The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-09-26
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, D. c., Sept "a. 1907.

hi vacation, which he spent in Connec-
ticut, and is prepared to begin his win
ter campaign against Illegal trusts and
IN the interests of legitimate corpora
tons. we intend to take up eight
branches of investigation, said Mr..
Smith 10 your correspondent. These
will be steel, lumber, waterways, coast
wise and the canal and inland water
ways, tobacco, cotton exchanges. farm
implements, that is the International
Harvester Company, and patents on
agricultural implements. " The inves-
legations which have been conducted by
the Bureau of Corporations have result
ed in the prosecution OF the Beef Trust,
which, through legal technicality, fell
short of conviction, but which, it is
hoped, has proved a warning to the
packers; and the conviction of the
Standard Oh Company and its sentence
to pay fine Of 500, 900, 900 or Just a
little less than three-fCurths of its
profits for last year The Bureau of
Corporations does not conduct prosecu-
tons, as that branch Of the work be-
longs to the Department Of Justice, but
il makes very thorough Investigations
and when it discovers violations Of the
law it reports them to the Department
OF Justice which is Uncle Sans firm of
lawyers, so to speak.
There is no division Of the Govern
ment more cordially hated than the Blu
reau Of Corporations. 1t is hated by
the Standard people by the Beef Trust,
and The Lumber Trust. by the Interna-
tional Harvesy Company, and all other
institutions and corporations which OBJ
ject to being prosecuted when they
violate the antitrust and the anti-rebate
laws. 1t is so cordially hated that j.
P. Morgan's daily paper devotes at
least one editorial a week to making
fun Of the Bureau and the Commits
sioner and to condemning its work and
methods. There are other people in
the United States, the great army Of
consumers, for instance, who love the
Bureau for the enemies it has made and
they are not likely to take much stock
in the editorials and CARRIED news stories
attacking its work James K. Garfield
was the first Commissioner of Corpora
tons, and then Mr. Smith was his as
sistant When MIR. Garfield became
Secretary Of the Interior, after having
demonstrated his great ability to the
President and all unprecedented observers
in the former position, the President
promoted Mr.. Smith to the head Of the
Bureau because he regarded its work
too important to be entrusted to a tyro,
and MI Smith has shown marked
ability under Mr. Garfield. And Her
bert Knox Smith has made good, to use
the Presidents own words.
A similar instance Of nisrepresenta-
ton attends the disposal Of the New
Foundland fisheries question. Practi-
cally all Of the London papers are Civ
ing the full credit to Sir Robert Bond,
the New Foundland premier for the
decision to send the controversy to the
Hague Tor adjudication The fact is
that the Hon. Whitelaw Reid, the
American Ambassador at London, first
suggested the idea of arbitration to
Secretary Root when Mr.. Reid was in
Washington last winter Secretary
Root thought well Of the idea and upon
its receiving the hearty approval Of the
President, Mr.. Reid returned to London
to endeavor, by every proper diplomatic
method, to bring it about Diplomacy
in London is somewhat peculiar affair
and Mr.. Reid employed all the methods
known to the most skilled His enter
tainments were the most lavish, his
wines Of the finest. He entertained the
nobility and even royalty. and finally he
established his position as such a good
fellow that it was practically impossi-
bic Tor "the powers that be- to refuse
his request. Now Sir Robert Bond,
who well knows that there is little
equity in the contentious of New Found
land, sought by every possible means to
prevent the case being tried at the
Hague, and Mr. Reds skillful diplo-
macy defeated him Now that Sir
Robert has been signaiy defeated, he
is going around saying that he was re-
sponsible for the whole thing in a man
ner which reminds one Of a certain once
popular picture of Thomas cat, who,
having been almost annihilated in
fight with rival, remarks, did you
see me get the best Of him."
When it had been finally agreed to
send the controversy to the Hague, it
became necessary to complete modus
vivendi to control the taking Of fish un-
til the Hague Tribunal shall have rem
dered its decision, that is an agreement
on the points in dispute TO cover only
the intervening period. Sir Robert in
sisted that the Americans should not
use purse seines, that they should not
take fish on Sunday. and that they