Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-12-30
WILSON ADMINISTRATION DE
clDEs NOT TO USE CLUB ON
BIG BUSINESS.
EFFORTS TO BE DIRECTED
TOWARDS CLARIFYING LAWS
Attorney General Mcf7eynoIds Declares
He Has suffeiont Statutes Behind
Him to Meet Present Conditions
Sherman Laws Not to BE Made More
Stringent.
Especial Correspondence

Washington, Dec. 30.-Noting radical
need be expected in the way of trust
legislation. This is the word that went
out today from an administration
source SO high that there can be no
question 1t represents in general way
the trend of the presidents IDEAS on
the subject.
1t Is stated at the White House that
the special message on the trust ques-
ton Will be sent to congress soon after
the holidays. 1t will call for less dras-
tic legislation than has been antici-
pated in many quarters.
Vice Presidents Marshalrs recent
Interview at Indianapolis is attracting
a lot of notice. He spoke out in favor
OF allowing the tariff and currency
laws to have time to show their eff
fects and going slowly with respect
to the trusts. Some have criticised the
Interview of the president as a
blunder and at variance with the views
Of the administration.
Spoke For Administration,
Mr.. Marshall thought there should be
no legislation at all this session on
antitrust matters. The administration
will ask some legislation. But in the
broad sense that tho administration
has made up it's mind to take no radical
action and not to call for a sweeping
program that would alright big bus
mess. Vice President Marshall seems
to have known what he was talking
about
A high administration official in
talking of the trust legislation pro-
gram today picked up copy Of the
Jackson day speech Of Mr.. Wilson. It
was delivered in Washington when he
was a candidate for president. In that
speech, Mr.. Wilson said that while
eggs could not be unscrambled 1t was
possible to see they were not placed in
the same basket, and that all the bask-
cts were not entrusted to the same per-
son. He dwelt on tho importance Of
"disentangling this colossal community
OF Interests" without unnecessary harm
to the units making up the system. He
pointed out that while tho surgeon had
to know to every fiber Of the anatomy
of the patient and had to take radical
measures in cutting out diseased It's.
sues, yet he had also to be conservative
In seeing that he cut no vital tissue.
lnterloeking Directorates TO Go.
sAn this is interpreted by tho highest
administration circles as meaning that
such legislation as the president re-
commends on the trust question will
be intended to clarity and make speoi-
fic the Sherman law rather than to
make 1t more drastic. Interlocking
directorates. no doubt. are to be pro-
hibited. The democratic leaders have
specifically promised this. And there
is a good deal Of talk about the notion
that guilt IS personal" but there IL
doubt whether the president is going
to go 80 fast as to ask that jail SEN
tences for Sherman law violations be
made mandatory. AS q matter of fact,
under the Sherman law now, It 10 poss1-
bic in theory to make guilt sufficiently
persona" to throw an officer behind
the bars ana keep him there for q good
period
MeReynolds Says Laws Arc Sufficient.
Attorney General McReynolds 1s un-
derstood to have told the White House
that he has enough law already. The
attorney general thinks the Sherman
law sufficiently drastic II It is enforced.
He prefers going ahead with the policy
of trying to adjust things with the
combinations by negotioation. Tho
White House approves this policy, az
exemplined in the case Of American
and Telegraph. Negotiations
are on now with other combinations.
notably with the United Shoe Machin-
cry Company. Indications are that
concern will agree to make conces.
sions to the independents, especially
with reference to tying clauses in it's
contracts and that its difficulties will
be settled out Of court.
It is getting more and more clear
that the policy Of the administration.
for the time at least, is going to be not
to harry big business but to pursue a
plan the purpose Of which Is to pacify
and compose business.