The Washington herald., 1918-09-27
PALMER FIRST
WITNESS TODAY
Probe Into Purchase Of
Washington Times Post
poned Yesterday.

The Investigation of the purchase
OF the Washington Times by Arthur
Brisbane with money borrowed from
brewers will start this morning.
The first meeting of the Senate Ju-
dietary Subcommittee appointed TO
conduct the Investigation had been
set for ii o'clock yesterday morn
ing. but at the request of Senator
King. of Utah. was postponed until
l0:30 this morning.
Senator King asked that the COM
mittee meeting be postponed in or
der that he and Senator Wolcott,
of Delaware. who is also member
of the subcommittee, might attend
meeting of the Senate Privileges
and Elections Committee. which had
been called for yesterday.
A. Mitchell Palmer. Alien Property
Custodian. will be the first witness
before the Senate committee.
Expect Wide Probe.
The full scope of the Investigation
is still to be determined. 1t may
stop with the examination of the
VI MI Iol lHDdIlt dC-
qujsition of the Washington Times,
and a survey of the extent TO VIII. IN
the brewers i-prohibition cam
paign was a cloak for infiltration
of pro-German policies into the press
of the United States.
Senator Jones. author Of the reso-
luton for the investigation. insisted
on going the whole distance.
Excerpts from the editorials of the
Washington Times that are alleged
to be pro-German as well as pro-
brewery are being collated for pre-
sentation to the committee. This sug-
gests that the investigation can hard
ly be confined to a single newspa-
per and that the editorial utterances
of the Hearst newspapers also may
be called for.
Many questions have been asked
recently as TO the reason Mr.. Palmer
included in his recent statement on
the Brisbane case the communica-
tions of Alexander Konta to Dr.
Dernburg in relation to the purchase
OF newspapers for German propa.
ganda.
To Seize Ebert Money.
taNt DfudihT Ming Inc hOnld
letter. said Mr.. Palmer yesterday.
because / had said liquor interests
involved were pro-German and unpa-
triotic. 1t required that TO make a
complete answer In my speech
made two separate statements. My
reply to Senator King covered both"
Mr.. Palmer was asked what would
be done with the money put in the
Washington Times. through Arthur
Brisbane, of an enemy alien.
The property Of George Ehret is
In the possession OF the Alien Prop
erty Custodian" he said. What Mr..
Brisbane owes Mr.. Ehret he will turn
over to this office"
The Ehret contribution 70 the fund
was 5000
CreeI and Konta Friendly.
Alexander Konta, the banker.
who has been mentioned in con-
nection with the purchase OF the
Washington Times by a brewers
syndicate. was held in high regard
by George Creel, director Of the
committee on Public Information,
according to, telegram sent by
Cree1 to Geza d. Berko, editor OF
N''S -hAaANA Ahthi -sAo y dI -NFpsLdNd. ldSl
August. when CreeI was unable to
attend a dinner the Hungarian Ilov-
atty League gave in honor of Konta
at the Hotel Astor
The telegram, which was made
public by persons interested in the
CzHcho-Slovak movement. is said to
have been published in Berko's
newspaper a few days after the din
ner. and read as follows:
My dear Mr.. Berko: l am sorry
beyond measure that another en-
gagement prevents me from accept
ing your invitation to the dinner in
honor of Mr.. Alexander Konta.
Nothing would have delighted me
more than to be present to join in
the deserved tribute 10 the president
OF the American Hungarian Loyalty
League. for he has been a tower OF
strength to the work I am conduct
ing. As much as any one man in
the country he has made the hyphen
a badge of loyalty instead of a sign
of disaffection.
Believe me. very sincerely,
GEORGE CREEL."
Meanwhile 1t was evident that the
disclosure ot Konta's letters to DR..
Albert and DR.. Dernburg had stirred
up among Observation-Disclosures a
movement hostile to the Hungarian