Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1913-11-21
PRESIDENT WILL ATTEMPT TO
RESTORE COMPETITION IN
BUSINESS.
TASK ADMITTEDLY DIFFICULT
Wilson Soon to Tell Congress His
Plans for Breaking Up the Great
Corporations Without Harmino the
country's Prosperity.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.


currency is out of the way. he will
recommend that The old time condi-
lions of business competition be re-
stored in this country Attorney Gen.
eral McReynolds is at work on anti
trust law suggestions. Other mem
bers of the cabinet will have ready
thoughts of their own on the sub
ject when the time. already nearly
at hand, shall come when Mr. Wilson
must formulate his recommendation
on matter which Democrats say will
test the law making abilities of his
administration as neither the tariff
nor the currency can.
The presidents task is In sense
the remaking of a nation OF shop
keepers and small manufacturers. He
has said publicly that competitive con-
ditions of the old kind can be restored
and that 1t falls to the lot of the Dem
ocrats to do the restoring. The dyna-
mite of new law is to be placed at
the foundation Of some big concerns
and they are to be broken into inte-
grail parts, all of them small, without
injuring the industries which they
have housed and promoted. and with
out harming the prosperity of the
American people"
There are Democrats. Progressives
and Republicans ready enough to ad-
NIT that the old competitive condi-
lions was an ideal one to foster indie
pendence in business, and to promote
that interest in affairs which the small
business man or manufacturer with
his work at stake always must feel
There are Democrats, Progressives
and Republicans, however, in congress
who seem to think that the admins
tration will have hard work to bring
back by the mandate Of law the condi-
tons of the days that are gone.
Leaders Admit It Is Big Task.
The Democratic leaders naturally
fear that if they fail in antitrust legis-
iation the good which they say Will
come from their tariff and their cur
rency laws, may possibly avail them
nothing at the ne-t election. They
look at same of the great corporations
rs they exist today aid feel publicly
and say privately that to break them
into small parts and to set each partic-
ular part against the other with pros
perity for all Is a task big enough to
test the ability of any man and any
party
Shortly the presidents recommends
tons for antitrust legislation will be
given to the public. There are more
than rumors in Washington that in
the attorney generals Office, although
perhaps not shared by the attorney
general himself, there Is a feeling that
the administration would do much bet
ter If it would attempt a regulating
rather than a disintegrating policy.
Regulation is the proposal of one Of
the opposition parties. A resolving
into competitive parts is the policy of
the administration, and probably will
be the announced policy of the con-
gressional majority which is now in
power. Compromise will mean Civ
ing way to the proposals of the enemy.
Separation into parts, some of the
Democratic leaders seem to feel. may
mean business disaster Mr.. Wilson
is said to have no such fear.
Millions for Defense.
Great Britain, through Winston
Churchill. has been sounding the
great nations of the world with a
view to determining their attitude to-
ward naval holiday" It may be
as result of the sounding the great
er governments will forego the work
of building battleships for one year.
This is only possible. however, and so
it may be said still that while all the
words are for peace, all the works
seem to be for war.
This latter expression of seeming
conditions epitomizes the state Of
things In Washington today, and prob
ably in most places in the civilized
world. The military authorities under
the direction of congress are "fortify-
ing against the future in proper de-
fensiye places outlying everything
American which would make a shining
mark for an enemys attack The
peace propaganda may be making
Roadway, but disarmament is not
fact Of the day.
Within comparatively short time
congress has authorized the expendi-
ture of millions to fortify the APP
proaches to the Panama canal Other
millions have been spent to make Cor
Tegidor the Gibraltar of the Philip
pine islands. Another huge sum has
been authorized to make Hawaii safe
against attack from an enemy at sea-
New York. Boston, Baltimore, Wash
ington, Richmond, New Orleans. Los
Angeles and San Francisco and all
the other big places on the coasts have
been or are to be sefeguarded with de-
lenses costing millions. The end Is
not In sight.
The willingness of the present adj
ministration to urge an appropriation
Tor three dreadnoughts is known. The
administration, and with 1t congress, !
also have shown a willingness to pro-
vide big guns and modern forts to de-
lend the cities OF the coast It seems /
10 be q nilitantly inclined aaniDfsfra-