Evening star., 1934-10-01

The controversy between former Sec.
retary Of the Treasury Andrew w. Mel
Ion and the Federal Internal Revenue
Bureau Is the subject Of widespread
comment in the press. There is some
tendency to believe that politics is
involved.
President Roosevelt would do well,
observes the Watertown IN. " Daily
Times, "if he would pass the wore
to the Bureau of Internal Revenue that
1t Is going too far" The Times con.
cludes that "the public is getting the
impression that Mr.. Mellon is being
prosecuted"
THE attempt to raise again issues
once settled" says the Los Angeles
Times, seems to be correctly charac-
terized as 'inept politics by Mr.. Mel
lon. In the first place all the charges
Of tax evasion, with one slight excep-
ton, which is now placed before the
Board of Tax Appeals. were considered
by Federal grand jury last Spring
and dismissed" The Times states
further: THE charge of fictitious sales
of stock to evade gift taxes is plainly
itself fictitious, since, as Mellon points
out, the gift law was not on the statute
books at the time the sales were said
to have been made"
"Mr. Mellon is grateful, and the
country is grateful, too," in the opin-
ion of the Canton (Ohio) Repository
that his case Is now at last before
an unbiased judicial tribunal, where
only facts count He affirms he not
only can clear himself of all charges
published against him, but can show
he has overpaid his taxes and Is en-
titled to a refund" The Portland
(Me.) Press-Herald AYERS that "the
charge that he evaded payment of his
Federal income taxes will have to be
proved in court before public senti-
ment will condemn the former Secre-
tary."
"In the present case" according to
the South Bend Tribune, "a delin-
quency for the taxable year of 1881,
involving $3,073, ,103.23, is charged by
the Government. The stake is larger
for the first case involved only ST.
978,681 1t will 60 through the formal
mill, with presentation to the Board
of Tax Appeals as the first step, and
a decisiopewill come eventually. In
view of the complicated nature Of the
case, however, a final decision before
the end of the congressional campaign
seems unlikely"
THE strong probability" asserts the
New York Times, the virtual GER
tainty, is that Mr.. Mellon did not
himself make up his income tax re-
turn for 1881, but had his lawyers and
tax experts do it, drawing the ma
terial from his books of account. The
least that can be hoped is that the
issue that Mr.. Mellon has raised may
be speedily tried out before the Board
Of Tax Appeals. There it will be nee
essary to present facts capable OF
proof, instead of making assertions
tinged with evident personal and Of
fetal animus."
Political feeling behind the suit is
charged by the Reno Evening Gazette,
the Goshen 1nd) NewS-Item, and the
Charleston (W. Va) Daily Mail. The
Manchester IN. H. Union points out:
In its capacity as representative of the
Government the Bureau of Internal
Revenue has filed a long list of
charges, against which no objection
can be raised so long as the bureau
confines itself to statement Of facts
Instead, however, it indulges in SER
les of insinuations obviously designed
to arouse public prejudice. Mr.. Mel
lon is pictured as using the knowledge
which he acquired through the per-
formance Of his official duties to in