New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-05
PUTNAM ATTACKS
DEFENCE SOCIETY
Charges the Organization
Aims to Further POlitl-
cal Partisanship.
p. THOMPSON STANDS
BY BROTHERS WORK
Calls Majors Letter WILSON'S
Politics, Pure and Simple
Answers S. S. Menkcn.

That the American Defence Society
is a political organization which is now
heing used to further the interests OF
partisan leaders instead Of providing
for national safety is tho charge made
by Major George Haven Putnam.
former member of the advisory board
Of the society. and at present an ac-
tive worker in the National security
League, in a letter to s. 5. Menken,
president Of the latter organization
made public last night.
1t is also charged that Frederic X.
Coudert and Robert ". Neeser did not
authorize the use of their names as
members Of the American Defence So
ciety, although the organization claims
them as such on it's rolls. Mr.. Coudert
is now in Europe. and Mr.. Neeser could
not be reached last night.
Mr.. Putnam's letter, in part, reads:
az have been absent for some weeks,
but am now again on hand, ready to
take my part in the work Of the Ma
tional Security League. During my alb
sence I had accepted membership in
the American Defence Society. | have
acted under a interpretation, with
the understanding that this society was
carrying on one division OF the work
of the league.
ION my return I have found IL
necessary TO resign from membership
in this society and to ask that my
name be at once removed from the ad-
visory board, TO which | had been ap-
pointed.
at seemed to me evident that this
society was using for political. not TO
say partisan, purposes the cause OF
national defence, and | could not Du,
feel that the matter Of maintaining the
ideals of our Republic ought not to be
utilized to forward the success OF any
political party or give issues or feciil-
ties for the personal schemes Of po-
litcal leaders,.
ave have succeeded in keeping the
National Security League out of politi-
cal influence, and our membership Is
made up of representative citizens OF
both great parties. Leading Demo-
Gratis, such as Judge Parker, Secretary
Garrison and others, and leading Re-
publicans like Joseph Choate, ex-Secre-
tary Stimson and ex-Secretary Meyer
have been ready to serve the league:
With these men we could feel assured
that there was no risk of our under
taking being utilized for the advantage
OF one party or another"
Paul Thompson. a trustee OF the
American Defence Society, declared
last night that Mr. Putnam's letter was
Wilson politics, pure and simple
He said Mr.. Menken's attitude was due
to resentment at c. S. Thompson, a
former member of the National Secur-
ity League and now chairman OF the
board of trustees of the American De-
fence Society.
1.-THE National Security League is
composed of highly respectable gentle
men who have done nothing toward
protecting their country" said Mr..
Thompson. any brother, c. s. Thomp-
son organized the convention held by
that organization in New York last
April. This led 70 friction with Mr..
Menken. the president, and my brother
resigned
"Since then he has been prominent
in the formation of the American De-
fence Society, which is not q political
body, but which protests against the
inertia of an administration which has
not spent a dollar more than usual for
protection since the war began"
Mr.. Roosevelt, Mr. Thompson said
last night, was a member Of the Ameri-
can Defence Society and did not belong
TO the National Security League. An
officer of the Security League said,
however, that Mr.. Roosevelt's member
ship in the American Legion brought
him in touch with this organization, as
the two are closely affiliated. Neither
has any connection, he said, with the
American Defence Society.