Public-domain ebook
Cartels: Challenge to a Free World
Language: en4,493 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #78077.
About this book
Cartels : A Challenge to a Free World is a nonfiction study by Wendell Berge, former head of the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice. The book opens with a sweeping appraisal of post‑war technological promise, plastics, television, new chemical and electrical techniques, then pivots to a warning that the greatest obstacle to realizing that promise is cartel control of major industries. Berge grounds his argument in the record of congressional investigations and antitrust cases, promising a “fairly detailed explanation” of specific cartels using direct quotations from letters, memoranda and other documents. The introductory chapters map the evolution from domestic trusts to international cartels, illustrating how these private governments have allegedly distorted patents, pricing and trade to the detriment of both economic welfare and democratic institutions.
Written in a formal, mid‑20th‑century governmental voice, the text blends legal exposition with historical narrative, reflecting the language of official testimony and policy reports of the 1940s. Its style is dense but accessible, avoiding technical jargon while citing concrete evidence. Readers interested in the history of American antitrust policy, the economic dimensions of World‑War‑era reconstruction, or the interplay between industry and democracy will find Berge’s detailed, document‑driven account compelling.
Opening lines
Plastics, television, new chemical and electrical techniques are but a few of the instruments which will furnish the stuff for the pioneers of a new age. The challenge of housing will excite bold minds to action, on a scale never before attempted, to wipe out slums and give dwellers in country and city alike a new and higher standard of living. Not only at home, but also abroad, the opportunities for daring enterprise which will be offered by the needs of world reconstruction will surpass anything ever before known. …
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