Evening star., 1928-10-25
TEXT OF SMITHS BOSTON SPEECH

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the former Secretary Of the Interior,
renewed for Ave years the contract OF
the Sinclair Oil Co. for the royalty oil
in the Salt Greek oil region.
Oil Lease Renewed.
The original sale was made by Sec
retary Fall for a f1ve-year period, with
the option of flve-year renewal. Ref
erence to this matter during the tris!
of one of the oil magnates, and in the
Senate investigation, should have been
suficient to put DR.. Work, the Secre-
tary of the Interior, on notice, so that
at least before renewing the option he
would get an opinion of the Attorney
General as to It's validity. This. how
ever. was not done, and the renewal
was executed in January Of 1928 and
branded by the Attorney General as
illegal and improper In the middle OF
October of this year, after the matter
had been on his desk since the second
of last March.
what more palpable exhibition OF
indifference on the part of q party
leader could you find than the news
naner interview with DR.. Work re-
ported in the daily press9 I shall
why didn't you inquire of the At
torney Generals office about the
validity of the lease before its renewal?'
"There was no question Of its validity
Get this clear: There was nothing to
do with making lease or examining
its validity. A lease had existed five
wears. There was an option for q five-
years renewal 1t was only legal
question of renewal, and the depart
nent acted on the solicitors advice"
weren't matters in the Interior De-
partment ever referred to the Depart
ment of Justice?"
'Yes. When there was occasion to
There was no occasion in this matter. .
Work Had Nothing to Say.
Doesn't it seem queer to you that
the Attorney General should have cam
celed the lease Immediately upon dis
closure of the facts by the World?"
mo It's all over. I have nothing
to do with it. Furthermore, I've moth
ing to say"
"But weren't you inclined to be sus-
picious or curious because this was O
Government oil lease with the Sinclair
Coz"
mo. why should be?"
DR.. Work suddenly looked up and
said:
You understand I'm not being in
terviewed. / won't be interviewed on
this matter at ALL"
VERY well. 1 can only quote what
you've said so far, then"
'You can't quote me at all. I'm not
heinp interviewed"
"You said nothing of the kind, SIR
well. you're a gentleman. aren't
you?"
IF you had told me you were speak
ing in confidence ! should have been
bound. sir. But I told you who was
and where from at the outset and
asked questions directly. which you
answered"
What is your name?"
He was told the reporters name.
Well" concluded the former Secre-
tary of the Interior, II have nothing
at all to say on this matter. have
nothing to do with 1t. And it is all
a matter of record now, not discus
sion."
Talking about indifference. here Is
a report of an interview with Mr.. Hoo
yer himself. One newspaper man said
to him:
DO you agree with DR.. Work that
the people are tired of hearing about
oil?"
Hoover Refuses Interview.
"I will not discuss that matter" said
Mr.. Hoover.
Let the American people judge what
Mr.. Hoover meant to convey
or to conceal by this silence.
In the early part of my speech in
reference to water power I clearly
showed that the Republican candidate
left the minds of the public in dark
ness for two and half months, and
finally disposed of the public water
power DEVELOPMENT by calling it state
socialism" He has taken that identi-
cal course on the subject Of farm re-
lief. In his speech of acceptance and
in all Of his speeches In which he has
touched upon the question of farm
relief he used words to hide his real
but at New York on Monday
night he declared my plan for farm
relief to be Ste .e socialism, although
the fundamental principle Of my plan
was recognized by the Congress of the
United States and twice approved by
an overwhelming vote of Democrats
and Republicans in both houses, and
twice submitted to the President of the
United States and twice vetoed by him.
despite the fact that he had no plan of
his own to offer in It's place.
Let us see whom we can add to the
ranks of the Socialists as the result
Of that vote.
The vice presidential candidate is a
so per cent Socialist. He voted for
1t when 1t came before the Senate
but refused to vote for it
over the veto of the President.
We materially add to the ranks of
the State Socialist party when we take
in the members of Congress of both
parties In both houses at Washington
who twice voted for the principle set
forth In my stand for farm relief.
State Socialists Cited.
Former Gov. Lowden of Illinois, ac-
corGing to the candidates Monday
night declaration, is an active and mill
tant member of the State Socialistlc
party.
Let me not at this time overlook the
Vice President of the United States
who, because of his advocacy of the
principle set forth in my speech of ac-
ceptance, would become a member OF
the State Socialist party
How must 1t ring in the ears of the
farmers in the wheat and corn belts OF
the country to have the Republican ran
didate on Monday night at Madison
Square Garden line them all up with
the State Socialist party?
The Republican platform adopted at
Kansas City says:
THE agricultural problem is national
in scope"
With that we are all in accord, be-
cause there Is no denying the fact that
when one-third of the whole population
of America is in distress and their buy
ing power is paralyzed, the other two
thirds must feel 1t. That New England
does feel 1t there can be no doubt, al
though the Republican candidate, when
speaking in the city of Boston. referred
to the wages paid in the textile industry
as indicating great prosperity evenly
spread all over the country.
While in Boston the candidate spoke
of the prosperity of New England hi,t