Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-03-08
LODGE, IN DEFENSE
OF CHIEF, ST|RS Up
SENATORIAL STORM
New Mary kilograms Read
Showing Mclean Was
Warned of Subpoena IS
sued Sunonnoning Fall

WASHINGTON, March g. - Sub
to the oil committee today
of two kilograms sent by President
Coolidge to Edward 3. Mclean at
Palm Beach led the president to is.
sue three formal statements in ex-
After the first of the messages had
been read into the public record, the
White House gave out a statement
saying it realted to a government APP
pointment in the District of Column.
bia.
The reading of the second message
was followed by White House
statement saying Mr.. Coolidge mere
ly had thanked the publisher for y
message of congratulation on hia
Lincoln birthday speech.
Later it was announced that the
second statement had been in error,
and that the second message really
related to congratulatory telegram
from MI. Mclean on the presidents
reply to the senate demand for the
resignation of Secretary DENLY.
One Of the messages was dated
January II, and said:
prescott is away. Advise Slemp
with whom I shall confer"
The second telegram, under data
of February II. was as follows:
Thank you for your message. You
have always been most considerate.
Mrs. Coolidge joins me in sending
kindest regards to Mrs. Mclean"
Slemp Makes New Statement
C. Bascom slemp. secretary to
President Coolidge, later issued a
statement correcting the previous
White House announcement with re-
spect to the Mclean telegram Of
February II.
The statement said:
THE telegram sent to Mr.. Mclean
under date of February II, was III
answer to telegram received from
Mclean congratulating the president
on his statement with respect to the
senate resolution calling for tho
resignation of Edwin DENLY as secre-
tary Of the navy.
Owing to the date of the telegram
it was first thought it related to the
presidents Lincoln day address at
New York
An examination of the White
House files after issuance by the
president of his statement discloses,
however, that the Mclean message
related to the DENLY matter.
"A number of congratulatory mes
sages were received in connection
with both the statements on the
Robinson resolution and the New
York speech
Senator Lodge. of Massachusetts
the Republican leader, defended on
the senate floor today President
Coolidge's telegram to Mclean.
The senator said that Slemp Yves
in Florida; that the president did i
not know his exact whereabouts,
and had telegraphed Mclean be.
cause he assumed Mclean would
know.
That's tn ewhole story in the
telegram" Senator Lodge declared
Senator Harrison, Democrat, Mis-
sissippi, asked whether Senator
Lodge thought 1t at all strange
that Mclean should know the
whereabouts OF Slemp when the
president himself did not"
II think he knew Mclean had
been with Slemp," replied Santor
Lodge.
Then the president knew whei
Slemp left for Florida that he would
see Mclean" persisted the Missis.
sippi senator
The January Il telegram, Senator
Lodge said, referred to prescott,
was perfectly trivial and perfectly
expqlainable."
The president. he added, had been
unable to communicate with Mr..
Prescott, chairman of the Repub.
lican organization, who desired to
consult on District Of Columbia mat
ters, and knew that Slemp would be
able to tell him with whom he should
confer.
u think it is little short Of an out.
rage" said Senator Lodge, Ito bring
the presidents name in here. in u
place where he cannot speak for
himself.
II think he should be lifted above
the debate that has been running
here for several weeks, which has
been based on gatherings Of the gut
ter, on whisperings Of the corridors.
or newspaper reports-eVery sort OF
rumor and calumpy and false story.
many of which have been exposed as
absolutely false.
Harrison Replies
He will be as prompt in punish.
ing any misdoing as any man in this
chamber.
He has done nothing to justify 4
personal attack of any kind He
is entitled to all the respect that the
congress can give him.
Senator Lodge said except for the
occasion when Senator Tillman, OF
South Carolina, made a ferocious
attack upon President Cleveland,
the apparent agreement that the
executive would be imune from per.
sonal assault by a senator had been
81 contended at that time" he's
said. that there should be a rule
the president of the United
States against such attacks from any
senator who might feel at liberty to
make them. What the senator from
said about the Importance
Of public confidence in public Off
;ials is especially important in this
The president Of the
United States, whoever he is. is en-
titled to respect by virtue of that POI
sition, and should be immune from
his sort of thing"
Replying to Senator Lodge, Sena-
tor Harrison, Democrat, Mississippi,
said he had made no attack on the
president. He said he might have
gone further than he did, and in
formed the senate that the White
House was keeping Mclean fully adj