The Washington herald., 1918-10-05

paper to favor their business interests
seems no more reprehensible to some
editorial observers than that any
other industry should invest in
newspaper enterprise. But the charge
of Mr.. A. Mitchell Palmer. Allen
Property Custodian. that twelve or
fifteen German brewers Of America. IN
association with the United States
Brewers Association" furnished the
money to buy great newspaper 'in
the shadow of the Capitol ITSELF" and
that the organized liquor traffic of the
country Is "a vicious interest because
1t has been unpatriotic because IL has
been pro-German in its sympathies
and its conduct" excites the wrath of
others. The newspaper in question.
the Washington Times, has been de-
clared to be owned by Mr.. Arthur
Brisbane, chief editorial writer for the
Hearst papers. and reputedly the
highest salaried editor in the United
States Let nobody forget, remarks
the Richmond Journal, that this same
Arthur Brisbane is the Same editor
in-chief of the Hearst publications,
whose virulent anti-British and pro-
German utterances, published by and
with the approval of his principal.
have been a stencil in the nostrils OF
all true Americans" The Washington
Herald reprints at the head of its
editorial column one OF Mr.. Brisbane's
editorials from the Times Of February
%, 1918. which is entitled THE Law
Compels Editors to Tell Who owns
the Newspaper" The gist of Mr.
Brisbane's comment is that the Law
good as far as ii goes. doesn't 10
far enough" and while 'it Is wei.
enough TO know who owns the news
paper. 1t Is even more important tC
know who and what owns the man
that owns the newspaper" Mean
while it is rather humorously noted
in some quarters that fortune has
played a grim joke on the brewers
If they had hoped to influence Con-
gress, because since Mr. Brisbane took
over the Times Congress has passed
the national prohibition amendment,
which is without example in the his
tory OF liquor legislation, and has
voted the nation dry on July l. 1919.
Mr.. Brisbane's chief offending as
some see it. is that following the law
requiring an affidavit on the owner
ship of a newspaper, he averred that
he and his wife were the sole owners
and that there were no known bond
holders, mortgaEees, or other security
holders. Furthermore, as the Newark
News points out he took oath that
he had no reason to believe that any
other person. association. or corpora
ton has any interest. direct or indi-
rect. in the said stock. bonds, or other
securities" Referring 10 the Senate
investigation into Mr.. A. Mitchell
Palmer's charges, the Newark daily
says that the public is entitled to all
the facts that can be produced. and
ought not to be satisfied with parti-
san statements by either overenthusi-
astiC drys or self-interested vets" In
giving the story of the transaction
through which he acquired the Times.
Mr.. Brisbane relates that he bought
the paper from its previous owner
Mr.. Frank 4. Munsey paying half
cash and allowing Mr.. Munsey to
keep all the stock Of the company in
security for the payment OF the other
$25D.000 To finance the paper and put
il on paying basis, Mr. Brisbane ar
ranged for a credit OF any amount up
to $4,000 with Mr.. Christian w
Feigenspan, of Newark, a brewer, OF
the amount borrowed it was found
neces sary TO use only 1875, 900, and the
loan was made without security, al
though Mr.. Brisbane says he had Of
fered real estate as collateral. At first
no interest was asked by Mr.. Feigen-
span. although Brisbane says he in
sisted on paying interest on the loan.
which was made for five years. Since
the Times has come under the control
Of Mr.. Brisbane, We are advised by a
Washington correspondent of the New
York Evening sun, it has frequently
published editorials and news articles
supporting the sale OF beer and light
wines. but opposing the sale of
whisky, and this informant quotes
from a Brisbane editorial as follows:
My attitude on the temperance
question is well known. For more
tran twenty years opposing the sale
of whisky. l have advocated temper
promoted hy forbiddng the sale of all
alcoholic spirits, permitting only the
manufacture and distributor of hght
wine and beer in which the alcohoy
content is reduced to an innocuous
percentage
In a statement to the press Mr..
Brisbane coufesses that the thing he
is chiefly concerned about is the
false accusation that and my paper
are, or have been at any time, in any
way. pro-German." and he proceeds
Il have never written one line in
favor of Germany, and / have writ
ten hundreds of columns in denunCia-
ton of Germany and her methods
and purposes in this war
"I do not think there is any naDer