Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-01-26
BY RODNEY BUTCHER

/ Dy ibOD-NALA5 CAOAAnAS
/ WASHINGTON, Jan. 26-The big
lgest tax case in the history of the
world is about to be tried in Detroit.
A 27-year-old government attorney,
| Alexander w. Gregg, who looks as
/ young as he is, will attempt to re-
trieve the enormous sum of $50, 900, 600
I! for the U. S. treasury.
/ Opposed to him are some of the
most noted international, govern
mental and corporation lawyers in
the United States, representing some
of the nations richest citizens.
The suit to be tried is that of
the treasury against Senator James
Couzens of Michigan, the estate of
The government seeks 10 recover
S36, 900 in taxes on profits in
the sale of Ford Motor company stock
by minority stockholders to HeaFy
Ford.
The government contends that it
made a mistake in It's valuation Of
the stock and that instead. of a tax
of about $22,OOO,OO0 on the profits
the defendants should have paid some
$58,OOO,OO0. The court is the federal
board of tax appeals, Sitting in
Detroit
Gregg, Uncle sam's chief lawyer
in the case, is general counsel for
the internal revenue bureau. His
rise to such a position of responsi-
bility is one of the most astonishing
ever recorded in Washington.
John w. Davis One Opponent
The defense lawyers include Joseph
e. Davies, one of the two or three
most prominent international andI
governmental lawyers in the capital,
and John w Davis, who has been
solicitor general, ambassador to-
Britain, president of the American
Bar association and democratic presi- /
Dental candidate.
Young Gregg, who lives here with
his mother, is a son of the late
Congressman Alexander w. Gregg of
Texas. He was born in Palestine, !
Texas. After two years at college
he Joined the army for World war
service at the age of 18, and was
commissioned a second lieutenant
After the war he finished college |
and entered the treasury department
in 1920.
Studying and attending the George .
Washingtons university law school at /
night, he soon made his legal knowl-
edge and exceptional capabilities
recognized. In 1922. he was transferred /
from the bureau Of internal revenue
to the solicitors office
In 1923 he was admitted to the
bar in Texas and in the same year
became actuarial of Secretary
MELONS revenue program. Another
leap and he was simultaneously chief
of the important special division of
tax appeals and review and chairman
of the committee on revision of the
revenue act. He has served as a
special assistant to Mellon and adviser
to the secretary on tax matters,
A Bearcat For work
He is strong for sports "a good
baseball and tennis player, but a
bearcat for, work. Late New Years
Eve when all the other boys and
girls were out raising merry Ned,
found young Gregg in his office.
He hadn't even been home for dinner.
Was he going to celebrate later?
He was not. He was going to work.
Davies, defense counsel, was one of
the four or five leaders in the "bat-
talon of death" which stayed with
Woodrow Wilson and nominated him
at the Baltimore convention of 1912,
as a delegate from Wisconsin. He
was made secretary of wilson's cam
pagn committee and operated western
at Chicago in the 1912
He won a great reputation as a
football player at the University Of
Wisconsin and as a champion anna