Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-05
LETTERS Of KONTA
READ INTO RECORD
Committee Hears of Plan to
Send Wheat to Hungary
and Germany.

Further commur ications between
Alexander Konta OF, New York and
Heinnerich F. Albert. German propa-
gandist, were read into the record today
at the enate judiciary o'mmittee's in
vestigation Of German propaganda and
brewers political activity.
Konta's plan to export wheat to
Hungary, in 1915, at tho request OF
ter proposition by Albert tkfat one
half the wheat be sent to Germany.
was explained by Konta, who resum-
ed his testimony of yesterday.
Konta said he communicated with
Albert and that Albert thought the
be financed if one-half be sent Ger
many. In his letter to Albert. accord
ing to copies read by Maj. E. Lowry
Humes, in charge of the investigator,
triotic motives" Later he said 1T was
his patriotism to Hungary that he re-
ferred to.
Konta Admits Writing Dernberg.
Alexander Konta of New York,
named by Alien Property Custodian
Palmer as an agent IN tine neSoeia-
tions through which the German gov
eminent sought to buy newspapers IN
this country before the United states
entered the war, admitted to the Sen
ate committee yesterday afternoon
that he had communicates with Dr.
Bernard Dernberg, German propagan-
dist, on the subject of the purchase
of a New York newspaper. The COM
1nittee is Investigating brewers &C
tivities and German propaganda.
Konta said he wrote DR.. Dernoers
on the subject. and that ne was m
spired by a desire to help the katser's
representative carry out his plans to
get publicity for Germany. to get a
newspaper that would be hostile. to
prohibition and to earn a commission
q desired to aid DR.. Dernbere TO
get the paper in order that he would
have an opportunity to lay before
the American people
German propaganda" interrupted
Senator Nelson of Minnesota. He
for the German government, and ne
a German agent. Isn't that true?"
HE must have been," replied Konta.
Bernstorff's Visit Effective.
Other testimony before the COM
mittee was that Count Won BernStorn,
the former German ambassador. had
visited the Offices of the American AS
ISOLATION of Foreign Language News
papers in New York in March, 1915,
md that Immediately afterward an
advertising campaign to prevent the
manufacture of munitions in this
country for the allies was started.
Louis n. Hammerling, president OF
this association, which had 100000
for the advertising campaign, testl-
fed that he did not know Won Bern
storff. 1t also was in evidence that
Hammerling had directed that Capts
Boy-Ed and Won Papen, naval and
military attaches at the German an
bassy, be called on the telephone hor
him. ;.
The witness offering this testi-
mony was Arthur Gabryel. former
vice president of the association
Gabryel said it was the general be-
lief among Poles that Hammerlins
was in the pay of the Austrian gov
eminent, and that when he Informed
Hammerling of this fact the latter
called him in and told him to keep his
mouth shut, saying that what peo-
pie don't know won't hurt them.
After that, Gabryel said. he received
$500 or $1,000 extra in his pay en-
yelope. Such extra payments, he tes-
tilted, were not unusual.
Konta Denies Being Disloya1.
Konta read prepared statement
to the committee. in which he denied
l.