The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1911-06-05
LIE IS PASSED IN
TODAYS HEARING
ON TRADE TREATY
Senator McCumber Puts
Herman Ridder in Ana
Mas Club.

mittee to insult them," declared Sena-
tor Stone.
Senator McCumber replied with heat
that Senators had no right to insult
witnesses. but he would not stand for
making the record OF the committee
false. He was objecting TO a state.
ment Of Mr.. Ridder that every news
paper had given the facts with respect
10 the reciprocity hearings.
Protesting farther against the insult
offered Ridder, Senator Stone said:
That is not the proper treatment to
give witness. and it is below the dig
nifty Of the committee"
Senator Bailey, suggesting that such
language might lead to blows, inter-
posed to calm the storm.
If the witness should say that to a
it be withdrawn. l suggest that the
Senator from North Dakota withdraw
his statment.''
The witness" retorted Senator Nc
Cumber, still in anger, says here that
we are getting fair and unbiased re-
ports. When he says that he says what
you and know not to be true"
Bailey's Reminder.
Senator Bailey, however, suggested
that what the Senator from North Da-
kota was saying was calculated to cause
''unseemly disorder" in the committee,
and when Senator McCumber looked at
it in cold tyne he'd regret it.
when any witness, proceeded Sen
ator McCumber, says the reports of
the proceedings of this committee are
fair he's saying that which every mem
Der of the committee knows to be I'M
founded"
BY this time pacific suggestions were
having kheir effect and Senator Nc
the attack on Ridder by the North Da-
kota Senator. The upshot of it was
that the Objectionable language of Sem
stor McCumber was stricken from the
record and il was left to appear that he
characterized the assertion of Mr. Rid
der as unfounded.
But Senator McCumber did not let
the matter pass without asseverating
that when he saw any statements that
did not accord with the facts he pro-
posed TO right it.
Clark's Innings.
This was not the only time in the
course of the morning when there was
activity in the direction Of consigning
Mr.. Ridder to the Ananias Club. Later
on, after the row that led Senator Stone
TO protest against Senator McCumbe r'S
language Senator Clark of Wyoming,
declared untrue an assertion of Mr.. Rid
der. that President Taft was seeking
to influence Congress to vote for the
agreement.
Senator Clark declared:
Mr.. Taft has never talked with me
about it. You are saying something
that isn't true. He hasn't talked to
me, and there are many others
Mr.. Ridder said he was not alluding to
any specific member of Congress- and
that Mr.. Taft could seek to bring about
votes without talking to members Of
the Senate directly. as per his Chicago
speech, for instance.
Stone to Testify.
It was the expectation Of the COM
mittee 10 listen to testimony from Mr..
Ridder and from Melville E. Stone head
of the Associated Press, today. Mr..
Ridder was the first Witness and Mr..
Stone was present most Of the time
while Mr. Ridder was speaking.
AS soon as 'Mr. Ridder arose he was
asked to present to the committee copies
of all the correspondence and docu-
mentary matters bearing on the support
of free paper and wood pulp and the
reciprocity agreement by the American
Publishers Association. He was armed
with a large roll of this matter and he
presented 1t to the committee.
Al once Senator Hepburn and Senator
Clark TOOK it up and going into 2e
correspondence proceeded to grill Mr.
Ridder on the strength OF 1t. It was
their evident purpose to discredit the
support Of the newspapers belonging to
the association Of the reciprocity agree
ment on the ground that their motive
was selfish and was because they want
ed free paper and pulp.
Started By Telegram.
The matter that stirred up chief con-
troversy in the hearing was the copy
Of a telegram which Mr.. Ridder, as
president Of the association, had sent
out to all publishers belonging to it,
In which he advised them to instruct
their Washington correspondents to
treat the reciprocity agreement ia
vorably." This was February II. last.
Senator Clark said he had supposed
the press of the country was unbiased,
and he was surprised at the tone of this
telegram. He thought it intended to
have a wrong impression of the facts
conveyed by the correspondents.
This Mr.. Ridder denied. He said he