Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-01-18
House Empowers Committee to Employ Counsel to ni-
 rect Investigation.
FOCHT DENOUNCES
 LAWSON AS "TOUT"
Democratic and Republican Siem- bers of the Committee Declare H0nfidence in Chairman Henry,
 Whom Law son Challenged.

Washington, Jan. 17.-Empowered to employ counsel and expert stock accountants, and given 50 days longer in which to report. the house rules committee today temporarily haltci it's peace note leak" hearings to con sider what lawyers shall be sought to direct the board enquiry
 It was announced that there will be no public session tomorrow, and probably no other testimony will be heard until the new plans have been perfected and counsel has familiarized himself with the situation. In the
 meantime, financiers and bankers sum- mOned to appear before the commit tee will probably be permitted to re-
 turn home, to await further call from the committee. Many witnesses and the usual throng of spectators were in the committee room this morning,
 when the word came that there would
 be no session held today, and none
 until further action by the committee, probably early next week.
 Action by the house followed tho statement on the floor that the Demo-
 cratic members of the committee that they were already embarrassed as in vestigators, in view of the dragging in of the names of high government of ficlals. Representative Garrett, speak ing for the committee, announced that for this reason the committee henGa- forth will assume the judicial role,
 with special counsel to direct the in- vestigation and interview the wit. nesses.
 Deliberations in the house were conducted in the absence of Chairman
 Henry of the rules committee. whose
 verity regarding an alleged conf dential conference" with Thomas w.
 Lawson was challenged by the Boston financer.
 Have Faith in Henry. During the debate in the house, both Democratic and Republican members of the committee asserted their faith in MT. Henry. and denied that the chairman would withdraw from the enquiry.
 The problem of choosing competent counsel, satisfactory to the Democrats and the Republicans, admittedly is diffioult. In late afternoon meeting and again tonight, the majority mem-
 bers of the committee considered the matter and arranged to notify the Re- publican members when they were ready to submit names. No decision had been reached late tonight. There was an hours discussion in the house, when the committee prs. sented it's resolution providing for the employment of counsel and an exten, sion of time. Representative Howard of Georgia promptly opposed the plan, saying he understood Samuel Unter- meyer was to be retained as counsel. Representative Moore of Pennsylvania suggested the name of Charles Evans Hughes.
 q am convinced" said Republican Leader Mann, "that the employment of either MT. Untermeyer or M~. Hughes would be an aot of such gross impropriety that it would not be con- sidered for moment by the commit tee. There ought to be thorough in vestigation. If men are proved guilty, they should suffer. It is due the honor of this country, if they are innocent, that they should be proved innocent"
 Representative Focht of Pennsyl- vania assailed the hearing as a "co. lossal farce" denounced Lawson as 8 Wall street "tout" and declared con-
 gress out to wash it's hands of the whole affair and throw out the evi- denoie as worthlessly damaged goods"
 Representative Lenroot of Wisdon- sin, Republican member of the com mittee, strongly advised a thorough investigation, with competent counsel. "There has not been the slightes. suggestion from any member that MT. Untermeyer might be the counsel" he said.