Evening star., 1924-01-30
COOLIDGE'S FUTURE SEEN
IN PERIL BY OIL PROBE
Continued from First Page.) }

body he was presiding officer. did not
conclusively prove any regularity.
Senator Lenroot, republican, in
sists, for instance, that even the
democrats did not know of any ir-
regularity, because not until a few
days ago did they introduce their
resolution calling for the annulment
Of the oil leases in question.
Granting, however, that Mr.. Cool
idge cannot be held responsible for
what happened when he was Vice
President, the democrats now are
prepared to attack him on the ground
that he is retaining in his cabinet
men whose failure to perform their
duties is said to be brought out by
the record of the Senate committee.
Going After Daugherty.
The resolution calling upon Secre-
tary DENLY to resign probably will
be followed by another asking that
the Attorney General be asked to
resign, too. Neither will pass, as the
republicans can muster enough votes to
! prevent such action. That however. will
not dispose of it. for the democrats
would then keep on talking about 1t un-
til the November elections. 1t is sub
ject which permits of considerable
I X, -
are some yoluble takers.
Senator Caraway of Arkansas,
democrat. has already made a speech
on the claim of President Harding
that in permitting the Vice President
to sit at the cabinet table .he latter
would gain enough knowledge of
public affairs as to enable him to take
over the presidential office and be ia
miliar with what was going on. Now
/ II turns out that Mr.. Coolidge as Vice
= 81 ha
was going on. The democrats will
make the most of that point.
AS for the Secretary of the Navy,
his defense is that he had no discre-
tran nsferred the naval reserves to the
Interior Department. Confronted
with an executive order signed by
1.-THE President, he feels it was his
DUTY to sign the papers presented 70
him, The democrats insist that In
view of the controversy in the Navy
Department on this subject IN pre-
/ Iceding administrations Mr.. DENLY
should have consulted the law oIncerS
! of his department ana ADVISED !ne
F! order was a valid exercise or power
Took Advice Of Fall.
II appears that Mr.. Harding took
Secretary Falls advice on that legal
matter and according to the demo-
| cratic senators, Mr.. Falls legal views
we're given at a time when he was
indebted to the oil people for large
personal loans.
| D,d Attorney General Daugherty
block the investigation OF the CAL
fornia oil leases in Difference 70 Ine
standard Oil Company? The demo
Gratis have injected that questi0h ,, lllto
the whole controversy and VIII KEEP
mn their attack on Mr.. Dausnerly ~ III
The hope of focusing attention oi'
Roth Mr. DENLY and Mr.. Daug
ore men who would not for Hlnu.e
embarrass the President by rena,nIl am
ine in his cabinet. But VINO WI WI.
saS that they would assist tnelf
na rtv by withdrawing. because resls
pations would promptly be interpre--
| Ted by the democrats as PROOF u
The charges they have been making.
Under the circumstances, Presldeal
Coolidge will move slowly depena
ine on the special counsel to ,lnves-
tigats criminal features ana argu.ns
| that only one side of the case mas
| heen heard and that all persons IN
yolved should be given q hearing Pc
| fore Judgment is passed oy tue
| American people.