Evening star., 1941-05-11
House Body Reveals
lckes' Testimony
On Oil Proposal
Loan for Prospecting
In Alaska Discussed
With Corcoron
BY the Associated Press.


The House Appropriations Com
mittee made public yesterday testi-
mony from Secretary of the In
terror Ickes that Thomas Corcoran
had discussed with him the posi-
bility of a Government loan for
private oil prospecting venture In
Alaska.
Mr.. Ickes asserted that he had
made no recommendations on the
subject because it was outside his
jurisdiction.
The Secretary testified April %
during closed hearings on the de-
partment's regular appropriation
bill. The published transcript indi-
Gated Mr.. IckeS took offense at ques-
tions from Representative Jones,
Republican. of Ohio concerning the
conference with Mr. Corcoran for
mer r. F.. c. attorney and author.
with Benjamin Cohen of much New
Deal legislation.
L have never had anything to
conceal yet" Mr.. Ickes said at one
point. There has been no black
satchel in my ONCE. You have to
90 back to my Republican predeces-
sor to find that"
Proposal Discussed.
The testimony was withheld from
the initial printed record of the
hearings, despite reported Repub-
lican protests. Today supplement
tai. eight-page volume covering It
was released.
In response to Representative
Jones question, Mr. Ickes said ne
had discussed with Mr.. Corcoran o
proposal by r. E. Havenstrite that
the Government finance the drill
Ing of new test we'll in the Iniskln
peninsular area in Alaska ca whicn
Mr.. Havenstrite and his associates
hold oil and gas leases issued BY
the Interior Department. Mr.. Cor
coran now is in private law prae-
tice, having left the Government
service last fall
During Representative Jones
kN1l 4IhCS NdS IL dLlklY
resentful of what he called being
subjected to a fishing expedition on
a matter that is not within the
jurisdiction of the committee
Il think it is taking an unfair ad-
vantage" he added.
No Agreement With Navy.
Mr.. Ickes said he understood Mr..
Corcorans connection with the mat
ter was III rendering Mr.. Haven
strife merely friendly services" but
added he did not know the rela-
tionship between the two. The Sec
retary said fatty he disbelieved that
Mr.. Havenstrite had been advised by
a Mr.. Wirtz" in the Interior De-
partment to retain Mr.. Corcoran as
his counsel. The Mr.. Writ" was
not identified. Alvin J. Wirtz is
Undersecretary of the Interior.
Representative Jones wanted to
know whether Mr. Havenstrite sug-
gested that Mr.. Ickes approve an
agreement with the Navy Depart
ment to take and store any oil
which the well produced.
NO" Mr.. Ickes replied. Il think
he hoped the Navy Department
might feel sufficiently interested to
advance the money to put down an
exploratory we'll; but we have no
agreement with the Navy, and I do
not think we could have"
Copy of Letter to Secretary.
Mr.. Ickes gave the committee a
copy of letter he wrote to the
Secretary of the Navy stating he
had given careful considerat ton to
the problems raised by Mr.. Haven
strite's proposal, but adding that
1t would be inappropriate" for him
to express any opinion concerning
them inasmuch as he was without
jurisdiction in the matter. At the
same time, Mr.. Ickes said that if a
Federal loan were made for the
project, the royalty rates on Mr..
Havenstrite's leases should be revised
upward. Mr.. Ickes asked that he
be kept advised of developments.
Democratic members of the COM
mittee. in originally suppressing this
part OF the hearing record. assert
ed that If it were made public it
would create the impression that
Mr.. Ickes had been trying to do
some underhand work to get the
Secretary of the Navy to do some
thing"
Il cannot see where it is any
reflection said Representative
Jones. He said Mr.. Ickes' letter to
the Navy Secretary would speak for
itself.