Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-02-17
Open HEARING TO
Be C0NDUCTEDON
LOBBY CHARGES
Senate Directs State Affairs
Committee to Make Inves-
tigation Into Propaganda
Against Anti-alien Bill.

The senate of the present legislature
late yesterday ordered an investigation
into the charge a lobby was maintained
here by the japanese society OF Idaho.
through L. M. Booth, Twin Falls at
torney, to bring about the defeat OF
the anti alien bill. The judiciary COM
mittee of which Senator Perry w.
Mitchell, president pro tenn, IL chair
man, and composed also Of Senators
Cummings, Whitcomb, Nelson and Ell
lott, was authorized to conduct 1t
openly A subpoena was issued by
telegraph to Sheriff Kendell Of Twin
Falls and served on Attorney Booth,
who will arrive here ready to go before
the committee Monday.
WITNESSES READY TO APPEAR.
Wilbur Craig. H. H. Rankin, E. H.
Hasbrouck and w. Winchell. all promi-
nent Idaho men, who filed affidavits
with the state department at Washing
ton, alleging that Booth told them he
brought pressure to bear on the Jap
anese ambassador with the result that
official registered a protest with the
government against the passage of the
anti-alien bill. will voluntarily appear
before the committee. N. E. Smell of
Soda Springs will be subpoenaed or
voluntarily appear before the commit
tee in support of his affidavit that
Booth told him he was to be paid $780,
900 for his services in bringing about
the defeat Of the measure by the Jap
anese society of Idaho.
INFLUENCED AMBASSADOR?
The affidavits further set forth that
the Japanese ambassador had no inten-
rff oly In ;,,
at the time until forced to do so by
Booth; that he had no instructions
from Toxic to act in the matter Of pro-
testing against the passage of the bill.
The house of representatives passed
the anti-alien bill on Jan. 81 by unani-
nous vote 1t was admitted on the
floor the purpose was to prevent Jap
anese from acquiring title to valuable
sugar beet lands in eastern Idaho where
they were colonizing. After the bill
reached the senate, the international
crisis with Germany came on and q
protest was made at Washington by
the Japanese ambassador against pas.
sage of the measure. This had the
backing of administration officials and
for fear of embarrassing the admins
tration the bill was indefinitely post
poIleu. II Is 10 ne TelHtTOOuCeO, claim
legislators interested in its passage. In
the meantime the senate will probe into
the charge of the alleged lobby main
tanned to defeat it.
Senator Mitchell brought up the mat
ter of conducting the investigation just
before o'clock last night. He stated
that in view of the grave charges con-
tanned in the affidayits made and the
claim that an effort had been made to
hid up action in the senate, an investi-
cation should be conducted. Senator
Randall Immediately backed him in his
stand. The question then arose as to
the jurisdiction OF the senate in the
matter of summoning witnesses. Sena-
tor Mitchell said the senate could take
any action 1t saw fit. Senator Brad
bury Of Bonneville county Immediately
moved that the judiciary committee be
empowered to conduct an open investi-
CATION, to issue subpoenas and take
such steps it thought necessary. The
senate unanimously supported the mo-
tion.