Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-19
Betrays Agitation
After Meeting
of Cabinet.
CUSTER DEMAND
CROWS STRONGER
New Oil MIDDLE Features
Declared Reason for
Increased Pressure.

Attorney General Daugherty re.
manned silently defiant today in the
face of the new attack on him. ant
the Tuesday cabinet meeting passed
without an announcement OF hi:
resignation.
Department of Justice officials in
sisted that he had no-intention OF
Surrendering to his critics, but sena.
tors who have taken the lead in ad-
vising the President to ask him &c
retire remained confident that their
advice would be followed.
Mr.. Daugherty himself, arriving at
the cabinet meeting half hour late
would talk only about the weather
When he emerged an hour later and
was questioned by newspaper men
he showed plain signs of agitation
and annoyance, but he insisted tina,
the question of his resignation had
not been discussed, and declared he
had no statement to make for the
present. -~'
White House officials after the
cabinet meeting also declared the
cabinet had not discussed the DOS.
sible retirement Of the Attorney Gen.
eral. and it was added that Mr..
Daugherty had not submitted his
resignation.
Just before the cabinet meeting the
President had been in conference
with the governments special counsel
in the oil cases, and previously both
he and the Attorney General had been
Oil investigation.
Issue Grows Acute. 49,
The demand for resignation of At
torney General Daugharty suddenly
has become one of the most acute
of all the questions growing out Of
the oil scandal.
Within the past two days Mr.. Cool
idge has advised with many senator's
and others regarding the future con-
duct of the Department of Justice,
and Mr.. Dougherty himself has re-
who are prominent in the conduct of
the affairs Of his party. Last night
he had long conference with a group
of republican Senate leaders.
All of those in closest touch with
the latest turn in the situation stead
tasty refused to talk about 1t or re-
veal just what new Information had
entered into the campaign to drive
Mr.. Dougherty out of the cabinet. 1t
was entirely apparent. however. that
in it's newest phases the attack was
a direct outgrowth of the oil investi-
cation. Those opposing his continu-
ance as member Of the Presidents
official. family have redoubled their
oil muddle was brought to Washing
ton Sunday. and on the basis of what
they now know they seemed perfectly
confident today that the Attorney
General would resign almost imme-
diately.
OIL Counsel Confer. -
Just before the cabinet meeting Owen
J. Roberts and Atlee Pomerene. special
government counsel in the oil cases. con-
ferred with President Coolidge. Both
Mr. Pomerene and Mr.. Roberts refused
to talk. -, -, -. ..-...,
Mr.. Pomerene had been acquainted
Sunday with the new and startling de-
yelopinents in the oil cases. which have
stirred the capital, and he and Chair
man Lenroot of the oil committee. COM
inunicated with the President late Sun
day night. The visit'o of the two menu
bers of counsel followed a, conference
last night Immediately upon Mr.. Rob-
erts' arrival in Washington:
Discus. wheeler Move. Il, =.
The senators who called on Mr.
Daugherty last night Included Pep
per and Reed of Pennsylvania, Moses
of New Hampshire, and other admin.
. istrationr leaders. They talked over
among other things, the resolution OF
Senator Wheeler, democrat, Montana
proposing an investigation of the At
torney General and the Department
of Justice. The Attorney General is
said to have insisted he should not
quit under fire. e.. 81
The conference therefore reached
no definite conclusion. Some changes
are desired by the republican leaders
in the wording of the Wheeler resolu-
tion, but as Mr.. Daugherty himself
has asked for an investigation Of his
official acts, leaders for all groups
believe the resolution will be adopt.
ed. Provisions probably will be made
for the appointment of a committee Of
seven to conduct the inquiry. -
Pressure ON President.
One of those who have become mos
active in pressing for the Attorney
Generals resignation is Senator Bo.
rah of Idaho, representing a wing o,
the republican Senate strength thai
has not heretofore Joined with the
La Toilette group in most of its as
saults on the administration. Las
. night at the White House Senator
Borah confronted both the President
and Mr.. Daugherty with a demand
that the latter step out Of the cabine'
because the country had lost conf
dence in him.
Attacked From Two Angles.
Heretofore. the attack on the Attor
ney General has been directed alont
two lines. One contention OF hi
critics has been that regardless Of
the actual facts as to his record. thu
cumulative effect Of a long series o.
developments has been to discredi
him In the opinion OF the public. Thu
other argument used against him ha:
been that although he was not q party
to the oil leases, and has said he never
was asked for an opinion regarding
them, he occupied the position o.
lContlnued on Page 2, Column g.