Evening star., 1924-02-01

The Senate's Declaration.


Yesterdays action by the Senate, in
unanimously adopting Joint resolu.
ton declaring the naval oil leases to
nave been executed under circum-
stances indicating fraud and corrup-
uon," and authorizing and directing
the President to cause suit to be in
sttuted Immediately for their cancel
iatlon and annulment and to prosecute
such other actions, civil and criminal,
as may be warranted, is. Of course.
not yet an enactment. The House has
still to act in concurrence to give the
declaration force Of law. There can
be no doubt Of such concurrence.
Consequently in all likelihood in a few
days this joint resolution will have
been laid before the President for his
signature and, upon his approval, for
his direction and authorization to pro-
ceed. He will meanwhile have gone
forward in the procedure thus pro.
posed, through the special counsel he
has summoned.
The specific propositions in the Joint
sent In the upper house, are that the
leases were entered into without au-
thority on the part Of the officers pur.
porting to act for the United States
and in violation of the laws Of Con-
Eress, We're in defiance Of the settled
policy Of the government to maintain
a naval oil reserve supply in the
ground and were executed under cir
cumstances indicating fraud and COR
ruption.''
There is no reason to dissent from
the last-stated conclusion. The cir
cumstances that have been brought to
light in the course OF the Senate COM
rnittee's investigation assuredly indi.
cate at least a wholly improper rela-
tionship between one Of the officials
signing the leases and officials Of the
two corporations receiving them. The
transaction is tainted. On that ground
alone the leases may be Cancelled, Of
course, through judicial procedure.
This follows whether or not the leas-
ing Of these lands was, as the resolu-
tion states, 'in defiance OF the settled
policy of the government" and with.
out authority on the part Of the Off.
GERS purporting to act in the execution
Of the same for the United States and
in violation Of the laws of Congress-"
On those two points there is a differ
once Of opinion. though the Senate
yesterday by its unanimous vote
evinced none.
Even If there had been no hint Of
corruption. in the granting Of the
leases the whole matter Of leasing the
naval oil reserves would have been
properly subject to question. But the
faint Of fraud precipitates a legislative
declaration on the whole matter. Con.
gress, assuming that this resolution
will pass both houses. now declares
itself as to the meaning Of the law.
It is for the courts to determine
whether, apart from the question Of
corruption, there was authority on the
part Of the administrative officers Of
the government to grant these leases.
The resolution adopted yesterday
does not Of itself annul or void the
leases, though it declares them to be
against the public interest. It directs
the institution of action for their an.
nulment and cancellation, and the
prosecution Of any civil or criminal
charges that may arise through
further disclosures. Thus the Senate,
with the House presumably following,
definitely passes the matter into the
realm Of the courts, where 1t now be.
longs.