Evening star., 1925-01-21
SENATE CONDEMNS
{ OIL LAND LEASES
Adopts Majority Report OF
Teapot Dome Investigat-
ing Committee.

of the majority of the oil inveStigat-
geeommittee, which denounced the
Teapot Dome and California naval oil
reserve leases. The Senate voted 4C
to 80 in favor of the majority report
which was submitted by Senator
Walsh of Montana
a minority report. offered by Sen
ator Spencer on behalf of himself and
several other Republican members OF
the committee, was voted down, A.
20 Is
Action came after comparatively
brief debate on a subject which oc-
Cupied much OF the attention of the
Senate at the last session and led to
the institution Of the pending suits by
the Government to cancel the leases
Of the naval oil reserves granted to
Edward L. Doheny and Harry F. Sin
clair by Albert B. Fall as Secretary
of the Interior.
Vote Down Minority Report.
The minority report, which defended
the principle of the leasing of naval
oil reserves and held Edwin DENLY
as Secretary of the Navy and his as
ststants blameless in connection with
the leases. drew support only from
Republicans. The Democrats voted
soltdly for the Walsh report and were
Joined by six Republicans and one
Fermentation. Shipstead of Mime
sofa. The roll call follows:
For the majority report:
Republicans - Borah, Brookhart
Frazier, Johnson Of California, Nor
beck and Norris-6
emocrats-Broussard Bruce, Cara
way. Copeland, Dial Dill, Edwards,
Ferris, Fletcher, George, Glass,
Harris, Harrison, Hefiin, Kendrick,
Edge, Mcclellan, Mayfield. Neely.
cverman. PIttman, Ra1ston, Ransd Il.
Reed Missouri Sbanhard IS
Simmons Smith. Swanson, Under
wood, Walsh Of Massachusetts, Walsh
of Montana and Wheeler-33.
Farmer-La bor-Shipstead
Against the majority report:
Republicans Bingham. Bursum.
Butler Cameron. Capper, Couzens.
Cummins. Curtis Ernst, Fernald. Fess
GoodinE. Hale, Jones of Washington.
Neyes. Mccormick. Mckinley, Mclean,
Means, Metcalf oddie, Pepper Phipps,
Smoot, Spencer, Sterling, Wadsworth,
Warren, Watson and Willis-30.
Seven Republicans Join Democrats.
Seven Republicans and Senator
Shipstead joined with the Democrats
IN opposing the minority reports.
These Republicans We're Borah OF
Idaho, Brookhart of Iowa, Couzens Of
Michigan, Frazier of North Dakota,
Johnson of California, Norbeck of
South Dakota, who signed the ma
3ority report, and Norris of Nebraska.
Calling up the majority report,
senator Walsh declared the minority
report was "a tissue of half truths.
misrepresentation and arguments
characterized by the most partisan
bias. Senator Spencer. in reply. as
serted that the majority statement
was "a biased, unfair report in MANY
Particulars"
senator Walsh disagreed with the
n,IHoIltE that the majority had held
-iF. Denby and his assistants blame
Tess IN connection with the OF! leases
In thls connection, Senator Bruce.
democrat, Maryland. who supported
the Nalsh report, asserted he did NOT
consider this report as fmnutatfon
upon the honorable discharge of his
dutes by Mr.. DENLY, whose retire
ment as Secretary Of the Nav c.,,Ia
during the inquiry and after +bI
senate formally had requested the
Ffesldent to demand his resignation
ms drew declaration from SEN
ator Helm, Democrat, Ala. thar he
considered Mr.. Denby equally as
guilty as Albert B. Fall" in connec-
tIon with the oil leases. He add.d
that IN his belief Doheny and Sinclair
had paid from $l,o00.OOO to $4,000, 600
Tor the leases which they had or
~ q n
during Falls administration as Secre-
tary.
Senator Spencer, in offering A sub
stltute motion for the adoption of the
minority report, declared there was
much in the majority findings with
hlch he and some other Republicans
on the committee agreed, but that this
report contained statements which
were unfUuuded and criticisms of
Govern Mt n
unWiSe."
The Missouri Senator insisted that
the policy of taking oil out of the
ground and storing it in tanks IN
Hawaii and on the American coast
had, in the judgment of the nayies
OF the world, greatly increased the
efficiency Of the American battle
fleet"
Calling attention that the reports
We're assumed to deal only with the
record of the case, as presented be-
fore the committee, Senator Walsh
demanded to know what testimony
supported this statement by the
Missouri Senator.
Senator Spencer replied that his
yerollectiou was that one witness had
furnished evidence upon which such
q conclusion could be based.
Believes Courts VIII Show Legality.
interpreting Senator Spencer,s argu-
snent in behalf of his minority report as
a conclusion that the Missouri Senator
believed Sinclair and Doheny, Denby
and Fall were inspired by patriotic mo-
tives" in negotiating the oil leases,
Senator Caraway, Democrat, Arkansas.
recalled that the Missouri Senator had
voted for the resolution directing the
president to bring suit for the recovery
of the naval oil lands. Replying. then,
TO Il direct question, Senator Spencer
said he believed the legality of the
leases would be established in the
courts.
Senator Reed. Democrat, Missouri,
sad his Republican colleague was an
" "Ennocent abroad in the intellectual
aid political world, who finds virtue
int every act and with unblushing coun-
tenance lean defend every infamy." He
added that the pubic would have no diff
tiGulty in seeing through the halo
which he insisted Mr.. Spencer had
placed on Falls brow.
1nterrupting Senator Spencer read a
EeGtion of the minority report condemn
frE acceptance by Fail of the $l0O, 900
losn from Doheny. and reiterated his
dSclaration that Mr.. DENLY had been
blaJneless in connection with the oil
transaction He added that during his
experience in public life there had been
in the cabinet no more patriotic man
than Mr.. DENLY.
Senator Reed, resuming his discus
sibn. said that some day a monument
wbuld be erected to Senator Spencer
bearing on its face the names of the
clf1prits" he has defended in the SEN
ate, with the additional paraphrase,
~'Rhere is nothing wrong under the
sun" In this connection, he reviewe ed