The Washington herald., 1918-11-19
CALL BREWERS
IN TIMES CASE
Senate 81 s,oittee Be
gins Hearing IN brisbane
Deal Today.

Six witnesses have beeen summoned
TO appear before the Senate Judiciary
Subcommittee this morning at the
opening hearing OF the investigation
OF the purchase of the Washington
Times by Arthur Brisbane and certain
political activities of the brewery in
terests throughout the country.
These six men, representing the
leading brewery organizations of the
country, are John Gardiner. of Phila
delphis. chairman of the organization
committee of the United States Brew
ers Association; John A. McDermott,
of New York, manager of the COM
mittee Hugh F. Fox, secretary Of the
association; A. ]. Sunstein. of IItts-
burgh. treasurer of the Protective
League of the National Wholesale Lii
quor Dealers Association; George r.
Dieterle, of Cincinnati, chairman of
the executive committee. and c. w.
Feigenspan. of Newark. n. j, man
ager of the fund with which the
Washington Times was purchased.
Committee Collects Data.
The subcommittee appointed by
the Senate in response to Senator
Wesley Jones resolution calling for
an investigation of the purchase of
the Washington Times with money
secured from a number of brewers
and certain political activities OF
the brewing interests throughout
the country, since its appointment
has been arranging the data sub
mitted by the Department of Justice
and A. Mitchell Palmer, alien property
custodian. The work has been under
the direction of Maj E. Lowry
Humes, of the Adjutant Generals $
office and prosecuting attorney OF
Pittsburgh during the investigation
of the United States Brewers As
/, sociation in that city.
Three of the men appearing before
the subcommittee this morning,
Gardiner, Fox and McDermott were
connected with the Pittsburgh af-
fair. At that time the three re-
fused to testify, standing on their
constitutional privilege protecting
the accused from offering testimony
against themselves.
Prepares Defense Pleas.
II was rumored at the office of the
subcommittee last night that the wit
nesses called. and several not sum-
moned as vet, but interested in the
Investigation, had gathered in a near
by CITY to dig their front-line trench
es." Among those reported as attend
ing the council of ''self-defense'
were John Gardiner, Hugh Fox, John
McDermott. witnesses summoned for
this mornings hearing, Jacob Rup-
pert a $4,000 contributor to the Bris-
bane fund. and Robert Grain, the
"Dear Bob" of the Brisbane-Feigen-
span correspondence.
The work of the subcommittee, as
defined by members, will be to deter
mine the extent of the political med
dlinvs of the various brewing con-
Germs throughout the country. and to
what extent their operations have
been effected by German propaganda.
Sought Press Control.
The purchase of the Washington
Times is expected 30 figure in the in
vestigation chiefly as an example of
the efforts of these organizations TO
control the press of the country. 1t
is stated that among the questions
raised will be the ownership of the
Milwaukee papers recently purchased
BY Arthur Brisbane. reputed owner of
the Washington Times, and declared
to be 100 per cent his property.
Arthur Brisbane himself will appear
before the subcommittee later TO tes-
tify in his own behalf. Other wit
nesses 70 be called during the investi-
gation will be Alexander Konta,
whose letter to DR.. Dernburg was in
cluded in the papers published by the
alien property custodian on the own
ership OF the Washington Times and
George Creel. chairman of the Com
mittee On Public Information.