New-York tribune., 1918-12-04
Harnnerline
Got Big Share
OF Beer Fund
T,1bst'ee Washington Raseaa1

Esmmerling, whose American Assoeia-
saon of Foreign Language Newspapers,
which. he admitted, really was an ad-
vertising agency under his complete
control and was used fov placing pro
German and Deriving propaganda. spent
nearly five hours on the stand toe day AZ
the Sonste's inquiry into the relation
ship between the brewers, German
propaganda and recent sales of news,
papers including particularly Arthur
Rrishane's purchase of "The Washing
ton Times"
Mr. Hsmmerling admitted he spent
S2hS,ooo for DIR. Rarmely in placing an
advertisement likely to stir up trouble
IN munitions factoriess he admitted do
ing about sS0,oee worth Of business a
year with Percy Andrea, handler Of
the brewers reptile funds he admitted
that the affidavit on which he was nat
ural}zed vas full Of falsehoods, and
that he had repeated these, with add
tons. when he swore to an application
for marriage license as late as 1915.
He admitted he had secured afi-
davlts making hin, out four years older
thsn he had previously claimed to be
after the draf law was rassed, his
Corrected birth date placing him
charged that he was surrounded by
enemies; that the men who make
charges against him, Including the
gang" around Deputy Attorney Gem
eral Becker, Of New YORK. and his own
immediate relations were black
mailerS'
Denies Many Charges
Mr.. Hammerlins's memory was
"spotty," and he declared his knovl-
edge OF men and events among which
be was moving was rem arkshly slight.
II could not remember Just what We ar
tls wife came to this county, but he
ad . wealth of detail to give as to
why certain papers were sent to his
rome to be burned up
he denied many charges point blank
and when some of them had been
proved by documents submitted by Ma
1or +. Lowry Humes, counsel to the
committee, he burst out in answer tc
one question,
If there is such q statement by me
there, then it's correst~ Otherwise Il
is not"
Explanations of his various actions
often were long, involved and hazy,
On one occasion. after Senator VOL
cott had been trying to find out how
sl1 investigation of conditions at mu~
nitions factories had insured the hon
esty of the German propaganda adver,
tlslng already referred to, and Ham
mernng had repeated that he was ex-
claiming it, the Senator growled
"Wen, must say you're making z
mighty bad showing at it," then Leaned
hack and gave it up
The purpose of his organization
Hammerling frankly stated, was tt
make money. though he was continu
ally going off into orations on the gooc
Of humanity in attempting to justif,
his and its actions It placed adver
tislng among some seven or eight hun
dred newspapers, the German pres
not included, and it also apparently dit
some business in influencing thes
papers, as in the case where it induce.
most Of them to print Andreae's per
sonal liberty articles without charge
Billed for Christmas Present
"Yon really loaned the name of YOU
organization and the influence Of you1
organization, for whatever purpose al
advertiser would pay for it, didn'
you?" asked Major Humes, at the clos,
of one series of revelations, and Ham
merling merely shrugged his shoulders
There was considerable amusemen
over some of the things he succeeded
in charging up to the advertisers Will
whom he did business, In Andreae'
case, for instance, he had sent a bill
FOR 10 per cent Of the salaries Of al
his Office employees, He explained tha
this was a Christmas present from
Andreae-
DO you mean to say you actuall
billed him for a Christm present ?
demanded Humes.
Why, sure" and there was a genis
and confidential smile, "He had plent
of money. Why not? l Only wish T.
got more
Mr.. Hammerling justified this, an
others of his practices, particular
his use Of advertising to influence tn
foreign language press, on the groun
that it was general newspaper practc
He had never denied an interview pub
1ished in "The New York Times" h
said, because he didn't pay any after
tion to the New York papers anyhoy
and because they all did what the,
advertisers told them to, and the az
vertisers were down on him for ecu
ting into their profits
Began as Mine Worker
In the examination the story of Han
Inerling's life was brought out, an
with all due allowance for the conf1i,
between his different stories, it hs
been remarkable one, He now claim
TO be worth $3.50 900, in addition to a
estate in Galicia which he says ws
worth $250,000 when the war broke ou
This he has accumulated since abo,
1898, when he reached Wilkes Barr
and got job as timberman in a min
He was born of very poor JEWS
parents in Galicia; was in this countl
as boy; returned; fled to escape mil
tary service; fell into the clutches
padrones on a German sugar plantatic
IN Hawaii, and escaped through the a
OF American soldiers,
From the time he went to Wilke
Barre his rise was rapid. He was pal
for political service" even before
became a citizen, he thought, was
delegate to the Republican Nation
Convention In 1914 and handled IL
foreign language advertising for IL
Republican National Committee
that year and in 1908. By that tim
he says, he was worth 100000. TIL
was the year when he organized IL
American Association Of Foreign La,
guage Newspapers, buying out sma
Italian agency as foundation TT
association publishes a semi-month
magazine, THE American Leader"
is organ.
The deal with Andreae, by which I
1oree years Hammerling placed articl