Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-01-16
LEAK ENQUIRY
bEG|NS AGAIN
At WASHINGTON
Members of Committee to
Insist That Lawson
Give Information
ALIEN DIPLOMATS
TO BE PROTECTED

! Washington, D. C., Jan. 10
/ Thomas w. Lz~son sprung a SEN
sation in the leak" enquiry today
when he testified that Chairman
Henry Of the rules committee con-
Quoting the enquiry was the con-
sressnan who told him that = cab
met officer. a member Of congress
and a banker were said to have
prot9ted in the stock market by
advance information on President
Wilson's note.
n am going to ans~er your
questions" said M. Lawson, as he
took the witness chair.
~vsho was the member Of con-
osess?" Lawson was asked.
"chairman Henry" said Law
son calmly.
Secretary MeAdoo, Lawson said,
was the cabinet member to whom
he referred in his previous testf-
mony as being connected, accord
lna to rumor. with a "ieak" on
President Wilson's peace note.
Lawson said that the banker
who told him he knew another
banker who dominated a cabinet
OFFICER In Washington was Areh'-
bald 8. White Of White & Co.,
Boston. The committee immedi-
ateiy issued subpoena for White.
Washington, d. c., jan, 15.-The
ho,se rules committee today resumed
IL efforts /. ct Ttoasas Nv I.ayys.,.iss
fo xiye the names Of officIals who he
mtimated in previous testimony
might be involved in his charges re-
lating to a leak of advance 1nforma
tion on President Wilson's peace note
When called to the stand he faced
list of written questions whose an
sver was demanded under threat that
II he refused he might be cited before
the bar of the house on contempt
charges and Imprisonment If declared
guilty.
Before the hearings began the com
nittee met in secret session TO pass
on a proposal to ignore writ OF nap
cas- corpus in case Lawson should oo'
tain it in a fight against contempt
proceedings. Plans were considered
to prevent Lawson from introducing
the name of any representative OF a
foreign government in his testimony.
Among others called to testify were
Barnard Baruch of New York. F. W.
McKinnon, Chicago broker; James
Reilly Of the Dow Jones company
ticker service and the Wall Street
Journal: Donald Mcdonald of Boston;
and members of the brokerage firm
Of lockwood and Co., New York.
While the committee was deliber
ating behind closed doors message
was received from Lawson saying he
could not reach Washington at the
time specified for his appearance.
Later Chairman Henry received a
telegram from Lawson saying ne
would arrive at p. m. Henry then
set the time for the hearing to resume
at 8.
sergeant at arms to get immediate
service on Lawson to bring him be
fore the committee. A recess was
then taken pending his arrival.
To Broaden Scope.
The committee voted to recommend
10 the house the adoption of another
resolution which would broaden the
scope of the inquiry still further and
extend the time in which the commit
tee might report to ninety days. This
members say. would give ample oppor
tunity to investigate anything that
might develop.
It developed during the recess that
Chairman Henry received a letter
from Lawson yesterday laying dowr
certain conditions under which he
would testify. His principal conten
ton, 1t Is understood, was that 9
special congressional committee be
formed to interrogate him. The rules
committee will not heed the condition
James Reilly. news manager Of the
Wall Street Journal and Donald Nc
Donald, head of Boston financia
bureau to whom lawson is said t
have given the name Of the congress
man and broker who were involved
in stock market operations, were wait
ing to testify.
More Power Given.
Two resolutions to strengthen thu
power of the rules committee to com
pel witnesses to answer question.
were presented by Representativ,
Garrett, a member of the committee
and were adopted soon after the house