The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-12

ana those interested With h1m In the subject matter of this resolution may to time when oil was needed.
 ''There's nothing of the sort in the bill," replied the Missouri senator. Another interruption from the re- publican side came from Senator Nor ris of Nebraska, who said the policy of the government was designed to deal with an emergency.
 Nobody claims the offset wells were not necessary" said Senator Norris. 'bpt the leases provide for taking all oil from the resreves"
 What l want to emphasize" said Senator Spencer, "is that we instructed the secretary to store the oil.' God stored it in the ground the only ac- tion he could possibly conceive under this language was to store it above the ground"
 Senator Robinson asked why the speaker omitted the very significant instruction in the law to conserve?" i"
 II emphasized that at first" Senator Spencer said, ''but the power under controversy is that to develop, lease, store and exhange' and I am now dwelling upon it.
 If the purpose of the law is not clear the only criticism of MT. Denby is that he allowed the transfer of such duties. I do not believe he had any right to make that transfer, or that the executive had any such right. But the reason for it is obvious. If the interior department had about 19 mil lion acres of public lands already in charge and it seemed logical that it could better supervise these.
 But that question is in doubt, I would not be surprised if the court held there was such authority"
 Couzens Opposes It
 Senator Couzens, republican, Mich igan, also opposed the resolution on isted as to whether Secretary Denby did not have full authority for the leases.
 II submit there is no evidence to indicate a doubt by the secretary that he had such authority" said Senator Couzens. If Secretary Daniels letter had a bearing it is not so stated in the law"
 The Michigan senator said he con- sidered ''it even improper for the time of the Senate to be taken up with this resolution"
 In closing Senator Couzens reviewed Mir. Denby's war record and urged that the resolution be not voted on until the secretary has all the rights guaranteed to all citizens.
 "The action of the senate, if it passed the resolution, would be most remark able and unwarranted," he declared, ''and the country will lose confidence in any senator who supports it."
 LaFollette Supports It
 Delivering his first address of this session, Senator LaFollette of Wiscon- sin, leader of the republican insurgents and author of the original oil inquiry resolution, declared that not only Sec and Attorney General Daugherty must feel their share of responsibility,
 Albert B. Fall must bear the respon- Toilette said, but he mnst not be made the scapegoat so that others may be al- lowed to evade responsibility for what they have done.
 MT. Denby must be held to strict re- sSponsibility and accountability. He knew eX-Secre.ary Fall we'll. He knew the latter's record with regard to con servatlon. Mir. Falls record in the sen-
 
 and contempt for conservation legisla- ton. Denby knew all this.
 Ut will be recalled that Denly in addition to turning over the naval oil reserves to Fall also turned over to him the naval coal reserves in Alaska. When he did this he knew and must have known that it was Falls purpose and desire to immediately transfer these re- serves to private interests for private exploitation.
 Presidential Responsibility
 ''So also the President must bear his full share of responsibility. He was aware of the policy of both Denby and Fall in dealing with the naval oil re- serves and other public property long before the present investigation called public attention to their conduct.
 When l introduced the oil resolu- tion, the vice president. now the presi- dent, was in the chair. When that reso- lution was called up for discussion and the whole subject thoroughly gone into on April 2S, 1922, the vice president, Mir. Coolidge, now the president, was in the chair and heard the discussion. At the time the revela ations were fore shadOwed which have since been pub licly made.
 ''So that President Coolidge long be- fore he became president was given notice that the evidence was at hand to show political corruption in the leasing of the naval oil reserves
 And so Attorney General Daugh- erty, of Morse pardon fame who has rever raised a hand to protect the public interest in these matters With his hordes of assistants, with his in- spectors and detectives and secret serv- ice agents he has revealed no fact to assist in bringing out the truth re- specting the naval oil reserve leases, and has done no act looking toward the punishment of those who apparently committed grave crimes in tht con summation of those leases. "So it is that I say let each official