Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-08
ALUMINIUM PROBE
PUSHED BY AIDES,
SARGENT ASSERTS
Tells Senators He Knew
. Nothing of Inquiry Until in
Office for Months.
CONFIDENT DONOVAN
IS DILIGENT IN WORK
Walsh Acts as Inquisitor at First
Hearing Under Senate
Resolution,


Attorney General Sargent told the
Senate judiciary committee today that
had had no personal information
r--arding the Investigation of The
t'umlnum {" of America. ordered by
preaeCeSsor Associate Justice
Stone 81 the Supreme Court. until
five or six or eight months after
he had come int" office March IS last.
He said that The maif"r of The Alu-
roinuu 60 nf America had first been
called 20 his attention by questions of
newspaper man AT one of his press
conferences. The Attorney General
said that a this time he had replied
10 knew there was such a matter
pending bfore the Federal Trade Com
mission. lie added he believed it was
sin pending there.
The Attorney General told the com
rurtee he had early adopted the plan
rt relying upon his subordinates in
harge Of various matters before the
department. and that the matter of
th5 Aluminium Company of America
had been in the hands of Assistant
Attorney General Donovan, in whom
Says Inquiry Is Pushed.
The investigation of the Aluminium
Company of America by the Depart
ment of Justice, the Attorney General
Insisted had been diligently prose
cuted, and il was being so prosecuted
ruv. He told the committee that he
understood the agents of the depart
ment had been at work upon il since
l., ~ Of
former Attorney General Stone to the
Federal Trade Commission announc-
ing that such an investigation would
I've made
The appearance of the Attorney
Seneral today before the judiciary
committee was the occa sion of the
first hearing by the committee under
the Walsh resolution directing the
committee 10 investigate whether
due expedition has been observed by
the Department of Justice in prosecu-
liOn of the inquiry" into the Alumi-
mum Co. of America by former At
tnrney General Stone.
Senator Walsh of Montana author
of the resolution, took up the role of
inquisitor, although questions fire.
quently We're asked by Senator King
Of Utah, Senator Norris of Nebraska
and Senator Borah of Idaho. The At
committee clashed frequently, with the
Attorney General giving as good as
he received. He spoke slowly and de-
liberately. declining to be hurried and
frequently declining to agree to inter
pretations of his answers made by
Senator Walsh and Senator King.
Stones Letter Read.
At the outset of the hearing Sena-
4. tfaa -
letter addressed by former Attorney
General Stone TO the Federal Trade
Commission on January 80, 1925, in
which Mr. Stone agreed with the
findings of the Federal Trade Com
mission that the Aluminium Co. had
continued practices in violation of
the consent decree obtained in the
United States Court for the western
district Of PENNSYLVANIA. Attorney
General Stone. however. pointed out
that the inveStiga ton of the trade
commission had run only into 1922.
The then Attorney General annuonc-
~ the intention of the department
20 make an inquiry to determine
L neither the company had continued
fua practices complained of there
alter.
II was charged by the Federal
Trade Commission. in it's report to
The Department of Justice, and by
.Nttorney General Stone that the prac-
ices OF the Aluminium 60. had been
in violation of the antitrust laws.
The charge has been made that
n" company. in which Secretary
Mellon Of the Trea Sury Department
a0d members of his family have been
urge shareholders, constitutes a mo-
nopoly and has forced up the prices
Of household ware.
Grilied by Walsh.
After the Attorney General had told
the committee that the matter of the
Aluminium Co. had been called to his
attention first at newspaper con-
LgrnnCe. Senator Walsh said that he
Yad information that the Attorney
General had been asked about this
matter ut newspaper conference on
4lriOber 15 1925. He asked the At
rNnoy General whether the newspa-
per correspondent had questioned him
about the letter of former Attorney
General stone The Attorney General
replied that he did not remember.
When did you first see the letter
nr ATTORNEY General Stone?" asked
senator Walsh.
Not until recently. until this agi-
tation and discussion in the newspa-
pers." replied the Attorney General.
In reply 10 a series of questions,
The Attorney General said that he
presumed he had sent to the files and
,,htained the letter. He told the
} ommittee he did his work 'as the
days 90 along and did not make any
notes of what he did.
Senator King of Utah wanted to
know whether the questions of the
newspaper man had not ELECTED the
interest Of the Attorney General in
The Aluminium. case,
Weren't YOU sufficiently Interested
to find out about the case?"
Responds with Warmth.
The Attorney General replied. with
whole matter: that he had found out
1nlt Col. Donovan was prosecuting
the investigation vigorously.
1T is being prosecuted as 1t should ="
la laid.
The Attorney General said that he
had learned that the deparI nent's in
Iestfga ton of the Aluminium Co had
been begun early and was being com
ulpted as fast as possible. He said
that he had conferred with Col. Dono-
van and Mr. Myers, an assistant.
What did the investigators do?"
asked Senator Walsh.
My impression is that they went
t"tpersons making purchases from the
N'uminum Co. and TO many others in
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