Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-01-08
Secretary Tumulty's statement.

Secretary Tmulty's Statement
Washington, Jan. S-Presidential See
retary Tumulty was today's first wit
ness before the house rules committee
hearing into the motion OF Represen-
tative Wood, Indiana, that committee
be appointed TO investigate the leak to
Wall street Of advance information on
President Wilson s note to the bellig-
erents.
At the outset Of the lead investiga-
tion today Representative Campbell,
Kansas, moved that subpoena be is
sued for the stock market firm of +. NJ.
Lockwood.
Tumulty, in formal statement to the
committee closed with the following
permitted" quotation from President
Wilson:
III wish, in justice to Mr.. Tumulty to
say that he has stated the exact fact.
He had no knowledge of the note what
ever until it was given out for publica-
tion.
Tumulty made the following state
ment:
~ appear before this committee to
resent the unjust intimation that Lgave
information to Mr. b. nj. Barach in re-
gard to the so-called peace note to the
European beligerents last month by the
secretary Of state. This intimation was
contained in statement made to this
committee by Representative Wood, OF
Indiana, man do not know The best
of my knowledge l have rever' met Mr.
Wood. Certainly he made no effort Il
find out the truth from me before drag
ging my name into this affair."
~ wish to deny generally and spe
officially that l gave advance informa
tion to Mr.. Baruch or to anybody els,
in regard to the peace note. ! did no
know of the existence Of this note O.
that this government contemplated tn,
dispatch Of such note until after print
ed copies of the note had been given t,
Representatives of the press by the stat
deparment, ! was not consulted in tn
4 preparation of the note py the presiden
or anybody else.
."The conference and communication
Q relating to the drafting Of the note an,
its despatch were confidential betweei
, the president and the secretary Of state
d / know nothing of them whatever, o
did any other person employed in tn
d executive office.
81 have had no correspondence, writ
+ ten or telegraphed, which Mr. Barnc'
r or anybody representing him, regardip
i this matter. | have had no telephon
talk with Mr.. Baruch or anybody repre-
senting him regarding this matter.
n have never talked with him or with any
body representing him or with anyon
4 else publicly or privately with regar
/ to this matter.
d Apparently the only insinuatior
made against me are that / lunche
/ with or met Mr.. Baruch at the Biltmor
o hotel at or about the time of the pr,
J. paration of the president 's suggestio
0 that the European belligerents stat
their peace terms. / have never breal
n tasted, lunched or dined, Or taken an
/, meals with Mr.. Baruch. [ have me
him only at several banquets and larg
a dinners, when many other persons wer
present. ! have never discussed an
e peace or other note, either when it wa
: in prospect or afterwards with M
a Baruch or any other persons engaged /
4 the purchase or sale Of securities Of All
kind on the stock market.
"While this is a complete denial q
| the only insinuation which has bee
/ made, | wish to go farther and say tina
/ have never engaged in the Stock MAJ
0 Ret sales or purchases myself or throug
e brokers, friends or agents.
i ~ discussed the presidents not
with no one, first, because my oath q
service requires | make no private us
0 Of official information, and seeondl,
Il and specifically because, as | have sta
ed, had not seen the president Is not
il and | did not know that it was in pr,
paration or even contemplated.
e As | have already said. in a publ
: statement, | have frequently rcqueste
the president to keep me free from an
t. lknowltdge Of impending internationi
V moves so that might not be embarfas
q ed by requests for information from tl
newspaper correspondents who appe.
!, to me in my office constantly for il
formation.
0 "The insinuations which have bee
made, whether conceived in polite,
/ malice or merely through misinformi
d ton are wholly false and without eve
a the flimsiest basis.
have not at any time since actin
+ as Mr. Wilson's secretary, first whe
he was governor Of New Jersey and Ia
er when he became president, been il
D terested in any stock transactions Of an
] kind, or given any information to an
! other persons upon which purchases
sales. might be made. j wish to max
this statement, as sweeping and con
8 pIete as | know how.
{ ! am still waiting for Mr.. Wood
u apology
Declaring ~ am authorized by ii
! president TO quote him as follows" r
multy read the presidents statement
Cross questioned by Representatis
j Campbell, Tumulty explained presideI
i Wilson had written the note on his ow
s typewriter and that none of the exec
tive office staff had any hand in it.