The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-04-12
Government Witnesses
Claim Sinclair Given
Only Chance at Oil.
ATTACK DEFENSE ALIBI
Testimony Given to Dis
credit War Scare Motive
in Teapot Deal.
BY HERBERT LITTLE
United Press STAFF Correspondent

WASHINGTON, April 12.-ProS-
ecutors in the Sinclair conspiracy
trial piled up evidence today de-
signed to prove former Secretary of
Interior Fall practiced secrecy and
deception when he leased Teapot
Dome reserve to Harry F. Sinclair
in April, 1922.
After introducing evidence de-
signed to riddle the patriotism plea
| of the defense, the Government
elected from oil men, who had
wanted n chance to bid on the rich
Teapot reserve, that Fall kept secret
the Sinclair lease even after it was
consummated.
Senator Kendrlck Of Wyoming
testified that on April 10, three days
after Sinclair got the lease, Interior
Department officials sent him an
official statement dated April 6 say
ing the naval oil reserve was not
leased. This quoted protests made
to Kendrick by Wyoming constitu-
entS.
Show Fall Hid Deal
Former Representative Frank w.
Mondell, (RepD, Wyoming, floor
leader of the House for many years.
told the jury that protests of
wyoming oil men against the pro-
posed Sinclair lease, forwarded to
the interior department April IS,
brought a response from Assistant
Secretary of Interior Finney that
he did not know whether the lease
was consummated.
Despite his formal protest, Fall
never advised him that the lease
had been signed, MondeI said.
Birch Helms, New York, former
vice president of the Texas Pacific
Coal and Oil Company, said Fall
discussed with him three days after
the Sinclair leases was signed, a
proposal by Helms to lease Teapot
Dome. Fall assured him the lease
would not be settled for a month,
he said and later in an exchange
of kilograms tried to get him to bid
on The Nays Salt Creek, Wyo.,
Navy Oil
says
The Government had him identify
telegram he received from Fall
later in April, 1922, saying the
Teapot Dome matter is closed. but
the Salt Greek proposition is open
until return to Washington. Fall
was then at his New Mexico ranch.
Fall told him. Helms said, that
Mr.. Sinclair was the only gentl-
man who seemed to be in a recp-
tive frame of mind Fall also told
him of the Nays pipe line and sto-
rage needs, but he admitted he had
no authority to make an offer for
his company along those lines.
Amos L. Beatty. former president
of the large Texas Company. told of
a conference with Fall on March
81, 1922. in which, he said, the sec
rotary failed to tell him Of the
Nays national defense require
ments for 1,O00-mile pipe line from
Teapot Dome to the East and for
building of Navy oil storage tanks
at strategic points on the Atlantic
coast.
Arranged for Pipe Lines
Fall made arrangements for Sin
clair to build pipe lines and tanks,
and the defense now claims this
construction was IN line with
national defense needs in view of
an alleged Pacific war scare.
Alice Pomerene of Government
counsel read testimony of James G..
Darden, of Miami, Fla, from a
previous trial. indicating Fall had
advised him Sinclair would take
cure of a claim he insisted he had
no some of the Dome land. This
evidence was designed to indicate
that Sinclair and Fall were in full
agreement on the lease in advance
and that Sinclair, certain of getting
it, was arranging even before sign
ing the lease to take care of claims.
Offers to Lease Dome
Beatty said he met Secretary Fall
March 81 in Falls Office here, asked
for a lease and was told Fall would
be glad to have the Texas companys
offer Beatty offered a schedule OF
royalties, to be paid in fuel oil, de-
livered at Atlantic coast terminals
He pointed out his company had
oil storage facilities at Newark. Gal
weston. Port Arthur and Mobile.
Fall told him the Government had
much royalty oil at Salt Greek, adj
joining Teapot Dome, and suggest
ed that the Government might trade
it in for fuel oil, Beatty said.
Fall did not press him for a for
NAL proposal, he added On April
4 in Asheville, N. c., Beatty received
a telegram from Fall asking about
only the Salt Greek proposal. Beatty
said he advised that his offer was
for Teapot Dome oil only and in
connection with lease.