New-York tribune., 1918-05-25
Hearst and His Business
To the Editor of The Tribune.

OA MIS. OtOkcS is convicted. Sne
is not the owner of ten newspapers
and seven magazines. Her average
daily circulation is not 2,572,8S5, and
neither weekly nor monthly does
she issue to so many as 2,281, ,627
persons. She is not candidate for
Governor or President She is only
foolish little woman whose vision
is impaired, but she stands to get
twenty years in prison and to pay a
fine of $4,000, or both, and on
each of three counts.
What for? She Cd "wilfully
and knowingly attempted to cause
insubordination, disloyalty and mu-
tiny and refusal of duty in the mill
tary and naval forces of the United
States" She (2) Constructed the
recruiting and enlisting service of
the United. States," and 60 she
''made and conveyed false reports
and false statements with the intent
on her part to interfere with the
operations and success of the mill
tary and naval forces of the United
States and to promote the success of
the enemies of the United States" F"
and what she had done was to sign
a writing to "The Kansas City Star"
saying: "No government which is
for the profiteers can also be for
the people, and 1 am for the people,
while the government is for the
profteers. That was enough, and
that American jury said so.
On April 6, 1917, the United
States declared state of war to ex-
list between the United States and
Germany. On April II thereafter
William R. Hearst or his business
said this:
every shipment of food and mill
| tary stores from this time on is a
| blow at our own safety"
On May II his business circulated
this statement
"Our only correct strategy is to
spend all our money and all our
labor in preparing our navy and
! armies ut their actual base, and so
compelling Germany, if she wants
to fight, to come to u.s."
On April IL his business circulated
this statement:
''Prncticauy the aDhole military
staff is opposed to oar sending
troops across the water."
What was Mrs. Stokes convicted
Of? Why, of making Certain false
reports and false statements, with
the intent on her part to interfere
with the operations and success of
the military and naval forces of the
United States"
On June 16, alleging that there
were 100000 English slackers in this
country, Mr.. Hearst's business circu-
lated this statement, the source of
it's information being undisclosed
.English and American estimates"
"There is no reason on earth why
these 900 English slackers should
not be shipped direct to the firing
line in Flanders before another
| hax 1o
seas"
His business said further:
at is neither necessary nor right
that the flower of our young Ameri-
can manhood should be sent as a
sacrificial offering. to the RED
MOLOCH of slaughter, while Eng
land has men enough to fight her
own battles for many months ahead"
Her own battles! England's owl
battles! And the United States al
war with England's enemy! In {
statement by our government, which
England indorsed, our war with Eng
lands enemy was said to be for pre-
cisely the same reasons. and to pre-
cisely the same ends as England
reasons and England's ends.
What is it for which Rose Pasto
Stokes must stand at the bar on jun
l., a convicted criminal, to take
sentence from the court that may b.
,. twenty years? 1t is for "obstructin,
the recruiting and enlisting service
OF the United States"
: On June 10 Mr.. Hearst's bushes
Q I.circulated this statement:
Thousands of the registered fight
ing men of the country
Our conscription act had beel
passed then and we were. telling ou
e sons to go and register. We wer
telling them that the cause of fre
3 government and individual libert,
: the wide world over was at stake
: ard that, without reasoning why
! without making reply, they must &c
4 as the Six Hundred went, to death 0
. victory--and Mr.. Hearst's bushes
said:
Thousands of the registered firht-
ing men of the country w;tI;rr -