The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1914-09-18
Attorney General Gregory
Has Handled Notable Cases
New Chief Counsel
! Of United States
I Noted Lawyer

| gu Dy ShleI 'Justce white. Later Jas
~. McReynolils, whose place in the ca
binet Mr.. Gregory takes, took the oath
as m associate justice Of the Supreme
Court Of the United states. The new
attorney general is pretty much Of q
stranger outside of the state Of Texas
He has been in and out of the national
capital a good many times during the
last seventeen months, and yet he
would be able TO walk down Pennsyl.
wanna avenue without any considerable
number of persons recognizing him as
the new member Of the cabinet. The
mere fact that he is not generally
known to the people OF the Unite,
states, even by reputation, does moi
prove that he is mot well qualified for
the head of the department of Justice
The bar Of the country does know him
pretty well, and its Judgment appears
TO be that he will measure up to the
requirements Of the Office, an Office that
has been filed in the years that have
gone by many able LAWYERS.
When McReynOlds became attorney
general, on March 4, 1919, the depart
ment of justice was confronted with
many important problems growing out
Of the attempt 10 enforce the Sherman
antitrust law. Mr., McReynolds him
self had been dealing with some Of the
more important problems for several
years, and he needed man who could
take up the work that he was obliged
TO lay down.
A Lawyer At Austin
In looking around for lawyer with
breadth enough to hold the position of
assistant to the attornev general he hit
ON Mr.. Gregory, who at that time was
practising law at Austin. AS a South
erner Mr.. MeReynolds knew very well
Of Mr.. Gregory by reputation, After
careful investigation he made up his
mind that Gregory was the man he
wanted and he offered him the place Of
special attorney in the department Of
justice and Mr., Gregory accepted.
The work Of Mr.! Gregory In the de.
partIhent Of justice during the seven.
teen months he was there as one Of
McReyholds.' assistants, kept him out
Of the national capital most of the time,
so he really came into the capital as q
stranger TO Washington public life.
Gregory's first assignment was TO
handle. the New Haven railroad case.
That case grew TO such proportions and
developed so many ramiflcations, that
it occupied tho time Of the Texas man
almost exclusively for more than four
teen months. 1t was he who conduct
ed the negotiations which finally result.
ed IN an agreement between the Unit
ed States government and the railroad
company, under which the railroad is to
comply with the antitrust law in the
way the government insisted from the
first IL should and IL was he who pre-.
pared the complaint on which the gov.
eminent proposed to take the railroad
company into court unless il agreed to
carry out the wishes of the department
Lawyers who are aoquainted with the
character Of the work Mr. Gregory did
In the New Haven case say that he
amply demonstrated in that case his
ability to Ill the Office of attorney gen.
eral. 81.
Handled Notable Cases
As a Texas lawyer Mr.. Gregory con
Quoted some notable cases on behalf OF
the state. The most conspicuous OF
these are the prosecution by the state
o0AHp JNhio dkO VI WIG HN1NuuuHIu- Val
Company and the Waters Pierce Oil
Company. II was he who, as the spe
cial counsel for the state, prosecuted
those eases through the county court
the state supreme court and the supreme
court Of the United States. The state
won all along the line. The Waters
Pierce Oil Company was ousted from
the state and compelled 90 pay a heavy
fine. II is recalled by Texas people
here that when the Waters-Pieree com.
pany paid its fine the money was par
AIDED through the streets of Austin in
delivery wagon and the whole town
turned out to assist in celebrating the
victory the state had won under the di
reetioh Of Gregory. Z.
Until he took employment with the
department Of justice the only public
service Mr. Gregory had ever performed
was in connection with the prosecution
of the Standard Oil Company and the
Waters Pierce Company BY his native
State. 1t is related that he could have
had a place on the supreme bench OF
the State, could have been the State i
attorney general. could have come to
the congress, might have been Govern
or, but that he always preferred to
stick to his law practise.
ofices In Two Cities
When he took employment with the
department Of justice in April, 1913
he was member of the law firm OF
Gregory < Bats of Austin. The frn
maintained Offices In both Austin and
Dallas, and engaged in Statewide
practise. The impression seems to have
gone out that Mr.. Gregory was law
partner of Col. L, M. House of Austin
a. personal friend of President Wilson
but the two never did maintain part
nership. Mr.. Gregory, however, fol-
many years was counsel for Mr.. House
and the two have been close persona
friends for a quarter of century, I'm
doubtedly Colonel House had something
to do with the appointment of hi,
friend as attorney general, #
Lawyers who have been associate
with Mr.. Gregory in the work of thu
| department of justice say he Is particu
larly well equipped to handle the yari
Gus cases the government has brOugh
against concerns for alleged violation
Of the antitrust law. M. ..n.
| Resembles Champ Clark