The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1918-07-31
HARRISONPRODUCES AFFIDAVTTS
PROVING THE VARDAMAN INTERVIEW
ABOUT STABBING GERMANY IN BACK
The Junior Senator Had Denounced the Charge
That He Gave Utterance to the Words "Stab
Germany in the Back While England
and France Had Her Down.
1....., Winston County Journal.

FIR many months Senator Narda-
NON and his friends have endeavored
IN correct bad break the Senator
n,adp lust after the United States en-
tered the war, by referring TO our
country 20 ng into war as "stabbng
Cermanv IN the back while England
and France had her down They have
utterly failed. however, in eXpla ming
This break to the satisfaction of the
pqope Of Mississippi, and now Con
rrpssman Pat Harr son comes along
With the proof on him that he did use
MS awful language in an interview
Given ont from Washington four
months after his country had gone to
war with Germany. At McGee, Miss,
Saturday Hon. Pat Harrison, in his
speech brought out the proof as fol
lows;
1.-THE speaker then began the most
interesting part of his disclosure when
he quoted an interview given out by
Senator Fardaman four months and
five days after the war had started,
which follows;
"Then again it was proposed if we
did fight Germany now, stab her n
the back while England and France
have her down, that we would have
to fight her alone, and other excuses
or causes, imaginary and real, for
war assigned
Nov personally | think the cause
of this war was the interference on
the part of Germany with commerce
between New York and London, have
always thought it was purely mat
ter Of pecuniary profit, and | think
so st but | have no objection to
discussion. If the submarine warfare
had not lnterfered with bus ness and
profits there would in my judgment
probably have been no war"
Regarding the statement as to
whether or not the above is damn
he," Mr. Harrison then read sworn
affidavit from Paul Wooten, Wash
ngton correspondent of the New Or
leans Times -Picayune, daily news
paper publ shed in New Orieons, La:
"On the llth 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 if he had any news
Of the day. He replied that he had
prepared an interview for publication
and that if | would call at his Office
in the Senate office building his sec
retary, Mrs. Macy Dinkins, would give
it to me. He. further stated that it
was his des re that no part of the
interview be published without the
whole of it be ng published.
a promised him that his request
would be complied W tn. | called at
the senator's office soon thereafter
and his secretary, Mrs. Macy Dickins'
handed me the prepared interview, a
transcript of which is attached hereto
sent the interview to the Times
Picayune by telegraph without al
teration whatsoever, and in the exact
form in which l received it from the
senator's office.
After | used the copy of the IN
terv.ew | turned it over to X. M
Gates, the correspondent for The
Memphis Commercial Appeal, convey
ing W tn it the injunction given me
verbally by Senator Vardaman, that
it be published in its ent rety if used
at all Some days after the entire
interview was published IN the Plea,
yune,
Interview Proven.
Some days after the interview was
published in the Times-Picayune,
understood from my paper, the Ne"
Orleans Times Picayune, that Sena
tor Vardaman had denied the authen
ticity of the interview. called h n
z up Immediately over the telephone
and asked him if such were true ant
he stated that he had not denied i
nor would he deny giving out the IN
terv ew. PAUL WOOTEN.
Sworn to and subscribed before me
this the 18th day of June, 1918.
HARRY PILLET, D. Co.
Notary Public.
Mr. Harrison announced that he ha
with him, which he demonstrated,
like affidavit, sworn to and subscr b
ed by Col. k. NJ Gates, the Washing
ton correspondent of The Memphi
Commercial Appeal.
-O----
NJ G IN rCt.a,.,, o,J 6aurhtpT-iT in