Show WARRANT WAITING FOR THE WITNESS John A Penton Arrested in Washington on Charge of Criminal Libel SHIP SUBSIDY QUARREL CONGRESSMAN IS COMPLAINING WITNESS Washington April 6 The arrest of or John A Penton of or Cleveland Ot 0 secretary of or the Merchant Marine league of the States fur for criminal libel against Representative C of Minnesota followed lus 1111 as a witness to today today today day before the ship subsidy committee t l accompanied the detectives to th the district attorneys office and was rUi rde is lsd d after depositing cash bail baU baUTh Th arrest was made on a secret indict indictment indictment indictment ment returned March 30 based on an ai which appeared on December 1 last in The Flag the official organ of the Merchant Marine league The alleged libelous statement accord according accordIng ing to the indictment appeared undo the heading Soon to Have a Chance Chanc and read as follows if it f Congressman ln has any al solicitude for American labor it If he heis het is t 1 in truth not throwing dust in the eyes o lis jis constituents by declaiming d against labor he will soon have an op to show his If he desires to supplant coolie coulle labor With wih American labor he may follow Prest dt Taft and the loyal members of the th t Congressional delegation and I ote ute for such legislation in the next Con as will wilt effectually do away with coolie oolie labor on American ships doing American b al Accused of Falsifying Facts Continuing under a subhead What hat Manner of ot Man Is This the tha article r rad ads Is 15 amen a man fit to hold public office that will deliberately pervert and maliciously the facts connected with any im tant public 1 he a safe safea a trustworthy man We hold that he is not that such a man is dishonest and an enemy to his country and end his best interests and that thai he and men like Uke him are constant menaces to American progress at home and abroad There are not many such in Congress but there will wUl always be found a few and tho Ninth district of Minnesota has one Mr Ir Fenton asked the House investigating investigating Investigating gating committee today to postpone his examination until In h could obtain counsel from Cleveland He identified a number of his letters submitted by Mr Steener son soil and admitted some of them were unfortunate in their language although he said the league assumed responsibility for them He also told the committee u that the November issue of The Ameri Amen American can Flag Flags which has been offensive to members of the House had been de do destroyed and the publication of the paper l Fad ad b been bei en discontinued The committee decided to consider Mr Fentons request In executive session McCleary a Witness At th hearing today Td 11 caused a stir when he Inquired of James JamesT Jamesr T r McCleary of Minnesota formerly a member of the House and formerly second postmaster general who was Iso a witness If he had not used his hs privilege to the floor of the House to urge members to support ship subsidy legisla Mr Ir McCleary indignantly denied the charge c I I 1 dont say he ha said that I never to the talked about our cur ur merchant marine members of the House but I certainly was not active in of the legisla legislation tion Did any one tell you ou that you should riot taUt ship Subsidy on the th floor of the House asked Mr I think some member made a Mi th 1 which amounted to that replied Mr i McCleary I it a fact asked Mr 4 that a member of the House would not sign a petition vou yOU were circulating ask asking askIng of or the ing Jog that you be appointed director mint because you were lobbying for ship subsidy The man roan who declined to sign that petition pt did not have courage enough to state it that way and you ou are the man hotly retorted Mr McCleary Always Favored a Subsidy Mr lIr McCleary said his interest in ship subsidy dated back to the time when he was vas a member of the House and an official cial Ial ai In the tho postoffice department and had difficulty In getting mall mali handled in American bottoms He admitted he had lIvered delivered dt a number of addresses on the subject of ship for which he henas was WilS paid expense money by the Mer Mert MerC Merchant t C hant chant Marine eague of the United States Orce Ore he received 1110 for a trip to New Orleans and Birmingham He lie said he kne knew nothing about a paid lobby lobb for a ashl ashIn shIn subsidy The committee has no intention at pres present present present ent of going to Cleveland to take testimony testimony mony though that has been talked of Jf Many officers of the Merchant Marine league lague live Uve in Cleveland tie ll said that so far as he knEW krew there was no intention of prose prosecuting prosecuting any official other than Penton Fenton under the libel charge Speaking of or Fentons arret Mr Steen pointed out today that thet he had been careful during the morning meeting of the committee to have the letters sent out oat by the league Identified and that P FentOn had assumed responsibility for tor all that went out over oCr his signature sl nature |