Evening Star Newspaper, January 6, 1923, Page 1

q Star. - Fhenit WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION WEATHER. Rain or snow this afternoon and to- night; colder tonight; lowest temper- ature below freezing; tomorrow part- v cloudy and colder. Temperature for 21 hours ended at 2 p.m. today: Highest, at 3:30 p.m. yesterday; lowest, 33, at 15 a.m. today. “From Press to Home ‘ Within the Hour” . The Star’s carrier system covers every city block and the regular edition is delivered to Washington homes as fast as the papers are printed. Che Closing N. Y. Stocks ?E“ Bonds, Page 17 Y'esterdly’l Net Circulation, 92,281 No. 28,740. Entered as second-class matter post office Washington, D C LAUSANNE STIRRED WHEN TURKS LEAVE MEETING IN HUFF Riza Nur Bey and Delegation Walk Out in Armenian Discussion. FORERUNNER OF CRISIS AND POSSIBLE COLLAPSE Ottoman Charges Allied Interest Is Due to Service as Agents in War. By the Associated Press. LAUSANNE, January G—Turkey this afternoon formally refused to accept the proposals of the allied powers that foreign judges be per- mitted to sit with the Turkish Judges in all cases involving for- eigners. Turkey insists that her judicial system be free from foreign influ- ence, ns in the case of other sover- eign states. The refusal was voiced in an ad- dress by Ismet Pasha, chief Otto- man delegate, who told the en- tente statesmen that peace could be xigned at Lausanne if the pow- ers would treat Turkey on the basls of perfeet equality. “The key to peace rests in your hands,” he said. ‘This declaration, which was made Wefore n meeting of the full com- mission of capitulations, is likely to have a profound effect on the outcome of the conference. E, January 6.—The Turkish dclegation to the near east conference e meeting hall today as a pro- st the allied insistence upon ablishment of an LAU! al home. According to the Turkish account the incident, which produced a gensation in conference circles, Chair- man Montagna of the subcommission on minorities, read a s , ing the Armenian home and was fol- lowed by Sir Horace Rumbold of ingland, who spoke in advocacy of \ing the home in Cilicia. Sir also wanted the Turks to give an independent district to the Assyro- Chaldeans, in the region south of Lake Van and west of Lake Urmia. or Charges Revolt Incited. R Nur Bey, the Turkish spokes- man, declared he understood the allied interest in the Armenians and others, because the allies had incited them to revolt and therefore felt morally bound to help them. Riza Nur said he must consider to- day's allied declarations as not having been made and that it was his duty to leave the meeting. He walked out amid the murmurs of the other delegates. Conference’ circles were seething| with excitement after the incident]| and wondering whether it forecast further affairs of the sort calculated ! to disturb if not disrupt the entire | conference, It was pointed to as, in| indicating that affairs| were reaching a crisis. Accounts of Incident Differ. Accounts differ as to what actually happened at today's meeting. The allied spokesmen declared they were far from insisting on the Armenian home. On the contrary, they had sald there should be no question of in- serting the Armenian home arrange- ment in the Lausanne treaty. They * had merely ed that Turkey, for humanitarian reasons, give her earn- est attention to the question of allo- cating some corner of Turkey to the Armenians where they would enjoy | some degree of local autonomy under the sovereignty of Turkey and be given certain guarantees concerning the privileges of guarding their na- tional language and customs it appears that after Chairman Montagna's remarks and the sugges- tions of Sir Horace Rumbold regard- ing assigning a part of Cilicia to the o and ‘an autonomous dis- the Assyro-Chaldeans, the were about to associate them- with the Italian and British | . iza Nur Bey arose abruptly with his statement about the allies’ interest in the Armenians and eing understood by the Turks because the allies had played politics with these minorities, Charges Fly Fast. According to the Greek version of the meeting, this session, like all the others, was secret—Riza Nur used these words * “You are interested in them because they served you as agents during the ar,” and added: “I do mot wish to know what you have to say on_ this subject, and I deem all the declara- tions made as non-existent.” Chairman Montagna intervened, saying Riza Nur's utterances had violated the conference regulations, while the British delegate declared the Turkish representative had brought a grave accusation against the allies. After the Turkish plenipotentiary had stalked dramatically out of the auditorium in the Ouchy Chateau, followed by his associates, the French delegate read a statement expressing the hope that Turkey would give the Armenian home guestion her consid- eration from motives of humanity. The Americin delegation® took no part in the debate today. ——— PAUPER, EX-PUBLISHER. Richard Stearn, Once Wealthy, to Sell Pencils on Street. CINCINNATI, Ohio, January 6.— Once publisher and owner of daily newspapers in Toledo, Ohio, and sev- eral Illinols towns, but now unable to obtain employment because of the handicap of his age—eighty-five years ~—Richard Stearns yesterday applied !ar a charity permit to sell pencils on he streets of Cincinnati. l ¥rict Frenc Belves Stearns informed the city officials| he was born in Charlton, Mass., but left his home town when nineteen years old to accept a_position as teacher in a school in Virginia, IIl. ‘where Stephen Douglas, Lincoln's op. ponent for the presidency, also had taught. Stearns stated that Xknown both men intimately, Armenian | atement favor- | Hughes Advises Against Action On Reparations Administration leaders in the Senate began mustering their forces against Senator Robinson' resolution for American represen- tation on the reparations comml slon today after Chairman Lodge of the foreign relations committee had conferred on the subject with Secretary Hughes. Returning to the Capitol after hix talk with Mr. Hughes, Senator Lodge immediately announced that he did not consider the present time opportune for passage of the resolution. Previously he had withheld nn opinion, and although he insinted that the announcement * made today represented only his own vieww, there were many in- dications that he spoke with a full knowledge of what the ad- ministration desired. Mr. Lodge had conferred with the Secretary on express instru. tions from his committee to asce: tain whether the executive branch of the government wants the reso- lution adopted or pigeonholed. The committee decided yesterday that it would not act until this advice had been secured. LAW OPENS A WAY 10 MEET BRITAIN'S GAPACITY ON DEBT Does Not Require Any Pay- ments on Principal Until End of 25-Year Period. A belief has been growing in Washirgton and spreading through- out the country that the visit here of the British debt funding mission is bound to result in failure because of the terms lald down by Congress lin the act creating the American commission to fund the European | debts. That pessimistic view is not wholly shared by high officials of the government who have made a | special study of this problem. Congress provided that bonds given | in the funding operations should bear | a rate of interest of not less than 4% per cent and a maturity date not later than June 15, 1947. The view has prevamed abroad, and has been widely shared in this country, that these terms are too severe, that payment of so nigh a rate of interest and dis- charge of the debt in twenty-five an- {nual payments constituted a burden too heavy even for Great Britaln to bear, to say nothing of the less wealthy debtor nations. From au- thoritative British sources has come the suggestion that an interest rate of 31 per cent, with principal pay- ments spread over a fifty-year pe- riod, would be acceptable and that Great Britain would be prepared to fund the debt on that basis. Law Wrongly Interpreted. A mistake which seems to be made by British officlals as well as in most I American discussion of the subject is that Congress has required that the principal of the debts shall be liqui- dated in twenty-five years. Congress has made no such requirement. So far as the law is concerned, there is noth- ing to prevent the American funding commission from accepting bonds which will mature in their entirety at the end of the twenty-five-year pe- riod, leaving the question of principal payments to be dealt with a quarter of a century hence. The suggestion comes, apparently with a_coloring of authority, that Great Britain regards $250,000,000 a vear as the maximum amount she can pay on account of her debt to this country. But it is not suggested that in twenty-five years from now Great Britain would not be able to pay a larger annual sum. If Great Britain can meet a yearly payment of $250,- 000,000 there is nothing in the law which would need to stand in the way of funding operations. Great Britain awes this country approximately $5,000,000,000, which at 43 per cent would call for an annual Interest payment of $212,500,000, well below the estimate of British capacity. Becomes Matter of Preference. It may not be regarded as desirable, either from an American or a British standpoint, to defer payments on | principal until the end of the twenty- five-year period, but that does not alter the fact that the way is open to do so. President Harding and | other administration spokesmen have | let it be known that they would be| glad to see the law amended to give the funding commission more lati- tude of judgment. But if Congress will not ‘do this, there is no reason to believe thg funding commission would not grhnt Great Britain the easiest térms possible under the law, which would be to defer all payments on principal for twenty-five years. Accepting as true the assértion that Great Britain can pay $250,000,000 a year without undue hardship, it then would be the case that refusal to fund the debt on the basis of 4% per cent annual interest and no payments on principal would not be because the terms were -impossible, but because the British regarded them as unde- sirable. First Meeting Monday. The first formal meeting between the British and American commissions will take place at 10 o'clock Monday morning, it was announced today by Secretary of the Treasury Mellon, The meeting will be held at the Treasury Department, with the Brit- ish represented by Chancellor Bald- win of the exchequer and Gov. Nor- man of the Bank of England, and with the Americans represented prob- ably by the full membership of the world war debt-funding commission. The program today for the British commission was a continuation of calls of courtesy during the day, with the first meeting between members of the two commissions scheduled fos tonight at a dinner at the British embassy. Although the dinner was not listed as a formal meeting of the commissions for business, it was expected that considerable progress might be made in the atmosphere of informality around the table tali to- night, 3 Besides the American and British commissioners there are to be at the dinner about thirty-seven other guests. Call on Secretary Hughes. The British commission made an U.S. BUSINESS MEN 10 ASK SOLUTION ON REPARATIONS Chamber of Commerce to Again Ask for Settlement of Crisis. INTERNATIONAL MEETING WILL TAKE UP SUBJECT Representatives of Organization From Thirty Nations Will Gather in Rome. ¥ By the Associated Press. American business interests, it was learned here today, are preparing to take up again, under leadership of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, the efforts to find a formula for solution of the German reparations crisls which were dropped Just before the council of premliers met in Parfs. Just what form the new overtures to the governments concerned will take or what chgnnels of communication may be employed was not disclosed. The request from German business interests that American business men express judgment on Germany's abil- ity to pay, received recently by Jullus H. Barnes, president of the United States Chamber, and on which de- cision was deferred pending the con- ference of premiers in Paris, is again_under consideration by cham- ber officials. International Meeting. Mr. Barnes and about 200 leading business men of the country are plan- ning to attend the second general meeting_of the International Cham- ber of Commerce in Rome, beginning March 18. The subject of reparations occupies an important place on the program for this conference, together with the subject of restoration of In- ternational trade and that of inter- allied debts. Representative business and finan- {cial men from thirty natlons will be present in Rome, and it is regarded s possible that final decision on the erman request, asking for “the ap- pointment of a commission of out- standing character, ability and im- partiality” to express an American opinion” on the reparations question will be reached there. Previous Action Likely. At the same time, however, it is regarded as possible that previous action on_ the German request may be taken by Mr. Barnes and his sociates if it is found posible for them to sound out allied business in, terests in advance of the Rome meet- ing. German commercial organizations have not been admitted to member- ship In_the International Chamber of Commerce, but it was sald today that German business interests were feel- ing their way toward participation in the world discussions. It is possible, though hardly probable, that Ger- man membership In the international chamber will be granted before the Rome meeting. Dinner Here January 12. It was learned today that Mr. Barnes would give a dinner in Wash- ington on January 12 to Albert Thomas, head of the international labor office at Geneva and formerly French minister of mumtions. Mem- bers of the forelgn affairs committee of the United States Chamber will be officlal call of courtesy this morning on Secretary of State Hug! remain- ing with him for a derable Z(Onnunmmhfll.c l.g._ (Continued on Page 2, Column 8.) WANTSU.S. TROOPS T0 QUIT THE RHINE Senator Reed Declares Trou- ble May Break Out at Any Moment. Declaring that “trouble may break out at any time” involving the Ameri- can forces on the Rhine, Senator Reed, democrat, Missourl, today asked ‘the Senate to act at once on his resolution, introduced yesterday, for return of the American troops to the United States. The Missourl senator's attempt to get action on his proposal started another general debate on forelgn re- lations and the reparations crisis, during which Senator Brandegee, re- publican, Connecticut, said he had read that France intended to occupy Coblenz, now American headquarters, and Chairman Lodge of the foreign Telations committee replled that he understood the French plans regard- ing the Ruhr did not affect the Cob- rea. Lo g up_ his resolution Senator Reed declared the admirnistration was committed to return of the troops and had carrfed out only in part the pledge made by President, Harding in the 1920 campaign. Quotes Cost of Troops. The senator estimated that Amer- ican occupation of the Rhineland had cost more than $275,000,000 on which account - Germany ' had pald about $34,000,000. He added there was “very little prospects of getting any more from Germany, at least as long_as France continues to stand in the way with her insistence on a prior claim. “There is no good reason for re- taining American troops along the Rhine so far as American interests are concerned,” sald Senator Reed. “Peace has come every considera- tion demands theirreturn. Why have they been kept there? They must be retained there for some other country and not in the service of the United State: Declaring there was grave danger f France “invading Germany and taking a part of Germany,” and point- ing to troubles in the mnear east, Senator Reed added that “Europe Is in a highly inflammable condition and trouble may break out at any time. Fears Embarrassment. - “It trouble does break out, it may become embarrassing to our little force on the Rhine,” he continued. “If France invades Germany. our troops might be_ attacked, and the moment word is brought to America that American blood has been shed cry will go up to ayenge that act. It 18 time to get our troops away from that hell-pot they are over there.” aanhe 3 e | the treaty of Ve: RUHR EXPEDITION LAID BEFORE FOCH Military Movement Into Ger- many Now Regarded as Inevitable. POINCARE PUSHING PLAN France Declared to Regard portunity For U. S. Inter- vention Passed. Op- By the Associated Press. PARIS, January 6.—Premier Poin- care’s consultations with Marshal Foch and the summoning from Lau- sarinié of Gei. Weygand have given new impeétus to the report of im- minent military operations, compris- ing occupation of the Ruhr valley by forces at least sufficient to protect the customs collectors who would be sent there under the premier's reparations scheme. Inquiries at the foreign office today elicited the response that nothing could be said at this time as to the nature and date of the Frenth action to obtain productive guarantees from Germany. The opinion in political circles is, however, that military oc- cupation of the Ruhr {s inevitable, and that it will be accomplished shortly after January 15, if not sooner, unless the reaction in Germany to the new situation. gives M. Poincare rea- sonable hope that something may be obtained in the Way of reparations with- out resorting to force. Awalts Move by U. S. The expectation in official circles is that Germany will walt a few days for signs of intervention from the United States; then, if that last hope is blasted, she will show herself more tractable, so that part of the coercive measures, at least, may be avoided. It iy stated that any intervention by the ‘Washington government at the pres- en moment would be a great surprise to the French government. It is learned on good authority that the time fayorable for. American in- tervention s considered in French official circles as having passed. There is a strong belief that, Secretary Hughes observed the great- est of discretion before the premiers’ conference which gave France a free hand, he will hesitate even more at this time, when the French action to obtain guarantees is, from a diplo- matic standpoint, a virtually accom- plished fact. Germany will be given a hearing by the reparations commission before any action is taken on the French proposal to have her declared in de- fault on coal deliveries, the commis- jon decided today. German Request Approved. When the question came before the commission it approved the German request for a hearing. Berlin was immediately notified and asked to send experts 8o they can-be heard by the commission next Mon- day. Sir John Bradbury, the British mem- ber, attended the session. There was no discussion of the merits of tlie ocase. The Germans are entitled under ailles to present (Continued on Page 2, Column 2.) MOTOR-CYCLIST KILLED, IN CRASH WITH TRUCK Plunges Into Tree After Colliding ‘With Machine at 1st and T Btreets. Howard Clark, nineteen, of 126 W street was fatally injured when the motor cycle he was riding collided with & delivery truck of the Taylor & Butler meat firm at 1st and U streets shortly after 10:30 o'clock this m?v'::lenp‘ni Chase, elghteen, operator of the truck, who is being held pending orders of the coroner, declared to the police that he was running his vehi- cle east on U street at a moderate rate of speed and that the motor cycle came north on 1st street. . Chase turned his machine into 1st street, but did not move quickly enough to prevent s side, swipe. The cycle un, nto a tree. PlUErk was Tushed to Sibley Hos- pital, suffering from a fracture of the' skull, but died shortly after his arrival. Detective O'Brien 1: uarters, investigating the &hase into custody to await I OFFERS HIS HOME FOR SUMMER WHITE HOUSE Member of Maine Legislature Wili- ing to Give Estate Near Bar Harbor to President. AUGUSTA, Me., January 6.—Sher- man Douglass of Lamoine, a member of the Maine legislature, announced today that he was ing to present his estate, known as Shore Acres, six miles from Bar Harbor, as a summer home for the president of the United States. HOOVER DECLINES 10 SUCCEED FALL Position at Head of Interior Department, Tgndered by President, Rejected. Herbert Hoover, Secretary of the Department of Commerce, today de- clined the offer of President Harding to appoint him Secretary of the In- terior to succeed Albert B. Fall, whose resignation becomes effective March 4. This announcement was made offi- cially at the White House following a brief conference today between the executive and Secretary Hoover. At the same time it was explained that in declining the offer to be trans- ferred to the head of what is looked upon as one of the most important departments of the government, Mr. Hoover expressed desire to remain in his present post that the activities planned by him might be carried out during his term of office. ‘Would Continue Present Work. It was explalned further that at the time President Harding offered the Commerce post to Mr. Hoover just prior to the former's inauguration he accepted with the announced deter- mination that it would be his aim to make the Department of Commerce a “rea] commerce department.” It was sald_at the White House today that Mr. Hoover reminded the President of this, and said that he is of the same mind and determination, and for that reason he did not desire to be trans- ferred. This official announcement sets rest all speculation regarding the po: sibility of Mr. Hoover being selected as Mr. Fall's successor. He has beén persistently mentioned by the unofi- cial cabinet makers since Mr. Fall's resignation was made public. Other “Possibilities” Listed. With Secretary Hoover eliminated from the list of possibilities specu- lation now 1s centered about Harry 8. New of Indiana, whose, term as senator ends on March 4; John Hays Hammond, now chairman of the fact- finding coal commission, and Repre- sentative Frank W. Mondell of Wy- oming, whose long term in the House comes to an end March 4. It also has been made known at the White House that President Harding will aennounce early next week, probably Tuesday, a number of important general appointments. This announcement was arsumed to have reference particularly to the expected filling of the vacancy on the United States Supreme Court left vacant ‘by the retirement of Justice Pitney, and to the governorship of the Federal Reserve Eoard. It s not thought likely that the President will make up his mind regarding Secre- tary Fall's successor for some little time. ARREST STATE SENATOR IN DYNAMITING OF CARS . Y. Legislator OBarged With . Complicity in Derailing of - Buffalo Trolleys. BUFFALO, N. Y., January 6.—State Senator.Robert C. Lacey was &rr ed today for alleged complicity in the dynamiting and derailing of two International Railway Company high- speed trolley cars last August. WILL AID NEEDY IN GERMANY BALTIMORE, Md., January 6—A nation-wide appeal to ald needy mem- bers of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in Germany is to be made to the lodges of the order through- out the country. This cam; was inaugurated at a conference held here :{lomwl of the order representing states, it e i Col. nogm TORTURE CHARGED INDEATHS OF TWO Physicians Declare “Device” Was Used by Mob in Pun- ishing Victims. BODIES WERE MUTILATED Mer Rouge Witnesses Describe Conditions of Gruesome Find in‘Lake. By the Associated Press. BASTROP, La., January Charles W.Duval and Dr. John A. Lanford, patholoists, in a report submitted at today's session of the open hearing of masked band dep- redations in Morehouse parish, which Gov. Parker attributes to the Ku Klux Klan, expressed the opinion that the bodies of Watt Daniel and Fletcher Richarls were subjected to some “specially constructed device designed for inflicting punishment.” The report was based on the autopsy performed on the mutilated bodies of the two men after their discovery in Lake La Fourche, after a mysterfous dynamite explosion on the night of December 21, four months after they were kidnaped by a masked baml while en route from this city to their home in the nearby village of Mer Rouge. ‘The report, in the case of Daniel, stated that the body showed that ‘certain parts had been cut away. The investigation went into its second day with the testimony of several witnesses on record in identi- fication of the decapicitated bodles, Courtroom Crowded. As on yesterday, precautionary measures were taken today to pre- clude the possibility of any disorder or demonstration during the hearing. Under a court order sheriff's depu- ties stood guard at the entrance to the court, with instryctions to search spectators for firearms as they en- tered. J. L. Daniels, father of Watt Daniels, was among those who testified in identification of articles of clothing and a watch found on one of the bodles as those worn by his son when he was kidnaped. Other witnesses yesterday Identi- fled bits of clothing found on the bodles and told of their appearance on the surface of Lake La Fourche after a mysterious dynamite explosion which wrecked a ferry landing on the bank_ and is believed to have re- leased the bodies from weights which held them on the lake bottom. No announcement has been made as to the number of witnesses ex- pected to be heard prior to the sub- mission of evidence to a grand jury. Nor can any authoritative estimate be given as to the length of time likely to be required to complete the inquiry. That the hearing will run through next week and probably longer is generally accepted. McKoin Under Bond. Dr. B. M. McKoin, former mayor of Mer Rouge, who returned here yes- terday from Baltimore, where he was arrested on & charge of murder, Wl.ld at liberty today under $5,000 ‘bond. 6.—Dr. “Fire Trap” in Described by Col. Sherrill Existence of a “fire trap” in the White House, described to the House appropriations committes by Lieut. Col. Clarence O. Sherrill, officer in charge of public bufldings and grounds, pfompted the appropriations committee to include in the Bill reported out to- day an item of $5,000 for preparing plans and estimates for fireproofing the Executive Mansion. # Col. Sherrill explained he found that the garret of the White House was in very bad condition, and had examina- tions made by engineers, He also went through it personally and found the conditions were “rather critical. ‘When, the White House was recon- structed in 1902, Col. Sherrill explained, reconstruction was not carried up to include the garret, so that there was left & non-fireproof garret with wood- en joists, so that in a space about three feet deep, right above the celling of floor, “was a sort of fire trap.” In examining the big wooden joists found one cracked “quite N WASHINGTON, D. C, SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 1923_TWENTY-FOUR PAGES. \Parole May Free GermanSpyOnce Sentenced to Die Lothar Witzke, one of the few personc to be actually convicted of spying upon the United States during the world war, probably will be given the parole conces- slons allowed in cases of ordinary federal prisoners. Witzke was sentenced to death by the military court-jartial be- fore which he was tried at Fort Sam Houston, but_the sentence way commuted by President Wil- son to life imprisonments and he has now been designated as “eligi- ble for parole” on May 20, 1935. Arrested in Texas, in 1918, under the alias of Pablo Waberski, the prisoner claimed Mexico City as his residence, and declared that he was a Mexican citizen, but evi- dence was produced before the court-martial to show that he held a commission as cadet in the im- perial German navy and was serving in the German merchant marine during the early months of the war. After sentence was imposed he was removed to Leavenworth peni- tentiary, where he has since been imprisoned. ~ Recent cable dis- patches from Berlin have said that efforts were being made to secure his immediate release as “the last prisoner of war.” TAXONGASANDS] REGISTER FEE, D.C. RECIPROGITY PLAN :Cent-a-Gallon Levy in Tenta- tive Draft—Curry Proposal Dropped. A 1-cent tax on gasoline and a reg- istration fee of $1 a year for automo- bilists are provided for in the tenta- tive draft of the Commissioners’ bill jdesigned to bring about reciprocity with Maryland, it was learned today. The bill is not in final shape, and may be amended in some respects be- fore it is finally approved by the |Commissioners and transmitted to | Congress for introduction. Curry Amendment Stricken Out. At the same time the Senate com- mittee on -appropriations reported the Senate agricultural appropriation bill to the Senate with the Curry lpropt:sed amendment, designated to bring about reciprocity in the K mat- ter of automobile licenses befween the District of Columbia and Mary- land, stricken out. The report was made by Senator McNary of Oregen, chairman of a subcommittee which handled the bill. _Senator McNary explained that the Curry amendment, which was put in the bill yesterday by the subcommittee, was taken out today because the committee believed that reciprocity in the matter of au- tomobile licenses between the Dis- trict and Maryland was soon to come about through the enactment of laws providing for a tax on gasoline. Effective January 1. The bill as now drawn by the Commissioners provides that electric and steam driven motor vehicles, which weuld be affected by the gaso- line tax. shall pay the following fees in addition to the $1 registration charge: For each such vehicls of twenty-four horsepower or less, $6. For "such vehicles of more than twenty-four and less than thirty i horsepower, $10. For such vehicles of thirty-horse- power, or more, $20. The ‘il is designed to become ef- fective January 1, 1924, and states that no registration fee shall be charged for any motor vehicle bear- ing a tag of a state which grants to the residents of the District the prive ilege of using the roads of that state in return for a similar privilege here. Kerosene oil is exempted in the clause | of the Commissioners’ bill which ex- | plains the meaning of motor fuel for the purposes of the act. Asnessor In Collector. The tentative draft designates As- sessor Willlam P. Richards as the official to receive monthly statements from the concerns dealing in motor fuel of the amount of gasoline sold the previous month, The tax for each month is to be paid by such concerns before the last day of the succeeding month. Provision is made whereby persons who purchase gasoline for stationary engines, . tractors, motor boats, aero. planes ‘or for cleaning and dyeing shall be reimbursed the amount of the tax upon presenting evidence that they paid the tax in buying the gasoline. It is further provided that reports of their business flled with the 1 assessor by gas concerns shall be reo- garded as confidential records, except when required to produce them by a court of law. Letter From Keller. Engineer Commissioner Keller yes- terday addressed the following let- ter to Senator McNary: “I have been informed that you are actively ~interested in sestablishing reciprocity in regard to automobile trafiic between the state of Maryland and the District of Columbla and that at a hearing before you this morning Mr. John Mackall, road commission: er of Maryland, léft with your com- (Continued on Page 2, Column 5.) W hite House half in two.” He explained that places where the main_ diagonal of trusses butt down into the horizontal members of the beam had shoved out and broken the steel stirrups. Ex- cept for the fact that they butt right into the heavy brick side wall, he aid, they would long ago have fallen nd’let the roof down. “From a fire hazard point of view, this struck me as being dan- Col. Sherrill told the com- “In ‘addition to that, in the third floor of the White House, not having any other storage place, we have to store all the furniture taken down for a function and 'put up again, 8o that if a fire ever started there the thing would burn up. “In addition to that, in the dining room there is a wooden inner wall !that Is about eighteen inches from the main brick wall .and all that walnscoting 1 just like a big flue, running from the first floor all the Poverruling the point of order. |act of fo14, legislative authority for the extension way up to the garret,” Col. Sherrill explained. “If there should ever be & lighted match in there or any incendiary ef- fort to set it on fire, it would go up very quickly,” Col. SI ‘warned, * TWO CENTS. DISTRICT STREET PROGRAM SAVED BYHOUSE RULING Effort of Mr. Blanton to Kill Appropriation for High- way Plan Fails. HICKS, IN CHAIR, HOLDS AGAINST POINT OF ORDER Provision in 1914 Act Declared to Be Permanent and Proper in Present Bill. A decision favorable to the District was given by Representative Hicks of New York, presiding in the com- mittee of the whole in the House to- day, on the District appropriation bill, when he overruled a point of or- der by Representative Blanton, dem- ocrat, of Texas, which would have seriously impeded the opening, widen- ing and extension of streets in the District in accordance with the high- way plan. A bitter fight yesterday afternoon resulted from this point of order being made by Representative Blan- ton to an item carrying an indefinite appropriation, under which the Dis- trict Commissioners would carry out the provisions contained in the Dis- trict appropriation act for the fiscal year 1914, which authorized the ope ing, extension or widening of street avenues, roads or highways to con form with the plan of the permanent system of highways in_that portion of the District outside of the cities of Washington and Georgetown. The fight started yesterday was continued for more than an hour to- day. Chairman Cramton of the sub- committee, in charge of the bill, con- tended that this provision was per- manent law and not subject to a point of order. He laid before the House facts supplied him by the District Commissioners showing what a seri- ous embarrassment it would be in street development and in improving housing facilities if this legislation was stricken from the bill. The lead- ing parliamentarians supported Chair- man Cramton’s contention. Decision in Writing. The unusual proceeding of hand- ing down his decision in writing was resorted to by Representative Hicks in order that there might be no mis- understanding of the reasons for He sail “The chair admits that this point of order is a rather close one and €o far as the chair has been able to ascer- tain there are no precedents covering the exact situation presented. The present. occupent of the chair has frequently been called upon to render decisions involving the plac- ing of legislative provisions on ap- propriation bills, and has uniformiy held that unless {t was clearly evident that such legislative authorization incorporated in appropriation bills was of a permanent character the au- thorization thus created would termi- nate at the ‘end of the fiscal year for which the appropriations were made. “It has been suggested that the test of permanency ‘of legislation on an ap- propriation bill should rest upon the use or non-use of the word ‘hereafter,’ and while this {s the usual and more positive method of making legislation permanent, the chair dissents from the view that this is the only test, for the chair feels that other words might easily be and frequently are employed to_accomplish the same purpose. “By reference to the appropriation the chair finds that the of the highway system—the perma néncy of which authority is now d puted—is clothed in this phraseolog: ‘That the Commissioners of the Dis- trict of Columbia are authorized whenever in their judgment the pub- lis interest requires it,” it seems to the chair that the word ‘whenever' as used in this act is for all intents and purposes synonymous with the word hereafter. Intended as Permanent. “From a practical standpoint, it is hardly conceivable that comprehen- sive plan for streets in a great, rapid- ly growing city could be matured in any_ fiscal year, or that future needs could be accurately anticipated in any twelve-month period. Any plan devised by any board of engineers would undoubedtly have to be modi- fied with the growth and development of the city. “From the parliamentary stand- point, the chair is cognizant of the fact that under the act of 1914, streets have been opened and extended with- out additional legislation and that the courts have sustained condemnation proceedings under that act. By the use of the word ‘whenever” and in- terpreting the purpose of Congress by the scope of the authority grant- ed in 1914, it seems to the chair that it was the evident intention to make it an authorization permanent in character and the chair, therefore, overrules the point of order.” Branck Library Item Omitted. In the first five hours spent on the bill by the House yesterday only one- fourth of bill was gone over and, aside from striking out the Mount Pleasant branch library item, only minor changes were made. The next most important change was through an amendment by Rep- resentative Ben Johnson of Ken- tucky, democrat, and former chair- man of the House District commit- tee, which proposes to reduce the al lowance made to District employ who- use their own automobiles and motor cycles in performance of their official duties. The bill as reported carried $26 a month for automohlles and $13 & month for motor cycles, while the Johnson amendment cut ‘this to $20 for automobiles and $10 for motor cycles. g Just before the adjournment Rep- resentative Blanton made a point of order against authorizing an indefl- nite appropriation to carry out-ex- isting law empowering the Commis- sioners to open, widen or extend streets to conform ‘with the perm nent highway plan. This provision reads: “To carry out the provisions con- tained in the District of Columbia ap- propriation act for the fiscal year 1914, which authorize the Commis- stoners to open, extend or widen any street, avenue, road or highway to conform with the plan of the perma- nent system: of highways In that por- tion of the District of . Columbia outside of the cities of Washington and Georgetown there is appropriated such sum as is necessary for said purpose during the fiscal year 1924 to be pald wholly out of the revenues of the District of Columbla.” Chairman Cramton Dissents. Chairman Cramton argued that this was “entirely and directly based upon existing law and clearly is not' sub- ject to the point of order.” He quot- ed_the 1914 act, and sai “The essential language is, “That [ on e 2, lumn