Evening star., 1924-03-12

Edward 3. Mclean, publisher of
the Washington Post, made the fol-
lowing statement before the Senate
;oil investigating committee today:
/ Having in mind the subject of this
investigation and having also in mind
the widespread use in tho public
press of my name as one who might
have had some connection with the
naval oil leases, or with the COM
panies, individuals, government de-
ipartments or public officials who did
ihave connection with the leases of
the naval oil reserves, I want to
temphatic statement of facts:
II have absolutely no knowledge re-
garding any leases upon naval oil
Preserves made at any time to any
iperson or any company except such
knowledge as |, in common with ali
the rest of the American public, have
received from newspaper reports.
knew Nothing Of Leases.
| 4'As to the so-called Sinclair leases
and companies:
] Il never have known anything
] labout any lease of any oil land to
the Sinclair company and know moth
ing today about this. except what 1
I
not know Mr.. Harry F. Sinclair and
have no recollection of ever having
met him, even in casual way.
ihave never had any interest of any
kind directly or indirectly for my
, self or for any other person, in any
of the so-ca1led companies.
! Il did not even know that there
| was such thing as the Mammoth
| Oil Company until 1 saw 1T men,
TONED in the press reports in con-
! inv titro
did know, as any one who reads the
! newspapers would have known.
| that there was company known as
the Sinclair Consolidated Oil Com
pany. but l have never had any
, connection with it or any interest in
it and have never owned or had any
interest in a single share of the
, stocks of that company or any COM
! pany in any way connected with it.
!, In a word, l had no knowledge of
our connection with Mr.. Sinclair's
| oil leases or his companies or his
| business or his transa otions.
! He Never Saw Doheny.
II do not know Mr.. Edward I.
! Doheny, and 50 far as / am aware
! I have never seen him in my life.
nection with any leases upon naval
| oil reserves until / read Of them in
! the newspapers.
II do not know the names of Mr.
! DohenyS companies, but / am in
formed that he is president of the
! Pan-American Petroleum Company,
| and that those companies, like most
large companies, have branches,
/ Il have never owned directly or in
directly for myself or in connection
with any other person whatever a
single share OF stock in the Mexican
Petroleum Company, the Pan-Ameri-
can Petroleum Company or any of
their dependent companies, or, so far
! as l know, any company that Mr.. Do
! heny had any interest in or connec-
! tion with.
Il know nothing about the contract
or leases between the government and
! the Doheny companies.
; Again. in brief, l have had no con-
, nection with. interest in, or transac.
tions with Mr.. Edward l.. Doheny or
/ any company or business of his at any
time in my life.
| Former Secretary of the Interior
Albert B. Fall has for several years
been personal friend of mine. NY
relations with him have, however.
been personal and never official, I
have never at any time had any Of
Department of the United States gov
ernment.
Knew DENLY Slightly.
AS regards the Navy Department
, and Secretary DENLY, / can say the
! same as have already said about the
Interior Department My personal ac-
, quaintance with Secretary Denby
mas been very slight one. 1 have
mad no business relations whatever
with the Navy Department, and have
never been interested in or connected