The Washington times., 1908-08-14
CAPITAL IS CENTER
OF THEATER FIGHT
Attorney Generals Office Or
derS Inquiry Into Meth
DDS of Combine.

With Washington as the storm center.
a war involving the leading theatrical
interests of the country. with both the
so-callec theatrical trust and its COM
petitOrs Included. is imminent The Of
fee of the Attorney General of the
United States already has entered the
area Of hOstilities by inaugurating an
inquiry into the methods and objects
Of the combine.
The cause Of the disturbance was
the recent announcement that the inter
ests represented by KIaw & Erlanger,
Charles Frohman. and others. OF New
York; by B. F. Keith and f. r, Proc
tor, Of the Keith Circuit and by about
a score Of other theatrical managers
with widespread control Of theaters,
have formed a combination, or working
agreement All but few Of the large
interests in the whole country are in
eluded. These few anege that the
stihing OF competition Is the object of
the combination
Roadstrom to Investigate.
The Attorney Generals office has al
ready instructed V NJ Roadstrom. of
the Attorney Generals office. to inves-
tigate the terms and purposes OF the
combination, with a view to ascertainiur
-.Aether il is not intended to be a mo-
nopoly or organization formed in re-
straint OF competition. Mr.. Roadstron,
it Is said at the Attorney Generals
office here. has already begun the in
vestigation.
The local theatrical situation is
threatening TO disturb the calculations
Of the combination. 1t Is likely to be
used as q lever with which the clutch
of the alleged trust may be pried off
the rich theatrical business of the conn
try. A local company is about to build
a new theater here. and the men com
posing IL say that among the plans of
the theatrical combination is one which
forbtds the erection Of new building
here for theatrical purposes.
". r. Thomas. manager OF the Audi
torium Amusement Company formed 10
build large vaudeville theater on III
street between Thirteenth and Four
teeTSh streets northwest. called on Act
ing Attorney General Charles W. Rus
sell today and made the charge that
the new theatrical combine proposed 10
prevent any competition TO il in this
city.
VIII Fight Combine
THE Acting Attorney General told
me-" said Mr. Thomas. that If I would
give him the proper facts to show them
the Klaw & Erlanger combination made
the slightest definite move to prevent
us putting up this new theater in
Washington he would Immediately take
official action. He. explained that, OF
course hls office must wait for legal
evidence
ut locks, therefore. as though this
new building will not be kept away
from Washington without a fight we
are getting ready 70 make the night, and
viii go - the highest courts before we
are through II looks as though the
battle would be waged fercest right
here In Washington"
The local men connected with the
project for a new theafer in Washing
ton are Samuel Ross. president: Ed
ridge =. Jordan, president Of the Mer
chants and Mechanics Savings Bank.
vice president. and Edmund x Fox. OF
the a. r. Fox Company, secretary ana
Roadstrom is a special assistant. here
under Assistant Attorney General
Purdy. and was sent from Washington
to New York for the purpose Indicated.
Tie is at the Imperial Hotel
~. FzIoErar4h Vta--k