Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-16
Balm HITS FALL
DEFENSE IN TRIAL
Admits on Leases Were Sub
mitted to Him Before Con-
firmation.

DIR. H. Foster Balm, former director
of the Bureau Of Mines, and one of the
principal defense witnesses for Albert
B. Fall, today admitted under croSs-ex-
animation that oil leases in connection
with which the former Interior Secre-
tary is accused of accepting a $100, 900
bribe from Edward L. Doheny, were
submitted to Fall before confirmation.
DR.. Balm, who had been on the wit
ness stand since late yesterday, was put
through a gruelling cross-examination
by Owen J. Roberts, special counsel OF
the Government.
At the outset of his crdss-examination
Of the witness, Roberts demanded Of
Balm If it-were not fact that he had
been instructed by FAN not to close the
oil deals without communicating with
Lirn Balm admitted to the Government
counsel that he had sent Arthur w.
Ambrose, chief of the oil division of the
Interior Department. to Fall at Three
Rivers, N. Mex, for the latter's approx
al of certain oil deals.
built up carefully the foundation of its
effort to show that Fall, absent most
Of the time at his New Mexico home.
had little to do with the negotiations
Of the leases, which were undertaken by
Pan-American Co. officials through his
Subordinates and the Navy Department.
Earlier In the day Balm had testified
that between the time the Pan-Ameri-
can bids were opened and the awards
made, he had no correspondence. He
further testified that Fall had told him
to take up all matters with the Navy
Department.
Clash Between Counsel.
Occasionally during the cross-exam-
ination of Balm, opposing counsel en-
gagged in tilts that enlivened the pro-
ceedings. Roberts at one time accused
Frank j. Hogan, chief of defense coun-
sci, with trying to break up thu con-
tinuity of his crosS-examination. The
visit of the former director of the Btu
reau of Mines to the Pacific Coast to
interest various oil companies in the
projected construction of naval oil
storage tanks at Pearl Harbor occupied
much Of the Government counSePS ef-
forts to show that there was question
of the llegality of the proposed ex-
change of oil.
Against objections of the defense
Roberts introduced a letter written by
Balm to Fall calling this to his superior's
attention and suggesting, In view Of the
doubt of the legality of such pro-
posal, he obtain an opinion from the
Attorney General.
Defense counsel based its objection tC
the introduction of the letter on the
ground that Fall had never received
1t. In this letter Balm wrote that none
Of US want Mr.. Doheny TO get into
trouble" and added that he wanted to
make it :'easy" for the oil man.
Never Rendered Opinion.
In previous testimony, Harry M
Daugherty, attorney general at the time,
had told the jury that he had never
rendered an opinion as to the legality
of the contracts.
On his Western trip, DR.. Balm had
testified previously as to the hesitancy
of various competitive oil companies
to take up the idea of the Pearl Harbor
construction work, although they were
all interested In leases on the Elk Hill
reserve.
| Roberts, during the cross examine
ton, forced Balm to admit that he knew
The Pan American Co. was the only con-
Germ that would bite on the whole
project.
Balm said he had informed Fall tc
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