The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-10-20

The agents OF the government should
be sent out to Investigate and not to
prosecute. They should impartially
collect the facts and transmit them to
the federal trade commission in order
that that body may come to just con-
illusions concerning the questions in.
volved. But in these cases, that course
has not always been pursued"
Senator Hitchcock, asked Watson If
he meant to infer that employees were
advocating socialism as part of their
official duties.
'Only in a private capacity" Wat
son explained Hitchcock then at
tackled the language of Watson's reso-
Tuition declaring Watson appeared to
confuse bolshevism and socialism.
Watson read list of the commits
sion's employees who worked on the
packer investigation.
"All Of these employees are not
socialists nor have they been in
volved in socialistic activities, but
some OF them have been to most
amazing degree" he said.
Watson referred to Stuart Chase,
who had charge Of the Chicago part
of the investigation.
His office at Chicago during the
investigation Of the meat packers was
in the Conway building, and 1t at
once became the center of socialist1c
activities" Watson continued. about
him in the federal trade commission
headquarters were grouped such men
as Victor Berger and Irvine st. John
Tucker, both of them have been IN
dicted and convicted under the espion-
age act and many other extreme
socialists and his office became the
rendezvous of a number Of men de-
voted to the destruction Of property.
the overthrow Of government and the
, cnsummation Of ideals of socialism.
1T can be verified by affidavits
that Chase instructed members of the
federal trade commissions tnvestiga-
tion staff that in the event the figures
obtained from the packers' books were
not the equivalent to those submitted
by the packers In their financial state
ments, they should in all cases take
the lower figures. In number Of in
stances it so happened that the figures
obtained by the federal trade COM
mission used the larger figures which
would be arrived at by putting back
various reserves into profits, thereby
initiating the profits, all OF which was
done upon Chases' positive instruc-
TONS"
Samuel W. Tator, who with Chase
had general charge Of Investigations,
is we'll known in socialist circles. Dur
ing this time he was an avowed ad-
mirer of Lenine and Trotsky and fire.
t.quently expressed his admiration OF
the soviet government Of Russia.
AFTER the armistice was signed he
warned his fellow investigators Of the
federal trade commission that the
washington office had notified the
Chicago office to cease all revolution
airy activities, stating that if they con-
tinued they would get into trouble
with the department of justice.
"If my information be correct the
headquarters of the federal trade
commission in Chicago during the time
they were open, were centers Of sedi-
ton and anarchy from which radiateu
the most baleful influences.
THE place to begin reform is where
the evil does the greatest harm and
works the greatest destruction and
that is In the departments of govern
ment.
~ trust have mentioned enough to
demonstrate that that offlce was DUR
Ing all that period center OF radi-
caiism, a nesting place of socialists;
n spawning ground for sovietism and
while processing to investigate bust
ness with a view to Graduating it's
evil features they constantly plotted
for the destruction Of the business
thew were charged to investigate and
for the confiscation and collective
ownership Of all the means for the
creation and distribution Of wealth.
",f these charges be true and on my
responsibility as senator l charge
they are, these facts should be known
to the public. If they can be sub
stantited, the business world has
right to know the character of the in
yestigation to which they may be
subjected and the people have the
right to be informed as to the mis-
feasance and malfeasance Of their
public servants"