Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1902-06-13
GEN. WOOD PAID
FOR INFLUENCE
Senator Teller Shows Vouch-
er For a Large Sum
Before Committee.
RECEIVED BY Mr.. THURBER
President OF Exporters Association Got
the Money Military Governor of Cuba
Employed Him to Secure Assistance In
Legislation.

Washington. June iii. B. Thurb.
er. president of the Exporters associa.
ton. the witness who has been wanted
by the committee on Cuban relations,
was before the committee yesterday
Senator Teller produced copy of the
voucher for $3.50 showing that that
sum had been paid by the military GOV.
eminent Of Cuba by authority of Gov
Wood to the United States Export as.
sociation of which Thurber is presi
dent. Thurber acknowledged that he
had received the amount and said 1t
was one of three payments he had re-
Ceived from the same source. The re-
ceipt was dated April ., 1902. and
states that it was for advocating a
reduction in the duties on Cuban pro-
ducts with reciprocal reduction Of
Cuban products going into Cuba
The witness said he thought SEQ,
600 worth of literature had been
circulated. He said he had received
a contribution of $500 from Mr.. Have
meyer OF the sugar refining company
when he solicited that gentleman TOR
| Il subScrr;iOn.
In response to questions by Senator
Teller, Mr.. Thurber said he had been
active in the effort to secure reciprocal
arrangement with Cuba. He had come
to Washington originally at the in.
stance of the Export association and
also of the Cubans, who were favOring
| reciprocity. He was not, he said,
under salary from the Export aSsocia.
ton. but he admitted that he received
percentage on the fees for member
ship in the association influenced by
himself.
The witness said he had circulated
| large number of circulars in the in.
terest of reduction of the duty on
Cuban sugar and he submitted speci-
mems of some of them. Being asked
by Senator Teller VINO paid the expense
incident to the circulation of this lit
erature, the witness replied that the
Cuban literature committee had paid
the larger part of it. He said he had
been in the employ of the Cuban gov
eminent for some time in the fall and
summer of 1901.
In reply to questions Mr.. Thurber
said that the money referred to above
had all come through the Cuban com
mittee, but Senator Teller insisted that
the voucher which he had produced
could not have emanated from the
CUBAN cOmmlttee.
Mr. Thurber then said that all was
done through an understanding that
| the Export association should do all
possible to get the industries on q
proper basis. He denied, however
that the money was paid on verbal
order from General Wood given while
| the latter was in the United States.
Asked what was meant by the
| phrase, LEADERS of thought in his
bill to the Cuban government, Mr.
| Thurber said that he had list OF
5000 people in the United States who
represent something" to whom this
literature was sent.
In reply to question by Mr.. Teller
as to whether he had consulted Mr.
Havemeyer, of the sugar trust, in the
| preparation of the literature, Mr.
Thurber said: after making my argu
ment before the ways and means com
mittee told Mr.. Havemeyer that had
| been asked if | was representing him
and asked him for a subscription. He
| gave me a check toward meeting Oul
| expenses
Senator Culberson of Texas. today
| introduced the following resolutions:
Resolved, that the secretary of wal
| be. and he is hereby requested. to send
| to the senate full, itemzed state
ment of all moneys collected and dis
bursed by the authorities of the United
| States in Cuba from the military occu
patton thereof until May 20. 1902
Senator Plat of Conn.,, objected tC
| present consideration and the resolu
ton went over until tomorrow.