The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-18
 Administration Senators Expect His Confirma-
 tion Today LAFOLLETTE WILL
 LEAD OPPOSITION Application To Be Made To Stop Oil Extraction
 From Reserves $10O,OOO FOR SPECIAL COUNSEL TO BE ALLOWED Search Of Records Of Brokers To Trace Trading In Stocks By Officials To Continue

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-The last congressional act necessary to the in stitution of legal proceedings in the oil scandal is expected tomorrow by the Senate in the confirmation of the nomi- nation of Owen J. Roberts of Phila- delphia, to be special government counsel in the oil cases.
 Although Senator LaFolIette of Wis consin, leader of the republican insur- gents, has prepared to lead fight on MT. Roberts, administration senators predicted his appointment would be ap- proved by substantially the same ma jority that the Senate gave last night to the nomination of Atlee Pomerene of Canton, Ohio, to be one of the two chief counsel.
 The firstfmove in what has come to be regarded as one of the most inn portant legal battles to which the fed eral government ever has been a party will be applications in Wyoming and California for temporary injunctions to stop further extraction of oil from the naval reserves in those states, operated by the Sinclair and Doheny interests, respectively.
 Long Legal Fight Expected
 Prompt action toward this prelimi- nary step in what must necessarily be long drawn out court fight is ex- pected. Counsel has an enormous work ahead is studying the record in the case as developed by the Senate oil commit tee and it is unlikely that the annul- ment suits and criminal prosecutions will be instituted, until this has been completed and some independent pro- visions made.
 After disposing of the nomination of MT. Roberts, the Senate will adopt the House resolution, appropriating S1OO,- 900 for special counsel. This measure was approved by the House more than two weeks ago and has been reported favorably by the Senate appropriations committee.
 Senator Walsh will be absent from the Senate during the fight over Mir. Roberta nomination. He left Washing ton tonight for an urapnouneed desti- nafion. but his friends said he would seek reat some where in the south and try to rid himself from cold which has been giving him some inconvenience.
 Brokers Books To Be Examined
 While the oil committee is in recess this week, accountants of the federal trade commission will continue their work on the books fo W. B. Hibbs and other Washington stock brokerage firms in an effort to ascertain whether there were dealings by public officials in oil stocks of the Sinclair and Doheny com panies subsequent to the granting of the leases by Albert B. Fall as secretary of the interior.
 The committee desires also to go into the records of firms. members of the New York Stock Exchange, but as yet it has taken no action on the letter of President Cromwell in which he pro- posed an examination of the records in the same manner as was adopted at the time of the 'leak" investigation. At that time the board of governors of the exchange adopted resolution asking the members to submit transcripts of their books for the period determined upon by the investigating committee.
 D. L.. Doheny in statement made public took issue with Senator Walsh's recent statement that the government was getting only 6 per cent of the oil which his company was taking out of the California reserve. He eontended