The Bismarck Tribune Newspaper, August 21, 1919, Page 8

EIGHT HASTINGS GOING IN ON OWN, SAYS ONE-TIME BOSS Man Whom League Financier Asserts Directed Valley City Bank Deal Quits THROUGH WITH LEAGUERS Fargo, N. D., Aug. 21.—The financial enterprises which J. J. Hastings and} Thomas Allan Box are engaged in promoting in North Dakota at the present time do not have the support or approval of the Nanpartisan league and are in no way connected with the league. President A. C. Townley of the Na- tional Nonpartisan league, with whom Box and Hastings claimed to be asso- ciated in the notorious Valley City bank deal, made this statement today. Hastings was formerly financial agent of the league. Later he became a stockholder in and an officer of the Scandinavian American bank ‘of Fargo and was also an officer of a number of other banks in the state of which league farmers were the prin- cipal stockholders. Following an investigation by the state examiner of the transactions in the purchase of the capital stock of a bank at Valley City in which it was charged that Hastings together with Thomas Allan Box, was endeav- oring to make an undue profit or com- mission, Hastings resigned his connec- tion with the various farmer banks with which he had been identified, so Mr. Townley says. Busy on New Promotion, Lately Hastings and Box are re- Ported to have been busy on a new promotion in the state, involving a plan to form a syndicate for the for- mation or purchase of banks. A num- ber of farmers in the Red river valley have been approached by Hast- ings and Box in company and asked to sign contracts and notes in large amounts. President Townley made an em- phatic denial that the league is in any way connected with this venture. “I do not know anything about the merit of the proposition in which Hastings and Box are engaged,” said ‘Mr. Townley Wednesday. “But I want the people of the state, and especially the league farmers to understand that | neither Hastings nor Box is in any! way connected with the Nonpartisan league. Whatever they are engaged in promoting they are engaged in upon their own responsibility, so far as the League and its. officers are concerned. “It is, of course, no affair of ours what business Hastings engages in; nor do We have any intention to seek to control the investments of league members or to give them advice on their personal financial affairs. We feel a duty, however, to make the facts plain to them so they will not engage in any propositions not sanc- tioned or supported by the league un- der the misapprehension that they are engaging in something to help or protect the league. “I give this warning because of the fact that I have learned that some farmers who weve approached by Hastings and Box have in some way gained the impression that they were engaged in work on _ be- half of the league which is not! true. They may have gained this false impression because of the fact ‘Hastings has been in the past ace) tively connected with the league and in this way thas gained a large ac- quaintance among league farmers, many of them men of some means. “I repeat that neither Mr. Hastings nor Mr. Box is in any way connected with ‘the league, and the promotion in which they are now engaged is not a league promotion and it does not have the support or approval of the league nor the support or approval of the league's officers.” Hastings Makes Statement. Informed of tho statement made-by president Townley, Mr. Hastings ad- mitted that he and Mr. Box had been jton, D. C. whom ‘he sought support that he rep- resented the league or had the sup- port of the league. “It is true,” said Mr, Hastings, “that I and my associates, including Mr. Box, have been engaged in the organization of a financial syndicate whose purpose is to acquire control of a number of existing profitable banks. & fact, we have options on a number of such banks. “This is purely an individual busi- ness venture and I have never told anyone that it had any connection with the league and I have not tried to make anyone believe that it was a league venture. It is nothing but a straight business proposition. “Furthermore, I. want it understood that I am through with politics and I am not connected with any political faction.” KAMPLIN CLAIMS HEQUOTED LEMKE TALK CORRECTLY Divide County Soldier Makes Af- fidavit Supporting Former Statement NO LONGER REPUBLICAN R. J. Kamplin, recently returned from overseas service with the Amer- ican army, in trying to obtain offi- 1 sanction for a paper to be printed in the interests of the American Legion posts in North Dakota, stated that during an interview with Wil- liam Lemke on that subject, Lemke said: ‘The American Legion is control- led by Wall street and is composed mostly of officers.” When this interview and statement by Kamplin were printed, Lemke im- mediately made a vigorous denial. Members of the American Legion all over the state were incensed at the alleged slur cast on their organization. In view of the fact that he legion is composed wholly of men who fought in the late war in the army, navy, or marine corps and has 2,000 posts all over the United States, the members felt that it was an unwarranted: at- tack on what they consider the great- est organization in America, and -also an affront to the flag and country, both of which form the backbone of \the legion. The Tribune gave full publicity to Lemke’s denial, which, when brought to Kamplin’s attention, elicited the fol- lowing affidavit: Kamplin’s Statement. STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA |) )ss COUNTY OF DIVIDE I, Rheinhart J. Kamplin, first being duly sworn, do depose an say that on the 6th day of August, 1919, I was in conference with Mr. William Lemke and Hon. John N. Hagan in the lat- ter’s private office; that said confer- ence concerned ® proposed soldier’s and sailor's publication; that during such conference Mr. Lemke asked me if it was proposed to” conduct such paper under the auspices of the. Amer- ican Legion, to which I replied that sach was our intention. Mr. Lemke then made the following statement: “Do you not know that that organ- ization is controlled by Wall Street and -is made up practically of offi- ecrs?” I replied that I did not,. but he need have no fear that our paper would be controlled by Wall Street. He also stated that he meant no of- fense so far as I was personally con- cerned and said, “Perhaps you were an officer,” to which I, replied that I was only a sergeant. Mr. Lemke also stated that the “Allied War Veterans” which is represented by the National Weekly News published at Washing- is the real soldier’s and sailor's organization. He also made the statement, by way of comparison, that a number of years ago he was a good republican, but when he found out that the republican party was con- trolled by Wall street, he abandoned it. REINHART J. KAMPLIN. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 20th day of August, 1919. Theo, Musgjerd engaged in an jenterprise such as that described, but denied that he had ever represented to anyone from Notary Public, North Dakota. \My commission expires Sept, 25, 1919. 6 Better! Satisfiesl’’ Bimm BEES COMPANY St. Paul, Minn. 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