Evening star., 1927-10-24
LEASE PROPOSAL
IS READ TO OIL CASE JURY

counsel. it would be a fair inference
that Sinclair appeared before the COM
mlttee on the day in question. De
cember 4, l923. as a I, 'ult of a re
quest from the committee. and that
but for that request he would not
have been before the committee. Bat
the court desires no doubt on that
point to he left. The court is of
opinion that it is important. in the
consideration of the pending ohiec
tion To the prOffer of statements said
In have been made by the defendant
Sinclair on the occasion mentioned.
that the precise circumstances and
facts that brought about his appear.
ance before the committee, and the
making of the statements in question.
should appear. The court requires
knowledge of this in its further con
sideration of the question. and it is as
sumed that these facts can be- estab-
iiShed. The court awaits this i'll.
formation before proceeding further
with a consideration and decision of
the pending objection"
To this the court added that fair
inference could be had az a result of
the request Of the committee, and but
for that Sinclair would not have been
no doubt whatever on that point and
considers it important to know the
exact circumstances under which Sin
clair stood before the Senate commit.
tee. Justice Siddons stated orally. The
court awaits this information before
proceeding further" he declared. and
then added that neither side had
stated from whom the request for Sin
clair's appearance was received. Re
ferring again to his typewriter
statement. the court pointed to Little
tons declaration explaining that he
came close to it" in saying Sinclair
was notified that the committee
wished him to appear.
Turning around i'm his chair, Rob
erts faced Littleton and both launched
a lengthy conference presumably
on facts leading up to Sinclair's ap.
pearance. Former Senator AtIee
Pomerene of Ohio, who during the last
week has taken no active part in
court in the proceedings, leaving
everything to his colleague, Roberts,
joined in on the conference.
First Witness Called.
Following Justice Siddons' announce
ment. the seven attorneys actively en-
gagged in prosecuting and defending
the suit gathered about the judges
bench for a 15-minute conference.
They We're busily engaged in looking
up court citations in a score of vol
umes.
At the end of this conference, Mr..
Roberts called the first witness Of the
day and proceeded Immediately to
enter into the question of the placer
claims on Teapot Dome held by the
Pioneer Co., which Fail had told
Sinclair must be cleared up before the
oil reserve could be leased to him
These claims. the Government CON
tends, We're practically valueless and
invalid and in its indictment it alleges
that the one million dollars or more
paid by Sinclair to quiet them was
done under circumstances unusual and
significant
l.. &. Eddy of Oakland, Calf, who
was chief of the oil and gas division
of the general la nd office at the time
the lease negotiations were being con.
Quoted was the first witness called by
the Government.
In January, 1922, on the request Of
Charles ID. Stafford. administrative as.
sistant and private secretary to Fail.
Eddy said he caused to be prepared a
memora ndum on the nature and sta
luS OF various claims to lands in the
Teapot Dome area. He designated
Roy w. Tallman to prepare this mem.
olandum for Fall
In offering the memora ndum in
question. Roberts told the cour. that
he did so to show the information fur.
nISh"d Fan in pursuance to his re.
quest. William +. Leahy, counsel for
Fan. objected to its intrudllct ion hu,
the court overruled him. The defense
counsel protested that 1t had already
been established by the record that
ran was not in Washington at the
time
Memorandum ON Claims.
on January L, 1922. Eddy testi.
ned. thlS memora ndum relative to the
tahditN of the oil placer claims was
delivered to Spafford.
Reading from the report. Roberts
-houeht after the important act. that
an examination Of the claims hy the
interior Department investigator in.
oicated that no one had any valid
cialm' to lands in Teapot Dome eX.
'"pt 10 $50 acres. which belonged to
the state of Wyoming for furture
school sites. The report gave a mi.
mute description of the oil reserve
'laimS and further on it mentioned
that with respect to placer claims
non" al" valid" and emphasized again
tnat there were mo mineral claims
that deserve serious consideration.
lteicrrlnE 10 the suggestion that
teapot Dome should be leased. the re-
port stated there was no reason for
ms, naming among other things the
Iact that there was no offset vel.