Imperial Valley press., 1928-03-29
ROBINSON
|CENSURES
'b0()RbONS
Declares Oil Conspiracy
Hatched in FOrepart Of
Wilson Term.
RECORDS ARE CITED
Leaders of Democrats are
Named as Those Who
Profited by Leases.
by United Press Leased wire

~ Hcho AsCdSCu VVIEC
WASHINGTON, March 29.-The
conspiracy to get control of the
nations oil reserves was not hatch.
ed at the 1920 Republican conven.
tion but was formed in Washington
during the Wilson administration by
high officials of the administration,
aided and abetted by still other
Democrats of high standing, Sena-
tor Arthur Robinson, Republican,
Indiana, told the senate today.
Robinson charged that former
Secretary of the Navy Daniels ask
ed authority to take naval reserve
oil out of the ground and leased 55
wells in the Elk Hills reserve. He
said former Secretary of Interior
Lane originated the idea of leasing
the lands to private oil interests.
He maintained that Senator
Walsh of Montana, investigator of
the Teapot Dome scandal, was
charged by the late Senator La Fol-
lctte with acting in the interests of
the Standard Oil company in con.
ncction with Democratic leasing Leg
islation.
1.-THE record shows that almost
as soon as the Democratic party
came into power in 1923 an extern
slve and intensive campaign began
headed by Secretary Lane, partici.
pated in by the Democratic leaders
IN Congress, with the senator from
Montana as its spokesman in this
lody, to open up naval oil reserves
Tor exploitation by private oil cor
poratlons, upon the ground that pri-
Vate wells just outside those. reser.
Tations were draining the oil from
the navy's reserves and it was
matter of self defense to sink offset
wells within the reserves and to per-
mitt his to be done by private oil
interests" Robinson said.
Democrats Get Jobs
"Let some righteous Democratic
leader arise and explain away the
employment by oil interests of a
Democratic secretary of the inter.
ior, his private secretary, his assist
ant secretary and his commissioner
Of public lands; of former Demo-
cratic attorney general of former
Democratic secretary of war; of the
Democratic secretary of the treas.
ury who was also a son in law of the
president; and of the director of
public information of the Democrats
ic administration, representing all
told, an annual investment in sal.
aries of more than $360,000 or $1,000
& day.
'When it comes to the issue Of
restitution and cleaning house and
getting rid of tainted money it is
perfectly obvious that the Demo-
cratic leaders have several days
work ahead of them if they would
keep their doorstep from the accum-
ulation of oil.
And if they believe in their doe.
trine preached from the floor Of
this body in the last few weeks,
that party should expel from its
councils all those who have receiy-
ed oil money it is perfectly obvious
that some of the most distinguished
members of the Democratic party
are going to be absent from the
next Democratic national eonven.
tion.
Was it nothing that private oil
interests obtained leases ON naval
Gil reserves from Secretary Dam
lels and operated them at profits
Should Prevent Repetition
Was it nothing that Democrat
ic national committee man from
Colorado and his associates were
given lease by the Democratic
secretary of the interior ON public
oil lands adjacent to naval reserves
the lease covering 1000 acres, ap-
proXimately half the size of Teapot
Dome and approximately one-third
of the total amount of public oil
lands leased by the Democratic Sec
letary of the interior during tho
year of his terms
Was it nothing that other pri-
Vate oil interests obtained leases,
l50 in number, adjacent to the naval
"l reserves, PRINTING them to drain
the oil from these reserves!'
Robinson said the public lands
committee, which has been invests
eating oil matters, should immedi-
ctely report corrective legislation to
Prevent another Teapot Dome sean.
dial.