U.S. OIL LEASES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18632, 13 February 1924, Page 9

U.S. OIL LEASES.

ijjf CENSIfEE OF MINISTER. 1 RESOLUTION BY SENATE. llf DISMISSAL demanded. If president REFUSES, ' 1 ' . JUNCTION OF EXECUTIVE. I ' By Telegraph— AsiiociationCopyright. £\ ■ (Received 8.5 p.m.) il-b" - i;»ndN.Z. WASHINGTON. Feb. 11. §§: - As a result of the Senate's inquiry into i". *' tit, granting of leases for oil lands . reP;i' served by the Navy Department, the [$ ,J Senate adopted to-day a resolution asking 1-irK " the President, Mr. Calvin Coolid'ge, to ; demand the resignation of Mr. Edwin PPg Denby, Secretary of the Navy. i*» The preamble quotes from the resolu- & tiOn adopted on January 31, stating that '!*>'■,«! the leases signed by Mr. Denby were jnfl.de in violation of the law and in cir- • J cumstances indicating corruption. Ten i Republicans and two Farmer-Labour mem- '' here joined the Democrats in supporting tie resolution. The vote was 47 to 34. Durin S tha " debat « Senator R. M. La VC;«Jrc»lefcte (Republican) denounced Mr. £||f|fenby as unfit and untrustworthy to in l be Cabinet and criticised the ' * ~S^"^ I * S1^en t or his failure to dismiss him. La Follette declared that Mr. Cool- ; lf|| idge was partly responsible because dur- j Jing the Senate's preliminary ' discussion j jw SjKof the oil lands leases in 1922, Mr. Cool- j idge, as Vice-President, presided in the j Senate. Mr. La Follette concluded: "Let' each official bear his own responsibility. )>t there be no vicarious atonements." j iMr. Denby firmly reiterates that he has ' 'iit V no intention of resigning. j i"J | r The President has issued a statement j !v that no official recognition can be given j f" :to the Senate resolution demanding Mr. : Denby's resignation. "I shall not hesi- -• tate to call for the resignation of any official whose conduct in this matter in ' any way warrants such action upon my ' ' ' part," says Mr. Coolidge, "but '.r'.." the' dismissal of a Cabinet officer " £ other than one who has been impeached is exclusively an executive function. I shall take such action as • :: seems essential for the full protection of i public interests as soon as special counsel; can advise concerning the legality of the j vt;v/ leases,'.' \f- . Th« Attorney-General, Mr. H. M. Daugherty, has requested the Senate to J .\ .. 'investigate the administration of the De-i partment of Justice before taking action , 'in regard to Senator Wheeler's recent - motion to th§ President to request Mr. >: Daugherty's resignation. y.f Mr. W. G. McAdoo, a Democratic ; * . aspirant for the Presidency, was examined ,V "by ( the Senate Committee to-day and refuted charges made against him in con-1 n. ■' . section with the. oil scandal. He said ! that the oil interests controlled by Mr. , t > Doheny, one of the lessees, had paid his lav Snn since 1919 150,090 dollars, of rfhich Mr. McAdoo'g own share totalled ; ; 50,000 dollars. Mr. McAdoo stated that i-' he wjw consultant exclusively on Mexican cases, and was totally unconnected with the naval oil negotiations. If he had been consulted on that matter by his client A the .present scandal would have . been y; . avoided. . ... , . Mr. McAdoo added that not only Hid. he - quit . Mr. Doheny's employ the day after Mr. Doheny had given evidence be- ' fore [/"the: committee, but that he now detoanied a complete inquiry into Mr. 9ofcen<''fl ' affairs. "The whole country is ; shocked and. appalled by what has been " rpveslei during this investigation," con- ■' cluded Mr. McAdoo. "The fact that a - former Cabinet Minister is already gravely : . , involved has; raised strong suspicion in V.' : t{i« public mind that others may be S/i - , guilty."