The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-05
BRYAN GAVE GREECE
|. NO NAVAL SECRETS
Ex-Secretary Testifies in Civil
Suit Here and Tells Of
Warships' Sale.
ASSAILS NEW YORK LAWS

william Jennings Bryan, ex-Secretary
Of state. ca1ne here yesterday from
washington at his own expense to purge
himself OF the charge h a he was IN
contempt Of the Supreme Court OF New
York. but after the pursins process was
over he relieved himself Of views con-
cernlng the injustice Of the laws Of this
state which permit n nonresident OF
the State, Who 10 not even a party to a
civil suit, to be annoyed n put to
needless Expense He also denied giving
United States navy secrets 20 Greece
after the ale OF two battleships by this
country to the Athens Government.
Petros p. Tatanis, a Greek importer
Of New York. Ia suing the newspaper
Atlantis for $4,000 damages because
Of an article blaming him for stirring
up trouble between Mr.. Bryan, then Sec
rotary q State. and Agamemnon
Schiiemann. formerly Greek Minister at
washington. by writing a letter 10 Mr..
Bryan accusing Minister Schiiemann Of
! saying things about Bryan. II was
ALLEGED in the newspaper article thai
Tatanis said In HE letter that Minister
schlieman mn expressed his contempt for
Secretary Bryan's knowledge OF Affairs
in the Balkans. II was also said thai
Minister S~chliemann had stated that he
got from Secretary Bryan secret infor-
nation concerning tho IRE control on
the ba~ttleships Mississippi and Idaho.
sold by this Government to Greece. which
| should have been known only to the
Navy Department
When Mr.. Bryan came here last
! month to bid Henry Ford farewell before
he sailed for Europe the ex-Secretary
was served with an order by Justice
Giegerich directing him to testify before
trial In behalf OF Tatanis. Mr.. Bryan
I went to Miami. Fla, to his winter home
and was there on the following Saturday
when he was supposed to testify here.
Counsel for Tatan!s got an order direct
, ing Mr.. Bryan to show cause why he
should not be punished for contempt of
court. but the order could not be served
on him until he came here last Saturday
to meet Mr.. Ford on his return. Mr..
Bryan then assured counsel for Tatanis
! that while he was compelled to go TO
, Washington on Sunday night. he would
! return here voluntarily to testify.
Mr.. Bryan was examined at the Hol-
land House In the morning and at the
Manhattan Club in the afternoon by
| Herbert Barry. counsel for Tatanis, and
was cross-examined by Almuth C.. Van
| diver. attorney for the defendant. Mr..
| Bryan denied hat he gave any Navy De-
| partment secrets TO Minister Schliemann.
and said that the matter of the sale OF
the battleships was not within his prov
hce. unless certain details had been
attended to by some of MS suboroinates
without his knowledge
II never heard OF any criticism con-
cerning me made by Minister Schlie-
MANN" said Mr.. Bryan. and ! never re-
ceived or heard OF any letter %purporting
to come from Mr.. Tatanis which caused
III feeling between Minister Schl!emann
and myself
"As a nonresident I desire TO register
a protest against the New York law,
assuming that II has been obeved In IL :
case. which enables a party to a suit
to transfer 70 other persons an expens.
that the party ought 10 pay himself.
sid Mr.. Bryan after the hearing. In
this case | was served with a subpoena
that required that ! return here from
wherever I might have been.
This being a civil suit between pri-
waite individuals, the law that permits
a iitigant to make this requirement OF
a nonresident is. ! think. an injustice
to non-residents upon whom the burden
Is thrown"