Evening star., 1936-04-18
PROBERS EXPLORE
SENT|NE[S' FUNDS
Lobby Committee Learns
How Anti-NeW Dealers
Laughed at Film.
BY REX COLLIER.

How the Sentinels of the Republic,
at a cost of $360,0OO, hope to get
the country laughing at the New
Deal" through a cartoon movie called
The Fire Brigade" is disclosed in
correspondence spread on the record
of the Senate Lobby Committee.
Al Smith and former Senator
James A. Reed of Missouri are listed
among persons who have enjoyed the
film, which depicts President Roose-
velt driving a fire truck to a burn
ing house of alphabetical blocks.
John j. Raskob is mentioned as hav-
ing called meeting in New York
City to show the movie and explain
purposes of the Sentinels to prospec-
tive contributors.
According to David F. Sibley, as
sistant treasurer of the Sentinels, the
movie shows Supreme Court justice
poking his cane at the few blocks re-
naming after the fire, and top
pling them over into the embers
Four travelling trucks have been sent
into all sections OF the country to
show the picture, the committee was
advised
Delight in Movie Told.
Smith and Reed were represented
as having been delighted" over a
showing of the picture in Florida last
February at the home of w. F. Kin
ney. E. T. Stctesbury, partner in
]. P. Morgan & Co., who was in
Florida at the time, was mentioned
in letters as having told a Sentinels
representative that Atwater Kent and
Jay Cooke, 2nd, would be good pros
poets" Both later followed Stotes-
bury's example in contributing to
the Sentinels.
In letter read at a hearing OF
the committee yesterday afternoon q
representative of the Sentinels re-
ported that Thomas L. Chadbourne,
New York lawyer, told him Smith had
declined an invitation of the American
Liberty League to speak, but upon a
second invitation had accepted. It
was in that speech Smith said he might
take walk" from the Democratic
party.
Smith commented" the agent,
Charles A. Berry, wrote, that the
league needed him to help clean it
OF its financial taint and that he felt
he was sufficiently known throughout
the country to be able to use any
board from which to spring back into
the public eye. This comment is made
to explain the statement that the
league needed Smith and needs an op-
pOrtunity to support such program as
the SentinelS. He further states that
John w. Davis is also a close personal
friend, and he believes that through
Davis and Smith he will secure the
money necessary from the league"
S166,OOO Given Sentinels.
From Sibley the committee learned
the Sentinels have received a total of
$166,000 in contributions since Feb
ruary, 1885. Members of the Pitcairn
family, identified with autogyro de-
gave more than $4,000
to promote the educational pro-
gram" of the organization. More than
S63 900 of this sum has been donated
since the first of this year, the wit
ness said.
Raymond F. Pitcairn, prominent in
the affairs of the Pittsburgh Plate
Glass Co. and national chairman of
the Sentinels, has contributed So, 1000
since February, 1885, with the proviso
that this money will be returned to
him 'if and when" the organization
lis able" it was testified.
The group has mot more than 5000"
Sibley testified.
Lewis w. Douglas, former director
Of the budget; Col. Robert r. Nc
Cormack, Chicago publisher, and
Henry Brechnridge, lawyer, were
zation.
The committee brought out that a
representative of the Sentinels had |
Gov. Talmadge Of Georgia, |
New Deal foe and aspirant for the |
and that Talmadge had |
,een sympathetic to the program of |
he organization.
Amendment Suggested.
Prof. A. w. Wilson, of Yale, it was
hown, wrote Alexander Lincoln,
president of the group, suggesting that
he general welfare" clause of the
be abolished in favor
# an amendment. providing that Con-
yress should have the power ito pay
he debts and raise funds for carrying
IN the functions of Government"
Lincoln asked H. G. Talbot, WASH
ngton representative of the Sentinels
o look into the possibility of pass
ng such an amendment.
A letter to william Randolph
Hearst asked the publisher to sup
,ort the program of the Sentinels and
rave him an outline of the scenario"
# "The Fire Brigade" which was
as "a fable of the Raw
Deal"
Talbot told the committee his or.