Newspaper Page Text
Atlanta Sonrnal
VOL. XXVI. NO. 77
FARM CREDIT BILL
NOT LIKELY TO WIN
COOLIDGE SUPPORT
McNary - Haugen Measure
Provides Puzzling Problem
for President—Dangerous
Proposal, Experts Say
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
(Leased Wire Service to The Journal.)
(Copyright, 1924.)
WASHINGTON, April I—Presi
dent Coolidge has been brought face
to face with the most perplexing
piece of legislation of the present
session—the McNary-Haugen bill.
Senator Cummins, of lowa, has ask
ed the president to lend his influence
to a movement which has for its
object the passage of the McNary
bill ahead of tax and bonus legisla
tlon.
Mr. Coolidge’s views were not dis
closed by the lowa senator when he
left the White House, but it may be
taken for granted that unless the
McNary-Haugen bill is materially
altered, it will not only fail to get
prtsidential sanction, but may even
be vetoed.
No measure in recent years con
tains more controversial points, no
measure, indeed, has aroused so
much opposition, and no bill with
its problems of enforcement have
been presented seriously in the last
ten years, with the possible excep
tion of the Volstead act.
For to make the McNary-Haugen
bill effective, its critics insist, an
army as large as, if not larger than,
the prohibition police force will be
necessary.
Agency to Sell Wheat
What does it provide? Hardly
anyone can give a comprehensive
idea of exactly how it will work, but
the avowed object of the legislation
la to make the government aot as
the export agency for the sale of
wheat abroad, using a fund of $200,.
000,000 as capital and in effect, spec
ulating with the situation so that
if the export price is high enough
the farmer will get the benefit of it,
Lui if it isn't the losses will be dis
tributed among the producers.
Basically, the McNary-Haugen is
objected to because it would intro
duce into circulation a new form of
money known as “scrip.” In actual
practice, the bill would work some
thing like this.
If the prices of all commodities are
considered to have increaesd a cer
tain per cent over pre-war level,
then that per cent is used as a means
of arriving at what ought to be the
price of wheat. Thus wheat should
sell at $1.50 for export. The farmers
would be given in payment, however,
not the entire sum but approximate
ly $1.25 in money and twenty-five
cents in scrip. The government would
purchase the crop, supplying the
amount above the domestic market
price out of government funds. If
the crop was sold abroad at a good
figure then the twenty-five cent
M&rip would be worth something. If
its value would be correspond
ingly reduced. There is no way by
which farmers could be prevented
from selling their scrip at a discount
or at the figure they think it might
bring at the end of the negotiations
conducted seasonally by the govern
ment. Shopkeepers and others who
had the scrip would not know its
value. It would mean a new currency
and the opponents of the measure
say it would weaken confidence in
all currency, as it would introduce
elements of Inflation into an other
wise sound American currency sys
tem.
Unlimited Production
But the principal objection made
to the bill is that it does not provide
for a limitation of production. Those
who had charge of the government’s
wheat operations during the war in
sist that fixing the price of wheat
stimulated production. And the more
acreage planted, the greater would
be the government’s problem in giv
ing the farmer his due. For when
ever there is an oversupply, the price
goes down. There is no provision in
the McNary-Haugen bill which would
limit the planting.
The experts who nave examined
the bill say it wouldn’t work a sin
gle day and that it would drive out
of business every wheat exporter
and would completely demoralize the
whole grain business—an experiment
described by one of those who have
talked with the president about it
as probably the greatest humilia
tion that could come to the Ameri
can government.
There is another phase of it which
is exciting the interest of foreign
governments. Should the United
States government do the very thing
it has objected to in others, namely,
dumping?
Laws have been passed here to
prohibit dumping. If the United
States government takes over the
export ofheat and acts in monopo
listic spirit, the foreign governments
will retaliate. Already there is talk
of placfnv a duty on American wheat
equivalent. to the amount by which
the American government wheat
agency increases the price for export.
Retabation of this kind would undo
the work of the proposed grain cor
poration.
The whole thing means a venture
by the government into private in
dustry and drives out of business
those who have been in the export
trade. Price-fixing has many oppo
nents here, for other reasons, how
ever, because they fear that if the
government is forced to control
wheat it must of necessity enter into
the entire list of food products and
begin to regulate their sale and dis
tribution.
Published Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
World News
Told In
BrieJ_
NEW YORK.—Billy Showles, one
time daring' circus rider, dies in
hospital.
WASHINGTON.—Heaviest snow-
■ storm of winter blankets Atlantic
1 coast north of Cape Hatteras.
WARSAW: Thousands are forced
to flee when the Vistula overflows
its banks, a Jewish telegraphic
agency dispatch says.
WASHINGTON.—Reports of fed
eral childrens’ bureau shows marked
increase in number of children un
der 16 entering employment.
BENEVA. —Anonymous Ameri
cans sent SIO,OOO to the League of
Nations to be used in relieving 200,-
000 famine stricken persons.
WASHINGTON. William Jen
nings Bryan brings out plan to let
government pay campaign expenses
of candidates for public office.
WASHINGTON. —Senate finance
committee approves provision in
pending revenue bill for 25 per cent
reduction on 1923 income taxes.
CAMBRIDGE, Ohio.—Six persons
are injured, one seriously, when two
coaches of a Pennsylvania railroad
train are derailed and overturned.
ROME.—Damage estimated at
more than 5,000,000 lire is done to
roads and 10,000,000 lire to private
property by landslides in Amalfi.
MANILA: General Emilio Aguinal
do, famous in the Filipino inde
pendence struggle, accepts the chair
manship of an independence mission.
MILWAUKEE. Re-election of
Daniel W. Hoan, socialist mayor of
Milwaukee, is conceded by support
ers of his opponent, David S. Hose,
non-partisan.
PLYMOUTH, Vt.—John C. Cool
idge, father of president, celebrates
his 69th birthday at his home, but
birthday cake from White House
fails to arrive.
MADISON. —Senator Robert M. La
Follette leads President Coolidge by
2 to 1 vote in Wisconsin primary
contest, according to early and mea
ger returns.
MEXICO CITY. —Twenty-six per
sons are killed and at least 56 in
jured in fire and panic motion pic
ture theater at Tacubaya City, a
suburb of Mexico City.
MEXICO ClTY.—President Obre
gon receives Ambassador Charles
Warren, who presents his creden
tials and expresses good-will of
United States toward Mexico.
SAN SALVADOR: Reports say
that 1,000 Honduran soldiers have
been killed in an attack on revolu
tionary troops commanded by Gen
eral Gregorio Ferrera.
NEWARK, N. J. — Young Stribling,
Georgia school boy boxer, wins
newspaper decision in spectacular
fight with Mike McTigue, world
light-heavyweight champion, at New
ark.
NEW YORK—Negotiations are
reported under way for establish
ment of credit between $25,000,000
and $50,000,000 for government of
Belgium to 'be used in stabilizing its
exchange.
ATHENS. J. Pierpont Morgan
says he is making a trip along the
Mediterranean to enjoy a rest from
business, after refusing to meet a
number of Greeks prominent in fi
nance and politics.
FARIS. —With work of expert
committees on reparations practical
ly completed Charles G. Dawes and
Owen D. Young, American unoffi
cial representative, book tentative
passage for home.
WASHINGTON^—In farewell let
ters to former associates in depart
ment of justice, Harry M. Daugherty
praises accomplishments of depart
ment, which he says is “at peak of
its strength and efficiency.”
BAKERSFIELD7caI.:John Vitelle,
alleged one-time cyclops of the Ku
Klux Klan, is found not guilty on a
charge of assault at his second trial,
allowed after he had spent almost a
year in a state prison,
DETROIT: ~Dn Orville Ward
Owen, 70, who thirty years ago at
tracted attention when he announced
he had discovered a cipher revealing
Francis Bacon as the author ot
Shakespeare’s plays, dies.
NEW YORK—Columbia univer
sity graduate students threaten to
quit residence in hall in which ne
gro student lives, and are told no
discrimination would be counte
nanced by university authorities.
LONDON—Arthur Ponsonby, Brit
ish under-secretary of foreign affairs,
informs commons that labor govern
ment will submit all treaties for ade
quate consideration before ratifica
tion, thus eliminating possibility of
secret treaties.
W ASH INGTON.—Senn tor Wads
worth. Republican, New York, in
defending Assistant Secretary of the
Navy Roosevelt, charged in senate
resolution with complicity in leasing
of oil lands, declares Roosevelt ac
tively opposed transfer of lands to
interior depart men t.
The Weather
FORECAST FOR THURSDAY’
Virginia: Fair and warmer.
North Carolina: Fair and warmer.
South Carolina and Georgia: Fair
and varmer.
Florida: Fair; slightly warmer in
extreme north portion.
Extreme northwest Florida. Ala
bama and Mississippi: Fair and
somewhat warmer.
Tennessee and Kentucky: Fair
with rising temperature.
Louisiana: Partly cloudy, warmer.
Arkansas: Partly cloudy, warmer
except in northwest portion.
Oklahoma: Increasing cloudiness.
East Texas: Increasing cloudiness,
warmer in northe.ist portion.
, West Texas: Unsettled.
HEFLIN AGAIN RAPS
COMMITTEEMEN FOB
METHODS IN PROBE
Alabamian Threatens to
Take Protests to Senate
Floor in Sharp Colloquy
With Chairman Moses
WASHINGTON, April I.—Cor
respondence in the files of the post
office department relating to com
plaints of Texas land frauds was
produced before the special senate
committee investigating that subject
today over the protest of counsel
for R. B. Creager.
The letters were brought before
the committee at the instance of
James R. Page, the Kansas City at
torney who is aiding Senator Heflin,
Democrat, Alabama, in presenting
the fraud charges before the com
mittee. George A. Hill, Jr., of Hous
ton, acting for Mr. Creager, who
has been named as implicated in the
frauds, objected on these grounds:
“One —The false utterances are
not made under oath, with the con
sequent immunity to the libellants
from prosecution for perjury.
“Two —No opportunity for cross
examination is afforded the persons
defamed, by their resrtrt to which
such falsities could and would be
exposed and the absurdity tltereof
den.jnstrated.
“Three —Such declarations are
self-serving and prompted by mo
tives of self-interest and constitute
an attempt to align the postal au
thorities on their side in furtherance
of the civil suits of some of them.
“Four —Such statements would
not be received in evidence in any
court of justice in the United States
under rules of evidence.
All “Defainers” Failed
“Five —Such of these defamers as
have instituted suits have each and
all failed, in each and every court
of justice in which they have sought
to establish such false statements,
to substantiate the same by legal
evidence, or to vindicate their own
veracity as well, and have teen un
able to convince either a court or a
jury of their countrymen that they,
or either of them, were entitled to a '
judgment against the Alamo Land
and Sugar company, or C. H. Swal
low and company.
“Six—Such false statements are
in many particulars in direct contra
diction to prior and subsequent ad
missions and statements and wholly
inconsistent courses of conduct of
said persons themselves made, and
had in relation to the same matters
and are therefore obviously not en
titled to credence.
“Seven —It is undisputed that said
letters were written in response to
inquiries of a leading and strongly
suggestive character submitted to
said complainants by the post office
department, inviting confidential re
plies, which, although expressly dis
claiming such, necessarily conveyed
the imputation of the existence of
fraud, with the resulting temptation
to the comparatively few who were
dishonest and disgruntled, to claim
fraud.”
Floor Fight Threatened
These objections, after discussion
were overruled by the committee.
Chairman Moses and Senator Heflin
then had another serious disagree
ment over procedure, and finally
Senator Heflin again served notice
that if the committee’s methods
were not changed he would take the
question to the floor of the senate
and might move that a new com
mittee be leected.
The chairman insisted that Page
read a single letter and then exam
ine the witness, chief post office in
spector Rush in the Simmons re
garding it. Senator Heflin wanted
the letters read as a whole, without
interruption.
“If this committee has got to sit
here and hear all this stuff read into
the record and go down to the valley I
and, hear 500 or 600 people in per
son,” said Chairman Moses “we’ll ,
never in the world get through This
committee will find itself without a |
quorum and there will be three va
cancies if we have to sit here listen
ing-”
’’lf this committee wants to have:
vacancies, I’ll have a committee that
will investigate appointed in the
senate.” remarked Mr. Heflin.
Handcuffed, Robber
Slays Policeman; Is
Shot by Victim’s Pal
DETROIT, April I. Revolvers
that roared in “Robbers’ Roost.” a
row of shacks in Ecorse, a down
river suburb, took two lives in a
fight, between gunmen and the police
last night. Six men are in jail sus
pected of several robberies and hold
ups: $6,000 in stolen currency has
been recovered and detectives in a
police flyer in Ohio are pursuing a
freight ‘ in on which another mem
ber of the gang escaped.
The dead men are Benjamin Mon
tie, an Ecorse patrolman, and Leo
Corbett, gunman, who despite hand
cuffs, shot Moniie, who was guard
ing him and then himself was shot |
by Albert Jaeger, chief of police of
Ecorse.
Senate Passes Bill
Equalizing Pensions
Os All Past Wars
WASHINGTON. April I.—An “ad
justed pension bill” designed to re-|
move inequities between gratuities I
now paid veterans of the several '
past wars, was passed today by the
senate.
Introduced by Senator Bursum, ,
Republican, New Mexico, the bill
was described by him as substantial
ly the same as that which President
Harding vetoed last session. The
pension bureau estimated ir would
cost an additional $55,000,000 the
first year.
DAUGHEBTY HALTED
LAND STEAL TRIALS.
PROBERS ARE TDLD
Former U. S. Attorney Says
He Was Officially Blocked
in Prosecution of Miller
Brothers in Oklahoma
WASHINGTON, April L A land
fraud case in Oklahoma and a fed
eral judgeship appointment in New
York were gathered today within the
far-flung miscellany of topics re
ceiving the attention of the senate
Daugherty investigating committee.
H. M. Peck, formerly United States
attorney for western Oklahoma, tes
tified that Harry M. Daugherty had
helped cause a delay and failure in
prosecution of the “Miller Brothers’ ”
land case in that state, with the re
sult that the Miller group obtained
and still hold land worth more than
a quarter of a million dollars and
have paid only a fine of SIO,OOO.
Wayne Wilson, of New York, was
called to testify about an effort to
get J. VanVechten Olcott appointed
federal judge, but he denied that he
had told Olcott it would be necessary
to put up a large amount of money
for “the boys” or had ever discussed
the matter in any way with officials
of the department of just’ce.
“Continuance” Ordered
The land case involved 10,000 acres,
valued at SSO an acre, Peck said.
When it was ready for trial at Guth,
rle, in May, 1921, he added, a “per
sonal” letter from Attorney General
Daugherty directed that a continu
ance be taken to the fall term of
court.
Peck described a request for his
resignation received from Daugher
ty in September, 1921, and his sub
sequent re-employment as a special
prosecuator for the government. He
referred to Senator Harreld, of Ok
lahoma, as to the reasons for this
re-employment.
Peck explained that the case re
ferred to was instituted against
Georgs L. Miller and four associates,
charged with defrauding Oklahoma
Indians out of land. Indictments
bad been returned against the Mil
ler brothers in 1920, Peck said, and
they were .charged with organizing a
campaign to get the lands away
from Indians as soon as the depart
ment of the interior gave each :
tribesmen his allotment. ,
Millers Kept Land
The criminal cases ended in pleas I
of guilty and fines, the department
of justice specifically directing that
course to be taken, the witness said,
but he added that no civil actions to
recover the lands had been inaugua
ated and that the Miller Brothers
still had them.
Peck said that in four years’ expe
rience as United States attorney,
he had never known of another case
in which the attorney general took
such personal interest. Acceptance
of the guilty plea in the criminal
cases was decided on, the witness
despite his recommendations
that “penitentiary sentences” be de
manded.
The committee indicated it would
get from the files of the department
of justice and the United States at
torney’s office in Oklahoma copies
of the letters and messages in this
case bearing Daugherty’s signature.
“I would not agree to anything
which would relieve George L. Mil
ler of a jail sentence,” said the wit
ness.
He received orders from the attor
ney-general, he continued, to make no
recommendations to the court as to
sentences, and to dismiss the charge
against the Miller brothers. The
three others pleaded guilty. George
i L. Miller was fined $7,500. Victor
■ Norton $1,250 and J. C Newton
; $1,250.
Oil Found on Lami
| “The U. 8. judge in sentencing
; them said he made the penalties
I fines because the government would
I undoubtedly bring civil suits to re
j cover the lands for the Indians,”
Peek said, ‘and for that reason the
penalty would be adequate. How
ever, the civil suits were never
brought. The Miller brothers are
' still in possession of the land. Oil
has been discovered on it in several
i places.”
Peck said he had no personal
I knowledge as to why the civil suits
were not pushed. He wrote a report
Ito the department of justice, he
| said, saying that Oklahoma people
| felt that “Miller Brothers were able
i to escape the consequences of Hie-
■ gal acts because of political and
I financial influences.”
| Counsel for Daugherty asked if a
I recovery suit in the Miller case was |
i not “in course of preparation.”
I "That would be news to me,”
I Peck replied.
■ Peek agreed that suits to recover J
I the lands could be brought at any
j time without reference to any stat-,
' ute of limitations. Counsel then de-1
I flared that Edwin S. Booth, a special'
I assistant attorney general, started
j ten days ago to investigate again the '
Miller brothers case.
; “That's the same Booth who was;
solicitor to former Secretary of the
Interior Fall?” asked Senator’
Wheeler.
“He is.” Peck said.
Senator Wheeler asked if “a man ;
named Todd, former law partner of
Mr. Daugherty.” hadn't been work-:
■ ing or the case. Peek refused to [
i say, remarking the report “was j
i hearsay.”
Land Worth $250,000
Asked by Chairman Brookhart to
; suggest witnesses the committee
; might call in the Miller case, Peck
j again ranted Senator Harreld. who.
he said, had taken a deep interest.
Senator Ashurst, Democrat, Arizo
na. asked Feck If the net result of
the transactions described did not
mean that the Miller group obtained
(Continued on Page 6, Column 5)
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DEMOCBJTS MEN'T
PROLONGING PROBES,
ROBINSON DECURES
WASHINGTON, April I.—Any dis
position on the part of senate Demo
crats to unduly prolong the present
round of investigations was disclaim
ed today in a formal statement by
Senator Robinson, of Arkansas, the
Democratic leader.
The Arkansas senator : Med that
the senate should take up “as soon
as practicable” various important
legislative proposals which have been
waiting while the investigations oc
cupied the attention of senators.
Mr. Robinson made no specific
reference to the resolution for in
vestigation of Secretary Mellon, in
troduced -by Senator McKellar,
Democrat, of Tennessee, and laid
aside yesterday after the Democratic
leader had talked over the situation
with many of his colleagues. His
statement was generally accepted,
however, as diminishing the pros
pect that the resolution ever will
come to a vote.
“The senate should take up as
soon as. practicable,” the Arkansas
senator said, “the large and impor
tant subjects of legislation which it
is predicted shall receive attention
during the present session. These
include tax reduction, adjusted com
pensation, immigration, expression
of legislative will that the freight
rate structure be reorganized with
a view to reductions on farm prod
ucts and commodities essential to
farming, and the elimination of the
Pullman surcharge. Other meas
ures, of course, will require atten
tion and some of them are of major
importance.
“Practically none of these meas
ures had been reported by the com
mittees. Many of my colleagues on
this side of the chamber join in ex
pressing the conviction that those
subjects should be brought forward
for action just as speedily as possi
ble. While differences of opinion
exist among us touching some of
these questions, we are all anxious
to see them taken up and disposed
of. and we are not especially criti
cal as to the order in which they
shall be considered.
“It is not essential, in Order to
transact necessary legislative busi
ness to cover up or conceal facts
which ought to be brought to light
in the various investigations ordered
by the senate. There is no disposi
tion on the part of Democratic sena
tors to unduly prolong these in
quiries or to permit them to be di
rected into collateral and relatively
unimportant issues. The object to
be attained, in so far as possible,
i« the thoroughly honest and reason
able efficient administration of pub
lic affairs. This achievement is of
first importance and the co-operation
of all who earnestly desire it is in
vited and expected.”
Atlanta, Ga., Thursday, A-prid-S? 1924 5
Thunder and Lightning
And Snow Greet Capital
On April Fool’s Day
WASHINGTON, April I—Rum
bles of thunder, flashes of lightning
and clouds of drifting snow—all at
the same time —provided the April
fool’s day joke for the capital.
The strangest freak of weather
since the historic inauguration day
blizzard of 1909 swept over the city,
covering streets ankle deep in slush
and threatening .interference with
traffic.
The storm continued without a
let-up through the day, blanketing
the streets with the heaviest snow
fall of the winter.
Because of a fear that its mem
bers would be isolated at the Capi
tol, the senate adjourned two hours
ahead of schedule. Senator Curtis,
Kansas, the Republican whip, re
minded his colleagues that on the
last similar occasion some members
were four hours reaching their
homes, and he suggested an hour be
fixed for adjournment.
“Why not adjourn now?” asked
Senator Robinson. Democrat, Arkan
sas.
Without a dissenting vote the mo
tion was carried.
SNOWSTORM BLANKETS
CITY OF BALTIMORE
BALTIMORE, Md., April I.—Four
and one-half inches of snow had
fallen here up to noon today and
the storm which set in late last
night was continuing. It was the
heaviest April snow-fall in this re
gion in the annals of the local
weather bureau.
Slain Sheriff’s Wife
In Baton Rouge Named
To Finish Out Term
BAT .1 ROUGE. La.. April I.
Governor John M. Parker on Mon
day appointed Mrs. Eudora Day as
sh iff of East Baton Rouge parish
to fill the i.nexpired term of her hus
band, Robert B. Day, who was killed
Saturday night during a raid on a
negro gambling house at Dixie, La.,
near here.
.firs. Day, it was said, had an
nounced her candidacy for the four
year t°rm of office to which her hus
band was elected in January.
Entire Town for Sale
As Sawmill Is Moved
ALEXANDRIA, La., April I.—i
T e entire town of McNary, La., at
one time boasting a population of
1,200, is for sale. The lumber com
pany's saw mill which gave employ
ment to most of the male residents
of the town has been moved and the
town with its 429 hous* l ’* is to be
placed on the auction block.
UHOOBFf FREED
BY TREASON COURT;
OTHERS CONVICIED
MUNICH, Bavaria, April I.—(By
the Associated Press.) —General
Erich Ludendorff, former German
field marshal, was acquitted today
| of the charge of treason for his pai't
in the unsuccessful revolt here last
November,
Adolph Hitler and former Chief
of Police Poehmer were convicted,
and each was sentenced to five
years ’imprisonment, and fined 200
gold marks. Dr. Weber and Colo
nel Kriebel, accused of being Hit
ler’s aides, received like sentences.
Dr. Frisch, former president of
the Munich district; Captain Roehm,
Lieutenant Henry Purnet, who is
Ludendorff's stepson, and Lieuten
ants Brueckner and Wagner, were
given fifteen months and fined 100
marks each.
The main streets of Munich and
all the approaches to the courthouse
presented the picture of an armed
camp. Steel helmeted troops and
heavy reinforcements of Bavarian
police patrolled the streets, dispers
ing pedestrians.
It became known today that Hit
ler's nationalistic anti-semitic partv
had nominated Ludendorff and
Poehner for reichstag seats.
The former field marshal, on the
witness stand last week, declared
the judges themselves sat before the
judgment of history which does not
send men who fought for the father
land to a fortress, but to Valhalla.”
He described himself as “the vic
tor of Tannenburg and other big
battles —a representative of the old
arm which was crowned with ever
lasting fame.”
The revolt for which the men
were tried has been called the “beer
cellar putsch.” After 24 hours of
which, General Von Lossow's reich
swehr troops were brought into
play and Hitler’s doughty legions,
which he had patterned after the
Italian fascisti, melted away with
but brief resistance.
Threatens Solicitor,
Gets 30 Days in Jail
MACON, Ga., April I.—Clarence
M. Hartley, whom Solicitor Roy
Moore, of the Macon city court,
prosecuted six months ago for wife
whipping, walked into the solicitor’s
office late yesterday and threw his
hand to his hip pocket and said that
he had come up to get even. The
solicitor stepped in the next office
and called the police.
This morning, Recorder Lane sen
tenced Hartley to 30 dajs straight
in the stockade.
» CENTS A COPY,
$1 A YEAR.
SINCLAIR ENTERS ’
NOT GUILTY PLEA ;
IS EHEED DN BOND
Ten Days Allowed Oil Opera
tor to File Demurrer; Dyche
Ridicules Al Jennings' Tes
timony
WASHINGTON, April 16.—-Harry
■ F. Sinclair pleaded nut guilty to con
tempt of the United States senate in
District of Columbia supreme court
today and furnished bond of $5,000.
The oil operator was allowed ten
days by the court to withdraw hi«
piea and enter a demurrer if he
should so desire. He was accom
panied by his counsel, Martin W. A
Littleton and G. T. Sanford, of New |
Yoik, and J. W. Zevely, of Wash- ,i
ington.
The political activities of the lata
Jake Hamon, Republican national
committeeman for Oklahoma, came
under scrutiny before the oil commit- I
tee again today in an avowed effort .
by the commitee prosecutor, Senator
Walsh, to establish a conspiracy as
far back as 1920 to select a “com
placent” secretary of the interior.
Under the Montana senator’s in
sistent questioning, J. E. Dyche, for- ■
mer warden of the United States
prison at Atlanta, who manageu
Hamon’s campaign for the place on
the national committee, testified that
the fight had cost Hamon $105,000, I
but insisted that he never desired to
have a place in the cabinet.
The witness ridiculed Al Jennings’
testimony that Hamon had told him
of large money payments to the late <
Senator Penrose, of Pennsylvania, M
and others to gain the nomination
of Warren G. Hard! t, and of in
’ discriminate use of money among
members of the Oklahoma delegation
to the Chicago convention.
As a matter of fact, Dyche said,
Hamon didn’t spend a dime to influ
ence the delegation of his state to
vote for Harding, but on the contrary
advised them to vote for Lowden on
two ballots after they were ready to
get on the Harding blind wagon.
Hamon’s ‘Boast* Related
R. H. Wilson, formerly Oklahoma
superintendent of public instruction,
also was questioned at today’s ses
sion. He said Hamon had "boasted” ;
to him to putting over Harding's
nomination, and had told him of con
tributing $25,000 to Harry M. Daugh
erty, the Harding pre-convention
manager, for campaign expenses.
The committee adjourned the hear
ing until tomorrow, but no session
will be held at that time unless Wil
liam Boyce Thompson, formerly of
the Republican national committee,
reaches Washington in the mean
time. A new subpoena for his ap
pearance “forthwith” has been is
sued, but process servers have been
unable to serve it. -
The committee was told by R. H. ■
Wilson, former superintendent of
public instruction in Oklahoma, of a
“boast" b yJake Hamon, the oil oper- ■
ator who was serving as that state’s
Republican national committeeman,
that he had “put over” the nomina
tion of Warren G. Harding,
Hamon was quoted as saying he
had given $25,000 to Harry M.
. Daugherty for the Harding cam- a
| paign fund. In the early days of
the campaign, the witness said, Ha
, mon had appeared, friendly to the
1 candidacy of Leonard Wood. a
Wilson said under questioning
that Hamon had made no reference
in his talk with him to naval oil
lands or leases.
J. E. Dyche, who identified him
self as a prohibition agent with
headquarters at Oklahoma Ctiy, fol
lowed Wilson in the witness chair.
He said he had acted as manager
of Hamon’s campaign in 1920 for
selection as Republican, national
) committeeman.
Says Jennings Lied
“Nothing to it,” Dyche said, when
asked about Al Jennings’ testimony
that Hamon had told him he gave
$250,000 to the late Senator Penrose,
Pennsylvania; $25,000 to Will Hays,
land $25,000 to Daugherty to bring
about Harding’s nomination.
I Asked about Jennings’ testimony
| that Hamon had told him he spent
money indiscriminately with th*
Oklahoma delegation, the witness re- ?
plied:
“If Jennings said that, he lied.
There wasn’t a dime spent on that
delegation.”
Dyche declared he was with
Hamon at Chicago and went home
with him, and “he didn't even buy a
me a dinner.”
“Jake’s dead and gone now, gen
tlemen,” Dyche said, “but I want to
say that be did not try to throw the
delegation. He insisted that the '
delegation cast two more ballots for j
Lowden after it wanted to switch f
to Harding, so there couldn’t have
been a deal there.”
Asked as to the likelihood of
Hamon telling Jennings the story
the former train robber had repeat
ed to the committee, Dyche said peo
ple -night say what thev would
about Hamon, “but they couldn't say
'he was a fool.” . ja
Asked about Wilson’s testimony
that Hamon had told him he had
' given Daugherty $25,000 for Har
ding’s campaign expenses, Dyche
'said Wilson was “a reputable gen-
I tieman."
“I would believe Wilson's state
ment that Hamon told him that,’*
the witness said, “but I would say
he was ‘kidding’ him. Jake was a
great ‘kidder,’ particularly when he
was talking to Democrats.”
Asked how much money was spent
for Hamon in his committeeship
fight against James McGraw, Dyche
objected to answering on the ground
that it was a personal matter.
“As far as I am concerned, I hav*
nothing to conceal,” Dyche said, ‘‘but
it’s a mater that was personal to
Hamon."
Walsh Insists on Answer
Senator Stanfield, Republican, Ore
gon, said he did not think the mat- ’
ter relevant, but Senator Walsh dis- -
agreed, saying he expected to show
that large sums of money had been
spent to obtain a "complacent” sec
retary of the interior for the exploi- |
tation of the public domain, and
especially the oil lands. Replying to d
a specific question from Senator i
Stanfield, Senator Walsh said he ex
pected to show there was a con
spiracy for the appointment of a
secretary of the interior.
That led to a long wrangle.
Senator Spencer. Republican, Mis
souri, movnd that the witness be ex- J
(Continued on Page 6, Column I)