Evening star., 1933-10-05
NeU Committee Named
After First Is Described
as PrO.Co0per.
Gathering AdjOurrs and
RecOnvenes, Result
of Disputes.


Fourteenth and U streets. which has
been in the hands OF conSerVator
since March IA.
| One committee was appointed as the
result of a resolution offered from the
floor and the meeting was adjourned.
| Immediately, however, there were
shouts that something was wrong.
| Allegations that the first committee
represented Col Wade H. Cooper, presi-
dent of the bank, were. hurled from
both the platform and the floor. Most
of the audience came back. ohc1ally
voted to reconvene and to reconsider
the previuos action. A new committee
was appointed, consisting of seven
original committee. They planned to
hold their first meeting today for Or
ganization purposes, to outline their
program.
Committee Personnel.
The committee consists of A. Lee
Thompson. president of Thompson S
! Bearings Sales Corporation; Mrs Mark
c. Bulls of 1846 Sixteenth street. who
said she formerly was in the Office Of
the controller of the currency: Harry
| Calm, proprietor of Cahn's Department
Store, 2008 Fourteenth street; Albert
W. Masters of Reliable Motor Service,
j. E. Smith of National Radio Insti-
tute, and DR.. Robert B. Tyler. colored
physician Members of the committee
were nominated one at a time from
| the floor
The first committee, which had been
nominated by James A. Purcell as part
of a resolution concerning the bank
consisted of F. P. Wilcox, Arthur c.
Smith. DR.. Robert B. Tyler, Harold H.
Shaller, A. Lee Thompson and W. w
| Chambers.
The meeting was called by the Cen
| trail Business Mems Association. as a
result of formal action taken by that
association, and arrangements by a
depositors committee from the organ
iZation. Arthur Clarendon Smith
president of the association, presided
Col. Cooper at Meeting.
Col. Cooper was present throughout
! the meeting, with his attorneys, John
! w Staggers and w. Bissell Thomas
but they did not speak. Col. Cooper
went forward at the close of the ses-
sion and told members of the com
! mittee he would cooperate" with
them He predicted in an interview
that after his reopening plan is agreed
| to by the Treasury Department, he will
communicate with the depositors either
| by mail or by means of a mass meet
/ ing Col Cooper originally had been
! invited to speak at the meeting. but,
! when the committee in charge dis
covered the Treasury Department would
: send no speaker, it was decided to have
neither side to the court controversy
over the bank represented on the
| speakers platform. Col. Cooper's court
! case has been set for hearing next
Monday He has asked the court to
prevent the Treasury from throwing
! the bank into receivership or to trans
! fer any of its assets looking to pay
ment of cash dividend to depoSitors;
and also has asked that the Treasury
| be forced to reopen the bank on the
| basis of his plan.
There was no discussion at the meet
/ ing of the various plans which have
been presented for reopening the bank
The name of the Hamilton National
Bank merger, from which the Savings
Bank was dropped after court fight
by Col Cooper, was not heard during
/ the evening.
AS presiding officer for the evening
Mr.. Smith had a lively time. Scarcely
had he begun to address the gathering
after a few words of welcome, when
a man who said his name was Mr.
Smaller. and whose name later ap-
peared as a member Of the first COM
mittee. began objecting to Mr.. Smith
as presiding officer. He sat next 10
James A. Purcell. who introduced the
! first resolution with the committee
names.
Smaller asked that representative
| depositor" be named as chairman of the
meeting Later he nominated new
chairman, but upon inquiry it was said
| by Smaller that the nominees father
and mother we're depositors in the bank
but he was not. Whereupon Smith
held the chair for the evening, despite
repeated charges by Smaller that Smith
was operating a steam roller" Chair
man Smith insisted the meeting had
been called for the benefit of depositors
and not for stockholders. and he want
ed the depositors to run it.
Brief Address Made.
In a brief formal address, which
Chairman Smith read over objections
by Smaller, he explained the meeting
was sponsored by the Central Business
Mems Association, which is composed
largely of merchants in this locality
many of whom are depositors In the
United States Savings Bank.
Our only purpose in calling this
meeting" he said, ''is to afford an
opportunity for you depositors to dis
cuss the advisability of forming a De-
positors' Committee to protect your in
terests in any future negotiations look
ing toward reopening OF the bank.
I'VE are not taking sides in the Law
suit of Col Wade H. Cooper agains
the Secretary OF the Treasury, MOI
are we here to criticize any official,
of the bank. AS I have already said
our sole purpose is to advance TIT
favorable reopening of the bank witt
the sanction and approval Of tn,
United States Treasury Department
We will permit no discussion of spe
cific plans for reopening the bank. .!
the proposed Depositors' Committe:
will give thorough consideration to sucf
matters in conjunction with official
. of the bank and the Treasury De
. partment. Any speakers attemptin,
to discuss any plans, whether hereto
: fore proposed or not, will be declared
out of order by the chair"
Nominating Group Chosen.
5 A Nominating Committee consisting
: of Mr. Masters, E. L. Degener and join
Grosner was appointed by the chai
and retired to an anterOom, where tn
presiding officer said they would b
glad to receive suggestions from de
positors for the suggested committee
William R. Whip. chairman of tn
Speakers Committee of the Centra
Business Mems Association, read a brie
speech in which he said the busines
Y mems organization had called the meet
, ing for the purpose of bringing tn
E depositors, stockholders and officers o
/ the United States Savings Bank to
gether for a full and open discussicl
! of controversial facts with view t
/. the early opening of this bank.
{ I'VE take no issue in the matter.
he said. LAS a business organization
f of the Fourteenth street merchants an,
: vicinity our function is merely to as
! slst IN the amlcable solution of thei