The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-29
lnLanguage Most Polite
He Calls It Faulty
Memory.
HAS RECORDS TO
PROVE 1T ON HIM
He Issues Personal Statement
Denying Roosevelt's Allegation
That He Approved Decision
Not to Prosecute Harvester
Trust-Produces Dates
to Make Case Good.

Washington. April 2S.-Prasiden,
Taft, before leaving the White House
to-day for his return 10 Massachusetts,
issued n personal statement, denying
Colonel Rooscvelt's allegation that he,
while Secretary OF War. had at any
Cabinet meeting approved Mr.. Roosa-
velts decision not 10 prosecute i'm
mediately the International Harves-
ter Company
President Tafts statement says he
never heard the International IIar-
vester Company discussed at any Cab
met meeting. and tina. the records OF
the War Department will show that he
was out OF the country when the in
cident referred to BY the Colonel oc-
CURED. President Tafts statement
was issued rs follows:
The following personal statement
OF the President was issued from the
White House this evening:
Mr. Roos evelt. in his speech at Wor-
ceSter. reported by the public press,
referring to the harvester trust suit.
said: AS matter of fact. Mr.. TAFT
was member of nv Cabinet when
this Identical case was fully discussed
before the Cabinet. and he cordial
~ approved the action taken; and. In
deed. az n matter OF fact my memory
is that he himself made the motion
that there should be no prosecution
of the harvester trust pending the in
vestigation into tho trust by the Blu
reau of Corporations
His Memory mt Fault.
MIR, Roosevelts memory is very
much at fault. I am authorized 10
say by Mr.. Root and Secretary Wilson.
both of whom We're members OF the
Cabinet at that time. that they have
no recollection whatever of ev.r h.,r-
Ing the prosecution of the harves-
ter matter discussed in the Cabinet.
and Mr.. Root Is very certain that he
never never saw or heard OF arr. Herbert
Knox Smiths letter to NJ. Roosevelt
under date of September 81, 1907. on
the bject.
II am able to say tho same thing.
So far as my recollection goes I new
or heard the harvester trust mater
mentioned in any Cabinet meeting
that l attended: and cannot be mis-
taken In the statement that | never
saw or knew OF Mr.. Herbert Knox
Smiths letter of September y to the
President unit! after my administra-
ton had begun, the time when the
question OF the prosecution came up
in 1910 or 1911. And I never saw or
read tbs letter until two months ago.
This correspondence shows that tho
subject OF the prosecution of the In
ternational Harvester Company came
before President Roosevelt on August
%. 1907. which is The date Of his. let
ter TO Acknowledgement Bonaparte:
that Mr.. Herbert Knox Smiths let
ter discussing the question and advis-
Ing against suit was dated September
81, 1907. and that Mr.. Smiths lettsr
was forwarded. by direction OF Presi
dent Roosevelt under date OF Septem-
Der % 10 the Attorney General
with direction TO the Attorney Genera,
to bring thu letter to the President
that week 10 talk over the matter
The official records shows that
President Roosevelt left WASHINGTON
on September "a: that on September
80. he left Washington for n trip
down tho Mississippi River. returning
to Washington on October %, 1907
and that he remained in Washington
from that time on.
What the Records show.
The official records OF the War De-
partmen' show that ] left Washing
ton in June of the same year and
went 10 Murray Bay. canada: re-
manned there until August. when
visited Oyster Bay on August IS. and
then went to Washington on the
18th. and left Washington on August
IS for a western trip through Okla
homa. Missouri, through the yellow
stone Park 10 Washington. reaching
Seattle on September s. and selling
September -. did not return TO tho
United states until the Goth OF De-
cember, 1907.
Il have a letter from Herbert Knox
Smith, Commissioner OF the Bureau OF
Corporations. written at my request.
In which he uses the following
language: ON November :. 1907.
which date fix from my personal
diary telephoned Mr.. Perkins at
the Presidents order that the Presi-
dent took the view that the bureaus
invest cation should come before tho
shit.
This indicates with certainty tho
time when the matter was decided.
and shows that Ii the matter did come
before the Cabinet at all it must have
been after September "a and on or be-
fore November Z. 1907. period when
was out of the country and could
not have been present. ana certainly
could not have made motion or
suggestion that no suit be prosecuted
until after the investigation Mr..
Roosevelt asks why suit has not been
brought in this administration against
t.. Harvester trust. a report made
to me by the Attorney-General shows
that shortly after the decision by tho
Supreme Court OF the STANDARD Oil
and Tobacco cases the Attorney-Ge
eral was about to begin suit againss
thu international Harvester Compan~
when its representatives requested an
opportunity in appdrent good faith to
submit III reasonable plan of reorgan-
ration or dissolution which would