The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-12-11
'HEARST'S PRE-WAR
ATTITUDE WRITTEN
into RECORDS
Relate Chief to Internal
Conduct of His
Papers.
SERIES OF EXHIBITS
Vigorously Fought Es-
pionage Act-Opposed
War Unless People
Wanted 1t.
SERIES OF EXHIBITS

Washington. Dec. 1o.--Copies of
telegaphic correspondence. written
early in 1917. between William Ran
dolph Hearst and various editorial
| representatives of his newspapers re-
lating almost wholly to the internal
! conduct of the newspapers under his
control, were today read into the
record OF the senate subcommittee in
vestigating the general subject OF pre-
war propaganda.
NO oral testimony bearing upon tho
documents was introduced at today s
session of the committee. which heard
only one witness, Professor Alfred
Bushnell Hart, of Harvard. in his own
behalf. and then adjourned. subject
to the call of Chairman Overman.
Altogether the series of exhibits
comprise thirty telegram and one
cable message. They are all dated
during the period between the sever
! ance or diplomatic relations with Ger
many and the declaration of war by
the United States.
At the conclusion OF Professor
Harris testimony. Chairman osernian
announced that after an examination
of the so-called Hearst correspon-
dence, referred to by the committee
counsel as the Palm Beach" tele-
grams. the committee had decided to
admit them In evidence. They were
put in the record without reading.
Their Introduction rests upon tho
/ statements of A Bruce Bielaski. of
the department of Justice. and John
Lord 'Brien, special counsel for the
attorney general, who briefly referred
to them at Yesterdays session.
At that time, Ma jor Hume asked
, him to produce the exhibits. which he
did. saying that Photographic copies
had been furnished the department
OF justice by the naval intelligence
service some time ago.
Attorney O'Brien then stated to the
com mittee. after objection had been
made by Senator King to their intro
duct ION $500. 10. 49,
The kilograms relate to the in
ternai policy of Mr.. Hearst and his
papers. They are not connected with
any German agents In any way, but
consist of instructions given his
editors. They are not A part of the
German propanga in the sense that
they originated with German agents
Opposed Espionage Act.
j The first. risfed February IA. iatT.
aftssseSs the ,gdiicF nf Ahe New Y ork
american to vigorously oppose the
espionage act. Mr.. Hearst calls at
! tention TO the fact that Senator Cum
minis had characterized. this measure
AZ the most drastic ever proposed to
curb a free people in time OF peace
or war"
Expressing his own views, Mr..
Hearst added.
The Democratic party seems to
forget that this is a republic in which
the people govern and in which full
information is essential 10 intelligent
government"
In eabit, to William Bayara Hale.
then in Berlin for the Hearst news
papers, Mr., Hearst said: The course
of my newspaper has been fair to
Germany not be ause l am pro-Cer-
man any more than ! am pro-aliy.
am merely patriotically interested in
the welfare of my own country and
enthusiastically interested in the pro-
gress of the world"
In this message. Mr.. Hearst took
the position that the ma iority of the
people of the United States were on
posed to a war. A few days later he
teiegraphed r. w, kellogg. publisher
Of the San Francisco Call. then in
Washington. that he would not sup
plicate England for news or for print
paper or for permission to publish
his papers, He added:
Il Will not allow my papers TO be
edited in the smallest degree by any
foreign power.-I would shut down
every publication I have first, and 7
don't intend to shut them down"
Again on February rs. 1917, Mr..
Hearst wired his New York editors:
Our editorials should be patriotic
without slightest scriticism. direct or
indirect. of administration
In long dispatch to his New York
office dated March 2, he wired. II be-
lieve in war II the people want war.
They have to do the fighting. They
ought TO do the deciding ! believe
in, first, referendum to the people
and. second, failing that a decision by
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