Evening star., 1925-10-07
CONE LEAVES FLEET
POST IN PROTEST Of
PALMER'S REMOVAL
Vice President and General
Manager Scores Action of
Shipping Board.
SEES PRESIDENT DEFIED
AND POLICIES IGNORED
Crowley Takes Oath-Deposed
President Declines Vice Pres
ident's Office.

Hutchinson /. Cone, vice president
and general manager Of the Fleet
Corporation, submitted his resignation
TO the Shipping Board today in pro-
test of its action in removing Leigh
{. Palmer as president.
Mr.. Cone, who is retired rear
admiral, accepted Office in the Fleet
Corporation soon after Mr.. Palmer be-
came president. and was regarded as
one OF his right-hand men. Whether
other designations are impending as
result Of the shake-up by the board
in the corporation was not indicated.
The Shipping Board, Mr.. Cone said,
/ openly defied" President Coolidge
when it sheared the Fleet Corporation
several days ago of the wide powers
given to it at the instance of Presi-
! dent Coolidge, and it also ignored the
President when II removed Mr.. Palmer
! before the inquiry of H. G. Dalton.
! appointed to study the situation. had
been completed.
Without regard to other considera-
tions," he added. Il cannot, as re-
tired naval officer. serve any organiza-
tion that dsfes the wishes and policies
of the President Of the United States"
Elmer E. Crowley. who was elected
president of the corporation to sue
ceed Mr.. Palmer. arrived from New
York today. where he had been man
aging operator of the American EN-
port Line, and at once took the oath
of office.
Palmer Declines Post
Admiral Palmer, once storm center
OF the widening breach between the
Shipping Board and the White House
Yesterday declined the boards ''cour
tesy" proffer of the Office Of vice
president in charge of European az
fairs of the Fleet Corporation after it
had ousted him as corporation presi-
dent. an Office in which he has been
consistently supported by President
| Coolidge. Mr.. Palmer today was view
ing as a casual observer the trend OF
affairs which yesterday brought a
summary end Of his official services.
BEFORE deposing Mr.. Palmer. how
ever, the board already had widened
its breach with the White House by
shearins the Office of Fleet Corpora
tion president Of the complete authori-
ty in shipping administration with
which Mr.. Coolidge caused 1t to be
vested when Mr.. Palmer was elected.
In announcing that under the cir
cumstances" it would be impossible
for him to accept the European post
TO which the board elected him, Mr..
Palmer stated that before he was re-
moved as corporation president he al.
ready had determined not to continue
in that Office If the resembling of It's
authority was to be permanent.
He had not thought 1t proper, how
ever. to take action in the matter. he
added. pending the conclusion Of the
! inquiry into the shipping situation
which Mr. Coolidge has directed to
be made by H. G. Dalton of Cleveland
as his personal representative.
Congress Action Seen.
In the shake-up of the official per
sonnel of the Fleet Corporation. which
has ended Mr.. Palmers connection,
the board has gone another step In
its determination to follow it's own
ideas as an independent agency of
Congress in resuming full and com.
plete control of Fleet Corporation af-
fairs.
Developments now, with Mr..
Palmer's removal, appear to leave the
Shipping Board situation as one to
be dealt with by Congress, and any
recommendations which may be forth
! coming from Mr.. Dalton's investiga-
ton are expected to be primarily Of a
legislative character. Mr.. Coolidge Is
known still to favor one-man opera
tion of the fleet, as under the regime
of Mr.. Palmer. but whether 1t will
be proposed to Congress that the
Shipping Board be abolished and the
Fleet Corporation set up as an indie
pendent organization has not been
indicated.
With the resignation of Commits.
sioner Thompson. however, and the
presumption that Commissioner
Haney, who is serving under a recess
appointment and has refused a re-
quest Of the President to resign, will
not be reappointed when Congress
meets, the opportunity will be open
to Mr.. Coolidge to change materially
the complexion of the board But
the fight by that time probably will
have shifted to legislative rather than
| administrative grounds.