Evening Star Newspaper, February 10, 1923, Page 1

" WEATHER. Fair and colder tonlght; lowest tem- perature about 24 degrees; tomorrow partly cloudy. Temperature for t ty-four hours ended at 2 p.m. today: Highest, 46, at 3:45 p.m. yesterday; lowest, 34, at noon today. Full report on page 8. e 22 ¢ WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION g “From Press to Home Within the Hour” The Star’s carrier system covers every city block and the regular edition is delivercd to Washington homes as fast as the papers are printed. | i' Star. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1923 —-TWENTY-SIX PAGES. Closing N. Y. Stocks and Bonds, Page 18 ———— No. 28775. Yesterday’s Net Circulation, 95,764. = =0 thag L) TWO WASHINGTON, .D. C, Entered as second-class matter post office Washington, D. C. CENTS. RECKED SHAFTS SEARCHED FOR MISSING MINERS 79 Still in Workings at Daw- son, N. M., and Two in Canadian Collieries. TOTAL DEAD PUT AT 153 Cause of Neither Explosion Deter- mined, as Probers Wait on Rescue Parties. With all hope abandoned for res- cuing alive any more victimy of ~ the two mine explosions Thursday at Dawson, N. M.. and Cumberland, B. C., salvage crews today worked grimly to bring out the bodies till in the shattered workings. The tot: death toll today stood at 133, ©f this number 120 lost their lives in the Dawson blast and were victims of fire-damp in the Canadian mine. Forty-one bodies have been taken from the Dawson shaft, 2 escaped unhurt, and 79 bodies still remain under ground. Thirty-one bodies are in the Cumberland morgue, 2 still are in the mine, and sev- eral victims in the hospital are not expected to survive their in- Juries. The cause of neithér explosion has yet been determined. Investi- Eations have been started, but are subordinated to the work of re- covering the bodies of the victims. 41 BODIES RECOVERED. E —— | Work of Rescue at Dawson Mine Proceeds Rapidly. Br the Assoclated DAWSON, N. February 10.— Covered with a thin blanket of snow Dawson this morning continued to Search for her dead in the torn re- cesses of Mine No. 1, owned by the Phelps Dodge Corporation, which was Wrecked Thursday by an explosion. With the recovery shortly after 6 o'clock this morning of five more bod- ies in the shattered passageways, the total dead has reached fi Official figures s: there were 122 men in the mine when the explosion ¢ocurred. Two emerged yesterday un- med: seventy-nine still remain in | mine work of recovering the bodi is proceeding rapidly today. New #hifts ‘of workers are entering the tunnel every few hours and repair- sen are working step by step with T who are searching the ruins for additional bodies. Few Spectators Present. _Only a small knot of spectators sicod ubout the mine entrance early today. ‘Two davs of realization of | the cnormity of the castrophe have ! given relatives and friends of the en- | tombed miners a spirit of resignation which is reflected in their unemo- tional demeanor. Hope has been abandoned, virtuall that there are any men still aliv in the mine. Experienced mining ien here point out that mine No. 1 is a dry mine, particularly at present. | With the exception of cross-cut, No. 4. from which the only two survivors of the disaster escaped, and one other cross-cut deeper in the mine, the tunnels are barren of water. This indicated, they assert, that It would be impossible for 'the entombed miners, if any survived the explo- | sion and sealed themselves in iso- lated compartments, to exist for any considerable length of time. Report Volces Heard. Reports of the survivors yvesterday that they had heard voices in an ad- joining passageway during Wednes- day night, gave rise to the belief that &t least four men still lived inside the workings. The rescue’ crews reached the vicinity of the spot where Felini | Martini and Caudali, the survivors, hiad taken refuge and found four bod- ies. Whether these men lived through the night or died when the explosion occurred probably will remain one of the mysteries of the tragedy. The first of a serfes of funerals which probably will continue for day will be held this afternoon. 1 The arrival today of two United| States bureau of mines rescue cars was awaited eagerly by the work- ‘weary forces, who have been combing the underground network of passage- ways. Volunteers Lend Ald. Volunteers from three adjoining mines of the I’helps-Dodge Corpora- tion, scores of Dawson townspeople and a corps of four doctors and nurses, augmented by the crew of the Colorado Fuel and Iron Com- pany’s rescue car, have been work- ing steadily since shortly after the explosion, recovering the bodies of the dead, caring for the few who were injured and nursing the ex- | hausted. £ Supply forces have been working st top speed, furnishing materials with which to rebuild the shattered interior of the mine so that every crevice within could be explored. Undertakers at one temporary morgue and the city morgue have | worner incessantly - preparing the bodles thus far recovered for burial and aiding in identification. Through it all Dawson maintained a stoic, reslgned, unemotional silence. Investigation after the terrific detona- tion, which rent the interior of the vast working like tissue paper. revealed that the center of the blast apparently was near the heart of the mine. Death Comes Quickly. The victims apparently died instantly. Many were mutilated by falling debris. All ‘thus far found dead apparently were killed by the terrific concussion. A spurt of flame and dust shot from the mouth of the main tunnel as the blast occurred, shattering exterior con- crete work. | Scott Du Pornt, general underground | superintendent of the mine, was slightly burned and cut as he was struck by the force of the blast. Several others near the entrance were knocked urconscious. Albert E. English, jr.. mine foreman, was one whose body had not been re- cvered. His father’s body was taken from the mine yesterday. When an explosion on October 22, 1913, wrecked the Stag Canon Mine, No. 2, close to mine No. 1, Arthur English, brother of the foréman of mine NG. 1, was Killed. Among the victims were mef who had spent virtually their entire lives 1apping the underground wealth of the southwest. Penetrate 4,000 Feet. During the night, workers pene- trated to & depth of more than 4,000 feet Into the main tunnel, clearing the shaft as they went and walling up and stopping crevices and cross-cuts 10 facilitate the flow of fresh air and exxulnlun of gases. coroner's_jury which began its & - (Continugd ‘on_Page 2, Column 3.) | institution. Mprs. Leeds Leaps To Death From N.Y. Apartment By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, Februafy 10.—Mrs. Loulse Hartshorne Leeds, sister-in- law of Princess Anastasia of Greece, committed suicide today by leaping from a window of her fifth-floor apartment in East 65th street. Mrs. Leeds was the wife of War- ner M. Leeds, prominent clubman, Who was a brother of the late Willlam B. Leeds, “tin plate king" and first husband of the Princess Anastasia. She had been ill for some time and only recently re- turned to her home from a sani- tarlum where she had spent sev- eral months. Mr. Leeds was in the house when his wife leaped to her death, but did not witness the tragedy. HOUSE TAKES UP 0. BLEPORT iConferees Fail to Agree on 19 of 129 Senate Amend- ments. The tentative agreement between [the Senate and House conferees on the District appropriation bill is |under consideration in the House to- day. The House conferees have not agreed upon nineteen of the 129 Sen- ate amendments and have come back to the House for further instruc- tions. Representative Cramton of Michigan, chairman of the House | conterees, announced that the con- terence report on the District appro- priation bill shows the smallest in- crease over the House figures in ny District appropriation bill in the t twenty years. The bill as it now stands carries $22,778,915. That is $72,000 below the current appropriations and $772,215 below the budget recommendation !and $1,691,070 less than the bill as passed by the Senate. As the bill is now drafted $8,300,000 represents the part that the federal Treasury contributes to the upkeep of the National Capital, Representa- tive Cramton said, Representative Thomas L. Blanton of Texas, democrat, a member of the House District committee, attacked | Representative Cramton for agreeing to forty-three Senate amendments, involving $800,000, after he had prom- sed, Representative Blanton sald, to phold the decision of the House. “How much longer are you tax- pavers of the country going to pay the support of the District schools, including the miilion-dollar Central | High School and Eastern High School?” challenged Blanton. He said that there are 2,500 teach- ers here to teach 68,000 children, and | that 2,500 children 1iving in Maryland and Virginia are getting their school- ing free in the.District at the expense of taxpayers in Other states.” THAW TO VISIT MOTHER, IF COURT CONSENTS Counsel Seeks to Open Doors of Prison Hospital Partly in In- terest of Slayer’'s Health. By the Associated Press. PHILADELPHIA, Pa., February 10. —Harry K. Thaw, slayer of Stanford White, who is confined to the Penn- sylvania Hospital for Mental and Nervous Diseases, in West Philadel- phia, will visit his mother in Pitts- burgh next week, if a court order is granted permitting him to leave the Former Judge James Gay Gordon, counsel for the family, will make an_application for an order next week, he said today. Thaw, counsel said, needs a change of air, and the trip is proposed partly for Lis health and to see his mother. 1t the application is granted Thaw will be accompanied by a guard. He burgh since he was committed to the hospital several years ago. Judge Gordon denied a report that Thaw contemplated a trip to the Mediterranean. GRIDIRON CLUB DINNER? Annual Spring Event Will Be Held Tonight. The annual spring dinner of the Gridiron Club will be held tonight at the New Willard. The big dinner bell will ring promptly at 7:30, and guests are admonished to be on hand early. At the monthly meeting of the club today, resolutions were adopted in memory of John A. Corwin, who dled January 22, in San Diego. He had been a member of the Gridiron Club for thirty-four years, and held high rank in the newspaper profession. For many years he was the chief political writer for the Chicago Tribune. —_— . LABOR FAVORS STUDENTS. BERLIN, February 10.—Ten thou- sand students have been given special permission by the trade unions to work in the various factories of the Berlin district as an ald in_meeting their university expenses. The stu- dents are employed a few hours each day. B By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, February 10.—Anoth- er American woman will b¥ar an En- glish title when Prof. Charles Ernest Pellew of Columbia returns to Eng- land to become the seventh viscount of Exmouth. She is Miss Mabel Gray of New York, who served in the Red Cross during the war and now is engaged in charitable work. The couple were betrothed about six months ago, but the cngagemnt became generally known only today when Miss Gray 'conflrmed it over the telehpone. Father Died Here. Prof. Pellew, who announced his in- terition of sitting in the house of lords when he inherited the title upon the death of his father in Washington this week, met Miss Gray whea ihey 1 has made one or two trips to Pitts-| Pellew to Take American Bride, Who Is Not Excited Over Title INVADERS FORBD GERMAN CABNET ENTRYINTORUAR Act to Bar Visits for Purpose of Stiffening Re- sistance. FRENCH TROOPS MASS ! TO OCCUPY FRANKFORT Tanks, Artillery, Cavalry and In- fantry Concentrate to Ex- tend Movement. By the Assoclated Prers PARIS, February 10.—German cab- inet ministers hereafter will be barred from the Ruhr by the Franco- Delglan forces. Premier Poincare of | France and Foreign Minister Jaspar | Relgium at a conference here to | day drafted a brief note to this effect. | | which w immediately delivered to the German embassles in Parls and Brussels. The note reads: H | “The Belgian and French govern-! | ments have established that the visit | of Chancellor Cuno in the Ruhr re- gion and the action he took there had for its sole object and really re- sulted in the provoking of a danger- ous state of excitement, particularly among the big' industrial leaders, chief functionaries and government employes. Agree on Closer Action. “Under these conditions the French and Belgian governments, anxious to | avoid disorders that might become sanguinary, find it necessary to In- form the government of the reich | and the governments of the states| that ministers of the reich and of the German states no longer will be au- thorized to enter the Ruhr. M. Poincare and Jaspar agreed upon closer co-operation between the French and Belgian cabinets, with fre- | quent consultations of ministers of the two countries In Paris and Brussels. They decided to make greater efforts to operate the railroad in the Ruhr and to protect traffic from German sabotage. The conference was attended also by M. Maginot, French minister of war and (Continued on Page 2, Column 6.) SHIP BILL TAKES - LEAD OVER DEBTS Funding Measure Before Committee, But Action Is Uncertain. Although the Senate finance com- mittee was meeting today to consider legislation by which the House ap- proved the British debt settlement agreement, the time of Senate action on it was problematical. The shipping bill, meanwhile, had taken a position ahead of the fund- ing legislation in the Senate, Chair- man Jones of the commerce commit- | tee having called up the former meas- ure yesterday immediately after pass- age of the Army appropriation bill. | He announced that the ship bill would not be laid aside except by a vote of the Senate, and its consideration ahead of the debt legislation was said | by other Sénate leaders to have the approval of President Harding, with whom Senator Jones conferred early in the-week. Although a movement was under way today among some members of the Senate farm bloc to get the ship- ping bill laid ide in favor of the Capper truth-in-fabric legislation, supporters of the bill were confident the move would be frustrated. It was started during Senator Jones' ad- dress on the shipping bill vester- duy, the most impassioned he has yet made in support of the measure and which led to a heated discussion of the legislation. The finance committee had its hear- ings on the bill behind closed doors, Senator Smoot of Utah, a member of the American commission, going into some details of the negotiations with the British mission. He declined to answer some questions put by com: mitteemen on the ground that the in- formation sought was of a highly confidential character. The Utah senator was understood to have told the committee that the terns tinally agreed upon were those IDrDDO!ed by the American commis- sion. He asserted that-the British { made no concrete preposition, seeking |lrom the Americans the terms which they :-it tney could recommend to Congress. He was quoted as having said also that the first American pro- posul considered by the British con- templated an interest rate of 3% per cent over the entire period the debt was to run, but that this was unac- ceptable and had to be modified to stipulate 3 per cent for the first ten years and 31 per cent thereafte both were members of the Columbia University Choral Club. The wedding will take place within six months. Miss Gray is the daughter of the late Richard Gray, who about thirty years ago, was general traffic man- ager in California for the Southern Pacific railway. She has a brother in New York, James R. Gray, an en- gineer associated with the United States Steel Corporation, and a sister in California, Mrs. Goodblood. Will Be Home Wife. Miss Gray displayed no great en- thusiasm over the prospect of giving up the plain title of “Mrs.” for “Lady.” She indicated no desire to| concern herself greatly with politics, British or American, adding that her wifely interests would suffice. It was said at the Pellew residence here, 1637 Massachusetts avenue, that I Prof. Pellew had returned to New York. Noother member of the Pel- ‘lew family is at the local resi@ence. IRISH UNDISMAYED BY REBEL DEFANCE Republican Leader’s Rejec- tion of Peace Proposal Makes Matters No Worse. SOME PROGRESS IS SEEN Commentators Declare Both Sides Display Readiness to Negotiate. Expect De Valera to Fail. By the Associated Pre L February 10.—The rejec- tion by Liam Lynch, republican chief of staff, of the peace initiative taken by Liam Deasy has caused disappoint- ment, but there is a dosposition en_ the part of commentators to regard the situation as having made prog- ress in a pacific direction. “The rejection does not make any more difficult the task that lay before the Irish people and the government.” says the Freeman's Journal. “On the contrary, both have shown a readi- ness to pursue peace if possible by methods of statesmanship. They de- manded merely guarantees that would secure peace when it was won. “Liam Lynch, who owes his liberty to the Irish general’s too. trustful ac- ceptance of his word of honor, insists that the fratricidal war shall con- tinue until De Valera's vision of ‘ex- termination’ is fulfilled. We have a conviction that both these war mak- ers will be disappointed. “Liam Deasy has rendered this great service to his country: He has en- abled its people to distinguish be- tween real republicans and mere de- stroyers. The distinction may be only a moral one. but even in Ireland today morality wins. It will not be defeated by war upon unarmed civil- jans and undefended homes, and it will vindicate itself, by the agency of good and brave men, over the orgy Which the ordained spiritual leaders of Ireland have plainly denounced as murder, loot and incendiarism.” A_brisk exchange of shots occurred in Dublin last night. when the city hall guard was attacked. Machine guns dispersed the assailants. Later a lorry load of troops was fired on. The body of a man, riddled with bullets, was found on the road be- tween Ballingarry and Mullinahone yesterday. A card attached to the body bore the words: “The first of fifty spies.” FREE STATE FUNDS LOW. Rumors Say Cosgrave Seeks Aid in Visit to London. By the Associated P‘I\‘ LONDON, February 10.—Much atten- tion and speculation are given to Presldent Cosgrave's visit to London, where he and his colleagues are being aided by the police with extraordi- nary care. Although it is known that the visit had long been arranged, some commentators refuse to regard it as unconnected with new efforts for peace. One story is that the visitors are trying to obtain Great Britain's con- sent to the increase of the Free State my. which is said to have reached lfeady the limit prescribed by the treaty. Another report connects Mr. Cosgrave's visit with questions " of finance, alleging that the Free State is desperately in need of money, hav- ing been unable even to pay the Dub- lin police for the past fortnight. Some newspapers say that Lord Car- son attended one of yesterday’'s con- Zerences at the colonial office. The Teason for his reported presence is unknown. NIP PLOT IN BELFAST. Two Seized Bearing Plans to Blow Up Jail in City. By the Associated Press. BELFAST, February 10.—Four ar- rests made here last evening are re- garded by the police as important. On two of the prisoners plans for the destruction of Belfast jail and other public buildings are said to have been found. It is believed that the prisoners will be interned. PULLS SHIP FROM SHOAL. BOSTON, February 10.—The Brit- ish steamship City of Canton, which struck a shoal southeast of Cape Cod late last night, pulled off by the coast guard cutter Acushnet today, apparently little damaged. ‘The steamship, which has_ discharged a cargo from the orient here, left Bos- ton-for-New York yesterday-morning. ARE NT 2YOU AFRAID YOU 'RE VIOLATING Labor Mediator : Taken by Death| JUDGE MARTIN A, KNAPP. JUDGE KNAPP DIES AFTER OPERATION Labor Dispute Mediator Had Been in lll Health for Some Time. Judge Martin A. Knapp of the circuit court of appeals, of the 4th circuit, comprising Virginia, West Virginia, North and South Carolina, former member and chairman of the inter- state commerce commission, and well known throughout the country as a mediator in labor disputes, died at 5 o'clock this morning at Emergency Hospital. Judge Knapp had been indisposed for some time, but was taken serious- ly ill last Thursday. He was re- moved to the Emergency Hospital where, Saturday, a major abdominal operation was performed to remove an intestinal obstruction. This opera- tion failed and another operation was performed on Monday. From this he obtained no relief, and he grad- ually grew weaker until this morn- ing when he died. Relatives at Bedside. His sister, Mrs. Charles Kellogg, and nephew, Martin A. Knapp, who had been summoned here from their home, in Syracuse, when Judge Knapp was stricken. were at the bedside when the end came. Funeral services will be held Mon- day afternoon at 3 o'clock at the Church of Our Father, 13th and L streets northwest, and Rev. U. G. B. Pierce of All Souls’ Church will offi- clate. Accompanied by his sister and nephew, the body will be taken to Middletown, Conn., for interment, leaving on the Federal Express at 7:30 o'clock Monday night. The pall- bearers have not been selected. The announcement of Judge Knapp's death brought many expres- sions of sorrow and regret from among his many friends and asseci- ates in governmental, official and le- gal circles here. A Popular Official. Judge Knapp was just rounding out thirty-two years of service with the fed- eral government in its various judicial and quasi-judicial branches. His thor- oughness in studying questions Comlngl under his jurisdiction brought to him 3135 CONVICTONS IN 28,073 ARRESTS Report on Zihiman Bill Show 23,782 Forfeited in Traffic Cases. MUST APPEAR FOR TRIAL Measure Also Provides for More Of- ficials to Strengthen Acci- dent Safeguards. ‘Oul of 28,079 arrested on charges of violation of traffic laws, year only 3,135 were convicted and 23,782 forfeited collateral, according to & Teport on the Zihlman traffic- control bill made to the House today. ““The procedure in the District courts of allowing violators to post a small fee and forfeit that as collateral and then not appear is largely responsible for the disregard of trafic laws and regulations, and it should be abol- ished,” the report said. Under the provisions of the Zihl- man bill, while collateral can be post- ed, the offender must appear for trial and further hearing and in case of forfeiture of the collateral it is pro- vided that he shall be arrested pa!?d upon conviction be subjected to the penalty of the act. e also provides for the crea- tion of a trafic court to handle viola- tions of this nature, it being the unanimous opinion of the District of- ficials who appeared before the House District committee that this enlarge- ment of the local judicial system is essential. Provdies More Officials. Provision is also made for an addi- tional assistant corporation couneel and other officials in the office of the superintendent of licenses, necessary to carry out the provisions of this act. | Representative Zihlman's report ex- plains that the bill provides for the issuance of registry cards for motor vehicles, for instruction cards to drivers, and for the issuance of a driver's license card, upon examina- tion and proven ability to drive a car. Authority is given to the District Commissioners to make regulations as to speed and parking of vehicles, diverting of vehicular traffic, rules of the road, lights, horns, and other regulations not in conflict with any law of the United States. It is pro- vided that the Commissioners may revoke any operator's permit or in- struction "card whatever in the opinion of the Commissioners it was obtained by misrepresentation or that the holder thereof is not mentally or physicall; qualified to operate a motor vehicle. Heavy Fines Provided. In cases where the operator of any motor vehicle knowingly striking a person or any vehicle and does not stop and render ail necessary assist- ance and medical treatment that an injured person may request, and in cases where a driver is under the influence of liquor or drugs, they shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $1,000 or imprisonment for not more than one year, or both. In addition, the court may in the case of an operator revoke the privileges of his operator's or instruc- tion license card, and in the case of any person having authority to con- trol the operation of the motor ve- hicle and who is the owner there- of, such motor vehicle may be de- clared forfeited. Representative Zihiman emphasizes that the acthorities of the District who are charged with the enforce- ment of traffic laws and regulations have assured the House District com- (Continued on Page 2, Column 4.) (Continued on Page 2, Column 6.) n the A Full Page of Wonderful Photographs of King Tutankhamen’s Tomb appears exclusively in Washington Rotogravure Section of Tomorrow’s Star Order your copy from newsdealer today rules and! iregulations during the last calendar |X-Ray Discoverer, Roentgen Is Dead At Munich Home By the Assoclated Press. BERLIN, February 10.— Prof. Willlam Conrad Roentgen, discov- erer of the Roentgen rays, popu- larly known as X-rays, is dead at Munich. Willlam Conrad Roentgen was born in Lennep, Prussia, on March 27, 1845; received his early edu- cation in Holland, and then stud- died at Zurich, Switzerland. where he took his doctor's degree in 1869. After service as professor of physics at various German uni- versities he went, in 1885, to ‘Wuerzburg, where, in 1893, he made the discovery for which is name was chiefly known, that of the Roentgen or Xrays. 3 It was while experimenting with a highly exhausted vacuum tube on the conduction of electricity through gases that he first pro- duced the rays, which, because of their great penetrating and their power of passing through various substances which are opaque to ordinary light, have become of the greatest value in science, especial- Iy to the medical profession. For his discovery he received the Rumford medal of the Royal Soclety In 1896. jointly with Philip Lenard, who was honored because of his' previous researches with cathode rays. CLASSFYINGBIL CONPROMISE MADE President Agrees to Final Draft in Conference at White House. Following a conference with the President at the White House over the reclassification bill for government employes, attended by Senator Sterling of South Dakota and Senator Smoot of Ttah, it was announced a compromise bill had been agreed upon. Senator Smoot, who is chairman of the subcommittee of the committes on appropriations which has been consid- ering the Sterling-Lehlbach reclassifi- cation bill, said on leaving the White House that there was no doubt a re- classification bill would be enacted be- fore the close of the present session. He indicated that the President was strongly in favor of such legislation at this time. Senator Sterling also said that a reclassification bill had been ag}'eed upon and that there were only some minor details to be worked out. It is understood that the general principles of the Sterling-Lehlbach reclassification bill have been retain- ed. including the schedules. £20,000,000 Item. Senator Smoot said that an item of $20,000,000 would be placed in the de- ficiency appropriation bill, which is yet to come, to meet the changes in salary which will be proposed for the government employes under the reclassification act. It the reclassification bill becomes alaw he predicted the $240 horizontal bonus for government employes will be abandoned. In fact, the House ap- propriations committee has held back the bonus legislation at this session S0 as to give an opportunity for the passage of the reclassification bill. 1t the reclassification bill does not pass, then the bonus will be revived. In' the compromise bill agreed upon by Senator Smoot and Senator Sterling, the latter being chairman of the civil service committee and one of the authors of the reclassifi- cation legislation, a new allocating agency has been provided, consist- ing, it is understood, of a repre- sentative of the Civil Service Com- mission, & representative of the budget bureau and a representative of the bureau of efficiency. Many Data Collected. Under an executive order {ssued by th President more than a year ago, the bureau of efficiency did much work on the reclassification of gov- ernment employes in the District. It is understood that the compromise bill will provide that this work done by the bureau of efficiency shall be made use of in_ reclassifying the govern- ment employes in so far as it con- forms to the reclassification law. Senator Smoot sald that he would call his committee together as soon as possible to take action on the bill and that it would be reported to the Senate before long. He expressed the there is a general desire to get such legislation through without —further delay. KNICKERBOCKER CO. HELD NON-EXISTENT There 18 no Knickerbocker Theater Company, the corporation having been dissolved July 5 last by the courts of Delaware, where the com- pany’s charter was obtained. All claims | against the corporation are to be made to receivers appointed in Dela- ware, and service on Harry M. Cran- Gall as president of the company in a suit recently filed by Norman E. Martindale, administrator of Gertrude L. Martindale, a victim of the Knick- erbocker disaster, is illegal. This is alleged in a paper filed in the Dis- trict Supreme Court today by Harry M. Crandall, describing himself as a “friend of the court.” At the same time Mr. Crandall, Al- bert E. Beitzel and Barry Bulkley. sued as trustees of the Knickerbocker Theater Company in Mr. Martindale's ! declaration, filed a joint plea in abate- ment. They claim the suit against them must be dismissed because they have not and did not have at the time of the filing last montb any connection as trustees with the dis- wolved Knickerbocker Theater Com- pan The Delaware.court, they state, had appointed receivers for the com- pany long prior to the filing of the suit. By the order of that court all claims against the dissolved corpora- tion must be presented to these court receivers. ‘Attorneys Wilton J. Lambert and R, H. Yeatman filed a special appearance for the three defendants for the pur- Dose of the plea to abate the suit. opinion that it would be passed, as| SHIP BILL TO PASS [F CHANGED, CHIEF EXECUTIVEIS TOLD Senate Delegation Submits Amendments to President at White House Parley. RATE CHARGE REVISION MAY WIN DOUBTFUL VOTES Senators Express Hope That Meas- ure Will Pass With New Schedules. Another effort to smooth the bled course of the administration ship bill in the Senate was made today at a White House conference attended by some senators who are opposed 1o the bill in its present form, but who presented drafts of amendmenis de- signed to lead to a compromise insur- ing passage. The delegation of senators, headed by Senator McNary of Oregon, called at the White House and assured Presi- dent Harding that the bill, if brought to a vote, would pass this sesslon, if it undergoes certain changes. trou- Would Change Rates. The delegation was not conf to republican members, and, ing to Senator McNary. spokesman they desire to see the bill amended so as to change the rates with a special aim to devote the greater part of the governmental aid to the freight-car- rying boats rather than those en- gaged more or less entirely in passen- ger business. They believe that the rate should be increased for the freight carriers and lowered for the passenger or tourist boats, which are more generally of *ne high speed type. Those with Senator MeNary were Senators Moses of New Hamp- shire, St eld of Orego! ortridge of California, Bursom of New Mexico and Ransdell of Loui No intimation was given by the dele- gation, when it left the President whether or not the suggestion met with his_approval. ary stated that in his opinion th cannot lied ship subsidy s it is amended. and then he feels assured that the a ndments, as oftered by the delegation today, W bring enough votes to the front to oh- tain its passagc. He stated that the agricultural and the so-called inland senators are more interested in extend- ing_governmental aid to boats devoting their entire time Ccarrying cargoes rather than to promote the tourist and pleasure business. Senate Line-Up Doubtful. Senator McNary said that the admin- istration leaders are mistaken if they think that they now have sufficient vote to insure the passage of the shipping bill in its present form. According t him, the administration has only forty- three positive votes, whereas there ar forty-four votes in opposition, with the remainder indecisive. He contends, however, that practi cally every one of the present inde- cisive votes will be counted for the bill if it is amended as proposed by the delegation today i ‘Senator Moses, while being in clear accord with Senator MeNary regard- ing the necessity for some amend- ments, disagrees with him regarding the probable outcome of the admin- jstration’s bill in its present form He said that there are fifty-three sure votes for the bill as it now stands, but that the principal diffi- culty at present is to succeed in get- ting it to a vote. 2 A The administration shipping bill was called up again in the Senate yesterday day by Chairman Jones of the com- merce committee, with the announce- ment that it would not be laid aside except by a vote of the Senate. Taking the floor immediately after the Senate had passed the Army ap- propriation bill, the last of the big Supply measures, Senator Jones as- serted that “we are now ready to proceed with the shipping bill and we will pass it or we will reject it as the majority of the Senate shall deter- mine. Never Such Problem. “Never before has Congress been confronted with the problem of doing something to get a substantial sum out of a three-billion-doilar war in- vestment and to put ships already built into active operation,” said Senator Jones. “To my mind there is far more justification for this leg- islation than there would be if we had no ships. “It is said that this 2id is not given to build ships, but that we propose to give our ships away and then pay men to run them. Not at all. We cannot give our ships away now on the condition that they be operated. We hope to make it worth while to buy our ships at a fair price and then to operate them.” Senator Jones discussed at some length the comparative costs of build- ing and operating ships in this coun- try and abrdad. He contended that the higher costs in this country have been shown in the hearings before the committee on commerce. Never Grew Before. “We are told that we do not need any ald and to let our shipping go on. and it will grow and prosper.’ said Senator Jones. “We did this for fifty years, with the result that we had only fiteen ships in the overseas trade When the war broke out in 1914. If our shipping did not grow then, what is there to lead us to think it will now? “I do not know that this bill, if passed, will build up an American merchant marine and put it upon a permanent basis. No one can tell un- til it is tried. It think it will do it. It we do not pass it I think I know what will happen. The organization created to deal with the chaotic prob- lems turned over to this administra- tion by the last one will disintegrate if its eficiency will be destroyed. “The Shipping Board and the Emer- gency Fleet Corporation will become the haven of discredited and impe- cunious politiclans, and of persons scheming to defraud the government by getting its property for a song, or securing the allowance of stuffed and fraudulent claims. Our ships will rot at the wharves or be run at a great loss to the Treasury, and within five or ten years the hundreds of millions of value that we now have in our ships will be dissipated.” CONSCIENCE FUND GETS $5. Secretary Weeks has turned over to the Treasury ‘“conscience fund” a $5 bill sent to him by an unknown resident of Minneapolis, signing him- self “Christian,” who said he owed it to the government.