Evening star., 1951-11-04
House Prober Urges
Showdown on Justice
Help in Tax Inquiry
By Cecil Holland

by SecIt 7ollond
Representative Byrnes. Repub-
lican. of Wisconsin, said yester-
day he is not satisfied with the
Justice Departments co-opera-
ton in a House investigation of
tax scandals and expressed the
opinion we've got to have show
down"
Mr.. Byrnes is a member of the
seven-man House Ways and
Means subcommittee investigat-
ing corruption and irregularities
in the, country's tax-collecting
system-an inquiry that already
has moved into high places in
the Justice Department.
I'm perturbed at their atti-
tude." MIR. Byrnes said. 1--WE
haven't been getting the Coop
Grafton we should receive"
His demand for a showdown was
expressed in an interview as the
subcommittee headed by Repre-
sentative King, Democrat, of
California. prepared to look into
the Justice Departments handl-
ing of tax-fraud cases.
Looking Into Another Case
The subcommittee has been
questioning Assistant Attorney
General Theron Lamar Caudle, |
chief Of the department tax di-
vision. about his personal and
business associations and has OBJ
tanned the officials own income
tax returns. But it has not yet
touched on Mr.. Caudle'S official
activities as head of the Justice
Department division charged with
prosecuting tax violators.
Mr.. Byrnes said he wasn't
very well satisfied" with explana-
tions given by Mr.. Caudle of the
personal and business activities
that have come under the sub
committees scrutiny. These in
clude a trip to Italy last sum-
mer as the guest Of two wine I.
merchants and his participation I'M
VII lSdSc VENTURES.
The Wisconsin Republican dis T
closed that the subcommittee also /
is looking into some aspects" of !
at least one other case involving |,
the Assistant Attorney General. I
But he refused to indicate the /
nature of the case except to say !,
it was 'in the pattern" of the /
others that have been discussed
publicly.
Asked for More Information.
Mr.. Byrnes said it seemed to
him that Mr.. Caudle's outside ac-
tivities weren't the kind of things
& man in his position should have
engaged in h
Mr.. Caudle was questioned by
the subcommittee for a total of
six hours last Thursday and Fri
day and is scheduled to return for
further testimony. His personal
income tax returns for the last few I
years have been obtained by the !
House group but Mr.. Byrnes said
they have not yet been taken up in ;
the inquiry.
He said Mr.. Caudle had been {
asked for "a lot of additional In
formation"
The subcommittee took week
end recess without scheduling a
date for Mr.. Caudle's return or
for further public hearings which
have disclosed widespread cor
ruption and irregularities in the
tax collecting system. +
Mr.. Byrnes said he would urge,
the subcommittee to hold an
executive meeting early this week
to map out a schedule of hear K
ings including dates for an in !
vestigation that will be conducted !
in San Francisco where the col i
lector and eight others were sus-
pended recently. h
Call for Explanation. =
Mr.. Byrnes' criticism of the +
Justice Department resulted in
part from the refusal of United
States Attorney Chauncey Tramu- q
tolo of San Francisco to talk with : :
John E. Tobin, a subcommittee
investigator. Mr.. Tobin is now on
the West Coast for a preliminary
study of conditions in the Revenue !
Bureaus San Francisco office.
The Wisconsin Republican said I,
Mr.. Tobin was sent there as an i
agent of the subcommittee to I
conduct an investigation and che I
should not have the door closed
in his face by an agent of the
Justice Department"
The committee is entitled to
an explanation, he added, and
in addition, I think it is entitled
to an apology" /
Chairman King has said there
is "a serious suspicion of mis-
handling" of two grand juries that
have looked into affairs in the tax
collecting Offices in San Francisco.
Mr.. Byrnes said he thought
the San Francisco case and the
way it has been handled by the
grand juries should be investi-
gated from top to bottom" That, Il
he indicated. should include any i
Justice Department actions in
the matter. |;
He said the subcommittee also
has received numerous tips thatil