The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1922-06-29

numerous quarters. Apparently the
captains Of industry feel that they are
free to proceed with plans for many
consultations Within the last month
two steel combinations have been an
nounced, one coal merger Of impor-
lance has taken place in the Pitts
burgh district, one tobacco comblna-
ton has been forced, and other COM
binations of capital are projected.
The government has been in close
touch with all that has been going
on along this line and as far as OBJ
servers here are able TO detect is not
greatly concerned. 1t is true that the
Department of Justice is making in
quirles for the purpose of satisfying
itself that the antitrust law is not
being ilagrantly violated, and that the
federal trade commission Is keeping a
watchful eye on the proceedings so
as to be sure that fair competition is
not stiAed. The congress Is passing
the usual number of resolutions Of
inquiry but not much attention Is
being paid to its activity in connec-
tion with the consolidation. What
the country would like TO know and
what It probably will learn in due
time Is whether the Harding admin
istration S disposed to hold Il liberal
view in regard to the organization Of
trusts, so called.
Especially Wants Business Progress.
The administration has made no
secret of the fact that above all else
it desires to see business 20 ahead
in the United States and also through
out the world. If the ruling minds In
the administration can be convinced
that prosperity will be advanced
through the consolidation Of activi-
ties, it is reasonable to assume that
the government will not put any serI-
Gus obstacles in the way of the dnan-
ciers who are interested in the vari-
Gus combinations that are taking
place. II is reasonable to assume also
that the administration has already
given the men who are behind the
combinations some intlmatiOn as to
how It feels on the subject.
Some well-informed men here be-
lleye public sentiment has undergone
n radical change in its attitude toward
great combinations of capital. The
World war, 1t is asserted, is respon-
sible for this changed view.
After the War Profiteers.
Attorney General Daugherty now
has special fund Of 100000 at
his command which he is priv
LEGGED TO use as he sees fit in the
prosecution Of alleged war prohteers;
he has a special grand jury in the Dis
trict of Columbia to serve him, and
he has an array of twelve or fifteen
special prosecutors some Of them dis
tnguiShcd while others are not very
well known. Certainly if there are
men who deserve to 20 to prison be-
cause Of frauds committed during the
war or during the tendency Of the
nrnisticc agreement, the government
ought to he able. with the machinery
1t has set up, to put them where they
belong.
The public, it is reasonable to as
sumo looks with favor on the turn
/ things have taken here in regard tC
alleged frauds committed during the
war. II should be determined once
and for all whether crooks in high
places or in low places robbed the
government during the war. The tall
to the effect that there was muci
lootng has gone on spasmodically
since April, 1917. The strange thinG
is that the whole truth was not
brought out long ago.
What Congressional Probers Found.
The house of representatives of the
congress which preceded the present
one that is TO say the SiXty-siXth con-
gress, through n special committee of
fifteen, ten Republicans and five Dem
ocrats, under the direction Of Repre-
! sentative William j. Graham Of ILL
! nois spent more than year investl-
| eating the conduct of the war with
| the view to asCertaining whether
there were frauds which would war
rant prosecutions by the government
! This select committee spent total of
| SHIFTS in making Inquiries both In
| this country and in France. While II
was at work, the senate conducted
eight war investigations I'm all. and
spent total of S75. 49T. Thus the
SiXty-siXth congress invested total
Of S222775 in investigations Of the
conduct Of the war.
The select committee Of the house
which came to be known as the Gru
ham committee, submitted majority
and minority reports. The Republican
members Of the committee alleged
gross cXtrayaganccs in the conduct OF
the war; and at least lntimated that
there was graft though they never
specifically pointed out the alleged
profteers The Democratic member,
took the position that under all the
circumstances the government was
warranted in spending money with q
| lavish hand i'm order to bring the wal
to n speedy end
The findings of the Graham com
mittee were submitted to the depart
ment Of Justice in June two years
ago. A few prosecutions were started
by the department as a result Of the
report, but the report as n whole was
not made the basis for government
action. The congress, both Repub
leans and Democrat did not seem
inclined 20 protest because the De
partmant Of Justice did not begin the
| ,r,opputi,u ,r nIIppn1 r,rnN toapg a., ,