New-York tribune., 1918-06-15
Senator Lodge Reads Let
ter Written by Colleague
to Tribune Editor
Held by a Customer
Senate Instructs Conferrees to
Insist on Appropriation for
Tube Purchase

WASHINGTON, June 14.-The refer
ence in the article in The Tribune of
yesterday about the pneumatic mail
tube lobby to Senator John W. Weeks's
firm owning stock in the tube COM
panies was characterized on the floor
Of the Senate to-day by Mr.. Weeks s
colleague, Senator Lodge, as Islander
Of the basest kind"
Senator Martin, Of Virginia, Demo
cratic leader Of the Senate. followed
MIR. Lodge with cordial tribute to
Senator Weeks.
The discussion took place after Chair
man Bankhead Of the Postoffice Com
mittee reported the disagreement Of
the conferrees over the pneumatic
tube item and asked for further in
structions from the Senate.
Following the speech of Senator
Martin, the Senate, without roll call
directed Its conferrees to insist on the
item containing the appropriation for
the purchase Of the tubes.
Senator Lodges Statement
uS COnpl6I0 remarks Oh SeUAEOf
Lodge follow:
"The Senator knows that / have no
opposition to his motion at all; am In
favor OF It; but I wish to say a single
word about letter in connection with
the question of pneumatic tubes which
is in disagreement between the two
Houses, which has come up and which
was mentioned in the House yeste rday.
"The New York Tribune published
an article or a dispatch from Wash
ington--1 do not know which-which
casts reflections upon my colleague
lMr. Weeks) Of the gravest character.
know him, and know him we'll, that
there Is no man of higher honor or
more unblemished integrity or finer
character than my colleague, who rep
resents with me the state Of Massa-
chusetts, and the statement Of The
New York Tribune in regard to him
was a slander Of the basest kind, and
one that ought never to have been
made, because the facts have been
brought forward before and entirely
explained.
Mr.. Weeks's Letter
II desire to read brief letter which
Senator Weeks wrote to Mr. Reid,
editor of The New York Tribune:
az desire to call your attention to
an article which appeared on the
fourth page Of The Tribune this morn
ing relating to the American Pneu-
matte Tube situation. l do not taks
this action to call attention to the nu-
merous exaggerations and errors in the
article, such as the statement that the
million dollars when the maximum
amount recommended by the Tube
Commission, to which reference is
made, was $4,427, 900, to be reduced to
such an amount as the Interstate Com
merce Commission might determine, or
to the connecting of Mr.. John F.. Mil
holland with the New York, Boston,
Chicago and st. Louis tube systems.
The information before the commission
was to the effect that he had no in
terest whatever in the tube, located in
these cities.
But what / wish to particularly
call your attention to is the reference
made to the firm of Hornblower &
Weeks, of which l was member until
| entered the Senate, and to myself
The slightest investigation or inquiry
on the part Of your Washington cor.
respondent would have demonstrated
the absolute unfairness, in fact, un-
truthfulness, of the statement made,
and l cannot refrain from entering my
protest against such reference and at
tacks as are made against me in this
article.
Stock Not Owned by Firm
"'The facts are that in 1916 list OF
the stockholders in the American Pneu-
matte Tube Service was published in
"The Congressional Record" and that
list showed some stock standing in the
name of Hornblower & Weeks, but an
investigation which made at that time
demonstrated that the stock belonged
to customer of the firm, and that the
firm itself did not own, and never had
owned, share Of the company's stock
The same statement Is true. Of every
member of the firm and Of myself.
DO not now and never had the slight
est interest IN this company; and vet
| am exposed to the public as mem
Der OF commission and a member O.
the Senate urging the adoption of re
port relating to company in which, i
Is charged, ! have financial interest
or that those formerly connected witl
us, and in whom I would naturall,
have some personal interest, have ,
financial interest. The unfairness an<
unrighteousness Of such an accusation
without any attempt to investigate IT.
tIuth, must appeal to you, and | trus
that you will take such action as seem
TO you fair to correct the impressio.
) which. the article in your paper ha
given
Senator Weeks left the firm O
Hornblower & Weeks after ne wa
elected to the Senate and has had n
connection whatever with it for al
years. The firm never owned stock i
the company as my colleague suggest
IN his letter, and he never had stoc
or interests in it in the remotest way
IL is hardly necessary for me to sa
to the Senators who know him an
know him we'll that ne is man utter
~ incapable Of taking part in or urgin
legislation which affected anything +
which he had the slightest financial O
personal interest"