San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-02
TO PROBE HOW
PUBLISHER cot
SECRET. CODE
Investigation Involves Wo-
man, Wife Of McLean's
Secretary.
TO SUMMON OTHERS
there's No Oil In the De-
partment Of Justice"
Burns Says.
TO SUMMON OTHERS
Washington. d. C.. March t.-Thc

Washington. ID. C.. March f.-Thc
net of intrigue woven TO keep f.. Il.
Mclean. publisher of the Washington
Post off the witness stand in the oil
inquiry enmeshed a woman today.
Into the amazing story of code tel
cgrams. private wires, use of govern
nent cipherS: employment of White
House telegrapher. was brought Mrs.
Jessie u. Duckstein, special agent
of the Department of Justice and
formerly confidential secretary of
William J. Burns. mead Of the depart
ment's secret service.
Mrs. Duckstein is the wife of Nc
Leans secretary, w. o. Duckstein.
She has been subpoenaed TO tell:
Whether she is the Mary" who
sent Duckstein code telegram which.
as decipbered for the committee. said
that Burns had asked Mclean be in
formed he was being Investigated by
the department of justice.
Whether Burns talked with her
about an investigation of Mclean and
if so what he said.
Whether she knows how Mclean got
Department of Justice code. now
claimed to be obsolete, in which the
code kilograms between him and his
employees were written.
Burns must answer questions If ex
animation of the code messages by n
War Department expert proves that
the TRANSACTIONS of them submitted TO
the committee today are correct.
Bunk" Says Burns.
Asked about it today. Burns said
that it was bunk" 20 say he VS. in
yolved in the Mclean intrigue.
There's no oil in the Department of
Justice" said Burns. IL hope the
committee will cail me so l can tell
them So"
Burns added the Mclean code was
one the department formerly used but
which he discarded when he took
charge of the bureau Of investigation.
The Senate in continuing today TO
open up the story Of secret efforts TO
prevent Mclean being subjected to
questioning. heard from John +. Major,
who described himself as "McLean's
confidential agent" The story Of how
all messages that passed over a pri-
vate leased wire between the office oil
the Washington Post and McLean's
cottage in Palm Beach, Fla, were de.
..stroyed each night after the wire
closed. 'rt
y Major said he destroyed the mes
sages at the Washington end himself
and did not remember that anybody
had told him TO. He knew the mes
sages were likewise destroyed at Palm
Beach, he said, because he went down
there.
Lolling back in his chair. chewing
gum, and smoking a cigarette Major
answered all questions with nonchalant
ease. Senator Walsh grew, impatient
with him because he would not go on
and tell the whole story but merely
answered such questions as were asked.
Talked to Operator.
Major denied he went TO the house
TO talk with Il. w. Smithers, White
House telegrapher, who operated the
special Mclean wire. He said Smithers
worked the wire and then went home
10 bed and later went 10 the White
House to work the official wire there.
The witness gave the committee a
letter from Francis Homer, Baltimore.
one OF McLean's advisers, which, Ma
jor said, would clear up the reference
in telegram TO Mclean as to advice
from Homer that a special wire be in
stalled ito provide quick and easy
access to the White House
Homer wrote "as / did not know
your relations with the present ad-
ministration. I could not have stated
that. Telephone connections were very
bad. What I did say was that with
Wiley at your house it would also give
you easy and quick access to him. -
In answer to questioning By COM
mittee members Major insisted he
had sent the message to Mclean re-
garding access TO the White House
because that was what he understood
Homer to say.
Il quoted what I thought be said,''
Major said.
what did you understand Homer
meant by quick and easy access to the
White House?
81 don't know what Homer thinks
about it, said Major.
SpurgeOn Oh Stand.
John SpurgeOn, managing editor OF
the Pos. was put on the stand. but
as he obviously had no information he
was excused.
Francis II. McAdoo, son Of W. G
McAdoo, appeared in the committee
room this morning with the statement
that he would decline to answer The
committees question regarding the leg
nj advice he gave Mclean. He Sail
that as counsel he was privileged I,
refuse to tell about his relations witt
a client.
The committee will nevertheless cal
McAdoo 10 the stand Tuesday.
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