The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1936-03-20
CHARLES E. TAYLOR
EditOr and Manager
HEARST & LIBERTY LEAGUE

Hearst and the Liberty League have
scored temporary victory in their battle
with the United States Senate.
The battle began when Sen. Hugo Black
I'd. Ala.), after waiting until the Senate
munitions committee adbicated from the
front pages, threw his lobby investigating
committee into action. He wanted to find
out about the public utility lobby that OPP
Grated against the Wheeler-Rayburn bill
which contained the much pubiclzed
death sentence" clause for holding COM
panies.
Along came pre- election tactics and the
Liberty League, defender of the faith.
Black, on poking through the expense &C
count of the Liberty League noted that ex-
penditures for kilograms included money
sent to Winston, Strawn and Shaw. Now
head of the firm of Winston, Strawn and
Shaw is Silas H. Strawn, former president
of the u. S. Chamber of Commerce which
now backs the Tydings- McCormack mill
tary disaffection bill, the Kramer sedition
bill and other pieces OF fascist legislation.
Mr.. Strawn and his law firm are staunch
Republicans and their connection with the
Liberty League was something that close
scrutiny might reveal to be intensely in
teresting. Also the law firm was one Of
the few, that for some reason, did not have
sent to it the questionaires sent out by the
committee.
Senator Black is an ardent student of the
Art of investigating committee. He knows
that records which are most useful to a
committee have the almost biological dis
position to grow legs and walk into fur
naces and other destructive places. There
fore he requested the Western Union Tele-
graph company to place at the disposal Of
the committee kilograms sent to Washing
ton by the firm of Winston, Strawn and
Shaw. The committee has the unques-
toned power to subpoena private files and
letters and felt it could subpoena kilograms
which have the same legal status as letters.
Marion Davies "Popsy"- known to
more people as William Randolph Hearst,
the sage of San Simeon-reared back On
his hind legs and shouted about the GPU.
Col BERTHE McCormick's Chicago Tribune
shouted about the GeStapo, properly iden-
tifiying it as Hitlers secret police.
Privacy became the end all of life fol-
these creatures. Mr.. Hearst forgot the
vigilante groups of the Pacific coast, op-
Grating at his inspiration, which in large
bands rOamed streets and broke into de.
serted bOOkShOpS and meeting places tC
search for literature and records, to burn
pillage, and destroy. He had the CUTS tt
pretend that his kilograms and kilograms
of his friends were sacred but those of
everyone else were public property.
No record exists of the number of time.
that reporters on Hearst papers got "Sen
sational scoops" by the simple process G.
stealing letters and tapping wires, or b!
masquerading as a public authority. No
do records exist to show the countless mum
Der of times that Hearstmen have in q
thousand different ways violated the pr
vacy of individuals.
But tagging along with Winston, Straw
and Shaw comes Willie. A temporary in
junction was granted the law firm an
Willie feels he must have one too. He,
seems, has sent a telegram to his chic.