New-York tribune., 1918-11-23
Financial Support Given
Disloyalists, Senate
Inquiry Discloses
Religious and Labor
Activities Exploited
Seized Records Are Filed
and Hearing Adjourned
to December 3
Tribune Washington Bureau


United States Brewers Association
placed on the German American Ali
ance and the un-Americanized citizens
generally was produced at to-day 8
hearing by the Senate committee on
the brewers Brisbane propaganda re-
lstionsip. 1t was shown that special
efforts. and successful ones, we're al
ways made 10 enlist these elements.
Other evidence offered showed
Financial support of the Alliance
and of The American Leader, the
organ of Louis n Hammerlings as
Sociation Of foreign language news
papers.
The use of organizers speclailzinS
in labor and religious bodies.
The listing by brewers in their in
come tax returns of their campaign
contributions, thus reducing their
taxes.
The organization of the same kind
of machinery which later was exposed
in the case of the American Embargo
Conference, to bring pressure to bear
on Congress.
John A. McDermott, manager of the
organization bureau OF the u. 5. b. A.,
was the only witness. and will prob
ably be the last Of that concerns Off
GERS to be heard.
Inquiry Is Adjourned
Following his testimony, Major
Humes, counsel for the committee, put
into the record q great mass of docu-
mentary evidence taken from the files
Of the association, and the committee
adjourned to December 8, when, it is
expected, the inquiry into the Brio-
bane deal and the pro- German propa-
ganda machinery will be taken UP.
Mr.. McDermott outlined the organ
lzation plans Of the brewers. He de-
MED that the national organization
directly had ever taken part for or
against an individual candidate, or con-
tributed to the campaign fund of any
declaring that "details" Of this kind
werafalways left to the local body. He
also denied cooperating with the local
German-American alliances, but denied
that he had ever had anything to dc
With the National Alliance.
He told, when asked about these re
lations, of having paid, personally, fol
trip of julius Moersch, q vice -presi-
dent of the alliance, to San Francisco
in 1915, to oppose the passage of {
resolution criticising President Wilson
for his foreign policies. Moersch, he
said, organized a revolt in the alliance
and won his fight.
Mr.. McDermott declared that
change had come over the methods O
the brewers "since the Pittsburgh
cases." that they were no longer tax
ing part in political fights, but wer
advertising. He said that he was nov
the only man left in his bureau.
s330,13S From Brewers
An audit of the accounts of Perc
Audreae's National Association of Com
merce and Labor from November
1913, to June 80, 1915, was also intro
duced. This audit is incomplete, bot
in that it failed to carry through t
the time when Andreae left the brew
crs and that, as the auditors remarked
a large number Of payments were NJ
supported by properly reccipted voucf
ers or detailed statements. We hav
been advised that many of these STATE
Inents were lost in the fire.
In short, both the bookkeeping and tn
method OF filing the checks and othe
documents we're incomplete in almo
every detail"
This audit showed among the receipt
s330,l38 from the U. S. B. A., 500
900 from the National Wholesal
Liquor Dealers Association, and S136
1874 OF from the STAMP sale"-th
method by which a tax was levied
she brewers on the bills paid to a
concerns selling goods to them.
Among the expenditures were $120
$500 for publicity, s42,63a.4l to tn
National German-American Allianc
and sS3,994.30 to the america
Leader" Hammerlng's paper. 1t ha
bssn testified that Hammerlng got
: 'otal Of 100000 out of Andrea.
The audit also disclosed payment
% Max Henrici, editor of the MONTH
orlletin of the German-American A
lance OF s6 34524
The dependence of the brewers @
ne Germans and un-Americanized ci
'1ens generally was expatiated upon
report TO Andrea by two Of b
workers. In this they said:
Undoubtedly one Of the most in
portant factors developed is that of II
rsiationship you have established wit
me so,called foreign language elemen
hrough their representative public
ions. AT this date 683 newspaper
nth circulation Of approximate
$780, 900, are publishing IN twenty.nir
languages the articleo on personal Ii
erty appearing bi-weekly over the nan
OF Louis \. Hammerling in THE Ame
can Leader (Other evidence show,
that Andrea actually wrote these art
cles.)
In the report also is an outline
ne system for influencing Congress:
The work done under your directic
n apprising Congress Of the sentimel
existing throughout the count
against national prohibition requir
special mention The wo,
done by the brewers, distiilcrs. Who'll
sale liquor dealers and members Of q
allied trades resulted in thousands
protests being filed in Washington, al
his work was further augmented
shat Of the United Brewery Worker
German American Alliance and forei,
language elements"
A call was sent out by Andrcae n,
the response was 80 ready that bv Il
afternoon Of the next day every Sen
.or and Congressman had received bu
dreds Of telcgraphic protests, viii,
we're further strengthened and au
nented by thousands of written pr
scsts."
Il great mass Of documents seized
Major Humes in preparing the caa,
nfiich reguIted In heavy fnce being [,
posed on the y. S, r. A. and subgidia