The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1924-02-15
Inquiry Is
Turning on
Slus]l Fund
Coolidge Insists Pomerene Be
Retained as Special Ccansel
Objection Held to De
Political
Fall Graft Pledge Told

Washington, Feb. 14-President
Coolidge late today Withdrew tia
name of Silas II. Strawn - Chicago
to be one Of special counsel IN the o..
lease scandal.
Notification was given III the SAINT
time by the chief executive tfat he
would insist on the acceptance o'
Atlee Pomerene, democrat. who hac
been nominated with Mr.. Strawn.
The action followed an executive
meeting Of the senate investigating
committee at which II was decided
that neither Mr.. Strawn nor Mr.. Pom
creme was acceptable to the commit
tee.
The president takes the ground that
the committee decision. while jus
tifiable in the case Of strawn was
not fair to Pomerene Strawn was
shown to have been an officer Of the
First National bank and First 'srust
and Savings bank. Chicago. known
as a Standard Oil institution. Objec-
tons to Pomerene were largely poll
tical. II was not shown that he had
any oil connections.
To Quiz Publisher.
This new controversy is understood
to have been the subject OF a con-
ference at the White House this eve
ninb between the president and Mr..
Strawn and Senator Lenroot. chair
man of the investigating committee
The three were in conference for
more than an hour, the strictest Sc
crecy yelling their discussion.
a Subpoena was issued late today for
Edward B. Mclean. publisher of the
Washington Post. an intimate friend
Of the late President Harding.
Senator Walsh announced definite
ly that Otto II. Kahn. New York
banker. would be suboenaed. II is un-
derstood that the committee also VIII
call Harry Payne Whitney. New York
multimillionaire. and associate Of
Harry +. Sinclair IN many enter
lprises.
A mass OF evidence was said 10 be
accommodating before the committet TO
prove that 81 900. 900 slush fund was
actually distributed in Washington by
the oil crowd among the governments
highest officials.
Says Fall Made Promise.
The committee will continue taking
testimony tomorrow. with Frank A.
Nanderlip the NEST conspicuous wit
ness on the ground
Developments today were:
]. John c. Shaffer, publisher of a
chain of newspapers, admitted before
the senate investigating committee
that. one year before the signing OF
the Teapot Dome lease. Secretary CT
the Interior Albert Is. Fail had told
him OF the negotiations with Harry
+. Sinclair and had promised that
he tShafferl would be taken care Of"
:. Shaffer also testified that he
already had received from Standard
oil interests ss2 500 Of sia5. 900. which
he expected to collect on a contract
which gave him gratuitously a one
eighth share in the Teapot Dome
rights OF the Pioneer OH company. .
Standard oil subsidiary.
). Shaffer added that he hoped 10
obtain from Sinclair one half share
in zoo acres Of Teapot Dome oil re-
serve as a result Of the trincular
Understanding between the two and
Mr.. Fall.
Nanderlip Testifies To-day.
4. Frank \. Nanderlip. New York
banker. appeared in answer to the
lcommittee's summons to tell what he
knows of the so-oalled 81. .ooo .0ee slush
fund said 10 have been sent TO Wash.
ington for distribution in connection
with oil contracts. but the taking os
his testimony went over untIi to-
morrow.
8. Ascar Sutro. San Francisco.
standard OH attorney. told the com
mittee OF his official opinion holding
the proposed Doheny leases illegal and
Of his vain Efforts 10 persuade tho
Interior department to obtain for
NAL ruling from Attorney General
Daugherty on the legality Of the plan.
s. Edward Finney. assistant secre-
! tary of the Interior. revealed TIE
efforts made 10 keep secret the
negotiations for the oil leases and their
fnal contamination.
:. Eouis I. Brush and Roy Moore.
who purchased the Marion 90. Star
from the late President Harding.
reached Washington and asked to he
heard on the sources Of the fands
used IN the deal.
s. \ joint resolution was intrcdac-
eli into the house calling for an In
Vesttgauon OF Mr.. SineiSir's income