The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-04-26

Oyster Bay. N. Y. April 25.--"Tall
about the suppression of the report l:
nonsense" said Roosevelt tonight in 8
statement setting forth his connection
With the International Harvester com.
pany case.
The colonel asserted at a meetine
with his cabinet, at which Taft wa:
present. it was detided that the bu.
reau of corporations be instructed tc
complete its investigation of the Har.
vester company before any suit was
instituted. following the usual course
of procedure in such cases. Taft, he
added. concurred in this decision.
During the remainder of his admin.
istration. period of a year and half
Roosevelt said. the commissioner OF
corporations was unable to complete
the investigation. He said that ir
three years of the present admins.
tration Taft at any time could order
the attorney general to bring sui,
against the Harvester company. OF
could request the commissioner OF
corporations to hasten his investiga-
ton. but that Taft had taken no ac-
tion. except that now taken five days
before the Massachusetts pimary."
Expected No Favors.
The colonel also said when the Nor
thern Securities suit was brought
against the Morgan interests in 1904,
he was expecting to run for president.
but that when the Harvester company
matter came up in 1907, he knew he
would be a candidate the following
year. so that If action taken in this
case did secure the god will of "any
OF the Morgan interests for anybody
1t secured their good will for Taft"
The colonel spent most of the af-
terneon preparing his statement.
II have just begun the fight" he
said earlier in the day. He received
reports today of President Taft's criti-
cism of him In his speech at Spring
field. Mass. but declined to comment
upon 1t, saying he make his reply in
his speeches in Massachusetts,.
The statement of Roosevelt follows
in part:
Bonaparte's Statement.
+ LAS regards the harvester trust mat
ter. the following statement sent me
by Bonaparte, my attorney general at
the time, and by Herbert Knox Smith.
then and now commissioner of cor
porations. explain themselves:
"Bonaparte wrote:
when l became attorney general
found number of complaints on
file about the harvester trust, and
some of those SO serious and specific
I directed an investigation, appointing
b. D. Townsend. then assistant United
States attorney in one of the Dako-
tas. special counsel on the subject. He
worked very slowly. and while we
were awaiting his report, received
information from other quarters and
also an elaborate brief and argument
substituted by Cravath. i'll remember
right, in defense of the trust. and
made up my mind suit ought to be in
stituted for dissolution.
HansbrOugh in Case.
Il then learned from Herbert Knox
Smith that he was engaged in the in.
vestigation Of the affairs of the har-
vester trust directed by the senate,
under resolution. I thing. by Sena-
tor Hansbrough. either of North or
South Dakota. Smith said the institu-
tion Of the suit against the trust would
put a stop to his investigation, and
reported the situation of affairs at q
cabinet meeting.
After full but harmonious discus
sion. 1t was decided. on the advice Of
the secretaries and Taft. that mas
much. as either house had right un-
der the law creating the bureau Of
corporations. to direct an investiga-
tion by that bureau. the investigation
of Smiths must be considered as one
conducted by the senate itself, and 1t
would be appropriate for the depart
ment 81 justice to await its conclusion
before proceeding with the suit.
No Instructions.
Won 'n''nr e'vr me- any instrme-