Los Angeles, Aug. 28 (AP) —

A suit against E. L. Doheny and
the directors of the Pan-American
Petroleum Transport company by
etockholders of the latter corpor-
ation who allege that the share-
holders were the real losers in
the Elk Hills naval oil reserve
leasing scandal, was on file here
today.

The complaint, filed yesterday
in behalf of Frank H. Kunkel of
Cincinnati, and other sharehold-
ers, declares that the stockhold-
ers lost $10,000,000 as the result
of the cancellation of the fraud-
ulent lease. It asks that Doheny
and the board of directors be com-
pelled to render an accounting.

The $100,000 which was de-
livered to Albert B_ Fall, former
secretary of the interior, by E. L.
Doheny. jr., in the much discus-
sed “little black satchel,’’ was de-
clared in the suit to have been
the rightful property of the stock-
holders. An -aceounting of this
exchange, which the complaint
branded as a bribe, was demand-
ed,

The lease, which was negotiat-
ed in behalf of the government by
Fall, was cancelled by a decision
of the United States supreme
court after the Pan-American had
spent several million dollars to-
ward developing the Elk Hills,
Calif., oil reserve and on the
building of oil storage tanks at
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Kunkel’s complaint sets forth
that neither he nor any of the
plaintiff stockholders had = any
hand in the leasing negotiations.
Some time ago, aceording to the
suit, demand was made upon the
board of directors of the company
for the accounting but nothing
was done about it.

The suit demands that Doheny
personally be compelled to reim-
burse the stockholders for the al-
leged losses.
 
By Associated Praga.
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 28.—Edward
j La. Dohney and directors of the Pan
i American Petroleum and Transport
feompany, today faced a bill of com-
laine demanding an accouating of
; $10,000,000 stockholders allege they
‘toast inthe friudulent lease of the Eik
(HIG naval oil reserve.
i fhe complaint, filed in behalf of
| Frank TM. Kunkel, Cincinnati, and
other sharehulders, declares the loss
fresulted from the cancelation of the
lease by ai decision of the United
nlates supreme court after the eam-
pany had gpent several million dollars
‘in the devciopment of the field.
| The lease was negotiated for the
i government by Albert B. Fail, then
i secretary of the interior. .
; The $100,000 delivered to. Fall: by
/ BE. T. Dohney, Jr. in the mueh dis-
cussed “little black satchel” was de-
pelared in the suit to have been the
righitul property of the stockholders
Pand used asa bribe. ;
Kunkel in the complaint describes
| Dohney'’s conduct ef the dealas a
“fraud not only against the United
States but alsa against the Pan
(American company and its stock-
| holders.” :
~The complaint further declares that
“Dohney has disposed of his controll-
‘ing interert in the. company. tothe
Pan Anierionn Eastern Petroleum
company which is alleged to be con.
trolled naw by the Standard Oil com-
sony af indiang, :
The suit demands that Dohney per-
sonally-bo gompelled to reimbuse the
-Btockholdergs for the. alleged losses,
~» Dohney refuied to comment on the
conplaint, declaring he would: submit
it te his attorneys before making any
ceine rae : :

 

 

     

 

 

     
 