The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-11
.0'[EARY AND HALE
 MAKE STATEMENTS l. DENYING CHARGE
These Two Very Active Pa. cifists Say They Know Nothing of Thinner
 mann Notes

New York. October 10.-Jeremiah o'Leary, President of the American Truth society, denied here today that he had ever had anything to do with pro- German sabotage in munitions plants in this country or knew anything about 1t. as indicated in dispatches from the German foreign office to former German Ambassador. Von Bernstorff, given out by Secretary of State Lansing
 "The Zimmerman message, if gen. uine. is a complete surprise to me-" he declared. "The only thing I can say about 1t, is that it is a matter about which could possibly know nothing. What Zimmerman might say to his military representatives, I could not in any way controvert, but I am the con- troller of my own conduct, and as such, I can positively say that I have had nothing to-do with sabotage, nor have ever been approached by any German agent on the subject
 Tt is an outrage for the state de- partment to publish documents refiecting on American citizens without any proof that they have been connected with the SeNpJSSe sAite1tSCi. iiGSNC OCSll dCllte Al fighting the British propaganda with my voice, pen and energies because have been convinced that reason is far more effective weapon than dynamite.
 My work has been out in the open have been connected with no secret intrigues. Every newspaper in the coun- try is familiar with my work and Mir. Lansing knows this as well as they do'
 O'Leary made public telegram which he said he had sent to Secretary Lansing It asserted there was not "a scrap of evidence to prove I have ever been con- nected with the subject matter of the Zimmerman note.
 DIR. HALES DENIAL
 Dr. William Bayard Hale made the fol- lowing statement today at his home here in reference to the mention of his name in the dispatch from von Bernstorff:
 Yes, I know something of the Ameri- can embarbo conference Early in the year 1915 (more than two years before the United States entered the war) I was surprised by visit of gentleman from Chicago q do not remember his nameI who had seen an article or two of mine deprecating war. He asked me to make a speech in Chicago before an assem- bly of ladies and gentlemen who hoped to preserve peace and who, as I remem- bered. he thought would form an organi- zation to promote public opinion against the further shipment of arms and am intuition from America.
 T expressed some sympathy with the idea. but declined to go to Chicago to speak. A few months later I was aston ished to find my name printed on the stationery of The American Embargo conference,' as chairman of the national board
 "Consulting my letter files, I find that on December !, 1915, wrote to the execu- tive secretary of this organization ex- pressing surprise that they had used my name, and asking them to withdraw 1t from their stationery. Some correspond ence followed and my name was with drawn from their stationery. On my part expressed sympathy with their move ment so far as I was acquainted with 1t, but declined to associate myself with the organization.
 These perfectly proper and innocent events took place in the closing months of the year 1sl5-two years ago"