Evening star., 1924-02-07
DENLY STATEMENT
MAY SPLIT ISSUE
Secretary Puts Self on De.
fensive and ProCIaims In
tention to Fight.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Secretary Denby's outspoken de-
Tense of his action in signing the
Teapot Dome oil leases is the turning
point of the controversy.
There always have been two schools
icy involved in leasing the naval oil
reserves and but for the revelation
of loan to the former Secretary Of
the Interior. Albert B. Fall, by one
of the parties to the contract the
discussion would have been carried
along on exactly the lines announced
by Mr. DENLY in the last twenty-fouF
hours.
1t means that even If the Senate
resolution demanding Mr.. Denby's
designations should be adopted, the
Secretary of the Navy will stand his
ground and. therefore, President
Coolidge will be in the position OF
being compelled to suspend judgment
while the question is being debated
in Congress or tried in the courts.
No resolution of the Senate can force
the President to demand the reslgna-
ton of a member of his cabinet, VINO
has once been confirmed. lmpeach-
ment proceedings may, of course, be
started, but the trial must result in
a conviction before there is a re-
moval from office.
More Testimony Due.
The democrats are beginning to
talk of impeachment, but at pres
ent writing it looks as If they Will
depend on the march of events IN
the next few days in the Senate in
ystigating committee before making
any such move. Some important
testimony is forthcoming which is
said to be even more sensational tnan
that which has been produced. The
exact relations between the men who
sought the oil leases and the Navy
Department will be thoroughly eA-
Rmined. :.
The action of Secretary DENLY is
in the nature of challenge, Tor II
turns the fire in his direction once
more. There are rumors that Presl'
dent Coolidge was about to adop
the same attitude toward the leases
that has just been proclaimed by the
Secretary of the Navy. and that
statement to that effect was II
preparation aboard the MayhoWel
Just before Senator Lenroot went tf
the President and told him Of the
testimony about to be given VIII
respect to the Doheny loan to former
Secretary Fall In view of those CIR
cumstances. Mr.. Coolidge is said te
have abandoned the idea of standing
by the leases as made until they were
in the courts. Instead a statemen
was issued at midnight directing
: criminal proceedings.
Only Move Possible.
From a political standpoint the
declaration of the Secretary Of the
Navy is regarded as the only move
he could have made. To have main
tanned that he knew nothing about
the making of the leases would have
stamped him as unaware of important
transactions in his own department
To have resigned under fire would
have been construed as a confession
of guilt and of possible knowledge OF
some of the sensational things which
have been disclosed by the Senate in.
vestigating committee. 1t is said Mr
DENLY told friends he would resigr
If they thought he was embarrassing
the President. On the other hand
there was a well defined opinion thai
it word be far more harmful if he
resigned at this time without having
given the country his side of the
story.
Mr.. Denby's decision to fight will a,
least becloud the issue and divide
opinion more or less along partisan
lines. The whole controversy is get
ting moro and more complicated every
day, win evident efforts on both the
democratic and republican sides to ex-
pose the mistakes of the officials in
opposite parties whose names have
been mentioned in the case. Mr.
Denbys statement starts the fight
that has been lulled for a few days
owing to the death Of Woodrow Will
son. From now on the Secretary OF
the Navy will be in the limelight and
on the defensive.