Imperial Valley press., 1928-03-23
SENATOR
IN REPLY
TO SMITH
Nye Grows Caustic In
Answer To New York
Governor.
DEFENDS p A r T Y
Chairman Asserts His
Party Prominent In Tea
pot Dome Probe.
BY United Press Leased Wire

WASHINGTON, March 23.-Sup.
porters of Al Smith blocked the
nomination of Senator Walsh of
Montana and supported John w.
Davis of the house of Morgan in
the 1924 convention, Chairman Nye
Of the Senate Teapot Dome Commit.
tee charged today in letter to
Smith.
Nye said he based his charge on
an analysis of the vote in the con.
vention made by Mr.. Callahan OF
st. Louis who was a delegate to the
convention.
In his first copy of his letter
Nye directly charged Smith with
responsibility for rejection Of
Walsh as a compromise candidate.
In a correction issued a half hour
later, Nye amended his charge to
lay responsibility upon supporters
of Smith,
The point was made by Nye I'M
connection with his contention that
Smith had opposed Walsh, who was
a leading senate investigator in the
Teapot Dome oil inquiry.
Walsh and Smith are candidates
for the Democratic presidential no.
mination.
Nye said at the start of his 1900
word letter to Smith that he had
not charged Smith with being con-
nected with the oil scandal. On
the contrary, Nye said, he had in
formed the senate the committee
would not call Smith because it did
not consider this material to its in.
quiry. is.M
Resents Misstatements
So these are the facts upon
which you base an abusive letter
freely charging me with Infamous
insinuations,' 'demagogic SANDER
and reckless and Outrageous con.
duct, " Nye wrote.
"While I resent and repel these
unwarranted misstatements, I do
not propose to engage with you in
any controversy ON that level.
You gratuitously charge me,
however, with being a party to a
plot to enable the Republican party
to escape in some measure the pen.
atty for the disgraceful record OF
the party in connection with these
scandals. In other words, you i'm.
peach me as the chairman of the
committee in charge of the inves.
tlgation az being engaged in an eff
fort to protect culprits whose eN.
posure by the committee would in.
Jure the Republican party. There Is
just bit of humor i'll your charge.'
Surely you cannot be ignorant
of the fact that upon my own ini-
tiative and responsibility and with.
out the suggestion of any other
member of the committee, Repub-
lican or Democrat, I appointed an
investigator, on the basis of infor-
nation privately furnished me, who
traced bonds of the Continental
Trading Company owned by Harry
+. Sinclair directly to the Golfers
of the Republican National Com
mittee through the banks of New
York City.
"You cannot be ignorant of the
fact that following my public an
nouncement of this fact on Feb
ruary IL, l recalled Will Hays.
chairman of the Republican Nation.
al Committee, to the witness stand,
for further explanation.
Hints Morgan Control
You cannot be ignorant of the
fact that the resolution under
which the committee is now acting
was drafted and introduced by
Senator Norris, not a Democrat, but
a Republican, and the leader of
the Progressive group with which
I have been identified from the
day | entered the senate.
You cannot be ignorant of the
fact that the resolution of April
20. 1922, which made possible all
the revelations now before the pub
lie was introduced by the late Sem
ator La Toilette of Wisconsin, n
Progressive Republican whom
supported for president in 1924.
while you were supporting John w.
Davis of the house of Morgan---af-
ter your supporters had effeetually
blocked the nomination in the con-
vention of Senator Walsh, of Mon
tana, as a compromise candidate,
according to my understanding of
the analysis of the vote in the con.
vention made by Mr.. Callahan OF
Louisville, Ky, who was a delegate
to the convention.