Evening Star Newspaper, December 20, 1924, Page 1

WEATHER. . Weather Bureau Forecast.) Cloudy tonight and tomorrow: low- 18 to 20 de- (. temperature tonight, grees. Temperature for 2 ed at 2 p.m. today: High p.m. yesterday; lowest, today est Full report on page 2. 4 hours end- est, 74, at 3 30, at moon Closi g N. Y. Stocks and Bonds, Page 14 No. 29453. Entered as second class matter post office, Washington, D. C. EXPECT NAVY BILL HEARINGS T0 CLEAR 5533 RATIO STATUS Advocates of Investigation Depend on Britten Measure to Establish Facts. $101,400,000 IS ASKED FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION Would Authorize New Scout Cruisers and Elevation of Turret Guns. Members of Congress eongressional investigation of the relative ditlon of the American Navy ntering their hopes to- day on the Britten bill to appropriate $101,400,000 for new construction a vehicle for hearings before the House naval committee which would satisfy their aim in the investigation. The bill introduced ative Britten, ranking Republican the naval committee, colncident With the passage by the House late vesterday of the naval supply bill, carrying nearly $300,000,000 for activiti already authorized. Auto- matically referred to the naval com- mittee, Representative Britten said the hearings which would be held on the measure would serve to develop inform owing just where the American N now stands with re- gard the 3 ratio provision of the arms treaty. Elevation of Turrets. In addition to the building of four scout cruisers costing $11,100.000 each, among other {items, th biil would authorize the elevation of the turret guns on thirteen battleships at an mggregate cost of $6,500,000. Thoe gun elevation issue was again given the fo al status of a pending legislative proposal coincident with announcement at the White House that the British government had con- veyed a formal expression of Its views as to treaty provisions affect- ing the proposal in a note now be- fore the State Department. Informa- tion as to the precise contents of the note was withheld, nor was any dication given as to the probable next step In the diplomatic phasa of the controversy. favoring a were ¢ as was 5 on Increase for Fuel. In passing the naval appropriation bill the House included an increase | Sor fuel and transportation of $960,000 over last year's allowance. Funds necessary for the proposed Australian | cruise of the flect would come from this appropriation, althoush thg.plan was not mentioned directly in the bill. Such a cruise would be purely a mat- | ter for the administrative officers of | the Government to decide upon, Con- | gress merely appropriating lump sums for fuel for use as the Navy deems advisable. Expenses for the mancuvers in Hawalian waters, which would pre- Cede the cruise, are to be taken from | funds already in the hands of thel! Navy, provided by last year's appro- | priation bill. | Shelve King Resoluflon. | On the Senate side of tae Capitol the naval committee shelved the reso- lutlon of Senator King, Democrat, | V'tah, proposing a searching inquiry into the status of the Navy, but greed to seek from the Navy De-| yartment data which will show | \whether the United States is keeping | up its end of the arms’ conference | 5-3-3 ratlo. | As sent to the Senate, the Navy ap-| tion bill provides for mainte- yance of the Navy during the com- $ng fiscal year at its present strength ! of 85,000 enlisted men and for af #light increase in the officer person- yel, but would decrease the Marine Corps from 19,500 to 18,000 men. A total of $14,800,000 was carried for naval aviation and funds are pro- vided to finish all naval vessels un- der construction, except the alrcraft | carrlers, Lexington and Saratoga, and | three fleet submarines. | Commenting on his bill and its pur- yoses, Mr. Britten said it was in- roduced “in accordance with a statement made by the Secretary of 1he Navy to the committee on appro- yriations of the House, indicating that additional ships and authoriza- 1ions were necessary to bring our Navy up to the 5-5-3 ratio promoted | by the Washington arms conference.” Intent of Treaty. * “Unless another conference is called for the limitation of all naval | craft,” continued Mr, Britten, “it will e necessary for us to meet the de- wires and the intention of the former | conference and to maintain our Navy st Its very highest efficiency for the number of ships in the service, and the quicker we do this the better. “If England and Japan supersede us in fast crulsers, submarines, air- craft carriers and naval aviation, Congress should immediately take #ych steps as are necessary to make our Navy equal to any other on earth, 3ot only in cold steel, but in having superior officers and men and make tie nation safe in time of an emer- gency. “I personally cannot see a threat- ening speck on our peaceful horizon, but that Is no reason why we should ®o unprepared or unphotected against any future emergency.” In rushing the naval appropriation 1#l to a vote, the House sent it to the Senate a day ahead of the sche- dule of leaders calling for passage of three of the annual supply meas- ures before the Christmas recess, which begins tomorrow. As approved, the bill carried only one amendment —by Chalrman Butler of the naval propri committee—to appropriate $35,000 for | the construction of fuel oil storage at the Pensacola, Fla., naval alr sta- tion. —_— $40,000,000 IN BONUSES. ‘Wall Street Firms Giving Huge Total for Christmas. NEW YORK, December 20.—Christ- s bonuses amounting to $40,000,000 sre being distributed by Wall street firms, 1t Is estimated by a member of one of the largest firms in the street. | by Repre- in-| | Washington Mountain Gobbler Coming to Vie for W hite House Honor The prize turkey of the Rocky Mountain region s en route to Washington today to compete with several other “turkey candidates” for the honor of being the chief dish on the White House table Christmas day. This particular turkey spent the Summer and Fall gaining welght and. plumpness on the Riverton reclamation project, in Wyoming, and is said to be the first reclama- tion product to compete for such high honors Representative Winter, Republi- can, of that State, when informed that one of his native gobblers would call on the President, an- nounced that the reclamation project adjolns the lands of the Arapahoe Indians, who are re- nowned for being of the largest stature in the Western Hemi- sphere. PROPOSES LINKING - STREET CAR LINES Bell Suggests New Trans- portation Route to Wis- | consin Avenue. | There were two new developments | today in the discussion of rearrang- |ing transportation service to the | vicinity of Wisconsin avenue and | Rockville. | One was a suggestion from Engi- | neer Commissioner Bell that a rall connection be made between the Con- | necticut avenue line of the Capital jTraction Co. and the Rockville | tracks of the Washington Rallway | and Electric system near the District jline, with busses substituted for the car tracks on Wisconsin avenue south of the District line to Georgetown. The other was the filing of an appli- |cation by the Washington Rapid { Transit Co. for permission to run {busses on Wisconsin avenue and | Massachusetts avenue In the event street car service is done away with {on Wisconsin avenue | Not Conslaering Discontinuance. | The Washington Railway and Elec- tric Co. system, however, has given no indication of an intention of doing iaway with street car service on Wis- consin avenue, | The suggestion that consideration { be given to the substitution of busses | for street cars on the Wisconsin ave- nue line by the Washingfon Rallway & Electric’ Co. was put forward yes- terday by Maj. Covell, who pointed out that since the existing ralls -on the avenue would have to be rebuilt in the Spring this was the logical time fo discuss the advisabllity of bus substitution, Maj. Covell also stated yesterday that the suggestion had been made o him by citizens that consideration be given to a plan of having the Capital Traction Co. acquire the Wis- consin avenue line, which is a sub- idiary of the Washington Railway & Electric Co. system. Not Interested in Purchase, This suggestion was brought prac- tically to an end today, however. | when George E. Hamilton, president, and John H. Hanna, general man- ager, of the Capital Traction Co., both stated that they have never glven thought to the purchase of the Georgetown and Tenleytown lines. Both officials indicated that they would not be interested in such a plan. As to Col. Bell's suggestion for a connecting link of car track between the Chevy Chase line of the Capital Traction and the Rockville line of the Raflway and Electric, officials of both companies sald they had not studied the proposal suffi- clently to express a definite opinion on it. Bus Lines Ask Permit. In its application today for bus ines on Wisconsin and Massachu- setts avenue the Rapld Transit Co. states that its position Is condl- tional upon the granting also of its previous application for a cross-town bus line from Thirty-seventh and T streets northwest to Fifteenth street and Maryland avenue northeast. Maj. Covell today recelved a letter from G. A. Weber of Wesley Heights indorsing the suggestion of yesterday that busses be substituted for street cars on Wisconsin avenue and that another bus route be established on | Massachusetts avenue from Wiscon- sin avenue to Dupont Circle. President Ham of the Washington | Rallway and Electric stated yester- day that he had always deemed the Wisconsin avenue section as one that should be served by street car lines, but that he would be willing to give consideration to the suggestion that busses be substituted for street cars when the repaving of Wisconsin ave- pue occurred. Ex-Wife of E. F. Swift NEW YORK, December 20.—Mrs. Marian Atchison Swift, who was divorced recently from Edward F. Swift of Chicago, a member of the family connected with the packing Weds. | industry, was married to Dr. Richard Hayes Meagher at the home of her parents here on Thursday, it became known today. The ceremony was per- formed by the Rev. Dr. Ralph W. Sockman ~of the Madison Avenue Methodist Church. Foad Prices Jump Food prices in Washington con- tinue on the up-grade, according to the Department of Labor. An increase of 2 per cent in the avers age family expenditure for food in Washington was recorded in the month from October-15 to Novem- ber 15, the deparfment announced today through the Bureau of La- bor Statistics. Washington was one of 47 cities which showed an intrease in food prices during the month, while decreases were estimate is admittedly conserva- Some guesses are as high as 000,000. Office boy, clerk, 211 will share. e e Radio Programs—Page 8. senfor partner— shown in two and prices remained stationary in two more. For the year period from Nov- ember, 1923, to November, 1924, however, the Increase In food prices in Washington was less than half of 1 per cent, although 37 other citles showed decreases in the year period. Washington retained its place ch WASHINGTON, D. POLICE ONWATCH FORRUM CONVOYS MOVING ON GAPITAL One Liquor Runner Reported Killed in Dash Here With Holiday Stock. ALL ROADS LEADING TO DISTRICT GUARDED Victim of Crash Into Culvert Near Daisy, Md., Remains Unidentified. While the Washington police in- creased their vigilance today on the roads leading Into Washington to check the prospective flow of Christ- mas liquors, a report was received | from Ridgeville, Md, that an un- identifled rum runner, in a liquor con- | voy en route to the National Capital, was killed when hls machine struck a culvert near Dalsy, Md., and crashed | down @ 50-foat embankment. The | body of the man, it was reported, was | removed from the wreckage by four | men in two high-powered cars, nnd“ no trace of it has been found by | Maryland authorities. Saw Car Tarn Over. Edgar Simpson, a farmer living near Dalsy, reported the mysterious case | to the Ellicott City police. While on his way home last night, Simpson sald, three machines passed him at a terrific rate of speed, and a few mo- ments later he heard a crash and saw | one of the cars turning turtle down a | 50-foot embankment. | Taking his lantern, the farmer sald, he ran to the machine, followed by | the four men, who had backed their cars opposite the culvert. The men, he declared, removed the badly crush- ed body from the wrecked car. One of the men sald the dead man was his brother, and the farmer got & blanket and helped cover the body. The men placed it in one of the ma- chines and sped off. ‘Whisky in Convoy. Simpson told the police that the men sald they had 75 cases of whisky in the convoy and offered to pay him for his trouble, and he accepted three quarts. The men told him they were golng to Washington with the dead man, who appeared to be about 20 years old. Before leaving the scens of the accident the men righted the wreck- ed machine and removed the license plates to prevent their jdentity. The accident, the four men advised the farmer, was due to the dead man's unfamiliarity with the road. Took Wrong Turn. The driver of the wrecked car, the four men told the farmer, had been instructed to turn to the left from the Frederick pike at Ridgeville, but turned off to the Dalsy road instead. Additional detectives have been posted by the captains of the various precincts along &ll highways lead- ing into Washington in conformity (Continued on Page 2, Column 4.) ASKS COOLIDGE AID ONBUILDINGS BILL, Smoot Confident of Getting D. C. Measure Through Senate. Convinced that he can get favorable action by the Senate on the District In Washington in 30-Day,f‘Périod of Columbia public buildings bill, by which the Government would expend $50,000,000 over a perfod of five years to erect needed Government buildings in the National Capital, Senator Smoot of Utah today called on Presi- dent Coolldge to ask his co-operation in obtaining similar action by the House. The President, in his budget mes- sage to Congress, strongly recom- mended the enactment of the Smoot bill, pointing out the need for such buildings in Washington, both in the interest of economy and of more ef- ficlent service. It is expected that he will discuss the measure with members of the House in the hope that action may be had in that body. Can Beat Amendment. Senator Smoot has completed a poll of the Senate which shows that the bill can pass the Senate without te Fletcher amendment, which would add, to the bill some $23,000,000 to construct public buildings through- out the country on sites already pur- chased by the Government. When he called the bill up at the opening of the present session its passage was blocked by Senator Fletcher's amendment. Senator Smoot declared that he would prefer to see the bill fall rather than pass with such an amendment. He pointed out that if the Fletoher amendment were (Continued on Page 2, Column 3.) Two Per Cent. with Richmond as the city show- ing _the highest increase in the aserage price of food from 1913 to 1924, with an Increase of 59 per cent for the average family over the 1l-year period, although a relatively large increase over 1913, was noted in all the cities from which figures were obtained. Throughout the nation an increase of about 1 per cent was recorded in the retail price of food as of November, 1924, as compared with October, 1924. For the 1l-year period over the entire country, the increase in all articles of food combined was slightly more than 43 per cent. Twenty-one articles on which food prices were secured increased in the month ended November 15, while 16 articles decreased In price and seven articles showed no - change, . s WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION C., ARLY DOGTORS T0 ERECT §1,000,000 BUILDING Will Put Office Structure on Wallach Home Property, at 1801 Eye Street. | A $1,000,000 medical office building| will be erected on the site of the old| Wallach property, 1801 I street| northwest, it was announced today.| The new structure will be erected | by the Washington Medical Buflding | Corporation, composed of & number of local physicians and surgeons. It will be an eight-story structure, de- signed especially for the members of the medical profession who will cupy it, the office o Shannon & Luchs announces. The Wallach home, which was the Droperty of the late Gov. Wallach of Washingtop, was purchased by the Medical Building Corporation for this purpose and faces 158 feet on Eight- | centh street and 77 feet on I street. It has & ground area of 13,701 square teet. Construotion will be begun in about six weeks. The Washington Medical Bullding Corporation is composed of Dr. Charles Stanley White, president; Dr. S. Boyce Pols, vice president; Dr. Oscar B. Hunter, secretary, and Dr. R. M. Le Comte, treasurer. These of- ficers, together with Dr. Edgar P. Copeland, Dr. E. A. Merrit, Dr. A. L. Miller, Dr. Charles W. Hyde and Lee Paschall, compose the board of di- rectors. In addition to the doctors who are on the board of directors, the follow- ing are among the stockholders in the corporation: Drs. Edmund Horgan, | W. Sinclair Bowen, Thomas A. Groov- er, A. C. Christle, Thomas Linville, | John T. Vivian, J. R. Hogan, D. J.| O'Donnell, J. M. Howe, Charles O.| Knott, J. Duerson Stout, C. B. Conklin, J. C. Winkoop, W. C. Sparks, Thomas Cajigas, E. A. Hunt, R. C. McCullough, | J. H. Iden and B. F. Iden. The sale of the property was made | through the office of Shannon & Luchs | in connection with the office of H. Roster Dulaney, who, with Woodbury Blalr, are the trustees for the Wallach estat, i — DENIES BLOCKING COOLIDGE'S WISHES Plummer Says Shipping Board Will Cacry Out President’s Desire. Saying that he had been ‘“cruelly misrepresented,” Vice Chairman Plummer of the Shipping Board to- day denied before the House invess tigating committee that the bostd had rejected a resolution to car#y out the recommendations of(f ~President Coolidge for separation ef ‘the sboard from the Emergency Fléet Corporation. As far back as Jdhuary 10 he had himself introdyced a resolution to that end which had the President’s ADDI’OVI:L« At - board meeting on December 17, he sald, @ vote was taken against consideration of pénding resolutions in the absence of President Palmer of the fleet corporation. This action, he sald, apparently was misinterpreted to mean thet the resolution carrying out the President's recommendations had been defeated. <Vice Chalrman Plummer said that two resolutions now are pending be- fore the board which substantially carry out the President’s recom- mendations. He declared he always had been in accord with the Presi- dent’s wishes_for independent action of the Fleet Corporation, and as far back as January 10 had himself in- troduced a resolution to .that end which had the President’s approval. e Fear Mexican Outbreak. By tho Associated Press. MEXICO CITY, December 20.—A clash between agrarians supporting| Jose Maria Elizalde and the followers of Victorino Medina, both of whom claim victory in the recent gubern: torial election In Agusscalientes, is feared, press dispatches stating that a large group of armed agrarians is advancing on Aguagcalientes city.. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1924 —TWE. CHRISTMAS REMEMBR BRITAIN DRAFTS REPLY TO U. S. ON REPARATION Now Declared to Offer Terms Ac- ceptable to London and Meet- ing All Demands. By the Associated Press. LONDON, December 20.— aln is expected to mak detailed reply tosthe United States note on reparations claims, which, it is stated in official quarters today, will contain a suggestion for the solution problem in terms acceptable to F land and will include all the d of the American Government A note already has and may be laid before the next cab- inet meeting, it is sald, but prc will not be sent to Washington after Christmas The new step is somewhat contrary to the views ex- pressed a few days ago that the mat- ter would be allowed to lapse until the Paris meeting. but it is under- stood to be the result of the govern- ment's desire to comply with the American view that an agreement should be reached between the gov- ernments before entering tha Janu- &ry conference of finance ministers in Paris. COOLIDGE TO OPEN YULE CELEBRATION Will Turn on Lights of Com- munity Tree on Christ- mas Eve. eat Brit- been drafted The Presidept and Mrs. Coolidge will lead the National Capital in one of its greatest Christmas eve celebrations next Wednesday night, when they will en- gage in the dual ceremonies of lighting the national community Christmas tree in Sherman Square and later be hosts to the robed choir of the First Congre- gational Church, which will sing famil iar old Christmas carols from the main portico of the White House. It is believed that the celebration this Christmas. which will begin at 8 o'clock and continue through until after 10, will be participated in by one of the largest crowds that has ever ventured from the warmth of the home fireplace on any Christmas eve in the history of Washington. Both ceremonies have been timed so that the people of the city may at- tend each. Marine Band to Play. The President and Mrs. Coolidge will leave the White House a few minutes before 8 o'clock next Wednes- day evening and go to Sherman Square, facing the south end of Treasu There President Coolidde will switch on the electric light of the national community tree ahd re- main for a while at least 4% partici- pate in the ceremonies gout the tree under he auspices ofsfhe Community Center Department®of the Washing ton public schosls. there will include the ristmas carols by the genergl“community under the leader- ship-ef Robert Lawrence, and accom- | pinied by the brass quartet of the United States Army Music School. During the period between the carols, the United States Marine Band will play appropriate music, and there, in the mellow glow of the brightly il luminated tree, the people will cele- brate the occasion in appropriate fashion. Thousand Lights in Tree. The tree has already been planted, and it will be presented to President Coolidge by Ovid M. Butler, executive secretary of the American Forestry Assoclation, when the President turns | the switch that will flluminate the lights. A thousand electric lamps, amber, green and red in color, will twinkle from its branches, and lend their fire to abundant other pendants that will decorate it. To give the celebration at the com- munity tree a truly national aspeet, a number of government and district leaders have been Invited to be pres- ent, including: Cuno H. Rudolph, president of the District Commis- sloners; Police Commissioner James F. | Oyster, Chief Justice Walter I. Me- (Continued on Page 2, Column 5.) Be Careful Everybody else is in a hurry to buy presents too, so be careful. thed ¢ Foening Star. TY-EIGHT PAGES. NCES GOMPERS LEAVES WIDOW MiNIMUM Destroys Will Giving Her Bulk of Estate on Nov. 2, and Signs New Document. | The of Samuel Gompers, president of the American of Labor, dated 4, was offered today for Drahnle.i With the document was also filed| a mutilated will, which had been | |torn and across the face of which | was written, “I cancel and revoke| {this will” The indorsemept was | signed by Mr. and Inear!‘ |date of November 2, six days before | the execution of the later wiil. i | Under tha canceled will, which had | | been exccuted September 21, 1821, | the labor leader, after providing for | a number of specific bequests, left the bulk of his estate to his widow, | Gertrude A. Gompers. In the will of | er date it ie provided that the “minimum amount allowed by the law” only should be pald the widow, Mrs. Gertrude A. Gompers. It is also | declared that such payment should | made, providing Mrs. Gompers “my lawful, wedded wife at the ime of my demise.” Should she not | be, then 1t Is directed “she shall not [receive any part of my estate, | whether real, personal or mixed.” | Mr. Gompers, when 71 years old, was married in 1921 to Mrs. Gertrude Neuschler of New York, whose age| was given as 38 years. The state- ments of his last will would indi- cate that ne wished the widow to get only ! dower right, which, under the District law, may not be taken away by a will { _ Boquests of $100 each are made by Mr. Gompers to six organizations for the purchase of an American fla, for each. This money it is expressly | stated may not be used for any other | purpose. The organizations are the American Federation of Labor, the Cigarmakers' International Union, Cigarmakers Local, No. 144, at New York; Dawson Lodge of Masons, in Washington; the local lodge of Elks | and New York lodge of Elks. | The remalning estate is devised to his granddaughters, Henrletta and Et Mitchell, and his sons, Samuel J. Gem- pers, Henry J. Gompers and Alexfinder J. Gompers, in equal shares. Swmuel J. Gompers is named as execysSr. The new and cancelpd wills were found by Theodore @égswell, deputy register of wills, in -Mr. Gompers’ office | in the Federation-Building here. Attor- | neys Newmyeg<& King represent the | | executor, ave not yet made an esti mate of4the value of the estate. TWO STATES JOIN HUNT FOR GANG SACKING TOWN late Federa- | November 8, | tion Gompers be is t 1 Otto Star, Oklahoma Outlaw, Be- | lieved to Have Led Band That Robbed Banks and Used Torch. By the Associated Press. FORT WORTH, Tex., December 20. | —Law forces throughout Texas and Oklahoma combined efforts today in a search for Otto Star, notorlous Oklahoma outlaw, whose bandit gang is believed responsible for the sack- ng yesterday of the town of Valley View, 55 miles north of Fort Worth. The bandits left the two village | banks pillaged, and burned and ig- 1‘ nited a conflagration which razed the | i entire downtown section. Officials of |the banks estimated their cash | alone at $100,000. A property loss of | approximately $120,000 was another | result of the bandits’ visit. loss i | BY EDGAR ANSEL MOWRER. | By Radlo to The Star and Chicago Daily News. | BERLIN, December 20.—The im- portant matter, according to the customs sheet of the Reichs finance ministry, is not whether or not international travelers shall be vanked from their beds in the middle of the nights in order to personally conduct the baggage through the customs offices, but that aforesaid passengers shall be dressed in seemly manner. The official sheet of November 26 confirms the German customs authorities of Bentheim on the Dutch frontier in their right to oust out travelers and to persecute generally those wWho make the mistake of crossing this frontier at night. | cold as fast as th “From Press to Home Within the Hour” The Star’s carrier system covers every city block and the regular edi- tion is delivered to Washington homes he papers are printed. Yesterday’s Circulation, 98,053 * TWO CENTS Dope Seller Gets 10-Year Sentence And $4,000 Fine Chief Justice McCoy in Crim- inal Division 2 today declargd the sale of narcotics to be “worse than murder” and expressed regret that the law did not permit him to im- pose a life sentence on Charles, allas Sonny, Williams, who has been twice convicted of peddling dope. There were two counts to the indictment on which Williams was recently convicted and the gourt gave him the maximum pen- alty of five years in the peniten- tiary on each count, making & total of 10 years imprisonment, and added a fine of $4,000 Williams noted an appeal and asked o be admitted to bail pend- ing the hearing In the Court of Appeals, but the Chief Justice re- fused the request The Chief Justice prisoner the “most contemptible citizen in the republic” and point- ed outsthat while Williams rode about in an expensive automobile many of the persons to whom he had sold narcotics had become “bums.’ MERCURY T0 SINK RAPIDLY BY NIGAT Weather Bureau Warns That Temperature Will Be Far Below Freezing. called the Although it seemed like a rather overadvertised cold wave that crept more or less quletly to Washington last night, the weather man pr ised today that the West" ¢ storm would draw near with creased velocity and severity now on. The promired flurries of snow, giv- ing riss to hope that Santa Claus would be able to make his annual visit here in his sleigh and accom- panicd by his reindeers, failed to ap- in- from | pear on the wings of the exaggerated ' (iigrado, the last of th references that escorted the lower temperature into Washington The Weather Burcau explained that the pressures which are causing the wave throughout the CUnited States proved 2o high that it was im- possible for snow to develop. It add- ed, however, that there is st chance for a white Christmas, be it is now certain that the frigid weather will continue through the holiday seascn Skating I Foreseen. After soaring yesterday to a recor high mark for any December in th history of the local Weather Bureau, the mercury began a descent last night that had carried it to within a few degrees of freezing this mo: ing. P Although Yhe thermometer jumped a point to 35 at 8 o'clock, it soon be- gan to descend again. Summer wedther prevailed vester- day. The thermometer reached 74 de- grees during the afternoon, one de- gree higher than the previous record. During the night it dropped 40 de- grees, and shortly before noon it had begun a plunge that promised to ful- fill the weather man's prediction of a temperature of 15 to 20 degrees be- low freezing by tonight The promise of ice skating next week was renewed today with more vigor than ever. Conditions now give assurance, it was stated, that the temperature will not climb to within a ause |10 degrees of freezing after tonight jWorld by for an entire week, and the Weathér' Bureau declared that there should be excellent skating here most that time. = FRANK VANDERLIP ILL WITH TYPHOID FEVER 5 i Friends ot Family Declare Iliness - "ot Banker Is Not - Critical. Special Dispatch to The Star. NEW YORK, December 20.—Frank A. Vanderlip, the banker, is ill of typhold fever in his Summer home, in Scarborough, it was learned vester- day, after rumors to that effect had been current some time. Dr. Norman Barnesby, attending physician, con- firmed the report, but added that his patient was doing very well The banker is attended by nurses and his wife is with him. His illness began two weeks ago, in the form of a cold which developed into grip, the fever appearing as a final com- plication. Friends of the family said they were informed the banker's condi- tion, was not critical. His health just befors this iliness was better than it had been for some time, they say. Mr. Vanderlip is 60 years old. STAGE COUPLE WEDDED. Ruth Chatterton and Ralph Forbes Marry Today. NEW YORK, December 20.—Ruth Chatterton, actress, and Ralph Forbes an English actor, now appearing with her in a Broadway musical comedy, today obtained a marriage license. | They sald they would be married later | in the day in the Church of the Be- loved Disciple here. Mr. Forbes is leading man of the musical production in which Miss Chatterton is starring. \Pajama Visits to Customs Offices outstretched | ! Are Banned on German Border But the sleeping car travelers think otherwise, and they have re- fused to leave thelr nice warm beds on cold Winter nights. The finance authoritles, however, are obdurate. Sleeping car con- ductors have been instructed to awaken passengers In time to fur- ther the work of the customs authorities. “And, furthermore, 50 runs the text, “to just what de- gree the passengers of sleeping cars must dress for customs in- spection can be left to their gen- eral discretion. But it must be in- sisted that they should not appear in a state highly offensive to the public decency.” No more pajama or nightgown visits to the offices will therefore be allowed. (Copyright, 1924, by Chicago Daily News Ga. SUBZERD WEATHER - GREEPING EAST AS - DEATHTOLL RISES :Freezing and Fire Tragedieé Mount in Middle West—Pa- cific Sections Warmer. {PRESS TURNS T0 RADIO | FOR NEWS AS WIRES FAIL | Temperature Drops 30 Degrees to 5 Below in Chicago—Many Trains Isolated in Storm. By the Assoclated Pres CHICAGO, December v grip of Winter was slowly relaxing in the Far West and Rocky Moun- ain region today, while it tightened in the Middle West and began to er the Bast Although nearly normal tempera tures may reached in most of the cold-wave area within 24 hours, days will elapse before wire and rail cor mu ion, virtually paralyzed some sectlons, resume usual opera- tions. feanwhile the toll of lives contin- ued to mount as deaths from freez ing added to by fatalities fires ting from overheating Fire depart middie western cities answ Ireds of calls Conslderable suffering was felt among the poor, but relief organiza- tions were not reported overtaxed by demands. Many Deaths Reported. were re. Warm winds were forecast to bring | 1elief to the Pacific Coast today, after a siege of subzero temperatures in the north and heavy frosts in California that necessitated smudge pots in the citrus area and nipped orange shoots in Val ising mercury and fair skies reported in Montana and Moun- relief after five A man and a to death in the members of a burned to death explosion red gas pressure n their homes. The -old boy, was ex- were in States to feel days of bitter woman were Jutte district. Three family of four wer Wro., v was caused by that put out fires fourth, a four-ye | pected to die | Eight deaths { souri, Kansas an vere reported in M and Oklahoma, where thou! s of dollars of property dam- age was done. One man was froze i to death and another died from in- juries received in a fall on the ice in Chicago. During the night department answered more | hundred calis the Chicago fire than a Five Below in Chicago. More than 30 d low zero was recorded in Chicago in 24 hours. e Trains in the Middie West were run- g from several hours 16 more‘than 24 hours late, and two passenger trains which left St. Louiss Thursday were lost somewhere in %outhern Misouri early today. Train crews frequently were forced to pemove trees and poles felled across “Ficks by their burdens of ice. _~ Member newspapers of the Associated Press.”cut off from the outside worid by_#paralyzed wire communication, were kept in touch with the outside adio. Dispatches brought +into Chicago by wire were radiocast by the Associated Press from station WMAQ of the Chicag Daily News. The Jefferson City bureau of the | Associated Press, cut off by wire for two days, transmitted dispatches by radio from station WOS, ut the State capital, to WDAF, K as City Star stati The Kansas City and St Louis bureaus of the Associated Press also communicated by radio. Springfield and Jacksonville and other southern Illinois points were forced to rely on radio dispatches for outside communication. Wire facilities of the Asscciated Press to the southeast and southwest | from Chicago were badly erippled and much rerouting of lines was necessary | to brinz in news from these sections. | MERCURY DROPS 67 DEGREES. Intense Cold Reported From Many Sections in South. By the Associated Press MEMPHIS, Tenn., December 20. | Weather predictions hold little prom- | ise of reliet from the cold wave in the | immediate future. Damage result- | ing to Memphis and vicinity as a re- sult of the cold snap has been slight | so far, due mainly to absence of sleet | or snow. Passenger trains, especial- | Iy from northern points, are running | benind schedule, some of them arriv- | ing several hours late. All points heard from in northern ssippi and Arkansas report un- cold weather. Western Ar- s is covered with a blanket of | sleet and_train service and wire com- | munication is erippled | A drop of 67 degrees in tempera- | 'ture, from 73 above to & above in | 24 nours, is reported from Fayette- ville, Ark BLIZZARD HITS TEXAS. Wire Service Demoralized and Citrus Crops Damaged. By the Assoclated Press. DALLAS, Tex., December 20.—The blizzard had penetrated the Texas Gulf coast and lower Rio Grande sec- tion today, demoralizing wire com- munication’ and probably doing dam- age to the citrus fruit crop in the Brownsville district, according to the local Weather Bureau. The ther- mometer at Brownsville registered 28 defrees above zero this morning and sleet was falling at Galveston and Houston. The latter two cities and Brownsville and Beaumont were practically isolated as far as wire communication was concerned. Bostieggers Use Envoy's Home. SPOKANE, Wash., December 20.— Discovery has been made that the Summer home of Miles Poindexter, United States Ambassador to Peru and former Senator from Washing- ton, had been used for several weeks as a moonshiner's cabin. Sheriff's deputies found a still being operated thers. George Bostwick was arrested at the oabln a few miles north € | Spokane.