Evening star., 1915-04-17
FLANS FOR DEFENSE
|NR|GGS BANK CASE
Solicitor General Davis to Be
One of Government
Counsel.
PRESIDENT WILSON HAS
TALK WITH Mr.. GREGORY
Executive Believed Anxious That
Other Banks Shall Not Be
Arrayed in Fight.


Tir.t the Government is making
,-,,st a,tansire nren.rations
go -, p;
10 Hsh1 the crdFses i'idoe ny '"e i'sss
National Bank that the controller oi
III. currency and other Treasury Of
e,. ~. nersecuted and have tried
a,.;ao,o.a to-
10 "ieeh .h1 o"'i'N
gay "heh IL was iIdt'eu the' 'oi
General John w. Davis of the Depart
ment of Justice will probably appear as
an additional member Of counsel TO ae-
Government officials when the case
,,,,,cS mn in court
iI-a,.ise II is said to-day that President
w., : ,.l;n, ). dcan interest in the
,.o :, n. absence of Secretary Nc
80 tro,,, ,,is ottice because of illness. al
'houe" II -,
Secretary VIII be pack AT nus oesh 'eA'
week. Concerning the report published IN
u,.o s.,., Of ,sster5.v that Samuel Inter
-, ,a,,.,.ar &c nom flour
meyer INC we" ioi 10" 10 ~
ing in the government sloe OF tne case
Controller Williams said that he has mot
-, h.o,~re,,i,ed II is stated TODAY
- -, ,l, ,;a
mat MI oii,eiiheSei WI p' p'o''''S "
Secretary McAdoo as close personal
friend
l,ro.,d.n, >,;,s,n - v,s ,o.rued to-
dI nd :, conferences last night prc-
nm, hIy ou the subject of tho Riggs
hanI n,ttnr inasn,ncb .s Iouis b.
Hr,5.;s chief co,nscI for The gov
arnn,.nf officials in the case was nres-
on, witb Attorney General GREGORY.
bat;I. nf ~ Ri1ss bank case are sa id
~ har. - La hefore tho President.
postm.stsr 1.eneral Rurlesop was also
n,asnnt ~, The Conference although
~, ~. o.,aa,,;or if ~ ,,.;tb tbe
:; NJ ~. 80, d;snIns.d
Presidents Possible Position.
!; is assumed. however that fresi-
iert Wilson is desiro,,s that the Riggs
,,u 1h, sh,, ,o, exteud 70 tho.
-, -. ,,,;, t.,,,,s y, TN.
-''i'i ''i"V ha'ioii'i Jams
Hitch states, Or at ieas'' t"ai ne
would not want all the banks or many
of Them arrayed against administra-
ion officials II is understood that
eventually there will be a demand
among many of the banks for the re-
moyaI of MIR Williams and the talk
Of the street is that there is certain to
esse hangs IRE in the Courts. or at
'e1s' an en9,. 70 oo.a'. one o.,
senate committee on banking and cur-
-e3ci- had under consideration the con-
hLniatioh oi 1nr. Williams as controlier
80, 49, IA % i.h ,ha nor
,asuts' National Eank of Richmond
Va, when MIR. Williams was assistant
tccretary of the Treasury early in the
summer of 1913. The charge was that
Mr.. Williams exceeded his powers in
that office, although his reply to that
charge was That whatever he did in
connection with the Merchants Ma
tional Bank of Richmand was done
Nhen he was assigned to the super
vision of the financial bureaus of the
treasury Department.
1t is said today that the banks of the
country have been afraid to criticiSe
he Office of the controller of the cur
-ency because of the power of that Of
.iclal over their affairs, but that now
hat the RIGGS Bank has started the
,ail rolling impetus may be given to
b. other banks.
Mr. Williams. OIL the other hand. in
-cports printed elsewhere in The Star
:oday. is shown TO believe that what
ever changes have been made in the
'orm of the national bank statement or
other statements which have caused
he banks trouble have been made for
he purpose of safeguarding the banks.
~
SontrolierS 5 Requirements.
-
II Is sa'o tha' many Oh the require
nents OF the coneroliers once since
Mr.. Williams became the incumbent
which have caused the banks trouble
"a 70 ,,.,;,.,, ,,,a,, ~, oh;ao,aa =,
-
silence nave been due TO the require
uents of the federal reserve law and
.he exactions of the new currency law.
That there is. however, dissatis-
action among many of the banks of
he country at the conduct of the con :
rollers Office cannot be denied A
.epresentatiye of the Pittsburgh banks
ong ago and to have stated at the
,eants -, ,,nl,ios - ~ nor,satiar..
,dice couripued the hanks could moi
.nptinue IN l;y.