Evening Star Newspaper, April 18, 1923, Page 1

WEATHER. Fair and continued cool tonight, with frost; tomorrow fair, with slow- 1y rising temperature. Tempeérature for twenty-four hours ended at 2 p.m.. today: Highest, 56, at Closing N. Y. Stocks and Bonds, ch ¢ Foen . WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION g —_— No. 28842, D Page Z_S Entered as second-class matter office Washington, D. C. WASHINGTON, D. C, BERLIN MAY OFFER 39 BILLION MARKS FOR REPARATIONS Leaders of Reichstag Major- ity Declare Willingness to Support This Sum. GUARANTIES PROBLEM FILLED WITH DIFFICULTY $2,000,000,000 Believed Loan Lim- it—Fear Revolution if Stinnes Group Gets Control. BY GEORGE WITTE. By Wireless to The Star aud Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1923, April 1S—It is sald In ®ome circles here that Germany is quite willing to discuss 40,000,000,000 &old marks as the basis of repara- tions to the allies. In other quarters it is aeserted that Germany may soon offer the allles, especially France, $5,000,000,000 gold marks despite Foreign Secretary Von Rosenberg's declaration in the relchstag that at the most Germany's offer remains at 30.000,000,000 marks. When it became known here that Great Britain favored the formation ©of an international commission to as- certain how .much Germany was really able to pay, the writer found that there existed a sentiment that Germany would accept and abide by the decision of such a commission even if it fixed the reparations at 85.000,000,000 to 40,000,000,000 gold marks. $2,000.000,000 Loan Limit. The question of guaranties, how- ever, is of more poignancy than that | Fokker monopiane T-2 | Kilometer course for 36 hours, 5 min- Pilotless Plane Control Perfect In Test Flights By the Assoclated Press. PARIS, April 18.—An alrplane controlled by wireless and auto- matic stabilizers made a successful test flight yesterday at Etampes in the presence of Undersecretary for Aeronautics Evnac. The plane has been making in- termittent flights for the past year. Its stabilization is now said to be entirely automatic, and the solu- tion of the few remaining probiems in connection with its operation are in sight. "Although the wire- less control is described as perfect, flights for the present will be made with a pilot, who will be employed chiefly as an observer that the in- vention may be developed as far as possible. Military observers believe that passengerless alr prove most valuable wh Hewever, it {3 proposed to ize them for such purposes as transportation of mail to Africa. TWO FLYERS BREAK SIX WORLD RECORDS Kelly and MacReady Fly Over 36 Hours—D. C. Man Sets New Mark. | Bs the Assoctated Press, DAYTON, Ohio, April 18—Victors in their gruelling contest to estab- jlish a new world endurance record I'tor sustained fiying, Lieut John A. MacReady and Oakley Kelly, Army aviators, today were recovering from exhaustion resulting from piloting the over a 50- utes and 20 seconds. The former record, held by French of promising payments for the next|men—Pilots Bossoutrot and Brouhin twenty years. So far n in was 34 hours, 19 minutes and 54 sec- ri- | onds. 2l credits exceeding | § ding to | to | can nor British bankers are will to give Germany $2.000,000,000. That su reliable information is the Which the Anglo-American who have looked th are willing to g ment pledge aritie. lic utilities as the railrc mines in the Ruhr and Upper Sile country ove systems, | The only other way out of the | predicament open to the government 18 to surrender In everything but name to the industrialist league, in cluding Stinnes, Thyssen, Kloeckner, Mannesmann and fifty or more other magnates. who among | them control about three-duarters <f the wealth of Germany. But if the government ylelds to this capitalistic group the communists will undoubtedly threaten civil war. To €ome observers it seems as If the Cuno government Is doing a tight- rope walking act. On the one side downfall looms at the hands of the French and on the other side destruc- tion at the hands of the communists. Control Enough Votes. Leaders of the democratic, centrist and soclalist parties assured me today that 40,000,000,000 gold marks formed the Dbasis on which they were willing to negotiate, although they believed that this sum exceeded Germany's ability to pay. The $5,000,000.000 marks pro- posal was based on France's demand for 26.000,000,000 marks for herself and 9,000,000,000 marks for the other allies, including the United States for the costs of its army of occupation. ‘The social democrats and demonerats alone have 212 votes in the reichstag and the centrists have 68, so that if half of the centrists voted In favor of submitting proposals hased on 25 000,000,000 gold marks, they would be certain of 251 votes out of a total of 439. FRANCE TO SYAND FIRM. By Cable to The Star and Chicago Dal; New: Copsright, 1923, . % PARIS, April 18.—The decision of France and Belglum to suppress the spectal high commissar:at instzlled by Germany In the Rhineland on the day ©of the signing of the treaty of Ver- sailles marks the plain intention of France and Belgium to retain the | Ruhr and the Rhineland indefinitely | unless Germany accepts the allies' terms. From the very first the French have objected to the German Rhineland ! commissioner, whom they looked upon | as the center of the resistance to the | enforcement of the treatly, but they were unable to get rid of him, first, | because of the Franco-British-Amer. ican convention of Jjune 28, 1919, “im- posed by President Wilson,” and, sec. ond, because of Great Lritain's attl- | tude. The first German commissioner was Von Starck who was soon accused of “fomenting agitation agalnst the al- | lied commission.” In 1921 the British succeeded in having him replaced by | the more moderate Prince Hatzfeld. = | Nevertheless, the fact remained | that the French continually felt un- | able to make effectve use of the Rhineland occupation as a means of | pressure on Germany because thay | were prevented by allied conventions | and agreements from threatening Germany with the permanent loss of | the Rhineland unless she aid the rep- ' arations. | GERMAN ORDERED OUT. | BERLIN, April 18—M. Tirard, pres- ident of the Rhineland high commis- | sion, handed Prince Von Hatzfeldt- Wildenburg, the German commis- sioner, a note declaring that his pres- ence wah prejudicial to the commis- sion’s authority and that his.mission | must accordingly be regarded as | ended.~ Prince Von Hatzfeldt pro- | tested, saying that his appointment | had been made by the ambassadors' | conference and he did not recognize | the commission’s right to terminate | his mission. In the meantime, acting und>r spe- cial instructions, he has left the occu- pied ‘territory, ‘accompanied by his staff. —_— INSPECTS RUSSIAN OIL. BERLIN, April 18—Mason Day, president of the Barnsdall Corpora- tion of New York, has arrived in Berlin after a two-month trip to Ruseia, where he inspected the com- pany’s oil concessions in the Caucasus ard conferred with the Russian of- | ficlals in Mosecow. Mr. Day said the | bolsheviki had extended his company's | time for development and increased its concession area. He left an engi- neering staft at Baku and will go to the United States early in May to arrafnge shipments of machinery to the Caucasus. et a| d the telegraph, telephone and cable | Krupp, | o | where they were given food. | 1t. nor on the wings of a bullet. I Lieuts. MacReady and Kelly bested this record last fall flying over Diego, Calif.,, but the record was never certified the Federation Aeronatique Internationale. at 9:38 am. Sets Distance Record. SHpping out of the night into the glare of searchlights on Wilbur Wright Fleld, Liext. MacReady land- ed the huge ship at 9:43 o'clock last ght, after having covered 2,541.2 miles, setting a new distance record. The former record of 2.060 miles, held by MacReady and Kelly, was made on their cross-country flight from San Diego to Indianapolis last fall. Four other records were estabilsh- ed during the flight and during ves- terday three additional records were hung up by other fiyers at local fields. Other records made by MacReady and Kelly were: Two thousand five hundred kilome- ters, 21 hours 37 minutes 3 seconds. Three thousand kllometers, hours 1 minute 32 secends. Three thousand five hundred kilo- meters, 30 hours 28 minutes 51.4 sec- onds. Four thousand kilometers, 35 hours, 6 minutes 38.4 seconds. The respective miles per hour averages are: 71.86, 71.50, 71.20 and 71. Harris Gets Record. Flying over the same thirty-one- and-one-eighth-mile triangular course traversed by the endurance record holders, Lieut. Harold .Harrls, Mec- Cook Field, in a rebuilt De Haviland 4-B yesterday set new records for 1,500 and 2,000 kilometers. His time for 1,500 kilometers was 8 hours and 9 minutes, and for 2,000 kilometers 10 hours and 53 minutes. His aver- age speed was 114 miles per hour. Flying a naval torpedo plane, Lieut. Rutledge Irvine, Anacostia naval air station, established a world altitude record ' for a single-motored ship carrying a deadwelightg load of 2,422 pounds. He piloted the ship to a height of 11,300 feet. Lieut. Irvine was in the air two and a half hours. Completing elghty-one laps of the course, MacReady and Kelly circied the pylon at Wilbur Wright Field sev- eral times, and then MacReady, who was at the “stick,” gracefully set the ship down and taxied to a hangar. Brig, Gen. William Mitchell, assistant chief of the Army alr service, con- gratulated the record holders and escorted them to the Officers’ Club, After an informal reception they came to Dayton and retired immediately. Not until some time today will either of the fivers tell his story of the flight. Both sald they expected to sleep about elghteen hours. Not until they awake will they know that Maj. Gen. Mason Patrick, chiof of the Army air service. plans (Continued on Page 4, Column 1.) 26 The rec- | financiers | ora-breaking flight started Monday PRESDENTTOANE RENTBOARD SOON Executive Convinced Present Body Inadequate to Handle Many Cases. FATE OF THREE NOW ON COMMISSION UNKNOWN No Indication Given as to Who Five Commissioners Will Be, Says Senator. President Harding will very shortly name a Rent Commission of five mem- bers for the District of Columbla as provided for in the Ball rent act of 1922, which extended for two vears the life of the commission and in- creased its membership from three to five. This was learned from Senator Ball of Delaware, chairman of the Senate District committee and author of the Ball rent act, following a lengthy conference with the President at the White House today. More than a week ago, when Presl- dent Harding was asked directly whether or not he would at any time soon appoint the new Rent Commls- sion, he was represented as saying that urless he was convinced that the work of the present commission was being retarded and that conditions generally at the Rent Commission were being hampered he would not increase the membership. Studies Situation. The President has since then per- sonally Inquired into conditions. It is known that he has become con- vinced that there is little hope of immediate rellef from the jammed tuation of the commission’s docket, unless he appoints the two additional members. It is lesrned that he has been shown that the work of the present commisslor is seven or eight | hs behind and that complaints tenants and landlords are In- ing daily in number. It is un- |derstood that there probably are more {than 600 cascs now pending and that | there is every eviden lume of the commissio become greater in the {months. | Senator Ball discussed with the | President a few days before the ad- {journment of Congress the matter of appointing the rent commissioners and sald he was told by the latter to refresh his memory when he re- turned from his Florida vacation. The senator today described thé con- dition existing in the Rent Commi sion and urged the President to make | tbe appointments as soon as possible. No Word on Personnel. succeeding or not he had received any inkling templating retaining the three present members of the rent commission when he makes the appointments. Neither would the senator say whether or not the chances were good for the selec- tien of all or any of the names pre- sented by himself and Edward F. | Coladay, republican national chalr- man for the District, almost a vear ago, immediately after the passage of the Ball extension act. FORMER D. C. WOMAN IS MARRIED IN PARIS { Mrs. Louise Murray Weds Member ! of Ancient Norman Family. | | By the Assoclated Pre PARIS, April 18.—The civil wedding of Mrs. Louise O'Hara Murra; for- {merly of Washington, D. C., and Georges Masdusheil do Colange, a French manufacturer belonging to an ancient Norman family, took place today in the town hall of the Six- teenth Arrondissement. The religi- ous ceremony wlill be celebrated to- morrow in the American Church of the Holy Trinity. Dean Richard Dobbs will officiate. The bride was formerly Miss Loulse Putnam Nicholson and about thirty | vears ago had a career in grand opera in Parls, Berlin, St. Petersburg and T . VR er mother's side she ts a direct descendant of Daniel Boone and {through her father is related to Gen. | Nicholson of civil war fame. Her op- |eratic career was cut short by im- pairment of her volc Smiling “Lone Star,” Who Killed 28 In Plains Fights, Dies, Boots On By the Awsosiated Press. OMAHA, Neb., April 18.—Fighting, smiling, gray-haired old “Lone Star,” ‘red M. Hans, Indian fighter, frontier scout and possibly the last of the real two-gun “cross-arm draw” ex- perts, met death here last night with his “boots on.” But death did not come on the field of battle where he had so often faced was crushed to death in an elevator shaft at the Omaha World-Herald plant, where he was night watchman. “Lone Star” was caught by the elevator when he attempted to move the control lever from the outside and the lift suddenly shot upward. Began Career at Sixteen. “Lone Star” began his career as plainsman at the age of sixteen, when he left home to search for a brother kidnaped by Sioux Indlans. He broke into fame first in 1876 in the “Hole in the Wall” country, Powder River, Wyo., when single-handed, he shot and killed “Shacknasty” Jim and his two fellow bandits. It was “Lone Star's” hammer fanning that won the unequal fight. The Indians dubbed him We-Chach- Pe-Wan-Ge-La, which translated means Lone Star, Other high spots of Hans' life wer: Ho| | bandits April 12, 1877, near Valentine, Neb. | Shot five Indlans in battle of Little | Missouri, near Black Hills, August 21, 1877, saving the lives of a party of twenty prospectors. Killed eleven Indians with twelve shots, using both guns, hammer fan- {ning,’in the battle of Wounded Knee, |S. D, in 1892. (sKiiled ‘bandit, Atnsworth, Neb, in i . hot and killed bandit at Fremont, Neb., in 1897. Trailed Sitting Bull. Was official War Department In- vestigator of Custer massacre, and {followed Sitting Bull 600 miles on horseback, Inducing him and his band to return to the reservation. ‘Was present at Sitting Bull's death. Was chief scoutmaster for Gen. Phil Sheridan for six years. Was chief speclal agent of the Northwestern rallroad for years. In all, Hans was credited with hav- ing killed eight white men and twenty Indians. “1 was never beaten on the draw,” he often declared. Until a month ago Hans wore a scalp lock eighteen inches long, which he kept curled under a skull cap as he sat around in the Herald editorial rooms at night, often displaying his skill with his two guns to reporters and visitors. “No one is after it now,” he ex- plained when he ordered his lock cut Bhot and killed two stage coach off He would not say, however, whether' from the President that he was con-, SENATORS FEARFUL OF CHESTER GRANT Some Members Already Talk of Possible U. S. Foreign Complications. BY DAVID LAWRENCE. Rumblings are beginning to be heard from the direction of the Sen- jate on the subject of the oll conces- | stons granted American capitalists in Turkey. n Congress meets the whole subject Is likely to be aired and a resolution calling for the facts in- troduced. Some of the senators, par- ticularly in the “Irreconcillable” group, think there is more chance of forelgn entanglement in the conces- slon business than In the league of nations itself. Becretary of State Hughes, sensing {the talk of complications—for the European press has been full of It— is pointing out constantly in his con- ferences with the press that there need be no worry about entangle- e ts, and that the discussion of in- concession which =0 promi- s S 10 sa the imagina- has been is largely a specter of tion. Hughes Confident. Mr. Hughes' experience with legal complexities leads him to approach with the utmost serenity the very highly complicated questions which have arisen since announcement was first made that the Turks had grant- ed the Chester oil concession. He sees no extraordinary procedure nec- essary, no need of apprehension on any score. The French government has not yet lodged any formal protest, but has communicated its views in a prelimi- nary way. The United States govern- ment s not unmindful of the deep in- terest which forelgn governments will take in the affair, but naturally feels they need have no cause to fear inequitable treatment. For first of ail it becomes necessary to determine what are the facts. Thus far the American government knows only that the concession has been granted the Chester interests by the Angora government and that there have been certain modifications since the proposal was first brought to the attention of the State Department. When the text has been received and when foreign governments have pointed out just where their claims conflict with the American concession, the Department of State will en: deavor to persuade the Chester in- terests to adjust directly such ques- tions as can be adjusted between them and conflicting interests and if that still leaves a conflict the pro- posal will be made that an arbitral tribunal be appointed with full power to resolve the points In dispute. Fall to See Trouble. Having In mind such a careful legal procedure, the government here fails to see how any enormous polit- ical embroglio can be developed out of this controversy. The full diplomatic support of the American government is given when legitimate claims are made by Amer- ican interests. The question of wheth- er Americans have valid rights must be determined first before there cani be given the backing of the govern- ment. But even then the backing is a matter of moral support and strong (Continued on Page 2, Column 6.) 3 KILLED WHEN AUTO STRIKES STREET CAR Cincinnati Packer and Guests Meet Death in Head-On Collision. By the Associated Pres CINCINNATI, Ohfo, April 18.—Trav- eling at a high rate of speed, an auto- mobile driven by Roland A. Meyer, sec- retary-treasurer of the H. H. Meyer Packing Company of this city, collided head-on with a street car early today, killing Meyer, Dr. Willlam Kratz of Norwood, Ohlo, and Mrs. Wiliam Ben- der, formerly of Dayton, Ohio. Miss Margaret Nebbergall of Charles- ton, W. Va., fourth occupant of the machine, sustained scalp lacerations and probable concussion of the brain. There were no passengers on the street @r. The motorman and conductor ea- caj y jumping. Rocoralig 20 “Mins Nebbergall, the party was returning to the city from a roadhouse in the suburbs when the ac- cident bappened. 1 BUSY, BUT INTERESTED. | - N Prisoner Carries Sick Captor 100 Miles to Hospital By the Associnted Press ANCHORAGE. Alaska, April 18.— While taking an Indian accused of murder from Fort Gibbon to Fair- banks recently, Deputy United Statey Marshal E. B. Webster was stricken with appendicitis. The marshal's prisoner placed him on the sled with which they had been traveling and mushed more than a_hunderd miles with him to a how- | pital, where an operation was per- formed. MOVIE MONOPOLY Big Corporations Summoned to Bar for “Conspiracy to Kill Competition.” BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. For the first time in the history of the “movies.” the United States gov- ernment has opened fire on the vast motion plicture industry, which is ialleged to be under monopolistic con- trol. The Federal Trade Commission charges a powerful group of corpora- tions and individuals, including the Famous Players-Lasky combination, Adolph Zukor, Jesse L. Lasky and Jules Mastbaum, with using “unfair They are charged with violation of section 5 of the act of Congress under which the Federal Trade Commission was created. Months of investiga- tion in Hollywood, New York and other “movie" centers having con- vinced the commission that “proceed- ings in respect thereof would be to the Interest of the public,” the de- fendant group has been formally summoned to the bar. “learings will begin on the premises of the Engi- neers’ Societies In New York _city April 23. They will be conducted for | the government by Willlam H. Fuller, ichief counsel of the Federal Trade | Commission. Paul D. Cravath of the {New York bar is principal attorney for the defense. The companies and persons against whom proceedings lle are: Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, Realart Pictures Corporation, the Stanley Company of America.’ Stanley Book- ing Corporation, Black New England Theaters, Inc outhern Enterprise: linc.; Saenger Amusement Company. Adolph Zukor, Jesse L. Lasky, Jules Mastbaum, Alfred S. Black, Stephen A. Lynch and Ernest V. Richards, jr. Charged With Conspiracy. The above-named defendants are charged with unduly hindering com- petition in the production, distribution and exhibition of motion picture films in interstate and forelgn commerce. They are further accused of “conspir- ling and confederating to control, | dominate, monopolize or attempt to | monopolize, the motion picture in- dustry.” After reciting in detall the actual imethods by which film companies produce, “release” and exhibit motion pletures, the Federal Trade Commis- {sion’s complaint narrates how so- called “first-run” and ‘“repeat-run” plcture theaters arc conducted. “First- run” houses are those in which occur the initial presentations or pictures in_ certain 'generally defined ter- ritorles. Approximately b0 per cent lof the revenue from a film Is derived |from “first-run” showings within six months from the date of its release. |The remaining revenue comes from second and repeat “runs” in other theaters, extending over a perlod of two or three years. Tt is alleged that in the spring of 1916 there were three corporations— Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Com- pany of New York, Famous Players' Film Company of Malne and Bo worth, Inc., of Callfornia—engaged in | produéing ‘films in competition with jone another. There also existed the Paramount Pictures Corporation of New York, the principal agency en- gaged exclusively in distributing and leasing pictures to exhibitors and which made its trademark, “Para- mount Pictures,” well known through- out the plcture-theater public. Combinatio: Formed. The Federal Trade Commission con- tends that Adolph Zukor and Jesse L. Lasky, through the Famous Players- Lasky Corporation, conspired to ac- quire the capital of the producing {Continued on Page 4, Columa Z.) ISCHARGEDBY U5, methods of competition in commerce.” | Star. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 1923—THIRTY-EIGHT PAGES. S 000 WL TRAN N SUMMER CAPS All Arrangements Made by Army to Drill Civilians Under Arms. More than 300,000 men will be “un- der arms” this summer in varlous Army cam ndergoing Intensive | military instruction, according to es- |timates compiled today by the War | Department from reports from com- | manding officers of the nine corps jareas. They have volunteered large- {1¥ from clvil life, and many will “fall 1in" for the first time as a “rookle” In khakl, subject for the time being to the rules and regulations of the mili- | tary establishment. 1t 15 estimated by the War Depart- ment that 223,000 men will attend the National Guard, Organized Reserves, Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and the citizens' military training camps. About 30.000 officers and men of the Regular Army will assist in the traln- ing for instruction and demonstration purposes. The rémaining troops of the regular forces have been provided with a program of their own to be followed during the summer at the scattered posts of the country and in Panama Alaska and other territorial statlons. The training period will begin in June and extend to October. The National Guardsmen will begin tak- ing the field in June and continue through September, with each unit al- lowed two weeks.' Their attendance is expected to be about 176,000 officers and men. The niajority of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps units will be in train- ing from June 14 to July 25. Each unit of this organization will be given j slx weaks’ instruction. eir tot: attendance is m. at 9,000. The citizens’ mallitnerl;l!r:ll;? ing camps will be held from June 25 to September 1, each unit being en- camped one month. Provisions have {been made to accommodate 30,000 men in_this way. Gen. Pershing has issued letters of invitation to all senators and repre- sentatives to visit the various camps and “observe what is being accom- plished by the training” program. “The instruction will bs adapted to the requirements of each of these categories (camps),” the letter says. “and will include not only physical, disciplinary and basic military train- ing, but also talks and lectures and uizzes on good citizenship. its rights, duties ana Tesponsibilities PRESIDENT'S TOUR T0 BEGIN JUNE 13 A partial itinerary for President Harding's western speaking trip, Which has been prepared at the White House, provides for his departure from Washington about June 15 for 2 swing which will take him through St. Louis, Kansas City, Denver and Salt Lake City to San Francisco. He also Is to speak in Portland, Ore,, and will return by the northern route through Chicago. St. Louls First Stop. As the plan now stands, the Presi- dent will make no stop east of St. Louis on his way westward. On the return trip his last address probably will be delivered at Chicago, where he has not spoken since his nomina- tion for the Presidency. It is possi- ble, however, that he may decide to make a speech in Ohio just before his return to Washington. The President also plans to make 2 number of speeches in the east be- fore the western trip begins. Today he took under advisement an invi- tation to go to New York May 10 to address the annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, and should he do so he may speak on the same day at a meeting there in honor of Gen. and Mrs. Bal- lington Boogh. It was said today at the White House, however, that he had accepted neither of these invita- tions definitely, It is understood also that Mr. Hard- ing hopes_to go to Milford, Del., some time in May to deliver an address and to be Initiated into the Tall clednr- of Lebanon, a soclal organiza- tlon. The plans thus far made for the western trip, during which the Presi- dent hopes to be able to go to Alaska, have not yet taken final form, and al- terations may be expected in minor details, It is understood, however, that all of the principal points to be vis- jited have been selected. In all he will make about twenty set speeches —— e “From Press to Home Within the Hour” The Star’s carrier system covers every city block and the regular edi- tion is delivered to Washington homes 180,000-ton alternative was included in as fast as the papers are printed. | Yesterday’s *® Chinese Eating Human Beings; Children Sold * BY WILLIAM R. GILES, By Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1923. PEKING, April 15.—No rain has fallen in two months, resulting in failure of 80 per cent of the wheat crop, and cannibalism is being practiced In Shensi province, ac- cording to reports reaching the Pcking government. Bark-eating practices and the sale of children also have been resorted to by the starving natives, but famine conditions have been made worse through Instances where human beings have been slain for their flesh. President L Yuan-Hung is mak- ing efforts to raise relief funds for the stricken province and also for other districts in north China, where famine conditions are re- ported. Large numbers of destituts villages are camping outsids the walls of Peking clamoring for fo0d. These now are being guard- ed by the gendarmerie, pending re- lief ~ measures. Many wealthy Chinese are demanding protection from the military. FIVE SHIPS ABLAZE ON POTOMAC RIVER Quantico Marines Rush to Rescue of Former U. S. Wooden Vessels. Five of a flect of wooden ships be- ing transferred up the Potomac river | from the Shipping Board storage base in the James river were practically destroyed by fire today, according to a report received by 3Marine Corps Headquarters from Quantico. Tour other vessels were reported badly damaged. Within two hours after the fire was reported pictures of the scene were avallable for inspection by Ma- rine Corps officers here and were sent by them to the Shipping Board, which recently sold the fleet to a commercial firm for scrapping. The officer of the day at Quantico saw the fire and immediately dispatched a force of marines to the scene, sup- plementing them with an airplane, which was to report the situation to him and take photographs. Having accomplished its mission the aviator headed for Washington, where the pictures were developed and sent to the government officials interested. NORFOLK, Va., April 18.—The naval tug Owl, en route from Norfolk to Washington, was ordered to proceed with all pomsible speed to the assis- tance of the vessels on fire. ASK LATIN AMERICA TOHELP RUM FIGHT Proposal at Santiago Seeks Laws to Curb lllegal Liquor Traffic. By the Assoclated Press. SANTIAGO, Chile, April 18.—A pro- posal whereby the American nations would assist the United States in keeping alcoholic liquors out of that country has been submitted to the | hyglenic committee of the pan-Amer- ican conference at the instance of the United States delegation. The resolution, which is offered as part of the committee's report, says: “Whereas certain American states have prohibited alcoholic beverages or have manifested an interest in the | progressive diminution of their use, and whereas the exportation of such | beverages from a country whore re- | striction by leglslation does not exist | to another which has adopted a pro- hibition policy tends to make difficult its internal problems,” it is resolved “to recommend that each American state adopt measures inducive to pro- hibiting without speclal authoriza- tion the exportation of intoxicating liquors to any country where their con- sumption is prohibited.” Jose Austria of Venezuela, to whom the drafting of the report has been entrusted, has proposed adoption of the resolution, making it applicable to “wet" countries. He has suggested progressive taxation upon commerce in liquor and the enactment of leg- islation to prevent fraud in its manu- facture and sale. The discussion of the resolution has been postponed. The technical experts attached to the delegations of the A. B. C. na- tions at the pan-American conference were called into action today for the first time to renort on the new Chil- ean proposal for limitation of the naval { armament maintained by Latin Ameri- | ean countries to a total of either 60,000 or 80,000 tons. Chile s content with the former flgure, and ecven though it would allow her to acquire another modern battleship like the Almirante Latorre it is indicated that she does not propose to do so. The 60,000-ton limitation would virtually malntain the status quo, as far as capital ships are concerned, as the tonnage of Argentina’s two bat- tleships approximate that _figure, while Brazil, with a total of 40,000 tons, would not be left sufficient mar- gln to acquire a modern big gun fighter without scrapping one of her pair of old ones. It is belleved Argentina will not upposite the 60,000-ton limit, but con- ference circles are in doubt as to whether this figure will satisty Bra. zil, which, it is generally understood, destres to acquire at least one mod- ern capital ship. It is intimated in some quarters that it was with the Brazilian program in view that the the Chilean proposals. The Chilean proposal recommends a treaty to run five years, during which no capital ships could be acquired which would bring the tonnage in excess of the limit fixed. The treaty would expire May 1, 1928, but would be automatically renewed for five | simultaneously with Net Circulation, 96,339 TWO CENTS. D. A. R, CANDIDATES FIRE BIGGEST GUNS ASELECTION NEARS Political Pot Seethes as Fight for Highest Offices Grows Hot. NOMINATIONS TONIGHT; TO VOTE TOMORROW Mrs. Cook Looms as Choice Over Mrs. Hanger for Presi- dent General. The Thirty-second Continental Corn- gress of the Daughters of the Amer- lcan Revolutlon, virtually pledged to merclless campaign agaiust pacificism and radical propaganda in the Unlted States, today began to consider s riously the selection of & new pres- ident general capable of leading American womanhood in fts battle against bolshevism on this continent. When the congress convened this morning the race for the presidency general has practically narrowed down to a final struggle between Mrs. G. Wallace W. Hanger of this city and Mrs. Anthony Wayne Cook of Pennsylvania, with the possibility of a western dark horse being entered at the eleventh hour should those two become hopelessly deadlocked after the polls open tomorrow morning. Nominate Tonight. The first real skirmish on the floor of the congress will begin tonight when the delegates are called upon to place in nomination their candidates for all national officers, including president general, seven vice presi- dents general, chaplain general, record- ing secretary general, organizing sec- retary general, corresponding secre- tary general, registrar general, treas- urer general, historian general, re- porter general, librarfan general, curator general and three honorary vice presidents general. With the exception of the vice presidents general and the honorary vice presidents general, all of the national officers will he voted on the president general. Mrs. Cook Favorite. Mrs. Cook probably will go to the post tomorrow morning a slight fa- vorite over Mrs. Hanger by virtue of the support she has been prom- med Dby the strong delegations from New York, Pennsylvania, Massa- chusetts and Missourl. Those dele- gations are said to have been pledged to her virtually solid. In addition, her friends claimed this morning to have support of the District of Co- lumbla, Maine, Minnesota, New Hamp- shire, Tennessee, Vermont, Washing- ton state and Wisconsin. Mrs. Hanger, however, is expected to carry the more or less “solld south,” “which will give her soms large delegations, including those of Virginla, Georgla, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Kansas. Friends Confident. In addition Mrs. Hanger's friends expect her to carry the bulk of the vote from Callfornia, Coonecticut, District of Columbia, Florida and Tllinois, and Maryland, Michigan, Ohio and New Jersey are believed to be equally divided, while the other delegations have steadfastly refused to commit themselves one way or the other until the voting begins. Mrs. Willlam Cumming Story was still officially in the ring, but it wa expected by many delegates that she would swing her votes either to Mrs. Hanger or Mrs. Cook after the first ballot. Should neither of those two then succeed in being elected on the second ballot, new nominations would be in order and the opportunity for a dark horse would have arrived It is not expected the president general will be elected on the first hailot at least, as the rules require the winning candidate to have at least one vote more than half of the total registered delegates. By this cvening ~more than 2,000 delegates are expected to be registered, and neither Mrs. Hanger nor Mrs. Cook claims to have half of that number of votes in advance. Tactics Assaile: The political pot was literally seething behind the scenes this morn- ing, and some of the delegates were openly charged with using question- able tactic: An anonymous letter was finding its way around Memorial Continental Hall attempting to mako capital of Mrs. Hanger's campaign announcement, in which she said the president general of the D. A. R. was more entitled to be called “first lady of the land” than the wife of tha President of the United States. Americanism was still the foremost theme before the congress today and may have the most fmportant bearing upon the selection of the new presi- dent general. Since President Hard- ing, Secretary of State Hughes and Mra. Minor, the president general, de- livered thelr patriotic inaugural day addresses the delegates have been closely examining the ideals of the warious candidates. This there found expression in the congress again to- day when the resolution committeo brought out with a unanimously fa- vorable report the resolution aimed at radicalism introduced by Mrs. Eva V. M. Bissell and Mrs. Minnie F. Mickley vesterday. Amid intense en- thusiasm it was unanimously adopted by the congress. See Radieal at Work. The resolution declares that “where- |as the institution, tradition and ideals which have made and maintained a mighty nation are now assailed by the forces of communism, socfalism and other forms of destructive radi- calism,” the D. A. R. resolve “that it is the duty of all patriotic women to be prepared to play their vallant part in the struggle to save America from the attacks of false friends and open foes by informing themselves thor- oughly by reading, study and other means of information concerning the philosophy and essential principle of American government.” Mrs. Alice Bradford Wiles, chalr- man of the committeo on legisla- tion in the United States Congress, in supporting her annual report, presented recommendations for the Teiteration of support by the congress to the erection of the archives build- ing for the storing of government records in Washington. The thirty- first congress of the Daughters adopted a similar stand last year. These recommendations were in- cluded in a series of resolutions in addition to probable shorter talks,years unless denounced by a signa- from -the rear platform of his train.”tory- nation one year in advance, A which_were presented at the con- (Continued on Page 4, Column 4.), .