Evening star., 1947-04-26
Arabian Oil Probers
Study Truman Curb
On Roosevelt Data
Ey m. A.soeio.sd Press

Ey The Assoeioted Press
Republicans on the Senate War
Investigating Committee talked to-
day OF letting President Truman of
gently on his Wheeler Veto mix
up, but blew up new storm over
his restrictions on records of Pres
ident Roosevelt.
Chairman Brewster called the
Republican controlled committee
together to decide what the MEM
bers want to do about:
/. A proposal to pass a compro-
mise version of the vetoed resolu-
tion to let former Senator Burton
K. Wheeler keep his private law
practice while serving as special
committee counsekin an oil investi-
cation.
2. President Truman's decision
that the oil investigators may OBJ
tain from the Roosevelt Hyde Park
files only those documents they de-
scribe in advance.
Answer Sought to Objections.
The compromise resolution sug-
gested by Senator Hatch, Democrat,
of New Mexico is tailored to over
come a Justice Department objec-
ton that the original might have
been interpreted as giving Mr..
Wheeler power to bring suit in be-
half of the Government.
President Truman signed the veto
message prepared by the Justice De-
o,~fv, cfrrl hu ~ or his
Thursday news conference, although
several Senators declared he ap-
proved an identical resolution for
the Senate House =, Pearl Harbor
Committee in December, 1945.
Senator Ferguson, Republican OF
Michigan, a committee member, still
wanted to ask Congress to override
the veto.
Brewster Favors New Bill.
But Senator Brewster, telling re-
porters he assumed Senator Hatch
had White House clearance for the
compromise, expressed hope "the
White House will stand still long
enough for us to pass It,"
On the issue of the Roosevelt
records, however, Senator Brewster
let it be known there was likely to
be some strong talk behind the COM
mittee's closed doors.
Mr.. Truman said at his news con-
ference he is authorizing the COM
mittee to obtain the one document
it specifically asked for in its in
vestigation of Arabian oil sales. Mr..
Truman held up one finger to en-
phasize his point.
The committee had asked for
much broader access to the files in
an April 2 letter to the President.
Letter on Arab Oil Sought.
1t asked specifically for letter
James A. Moffett, then representing
the California Arabian Oil Co,
wrote Mr.. Roosevelt on April 16,
1941, offering the Navy cheap oil
from Arabia if a $6,000,000 advance
royalty payment could be made to
King Ibn Saud Mr. Roosevelt said
the deal fell through.
Mr.. Moffett has charged before
the committee that oil companies
subsequently charged Che Navy "ex-
cessive" prices for oil from the
Arabian area.
The committee said in it's letter
to Mr.. Truman it could not describe
all of the documents surrounding
the proposed 1941 deal.
Group Asks Broad Authority.
1t asked the President to issue
authority sufficiently flexible and
inclusive so that representative
of the committee may examine
documents and records in the Hyde
Park library, together with a rep
resentative of the legal custodian
of the papers, for the purpose Of
Identifying and obtaining copies Of.
all documents and records relevant
to the committees inquiry"
The committee letter said it
wasn't giving up any subpoena
powers, but thought that lin view
of your cooperative attitude, the
facts required by the committee can
be obtained expeditiously without
engaging in any controversy over
this ISSUE
Senator Brewster told reporters
that the apparent decision to make
only the Moffett letter available rep
resented an attitude utterly at
variance with Mr.. Truman's views
when he was Senator and chair
man OF the War Investigating Com
mittee himself.
"As chairman of this committee
Senator Brewster said, 'Mr. Truman
always asserted the right of commit
tee counsel to examine public rec
ords. which seems like a pretty good
rule.
III he is saying now that we must
specify in advance what documents
we want, that is utterly at variance
with the practice of the committee
Ntodor ,ict,-