Evening Star Newspaper, December 21, 1924, Page 1

L WEATHER. 1U. s Fair and continued ¢ tomorrow. Temperature for ended At 10 p.m. last ni 49 at midnight Friday; 10 p.m. last night. Full report on page 7. No. 1,030.-—No. 29,454, Weather Bureau Forecast.) old today and twenty-two hours ght: Highest, lowest, 20 at Entered as necond class matter post office Washington, D. C. WORK OF CONGRESS " RENDERS A SPECIAL SESSION UNLIKELY Leaders of Both Parties Con- fident Business on Hand Can Be Completed. GRATIFYING PROGRESS MADE IN LEGISLATION House Already Has Disvosed of Three Supply Bills—Filibuster Is Improbable. made by Congre 1 is suc esterday all necessary put through by March 4 sessior the new uld be nec: the Christmas recess starting vesterday, eview of the reveals t that the House alveady passed three of the nine nual bills, and two have been perfected by the com on appropriations and will rosed after t specia they Congress, said, w ssary a e fact has ant onven sdy passed are the Inter rt- 1s. T been Delay Expected. te it is true, has consideratior s. wh measures which 2t hor extra sess omes imperat appropriations pleted co and the merel port committe ideration thsee measures and on them. Senate leaders night declared that there son to expect delay of the appror ation bills in the Senate, and thin were as far along as usual at t ening of the Christmas recess ‘he adoption of the budget s —with regular vy le ative mu provision more speed tion and passage of the annu ply bills in both houses o Furthermore, the bills are being kept down within the limits of the budget. all of which aids quick action on these measures Musele Shoals Bill. the Senate met 20 days ago Muscle Shoals bill has been the hed business of the Senate and inues to occupy that Strategic position. When the Senate returns t will continue its consideration of that bill. But it is hoped that before long final disposition will be made of Muscle Shoals question and the will get down to other busi- nate s Notwithstanding the fact that the Muscle Shoals matter has occupied nearly all of the time of the Senate, that body has put through the second deficiency appropriation bill, which failed of passage at the last session, and the House bill providing for na- val building, including eight light cruisers, authorizing appropriations ot $110,000,000. The Senate also has approved so-called rum treaties with Canada, Panama, France and the Netherlands, and has favorably acted upon the debt-funding agreements with Lithuania and Poland. Ixle of Pines Treaty. The Isle of Pines treaty, dealing with the sovereignty of that island, ch was to come before the Senate December was postponed ‘until the Muscle Shoals bill has been dis- posed of. e The Senate has agreed to tak for consideration the President’ of the postal pay bill Januar to vote on it January 6. The mes- sage has been on the table awaiting tion ever since the close of the last session of Congress. The adminis- tration leaders believe that the have sufficlent votes to prevent the passage of the bill over the Pre: dent's veto. The pending motlon, of- fered by Senator Sterling, of the post office committee, is t re ter the message and the bill to the post office committee. Steps have been taken looking to the perfection of a bill increasing rates on certain classes of postal matter £o as to meet the increased expenditures in the postal pay bill, and it is under- stood that if such a measure can be put through the President will then not oppose the passage of the wage bill i Postal Rate Bi A subcommittee of the Senute com- miltee on post offices has been ap- pointed to handle the postal rate bill. it is headed by Senator Moses of New Hampshire and will m ‘Tuesd: with Postmaster General New as its first witness, it is understood. An in- vitation has been extended to the House post office committee to send a subcommittee to sit with the Senate subcommittee. It is hoped to have the postal rate bill ready for Congress certalnly by January hen the wage bill and the President’s veto are 1o come before the Senate under the unanimous cousent agreement enter- ed Into. Politically, so far as the session has gone, there fireworks. The Democrats have in- stiuation up | veto | and | chairman | provided | has been an absence of | he WASHINGTON Whole U. S. in Winter’s Grasp; Cold Deaths Despite Rising 20.—Winter's grasp ember held in enti ion cold which originated 80 In the Northwest neared |the Atlantic seaboard. The brunt of | the zero weather was felt in the Middle West, while in the Northwest ;i!nd Pacific Coast region tempera- | tures were moderating, although still { unseasonably coll In the wake of the rain. slest and |snow atorms followed by general sub-zero tempe of upward of disrupted atlons. delayed tra on the par f 1 lIvestock ind fear of a fuel shortuge n some sections Indications its nearl; The the savere | six days or badly 1re ervic were that the cold would continue tonight th severe PEAGE WITH SOVIET | { | Fermer Premier to Re-Enter | Russia to Take High Post, Is Prague Report. PARIS trom ed g re- n the | eut of Moscow, It is said. He | ying te round up other Men- | for whom he has asked Im- | “ and a chance to work for the | 3 I am going back to my own | 1 | He has baen promise <'ble position and { countr ing. " Kerensky is quoted as say Boris Savinkoff. he was ap- ed by men sent from Moscow, inviting all but iers to return. Savii ¥ one who troubled ad an active counter anization in Russia. fore Sa koff left Paris he to make hir supporters b. ve he was returning secretly in the interest of his counter-revolutionary organiza- tion, but it is known he had decided to make peace. Kerensky makes no secret of his intention, according o | the Prague reports, (Copyright, 1924.) 2 Alexander Feodorovitch Kerensik lawyer, soclalist and representativ of Russian workingmen In the Rus- slan arliament since 1913, rose to| power in the chaos which followed | the Russfan revolutfon in 1917. 1 He attempted to organize the gov- ernment of the newly proclaimed Ru an republic and became, first, min- | ter of justice, then minister of war and finally prime minister. Four months from July 20, 1917, the dav he took power, the provisional Russian government, of which he was the | |head. was thrown by the extrem- ists, or bolsheviki, under Lenin and | Trot who had no use for the mod- lerately socialistic program of Ker- |ensky and his Mensheviki. The bol- sheviki dispersed them at the point {of the bayonet and established the | Soviet government. Fled Before Bolsheviki. IKerensky fled from Russia and for severu! months lhis wherabouts was a mystery. The rumor that h. had besn assassinated by the Dolsheviki persisted until he reappeared in June, 1916, in London, to address a labor |congress. Thereafter he worked to end the bolshevik regime. In January, 1921, he held a confer- ence In Paris and the result was the rising of the Russlan soldlers «t | Kronstadt, which _the Bolsheviki | troops suppressed. Since then his ac- | tivities have not been much in public attention. It was Kerensky who exposed the corruption of the Czar's war munition service, which is said to have hast- ened the revolution. He released all political prisoners in Sfberia when | he became premier. He attempted to restore discipline in the Russian arny in order to fight with the allles against the Austro-Germans on the Galiclan front, and he denounced the {bolshevik treaty, which removed R monarchist | off was the | them, as he | r-\‘nlu\lonarl'i | tried i iy i !six from the World War | TONG HEAD ARRAIGNED. Lem Wears Heavy Steel Armor During Hearing. | CLEVELAND, Ohio, December 20.— ! Cin Jack Lem, alleged Hig-Sing Tong | leader, brought here from New York ! after he had lost a fight against ex- | tradition, was arraigned today wear- | ing a vest of heavy steel armor and | pleaded not guilty to two charges of | extorting approximately $70,000 worth ! of real estate from Wong Sing, presi- {dent of the On Leong Tong. Bond | was placed at $15,000. 2 Mixup Of Man While dicated thelr intention of co-operat- | ing In the passage of the, s4pply bills and such other legisfation as they belleve can be given-Droper con- sideration at the shopt session. The insurgent Republleafis who followed La Follette durifig the campaign so far have raised no rumpus. They rave indiedted that they do not in- tend to fight until there is some issue before the Senate or House which de- mands a firm stand op their part. he House has put through legis- jation proposing to extend the air mail service and other legislation of a general character. Await Farming Report. Farm legislation is waiting recom- mendations of the President, who, in turn, is awaiting the report of his agricultural conference, appointed by En to study the situation and make cuggestions. This conference will re- “onvene in Washington, January 5. mbers of Congress interested in jarm legisiation, and the Presiden ntiny on Page Column 1) By the Associated Press. COLUMBUS, Ohio, December 20. —A mother's prayers were an- swered, but Joseph Clarence Kane today peered through the bars of the death cell at the State peni- tentlary and laughed at justice— laughed at life—laughed at death. A mistake by Chief Justice Car- rington C. Marshall of the Ohlo Supreme Court was responsible for Kane being granted 20 more days of life—it also answered the pray- er of Kane's mother that he be per- mitted to live until after Christ- mas. Kane was to have been executed at the penitentiary early this morning for the murder of seven- year-old Paul Prologo, but the chief justice’s mistake brought a reprieve from Gov. Donahey. “Phe chief Justice explained to- day that he had granted a stay of execution of the sentence to pay a $1,000 fine {mposed upon Norman | llonaire bootleggers may | the pri Mount to Score Train and Wire Service Chaos Spreads to East—Middle West Cities Cut Off Temperatures most of the United States, but moderating temperatures and fair weather might be expected to morrow Despite a_ slight clearing up in weather conditions, wire communica- tion to parts of Hilnos, Mis ovrl, Okla- homa, Texas and other Middle West States, were eliminated or practically cut off today, and many cities were forced to depend on the radio for thelr news of the outside world. The Associated Press tonight continued to serve its Tllinois and Missourl mem- ber newspapers by radio, both from WAMAQ. the Chicago Daily News sta- ion here, and from WDAF, the Kan- s Clir Star station in Kansas City. In the Southwest temperatures ated during the day. but tra's ice and o 1ttle out shov rect deaths to section in- Ibanes Challenged In Four Languages To Fight a Duel Cable to The Star and New ¥ PARIS, Decomber Benigno Var Royalists’ Monarqui 1 to Bi tinues to a trom Paris. Vareila has printed his letter of enge in his weekly in Spanish sh, French and Italian, tell- Ibanez he is coming to Paris p his face for insulting King Alfonso. He explains he used four ges so that Ibanez might ot fail to understand. “Varella is extravagant wi space in his miserable weekly Ibanez remarked today panish has always been my peop! lan- gucge, unlike the Hapsburg who now sits on the Spanish throne Varella doesn’t need to say in four languages that he will slap my face to induce me to fight. I am ready to meet him at any time Ibanez has a reputation duelist, but has never kiiled one except in his novels (Copyright, 1924.) By orld. nor the Lat editor of 0 as a any RUMKINGS ARE PUT TOCELL SCRUBBING Life of Ease in Atlanta Prison Ends With Ouster of Sartain. By Consaiidated Pros ATLANTA, Ga., December 20.—AMil- have lived like lords at the Atlanta penitentiary during the stewardship of Warden Sartain, but they are scrubbing floors, washing dishes and walting on the table now. When Warden Sartain and Deputy Warden Fletcher were charged re- cently with accepting bribes to smooth the prison path of bootleg- gers accustomed to lives of ease and elegance, there was a general up- heaval at the prison. T. B. White was made acting warden, and an iron rule in regard to bootleggers is said to have gone into effect. Emmanuel Kessler of New York, who Is sald to have made a million by devoting his talents to bootleg- ging, is scrubbing the floors. Aforris Sweetwood, his business assoclate, is engaged in the same occupation. Willlam Haar of Savannah, most prominent bootlegger Georgia has produced, and rated in the mil- lionalre class, is waiting on the table. Remus Still at Ease. It is probable that never before have bootloggers been brought to such a pass. They are not only In prison, but they'are having to work. Whether the same unkind fate will overtake George Remus, millionalre liquor distributor from Cincinnati, 1s a mystery for the moment. Until re- cently he is known to have been pleasantly occupied with congenial tasks in the prison library. There are more bootleggers in the Atlanta Federal penitentiary than any other class of offenders. In fact, n is fairly overrun with them. The ordinary type, particular- ly the distillers from the North Georgla mountains, make up a part j of the population of the prison farm, where thers is an honor system in effect and no guards, but plenty of work. The wealthier class of liquor sellers are kept in the penitentiary, and the charge is made that some of them have had the standing of ‘‘pay- ing guests.” To ferret out the facts as to how rich bootleggers were spending their time in prison, special investigators (Continued on Page 13, Column 2.) in Names Stays Execution His Mother Prays G. Kenadall, proprietor of the Nemo Theater of Cleveland, for Violation of the child labor law and that he had become confused and believed that the stay had been granted to Kane. The condemned man's mother had appealed to Gov. Donahey yes- terday that he reprieve her son until after Christmas. “It was an awful crime,” &he told the governor's executive clerk. “I know he must receive the same punishment others have received. But can’t the electrocu- tion be postponed until after Christmas? If he dies tomorrow morning, we will be so unhappy next week.” But the governor mother's request. She returned home and spent the night in prayer that her son be spared. ' This morning she was notified her prayers had been an- swered. denied the the | 3 - wnday WITH DAILY EVENING EDITION ot PLUNGE OF 60 FEET BY COACH INTO IcY | 7 Hurt, 3 Missing. When Last | Car of Train Drops Off Wisconsin Trestle. |SWITCH BOLT SNAPPED | BY THE INTENSE COLD Searchers Fear Other Bodies Im- rrisoned—Bitter Weather Hampers Rescue. By 1he Associated Prass CHIPPEWA FALLS 20.—Efght persons others w Decenm- kiled seven were three sing and hen the last coach of | Minneapolls, St. Paul {and Sault Ste Marle passenger train | pluged from the trestle over the | Chippewa River here today into the fcy water 60 feet below. Six of the dead had been fied tonight Mrs. Harry Jones, Sioux City, Iowa: Charles M. Pardoe Minneapolis; Barbara Spencer, 6 month-old daughter of M. L. Spencer, Seattle. and Kenneth J. Henderson, chewan, Mrs. Florence Minneapolis and Richard W. Sharp of Toronto, and Jobn T. Dunn of New York The one wour were injured |&n eastbound as unidentified person Coach Overturned. Throughout the afternoon and into the night the search of the ill-fated coach continued as it lay bottom up in about seven feet of water, its trucks and much of one end weil above the water line. Railroad of" cials fear other bodles may be fri- prisoned within the coach. Seven persons taken toc St. Joseph's Hosplial here were recelving medical or surgical attention tonight and the condition of three or four of was considered serious, due to Inju- ries and exposure. Those in the hos- pital included: Miss Marion w Harry Jones, Sious | Mrs. M. L. Spenc Seattle, Mrs. Alma Bl Fond du Wis., wife of Soo Line fuel in Sam Curtiss, negro porter, St John lewis. negro porter, St. Faul Another negro porter, unident d Ar. Spencer. who is dean of the School of Journalism, Unlversity of | Washington, and Mrs. Spencer, among the less seriously hurt. | uteward, Curtiss, also suffered prin- | cipally. from exposure, and wae ready | to leave the hospital tonigh Lawson, Menasha, Towa Wasl City, pector. Paul. Broken B A broken switch bolt apparently was the cause of the accident, which | occurred as the train was pulling into Chippewa Falls over the 700- foot trestle that spans the Chippewa River, about a half mile from the railroad station. The railroad tracks parallel the river along the north shore for some distance, and the approach to the bridge is= a wide curve, terminating just as the trestle is reached. About 200 feet from the bridge is | a sidetrack with & switch-oft of the Minnesota line. This track continues along the river shore, while the main line turns onto the river trestle. The bolt in this switch apparently had been snapped by the intense cold and the forward coaches of the train had pounded against the left rail, on the outside of the curve, right at the switch, until its point had been bat- tered down. t Held Cause. Rear Car Jumps Railx. All the coaches passed safely over this point except the rear trucks of the rear coach, which was a combi- nation observation and cafe car Tracks along the ties show the rear | trucks, without the stabilizing | fuence of a coach behind them, jump- | down the side track about three feet | before being pulled toward the bridge turn. For the 200 feet until the trestle was reached the rear trucks traveled along the ties and out onto the trestle. Marks on the trestle show that the wheels on one side kept from an inch to a foot from the edge of the trestle for nearly 200 feet. Then, the apparently, connection (Continued on Page 3. Column 4.) o 12 BOYS STRICKEN | BY SCARLET FEVER Inmates of Training School Are | Victims—Efforts Made to i Curb Disease. . ’ An gutbreak of scarlet fever has occurred in the National Training School for Boys, on Bladensburg road, with 12 of the inmates affected thus far, it was learned at the institution last night. The patients are isolated and every effort is being made to prevent fur- ther spread of the disease among other youths at the school. Physiclans are making use of a test which shows whether & person is susceptible to scarlet fever. If the reaction indicates the patient inocu- lated s susceptible, the test is fol- lowed by other injections designed to protect him from developing the disease. Guard” Against Spread. When asked about the training school situation last night, District Health Officer Fowler stated that his office was in touch with the institu- tion and that Health Department rep- resentatives were co-operating in the effort to prevent the number of cases from growing. An officlal at the tralning school sa1d last night that with the excep- tion of the first one or two boys who were taken sick, the patlents have the scarlet feyer in mild form and are on the road to recovery. Records of the Health Department show that for the city as a whole there have been about 200 more cases of scarlet fever during 1924 than 1923. A great majority of the cases this year have been of a mild type. RIVER KILLS EIGHT fdenti- | Lac, | in- | ed over the battered rail and traveled | SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 21, Star. “From Press to Home Within the Hour” The Star is delivered every evening and Sunday morning to Washington homes at 60 cents per month. Telephone Main 5000 and service will start immediately. 1924—110 PAGES, FIVE CENTS. L g REVENGE. 'AMERICAN GOVERNMENT SHOWS President Coolidge and Secretary Hughes Realize! N “WILL TO PEACE” TOWARD JAPAN ecessity for Great Tact in Foreign Relations at Preseni. BY \. 0. MESSENGER. Will to peace” which is often to as the only real world peace is the motive Government’s policy United States is to be held before all nations as its A conspicuous example | was furnished in the action of Secre- tary Hughes in extending a welcome i to the new Ambassador advance of his arrival, breaking of a precedent being calculated to attract world-wide attention to this Government's extension of the hand of friendship to Jupan. The Japanese government, too, has expressed a | simtlar disposition toward the United States. The two governments there- fore” cun be sald to be united in friendship in the face of certain irri- tating conditions and elements exist- ing among factions of their own peo- ples In this Capital, in official and con- grossional life is felt that the ! Tha | referrea guard of spring of i the forward exemplar safe- H this Japanese in the Today’s Star. PART ONE—i8 PAGES. | General News—Local, National, Foreign. Maryland and Virginia News—Pages 22 and 23. Boy Scouts—Page 30. W. C. T. U. News—Page 3 | At the Community Centers—Page 31 District National Guard—Page 31 |D. A. R. Activities—Page 34 Girl Scouts—Page 34. {Army and Navy News—Page 35. |Schools and Colleges—Pages 37, 38 and 39, Current News Events—Page 39. {Radlo News and Programs—Pages 42 | and 43. | Notes of Art and Artists—Page 43. | Serial, “The Ark of the Covenant' Page 43. | Veterans of the Great War—Page 44. Y. W. C. A. News—Page 44. | Reviews of New Books—Page 45. Parent-Teacher Activities—Page 45. | PART TWO0—20 PAG | Editorials and Editorial Features. ‘Washington and Other Society. Tales of Well Known Folk—Page 16. | News of the Clubs—Pages 18 and 19. —_— PART THREE—10 PAG Amusements—Theaters and the Photo. lay. Musie in Washington—Page 5. | Fraternities—Page 5. Around the City—Page 5. Motors and Motoring—Pages 6, 7 and 8. Spanish War Veterans—Page 9. £ PART FOUR— PAG | Pink Sports Section. | PART FIVE—S$ PAG. Magazine Section—Fiction and Features. PART SIX—8 PAGES. Classified Advertising. Financial News—Pages 7 and 8. | ' GRAPHIC SECTION—8 PAGES. World Events in Pictures. COMIC SECTION— PAGES Straphanger; Reg'lar Fellers; Mutt and Jeff. Mr. S and Mrs. FALL!E’FREE KILLS FIVE Two Others Are Injured When Bus Is Struck. TACOMA, Wash., December 20.—Five persons were killed and two injured when a tree fell across an automobile bus near Chehalis, Wash,, today. The bus was on the Norton-to-Che- halis run and the accident happened {22 miles east of Chehalis. The dead are Dean Shuler, an uni- dentified boy, 7 years old; a man named Chapman, W. M. Kiser and Buck Belcher. The injured are Mrs. Osborne, Centralia, and Eny Belcher, Who were taken fo a Chehalls hos- Be Careful The safest place to cross the street is. at the corner, so be care- ful. vresent sponsibility especially writers, for eveny spoken utterance relati between Unite s and S had some tendency the tir rests upon statesmen written word bearing upon Japan and the President Coolidge Hughes are said to be nsible of fact. They last ! and and tdents which indicated a of disregard for full appre- of this responsibility It is unth |two govermments concerned junited upon a policy of | peace between the peoples of Japan |#nd the United States ary situation c be allowed to develop which { would impertl peacc unless an im- | portant section of those populations should suddenly go mad. In a solemn compact entered into | before the whole world at the Wash- ington conference Japan and the (Continued on P: H kable that with being ge 4, Column DISTRICT UNITED IN | * TRAFFCDEMANDS ;Wash@ngton Residents Seek | Speedy Action for Uni- form Motor Laws. BY THEODORE P. NOYES. With joint District committecs of the House and Senate ;m&—e—ungs to draw up a model trafic | bill for the District of Columbia and with the Commisgioners and the Po- |lice Department. as well as citizens, | vitally interested in the proposed | legislation, a united Washington is | demanding speedy relief from the ad- | mittedly deplorable traffic conditions | which have made themselves mani-| fest in the The joint committee of Congress, | with Senator L. Heisler Ball, a taunch friend of the District, at its last few months. | head, has held three meetings on the proposed Senate bill. This bill has been drawn up after months of in- | vestigation and after hearings at | which practically every traffic expert |in Washington and some from other citles were heard. | The first two meetings of the com- {mittee resulted in the approval of |two important measures, one being | the adadition of two judges to the {local Police Court, and tHe other a decision to make compulsory the es- | tablishment of arterial highways in the District. Although a separate traffic court was incorporated in the tentative bill it was decided in the interests | of economy to make only an addi- | tion to the local courts. District of Columbla citizens have VI, J:m(/'i/{/q(//;,,;mm,mm,(,“.,.,” individuals, | the | conserving | holding | 1y 1/ b A \ | NAVY GREW UNABLE 10 DIVE FOR BODY | Sent to Great Falls, They, | Fail to Help Husband in Long Vigil for Remains of Wife. | sSweeping aside departmental red |tape to perform an unusual act of kindness, Secretary of the human |Navy Wilbur yesterday sent a com- to deplore |Pletely equipped diving crew from | {the Washington navy yard to Great Falls in a determined but futile ef- fort to end the pathetically five weeks ago while the pair were fishing in the treacherous waters be- |low the falls. The same nature, however, that |frustrated the frantic husband’s reck less efforts to rescue her after she |haa slipped from a rock November |7 blocked even the semblance of an attempt at diving in the heavy regu- {lation outfit, and the party was |forced reluctantly to return to the |city. | | Spurred By Chill Winds. The daily vigil on the rocky banks or from a small boat on the upper Poto: ¢ had become an obsession with the bereaved spouse, Raymond L. Taylor, Veterans' Bureau employe. Chill winds of winter served only to {spur the man in his stolld search for the body of his helpmeet, Margie. | ery day last week, and the week {berore, and the week before, ever nce he was able to leave his bed upon recovering from the exposure of his tragic experience, he had gone the fatal spot, known as “the He was there, as usual, day yesterday, probing here ,and there with a long hooked pole and dragging, with the aid of a river- man, the angry currents. though the resources of the Govern- {ment had not been extended to him, {he would have been there again yes- terday, alone, hoping grimly to find | “Margie” before Christmas day Met Her on Christma | “I met her on a | seven years ago,” he choking voice, to the party yesterday | again by Christm: on_looking.” 1¢ was this faithfulne: kind that brooked no interference by | anxfous river hands or from' per- suasive friends that started the heavy wheels of the Government turning | yesterday in an altogether extraor | dinary direction. Red tape demanded | official procrastination, technical de- |lays, the devious relaying of the re- | Quest for a diver under such unusual conditions through ‘“regular chan- nels.” But red tape, it seems, w not strong enough to thwart an all- powerful tug of compassion, even though the tug was at the great and complicated machinery of the T. S. Navy. Christmas day remarked, with members of the I must find her or—TI'll just keep Sends Diving Crew. A suggestion from The Star fell on responsive ears. The suggestion was made directly to the Secretary of the (Navy himself. Action was immediate. Orders were dispatched to Capt. Yates Sterling, commandant of the Wash- ington Navy Yard, and he detailed Gunner A. O. Brady and & crew of 10 men, with full diving equipment, be done. The diving crew and equip- I ment wer. e conveyed in two official " (continued on Page 11, Column 1.) | Coast Guard officials have asked the Department of Justice for legal enlightment on the question of dealing with rum runners turned hi-jackers. Although the days of Capt. Kldd have passed, the modern hi-jacker of the sea has become so strong that Coast Guard officials fear his type may grow into the more seri- ous form of robbery of legitimate cargoes as well as those on rum row. The Coast Guard does not know how far It can go, so it has asked the Attorney General whether it can apply the matled fist to the hi-jackers. While the Coast Guard's job of protecting the shore line against the smuggling of liquor, mer- chandise and allens and watching the sea lanes has been heavy, it is ready to assume the task of suppressing the liguor pirate. Of course, when a hi-Jacker has hia loot and attempts to get ashore with 1t, he s an ordinary rum (Continued on Page 2, Column Coast Guard Asks Extent of Power { In Dealing With Hi-Jacking Menace runner and Coast Guard men go after him. But what is known as rum row is outside of American territorial waters and the hi-jack- ers' operations generally take place there. Officials explained yesterday that there were real questions of state involved- Rum row’s ten- ants are said to be made up most- 1y of foreign flag ships. The State Department, therefore, has been kept advised of what the Coast Guard is doing and most of the foreign nations have been in- formed. Reports that some of the rum row mother ships had protested to their governments against the piracy, and their governments, in turn, had informed the United States, could not be confirmed, but the Coast Guard has stories of attempts made by rum row ships to obtain some support from home against the rum robbers. tireless | search of a devoted husband for the | body of his wife, swept to her death | ven | to g0 to the falls and see what could | CHRISTMAS BUYING RECORD SET, WITH - PEAK YET T0 COME [Post Office and Stores Re- port 1923 Mark Already Eclipsed in Volume. iMAIL IS 35 PER CENT | HEAVIER, COUNT SHOWS Mooney Expects Top Tonight o Tomorrow—Purchases He flect ¥rosperity. With three more full shopping da to go, Washington merchants have fliled Santa Claus’ pack to overflow ng already in one of the busies Christmas seasons the Capital has ever known While comparative figures in do |lars and cents are lacking, a surves of the leading stores yesterday re vealed that while three busy days re main, business has already passed the record of last year for Washington while the city post office, from records | of incoming and outgolng mail, ind cates that Washington's prosperit s shared by the nation as a whole 35 Per Cent Gain Noted. According City Postmaste Mooney. Post office to dale has handled 25 per cent more ma than it did last Christmas, with 1! peak of the season's mall expected tonight—certainly by tomorrew nigh | Through the co-operation of the pub- |lic in responding to the “Shop earl: ! mail early” slogans, there has been ino congestion, and none is expected | The regular and spectal forces of em {ployes at the post office have been | able to keep up with the rush so far | although the last few days is alway= | heavy and are expected to be so t | year. Postmaster Mooney calls attentior {to the fact that the number of in |coming packages received at tne | post office has increased commens: jrately with those mailed from Wash | ington, indicating that Washingtor | is not ‘alone in its whole-hearted re {turn to generous giving at Christmas | time. to the city Stores Busy for Week: | The post office is arometer f the shop-early” slogans. merchants report that their stores have been filled—well filled, ever since the real Christmas buying rusn | started the latter part of November The interesting _thing about these crowds, however, is the fact that they have not shown any great increase as the last days for sliopping neared { The crowds came early and distrib. uted themselves over the shopping season, thus avolding the last minute rush and turmoll usually associated with the approach of the “night be |fore Christmas.” Consequently, while the few remaining shopping days are expected to show a last minute rusk of those who put off until tomorrow what they should have done two weeks ago, the crowds are not ex pected to be as dense as heretofore Despite the absence of any rus and congestion in the downtow: | stores, the managers interviewed yes | terday afternoon reported that bus: iness this year has increased notice ably over iast. One of the contribut ing factors was the release of approx- imately $3,780.250 in cash from Christmas savings clubs, an increase over last year's savings. Another was the general prosperity now en | joyed on every hand, according to the managers, and another is the fac | that the people are gradually return ing to the custom of generous Christ | mas giving which was interrupted fo | several years during and after the | World War. Pocketbooks Sell Fast Santa Claus, according to his sistants in Washington’'s stores, has been stocking up on everything in general and nothing in particular One large store reports an extraordi- narily heavy sale in leather wallets and pocketbooks—a cheerful sign that somebody expects somebody else | to have something to put in said wal | lets during the coming vear. Another interesting angle in Christmas shop | ping was the fact that the public has been turning to the bicycle as a good present for the youngster. This now lancient form of locomotion, it would seem, has not been put off the map despite the congestion of present day city traffic The manager of one of the. larger stores said the sale of bicycles this year had been unusually heavy and surprising. The buying public has gene In this vear for “popular priced” articles and, according to the merchants, it has spent a good amount on the pur chase of inexpensive gifts, evidently | deciding to glvve many things rather than a few high-priced articles. Nevertheless, jewelers have not been passed up by the numerous assistants of Santa Claus. Watches and dia monds have been selling in unusuall large quantities, it is reported. not the on: success of the Washington's Toys Popular, As Usual. Toys have been popular this vea as always. When Johnnie wakes up Christmas morning, the store man | ages say, he will revel in the things that Santa has put in his bag for him. The flve-and-ten-cent stores say that Christmas tree trimminge have been continually demanded by their patrons, with the result that there will be many Christmas trees in Washington homes this year. Pi- anos and talking machines, radfo sets fur coats and necklaces, and the usual Christmas candy and tobacco are among the other articles which have staged a record sale for this yea: Peak Due in 24 Hours. Tonight and tomorrow are ex pected to see the peak of the Chrisi mas rush of articles through the City Post Office. Postmaster Moone: believes that Miss, Mrs. and Mr. Washingtonian, having more time on their hands today than during the week, will wrap packages and ad- dress cards today and his force ot employes will be walting to receive them at the main office this morn~ ing and afternoon, which periods of the day it is hoped the public will utilize to avold the large crowds anticipated at the main office in the evening. Some of the larger postal stations, however, will remain open tonighl from § to 8 o'clock. They are: Co- lumbla_road station, 1775 Columbis road; Connecticut avenue station, 1220 Connecticut avenue; Florida avenue " (Continued on Page 4, Column 7.)