The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1924-02-19
Navy Heads
Resignation
Is Accepted
Secretary Explains Act. as
Move to Relieve President
Coolidge of Further
Embarrassment.
First Break in the Cabinet

Washington, Feb. 1S.-Secretary of
the Navy DENLY resigned to relieve
President Coolidge "of the further
embarrassment of continued political
rnaneuvers and partisan political
trickery"
In bitter statement explaining his
decision to leave the cabinet March
10, the secretar yasserted that he
went "gladly and fearlessly," a,th oush
unable to fight SANDER protected by
senatorial imunity.'
Denbys action, taken despite
previous fighting declarations that he
would not surrender his office, marks
the first break in the Coolidge cabinet
as a result of the disclosures made
in the senate's investigation of naval
oil leases negotiated by former Secre.
tary of the Interior Albert B. Fall
Although with the backing of the
president, he had defied the action of
the senate in adopting the Robinson
resolution, Washington has known for
some time that his resignation was
81 cnly a question of days.
Daugherty May Follow.
Attorney General Harry M. Daugh-
erty will follow Secretary of the Navy
DENLY In resigning from the presi-
dents cabinet, it was again indicated
in official quarters today.
Either before or shortly thereafter,
Assistant Secretary OF the Navy
Theodore Roosevelt and Assistant
Secretary of the Interior Edward {.
:. .Tanney will fin dan opportunity to
retire, those close to the president be-
,;s,,.o :, sa5tSt - = - -
The whole matter of how extensive
shall be President Coolidge's cleanup
of the taint OF oil In his official family
will be definitely decided at the vabi-
net meeting tomorrow.
This was learned following mid
night White House conference De-
tween Senator Borah, the attorney
general and the president. 1t IS
understood that Borah advised DENLY
to resign at once so that the presi-
dent could go into the campaign for
denomination and election without
any impediments.
So far Daugherty has not been
swayed by these arguments, 1t is
learned. He has waited for the
president to express desire but the
president in his effort to be fair has
steadfastly declined to make the re-
quest. He declared time and again
that he would not ask any man to
retire as result of the oil lease
scandal until that person had been
found guilty Of some wrongdoing.
Sensational developments late to-
day in the naval oil leasing scandal
were of a character that not even
the resignation of Secretary OF the
Navy DENLY foreshadowed.
Chairman I,enroot of the senate in
vestigating committee officially an
flornced that a new list of witnesses
including members and employees OF
the New York stock brokerage of j.
=. Bernhard e. Co., will be heard at 10
tomorrow morning In executive ses-
zion.
This decision to get testimony In
->vsecret is admittedly based on de-
termination by at least a part of the
committee to anlyse certain new and
serious information before permitting
it 20 go to the public.
Receipt Of these notices resulted In
an immediate statement that any at
temtp to "turD an open hearing into
a private probe" will be met with
''instant and emphatic protest from
members of the committee who feel
that the confidence OF the public in
the committees sincerity would be
endangered by such a procedure