Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-04-14
GOVERNMENT To
BACK OFFICIALS
Behind McAdoo and Will
lians in Legal Battle :
With Riggs Bank
bkANDEIS EMPLOYED
!mpeachment Proceedings Hinted by
Counsel of Washington Financial
institution.

Washington, April 14.-An intima
ton has been given by persons IN thi
confidence Of the Riggs Nationa
Bank officials that an effort vii b'
made to impeach Secretary of rht
| Treasury McAdoo and Comptrollel
of the Currency Williams should the
United States Supreme Court fine
; these officials guilty of maladminis
tration in connection with the banks
injunction suit
No admission was made that this
is the purpose of the law suit filed in
the District of Columbia Supreme
Court, but it can be stated authoria-
lively that the friends Of the bani:
will make impeachment an issue, ii
they are sustained by the highest
court in their charge Of persecution"
and unlawful interference by the
Treasury officials.
This development in the contro-
versy ovcrshadowed the conferences
and statements that followed the in
junction proceedings. These confer
ences and public utteranccs continued
intermittently yesterday. Counsel
for the Government met with Mr..
Williams yesterday morning and
again in the afternoon. A brief
statement WAS issued by the bank
early in the day and more extended
answer to Mr.. Williams review of
the case Monday night. was put out
late yesterday.
1t is now realized throughout the
city that the contest between the
Treasury and the Riggs Bank involves
political considerations Of the widest
Importance. An issue has been crea
ted which. the Administration must
face and preparations are being made
to meet it. The attack Of Mr.. VIII
lians upon the Riggs bank manage
ment was the first move in that direc-
ton.
Following the Cabinet meeting, At
torney- General Gregory let it be. lr'
derstood that Louis Brandeis, of Bos-
ton. had not been retained by the
Department Of Justice to prosecute
the Riggs Bank officials. About tf.e
middle Of the afternoon, however, Mr..
Gregory announced that Mr. Bran
deis had been retained.
Early in the day Mr.. Williams was
in conference with Louis Brandeis. Al
the same time Assistant Attorney
General Warren was called in. The
three Of them reviewed the situation.
but had nothing to say about 1T for
publication. In the afternoon another
conference was held, in which for
mer Assistant Acknowledgement Jesse
D. Adkins took part. This was af-
ter the Department of Justice had
formally secured the services Of Mr..
Brandeis.
In the midst of these activities came
the suggestion that the Riggs Bank
people were. in their law suit. paw
ing the way for impeachment pro-
ceedings against the two Treasury Of
ficials. Such proceedings Of course,
would not be ventured unless an ab-
Soluteiy clear case is made against
them in the Supreme Court, and no.
body familiar with the details of the
controversy so far disclosed believes
that such case can be made.
For instance, it was pointed out
today by friends Of Comptroller Viii
liams that a Supreme Court decision
exists ruling that the acts Of that
official in supervising national banks
cannot be appealed from to court
These slime friends OF the ComptroI-
|. Ter, however. declared that Mr.. vii
liams will not stand upon any techni,
cal rights he may have in this con
nection, but will go into court with
! his accusers and submit his case tc
! judicial review.
! More than that. to impeach a Cabi
| net officer and an official 50 import
ant as the Comptroller OF the Cur
rency requires an overwhelming sent
! iulent against them. Such a senti
! ment just now does not exist and vii