New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-03
STONE INCREASES
LEAK" MIDDLE
Senator AbSolVeS Officials,
Accuses Civil Service
Employees of Spying
LAWSON'S EVIDENCE
SPURNED BY HENRY
No Names Given, Repre-
sentative Refuses to Pre-
sent 1t to House
lFrom Inc Tribune Bureau .

Washington, Jan. William J..
Stone, chairman OF the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee, to-day Joined Rep
resentative Henry. chairman of the
House Rules Committee, and Thomas
W. Lawson. Of frenEied finance fame,
in befogging investigation Of the leak
20 the stock market.
Not that Mr. Stone approved Mr..
Lawson or Mr. Henry. He tore both to
tstters on the Senate floor with violent
language and gesticulations Mr.. Law
son by name, Mr.. Henry by inference.
To the evident amusement of col
leagues. Senator Stone talked of leaks
in the State Department by Civil Ser
vice employees. SO that there now are
three persons at least-Lawson, Henry
and Stone-who are muddying the
water, tearing to pieces straw men and
obscuring the details of the real situa-
ton.
Two conferences to-day between Law
son and Henry resulted in an an
nouneement by Mr.. Henry that the Bos-
ton finanoier had been unable 20 fur
nish any names or other definite in
formation about the alleged leak in ad.
vance Of President Wilson's peace note,
and that so far as he WAS concerned
the matter would be dropped.
Matter Ended, Says Henry
Certainly no sensible person." said
Mr.. Henry's statement, would ask me
TO trouble the committee with a meet
ing to chase a mirage. And ] must say
that as far as this matter between Mr..
Lawson and myself is concerned, it is
ended"
Senator Stone during his address to-
day intimated that the Civil Service
system permits spies to attain respon-
sible confidential positions in the gov
eminent. He said in partI
IF I may be permitted, should like
10 add that these wild panicky stock
conditions concern me in two ways. If
it be true that any public official has
or did use any confidential or secret
information, as has been alleged, TO
further his interests in speculation on
the stock market, he is an unspeakable
scroundrel.
Would Dismiss Beneficiaries
"If any man in legislative life did it
which ! absolutely believe impossl-
ble-if any Senator did (which still
more | believe 10 be impossible
ought 20 be dismissed from this body
which he dishonors.
81 do not know whether there is any
foundation for these sensational stories
i mean i'm this particular instance.
! do know that things have oc-
Cured in the department that ought
not TO be possible. | do know that
confidential communications made by
foreign governments TO the State De-
partment, communications that never
would have been made. which could
not have been made, except in the
faith that our State Department would
hold them sacred, have by some means
found their way into the hands of men
not authorized TO receive them.
"How this happened ] do not know,
except that / wish here now to say for
myself that such things could have
happened only through the infidelity
of employees in the department. SO
! say that | fear that this betrayal OF
Iublic confidence is in some way trace
able to our beautiful civil service. II
I could have my way ! would have
every administration put most JTuslcu
men of it's own choosing in every re-
sponsible place.
DO not understand me as saying
that the civil service is to be swept
off the statute books. but there are
men now holding most important ana
confidential relations to the state De-
rartment. and no doubt in others. who
have no reason. except as they may be
honest men and true, TO be faithful
TO their chief"
Senator Stone closed as follows:
al had notation here to say some
thing about this Lawson talk. ! VIII
say this much-it disgusts me.
'T am sorry that our newspapers
I am not now speaking of the gentle
men of the press (for they have little
to do with it. and have had nothing. so
far as | know, but of the papers they
represent-the great papers shall take
I'D the breying of this ass and exploit
IL through the columns of their papers.
| despise it,"
Mr.. Lawson issued a statement to-