Ogden Standard-Examiner | 1920-06-16 | Page 2 | General Wood Says Butler Story False

GENERAL WOOD Claims His Loyal Friends Have Been Falsely and Maiicious-ly Maiicious-ly Villified. COL PROCTOR MAN OF HIGH CHARACTER Butler Statement a Self-Seeking, Cowardly Attack Made Under Cloak of Service. CHICAGO, Juno 15. Major General Leonard Wood, In a signed statemont tonight, characterized as, "a vicious and malicious falsehood" a declaration by Dr. Nichols Murray Butler of New York, that "a motley group of stock gamblers, oil and mining promoters, munition makers and other like persons," per-sons," backed the general's campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. nomi-nation. General Wood said that ho regretted to make tho statement, but that It was neccsary to "brand a fakir and to denounce de-nounce a lie." Declaring that the men who managed his campaign were of I "extraordinary high charactor," tho general said that the attack upon them "Is Infamous," and that Mr. Butler's action was "an attempt to Ingratiate himself with certain elements which exercised a determining Influcnco at the convention." General Wood Issues Statement. Tho statement follows: "I have Just read the statement is-siiftcl is-siiftcl in New York bv Nicholas Murrav Butler to the effect that a motley group of stock gamblers and others tried to buy the presidential nomination nomina-tion for mo, and that the forces who were defeated in their Insolent attempt at-tempt to buy the nomination represent all that is worst in American business I and political life. "The statement is a vicious and malicious ma-licious falsehod. 1 would ignore it if it were directed at me alon fo-.it I I cannot remain silent yhen my loyal I friends and supporters iro villlflod. Col. iVoctor of IIlh Character. "Colonel William Cooper i'roctor, who was chairman of my can.pa.lgn committee, is a man of extmordinnry high character, known throughout the length and breadth of the land for his absolute integrity and honesty. M:s associates were men of like character, most of whom responded to their country's call during tho war. They typify a group of progressive Americans. Ameri-cans. Tho attack upon them is infamous. in-famous. "The forces which brought me before be-fore the convention with preponderant force were hundreds of thousands of patriotic mon and women in every walk of life, who have Indorsed me at nationwide state conventions, nationwide nation-wide state primaries, and in a nationwide nation-wide poll of unprecedented size. Butler Attack Cowardly. "This action of Nicholas Murray Butler Is an attempt to ingratiate himself him-self with certain elements which exercised exer-cised a determining lnfluenco at a self-seeking self-seeking cowardly attack, made under the cloak of an alleged public service, which was never Intended or rendered. "I regret to make a statement of this kind, but it is necessary in this Instance to brand a fakir and to denounce de-nounce a lie."