Evening star., 1923-01-19
OIL MAY START
POLITICAL FIRES
Senate Investigation Fraught
With Many Pos
SibilitieS.
U, S, LEASES UNDER FIRE
Resignation of Secretary Fall De-
elared Voluntary, Despite His
Being Center of Rumors'
U. S. LEASES UNDER FIRE
ny DAVID LAWRENCE.

Oil, the lnteTHaIlpHdl tloup'S
maker. may furnish the fuel for the
fires of domestic politics before long.
Senator La Toilette, who figured in
the battles waged by the insurgents
in the middle of the Taft administra-
ton, is one the hunt for disclosures
that will in general justify the as
sertions of his group that the present
administration has favored private IN
terests as against the public welfare.
A re-opening of the entire record
of the governments negotiations with
the Sinclair Oil Company with respect
20 oil leases in the famous Teapot
Dome region is now in process as a
consequence Of Senate resolution of
inquiry, but the testimony being
sought by the Wisconsin senator just
now doesn't turn upon the details of
the lease, which will be thoroughly
investigated by the public lands com
nrittee but certain collateral phases
of the deal itself namely the pur-
chase and sale of securities which
we're affected by the making of the
lease.
Presidents stand.
President Harding has let it be
known that he stands by what Sec
ment did in making the lease the
view OF Mr.. Fall has been that he
made the best contract possible to get
the oil out of Teapot Dome for the
benefit of the American Navy. MT;
Harding feels that the record Will
prove this, and Secretary Fall himself
has been most anxious that every fact
about the negotiations be made pub
lie. He has insisted from the time the
subject was first mentioned III the
1N n
tom.
The developments thus far would
seem to indicate that Senator La Fol
lette has changed his tactics and that
lie is not seeking at this time anyhow
10 discuss the merits of the lease.
The Wisconsin senator seldom dis
closes his hand in advance, but when
lie began on Thursday to seek the
records of the Ryva Corporation,
which is a holding company in which
the Sinclair family owns practically
all of the stock, he did so. Ever since
the lease was made there have been
rumorS current that various persons
who We're "on the inside knew about
the making of the Teapot Dome lease
and were able to profit accordingly.
II has even been limited that friends
Of men high in public life have profit
I'd through advance knowledge of
what the government would do.
stocks Affected.
Naturally government officials are
not responsible for the effect which
their actions produce on the outside
world of finance. Many government
statement has in the past sent stocks
up and down In fact, the entire
leak" investigation i'll December,
1916, centered around the sending of
note BY the American government
70 Germany which made certain
stocks go down because of the posst-
bility that the companies concerned
would have their contracts terml-
lated by an carly ending of the war:
Just what the investigation Will
show as to the effect Of the Teapot
Dome lease on the private fortunes
IF various individuals 1T is too early
20 say. That's one line of attack,
however, entirely apart from the
question of whether the lease was a
good one for the government TO make
or ono that favored private interests
as against the public welfare.
RumOrs About Fall.
In this connection another rumor
has been going the rounds here for
several months-namely. that Secre-
-ary Fall would retire from the cab
met because of the dissatisfaction Of
western republicans with the Teapot
Dome lease. There are certain oil
groups which have felt that the lease
70 the government would tend to
draw away oil from nearby properties
owned by them. When Mr.. Fall did
resign from the cabinet those who
predicted that relationship existed
between the Teapot Dome affair and
Ills retirement said. "I told you So"
There is every reason TO believe that
Secretary Fall didn't resign on that
account at all, and when the investl-
cation of the Senate develops his
friends are sure this viewpoint will
he confirmed. Mr.. Fall gave as his
reason the need for personal atten-
ton to his private business. The
President offered him a place on the
Supreme Court of the United States.
This was q mark of confidence in it
self, but il can be stated positively
that the President holds Mr.. Fail In
high esteem, and would like to have
him remain in the cabinet
Resignation Voluntary.
Albert Fall, however did not want 10
stay. His resignation was purely
voluntary. He found himself out of
tune on many administration policies
with other members Of the cabinet.
His long years OF aggressive warfare
in the Senate have made Albert Fall
n fighter and an individualist. He is
very much like the star foot ball
player who can't somehow harmoniZe
his play with the rest of the team.
Whether the fault was in the speed
Of his colleagues or whether it was
in the belligerency or positiveness of
view of Mr.. Fall himself, nobody but
= psychoanalySt will ever be able to
TELL. But whoever succeeds him will
find that oil will be for the next two
years a most perplexing issue in west
ern politics.
Copyright, 1921