New-York tribune., 1918-12-05
New Yorker, at Brisane In
quiry. Denies That He Up
held the Lusitania Case
Witnesses Riddle
Hammerling Story
Hearst Editor Appears at
Hearing Ready to Take
the Witness Stand
Tri6uue WosASnqtop Buycau

Borthard Dernburg, the kaiscr's agent
in America, outlining a scheme for
combining the German and beer inter
ests in the secret purchase of a news
paper for propaganda purposes, was
undergoing severe grillinS a. The
hands OF the Senate committee iaQuir-
ing iRto the beer Brisbane German rc~
lationsAip when The hearing was ad
Jouyned today
He nad already been caught in the
admission that he had denounced the
Central Powers publicly from TIC time
tha LusItania was sunk though he was
st.li "nlied with gratitude to Germany"
.uontas later The hearing closed with
promise by Senator Wolcott 10 make
q careful check of events to filsd
whether at the time named Germany
had earned that gratitude by driving
the Russians from Hungary. as konta
intimated,
Arthur Brisbane whose purchase of
The Washington Times" with fund
lalsed by brewers, and the subsequent
publication by The Times" of attacks
on Americas allies and articles in op-
position to the draft and TO the sending
abroad OF american troops, etc, are
among the chief reasons for tbs in
quiry. will follow konta on the stand
He appeared at the hearing for the
first time to day. There also reappeared
Robert Grain, the Dear Bob" of the
reiganspan correspondence in connec-
tion with "The Washington Times -
deal, who is counse! for the United
States Brewers Association,
Hammerling Defends Self
The major part of to-day's hearing
TOD a. 7
n Hammerling, presidents OF the Amari-
can Association of Foreign language
New 5paperS- Mr. Hammerling closed his
testimony with an impassioned decla-
ration of his loyalty. and recital o.
list Of his patriotic activities, nclud-
ing the purchase Of Allied as wei! as
American war bonds and vigorous sup
port Of Red Cross and similar organi
cations
He was followed by former associ-
ates and employees. men whom he had
denounced as "blackmailers." who tas-
.ofed:
That Ambassador von BernstorF
visited Hemmerling's office shortly
before the appearance of the adver-
tisement he put out urging mum
tions workers to qvt their jobs,
That he mad been warned not only
by employees, but by outsiders, that
TINS advertisement was German prop
aganda, and that one man who
warned him found several hundred
extra dollars in his next pay en-
velope. 81 suppose for keeping my
mouth shut" he said
That Ham merlinc had commune
Gated with Boy-Ed and Won Papen,
the German diplomats" who directed
the terrorism campaign in America.
That he had prosecuted men who
refused to sign the appeal to the
American reole" carried in the ad-
vcrtisement
Testimony Is Rcfuted
That contrary to have his own
testimony, he had plainly shown in
conversation that he knew the ad-
Fertlsemens was pro German propa-
ganda,
That the influence of the commit
Zee on public information had been
used TO stop a revolt against Ham
rnerllng which was growing among
the foreign language newspaper pub
fishers
That his association, purporting to
be representative of the foreign Ian
guage press, was really private ad-
Nerhslng agency, aiming to dominate
hT foreign language papers, and that
1t mulctcd both advertisers and pub
llShHrS Wben possible.
Mr. konta prefaced his testimony BY
reading long printed statement, II
which he replied to the charges against
him. denied having any knowledge OF
tho brisbane deal, protesting his 10y
atty and recounted his services to the
'lnl'ed States When it was finished
tho livelest hour so far of the hear
'ngs began, as he was asked to recon
~,'e his explanations with the facts
'hH~o in bis correspondence.
Konta in Official Post
In his prepared statement Konta de
c'arcd that IN the corly days of tn,
war BIS sympathics were with Hungar,
and against Russia, but explained tha
no was N close sympathy with tn
party working for Hungarian indepen
d"nce, He said that he had sent tn
Pr"s' dent memorandum urging wa
with Austria shortly before war wa
actually declared, and that partly be
caus" of this he was placed in Wash
ington" at the head of the American
Hungarian Loyalty League, which h
proceeded to organize.
He went to some length in explain
ing the finances of this organization
whose complete loyalty ne defende
vigorously and denied that he or an
one else had made any profit from il
Il have interpolated this statement,
he said, "in order to make a positiv
denial Of the statement published i
The New York Tribune and clsewhcr
that we have souandered betwee
100000 and S300.0o0 of the govern
mcnts money and have spent $4,000 i
publicity for the league.
The chairman Of the Committee 0
Public Information George CreeI ha
certified taat the total cost of tn
American Hungar rian League to the go,
ernment is $4,000. Of this money
have personally handled only $204O. 2
In addition to that, we have paid ou
own publicity expenses out of the $25
600 of membership subscriptions, and
have also paid many incidental e,
penses out of my own pocket"
II have also seen it stated" he say
little later, that in the course Of a
address which | made in Decembe
1915, ! defended the Lusitania outrae
upon the ground that the Lusitania WI
carrying munitions. This statement
false
Quotes From The Tribune
Among the New York newspaper
which gave credence to it was tt
Tribune. Yet ] find among my cliI
= pings a clipping from The Tribune
December 8, 1915, which reported tn
very speech This Tribune article
entitled Hungarian Editor Denounc,
Plots-Conspira to Wreck Nun
tions Plants in United States Gale