Evening Star Newspaper, January 2, 1924, Page 1

WEATHER. Sleet,” changing ' to ral n . tonight; warmer_ton{ght, Jowest temperatur: about 32 degre: ‘warme winds, terda. lowest, 28, 7:30 Full report on page 3. tomorrow rain and moderate east to southeast Highest, 34, st 2 p.m. y wm. today. Mfi.f.MnlMs,‘PmZG : Entered as seco: post office Wa No. LOVE OF CHAUFFELR FOR MOVIE ACTRESS SEEN N SHOGTING Mabel Normand’s Driver Ad- 29,100. nd-class ‘matter hington, D. C. Earthquake Shocks Felt in Italy, Manila And on West Coast By the Associsted Preda. MANILA, January ' 2.—An earth- quake at* 2 ‘o'clock ~ this' morning shook the_bulldings ,0f Manila and arousgd the people from their sleép. No damage was reported. BRAWLEY, Calif., January 2— More than thirty separate earth tremors were felt in thé - Imperial mits Wounding Clubman, Host to Film Stars. EDNA PURVIANCE ALSO CENTRAL FIGURE IN CASE Oilman Denies He Started Row ‘When Assailant Tried to Break Up “Party.” \ By the Assoclated Press. LOS ANGELES, Calif., January 2.— The infatuation of a chauffeur for his film actress employer and his jealousy of her wealthy Denver acquaintance, sccording to the police, were the mo- tives that prompted Joe Kelly, alias H. A. Greer, to shoot Courtland S. Dines of Denver, last night in the presence of the two moving plcture stars, Mabel Normand and Edna Pur- wViance. arly today, surgeons attending him predicted Dines would recover. Kelly freely admitted the shooting, according to the police, even golng out of his way to bring them the pis- tol and announce: “I just shot a man.” Dines. Miss Normand and Miss Edna Purv e, motion picture actress, Were spending the afternoon and eve- ning of a chilly New Year day in the Denver man's apartment here when Xelly appeared and insisted that Miss Normand leave with him. He had been sent to take her home, he told the police. An argument is said to have arisen, and Miss Normand at first refused to &0 home. Then she changed her mind, according to the chauffeur, and allowed him to lead her toward the door. “But Dines grab a bottl ot up and started to Kelly is said to have told the police, “and that's wheré the trouble started. I just shot him. I was £o nervous the darn gun kept on shooting. It fired three shots, I think, and jammed.” Actresses Distressed. Both Miss Normand and Miss Pur- viance were much distressed over the shooting. Police found them at the apartment endeavoring to render first aid to the injured man. Both of the young women were held for question- ing and later released, after 'an af- fectionate scene in the recelving hospi- tal, where Miss Purviance rushed over - to Dines’ cot and implored him mnot to die. He assured her he would not. Later the three were confronted ‘Wwith reports that Miss Purviance and Dines were engaged; though no one intimated that this had anything to do_with the shooting. Miss Purviance declined to discuss | the reports; Miss Normand insisted they were true, and Dineés denied thém - flatl In the office of the captain of de- tectives, at Central police station, the two actresses and the chauffeur were Questioned exhaustively. Miss Normand said she did nmot| ¢ Tealize at first what the pistol shots “meant. “Don’t you remember, Edna,” she ex- claimed, turning toward Miss Pur- viance during her explanation to the Getectives, “that I borrowed your pow- der puff and that I was using it just as we heard the shots, and you went raving crazy and shouted ‘My God, what is this thing!’ and 1 thought it was some fireworks that some one was using to celebrate the New Year? Pleads Self-Defense. A detective lleutenant interrupted to ask Kelly whether it was In fear of his own life or a desire to protect his employer that he shot Dines. ‘It was fear for my own life,” sald the chauffeur. “I knew Dines was going to take that bottle and smash me. 1 shot him to protect myself. He didn't make much fuss about it, but I saw what he was going to do| all right. He was just going to do it nice and easy.” “Mabel Normand is sick with ap: pendicitis,” he sald, “and should -be in the hospital. I tried to get her away from Dines and he wouldn't let her go, and when he interfered with mie T took out Miss Normand's pistol, which I took from her home, and shot him.” Miss Normand also looked in upon Dines at the recelving hospital and shook a reproving finger at bim with: “I'm not going to play with you| mny more. Look at the notorlety I'm going to get out of this!” Dines’ version of the affair somewhat different. “We were sitting in_the apartment | chatting,” he said. “We had a few ! drinks and Kelly came in and_in errupted us. He demanded that Miss Normatid leave,-but she insfsted on staying. Then he whipped out a gun and shot. I don't know any yeason why he_should have tried to :get' me, ‘as 1 postively made no hostile move toward him.” Miss Purviance arrived at Dines' epartment about 3 o'clock in_the efternoon, she said, and Miss Nor- mand some time later. Denies Dines Made Move,. According to Miss Purviance, Dines ‘was sitting behind a table and made was valley Detween 9:30 Monday night and 7 o'clock “yesterday. None was heavy but a few jarred buildings, the Eeneral movements being lateral Each shock was accompanied by a thunderlike rumble which also was noted when no shocks were felt. No damage was reported. ANCONA, Italy, January 2.—Earth- quake tremors ting ten seconds Were. felt ‘here at 10 o'clock this morning. The disturbance extended in a northerly direction along the Adrlatic as far as Riminl. and inland as far as Macerata. No damage was reported. r SHITH URGES MR DRY LAW CHANGES Wants New York Congress- men to Press Modification Fight in Washington. By the Associated Press. ALBANY, N. Y., January 2.—Fur- ther efforts for modification of - the Volstead act were. suggested in Gov. Smith's message to the new leglsla- ture today. He urged that New York’s representatives be asked to lay before' the present Congress a memorial adopted by the last legisia- ture. “The last ‘session of the leglsla- tuge” sald the message, “memorial- ized Congress by resolution to change the prosent narrow, senseless defini- tion of what constitutes an Intox- icafing beverage as set forth in the Volstead act, ‘to ‘the end that there may be permitted the manufacture and sale of light wines and beer un- der the careful restrictions set forth in our legislative enactment of 1920. (This enactment was a law legalizing the manufacture and sale of 2.75 per cent beer, which was declared un- constitutional by state courts). Effect of Repeal. _"Subsequently. the.leglslature fur- ther defined the policy of the state in relation to this subject by the repeal of the state law, which in éffect- left enforcement of the Volstead act with both the state and federsl govern- ment, and left the prosecution for vio- lation of the Volatead act entirely With the federal government. It must be remembered, however, that this did not and caunot. gnd, will not bring about a change {nithe present defini- tion of what constftutes an intoxicant. An amendment to the Volstead act is only possible by the Congress of the United States. “Inasmuch as we have & new Con- Bress now 'in’ session, I suggest that by resolution - properly adopted .you call the attention of our representa- tives from -this state to the action of last #inter and request them to lay it before the present Congress.” Urging an amendment to the state constitution . so that the governor hould be elected for a four-year term in a year when there is no national electlon, Gov. Smith, who has been mentloned as a possibllity for the democratic nomination for President, ‘wrote: “The combination’ of clections for governor and President every four years Is a bad thing, because the is- sues on which a governor is elected should be absolutely separated from those which determine presidential elections.” Censorship of Films. Gov. Smith asked.that the state| commission for regulation of motion pictures be abol Pointing - out that a statute punishes obscenity, he wrote: “State interference with-literary or artistic production beyond the pro- hibition of the criminal law.is con. trary to the fundamental principles of democratic government. Other recommendations in the mes- sage were: Reduction of the state jncome tax by 25 per cent. Strengthening of the medical prac- tice act. g Forty-efght-hour maximum week for women and minors in industry, with a minimum wage commission. Removal of all-statutory discrim- ination against women. emorializing Congress to. the Hudson in order that deeml craft can'go to Albany. State ald in financing low-cost homes. 2 1 Limitation of injunctions in labor disputes. - U. S. SUPREME COURT ~ AGAIN IN SESSION| Two Suits Dismissed by Highest Bench - After * Three- no move toward the chauffeur, the latter shooting before Dines could Bet to his feet. Before the detectives in charge of their grilling, the two motion pioture Bctresses: appeared 'lavishly dressed, JMiss Normand in. hlack velvet, with (Contini on Page 2, Column 3.) * THREE U. S. DESTROYERS “ RETURN-FROM CANTON Slaval Vessels Have Been Aiding Allies in Guarding X House. » B e Aswociated Press. HONGKONG, January 3. —‘Three American destroyers which bhave. been at Canton since December 18, Bssisting naval forces of the forelgn powers in guarding the Chinese cus- toms house against threatened seiz- <ure by Sun Yat-Sen, south China leader, returned to oday. ‘The departure, of the destroyers is belleved to indjcate that the tense- +ness of the Canton situation has) Jessened. 5 A || $486,000 of liberty bonds stolen from { the plaintifts in Néw York in 1920 The Supreme Court Yeconvened to- day after a three-week reoess. A suit of’ Himilton" F., Kean and others against the Natfonal City. Bank to recover $148,000, the proceeds from ! i Gen. Calles WASHINGTON, D. C, WEDNESDAY,. JANUARY 2, 1924—THIRTY-SIX PAGES. OBRERONTOPRESS EATRA SESSION ON 1, CLAMS TREATY 9,000 1"roops to Be Added to Mexican Army Before End of January. REBELS PLAN COUNTER DRIVE ON SAN MARCOS TU. 8. Discounts Report That Four Cruisers Will Be Sold Fed- eralists in Vera Cruz Attack. By the Associated Press. MEXICO CITY, January 2.—Enrique Colunga, secretary of the interior, announced today that President Obregon had decided to send during the coming week an Initiative to the permanent congressional commission requesting the convocation of an extraordinary session of the senate for the sole purpose of considering the general United , States-Mexicap claims convention, which was not acted upon during the regular session which ended yesterday. Nine thousand troops will be added to the federal army before the end of January, it was announced by the war’ department today, consisting of twenty battalions of infantry. already has recruited 4,000, it was added, from the region centering around San Luls Potosi and Monterey. A column of 1,000 completely equip- ped soldlers is ready to leave Monterey for Tampico, according to Monterey speelals. Gen. Calles sho: 1y after establishing recruiting head- quarters at Monterey, it is added, re- celved a commission from Nuevo Leon with an offer of 500 agrarians, already organized, to place themselves under his order: Plans Counter Offenaive. Gen. Guadalupe Sanchez, a rebel leader, has concentrated 1,200 of his followers at Esperanza, and plans counter offensive against San Mar. cos, according to report transmitted to 'Gen. Eugenio Martinez, com- mander-in-chief _on the Vera Cruz frony by Gen. Fausto Topete, federal commander at Tehuacan, say news disputches from Gen. Martines' headquarters at Puebla. Gen. Higinio, -according to Gen. Topete, is holding San Andreas, Chal- chicomula, with 660 men; Gen. Jose Villanuera Carza garrisoning - Perote with 600, with 300 revolutionartes stationed at Oriental, while very small garrisons have been left at Orizaba, Cordoba and Vera Cruz. Quoting refugees from Vera Cruz, Topete added that rebel morale has reached its lowest ebb, revolutionary funds are exhausted, heavy exactions are being made on Vera Cruz busi- ness houses and industry and com- merce there are at a standstill, Sea Attack Posaibility. Ah ajtack upon Vera Crut from the sea is not beyond a possibility should the revolution continue, according to an official war department statement relative to arms shipments from the TUnited States which speaks of the ossible use of four armored cruisers “which it is virtually certain the tederal government will secure from the United States.” After asserting that 5,000 rifies al- ready have been recelved from north of the Rio Grande, it was added that 10,000 more, with adequate ammuni- tion, are coming this week, together with bombarding and cruising air- planes and artillery, while an ar- rangement involving four armored cruisers is “practically assured.” In addition to assuring an adequate supply of arms and ammunition for the Mexican federal government, it is asserted that Washington has fasued the strongest order against supplying ‘war material to revolutionists at the United States border, while immigra- tion suthorities have been instructed to detain travelers arriving at the American, border from reglons under control of the revolutionist Further ~measures taken by: the United States government, according to semi-official sources, include State Department orders to arrest revolu- tionsry consuls _and _confidential (Continyed on Page 2, Column 6.) MAN FOUND STABBED TO DEATH IN WOODS Falls Church Officers Hold Victim's Father-in-Law as Ma- terial Witness. Special Dispateh to The Star, FALLS CHURCH, Va., January 2.— The body of Daniel Kenney, about forty years old, was found Monday afternoon in a clump of woods near Paynes Corners, just at the edgp of town. There were seventeen -stab wounds, mostly in the reglon of the heart, and a gunshot wound ‘in the baock of his head. Dr. C. A. Ransom, the coroner, sald the man had been dead several hours when the body was found by Alton Via, a boy, who Wwas out gunning. . : Kenney was employed on a farm in the southern part of the county. He leaves a wife: and two children, but Had ‘not ‘lived with his family for some time. A year ago he was stab- bed by his father-in-law, Thomas Marocker, who was convicted .of, as- was dismissed ‘plaintifts. * Ly, The court dismissed at 'the request of the parties'to thic sait an appeal by .the Louisiana public.service com- | mission agalnst 'the Shréveport Rafl- ways Compény to ‘compel'a reduction’ of the present 7-8ent fare oharged by the company. ,In the lower federal o A pincHbn reatAintag the soctme :lnnn trom enforoing ‘its order to-re-’ dicn 138 (1%, T, ammlfson iy Prn ajunction Sec aside, but tedes ‘withdrew it upon motion of the Two unmasked_bandits held up the Firat National Bank, at Bhidier. near| _here; today and escaped With*§8,100, - sault and ‘sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. At the corgner's in)| ‘quest yesterday Marocker was closely questioned, but denied all knowledge o the murder. e He claimed to have seen a man with leaving the woods some time fore the body was found, but was unable to give an lnlelllrn _descrip- tion of him. Marocker is an Italian, land during the examination his daughter, the wife of the murdered. ‘man, acted as interpreter. - Kenn had t: platols .in. hix pocket, apparently he had made no attempt to use either of them. This is mystifying to the orities, as 1t 18 believed he was sta! o mfl rl::l' shot. The, lb:hm at close and the Hecanse' of confl had not bled. i nd “the'| n by Himself an r_wes 1d as ‘witness and the uest was adjourned umtil tomor- MG N TALY PROTESTS REVISED ALENBIL State Department Regeives Communication Asking Less “Harsh” Deal. Supply Stolen In Pier Hold-Up By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, January 2.—Nine men held up five guards on a Brooklyn pier at daybreak and escaped with ten cases of opium. The guards were bound and gagged. The thieves wheeled the cases to waiting automobiles. The oplum, sent from Turkey to a Brooklyn wholesale druggist, was valued at $100,000. taly has made representutions through the State Department op- posing the immigration quota re- vislon now under consideration by the House immigration committee. The Itallan communication was for- warded to the committee today by Secretary Hughes. It is aimed at & provision of a bill drafted by Chair- man Johnson,.which, along with an- other draft by Secretary Davis, is being used as a basis for commit- [ Senator Smoot Announces e dy. “The Johnson bill proposes to restrict | Gaggion Monday on Brown’s Departmental Plan. - each nation’s quota of immigrants to 2 per cent of the number of their native-born citizens In- this country in 1890. This stipulation is described by the Italian government as an un- justified discrimination to the detri- ganizatfon of 4B \execntive depart- ment of. & friendly nation. /Tha.re-. ¥ A Tt the ‘chmmonication sald; whuld | hents of the government will begin b& to permit increases: in mmigra- | Monday before the joint committee o s mbove the marber 1. |on reorganization, it was announced Mitted during the -last three years,|this afternoon by Senator Smoot of but reduce aly's quota to. 19.6 of | Utah, following a meeting of the S joint committee. Hopes, New Way Found. Walter F. Brown, representing the “It-is ‘wincerely hoped.” the Italian !President on the committee and chair- communication continued, “that’the|man of the committee, submitted to government . of the United States|the meeting today his recommenda- will use every effort.in suggesting |tions and reorganization plans. to Congrers & way of not reducing The first witnesses to be heard to a derisory-figure the immigration | will be Secretary Weeks .of the War Hearings on the proposed reor- of the people that have' contributed | Department and Secretary Denby of | so much ‘to’ the productivity and |the Navy Department, and such othe: tatives of those departments prosperity of the United States, and|ToPresen 3 L - that a solution of the immigration |3,y be selected by the two Sec problem may be arrived at that will - i not affect o harshly the interests Y N and the pride of the Italian nation,| Senator Smoot sald that he hoped Which has always had for the Amer. |it Wonld be possible to enact legls- fean people feelings of true friendship | 14tI0N CATFyINg into effect a reorgani- and esteem.” zation plan for the executive depart- Secretary Davis, in submitting his|ments during the present session of draft of en immigration revision|con measure, made no recommendation S a5 to a change in the basis of deter-| Not until the joint committee has mining quotas. That was & question, [completed its hearings, however, will ::nu-l:‘e v"':l;:elggnlre- would beis pill be framed by the committee 0t & meeting of the House commit. |and submitted to the two houses, he tee today a resolution of the Natlonal |sald. ndustrial Conference Board was pre-| In the reorganization plan pre- sented by J. H. Friedel, asking for i Continuation of the present law pend- |7onted today by Chairman Brown the fng & study by & proposed sovern- |consolidation of the War Depart- ment commission. ~A message wasiment and the Navy Department in read from W. W. Atterbury, vice |proposed. It is uniikely, it was sald, president of the Pennsylvania rail-|that that part of the plan would be road, urging prompt favorable action |carried into effect. The details of op_the Johnson bill. the Brown plan have been made 1 Recommendations Ot the head of the {public in the pres partmer em!| In the of & proposed measure, and submitted Full Committee Present. All members of the joint committee include sslection of immis road through examination and ,ttended the meeting today. The plan submitted. by Mr. Brown pro- 8! Mexico and South and Central Amerlos, | yides for ten major executive depart- ments and for the following inde- pendent executive establishments un- suspension of limitations under certaln der the President: The budget bureau, lons and _the reckoning of a monthly instead ot = is. % Civil Service Commission, bureau of Mr. Davis advocates the Gonsular |efficiency, bureau of purchase and graminations a5 a means of ‘reduc. |supply (new). government fuel yards, ing the number of refections at|government printing office, the Ship- where the _alien . :\v';\mlm::nlml?io be examined as at | Ping Board and the Bmergency Fleet present, and would-be admitted ac-i Corporation, the Tarifft Commission, cording to certain preferential elassi- | the Rallroad Administration. fications. Interstate Commerce Commisgion, He does not mske suggestions as|pederal Trade Commission, Federal to a new basis for computingquotas, | Rogerve Board, War Finance Gor but a number of aliens would be ad- | poration, Coal Commission, Railroad mitted as ‘“non-immigrants,” under|Tabor Board, world war foreign debt Labor Department retflllfloul and L commission and-the public buildings the department could suspend all.im- | commission. % migration in times of industrial de-|“’Under congressional- direction are pression. o | e, ton o8 ihments: The Quota limitations would be sus-|Library of , national forest pended to admit “farmers and skilled | reservation commission and miscel- or unskilled labor when labor of .th llnpon commissions. like kind not be “found - unem ‘Plan Ti Explaimed. o Te Chairman Brown, ,in his memoran- 4 3 '{dum submitted today explaining the " and In the cases of -husbands, e l:m and. minor children dependent {reorgan isation plan, proposed the upon relatives alr citizens of this|following major recommendations: country. L5 .| /€1 The co-oraination of the military aver to Alien Rymmes. ., and naval - establishments, . under a Alien seamen landing “in. pursuit|yngle cabinet officer as the depart- ot '.'i'."'x' c-ll;:f“;: '.“u"fio:unfi ment of national defens: DEEIE 2). The transter of all non-military tted to land on authority | ¢ 37"."’1.3«». card mlnf:v;imgorud | tunctions rr?m the War and Navy ‘by an immigration officer at the |departments’ to. civilian :departments —¢hiefly Interior and’ Commerce. o rrival.~ Allen seamen of’ lexcluded by law would be required.to | T¥ TN AEC LT IL CORCTR Departient. furnish also = bond to. nu-nm' \tReir departure. B, SETS JAPANESE: WEDDING. o i 5 g ot s Dy Mno‘i,w the several of all independent es- those . which Mdg set Janudry 37 - ok RINGS 10 BEGIN SOUGHTNO ADVEE ONEREILARN. 13 Minutes Show Classification Board Voted Down Its Sub- mission to Attorney General. That the personnel ciassification board on December 29 considered the draft of a letter to the President Tequesting the opinion of the At- torney General as to whether or not a statement adopted by the board on November 12 and a circular (No. 13) !issued by the board legally con- | formed to the provisions of the classi- {fication act was revealed today when {the board submitted the minutes of |its meetings and other documents in response to a House resolution. The minutes show that on motion of F. J. Bailey, the chalrman, it was ordered that the letter be not sent, as Guy Moffett, the representative of the Civil Service Commission, voted not to send the letter in the form proposed and Harold N. Graves, rep- Tesenting the United States bureau of efficiency, voted “no” on the tion. Mr. Moffett and Mr. Graves represent the rival schools of thought in the reclassification controversy. Take Diverse Stands. Circular No. 13, which was issued on November 13 by the board, has been the bone of contention between the board and its critics, and was the cause of a split in the board itself, the representative of the Civil Service Commission on the board voting against its adoption, and -the chairman and representative of the bureau of efliciency voting for it. Cireular 13 provided for 3 change in the system of classifylng the fleid ;service, dropping the plan whieh had first been inaugurated by the board, o draw up specifications for the rious jobs in the government service, and prepare a schedule. Record of Documents. Chairman Balley forwarded to the clerk of the House today the fol- lowing records of documents of the personnel classification board: (1). Copies of all minutes of the board from March 5, 1923 (date of first meeting), to December 21, 1923, inclusive. . (2). Copy of all papers referred to in sald_minutes. (3). Copy of all forms and circu- lars Issued by the board to date. In his letter of transmittal, Chair- man Bailley said: “Our board has as- sumed that the resolution did not contemplate the sending to the House of Representatives of copies of all individual questionnaires (numbering ‘upwa.rds of 170,000 sheets) and of the more or less routine correspond- ence of the board. The board will, of course, furnish coples of such ad- ditlonal records as may be desired.” In the minutes under date of De- cember 7 is & memorandum in which Harold raves, representative of the United States Bureau of efficiency on the personnel classification board, recommends that the classification grade be changed in the following cases: Department of the Interior: Com- missioner of patents from a present ry of $6,000 to an allocation and appraised salary of $7,500; first as- sistant commissioner ~of patent: $5,000 to $6,000; assistant commi; sloner of patents, $5,000 to $6,000; director of bureau of mines, $6,000 to $7,600; chief mechanical engineer, $5,400 to $6,000; director geological eervey, $6.000 to 3$7,500; administra- tive geologist (assistant director) to remain at the same salary, $6,000, but the allocation to be changed from grade 6 in the professional and scientific service to grade 6. Commissjoner of reclamation serv- ice, to remain at $7,600, but the allo- cation to be changed from grade 13 clerical administrative an fiscal service. to grade 14; superintendent, Continued on Page 2, Column §.) WARM RAIN SLATED ‘TO FALL ON DISTRICT Sleetstorm Marks Start of Thirty- six Hours of Unpleasant Weather. ISitet, turning to rain, descended upon - the' District .this afternoon, as prelude to thirty-six hours of what officials at the. weather bureau were pleased to dub as “rummy weather.” i'The. rain is expected to continue tonight, with warmer weather tonight and tomorrow. The lowest tempera- 5 Geipracs, with Bighily higher tos e w igher to- Torrow. . Moderate sast and south- east winds are scheduled to prevail. - Enrly today 28 degrees above zero tered at the weather bureau, Tal may continue tomorrow, it ‘was stated, and the general weather outlook here is anything but pleasant. e g “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 as fast as the papers are printed. Yesterday’s Net Circulation, 77,618 * Consulate Closed Until Officials Are Exonerated ‘When the British government publicly exonerates American Con- sular Officers Brooks and Slater from charges made against them by British shipping interests and sustained by that government, the consulate at Newcastle will be re- opened in gharge of Consul Charles Roy Nasmith. Mr. Nasmith is now assigned to,Ghent, Belgium. There has been no change in the deadlock existing between Wash- ington and London. The American government will continue to in- sist that the two consular officials be formally cleared of charges against them and be held accept- able by the British government for appointment at American consular posts within the British empire. ORGIES INBERLIN CHECK U. . CHARITY New Year Display of Money Produces Painful Impres- sion in America. BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. Accounts of New Year eve orgies in Berlin create a painful impression among American authorities. cog- Inizant of the gravity of Germany's food problem. News dispatches re- celved in the United States told of Berlin's $500,000 eating and drinking carnival on Monday night; of hotels and restaurants jammed with care- free merrymakers who fought to pay $10 in gold for dinner places; of shop windows crammed with meats and ffuits, and of streets and buildings ablaze with Bengal lights and fire- works, amid which the Berliners wel- comed 1924 in revelry reminiscent of the palmiest imperizl days. The stories from Berlin reach America at an unfortunate moment. A nation-wide effort is in progress to raise §10,000,000 or $12,000,000 for the undernourished 2,000,000 “or 3,000~ 000 children of the German urban districts, notably the Ruhr. The American Friends’ service committee and Maj. Gen. Henry T. Allen’s na- |tional committee, it is feared, may now find difficulty in convincing gen- erous-hearted Americans that Ger- many is entitled to outside help. Fight in Congress Seen. | If there is any attempt in Congress. to vote United States Treasury funds for starvation relief in Germany, cer- tain revelations are sure to be made. They relate not only to moral factors like the callousness indicated by Ber- lin'’s New Year eve festivities, but to known economic and financial condi- tions. These are of a character that make the German rellef problem en- tirely different from any that existed during the twenty-three foreign re- lief operations directed by Herbert Hoover on -behalf of American charity since 1914. On every one of these occasions, save in the cases of Belgtum during the German occupation and of Russia in 1922, the - Hoover relief system received substantial assistance from the country in stion. ~ When the European Children’s Relief was made avallable for German and Austrian youngsters in 1920 Germany was call- ed upon to put up a certain amount of gold to help in the financing of food purchases, and did so. Even impoverished Bulgaria was required to_ fulfill similar conditions. “Self- Lelp” to the extent of each country's reasonable capacity was made a con- ditlon precedent to American aid. Hoover laid down the principle that Uncle Sam wouldn't aid anybody that aldn’t seem interested in alding him- self. Children in Sad Plight. An executive official who has been at Hoover's elbow In every one of his big rellef operations abroad de- scribes the German situation to the writer in these terms: “The plight of Germany's urban children is undoubtedly desperate. The need of supplementary food for them, chiefly milk and fats, cannot be overestimated. A calamity is im- minent if the need is not effectively met. Yet certain facts ought to be made clear. First and foremost is the apparent indifference of the Ger- mans themselves, like the Berliners, to the fate of thelr own neediest people. Then there is the circum- stance that the German Reichsbank has a gold reserve of $125000,000 which there seems to be no intention of tapping for national food necessi- ties. Finally, there is the notorious fact that colossal amounts of Ger- iman capital are secreted abroad, in order to remain beyond the reach of Germany's former enemies for rep- aratlons. “There is the addition fact that Germany’s credit would enable for- eolgn bortowings if France would al- low.it. Thus there is a combination of greed, nonchalance and politics in the German situation that makes it altogether different from the other emergencies American charity has re- lleved during the past nine vears. Hard Sledding for Fund. “Only something like $1,000,000 thus far. has been raised here for the German children. Probably $1,000,- 000 a month for the next six months is a moderate estimate of the actual requirements, based' on conditions faced and met by the Hoover organi- szation for European Children's Re- lief in 1920. The American people hardly can be blamed if they turn a skeptical ear to appeals on Germany's ehalf in view of all the facts. Once the profiteering. junkers in the prov- inces quit hoarding their crops for speculation—once the carousers in the cities comport themseives In a different spirit—it shquld be easy to arouse the philenthrople apicit, of our people. America helps those that help themselves. When Germany moves In_ that direction, succor for her undernourished children is not likely to be withheld.” (Copyright, 1924.) MISSING GIRL FOUND. . Kate Keller, Ragged, Unable to Give Account of Herself. NEW YORK, January 2—Tattered and ragged, fifteen-year-old Kate Keller, missing since December 10, when she left her home in Reading. Pa., o obtain domestic employment in New York, was found wandering about the Pennsylvania terminal. She | was unable to give an account of her- e **Reading juventle court authorities, who paroled the girl to an employe: here, were notified to send for her. 7 TWO CENTS. DRIVE FOR TAX CUT GROWS INTENSE AS CONGRESS GATHERS Sessions to Be Resumed To- morrow Under Enormous Demand for Action. RIFT AMONG DEMOCRATIC LEADERS IS APPARENT Both Parties See Nation Testing Worth on Action on Reduc- tion Measure. BY DAVID LAWRENCE. Congress reassembles tomorrow after nearly two weeks of vacation, but if the members used the time to get in touch with their constitu- ents it may be’set down as one of the most instructive perlods in the history of the present session. Little by little the true strength of the movement for tax revision is beginning to dawn on the legislators. The first impressions received when Secretary Melion's tax program was disclosed were an index that the sub- ject had at least attracted nation- wide attention. But Congress is more or less accustomed to the first waves of popular feeling on national topics. The vital thing is that there should be a sustained drive which keeps growing instead of diminishing in {n- tensity. Some members think the greatest demonstration of how the people feel on tax revision is yet to come and that both houses will soon discover that they are being testcd largely on that issue. Democratic Ranks Split. Perhaps the most Interesting de- velopment of the past ten days with respect to the tax program has been the division in the ranks of the dem- ocrats. There appears to be a tend- ency, not unusual ‘with a minority, to ailow individual spokesmen to pre- sent varying vfws of democratic policy. When Finis J. Garrett, the recognized leader of the democrats in the House, issued his first state- ment saying the democrats had long been in favor ‘of tax revision and that two democratié Secretaries of the Treasury, Messrs. Houston and Glass, had recommended some of the essential features of what Is now called the Mellon plan, it looked as if the democrats would not obstruct the program. Now, however, Repre- sentative Garner of Texas, demo- cratic member of the ways and means committee, has begun an at- tack on the administration bill on the ground that Mr. Mellon’s scheme favors the wealthy as against the poor. The record shows that what Messrs. Glass and Houston were willing to do with reference to a reduction of sur- taxes was in cgnformity with the same principle that Mr. Meilon has applied, but that a republican Congress refused to follow the suggestions of the demo- cratic secretaries of the Treasury. Mr. Garner's opposition is not eon- sistent with Mr. Garrett's earlier state- ments, and the National Capital is be- ginning to wonder whether the demo- crats are going to have a case of di- vided counsels on the tax issue. There are some democrats who think it is “poor politics” to place the democratic party in the position of using one pre- text or another to obstruct the course of the Mellon tax program. Naturally there are going to be amendments, and if the republicans should decline to give full consideration to changes sug- gested by the democrats they will feel the adverse effects of such action po- litically. The question of whether the amend- ments are constructive or destructite will have to be decided by the people themselves on the basis of comments from both sides. Tactics Followed Before. The strategy of Mr. Garrett, the leader of the Ininority, has been to place his party in a favorable posi- tion during the early stages of the debate so that when the opportune moment arrived some credit would accrue to the democrats for having suggested worth-while changes in the bill. His tactics are not unlike those pursued by the republicans when a constructive measure like the federal reserve act was before Congress. The republicans did not openly oppose the bill, though most of them voted against it on the last roil call, but a goodly number, among them 'Sen- ator Root and Senator Weeks of Massachusetts, made & sincere effort to get into the bill certain amend- ments, and the consensus of opinion afterward was that the measure was strengthened by the changes. The administration tax program is rot an exact parallel, but it is the one measure since the war on which pub- lic_opinion seems to have centered, and the chances of earning political disfavor by blocking it are almost as great as the opportunities for political credit in helping put a con- structive tax program through' Con- gress. Every day the momentum be- hind the bill becomes greater—and when Congress gets down to work this week the tax program will oc- cupy first place in the minds of the national legisiators, (Copyright, 1924.) DISTRICT ENGINEERS WILL STUDY TRAFFIC Five Phases of Problem to Be Examined in Detail by Experts. Five phases of the trafiic problem will be given careful study at the District building within the next few weeks. This was announced today by Maj.. W. H. Holcomb, chairman of the new trafic board, who conferred for several hours with Maj, Raymond ‘Wheeler and Capt. John E. Wood, the other assistant engineer commissioner. Although Maj. Wheeler and Capt. Wood are not members of the new traffic board, they will co-operate with Maj. Holcomb in working out those traffic matters that are of an engineering nature. % e subdivisions Into which the traffic problem has been divided for study are: Widening of streets, park- ing of automobiles, signals and mark- ing devices, trafic highWays and regulations,