The Sentinel=record., 1914-03-13
WASHINGTON LAWYER ADMITS HE WAS EMPLOYED TO oB-
 TAIN FREE TOLLS LAW.
CONTRACT WITH SHIPBUILDERS
Paid Him $t,o0o to Secure the Pass age of a Law AbsoIVing Coastwise Shipping from the Payment of Tolls to Pass Through Canal.

Washington, March l2'-hene"ai of the senate lobby investigating com mittee's inquiry today turned towaru renorts taht there is organized op' nositioa in Washington. backed py influential forces, against the pro posed repeal of the Panama tolls eA' emntion. Today the committee eAan- ined Clarence w. DeKnigAt' wash ington lawyer, who admitted actiVl'y in behalf of concerns in favor or Ioii ovemntion when the bill was passed but flatly denied knowledge or any lobbying efforts to prevent the Iepe"''
 Tonight the committee at the dlrec- tion of Chairman Overman issued s,hnoena for pr. James Brown Scott' eacretarv for the Carnegie Ehdo"- ment for International Peace, "nos' name entered into the spirited uep"to in executive session of the seha1e several weeks ago between senators Root and O'Gorman of New forh' When extension of the general arpl- tration treaty with Great Britain was under consideration involving the tolls issua Senator O'Gorman charged that the Carnegie Endowment had TOT lC9 nrime motive not the promotion or Ill., terantional peace but the formatlon of British-American alliance. Sen ator Root hotly protested against hls colleagues statement, me loooy committee proposes to inquire throusl Dr. Scott in to the actual aims ma operations of the foundation ana whether 1t has entered into the tolls controversy.
 Before the committee today De Knight. charged in newspaper re- port which precipitated the inyesti- gatioa with being the chief agent or an alleged lobby, admitted having de- voted his fifteen years of efforts to urging legislation in behalf of vari- GUS interests.
 The lawyer admitted having enter ed into a contract with the Fore Rlv- CT Shipbulding Co.,, through former Admiral P T. Bowles, it's president, to work for free tolls for coastwise shipping. For this service he receiv- ed $1 ,O00 he said but a contingent fee Of $i ,000 additional depending on the massage of the tolls bill in that form had not been paid DeKnight agreed to podure this contract tomor- row.
 DeKnight told also of urging through congress various bills provid- ing for increases in pay and higher rank for men of the army and navy. He estimated that contracts he made for this work with individuals and as- sociations of enlisted men had brought him s40000. He promised to lay be- fore the committee about 100 of these contracts, together with all the cor respondence with various shipbuilding companies and with the pneumatic tube service company of Boston, which operates the tube services of the postoffices in various cities.
 The witness declared he. did not know that a law existed against mak- ing contracts with soldiers and sail ors whereby they were to pay a per centage Of increased salaries for his services. He insists that several le- gal firms in Washington devoted much time to this business.
 Telling of his present occupation, DeKnight said he had seen servfS, about congress first as page, ste. nographer and committee clerk in the house and later as clerk of the naval affairs committee of the senate. He. served as stenographer on the armor board of the navy department and also in the postoffice department in clerical capacity. He had become convinced he said. that there was an opnortunitv for profit in contracting with enlisted men and others to "fol- low" leaislation in which thev were interested. His contracts read, he said that only right and proper means should be employed
 DeKnight admitted having used | franks obtained at the office of Sen | ator McCurber il sending docu- / ments to friends and clients. He had obtained them he said from the sen ator's clerk with whom he was ac- quainted
 Questioned to hrinp out relations ha might have had with present enl- nloves cf the government DeKlieht ieclared he made navments to no one If bis friends in various denartments ard that they were not interested { with him in aav business venture
 If was said tonieht the committee ! ,rchehlv would issue suhpcenes fo- ,ap'rai Rewles and others mentioned ( lv neHnisht hefore ifs hearing tx concluded ls