The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-03
FALL HALTS 0IL SCANDAL PROBE.
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 McAdoo Expected To Testify
 None of the formef cabinet officers in the Wilson administration who E.. l.. Doheny has told the committee were retained as counsel for his companies after they retired from office has asked to be heard by the committee as yet. William McAdoo, former secretary of the treasury and candidate for the democratic presidential nomination., is expected to request n hearing, however, afte: his arrival from California. As serting that he had received only S150.- GOO in fees instead s of the $250,000 figure given by Mra Doheny, Mir. Nc Adoo has announced that: he will seek opportunity to testify P.
 Former Attorney General Gregory ar rived here today from Texas. but his deferred until toHorrow. The execu- tive deficintely made up his mind yes terday not to retain Mir. Gregory, who was his first selection as democratic counsel, because of the testimony given by Mr.. Doheny that Mir. Gregory had acted ah counsel for the Island and other oil companies.
 This decision having been reached MT. Coolidge summoned former Senator Pomerene to Washington and had a long conference with him today. Dur ing it the President rendered, and MT, Pomerene accepted appointment as spe. cial counsel in the oil cases. Formal announcement was withheld as the, ex- ecutive desires to consult with demo- cratic leaders in the Senate beforehand
 Announcement in Chicago that, Mir Strawn's law firm has acted for the Texas company in Chicago .in looking after local collections, brought word character of this service was not re- garded as such that would prove in any way embarrassing to Mir. Strawn in carrying forward the work he already has undertaken for the government.
 Fish Wants Sinclair To Return
 Supporting his motion to bring up his resolution requesting MT. Sinclair to return from Europe, Representative Fish told the House that without Mir Sinclair's presence in the United States, "any investigation of the Teapot Dome oil lease or any court action instituted by President Coolidge would become a farce or be indefinitely delayed"
 Former Secretary Fall is broken, abject creature, perjured by his own testimony and crucified by his own con science" said Mir. Fish. ''In the eyes of the people he is already condemned. even if he could explain the difference between loan of $100,00O while Secre- tary of the Interior and a bribe. The public is convinced that he was sedpced by great wealth in their money madness and arrogance, which stops at nothing, even to setting the torch to the very adifice of the government F.
 Representative Garrett of Tennessee, the democratic leader, advised against House action in. the matter of Sin clair's return, saying the oil lease muddle was in the hands of the Senate and the President, and the House should not inject itself into the subject un- necessarily. ,He also declared that the United States should keep its own mess at home"~ and not get it into diplomatic channels. "a
 Representative Begg. republican Ohio, objected itos consideration of the resolution and it remained on sfthe table:+ sa 1T sss-, S5s In demanding an investigation ofMr. Sinclair's personal income tax returns Representative Jeffers declared he was convinced that "gfaft and corruption especially in connection with big tax cases, has been rampant in the treasury department for some time" <
 Fall. Refuses to Testify
 Albert B. Fall declined today to tes. tify further before the Senate oil com mittee which seeks more light on the un. .,aid loans aggregating $125, ,000 made to him by E. l.. Doheny and Harry F. Sinclair. whose oil companies obtained leases of naval. oil re- serves from him while he was Secre- tary of the Interior. Hailed to the capital over the protests of his physi- clans and counsel. Mir. Fall in a pre- pared statement challenged the author ity of the committee to continue the investigation and refused to an swer questions on the further ground that his responses might tend to in criminate him in court proceedings all thorized by Congress in the Walsh annulment resolution. Want of au thority by the committee to proceed further with the inquiry was based up on two grounds. that the original reso. lutions of the Senate provided for the holding of hearings only until the con vening and that Congress adopting the Walsh resolution had taken the matter out of the committee and placed it il the courts.
 May Be Indicted for Contempt
 Voting to obtain a new grant of au thority from the Senate next Monday the committee directed Mir. Fall tt appear again -nextS Tuesday. Shoult he persist in his refusal to testify a that time senators said the issue O contempt would be clearly drawn. Un der the law and precedents he coult be held in contempt and the fact cer tified to that president of the Senate who would submit the matter to thu district attorney of the District oi Columbia whose duty it would be tt bring the matter before the grand jur! for their action.
 Upon indictment and conviction, MT Fall would be liable to Imprisonment Tin common Jall TOT not less than onf month nor more than 122 months and 6 fine of not less than $10O and not more than $1 1000.
 Still another course would be open that of impeachment by the House anG trial by the Senate on the basis of off cial acts. In the case of w.. W. Belk nap, secretary of war in the Grant ad ministration, both the House and Sen; ate held that impeachment proceedings would lie even after a cabinet officer had retired from office. Impeachment proceedings were not pressed in the Belknap case, however.
 Coming by automobile from the homo of<J. w. Zeyeley, personal attorney tc Harry F. Sinclair, where he has been confined to his bed since his arrival