Evening star., 1926-11-23

Young Doheny served under RoD1SOn.
When the son went overseas Hogan
said that the father had a talk with
Admiral Robson, and told him how
oil was being drained from naval re-
serves in California.
After the war, when Robson had
returned as chief Of engineers, the
attorney said that young Doheny
came to Washington to see him on De-
half Of a fellow officer. Admiral Robi-
son took him to dinner, and there un-
folded to him his dream of Pearl Har-
Dor.
He asked Doheny, jr., as practical
oil man, what the Government should
do to store its oil and how it could be
done. Young Doheny said he wouid
talk it over with his father.
"On December IA. 1921, IA days
after the loan 1 have told you about,
IA days after Fall had washed his
hands of the Navy Department" said
Mr.. Hogan, young Doheny wrote
Robson that his father was coming
to Washington soon and would be glad
to see him."
Meanwhile, Hogan pointed out. the
only lease that had been authorized
had been made and no other was In
process Of negotiation.
Doheny First Demurred.
The elder Doheny told Robson that
his company would have nothing to
do with the Pearl Harbor project.
which, Hogan stressed, forms an I'M
portant part of the conspiracy indict-
ment. Robson appealed to Doheny
without avail and then, painting
picture of the situation on the Pa
cific with the prospective horrors OF
war with the yellow races, asked
him to go into the project.
Hogan declared that the evidence
shows that at the end of this appeal
Doheny said: "Our people are against
it," but when it was put to him on
a question of patriotism, Doheny
said his company would bid on Pearl
Harbor without a penny profit.
Hogan then referred to the letter
written by the younger Theodore
Roosevelt, asking the Interior Depart
ment to assist in putting through the
Pearl Harbor oil exchange plan, adj
vising that since this plan involved
the military secrets, it should be kept
as confidential as possible. All the doc
uments bearing on this were stamped
secret" Hogan declared, adding that
this was the only secrecy involved.
Despite this, he said, the facts were all
divulged. Court then recessed until
1870 pm.
Balm Makes Trip West.
Mr.. Hogan began the afternoon ses-
sion with a discussion of events be-
ginning in the middle Of December,
1921. He related how acting Secretary
Finney had told Mr.. Balm to work out
the plan suggested by the Navy De-
partment and how Balm had gone
West. stopping at Three Rivers,
N. Mex, to tell Fall he was going to
coast with the view of carrying out
the project. Balm visited officials of
the Standard Oil Co.. the Associated
Oil Co., the General Petroleum Co.,
the Union Oil Co, the j. G. White Co.
and the Pan-American concern.
Attorneys in one or two Of the COM
panies expressed doubt about the
plan, believing Congress did not give
the department heads authority to
make such contracts, the attorney
added. Nevertheless all were given
the identical information that the
Pan-American company received. In
January, 1922, the attorney said, Fall
informed Finney and Balm that he
was going to be busy with other mat
ters and for them to handle the Pearl
Harbor project altogether. After much
discussion on the nature of the bids,
whether they would be cost plus or
lump sum, the bids were opened on
April IS.
Two days prior to this Fall had writ
ten DENLY recommending the latter
get an amendment to the naval ap-
preparation bill granting the Navy
Department authority to sell crude