Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-12-20
By Robert K. Walsh

|
Methods of roofing out and
cleaning up tax and other irregu-
larities in the Government today
resemble. with major exceptions
the handling of the naval oil
scandals of the 1920s, popularity
boiled down to the name Teapot
Dome"
From now on, those precedents
could warn Federal Judge Thomas
F. Murphy and the House Ways
and Means Investigating subcom-
mittee that years of costly, COM
plicated and possibly frustrating
court experiences may lie ahead.
President Truman's reported Sc
lection of Judge Murphy is similar
in some respects to President
Coolidge's choice of Owen j. Rob-
erts and Atlee Pomerene as special
counsel in 1924. Both moves re-
suited from disclosures by con-
Igressional committees and in re-
Spouse to widespread demands for
corrective action.
Might Change Course Of Probe.
Judge Murphy, however, might
serve with unusually broad scope
and authority as a sort Of one
man grand jury as well as new
broom. He would not need Senate
confirmation. He probably would
return to the bench in a compare
lively short time. In any event,
his appointment would be solely
and directly by the Chief Execu-
tive. Already there is speculation
whether his trouble-shooter &C
Invites might conflict with or
change the future course Of the
King subcommittee investigation.
Mr.. Roberts, a Republican who
became q Supreme Court justice,
and the late Mr.. Pomerene. who
had been a Democratic Senator
from Ohio and subsequently was
Reconstruction Finance Corp.
chairman. were named in accord
ance with resolution of Congress.
They were designated specifi-
cally to shave charge and control
of the prosecution" OF suits to
cancel naval oil reserve leases to
private parties and to take ANY
other actions or proceedings, civil
and criminal. as may be warranted
in relation to such leases"
Before returning to private pur-
suits they put in more than five
years Of work for the Government.
They pushed litigation on many
fronts. carried some of it to the
Supreme Court. and COPIED with
ofshoots which. led to additional
unsavory revelations, long
dragged-out trials and several
personal tragedies.
Fall Went to Prison.
The net outcome was that Sec
Rotary of the Interior Albert B.
Fall went to prison for bribery,
Secretary Of the Navy Edwin
DENLY and Attorney General
Harry M. Daugherty quit under
fire, and Harry F. Sinclair got
District jail terms for contempt
and Shadowing jurors.
After final judgments by the
Supreme Court, the Teapot Dome
Eoil reserve in Wyoming and the
Elk Hills reserve in California
were restored to the Government.
| As with the current troubles Of
the Internal Revenue Bureau and
the Justice Department tax divi-
sion. the tempest over Teapot
Dome started simmering several
years before a Senate committee,
spearheaded by the late Senator
Thomas j. Walsh, Democrat, of
Montana blew the lid off.
April Is. 1922, is a convenient
starting point. On that day the
newspapers-if they used the
item at all-brief1y reported an
Interior Department announce
ment Of new policy in handling
fuel oil for the Navy" The state
ment referred to some contracts"
with operators" but gave no
names or details.
| The late Robert M. LaFollette,