The Washington herald., 1907-08-06

Chicago. Aug. 5.-The mysterious secret
conferences and unusual activity on the
part Of attorneys for the Standard OH
Company to-day, when the government
reopened the war against law-breaking
corporations with renewed vigor, indi-
cate a new legal clash between the Fed
eral officials and the oil monopoly.
For the first time the trust officials ap-
peared to fear the trust-smashing efforts
Of the government and TO realize that the
existence Of the big combine is IN peril.
In Chicago the attorneys for the COM
pany conferred in the Office Of Alfred a.
Eddy. general Western counsel, TO plan
the future action.
A surprising lega, coup on the govern
ment is believed Dy officials here to be
contemplated by the oil attorneys to re-
sist the payment Of the 29,2i0,O0O hne i'm
posed by Judge Lands.
Attorneys Hasten Back 10 Chicago.
John S. Miller. special counsel, and Mr..
Eddy VIII hasten home from their Eu-
ropean trip. and Morltz RosenthaI, an
other special counsel. is hurrying back
from Far Rockaway. cutting short his
vacation. TO direct the battle against the
government. They wiz join Robert ".
Stewart, Chauncey Martyr. and Merritt
Starr. the attorneys now in Chicago. to
prepare the next step 10 be taken by the
trust
kilograms and cablegrams were dis
patched by the local oil attorneys and the
greatest secrecy was observed so that
the government would not obtain the
slightest inkling OF the new move.
we do not care TO discuss what action
We VIII take" NIr. Stewart declared 1t
is simply a matter of discretion TO say
nothing at the present time"
While the Standard OIL Official wers
/ preparing TO resist the threatened at
tacks by the government, which prolalses
to be even more sensational and drastic
than in the past. District Attorney Edwin
/ Sims and his assistants We're planning FOR
the new grand jury probe. The venire OF
/ sixty men ordered by Judge Lands Will
be selected tomorrow BY the jury COM
mittee.
ArchboId DenOuRces Smith Report.
/ New York. Aug 5-John D. Archbold.
/ vice president OF the Standard Oil Com
/ pany. issued the following signed state
ment this afternoon, relative TO Corpora
/ ton Commissioner Smiths report scoring
the Standard Oil Company:
"On Saturday. August 3, Judge Lands
| announced his decision. On Monday Aug
ust s. Commissioner Smiths report is
given to the public. This remarkable re-
port Of Mr. Smiths marks another coinci-
| dence in the utterances Of the different
| departments of the government in their
attacks upon US that have occurred so
/ frequently as TO rob them of even the
appearance Of being accidental In con-
nection with its publication, it may not
| be amiss to remind the public that the
! acts creating the Bureau OF Corporations
provide that such reports shall be made
to the President for the purpose of guild
| ing him in forming suggestions as to
/ legislation, and that they may be made
public. in whole or in part. only in the
| discretion OF the President.
1T is sufficient now for US TO say that
in the preparation OF his report Mr.. Smith
did not see fit even 10 confer with US. We
! think the public VIII agree that we were
at least entitled 20 be heard in such
matter. If Mr.. Smith had seen fl to
confer with Us. we would readily have
furnished him the data for a truthful
statement of facts on this question.
JOHN D. ARCHBOLD.
Vice President Standard oil Company"
No Advance In OIL to Pay Fine.
Supplementing Vice President Arch
bolds statement. comes the following
statement from Secretary Charles W.
Pratt that there will be no advance in
prices as the result Of Judge Landis' fine
against the Standard:
Mr.. Charles N. Pratt. secretary Of the
Standard OF Company. makes authorita-
tive denial OF the report that the COM
pany is about 10 advance the price of oil.
The reported statement Of Mr.. Cham
berlain. of the National Petroleum Asso-
citation of Cleveland. that such an ad-
vance was 10 Se made, Is entirely unwar-
ranted and absolutely unfounded
Mr.. Chamberlain, who represents a
competitor Of this company, is. challenged
to reveal the sources Of his misinforma-