Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-03-13
PUBLISHER INSISTS
HE CAVE SECRETARY
CHECK FOR 100000

WASHINGTON, March ED |
ward b. Mclean told the oil com
mittee TODAY that he had given it
misleading information about the !
celebrated 100000 loan because he
trusted and desired to help his
friend, Albert Fall.
The publisher insisted that his Sec
Ond story about the loan, told 10
Senator Walsh in January at Palm
Beach was correct. He said he had
loaned the former secretary $780,
600 in checks for ranch enterprise,
but that the checks were returned
to him uncashed.
His previous assertion that the
loan was made in cash, he said, wa.
made at Falls request. The latter
appeared to be in trouble, he added,
hut had represented to him that it
had nothing to do with oil.
He declared he never had any di
rect Or indirect interest in either
the Sinclair Or Doheny companies
and knew nothing about the leasing
program except what he had seen in
the newspapers.
Can't Find Stubs
He said under questioning that
he had searched everywhere for the
stubs of the checks he testified he
had given Fall, but had been unable
to find them.
There aren't any. and never
were, were there?" asked Senatos
Walsh, Democrat. Montana.
why yes, there were. Senator
to the best Of my recollection, as l
told YOU" the witness replied.
Mclean then said at a. conference
he had with Fall at Atlantic CITY
last December, Fall asked him if
ne would say that he had loaned
nlm the 100000 in cash instead of
unused checks.
Fall assured me-" he said chat
the loan had nothing to do with
oIncidlr and Teapot Dome"
Insists Credit Was Good
MCLEAN insisted that his credit
was good at the time he gave Fail
the checks and that he could have
raised 100000 if necessary" He
said Fan agreed to advise him he.
tore undertaking to cash the checks.
Although his bank balance did not
snow that amount on deposit, he
SAID his credit was good and that
Fail had agreed to notify him be.
tore attempting to cash the checks.
Inns procedure, he said, was mot
unusual and had nothing to do with
the oil leasing program.
When he first enormously in
formed the committee that the loan
had been made in cash, he said, he
did so because Fall requested it at
a conference they had in Atlantic
City last December.
None of any character" Mclean
said, when asked what service he
mad rendered as dollar.a.year
secret agent of the department of
justice.
Why He Was An Agent
The main purpose of his appoint.
ment, Mclean said, was to enable
him, by use of his badge, to get
through police lines in Strange
cities when travelling with Presi.
dent Hardings party.
Asked as to identity of the "prin.
cipal" in the celebrated message of
last January 20, the witness said
he didn't know who the "principaP
was unless it was Senator Curtis,
of Kansas.
Attorney General Daugherty was
Identified by Mclean as the author
lof a message telling the publisher
not 10 worry and that he knew
what to depend upon"
Mclean said he invited C. Bascom
Slemp, secretary to President Cool.
ld9e to come to Florida last Decem.
Der.
The publisher declared he never
had anything to do with any million
dollar slush fund rtImored to have
been sent to Washington for govern.
ment officials.
McLean's Statement
AT the outset, Mclean read TO the
committee this prepared statement:
Having in mind the subject of
this Investigation and having also in
mind the widespread use in the pub
lie press of my name as one who
might have had some connection
with the naval oil leases, or with the
companies, individuals, government
departments or public officials who
did have connection with the leases
of the naval oil reserves, l want to
make now the following detailed and
emphatic statement of facts:
Il have absolutely no knowledge
regarding any leases upon naval oil
reserves made at any time to any
person or any company except such
knowledge as ], in common with all
the rest of the American public,
have received from newspaper re.
ports.
LAS to the so-caIed Sinclair leases
and companies:
Il have never known anything
about any lease Of any Oil land to
he Sinclair company and know moth
have read in the newspapers. | Go
not know MI. Hairy +. Sinclair and
have no recollection Of ever having
met him even in a casual way. l
have never had any interest of any
kind, directly or Indirectly, for my
self or any other person, in any of
the so-called companies.
Il did nc; even know that there
was such a thing as the Mammoth
Oil company until l saw it mentioned
in the rress reports in connection
with this investigation. | did know,
as anyone who reads the newspapers
would have known, that there was a
company known as the Sinclair Con-
solidated Oil company, but 1 have
never had any connection with it or
any interest in it and have never
owned or had any interest in a single
share of the stocks of that company
or any company in any way con-
neCted with it.
In a word. l had no knowledge
Of or connection with Mr.. Sinclair's
oil leases or his companies or his
business or his transactions.
Didn't Know Doheny
Il Go not know Mr.. Edward L.
Doheny. and so far as ! am aware
l have never seen him in my life
| did not know that he had any con-
nection with any leases upon naval
OF, reserves until I read OF them in
the newspapers.
Il do not know the names Of Mr..
| Doheny's comps nies, but l am in
l : =. l.