Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-26
SENATE MAY PROBE
PRESIDENTS POLICY
Lausanne Treaty and Mica
raguan Resolutions Would,
Result Virtually in That.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Hill at the turn OF the year. The
Senate. as usual. is in the more in
quisitorial mood but proposals for
probes are not wanting In the House
of Representatives. If all the in
quiries pending or sought are In
stituted and carried on. the prospect
of an extra session of Congress will
become an enduring probability.
While congressional Investigations
formally require the attention only of
special committees or subcommittee,
they usurp in the aggregate the time
of innumerable members. Inability
to discuss legislation on the floors OF
House and Senate is the result. and
the eventual consequence can easily
be the prolongation of regular bust-
ness TO a point necessitating an extra
session Leaders now are freely dis
cussing such a contingency.
None OF the Investigations proposed
rivals in significance that of Senator
King, Democrat, of Utah, to inquire
into the circumstances surrounding
the conclusion of the Lausanne treaty
with Turkey. In effect, the King
project is a scheme to investigate the
President OF the United states. The
President conducts the Nations for
eign relations. 1t is he who makes
treaties. by and with the consent OF
the Senate.
Oil Firm Drawn In.
While it was Mr.. Coolidge's ennis
saries who actually negotiated with
the Turks at Lausanne, they did so
under his orders and with his ap-
prevail Any investigation of their
activities there is an investigation of
the Presidents activities. The King
| resolution wants to have the Senate
look into the relations of the state
] Department" and the Standard OIL
| Co., in connection with Lausanne, but
state Department" is only another
| name. on international occasions, for
! 1.-The President"
Still another presidential inquist-
| ton Is involved in the resolution in
| troduced by Senator Moses. Repub-
| lican, of New Hampshire, which seeks
| light on recent American icaraguan
developments, especially as regards
/ their Mexican angle. The Moses pro-
| posal amounts to an investigation or
| Just what President Coolidge has done
| this Winter to involve the United
| States in the tortuous affairs of Mica
ragua.
! A new senatorial investigation has
| just been started, with the so-called
bread trust as its objective. A sub
Il
dietary. headed by Senator Walsh.
Democrat, of Montana, is looking into
the operations Of the Ward and Con-
tinentaI Baking Corporations, and
| particularly into the role the Depart
ment of Justice played during the diff
ficulties those concerns recently had
in the Federal courts. The bread
probe is the outcome of a resolution
by Senator La Toilette, Republican
progressive, of Wisconsin.
Two impending senatorial 1nvest1-
cations concern respectively Cyrus z.
Woods of Pennsylvania. just nomi-
mated by the President to the Inter
state Commerce Commission. ana
Senator Gould of Maine.
who took his seat only three weeks
ago. The Woods appointment is chal-
Ilenged by Republican Senators VINO
nlistrust the Pennsylvania coal and
railroad Affiliations, and by other sen
ators who remember that Woods
| figured somewhat prominently in the
| So. 0OO. 900 Pennsylvania "slush cam
paivn. Senator Gould is to be invest-
| gated as to the merits or dement's OF
| the charge that he once brtbed a
| Canadian premier in connection with
railway affairs in which Gould func-
toned as a lawyer. The Gould in
yestigation Is set for January 8.
Two senatorial investigation. each
dealing with important issues, are
| technically still in progress, tnougn
| their major inquiries seem to be at
AN end. one is the Reed (of Missouri)
urinary funds inquiry, which began
| in June. 1926. The other Is the Roo.
inson (of Arkansas investigation OF
| the United States Tariff Commission.
| The Reed committee has just sub
mitted a partial report to the senate,
| hut regards itself as conanulng
body ready to turn the searchlignt IN
| whichever direction fresh quarry
seems to be in sight. Investigatloh
of the Pennsylvania senatorial eiec
l tion on November 2 may be the heeu
| nrohers' next sortie. Senator Reed Is
not certain that, within the limits OF
| the committees present authority. II
| can legitimately scrutinize election
as apart from primary aralrs.
Tariff Inquiry Incomplete.
The Robinson Tariff Commission
ino,,ir,, held it's last hearing In June.
| 1a5s Hearings have been printed,
~, No report made 10 the Senate
AZ vet. Technically the investlga-
tion ia still on. It's purport was,
among other things. to snow 'na.
the Tariff Commission was pacheo
with Coolidge Republicans eu
Coolidge Democrats in'the lh,eres'
of highly protected American DUST
ness. L,;,
The Senate committe on PUBIC
.rds--the bodv which conducted the
investiSat ton of the century, VIZ,
Teanot Dome and allied oil anairs.
sometimes stoops to lesser themes
n has still pending an investigation
~ 1.-THE location of sand Island IN
the Columbia River" Hearings were
held and printed, but the Senate IL
still waiting for a report on tha'
weighty issue.
Senator Borah is chairman OF
Senate committee authorized 10
examine the administration OF tne
aIi.n property custodian's once
since its establishment during the
war. Hearings have never peen
begun under the resolution provld-
ine for the probe, because funds
were not appropriated. 1t Is esti-
mated that $4,000 would be neces-
sary as an initial expense. Alien
pronerty would call for an exhaus-
tive inquiry. 1t would delve into the
administrations of no fewer imam
Ave custodians-A. Mitchell Palmer.
Francis p. Caravan, Thomas w. MIL
Ter. Frederick G. Hicks and the pres
ent custodian, Howard n. Suther-
land.
Varied Other Investigations.
still other Investigations loom
when Senator elect Smith OF llt-
nois or Senator elect Ware OF Penn
svlyania attempts to present his
credentials. Resolutions by Senator
Dill OF Washington and Ashurst of
Arizona are on the Senate table,
either of which could become the
basis for a formal senatorial inquiry.
There Is already provision for In
yestigation of Republican patronage