The Washington times., 1913-12-26
ANTITRUST ACTION
LIKELY TO Be MILD
President Expected to Advocate
Measures Which Will Not
Disturb Business.

Nothing radical need be expected ir
the way of trust legislation. This is
the word that went out today from ar
Administration source so high that
there can be no question that it repre-
sents in general way the trend OF
the Presidents ideas. 1t is stated al
the White House that the special mes
sage on the trust question will be sent
to Congress soon after January L
Vice President MarshalIs recent IN
terview at Indianapolis is attracting
much notice. He spoke in favor of al
lowing the tariff and currency laws to
have time 70 show their effects and
going slowly with respect to the trusts.
Some have criticised the interview of
the Vice President as a blunder and
at variance with the views Of the Ad-
ministration.
Mr.. Marshall thought there should be
no legislation at all this session on
antitrust matters. The Administration
viii ask some legislation. But In the
broad sense that the Administration
has made up its mind to take no rad
ical action and not to call for sweep
ing program that would alright big
business Vice President Marshall seems
to have known what he was talking
about.
Recalls Speech.
A high Administration official, In
talking of the trust legislation program,
today, picked up copy Of the Jackson
Day speech of Mr.. Wilson. 1t was de-
livered in Washington when he was a
candidate for President In that speech
Mr.. WilAon said that while eggs could
not be unscrambled, 1t was possible
to see they were not all placed in the
same basket, and that all the baskets
were not entrusted to the same person.
He dwelt on the Importance of dis
eEtang9ing this colossal community Of
interests" without unnecessary harm to
the units making up the system.
He pointed out that while the sur
geon had to know to every fiber the
take radical measures in cutting out
diseased tissues, yet he had also to be
conservative in seeing that he cut no
vital tissue.
An this is interpreted in the highest
Administration circles as meaning that
mends on the trust question will be IN
tended rather to clarity and make spe-
cific the Sherman lew rather than to
make 1t more drastic. Interlocking d.
hibited. The Democratic leaders have
specifically promised this.
Doubt Drastic Actien.
And there Is good zeal OF talk ABOUT
the notion that guilt Is personal" but
there is doubt whether the President
is going to go so far as to ask that jail
sentences for Sherman law violations
be made mandatory.
AS a matter of fact. under the sher-
man law now, it is possible in theory
to make guilt sufficiently personal
to throw the offender behind the bars.
Attorney General McReynolds is un-
derstood to have told the White House
that he has enough law already. The At
tofr.ey General thinks the Sherman law
sufficiently drastic IL it is enforced
The White House approves this policy,
as exeHpiified in the, case of American
Telephgne and Telegraph. Negotiations
are on now with other combinations
notably with the United Shoe Machin-
cry Company. Indications are that con-
cern will agree to make concessions to
the independents. especially with refer
ence to the Tying clauses in its con-
tracts.
1t 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.