The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-01-28

u siding officer of the Senate and must have known
that suspicion had been directed against these naval oil
leases before the fact of the making of those leases had
been made public.
question of transferring the
naval oil from the Navy Department the Interior De
parment the subject Cabinet discussions and the
Of the TRANSFERABLE only purpoewas they might leased
Secretary Roosevelt former sockholder in Sin
clair companies his brother being vice president OF of the
Sinclair companies the who presented to President
Harding his signature the executive order transferring the
naval oil reserves.
So that all the present Cabinet except Harry
what going Executive Department and New and
President Coolidge knew what going in the Senate.
Department Justice knew about it because Assistant
Attorney assigned the Navy and Interior Depart
the drawing of the leases and it nconcevabs
that the executive order OF transfer was not submitted TO the
Attorney General himself his opinion its legality
only that the Doheny lease in California granted
because it the Standard Oil Company by drilling
upon the adjacent land called Secon 6 draining the oil
oil But years before Section Sc had been
by of the Interior Department and the for
official report made by him the effect that Section 36
was obearng public could be entered upon The
Standard Company had entered drilled and pumping oil
and brought stop this Attorney General Daughery
himself stopped that suit permitting the wells Secon 36 t.
pumped they said be draining Fall
DENLY made and that the reason for leasing to
Doheny.
EV1HFN naval officer is given custody of ship and
lhat ship either in battle storm is in danger
of being lost the in charge is the last to leave
the traditions of the Navy say that he goes down with
his ship.
It would seem reasonable that the same rule would
apply to civilian officers of the Navy in whose custody
naval property is placed And when naval oil reserves
sink it would seem that DENLY and Roosevelt should
90 down with their ship.
DENLY knew, Daugherty knew Roosevelt knewhe Cabinet
knew
knew the Senates presiding officer knew what
going forward.
From beginning to end the Executive Departments
lied every hamper and delay Senator Walsh in his
investigation complexion of Public Lands
mtte changed by the committee assignments last De
cembe committee had hampered and delayed the La Fol
iette resolution of inquiry introduced before the leases
made public
G=lHE spending of naval money by contract for the
construction of pipe lines and storage tanks by Sin
clair and storage tanks by Doheny without authorize
ton by Congress- have been known at all times to
DENLY and to Roosevelt DENLY signed the contracts
Roosevelt knew about them.
Doheny alone quite aside
$5OO0O0O Sincars construction
pipe without competitive bidding
proposition but construction proposition
ed other millions and of fact DENLY and Roosevelt
made leases for construction work without competitive bidding
which in the aggregate will close hundred million dol
lars The law of the land that work be let
only after competitive bidding In there
ding
Secretary Work has continued the Fall policies unchanged
since he succeeded Fall in the Interior Department.
fAlND the very day that scandal is breaking At
Ia torney General Daugherty leaves for his vacation
III Florida.
1t will take more than one scapegoat to carry this
load. 1t will take packtrain to carry the suitcases
more Government in suitcases