Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-03-25
WILL HAYS ADMITS
HE ASKED OIL KING
FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
RooSevelts Scored for Part
in Teapot Quiz Mel
Daugherty Refuses to
Show Banks Books


WASHINGTON, March 23
Events in the oil inquiry moved
Saturday with dramatic swiftness,
Harry f. Sinclair, lessee of Teapot
Dome, refused point blank to an
swer any more questions put by the:
senate investigators, who certified
the facts to the senate, with view
to contempt proceedings.
Will H. Hays, former chairman OF
the Republican national committee.
testified that, at his solicitation, Sim
clair had agreed to contribute $751;
600 to help wipe out the $1,60O,00
deficit of the committee after the
1920 campaign.
A subpoena was issued for Fred
w. Upham, of Chicago, treasurer OF
the Republican committee, requir-
ing him to bring to Washington all
records OF the committee bearing on
any and all campaign contributions
received from Sinclair.
After refusing to answer ten
specific questions put to him on the
witness stand, Sinclair, upon leav-
ing the committee room, issued an
eight-page statement in which he
ATTACHED Theodore and Archie
Roosevelt and others who have tes-
titled before the committee.
AT the outset Hays denied story
that Sinclair had contributed 10000
shares of Sinclair Oil stock to wipe
out the Republican committee def.
cit, characterizing it as being false
in content as it is ''libelous in pur.
pose Other spots in his testimony
were:
That he and his brother, Hinkie
Hays had had purely PERSONAL
transaction in bonds with, Sinclair,
and that the committee was well
come to examine his private records
of that transaction. ri
Hays Firm Sinclair Counsel
That while he was postmaster gen.
eral in the Harding administration
the law firm. of Hays Il Hays, of
Sullivan, Ind, of which his brother
was a member, was counsel for Sin.
clair in Indiana.
That no stock of any kind was
used as security for loans to the Re-
publican national committees, at
least while he was chairman.
That the naval oil leases never
were discussed at any meeting OF
the cabinet at which he was present.
That he had no knowledge, while
he was in the cabinet, of any execu-
tive order transferring the naval OH
reserves from the jurisdiction of the
navy department to that of the in
terror department.
Hays said he asked Sinclair to con.
tribute toward wiping out the conn
mittee deficit in 1928, more than
year after he left the cabinet. This
was about year after Sinclair OBJ.
tanned the lease Of Teapot Dome.
Sinclair Refuses Testimony
After being directed by unanimous
vote of the committee to take the
witness stand for the sixth time, Sin
cl air announced his refusal to sub
nit to further questioning in long
prepared statement which he reSo
into the record.
II do not decline to answer any
question upon the ground that il
would tend to incrininate me-" Sim
clair said at the outset, because
or circumstances of the lease Of Tea.
pot Dome which does or can, in.
eliminate me-
Reciting that he already had been
before the committee on five diff.
ferent occasions, the oil magnate re.
viewed many Of the facts of The case
as presented to the committee Fri.
day by. his counsel in urging that
c. ~
tempts TO examine him. He then con.
cluded with this declarations:
"You, and the body from which
you derive your authority, have al.
ready sat in judgment on these ques-
tions, and RENTED them to tla
courts of proper jurisdiction. / shall
reserve any evidence L may be able
to give fer those courts to which
you and your colleagues have DELHI
erate1y referred all questions OF
which you had any jurisdiction and
shall respectfully decline to answer
any questions propounded by your
committee"
Senator Walsh, of Montana. tbs
committee prosecutor" then put A
series of questions 10 Sinclair so -
to make up the record upon which
TO certify case 10 the senate.
TIL record was presented to that
body later in the day by ChafrrnsI,
Ladd and there was nearly an hours
general discussion without action.
TO Confer With Counsel
Senator Walsh explained that The
committee was not ready to recon-
mend a course Of procedure as IT
desired first to confer with special
govern mt counsel in the oil lease
cases. A recommendation may be
ready Monday.
The committee prosecutor told
the senate there were two courses
open-to lave The president Of the
senate certify the case to the Dis
Irict Of Columbia courts for grand
jury proceedings, or to bring Sinclair
before the bar of the senate ana
commit him to the custody of the
rgeant-at-arms for imprisonmenf
until he yas ready to answer the
questions.
Should the latter course be follow
I'd, Senator Walsh said, Sinclair
could obtain liberty on
writ of error and then the case
would have to be fought out in the
courts.
The crowd which packed the big
marble hearing room into which the
oil committee has moved came ex-
fCont;n.ad -, D.ua CoI,,,p,,, A.