The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-19
FIRST BREAK IN CABINET COMES;
 DENBY RESIGNS
Secretary Of Navy Yields After Criticisms In Oil
 Lease Probe
GETS OUT TO SAVE HIS
 PARTY EMBARRASSMENT
Coolidge Declares Honesty And Integrity Of Official Have
 Not Been Impugnec

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1S.-(By the Associated Press.)-The resignation of Edwin Denby as secretary of the navy, to be effective March 10, was re- ceived and accepted by President Cool idge today.
 Rendered voluntarily by the secre- tary for fear his continuance in office might increase the "embarrassments" of the President, and as an outgrowth of the Senate inquiry into the leasing of naval oil lands, the resignation marks the first break ir- the cabinet which Mir. Coolidge took over intact on the death of President Harding.
 Expressing regret in accepting the resignation, President Coolidge de- clared in a letter to the naval secre- tary that you will go with the knowl- edge that your honesty and integrity have not been impunged."
 Mir. Denby, on the other hand, in formed the chief executive that it Twill always be a gratifying thought to me that neither you nor anyone else at any time advised me to resign" Roosevelt Holds On. Although the action of the secre- tary at once started a flood of rumors concerning the probability of other | resignations, Assistant Secretary Roose- welt, whose name has been linked with that of Mir. Denby in the oil leasing case, declared that he had not re- signed.
 Learning of his chiefs action, Mir. Roosevelt made an engagement at the White House and conferred with the
 
 As for the question of a successor for Mir. Denby, it was stated authori- tatively this had received but little con- sideration. So far as is known there is no play in administration circles to promote Mir. Roosevelt to the post. Two Suggested As Successors. The names of Charles B. Warren, of Detroit, who has at least tentative ly accepted the Presidents appoint ment as ambassador to Mexico, and of former Representative Patrick H. Kelley, also of Michigan, former chair man of the naval subcommittee of the house appropriations committee, are prominently mentioned for the post. There has been nothing to indicate, however, that these are the only names before Mir. Coolidge and his advisers.
 HI n StdtcuIcuL Iudue ldtc tO- day Secretary Denby discussed his res ignation and pointed out that date of his retirement left plenty of time for any impeachment proceedings against him.
 Therefore, he added, "any one who says that am yesigning for fear oi timpeachnent simply lies Referring to thg Presidents' present action in rejecting publicly the ad- vice contained in Senate resolution re. questing him to caTf immediately for MT. Denby's resignation, the naval sec retary said in the statement:
 '"The President has stood up man. fully for right and justice. The sports manlike thing to do is to relieve him of the further embarrassment of con- tinued political maneuyers and political trickery."
 He challenged investigation of his acts in connection with leasing with naval reserve lands before any un- prejudiced tribunal" and declared his conviction that it could not be proven that my action was not beneficial both to the government and to the navy.
 To Fight His Own Battle.
 The resentment felt by Mir. Denby by the action of the Senate in adopting the resolution calling for his resigna- tion is sharply reflected in the state- mnet
 "I am able to fight my own battle, but | cannot fight islander protected by Senatorial immunity" he said.
 The serious "'disaster" to the plans
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