The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, March 22, 1937, Page 1

THE DAILY VOL. XLIX., NO. 7438, LASKA, MONDAY, MARCH 22, 1937. ALASKA EMPIRE “ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” SCHOOL HEAD BREAKS DOWN BEFORE COURT Explosion in Texas Before Military Court—Super- intendent Prostrated NEW LONDON, Texas, March 22. —Superintendent W. C. Shaw brok- enly told the story of New London’s school explosion before the Military Court of Inquiry today, defending the rural school system. Hints of negligence in his testi- mony were abruptly ended by Shaw’s breakdown. | Capt. Combes, Judge Advocate, said that Shaw would not be re- called. “We already have obtained virtu- ally the information desired,” hel said. | Overcame With Grief At the height of his testimony,| Shaw broke down almost prostrated with grief over the death of 455 children and teachers in the gas ex- | plosion that wrecked the scHool | building last Thursday. Photographers snapped a picture as he was removed to a cot in a nearby ante room. New Evidence John Dial, 15-year-old student, said that the explosion occurred, it seemed to him, as a teacher, T. R. Buller, threw, a switch in the man- ual training room. State Senator Joe Hill said that may be the answer to the “puzzling question of the origin of the spark that touched off the gas.” Tapped Gas Line Superintendent ..Shaw...defended the schoal’s action in tapping the gas pipe line to run in the vicinity by the Parade Gasoline Company. Denying the testimony given by Foreman D. L. Clark that the con- nection was made without know- ledge or consent of the company,| Superintendent Shaw said that Earl Clover, Parade superintendent, did- n't give specific permission — and warned that we were liable to be cut loose any time, but I concluded that No Production Here Though this mammoth stamping at Detroit, stands idle as a result the ladder is going “full blast.” strikers and report any violation sociated Press Photo) press, largest in the Chrysler plant of the sit-down strike, the man on His task is to keen watch on fellow of strike committee’s rules. (As- RAINS SENDING “RIVERS UP IN N. CALIFORNIA —Railroad Tracks Washed Out Young Slayer - Studies While ~ in‘Prison Gell One Woman andSonDrowaniller of Officer, at lZ,‘ Now 18, Is Given Education DETROIT POLIGE DEFY THREAT OF GENERAL STRIKE Evict Sitdowners from Small Plants DETROIT, Mich., Mar. 22.—Con= tinuing to disregard the United Au= to Workers' threat of a city-wide automotive strike, to be called i retaliation unless the raids stop, po* lice have followed up the evictions of sitdown strikers from the New- ton Packing Company plant and the Bernard Schwartz Cigar Company factory, by driving strikers from | other small captive plants. Homer Martin, UAWA head, who had announced the general strike | threat, witheld comment following | the oustey of twenty-five strikers, seeking recognition of the Inter- | national Type Union, from the Thomas Henry Printing plant. The City Council has refused to |permit the huge demonstration called by the Automotive Union for !5 o'clock Tuesday evening in Cad= |illac Square, but union men declare the demonstration will be held any~ way. President Martin is participating {in the Union’s conference with of- ;nchls of the Chrysler Corporation, eight plants of which have been closed by the strike. BLOODY RIOT RESULTS OVER strators Clash—Want Freedom from U.S. | PONCE, PUERTO RICO, March 22.—Blood street fighting between police and Nationalist demonstra- tors for independence from the - INDEPENDENGE Police, Nationalist Demon-| PRESIDENT ARRIVES l President Franklin D. Roosevelt station at Warm Springs, Ga., to meet him when he arr and Miss Marguerite LeHand, James Roosevelt (center) Wants Secrecy R Location of New Air Bfls‘—’s@ PLANNING TRIP o AMELIA IS * HOME BOUND WITH PLANE Sails _from Honolulu . with| Craft for Repairs—To Try Flight Again ‘ HONOLULU, H. I, March 22.—‘\ |Within a few hours after Amelia |Earhart, by a hair's breadth, side- |stepped disaster for herself and (two colleagues when she wrecked her iplane here last Saturday morning, |and also her world flight plans during a dawn attempted takeoff 7 (rear elative to WASHINGTON, March 22—Rep- resentative J. Mark Wilcox, Dem- ocrat of Florida, Congressional or- iginator of the plan to establish a system of Army Air Corps bases,| sald secrecy should shroud their location of some time to come. Congressman Wilcox disclosed that secrecy is due to the desire to forestall pressure from local eivic groups rather than guard military secrets, A base “somewhere” in Alaska is |included in the plans for six bases.| The report concerning the bases has been in the hands of the Secre- tary of War for more than a year. Following the announcement of a proposed base near Tacoma, Wil- cox said, the “Chambers of Com- merce of Pocatello, Idaho, Seattle and otlier cities descended on Wash- ington by air in an effort to have the plans changed. If the pro- posed locations of all bases are MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS seat, left) waved to friends gathered at the little wooden rallroad ived for his annual vacation. With him are Mrs. one of his secretaries. (Associated Press Photo) ROOSEVELT IS - TO PHILIPPINES \ |Wants to Gain Fitst Hand | Information Regarding i Progress Made WARM SPRINGS, Ga., March 22, —Authoritative sources claim Pres- ident Roosevelt plans a trip to the Philippines within a year and a half to see first hand the progress made by the new Commonwealth in assuming economic and political i balance in preparing for freedom from the United States. A joint Filipino-American com- mittee will be appointed soon to study the feasibility of giving the Philippines independence next year instead of 1946. & FURTHER JUDGES NOT EFFICIENCY, |More Jurists Would Not Tend to Speed Up Pro- cedure, He Contends LETTER FROM BENCH HEAD CAUSES STIR Justices Makes Clear that He Is Not Speaking on Question of Policy WASHINGTON, March 22 —Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes, in a letter presented to the Senate Ju= diciary Committee by Senator Bur- ton K. Wheeler, of Montana, said that an increase in the number of Supreme Court Justices ‘“wouldn’t promote efficiency of the Court.” The Chief Justice made it clear that he was commenting upon the increase from the standpoint of ef- ficiency, and “apart_from any ques- tion of policy,” which, he said, “I don’t discuss.” Senator Wheeler, opening the tes- timony in opposition to the court bill, began by reading Chief Jus~ tice Hughes' letter, which the Chief said, was approved by Justices Van- devanter and Brandeis. Creates Stir The letter created a stir among the big crowd assembled in the cau- cus room, where the commitee is meeting, long before the hearing began. In his letter the Chief Justice said: “I believe that an increase in the number of Supreme Court Ji e would -impair the -effielency -of - Court. So long as the Courf acts as a unit, there would be more Judges to hear more Judges to con- fer, more Judges to discuss and more Judges to be convinced and to decide. “The present number of Justices is thought to be large enough, so far as prompt, adequate and effic- fent conduct of the work of the Court is concerned. “As I've said, I don't speak of any HUGHES WRITES | he didn't particularly object.” SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, March 22, SEATTLE, March 22. — Herbert| United States left seven dead and for Howland Island, she was aboard made public we will be subjected t0| M(NUTT GOING TO POST |other considerations, in view of the Shaw said that he was partly re- sponsible for giving the order to run! the pipe. He said that he had di-| —Two persons are dead as North- ern California faced a serious flood threat today. Niccols, Jr., sentenced for first de-| fifty wounded. gree murder six years ago, when he ‘The police were forced to open fire | & steamer bound for Los Angeles. Aboard the steamer is the dam- iwas twelve years old, for the killing|in the rapidly gathering crowd|aged plane and her companions of an officer in a store robbery, willi While enforcing the ban against a on the Oakland to Honolulu flight, |terrific pressure from all parts of the country for changes.” Congressman Wilcox said the Army b requested $675000 to WASHINGTON, March 22.—Paul V. McNutt, former Governor of In- diana, leaves tomorrow for the West Coast and sails April 3 to assume appropriate attitude of Court rela- tions or questions of policy. Impractical, He Says “I understand that it is suggest- rected the school janitors to make Unprecedented rains have sent| the connection. |the Sacramento River to the danger| Last Saturday afternoon, the |jevel. | Military Court of Inquiry heard| Mrs. Gould Ohran, aged 32, and | her son Duana, aged 9, were, A. J. Belew testify he had warned the school officials “it was danger-|drowned and five others were res-| cued when a car in which they' ous” not to install a new gas regu- lator leading into the main build- were riding skidded and careened ing of the school. |into the Sacramento flood gates, Dr. E. P. Schoch, explosions ex-}between Sacramento and North e . ) pert of the University of Texas,|Sacramento. The flood gates had/ questioned Belew and the Ilatter been closed. !VATIOAN-NAZI said he gave warning that the pres-| Heavy rains caused a washout of sure on the gas steam heating sys-|{100 feet of railroad track at Lin- tem should be reduced. |coln. be ready to face society within a few | Nationalist parade. |capt. Harry Manning, Fred J. Noo- |start work on the Tacoma base Dext|pic now post as Governor General years, according to Warden J. M.| iy, e |nan and Paul Mantz. year. Approximately three addi-|or yhe philippines. McCauley, of the State Penitentiary: | The aviatrix is determined to tjonal bases will also be started and s ] |have the plane repaired at . at Walla Walla. ! its |the others in 1939. B 5 McCauley said the youth is not |Southern California factory prepar-| »‘ . permitted to associate with other iawry to resuming her projected 27 | STOCK QUOTATIONS | prisoners. He has received a high 1000 mile world flight. INDIAN KlLLEn R ey 2 SR . school education while in prison. LI [— i e INVESTIGATION STARTS | NEW YORK, Mar. 22. — Closing HONOLULU, Mar. 22.—The Aero- 'N HUME [ wIFE quotation of Alaska Juneau mine ’ (Continuea on Fage Seven) . ————— SEN. ROBINSON DISPLAYS HIS FIERY TEMPER ( i ARMY HEPUHTS‘ stock today is 14%, American Can | |nautical Bureau of the Department oyl . ik g | 9 2 g] d Power _|of Commerce has started an inves- , American Light an {Government Troops qu |tigation into last Saturday’s crash 12%, Anaconda 59%, Bethlehem Steel 92, Calumet and Hecla 15%%, ture Town After Town in |as the aviatrix and her colleagues | Commonwealth and Southern 3,| Capt. Cazharin Combes, of the Texas National Guard, who is sit- ting as Judge Advocate closely ques- tioned witnesses who told of the! construction of the building and| heating system. District Attorney Stone Wells, of Rusk County, sat deeply interested in the testimony and at the end of the hearing Saturday said he “did not think there was a possibility of criminal law violations.” VANCOUVER SUN HAS BIG BLAZE VANCOUVER, B.C, Mar. 22. The Editorial staff of the Vancou- ver Sun has moved into temporary quarters to prepare for today’s is- sue after the three-story building housing the editorial and business offices were badly damaged by fire early this morning. The loss is es- timated at $40;000. ‘The fire is believed to have started in the elevator shaft after the mem- bers of the staffs had gone home. Quits Studying Arabic to Take Up Baby Talk CAIRO, March 22. — Countess Bafbara, Haugwitz Woolworth, heir- ess, has abandoned study of the Arabic in favor of baby talk. She recently came here and started in pursuit of the ancient language but it is taking too much time which might be spent with her one year old son Lance, heir fo her twenty ‘Torrential rain in the Folsom Hills has sent the American River up six feet and this afternon it was still rising. P R “Killer Boats” 1o G_ume North American Pacific Whaling Company Will Have Six Vessels BELLEVUE, Wash, Mar. 22. — The American Pacific Whaling Company announces that four of its six “killer boats” are being over- hauled and others outfitted for an- other season chasing whales in Ber- ing Sea and the North Pacific. Four “killers” will sail April 23 for Port Hobron and Kodiak Islands and the other two will leave May 15 for Akutan and Unimak Pass. ———,———— ROFF SUCCUMBS TO SPRING; TAKES AIR Greeting the first week-end of spring, Casey Roff, ardent amateur aviator of Juneau, warmed up his little red Monocoupe plane and took to the air yesterday afternoon for several circles through the sun- shine filtering down on Juneau. ‘Yesterday was Roff’s first time up since he put up his plane last fall. — - HOME YESTERDAY Mrs. Hannah Erickson, a medical patient, wént to her home from million dollars. 4 AN St. Ann’s Hospital Sunday. +Ship Reindeer by RUPTURE LOOMS {Papal Lettersio Catholic Congregations Denounces Anti-Christian Moves BERLIN, March 22—Rupture in Germany'’s relations with the Vati- can is hinted after a strong Papal letter to Catholic congregations ac- cusing Nazis of violating the Ger- iman Vatican Concordat and en- couraging anti - Christian move- ments. Hitler's newspaper implied that the National Conrodat might be cancelled by Germany. - The Concordat guarantees the Church the right to continue re-| ligious instruction of Catholic youth. The state is given civil education| |control and the church agreed to iban political pronouncements by Catholic churchmen and sanctioned tthe disolution of the Catholic Cen- |ter Party. Plane, Now Goats ANCHORAGET, slaska, March 22. |—Local aviators have branched out |into animal air transport here fol- |lowing the lead of the Star Air- ways which delivered the second consignment of six reindeer from |Naknek last Saturday to be used (here by a movie producer. Shortly after the reindeer werel landed, Pilot Bert Ruoff left with |several live “Texas Red” Shaw on the Skwent- lm River. Shaw likes goat meat while engaged in trapping. Advance on Insurgents | MADRID, Mar. 22.—The Govcrn-i ment's Northeastern Army reporwd‘ today it had pressed the Insurgent retreat into a rout, capturing town | after town in its fapid advance] upon the Insurgent stronghold al| Siguenza. 2 | The main column of General Mia- Jja, commander of Madrid’s armies, is reported to be approaching Al- madrones, only 12 miles south of the Insurgent base operations at Siguenza, after a 28-mile advance from Guadalajara. New One-House e Getting Results |sailed for the mainland. The find-, ings will be sent to Washington. Most of the aviation experts here believe the tire of the right wheel burst, causing the under carriage to collapse. |Dauntless Dozen . a5y {Find Basin o’ Snow | Atop Ski Trail ! Unanimously, and unqualifiedly, [those hardy mountain sliders who |braved the spring stinshine to climb ithe Douglas Ski Trail in quest of |snow yesterday, are agreed that {they found the best skiing of the year, in the basin just above the ski cabin. After an arduous trek up the trail, half of it snowless, they came| LINCOLN, Nebraska, March 22—, upon skiing that would put Sun Val- The new one-House Legislature has produced 62 new laws during the first 55 days of the session. The one-House Legislature costs $800 daily. The old two-House Legislature averaged 33 measures in the same *iperiod at a daily cost of $1,750. |ley to shame, perhaps. Three inch- es of powder snow over a firm |crust was the trove discovered by |Joe Werner, Dan Moller, Ralph Mo- |reau, Miss Mary Vander Leest, Bob | Kimball, Johnny Carruthers, Shelby {Tucker, Elmer Benedict, But Whiteside, and Fred Axford. Suspected Plot Against Brit. King Investigated LONDON, March 22—The Sun- day morning newspaper, the Referee, reported a suspected plot against the life of King George the Sixth goats consigned to|is being investigated by swtland!conhhed many Yard. The investigation followed the raid on the room of an unnamed man, the Referee says, where de- tectives found a throwing knife wrapped in a map of the corona- | tion route. The Referee also said the room clippings from | newspapers outlining the route and descriptions of the position the king Jwould occupy: at different places. | | MOUNT VERNON, Wash., March |22.—Alexander Willup, 30-year-old |Indian of the Swinomish Indian | reservation, was killed yesterday af- iternoon and his wife shot through {the hand during a struggle in his “hume during a drinking bout. | Martin Sampson, President of the | Northwest American Federation of Indians, said that Willup went to the kitchen of his home and picked up a shotgun, apparently intending to kill himself. | Guests tried to grab the gun, |which was accidentally discharged, killing Willup and shooting his wife in the hand. . Anthony Monks, guest at the Willup house, was jailed as a ma- terial witness. 3 DRY KILNS DESTROYED IN SUNDAY BLAZE Damage to American Door Plant at Hoquiam Es- timated at $75,000 HOQUIAM, Wash, March 22— Three dry kilns are in ruins after a blaze Sunday which caused a $75000 damage to the American door plant, Biremen fought for five hours before the blaze was controlled and |finally extinguished. The fire was caused, it is said, by an overheated stove in one of the Curtiss Wright 7, General Motors Not So Comfortable o Jels 61%, International Harvester 101%, Kennecott 63%, New York Central 49, Southern Pacific 58'%, United States Steel 1121, United Corpora- tion 6%, Cities Service 44, Pound $4.88%, Republic Steel 407%, Lima Locomotive 71, Cerro de Pasco 74, American Zine, Lead and Smelting 14%, Pure Oil 19%, Holly Sugar 34. DOW, JONES AVERAGES The following are today’s Dow, Jones averages: industrials 179.82, rails '68.18, utilities 31.92. > RUSSIAN THREAT WOULD ISOLATE JAPAN BY RAIL Soviets Severing of Relay Connections at Vladi- | vostok Reported TOKYO, Japan, Mar, 22. — The Japanese Government today sum- imoned Japanese General Sugishita {from Vladivostok in connection with Russia's reported threat to sever re- lay connections at Manchoukuo, thus isolating Japan by rail from western nations. Frequent arrests of Japanese cit- | izens at Viadivostok and other pres- |sure have forced Japanese to quit of Putting Across Court Reform By PRESTON GROVER WASHINGTON, March 22—The terrific pressure on Joe Robinson of Arkansas, majority leader, over the court issue has precipitated out- breaks of his fiery temper that dis- close he is not altogether comfort- able in his job of putting across the Roosevelt plan, Congress is composed predomins antly of lawyers and to many of them the proposal to expand the court is as sacrilegous as pasting whisky advertisements on a pulpit. As majority leader, Robinson has little choice to support the Presi- dent, although in all fairness it must be sald that he evidently looks upon the President’s proposal as the least upsetting of any of the plans for -ending the present im- passe. But added to any scruples he may be forced to hide is the endless tantalizing he must endure. His colleagues look upon him as a pos- sible court appointee. He knows they do and for that reason suf- fers from mischievous or teasing re- marks that under other -circum= stances he would spoof and ignore. Three times in 10 days he had tempestuous scenes with reporters. Even his tempers act as guideposts to news hunters, however, and of- ten as not are followed by periods of golden good humer. P ARSHURST LAUGHS B In sharp contrast is the jesting by Senator < Ashurst of Arizona, the Russian city, it was reported by General Sugishita to his for- eign office. (Continued on Page Five) ) chairman of the Rules Committee