New-York tribune., 1920-11-21
Says Soriet agent Aids
In attack on Boiling

IN Attack on EOii!yag
From The Tribune'a Washington Bareuu
WASHINGTON. Nov. 90. John T.
Meehan, in charge of the New York
Office of the Shipping Boards bureau
OF stigation, to-day telephoned
strong defense of R. W. Boiling to
Admiral Benson, and vigorously ar
raigned A. NJ. Fisher, the Congressional
comn.ittee's investigator in the Ship
ping Board case.
The Shipping Board made public to-
night the following statement attrlb-
uted to Mcehan:
81 regard the attack m2de on K. W.
Boiling before the Congressional In
vestigation Committee as the deliberate
work Of character assasSins, and am
! prepared to prove that one Oi tho prln-
! cirAls in this attempt to be irch the
name of member of the Presidents
family is an admitted agent Of Ludwig
A. { T. Martens, the so-called Russian
Soviet Ambassador Meehan said.
Calls Fisher Statement False
"Mr. Meehan added that he was pres
ent at the hearing before tnc Walsh
committee to-day, prepared to prove
false the statements Of A. NJ Fisher
70 the effcc that 10 Investigation had
been made o matter. and, further,
to cnlighten tne -'iftee as TO the
character Of the v41.r g and IN
formants in this case. Mt. Meehan was
called into conference by Chairman
Walsh and Congressman Kelley during
the recess at to-days hearing, and
states that he then informed the COM
mittec that the matter had been In
vestigated by this office, with the re
suit that he considered the attack upon
Mr. Boiling as the 0utgroWth Of q
blnckmalling scheme.
al am prepared to prove by romre-
tent Witnesses said Mr. Meehan, 'that
the committees investigator \. NJ.
Fisher, not only testified falsely when
nc stated the matter was not lnvestl-
gated but that Mr.. Fisher had stated
III the presence of witnesses that he
believed Mr.. Boiling innocent Of the
cnarges Mr. Fisher, months after this
storv had been brought 10 his atten-
tiou, told Admiral Benson and half a
dozen others that can name that he
believed the story unfounded.
"'As a matter of fact the story IS
unfoundod. and those who heard the
testimony Of Sands Will recall that he
at first stated emphatically that K. W.
Boiling had not participated in the
commissions which were paid to HIM
by Wallace Downey. Sands asserted
that he considered the &l,SOo ne IS
alleged to have loaned Boiling was re
ceived as being a part Of the alleged
DoNney commission, only after . grill
ing by Chairman Walsh and Congress
man Kelly, which indicated clearly
that neither OF these gentlemen placed
any credence in Sands's testimony.
Sees Sinister Move
"Mr. Meehan asserted that the at
tacks made b. Sands and his convict
associate unon Ny Boiling came only
after the latter had emphatically de-
clined to listen to the indicted bankers
appeal for Mr.. Boiling t. interceae
with President Wilson have the
pending indictment 20 inst Sands
Quashed.
".I called Chairman Wa,sh's atten-
ton to this phase of the substH ntiatlor
OF NV theory Of attempted nlacknail
and that Sands shamelessly admitted
on the stand that he had sought te
exert influence to have the crlmina
changes against him droDpcd said Mr.
Meenan.
"Mr. Meehan added that he had in
formed the committee that in his in
vest cation Of these charges Mr.. Boil
ing hed freely given access to his pr
vate papers in his safe, and had will
ing!y answered, to Mr.. MeehaN's sats
faction, every question propounded t
MIN.
"There is something decidedly mon
sinister back Of this attack upon N
Boiling than appears upon the surface,
said Mr. Neehan. u is part Of worl'
designed propaganda to discred't tn,
, gov, rnment. and there is more tn. on
person OF RolsheVik tendencies .nvolv
ed in the matter. think the Wa'si
committee should order a searching D..
vestigation INTO all the sources fron
/ wh,ch Mr. Fisher had obtained thi
J story before it proceeds further an
willing to tell the committee enough Il
start them on q hot trail Of the Lenne
Trotzhy crew. VINO Are seeking to us
the Shipping Board inquiry as one o
thnir WeanonS OF NronagaNdA' y