The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1938-07-07

-AsHINGTON.-It is entirel.
s.,hle that many people have
failed to piece to
r..rs Wealth gether several de
r.:U velopments Of ma
W tional import late
md may have missed the signif
, !. Of an action Of congress II
:. closing days. The two incident:
!. vhich I refer are the fedora,
s,.nd Jury indictment at South
~. Ind, Of a number Of automo'
N. manufacturing executives and
=. action Of congress in adoption
resolution providing for q
S,osd.sauge inquiry into big bust
SO The two, when pieced togeth.
- ,pell q sensational drive against
ne ;.malefactors Of great wealth. "
The result? Well, let's examine
A. scheme, the pattern and the
prospects. -, :.
There was q period in 1885, II
I'm be recalled, when business In
i,rests felt that President Roosevelt
y,s preparing to follow . middle
x.the.road policy as far as govern
ment relations with business was
concerned. During that period, there
v,s . considerable Improvement
a general business. In that interim
d time, as far as any observers
could reach q conclusion, the Presi-
dent was relying on advice from
many men In whom business had
confidence. But there came a sud-
den end. Out Of the clear sky, Mr..
Roosevelt proposed reorganization
d the Supreme court Of the United
States and the addition Of six
justices whom he could appoint at
mce. Through weeks Of battle
when Il became apparent that one
guess was as good as another wheth-
q he President would win, business
men and women again became
afraid That was when the present
depression began. It was also the
time when Mr.. Roosevelt turned
away from his previous close adj
visers and began listening to the
new brain trust which has come to
be known as the board Of
strategy"
Az the depression became sharp
er and the numbers Of unemployed
increased with startling rapidity,
the board Of strategy sought means
to Offset the condition. The group
also had to find goat-which is
always done when plans 60 awry.
There followed then the vicious and
Incorporate attacks on ''big bust
ness BY the trust-busting Robert
h Jackson, then favored at the
White House as the next Democratic
candidate for the New York COVER
norship. Secretary Ickes also let
loose his vocabulary and none can
deny the interior secretary's capac-
ny for speaking biting words. For
weeks and weeks, we were treated
na barrage Of words in which ''big
business" was pictured as beyond
the pale Of good citizenry and ought
% be destroyed.
Inc trust-busting drive was not
Is successful in gaining public ac-
claim IS had been hoped for. The
uuth Is that it failed to get the
country excited at all and the profit
% TIE trust busters did not materi.
a!lze as had been the case when
Teddy" Roosevelt was swinging a
0lg stick Of demagoguery in the
same held Of political endeavor.
indeed, this drive Topped at the start
whereas the drive by the earlier
Aoosevelt was good politics for
several years.
u was here, according to the best
M !. available, that the tao
Wy changed. The change in meth
s Is the real reason for the story.
mus It can be said that the trust
uusuns drive Is still going on as
su0ns IS ever but It is going on in
.sserai nelds without any apparent
sonnecdon because the board Of
.aa'esy has lost none Of its de.
summation to convince the nation
.aa' II Is being ruined by those
. ..ne malefactors Of great wealth |
Ssata which Teddy Roosevelt |
waved his fist and barred his teeth. |
nv. Wv, 70 put the pieces of the pic. |
VIC 'oseher. The first section COM |
H. prises the indict-
=. oU the ment Of the auto
r'cture Looks mobile moguls. Ed
rs, Sci Ford, Walter P.
n User, Alfred P. Sloan and Will
oss - A.nudsen, among some sixty |
cen. ulc,ais OF Ford, Chrysler and |
,fslia. sl Motors and the companies
II ne. o with them in the financing |
MANI o.Sr cars bought on the INSTALL |
r;o,a s plan. They are charged with
sou uuon OF the antitrust laws, al. |
Fo-ss a now anybody can believe the
pl.. interests ever could or would
, H., pau with the other two. I have
M u unable to see. ANYWAY.
he nr .Ns stories were carried by
Ind ~ services from South Bend,
lad rn NC department. of justice here
ion LUG. uea background informa-
o b,na .n officials were delighted
rhev I;s .. :, any inquiring reporter.
u;.S oid this in order to co.oner.ta