The Cairo bulletin., 1912-04-29
President Declares He Does not
Remember Cabinet
Meeting
CITES WAR RECORDS
Shows When He and Rough Rider
We're in Washington and
When Away

Washington, April 28.-President
Taft. before leaving the White
House, today, issued personal
statement denying Col. Rooseyelt's
allegation that he, while secretary
OF war, had, at cabinet meeting,
approved Rooseyelt's decision not to
Immediately prosecute the Interna-
tional Harvester Co.
The Presidents statement says he
never beard the International Har-
vest # Co. discussed at any cabinet
meeting and that the records of the
war department VIII show that he
was out of the country when the In
ciaent referred to by the Colonel oc-
CURED.
Mr.. Roosevelt's memory Is very
much at fault" says President Taft.
u am authorized to say, by Mr.. Hoet
and Secretary Wilson, both OF whom
were members of the cabinet at the
same time, that they have no recol-
lection, whatever, of hearing fhe
proseeueitno of the Harvester matter
discussed In the cabinet and Mr..
Root is very certain that he never
heard or saw Mr.. Herbert 4QnDx
Smiths letter to Mr.. Roosevelt, atn-
der date of Sept. 2t, 1907. on the
subject.
Don't Remember Meeting.
II am able to say the same thing,
So far as my recollection goes !
never heard the Harvester Trust
matter in any cabinet meeting that
| attended and cannot be mistaken
in the statement that never saw or
knew of Mr. Smiths letter to the
President, until my administration
had been begun, and, at the time
when the question OF prosecution
came up In 1909 or 1910 and never
saw or read the letter until two
! months ago. IN
"The official records show that
| President Roosevelt left Washington
in June, 1907, for Oyster Bay, and
returned to Washington on Sept. "a
and that on Sept 20, he left Wash,
lington for q trip on the Mississippi
returning to Washington on Oct 23
1907, and that he remained In Wash
ington from that time on.
Cites Department Record.
"The official records Of the wal
department show that | left Wash
ington In June of the same year ant
went to Murray Bay, Canada, that
remained there until August, wher
| visited oyster Bay. on the thir
teenth, and then went to Washing
ton on the 14th and left Washing
ton on the 18th for western tril
through Oklahoma, Missouri, Yellow
stone Park, Oregon and Washington
reaching Seattle, Sept. s, and sailet
from Seattle for the Philippines oil
Sept. IS did not return to thu
United States until Dec. 2S, 1907,
| II have letter from Herbert X
! Smith, commissioner Of the Bureau
of Corporations, written at my re
quest. In which he uses the follow
ing language;
"'On Nov. 7, 1907, which date
fixed for my personal diary, | tele-
phoned Mr. Perkins at the Presi
dents order that the President tool
the view that the bureaus investi
CATION should come before thu
suit"
This indicates with certainty thu
time when the matter was decided
and shows that the matter did no
come before the cabinet at all. or !
must have been after Sept. "a, am
on or before Nov. 7. when | was on
Of the country and could not hav
been present and certainly could no
have made motion or suggestion y
the cabinet that no suit be prosecut
cd until after the investigation.