The Holly chieftain., 1924-03-13
EDWARD b. MCLEAN. the Wash

EDWARD b. MCLEAN. the WASH
~ lngton newspaper publisher, ap-
peared before the Teapot Dome com
mittee and admitted that at Falls re-
quest he had previously misrepresent-
ed the circumstances OF the famous
100000 loan. His testimony may be
thNs summarized
Fall, In November. 1921. asked him
for loan of 100000 to buy RANCH
He gave Fail two checks for this
amount. hut FAN returned them un-
cashed. Two years later, in Decem-
Der, 1929, Fall, II sick man under in
vestigation, called Mclean to Atlantic
City and asked him to make a public
statement to the effect that he had
furnished the 100000, making il mp
pear that the checks had actually been
cashed. He agreed on Fall's nssur-
ance that he. had not obtained the
money from Sinclair or from any con-
nection with the Teapot Dome. Later.
when disclosures before the senate
committee began to arouse his suspi-
cions he told Fall he was going to
tell the truth md did so to Senator
Walsh when Walsh. went to Miami In
January. He agreed 1t would have
been better for ali concerned II the
truth had been told in the beginning.
McLean's story minimzed the I'M
portance of the mass of telegrams that
passed between Washington and his
r,ju IN, al nno I'm ai
ut the rumor of million dollar slush
fund
Senator Lenroot of Wisconsin re-
signed MS chairman and member of
the oil lease investigating committee
because Of III health. He was sue
ceeded by Senator Lndd Of North Da-
kotd, one Of the LaFollette group.
NUT in Cheyenne, Wyo., the gov
~ ernment's fight for the annulment
Of the Teapot Dome lease to Sinclair
and the Mammoth Oil company was
started before Federal District Judge
7, Blake Kennedy. Atlee Pomercne
and Owen g, Roberts We're there FOR
the government md Sinclair was on
hand with his attorneys, rendy, he de-
clnred, to fight the governments suit
from hell to breakfast" 1t may be
added TINT Edward Doheny also snys
he Ia prepared to defend his rights
In any action the government may
bring to cancel oil leases held by him.
ONCE the attorney general declined
~ TO give the house of representatives
my Information concerning the Grim
inal charges said to have been made
against two congressman before Chi
cago grand Jury, the house decided to
investigate the matter and commit.
tee Of five, headed by Theodore f.
Burton Of Ohio was named. Repre-
sentatives Langley OF Kentucky ant
zIhlman OF Maryland, who ndmit they
have been told they are the two mer
involved, have tehemently denied any
wrongdolng ana have demanded an in
Quiry.
! !WIrn all the investigations under
l Hlktll anu NblltcllIDliitCu ny Npu
gress and all the time 1t is wasting II
acril partisan debate, one wonder.
why 1t does not order an inquiry Int,
IT'S own neglect of pressing public busi
ness There are those, too, who thinl
there might well be nm investigation
OF the Influences that induced tn,
house to pass, last week, the hill au
| Al, ,s..t,, 7 II.,Nx-
offer for Muscle Shoals. Mckenzie o
Illinois introduced the measure and /
was adopted by II vote OF g27 to 142
party lines being disregarded Unde
the terms Of the bill Ford Will Obtain
for $5.O00,0O0 properties that cost near
ly $S4,0OO,O0O; he has the right I,
lease dams . and 3 at Muscle Shoals
and adjacent power stations for ion
years for n total rental of nearly $500.
OOO,0o0 the government is TO replac,
the Gorgas steam power plant for no
more than the S3.427.4S7. for which /
sold 1t to the Alabama Power com
pnny, and sell II to Ford along witt
nitrate plants and and the Wac,
quarry. 1t Is not necessary to Civ,
other features of the bill. but 1t ma.
be stated that the offer of group o
southern power companies, submitte,
in the Hull bill, was in the opinion o
competent authorities much more gen
erous. Also there is before congres
a measure for the starting Of gren
superpower project in which Muscl
Shoals would be vital link and man.
eminent engineers and industrial econ
omists are convinced that superpowe
development is to be the grentest thin
in the country's near future.
There is no intlmaiion OF undu
financial influence used to secure tn