The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-26
Ship Subsidy Interests
Offer 500, 600 for
Its Influence.
2 r 0 P O ST TON
is TURNED DOWN
Business Manager Of New York
Journal Of Commerce Tells
House Committee Of At
tempted Bribery-Other
Efforts Made to Buy
Editorial Influence.

Washing ton. D. c., January 25.-
Revclation of several attempts 10 buy
khe editorial support Of the New York
journal of Commerce in favor Of shin
subsidy legislation. which the pa per has
consistently opposed. was made to the
Rouse ship subsidy investigating COM
1nittee to-day BY Alfred W. Dodsworth.
business manager OF the journal OF
Commerce and Commercial Bulletin.
Earlier In the day. Paul G. Fournicr
representing the Uranium Steamship
Line. against which the so-called Lon
uon Conference lines, controlling what
rs aiieScd TO be- IS per cent of the At
lantlc passenger traffic arc arraycd.
told how railroad authorities in this
country. notably the Central paSscn-
ger Association, at Chicago had re-
FUSED TO sell tickets routed over the in
dependent lines unless the independ-
:ents obtained the sanction OF the Con
ference lnca.
VIII lie Recalled
AS the result Of to-days evidence.
Mr Dodsworth'a brother John w
Dodsworth. editor OF the Journal OF
Commerce. Will be recalled to Wash
ington 10 expla in why he. failc, to en-
tighten the committee during his re-
cent testimony. /, Is probable that
Charles 4. Conant. Of New York. /. for
1ner Washington correspondent may be
asked TO throw light on an. Offer TO
subsiiize the paper, claimed 10 have
been forwarded through him 10 the
Journal OF Commerce. which he then
represented. and the Federal authori-
ties may take note OF the evidence n
70 thc railroads discrimination against
the independent steamship lines OF for-
ciRn tickets.
Alfred ". Dodsw worth said ina, his
Jt2neT han
any interests whatever, and its business
and editorial columns had no relation
Kut. he testified. about six gears ago an
unknown man came into his office and
oHered 10 pay the journal Of Commerce
$l0o,0eo. taking 100000 copies OF his
paper, for the insertion of an article
III one issue supporting the shin sub
sidy legislation. This man refused 10
disclose his identity unless his propo-
hlt!on Was TO he accepted, HIS propo-
siti3n was. in the event OF acceptance
70 make out certified check imInc.
d!ately for $4,000 to bind tie agree
mcnt, and to pay the balance OF $50 900
upon publication of the article. MIR
Dodsworth SAID he Immediately called
MS brother, John w, into his Office as
witness 10 the converse ton, and the
proposition was turned down as an at
tempt to make an improper arrange
Dcnt t. al
caSeu Dy the committee, Mr., iJUdS-
worth said that about thirty wears ago
his father was sitting in his office OF
the same publication, and John Roach
The Shipbuilder, who was then building
SHIPS and active for a ship subsidy bill
entered the Office. laid down d blank
check. asked Dodswor1ll pcrc to nil
Gut the check and stop writing against
snip subsidy The offer was refused
About two years ago, Dodsworth said
another tried IN h,,,- No
OF the paper for $4,000, and during the
Spanish American War the Spanish
government tried to buy the PAPERS
influence
Brothers Criticized.
Chairman Olcoit, Representative
Longworth, OF Ohio. and other members
OF tho committee criticized the two
prothers for falling to submit this in
ton to the committee before now
pointing out that John W. Dodsworth
IN his testimony some time ago, had
been asked catcgorically as to such
matters. and had denied any informa-
ton such as that disclosed day. The
witness said the committee would have
TO ask his brother why he failed to
disclose the informa ton.
Chairman O1cott asked the witness
who represented the Spanish govern
ment when 1t tried TO buy his papers
support
Mr.. Dodsworth replied that the nfor-
nation Of the proposition came from
Charles \. Conant. who was then the
papers Washington correspond emit
dressed as to the identity of the man
who made the offer, Mr. ID odsworth
said that his rather or brother may
have been told. but he himself had
not been told. Mr.. Conant commune
Gated the proposition in letter, ac-
cording to the witness. who afterwards
qualified this by saying he thought it
was letter, after the committee had
stated 1t would like to have the letter
Representative Hawlcy, Of Oregon.
asked how much money was proposed
In that offer, and the witness said he
did not know. His father was then.
managing editor.
The $4,000 proposition was from
tall, dark-haired man" who said he
was lobbyist in Washington
Mr.. Dodswortn said he could not UNI
dertake to name the persons who made
the 100000 offer but he believed it
came from ship subsidy interests, and
when pressed as to what he meant by
that, he mentioned the Cramps and the
Reaches as interests coming under that
head.
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