Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1928-08-24
From Baltimore Sun of Sunday.)

From Baltimore Sun of Sunday)
To the Editor of the Sun-Sr:
The following statement in your leader.
"Mr HOOveLs Acceptance" in sundays
Sun is timely and well worth the careful
study of potential voters:
"Mr. Hoover is equally lackadaisical on
the subject of governmental corruption. He
simply Jumps federal, state and city cor
ruption and says it is all bad. The fact
that he is running for Federal Office does
not lead him TO concentrate on Federal
corruption.
As throwing additional light on this sub
ject, | would like to submit to the cOnsid
Grafton of your readers extracts from
recent leader in the Christian Century
Chicago. i. e.:
Where does Mr.. Hoover stand on the oil
corruption issue Congressman Burton, in
demanding that the Republican candidate
be as far removed from the oil faint as
heaven and hades. was campaigning for
Mr.. Hoover. By the Burton measurement,
how far is Mr., Hoovers heaven from Mr.
Falls hadesY
"Mr Hoover became one of the chiefs Of
the American Government on March a, 1921.
On the same day Mr. Harding. Mr.. Daugh-
erty, Mr.. Weeks, Mr.. DENLY and Mr.. Fall
assumed office. From that day there began
the intrigues which eliminated in Tea
pot Dome.
What of the relation of Mr.. Hoover to
these issues? Mr.. Hoover is mining en-
eineer With the possible exception OF
John Hays Hammond. he is probably the
most famous American mining engineer.
He was tn the only man in the Cabinet
with technical knowledge in field collat-
eral with that ia which the corruption de-
veloped
I'VE now have incontrOvertible proof
that Mr.. Hoover was made co8nlZant OF
the suspicious Teapot Dome deal almost at
its inception. What did he do about
r.. it Did he ever make public move to
expose or stop the oil corruption. Never.
Has he ever said a word in public against
it 4? Never. But worse than that, decumen-
tary evidence shows that he actually played
into the hands of those faithless public
servants. to employ the language Of the
Supreme Court. who conceived and carried
through the Teapot Dome deal.
The record is clear. IL was taken be
fore the Senate investigating Committee
on April 3 of the present year. 1t consists
of the story told on the witness stand by
| Mr.. Birch Helms, in 1921. ice-president of
| the Texas Pacific Coal and Oil Company
1T shows that Mr.. Helms company,
hearing that the leasing OF the Teapot
| Dome was in prospect, sent Mr.. Helms 10
Secretary Fall early in the game, asking
for chance to bid. He was told that no such
| lease was contemplated. Mr. Helms went
TO Mr. Fall again. and this time Mr., Fall
assured him that when the matter was
ripe. he would be glad to entertain the
bid of the Texas Pacific. That was on
April 10, 1922 On April T. Mr.. Fall had
actually signed the notorious Teapot Dome
lease.
But Mr.. Helms went also to Mr.. Hoover.
On April 20. 1922. thirteen days after the
deal with Sinclair was made. this expert
enced oil man put evidence in the hands
of Mr.. Hoover which would Indicate that
the Department Of the Interior was mixing
up in ,Omething with decidedly Oh-cOlOi
aspect the leasing Of national resources
of immense value without public bids and
in the utmost secrecy.
THE appeal to Mr.. Hoover was in this
form:
Have Just sent following telegram to
President. and il you are interested hope
YOU will discuss matter with him. Tele-
gram quoted as follows: will it be con
venient for you to grant me few moments
on either April twenty-flfth or sixth with
reference TO the proposed development Of
Teapot Dome structure in Wyoming
Mr. Hoover. in word, received this
appeal at the very start OF the Teapot
Dome DEAL when the secrecy OF the schem-
ers gave evidence that one bold word OF
public inquiry or denunciatiOn would stop
this steal before il could be started. And
Mr.. Hoover acted How did he act 7
THE files Of the Interior Department
show that he forwarded his telegram from
: Mr.. Helms TO Secretary Fall with this nota-
ton, 1 shall be glad to convey to this
gentleman any reply that you may suggest.
That, in the cold light Of the record, is
Mr. HOOvers connection with the oil scan
dial. A member Of the Government at the
time il occurred member ever since
! appealed TO at the time II occurred to stop
/ it assuring the chief culprit in the Cabi-
net Of his willingness to allow him to die
tate his action in the matter; silent then
silent ever since
The crisis which confronts the Ameri-
( can people to-day is moral crisis. Cor
ruptiOn is a moral issue. and corruption
will be the first issue in the coming cam
paign. Unfortunately. the vast majority
/ Of Americans still think of corruption as
I something unusual, local, self-contained
something that had to do only with the
Ohio gang or Teapot Dome.
! But this, true as far as ii goes, is a
/ fatally inadequate understanding of our
national moral crisis
M. d. CARTER.
| IInnervilIe Va