Evening star., 1924-03-03
U. S. CODE EXPERTS
TO BE HEARD IN OIL
INQUIRY TOMORROW
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low down on one Thomas Walsh. a
senator from your State"
ITO what extent has he been con-
nected with Bill Dunn and the radi-
cal element?" the writer asked.
No one can give you the desired
truth" Shields wrote. in reply.
walsh is not and never has been a
socialist. His ability and keen sense
OF justice prevent him from being
E. L. Doheny, president OF the Pam
American Oil and Transport Com
pany. holder OF leases In the Cali
fornia naval oil reserve, today issued
a statement. in which he charged that
the oil investigation was being conduct
ed. not to bring out the real facts,
but to make political capital for the
coming election.
Mr.. Doheny in his statement said
The election in Sovember-not
the legality of the oil leases, nor the
benefit they are to the government
is the sole factor now controlling the
politicians who are conducting the
so-called Oil investigation.
Says Issue "Lsst TO sight"
THE big question ought to be Are
these oil leases good for the govern
ment or bad for the government but
wholly lost sight Of In the political muck
raking which Is being conducted sole
ly for the purpose Of making cam
paign material to influence the COM
ing election" continued Mr.. Doheny.
THE American people send senators
and representatives to Washington to
legislate. But some Of the latter find
they can gain far more publicity act
ing as gums shoe detectives than in
trying to act as statesmen. And as
great many Of them are qualified to
act as detectives and wholly unquali-
fed to act as statesmen, perhaps they
are really playing their proper role.
But ] have an abiding confidence
In the United States courts, SO
know that when my leases come be-
fore the courts. the question will be
the decision viii affect any prestden-
tial candidate. wculd-be presidential
candidate or senatorial ambition.
Compares Royalties.
Meantime It will interest the public
to know that while the government
has leased oil lands In naval reserve
No. 3, to about thirty different COM
pahies. In none of which I am inter-
ested. It has received therefrom a
royalty amounting to only slightly
over s per cent, but that the govern
ment has actually received, under it's
leases with my company In naval
reserve No. ]. royalty averaging
over 80 per cent. The ofYiciai records
at Washington show that the govern
ment Is getting a great deal more
from my leases than 1t Is averaging
from all its other leases combined.
But you hear no hue and cry about
the other leases in California, and the
reason is that the politicians who are
conducting the investigation are do
ing 30 merely for partisan political
purposes and not to bring out the
facts.
AT present the two political camps
are divided as follows: The democrats at
Washington are suppressing the facts
beclouding the Issues and. when necee-
sary to serve their purposes, are In
dulging In willful falsehood. And the re-
publicans have lost both their heads and
their spines, and seem afraid to make
the slightest show OF Independence OF
backbone lest 1t injure their personal
political fortunes In the next election
Consider the spectacle the committee
is now making Of itself. 1t is deliberate
]y delaying by its dilatory methods the
development of the facts In order to
create mystery where none exists; to
furnish to the press suggestions Of scan
dal where Interrogation Of the prepeY
witnesses would promptly dissipate these
suggestions. to saturate the public mind
with rumors Of corruption and at the
same TIME so bore 1t with a mass OF
unimportant detail that the people will
have become too weary to read the refu-
tations when they are reached