The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-10-28
BLASPHEMOUS CARTOON IS DLSOWNED BY c. o. 2.
Although Prepared By Syndi- cate Supplying Republicans With Pictures Hays Dis claims Responsibility for Dis- semination of SacriIegious Picture. [
By Associated PrezS

New York, October 27.-Win II.
 Hays. chairman of the republican na-
 tional committee, in a statement issued
 here tonight disclaimed responsibility for the dissemination of a cartoon by
 Albert T. Reid, which represented Cow
 ernor Cox on a step ladder, Having
 difficulty in hanging the masterpiece"
 The picture shown in the draw Ing represents an Uncle Sam with
 grotesque "hcart of the world
 |. s." and bears the inscription, .ProfessOr Wilson's League of Ma
 tions---thc immaculate conception"
 and "The Greatest He Angel. The appearance of the earicature in
 the current number of Harvey's Week.
 ly, and previously in the National Re-
 publican and several other newspapers, caused protests of the Knights of Co.,
 lumbus. Allen A. Ryan of New York,
 calling attention to the drawing. called
 it "sacrilegious," while former Ambas-
 sador.-Tomas Nelson Page applied to it
 the two epthets, "biasphemous and shocking" Governor Cox and Franklin D. Roosevelt also have referred to it in speeches
 Although it was prepared by sym didate which applies republican head duatlSlS W ltu car lOOliS, fldyS Sdiu it was used without the slightest ap- proval or Knowledge" on the part of the republican organization.
 Mir. Hays statement follows: HAYS STATEMENT The simple facts about the publica- ton of the cartoon labelled Having Difficulty in Hanging the Masterpiece" are as follows:
 "The cartoon was sent to a number of newspapers early in October by the Albert T. Reid Cartoon Syndicate which 1 furnished cartoons to newspapers for the publicity department of the repub- lican committee. It was drawn by Mr. Reid and was his idea. As soon as i this cartoon came to the attention of the director of the publicity depart ment, Mr. Scott Bone. telegrams were imm ediately sent to the newspapers re- ceiving it request ting that it should not be used. l never saw it until two days ] ago in the New York World. I deeply regret that the cartoon, which in reality is as offensive to me as it can possibly
 be to any one else was ever produced or used but do not see how'll can do l more than to say so frankly and to tell how it happened This I have done. l The democratic organization Is now striving in every way to make political capital out of this matter and the dem . ocratic papers are republishing the car l toon broadcast for that purpose. They 1 are doing this deliberately and with full Knowledge. In the first insta nee l 1t was used inadvertently and without 1 the slightest approval or knowledge on the part of myself or any member lef the republican national committee4 | Tt is not the republican national mriri ttee, but democratic influences which by pernetttatinp and explpitin9 the offensive cartoon, are knowingly
 outraging the sensibilities Of thousands | of devout men and women in the vain hope of achieving a sordid political purpose. To thus try to make political pital out of this matter is not worthy
 of honest manhood of the democratic party. l have not the slightest hesita- ton in letting the public judge be- ] tween us."