Evening star., 1924-03-11
z|HLMAN DEMANDS
INQUIRY IN HOUSE
Insists Reported Charges
Against Him Be Thoroughly
Investigated.

Representative Zihlman, republican,
Maryland, today renewed his demand
that the House authorize a searching
investigation of reports that criminal
evidence was developed against him
and one other member of the House
before the Chicago grand jury.
Declaring he was guilty of no
wrongdoing, Mr.. Zihlman protested
on the floor of the House against a
recommendation Of the judiciary COM.
mittee that the matter be left entire
~ to the Department of Justice for
further investigation.
Hits sword of Crock"
Facing more than zoo of his col
leagues. Mr.. zihiman. who is CHAIR
man Of the labor committee, said:
The House ought to investigate
these charges and either exonerate
me or kick me out of the door as
unwcrthy to sit here as a member"
Nj. Zihlman said that early to-
day John ". II. Grim, special gov
eminent counsel. who appeared be-
fore tho Chicago grand jury, called
him at his hotel and told him he was
free to admit thatrin your case the
charges are unsupported by evidence
and I'm not in favor Of indicting,
any man on the word of a crook
An attempt has been made to ruin
two innocent members added M.
Lihlman, by one of the strangest
procedures on record. Give us what
we are entitled to-an opportunity
to clear our Names
Chairman Graham of the Judiciary
committee, taking the floor to urge
said there had been no official indi.
cation that Mr.. Zihlman or Repre-
sentative Langley, republican. KEN
lucky, who also has said on the floor
OF the House that he had heard re-
ports that he was involved, were the
the men against whom evidence was
developed.
Representative Montague, Virginia.
a democratic member of the judiciary
committee, informed the House that
Mr.. Grim had notified the committee
that he never had disclosed the names
of the two accused House members
except to his superiors, entitled to
such information.
A fight over the committees report
was precipitated when Representa-
tive Dominick, South Carolina,
democratic member. offered a minor
insist on Attorney General Daugherty
disclosing the names. to the House.
The committee found that the re-
ply of Attorney General Daugherty
divulge the names of the accused
representatives presented to the
House the choice of taking full re-
sponsibility for Investigating the al
legations or permitting the depart
ment to continue its investigation.
States It's Position.
In advising that no further effort
be made at present to ascertain the
names from the department the
committee declared it was unwilling
to recommend that the House "be
placed in the position of being re-
sponsible for the suspension OF pro-
ceedings by the Attorney General in
connection with the matter"
The judiciary committee was in
structed to determine on a course of
procedure when the House was noti-
fled Saturday by Mr.. Daugherty, in
response to a resolution directing him
to make public the names, that he was
unwilling to do so until convinced of
the guilt of the accused.
Under the reply of the Attorney
General" said the committee report,
there is but one of two courses open
to the House Of Representatives:
investigation and evidence of the al
legged charges and relieve the Depart
ment of Justice from further response
bility; (b) allew the Department of
JuStlCe 10 continue tuc lnVeSllSdtlou
now being made.
while there is a difference of opin-
ion among the membership of the
committee as to the correctness of the
position of the Attorney General that
the ends Of justice would be imperiled
by giving the House the names of the
members OF the House and the
charges against them, as requested by
the House, and while it is a high duty
which the House owes to itself and to
the country at large to purge itself at
the quickest possible moment of all
those, If any there be, unworthy to sit
in that body, the committee is unwill-
ing to recommend to the House that 1t
permit itself to be placed in the posi-
tion of being responsible for the sus-
pension of proceedings by the Attor-
ney General in connection with this
matter
In his communication to Speaker
Gillett Mr.. Daugherty said he was
willing to transmit all evidence in the
possession of the Department to the
House, so that a committee might
.Sonduct an Investigation. II this
were done, however. he told the
House, the department would suspend
it's investigation in order TO give the
House a free hand