The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-05-01
FIN DS CHAR GES
Do not APPLY TO
But TO
ONLY.
Admits League Has An An
nual Income OF $780,
600 From Dues
BOUGHT NO BONDS
OF EARLY ISSUES
Purchased 5000 OF Third
Issue Discusses
Russia
@REPUDIATE SOME
LINDBERGH VIEWS
Only Two1 OF Leagues
Head Hunters Have
Been Convicted Yet
REPUDIATES SOME
LINDBERG GH VIEWS
az AssocinteA prAaa.l

Washington, May ]. Charges that
leaders; and members Of the farm
ers' National Nonpartisan league are
disIoyal were answered today be-
fore the senate military committee
by A. g. ToWmfey, of st. EaalI. the
lea ale.a presid mt; yrlao is s1EldaF iIf2.
dictrnent for ALLEGED yiui&tion OF
Minnesota laws
ToWnley was given an opportunity
today to reply to the statement OF
fudge John w McGee. Of. Mtnneap-
public safety commission, in the
committees consideration of the
Chamberlain court-martial blu =,
Reciting support given to the war
in wheat planting states and Iib-
erty Loan subscriptions by farmers
In Minnesota and North Dakota be-
longing to the league. ToWnley cate
gorically denied the organization was
disloyal. He admitted he was under
Indictment and said McGee's charges
were not the first made against him
and the leagues members.
We do not want to stand before
the country and the world branded
as traitors" he SAID
Members Not On Trial.
Senator Reed OF Missouri declar-
ing Townley's hearing IAN unusual
proceeding" said Judge MCGEE had
referred to by Townley as rejecting
upon loyalty OF the leagues mem
bership.
"our people don't know that the
charge widely published in our
states-was withdrawn" Townley
replied. Since the charge is with
drawn, think 1t is agreed by Judge
McIee and everybody else that it is
untrue"
'sThis Is a very serious charge
against a great many people, said
ToWnley. sThe majority of the vot-.
ers and their sympathizers of North
Dakota are members OF the league,
including the governor and state Of
GERS and the legislature Of North Da-
kota. We don't want to be ostra-
ci2ed. If the charge is true a great
many people In the northwestern
states would be traitors"
Townley said 80 per cent Of North
Dakota farmers belong to the league
and that about $4,000 farmers each
in North Dakota and Minnesota are
members. In both states, he said,
there had been oyersubscriptions to
Liberty bonds. Senator Weeks. OF
Massach developed that the
leagues annual dues are So.
Receipts Of $4,000
That would make receipts OF at
least 100000 q year he observed.
How much did the league, as an
organization. subscribe toN the
loans 2"
TownIey replied nothing had been
subscribed to the first and second
loans. but $4,000 was taken in the
third.
AS further evidence OF the leagues
loyalty, Townley cited resolutions
pledging members support to the
government in prosecuting the war,
passed at its conventions. He read
resolutions promising support Of the
war for political and industrial
democracy"
DO you mean by industrial demo-
cracy what Russia has done?" Sem
ator Reed demanded. "Do you de-
fend the defiance of pledges, interna-
tional and national and the whole
sale destruction which has occurred
there?"
NO. we contend that the attempt
to secure industrial democracy in
Russia has been an utter failure,
Mr.. Townley responded.
Industrial democracy" which
Townley said the Nonpartisan league
was supporting, he defined as "the
bIishment Of system of CONF
rnodities from, the producer to the
consumer without anybody on the
road taking an unjust profit
Repudiates Lindberuh Book.
Although Townley said he and the
league are supporting the Minnesota
torial candidacy Of former
(Continued on page &.