New Britain herald., 1919-03-05

tions from such sources, and has al- ways adhered to it.
 As a final exposition of the peculiar idea of fairness held by these pleasant investigators, testimony was taken of hostile witnesses without official notice to the officers of the league so that it had no representative present to hear what new outrag ge was claimed to have been perpetrated
 We were no- given the courtesy of permission to cross examine the, wit nesses' called by the committee from outside the league until we had made public protest against the procedure and it was graciously given at the
 end of the hearing.
 Attack Ferocious."
 "The result whatever it is, will be no surprise to the officers of the league who were compelled to under go the operation Of the committees weird notion of an inquiry into facts. One thing We can say with all posi- tiveness, which is, that the National Security league expects to continue doing business confident of the con- tinued support of the intelligent and loyal press and of all honest citizens The leagues record, tho eXactness of
 it's accounts. and the honorable pur- pose of it's officers and members, are
 established facts. Not a Scintila of
 evidence was adduced to justify the ferocity of the attack.
 The attempt to fasten a suggcs-
 tion of self-intorest on the league S
 supporters cannot bo too strongly
 condemned. These assaults by the eN-
 aminers were upon the dead and the absent, who were denied throughout
 the privilege of defense. The sober thought of the people and of the members of congress will convince them of the un-Amcrican and friV- olous procedure of the majority of the , committee. The entire proceeding g was an attempt to pillory citizens, who have been proved wise in their efforts to arouse America to thc per ills of unprcparcdncss. The power of congress cannot be misuscd to lntim- idatc citizens to forcgO constitutional rights. President Wilson said: ''I cannot conceive of anything more projudicial than tho application of a system Of censorship that would deprive tho people of a free republic such as ours of the indisputable right to criticize public scrVants.'
 Victim of Spitc'
 "Tho National Security league, which did more than any single agcn- cy in the United states to prepare the l country for defense, to insure the 1 training of officers, the increase of our l armed forces, the maintenance of 1 morale in upholding the dignity and 1 honor of America, cannot be made 1 the victim of the spite and anger of l those whom ii was necessary to gOau l to action and who became self-aD~ pointed judges of ifs sincerity and ! honor.
 The attack of the committee was l based upon a chart, published months ! before the election, which for accu- 1 racy in recording votes is una ssailcd. l The votes selected were, when made, 1 most accurate illustrations Of mental 1 bent, eXplainaDlo possibly in some in stances by party control, but none the 1 less evidences which remain as the ! records of congress, made public in 1 good faith and within tho rights of l every citizen or association of citi- l zcns Even the admission of the l chart as evidence was opposed in the l committee, although the attack was l based upon it."