Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-09-20
BREWING INTERESTS
SUBJECT OF PROBE
Charged With Using Large
Sums to Control Pub
lie Sentiment.
SENATE WILL INVESTIGATE
Action Follows Brisbane's State
ment as to Loan to Him to
Buy Newspaper.
SENATE WILL INVESTIGATE
rRv Associatcd rressl

WASHINGTON. September lo-rhc
Federal custodian OF alien property a.
Mitchell Palmer. made public 10 -day
the names OF fifteen brewers. who, with
the United States Brewers Association.
raised II fund OF siO7.50o. from which
s37".ooo was loaned to Arthur Brisbane
to buy the Washington Times.
Mr.. Palmer acted Immediately after
the Senate had passed resolution in
troducch by Senator, Jones. Of Wash
inEton. calling upon the property Gus
todian 20 show the proofs on which he
made his speech in Harrisburg. Ia .
last Saturday, describing the efforts
OF brewers to control newspaper in
pro-Gcrnan interests. TO exert their in
nucncc upon Congress. and finally. on
which he charged that the brewing in
terests had advanced the money for the
purchase OF newspaper 10 tight the
ia tile of the liquor ira fiic under the
shadow Of the dome of the Capitol"
Mr.. Brisbane. in published state
ments in the Times. already has stated
that he bought the paper with money
loaned by 6. w. fciccnspan brewer.
and president OF the Federal Trust
Company, OF Newark, y. j.
Mr.. Brisbanc Also published "a letter
from/ Fcirenspan defining all arrange
mcnt by which the loan was syndicatcd
10 fifteen brewers. Mr.. Palmer in
cludcs in his disclosure this letter and
hiSo 10 support ms dSScr-
ton that the loan was made in a way
to conceal it's course and purpose
Included in MIR Palmcr's papers are
Gopies OF letters written by Alexander
honia. evidently German agent, TO
Captain Hans Tauschcr. notoriousiy as
sociatcd with German propaga nda in
the United states. and to Dr. bernard
Dernburg, Gcrmany's chief propaganda
agent upon the prospects OF bdying
Some great American newspaper Mr.
Palmer connects these with his declar-
tF.n t,It
brewers attempted to exert was thor
oughly in the interest of Germany.
Mr. Palmer tonight declined 10 say
when his office obtained the documents
lie added that they spoke for them
selves.
DOCUMENTS SHOW HOW
MUCR WAS LOANED
First among the documents is let
ter from Feigenspan to Robert Grain.
whose office is in the building which
houses Mr.. Brisbane's Times, detailing
the distributions OF the s4C7.5o0 loan.
II was divided this way:
George Ehret. S50.uuU: &. Fcigcnspan n
$4,000; Julius Lehman. $4,000: j. c.
q. Hupfcl $3.50; Jacob Rupert $50
zoe; Joseph h. Clhlein, 5000: Edward
Landsbcrg. $4,000: Reuter- < Co. SIa.-
William iiamm, $4,000; q. pabst. $40
600: Fred Miller Brewing Company
s!s,oco tthis sum was allotted among
nve individuals at $4,000 each; G.
y. ~
Sons, $1,000; Bergner & Engel, Sfo.-
co"; United states Srewers' Assocja-
ton, $4,000; United states Brewers
Associa ton adv. $4,000; total of
OF this sum. FeiScnspan's letter
stated $4,000 Was advanced to the
growing circulat tion corporation. ,Mr
Erisbane's punished statements place
the sum he borrowed through Mr. Fci-
Senspan at this amount.D
The alien property custodian makes
no comment upon the documents, but
simply Includes them in "a letter 10
Senator King, OF Utah. the author Of
the resolution which Cancelled tho
charter OF the German American All
aucc. and then passes two letters by
konia To support his charge in his
harrisburg speech that the organized
liquor ira lic has been pro-Gcrman in
it's sympath and that these great
interests actually have been willing to
finance great newspapers for the pur
pose OF spreading German propaganda
ana sentiment IN this county.
kontst's letter to Tauschcr includes
some expressions OF doubtful compli-
mcniary nature as 70 bernard bern
Tut informs 'fauschcr that, at Dcrn-
bers's request. he has canvasscd the
prospects of buying newspaper. Hc
asks that if possible. the original be
recovered.
The latter to Dernbcrs. written
OF the purchase and publication OF a
daily newspaper in this country in the
interests OF Germany and the German
government II proceeds TO discuss
various New York newspapers from
the point Of their success. proceeding
from that to making deductions on
the likelihood of their sale.
After discussing the probable sale
and purchase OF several New York pa
pcrs in letter to Dcrnhcrg. konta
took up the relation of tho prohibition
ion Z l,H inn in han ii RI
wrote:
prohibition is seriously occupying
the minds Of the brewers and distiicrs
Of this country. 1t is not II question
Of temperance which they advocate. but
OF the actual prohibition by law of
the sale OF beers, wines and liquors.
y paper that would not he hostile of
the personal liberty Of the citizen 10
drink in moderation what he pleased
could count upon the powerful support
OF The brewers and the distillcrs 10
&C mmand illimitable capital, and what
is moro means Of giving tho paper III
question Il circulation large enough 10
attract advertisers
add TO this a discreet appeal TO
every German society in the country
for support by its members aud VIC
could easily count upon u national daily
circulation OF 100000 copies. This, To
bc sure. would be "a circulation among
t; crman and German americans.
whereas. what is wanted is native
y
circulation is built up diScrccuy rs !
suggest. the man in the street will be
impressed by numbers. large cir
culation. widely advertised. would inn
press the native American and lead
him to take the paper. And. mean
while a deficit would be changed into
a protit TO be used for further propa-
ganda.'
At no time in tho l<onta letters arc
Mr.. Brisbane or the Times mentioned
at all. but Mir. Palmer. il was said. in
cl,idcd tho correspondence TO prove his
charge that the brewing interests were
furthering German propaganda. and
that the German Alliance was really Il
German. whisky alliance
NJ. Palmcrs revelations of these
documcnts shot II stir through Con-
Gress and official Washington which.
proba bly,, has not been approached
since the declaration OF war Since his
Harrisburg speech saturday a storm
has ragged around the ownership of Mr..
Brisbanc's Times. which came to II
.limaX yesterday with Brisbane's pub
ishcd announcement that he bought