Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-04-21
Vital Interests Center About Fight
BetWeen Bank and High Officials

ttFtflhI NDHhA1FphpNhet 70 NoANtho 1ouANhAl
Washington, April Politicians
predict a far reaching effect In the
presidential campaign next year from
the row between Comptroller Of the
Currency John SHELTON Williams and
the Riggs National bank of Washing
ton. They say the fight il only SUI
perticially between Comptroller Will
Hams ana the Riggs bank. Az mat
ter OF fact, II is claimed To be bat
tie royal between the Wilson admin
istration and the Standard oil inter-
ests, having It's inception in President
Wilson's antlnathy toward certain
Standard oil methods
That il liz TO be fight to q finish is
indicated by the way IN which a large
number of bankers In all parts of the
country are rallying TO the support
of the Riggs bank. II even IN assert
sd that the movement TO legislate the
comptroller of the currency out OF Of
flee by abolishlng the comptroller
ship .s inspired by this support
support for standard or Banks.
why bankers throughout the United
States should stand behind the Riggs
bank N explained by the alleged fact
that more than half Of the national
banks are allied with the riggs bank
aud the National city of New York,
both known as strongh0lds OF the
Standard oil company and its great
and varied interests. This gives the
STANDARD on banks the support OF be-
tween 5000 and 1000 banks in every
section Of the country.
II ~ explained that some years ago
every national bank had In its employ
a Washington agent who looked after
the business Of that bank with the
treasury OF the United states. The
standard oil banks took into their cm-
ploy several Of the brightest employees
of the treasury. both the present pres
ident of the National city and one of
the vice presidents of the Riggs bank
having been assistant secretaries Of
the treasury immediately preceding
their employment by the Standard OIL
institutions
Comptroller Cripples System.
About this time the National city
Offered % have the riggs bank act as
the Washington agent free OF charge
of any national bank which made the
National city it's eastern reserve de-
pository i is said 60 have built up
connections by this scheme so thor
ouahly that there is now no city Of
matter lroW small il may be. which
has not rs Standard oil bank
In taking away from the riggs bank
all government deposits aud In other
WAYS breaking the toehold Of that in
stitution In the treasury. the comp
troller has done considerable TO inter-
tere with the serenity of the Standard
on banking machines operations.
Guns Turned ON Wilson.
There seems to be little doubt that
the retaliation against the admlnlstrn.
ton win be as severe as the affected
banking Interests can make Il.
The politicians here entertain no
doubt that the matter Will be carried
into the presidential campaign. and
president Wilson viii find himself as
fiercelN and consistently opposed by
the Standard oil interests as he for
merry was by Moses TAYLOR Pyne, the
STANDARD Oil man who was a member
of the board of trustees of Princeton
university While Mr Wilson was pres
ident OF that institution
Personal luminosity Apparent.
Whatever may he the outcome of
the tight between the Riggs National
bank Of this city and the treasury de-
partment. there n much information
mere Eolng ko snow lhat there IL per-
senal luminosity on both sides In the
treasury department Is John SHELTON
Williams, comptroller of tho currency.
In the bank is Milton + Allies. its vice
president former assistant secretary
OF the treasury aud the successor of
Mr. Williams on the board OF diree-
tors of the Seohoard Air Line railroad.
Many persons who have been
watching events since Mr. Williams
came into the treasury department as
assistant secretary under William G
McAdoo believe that the fued dates
back To the reorganization of the Sea-
board Air Line, Williams was az one
time the president OF this road His
Was the master mind that conceived
the plan Of taking a number OF small
roads operating south Of Washington
fe Florida and including them IN the
Seaooard AIT Line system. lie was
is fist president Later he WAS de-
posed from this office, 1t IS alleged hy
the so-called STANDARD oil crowd but
was retained as a member OF the
board ~ directors Sull later he was
onsied from the dictatorship and Mil