New-York tribune., 1919-06-21
Attorney General Turns ON
Them at Senate Hearing
Marked by Bitter Feeling
and Ending in Disorder
ID e f G ends His Record
Denounces Frelinghuysen's
Move i'm Bosch Plant Sale:
Merton Lewis Is Attacked

WASHINGTON, June 2O.-Attorney
General A. Mitchell Palmer, at the first
public hearing in the fight to prevent
confirmation by the Senate of his ap-
pointment by the President, turned
sharply to-day upon his accusers and
boldly charged that they were aligned
with German interests in concerted
attempt to discredit his administra-
tion as Alien Property Custodian.
During the year and a half he was
in charge of that office, Mr.. Palmer
declared, he had been denounced by
every enemy alien and every friend
and attorney Of every enemy alien in
this country, and that in Berlin he
was characterized as the "official
the 10000 aliens whose property had
been seized was attacking him, he
said, because his organization had
seized enemy property and captured
the German industrial army in the
United States.
1t would be shown, he told the COM
mittee, that the particular charges
lodged against him were not based on
the ground that he had sold enemy
plants at too low price, but that he
had sold them to Americans who had
turned them to profitable account.
Spectacle Unique
For nearly five hours the sub-com-
mittee of the Senate Judiciary Com
mittee, which is conducting an open
inquiry at the request Of the Attorney
General, was in a continual snar. For
two hours crowd that was kept on
! oJ< L,,{ Il, IL,
at intervals witnessed the remarkable
spectacle u an Attorney General of
the United States defending his record
and slashing at his enemies before a
Senate committee sitting on his fitness
70: place in the Cabinet.
The meeting closed abruptly and in
disorder, with the announcement by
Chairman Dillingham; that another ses-
sion would be held tomorrow to de-
termine future procedure and to sum-
mon witnesses asked for by the COM
plainants.
There was a strong belief at the
Capitol tonight that no further hear
ings Of consequence would be held and
that the committee would recommend
confirmation of Mr.. Palmer's nomina-
tion.
Bitterness was displayed at the very
outset when Senator Walsh, Of Mon
tana, charged Merton E. Lewis, for
merly Attorney General of New York,
week through failure to quote all the
sections of the law bearing on the right
of the Alien Property Custodian to
seize enemy property. Mr.. Lewis,
who is counsel for Harvey T. Andrews,
the principal complainant, frankly
stated that he had been in error and
that he had come prepared to offer
his apologies. Senator Walsh rctorted
that while he accepted the statement
without reservation, Mr.. Lewis should
realize that the committee thereafter
could not rely on anything he said.
Clash With Lewis
Frequently during the presentation
by Mr.. Lewis of documentary evidence
he clashed with Mr. Palmer, and no
effort apparently was made by either
During his long, and at times dramatic,
recital the Attorney General stood with
hair dishevelled, while his voice, raised
to high pitch, reached far down the
corridors.
1t was near the close of the session
and after the Attorney General had
given the committee some account of
Andrews's connection with the Bosch
Magnetic Company plant at Spri gfied,
4HaSo'' IhdI lie CaiHe 10 all open Dreacn
with Senator Frelinghuysen, of New
Jersey, leader in the fight to prevent
confirmation of his nomination. Mr.
Palmer was proceeding to take up
charges as to the alleged placing Of
his friends in positions where they
might profit by the sale Of enemy
property and had just stated that these
charges were made by Senator Freling-
huysen and others when the Senator
mr. fn fnn L.
and the Attorney General gared at
each other
Talk of Bluff
'You can't bluff me like that!" the
Senator shouted. "I'm a Senator of
the United States and l demand that
| Mr.. Palmer answer criticisms of his
administration, brought before the
committee, in proper way
The Attorney General snapped back
that he was not trying to bluff any
body.
However" he added, ~ will answer
and leave Mr.. Frelinghuysen's name
out of it,"
When Mr.. Palmer concluded his two
hour statement, Senator Frelinghuysen
told the committee that if it decided to
go on with the investigation of the
Alien Property Custodian's office, he
would present witnesses in support of
charges against his administration.
Complaints had come to him from some
of his constituents, he said.
Mr.. Palmer came back with the as
sertlon that Senator Frelinghuysen had
visited New York detective agencies to
find out if they did not have some
thing on Palmer" He accused the
Senator of making statements to news
papers regarding charges against him,
and said there was little difference be-
tween making direct charges and re-
peating those alleged to have been
made by others.
Lewis and Andrews also were accused
Of giving out statements purporting to
be evidence and distorting the facts.
Andrews, who had been picked out by
the Attorney General as one Of the par
ticular objects of his wrath, broke into
the hearing at the close by challenging
Mr.. Palmer's statements concerning
him. The room was was in an uproar,
but Chairman Dillingham; suddenly
ended the meeting.
"Stopl Stopl" he shouted to Andrews,
jumping to his feet, as did other mem-
bers of the committee. 1.-THE present
hearing is ended. The committee will
go into executive session."
Later 1t was announced that the COM
nittee would decide tomorrow whether
to Issue subpWnas for witnesses desired
by Lewis, and whether it would grant
his request that the Attorney General
be required to present voluminous
records. which, tho latter said, would