Evening star., 1951-11-11
Rumor Mongers Aim
To Check Income Tax
Probe, King Charges
By Cecil HoIIond

By Cecil HoIIond
Chairman King of a House
Ways and Means Subcommittee
investigating tax scandals sug-
gested yesterday there was under
way IAN organized plot" to dis
credit the subcommittee's work.
Mr.. King issued a statement
officially noting rumors bruitedI
about for weeks, and said that heI
had been informed that a South
ern California tax investigation,
in his district. had been mis-
handled in some mysterious fash
ion"
Coupled with these rumors, Mr..
King said, has been intimationI
that improper influences had been
brought to bear on the Bureau
of Internal Revenue and the JUS
tice Department to prevent prose-
cution Of tax case and that he,
Mr.. King, personally had a hand
in bringing about this result"
Plot Suspected.
THE rumors of intervention by
me in this case are completely
false" Mr. King added, land, n
can only suspect, malicious in in
tent. Thi appear to be an
organized plot against me which
would result in undermining con-
fidence in the subcommittee.
Mr.. Kings statement came as
the subcommittee prepared to step
up an investigation of the Justice
Departments handling of tax
cases which already has involved
Assistant Attorney General Theron
Lamar Caudle, who heads the divi-
sion charged with prosecuting tax
violatorS.
Adrian w. DeWind, the sub
committees chief counsel. indi-
Gated that Mr.. Caudle, questioned
twice previously. would be recalled
next week. He is being ques-
toned, it has been learned, about
private business associations. In
this connection the subcommittee
has obtained for scrutiny the JUS
tice officials own income tax re-
turns for recent years.
Irregularities Exposed.
The subcommittee turned its
inquisitorial eye on the Justice De-
partment's handling of tax cases
after exposing. in public hearings,
irregularities in the Offices of some
collectors of internal revenue and
the refusal of some revenue agents
to disclose net worth statements.
The sudden and unexpected
suggestion of Representative King
that hidden forces were attempt
ing to diScredit subcommittee ef-
forts came as the House group was
seeking to obtain Justice Depart
ment assurances Of cooperation
in the investigation and access to
files bearing on tax cases.
The subcommittee has requested
several tax files, the Justice De-
partment, it was said, has not sup
piled any.
Mr.. DeWind said the depart
ment had indicated that some of
the requested information would
be made available, possibly this
week. He added that Meyer Roth
wacks, Justice official, had said .
that a satisfactory arrangement
would be worked out to make the /
information available.
DeWind Skeptical.
Mr.. DeWind said he had not
been informed what the arrange
ment would be. But he added:
IF we ask for a file. and have
to wait week for it. we can't
operate like that" /
OF rumors involving the Cali
fornia tax case, Mr.. King said:
They do not cause me the
slightest concern and would pay
no attention to them at all were
it not for the heavy responsible
ties I have as chairman of the
King subcommittee. Because, how
ever, of the direct slur cast by
these rumors upon the subcom-
mittee'S integrity and its ability
to carry out its investigation, I
cannot ignore them. however
baselesS.
THE subcommittee will investi-
gate these rumors thoroughly and
the results will be laid open to
the public so that no one will have
the slightest doubt about their
falsity'
Kean in Statement.
Representative Keen, Republi-
can, of New Jersey, ranking
minority member of the subcom-
mittee said:
THE minority members of the
King subcommittee have devel-
oped a high degree of confidence
in the manner in which the sub
committees investigation is being
conducted.
Il and the other Republican
members of the subcommittee
have had the rumors Mr.. King
mentions brought to us also. I
have no reason to believe them
and no evidence whatsoever to
support them has been produced.
"Mr. King is, of course, right in
his desire that the subcommittee
investigate these rumors concern
ing him and I agree that this
Shollld he done 7 have asked him