Evening star., 1924-07-27
C0UzENS D|SAVOWS
INITIATIVE IN MOVE
FOR BUREAU PROBE
Came Here on Senator Wat
sons Call, Says Statement.
Latter Denies 1t.
COMMITTEE Rejects
HENEY AS PROSECUTOR
Hearings to Open September 2 in
D. C.-Prohibition Unit In
cluded in Investigation.

CIuucu III 1HVeSLlSLdlOn.
Secretary Melons enforcement of
prohibition is to be investigated CO.
incident with the national campaign.
Ihe sudden decision of the Senate
committee charged with the task to
go ahead brought out formal state
ments yesterday from Senators Wat
son Indiana. and Couzens Michigan.
Republicans, explaining their con-
ceptions of events leading up to IL
Senator Couzens was elected dur
ing the day as chairman of the COM
mittee in place of Senator Watson,
who indicated his desire to retire,
but not until he had concluded Il
2-hour interview with President
Coolidge Senator Watson then
went to the White House, and later
the two senators made public their
statements
VIII Not Employ Heney.
Democratic members of the com
mittee, Senator King of Utah, and
Jones of New Mexico. although Off
cially silent, made it clear that they
were for investigation, full and i'm
mediate, and had been all along. The
committee rejected the proposal that
Francis J. Heney, California graft
prosecutor, be retained as special
counsel, but authorized selection by
Senator'S Couzens and Jones of some
one else for the work. September
z was fixed as the date for open
hearings. in Washington.
Heney's name had been brought
forward originally when the commit
tee was holding hearings during the
session of Congress and it had arous-
ed bitter debate in the Senate. At
that time the committee was devot-
ing its attention to an investigation
OF the Internal Revenue Bureau and
! tax questions in general, and the
charge was made and denied that
there was a drive" on against Sec
| retary Mellon.
Seek Source of Revival
Meanwhile. responsibility for the
sudden revival of the investigation
was the subject of much interested
discussion here last night.
After the Senate committee. which
Is a subcommittee of the committee
on finance, had met and elected Sena-
tor Couzens chairman and determined
to open hearings again September ,,
Senator Couzens issued a statement
which effectually disavowed any sug-
gestion that he had been a prime
mover at this time in reopening the
investigation. In fact. Mr.. Couzens'
statement indicated that Senator Wat
son, who has been opposed to the in
Vestigation, had taken the initiative
| But Senator Watson also issued a
statement saying that he had re-
| signed as chairman of the subcom-
| mittee because he could not consist
emily hold that position while he was
! opposed to the activities of the COM
| mittee. He added that he was very
| doubtful whether he would remain
as member of the committee at all
| If the committee insisted on sitting
during the campaign.
| Action Called Unanimous.
From the statement issued by SEN
ator Couzens just before he left here
| yesterday to return TO Detroit whence
he had been summoned by Senator
| Watson to attend the meeting, it ap-
| peared that the resolutions proposing
| the continuance of the investigation
and employment of counsel had been
adopted unanimously. This would
| l-& W.T. n
for the resolutions and had voted for
Senator Ernst of Kentucky. the alb
sent member of the committee, to the
same purpose.
The investigation, Senator Couzens
said in his statement will go thor
7 oughly into operations of the income
tax unit and the prohibition unit of
the Internal Revenue Bureau "for the
purpose of seeing whether the laws
are being properly carried out, and
| if any amendments to the laws would
improve the functioning of the In
ternal Revenue Bureau" He added
that the committee is going into the
matter with IAN entirely open mind
as to conditions
Senator Couzens in his statement
said that he had been called on the
long distance telephone July %, by
| Senator Watson, while he, Senator
| Couzens, was in Detroit in the midst
of his campaign, and asked to come
to Washington for a meeting of the
subcommittee. This was the first
intimation Senator Couzens had OF
any plan to reopen the investigation
| at this time.
Couxens States Views.
His statement in full follows:
"On Tuesday July %, Senator Wat
son called me at Detroit on the Ions
distance telephone and said that Sen
ators Jones and King were in hi:
office and that they were all desirous
of having a meeting and wanted tc
know when I could attend. 1t wa:
in the midst Of my campaign anc
told him that If the meeting wa:
wanted at Washington, 1 could come
So Cancelled several engagement:
to attend the meeting Friday of thi
week. This date was satisfactory t,
Senator Watson, who was on tn
telephone, SO l left Detroit Thurs
day and we met at Senator Watson
office yesterday morning, at which
| time Senator Watson said he peP