The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-04-13

also calls upon the three government
officials to show cause " ny they should
not be enjoined from revokiaS the
Rtggs National Banks designation AS
q depository of other national banks.
MIR Williams is also called upon to
show cause why he should not be
enioined from calling for special re-
ports when these are not reasonably
necessary for fun and complete
knowledge of the banks condition. lie
Ia also ordered to show cause why he
should not be enjoined from interfering
or intermeddling In the manner com
planned Of with the banks affairs.
Letter to Mr.. Williams.
Comptroller Of the Currency,
Washington, u. G.
Sr.---iour letter of February 20 was
duly received, but We have deferred
our answer becaue one of the Of
ficers whose signature II required was
then out of the city.
During the past nine months you
have written more than forty letters to
this bank and IN -allnosteyery- one of
them YOU have insuited lis officers with
some direct imputatlon against their
vera city or with some Insinuation
against their integrity. Many OF your
questions were such a.. under the law,
YOU had No right 10 ask ana such,
therefore. as we could have properly
refused 10 answer, but We answered
them in the expectation that when you
were fully advised about the analrs
of this bank and the conduct of it's
officers your sense nf official obliga-
ton would prevail over your personal
feeling and restrain you from abur-
ing the power of your great office 10
crafty your personal resentment
Your last letter, however makes It
manifest that our forbearance had
only invited your more persistent at
tacks, and we feel that we owe it TO
ourselves as we'll as TO our stockholders
to recall TO your niuf the events
which convince us that your course
is due TO your personal hostility
tows rds tho officers Of this bank.
New York Tribune Incident.
On December 8. 1919, the New York
Tribune published an article severely
Criticizing you with respect to GER
tain transaction conducted by you as
Assistant Secretary OF the Treasury
and when another article of similar
import appeared in The same paper
on the following day. MIR. {. c. Glover,
the president of this bank. received a
request 70 call at the office of the
Secretary Of the Treasury, MIR. Glover
promptly complied with that request
why II was made. and he had hardly
more than entered the Secretary's Of
flee when he was charged, in the most
offensive manner. with having inspired
those publications. Mr.. Glover en-
phatically denied that charge. and the
Secretary then declared hat II he
tGlever) was not himself responsible
for those articles they were instigated
by sope OF his associates In this bank
Mr.. NoNer demanded to know who of
l.is associates were supposed 10 he re-
sponsible, and the Secretary named the
vice presidents. Mr., Flather and Mr..
Allies. Thereupon Mr.. Glover replied
that before accusing those gentlemen
the Secretary of the Treasury should
send for them and hear what they had
to say about the matter.
Allies and Ifathcr Summoned.
Accordingly Messrs. Allies and
Father were summoned TO tho Treas
ury Department and there In your
presence and the presence OF Mr.. Ell
| liott. the Secretary proceeded to ques-
ton them about the newspaper ar
ticles. He first questioned Mr.. Father.
who declared that he had not been
connected with the articles In any way.
and had not known anything of them
until his attention was called to them.
The Secretary then turned to Mr.. Allies
, and charged him with having instiRat-
ed the articles. MIR. Allies asserted, Az
timely and unequivocaliy. that he was
in no way responsible for them. but
the Secretary grew increasingly VOL
ent In his denunciation. and finally ey-
claimed. with an oath, that he would
order Mr.. Allies out OF his office, and,
turning 10 Mr. Glover, said: Mr.
Glover. YOU know what this means to
the Riggs National Bank"
But, notwithstanding the plain
threat implied In this last expression,
and notwithstanding the gross irnpro-
priety of public official calling pri-
waite citizens into his office TO ex-
anime aud denounce them about a
newspaper criticism, We could not be-
lieve that a Secretary OF the Treasury
or an Assistant Secretary of the Treas
| ury would abuse tho power of his
great ONCE In order to avenge himself
for what he supposed to be a political
offense against him. and. We had a
right to expect that the disagreeable
incident was closed when We left the
Secretary's ONCE.
Utcs Alleged Attacks.
But that We were not to realize this
lust and reasonable expectation was
! soon made apparent by the following
circumstances: For many years It has
been a habit with the Washington
public TO pay its annual taxes during
the last month In the year. for which
taxes are payable and tho inevita Bile
result OF that was to create a string
ency in the market at that time. In
order 10 obviate that difficulty the
! Treasury Department has made II a
rule for the last eight or ten years to
deposit In the banks of this city. about
the usual taX-paying time, sum equal
to the amount which il then with
drawn for the purpose Of paying taxes
and the sum so deposited has been
distributed among the banks in pro-
portion 10 their individual deposits, the
theory being that the withdra wal for
tax paying purposes would be ap-
proximsteiy IN the same proportion
hut when the deposit Was made last
year the Riggs National Bank was ex-
cfuded from all participation IN the
fund The fact hat the usual deposit
was made with every national bank in
Washington except this was . dis-