The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1918-07-25
CORRESPONDENTS SAY
HE USED WORDS STAB
HER IN THE BACK. Z"
MAKE AFFIDAVITS
Sworn Statements of Paul
Wooten and R. M. Gates
Read by Pat Harrison.

Ia 4 speech recently delivered at
Maree, Miss, by Congressman Pat
Harriaon, wao is seeking The seat in
the United States Senate now occu-
pied by Hon. James X. Vardaman, he.
produced affidavits from two Wash
ington newspaper men. Paul Wooter,
correspondent Of the New Orleans
Times Picayune, and r. NJ. Gates, cor
respondent of the Memphis CONNER
cial-Appeal, in which they solemnly
affirm that the junior senator gave
them a prepared interview contain
ing the reference to stabhing Ger
many in the back, which he has since
denied. The paragraph referred to
reads as follows:
ut was proposed if we did not
fight Germany now-stab her in the
back while England and France have
her down-that we would have to
fight her alone, and other excuses,
imaginary and real, for war were as
signed Now, personally, | think the
cause of this war was the interference
on the part of Germany with com
merce between New York and Lon
don. have always thought it was
purely a matter of peeuniary profit
and think so still
The affidavit executed by Mr..
Wooten, which contains practically
the same declaration as that sworn to
by Mr.. Gates, follows:
'In the United States of America,
District of Columbia.
Before me, the undersigned au-
thority, personally appeared Paul
| Wooten, who is known to me and
who. after being duly sworn. says.
Il am, and have been for the past
three years, the Washington cores
pondent for the New Orleans Times
Picayune. daily newspaper publish
ed in New Orleans, La.
"On the 18th day of August, 1917
in my newspaper capacity, | called on
Senator James X. Vardaman in the
corridor of the Senate of the United
States and asked him if he had any
news of the day. He replied that h,
had prepared an interview for publ
cation and that if | would call at hi!
office in the Senate office building
his secretary, Mrs Macy Dinkins
would give it to me-. He furthe
stated that it was his desire that NJ
part of the interview be published
without the whole of it being pub
lished. promised him his reques
would be complied with. | called a
the senator's office soon thereafte
and his secretary, Mrs. Macy Dinkius
handed me the prepared typewriter
! interview, transcript of which is at
tached hereto. | sent the interview
to the TimesPicayune by TELEGRAPH
without alteration whatsoever and 4
the exact form in which | received
from the senator's office. After
used the copy of the interview.
turned it over to II. NJ. Gates, tn
correspondent of the Memphis Com
mercial Appeal, conveying with it tn
/ injunction given me verbally by Ser
: at0r Vardaman that ii be publishe
I in its entirety, if used at all.
Some days after the intervie
@ was published in the Tlmes-Picayun
r | understood from my paper-th
Q New Orleans Times-Pieayune-thi thi
i Senator Vardaman had denied tn
n authenticity of the interview. calle
# him up Immediately over the tel
n phone and asked him II such wei
true and he stated that he had n,
: denied it nor would he deny givir
"a out the interview.
II PAUL WOOTEN."
n Sworn to and subscribed befo
If me this 18th day of June, 1918.