The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-10
DRASTIC ANTITRUST REMEDY IS FOUND
 IN GERMAN EMPIRE
Can Send Corporation Heads to Prison If the Crown Does Not
 Favor Them

Berlin. March e.-A drastic and unsuspected antitrust remedy by which promoters and members of trusts and syndicates unfavored by the govern ment may be sent 10 prison for two
 years without the option of fine has 3een revealed in the course of the cam
 paign against the Anglo American to- hacco interests in Germany. The for- eign company which. sometime ago in
 Vaded the German cigarette industry
 has gained control of a large number
 of leading factories and established such a chain of retail stores that in- dependent manufacturers and dealers
 in Germany united in 8 general pro tective league and appealed to the gov ernment for assistance. Simultaneous
 searches were instituted in the prern- ises of more than 30 firms in Saxouy and Bavaria known or suspected to
 Do connected with the Anglo-American
 rust and all suspicious corresponds Fence. agreements and contracts were seized Proceedings were taken II was learned. upon complaint of secret as- sociatlon' lodged under sections of the general penal code dealing with po- litical societies and never before con. ceivcd as applicable to business af. l fairs, The sections in question read us follows
 Participation in an association. tho existence, aims or constitution of l which is to be kept secret from the government or in which obedience to unknown superiors or unconditional | obedience to known superiors Is prom
 ised, is punishable with Imprisonment ! up to six months for members and l from one month to one year for or- l ganizers and officials. Participation m an association which aims or att
 tempts 10 interfere with impair by l legal means the administration or ex-
 ecution of the laws is punishable with
 Imprisonment for members up to one
 year and for organizers and officials
 of from three mouths to two years Independent Concerns Enrolled ] IL is reported that the searches have disclosed the fact that numerous sup posedly independent concerns unsus- l pected Of any connection with the to-
 bacco trust are secretly enrolled in | the ranks of the organization. Great
 curiosity is felt as to the next move | by the authorities. It may take the | Form of criminal prosecution under this
 statute against the persons interested 1 in the trust or the information gath cred may simply be used in the gov ernment inquiry promised sometime ago Oy Chancellor von Bethmann- Holl- veg. Predictions are made that the
 result of this inquiry may be bill | to establish a government cigarette
 monopoly along the lines of that pro-
 posed for the petroleum industry. and 1 for the same purpose. to drive out l foreign invaders who threaten to es-
 tablish a private monopoly.
 1 The German tobacco industry is. even l without the invasion of the American i interests, in serious condition accord- ing to complaints of recent conven- ton of tobacco men. It was reported that the consumption of cheep cigars
 made from German tobacco and retailing at from l to cents. is steadily de-
 ereasing, smokers turning more and
 more to cigarettes which cannot be made from German tobacco. Chain smokers" those cigar fiends are called who smoke the day through Lighting each successive cigar from the stub of it's predecessor. are demanding on their cigars imported wrappers, the
 price of which is prohibitive.
 l German business Is arming itself l against another threatend American in- vasion. The new attack Is eentered upon the stores which establish and l i0 cents their maximum selling price lof any article. Upon the report that
 an American is about to establish u i chain of such stores in Germany busi- ness men in Leispic have held meet
 Ing of protest. have called upon Cham bers of Commerce throughout Germany | to take defensive measures, and have.
 as usual, appealed to the government 1 for assistance.