The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-04-02
COOLIDGE
HITS OIL
DEALS
Has Quietly Assumed Control
Of Situation-Surprise
Awaits His Foes.

Cosmopolitan News Service.
Under cover Of a surface calm
President Coolidge has delivered q
series Of hard blows at the oil sit
ilatiOn disclosed by the Teapot
Dome scandals.
His political foes, now girding
themselves for a terrific campaign,
will find little to attack when his
record of endeaVor in the oil sit
uation is finally published. Some
Of it is known. Much of it is here
told for the first time.
President Coolidge has started a
campaign in the courts to regain
for the country the vast tracts Of
naval oil which were leased to Sim
clair and Doheny.
Moves BY Coolidge.
He has ordered that charges he
preferred to secure punishment for
any officials gniltysof criminality.
He has created a board of experts
to locate and set apart new oil
reserves for protection of 1.-THE first
line 'of defense" In the future.
He has taken complete control
over all the natural resources Of
the nation. Not q pint of oil or
foot of forest land can be dis.
posed of in any way without his
approval.
He has ordered the legal steps
for the public to regain about
5000, 900 acres of valuable timber
lands given or leased to Western
railroads by preceding Administra-
tions.
President Coolidge, In order to
familiarize himself entirely with the
oil situation, has had conferences
With Harry A. Slattery, who caused
and. at his request, Slattery has
co.operated with owen ]. Roberts
and Atlee Pomerene, the two law.
to recover the oil lands for the
navy in Wyoming and California.
Works In Silence.
President Coolidge is calm. Even
his immediate friends have been
irritated at times because OF his
refusal to mount the charger of
publicity and gallop in parade be.
fore the public. His motto has
been, do the days work and let
the results speak for themselves. Z"
1t is because Of his consideration
for those who surround him that
he declined to make known his de.
cision to take control of the natural
resources himself.
Before any new policy lie now
established with reference to the
enormous public domain in charge
Of the Interior Department, Secre-
tary Work now presents the plan
to the President for his approval.
Because of the gravity and
dangers now underlying such sitla-
tons, President Coolidge desired to
share the responsibility with the
Secretary.
Nation Faces Shortage.
Because his decision might pos
sibly be construed as lack Of conf
dence in Mr.. Work, in whom he has
utmost confidence, the President has
declined to make 1t public.
His important desire is to recap
ture the oil lands for use of the
navy. England and Holland are to-
day in possession of most OF the
worlds Aoil. This country faces
a serious shortage.
Its oil stores may be depleted
within twenty years. The navy,
aeroplanes, and submarines would
be destitute of motive fuel and at
the mercy Of q foe.
Although this situation was known
to military and naval experts and
most Of the men in public life, the
nations oil supply was being de-
spoiled to such an extent that one
Of the biggest English companies IL
now found to have received almost
half of its oil last year from this
country.
There is small minority in the
navy which asserts that the OIL
leases were advantageous because
Sinclair and Doheny were, to takC
the oil out Of the ground and de
post a small amount Of II In tanks
at naval bases.
| Despite that theory, President
Coolidge is determined to regain the
oil reserves because the circum
stances surrounding the leases de
stroyed tho public confidence *
necessary IN q democracy.
While Roberts and Pomerene arr
fighting in the courts to bring thos,
reserves back to the people, the
Presidents board of experts will b,
attempting to locate other vas
tracts to, serve In any emergency
WHICH may confront the country.
They will also attempt to worl
! cut ) q /. pqliqH for, public operation
g the mntmEAa rAoWliNAna