Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-03-13
SENATOR LENROOT
RESIGNS CHAIR. IN
OIL INVESTIGATION
Condition Of His Health
Given as Reason, Laid,
Next in Line, Has Been
Acting Chairman. I..

WASHINGTON, March 1t.-Sen-
ator Lenroot, of Wisconsin, has re.
signed as chairman and member of
the public lands committee, which
is investigating the oil scandal.
His letter of resignation is on tho
way here from Southern Pines, NJ
c., where he had been for a week
resting.
This statement was authorized by
Senator Lenroot:
Since coming to Southern Pines
I have not recuperated as | had
hoped and it will not be possibl'
for me to continue my work on the
committee on public lands and sur
'Veys.
II realized sometime ago that E
was nearing the point of exhaustion
and stated upon the floor of the sen"
ate that if the oil investigation con.
tinued indefinitely, I would feel com.
PEELED to resign from the committees,
81 have given nearly four months
Of service in this investigation, tr9''
ing as best | could to keep up will
such other work as could not bs
neglected, with the result that | can
not in my present state of healtA
continue any longer.
II hope to be able to return t.
Washington next week, but sha IS
not attempt anything more than rot'
tine work of my office until mJ
health is restored"
Committee Forewarned
The Wisconsin senator's warning
that he might retire as chairman,
was given in the course of senate
speech two weeks ago in the coursl
of a debate in which he was assailed
from the Democratic side for having:
visited Albert B. Fall in his hotel
here before Fall informed the com
mittee he had borrowed $100,00o
from Edward B. Mclean.
Senator Ladd, of North Dakota.
a member of the La Toilette group
in the senate, is next in line for thi
craftsmanship. He has been acting
chairman in the absence of Senator
Lenroot.
Under pressure of a hard hittini
cross-examination, John +. Major
confidential man to Edward B. My
Lean, explained to the oil committe
today some more of the mysteries OIL
the Mclean kilograms.
One of those referred to withou,
name in the messages, he said, wal
c.. Bascom Slemp, with whom he de-
clared he had returned from Floridf,
and upon whom he had called several
times since at Mr.. Slemp's invita'
ton. He insisted the. CALLS werd,
purely social"
Code Words Explained
The code word eyed" the W.T.
ness explained as referring to E. :,
Rochester, attached to the Office q
Attorney General Daugherty. HI
said Rochester on one occasion ha
asked him to come to the department.
and had indicated that something
might be expected soon, but he wal
hazy as to details.
1.-The mysterious Willis referre Y
to repeatedly III the kilograms ~
looking after McLean's INTEREST,"
finally was identified by Major a
Wilton j. Lambert, the publisher
attorney.
absolutely none,' Major said
when asked if there was any hess
fancy on McLena's part to come tt
Washington to testify.
Mclean has been Eager" to APP
pear before the committee, MaJot
said, and sent 1900 kilograms" Il
his agents telling them he was com
ing irrespective of their advice.
The witness protested against the
form of the queries put to him ami
finally said his employer had been
wronged by the general belief thas
he didn't want to come before tna
committee and testify.
No other witnesses were heard ~
h. ~
held a meeting behind closed doors
at which it examined the Telegraph
records subpoenaed from Three XIV.
ers, New Mexico, the home twon Of
Albert B. Fall
Major Called First
The committee first called MaJos,
and Senator Walsh, Democrat, MOI.
tana, questioned him. He told OF y
trip taken by Mr.. Mclean and him.
self to Atlantic City "about the mid'
die of December" where Mclean
talked to former Secretary Fall.
The Mclean party, which includes
w. o. Duckstein, the publishers prl'
vate secretary, remained at tn9
beach city t~o hours, but Major saId
he did not know what his employer
and Fall had talked about. He had
naturally inferred" from the news
paper accounts of Falls later state.
ment to the committee, he said, that
Mclean and Fall had discussed tao
matter.
II know Mclean didn't go to At
lantic City to say howdydo to Mr..
FALL" he said.
Senator BuSsum, Republican, New
Mexico, read from a transcript OF
Majors testimony on March 8, in
which the witness first told of the
McLean-Fall conference at Atlantic
City. Major had said, Senator Bur.
sum insisted, that he knew Fall and
Mclean discussed the matter OF
Falls story that Mclean had loaned
him 100000.
81 inferred that was the purpose
Of the visit" Major insisted, "be-
cause the papers came out with the
story. I'm merely infercing that"
Major went on to explain several
of his kilograms under questioning.
By his message to Mclean saying
that A. Mitchell Palmer had parties
working on Walsh Major said re
meant simply that there were people
inquiring of Walsh as to whether
Mclean was to be called to testify.
He testified that the telegram say
ing he was busy with Curtis. Under
wood and tZev" meant he was try
ing to avoid the calling Of Mclean
from Palm Beach to testify J. W.
Zevely, personal counsel to Harry f.
Sinclair, he said. told him that all
efforts to keep Harry Payne Whit
ney off the stand had failed He
then went to Zevely to enlist his aid
10 a similar end for Mclean, but
was told that it was useless.