Evening star., 1924-01-31
Walsh Resolution, Appro-
priating 100000 for
Legal Steps, Passes.
President Calls Both Par
ties Leaders.
FIGHT TO FORCE DENBY
QUIT GAINS MOMENTUM
Robinson Presses Action on Reso-
luton Asking Resignation of
Navy Secretary-Hughes De-
nies Legal Aspects of Deal Ever
Discussed in Cabinet Session.


The resolution demanding the
resignation of Secretary DENLY was
taken up today by the Senate after
it had passed unanimously the Walsh
resolution proposing annulment OF
the Sinclair and Doheny oil leases.
Two elements in the naval oil
muddle-the attack on Secretary
DENLY and a question as TO the
qualification of the special counsel
appointed by President Coolidge
momentarily crowded all other fca-
lures of the tangled situation into
the background today.
An effort to so amend the Walsh
annulment resolution as to call for
Mr.. Denbys resignation led to d
debate at the outset OF the days
Senate session, but the proposal was
withdrawn after the administration
leaders had promised to permit a
vote later on separate resolution
relating to the Navy Secretary.
The question of the acceptability
Of the two attorneys selected by the
President to prosecute the annul-
nent suits resulted in a succession
OF conferences at the White House.
Chairman Lenroot and other repub-
, lican leaders called Mr.. Coolidge'5
attention to an effort in the Senate
to bar any attorney who had been
connected with all oil company. and
later Democratic Leader Robinson
and Senator Walsh. democrat Mon
tana. were sent for by the President
After the democratic senators had
left the White House. Senator Rob
inson renewed his determination TO
press for action on the resolution
calling for Mr.. Denby's resignation,
and said he regarded any request for
! democratic advice as to the selection
| OF government counsel as too
late"
At the Office OF the President, this
! statement was given out:
The President conferred with
Senators Walsh and Robinson for
the purpose of informing himself as
! to the trend OF the oil land lease in
vestigation and in order to exchange
suggestions for mutual help.
| president Coolidge and the two
senators also discussed the matter
OF counsel, how to proceed and a
significance Of the evidence"
The House naval committee re-
newed its own inquiry into special
phases of the oil lease case, and
heard Rear Admiral Latimer testify
that Secretary DENLY initiated"
transfer of the California and
Wyoming oil reserves to the Interior
Department. Once again the name
j of former Secretary Daniels was
brought into the inquiry, and Rep
resentativc Britten,. republican, Of
Illinois, said he would prove that
Mr.. DENLY had only followed in the
footsteps of his democratic pre-
deceSsor.
4 The Walsh oil lease annulment res
, olution as adopted by the Senate fol-
lows:
Whereas, it appears from evidence
taken by the committee on public
lands and surveys of the United
States Senate that certain lease of
4
wyoming, bearing date April Z, 1922,
made in form by the government of
the United States through Albert Is.
Fall, Secretary of the Interior, and
Edwin DENLY, Secretary of the Navy,
as lessor, to the Mammoth Oil Com
pany, as lessee, and that certain
; contract between the government of
, the United States and the Pan-Amer-
/ can Petroleum and Transport Com
pany, dated April Is. 1922, signed by
.. Edward C. Finney, acting secretary of
the Interior, and Edwin DENLY. Sec
retary of the Navy, relating, among
! , other things, to the construction of oil
| tanks at Pearl Harbor, r. H.. and
that certain lease of naval reserve
No In the state of California, bear
! ing date December IL, 1922. made in
form by the government of the United
: States through Albert B. Fall, Sec
,retary of the Interior, and Edwin
DENLY, Secretary of the Navy, as
! lessor, to the Pan nAmerican Petro-
1eum Company. as lessee, were exc
cuted under circumstances indicating
, fraud and corruption; and,
Whereas, The contract was en-
tered into without authority on the
part of the officers purporting to ac
| in the execution Of the same for tht
United States and in violation of th'
laws of Congress; and,
I rWhereas. Such leases and contrac
were made in defiance of the settle,
policy of the government adhered t
! through three successive administra
> | tfons. to maintain in the ground
!, great reserve supply of oil adequat
- - 10 the needs of the Navy in an,