New-York tribune., 1918-06-19
ME,IYER OF 1'HE AssoCIATEp PRESS
1t Bites Itself

nation which threatens the house, and,
n the other, to obtain testimonials from
persons of respectable reputation to be
iinted in his newspapers
The effort has been prodigious, in pro-
portion to the necessity. The climax
was yesterday BY what probably
,eemed to him stroke of pure genius,
Hearst procured himself to be embraced
al over one page by S. Stanwood
Menken, who is-who is still-president
of the National Security League. The
consequences were immediate and most
unexpected.
In his testimonial to Hearst, written
carefully in his own hand and repro
iuced in facsimile in "The New York
American" Mr.. Menken repudiated those
National Security League speakers who
lad been attacking Hearst. One Of
those speakers was Theodore Roosevelt
The National Security League. which
lad been privately restrained by Mr..
Menken from going on record against the
Hearst newspapers for their disloyalty,
vas so outraged by this performance
that at o'clock yesterday afternoon it
'irst repudiated the act of its president,
and then officially and forever stigma
sized Hearst in the following manner:
'RESOLFED, by the executive COM
,nittee. that the wrong and shameful
policy Of the Hearst newspapers in de-
.ending the German government in
rouncements; the efforts Of the said
papers TO oppose the Administration
III trying to sustain the principles of
law which the German government
had violated and which brought about
the war, and their opposing the hearty
support by America of the Allies in
defeating the Germans and the many
acts and statements which have
brought these newspapers into disre-
s'ute and discredit as unpatriotic and
dn-American have the unqualified con-
domination of this league
hearst is now worse off than before.
He had been so proud of the Menken
statement, and SO sure of it's effect, that
he printed it twice on one page, once
n facsimile and once more in type, and
Tot by any Typographical error, but by
respiration, 1.-The New York American"
editor who handled the copy set out in
bold face type the following Menken
sentence:
think the agitation against Mr..
Hesrsfs newspapers is due not to
any question of his personal loyalty,
or interest In preparedness, or the
danger of this country from attack,
but to difference of view of method
as to treatment of public questions
and influence on readers of radical
tendencies.
That was thought by Mr.. Hearst, no
doubt. to be perfect certificate Of 10y
alty-from the president of the great
National Security League.
The answer of the National Security
eague, speaking through its executive
committee, is brand across the face
IT every Hearst newspaper in the
country. And those National Security
league speakers whom Mr.. Menken re-
pudlated for attacking Hearst are at
Iast authorized to speak of dislovaltv
as it deserves.
Mr. Menken, in his own defence.
writes letter to Mr.. Hearst in which
ne complains that what he wrote was
aot letter, as Mr.. Hearst said it was.
in order that it might seem spontaneous,
but a statement prepared at the solici-
tation of Hearst employe.
"As / said to your reporter" Mr.
Menken writes to Hearst, 81 am unal-
terably opposed to your attitude tow
ard the war prior to few months ago.
and to your attacks upon the Allies.
particularly England, and the Federal
Administration" But there was none
OF that in the Statement" which Mr.
Nenken wrote for the Hearst employe:
and he admits that what he wrote was
reproduced in full. What Mr.. Menken
said in that statement" the nearest
he came to the war at. all, was this:
while am unalterably opposed TO
many Of the foreign policies of The
american and its method of approach to
atcrral questions" etc.
Mr. Menkcn says the Hearst e,nploye
objected" to the word "unalterably.'
That is both strange and illuminatinr.
Why should the Hearst employe object
TO any word Mr.. Menken wished of his
own free will 70 use? Mr.. Menken says
he answered the objectioh by saying that
the utmost he could do would be to
ef'ange "unaltsrably" to bitterly" But