The Washington times., 1924-02-16
NEITHER IS
S|VEARED
MOL
Both Have Good Records as
Prosecutors and Trial
lawyers, Says Hard.
BY WILLIAM HARD.

Oh reserve leases was in prospect
today when ex-senator Atlee
Pomerene Of Ohio and Owen J.
Roberts, Of Pennsylvania, after
comforting together, were ready to
proceed harmoniously and ener-
getically to the bringing Of suits
against the Sinclair and Doheny
companies and against ex-Secre-
tary Of the Interior Fall just as
soon as the Senate is willing to
confirm them in their positions
o. naval oil reserve lease prose-
cutors for the Government.
Men Well Qualified.
It IL widely believed that at last
the President has found two oil
prosecutors neither Of whom car
be successfully charged with having
any Oil interests or connections. II
is also widely believed that for ma
tive mental power and for proved
legal learning the President could
have hardly found two men more
qualified than Mr.. Pomerene and
Mr.. Roharts.
It Is realized that attacks are still
being made upon Mr.. Pomerene be-
cause Of his connections with rail
roads in his practice of law in Ohio
and because of hiss having voted as
p United Strtes Senator for the
F'sch- Cummira transportation law.
Just why a vote for that law and
legal practice Umong railroads
resenting the Government in a suit
to determine the legality or the ille-
g1lity Of some leases on some naval
oil lands is a mystery to the White
House.
There seems to be in White House
circles a firm determination not to
yield to any pressure from any such
attacks upon Mr.. Pomerene. Mr..
Pomerene was at one time a prose-
cutting attorney in Ohio. The only
criticism ever made Of him as a
prosecuting attorney was that he
was too savagely relentless. He had
an epidemic Of crime to fight and
he fought 1t. according to all re-
ports, without mercy. He IL known
q to have had long experience also as
q trial lawyer in civil suits and he
Is known to be a deep student Of
law as well as q practiced law-court
performer.
He further Is known to have had
no law practice whatsoever among
oil companies. The Administration
has the feeling that If a man is to
be debarred from representing the
Government simply because he has
represented railroad companies and
simply because as a United States
Senator he has been inclined toward
conservative policies the Senate will
have to make that decision. The
Administration seems resolute to
keep Mr.. Pomerene's name before
the Senate for confirmation.
Roberts Makes Hit.
AS for Mr.. Roberts, Of Pennsyl.
vania, he came to Washington at
the call Of Senator Pepper Of Penn.
aylvania, and at the end Of twenty.
four hours had been nominated by
the President to be one Of the Gov.
ornment's two oil prosecutors and
had been cross-examined by the
Senate's Public Lands Committee
and had been introduced to large
numbers OF Senators outside the
Public Lands Committee and had
made a remarkably favorable per.
sonal impression upon all who met
him.
He Is a man Of enormous ap-
parent vigor Of body and Of mind,
tall, well-built, with pugilistic shout.
ders, gray-blue, clear, frank eyes, a
nose as long as a question mark
OF the largest headline type,
broad jaw, a powerful chin, and a
manner OF speech alert and even
abrupt. He told the Public Lands
Committee that he had never repre-.
scented any oil company as q lawyer
and that he was not interested in
any oil company as an investor. He
also, under questioning by the COM
mittee, said with humor that to his
great regret 1t was not true that
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company
had ever felt any need for his legal
services.
Prosecuted War Crimes.
Never having been employed by
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company,
and never having been employed by
any oil company, and having been
O professor Of law in the University
OF pennsylvania, and having been
q prosecuting attorney In Philadel.
phia county, and also having after
ward prosecuted wartime criminals
In the Pennsylvania Federal courts.
and not owning any oil securities,
he was thought, perhaps, to be
likely to run the gauntlet OF Sena.
torial present.day suspiciousness
and be able to survive as a Sena.
torially confirmed Government oil
prosecutor.
Tn Administration ri,cla. q.
hoped that the Senate would now
confirm Pomerene and Roberts
promptly and allow the long WORK
of investigation Of the naval oil
reserve leases to be followed Inv
some prompt actual action in try.
ing to get those leases tested in
the courts and In trying to assert
the Governments full rights, what.
ever they may be, in the navy's oil
lands.
Procedure Outlined.
It was believed that the procedure
I'm view Is as follows:
A suit in equity will be brought
IN a Federal court to Dust the Do.
heny company and the Sinclair
company from the leases which en-.
secretary Of the Interior Fail gave
them. The court will be asked 70
!. anpoint q receiver 20 take charge
al the on operations started on
naval oil lands by the DOheny and
sinclair comglanies and 60 protect
~ GOvaEnmamt's lntarssaA Mean-