The Washington herald., 1918-05-22
LA TOILETTE
PUTSHIS CASE
TO SENATORS
Investigators Of St. Paul
Speech Hear Brief By
Attorney Roe.
WILL OFFER PROOFS
Says Bryan Asked Presi-
dent to Keep Passsen-
gers Off Lusitania.

Senator LaFoIlette. of Wisconsin,
assured the Senate Committee on
Privileges and Elections yesterday
that he could prove every state
ment in his st. Paul speech. The
senator did not appear in person,
as he is at the bedside of his son.
But his attorney. Gilbert r. Roe. OF
New York. asserted that II the COM
mittee would call witnesses and doc
uments every statement made by the
Wisconsin senator could be proved.
Among the statements made in the
st. Paul speech were that Secretary
of State Bryan had warned the
President that the Lusitania was
loaded with munitions. and had
asked the President to prevent pas
sengers travelling upon the Gu
harder.
The attorney who appeared for the
senator said:
The ST. Paul speech does not
even approach the possibility Of a
shadow Of disloyaIty."
Mr.. Roe made his argument
through a brief which he fled. and
half of which he reviewed. The
members of the committee refrained
from Interruptions. but today the at
torney VIII be questioned.
Say. Press Spread Falsehood.
In one part of his brief he read:
1T Is true that all the newspapers
of the country served by the AS
sociated Press, the day after the
speech. entirely nisquoted Senator
La Toilette. as proved by the rec
ord. and made him say the very op-
posite of what he really said con-
cerning our grievances against
Germany which led to the war. II
is true that this falsehood has been
used to procure votes of condemna-
tion from various individuals and
bodies throughout the country"
One report had it that Senator
La Toilette said. I'VE had suffered
no grievances against Germany"
but he supplied q stenographic copy
which has him saying. Il don't
mean to say we hadn't suffered
grievances, we had"
"Had q Right to His Views"
whether Senator La Toilette was
right or wrong in opposing the dec
laration of war. draft law. causes
which led to war. or the financing
of war is immaterial." recites the
brief.
He had a right to his views and
he had a right to express them pre-
cisely as any Senator or any citizen
has a right to express his views
upon the same question"
The ST. Paul speech was made Sept.
90 and the charges were filed by the
Minnesota Commission Sept. g. Mr..
Roe holds that il the committee had
entertained "a suspicion" that the
charges had "the slightest basis of
fact" they would have been investi-
gated and action taken long ago. He
terms the accusation of "disloy atty
and sedition' as "baseIess and wan
ton"
The Lusltania Remark.
Dealing with the ''Lusitania" re-
mark. the brief cited that a man in
the audience asked How about the
ILusitania?' and later Senator La
Toilette answered him with the state
ment that Mr.. Byran warned the
President that the ship carried mu-
nitions, and begged that passengers
be warned to keep on her. Mr. Roe
asserted that the liner did carry mu-
nitions, and added:
Secretary Bryan as is well-known.
resigned from the cabinet and gave
publicly as one of the reasons for
resigning the fact that the President
woul" not warn passengers not to
Itravel upon munition-laden ships.