The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-01-18
DICKINSON SOUGHT
VOTES FOR WILSON
4 Association With Viereck laid
to Search for Aid for
Democrats.
PEACE NOTE LEAK DOPE
Burleson and Mccormick Are
Named in Connection With
'Fatherland' Deal.
Special DespstcA 10 Tar Sex.

WAsHtNoroN. Jan. 1.-THE connec-
ton OF J. J. Dickinson with George syi-
vester viereck, editor Of the Fotherid nd,
during most of 1916 and a part Of
1917, was for the purpose OF preserving
for Woodrow Wilson and the Democratic
party the German American and paciflDt
votes, SO he said to-day before the Sen
ate committee investigating German
propa ganda. He offered substantial EVIL
dence to prove II, dragging in the names
Of Postmaster-General Burleson. Chair
man Mccormick OF the Democratic Ma
tional Committee, the late Senator Stone
(Mo.) and others. ..
Incidentally Major Dickinson defended
himself, pointing out that his connection
with Viereck was during a period when
the United States was entirely neutral
and that he had not transgressed any
moral or legal right by this connection.
Major Dickinson also told the COM
mittee he was the famous leak OF De-
cember, 1916. when advance Information
of the tenor of note the President
was about to make public was communi
Gated TO New York. prematurely re-
sultirg in this information being used
by certain men in playing the stock
market. much TO their advantage. Dick
inson said that from what he knew he
''doped" out what the note would be
and sent this information to Viereck
and Mr.. Harris of Is wall street on
December ~, 1916. Mr.. Harris. he said,
was "a client"
Feared "Tip" Was Wrons.
On December II, Major Dickinson
said. he became alarmed about the in
formation ne had forwarded to yiereck
and Harris and doubted whether II was
entirely sound. Therefore he tried to
reach Harris on the phone, but failed.
The next day the note was published
and was along the lines he had sntici-
pated. Major Dickinson said. Describ-
ing his connection with viereck. the
witness said:
my chief objective always was to
render what aid could to the move
ment to keep the country out of war and
TO hold to the support OF the Democratic
party and President Wilson the So
called German-American and the So
called pacinst vote, both OF which ele-
ments were striving to maintain our
neutrality.
As concrete evidence OF my political
purpose. ! point to several achievements
and understandings In association with
certain officials OF the Democratic Ma
tional Committee. For example, I ar
ranaed political conference between
George Sylvester Viereck and Postmas-
ter-General Burleson at rhe'headquarters
of the Democratic National Committee.
Also / induced Viereck to withhold from
publiction a vicious and untruthfGl at
tack on United States Senator James A.
Reed tMo). which might have cost him
his reelection and the loss Of the cleo
toral vote OF Missouri to President VIII
son."
Services to Party.
Going further into his services TO the
Democratic party in the campaign when
the slogan was he kept US out OF war"
Major Dickinson said: II aided In ar
ranging the conference between tho late
Senator William J. Stone tMo) and
crowd OF leading Germans. This be-
came known as the all night conference
at Terrace Hall Terrace Garden). New
York. Among the Germans present was
George Sylvester Viereck
AT the instance OF James G. Mcguire
and George Sylvester Viereck. both pro-
Germans. I negotiated with Chairman
Vance c. Mccormick OF the Democratic
National Committee plea for the pub
lication simultaneously IN the Father
land and the Irish World Of an article Of
great importance dealing with the So
called Irish Catholic vote. Chairman
Mccormick expressed eager willingness
to have this article so published until
made TO induce William ]. Bryan to
father the article
Letter From Dickinson.
The following letter. said to have
been written June 4. 1916. by Dickinson
to Fiereck, was read:
II learned yesterday from an authori-
tative source that the President had
been informed that Secretary Lansings
attitude toward every newspaper man
IN Washington who exhibits by his ques-
tons when calling at the State Depart
ment even a sense Of fairness toward
German interests Is growing more in-
sulting eevry day. | told q member OF
the Cabinet of this some time ago and
l expect 1t is this that Is bearing fruit
II was not here when Bryan was last
in Washington. but I have learned from
two or three of his intimates who talked
with him that he will give the Wilson
cause only the most perfunctory support
In the campaign, This will also mark
the course OF Speaker Clark.
81 don't know whether I told you in
one OF my last letters the story related
by Mrs. Bryan to T. H. Pickford. a
local Democrat magnate, OF the imme-
diate cause or her husbands precipitate
retirement from the Cabinet. It was
that Tumulty told a prominent German
American that Bryan was the sole cause
of the Administrators anti-German
pClicy Pickso-d went TO Tumulty with
the story, and the atmosphere OF the
White House was blue with curses OF
the organs at the time Pickford was
there. Pickford has since written to
Mrs. Bryan a full account OF his inter-
view with Tumulty.
This matter could be 30 worked up
as to force Wilson to rid himself OF
Tumulty. What suggestions have you
to make as to its handling? I believe II
Is too big an opportunity to be neglected.
Mrs. Bryan possibly would be willing TO
come out In an open statement. She IL
very able and a very determined
woman. She loaths the whole Wilson
OUTFIT. especially Tumulty the tumul-
tuous."