Norwich bulletin., 1912-04-29
Never Approved ROOseveF's Decision to Delay
 Prosecution of The Harvester Company
ABSENT FROM THE COUNTRY AT THAT TIME
President Quotes Official Records to Show That He Was in Philippines When Matter Was Under Consideration Cabinet Members Do Not Recall That Question Ever Came Before Them-Robert Lincoln Objects to Roosevelts "Perversion" of His Fathers Views and Words.

Washington. April 2S. - Before seaving the White house today to re- burn to Massachusetts. President Ta1t Issued a personal statement denying ColOnel ROOsevelts allegation that, while secretary of war; aI a caDlnet ueeting he approved Nlr. RooseVeIts aecision not to immediately prosecute khe International Harvester company. President Tafts statement says ne hever heard the International Har- Jester company discussed at any cab A1et meeting. and that the records of he war department will show that he Sas out of the country when the inci- aent referred to by the Colonel oc-
 The Presidents Statement.
 President Tafts statement was as anlows:
 Mir Roosevelt in his speech at Worcester. as reported by the public press, referring to the Harvester trust huit said
 As a matter of fact, Mir. Taft was 3 member of my cabinet when this Identical case was fully discussed be- Fore the cabinet. and he cordially ap- proved the action taken. and indeed, hs a matter of fact my memory is hat he himself made the motion that bhere should be no prosecution of the Harvester trust pending the investga- aion into the trust by the bureau of corporations.
 Roosevelts Memory at Fault.
 'dr Roosevelts memory is very p1uch at fault. l am authorized to say by Mir Root and Secretary Wilson. both of whom were members of the Cabinet at that time, that they have ho recollection whatever of ever hear lng the prosecution of the Harvester matter discussed in the cabinet And Alr. Root is very certain that he never paw or heard of MT. Herbert Knox Smiths letter to Mir. Roosevelt under date of September 2l. 1907, on the gubject.
 Never Saw Smiths Letter Until Re-
 gently.
 q am able to say the same thing. So far as my recollection goes, l never heard the Harvester trust matter men tioned in any cabinet meeting that I attended: and l cannot be mistaken in the statement that l never saw or knew of Mir. Herbert Knox Smiths letter of September 21 to the president until after my administration had be- gun. and the time when the question af the prosecution came up in 1910 or 1911 And ] never saw or read the letter until about two months ago.
 The Dates Involved.
 This correspondence shows that the subject matter of the prosecution of the International Harvester company came before President Roosevelt on August % 1907 which is the date of his letter to Attorney General Bona parte. that Mir. Herbert Knox Smiths letter discussing the question and ad- vising against suit was dated Septem- Der 21. 1907. and that Mir Smiths letter was forwarded, by direction of President Roosevelt under date of September 24, 70 the attorney general with direction to the attorney general to bring the letter to the president that week to talk over the matter The official records show that Presi- dent Roosevelt left Washington in June. 1907. for oyster Bay, and re- turned from Oyster Bay to Washing 4on on September 24; that on SeDtem- ber 29 he left Washington for & trip down the Mississippi river, returning Go Washington on October 23, 1907, and that he remained in Washington from that time on.
 What Official Records Show.
 The official records of the war de- Jartment show that l left Washing son in June of the same year and went b Murray Bay, Canada; that l re- Eatned there until August, when nsited Oyster Bay on August 13, and heu went to Washington on the 14th bnd left Washington on August IS for western trip throughout Oklahoma, Missouri, the Yellowstone park, Oregon Ind Washington. reaching Seattle on esptember 8 and sailing from Seattle Tor the Philippines On September 13. did not return Lo the United States Hnftl the zOth Of December, 1907.
 Taft Was Out of Country.
 q 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 E1 from my personal diary. l tele- phoned Mr. Perkins st the presidents erder that the president took the view that the bureaus investigation should come before the suit
 This indicates with certainty the time when the matter was decided and shows that if the matter did come be- fore the cabinet at all it must have been after September 24 and on OF before November :. 1907. d period when ] Hss out of the country and could not have been present, and certainly could not have made motion or sug- gestion in the cabinet that no suit be prosecuted until after the investiga- lion
 Why Suit Has Been Delayed
 MT. Roosevelt asks why suit has not been brought in this administra- riOh against inc Harvester trust. A report made to me by the attorney general shows that shortly after the decision by the supreme court of the Standard oil and Tobacco cases, the attorney general was about t0 begin suit against the International Harves- tsF company. when its representatives requested an opportunity in apparent gs0d faith te submit a reasonable plan of reorganization or dissolution which would meet every just cause of een- plainf. With Hy approval, the atfer- ney general delayed bringing suit pending the consideration of this prep- Ositioh and during negotiations which eRsued looking to the accomplishment of such result,
 Order to Bring Suit on April 19.
 These negotiations were delayed. first by reason of the time required to make an examination of the books of the Harvester company, and second, because of delay in completing the re-