The Washington herald., 1917-01-15
LEAK HUNTERS
READY TO PLACE
LAWS0N0N GRILL
Rules Committee VIII ,pare
No One, Democratic
Leaders Assert.
G0ADED ON BY TAUNTS
Republicans Charge Democrats Are
Anxious to Weld Whitewash
Brush at Hearings.

Full speed ahead" will be the motto
Of the House Committee on Rules which
'his morning will reinausurste It's inves-
ugation Of the alleged leak of snterns-
uonal secrets from Washington 70 Wal
street The majority members of the
committee-the Democrsts-smarth & un-
der the insinuations of their Republican
colleagues that they were an1iou, TO
smother the Investigation IN order TO
protect friends OF the Wilson sdministra-
uon, are ready now TO delye into tbs
innermost secrets Of everyone co-,S.,-t.S
py rumor or report with the sIIege8
transmission OF advance news or the re-
cent Presidential peace note. No one
VIII be spared. so the Democratic leaders
d ~, and the first victim marked for tbe
sadlron OF the Investigation Is Thomas
W lawson. the only man In America
VINO is willing to admit he made real
money out OF the alleged leak.
Lawson First Witness.
Ihe sessions OF the Rules Commits.
Will be resumed at 10 O'Clock. Lawso,
VIII probably be the first witness called
he told the committee a week 40 IT,,
once it or some similar corn1,ittse ne.
iortihed with the power 70 20 HeriousIy
ana sincerely into the question OF who
was let In on the leak he was preDare5 %
tel the real names of the leakers ana IN.
oenehciar1es Of the great bear raid IN
december 20 and p on the New York
Stock Exchange
Not only is the committee now invested
with all the powers that Lawson sennsnd-
60 as sine qua non to his telling the in
sloe iacts, but also the committee has
been granted full powers to punish re-
calcitrancy by the House. II can cite for
contempt to the District Attorney OF the
Ilstrict OF Columbia or II can hale a
contumacous witness before the har Of
the House and send him into durance. al
tify. =
VIII Ask Names of omesaI..
One Of the hrst questions which ptu
be directed to lawson Will be one c.-
fnanding the names OF the parties 20 the
triangular arrangement which he alleges
10 exist, IN which Cabinet orieer, a
senator OF the United States and a prom
lnent banker are sharing In the profits OF
speculative. ventures on the stock ex-
change Laws0n will also be ordered 10
tell the committee the name Of a Con-
gressman who related TO him the story
Of the speculations of q member Of the
present Cabinet and also the name Of tn.
Cabineteer.
Upon the previous appearance Of Law
son he proved no easy subject for IN.
gruelling which the committeeman Al
tempted to force on him II Is question
cd whether the multiplied powers OF tn.
committee will prove any more Of a
lever to pry out important evidence from
the Bostonian.
Other Witnesses Called.
In addition 10 the coming Of Lawson.
whom II is presumed will be the star
attraction Of the opening hearing, the
hules Committee has also under subpoena
; b. Fridy, an Oshkosh, Wis broker.
whose office is said to have been in
formed Of the coming OF the note several
hours ahead OF the public announcement
members Of the firm OF Thompson & Nc
hinnon Of Chicago: Donald Mcdonald.
editor Of the Financial News Of Boston;
members OF the firm OF F. NJ. Lockwood
and Company. New York: James Reilly.
editor Of the Wall Street Journal New
York, and several other representative
OF the press associations here.
The committees new powers can com
pei the presentation OF books, letters ana
other documentary evidence and there
fore the managers Of the telegraph COM
panies will be requested TO bring before
the committee all messages sent over
their wires on December 20 and p.
Besides II is expected that Bernard NJ.
Bruch will be recalled and compelled to
show his books and buying and selling
orders for the DAYS in question.
1t Is regarded as unlikely that once
the COMMITTEE initiates this exhaustive
examination OF the affairs Of Wall Street
that the hearings can possibly be con
cluded short Of three or perhaps four
weeks