Evening star., 1933-08-22
HOOVER REQUESTED
TO APPEAR BEFORE
DETROIT BANK QUIZ
Letter Sent Former President
Asks Decision "as Soon
as Possible"
TESTIMONY is SOUGHT
ON PLEA OF COUZENS
Senator Says Objections to Mellon
Policies Would Take VOL
umes to Relate
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
DETROIT. August 22-Ofcial Of
the one-man Detroit bank jury today
dispatched a letter to former President
Herbert Hoover, asking him to appear
as a witness before the jury investi-
eating the closing of two national banks
here
A decision 'as soon as possible" was
asked of the former President.
Under instructions of Judge Harry
B Keidan, sitting as jury to inveSti-
gate the closing Of the First National
Bank, Detroit. the country's largest
closed bank, and the Guardian National
Bank of Commerce, Prosecutor Harry
S. Toy sent the letter to the former
President. in Palo Alto, Calf
The letter stated that officials OF the
fury desired his testimony concerning
the attitude of the administrative agen-
cies and Federal Government toward
the two closed Detroit national banks
prior to March 4, 1888"
Couzens Asks Action.
It stated that the opinion of officials
is that Mr. Hoover has in his posses
sion certain facts which might render
your testimony as witness highly sig
nifcant and essential to a thorough and
true presentation of the reasons under
lying the closing of the Detroit banks
Senator James Couzens. Republican.
of Michigan, yesterday suggested that
the Jury ask Mr. Hoover to come here
for testimony. Previously the Senator
had declared the Government knew OF
bad practices" in the two closed banks
in May. 1882 nearly year before they
closed, but that only small write-doWn
of losses was required then because 1t
was a political year, and the powers
that be were not anxious to start an
epidemic of bank cloSings."
Word from Patio Alto was that Mr..
Hoover was on a fishing trip and might
not be reached for day or two.
Has No Legal Force.
Possibility that Mr. Hoover would be
asked to testify before the jury was
broached several weeks ago. when Judge
Keidan revealed the former President
had been approached" as to his in
clination to testify. Whether or not
depositions would be taken in Cal=
fornia. or Mr.. Hoover would be asked
to come here, were not decided at that
time. In the letter today, however. the
former President was asked to come
to Detroit.
Attorneys said the request TO the
former President would have no legal
force and that Mr. Hoover was at
perfect liberty" to decline If he wished.
Senator Continues Story.
Meanwhile Senator CouZens today
continued before the jury his recital OF
the inside story" of the local bank col
lapse, declaring IAN attempt to make
millions. without really earning thsn.
by a consolidation and pyramiding OF
banks, without the depositors' consent,
he general
cause, he said. was the Nationwide de-
preston. which caused an unprecedent-
ed shrinkage in banking values. but he
declared that had the two national
banks been properly managed, they
would not have closed.
The Senator digreSsed to declare that
"both political parties have favoriteS
and do not enforce the law with equal
Justice" and said it is his belief that
"a man with money has too much
power
He said his objections to the admin
istration of Andrew w. Mellon, former
Secretary of the Treasury Department,
would take volumes to relate" but
mentioned one particular objection.
which. he said, was the system of in
come tax rebates"
Objects to Lack of Uniformly.
"I didn't object so much TO the m
dividuals who got rebates but to the
lack of uniformity in the Internal Reye-
nue. Departments interpretations of the
law" he said. First they would in
terpret it one way and then the oppo-
site way, to suit themselves.
Both political parties have favorites
and do not enforce the law with equal
Justice. A man with money has too
much power. when he should have less
than the man who earns his living by
the sweat of his brow"
Rev. Father Charles E. Coughlin, whose
(Continued on Page 2, Column So