Investigations

The business of congressional investigating will largely stand or fall on the issue of a legal affray which started at Washington. The case of Harry Ford Sinclair, charged with contempt for refusal to answer ten questions propounded by the Senate Public Lands Committee, came up in the District of Columbia Supreme Court.

Counsel for Mr. Sinclair (Martin W. Littleton, G. T. Stanford, Colonel J. William Zevely and George P. Hoover) filed a demurrer objecting: 1) that the Senate had no authority to compel a man to disclose his private affairs; 2) that the inquiry in question was of a judicial nature and therefore out of the Senate's scope of action; 3) that the Senate Investigating Committee had no jurisdiction because a resolution had been passed as a result of the inquiry, prior to the alleged offense; 4) that the indictment charged no offense.

Owen J. Roberts and Atlee Pomerene, special counsel for the Government, maintained that Congress was within its rights in demanding in- formation which might bear on legislation.

Arguments were closed, with the expectation that there would be a de- cision in about two weeks. Whatever the result, .the losing party will appeal the case to the Supreme Court, which has never rendered a decision on the question.

While these arguments were being heard, Senate committees continued to summon witnesses.

Oil. Continuing to take testimony on the Naval Reserve oil leases, the Committee on Public Lands called, among others, Mrs. Georgia Hamon Rohrer, widow of Jake L. Hamon, oil man who was supposed to have had a hand in the nomination of Mr. Harding in 1920. She traveled from Chicago at the public expense and entered the witness stand carrying a large calla lily in her hand. A colloquy ensued.

Senator Spencer: "We have listened to rumors and hotel lobby gossip and casual conversation and to unfounded reflections upon the character and business of reputable citizens until it has been said in our blearing by, a member ol the committee that the mere fact that a witness is summoned before this committee places him under suspicion.

"We have had the fervid, imagination of Al Jennings, whom we brought all the way from California, and who had what was heralded by the press as a 'whale of a story,' and who repeated the alleged statements of a man who is now dead that that man would name the President of the United States, had given a quarter of a million dollars to Senator Penrose, who is also dead, was himself to be Secretary of the Interior, and, with hundreds of millions of dollars which would thus be available to him, was to become President of the United States.

"We brought a man from Texas to tell us that, on the way back from the funeral of Mr. Hamon, a Mr. Baer told him (Mr. Smith) that Mr. Hamon had told him (Mr. Baer) that he (Mr. Baer) was to be made Commissioner of Indian Affairs and made a millionaire and that Mr. Hamon was to be Secretary of the Interior.

"We brought Mr. Baer from Paris, Texas, where as United States Marshal he was overwhelmed with the business of the Federal Court, which was then in session, and who denied that any such conversation ever occurred.

"All of this testimony, in my judgment, is irrelevant, and serves no pos sible useful purpose, and, more than that, Mr. Chairman, it belittles the dignity of the, United States Senate, and from every standpoint ought to be condemned.

"I want to enter my protest against it."

There followed an argument as to who had summoned Mrs. Hamon. Each of the Senators denied responsibility. After about 15 minutes:

Senator Spencer: "If no one wishes to question Mrs. Rohrer, why not excuse her?"

Senator Walsh: "She may be excused so far as I am concerned. I did not bring her here."

So the lady was excused and presumably went back to Chicago.

Daugherty. Former Attorney General Harry M. Daugherty applied in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia for an injunction to prevent the Senate committee from obtaining telegrams sent and received by him in Washington. Attorney General Stone appointed Colonel William T. Chantland to represent and defend the Senate committees in their legal difficulties.

Senator Warren told the Senate that up to April 16 nine investigating committees had spent $215,290 and that by July 1 probably another $110,000 will be spent. Costs to April 16 of leading investigations:

Naval Oil Reserves $32,808

Daugherty 13,419

Wheeler 3,814

Veterans Bureau (completed) 45,902

Election of Senator Mayfield 37,096