The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-03-12
MELLON RESIGNATION is
Demanded AS G. O.P. is
LINKED WITH OIL SCANDAL
Secretary Admits He Knew
of Sinclair Donation
to Campaign.
ASSAILED BY NORRIS
Contribution Is Price of
Republican TreaChery,'
Says Robinson.

WASHINGTON, March IA
demand for resignation of Secre-
tary of Treasury Mellon and
Democratic denunciation of the
Sinclair contribution to the Re
publican party as the price of
Republican treachery to the ma
tion," came in the Senate today
as a result of recent Teapot Dome
disclosures.
The swift series Of developments
included:
l. A statement by Senator Nor
ris, Republican, Nebraska, that
President Coolidge should have
asked for Melons resignation as
soon as he learned of Melons
Saturday night admission of
knowledge of the Harry Sinclair
contribution.
2. A speech to the Senate by
Senator Robinson, De ocratic
floor leader, declaring the Sinclair
campaign gift of 100000 could not
be atoned for by restoring the
money to Sinclair, because the
contribution represented the price
of Republican treachery to the
nation"
Summoned as Witness
3. Formal summoning of Mellon
viii H. Hays, former chairman o.
the Republican national committee
and William Butler, present chair.
man. to appear before the Teapo'
Dome committee tomorrow TO testify
as to their participation IN the con.
tribution affair.
4. Announcement by Senator
Borah of Idaho that he is progress.
ing with his movement to have Re.
publicans make up a fund to repay
the Sinclair contribution. Ona
wealthy Republican who could pay
the whole amount has communi-
Gated with him, Borah said.
Robinson's speech went un-
answered in the Senate.
Trust Betrayal Charged
Robinson recounted what he
called "the betrayal of public truss
by two cabinet officers, Secretary Fab
and Attorney General Daugherty;
and gross incompetence and asininS
stupidity of Secretary of Navy Den.
by"
He recalled also that Col. Robert
w. Stewart, of the Standard Oil
Company Of Indiana, had refused to
testify fully before the Senate in
vestigating committee.
What can be said Of the stand
ard Of business integrity exemplified
in the reelection of Stewart as
chairman of the Standard Oil COM
pany of Indiana and OF Sinclair as
a director Of the American Pc
troleum Institute?" he asked.
"The latest chapter in the story
so humiliating to the country is that
Sinclair's efforts to corrupt we're
not confined to Cabinet officers and
captains of industry, but extended
also to the national political organ
ization of the Republican party.
Hays Is Arraigned
Will H. Hays, chairman Of the
Republican national committee in
1920, and in that capacity respon-
sible for a large defict in the party
funds in an orgy of spending,
scarcely eXampled in the history of
party partisan institutions, received
$160,000 from Sinclair.
Hays secretly received $85, 900 In
Liberty bonds from that chief bene-
ficiary in the fraudulent transact
tions by which the naval oil reserves
were bartered away and proceeded
by methods common to crooks with
efforts to exchange the bonds with
prominent Republicans for cash.
Such records as were kept war;
rant the conviction that the whole
was corrupt"
Mellon over the weekend had ad-
mitted that Hays, on behalf of the
national committee, had
sent him $4,000 of Sinclair bonds
TO convert into cash, but said he had
returned the bonds, later making a
$4,000 cash contribution to aid in
clearing the Republican campaign
deficit.
Duty TO Speak
"It was Melons public duty to
speak out" Norris said. "He must
have known that the naval reserves
had been leased to Harry Sinclair
and that criminal conspiracy cases
had been instigated against the oil
man. I can not see how he could,
n duty bound, remain silent while
all these developments we're oc-
,urring"
Norris also said he believed Mr..
Coolidge should have acted as soon
rs he learned Mellon knew of the
Sinclair contribution.
Senator Walsh, OF Montana, said
le had no intention of introducing
! resolution demanding Melons
"I will content myself
With developing the facts" Walsh
aid.
Walsh had communicated with
lays and Butler, and both have
aid theV would be present to-