Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-01-27
SUBSIDY PROBE GETS RESULTS
Manager Of Journal Of Commerce
Makes Charge to Committee.
EDITOR WILL BE RECALLED NOW
Brother Of witness who CharHes At
tempt 10 Purchase support VIII
ne Required 20 Tell why Ne
was silent.

WASHINGTON. Jan. 26.-Revelation Of
attempts TO buy the editorial support OF the
New York Journal Of Commerce in favor
81 ship subsidy legislation, which that
paper has consistently opposed, was made
10 the house ship subsidy legislation com
mlttee Yesterday BY Alfred W Dodsworth.
business manager OF the publication.
Earlier in the day Paul Fourier. represent
ing the Uranium Steamship line, against
which the London conference lines. con
trolling what 10 alleged TO be 20 per cent
OF the Atlantic passenger traffic are
arrayed. told how railroad authorities in
this country notably the Central Pas
senEer association at Chicago, had refused
to sell tickets routed over Independent lines
unless the independents obtained the
sanction OF the conference lines
As the result of the evidence Mr.. Dods-
worth's brother. John w. Dodsworth,
editor OF the Journal Of Commerce will be
recalled to Washington TO explain why he
failed to enlighten the COMMITTEES in his
recent testimony. IL 10 probable that
Charles a. Consnt Of New York. former
Washington correspondent, may be asked
to throw light on an Offer to subsidize the
paper asserted v have been forwarded
through him to the Journal Of Commerce
which be then represented.
Alfred W. Dodsworth arrived at the COM
mittee room with a list Of questions he
wanted propounded to him, impelled by
what he regarded as misrepresentation OF
the attitude Of his paper
The testimony, however. suddenly broad
ened and the witness sought refuge in
referring the committee TO his brother now
In New York for detailed enlightenment
Paper Never Subsidized.
The witness said his paper never had
been subsidized by any interest whatever
and its business and editorial columns had
no relation. But he testified about six
years ago a person came into his office
and offered to pay the Journal of Com
merce $4,000, taking 1,OOOO 900 copies OF his
paper for the insertion Of an article In
one issue supporting the ship SUBSIDY
legislation.
This man refused to disclose his Identity
unless his proposition was TO be accepted.
His PROPOSAL was In the event OF accept
ance, to make out q certified check immedl-
ately for $4,000 to bind the agreement and
TO pay the balance Of $4,000 upon publ
cation OF the article Mr.. Dodsworth
said he Immediately called his brother,
John w, into his office as witness 10
the conversation and the proposition was
declined. That, however, was only one
such event Another man. about two years
ago. Dodsworth said, tried to buy the sup
mort Of the paper for $4,000 and In the
spaniah- American war the Spanish gov
eminent tried to buy the papers influence.
Chairman Olcott Representative Long
worth Of Ohio and other members Of the
committee sharply criticised the two
brothers for falling to submit this infor-
nation to the committee before pointing
out that John w. Dodsworth in his tes-
timony some time ago had been asked
categorically as TO such matters and had
denied any information such as that dis
closed today The witness said the com
mittee would have to ask the brother why
he failed to disclose the information.
Chairman Olcott asked the witness who
represented the Spanish government when
II tried to buy his papers support.
offer Through Correspondent.
Mr. Dodsworth replied that the PROPOSE
ton came through Charles A. Conant, who
was then the papers Washington CORE
spondent Pressed as 10 the Identity Of
the man who made the offer. Mr. Dods-
worth said his father or brother may have
been told but he himself had not
MIR. Conant communicated the proposition
In a letter. according to the witness, who
afterward qualified this by saying he
thought It was a letter, after the commit
tee had stated It would like to have the
letter
Representative Hawley OF Oregon asked
how much money was proposed In that Of
fer and the witness said he did not know.
His father was then managing editor. Mr..
DodswoTth when asked what he regard ed
the ship subsidy interests, mentioned the
Ward line and the New York q Porto Rico
Steamship company, but did not recall
others.
lie said he could not undertake to name
the persons who made the $4,000 offer, bur
he believed It came from ship subsidy in
terests and when pressed as to what he
meant by that he mentioned the Cramps
and the Reaches as interests coming under
that head. lie referred to the attacks
made ON his paper for It's opposition to
ship subsidy and declared as a lie" from
beginning to last a clipping from a Gin
cinnau or Cleveland paper which he had
received puTporting to be an article from
the Journal OF Commerce, coming out for
subsidies. lie said the New York Com.
merclal and the New York Tribune had
called his paper a subsidized shipping pa.
per.
Mr.. podsworth will resume his testimony
tomorrow.