New-York tribune., 1920-10-09
Simonds Declares Report
O} itsors Speech Correct
Writer Says Arfic!c Quoting
President az Peace Payley
WnS Tinker, E7r0,n fkc RccnYd

Frank II. Simords, whose article in
The Tribune December g. 1919, repro
duced Tor the first time in this coun-
try the words Of President Wilson at
the Peace Conference session Of May
81, 1919, over which controversy has
arisen between the President and Sen
stor Selden Z. Spencer, Of Missouri,
yesterday issued a statement in re-
sponsc to appeals made to him to dis
close the source Of his Attenuation.
One appeal to Mr. Simonds. made be-
fore The Tribune published the text
of the official minutes, pointed out that
his article had bacn reprinted in The
Congress ional Record the day after it
was published in The Tribune and that
the .ssue of veracity raised, when the
Presidcrt declared "false' the asscr-
tion by Senator Spencer that Mr.. VII
son had promised cid to Rumania and
Serbia, had been narrowed down to Mr.
Simonds's authority for his article.
Nh. Simonds's statement reads:
. he article in question was a tran
script from the record Of what took
place at a preliminary session Of the
Paris Conference on May 81, 1919. The
whole stenographic record for that day
was placed in my hands by a repre-
sentative of one of the nations con-
cerned in the days proceedings under
pledge that l should not at any time
disclose the source. Naturally 7 shall
keep faith.
Two Satisfactory Indications
GAS to its authenticity I had two
satisfactory indications. First, the
source from which it emanated sec
ond, the character of the document it.
self and the knowledge common to all
in Paris of what happened on that in
teresting day.
"The document consisted Of many
scores of typewriter sheets presenting
the verbatim record of n long series of
discussions turning upon interests Of
the several small nations, Poland Scr
bia, Rumania and Czecho- -Slovakia
These nations had suddenly received
copies of the portions Of the treaty
affecting their countries, and with only
a few hours notice had to appear to
make their comments.
SIT contained the protests of each of
the countries over specified grievances,
beginning with the scant notice, which
moved NJ. Clemenccau to make an apol-
ogy. 1t proceeded to reproduce the
the crucial question of the rights of
the Big Four TO interfere on behalf Of
minorities in these states was reached.
ut was over this point that the de-
bate became personal between Presi-
dent Wilson and the Rumanian Prime
Minister, NJ. Bratiauo, and my article,
which is now under discussion, repro
duccd this debate, emitting the remarks
Of NJ. Bratiano. which. although of
very great interest to Rumania, had
~ immediate American significance.
Forgery an Impossibility
1T will be seen, then, that if the
document was a forgery, not only
would the author have had to
forge all the conversation lead
ing up to the debate over the minori-
ties, but he would have had to forge
it all with foreknow3cdge of what
was coming nearly two years later He
would have had to forge not one
speech by one man, ont a drama, fill
ing many pages and assigning parts to
many speakers, for the climax came
after very long debate. in the course
of which the indignation Of represent-
atives of the smaller nations gradually
reached fever heat. 1t was to quiet