Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-06
Hearst Not Told in Advance.

Hearst knew nothing OF his purchase
of the Times until after the transac-
tion was completed. and that Mr..
Hearst at first objected to it, because
Brisbane's contract with Hearst
stipulated that the former give his
entire time to the Hearst papers at a
salary of $4,000 a week. The witness
said he told Mr.. Hearst that if the
Washington Times interfered with
his work Hearst could take over the
Times at the price paid to Frank A.
. Munsey.
Senator Sterling of South Dakota
! questioned Mr.. Brisbane about the
editorials in which he said that Eng
land has not always been renowned
for her unselfishness."
Now. isn't that reference to the
principal ally of the United States
calculated to reflect on the United
States?" the senator asked.
mo. do not think so,'' the witness
replied. II thought then. and l think
been renowned for her unselfishness.
That is not reflection on the United
States
Tried to Sell Mail to Him.
Brisbane said that A. Mitchell
Palmer. whose charge that brewers
had financed the purchase of the
Times led to the present inquiry, Of
fered to sell him the New York Even
IliR Mail dlteT lndL property came INTO
Palmer'S hands as alien property GUS
todian. The price fixed was s75O.0O0,
the witness said. but he declined to
purchase 1t because it was losing
money.
The only other newspaper he owns,
Mr.. Brisbane said, is the Wisconsin
News. He said he purchased the Wis
consin Free Press and News and con-
solidated them and that brewers were
not involved in the transaction.
The witness told the committee that
his attitude toward the use of beer
and light wines brought him in touch
with brewers He said he asked Mr..
Munsey to sell him the Times and let
him pay for it out of its earnings, but
the request was refused. He then
went to Feigenspan.
Il said to him." declared the witness:
"'You know my attitude on beer: you
know how 1 feel toward your bust
ness"
Brisbane then laid before Feigen-
span the plan for a loan to purchase
the Times. and the brewer said he be-
1ieved 1t would be a good investment.
The witness went on to say that
Feigenspan said he did not know that
he could advance the full amount him
self. but that he would raise the
money among his friends.
Feigenspan. according to Brisbane,
refused to take mortgage on the
IoIlSodNc real estate. saying ne QlQ uOt
wish to make record of the loan, as
1t might appear that he was purchas-
ing newspaper support.
DO you regard that as loan or
do you regard it as a gift?" asked
Senator Wolcott of Delaware.
AS a loan absolutely" the wit
ness replied.
A loan by Mr.. Brisbane to Victor
Berger of Milwaukee, the socialist,
who was elected to Congress at the
last election and who is under in
dictment for violation Of the es-
pionage law, was described by the
witness. He said labor unions in Mil
waukee erected building, which
they called the Brisbane building, and
that he loaned Berger $4,000 for the
project.
Brisbane told the committee that
in 1917. when the British govern
Iuent closed the transatlantic cables
to the Hearst newspapers and news
agency. he communicated with Lord
Northcliffe. and the latter adjusted
the matter.
Under his contract with Hearst. the
witness said. he writes what he
pleases. and Hearst publishes 1t if he
wants to or declines to publish it ii
he desires
Mr.. Hearst controls no ones poIiti-
cal views; at least not mine," he
added.