The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-24
TRUST PREP AIRED
TO MEET ATTACK
Steel orporation c. nf-
cent Of Victory in
Courts.
PUBLIC CPlNIOl<
ORClNG PROB
On Eve of Presidential Cam
paign, Leaders of Both Parties
Will Clamor for Speedy Gov
eminent Action-Assault
Will Be Welcomed,
Not Resisted.
[ Special to The rimeg-Dispatch.l


New York. September 23.-The
United States Steel Corporation ex-
poets to be attacked by the govern
ment 1t Is prepared to meet the at
tack. No apprehension is felt BY the
men who organized it or by the men
; VINO are managing 1t that the corpo-
ration viii not measure up to every
present requirement of the Sherman
antitrust law, even a. interpreted By
the Supreme Court in the Standard
OH and tobacco cases.
These statements are authoritative
They arc based upon assertions made
to the The Times-Dispatch repre-
sentative by men in position TO
know thoroughly the character. the
purpose and the operations of the cor
porations
Every Word Analysed.
Before the great corporation was
launched the abiest lawyers in the
United States We're employed by its
founders TO study carefully. analyze
critically and measure with precision
every word. every phrase. every SEN
tence and every paragraph In the ar
ticles of Incorporation with the view
of determining beforehand the cardi-
nul question as to whether the or
ganization was in thorough and exact
accord with tho letter as we'll as the
spirit oil the sherman law.
When st was currently reported and
believed that the government was pre-
pairing to attack the company in 1907
George w. Perkins then chairman
of its finance committee. went to
Washington. carrying with him the
original charter, the books of &C
counts, all the minutes of the meet
ings OF Its boards, etc, and offered
to turn them over to Attorney General
Bonaparts.
IT hear you are going to attack us.
have brought trunk -ull of ma
terlal. everything in our possession
| bearing upon the character history
and operations OF the corporation. We
want to help you. II we are wrong
we want to know II right now"
Take IT away" responded the At
torney- General II don't want to look
at IT. We don't need 1t We are not
| going to attack YOU"
a leading member of nearly every
bar association in the country was put
| on this work. one after another The
result of their Joint and separate
| labor was the completed draft of the
charter as it now exists.
But the work of preparation did not
end there Even the bylaws under
which the company operates and
| which govern the acts OF it's officers
| same acid test These articles also
We're finally accepted and assembled
only after they had received the ap-
prevail of every legal mind that was
employed TO study and correct them.
Now Expects Attack.
In spite of this feeling of absolute
confidence in its soundness in the
light of reason" decisions OF the su-
preme Court, and even before those
decisions
Trust Is apprehending an attack un-
der the Sherman law. Its controlling
minds realize acutely the tremendous
pressure of public opinion that is be-
Ing brought to bear upon the govern
ment at Washington to hale the cor
poration to court and make 1t show
clan hands or dissolve
They were puzzled for a few hours
to-day by reading q false statement
| attributed to Attorney General Wick
ersham that the Steel Trust was In
criminal violation of the law. When
the Attorney General denied the utter
ance the Steel Trust magnates and
! their counsel declared that this was
no more than they expected of him.
They feel that the report OF the
Stanley committee will be harsh and
| largely declamatory, but that 1t Will
SO lash the public mind into fury that
on the eve OF presidentiai campaign
the leaders of both great parties will
clamor for speedy government action
against the Steel Trust. Instead of
running away from an assault under
such circumstances they say they will
welcome 1t.
They declare they have never con-
templated asking the aid of the De-
partment OF Justice to dissolve the
company without suit and assist In
| Its reorganization to accord with
what the Department of Justice might
| consider exact compliance with the
| Sherman law. That course, they say
would only imperil the company,s
| future. because until its character has
been judicially approved by the trib-
unal of last resort 1t could not feel
| wholly safe from attack with a change
of administration at Washington.