The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-04
CHARGES AGAINST CABINET MEMBERS BECOME FREQUENT
Harding's Official Family Sub- ject to Much Criticism of Congress-RepubliCanS
 Make Attacks
By HUGH W. ROBERTS Washington Bureau. The Age-Herald.

"ashihetoh Bureau me axe .,.1,u I,nu,
 Washington. May 3.-(Special) Never has cabinet been more sub jected to insinuations and charges on the part of Congress than this of President Harding. which, following its appointment. was hailed as a cabinet of supermen.
 Secretaries Fall and Denby of the departments of the interior and navy, have been ordered by Congress 10 render report as to naval oil re- serves which they have leased to sub- sidiaries of the Standard Oil com pany. Secretary Weeks of the de- partment of war Is under fire for the manner in which he disposed of sur plus war properties and a report sent by him to Congress was termed by Representative Woodruff of Michi- gan as criminal in It's effort to cover and deceive" The Attorney Gen eral is charged by Representative Johnson of South Dakota with having withheld prosecution from those guilty of having bilked the govern ment in the matter of war contracts, with having permitted the absorption of the Lincoln Motor company by Henry Ford before that c>mpany had rendered payment to the government in the sum of 5000. 900 due. and with having suffered "comhination of government officials and other crooks to loot the government at will"
 While the resolution calling on the Secretaries of the Navy and the In terior to report to Congress regard Ing their disposal of government oil lands to subsidiaries of the Standard oil company was introduced by Sen ator Kendrick, democrat 1t was az gressively supported by Senator La Toilette, a republican. It Is a sig niflcant fact that practically the en- tire attack against the Harding cab inet was originated and conducted by members of the Presidents own party.
 Attorney General Probed
 While no Inquiry has been ordered into the mysteries" obtaining In the department of justice. 1t Is under stood that the Attorney General has been informed that if he desired that an Investigation be held to secure his vindication of certain charges all legged against him. such an investiga- ton will be ordered It is highly probable that Congress will 20 deep ly into the oil land scandal. Mir Fall. when griddled by senators writing independently. excused the lease of oil reserves on the plea that such re- serves had been tapped during the preceding administration by private parties. This assertion brought forth a vigorous denial on the part of Jo- sephus Daniels, former Secretary of the Navy, who wrote Senator Lafol- lette that while wolld-be exploiters of the country tried to secure this valuable property during his term of office. he had successfully fought them. Wher President Harding as- sumed office he transferred from the navy to the interior department con- trol of oil lands, and their lease fol- lowed.
 In discussing the members of the cabinet who are under fire, Andrew W. Mellon, Secretary of State. cannot he overlooked. Nothing smacking of wrong- doing has been a eged against him. But he has acted boldly | supporting measures that the big business of the country demanded. He is constantly attacked by those who opposee big business. for political or other reasons, and by those who believe that able bodied American soldiers should be paid a bonus for having defended their country in its hour of peril.