The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-01-16
MORGAN COMPANY AND NATIONAL
CITY BANK OFFICIALS AMONG THEM
Administration Officials and Others Mentioned Yesterday
By Lawson Flock to Committee Hearing to
Enter Denias.
TlE BEGAN TO HEDGE ON STAND TODAY
Declares Impression Chairman Henry Mentioned secre.
tary McAdoo's Name in Connection with the
Leak Was Erroneous.

pSl VI. Obh6ISp5 anu Ubhh6E WeIG
said 10 have profited in the stock
market by advance information OH
President Wilson's peace note.
Lawson first pleaded with the com.
mittee TO give the names first in Sc.
crot and in public later II the commit
tee decided 1t was wise. The commit
Tee would not grant ,ue plea and Chair.
can Henry demanded an answer to
the question.
who was the member of Con.
gress2" Lawson was asked.
Chairman Henry said Lawson
calmly.
There was no sign of surprise on
the face of the chairman as Lawson
gave his name. Before he 49,. ..---
swered the first question, however,
Lawson made the promise to answer
by asking for an opportunity to make
an explanation before going furLner.
Lawson said that the banker who
told him he knew another banker who
dominated cabinet officer in Wash.
ington, was .lrchibald S. White of
White & Company, Boston. the com.
mittee Immediately issued subpoena
for White.
Lawson said lie could not give the
names Of any members of Congress-
who were engaged in buying and sell
ing stocks.
Secretary MeAdoo, Lawson said,
iyss the eabinet member 10 v pVst &c
f5-sst ID h iops tess lmony siig
being connected, according to rumor,
with a leak" on President w.
peace note.
Lawson also testified that Mrs.
Ruth Tomlinson Visconti, OF Wash.
ington, had told him tn. '" W. Price,
correspondent OF the Washington
Star at the White House. had part
in the leak affair between Secretary
Tumulty and others.
| Lawson had been asked il he was
prepared TO offer proof of his state
ment that there were beneficiaries
of the leak" among Htw-m"Ners and
others. He produced letter whIL..
he asked TO submit IN private. Lnc
committee insisted that he read it.
/ 1t was from Mrs Visconti.
] Ruth T. Nisconti appears in the
Washington cl.y .n sN,Ury as cIv. 4
living at 1921 Twenty.ntsl street, an
! apartment house The letter which
| ~AhMoJl lGdu lOllOh6.
! IF the name OF the man VINO was
the go-between in the present leak
and the amount OF money be OF assist
ance to you, can supply the name and
the amount he received and give the
name of at least one asSU....~ e.. BE-
White House who participated in the
haul"
The letter went on to oner to make
an appointment, which Mr.. Lawson
said he made with Mrs. Visconti In
the presence of her attorney, he said,
she gave nim the names of Price and
McAdoo.
/ Asked by Representative Henry
who he meant when lie said nc count
give the name of u go'bctween who
received large sum for his bit, =
LAWSON said he referred to rne name
given him by Mrs Visconti, as Sec
rotary Tumulty,'
/ Another banker to WHOM Lawson
referred as having been involved in
the leak was II. Pliny Fiske, OF
Harvey Fiske & Sons, New York.
The Senator, Lawson said. was
known to him only as 90"
Lawson also declared that the iirm
of c. D. Barney & Co, of Wall street !;
Malcolm McAdoo. brother of Score.
tary McAdoo. and stewart G. Glib.
honey, of New York, knew OF the
Eleak," and that public man who
knew the leak machinery was Paul
NJ. Warburg, of the Federal Reserve
Board
Lawson Indirectly brought the
names of Secretary Lansing and AM.
bassador Bernstorff into the hearing,
but not in connection with the leak"
When Henry charged him with
dragging in the name Of Lansing,
Lawson Indignantly replied:
al have held the names OF Lans.
ing and the German ambassador out
of this"
Lawson also said Henry had told
him of rumors that Barney Baruch
was connected with the leak
Lawson suggested calling J. Il. Rat
HON, editor of the Providence Jour
nal, in connection with an article on
leaks" which appeared in his paper.
and also the editor of the Boston
Transcript, which, he said, had n
''flat.footed" statement that certain
brokerage firm had dealt In 5000,
shares of SLeel ON December 20, which
netted profit OF SS,000,000.
Lawson further said Henry had told
him information had come 10 the CON.
mittee that the German Ambassador
had profited over $4,000 but that
he did not think it was true.
In long description of his visit to
Chairman Henry, Lawson said that
Continued on PaGe Eighth