Evening star., 1925-07-02
Doheny's Defense.

1nasmuch as the civil naval oil
lease cases have been tried by Fed
eral courts, one deciding in favor of
the Government in its contention for
cancellation and the other against the
Government, with the Supreme Court
remaining the tribunal of ultimate de-
cision. it is of small moment that one
OF the defendants has now appeared
In a lengthy published statement in
justification of his part in the trans
action. Mr.. Doheny's present avowal
Is not entirely new matter. 1t is vir-
tually the same as the line of defense
entered upon in the Los Angeles trial,
though it now reaches the public
more fully than through the reports
or that protracted proceeding.
Specifically, Mr.. Doheny claims
that the oil leases entered into by him
with the Government were an act Of
patriotism. induced by representations
of naval officers of high rank who
feared a war with Japan, which would
find this country dangerously ex-
posed to attack from the sea, with
inadequate means of defense in the
Pacific. He attributes the initiative
solves the Secretary of the Interior
from all responsibility. He AYERS that
important documents bearing upon
the case We're taken by investigators
and not produced at the Senate COM
mittee hearing. Though upon advice
of counsel he does not discuss his
financial relations with the former
Secretary of the Interior. he indicates
that certain matters in connection
with the loan of money from him to
Mr.. Fail We're camoufiaged for polit-
ical reasons at the behest of unnamed
members of the Republican party or
ganiZation.
1t is too late in the day for this
personal statement to affect public
opinion upon this case. Mr.. Doheny
had the fullest opportunity at the
time of the Senate inquiry to disclose
the circumstances of the oil leases.
He failed to accept it. He undertook
to set it up as a defense at the trial
of the civil suit at Los Angeles and
the court rejected it. There is no ap-
parent occasion for its production
now. 1t cannot conceivably affect the
Judgment of the Supreme Court, which
will ultimately pass upon the issues
IN this and the other case of the same
nature. which has been so differently
decided
AS for the war scare. which it is
now averred was the operating cause
of departure from the Government s
esta bhshed oil reserve policy, it is to
be borne in mind that at the time
the leases were made the Washington
arms conference had been held, and
out OF 1t had come an agreement for
a reduction of armaments which in
the judgment of the world greatly
lessened, If it did not remove. the
menace of conflict on the Pacific, If
in the judgment of certain naval Off
GERS there still remained a danger of
Japanese attack, the defense policy of
the United States was surely not to
be determined by a secret negotia-
ton between representatives not
vested with full power to fix the Gov
ernment's policy and a private COM
mercial interest which, according to
Acknowledgements that have been
plainly made. expected to reap a
profit of at least s10O, 900, 900 from the
transaction.
1t is represented that Mr.. Doheny
made this public statement against
the advice of his counsel. He would
have done better to remain silent
His statement does not prove his case.
does not increase his chance of ia
vorable decision by the highest court.
does not clear him Of suspicion of
having engaged in questionable deal
ings with an administrative officer of
the Government, and has only the ef-
feet of accusing certain naval officers
of hysteria leading to a maladminis-
tration of the public welfare.