Evening star., 1935-05-01
MELLON CHARGES
HIT M0RGENTHAU
Interference With Justice
Laid to Secretary by Tax
Case Defendant. ::
~ the Associated Press.

8y the Associated Press.
PITTSBURGH, May IA blunt
charge Of interference" with the
administration of justice, made by q
former Treasury Secretary, Andrew
W. Mellon, against Treasury Secretary
Morgenthau, constituted an enliven-
ing out t-of court phase today of the
Mellon income tax case, boiling over
for the second time in a week.
Within q short time after publica-
ton yesterday of telegram from
Morgenthau upholding Attorney Rob-
ert n. Jackson's conduct Of the So
0s9,0 900 hearing and urging him to
continue with no abatement Of
Ngor," Mellon issued q statement
from his home that Morgenthau was
making a crude effort to interfere
with the administration of Justice"
=. simultaneously, Frank j. Hogan.
Melons counsel, made a statement
accusing Government counsel OF lack
Of fairness" and Of "persistently"
attacking 'the living and the dead,
the young and the old, layman and
lawyers" in conducting the case.
Letters Involved.
The bristling situation had its be-
sinnings in the attempt Of the Gov
ernment to get into the record certain
letters between Mellon and his per-
sonal attorney, D. r. Shepard. They
concerned the absorption Of the Nc
Clintic- c-Marshan Corp. by Bethlehem
Steel in 1881.
The witness on the stand, Paul G.
Rodewald. declined to submit the let
ters, holding they were not privileged.
jackson filed a brief in support of his
claim, but it was rejected by the Tax
Boord of Appeals.
jackson then asked for . 30-day
adjournment to consult his superiors
concerning obtaining new attorney.
After Morgenthau's telegram Of sup
port Jackson said he would withdraw
the adjournment motion today.
Jackson had claimed the Govern
ment was mot getting at the truth
in the case by failure to get In the
correspondence. Secretary Morgen-
thau in his telegram, released by
jackson, said he had discussed the
matter with Herman Oliphant, gen.
eral counsel for the Treasury.
Sets Honesty Standard.
"Our desire is emphatic that you
continue to handle the Government's
case along the lines that you have
followed, with no abatement in the
Ngor of your efforts to get at the
simple truth in these transaction!
or in your insistence that they shall
be judged by the standards Of COM
mon business honesty"
Mellon said:
II have refrained during the tria
Of this case from any public com
nnent, secure in the feeling that thu
entire controversy had finally reached
a judicial body that could be de.
pended upon to render a decision
based upon truth rather than upor
innuendo.
In spite Of tactics pursued In high
Government circles, when this mat
ter was before the grand jury ane
when that grand jury refused to b
intimidated and to return an in
dictment, I had assumed that thu
administrative Offices would be willing
to try the case before this impartia
tribunal as I have been.
ANY invasion of my personal
rights as a citizen is of relative un.
importance. But when the Secretary
of the Treasury, member Of the
Presidents cabinet, descends to
public attempt to influence matter
now on trial before a duly consti-
tuted court, that action Is . crude
effort to interfere with the admin
istration of justice and q continual
ton of the political efforts OF his
administration in my case"