Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-02-09
FALL AND SINCLAIR
BRANDED CRIMINALS
BY SENATOR REED
Demands Resignation Of
DENLY and Prosecution OF
All Found Involved in Oil
Lease Graft

WASHINGTON. Feb. Full at'
thority for it's oil committee to fol-
low the widening trail of its In
curry into lease of the naval oil re-
serves was voted today by the SEN
ate without debate or dissenting
vote.
At the same time, the committee
decided to abandon it's efforts to ex-
anime further the central figure in
the stigation-Albert B. Fall,
former secretary Of the interior, who
has refused to testify under claim
Of constitutional immunity
The senate also voted without dis.
cussion and unanimously to direct
the secretary of the interior to take
steps to recover from the Standard
Oil company, of California section
16 and SO In the Elk Hills. Cal, re-
serve. These plots are near the field
held by the Doheny interests which
the government also is seeking to
recover along with the Teapot Dome
field in Wyoming, leased by Mr.. Fall
to the Sinclair interests.
| DENLY to Fore Again
| With these two resolutions out OF
the way, the senate swung again into
debate on the Robinson resolution de-
handing the resignation of Secretary
DENLY for asserting to the oil leases.
Senator Reed, Democrat, Missouri,
opened this discussion with a care.
fully prepared address assailing Mr..
Fall. L. l.. Doheny, Harry F. Sin
clair and Mr.. DENLY.
During the day, Chairman Lenroot,
of the oil committee, received a let
ter from Mr.. Doheny correcting his
previous testimony as to the amount
of fees received by William G. Nc
Adoos '1w firm from the Doheny
COMPANY. He said the amount so
paid amounted to $150,000.
Senator Reed opened his address
by asserting that the "sinuous trail
Of bribery" had been found to reach
to government office, and now should
be extended to the penitentiary."
! I've are about to determine" he
J said, whether oil kings and cabinet
officers are immune from the law
which governs the common people
/ OF the land.
Prosecution Certain
"All officers VINO have betrayed
( their trusts must be brought to the
bar OF the courts. All officers who
nave permitted the country to be
plundered while they slept at their
| DOStS n1nSt no rop,nyo5 JC1,arxr x,.o,-
who has for fees or favor employed
the influence which he gained
through the generosity of the pub
TIC, to seduce public servants must
be exposed and condemned"
Asserting that Immediately after
} taking office, Fall had begun "set.
! ting the stage for one of the most
gigantic steals of history" Senator
Reed said that on April z, 1922, "Sin.
clair, in the role of minor burglary,
carried away the Teapot Dome.
April rs, Doheny, playing the
star part, strolled across the stage
boasting that his loot exceeded $780,
900, 000," the senator continued. "The
play was ended; the curtain was
rung down. The oil circuit season
was closed. The actors retired; Sim
clair to the race track, Doheny to
MS California habitat, and Fall pre-
pared to return to innocent pastoral
pursuits"
Guilty." Reed Declared
Referring to Falls refusal to tes.
tlty, Senator Reed declared that "he
who dare not speak lest he shall
prove himself q criminal" stands
self-condemned.
= Nor IS Dohcny in happier
plight" he continued. "Entangled
in the meshes of his own words, trip
ped and trapped by admitted facts,
he lies floundering. Sinclair mani
testify prefers the companionship Of
bright-eyed Paris to the stony faces
of the senate committee.
| The crime stands confessed So
Far as Fall, Doheny and Sinclair are
concerned guilt has been found by A
substantially unanimous vote in both
branches of congress. That decision
is backed by the universal verdict of
10000 people,"
Secretary DENLY, Senator Reed
said. did not fall within the class Of
those who had lost all their defend.
ers.
Has not the senator from Maine
CMr. Hale) brought to the defense of
the secretary the thunders Of his
eloquence and forces Of his invincible
logic?' he asked. HAS not the grave
and reVered leader on the Repub-
lican side, in his most oracular man
ncr, warned against the outrage Of
laying finger upon the skirts Of
Denby's garments?"
Further efforts to question Fall
were abandoned upon advice of
the special government counsel
in the oil cases, Silas II. Strawn
and Atlee Pomerene. They recon-
mended against permitting Mr.. Fall
to testify unless he waived i'm.
munity.
After considering the recommends
ton of counsel for an hour the COM
mittee adopted this motion by Sena.
tor Walsh, Democrat, Montana:
'The witness, Albert 3. Fall, hav-
ing refused to answer any questions
that might be put to him touching
the matters under investigation by
the committee, on the ground that
his evidence might tend to incrnii.
nate him, and the committee being
advised by counsel that the statute
providing that a witness should not
be excused from testifying before a
congressional committee on such
ground De.A less broad in its scope
than the constitutional guaranty, 50
that proceedings FOR contempt or by
indictment against the witness for
contumacy would probably fail, and
that if the witness proceeded to tes-
tify before the committee under
protest he might gain immunity