New-York tribune., 1918-06-02
democracy Is a peligion
With Me-" He Writes
House Committee
Says No I. w. WIS
Work Under Him
Five Democrats, 13 Repub-
licans, 8 Independents,
Comprise Staff Chiefs

WASHINGTON, June In letter
to Chairman Pou of the House Rules
Committee to-day George Creel, chair
man of the Committee on Public In
formation, denies that he is Socialist
and declares he is Democrat. No In
dustrial Workers of the World ever
have been employed at the committees
Offices, Creel asserts.
Creel's letter was in response to a
request made by Mr.. Pou for infor-
nation as to the personnel of the in
formation committees staff. Mr.. Pou's
committee has before it a resolution
for a Congressional investigation of
Creel's speech in New York recently
in which Congress was attacked Creel
since has apologized for his remarks.
Creels detailed statement shows
there are 26 division heads in the bu-
reau whose political affiliations are
divided as follows: Democrats, S; Re-
publcans, 13; Independents, 8.
Mr.. CreeIs letter follows:
Il attach herewith a list that shows
every man and woman in the employ
of the Committee on Public Informa-
tion, both paid and volunteered. While
] appreciate your courteous eXplana-
ton that the request was not formal
action, | thank you to believe that
there is no activity of this committee
shat is not open to any member of
Congress at any time.
Answers Charges
"For your information the Office of
military intelligence makes continuous
Investigations of my personnel, and if
individual reports arc desired l shall
be glad to furnish them.
II am glad also to make frank and
specific answer to the charges against
me that you are generous enough to
put in answerable form:
been identified with the Socialist or
ganization in any particulars; have
never voted a Socialist ticket; and dis
sent absolutely from the fundamental
tenets of the Socialist faith.
"2 Instead of holding a contempt
for our form of government, l believe
in it with all the strength of my be-
ing. Democracy is q religion with
me, and throughout my whole adult
life l have preached America as the
hope of the world"
Defends His Writings
"3. The articles that constitute my
alleged attacks upon the Constitution
were written in 1910 in Colorado in
support of the initiative, referendum
and recall. Every word l wrote had
the complete approval of Senator
Thomas NJ. Patterson, owner of the
as ever lived, and the three PROPOSE
tions were Endorsed at the polls by
large majorities.
a. Not single employe belongs, or
has ever belonged, to the l. W. W. If
any proof can be brought that this is
not the case, I will discharge the per
son at once. AS l have stated, military
intelligence investigates my personnel
continuously with a view to making
certain that every man and woman
stands absolutely behind the govern
ment In what l believe to be a just
and holy war
%: With regard to the news releases
OF the committee, it must be borne in
mind that no news released originates
IN this office. We are simply the ma
chlnery that puts out the material
prepared by the various departments.
Only Three "Stories" Questioned
ut is to be remembered also that
while the committee during the year
OF Its existence has issued thousands
OF releases, only three Of this vast
number have ever been questioned as
to absolute accuracy.
The first Of these, a direct charge
thatehe Fourth of July statement was
a fake and that our transports had
not been attacked by submarines, was
met fully by the report of Admiral
Gleaves.
THE second complaint, concerned
with certain captions for arplane pho
tographs, was largely due to con-
fusion between training planes and
battle planes. The captions referred
to training planes production, and the
pictures showed clearly that the ma
chimes were training planes. There
was the feeling, however, that people
might be led to think that battle planes
were intended, and the pictures were
withdrawn.
"The third, a release bearing upon
airplane production and shipment, came
to US with explicit Endorsements that
we were without right to question.
Now Verifies Reports
"a system of checking and vertical
tion is now permitted that will here
after guard effectively against errors.
70. The charge of partisanship is
one that would like to have thrashed
out as quickly and thoroughly as may
be, for not only does it weaken the