Evening star., 1924-02-11
Editors See Little Cain
In Putting DENLY Out

The demand in the Senate that
Secretary of the Navy Edwin DENLY
be asked to resign because it was
his action which made possible the
leasing of the Wyoming and Cali
fornia oil lands to Harry Sinclair and
Edward Doheny, after taking on a
very partisan touch in the early
stages, later resolved itself into a
situation where many editors. both
der ocratic and republican. suggested
that it might be just as we'll to wait
and see whether. after all, the Secre-
tary had been guilty of anything
wrong. 1t is now being recalled
that Mr.. DENLY had little choice in
the matter. The President trans
ferred control of the reserves to the
Interior Department, and had Mr..
/ DENLY opposed the will Of Mr.. Hard
ing at that time all he could have
done would have been to retire from
the cabinet.
AS the Boston Transcript trepubli
cam analyZeS the situation, having
made no particular study OF the ques-
ton. and sharing President Harding's
belief in the absolute integrity of
Mr.. Fall. the course of MIR. Denby
as he is involved" Which impels the
MI skegon Chronicle Gndependent)
to suggest "the connection Of Secre-
tary DENLY with the affair has hardly
of judges the Senate would make,
with its membership turning somer-
saultS, pronouncinE snap judgments
for and against before more than the
most fragmentary proofs are in"
pendenD feels .Denby and Daugherty
ought to go because there is no
public, confidence in them and there
will not be-" although the Butte
Miner independently suggests that
should Mr.. DENLY make an adequate
defense" it ought to be considered.
The very fact that the Walsh
resolution was adopted 'handicaps"
i, the Secretary of the Navy's useful
ness. in the view Of the New York
Evening World independent demo-
| cratic), while the Muncie Star (pro-
gressive republican,. discussing this
! thing definite Is disclosed, members
OF Congress should have the decency
to refrain from making charges
hit and left because they should
kr ow that a cabinet officer will not
J re sign on demand" The Pittsburgh
Gazette-Times (republican) feels the
Robinson resolution demanding the
DENLY resignation was lynch law.
violating every principle Of justice
and every guarantee of fair trial"
because "every man under suspicion
must be given a chance to defend
himself before the bar of justice"
The fact that the Secretary insists
he did. the right thing and would
do it over again tomorrow" brings
from the Lincoln Star independently
the suggestion that "Mr. DENLY is
unrepentant," to which the Ka1a-
mazoo Gazette (independen) adds.
although there has been no positive
animation. even from his deadliest
political foes. that his connection
with the Teapot Dome and other
naval oil reserve leases was irregular,
Denby's political aspirations, what
ever they may be, are going down
like a house of cards under the
poisonous breath of suspicion. His
department was nearest that in
which the fire. broke out, and it is
not perhaps unnatural for the Con-
gress and public to look on his win
dows for smoke stains"
Secretary Denby's personal de-
fense is refreshing" the Springfield
State Journal (indepepdent., republi-
can) insists, and "it rings true. The
day has not come in this country
Svheo men In responsible Duhlic-pos
-