Norwich bulletin., 1912-04-25

between President Roosevelt, Attor- ney General Bonaparte and Commis- sioner Herbert Knox Smith of the bu- reau of corporations in 1907 about government antitrust suit against the International Harvester company, was sent to the senate today from the files of the department of justice.
 Ordered Not to File Suit.
 One letter from Colonel Roosevelt to MT. Bonaparte, written at Oyster Bay on August 2, 1907, said that the Colonel had had talks with George w. Perkins about the company's affairs and directed MT. Bonaparte not to file the suit, but to go over the matter with Commissioner Smith and MT. Perkins.
 Merely Technical Question.
 A letter from Commissioner Smith to the Colonel on September 21 told of conferences with MT. Perkins and ex- plained Commissioner Smiths Objec tions to a prosecution at that time. The commissioner wrote that he thought the question of the cOmpany's guilt or innocence was merely tech nical question and described 8 con ference with MT. Perkins on August .24.
 Perkins Threatened to Fight.
 Commissioner Smith wrote that MT Perkins concluded with great empha- sis. that if after all the endeavors of this company and the other Morgan interests to uphold the policies of the administration, and to adopt their methods of modern publicity, this E 1nfr ed in a prely technical case, the inter ests he represented were going to fight"
 Great Influence of So-Called Morgan
 interests"
 Further on, in the same letter, MT. Smith wrote:
 While the administration has never hesitated to grapple with any financial interest, no matter how great. when it is believed that a substantial wrong is being committed. nevertheless 1t is 8 very practical question whether it is well to throw away now the great in fIuence of the so-called Morgan inter ests which up to this time have sup ported the advanced policy of ths ad- ministration both in general principles and in the application thereof to their specific interests and to place them | generally in opposition. l believe Mir, Perkins statement that his interest would necessarily be driven into active opposition. was a. sincere one, ana, in fact, I can hardly see hew those great interests can take any other attitude should this prosecution be started and the final adoption of this policy be made publie.7
 Oil Trust Gave Perkins ''the Laugh" In another portion of the letter, Commissioners Smith reported Mir. Per zins. as having said substantially that the Standard Oil people in New York were giving him the laugh for having thought he was trying to be good and keep solid with the administra- 1 ton and that he was new going to | get the same dose which the others got"
 With the correspondence was & let- ter from William Loeb, Jr, the presi- dents secretary, making an appoint | Inent for Mir. Bonaparte to talk the ! business over.
 RooseveIt!s Letter
 The presidents letter to the attor- l ney general follows:
 "Oyster Bay, N. T., Aug. 22, 1907. 1 My Dear MT. Attorney General: MT l George w. Perkins of the International 1 Harvester company has just called up- on me and submitted to me certain ] papers of which enclose copies. Ao- ] cording to these papers and MT Per l kin's statement, it would appear that 1 the Harvester company has repeat 1 edly on it's own initiative asked that ] it's business be investigated by the de- i partmant of commerce and labor ] through the commissioner of corpora l tioHs; that three years ago the inter- 1 state commerce commission decided 1 that it had accepted what amounted l substantially to rebates: that MT, Moo l dy, the then attorney general, WaG 1 about t6 take action on this report l but the Harvester company at ones ! promised to rSehfy the practices and | see that nothing contrary to the Ful- | ing of the commission was again done i This was satisfactory to the attorney ! general and the suit was dropped,
 ssnate Ordered investigation.
 "The Harvester company says it is 1 in position to prove that it has lived ID to tRis agreement made in May l 1904. The Harvester company ad-
 yanoes this as a proof that if any { illegal action is pointed out it will [ DGlna ] pointed out. It further appears thai 1 last December Senator Hansbrough l got the senate to paSs resolution di- 1 reeting the department of commerce. . and labor to make an early inveStiga-
 tion into the character and operation ! and effect upon interstate 0Ommerce ! of the International Harvester com ] pany and that ill January last, hiessrs l Garfield and Smith met various repre- 1 sentatives of the Harvester company l in New York, and 0 conclusion wal { reached that the department would be- ] gin the examination as speedily as [ possible, which conclusion was an nOunced publicly in the press, On l March 7, Comnissioner Smith noii- 1 fled the Harvester company that the
 inquiry would os into the incorpora- ton, value of its property, securities
 and the general management of its 1 business, l. appears by his letter O1 ! August thst Commissioner Smith hac
 begun the investigation but has no,
 made much progress with it, as he
 would like to, on account of his beiHs
 crowded with work.
 Please De Not File Suit"
 'Afr. Perkins request te me is thst
 before the company is exposed to the 1 certain loss and damage that the mere
 institution of suit would entail, thi:
 investigation by Mir, Smith as required
 by senate resolution should be carried
 to completion. He explicitly states
 to me that there would be no inten.
 tion 10 plead the examination by tn,
 department of commerce and labor a,
 eenferFing any immunity from pro.
 ceedings by the department of justice ! Viii you see MF, Perkins and comnlIs