The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-03-06
TELEGRAMS0F
COOLIDGE READ
IN OIL PROBE
Presidents Wire to E. B. Nc
Lean Declared to be on a
Local Matter
STATEMENT is ISSUED
President Says Wire Was Re-
garding an Appointment
in District of Columbia

washington, March 6.--Two tele
grams sent by President Coolidge I,
Edward B. Mclean in Florida wer,
read into the record of the oil com
mlttec. Immediately aftcrward tn,
President issued statement saying
that the matters referred to in tn,
messages related to questions of To-
cal government in the District O,
Columbia.
The message sent on January Il
said: Prescott is away Advise
Slemp with whom shall confer
(signed) Calvin Coolidge.
Slemp was then in Palm Beach
Members of the committee did no,
know who Prescott" was.
A short time before the committee
had heard telegram from chief
bookkeeperj H. E. McKenna at the
White House advising Mclean or
December % that Slemp was leaving
that night for the south
Then an exchange Of messages was
read showing that on January lC
Albert b. Fall at Palm Beach wired
Chairman Lenroot Of the oil COM
mittee asking if Walsh" has author
ity to subpoena me to testify and
got reply saying he had not.
Senator Walsh, chief prosecutor of
the oil committee, had gone to Flor
ida to question Mclean but commit
tee records show he was empowered
to summon such witnesses as he
might desire.
Thanks Mclean
CASTOR B. Means, widely known
investigator once employed by >thc
Department of Justice, wired Nc
Leans secretary early in January
that he was on the way to Palm
Beach. President Coolidge telegraph
ed Mclean at Palm Beach on Febru-
ary IL according to the committec's S
kilograms.
Thank you for your message" the
second Coolidge telegram read. You
have always been most considerate.
Mrs. Coolidge joins me in sending
klndest regards to Mrs. Mclean"
The first Coolidge telegram was
sent after Mclean had testified that
the 100000 loan he previously had
said was made to Fall on a note was
in reality in the form of checks
which were returned to him uncash-
ed.
Please see Senator Jim and find
out if there is disposition to make
mutual friend make long journey"
said a message sent from Palm
Beach January "a by w. P. Wiley
to Ira f. Bennett.
Wiley is manager of the Cincin-
natl Enquirer and Bennett is an
editorial writer on the Washington
Post, both Mclean publications. I'M
mediately after the reading of Pres
ident Coolidge's messages to Mclean
The White House announced the
President was preparing state
ment.
Presidents Statement
President Coolidge issued this
statement: THE telegram related to
The commissionership. Samuel j.
Prescott is the Republican city
chairman and the President desired |
20 confer with him considering dis
,rict matters"
"Thc telegram sent to Mr.. Mclean |
IN February IL was in regard to
Message from Mr.. Mclean congratu-
ating the president on his message
N the Robinson resolution.
"OWing to the date Of the telegram
t was first thought it related to the
Presidents Lincoln birthday address
t New York. An examination OF the
White House files after issuance by
he President of his statement dis
losed, however, that the Mclean
tatement related to the DENLY mat
er.
"A number Of congratulatory mes
ages were received both on the
tatement on the Robinson resolution
nd the New York speech"
The kilograms read also included
mother Mary" message in which
lrs. Mary DOckstcin, u secret agent
f the Department Of Justice, in
ormed her husband, w. o. Dock
tein, Mclean employe, that
Burns" was uncertain when he
ould get away from Washington.
lrs. Dockstein was placed on the
tand when the reading was conclud-
d.
She said that w. J. Burns, chief
the justice department bureau Of
,vestigation, had changed previous
lans to go to Florida because of a
elief that the oil committee might
eed his assistance but asserted that
ther expressions in her messages
ad been personal between herself
nd husband. -
Operator Listened In"
Mary Quigley, telephone operator
'r the Washington Post, mentioned
! some of the kilograms was called.
ohn Major Of the Post wiring Nc
can had asserted she had listened
4 the lines while w. o. Dockstein {
as talking. Il repeated The con-
srsations had with his wife in an
'fhand way. she said, mot expect $
g them to be printed in every
aper in the land. / plugged in and
1T on the wire. heard him say:
I'm going down to Palm Beach l