The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-01-16

SEE
rnE RICHMOND Y
of the name OF secretary OF state
Lansing with the leak Of December 20
DECLARES NEVER CONNECTED
! LANSING WITH LEAK
81 have never connected the name
| of Secretary OF state Lansing with
participation In this leak AFFAIR" said
lawson. But you will yourself re-
call that In the conversation you had
with me on January /. the day be-
fore l appeared first on the witness
stand. his name was mentioned and
| you repeated TO me that you hal
heard that four or five times he had
had conversation with Barney Baruch
at the Biltmore Hotel"
CONGRESSMAN HENRY
MAKES STATEMENT
| Lawson then asked the committees
indulgence long enough to make a
| statement, but he was temporarily
shelved. Mr.. Henry asked to be sworn
| In order to make a personal state
ment before the committee. Acting
Chairman Pou then swore tho chair
man and Henry described in great
| circumstantial uetail his interview
with Lawson in Washington on Janu-
airy l. He asserted that at the two
hour morning conference with the
! witness and the afternoon interview
| of equal length, he did not mention
any of the names of high officials
which Lawson asserted that he had.
He called to witness his own 40
year reputation for veracity as a men,
Der of the House. He denied specifl-
cafiy every statement which lawson
had attributed to him with regard to
any of the names Of officials high in
the councils of government which had.
during the course of Lawson's direct
testimony been banded about the
committee. Then from the columns
of the San Antonio Express of De-
cember "a he read an article regard
| ing the proposed leak investigation in
which 1t was asserted that Washing
| ton reports connected the names of
| two United States Senators with
leak" proftings. He condemned the
writer of the article and asserted that
the investigation would not desist un-
til the author OF 1t had appeared and
been called upon to testify as to what
! Senators were meant.
In the course OF his speech Mr..
Henry referred to the charge regard
ing Cabinet officers mentioned in the
San Antonio Express article, and on
behalf of his own State, Texas, paid
glowing tribute to Postmaster-Gen-
eral Burleson and Attorney General
Gregory. who he declared to be above
any such dlsgraeeful performances.
LAWSON TAKES VIOLENT
ISSUE WITH HENRY
! His denial of all that Lawson had
| described in his direct testimony AZ
to having been related by him wrung
| from Lawson a passionate address to
the committee in which, seriatim, he
IN
matter of fact in their interview. He
said:
There Is no reason why the chair
man should have offered you this de-
nial gentlemen of the committee. AS
/ have been most careful to explain
To you. there was nothing in this in
terview between us except the rumors
current at the time the leak was
first discussed. There was nothing
direct charged by either myself or
Chairman Henry. He told me himself
that rumor connected the names of
Secretary of State Lansing and Bar
ney Baruch. ! declare to you that
there was nothing unfair suspected of
/ either of these gentlemen. told Mr..
/ Henry ana ! say to you that Mr.. Ba-
! ruch Is reputable and a respect
able gentleman. and l heard nothing
| derogatory OF the Secretary of State
| in any of these rumors, but Mr.. Hen
| rvs statement denies what have told
you as the plain truth. and I promise
you now that you are going to get
real investigation. l promise you now
4 that within forty-eight hours the lid
will be blown off and you'll blow 1t
off.
Il swear again to you"--here Law
son again lifted his right hand--'I
! declare TO you before God and as
God Is my witness. that I have told
you the truth and nothing but the
truth, according to the oath admin
istered to me at the outset OF the ex-
! animation.
TALKED NATTER OVER
AS MAN TO MAN
Why. gentlemen of the commit
tee, when Mr.. Henry and I had our
first interview, 1t was agreed between
us that we would just talk the thing
| over as man to man. We agreed to
4 hold free and candid conference
which was to be strictly confidential.
1t was agreed between Mr.. Henry and
me that we would not even consider
the suggestion that the German am
hassador had profited. according to
| rumor. to the extent Of more than
two million dollars by reason Of his
/ advance information on this peace
| note Mr.. Henry and I agreed-and
I thought the agreement would stand
that the whole matter was too dam
gerous, too prejudicial to the public
interest, for 1t to go any further. and
II was my suggestion and his agree
ment that the whole thing ought to
be dropped.''
\ The bad blood between Henry and
lawson was apparent In every word
4 of both statements lawson was la
boring under great excitement when
/ he rose to reply to Henry, and this
/ feature of the session proved the &C.
4 casion for its termination. Repre-
/ sentative Harrison suggested that the
committee take an adjournment until
tomorrow. The motion carried.
i Before adjournment the commit
tee voted to subpoena the following
\ witnesses at once: Archibald g. White
Il of White & Co. New York; Mrs.
Ruth Thomasson- Viconti. OF Wash
ington; William w. Price White
II House reporter OF the Washin gton
Esya1inp ofipy sioiy 90