Evening star., 1924-01-26

other there, that the leases were to
| be made"
! 1922. was merely commitment to
writing of the proposition which Mr.
Sinclair had made to Secretary ran
at Three Rivers. providing Mr. Fan
! was willing To lease"
J II cannot either affirm or deny. be
. cause | do not know what was SAID
! at the conferences between them.
! ''Ohviously. the conversation could
j not begin and end there-nameiE'
/ that Mr. Sinclair asked Secretary
! FAN if he was willing to lease Tea
{ pot Dome aud Mr.. Fall answered that
! he was having an investigation
J made
! May Have Discussed Deal.
! Il assume they discussed what
would be necessary by a person who
! got the lease if an award was made
! DO you know what information
! Mr.. Sinclair had about Teapot Dome
/ prior to the time he went to Three
! Rivers?"
; II do not.
J DO you know anything Of an in
vestigation he had made prior to the
! time of the possibilities of the
| Dome?"
Il do not"
i Who did actually prepare the
lease which was eventually entered
: into?"
! Il think the chief one in the draft
ling of the document was Mr.. stan
I ford Mr.. Sinclair was present a
good deal of the time. So was l.
| Other members Of the firm were
present relative to subjects covered.
The negotiations were carried on In
{ the office of the Secretary of the
Interior, but the drafting of the lease
was carried on in my office here.
! You have just come from New
/ tOrleans?"
! Yes, sir
why did you go there"
| "To see Secretary Fall. He tele-
graphed me from Florida. He was
not feeling very well and wanted
me to see him about this investiga-
/ ton"
What did Secretary Fall want to
! see you about?"
/ He wanted to see me about what
! was going on in this investigation:
| Il general discussion OF what kind of
! a thing it would be. and so on"
! where were you when YOU got
/ the telegram"
! Got Telegram Here.
! Here in Washington.
When did you leave?"
! IL left last Tuesday week.
! You were with Secretary Fall how
| long in New Orleans"
/ -Four or fNe Gays.
Secretary Fall had been to Palm
[ Beach some time prior to that
! THAT was my understanding"
! He did not call you there for social
/ intercourse?"
! mo sir"
! "Can you eniiEhten us as TO just
what the occasion was for calling you
! 10 New Orleans?''
/ The senator and i are good friends
! and have been for long time. He
| thought if l could come down there
| he would like it very much"
| How did Mr.. Fall happen to be in
/ New Orleans"
Il think he told me that he went
| there for a conference with Mr.. Do
| heny which had been arranged.'
| Did he disclose TO you what his
! destination would be after he left
! New Orleans?"
He did not tell me-
| do you know whether he had a
conference with Mr.. Doheny?'
! II heard SO: I was not in confer
| ence with them"
"Did you propose joining the con-
| ference?"
Il did not
1T has been suggested that Mr..
: Hawkins suggested that you be in
: vited to appear.
Not Author OF Request.
! az do not know anything about that.
did not prompt Mr.. Hawkins TO
make that request"
Il am really desirous of getting a
! full statement from you concerning &
| the conversation you had with Mr..
Fall on this matter"
He talked with me after his con-
versation with Mr.. Doheny was over.
He said he wanted Mr.. Doheny to
make the statement which Mr.. Do
heny did make yesterday stating the
facts or to begin proceedings in the
courts to determine the validity of
these leases in California and Teapot
Dome
HE wanted Mr.. Doheny to do
| that?" interjected Chairman Lenroot.
"Yes, sir"
! What was Secretary Falls idea
about the institution of a suit?" con-
| tinued Senator Lenroot.
Il suppose he wanted to get the
| legality of the leases tested by the
| courts where 1t would not be a purely
! ex-parte proce eding."
! "Mr Falls, desire to have some