New-York tribune., 1921-11-16
Chief of London
JObless Sues Duke
On Libel Charge
His Social Position Injured,
Asserts Northumberland
Accuser; Tells of ssSpoof.
ing" Police in Spy Role
From The Trsoune's European Bureau

'O"' "c 4T7OuneS EnropfQn B4reQ,f
Sopyrient 1921. New York Tribune INC.
LoNDON. Nov. 15.-Admittinp that
ne mad served jail term for making
sedlrious speeches, that he had taken
money from Scotland Yard on false
pretenses, and that he had circulated
pamphlets during the war opposing the
combIng out process in conscription.
William Foster Watson, chairman Of
the North London Unemployed Council,
insisted IN court to-day that his social
position had been injured and that he
had been libelled by an article written
by the Duke of Northumberland and
published in "The London Morning
Post"
The libel suit against the duke,
which is being tried before Justice
Darling and a jury in the Kings Bench
Division, has aroused much interest.
The duke has been prominent as a
strong anti Communist worker, while
Watson attracted attention during the
war and in the unemployed crisis since.
Plaintiff Is Own Lawyer
Watson is acting as his own attorney
against strong array of eminent
counsel, headed by Douglass Hogp.
K-C.
The article on which the suit IS
based was published in "The Morning
Post" in August, 1920, under the can
tion, "Bolshevik Plot in England" and
with the dukes signature attached.
The newspaper is co-deiendant in the
action.
Watson, in opening his case to-day,
protested against the delay in bringing
it to trial, and pointed out the pas-
sages. IN the northumberland article
70 which he took especial objection.
lnese charged that Watson had gained
an unsavory reputation. that he had
acted as spy for Scotland Yard and
that ne had negotiated with Sinn Fein.
CONSIDERABLE amusement was caused
"hen the plaintiff, in the course of his
statement, convicted the duke of using
Ine double negative in one sentence.
Cross questioned, Watson admitted
he was in favor of the Soviet svstem
for England, that he mad actively on
posed the combing out conscription
process during the war and that on ac-
count of his seditious speeches he had
served jail term, which he referred to
as the time | was an unwelcome guest
Of George v at the hydropathic estab-
lishment in Caledonian Road" His
testimony was embellished with a
wealth of cockney terms.
Watson admitted that he furnished
Scotland Yard with reports for which
he was paid s3 week.
lust "Spoofinr" Police
"But, I was just spoofing shen,,s he
declared. II wasn't spy. / sent them
a lot of twaddle that they could have
found out from reading the news
papers," After five weeks, he said, the
police discovered the frauds and dis.
charged him.
When the dukes counsel read a
pamphlet, written by Watson, in which
reference was made to Sitting the
gizzards of people in Park Lane" Wat
son airily retorted that it was merely
philosophical Bolshevism.
After it was elicted from Watson
that he had used the money paid him
by the police to foster working class
movements, he mentioned meeting
Russian couriers in London. When he
refused to tell where these meeting
places were, he was given until to-
morrow to reply to this question.