New-York tribune., 1920-08-23
Kenyon Probe
OF Cox Slush
Charge Sought
Demand Is Growing That
Committee OH Expendi-
lures Ask for Proofs
of SIS, 100000 Fund
Witnesses Names Wanted
Many Wonder Why Nominee
Does Not Ta ke the
Initiative Himself
By Carter Field

From The f'f5vncS Washington Bn-cdu
WASHINGTON. Aug. ga demand
is growing here that the Kenyon COM
uittee. on campaign expenditures call
on James NJ. Cox for information and
.ames Of witnesses to substantiate his
Psrses of Sl5,o00,000 slush fund
and also that Franklin d. Roosevelt
be called on TO give his information
and names of witnesses as to his
charges that the Republican slush fund
is to be s3O.ooO.000
Chairman George White, of the Demo
cratic National Committee, boasted
when in Washington recently, in the
course of brief dictated statement.
- it was the votes of Democratic
Senator's which had continued this in
vestigating committees functions, SO
that it would run through the cam
paign.
Even Democrats here admit that the
charges being made by the Democratic
nominees would interest the country
great deal more if they were promptly
followed by an investigation by this
committee. The mere demand of
either Cox or Roosevelt for the com
mittee's investigation, it is admitted,
would force the committee to act at
once.
Expects Kenyon to Act
Incidentally there is some dsap-
pointn<nt that Senator William S.
Kenyon of Iowa, chairman of the COM
mittee, has not rushed into the situa-
ton by publicly calling on the Demo-
cratic nominees to produce or retract
Kenyon has never hesitated in the past
TO denounce the Republicans whenever
he thought they were spending too
much money. 1t was rather notorious,
during the early days of the investi-
CATION into the pre-convention expendi-
lures by candidates. that he collabo-
rated more with the Democratic mem
bers Of his committee, Senators James
A. Reed Of Missouri, and Atlee Pome-
rene. Of Ohio, than with the Republican
members, Senator'S Spencer, of Mis-
souri and Fdge, Of New Jersey
The Kenyon committee was called
into being as q result of attacks made
by Senator Borah and other advocates
Of the nomination of Hiram Johnson.
It did yeoman work in producing sensa-
tional news dispatches, which undoubt-
edlv prevented the nomination of Gov
ernor Frank O. Lowden, although not
delegate at the Chicago convention
raised his voice to blame Governor
Lowden personally, and many think it
also prevented the nomination of Cen
era Leonard Wood. Certainly the
work Of that committee gave the op-
ponents of General Wood a talking
point which they used at Chicago to
the utmost.
But now the committee, in the face
of charge of plutocratic outpouring
Of wealth, which those who have
watched Senator Kenyon would natural
ly expect TO put him on the war path,
Is absolutely quiet.
The only reply so far made to the
charges by Cox and Roosevelt, except
in SO far as Nlcy contradict each other,
has come from Chairman Will II. Hays
Of the Republican National Committee.
And this was put out in such q way
that it did not achieve one-tenth Of
the publicity attendant upon the
charges of Cox and Roosevelt. The
charges of both Cox and Roosevelt
have been printed on the first page
Of virtually every newspaper in the
country and reiterated from day to
day
The Kenyon committee, it is pointed
out mere could force Cox and Roose-
welt to get down to brass tacks, and, as
evidenced during the previous hearings
Of the committee, there would be plenty
Of publicity.
Wonder at Cox's Stand
Aside from the irritation against
Senator Kenyon for not getting busy
with his committee on these Cox
charges, there is some wonder thar
Governor Cox. instead of making blind
charges differing so widely from those
Of his running mate that they could
scarcely be founded even on the same
conversation, does not himself call on
the committee for action
Senator Pomerene was and is mem
Der Of the Kenyon committee and could
demand that the committee convene
at once for the purpose of looking into
the charges
If Governor Cox could prove his
charges before Senate committee at
least technically Republican, it is
pointed out, the Democrats would have
much better campaign argument
tnan mere idle charges which tend to
defeat themselves because they are so
at variance with other charges being
made on the same subject by Mr..
Roosevelt
1T is being whispered around
Washington that one of the causes for
the mind OF Governor Cox dwelling
30 much on campaign contributions is
.na' some very liberal contributors to
tAe Democratic campaign fund in the
pas have not been heard from as yet.
Inese are some of the men who were
eh'nuslastic for McACoo and who
nave not taken much pains to hide
.nelr disgust at the failure of the con-
'emilon to nominate him.
mere IS still a great deal of feeling
among the McAdoo men on account of
'ae circulation of leaflet on the
HHreet and in the hotel Hobbies Of San
francisco, during the convention, stat
ing that disclosures by this Kenyon
..sommlttee would drive McAdoo "of
'ne ticket within ninety days"
livery one disclaimed any knowledge
VI 'ne leaflet, which was anonymous
shd did not even carry the name of the
printer. The McAdoo people have
liver LIVER made any charges as to who had
sn,S ieaflet prepared and circulated,
W, they have not forgotten it by any
means, and they are not in a good
humor about it.