Evening star., 1924-02-11
(Continued from First Page.)

I am perfectiy willing to have the
COMMITTEES INQUIRE into 1t. If 1t will
aid the committee In unearthing the
people who have been guilty OF o.
wrongdoing, 1 am glad 10 nave IL
Asked what service he had per-
formed as counsel for Doheny, ne
said:
visory capacity in such matters as
were presented to me from time to
time"
any any %! matters except Mexican mat
Our professional relations began
in that connection and continued IN
that connection. ! have never been
consulted in his oil leases. He mas
had other attorneys for that work.
He was free to ask me about all mat
ters, and if he had consulted me about
the oil matters / would have advised
him."
Never Appeared Here.
Chairman Lenroot asked the wit
ness whether he had appeared per-
sonally before the government de-
partments here in the matters refer
red to in his recent letter to the COM
mittee.
IL did not" replied Mr.. McAdoo.
|
fore the State Department on occa-
sions l purposely refrained from
acting myself, because | wanted to
observe every propriety in this mat
ter:
involved in the matters presented.
1t was the policy of the administra-
ton to protect American interests in
Mexico. That policy was observed
under the Wilson administration and
bac oh
istration. 1 do not believe that any
administration could survive that did
not stand for the protection of Amer
lean property and rights, not only IN
Mexico, but in all nations.
Senator Walsh directed the witness
attention to a trip he once made to
Mexico.
Conferred With Obregon.
I'm January. 1921. 1 went to
Mexico" Mr.. McAdoo replied. "and
one of the purposes was to discuss
with the Mexican authorities ques-
tions concerning article 81 of the
Mexican constitution.
Il had q conference with President
Obregon in which l stated and i'm
pressed upon him that a genuine dis
aster would result to Mexico If an
attempt was made to give article q
retroactive effect. l not only out
lined to him that such an attempt
would prevent all American enter
prise in Mexico and destroy all con-
.ldence in the government, but that
the credit which Mexico needed i'm
peratively to develop the country
could not be had If such things should
oe undertaken.
Il explained to him at that time
that the American market was the
only market where there was avail
able any large supply of credit in the
world and that Mexico had no resort
TO any other market for such credit.
This made it imperative, Mr.. Nc
Adoo said. for the Mexican govern
mcnt to make its position PLAIN.
ObrcSon in Accord.
president Obregon expressed him
self as being entirely in accord with
that view" Mr.. McAdoo continued.
"and said that it was not intended to
give section % retroactive effect, and
that there was no intention to confis-
cate American property in Mexico"
Replying to Senator Bursum, re-
publican, New Mexico, MIR. McAdoo
said thas neither he nor his firm had
ever represented Doheny or any Of
his companies in income tax matters
before the Treasury Department
In his reference to Mr.. Doheny's
testimony that employment of the
MCAdoo firm in Washington ceased
with the coming of the Harding ad-
ninistration. the witness said:
Mr.. Doheny was in error about
that But / do not believe that Mr..
Doheny intended to create a wrong
impression about the amount of fees
and other questions referring to my
professional relations with him."
When the examination was con-
cluded and Mr.. McAdoo left the. wit
|, ness chair. the crowd again broke
into applause, and he turned and waved
his hand as he walked out of the
COMMITTEES room. After hearing Nc
Adoo, the Senate oil committee took
up in executive session the nomina
tions of Silas H. StraWn and Atlee
Pomerene as special government
counsel in the oil leases.
Officers of railroad labor organiza-
tions were before the committee, and
some of the members said they voiced
opposition to the appointment of MIR.
Pomerene. Later Mr.. Strawn and Mr..
Pomerene were called before the COM
mittee.
Text Of Statement.
McAdoo's statement, which was in
the nature of an elaboration of his re-
cent letter to Chairman Lenroot of
the committee dealing with his SER
vices as counsel to the Doheny COM
panies. follow:
II am informed by your chairman
that already there has been inserted
in the record the letter j addressed
to him on Febr1ary Z, 1924, setting
forth in detail the facts concerning
the professional services rendered
by the former law firm in New York,
Messrs. McAdoo, Cotton and Frank
lin. and subsequently, by myself in
Los Angeles, in connection with the
Mexican properties of Mr.. Doheny's
companies. 1t is clearly shown in my
letter and in the testimony before
the committee that neither they nor
have had any relation whatever
to the leases made of the Teapot
Dome and California Naval Reserves.
There is, therefore, nothing more to
be said on that score. But j have
sought the privilege of appearing
before you in person for the purpose
of contributing in any way in my
object of this inquiry.
1T has been assumed that honor.
ably conducted law practice of a
citizen holding no public office is not
inquiry. think it may fairly be
presumed that if my name was not
prominently mentioned in connection
with high Office, my private practice
as lawyer would be of no interest
to this committee or to the public.
into this inquiry to serve a partisan
political purpose, the country will
Judge.
Says Country Appalled,.
at would be a crime against the
public if the dragging of innocent
people into this affair should divert
attention from the guilty or prevent
the discovery of those who have be-
trayed the public interest. The whole
country is shocked and appalled, by
what has been revealed in this inves-
tigation. The fact that a former cab