, 1922-05-22

fornia structures contained privately
lands and some wells. Teapot
contains no privately owned lands.
and not any OF the producing Wyo-
ming sends had been drilled. What
IL known as the shannon sand at
salt Creek. and which sand carries
in places a small production Of lubri-
oil. has been drilled in a few
places on Teapot. In II oil was found
in mail quantity in some of these
wells. in others water. r. j.. Mosher.
n weIl-known oil driller and producer
hero in Casper. put down most of
these shallow holes.
During all the struggles in CON
gross. from 1914 to 1920. TO secure an
oil leasing bill. n persistent lobby from
California sought to include naval
Withdrawals within tho lands subject
to the bill. Both Republican and
Democratic administration and con
gresses fought this effort. The oil
men said existing California wells
would drain those nnval reserves in
time. and hence the government
should subject all the lands in such
reserves to immediate development.
"a EoNft iiAitilA tbNAtill'us HbilAf-
times hat existing wells could not
drain the reserves. and ut other times
that such wells could drain only n
small acreage subject TO protection by
offset wells. 1t was conceded Tho
existing wells were trespasses. put
down under claim of right. but with
out warrant of law. No one ever sug-
gostcd drilling Teapot, whore no pay
ing wells had been found. where no
real sand had been tapped. and where
no well had ever been operated. and
n drilling lone since about 1894.
1t is true n steel derrick was erected
by present Midwest interests In 1917,
and n second derrick put up within
100 feet Of the steel one in 1920.
When the leasing bill was finally
passed in February. 1920. n compro-
mise was agreed upon as TO the naval
reserve existing wells. 1t was pro.
vided such wells could be operated
md by express presidential authority
to be secured in any meritorious ease
additional wells might be drilled with
in a radius of 600 feet OF present
wells. The exploiters OF naval reserve
lands had been checked. but not de
After the leasing law of Feb
rs, 1920. was passed another
effort vas made to open these re
serves. Secretary Daniels OF the
department had been n persist
emit, u-nreasoning and biased opponent
to all forms of relief or preferece to
all existing claimants to oil and gas
In his ~jaundiced vision oil
-,ho s1,,-ht 20 aaxro1nn Tho nnh-
lie domain were evil. 1t was
represented to him that those own
lands within tbs California naval
reserves were about to put on an in
drilling campaign. The fiery
rushed to congress and de.
manded specific authority to meet
this threatened drilling campaign
His favorite threat was that he would
put down two wells for every n put
down by private wners. In the e
eral appropriation bill for the navy.
passed June 4. 1920. there was insert
ed provision authorizing the secre
of the navy to conserve and pro
the nava oil reserves. by devel
opment or otherwise. by governmental
or private contract. This pro
viso is under a heading entitled Tn
vestlgation of Fuel OIL and Other
Daniels was of that school of
venevolent tyrants who believed his
judgment as to the public good
be always correct. and so he al
demanded carte blanch for
and drastic restrictions for
everyone else. He got just what he
asked for. and thenceforth felt secure
he could by threat or action pro
tect the naval oil reserves. This lit
tie appropriation bill rider. which
could have been defeated on n point
Of order by the least important mem
Der or senator, became n law. BY
n secretary of the navy au
to do as he pleased as a guard
ian of the general public interest.
official also became clothed with
authority to do as he pleased even II
happens to be mistaken as to what
is the public good. Daniels went out of
Contracts VS.. Competitive
Bidding.
At Chicago tho primary election
the Rooseveltian ideals. through
open treachery to Johnson. went
to defeat. A compact body Of
the invisible government in America.
orders from the suite of rooms
the aristocratic Blackstone hotel.
a candidate, a platform, and