The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-11-01
STEEL TRUST FIGHT.
TrrANrC STRUGGLE EXPECTED
TO BEGIN IN DECEMBER.
Several Recourscs Which Corpora
tons Attorney May Take to Put
ON Crucial Point I'm Struggle.

Washington. oct 27.--The United
States Steel corporations first step IN
the titanic legal battle with the gov
ernment for its existence will be taxi
en- Monday. December 4.
On that day an array OF counsel
which promises to include some OF
the most brilliant legal minds in
America viii appear before the
United States circuit court at Tren-
ton. ~. j.. In which the governments
dissolution suit has been bro .~ht.
January 2. 1912. the steel corpora
tion Is expected to tile its answer to
fhc governments sensational charges
which have hardly been paralieled in
any antitrust suits.
Several legal manoeuvres of which
the steel corporations lawyers could
avail themselves may postpone the
date OF their answer. for they have
the right To ask the court to give 80
days grace. thus extending their time
60 February 2.
In the meantime they may demur
or fle a bin of exceptions. 1t Is pos
sible. however. for the trial to begin
January Q.
The procedure will be for Judges
Gray. IAnning and Burlington to ap-
point q master to hear testimony. The
master will take evidence In various
parts Of the country. II required a
year and a half to take the testa-
mony In the Standard OIL case. The
government hopes to do as well with
the steel corporation.
With testimony In and both sides
heard tho circuit court will decide
the issue whichever side loses will
appeal and by the operation of the
so-cailed expediting act the case will
jump to the supreme court.
Department OF justice officials do
not believe the outcome OF the steel
case will be Influenced by the oil and
tobacco decision. Attorney General
Wickersham today declared ne is
convinced that more than ever that
each case must be settled upon Its
own merits and that the OIL and to-
taoco cases can not fairly be called
models for solving the trust ques-
ton.
Mr.. Wickersham was asked today
" he hoped 10 see business return 20
condition OF competition.
Il DO not" he replied. 'I can not.
because ] do not think e possible.
We c~o not return to our swaddl,ng
clothes We must readjust ourselves
20 new set Of conditions entirely"
do you think that can be done
within the present laws without fur
ther upsetting business /" ne was
asked.
81 hope So" replied the attorney
general. but do not know"
"rt ought to be made cloar." con-
tinued Mr.. wickersham. "that there is
no conflict In the steel case between
the department OF justice and the
Stanley committee which has been in
vestisstlns the steel corporation. That
committee has been conducting It's In.
vestigations to determine what legis-
iation may be desirable to meet the
economic question raisei by trusts
and combinations: the suit filed by
the department Of Justice vs. a legal
proceeding to compel observance CT
the law
When the attorney general was ask
ed II he hoped the steel corpora
tion would volunteer 20 readjust its
organisation as had been done BY the
International Harvester compa.. the
electric trust. the Southern Grocers
association and some ether combina-
tions he Indicated that ne expected
TO such conciliatory move
Department OF justice officials
think that II will be a fight TO the fin-
ish. Mr.. wickersham declined 10 say
n ne ~ preparing or considering
criminal prosecution.
Some comment was occasloned bc
the fact that the name of Frederick
w. Lehman. solicitor general. does
pot appear on the complaint Rumor
had u that Mr.. Lehman had not been
identified In the governments bill be-
cause he was being considered for the
vacancy In the supreme court made
by the death OF Justice Harlan. and
that as a justice he might be called