The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-28
COOLIDGE TO NAME
 SPECIAL COUNSEL
WALSH MEASURE CALLED
 WHITE HOUSE ATTENTION

sill In Upper Body Will Only 7 Be Directed At Doheny's Of,
 fer To Surrender Contract
 WASHINGTON, Jan. 27.--(By As sociated Press. )-Direct action by both President Coolidge and the Senate toward annullment of the naval oil leases. is forecast within 24 hours.
 Announcement of the administration determination to act promptly on the basis of disclosures before the Senate oil Investigating committee was made at the White House last midnight after .she chief executive had conferred with several of his advisors both in the Sen ate and the department of justice.
 Special counsel-probably two in number-drawn from both political par ties will be selected by Mir. Coolidge to prosecute the cases ''so that if there is any guilt it will be punished; if there is any civil liability it will be enforced; if there is any fraud it will be revealed, and if there are any contracts which are illegal they will be cancelled"
 To Act On Walsh Resolution
 Senate. action. will be taken on a tg Montana, who has had dominant part in the investigation. providing that the President be advised and directed imme- diately to cause annullment suits to be instituted and to employ special counsel for their prosecution.
 The Senate resolution will be directed only to the Teapot Dome lease in view of the offer of E. l.. Doheny, through fn fn fho ment without court proceedings the California naval reserve and other con- tracts held by his company. This off, fer will be presented to the Senate to- morrow by the investigating commit. tee without recommendation.
 Coolidge Studied Question
 White House officials in discussing the midnight statement said today President Coolidge had studied the whole question of the leases in the se- clusion of his cabin on the Mayflower during run down the Potomac yester- day and that upon his return he con. ferred with advisors. His advisors in- sclisa Chairman Lenroot of the inves- ligatliig committee, Senator Curtis of Kansas, assistant republican leader in the Senate; Acting Attorney General Seymour and Assistant Attorney Gem eral Holland, who personally has been observing the progress of the inquiry by direction of the executive.
 Discussing the statement issued after this conference, Senator Walsh declared that obviously" there has, been conveyed to the White House inz formation regarding the action of the Investigating committee Saturday after noon which it has been agreed should be regarded as confidential He ex- plained that the committee had endorsed in principle his resolution proposing that the President begin suit and en- ploy special counsel. Senator Cara way. democrat, Arkansas, author of the original cancellation resolution for which the Walsh measure will be a sub stitute, declared the President was merely acting now to head off import ant proposals in Congress. Both he and Senator Walsh and other demo- cratic leaders predicted that the Walsh substitute would be adopted by the Sen ate tomorrow and there was intimations that in the debate preceding action the 7 Presidents statement would come in for discussion.
 A resolution calling on President Coolidge to employ special counsel and proceed for the annulment of the Tea pot Dome oil lease was agreed to in principle, it was disclosed tonight at an executive session of the Senate oil Investigating committee, held at the conclusion of the public hearing yes- terday. In announcing the committed s action, Senator Walsh, democrat, Mon tana. author of the resolution, and one of those most active in directing the inquiry, declared that although the de- cision was made under a pledge that it remain confidential, word of it lob viously" was conveyed to the White House prior to the issuance of the Presidents statement last midnight
 The resolution charges that Sinclair Teapot Dome lease was executed un- der circumstances indicating fraud and corruption" and, naming both Secretary Fall and Secretary Denby as parties to the lease, asserts that the agreement was made without authority land in -xiolation of the laws
 In the form in which it was given committee approval in principle, the resolution also asked that steps be taken for the annulment also of the IIoheney lease in California, but in view of the offer of Gavin McNab, counsel for F. l.. Doheny. for reeonveyance to the government of the Doheney coni- pany contract, it was decided to ask for immediate Senate action only in re- gard to Teapot Dome.
 Proposal Unacceptable
 Mre McNab's proposal will be pre- sented to the Senate tomorrow with out recommendation, but committee men indicated that it would be unac- .ceptable in it's present form, since it does not bear the signature of Mir. Do heny Unless q direct offer comes from Mir. Doheny, resolution similar to that regarding Teapot Dome will be Off, fered with respect to the California re- serve. 4
 When asked tonight to comment on last nights White House statement re- gartling the naval oil leases. Senator Walsh said: -,
 There is a little matter I am anxi- ous to tell you. I had concluded to call up tomorrow morning the Caraway reso- lution and had prepared a substitute, after consultation with Senator Cara. way. that was satisfactory to hing.
 You will recall that after the hear ing yesterday there was an executive session held. After it the matter of the likelihood of action by the Senate to- morrow WAS under consideration. announced to the committee my purpose to call up the Caraway resolution, and said il that connection yaat had pre- nareo a substitute al'fng the line of the statement made by Ane ii the Sen ntc T few days ago, Quthorizing ana directing the President to institute suit
 tI,. laas zlI ,l~