South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-01-18
COMMITTEE WILL
SELECT COUNSEL
Hearing on LEAK" is Halted
Until the Right Man
is Secured.
InternationaI News Service:

NAShlNGTON, Jan. IS. - The
! leak investigation is at a stand
still until the house rules committee
obtains the legal counsel already
authorized
score Of prominent witnesses
inclulng Wall st. operators. bank
ers' brokers, editors and others We're
excused this morning. subject to the
call Of the committee. No more
public hearings are expected this
week. Neither branch of congress
will be in session Saturday. as ad-
Journment is planned out of respect
TO Admiral Dewey. whose funeral
will be held at the capitol. 1t is
planned to resume the hearings
Monday
The task of obtaining counsel for
the rules committee has proved diff
ficult. The question of veracity
which has been raised between
Chairman Henry and Thomas W.
Lawson and repeated charges of re-
publican partisanship from demo-
cratic members of the investigating
committee, have served TO compli-
cate the work of the inquiry. The
aim now is to obtain the type of
counsel. described by Rep. Lenroot,
republican member of the commit
tee, rs one so qualified as TO be ac-
ceptable not only TO the democratic
and republican members of the
committee. but TO both sides OF the
house and the country at large.
Anxious TO Hear Woman.
The keenest disappointment. so
far as the public is concerned, is
that it has not yet had the oppor-
tunity TO hear the testimony of Mrs
Ruth Thomasson ViscOnti. the mys-
FERROUS woman named by Lawson as
authority for his statement that W
w. Price, a white house newspaper
correspondent, was "go-between" in
the workings of the leak" between
Washington and Wall st. 1t was
this woman, according to Lawson,
who said Price received for this
service $4,000. and that Tumulty.
the presidents secretary, got much
more"
Mrs. Visconti is in deep seclusion
at present. and cannot be reached
RumOrs were rife here today that
another woman, formerly in the
employ OF the Carnegie Peace
Foundation. might appear before the
committee soon, and that he testi-
mony would rival that expected
from Mrs Visconti. An effort is
being made to locate her now. She
is believed TO be in New York
If Mrs. Viscontrs testimony sub
stimulates Lawson's story, there is a
growing belief that the investigation
ought to pass out of the hands of
the rules committee to special
committee, as asked originally by
Rep. Wood. author of the investiga-
ton resolutions.
Counsel Problem Difficult.
The problem OF choosing compe-
tent counsel satisfactory TO demo-
Gratis and republicans admittedly is
difficult. In a late afternoon meet
ing of the committee, names Of sew
eral prominent attorneys were sug-
gested but no conclusion was reach
ed. Wednesday night the majority
members undertook consideration Of
the matter and arranged 10 notify
the republicans when they were
ready TO submit a name.
There was an hours discussion in
the house when the committee pre-
scented it's resolution providing for
the employment of counsel and eX-
tension Of time. Rep. Howard of
Georgia promptly opposed the plan.
saying he understood Samuel Inter
myer of New York was TO be retain
ed. Rep. Moore of PENNSYLVANIA
suggested the name of Charles Evans
Hughes.
Names Held Improper.
Il am convinced said Republican
Leader Mann. that the employment
Of either Samuel Untermyer or Mr.
Hughes would be an act of such
gross improperly that it would not
be considered for a moment by the
committee.
There ought 90 be a thorough in
vestigation. if men are to be proved
guilty. Il is due the honor Of this
country, and if they are innocent
they should be proved innocent.
Personally, ! believe that nc men
in high official place would be found
TO be guilty of this thing. which
would be an act of treason to the
country"
Rep. Focht Of pennsylvania assail-
ed the inquiry as a colossal farce.
denounced Lawson as a Wall street
tout. declaring congress ought 10
wash its hands of the whole affair
and throw out the evidence as