The Washington times., 1915-04-20
Jesse C. Adkins Takes Office
Adjoining That of ComptroI.
Ter Williams.
UNTERMEYER NOT ENGAGED
Loans to Treasury Employees
May Furnish Interesting
Side to Controversy.

Frequent conferences are marking the
preparations of counsel for Treasury Of
hcials to answer on May ~ the injunc-
tion suit Of officials Of Riggs National
Bank against Secretary Of the Treasury
McAdoo. Comptroller of the Currency
williams, and United States Treasurer
Burke.
Jesse c. Adkins, special counsel. has
been given an office In the Treasury De-
partment next to the one occupied by
Comptroller Williams
The reports that Samuel Untermyer,
or New York. is to be taken into the
case have been definitely denied IT is
currently reported that Louis D. Bran
deis would not have remained in the
case of Mr.. Untermyer had been al
lowed to have a hand in It,
IF a Congressional inquiry is forced
by Democratic leaders for the purpose
of trying to make it appear there is a
money trust war on the Administra-
tion, there Is a general belief that Mr..
Unternyer will be given a hand in It
as counsel. Such an inquiry would be
Of obvious political Importance with a
Presidential and Congressional cam
paiGn ahead in 1916
Political Aspect.
One of the most Interesting phases Of
the controversy will concern the revela
uons regard loans by the bank in the
Past to Treasury officials. These loans
hOrrnWinrS Of
taries OF the Treasury, number OF
FORMER assistant secretaries, and as al.
legged, some Of tho employees Of the office
of the Comptroller of the Currency. as
well as certain national bank examiners
Comptroller of the Currency Williams
has demanded and received information
about these loans. On the one hand, ther.
Is little doubt that when the time comes
policy that resulted in such loans. or
the other hand. bank officials will in.
sist there was nothing irregular in the
loans that they were made with Sc,
curity;. that they were repaid with the
exception of one instance, which is now
in process of settlement, and that they
were not made with the object of exer.
clsinE undue influence over Treasury
Both the bank officials and the Comp
troller have so far refused to make pub
lie the names of the former officials who
Hdu lOdnS.
Importance of Loans.
The Importance of these loans, judg
ing from present indications. will no
be that they disclose any violation o
law which can be reached by proceed
ings at this time. but that they will
be made the most Of in a political wa!
by the Treasury officials. 1t will un
doubted!y be given the widest publicity
eventually and the policy assailed OF
the ethical side rather than because the
bank Is amenable for such loans now.
The question OF loans in excess ct
the legal ratio between loans and capi
tai stock authorized by the bankinl
laws prior to 1905 Is another matter
Bank officials contend that in this re-
spect they did nothing that most o.
the other banks of the country did not
do at that tine with sanction of the
office Of the Comptroller. In recent
years, the bank officials contend, they
have kept strictly within the lega
limit.
There was much speculation. though
no definite developments today con
cerning a visit paid by Congressman
T. w. Sims to Comptroller of the Cur
rency VIII ANS.