Evening journal., 1914-05-21
MELLEN DRACS IN
ROOSEVELT name
Says Former President Pre-
vented Morse Getting
Shipping Monopoly
WITNESS LAUDS
MORGAN'S MEMORY
ny JOHN EDWIN NEyIN.


WASHINGTON, May 21-The un-
written history of why Charles w.
Morse, then in the heyday Of his pros
perity, failed to get an absolute mo-
nopoly on Atlantic coastwise ship
ping in 1907, was made public to-
day by former President Mellen, of
the New Haven. Only the personal
Intervention of Theodore Roosevelt,
then President, prevented Morse get
ting the steamship lines of the New
Haven system. Morse had offered
S20.O0O,000 for its fleet Mellen wanted
to sell. But he came to Washington
and consulted Roosevelt. The latter
opposed the sale. Mellen told him II
he did not sell then he might have
70 sell later at a lower figure. he
feared the government was about to
prohibit railroads owning competing
steamship lines.
President Roosevelt promised him,
Mellen said, if he turned down the
Morse offer, he would not be inter-
fered with, as long as he, Roosevelt,
was President.
Morse was turned down, and when
a
Sherman law equity suit late in 1907
no mention was made in the papers
of a steamship monopoly
Mellen said he did not know If
the steamship lines were left out OF
these proceedings because of Roose-
velt's promise, but he said:
Il have always preferred to believe
that It was. i respected Theodore
Roosevelt very highly and it was
pleasant to know that he was man
Of his word"
Outside of the Roosevelt topic, th'
chief incident in Mellen's story to thu
interstate commerce commission to
day was his bold declaration that gov
ernment ownership of railroads II
this country is certain to come. II
this connection, Mellen made an i'm
passioned defence of the late ]. 2
Morgan, whose death, in Mellen'
opinion, caused all of the New Hav
ems troubles. Had he lived dividend
would still be paid, Mellen said.
The story of the Roosevelt episod
came as a complete surprise even Il
Counsellor Folk. He was examining
Mellen on interlocking and monopo
listic railway subjects and came upoi
letter written October 8, 1907. b.
Mellen, in which Mellen referred to
trip to Washington to see forme
Commissioner of Corporations Her
bert Knox Smith Folk was about I
pass it over, but decided to ask Mel
len if he could explain it.
Il certainly can," said Mellen. 81
March of that year, Charles w. Mors
offered me S2O,OOO,OOO for the Ne'
England steamship lines owned b
the New Haven. l wanted to get ri
Of these lines. was always afrai
Of terrible disaster on one of thoi
floating tinder-bOxes.
81 thought the Morse figure was
fair one, but / knew if the deal wer
through it would cement Morse's cor
troll of the cOast-wise transportation
and I felt it my duty to 20 to Wash
ington and consult President RooaC
welt, who was my friend.
81 laid the matter before the Pres
dent He was very anxious tha
Morse's scheme should fail. He di
not want Morse to get control Of ou
steamship lines. / told him the pric
was a fair one and I thought "
should sell. / told him further thi
l was convinced that the time wa
near when railroads owning compel
ing steamship lines were booked fC
trouble and that if we held on to tn
lines we might later have to sell {
a loss.
"The president could not see it ths
way. He said: I can only promis
for myself that I will assure you th'