New Britain herald., 1926-12-01
N0TE BY HARDING
 IS READ AT TRIAL
Letter Written by Harding h.
 troduced in Oil Case

ter by President Harding. approving the oil leasing policies of Albert B. Fall while he was secretary of the interior. was brought into court to- day by the '. defense in he Fall Doheny oil conspiracy trial.
 "The policy which has been adopt ed by the secretary of the navy and the secretary of the interior in deal ing with these matters was submit ted to me prior to the adoption thereof" wrote Mir. Harding, "ano the policy decided upon and the sub sequent acts have at all times had my entire approval"
 No Details Mentioned
 The presidents letter did not go into details regarding individual leases, but he enclosed statement by Fall, then secretary of the inter- for, outlining what had beon done ard saysng that he was certain the contracts entered into twill redounu to the credit of your administration, both in the immediate present and the distant future"
 The letter was sent to the senate in April, 1922, in reply to the origin al resolution of inquiry into the Teapot Dome Elk Hill leases. It was put into evidence while 8 prosecu- ton witness was on the stand, and was a part of a defense effort to show that Fall did not himself bear the responsibility for award of the Elk Hills lease to the Doheny inter- ests after Doheny had advanced him a 'loan" of sl0O,ooo.
 Was Acquainted With Fate
 In his reply to the senate Presi- dent Harding said he was acquainted in detail with the policies of the interior department, had been ap- praised of the exact terms of the various leases, and approved and supported the entire program of the department.
 E. c. F'inney, assistant secretary of the interior, 8 government wit ness, testified he personally had sub mitted much of the interior de- partmental detail incorporated in the presidents message.
 Under cross examination, by Mark B. Thompson, of counsel for Fall, Finney told the jury of correspon- dence with the Standard Oil com pany of California regarding the Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. oil storage project, a contract for which even- tually was awarded the Doheny in- terests.
 Standard Oil Protests
 Finney said the Standard Oil com pany expressed misgivings as to the authority of the interior department to enter into a contract involving such extensive interests of the navy department and suggested that Sec retary Denby, of the navy be made a party to the proposed contract.
 The witness assured Secretary Fall, he said, that the Standards ideas on that point were 'all wrong" since President Harding's executive order of May 31, 1921, transferred all authority over naval oil reserves from the navy to the interior department.
 Finney said he received a peti- ton from Doheny's Pan-American company on Nov. g, 1921, seeking relief from what it regarded as bur- densome royalty terms in a contract covering 22 offset wells in the naval 1 reserve.
 Terms Not Reduced
 Affar IiSrl,ccinp u,it Fall told the company the government could not reduce the terms, but | would consider an equitable adjust nent through additional leases to the company.
 Owen J. Roberts of government | counsel brought out that Fall was advanced the s100,00o by Doheny on Nov. 30. 1921.
 Dorrie c. Ham, secretary in . Washington law firm, was the next 1 government witness. She identified | c letter in which Union Oil company Of California protested to the sec retaries of the interior and navy that 1t had not been asked to bid on the Pearl Harbor project The let ter was dated April 2S. 1922. three days after the Pearl Harbor con- ; tract had been awarded to Doheny's Pan-American company.
 Falls Responsibility.
 Again mulling over the physical facts that surrounded the leasing of the Elk Hills naval oil reserve, op- posing counsel in the Doheny oil conspiracy trial battled over the question of Albert B. Falls respon- sibility for award of the lease to the interests headed by his friend Edward l.. Doheny.
 The prosecution, seeking to show that the then interior secretary di- rectly influenced the award after Doheny had advanced him $1nO,00O, pinned Its reliance on the stories of government employees who were more or less directly associated with Fall in the leasing negotiations.
 The defense replied militantly striving to show by the govern ment's own witnesses that Fall had left many important parts of the negotiations to others and that the final decision was reached while he was absent from Washington, and on recommendation of officials of the navy.
 May Rest Case Today.
 There was some possibility that the prosecution might rest it's case before tonight's adjournment, al though the prolonged cross-ex ination of witnesses by the defense lawyers dimmed that prospect hour ly.
 F. c. Finney. assistant secretary of the interior. whose cross- -examin- ation was begun at last nights ses- sion, remained on the stand at the opening of court today and again was questioned by defense about his statement that Fall was in New