The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-18
Presidents Secretary Gives Out Warm Statement on
 Harvester Suit
8ONAPARTE REFUSED
 TO TALK WITH PERKINS
Told Townsend That Ro0se- welt Stopped Suit-Attorney Gen eral Showed He Was Offended.
 Accusation Disproved


 It the White House gave out state aent concerning the delay in the prose- ution of tho International Harvester cmpany during President Roosevelts ad- |linistration in 1907 It was not known ere that MT Hilles had left President Faft's party in Ohio.
 He went to join the President again bright.
 T have come to Washington to get fnited States Attorney Townsends state bent in reference to the Harvester trust, [" hys the statement. Townsend was in |oI one of the attorneys in the depart bent of justice and had made an in- .estigation of charges against the Inter |ational Harvester company.
 Roosevelt Forced Halt Tt shows conclusively," the statement. pntinues, that President Roosevelt com eled his Attorney General to discon- hue the Harvester prosecution in the |i.l of l9d7. IS months prior to the colonels |tirement from office
 President Roosevelts term expired two sars after the matter had been placed the hands of the prosecuting officer as he result of an investigation. It is quite rrarent from the record that civil and |sminal proceedings were about to begin; .ar about year and half before Pres lent Roosevelt went out of office George Y Perkins took hand in matters; and lat in a remarkably short time there fter the whole matter was suppressed, 'ifed, strangled or put through some her process which by whatever name 'pu call it, I have no doubt, was quite 'ltisfactory to the Harvester trust If 'lybody was responsible for it besides K esident Roosevelt and officials acting Naectly under his instructions, it does ,pt appear from the record.
 l"Mr. Townsend began his inquiry in ie spring of 1906. On February 21, 1907, l., Bonaparte transmitted Townsend $ I ort to United States District Attorney Il ms at Chicago, instrrcting him. to take s1 the matter with view ta the lnsti- 1tion Of criminal proceedings against 'e individuals and corporations irnplicat- ,. Mr. Townsend having recommended | 'osecution.
 Sims Advocated Suit |"Sims wrote that if the report proves be correct, it is my judgment that civil |.oceedings can be successfully main lined against the Harverter trust and bat probably evidence could be secured convict the corporation and possibly a timber of the individuals concerned. here was delay, of which Senator Hans h ,lnit tn nafat elt, and MT. Bonaparte wrote to the fnator that the case would receive inn Iediate attention. An effort was made h the one hand to proceed with the pros button; on the other hand to secure delay rough a protracted investigation by the fireau of corporations.
 s''In his written statement Townsend fys that in the spring of 1908 he was |iruptly ordered to the Pacific coast to egin another investigation and was aerefore compelled to drop the Harvester latter. He says: Attorney General tonaparte told me the reason why 1 had bt been authorized to institute the liar ;,ster trust suits Shortly after l left Iashington in the spring of 1907 the harvester trust people in some way iarned of my report and sked permis- lon of Attorney General Bonaparte to
  Inse MT. Bonaparte considered this Iatement (of the Harvester trusD not hly insufficient by way Of defense, but | direct admission of all the essential lets showing a violation of the antitrust Nv.
 Perkins Saw Bonaparte t' Shortly afterward MT. Perkins (the lganizer of the Harvester trust) called bon Mr. Bonaparte in company with ierbert Knox Smith and 1 think Cyrus Il Mccormick. They requested MT. Bon barte to accompany them on visit to President Roosevelt for the purpose of Ersuading the President to refrain from fosecuting the Harvester trust. MT. Eonaparte refused to do so upon the b,ound that the written statement filed I the Harvester trust was in effect a EDnfession of a violation of the law and therefore he (Mr. Bonaparte) would not lultify himself by temporizing with the tbject in any manner. Thereafter Mr. kerkins and MT. smith (and l think AI.. EcCormiclx) interviewed President Roose- felt and succeeded in persuading him not b prosecute the Harvester trust and hortly thereafter President Roosevelt in- Gructed Attorney General Bonaparte not ' take action.
 BOnaparte was Offended
 Attorney General Bonaparte gave me His explanation for the purpose of assur- kg me that he had not Intentionally k'oken his word with me in the matter of klthorzing me to institute suit against he Harvester trust MT. Bonaparte plain II indicated to me that he was offended 2 E MT. Hilles then refers to Colonel Roose- Kits declaration that none of the papers
  Hessed and reviews the recent presen- F,tion of some of the papers to the Sen -e The statement then continues: .rrhese papers show that the Harvester 1.ust was about to be prosecuted for re- Eating. but promised to do better. which Eou1ise was satisfactory to the attorney Eaneral. Other trusts, probably not of Ebe benevolent variety were fined for re- &ating and had to settle in the courts. E..The suppressed papers show also that feorge w Perkins was referred to as E,e representative of the Approaching | organ interests, and that MT. Perkins ,jd to Commissioner smith that if the
 arvester trust was to be attacked, then he Morgan interests were going to fight |bereunon Mir Smith wrote to President Roosevelt that it is very practical f1estion whether it is well to throw away low the great influence of the so-called {organ interests.
 Roosevelt's Directions B..president Roosevelt had sent the re- R,yt to the attorney general with these Ureetions: Please do not file the suit II hear from you.
 "Colonel Roosevelt met the damaging
 
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