Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-04-15
MOVE To E:XPUNCE
MESSAGE INSULT"
IS MADE BY REED
Watson Says PinChot In
spired Attack on the Sec
rotary of Treasury, Which
Is Aimed at the President

WASH NGTON, April 13-Bresk.
ing the silence which has marked
their side of the chamber during
many Democratic onslaughts on the
administration, Republicans of the
| senate Saturday came to defense of
President Coolidge and Secretary
Mellon in a long and fiery debate
| surrounding the intervention by the
J president in senate investigation
J committee procedure.
| Senator Watson, of Indiana, chair.
man Of the senate committee in
| curing into affairs of the internal
| revenue bureau. led off in the debate
and was the chief spokesman for
the Republicans, being supported by
| Senator Reed, Republican, Pennsyl-
vania, in the exchange with the
| Democrats, who renewed their as.
sault on President Coolidge as well
as Secretary Mellon.
New light was thrown on the
events which prompted the president
to send his message yesterday on
| the senate investigation situation
| when Senator Watson injected the
name of Governor Clifford Pinchot,
of Pennsylvania, into the situation.
The Indiana senator informed his
colleagues that Governor Pinchot.
who has had row with prohibition
| officials under the treasury depart.
meht, had suggested" employment
of Francis j. Heney, of San Fran
cisco, as special counsel for the sen.
ate committee investigating the in
| ternal revenue bureau. Mr.. Heneys
services would be paid for personal
| ~ by Senator COuZenS, Republican,
Michigan, author of the inVestiga-
| ton resolution and the committee
| prosecutor"
Senator Watson said he himself
! had given Secretary Mellon informa.
ton Of the Pinchot development and
the result, he added, was Mr.. Mel.
! Ions letter to the president and the
| special message sent to the senate
| yesterday by MIR. Coolidge in pro-
! test.
Senator Watson interpreted the
message us dealing only with the
internal revenue bureau situation
and asserted his purpose to press
his resolution to quash that inves-
tiSating committee.
Democrats Strike Back
Democratic Ienators were not sat.
lsfied, however, that the language Of
, the message was not designed to re-
buff all senate Investigations, and for
hours they directed a heavy fire Of
criticism against the president and
| Secretary Mellon. Late in the day
Senator Reed, Democrat, Missouri,
introduced a resolution to "expunge"
the message from senate records, as
serting that it was Insulting to the
senate" The text Of the resolution,
which was permitted with its au-
thors assent to lie on the table, fol-
| lows:
Resolved, That the communication
OF the president of the United States
of date Of April II, 1924, and the
letter of the secretary Of the treasury
Of date of April 10, 1924, be and they
are hereby eXpunged from the rec.
ords OF the senate
The Reed resolution was not in.
sp1red by the minority leaders, Sena.
tor Robinson, Arkansas, Democratic
leader, said later. Other Democratic
senate chiefs were frank in saying
they did not expect it to be adopted
81 to be pressed as a party strategy
measure.
Senator Watson, in his reply to
Democratic assaults Of yesterday,
opened senate proceedings today by
informing his colleagues that Sena-
tor CouZens had told him the sug-
Gestion for Heney's employment had
nj
MiChi3' senator was still confined
to his home by serious illness, and
no attempt tn bring any resolution
pending i'll the controversy was made
in his absence.
The Indiana senator said Senator
Couzens would confirm the statement
that Governor Pinchot hid inter-
vened in the situation, and added
that both he and Secretary Mellon
knew what that meant
Slap at President
"He knew and l knew" Senator
Watson said. that from that mo-
ment the purpose of the inquiry be-
came destructive and not construc-
tive"
The Indiana senator said that the
Change of scenery" which brought
Pinchot and Heney into the picture
meant not only the exploration Of
Secretary MELONS private affairs.
but that "every activity Of the pro-
hibition unit would be brought be-
fore this committee"
Everybody knows that with Mr..
Pinchot and Mr. 4eney back Of it
there would be no end to the inves-
tigation," Senator Watson continued.
There would be thrown out a drag
net Of gossip and scandal, and come
about an era Of vituperation unequal
ed in the political annals of Amer
Ica."
At another point Senator Watson
said Mellon is not being attacked
for Melons sake, but in an effort
to get the president"
Mr.. Mellon is the main support
of Mr. Coolidge, and Mr.. Coolidge
will undoubtedly be the leader on
this side in the coming campaign
he continued.
Investigation of the internal reve-
nue. bureau has shown that organi-
zation to be efficient. capable and
ready for the huge tasks with which
it deals, Senator Watson said. No
good purpose could come from con-
tinuing the inquiry he added, and
much evil might result. He serv-
ed notice that he would press his
resolution to discharge the commit