BRIBERY FOR OIL

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11786, 24 March 1924, Page 8

BRIBERY FOR OIL

’ONE MILLION DOLLARS PAID AL. JENNINGS SAYS HE WILL DISCLOSE EVERYTHING. HARDING’S NOMINATION. Bv Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received March 23, 5.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON, March 21. Probably the outstanding sensation of the oil investigation’s myriad sensations was offered to-day by a former train robber, whose name is classic in the history of this profession, Al. Jennings, who is now an evangelist and also an oil speculator. He has been summoned from California to appear before the Senate Committee, and prior to entraining for Washington he informed newspaper men that he would tell the committee that an Eastern ex-senator, prominent in Republican circles, absolutely controlled the Republican National Convention in 1920. and practically engineered President Harding’s nomination, upon the payment of 1,000,C00 dollars from certain oil interests.

Jennings, after this brief announcement, dramatically declared that his lips would be sealed until he occupied the Senatorial witness-chair, when he will divulge everything.

FOR PARTY FUNDS OIL MAGNATE’S DONATIONS. ECHOES OF 1920. Australian and N-Z. Cable Association (Received March 23, 11.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON. March 22. Will Hays, the Republican Party’s campaign manager in 1920, told tho Oil Committee that he approached and obtained from Sinclair, who subsequently received tho oil lease, 75,000 dollars with which to help liquidate a deficiency of 1,000,000 dollars is the campaign funds. Curiously enough Sinclair had been a liberal contributor to the Republican, as well as the Democratic, election expenses. Sinclair also appeared before the committee, but refused to testify. The committee indicated that Sinclair would be cited for contempt.