Evening star., 1924-03-12
LENR00T RESIGNS
AS OIL PROBE HEAD
State of Health Given as
Reason for Decision-ladd
Is Successor.

Retirement of Senator Ienroot OF
Wisconsin as chairman of the public
lands committee, announced yester-
day, will not interfere with the con-
tinuance of the oil Investigation, 1t
was declared today by other men,
bers Of the committee.
Senator Lenroot will be succeeded
as chairman by Senator Ladd of North
Dakota, who is next in line for the
position under the seniority rule of
the Senate relating to standing COM
nittees. Senator Smcot ranks him on
the committee, but is now chairman
also of the public lands committee.
Senator Smoot went from the chair
lnansh;p of the public lands commit
tee to the craftsmanship of the finance
committee several months ago.
Retirement Forecast.
Senator Lenroot's retirement from
the committee was not wholly unex-
pected, as he gave warning of 1t in
the Senate two weeks ago during a
debate in which he came under at
tack from the democratic side for
visiting Fall here with Senator
Smoot, Utah, another republican of
Interior Secretary misled the COM
mittee with hi. statement that he
obtained 100000 from Edward B.
Mclean.
At that time Senator Lenroot told the
Senate he would be glad to be relieved
of the duties of chairman, and declared
that if the investigation continued in
definitely he would have to ask to be
relieved. His health at that time was
poor, and short time afterward he
npt 10 how fo In
his letter from that place to the Senate,
made public today, he said:
Since coming to Southern Pines I
have not recuperated as I had hoped,
continue my work on the committee on
public lands and surveys.
Gave Four Months Service.
II realized some time ago that l was
nearing the point of exhaustion, and
stated upon the floor of the Senate that
if the oil investigation continued in
definitely would feel compelled to re-
sign from the committee.
Il have given nearly four months of
service in this investigation, trying as
best could to keep up with such other
work as could not be neglected. with the
result that l cannot in my present state
Of health continue any longer.
Il hope to be able to return to Wash
ington next week, but shall not att. mpt
anything more than routine work of my
piilSo uiilii lily Htditl 10 IcSlOitN.
New Witness Called.
Another name was added yesterday
to the list of witnesses, with the is
suing of a. subpoena for Price Nc
Kinney of Cleveland, a former law
partner of Fall. f. L. Doheny testi-
fled that Fall had told him he had
expected to get 100000 from Nc
Kinney to enlarge his ranch hold
ings but that the Cleveland lawyer
could not conveniently make the loan.
Senator Walsh said yesterday the
committee also probably would call
Maj. Gen. Lejeune, commandant of
the Marine Corps, for quest ioning
about the sending of a detachment
of Marines to Teapot Dome to clear
the field there of independents who
were making claims to oil well To-
cations.
Miss HamOn Not Heard.
Olive Belle Hamon of Chicago,
daughter of the late Jake Hamon.
who arrived here yesterday, did not
other members of the committee. She
announced as the purpose of her trip
the refutation of the story of Leonard
Wood, jr., that her father had Of
fered his support to Maj. Gen. Leon
ard Wood at the republican conven-
tion in 1920 in return for his ap-
pointment as Secretary of the In
terror.
Senator Walsh said he did not think
who have been subponaed in connec-
tion with Woods story have been
notified to await further call before
coming to Washington. as the com
mittee will not take up this angle
of the inquiry before next week.