Evening star., 1941-10-08

paign of persecution against the
Aluminium Co. of America, calling
It monopoly and a trust and an
octopus and what not. The coun-
try has been asked to believe that
this so-called monopoly was re-
sponsible for the aluminium short
age or for lack of expanded facili-
ties.
This week Judge Francis G.. Caf-
fey of the United States District
Court has cleared the Aluminium
Co. Of such charges after a trial
which lasted nearly three years and
after one of the most exhaustive
inquiries and evidence taking proc
esses in the history of Federal court
legisla ton.
Will the high officials of the
administration and the Senators
who have been so loose in their
charges now acknowledge they have
been in error? Will they seek to
undo the wrong they have done
VIII they erasvor to erase the
innuendoes af suspicious they
have leveled against an innocent
company? 1t will provide an in
teresting test of Equal Justice Un-
der Law"
Appeal to BE Made.
1t Is true the final judgment has
not been rendered and that the
case will be appealed to the Su-
preme Court where it is often the
technical difference between Twee-
die Dee and Tweedle Dunn that de-
cides many a charge, especially
In these days Of a court chosen
largely from a class conscious clique.
But the decision by Judge Caffey
at least reveals that the question
of monopoly was not so clearly re-
solved as Secretary Ickes seems to
have thought 1t to be. Mr.. Ickes
has insisted that he was asked to
deal with monopoly and refused
to grant the Aluminium Co. of Amer
lea the power 1t wanted in the
Northwest with which to make
aluminium. His constant defense
has been that the law forbids him
to grant power to a monopoly. So
he prejudged the case and with
held the power.
Now Mr.. Ickes has gone so far
~ to criticize Jesse Jones, Federal
loan administrator, because he went
ahead and made contract with the
Aluminium Co. for the operation of
ment. The company gave its serv-
ices gratis in building the plant, but
Mr.. Ickes seems to think the con-
tract Is bad one because 1t doesn't
tie the Aluminium Co. up in knots
and presuppose bad faith and event.
usl non-performance before opera
tions start. In such an atmosphere
Of suspicion no good contract could
be written.
UnaccOuntable for Smears.
Mr.. Ickes speaks of freedom "for
the press" and not "of the press"
and he implies that administration
officials with political axes to grind
are the best judges of what is fair
or unfair for the newspapers to
print. But the eminent Secretary of
the Interior omitS word about the |
freedom or license permitted to
Government officials to use their
Offices TO smear any company, insti-
tuition or individual they please and
they cannot be held accountable for
their rampages.
Oddly enough, Democracy doesn't
want even reckless-talking officials
to be curbed. It's one of the aspects
Of give and take which lend zest to
the democratic process and it would
be a dull world, indeed, if the Sec
retary of the Interior or some of his
friends on Capitol Hill were not
permitted to spread their accusa-
tions against the Aluminium Co. on
the record from time to time. Un-
fortunately, however, it isn't the
way to get aluminium manufactured.
In Germany, Herr Hitler doesn't
have to worry about aluminium pro-
duction or the petty prejudiceS of
the members of his Official en-
tourage. He gets aluminium pro-
duced because he gives the task to
those who know how to make it. 1t
would be wonderful if all the alumni
mum needed for defense could be
produced in America, now, leaving
e,,ch adventures as lambaSting the