The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1917-01-31
| LEAK
ON PEACE NOTE REGARDED
PROVED - FORECAST WIRED
FROM WALL STREET HOURS
BEFORE PUBLICATION.
"Tip" Sent, According TO Lansing,
When Only Persons Connected
With Dispatch and Prepare.
ton Of Wilson Document
Knew Of Its Contents.

New York, January 3O-From the
files of a Wall Street brokerage house
congressional inquisitors today
brought to life private and confiden-
tial kilograms regarded in some quar-
ters as definitely indicating that there
was a leak on President Wilson's re-
cent peace note.
The most sensational telegram con-
tanning a brief but remarkable accur-
ate forecast Of the contents of the
note, was sent by e. f. Hutton &
Company, one of the largest broker
age houses in the street, over its pri-
vate wires to scores of other brokers
with whom it did business through
out the country on the afternoon OF
December 20, more than three hours
before the first copies of the note were
handed to newspapermen by Secretary
Lansing.
At the time the Hutton message was
sent, according to the testimony OF
Secretary Lansing before the commit.
tee in Washington, no one in this
country save persons connected with
the preparation and dispatch of the
note, had as much information re-
gard'ng its contents as the message
revealed. The note previously hat
been sent abroad in code. Publication
of the note followed transmission o
the Hutton message to various brok
ers more than ten hours.
Information on which the messagt
to brokers was based, Edward F. Hut
ton, head of the firm testified, came II
another message, now missing, from
F. A. Connolly, of F. A. Connolly
Company, Washington brokerag,
firm, in which R. w. Boiling, a broth
er-in-law of President Wilson is {
partner. Connolly was declared b,
Hutton to be fastening to New Yorl
tonight to appear before the commit
tee tomorrow.
A Previous Tip
Hutton testified that his understand
ing was that Connelly's information
regarding the note was based on gen
eral rumors. Indicative that othel
brokerage concerns were in posses
sion of similar information, Huttol
said, was another message he pro
duced which Clement-Curtis & Com
pany, of Chicago, sent his house priol
to Connelly's first message, referrin.
to a statement to be issued by tn,
State Department "inteded to promote
peace prospects" This message con
tanned no details.
Certain members of the committee
however, privately expressed convic
ton that the persons who original!
supplied the information on which
Connelly's missing message wa.
based, either had read the President,
note or obtained an excellent resum,
of it.
Some one read the motel" Repre-
sentative Campbell, of Kansas, rank
ing Republican member Of the com
mittee, emphatically declared after tn
close Of the hearing.
Chairman Henry and Sherman L
Whipple, counsel to the committee
declined to express any views on tn
situation.
Sender Of Message iii
No effort will be spared, Whippl
announced, to throw the fullest llgh
on the origin and transmission of tn
Connolly information, both in the mes
sage from Washington to e. F. Hut
ton & Company and the subsequen
message sent by them to their CORE
spondents The latter message, aC
cording to Hutton, was prepared b
George E. Ellis, Jr., member of tn
firm, who is now i'll in Georgia. Hui
ton also requested the committee nc
to call Ellis to New York II 1t coul
be avoided.
Chairman Henry, determined [
have Ellis testify, said he probabl
could be examined next week
Washington. Telegraph operators an
others who had to do with the tran,
mission Of the message also are to
interrogated. Other members of tn
Connolly firm also probably will
called. Mr.. Boiling already has test
fed at Washington hearing that h
had nothing to do with a leak of an