The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-07-04
Imbroglio in the Treasury
Department Officially
Revealed
CONGRESS WILL
INVESTIGATE
Assistant Charges That MacVeagh
Makes 1t Impossible to Transact
Business on Account of
His Idiosyncrasies

Washington. July S-An imbroglio in
the United States treasury of more
than years standing between Score
tary MacVeagh and Assistant Seere-
tary A. Piatt Andrew was officially
revealed today by Andrews resignation
and a proposal for congressional in
vestigation of Secretary MacVeaghs
administration.
Representative Cox of Ohio presented
a resolution for such an Investigation
to the House after he had read Mr..
Andrews letter of resignation to Pres
ident Taft. The letter created pro-
found sensation. Andrew declared that
energetic young men in tie treasury
had been "hampered and discouraged at
every turn by Secretary MaeVeaghs
lidiosyncra sizes, his astounding capacity
for procra stination, his ineapacity for
decision and the peculiar moods of
suspicion and aversion to which he is
constantly subject"
Andrew informed President Taft that
Lawrence o. Murray, comptroller of
currency; Lee McClung. treasurer of the
United States. and other high officials
OF the treasury were practically un-
able to transact the business of their
offices, becauseof Secretary MacVeag gh's S
moods, which Andrew says would seem
inexplicable in a man of normal mind
Predecessors Hampered
In a long letter to the President.
Andrew stated that his predecessors.
Charles D. Norton, later secretary to
President Taft, and Charles D. Hiles,
who also left the treasury to become
| White House secretary, were compelled
TO submit to the same conditions nv
der Secretary MacVeagh as We're inn
posed upon hiIH and. saXa, ,MF.aa Hlsy yeaga
,ft1.s weeks at q tin1e would hare NJ re-
lations whatever with hts assistants,
while the government business was de-
layed.
Andrew wrote the President that con-
duct of the public business under such
conditions was impossible and that tho
treasury business was practically at a
standstill.
While relations between Andrew and
| his chief have been strained more than
a year. 1t is said they reached the
breaking point two weeks ago when
Andrew went to the Chicago convention.
| When he returned ii became known that
| Mr.. MacYeagh or Andrew would leave
the cabinet. Senators Crane, Lodge
ond some others talked with the Presi-
dent about the situation and an effort
was made to have Andrew retained. HIS
resignation was practically requested,
however and he rendered II and left the
city few hours later.
! When Andrew advised the Secretary
| in writing that he intended going to
the convention to assist In framing the
| financial plank of the platform Mr..
MacVeagh, 1t is said. replied that he de
sired his assistant to remain al his desk
In Washington Andrew. his friends de-
clare, unsuccessfuly sought person
al interview with his chief to straight
en- out the matter. He went to Chi
eago.
According to officials it was this in
| cident which constituted his failure to
obey orders given him by the Secretary
referred to In "a White House statement
Cox to Press Resolution
| The Cox resolution was referred to tho
committee on rules.
| Representative Cox says that he will
| press 1t for immediate passage. The com
mittee which he wishes to investigate tn,
department would be headed by Repre-
sentative James NJ. Cox of Indiana.
! The author of the resolution had thi
TO say about it:
IF half of what Mr.. Andrew says b.
true, then the state of things in the treas
ury department has developed into a pos
| tive t-avesty. An investigation nigh
develop ille fact that the whole machin
cry of the government had been throw
into a state of chaos. confusion and strif
which has overwhelmed the affairs of th
administration as the result Of the up
heavaI in the republican party of the ma
ton.
IF public business is at standstill W,
should not only know it, but we should
I reveal the cause"
Some of the officials who were namet
by Mr.. Andrew in his letter as being dis
satisfied with conditions In the treasur,
denied it. while others were silent
Director Ralph of the bureau of print
Ing and engraving simply said his rea
tions with Mr.. Macveagh were "al
right"
Treasurer McClung did not want to dis
cuss it. but Commissioner Roy Cabell II
the internal revenue bureau, dissente,
vigorously from Andrews statement an,
declared his relations with Mr.. Macveagl
were all he could wish.
DR.. Andrews letter to Secretary Mac
Veagh. advising him of the resignation
diseloses the hitherto unpublished fac
that Mr. Macyeagh was on the verge O
4 leaving the cabinet In December, 1870
DIR. Andrews Letters
! In one part of the letter he says:
! you cannot forget how | stood by yot
! when you were ON the point of having
taken from your hands what was prob
ably the most important undertaking o
your administration
4 ''yyhsn the White House. in December
7 1910. without consulting with you. ans
1 entirely without your knowledge. entere,
into uegotia iions for an issue of Pananis
bonds the embarrassment of the sitna
tion threatened to force your resignation
you will remember that / did every
thing in my power to avert your humIia
tion and that ! Loyalty agreed to resigl
and leave the service with you If you
resignation became necessary
| Dr. Andrews letter to the Presidan
says in parts
/ I'm presenting my resignation of tn
office with which you have favored me
deem II proper to aequaint you witt
conditions which have existed In IN
| treasury for the last two wears at ieas,
and which are of grave concern not onl,
i to every official OF the treasury, but ais
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