Evening Star Newspaper, February 21, 1922, Page 1

WEATHER. Unsettled Weather, with rain late to- night or tomorrow; rising temperature iomorrow; temperature above freezing tonight. Temperature for twenty-four hours ended at 2 p.m. today: Highest, 63, at 3 p.m. yesterday. Lowest, 42, at 6 a.m. today. Full report on page 7. Closing New York Stocks, Page 20. 98,492, No. Entered as second-class matter post office Washington, D. C. MEASURES GIVING DISTRIGT VOICE IN CONGRESSFAVORED, Both Jones Resolution and!| Poindexter Bill Reported to Senate. FIRST GRANTS SEATS IN BOTH HOUSES| Constitutional Amendment Requir- ed—Other Gives Delegate to House—Text of Reports. Favorable reports on the Jones Joint resolution, looking to national Tepresentation for the people of the District, and on the Poindexter bill, for the election of a local District delegate to the House, were submit-} 2ed to the Senate today. The report on the Jones resolution, which would provide for an amend- ment of the Constitution so that the People of the District could vote for Fenators and representatives and for President and Vice President, was made by Senator Jones of Washing- ton. Senator Ball, chairman of the District committee, reported the Poindexter bill. Jones Resolution Purposes. The report on the Jones, resolution, which is made after full hearings, sets forth, In part: “This resolution proposes: (1) A new constitutional power for Con- gress; (2) a new right and. power for residents of the District to be en- joyed when Congress, in its discre- tion, shall exercise Its new consti- tutional power. “The new constitutional power for Congr¥ss, which is sought, is the power to grant national voting rep- resentation to residents of the Dis- trict in House, Senate and electoral college, with access to the federal courts, without depriving Congress of the power of exclusive legislation over the seat of government given by section 8, article 1, of the Con- stitution; without making a state of the District, and without granting to the residents of the District any other privileges, powers and attri- Dbutes of citizens of a state than those specifically enumerated. Gives Right to Vote. “The privilege, right and power to be enjoyed by residentsgof the Dis- trict, when the amendment shall have been ratified and when the new pow- er of Congress shall havae been exer- cised, is voting participation by the District residents on ‘American prin- ciples in the national government, which taxes them, makes all laws for them, and sends them and their sons to war, and access like that of “citi- zens of a state to the federal courts, their relation to which, is now, the United States Supreme Court has said, on a lower plane than that of alie “Ratification of the propased consti tutional amendment will thus cure the impotency of Congress to grant national representation to any part of the territory belonging to the Unit- d States by extending this power to ‘the District, constituting the seat of government of the United States, and Will_tend to cure the impotency of 1he District to participate on Ameri- iples in the national govern- Aio’tlon‘ll Urged. committee are convinced that both impotencies should be cured—that of Congress at once and that of the District at the fitting time in the future in the judgment of Congress. We agree that Congress £hould not be impotent to grant na- tional representation to any group of Americans qualified under the usual tests for such representation. And we agree that the District should not be impotent to partici- pate like other Americans in the national councils after’ demonstra- “Your tion of fitness in population, re- soitrces and _other American at- iributes, provided such representa- |PRESIDENT SELECTS DEBT FUNDING BOARD Nominations of Secretary Mellon, Secretary Hughes, Secretary Hoover, Senator Smoot and Representative Burton to be members of the allied debt funding commission will be sent to the Senate today, it was announced at the White House. Upon confirmation of the nomina- tions, it is expected that foreign debtor nations will be informed that this country is prepared to begin ne- gotiations for funding the eleven- billion-doliar allied debt. According to high officials, nego- tiations probably will be begun first with Great Britain looking to the funding of the five billion dollar debt owed by the nation and with the other foreign governments in the order of the size of their debts. Under the congressional authority creating the debt commission the amounts due from the foreign nations may not be funded for longer than twenty-five years or al interest of less than 4% per cent. SENATORS BUMPED OVEROLD STREETS, REALIZE D. . NEEDS Subcommittee Jarred Into Firm Realization of Neg- lect in Northeast. Bumping their way along between the filtration plant and the new East- ern High School today, members of the subcommittee on District appro- | priations of the Senate appropriations committee, headed by Senator Phipps of Colorado, were jarred into a firm realization that the northeast section of the city has been $adly neglected in the matter of street improvements. Senator Phipps said that the com- mittee noticed in that® section that there were many rows of small homes on streets in terrible condition. The committee was impressed with the unimproved condition of many of these streets. g \ There is @ big need for thprove- ment of many of the new streets in the northeast, now thickly built up, to say nothing of the repair of old surfaced streets which are showing the effects of the wear of present-day heavy automobile traffic. Will Visit Projects. The committee plans to make visits to other proposed projects in the city, and then to consider all of the recom- mendations in connection with their personal observation. Senator Phipps said that consideration would be given to these matters in executive committee meetings, and that every effort would be made to make the money go just as far as possible. Inspection of the city streets will be made in connection with inspec- tion of other projects of the city recommendations for which are con- tained in the estimates and in the District appropriation bill as it came from the House. . Need of Appropriation. While there are many antiquated streets in the city which should be entirely renewed, it was shown, such as the old granolithic pavements in the business sections and on some of the important ‘“feeder” ~highways, thero is a great apparent need of a substantial appropriation with which to repair surfaced streets which have develobed large holes since the recent storms here. i Important among the granolithic paved streets are Georgia avenue northwest. north of Florida avenue, which would relieve a great deal of the traffic to the north now forced out Sherman avenue, and the paving of 7th street southwest. the only di- rect thoroughfare to the steamboat wharves. At the present time it is necessary for one wishing to reach the steamboat wharves in a vehicle other than a street car to make a long_ detour In order to avoid the rough granolithic blocks. Even 6th Street southwest from Virginia ave- 1lon can be secured without delay or | nye south is paved with the rough jmpairing the power of exclusive jegislation in the District now pos- -<sed by Congress. i ;:2 ;’?o Snn‘?inced that adcption of resolution and ratification of the nstitutional amendment proposed by it will result in curing both im- potencies, without disturbing in the Jenst the exclusive legislative power ©of Congress in the District. “We see mo reason whatever why Congress should not approve _this srant to itself of a new constitutional | Jower, extending its existing powers on logical and equitable lines, with- out committing Congress as to when or how it shall exercisé this power. Congress Has Power to Act. “Under the power to admit new states and to regulate territory be- Jonging to tre United States Con- gress now has the pawer to admit to yepresentation in Congress and. the ctoral college the people of all the ‘t‘-‘-ififory belonging to the United th granolithic blocks. Millions Found Necessary. Appropriation of an amount of money running into the millions would be necessary to put the streets of Washington in a condition In keeping with the importance of the National Capital. Continued paring of estimates for strect improvements in city has put the streets of the District in such bad condition that it will take years at the present rate that appropriations are allowed to bring them on a par even with the fine state roads now found in all parts of the country. The Commissioners submitted $801,- 037 as their street improvement estimate, and this was at the very fock bottom. _The allotments granted in the District appropria- tion bill as reported to the House by the apprepriations committee. were exactly $113,600, or a little less than 15 per cent of the original. This cut was made_after the budget bureau {Continued on Page 2, Column 2.) (Continued on Page 2, Column 8.) France Can Never Pay a Sou . Of U. S. Debt, Says Loucheur iy the Associated Presa. I T pARIS, February 20.—Louis P. Lou- ¢heur, former minister of liberated re- mions, declared tonight it was his be- Jief that France never would be able Yo pay a sou of her debt to the United States. This statement was made at Lyon at a banquet of the: industrial, commercial and agricultural associa- tions. “I say plainly.” declared M. Lou- cheur, “that T believe we never will be able to pay a sou to America. I say it because there are Americans here, who, I hope, will cable my words across the seas. We never can pay the 15,000,000,000 francs we owe Amer- fca, with the added ihterest. Blames Customs Barrier. “America has all the gold, and we mever could pay in goods, on account ‘of the customs barriers raised by the United States itself.” M. Loucheur added that David Lloyd «scorge, the British prime minister, cause of the existin der,” the speaker d | had agreed to cancel France's debt to Great Britain on condition the United Statesgannul Great Britain’s debt of 20,000,000,000 francs. Referring to the question of repara- tions, M. Loucheur said France was determined to make Germany pay to the utmost. “But what can Germany pay?’ M, Loucheur asked. “Germany must ex- port in order to obtain gold, and the real problem is to determine how far Germany can export without flooding our markets. Exchange Rates Factor. “I thought the goods which might be imported here {o the least detri- ment to our country was the goods that might be employed in the devas- tated regions. Hence the Wiesbaden agreement.” ~ The collapse of the exchange rates and the vagaries in the values of cur- rencies, in the view of M. Loucheur, were the basic causes of the economic crisis. “The collapse of exchange has caused the financial chaos in the cen- tral European nations, which is the g economic, disor- eclared, 7 < The T WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION ening Stas. WASHINGTON, D.' C, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1922‘TWENTY-SIX PAGES. TWO BIG THEATERS MAY REPEN SOON ON PROVEN SAFETY Metropolitan and Columbia Those,Which May Get Clean Bill of Health. DOUBTFUL APARTMENTS AND HOTELS ARE NEXT More Inspectors to Be Employed to Carry on Work—Federal Build- ings Immune in Inquiry. Two or three of the seven theaters closed by the Commidsioners Satur- day “in the interest of public safety” may be reopencd, soon, according to indications at the District building to- day. . Engineer Commissioner Keller sald he has conferred with the engineers who inspected the Metropolitan Thea- ter for its owners, “and it things are as they seem to be, the bullding Is absolutely safe,” he said. The colonel said he is now having the bullding gone over by District en- gineers and is awaiting their report. Loew's Columbia also was mentioned at the District building as one of the seven that might be reopened in the near future. “Has it been determined yet when the New' National agd Poli's theaters may Dbe reopened? Col. Keller was asked. ‘Will Submit Proposal. The colonel said he had conferred with a representative of the National and that the management was pre- paring to submit a proposal to the Commissioners, on which will depend the question of how soon that play- house will be back in service. In the case of Poli's, Col. Keller will confer this afternoon with the interested agencies to determine what is to be done there. This theater is owned by the United States govern- mnt, and a report as to why it was closed was sent today to the chief clerk of the Treasury Department. Reports on the defects found by the Commissioners’ committee have been given to the owners and managers of the other theaters closed. A. Brylawskl, manager of the Cos- mos Theater, and Alexander Wolf, attorney, conferred wtih Col. Keller this morning, but did not state how soon that house would be opened. Mr. Brylawski said the opening probably would be somewhat delayed now by the arrival today of a com- plete new set of orchestra chairs, which were ordered last Octobe: fore there was any guestion rafsed as to the safety of any theater. Other Local Buildings. As to apartment houses and hotels, Col. Keller said no attempt would be made to inspect all such places in Washington, but only those about which any doubt as to safety should be raised. - It was pointed out tkat the inspec- tion of all apartment houses in the District, with the limited force avail- able in the building department, would be almost a hopeless task. One or two additional inspectors will be employed immediately for the building department out of the small emerngency appropriation allowed the Commissioners by Congress for unusual_contingencies. ‘The .District government has no Jjurisdiction over the inspection of government buildings in the District, and, therefore, is not going into the question of their safety. At the office of Col. Clarence O. Sherrill, in charge of public buildings and grounds, which controls a large percentage of the federal structures, it was said that monthly inspections are made of all temporary and perma- nent buildings used by the State, War and Navy departments. According to Maj. D. L. Weart, Col. Sherrill’s assistant, these inspections are made with a view to revealing both structural and fire conditions. Theater Managements Have Clean-Up Periods While Places Are Closed “Clean-up” week is being carried on in practically all of the‘'Washington theaters closed Saturday night by the Commissioners. A general clearing up of all rubbish and other useless trash that was found in the cellars and be- hind the stages of some of the thea- ters is ur,ger way. today, particularly at Poli's, New National, Columbia and the Cosmos. - A feeling of sincere effort to carry out the slightest suggestion of the commijtee that reported to the Com- missioners is prevalent among the various managements. Officials of each of the theaters are going ahead in a soldierlike fashion with a will- ing spirit to meet every demand. At Poli's a great deal of accumulated junk, such as parts of disused scene sets and broken furniture and other discarded paraphernalia, has been re- moved from the back of the stage. Up to tae present time no structural chang have taken place, but the managemen is ready to meet any suggestions from the building inspectors, although they believe there is nothing needed to make the building perfectly safe. The management at the New National has been on the alert to meet tae few suggestions that have been sent, but the work so far has been limited to clean- ing up. Further- instructions are be- ing awaited, and these will be fully met as soon as a clear understanding of just what is wanted is obtained. Many wagonloads of trash, odd bits of wood and accumulated debris have been removed from the Columbia The- ater, and the Cosmos Theater is car- rying on a similar campalgn. The Cosmos is making use of the time the building i8 closed to put in new seats, but this change had been ar- ranged for many months previous. The Crandall Metropolitan is the only one of those closed which is not-a hive of industry. The manage- ment there, it is said, has always in- sisted that no debris should be al- lowed to collect, and there is no need to _clean up, it was stated. In no case was the manager of any of the theaters ready todsy ve give any forecast as to when his sheater will open its doors again. Each of them believes that the work that is to be done can be accom- plished in a fairly short time. There is the qeustion, however, of the final inspection on ‘each of the theaters, and none of the managers had any idea as" to ho on the inspection would take place after the finishing of the alterations. They understood that the bulldln[.i inspector's office was overburdemed with work, and difficulties will be involved as to which theater would have the preference -as to the first inspection. Nevertheless, each man- ager is golng at his task in a willing spirit. B y FAINTS IN COURT Hearing in Case Against Mrs. Baggett in Divorce Scan- dal Halted. From a Staff Correspondent. ALEXANDRIA, Va., February 21— Argument for a postponement of the hearing had barely gotten under way at the local police court today when Mrs. Mary Lee Baggett, charged with making a false affidavit in a divorce suit, fainted, bringing her prelim- inary trial to a quick end for the time being. Judge Duvall, presiding over the court, set March 2 for the hearing, at which time it will be determined from the evidence whether or not Mrs. Baggett will be held for the action of the grand jury. Mrs. Bsggett, who conducts a reom- ing house on South Royal street, which, according to the records of the court, has made more or less of a specialty In housing applicants for divorce, was charged by Thomas J. Wright of Riverdale, Md., and Wash- ington, D. C., with swearing falsely in the suit brought by his wife last March. SPRING FEVER. ACCUSED WOMAN | ROYAL WEDDING PLANS - READY FOR REHEARSAL By the Associated Press. LONDON, February 21.—Plans for the wedding of Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles are nearing com- pletion, and early frequenters of Lon- don’s streets will see some morning this week empty carriages drawn along the route, escorted by cavalry, in rehearsal of the procegsion from the palace to Westminster Abbey, so that nothing may go awry on the all-Important day. In reality, there will be two pro- cessions on February 28, the day of the wedding. Queen Mary and Queen Mother Alexandra, with their escort and attendants will form the first, the king following shortly afterward with the bride and an escort. Two Triumphal Arches. The route through the Mall, White Hall and Parliament street will not be decorated throughout, but there will be two triumphal arches and near the abbey the roadway will be adorned with festoons of flowers supported by pillars, with inter- mediate ornamental devices bearing portraits of the bride and bridegroom. The wedding coach will be drawn by bay horses, instead of the traditional grays. Every new detail of the ceremony is displayed by the newspapers and avidly seized upon by the public, which thus learns today that the hat Under Nervous Strain. Mrs. Baggett was in a highly ner- vous state when she entered the courtroom today. It was plainly evi-| dent from her expression and speech | that she had been under a long and]| severe strain. Her brother, Charles Nowland of this city, who accom- panied her and who sat near her in the courtroom, hurried to her assist- ance when she swooned, and with the aid of ten policemen carried her to an anteroom, where she shortly after- wards was revived. By that time the matter of a postponement of the hear- ing had been agreea upon by the court. 3 Edmund Burke of Washington and Alexandria, who appeared as Mrs. Baggett's attorney, arose immedi- ately when Judge Duvall called the case and explained that he was not prepared to proceed because of .the lack of time he had had to examine the evidence and to make a proper study of the various features in- volved. He stated that he had been called in to represent the defendant only yesterday, and that he was withéut necessary witnesses and that he had been unsuccessful in obtain- ing several papers and records hav- ing an_important bearing on the case. He said also that one espe- cially important paper was missing from the divorce suit in which Mrs. Baggett is alleged to have sworn falsely, and a review of these papers is considered highly important; also he wishes to examine records in the courts in Washington, which, because of their connection with at least one of the principals in this case, will have an important bearing upon its outcome. Unable to Get Witnesses. Frank Steuart, attorney, of Alex- andria, who has been prominent among those who have been per- sistent In their protest against the alleged dlvprce evil here, appeared as counsel’ for Mr. Wright, upon whose information the warrant for Mrs. Baggett's arrest was issued. At- torneySteuart, at first in objection to the postponement, said he,” too, had been unsuccessful in getting all the witnesses he desired and in exam- ining all the necessary papers, but he did not consider it necessary nor advisable because of this to delay the hearing. He withdrew his objec- tion, however, after Mrs. Baggett's se. °°1§‘-?fing- his brief argument Mr. Steuart declared trat ‘when he pre- Sented himself earlier in the day at the office of the clerk of the corpora- tion court he was denied permission to examine any papers in the court files, it being explained that Judge Monoure of the corporation court had issued an order to the effect that Mr. Steuart was not to have access to the court records. Considering the size of the crowd in the litfle court- room and on the sidewalk under the building and from the general com- ment on the street, it was readily est is being taken in this case. Mrs. Baggett's name has figured prominently in connection with the alleged divorce scandal and in- con- Dection with the frequency with ‘which she has testified as to the resi- Jdence requirements of divorce appli- cants. Interest also was taken in the case because Mrs. Baggett's arrest is the Nrst one since the agitation arose several weeks ago regarding the so-called evil. ‘The committee of lawyers investi- gating the divorce situation here on Thursday morning will start examin- ing witnesses who are believed to be in & position to throw some light upon the matter. A dozen or more have been invited to appear before the committee and it i expected that ,.n"::‘ifi‘}:}‘." b 1 5 o Ih that more than unusual inter- | in which the bride will start her honeymoon is of “mole and larkspur blue georgette,” the mole to match the moleskin wrap which the prin- cess will wear, and the blue geor- gette to match her dress. Further details are that the mar- riage knot will be tied by the Arch- bishop of Cantenbury, the Archbis- hop of York, the Bishop of London. the Bishop of Oxford, the dean of Westminister, and Canon Lascelles, the bridegroom’s uncle. “Brighter London Week.” A new flag—the abbey flag—wil be flown from one of the abbey’s tow- ers the morning of the wedding. It kad been especially designed by her- aldic experts and embodies histori- cal symbols from the time of Edward the Confessor onwards. This flag will be lowered when King George enters the abbey, and the royal standard substituted; after the cere- mony the abbey flag will again be hoisted. Preparations also are under way for popular celebrations of the wedding activiti The “Brighter London Society,” an organiation composed mainly of business and theatrical men, H. G. Selfridge being one of its lead- ers, aims at making the week of the wedding_“brighter London week.” in honor of the princess. The society hopes to make the city more attrac- tive for American tourists and other transients who recently have shown an inclination to avoid stop-overs here, preferring Paris or other con- tinental cities, with their greater greater variety of amusements. The shadow of the defense of the | realm act still hangs over London to some extent, but, within the limits of (Continued on Page 2, Column 1) " PATRIOTIC EVENTS T0 MARK HOLIDAY Many Celebrations Will Hon- or Anniversary of Birth of George Washington. The anniversary of the birth of George Washington will be fittingly | lation which the Commissioners be-|forty passengers and enlisted men the city |lieve should be enacted into law at|aboard the officer of the station said. celebrated tomorrow in which is named after him. The day will be a holiday for government em- ployes and school children, and most of Washington’s business houses will close at 1'o'clock. The principal celebrations here to- morrow* in honor of the memory of ‘Washington will be as follows:" 9 a.m., flag raising around the base of the Washington Monument, under auspices of the office of public build- ings and grounds, participated in by all patriotic societies. The public also is invited to be present. 10:30 a.m., joint celebration in the' auditorium of the Central High School [7PROPOSED BILLS ARE SENT TO BALL Ten Recommendations Deal With Street and Park Sys- tem Development. Seventeen pieces of District legis- the earliest opportunity have been listed and sent to Senator Ball, chair- man of the District committee. Ten of these bills come under En- gineer Commissioner Keller's jurisdic- tion and deal principally with de- ¢ | velopment of the park system and ex- | ter sergeant; Charles Dworch, master tension of streets. Five of the items on the slate have |Sergt. Peek and Roy Burle; to do with departments controlled by | brought to the U, S. Public Service Commissioner Rudolph, the most im- portant of which are the new pawn- broker bill and the blue-sky security law. Urges Defining of Vagraney. Commissioner Oyster has two pro- by the District socleties of the Daugh- | Posed laws on the list, one to define ters of the American Revolution, Sons | vagrancy in the District and the other of the American Rrvolution and Sons |t0 Provide for the licensing of pri- of the Revolution. 11 a.m., community celebration at vate detectives. ‘The bills recommended for passage Takoma Park parish hall under aus-|P¥ Col. Keller follow: pices of the Takoma Park Citizens® Association. thorizing the widening of 1st street Aut northeast; to make a survey and plan 12 noon, patriotic exercises by the|9f Dproposed parkway to connect old Association of the f the District at the old engine ouse, 19th and H streets. - A business meeting will be held at 11 a.m. Twelve noon, eighty-ninth annual ‘meeting of the Washington National Monument Society at the home of Charles C. Glover, 1703 K street, fol- lowed by luncheon and reception. Forty-Eight Flags to Be Raised. Forty-eight flags, one for each state | ot (Continued on Page 2, Column 3.) Egrly Star Tomorrow The regular edition of- The Star_will be issued at” 1 o’clock on Washington’s birthday— Wednesday, February 22. All advertising for this edition must be received at The Stafr office before 11 o’clock Tuesday evening, at which time the office Oldest Inhabitants |ClVil war forts; toamend the act rel- ative to payment of claims for ma- terial and labor on District buildings; | authorizing the closing of a portion: of Finey Branch road; authorizin closing of certain streets, roads and highways in the District rendered use- less; authorizing the extension and widening of certain streets in the D trict; to vacate certain streets and alleys in grounds of Walter Reed Hos- tal, and for the extension of 14th street through tae hospitgl gyounds; to ) postpone for two years énforcement of the law closing alley dwellings; au- thorizing the opening of a minor street from Georgia avenue to 9th street north of Florida avenue; authorizing exten- sion of the park sy In addition to the pawnbroker and blue-sky laws, Commissioner Rudolph included in the list the extension of the ~Ball rent .act and a bill making certain amendments to the license laws of the District. GOES TO LORTON PRISON. John William Henry, former head of the brokerage firm of Lewls John- son & Co., will serve his term of six years’ imprisonment in the District reformatory at Lorton, Va. Henry was taken to Lorton today from the District jail, where he has been held for several weeks, awaiting designa- tion by the Department of Justice of the place of confinement. ~ " Henry was convicted of embezzling stock certificates valued at $4,000, which, had been deposited with his firm Py clients, S Member of the Associated Press The Associated Press is exclusively entitied to the use for republication ¢f all mews @isr~iches credited to it or not otherwiss credited in this paper and also the local news published bereln. All rights of publication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. Yesterday's Net Circulation, 95,636 TWO CENTS. FLAMING ROMA FALLS OVER HAMPTON ROADS; MORE THAN 51 ABOARD Giant Dirigible Meets Disaster in Explosion—Four Badly Burned Men Taken From Wreckage. By the Associated Press. PORTSMOUTH, Va., February 21.—Belief that thirty- fi've or !orty bodies still ned under the wreckage of the giant airship Roma, which exploded over the Hampton roads Army base at 2:10 this afternoon, was expressed at 3:35. o’clock by officials of the United States public health service, which has taken charge of the disposal of the bodies and the rescue of the'men pinned under the debris. Ten men have been taken to the hospital at the Army base, the health service anounced. NORFOLK, Va., February 21.—The Army dirigible Roma, purchased by the United States government from Italy and only recently commissioned, was destroyed by an explosion today while operating over the Hampton roads naval base. The big aircraft landed in flames near the naval base. Soon after she fell four men were taken off alive. ‘ The heat of the flames was so intense that those near where the craft fell were unable to approach. The four men rescued were badly burned. + Catching fire in the air above the Army supply base at 2:10 pm., the Roma dropped in a nose-dive into the Army base inclosure almost directly in front of fire headquarters at the base. The Roma, which was the largest semi-rigid airship in the world, was sailing in a southeasterly direction, when, according to observers, she suddenly burst into flames and fell like a comet to the earth. The explosion oceurred shortly after 2 o’clock. = Whether or not there was loss of life was not known during the first fifteen minutes, as the big gas bag continued to burn briskly after striking the ground. . Four bodies of men in the crew of the Roma were removed from the wreckage within a few minutes. How seriously burn- €d they were could not be stated at once. They were hurried to the hospital at the Army base. Reports from Portsmouth, which is near the naval base, said the Roma, after a slanting plunge of hundreds of feet, struck one of the barracks buildings at base and then exploded with a ripping crash. A sheet of flame leaped from the rent in the gas bag, and the passenger compartments, slung underneath, dropped twenty feet to the ground below. The Roma was flying low over the warehouses at the Army supply base at the time of the accident. That she was in trouble was noted by persons in the peighborhood, who saw a wisp of smoke dart suddenly above the big gas bag. The wisp became a dull, reddish glare as the bag burst into flame. A great volume of smoke rose above her. The Roma went into a nose-dive near warehouse No. 4 on the Army base reser- vation. “ The collapsed and burning dirigible settled to the street alongside the Army base fire station. Firemen started fighting the blaze at once. Calls were sent immediactly to the hospital at the naval base j for assistance, also to the hospital at the Army supply base and {local hospitals. Medical officers from the United States public | health service hospital at the base were soon at the scene. Men were taken from the wreckage of the big aircraft, many of them badly burned and some otherwise hurt. Some of the pas- sengers aboard the ship were virtually unhurt, though all were shaken up. A number of the men jumped from the cars of the Roma as she fell. Others were caught under her. These, it is believed, were killed almost instantly. On the first checking-up at the Army base of the men rescued [from the ship the following were named: Reardon, Welch, Reed, Hurley, Peek, Friedenbach, Chapman and Burt. CARRIED 30 OR 40 PASSENGERS; ~ NAMES OF CREW REVEALED £ 2 | By the Associated Press. burst into flames and fell like a NEWPORT NEWS, Va, February|comet. ( 2L—There were twenty-one in the pasombers of the official crew. of the official crew of the Roma, according 3 to officials at Langley Fleid. 1In ad-| Maj John G. Thornell, past com- dition_to these there were thirty or|cane naje Mabry, commander. Capt. Walter J. Reed, pilot. Lieut. Byron G. Bur, pilot. Sergt. Roger B. McNally, coxswain. Sergt. Lee M. Harris, chief engineer. Sergt. Lewis Hilliard, engineer. Myron G. Field, engineer. Observers at Old Point Comfort stated that the Roma seemed to be well beyond the naval ‘base when she took fire and fell. g tae |, plast furnace at 2:50 o'clock, though The list of injured are: Capt. Reed, U. S. A.; Walter A. McNaire of the bu- reau of standards, Washington; Maj. J. D. Reardon; Harry Chapman, mas- First Sergt. C. M. Welch, v, aviation; hile being sergeant; Lieut. W. E. Riley died W Hospital. The Roma landed in flames at the naval base and four men were taken oft her alive, but badly burned. The Roma was sailing in a south- easterly direction when she suddenly Fourteen Men Leap F ‘A Few of PORTSMOUTH, Va., February 21— Fourteen men were seen to leap from the stricken airship Roma as it apr peared inevitable that she would strike one of the buildings at the Army base. Some of them clung te parachutes while others leaped over the side and plunged to the ground, according to eye-witnesses. The wreckage was still burning like J. M. Biedenbach, engineer. Sergt. Thomas Yarborough, neer. Sergt. Billy Ryan. radio operator. Sergt. Vergil Hoffman, rigger. Corp. Irbey Huzion, rigger. Corp. Aberto Fldresa, rigger. Private Gus Kinkston, rigger. Private Marion Hill, rigger. Private Thomas M. Blakeley, engi- neer. Private John Thompson, engineer. Private Vernon Peek, engineer. Sergt. Homer Gorby, photographer. Sergt. Lico G. Loupes, photographer. rom Airship Them in Parachutes fairs committees were present at the ceremonies. The Roma arrived here early in the afternoon after bucking head winds from Langley Field. Two of her motors were silent when she finally floated over the field and difficulty ‘was experienced in mooring the ship on account of the high winds. The Roma was probably the first engi- chemicals were being played on the debris by the Army base fire depart- ment. According to witnesses on the scene of the disaster fully a half dozen men are pinned beneath the wreckage. The body of one man has been removed. Roma Presented to Army With Elaborate Ceremony at Bolling Field Dec. 21 Elaborate ceremonies marked the presentation of the Roma to_the United States Army at Bolling Field on December 21. It was dedicated to the service of the United States on that day at' Bolling Field by Miss Fcnrose Wainwright, daughter of the assistant secretary of war, in the presence of more than a hundred dis- tinguished guests, including Secre- tary of the Navy Denby, Secretary of War Weeks and Gen. M. M. ick, chief of the air service. small sized gale was blowing across the field when bassador Ricei of Italy delivered thé address of formal presentation to the United States, immediately after the chrisi ening and later a battle flag was pre- sented to the Roma by Lieut. Gen. Giusseppe Vaccari, chief of staff of the Italian army. » A large number of senators and | representatives, mostly members the military affairs and foreign Patr! of the United States airships to be christened with liquid air, which was in a bottle which Miss Wain- wright broke across its nose. It is a semi-rigid dirigible airship four hundred feet dong and purchased from Italy for the use of the United States army. She left here on December 22 before a strong northwest wind. It had been planned while the Roma was here to take army -and navy officials as well as Italian delegation officials on a sightseeing trip over ‘Washington but it was postponed on account of the high winds. The Roma, it was said at the War Department, was engaged in trial flights after recent installation of Liberty Motors to replace the Italian engines with which the ship origi- nally was equip % ‘The Roma originally was built for a passenger ship and carried several passenger cabins. She was altered when she was brought from Italy on shipboard and reassembled at Lang- ley Field so that she had but o; passenger cabin. Tentative plans were made re- cently by the air service for opera- tion of the ship this spring and sum- mer on a commercial test run be- tween New York and Chicago and later for a trans-continental flight. On her trip from Langley Field to ‘Washington, the Roma carried more than fifty people including crew and passengers. Her capacity was fix At ely sixty persons ' *