The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-20
SMEAR OF OIL
 LEASE PUT ON
 SENATE'S DOOR
Senator Harrison's Talk Condemns Tactics Of
 Republican Leaders
(contInued From Page ons)

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 Charging that some republican par y leaders "were defending the Doheny and Sinclair leases Senator Harrison referred to an editorial in a recent is- sue of the National Republican. He scored particularly a statement that D percent of the evidence in the oil inquiry was bunk
 George E. Lockwood, editor of the National Republican, issued state ment later in the day, in which he said "th statement that the Nation al Republican, has defended the Sin cair-Doheny leases is shown by a read ing of the text of the article, without garbling or misinterpreting to be un- true."
 Another flare-up in the oil scandal occurred, later in the day, during dis cussion of the resolution of Senator Wheeler, democrat, Montana, propos- ing an investigation of Attorney Gen eral Daugherty and the department of justice. Pressing his resolution, Sena- tor Wheeler declared that when the oil scandal developed it appeared the at torney general was mixed in it."
 Senator Wheeler was present today by invitation at the meeting of the oil committee, at the outset of which, the members were made fully acquainted with the developments, which led to the series of conferences Sunday be- tween some members and special gov ernment counsel and which eliminated in a visit of Chairman Lenroot and MT. Pomerene to the White House to lay the new information before President Coolidge.
 Mir. Pomerene and MT. Roberts, who had been in conference with the presi- dent. reached the committee room soon after the session began and there was a general discussion as to co-operation between the counsel and the committee. methods of procedure and other related questions.
 Fail To Locate Whitney
 Meanwhile officials of J. F. Ben kard and Company and Mir. Whitney had failed to put in appearance and committee clerks made hurried efforts to communicate with them. Mir. Whit ney could not be located by H. H. Ben kard, his counsel s. D. Bowers, and the Benkard office manager, A. H. Cook, soon arrived.
 After the committee and counsel had wound up their discussion Mir. Benkard was called in and examined with an off, flclai reporter present. Then, Mir. Bowers admitted and afterwards the committee heard from Mir. Cook. The brokerage firm officials presented partial record from their files and this was examined with great interest by eacn member Of the committee and by counsel
 The upshot of the whole thing WAS that the brokerage firm officers agreed to permit committee auditors to ex- anime any and all of their books and records, within the periods specified Inv the committee-just prior to the lease of Teapot Dome and for a number of months thereafter.
 Lewis Fl. Bond, of the federal trade commission who has been assigned to the supervision of the examination of the books of many other brokerage firms, was directed to go to New York immediately, and with assistants to make the examination.
 Committe Adjourns
 There still was no word from MT, Whitney and the committe adjourned subject to the call of Chairman Len root. Later in the day Senator Len root heard from Mir. Whitney and he immediately issued a call for another executive session for 10 a. m. tomor- row. ..s
 Whether there are to be any more sessions of the comittmee, before the end of the ten days recess of public hearings, next Monday, or whether the hearings will be resumed before chat time will depend upon deyelop- ments, committeeman said.
 MT. Whitney, previously, has appear ed beore the committee. At that time he testified that he was among a group of 16 or 20 individuals and firms who participated in pool operated by Jesse l.. Llvermore, New York broker. ssfor the purpose of making a market" for the stock of the Mammoth Oil com. pany, organized by Sinclair to deyelop Teapot Dome.
 Members of the pool agreed to pay $2e share for their stock, Mir. Whit ncy told the committee, with S10 share deposited on the first call and the remainder to be paid as called for. He said that up to that time only the one call had been made on him.
 Charges Against Republicans
 Charges that Chairman Adams of the republican national committee, George 5. Lockwood, its secretary, and other republican leaders are defending" the Doheny and Sinclair oil leases were made by Senator Harrison, democrat. Mississippi.
 Acceptance of Secretary Denby's res- lgnation by President Coolidge also was criticized by Senator Harrison, who sald IL contlicted with the Presidents New York speech, promising that no innocent person in the oil scandal would be sacrificed.
 Careful Cal, Cautious Cal, left some of you high and dry yesterday" said senator Harrison to- the republican side. '--e"H
 After declaring against encrouch- ment of executive power by the Sen ate Tn adopting the resolution calling TOT Denby's resignation, he permitted Denby to resign. Did he stand by you? Not one of you think he did"
 The Mississippi senator said that The National Republican, which he de- scribed as the official organ" of the republican party, recently contained an editorial which defended" the oil leases declared "a fusion of democrats and eemagogues" were supporting the res olutlon calling for the Denby resigna- tion, and asserted that 95 per cent of the evidence before the Senate oil com mittee was bunk"
 Predicts Coolidge's Defeat
 Harrison declared Coolidge would be defeated by McAdoo, Underwood, Ral- ston or Copeland, if any of them were nominated by the democrats.
 You can't smear the reputation of as fine q citizen, as honorable public official and as splendid man as there - is in the whole nation (McAdoo) by trying to erect smoke screen over the corruption within your own party, Harrison shouted at the republican side. If McAdoo is nominated he will