The Washington times., 1924-02-11
IN INTERNATIONAL
OIL PROBE
LOOMS
Senate Becomes Interested In
Falls Support Of Colombia
Payment.
BY WILLIAM X. HUTCHINSON,
International News Service.

International News Service.
An international oil probe loomed
in the Senate today with a coalition
group demanding that the spotlight
of publicity be turned upon the
requirement Of foreign oil conces-
sions by American spectators.
Supported by liberals from both
parties, Senator Dill Dem.) of
Washington planned to force vote
upon two resolutions which call on
the State Department to produce
all diplomatic correspondence re-
lating to American oil trades in a
score Of foreign nations. The pro-
posed investigation, Din said, was
based on charges that dollar
diplomacy was used to aid Ameri-
can concerns in acquiring their for
eign holdings.
Colombia Payment Up..
The probe, IL undertaken, will be
directed first into the payment Of
$25,000,000 to COLOMBIA in 1921. This
payment, at the time the Senate
passed upon 1t, was declared to be
international blackmail'' by q
score OF Senators who opposed and
voted against 1t. The payment was
ratified, however, when ex-Secre-
tary Of the Interior Albert B. Fall
insisted 1t should be approved be.
cause it's defeat would wipe out
American oil holdings in the south.
ern republic.
1T is significant, in view of
recent developments, that ex.Secre-
tary Fall urged this payment to
Colombia as soon as he entered the
Cabinet" said Dill today. while
In the Senate, Fall bitterly opposed
the payment. but as soon as he got
In the Cabinet, he advocated its
passage, In fact. as early as two
weeks after taking office. 1 want
to know what made Fall change
his mind about this $4,000. 900 pay.
ment.
Another Question.
Il also want to know why this
treaty was sent to the Senate by
FAN and without any action by the
State Department, which ordinarily
handles foreign treaties. l want to
know why the State Department
was shut out of this DEAL" ~
DflPs resolutions refer to Ameri.
can oil holdings in .Mesopotarnia
Palestine, Africa. Persia, Argentina,
Mexico, Venezuela and Russia. be-
sides Colombia. He called attention
today to the fact that Harry r. Sin.
clair, involved in Falls TEAPOT
Dome transaction, is now in Europe
and reported, to be negotiating for
Oil lands In Persia and Mesoptamia.
He further pointed to Falls trip to
Russia in the interest of Sinclair's
OIL concessions there, Just after he
left the Cabinet.
All these incidents point to a
use OF American dollar diplomacy
to help Sinclair obtain oil conces-
sions in foreign lands" Dill added.
with some of my colleagues, I
want to know the truth"
A study of the Congressional
Record, recording the Senate pro-
ceedings which resulted in ratifica-
ton Of the Colombia payment in
1921. showed that the payment was
opposed by Senators Hiram w.
Johnson Of California, James A.
Reed of Missouri, ex-senator Kel-
togg, now ambassador to Great
George w. Norris of Ne
braska, and by Robert M. La Fol
lette of Wisconsin, all Of whom
except Kellogg-have denounced the
Fall-Sinclair- Doheny deals.
In urging the Senate to approve
the $26. .000. 900 payment, Fall wrote:
II may say for myself that / am
most thoroughly impressed with the
of the present crisis
with relation to oil developments
throughout the world. I admit that
the claim is made that efforts in
behalf of this ratification are
brought about by propaganda in
favor of oil companies. There is
no truth to IT.
U. s. Biologists Loaned"
Fall, however, admitted in his
arguments that Government geolo-
yists were loaned to American oil
without pay" to investi-
rate oil concessions in Africa, South
America, Asia and Europe. He also
that American oil men we're
pioneers in Columbia and its neigh 4
,or, Venezuela, where indications
ooint to one of the greatest oil
ields in the world"
The deal, however, was opposed
utterly by Norris, Reed, Johnson
Ind Kellogg.
"It writes shame across the pages
# American history. said Kellogg
n the debate that ensued.
"What was blackmail for seven
.een years has now ripened into an
honest obligation" said Johnson.
In my mind, it remains black
nall" .',"
"This is international blackmail to
lppease the appetites of few
American oil companies" said Nor
lis.
I'm paying this blackmail de-
said Reed ''it is limited to
ls that if we are good to Colombia
We will get her OIL"
AS result of the recent revela-
ions concerning Falls oil relations,
Dill demanded the Senate investi.
gate not only the Colombia settle
ment but the whole international
oil situation, wherever 1t affected
American interests,