The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-06-27
ONE MILLION FUND.
TOF|CHT FARMERS
Sworn Statement of California
College Professor Exposes
Insurance interests.
OUT TO KILL THE LEAGUE
Nationwide Organization Under Mis-
leading Names Directed Against
North Dakota-seven Men in
Detroit Pledged Huge Doodle.

IN sworn statement Just made
public, {. j. Hopkins, California
college professor and newspaper
man, declares that there is a ma
tionwide conspiracy among insur-
| ance interests against the Non.
partisan league.
This conspiracy has. been espe-
ciaIIy directed against North Da-
kota, and at enc meeting in De-
troit in the summer of 1918, seven
representatives of the principal i'm
surance corporations, pledged a
campaign fund of 100000 to kill
the Nonpartsan league.
Professor Hopkins, formerly profess
scr of journalism in the University
of Southern California, describes how
he was engaged as publicity man for
an Organization called the California
Research Society of Social Economics.
He took the position because he was
opposed to compulsory insurance
proposal up for referendum. 1t was
drawn il such form" declares Pro
fessor Hopkins that it was opposed
by IAany sincere friends Of progress
siYe legislation, including myself"
Hiding Politics.
He was not long in learning that
the society was a mere camouaage
and that It drew It's Inspiration from
q nationwide organization Of Insurance
interests known as the Insurance Eco-
Monies society. This, in turn. was
another co12oufage for political ao-
ton. According tosits usual Methods
oGe Carleton d. Ba1cotk Of Detroit
had been sent TO California secretly
TO organize the local "resc2Ich 50
ciety.'
lie eZrlained, says Professor Hop
kins in his atEdayit, tibet the II uaI
method was for the Insurance Leo
Monies Society OF America to send one
Of its regular star members. CT whcm
he was che, into he given state, 10
align local interests. sceere funds.
form list Of wee prcgideafs, n
wage tho campaign BY the ordinary
methods OF press publicity. printed
paE2Ea3s and z bureau Gf pal1 ora
tors. The Insurance Ec9noUlcs So
ciety contributed the organizer and
in some casas part Of the funds, keep
ing its connection with the state or
ganization secret"
Out to XIII League.
With this explanation, Professor
Hopkins continues his affidavit as fol
lows:
In a conversation held on or about
October 25, 1918, Babcock mentioned
the Noapartisan league calling it a
dangerous sociafIstic movement, and
stated that the Insurance Economics
Society of America had decided to 90
into North Dakota and Montana this
spring and summer and wage a cam
paign to drive the league out of ex-
istence.
Zone Of his definite statements was
as follows:
That in the summer of 1918 seven
Of the largest insurance men in the
United States, representing The prin-
cipal corporations, had sat down to-
gether around a table in Detroit and
had pledged one million dollars ISL
100000 for theecampaign to kill The
Nonpartisan league
Offers Job Lure.
'Babcock expressed satisfaction
with my work against the California
compulsory health insurance. measure, /
and said that if I desired he could no
doubt secure me a position on the IN
suranee Economics society staff, to so
into North Dakota or Montana and
do publicity work against the League. /
Such a position, he said, would pay
as high as $4,000 a year
Il did not accept the offer and moth
ing further was said along that line.
Babcock referred to this coming
campaign as the most important fight I
that the Insurance Economics Society
of America would have engaged IN +
He stated Re was particularly anxious
to do well in the California campaign,
because it would mean one Of the bet
terpaid positions Ia the N0nDartisan /
league fight and other writer's and I
organizers on the staff Of the Insur- +
ance Economies Society were also
u @AAf, - 4&sSl q ls4~Off AA45 UN-0AC LLAS
insurance heads.
Immediately after the November
election Bahcock left California and
the California Research Society OF T
Social Economics ceased to exist. This
name was purely q eamoufaga, since
the activities included neither research
nor. economic study, and the society
consisted solely in a list Of Vice prasi-
dents on letterhead, with Babcock rs
secretary, and an honorary president.
In witness to the truth of the above
statements, I hereby afffx my hand and
seal
ERNEST JEROME HOPKINS.
Subscribed and sworn to before me
this 23rd day of May, 1919.
FRANK ~ OWEN,
Notary Public, in and for the city I
and county of San Francisco, state
Of California.
Nroa~f, ,od 1.A LaaaI4E