Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1924-02-29

unbiased, distressing fact.
Harding and Wilson are dead,
and their memories should not be
blackened by this scandal. Both
were victims Of manipulation, Of
false counsel Both were high
minded, upright, patriotic Amer
leans but they were deceived.
The conspiracy started back in
1919 after the physical break
down of President Wilson. AS the
law then stood, leasing of the gov
eminent oil lands would have
been impossible. Unfortunately,
the law was amended by the act
of February %, 1920, which ex-
pressly authorized the leasing of
the lands.
If that amendment had not
been passed there would be no oil
scandal today. 1t was passed by
a republican congress, but with
the approval of the democratic
secretary of the interior, Frank
lin X. Lane, and was signed by
President Wilson.
The investigation at Washing
ton has brought out the fact that
when the amendment was under
discussion in congress, the head
Of one of the big oil companies,
which later leased these lands,
was negotiationg with Secretary
of the Interior Lane. for the lat
ter's resignation from the cabinet
and employment by the company
at the salary of $4,000 a year.
Mr.. Lane did resign and did go
upon the payroll of the oil COM
pany, not far from the time when
the act of 1920 became a law.
There is reason to believe that
before President Wilson was
stricken he was opposed to the;
leasinng of the oil reserves. APP
parently he yielded to congress
and the counsel of the secretary of
the interior, for he signed the act.
AS one Washington correspond
ent states it, the signing was I'M
doubtedly "the result of repre-
sensations made to him by those
he considered authorities in the
department of the interior, and
perhaps by others. The president
at that time had not only an enor-
nous pressure of public business
to attend to, but was himself, as
is well known, in an enfeebled
condition"
With the law thus amended,
the leases followed, evidently just
as the conspirators had planned.
Leases were made during the
remnant of the Wilson admins
tration, and others We're made af-
ter President arding entered the
White House. -Four members Of
Mr.. Wilson, s, cabinet--Lane
McAdoo, Garrison and Gregory
went upon the payrolls of the big
oil maipulators.
That was bad enough. But the
conduct of Secretary of the Inter
ior Fall, in President Harding's
cabinet was worse. Fall while
gotiated leases for the Doheny in
ociated leases for the Donehy in
terests, and a year later received
100000 cash from Doheny under
,secrttive circumstances that
stamped the transaction with an
appearance of criminality.
Fall, who owned big stock
ranch in New Mexico, was in fl
nancial distress, but his
distress vanished when a
trusted messenger of Doheny |
Travelled all the way from New
York to Mexico with 100000 in
a suitcase. Fall got the 100000,
The transaction was concealed,
as also was the fact, which came
out in Washington on Doheny s |
testimony, that William G, Nc
Adoo went from the cabinet to
his payroll.
McAdoo admits that he receiv
ed $150,000 from Doheny and en-
ioyed an annual retaining fee of
$4,000 year from the same oil
baron. He claims in defense that
he had a legal right to leave the |
cabinet and go on the payroll of
Donheny.
And it is true--he had legal
right to do that. But he had no
moral right to keep the transact
ion secret and then seek to run
for the presidency. many things