Evening Star Newspaper, August 12, 1923, Page 1

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WEATHER. Cloudy and warm, Monday fair, with somewh: perature. local showers Sunday afternoon or thunder- night. at lower tem- Temperature for twenty-two hours ended at 10 p.m. last night: High- est, 86 at 2 at 2 a.m. vesterday. p.m. yesterday: lowest, 68 Report on page 5. No. CUND' OVERTHROW * SETFORTOMORRON BYSOCALIT CHEFS Germany Seethes as 30 Are Slain in Riots While Pol- litical Chiefs Meet. 959.—No. 28,957. NEW DEAL WITH FRANCE TO BE ASKED OF CABINET Liberal Leaders and Workers De- mand Relief for Oppressed Poor Classes. Br Cable to The Star and Copsright, BERLIN, August 11.—The fate of the Cuno cabinet—at least in its pres- ent composition—was decided today « York Tribune 3 when a caucus of the socialist relchs-| tag delegation decided to overthrow the upon reconvocation on Monday. The socialists will not cupport the resolution expressing lack of confidence in the government, but will introduce their own resolu- tion of lack of confidence, stating at the same time that they are ready to government which ac- their minimum de- a direct levy on government support any certain of especially copts mands, capital Following this decision by the bO'I cialists the bourgeols parties imme- diately went into caucus tonight to| s the situation arising from UIP: stand, which is regarded| the soclalists ‘big coalition,” tav Stresemann as chancellor. Thirty Killed in Riots. this situation was develop- political front thirty killed and scores in- 3 d 1n riots throughout Germany. At Aix La Chappelle eleven were Killed, but it is béfeved the situa- t can be controled. 't Leipsic demonstrators paraded | the downtown streets and industry was at a standstill. A shortage of was alarmingly felt. Au- ities, however, sald there was &h food to g0 around. r persons were killed and H\fin)'; injured In outbreaks in Rati-| vour, in upper Silesia. Anti-govern- | ment demonstrations and clashes with the police occurred in Dresden. Stuttgart. Jena and Passewalk. At Crefell currency was short and the populace plundered the food shops when the dealers refused to sell on credit. Four rioters were killed. While ing along the persons were curr s the e ¥e more | Deciston Up to Ebert. The final political decision lies to- night in the hands of President Ebert} and Chancellor Cuno themselves. Two | alternatives are believed to be open in the face of present conditions— either Cuno's resignation followed by a “big coalition,” or a readjustment of the Cuno cabinet by the elimina- tion of Finance Minister Hermes and Minister of National Economy Beck-| er. who are regarded as chiefly re- sponsible for the government's dis- astrous financial policy and conse- quent present financial situation. The first of these alternatives is re- | Mi8ht in the dark corridor of the Ho- | sian, |bach for the last eight days, Entered as sccond-clas: matter post office Washington, D. C. BERGDOLL SHOOTS FOE DEAD IN MAD FIGHT FOR FREEDOM Bites Off Thumb of Another in Kidnaping Plot—U. S. Army Officer Is Held. CONSPIRATORS SAVED FROM INFLAMED CROWD Frenchmen Victims; Plan Said to Be to Get Draft Evader Punished. (By Cable to The Star aud the Philadelphia Public Ledger. Copyright, 1823 " | EBERBACH, Baden, August 11.— Grover Bergdoll last night for a sec- ond time escaped from an attempt lc! kidnap him and spirit him across the ’l{ordu into occupied territory for de- | livery to American authorities for trial and punishment Bergdoll himself was badly injured. | ! being beaten over the head with a‘ { Tubber billy while his assallants were tr¥ing to stun and carry him off; one of his assailants was killed and an- other scriously wounded, while af { third, together with an American offi- | |cer, giving the name of First Lieut. G.l H. Grifith, and an American chauf- feur, Victor Neilson, were captured and barely escaped lynching at the| hands of the enraged friends and| sympathizers with Bergdoll. The attempt was pulled off late last tel Post and Krone, belongin, Bergdoll's S cousin, while Bergdoll was Boing to his room about 11 o'clock. Bites Off Man's Thumb, Bergdol! after biting off the thumb of one of the kidnapers, succeeded | in drawing his revolver and freeing | himself. Bergdoll, who ostensibly has been in Switzerland, has for some time made his headquarters at Zin- sheim, where he felt himself in great- er security than in Eberbach, but came to Eberbach several days ago [to see his mother, who recently ar- rived from America Three emissaries in the kidnaping plot, two Frenchmen and one a Rus- have been scouting around Eber- out the lay of the land. th ku‘;::fi remaining constantly in Eberbach, while the two Frenchmen spent their nights in Heidelberg to minimize sus. picion and avold danger. Their visits. however, did not escape notice The Frenchmen were summoned by the police, ostensibly to obtain pay- ment of the foreigners' “tax,” but really to ascertain their identity, and thereafter a sharp watch was kept on them. Last night they succeeded in enter- ing the hotel unnoticed and lay in wait for Bergdoll in a corridor lead- Ing to his room. They attacked him with rubber slingshots and also tried to drug him. Bergdoll resisted des- perately, got the thumb of one of his assallants into his mouth during thei struggle and bit it completely oft. | Kills Assailant. garded as the one more likely to be adopted. Berlin Still Tense. In Berlin the situation, while some- what relaxed continued tense. These shop councils meeting called by the communists today proclaimei a gene- ral strike, for Tuesday, affecting the capital and vicinity. The strike was called to enforce a whole series of demands, including the immediate resignation of Cuno, the confiscation of a1l foodstuffs and provisions, recognt- tion of the workers control commis- sions, in plants the rescinding of the ord prohibiting the formation of armored proletarian bands, a minimum wage of sixty sold pfennigs an hour and the release of all political pris- one ‘Vorwaerts” pronounced the death verdict upon the Cuno cabinet today when it said: “Cuno will go. Perhaps today, per- haps tomorrow, perhaps Monday. But at any rate, quite soon. The question fow to be discussed is not whether the cabinet will go, but what is to fol- when it does.” Tt was really this question which sccupicd the attention of the so- Sialists all day in their caucus. While 3 majority of them are willing to participate in a government headed by Stresemann, It Is understood they will demand some of the leading port- folios, including the the interfor, national economy, possibly finance. low and Candidates Named. Their candidate for foreign minister s former Minister of ‘the Interior Koester, now German envoy to Riga. On the other hand, it is regarded as »xtremely probable that the Ruhr in- Bustrialists will be represented in the pew cabinet through the well known magnate Kirdorff, who, with other prominent members of the. people’s party, strongly favors an effort at direct understanding with France as a move absolutely essential for the rescue of the country from the pres- ent serious situation. Herr Stresemann, it is learned, is willing to form a new cablnet if the | soclalists join, but while he favors conversations with France, all of his recent declarations have been to the effect that these cannot begin as long #s France insists that passly ance in the Ruhr cease first. ‘Workers Demand Power. Above all {s the demand for a pure- ly workers' government. The fact that the strike was not set until Tuesday, however, is regarded as an indication that the communists really are not aiming at a general walkout, which they are not at all sure of be- £, Continued on Page 2, Column 3.) foreign office, | He finally succeeded In drawing his |and severely wounded the second. The |third, who rushed in. made off, close- {1y followed by gendarmes, and ran {down the Heldelberg road toward the |automoblle awaiting the kidnapers.. | The police arrived before it was pos. | sible to get away and arrested Lieut. | Griffith, Neilson and the Russian. | "An angry crowd gathered ana {threatened to lynch the prisoners, but {the gendarmes succeeded in laj | them in Jail. 1 The Eberbach population is teday | still In a very ugly mood, and many ! threats are heard, but danger of {violence to the prisoners is believed | past { The kidnaping attempt was well or- |sanized. ~All the conspirators were |armed, and provided with maps of Eberbach and the surrounding coun- try, a diagram of the hotel, with the location of Bergdoll's room and a !supply of narcotics to be used in stupefying Bergdoll, and enable them to get him across the frontier as a | drunken friend, if stopped by the Ger- man frontier police. : DENY ACT OFFICIAL. | | { nding | | War Department Had No Part in Bergdoll Plot, Is Said. | By the Associated Press. ' | War Department officials expressed | iinterest yesterday in reports of the |attempted capture of Grover Cleve- (Continued on Page 2, Column 7.) 1 I By Cable to The Star. LONDON, August 11.—“We don't care much for wireless.” was the verdict of Indarini, one of the ele- phants of the Regents’ Park zo0, when an experiment was made to see whether the animal would obey the keeper's voice, coming from a loud transmitter of a wire- lers telephone set. Pondering on the spread of the broadcasting craze, some zoo offi- clals wondered whether it would not be possible for the keepers to give orders to their charges over the wireless. They arranged a demonstration with Indarini as a subject. At 6 o'clock Syed Ali, the Indian mahout who rules over the zoo elephant, began issuing orders in Hindustani over the phome. His first command was “Lie down.” l : - j there is he WASHINGTON, D. BATISH DISPATEH REPARATINS NOTE i Message, Directed Primarily to France, Questions Ruhr Action. By Cable to The Star. LONDON, August 11.—The British reparations note to France was dis- patched to Paris this afternoon. It comprises a complete summing up of the official British views on the whole question of reparations, inter-allied debts, the occupation of the Ruhr, and the question of the security of | the French Rhine frontier. While Staulaire, the French am- bassador in London, tonight forward- ed the note to his government, its text will not be given out here until tomorrow night when it will be In- cluded with the blue book which will be issued containing all .the docu- ments bearing on the .reparations situation since the Germafi mnoté of June 7. Appeal to P te. This evening's London newspapers emphasize a feature of the note which foreshadowed the dispatch mentioned above—that while it is primarily addressed to France, it in reality con- stitutes a submission of the British position to the bar of the world's public opinion. The British communication goes in for a consideration of the legality of the French Ruhr occupation. It contains a repetition of the British belief that Germany's capacity to pay should be re-assessed, preferably by an international commission, such as figured prominently in the recent |revolver and shot one kidnaper dead |British reparations proposals. It is pointed out that Britain has suffered heavy losses since the Ruhr . occupation began in January, ' and tain in any circumstances m col- lect enough to cover her own debt payment. | SAUNDERS TO QUIT AS HEAD OF PIGGLY Ready to Permit Control of Stores to Pass to Hands of Pool Members. By the Associated Press. MEMPHIS, August 11.—Clarence Saunders, founder of Piggly Wiggly and .president of Piggly Wigsgly Stores, Inc., tonight anhounced that he was ready to step down from. his position as directing head of the Piggly Wiggly stores'and permit con- trol of the organization to pass into the hands of members of the “pool with whom he was assoclated in Piggly Wiggly's recent venture into Wall street. Mr. Saunders made this announcement on the heels of rumors that he would relinquish the presidency of Piggly Wiggly Stores. This development followed recent differences between Mr. Saunders and members of the pool Keeper’s V oice by Radio Stirs Only Contempt of Elephant Indarini glanced contemptuously at the horn just outside her cage and went right on eating her potatoes. The second command, ordering her to “stand up,” seemed merely foolish to her, as she had not obeyed the first order. While other instructions were being Issued from the set, she. simply finished her dinner and looked disgustedly at the horn. Then the keeper, who was pres- ent, advanced and gave the same orders. Incldentally, he empha- sized them by jabs with a sharp stick. Indarini obeyed imme- diately, but did not even glance up when the “good night” signal came over the wireless. Zoo offictals have decided for the time being to stick to the old- tashioned methods. (Conright, 923) « . also an intimation that Bri- | iy WITH DAILY EVENING EDITION TODAY’S STAR PART ONE—28 Pages. General News—Local, Natlonai, Foreign. Rest Farm Cares for Animals—Page 3. Maryland and Virginla News—Pages 13" and 19. Financlal News—Pages 26 and 27. PART TWO0—20 Pages. Editorial and Editorial Features. Washington and Other Soclety. Tales of Well Known Folk—Page 8. Parent.Teacher Activities—Page 11. Boys' and Girls’ Page—Page 12. | Girls” and Their Affairs—Page 13. | Radio News and Gossip—Page 13. | Classified Advertisements — Pages to 1s. PART THREE—12 Pages. Amusements—Theaters and the Photo- ! play. { Music In Washington—Page 4. Serial—"The Owl Tax|"—Page 4. Around the City—Page 4, Reviews of New Books—Page 4. Motors and Motoring—Pages 5 to 10. Fraternities—Page 11. Army and Navy News—Page: 11. Veterans of the Great War—Page 11. Spanish War Veterans—Page 11. The Civillan Army—Page 12. The Poblic Library—Page 12, PART FOUR—4# Pages. Pink Sports Section. 13 PART FIVE—S Pages. | Magazine Section—Fiction and Features. GRAPHIC—S8 Pages. World Events In Pictures. COMIC SECTION—1 Pages. Mutt and Jeff; Reg'lar Fellers; Betty; Mr. and Mrs, DONVAN USTED BY LERON PUST lVincent B. Costello Organiza- tion Asks Resignation of First Commander. Daniel J. Donovan, District auditor and first commander of Vincent B. | Costello Post of the American Leglion, was ousted by that post last night by a vote of 20 Hto 13. The motion adopted called for his resignation, and authorized the officers of the post, in case he did not resign, to refuse his dues. Action of the post followed a pro- | controversy con- cerning - a letter Maj. Donovan, written by Dono- van to the departmental command- er of the legion, in which Donovan criticized his post for its plan to raise funds for a clubhouse by giv- ing the promoter 50 per cent of the proceeds. Donovan in his letter had charged that Dr. Walter F. Sullivan, post com- mander, and the executive committee had refused to carry out the express- ed orders of the post, which Donovan said had voted against going into the ‘fifty-fifty proposition. The cons tract with the promoter has since been canceled by the post officers. The motlon to oust . the district auditor was - presented by R. A. O'Brien, vice commander, and sec- onded by E. J. Lefferts, vice com- mander, - and precipitated a heated argument, which waged until mid- night. Attempts to adjourn the meeting at 11 o'clock without voting on the Donovan ouster falled. Refuses to Resign. “I.will not resign,” declared Maj. Donovan, following the meeting. “I will circularize the enmtire member- ship of the post, which s about 550, and see that the whole matter is pre- sented to them.” The anti-Donovan_ forges, led by O'Brien, and the commander, Dr. Sul- livan, charged that Donovan had been —_— e " (Continued on Page 3, Column 3.) ™~ SHEEP T0 BE SHOT | INKEPNER DEFENSE Counsel Expects to Show by Test Wife Could Have Killed Herself. Br a Staff Correspondent. FREDERICK, Md., August 11.—The lifeless head of a sheep's carcass may {become the key with which B. Evard Kepner's lawyers will unlock the cell | In which he is imprisoned, charged with the murder of his wife, Mrs Grace-Simmons Kepner, the wealthy daughter of an old Maryland family. Persisting in his assertion’ that Mrs, Kepner was the victim of her own hand, Leo Welnberg, chief counsel for the detense, will take the county circuit court out to.a small back lot Monday morning and, 'using the same pistol with which murder is alleged to have been committed, fire 2 doe Hitath 1nto. the Miade of 4534 RSP to disprove testimony offered by the prosecution to the effect that the death bullet, entered Mrs. Kepner's head from the left side. Experts to Test Theory. “It is a poor rule that doesn't work two ways” sald Mr. Weinberg to- night. “The prosecution used sheep's heads to show that the caliber bullet | which slew Mrs. Kepner makes a small hole at the point of ingress and a gaping wgund at the point of egress. 1If that is true, then certainly Mrs. Kepner was shot from the left side and the possibility of suicide seems to have been removed. “But we have experts who will take [that same pistol Monday morning and {fire a bullet into the head of a sheep. When the skull is examined by other tracted and bitter | experts it will be found that the hole imade where the bullet' entered was larger than where it left.. You know, not only do different kinds of bone vary, but there are certain mathe- matical facts about the progress of high-powered bullets in which the court undoubtedly will be much in- terested. ‘Will Offer Blue Prints. “We will ask the entire court and every newspaper man in Frederick to witness our own demonstration, because we are sure it will remove all doubt in the minds of those who see It as to whether or not suicide would have been possible in the case of Mrs. Kepner. In addition, we have a number of blue prints, drawn to scale, which will show that the bullet could have entered Mrs. Kepner's head trom the right side and still have lodged in the wall where It was foun All doubt as to whether Mrs. Ezra Houck, the elghty-four-year-old mother of Mrs. Kepner, who lay a helpless invalid in a room just across the hall from the chamber in which Mrs. Kepner dled, will testify, was re- moved late this afternoon following a second visit to her bedside by State’s Attorney Aaron R. Anders, and Dr. J. O. Hendrix. Not only is Mrs. Houck physically and mentally un- able to withstand such an ordeal, the state's attorney said, but her test|- mony could not be accepted by a court. “Mrs. Houck's physical condition is so serious that she knows little of what has transpired.” Mr. Anders said. “When we talked to her about (Continued on Page 2, Column 7.) TWO AMERICANS DIE ~ IN AIRPLANE CRASH Pilot, Famous French War Aviator, Also Killed in Fall. LE BOURGET, FRANCE, August 11.—Two Americans, Arthur and Joseph Steep, brothers, of Oll City, Pa., were killed when an airplane in which * they were passengers crashed to the ground at Degny, near here, today. Gabrie! Poulain,. noted for his exploits as a French airman during the war, pilot of the machine, also was killeds St Cites Grinding Duty That Causes Break in Health. Fightfor Re-election Terrific Strain— For One Term. EDITOR'S NOTE—No man has a clearer conception of ‘the dutiex of the presidency, unless we_axcept the distinguished holders of that office. than Joseph I. Tumulty. for elght years secrefary to former President Wilson The country has seen the great burdens of the office Lreak down the health and cause the death of Warren G. Harding: it alko knows hew former President Wilkon became an Invalid hefore he left the White Housc. Mr. Tumulty goex to the heart of the watrer, and reveals those things which worry and ‘harass the nation's Chief Exec utives. BY JOSEFPH P'. TUMULTY. (Copyright. 1923. hv The Washington Star. Reproduction Prohibited.) The untimely death of President Harding has brought on a discussion of the duties and burdens of the pres- idential office. Distinguished public men are now engaged in debating leg- islation with a view of relieving the President. The most definite proposal of relief thus far advanced is that an official be designated to act as assistant to the President, upon whom will de- volve the ministerial duties in con- tradistinction to the administrative dutles which are inseparable frous the office of the Chief Executive. From my own experience in the White House, covering a period of eight years (three of which encom- passed the momentous events of the FATE UPSETS PLAN OF G.0.P.T0 QUST COOLIDGE IN 194 Dramatic Accident Places Him as Almost Sure Party Standard-Bearer. BY ROBERT T. SMALL. In the calm that has followed the storm, the leaders:of.the grand old Party, gathered heré from every sec- tion of the country, profesws to see in the succession of Calvin Coolidge to the presidency a solution rather than a complication of their problems. Fate plays many strange pranks. One turn of the political kalsidoscope and the whole picture is changed The man the republican leaders had decided to shelve, the man who was to be cast aslde atter one term in the vice presidency, flashes to the fore, and these same leaders arc agrcedl today that he must be the next nom- PRESIDENCY HARD, CRUEL TASK, TUMULT-;Y ASSERTS “From Press to Home The Star is Withir. the Hour” delivered every evening and Sunday morning to Washington homes at 60 cents per month. Telephone Main 5000 and service will start immediately. SUNDAY MORNING, AUGUST 12, 1923.—EIGHTY-FOUR PAGES. FIVE CENTS. . ED”KLN% T SRIRS JOSEPH P. TUMULTY. world war). my opinion is that if the plan of naming an assistant is car- ried out it will be a mere expedient— a quack renmiedy—and would not go to | the heart of, the thing we seek to cor- | rect We cannot really lift the bur- dens which! beset the President at every turn unti] we find a way to free him from tRose things which worry and harass, those things which take | his thoughts away from a proper con- sideration of the real questions of fm- portance affenting the country’s wel- fare and w daily press upon him | for solution The trials o the presidency about which complain are inherent in ge 4, Column “(Continued on P: Executive Office | Packing Directed | By Mys. Harding | i Mrs. Hard Washington from Ma- rion, spent tae entire afternoon supervising the clearing out of the effects of the'late President from his office in the Executive build- ing. .Secretary Christian, Rudolph Forster, executive clerk, and oth- ers of the White House staff were called into aseist, and a mass of material, consisting chiefly of cor- respondence and memoranda, was taken away. it is Mrs. Harding's present pur- pose to remain in the White House at least until Monday, after which time she may take up a temporary residence here, cither at thé home of Mr. Christian or of other friends. Mrs. Coolidge, wife of the President, greeted her at the White House on her arrival from Marlon, and remained with her for a brief time. Miss Ruth Powderly, one of the nurses who attended President Harding during his fatal {llnes: at the White House Harding. returned to is with Mrs | inee of the party to succeed himself in the White House. They are wait- ing for his orders. It has been one of the most dra- matic switchey in a presidentlal sit- uation ever known in Washington. Men who two weeks ag> shrugged thetr shoulders at the mention of Cal- vin: Coolidge's: name -today attend him, hat in hand. They have learned that destiny sometimes rises ubove the dictates of a party council Slated for Shelf. It has been decided that Mr. Cool- jdge would lend no particular strength to a ticket in 1924 headud by Warren Harding. Mr. iarding could pretty safely count upon the New England vote anywav. In the interest of party success, Mr. Ccol- idge must forego any further ambi- tions he might have and step aside to make room for some good man from the west, from the home of the pro- gressives and the radicals: some one who might lend a touch, at least, of progressive color to the national ticket. All this is changed now. Party ve faith In President Cool- :s;i_e" ‘,:;:ny of them Dbelieve that even in the short time that inter- venes before the preference primaries and the convention itself is upon us he will establish himself as the party Ch;)‘::e.conclu:lcn that President Hard- ing's death had left the party in chaos was erroneous. The progres- sives and radical wings of the party were preparing to descend upon Mr. Harding in the presidential year. It will be difficult for them to descend upon President Coolidge, for he has done nothing upon which they can descend. Assumes Leaderahi calvin Coolidge has assumed a lead- ership which must be respected. It must not be assumed from this that progressive hopes are dead. They are still. in a mood to fight, to fight gomebody, somewhere. Perhaps they can’ find rifts in the Cool{dge armor, but the time is short, and he has all the advantage. The hopes of Hiram Johnson, of La Follette, of Pinchot and the oth- ers who may have been considered in line for the presidential nomina- tion, were built upon an opportunity of attack. They are stddenly left with no one to attack. The Harding administration is gone trom consideration. It died with the late President. ‘The republican plat- form, dictated by the regular leaders, will point to the administration with pride; the insurgents cannot view it with alarm, for it is-a thing over and done with. Republican leaders no longer deny (Comtinued on Page 4, Column 5.) i CITIES SHOW VALUE OF HIGH PRESSURE Five Larger Centers Find System Has Become Good Investment. High-pressure water systems for fire fighting in Baltimore. Philadel- | phia, Cleveland, New York and Bos- [ton are not only safeguards against jdisastrous conflagrations, but are proving to be good investments to the taxpayers since their installation. Aslde from the actual saving in the prevention of loss by fire, a drop in insurance rates has followed the in- stallation of the system in these citles, and in New York and Brook- Iyn taxpayers have been saved a vearly average of ance rates alone. Installation of high-pressure SySs- tems In these cities followed great losses by fire in the cities mentioned, as in Baltimore, whose great disaster served as an impetus to the installa- tion of high-pressure systems throughout the country. Will Washington wait for a great | (Continued on Page 2, Column 2.) TOTH STILL SWIMMING CHANNEL AT MIDNIGHT American’s Two Competitors Forced to Quit Four Hours After Start to France. | By the Assoclated Press. DOVER, England, August 11.— Charles Toth, the doughty little Bos- ton waiter, was still breasting the seethink currents of the English chan- nel at the apprbach of midnight to- night in an attempt to swim to Calals, according to latest reports. His two competitors, Sam Richards, also of Boston, and Romeo Maclel of Argen- tina, who took to the water with him | at 12:35 here this afternoon, were forced to abandon the swim after having struggled with the waves, tide and wind for more than four hours. Further interest was added to the event tonight when word was received from Calals, France, that Enrique Tirabocchi, an Argentine swimmer, fto 750,000 on insur- | COOLIDGE T0 APPLY FULL FORCE OF U.§, 10 COAL DEADLOCK Swift Action Indicated If Pay Controversy Threatens to Stop Production. CABINET ON TUESDAY TO TAKE UP PROBLEM Resumption of Wage Parley Likely to Be Requested This Week by Government. President Coolidge turned tention vigorously yesterday to anthracite coal situation. It Is ex- pected that he will take steps, unless there ix me {intimation that the operators and miners are going to get together, within a very short time safeguard the people against shutdown of the mines and the cut- his | ting off of their fuel supply. George Otis Smith of the United | States Coal Commission was with the President for day afternoon, half an hour yester- and he was followel Joseph B. Kastman, the Massa- chusetts member of the Interstate Commerce Commission The President, it is under went into the anthracite situation with hoth these callers, and also with Secretary Hoover of the Departmen’ of Commerce, earlier in the day Will Consult Hammond. Dr. Smith left here last night t Gloucester, Mass., to meet Hays Hammond, chairman of coal commission, and report to I the result of his conference with th President. The first formal mesting of -th cabinet is to be held Tuesday. TI coal problem undoubtedly will be oue of the important ixsues discussed at that meeting. The President is pur suing his usual course before actinw on important matters—gathering the fullest information obtainable. In informed quarters, however, it was sald last night that if there were no evidences of a coming settlement of the controversy by the operators and miners themselves, the President would act quickly and would make the contending parties understand that the full force of the government— which in this case is backed up strongly by public opinion—would b used to compel the continued oper. tion of the coal mires. Plans If Strike Comes. Dr. Smith was asked if the commission had worked out a plar for government action in the event of a strike. “We have no plan worked out be- yond the recommendations made by the commisslon in its report to the Presi dent,” sald Dr. Smith. These recom- mendations, to become effective, re- quire legislation giving the President authority to declare a national emergency and to bring about oper: tion of the mines by the government in case of a strike. They also provide for full publicity relating to the coa! industry. It is considered doubtful, however, that Congress will be called In extra session unless conditions develope that make it necessary for the Presi- dent to be given additional powers. There is a growing belief, however that President Coolidge, if it becomes necessary, will notify the operators and the miners that, i they fail to reach an agreement within a reason- able time, he will call Congress to- gether and obtain legislation giving him full authority to take over and work the coal mines in the event of a shut down. That such legislation, on the eve of a coal strike, could be put through Congress at the sugges- tion of the administration seems foregone conclusion. coul May Urge New Parley. The governmental intervention pected this week may take the for of an invitation by the coal commi sion to the officlals of the miners' unfon and representatives of the an- thracite coal operators to resume negotlations for a wage contract which would keep the men at work after September 1. Negotiations broke off ten d: ago, when the union representatives at an Atlantic City conference demanded that the operators grant the “check-off” in t new contract, and the operators re- fused. Due to the death of President Harding, officlal action in the matter has been held in abeyance, although a study of the situation has been continuing. Some officials are of the opinion that sufficient anthracite has Dbeen mined by the high-pressure pro- duction of the last six months to pre- vent a fuel famine, even if operations were actually suspended, provided the suspension was of short duration Notwithstanding, the chief desire fs to prevent any test of the storage capacity. Insists on Check-Off. ex- John Lewls, president of the United Mine Workers and chiet of the union's negotiators, - visited Washington for President Harding's funeral ceremonies. While here he conveyed the impression to members of the coal commission that the “check-off” demand would be per- sisted in to the point of suspending all work on September 1. There were some intimations at the coal commission that the miners might not care to walk out on that issue alone, but they came from other than union sources. The “check-of” is the practice now | had started to swim the channel from Cape Griz-nez to the English ®mast. y A ~ prevalling in the unionized bitumi- (Continued on Page 4, Columa 4) ¢

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