John Skelton Williams to Woodrow Wilson

.Confidential.

Since my talk with you on Thursday evening I have had a conference on the subject which I had taken the liberty of bringing before you, with the Attorney General, and I was encouraged to find that he heartily concurred in the views which I had expressed to you and which I had embodied in the memorandum left with you. He realizes fully the seriousness of the situation and the high importance of prompt action. He took steps at once to get in touch with Mr. Anderson, but ascertained that the latter was temporarily out of Washington, and thereupon telegraphed him, urging that he return to the city this morning without fail.

The Attorney General has just called me on the telephone and informs me that Mr. Anderson has returned and that he has had a talk with him.

The Attorney General now tells me that he thinks it important that you should send a message to Mr. Anderson, asking him to call at the White House. He suggests that, if you should feel hesitation about sending for an individual member of the Commission for the discussion of this particular matter, that in view of Mr. Anderson's comprehensive and special knowledge of the whole New England situation you might find it desirable to send for him to ascertain conditions in that particular territory, which are serious from a railroad standpoint (in view of an impending receivership of New England's principal system of railways), and that incidentally the whole situation might be touched upon in your talk to the extent that you may think it desirable.

The Attorney General said he knows Mr. Anderson is anxious to be governed largely by the President's views in this crisis.

I am writing this note in response to the Attorney General's earnest suggestion made to me after his full talk this morning with Mr. Anderson that I do so.

I feel it my duty to leave nothing undone that can be done to help insure the success of the Liberty Loan, and therefore trust that you will pardon me for transmitting to you this suggestion, which does seem important.

I sincerely hope that it may be possible for you to act on this suggestion today; the subject is one, I understand, upon which the Commission is at this moment deliberating, and the Attorney General and I both believe that a word from you, as suggested above, would be most helpful.The President, The White House.P. S. Subscriptions, formal and informal, to the Liberty Loan thus far reported are less than two billion dollars. This is a long way from the five billion so earnestly desired by all, but I believe it is yet possible to reach the goal.