The Washington times., 1924-02-04
HALT
OIL INQUIRY
FOR DAY
Committee VIII Tomorrow
Ask Passage Of New Reso-
luton for Fall Quiz.
Continued from First Page.)

Continued from First Page.)
mittee had another ''showndown'
with Fall.
The committee desires to learn
from these stock brokers, represent
ing leading Washington. New York
and Cleveland houses, whether any
Governmental officials dealt in Sin.
clair stock previous to the leasing
Of Teapot Dome.
The only important overnight de.
velopment was q letter which
Thomas Watt Gregory, appointed,
but later withdrawn by President
Coolidge,s as one of the Govern
ment's special oil counsel, wrote to
the President.
While he declared his connection
with the Doheny oil interests
makes 1t Inappropriate for me to
act as your counsel in this matter, -
Gregory said he had not understood
that he twas accepting an appoint
ment" when the President telephoned
him in Austin, Texas, last Tuesday,
that he wanted ito employ me in
the investigation Of the oil leases. +"
ION last Tuesday when I was in
Austin, Texas" Gregory wrote the
President, ''you stated to me over
the long distance telephone that you
wished to employ me in the tnvesti.
cation Of the leases Of the naval
oil reserves.
Recalls Conversation.
"You will recall that after ex.
pressing my appreciation / stated
that / was not in close touch with
the developments in the matter;
that nothing occurred to me that
would prevent me from serving, but
that / would be in Washington Sat-
urday afternoon and would then
confer with you on the subject.
Il had no idea that in saying
this I was accepting an appoint
ment or that you SO understood it.
l assumed that that would be de.
cided when we conferred and that
in the meantime / would have an
opportunity to go through my books
and correspondence to see whether
in the course Of my private practice
had ever had any employments
which might stand in the way"
Gregory said that his employment
with a group OF oil companies of
which Doheny's was one, had
slipped his mind until the matter
was called to his attention by Do
heny's testimony and he refreshed
his memory.
No Need for Apologies.
This phase of the matter had
entirely passed out of my mind j"
Gregory said. "'But even at the
time / never thought of my en-
ployment as an employment by Do
heny or his company, and he evi.
IDENTIFY did not, as his testimony
before the Senate committee, as
reported in the press, is to the
erect that he knew nothing about
my connection with the transac-
ton until within the last few days,
Il have never felt that the trans
action involved the slightest neces.
sity for apologies: nor even for ex.
planation but for the unusual con.
ditions which have arisen.
1T is obvious nevertheless that
the fact that one of Doheny's com.
panies bore part, however in.
direct, and however small, of the
expense of my employment by the
Island Company makes it inappro-
pirate for me to act as your coun-
sci in this matter"
Names Going To Senate.
The appointments Of SiIas n.
Strawn, and Atlee Pomerene, for.
mer Democratic Senator from Ohio.
who was named to succeed Greg.
ory, will be sent to the Senate 70,
confirmation within a day or two.
the Whlte House announced today.
Ii Fall again fails to answer
questions. the committee win be.
gin Immediately afterwards 10
prlng co7tempt proceedings arainst
MIN, 1t was learned today follow.
ing a weekend of conferences
among members Of the COMMITTEES
More Documents Filed.
several highly important and in.
terestlng documents were before
the committee for examination to.
DAY. Chief were the written nro.
tests or Rear Admiral r. S. Griffin
retired, and Commander H A
Stuart, whom Secretary DENNY
ordered to sea duty, against trans.
Ter OF naval reserves to the Interior
Department. These protests wera
found in the files Of the Navv De.
partment.
stuart expressed the fear that
the Interior Department would not
preserve the reserves "for the ex.
elusive use and benefit Of the United
States Navy"
Griffin said that under the terms
OF the executive order of Presiden'
Taft, issued September 2, 1912, the
reserves were lifted from the do.
main or public lands and entrusted
to the Navy Department to insure