Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1917-01-08
'TUMULTY IS INDIGNANT
Presidents Secretary First Witness
in Leak Investigation Today =
Lawson on Hand.

Making little effort to conceal his
Indignation over the fact that his
name had been drawn into the affair
Joseph P. Tumulty, secretary to tic
President. was the first witness to-
day before the House Rules Com
mittee, investigating the alleged leak
to Wall Street on the President s
peace note.
AS Tumulty testified, there sat in
the audience Barney Baruch, the
stock exchange operator, whose nan,e
ms been linked with that of Mr..
Tumuity by the statement Of Con-
yresSman Wood Of Indiana.
II am still waiting for Mr.. Wool
to make a public apology said Sec
retary Tumulty, with feeling.
The secretary to the President
Quoted President Wilson in substan-
tla.ion of his claim that he had 10
.lvance information about the peGc:,
note.
TIE name of Ambassador Japrcs
". Gerard was mentioned for the
first time today while Presidert;a!
Secretary Tumulty was being cross
examined.
CONGRESSMAN Chiperficld asked
Tumulty whether he had ever visited
local stock broker.
Tumulty replied yes, and after
further questioning said he had III
reduced Gerard at the Office of W.
3. Hibbs and Co.
Gerard, Tumulty said, wished to
BUY some bonds.
The hearing opened with call 10:
Thomas w. Lawson, Of Boston, to
take the witness stand. There Was
no response because Mr.. Lawson was
not present.
Chairman Henry then called See
ratarv Tumulty, but was interrupted
5v Congressman Chiperheld, mem
srr OF the committee, who said:
II am more concerned about the
non-appearance of Mr.. Lawson II
il is necessary for US to take sum-
mary steps to get him, the soone:
we start the better
81 understand that Mr.. Lawson /"
in the city, ane, will be here sal1
Chairman Henry. THE clerk W.:
notify him to appear at once
Mr.. Lawson appeared in the COM
rittec 4 few moments later.
L has been long time SINCE
Washington has witnessed more
extraordinary proceeding than the
ioouirv being conducted by the
House Rules Committee into the
alleged leak" in connection with
the Presidents peace note and the
stock market crash which followed.
r. this so-called invcstig ltion dld
not involve the regulations of Il
nunlber of high officials and the
business connections of others not IN
public life the whole affair would be
q choice piece Of comedy. But he
cause it does affect the regulations
of these men it has become de-
cidedly deplorable one.
However serious it may be for
those brought in it, the farcical ele-
ments Of the leak" probe stand
out. A lot of embarrassment is being
caused to those held up as ''leakers' y
or possible "leakers," though they
have not been more embarrassed than
the two Congressman from whom
facts have been demanded by the
committee. but from whom nothing
has been extracted so far but Il Sc
rics of petty yarns and mass OF
village gossip.
There may have been leaks" "
Wall street brokers may have prof
tied by them. It is even possible
that some public officials may have
been responsible for advance infor-
nation getting out about the peace
note. but the fact remains that
neither Representative Wood nor
Representative Gardner has been
able to produce one piece of testi-
mony which third-rate police jus
tice would admit in the trial of a
negro crap-shooter to prove that any
of the high officials mentioned had
anything to do with the market col
lapse.