Criminal of the Piece

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 481, 10 October 1928, Page 9

Criminal of the Piece

OUTBURST AGAINST HEARST 0 Naval Compromise Leakage (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) (United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) Reed. 12.40 p.m. LONDON, Tuesday. ACCORIJING to the “Morning Post’s” Paris correspondent, there is considerable sympathy for Harold Horan, who was arrested in connection with the naval compromise leakage. Hearst himself is regarded as the grand criminal of the piece.

It is generally believed that Mr. Randolph Hearst obtained the document at Geneva. His conduct is all the more inexcusable when it is realised that on his return from Geneva he was welcomed officially by the French Government as an honoured guest. Also, at the very moment of dining with M. Berthelot at the Quai d’Orsay he had in his pocket the document from his host’s department, to which he had no moral right, and which he intended to use to the detriment of France.

From other quarters it is stated that the documents bore the imprint “French section of the League of Nations,” therefore it was not the property of the French Foreign Office, but of the League. It is stated that it had been handed to Hearst at a private luncheon party by a high official of the Quai d’Orsay, who is believed to be hostile to the idea of a naval pact. GO OR BE GAOLED

An earlier message stated that Harold Horan, after his arrest was given the alternative of signing an agreement to leave France before Thursday, or of being committed to the Sante Prison pending his trial on a charge of being in possession of

stolen documents. He chose to leave and will do so on Thursday unless there are further developments. Mr. Horan received the document from William Randolph Hearst, who was recently in Paris. Therefore, he says, he had no option but to transmit it to New York, as he represented the Hearst Press. Mr. Hearst has telegraphed to the American Embassy taking full responsibilty for the publication of the document. The Embassy has lodged a protest against Mr. Horan’s expulsion.