Evening Star Newspaper, May 17, 1925, Page 1

¥ WEATHER. (U. 8. Weather Bureau Showers, probably a Forecast.) thunderstorm today; tomorrow fair and cooler. Temperatures: Highes t, 81.8, at 4 p.m.; lowest, 54.1, at 6 a.m. Full report on Page 5 1,051—No. 29,601 o. Entered as second class matter post office, Washington, D. C. FRENCH DEBT HUB - OFSHEEPNG L. § COLLECTION N Demand That Nine Debtors| Act to Repay Loans Cen- ters on Paris. METHOD OF APPROACH TO PROBLEM WITHHELD | Cfficials Think Time Ripe for Aill Nations to Devise Payment Schedule. ed Press. | more than three Al of waiting, the United States Govern-| ment I initiated steps to obtain ¥ funding settlements from its foreign debtors. The powers to whom this Nation made war or post war loans, have been made acquainted with American opinion that some move should be made by them toward liqui dation. Although officials of this Govern ment insisted vesterday that they held no desire to press unduly for payments, they feel, and France, Italy, ! Belgium, Rumania and Czechoslo- vakia have been so advised, that the American Government is entitled toj have funding proposals submitted. The other principal debtors, Jugo- slavia, Esthonia, Latvia and Greece] are aware of the Washington view| also, but it was not made clear last night whether American diplomatic officials in those countries have been asked to carry settiement sugges- tions directly to them. Br the Associ After French Commission Invited. In addition to the diplomatic maneu- vers made with respect to the debts | generally, has been informed | by Aml Herrick that the| American Government would be | pleased if a French commission would be sent here to discuss a funding pro- posal. Inasmuch as France is the largest debtor among ‘those countries whose obligations remain unpaid, this phase of the general debt move was regarded as not without some | significance. The French debt ap-| peared to be the hub about which a gigantic debt wheel revolves Simultaneously with the disclosure of the move to develop action on the | part of the foreign nations, an expres. i slon emanated from official sources | that the American Government could not permjt a_distinction to be made between loans made for prosecution of the World War, thosesfempest-war | relief or unpaid bills on the sale of surplus supplies. This was regarded as an answer to the several state- ments in European capitals in which | mention was made and differeneces i set down between the various Kinds of * loans. The American Governments, it | was explained, cannot recognize any so-called political loan as being differ- | ent from a loan covering the purchase of war supplies or for use in reuer“ work. Details Withheld. While details of the Government's move remained undisclosed, there was evidence that the information given the foreign powers was tantamount to a circular note, reminding them that American Debt Commission was ed in February, 1922, for the pur- ¢pose of negotlating funding settle- nients, and that only five nations had availed themselves of the privileges | thereby extended. The Treasury holds | demand notes of all debtor nations | save Gr Britain, Finland, Poland, | Hungary and Lithuania, te whom it gave financial assistance. A billion ! and a half dollars in interest has ac-| crued :on the demand notes. Official comment on the steps in-| itiated at the State Department upon | suggestions from Treasury and Debt | Commission officials, was rare, but it was clearly indicated that the Amer- jcan Government was sincerel jous to reduce the debt ques a purely business basis. In words, the official view was that the notes held should be converted into| “definite term obligations with fixed dates, rates and payments, however | small the latter might be i Metho Not Revealed. H The secrecy thrown about the ad-| vices to the foreign nations prevented | public knawledge of the methods em- ployed. In the case of some of the! powers indications were that the | American view had been transmitted ! in definite words while with respect to others it appeared that the advices amounted to little more than reitera- tion by American envoys that the American commission awaited any communication the debtor govern- | ment desired to make. ~ Rumania, , has had a direct note from Department. ment has been recognized ' in Ru; nd Armenia and no men tion was 1de in official statements of Liberi: which country 'S | United States less than $35,000. | Past Gestures Futile. | The American Government repeat- edly has taken the stand heretofore that it would not press for collection of the debts. From time to time “zestures have been made by foreign bowers, but these so ofien have avail- ed nothing that it is apparent now the administration decided on a changed policy. Officials explained, however, that even now it is not the hought of the Government to force ‘ment. The responsible authorities ve waited long in the hope that the debtor powers would make fund- ing proposals voluntarily, but thus far none has been forthcoming. Increasing pressure _has brought to bear on the been United States. Varlous Senate and House leaders have spoken frankly the opinion that delay should not be tolerated longer and the argument also has been advanced that if this Government could not properly await disentanglement of European affairs before renewing its suggestions that funding settlements were in order. MOVE INTERESTS LONDON. British See Own Loans to Framce Involved in Action. LONDON, May 15 (®).—Washing- ton dispatches stating that the debt funding commission has taken the initiative in calling France, Italy and other European debtor nations to take “(Continued on Page 4, Column 2 | Spencer, jr., wh His Death a Shock SENATOR SELDEN P. SPENCER. SENKTOR PENCER EXPIRE SUDDENLY Missourian Is Believed Vic- tim of Blood Clot Follow- ing Operation. Selden Palmer Spencer, junior Sen- ator from Missouri, died suddenly last night at Walter Reed Hospital, fol- lowing an operation 10 days ago for hernia. The exact cause of death has not been ascertained. Senator Spencer saw a number of friends at the hospital yesterday, and he seemed in excellent spirits. Last evening he was laughing and talking with his nurse when he suddenly com- plained of a strange feeling that seemed to attack his entire body. Realizing that something serious had occurred, the nurse hurried for one of the hospital doctors, and upon returning to the room found Senator spencer rapidly losing consciousness. He died .a few minutes later, before either. the doctor or the nurse could administer medicine. Death Comes as Shock. Senator Specer’s death came as a distinct shock ta his friends and rela- tives. The operation he underwent was not considered serious, and it was generally believed he was well on the road to recovery. leaving the hospital soon, he had im- proved so rapidly. Physiclans ot Walter Reed described Senator Spencer’s sudden death as probably due to a blood clot that touched the brain and immediately stopped circulation. Despite the com- paratively simple nature of the opera- tion, such dangers are encountered in all major surgical cases, it was said, and death usually ensues too quickly to make relief possible. Senator Spencer was permitted to i see his secretary at noon yesterday, and had dictated answers to some pressing letters that had accumulated during his illness. “I'm feeling great, he told his secretary at the time. guess I'll be back at the office before anothaer week has passed.” Wife Is Prostrated. Mrs. Spencer, too, had visited her husband during the day and was at their suite in the Brighton on Cai- fornia street when news of the death | was sent to her. She was prostrated with the suddenness of the unexpect- ed messige. Arrangements for the funeral are being held in abe: pending communications with of the Senator's sons who can be reached. L Three sons survive: Brooks Spen- cer, living in Pittsburgh, Oliver Spen- cer of St. Louis and Selden Palmer is living in China. A Kendall Fullerton of Ohio, rving Second Term. Senator ~oencer was serving his second term, having been elected in 1918 over Joseph W. Folk, Democrat, by a majority of 35,000 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Wii- liam J. Stone. He was re-elected in 920 by a majority of 000 over Breckinridge Long. : The Senator's death came just as he was preparing to enter a campaign to retain his seat in Congress, as his present term would have expired Senator Spencer was chairman of the privileges and elections committee and took a prominent part in the New- berry and Mayfield investigations. The committee was planning to be- gin next week the counting of bal- jots in the contest over the seat of Senator Bredkhart of Iowa. The Missouri Senator came into the limelight in the latter days of the Teapot Dome ofl investigation, when he was selected by the administration to present Its views more forcefully in connection with the ofl leases. He placed in the public lands committee's record a defense of the leases, and he signed a_minority report as opposed to the Walsh majority, which drew considerable criticism on the Senate floor. Senator Spencer also was a member —{Continued on Page 2, Column 8.) {Col. John McElroy, 78, G. A. R. Editor, | | Weds Associate Editor, 70 Years Old! Col. John'McElroy, 78 years old, prominent leader of the Grand Army of the Republic and editor of the National Tribune, a news- paper devoted to the interests of Civil ‘War veterans, ‘'was married vesterday to Mrs. Isabel Worrell Ball, 70 years old, assoclate editor of the same newspaper and promi- nently identified for many years in women'’s activities. The ceremony was held at noon at Nihil, the home of D. L. Rice, partner of Col. McElroy, at Marl- boro, Md. Rev. Francis E. McMa- nus, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church of Mariboro, officiated. Fol- lowing a wedding breakfast, the wedding party motored to this city. where Col. McElroy and his bride departed for a short honeymoon, prior to taking up their residence & 412 Sixteenth street. He had talked of | he WASHINGTON, 3 WITH DAILY EVENING EDITION L N SUNDAY MORNING, MAY 17, RUM ROV CURGED . FAGES REAL TASK N BORDERS Canadian Line Abounds in Unguarded Paths, With Mexican as Open. CALIFORNIA DECLARED FLOODED WITH LIQUOR Reciprocal Exchange of Tips on Smugglers Sought of Neighbor- ing States’ Officials. While Uncle Sam’s intensive drive against the liquor traffic is meet- ing with signal success along the North Atlantic coast, where his main forces are concentrated, he apparently will have a more di ficult task when he undertak: similar operations on the two other principal fronts—the Northern and Southern ' borders of the United States. Just how dificult this task a0ill be is set forth in the following dispatches. By Consolidated Press ! MONTREAL, May 16.—The United States revenue fleet may be driving the rum ships off the Atlantic, but a large part of the great American thirst apparently will continue to be quenched until some method is de- vised of blockading successfully the 3,000 miles of Canadian border. 1 While the head of the Buffalo Dis- trict Coast Guard is announcing that armed cutters are going to patrol Lake Ontario, and hints are made that a clash Is due between United | States and Canadian customs au- thoritles on the Niagara line becaus: of alleged refusals of Canadian of- flcials to supply 4o ram runners’ movements, an unceasing flood of Canadian liquor is finding its way across the international line In the first place, under Canadian laws, a rum runner is commicting no | crime by shipping booze out of the | country. In the second place, buo.- leggers with headquarters in Mon- treal and other cities along the border say openly that the “oiling” of cer- tain customs officers is easy, and that they regard it as part of their over- head. So far as eastern Canada is con- cerned, rum runners will tell vou that | at least two railway carloads of beer | leave Montreal each day bound for the United States. Sales Decline in West. Hard liquor is crossing the eastern| border In streams, carried by fast automobiles. The securing of this liquor on this side has developed a unique profession. Under the Quebeo Liquor Commission laws, only one | any one person on one day. Now | there is a vast army of ‘“queue artists,” who tour the various liquor stores, getting a bottle at each and recelving a commission of 10 cents | ver bottle from the man who ships in | quantity to the States. i Farther west the rum-running busi- ness is falling because the profits are shrinking. The provinces of Sas katchewan and Alberta have recently | taken over full control of liquor. The | bootlegger cannot obtain his stuff as cheaply as formerly and on his re- duced profit he cannot afford to ex- pend the necessary amount for bribery. Even if Saskatchewan and Alberta | are falling down as bases of supply, the exportation from British Colum- bia, Omtario and Quebec. to say nothing of the marltime province has reached such- proportions that | full preventive patrolling of the border would be almost impossible. SEEK MEXICAN AID. Officials to Ask Information in Fighting Smugglers. EL PASO, Tex., May 16.—A thin line of American officers is doing its best to throw back the waves of booze splashing over the Mexican border, “(Continued on Page IN BELGRADE FRUSTRATED London Hears Seized Communists Plotted Murder of King and Cabiret. By Radio to The Star and New York World LONDON, May 16.—The Belgrade correspondent of the London Sunday Express wires as follows: “A well laid Communist plot to kill King Alexander in his palace and all his ministers has been frustrated and | a large number of arrests havs been | made. Documents seized show tne plotters intended to blow up the most | important public buildings in country. 7 “Those arrested include Russian, | Bulgarian and Hungarian Communists | who recently arrived in Jugoslavia. | Sensational developments are expec ed since it is believed the arrested men | form part of a great Communist ter- | rorist organization which is known to have ramifications throughout the | Balkans. (Copyright, 1925.) At the wedding were Miss Myrtle Buckles, sister of the bride; Mr. and Mrs, K. P. McElroy, son and daughter-in-law of the groom: Mrs. H. D. Siater, daughter; Maj. Gen. John Clem, close friend of Col. Mc- Elroy, and Mr. and Mrs. Rice. Col. McElroy was born August 25, 1846, in Greenup County, Ky. He served with the Union forces throughout the Civil War. He was a widower, his first wife having died several years ago. Mrs. McElroy was born March 13, 1855, in Putnam County, Il For the past 35 years she has been associated in newspaper work here, most of which was with the Na- tional Tribune. She was the first woman to occupy a place in the press galleries of Congress and has taken an active part in women’: auxiliaries of the G. A. R., as well as In the Woman's Relief Corps. 2.2 ?DAWES (FLYING EBONY WING DERBY BRILLIANTLY Sande Skillfully Pilots Black | Son of The Finn in Ken- tuck y Classic. BY ROBERT T. SMALL, LOUISVILLE of the Kentue Speed and carpet rested in the s Ky.. May 16. Derby tamina rested in of unerring fine hands and jockey of America. Just before and just after the run- thunder spoil- ing what had been up to that time Thousands of dollars of bottle of hard liquor may be sold to |damage was done to the fine cestimes of the thousands of women who were | andstand “vere | ning of the showers broke perfect day. on the lawns. drenched. gloom of dar clubhc n derby, Jockeys e sharp over the track, use and g and horses race was run ess. i Winner Was Field Horse. ony was given littl> con- sideration by the exps He wa of the turf. ed in the betti he was grouped t handi P ng arrangemen with the “fleld up of nine horses. This Ebony meant said after the | the betting v nine winners of But while the in by chances of Quatrain ing favorite, t “field,” basi on Flying E Sande had the showed he was in winning mood by bringing Domique home in front in | the first race. He also showed he had | a great popular following by that vic. tory. The ovation as Flying in the judge's trophies that jockey this old (Continued on Ebon: winning post and has seldom been equa ric_old S that a bet on F race that the Derby thi wise money he so-called . simply mount. nde which Sande received | t the | s he later appeared stund to receive the winning charged | 0 to the led rack Page TODAY’S STAR PART ONE—42 PAG. General Foreign. News—Local, National Schools and Colleges—Page 22. Current News E; Veterans of the nts—Page 24. eat War—Page 30. Girl Scouts—Page 30. Camp Fire Girl. At the Community Centers—Page 31. and Programs—Page 32. Radio New: s—Page 30. avy News—Page 33. the ; g, Around the City ‘_. PART TWO0—16 PAGES. itorials and ‘Editorial Features. Washington ane d_Other Society. otes of Art and Artists—Page 4. Reviews of Spring Books—Page 4. Tales of Well Known Folk—Page 10./ News of_the Clubs—Page 11. D. A. R. Activities—Page 12. District National Guard—Page 13. Boy Scouts—Page 13. Y. W. € PART THI Amusements—Theaters and the Photo- play. A. News—Page 13. REE—12 PAGES. Music in Washington—Page 5. Motors and Motoring—Pages 6, 9, 10 and 11. Civilian Army News—Page 11. Spanish War Veterans—Page 11. PART FOUR— PAGES. Pink Sports Section. PART FIVE—8 PAGES. Magazine Section, Fiction and Fea- tures. The Rambler—Page 3. PART SIX—10 PAGES. Classified Ad‘{e GRAPHIC SECTION—10 PAGES. ‘World Events rtising. in Pictures. —Vie tory came to the swift and the skilled in the spectacular fifty-first running here today the fleet hoofs of Flying Ebony, owned by ifford A. Cochran, the multi-million- manufacturer skill and New Judgment | fast- thinking brain of Earl Sande, premier n appers little consider- tha made or any of his mates in the “field” included the possibility of win ning on any of the nine. It was aptly so far as concerned there were | hundreds and thousands on the the overwhelm- common at the track bet in droves on ng their hopes chief- y because had Column 7.) and ancial News—Pages 37, 38 and 39. COMIC SECTION—4 PAGES. Mr. Straphanger: Reg'lar Fellers; Mr. and Mrs.; M t and Jeff. QS LooKS Z \LIKE 2 a ng on | 8, | thers IF CHARLIE CANT Do IT GUESS ILL AVE TO RENEW =2 \my \ATo. o TIE g ALLIE: MAY NO TAKE = Y ANOTHE East Is Definitely Menaced By Quakes, Engineering Foundation Emergency Measures for Protection of Life in the Event of Disaster. | | is not believed possible that they can | By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, May 16.—arthquakes must be added to the risks of life in cities of Eastern United States, is the conclusion of the Engineering-Eco- nomics Foundation of Boston, a sur- vey of whose exhaustive studies cover ing several years, will be published to- | morrow by the New York Times. Eight distinct shocks have been felt in this section of North America since September 30, 1924, indicating that this | region is in the grip of a periodic re- adjustment of the earth’s surface, in the opinion of Dr. Kirtley F. Mather, professor of geophysics at Harvard Uni . Dr. Mather says that have been earthquakes in this region of “No. 8 intensity,” nearly equal to that of San Francisco in 1906, and there is no reason to believe there will not be others. The foundation has prepared a de- scription of the probable effects of a No. 8 earthquake in the ‘“made ground” sections of cities like New VAST MINING WEALTH AFFECTED BY MERGER Four Companies in Rich Park City District Unite for Economy. By the Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY, May 16.—One of the largest mergers in the history of Western mining, involving 4,306 acres of mineral lands in the heart of the famous Park City district, the producer of over $225,000,000 in gold, ilver and lead, was announced here e today. The corporations concerned are the ark Utah Mining Company, the >ark City Mining and Smelting Com- pany, the Ontario Silver Mining Com pany and the Daly Mining Company These properties have paid $31,095,136 in dividends and produced in excess of §125,000,000 In metallic wealth dur- Ing the last half century of mining activities. The proposed consolidation is un- dertaken to insure more economical operation, improved marketing facili- tles, eliminate some of the vexatlous tax burdens and utilize favorable con- tracts held by the companies inter- ested. DARROW AND MALONE AID IS ACCEPTED FOR SCOPES Nationally Known Lawyers Will Help Defend Teacher of Evolution. By the Associated Press. KNOXVILLE, Tenn., May 16.—Of- fers of Clarence Darrow of Chicago and: of Dudley Field Malone of New York, nationally known trial lawyers, to aid in the defense of J. T. Scopes, teacher in the Tennessee public schools at Dayton, who is charged with a violation of the recently en- acted law forbidding teaching of any theory of evolution, were accepted to- day by Dr. John R. Neal, leading counsel for the defendant. In the telegram of acceptance Dr. Neal emphasizes that the trial of Prof. Scopes involves a broader ques- tion than a mere test case making an issue of whether the Darwin theory of evolution is true or not true, the attorney contending that freedom of | teaching and freadom of learning be- ing the principle involved. The Scopes trial will be held the first week in August at Dayton. Dr. Neal, regarded as the: leading cdnstif ational has been employed by the American Civil Liberties Union of New York to test the constitutionality of the State law forbidding the teaching of any theory of the creation of the earth except that laid down in the opening chapters of the Bible. Bear Starts North Again. SEATTLE, Wash., May 16 (®.— The United States Coast Guard cutter Bear salled today on her thirty-sev- enth annual cruise to the Arctic. Aboard were 10 Eskimos, survivors of a Wrangel Island colony, who were taken by the Russian Government to Vladivostok and sent here by the American Red Cross last Februaty. lawyer of Tennessee, | Gy Star. 1925—106 PAGES. SURE - ITLL Hav, SOMELIVEL EADIN/ 13744 SIBSCEIPTION = i\EYe 9 THE RECORD RECKON CUSSIN‘LL TE RUL Scientists Assert Works Out| | York and Boston. It says that houses | built poorly so as not to sway as a | | unit probably would coliapse; ele- | vators and other stationary machines | | would be jammed: pipe lines of water. of! and gas would be liable to ruffture | |and fires break out: ofl freed from reservolrs would add to the fire haz- ard. and the population would suffer from shock, panic, death from fire and wounds, disease, exposure and | famine. Measures preparatory for such an emergency have occupled the special study of the Foundation, which holas | that public education is the oniy in-| | surance against confusion and greatly | increaged ceath tolls in time of earth- quake disaster. ~Dr. Thmas A. Jag. | |ger. one of the world's leading seis. | | mologists and a fellow of the Founls tion, who studied the results of the | Toklo disaster of 1923 on the ground, | | estimates that at least 75 per cent of the loss could be eliminated by fore- sight and decision such as is emboedied | in_the Foundation's program. The Foundation propose: | (Continued on Page 4 'RULES RUMANIA NEED NOT PAY BALDWINS | 1$2,000,000 Debt, Bucharest Tri-| | bunal Holds, Is Exempted Under ' Moratorium Law. ‘ BUCHAREST, Rumania, May 16.— A decision favoring the Rumanian |Government in the suit brought by |the Baldwin Locomotive Co. for the| |recovery of a balance of about $2,000,- | | 000 for locomotives delivered in 1915 |and 1920 was handed down today by |the tribunal hearing the case. |_The tribunal admitted the request | | made by Finance Minister Bratiano to |accord " the Rumantan government | protection by the so-called term of | grace under the moratorium law. This is the first time that the Ru-| manian Government has invoked this law, which was passed in 1923 to enable Rumanian commercial debtors to negotiate group settlements with foreign creditors. Funding agree- ments so far have been concluded with British, French, Italian, Swiss and Belgian_creditors, Bringing the Baldwin debt within the scope of this law is regarded as an effort to compel American credi- tors (o take joint action for the con- clusion of a funding agreement. The local office of the Baldwin Lo- comotive Co. has been disbanded. Col. Greble, their representative, is leaving immediately for the United States. MORMON LEADER DIES. | Charles William Penrose Was of First Presidency. SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 16 (#).—Charles Willlam Penrose of the first presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints By the Associated Press. {the proposed |and these | holidays. |of War Dav The Star i “From Press to Home Within the Hour” s delivered every evening and Sunday morning to Washington homes at 60 cents per month. 1 0 and service will start immediately. elephone Main 5000 () Means Associated Press. FIVE CENTS. $25 Auto Costs $110 In Fines in Few Hours> Ownership An automobile whose initial cost was $25 vesterday afternoon rolled up $110 in fines for William A King of apartment 506, the Con- gressional, in a few hours. Yesterday afternoon King and three friends clubbed with contri butions of $6.25 aplece to pur- chase a small four-cylindered au tomobile in which to make a trip to North Beach, Md This $25 automobile, according to Motor Cycle Policeman Roche, Wi hitting East Capitol street at a pace several miles above the speed limit when he put King under ar Judge Isaac R. Hitt in the Night Trafficc Court fined King $100 for not having a permit, $10 for speeding and took his personal bonds on failure to display regis- tration card. Hi- three friends clubbed in with a second contribution of the day to pay King's fine in order, to fore stall a Sunday behind the’bars. JULY 4 AS DEFENSE DAY 1S DOUBTFUL Army Officers Feel Units Needed Would Not Then Be Available. By the Associnted Press President Coolidge’s expressed pref- erence for July 4 as the day on which nation: defense test could be most appropriately held, has aroused doubt in War Department quarters as to whether plans can be reconstructed in time to hold the test on Independence day, or they must be scrapped for this vear. | The President’s opposition to Arm- |istice day, the date recommended by !it the War Department, has upset plans prepared by the general staff. and it | be rearranged to permit the holding of the test July 4. Many officers connected with the test last September feel that it would be better to abandon the plans this! vear rather than attempt to arrange the test in the short time allowed be- tween now and July 4. They believe that rather than risk a failure, it would be preferable to postpone the holding of a defense test until July 4, 1926, It was pointed out also that the Regular Army, National Guard, reservists and the citizens’ military training camps are engaged in July in their regular training programs would be weriously inter- fered with if a_defense test was held at that time. To assure an organized nd successful demonstration, it is | said to be vital that the personnel of [to a special committee of 10 | these four branches be in their re-|the president will be Dr- spective home communities at the time the plans are made, so they can co-operate with the national leaders in_charge. The opinion of officers experienced in organization work is that months would be the minimum time required for a project as varied and difficult as the defense test is. Some hold that six weeks would permit nothing more than a chance under- taking, very doubtful in its results and entirely valueless to the military establishment engaging the degree of understanding of the new military policy among_ civilian elements of the service and State and municipal au- thorities. The purpose of the test is to promote such understanding of the defense mechanism as a peace-time muster will give. Except for the nearness of July 4 and the fact that it comes in the midst of the training activities al- ready ordered for the Summer sea- son, officers familiar with the test questicn see in that day a greater de- gree of ap priateness than in other ovember 11 was sugges ed in the staff’s recommendations, however, partly because of those con- siderations and for the reason that Armistice day identifies itself with World War memories and comes at a time when there are greater sea- | sonal advantages In the absence of Acting Secretary now on a speaking tour of the Middle West., no effort ha been made by War Department offi- cials to present their problem to President Coolidge. It however, that such steps will be taken before a final decision on the question is arrived at. TWO HURT IN BLAST. 15 Families Forced to Flee From Homes in Pittsburgh. PITTSBURGH Pa., Two men were injurea and 15 fami-| lies were forced to flee from their homes early tonight when an explo- sfon of ammonia coils damaged the plant of the Consolidated Ice Co. the extent of about $50,000. engineer was blown 50 feet when the| explosion occurred. Fifteen families fled from their homes nearby when the ammonia fumes spread throughout the district. Firemen who forced their way into the plant were driven back and kept (Mormon) died at his home here to- : night. | With Merct‘zry at By the Associated Press. CHICAGO, May 16.— Heavy rains, strong winds, hail and forest fires swept sections of the Middle West last night and today, caus- | ing a property loss that will run | into several hundred thousand dollars. Oklahoma and Missouri were hardest hit by the storm, which in- terrupted wire communications in certain parts of these States, greatly damaged crops and caused a heavy property loss. While rain in the Northwest did some dam- age, it also proved a blessing, for it aided in putting out forest fires in northern Minnesota and helped crops in the southern part of the State. Cold weather followed the storm in the Middle West, and frost was predicted for some of the more northerly sections tonight. Only a at a distance until they had donned gas masks. Ice-Coated Streets in North Dakota, 24 in Storm’s Wake town, N. Dak., came reports of ice-coated streets following a heavy rain, with a temperature at 24 de- grees above zero. Norman, Okla., 20 miles from Oklahoma City, was cut off by the storm for a time, and three houses in this town were destroyed and heavy damage was done to wire and rail communications. Tribbey, a_little town of 300, was also cut off by the storm last night and re- ported heavy damage. Several other small towns in Oklahoma were damaged, while from Colum- bia, Mo., came reports of an esti- mated $100,000 property damage from the storm, and Booneville, Mo., estimated its damage at $50,000. In the world of sport many base ball games were abandoned today because of rain, and the downpour at Louisville almost wrecked the few smoldering fires were reported burning in the forests of northern Minpesots tonlght. From James- » Kentucky Derby and completely ruined thousands of dollars’ worth of women’s finery. whether | two | - | ments is probable, | May 16 W).~| STAND BY BURTON BRINGS ARV CUT PARLETO R U. S. Refusal to Let League Name Council Stands in Warm Debate. {COMMITTEE 1S CHOSEN TO'SETTLE CONTROVERSY { Amicable Adjustment Is Seen, But Atmosphere Continues to Be Tense. the Associated £ C EVA, May 16.—The first round in the fight to determine whether the United States can continue to collabo rate with the League of Natio | without undertaking any official rela | tions with the league was staged in a |tense atmosphere in Geneva toda and apparently ended with an Ameri can advantage. However, the United States did not return to its corner at the arms traffic conference without receiving several g blows, The combat hinged on whether or not the central office for the reception |and co-ordination of statistics of the traffic in arms will be established by the league council. The draft con | vention project says “ves" but the | United States savs *“no,” and toda) { Representative Theodore Burton | explained why it must be “no.’ ! Burton’s Point Clear. burden of Mr. Burton's argu iment was that inasmuch as the United < not a member of the league difficult for it to accept which institutes an organiza which will be directed by the Those countries adhering to the league countered this argument {by proposing that the United States land Germany be added to the league | eouncil when it meets to appoint the central arms board The representatives of the other {league states, who are believed to be straining every effort to maintain what they call America’s friendly at { titude to the league, went to the limit |of suggesting complete abandonment iu( the proposed central board | In this way the delicate problem | raised by the American | ceases to exist, the league member: who total 55, are not asked to foresake | thieir loyalty to the Geneva institution {and the chances that the United States | will ratify the proposed arms con vention are considered to be vastly im | | Finally | The | states w I treaty tion {league Committee Will Act. the whole problem was sent of which suerrer of | Salvador, who is vice-president of the | conference. In view of the grave im | portance of the issue the conference | decided not to sit Monday morning in lorder to leave that period entirely free for this committee’s delegations. Today session indicated the confer {ence’s anxiety to please the United | States and the existence of confidence | that a formula will be found to satis | fy American scruples without damag. ng the league itself. Yet it seems {clear that the conference has reach {ed a real crisis. As the central opium & conference, from which t | delegation withdrew, the from the league countries desire to strengthen the league as an interna { tional institution by having the ce {tral arms board function under | auspices | Step Held Obligatory. | The league itself | this obligatory. The Wilsonian pact commits not only all the members to exchange information about arma- through the medium of the | league secretariat, but declares that all international bureaus, on what- |ever subject, to be hereafter created {shall be cperated under the league These members, therefore, are in | quandary and are wondering how far !they are entitled to go in trying to | meet American objection They |frankly admit that observance of H merican wishes puts them to the disagreeable necessity of going back {on the covenant to which they sub- scribed. | Privately also they seem resentful |and impatient that what they term “the excessive fears” of the American Senate should bring them to this |dilemma. Many say they cannot un- | derstand an American state of mind so distrustful of the league that | presumably cannot even agree to sit jwith the council in the appointment jof a board of statisticians, which will have no power of control over arma- jments, but will merely compile and | docket information on this subject |, On the other hund. it is admitted that the conference now going on in Geneva, while called by the league, is isovereign in itself and that, in ac- epting an invitation tc it, the United | States has not thereby inferentially accepted any form of league relation- |ship in the operation of the postponed | convention. | _Mr. Burton argued the drafting of any convention which would entail conditional qr partial ad herence by the United States, and {added to this a protest against the araft project clause which makes it possible for any signatory power s say whether any partial adherence in perils the success of arms traffic s1 pervision. | | Spanish Envoy Caustic. Spain and Rumania were the ticular nations speaking causti |about the United States today !ilio de Palacios, the Spanish dele; | said he could ot see any possible rea son why the United States could not accept his suggestion to co-operate with the league council in the nomina tion of the central board, because such co-operation would in no wise prejudice {in advance the attitude of the United i States toward the League of Nations. The sensational discourse of the ses sion, however, was delivered by M Comnene, Rumanian Minister to Swit zerland and one of the strongest ad vocates of the league. He quite under- stood, he said, that the United Statex wished to guard her full liberty of action, but he was convinced that all league members wished to prevent any blow from being directed agoinst an institution founded for the! good of humanity and dedicated to Ligh ideal- ism. Bwinging on his feet and shaking TiContinued cn Paze 4 Columa ) deiegates venant makes today against