Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-05-01
LEAGUE
HEAD GETS GRILL|NG
THROUGH COMMITTEE
President A. c. TOwnIey De-
MES That His League Is In
Least Unpatrioic

Washington, May IA G. Townley,
president OF the Ncn-Partisan League
today denied before the senate mill
tary affaius committee that the or
sanization is reasonable or that he or
other officers are traitors. Townley,
who is under indictment in state courts
appeared at his own request to answer
charges recently made by Judge ]. E.
Me(}ee, Minnesota, that the "Non,
Partisan League man is traitor and
that the league is reasonable or
ganization.
The committee bmntly refused to
allow Townley to discuss the aims and
purposes Of the league, when Senator
Reed raised the point that McGee had
not accused the league membership,
but had specifically stated that the
majority of the members, though 10y
al, were misled by officers.
! Comnittee members kept up fire
of questions designed to show wheth-
er Townley and other league officers
had displayed loyalty to the United
States.
"Did the league buy any liberty
bondsin asked Senator Weeks.
"We bought $4,000 of the third loan
and none of the first or second" said
Townley. He testified the league usu-
ally had on hand from $4,000 to $780,
/ 900 in cash in it treasury.
Reed read resolutions adopted by the
league last September in which the
aims of the Russian Bolsheviki were
praised He quoted from resolutions
passed at the league convention in
March to show thas the league had
then continued to endorse the aims of
the Russians in behalf of political and
industrial democracy.
Townley denied the league supports
what the bolsheviki have been doing.
"We favored their efforts to obtain
poll 'ical and industrial democracy.
said Townley, "but that effort has
!. been failure so far.''
Pressed for O definition of industrial
democracy, Townley Illustrated with
his brother-in-law' g CALI which died
and the hide brought 1927. Theman
then bought a set OF harness which
cost him 800. ct used to- be possible
to get SIS or $6 for calf skin and get
back the harness made from it foi
sos" I" said Townley.
This brought on lively argument
as to- the value of calf skin and wheth
er harness lis made from it. The hear
ing rapidly developed into an exchange
of witticisms, Townley finally admit
tied he didn Y know whether harness
was made of calf skin or not.
"Iet,s bury that calf" suggested
Senator Weeks and asked Townle.
whether he had ever been a farmer
Townley said he had, succeeded for
time, later losing all his money.
Tcwnley finally read resolution
passed by the league indorsing the ma
ticn's war aims and pledging the lea
gue's support to the war. He sal
North Dakota and Minnesota farmer
have patriotically planted much NOR
wheat this year than last, though the,
could make more mney from other Gel
leals.
t Reyerting i'he league 3 failure to sui
o scribe to the first and second hbert
9 loans, Senator Weeks asked what tn
J. lleasce's total annual income is
e "About 81 100000 if all our member
s pay their Dues" said Townley.
D ''Do you know of any other corpor'
|. tion with that incoms that didn' N sui
e scribe to the first and second loans an
only bought $4,000 of the third loans
v asked Weeks.
i "No," said Townley.
a "Neither do l." commented Week
l. "and if l did, ia be ashamed of it.
d "The democratic and republican pa
!e tics didn't buy any bonds" said Tow
4. ley.
"They have no such incomes, " r
tt piled Weeks, whereat Shose who packt
N the committee room laughed.
's Townley said the utterances which
j. was indicted were not 50 strong as
statement by Woodrow Wilson that Il
lie capitalists controlled the United State