The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-01-13
Thomas W. Lawson Must Tell
What He Knows or Be Held
In Contempt
REFUSE TO DROP
LEAK INVESTIGATION
House Will Give Committee
Power of Special lnvestiga-
ting Body That All Facts
Shall Be Brought to Light

Washington, Jan. 12.-Dcmand-
ing that Thomas w. Lawson sup
ply what leak" information no
may have or he punished for his
refusal, the House of Representa-.
tives today directed the Rules
Committee to continue it's pre-
liminary probe of the leak charge
cS. The House fatty rejected tina
proposal of the majority OF the
committee to bring the leak in
veStigation 10 an end by laying
ON the table the Wood resolution
providing for a probe by special
committee. After stormy de.
bate the proposal to sidetrack tho
wood resolution was withdrawn
and il was decided to vest the
Ruics Committee with ample au-
thority to force Lawson to testify.
Gives Committee Full Power.
Members OF the Rules Committee
tonight prepared resolution which
would give the committee all of tha
powers of special investigating COM
mittee. The resolution will probably
be passed tomorrow and the commits
Monday K
The decision Of the House. and the
return of the Rules Committee Demo-
Gratis grew out OF L.awson's fiat refusal
to give the committee the names OF
cabinet officer. banker and anoth-
er high government official. who he
said had been mentioned to him as
beneficiaries Of the peace note leak"
by a Congressman. Lawson declared
10
to a special investigation committee.
If real" investigation was ordered.
Must Clearly Disprove Leak.
The debate in the House developed
that the Democratic leaders cannot
depend upon q majority to stifle the
less the Lawson incident is satisfac-
torily closed and the leak" charges
are clearly disproved. 1t was indi-
Gated that at least a score of Demo-
Gratis will join with the Republicans
in insisting that the Rules COMMITTEES
either dispose of the charges finally
and unequivocaliy or that special
committee be appointed.
Representative Cantrill, OF Ken
lucky, Democratic member of tho
Rules Committee. led the revolt which
sent the whole matter back to the
committee. After Democrats and Re-
publicans had engaged in the most
acrimonious debate the House has
seen for years, he turned the tide
against the majority of the Rules
Committee.
at would be a mistake to stop this
investigation now" he said; the
question which now confronts us il
whether the American Congress il
bigger than Thomas w. Lawson. Tho
Rules Committee should be ordered
to recall him. ana If he again refuses
TO answer questions. let the matter
he reported to the House for judg-
ment--let him be cited for contempt"
The Rules Committee was in-
structed TO report back within i've
days.
Outbursts Against Lawson.
The bitter debate on the measure
was largely an outburst against Lave
son. Representative Harrison. q
Mississippi. declaring that the investi-
CATION was a farce" and should be
stopped. said:
This resolution quotes the words
OF this irresponsible. frenzied, FOUR
ftusher. Thomas w. Lawson, who aaya
this Congress has been wa1loping In
graft for forty years You Republi-
cans have been hluffed by this fellow
Lawson. You let him dictate paga
advertisements attacking this O1n-
gress and then you come here and
attempt to play mean, nasty politics."
Representative Harrison declared
that Repre- sentative Wood, the author
of the resolution, owed an apology to-
those whose names had been men-
toned in connection with the leak.
Republican members Of the cons
mittee declared that the preliminary
inquiry had showed clearly the neces-
sity for an investigation.
The managing editor of the Wall
Street journal told the committes.'fs
said Representative Bennett. of New
York, that the leak was In WaH
Street long before Secretary LAn1-s
ing confided In the newspaper mem
as to the note. 1t came from privatos
t brokers wires from Washington. A.
soon as the Democrats of the cCu1Ss
nittee heard this they moved to clos
the investigation"
MaiDtain Private Wire.
Representative Campbell, OF KaA~
sas. likewise cited this testimony, 1ifa
then referred TO the fact that ut n o.
evidence that the firm OF r. A. Co.'S
molly & Co, brokers. Of WashingfN1ss
maintain private wire 70 Noyk.
York The Connolly Arm IL that wtfA
which II. w. Boiling. the prcsidemt4
brother in-law is associated.
The action of the majority u H&
committee, Representative enF0l
Wisconsin said, convinced him = i
vestigation was necesnTy.