Evening Star Newspaper, December 18, 1921, Page 1

Member of the Associated Press WEATHER. Clearing and colder today, pre- P‘m‘mf- :‘w.'-man: :flm“,..uu.. to ceded by rain early this morning; to- credited to it or uot otherwise credited o thls ";‘e':,‘”’"““,';* e Doure e A‘n n'm- of publication ':“melll ent at p.m. st night: ighest, 58; Towest, 35. | -@ispatches bereln are also reserved. Full report on Page 7. No. 873.— No. LIKELY TO REACH RATIO AGREEMENT FOR FRENCH NAVY More Optimistic Atmosphere Surrounds Discussion of Ten-Ship Plea. PARIS ASKED FOR ADVICE BY DELEGATION HERE Italy Ready to Accept 1.75 Ratio, Advanced by United States as Alternative. 28,357. BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. American and French conference circles both expressed hope last night that the controversy which has arisen over the naval ratio to be fixed for France in the limitation of armament program would be settled satisfac- torily to all parties. In fact, while the seriousness of the situation was not minimized, there was distinctly a more optimistic at-} mosphere. Actual discussion of the demands of France has been post- poned until the “committee of fifteen” meets again tomorrow morning. Paris today has taken the position in conference matters which was held by Tokio two weeks ago. The French delegates, it is said, have cabled to their home government asking in structions. Presented by de Ben. In fact, two of France's principal delegates have left Washington— Premier Briand and former Premier Viviani. While the details of the meetings of the committee of fifteen are withheld, it has been learned that the French proposal for the construc- tion of ten capital ships in the decade beginning 1925 was laid before the conference by Admiral de Bon, chief of the French naval advisers. The! Frencvh proposal was defended In eommittee by M. Sarraut, present head of the French delegation, at yester- day’s meeting of the committee. ‘Whether the French government plans to back up this proposal or is willing to consider some other, as, for instamnce, the suggestion that France be satisfied with & ratio of 175 in- leazned by exbile. 175 Watlo. The proposal that the ratio for; France and for Ttaly, too, should be 1.75, it is learned, was advanced by | the United States. It would give France and Italy an increase in capi- | tal tonnage over what they now pos-! sess. Italy is ready to accept such a | ratio, it is learned, and Great Britain and Japan have approved the plan. Having settled the naval affairs of the Pacific, the conference is now en- gaged in settling the naval affairs of | the Atlantic and Mediterranean. | A plea for calmness came last night from French headquarters here. M. Sarraut. now head of the French| delegation, declared that he saw no reason for the “emotion” with which the demands of France have been dis- cussed in the newspapers. Through| an interpreter, he declared that he had not discussed the desires of France in an emotional way before the committee of fifteen. Sentiments Not Changed. i The French, he said, had come to! Washington at the invitation of the| United States to collaborate in an| effort to preserve peace and limit! armament. The sentiments of the French, he said, had not changed. They were working toward this end. “But,” said M. Sarraut in effect, “the three great naval powers—the United States, Great ,Britain and Japan—thought it wise to settle their naval problems first. They were at work on the matter for five weeks before they reached a settlement. Why, then, should France be expected to settle the question of naval ratio in three days?” Sees No Occasion for Heat. The French program, he said, was now being discussed. M. Sarraut in- sisted that the discussion was un- emotional and cordial and that there was every prospect of its proceeding amicably. He saw no occasion, he said, for heat either within the com- mittee room or outside of it. M. Sarraut still continued to re- fuse to discuss the French naval pro- gram in detail. He refused to say whether France was or was not ask- ing for 350,000 tons of capital ships. From other sources, however, it was learned that the French have so far not retreated at all from their re- quest; for that tonnage, and for the privilege of bullding ten capital ships of 35,000 tons each, within the ten-year period from 1925 to 1935. Demands Closely Guarded. It may be said at this point, how- aver, that the spokesman for the American delegation gave no inkling ‘;:Hdlng plan, which up ta last night Entered as second-class matter post office Washington, D. C. he Sunday Star, WASHINGTON, D. C, Strongly Backing Up Limitation on Arms How American opinion in backing up the limitation of arms conference may be glcaned from a report made last week by the general information sec- tion of the advisory committee | 1 American Opinion | ) to the Amerlean delegation. The nearest thing to a referendum on the subject o tar undertaken | | s contained in this report. This section has had turned over to 1t for digest all reso- lutfons and petitions received from organisations and indi- viduals regarding the confer- ence. Up to December 15 the views of some 12,000,000 persons were received, and mot one op- Pposed co-operative limitation of | | armament. I 1 The greater number of persons | represented are church mem- bers, many are members of women's clugs and some of the petitions came from co mercial organisations and mun! cipalities. The analysix of thene petitions and rexolutions ix contained in | | the following table: For com- plete disnrmament, 24,516; for lmitation regardiess of the co- operation of other powers, 11,- 723; for eo-operative limitation, with benevolence and liberality, 83,643; for eo-o) tive limita- tion with details confidently left to the delegation, 11,135~ 187; for cautious limitation, 4,175; against limitation, 403. PRECEDENT BACKS FRENCH SHIP MOVE Parley Proposal Made tol Bring About Full Discus- sion of Naval Issues. ‘NATIONAL SECURITY’ PLEA Could Be Used as Another Argu- ment in Support of Larger Fleet. By the Associated Press. Knowledge that the French ten-ship @ seemed a stumbling block in the of the armament conference, was merely the suggestion of the French naval staff here as to what it deemed desirable for France put a wholly new face on the present deliberations of the naval committee. The action of the French experts in outlining their views was not only, it is un- derstood, authorized by the French delegation as a means to bring about a full discussion of the general prob- lem of naval relativities, but it was also supported by conference prece- dent. The only written presentation of Japan's first claim to a naval ratio of 70 per cent, as compared with the American fleet, so far as known, was made by Japanese experts in the original committee of experts, aban- doned later for the naval committee of fifteen, on which conference dele- gates themselves sit. Except for that change, the French suggestion prob- ably would have been presented to the experts’ committee. It appears to have been drawn up for that pur- pose. Another Similarity. Another similarity is that the Jap- anese 70 per cent ratio proposal con- templated determination of “national security” needs to fix limitations, as does the French naval expert ten- ship suggestion. Japan later accept- ed fully the American view that ex- isting naval strength, calculated in terms of modern capital ships craft, plus proportionate allowances for ships under construction and on which money had been spent, was the only practical basis of approach to a| limitation agreement. The “5-5-3"% ratio plan represents that system of calculation. The American 175,000-ton plan for France, and presumably Italy, also undoubtedly represents the same sys- tem of existing strength calculation. There is not available, however, a detailed analysis for ship scrapping in the French and Italian cases, since the tonnage allowance represents in each case more than either power now has. Presumably it does con- template the scrapping of all pre- dreadnaughts of both powers as of no military value. That theory was applied to American, British and Japanese predreadnaughts in: the three-power preliminary agreement. The French naval experts have still FRANCE IS WILLING T0 GRANT GERMANY EXTENSION ON DEBT This Will Be One Principle to Govern Briand Talk With Lloyd George. WILL CONSIDER REDUCING SOLDIERS IN RHINELAND Premier Also Ready to Talk Over Tariff and Trade at Fate- ful Conference. | By the Associated Press. PARIS, December 17. — The French foreign office has issued the following announcement of the principles governing the conversa- tion between the British prime minister, Mr. Lloyd George, and the French premier, M. Briand: 1. France is willing to abandon the London schedule of payments, provided Germany pays an equiva- lent amount on a different form of schedule. France prefers to aban- don the London schedule rather than remodel it. 2. The French government will consider a reduction of the allied forces in the occupation of the Rhineland, and apply the money saved thereby to reparations, pro- vided Great Britain offers an ab- solute guarantee in the event of future German aggression. 3. France will assist in the im- Provement of the general econom- ic situation in common agreement, | recognizing that Great Britain is as gravely concerned over trade projects as France is on repara- tions, and will discuss lower tariffs and other similar problems. 4. France is ready to under- take any practical measure jointly with Great Britain toward the economic and industrial restora- | tion of Germany; she recognizes | as necessary British trade and | French reparations. 5. While unwilling to accept a reduction in the reparations claims. | France is prepared to grant Ger- many every possible facility to make deliveries. H “Briand to Leave Todas. . Premier Brfand plans to leave for| London tomorrow in response to the recent invitation from Prime Min- ister Lloyd George of Great Britain to discuss German reparations and other matters. The premier will be accompanied only by Phillippe Ber- thelot, general secretary of the for- eign office, in an official capacity. Premier Briand, it is understood, re- gards the forthcoming conversations with Mr. Lloyd George as entirely informal. Consequently, he is taking with him neither secretaries nor stenographers. M. Mantoux, head of the political section of the league of nations. who was head interpreter at the Paris peace conference, will act as interpreter during the conversa- tions, replacing M. Camerynck, M. Briand's regular interpreter, who still is in Washington. Minister of Liberated Regions Loucheur, accompanied by two finan- clal experts, also is going to London to confer with Sir Robert Horne, Brit- ish chancellor of the exchequer, but it is not expected that he wiil be pres- ent at any of the conversations be- | tween M. Briand and Mr. Lloyd George. CONFERENCE IS FATEFUL. Described as Most Important Since Versailles Treaty. By the Associated Press. LONDON, December 17.—Monday's conference in Downing street between Premier Lloyd George and the French premier, M. Briand, relative to repa- rations is described by the newspa- pers here as the most fateful since the Versailles treaty was concluded. The meeting ‘was arranged before Germany's official declaration of her inability to pay the forthcoming repa- rations installments, and there is-a disposition in some sections of the press to regard the German move as a maneuver to bring pressure to bear on the premier's meetings. This view is confined mainly to those newspa- pers known for their strong advocacy of a firmer alliance between Great Britain and France. The general opinion is that the Wirth govern- ment has honestly tried jto meet its obligations, and that it will be neces- sary to grant Germany a delay of a few months, if not actual moratorium. According to the Evening Stand- (Contimued on Page 4, Column 4.) NOT UNLOCATED, as to this matter. In fact, the Amer- ican delegation is leaning over backe ward in its efforts not to make pub- lic anything connected with the French demands. The American idea apparently is that any statement with regard to the French demands should come from the French, if they desire to make a statement at this time. All that the Americans are contending for is that there shall be opportunity for full, free and frank discussion of the matter in/ the committee. To the American mind, however, the question at issue is as “clear as sun- light.” The limitation of armament conference was called to limit arma- ments, not to build them up. ya Ervor Has Crept In. ‘While M. Sarraut would not discuss the reported demand of France for B Z (Continued on Fage 4, Column 7.) - The battalion commanded in the Meuse-Argonne battle by Col. Charles W. Whittlesey, who re- cently was drowned at sea, was cut off from communication, but not “lost,” as generally stated, Gen. Pershing said yesterday in a letter to Representative Siegel of New York. Replying to a letter from Mr. Sieg?l for His views on the incl- Ment, Gen. Pershing wrote: “In brief, Col. Whittlesey's com- mand was not lost. After it had been isolated frequent attempts were made to furnish food and ammunition by means of. aero- planes. Unfortunately, it was very difficult for the aviators to locate, in the dense forest, the (Continued on Page 4, Column 8.) LOST BATTALION MERELY CUT OFF, WRITES PERSHING position of the battalion, which had been accurately indicated on, the map. These relie{ supplies’ fell into the hands of the enemy. I mention this as evidence that the battalion was not lost in the sense that we did not know where it ‘was. It was cut off. < “Col. Whittlesey's command in making an advance penetrated more deeply into the enemy’s posi- tion than did the adjacent battal- lons. Communication through the heavy underbrush in the forest ‘was difficult and before connection had been obtained with the units to his right and left rear the Ger- mans filtrated through the gaps which then existed and evenutally succeeded in surrounding the bat- “talion.” \ \ SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 18, 1921 DEAR OLD SHOPPING DAYS. NEW BONBING LOT RUMORS STR ALY Threatening Letters Report- .ed to Have Been Received in Financial District. DISCUSS WARSAW ARREST iChie'i Burns Arrives to Take Charge Year’s Explosion. December 17.—The thrills which New York experienced in September of last year when Wall street was rocked by a bomb ex- plosion which killed nearly two score persons were revived tonight. Coincident with the arrest of a suspect in Warsaw and the arrival from Washington of Willlam J. Burns, chief of the bureau of investi- gation of the Department of Justice, to take charge of the case, there were circulating in the downtown finan- cial district rumors of a new radical plot to blow up the stock exchange. in Clearing Up of Last l Special Guards Placed. Local authorities, while admitting that special guards had been placed around the exchange and other build- ings, professed to attach no great im- portance to reports that threatening letters had been received by a num- ber of brokers. In this connection were recalled a number of postcard “threats” to blow up the custom- house and post office which followed the sensational blast of 1920 and fail- ed to materialize. Mr. Burne on his arrival, added nothing to his statements in Wash- ington that the arrest in Warsaw of ‘Wolfe Lindenfeld, former representa- tive in New York of Lenin and the third internationale and later in the service of the Department of Justice, would clear up the mystery which had surrounded the case. He said! rothing tending to confirm reports current here that local arrests were expected. Suspects Rounded Up. During the investigation, which ex- tended around the world with the of- fer of rewards exceeding $100,000 and resulted in the arrest in this coun- try and Canada of a score of suspects, who were subsequently discharged, Mr. Burns maintained from the first that the explosion was the work of the third internationale, as indicated now in dispatches from abroad. Sus- (Continued on Page 2, Column 7.) —_— WILL PROBE COLLISION OF DESTROYER AND SHIP Adminral Jones Will Name Naval Board of Inquiry—Warship’s Officers Silent. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, December 17.—A naval board of inquiry intc the collision of the destroyer Graham and the passenger liner Panama off Seagirt, N. J.,, last night probably will be named next week, it was announced today at the offices of Admiral Hilary P. Jones, commander, of the Atlantic fleet. Of the seven naval sailors injured when the’ Graham's plates were crushed in by the liner’s bow, one of them, W. P. Kelly, twenty-year-old seaman, first-class, is not expected to live, it was said at the naval hospital in Brooklyn. Responsibility for the collision was charged to the commander of the destroyer by Edwin A. Drake, vice president of the Panama Railroad Steamship line, operators of the Panama, who said the Graham sought to cross the bow of the liner. Capt. ‘Willlam F. Amsden, the Graham's commander, and other naval officers reserved their explanation of the orash pending appearance:before the hoard of ingulry. L MILADY MAY SMOKE ! TO HEART’S CONTENT, D. C. COUNSEL DECIDES Mijlady may smoke to her young heart's content in the District without fear of violating the law, in the opinion of Corporation Counsel Francis H. Stephens. The District’s legal interpreter will submit to the Commissioners this week /a formal report holding that he knows of no law that would prevent members of the fair sex from puffing their favorite brands wherever mere man enjoys that privilege. The question of women’s right in regard to smoking was brought to the attention of the Commis- sioners by a member of the Rain- bow Division Veterans. Aside from his personal views on the subject, Mr. Stephens said the cold, legal aspect of the ques- tion is that it would be unconsti- tutional to prohibit woman from smoking as long. a&s man_is per- mitted to do so. HOUSE PASSES BILL FOR RUSSIA RELIEF President Authorized to Ex- pend $20,000,000 Out of Grain Corporation Fund. i By a vote of 181 to 71 the House late yesterday passed a bill authoriz- ing the President to expend $20,000,- 000 out of the fund of the United States Grain Corporation for relief of the famishing people of Russia. This measure, urged by President Harding, in his message to Congress, was Dbitterly contested to the last minute. A roll call was forced on the contention that the vote as an- nounced, 114 to 51, did not show a quorum present. The roll call re- sulted 181 to 71. Goes to Senate. The Russian relief measure now goes to the Senate, and House Lead- er Mondell announced that he ex- pects both branches will take final action before adjournment over the holidays, which is planned for Thursday. In wrangling over the measure’ the House attempted to chop it to pieces with amendments. The first actual test was on an amendment by Rep- resentative Bankhead, democrat, Ala- bama, to feduce the amount from $20,000,000 to $10,000,000, which was de- feated, 78 to 60. There had been two solid hours of debate durihg which a flood of elo- quence was let loose on the argument that the starving children of Russia, regardless of the bolshevik ruin that had brought about _their . distress, should have their cry for: bread silenced with American food, when a new fight was started over proposals to tear the bill to pieces. Protest Raised. Protesting against the use of funds for the people of any foreign nation, Chairman Madden of the appropria- tions committee declared it was easy to vote a tax on the backs of the (Continued on Page 2, Column 5.) KILLED BY AUTOMOBILE. Millard J. Randall, Forty, Struck | _at 33d and M Streets. Millard J. Randall, about forty years old, living at 2500 I street northwest, was killed by an-automo- bile driven by Clarence E. Berger. of Falls Church, Va., about 1:30 o’clock this morning at 33d and M streets. Mr. Randall had been working all day at Capitol Heights, and with two companions was crossing the street, when he. was struck by the auto- mobile, knocked down and his skull fractured. He died almost instantly, the doctors who attended him said. Mr. Berger gave himself up at No. 7 precinct. He said he did not notice the man and his two companions until just as they came into collision with LEPPELIN DECISION TRIUMPH FOR U. Permission for Germany to Build Airship for America Granted by Council. PRECEDENT IS OPPOSED Allies Against Going Behind Any Treaty, But Justice of Claims Shown by Herrick. By the Associated Press. Authorization by the allied council of ambassadors for the construction by Germany of a Zeppelin of the L-70 type for the United States, announced yesterday in a cablegram from Paris, was regarded in official circles here as a distinct triumph for American diplomacy. By virtue of that authorization, Germany is permitted to go behind the terms of the protocol signed in Paris last June 30, which limited the size of airships she might build to 30,000 cubic meters capacity. The airship which Germany will build for the United States is to be 70,000 cubic meters capacity, and there had developed among the allied govern- ments a decided opposition to estab- lishing a precedent by permitting Germany to go behind the terms of any treaty or engagement. ‘The opposition of the European gov- ernments was overcome by repeated representations by Ambassador Her- rick that this country would not use the new airship for military purposes and that America was entitled to com- pensation in kind for the Zeppelin awarded this government and later destroyed by Germany. The represen- tations were made immediately after the signing of the protocol, and were renewed until the allied governments were assured of the justice of Ameri- ca’s claims and the good faith of the United States government in engag- ing that the new airship would not be used for military purposes. Will Wreek Hangar. Under the decision of the council of ambassadors, the text of which was received from Ambassador Herrick at the State Department yesterday, Ger- many will construct a Zeppelin of the L-70 type at the Friedrichshafen hangar, the only one in Germany large enough to permit the building of an airship of that size, and then will tear down the hangar and disperse the mechanics brought together to fabricate the air monster. ‘The completed airship will be de- livered to the United States in Ger- many without the expenditure of & single penny by this government, it was stated, and then will be flown across the Atlantic by a crew of Navy Department aeronauts. Construction of the airship will be under the di- rection of a staff of American Navy Wagon as Pocketbook What Russian Tanner Needs for Month’s Pay Leather tanners in Russia have to hire a wagon to haul away their monthly wages it the phy- mical weight of the Russian ruble is anywhere mear that of the American dollar bill. A dispatch from Russia to the Labor Department yesterday discioses that the minim wages of tammers under the moviet is 2,400,000 rubles =a month. Before the depreciation of the ruble, it was worth about 50 cents im American mey. Now it takes 100,000 or more to buy a square meal in Russia. THOUSANDS ATTEND CORCORAN DISPLAY Work of American Artists Placed on Exhibition at Gallery of Art. OIL PAINTINGS ARE SHOWN | {First View Given of Nearly 800! Contemporary Works by Emi- nent Painters. A distinguished company of severai thousand ‘specially invited guests last night were welcomed by representa- tives of the board of trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art and obtained their first view of the pictures by eminent American artists, numbering nearly 300, which compose the eighth biennial exhibition of contemporary American oil paintings. Always Event of Importance. The opening of one of the Corcoran Gallery’s biennial exhibitions is always an event of national importance in the world of art, attended as it is by representatives of artistic and art- loving circles of official life and of} residential society. This year the opening view possessed an interna- tional rather than a local or even na- tional aspect, fnasmuch as all the FIVE CENTS. ASK FOUR CHANGES INRETIREMENT ACT FORU. 5. EMPLOYES Recommendations Made to Congress in Report of Board of Actuaries. MORE EQUITABLE BASIS FOR AGE LIMITS URGED Advocate Benefits Based on Same Salary as That to Which Con- tributions Are Paid. Four important changes in the act for the retirement of employes in the classified service of the govern- ment are made in the first report of the board of actuaries authorized in the law itself, which- was sent to Congress last night. The report was accompanied by letters of transmit- tal from E. C. Finney, acting Secre- tary of the Interior, and Washington Gardner, commissioner of pensions. Mr. Finney noted in his letter that “this transmittal is not to be con- strued as a departmental approval of the recommendations of the board.” Recommendations Made. The recommendations are: The benefits should be based on the same salary as that to which the contributions are paid, or they should be related directly to the amount of the contributions. The ages fixed for retirement on account of age should be adjusted so that the only distinction made be- tween groups would be that required on the basis of the service experi- ence, in order to make the normal ccst the same for all occupational groups. The section of the law providing for increases in annuities on com- pletion of term of service which are multiples of three should be pealed. The law should be amended to pro- vide for certain safeguards on dis- ability retirements; to give author- ity to a member to nominate a bene- re- members of the \‘lrlou% foreign dele- gations here for the limitation of armament conference were specially invited. American painters, there- fore, were enabled to display their talents to the greatest international gathering Washington has ever seen. The throng of guests included painters, colléctors of art, directors of art museums, art critics and lovers of art generally. Many came from other cities in order to view a dis- play which artists, collectors, con- noisseurs and heads of art museums agree is the best exhibition of its kind ever held in the United States. In the Recelving Line. The reception line, standing to the left of the head of the main stairway, consisted of Charles C. Glover, presi- dent of the board of trustees of the gallery; former Senator Willlam A. Clark of Montana, member of the board and donor of the foyr prizes for which the entrants competed, and George E. Hamilton and Rudolph Kauffmann, members of the board. C. Powell Minnigerode, director of the gallery and also a trustee, made the presentations. The interior of the building was beautifully decorated for the occa- I sion with palms, greens, bay trees, ferns and chrysanthemums, while laurel roping twined about the great marble columns and festooned effec- tively in the hallways and salons gave a distinctively artistic and at the same time a holiday effect. The.great stairway leading to the receiving line and the display galleries on the sec- ond floor was especially noteworthy to decoration, while a color- ful and impressive feature consisted of the flags of the United States and of the nine nations participating in the Washington conference draped from points of yantage in the lower floor. A large stringed orchestra, playing throughout the evening, gave a festal touch'as the guests moved here and there in enjoyment of a collection of art works which is par- ticularly brilliant. Pletures Center of Interest. The pictures which have won the four William A. Clark prizes, of which |'.he first is the biggest art prize in the world, were naturally centers of | attention, but many other noteworthy paintings were surrounded with ad- mirers during the course of the evening. : All four of the prize winners were present in person. They are Daniel Garber of Philadelphia, who, by rea- son of his picture, entitled “South (Continued on Page 2, Column 4.) (Continued on Page 6, Column 2.) GERMANS STUDYING PLAN TO RUN ZEPPELINS OVER SEA TO CHICAGO By thie Associated Press.” NEW YORK, December 17.—An- nouncément that the government . had obtained permission to con- struct & rigid airship in Germany was followed by the dieclosure here today that two German air- craft engineers visited this country several months ago to study possi- bilities of a fast zeppelin service between Germany, New York and Chicago. The engineers were said to represent the Zeppelin Airship Buflding Company of Friedriche- haven, and gave their names as Harry Vissering and T. A. Leh- man. They wers in frequent conference. with weather bureau officials hefe and in other cities. While: thelr movemeats at that ' time were shrouded in secrecy, it is learned that they discussed plans for a passenger and mail carrying fleet of zeppelins to ply between Germany and America. For several weeks the air route between here and Chicago was the scene of repeated tests with kite balloons which carried into the upper atmosphere delicate record- ing instruments. Weather bureau records for forty -years were examined, and charts showing average direction and velocity of winds were studied. From one of the New York men with whom they talked it is learned that the German engineers oconcluded pesitively that a fast seppelin service between Germany and this country was feasible. ficiary; to receive the amount of his accumulated contributions in the event of his death; to require the head of each departiment or inde- pendent bureau to furnish annually the information necessary concern- ing the employes under his super- vision for the use of the commis- sioner of pensions. Provision for Actuaries. The civil service retirement act provides for a board of three ac- tuaries, one of whom shall be a gov- ernment actuary, and the duty of this board is to report annually upon the actual operations of the act. Au- thority is given to the board to rec- ommend such changes as may be deemed necessary to protect the pub- lic interest and maintain the system upon a sound financial basis. The civil service retirement and disability fund of the United States was established under act of Cor- gress May 22, 1920. Under the pro- visions of the act are included all employes of the classified civil ser- vice of the United States, representing one of the largest groups of em- ployes ever to be covered by a single retirement fund. The board of actuaries appointed in 1921 consists of George B. Buck, a consulting actuary of New York city; with J. D. Maddrill and Joseph S. McCoy, government actuary in the Treasury Department. Their report first gives a statement of the approximate present and pro- spective assets and liabilities of the fund as determined by an actuarial valuation. This shows the grand total of liabilities as of June 30, 1921, as $438,369,584 and the grand total assets the same, made up of funds in hand, $9,672,842; total of contri- butions of employes of 21z per cent of their salary, $126,326,449; and ap- propristions required of the govern- ment, $302,370,293. Records Declared Necessity. Following this statement, are recommendations made by the board of actuaries in accordance with the act. The report also includes ques- tions which the commissioner of pen- sions has asked the board of act- uaries regarding the cost of certain proposed changes in the provisions of the act governing the operation of the fund, with the answers made by the board. Emphasis is laid upon the businesslike necessity of establishing accounts in the Treasury wheih will show liablilities of the fund and upon the necessity for establishment, of the records of all active participants. In explaining the reasons for the first change recommengded to Congress that the benefits should be based on the same salary as that on which the contributions are based, the board of actuaries points out that at the pres- ent time employes contribute 21 p& cent of their salaries without any Jimit as to the amount of salary upon which contributions shall be made, whereas the amount of annuity which they receive is definitely limited to & final salary of $1,200. The higher salaried employes, therefore, contrib- ute a greater portion of their beme- fits than do the lower salaried em- ployes. A table is included in the report to show the extent of the un- fairness as between employes result- ing from this provision. Example Cited. It shows, for example, that a clerk entering the service at the age of twenty-two on & salary of $560 would finally, after having experienced nor- " (Continued on Page 2, Column 2) in the report