The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-09-28
AN INQUIRY
IS BLOCKED
House Rules Committee Re-
fused to Act in Hef-
lin Charges
AGAINST MEMBERS
OF CONGRESS
Hef1in Refused to Name Men
Who 'Had Acted Sus-
piciously"

Washington, ID. c., Sept. 2s.-After a
heated session to-day the House rules
committee refused TO act on the resoIu.
tion proposing congressional investi.
CATION of Representative Heflin's charges
that number of members Of Congress
had acted suspiciously" about the time
Won Bernstorff asked his government for
authority TO spend $4,000 to influence
Congress on the submarine warfare is.
sue.
In a speech before the rules commit.
tee Representative Heflin urged that the
question of whether German money had
been used be investigated first and that
his statements be looked into incidental.
". All efforts of committeeman to get
MIR. Heflin to name one of the men he
had in mind failed. but he reiterated his
willingness to name them If commit
tee were appointed by the Democratic
caucus.
Mr. Hefiin added zest to his remarks
by bringing in the name of Senator La
Toilette and Representatives Britton and
Mason of Illinois and Baer of North Da-
kota, in connection with certain legs.
lation and propaganda, which, he did
not consider loyal, and by indicating to
Representative Norton that he wanted
to question" him later He did not say
that any of these men were included in
his list of thirteen or fourteen"
"Do not be side-tracked by the sug-
gestion of Mr.. Norton about investigat.
ing me-" he told the committee. 81 know
some would like to see me expelled. II
will give Mr.. Norton opportunity. if that
motion is made, TO vote on roll call |
for my expulsion. We must not lose
sight OF the Won Bernstoff ''slush fund.
want an opportunity to question some
gentlemen about the Mason bin Ito re.
peal the selective draft law and | want |
to ask some of them about their cor
] want to know how many
IF them are now in a quiet understand
ng to fight the selective draft bill in the
next campaign. | want to know how
many of them have written letters that |
hey favor the Britton bill, which would
Exempt Germans from fighting the bat
les of our country, thereby crippling the
United States government.
while we are investigating let us
zee who furnished all the postage stamps
or all the correspondence in regard to
German boys from the navy"
Mr.. Hefin insisted that inquiry was
dvisable for the purpose of ascertaining
low a man stood on the war at home
IS well as in Washington. In this con.
lection he mentioned Rep. Baer who soon {
fter his election to Congress as a repre-
entative of the on-Partisan league, in {
reduced resolution asking for a state
nent of the governments peace terms.
"Baer was elected by men who repudi- {
ted the war" the Alabama represen
ative said "and if Others are pandering Z
0 that sentiment let us put the spotlight
n them and know where they are. If ]
his new move is to repudiate the Re- s
ublican and Democratic parties and lie i
ert the country in time of war, it de- Q
erves to be looked into
Something is at work TO give i'm
etus to this La Toilette campaign that
as started We might as we'll call 7
oade spade. | am going to PROFOUND
1me questions to some members about
lis matter I want to know, and the
,untry wants to know, whether the b
overnment is being supported all over {
ie country by those in positions of 0
ust" Il
Representative Doolittle of Kansas, a
hose inquiry resolution, slightly amend Il
|, probably will be adopted, told the Il
lies committee the state department RI
as not opposed to an investigation. +