Evening Star Newspaper, February 21, 1924, Page 1

~ COOLIDGE APPRISED . . . WEATHER. Fair tonight and tomorrow; colder temperature u s; moderate to fresh north- S Smds. Temperature for 24 hours Highest, 46, at 4 fonight—lowest west_wind: ended at 2 p.m. toda p.m. yesterday; lowest, 30, Full report on paj Closing N. Y. Stocks and Bonds, Page 26 about at 7:30 am. ge 4. ———————___—_:m—fl No. 29,150 Entered as second-class matter post office Washington, D. C. DAUGHERTY LIKED WTHSTOCK BV, WAEELER 15 TOLD Senator Understands Presi- dent Was Advised +” Evi- dence Indicating Attorney General Bought Sinclair| Shares, He Says. MOVE TO FORCE OUSTER IS STARTED IN SENATE Diive Follows Failure of G. 0. P. Senators’ Plea That White House Voluntarily Drop Justice De- rartment Head—New Accusa-| tions to Be Aired at Hearing. Br the Associated Press. Senator Wheeler, democrat, Mon- tana, author of the resolution pro-| posing an investigation of Attorney General Daugherty’s administration, said today he understood informa- } tion indicating that the Attorney! Ueneral had dealt in Sinclair stocks | had been laid before the President. | a special investigator,” said Sen-| ator Wheeler, “indicating that Mr. | Daugherty had dealt in Sinclair oil stocks, and 1 understand that those facts were laid before the Presi-; dent.” 1l It can now be disclosed that this | information formed the subject mat- ter of the last Sunday's conferences | between Chairman Lenroot Senators Wheeler and Walsh, demo-, crat, Montana, and Atlee Pomerene, special government counsel in the oil cases. Say Investments Lost. i The story as it b reached sena- tors that the investments were comparatively small, and resulted ul- timately in sale of the stock it.3 loss. ! As an outgrowth of these discus-| sions, republican senators held a| conference vesterday, and Senator| Lodge of Massachusetts, the party ! tloor leader. and Senator Pepper, re- publican, Pennsylvania, were dele- wated to inform the President that: in the opinion of the republican Sen- | ate organization Mr." Daugherty | shiould retire from the cabinet. | What Mr. Coolidge replied is not | revealed. Both Mr. Lodge and Mr.| Pepper declined today to discuss even H the purpose of their long confereuce with the President, and White House | cofficials remained silent. After the Sunday afternoon confer- | fathering the gasoline tax legislation, |lifesaving stations now ences Chairman Lenroot and Mr, Pom- | erene visited the White House Sunday | extension of the existing reciprocity | evening. . Senator day that certain information which had been brouxht to his attention had been discussed with the Presi- dent, but he still refused to discuss the nature of the information. Horah Urges Retirement. Later in the evening Senator Borah, republican, Tdaho, also called on Mr. Coolidge, and Mr. Daugherty joined the conference. At this meeting ofl was not discussed, but Mr, Borah frankly told the Attorney General that he should retire, because the country and Congress had lost confi- dence in him. | In the face of the story of oil trad- | ing, the Attorney General has re- mained adamant in his determination | not to quit the cabinet. He spent most of today at work at his hotel | on war frauds cases, and told his in- timates again that he bad no inten- tion of resigning. He takes the position that he is suilty of no wrongdoing, and has| used no confidential information as| the basis of stock investments. It was to run down the report of oil investments by Mr. Daugherty that the committee set auditors at work Lenroot said to- | examining the books of Harry Payne Whitney, New York financier, and J. I Benkard & Co., a New York stoek brokerage firm. The result of now in progress not known here. Dawes’ Name Mentioned. Lifforts to run down another report of transactions by Mr. Daugherty, Charles Dawes, first director of the budget; Albert B. Fall, former Secretary of the Interior, and other high officials in the stock of another ©oil company, mnot in anywise in- volved in the Senate investigation, are being made through examination of the books of other brokers. Some members of the oil commit- tee said today that this was one purpose” of the examination of the Thooks of Ungerleider & Co., a Cleve- Jand stock brokerage firm, which Sormerly maintained a branch in “Washington ~under the management or James Sloane, jr., a former White House attache, The audit of the books of the srmer ‘Washington branch has been ~ompleted, it was said, and the ex- pert accountants now are working on the books in the main office at Cleve- | Jand. The results of the audit of | the Washington books has not yet: been made Known to the committee, Pablic Probe Planned. Preparations went forward today for the public inquiry into Mr.| Daugherty’'s administration of the Justice Department, provided for in i resolution by Senator Wheeler. Re- publican Senate leaders are under- stood teo have consented to the se. Jection of Senator Brookhart, repub. lican, Jowa, as chairman of the in- vestigation committee, as proposed by Senator Wheeler himself. Senator Brookhart is one of those who has voted on several occasions with the La Follette insurgent bloc, and the Senate leaders at first had suggested that some other senator be chosen to head the committee. S@nk-| tor Wheeler iusisted that he wanted ¢ a “real {nvestigation,” however, and the republican managers appeared to- (Continued on Page 4, Column 5.) ! this _examination, in New York, is CHARLES B, WARREN, Appointed ambassador to Mexico. WARREN APPOINTED ENVOY T0 MEXICO Coolidge Sends Nomination of Detroit Man to Senate. Served in Tokio. Charles B. Warren of Detroit, Mich., | “Information came to me through | Was nominated by President Coolidge | the coast guard, on account of its| today to be United States amba to Mexico. Mr. Warren was sador to Jupun and one of the two commissioners who represented this government in Mexico last sum- mer in newotiations which resulted in the resumption of diplomatic relu- tions between the two countries. Mr. Warren several times refused he ‘ambassadorship, but President Coolidge and Secretary Hughes in- sisted that he change his mind. Mr. Warren long has been active can national politics and wa @ close friend of the late President Harding. He made a notable record at Tokio, where he negotiated several agreements for better understanding between the American and Japanese peoples, including that for cancella- tion of the Lansing-Ishii agreement. AUTO RECIPROCITY EATENSIN LIELY ador formerly ambas- Reasonable Period, De- clares Zihiman. Gov. Ritchie of Maryland has sured Representative Fred N. Zihl- man of Maryland, acting chairman of that he is not opposed to a reasonable agreement between Maryland and the District of Columbia, and that he will confer at an early date with the Dis- trict officials with this extemsion in view. Representative Zihlman went to An- napolis vyesterday and urged upon Gov. Ritchie the advisability of ex- | tending the temporary recognition of license tags, which is now in exist- ence between the state of Maryland and the District of Columbia officials, and which will expire on March 1. Representative Zihlman called Gov. attention to the fact that the bill providing for the gasoline tax has | passed the House and is now before the Senate and that the Senate committee on the District of Columbia will take action on the measure on February 27, ! three days before the expiration of the existing agreement. The inconvenience and hardship that automobile drivers, not only in the Dis- trict, but also in Maryland, would be put to. if something was not done to extend the period of reciprocity beyond March 1, were stressed upon the governor by | Representative Zihiman. The District Commissioners alrendy have intimated their intention of ask- ing Gov. Ritchie for an extension if the bill is not passed before the first of next month. » Ball's Propesals. Senator Ball, chairman of the Dis- trict committee, after a conference today with Representative Zihiman of | | Maryland, announced that he would seek to have the, gasoline tax bill re- ported to the Senate by the commit- tee contalning the following provi- sions: 1. Two cents a gallon tax on gaso- line. 2. One dollar license fec. 3. The personal property tax on au- tomobile. under existing law. 4. Provision that the money raised from the gasoline tax should go into| the Treasury to the credit of the Dis- trict of Columbia and be used for street improvements and street light- ing, in addition to the regular ap- propriations for those purposes made under the 60-40 plan. Senator Ball saild that Mr. Zihiman jhad told him that he believed the House would agree to the bill in that shape. As a matter of fact, it is practically the House bill with*the | exception of the dollar license fee in- stead of 15 cents per horsepower tax, placed in the bill by the House, Senator Ball said that' he would seek to have a conference with the local committee representing clvic and trade organizations on Saturday. The conference will be fn the na- ture of a hearing and will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday. One representative from each of the following organiza- tions will be given an opportunity to be heard: Chamber of ~Commerce, Merchants and Manufacturers’ Asso- ciation, Board of Trade, Automotive Association, the American Automobile ‘Association, the National Motorists' ‘Association’ and the Federation of Citizens' Associations. Representa- tive Blanton of Texas also has re- quested a_hearing. No 5:30 Edition Of The Star Will Be Issued Tomorrow, Washington's Birthday. WASEHINGTON, 158 SHIPS SMUGGLE UNGHECKED FLO OF LIQURTOU.S. Coast Guard, Unable to Cope With Increased Traffic, Re- veals Conditions. ONLY 5 PER CENT OF RUM IMPORTED IS CAPTURED More Than 100,000, Cases Whisky Is Safely Landed in This Country. Enormous Increase in liquor smug- gling, with growth of the illicit rum fleets to the unprecedented total of 158 vessels, was revealed today by the U. S. Coast Guard. Within the last three months of 1923, the amount of liquor from Scot- land alone, destined for consumption in the United States is listed at 4 1702 gallons in bulk, and 26,755 cases Shipments of whisky from Europe since January, 1922, and intended for {this country, according to official | recora: amounted to 104,241 cases plus 13,965 ‘gallons of wine and beer. From Canada it is estimated 65 cases have been shipped, while ifrom Miquelon it is known that at least 9,000 cases were sent to the | United States. { Small Perrentage Stopped. Of this amount it is estmated tLat !its Inadequate equipment. has been alle to stop only about 3 per cent, allowing, in spite of all efforts, per cent of the liquor destined for the United States to get by and find lits way into illicit trade. These figures have been obtained by i the coast guard from many reliable | sources, in the course of a_study of the responsibility which been thrown upon them by the President iof stopping the great illicit rum- smuggling traffic. President Coolidgge’: recommenda- tion that the coast guard be given {a_supplemental appropriation of $13.- 1853959 to meet the growth of the |smuggling. evil is now bufore a sub- {commirtee of the Housc wommittee lon appropriations. ] 30,000 Cases on One Ship. ‘The enormity of the smuggling jbusiness is pointed out hy a source {which discovered that in one Ship- iment alone. whjch.came’from Port | Talbot, Wales, last summer there 1was more liquor oh one vessel than {the coast guard in Its entire cam- 'paign against the evil has been able ito aeize—a total of 30.000 cases. Such are high lights in the situa- . Gov. Ritchie Willing to Grantjnm. which President Coolidge feels is | S0 serious as to call for early increase | iof the vessels and personnel of the {coast guard, which would give to the service twenty torpedo, boat destroy-! ers of the second line and two mine \sweepers from the Navy, the build- {ing or purchase of 223 vabin crulser {type motor boats, with full equip- iment, including radi building or :purchase of 100 “Seabright dory” type imotor boats, with necessary equip- | the House District committee, who is iment, and the reopening of nineteen on the in- jactive list. The newly increased rum fleets, which stand off the shores near stra- | tegic points, such as New York. Long Island sound. Delaware and Chesa- | peake bays, along the coast of Flori- | | da and among the mouths of the Mis- | sissippl are notably active on the eastern and southern shores, accord- ing to official reports, but there is | also much activity, not so thoroughly | tabulated along the Pacific shores. = than one, consist of. first, the high. class force of larger boats. now taling 29 steamers and 139 sailing vessels, which vary in size from 9,000 tons to 70 tons. Secondly, the Smug- glersis known to have what is called au inshore force of several hundred motor boats and smaller vessels with speed up to eighteen knots. Alrcraft is sometimes resorted to. Shipped From Maamy Ports. The contraband goods, according to the latest returns has been mostly coming from ports in Great Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Canada, the Canadian Maritime Probinces, Ha- vana, Santiago, Cuba, Jamaica and | Grand Cayman. There are ‘reported advanced bases !at St. Johms, N. F. St. Pierre, Mi- quelon, the Azores Islands, Bermuda | and the Bahamas. Although the entire structure of the smuggling organization has not authorities that the bulk of ‘it is directed from general offices in New York city, with agents in the Ba- hamas and_Nova Scotia. At . Yar- i mouth, N. S, it has been reported that a large corporation has been formed, with indications, according (Continued on Page Z, Column §.) -— — COURIERS WILL INVITE COOLIDGE TO ONTARIO Horsemen Will Ride Entire Dis- tance to White House Bear- ing Message. By the Associated Prese. BELLEVILLE, Ontario, February 21. —Courters on horseback will ride to ‘Washington in April to invite Pres- ident Coolidge to attend the United Empire loyalist celebration to be held here next June, Mayor Mikel an- nounced today. Several young men have already volunteered for the trip. Other courlers will be sent to Ot- tawa with an’ invitation for Gov. Gen. e Byng. 3 DIE IN SPANISH WRECK. | Trains Collide in Snowstorm—Six Badly Injured. MADRID, February 21.—A message from Avila reports the loss of a num- ber of lives in & collision between | two trains during a snowstorm. Oné of the trains is sald to have been demolished. - Three bodies and six badly injured: persons had been taken from the wreckage when the e was flled, The fleets. of which there are more | been revealed, it Is believed by the ! WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION Foening i 1 { 1 \ 1 | | l l | | i VANDERLP PLEASED BY BIG LBEL SUT | Says SGOO,COO Action by i Marion Star Owners May : Reveal Unprinted Facts. uary 21.—Fran 1a. rlip, retired banker, in a ¢ today to the $600,000 libel suit inst him yesterday by the of the Marion Star declared i he welcomed the suit and expressed !the hope that it woul@ be the fore- runner of “court proceedings that {would make public some of the news ! that the great newspapers did not see {6t to print.” ! "1 am prepa to spend quite as nk | student disclosed a child prodizy upon forged | Star. D. C, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1924—THIRTY-EIGHT PAGES. !CONPESSED SLAYER OF PARENTS AND SISTERS ONCE D. C. STUDENT | i | Fran k McDowell, Florida h | charged From G. W. Youth, Dishonorably Dis- University for False Matriculation Papers. Frauk McDowell, who trial in Florida as the of parents and two dishoncrably dismisse from - Georze | Washington University little more than a year zgo, after his fuilure as a Ie had been ad- 8 awaiting fessed slayer sisters, W his € a | mitted as | matriculatioa papers patches from St Petersburg. Fla. describing McDowell. not yet twenty years old, confessed to shooting mother and father last Tues- | g il admitted that on the same date a year ago he had burned his two si. to death, to atone for a “blas- | sister. 1Dhemy aguinst the Holy Ghost.” pro- how | + MeDowell first registered at o | Washington University in eight courses, embracing mostly eco. nomics, political economy and com- ‘withdrew before matriculating ear, but in March, 1922, pre sented a certificate from Emory Uni- cersity in Atlanta, Ga., crediting him ith three full years of the most sa isfactory work. To the universi registrar he represented himself as ihteen vears old. although in fact | he was a year younger. Shows Luck of Tral The boy was immediately admit- ted to the senior class, but soon be- | ®an to show his lack of training. He failed utterly in three subjects and {received only a: fair average in the | much as has been asked for in these | [0Undiy shocked Lis former Drofessors |fourth, having chosen only four sul j court proceedings in an effort to make | public thie news” the statement {said, adding that “there isx nothing | this country needs so much at i moment as some court proceedings initiated by grand juries and pressed by incorruptible prosecuting attor- | ney ! Anleep at Switch. | The statement continue twe months ago, in April, Senate, by unanimous resolution, i called for the facts in the Teapot { Dome leases. That resolution was so framed that the red flag of suspicion was run up. For weeks no answer at all was received and none was { pressed for. and thereafter, until | quite recently. the search for the { facts was made without vigor. What | were the newspapers doing for {twenty-two months? What was Senator Walsh doing? It looks as if { gomebody had been asleep at the | switch—or perhaps asphyxiated at the switch. At least, no court pro- ceedings have yet resuited from the Teapot Dome situation. “Nor have therc been, so far as 1 {am aware, any court proceedings initiated as a result of the criminal mismanagement of the Veterans' i Bureau. The wholesale dishonest; there is not a matter of rumor; it is a matter of official record in the | committee proceedings and the pro- { ceeding of Congress, and Mr. Forbes and his_friends have as yet | countered no court proceedings. “There have been no proceedings, i nor even a.thorough investigation of ithe alien property administration. | " (Continued on Page 2, Column 2.) AUSTRIA RECOGNIZES | SOVIET GOVERNMENT “Twenty- 1922, the en- Vienna Follows Lead of Britain, | Itnfy and Norway To- ! ward Russia. By the Associated Press. MOSCOW, February 21.—Austria has given soviet Russia recognition de jure, according to advices re- celved by the foreign office here. Recent advices from Vienna have indicated that Austria was on the ieve of foPmal recognition of soviet | Russia following the récognition | given that government by Great Britain, Italy and Norway in the re- cent past. | NICARAGUA MOBILIZES 70 GUARD FRONTIER Honduran Political Strife Causes Step—American Cruiser Ar- rives at. Amapala. ress. .B’sf:;:“s':v[:";:;;on. Republic of Sal- | vador, February 21.—Because of the ! gisturbed situation in Honduras, | where three factions are claiming the | presidency, the Nicaraguan govern- ment has decreed the mobillzation of the army to guard its frontier. has arrived at Amapala, on the Hon- Pacific coast, and the Amer- S military attache to the Central American legations is reported to have left for Honduras. ‘Advices from Honduran rebel sources are to the effect that Gen. Gregorio Ferrera, with 1,700 men, is marching on Comayagua, and Gen. Vincente Tosta, with 2,000 men, is headed for San Pedro, in Sula. These Jeaders are supporters of Policarpo Bonilla, one of the three proclaimed "presidents” of Honduras, the | The American cruiser Milwaukec | d fellow students here today. Check Boy at Library. Only a few officials at George Wash- ington University knew McDowell had been driven from the classrooms with dishonor. and to his many ac- quaintances here he was known as the boy genius, who completed his collegiate course at the age of six- teen and was already a budding au- As a_matter of fact, his pos tion in Washington was that of chec! boy at the Library of Congress. SENATE REJECTS $500,000 for Medical School Eliminated From Bill | by 40-t0-35 Vote. By a vote of 40 to 35, the Senate to- day sustained a point of order made by Senator Overman of North Caro- lina against two proposed amend- ments to the Interior Department ap- propriation bill. totaling $300,000 for an addition to the Howard University Medical School. Other amendments proposed by the Senate appropriations committee for Howard University amounting to about $205,000 were not included in the point of order. The vote of the Senate had the ef- fect of recommitting the bill, with ‘lnslrurt(uns to strike out the $500,- 000 proposed for the Howard Univer- | sity Medical School addition. Im- | mediately Senator Smoot of Utah, in charge of the bill, asked unanimous consent to report the bill back to !the Senate without the $500,000 for |the medical school, and this was | granted. The roll call was as fol- lows: Those voting “aye” sustained the point of order, and those voting “no” opposed it. Ayes, 40—Senators Ashurst, Bayard, Borah, Broussard, Bruce, Carrawa: Couzens, Curtis, Dial, Fess, Fletcher, Frazier, Gegrge. Glass, Harris, Har- rison, Heflin, Howell, Jones of New Mexico, Kendrick, King, Ladd, Len- root, Mayfield, Neely. Norbeck, Norris, Overmar, Pit‘man, Ransdell, Reed of Missouri, Robinson, Sheppard, Sim- mons, Smith, Stanley, Stephens, Swan- son, Wadsworth and Wheeler. | **Noes—45: _ Senators Adams, Ball, Brandegee, Brookhart, Bursum, Cam- eron, Capper, Copeland, Cummins, Dale, Dill, Edwards, Flkins, Ferris, Gooding, Hale, Johnson of Minnesota, Jones of Washington, La Follette, Lodge, McKinley, Mclean, McNary, Moses, Oddie, Pepper, Phipps, Reed, Shipstead, Shortridge, Smoot, Spencer, Walsh of Massachusetts, Warren and AV illis. | ‘Senator Spencer of Missouri later {ffered as an amendment to the ap- propriation bill the item totaling $500,000 -for the Howard University Medical School addition, which will be considered when that part of the bill o reached, possibly under a motion to | suspend the rules, | McADOO ENTERS NAME IN ILLINOIS PRIMARIES By the Associated Press. SPRINGFIELD, Ill, February 21.— W. G. McAdoo entered the Illinois primaries today, when his petition as democratic candidate for President was filed with Secretary of State Em- merson by W. J. Murphy and Wil- liam Coleman, both of Chfcago. The petition carried 4,971 signa- tures. s formally places Mr. Mc- Adoo in the Illinois presidential pref- _erential primaries HOWARD UL FUND jects upon his second registration. | He was asked to withdraw from the universily, and, in the meantime, their | suspicions aroused, officials queried | Emory University heads us to M | Dowell's true récord there. | Their reply was that he had com- | pleted less than one-quarter of a | semester there, had received no cred its and had proved only a fair stu- | dent. It was then learned that at the time hie was supposed to haye been | graduated from Fulton High School. in Decatur, Ga., wh he and his | family lived for a while, he was re- “ontinued on Page 2, Column 1.) BILLTOADDPARKS T0D.C.APPROVED Budget Bureau Notifies Com- missioners of Decision. No Funds Authorized. The budget bureau today notified the Commissioners that it has ap- proved a bill authorizing the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Com- mission to proceed with the acquisi- tion of additional parks in Washing- ton. Although the measure as returned from the Treasury does not carry an initial appropriation, it would have the effect of making the ac- quisition an approved project, for which funds would be made available later. Specifies Klingle Valley. l The bill specifies the Klingle Val- lley and Piney Branch parkways, and !part of the Patterson tract. | In their urgent supplemental es- timates for the current fiscal year 'th» Commissioners have asked for ' $200,000 for the immediate purchase of the Klingle valley. This course was followed because the city heads received informatien that the land would be developed by private in- terests this year and thereby become lost for park purposes. If this supplemental estimate is allowed the Klingle valley item could be striken from the special bill just returned from the budget bureau. Ensential C ecting Link, In emphasizing the importance of saving the Klingle valley, Melvin C. Hazen, city surveyor, pointed out to- day that it would form an essential link in the connecting chain between Rock Creek and Potomac parks. Although the land necessary to Ijoln Rock Ureek and Potomac parks is now being acquired. Mr. Hasen! sald this route passes through the Zoological Park, which closes at 6 o'clock in the evenings. The Klingle valley, he said, would form an at- tractive by-pass between the two big parks without going through the Zoo. $1,000,000 BANK CLOSED. | Wells, Minn., Institution in Hands of Federal Examiner. WELLS, Minn,, February 21.—The Wells National Bank, with deposits of approximately $1,000,000, was closed today and A. B. Smith, national bank examiner, took charge of the insti- tution. Recent heavy withdrawals ‘were responsible for the elosing, it was sald. i The Star’s every city bl Yesterday’s L] “From Press to Home Within the Hour” carrier system covers lock and the regular edi- tion is delivered to Washington homes as fast as the papers are printed. Circulation, 102,236 TWO, CENTS. Laughs Himself To Death Over Theater Comedy By the Associated Press, READING, Pa., February 21.—A hearty laugh resulted in the death of Emmet Crowell, sixty-four, in a theater here last night. With a neighbor, Crowell was enjoying a comedy and laughed uproariously. Suddenly he slumped in his seat. He was carried to a rear room and then to a hospital, where physicians pronounced him dead. SeREeEe BLOOM DECLARED FLECTEDBY FRALD House Committee Votes for Unseating New York Mem- ber, Six to Three. The unseating of Sol Bloom, demo- crat, as a member of the House from { the nineteenth New York district, was | recommended today by an elections committee which investigated charges !of fraud in connection with his elec- | tion. The committes decided today that iformer Representative Walter M. | Chandler, republican, Bloom's oppo- {ment in the 1922 election, is entitled to the seat. The vote was on party | lines, six republicans, including Chair- iman Klliott of Indiana, voting for {Chandler, while the three democrats espoused Bloom's cause. On a recount after the election Mr. jBloom was declared elected by 1 jvotes. Chandler insisted there were | | frauds and irregularities in five clec- | { tion distric The committee to- lday threw: out entirely three dis tricts—the twents-third of the e district and the t v-first of the seven tieth teenth | If Mr. Chancdler is given Bloom's eat the New York state delegation | in the House will be composed of | twenty-two republicans and twenty-| ione democrats. The seats of two other New York ! members—La Guardia, republican. of | twentieth district, and Weller, democrat, of the tweénty-first. are veing contested, and -1 also 'BERBERICH AWARDED | $4,500 FROM D. C. ! The District of Columbia must pay | Joseph A. Berberich $4,500 damages for the loss of his automobile, which i was demolished when it collided with ione of the supports of the Rhode Is- land avenue viaduct, November 24, 1920, according to a verdict of a jury | {in Cireuit Division 1, Justice Hitz i presiding. Mr. Berberich’s son was ! killed as a resuit of the accident, but | no claim was made for the fatality. | | The plaintiff, through Attorneys| | Tobriner & Graham, alleged that the | { District was negligent in failing to illuminate properly the supports of | the viaduct, and for that reason AMr.| | Berberich, driving his car at night. | | was unable to see the obstruction in| the roadway and crashed into 1 was shown that the automobile cost $5,300 and was sold after the col- ligion for $800. | Assistant Corporation Counsel Hart pointed out that the viaduct was' ! erected under an act of Congress and | according to plans approved by the! Commissioners and was lighted. He | { charged contributory negligence on i the part of Mr. Berberich, who, he de- clared, was exceeding the speed limit. The District will file a motion for a new trial, it is expected. | THEUNIS AVERTS CRISIS | IN BELGIUM’S MINISTRY | | = | By the Associated Press. | { BRUSSELS, February 21.—Danger | of a ministerial crisis has been avert- ed, at least temporarily, by Premier Theunis' speech in the chamber of | deputies on the financial and eco- nomic situation, his exposition mak- |ing an excellent impression both in the parliament and throughout the | country. The premier declared that, even if Germany paid nothing more than | reparation in kind, Belgium was in | a position to meet all engagements from her own resources. The heroic | measures put forward by the govern- | ment met with wide approval, these | implying an entire change in the i policy of war damages, involving cancellation of some claims and the payment of others in securities or only after receipt of the money from Germany. It is expected the speech will have a salutary effect upon the exchange crisis. —_— FAVOR EDUCATION BILL. ‘Witnesses Ask Passage of Sterling- Reed Measure. Urging the passage of the Sterling- Reed bill for a federal department of jeducation and federal aid to the states, Dr. John H. McCracken, presi- dent of Lafayette College, told the | | House committee on education, which | opened its hearings last night, that | this is the only opportunity the | Uunited States government has to | recognize intellectual and spiritual | ideals in the national government. Mrs. Cora Wilson Steward of Frank- | fort, Ky.. chairman of the illiteracy | commission of the NationaidEducation Association, also spoke strongly in tavor of this proposed legislation. p i SISTERS DIE IN FIRE. . | By the Associated Press. ANDULASIA, Ala, February 21.— Miss Edns Donaldson, twenty-one, | and her sister, Miss Maude Donald- | son, twenty-five, were suffocated early | itoday in & fire that swept the S ard telephone exchange Jn the Kn building. Miss Edna Donaldson sacrificed her life in turning in' a fire alarm. Her sister, who was her guest, died by her side. sy R FRANK FOR MRS. WILSON. {out that nis i companies, PROVISIONS OF TAX ON STOCK PROFITS HANGED BY HOUSE Earnings on Shares Redeem- ed by Liguidation Subject- ed to Income Rates. WILL CLOSE LOOPHOLE IN LAW, CLAIMS GREEN Mutual Life Association Not Operated for Profit Exempted From Provisions. ’ Provisions of the revenue bill v iating to profits on corporation stock jwere further tightened today by the House with an amendment subjecting earnings on stock redeemed by cor- porations in liquidation proceeding: to regular income rates rather than to the 123 per cent capital gain ta An amendment exempting benevo- lent mutual life insurance associa tions “not operated for profit” the: was adopted, 3 to 87, on a tellers vote. Chairman Green of the means committee, who Dropos stock profits amendment, said it would close a loophole in the iaw by which some stockholders would evade ali but 4 12% per cent tax on profits on stocks redeemed by liquidation. It was agreed to by Representativer rner, Texas, and Oldfield, Arkan democrats, members of the committe To Perfect Law. Representatives and Chindblom, Iilinok members on the committee, oppos t. Representative Dickinson pointee amendment was mere to perfect the law which previou had exempted farmers and mutual in surance companies, but which lost the right on a court decision The amendment provides thoe farmers' or other mutual, haii cyclone , casualty or fire insuran rutual ditch or ire tion companies, mutual or co-opers tive telephone companies, or like « ganizations, shall be exempt fr taxation, but only if “substantiall all the income consists of amourt collected from members for the pur pose of meeting losses and ex pense: Further amendment of the se tion to include, “benevoient.mutux life insurance associations not oper- ted for profit, whose business purely local and solely for benefit of its members.” was accomplisherd after a sharp fight. Representative Johnson, democrat, exa sponsored it. Chairman Green insisted pro- visions for such companies alread: had been made and the amendmen' ways anc d the | would complicate the bill, but it w supported by democrats almost solid- ly, joined by a number of republicans Hurry Work on BilL The House hurried along with con ideration of the revenue bill todn: while leaders lined up their forces fo: a second showdown on the incom: rates section whtn the Lill is up for {final passage. A stubborn contest over the incor ates voted into the bill by the den: crats and republican insurgents ap ears certain. with Representative Longworth, republican leader, claim- ling a defection in the ranks of the Iseventeen republicans who voted for the Garner schedule. Some of them he said, have made overtures indi cating they would like to vote for republican measure. Study of Stratexy. Leaders are studying the parliu- mentary strategy involved in such « contest, and the organization repub- licans are centering their attention on an effort to obtain a record voie on the compromise suggested Tuesday by Mr. Longworth calling for a max mum surtax rate of 37% per cent and the normal income rates recommended by_Secretary Mellon. The democratic schedule raised th maximum surtax from the proposed 25 per cent to 44 per cent, cut nor- mal rates and increased personal ex emptions. A solid majority vote o several parliamentary decisions as well as on the record vote will be necessary for displacement of the democratic rate. Administrative sections of the bi were read today, and Chairman Gree: of the ways and means committee. in charge of the discussion, expressed hope that the estate and excise tax sections might be reached by tomor- row at latest. Income Tax Provision. Among other sections yvet to taken up is the provision for a per centireduction in 1923 income taxes, payable this year, and demo- cratic leaders have said they would seek to amend this to make the in- come tax schedule already adopted retroactive as of 1923, Reading of the measure section by section, each paragraph being open for amendment, procecded rapidly yesterday under the constant urge of Chairman Green of the ways and means committee, in charge of the bill on the floor. When the House adjourned such progress had be made that Representative Garner o Texas. in charge of the demotrati fight on the floor, suggested an agree- ment be reached ‘to bring the measure up for a final vote on passage by nexi Tuesday. Chairman Green indicated he thought an earlier day might be set, but Mr. Garner asked that it be voted on not before Monday, indicat- ing a desire to make sure of a full | party presence which might not be possible on Saturday because of week end absentee: Amendments Offered., Although numerous amendments were offered, only those submitted by the leaders received any substantial support. The democrats stood almost <olidly behind both the major amend- ments adopted, which were propased by Representative Garner. Mr. Green chided those on both sides, not mem- bers of the ways and means commit- tee which framed the bill, who sought private amendments which the com- mittee had considered impossible. He declared at one point, in weeking to limit debate, that “you are making a joke of this measure if you continue such actions.” The stock dividends amendment proposed by Representative Garnmer and adopted by a tellers' vote, 163 to 112, provides that stock = received Like the widows of other Presidents, Mrs. Fdith Bolling Wilson would have franking mail privileges under a bill by Senator Swanson, demgcrat, Virginia, passed today by the Senate and sent to the House, A either as a stock dividend or as & gift by the taxpayer should not be termed capital assets. Capital as- sets held by the taxpayer for profit or_investment for more than twe (Continued on Page 2, Column 1)