Evening Star Newspaper, April 7, 1924, Page 1

4 WEATHER. Mostly cloudy tonight; rrobably fair; not much temperature. High ext, 43 6:30 am. today. Full report on page 7. Closing N. Y. Stocks and Bonds, Page 22 Tntered as secon: No. 29,196. Temperature for twen- ty-four hours ended at 2 p.m. today: 64, at 4 p.m. vesterday; low- tomorrow change in d-class matter post _office Washington, D. C. PROPOSE T0 FORCE GERMAN REPLY ON REPORT AT ONCE Reparations Body Wants An- swer Before Approach- ing Other Powers. REFUSAL FROM BERLIN MIGHT NULLIFY SCHEME | i French Meanwhile Press for Tem- porary Renewal of Agree- ments in Ruhr. T MOWRER. ieago Daily BY PATL Ty Rudio to The Star and the ¢ Vews: Consright, 19 PARIS, April 7.—The present inten- tion of the reparations commission, | ves the experts’ report | cems to be to begin | whether it ac- a basis for nego- when it re on Wednesday, Ty asking Gern cuepts the report as tiations. Thus Germany would be | roquired to answer before France, Britain ar the other allies were re- quired to state their attitude, and the German maneuver tending to delay discussion until after the German elections might be frustrated. In any case, it is felt here that it is useless for France and Britain to open negotiations until the German viewpoint has been explained, for even if France and Britain reached an agreement on the basis of the ex- perts’ report, this agreement might be nullified by a German refusal. Opposition in Britain. Opposition to the report in a small political and financial group center- ing around the British treasury cnn-l tinues to find voice in the British press. This group ndw declares that either France must evacuate the Ruhr and promise to make no more separate seizures of territory, and must rund[ the British debt, or the British banks will refuse to co-operate in raising; funds and distributing bonds as pro- vided in_the experts' pian. The French, meanwhile, are press- fng the German industrials hard for temporary renewal of the Micum agreements, most of which expire April 15. 'The German government ! Tefuses to allow renewal on thel zrounds that it must first consider the experts’ report, and the German industrials are reluctant to renew them because they say they are los- ing money under them. May Close Frontler. The French reply that discussion of | the experts’ report may take months and they intend to insure payments from the Ruhr and Rhineland during this period, whatever ultimate agree- | ment may be reached. 1f the Germans | refuse renewal France intends to lock | + out the industrials and close the Ruhr | 1rontier. 3 | Under these conditions, it is believed | here that the German industrials will | Dbe obliged to remew the agreements, ! whether the German governmenti agrees or not. If the German govern- | ment continues opposition to renewal | France will continue to refuse to al-| low the new German fiscal decrees to be applied to the occupied regions. Purpose of French. What the French are aiming at really is a Franco-German agreemen \Whereby, independently of all gov-| ernmental agreements, French iron ore will be exchanged henc forwardl indefinitely for German coke. important secret negotiatigns to ! end took place, it is reported, | tween French and German indus- last month, but the tentative | ment reached remained in sus- Another problem which is cupying the French is the ne- ity this year of negotiating with any a regular commercial treaty. | 'he commercial restrictions Impo_sedi upon Germany by the treaty of Ver- sailles in favor of the allied nations will expire in 1925. ASKS LIEN ON INDUSTRY. { _— | Dawes Report Also Provides for Budgetary Reform. Ty Radio to The Star and Philadelphia Publie Ledger, Copsright. 1 PARTS, April 7.—Principles con- | 1ained in the report of the Dawes | commtitee on adiustment of thel reparations question herewith | jresented as the report is finally going | 10 the printer: |1 There are 35,000 words of the text, runging fro mGen. Dawes' humani- tarian preface to the technical verbi- age of the last annex, but it is possible to make a lberal condensa- tion of the document to seven salient rgints, as follows: H irst. A partial moratorium for | four y | Second. Stabilization of the mark a gold bank of issue capitalized at €010,000,000 marks. Third. A eformed budget system | siclding 2,500,000,000 old marks | wnnually. | Fourth. A 10,000,000.000-mark (32,- | £00.000,000) project in charge of a| commissioner who will issue debe- tures against farms and industries. | Fifth. A reorganization of the rail- | soads capitalized at 26,000,000,000 gold marks. 4o Sixth. Repatriation of German cap- tal. Seventh. tem, An inflation-control sys- Private Property Bonds. The 10,000,000,000 gold marks in| debentures, the fourth plan men- tioned above, will constitute the hiypothecation of private German in- Mustrial and agricultural property | ‘or the service of reparations. The bommissioner will issue the bonds it 5 per cent plus 1 per cent for mortization, maturing in forty | ars, The commission on repara- | ions will be awarded 6,000,000,000 arks in these bonds, which it can er on the open market o as im- nediately to realize 6,000,000,000 marks capital. The reorganized railroads will be | inder one corporation, whose capital | . 26,000,000,000 gold marks will be ! o bonds and shares, half of which Avill be handed over to the repara- tions commission for the open mar- t«:v Included in the capitalization re 4,000,000,000 preferred skares, which’ will be equally distributed between the reparations commission #nd the German government. * Nom-Germans Head Bank. The gold bank of emission, which §s devised to stabilize the mark, will Le administered by non-Germans and Jocated in Berlin. The capital of 400,- ©00,000 gold marks will be fepresent- «d in shares of 100 marks, payable in #0ld or foreign curency. Shares to a total of 100,000,000 gold marks will be gcposited at the Reichsbank and the pther 300,000,000 will be offered to Column 4) { Tirana. h WASHINGTON, D. C, ALBANIA ORDERS MARTIAL LAW AFTER MURDER OF 2 AMERICANS Slain Men, Waylaid on Scutari Highway, Were Mer- chants on Way to Paris Through Balkans Following Near East Trip. ¥ the Associated Press. ROME, April 7.—Martial law has been proclaimed in Albania following the murder of two American mer- chants, waylaid on the Tirana-Scutarl highway, according to advices from Albanian quarters today. The names of the murdered Ameri- cans were given out by the American embassy as Robert Lewis Coleman of San Francisco and George B. de Long of New York City. ALBANIA REGRETS ACTION. Press Bureau Claims Murder of Merchants Unprecedented. LONDON, April 7—The Albanian press bureau in London received to- day the following dispatch from Tirana, ck Sunday morning two American merchants wree killed by un- known persons on the Tirana-Scutari road at a spot forty kilometers from The Albanian government and the Tirana population are profoundly moved by the crime, which they deepup regret. “This is the first occasion on which such a crime has been committed in Albania, where foteigners have al- ways been the object of the greatest hospitality and sympathy on the part | of the population. The Albanian gov- ernment is convinced that the un- INDIAN LAND FRAUD (CASES TAKEN UPIN DAURHERTY PROBE Letter Shows Fall Sought Delay in U. S. Prosecution of Miller Brothers. Dry details of the Miller brothers land fraud case in Oklahoma were reviewed today by the Senate Daugh- erty committee. A bundle of letters passing be- tween the Justice and- Interior De- partments and various individuals were read sinto the record and sev- eral witnesses were questioned as to why criminal prosecution of the case resulted in imposition of fines, and why no civil suit to recover the land ever was filed. One of the letters showed that Albert B. Fall tried while he was Secretary of the Interior to obtain a postponement of trial, but the Jus- tice Department replied that the criminal _suits’ must go forward. Most of the letters were presented by Edwin S. Booth, who served under Fall as Interior Department solicitor. Harreld Makes Statement. Senator Harreld of Oklahoma made a voluntary statement to the commit- tee disclaiming any political interest in the prosecutions and saving he only had urged action because he felt everything should be done to protect the interests of the government. He had learned to his surprise, he said, that the Justice Department had ked for nothing but fines against those found guilty and hade made no move to recover the lands, which are a part of the 101 ranch. It developed while Eooth was on the stand that he now is engaged as special attorney for the Department of Justice in connection with civil suits in_the Miller cases. They were assigned to him about March 1 of this year. Sees Reason for Delay. Booth said “there is a reason” why these civil cases were not turned over to him by the Department of Justice before March, 1924, but that he would prefer to tell the committee that reason “in confidence.” Senator Jones, republican, of Washington, sald |he was *satisfied there has been un- justifiable delay,” but would “not fore- Cclose” the case on the Department of { Justice until he had “heard its expla- nation.” Booth said rumors of ofl discov- eries on or near the land involved in tho Miller cases were without foun- dation. Clalms Title to Land. Senator Ashurst, democrat, Ari- zona, said he had a telegram showing that the Miller brothers claimed title | to the lands. “Oh, that means they're going to stand suit,” said Booth. There was an argument when George B. Chamberlain, Daugherty’s counsel, took up the cross-examina- tion. “My client is out of office on the strength of rum-running, rum-seiling. convict testimony,” Chamberlain said. “and he hasn’t had a chance to put in a witness. 1 ask, in all fairness, that some of the gentlemen in the (Continued on Page 4, Column 1.) REPORT ON D. C. HEADS LIKELY TO BE FAVORABL The subcommittee of the Senate District committee ‘in charge of the nominations of Commissioners Rudolph and Oyster to succeed themselves plans to hold its final meeting this afternoon. It will draft a report on the Commis- sioners to be submitted to the full committee. Chairman Ball of the full committee indicated that he might call a meeting tomorrow to consider the report of the subcommittee. It is expected that the report of the subcommittee will be favorable to the Commissioners. -————— FIVE FATALLY BURNED. Mother and Children Dead, Father Near End. HILLSBORO, IiL, April burned to death and Torney Hill was fatally burned when a gasoline explosion set fire to their home today. Mr. Hill had mistaken gasoline for sene, ) E | resurfaced with asphalt this spring. i 7.—Mrs. | Torney Hill and three children were |2d_to 4th streets. precedented crime was committed with a political aim, with the inten- tion of discrediting the Albanian state in the eves of the world. “The government immediately took strong measures to secure the arrest and punishment of the culprits.” WERE ON WAY TO PARIS. De Long and Coleman Had Com- pleted Trip in Near East. NEW YORK, April 7.—George B. de Long of New York and Robert Lewis Coleman of San Francisco, who were waylaid and murdered on an Albanian highway, were on their way | to Paris and London, after a trip through the Mediterranean, Richard Lounsbery, son of Mrs. de Long, de- | clared today | Mr. de Long and Mr. Coleman left here nuary and went as far | Constantinople. Returning they | ed through Bucharest, Athen other cities and were going through the Balkans on their way to join Mrs. | de Loug and her son in London the | nineteenth of this month. Mr. de Long, who is a son of Sena- tor de Long of California, and who up until seven years ago was a resi- | dent of that state, was forty-fine vears old and a retired real estate broker. He was a graduate of Leland | Stanford University of the class of 1896. SENATE ACCEPTS GAS TAX REPORT WITHOUT DISSENT! Similar Action Quickly Ex- pected in House on Con- ference Agreement. i | | Without debate and without oppo- sition, the Senate today adopted the ! conterence report on the gasoline tax Dill for the District of Columbia. Senator Ball, chairman of the Di. trict committee and chairman of the | conference committee on the gasoline ; tax bill, submitted the conference re- : port to the Senate immediately after the convening of that body and asked | for its consideration. H The conference report now awaits | the action of the House and it is ex- ! pected that body also will adopt it and that the bill then go to the Presi- | dent for his approval. J The bill as agreed to in confer- | ence carties a tax of 2 cents per gal- lon on gasoline, a license fee of $1 a year on automobiles, except those operated by electricity and steam, and continues the present personal prop- erty tax on motor vehicles. = The taxes so raised will be paid into the Treasury to the credit of the District and will be subject to appro- priation on the 60-40 plan. The gaso- line tax is to £o to improvements and extensions of the streets of the city. The bill is being enacted into law with the understanding that there shall be permanent reciprocity in the matter of automobile licenses be- tween Maryland and the District of | Columbia. ' AID TO STREET PROGRAM. | Gas Tax Revenue Would Hasten Improvement Plans. i The District could catch up on its neglected street paving program within five years it Congress appro- | priates for street improvements all of the money raised from the gaso- line tax in addition to regular cur- rent street appropriations. This belief was expressed today by | officials of the engineer department. They explained that the five-year es- timate is based on the.streets that now need paving. It was pointed out | by them that if the city continues to develop during the five-year period | as it has in the past few years there | would be rows of other streets need- | ing attention at the end of that time. $900,000 Yearly Revenue. The gasoline tax is estimated to raise $900,000 a year, and, if matched with a 40 per cent contribution by the United States, would create a fund of $1,360,000 for street improve- ments, which is regarded by the en- gineer department to mean new pav- ing. The engineer department, it was made plain, would still need regular annual allotments of approximately $1,000,000 to maintain all _existing asphait streets in good condition, to | resurface a certain number of the worn-out ones each year and to make current repairs to roads. _A question over which District offi- cials are somewhat concerned, how- ever, is whether Congress will allow the District to use the gas tax money for streets without curtailing the reg- ular street appropriations. The engineer department today made public a list of streets to be i The contract for this work was awarded recently to the firm of Mc- Guire & Rolfe of Richmond. Tha streets follow: Street Improvements. Northwest—9th street, N to P streets; 10th street, S to U streets; 13th street, U to V streets; 16th street, Morris road to Columbia road and Florida avenue and Morris road; 17th street, L to Massachusetts avenue; 17th street, Massachusetts avenue to P street; 13th street, H to K streets; Connecticut avenue, Leroy place to a point 200 feet north of California street; Connecticut avenue, west side, Florida avenue to Leroy place; Cali- fornia street, Connecticut avenue to Columbia road; Dupont Circle, north side, New Hampshire to Connecticut avenues; K street, Vermont to Con- necticut avenus 'R street, 14th to 16th streets; T street, 14th to 15th streets. Northeast—Massachusetts avenue, Southeast—D street, north of the park 2d to 3rd streets, and North Carolina avenue, 3d street to Penn- sylvania avenue. Southwest—13th B D street, to i The proposal WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION NEW WORLD PARLEY ONPEACE PROPOSED BY SENATOR PEPPER Arms Cut, Emphasizing of International Law and New Court Are Sought. ECONOMIC CONFERENCE, BORAH PLAN, IGNORED Made Attempt to Meet Diverse Views on League, Spon- sor Declares. A joft resolution proposing a world peace conference was intro- duced today by Senator Pepper, re- publican, Pennsylvania. 2 The Senato would advise the Presi- dent under the resolution that the time is suitable for the assembling of 4 conference similar to the fYo held in the past at The Hague. The resolution set out these three things to be considered: Further reduction of all armainents, means of emphasizing the importance and influence of international law and plans for establishing and strengthing “a world court along the lines of The Hague peace tribunal.” In a brief explanation Senator Pep- per said the economic feature had heen deliberately left out, because it was covered in a similar resolution by Senator Borah, republican, Idaho. for discussion of id was intended to obviate the nec - “for attempting to satisfy the widely diverse views upon the league of nations.” Democrats Agree to Need. The statement of the Pennsylvania senator brought several democratic senators to their feet. The demo- cratic leader, Senator Robinson of Arkansas, said he gareed there was need of another arms conference, but added: “I don’t agree there was any £round for congratulations on the csult of the Washington conference, which limited itself to limitation of capital ships, already preatically ob- olete. Senator Swanson, democrat, Virginia, alled attention to the provision in the appropriation bill suggesting a limitation conference. “Fifty-four nations are now in con- ference on the subjects you list.” he aid, “and have invited us to attend. Would you object to our participat- oul “I refuse to be drawn into a debate on the league of nations,” replied Senator Pepper. The presence of Russia at the, conference ~“prevents our entering,” sugzested Senator Borah. “Oh, it might prevent Secretary Hughes going, but not some other representative,” replied Senator Swan- son. _ Senator Copeland, democrat, New York, declared a conference on re- storation of world trade was far more important. world court he Brussels Offered as Sife. Suggesting that the proposed con- ference might be held at Brussels, Senator Pepper said an invitation is- sued by the President of the United States and the King of the Belgians “would be one certainly worth the while of every nation to accept.” He added that “selection of Brussels would avoid any jealousy between Geneva and The Hague. The Pepper resolution follow “Whereas. the international peace conference held in The Hague in 1899 and 1807 were found to present use- ! ful opportunities for the friendly ex- change of views and opinions upon great world questions, and ‘“Whereas, the progress subse- quently made at the Washington con- HAMON'S G.0P. GIFT IS PUT AT §423,000 Money Spent in 1920 Elec- tion, Says Friend—$25,000 to Harding Hotel Bill. The Senate oil committee devoted another featureless session today to its inquiry into stories of oil deals and oil contributions in the political campaign of 1920, Four witnesses followed one another |in quick succession at the big com- mittee table, and none of them.added materially to the information which previously had gone into the record. Fails to Tell Doheny Gifts. Wilbur W. Marsh of Iowa, former treasurer of the democratic national committee, testified that he must con- sult the committee’s book> before he tell how much E. L. Doheny con- tributed to the democratic fund in 1920; W. L. Kistler, an Oklahoma oil man, disclaimed any connection with republican campaign collections in that year, and J. B. French of Oklahoma City told {3 committee Jake Hamon had informul him of expenditures of $400.000 in! the 1920 election and of $25,000 to Liy the hotel expenses of Harding convention headquarters in Chicago. Robert F. Wolfe, publisher of the Ohio State Journal at Columbus. in- sisted under repeated questioning that he had no first hand information about the famous “2 o'clock hotel conference” on Harding's nomination, and never had heard until recently of an attempt to make an oil deal for the nomination of Leonard Wood. Marsh First Witness. Mr. Marsh was the first witness, Marsh said he had no recollection as to the specific contributions of Doheny in the 1920 campaign. It would be necessary, he said, to con- sult records of the committee, which are in the Washington headquarters. He was excused. The committee then called W. L. (Continued on Page 2, Column 5.) (Continued on Page 4, Column One Black Eye Cost of Motor Trip For 2,000 Miles Without Oil or Gas Tourist Starts for Coast With Engineless Ford and Towrope—Generous Fraternity of Highways Provides Motive Power. Special Dispatch to The Star. LOS ANGELES, April 7.—A Ford car, with .a tourist aboard, arrived in Los Angeles Sunday. That may not read like news, but it is. Alex Packard of Fort Scott, Kan., was the tourist. That makes the story sound a bit more classy—a Packard and a Ford. One of Mr. Packard's eyes—the left one—had all the color and fire of a big, black opal, standing out quite | prominently, but, alas, quite useless as an organ of vision. His lip was cut, and he was considerably mussed, but the hero of a road trip in a motor car that smashes all record for econ- omy. He traveled about two thousand miles in his Ford—one of the vintage of 1917—and turned in the following unofficial record of his trip: Consumption of gasoline, .000. Consumption of oil, .000. Unable to Drive. How Mr. Packard managed to make his unparalleled economy run gives a new and interesting chapter to the history of motoring in the United States, and sets up an interesting sidelight upon the fellowship of mo- toring, for, while Mr. Packard made the trip alone in his car, he does not even know how to drive one, except to work the steering wheel, a -trick learned from joy-riding on a mowing machine. And Mr. Packard sat at the steering wheel for the full journey from Fort Scott to Los Angeles. Mr. Packard’s car was_originally owned by a friend of his back home. After the friend got tired of motor- ing, he decided to start a pickle fac- tory, and took the engine out of his Ford to furnish the power for his factory. Then Mr. Packard came into possession of the car at a real bar- gain, and had hopes of installing an engine in it when he got the price. Gets Urge to Travel. But about this time Mr. Packard experienced. the urge to come to southern California. He was not in funds suficient to buy & railroad ticket and so decided to make the trip in his Ford. No, he didn't pur- chase an engine. Just a stout tow rope. Mr. Packard got his start to Los Angeles just outside of Fort Scott. A motorist heading west found him standing disconsolately beside his stalled car. The motorist offered aid and Mr, Packard produced the new tow rope. It was only a few miles to the nearest garage and Mr. Pack- ard was left with his car, by his own request, in the road in front of the garage. “That was the hard part,” said Mr. Packard. “I had to push Liz down the road a piece to wait for the next It was like that all the way. say, those garage fellers sure did give me some dirty looks when I didn’t turn in but shoved along far enough to wait for the next feller. Can Enjoy Trip “Once or twice, in the big towns, T had to hire some feller with a span country again, sonable enough and most of the time it was great, just sitting pretty at the steering wheel and enjoying the scenery. I came through just aflying. A feller can enjoy the trip much more, too, if he don’t have to worry about a pesky engine, and gas and oil and all them things that cost money. KEasy |riding, too, In Liz I don't know that I ever had a better time, or met more nice fellers. All of 'em were, willing and anxious to help another feller with a car out. It makes a differ- ence, this owning a car. It was sure fine, most of the way.” Mr. Packard made no reference to his discolored eye and cut lip. ‘When questioned bluntly about the shiner, he was reluctant, saying it was just a personal matter but when definitly pressed, completed the story of his trip. “That? 'Oh, thas happened out in the desert near Los Angeles. That was_my third tow before the last. He was a nice feller, too, spun me along fer about twenty miles. Then he got mosey and looked under the Qood,’ of mules ,to haul me out into the| but they were rea-| ¢ Foening Star. MONDAY, APRIL 7, 1924 —THIRTY-TWO PAGES. Disabled Tender { Uses Awnings as Sails Off Hatteras ‘Wireless reports today from the disabled submarine tender Falcon, en route from Guantanamo bay, Cuba, to New London, Conn., said defective boiler tubes, one of which exploded, had caused steam pres- sure to be reduced to 150 pounds and the ship was proceeding on its course, using awnings as sails to supplement its motive power. No casualties oceurred. The Fal- accompanied by the submarine was south of Cape Hatteras ight. §-50, last n HOSPITAL RADID DONATIONS START Star Receives $30.75 to Swell Fund Raised by “Roxie” and Gang Here. | T Contributions to The Star's “Roxie” | radio fund, which will be applied to money raised by S. L. Rothafel and “his gang” from the Capitol Theater | in New York for the installation and | maintenance of radio receiving ap- | paratus in the Walter Reed, Mount | Alto and Naval Hospitals, began ar- | riving today. Announcement was | made in The Sunday Star yesterda that this paper would undertake, at the request of the committee in charge of the “Roxie” radio fund, to aid in raising the deficit necessary to install and maintain the radio sets in | the three government hospitals for the disabled service me: All ckecks and money sent to The will be turned over to James H. vice president of the Commer- ticnal Bank and treasurer of the “Roxie” radio fund, They should be addressed to The Star's “Roxie” radio fund. Set at St. Elizabeth's. “Roxfe” announced in his Sunday night broadcast from the studio of the Capitol Theater that The Star had i undertaken to help swell the radio fund, and also told of his plans to use some of the money for the instal- lation of a recelving set with loud speaker in_St Elizabeth's Hospital. After the Washington hospitals have been equipped with radio apparatus the great radio impresario indicated that be and “his gang” would devote their efforts to raising funds for sim- ilar work in the hospitals of other cities. f | ) 1 List of Contributio: Contributions received by The Star today follow: James Rather Anderson, $10. Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Perrine, Alex- andria, Va., $15. Mrs. Archie Regan, 312 13th street southwest, $3.50. Mr. and Mrs. George B. Johnston, United States Soldiers’ Home, $2. James P. Gallagher, 25 cents. The total amount is $30.75. Contributions of any amount will be received by The Star and ac- knowledged in its columns. POLY 'RADIO MONO | | BAN BILL PASSED | i Senate Measure Prohibits Licenses Extending More Than | Two Years. A Dbill designed to prevent a monopoly of radio communication was passed today by the Senate. It declares the air to be the “in- alienable possession of the people” and prohibits licenses extending more than two years. WILL NOT LEAVE VATICAN. Pope Denies Ramor He Might Break Precedent. By the Associated Press. ROME, April 7—The Vatican offi- clally denied today the reports that the Pope, for any reason whatsoever, might leave the Vatican. The pon- tif's expressed wish that he could be present at the opening ceremonies of the Knights of Columbus welfare work building near St. Peter’s had giyen rive to such reports The Star's “From Press to Home Within the Hour” carrier system covers every city block and the regular edi- tion is delivered to Washingtomhomes as fast as the papers are printed. Saturdzay’s Circulation, Sunday’s Circulation, 98,723. 104,711 ¥* TWO CENTS. LQUOR RADS STR UPLEGAL NUDDLE Callan Defends Bail Bond| Releases—Gordon Believes | Rearrests Probable. i | Out. of the whirlwind liquor raids of the week end which netted liquor | valued at $15.000 and 123 charges against ninety-one persons, there developed toda storm of charges, countercharges, disappointment and official disturbance in many quarters over the legality of release on bond by United States Commissioner Cal- lan of thirty of the persons brought before him. While Commissioner Callan toda was stoutly maintaining that h procedure had been legal, and all that was lacking was the customary signature of prohibition agents to the complaints in question, prohibition agents refused to sign the documents. and District Attorney Gordon de- clared the bonds so far were null and void. The persons would be subject to re- arrest, Maj. Gordon said, as there | were now, in his opinion, no charges pending before the commissioner. The prosecutor intimated that the matter might be corrected by the prohibition agents officially filing their charges and signing the complaint. At the prohibition unit, however, it was said that the agents would not allowed to sign the complaints, | since it would be illegal and the pris- | oners had been released before the agents' signatures had been demanded by the commissioner. Callan Explains Stand. On the other hand, Commissioner Callan declared emphatically that it had been the practice for some time to release prisoners on bond, and later to secure the signature of the | federal agents on the official com- plaints, Wide difference of opinion devel- oped on_this point, one school of thought holding that it would be ab- | solutely illegal for the commissioner to release a prisoner on bond before the filing of the official complaint with the signature of the federal | officer. Others contended that it would be legal for the agents to sigm even | now, at this late date after.the re lease, under an old precedent, “nunc pro tunc,” meaning “now for then.” Opponents declared this procedure could be followed in certain legal cases, but that it was impossible in such criminal cases as were in the hands of Commissioner Callan, Commissioner Callan, in defending his action, said that one of the pro- hibition agents had promised, prior to release of the prisoners, to sign the necessary papers when the “rush” of the raid was over. Most of the prisoners so released were given their freedom at the 2nd precinct station, where the commis- sioner took bonds and released the prisoners as they were brought to him, waiting, he said, for the “customary” signatures later. MacDonald Issued Warrants. Another point of unuslal procedure arose over the fact that the search warrants had been issied by United States Commissioner MacDonald, and | the prisoners had all been taken before | Commissioner Callan. This was explained in some quar- ters as being due to the fact that Commissioner MacDonald _does not take cases of first offenders, turning them back to the Police Court to avoid congestion in the Federal Dis- trict Court. Commissioner Callan, however, said | today that of the thirty prisoners so released by him, most of them were women, and none were first offcnders. | The whole affair will be carefully in- vestigated by the office of the Dis- trict attorney, it was indicated to- | day, before any action looking to- | ward the rearrest of the persons in question will be taken. i There were indications also that | the investigation will look into the subject of bondsmen, who appeared for those released. Some of these bondsmen, according to the court records, are not permitted under le- gal limitations to give bond for pris- oners before the Police Court, yet they appeared for several before Commissioner Callan. These bonds- men were defended today by Com- missioner Callan in discussing the matter, as thoroughly qualified for the procedure which they took. 91 Arrested in Raids. Of the ninety-one persons arrested in the cleanup raids, seventy-four were colored and sevénteen white, the records revealed today. Sergt. L. I. H. Edwards, in charge of the more important records in Maj. Daniel Sullivan's office, estimated the soized mash and liquor at a trifle more than 1,000 gallons. Most of the whisky was of the moonshine corn T (Cdutinued on Page 2, Colupa L) | release within about two i to one | New York SENATORS ASSENT 10 FURTHER PROBE OF LOCAL HOUSING $5,000 Appropriated to Con- tinue Secret Investiga- tion to June 1. DAMAGING EVIDENCE OF COMBINES AT HAND Only Few Realtors and Property Owners Reported Involved e Senate its of the inves District commit alle conspiracies and combinations on the part of real es- tate dealers and owners in Washing ton to. increase and keep high the prices of property in the Distric both for rent and fo le. The Ball resolution authorizing th expenditure of an additional $5,0u: to continuc this Imvestigation and extending until June 1 the time in which the committee may file iis final report was adopted unanimously. The resolution was reported favor ably by Semator Keyes, chairman of the committee on contingent expenses of the Se the money is tu be expended the contingent fund of the S and was imme diately adopted. Under the terms o the old resolution, the District com mittee was to file its final report to day. continuation by th ate into ed to tion tee, since from ‘Will Continue Secretly. The investigation, it is well under stood, will be continued secretly by the investigators employed by th committea. Already it data wh tor Lall, the committee has before h is considered by Sena senators to b to certain re; property owners ashington. When the commit e has gone further into the inves it is the understanding ths id before the for the Disx submitted to and the guarded are being car fully it learned that so | far only a few persons are involved it the alleged irregularit | PRESIDENT REDUCES RUMELY’S SENTENCE Former Publisher of New York Mail and Associates to Serve Only One Month. President Coolidge commuted toda to one month the prison sentences of one year imposed upon Edward A. Rumely, former publisher of the New York Mail, and S. Walter Kauj and Norvin R. Lindheim, commutation will permit the weeks of now confined in the Y., county jail. The viously had commuted entences from a year and a day vear in order that they migh be imprisoned in the Westchester jail, rather than the Atlanta peni tentiary The three men began serving their sentences March 19, afier having lost their appeal to the Supreme Court After the Supreme Court decision i movement was started to obtain clemency on the ground that they were not aware of the source of money used in the purchase of the fail prior to the entrance of America into the world war, and therefore, while technically guiity of violating the trading with the enemy c not actually conspirators to break the law. Works in Hennery. ST VIEW, N. Y., April 7.—When Dr. Edward A. Rumely, former pub- lisher of the New York Mail, learned today that President Coolidge had commuted to one month his sentenc of a years imprisonment for viola- tion of the trading-with-the-enemy act he was working in the hennery of the Westchester county penitenti ary here. Penitentiary officials said the p: oner would have eleven more days to serve, during which time he would continue to work on the penitentiary farm. e CONGRESS WORKERS’ BILL FAILS TO PASS HOUSE Proposal to Adjust Pay to Meet Loss of Bonus Beaten by Vote of 206 to 105. House the bill The prove today refused to & introduced by Chair { man Madden of the House appropria- tions committee adjusting the sal aries of the employes of Congress in lieu of the $240 bonus, There are 2,361 employes affected and under the proposed rate of pay their salaries would amount to $4.- 497,840, as inst $4.172,206.67, which is_the present rate plus the bonus. Due to opposition led by the demo- Wit p repubi 5 cading the fight, the necessary two-thirds to pass the bill under suspension of the rules could not be mustercd. The vote was 206 to 105. The present a ary of capital employes is § récommended average salary is $1,905, an increase of $138. Some of the opposition to the bill was due to the fact that Senate clerks Te- ceived substantial increases that wer. not provided for House clerks. The Madden bill was introduced as a resul( of a survey made by authorization of the House. KING ALBERT SUFFERING FROM ATTACK OF GRIP Bianton of 8 April 7.—King Albert is suffefing from grip, and his physi- s have directed hi mto remain In o