Show i T TO O REPORTS ON I I MERGER MATTER Be Made to Shield Roosevelt in the Steel Trust Deal WIRE PULLING IN SENATE CLAIMS OF CLARK AND DilliNGHAM Washington Feb 23 Two report will vIII be b before the senate committee on judiciary on Monday when it meets to vote on the investigation of ot the ab of oC the Tennessee Coal Iron company by the United States Steel corporation the publication of the majority report of ot the subcommittee tee declaring the merger violated the Sherman law and rebuking the president president president dent the minority Clark of ot Wyoming V oming and Dillingham have put their dissent in the form fonn of a report All AH day there was wa much in iii the senate preparatory to the vote The minority contends the senate does not impose upon the lUte committee any duty to investigate or consider whether the absorption was a legal transaction It will be asserted that the direction to the judiciary committee comm is limited to an opinion oPInIon as to the presidents au authority authority authority to permit the absorption as asis asis asIs is shown by his message The minority finds that there were just three relevant and Important things disclosed by the presidents message They art arp that the president 0 told representatives of ot the steel cor COl corporation he could not advise them theta to I take tae the action ae tion proposed that he lie felt it no public duty of ot his to interpose any Rny objection under the HII facts and cir ir I detailed to and that the president assumes all responsibility for his action Tha That the th e president acted under the facts as he lie then understood them is the opinion of ot the minority It Is declared that any other construe construction construction tion of ot this resolution would be tanta tantamount tantamount tantamount mount to asking the committee to judge the tho presidents act not in tilt the light of the circumstances and facts surrounding him at tho time of his action but of those subsequently developed In their opinion this would manifestly be unfair and unjust It Is pointed out that he be notified the attorney general of the conversation he had had with Gary and but before receiving the letter from the president the attorney general advised him that the United States steel corpor corporation corporation had not been under the ban of ot the law and that In his opinion the absorption absorption tion lion of the Tennessee concern would not change the legal situation It is declared that this fact demon demonstrates demonstrates demonstrates strates that the president was acting en cn entirely entirely within the duties of his office |