AMERICAN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 April 1925, Page 2

AMERICAN ITEMS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. ASSOCIATION. IXDICTA!E-NTS QUASHED. NEW YORK, April 3. All the indictments against exSenator Albert Fall, Edward Doheny, and Harry Sinclair (oil kings), arising from the leasing of the Naval oil reserves have been quashed by the Dis- y triet of Columbia Supreme Court. These indictments followed the disclosures made in the recent investigation of the oil scandal, hut- the Court sustained a motion of the defendant’s counsel to dismiss them on a legal technicality, namely that the indictment hv the presence of unauthorised persons in the Grand Jury room when the evidence was being taken. Four of the indictments were charging Fall who formerly was Minister of the Interior) with accepting a bribe from Doheny. and also charging -him w ith defrauding the Government in the leasing. Doheny was charged with bribing Fall. Another indictment charged Fall and Doheny with a -conspiracy in connection with California oil reserves. Another indictment charged Fall and Sinclair with a- conspirnev to defraud the Government in the leasing of the Teapot Dome oil

•eserves. Afenntiine hearing of a Government -ivil suit to break the leases continues it Cheyenne, in Ad yoining.

AMERICA'S CHANCE. NEAV YORK, April 4

‘-America is eager to sell, hut is very unwilling to buy, and, unless this ■ attitude changes, the United States will not continue to hold its present position as the world’s greatest investment hanker,” so Sir George Paisli, the British economist, told the Bankers Foreign Trade Association at Cincin•Uti Circumstances incidental to the war’, lie said, had elevated the United States to its present position as a credit,!- nation, hut unless the Americans recognised that the United States much purchase from Europe m addition to extending loans or investments. before the European nations can l.uv American products, the country v, iil never he successful p.s a world trader. Sir G. Paisli said i-‘‘Ame-rica’s attitude is forcing -Europe to restore Russia as the source of foodstuffs which that nation was prior to the AYar.”