The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-01-06
Tumulty Mentioned in Ac-
count Of Peace Note
Advance Notice.
SECRETARY DENIES
AND ASKS APOLOGY
House Rules Committee
Prepares for Full
Investigation.

Washington, Jan. 5.--Sensational
rumors of a leak to Wall street in
advance Of President Wilson's peace
note were related to the house rules
committee today by Representative
Wood of Indiana in support of his reso-
luton asking for an investigation of
the alleged leak" on the presidents
peace note. He .prefaced his testi-
mony with the statement that he had
nothing but hearsay to offer and vainly
protested against an open session of
the committee.
Names and rumored details of the
alleged leak" came thick and fast
when Mr.. Wood began his story. He
mentioned Joseph II. Tumulty. secre-
tary to President Wilson; r. w.
Boiling. brother in-law of the presi-
dent; Bernard Baruch of New York,
and various brokerage houses, crediting
most of his information to letter re-
ceived from "A. Curtis of New York.
This letter, produced later, was written
on plain paper without the writer's ad-
dress and up to a late hour tonight
Kenneth Romney, deputy sergeant at
arms of the house. in New York
searching for A. Curtis, had been un-
able to find any trace of him.
Flat Denials Made
Stat(ments We're issued after the
committee meeting by Secretary Tu-
multy and Mr. Boiling fatty denying
the reports regarding them and Mr..
Tumulty demanded that Representative
Wood publicly apologize for mention
ing his name. Mr.. Wood followed by
statement pointing out that he had
desired to testify in private, but de-
claring that those whose names were
the subject of rumor should court the
fullest investigation.
Tomorrow the committee probably
will hear Representative Gardner, who
declared on the floor of the house re-
Gently that he knew there was
"leak." Monday Thomas w. Lawson
of Boston is to appear and, if he can
be reached, Bernard Baruch will be
subpoenaed
It is understood that Secretary
Lansing and Mr.. Tumulty will be asked
to testify before the committee decides
upon its report to the house of whether
the Wood resolution providing for an
investigation by a special committee
should pass.
The committee adopted a resolution
asking the New York stock exchange
and local brokers to preserve their rec
ords of transactions from December 10
to date. Whether any of these records
shall be sought as evidence will be de-
cided later.
Would Subpoena Officials.
At the outset Of the hearing Repre-
sentative Campbell of Kansas moved
to subpoena Secretary Lansing, Secre-
tary Tumulty. Bernard Baruch and
Thomas w. Lawson. He was pre-
vailed by other members to withdraw
his motion, but he said he would make
it again later.
Representatives Chiperfield and Fos-
ter of Illinois and Harrison of Missis-
sippi protested against any "star cham
ber proceedings" and Representative
Garrett of Tennessee, who had moved
that the sessions be made executive,
withdrew his motion.
Chipedfield insisted that as wit
ness sworn to tell the truth Wood
should give the committee the advan-
tage of all the information in his pos
session.
Woods Testimony.
Wood testified he had been informed
that on Wednesday, December 90,
which was prior to publication of the
note, a confidential telegram had been
sent by r. w. McKinnon of Thompson
& McKinnon, brokers of Chicago to
Ralph H. Hartley, manager of their
branch at Oshkosh. Wis, advising him
that the president would have a mes
sage of importance soon and that he
should advise friends and patrons of
his office to sell short on stocks.
S. B. Friday Of Oshkosh was named
by Wood as his Informant.
Early in the afternoon of the same
day, Wood said, he was informed LAM
son Brothers & Company's branch
brokerage office in Lafayette, Ind.
also received information from Chicago
that the president swas about to send a
''peace note
Representative Wood requested that
Otto Kuhn of Kuhn. Loeb & Co.. New
York. be sutpoenaed and interrogated