New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-12
WILSON'S MEN
WOOGERMANS.
RIDDER SAYS
Stone Worked in Beer
Garden-BurleSOn
Here, Too.


President Wilson had tried to conciliate
German-Americans by assuring them
that the President "is friendly to the
Germans" were made yesterday by Vic
tor Ridder.
The assertions were made in reply to
Norman Hapgood's charges, which were
given wide publicity through Demo-
cratic National Headquarters, that
Charles Z. Hughes had tscit under
standing with German propagandists.
Mr.. Hapgood based his charges on an
alleged conversation between Ridder,
who is editor of the "Staats-Zeitung,"
and State Senator Kent V. Keller, of
Ava, H., which Keller wrote out for
Mr. Hapgood and the latter gave to the
newspapers.
Mr.. Ridder issued his statement
through Republican National Headquar-
ters, not only denying the Hapgood
story, but also telling in detail of re-
peated efforts by Senator William j.
Stone, of Missouri, chairman of the
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations,
and Postmaster General Burleson to
placate the German-Americans. Mr..
Ridder told Of an invitation from Mr..
Keller to visit the White House, $50
that the President can convince you in
an hour or two that he is friendly to
the Germans"
AlI-Night Effort by Stone.
The German editor described an all
night conference at the invitation Of
Senator Stone at Terrace Garden on
September 16, which was attended by
several prominent German-Americans,
including Otto Van Schenck, Henry
Abeles, Joseph Frey, president of the
German-American Catholic Societies,
and President Collmeyer Of the United
German Turner'S.
"This conference lasted from 8 o'clock
at night until on Sunday morning"
said Mr.. Ridder. Senator Stone used
all his we'll known powers of persuasion
to convince US that the apparent anti
German-Amercan policies Of the Will
son administration were only for public
consumption, and that privately they
were ready to work with the German
American leaders. The whole object of
this conference, so far as Senator Stone
was concerned, was to find out what
action was necessary on the part of the
Administration to secure the support
Of the German-Americans at the COM
ing election.
"Can anything be more humiliating
than the spectacle of the chairman of
the Foreign Relations Committee of
the Senate gumshoeing in a small room
of Third Avenue beer garden and bar
tering for the votes which the Presi-
dent from the platform of Shadow
Lawn and in his speech of acceptance
had repudiated?"
Refuse TO See Burleson.
Matters were left in state OF
"watchful waiting" at the Terrace
Garden conference. Mr.. Ridder said.
and hardly ten days passed before the
second emissary of President Wilson,
Postmaster General Burleson, ap-
peared. Invitations were sent 20 the
same group by George Sylvester
Viereck, editor of "The Fatherland,'
to meet Mr.. Burleson in the Office of
Rudolph Pagenstecher, in the Forty
second Street Building, convenient to
the headquarters of the Democratic
National Committee, in the same
building. Mr.. Ridder said all the
other German Americans declined, and
Mr.. Viereck met the Postmaster Gen
eral alone.
Bernard II. Ridder, brother Of Vio
tor, called on Chairman William r.
Wilcox. Of the Republican National
Committee, with his brothers signed
statement. The chairman turned 10
Mr.. Ridder in the presence of the
newspaper men and asked him:
"Haye |, or any representative of
the national committee, or has the
candidate, made any promise or re-
quest of you or your brother regard
ing this campaign"
Mr.. Ridder answered positively in
tho negative.
Made No Requests.
"Have you or your brother con-
veyed to Mr.. Hughes, directly or in
directly, any idea as TO what you
would like TO have him say in this
campaign"
1--WE positively have not
Mr.. Hapgood, in his statement charg-
ing Mr.. Hughes with an agreement
with the German propagandists, de-
clared that Victor Ridder had told Kel-
ler that he, Ridder, had assisted In
writing a speech in which Mr.. Hughes
would clearly announce his attitude
toward the German Americans. Mr..
Hapgood pointed TO the speech Ia
Philadelphia in which Mr.. Hughes said
he would not permit improper inter
ference with American mails or Ameri-
can commerce as his proof.
Chairman Wilcox denounced Mr..
Hapgood's attack as absolutely inde-
fensible" and "the mutterlngs OF des-
perate man in a lost cause The
chairman issued denial from Mr..
Hughes.
Hapgood Charges Evasion.
Mr. Uapgood issued another state
r.nt Ia st night at the University Club.
We charged Mr.. Hughes with evadlng
tho direct question, but modified his
orig;naI charges by saying that sit was
not matter. of course, that could
definitely be called an agreement
"Wiil Mr.. Hughes deny that ne mas
received urgent letters from Germans
along exactly the lines Indicated IN my
statement about Ridder! asked pr.
Hapgood. "Will he deny that ms gong
into the question Of the blockade the