Los Angeles herald., 1910-04-19
EDITOR, CHILLED,
DEF|ES CONGRESS
Maxwell Refuses to Answer
Questions of the House
Committee
DENIES He CHARGED SOLONS
Declares He Did Not Mention
Names When Term Shiny
Craft Was Used
DENIES He CHARGED S0L0NS
ASSOCIATED Pressl

WASHINGTON, April 1s.-swept
along on flood Of sharp questions as
to his authority for charging members
of congress and newspapers with being
eorruptly influenced, John Nj. Maxwell,
former editor of the American Flag,
the organ of the Merchant Marine
league, today refused point blank to
answer questions on his source of in
formation.
The interrogatories again will be put
to him at q special session of the house
select committee tomorrow and unless
he changes his mind the attitude of the
witness will be reported to the house.
Arraignment before the house itself
and Imprisonment during this session
of congress constitute the punishment
to which a witness is liable for refus-
ing to answer questions and for which
the committee contemplates reporting
Maxwell to the house.
Prodded by counse! for a member of
congress accused by the league, Max
we'll, without counsel and on the
ground of editorial privileges, justified
his replies, parried or declined to an
swer the questions. He avowed au-
thorship of letters figuring conspicu-
| ously in the investigation. .
REPLY TO STORIES
The November Issue of the American
Flag, written mostly by him, contained
an article headed Word to Washing
ton Correspondents" which he testi-
fled today was a reply to unfair stories
/ and baseless charges by some Wash
ington correspondents. He acknowl-
edged that the only correspondents he
could mention were John Snure of the
I nd To yrfr
ham of the Boston Transcript.
He charged these correspondents
with taking because they sent stories
to their papers stating 1t had become
clear that the campaign for ship sub
sidy originated in the Standard Oil
beef trust plan to dominate South
America"
The witness explained he did not
mean these newspaper men have any
direct relations with or are Influenced
by such legislation, but that they send
out matter fairly representative of a
countrywide propaganda to prevent
legislation to restore the merchant
marine.
Questioned as to his use of the term,
"slimy graft" the witness contended
no names were mentioned in that con-
nection, but counsel for Representative
Steenerson declared that the term
scandalized congress.
DENIES LIBEL
Maxwell was questioned sharply
about the references made in the ar
ticle to Representatives Wilson, Mann
and McDermott of Illinois, tending 70
indicate that because they came from
packing house districts they might be
controlled by the beef trust He de-
MED any intention of charging them
with improper actions.
Maxwell said the letter he had pub
lished quoting the captain of a Euro
peon steamer as declaring, after the
defeat of the ocean mail bill by a
slender majority, that we could have
had bigger majority if we had want
ed It," was written by Winthrop l..
Meyer, President Roosevelt's secretary
Of the merchant marine commission.
Maxwell did not know the captain 5
name nor the steamship line, but he
admitted he meant to convey the
meaning the statement meant bribery,
"if the captains statement was to be
believed"
The witness refused to divulge his
| informant as to a London conference
to head off ship subsidy legislation
here, pleading editorial privilege"
The inquiry will be resumed tomor-
row.