Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-08

terested." replied the Attorney Gen
eral Then they put accountants 10
work to see if the Information obtain
ed was correct and then they went to
the offices Of the company and sought
out substs ntially every source of in
formation"
Did they go TO the Federal Trade
Commission; was there any CORE
spondence with the commission"
asked Senator Walsh.
The Attorney General replied that
he had been informed that everything
had been given by the Federal Trade
Commission except such matters 8
had been received in confidence from
the Aluminium Co. He said that his
impression was that he had been told
so by Assistant Attorney General
Donovan and Mr.. Myers.
He said that it was understood that
they had obtained some files from the
commission.
The Attorney General said that they
had treated the aluminium case no diff
ferently, so far as his instructions had
been. from any other case in the de-
partment.
MY instructions are to attend TO
everything vigorously" he said.
The Attorney General told the COM
mittee that his assistants considered
and 10 go to original sources for it
and that he approved such methods
Senator Walsh expressed astonish-
! ment that the department would not
| make as full use as possible of the
data which the Federal Trade Com
mission might have.
Walsh Suggests Course.
The Montana Senator insisted that
when he started out on an inveStiga-
ton he went first to such sources as
had information regarding the matter
under investigation.
You didn't come to see me about
| this matter" retorted the Attorney
General sharply. IT you had 1 would
have told you all about It,"
Senator Walsh tried to make the
Attorney General admit that he had
testified that he thought it would be
useless to go to the Trade Commission,
| to which the Attorney General replied
sharply:
II haven't said that at ALL"
Senator King Of Utah asked series
Of questions regarding some 40 cases
which he said had been transmitted to
the Department Of Justice from the
Federal Trade Commission, and the At
torney General asked that he separate
the questions. Senator King replied
that he would attempt to adjust his
questions TO IT0 mentality Ol the
witness. A little later he withdrew
mentality" and substituted desire"
Borah Enters GriIling.
Senator Borah asked II it was the
custom of the Department of Justice.
when matters are brought to the at
tention Of the department by other
agencies Of the Government In which
infractions Of the laws are charged,
for the department to institute its own
investigations.
II am sure that they will do that IL
they follow my notions" replied the
Attorney General II undertake to
say that 1t is the duty of my depart
ment to make its own Investigations
before bringing suit"
Another clash followed with Senator
Walsh as to whether the Attorney
General believed that the department
should go to the Federal Trade Com
mission for real substantive evidence.
The Attorney General insisted that
he had been misunderstood and that
what he had said was that the de-
partment would conduct investiga-
lions Of its own and that he had made
no statement that the department
| would ignore or fail to cooperate
| with other departments.
What I want to know" continued
Senator. Walsh. was just how active
and determined you were to get
everything from the Federal Trade
Commission.
Personally, I have done nothing"
replied the Attorney General. But
understand the men working on the
case have sought every source of in
formation"
Cites Commission Ruling.
Sano+or Walsh caYIod attention 70
a resolution adopted by the Federal
Trade Commission on February H.
1925, declining to give to the Depart
ment of Justice information relating
to the Aluminium Co. of America and
deciding that it would be kept con-
fidentiaL" Senator Walsh insisted
that this language meant the COM
mission would give no information in
hand regarding the Aluminium Co.
at all. The Attorney General, on
IL eshSr hand. interpreted 1t as mean