The Colorado statesman., 1924-02-16
TEAPOT DOME MAY
RESULT IN GOOD
SCANDAL LIKELY TO HELP SAVE
THE NATURAL RESOURCES
OF THE COUNTRY.
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK

BY EDWARD 3. CLARK
Observation-Disclosures are some Wash
ington officials who believe that the
scandal attending the Teapot Dome
transaction will prevent for years the
exploitation Of the mineral, forest and
oil lands of the government by private
capital, even If safeguarded sanely in
It's operation.
1t seemingly Is certain, however, that
out of the apparent evils attending the
Teapot Dome lease there will come
benefit for the cause of the saving of
what Is remaining of the natural re-
sources of the country. 1t probably
will be some time before consideration
will be given to leases on large
scale, and therefore the natural re-
sources will be saved until thorough
investigation can be made of proposed
means to exploit them.
The government now apparently will
be afraid for time to sanction any en-
terprlse of private capital in the public
domain even though II be hedged in
with all sorts of precautions to make
certain n proper return to the people
for that which they have leased. Men
of capital probably will be afraid for
some time to come to enter into any
public domain enterprise because of
the suspicion which at once will at
tach to their projects.
The general feeling in Washington
is If there had been a more thorough
study of conditions prior to the leas-
Ing of the Teapot Dome to the oil
people all trouble would have been
avoided, and some men who apparently
"knew what they wanted" would have
escaped their present plight and would
not today be called upon to prove their
innocence.
Wallace and the Forestry.
1t Is easy for Washington to under
stand now why Secretary Wallace of
the Agricultural department took such
firm stand in opposition to the trans
fer of the forestry service from Agri-
culture to Interior about year ago.
Mr.. Wallace did not want to see the
forests under his jurisdiction turned
over to the exploitation of private cap
ital without knowing all about what
ultimately was to happen to the gov
ernment preserves. There was rather
grave personal controversy over the
attempt to transfer forestry from one
department to another.
When President Harding started for
Alaska 1t was believed he was favor
able to the plan to give the Interior
department control of the forests.
After he had been to Alaska in the
company of Secretary Wallace ne
changed his mind and in public state
ment declared himself entirely satisfied
with things as they were and still are.
The navy has land set aside from
which 1t can draw oil supplies. Some
of these lands are in California and
from time to time there have been
charges that private enterprise has
been doing what 1t could to deprive
the navy of its holdings, or at least to
secure them under some kind of
lease which seemingly would safeguard
the sea service and yet give private
enterprise plenty of returns to Justify
Its entry into the field.
Not Likely to Happen Again.
The understanding is that the far
distant fields were saved to the gov
ernment, but whether or not private
enterprise has succeeded in getting
some hold upon them, Washington now
believes that the developments of the
last few days will prevent any recur-
renee of the Teapot Dome happenings.
The attempt to save the government
resources from private exploitation
Il, Of frhnAI,ra
Roosevelt when he intervened to pre-
cent an individual, or ut any rate
small company of men, from utilizing
the water power on stream in Mis-
souri, without proper compensation to
the government.
This case was seemingly of little
importance, but it lOOmed large in the
public eye. The law has it that the
federal government has control over
naVigable streams. 1t was maintained
that a small Missouri river, the wa
ters of which the private corporation
wished to use, was not naviguble. 1t
was declared navigable after it had
been ascertained that small flat boats
could be fioated upon Its waters. The
| government, therefore, assumed juris-
diction.
So from that time on, at least dur
ing the Roosevelt administration, priv
ate capital when 1t undertook TO ex-
| ploit the government resources was
compelled to make arrangements for
proper return 70 the federal treasury
which, of course. meant proper re-
| turn to the people. Checks have
| come from time to time on the at
tempts of men to secure government
concessions for private gain. The tie
velopment of suspicion in the Teapot
Dome case probably will prevent for
| some time to come even the prODer