Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-17
NO"LEAK" INQUIRY
Being HELD TODAY
Rules Committee Empowered
to Employ Counsel and
Accountants.
HOUSE GRANTS MORE TIME

empowered the rules committee to EN-
ploy expert counsel and accountants IA
miliar with stock exchange transactions
10 assist in the conduct Of the peace
note leak inquiry. and extended time
for the investigation for thirty days.
This foreshadows extending the in
quiry to it's broadcast aspects. Taking OF
testimony will be resumed tomorrow,
probably with ]. p. Morgan and other
financiers in the witness chair.
No Session Today.
Today's session of the leak hearing
was suddenly postponed as it was
about 20 open.
Witnesses were notified to appear to-
morrow morning. The postponement
was made so the committee might ask
the House for authority to employ
counsel.
Meanwhile the committee will make
its plans for extending the inquiry into
q general investigation. which was
forecast when it yesterday summoned
J. p. Morgan, Frank A. vanderlip.
Henry p. Dawson and other well
known financiers- Some of them were
on hand today waiting to testify.
Lawson Ready to Go On.
Thomas ". Lawson also was ready to
go on. and Mrs. Ruth Thomason Wis.,
CONT. the woman who Lawson says
told him Secretary Tumulty was il
volved in the leak. had been served
with a subpoena
Another witness to arrive before the
postponement was announced was
Piiny Fisk Of New York described by
lawson as the man who told Archibald
s. White he controlled" Secretary
McAdoo. John R. Rathom. editor Of the
Provtdence Journal. whose news dis
patches regarding leaks Lawson read into
the record. also appeared.
when the House met Representative
Pou. acting for Chairman Henry, asked
unanimous consent for consideration of
committee to employ counsel and ex-
pert accountants familiar with stock
exchange transactions and authorize
hearings outside of Washington if nec-
essary.
Proposal for Legal Aid Causes Storm.
The proposal to employ counsel caused
much debate in the House. with many for
and against the employment of. such aid.
The names Of Samuel Untermyer and
Charles Evans Hughes were mentioned as
ones who might be asked to serve, but
the mention of their names caused a storm
Of disapproval
Representative Mann, the minority
leader Of the House. referring to the
suggestions that had been made for
counsel to the committee. declared:
am convinced that the employment
OF either Samuel Untermyer or Mr.
HuRheS would nf
iinpropriety that it would not be con-
sidered for a moment by the commit
tee"
Women Rush for Seats.
Hundreds of women stormed the
three doors of the caucus room In the
House Office building early today, all
bent on procuring front-row seats at
the hearing. The sergeant t-at-arms.
the police and press gallery employees,
however, kept the doors closed until
an arrangement of tables and chairs
had been rlade inside the room to keep
the rush OF curious sightseers from
overwhelming the committee, the wit
nesses and the phalanX of newspaper
writers representing newspapers in
three continents.
Husky policemen stood in the aisles
and forced women back to seats pro-
vided for them. but they were dissatis-
lied and a continual jam resulted from
efforts apparently made with a view
by the hundreds of women to take seats
alongside the witness.
Dressed in Their Best.
The women were all dressed in their
best. as II for social event. Heavy
furs were on many of them, and they
were not removed during the morning.
So close were the chairs that no one
could remove wrap. once she had
taken a seat. Scores of the women
brought lunches. the combination of
homemade refreshments and social
function clothes giving a queer but
typlcally feminine aspect to the crowd.
There was great craning of .necks
in all quarters ito see Mrs. Visconti /"
Information or to be in authority was
asked where she was