Evening star., 1928-04-17
SINCLAIR DEFENSE
UPHOLDS
Prosecution Brings Out In
formation That Market Was
Not Tested First.

Testimony tending 10 show the ne
ceSsity for leasing Teapot Dome due 20
the possibility OF drainage. that conHid-
Grafton was given to tho possibility Of
seven oil companies handling the lease
Of the reserve; that Albert b. Fail. for
mer Secretary OF the Interior. had not
found anything In the Law requiring
advertisements for bids for the lease.
and that inJunctions against publicity
Of the negotiations leading Up to the
lease were given by him at the request
OF the Navy. was presented By the de-
fense In the Sinclair conspiracy trial
today.
The defense had no sooner established
the fact through one Of Its star witnesses.
Dr. II. Foster Balm, former director of
the Bureau OF Mines. that cOnSideTa~
ton was given 10 companies other than
the one owned By Harry r. Sinclair,
than the Government through cross
examination brought out no effort was
made to test the market and find out
what companies we're large enough 10
carry out the leasing proposition. Balm
previously had testified for the defense
that the available oil companies either
were too conservative, were too small
or we're dominated by men holding
high posts In the Government.
Robson Takes Stand.
Just before the luncheon recess an
other prominent defense witness, John
X. Robson who In 1922 was chief oi
the Bureau of Engineering Of the Navy
Department With the rank of rear adj
mlFal and who represented Secretary
s)enby in negotiations leading up 10 the
signing of the lease. took the stand
Robson had not had opportunity 10 go
into the story Of the part he played IN
The negotiations as the recess was
called
During the course Of the morning
proceedings the deposition given by Fall
al his home In III pas0. Tex. two weeks
ago for the defense wag formally fiied
with the clerk of the court and by di~
iecilon of Justice Jennings Baily was
sealed 1t win remain with the court
until the time elected By the defense
10 offer it In evidence.
NJ. n Bull. III Paso notary public
who took the deposition from the for
mer cabinet officer. delivered the state
ment In person An unusual procedure
was adopted in connection with this
In that usually such dispositions upon
receipt ny the clerk are opened ana
made public Owing 20 the extreme i'm
poFtanee of the Pail deposition and the
Injunction given by Justice Bailey yes
teFday that prior publication would con-
stitute contempt of court, today's ac-
ton was followed.
Balm Tells Of Report.
Balm In direct examination yesterday
told of reporting To Fall In Oct0ner
1921, the results of IA trip 10 Teapot
Dome, In which he found that strip
leasing would not prevent drainage Of
lhe reserve Rear Admiral j X, a0bi-
aaD, chief uf lhf Bureau Of Engineering
nf the Navy Department and acting
for Secretary DENLY on the oil lease
matter. was present and observed. the
witness said, that Teapot Dome would
not be worth much 10 The Navy AS Il
source of oil IN time ot war unless the
fields were connected by pipe line
with the midcontinent fleld. After Hain
had told of the possibility Of drain
age by private wells he said Fall asked
CONTINUED on Page 2. Column O.,