Evening Star Newspaper, February 20, 1925, Page 1

WEATHER. (U. 8. Weather Bureau Forecast.) Fair tonight; tomorrow increasing cloudiness and warmer. Temperaturc—Highest, 51, at noon to- lowest, 32, at 4:30 a.m. today. Full repor: on page 7. Closing N. Y Stocks and Bonds, Page 28 29,515. Entered as second class matter post office, Washington, D, C. No. ch WASHINGTON, Death Car Pilot J ONEKILLED, 4HURT WHEN AUTO SWEEPS LOADING PLATFORM Machine Travels Full Length of Safety Zone, Speeds Away, But Is Caught. INTOXICATED, DRIVER SAYS, TAKING BLAME Thirteen Other Persons Injured in Traffic Accidents—One Hit-and- Run Autoist Sought. REPORT DUE TODAY mowed down five n, standi on it, like so many tin soldiers, Killing one | Set Aside for Last Con- sideration by Members. and seriously fnj the four other: man me iring H This traffic tragedy added to the ‘toll | already ring the night of | 13 by another | fleeing driver Careening the rolled one up injured, of them i hix car and stepping on | according to evewitnesses, | the driver sped from a pursuing po- | liceman and was captured later back | of the National Museum, after shots| had been fired at the tires on his ma- ob 1 e he dead man is Adgie Bowie, 40 years old, of 1309 Prince street, Alex- ria, salesman for the General Baking Co. here. The prisoner is Walter Edmund Roderick, 39 vears old, of 3039 Q street, a representative at the Cap tol for the Chicago Tribune. He i charged with manslaughter, driving a car while intoxicated and leaving the =cene of the accident without making his identity known. Conference agreement on the Dis- | trict appropriation bill probably will {be reported to the House late today. | The first meeting of the conferees { was held this morning, and another meeting s{arted at 3:30 this afternoon. On account of the positive instruc tions given to the House conferees [not to agree to the Senate amend- { ment increasing the lump sum of ap- | propriation of $9.000.000 to $11,000,- 000, but to bring this item back to the House for a separate vote, the conferees tentatively passed over this {item and proceeded to consideration of minor amendments, | Four Others Injured. The injured are David Egward Routh Pitt street. Alexandria man for the Rice-Schmidt Co.; cut over the left eve, and lacerated on the head. Robert Bender, 45, 532, Oronoeo °f MIN¢ treet. Alexandria, salesman for the | The Senate amendments eliminating General Baking Co.; cut on the head.|Doth ~white and colored bathing bruised about the body and badly | Peaches from the Tidal Basin was A jalso set aside for future considera- Carl J. Hoyvme, 43, 540 Ninth street | ton. It is quite certain, however, that southeast, employed by the Nll[t)hili‘lhe report this afternoon will show Capital Press: severe gash on top of | that the House conferees have con- head, body bruised. curred in the Senate amendment, and Frneet Grover, 19, 526 South Patrick | the conference report probably will strect, Alexandria, bruised on the legs. | F¢commend that the Secretary of War All the injured, inciuding Bowle, were | Pé instructed to report to Congress as rushed to Emergency Hospital in a po- 3'; as It reassembles upon the prac- lice patrol and taxicabs, Bowie dying ticability shortly after his arrival from a pune-t tured heart. caused by a broken rib. The | others left the hospital after me\\-‘inK| first-aid treatment and recovering from | the shock. They were removed in auto- mobiles to their homes, where most of them were said to be still suffering acutely from their injuries. of 412 sales- Baking bruised Jacobs, 30 and desirabllity of estab- for both hite and colored people in some other location, where sanitary condi- tions will be better and where the esthetic beauty of the Speedway will not be marred. The item in the bill for increasing the number of Police Court judges land providing other legislative ma- | chinery for expediting the work of | the District Police Court was not | reached at the meeting this morning. | There iIs little likellhood that the | House conferees or the House itself { will hold out against any of the Sen- ate amendments other than insistence | that the lump sum contribution shall happening. but I don't doubt that 1 did | not exceed $9,000,000, figuring that it. And to think I wou'd make things | whatever appropriations may be pro- | doubly bad by fleeing from the scene! I | vided for above that sum come en- will not shirk the responsibility. It was ! tirely out of the revenues of the Dis- my fault and mine alone, and I am | trict and that Congress has no special 1eady to pay the price to the lJaw, what- | reason for objecting to any public ever that price may be.” | improvement within reason that the Then, turning to the reportet. Rod- | people of the District desire and that erick said: “I do not ask you to|the District officials say is needed, spare me at all In your story. You cannot make it too bad, so far as I'm | TN concerned, but please don't drag my | paper and employer into it any more | e MISSING D. C. MAN. tweews s vincorn: | |§ FQUND IN INDIANA According to the story told Capt | Brown of the first precinct by Po- | an David McCutcheon, who hap- | pened to be standing pn the north- cast corner of Eleventh street and Pennsvlvania avenue when the trag- cdy took place, about 2:40 o'clock morning, and accounts related several of the injured, Roderick’s car bore down on the unsuspecting victims without warning of any klu(l.‘ tossing thiem to right and left, and doubling another up under the car in its wild plunge trom one end of the 96-foot platform to the other. i The death car was heading east, and after it had swept the wnndex:“ platform clear of its human encum-| brances it turned suddenly south into ! sleventh s et at a high rate of; speed, McCutcheon states. Com- Roderick Admits Gullt, “Ii’s the same old story—booze and automobiles,” Roderick remarked to a Riar reporter who visited him, with Capt. Ernest W. Brown, in his cell at No. 1 precinct today I was too drunk to know what was Russell B. Cole Is in Indianapolis. Believed Suffering -From Loss of Memory. this by Russell B. Cole. reported missing from his ‘home at 330 Thirteenth street southeast, by his wife early this week, has been located in Indian- apolis, by his brother, who resides there, according to information given the police today by Mrs. Cole. A telegram, it was stated, was re- ceived last night oy the wife from Harry O. Cole, a brother-in-law, stating that Russell Cole was found mandeering & ing automobile, | walking aimlessly about the streets. n by s 1. Hopkins of He disappeared from this city about Quincy strect McCutcheon chased | February 5, and had about $300 in wachine in its dashlpis pocket at the time. heoush T B street to Ninth! The telegram indicated he w sireet and thence south to the road-|fering from loss of memory. PRUSSIAN CABINET OUT. | ding | McCutcheon fired several shots at the tires of the fugitive car, but missed, and fiually the machine was; jammed to the curbing near the Mu- | senm building by McCutcheon's driver. Roderick was badly intoxicated, ac- | cording to Capt. Brown. and he said he didn’'t know that he had hit any- body or that there had been any acci- dent By the Associated Dress BERLIN, February —Wr. Wil- {helm Marx, premier of Prussia, and | the cabinet which he headed resigned CAPTALLEVYHNT BY FNANCE CHEF STRS REACHFEAR {Blunt Wording of Chamber | Speech Later Changed to “Special Contribution.” USUAL TAX METHODS DECLARED EXHAUSTED Official Circles Concede Some Form of Stringent Exaction Is Under Consideration. | By the Assceiated Press. | PARIS, February conceded today in some form —Official cir- that a capital or other was cles levy | studying for a solution | financial troubles. This was admit- { ted in those circles 1o be the proper | interpretation of a declaration made |in the Chamber of Deputies yester- |day by Finance Minister Clementel | which first came to notice when the were distributed to the press. The discovery caused a sensation in the press galler; majority when consulted appeared somewhat alarmed at the blunt way in which the finance minister an- | nounced that “a capital levy will doubtiess become necessary.” The proofs for the Journal Officiel were consequently modified, the phrase be- ing made to read “special contribu- tion” instead of “capital levy." Less Brutal Word Picked. Whether the idea is presented in one form or the other, the meaning is that those who possess fortunes would be called upon to give part of them to the state, it was said th! morning in official circles. “Levy” s more brutal than tribution,” it was pointed out, and Frenchmen dislike the idea of con- straint and are less likely alarmed by the use of “contribution The few F) caught the phrase ask whether the Chamber realized the importance of it. Premier Herriot all along has declared he wants no capital levy. fact, his finance minister took contrary attitude in the Chamber de- bate. 1t is remarked in the Chamber lobbies that this shows just how difficult is the solution of the French financial problem. French taxation has, to use his own expression, ‘“reached the ceiling.” The annual tax burden he has de- clared cannot be increased; the money must be found some other way. The suggestion was made in the chamber lobbies this morning that M. Clementel had let the capital levy idea slip into yesterday's speech just to see what the reaction would be and that the form of his state- ment was changed so as to render it vague enough to be practically disavowed in the event it meets with too much opposition. ORDER 19 STREETS T0 BE RESURFACED N fares in Northwest Section Due for Improvement. Resurfacing of 19 streets in northwest section of the gity, at a total cost of $156,900, was ordered by the Commissioners today. They follow: First street, from H to street, 200; Fourth street, street, $4,30( Defrees K to L Florida avenue. $11,000; Seventeenth, K to L, $6,300; Eighteenth, S to Flor- necticut avenus to 100 feet north of N street, $3,000; Twentieth street, Co- lumbia road to Wyoming avenue, $1,000 Thirtieth, M street to the ~canal, Sixteenth, $10,000; Columbia Eighteenth _to California $21,000; Massachusetts avenue, Twenty-second to Sheridan Circle, $6,500; N street, Eighteenth to Con- necticut avenue, $800; New Jersey avenue, D to G street, $30,000; R street. First to Rhede Island avenue, $25,000; around Sheridan Circle, $11.000; T street, Sixteenth to New street, of Twentieth street, $4,500. that the George B. Mullin Co. would pave the following streets, as pro- vided for under the gasoline tax law for the current fiscal year: Central avenue, from Benning road to the District line northeast; Butternut street, Fifth to Blair road northwest; Forty-first street, Davenport to Liv- ingston street northwest; Nichols ave- nue, Portland to Fourth street, and | today after fafling to obtain a vote of confidence in the Diet. The vote Takes Blame U | Stood 218 yes, 221 no. conditionally. As he up in his cell this morning, however, the full realization sobered Wisconsin avenue, Massachusetts ave- nue to River road. of what he was charged with dawned upon him and he freely admitted the charges and accepted the blame un- conditionally in the presence of the police I had just gotten into my car at| Fourteenth street and Pennsylvania avenue,” Roderick told Capt. Brown, “after a card game and taking too many drinks with some friends in the Wyatt Building. They should not | have let me go home in that condi-| tion, but I don’t blame them for what | happened. 1 got into the car and! thought 1 was heading toward my | be included. home. in Georgetown. Why I went | east on the Avenue I don't know. 1| was too drunk to know. If I hadn't| heen drunk this thing wouldn't have| happened, of course. I don't remem- | ber hitting any one or being chased, | but a man under the Influence of liquor has instinct enough to run when he does anything wrong, I guess.” Roderick had lived in Washington since October. He has a wife and a two-year-old baby boy, both of whom, he said, are visiting in Philadelphia. He asked permission to telegraph his wife regarding his arrest. He is being held for the action of a obsolete all directories pub! as the new call letters. Next Sunday in The Sun Place order toda: disappointment. (Continued on Page 3, Column 3.) New Radio Broadcasting Directory 7 in Next Sunday’s Star A complete and up-to-date listing of stations in the United States, Canada, Cuba and Mexico, giving their call letters, locations, power in watts, wave bands and air-line distances from Washington. licensed this week by the Department of Commerce will The Department of Commerce this month reallocated the wave bands of the high-powered class B stations and changed the call letters of a number of stations, rendering The Star’s directory gives the new wave lengths as well y with your newsdealer to avoid Even the stations lished prior to February 4. day Star s, | recover, } | among the plans the government was | of Frances! printed sheets on the financial debate | Deputies of the | Eont ¢ Ty | | | i Ell * WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION D @, RIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, RUSSIAN RECOGNITION SOVIET MODIFIES VIEWS IF LIKELY L S. Government Prepared to Discuss Terms With Soviet on Similar Plan to Negotiations Formerly Held With Mexico—Borah Going to Mescou. to be| United rench newspapers that|ernment modifies its external polic In;pared to discuss recognition with the the | Moscow authorities. i District Heads Designate Thorough- | Hunter Among Vietims in the | BY the Associated Press. | R. E. Herring, Maj. John H. Hunter in board session K and three enlisted men of the Coast Thirteerth street, B to | dashed out of control from the peak Ohio avenue, $4.000; Sixteenth, U to|of Corregidor Island, at the entrance | { ida avenue, $10.000; Eighteenth, Con- | ot " or (he dead and injured be- | $3,300; Columbia road, Fourteenth to | troliable speed, a number road, | stricken woman passengers prepared |and prevented passengers from leap- Hampshire avenue, and Wyoming ave- | yijioq: s suf- | nue, €olumbia road to 200 feet west | ‘ | 'ra\'or with both President M. Clementel is said to realize more : and Senator Borah, chairman of the | than any member of the cabinet that|Senate forelgn relations committee. | planting service; The Commissioners also announced | 2> | ship. BY DAVID LAWRENCE. | Diplomati¢ relations between the States and Russia will be resumed this vear if the Soviet gov- in certain particulars. The American Government is pre- | The time and| been determined the =selec- has found | Coolidge the place have not but the method, namely, tion of a commission, Mr. Borah is planning a trip to Europe shortly after the adjourn- ment of Congress, and this may lead to conferences with Russian officials, out of which further steps will come. or else the commission may be nam- ed in advance, with Senator Borah at the head of it. RUNAWAY TROLLEY | KILLS 3 SOLDIERS, | | Lieut. Col. Herring and Mai.i Manila—14 Others Hurt. MANILA, February 20.—Lieut. Col. | Artillery were killed and Lieut. F. L. Havden and ten enlisted men were injured when a runaway trolley car to Manila Bay. The car jumped and overturned on a sharp curve, pinning neath. Three woman passengers also ‘were hurt. After the car had reached an uncon. of panic- to jump, but Maj. John H. Hunter,| who was killed, stepped on the run- ning board with outstretched arms ing. He belleved they might be dashed over a cliff skirting the tracks. List of Killed and Haurt. The following enlisted men were Warrant Officer C. A. Carter. mine Staft Sergt. James T. Davidson, air service:. Private Leoncia Canesa, Philippine Scouts. The injured enlisted men are: Warrant Officer 1. S. Hansen,, mine planting service; Master Sergt. Wil- llam Russell, 59th Coast Artillery; Sergt. Floriano Grandez, Philippine Scouts; Pvts. Crispin Regnaro, 91st Coast Artillery; Homer Askew, Medi- cal Department; A. H. Miller, Ord- nance Department; Willlam Fagan, Quartermaster Corps; William W. Briggs, Quartermaster Corps; Aber- leno Lopez, Philippine Scouts; Ale- jandro Bendoy, Quartermaster Corps. Mrs. Herring, wife of Lieut. Col Herring; Mrs. Ellis, wife of Lieut. H. P. Ellls, and Mrs. Carter, wife of ‘Warrant Officer Carter, were also in- jured making the total casualties 5 killed and 14 injured. The incline from the top of Corregidor Island down which the trolley line runs to | the water is very steep, probably 45 degrees, 1t Is unofMcially stated that skppery | tracks caused the accident. Maj. Hunter was klilled instantly. Lieut. Col. Herring died in a hospital. NAVY OFFICER, INJURED. Lieut. Comdr. E. B. Lapham Knock- ed Overboard at Manila. By the Associated Press. MANILA, February _ 20. — Lieut, Comdr. E.'B. Lapham, chief engineer of the flagship U. S. S. Huron of the Asiatic Fleet, was seriously injured today, when he was struck by a coal basket while the Huron was coaling trom a barge. He was Knocked over- | resolve those differences. | the board. His head struck the side of the Seaman Fox was injured also, It was said at the that Lapham may but not seriously. Cavite Hospital A When Mexico and the United States became deadlocked through diplo- matic correspondence President Harding determined to send a com- mission which did not have the power either to grant or promise rec- ognition, buj to secure an agree- ment on what the essential points of difference really were, with an out- line of how each couniry proposed to The report was duly signed by the representa- tives of each country an accurate record of their conversa- tions and proceedings, but before it could become an agreement between two governments it had to be ratified by the President and Secre- tary of State of each country. The Russian problem can be han- dled by the same formula. 1t dlis- noses of the argument that recogni- tion is extended on condition, and at the same time it places each govern- ment definitely on record, so that a (Continued on Page 5. Column 3.) RETIREMENT BILL PASSAGE IS SEEN Smoot, Who Blocked Vote Last Night, Forecasts Favorable Action. Prediction that the bill liberalizing the civil service retirement act would be passed before the close of the present session was made today by Smoot of Utah, who held up the meas- ure at last night's eession, charging that he had not been fairly dealt with in re- gard to certai amendments. Senator Sterling of South Dakota, a member of the civil service committee, who has been kecnly interested in the proposed measure, also predicted favorable action on it, notwithstanding the failure of the bill to reach a vote last night. The bill mag, be cailed up in the Sen- ate again today or tonight if a night ses- sion is held Two Questions in Dispute. The two matters at issue which aroused Senator Smoot have to do with section 13 of the pending bill, Wwhich provides that the Civil Service Commission shall keep a record of ap- pointments, transfers, etc.,-and the age of retirement. Senator Smoot proposed to strike out section 13, Which he says would cause the build- ing up of a division with 150 em- ployes, The civil service committee, it was learned today., designed to offer an amendment making the voluntary age of retirement after 30 years' service, 62 for the general run of employes. and 60 for some specifiea classes. It was Senator Smoot's understanding that there was to be a flat horizontal Tetirement age at 63 years. When the bill is taken up in the Senate again, these matters will be disposed of. ‘ges Agreemeni Broken. Senator Smoot, in blocking action last night, explained that faith had been broken with him, after an agreement had been reached by himself and members of the civil service commit- tee and representatives of the Gov- ernment_employes. A number of amendments submitted by the Senate committee were consid- ered and approved, however. Senator Stanfleld of Oregon, in charge of the bill, pleaded with Senator Smoot to let the Senate fake action on the measure, and amendments proposed by Senator Smoot as well as those offered by the committee. But Senator Smoot stuck to it that he had not-been fairly treated. He told the Senate that he had talked over with Senator Stanfield, Senator Dale of Vermont and the Government actuary many times the proposed legislation, and that they had agreed there should be amend- ments, with which he would freely support the bill. Thought lssue Was Deelded. “I never had any idea but that these amendments were acceptable,” continued Senator Smoot. I had them all made out and presented to (Continued on Page 3, Column 2.) Radio Programs—Page 38. as constituting | Senator | ny Sfar. 1925—FORTY-FOUR PAGES. The Star’s every city block and the regular edi- tion is delivered to Washington homes as fast as the papers are printed. “From Press to Home Within the Hour” carrier system covers Yesterday’s Circulation, 104,284 * TWO CENTS. ASKS ARREST OF 6 [Health Officer Seeks War- rants When Exposed Re- fuse Vaccination. Health Officer William C. Fowler to- day applied for warrants for six per- sons living at 1349 L street north- west, who, the health officer declares, ing discovery of a case of smallpox in the house several days ago. The first floor of the building is oc- cupied by the CI opractic Research University, which was placed under quarantine yesterday by Dr. John T. Sprague of the health office, when he placed a smallpox card outside the door. Dr. Fowler asked Assistant Corpor- lation Counsel Thomas at Police Court for the warrants under the following section of an act of Congress: | having been exposed to the infection of smallpox (including varioloid) shall be at once successfully vacci- nated or vaccinated a sufficient num- ber of times to make it successful vaceination is impossible.” Wants Police to Act. The health officer said that if the warrants are issued he will ask that a member of the Police Department serve them. after which he will send Health Department inspectors company the occupants who decline 1o be vaccinated to the District quar- antine station for the period of 16 days. A voung woman student of the Chiropractic Research University was sent to the Health Department this morning by officials of the Treasury Department, where she is emploved, but she explained to Dr. Fowler that she had had smallpox in her home State before coming to Washington | and theefore was not required to be vaccinated The case which caused the health | office to quarantine the chiropractic | university was that of Mrs. Har- | riet Stackhouse, 81 years old, who lived on the second floor of the L | street address. She was taken to the nalipox Hospital. where there are also three other patients at this time. Dr. Fowler stated this morning that he went personally to the house yes- terday and interviewed four of the persons quarantined there with re- gard to being vaccinated, and he sald they declined. The cases of smallpox that have oc- curred in Washington since Janu- ary 1 have been of a malignant form, Dr. Fowler pointed out. Four of the patients have died. Although there are only four cases of the disease under treatment at this time, Dr. Fowler last week advised persons who have not been vaccinated in recent years to do 50 as a precau- tion. Since that time a large number have applied to the health ofice for inoculation. STUDENT DUELIST KILLED By the Associated Press. FRANKFORT, Germany, 20.—Richard Hall, president of the Naticnalist Students’ Fraternity of Frankfort University, was killed to- day in‘a duel with swords fought on behalf of the honor of his fraternity. He had considered the fraternity in- sulted by his adversary. February President Coolidge has felt the first buffeting of the economy wave that has swept over the White House. This happened today when the Executive grew weary of wrestling with an ancient and dull-edged knife eraser, and made a request for a new one. Instead of receiv- ing the latter, he had the old one returned to him with the sad news that there are no more erasers in the executlye office stockroom, and no authority has been given to re- Plenish the stock. Just how greatly shocked or dis- pleased the Executive was when his request was . turned down is not known. At least his face or words gave no evidence of his inner feelings. He received the sting without comment, &nd went silently about his work. The idea has been ventured that IN SHALLPOX ASE have refused to be vaccinated follow- | “That every person in said District | evident that | to ac-| 50 Miners Tra pped By Blast in Indiana; Two Bodies Rescued By the Associated Piess SULLIVAN, Ind., February 20.— The fate of 50 miners entrapped by a blast in the City Coal Co. mine near here was unknown at 2 o'clock this afternoon. Two unidentified dead hud been taken from the mine at that hour and three men seriously injured had been rescugd. ‘SARTAIN CONVICTED GETS 18 MONTHS IN PRISON BRIBE CASE Former Atlanta Warden Found Guilty With Riehl. Fletcher Exonerated. { Bx the Associated Press. ATLANTA, February conviction of A. E. Laurence Riehl on charges spirac and acquittal of L. J. Fletcher on the same charge in United States Court here this morning after attorneys for Sartain and Riehl had announced that they would seek a new trial. Sar- tain was sentenced by Judge Ervin to serve one year @nd six months in the Atlanta Federal penitentiary. Riehl was sentenced to serve one year and one day, the court announc- ing that he was taking into consid- eration the fact that Riehl was not |an officer of the United States Gov- lernment. The court received the for- mal announcement of a motion for a | new trial, and fixed bail at 5,000 for each pending action on the appli cation for new trial. The case was given 6 o'clock last evening, but actual consideration was not begun until one hour later, after the jurors went to dinner. At 1 o'clock this mornin the jurors retired to a hotel, resum- ing thels deliberation at 8 o'clock this morning. The verdict was returned a few minutes after 11 o'clock July 24 was set as the date hearing on the motion for trial 20 —Following Sartain and of con- to the jury for the a new HOUSE VOTES BILL Ballot Is 237 to 93—Calls for $10,000—Now Goes to President. The proposal increase the sal- aries of members of Congrees, already passed by the Senate, w also today by the House. Unless vetoed by President idge, it will effec March 4 Besides increasing the salaries of Senators and Representatives from $7,500 to $10,000 a vear, it provides that the Speaker of the House, the Cool- become e on shall receive $15,000 instead of $12,000 a year. Inserted by the Senate In a pend- | ing appropriation bill. the salary provision was accepted by the House by a standing vote of 237 to 93. Ef- forts to force a roll call. which would have placed every member on record individually, failed. The Senate acted without a record vote. tepresentative Black, Democrat Texas, proposed that the salary in- crease be postponed two years. but his amendment was rejected, 278 to 62 A futile effort was made by Repre- sentative Cannon, Democrat, Missouri to have the provision thrown out en- tirely on a point of order. on the ground that House rules prohibit a member from voting himself an in- crease in pay. Overruling this con- " (Continued on Page 2, Column 5.) JUDGE AND ATTORNEY IN PHYSICAL CLASH By the Associated Press. CHICAGO, February 20.—A physical clash between Chief Justice Harry Olson of the Municipal Court and Edwin Hed- rick, counsel for William P. Shepherd, was the climax of the morning session of the inquest into the death of Shep- herd's foster son, William N. McClin- tock. the “millionaire orphan.” too, | by will left the bulk of his $1.500,000 estate to Shepherd, was referred to by Shepherd's lawyer as “a dirty rat.” The ordinarily calm but bulky formed Jurist struck out with one fist. The blow was said by witnesses to have grazed the chin and chest of the lawyer with- out damaging effects. Lawyer Hedrick struck back. but the blow is said to have fallen short. Coolidge Plea for New Eraser Fails; Economy Leaves “Cupboard” Bare instead of being put-out at tha in- ability of the President of the United States to substitute a worn eraser for a sharp, new one, Calvin Coolidge is likely to have been well pleased that his desire to have the White House set the pace in governmental economy is being so well fulfilled. When those attaches in charge of such things as dealing out new erasers were asked if they were not fearful of rebuke at turning down the President's request, they replied in the negative, saying that “they are only following out the boss’ orders for economy. N. P. Webster, White House di bursing officer, who has been depu- tized as the watchdog of the White House purse, and who offered $10 of his own money for the best suggestion for further reducing the expenses of the executive office, said today that he has not made a decision as to the prize winner. to accept and receive bribes, | T0 RAISE OWN PAY s approved | Vice President and Cabinet members | Judge Olson, instigator of the investi- | | gation into the death of the orphan, who | MITCHELL ASSAILS ERRORS' IN NAVY'S BOMB TEST REPORT Declares Report Given to President on U. S. S. Wash- ington Is Misleading. 1 | EXPLOSIVES NOT USED, AIRCRAFT PROBERS TOLD Asks That Dreadnaught North Da- kota Be Made Target in New Experiment. For the purpose of “calling the al- | tention of the committee to the fact about the battleship Washington | Pombing experiment,” Brig. Gen. Wil liam Mitchell, assistant chief of the Army Air Service, appeared today be- fore the House aircraft investizating | committee and declared the report of the Navy vesterday on the Washinzton bombhing “leads the peo- ple the battleship can attack, which hoard to believe that aerial is most decidedly an error The general declared that no bombs were used in the tests, and that in their stead static charges were placed alongside the ship and set off. This method “showed nothing new what- ever,” declared the witness. Ha said a total of 3,000 pounds of TNT was placed in the water over a period of three days; also, he continued, two 400- pound charges exploded close to the ship, and these blew great holes in the sides withstand were Says Ship Listed Heavily. Asked by the committee how that two naval officers were able to re- main on board and uninjured, Ger Mitchell said there was “nothing to it," explainimg that people stood on the deck of the Indiana while 1,600-pound Eng- lish bombs laid on the deck were ex- ploded. After the two 400-pound charges e ploded, Gen. Mitchell continued, the sh isted heavily, and then from a distance of 2500 yards projectiles were fired, hits being recorded out of 17 shots. Gen. Mitchell declared the armor- piercing projectiles dropped from planes toward the conclusion of tests were sand bombs “This goes to ehow.” he daclared that the capital ship or any other shin afloat is at the mercy of air attack and any organization on ground =t The Navy report published yester- day declared areat faith in the anti- aircraft guns aboard the battleshin to ward off aerial attack, and further made the statement that it was the first line of defense as opposed to air- craft which had been sighted as the only force capable of successfully combating aircraft. Of this Gen. | Mitchell said: “The Navy records ‘show this anti-aircraft problem is insoluble from battleships—they have the records in their files, make them get them out.” Amused by Statement. time of war, Gen. Mitchell said it 1o be expected that some one will return fire to defend themselves, and he said: “It is very amusing to think that an enemy will not defend himself. Why, battleships go out to target practice and with nobody | shooting at them make 2 or 3 per ! cent hits. The general disagreed with the declaration made by a recent witness from the general staff that it is diffi- cult for an airplane to get out of the beam of a searchlight. He said he successfully has accomplished that without difficulty and told the com- | mittee he would take any member over 1o Bolling Field and would fly |down the rays of the sun, which would obscure his ship until he reached a few feet of the zround. Representative O'Sullivan of Connee- ticut took up the general on this in- vitation. and after the witness com pleted his testimony both depar for Bolling Field Asks Ship Be Inasmuch Dakota is under the it was [t In Target. as the battleship North scheduled for scrapping treaty, Gen. Mitchell be- {lieved, he urged and the committee approved that the dreadnaught ba turned over for further bombing practice. While admitting the North Dakota was not as -modernly co | structed as the late Washington in regard to blisters and water-tight | compartments, Gen. Mitchell declared “that doesn't make any difference: we can blow her out of the water if necessar | The Navy report had cited British tests in aerial bombing on the Aga- | memnon, and Gen. Mitchell declared | this ““didn’t show anything,” whereas [the Navy bogrd thought it meant a great deal from the standpoint of air- I plane shooting at a moving target | Gen. Mitchell said 124 loy bombs of |8 and 12 pounds each were dropped, and they were so small that tha i splash in the water could not be seen | He sald. nowever, 10 hits on the ship i were observed Cites Report of 1921. The general cited the position taken by the joint Army and Navy board in 1921 which, over the signatures of | Secretaries of War and Navy and n. Pershing declared aircraft car- | rying a sufficient amount of explosive | by excellent markmanship can ren- der great damage to battleships. position has never been and it stands today,” Gen. emphasized. He said the Army is in possession of 4,000-pound {bombs ready for use, and that two | airplanes—the Barling bomber and the L. W. F. Owl—can carry these heavy explosives, but only for experi- { mental purposes. He said, “We should have had 4,000-pound-bomb-carrying planes two years ago, and it always should be our pelicy that our bombers can carry two bombs, one of which alone would be sufficient to sink a battleship. Navy Officer Heard. Lient Comdr. Holbrook Gibson or the Navy Department, at the request of Secretary Wilbur, testified on submarines and aircraft. The of- flcers' statement was brief. He said cxperiments had been conducted along the lines of submarines carry ing aircraft, but this had not provea | practical. Jo the best of his knowl |edge, he sald, no other nation has successfuily accomplished this The committee decided to Issue a subpoena for Lieut. Comdr. Clifford A. Tinker, U. 8. N. R. F,, to explain an avrticle in a ryecent issue of » " (Continued on Page 5, Oblumn 1.) |