Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-04-29
FALL IS FLAYED
FOR LEASING Of
NAVY OIL LANDS
Wisconsin Senator Says Re-
serves Are Strapped In
Behalf of Favored Pri-
vate interests.
tn, The Associated Press,


Associated Press. )--Senator La
Toilette, republican, Wisconsin, at
lacking leases of naval oil reserve
lands In the senate today, declar-
ed the reserves were being
"scrapped in behalf of specially ia
vored private interests" His
speech was in reference to leases
recently made by the interior de-
partment in the Tea Pot Dome,
Wyoming, reserve to Sinclair oil
interests.
The Wisconsin senator contend
ed that the department in making
the leases, was granting to ia
vored individuals public properties
worth hundreds of millions of dol
lars which belong to the people,"
He urged adoption of his resolu-
ton calling upon tile administra-
ton for all facts and documents
regarding the Tea Pot Dome
leases.
Secretary Fall of the interior de-
partment was attacked by Senator
La Toilette as the "ablest oppon-
ent of the policy of conservation
established under Roosevelt" In
all his public career, Senator La
Toilette said, Secretary Fall was
not conspicuous as a guardian of
the naval oil reserves.
Value of Tea Pot Reserve.
The value of the Tea Pot Dome
reserve was estimated at $500, O00,-
600 by the Wisconsin senator, who
declared that the only reason adj
vanced by the interior department
for the leases was the alleged dan
ger of depletion by drainage from
adjacent private oil wells. This he
challenged, presenting statements
from Governor Carey of Wyoming:
DR.. G.. B. Morgan, Wyoming state
geologist and others denying that
danger of drainage existed.
The connection of the Sinclair oil
interests with the Tea Pot Dome
leases, Senator La Toilette said,
lies in the fact that the vice pres
ident of the Mammoth Oil com
pany of Delaware, which was Civ
en- the leases, is a Sinclair dlrec-
tor. Harry Sinclair. the senator
asserted, was prominent in oil,
racing and administration circles
During the period of mystery
about the leases Senator La Fol-
lette said, speculation in Sinclair
oil on the New York stock ex-
change jumped in three days trad
ing to over $30,000,000.
Distinct Surprise.
1.-THE throwing open of the naval
reserves by leasing the lands to
oil corporations by this admins
tration came as a distinct surprise
to the country" said Senator La
Toilette. THE policy of thirteen
years of conserving underground
oil in naval reserves has beer
The three great naval
oil reserves have recently become
private oil reserves"
Senator La Toilette, who made
public recently a letter from for
mer Secretary Daniels of the navy
attacking the Tea Pot
Dome leases, said it was "signifi- |
cant that every officer of the navy |
who had been specially detailed to |
the naval reserves and |
who had become especially Wei |
informed as to these naval re-
oNi NNob dllu ouppOlltu pctl tldEN |
Daniels in that contest have since |
been ordered to sea or to other |
parts of the world for duty"
National Safety.
For several years this fight TO |
protect the naval oil reserves
against these hungry exploiters has
been waged in and out of con-
gress," Senator La Toilette contin-
ued. From the beginning it has
been much more than a question
Of oil reserves; it has been a ques-
ton of national safety.
To-day the oil reserves are on |
The high road to destruction or ex-
by allowing especially ia
vored interests to secure leases
upon them. They are being
that is all. The circum-
stances surrounding the de-
parture from the old policy
clearly indicates the need for the
full light of publicity on the inter-
ests which have motivated the in |
terror department in this matter
Senator La Toilette promised |
later to discuss private leases in
the California oil reserves.