Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-01
S2D,O|)OLOAN FEES
Barred BY SAP|RO
Admits Farmers 0rganiza-
tons Paid Him for Few Days
Work in Washington.

BY the Associated Press.
DETROIT, April approximately
$40 900 was paid Aaron Sapiro for OBJ
tanning loans at Washington for CO.
operative farmers organizations. he
testified today in his S1,00o,e00 libel
suit against Henry Ford.
The time he actually spent at the
Capital, appearing before the war
finance corporation, Sapiro said, was
several days" in the Fall of 1921.
He represented 10 cotton. wheat and
tobacco associations.
After establishing the amounts col.
lected by Sapiro, who for 10 years
had been organizing co-operatives,
and the approximate time he spent
in floating the loans, Senator James
Reed, attorney for Ford. switched his
cross-examination to the Mississippi
Growers Association.
Says Fees Were $4,000.
The witness, who claims his reputa
ton with the farmers was injured by
articles in the Fordowned Dearborn
Independent. says his fees from that
group for 19e1-22.23 totaled $13,75o.
Sapiro, when questioned as to work
with the Texas Cotton Growers. ad
mitted he had demanded a $4,000 fee
and travelling expenses, New York to
Dallas, to make speeches and explain
contracts to the farmers.
Before you went farther than max
ing speeches. you had an agreement
that you be named counsel for all COM
modify co-operatives in the State.
didn't you?" Reed asked.
II wouldn't say there was an agree
ment, but / was to be made counsel"
Senator Reed was cross-examining
Sapiro as to the Georgia Cotton Asso-
citation when noon recess was taken.
Clashes With Reed.
Sapiro was on the witness stand
less than Is minutes today before he
clashed again with Reed
Turning angrily to Judge NJ. Ray
| mond, the Senator said:
Your honor, this witness is con-
tinually wrangling over fine points
and finding fault with my questions
| rather than attempting to answer
them
Reed had asked Sapiro as to speeches
made In Texas in 1920, in behalf of
the Texas Farm Bureau Cotton Asso.
citation.
you were still there in 1922" asked
Reed
Sapiro picked him up instantly.
You mean / was there again." he
| asked. Your question indicates I was
| there the whole time
Reed Files Protest.
"All right, all right, sir; have it your
own way" the Senator replied and
| turned to the judge to protest.
| Sapiro was upheld by the court in
this instance as justified in not an.
swering Reeds first question.
The Ford attorney started his third
| day of crossexamination by going
| into the organization of the Texas
| Farm Bureau Cotton Association. Sa.
piro testified there were bankers and
heads of other agricultural associa
lions on the programmed committee
but no warehousemen that he could
| remember
"You started in to get million
| bales of cotton contracted for?' said
/ Reed.
THAT was our goal"
Many seats were vacant again this
morning and the press tables, which
have been crowded with out-of-town
correspondents. were almost deserted
Denies Money for Speeches.
| Sapiro said he had received nc
| money for speeches explaining cotton
| tracks. That was considered part OF
his work. He admitted he related
advantages he hoped would be realized
| by the association, and attempted tC
persuade farmers to join.
| Sapiro identified an account of one
| of his speeches made in 1921 printed
| in the Texas Farm Bureau paper.
| Reed read the article, which quoted
Sapiro as saying he was not inter
| ested primarily in money, but wished
l fn 70 no oh nfY ~
/ the cotton fields and put them in
schools and to take the women from
the fields and put them in their homes.
Sapiro said the articles, told of the
| success of cooperative organizations
In California, where they had been in
existence for &c years. He told OF
| the great change at Fresno among the
raisin growers, prosperity following
organization of The co-operatives.
Sapiro followed Reed in the reading
and, although he had no copy before
| him, stopped the Senator two or three
| times to correct him from memory.
| The Senator left mot out in one
sentence, which changed the meaning.
| Corrected by the witness, himself an
attorney, Reed said the word was
almost obliterated and he had not
seen it.
Iucy InStedu OI we.
In reference to the California CO.
operatives and their success, the Sen
ator read: I'VE" found; I'VE" did, and
so forth. He was halted again by
| Sapiro, who insisted they had been
used instead of Eve"
Fees for work performed in Texas
from 1921 to 1926 totaled approx
| mately $37,3S0. Sapiro testified.
Senator Reed introduced another
account of a speech made by Sapiro
in Texas to group of bankers.
Did you say in that speech too
! many of these fyby might associa-
tons failed because they did not tie
up the growers tight enough?' asked
the attorney.
did you say you made these con-
tracts stick just as the bankers made
promissory notes stick?''
substantially. yes
The Senator then switched to loans
Sapiro was instrumental in obtaining
for the Texas Farm Bureau commit
tee on association and the fee he
charged. The witness said he had Oh
tanned money from the War Finance
Corporation, but he could not remem-
Der how much. The amount was in
Guided in the fees previously men,
toned, he said.
Sapiro Lists His Fees.
While counseling the Texas com.
mittee on growers on loans at Wash