Show COOLIDGE URGED TO WAn PROOf PROBE ON N LEASING DIll BILL Executive Asked to Withhold Withhold With With- hold Signature on Indian Indi- Indi an Oil Land Measure FRAUD JS IS ALLEGED Borah Demands Proof of Charges of Engineering Bill Through Congress v June 26 Senator Borah today askel resident President Coolidge to withhold ui- ui i- i approval of the Indian ollea ol oil lea ing bill now awaiting his signature signa- signa tur ture pending verification of charges received by the Idaho senator from responsIble persons persons persons' In Utah Idaho and New MexIco who allege that the bill is tainted with fraud La fa- ors a small group of claimants Under under un- un der illegal Fall permits and unfairly unfair unfair- unfairly ly ex ludes others from securIng leas leases s of Immensely valuable oil I oc- oc co- co serves erves in Indian lands covered by bythe bythe the bill Borah Borah Is not ready to sponsor these charges but declared that it If true they warranted a presIdential veto of the bill and thorough n- n by congress of stances attending Its passage through house and senate lie He said j that protesters asserted the I ure had bad been engineered through congress for the special and sive benefit of a small group claimIng claim claim- big Ing equity under Fall permits PROOF REQUESTED Pro Proof f of these charges has has' ben beer requested by orah Such tion as he receives he proposes to tc submit to Coolidge to sether gether with such as an ashe he decides facts warrant As yet et lie hc h has s instituted no dIrect investigation Investigation gation gation- of th the matter himself anu declines to disclose names of those wilO ho have sought to enlist his aid m in preventing the bill front froni becomIng law 1 tp p leg oil leasing Issued by Fall upon so- so 0 can called d orde P. P nn ted Indian lands li h Attorney General Stone subsequently ruled rule w were ro not open to 0 lease have been pending in s for sever several l years years In the form in which th bill finally passed the senate on June Junc 8 and the house on June 1 16 It had the approVal or of Secretary of Interior Work ork of tIne the bureau of cf Indian affairs of representatives of Indians who prevIously protested pro pro- tested agaInst tax features res of toe bill and whicH changed to conform conform con form to their views th the ma majority rIty of the house hous Indian affairs committee commit commit- tee and all but one member of the senate Indian n affairs committee DECLARED NA NARROW ROW The dissenter r on the senate corn com objected on n the ground th that t the measure too narrowly restrIct edthe class of persons which would be entitled to secure leases La and others alleged that in inthis this thi respect the bill was too brota t El nd would au auth lease lease permits to persons who had slight claim It passed both branches without record ret rec- ord ird vote Opponents In the house voiced the same general ch charges r s which Borah is pow now sitting sifting that nil Mi wr were hark back of nf tho tha u measure and that It was In the IntErest In- In I tErest only of a small favored group It authorizes the secretary the Interior to Issue n a. a lease per per- to any of the Fall lease tees tf-es and to ny claimants who aPPlications ris but tailed failed to secure permits who can show that actual money was expended or contributions contributions made t tc funds so expended In surveys geological research road road- building as well as actual oil dig ging on Indian lands hands under color ofa of ofa a claim Senator Smoot who was active in Ia Continued on page 5 i COOLIDGE URGED TO WAIT PROBE PROBES S ON LEAS NG BILL Continued from pai pare 1 support of the bill and who had filed fileda a a. bill of his own which propos proposed 1 to still further extend the class l ss of persons who would com under Its provisIons said today that with ch rge that It was tainted fraud or collusion was without fo laths laths- n- n dation He had no knowledge e ot of Senator enl or Borah's Borab's action or of any pro lJ tive The only Uon tion or criticism which ho he had t from those who bad C ived came hoped to benefit by the legislation bUt fall d to conic come within Its terms terme RELIED ON COLLEAGUES S. S Senator Walsh of Montana cmel prosecutor in the oil 1 frauds ra ds Inv sd- sd gatlon gation declared today that in sUP sUP- tl I. I the bill he had relied reller ort n as' as porting hIs hI's D Democratic colleagues col- col s of affairs committee corn com leagues on the Indian that It Was pro proper cr and nd necessary legIslation He knOW or of no essar essary basis too for ny charge ot or l lother other othet than the natural that anyone claiming II a rIght 1 by y yr dealings with the of r reason department under th Fall regime should be closely scrutinized been have No charger or protests received rec b by him and he to that l he would have beers been lIk likely ly It If th re was wall ard about h have ve h heard any basis for tOl th them m. m the White HouM it was as said laid At had not noty that PresIdent action on the 1 bill um y yet t t taken len any doIng BO 50 no flO that would b be forthcomIng |