Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-28
TESS DEMANDS
SHOUSE APOLOGY
Refuses Democrats De.
mand, Charging Deliberate
/. False Statement.

Chairman Tess of the Republican
National Committee not only refuses to
apologize to Chairman Shouse of the
Democratic National Committee for
accusing him of deliberate false
hood" in a recent speech in San Fran
cisco, but demands, instead, a public
apology from the Democratic chieftain
for charging Republicans with inject
ing the religious issue in the last con-
gressional campaign.
The controversy between the two
was brought into the open for the third
time when Fess made public an ex-
change Of kilograms in which Shouse
repeated a denial that he had charged
the Republicans with circulating TO-
100000 copies of an article by Robert
Cruise McManus attacking Chairman
Raskob Of the Democrats on religious
grounds.
In demanding an apology from Tess,
Shouse reiterated he had referred in
his speech to an anti-Raskob article in
Scribner's by Frank Kent, a political
writer.
Raskob's Name Injected.
IT charged" he said, that because
of John Raskobs prominence as a
member of the Catholic Church his
name in this instance, and in numer-
Gus other instances, has been brought
forward by the high command Of the
Republican National Committee with
definite purpose of attempting to re-
light the fires of religious bigotry which
played so deplorable part in the cam
paign Of 1929"
Shouse also recalled that Tess had
based his accusations on an alleged
misquotation in an article In the San
Francisco Chronicle, said this paper
had informed him it corrected its later
editions to read Kent" instead Of NC
Manus," and added:
IT have assumed that when you had
based a statement upon an article adj
mittedly false and incorrect you would
have the courtesy to make that
acknowledgment and to express regret"
Replying, Fess quoted from a steno-
graphic transcript of Shouse's San
Francisco speech, which quoted the
latter as saying the Republicans had
reproduced 100000 copies of the
Kent article and IF John j. Raskob
Church, If you please, instead of the
Catholic Church, his name would not
have been mentioned during the cam
paign."
Object to False Statements.
"Your own words, Mr.. Shouse," the
telegram continued, land vet you have
the temerity to ask me for an apology.
You base your demand on the fact that
you were referring to Frank Kent, who
ycu say is an alleged Democrat, in
stead of to Robert Cruise McManus.
It is immatcr.al to US, Mr.. Shouse,
whether you quote from the published
works of Mr.. Kent, Mr.. McManus or
any other author, but we do decidedly
object when you maliciously and DELHI
erately make false statements to the
effect that the Republican National
Committee circulated an article which
attacked Mr.. Roskob because CT his
religious Affiliations"
Shouse repeated a previous denial
that he spoke of the Kent article at a
time when he believed the radio station
had cut him off and demanded the Re
publican committee recall its weekly
news letter headed: IAN unprecedented
attempt to inject religion into national
politics by means OF a brazen lie has
been exposed through the agency of
the radio"
The letter, Shouse added, stu refer
red to the McManus article and did not
take into account his denial but, on
the contrary, attempts to emphasize in a
most definite way the false insinuations
and the utter Misrepresentation that
characterized your (FessO original state
ment."
Cites "Give and Take"
There should be in politics as in
anything else in life the acceptance of
a certain amount of give and take" he
said. Il am entirely willing to have
voiced by any political agency criticism
M a
statement Of facts, but am not willing
to submit to having any one voice I'M
truths concerning me and especially
am unwilling to submit to repetition
Of the untruth after the person voicing
it has been made acquainted with the
true facts"
I'm your telegram" Tess said, you
declare that your address was not con-
fidential. In this, Mr. Shouse, I con-
cur, and fully realize your annoyance
at the fact that 1t was net"
I'VE regret" he added, "that our
time of going to press precluded the
possibility Of inserting our defense, but
we wish to inform you that oIr letter
for this week, now In the process Of
preparation, will include 1t, along with
the ether revelations found in the Of
fetal transcript of your remarks
AS for the give and take" Fess said
Il think. Mr.. Shouse. that you have
demonstrated your willingness to give
in your repeated misrepresentation
concerning the President and the adj
ministration, and if you now find the
taking rather difficult you must con-
sole yourself with your own admirable
philosophy"
Tess said If apologies were in order
Shouse should make a very humble
one to the country at large for your
contemplate methods and your utterly
false statements"