At Cheyenne

At Cheyenne, the Government's civil suit to cancel the lease of the Teapot Dome Naval Oil Reserve to Harry F. Sinclair (TIME, Mar. 23) wound to an ineffectual close. The Government charged conspiracy and attempted to connect up the lease with payment of alleged bribes to ex-Secretary of the Interior Fall. A payment of $25,000 in Liberty Bonds in 1923. after Mr. Fall had resigned from office and was in Mr. Sinclair's employ, was established. But the defense argued that this was a legitimate loan and had nothing to do with the Teapot Lease. The main part of the Government's case rested on a charge that certain Liberty Bonds-- several hundred thousand dollars' worth--which were bought with the profits of an oil deal in which Mr. Sinclair and others took part, had later appeared in Mr. Fall's possession. The Government argued that there was no motive for anyone, other than Mr. Sinclair, to have given those bonds to Mr. Fall. But there were many missing links in the Government's chain of evidence, because the "others" who figured in that transaction have gone abroad--beyond the reach of subpoenas; and Mr. Fall's son-in-law, who was supposed to have carried the bonds, refused to testify on grounds of incrimination. The defense promptly moved to strike out this evidence on the grounds that it was immaterial, and that there was no direct connection between the parties to the alleged conspiracy--Sinclair and Fall.

The defense did not even take trouble to rebut this evidence, contenting itself with producing witnesses who testified that the lease was in the interest of the Government.

The Government counsel, Messrs. Owen J. Roberts and Atlee Pemeren, were plainly at a disadvantage for lack of conclusive evidence; and, if the evidence of the alleged transfer of bonds were ruled out, their case was even weaker. When Judge T. Blake Kennedy finally takes the case, he will probably take two months or so to make a decision--and that decision will probably be appealed.