Evening star., 1925-03-15

where a file is ] have never been
asked by the Treasury Department or
any one else 10 assist them in settin z
papers. and / know of no psper which
would be OF the slightest value to the
Treasury Department to have. That
was a serious charge, and when no
one believes such a charge can they
blame me for saying what | think OF
a charge of that sort"
The debate was precipitated when
the Senate convened with the deliv-
cry by Senator Ernst of prepared
address, in the course Of which he
read the names OF some IS Mellon
companies whose tax records had
been or were to be investigated He
argued that this was evidence to sup
port his charge that Senator Couzens
was animated by hatred" of Sec
retary Mellon.
The action Of the Treasury In max.
ing an additional assessment of ap.
proximateiy I1.6eo,o0 against SEN
ator ceuzens on his 1919 income take.
was defended by the Kentucky Sena-
tor, who read a letter from Secretary
Mellon stating that the assessment
had no connection with the inyestiga-
ton being prosecuted by the Couzens
committee.
s<- Explains In~estieaticr.
Chairman Couzens replied that THE
Mellon companies were investigated
al the request of Secretary Mellon
after serious charges of tax irregu-
larities had been made by employees
and former employees of the Internal
Revenue Bureau. He accused Senator
Ernst of being unfair and represent
ing the Treasury Department better
than its own counsel
When Senator couzens concluded
Senator Glass took the hoor to con-
denim q continuation of the Treasury
investigation on the ground that Il
was purposeleSs to question the
wisdom of the Government for per
mitting a reopening of the Couzen.
tax case after lapse of six years.
!; The Virginia Senator said minority
stockholders in the Ford compan,
had accepted the Treasury valuation
on their stock in good faith; tha
there Was no suggestion that this val
uation had been arrived at by frauc
or concealment, and that the Secre.
| tary would not have "a leg to stant
on" If he prosecuted the case in an,
court in the land.
says Treasury Had Facts.
! Senator Glass, who was Secretar,
| of the Treasury when the valuation
was made. declared that Senate
| Ernst had emphasized that the Treas
! ury was Obliged to act hastily oil
newly discovered evidence with re
| spect to the additional assessmen
| against Senator CouZens. whereas tn,
| fact was that to his personal knowI
| edge this informa tion had been in tn,
| archives OF the Internal Revenue Bu
reau for two wears
1t was after Senator Glass conclud
ed that Senator Ernst. who had fortf
| fed himself with a transcript of {
| part of Senator Couzens' remarks a.
to the prohibition unit. arose to make
| a parliamentary inquiry.
Il wish to know" he said .if ther.
be any way under the rules of tn.
Senate whereby l can, without break,
ing those rules and without offend.
ing the Senators about me, call a fei
low member wilfuil, malicious
wicked liar. Is there any way of do
ing that?'
Dozen Senators en- Feet.
Pandemonium Immediately feigned
with a dozen Senator's on their feel
shouting at the occupant of the chair
Senator Fess, Republican, Ohio, who
found il impossible to maintain order
Senator Robinson finally was recog
nized and took Senator Ernst off his
feet with a point of order that he was
violating Senate rules.
Senator Borah got the floor later
and demanded that Senator Ernst
eliminate the remarks he had made
with reference Ito the sinister mo.
tiyes of the Senator from Michigan
in prosecuting the Treasury invest j.
| CATION. but his demand went without
being acted upon.