Evening star., 1924-05-18
LESS SLEUTH WORK
ORDERED BY STONE,
COMMITTEE TOLD

Continued from First Page.)
assistant attorney general in charge
of prohibition enforcement. notified
Chairman Brookhart by letter yes
terday that a court writ would be
nece ssary and Senator Brookhart an
nounced that the department had
agreed to seek the Rroper legal
authorization
Controversy Over Tax.
According to committee members,
Remus has also a controversy with
the bureau of internal revenue, as
to income tax payments upon the
tremendous liquor selling which he
conducted out of Ohio and other
places prior to his conviction.
Warren W. Grimes a special as
siStant to the Attorney General and
}. +. Hoover, acting head of the
bureau OF investigation, were the
only two witnesses called in the
open session. Senator Wheeler asked
Grimes why an indictment had been
asked in California against Fred
Gershon, a former special agent. who
was expected to tell the committee
something about the revolution in
lower California attempted by Esta-
ban Cantu.
letter signed by Mr.. Burns. which
suggested to the departments agent
in Los Angeles that Gershon was
posing as moral uplifter and
housecleaner of the government
service, but might be shown to have
taken bribe money for letting muni-
tions pass the American border in
violation of neutrality laws. The let
ter bore recent date, and Senator
Wheeler declared the action was in
stituted to 'intimidate" committee
witnesses, but Senator Moses, Re-
publican, New Hampshire, protested
that Grimes should not be confronted
with imputations against his motives
Denies Any Knowledge.
Asked as to the use of the Doheny
payment to Fall, Grimes denied any
knowledge of it's relation to the
Lower California affair. The Cantu
rebellion took place in 1921.
Hoover, although not informed of
the proceeding against Gershon, told
the committee that Attorney General
Stone had instructed him to reduce
the personnel of. the bureau of in
veStigation materially. Its agents
were instructed to institute no new
inquiries without the approval of the
Attorney General, and hereafter it's
employees are to be law school grad
yates only. The number of under
cover" men is also to be curtailed
sharply.
Mrs Willebrandt's ruling regard
ing the proposal to let Remus go to
under guard to look for Cancelled
checks and other papers resulted
from request from Chairman
Brookhart that the Department of
Justice, by virtue of its authority
over federal prisons, authorize such
committee chairman by Mrs. WILLIE
brandt.
Text Of Glitter.
you have made a request upon
this department to permit George
Remus, accompanied by a represen-
rather extended trip to various points
in the United States for the alleged
purpose of securing checks and docu-
ments which he says he has and
which he insists that he will not pro-
duce for you unless he be permitted
to 90 for them himself. refusing to
authorize either his wife or his at
torney to bring them.
'"The Attorney General was obliged
to take a train shortly after receiv-
ing your telephoneic request and he
asked me to take this matter up with
you for him
Should Adhere to Law.
"The statutes Of the United States
provide method for allowing
prisoners to leave the prison walls
upon a writ of testificandum issued
by a federal court. Inasmuch as
these requests are likely to arise
again, it is best both for the COM
mittee and for the Department Of
Justice to adhere strictly to the
statute.
"This department volunteers to as
sist YOU by every means at our COM
mand to secure documents from Mr.
Remus, but we do not feel justified
in. allowing a man who, during the
past two and one-half years we have
been prosecuting him, has brought
pressure to bear upon every public
official he could approach in an effort
to secure favors, to be absent from
prison wallis for trip around the
country, in the informal manner sug-
gested."