2 JUNE 1928, Page 1

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The Teapot Dome scandal was typical of the corruption which flourished under the late President Harding and was made possible by his indolence or ignorance, or both. The Committee who have been inquiring into the Teapot Dome transactions have just issued their Report. They have tried to trace the origin and purpose of the large sums of money which passed through the hands of politicians in connexion with the lease of the oilfield. The Report was written by Senator Walsh and deals largely with the profits of the Continental Trading Company. According to a summary of the Report sent by the New York correspondent of the Times the Committee consider that the reason for organizing the Company remains a " mYstery," but they have no doubt that the profits " of £616,000 were the " ill-gotten gaini of a contemptible private steal, the speculations of trusted officers of great industrial houses pilfering from their own companies and robbing their own stockholders, a share of the boodle coming to one of the freebooters serving in part as the price of the perfidy of a member of the President's Cabinet." After that can one say that -there Is much mystery left ?