Evening Star Newspaper, January 17, 1922, Page 1

WEATHER. Cloudy, probably snow or rain to- night and tomorro owest tempera- ture tonight about 20 degreeés. Temperature for twenty-four hours Hi it, ended at 2 p.m. ay: Io&m‘ yesterday; lowes 1 Ful No. 28,3817. ighest, 31, feat1 Closing New York Stocks, Page 22.° at am. 1l report on page 7. Entared as second-class matter post_office Washington, D, C. U..S. PROBE BEGUN INTO ALLEGEDD.C. BUILDING COMBINE Action Taken by Maj. Gordon; Following Conference With Senator King. CHARGE PRICE FIXING HAS KEPT COSTS HIGH Prosecutions Pmmiud—!uppy:ed Profiteering Bared Through Delay in School Program.- A thorough investigation into al- leged profiteering and /price-fixing combines which, it is ¢harged, have resulted in maintainin the cost of building here at a hig)i figure, will be instituted at once ‘by Maj. Peyton Gordon, United Stsites attorney for the District of Colambia. This was prom/sed to Senator King ©of Utah, ‘membér of the joint con- gressional copamittee investigating school conditfons here, by Maj. Gor- don at a conference last night. - Mr. Gordon_infdrmed Senator King that he would put the operatives attached 10 his office at work immediately to develop 31l the evidence possible pointing Lo collusion among builders and building material men, which, it is charged, has resulted in keeping the cost of erecting buildings in this cify at a highly inflated mark. Semator Presents Evidence. Senator King lald before Maj. Gor- don certain evidence which he had caused to be collected and which, in- dicated on the surface, the senator recently announced, the prevalence cf such combines here, but was not suf- ficient to institute legal proceedings until additional facts were obtained. The officc of the district attorney, Senator King asserted, with its force of investigators, is in a position to get the necessary evidence on WFich it can take cases before the grand Jury and into the courts. Investigators of the district attor- ney's office mow are gathering evi- dence also on the cause behind the recent raise in the price of bread here, with a view to developing facts 1> show the existence of a combine, Maj. Gordon informed Senator King. This investigation is belng pushed to a rapld conclusion, but Maj. Gor- don, Senator King said, announced his intention of not awaiting the com- letion of the food investigation to Pegin the investigation into the bulld- ing and building material, situation bacause the evidence presenied to him a]y Senator King indicated thie ppev- ence of a combine here. ¢ Eager to Get Facts. The district§§ttorney informed the menator that e was desirous of get- ting at the facts and to determine the existence of building combines in this city, and fo that end he would start immediately to investigate and inquire Into the evidence already gath- ered in the preliminary investigation made for Senator King by & prom- inent local attorney, Senator King said that he made it plain to the District attorney that it was his firm belief that there existed here a combination among the build- ing material men which was a ramii- fication of price-fixing groups that had been shown to exist in other parts of the country, such as New York and Chicago, and that as long as it_was allowed to exist here the cost of building would be high. Facts that have come to his atten- tion from various sources, the senator sald, indicated more and more that practices of combinations, criminal in character, were being carried on here, Senator King said, and he gave the facts to the district attorney with a view to ajding him in mapping out his invest{gation. The deeper any one goes into the matter here, Senator King said, fur- ther, the more one is impressed with the existence of a well laid scheme for maintaining the costs of building and building materials here at ex- high orbitant prices. Bared by School Program. Information which seems to point to yrofiteering methods in the building field here came to the attention of Senator King during the course of the recent investigations into the de- lay in carrying out the local school uilding progra Since that time, ienator King has been pursuing an investigation of this subject. This study brought out such facts as he believes should be presented to the Jocal -district attorney for further Yestigation and action, and the con- ference last night was a resnl:. Senator King predicted today im- and unwarrantably b B mediate drop in the cost of building |- and building material. will follow the Institution of the proposed Investiga- tion. An attack on bullding and building material profiteers was delivered on the floor of the Senate this afternoon by Senator Glass of Virginia, who ‘was defending the federal reserve system. He digressed from his sub- Ject remarks for asmoment to say that he would not have spent money for shipbuilding, as the federal re- serve board did, because of the prof- {teering among builders and building material men, as shown by the Lock- |U. S. AND SOUTH AMERICAN NATIONS- ARE INVITED . TO GENOA CONFERENCE By the Assoclated Press. LONDON, January 17.—Invita-, tions to the forthcoming Genoa economic conference have been Sent to the United States, to the South American nations, and to all European nations except Tur- ey, and acceptances have already been received from many coun- tries, it was learned here today. No official invitation has been sent the British dominions, but it is * understood they have bee: sounded on the question of at- tending, and that the option of participating or not rests solely with them. The status of Ireland In this respect is said to be vir- tually the same as that of the existing dominions. No word has as yet, however, come to London from the Dublin government on the subject. TOPAY WAR DEBTS Senate Resolution, Due to French Attitude, Taken to Be “First Call.” BY DAVID LAWRENCE. America’s first call to Europe to pay her war debt has gone forth. The adoption by the United States Senate of the resolution introduced-by Sonator Medill McCormick of Hlinois asking the Pepartment of State to submit to Congress all the informa- tion In its possession with reference to the financial affairs of European governments is the beglnning of a movement which looks toward pay- ment and not the cancellation of Eu- ropean debt: For nearly four years the Senate Las kept quiet about the allled war debt. fearing that the executive branch of the government might be embarr: ed. The fact that Mr. Mc- Cormick introduced the resolution im- meédiately after his conferences at the White House i8 taken generally to mean that the President not only interposes no objection, but that the Department of State will not hesi- tate to ask the Treasury Department to furnish all the data necessary. France Changes Sentiment. Just what the effect will be of the official publication by the American government of what it knows of the financial affairs of Europe is not serlously thought of at the moment, but the object is to let Europe know that America expects her to pay the war debt. The policy of France at the arms conference is the direct of .the change of sentiment in Senate from a policy of passive silence to active interest.in the pay- ment of the KEuropean debt. Great Britain has told the United States in formally that she does not ect cancellation, but merely wants fair terms on the fixing of the dates of payment for principal and interest. France, on the other hand, has let it be known that she considers the war debt as “a_political debt” and her statesmen here have referred to it as in the same category as the other “scars” received by France during war. he United States government has not yet formally called upon the European governments for payment of the war debt or its interest. As soon as the funding bill is passed, however, such negotiations will be begun. For the moment the significant develop- ment is that the Senate means to have all_the Information about European budgets made public so that if there are any errors in the data they may be corrected at once. A good deal of controversy has arisen as to the exact size of European armies. The Senate resolution will brind out the Ameri- can government's information as to what Is being spent in Europe for armies and navles. New View of Semators. If it had not been for the militaristic policy pursued by France at the ‘Washington conference, where the in- sistence on a large standing army was coupled with the demand later for the right to build a large navy, the chances are that little would have been said about the European debt in the Senate. But many senators now feel that if France has the money for armament she has it to pay the United States, at least the interest. France claims her budg®t cannot be balanced until the reparations ques. tion is settled and payments from Germany are regularized. America is being drawn" involun- tarily into the discussion alongside of Lloyd George in an effort to ok tain an adjustment of the reparation question, but-the United States ha: already made it clear that the collec- tion by, the allies of their debt from Germany is one thing and their pay- t t9 the United States of the thoney lémt during the war is quite another. Protest Aroused in Franee. The demand for the publication of the government's data about Euro- pean fiscal affairs has already aroused storm of protest in France, where it had been expected that some private loans might be made by American banking firms from time to time. But with the American government’s at- titude toward France at present the flotation of any more loans in the United States is extremely doubtful, for the executive has the moral power of_veto even over private loans. It may be that the néw Poincare ministry will learn soon ¢énough what U. . WANTS EUROPE MINES OF GERMANY IN FAR EAST CAUSE PARLEY DISCUSSI0 Japan and China Both Claim Right of Property Held by Nipponese. CHINA RAISES OBJECTION TO JOINT OPERATION Settlement of Slunhulk Isgue Hold- ing Up Naval Limitation and Other Questions. President Hardine, it became known today, cntertains the strong conviction that with tem years of operation of a maval Rollday, the civilised world will realise the foliy of large maval expenditures and that a mew era Will begin of curtailment. He is said to belleve that If the sovernme civilised world find they can go om for ten years without engaging in coutly naval e; rises, will be inciined. to agree for o con tinuation thereafter. holida: ef.of the maval BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. The question of the coal and iron mines formerly held by Germany and now in the possession of the Japanese was considered at today's meeting of the Japanese and Chinese delegates on Shantung. No agreement was reached and the matter will be taken up again tomorrow morning. The discussion today was largely centered around the question of fu- ture operation of the mines. It is understood that the Japanese desire to maintain a measure of control over these mines and to operate them as a joint enterprise with the Chinese. !TD this the Chinese object. It is much the same controversy as that over the Shantung railroad. ¢ . ina Willing to Pay. The Chinese are willing to pay for the properties, as they are willing to pay for the railroad, but they wish to own and control them out- right. It was said by members of the Japanese and Chinese delegatiozs as they were leaving the meeting that they expected to be able to resume consideration of the Shantung rail road question “some time this wcek." The Japanese, it was said, have re- ceived some further instruction and advices concerning the railroad mat- ter from Tokio, but are not yet quite ready to.proceed. The consideration of spheres of in- fluence in China, and other, queations on the agenda of the confefence—not to mention the twenty-one dsmands of Japan, await the Shantung settle- mant. Disposal of Shantw.g Awalted. It develops now that the maval lim- itation agreement also awaits @ set- tlement of the Shantung issye. It was predicted in a high quarter today that there would be no plepary ses- | sion of the conference to dispose 0¥ the proposed naval treaty until Shap- tung has been disposed of. . When the matter of the German mines has been disposed of there will remain only the question of the Kiao- chow-Tsinanfu railroad. It is the hope of the other delegations attend- ing the conference that the Japanese and Chinese will be ready to get down to business again on the railroad is. sue. There is no doubt but what con- siderable impatience is developing among the members of the other dele- gations. That eventually the Shantung mat- ter is to be settled is the opinion ex- pressed by both the Japanese and Chinese attending the conference. It is the strong belief also of other dele- gates. They are saying smopg them. selves today: “Eventhally, who not now?” It ;gpem now that the cpnference is to discuss the twenty-one demands of China, and the treaty of 1915, which s based upon these demands. In fact, the only reason these matters were not discussed at the meeting of the far. east committee yesterday was because Becretary Hughes, as chairman of the conference, suggested that it would inadviseable to take them up until after the Shantung settlement had been reached, since the question of Shantung is prominently included in the twenty- one demands. Sentiment Becomes Stromger. A spokesman for the British today dmitted that the sentiment in re- gard to consideration of the twenty- one- demands had become much © _-onger no that it now sesmed likely that there would be consider- able discussion of these matters. ‘With regard to the question of the “open door” in China, it was said by the same British spokesman, that the United States and Great Britain are D * is the question now . pending before the committee on the far east,-of the conference, which is to meet again at 3:30 o'clock this aftrnoon The discussion of this question, which was begun yesterday afternoon, will be continued today, it is expected. Application to “Opem Door.” The question of spheres of influ- ence in China, particularly as it arplies to the “open door,” is yet to be considered by the conference. A j : WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION HE SR SR oR s i WASHINGTON, D. C., TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1922 —THIRTY PAGES. Member of the Associated Press The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for republication of all news Cispatehes credited to it or mot otberwise credited in this paper and also the local' news published horels. All rights of publication of special dispatches berein are also reserved. — NE. T TRALN For WASHIIGTon JAam ... Heart of Unborn Chick Still Beats Ten Years After Taken From Egg By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, January 17— Part of the heart of a chicken that never was hatched was beating today, the tenth am- miversary of its removal from the embryo and isolation by Dr. Alexis Carrel of the Rockefel- ler_Institute, The tissue fragment is still wing, fts pulsations are visible under the microscope, Dr. Carrel naid. It xrows no fast that it is subdivided every forty-eight hours. DLE TOTALK WAGE LTS, SAYS LEWS Mine Union Head Addresses Convention—Conflict Is Suggested.: By the Amsociated Press. SHAMOKIN, Pa, January 17.—It is idle to talk of reducing the wages of Section 124 of the national defense !the coal miners of the country, Inter- act, it was pointed out, was designed | national President Johu L. Lewis of to bring about the manufacture of ni- | the United Mine Workers told the an- trates “and other products for muni-|thracite wage convention, which tions of war and useful in the manu- | oPened here today. facture of fertilizers and other uséful| He recognized, he said, that there products by water power or any power | I8 an organized propaganda to reduce for the exclusive use of the United | i€ wa8es,0f the miners. but there can States.” Under it an appropriation of i of $20,000,000 was made available for the | jca. production of nitrates, the acquisitiond. “If any industrial confiict must come by the government of sites for the|{o protect the interests of the mine plants and their construction. ‘workers and gua: “The plant or plants provided for|Lewis exclaimed, under this act,” the statutcs say,|conflict must com “shall be comstructed and operated| The mine workers of the countr. solely by the government and not in: President Lewis added, stand rea conjunction with any other industryiand willing to negotiate new wage or enterprise cairied on by private contracts in the bituminous and an- capital.” lthracite flelds_to replace those that expire March 31, and if the operators Quote Prior Statement. of 4he country will not respond fo Department officers recalled that|the lnvnnu%n.l:'hen the n;\-11“4 be ?fl {contract an e responsibility wi when Secretary Weeks firat considered | SONtract and the respongibllity. will the question of disposing of the Mus- ere cle Shoals propérties to private in-[ *It makes no difference,” Mr. Lewis terests he made it clear that any offer |5aid. amid cheers, “If non-union men in_the mining districts and in other he received would be referred to Con- {industries accept a wage reduction. gress before final decision,” involving | We do not propose to follow the non- either its acceptance or rejection, could be made. It was recognizedi from the beginning of the transaction, it was said, that the War Secretary did not have authority to dispose of the properties in question, and, ther: fore, was unable to do more than for- d the proposals from private eny torp O mereated In Muscle Shoals (o, WEEKS IS UPHELD ON MUSCLE SHOALS Reference to Congress of Of- fers to Buy Justified by Law Officers. By the Assoclated Press. Secretary Weeks' decigion to refer to Congress all offers Involving the lease, operation or completion of the government's nitrate and water-pow- er projects at Muscle Shoals, Ala,, was analyzed today by law officers of the ‘War Department and found to be in strict compliance with the provisions of the national defense acts, which authorized the government to acquire the propertles and build the plants during the war. “ Under the express injunction of Copgress written into that law, it was said, it was impossible for Mr. Wecks to have accepted or rejectéd the offer of Henry Ford with a “yes” or “no” answer or to have taken any other actign than he did in deciding to refer the question to Congress for decision. National Defetse Act Cited. propose to have the non-union yard stick applicd to our measure of tav istandard of living. The convention of miners, repre- senting all the organized mine work- | ers in the anthracite fields, was called to consider the new wage agreement. follows a custom of the union to have its members formally agree on wages and working conditions to,be submit- | concluded, ted to the operators.. The-action of | these things, and made the castle arm Burea on | the present convention must be ap- Group of Fi B u Federatl ] to Inspect Muscle Shoals. Henry Ford will address the south- | pe officially no ern group of the American Farm|the union. The convention, Bureau Federation at its meeting at| The conyention. aCEorC/ g 10 the OF Muscle Shoals, Ala;; January 20 and 21, the American Farm Bureau Fed- eration announced here today. . The southern group of the Amer- fcan Farm Bureau Federation com- prises the states of Maryland, Vir- ginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Georgla, Florida, ssippl, Tennessee, entucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma an ix‘am. In addition delegates will It _also.will ask that wage rates be made uniform throughout the anthr: cite field as far as possible and that the hours of men working more than eight a day be reduced. A demand for the establishment of the check- off, fought for by the union many years in the anthracite field, also will be_made. ‘While no'official announcement has come from the anthracite operators | i | i The calling of the present meeting ! wearing titles received from the crease in wages of about 20 per cent.'igno as a whole, it is generally understood ; has_sent_th ARRANGE TRANSFER OF IRISH AUTHORITY Irish Delegates Meet With Members of British Cabinet. LONDON, January 17.—Detalls incl- dent to the transfer of authority in southern Ireland from the crown gov- ernment to the provisional admini tration, established in Dublin on Sat- urday, were considered here today. Eamon J. Duggan and Kevin O'Hig- gins, delegates of the Irish provision- al govérnment, arrived in London to confer with members of the British cabinet relative to the investment of the new regime with governmental responsibility. Initial steps in the establishment of the new provisional government of the Irish Free State were taken at blin yesterday, when a proclama- tion was issued announcing the pro- vistonal gov. it had entered upon Britain. The war ofice has announc- ed that withdrawal of British forces in southern Ireland will begin imm. the men will be conditions per- Would Level Dublin Castle. The Morning Post, a newspaper which has steadfastly shown hostility to Irish home rule and has upheld the principle of unionism, today he United Mine Workers of Amer- | printed tte following dispatch from its Dublin dorrespondent: “The provisional government will their honor,” Mr.| make a great mistake if it does not hen an’ industrial | jevel Dublin Castle to the ground. There is an evil spell upon it, and its spirit is quite as capable of destroy- ing the Irish Free State as it was of destroying the union with England. Certainly nobody who has believed in that union would weep if the cas- tle should crumble to dust. Its spirit of intolerant bureaucracy, the type of politician that it harbored and the kind of administrators jt bred did mere to destroy the union than agi- tators and treason-mongers. Salaried Officials Attacked. “When the exodus begins, the fast- nesses of Dublin Castle will diskorge union men down the ladder to the|high-salaried officials who have not morass of degradation. We do not{gjone a stroke of honest work in years.” The correspondent intimated that the officials against whom he was writing wers in collusion with “rebels” while drawing salaries amd | tablish a separate traffic court in the crown. LILLIAN RUSSELL SAILS_ AS U. S. AGENT TO STUDY IMMIGRATION PROBLEM By the Assoclated Press. NEW YORK, January 17.—Lil- lan Russell salled for Europe to- day a special agent for Uncle Sam, commissioned to look over the Intended immigrants to, Amer- ica and report to the Secretary of Labor on her return next spring. The American beauty, who is now Mrs. Alexander P. Moore, wife of the editor of the Pittsburgh Lead- er, was accompanied by her hus- band, ¥lo also is to investigate the foréign immigration situatfon. “Mr. Davis wants me to look into the human side of the immigration problem,” said the perennially fair actress of bygone seasons. “He has known for a long time of my in- terest in those poor people who come here only to be turned back because of some defect. One thing I want to find out is why the pa: ports of delinquents are vised at all, why they are ever allowed to embark on a journey that ends in disappointment. The fault lles in I the other side, not here.” ROME MULTITUDES CHEER U. 5. TROOPS Unparalleled Reception Given Yanks, Who Come to Honor Italy’s “Unknown.” By the Assoclated Press. ROME, January 17.—Rome outdid itself today in extending a welcome to the American troops who came here to participate in tomorrow's ceremonies attending the besfowal of the congressional medal of honor upon Italy's unknown soldier. - The American composite company from Coblenz, under Maj. Gen. Henry T. Allen, was greeted on its arrival by the strains of “The Star Spangled Banner” from the band of the Royal Carabineers, in their brilliant uni- by a picked company of the grenadiers as the guard of honor; by scores of g:nerals wearing rows of glittering medals; by equadrons of cavalry with their gay plumes; by a brigade of infantry lining the adja: cent square and by cheering throngs of the populace. Spectacular Display. ' The display was the most spectacv- lar Rome has seen since the days before the war. Brand-new uniforms were worn by the troops on parade, with touches of color everywhere, and the shining.-silvery helmets and the glittering swords, lances and bay- onets, combined to complete a bril- lian| ectacle st the rallway sta- tion. The tation was bedecked with the Star and Stripes and the Italian tri-color. Gen. Allen was met at the station by Richatd Washburn Child, the American ambassador, and Gen. Diaz, who recent- ufin uties under the treaty with Great |ly returned from America.” King Victor Emmanuel was represented by aides, Col. Morozzo della Rocca and Admiral Mola. Gen. Allen Recelved. Gen. Allen was conducted to the Minister of War Easparotto and Lieut. Gen. Vaccarl, head of the general staff, and then was presented to the various generals and other officers in attend- ance. Gen. Allen reviewed the guard of honor and complimented the com- mander on the smart appearance of his grenadiers. driven to his hotel through lines of troops, while the American infantry men marched away through dou lines of Italian soldiers along the ave- nues to their barracks. The Roya) Piedmont Lancers and mounted carabi- neers escorted the Americans amid fre- quent hearty cheers and shouts of “Viva America” from the thickly packed crowds. DIFFER ON TRAFFIC.- Mr. Zihlman and Mr. Gilbert Fail to Agree. Only Representative Zihiman of Maryland and Representative Gilbert of Kentucky attended the meeting of the subcommittee of the House Dis- trict committee today to consider Representative Zihlman's bill to es- Zihlman District. _ Representative ation and strongly favored this legi “It is comforting to remember,” he | Representative Gilbert was just as what it was, were Irishmen. It is ved by the international cdnven-'less pleasing to remember that their | tion at Indianapolis next month, aft- British colleagues, though few, gen- er which the mining companies will erally outclassed the native officials [ accident. tified of the demands of ) in incompetence and stupidity. Dul e been the fate of the union.” KING URGES AID FOR ERIN. Wires Viceroy to Render All Pos- sible Assistance. By the Associated Press. DUBLIN, January 17.—King George | “that the men who did |strongly opposed to it Representative Zihlman said that the greatest evil in Washington -is that of giving collateral for excessive speeding or_ being in an automobile He said that the records In |stow that between December 1, 1919, blin Castle, Great Britain gave !and December 1, 1920, thére were 21,- according to the of- | Ireland her absolute and insurpas- | 619 arrests and only 1,402 were con- sable worst. Had it been otherwise, | victed. minious dissolution would never |19,696 cases. Collateral was deposited in This, he said, cause of so many accidents in the Dis- trict. P Representative Gilbert ‘argued that a lawbreaker is a lawbreaker and he ‘was much opposed to making the au- tomobilist a separate class of qffender. He sald this was a bad principle, for 2 man who kills a child with his auto- moblle ought not to be tried-before a separate tribunal. If there are not enough police courts to handle the e following message to pusiness Congress should give more wood investigating committee in New York. He charged that there was Eroflleurln‘ and that the jails could e filled with those people who en- gaged in it Maj. Gordon said tmlay the bread price inquiry Kas'not Jrogressed suf- ficiently to enable him to decide ‘whether or not it should be presented to the grand jury. WANT STATUE RESTORED. Aztec Club Representatives Inter- cede for Lincoln Monument. Re-erection of the Lincoln Monu- ment on its original site in front of the courthouse on a low base in har- mony with the surroundings was ad- vocated today by a committee repre- senting the Aztec Club of Washing- ton, which conferred with Represen ative King of Illinols, who has a bill before the House providing for the restoration of the statue. - The committes consisted “of Rev. William Tayloe Snyder, Washington Cathedral, €ol. J. F. nolds *Landls “and Col.; Robert M. ietty. T Eliott Woods, architect of the Cap- itol, submitted a new design for the Dase of the statue, which later wil be submitted to the House for consid- cration. The new design would raisg the, base. of the statue approximately et from the level of the side- fi havoc was wrought by’ the French delegation at the arms conference, but the first public evidence of it is the MeCormick utfon, which by overwhelming vote. (Copyright, 1922.) ‘When you were a youngster in the mesh of & high school curricu- lum you often wondered what earthly use algebra would or could be to you in after life. The Senate finance: committee .will furnish one answer when it turns out the so- called permanent tariff bill. ‘Witly this measure in operation, custoys appraisers, importers, manyfacturers and many others fregfiently will stumble acro: anclent and almost forgotten enemy, the unknown quurzfty of “4” This bobs up in practically il of Ue several plans for assese. Ing import duties. Under the plan tentatively agreed upon to base these duties on the selling price in , this country of the imported arti- cle, it would be met where the im- ported goods had not been freely sold in.the United States. -A. value on which to base a duty have to be found by algebraic fors muls, ALGEBRAIC UNKNOWN QUANTITY ‘X’ BOBS UP IN SENATE TARIFF BILL resolution has been prepared by drafting _committee, headed by Elihu Root of the American delegation, dealing with spheres of influence, and will be presented to the far (Continued on Page 2, Column 6.) This has led to a suggestion that opportunity might be given- for underpaid “math” teachers and college professors to improve thelr incomes. by transferring their ac- tivities to the . variuos custom- houses. Customs appraisers do not anticipate any rush in this direc- tion, however. They hold that they can dust off the old relic of high school days or acquire s new one and brush up on the devious ‘ways-of finding an enemy which, at least 50 far a8 they were con- cerned, they thought had been laid l"l"h’ tor;ver. = ere has been a suggestion, also, that if world conditions g‘- come much more complieated the cemmittee in handling future tariff Romett o ‘oven (he. saclalos r even the su n gragde of calculus. Hemhen. of th: committee are having enough diffi culty, how: in_ crossing , th 8 e fhe Crogsing of one they have yet aver, t, the local headquarters of the R‘;::-?un Farm Bureau Federation said, from fifteen other states ‘l)ltl 3: in the coal fields that the mining companies will ask the men to take a reduction. Union leaders are on record as being opposed to any low- ering of wage rates, either in the anthracite or bituminous flelds. Shoals méetin also are Wage contracts In the soft coal delogates to the mational farm con-!region expire at the same time as the ference which meets in Washington | hard coal field. At hext Monday, and they will come from| "It has been the policy of thé in- Muscle Shoals to Washington. ternational union in the hard coal Organization. need of more eficient | fields to keep the men at wofk so community units to develop initiative | jong as negotlations progress favor- and leadership, co-operative market-|apbly and assurance is given tHat t ing of the major southern crops,.such | men remaining at work will fiot re as cotton “and tobacco, community | ceive a cut. It is expected the ma: marketing of local products, and farm | ter fihally will be left for the inter- finance are on the program of the meeting. Other subjects expected to be considered includg the American Cotton Growers’ As: develo; ment of dairy and k indus- ry in the southern states and corn aking. D eetine will bS organized in e, Ala., and an extensive e: Fsination of the Muscle Shoals proj- ect is expected to be made by the del- egates. FIND OPIUM ON THE CROOK. NEW YORK, January 17.—The transport Crook, which brought a out. LONDON DENIES RUMOR OF GEDDES’ WITHDRAWAL By Cable to Thg Star and 9&” Daily News. LONDON, Januarye® 17,.—Officials in the foreign British office state that nothing s known there of the report- ed impending withdrawal of Ambas’ sador Geddes from Washington. national policy” committee to work |- (Continued on Page 4, Column 1.) - :An’ ornamental-looking little ven- tilator has been patented which is liable to cause bank bandits severe discomfort dfring their operations in the future, it was learned today. The inventor has constructed plans for an apparatus which will not only squirt ‘coma-producing drugs into the face of the bandit, but will ne and, in addition, protects the em- _ Inmecent Little Surpriser. N -up man enl ;n' h.-nto-qulw«l with “The Bandit ' Surprise.” In the paneling in fw;t lar, innocent ‘“ven! A ‘The Bandit, if e ‘Roticss I, thinks 1t an n bag+ o theory was advancéed as to the orlgn of the report or its purpose, It was first heard of in Downing street a thousand doughboys home Jast Satur- day after springing aleak at sea, was earched by customs officials, who re- Seried Rndlag fOFtY " po! ins’ of ‘opium hidden- in' the' galley. thegfh! and who were held in $2,500 b a United States commissioner. fortnight ago. So far as the gbllc knows, the goy- ernment, like the nation; has no rea- son to entertain any but the highest opinion of Sir Auckland Geddes’ serv- iees in Washingtoz, \ touches a the brass rail found in the saloons of the past. 4 nt{ the Banhdit' surprise mechanism gets to work. A bulle'yrocf shizld slides ) 1 courts, he said. (Comtinstioni EMe i COERIOFE urtmiDe e o - ‘HANDS UP!’ SAYS BANDIT—BANG! NEW- BANK DEVICE GASSES HIM to protect all tellers. It is moved by weights which have been re- leased by the pressure of the bar. The weights are attached to a chain which rums up jnside of the eling to a pulley and down over Phe puliey to the shigid. When the weights are releaded they go shooting toward the floor, and the feld, which is concealed Rehind the counter, goes shooting toward the ceiling. That eliminates the bandit's offensive. ,Unconsclous Twenty Minutes. Simultaneously with the move- ment ‘of the weights, a cog wheel, with teeth in the chain, is .turned at high speed, and it spins around three fans which squirt the cayenne pepper into the bandit's eyes and drug fumes into his nos- trils. He is rendered unconscious for A similar apparatus has been’ patented for mail ins. Only in the case of the mafl car the mech- anism is released by a line over- head, like' & bell rope, and the «protecton shields drop down over windows and doors alike, king ar e i ol sirongh: e Yesterday’s Net Circulation, 91,948 royal salon, where he was received by | After the formalities Gen. Allen was | is the| TWO CENTS. W.R.E TOREQUEST CONTINUATION OF PRESENT CAR FARE Company Seeks Enough In- come in 1922 for Needed Track Extensions. HAM ANXIOUS TO EXTEND ELEVENTH STREET LINE Capital Traction Undecided on Rate to Be Asked of Ut Board on February 1. When the street car rate case is taken up by the utilities commission on February 1, the Washington Rail- Way and Electric Company will ask that the present rate of 8 cents cash or five tokens for 35 cents be con- tinued. This was made known today by William F. Ham, president. John H. Hanna, vice president and general manager of the Capital Trac- tlon Company, said that company has ;Iot decided yet what rate it will ask or. es Favors 1ith Street Extension. Mr. Ham also dnnounced today that the company regards a continuation of Its 11th street line from Monroe street northwest to Kansas avenuue and along Upshur street to Georgia avenue as the most urgent needed tract extension, The president of the Washington Rail- way and Electric said it is his belief that if the commission continues the present rate of fare during 1922 the company will be able to make its share of necessary track extensions. Mr. Ham pointed out that the pro- posed 11the street extension would re- lieve congestion now existing on Sth street and Georgia avenue. He be- Ieves it would be a better solution of the 9th street problem than the plan of the commission to open a new street between 7th and Sth streets north of Florida avenue. Direct Romte Downtown. Eleventh street, said Mr. Ham, is { the most direct north-and-south route downtown, there being no curves or switches from Monroe street to the business section. If these cars were extended through Kansas avenue and pshur street to Georgia avenue, he |sald, many people living north of | Upshur street could be taken off the congested Sth street line. The 1ith street cars, he said, could be switched north into’ Georgia avenue or could continue through Upshur street to the Soldiers' Home and issue trans- fers at Georgia avenue. Discussing the future rate of fare, Mr. Ham said that while the company had several bad vears, last year was a reasonably.. year. At the forth- coming hearifi, he said, the question for the people to decide will be whether they want the rate of kept down to the minimuth on whieh the company jcan exist or whether they want a rate of fare that will permit of extensions and improvements to service. Company'y Credit Improved. At the present time, he sald, the com- pany’s credit -is much better than it has been for some time, and good credit must be maintained. he added, to bor- row the money necessary to make need- ed track extensions. On Monday morning the company will go before the commission to ex- plain_its application for a crosstown imotor bus line on Park.road from | Mount Pleasant street to Georgia ave- | | ue. Discussing the request for a 2-cont charge for transfers between the busses and the Mount Pleasant, 1ith | street and Georgia avenue car lines, |Mr. Ham said that if the people feel |that the service to be furnisned by | the busses would not be worth an ad- i ditional 2 cents, he hoped they would | express their opinions before th: com- pany goes ahead with the project. Mr. Ham said he was opposed to granting a 2-cent transfer from the 14th street line of the Capital Trac- ition Company to the Washington Rallway and Electric busses because he does not seq Why=his company should | operate crosstown busses as feeders to | @ Capital Traction line. EARTHQUAKE REGISTERED. An earthquake, described as “very severe,” and estimated to have oc- |curred at a distance of 2500 miles south of Washington, was recorded cn the seismograph at Georgetown University, beginning at 10:58 p.m. yesterday and continuing until after 1 a.m. today. 3 The period of greatest intensity was recorded elght minutes after the disturbance began. Today’s News In Brief { Irish envoys confer with British lead- ers in London on details of govern- ment transfer. Page 1 Law officers of War Department jus- tify Secretary Weeks reference of Muscle Shoals sale to Congress. Page 1 W. R. & E. to request same carfare for coming year. Page 1 Alexandria judge is upheld by bar. T Page C. R. Crane at meeting Friday to tell of Russia. Page 2 Chailes W. Coombs, Capitol employe for forty-six years, dies. Page 3 Japanese press bitterly assails U. S for arms parley “treachery.” 3 Page 3 Offcial text of arms conference agree- ment on Chinese customs is made public. Page 3 Witnesses deny soldiers were buried overseas with ropes around necks. L Page 4 Virginla company issues ultimatum to car strikers. Page 4 Far east committee of arms confer- ence adopts Chinese tariff agree- ment. Page 4 nator Glass denounces those who SOToutd destroy reserve banking sys- tem for sake of politics. Page 4 . S. inquiry into European finances U, ouses ire ‘of French press. Page 16 ‘hundred union nters strike on “::;e- and conditions in D. C. 2 i’m 16 Duabar students atter prizes ip Slac Stuthern Ma:Fland ralicond to be % Supt Batlon urgss full dsy of 2ob ‘War. Page 18