GRAVEST SCANDAL

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 23, 28 January 1924, Page 8

GRAVEST SCANDAL

IN AMERICAN HISTORY MINISTERS INVOLVED IN OIL FRAUD t^m SET-BACK TO REPUBLICAN^ HOPES. (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.—COPTRIGHT.) (AUSTSALIAN-NEW ZEALAND CABLE ASSOCIATION.) (Received 28th January, 2 p.m.) WASHINGTON, 27th January. ' With the loir lands investigation' developing into the gravest scandal in the history of America, President Coolidge's announcement that he will form a ±Si : partisan Legal Committee to take over the Senate's Committe's evidence and begin the prosecution of all persons found guilty of malfeasance, reveals the existence of an unusual situation. The evidence developed before the Senate Committee now involves a former Secretary of the Interior, Albert B. Fall, Edwin Denby, Secretary of Navy, M. Daugherty, and the Assistant-Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevety. President Coolidge hints that'serious ' corruption exists,' and that the testimony given by Fall conflicts seriously especially concerning certain large loans granted by various individuals,' who obtained oil land leases. • The Democrats are openly gleeful over the situation, and the ■ widely-assumed scandal spells death to: Republican aspirations at the coming Presidental election.

A message from New York dated 22nd chibald Roosevelt, son of ex-President January said: " The appearance of Archibald Roosevelt, son of ex-President Theodore Roosevelt, before the Senatorial Committee which Is investigating the lease of Government-owned oil lands li<3~ private interests promises to precipitate a widespread scandal involving two Cabinet Departments.

Mr. Roosevelt, who is an employee of the oil company which secured the leases, testified that upon the advice of his brother, Theodore, who is Assistant^Secretary to the Navy Department, he (Archibald) resigned his position in order to protect the family name. He intimates that he is dissatisfied with the manner wherein the leases were secured. ' :

Mr. Roosevelt's evidence has added further complications, which involve a case wherein intimations of bribery have been freely made and much damaging testimony adduced, i The facts briefly are that ex-Secretary Fall, of the Department of the Interior, having obtained jurisdiction over these oil lands from the Navy Department, which held them as a naval oil reserve, leased them to the Sinclair Oil Company. Experts estimated that the lands contained 22,----000,000. barrels of oil, and the Navy Department had received as payment only 1,600,000 barrels.