New-York tribune., 1919-01-11
Senate Propaganda Inquiry
Marked by Bitter Tits;
Witness's Past Is Barred
Article on Hearst Is Cited
Praise of Publisher Part
of Campaign TO Hurt
France, Says Prosecutor
Nesc York Tribune
Washin gton Bureau

been active in gathering evidence IN
the propaganda inquiry was made be-
fore the Overman propaganda inquiry
committee by Senator Reed, of Mis-
souri,. who is not member of the COM
mittee. but is appearing by it's cour-
tesy. The attack took the same lines
as those made at the last hearings be-
fore the Christmas holidays.
Most of the day was given to an
effort to impeah the credibility of Phil
lips NJ. Musica, man once convicted
of grand larceny, and now in Becker's
Office 1t was shown that before going
with Becker, Musica had been employed
both by District Attorneys Perkins
and Swami, that his work had been up
held by the United States Supreme
Court in the Baff murder case. and
that much of the work which Reed was
attacking had been done under Swann's
direction.
Toward the close of the day Senator
Reed took UP the article praising
Hearst and printed after much insis-
tance by Bolo Pacha. since executed.
in the Paris journal"
Letter from Humbert Read
He demanded to know how it's publ
cation could have helped Germany or
hurt France. Mr.. Becker insisted that
this publication was the first step in q
campaign that would have done both,
but was not permitted to explain his
answer. He did read. over Senator
Reeds vigorous objection, ami after
Senator Nelson had made a direct is
sue with Reed, letter from Senator
Humbert, editor of the Journal who
now awaits trial in France, which told
Of negotiations that preceded its pub
lication and of its character as origi-
nally written, and the dangerous
course on which it would have started
the Journal"
Under questions by Senator King.
Mr. Becker stated that this campaign
had never been carried out, and added
that he had been informed that men
who made a study of the case had
found no other publications in the
journal" in furtherance Of the cam
paign, but pointed out that the uues-
tion of that papers loyalty was III
volved in the Humbert case.
Prolonged Wrangling
The cross examination, as was the
case in the previous sessions, was ex-
tremely heated at many points, and
some of the exchanges between Sena-
tor Reed and Mr.. Becker were bitter.
There was prolonged wrangling over
apparently minor points. Senator
Reeds summing up of testimony sell
dom was accepted by Becker as cor
rect The examination dragged on for
hours and was not completed Mr..
Becker will go on the stand again to-
MIN, Major j. J. Dickinson. who for
$40 week, it has been testified. wrote
the Germans details of such confiden-
tial information as his personal ac-
quaintance with officials enabled him
to gather, will appear in his own de-
fense.
The one real discussion of the evil
dence affecting Hearst came when SEN
ator Reed read into the record the
article published about him in the
Paris journal" and widely reprinted
IN America. Mr.. Becker pointed out
that the article was not printed in the
form originally written by Bolo, and
offered the letter addressed by Charles
Humbert, now awaiting trial. to Bolo'
already tried and shot, and dated Sep
tember II, 1917. He started to read il
and Senator Reed protested.
We are not confined to the evidence
you are after" Senator Nelson remind
ed him. "We have right to get more
evidence from this witness"
II cannot see," Mr.. Reed persisted
that what Mr.. Humbert had to saw to
boio Pacha, long after these events are
over, can have any bearing on this
matter: 1t does not come within any
RUE OF evidence, and | have seen some
faint auroral dawn Of desire to OBJ
serve the rules of evidence since
oegan asking questions"
Inc committee passed over this COM
ment on its methods, but directed Mr..
becker to read the letter. This he did
'rsnsiating from the French:
There is one point as to which
want however, to draw particularly
your a-teation-that is the article Of
hearst, concerning which | had the
ioyaity, perhaps excessive, of writ
ing that 1t had heen published by NV
responsibility and in agreement with
me. ~ l had held myself to more
sctupulous exactitude l should have
saio, IN enect, that that article was
provoked by you upon your return
rom america and first drafted by
sou IA an unacceptable form which
Jnar upon most dangerous road
~S'e AHdExed TO BOIO
should have added that against
ny resis,apce you had, during many
weeks, obstinately solicited it's in
.,'oi. |ss.i. WIN an insIstence of almost
a,ay y'sits. OF telephone calls and Of
se.sfs, IN which you invoked guc-
esssivei7 all sorts of pretexts. in
ciaaihX among them that of being
agreeable to President Monier' and
ehat up TO the day whea, not with
out having reduced your apology for
hearst to inoffensive proportions. I
hnished By believing upon vnur
word In the sincerity of his eonver-
sion In favor OF France and her
allies. ~u 'e'
Events soon proceeded to teach
me that, Intentionally OR not. vo,,
mad deceived rae, and now when a
second time you came again TO the
charge, for the purpose Of associat-
ing me with this same Hearst In
Geographic combinations of a sug-
picsous character, categorically re-
fused in letter which you have Ike
me, no doubt, preserved the trace.
do not draw, however, from the
documents and from these facts any
deduction againet you. That IL not
my role. simply recall TO you their
ezsstencs, and hope that after re-
deetion you will not speak any more
~ irnprudent confidence and hag, in
ana VIII no longer treat as accuser
me man who took the responsibility
81 iaiprudent confidence, and has In
spite of all the anguish which
aHiletg him, the deIieaHy Of keeping
silent
Heed Prevents Explanation