Evening Star Newspaper, September 8, 1925, Page 1

WEATHER. (U, S. Weather Bureau Fair tonight; cloudy; not much changs ture. Temperatures—Highest, 90, at 5 p.m. vesterday; lowest, 71, at Full report on page 7. Closing N. Y. Stocks and Bonds, Page 30 No. 29715, Entered zs tomorrow partly Forecast.) e in tempera- 5 a.m. today. Entered as second class matter Washington, e ARNIY OPENS PROBE EAPECTED TOBRING MITCHELL ARREST Hines Orders Inquiry to De- termine Accuracy of Pub- lished Charges. COLONEL WILL STAND FIRMLY ON STATEMENT Court-Martial Matter of Time—Of- | ficer Must Pay for Bitter Denunciation. Preliminary steps that will lead in a few days to the arrest of Col. Wil- Jiam O. Mitchell on charges of vio- lating the articles of war-as a result of statements made in his latest de- ' nunciation of the manner the air serv- | ices are conducted by the Army and | Navy were initiated today i On the basis of reports published in } the newspapers, in which the flery | former tant chief of the Army | Air Service applied such terms as| almost treason” and “maladministra- | tion” to the acts of his superiors, both | in the Army and the Navy, Maj. Gen. John L. Hines has ordered the in- spector general's department to inau- | gurate a rigid investigation as the | basis for a report to him. | When this investigation is com-! pleted, which will consist mainly of asking Col. Mitchell whether the! statements accredited to him were his | own words, the matter will be refer-| red to the adjutant general of the| Army and charges formally made! against Col. Mitchell. Before a court-| martial is ordered, however, Acting! Secretary of War Dwight F. Davis will pass upon the results of the inves- | tization i i Mitchell to Stand Firm. H That Col. Mitchell will not deny the | statements and that he must face court-martial this time were two facts | which were accepted as foregone con- clusions at the War Department to-| day. The only thing that stands be-| tween Col. Mitchell and court-martial | is the time it will take for the formal| to go through the necessar: In well informed circles at the War | believe, | el 900 Think Fiery Colo nel BY FREDERICK R. NEELY. If Col. William Mitchell were to be tried because of what he thinks of the operation of the Nation’s defense |as it concerns the air services.of the Army and y, about 906 of the Army alr service and a large | number of those in the naval air serv- |ice would be tried with him as co-| jdefendants. But Col. Mitchell will not {be tried for what he thinks. Even in | the military service, a man 1s -en- {titled to his thoughts. Col. Mitchell | got into hot water when he violated | service traditions and rules and pub- | licly expressed his views. Therefore, the officers of both serv- ices who have adhered to service rules more strictly than Col. Mitchell and have kept their silence, are giving their spokesman round upon round of soundless cheers. They believe that what the colonel has said is true, for the most part. Where he erred, they was in allowing his well known enthusiasm to get away with his better judgment and give voice to some personal beliefs not generally shared in by the majority of other aviators. Mitchell, they say, is no four- flusher. He may make extravagant claims in the eyes of non-fiving of- ficers, but these claims are bused on his own knowledge of aviation. this he is without a peer in the United States. He is not an ordinary pilot, but as good, if not a better pilot, than the best of the junior @b ALL AIRMEN WITH MITCHELL, | BUT HEED SILENCE TRADITION His Sincerity, Daring and Comprehensive Knowledge of Aeronautics, officers | In, WASHINGTON Is Right, Respect Him for officers. He will not hesitate to| undertake any kind of flying mission in any kind of a ship and because of this supreme confidence in his own ability, he has faith in his own predictions. This writer has mixed with Army and Navy and Marine Corps aviators for years—associated with them in a personal and flying _capacity. He knows their views. They are in the me to make the air their careers. The air situation in the Army is not as bad as it has been pictured. True, the officers, most of them from civilian life and unaccustomed to and | holding natural aversion for Army | discipline, dislike being towered over |by the Army general staff, which, they claim, and it is obviously and logically correct, know little or noth- ing about flying, These young bloods, the whole 900 of them, have had as high as eight years' experience in the air behind | | them and tnere are only a few who are still green in the game. The: are willing to undertake anything | and are not afraid of it. They are being held in check, they claim, by | non-flvers in the State, War and Na Building, hence aviation, they charge, is retarded. The cure for this, they maintain, Is separate air force In which there will be nothing but aviators, pilots | of experience, ability and knowledge | of_aeronautics Then. they sav. the 2 " (Continued on Page | | ir problem will | Column 6) | SAYSUTNST CARE HAS IVEN BODES Shenandoah Crash Prober Answers Criticism of Victim’s Parent. By the Amsociated Press. CALDWELL, Ohio, September §.— Comdr. Jacob H. Klein, chief of the board of investigation into the causes of the wrecking of the Shenandoah | {and in charge of all work here subse- {auent to the disaster, declared today | beside each other in Arlington Na- Department it is belleved the charge ; that the utmost care had been given against Col. Mitchell will be that ef | the bodies of the 14 dead members of insubordination. The only view to|the crew. Wwhich the department is officfally com-| His statement was made in reply to mitted is that there shall be fio “rail- | the criticism of Howard W. Spratley, ;‘?4:‘“."5 oF f;:»*{flnf o iy h‘o i Venice, TIL, father of Willlam H. a8 poen a thorn in the flesh of alr|gpratiey, machintst mats on the Shen- service offic ls for almost a year and that his trigk if there is one,; 2Ndoah, who was killed. ! should be as open as were his accusa: tions against his superiors. Embalming Imposaible. There is a well defined feeling at| *All of the bodies were mutilated.” the War Department that the arrést|said the commander. “Our careful of Col. Mitchell must not be mistaken | consideration told us that no relatives for an attempt to “muzzle” Army offi- | would want to see how mangled they cers. It s the opinion of well in-{were. It was impossible to embalm formed persons that the War Depart. | & iy ment does not wish to discourage offi. | SOme Of the bodies. We had moved cers of the Army from criticizing the | them into a barn for protection from administration of the Nation's de.|the elements, but it was hot and we fensive systems, even to the extent|knew we must get the bodies away as of making their statements public. |soon as possible. The Navy required Charges Held Too Broad. | that its dead be buried in the Navy o S lhls;‘unsmrm with an American flag around u s pointed out tha dnstance Col. Mitchell has deliberately accused not only his superfors in the Army, but even more so in the Navy, | of committing almost “treason.” For | this, unless he can prove his asser- | tions, it is generally held that he| must pay the penalty. As a result, the charges and court-martial may de- { velop- a situation wholly unexpected and novel. First, the War Department will probably find itself prosecuting an Army officer for blunt-faced words that were aimed, mostly, at the Navy. Second, the seemingly trivial parts of his attack may be the vehicles to his_downfall; had he attacked gen- erally he may have escaped possible | punishment. = And third, that very part of the evidence Col. Mitchell most wants to keep before the public ! may not prove relevant and be | barred. | As ihe situation shapes up now, the part of his statement to which the greatest exception seems to be taken j that more or less trivial attack on the development of anti-aircraft guns and some of the work of the Navy. It was in these departments that he accused superior officers of committing acts amounting to “almost treason.” No officer, it s held, has right to make such an assertion uniess he is prepared to prove it. There is every reason to believe that had Col. Mitchell confined his verbal shells to plain criticism and an argu- ment for the creation of an air de- partment, separate from either the Army or the Navy, no disciplinary ac- tion would have resulted. It is even possible that his statement that pres- ent administrative methods were such | as to make an officer ashamed of his | loth, meaning his uniform, might have passed without disciplinary ac tion. i | | Department Waits Probe. Ofcially, however, the War Depart- ment is maintaining a neutral atti- tude until the report of the general staff is complete. The only stand to which it is committed is that Col. Mitchell shall have a fair trial before an Army court if results show he has violated the articles of war. The statement that he expected to be un- der arrest “by Monday morning” was impossible of consummation, it was pointed out. Charges againsg Col. Mitchell must follow a definite-channel. If the chief | of staff found anything in his printed | statements. ‘he would ask the inspec- tor general, Maj. Gen. Eli A. Helmick, | 10 have the interview investigated. This investigation would be conducted by an officer in Gen. Helmick's office and then referred back to Gen. Hines. All of this is now under way U'pon recelving the report from the inspector general Gen. Hines will for- | ward it to Maj. Gen. Hull, the judge | advocate of the Army, to determine | what, if any, charges shall be made | against the offending officer. That of- fice will then return it to Gen. Hines, who in turn will hand it to Acting Secretary Davis for final approval. If Mr. Davis approves the recommenda- tion u court-martial will be ordered convened, provided such is recom- mended, at the post where the alleged offense occurred. Tn the case of Gen. Mitchell, should the casket. There was no way for us to procure uniforms. It would have been dayvs before they could have ar- rived. We did not want to bury them in their shredded dungarees (overall uniforms), so we purchased good, clean, white sheets and carefully wrapped the bodies in them. The caslets were beautiful, I thought. They were dark blue with silver trim- mings. I would ask for nothing bet- ter for myself. The Noble County American Legion furnished flags for the caskets. ““Because we thought relatives of the men should not see the bodies ‘we put notices on the caskets advising that they be not opened. Expressly for the purpose of making everything clear we sent word to every relative | to whom a body was consigned that they were to pay no express charges. 1 cannot understand how it can now be said that bodies were sent collect. It is not true.” Families Reassured. Comdr. Klein has in his possession a carbon copy of the letter sent to Mrs. Maggle Spratley, mother of the dead machinist mate, telling her un- der no circumstances to pay express charges on the body. Comdr. Klein called attention to the letter sent by Emma F. Lyon, ex- ecutive secretary of the American Red Cross of Guernsey County, to the mother or wife of each dead man,rin | which she told of her visit to' the | Belle Valley morgue, where she said she viewed every body and satisfied herself that all was being done that could be done. Arrangements Lauded. LOWELL, . Mass., September 8.— Inquiry following complaints about the condition in which the body of one of the members of the crew killed the crash of the Shenandoah was feceived elsewhere disclosed nothing but satisfaction there with the way in which the body of Machinist's Mate Bartholomew B. O'Sullivan had been prepared and shipped to this city. Undertaker O'Connell, who con- ducted the funeral of O'Sullivan at the Sacred Heart Church here this morning, sald that the body came to Lowell in a black broadcloth casket. It was well embalmeq and was in good condition, considering the circum- stances of death and the distance of travel from Ohlo. The ticket on the casket bore a C. O. D. order, but with appended instructions to charge the (Continued on Page 2, Column 5. THREE SHENANDOAH DEAD LAID TO REST Hancock, Lawrence and! Sheppard Buried—Lans- downe Rites This Afternoon. | | Three victims of the i disaster—Lieut. Comdr. Louis Han- cock, Lieut. J. B. Lawrence and{ Lieut. E. W. Sheppard—were buried Shenandoah tional Cemetery at 11 Their dead leader, Lieut. Comdr. Zachary Lansdowne, will join them in the long watch there this after- noon. The simplest of military services was held over the three flag-draped coffins. One service sufficed for all. It was held directly over the coffin | of Lieut. Sheppard, the one Wash- | ingtonian among them. which was | placed in the center. There were no | rites except those held at the mvu.l The coffins were brought from the Arlington receiving vault, where they } have rested since Sunday, about a half hour before the burial and placed | beside three open graves on a mound | near the Dewey lot overlooking the | Potomac. Rev. W. E. Scott, chief chaplain of | the Navy, was the officiating clergy- | man, assisted by Rev. Roland 8. Nichols, Episcopal rector of Toms River, N. J., a reserve chaplain, who had been the pastor of the victims at Lakehurst. Crowd at Services. 1 A considerable crowd was gathered | on the mound long before the services started. A hollow square of sailors | and marines was thrown around the graves, and official- delegations and relatives were escorted through this. | The services started with the playing | of “Nearer, My God, to Thee” by the | Navy Band, after which the scriptural | readings were given by Chaplain Scott and prayer offered by Rev. Mr. Nich- ols. The coffins were lowered and | the masses of floral offerings piled on | the graves. i The Navy was represented officially | by Secretary Curtis D. Wilbur, As- sistant Secretary Robinson and their aides. Maj. Gen. John A. Lejeune, commander of the Marine Corps, rep. resented that organization. r Services for Lieut. Comdr. Iamé-| downe will be held at 3:15 this after- | noon in the chapel at Fort T, and a full military escort will’pecompany the body to the grave, which will be beside those of his three comrades. Canon W. L. De Vriés of the Wash: ington Cathedral will officiate at this | funeral, assisted by Capt. Scott. Widows at Graves. The widows o’ 'l three officers were at the graves th norning. Pallbearers were as follow: For Lieut. Comdr. Hancock—Lieut. Comdr. D. B. Beary, Washington: Lieut. Comdr. . Mitscher, Wash- ington; Lieut. Comdr. E. K. Long.| ‘Washington; Lieut. Comdr. F. C. Sher- | man, Washington; Lieut. J. C. Arnold, Lakehurst. For Lieut. Lawrence—Lieut. Comdr. | D. Royce, Washington; Lieut. F. W.!| Reichelderfer, Washington; Lieut. T.| T. Patterson, Washington; Lieut. T.! G. W. Settle, Lakehurst; Licut. W. I.| Leahy, Lakehurst; Lieut. (junior | grade) J. B. Carter, Lakehurst. | For Lieut. Sheppard—Comdr. E. E. Wilson, Washington; Lieut. Comdr. A. S. Carpenter, Washington; Lieut. (unior grade) C. E. Bauch, Lakehurst; Lieut. T. W. Spear, Lakehurst; R. M. Parsons, Washington; Harry Gard-| ner, Washington. Pallbearers for Lieut. Comdr. Lans- downe will be Perry Hall, Greenville, Ohio; Gard Knox, Long Island; Commander E. G. Allen, Washington: Lieut. Comdr. Max B. De Mott, Phila- delphia; Lieut. Comdr. W. A. Ed- wards, Washington; Lieut. Comdr. M. R. Plerce, Lakehurst. The acting naval attache of the French embassy, Paul E. H. Gripon, this morning laid a wreath on the casket of Lieut. Gomdr. Lansdowne in token of the “ympathy of French air- men. a.m. today. | | | ! | | i Dry Chief Finds Beer Unloading; Fires 31 Agents Taking Holiday By the Associated Press. PITTSBURGH, September 8.— Gus J. Simmons, divisional prohi- bition chief, and 30 of his agents were discharged this afternoon by District Director Fred C. Baird. The director said the divisional chiet and his men had ignored or- ders to report for duty over the week end and Labor day. Farly yesterday, Director Bair said, -he found but one agent on duty. Later he visited ope of the |_downtown rallroad yarddjand wit- nessed a gang of men unloading barreled beer from freight cars, unhindered by officers who were supposed to be on duty in that vi- cinity. Willlam J. Martsolf was named by the director to take over tem- porarily the office vacated by Simmons. Director Baird, who took his post here only recently, said that during the first week of his administration he had decreased Pittsburgh's moonshine supply by about $,000 - gallons a day. - | death ' responsible. | line in other parts of the |w. | vigorous warfare on rum-runners for |, jtwo years. { with asphalt pavement in the near WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION D0, ) WOMAN RUM FOE KILLED BY BULLET THROUGH WINDOW lowa W. C. T. U. Crusader Is Believed Victim of Boot- legger’s Shot. HAD GIVENV EVIDENCE AGAINST LIQUOR SELLER County Leader Shot to Death Sit- ting Preparing Paper—Slayer Not Found. By the Associated Press. VINTON, Towa, September 8. —MIrs. | B. Cook, president of the Benton County W. C. T. U.. was shot to in her home last night by an | unidentified assailant. Friends ex pressed belief she was the victim of | a bootlegger or rum-runner, as she had been active in furnishing informa tion leading to the arrest of many liquor law violators. A oullet fired through a window on the first floor of her home as she | sat preparing a paper to read at a| W. C. T. U. convention about 11:38 o'clock passed through her left arm | and side. She died an hour and a half | later without regaining consciousness. | The county convention of the W. | C. T. U. was to have opened today with Mrs. Cook as presiding officer. | While no official opinion as to the probable notive has been expressed, the woman's ucquaintances believe that her anti-liquor activities were | Mrs. Cook not only was | prominent in the prohibition move- | ment in this county, but was well | known for her activities along this | State. | of Her husband is manager Waverly, Iowa, Gas Co. Had Cafe Raided. | A complaint by Mrs. Cook that | there had been drinking at a cafe near her home recently brought about | the arrest of a young man, who, | however, is not suspected of any con . nection with the shooting. He was | sentenced to jail, but was released a | short time afterward on furnishing | information concerning the alleged | liguor activities of another man. Mrs. Cook shortly before the shoot.- | ing had returned home from the | Christian Church, where she attended | a meeting of Sunday school teachers. Two months ago, after returning | home from a similar meeting, her residence was smeared with rotten exgs. Mrs. Cook had been very active in | church work, as well as {n her anti-| liquer activities. ! Martyr to Prohibition. DES MOINES, Iowa, September § ) —Mrs. C. B. Cook, slain at Vinton last night, was “a martyr to the cause of prohibition,” Mrs. Abbie An. | derson, recording secretary of the | Towa W. C. T. U., declared here today. rs. Cook, as the Benton Count C. T. U. president, had waged & the Officers at headquarters here, however, have had no commu., nication from her recently that might throw light on the cause of the s ing. . About two months ago Mrs./Cgok requested headquarters here fot fisfan. | clal aid in her campaign and the | asslgnment of a dry law officer to Benton County. The requegf for an officer was referred to Federal Pro- hibition Inspector Bruns; | Benton County is re one of the“most actiye’ fields for rum. nners, swho pass, rough that sec- tion of the State fh large numbers. GEORGIA AVE. PAVING LCONTRACT AWARDED Work to Start After Base Ball Sea- son—Two Other Streets to Be Improved. rded here as | Three of the rough stretches of old cobblestone roadway will be replaced future under a contract awarded by the District Commissioners today to the firm of Corson & Gruman. The streets are Eighth street from Market _space to I street, D street from Fifth to Seventh street and Georgla avenue from Florida avenue to_Barry place. Being satisfied that the Washington | ball team will play in the world serles next month, the engineer of highways, Maj. C. B. Hunt, will not start the paving of Georgla avenue immedl- ately, because of the possibility of in- terfering with the big games. The other work will start soon. GERMAP!Y T0 PARLEY British and French to Confer on Details of Security Pact Meet- ing With Stresemann. By the Associated Pre GENEVA, September 8.—The allies have definitely decided to invite Ger- many to a conference for considera- tion of the proposed security pact, a British spokesman announced today. The spokesman at the same time stated that Premier Painleve and Foreign Minister Briand of France, accompanied by Austen Chamberlain, the British forelgn secretary, are motoring to Alx-Les-Bains this after- noon to confer with Stanley Baldwin, the British prime minister, and iron out the details of the projected meeting with the German foreign minister, Dr. Stresemann. Mr. Baldwin's trip, he continued, ‘was not to be taken an indication of any new crisis in the situation, which, in fact, continued hopeful. The allled and German jurists at their recent meeting In Lonaon drafted a provisional text for the security pact with indications of the TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, | nounced today. | shooting of John Sandin, point on which differences of opinion exist. This draft be the basis of ‘the negotiations wigf fDr. Stresemann. 1925—-FORTY PAGES. ¢ Foening Star. * “From Press to Home Within the Hour” The Star's carrier system covers every city block and the regular cdi- tion is delivered to Washington homes as fast as the papers are printed. Yesterday’s Circulation, 80,583 UP) Means Associated Press. TWO CENTS. COOLIDGE T0 BACK BROAD BILL 0 61 .5, BULDING HERE {Will Agree to Country-Wide Mzasure to Assure D. C. Program. POLICY IS HELD IN LINE WITH RIGID ECONOMY | President Sees $25,000,000 Rental Saved, Efficiency and Safety Improved. BY J. RUSSELL YOUNG. Staft Correspondent of The Star | SUMMER WHITE HOUSE. | SWAMPSCOTT. Mass., September §. —So great is President Coolidge’s de sire to get through his public build- ings bill for the District of Columbia |at the coming session of Congress that he will agree to some form of a general public buildings bill In making this known at White Court today a spokesman for the | President said that the latter has OEL WILL FAGE MURDER CHARGE Prosecution to Go on Premise | He Is Sane—Indictment Expected Tomorrow. By the Associated Press MONTCLAIR. N. I.. September 8 Indictments against Harrison Noel, alleged slayer of 6-year-old Mary Daly. and of Raymond Pierce, negro taxicab driver, may be asked tomorrow of the outgoing Essex County grand jury, Acting Prosecutor d’Alofa an- The case would be expedited if the old jury can be brought to act, Mr. d’Aloia said, avoid- ing the necessity of waiting upon the meeting of the Fall jury, which will be sworn September 15. The prosecutor said today that Noel's case would proceed with the assumption that he is sane. Mean- while the Essex County board of free- holders prepared. for a meeting todax at Overbrook Héspital for the Insane to investigate Noel's record there. The investigation Avill determine, it was announced, yhether any one is to be held respoyisible for the release of Noel, whg was committed to Over- brook e?’iy this year and is said to | have walked out June 20. AVill Face Murder Charge. x{el is listed at the hospital as an | 2flnped patient.”” It was said he went o New York, where he was picked up and sent to Bellevue Hospital. He was released from the latter institu- tion, officials there said. on the prom- ise of his father to be responsible for him. In Passaic County Noel will face charges of murder of the Daly child and of assault and battery with intent to kill growing out of the allexed chauffeur, who gave chase to Mary's kidnaper in an automobile. Charges pending in Essex County include the murder of Plerce, kidnaping of the child and theft of the car which Noel used. Noel pleaded guilty yesterday to the kidnaping charge. He denied he shot and killed the girl or Raymond Pierce, negro taxicab driver, to get an automobile for the abduction. He awaits arraignment on charges of murdering the girl and wounding John Sandin, chauffeur, who gave chase after the kidnaping. Sunday he confessed with boastfulness and a grin to all of the crimes. Call Him Insane. Capt. James A. Mason, Essex County detectives, says Noel is “hopelessly insane.” A committes of alienists is to be sought by John A. Bigelow, prosecutor of Essex Count; to examine the vouth. If found in- sane he will be committed to the State hospital at Trenton. If he is found sane his plea of gulilty to the kidnaping charge exposes him to a sentence of life imprisonment. There is no lesser sentence for that crime in New Jersey. Three persons have narrowly es- caped death at Noel's hands, records at the county insane asylum at Over- brook show. Noel escaped from the asylum two months ago after five months’ confinement at the request of his parents. Recaptured, he was released on his parents’ promise to keep him home. 14 Attacked His Father. Noel attacked his father, asleep in a tent on a camping trip, with a Boy Scout hatchet in 1923. Confined in the Craig Sanitarium at Beacon, N. Y., he beat an attendant insensible with the arm of a chair. Last vear, as a seaman on a transatlantic liner, he tried to kill a cook. An investigation of the handling of Noel's case at the Overlook Asylum is under way by J. A. Earl, chairman of the state board of control, at the request of Gov. Silzer. Mr. Earl criticized Noel's parents. The youth’s father is Dix W. Noel, a well-to-do New York lawyer. His mother, Anne Noel, is a magazine ‘writer. Authorities said they found that Noel's penchant for money had been noticeable for vears. The idea for a kidnaping plot and $4,000 ransom, they said, had been in his mind for a long time. His last few years were crammed with eccentricities. Tried to Leave Harvard. He flunked his junior year at Mont- clair High School, made up the work with a tutor, entered Harvard in 1922 and was asked to leave before the midyear examinations. Letters to his (Continued on Page 2, Column 4.) head of {Navy Orders Wider Area Signal Fire Kindled | By Lost Boy Lands Him in Arizona Cell| By the Associated Press TUCSON, Ariz. September 8 Sol Framan. 19-year-old New York vouth, got lost in the wide open spaces at the head of Pima Canyon, near here, yesterd: So he drew his pistol and shot into tinder-like brush with the inten tion of starting a signal fire. He succeeded. The fire became S0 unreasonably active that Sol was forced to flee Today he was In the city jall, charged with starting a forest fire. Two_hundred acres of brush land are burning at the canyon's head and 18 forest rangers are trying to extingulsh it. SEARGH WILL GO ON FORMISSING PLANE Swept for Trace of Rodgers and His Crew. will continue its search for the missing plane PN-9, lost near Hawail, as long as there is the slightest hope of finding its crew. | Secretary Wilbur made this state- ment today after reviewing reports from the west coast and the search- ing fleet detailing the futile efforts to find Comdr. Rodgers and his crew. The Navy naturally wants to find the crew, but failing that it wants to find the seaplane to determine, if possible, what caused the accident. Ships engaged in the search have been ordered to go over again the terri tory already covered and to spread | out to include new areas. The Pacific fleet now approaching Hawail has been ordered to spread out fan shape as it nears the island in order to cover a greater area. Na. 1. By the Associated Press HONOLULU, September 8.—Search for the naval seaplane PN-3, No. 1, which disappeared a week ago after nearly completing a non-stop flight from San Francisco to Honolulu, con- tinued unceasingly today. Despite the efforts put forward by the United States Navy, there has been no trace of the plane, its commander, John Rodgers, or crew of four other men. All naval vessels available are scouring that area of the Pacific wherein the plane is likely to have drifted. The operations continue in a huge sweeping circle. Men aboard the ships are on duty many hours daily. Chaplains, sur- geons, paymasters and other officers who ‘ordinarily do not stapd deck watches, all are peering out into the vast reaches of water, searching for some trace of the missing flyers. Every Clue Followed. It is an adventure reminiscent of the days of the World War. Lookouts are “‘seeing things,"” as lookouts during the war saw ‘'submarine periscopes on every hand. Flares, parts of planes, planes themselves, wreckage, anything and everything, is seen by weary but still peering eves. Each hallucination is the signal for hurried activity among the searching squadrons. “Think we see something!" at such and such and such a position, and the sSearchers are off on a new hunt, all of which heretofore has been unavailing. " Burned to Death in Home. LITTLE ROCK, Ark., September 8 (#).—A. H. McDonald was burned to death and his wife and child badly injured in a fire which destroyed their :Federal Employes’ Body De- | about come to the concluston that it i would be difficult to a building |bill, exclusively for Washington, | through Congress because of the gen. | erai feeling among members of Con gress that it is high time that there | should be a general public buildings { bill and that if buildings are to be built in Washington there should be |ones buflt m other sections where are greatly needed agreeinz to a general building the President is not letting up |any in his economy program. It mands Its Abolition—Home |was expluned by the President's | spokesman that if it is possible to for Pensioned Planned. get PERSONNEL BOARD 5 TERNED UNFIT | get through Congress a general build {ings bill void of any pork barrel ear imarks he will agree to including the | provision for the buildings immediate Bijis AAlD Corioapaaientt ly needed in the Capital. The bill BOSTON, September $—The first|that passed the House last vear, au gun in the fight of the Government | thorizing the expenditure of $160,000, employes against the Personnel Clas- | nreagury “authority to pick the sites sification Board was fired here today | throughout the country and to spend immediately following the convening |the mbney meets with the President’s | festly is not in harmony with the will | | of Congress, and has made no attempt of the afternoon session of the Na- tional Federation of Federal Employes Convention. A resolution was adopted unanimous- ly asking for the abolition of the board and the transfer of its duties, namely, the administration of the classification act of 1923, to the United States Civil Service Commission. Wild enthusiasm marked the pres- | entation and adoption of the resolu- | tion, during which the conduct of the board was characterized as ‘“malad- | ministration.” i Ignores Will of Congress. | “The Personnel Classif Board,” states the resolution, demonstrated its total unfitness for classifying the field service, and mani- | to execute the same. | “The United States Civil Service | Commission is the logical agency for | administering the classification act by | reason of the nature of the duties which it now performs.” Establishment of a home for super- | annuated emploves in the Government service by the federation was ap-| proved tentatively by the convention today. The resolution, which was pre- | sented by Local No. 260 of Washing- ton, called upon the National Execu- tive Council of the organization to in- vestigate the feasibility of the plan and to submit it to the entire mem- bership for a referendum vote. i The retirement fund of $60 a month, now allowed by the Government, it was pointed out, is inadequate and | “insufficient to support retired Fed- eral employes in even reasonable comfort,” which ‘“creates a condition | very detrimental to the health and | mental well being of retired em-| ployes.” Such a home, it was explained, would be open to the members of the national federation who had served their allotted time in the Federal em- ploy, and would be a means of com- bating the present inadequate retire-| ment allowance and meager salaries | paid to the large mass of Government employes. Have Health Program. In connection with bringing about better conditions for organized work- | ers, Miss C. Todes of the Workers'| Health Bureau of New York City| asked the co-operation of the national federation in behalf of the bureau's program for healthful conditions in employment, both private and public. | S. T. Tyson Kinsell and Willilam M. | Rapsher, ‘delegates to the convention, | on behalf of the sesquicentennial cele. | bration at Philadelphia, invited the delegates to the celebration and ac- quainted them with the elaborate plans being made for the event in that city next year. The morning's session was given over to hearing committee reports and the presentation of credentlals from | delegates, many of whom were drawn trom the far-flung locals of the federa- tion. . MR KILLEI;AFTER ARGUMENT. | PORTEAU, Okla., September 8 (#). —L. E. Thrasher, manager of the Oklahoma-Arkansas Telephone | | change, was seriously wounded by L. E. Carmichale, Thrasher’s partner, today. The shooting followed an argument between the men over business mat- ters. Miss Fries received six bullet wounds and is expected to die. home here early today. Police said there was a suspiclon that the fire was of incendiary origin. | Thrasher. Thrasher was shot five times. All the | shots were said to have been fired at John Coolidge to Remain at Amherst; Father Regrets By the Associated Press. SWAMPSCOTT, Mass., Septem- ber 8.—John Coolidge, son of the President, will resume his studies at Amherst College this month with the intention of remaining in that institution until he is graduated. He will be a sophomore this year. Tt denfed at White Court gbélay that John has any in- * ter f going to West Point or Excessive Publicity the Naval Academy, at Annapolis. His father feels that it is unfort: nate both for John and for Ame ican youths generally that there so much speculation as to the boy's plans and so much published about his movements. Mr. Coolidge be- | construction Co., ! was shot and killed, and Miss Mayme | Fries, chief operator of the local ex- | approval. It that President signed that bill passed was intimated today Coolidge would have had it finally been Thinks Move Economical. As for the economy feature, the President is represented as feeling that a public buildings bill of this na ture would fit perfectly into his policy for governmental economy The President has been shown that the Federal Government today is pay- ing something in the neighborhood of $25.000.000 annually in the rental of buildings throughout the United States, and that if the Government owned more of these buildings instead of renting them there would follow considerable of a saving. The President was represented to- day while discussing this phase of the question as being of the opinion that | the Government would be making a wise and profitable investment if it expended $100,000,000 or $150,000,000 upon buildings within the next year or so for Government activities in those sections of the country where new and more adequate quarters are most needed. The President is well aware that there has not been a general public buildings bill since 1914, and that dur ing those 11 years the business of the Government “has grown enormously and that certain agencies of the Gov ernment in Washington and outside are working under great physical dif- ficulties. Besides the reduced efficiency and the constant danger to the per. sonnel because of the flimsy, anti {quated and cramped buildings they are forced to work in now, the Presi- | dent is impressed with the ever-pres ent possibility of losing valuable Gov ernment records and archives by fire | or other hazards. Less Waste in Rentals. It is understood that the President, after giving the matter of rented Government property a careful study, is now convinced that there has been a great waste of public money from this one source alone, and that if he is to be consistent in his advocacy of governmental economy, he should see to it that this leak is stopped. ! It was therefore made plain today when the President was discussing & public buildings bill with newspaper men at White Court that there are several very good reasons for agree- ing to a general bill in order to get through the administration program for the District of Columbia. Ever since Mr. Coolidge has been in the White House, he has been at- tempting to get through a bill author- izing a public buildings program for the National Capital. This provides for the authorization of $10,000,000 an- nually for five years. It is the ad- ministration’s intention first to pro- vide buildings of a handsome and per- manent nature, buildings that will compare favorably in architecture and with public struciures in the capitals of Europe. Sites al- ready have been selected for a series | of these buildings in suitable places in the Mall south of Pennsylvania avenue and east of Fifteenth stree Just what departments of the Go ernment will be taken care of by this authorization has not been defi- nitely determined, but ti is thought likely that the Department of Jus tice, State Department, Bureau of Accounts, Internal Revenue, the De- partment of Agriculture and an Archives Building and a Department of Commerce will be among the buildings to be constructed with this appropriation. There has been talk of building an Archives Building upon the Plaza not far distant from the Capitol. This, however, will be de- termined when the money is au- thorized. Will Confer With Leaders. It was stated today that the Presi dent will confer with leaders of the Senate and House long before the meeting of Congress, when he will go thoroughly into the subject of a public buildings bill. It is thought that the President, by agreeing to a general bill, will not only obtain posi- tlve assurance of the $100,000,000 he wants for Washington. but will obtain consent to giving this legislation a fa- vorable position on the finai legisla- tive program for the coming session. At White Court this Summer Presi- lieves that his son should be per- mitted to pursue his studies quietly and not be subject to so much pub- ‘Heity. 2 dent Coolidge has received the views of such leaders as Senator Curtls, (Continued on Page 2, Column