The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1942-06-09
BY PETER EDSoN
Monitor-leoder Washington
Correspondent

GIly IueO t1Ot OIL investigation
Indictment prosecution onc
trlol for violation of the onti.
trust lows is 10 be suspended
tor the durotion, they might as
we'll hold their hoIIeIuiohs
There is no such luck in sioh,
tor the monopoly and conspi-
rocy boys.
There have been strows in
the wind thot may have given
some people the impression the
antitrust division was beino
put out of business and trust
buster Thurman Arnold wos
being throtted. The old OPM
ond the Department of Justice
made O deol in April, Al TO
permit the Industry Advisory
Councils TO operote within the
antitrust law. Manufacturing
companies hove been permit
ted TO pool their facilities for
war production since last o.
tober. Formation Of q PETROL
cum Industry Advisory Council
combination was sanctioned in
December. Transport q on
companies we're permitted to
toke certain joint actions in
February. In March came the
policy announced by the White
House, under which the ottor-
ney general, the secretaries Of
War, and Navy and Thurman
Arnold, heed of the antitrust
division in the Department of
Justice, oereed to suspension
Of enforcement Of the Sherman
oct in coses where war produc-
ton might be interfered with.
Finally there has been the pro-
posol before Congress TO form
oIize this procedure by eront-
ing the head of the War Pro-
duction Boord, Donald M. Mel
son, legal right to certify GER
tain firms as exempt from
prosecution otter consultation
with or on approval by the at
torney general.
Such action hos been de-
cIored necessary by the War
Department and WPB, but no
one has pointed out Just what
the effects Of these suspen-
sions may be, what protection
OF public interest is being Soc
rIficed, what types Of action
may be dropped, and just how
big business or anyone else
will benefit.
DECISIONS PENDING
Antitrust division today has
over $50 Investigations and
coses on its docket. Some have
been tried and are owoitino
decision. Others ore now BEING
tried. More have been set for
trioI. Some ore before grand
juries. Many ore as yet mere
indictments. More than 90 ore
still Investigations.
No broad cIossificotions can
be made as to what will be
done with all these. A full re-
port on pending coses has been
made to the War Department.
Every one Of them will have to
be considered individually and
when the oct granting war re-
lief from antitrust prosecution
is passed, O decision will be
mode as TO future action in
each cose.
In many Of the cases, Army
Navy or WPB> can have no
possible interest, and it may
be anticipated that all such
will work their merry way
through the courts. In general
the food coses involving OIL
legged conspirocies TO fix prices
or control markets for sole to
civilians ore outside the sphere
Of War Department interest.
There ore 60 Of these food
coses, involving breed, milk, :
meot and such stuff.
twenty-five ore still in the in
vestigotive stoge. indictments
have been returned on IS and
they ore in various stoges Of
awaiting triol, on trioI or owoit-
ing decisions. In general, it con
be assumed that most of these ,
coses will go right ahead.
FATE UNCERTAIN
The fote Of the 40 antitrust