Evening star., 1926-12-01
Continued from First Page.)

sage to Congress June Z, 1922, in re-
Sponse to the resolution of Senator
Robert NJ. La Toilette asking for in
formation about the oil leases and the
naval reserves. His letter said he had
been consulted and had approved.
Attorney Frank J. Hogan of coun-
sci for Doheny, gave such information
before the jury in the course of his
crossexamination of E. c. Finney,
First Assistant Secretary Of the In
terior.
Finney Identifies Letter.
Ftnney identified Public Document
210 Of the Sixty-seventh Congress.
which is the official designation of the
message Of President Harding to the
Senate. in answer to the La Toilette
resolution, and testified that he col
taborated in the preparation of the
data on which the message was based.
The defense. it is expected, will read
this document to the jury in the
course of the presentation of its case
and will lay great stress upon it. as
showing presidential sanction for the
oil leases. and approval of the action
OF Fall by President Harding.
Judge Finney proved a valuable wit
ness for the defense, although offered
by the Government, through his ad-
mission, under the cross-examination
of Mr.. Hogan. that the witness had
handled the negotiations for the leas-
ing OF Naval Reserve No. 2. during
the absence of Secretary Fall in De
nember. 1921. He also stated that the
frst proposal for secrecy in the nego-
tiations came TO him in letter from
Theodore Roosevelt. assistant Secre-
tary of the Navy, suggesting that the
Pearl IIarbor project was a part of
war plans of the Navy and should be
kept confidential. The witness also
Navy DENLY and Assistant Secretary
Roosevelt, urging leases and construc-
ton Of storage tanks.
UphOlds Value of Lease.
Judge Finney also aided the defense
when he explained that the Doheny
lease was an advantageous one for the
Government and compared favorably
with the leases on other portions Of
the naval reserves, from which larger
royalties were received in some in
stances by the Government. He en-
tered into the technical differences in
quality of oil, known condition OF the
land as to oil deposits, and the like.
Attorney Mark B. Thompson Of
New Mexico, of counsel for Fall, took
I'D the crOss-eXamination of Finney
after Mr.. Hogan.
While the testimony of Judge Fin
ney was regarded oas being favorable
10 the defense, Attorney Owen j.
Roberts, chief counsel for the Gov
ernment, stated today that it was not
unexpected The bulk of the favor
able evidence, he declared, had been
given by Judge Finney at the trial
of the civil suit in San Francisco and
he had told his story of the leases
before the grand jury which returned
the indictment under which the ac-
cused are now being tried.
Mr. Roberts had expected to close
the case for the Government this
evening If q night session was held.
A conference between counsel and
Justice Hoehling resulted in an an
nouncement that there would be no
night session this evening, SO that the
Governments case will probably be
concluded tomorrow.
Roosevelt Awaits Summons.
Theodore Roosevelt is in Washing
ton today, awaiting summons by Mr..
Roberts to take the witness stand for
the prosecution. He will be called to
tell what he knew Of the plans sur
rounding the birth Of the proposal to
build two oil tanks at Pearl Harbor.
Hawaii, for the storage of oil to aid
the naval defense Of the Philippine
Islands and of the western coast Of
the United States from a threatened
attack by the Japanese navy.
President Harding's letter of trans