Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-03-11
REPUBLICAN, WHIP
GIVES LIE To AIDE
Of T. B. M LEAN

WASHINGTON, March 9. - The
oil committee devoted another three
hours session Saturday to exploring
ramifications of the affairs of Ed
ward B. Mclean as central figure
in the oil scandal.
! At the outset Senator Curtis. OF
Kansas, assistant Republican leader
! in the senate, appeared voluntarily
| and denied under oath three sep
arate stories told by Ira K. Ben
nett, an editorial writer for the
Washington Post.
agents, testified that Mclean and
hand what Fall should tell the com
mittee regarding the famous $780,,
| 900 loan.
e. S. Rochester, attached to the
office of Attorney General Daugher'
| ty, told the committee that his tele.
gram informing Mclean at Palm
Beach of the impending inquiry into
his bank in connection with the loan
was purely personal message and
had no relevancy to his connection
with the department of Justice.
Francis T. Homer, of Baltimore,
legal adviser to Mclean, denied a
statement in one of the Mclean tele-
grams that he had suggested quick
and easy access to the White
House" as one reason why the pub
Usher should have a private. tele-
graph wire installed between the of
flee of the PostShere and~his cottage
at Palm Beach.
DeniaIs by Curtis
Senator Curtis, the first member
of the senate to testify in the in
quiry, was on the stand vice, each
time at his own request. His first
appearance was to deny Benefits
testimony of Friday that he had
had conversation with Bennett
just before the celebrated principal
message was sent to Mclean.
The second appearance of the SEN
ator was to contradict flatly two
statements made by Bennett who
had followed him in the witness
chair, having been called to make a
further explanation Of his statement
about the principal" telegram.
One story Senator Curtis denied
was that he had told Bennett that
he had suggested to President COOL
idge, soon after he had succeeded
to the presidency, that he should
force Attorney General Daugherty
to resign.
The other story was that Senator
Curtis had given advice to Mclean
through Bennett as to the policy the
Post should adopt with respect to
the publication of matters in con-
nection. with the oil inquiry.
There was no discrimination of
Senator Curtis. Bennett, however,
was grilled merciessly. and had sew
eral sharp alterations with senators
and finally the situation reached the
stage where Senator Adams, Dem
ocrat, Colorado, informed the witness
that he thought it utterly imma-
terial" what Bennett said.
Repeats Previous Testimony
Called as the first witness, Senator
| Curtis gave to the committee sub
stantially the same statement he
made public Friday after Bennett
| had left the witness stand. He said
|
| him about the second or third of
January to ask if he would ascertain
| whether the committee would take
a statement from Mclean and not
require him TO come TO Washington
The Kansas senator said he sug
! gested that they see some Demo
| cratic senator, and that in that con
| nection he mentioned either Senator
| al Gn1
Later, he said, he asked Senator
| Underwood if McLean's representa-
tives had been to see him and re
ceived the reply that they had, but
that a subpoena for Mclean already
had been issued.
II do not remember of seeing Mr.
| Bennett to talk with him again,
| Senator Curtis said, until the day
Senator Norris made his speech.
1t was brought out that this was
on January so, the day after the
principal" message was sent. S ena
tor Norris in his address referred tC
one of the members of the Mclean
family and Senator Curtis told The
committee that he had asked Sena
tor Borah to request Senator Norris
to eliminate the reference from th'
record. and that he himself haC
spoken TO Senator Norris on TIT
subject. Later on the same day
Senator Curtis continued, Bennett
came to see him about the matte
and was told that Senator Norris
would withdraw his remarks.
Statement Withdrawn
After Senator Norris had with
drawn his statement from the record
the Kansas senator continued, Ben
nett saw him again and thanke,
him
That is my recollection of every
thing that occurred. senator Cur
tbs said in concluding statement an
of my various conversations wit
Mr.. Bennett.
Senator Curtis told the committe
he did not have any conVCrsatlo
with Bennett on January 20 and
upon his second appearance, h
stated that he had had none wit
him either on January sS or JanU
4ry -. These dates were broush