New-York tribune., 1918-06-09
Bold Answer soCharges
One Of the Chief Fac.
tors in His Election


to the time Of the publication Of tbs
said picture and article.
"That this plaintiff WAS wordy.
clustering, noisy and grossly ig-
norant person.
THAT this plaintiff wrecked the
only business in which he ever was
engaged and that his character was
such as TO invite wicked and disrep-
utable persons to practise oppres-
sion and extortion upon the people Of
New York City If the plaintiff should
be elected as Mayor, for which Office
he was a candidate"
The Expose Of
German Propaganda
The Mayor pointed out in his COM
plant that the Mitchell speech as
quoted was printed by "The World"
in proximity to a printed copy of
letterhead of "The Friends of
Peace" BY the quoted words and
lctterhead, the Mayor alleges, 1.-The
World" charged and caused its read
ers to believe "that in the period pre-
ceding the declaration by the United
States Of America of state of war
between itself and Germany, and
while Germany was hostile toward
the United States, the plaintiff joined
with other persons, some of then, be-
ing German agents and spies, to aid
end encourage Germany in said hos
tile conduct and to discourage
American resentment and retalia-
tion, and to separate the United
States from the European nations
which were at war with Germany
and which were in such friendly re-
lations with the United States that
they became her allies before Oc-
, tober 81, 1917, and that he (plain-
tiff) was in heart and purpose a
traitor to his country, the United
States, and had knowingly associ-
ated and continued in association
with the society called The Friends
of Peace which, the defendant
charged, was founded by German
spy, and was so disloyal to American
interests as to applaud the sinking
Of an American ship by German
war vessel without warning before
said declaration of state of war
had been made; also that after said
declaration had been made the
plaintiff, being an American citizen,
was the friend, associate and consort
Of traitors and of associations of Sc
ditious and disloyal persons, who
: were making concerted effort to
cause the election of this plaintiff as
! Mayor of New York City in order
that the Hohenzollerns tmeaning the
Emperor and the ruler of Germany
might through this plaintiff seize
and hold the government of New
York City and corrupt it's people
against the government of the
United States, and in favor of Ger
many; and that the candidacy of this
plaintiff was an attack upon the
United States of America on the bat
tlefield; and that the plaintiff de-
served to be held as a traitor in
hatred and execration by his fellow
, Americans; and that the said words
alleged to be quoted by the defendant
from speech of Mr.. Mitchell were
the sentiments of the defendant as
expressed in its leading headline, to
. wit, Mitchell Exposes John F. Hylan
as German Propagandist.'
!. Mayor Hylan based his second
y libel action in part on "The Worlds"
= reports of campaign speeches by
, John Purroy Mitchell, who was May
e or at the time the speeches were
: made. Hylan claimed that "The
World" libelled him in printing May
or Mitchel's Erasmus Hall High
y School speech, from which, in his
. complaint, Hylan quotes as folloWS: :
t Il accuse John F. Hyian Of aiding
d and abetting pro-German propa-
n ganda: l accuse John F. Hylan Of
/ being associate of paid agents Of
s Germany; accuse John F. Hylan of
r aiding in effort to ALLEVIATE this coun-
d try from nations now our allies;
: accuse John F. Hylan Of being pub
licly allied with men whose dis
+ loyalty has been officially denounced;
, l accuse John T. Hylan of member
4 ship in a society which in conven-
!. tion applauded sinking without warn
4 ing of peaceful American ship"
n Two Other
Serious Charges
: But the Mayors summary of thu