The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-02
EFFORT TO BLOCK SALE Purpose of Circulating
 Bribery Charges. AN INVESTIGATION BEGUN
Mir. Gr0n the First Witness
 Before House Committee.
Says the Christmas Report Was Dis seminated in Order .to Prevent Denmark from Dispo sing of
 Her West Indies.

Washington, Aprll line inNeStigatioii of charges made in connection with the Danish West Indian purchase was begun today before the special committee ap- pointed by Speaker Henderson.
 Mir. Gron was the first witness sworn by Chairman Dalzell. He said Tn Feb- rusry last. parties Tn Copenhagen. who opposed the transfer of the Danish West indies to the United States. conferred with him and brought to his attention the Christmas report. Mir. Gron said he was at present the representative in this coua- try Of these parties who were mempers of the Danish upper house.
 Mir. Gron gave way temporarily to Representative Alexander of Buffalo who desired to make complete disclaimer of any knowledge of Christmas or the Danish transaction.
 Continuing nis statement Mir. Gron ex- plained how the Danish parties opposing the sale of the islands had persuaded him to come to Washington and place the Christmas report before Congress and the public, so that the facts would be known. He told of having secured & note of in- troduction to General Grosvenor of Ohio; of arranging to meet the latter in Wash ington, his purpose being. he said, to carry out assurances given at Copen- hagen that he would place the matter before influential men and thus bring 1t to the attention of Congress and the public,
 Mir. Gron told in great detail of bring ing the papers before General Grosvenor, who at first seemed quite indignant. Mir. Gron said. and spoke of laying the nat- ter before the proper parties in order that suitable action might be taken. The witness said shat later Grosvenor con- cluded that 1t would be proper to iay gths matter before the Secretary of State, This was done and Mir. Gron said he learned that the State Department held that it could take no action and that the author ities had in nowise committed themselves to Christmas.
 Gron said that after Grosvenor had de cided not to proceed with the matter he (Gronl had prepared a statement for the Associated Press and had asked MT. Crane d newspaper man. to send scme one from the Associated Press to him for a statement and to General Grosvenor for assurances as to Grons standing. He learned later, through MT. Crane, that (irosvenor said he knew nothing about 1t.
 He said he was informed. after he sub mitted the statement, that the Associated Press could not use 1t. Afterward, he said, he submitted his statement to several newspapers and more or less of it was printed.
 The witness then detailed how he had placed the matter before Representatives Richardson and Underwood, who had gone over the parers.r
 What was your purpose in bringing 1t before members?" asked MT. Dslzell.
 "To get 1t into the House and before the Amciic people, answered the witt ness.
 In response to an inquiry. the witness took up various branches of the case. He said he represented those constituting the No Sale party in Denmark.
 He denied the reports that he (Gron) had himself been trying to obtain com mission for the sale of the islands and that the whole matter was quarrel be- tween Christmas and himself over the commission, and that he received a letter stating that an old alliance between cer- tain Danish men and Americans in tho fall of 1897 was declared off eighteen months ago. He mentioned the names of H. H. Rogers. Charles R. Flint and hirn- EtlI dE tile lntNitstCu dt tlldl time in negotiating the sale of the islands.
 Asked specifically regarding statement in the Christmas report to the effect that Rogers had agreed to accomplish the sale of the islands for 10 per ccnN of the pur- chase money. MT Gron declared that there was m such agreement He de- SC. ibed how the negotiations conducted by the committee in Denmark and in Amer ica had progressed almost to success ful conclusion just before the Spanish war when they were declared off in Den mark.
 Mir Groa said he undertook to reopen the negotiations after the war. The in Copenhagen and America had not been dissolved. Christmas came to the United States in December, 1899. Mir Gron was closely questioned as to whether proposition was made for Christmas and Rogers and himself to d- vide the commission. He replied that there were various propositions
 Asked as to the threat attributed to Rogers in the Christmas report uhat Rogers was made to say that he had 26 votes in the Senate and could defeat the Mir. Gron said he was never present at an interview between Rogers and Christmas. He had never heard Mir. Rogers make such a threat. He denied a absoutely the statement that he (Gronl had signed d contract with Christmas by which he CGron and Rogers were to have two-thirds of the commission.
 He had never made any contract of any character with Christmas. but tho latter had made over d power of attorney to him which later he (Gron) repudiated. Rogers saw Christmas, he testified, but once. Ar ter that Rogers refused to see Christmas or answer his letters or telegrams.
 As to the Christmas interviews, in which Christmas was made to say that he had negotiations with Abner McKin- lev which Christmas in his report declar- ed had been lnstigated by Gron, the wit ness said that he had no connection with them. MT. Hill asked him specifically if he knew what press associations were re- ferred to in the Christmas report.
 1T don't know" replied Mir. Gron.
 AL this point the committee took re- cess until . o'clock.
 When the investigation was resumed after recess Representative Grosvsnor ap- pearsd and made statement He. spoke of receiving the note introducing Mir.