The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-05-18
Presidents Secretary Issues
Statement Based on Inves-
tigation of the Trust.
FORMER SENATOR AAMSp,.ss s. 70. :"
FIGURES IN The STATtMr1z.' ~
Statement Says Roosevelt Called of
the Prosecution of the Trust and
that Townscnd's Report and Hans.
brough's Protests Prove the Fact.

Washington, May 1S.-President
Taft's secretary. Charles D. Hilles. ap-
peared unannounced in Washington
to" and at the white house gave
out statement concerning the delay
in the prosecution of the international
Harvester company during President
Roosevelt's administration in 1907. 1t
was not known here that Mr.. Hilles
had left President Taft's party in
Ohio
II have come to Washington to get
United States Attorney Townsend 's
statement in reference to the harves-
ter trust" says the statement. Town
send was in 1907 one of the attorneys
in the department of Justice. and had
made an investigation of charges
ae~' the International Harvester
company.
1T shows conclusively." the state
ment co. +'nues. that President
Roosevelt compelled his attorney gen.
eral to discontinue the harvester
teen months prior to the coloners re-
tirement from Office.
President Roosevelt's term expired
two years after the matter had been
placed in the dis of the prosecuting
officer as the result of an investiga-
tion. 1t is quite apparent from the
record that civil and criminal pro-
about a year and a half before Presi-
dent Roosevelt went out of office.
George w. Perkins took a hand in
k>matters; and that in a remarkably
short time thereafter the whole mat
ter was suppressed. stif1ed. strangled.
or put through some other process
which. by whatever name YOU call 1t.
have no doubt was quite satisfactory
to the harvester trust If ANYBODY
was responsible for it besides Presi-
dent Roosevelt and officials acting un-
der his instructions. 1t does not appea !:
from the record.
Mr.. Townsend began his inquiry
1907. Mr.. Bonaparte transmitted
Townsend's report to United States
District Attorney Sims at Chicago, in
structing him to take up the matter
with q view to the institution of GRIM
ena' prosecution against tho individuals
and corporations implicated, Mr..
Townsend having recommended prose-
cution.
'prov-s to be correct it is my judg-
ment that civil proceedings
can he successfully maintained against
the harvester trust and that proba bly,
evidence could be secured to convict
Der of the individuals concerned.
There was delay. of which Senator
Hansbrough complained to President
Roosevelt and Mr.. Bonaparte wrote
to the senator that the case would
receiv immediate attention. An eff
fort was made on the one hand to
proceed with the prosecution: on the
other hand to secure delay through a
protracted investigation by the bureau
of corporations.
I'm his written statement Townsend
says that in the spring of 1908 he
was abruptly ordered to the Pacific
coast to begin another investigation
and was therefore compelled to drop
the harvester matter. He says:
Attorney General Bonaparte told
me the reason why l had not been
authorized to institute the harvester
trust suits. Shortly after I left WASH
ington. in the spring of 1907, the har.
vester trust people in some way
learned of my report and asked per-
parte to file a written statement bv
way of defense. Mr.. Bonaparte CON
sidered this statement (of the har-
vester trust) not only insufficient by
wa of defense. but as a direct ad
mission of all the essential facts.
showing q violation of the antitrust
law.
Shortly afterward. Mr.. Perkins
Cthe organizer of the harvester trust), /,
called upon Mr.. Bonaparte. in com.
pany with Herbert Knox smith and
think Cyrus H. Mccormick. They re-
auested MIR. Bonaparte to accompany
them on visit to President Roosevelt
for the purpose of persuading the
president to refrain from pl osecuting
the harvester trust. Mr.. BONANZA rte
refused to do so. upon the ground that
the written statement filed by the l1ar-
rester trust wae in effect a confession
OF violation of the Sherman anti
trust law.