Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-02-26
QUESTION SON OF
WITNESS EXILE
ON SLUSH BONDS

WASHINGTON Feb. IS u9-For
more than an hour today the senate
Teapot Dome committee grilled the
son of Henry M. Blackmer, self.
exiled oil magnate. but obtained
virtually no additional information as
to the formation and operations CT
the ephemeral Continental Trading
company
The son, Myron K Blackmer. Of
Denver, vice president of the Mid
West Refining company, asserted that
he had no knowledge of the Con-
tinental deal aside from the fact that
his father, once chairman OF the
board of the Midwest, had told him
he was interested in the Continental
and had made $750000 in profit out
of it.
Young Blacklner declined TO answer
questions on only one point; that was
his own speculations as to whether
his father, in refusing to obey sub
poenas from American courts and
taking up his residence in Paris, was
not more concerned in protecting
others than he was in his cwn
status.
"I love my father and I owe
loyalty to him. Blackmer told the
committee. "I do not think it is
fair for you to ask me for my
speculations My father told me he
had not wanted to be mixed up IN
this matter My personal feeling
about this regrettable affair is for
myself / do not think you ought
to press that
Chairman Nye, who did the ques-
tioning on this point. finally replied
that he would not press it.
Earlier in the examination, how
ever, Senator Walsh, democrat, Mon
tana, the committee prosecutor, ham,
mered young Blackmer vigorously in
an effort to develop that the witness
had discussed the Continental trans
action with Robert w. Stewart, chair
man of the board of the Standard
Oil company of Indiana, who now
faces senate contempt charges fer
his refusal to tell what he knows
about the disposition OF the Con-
tinental liberty bonds.
Blackmer frankly said he had talk
ed with Stewart about the Mitigation
involving my father" but insisted to
Senator Walsh later that the Con-
tinental deal had not figured in these
conversations.
Declaring that ''the whole world is
condemning this transaction" Senator
Walsh asked:
with these imputations cut against
your father and that Colonel Stewart
was one of those participating in the
matter swas11'td it natural that yoH4
would inquire of him so as to remove
the imputations against your fatherps'
INV father was in it and I did
not feel it. nfyy duty TO ask ColoHel
Stewart about it." Blackner replied.
Previously he had told the COM
rnittee that his father had directed
him to regard the whole subject as
confidential, thatN he believed his
fathers actions had been entirely
honorable" and had resented the
Montana senator's implication that
the son was indifferent as to the
charges against his father.
"I have been deeply worried about
the whole matter and 1t IS OF grave
concern to me- the 35 yes.c old Gil
official said as he leaned across the
witness table to speak IN low voice
with evident emotion.
During the examination, Chairman
Nye brought into the case the name
of the Western Oil Fields corporation
of Denver, and also those OF former
Governor Shoup, of Colorado, and
John T. Barnett, Of Denver, demo-
cratic national committeeman Tor
Colorado. 3s
Blackmer said Shoup was president
of the Western Oil corporation ana
a friend of his father He added
that the elder Blackmer and Barnett
also were friendly, but that he knew
of no political relations between ms
father and either Shoup or Barnett.
After Blackmer was excused, Robert
Rae. New York agent of the Dominion
Bank of Canada, which acted as
agent for the CcntinenIN company
in All of its American oil transactions,
cleared up the mystery as to the
identify of the brokers rrom wnom
the bank bought 100000 in liberty
bonds for the Continental.
The bank ledger sheets showed the
names of some of the brokers, but
the others were omitted from 1T. Rae
Srunlied the names and the commit
tee. which adjourned subject to the
cali of the chair, will summon agents
of these brokers in an effort to obtain
the serial numbers OF those bonds
By, means OF those numbers it hopes
to he able to trace the bonds after
they passed out Of the hands OF
the Continental. 1t is by this route
that the committee hopes ultimately
to get back to the connection between
these bond transactions and the
Teapot Dome oil lease.