Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-03-07
Senate Holly Debates Mention
OF President In Oil Scandal
Lodee Defense of President From, attacks Resented
by Democrats, Who Charge G. o. p. Leader
Acted Similarly in Wilson Case.

Attempts to drag the oil scandal
into the White House and to the desk
Of President Calvin Coolidge were
made in the Senate debate yesterday
afternoon. These were resented by
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts,. re-
publican, who entered a strong de-
Tense Of the President and character
lied as trivial the kilograms sent
Edward B. Mclean and signed by the
President, which were used as the
basis of the attack upon Mr.. Cool
idge.
The Presidents kilograms were first
mentioned in the Senate debate by
Senator Harrison of Mississippi. After
Senator Lodge had replied to this
speech, describing it as an "attack"
upon the President, Senator Harrison
declared 1t was not an attack, but
that he mentioned the Mclean tele-
grams in the hope that the President
would explain them fully. But other
democratic senators, including Sena-
subject. declaring that the Mclean
kilograms cast suspicion on the Presl-
dent.
Senator Harrison in his speech de-
clared that when the American peo-
pie found out that messages signed
by the President of the United States
had been sent to Mclean 1T Will
cause them further to shudder, to
in this government of ours"
TT is bad enough" he said, when
men employed at the White House
send messages to Ned Mclean; when
that he has deceived the American
people, misrepresented facts, aye,
oven that he has lied about matter
It is. bad enough when messages go
TO Mclean from employees at the
White House, when all this Is break
ing when the teapot is boiling over.
TT is bad, too, when secret service
codes, known only to the officials OF
the Department of Justice, are en-
Noyed by Ned Mclean and the en-
gloves Of the Department of Justice
in communicating with eacn other.
But when the facts are reveaied that
Ned Mclean, while all this quit Is
being heaped upon him' seehs t fnr
information and for consultation
here Is the message:
Brands Mclean Liar.
january IL, 1924
mind YOU, it was January IL, one
day before this message was trans trans
mitted, that Ed Mclean coniesse;a
that he told a falsehood when ne sac sal
he loaned to Fall the 100000. me
Dapers we're full of it. He was
seif-confessed liar. Yet the very
next day, over the private wires tna'
led from the White House, in Wnlch
+be American people place all their
confidence a message goes 10 Mclean
Gown at Palm Beach. This Is the
washington, D. c.
january II, 1924:
go pm.
"'F,dward B. Mclean.
palm Beach, Florida.
prescott is away. Advise Siemp
'(Signed) CALVIN COOt1DGE.
"I hope that some real explanation
can be made by the President. Win
day, it Is incumbent on the President
70 give a statement to remove the
suspicion that attached to that teie-
gram, not that Bascom Slemp, tne
secretary of the President shalI CIV
out a statement, but THAT the Presl-
dent of the United States shall MINI
self give all the facts touching it;
~ am aware that already there mas
been sent out, or given out: from the
white House two or three lines, max.
ing some kind of an explanation OF
it. they think, but that Is given OUT
by Bascom Slemp. Bascom Slemp Is
the man who was appointed by me
President after 1t was shown IN the
other house that he accepted money
from applicants for appointment as
postmasters, and he said he turned II
over to the republican nationai COM
mfttee to help pay the deficit. Bascom
is the man who went to Florida, ana
who, a dozen times in Florida, as
shown by the testimony, ate Win
Ned Mclean, and Fall was present
practically every time"
Dill Asks Question.
"I want to suggest to the senator,
Washington, "if it would not be in
teresting for the President to inform
the. country why he asked MIR: Nc
Lean to ask Mr.. slemp' the Pfeslf f
asking Mr.. Slemp directly. what is
the relationship that Mr.. Mclean
should be the go-betWeen between
the President and his own private
secretary"
II cannot understand 1t at all" re-
turned Senator Harrison, land | sim
cerely hope, for the. good OF the
country, and in the interest Of re-
President will feel that he should give
out a statement, under his own sigma
ture, and 1 pray that 1T will be plausl-
BILE, and that it will be thorough IN
explanation of this whole transact
ton"
Lodge Answers Harrison.
Adyerting later to Senator Harri-
sons address, Senator Lodge declared
the telegram was really a perfectly
trivial one and perfectly expllca PIE
one He said the President had
wanted to consult Mr. Prescott, who
was chairman of the republican com
mittee Of the District of Columbia,
in regard to District matters. and
was informed that Mr.. Prescott was
away.
The matter required prompt ac-
ton" Senator Lodge said, land the
President wished to find out who
was here who could take Mr.. Pres
colts place and give him the in
formation he desired. He knew that
Mr.. Slemp would know. Mr.. Slemp
was away in Florida. The President
did not know where he was. He had
been moving about and the President
did not have his exact address.
''It was in the evening-at half
past 9, to be exact-and the Presi-
dents other secretary had gone. He
did not know whether Mr.. Slemp had
left Florida or not. He knew that
Slemp was, because he had been with
him in Florida. The President, there
fore, teIegraphed to Mr.. Mclean in
order to reach Mr.. Slemp for the pur-
pose of getting from him the name
of the man he desired to see in
Washington. That is the whole story
of the telegram.
Says Step Natural.
THE senator from Mississippi re-
1ers to that as something smlrchihs
his reputation, because, l suppose, the
telegram was addressed to Mr.. Nc
Lean. Into that I see no need of
going. am not discussing Mr..
McLeans character, but he was
known to the President and it was
Slemp If he were still in Florida,
which was not SO. That is the whole
thing" :
DepIoring attacks upon the Presi-