Evening journal., 1914-06-15
PRESIDENT SEES
PLOT OF BUSINESS
Says Combination Works to
Halt Trust Legislation by
Present Congress
CORRESPONDENCE
is MADE PUBLIC
BY The United Press.

- AAS OultGQ 1AtnHs
WASHINGTON, June 15.--A sensa-
ton. nvalling President Wilson's S
charges of a lobby to defeat the tariff
bill, was launched by the President
himself today. He bluntly charged
that a combination of business inter-
ests is behind the agitation to compel
Congress to adjourn without enacting
trust legislation. He made public
correspondence, which he said,
speaks for itself" and proves his
contention that the so-called c0un-
try-wide business depression is pure
ly psychological"
The correspondence includes a let
ter sent out by w p. Ahnelt, presi-
dent Of the Pictorial Review Company
OF New York, asking its representa-
tives and correspondents to send form
letters to the President and leading
Legislators demanding that II pro-
posed trust legislation be abandoned
for the present.
This correspondence speaks for itself" !"
was the only comment on the subject
the President would make at this time.
He insisted emphatieally, however that
this was only single instance Oh che
ests have attempted to create opposition
to his trust program and declared that
the entire plot will fail The President
told newspaper callers very plainly Just
before he made the correspondence
public that he was prepared to stay here
all summer II necessary to get his trust
program completed.
The Pictorial Reviews letter under
-l.t4 ..f l.. a.
prosperity has been lost somewhere in
this country, owing to the mischieyous
activities OF the politicians
Enclosed was a circular letter and a
night lettergraIn, which the recipients
were asked to send to President Wilson,
Vice President Marshall Attorney Gen
eral McReynolds, Speaker Clark, theis
senators and congressman, and members
Of the Interstate Commerce Commission.
The letter for these officials said: I'VE
respectfully appeal to your sense Of
justice and ask in the name Of the suf-
fering American people, in the name
OF common sense why wantonly hsrass
business at this juncture when it is
struggling for its very existence"
"Why throw more thousands OF men
idle when so many families are already
starving.
why subject business to any ex-
perimental legislation now, when it is
not prosperous! Postpone it. Drastic
action on your part is a peril at this
time What we do need is little
building up-no more tearing down. We
have had a sutiieiency Of experimental
legislation for the present. The grant
ing Of the petition OF the eastern rail-
roads for a five per cent. freight in
creHse will do more for the prosperity
and development of the country than
all legislation against unlawful re-
straint and monopolies. Sneh a deter
mination by the interstate commerce
commission viii emphasize the fact that
Washington hostility is baking pros
perity. The merchants of this ccun-
try are vtally interested.
Business must not be retarded,
otherwise commercial failure will in
crease. The continual. senseless at
tacks by governmental bodies upon
merchants, by impending assaults
upon railroad, industrial and mercan-
tile corporations, revision Of the tariff
and currency reform have resulted in
sinking business to such an extent
that it has thrown hundreds Of thou
sands out of employment, reduced
wages and decreased values in rail-
road industries and mercantile cor
porations to the extent of at least 49,
000.0000O0.
"'rhe most serious situation that
confronts the country today is the fact