South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-05-28
Big Personality Week in Washington
BY Justin McGrath.

WASHINGTON. Nav 2S.-NNashing-
ton during the past week fairly re-
veled in the enjoyment of viewing
nationally notable persons in dramat-
ic situations.
a problem play in the capital city
would not have stood a chance of
drawing a corporars guard 20 a matt
nee performance as against the at
traction of John -. Rockefeller, jr.,
under the fire of Chairman Walsh of
the industrial relations committee at
the Shoreham hotel. or Samuel I'm
termyer and eX-Sen. Bailey in legal
combat over the issue between the
Riggs National bank and the treas
ury. on trial in the district supreme
court.
The audiences which assembled at
the Shoreham To see and to hear Mr..
Rockefeller were like an audience
which would gather to witness a play
of Ibsen's-all. or nearly all. high
IroWs. The large percentage of wom-
en- in the audiences was notable and
the absorbed attention with which
they followed the testimony of Young
Mr. Rockefeller indicated greatly in
creased feminine interest in things
sociological
The writer attended some OF the
hearings at the Shoreham to get the
atmosphere. Any individual impress
sion could not he of much import
ance. and the impressions here set
forth are given merely because they
possibly may prove interesting TO
those dependent for their impression
upon the reading of the testimony.
Chairman Walsh and young Mr..
Rockefeller are OF antipodal tempera-
ments Ten minutes listening to the
examination and a similar period of
observation of the manner Of the
chairman when young Rockefeller
was in the witness chair would he suf-
ficient to sta mp the conviction on any
unprecedented mind that Mr.. Walsh
believes that he is conducting "A trial
rather than an inquiry, and conduct
ing it. moreover. not as judge. but
as a prosecutor.
When the sternoOn session of the
hearing on Friday was opened Mr..
Rockefeller desired TO correct what
he called q misrepresentation of
facts" caused by Chairman Walsh
asking his opinion upon documents
from which he read extracts that.
taken alone, Mr.. Rockefeller claimed.
gave a false impression Of the real
character or the documents.
The following is from the tran
script.
Mr. Rockefeller-Bu at the close
Of the morning session you had read
passage from certain article.
Labor and Capital" by Prof. John J.
Stevenson, and asked my opinion in
regard TO il.
Chairman Walsh-iave YOU had
an opinion written out since?
The question in itself was. of
COURSE offensive BUT the offapSa II
carried was greatly increased by the
contempt with which Mr.. Walsh fair
~ flung il at the witness.
The. lack O.: frankness of young Mr..
Rockefeller IN his replies TO ques-
on his own responsibility and the
conduct and management OF the
company whose methods have caused
riot and hloOdshed and a debasing OF
public life in Colorado was as mark
ed as the unjudicial manner OF the
chairman. Mr. Rockefeller was al
wavs willing TO say what he would do
if he were personally in danger OF
losing his life or property BY injustice
and threatening conditions. But he
could not be induced TO say directly
what he thought a labOring man
should DO in any concrete case OF in
Justice and oppression which threat
ened the laboring mans life and prop
erty.
When such concrete cases were put
10 him BY the chairman and his
l-opinion was asked as To the right and
extent OF action justifabls in the
stated circumstances. he would either
say he was not prepared 10 answer OF
fail back upon some platitude. Nearly
| always he was on the defsnS>ye. TIC