The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1929-02-08

fContinu-d rro!S -ase One.)
motor industry and to the cabinet
DENLY was born in Evansville
| Ind, February IS, 1870, the son
of Charles and Martha Fitch Den
by. His father for many years
was United States Minister to
China, under President Cleveland
Young DENLY left the Evansville
high school in 1888 before gradu
ating to accompany his father to
the Far East There he remained
nine years, serving from 1887 to
1894 with the Chinese Imperial
Maritime Customs Service. This
service was the foundation for q
knowledge of the Far East tina.
resulted in his being regarded in
later years as an authority on that
section of the globe.
Football Player
Entering the University of Mi
chigan at the age of "a, DENLY
was graduated in 1896 with a
Bachelor of Law degree. His
great physique aided him in estab-
fishing reputation as a football!
player.
DENLY was practicing law in De-
troit as a member of the firm OF
Chamberlain, DENLY, Webster and
/; Kennedy, when the Spanish.Amer-
lean war came. He enlisted in
the navy and served aboard the
U. S. S. Yosemite as a gunner's
mate, third class, from April to
August, 1898.
The ship saw active service, cen
veying the U. S. s. Panther to
Guantanamo Bay when that craft
landed the first American troops
on Cuban soil, under the guns OF
the Yosemite.
When the war ended, DENLY re.
sumed his law practice, going in
1903 to the State Legislature and
two years later to the National
House of Representative where
he represented the First Michigan
district until 1911.
In Auto Business
Detroit's industrial activity then
engaged his attention. He was
an original stakeholder in the
Hupp Motor company an! later
its treasurer. He next became an
organizer of the DENLY Motor com.
pany. He retained his legal con.
nections and found time also to
act as President of the Detroit
Chamber of Commerce.
When the World War came, Den
by was fully occupied with his bus
mess affairs, yet he was one of the
first of Michigan's prominent men
to volunteer in the ranks.
A week after the American dec
laration of war DENLY had enlisted
/ as a private in the Marines.
Some must enlist in the ranks, .
he said "All cannot be officers"
But he was not a private long.
In two months he was a corporal
a sergeant shortly afterward, and
in six months second lieutenant
At the end of the war he was dis
charged with the rank of major.
Official Greeter
Much of his war time was spent
at the Marine recruit camp at
Paris Island. s. c., where he was
official greeter of recruits and
lecturer on "The Indoctrination OF
the Marine Corps Spirit" He went
to France as an observer with. the
Second (Marines) division. His
commander at that time was Major
General Lejune who later was to
head the corps under the direction
of the man who served in France
as Captain of Marines.
| DENLY was the only World War
veteran in the Harding cabinet. He
4
was serving as probation officer
for the Detroit Recorders courts
when the navy portfolio was offer
ed him largely, it was said at the
time, at the suggestion of John E.
Weeks, who became Secretary OF
War.
An odd parallel existed between
the careers of Edwin DENLY and
another Detroiter, Truman H. New.
berry. Both were members OF
the Michigan Naval Reserve, and
both saw service aboard the U. s.
S. Yosemite on which Newberry
was an officer. Later the gun
ner's mate won the nomination
for Congress that the officer had
sought. Still later DENLY occu-
pied the Cabinet seat that New.
berry had held under the Roose-
| welt administration
The parallel continued to the end
of their respective political ca.
reers. DENLY retired to private
life with the Teapot Dome scandal
lsmudging an otherwise enviable
Cabinet record. Newberry re.
signed from the United States
Senate after a national uproar had
taken place following charges OF
fraud in his selection; charges