Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1924-03-19
SECRETARY Of
INTERIOR WAS
POST WANTED
Gilmore, oil Probe Witness,
Says Operators Offered
to Support Wood
TELLS OF COMMON TALK
That IDEAL" Had Been Made
by Operators and the
Possible Nominee

WASHINGTON. March 19.--so%
sip about an "oil deal at the Re
publican national convention in 1s2u
and story about a venture in Tea
pot Dome that collided with that eli
Harry f. Sinclair, made up today
book of testimony in the oil inquiry.
The tale about the Chicago con
vention was brought before the oi
committee by Tiffin Gilmore. deput<
secretary of the state of Ohio. who
worked in 1920 for Leonard Wood
He said it was Common. talk that
there had been a deal -between oil.
operators and the possible nominee,
that he understood an offer was
made TO Wood and was refused. but
that he knew the names Of nene-,:i
the men concerned and 11ad no
first hand information Whatever to
support the story.
James G. Darden, friend OF Tsfesi-
dent Harding and a man OF far
flung interests, testified about tho
Teapot venture in which he himsel:
was interested along with John f.
Campion and Robert G. TAYLOR. Hs
said they had made claim TO loo
acres, without fence of a scratch
upon it: had been promised some
sort of an adjustment by Secretary
Payne in the Wilson administration
but even had applied Tor d lease and
eventually had been elected by ma
rines after the reserve wa sleased
to Sinclair
Darden declared he had learned
through gossip" two months in ad
vance that Sinclair was to get the
lease. An arrangement was made
with the Mutual Oil Company to de-
velop the claim. and Darden's lasv
yer. Robert S. Bright. told the com
mittee that the development com
pany began work after it becan1s
known that the Sinclair lease han
been consummated. Their hope was
he said, to contest the legality Of the
Sinclair contract, but when Darder
took the matter up with President
Harding and Attorney General
Daugherty he found that Interior
Secretary Fall was determined tt
clear the Mutual off the. reservation.
forthwith by force
The committee expects at to1zrer-
rows session to again question G. ID.
Wahlberg. former secretary to Isarrr
F. Sinclair and on Friday to recall
oAiAAitiAl H4AlNtli-
carmi A. Thompson. an Ohio Re
! publican leader. with whom Gilmore
testified he discussed a land claim
after the Chicago convention, was
subpoenaed today by the COMMITTEES.
WASHINGTON. March 19-The
atmosphere at the Chicago Repubii-
can convention in 1920 was sur
charged with stories Of "oil deals.
the oil committee was told today by
Tiffin Gilmore, deputy secretary al
state of Ohio, who was at Chicago
as a Wood supporter.
One story was, Gilmore said. tlla;
oil operators had proposed to throw
I delegate support to Major Genera
Wood if they were permitted to
name the secretary of the Interior
, He declared he knew nothing about
/ It first hand" but that it was COM
mon talk that "a deal ha been con-
I summated between oil operators and
the possible nominee"
WHO were the operators ~ he
! was asked.
Il don't know except that They
were big operators in the western
I district"
"Who made the proposition ?,s
do not know; l couldn't say.
! The proposition was made to Cen
1 eral Wood"
! (conf.nued on page %