Evening Star Newspaper, September 15, 1925, Page 1

\ WEATHER. (U. 8. Weather Bureau Showers tonight and probably tomor- row; not much change in ‘Temperatures—Highest, p.m. yesterday; lowest, 68, at 6:30 p.m. today. . Fhll report on page 7 Forecast.) temperature. 81, at 3:45 Closing N. Y. Stocks and Bonds, Page 28 S : No. 20002 - Futeend a» WISCONSINVOTING TODAY; LAFOLLETTE VICTORY EXPECTED Rural Strongholds Counted on to Give Robert, Ir., Large Majority. PRIMARY ONLY WARMING RUN FOR THE ELECTION Wilcox, “Regular” Candidate, to Make Race as Independent if Not Nominated. GOULD LINCOL) Staff Correspondent of The Star MADISON, Wis., September 15.— Wisconsin voters today-are determin- ng who shall bear the Republican and Democratic standards in the senatorial election September 29 to fill the va- ycancy caused by the death of Senator Robert M. La Follette, There is but one candidate for the Socialist nomination, John M. Work, and his nomination is a foregone con- clusion. The managers of the campaign of Robert M. La Follette, jr., today de clared their entire confidence that he will receive the Republican nomina tion. The size of his plurality, or ma- Jority, they insisted, would be mea: ured by the extent to which the vot- ers turned out. They have the Progressives time and again| against overconfidence, which might lead to many voters remaining away from the polls. Predicts Big Major Senator Burton K. Wheeler of Mon- tana, who has been campaigning in| various parts of the State, predicted | that Mr. La Follette’s vote would be equal to, if not greater than, the vote cast for both Roy P. Wilcox, the stal- wart candidate, and former Gov. Fran- cis E. McGovern Last-minute statemer‘s put out by both Mr. Wilcox and *Ir. McGovern | also claim victory. Mr. Wilcox sald that reports from every county in the | State have been analyzed and show | that he will be nominated i McGovern's statement declared that | he “fully expected to be nominated. BY G warned | Entered as second class matter ‘Washington, D. C. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, September 15.—All- night activities by Federal authorities in their round-up of suspected unde- sirables in Chinatown, which netted a total of 500 Chinese, resulted today in 134 being sent to Tombs Prison to await removal to Ellis Island for de- portation. Dozens of the suspects were found with white women who said they were the men’s wives. Some of these women produced their marriage licenses, while others went to the Federal Building to plead for their husbands Chinatown w; wildly excited throughout the night as Federal au- thorities rounded up suspects singly and in groups, taking them to the Fed- eral Buflding for questioning. wagons made trip after trip between | the Federal Building and the Tombs in transferring to prison the men held for deportation. They will be trans- ferred to Ellis Island later. Tong Truce Signed. The round-up, unprecedented in its extent, came within a few hours after leaders of the On Leong and Hip Sing tongs had signed a peace treaty calling for a truce in the tong warfare, which has caused the deaths of a dozen tong- men within the last few weeks. Fed- eral officials have announced their de- termination of weeding out every Chi- nese who remained in this city in vio- |lation of the exclusion act. One Gov- { ernment prosecutor sald the authori- ties were determined to stop tong war- {fare “if half of Chinatown has to be deported.” Most of the men held for deporta- tion proceedings today were seamen { who had overstayed their leaves. One | seaman, it was learned, had been in Chinatown three years, although the @h 500 Rounded Up in New York in Drive to Clean Out Undesirables—Truce in Killings Fails to Halt Arrests in Metropolis. Patrol | ¢ Foening S WASHINGTON, D. C, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1925—FIFTY-TWO PAGES.. 134 CHINESE WAIT DEPORTATION AS RAIDS FOLLOW TONG PEACE only paper he had was a 60-day leave from his ship. The Hip Sing clubroom in Pell street was one of the places raided. Rounding up a large number of men, the Federal officials started with them to the walting patrol wagons which had been parked in On Leong terri- v. When the Hip Sings saw this objected, but despite their pro- < they were herded into the patrol zons, where they sat side by side with On Leongs during the trip to | the Federal Building. Chicken Killed for Peace. Sy 1 of a ting peace, a ! chicken s killed with a hatchet in | Chinatown. The truce was signed at | midnight by national leaders of the | tongs, meeting in the offices of Zian Chang. Chinese consul general, with police and officials of the Chi nese Benevolent Association, a mer- chants’ organization. The peace conference was dead- locked for several hours. Acting Capt John Archipoli of the gangster squad, the arbiter, said that the tong leaders’ differences’ were too trivial to war- rant indiscriminate slaughter. It developed that the chief bone of contention was the interchange of | members between the tongs. The pact provides that a member of either tong may withdraw and become a member of the other, providing that the sec retaries of the tongs are notified and | that the application for membership is published in a, Chinese paper The telesrams sent out over the signatures of tong leaders said: “Peace has been signed. All rela- | tions are friendly. Notify all mem- bers. ~Letters of confirmation will { tollow.” | Mr. Buckner revealed that leaders | of both tongs had offered to sign a | peace if he would stop the raids. He said he spurned the offer. INBALANGE TODAY Question Whether Smith or Hearst Will Boss Party Hangs on Primary. On the Democratic side William | George Bruce of Milwaukee and | Charles C. Rogers re the ndidates. Bruce's name is on the ballot. Rogers is an eleventh-hour entry due to Mr. Bruce's declaration he will not favor the entry of the United States into | the League of Nations or the World | Court. Roge name must be| “written in" by his supporters. Bruce 19 expected tu win the nomination | provided a sufficient number u(i Democratic votes are cast to conform to the Wisconsin primary law which | specifies that a certain percentage of | the votes cast in the last State election must be polled to party designation | and placed on the ballot In the elec-| tion. It is approximately 16,000 ! votes that must be polled if the Dem- | ocrat is to qualif; H Under this law Democratic candi- dates for nomination sometimes faiiéd | to qualify in the past. The Socfalist | candidate will have no difficulty in| obtaining votes to qualify, it was said. | Committee Aid Withdraw { i The announcement in Washington | yesterday by Chairman William M | Butler of the Republican national committee that the national organi- .zation of the party would extend no helping hand to Hob La Follette, ir., even if he wins the Republican nom- ination for the Senate today, was considered superfluous by the La Fol- | lette followers. It had never been! expected that the natjonal commit-| tee, headed by nator Butler, \\'ould’ give such support. Furthermore, it ! has been expected here that the na-| tional committee would throw its in- | fluence and support to Wilcox, the | stalwart candidate, if he runs as an | independent in the coming election, | provided it gives support to any can- | didate. The national committee has | been exceedingly chary, however, | about mixing up in this fightwbere, fearing apparently that it would do| more harm_than good. Senator But announcement, it was declared here today by the pro-| gressive Republicans, would have no | effect on the balloting teday. It may | arouse still further the Progressives, | it was argued, who ma they have a right to their own ticular brand of Republicanism, and | do not intend to be dictated to by any organization outside of the State. It was pointed out further that dur- ing the 1922 campaigning, when Sen- | ator La Follette was elected the last | time to the Senate, the Republican na- tional cobmmittee did not come to his aid in any manner, shape or form. | Many Voted Democratic. H As a matter of fact, the hational | organization supported Ganfield,the { stalwart candidate for the senatorlal; nomination in the primaries at that | time, and many of the stalwarts later | voted for the Democratic nominee | in the election. Bob La Follette, jr., wound up his | campaign here last night at a meeting | In the University Stock pavillion, seat- ing 7.000 persons. It was a smashing | rally with every seat in the pavilion «occupied and some standing. This was | the first time Mr. La Follette had spoken in his homio city during the | campaign. He was cheered and ap- plauded vigorously. Senator Wheeler, | \ho spoke first, declared that La F lette was ‘‘needed in Washington, and that faflure on the part of Wis- consin to elect him to the Senate | would be a great blow to the progres- | sive movement. Bob, J s followed | with the keenest interest by his fel- | fow townsmen during his address, | which bristled with denunciations of | \ the Coolidge administration. He has | strengthened himself greatly with the | voters during his three-week speaking tour of the State, and has blossomed out as a vote-getter of ability. In the wind-up of the campaign all the speakers urged the voters to go to | the polls. The candidates have feayed that their full strensth would hot show in today’s primary. Fstimates of the probable total vote run from 300, 000 to 500,000, with a total potential vote of between 700,000 and 800,000. Polls close here at 8 o'clock tonight. The voters in some of the other cities and rural districts must ballot earlier. A prompt count of the ballots with Garly returns is expected since with only one office at stake the count can be_speeded up. The heaviest support of La Fol- (Continued on Page 5, Column 4) par-| By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, September 15.—New York City’s electorate goes to the polls today to end with its ballots a most stirring and far-reaching primary cam- paign. On the surface today's balloting is merely the expression of Republican and Democratic voters in choosing their mayoralty and local candidates for the election November 3. Under- neath, however, in the minds of many is a struggle between two powerful figures, one a governor and one a pub lisher, for the leadership of New York's State Democracy, with a fight for a presidential nomination in the ofing. Murphy Prevented Split. For eight years John F. Hylan, Democratic protege of Willlam Ran- dolph Hearst, has been the chief execu- tive of the largest city in the United States. During his administration t! city has been confronted with pressing problems. Subway construc tion, relief of traffic congestion, hous. ing, suppression of crime, grade cross- ing removal and garbage disposal have been some of the most vital questions. During six of those eight years the mayor had a nominally united party behind him, held within the firm grasp of Charles F. Murphy, the leader of Tammany Hall. Early in 1924 Mr. Murphy died, and with his relaxing grip came the split that he had combated successtully for many years. His death marked the starting point of two Democratic fac- tions, one that looked toward Mayor Hylan and Mr. Hearst for leadership in city affairs, the other that turned to Gov. Smith. This latter group more and more showed dissatisfaction with the mayor's accomplishments in solving New York's problems and in | displaying its intention that he should be supplanted. Hylan Repudiated. There was no open break until the Democratic leaders of the five bor- ain that oughs of New York gathered together | president Coolidge, Secretary Mellon | to select their siate for today’ mary and the election. Hall, under its new leader, George V Olvany, and the Bronx County com- mittee, broke definitely with the mayor and selected State Senator James J. Walker, minority Senate leader and long a political co-worker with Gov. Smith. Brooklyn, Rich- mond and Queens threw their sup- port to renomination of the mayo: It was then that all New York's political eyes were turned' toward Gov. Smith. Whom would he support? With his great personal popularity, popularity attested by his three terms as chlef executive of the State, and the determined fight made by his fol- lowers in the Democratic national convention in 1924 to capture the presidential nomination for him against Willlam Gibbs McAdoo, the governor was easily the most out- standing member of his party in the State. ‘Although he had refused the leader- ship of Tammany Hall, a post that went to Mr. Olvanv, his advice was constantly sought by Democrats. He threw his support to Senator Walker s pr !and the Hylan wing opened its revolt. At first the mayor directed his at- tack against Senator Walker and (Continued on Page 5, Column 6.) %o the great navigator. RULE OF NEW YORK | CAILLAUX IS GIVEN - WIDEST POWERS Cabinet Hears Plans for Debt Negotiations on Eve of Sailing. By the Associated Press. PARIS, September 15—The French cabinet today heard Finance Minis- ter Caillaux outline his intentions concerning his debt fund mission to Washington and then unanimously gave him full power to negotiate. “I am going on a hard mission, but T am going to deal with gentlemen, and I am going to make them a gen- tleman’s proposition,” M. Caillaux said later at a luncheon of British and American jjournalists, tendered to him as a farewell before his de- parture for the United States. The finance minister declared he was a great friend of the Anglo-Saxon race and asked: “An entente cor: diale of the Western nations is r quired in the interest of civilization Described by his Introducer as an- other Christopher Columbus going to discover America, he replied: “It is too flattering to be compared | 1 do not e pect to make such an important dis- covery, but I admit that I may meet | with some surprises in my struggles | with the American language.” FLETCHER SEES MUSSOLI) Confers on Debts Prior to Departure | for United States. ROME, September 15 (#).—The American Ambassador, Henry P. Fletcher, was received today by Pre. mier Mussolini, dined with Finance Minister Count Volpi and had long conversations with both in prepara- tion for his departure aboard the ! steamer Duilio from Naples Thursday for a vacation. The conversations dealt chiefly with the Italian war debt to the United States, and Mr. Fletcher expressed conviction that the question would be settled _satisfactorily to both coun- tries. He has chosen to take his va- cation at this time so as to be in the | United States before and during the | | sojourn there of the Italian Debt Com-} mission, thus being available to | and the American Debt Funding | Commission for any explanation de- sired. Count Volpi expects to arrive in the United States between October 22 and 25, by which time he believes the American negotiations with the ! French will have been concluded. | The Italian finance minister is con-| vinced that he will be able to reach an agreement with the Americans. EXPEDITE TRADE TREATY.| Japan-German Negotiations to Be Completed at Tokio. TOKIO, September 15 (P).—With a view to completing negotlations for a | new German-Japanese trade treaty, the two governments have agreed to move the scene of negotiations from Berlin to Tokio. Mr. Honda, Japanese Ambassador to Berlin, has been ordered back, and negotlations will be resumed in Tokio between him and Dr. Wilhelm Solf, German Ambassador here, in October. The conversations are expected to end by the middle of November, that the new treaty may go into effect early next year. Bennett Pits His Daug Against Lord’s Record in Love Row By the Associated Press. SAN FRANCISCO, September 15. —The Examiner today says that Richard Bennett, the actor, now here, replied last night to the Lon- don statement credited to Lord Furness in which Lord Furness «aid that Thelma Morgan Converse had decided not to marry either Bennett or himselt. Mrs. Converse, a twin sister of Mrs. Reginald Vanderbilt, is now in Europe. She was granted an in- terlocutory decree of divorce from James W. Converse, Newport so- ciety man, in Los Angeles, April 14, - hters and Art “I won't belleve tuat Thelma has turned me down unt'l she sends me the beautiful 0,000 ring I gave her,” the Examiner quotes Bennett as saying. “What is a lord, anyhow? For myself, I have climbed to the top of the ladder in the hardest of all professions. I'm the father of two of the world’s most beautiful girls. They are happy and have a beauti- ful mother. Let Lord Furness or some other lord approach that record if he will.” Bennett was recently divorced from Adrienne Morrison in New York. ito ser {dent that all of them will accept. | president of the society, | gratulating the President ithen was chairman, and PRESDENTTOCHE AR BARD WIEST POWERS N PROBE Committee %o Have Free Hand in Calling Witnesses to Testify. QUESTION OF PUBLIC HEARINGS LEFT OPEN Society to Promote Aviation Objects to Coffin’s Selection as Investigator. By the Associated Press. President Coolidge will give his air- craft investigating board a free hand as to the witnesses to be summoned and the course of procedure to be fol- lowed. Mr. Coolidge feels that the board must decide for itself whether its hear- ings are to be open to the public, but he sees no argument against open ses- sions—unless perhaps at some time in the Investigation the board should consider confidential plans for the na- tional defense. The policy to be pursued in this course, he thinks, can be best decided after the board has convened and or- ganized. Acceptances have not yet been re- ceived from all of the nine men asked but the Executive is confi- Free to Call Mitchell. The President’s position will leave the board free to call in Col Willlam Mit- chell, chief figure in the aircraft con- troversy, and Comdr. John Rodgers of the PN-S No. 1, as well as any other witnesses it may desire to hear. The War Department already is making plans to have Col. Mitchell’s testimony made availabie to the investigators, and both Secretary Wilbur of the Navy, and Acting Secretary Davis of the War Department are expected to make it convenlent for any officer of either branch whose presence is re- quired to attend the: sessions. Criticism of the appointment on the board of Howard E. Coffin of Detroit was volced in a letter to the Presi- | dent made public today by the Amer- ican Society for Promotion of Avia- | tion. The letter, signed by Thomas L. Hill, after con- upon the naming of the special board, asserted that in Mr. Hil's opinion the “pres- ence of one member, Mr. Howard E. Coffin, will breed mistrust in the minds of the public, and to a great extent defeat the purpose for which the board was created.” Recalls Early Probe. Mr. Hlil declared the Hughes air- craft investigation of 191819 had “forced the resignation” of Mr. Coffin from the Alreraft Board, of which he “caused the indictment of men associated with him."” “The American Legion,” continued the letter, “after conducting a_thor- ough _investigation, published in its weekly serious charges against Mr. Coffin’s administration, in which it named Mr. Coffin and Col. Deeds as being responsible for® the aircraft fiasco during the war.” 1 Col. Edward A. Deeds was assistant jto Maj. Gen. Squier, then chief signal | officer of the Army, under whose juris- | diction aircraft production fell before it was turned over to civillan hands. Mr. Coffin is president of the Na- tional Air Transport, Inc., and last week laid before the President a plan for private operation of the air mail service. Hoover Will Aid. The Commerce Department will aid the alrcraft board in its investigation, Secretary Hoover said today. Mr. Hoover declared that the De- partment of Commerce, in its general duty of promoting commercial avia- tion, is now undertaking a Nation. wide survey of commercial aviation possibilities and will_ turn over all the (Continued on Page 2, Column 5.) SAYS FUND RAISED TO FREE DRUGGAN | | Chicago Paper Declares $60,000 Was Given to Buy Beer King's Way Out of Jail. — By the Associated Press. CHICAGO, September 15.—The Chi- cago Herald and Examiner today said a $60,000 fund was raised to buy free- dom for Terry Druggan, wealthy beer runner, whose immunity from the usual county jail discipline has start- ed a Federal grand jury inquiry. The newspaper says the money was to purchase privileges for Druggan, including the right to conduct his beer business In his cell, make fre- quent trips outside the jail, and final- Iy to shorten his term of one year for contempt of Federal Court to the minimum. The *“‘jackpot” was to be split five ways. Three men were to get $10,000 each and the other $30,000 was to be split by two men, but one “double- crossed” the other and kept it all. Summons to appear before the grand Jjury have been issued for Sheriff Peter Hoffman, Wesley Westbrook and Thomas Brockmeyer, former wardens, removed when it was found Druggan had been permitted to leave the jail. Druggan also will be questioned, as will Frank Lake, his partner, also sen- tenced to one year and released two months before his term expired. Officials of the jail said Druggan'’s absences were caused by visits to a dentist for treatment. The Herald and Examiner says the dentist’s office was used by Druggan part of each day as a beer-running headquarters. Druggan faces charges of attempted murder in connection with the beating of a newspaper man. Income Tax Returns Pages 36 to 39 | routes will NEW AIR MAIL BIDS ARE OPENED TODAY Forty-Five Cities to Be Connected When 8 More Routes Are in Operation. By the Associated Press The era of commercial aviation in the United States takes an advanced stride today. The air mail service of the Post Office Department, pioneer in demon- strating the feasibility of the airplane as a means of transport in continuous day and night flying, Winter and Sum- mer, will open bids for contracts for carrying mail on eight new air routes. Through the stimulus of these con- tracts, commercial aeronautics is ex- pected by air. pioneers of the Post Office Department to move onward to take its place eventually as one of the principal methods of communica- tion and transport in time of peace and to become the nucleus of an effec- tive air force for use in event of war. 45 Cities Involved. The new" air services will directly connect up 29 important cities by air malil routes with the 16 cities which have been receiving similar service on the transcontinental air mall route for more than a year. In addition to these 45 cities which benefit directly from the service, many other cities will enjoy the advantage of speedy transmissfon of mails by combining the air routes and the railway mail services. In a few gveeks additional air mail be advertised by Post- master General New to connect up other citles in various parts of the country. The contracts for the elght new routes will call for an extension of the air mail service of 4,662 miles. Fulfillment of the contracts will re. quire about 390,000 miles of fying. yearly on the six round trips per week scheduled for each route. Only day flying will be scheduled for the eight routes, which are as follows: Eight Routes Involved. Boston, Hartford and New York, distance, 190 miles; time, 2 hours and 20 minutes; postage, 10 cents an ounce. % Birmingham, Nashville, Louisville, Indianapolis and Chicago, distance, 630 miles; time, 7 hours and 25 min- utes; postage, 10 cents an ounce. Minneapolis, St. Paul, La Crosse and Chicago, distance, 352 miles; time, 4 hours and 20 minutes; post- age, 10 cents an ounce. Dallas, Fort Worth, Oklahoma City, Wichita, Kansas City, St. Joseph, Moline and Chicago, distance, 1,000 miles; time, about 12 hours; postage, 10 cents an ounce. St. Louis, Springfield (II1.), Peorin and Chicago, distance, 275 miles; time, 3 hours and 2 minutes; postage, 10 cents an ounce. Pasco, Wash.; Boise, Ida., and Elko. distance, 445 miles; time, 6 and 10 minutes; postage, 10 cents an ounce. Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Nev., and Salt Lake City, distance, 620 miles: time, 8 hours and 20 minutes; post- age, 10 cents an ounce. eattle, Portland, Medford, Sacra- mento, San Francisco, Fresno, Bak- ersfield and Los Angeles, distance, 1,150 miles; time, south bound, 18 | Hours and 25 minutes with 6 hours and 40 minutes Jayover at San Fran- cisco; morth bound, 15 hours and 10 minutes with 35 minutes stop at San { Francisco; postage, 15 cents an ounce for entire route; 10 cents for 1,000 miles or less. Requirements Cited. The law under which the Post- master General advertised for bids for the contract services specifies that a maximum of four-fifths of the postage received from mail car- ried may be paid to contractors. Each bidder mpst detail the equip- ment he proposes to furnish, such as the number of planes for use and for reserve, their type, construction, horsepower, speed and / cruising radius. Accepted bidders must execute a formal contract within 30 days after acceptance of their proposals and furnish a bond of not less than $10,000 for faithful performance. Palo Alto Hotel Damaged. The Palo Alto Hotel in Bladens- burg, one of the oldest structures in the country, was threatened by fire last night when a blaze broke out in the dance hall adjoining. Fire com- panies from surrounding communities checked the flames. Traffic over the Baltimore-Washington turnpike was detoured while the fire was in progress. The hotel was built in 1641. SEPTEMBER FIFTEENTH—END OF THE STRAW HAT SEASON. “From Press to Home Within the Hour” The Star’s carrier $ystem covers every city block and the regular edi- tio; a (®) Means Associated Press. Armless Official Signing 650 Bonds With Pen in Teeth By the Associated Press. LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Septem- ber 15.—Sam Sloan, State treasur- er, who is armless, has started a task that would daunt most men —signing his name 1,300 times by holding & pen in his teeth. The signatures are being placed on $650,000 worth of State bonds issued to erect buildings at the University of Arkansas. There are 650 of the bonds, each of $1,000 denomination, and each must be signed twice by the treas- urer. The securities were sold to St. Louis and Chicago banks. FURBERSHAW KEPT AWAY FROM RITES Sheriff Feared to Allow Dry Agent to Attend Mother’s Funeral. Special Dispatch to The Star. HAVRE DE GRACE, Md., Septem- ber 15.—Reported rumors that “Fed- eral agents” in Washington would at- tempt to get custody of J. A. Furber- shaw, dry agent held here in connec- tion with the killing of John Buon- gore, whom he had arrested on a charge of violating the prohibition law, today moved Sheriff R. W. Thompson to refuse to allow Furber- shaw to go to Washington In custody of a deputy to attend the funeral of his mother. States Attorney Worthington Hop- kins had granted permission for Fur- bershaw to leave the county jail, where he is held without bail, under guard, but after conferring with coun- sel the sheriff said he had been in- formed he would be held responsible it Furbershaw obtained his freedom and for that reason he refused to permit of his temporary liberty. The grand jwex_this afternoon is to take up the case of Furbershaw, who was arrested August 1, after Buon- gore had been shot, allegedly when he attempted to 3 Efforts to obtain Furbershaw’s re- lease on a writ of habeas corpus were balked by Judge Morris Soper of Bal- timore, refusing the writ. Rumors had reached the sheriff that an attempt would be made to obtain Furbershaw's release by strategy, to- day, the officer said. A M T ROBISON WILL LOSE RANK IF HE RETIRES Navy Engineering Chief to Be Captain When Tour of Duty Ends. President Coolidge has declined to approve the application of Rear Admi- ral J. K. Robison, Navy chief of en- gineering, who approved the leasing of Teapot Dome, for retirement with his present rank. On- the expiration of his tour of duty at the Navy Department the offi- cer will revert to the rank of captain. Having failed of promotion, he ask- ed to be retired by virtue of his 30 years' service, in which event he would have retained his rank. AMUNDSEN FLIGHT PLANS. Explorer to Sail in Spring for Pole in Dirigible. LONDON, September 15 (#).—A dis- patch to.the Westminster Gazette from Oslo, Norway, says the next expedi- tion of Koald Amudsen toward the North Pole, which will be undertaken in an airship he bought in Italy, will start from Rome next Spring. The route of the flight will be via Pulham, England; Trondhjem, Norway, and Kings Bay, Spitzbergen. The dispatch adds that after pass- ing over the pole Amundsen will fly as far as possible homeward. If the airship runs out of fuel or the weather is severe, he will descend ‘and tele- graph his position and await ald in dismantling the craft. Radio Programs—Page 42. POLIGE SEEK AN HELD FOR THEFTS Comb City While Postal Head Is Arraigned Before United States Authorities. | While police today were scouring | Washington for Harry W. Ransdell, | superintendent of the West End post | office at 1714 Pennsylvania avenue, in the belief that he had disappeared ! from home, Ransdell was being ar-| raigned before Commissioner Need- | ham Turnage on charges preferred by | postal inspectors involving the em-| bezzlement of $1,170. i Ransdell pleaded not guilty, waived | a preliminary hearing and was re-| leased under $2,000 bond to await action of the grand jury. Called by Wife. | The police search was started last | night when a telephone message, os- tensibly from Mrs. Ransdell, told de-| tectives at the third precinct of the discovery of a note from her husband saying he would be found “near the | Speedway.” - A mystery, in the eyes; of the police, cropped up when police | were unable to locate Mrs. Ransdell | at_her home, Apartment 200, i street, last night and were unable to ! reach’ her at the telephone number | she had given. | Meanwhile, Ransdell had been taken | into custody by Inspector Purdum of the local branch of postal inspectors | and arrangements were made for a| hearing this morning. Commissioner Turnage was inform. ed of a statement obtained from Rans- dell to the effect that he had started ; on a small scale on peculations, which | gradually became larger. | The postal inquiry developed vester- | day after an examination of the books of the West End post office, which dis- clc;;ed a substantial shortage, it was said. Ransdell was notified that he would be expected to appear before postal authorities for any statement he might wish to make regarding alleged mis- appropriation of funds. He voluntarily made his appearance before the au- thorities, and the hearing followed | shortly thereafter. Bond was provid- | ed by Milton S. Kronheim, profes- | sional bondsman, after the hearing. | Was Highly Respected. The West End post office is one of | the ,most important branches in the | city. It handles much of the bulky business from the upper business section and the superintendency there | was regarded as an important post in_the local postal system. The Ransdells had lived at the apartment on L street since a year ago last August. Ransdell was known as a cheerful and highly re- | spected resident of the apartment, it | was said. | Efforts of the police to locate Rans- | dell took such an extreme turn this morning that precinct detectives | clambered in the window of the apartment from a ledge on the side of the building, .but found nothing there except a morning newspaper. Police were beginning to fear foul play in the case and to take extensive search measures when news of the location of Ransdell reached them. PRESIDENT TO HEAR M’CRAY PARDON PLEA Will Act Only in' Event Strong Case Is Made for Convicted Governor. President Coolidge is willing to listen to argument for executive clem- ency for former Gov. McCray of In- diana, now serving a sentence in the Atlanta Penitentiary, but will act fa- vorably on the application made by friends of McCray only in the event a strong case is made in his behalf. Submitted recently to Attorney Gén- eral Sargent, McCray's applicatior was accompanied by letters from more than 200 prominent persons througtout the country, including many governors and former governors, seeking execu- tive clemency for the prisoner. McCray was convicted of using the malls to defraud in an attempt to re- cover a fortune lost in the cattle busi- His petition has been sent through the usual channels for recommenda- tions by the presiding judge and prose- cuting attorney at his trial and is now back in the hands of Justice Depart- 'ment officials. is delivered to Washington homes s fast as the papers are printed. Yesterday’ s Circulation, 93,704 TWO REPEAL OF PERMIT RENEWAL ASKED N ELDRIDGE'S REPORT Declares Present Regulation Will Prove Costly and Ineffective. CENTS URGES AUTO TITLE LAW; SEEKS WIDER POWERS Suggests Tag Revenues Be Given to Finance Traffic Bureau Work. Repeal of that part of the new traf- fic law which would require every mo- torist in Washington to have his operator's permit renewed annually is the outstanding recommendation of Traffic Director Eldridge in his first annual report, submitted to the Com® missfoners to Other importarnt proposals made by the director for im- proving conditions are: Enactment of a title law for auto moblles in the District. Extension of his authority to revoke and suspend permits, partic to enable him to withdraw the permit of a driver while he is awaiting trial for a serious offense A suggestion that the fees collected for tags and permits, estimated at $324,000 a year, be made available for use by the tr irector’s e to install automatic signal lights and de fray all other expenses of traffic con- trol. At present these fees go into the Treasury as part of the city’'s general revenue, and the money for the traf- fic office is appropriated by Congress the same as for all other functions. Would Increase Fund. This proposal, if adopted. would place the automobile tag and permit fees in the same category with the gasoline tax, which is devoted exclu- sively to road building. This plan would give the director far more money for traffic control than he re- ceived from Congress this year. Director Eldridge told the Commis- sioners that if Congress is unwilling to repeal the clause requiring annual renewal of all permits, then the exist- ing law should at least be altered to enable him to renew these permits gradually throughout the year instead of having to handle all of them at one time in March. On this subject Mr. Eldridge said: “If the director of traffic is clothed with ample authority to suspend and revoke permits, as requested later on in this report, it is believed that there will be no real need for the annual renewal of all drivers’ permits. The time and expense involved in such a tremendous undertaking could, in my opinion, be spent to better advantage in an- effort to eliminate from the streets that relatively small percent- age of drivers who are mentally physically or morally unfit to drive automobiles. “It is therefore urgently recom- mended that this section of the traffic act providing for the annual renewal of drivers’ permits be stricken out If Congress insists that the permits are to be renewed annually, I would suggest that certain changes be made in the act pertaining to annual re- newals as follows “The traffic act provides that all motor vehicle operators’ permits shall expire on March 31 each year and must be renewed at that time. If this plan is undertaken it will resuit in an annual rush of 150,000 or more applicants for permits during a short interval of time. Sees Less Congestion. “By amending the traffic act so as to cause such permits to be issued at intervals throughout the vear and re- new such permits as they expire one vear from the date of issue, it would be possible to serve motorists with a smaller force of employes, less con- gestion and more efliciency. This method is satisfactorily employed in | Massachusetts and Rhode Island. “Under the plan proposed the dates of expiration of permits could be staggered by calling in_about 500 permits each day. By following this method it would be possible to or- ganize a permanent clerical force which could operate throughout the vear and which would be able to more carefully examine the applications than would be the case if they were issued at one time. It will be im possible to undertake this task, how- ever, until adequate funds are pro- vided for the necessary clerical assistance.” Mr. Eldridge said suggestions had been made to him that all motorists be required to establish their financial responsibility by providing themselve: with public liability and propert damage insurance, or indemnity bonds, to pay for accidents for which {they may be held responsible. Thinks Move Unwise. “The consensus among trafic ex- perts and insurance men is,” the traf- fic director continued, “that it would {be unwise to require motorists as a class to provide themselves with such insurance or bonds on the ground that it might have the effect of in- creasing accidents, inasmuch as it would, to some extent, relieve motor- ists of responsibility and place it on the shoulders of the bondsmen or in- surance companies, who wuold pay the bill. “A substitute plan, which, in my opinion, would be less objectionable and perhaps just as effective, provid for the suspension of the permit any motorist who is unable to satisty a judgment involving injury to per- sons or property until such judgment is satisfied. This would have the ef- fect of forcing many motorists, tech- nically irresponsible, to setle judg- ments obtained against them and would doubtless bring about a greater degree of caution on the part of such persons on account of the possibility of losing their permits to drive. This slan would not add an unnecessary urden to the thousands of careful and conscientious motorists who are never involved in traffic accidents, but would have the effect of placing the responsibility and burden where it belong: Defers Higher Speeds. Discussing the establishment of boulevard stop highways in Washing- ton, Mr. Eldridge told the Commis- sloners it “would be most unwise to permit a greater maximum speed on these highways than that which is fixed in the traffic act” until all the boulevards are clearly and unmistak- ably marked and until motorists leass Continued on Page 5, Columt ¥) .