The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-07-03
JOHN D. WANTED
At ST. LOUIS,
AFTER CHICAGO
Troubles of Oil King
With Subpoena-ServerS
Just Beginning.
Great Government Case
in Missouri His Next
Stumbling Block.

The troubles Of John d. Rockefeller
in his desire 10 be preserved from the
/ painful necessity of appearing publicly
| to testify in court are only beginning
! Report is that after Judge Lands gets
| done with the oil king in Chicago, Mr
/ Rockefeller will be served with sum-
mons TO appear and testify in the great
/ case at St. Louis. OF the Government
/ against the Standard Oil Company OF
/ New Jersey. IN which the Government
| seeks dissolution OF that corporation.
| Developments in Washington in the
last two or three days point TO the con-
/ clusiOn that Judge Lands proceeding
/ In Chicago is Of much larger slgnif-
cance than in its relation to the rebate
! cases that have been tried there. Nom
| inally, Judge Lands wants to know
/ about the resources and intercorporate
/ relations OF the Standard system, in
/ order to judge how large fine should
| be imposed.
But there is reason to believe that
! what he ascertains by quizzing the two
/ Rockefellers. John D. and William, and
! other Standard Oil millionaires. will be
OF great value and significance to the
| special attorneys for the Government
who are now preparing for the taking
! Of evidence at St. Louis in the far
/ greater case for dissolution Of the
trust.
Kellogg's Work Here.
Frank B. Kellogg. Of ST. Paul. who
| busted the Paper trust and who. after
/ conducting the Hartman investigation.
declared it his opinion that the HaTri-
man system was guilty OF violating
the antitrust law in five different
3 a. Of 3~-
ships. is in charge of the St. Louis
case. He has been here this week work
Ing with the officials Of the Bureau Of
Corporations. getting together the evi-
dence and putintg into final shape the
documents which that bureau has col
lected. for use at St Louis. He las
Won great victory by inducing the
circuit court 10 rule that he may 20
into the whole history Of the oil busi-
ness, both before and since the Stand
ard. of New Jersey, took over the sub
sidiary corporations.
Trust Smashing Cause Celebre.
1t develops that Mr.. KeIlogg-s plans
for the ST. Louis case give assurance
that It will be a cause celebre in trust
smashing procedure. It is proposed not
only TO develop an immense volume OF
documentary evidence. covering the his
tory of the Standard Oil corporation.
and Of the Standard Oil Trust which
preceded it, but also to put on the stand
list Of men whose eminence in the
world Of finance has made their names
known everywhere as the STANDARD
Oh grouD. The lawyers and others N
iInnedlate mn charge OF the preparations
whether John ID. and William Rookie
Teller, and Henry II. Rogers will be
summoned; but it is pointed out that
OF the Standard Oil trust which LASTED
from 1885 to 1899. will have to be sum-
moned in order properly to develop the
facts concerning that phase of devel-
opment Of the oil industry
Answer Required July IS.
The Standard OIL Company has been
required by the court 10 file its answer
not later than July Is. at St Louis, TO
the Governments petition. The answer
may be very lengthy. in view Of the re-
quirement that it shall meet all the
issues in the Government petition; or.
on the other hand. the corporation may
attempt to secure delay pending ruling
OF the Supreme Court on the REQUIRE
ment Of the circuit court I'm this regard. |
AS the circuit bench was unanimous in
sustaining the Governments petition.
there is thought to be almost no chance
Of the trust winning at this point.
The taking Of testimony will begin |
Just as soon as possible after the
Standards answer is filed, and Mr.
Kellogg admits that It Is impossible 10
judge how long this proceeding may
require. 1t viii. however. he a long
case, and the present indications are
that 1t will also be highly sensational
one,
Startling Facts Expected.
The Bureau of Corporations is about
to publish another chapter in its serial |
on the oil industry. this one relating TO |
the process and profits of the oil bust |
ness. The facts will be startling. even
TO people who have followed the great
current OF literature on oil in recent
years. The profits are shown to have |
been based largely on the nonoDoly |
conditions which the managers of the
Standard maintained as the very basic |
feature of their policy. No expense and |
no etort was too great to be endured in /
the maintenance Of monopoly However
large or however insignificant any rival |
must be crushed out at the very begin /
ming, and with each victory over COM
petition, It was calculated the dispo- /
sitiOn of others to head rebellion against /
the Standards domination Wouid he |
lessened- And this theory proved abso- /
lutely true.
Oil and Harrimanism.
There is still another aspect of this /
oil case which IS exciting attention. The I
Standard OF group is regarded in Gov
ernment trust-busting quarters as large /
" synonymous with Hartman and Har-
If Harrimanism cannot be /
broken UP by a direct attack on its /
railroad systems and their financial /
a sweeping victory over
the Standard would indirectly. il is
suggested, accomplish much the same I
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