Evening Star Newspaper, April 23, 1924, Page 1

WEATHER. A Fair and_ continued co probably light frost in exposed places; tomorrow partly cloudy and warmer. ture for twenty- p.m. today: Highest, 69, at Tempera ended at > 2 pm. ye am, today. erday; lowest, Full report on Closing N. Y. Stocks and Bonds, Page 26 No. 29212, ooit COOLIDGE'S SPEECH HIGHLY APPROVED | BY BRITISHLEADERS | | office Was Premier MacDonald Expect-| ed to Give Staunch Support | to Disarmament Plans. LONDON PRESS HAILS | ADDRESS AS GOOD NEWS | | England Welcomes Proposal, See- | ing Hope for Reduction | of Taxes. B7 the Aesoétated Press. LONDON, April 23.—President Cool- tdge’s: speech at the Iuncheon of the | Associated Press in New York yes- terday has been very favorably re- | peived here both by the press and Py the officials of the MacDonald ia- {bor government. It is expected the prime minister | himself will take the earliest op-| portunity to proclaim his wholeheart- | o4 support of the American Execu- tive’'s proposed conference for fur- ther world disarmament. Mr. MacDonald is in Wales, taking his first real holiday since the labor party’s rise to power. He 15 far away | from crowds and newspapers, and orders have been issued that he is | 1ot to be disturbed with official busi- ness during tho few days’ rest he is| 1t | having before going to Windsor for s fir sit at the king’s home, was stated in Downing street this | morning, however, that President Coolidge’s speech undoubtedly found its way to the prime minister as soon | as it arrived in England, for such an announcement, from the President has been eagerly awaited ever since he took | office. | Possible Delay. When the time comes for formal vitations to a second world dis- armament conference. to which Amer- ica has given the lead, the answer | from Great Britain will be forthcom- ing as readily and as spontaneously as when the first call was issued by President Harding, according to ob-| servers in close touch with the Mac- Donald governm Although the President’s reservation that further | world disarmament depends upon a definite reparation settiement will nat- urally result in delay, perhaps in pro- longed delay, Hritish officials are anx- igus to see even in this coupling of disarmament and reparation problems further evidence of American efforts to lend au helping hand to Europe whenever possible. The prospect of a ¢ fecence and a conscqu the heavy costs of. armi forces as -oon as the repa lem is scttled should roLean countries, to_ strive moreh strenuously to take full advantage | Of the new road to a final war set- | lement, which w opened up by the report, according to British | It is pointed out here that| Machonald's prompt decision | ndon the Singapore naval base cheme, despite the strongest opposi- | tion at home and from the colonies, | is an indication of the support Amer- | tra would obtain from the present| Prritishy government in planning fur- er disarmament. Want Smaller Air Force. The limitation of air armadas wonld be Great Britain's special in- terest at such a conference, but it is tated that when the issue is that of destruction of war machines Mr. Mae- Donald will be likely to adopt a ruch- es& policy and scrap airplanes, sub- narines and soldiers to as near the a1 man and war implement s pos- President Coolidge's promiso of ef- orts looking to another conference on armament limitation, made in his Speech at the lungheon of the As- ciated Press in New York yesterday, Is featured in the lcading news col- umns today The editorial writ news of the highe President's deckar: bring about such a conference must be predicated on a definite scttlement | of the German reparation problem is duly noted, together with: his of ‘the report of the repara perts under Brig. Gen. Dawes The papers express hope that if the conference materializes it will aim at an agreement for the protection of civilian populations from aerial war- fare. PRESIDENT WINS FRIENDS, Republicans ‘and Democrats Alike Impressed by Economic Program. BY DAVID LAWR NEW YORK, April 22. Coolidge, his personalit ture and doctrines dissected by th lishers in annual c Many of them had never Mr. Coolidge make rad never seen him. ther=d 8 they were from all parts of the coun- try, representing every political creed | and economic viewpoint, the news- paper men furnished an interestine cross-section of American public oninion. There was alniost universal agree- ment that Mr, Coolidge lacked elocu tionary power in delivering his ad- dress, a circumstance induced partl by the fact that he read from manu seript. There were those among his Republican friends who thouszht the necasion a fitting opportunity (o sell his “personality” to the editors. In the sense that Mr. Coolidge made his speech without dramatic effects and in the even tones which con- trast with the old-time addresses of Rooseveltian punch, the President did not come up to the expectations of many of his auditors. In other words, regarded purely as a campaign speech, ¢ did not have the political flavor or rousing appeal so characteristic of efforts on the stump. But it would be a mistake to ac- cept ual comments on the form of delivery or personal appeal as con- clusive. Something far more signifi- ant was disclosed to this correspond- int as he mingled with the editors dnd eollected their opinions. It was that the basic doctrine won wide- <pread approval. Editors from the south, stanch Democrats, united with Jtepublicans of the north in pronounc- ng Mr. Coolidge's thoughts safe and :ane. An exiraordinary amount of ‘riticism _was voiced against the number of investigations being con- Aucted in Washington, and it was ppase: that some editors fear the fect of the happenings in the Na- {jonal Capital may be to unsettle busi- and shake the foundations ‘of perity. conomlic questions rather than po- itical problems were In the back- ‘round of most of the publishers 7Continued on Page 4, Column 7.) rmament con- | ape from | and_air | tion prob- | use the Eu-| huil it as good importance. The ) that efforts to —T'resident volitical fu- of public policy were pub- here. a ch. Some | than even, * sults still in doubt early today. | two districts present members were | sion has beep deferred to a later date, is explained. there are several things. ol tonight, four hours 41, at 4:20 page 3. Enterea as second-class matter bington D C Doctors Conduct Operation While Hospital Burns; By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, April 23.—While 200 patients were being removed from a wing of St. Mary's Hospital, Brooklyn, in which a fire was burning, surgeons in the operating room on the roof of the building today performed a major operation on a woman. The patient was on the table when Dr. George Owens and Dr. John J. Flynn noticed smoke curling from beneath the roof of the adjoining wing, thirty feet away. It was necessary, for the safety of the patient, to complete the operation, and nurses watched the progress of the fire closely while the sur- geons worked. n Meanwhile, hospital attendants, alarmed by ‘the flames which had broken out beneath the roof, re- moved the patients first from the upper floors, and then from the en- tire wing. 'Firemen soon checked the fire and the damage was slight. CITIES PILE 200,000 MAJORITY AGAINST GOVERNOR PINGHOT Philadeiphia Alone Gives Rival 190,107 Lead—Rural Counties for Executive. By the Associated Press. PHILADELPHIA, April 23— Re- turns from vesterday's primary elec- tion in Pennsylvania today showed additional gains for Ralph Beaver | Strassburger, Norristown publisher, over Gov. Pinchot for delegate at large to the Republican national con- vention. The vote in 3,797 districts out of 8,119 in the state gave Strassburger | 342,628; Pinchot, 138,997. These figures | included all of Philadelphia and 271 distriets out of 1,392 in Allegheny county. Philadelphia alone gave Strassburger a majority of 190,107, | while the Allegheny figures increased | his lead to more than 0,000. Outside of these two counties the | governor was running slightly better with returns from many of the smaller or more rural coun- ties showing him in the lead. In several the figures were so close that complete returns may put Strassburger ahead in these counties. The gov- ernor’s supporters conceded the pub- lisher would continue to gain as ad- ditional Allegheny county returns came in. Remainder of Siate. The other six candidgtes for Re-| publican delegates at iarge who were ! indorsed by the state organization— Secretary of the Treasury Mellon, | United States Semators Pepper and | Reed, William S, Vare, representative | in Congress; W. Harry Baker, chairman of the state Republican committee, and Mrs. Elizabeth Price Martin—appeared, | on the basis of the incomplete returns received, to have run according to the | plans of the leaders. Although none of the Republican delegates at large are pledged to any candidate, all are be- lieved to favor the nomination of | President Coolidge. Defection of Vare. The majority against the governor | in Philadelphia was attributed largaly} to the withdrawal of the support of | the organization led by Representative | Vare. He announced last Saturday, after the governor previously had been announced by the state republican organization as one of its seven slated | candidates, that he could mot support | executive because of his suggestion rancis J. Heney be employed as | counsel to the Senate committee in- vestigating _ the internal * revenue bureau. The governor, in reply, de- clared the liquor question was the issue that prompted Vare's action. Strassburger, to whoin Vare turned | s support, declared the issue was| lovalty to President Coolidge.” Republicans elected seventy-nine delegates to the national convention, | seven at large and two from each congressional district; the Democrats, an equal number of district delegates eight at large, each, however, with only a half vote. There were ten candidates for the Republican delegate at large places and seven- teen Democrats for the eight places us delegates at large. Both partics nominated candidates for Conress in the thirty-six dis- | tricts of the state. Present members of Congress, with a few exceptions, were successful in the various districts, although in.a few cases close contests left the re- In | defeated for nominations: Kepresen- WASHINGTON, D. C, SENATE NEAR VOTE { usual, ON BONUS; PAYING IN CASH ASSAILED Controversy Centers Copeland Amendment Pro- viding Money Option. DEBATE CUT TO SPEED BALLOT ON MEASURE Borah First to Register Objection to Compensation in Any Form. Convening two hours earlier than the Senate pressed toward a vote today on the soldier bonus bill with each speaker limited to fifteen minutes. The principal controversy centered on the amendment for inclusion in the bill of a cash option provision offered by Senator Copeland, Demo- crat, New York. Although drafted by Democratic members of the finance committee, the amendment was not submitted by them, leaders said, because they feared its adoption would prevent enactment of a bonus bill. Republi- can leaders had said they would vote to sustain a presidential veto if the ! bill carried the cash option proposal, | but would vote to override a veto if the insurance plan should be disap- proved by the Executive. The pending bill, reported to the Senate by the finance committee sub- stantially as passed by the Hous: {would allow cash payments to vet- erans not entitled to more than $59 in adjusted service compensation and twenty-year endowment insurance policies to others. Calls for All Cash. The Copeland amendment called for a cash payment in full to veterans preferring it to the insurance. Such a proposal would require a larger immediate outlay by the government than the straight insurance propo- sitiop, and the amendment provided for issuance of $1.500,000,000 bonds under the second liberty loan act to take care of the payments. Opposition to any bonus measure made itself evident in the debate yes- terday fer the first time, Senator Borah, Republican, Idaho, leading the attack with a warning that “it is time to take stock and turn the corner.” Many Classes Barred. The pending bill makes provision for all enlisted men and women and officers up to and including the rank cf captam in the Army and Marine Corps and lleutenant in the Navy. No civilian officer or employe of any branch of the military service, how- ever, would be incinded in its benefits, ror weuld ccntract surgeons, cadets of the United States Military Acad- emy, midshipmen, cadets or cadet e gineers of the coast guard, members of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, members of the Students’ Army Training Corps (except an enlisted man _dotailed thereto), or members of the insular force of the Navy Numerous other minor exceptions also are made. Adjusted service tredit under its terms is based on $1 a day for home service and $1.25 a day for overseas service, with maximums of $500 and $625 respectively. The first sixty days of service are excluded from the com- putation. The paid-up twenty-year endowment policies would be valued on the amount of adjusted service credit due each veteran. To this amount, in com- puting the policy’s value, would be added one-fourth, and the policy would be the equivalent of what such a sum would purchase in regular insurance at regular premiums, considering the rate of interest at 4 per cent compounded | annually. Loans on Policy Allowed. Loans would be allowed on the policies after two years from the date of issuance up to 90 per cent of the current cash value of the policy. Thus, on a $1,000 policy, at the end of two years a loan of §87.93 could be obtained; in five years, $163.52, and in fifteen years, $580:19. In computing the adjusted service pay, service between April 5 1917, :nd’ July 1, 1919, could be counted. Knlistment must have been dated, however, before November 12, 1918. Overseas service means service on shore in Europe or Asia, exclusive of Cbina, Japan and the Philippine islands; and service afloat, not on recelving ships. Included in either case i the period from the date of embarkation for such service to the date of disembarkation on return, bLoth dates inclusive. The cash payments allowed would‘ | be available upon application nine months after the date of enactment. The measure also provides that if a ve 1 has died before making application for adjusted service pay and if the government has not paid (Continued on Page 4, Coumn 1 And Restoration Fine Arts Commission and YContinued on Page 2, Col |Extension of Arlington Cemetery of Mansion Urged War Department Officials Study Beautifying Plans—$10,000 Proposed as Proper Fund at Start. 15 Comprehensive plans for the im- provement and development of Ar- lington cemetery, the sacred restifg place of the nation's herolc dead, are being closely studied by officials of the War Department and the Commis- sion of Fine Arts. s k Probghly the most important fea- ture of the general project under con- sideration is a material .extension of the ground area of the existing cem- etery ultimately by thé inclusion of the entire eastern section of the orig- inal Arlington reservation, which has been occupied by the Agricultural | Department since 1872 as an open-air laboratory and experimental farm. ‘Would Restore Mansion. Final consideration of that exten- however, pending the completion of certain jmprovements in the cemetery proper in the near future. Larger plans, it is stated at the War De- partment, must await an improved condition’ of national finances, but, it | undertaicen | should be | Park, such as the planting of trees in new. Iy occupied areas and the restoration | of the Arlington Mansion, that will be as soon as funds are available. It is estimated that an ex- penditure of $10,000 for the mansion and a similar amount of planting | would permit a good beginning of the praject. In a rece of War_ on n? letter to the Seeretary the general subject, Charles Moore, chairman of the Fine| | Arts Commission, sa’ that the new southern section, where the graves of the world war dead are located, is practically without planting and improved at once with box trees similar to those about the Lincoln Memorial in West Potomac Tree Planting Urged. Further, he said, members of the Arts Commission think it particularly desirable that the eastern slope of the Mansion grounds, seen from the city of Washington, should be bor- dered - with fine cedar trees, and that the avenues leading into the ceme- ery from the Treasury and south ates should be planted suitably. | on WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 1924 —THIRTY-EIGHT PAGES. DANIELS WAS WARY | FALLS 8 STORIES; LIVES. | HANIHARA IS URGED OF LEASES, HE SAYS' Negro Suffers No Broken Bones, | Physicians Report. I RALEIGH, N. C, April 23.—James TO MAINTAIN STAND Former Navy Secretary Was Ob- Shepherd, a negro, is expected to live | Kobe Importers and Exporters Ex- durate and Feared to Set Prece- dent, Stuart Declares. LETTER READ INTO RECORD | Commander Testifies Before Senate 0il Inquiry Committee. Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy, was “very obdurate” when it came to getting any lease for lands within-the naval oil reserves, Com- | mander H. A. Stuart, U. S, N., said in a letter read today into the record of the Senate oil committee, Com- mander Stuart was in charge of the reserves under Mr. Daniels and is now on duty in Wyoming with the Teapot | Dome reserve receivers. < Stating that the oil land leased while Mr. Daniels was Secratary | amounted only to 120 acres to the Consolidated Mutual Oil Company and five wells to the Boston Pacific Ol | Company—all in Reserve No. in | California—Commander Stuart said that after the result of the 1920 election “Mr. Daniels particularly stated that he had consistently re- fused to open up the reserves and that he would not change that policy before leaving office.” Feared to Establish Précedent. “To any of us who tried to get Mr. Daniels to loosen his hold on the re- serves in cases where we considersd it very essential to do defensive drill- | ing,” the letter added, “it'is highly | amusing to see the apparent attempt to make him out as an ‘exploiter’ of the reserves. I recall distinctly that, in the case of the Consolidated Mu- tual, to whom was granted eventu- ally a lease for 120 acres, Mr. Daniels | was very much afraid, and so stated, | that, even granting that water condi- tions were as bad as represented, the leasing of even this small acreage would tend to establish a precedent which might be used by others to at- tempt to obtain other leases. James O. Lawis, a petroleum engi- | neer called by Senator Spencer, Re- publican, Missouri, testified at to- day's committee session fhat Teapot Dome would have been drained to a sericus extent by adjacent wells had its development been delayed. Drill- ing operations qn the Dome since its | lease, he said, had discigsed geo- | togical conditions which would have led to exhaustion of the Dome's oil by Salt Creek producers. Gas | pressure would also have been lost | he said, makirg the oil left in the | naval reserve irrevocable to a great | | degree. | Ponitive Estimates Refused. The expert refused to make posi- tive estimates of the degree or pro- portion of drainage, saying there were too many “unknowable” fac- tors He said it was possible that drainage from the northern part of | the Dome would have taken half the | “recoverable oil” 1If the government | had sought to prevent drainage by | offset wells, but without drilling on the Dome itself, he said, it would | have saved 15 per cent of the loss. | | stor £t 'WASHINGTON FLYER INJURED IN LANDING Lieut. Ames Albro of Bolling Field | Hurt at Moundsville, W. Va. TLieut. Ames Albro of the office of the | chief of the Air Service here, was seriously injured when the plane he | was landing at Moundsville, W. Va., at noon today erashed, according to word received here. Private Raymond E. Lee Masters, mechanic, was said in the advices to have been unin- jured. Lieut. Albro was rushed to the city hospital. The pilot was ferrying a new plane | to Washington from Fairfield, Ohio, where the Air Service intermediate depot is located, and was making Moundsville his first stop for fuel and weather reports. He had been there for several days, but was pre- vented from coming into Washington on account of bad weather. 'INSURANCE MEASURE | wanted a full committes considera- | sentatives Kel | threshed out on the floor of the after falling from the eighth story of | a building under construction here, to the ground. A preliminary examination dis- closed that no bones were broken. Though he had not recovered con- sciousness at midnight, doctors in attendance expressed the opinion | that he would survive his injuries e 1 | | | ORDERED REPORTED House District Committee to Pre- sent Fitzgerald Bill De- spite Opposition. The Fitzgerald workmen's com- pensation bill, which proposes to set | up an exclusive compulsory industrial insurance under a government fund| and administered by an existing gov- erning agency. which legislation was | the dam behind which many impor- tant District measures were held back in the last Congress, was ordered favorably reported to the House from | the District committee today by a vote of 9 to There was vigorous opposition from six members of the committee, who tion of the measure with an oppor- tunity to offer amendments before | this measure was railroaded into the House. It was made plain that the| controversy is over whether the in- dustrial insurance organization in the District should be an exclusive state fund or whether the business should be thrown open to competition. In Favor of Measure. Those who voted in favor of re- porting the bill were: Representatives | Lampert, Wisconsin; Keller, Minne- | sota; Fitzgerald, Ohio; Gibson, Ver- mont; Rathbone, lllinois; Sullivan, New York: Hammer, North Carolina; | O'Brien, New Jersey, and Gasque. South Carolina. Those who voted agalinst reporting the bill were: Rep- resentative Charles L. Underhill, Massachusetts, author of the rival measure providing for competitive industrial insurance, and Representa- tives Blanto Texas; Gilbert, Ken- tugky, and Kunz, Illinois. Hepresentatives Gibson and Gasque mude their positions plain that they favored an opportunity to study the bill and offer amendments, but that they did not care to appear in the position of preventing the earliest lossible consideration of the measure. Representative Fitzgerald was in- structed to write the favorable re- bort. Representative Thomas L. Bian- ton, Democrat, of Texas, gave notice of his intentioneto file a minority re- port, and also made the point of order ¥ demanding that the bill should be_read before it was reported. The subcommittee report onthe Fitzgerald bill was signed by Rep- rd icr of Minnesota Kunz of Illinofs and Fitzgerald of Ohio. Was cxplained during debate that the subcommittce had been divided in making its report, two being in favor. two against, and one, Representative | Kunz, compromisiag by allowing | the report to be made, While at the | ! same time reserving the right to offer an amendment allowing com- petitive business in handling the in- dustrial insurance. Asks Special Day. Representative Kunz asked that a special day be set aside for considera- | tion of the bill by the full committee, but this was voted down, 7 to 6. Representatives _ Kunz, _Underhill, Gibson, Blanton, Gasque and Gilbert all argued that while the bill was important members of the committee should be given an opportunity as well as the subcommittee to con- sider it carefully and to entertain amendments before it was reported. Question for Floor. Representative Lampert of Wiscon- sin said it was immaterial what ac- tion the District committee took be- cause the question would have to be | House any way. During discussion Representative mderhili pald his respects to an mbidextrous” group in the House and to the actions of several mem- bers of that group on the District committee attempting team roller tactics.” Representative Keller of Minne- sota vigorously replied to make clear, he said, the attitude of the progres- sive Republican group. Representa- tive Lampert, the other progressive group member on the District com- mittee, made a statement replying to a comment including the word “bol- shoevistic” in which he reviewed the patriotic services of himself and his five sons, all of whom served in the world war. Lawyers on the House District ontinued on Page 4, Column 2.) { patch press Hope for Friendly Solr tion of Alien Issue. JAPANESE PARTIES PROTEST U. S. Politicians’ Hands Seen in Passage of Exclusion Bill. By Cable to The Star aad Chicago Dails News. Copyright, 1 KOBE, Japan, April 23.—At a meet- ing of the ieading importers an exporters of Kobe the following dis- drawn up and sent to Ambassay Hanihara in Washington: “We regret extremely that the pro- test lodged by vour excellency (against the Japanese exclusion clause in the American immigration | bil) unfortunately has been misun- derstood ‘by some politicians. We appreciaté highly your action in the cause of justice and humanity, which, we are confident, has the support of | in all your fellow citizens. Firm Stand Advocated. “We respectfully hope that your excellency will firmly maintain your attitude, while we trust sincerely that a settlement can be reached that will maintain the traditional friendship existing between the two nations.” The three opposition political parties have passed resolutions pro- testing against legislation in the United States inimical to Japanese prestige and the friend hip of the United States and Japan and urging the necessity of trying to induce the Americans to reconsider the enact- ment of the proposed immigration |law in its present shapd. Sees Friendship Impaired. The Kakushin Club declares that the passage of the bill destroys the historical friendship of the two coun- tries and fosters a raclal prejudice which is contrary to the spirit of the Washington conference and to the national principles of the United States. The resolution adopted by the Selyukai party is about the same in tenor. It sees in the exclusion clause the handiwork of politicians in the United States anxious to influence the preidential election. It aiso seeks to fasten a measure of respon- sibility upon which Is called upon to reconsider its position in view of the grave bear- ing which such legislation has upon Japan's prestige. OYSTER PLANS D. C. " ENFORCEMENT DRIVE Urges Additional Judges, More Funds and Law Change at Parley Today. A comprehensive program to tight- en up the machinery for the enforce- ment of prohibition in Washington will be outlined by Commissioner Oyster at a conference this afternoon with Representative Cramton of Michigan, who, the Commissioner said, has offered to assist him in his efforts along this line. Here is what the Commissioner will suggest to Mr. Cramton as the best way to break up bootlegging in the National Capital: Appointment of two more judges, in order to make possible prompt trial of all persons arrested for vio- lating the liquor laws. Granting of an increased appropriation to be used by the locai police in gather- ing evidence. A law conferring on members of the police department all' of the power now vested in prohibition enforcement agents to enable the police to engineer raids without calling in a dry agent. Assistant Corporation Counsel Ring- gold Hart, who was a prosecutor at Police Court for a number of years, probably will join the Commissioner in the conference. “The police are doing excellent work in the enforcement of prohibition,” said the Commissioner, “but their efforts would be much more effective if they had sufficient funds and ample authority with which to work. “We also nead the additiona) Wiges to dispose of the liquor cases as they are made. The corporation counsel's of- fice is now making inquiry as to what ~teps should be taken to give our men he same authority held by prohibition officers in obtaining warrants and mak- ing arrests under the Volstead act. the Kiyoura cabinet, | Chairman Borah. ¢ Foening Star. The Star" every city bl * How New Auto Tax Law Affects D. C. Ouwners of Cars| Here is how Washington auto- mobile owners will be taxed un- der the new law: For license tags, $1 annually. Two cents tax on each gallon of gasoline purchased; and the an- nual payment of the existing per- sonal property tax at the rate of $1.20 per $100 of value on the car. The gasoline tax will begin May “From Press to Home Within the Hour” 's carrier system covers lock and the regular edi- tion is delivered to Washington homes as fast as the papers are printed. Yesterday’s Circulation, 100,218 TWO CENTS. PRESIDENT SIGNS BILL MAKING AUTO - RECIPROCITY FINAL Act Providing Gasoline Tax 23 and will be added to the pri of gasoline at the seryice stati The tax will be paid' to the D trict assessor by the wholesale For the balance of this ¢ year, tags will be charged for #% the old rute of §3, $5 and $10 ac- cording to horsepower, the $1 flat charge becoming effective Janu- ary 1. Heretofore Washington motor- ists have been required to buy Maryland tags on a basis of 32 cents per horsepower, which is no longer required. It is assumed at the District building the present reciprocity agreement with Maryland will be made permanent by the governor, eliminating the necessity of Washingtonians buying Mary- land tags. — e |MYSTERIOUS LETTER [ |he also had “heard” of such a letter. | |do with government permits; TO WHEELER SOUGHT Probers Demand Correspondence Relative to Land Permits, Hinted by Witness. BOOTH NAMED AS WRITER Lawyer Says Senator Never Ap- peared in Case Here. A hint of a mysterious letter about land permits, said to have been writ- ten by Solicitor Booth of the Interior Department to Senator Wheele, Montana law firm, was heand today by the special Senate committes in- vestigating the senator's indictment on a charge of accepting money for appearing before the department in land matters Senator Sterling of Souta Dakota, a republican member of the commit- tee, said he had been told of such a letter and expected to produce it before the investigation was ended. He deglined to reveal the source of his information or say who prepared memorandum with the ald of which | he was cross-questioning L. V. Beau- liew, a western attorney, who said Dencribes Wheeler's Stand. | Beaulieu, the onlv witness at to- | day's hearing, testified he had been chief counsel for Gordon Campbell, | the Montana oil man indicted with Senator Wheeler, but never had heard of the senator's acting for Campbell land cases. On the contrary, he said, “Wheeler had told him he de- clined specifically to have anvthing to do with any of Campbell’s litiga- tion except in the Montana state courts, The statement of the witness was adnitted to the record after Senator Sterling first had questioned whether it was “hearsay” evidence, but later had waived the point Wheeler told him in “strong west- ern language,” Beaulieu continued, that he knew nothing about govern ment permits and had told Campbell he would handle only state court cases. He denied any knowledge that Wheeler performed. agreed to per- form or had been paid for any legal services to Campbell in connection with any federal question. counsel for Campbell, he said, he had | “reasonable ground™ ‘to claim’ that he knew Campbell’s legal affairs Says Wheeler Positive. “When I asked Mr. Wheeler about a law point regarding a certain per- * the witness said, “he was very positive. He said: “I don't know a thing about government permits. 1 told Campbell T would have nothing to that I would appear for him only’in the courts out her Campbell had employed a Washing- ton lawyer to look after land per- mit matters, Beaulieu continued. “Have you sny knowledge of Sena- tor Wheeler representing Mr. Camp- bell in any land permils? asked “No sir, I have no such knowledge.” Cross-examined by Senator Sterling, Beaulieu sa.d_Campbell obtained no | permits while he was counsel for him. He added that there was only one government permit held by Campbell, but he could not recall whether it was |for the maximum acreage allowed un- under the law. “Do you recall that there was a con- tention that Mr. Campoell controlled more acreage than was allowed un- der the law?” asked Senator Sterling. The witness could not say. Objects to Hearsay Evidence. "Didn’t you hear that Mr. Campbell got his employes to obtain land per- mits from the government?” Senator Sterling pursued. “I don't think we ought to go into hearsay evidence here,” remarked Chairman Borah. Senator Sterling changed the form of the question. Beaulieu replied that there was oniy one permit, and that Mr. Stevenson, a former partner of Campbell, attacked its validity. Senator Sterling then asked Beau- lieu what he knew about a letter from Solicitor Booth of the Interior Department to the firm of Wheeler & Baldwin, dealing with nine claims in which Campbell was interested. Chairman Borah demanded that Senator Sterling produce such a let- ter if he had it. It developed that Senator Sterling was reading from a memorandum, but he declined to say who had furnished it to him. He said that he had “not seen the letter” to which he referred. Sonator Caraway, Democrat, Ar- kansas, sald that “if one member of the committee was being furnished with information,” it was only fair that all should have i Borah declared he would “insist” that the letters mentioned be produced. Beaulieu finally said he had “heard of” a letter of some sort. Asked to Produce Letter. “If you have such & letter, youw should ~produce it,” insisted Senator Borah. “[ haven't the letter now," Senator Sterling replied, “but I expect to produce it during the course of the proceedings. 1 haven't seen any such letter. I have a memorandum reminding me of such a letter. The South Dakota senator insisted it was “immaterial” where his mem- orandum came from. Pressed by Senator Sterling, the As chief | Approved Despite Protest of Civic Bodies. COMMISSIONERS PLAN TO ASK SOME CHANGES Clarifying of Law So U. S. Will Pay Fair Share of Street Costs Desired. Automobile reciprocity between the | District of Columbia and the state of Maryland was made permanent today | when President Coolidge signed th | so-called gasoline tax bill. | With the signing of the bill it was learned that the District Commis- | sioners will make every effort to 2ave | Congress clarify the language of it so that the federal government will { not be relfeved of paying its fair pro- | portion of the cost of street work in | Washington Automobile owners in the District of Columbia now will be required to Pay a tax of 2 cents on each gailon of gasoline used and an annual fee of §1 for a license tag. These taxes are in licu of the present fee re- quired for a license tag in the Dis- triet, which is $3, $5 or $10, accord- ing to the horsepower of the auto- mobile, and an additional license fee to travel within the borders of thc state of Maryland. | Property Tax Retained. The present personal property tax assessed in the District on automo- biles at the rate of 31.20 per $160 on the valuation of the car will be continued under the provisions of the {law. According to the language of the law, the gasoline tax will become effective thirty days from today, while tae permit fee will not be put into effect until January 1, next. Although reciprocity is not speci- fied in the law, this is guaranteed by an agreement between the Dis- trict and the maryland authorities. It has been estimated by District officials that t cent tax on each gallon of gasoline used will net at least $400,000 the next year, which sum, according to the lanzuage of the | law, ' must be placed in a separate fund in the Treasury and used oniy tor the improvement Gf streeis and roadways in the District. i pect $100,000 in Fees. The $1 permit fee s expected realize $100.000 next year, wh revenue will go into the regular District fund in the Treasury and will | be used under the present 60-40 fiscal | agreement between the District and | federal governments. . Although tnis gislation was op- posed by the leading trade and civic bodies of the Dnstrict, who made a formal protest a weel 4go to the President against its becoming a law, {the action of the latier in approving |1t was not unexpected. He wis known |to have been considerabiy impressed |by the large vote in Congress favor- ing this iegislation. | "o reassure himscH as to the possi- | ble benefits of the bili to the peoplo | of the District, he asked the Commis- sioners of the District for an expres- sion of views. It is understood, that the Commissioners in their reply to the Fresident day before yesterday neither approved nor di proved it. They expiained the feutures of the legislation and caiied atten n to the oppusition to it, and pointed dut the fiscal aspects, but made no specific recommendation. to Sees Fiseal Policy Hit. The President's attention was di- rected in the petition left with him by the trade and zivic bodies opposing the legislation to the fact that by directing the revenues from the gay tax to be used in & separate fund for street improvements, the present fiscal relations between the Distric and federal governments were seri- ously endangered. Upon learning that the President had signed the bill, Commissionar Ru- | dolph instructed Daniel E. Garges, secretary to the board of Commis- sicners, to consult with Auditor Don- ovan and Corporation Counsel Ste- phens in a careful study of the word- ing of those sections relating to tha use of the $900,000 of gasoline tax money. District authorities said today that if Congress wou'd proceed to make the regu'ar annual street appropriations on a 60-40 basis and at the same time al- low the Commissioners to spend the $900,000 of gas tax money on additional street work the law wou'd be an advas tage by enabling the city to put its high ‘ways in good repair. Different Effect Possible. They are convinced, however, that as the phraseology now stands the real ef- fect will be that the $900,000 paid as gas tax by the motorists will be applied to the normal street appropriations, leav- ing only a small balance to be appro- priated by Congress on the 60-40 basis. It was definitely learned at the Dis- trict building today that the money raised from now on by the gasoline tax will not be avallable for expenditure un- til the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1325, s0 that the niew law will have no effect whatever on street work during the next tweive months. But, assuming that the gas tax had Dbeen in effect during the past twelve months and that $300,000 was no: in the Treasury for use on the streets, analysis shows that if Con- gress only authorized for street work the amounts allowed by the House subcommittes on appropria- tions, the federal government would make practically no contribution for highways in the coming fiscal year. Cut In United States Ajd Seen. ‘The new appropriation bill as re- ported to the House yesterday car- ried a total of $1,352750 for all phases of street Improvement. I, as District officials believe, Congress intends to require the District te apply the $900,000 of gas tax money to that appropriation, there would remain only $452,750 to be appro- priated on the 60-40 basis. The fedepal government's 40 per i " (Continued on Page 2, Column 4) " (Continued on Page 4, Column %)