The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-10-26
.FDR Denies
 Club Tie-Up

New York, oct. 26.-(UP)--Demo. cratic leaders said today that Presi' dent Roosevelt had no connection with the "Thousasnd Club" whicf Gov. Thomas E. Dewey said hac been promised special privileges fol $l 100000 campaign contributions They denied that 1t was authorized by the national committee and sait its instigators already had beer criticized by party officials.
 Robert D. Hannegan, nationa Democratic chairman, said the clut was never discussed with President Roosevelt, and "any quotation con. tained in the letter read by Gov Dewey attributed to the President is wholely without substance"
 "There is nothing mysterious about the Thousand Club" Hanne- gan said. Tt is entirely indepen. dent of the Democratic National Committee and the statement at- tributed to the President in the letter read by Gov. Dewey is, I res peat, wholly without foundation and unauthorized"
 H. L. McAllster and Samuel J Watkins, Arkansas Democratic fl. nance directors, whom Dewey said signed the letter from which he quoted, issued 0 statement at Little Rock in which they assumed full re- sponsibility for the letter and said 1t had been misinterpreted by the COP presidential candidate.
 Responsibility
 Their statement saio:
 We assume personal responsible fly for the Thousand Club letter The interpretation MT. Dewey placed on the sentence members of this organization undoubtedly will be granted special privileges and prestige by party leaders is en- tirely foreign to ours.
 "The words prestige and special privilege do not mean to us what has been inferred by him,
 Arkansas citizens have received many benefits, directly and indi- rectly from the present Democratic administration. We have tried both, Our thinking on the matter of con- tributions to the party Is definitely expressed by this sentence which was placed in practically all of the letters going out from this head quarters-'the amount of your con- tribution should be measured by your ability to pay, by your party spirit and by our desire to see the present Democratic administration continued"
 In Trouble Before
 The men revealed that they had been in trouble before with the na. tional party for their efforts to build a fire under hesltant cam- paign contributors and on one oc- casion Wllburn Maycock, national committee counsel, wrote them that oneone of their letters "does not reflect the policy or ethics of the Democratic administration and 1t Is to be repudiated as such ="
 Hannegan took the opportunity to criticize COP campaign contri- buttons.
 "The Democratic National com mittee," he said, "does not have angels of the type of Joe Pew of Pennsylvania who has contributed i3 million dollars to the Republican party.
 Because of this fact, the project to interest liberal and progressive business and professional people who are able to make Q contribu- ton of $l ,000 was developed to as. Sist in financing the campaign" he said.
 COP Committee
 "The Republican finance commit- tee. headed by that notorious isola- tionist James Capper, has spent and Is spending millions of dollars through special committees of many sorts. If Gov. Dewey really wants to be honest with the American peo- pie, he should reveal the list of those secret committees and names of his wealthy financial backers," Hannegan said.
 Hannegan said he had not seen the letter to which ewey referred bu had been advised of the Thou. sand Club" by Edwin W. Pauley. treasurer of the national committed Those who subscribed S1,000 are making an investment in Democ- racy and this project has my ap. proval," he said.