The Life and Adventures of Carl Laemmle (1931)

128 CARL LAEMMLE that faith held, no difficulties were insuperable. But a Trust firmly established by legal sanction would be another matter altogether. The inspiration of the free men would wither, and their energy, becoming aimless, wither also. The final challenge of Independence, represented by Laemmle, had now been delivered. If it succeeded, the future was his ; if it failed, he would know his effort to be exhausted and he would either dwindle into the Trust or out of the business. It is small wonder that, with even an outside chance against him, the eighteen-month interval between the closing of the Court and the announcement of its decision, was one of acute anxiety, calling up the last reserves of his fortitude. At length the long deferred deliverance came, and it was unconditional. On October 15th, 19 15, the United States government ordered the Film Trust to discontinue all unlawful practices. Since the entire organisation was founded on activities that were themselves defined as unlawful, the order in effect meant the dissolution of the Trust into its constituent units, each one of which, if it remained in operation, must do so without privilege in a free and open market. The monopolistic power of the Trust was broken, and without it the Trust ceased to be. Anticipating this end, the monopolists had made prudent use of the law's delay. In abolishing the Trust as such, the Court ordered among other things that all the two dol