Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-02-21
DENLY RESIGNATION CLEARS
COOLIDGE in OIL LEASE ROW,
DAVID LAWRENCE DECLARES
Democrats, Encouraged,
Now viii Direct Scandal
Allegations at Other High
Officials of G. O, P,
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Neased Wire Service to The Journal.
(Copyright, 1924

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19.-Edwin
DENLY, of Michigan, has resigned as
secretary of the navy.
Unwilling to embarrass the Cool
idge administration, yet insistent
that his course Of action has been
without reproach, Mr.. DENLY has
withdrawn from the cabinet just as
a resolution adopted recently by the
United States senate asked that he
should do.
The decision to withdraw has not
been sudden. Mr.. DENLY felt from
the first that the unfortunate attack
which had been made against him
would embarrass the administration
because of the fact that this is
campaign year. He was ready
resign earlier but was persuaded not
to do so.
Inc friends of the administration
were of the opinion that to resign
Immediately upUu-..4s passage OF the
senate resolution would to con-
TESS guilt ana Z, it would hurt
more than help politically. SO it was
decided that the president should is
sue his defense Of the character and
integrity of Mr.. DENLY and that the
withdrawal when it was made should
be based simply on the differences
that have arisen with respect to the
execution Of the leasing policy.
Backs Up His Leases
Mr.. DENLY has contended that the
leases he made in conjunction with
Secretary Fall were advantageous to
the government. He has believed
that an impartial investigation of
the facts would vindicate him. On
the other hand, the insistence of the
senate that the leases be cancelled
has forced the eXecuLV branch of the
government to go into the courts to
request injunctions multiplying the
leases made by Messrs. Fall and
DENLY. Ilo appointment of seal
counsel was for that specific object.
AS pointed out in these dis
patches last week, the administra-
ton realized the awkwardness Of
having special counsel appointed by
the president seeking to set aside
an action taken by two other de-
partments of the government. I'm
der those circumstances a restgna-
ton was inevitable.
Mr. DENLY now awaits the find
ings of the special investigation I'M
of friends who believe that when
the inquiry is finished he will come
out of it fully indicated.
However that may be, the resigna-
ton, for the moment, has put a new
face on the whole Teapot Dome con-
troversy. There have been some
House and the secretary Of the navy
other differences between the White
relative to the proposed expedition
of the airship Shenandoah" to the
north pole. Mr.. DENLY has been en-
thusiastic for the project, while Mr..
Coolidge has poured cold water on
it with the statement that he didn't
feel warranted in going to the ex-
pense unless congress approved 1t.
Attack Felt KeenEy
Clearly the Coolidge administra-
ton has felt the weight Of the at,
tack on the secretary Of the navy,
and the presidents friends have been
determined that he should not be
injured in the forthcoming cam
paign by appointments made and
actions taken when he was not in
office.
Mr.. Coolidge has been represent
ed by his intimates as DESTROYS OF
cleaning house, and they hint that
from now he may be counted upon
to make other changes which he
might otherwise have delayed pend
ing the outcome of the presidential
campaign.
The one weak spot in the Coolidge
armor, politically speaking, has been
the retention of Mr.. DENLY as secre-
tary of the navy. When the resolu-
ton asking for his withdrawal was
passed and it appeared as if Mr..
Coolidge would retain him, the Demo
Gratis We're jubilant. They had at
Hast to their own satisfaction brought
the president into joint responsible
ity for some of the phases of the
Teapot Dome miX-up.
Coolidge Now Cleared
Now. however, Mr.. DENLY helps
to clear Mr.. Coolidge's skirts and en-
ables the president to stand before
the country as having taken every
step that could be taken by him to
assure the protection of the govern
ment's interests in the matter of oil
| reserves.
The political pot continues to boil
and the Democrats now will endeav-
or to prove that the oil mess runs
into many other government offices
and that the Republican party as a
whole must defend itself at the polls
next autumn for the acts committed
| during it's tenure of office.
If the Republicans can do it they
will endeavor to neutraliZe this by
! dragging former Democrats of prom
| inecnce into the controversy. And
out of it both parties will suffer and
an independent movement, while not