New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1917-01-10
Amts-Ni lson Advertising Camp aig,..

George Creel, in the January issue Of
Pearson's Magazine, has written a COM
prehensive article, exposing the animus
back OF the Anti-W ilson Advertising
Campaign, which developed few days
before the Presidential lection last
November. The scandal back OF the
appearance Of whole page advertise
ments appearing in metropolitan news
papers in the last few days before the
election dates as far back as 1906
Mr.. Creel's exposure consists OF an
explanation OF the appearance OF nun1er-
ous=full page advertisements IN the big
daily papers, regardless Of politics, all
over the country. These ads were.
signed by "Half Democrat Who Can
not Vote for Wilson," just before No
vember 4. They appeared Simultaneous
" in various large cities and gave several
reasons why the welfare Of the country
was contingent upon President Wilson's
defeat. Very few people outside of the
business offices of the daily newspapers
favored with this profitable " copy"
knew that the t'half a Democrat who
could not vote for Wilson" was none
other than John Wannamaker, of de-
partment store fame, lifelong Re-
publican, and postmaster general under
President Harrison. Now that the
identity of the author Of the advertising
campaign is revealed, many people will
wonder why the head Of a great business
concern like that Of the House Of Wanna
maker should interest himself to the
extent Of many thousands Of dollars to
insert; all this expensive paid in advance
literature This question having oc-
cured to the Democratic committee,
the following facts were uhearthed: s.
From 1896 to 1913 during Re
publican administration thru the
laxity or connivance Of customs officials
The Wananaaker stores in philadelphia
received large quantities Of dutiable.
merchandise from the Wanamaker shop:
in Paris packed as samples and there
fore duty free. The plan was very care
fully worked out and netted the firm
several thousand dollars annually. In
1911 a former Wanamaker employee
appraised the government of this Wana-
maker practice and-then as now-an
was ordered. After ap-
proximately years delay, the Wanna
makers delivered to the government their
foreign merchandise records. The. in
vestigation proved the existence Of fraud
but investigations then as now pro-
ceeded slowly before the investigators
could complete their work the Wana-
makers offered 100000 in settlement.
Although the government was convinced
that this did not cover the amount due,
it wassaccepted ~ the day before Wilson's
and the records were
shipped back to Philadelphia the day
before Mr. McAdoo took office.
1t would seem that the Republican
administration realized that so loyal al
financially as Mr.. Wanamaker
should not be left to the tender mercies
OF the opposition in SO delicate a matter.
Notwithstanding this considerate des-
patch the matter later came to the at
tention of Mr.. McAdoo, was by him re-
ferred to the attorney general, who ap-
pointed special assistant to handle the
case.
Aspeciai grand jury convened in Phila-
delphia in June, 1918, found that the
previous settlement had not included all
the fraudulent returns, and an additional
100000 was paid by the Wanamakers
as compromise. This investigation
under Treasurer McAdoo resulted in the
forced designations of five. head officials
in the customs department at Philadel-
phia. The 'sHalf a Democrat Who