Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-12-21
SENATOR IMPUGNS'
BECKER'S MOTIVE
in GERMAN PROBE
Reed, of Missouri, Sees Poll
tics in Investigation of
Propaganda
BY associated Press

Washington, Dec. 81. - Most of
yesterdays sessions of the Senate
committee investigating German
propaganda was taken up with tilts
between Alfred l.. Becker, assistant
attorney general of New York, and
Senator Reed, of Missouri, who is
not member of the committee.
Senator Reed, in cross-examining
the New York official, who had been
on the stand two days. charged that
Merton e. Lewis, attorney general
of New York, and Becker misused
their official positions in making
public information contained in af-
fidavits secured by them under spe-
cial war legislation. These afiidavits
referred to alleged meetings of Will
liam Randolph Hearst with Bolo
Pasha, executed in France as traitor,
and former Ambassador Won Bern
storff. n
Denies Reeds Charge
Mr.. Becker denied the charge,
saying that the affidavits made pub
lie were not secured under the spe-
cial legislation. He said that GER
tain disclosures purporting to show
association of Hearst and Bolo were
made public for what a frankly
admit were political purposes" He
justified this course on the ground
that their publication was in the
public interest.
The information under discussion
was given to New York newspapers
mainly in August, September and Oc-
tober when Becker was a candidate
for the Republican nomination for
attorney general of New York state,
and Attorney General Lewis was
candidate for the Republican nomi-
nation for governor against Charles
s. Whitman. II appeared from the
cross examination that Hearst was
considered n supporter of Whitman
and Senator Reed sought to show
that Lewis and Becker attended to
damage Whitman by attacking
Hearst.
Senator Reed read from New
York newspaper of July 81, 1917, a
story telling of Bolo Pasha's atten-
tion to a Metropolitan opera singer
q Spanish woman, whose relations
with Bolo were declared by Becker
to be entirely blameless.
In this story was a letter Irom
Bolo to the singer mentioning my
friend. Mrs. Millicent Hearst" Mr..
Becker admitted having given to
the papers the statement containing
this letter.
Interesting as Item of News
What was the purpose of giving
it out at this particular Tune IN
quired Senator Reed.
1T was an interesting itAm of
news which / thought the public
would be glad to read" Mr.. Becker
replied, smiling.
WAS there no purpose to connect
Hearst with Bolo?"
81 had regarded the purpose to
show the connection of Hearst with
German propagandists as more in
teresting to the public than, the dis
closure of Bolo's attentions to the
opera singer.
Becker added, shouting to drown
Senator Reeds voice: ! think IL
should have been done a long time
before
Senator King, of Utah, then ask
ed: Did you attempt to prejudice
the public against Whitman by
showing his connection with
Hearst?"
Mr.. Becker replied: ut was
Lewis campaign committee which
did this"
Defics Missouri Senator
When the cross-questioning was
interrupted by adjournment, to be
resumed this morning, Senator Reed
asked Mr.. Becker to produce Vouch-
ers showing expenses incurred by
state secret service agents in OBJ
tanning dispositions in the inVesti-
CATION of Bolo's activities in the
United States. The witness stated
with heat that he would do no such
thing" as they were confidential. =
Throughout most of the cross-eX-
animation by Senator Reed, men,
bers of the subcommittee in charge
of the investigation sat silent, and
at one time two of them learen for
ward with their heads in their
hands.