Evening star., 1925-03-14
COUzENS ACCUSED
BY CO|NVEST|GAT0R
IN REVENUE PROBE
Senator Prompted by "Per-
S0nal AnimuS" Toward
Mellon, Says Ernst.
BITTER ROW BREAKS
OUT AFTER ATTACK
Kentuckian, Following Glass
Speech, Asks for Legal Way to
Call Member a Liar"

| Senator Couzens' investigation of
the Internal Revenue Bureau, and his
| charges of Treasury efforts to dis
| cipline" him, provide the fuel today
| for a Senate debate that crackles with
| personal accusations and flames into
a white heat of bitterness.
Replying to the Michigan Senator's
recent jibes at Secretary Mellon, SEN
ator Ernst of Kentucky, another Re-
publican member of the investigating
committee of which Mr.. Couzens is
chairman, declares a personal ami
mus" against Mr. Mellon had prompt
ed the attacks on him; that Senator
Couzens had not been seeking facts,
but openings to attack the Treasury,
and that the tax returns of the Mel
| lon companies had been put on the
committee grill for no other reason
but because they had connections with
the present Treasury Secretary.
In return Senator Couzens declared
he had attacked Mr.. Mellon because
he became convinced that the Secre-
tary had a personal interest in some
of the tax assessments under exami
nation: had asked for the records of
the Mellon companies because of
grave charges that had reached the
committee, and fntimated that he sus-
pected that important committee files
were disappearing because of close
contact between Treasury agents and
Senator Ernst.
After Senator Glass, Democrat, Vir-
ginia- former Secretary of the Treas
ury, had concluded a speech assailing
Secretary Mellon, Senator Ernst
asked the chair IF there was any
thing under the rule of the Senate
that would permit him to call a fell
low Senator a willful, malicious liar.
A dozen Senators were Immediately
on their feet demanding that Senator
Fess, Republican, Ohio, who was pre-
siding. enforce e rules and compel
the Senator from Kentucky to sit
down.
After much confusion a motion was
made and a roll call ordered to de-
termine IL Senator Ernst was out of
order.
Not once during the entire in
vestigation has Senator Couzens for
gotten his personal feeling against
the Secretary of the Treasury" said
Senator Ernst. He has been hunting
not for facts, but for something
harmful to the Secretary and to the
Bureau of Internal Revenue; but dur
ing all the months of the investiga-
ton not single fact has been
brought out rejecting on the char
acter or the integrity of the Secretary
of the Treasury or officials under
him.
There was no justification. the
Kentucky Senator declared, for the
statement of Senator Couzens that
because an additional tax assessment
of $10,00O,0 900 had been imposed on
him as a disciplinary measure" Mr..
Couzens, he said, merely was attempt
ing to pose as a martyr" He read
telegram from Secretary Mellon, say
Ing the additional tax assessment had
no connection with the Senate in
vestigation.
Says Counsel Retired.
Senator Ernst told the Senate that
DR.. T S. Adams of Yale University,
first counsel for the committee, had
resigned because he concluded the
purpose of the inquiry was not con-
structive legislation, but a pursuit
of the attack of the Senator from
Michigan upon hte Secretary of
the Treasury and his administration
Thirty-eight of the cases whose
records were called for by the COM
mittee, the Kentucky Senator con-
tinued, were those of Mellon COM
panies," including the Gulf Oil, the
Standard Steel Car. the Aluminium
Co. or Am erica, the Mellon NdliOIidl
Bank and the Union Trust Co.
Senator Norris, Republican, Ne
hraska, inquired whether these 3S
were, in fact, Mellon companies and
the extent of the Secretary's holdings
in them.
They are Mellon companies" Sena-
tor Ernst replied, but 1 cannot say
| as to the extent to which he is inter-
ested in EACH
Throughout the investigation, Sena-
tor Ernst added. Senator Couzens'
| first thought when any company was
mentioned was, Is 1t a Mellon COM
! pany?"
Il listened to such questions until
| could stand 1t no longer" he con-
| tinued Every time Secretary Mel
| Ions name was mentioned or a Mel
| lon company referred to he was up
in the air demanding that the charges
be pushed"
! All this, he added, was in retaliation
| for Senator Couzens humiliation in this
dispute with Secretary Mellon over the
| payment of taxes"
Senator Ernst said these statements
! facts as produced by the evidence.
Senator Glass, Democrat, Virginia,
| former Secretary of the Treasury, asked
! II he had not better substitute al
| legged facts" and Senator Ernst replied
| that he accepted the correction.
Senator Couzens sat at his desk
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