Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1912-04-25
Disclose inner Secrets
ROOSEVELT ORDERED ATTOR-
NEY GENERAL NOT TO SUE
HARVESTER COMPANY.
Trusts threatened FIGHT
Morgan Interests Told Him 1hey
Would fight If lie Allowed Any
Trust Suit to BE Filed.

WASHINGTON. April 24.-The con
fidential correspondence which pass
ed between President Roosevelt, At
torney General Bonaparte, and Com
missioner Herbert Knox Smith of the
bureau of corporations in 1907, about
a government antitrust suit against
the International Harvester company.
was sent to the senate today from the
files of the department of justice.
One letter from Colonel Roosevelt
to Mr. Bonaparte, written at Oyster
Bay, August 22, 1907 said the colonel
had had no conferences with George
w. Perkins about the companys af-
fairs, and directed Mr. Bonaparte not
2 to file the suit against them, but to
go over the matter with Commission
er Smith and Mr.. Perkins.
A letter from Commissioner Smith
to the colonel on September 21, told
of conferences with Mr.. Perkins and
stated Commissioner Smiths objec-
tons to a prosecution at that time.
The commissioner wrote that he
thought the question of the COM
pany's guilt or innocence was merely
a technical question and told of
conference with Mr.. Perkins on Aug
ust "a.
Were Going q Fight.
Commissioner Smith wrote that Mr..
Perkins concluded with gri lat en-
phasis that if after all the endeav-
ors of this company and the other
Morgan interests to uphold the poll
cies of the administration and to
adopt their methods of modern pub
licity, this company was now going to
be attacked in a purely technical case
the interests represented were going
to fight
Further on in the same letter Mr..
Smith wrote:
while the administration has new
er hesitated to grapple with any fin
ancial interest, no matter how great
when is believed that a substantial
wrong is being committed neverthe-
less 1t is very peculiar situation
whether it is well to throw away now
the great influence of the so-called
Morgan interests, which up to this
time have supported the advance
policies of the administration, both
in general principles and in the appli-
eaton thereof to their specific interests
and to place them generally in opposi-
ton. | believe Mr.. Perkins state
ment that his interest would neces-
sarily be driven into controversy
was sincere and in fact, ! can hardly
see how those great interests can take
any other attitude should this prose-
cution be started and the final adop-
tlon of this policy be made public"
Were Laughing at Him.
an another portion Of the letter,
Commissioner Smith reported Mr..
Perkins as having said substantially:
Standard Oil company people in
New York were giving him the laugh
for having thought he was trying TO
be good and keep solid with the ad-
mnistration, and that now was going
to get the same dose as the others y
The sending of the correspondence
to,the senate was not without sensa-
tlonal incidents. Only a few weeks
ago. Attorney General Wickersham re-
fused To send In response to resolu-
ton by Senator Lea of Tennessee.
Today Senator johnson of Alabama
called upon the attorney general for
the correspondence and within two
hours It was in hand.
Senator Bristow, an ardent support
er of the colonel, defended the former
president in a spirited speech and
warmly criticized the procedure
- hich he declared was presum-
ly intended to reflect upon man
'sho is a candidacy for the presidency
against the present occupant. He
charged in substance that the. pre-
sentation Of the correspondence had
been pre-arranged.