The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-01-09

purchases and saIesG" the witness
was asked.
NO." replied Lawson. al carry
those records in my head"
do you pretend to sit before this
committee and say that you, who
carry these records in your head,
cannot remember your sales and pur
chases in December?" asked the Ini-
nois lawmaler.
Doesn't Pretend AnytAing. Il
81 don't pretend anything" replied
the witness. 81 say 1t is impossible
for me to give you accurate informa-
ton, and refuse to guess"
you admitted yesterday that you
were beneficiary OF this leak. To
what extent did you profit?" queried
Congressman Chiperfield.
'By that statement I meant that
1 profited and did not lose. I do not
know the amount"
did you profit by s5oO.oooT" Law
son was asked.
81 cannot tell accurately and re-
fuse to guess" was the reply.
as 100000 such q bagatelle to you
that profting by that sum would
make no impression on your" asked
the Congressman from Illinois!
Gaost Exact Statement"
Five hundred thousand dollars to
me is $500. Ooo," said Lawson. slowly |
and deliberately.
THAT 10 the most exact statement |
you have made since you took the
stand" said Mr.. Chiperfeld.
Can you tell as whether your |
profits were S1,00o0O0 or between |
$500, 900 and IS, 000. DOOR" the witness |
was asked.
II cannot" Lawson answered.
Important Disclosure.
An important disclosure of today's ses- !
sion was the statement Of Mr.. Lawson |
that he really cared very little about |
an investigation Of the leak" but his |
rather spectacular part in the whole |
controversy had been actuated by de-
sire to have an investigation OF the |
New York Stock Exchange.
Congressman Garrett Of Tennessee |
brought out this In the following |
colloquy:
"Mr. Lawson, isn't It true that you |
care very little about this Teak" or ]
an investigation Of the leak. p"
That Is right"
your real object is to have an In
vestigation OF the stock .exchange?"
Yes"
"A Slight Interest,"
you do not take the slightest interest |
in the investigation 90 far as 1t con-
Germs merely the 1eakr"
'Oh. I take q slight interest"
But # makes little difference to you
whether the guilty persons are found |
or not, or whether they are punished?
You are chiefly interested in an investi- |
cation Of the stock exchangeT
Yes"
And all these newspapers articles, |
letters and statements you have made |
are really to the end that there may |
be an inquiry into the stock exchange?"
Yes, that is why want an .investi- |
CATION"
Harrison Interposes.
At this point Congressman Harri- |
son, OF Mississippi, interposed:
"And yet you are a common stock |
speculator on the marketf"
ST do not know what you mean by |
common speculator," said Lawson, |
rather hotly. 81 am q common specu- |
lator the same as you are We are all |
spectators, / guess. Stock specula- |
ton Is a legitimate business. You !
men Of Congress have made It so by /
failure to act. You can change condi- |
tions so that you need not caINon a |
common stock speculator.'"
ooh, 1 don't know about that" said
Mr.. Harrison.
Familiar Turn.
The examination then took the IA
miliar turn Of tracing ticker reports
and reports about the manner in
which a leak" may have reached the
stock market in advance of the peace
note.
Earlier in his testimony Mr.. Lawson
told the committee that Federal regu-
lation, of stock exchanges is necessary
and several years ago he had helped
frame a bill which was introduced in
the Senate for their regulation.
such regulation could be accom-
plished without destroying any OF the
legitimate functions of the exchange"
he said. at would not stop either in
vestmeht or speculative buying, but
It would stop the sort Of things that
have happened within the last few
weeks, causing suffering to thousands
of persons"
Constant BickerinE.
Congressman Ch1per1eld's second
motion TO hold Mr.. Lawson in con-
first having been entered
ION the record yesterday-followed
constant pickering between the NIL
nois member and the witness. After
fruitless questioning for half an
hour, Mr.. ChiperfaIi said:
well. we've completed the circle. We
are right back where we started and
we know nothing"
Mr. Chiperfield had sought to force
Mr.. Lawson to tell specifically:
The names Of the brokers with whom
he dealt in December last.
The extent Of his stock exchange
and his profits.
The amount of United States Steel he
bought or sold.
The name OF the member OF Congress |
who had mentioned a Cabinet officer In
connection with the leak and subse-
Quent speculation.
The origin OF the leak"
UnsatIsfactOry Replies.
In every INSTANCE Mr.. Chiperfield had