Evening star., 1925-09-19
.HANEY ROW PERIL
TO COOLIDGE PLANS
Embarrassing Dispute May
Have Vital Effect on Legis-
lative Program.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

! President Coolidge is up against one
! of the most embarra ssing situations
! of his public career in the question
| of how he shall dispose of Bert NJ.
| Haney of Oregon, member of the
United States Shipping Board.
! The President demanded Mr..
Haney's resignation. Mr.. Haney re-
fused to resign. MIR. Coolidge cannot
! remove him except for negligence or
! failure to perform the duties of his
office under the law. And now Mr..
Haney has gone ahead with his plan
to have Admiral Palmer removed as
president of the Emergency Fleet Cor
poration. Five members of the board
are of the opinion that Admiral
Palmer's usefulness is at an end. This
is a ma jority of the board. Mr.. Cool
idge selected Admiral Palmer. To oust
him is to defy the President. Some of
the members of the board feel they
ought not do this though they realize
they are not responsible to the Presi
dent under the merchant marine act
but TO Congress.
When Admiral Palmer was appoint
ed by the Shipping Board he was ask
ed to file his resignation at the same
time. So the motion to be made now
is to accept that resignation. The
Emergency Fleet Corporation is a
creature of the Shipping Board, which
in turn is the creature of Congress.
1t is not department OF the executive
bra nch. 1t is like the Interstate Com
merce Commission.
Big Quarrel Looms.
Hence big quarrel looms as to the
right of the President to control the
SHINING I'd hu
promises from prospective appointees.
Mr.. Coolidge's telegram to Mr.. Haney
disclosed that he expected Mr.. Haney
to support Admiral Palmer.
The President telegraphed: 1T hav-
ing come to my attention that you are
proposing to remove Admiral Palmer,
contrary to the understanding l had
with you when I reappointed you, your
resignation from the United States
Shipping Board is requested"
Mr.. Haney intended to leave the
board in few months anyway. He
had told the President when reap
pointed in June that he couldn't stay
beyond next February. But he will
not resign under a cloud of broken
promises.
Mr.. Haney's viewpoint was made
clear to the President at the time he
was reappointed. Close friends of both
the President and Mr.. Haney have
been trying to patch up the squabble
without success. 1t seems Mr.. Haney
| told the President he wanted Admiral
Palmer removed and could not sup
port him. The President asked Mr..
Haney to make an effort to do so.
Mr.. Haney is said to have made no
| reply, but left it clear that he was
making no promises.
Friends OF the President say the
lsiatter was angry when he wrote the
telegram to Mr.. Haney and that he
does recall MIR. tianey's express. .Jn
of disapproVat of Admiral Palmer, but
| chat The President expected Mr.
Haney TO change his views. Friends
of Mr.. lianey say the President had
no right either to exact such q prom
ise or 20 infer from what Mr.. Haney
said that he would change his po-
aition. And there the matter rests.
Can Appoint Successor.
The President is not anxious to
develop the controversy any more
than to appoint d successor to Mr..
Haney, which he can do when Con-
gress reconvenes. for he is under no
obligation to send Mr.. Haney's name
to the Senate.
But before December many things
can happen. In fact, they are hap.
pening. Mr.. Haney is insistent that
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