The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-17
Coolidge's Selections Of Attorneys Brings Much
 Opposition |
VARIOUS VERSIONS
 GIVEN TO SENATE
Walsh Bitterly Astonished" Af- ter Was Led To Believe
 President Wanted Advice
CONFERENCE SOUGHT s - AFTER MEN CHOSEN
Montana Senator Charges Pol- itics Behind Selection Of
 Prosecutor in Oil Cases

WASHINGTON, Feb. 18.-(By the Associated Press. s.)-versions of some Of the circumstances surrounding the se- lection of Atlee Pomerene and Owen J. Roberts as special government counsel in the oil leasing cases were given to- day in the senate during debate on thetr nomination. .l ~.
 Interrupting Senator Norris, repuhr lican, Nebraska, while he was assait- ing the President for his failure to con suit Senator Walsh, democrat, MoIr tana, beforehand, Senator Curtis ~ Kansas, the assistant republican leader, said the President had sought unsuc- cessfully to communicate with Mk. Walsh before Mir, Pomerene was =. lected. Senator Curtis explained thae at the request of the White House he had made attempts, but unsuccessfuliy, to locate the Montana senator.
 Walsh Cites Case.
 q would like to make a statement of the actual facts" said Senator Walsh '"The senator from Arkansas (Mr. Robinson), and myself went out to play golf on the afternoon of that day. When we were returning we met the secretary to the President, who advised me the President had been seeking me all afternono, but had been unable to locate me. Senator Robinson said we would be glad to see the President the next day, but MT. Slemp said the Presi- dent would like to see you this evening and probably will call you up'."
 Senator Walsh said that after he reached his apartment Senator Curtis called him on the telephone and told him he had been unable to locate hfm during the day and desired corfer- enee. 8sias
 Suggested Counsel. 4
 file came to my apartment--abaut z :45 o'clock-and we went over a list of names he had,' Senator Walsh con tinued. "I expressed my view as to those on the list I knew, and men, toned others I thought would be equal to the task.
 "Imagine my utter astonishment when I picked up the paper the next morning and read about the appoint ment. This account said the appoint ment had been made during the fore. noon of the day while we were engaged in trying to get MT. Fall to testify. I found out subsequently that this was slightly inaccurate.
 Senator Pomerene advised me later that between F and 1 o'clock he had been requested by Mir. Slemp to. come to the White House for luncheon with the President. He said that when luncheon was over about 2 o'clock they retired to the Presidents library and the President asked him to take the appointment and he promptly accepted. The President then told him that he wanted to talk with Senator Walsh.
 '"That was the second time the AoI A0 me after his selection had been made. Two days after MT. Gregory had been appointed I was invited to the White House."
 Favored Roberts.
 Senator Walsh then related how Senator Pepper, republican, Pennsyl- vania, had spoken to him with refer ence to the appointment of Mir. Rob- erts to be associated with MT. Pom creme as government counsel. He said he had asked Senator Pepper if the President had arrived at any conclu- sion and had been told that Mir. Cool idge was thinking favorably of appoint ing MT. Roberts. He added that he heard no more about the matter until the nomination was sent by the senate,
 Senator Pepper told the senate that he had called on Senator Walsh to dis cuss the appointment of Mir. Roberts with the approval of the President, and at that time MT. Coolidge had not seen Mir. Roberts. It was the next morning, Senator Pepper said, that he took the Philadelphia lawyer to the White House to call on the President.
 "They discussed the matter" said Senator Pepper, "and as we were leav- ing the President said he was quite un- decided as to which name he would send to the senate from list of several he had under consideration"
 Senator Pepper said the first infor- nation he had that Mir Roberts had been selected was when the nomination came to the senate.
 Nominations Confirmed ss- ss
 Over the vigorous oposition of Sena- tor Walsh, the Senate confirmed to- night the nomination of Atlee Pomer- enc, former senator from Ohio, to be special government counsel in the oil lease cases. The vote was 59 to 13.
 Consideration of the nomination of Owen J. Roberts, of Philadelphia, to be MT. Pomerene's associate was de. ferred until Monday, but confirmation was forecast. A
 Approval of the nomination of Mir. Pomerence came after more than sir (contIuusd on Page I've Column Twe)-