Evening Star Newspaper, December 31, 1923, Page 1

\WEATHER. Rain tonight: tomorrow rain, probably changihg to snow: mild temperature to- night. becoming much colder tomorrow and tomorrow night: temperature for 2¢ hours ended At 2 p.n. today: Highest, 46, at 12 noon; lowest; 40, at 2:45 a.m. today. Full report on page Closing N. Y. Stocks and Bonds, Page 20 Entered as second-class matter office Washington, No. 29,098. post D. C. U.S.BACKING GVEN BREGON NAY HAVE BIG CONSEQUENCES South and Central America Watching Policy of Selling War Supplies. DENIAL MADE HARDING POSITION IS REVERSED Aim of Government Said Only to Assist Friendly Nation to Curb Insurrection. | | By the Associated Press. The de la Huerta faction in Mexico today filed with the State Department a formal _protest against the plan of the United States to sell war materials to the Mexlco City government of n. Obregor BY DAVID LAWRENCE, Tecicion of the Urited States gov- t to sell muuit'ona to the Ohre- government Mex.co means than the help of W earries Wt expression st which psy lave far- in Central and erne zon me aterials m e mara 1 T of taoral sun reaching consequences South America Although on the surface it would appear that there is a contradiction between the poliey of the late Presi- dent Harding in refusing. to supply government avar munitions to other!| countries, the decision of the Cool- sdge administration is really in con- formity with the Harding principle. Mr. Harding did not wish to use war supplies stored by the American gov ernment to ‘“encourage warfare. Probably Mr. Coolldge would feel the sathe way if the supplies were to be| used as between two warring nations both of which were on terms 5f peace | with the United States. Alm to Curb Rebellion. But the exportation of supplies to & recognized government to enable it} to squelch rebellion and maintain or- | der within its gates is a different proposition. For several months there has been an interesting discus- sion going on in the various foreign offices of the world and also in Gen- eva in the league of nations with re- £pect to the control of the sale of war supplies. The United States has re- fused to become a party to the pro- posed treaty largely because of an unwillingness to tie its own hands! with respect to the situation in Cen- wral and South America. The smalier countries south of the Ttio Grande do not have large arsenals Tor have they the necessary resources with which to make arms in an emer- gency. The American government fTeels that it should always be free to | xupply them with whatever they may need in the way of war material. The decision of the American government itself to do the selling marks a radi- cal departure in previous policy, how- over, in_another respect. Heretofore 411 the tratfic in arms has been carried on by private manufacturers, and it has been charged at various times 1hat these manufacturers were them- selves instrumental in fomenting re- solt or, at least, in fanning the flames when ‘once the fires of revolution yoere kindled. Keepx Armu Sale Guarded. taking Into fts own hands the of munitions the Washington | government is able to maintain con- | irol of the situation and keep private | interests from becpming entangleg in « delicate problem. While the biggest value to the Obregon administration in the episode is not the readiness of the American goverument to supply arms, but its public announcement of sympathy with the existing government in Mex- ico City, the decision s not without | its dangers.. The de la Huerta faction is known to be much more conserva- | tive than the Obregon elements. Up to this moment, American busi- 2iess interests have not been involved | in any sense as between de la Huerta | #nd Obregon, the position being taken ! that both groups were friendly to the American nvestor and business man, | | BY sale Propaganda Ix Posxible. Now, however, it would not be sur- CHINESE BANDITS CAPTURE U. S. WOMAN| Seize Mrs. Julina Kilen, Lutheran | Missionary—Two Others Wounded in Raid. | | By the Associated Press. PEKING, December 3l.—Followers | of the notorious bandit leader, Lao | Yao-Jen captured an American mis- | ionary, Mrs. Julina Kilen, and cunded two other missionaries, Prof. ! Bernhard Hoff and Mrs. Hoff, in a rald upon the town of Tsaoyang, in morth- ern Hupeh province mear the border town of Siangyangfu, according to udvices received here today. The American legation has taken attive steps to bring about the cap- ture of the brigands and the libera- tion of Mrs. Kilen. The Chinese gov- ernment has offered a bounty for the capture, dead or alive, of the bandit leader. The thres misslonaries are repre- sengGtives #f the Church of the Lu- theran Brethren of the United State: and were conducting a mission at Tsaoyang when the town was rald- ed. Warned of activities of the ban- dits in the vicinity, by the tuchun, or military governor ' of the province, they had vacated their station and embarked on river craft for safety before the rald. Later, however, on recelving asurances from the tuchun that the bandits had been suppressed, they returned to the mission. Mrs. Kilen is fifty years old, and her home is in Northfield, Minn. Prof. Hoff, thirty-two, and Mrs. Hoff, twen- ty-five, were married here last August, and only recently had xone to. Tsaoyang, accompanied by \irs, Kilen, to open the mission there. hey. formerly resided. in _Grand | the ambassador should be appointed | | mas holiday in the country today, and jccmplete the king’s speech for the { tion of the liberals is dissatisfied with i the three partles.” Klondyke Gold And Silver Find Starts New Rush By the Associated Press. DAWSON, Y. T., December 31.— The Klondyke is in the throes of another gold and silver rush. At the head of the Beaver river, fifty miles west of Keno Hill, a reported discovery of silver and Bold has started a stampede from Keno and from Mayo, the major mining settlement of the Yukon. Assays have revealed pay dirt running 1,100 ounces of silver to the ton. Radio messages have told of gold without giving detalls of | assays. / CHOICE OF GEDDES SUCCESSIR SEORED Undue Haste in Picking Brit- | ish Envoy to U. S. Charged by Liberal Daily. By the Associated Pross. LONDON, December 31.-—Comment- ing on the resignation of Sir Auck- land Geddes and the appointment of Sir Esme Howard, the lberal Daily News protests angrily against “the indecent hurry with which the mori- bund government filled the most im- portant position in the diplomatic servicc.” It contends that “at this Juncture of events the ambassador at Washington ought to be a representa- tive Englishman well known on both sides of the Atlantic and with special gifts for strengthening the new un- derstanding which has recently grown up between the two nations.” The Daily News asks whether the pre- mier's frantic haste in appointing Sir Esme was due to fear lest the next ministry should appoint some impos- sible person. The Westminster Gazette, whose | political views are identical with those of the Daily News, takes the | opposite position, saying that as the | selection of the successor to Ambas- | sador Geddes fell “to a government awaiting execution, it is right that 1 from the ranks of the diplomatic corps rather than from the outside." Politien In Denled. “That robs the choice of all politi- cal _significance continues the newspaper. “It has other advantages, inasmuch as during the next few years relatiops with the United States must involve many questions in deal- ing with which-diplomatic experfence will be most desirable. The newspaper argues that in the future the United States, far more than in the past must concern her- self with affairs outslde her own borders, and that the business ispects of a diplomatic relation consequently will have more prominence. The only other comment {s that of the Daily Express, which dwells on the smooth- ness of the tasks before both Ambus- sador Kellogg and Ambassador How- ard, because obliteration of the last seeds of disagreement has made a reality of the friendship to which many decades of lip service have Leen pa Mr. Kellogg left New York on hie birthday and landed in Plymouth ves- terday on the birthday of Mrs. Kel- loge. They were greeted by the may- or ot Plymouth. Baldwin Back in London. Prime Minister Baldwin Is expected to return to London from his Christ- an early Mmeeting of the cablnet to opening of parliament a week from temorrow is foreshadowed. Newspapers whose avowed object Is to prevent, if possible, the installa- tion of a socialist government renew today stories that a considerable sec- the attitude of Herbert Asquith and other leaders and Is working for an arrangement amounting to a fusion of the liberals and conservatives to support the Baldwin ministry on some agreed mon-party program to.keep the socialists out, The Times professes to be ‘able to ccrrect these reports, saying that Ramsay Macdonald will take over the premiership before the end of Janu- ary with the full consent of the con- servatives and with the assistance of the liberals, and that the gloomy pre- dictions of the results of the advent! of the socialists to power emanate largely from “the ranks of the panjc- stricken plutocrats, who have failed to have thelr way with Mr. Baldwin and whose wild alarm is not shared by the responsible leaders of any of Geddes to Return. The forelgn office has issued the fol- lowing statement respecting the resig- nation of Sir Auckland Geddes as am- bassador to the United States: “Sir Auckland Geddes, having been informed by his medical advisers that the state of his eyes will not admit of his immediate resumption of work {Continued on Page 4, Column 6.) TSAO KUN HELPLESS WITH SEALS STOLEN Fears to Leave Palace—No Act of Parliament Can Be Made Official. BY CLIFFORD FOX. By Cable to Ther:“"-é‘-:'d. Chicago Dally New PEKING, December 31.—Recent de- velopments in the central government situation have virtually paralyzed President Tsao Kun's administration. Tsao is afraid to leave his palace because of assassination acts, and Act- ing Premier Kao Ling-Wel has seized the parliamentary ballot box contain- ing the votes of ratification of Sun Pao-Chi's candidacy for the premier- ship. Wu Ching-Lien, erstwhile speak- er of the house of representatives and former stanchest advocate of the aboli- tion of extra territories, has fled to safety in the forelgn concession at Tientsin, where he enjoys protection under the Japanese flag. Before fleeing Peking Wu-Ching-Lien seized the parliamentary -’uu:. mak- for ] 1 A% s \epon The cablnat dedisions as pro vided by China’s new constitution. " All efforts of the Chinese police to recover the seals and arrest Wu have thus far failed, because they do mot dare act _@h WASHINGTON, D. C., MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, ito |gineer department is doin { Capt. NEW BOARD NAMED 10 SOLVE' TRAFFIC ISSUES IN DISTRICT Permanent Body Co-Ordi- nates Various . Agencies. Headed by Maj. Holcomb. | 1 BALL TO SEEK REMEDIES IN NEEDED.LEGISLATION Will Introduce Bill for More Po-| lice, Better Lighting and Crossing | Squad Under Full D. C. Eule. | Two decisive steps toward finding solution of Washington's traffic prob- lem were taken today. The first was the appointment of a | permanent traffic board by the District | Commissioners composed of Maj. W. H. | Holcomb, assistant engineer commis- | sioner, as chairman; Inspector Albert | J. Headley, in charge of the traffic bu- | reau, and Ringgold Hart, assistant | corporation counsel. The board co-| ordinates the District agencles han- | dling traflc, namely, the engineering department, the police department and | the legal department. H The second step was the announce- ment of a tentative draft of a proposed report on traffic conditions in the DI trict, prepared by Senator Ball, chair- man’of the District committee. This report will be submitted, when com- plete, to two other members of a Sen- ate subcommittee which has been in- vestigating traffic conditions here. } Engineer Commissioner Bell, in an- | nouncing the appointment of the per- manent trafic board, declared that it | will become a branch of the District government and s being created with a view to bringing about co-ordinated | and concerted action between the various municipal agencies in better- ing traffic conditions. Will Make Thorough Study. Maj. Holcombe will be relieved of some of his other duties, if necessar: make a thorough study of the | traffic situations, the Engineer Com- missioner stated. He added that the chairman of the new board already | time he will be sent to other large cities of the country to keep in touch with what those centers of popula- tion are doing to facilitate the move- ment of trafic and to reduce the death toll of the streets. 3 All the suggestions recently brought out at the Senate committes investigation into local traffic mat- ters will be given careful considera- tion by the new board, Maj. Bell said. “The handling of traffic.” sald Maj. Bell, “presents many engineering fea- tures, such as the widening of Streets and the provision of ample lighting equipment. Maj. Holcombe aiready ts with Maj. Wheeler and Capt. | Wood on an engineer department | board which deals with such matters | and he will be able to keep the traffic board informed of everything the en- that may | | have a bearing on trafi Urgen More Police. Among the recommendations which | Senator Ball's report will contain are | the following: An increase in the number of po- licemen employed by 160, as recom- mended. i Better lighting of streets in Wash- | ington. WE All crossing policemen to be paid | Dy the District government instead of | by the street rallway companies, thus giving the District full authority to | assign these men to whatever duty ! may be necessary. ] One feature of the report which i | being given very careful considera- | tion has to do with parking of auto- | mobiles in the congested area. Sen ator Ball has in mind a plan whereby automebiles shall be parked no longer | than fifteen minutes in an area run- ning from K street to F street, in- clusive, and from Tth to 17th streets northwest. The same plan contem- plates a shorter period of parking in Pennsylvania avenue. In the opin- | fon of Senator Ball, some such plan | must be adopted or else all parking | in the congested area must be pro- hibited. Would Change School Hourw. Senator Ball today recelved from Julius 1. Peyser, president of the District of Columbia Public School Association and a member of the board of education, a letter re- questing the senator to give his vie on the proposal that the public schools shall be opened hereafter at 9:30 o'clock instead of 9 and shall close a half hour later in the after- noon. Capt. Peyser said that this pro- posal was put forward to relieve con- gestion on the street cars and to bet- ter safeguard the children from traf- fic accidents and from disease, which is more easily spread in congested street cars. He said that the views of the chairman and other members of the Senate District committee on this quesiion would be valuable in glving it further consideration. Senator Ball sald that he had not fully made up his mind in regard to this proposal. While he admitted the benefits to be derived therefrom, he sald there were arguments against the plan. For example, he said un- doubtedly many of the children are employed in the afternoons selling or distributing newspapers or doing other work to help their parents. To cxtend the school hours a half hour| later in the afternoon might work » bardship on these children and their famlies. PLEA WIRED GERMANY FOR PARDON OF GRIFFIS By the Assoclated Press. | CHICAGO, December 31.—A cable- gram to President Ebert of the Ger- man republic asking the pardon of Lieut. Corliss H. Griffis, serving a sentence at Mosbach, Germany, for the attempted kidnaping of Grover Cleveland Bergdoll, American draft evader, was sent last night by Dr. James Whitney Hall, president of the association seeking Grifis’ re- lease. Petitions circulated in cities throughout the country to which have been placed the signatures of thousands of citizens determined the officers of the association to make immediate efforts to secure Griffis’ pardon, Dr. Hall sald. Unless favor- able action is the result of this cable- ram, a conference will be held in Washington January 14, and & Fep. resentative delegation selected to go to Germany. to present the petition in_person. - The | i i i ‘ eriticism (should have been left the man en- igation which is charged wi {ing. {ceed ¢ Foening WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION 1923 -TW I'M Goi’ To LEAVE A SOME JOB, DIVERS WILL SEEK TRACE OF DIXMUDE Protest Made Against French Admiral for Orders Given Ship’s Commander. By the Associated Press. PARIS, December 31.—As soon as the gale off the coast of Sicily abates | has begun the task and from time to | the French authorities will institute diving operations around the spot where the body of Lieut. Grenadan was found last week, in an effort to determine bevond a doubt whether the airship he commanded. the lost dirigible Dixmude, with her fifty of- ficers and men, went down in that vicinity or if her commander's body alone fell from the airship there. Except for this search, the Dixmude disaster has entered the realm of d. termination of responsibllity for the loss of the airship, beginning with the appointment of a naval commlssion of investigation. This commission will begin its sittings January 2 at Toulon. At the ministry of marine today it was explained that the investigating body would mnot martial, but was the usual commi | sion named after a ship had been lo: at sea to determine the immediate ri sponsibilities of her captain and de- ] cide whether he should be retained in Tn this instance, owing to | the | command. the death of Lieut. Grenadan, question is one of clearing his mem- ory from blame or ruling that he was responsible for the tragedy. May Probe Higher Officers. The commission will go no further in its investigations than, the ship's officers and crew, but should its find- ings completely exonerate them, certain interpellations will be made when the chamber of deputies reconvenes, with the possibility that a parllamentary commis rior officials. There has been some criticism in naval circles that orders had ema- nated from the headquarters of the admiral commanding the Alglers base, instructing Lieut. Grenadan not to try to make the French coast. The declared full authority gaged in Ahting the elements to de- termine what measures should best be taken to save the dirigible and the lives of its crew. GRENADAN SAW DEATH. Tragedy ' Takes Scandal Turn S. 0. S. Call Picked Up Dec. 21. By Cable to The Star and Philadelphia Public Ledger. Copyright, 1 PARIS, December 31.—The loss of the dirigible airship Dixmude, which now s described as a “tragedy. easily go down in French aeronautic annals Cae & “scandal” followlng the findings of the committee of investi- B Maastars Pesponsibility for the by lh;‘l"t'mph“ authoritive source it has beerr learned that the SOS call report- ed to have been picked up by the Steamship Lamartine actually was sent by the Dixmude at 2 o'clock S ihe morning of December 21. It was directed to the Italian aviation o Porte Alexandretto. on the Sicl- lian coast, because that was the only station within flying l‘lh{fi ‘where Commander de Grenadan new he stood the slightest chance of land- tations in northern Africa o Frencn, ministry of m f renadan to pro- T e oW by the commander (Continued on Page 2, Column 8.) AFGHAN BORDER RAIDS ALARM BRITISH INDIA Viceroy Cuts Short Tour of Burma. Officers and Women Murdered. EANGOON, British Indid, December 31.—The viceroy has -curtalled his tour of Burma and is returning to Delhi because of the Afghan troubl There is an increasing tenseness be- cause of jhe raids over the morth- western rontier. Mohammet All, president ¢¢ the Indiz national con- gress denfes the possibility of an Afghan irvasion saying that ‘the EKabul pon§ cannot swallow the In- dian elephat.” jspatches from London fi the murders of British omen along the north- The two s to which the Recent have report officers and| ‘western fro constitute a court- | fon may be appointed to in- | | vestigate the responsibilities of supe- DECEMBER 31, 1923. BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WI Nineteen hundred and twenty-three was the radio vear. It found be- tween 25,000.000 and 50,000,000 lis- teners-in throughout the United States. Receiving apparatus valued at anywhere from $40,000,000 to $50,000,000 was marketed. Manu- facturers were never able to D up with their orders. In dollar value the electric bulbs used for radio ap- | paratus today represent one-quarter of all incandescent lamps made. The on ‘the level attained by the talking- machine trade, accounting for an an- nual volume of business of $400,000,- 000. In 1824 radio will cross the $500,000.000 mark and be on the high road to becoming one of the fore- most industries in the United States. i { which is the distributing agen SPORTSFEDERATION MAY ATTARK A AU Amateur Body, Here, Resentful of Con- trol of Athletes. i A determined effort to reduce con- trol over certain branches of amateur athletics held for years by the Ama- teur Athletic Union was expected to be made -this afternoon by the Na- tional Amateur Athletic Federation of America In the closing session of its lsecnnd annual meeting at the Ameri- can Red Cross building. Addressing the more than fifty delegates, all from nationally active constituent members of the federation, its presi- dent, Col. Henry Breckinridge, this morning fired the opening gun of“the | battle against the Amateur Athletic | Union, and the fight was to be con- j tinued in resolutions to be brought | before the meeting this afternoon. In_submitting his annual report Col. Breckinridge emphasized the mis- sion of the federation, which is an alllance of organizations national in scope devoted to the promotion of physical education, wholesome recrea- tion and amateur athletics. While ot specifically mentioning the A. A. the federation president insisted that control of amateur athletics here should not be vested in any particu- lar unit, but that all organizations interested in sports should hold equal privieges in their conduct. Purpose to stimulate. A hint of the federation’s opposition to the alleged autocratic policies of Ithe A. A. U. was conveyed Yoy Col. Breckinridge when he sald: “The purpose of the federation is to stimu- late, not to repress. If possible, we Would assist-each constituent member to play its role more abundantly and to_occupy its fleld more fully. “We do ont touch the individual except through our members. We claim no police power over him. We do not say to him, ‘You shall not go there,’ or ‘you must not do this’ We ;call for no Prussianization in the fleld {of American recreation, and shall en- gage in no persecution or proscription of American athletes at home or abroad.” Col. Robert M. Thompson, president iof the American Olympic Associatio which will direct the assembling of the team to represent the United States in the Olympiad in France next summer, pleads for peace among all organizations promoting sporte. He told of the present necossity of his organization accepting the edicts of the A. A. U, as United States correspondent of the International Athletic Federation, a body that has assumed great importance in the con- duct of international competitions and in the government of the Olym- PIAT Thompson cited briefly the case ed o 7, Column l ‘ont! New Year Day The regulgr edition of The Star will go to press at 1 o'clock. There 25,000,000 to 50,000,000 in Nation Listen E To Radio, Spend $400,000,000 on It Takes Place Among Nation’s Largest Industries, With | Demand Ever Growing—Jazz Music Most _ Popular—Movies and Auto Hurt. radlo industry is already practicaily | The Radlo Corporation of America, | Meeting St ENTY-SIX PAGES. | the Westinghouse and General Elec- tric Companies, in 1922 ~booked | orders aggregating $14,409,557, but | could 611" only $11,286.489 of them. Figures for 1923 aure not yet made up, but they will be not less than double tho for 1922, In addition to the W inghouse and Genergl | Electric, seventeen other concerns | throughout the country are manufac- | turing radio apparatus produced un- | der the Armstrong patent, the stand {ard proce | Radio quietiy but steadily is effect- | ing a revolution in American social | babits, desined. perhaps. to change them 2s radicaily as the automobile and the “movies” have done. Both of | the latter industries, indeed, already |are feeling the effects of raido com- | petition. Folks who thought of buy- |ing & car or a new car have in count- | less cases decided instead to put in |a radio set in their home. Families that used to depend on the “plctures” for the evening’s entertainment are coming more and more to gather in | the living room and “listen-in” on, ed and enter- | AUTO RECIPROCITY IN EFFECT TONIGHT: | | | D. C. Tags for 1924 Will Be Honored in Maryland. 1923 Tags Good Here. Automobile reciprocity between Maryland and the District of Colum- bla goes into effect at midnight. ‘Washington motorists who wish to take advantage of the temporary | agreement tomorrow must have 1924 | D. C. tags on their cars, however, | although the Commissioners have fs- sued an order permitting car owners to operate within the District on 1923 tags until January 5 because of | the impossibility of selling new tags | to every one today. | A crowd again jammed the license office in the District building today | to get new tags. | Temporary reciprocity was agreed | to by Maryland and the District in the hope that before March 1 Con- | gress will enact the gasoline tax! law, which would make possible a permanent agreement. The Senate District committee, Sen- ator Ball declared today, had inserted in the gasoline tax bili a proposal to | retain the personal property tax on | automobiles largely because the com- mittee had expected the House to send the bill to the Senate in that shapet He sald that he himself was not par- ticularly anxious to see the personal property tax retained, siifce there was 1little Tikelihood that the additiona !money raised thereby would be appro- priated for the use of the District. The jrevenues derived from taxation now, he i pointed out, are not fully used, because | Congress does not appropriate up to | the maximum amount for the District l “I should be glad to see the money derived from a personal tax on auto- mobiles in connection with the gaso- line tax law used for further street im- | provements and repairs,” safd Senator | Ball. “But I do not see much prospect | of that being done. | Senator Ball sald that his committee | would begin hearings during January on proposed street raflway legislation, including the McKellar bill to force a reduction in street car fares to 5 cents a ride. 400 Stills Taken In Raids Crushed “From Press toc Home Within the Hour” The Star's carrier system covers every city block and the regular edi- tion is delivered to Washington homes ar. as fast as the papers are printed. Saturday’s Net Circulation, 91,074 Sunday’s Circulation, 99,338 TWO CENTS, Mercury Sinks To 40 Below in Wyoming Hills By the Associated Press. ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. Decem ber 31.—Temperatures averaging forty degrees below zero are re- ported from the mountainous dis- trict around Rock Springs, and sheep and cattle raisers are de- clared to have been exceptionally hard hit. In Rock Springs last night the temperature was down to twenty-five degrees below zero. Snow fell Saturday night and early vesterday and drifts have made roads impassable, OMAHA, Neb., December 31— The most severe storm of the winter, bringing sub-zero tempera- tures, wind-driven snow and ap- prehension for cattle on the ranges of western Nebraska and castern Wyoming, struck this sec- tion yesterday. Temperatures of from elght to ten degrees below zero prevailed in South Dakota, and at. Sheridan, Wyo.,, & temperature of twelve degrees below was reported. ELABORATE PLANS LAID 0 GREET 194 {Celebrations to Range From Church Services to Dance and Dinner Parties. The infant 1924 will be greeted in home, church and hotel tonight with manifestations of joy on the part of the residents of the National Capital, as old 1923 breathes its last at mid- night With music and song. ranging from the glad hymn, as congregations wel- come the New Year at watch parties throughout the city, to the trot number resounding at hotels, Washingtonians will give 1924 a rous- ing welcome. Even radio, precocious infant of science, will be utilized here to wel- come the New Year, when station WCAP broadcasts, beginning at 11 o'clock this evening, a concert of chimes music from the memorial chimes at the Church of the Epiphany, followed by orchestra music, Dry Forces to Keep Watch. Police are taking all precautions to prevent use of intoxicants in pub- lic places at watch-night affairs, and members of the hip-pocket brigade | found in public places partaking of “wet goods” or treating their friends may expect arrest, Divisional offices of the prohibition unit throughout the country will keep “open house” tonight in a con- certed effort to prevent New Year parties from violating the prohibition aw. Prohibition officials declared today that with “extra precautions” being taken everywhere, it seemed certain | the old year would pass out perfectly” legal manner. _ More ‘frequent use of the injunc tion provisions of the prohibition, act and a drive against the “big con- spirators,” the officials added, will be the policy followed by the dry unit in 1924. " The smaller cases, they added, will be left for state and local officials to handle. in a In addition to the many watch par- | tles at churches and dining parties at hotels and cafes, countless homes in the District will hold their own par- ties when the New Year will be given a noisy, rousing welcome. Temperature to Drop. It is expected that the weather will have cleared by the time 1924 arrives, with a rapidly descending thermo- meter, go that the blare and blast of whistles and horns from all sections of the city will resound through crisp, cool alr. These happy celebrations this even- ing will be the prelude to an old fashioned New Year here tomorrow, when the White House will resume the annual New Year reception. Citizens will be received in the after- noon by President Coolidge, after he has formally greeted members of the diplomatic “corps, high government officlals and representatives of pa- triotic and civic organizations. At 28th and M streets the citizens of Georgetown will light their Christmas tree, and hold ceremonies, beginning at § o'clock this evening, under the auspices of the Georgetown Community Sing committee. The pro gram given Christmas eve will be repeated. Members of the choirs are asked to assemble, at 7:45 p.m., in the Peck Memorial Chapel. Hotels Expect Crowds. Hotels and cafes made gigantic preparations today for the night's testivities, where bright lights and gay music, will while away the few (Continued on Page 2, Column 5.) PARISIANS WORRIED AS SEINE RISES FAST River Threatens Suburbs With Inundation—People Preparing to Leave Homes. ted Press. December 31.—The By the Assoc PARIS, Seine { was rising faster than ever today and expert observers said it would prob- ably continue to do so all this week. Parisians are beginning to ask whether they are to live over again the ordeal of the inundation of 1910, when the river passed the twenty seven-foot mark. swollen yellow stream as it rolls through the city whirling timbers, barrels and miscellaneous wreckage to the sea. By Steam Roller By the Associated Press. UNIONTOWN, Pa., December 31. Sheriff 1. I Shaw of Fayette county today employed a steam roller to destroy 400 stills, con- fiscated in this region" during the year. The stills were carried to a paved street in the rear of the county jail and the heavy roller went into action. Last week the sheriff destroyed confiscated whisky, moonshine and wine worth more than $200,000. The order to destroy the con traband was given by the county court when Sheriff Shaw, who goes out of office tomorrow, an- nounced that he wanted to quit The prefect of police visited the flood threatened suburbs last night and made arrangements with the civil and military authorities for the evacuation and shelter of the inhabi- | tants who, it seems, more than likely will have to leave their homes at no distant date. MOSCOW, December 31.—Reports from Petrograd say that part of the city is submerged under the waters of the Neva,_which has flooded its banks despite the severe winter weather. Many factories have been inundated. The Neva is full of icebergs floating in from Lake Ladoga. Special sapper detachments are working day and latest fox Crowds watch the | DRY MEN QUESTION 6 D. C. DETECTIVES ON BOOTLEG LIST Two Refuse to Explain of Tell Whether They Are Liquor Users. ONE STOUTLY REFUSES TO BE “STOOL PIGEON | | Another Says He Does Not Drink. Some Claim Paper Is Part . of “Frame-Up.” Six headquarters detectives been brought into the local rum dicate investigation, it was learned today, when it was discovered tha' turday afternoon special intelli- gence agents of the Treasury Depar ment interviewed them at the Tre ury building in an effort to find ou why their names appeared on one ¢ the lsts In their possession. It is understood that the names « these men are on the list of twent ane found on the person of one of t1 men arrested in the conspiracy case on December 21. In checking up th list the special intelligence operator Tan across this group of names, snug gled down beside some oth fairl Prominent names. Refuses to Talk. Saturday ing of the afternoon the questic headquarters detectives started. One of the men was askes to furnish information concern some of his colleagues. He told th investigators very politely that he was detective and not a “stoo pigeon” and invited them to go some- where else to look for their informa- tion. Another was asked to make an afli- davit concerning his habits and so- briety. He refused flatly to do so. informing them that he was not there to be insulted and would take no iu- sults from them Denies Using Liquor. Still anothar did not hesitate abou signing an affidavit relative to his use of intoxicating liquor. The affi- davit stated he had no use for such. All of the men whose names are supposed to appear on the list have (made records for themseives in their jrespective lines of work and are helu in the highest regard by their su- periors. | Offcials at the special agents' head- | quarters imthe Treasury Department jwould not discuss the case. Elmer | Irey, chief of the special intelligence junit, refused either to afirm or deny a i anything relative to the interviews | Saturday. { Oyster ix Silent. When asked regarding this, Co | missioner Oyster sald, “You're bring- ing news to me." He would not dis- cuss ft. Detectives were looking up at- to; v« this morning to put the cascs up before them, they said. Possibilities that the list one is a “frame-up” bootleggers, were official quarters toda that it would be an e thing for boot- leggers to frame up list of their ene- mies, 8o that if they were ever raided | this ‘list_would be found, indicating that those whose names were on it were connected either as patrons or advisers with the bootleggers. New Laws Likely. Legislation specifically coverin diplomatic fmmunity o as to prev employes of forelgn embassies and legations from trafficking in liquors in {the United es when American citizens are forbidden to engage in | similar business is likely to be given | serious consideration by the judiciary |committee as a result of the rum iscandal in_Washington, which in- cluded the discovery of $50,000 worth f liquor claimed b an employe of | the Polish legation. | _ Representative Davis of Tennessee | democrat, has written on the subject |to Secretary Hughes and to D. H | Blair, commissioner of internal reve- {nue, and while he has not received |a reply from Secretary Hughes, has ian answer from Commissioner Blair, whose interp: ation of diplomatic immunity as regards liquors coincides | with that of Representative Davis. Commissioner Blair explained that Dr Venceslas Sokolowski, secretary of the Polish legation, was registered with the State Department as an accredited mem: iber of the Polish legation, thus being |entitled to immunity. The commission- {er further advised Representative Davis | that nothing contained in the diplomatic |liquor privilege granted by the internal revenue service as a result of a com- munication from the Secretary of State “authorizes the sale, gift or other tribution of ‘diplomatic liquors’ for bev erage purposes, the rights and privileges | of the representatives of foreign coun- tries in this respect being confined to their famllies and bona fide guests.” No Rights of Sale. epresentative Davis emphasizes that thé Volstead act itself nowhere grants any immunity to representa- tives of foreign governments, but that | the immunity is based on old statutes which had no reference whatever to the liquor question. He says that Con- gress in passing the prohibition amendment and the American people in ratifying it through their state legislatures, had no intention of al- 'lowing foreigners to engage in boot legging in this country with immuni | of twen list, made up b being’ discussed It was admitted ! | R ty while American citizens wege for bidden to do so by law. In his letter to Commissioner Blai Representative Davis said: “1 shall appreciate it if you will advise me under what provision of iaw or treaty the so-called ‘diplomatic fmmunity’ is extended to Intoxicating liquors imported, transported o possessed by foreign diplomatic representatives or employes; and also as to whether or not, under your in- terpretation, such immunity applies in case Intoxicating liquors thus m- ported, transported or possessed by foreign diplomatic representatives cr employes, is being sold by them or their agents or 1s belng transported from diplomatic premises to places other than diplomatic premises. “I ghall also appreciate it if you will advise me as to whether or ot it is the policy of your department to extend such diplomatic immunity to all of the employes and mervants of foreign diplomatic representatives If not, please advise me just what representatives are protected under your interpretation and practice.” Reply of Blair. Commissioner Blair in his reply acknowledge receipt of your let- ter of December 26 requesting infor- mation as to the law, regulations and procedure in the allowance of what are called ‘diplomatic liquors’ to am- bassadors, ministers and other rep- resentatives of foreign countries and thelr_attaches, clerks, employe: (Continued on Page 4, Column 3.) f Indi Af e ' -y - ol SR rerambio, 2B, saised Sa 3000008 suatursa " oler of Indie, by Areanl” will be o $:30 edition: - | Wi ciean stata, - W% Vatgue dynsmiting ‘them, while Wu Is uader the Japanese fag, - sribeamen, - L) 4