Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-13
APOLOGY BY LUCAS
FOR WET CARTOON
ASKED BY AL SMITH
Former Candidate Says
Statement Used Was One
Repudiated as Being His.
DEMANDS THAT 100000
COPIES OF DENIAL BE SENT
Creetch Says Robson Ordered
$4,000 Worth of Fellowship
Forums for Last Campaign.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Alfred E. Smith, Democratic presi-
dental candidate in 1928, has written
Senator Wagner, Democrat, New York.
saying the Republican National Com
mittee owed him an apology for per
hitting Robert H Lucas to distribute
100000 copies of wet cartoon carrying
q "false" statement.
Lucas, executive director of the ma
tional committee, has testified before
the Senate Campaign Funds Commit
tee that he personally paid for tie car
toons and had them distributed in Ne
braska against Senator Norris, Republic
can independent, and in other States
against Democratic senatorial candi-
GATES.
Former Gov Smiths letter was read
before the Nye committee today on sug-
gestion of Senator Wagner, member
Of the committee.
Statement Is Denied.
"I have been following the testimony
before the Nye Committee concerning
the cartoon entitled al Smith Raskob
idea of happiness" Smith wrote, the
text of it has been laid before me. l
ind that the whole cartoon hinges on
the following statement: To my mind
the Democratic party will soon be In
control and viii make this happy as
well as prosperous Nation. The Demo-
cratic party is always looking for the
common good and opposing oppressive
laws and sunptuary legislation
This statement which purports to
come from me as of August q was
never issued by me. At that time in
August, the Joel Parker Association OF
Newark, N. j.. was holding an annual
reunion and dinner. I refused the in
yitation to attend the dinner, but on
August 10, some overenthusiastic adj
mirer of mine sent a telegram to the
association and signed my name to 1t.
Ny first knowledge of it was when
saw the newspaper headlines quoting
me-"
Mr.. Smiths letter continued:
IT made careful investigation among
my own staff and found it had not
emanated from my own Office nor any
one connected with it. We traced the
matter and It was admitted by all
concerned that the telegram rad been
q hoax and we made careful denial in
all newspapers BY statement issued on
August d, 1890. or course. denial
never catches up with an original state
ment. 1t did not in this instance or
else it was deliberately disregarded-
Holds Apology Is Due.
"Since. on the face of the testimony,
this cartoon was distributed In these
various States to the extent Of 800, 900
copies, think that an apology and
PREPARATION is due me from the Republic
can National Committee which per-
mitted its director to do this, and that
, / am entitled to have 100000 copies
of statement showing that I was
falsely quoted, distributed just as widely
as the original cartoon was and to the
same organizations.
Il would like to spread this matter
upon the minutes Of the next hearing
of the Nye committee and TO give pub
1icity to IL in any other form which oc-
ours to you as most likely TO correct the
injustice that has been done to me and
Mr.. Raskob, to say nothing OF Senator
Norris"
FIJI. Creetch. Nye committee auditor,
testified before the committee today that
some special editions of the Ku Klux
Khan paper, Fellowship Forum, had been
sent into Montana, Kentucky, Alabama
and West Virginia. Some Of these edi-
tons carried the wet cartoon.
Robson Held Involved.
He investigated the records of the In
dependent Publishing Co., which prints
thu Forum. and found over $4,000 worth
of the special editions of the paper had
been ordered by former Senator Robson.
Republican, of Kentucky. Creetch said
Robson informed the company friends
Of his were TO pay the bill.
The editions, he added, dealt with
religion and prohibition.
He said Senator Hef1in, who ran as
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