Arizona republican., 1916-10-23
HUGHES MAKES DENIAL
 CHARGE THAT SECRET
 AGREEMENT WASMADE
Republican A. p. Leased Wire

NEW YORK. Oct. 22-Charles F. Hughes denied tonight the charge of the democratic national committee that he had entered into q secret agreement with the American in dependence conferenc in which Jere- miah A. OLeary is said to be the central figure.
 His denial was in reply to state ment issued from democratic head quarters in this city containing what purported to be a report made by MT. OIeary al the session of the conference in Chicago. Tn this alleged report OLeary was quoted as having said MT. Hughes promised that his future conduct in the speech making line should be entirely satisfactory to the interests of the committee"
 The democratic statement charged that OIeary and his committee were delegated to meet Mir Hughes and ascertain his attitude with reference Co MT. Roosevelt's pro-British and anti American utterances in parti- cular and his (Mr Hughes) policies in general"
 The republican reply was issued al Montclair at midnight after a three hour conference between National ChaiTmal w. F. Wilcox and Mir Hughes. The former called early in.
  nominee and afterward went into conference with him over the nomi- nee's recent trip. While this confer enCe was on the democratic state ment was read to them over the telephone
 A few minutes before midnight Chairman Wilcox Issued this state Inent
 Chairman Wilcox said this even E.-. .f been brought to the attention Of Mir. i Hughes over the telephone and that Mir Hughes replied
 i I saw the persons mentioned at their request about the middle of Sep tember. just as l have seen all per sons and delegations so far. who have asked me to receive them. "'l have said nothing in private that have not said in public. At the very beginning, in my speech of ac- 1 ceptance. declared my position in , favor of the absolute protection i of American lives and property and ' American commerce. This I reiterat ed to those persons and I have stated it to all others who have asked in- terviews as well as in my public speeches.
 To this maintainence of all Amer ican rights l adhere and shall con tinue to adhere. I have declared over and over again that I have made nc private agreements and have engaged in no intrigues and I repeat thaI statement"
 After quoting MT Hughes as above Chairman WillcoXs statement con- tinues:
 Chairman Wilcox further said thai the national committee has not had and has not now any agreement ol understanding with anybody on suci a matter"
 . Apparently neither MT Hughes nol MT. Wilcox knew that the statemen was to be forthcoming until after din. ner tonight. MT. Wilcox. on his ar. rival at Montclair, announced that h, had called to confer with Mir. Hughe. concerning the last trip and the timer. ary for the next one. Early in tho evening. Colonel George Harvey call. ed and paid his respects to Mir Hughes. Colonel Harvey was no present, however at the conferenc, between Mir. Hughes and MT. Wilcox
 The committee which saw MT Hughes included besides MT. OIeary Will F. Macdonald. of New York Carl F.. Schmidt. of Detroit. chairman of the national committee of tn, American independence conference and Frank Seilberlich. of Boston. I was appointed at a meeting in De troit September :.
 The alleged disclosure, for whicl the democratic national committee an nounced 1t assumed full responsibility purport to have been taken from "th offlcIal minutes and authenticate stenographic transcripts of certaii proceedings of the American inde pendence conference by the hig' sounding, title of the secret. racia Continued on Page Two)