Evening Star Newspaper, January 30, 1924, Page 2

L] 2 HOLLER INDICTED ON FRAUD CHARGE Grand Jury Charges He Awarded Degrees Without Instruction or Examination. ALLEGED VICTIMS NAMED Twenty-Four Others Are Accused of Various Offenses in Same Report. Holmuth P. Holler, known as “Bishop” Holler and as president of the Orlental University, was indicted today by the grand jury on a charge of evolving a scheme to defraud and with 1 the mails in furtheran of cced scheme. Holler, it is claimed, awarded degrees to apllicants without glving instruction or re- quiring examination or qualification. * Holler was indicted some months ago on a similar charge and is awaiting trial Under alleged n Is the a the new Indictmeht it is he Sceured money and prop- erty from J. Vincent Poley of Rover:- ford, Pa. Rev. F. H. Bessler of Kan- sas, William A. B. Gilkes of Brooklyn, N 'Y in Fleming of Lenn, Ma Vincent Chritina and Isaac Lewis of ew York Others indicted against them are larceny: Thomas J. Fields bella Pugh, robhery: James James Grilio, houscbreaki ceny; Willlam Brown, as dangerous weapon: John . E. Wilton Johnson een, grand larceny Tronald, joy riding; sault with dangerous weapon 1zear Howder and Joseph M. Goet {oy riding: Alphonse Stark Léo and Carl Dean. grand John L. Smith and Paul E. Pr housebreaking and larceny Luc Bceott, assault with dangerous weapons; John' Holmes, Alfred B. Lort, Harry Goldberg, Eimore (. Gray, and Eldred 1. Moore, non-support. FEDERAL BUILDING PROGRAM PROVIDED BY SMOOT MEASURE ont d the Arnold Williams, and A iall anl s and lar- ult with H. Jackson, and Joseph James H. Me- ‘mes Powell. a Clarence larcen ued from First Page.) are to be subject to the approval of the commission. An arnual estimate struction work is to be submitted to the bureau of the budget by missfon. The first estimate sent to the bud bureau Rs practicable after the passage this act. The commission in charge State, War and Navy departments buildings, composed of the Secre- taries of State, War and Navy. authorized Ly the bill to purchise land which may he needed for sites for these buildings as in the judg- ment of the public buildings com- mission may be needed. Need of New Bulldings. Senator Smoot in introdu bill declared that it “seeks to provision for a number of new ings in Washington, the ne for which has been pressing for a number of years. The bill is in lin with recommendations made by the public buildings commission in Its annual report. for this con- of & the make build- essity is firmly con- Smoot, “that one uthorization for the en- tire group of buildings, without any specific limit of cost on any of them, and placing the entire program under one central authority is a far more satisfactory method of handling the matter than the piecemeal method of appropriating for one building at a time, which has prevailed in th “luctuntion on Costs. “Buliding costs fluctuate greatly and it is impossible to make a satisfactory estimats of the probable cost of a build- ing a few months hence. A building which could be built for $2,000,000 now might cost $3,000,000 & year hence. “The commission I named as body which shall exercise general &upe ervision over the program because of the fact that for nearly five yvears it has had control of the allotment of space in the feceral buildings of this city, and has nccessarily acquired an intimate knowledge of conditions and the needs of the various departments and independent establishments. “BYy this method it will be possible to plan the locations of the various buildings in such a way that the ac. tivities of each department will be centered in one locality as much as )mbs]slblr. ln will aiso make sible to plan the entire 0| & view to the host interoste. government sepvic that one department or agency will not be unduly favo, 0 “a il bl T vored to the detri- o Size of Buildings. “The bill also provides th commission shall make dflcl!.o:(nsu;ie) the size of each building. This is done for the reason that sometimes departments in the government ha very exaggerated ideas with regard to their space requirements, F Type of Building. The type of building to bs erected In each case would be governed pri- marily by its and the ac- tivity which is to use it. e buildings would necessarily be. of olassic design and entirely in keeping with the idea of enhancing the beaut of the Federal Capital. In the les prominent locations it would wn. doubtedly be the poliey to erect buildings of the modern office type— the new Interior building being a %ood example. The commission is not at all in mpathy with those artistic extremists who would line the streets of Washington with Greel temples for the housing of the.varie ous federal activities. Such a pro- ceeding would involve the government in expenditures which would probably vun into the hundreds of millions. ction four of the bill, which au- thorizes the Secretary of the Treas- ury to acquire privately owned lands vhen neede inserted as a pre- autionary measure. It is not be- lleved at this time that the acquisi- tion of such lands will be necessar: The government now owns the seven squares upon which the buildings are located west of 17th street. squares south of Pennsylvania avenue between 14th and 15th streets, sites along the Mall and in other locations, It would, of course, be the policy of the commission to utilize the various areas to the fullest pos- sible extent. The bill as:drawn, it is belleved, will accomplished the ‘de- sired result in the shortest possible time, and It is hoped without the usual ~accompaniment of govern- mental red tape.” ~SURE S, Fletcher in View To Succeed Child . In Post at Rome ‘President Coolidge has under con~ sideration a proposal that Henry P. Fletcher, now ambassador to Belglum, be transferred to Rome to succeed Richard Washburn Child, who has resigned. The pro- posal alsoc contemplates appoint- ment of William Phillips, under- secretary of state, as ambassador to Belgium. These changes have been urged by Senators Pepper and Reed, Te- publicans, Pennsylvania. The Free :.Adent has made no decision, e past. the m with t interests of the as a whole, so location s charges { nger, | of the ! it pos- | temporary | 1 FALL AT BREAKING POINT, FOUR DOCTORS TESTIFY IN PROBE (Continued from First i d fr age.) g of regret, sorrow and have no party to eulogize,” said | Senator Norris, “and no party to con- | demn. 1 have only an interest in the | New THE ' EVENING _§! TAR, - WASHINGTON, D. €, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1924, GREGORY NOTED ‘TRUST-BUSTER’; STRAWN LESS KNOWN PUBLICLY Confirmation of Their Appointment in Teapot Dome Case Will Be Asked of Senate by President Coolidge. The appointment by President Coolidge of Thomas W. Gregory and Silas H. Strawn as epccial prosecu- tors of the Teapot Dome ofl lease scandal brings back Into public life one of the nation's best known cor- poration prosecutors and into general public notice for the first time a lawyer not so nationally well known, Mr. Gregory not only won promi- nence as Attorney Genegal in the cab- fnet of President Wilson, but before that came Into nation-wide repute as the special United States prosecu- tor and investigator in the goveru- ment's fight against the New York, Haven and Hartford Railroad Company {n 1913. Hls home is in Austin, Tex., and he accepted the appointment by long distance tele- phone before the President announ ed his selection. Native of Mississippi. Gregory was born at Craw Miss, in 1561 and was educated in both public and private schools. He was graduated from Southwestern Presbyterlan Univer- sity at Clarksvil Tenn, took a post-graduate course at the Unly sity of Virginia aml received the d gree of doctor of laws from the Un versity of Texas in 1885. The same year he was admitted to the bar of Texas. Almost from the beginning of his career Mr. Gregory has been a public prosecutor, a smasher of monopolies and illicit corporations. He was early employed by the state of Texas to disrupt corporations that were vio- lating i anti-trust laws, and won such a name for nself in that work that when the New York, New Haven and Hartford Rallroad Company was nccused of breaking the Sherman act he was ppointed special assistant United States attorn general to prosecute the case. The next y President Wilson made him Attorney General. Succeeded by Palmer. After serving for four years he re- signed in 1919 and was succeeded by A. Mitchell Palmer. He once declined an appointment to the judiciary. and early In his legal career refused an appointment as assistant attorney general of Texas. He once more sumed the practice of law after Mr. fordsville, re- re- | SENATORS PROPOSE MORE POWERS FOR D. C. GOVERNMENT | integrity of our common country.” Says Policy Disregarded. The investigation into the leasing reserves has shown clearly, he d, th; from the beginning been an utter disregard’ the government policy as laid down by Congress and of the laws| enacted to carry out that policy. | “The very first order (the execu- tive order transferring the reserves from the Navy to the Interior) upon | which all the leases were based,” he | said, “was to my mind utterly and| absolutely illegal.” “In fact, it was made in_defiance | of all laws bearing upon that sub- | {ee _“I concede that men may honestly disagree as to the policy of keeping these oil reserves in the ground or in ! {tank storage. But there is no op- {portunity for disagreement upon the iquestion” that the policy in this re- | |8pect is peculiarly with Congress, ! land th right or wrong, it is thel jduty of every patriotic cfiizpn to_see that such policy is carried out. It is| gspecially the duty of high public of- | cials Pointing out that Congress had nol! heen asked to legislate authorizing | | the transfer, Senator Norris declared | it was because those interested knew | that Congress would not approve it. | _“If we are to maintain our institu: tions, if the republic is to live,” he I said, "it must be through respect and admpiration for the law. ‘What can you expect from the people if high officials disregard and set_them aside with impunity 2" Violations of law, as presented in the present instance, Senator Norris declared, eventually would lead to a rule by despots and tyrants. There could be no doubt, he argued, that the leases and contracts made by Secretary Fall, after the “illegal™ | transfer of jurisdiction to him, were “as void of legality as the original order of transfer. Referring to statements that the [ leases had been discussed by the cabi- net, Senator Norris said he often won- dered if the illegality of the contem- | plated action d not been called to | the attention of that body by "lhn‘ | eminent Secretary of State, a lawyer f of highest standing.’ 1 Evidence “Inconclusive.” “I don’t want to dwell upon this point,” he added, “because the evi dence is not conclusive that the mat- | ters were taken before the cabinet.” Senator Smoot. republican, Utah. | said Secretary Denby had ‘testified | that they were not considered at any ibinet meeting he attended. The | tah senator asked Senator Walsh, | democrat, Montana, if there had been | other evidence on this point. H “I don't recall Secretary Denby so testifying,” said Senator Walsh, “but if he had it would carry no weight | iwith me. Mr. Denby knew nothing | about anything.” Resuming his argument, Senator Norris said that if the Secretary of the Interior had authority to enter into the oil reserve leases he had equal right to dispose of any publi property, “even to the Capitol grounds. Hits McLean Testimony, Turning to the testimony given be- fore the investigating committee, enator Norris discussed at length !the stataments of Edward B. McLean, the Washington newspaper publisher. | {The testimony of Fall and McLean iregarding a $100,000 loan by the pub- | lisher to the former Secretary was {characterized by Mr. Norris as “a lcock and bull story,” which nobody iwould have believed even before Mc- Lean testified under oath that Fall had returned the checks un- {cashed. It all had been planned, the senator said, when Fall found it necessary to_explain the source of it his wealth. ' Nelther Fall nor McLean | expected, he said, that the matter jwould be fully investigated. { ~ “It was an attempt of Fall to shield | himself from further investigation, {which would show,” Senator Norris declared, “that he was a liar all the }way through.” have looked with humiliation,” the senator continued, “upon the fact that so many of our officials have gone out of their way to hobnob {with Mr. McLean. You know with what humiliation we looked when | the President of the Urlited States, just elected to that office, came to Washington and made his home in this man’s house.” When Senator Glass, democrat, Virginia, asked whether the Presi- dent had requested the Attorney Gen- eral to advise him on the validity of an_executive order transferring the naval reserves to the Interior D partment, Senator Norris replied in the negative. He remarked that it was true “there is another member of the cabinet who has been admitted ot Ber epd ent o1 “I won't put him in e same class as the Secretary of State, but he was the legal adviser of the government, and he had under him many who were real lawyers. He could have submitted the question, had he been asked for an opinion, to attorneys Who were abie to xive him advice. Senator Couzens, republican, Michi- gan, told the Senate that “while all these recriminations are being made, he wanted to call attention that Con- gress itself had been negligent in pass. ing in so broad terms a law designed to permit the drilling of offset wells te_pmevent the draining of the naval ontinued on Page & Column | ot | { | { necessary. {actually unsafe somethi | Kansas {car-fare bill wi | —(Continued from Firs authorities had approved this meas ure, Including the War Department He said, too, that it would make it | pessible to obtain much more direct street car transportation from cer- tain portions of the northwest section | to the hospital. Senator Jones was inclined to op- pose the measure on the ground that running street cars through the hos- pital area would Interfere with the patients. Senator Edwards, how- ever, called attention to the fact that great hospitals in New York and Jersey City are established in bu and congested areas, without noise disturbing the patients. The McKinley bill amending the re- tirement act for public school teach- ers so the act shall apply to all teach- ers on the public school rolls, up to within a very short time before the act became operative, was referred 1o a subcommittee consisting of Sen- ators Ball and King. ith the un- derstanding that the bill probably would be reported favorably New Bridge Proposed. Another bill constdered by the com- mittee today was that proposed by the Commissioners, authorizing a sur- vey of Chain bridge above Geors town, with the idea of the construc- tion of a new bridge. The Gommis- sioners, in a letter, pointed out that the bridge fails to meet the needs of the hevier vehincles. They asked permission to extend up to $7.500 to prepares plans for naw bridge it it is deemes necerrary. Senator Jones and Senator King in- he | sisted that 1t would be unwise at this time to make preparations for build- ing a new bridge, particularly in view of the present-day traffic, and that it oF thor Patrong emough to carry the heavier vehicles. They asked permis- sion to expend up to $7.500 to prepare plans for & new bridge if it is deemed Senator Ball spoke in favor of the measure, however, and suggested that idge is found t"the Chain bridge s tfound to be Senator Capper of attention to the fact bridge was bullt fifty is bill for the development of hydro-electric power at Great Falls for use in Washington was considered briefly by the committee, and It was determined_to have hearings on that measure after tho_conclusion of the Fearings om the McKeilar five-cent- street-car-fare bill. mow belng con- ucted by a subcommlttee. AU toy Capper called attention to the benefit which might be derived from the development of the water- Dower at Great Falls. Senator Ed- Dards sald that the measure seemed to suggest government ownership and operation, to which, he said, he was otrongly opposed in the matter of pub- lic_utilities. on the McKellar street- T e ill be continued at 10.30 ing in the Senate about calle: that Chatin years ago. The Norr! done o’clock tomnrra‘w morni istrict committee. DIt ents for District Day. During the meeting _of the House District® committee, Representative Blanton announced that he not only favors the Zihlman resolution, but that he belleves the committee should stand 28 a unit in opposing any ef- fort made to set aside District day for any other business. He said he favors an ironclad rule protecting the District day absolutely and inviolate. Following the announcement on the floor Monday by Representative Charles L. Underhill of Massachu- setts, republican, that as one member of the District committee he will oppose on_the floor any effort made to set aside District business, the actlon taken by the full District com- mittee today gives assurance that 2 strong fight will be made to pro- tect the regular District days. Representative Zihlman is endeav- oring now to get a hearing on his proposed amendment before the rules committee at the earliest possible date. To start work at once on a survey looking toward the development of water power at Great Falls to supply water, light, heat and power to the Natlonal Capital, including the gov- ernment establishments and indus- tries in adjacent territory, a subcom- mittee was appointed by’ the House District committee today. Personnel of Committee. This committee consists of Repre- sentatives Zihlman, chalrman; Keller, Gibson, Hammer and Blanton. Rep- resentative Zihlman announced that the committee will meet next week with Maj. M. C. Tyler, the Army en- gineer officer who made a preliminary survey and who i8.now in charge of the work of constructing a new con- duit from Great Falls to the District, The first work t6 be done, he ex- plained, will be to have Maj. Tyler make & thorough examination of the proposed dam sites. Active support for the legislation to open up a new entrance to the Na- tional Capital through 14th street was shown in the appointment of Representatives ‘Keller, anesota; Beers, v Zihlman, ] , Min. Pennsylvania; O'Brien, turning from the cabinet and estab- lished offices in Washington, where he stilk practices. He was in Austin, however, when he was selected to Tepresent the democ Dome prosecution. Strawn, the republican prose- cutor, has done considerable work along the same line, but in a less con- spicuous capacity from the standpoint of the general public. He was born In Ottawa, 11, in 1866, was gradu ated from the high school there and was admitted to the bar in 1889, After practicing for a short time in Ottawa he entered the firm of Wins- Strawn In Rail Ofeial. He is general solicitor for the Chi- cago and Alton railroad and a direc- tor of the National Bank of Chicago. His firm s general counsel for sev- eral railrond companies. He is chair- man of the committee on legal edu- cation of the American Bar Associa- tion, | Association and was fromerly presi- | dent of the Chicago Bar Association. | He also was once president of the United States Golf Association. | Mr. Strawn is now in Washington {and had a conference late yesterday |with President Coolidge shortly be- fore the White House announced his appointment, together whh that of Mr. Gregory, as the Teapot Dome | prosecutors. ~ ‘Mr. is en route to the Capital . M |Strawn has been a friend of Presi- {dent Coolidge for some time and i was the President who first thought {0f him in conncction with the oil inquiry. Will Axk Confirmation, At the White House it was indi- cated that Mr. Strawn and Mr. Greg- ory would serve under the resolution ponding in Congress and be paid from funds provided for in a special reso- {lutlon in case the resolutions are |adonted. In such case, it was said, Senate confirmation of the appoint- [ments would be asked | On the other hand, any {chance at present unforseen, the res- {olution should fail of final ‘adoption, the two counsel, it was said, would serve probably ‘as special assistant attorneys general, operating under the Department of Justice and be paid from the funds appropriated for that department. 1In the latter event the White House view was sald to be that Senate confirmation at least would be unnecessary. it by New Jersey, and Gasque, South Caro- lina. to consider the bill A ‘subcommitte appointed { to consider the bill providing for the {opening up of Bancroft place between | Phelps place and 23d street. On_this committee are Representatives Zihl | man, McLeod, Michigan: St | York: Gasque, and Kent, vania, The committee ordered a favorable report on the bill which aiready has | passed the Senate to prescribe the method of capital punishment in the Distriet, abolishing hanging and substituting electrocution. This ac- t ken on motion of Repre- sentative Gasque, Representative Rathbone of Illinois |told the committee of a recent visit he made to the jafl, where he saw {the prisoners eating their dinner un- | T the shadow of the gallows, which, de was “‘shocking. [nhumarn and barbarous.” He asked the com- mittee if they did not wish sider at this time whether be better to abolish capital .nt aitogether in the Dist Representative Gasque was instruct- ed to write the committee report on the bill to substitute electrocution }for hanging. { et !PATENT OFFICE WORK wouldn' bunish- i | { But Congestion Still ‘“‘Deplorable.” i p = Changes in the method of handli patent and trade-mark applicatio at the patent office have resulted ir a gain in work of the office of 1,000 cases per month. while operating ex. penses have reduced by thou- sands of dollars by co-or@ination” of { work and elimination of duplications, { Secretary of the Interior Work said in a report on the business of the patent office for the calendar year 1923, submitted today to Congress. At the same time Secretary Work described congested conditions in the patent office due to greatly increased | business as “deplorable. Sven under the new system it will be five years before the technical work can be current, the report said. { “To accomplish this within a reason- | able time,” it added, “the force would | have to be augmented by at least 100 | more examiners.” Progr s de- jclared to be further shown by the {fact that one year ago an applicant | in some branches of the work had to | wait fifteen months before his patent | case could be taken up for the first { reading, while today no applicant has to wait more than nine monthe in | patent cases or seven weeks in either ! design or trademark cases. Notwithstanding the current gain, | there are still on hand 67,000 patent icases, 900 design cases ‘and 2,100 {trad been ses mark cases awainting action. -——— |$800,000,000 DEBT OF SOVIET TO.U. . (Continued from First Page.) Itl!e it owned in Russia. Another American victim of confiscation is the lInternational Harvester Company, which suffered the loss of bank de. posits, extensive stocks of imple- ments, warehouses and factories. The Singer Sewing Machine Com- pany was victimized through the na- tlonalization of its manufactured stocks. These were on hand for sale in depots in numerous towns and cities, and their total value runs into heavy figures. The New York Life Insurance Com- pany, under czarist laws, had been compelled to form a Russlan corpora- tion in order to operate in the coun- try. It was also required to keep in Russia_an investment in Russian securities equal to the amount of in- surance in force in the realm. Every nickel of these assets was taken by the soviet and is still held. Capture of Viadivostok. ‘When the American, British and Japanese forces evacuated Vladivo- stok and the soviet took possession of that important Pacific port, still more American property was looted. The docks and warehouses of Viadi- vostok were packed with goods of all kinds from the United States. Hundreds of smaller individuals, firms and corporations figure in the list of claimants, whose rights the Coolidge administration determined to enforce before recognition will be considered. The soviet authorities have on oc- casion indicated their readiness tc discuss compensation for American claims, provided the United States is ready to discuss & scheme of mutual compensation. The soviet is ready to put in 2 bill for damages done to Russian property by the various Rus- sian and allied military expeditions which sought to overthrow the Red regime, Kolchak, Wrangel and others Zwhich Moscow _claims were par- tially financed by ‘the United States. Individual American claims, in the total of $433,000,000-0dd, range all the way from $500 in the case of small applicants to $2,000,000 and mo; n the.case of some of the big corpo-. rations above mentian -ats In the Teapot | ton, Payne, Strawn & Shaw, in Chicago. | is president of the Illinols Bar | to con- | SPEEDED BY CHANGES | Work Report Shows Great Increase, | NEWS CIRCULATION IS FAVORED BY . 0. Beginning Friday Papers Will Be Handled as First- Class Mail. Beginning Friday, newspapers will be accorded the same treatment in the mails as letters and other first- class matter by an order made public today by Postmaster General New. “The order,” sald Mr. New, “means much to the American public. It is one of the most important and far | reaching steps in post office history. | {It is for the benefit of those who de- sire to have their newspapers placed before them at as carly a moment as possible. This should keep both the city and rural population in closer and quicker touch with their several fields of activitics.” Mecthod of Handling. Under the new system newspapers will be made up in separte sacks {plainly labeled with the word “news- papers.” If there are only a few copies at the point of dispateh, they | will be placed in pouches with first | {elass mail or in scparate sacks | though the sacks onl; partly | lied. The order stipulates that news- 1 papers shall not be mixed with cels post at any point in their dis- patch from the publishers’ office un- til their delivery to the addresses. New Orders Issued. Postmasters are required by the order to notify publishers in each in- stance when deliveries do not catch the dispatch which they are adver- tiged to atch: also to notify pub- lishers when they are eending their publications to wrong addre to address of deceased person: lishers will be notified by pos ers when they are putting up {mail in an incorrect manner. The order applies alike to d. weekly newspapers. 1t stipulates that all sacks of newspapers when re- ived in post offices must he segre- gated promptly and the contents dis- itributed and dispatc d to the proper |stations for delivery by carriers on |the earliest possible trips. SAYS SHEBROUGHT MNBACK TOLIE Woman’s Story Attributed to Mental Strain by Physician. are their Iy and | i ) | ! autops: Coroner Nevitt today ordered an on the body of Edward J. ! Whalen, sixty-two, a watchman, who died suddenl i th street northw / Dr. Nevitt said that aithough he | could see nothing suspicious in the| i circumstances surrounding the death, {and although he was willing to sign a death certificate if Dr. George R. {Sorrell, attending physician, made one {out, he felt at the same time that | the’wutopsy should be held as a mat- ter of procedure. Investigate Death. Detectives Cullinane were sent to investigate the which tos place while Mr. n was not under the care of ician, declared that they were Mrs. Whalen last night that had massaged her husband's body r Dr. Sorrell had pronounced him A and brought back lif ctective Sergt. Embry of the detective bureau at night, also id he was told by investigators at the wife was rolling cigarettes for her husband and herself at an early hour this morning. Dr. Sorrell, who treated Whalen some time ago for intestinal trouble, attributed these statements to the mental strain which the widow was undergoing. and O'Dea, charge Underwent Operation. Dr. Sorrell said that Whalen last {Novémber left Providence Hospital after an operation. He declared that he later told Whalen to go back to ibed when he found him up and out- side one day. Whalen was a veteran of the Spanish war and was employed funtil_recently as a watchman in a sovernment building. CROWELL WINS VICTORY IN WAR FRAUD CHARGES (Continued from First Page.) it is sought herein to obtain a judi- cial review of the polic adopted by the Secretary of War concerning the war emergency building construction program of that department through- out the period of the late war, and that, too, in the absence of fact alle- gations that would make such review proper, even assuming, but not hereby deciding, that the gqu on ‘s one open to judicial review “Even if the order of the Secretary of War of April 12, 1917, may properly be construed as limited in applica- tion, as insisted upon herein by counsel for the government, notwith- standing the plain and unambiguous language of the order itself; as well also if hotwithstanding the official adoption and approval by the Secre- tary of War of the cost-plus form of contract, a court and jury never- thelcss may supervise and even re- construct the terms and provisions of such form of contract; the court is of opinion that the indictment as drawn is not such as that the de- fendants could advisedly plead thereto in the sense of knowing just whag they are called upon to answer nor what is intended to be proved there- under.” 40 Pages of Decision. Justice Hoehling devotes _forty typewritten pages to an analysis of the indictment and to the views of counsel for the government and the claims of the lawyers for the de- fense. Those indicted with Mr. Crowell, and who also are exonerated by the action -of the court, are Willlam A. Starrett of New York, engineer and architect and former chairman of the War Department committee on emer- gency construction; Morton C. Tut- tle of Boston, Mass., general manager of the Aberthaw Construction Com- pany and former member of that Sommittee; Clemens W. Lundoff of Cleveland, Ohlo, vice president and general manager of the Crowell-Lun- doff-Little Company, and general manager of the Cleveland Construc- tlon Company; Clair_Foster, formerly With the Thompson-Starrett Company and then holding a commission as Major in the United States Army, John MacGibbons of Baltimore and Chicago, connected with a bonding company and associated ~with the emergency committee, and James A. Mears, general manager of Fred T. Lacy & Co., who served as secretary to the emergency committee. Demurrers to the indictment were filed on behalf of all the accused and arguments were made and briefs Submitted to Justice Hoehling by At- forney Frank J. Hogan and Henry D, Stimson, former Secretary of War. United States Attorney Gordon and special assistants to Attorney General Daugherty represented the govern- ™$t'is expected the government will - s note an_appeal from the decision of Justice Hoehling, | | | | last night at his home, { | 4 L. HODGKINS. DEMOCRATS PLAN | SHIP BOARD INQUIRY Party Leaders Announce In- tention of Asking Special Investigating Body. Denocratic leadars of the House announced today they would attempt, to have a special committee appointed | to investigate the affairs of the Shipping Board. Representative Garrett, the demo- crhtic leader, said it was planned to have Representative Davis of Tennes- see, a democratic member of the mer- chant marine committee, introduce a | resolution calling for the Investiga- | tion. 1 Representative Longworth, the re- publican leader, been informed of the minority plan, and has taken | the position that if an Inquiry is or- dered the committ ould have wide | powers and authority to go back as far as it may desire into the Wilson administration in its investigation. COOLIDGE’S FUTURE SEEN | IN PERIL BY OIL PROBE| om First Page.) I (Conf i | i i body he was presiding officer, did not { conclusively prove any irregularity. Senator Lenroot, republican, in- | sists, for instance, that even the | democrats @id not know of any ir- regularity, because not until a few idays ago did they introduce their resolution calling for the annulment | of the oil lea: in question. Granting, however, that Mr. Cool- | |idge cannot be held responsible for what happencd when he was Vice| President, the democrats now are prepared to attack him on the ground | that he is retalning in his cabinet | men whose failure to perform their {duties is said to be brought out by |the record of the Senate committee. | Golng After Daugherty. { The resolution ealling upon Secre- tary Denby to resign probably will be followed by another asking that! the Attorney General be asked to| | resign, too. Neither will pass, as the republicans can muster enough votes to | prevent such actton. That however, will not dispose of it, for the democrats {would then keep on talking about it un- {til the November elections. It is a sub- ject. which permits of considerable | talk; and on the democratic side there | are some voluble talkers. | Senator Caraway of Arkansas, | democrat, has already made a speech | on the claim of President Harding | that in permitting the Vice President | 0 sit at the cabinet table ihe latter| Would gain enough knowledge of public affairs as to enable him to take over the presidential office and be fa- miliar with what was going on. Now it turns out that Mr. Coolidge as Vice President claims he didn't know what was going on. The democrats willy make the most of that point. A for the Secretary of the Navy his defense is that he had no discre- tion in signing the leases which transforred the naval reserves to the Interior Department. Confronted with an executive order signed by the President, be feels it was his Guty to sign_the papers presented to | Nim. The democrats insist that in view of the controversy in the Navy Department on this subject in pre- ceding administrations Mr. Denby |Should have consulted the law officers iof his department and advised the President whether the executive order was a valid exercise of power. i Took Advice of Fall. { It appears that Mr. Harding took . Secretary Fall's advice on that legal | matter and according to the demo- | cratic senators, Mr. Fall's legal view were given at a ‘time when he was | indebted to the oll people for larse personal loans. Dia Attorney General Daugherty block ihe investigation of the Cali-| fornia ofl leases in deference to the Standard Ofl Company? The demo- crats have injected that question into the whole controversy and will keep Up their attack on Mr. Daugherty in the hope of focussing attention on idge cabinet ) the oo T benby and Mr. Daugherty | are men who would not for a minute| embarrass the President by remain | fng In his cabinet. But who Wil Say that they would assist thelr] party by withdrawing, because resig-| 1d promptly be interpre- as proof of} ave been making. f j | es they h e s the circumstances, President| i1l move slowly, depend-; fi“?’fi.“ihr special counsel to inves: tigate criminal features and arguing that only one side of the case has been heard and that all persons in- volved ghould be given a hearing be- fore judgment is passed by the ‘American people. ADVICE ON THEATER CRASH CASES ASKED —_— The United States Supreme Court has received from the Court of Ap- peals of the District of Columbia a certification in the Knickerbocker Theater damage cases, requesting to. be advised upon questions of law aris- ing upon the record in each of the ap- Is in those cases. P The Court of Appeals desires to be imstruoted upon these questions: o he facts in eac] et ened appeals to be true. do they constitute a cause of lcdt:n Sgainst the sppellants, and if not in o6 or more appeals, in which one or ones? 3. Is the appellant in each appeal property foined as a defendant with the other defendants named therein? ‘The Court of Appeals further cer- tifies that there are pending in that court ten other appeals involving the ame questigns and t_hll there are a Jarge number of cases awaiting trial in the Supreme Court of the District in each-of which -similir . questions { John Gr DINNER GREAGERBITTERLY DENOUNCES HEFLIN Defies Senator to Push Res- olution Asking Probe of Land “Frauds.’ VILLE, Senator Tex. He n, democr resolution in- States Senate Challenging Alabama, to press his troduced in the United Monday, in which it was charged that an effort was made in 1921 “to stifle an inquiry into land frauds in Texas,” R. B. Creager, republican natlonal co mitteman for Texas, in a statement here today, declared Mr. Heflin w tuated L tives.” “I challen his resolution,” do mot believe any intention of ever having an vestigation as to whether net officer had been nator Heflin to pre said Mr. Creager. he introd: in- i t ced it with {who is n enced or that I had sought to improp- | them.” states he was a mem- nde erly influen Mr. Crea ber of the commitzee of Rio ( valley citizens wl ington in Apri against certain letters being by Department which were terests.” cured by Commerer, and, of the various ¢ aut letters wes at a joint mectin ambers of commerce a letter of protest was prepared and a committee appointed to go to Wash- ington. The D of Agricul- ture was convin the form of the letter they had been sending out was unfair, and they agreed to change the form, Mr. Creager said. Asked Separate Inquiries. L. Jessup of Brownsville spe- cifically stated to each cabinet officer that the committee was not there for the purpose of stopping or delaying any investigation as to the alleged fraudulent prac! of any of the land compan at, on the con- ce M. howe any such investigatio; “They did. each comy: should be separately investizated that if investization showed the land companies guilty of improper or unlawful practices the terests would welco any prosecuti gations did ictments we umber of men at Ka and some of these thereafter convicted. Our vis Washington was in the lutter April, 1 The court action Kansas ¢ ame several months later. “I have companics tice did not nies thev in they in and I believe operating in the could have be by Senator Hefli ous of ascertaining the truth. NOTED EDUCATOR DIES. there ed agal sas City it two land of connection with The Department 1e what compa- i, but 1 know ,’at my request. all t estigated These ascertained ich went to Wash- | | | | trary, the valley interests welcomed | Creager | | Jus- | facts | | throughout the 0V ° . W U. ALUNNT INBIG FUND DRivE “Endowment” Dinner at the Raleigh Tomorrow Night to Inaugurate Campaign. .« ¢ George “endowmen pected to bring out ering of alur was founded, 103 y held in the Raleigh Hotel tom, night at milliof which large 1 he 3 years ago, doliar bu mpa 4 rate Lign 3 opens tudents cived in Advane sions many graduate Tetter The fol their ba realiz ol Aseiitazat im 1 to valley in- |Tuenty rict of afternoor fair, mod moderate to 1 Virginia—Light r generally fair moder uth We tomarrow norrow perature v st winds. Fair te ler tonight Records for Twenty-Four Hours. The 1 pm D. midn a ght, 12 . 12 n curre west Condition « Tempe water peratur. aturd (Furnish Today— e Trow Dr. J. G. Crabbe Was Ex-Chief of National Education Association. GREFLEY, Colo,, January ut Crabbe, fifty-nine, pre of the Colorzdo State Teachers' College here, died this morning from hardening i of the arterics. During 1913 and 1914, while a { dent of Kentucky, Dr. Crabbe was pre: dent of the National Education Asso- ciation. He was born in Mount Ster ing, Ohio, and was raduated from Ohi Wesleyan University. STUDENT MURDERED. CINCINNATI, Ohio, January John A. Mazzola, twenty-five old, a native of Panama, who a dental student at the Ohio Coll of Dental Surgery of the University of Cincinnati, was found murdered here today 30— ¥ Four Resolutions Before Senators In Teapot Probe Abrogation of government oil leases and resignations of two cabi- net members are called for in four resolutions how pending before the Senate as a result of the Teapot Dome investigation. The first Walsh resolution would cancel naval ofl reserve leases, in- cluding those granted to the Harry F. Sinclair and E. L. Doheny inter- ests in Wyoming and California by former Secretary of the Interior Fall while in President Harding's cabinet. A The Robinson resolution, intro- duced by the democratic leader of the Senate, asks the President to Tequest the resignation of Secretary of the Navy Denby, saying it is the Sense of the Senate that is the r course. Drgg:nlor ‘Wheeler, democrat, Mon- tana, today introduced a resolu- tion declaring it the sense of the Senate that the President request the immediate resignation of At- torney General Daugherty. He as- serted Mr. Daugherty had taken no Steps to indict those gullty of acts of neglizence and corruption in the Veterans' Bureau, former Secretary Fall and others under suspicion. A new resolution introduced by Senator Walsh, democrat, Montana, foday directs’ the Secretary of the Interfor to abrogate the per- mits, leases, etc, under which sec- tions 36 and 16 in California are belng exploited. The excuse for Jeasing the Elk Hills reserve was . that oil was being drained from it these Standard Oil wells, | | Stations, o Cliloy e Okla Omuha rhil Pi Pit sriland. e Portland,Ore §0.1 Raleigh 0.0% s, Lake Cit n Anto; San_Diego S F Spokane . WASH. D] Temperuture. Weather. a8 Part cloudy 7t Cloaay ) Cloudy Part dougs perihagen, Stockhol Gibraltar, Spain Torta (Fayal), A: permuda... Hamilton Porto Ki Kan Havans, ARGENTINA. ‘ week ending January 25, 1924 Mean Depart- Avg. Depart- tem- ~ ure pre- ure pera- from cipita- from ture. normal. tion. normal. Corn and northern wheat area Southern wheat area A Nation's Phone Calls. The postal service of Great Britain) carries about 5,600,000,000 letters av L3 —1 +0.2 nually, or about 17,000,000 each work ing day. The service handles 78% 000,000 telephone calls a year. The Increase is said to be usualiy gremt at this time, ey