New Britain herald., 1924-05-14
HUGHES BRANDS AS
 LIE SHIP REPORTS
Denies He Was Involved in Sale Of
 Martha Washington

Washington. May 14.--Secretary Hughes today declared to be "abso- lutely false" the statement that he had anything to do with the sale Of the steamship Martha Washington" to it's former owners by the shipping board.
 In formal statement prompted by the reading of correspondence before the house shipping board inyestigat- ing committee. in which Secretary Hughes Wass aid to have appeared for the former owners before becoming Secretary of State, Mir. Hughes de- ciared he had had nothing 10 do with the subject since he entered the cab inet.
 Davis Reads Letter.
 Representatike Davis, democrat, Of Tennessee, yesterday read the corres- pondence as well as records Of hear ings by the house merchant marine committee, 10 show that Mir. Hughes in December, 1920, three months be- fore he became secretary of state, was active as counsel for Trieste corpor- ation to have title of the ship, seized from Austria during the war, trans ferred back to the company. He also produced a resolution of the shipping board two years later, under which the ship was sold for s60,o00 to the corporation after the board had been advised by the state department that Ia owned, through annexation of Trieste.
 Correspondence read by MT. Davis included that between William PhilTl lips, under-seeretary of state, A. Asi Adee, as second assistant secretary, and Chairman Lasker of the shipping board. It involved the forwarding Of representations on the part Of the Italian ambassador and other inter ested persons. as we'll as information as to the national status of the com pany claiming the ship.
 Hughes Statement.
 "The statement that had anything 10 do with the sale of the Martha Washington" said Secretary Hughes in his statement today, ''is absolutely | false. l have had nothing 10 do with this matter since I became secretary of state.
 Tn 1920, when I was practicing law and before I had any idea of beeom- ing secretary of state, l was consulted by the attorneys of the Italians who i claimed the vessel. l believed their claim was just one and took the matter up. While the vessel had been | seized by this government because she {. flew the Austrian flag, she belonged 1, to Trieste and to a corporation organ ized and controlled by Italians. When Trieste went 10 Italy. the corporation was recognized by Italy as an Italian corporation and the Italians sought the return of the vessel.
 "The question was whether the gov , ernment should conhscate vessel which really belonged to it's associates in the war. My connection with the i matter completely ended before I be- came secretary of state.
 "when a long time afterward, T. learned that the shipping board had brought questions relating to the Nes- sel before the department Of state, declined, because of my previous con- nection az above stated, to have any thing to do with if. The latter was handled exclusively under the direc- ton Of Mir. Phillips. the under seere- tary of state, on the advice of the so- icitors office, without any reference 10 me. "r did not discuss the questions in- solved with anyone in the department, md gave no instructions or sugges-