Omaha daily bee., 1914-06-16
Chief Executive Exhibits Communi-
cations to Interstate Com
merce Body.
INSISTS HE WILL NOT YIELD
Declares Campaign Will Have No
Effect Upon Him.
SIMMONS Is PARTY TO SCHEME
Man Selected for state Bank Board
Among Those who sent Circu-
lar in Attempt to Head Off
A-,ti-Trust Program.

WASHINGTON, June 10. - President
Wilson made the direct charge today
that sentiment in favor Of the postpone
ment of the administration trust legis-
lation program was the result of a com
binGtion by certain interests, and init
mated that It was the cause of the ''psy-
Geological business depression" of which
he recently spoke.
In support OF the presidents view cop
les of letters and kilograms circulated
among business men calling for an ad-
journment of congress without compile
ton OF the trust bills, praying for the
freight rate increase being asked by the
railroads of the Interstate Commerce
commission and calling for halt Of the
attacks on business" were made public
at the White House.
President Wilson made 1t clear TO his
callers that the campaign, IL such it may
be called, would have no effect on him.
and that 1t was his plan to push the trust
program through the senate with the aid
of the means at his command. He ex-
pressed the view that business was as
good, II not better, now than a while
ago, and it would be less harmful To
the business of the country to have the
trust legislation program completed than
to be confronted with a period of uncer-
tainty which would accompany delay.
Letter from simmons Company.
One of the circular letters. which came
into possession of the White House. was
circulated by the Simmons Hardware
company Of st. Louis. e c. Simmons,
head of the company, had been selected
for a member of the federal reserve board
and his nomination was to have gone to
the senate today. This morning it was
announced at the White House that Mr..
Simmons had declined the place and that
Charles A. Hamlin of Boston, now an
assistant secretary OF the treasury. would
be nominated in his place. White House
officials emphatioaly denied, however
that the circular letter sent out by the
simmons company had any connection
with the decllnation of Mr.. Simmons.
Another circular letter made public,
purported to have been sent out by the
Pictorial Review company Of New York
and was signed by w. p. Ahnelt. as
president 1t was dated May l and en-
closed a draft OF letter (which en-
braces the views of a majority of the
pSopAe VI Jus SSSNAOu
OF the country. and which should be ad-
dressed to the president of the United
States, the congress and members OF the
Interstate Commerce commission, re-
spectively." The letter concluded:
If you prefer to use copies of the en-
closed letter we will mail you as many
as you can conveniently use. 1t will be
more effective, however, If you write
them on your own letterhesds," The
form letter attached was an appeal fol
postponement of trust legislation and a
per cent freight rate increase for the
railroads.
A copy Of a night telegram containing
the contents of the form letter in con-
densed terms was attached.
Charge Causes Sensation.
Not since President Wilson made his
charge Of IAN insidious lobby" in Wash
ington to influence tariff legislation has
there been sensation of such a sort IN
official circles. News of what the presi
dent had said and Of the giving out oi
the circular letters spread quickly to tn,
capitol, where 1t became the subject o.
animated discussion in both houses o.
congress.
The letter purporting to have been sen
out by the Simmons company was dateC
June 3, which was after Mr.. Simmons
had been offered place on the reserve
board. This letter was not given out fo
publication with the others.