Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-06
GOODS ACTIVITIES
IN 1928 CAMPAIGN
LINKED WITH LEASE
Blaine Hints Effort Was
Made to Avert st. Paul
Jury Inquiry.
BARTLETT ACCUSES NEW
OF SHIFTING BLAME
Testifes Superior Ordered Action
in Presence of Former
Secretary of War.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
The late Secretary Good and 1928
Republican campaign tactics were linked
with the disputed st. Paul commercial
station lease today by Chairman Blaine
of the Senate committee investigating
post Office leases.
Questioning former Assistant Postmaster
General John H. Bartlett, Blaine asked
If he did not know an effort was made
to avert grand jury investigation OF
the lease in August, 1923, because 1t
Knight blow up the campaign in the
Northwest" He also said Good, then
western campaign manager for Herbert
Hoover, was in communication by tele-
phone with L. X. Drill just before the
latter became the new United States
attorney on August 1. Good spoke, he
said, from President Coolidge's Summer
home in Wisconsin.
The conversation concerned the pos
sibility of indictments from the st.
Paul lease Blaine added, with Drill
saying he was not yet familiar with
the case
Bartlett said an effort was made by
the then Postmaster General, Harry
S. New, to shift responsibility for the
lease onto himself.
He testified Good was in News Office
when the latter ordered the lease ex-
ecuted At News direction, he said, a
subordinate signed his, Bartlett's name,
to the lease.
Questioned by Blaine.
Blaine asked Bartlett if the question
who was responsible for the st. Paul
lease had not been later discussed in the
Presidents cabinet.
II didn't know that" Bartlett re-
piled, but some time later it was ru-
mCred I was responsible for the lease. "
Did you have information that New
charged you with the responsibility
Yes. it comes to that"
Chairman Blaine yesterday asked
Bartlett IL he would be surprised to
know beneficiaries Of post Office leases
had contributed more than a million
dollars ito the Coolidge and Hoover
campaign funds" Bartlett did not
answer.
Blaine declined to make public the
basis of the question. He said he would
develop that phase today.
Sent Copy to Coolidge Aide.
Resuming testimony today. Bartlett
said he sent Edward T. Clark, one OF
President Coolidge's secretaries, copy
of Trotter's memorandum telling of the
circumstances of the execution of the
lease.
Were the rumors that you were re-
sponsible for the lease still going the
rounds when Mr.. Hoover made up his
cabinet?" Blaine asked.
There has been an element persist
ent in blaming me, and that element is
composed of friends of the lessor"
Did the question arise in connection
with your ambitionS?"
II didn't know anything about il"
Your friends were urging your ap-
pointment as Postmaster General?"
II think that is true"
THE rlImors evidently came to the
attention of President Hoover"
Il don't know from my own knoWl-
edge
Did you have any information that
the President did not have the right
version?"
"Oh, I don't think So"
Blaine revealed that District Attor-
ney Fesler at st. Paul had been re-
moved after presenting facts in con-
nection with the lease to grand jury
Jury Report pretty Strong"
Blaine said Fesler's removal was rec
commended by New.
Bartlett said New recommended Fes-
ler's dismissal after reading the grand
jury report, which, the witness said, was
pretty strong"
81 heard the statement of Fesler TO
New and myself and group in his
Office" Bartlett said, land he stated
pretty boldly what he thought Of the
case and Just how he intended to focus
a criminal case. don't think /
grasped it, but he did imply that the
statements that Controller McCarl and
Budget Director Lord had approved the
lease were false"
Blaine placed in the record evidence
to show that Good told the department
both Lord and McCarl had approved
the proposed lease.
why did New want you to share the
blame for the lease?" Blaine asked.
Il don't like TO answer that" Bart
lett replied, but 1 feel have suf-
fered enough. 1t was apparently an
effort TO make me to blame when 1
wasn't.
Blaine read letter from Lord to
New recommending that the property
be condemned.
Bartlett said if he answered that
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