Evening star., 1924-03-24
Elkins Makes Only Objection
to Action-FalPs Son-in-
Law Refuses to Make An
sWer to Probe Queries.
MANY WITNESSES GIVE
TESTIMONY IN HEARING
Two Testify of Alleged Gifts of
1925, 900 and 100000 to COP.
Fund by Darden-Brewer De-
nies Effort to Purchase Naval
Reserve.

The law officers of the government
were asked today by the Senate to
tring contempt proceedings against
Harry F. Sinclair, whose lease OF
Teapot Dome started the rolling
SNOWFALL Of the oil inquiry.
By a vote of seventy-two to one,
the Senate adopted 4 resolution by
its oil committee, certifying Sinclair
to the district attorney on con-
tempt charge because of his refus al
to testify further i'll the committee
hearings.
Senator Elkins. republican, West
Virginia, cast the only negative
vote.
An hour before another witness.
{. {. Chase, customs collector at FL
Paso, and son-in-law OF Albert B.
Fall, had refused to answer the COM
mittee's questions on the ground
that it might incriminatc him. His
case will be taken up later.
Cites Sinclair Statement.
Senator Walsh read the Sinclair
statement declaring the loan of
$4,000 to Fall had been negotiated
without secrecy
Il don't know how it could have
been made more secret" senator
Walsh said. ''Zevely himself o. W
Zeyely, Sinclairs attorney made. n
trip to New Mexico in that connec-
Ia e. \
by express to bank named by Sem
ator Fall. How would the commit
tee or the public ever have known
of the transaction save through
the rigid cross examination of wit
neSSeS?'
Senator Moses, republican, New
Hampshire, presiding, said it was the
opinion of the chair that action by
the President of the Senate was au-
tomato under the statutes and the
motion offered by Senator Walsh was
unnecessary.
Since he has offered it, however"
Senator Moses continued. 1T would
seem best to have the decision of the
Senate recorded"
Senators Lodge, republican. Massa-
chusetts, and WadswOrth, republican,
New York, both suggested it would
have been better if the committee
had rendered some sort of conclu-
sion instead of what the Massachu-
setts senator described as merely an
excerpt from the proceedings"
When the Senate began voting on
Senator Walsh's resolution senators
answered AYE" without regard to
party until Senator Elkins was called.
He voted No"
Hopes Penalty Drastic.
In urging his motion, Senator Walsh
declared the witness is taking all
the chances for the extreme penalty
Of the law, and if he is found in error l
shall hope to see him treated with
the utmost rigor of the law
Il trust" Mir. Walsh added, ''he will
be given the limit of penalty the
law provides for each separate point
involved in his case
This witness thus has defied this
body and has secuted its authority,
then has rushed into the newspapers
10 tell the story he declined to tell
upon the stand
Senator Walsh had reference to n
long statement made public Saturday
by Sinclair after Sinclair had refused
to answer questions propounded by
the committee Senator Walsh said
that the statement had not been filed
with the committee.
sReplying TO Sinclair'S statement
that he had been called before the
committee five times. Senator Walsh
said that this was chiefly by reason
of the fact that the witness failed to
disclose all of the material facts in
his knowledge" during his previous
appearances.
1T leaked out, little by little" SEN
ator Walsh said. "He did not tell
anything more than he was obliged
to tell under searching interroga-
ton
Sinclair, the senator said, had not
told the committee how he paid a
million dollars for fake claims on
Teapot Dome and then paid another
million to purchase the silence of a
newspaper" the senator said. adding:
1T was to avoid inquiry into that
matter that he declined to answer"
Text of Citation.
After reviewing the resolutions un-
der which the committee has been con-
ducting its inquiry, the citation said:
THAT on the 22d day of March, 1924,
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