The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-11-19
FOLEY DENIES TRYING TO
INFLUENCE TESTIMONY OF
MRS, MARGARET LANSD0WNE
Says He Merely Tried to Incorpcatc Into Statement the
Facts That She Said She Wished to Present to
the NAVY Court of Inquiry

made by her in LakchurS she had
been mlouuOtcd by the newspapers ~
the sense that She had never at any
time criticized nor meant to criti-
ciHc the secretary OF the navy person
ally. Sh" Icassertcd her statement
that Commander Lans downc was OPP
posed to sending the Shenandoah on
the midwcstcrn flight during the
thunder. torn period and that he had
protested 80 dong to the navy &c
paItmcnt. She said that Commander
l.unsuoWnc regarded the Shenandoah
a, man of-war, and that he was OPP
posed to using her on political
flights.
she further stated that she wa
al "a loss to know exactly what TO say
70 In" court As everything that she
had intended to say had already been
>aId in the records Of the court.
Preferred Not TO Appear
"Shc further said that had she
known that the cor" 'Spondcncc would
be incorporated into the record as
1t had been, she would not nave &C
ccptcd the invitation Of the court to
be present. and that as matter OF
tact. she would Ike not to appear
before the court, but didn't very well
doing so.
an conversation with her stated
to her that inasmuch as she had not
been Summoned by the court as
witness and was appearing at her
own request and in view of the fact
that She was the widow of Command
or Lansdownc and that it would be
the first time SO far as | know that
"A woman had appeared as witness
at an inquiry of this character, ], as
Judge advocate, would personally very
! much prefer and was confident that
the court would also prefer, that any
, thing that she might wish 20 say be
, said in the form of a statement by
| her which would not be the subject
| OF cross examination.
II rointed out to Mrs. Lansdownc.
however, that in the event that she
| should include in her statement any
thing that was not based upon her
! own knowledge or supported by other
| testimony before the court IT would
be the duty of the court to cross OK
anime her thereon. irrespective OF
| their wishes.
81 particularly remember it having
! developed in the course OF the con
/ vcrsation that Mrs. Lansdownc made
statements in regard to the cOrlc-
spondcncc of record before the court
which were not in accordance with
the facts as | necessarily knew them
from all the testimony. 1t was III
| this connection that | made remark
quoted by Mrs. Lansdowne to the CT
| feet that she might prove a difficult
witness, having in mind solely the
| idea of statement in line with the
testimony AS knew it to be and
which would make cross examination
| unnece ssary.
OGcre' To Prepare Statement
upon the conclusion Of the in
| tcrvicw | suggested to Mrs. Lans-
downe that if 1t would be helpful to
her would attempt to incorporate
in a statement for her that which !
understood she wished to say and
which would not make it necessary
for the court to cross examine
with this idea in mind. J pre-
pared statement for Mrs. Lans-
downc's consideration which ! deliV-
cred to Mrs. George W. Steele. whom
| happcned to meet wholly by chance
in the navy department out of court.
Mrs. Steele stated that she was about
TO see Mrs. Lansdowne at luncheon
| and in response to my request she
said that she would be glad to con-
| vey the paper to her.
"This paper. | repeat. contained
nothing that Mrs. Lansdowne had not
said to me in the presence of three
witness es presented in the form Of a
statement not requiring cross exam
nation and with a view to leaving
Mrs. Lansdownc in a dignified posi-
/ ton"