The Washington herald., 1922-06-09
Declares He Gave Ap-
proval Before Final Dis
position Was Made.
LA TOILETTE WILL
NOT ALTER COURSE
Expected to Give Senate
More Data for Probe
Shortly.
President Harding in a letter 90

the Senate. yesterday. completely
indorsed the policy Of Secretary OF
the Interior Fall and Secretary Of
the Navy DENLY in turning the
naval oil reserves over 70 private
exploitation.
In the face Of charges IN IN.
Senate that the administration had
serapped the Rooseveltian doctrine
Of conservation. the President a.
sumed full responsibility for the
action OF Mr.. Fall and Mr.. DENLY
in leasing the Teapot Dome reser-
walton in Wyoming. TO H. r. SIN
clair. president OF the Mammoth
OIL Company. He stated frankly
that he had given his approval 20
their course before they made nnai
disposition of the oil lands
senator La Toilette stated that
the Presidents letter would not
alter HE plan for a thorough in
vestigation OF the Teapot Dome
lease. He saw nothing contained
in the letter TO remove the cause
for the investigation which has
already been ordered by the SEN
ate. II is understood that sena-
tor La Toilette. within the next
oay or two. will furnish the Sen
ate additional Information TO ius
ufy a searching inquiry of the
Teapot Dome lease.
Introduction 60 Report.
President Hardings letter TO IN.
Senate was by way OF Introduction
70 a report filed by Secretary Fau
in reply to the Senate's demand
Tor all Information relating % the
leasing of the Teapot Dome reser-
vation.
The Presidents letter follows:
To the President of the Senate.
On April 2s, the Senate adopted
a resolution directing the Secre-
tary OF the Interior TO furnish the
senate with certain documents.
correspondence. papers. files exec
utive orders and all contracts for
drilling oil wells on naval oil
reserves OF the United state, rr,tn
an detailed Information relating
Il am today in receip, Of q
letter from the Secretary Of tho
Interior in which he advises me Of
his compliance with the resolution
Of the Senate and in which he
makes TO me a full and conpre.
hensive report, probably not con-
templated in the resolution. in
which he gives TO m. the detsu.
Of the handling OF all naval reserve
petroleum matters up TO the pres
ent date, including full eNpiana-
tion OF contracts for the disposal OF
OIL ana the necessity for such
action as has been taken.
"For Ready Reference
The report, with the exhibits
thereto attached, am sendinR ~
the Senate herewith, with the hone
that they may be referred 20 the
Senate Committee on Public Ta,S.
for such ready reference and in
formation as they will afford the
committee in making the investtra-
tion contemplated by the Senate
i am sure am correcr in CON
strung the impelling purpose ~
the Secreatry OF the Interior in
making this report II is not 70
be construed as a defense OF either
specific act or the general policy
Followed in dealing with the prob
lens incident to the handling OF
the naval reserves. but Il is de-
signed TO afford that explanation 10
which the Senate Is entitled. and
which will prove helpful to the
country generally in appraIsing the
administration Of these matters Of
great public concern.
Il think that Il is only fair -
say in this connection that the -cl-
icy which has been adopted bv the
Secretary Of the Navy and the Sec
retary OF the Interior in dealing
with. these matters was submitted
TO me prior to the adoption thereof.
and the policy decided upon and the
subsequent acts have at all times
had my entire approval"
WARREN G. HARDING
Reiterates Previous statemeut..
Secretary Fall. in his report 70
the Senate. reiterated previous
statements to the effect that the
I leasing Of the Teapot Dome rese--
walton was justified because Of the
danger Of drainage by wells drilled
on privately owned adjacent lanes.
The Secretary SAYS from Decem-
Der. 1921, until about April :. 1929.
he consulted various independent
OIL companies and outlined his pur
poses These were TO secure con-
struction Of a pipe line from Tea
pot Dome and tho Salt creek neld
to connect with the great pipe lines
reaching to Chicago. the Gul:
points. and the Atlsutic coast. Tho
length Of the pipe lines was es-
| timated TO be between 500 aud
1000 miles and the cost between
$4,000. 900. and $4,000. 600.
The royalties offered by Mr.. SIM
clair" Mr.. Fall said IN his repor..
were more than those offered By
any other party during the discus
sion"
Secretary Fall expressed the view
that criticism OF the leasing OF Tea-
pot Dome may have been largely
brought about by parties Interested
in their own financial welfare IN
forcing not from the government
but from other parties some fnan-
| cial concessions.~