Evening star., 1925-01-16
NEW TEAPOT DOME
SENATE ROW LOOMS
Minority Report on Probe In
| troduced, Forecasting
7 Fight.

The Teapot Dome oil scandal prom
ises to hold the attention of the
Senate again. Senator Walsh OF
Montana, who conducted the investi-
cation of the naval oil reserve leases,
has given notice that he will within
a few days move the adoption Of the
majority report of the investigating
committee, and yesterday Senator
Spencer Of Missouri, filed a minority
report on the part of himself and sew
eral Republican members of the com
mittee.
The minority report condemns for
mer Secretary Fall of the Interior
Department, but defends former Sec
rotary of the Navy DENLY.
The report. signed by Senators
Smoot of Utah, Stanf1eld of Oregon,
Bursum of New Mexico, Cameron or
Arizona and Spencer of Missouri, was
submitted by the last named, so 1t
might be before the Senate prior to
the calling up for adoption next week
of the majority report, submitted at
the last session by Senator Walsh
Democrat, Montana, prosecutor In the
oil inquiry.
The minority concurs," the report
said, "in the full measure of criticism
which the majority INDUCES upon the
conduct of a cabinet officer who is
shown to have accepted loan OF
100000 and certain other favors
while in office. Such acts cannot be
tolerated and are not to be condoned.
Agree on Denby's Part.
I'VE agree as WELL" it added, with
the majority opinion that the only
possible criticism that could be placed
upon the corduct of the Secretary of
the Navy, Edwin DENLY, or of any
Assistant Secretary, relates entirely
to the Interpretation of statutes glar-
ingly ambiguous and to the inaugura-
ton of administrative policies where
no express statute exists
The disputed Interpretation OF
statutes is properly before the courts
for judicial determination, and moth
ing in the record in the least aHects
the integrity and patriotic devotion
to duty and high character OF Secre-
tary Denby."
With further reference to the $780,
600 loan to Fall. the report said:
"If the claim that these favors were
in the nature of bribes is sustained IN
the criminal proceedings already be
gun punishment adequate and prompt
will follow. Crime is individual ana
guilt is personal. Under the Constitu-
ton men are presumed to be innocent
until proven guilty, but whether the
participants be in fact guilty under
the law or innocent, the act itself is
most reprehensible, causes national
humiliation and cannot be over
looked"
Procedure Condemned.
The minority asserted that the ex-
tended investigation into reports or
oil stock dealings by public officials
and of rumors that the appointment
of Secretary Fall had resulted from a
conspiracy" entered into before the
1920 Republican convention had pro-
duced an impre ssion in the country
concerning the investigatory incllna-
ton of the Senate that was exceed
lngly unfortunate and one Whlch
neither the Senate nor the country Is
likely soon to forget.
Discussing the now famous execu-
tive order transferring control OF the
reserves from the Navy to the In
terror Department, which preceded
the leasing of Teapot Dome to Harry
F. Sinclair and the California reserve
to Doheny, the minority declared that
whether this order was without au-
thority of law lis a question for the
court before whom it is now pending
in actions brought by the Government
against the two oil operators.
1T may be, however" the report
added, that in the interest of good
administration authority for the or
der should have been given and the
order should have been made.
Think Order Beneficial.
The minority is firm in the belief
that the Executive order saved mil
lions to the Government and has
resulted in conserving in the ground
far more oil than would have re-
mained but for the leases"
The Senator'S rejected as unsup-
ported what they characterized as
the repeated differences from the ma
jority members of the committee that
the Navy and Interior Departments
exercised undue secrecy with respect
to the leases. 1t said the heads of
these departments justified their de-
cision not to make public advertise
ment of their plans because of "ex-
listing international complications"
AS far as Secretary DENLY was
concerned. the minority held that it
was his manifest duty" in develop
ing the oil reserves, as required by
an act of Congress proposed by Sec
retary Daniels in the Wilson admin
istration, to take the oil out of the
ground, both to conserve 1t and to
make it available for use in time of
emergency.
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