The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-01-04
ASSERTS BARUCH
SOLD STOCKS ON
PEACE NOTE TIP
Rep. Bennett Names Broker
In Debate Over Lawson
"'Leak" Charges.

/ Washington, Jan. 1.-The House di-
rected it's Committee on Rules yester-
| day to report within ten days Wheth-
er there should be an investigation of
! charges made by Thomas w. Lawson
| that there was a leak to Wall Street,
| on the Presidents peace note and that
| members of Congress were interested
| III the consequent stock speculation.
This action followed a fiery debate
| during which Representative William
S. Bennett of New York, Republican,
| brought in the name Of Bernard Ba-
ruch of New York, as one of the per-
/ sons reported to have had advance in
| formation.
The Rules Committee is directed
| specifically to report whether the
House shall take cognizance of Mr..
| Lawson's statement that eff it were
| actually believed in Washington there
was to be a real investigation there
would not be a quorum in either the
| Senate or House next Monday"
| Another Lawson statement that
aroused the ire of House members and
which the Rules Committee is in
| structed to consider was that "the
good old Capitol has been wallowing
in Wall Street leak graft for forty
| years"
The Rules COMMITTEE will meet to-
day to. plan a preliminary inquiry.
Members of the committee said yes
terday that the witnesses to be called
fncluded Representative Gardner of
Massachusetts, land Representative
| Wood o. Indiana, who took part in the
discussion today, and Mr.. Lawson.
| If these witnesses make out>a prima
| facie case the entire leak contro-
| versy probably will be investigated by
a select House Committee of five mem
| bers.
Representatives Garrett of Ten
nessee, Fitzgerald of New York, and
Henry of Texas attempted to kill on a
point Of order, a resolution presented
by Mr.. Wood demanding an inquiry.
Mr.. Garrett was particularly insistent
| that the Lawson charges were of a
| general nature and that no names
were mentioned.
1 Bennett Names Baruch.
| At this point Representative Ben
net startled the House by mentioning
/ for the first time a person alleged to
| have benefited by the leak Mr..
! Bennett said:
| "I will state to the gentleman from
| Tennessee what the rumor is. The
rumor is that Mr.. Barney Baruch, a
member of the Council Of National
Defense, was the man. who was re-
| sponsible for this information getting
| to Wall Street, and that 30 minutes
before the Presidents message was
made public he sold, on rising mar
ket, in Steel, by the way, 5000 shares
4 Of Steel common short. That is the
rumor in New York city, if the gen.
! tleman wants names"
! This statement created small sem
sation in the House and was accom-
panied by some applause. Speaker
Clark soon thereafter ruled that the
Wood resolution was of privileged
character, and it was referred, on a
viva voce vote to the rules committee,
with instructions to report within 10
| days.
The preamble Of the resolution cites
the charges made by Mr.. Lawson, who
| recently gave several statements to
! the press and exchanged letters with
Chairman Henry of the rules commit
tee.
| These charges constitute an at
| tack upon the integrity Of tie House
and it's proceedings" said Mr.. Wood.
| ''They should not be ignored
| Representative Garrett said:
| "This House cannot take up every
| loose charge made by any person and
declare it a privileged matter. I make
the point Of order. Not a member of
Congress is mentioned by name in
these Lawson charges
| That simply makes the question one
of higher privilege" said Represen
tative Mann, the Republican floor lead
| er. eff these charges do not affect
the dignity Of the House and it's pro-
| ceedings, as covered under the rules,
do not know Of charges that could
be so construed"
| Representative Fitzgerald argued
that the House cannot take .cogniz-
| ance of every scandal monger who
seeks notoriety at the expense of this
body 1--WE should not aid in the ad-
vertising Of mud singers" he added.
''The mud is thrown at members of
| the House." interrupted Mr. Mann.
Mr.. Wood said he believed that he
possessed the facts justifying am in
| vestigation Of the entire leak" cpl
sode.
Jdf0ner l0CluOeS Inc fFeSlOcHl
! Representative Gardnet, who aided
Mr. Wood in the parliamentary bat
tie, holly asserted that no one could
deny there had been leak to Wall
Street, and every person who might
throw Night on the situation-from
the President ddwn-should be ques-
toned at is definitely, specifically
| and positively asserted there has been
a leak and I know personally from
what happened on the stock market
that there was leak, said Mr..
| Gardner. He added that he believed
this leak came through subordinates
| of the President.
Representative Campbell of Kan
sas, ranking Republican of the rules
| committee, upbraided Chairman
Henry for his failure to call the COM
mittee together to hear the statement
| of Mr.. Lawson, who returned to Bos-
| ton last night. Mr.. Campbell said
| Mr. Henry had arranged "star
chamber conference with Mr.. Law
| son and no other members of the
committee were present. Mr.. Henry
| declared he had not attem pied to sup
press an investigation, but there
| have been no facts offered by this
man that would justify us wasting
| two minutes time
Although disagreeing 7 that the
| Nood resolution was nrjviIeQe1 Mr.