Imperial Valley press., 1928-03-28
TING
REFUTED
B \ F ALL
Former Secretary Asserts
Teapot Dome Lease Ad.
vantageOus to Nation.
NOTHING TO HIDE
Denies Bribing or Favor.
ing Sinclair in COnnec-
ton With Lease.
by United Press Leased Wire

ny tnltcu ITcsS LtuSeC wire
Ell PASO, Tex, March 28.- The
Teapot Dome naval oil lease was
the most financially advantageous
deal ever made by the government,
Albert B. Fall, former secretary of
the interior, declared here today, ac.
cordins to a copyrighted story in
the E. Paso Post, Scripps- Howard
newspaper.
The interview with Fall was OBJ
tanned by Chester Chope, staff rep
resentative of the Post, as Fall pre-
pared to make his deposition to be
used in the conspiracy trial of Har-
ry +. Sinclair, millionaire oil man,
in Washington
It's contents were regarded as q
foresight into the story the former
cabinet official will tell attorneys
representing Sinclair and the gov.
ernment.
In an affidavit Attorney Ragland
of the Sinclair legal staff recently
said Fall would testify that he had
made what he thought was gov
ernmcnt bargain, that he did not
favor Sinclair and that bonds Sin.
clair had sent him were not intend-
ed to be bribe but to be payment
for one third interest in Fall s Tres
Rios ranch in New Mexico.
II haven't seen Ragland's IS affi-
davit but | presume it is eorrect,'
Fall said.
a geological survey had said
that oil in the Teapot Dome naval
reserve was sealed off by water and
was in no danger of being drained
by seepage," Fall continued.
Consulted Experts
SIN desire to protect the gov.
ernment l sought the advice of men
whom 1 considered the best experts
available. They said there was dam
ger of seepage and later findings
prove they were correct.
cit was then that L set out to
save oil and L made what 1 con.
sidered a good deal for the govern.
ment.
"They say suppressed news a.
bout the lease, to favor Sinclair, but
there were others who knew about
it,
''There was nothing to hide.
Since then men have testified that
they would not nave offered the
government what Sinclair did,
Falls statement, according to the
copyrighted interview, that "others
knew about" the deal is in line
with Ragland s statement that Fall
will testify he reluctantly assented
to an executive order at the insist
ence of President Harding, which
enabled Sinclair to lease the oil
reserve.
"Much of the investigation being
made by the senate committee is
aside from the real purpose of the
committee" Fall said.
Ready for Verdict
"What they actually want to
know is whether l accepted n bribe.
But they deviate if they want to
and launch about it.
"They are trying to show that
Sinclair made campaign donations
with Continental rading bonds, that
I received $233,000 in Continental
bonds for one third interest in the
ranch and that there was a connee-
ton somewhere between the two"
81 know nothing about the Con-
tinental Trading company. SO far
rs | am concerned it makes no diff
ference whether Harry NJ. Blackmer
and James +. O'Neil, oil men for
whom the committee is hunting,
have gone abroad.
81 claim that so far as l am con-
cerned the lease deal was open and
above board
Fall said that testimony of M. 7.
Everhart, his son in law, that Sim
clair paid $685. 900 in Liberty bonds,
ostensibly for one third interest in
the Fall ranch was virtually correct,
with the exception of some details.
"They are trying to prove that
It was graft" he went on. ~
claim that it was not.
"If, after | have told my COM
plete story the public and courts
think differently then they can give
me what they think | deserve"