New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-16

tories had been prepared by the com
mittee and were read one after M,
other 10 witness Lawson. who llstened
intontiy. Each interrogatory gave IN
detail excerpts from his previous tes-
timony. wherein. after much sparrlng'
he had declined TO give names IN ms
first examination. preferring. as he said
then. "to 60 TO Jail for life" The frst
interrogatory concerned the member
of Congress who had mentioned to HIM
the names Of the Cabinet officer. the
banker and the United States Senator
mixed up in the leak affair. 81.
by direction of the committee,
said Chairman Henry, amid breathless
silence this afternoon, 81 now ash you.
Mr.. Lawson to name the member OF
Congress referred TO by you IN your
statement"
Mn Lawson: "Mr. Chairman, may |
have word before / answer that &c
the committee. short and TO the point,
and for the committees information
+ Il seems TO me that you owe 1t to me
to allow ne 10 state few things that
! think are absolutely necessary for
yoGr information.
81 do not want to make explanations,
Mr. Chairman. ! am going to answer
your question. | am merely going 70
make one more appeal to the commit
tee before ! answer this question very
/ short. Surely. II YOU are Just after
the information. no harm can come
You may stop me any minute. ! SIM
ply want to explain why ! am gong 10
answer the question as | do answer H.
Calls for Explanation
The Chairman: Give your explana-
I ton
B NJ. Lawson: 81 stated when the
question was asked me that ] had but
! two reasons for refusing to answer
and 7 wish to restate those two rea-
sons before refusing to answer. One
is that when I give the information,
YOU having no counsel and no one to
issue papers az once and see the books
and the guilty parties, that my giving
the names will simply enable them to
escape with their books.
- did give YOU one name. TOOK
the responsibility of calling up the
Speaker and asking him at the same
time he summoned me TO summon
Mr.. Sabin. Mr.. Sabin was sum-
moned. and the chairman asked me my
opinion of whether Mr. Sabin should be
compelled TO answer before got
through my testimony or not, and Mr..
Sabin was brought before the commit
tee. and he was allowed to go away
without any question being asked or
any books being shown, and Mr.. Sabln
one Of our principal sources OF intor-
nation with the evidence. is gone.
But the other reason, the more I'M
portant Of the two, was that ] was told
that this was serious serious to the
country and serious 70 Congress and
serious 70 the Administration. And
| now ask if make the appeal to the
committee II they will take it the
whole committee. the subcommittee or
any member Of the committee Will take
my names before ! make them public,
that the committee may decide whether
IL is too serious TO be given to the
public.
Puts Onus on Committee
That Is all. If the committee de-
cides to take the responsibility OF hav-
ing the names mentioned which | shall
name. then ] want II distinctly under
stood that 10 is up 20 the committee
and not 10 me. But ! plead with the
committee to allow me TO give the
names. and then IL the committee de-
cides that | shall rename them IN pub
lie. we'll and good ] will give them.
But ! think the committee should
take them before they are made public.
And my only reason for that opinion
IS that an earnest and conscientious
Congressman explained 10 me the seri-
business Of even mentioning the names.
say that is my only reason m con
rection with the other reasons. 90
NOT want 10 bubble; ! do not want 10
refuse. but ! say to you that ! snall
give them 20 you.
Il shall answer your question fully
and i'm the way IL Is asked, because Il
is. in my opinion, no longer up TO- me.
in The vernacular. 10 be made the goat
in the press and before your commit
tee or will give il to Congress as
whole"
Chairman Henry Air. Lawson, the