ing made upon the eX-president In the
double-barreled controversy raging over
the contributions TO the Roosevelt cam
paign fund Of 1904 by the Standard
OIL company and by +. II. Hartman.
He says it was he, and not Presi-
dent Roosevelt, whose secretary he
then was, to whom George B. Cortel-
YOU, as chairman of the Republican
national committee, gave positive as.
surance that the Standard Oil COM
pany had made no contribution to the
campaign. Mr. Loeb also makes the
further astonishing statement that in
stead of Roosevelt asking Hartman
for assistance the latter. at the famous
White house interview, had urged the
president to cause National Chairman
Cortelyou forthwith to give financial
help to the New York state committee
in order to save the state ticket.
Volunteers Statement.
81 am making these statements
only in the interest of truth ! have
not publicly discussed either of these
subjects BEFORE he went on, "be
cause / had not thought it necessary
In II Tnl~ .I
Roosevelt at Sycamore Hill Sunday
afternoon [ voluntarily offered to give
out for the first time correct account
of both incidents.
81 was present through the entire
interview r. II. Hartman had in the
White house with President Roosevelt
on the eve Of the election in 1904.
was his private secretary, and the
president made it practice to have
me present at every important politi"
cal interview he had with visitors.
of the Hartman interview on that oc-
casion. Mr.. Hartman assured the
president that he (Mr, Roosevelt) was
certain to be elected, but that the state
ticket in New York. headed by Hig-
gins, was in grave danger, and that it
was in the power Of President Roose-
velt alone to save it.
'Harriman's Complaint.
"Mr Hartman complained that al
though he had more than once asked
National Chairman Cortelyou to trans
fer to the New York state committee
sum Of money from his treasury to
meet the exigencies of the state situa-
ton, Mr.. Cortelyou had declined to do
SO, and insisted that the president
should direct Mr.. Cortelyou Immediate
" to hand over the money where it
was imperatively needed. The presi-
dent told Mr.. Hartman he would COM
ply with his request. Before MIR.
Hartman arose to go the president
turned to me and told me to cali up
Chairman Cortelyou on the long dis
tance telephone and instruct him to
help the state committee out. This I
did, and received the promise from Mr.
Cortelyou that he would do at once as
Mr.. Roosevelt wanted him to do,
"I do not now recollect the amount
Of money Mr.. Hartman asked for OF
what told Mr.. Cortelyou was needed.
do, though, remember distinctly that
was present at the interview,
heard it all, escorted Mr.. Hartman to
the door, and then conveyed the presi-
dent s instructions to Chairman Cortel-
Won over the teleDhone -