New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-29
Henry Breckenridge
Told LuSitania
Note Facts
WAR seer TARY
BLOCKED MOVE
Threatened Exposure of
Plan to Scuttle on
U-Boat Issue
[By Telegraph 70 The TtbuS.l

Somerille, Mass, Oct. Ex-senator
Lodge, at Republican rally, tonight
offered proof of his charges that Presi-
dent Wilson had drafted an appendix
to the first Lusitania note which nulli-
fed its strong words, and that the post
script had been withdrawn when two or
three members of the Cabinet threat
ened to resign.
The proof offered is a conversation
with Henry Breckenridge, former AS
sistant Secretary of War, reported to
the Senator by Dr.. Charles Hervey Bal
ley, professor in Tufts Medical
School. Boston. The talk took place on
July Is last when DR.. Bailey and Mr..
Breckenridge were riding on a train
from San Francisco TO Omaha. The
Senator read letter from DR.. Bailey.
According to the letter, Nr. Breckin-
ridge said that the postscript was kept
a secret from all of the Cabinet except
Mr. Bryan. Mr.. Bryan let the cat out
of the bag, and word of it reached Mr..
Garrison. The Secretary of War and
two or three other members of the
Cabinet went to the President and
threatened to resign and to make the
matter public if the postscript was not
removed.
Cannot Support Wilson
Mr.. Breckenridge. who resigned when
Mr.. Garrison quit the Cabinet, told DR..
Bailey, according to the letter, that
neither he nor any patriotic American
could support Wilson, but that he was
q Democrat at heart and would not
work actively for Hughes.
Senator Lodge pointed out that the
first Lusitania note warned Germany
that the United States would "omit no
word or act to hold it to strict ac-
countability" for American lives lost
by the torpedoing of merchant ships.
Then he read DR.. Bailey's letter, which
was addressed to Grafton D. Cushing,
local chairman of the Hughes National
College League. The letter follows
"As you requested, | am submitting
to you herewith, in writing, a report Of
conversation between ex-Assistant
Secretary of War Breckenridge and my
self. Leaving San Francisco on July
Is, 1916, rode from that city as far as
Omaha with Mr.. Breckenridge. Dur
ing the trip asked Mr.. Breckenridge if
he would be willing to answer certain
questions with regard to the conduct
of our national affairs during his con-
nection with the present Administra-
tion.
Dumba Story Correct
Receiving an affirmative reply,
asked him, among other things, as to
the truth of the published report that,
following the so-called strict accounta-
bility note, Secretary Bryan had in
formed Ambassador Dumba that the
Central Powers need not take the note
too seriously, as it was written for po-
litical effect and home consumption
only. He said that in all essential de-
tails | had stated the matter correctly,
which led him Of his own accord to tell
me the following: (This is not, of
course, verbatim report, but simply
brief outline of the story as told me
by Mr.. Breckenridge.)
"He stated that following the COM
pletion of the omit no word or act
note TO the satisfaction of the Cabinet
Mr.. Wilson, without the knowledge of
any member of his Cabinet except Sec
retary Bryan, himself wrote post
script which he sent with the note to
the State Department for codifcation.
"Mr. Breckinridge stated that both
Mr.. Garrison and he had seen this post
Continued on page 4, column 9