The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-28
BIG SPY SYSTEM
OF PROVIDENCE
JOURNAL MYTH
Rathom, Editor, Had to Adj
nit Camouflaging War
Time News Sources.
CONFESSION GIVEN OUT
Rhode Island Man Com
PEELED by U. S. to Tell
Where Tips Came From.
KEPT SECRET TWO YEARS
Attack on f. D. Roosevelt Re-
suits in Caffey Showing Rec
ord Held in Allegiance.
CONFESSION GIVEN OUT
KEPT SECRET TWO YEARS

There was never such a thing as
dence Journal whereby that news
paper through agents in German and
Austrian diplomatic Offices claimed 1t
was enabled to get all the inside facts
on German spy and destruction sys-
TENS in this country.
The authority for that statement is
John r. Rathom, editor of the Provi-
dence Journal. Mr.. Rathom on Feb
ruary IL, 1918, signed a lengthy letter
addressed to the Attorney General
telling the facts about the newspapers
news sources. He signed on advice of
his counsel after the Department of
Justice had looked into some of his
Statements
The confession was made public
yesterday for the first time by Francis
G. Caffey, United States Attorney for
this district. in connection with the
complaint of Franklin d. Roosevelt.
Democratic nominee for V.ce- Presi-
dent. that ''libellous letter" concern
ing Mr.. Roosevelt's work as Assistant
Secretary of the Navy had oeen writ
ten by Mr.. Rathom
"I do not believe any attack by Mr..
Rathom would be given credence by any
one who knows his record" Mr. Caffey
stated in making public the confession.
The Federal attorney expressed the opn-
ion that the letter complained of is libel
1ous. but as it was delivered by hand
ia xyb 10 a
matter for the Federal authorities to
take up. To those who followed the
stories in the Providence Journal and
public addresses made by Mr.. Rathom
the confession is startling.
Rathom Confession Explained.
In explanation of the confession, Mr.
Caffey stated:
During the active period Of the war
Mr.. Rathom pursued such course of
conduct that official notice of it was
deemed necessary. While the investiga-
ton was in progress the Attorney Gen
eral issued instructions on the subject
to A. b. Bielas<i. chief of the Bureau Of
Investigation of the Department of JUS
tice, as follows.
John r. Rathom OF the Providence
Journal has. in public speeches and 9TH
erwise. made a number of absolutely
false statements in regard to his own
activities, the activities OF the Depart
ment of Justice. his own connection with
and revelations to this department and
the criminal activities or Spies aliens
and other persons and classes of per-
sons"
This statement of the Attorney-Gen-
eral says that If Mr.. Rathom will make
a complete confession as to these false
statements" the Attorney-G General will
not at that time make it public, but will
reserve the right to publish Ii at any
time he concludes it is for the public
good.
The Attorney Generals statement con-
cludes:
1.-THE course may take as to the pub
lcation of this confession will depend
on the conduct of Mr.. Rathom In the
future
Text of Editors Confession.
Apparently the conduct of Mr.. Rathom
was not satisfactory. The confession
addressed to the Attorney General in
part follows:
MY attention has been called to the
enbarra ssment which your department
has been occas stoned by the popular inn
preston which prevails that / or the
Providence Journal should he credited
plished since the outbreak of the Euro
pean war in the suppression of activities
of German agents in this country. which
impression has arisen not from the pub
lication of matter In the Providence
Journal but from speeches which / have
made on a few public occasions and
from statements which may have made
OF similar character to private indlvid-
uals. although do not recall any indi-
vidual to whom l made statements of a
character similar to those objected to in
my speeches.
"I feel that the general public opinion
which has rather unfortunately credited
us with the actual bringing TO Justice Of
German spies and malefactors has been
misdirected to the extent that our only
possible claim to valuable constructive
work In the past three and one-half
years ought In fairness to be restricted