New-York tribune., 1920-01-09

Inc nve Socialists suspended by the
Assembly, after conference at Social
list headquarters, East Fifteenth
Street last night, issued a joint state
ment charging that the Lusk committee
brought about their suspension because
the committee feared an investigation
Of It's affairs.
After declaring that the Lusk COM
mittee, in Its raids on radical head
quarters in New York City and up
state, had perverted it's mission, ex-
ceeded its powers and violated the
law" the suspended Assemblymen
made public a series of questions
which they declared they had prepared
to place before the Assembly in the
form Of resolution. The questions
implied that the Lusk committee CO.
operated with the British secret SER
vice In making raids.
10 Questions Prepared
| The statement reads:
"The Assemblymen contend that they
probably would have been the sole
obstacle in the way of the Lusk COM
mittee in its. application to the Legis-
lature for an extension and an addi-
tional appropriation, and that their re-
moval from the Assembly has cleared
the way for the committee.
"The suspended Assemblymen were
prepared to introduce a resolution
calling for an investigation of the COM
mittee, on the basis Of charges that
it had perverted its mission, exceeded
its powers and violated the law. They
say that such an investigation would
have yielded sensational disclosures
and would have rallied support from
many influential sources.
"At the same time the Socialists
were prepared to present a series Of
ten questions to the committee in the
shape Of privileged resolution. These
| questions, copies Of which have been
sent to members Of the committee, fol-
low:
"'Be it resolved by the Assembly
Of the State of New York that we re-
quest the following information from
the legislative committee currently
known as the Lusk committees:
II. Is it true that on June IL,
1919, the committee, through it's di-
rect wire and over the switchboard
Of the Prince George Hotel, New
York City, called up Bowling Green
9e96, which Is the phone number Of
the British military attache, Colonel
Thwaits, and spoke to R. N. Nathan,
arranging for the raid on the
soviet bureau in New York City?
Nathan's Identity
~. Is 1t true that R. N. Nathan Is
the chief Of the British secret
service in this country?
"3. Is 1t true that the raid on the
soviet bureau was executed on the
following day, June 13, in accord
ance with arrangements made be-
tween the committee and the chief
Of the British secret service, Mr.
Nathan?
~ Is it true that the papers OBJ
tanned in the raid were removed to
the office Of private detective
at 80 West Forty-second Street?
IS. Is it true that Mr.. Nathan
office of the private detective
and in the presence Of representa-
tives of the committee, including its
associate counsel, Archibald E.
Stevenson, took original copies of
these papers and carried them away
with him?
20. ls it true that these papers
never were returned to the commit
tee?
f"7.Is it true that the remaining pa
pers were turned over to the firm
of Oliver. ippiincott & Co., phosta-
ters, at 230 Broadway, New York
City, where about thirty-five hundred
copies of duplicates were ordered to
be made? Is it true that in the
month August, 1919, q package Of
these photographs were delivered to
Mr.. Nathan at the Hotel Biltmore,
New York City?
Who Paid the Price?
us 1t true that the bill for these
paid in two installments, one with
check drawn on the committee on
the Hartman National Bank for 5000
and the other some time later with
5000 in cash7 And is 1t true that
prior to the cash payment to Oliver,
Lippincott & Co., Mr.. Nathan hand
ed q roll Of bills to tho sergeant at
arms Of the committee?
"8. Is it true chat Mr.. Nathan also
participated in raid on tho Rand
School?
"9. Is it true that shortly ater
tho aforementioned incidents Mr..
original papers and photostats. loft
the United States for England?
40. .Is 1t true that the original
papers obtained by Mr.. Nathan were
of great commercial Importance to
tho United States and that his pos
session OF them enabled his govern
mcnt to obtain commercial and diplo-
mAtic advantagsMkin it's relations
with the Soviet government Of RUS