The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1918-09-22
CONFIDENTIAL
DOCUMENTS TO
BE AIRED ERE
Evidence from Department
Of Justice in Palmer
Exposure. z
HEARING TOMORROW
Proofs That Link Propa-
ganda of Brewers and
Germany Sought.
HEARING TOMORROW

Documentary evidence Of a con-
hdential nature was forwarded
yesterday to Washington by the
New York Offices of the Custo-
dian OF Enemy Alien Property,
the Intelligence sections of the
army and navy, the Secret Serv-
ice and the Postofice Department
for use in the governments in
yestigation of alleged conspiracy
between brewers and German
2roPagandists.
This inquiry is a development
of the proposed Congressional in
vestigation of Arthur, Brisbane's
purchase of the Washington
Times with $4,000 supplied by
brewers. The Senate Judiciary
Committee will take up the mat
ter tomorrow, and all government
agencies that have engaged in ex-
posing seditionists have forward
ed material, it is said, from their
secret files to be used by the COM
mittce.
scope of Exposure Wide.
II was stated last night, on the
highest authority, that once an in
vestigation Of the alleged subsidizing
Of the press by brewery or pro-Ger-
man interests Is under way, the In
quiry will not be confined to the facts
disclosed by Alien Property Custodian
Palmer in his exposure of the deal
between Mr.. Brisbane and the COM
binatiOn Of fifteen brewers.
This was forecast when the resolu-
ton Of Senator Jones, of Washington,
directing the Senate Judiciary Com
mittee to inquire into the disclosures
OF Nr. Palmer. was passed by the
Senate. This resolution in its text
not only called upon Mr.. Palmer to
produce evidence and documents, but
also the Department of Justice and
its United States district attorneys.
1t is declared that Custodian Pal
mer is anxious to ascertain just
how the Chicago Herald was ac-
quired before it was combined with
the Examiner of that city by Mr..
Hearst and Mr.. Brisbane was made
its editor. The main point of inter-
est concerns the report which has
reached the Custodian's ears that
part of the prof,s of the Washing
ton Times have been used to finance
the Chicago newspaper enterprise.
TumuIty's Letter Read In senate.
A letter written by Secretary Turn
uIty to Mr.. Brisbane was read to the
Senate yesterday by Senator New, of
Indiana.
Senator New, in presenting the let
ter, said that it had been sent from
the White House soon after the an
nounCement of the President that
politics are adjourned" The letter
follows:
My dear Brisbane: When you were
at the White House Office today for
got TO ask you to send me the Chicago
Herald and Examiner regularly to my
office here. l am sure you are going
tomake the same good Democratic
fight in Chicago that you have been
making in your paper at Washington,
and I want to see just how you do it
Sincerely yours,
JOSEPH P. TUMULTY,
Secretary to the President"
The letter is dated May IA, 1918.
Senator New had the letter refer
red to the Committee on judiciary,
which is investigating the invest
nent of brewers money in the
washington Times.
Kenta to he Called.
One of the first witnesses to be
called when the Congressional in
vestigation gets under way will be
Alexander Konta, broker and leader
among naturalized Americans of
Hungarian origin. Konta's letter
Of March 81. 1915, to DR.. Bernard
Dernburg. who directed German
propaganda in America, showed
how the brewers and the German
propagandists could split the cost
OF acquiring a newspaper for their
mutual interest. This letter is re-
garded as the most important feat
ure of Mr.. Palmer's revelations.
In Chicago Mr.. Kontaa said he had
nothing to do with the purchase of
any newspaper.
Custodian Palmer has not alleged
a direct connection between the Konta
letter and the financing of the Wash
ington Times by the brewers. It
was learned yesterday that Godfrey
Konta. attorney, OF 40 Broad
way. a son of Alexander Konta, Is