Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-09-09
QUESTION BLAIR
IN SLUSH FUND
INVESTIGATION
Witness Does Not Want to Be
Put in Light of Playing
Game Under Table.
ASKED ABOUT FORM lO2

CHICAGO, Sept. 9.-Resuming examina-
tiOn of Harry Blair, assistant treasurer
Of the republican national committee, to-
day in the senate investigation Of carA-
paign funds, Senator Reed questioned
Blair about the plan for getting funds
in the large cities Of the country.
Reed attempted to prove by Blair the
/ truth OF Gov. Cox's charge that exact
quotas are fixed for more than fifty cities.
Cox, in his Pittsburg speech, read a
list of lfty-one city quotas, totalling
IS. .145, ,OOo
One of these, 100000 for Cleveland, o.,
was admitted yesterday by Dudley 8.
Blossom.
Reed asked concerning document sub
mitted by Blair marked confidential In
formation for regional and state chair
men"
Blair said the instructions it Contained
for organizing money-raising campaigns
were "confdentiaF' but not secret
DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO
THINK ANYTHING WRONG.
When it was issued last November,
We didn't want the opposition to know
all We were doing" said Blair.
But l don't want anybody to have
the impression that there was anything
wrong. sinister or untoward, in that
bulletin.
I don't want to be put always in the
position OF playing the game under the
| table"
Reed called attention to repeated adj
monitions to the workers against GER
| tain forms Of publicity and asked wny
I they were issued
Blair countered with a copy of the
official bulletin urging workers to gre
local publicity TO the money raising
/ campaign.
''Those instructions we're issued after
you knew the Investigation had been or
dered and the facts brought out" Reed
| said.
Blair declared be didn't know abour
the senate investigation when he urged
publicity be given the plan.
Reed asked whether Blair intended 70
/ put on a last minute drive for funds
| in the closing days Of the campaign
! We had planned a last week drive
for 81 subscriptions" he said, "but it
wasn't adopted"
/ SAYS SEPTEMBER
PLAN REJECTED.
Reading from form 102, the campaign
plan for big cities, Reed asked whether
4 big September effort was to be made.
/ Il had very elaborate plan," said
Blair. but it was rejected because VIII
liam Boyce Thompson, chairman Of the
national ways and mesns committee in
sisted the plan not be used in the seven
eastern states he controls.
] Without those states. I felt the plan
could not work successfully.
''In the seven states are about 35 per
cent Of the good prospects.
That is why the plan was Impractical
With them left out"
The states Blair referred to were Penn
sylvanta, New York, Maryland, Delaware.
/ Connecticut. Rhode Island and the Dis
/ trict of Columbia
/ DICKERMAN AND srIMS
NAMED IN INDIANA.
r, Blair submitted list OF specia. paid
| field men assigned to work In cities and
state campaigns
He named F. NJ Dickerman and z. L.
Simms In Indiana
Blair said he thought there was moth
ing wrong about 5000 to $4,000 sub
seriptions from men who can give that
much as provided in form 1Ol.
Reed said HIS copy of form 1O1 didn't
contain any $4,000 limit. but referred to
gifts Of 5000 and upwards.
Blair said Reeds copy was incomplete
and furnished an official copy which pro-
vided for $4,000 subscriptions in cases
where "city quotas have been fixed at
S250.0oO or more"
There isn't any longer any dispute
that form 101 was an actual document
then ?" said Reea.
4 never said it didn't exist" said
Blair.
NO. but others did and even intimated
that we were trying to put over a forged
document" said Reed.
Blair explained the only difference be-
l'tween form 101 and the plan actually
adopted was the 81 600 limit on individ.
ual contributors was not removed In the
one finally adopted.
Blair denied that form 101. for prc
vision for contributions for $1,000 clint.
| mated, was sent out.
How then did Dudley Blossom Of
| Cleveland get the details Of the plan
embodied in form 1O1, which he testl-
fed he followed absolutely" asked RsaA.
Blair said Blossom got his instruct
tions orally and that they followed GER
tain general principles governing the or.
ganization of any city organization to
raise money.
QUOTA PLACED ON CITY
BY NATIONAL TREASURER.
Reed read from form 102 the reference
to "the quota placed on the city by the
national treasurer"
Quotas were fixed for cities, then9,
asked Reed.
"No, that policy was not adopted.
Blair replied.
THE national committee is responsible
said Reed, "the national headquarters
chooses city leaders and then sends-tn
paid field workers to help them a
passes on city quotas.
you?"
Blair said he would like to explain.
Taking Cleveland as an example, ne
said local citizens and state leaders
agreed on $S50.0OO as Cleveland's quota,
with $4,000 more for Cuyahoga county.