The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-04-20

/ McAdoo Under Fire-The secretary
Iof the treasury, Mr.. McAdoo, and the
Icomptroller of the currency. john
SHELTON Williams. have been charged
with conspiracy to injure one or the
oldest and most respected banks IA
the country, by the Riggs Bank OF TINS
city. an Institution which began ousi-
ness in 1886. The officials named are
charged with using their ONCE TO sa.
lisfy a personal spite. In what promises
Ito be the most sensational suit In tue
history of the National bank act.
| While the controversy between tns
| bank and the present management o.
the treasury is largely of technical
character and while the merit OF thas
controversy will be determined by the
courts, the friends of the administra-
ton are greatly distressed over it be-
cause Of it's inevitable political Ell
feet. Such an attacA, made by so con-
sentative and reputable an institution,
on Secretary McAdoo, following the
verv general criticism of him in con-
Inection with the recently defeated
shipping BILL strikes at President
Wilson's administration In Its most
vulnerable point. Democratic sena-
tors said when congress adjourned
that, could they have allayed the wide
spread suspicion which had been o.
casioned, even among their colleagues,
by Mr.. McAdoo's refusal to permit
that bill to be so amended as to Fro
hibit the purchase of interned YES
sells belonging to belliserents, they
could have passed the shipping bill,
so dear to the presidents heart. Furth
ermore. many democrats in both
houses of congress expressed the
opinion that although there had been
much unkind criticism of Secretary
Bryan, Mr.. McAdoo had become the
administrations greatest liability. I'm
less. therefore, the courts shall CON-
pletely eXonerate Secretary McAdoo
from the charges brought by the Riggs
bank, he will become a still greater
liability and the presidents position
would be most embarrassing because
Mr., McAdoo is his son-in-law, as we'll
as secretary Of the treasury, a fact
which would make it most distastefcl
to the president to have to ask for his
Bryan and Won Bernstorff-Still
further to embarrass the president
has arisen an unfortunate contrn-
versy between Secretary Bryan and
the German ambassador over the pub
lication OF the latest German note. 1t
Is not clear, in the first place, whether
the so-called mote" is really a COM
from the foreign Office OF
it originated with the ambas-
sador. Furthermore, Count Won Bern
storff maintains that it was delivered
to the state department on April q.
At first Mr.. Bryan declared it was
not so delivered until April Q. Now
Mir. Bryan says the note was delivered
On April 5. just as he was leaving to
spend the week end at his country
home in Asheville. N. c., that it was
in German and that he paid little
attention to it, merely passing it over
to a translator, and that he did not
receive the translation until April 2. !
Mr.. Bryan says he never consented u
the publication of the note, whereas
the ambassador maintains that he did |
Some days ago. Mr.. Bryan said he /
had not read the German note, bat |
that his subordinates had and were |
a reply. The president |
sravely objects to the character CT /
he note and he considers it most I'M !
fortunate that this controversy re-
,arding its receipt and publication |.
should have arisen.
Prosperity by Prociamation-The |
realizes keenly that