The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-04-03
SECURITY
ORIGIN EXPOSED
Congressional Inquiry Shows Or
"a ganization Was Outlined in
Foreign Country. .
INTERESTS BEH|NDPlAN
Propaganda Campaign Against Pro-
gressives in U. S. Printed in Thou
sands Of Aforementioned
BY Rockefeller, Guggenheim,
Dupont and Others.

Washington, D. C.-The National
Security league, founded with the an
nounced purpose of securing 100 per
cent Americanism," was first planned
In a foreign country, according to
findings of a congressional committee
which has been investigating this or
~ganization.
The National Security league, dur
ing the last campaign, essayed to pass
upon the "Americanism" of candi-
dates for congress and other Offices.
It sent out "boiler plate" and other
publicity to between 100 and 1900
newspapers throughout the country. It
was notable that the candidates op-
posed by the National Security league
were nearly all men who had been
prominent in the progressive politics
Of the country. a.~...
: The reason for this is shown in the
congressional investigation. The
league was supported by the big fnan-
cial interests who were interested in
throttling liberal thought. Among the
contributors were the following:
The Carnegie corporation, John d.
Rockefeller, J. p Morgan, the Guggen-
helm brothers, T. Coleman Dupont
lmNltt-millionairs munitions nanufac
Surer), Charles Deering OF the Inter
national Harvester Company, Henry
G. Prick of the United States Steel
corporation; George w. Perkins, W.
H. Vanderbilt, F. w. Vanderbilt, B.
M. Baruch and others. The individual
contributions Of these men ran as
high as $3.50, 600.
Origin Interesting.
The story of how the National Sc
curity league came to be founded, as
revealed by the congressional investi-
cation, is interesting. It first original
ed in the mind of Stanwood Menken,
q corporation lawyer, during a visit he
made to London and the British par
lament in August, 1914, long before
the United States vas engaged in the
war.
The first man MI. Menken consult
cd regarding the organization of the
league was Frederic G. Coudert, a cor
poration attorney representing the
British ambassador and the British,
French, Russian and Italian govern
ments. This, again, was long before
the United States became involved in
war. It was long before Germany had
begun to interfere with United States
commerce. The munition makers, at
this period, were the only ones that,
wanted the United States to 60 to
war, because at this time no reason
for our entering the world conflict
existed.
As the result of the conferences Of
Mr.. Menken, Mr.. Coudert, and others,
the league was organized, with
Charles D. Orth, a member Of the
London and New York firm which vir-
tually controls the sisal market, as
manager. The so-called "sisal trust"
Northwestern farmers will remember,
is responsible for their paying about
four times the former price for their
binder tWine.
0S0AH 10 OOIteCI.
Steps were at ono taken to solicit
funds from munition makers, packers,
copper barons and all other interests
which might be expected to profit
from war conditions.
The political prosecutions, fals0
charges OF sedition. Indictments to
mob violence and other activities
against leaders Of progressive thought
IN America, that continued during the
war, can largely be traced To the
teachings Of the National Security
league.
The league instituted ! loyalty
questionnaire'' and spatriotic'' inqui-
3sition called the leagues acid tests
for the purpose of bounding o1t of
so1ice ma public HE IN libera11s pEo-
eressiyeb md radicals
&omberS TX Con9rons we're Mn