Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-26
Pubic Hearing Suddenly Ad-
iourned for Private Reading
OF Messages to A. B. Fall
and E. B. Mclean.
MEMBERS DIFFER UPON
SENSATIONAL" NATURE
Lenroot Promises Pertinent Wire
Correspondence Will Be Read
Into Record Tomorrow-Long-
Distance Calls to Be Examined
for Evidence"

Distance Calls to Be Examined
for Evidence"
Suddenly interrupting its public
hearings, the Senate oil committee
closed its doors today and spent
nearly two hours looking over a
sheaf OF kilograms sent from Wash
ington to \. B. Fall and Z. B. Nc
Lean, publisher of the Washington
Post, while they were in Florida.
The results OF the examination were
not disclosed, but some committee
members limited that the files had pro-
duced some highly interesting In
formation Some of the kilograms are
to be placed in the public record to-
morrow.
Spectators Sent Away.
Local managers of two telegraph
companies had been subpoenaed in the
hope of establishing whether Fall or
Mclean had been in communication
from Palm Beach with administration
committee. When the two witnesses
laid on the table the evidence they
had been asked to bring with Them
however, there was a hurried consul
tation among senator's who got a
look at the messages, and an an
nouncement that the room would be
cleared of spectators.
In announcing the executive ses-
sion Chairman Lenroot said II was the
committees desire to decide which of
the kilograms were relevant" At
the end of the long secret meeting
he said that task had not been COM
pleted.
Another member Of the committee,
Senator Adams, democrat, Colorado.
coInmitteemen had been found so far.
He added that there was a difference
of opinion as to whether anything
Sensational" had been found.
Some Messages in Record.
Il do not think there is anything
highly sensational" said Senator
Adams.
The chairman dismissed all the
witnesses who were waiting to tes-
tify at today's open session, and said
that when the public hearings are
resumed tomorrow he will put into
the record such of the messages as
the committee believes pertinent to
its inquiry
As soon as the committee adjourned
Senator Walsh renewed on the Senate
floor his quarrel with the news bu-
reau of the republican national COM
mittee by contradicting In unequivo-
cal terms the bureaus charges that
he sponsored the law under which
the oil leases were made.
nn-s~.
He declared the leases had nothing
to do with the general leasing act,
and he also denied the assertion of
the news bureau, that he supported
the rider to the naval appropriation
bill of 1920, giving the Secretary of
the Navy authority TO exchange roy
atty oil for tank storage.
VT is not true that 1 supported 1t,
as the Record will show" Senator
Walsh said. Nor did any other sem
ator say anything about the amend
ment except the senator from Utah
amendments, and these were accepted
without discussion Of any sort"
Upon request of the senator from
Montana, Senator Smoot confirmed
his statement, and Mr.. Walsh then
challenged any republican senator to
arise in his place and state whether
have stated the facts incorrectly"
Backed by Lenroot.
Senator Lenroot. republican, Wis
cousin, said the statement was accu-
rate, except that the leasing act did
authorize the leasing of flowing
wells"
Having thus demonstrated that the
republican national committee and
- rr,x- 90 90
liar" said Senator Walsh, Il shall
not trouble the Senate further. l
would say, however, that the repub-
lican national committee is not thus
as to the facts in the situation. but.
rather, Is attempting to, embarrass
and retard the inquiry. For it OBJ
yiously will be useless for US to pro-
coed unless we have the confidence of
the public"
Used Leased Wire.
Some senators said the records Of
the telegraph companies examined
today by the committee showed that
Mclean had leased wire from the
office of the Washington Post to
Palm Beach and that he was kept
closely Informed as to developments
in the oil inquiry by his employees
here Most of the Western Union
teleRramS submitted were addressed
TO Mclean. but there were some to
Fall, according to committeeman.
A number of the Mclean messages
were purely personal or on matters
not related to the oil inquiry. Sena-
tors also said code words were used
in several Of the messages
Wilton ]. Lambert, counsel for Mr..
Mclean, was present at the reopen
ing of public hearings at the invita-
tion of Senator Walsh. who had
sought a conference with him. The
purpose was not disclosed, but It was
stated that the time for the exam
ination Of Mr.. Mclean by the COM
mittee still was undetermined.
Manager First Witness.
Fl. r. Taft, Washington superin-
tendent for the Western Union Com
pany, was called as the first witness
when today's hearing began. Senator
walsh took the records of kilograms
submitted by the witness, while Sena-
tor Smoot republican, Utah, read