The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-21
Wall Street BrOk CT 's Books Reveal Name Of
 West Virginian
ADMITS DEALINGS
 IN OIL SECURITIES
No Law Against Practice Of Buying Ant Selling Stocks
 Senator Comments
SPECIAL, ,PRO OSECUTORS x PLUNGING INTO WORK
Secret Sessions Of Committee
 At End Pending Public Ses-t sions Beginning Monday k

s4l
 sions Beginning Monday %
 WASHINGTON, Feb. 2O.-tBy As. sociated Press. Announcement by Senator Davis Elkins, republican, West Virginia, that he. has had transactions in; Sinclair oil stocks, furnished the one sensation today in the oil scandal.
 Asserting that there was no law against one in his position buying and selling stocks, Senator Elkins said he WAS perfectly willing to go before the oil committee and tell ali about his transactions in these stocks; which he said was smaller than those in issues of several other, companies.
 The oil committee took no public cosnizance of his statement, but mem bers said officially that he would not be invited to appear except at public session and then after the completion of the audits of a-number of brokerage firm now in process. both in Wash. inston and New. York. M
 Name On Records s
 The senator's statement revealed that he is the senator whose name appears sn. the records of J. p. Benkard and com i. pany, New York stock brokerage firm, which were presented to the committee yesterday in executive session.
 Coincident with Senator Elkins' state ndent, the oil committee conferred be- hind closed doors with Harry Payne Whitney, New York financier and friend of Harry K. Sinclair, who ex- pressed entire willingness to have his business books examined by committee experts.
 Unofficial word of the arrival, of Mir. Sinclair of New York today from Europe reached the committee. during the day, but Chairman Lenroot said he had received no communication from the oil magnate. He declined to say whether subpoena would be issued for Mir. SincIair's appearance, but some committeeman said that since Mir. Sin. clair had hnstened his return from abroad to appear before the committee they assumed he would avail himseh of the fifst opportpnity toa dos 50. ss
 seasions 10 Suspend
 wlls there $ 10 pfessnt; fltsHfion of-hhfl. 5 any ix1ore eDminttfe6 sessi6ns until the public hearings are resumed next Monday, members said there might be developments meantime that would make ne6essary an earlier meeting.
 Referring to the secret sessions today and yesterday, Chairman Lenroot said in a formal statement that their sole purpose was to take testimony as to what books were kept and the manner of keeping them. He added that he was sure the committee has no intention that. testimony of any other character shall be taken in secret session.
 Atlee Pomerene and Owen J. Roberts, special goverpnient counsel in the oil cases, plunged into their work today, but it was indicated they would not be ready to take any steps or institute any court T proceedings for some. .d,.ys,, at least.
 Daugherty Offers Assistance sA tender of the assistance of himself Fasid the department of justice was sent to special counsel during the day by Attorney General Daugherty, who wrote that his department would assist coun- sel in every way to the end that wrong. doing may be punished without further fear or favor.
 Disclosing that the funds of the oil eoHlflittee,. haze become exhausted, 54 hartman Lenroot had the Senate vote asp9ther .$l25,p00 for the prosecution
 tFte Investigation. The appropria-
 2essure was adopted without de- as ass,. opposition.
 N Confirms Gossip
 Z 1sts Closing publicity that he had dessfr& Sinclair oil stock, Senator Fl. king sntirmed gossip which has been currsHt at the capitol for many weeks in connection with the oil inquiry. Sen, ator Edkins declared he had no infor- lnp lion concerning the oil leases at the tune of the transs rrions.
 Harry Payne Whitney was before the oil committee just 15, minutes. He was accompanied by his counsel, Frank l., Crocker, and when they left the committee rom they were. met by Sen ator El<ins, who accompanied them to his offices nearby, where they re. mained for some time.
 Senator Wheeler, democrat, Montana, who laid before the committee some of the information on which subpoena for Mir. Whitney was issued, again was before the committee by invitation dur. ing the examination of the New York broker. A committee accountant and an official reporter also were called in
 While it is too early for the commit lee to fix time for the appearance of AIr. Sinclair, the expectation is that he would be called soon after. the. public hearings are resumed. He will be ques. tioned specially about the $26.O00 loan to J. W. Zeyely, his personal counsel has testified he made to Albert B. Fall three months after Fall retired as See retary of the Interior.
 Hiya Books Sought
 There will be questions along other lines as well, and he will be asked to produce the books of the Hiva corpora tion, a personal corporation, which G. T.4Stanford, his attorney, has testified was organized among other reasons to enable Sinclair to reduce his tax pay ments to the federal government.
 In his letter to government counsel in the oil cases, Attorney General Daugherty said that with his cordial approval' the department of justice has been represented at all public hear ings of the oil committee since last Jan. uary 22 by an assistant attorney gen eral.
 Following each session of the com
 tceutIsusd snlPasA Tws. csIumn FIysl