The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-12-29
PACIFIC WAR
SCARE COMES
UNDER INQUIRY
Oklahoma Congressman Says
Wilbur Refused To Give COM
miticc Desired Reports


Washington. Doe, - Up, The Pa
cif}c "war scare" chat figured in the
Fail-nahcny oil trial has come under
irau:sy ~ III, house naval commit
tee and Representative McClintoc
cf oklahoma. i Democratic member.
said today tina; Secretary Wilbur had
refused 10 give til, committee conf
dental navy reports hcarin% on the
\ SuaJcc,
Specifically, the Oklahoma repre-
sentative disclosed. the committee
had requested the navy secretary to
( send i; III confidence . report sub
/ mi;;ed by Admiral Gleavcs. while he
! WAS commander of the Asiatic fleet,
I dealing with "thc bellgercnt atti-
. tude Of Japan a few years ago"
The committee action was taken in
secret session, during con.siuera.i ion
Of Chairman Buffers proposal to
build new fleet of light cruisers
TO bring American naval strength up
to a satisfactory ratio with that of
Great Britain and Japan.
1t was Admiral Gleavcs' report that
defense counsel ir the Fail-Doheny
trial sought without success to Sc
cure from tho navy department, in
support of the contention that the
Pearl Harbor oil contract was entered
into by the Doheny oil interests un-
the Pacific.
Excuse For Secrecy
at will be remembered that this
report has been made the excuse for
the secrecy of disposing of our naval
reserve oil lands and the construction
Of oil tanks in Hawaii" said Me-
Clinic.
1T will also be remembered that
after the recent trial Of Mr.. Fall and
noheny one Of the jurors gave out Il
statement in which the Japanese
scare and this report were given as
a Justitiablc reason for the verdict
which cxoneratcd them from any
wrong doing.
~ was advised some time ago by
a high ranking officer in the navy
that these so-called Japanese re-
ports contained no information which
would show a belligerent attitude on
the part of Japan, and that the de-
partment could not afford to allow
any member of congress to see these
reports for the reason they would
show that the secret policy of the
navy with respect to the oil leases
and the building of tanks was not
Justified Wa.
"in fact these reports, according to
the information given me, mostly
concern the killing of an American
sailor and the finding of some oil
on the water after the Japanese
earthquake. 1t was known by every
person that Japan automatically
aud respectfully disposed Of the case
where the sailor was killed, according
TO the custom usually followed by
other nations.
To Excite People
'ln my opinion this Japanese scare
is now put forth for the purpose of
exciting the citizenship Of the United
States so that pressure will be
brought in favor Of Il new ship build
ing policy costing 100000, 900 or
! $500. 100000"
Representative McClntic declared
that the committee could not COM
petently decide what naval defense
! measures are necessary as long as
the navy department refuses to lay
its cards on the table.
Secretary Wilbur says today that
Mr.. McClntic had individually asked
for confidential information from
the department and had been refused,
but that he knew of no request from
the naval committee as IA whole.
I'VE refused to divulge this infor-
nation in court, and we doubtless
would refuse to give il to the COM
mittcc," said the secretary.