Evening Star Newspaper, January 22, 1925, Page 1

WEATHER. (U. 5. W Fair row: minimum about 26 degrees Temperatures—Highest today; lowest, 33, at night ier Bureau and colder tonight and tomor- temperature tonight, midnight last Full report on page 7. Forecast.) , 50, at noon Closing N. Y. Stocks and Bonds, Page 28 b No. 29,486. post_office, Entered as second class matter Washington, D. C. WITH SUNDAY MORNI NG EDITION ¢ Foening Star. WASHINGTON, D. C, THURSDAY, 'JANUARY 22, 1925 —FORTY-TWO PAGES. . COPELAND, HANGED, ADMITS SLAYING 12 INLAST STATEMENT Says He Escaped From Jail by Aid of Men Seeking to Discredit Zinkhan. MURDERER OF 3 OFFICERS DISCLOSES CONSPIRACY Declares He Was Let Out of Cell and Prison Door—Bars Sawed Later After He Had Fled. kiiled career, and District jail and effected F. Z are am sensational that his escape from the 1919 engineered conspiring enemies of ikhan, then superinten- g revelations in two made public today er he had walked smilingly to the scaffold to forfeit his life for the murder of two policemen and a deputy sheriff here in 1918 4 A throng of 400, more than could accommodated in the corridor e gallows was placed, wit- the cution. It the crowd recorded at a hanging e District Copeland came ng broadly He rert Copeland 12 his [ was oral confessions exe was through this throng nodding to friends or tances whom he picked out at and “his last audible words greeting to Inspector C. L. Grant, chief of detectives, who, true to his promise to Copeland himself, was seated before the scaffold to witn his execution, &1 Admits Killing Skinner, colored, a news- n, who had interviewed Cope- . announced at Copeland had confes: him that he had killed persons told during his lifetime. One was a Chicago policeman, who had arrested Copeland in Chicago for a minor charge escape from Washington, and n nd is alleged to have ad- mitted killing on the day following his release Chicago on collateral. I spector Grant today Zation of this statement and Maj. W. L. Peak at the Inclined to discredit the th “opeland had killed Inspector Grant said he felf that there was a murder in xas chargeable to the dead convict. Skinner said Copeland would men- tion no names or places, but sfmply rambied about his series of murders. One, Skinner said, was in Texas, one South Carolina, one in Chicago, here, and others in various sec- tions of the country. The second confession, involving the plot whereby Copeland escaped, leay- ing sawed cell bars behind him to decieve investigators, is checked and confirmed by similar statements not only to Maj Peak but also to Skin- ner. ed” orally Both_Grant Jail were statement 12 persons, Cell Door Unloeked. This confession runs as follows: Persons unnamed, whose identities were guarded by Copeland to the very end, but who “did not like Superin- tendent Zinkhan,” alded in the escape. Copaland was released from his cell by two men, and locked it after him. He was taken through the back door and into a taxicab at the rear. This taxicab whisked him away. Copeland did not known of the sawed cell bars until he was told of it, he sald. At the time, police were Inclined to dit the fact that Copeland could struggled through the openings bars. A very narrow opening ed Itself in.the cell door, about 10 by 14 fnches were ex narrow that Detective who was about the size of and at the time, could not even get his shoulder through. Then the f a window at the south end of h in ¥ Whe posed Scrivener Cop ve the bars of the corridor were sawed through, But Copeland at the time was a cripple In fact, he left crutches in the cel behind him. All these facts-led po- lice to doubt his disappearance by way of the bars, but nothing had been uncovered to to disprove defi- nitely that theory of escape. date Zinkhan ix Replaced. Zinkhan had everal angles under fire from the time of the ypeland escape, and it was only shortly thereafter that a new superin- tendent replaced him No indication or sign as to who the ndividuals aiding Copeland were was given in this confession. The confession obtained by Maj. Peak, who has been working steadily toward that end ever since Copeland was brought back, and the one reported by Skin- ner jibe in all angles except that Skinner says Cépeland told him was a plot against Zinkhan, while Maj. Peak says he mere e the impression that such was case. Capt. M. M. Barnard, general superin- tendent of the penal Institutions of the District, supplemented Peak's statement with the announcement that Copeland said he was aided by those who “didn’t like Zinkhan.” Probably Last Hanging. Copeland's execution today was probably the last official hanging the District will record. Copeland, failing been at in his efforts to obtain poison for suicide, resigned himself to his fate last night. This morning, when breakast was brought Lefore him, he would. touch nothing. Steak, hot breads, cake, coffee—every- thing he pushed from him. At 10 o'clock on the dot he was asking for Maj. Peak, anxlous “to have it over With.” Accompanied by clergymen, he passed through the lane made in the overflow crowd outside the corridor, singing loudly: “The Savior is more than life to me; 1 am clean, I am clean.” The execution itself was quickly over with. He was up to the gallows and under the hood and noose inside of a minute, and the trap was sprung. Copeland had not wavered until the Jast. The trap was opened at 10:06. Forty seconds later the post-mortem twitching ceased. At 10:18 Copeland was pronounced officially dead. Death Row Empty. On May 21, 1318, according to his: conviction, Copeland shot and killed Foliceman John A. Conrad and Deputy Sheriff L. H. McParlan of Indian Head, Md., when they atfempted to ecrve a warrant for grand larceny on him at 76 I street northeast. The double murder afforded escape and_made possible another murder, (Continugd on Page 4, Column 5.) after the hang- | started an investi- | who unlocked the door it] BY DAVID LAWRENCE. Although domestic questions seem to have been paramount in the last national campaign, foreign palicy is beginning to regain its old place as the center of controversy and dis- cussion here. | Operation of the Dawes plan by agreement of the allied and asso- |clated powers, the calling of another |conference, to Ilimit, if not reduce, |armaments, and the Vexing question of interallied debts, particularly the French indifference to paying thefr ldebt to the United States, are the major problems which, with a host of lesser’ complications, such as the | treaty of Lausanne and other subsid- fary questions arising out of the war, continue to make President Coolidge cautious in his relations with bers_of Congress interested especial- 1y in foreign affairs Mr. Coolidge’s invitation to the members of the Senate foreign rela- tions committee to dine at the White LOW DRY-LAMW FINES INDISTRICT SCORED President Is Told Failure of Courts to Impose Heavy Sentences Ridiculous. mem- The District of Columbia was cited to President Coolidge today by Rep- resentative Stalker of New York | as an example of how the prohibition law is falling into contempt because | |of lax enforcement and the imposing | of ridiculously small penalties for | violations of the law. | While urging upon the President |more severe penalties for dry law | violators, Representative Stalker de- clared that a small money fine is a weak deterrent to such violators and | that many judges are taking advan- | tage of the fact there is po mini- imum penalty in the law and are | meting out small fines, which tend | to make the law a joke in those com- | munities. According to this New York repre- sentative, the District leads the Na- tion in low penalties. He toid the President that in 1922 the average fine for violation of the national pro- hibition law fn this city was $43. and that in 1923 it was $79.43. This, he contended, was much less than for | the United States, which was $170 in 1923, Urges Stiffer Fines. | “Such fines,” Representative Stalker said, “are much less than a license. Much of the congestion of the dockets of the court would be eliminated if heavier penalties were imposed. In the jurisdictions where the judgesare dealing out heavy fines there is a much greater respect for the law.” Mr. Stalker is author of a bill which would amend the enforcement law so as to require jall sentences for dry law violations. While e plaining his measure to the Presi- dent today he said that his bill provided for the first and second offense no jail sentence for possession of illicit liquor. He said that he told the President further | that “a money fine of from $100 to §500 is provided for the first offense in | transportation and possession of il- | licit liquor, a fine of “from $300 to $1,000 or imprisonment for not more than 90 days for the second offense and fines of not less than $600 nor more than $2,000, with Imprisonment for not less than six months, for subse- quent offenses. 37 States Have MU m. “For forging permits,” he continued, “manufacture and sale, the penalty is a minimum fine of $300, with a maxi- mum of $1,000 and imprisonment from three months to a year. The only change in section 24, relating to liquor nuisances, provides for man- | datory instead of optional imprison- i ment, and fixes a minimum fine of $500, lenving the maximum fine at its present figure, $1,000. “Thirty-seven States,” he continued to explain to President Coolidge, “have fixed minimum penalties for violation of the dry laws. But where there is no minimum the fines gener- ally have been far too low.” Says Law Mukt Be Enforced. Representative Stalker assured the President that his bill, which has | been favorably reported to the House judiclary committee, does not inter- fere with the discretion of the judge in fixing the penalty between the minimum and the maximum. Be- cause of the low fines imposed, he |contends, the Department of Jus- tice has been compelled to use the original provisions of the revenue laws for the enforcement of prohibi- tion. He stated that there Is no evi- dence that the eighteenth amendment is going to be changed. His stand is that the law must be enforced if the Government is to endure, all of which means, according to his viewpoint, that Congress should provide ade- quate penalties for violations, and district attorneys and judges should impose them upon all who violate the Constitution and the laws, If it is to be made operative. Representative Stalker declined to make any comment upon President Coolidge’s recent announced opinion that jail sentences for persons con- victed of carrying a flask, was too nor would he touch upon nt Coolidge’s comment during the comference today. EIGHT IN FAMILY SLAIN. Assassins Kill Victims as They Sleep in Home. ROME, January 22.—Dispatches from Cagliari, Sardinia, today report- ed that unknown assassins invaded a home during the night and killed elght members of one family as they slept. The messages stated that a wide- spread search had been instituted for the criminals, whese motives were not known. Radip Prggrax_ns—Page 36. / Foreign Issues Come to Front In Administration’s Program Coolidge Evidences Desire to Get Action on World Court and Lausanne Treaty Among Other Questi ons. House and hear the Lausanne treaty explained is the beginning of a more intimate contact between the Execu- tive and the legislative branches of the Government, in which the Presi- dent will hereafter perhaps take a more active part. Relations Clower. This is not because the Department of State is to give up the handling in any particular of the large policies, but because through the White House it 1s believed a more effective liaison With Congress can be maintained. The new chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, Senator Horah, has usually been at logger- heads with Secretary of State Hughes on foreign policy, whereas Mr. Cool- | idge has always managed to maintain the closest personal relations with the 1daho Senato. There are many questions which might lead to controversy were there no frank explanation given in con- fidence to the Senate foreign relations committee. Then there is the perplex- ‘ontinued on Page 4, Column 1. INAUGURAL COLOR SCHEME SELECTED Buff and Blue of Continental Army to Be Used in Decoration. Buff and blue, the color of the unf- forms in which Washington's Con- tinental Army marched to the win- ning of the Nation, will be the color scheme for the National Capital March 4, when President Coolidge is Inaugurated. In making this announcement to- day, the committee on street decora- tions and illumination stressed the importance of merchants, who will distribute the bunting and flags, mak- ing sure that nothing shall be sold but fast, serviceable colors, suitable for outdoor use Flag Display Urged. In connection with the dressing of the city for the big fete, the commit- tee also urged that public and private Institutions, as well as homes, that display the national emblem on In- wuguration day fly the golors from a mast and not to attemph to tie the flag down. These arrangements were complet- ed at the first meeting of the commit- tee on street decorations and illumi- nation, in the Willard Hotel yester- day. Complete plans and the co-op- eration that will be desired of the public will be announced some time next week, it is expected, Completion of the order of march for the inaugural parade s awaiting further approval from the White House. Willlam T. Gallther,. chair- man of the general cemmittee, is ahxious that the Prestdent should know of every detail, so that the pageant may not exceed his repeated- Iy expressed wish for a most modest ceremony. Troops Not Yet Asked. _In this connecton it was learned that Mr. Galliher has made no request upon Secretary of War Weeks for the use of the troops that are avallable in and around Washington on Inan- guration day. Neither has the War Department’s ald in arranging the pro- cession been requested as yet, it was stated today, as on previous similar occasions. Officers pointed out, however, that Maj. Gen. Rochenbach, commanding the district of Washington, has au- thority to order out the troops in his department at any time without previous orders to do so from the War Department. It has been sug- gested that Mr. Galliher is dealing directly with the commanding gen- eral of the district to prevent dupli- catlon of work. The committee on reviewing stands was announced today as follows: B. F. Saul, chairman; Clarence A. Aspinwall, vice chairman; Harry Blake, vice chairman; A. H. Lawson, secretary; Willlam P. Benson, Harry Blake, Thomas Bones, Robert L. Brad- shaw, Warren F. Brenizer, Harold A Brooks, Norman C. Brown, Malcolm M. Browne, David D. Caldwell, A. P. Clark, jr.; T. E. Cox, George C. De Neale, Clarence F. Donohue, Proctor L Dougherty, G. Thomas Dunlop, Joshua Evans, Oscar R. Evans, Gus News Note: be accepted. TOKIO-SOVIET PAGT NOT WORRYING U.3. Washington Conference Ac- cords Held Adequate Safe- guards of Trade Rights. BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE, Soviet Russia has added one more recognition scalp to its belt in in- ducing Japan to enter into diplomatic and trade treaties, but those develop- ments have brought American recog- nition of Moscow no nearer. The treaty just signed at Peking has long been dfscounted by the Coolidge ad- ministration. Diplomatic negotiations regarding it_bave been in progress for more than a year. The Soviet sent a special mission to Toklo for the purpose at the end of 1923. Now, after many months of barter, a conclusion has been reached. There is no disposi- tien In officlal Washington to mini- mize the importance of the treaty for Japan, especially In an economic sense. Her acquisition of the right to exploit oil felds in Saghalien and Si- berfa is of special Interest to the Japanese navy. Attempt to Scare U. S. The treaty between the two fore- most Far Eastern powers {s certain to be heralded by Moscow as having a certain antl-American angle. The Soviet, In its anxiety for recognition by the United States, will not refrain from interpreting it as an “alliance” aimed at checking “American ambi- tions" in the Pacific. Moscow for some time has béen throwing eyes in the direction of To- kio in the endeavor to make Japan believe that in a close rapprochement with Russia lies her chief hope of “bringing America to terms” on the imnigration issue. Enactment of ex- clusion legislation by Congress did turn the thoughts of the Japanese people, to a considerable extent, away from the Occident and toward the Orient as the region in which Japan henceforward must seek political friendships. Thus, to some degree, the pact with Russia Is not devold of significance. Some authorities think it might never have been concluded it Japan had not considered herself affronted by our exclusion laws. Industrial View Stressed. Japanese who are “Interpreting" their country to America, like the young Liberal leader, Mr. Tsurumi, now in the United States, contend that Nippon is not thinking half so much about emigration as she is about industrialization. The _Japanese consul New York publicly expressed that view last week. He declared that Japan's quest is for sources of raw materials, not places where to dump surplus population. The treaty with general in (Continued on Page 4, Column 6.) (Continued on Page 2, Column 2.) RARE EFFECTS OF ECLIPSE LURE SCIENTISTS TO NIAGARA FALLS Majestic Spectacle, Banked by Giant Ice Pillars, Never Before Darkened in Day, Offers Study in Light and Shade. By the Associated Press. BUFFALO, N. Y., January 22— Niagara Falls, with its magnificent cataract, banked with great pillars of crystal ice, never darkened by a total eclipse in the ‘memory of the white man, will be of especial interest in the total eclipse of the sun next Saturday morning. * It is expected that the eclipse will afford an unprecedented opportunity for “tudy of the effects of varying light and shade over the cataract. Niagara, under normal Winter con- ditlons, presented an awesome spec- tacle. This season nature has been unusually severe. Early in the Win- ter heavy storms and. low tempera- tures covered the lslands and shore lines with & soft white blanket, form- ed a massive.ice bridge, piled ice floes into grinding mountains and fes- tooned all the trees near the cata- ract’s brink with tiny, sparkling ice gems, evolved from frosen mists. ‘What will be the effect of the gradual changing of the character and inten- sity of illumination during the eclipse and the pale light of the sun's corona on the dancing prisms of snow and water in the cataract is a matter for conjecture, The Cleveland Astronomical Society will take observations from the. root of a hotel near the falls and a corps of scientists under the direction of W. O'Arcy Ryan, head of the General Electric flluminating laboratory at Schenectady, would be stationed at the falls to measure and photosraph e effect of the eclipse o and ice of the catarace " e WAter Data gathered by the expedition will be used as a basis for planning artificlal illumination of the falls, in which several nearby citles are {n- terested. At Cornell University many of the country's sclentists will congregate. Yerkes Observatory and the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey will be represented. ~ Observations will be taken and experiments per- formed to determine the effects of the eclipse on the earth's magnetic fleld, the electrical condition of the atmosphere, and radio reception. Many of the experiments will be per- formed regardless of weather condi- tlons, and some will continue for sev- “(Continued on Page 4, Column 4.) The every city bl Yesterday’s “From Press to Home Within the Hour” Star’s carrier system covers ock and the regular edi- tion is delivered to Washington homes as fast'as the papers are printed. Circulation, 102,157 » TWO CENTS. S Man, 72, Inherits $115,000; to Keep Post as Laborer By the Asso OMAHA, Nebr. January Lorenz Koenig, 72, inherited $115,- 000 worth of negotiable securities from his son, Dr, Albert H. Koenig, who killed himself last Sunday, but will continue to stack shing in an Omaha lumber yard for $28 a week If 1 quit T'd die,” said the aged man, who has been a laborer all his life. He said he would share the estate with his three remaining childrep. JERSEY RUM CASE JURY DISCHARGED Unable to Reach Verdict. Retrial Within Two Weeks Is Sought. ted Press By the Associated Press JERSEY CITY. N. J,, January 22— The jury in the trial of 12 Weehawken and Jersey City police officfals and civillans reported this morning that it was unable to agree on a verdict. The judge discharged the jury. The 12 men were charged with con- spiring to violate the State prohibi- tion laws. The jury had been out since 3:07 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Assistant Prosecutor McMahon of Hudson County announced that the case would be retried, possibly within the next two weeks. For the last 15 of the 18 hours and 53 minutes that the jury had been out, H. A. Lauenstein, the foreman, reported nine m#n had stood for con- viction, with the remaining three stubbornly refusing to change their acquittal vote. The first ballot was elght to four for conviction, it was reported. Retrial in Same Court. Assistant Prosecutor McMahon set at rest persistent pre-trial rumors that in case of a “hung” jury the re- trial of the 12 would be he in an- other court. The new trial will be held in the same court, he said, de- claring that the work of drawing a new panel of talesmen soon would be started. The police defendants, all in uni- form, smiled broadly. George Cutley, defense counsel, said he was “‘well satisfied to have that jury out of that room.” Mr. McMahon declared that the jury’s failure automatically would cause a postponement of the trial of Capt. John Dillon and Lieut. Edward Kirk, both of the Weehawken police force, charged with misconduct in office as an offshoot of the rum run- ning conspiracy. Edwards Brought in Case. Senator Edward 1. Edwards, former Governor of New Jersey, whose name was brought into the trial when pro- hibition agents identified him as a “chief backer” of the bootleg con- spirators, did not take the stand. Prosecutor John Milton of Hudson County has announced that he will submit that part of the evidence re- ferring to Senator Edwards to a grand ury. J'1'{» 12 defendants in the present trial were Willlam F. Griffin, Jersey City insurance broker and alleged [ cate; Harry J. O. Stearns, police com. missioner of Weehawken; Charles Mc- Namme, captain of the Hudson County boulevard police; Lieut. Charles Kell- ing and Patrolmen Phillip McNulty, Louls Grunewald, Joseph Hennessy, Edward Lewis, Fred Vollmer, John isher, Joseph Daly and John Mec- hon, all of the Weehawkep force. Indictments were returned largely. on evidence gathered by the Rev. George F. Bennett, pastor of St. Law. rence’s Roman Cathollic Church, a parish within & stone’s throw of the abandoned ' Baldwin avenue *dooks, Weekawken, where the conspirators were alleged to have landed thou- ands of cases of liquor brought up he Hudson River from rum row. Maryland to Have Combined Plant. NEW LONDON, Conn., January 22.— The Standard Brush Co. of New Lon- don has been sold to the Ox-Fiber Brush Co. of New York and Freder- icl Md., according to an announce- meént made today by Treasurer Ar- thur N. Morse. The local plant will be moved to Maryland. manager of the rum running syndi-| A weather vane cat has been offered to the President, but probably will not COSTA RICA QUITS Bread Kept Fresh 10 Months by New | Plan, Baker Says By the Associated Press. PARIS, January 22.—A journey- man baker claims to have found a formula for bread dough the use of whioh will keep the loives in an edible condition for months or even years, Recent laboratory experiments have proved that the loaves could be kept relatively fresh 10 months, while the inventor, Jean Matti, says this period will be extended to two years ENTRANCES T0D.C CALLEDDISGRACE Sherrill Raps Conditions Urging New Memorial Bridge. in The Arlington Memorial Bridge would give the National Capital the finest entrance of any city in the world, whereas its present entrances are disgraceful, Lieut. Col. C. O. Sherrill, officer in charge of public buildings and grounds, told the House public buildings and grounds com- mittee today. Representative Brand of Ohio stated that he disapproved the ap- pearance of Pennsylvania avenue and the way that Government buildings are seattered. He thought that there| should be a magnificent boulevard from the bridge to the Capitol, lined on either side with public buildings. Col. Sherrill said that the erection of the Arlington Memorial Bridge would be a first step in the development of B street to the Capitol, and that this | development was absolutely essential. Is First to Resign—Induce- ment to Change Stand to Be Offered. By the Associated Press. GENEVA, January 22—Costa Rica filed her resignation from the League of Nations today, tramsmitting with her message a check for back dues. No reason was given for the with- | drawal, but a league offieial said it | was assumed the resignation was due | to criticism of the country for failure to pay her assessments, yoiced during the sessions of the budget committee At the Jast assembly. Costa Rica fixed January 1 as the nant requires two years' notice of withdrawal, she would not cease to be a member until January 1, 1927. Off- they hoped in the meanwhile to in- duce her to rescind her decision and resume membership. Back Dues Are Paid. The letter containing notice of res- Ignation inolosed a check for $18,677, in payment of back dues for the years 1921-1924, inclusive. Costa Rica’s an- nual assessment was about $5,000, her dues, like those of some of the other Central American states, being re- duced considerably some time ago. During the budget hearings the failure of Costa Rica and some other countries to meet their financial obli- gations to the league were unfavor- | ably commented upon. The reductions of assessments were based on the sys- tem used by the Universal Postal Union, and the league authcrities found these excessive for certain of the smaller countries. This Is the first case of a resigna- tion from the league, and officials s#d it was an entirely separate one, there being no Indications that it would be followed by other Latin American countries. Sees Contrary Temdency. On the contrary, it was said, there was a tendency among these coun- tries toward increased league affli- ation. The officials declared that Ecuador was practically a member now, Mexico was being headed to- ward membership, while Argentina has settled her back dues and seem- ed favorably disposed to resuming her old-time activities. Costa Rica was elected a member of the league at the first assembly session, and league officials expressed the opinion that other of the Latin American countries would try to in- duce her to change her mind before the two-year interval expired. Ar- ticle I of the covenant says any member may, after two years notice, withdraw from the league, provided all such member's International obli- gations and all its obligations under the covenant have been fulfilled at the time of the withdrawal. ROSCOE POUND CI'ESEN U. OF WISCONSIN HEAD Harvard Law School Dean Report- ed Named Successor to R. A. Birge in Madison. By the Associated Press. MILWAUKEE, Wis,, January 22.— Roscoe Pound, dean of the Harvard Law School, has been elected presi- dent of the University of Wisconsin, according to a story printed by the Milwaukee Journal today. Dean Pound will succeed President R. A. Birge if he accepts the post. Selection of Dean Pound was made at an executive session of the board of regents late yesterday, with 14 members present, the newspaper add- ed, which sald that official announce- ment was withheld pending word from Dean Pound. NINE HURT IN WRECK. 'Baggage Car and Two Coaches Go Over Embankment in ‘Utah. * GRAND. JUNCTION, Colo., January 22.—Nine passengers were Injured early today when Denver and Rio Grande Western train No. 1, west- bound, was wrecked at Mack, Utah, 19 miles west of here. The engine broke a rail while trav- eling 35 miles an hour, according to raliroad messages. The baggage car rolled down a 40-foot embankment. Eight of the ten coaches of the train left the track, two stopping from 15 to 35 feet dewn the embankment. LEAGUE OF NATIONS @ate of resignation, but as the cove- ! clals of the league said, however, that | Questioned on Expense. | Representative Bixler of Pennsyl-| | vania questioned Col. Sherrill garding the sharing of expense. The | colonel said it should be left to the appropriations committee to fix the proportion, according to benefits. He explained that the bridge is purely a nattonal project, and should be erect- ed on Government funds. “It willi sive the most beautiful approach of any city in the world,” he said, and emphasized that the present seven approaches are a disgrace. He par- ticularly censored the Rosslyn ap-| proach and that from the northeast. The entrances to Arlington Ceme- tery are in an abominable condition, Col. Sherrill told the committee, and | this bridge, he added, should be erect- | ed to afford a proper approach to Arlington National Cemetery, even if |it did not open up a great boulevard to the South. Col. Sherrill reminded the commit- tee that Daniel Webster in 1831 had quoted President Andrew Jackson as being in favor of this bridge spanning the Potomac River between the White House and Arlington National Ceme- tery. Attempts have been made reg- ularly ever since to put this project through. Col. Sherrill pointed out that land | values of Government property would be increased more than the cost of the entire project, and in this respect the Government will be the sole bene- ficlary, he said. |SENATE APPROVAL Drys Oppose Confirmation as D. C. Judge—Objection Raised to Judge Sellers. Protests against the confirmation of Judge McMahon of the District Police Court, whose appointment to succeed himself has been sent to the Senate by President Coolidge, have been re- celved by the Senate judiclary com- mittee, to which the nomination has been referred. The protests charge that the nomination of Judge Mc- Mahon Is against the best interests of law enforcement, particularly the en- forcement of the prohibition law. Protests have also been received by the Senate committee against the con. | irmation of the nomination of Judge }K.nthryn Sellers to succeed herself as Jjudge of the Juvenile Court. Both nominations have been refer- red to a subcommittee consisting of Senator Means of Colorado, chairman, and Senators Shortridge of California and Carraway of Arkansas. Among those protesting against the confirmation of the nomination of Judge McMahon are representatives of the National Reform Federation and Board of Temperance, Prohibition and Public Morals of the M. E. Church. Protests against Judge Sellers de- clare that she is too arbitrary in deal. ing out justice. It is likely that the subcommittee will hear complainants. FRANCE TO REMODEL ARMY COURT SYSTEM By the Assoclated Press. PARIS, January 22.—The French army’s court-martial and general dis- ciplinary system will be considerably remodeled, borrowing some American features, if a bill approved by the Senate judiclary committee yesterday and due for introduction today be- comes law. It provides for establishment of a judge advocate general's department composed of officers holding law de- grees, having served for a period in thé civil courts and selected by ex- amination, The bill aims to adopt the rules of common law to military jurispru- dence, provides for a general scaling down of the penalties now enforced, and would do away with the cere- mony of “military degradation” such as Capt. Dreyfus suffered after his famous first court-martial. e Student Freed in Death. Charles E. Cooper, colored, student at Armstrong Manual Training School, was accquitted of the charge of stab- bing a classmate, Edward W. Robin- son, af the school September 25, by 2 jury in Criminal Division 2 to- day. The stabbing followed a dispute about the occupancy of a seat in the olassroom. Attorney S. McComas Hawken represented the defendant and United States Attorney Burmett conducted the prosecution, \ OF M’'MAHON FOUGHT | BUILDINGS NEEDED URGENTLY HERE BY U.S., SAYS OFFICIAL Treasury Undersecretary Ad- vises Committee D. C. Pro- gram Comes First. COMMISSION TO STUDY REQUIREMENTS URGED Representative Miller Says Hous- ing of Federal Departments Should Be Pushed at Once. Establishment malke of a commission 1 of the public buildir District, including comprehensive plan for location bu to bring related tivities into closer working arrange- ment and to carry out such a cor prehensive scheme of housing Go ernment activities in the National Capital, whether it costs $50,000,000 or $500,000,000. was advocated today by Representative Miller of Illinois at the opening of hearings on the public bulldings bill Several members of the committee spoke in favor of separating the public building program of the Na- tional Capital from the public build- Ing programafor the rest of the coun- try, and such men as Representative Miller, Brand of Ohio and Reed of New York indicated that they would support an effort to write into th legislation provisions which wou lead to a development of the X as a great avenue of Government workshops. a study the needs in a ings ac- . Mellon’s Letter Read. Representative Richara N. Elliott Indiana, chairman of the com read a letter from Secretary regarding the public buildings bill which would authorize an expenditur of $150,000,000 over a period of with_discretion in the Sec of the Treasury to erect buildings wher- ever they were most urgently needed Chairman Elliott put into the rec- ord a statement covering 869 public bulldings bills, the aggregate cost of which would be $225891,061. This statement, he said, did not include the $50,000,000 recommendation of President Coolldge to house Federal activitiés in Government-owned build- ings in the Capital. It did include the $14,750,000 asked for the Arlington Memorial Bridge. Urgent Projects Listed. Mr. Elliott remarked that the last public buildings bill became a law on March 4, 1913, but that a large part of the buildings therein author- ized were never erected on account of the suddenly increased costs of con- struction during the war. He also put into the record letters of the Secretary of the Treasury and the Postmaster General listing the pub- |lic buildings which in their opinion were most urgently needed Garrett B. Winston, Undersecretary of the Treasury, told the committee that the first step in the building program should be the erection of |urgently needed buildings in the Capital and that then in the order of thei rnecessity there should be built additions to take care of im- mediate demands throughout the country. He cited the fact that the | Department of Agriculture is occu- | pying 45 buildings, the General Ac- counting Office 21 and the Internal Revenue 10 buildings to illustrate the scattering of various services. He told the committee that all of the fucome taxpayers' records are stored in one “fire-trap” building and that if this structure was burned the Gov- ernment would lose many times the | entire cost of the whole public build- | ings program. He also discussed the need for a national archives build- ing, which would release valuable | office space in other buildings. ‘Wants National Surv Mr. Winston advocated that a sur- vey should be made of the entire country to determine the actual buildings needs and that then the program should be arranged for con- | struction of these buildings in the order of their relative importance. It was emphasized that, though not specifically in the Elliott bill, approxi- mately $50,000,000 should be spent on Government buildings in the Capital | and $100,000,000 throughout the country. | About $40,000,000 would be for addi- |tions and extensions already author- ized. Representative Miller told the com- ‘mittee, “If you are going to have a comprehensive plan of public build- ings in Washington, Congress must say definitely where these buildings are to be located.” He pointed out that the Government some years ago bought the property south of Penn- sylvania avenue between Fourteenth and Fifteenth streets to the Washing- ton Monument grounds, and has not used it for public buildings. If this property does not fit in with the gen- eral scheme of the Mall development, he urged that it should be sold. Rep- resentative Miller believed that this land was very desira>l* for public buildings. James A. Whrtmore, su- pervising architect of the Treasury explained to the committee that this land was originally bought with the intention of erecting thereon build- ings for the Departments of Justice, Commerce, Labor and State. Start Advocated Now. Pointing to a beautiful picture of the proposed development of the Mall Representative Miller said: “If you mean to do what that picture says we ought to make a start mow. If you don't mean to do it we should pull that picture down and forget it.” He said that for 25 years he has been watching what he calls “the out- rageous method employed by Congress in spending money in Washington on a haphazard arrangement on public buildings.” He said that Congress should establish a definite plan and stick to it It was put into the record that the Government is now spending approxi- mately $25,000,000 for rented build- ings which would be saved by the vroposed public buildings program. Undersecretary Winston told the committee that, besides the saving in rents, there would be enormous sav- Ing In administrative costs if the pub- lic buildings could be grouped con- veniéntly. In {llustration, he sald that $1,000,000 a year could be saved in_administration if all of the inter- nal revenue branches could be grouped together. Representative Miller sald plans have been talked about year after " (Continued on Page 4, Column £, ot