Evening Star Newspaper, January 18, 1924, Page 1

WEATHER. temperature cloudy, Fair tonight, freezing; tomorrow moderate temperature. Temperature for twenty: ended at 2 p.m. today: at 3:30 p.m. yesterday; 10 7 a.m. today. ~Full report o Closing N. Y. Stocks and Bonds, Page 28 Highest, 44, near with -four hours west, 33, at n page 1. — No. Entered 29,116. gecond-cl post ,office Washington, D. C. TEXAS DENIES PLEA BY MEXIGAN ARMY T0 CROSS BORDER Fear of Trouble With Native Residents Reason for Not Granting Permission. ARIZONA, NEW MEXICO REPLIES ARE FAVORABLE Obregon Troops Considering Pas- sage Through Latter State, Avoiding El Paso. By the Associated Press. AUSTIN, Tex., January 18.— Per- mission to transport Mexican federal troops across Texas was refused to- day By acting Gov. T. W. Davidson in & telegram to Secretary of State Hughes. Possibility of trouble with Mexican residents on the Texas border prompt- ed the refusal, the acting governor said. 1f the federal government shows that the demand for the passage of the troops Is urgent and guarantees ample protection to Texas cltizens, | the request will be reconsidered and | every effort will be made by officlals of Texas to co-operate with tic na- tional authorities, according io Mr. Davidson. Would Move 2,000 Troops. President Obregon of Mexico asked permission to transfer 2.000 Mexican federal troops across Texas between ¥l Paso and Laredo. Acti Gov. Davidson expressed himeself ag in hearty sympathy with any move which would bring sran- qnillity to Mexico, but he peinted out the danger of bringing Mexican troops on Texas soil because of strong differences of opinion con- cerning the revolution among the Mexican citizens residing on this side of the border. Huerta Agent Protests. Formal protest was addressed to the Governor of Texas last night by Reincaldo Esparza Martinez, rep sentative at San Antonio of the de lu Huerta revolutionists, and oppesi- tion to the proposed troop movement was expressed by Mayor R. M. Dud- ley ot El Paso. Senor Martinez requested denial of passage “in the name of the Mexican people, now in rightful revolt against {mposition and Russianizing of our Mexico by Fiutarco Elias Calles and Moscow agents. MAY CROSS NEW MEXICO. EL PASO, Tex. Jahuary 18.—Ad- visabllity of detralning Mexican fed- eral troops at the New Mexico-Mexico border at a distance of approximately cight miles from the city of El Paso was being discussed in Juarez today following receipt of {nformation that passage of troops through Texas had heen disapproved by actlng Gov. | Davidson. | The troops, it was pointed out, could be brought to Anapra, N. M., just scross the Texas-New Mexico bound- | ary, and be transferred across the In- ternational border without passing | through Texas. They would be within ‘eight miles of Juarez and the men could march this distance in a few hours. ) They then would be entrained in Juarez for the south for disposition on the eastern front against the troops of Guadalupe Sanchez. Permission has been granted by Govs. Hinkle and Hunt of New Mexico and Arizona, respectively, for trans- portation of the troops. TWO STATES FAVORABLE. The State Department announced last night that permission had been | sought from the Governors of Ari- zona, New Mexico and. Texas and that favorable replies had been re- peived from all but the latter con- ‘cerning & request from the Mexican army to send a small detachment carrying arms and ammunition from Naco, Ariz. to some point in Texas for re-entry into Mexico. The State Department cited prece- dents for the request and added that | “this government looks with favor” wupon - it. The detachment was to move across United States territory, n the wording.of a State Depart- ment announcement, “for service in, regions in Mexico where American lives and Interests are being threat- ened with grave danger by the forces in revolt against the Mexican gov- ernmen Precedent for Request. The State Department's action was in conformity with the tacit agree- ment that has existed for many years between the two nations for the troops of each engaged in border po- lice operations to move, within cer- tain limits, in the territory of the other. It is also in line with the American government's policy of ald- ing the Obregon administration in its efforts to maintain an orderly gev- ernment. “Simflar permission has been . tended in the past” the Statc partment's statement said, “the occasion being in October, 1915, again in November, 1915, when the de facto government of Mexico, Leaded by Mr. Carranza, was allowed 1o transport Mexican troops from the ‘Texas border through the United States to the state of Sonora, Mex- ico, whiere American lives and prop- crty were in serfous danger from the operations of Mexican revolutionary Lands.” | No Report on Tampico, Bombardment of federal defenses at Tampico had not been officially re- orted to the State Department today. i’t was evident, however, that officlais were considering steps that might be necessary in view of the apparent in- tention of the rebel leaders to close the port of Tampico to American commercial vessels, despite the warn- ing against such action transmitted to Adolfo de la Huerta by Secretary Hughes. . Officials assume that Consul Wood at Vera Crus has delivered Secretary Hughes' warning to de la Huerta, ai- n 3 ex- De- last and - @h ASHINGTO U. S. WARSHIPS MAY PREVENT REBEL BLOCKADE OF TAMPICO Coolidge and Cabinet, After Long Discussion of Mexico, Decline to Indicate Steps to Be Taken at Oil Port. The situation in Mexico, compli- cated recently by declaration of a revolutionist blockade at Tamplco, was considered by President Coolidge and his advisers today at one of the longest cabinet sesslons In recent months, There were indications that more active steps to protect American in- terests in the blockaded ports were considered at the meeting, but cabl- net members said afterward that any Aannouncement must come from the President. White House officlals were silent. The revolutionary leader, de la Huerta, has been warned that the United States will not permit en- croachment upon its commerclal rights in Tampico, but some offictals incline to the bellef that a warning CITY HEADS FIRM INGAS TAX STAND Ask Auto Measure Be Passed Without Amendment by Congress. The District Commissioners today advised Representative Reed, chair- man of the House District committee, that they want the gasollne tax bill enacted without amendment. This letter has the effect of putting the Commissioners on record against the change which has been made in the bill to retain the personal tax on automoblles in excess of $1,000 in value. When the Commissioners drafted the original measure it provided for a two-cent tax on every gallon of gasoline used. and would have abol- ished the present horsepower charge and the personal tax. The letter sent today was in response to a request from Chairman Reed for a report from the Commissioners, In- asmuch as they explained their views in full when they transmitted the orig- inal bill, the Commissioners merely stated in this report: “The Commissioners have the honor to inform syou that they have nothing to add to their letter of December 2 other than to urge that this bill be enacted, without amendment, prior to the expiration of February 29 of the temporary reciprocal agreement be- tween the District Commissioners and the Governor of the state of Maryland.” DESCRIBES MURDER TALKING IN SLEEP Prizoner, Awakened, Makes Con- fession and Leads Official to Buried Body. By tlis Associated Press. NORFOLK, Va. January 18.—Talk- ing in his sleep, Tom Davis, negro held in Norfolk county jail on a mur- der charge, described the fight in which Tom Jones. another negro, was killed in Nansemond county Decem- ber 22. Cellmates, terrified by the dis- closures made by the sleeping negro, informed Deputy Sheriff Smith. T'pon being awakened by the deputy heriff and confronted with the dis- losures made in his sleep, Davis s said to have admitted the crime. He accompanied officfals to a spot in Nansemond county where he said he had burled the body of his victim. The body was unearthed. Davis declared that Jones was kill- ed in the course of a fight growing out of a quarrel over moonshine whisky. After the victim had been buried, Davis told the police, Jones' dog used to go out to the spot Where his master was buried and howl mournfully. The dog got on his nerves, Davis sald, and finally he killed the dog. It was the shooting of the dog that led indirectly to Davis' arrest as a suspect in con- nection with Jones' disappearance. In his confession Davis implicated five other negroes, who are under arrest. WOODS IS EXECUTED BY JAIL FIRING SQUAD Convicted Utah Wife Murderer Goes to Death Calmly—Pro- tests Innocence. By the Associated Press, SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, January, 18—Omer R. Woods, convicted wife murderer, was executed by a firing squad at the Utah state prison here at 8:17 o'clock this morning. He met death calmly and protested his inno- cence to the end. The killing of Mrs, Woods occurred in an apartment house here January 9, 1922. Woods lost a two-year fight in which every known means of staying an execution was employed. He was formerly probate judge and resident of Tennessee and ldaho. His crime, that of slaying an invalid wite and attempting to fire the bed upon which her body lay, is listed as among the most gruesome of the west. Woods was calm last night. He maintained his innocence, but said he gladly forgave his_enemi “Fear {8 nothing to me,” he sald. “I am at peace with the world and will walk to my death with a firm step. 1 have only to regret that I must meet death in this manner, but 1 have nothing to fear. My 'wife knows I am innocent and when I meet her in the hereafter, i there is one, she will greet me with open arms.” The state law permits the con- demned to choose between the noos and the firing squad. Woods, seated in a stone chair, faced five unknow: hidden men. Four of them fired ball cartridges, ‘while one had a rifie loaded with & blan A brother of Woods, from Washing- ton, D. C, was at the prison and claimed the body, which will be sent to Tennessee for burial, { { alone will not be sufficient. Whether American warships will be sent to the blockaded port as a precaution is a question that mo cabinet member would answer after today's sesslon at the White House. The cabinet had before it the re- tusal of the acting governor of Texas to permit passage of Mexican tederal troops across that state—a privilege Tequested by the State Department at the instance of Obregon officlals in Mexico City. New Mexico and Ari- zona already have given permission for such a troop movement within their borders In order to facilitate Obregon's operations against the reb- els in the north, and it was Indlcated that thero still was hope here that a similar step eventually would be taken also by the state officials of Texas. Guard Astounded As King Gets Off Tram at Palace By the Associated Press. BRUSSELS, January 18.—Because of sleet, which made the streets of Brussels difficult for automobile traf- fic yesterday, King Albert, rerturn- ing to the palace from the chateau at Laeken, got on a tram car and pald his fare. The guarg at the palace was astounded to® see the tram car stop in front of the main entrance and King Albert get off. FALL IS “THROUGH" . WITH PUBLIG LIFE Announces He’s “Out of Pol- itics”—To Travel—Replies to Caraway. By the Associated Press. NEW ORLEANS, January 18.—Al- bert B. Fall, former Secretary of the Interior, stated here today he was through with politics. “I'm out of politics,” he declared. “I'm going to spend the rest of my twinkle—"hiding out, just as I have been hiding out. I hope to take that ocean voyage soon.” Nr. Fall yesterday replied briefly to {an attack in the United States Senate ]“‘ednesdly by Senator Caraway of Arkansas, denying charges of the sen- ator that he had received any compen- sation from the Sjnclair ofl interests ih ‘donnectioh with the leasing of the Teapot Domc bll reserve, or that he had registered at a hotsl in Palm Beach, Fla, under a different name during the congressional investigation of the oll lease. “The investigating committes has been on the job for many months and has not produced a shred of evidence,” | Mr. Fall sald. “Even the innuendo witnesses are breaking down. One of them, for Instance, testified that I had at one time told him I was broke, and & few years later bought a large ranch in New Mexico. He admitted being a bitter political enemy of mine." HUMAN TISSUE SHOWER FROM SKIES REPORTED Doctor Analyzes Samples of Sub- stance That Fell During Storm in Mississippi. By the Asso-fated Press. JACKSON, Miss., January 1S.—Dr. C. B. Stingily, superintendent of the state board of health laboratory, was today making microscopic examina- tion of samples of what appeared to be human tissue that fell from the shies during .a rainstorm at D'Lo, Stmpson county, thirty-five miles Southeast of here, several days ago. The substance was brought to Dr. Stinglly by Dr. M. L. Flint of D'Lo, who said ‘the “tissue” fell in great quantities that covered a large gar- den on the farm of one of his neigh- bors. Before passing on the nature of the samples Dr. Stingily stated he would life traveling around and'—with al submit them to some federal govern- ment laboratory for further analysis. EX-SENATOR IN MOSCOW. MOSCOW, January 18.—Former United States Senator France of Maryland, has arrived in Moscow for business purposes. He was last here two years ago. . C, RENEW STRUGGLE ' OVER HOUSE RULE G. 0. P. and Opposition Again Seek Solution of Com- mittee Issue. The House struggled again today with the proposed new rule to ena- ble members by petition to institute proceedings for the discharge of com- mittoes from consideration of legis- lation, after falling twice yesterday to fix the number of petitioners to be required. Each of the contending groups in the rules revision battle—the organi- zation republicans and the combined democratio and republican insurgent!| forces—was victorlous yesterdav, the former losing by a vote of 205 to 185 on & proposal by Representative Graham, republican, Tllinols, that the names of at least half the House membership be required on such peti- tions, but succeeding shortly after- ward {n defeating an effort to place the number at 100, the second ballot boing 225 to 163. This left the rules committee’s recommendation of 150 L] 789, Around which the fight has centered, in the position of & com promigs propokal when the debate was resumed today. Other Amendments. The other amendments to the cham- ber's rules recommended by the com- mittee present lees vigorously con- tested differences of opinion, and the House {s expected to dispose of them quickly, having repealed the Under- wood rule limiting amendments to tariff and revenue bills at the be- ginning of the discussion Monday, TROTSKY ARl.iEST DENIED BY MOSCOW OFFICIALS ‘War Minister, in Ill Health, Said to Be Recuperating on Black Sea Coast. By the Associated Press. MOSCOW, January 18.—Reports of the arrest of Minlster of War Trotsky which have reached Moscow officlal through varfous newspaper corr spondents are emphatically denied. Officials at the ministry of war re- cently said that Trotsky, who has been 1ll, had left Moscow for his health, and he was reported to have gone to the coast of the Black sea to recuperate. BERLIN, January 18.—Unconfirmed reports have reached socialist quar- ters here that Leon Trotsky, soviet Russia’s war minister, has resigned all his posts and Leon Kameneff has | been appointed his temporary suc- cessor in the war council.” Gen. Budenny is sald to be the prospective commander of the red army. EGYPTIAN CABINET OUT. Press Reports Say Resignation Fol- lowed Nationalist Victory. LONDON, January 18.—Newspaper @ispatches from Cairo report the res- ignation of the Egyptian cabinet in consequence of the electoral victory of f the zagloulsts, or nationalists. e e it e B el S CANAL ATLANTIC DEFENSE TAKEN QUICKLY BY ‘ATTACKING’ MARINES By the Associated Press. COLON, Canal Zone, January 18.— Fort Randolph, the defensive work that guards the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal on the northeast, is in “enemy” hands today. So are the air station and the submarine base at Coco Solo. To the marines of the Atlantio fleet belong the glory and the spolls. Landing in small boats yesterday from the Black squadron that rep- resents & hostlle navy In the mimio warfare now in progress in the zome to determine the effectiveness of the canal in time of real war, the “devil dogs” swarmed upon Fort Randolph and captured its “home garrison of 170 men.” Simultaneously another landing party came ashore at Coco Solo and, “overpowering” the seventy aviators d mechanics left to defend the air station and submarine base, took over those works. Unofficial observers were of the opinion that the comparative ease with which the marines solved the problems set for them in yesterday's maneuvers indicated what a real enemy might be able to do, although it was pointed out that. there werel only skeleton forces in the units of the defense system captured. In only one instance did the Ma- rines fail. A small detachment sent to “seize” the Army air station at France Field was captured by the in- fantry unit guarding that post. The landing operations were car- ried out with clocklike precision. Un- der the cover of a smoke screen laid down by the auxiliary Black fleet 400 Marines left their ships in fifty- foot boats, slipping across Limon bay toward Fort Randolph. At the same time another detachment of 500 men left their vessels for a point south of the fort and while the garrison was ipeculating as to the “enemy’ in- tentions it found itself surprised and in a trice eliminated from the prob- lem of the day. Taree hundred marines took part in the operations at Coco Solo. ‘The day's work would have begun earlier—perhaps before dawn—but the units of the Black fleet found it difficult to co-operate in the dark and a delay of many hours resulted. There was. only one accident in connection with the landings. As one of the small boats touched shore near the fort an officer fell into the water. The official umpire accompanying the landing party said the operations contained & lesson for the Army in the possibilities and defects of the canal defense system, 5 enin WITH.SUNDAY MORNING EDITION 4 WASHINGTON MO Immutable La BY JUNIUS B. WOOD, By Radio to The Star and the Chicago Di News. Copyright, 19 SHANGHAL January 1 eighteen-month search of China by Mrs. Florence Duff of Washington to recover her ten-year-old son discloses a drama of the unchanging east that rivals anything of fiction. Although " three nations have been contending for possession of the young Amerlean-born Chinese, the story has been suppressed until the present time on account of powerful political influence of three familles involved. The case stands with America and China deadlocked, each upholding the dtametrically opposite laws of east and west relating to marriage and parentage, while Great Britain is an interested third party. Thirteen years ago a sensation was created in the United States when iTeng Cheni. a ‘graduate’ of English {ana Amerfcan untversitt rried (PRESIDENTIAL HOPE ' DENIED BY BAKER Former War Secretary De- clares Main Interest Is to Get U. S. Into League. I By the Associated Press. CLEVELAND, Ohlo, January 18.— Newton D. Baker. former Secretary of War, laughed when he read a dis- patch from St. Petersburg, Fla., that he will be a candidate for the demo- cratic nomination for President. “Nothing is further from my thoughts than a candidacy for any political ofiice,” he said. The St. Petersburg dispatch gave Milton Young, Mr. Baker's former secretary, as authority for the story. Mr. Brker issued the following statement: “Mr. Young was my secretary when I was mayor of Cleveland, not when I was in Washington, nor at present. “He and I are warm personal friends, but I have had no communi- cation with him of any kind for a year. “Nqthing is further from my thoughts than a candidacy for any political office. “My chief interest in the next cam- paign s for a sound foreign policy and I am giving all my time to ad- vocacy of entrance by the United States into the league of nations.” ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., January 18.—Milton Young, secretary to New- ton D. Baker when he was mayor of Cleveland, announced today that Baker will be a candldate for the :emtocrnuc nomination for Presi- ent. VON KAHR GOVERNMENT SEIZES FASCIST FUNDS Remittances Shipped to Ludendorft, Hitler and Others, Stirs ‘Warm Debate in Diet. By the Associated Press. MUNICH, = Bavaria, January 18— Heated debate before the constitu- tional committee of the Bavarian dlet today revealed that the von Kahr government, has seized numer- ous remittances addressed to Gen. Ludendorff, Adolph Hitler and other fascist leaders. Among the funds confisated, it was stated, was $100 remitted through Mrs. Slegfried Wagner of Beyreuth, which was to be devoted to chari- table purposes among the national soclalists. Other funds came from Mexico and Austria. Speaking for Dr. von Kahr, minister of ‘the Interior Schwayer declared the government considered Gen. Lu- dendorft the head and propelling in- fluence of Bavarian nationalistic cir- cles. Therefore, he considered the selzure of the moneys in question an obvious measure of precaution. “No decent man fs sure of his life in Bavaria,” Dr. Held, chairman of the people’s party, declared. —The vain | - Star. FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 1924 -FORTY-TWO PAGES. THER’S FIGHT FOR CHINESE SON IS REVEALED w of Orient Gives Lad to Dead Father’s ' Unseen Bride, When Mrs. Teng Weds Leonard Duff. |the present Mrs. Duff, in Philadel- phia, The bride was a seventeen-year- | old student in St. Elizabeth’s Convent at Baltimore, where the first son, Lin-Wood Jinta Teng, was born in | February, 1913, at the Alabama apart- ments. He was an American citizen according to law, because the father, although of an old Chinese family, Jwax bom tn Hongkong, British sub! sec Teng Cheni was employed in Wash- ington by the American government | until he ‘was murdered by highbind- ers at Columbla, Mo. Shortly after | his death a second son was born. Shortly after the husband's death Admiral P. K. Teng, an uncle of Teng, arrived in America. He went to Washington to urge the widow and children to come to China and show the sons to her late husband's clan Mrs. Duff says invitations from her late husband’s father and urgings | from the Chiness legation at Wash- ington continued until she began the journey in 1914. The mother and 1 ST2000INLINEN - TAKEN BY THIEVES Porto Rico Shop Ransacked. Robbers Break Through Wall From Next Door. Expert thieves last night system- atically looted the Porto Rico Shop, at the corner of Vermont avenue and H street, of approximately $12,- 000 worth of choice imported linens and fabrics, making a clean get away, but leaving flinger-prints which may develop clues to their identity. The burglary was discovered about 9 o'clock this morning when Mrs. T. H. Doyle, the manager, opened the shop. The place was in disarray. Drawers that flank show cases on almost every wall had been rpulled out and the best of material had been taken while the less Inexpen- sive pieces had been left untouched. On the north side of the shop there is a section of wall about ten or twelve feet square, which originally f;;med an opening into the adjoining office of the J. J. tate firm, which 15 in the berms beaminy This gap had been covered with wali board. A small hoie punched out by a round fron bar told the story of the method whereby methon Y entry to the shop was Police belleve that the office of the Lampton company was first entered through a rear window about eight- eeg fen‘(r?m the low areaway. nce inside the Lampton rest of the Job was simple. 1 Cc e A systematic search of the Porto R‘l;ons‘hop 1WE! I;mlr}e. Scarcely an expensive piece of linen esca; ey;:‘ n!hlhe looters, SFERC 10 e burglars in’ lifting the glass top of a display table left fnger prints of two separate persons. Ap- proximately $10 in cash was taken from the safe and $25 more from a cash drawer at one of the counters. ! FORTUNE SQUANDERER DIES IN CRIPPLE CREEK Lafe Fyffe, Reputed to Have Amassed and Lost $15,000,000. Spent Life Prospecting. By the Associated Press. - CRIPPLE CREEK, Col., January 18, —W. L. (Lafe) Fyffe, sixty-five, mak- er and squanderer of fortunes esti- mated to have totaled $15,000,000, s da:a at his home Here. picturesque character of the old boom days, Fyffe spent his entire l?fo prospecting in the mining regions of Colorado. W “I'm not happy unless I'm trampi; the hills with a pick on my h;‘:fid‘:fi and brub on my pack horse,” he often told his riends who chided him about his wasting of money in the Lead. ville and other mining camps, feel uncomfortable with money.” DATO SLAYERS PARDONED. MADRID, January 18.—Luls Nicol: and Pedro Mateo, principals in the sassination of Premier Dato in March, 1921, were pardoned today, 1 * “From Press to Home Within the Hour” The Star’s carrier system covars every city block and the regular edi- tion is delivered to Washington homes as fast as the papers are printed. Yesterday’s Circulation, 100,111 TWO. CENTS. Butler to Raise First Policeman Who Kills Bandit By the Associated Press. PHILADELPHIA, Pa, January 18.—The first policeman to kill 2 bandit will be promoted, is & prom- ise made by Gen. Smedley D. But- ler in his campaign to clean up this city. “I'm tired of reading of messen- gers being killed by bandits,” the general sald in making the an- nouncement. “The $18,000 defense fund donated by policemen for legal protection in event of thelr arrest in the performance of duty will be done away with. The city hereafter is to defend its police- men.” e BILL WOULD END EFFICIENGY BUREAU Stengle Introduces Measure to Return Work to Civil Service Commission. Abolition of the United States bureau of efficiency, which has been the storm center of a recent row over allocation of government jobs under the new classification act, is proposed in a bill introduced in the House today by Representative Stengle of New York, who has for many years been prominent as a worker in the interests of federal erployes Representative Stengel proposes to restors the work now being done by | the bureau under Herbert D. Brown to the Civil Service Commission. He points out that on February 28, 1916, when the urgent deficlency ap- propriation act was passed in the House, there was attached thereto an amendment which transferred the di- fon of efficlency from the Civil Service Commission nto an inde- pendent bureau to be konwn as the bureau of efficiency. Representative Stengle declared he considers Civil Service Commission the agency best qualified to look after matters of efficiency and allo- | cation, and for the further reason that the efficiency ratings constitute a large part of the percentage used determining promotion qualifica- ons. POINGARE TO RISK CRISIS ON FINANCES Immediate Action on Drastic Financial Remedies De- manded by Premier. By the Associated Press. PARIS, January 18.—Premier Poin- care and Finance Minister de Las- teyrie supported the government's drastic financial and economic remedies for the exchange crisis before the finance commission of the chamber of deputies today, insisting upon imme- diate action on the measures intro- duced yesterday. The premier reit- erated his determination to take the question of confidence upon the issue. He insisted that the policy of balanc- ing the recoverable budget must not be construed as the slightest indica- tion that France was renouncing her right to recover money from Ger- many. The members of the commission took occasion to state that they considered | the country’s economie situation most satisfactory, but in order to remove any pretext for a “defeatist” cam- paign against the franc they had de- cided to begin at once the examina- tion of M. Poincare’s program for covering the recoverable budget with real receipts. The premlier sald in reply to ques- { tions during the hearing, which was behind closed doors that the govern- ment was consiGering the abolition by decree of the state monopoly in mAtches and turning the {industry over to private enterprises. TRACTION OFFICIALS INVITED TO HEARING Commissioner Bell Also Requested to Be Present at Discussion of McKellar Bill. 1 Engineer Commissioner Bell, George Traction Company: Willlam F. Ham, president of the Washington Rallway and Electric Company, have been re- quested by the subcommittes on Ppublic utilities of the Senate District committee to be present at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow when the committee will begin hearings on the proposal of Senator McKellar of Tennessee to force a 5-cent street car fare in the District. Senator McKellar, it is ex- pected, will be the first witness heard. Consideration of the McKellar bill for a 5-cent street car fare is expect- ed to lead to another general investi- gation of the street car situation here and further consideration of the vari- ous plans for a merger of the trans- portation companies in the District. Merger bills will be introduced, it s understood, by Senator Jones of Washington, Senator Ball, chairman of the District committee, and Senator King of Utah. The subcommittee which will con- duct the hearings and investigations consists of Senator Ball, chairman; Senators Capper of Kansas, Gooding of Idaho, Copeland of New York and Sheppard of Texas. . IMMIGRANT PROBE ASKED The bill proposing creation of a spe- clal board to investigate the entire sub- {former Treasury E. Hamilton, president of the Capital {he was opposed *o it from the two- BANKERS, CASTING POLITICS ASIDE, ASK TAXBILL ADOPTION Financial Representatives of 26 States Acclaim Mellon Plan at Meeting. PRESENT VIEWS TODAY AT COMMITTEE HEARING Yemocrats Hail Secretary for “Courage”—Hold Issues Above Partisanship. A rising tide of democratic as well as republican sentiment for the Mel- lon tax-reduction’ plan among bank- ers and business men regardiess of party or sectlon, in at least twenty- six states of the Union was reported today with enthuslasm by delegates of the American Bankers' League meeting here today to present its argument for that plan before the House ways and means committee In an informal meeting at the Ra leigh Hotel tod: prior to the hea ing this afternoon, the Mellon senti- ment broke out spontaneously when delegates from all sections of the country, with democrats voleing themselves most emphatically of all discussed what they reported to be a sentiment for the Mellon plan amountin= ‘o frm 90 te 100 per cent Senator Carter Glass, democrat. of Virginia, former secretaray of t Treasury, spoke in favor of tax-re- duction, 'In favor of the “so-called Mellon ‘principle,” of fixing a lower surtax, but attacked other features of the Mellon plan, advocating in- stead the “proposed modified plan.’ presented by the democrats, Delegate Hits Partisanship. While Senator Glass was accorded every courtesy by the delegates, he failed to dampen the ardor of the as- sembly for the Mellon plan, one del- egate rising after Senator Glass' speech to remark: “I am a democrat, but I'm sorry the democrats are tr: ing to drag this thing into politica.” J. M. B. Petriken of Greeley, Colo, who said he was a democrat, de- clared, “I don't care whe her Mellon 18 & democrat or a republican.” “He had the courage to propose tax reduction. The psychological effect of reduction will carry on down the line, through the government. state, county and municipalities. During the war we didn’t complain, but now the time has come when it is possible to relleve the burdens and I am in favor of doing it. 1f we begin quibbling over this or that part of the plen we'll never get anywhere. We ought either say we are not in favor of the plan, else adopt it. Issues Trangcend Pollties. “This is a so-called republican measure, but the issues involved are broader than politics. We should take the broader viewpoint that it is necessary to relieve the people of the country of the feeling that the government 1s trying to get every- thing out of them.” Mr. Petrikin sald he dldn't see a “thing to Senator Couzens' criticism” and classed the Michigan senator with other obstruc- tionists, whom he charged were try- ing to block tax reduction. C. C. Nottingham of Chattancoga, Tenn., declared the “people of Ten- nessee are going to support the Mel- lon bill regardless of politics. Senator Glass pointed out that Sec- retary Mellon had not been the first Secretary of the Treasury to propose tax reduction, as he had recommend- ed it himself when Secretary of the Treasury in 1920, when he had advo- cated “reduction’ of the national tax and cutting down of all upper brack- ets of the surtax.” . Senator Glass pointed out that he had_then “laid down anew the D fectly recognized principle that the surtax could be placed at a figure which would deprive government of revenue and divert capital from pro- ductivity. Secretary Houston, before Mellon, had aleo “more emphatically and more elaborately” presented the matter of tax reduction in his report to Congress, the senator sald, and the proposal had also been introduced by himself- as chairman of the resolu- tions committee of the democratic convention. Calls Mellon Plan Old. Had not Mr. Mellon been so frani in his letter to Chairman Green of the House ways and meuns committee in explaining that he was proposing what similarly had been sent to Con- gress by two democratic secretaries of the Treasury, Senator Glass de- | clared, “I might have been tempted to accuse him of plaglarism, because the language is very similar. I don't say that for political effect.” he added. “but simply state the fact: Senator Glass attacked the pro- posal to deprive states, municipa ities and the federal government of the privilege of {ssuing tax-exempt securities, declaring it would never be possibie as an amendment to the Constitution. Discussing the soldiers' bonus, the Secretary _declared fold reason of economy and Eenti- ment, and predicted that it would not be enacted. . Asks Modification. “Blind adoption of the Mellon plan, Senator Glass sald, “might work a hardsh!p on & great number of peo- ple,” explaining that under the “pro- posed modification” of the Mellon plan, which has been presented by The democrats, “many millions of Americans of moderate income” would be benefited. Praises Melion Bill. Edward D. Chassell of Chicago, secretary of the Farm Mortgage Bankers' Assoclation of America, f voring the Mellon tax plan, declared that the tax exempts had so mounted in volume that they were about to fill up the market, and that the amount of tax-exempt securities is- sued annually had risen from $83,- 000,000 in 1892 to more than $1,600,- 000,000 in 1923 E. D. Moody of Ohio, sald that Mel- lon had reached the heart of the mat- ter in explaining that taxes should be laid at the point, to use a rail- road term, “as much as the trafic will bear.” Educatior of the man of smaller income would be necessary he said to make that Individual un- derstand that fixation of the tax rats Ject of immigration was reintroduced yesterday by Senator Sterling, republi- can, South Dakota, — e at a point where it will be accepted by the wealthy as allowable for pro- ductive Investment, would eventually ~(Contlnued on Pags 2, Column 1)