The Washington herald., 1917-01-17
MORGAN CALLED
IN LEAK INQUIRY;
WOMAN MISSING
Mrs. Visconti, Quoted by Law
son, Cannot be Found by
House Attaches.
FINANCE LEADERS CALLED
Frank A. Vanderlip and Others Re
quired to Tell What They Know
of Big Leak.

The eternal feminine and the lords
Of high finance last night became the
central figures in the sensational leak
investigation which has swept the
heights of Washington Official life, and
of financial America. A search for
Visconti, who has mySteriously disap-
peared. and a demand for the testi-
mony of J. P. Morgan and other pow
ers of the financial world were yesterdays
big developments in the leak probe.
The scope OF the investigation widened
last night to a point where it became
apparent that the depths of Wall
Street financial operations, and the
tnnermost precincts of the government
service, high and low, are to be
probed. The inquiry has assumed pro-
portions that promise greater and
more sensational investigation han
has been conducted by Congress , nee
the famous Money Trust inquiry.
Last night a flying squadron of
House sergeants-at-arms combed WASH
ington and nearby cities for Ruth
Thomasson Visconti. who. according to
Thomas W. Lawson. outlined to him
the details of the White House to Wall
Street leak. She is the woman who
named Secretary to the President
Tumulty and W. W. Price, a news
paperman. as the pipelines which car
ried the leak.
A twenty-four-hour search by ser
gesnts-at-arms resulted in a report to
the committee yesterday that she could
not be found, and the committee or
dered the search resumed with greater
vigor.
Mrs. Visconti is known in Wash
ington to have made some private in
vestigations on her own account
touching high officials, and the COM
mittee is extremely anxious to find
her. Lawson told the committee yes
terday that he did not believe Mrs.
yisconti was the sort of woman to
disappear IL she were wanted.
At her apartment house home il was
stated that no one knew where she
was. although IL was not believed she
had left Washington. The possibili-
ties Mrs.. Xiseoatl.s- -aisappesranc
and her testimony have aroused Official
Washington to a high pitch of excite
ment.
The demand for the testimony of
the big men of financial America came
yesterday as a bolt out of the blue.
Representative Harrison. of Mississippi,
without warning moved that the COM
mittee summon ]. p. Morgan, and
Morgan & Co.: Frank A. Vanderlip,
president Of the National City Bank;
J. s Bache. and Arthur Upper, of New
York, and Sol Wexler, of New Orleans.
These men represent the length and
breadth OF the financial world. and
Representative Harrison said he de-
sired to get whatever information they
might have. He gave no indication of
what he wanted to ask them about,
and there was no mention of their
names in the proceedings.
The increasing scope of the investiga-
tion. and the fact that high finance ana
oficiaIdom have been combed for wit
nesses, brought about a demand that
the committee secure competent counsel
ard proceed with the inquiry with care
and thorOughuess.
The Republican members of the COM
mittee suggested that lawyer familiar
with Wall Street operations and comps-
tent to handle the delicate questioning
OF great operators be obtained. The
Democratic members took the sugges-
ton under adyisement
Several prominent lawyers have been
suggested for the place.
Diplomatic Washington began to take
the leak situation seriously last night, as
It became apparent that the inquiry had
hToadened out. During a day of sharp
cross-examination of Thomas W. Lawson.
German Ambassador Won Bernstorff's
nsme was again brought to the front
Lawson said that Chairman Henry told
him that he had heard Won Bernstorff
had made S2,0oo.Ooo in the raid on the stock
market
Lawson said he told Henry that he did
not believe the report. Ambassador Won
NernstorH made the following statement:
Mr.. Lawson says he doesn't believe
made the two million of which he speaks,
on the stock market. I don't believe It
either"
II IS possible that the committee may
decide to pursue the inquiry further
along this line later.
The examination of Lawson yesterday
brought forth crowd of spectators that
would have done credit to a society func-
ton Dowagers of Washington's select
official circles, dainty debutantes of the
Congressional set. and all oficialdom that
could be there jammed the big hearing
room where the committee met. More
than half of the crowd overfowed into
the corridors and the committee mem
bers were forced to climb over tables
and chairs to get to their places. There
they waited while the committee renewed
Its grill Of Lawson, craning their necks
for glimpJa of the sensational scene
Lawson will probably continue his testI-
mony today.