The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1911-06-07
NOW READY FOR
STEEL TRUST SUIT
Government Expected to Bring
Action Soon.
SOLICITOR LEHMAN At WORK
Decision Of Department of Justice on
Evidence Is Awaited-Commissioner
Knox to Hand Report to President

Washington. June Tt is reporteu
hera that the department of justice
~ soon to enter suit against the JIM
ed States Steel corporation, put ho
confirmation of this can be secureo
from the department. =,
The investigation of the steel trust
is being conducted by Solicitor zen
eral Lehman. 1t was one OF the nrst
duties assigned to him when ne as
sumed office last winter. The admins
tration had sought an investigator
some time prior to that, but Attorney
General Wickersham was himself at
one time an attorney for the sleei
trust and did not care to undertake II,
and for some reason William S. Ken
Won. at that time the trust buster
for the department of justice, did not
care to shoulder the Investigation. IL
was therefore given to Lehman as MS
most important duty in the office Oh
solicitor general.
Mr.. Lehman has been working at II
persistently ever since and ne mas
been aided by attorneys for the depart
ment investigating the affairs OF the
concern in New York and elsewhere.
However, it is not possible to learn
how far along the investigation mas
got. The length of time required
would depend upon the attitude OF the
trust, the ramifcations of the organl-
cation and the nature of the prosecu-
ton to be brought. The investigation
1f hn Standard Oil
suit in its INST stages required year
and a half. For the tobacco trust
nearly three years were taken.
Also beyond the question OF time
required for the government to perfect
its suit enters the probability OF de-
cision by the department OF justice
that the evidence obtained does not
warrant a suit. AS the solicitor gen.
eral is working alone and entirely IN
dependently on this case it is difficult
to learn what progress has been made.
1t is said that the commissioner OF
corporations, Herbert Knox Smith, has
about completed his investigation OF
the affairs of the steel trust and that
= he will submit this to the president IN
q short time for use in conjunction
with the prosecution. This would pre-
clude a criminal investigation, as in
formation given to the commissioner
insures immunity from criminal pros
ecution. This information, however,
could be employed in suit in equity
for the dissolution of the trust under
the Sherman antitrust law.
Mr. Smiths report is founded upon
investigations ordered by President
Roosevelt, which have been continued
by direction of President Taft. While
government action might be Influenced
by thu report, it would not be based
rne report OF COIlnIISoIonOI "a
corporations is the document which
the special committee of the house
probing the "steel trust" tried to get
from the department of commerce and
labor. It was refused to the probers
by direction of President Taft. This
fact led to bitter criticism of the pres
ident in the report of the wool tariff
to the house.
The probers expressed great desire
to have the data collected by Mr..
Smith and went to the extent of ques-
tionfng Judge E. II. Gary as to wheth-
er he knew anything about the report
being made to the president.