The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1924-03-07
WhiteHOuse
Telegranns
Under Fire
Democratic Senators Demand
Explanation of Message to
Palm Beach From Pres.
ident Himself.
Wires Trivial, Says Lodge

cueSlon or the president 3 kilograms
was opened by Senator Harrison with
the declaration that when the Ameri-
can people found out that messages
signed by the president OF the United
States had been sent to Mclean, ut
will cause sthem further to shudder,
to tremble and lose confidence-my
God-in this government Of ours"
ut 10 bad enough" he said, when
men employed at the White House
send messages to Ned Mclean; when
he admits openly by his confession,
that he had deceived the American
people, misrepresented facts, aye.
even that he has lied about a matter.
It Is bad enough when messages go
to Mclean from employees at the
White House when all this Is break
ing when tho Teapot Is boiling over.
1T Is bad. too. when secret service
codes, known only to officials Of the
Department of Justice, are employed
by Ned Mclean and the employees of
the Department of Justice in COM
municating with each other.
Mind you, 1t was January II, one
day before this message was being
transmitted. that Ed Mclean con-.
fessed that he told falsehood when
ne said he loaned to Fall the $4,000
The papers were full Of 1t. He was a
self-confessed liar. Yet the very next
Gay, over the private wires that led
from the White House. in which the
American people place all their con-
fidence. a message goes to Mclean
,down at Palm Beach. This 10 the
message:
Washington, Jan. IL. 1924, sp. m.
Edward B. Mclean, Palm Beach,
Fla.
prescott is away. Advise Slemp,
with whom | shall confer. Acknowl-
edge.
- 4signed) CALVIN COOLIDGE
Demands Onicial Statement.
Il hone that some real explanation
can be made by the president. With
the country in fever heat as 1t is to-
day, it is incumbent on the president
to give a statement to remove the
suspicion that attached to that tele-
gram, not thaS Bascom Slemp. the
secretary of the president. shall give
out a statement. but that the presi-
dent of the United States shall him
self give all the facts touching 1t.
II am aware that already there has
been sent out, or given out, from the
White House two or three lines, max
ing some kind of an explanation OF II,
they think, but that is given out by
Bascom Slemp. Bascom Slemp is the
man who was appointed by the presi-
dent after it was shown in the other
house that he accepted money from
applicants for appointment as post
masters, and he said he turned it over
TO the republican national committee
TO heIp pay the dSficit. Bascom Is the
man who went to Florida and who, a
dozen times in Florida. as shown by
the testimony, ate with Ned Mclean
and Fall.
.I want to suggest to>the senator
interrupted Senator Dill, democrat,
Washington, III 1t would not be In
teresting for the. president TO INFORM
the country why he asked Mclean TO
ask Slemp. the presidents private
secretary, instead OF asking slemp
directly. What Is the relationship.
that Mclean should be the go'be-
tween between the president and his
own private secretary"
II cannot understand 1t all, re-
turned Senator Harrison, "and
sincerely hope. for the good of the
country, and in the interest OF restor-
ing public confidence that the presi-
dent will feel that he should give out
a. statement, over his own signature,
and / pray that 1t will be plausible,
and that 1t viii bo thorough In ex-
n,anatfon OF this whole transaction"
Wire Trivial. Says Lodge.
Adverting later to Senator Harri-
sons address, Senator Lodge de-
clared the telegram was really
perfectly trivial one and a perfectly
explicable one" He said the presi.
dent had wanted TO consult Prescott,
who was chairman of the republican
committee Of the District Of Column
bla. In regard to district matters, and
was informed that Prescott was
away.
's1he ,,atter required prompt &C.
don" 4 nator Lodge said, land the
rresldt wished to find out who was
here who could take Prescott's place
and give him the information desired.
He knew that Slemp would know
siemp was away in Florida. The
president did not know where he was.
lie had been moving about, and the
president did not have his exact ad-
dress.
1T was In the evening, at $3.50, to
be exact, and the presidents other
secretary had gone. He did not
know whether Slemp had left Florida
or not. He knew that Mclean would
know wher Semp was, because he
had been with him in Florida.
THE president therefore tele.
graphed to Mclean In order to reach
Slemp for the purpose Of getting from
him the name OF the man he desired
70 see In Washington. That's the
whole story OF the telegram"
H.eborJ A~.a.soI