New-York tribune., 1906-03-04
FISH TO GO TO ALBANY.
WOITLD GUST OLD REGIME.
European Policyhoders to Help
Cboate Denies Counsel Report.


ru,. the Mutual Life Insurance Company
Is eventually be investigated from the out
"a. nv an International policyholders' commit
-. ,rb,ch would not allow the trustees TO escape
=. ,ossa certain yesterday when Stuyvesant
Fish who is TO head such a committee. made
-,hI,c g cable message received from Lord
vorthcline on Friday, accepting place on the
committee in behalf OF the British Policyhold-
:, pro.ective Association. Of which he is chair
-,sn This was not the only bad news which
.,e standard OIL combination. which is back Of
PRESIDENT Peabody and the Truesdale-Auchin-
.,oss committee received during the day. A
ssnaI was given out from the office Of Joseph
y Choate that he had accepted the place Of
counsel 10 the Truesdale committee. recently
vacated by the resignation OF James b. Dill.
D. Cady Herrick and Bainbridge Colby. Presi-
dent Peabody IS known TO be greatly disturbed
BY the recent trend Of events. and predictions
were freely made yesterday that his resignation
might be sent in at any time.
The cable message from Lord Northcliffe said
IN substance that he was glad TO accept place
on an investigating committee headed by Mr..
Fish and that he accepted the suggestion which
Mr. Fish made by cable a few days ago. that he
get representatives OF French and German pol
!cyholders. Lord Northcliffe said that suitable
nominations would be made from policyholders
in those countries.
The cable message was received late Friday
night and forwarded at once TO Mr.. Fish, who
Is az his country home al Garrison-on-the-H -Hud-
son. The reason that the exact wording of the
message IS not made public IS that no copy was
taken before II was forwarded. and the wires
10 the Fish country place were down yesterday
owing TO the storm. The summary given In the
foregoing IS furnished The Tribune by counsel
for Mr. Fish. who read the message.
The importance Of this junction Of forces be-
tween the British and American policyholders
may not be generally understood. The Mutual
Life, for a number OF years. has done a tremen-
dous business in Great Britain. Some idea Of
It's extent can be gained from the fact that Rob-
ert H. McCurdy received $4,000 a year 2
per cent commission on the premiums paid by
British pollcyholders. The protective associa-
tion which Lord Northcliffe heads has been par
ticularly successful in obtaining the proxies Of
policyholders. The association controls abso-
lutely the proxies Of the majority of such hold
ers. and they viii be turned over TO Mr.. Fish
without reservation.
Although for several days officials Of the Nut
ual Life have given out statements which
seemed TO imply that Joseph H. Choate had ac-
oepted the Office Of chief counsel TO the Trues-
Gale committee, The Tribune learned yesterday
that he had not Yet even read the letter offering
him this position. He viii consider the MutuaFs
o1er early in the week, and his friends ex-
pressed grave doubts yesterday that he would
accept the place. Joseph L. Choate, jr., said
yesterday that his father had not yet accepted
the proposition, but he would not intimate
whether or not he would do so. 1t is pointed out
hat he has many friends among the British
poAcyholders, owing TO his long service as the
american Ambassador at London. That they
are determined TO have a new investigation OF
tAe company may have some influence on his
decision.
II developed yesterday that OF the first
lAtlmations that Mr.. Fish had that the other
members Of the Truesdale commit'eee were not
working in harmony with him, ana that they
old not intend 10 make thorough investiga-
uon, was when he received from a policyhold
ing friend one Of the blank proxies which the
company sent broadcast These proxies named
1ohn W. Auchiacloss, Elbridge T. Gerry and
george F. Baker proxy holders. and many
Nhoaght from the presence Of Mr.. Auchincloss's
name that the Truesdale committee back
OF the movement. The printed proxy bears the
mark 'Y2 los" which shows that the proxies
We're printed early in January. before there was
any sign OF break The printed proxy reads
as follows.
" LOG.
Know All Men by These Presents: That l. -. OF
-. Dp-tty n - State Of .-. do hereby constl-
le ..le ana appoint George i. Baker Elbrldge T. Ger
= @Le JoAn " Auchiucloss. any TWO Of them or
- survivor o. them, my attorneys ana agents.
M ~, s sd IN my name. place and stead 10 vote as
=. proxies as 4 pOlicyhO!der at any election OF
S-sle5es of the Mutual Life Insurance Company OF
sH-- ofk Nltn fun power Of substitution and rev
- rrS'loH. hereby fatfying and confirming all that
-. 5a.a attorneys and agents, or their substitute
- llNflliy 90 or cause to be done by virtue
neIt0i Unless sooner revoked this proxy shall
SSs-lliue III force for ten years from the Gate
a., ~ Witness whereof. have hereulto set my hand
'1 sea- his -- day or -, IN the year -.
AS an Indication OF the strength Of the Fish
movement, it was stated yesterday that a
result Of the publicity OF the last three days he
Aaa received seventeen hundred proxies abso-
4utely without solicitation. Many Of these were
'he printed forms sent out By the company with
ne Ea1nes OF Messrs. Baker. Gerry and Auchin-
Hoss scratched out and that os Mr.. Fish substi-
tuted II has been decided by the Washington
bo-eyEolders committee and the governors
coinrl;;tee formed by Thomas w. Lawson. TO
Continued second page.