The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1924-02-15

to a bitter enemy of consummated |
contracts is the recent shift of Sena- |
tor T. J. Walsh Of Montana, as
revealed be the Congressional Record
and his more recent struggle for the
cancellation Of the leases upon Tea
pot Dome lands in Wyoming and Elk
Hills field in California.
Comparison of Senator Walsh's Of !
fetal senate record and with his atti-
tude as developed by the senate in
quiry into the leases brings into con-
siderable prominence questions that
to the Montana constituents of the
senator remain unanswered.
Why did Senator Walsh oppose
Senator La Toilette of Wisconsin
when the latter attacked the provi-
sions of Senate bill No. 2775, known
as the general oil leasing bill, and
which gave to the interior depart
ment and the navy department the
legal authority to lease naval OIL re-
serves of the United States?
Why did Senator Walsh bitterly
oppose for two days the attempt of
Senator La Toilette to pass an
amendment to the general oil leas-
ING bin that would have eliminated
the naval oil reserves, more particu
larry the Teapot Dome and elk Hills?
WALSH BEAT AMENDMENT
1t was Senator Walsh's efforts
backed by his speeches in praise of
Doheny and others that finally de-
feated the amendment.
1t was Senator Walsh who opened
the door to the naval oil fields to
Doheny, Sinclair and the Standard Oil
interests.
Adoption of Senator LaFollette's
amendment would have effectively
prevented the leasing of the navy's
reserve oil supply by Secretary Fall
of the interior department or any
other government officer
Called Standard Measure.
LaFollettte branded the bill as a
Standard Oil measure and attacked
Doheny, Senator Phelan of California
and other persons known to have oil
interests Senator LaFollette's attack
upon these persons was based upon
the pround that they were allied with
the Standard Oil company in
scheme to secure vastly valuable ma
tural resources of the country through
the passage of an oil leasing measure.
LaFcllette declared hedid not oppose
the general principal of leasing oil
lands controlled by the United States
government, but based his objections
upon the leasing of these lands set
aside as naval oil reserves. That he
would have succeeded in his fight is
conceded had it not been for the ac-
tive opposition on the floor of the
senate by Senator Walsh and aided it
is said, by huge lobby.
That Edward Doheny, when he was
placed upon the witness stand to give
his testimony before the senate's in
westigating committee, got out of
hand and "spilled the beans" involv-
ing many names not intended to be
brought into the inquiry is the con-
clusiOn drawn from a comparison be-
tween Senator Walsh's eloquent de-
fence of Doheny and his apparently
merciless questioning of the same man
upon the witness stand.
Denies Standard Stain.
In his senate debate Senator Walsh
professed to believe the general leas-
ing bill was not a Standard Oil meas
ure. He said it practically was the
same bill he had introduced himself
in 1913. He declared he would well
come evidence that it was a Standard
Oil bill
The running accounts of the conflict
as carried in the Congressional Rec
ord furnishes interesting reading in
view of recent developments. A part
of this record is here reproduced.
On page 4745 of the Congressional
Record, Senator LaFollette said:
Senator La Toilette: "The bill as
drawn will, / believe, destroy the ma
val reserves set aside for the navy.
The reports of the naval experts of
the highest authority, as well as the
experience Of our own navy and the
navies of the foreign powers, have
established the fact beyond question
that naval efficiency, and therefore ma
tional salty were dependent upon the
increasing use of oil-burning ships.
1t is, therefore, evident that, after a
brief moment Of time, as the lives of
nations are counted, there will not
be a sufficient supply of oil in the
ground necessary to insure our safety
from attack, if the existing deposits
are to be thrown open to private ex-
ploltatlon without maintaining any re-
serves for our future naval use. This
was the purpose for which the naval
OIL reserves We're set aside The needs
Of the navy require that the oil should
be kept in reserve in the ground until
future naval necessities require its ex-
tracricn and use"
Senator laFollette then went on to
show that the two most important
naval reserves were Elk Hills of Cali
fornia and the Tea Pot Dome of
Wyoming.
Senator LaFollette then read this
telegram concerning the oil-leasiRg
bill:
Denver, Colo. August 24,1919.
Senator LaFollette,
United States Senate,
Washington, d. c.
"Oil-leasing bin a Standard Oil
measure, and menaces western oil in
terests. Standard Oil, New Jersey,
owns so per cent stock Imperial Oil
Canada, which controls Midwest Re
fining. and it controls Merit Oil Cor
poration, Grass Creek Petroleum,