Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-01-05

have often suggested that this be
done.
Il have not been at the Biltmore
in a year; never talked about peace
with Mr.. Baruch before or after the
peace note was sent and never
lunched with him in my life.
II have met him. as 1 have a great
many good friends from time to time
in hotels, at the theater and else
where.
"A Presidents secretary meets a
great many people every day and it is
very easy for some one to circulate
rumors, based, as Mr. Wood says,
solely on hearsay.'
II think Mr.. Wood owes me a public
apology for mentioning my name at
all merely on hearsay and rumor."
Newspapcrmcn Responsible?
Mr.. Harrison referred to Secretary
Lansing's conference with newspaper
men on the morning of December 20
and suggested that ut the conference
were present some persons who were
not newspapermen.
Mr.. Wood said he had heard intima-
tions of that.
Mr.. Harrison then suggested that
there were representatives of the Wall
Street Journal and Financial America
their duties We're to get all tips that
would affect the stock market. He
added that these journals are main
tained by stock brokers" and suggested
it might have been that those finan-
cial reporters sent kilograms to their
offices and that that was the way the
information got out
Mr.. Wood replied he did, not know
about that.
Mr.. Harrison explained that Secre-
tary Lansing on that occasion asked
the newspapermen to keep faith on
what he told them and added that the
newspapermen kept the faith
Secretary Lansing at that conference
merely announced that note had
been dispatched, specifically said it
did not concern peace and refused to
give further Information on its con-
tents.
Mr. Wood said all he had heard was
that Secretary Lansing told those at
the conference that there might be
some important information later on.
Mr. Harrison brought out that Wood
knew nothing about Curtis the broker,
until he got letter from him after
the introduction of his resolution for
an investigation.
Mr. Wood replied that he had no in
formation about the Otto Kahn ma
nipulations," as Mr. Harrison ex-
pressed it, until after the resolution
was introduced"
The Curtis Letter
The Curtis letter TO Representative
Wood follows:
December 26, 1916.
Hon. William r. Wood,
House of Representatives,
Washington, ID. c.
Dear Sir: The Democratic major
ity of the House will not, | presume,
permit the adoption of your resolution
of inquiry but it is a highly meritor-
ious measure none the less and If |
can do so / want to help you
Bernard NJ. Baruch, of this city,
unquestionably had the news of See
retary Lansings note as early as Sat
urday, December 8. The note was
dated December / | and not dispatched
until December 12
(The official copies of the note are
dated December 1. They were placed
in the hands of news associations at
p. M. on the afternoon of December
2, and were released for publication in
morning papers of December 21. Off,
cials announced that the note had
been transmitted to Europe on the
cables in the early morning hours of
December 19.)
How Baruch got 1t, am not pre-
pared to say, but a gentleman of my
acquaintance makes the positive state
ment that he saw Mr. Tumulty and
Mr.. Baruch breakfasting. together at
the Biltmore hotel in this city on two
or three occasions coincident with the
penning of the note and its secret dis
patch.
THAT Baruch at this junction
smashed the market heavily and in all