Evening Star Newspaper, September 22, 1925, Page 1

. WILBUR FLAYS IDEA - AT PROBE SESSION . [ WEATHER. (U. 8. Weather Bureau Forecast. Showers tonight and tomorrow; not much change in temperature, Temperatures—Highest, 87, at 3 p.m. yestevday; lowest, 55, at 6 a.m. today. Full report on page 7. Closing N. Y. Stocks and Bonds, Page 28 No. VTG, Sotered =x 2o OF ONE AIR FORCE Raps ‘Young, Inexperienced’ Flyers Who Are Favoring Unified Service. PERSONAL GREED BLAMED - FOR POPULARITY OF VIEW \ “Marine Corps” Plan Is Based on “Utter Fallacy,” Navy Chief Entered as second class matter shington, D. C. @h WASHINGTO BY the Associated Press. LAKEHURST, N. J., September —A new bit of testimony—that there Was unusual expansion of the gas cells' before the airship Shenandoah broke up—was given today before the naval court of inquiry investigating the loss of the ship. Lieut. Thomas Hendley, com- munications officer, testified that he was awakened by the pressure of a gas cell on his face and likewise by the unusual angle at which the ship was riding. Previous testimony had been at this time the Shenandoah was above her pressure height—that is, where the inside pre: of gas equaled the outside pr e of the air. Sefore Lieu was called o Says at Inquiry. The Navy presented a solid front! for continuation of its Air Seigice in | its present form. when the aviation | board of inquiry resumed its hearings | today. From Secretary Wilbur and | Rear Admiral Eberle, the chief of | operations, came the warning that a | radical change now would constitute | “a well nigh irreparable mistake.” It was the Navy's day before the President's investigating body and | hour after hour its ranking officers | poured into the minds of the commit- ! tee high technical statements and im- | posing arrays of figures in support of its demand that the Naval Air Service be maintained as “an essential part of | the fabric of the Navy itself.” i 3 Air Force Integral Part. The effect of the batteries of our | ships will be almost wholly lost with- out the assistance of our air force to fire effective on the gun range of the | battle of tomgrow,” Secretary Wil-| bur declared. 'the air force is an in- tegral part of the very fabric of the Navy itself. It cannot be forced into eparate corps. “Any attempt to do this would con- | sist in amputating from the Nav part of its very being. The argument advanced by so many young and in- | experienced naval aviators that they desire a separate air corps analagous to the Marine Corps is based on utter fallacy and complete misunderstand- ing.” Time and again Mr. Wilbur referred to those of the naval Air Service who | would like to see it become one with | . the Army Air Service as ‘“inexperi- enced young men." He even accused | them of being persuaded to their views | by ideas of personal greed, of \vlshm!‘[ to make the Navy impotent that they | personally might win higher promo- | tion and increased pay. Limitations of Planes. ! “The higber officers of the Navy.”| Mr. Wilbur added, ‘nderstdnd the limitations of aviation. These enthusi- astic fiving ofiicers cannot possibly | understand these limitations.” Then | reading from the report of the special | naval board of inquiry, which went| into the entire question of the effi-| clency of the battleships, submarines | and airplanes, he added. with delib-| erate emphasis: “Flying officers must be naval offi- cers first!” Before completing his Secretary Wilbur introduced hoard the officer: testimony | to the| he had brought to| the hearing with him to present fur- | ther testimony. First among these was Rear Admiral Eberle, then Rear Admiral Straus, Rear Admiral Moffett, chiet of the Bureau of Aeronautic: Rear Admiral Hughes, Maj. Gen. Le- | commandant. of the Marine | Corps, and Capt. A. W. John-| son, who is soon to be relieved as| assistant chief of the Bureau of Aero-| nautics by Comdr. John A. Rodgers. | “I am sorry, too, that my Marine | Corps aid. Maj. Brainerd, is not here,” Secretary Wilbur concluded. ‘“‘He spent 10 hours adrift in the Gulf Stream 1n an airplane once, and he | knows something about the relation between air and water.” The specta tors laughed heartily at the correla tion and the members of suppressed their laughs smiles. the board into quick Rodgers to Be Called. Secretary Wilbur disclosed t board had requested permission tol hear testimony from Comdr. Rodgers. He pointed out that the commander the recent attempted flight to Hawaii | would not land on the Pacific Coast until Thursday the that he had an en-| gagement in Louis en route to| Washington and t he would arrive “in due course,” if that was satisfac- tory to the board. i Dwight W. Morrow, the chairman, then intormed Mr. Wilbur that the board would like to hear from Comdr. { Rodgers by not later than September | 30. Mr. Wilbur replied that he would | probably have to “fly” to get here in | such a short space of time, but added that every effort would be made to meet the wishes of the committee. There was much logical speculation after this brief passage at words. | Comdr. Rodgers, it should be remem- ! Lieut. Charle: Bauch, watch officer on duty at the time, declared inspec- tion some time bhefore the accident showed that the gas press excessive. Both Lieuts. Hendley and Bauch., as | well as Lieut. Roland G. Maver, con- struction officer on board. agreed with other witnesses that the break-up oc- den) tilted up during a second rapid lascent. Stories as told by civilian eyewit- nesses to the special investigating naval board were summarized to the court by Comgr. Jacob H. Klein, presi- | curred when the ship's nose was sud- | re was not | men !EXCESSIVE EXPANSION NOTICED BEFORE SHENANDOAH BREAK-UP| 1 New Note Introduced in Testimony Today—Wit- nesses, in Accord, Tell Vivid Stories in Con- nection With Disaster. dent of that board. He sald the two most intelligent of these witnesses agreed that the ship broke at the bot- tom. Others, less intelligent, Comdr. Klein said, insisted that the craft “humped up" and broke at the top. The special board was told by some farmers near the scene of the wreck | that the wind was the strongest they had ever experienced. Comdr. Klein said it appeared that the wind was coming from all directions at once. None of the witnesses saw a! lightning near the ship, Comdr. Klein added, and there was no ev dence that there was any fire of a | Kind before, at the time of, or after the craft broke up. andoah have been heard will face the question of th witnesses to be called. Stories Show Accord. was practically between testified yesterday as to the ship did before the she the court There agreement who Just what crash a None of- fered any suggestions, however, as to what caused the wrec] whether it Wi due solely to the storm or to me inherent weakness in the ship itself. There was no reference to the structural changes made in the ship to accomodate water _but it is stated on behalf of (Continued on Page 4, Column 2 Further Building Of Dirigibles by U. S. Waits Probe By the Associated Press. No steps toward construction of new dirigible are contemplated by President Coolidge pending the outcome of inquiry now in progress at Lakehurst into the wreck of the Shenandoah. The President does not however, that the inquiry will re- veal such difficulties in~ dirigible building to convince the Gov- ernment it should abandon such construction. WOMAN 15 SLAIN IN LUMBER KILN Placed in Furnace Alive, Fireman, Arrested, Says He Feared Poisoning. expect, By the Associated Presc W YORK, September 22.—Mrs. Sophie Poleski, whose body was found v police today In the furnace of an East Side lumber vard kiln, was placed in the furnace while still alive and was burned to death, Medical Ex- aminer Schwartz announced following an autops: Two fractures were found on the woman's skull. George Symuk, fire- man in charge of the furnace, was ar- rested and charged with Mrs. Pole- s death after a policeman had been attracted to the lumber yard by the woman's screams. George Symuk, fireman of the lum- ber yard, was arrested for the wom- an’s death, Patrolman William Merrick, hear- ing a woman's screams coming from the lumber yard, investigated. As he scrambled over the piles of lumber the screams ceased. Merrick found Symuk near the fur- on the premise: question him, Symuk rick fired his revolver. As Merrick began to fled and Mer- The shot was to the furnace room. The officers found Mrs. Poleski's body inside the furnace, the door of which had been closed and a shovel proped against it. ymuk told the police that the wom- an ns\en visited him at the vard and that *she once threatened to poison him. When she brought him two bot- tles of wine early this morning he suspected that she had piaced poison in the wine. He said he beat her over the head with,a bottle and then carried her body from an office in the main building to the furnace room. Police said Mrs. Poleski was gagged before being placed in the furnace. Symuk told his captors that when he ran from the lumber yard he in- tended to commit suicide by jumping into the East River nearby. He was held on a charge of homicide. A new angle in the case developed when detectives found John Poleski, bered, asked permission to remain on | e dead woman's husband, in bed at fiying duty when he was offered the|pjs home with a serious wound on the Post of assistant chief of the Bureau | pesd. e was taken to the district at- of Aeronautics. This request was de- nied. Now there is speculation as to | whether or not he might have some | personal ideas as to the administration | of the air services. { Favors Present Policy. | Secretary Wilbur skipped over most | of his written statement, submitting | it to the board to read at its leisure. | JHe made few recommendations for | hetterment and none of outstanding | importance from a defensive point of | view. He answered negatively the| questions as to what he thought of | the establishment of a unified afr serv- | ice, adoption of the “Marine Corps jdea™ or the creation of a minister of | defense. | On the question of whether the pres- | ent organization should be continued substantially in its present form, how- ever, his response was an emphatic and solemn ‘Yes!” “If no serious mistakes are made,” he explained, “all defects, real or imaginary, in aviation in the Navy will be correct- ed. But the mistake of establishing a separate department or corps would be well-nigh irreparable.” Praises Navy Service. In this position Admiral Eberle sup- ported Secretary Wilbur without qual- ification. _Adoption of plans suggest- ed by such men as Col. Willlam Mit- chell, he said, without mentioning any names, would “bring disaster to the national . defense interests.” “It is considered,” he added. “that our Navy has progressed further in aviation development than any nation of the world.” torney’s office for questioning. AIR PILOT NEAR DEATH. Mail-Carrying Plane Crashes to ‘Earth During Flight. ATLANTIC, Towa, September 22 (). —W. C. Hopson, air mail pilot, nar- rowly escaped death when his plane crashed to earth southeast of Anita, near here, yesterday, it was learned. The plane was badly damaged and the pilot was severely bruised. The electric beacon at Anita was not in operation and in the darkness and storm the pilot lost his wa. The plane was taken to Omaha and the mail was taken aboard another plane. HOPE FOR FRENCH | ;| nace, but he denied that a woman was | | heard by two other patrolmen, who | !caught the fireman and took him back | | _ Debt Settlement AGREEMENT GROWS Appears Probable as Both Sides Accept Principles. Prospects of success in the forth- coming Franco-American debt nego. tiations today appeared brighter than ever. Although there was no official or obsgrver in the Capital who £0 80 far as to predict definitely that the French debt of more than $4.000,- 000,000 to the United States will be funded, several factors combined to indicate that the two countries are now nearer a solution of the delicate and troublesome question than at any stage of the several approaches made since the war. 2 . Admittedly, the French negotiations are looked forward to with consider. able uncertainty, both on account of the failure to make substantial prog- ress in the past, when advances were made by French representativs In dis. cussing their debt, and on account of the present economic France, about which there seems to be diffcrence of oplnion in various quarters. Agree on Principles. Hopeful signs, however, are plain From the steamship Paris, 1 Finance Minister Calllaux and his commission aboafd, now approaching American shores, and from American officials have come assurances that the two debt commissions are pre. pared to zet together for an imme. diate businesslike consideration of the problem. Both commissions already under- stand, it was said here yesterday. that a basis acceptable to both, in brief, is that the entire principal is to be met, and that the negotiations will turn on the kind of terms and the interest rate which will constitute payments such as France will her present economic meet. “Capacity _to pay” 05 (Continued on Page 4, Colu SHENAND T0 FARMERS DENIED Klein Declares Losses More Than Covered by Admission Fees to See Ship. situation to By the Associated Press LAKEHURST, N. J., September 22. —One of the three Ohio farmers on whose property parts of the wreckage of the airship Shenandoah fell took In §5,000 in admission charges io tour- ists and for sofe drink concessions, the naval court of inquiry was told here | today by Comdr. Jacob H. Klein, presi- | dent of the speclal board which inves- | tigated the wreck. This farmer is C. W it was on his property that the main section of the wreck came to rest. Comdr. Klein said Niswonger showed him his bank book carrying deposits in this amount from September 3 to 8. Because of this the officer recdmmend. ed that Niswonger's claim for $500 damages to-property be disallowed. The other farmers, a Mr. Davis and Ernest W. Nichols, put in no claim, but each made an unnamed amount from tourists. Andy Gamary, who rents part of Davis' $200 damages by reason of the control car and part of the ship falling on his property. Comdr. Klein recommended that he receive $111.75 and that a claim for damage to the linoleum on nis kitchen floor be disallowed. “I do not think the United States Niswonger and damage,” Comdr. Klein said. “Were They Goldfish?” France Asks Berlin of Stock Hurt in Plane Fall By the Associated Press. PARIS, September 22 —Germany, it now develops, is asking 3,000 marks reparation for “damage caused to the fish” when the French aviator Dieu- donne Coste fell into the river near Freiburg-in-Breisgau, Baden, and the French are facetiously asking whether the stream is stocked with goldfish. Coste has been held by the Germans since September 13, the date of the accident, in which his companion. Foherte Thierry, was killed. Tn nd- dition 10 the repara im for the fish the Germian government is demanding payment of a 6,000-mark fine for fly- ing over German territory without permission. It is expected that the matter will be amicably arranged, although the French government objects to the fine on the ground that the aviators did not purposely’ fly over German terri- tory, but merely lost their way in the clouds. RadioiPrograms—-—?age 24, ¢ Foening After all the officers of the Shen- | e additional | complete | the officers and | was making a_second | | rapid ascent in the squall, which had been | WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION 99 22, 1925 — - Sfar, FORTY TIAGES. “From Press to Home Within the Hour” The Star's carrier system covers every city blocl and the regular edi- tion is delivered to Washington homes as fast as th Yesterday's (/) Means Associated e papers are printed. Circulation, 94,557 TWO CENTS Press. N, D. C, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER PRESIDENT T0 LET GONGRESSFIX L. . ARMS PARLEY ROLE Wants to Do Nothing to Dis- courage League’s Plan, However. GENEVA IS UNDECIDED ON BID TO AMERICANS Questions Whether Experts Could | Woerk on Body Directed * by Council. By the Assoc American participation in disarma- ment conference plans of the League of Nations should only be undertaken | on congressional authorization. in the | judgment of President Coolidge. | The President wants to do ngthing | to discourage efforts for a cut in arma- i ment by mutual agreement, but he is not inclined to co-operate in a League of Nations disarmament conference if there is a possibility that Congress { will olfject | | | i "TRACTION MERGER INFUTURE PLANNED | l i by FOLOMING SURVEY North American Co. to Study Engineers’ Report With End in View. REROUTING IS ADVOCATED IF CONSOLIDATION FAILS No Immediate Steps to Be Taken, But Eventual Uniting of Street Railways Is Expected. BY CHAS. P. SHAEFFER. The North American Co. hopes eventually to control and merge the two local street railway lines operat- ing in Washington This fact was inference but firmly established at a conference held with North : American officials in New York City | merger, | comprehensive survey of Washington FABI | ington Government will be asked to ake part in the expert committees of | FOGE PLAN NERT By the Associated Press | | | & \'l-:\"\.‘:iep(emheri‘ —The ques- | Is Not Opposed to Blanket; tion whether the United States Is to Authority for Re- | organization. ibe invited to send experts to Geneva ! Eln aid in the technical preparations | | No suggestion whether the Wash- | | the league which will discuss plans 'Ior a disarmament agreement has | reached here through official channels. LEAGUE HEADS PUZZLED. “ Doubt ited States Could Send Ex-| for the League of Nations disarma- ! ment conference. on the holdings of | which the leaders of the assembly of | the league, including delegates of Great Britain and France, have | reached an accord. and whether Amer- BY J. RUSSI The proposal of Sena ew Jersey to give the President au would | | fcans will sit on the study commission | ! still remains unanswered. The prin i cipal spokesman for the various dele- | gations are side-stepping the question, saying that it is one for the assembly {as a whole to reply to. | The preparations for the disarma- | ment conference are to start immedi i ately, but, in accordance with the thority to reorganize the departments of the Government at his own discre. | | tion is not oppesed by President Cool. | i was learned at the White | House today when it was explained | by a spokesman for him that Pre ! dent Coolidge is deply impressed with | what Senator Edge told him vesterday | | agreement reached yesterday to hold 1 it, convocation will occur only when the council of the league is sure that ! security has been attalned. "A com- regarding his intention to introduce a | resolution at the coming session o(' Congress that would permit the Ex ecutive to transfer and co-ordinate de | mission to study for the reduction and | limitation of armaments” will be the| { name of the new organism. All states | baving special interests in the dis armament problem and which are not partments at will. It was explained urther that the President is commit ted only to one plan for reorganiza- tion. That is known as the Smoot situation of | with | be able under ! | OAH DAMAGE represented in the council will have a place on the commission. U. S. Consent Doubted. It is generally conceded that an in- | vitation will be forwarded to Wash- | !ington to send experts to Geneva to !assist in the preparatory work, but ! doubt is expressed that the United| cirecliod as fecling that the time States will consent to place ita rep- | pae come when there should be a gen resentatives under such direct control | org) ‘reorganization of the various de of thescouncll of the leagus as 18| parments and bureaus of the Govern- envisaged for the icoquynisaion. | ment, and, inasmuch as the Smoot bill arlier in the assembly meetings|iq the result of several years' study | there were suggestions of British ob-| made of the subject by the joint con | position to a league armament con- | gressional committee on reorganiza | ference on the ground that Great Brit- | tion and has the approval of the ad {ain preferred one at Washington. ! ministration, the President naturally | | _The league is also to hold an eco- \yjll use influence of his office to bring | nomic conference, as suggested DY |ahout enactment of this legislation. France. Representation of the United | gyt those who know him weli feel | States {s regarded as necessary to{that he was sufliciently “impressed { make it international, but if the Unit- ! with the idea for reorganization ad- led States does not participate, there|vanced by Senator Edge vesterday to i will be un European economic confer- | approve the latter's resolution in’ the ence. Preparations for this confer-|event the Smoot bill has no chance ence will start when the council of 'for success. ! the league decides the time opportune.| One of the arguments offered by | _Viscount Cecil in saying that Great | Sepator Edge was that, because of Britain was immensely interested in | (he general nature of the Smoot bill, such a conference, denied that the it will meet with opposition of such { British people were showing a luke-| a formidable nature that its passage | { warm attitude toward the league. He | will be impossible, and that his pro- | | said they were resolved to support the | posed resolution unquestionably {a better chance for approval. | Prestdent, however, made no com- ment today as to the treatment the Smoot bill probably will receive when it comes before Congress; nor did he indicate that he agreed with Senator Edge that the latter's pro- posal would have easier sailing. Wants Efficiency Improved. The President wants to establish a greater efficiency in the Federal | department by eliminating the great mass of duplicated effort, and this can only be done, he belieyes, by the method of practical reorganization. | As for the blanket authority Senator | Bage would vest in the President of —_ | the United States, President Coolidge | is represented as feeling that such plan, Thinks Action Needed. It was added. however, that the fact | that the President is commiited only | to the Smoot pian does not mean that {he would not favor the proposal of | Senator Edge. The President was | | league by every means possible. | Treaty Reference Deleted. Furthermore the delegates deleted | from the original draft of the resolu- | tion all phrases drawing attention to {the fact that the conference is for | | the study and remodelling of treaties | | ana contented themselves with an ex- | pression of deep interest in the plan | | “(Continued on Page 2, Column 4.) 'GAMBLING PLUNGER 'KIDANPED BY BANDITS | vening area of parks | Ransom or Revenge Are Seen as authority might prove very helpful place, claimed | Government i3 responsible for this | but at the same time he is not un- mindful of the fact that too much | executive authority might some time | prove inconvenient. | | During the President’s discussion | i of this proposed legislation today. Ex sharhioasied T he was represented as not touching | | CHICAGO, September 22.—Ransom |upon the declaration made by tena- : v v | tor Edge that he wants to see the| or revenge were polce theories today | or ‘ppmng that Mo wants {o- seg the {on the kidnaping of two armed men | = s | 4 | functions and those of the Emergency G i e o' calthy | Fleet Corporation transferred to some | rgal estate dealer but ldentified by his| ne of the departments, preferably | | wife ‘ag “Hickory Slim,” one of the | the Department of Commerce. i biggest gambling plungers in the | country. The revenge theory held that some SAVED ON SCAFFOLD. | heavy loser in Belford's operations, | | which raised him from the crap|ging Boris Reprieves Conspirator; shooting class to the millionaire rank ot st Ta BaiiiFitted: ias a bookmaker, may have decided to ¢ SOFIA, Bulgaria, September 22 (P). | punish him. Mrs. Belford told the police of the —Just as the rope was being adjusted Kkidnaping early last night. She and |about the neck of a Communist 2o her husband were returning from o | spirator t&z;y a reprieve from King theater a short distance from their | Boris arri . b fashionable hotel, when two men halt- Thlfilugtl:le :l::tl elrr:cs:ar:;e g:a tt’i‘: ls\‘l'rg annullinj 85 ’:{:;e?:l;fxmoblle, demanding money | AN Sen confirmed and signed by She threw jewelry valued at $2,000 | him. King Boris is known for his an- on the floor and stepped out. - The, men drove off with her husband. tipathy toward capital punishment. He was said to have agreed to the When she told them her husband was “Hickory Slim,” police recalled | gxecution of those responsible for the Creent cathedral bombing and ter- the stories of the famous plunges roristic campaign in Bulgaria only credited to him. “Hickory ‘Slim" had a luck or acumen, that was pro- lengthy importunities from_his /verblal. His associates were wont to :.‘:ne::selors;. ' declare his talisman was the first O dollar he cut from a crap game. His Fhens : rise to wéalth was stéady. Tokio Fire Laid to Workmen. His most recent coups were made at( OKIO, September 22 (#). — Three Hawthorne track, where, with-a New | workmen have been held for trial in Motives of Men Who Held Up Machine. SIS York bookmaker, he cleaned up $100,- | connection with the destruction of the 000 or more a_day. His real estate| Djet Building here on September 13. ‘dinz< in Florida were Isted at [Tt mav develon thit the fire was of i X incendiary” origin. Gout Killed Adam, Ancient Document In London Asserts By the Associated Prese LONDON, September ied of gout, says document held by the Heralds' College of London. The document, the origin of which is unknown. but which was written in the six teenth century, professes to trace the genealogy of the & on kings back to Adam and Eve. Adam succumbed nd was buried in Whether, if he had con to eat an apple a d: he would have kept the doctor away, is not mentioned. ASKS BALTIMORE'S AID IN PARK PLANS Sherril Urges Rotary Club to| Heln Work of Developing Area Between Cities. Adam ¢ an ancient | Special Dispatch to The Star BALTIMORE, Md.. September Need of a comprehensive plan of regional development of the National Capital being put on a sound basis in the near future, to the end that parkwavs and watersheds in Wash- ington and vicimity may be obtained before they fall into the hands of land | speculators, W pointed out this afternoon to the Rotary Club of Bal- | timore, at its luncheon meeting in the Hotel Rennera here, by Lieut. Col. Clarence O. Sherrill, director of the office of public buildings and pub- lic parks of the National Capital. Col. Sherrill told now laid down, of the co-operation being given by Gov. Ritchie and the Maryland Suburban Sanitary Commyis sion and Gov. Trinkle of Virginia, and explained how important it was also to Baltimore to aid to the fullest extent in the plan which eventually will join the two cities by an inter- . boulevards and a well-planned home development. Forests Must Be Saved. Not only Rock Creek, the Northwest Branch. the Potomac and Anacostia rivers must be protected, but the Patuxant and Patapsco rivers must be taken into consideration, with the idea of preserving the forested areas along their banks for park areas and great national playgrounds, he sald. ““The rapid growth of the popula- tion around the National Capital with- in the counties of Montgomery and Prince Georges, Md.,” said Col. Sher- rill, “serves to emphasize the impor- tance of this comprehensive plan of development being put on a sound basis in the near future. Although divided geographically by invisible lines from the District of Columbia, these sections in Maryland are so closely associated that it is evident hat the planning of the area outside of the District should be closely co- ordinated with the planning of the Federal City. ““While it is true that the Patuxent and Patapsco Rivers do not immedi- ately affect the District of Columbia. the conservation of their stream flow (Continued on Page 2, Column 7.) SCHOOL ROUND-UP WILL BE LAUNCHE | Authorities to Seek All Chil- dren Due in Classes Under New Law. | With previous opening day enroll- | | ment records shattered, the public | | schools are looking toward the largest | pupil expansion in their history this | vear as a result of an announcement today by Miss Fay L. Bentley, direc tor of the department of school at- tendance and work permits that a dragnet would be spread over the Dis- trict at the close of the week to round up children affected by the compul- sory education law, who have not re- | if findings were justified i ada iin Capital street railway lines | Gruni, vesterday. Denying the these imminence of officials declared a the recently transportation problems, | completed by the engineering firm of McClellan & Junkersfeld, would be subjected to a minute analysis by traction experts of the company. and the North would take steps to to their already large interests American Co. It was readily admitted by Edwin vice president and gener: manager of the North American Co.. who ix the directing gemus in the uation, that the primary pur- e of the survey of McCleilan & Junkersfeld was in anticipation of a i future merger of local street railway lines, but emphasis was laid on the fact that if such action did not take place the expenditure of the sum necessary to completing the survey would be a prudent disbursement 1o protect an investment of between £4,000,000 and $5,000,000, the amount of the company's present interest in Washington street raflway lines. Denies Entire Ownership. Mr. Gruhl declared that approxi- | mately 75 per cent of the $6,500,000 icommon stock of the Washington Rail- | way and Electric Co. was owned by {the North American Co.; a relatively | small amount of the $8,500,000 of pre- { ferred, and an also comparatively small | ported to school. amount of Capital Traction's $12,000. hi : 1000 of capital stock. It was further de- \While the compulsory education Iaw | termined that North American inte already has played a large part in In-|¢gt< are not now in the market for an creasing the enroliment record for | of these stocks, Baving lost interest in of the plans as | the first day of school, Miss Bentley believes there are vet some children affected by the law who have not en | rolled. Principals of all schools, paro- | chial and private as well as public, | have been notified to furnish Miss Bentley at the close of the first week | of school with the names of pupils ‘\\'hr\ attended their schools last year | and who did not report back this | | vear. These cases wil be investigated. | This method of checking up will be | ome of Miss Bentley's mediums of en- | | forcing the new law. 61,679 Are Registered. The schools hegan the new term sterday with a record-breaking first enrollment of 61,679, an increase | 54 over the first day of school | Further increases are looked , when the peak probably will be reached. By that time school officials anticipate an | enrollment exceeding 69,000, or about | 000 more than were enrolled last| Distribution of the total was as follows: High schools. crease of 967 over last vear: “(Cont#ued on Page 2, Column 3.) CONTRACTS AWARDED FOR STREET GRADING | | Commissioners Also Authorize | Building of Another Section of Rock Creek Sewer. A contract for the grading of sev- eral new streets was awarded by the | Commissioners today to G. B. Mullin, Co., Inc The streets to be graded are: ond place northwest, Tuckerman to! Underwood streets;, Upland terrace, | Thirty-third street to Western avenue | northwest; South Dakota avenue | northeast from Monroe street to Otis, and from Otis to Twentieth stree Gault place northeast, east of Forty- second street. | Sec- | Gof Mr. | cities of corresponding size. | Railway common, their latest activity, when that issue was selling more than 30 points below its present level. Fur- thermore, according to Mr. Gruhl, the company has no physical interest whatsoever in the Washington Rapid Transit Co., nor does it have any agreement whereby shares or control can be acquired at a later date. Mr. Gruhl emphatically denied the allegations contained in an advertise- ment of Coburn, Kittredge & Co., Bos- ton brokers, that the North American Co. owned and controlled the entire Washington Railway and Electric sy tem in Washington, and advanced the information that a letter had gone for- ward asking that this statement be stricken from future advertising. In the opinion of North American officials, the recently completed sur- vey, if not instrumental in facilitating a merger of the two street railway lines, will bring to the surface such essential information that a rerout- ing of the present lines could be ef- fected by the Utilities Commission, conforming with the salient facts of ;| the survey. Tmprovement Needed. There were no denials on the part Gruhl that the present sys- needs improvement. The sur- vey, it was recalled, showed a super- fluity of cars in isolated or barren territories, and an inadequate num- ber on arterial lines during rush hours. Then, too. attention was called to the inability of local lines to operate the maximum number of car miles per car hours, this de- linquency being measured by other Much of the trouble now existing locally could be eliminated, Mr. Gruhl be- lieves, through the medium of 1erout- ing, even to the extent of utilizing competitive trackage. ie als> added that a new and faster time schedule: with the threat of dismissal to the first man who couldn't conform to its requirements, had materinlly in- creased service in other cities within his_knowledge. 5 North American officials tactfully declined to shed any light on the prob- able nature of a merger if such could be effected. It was stated, Inwever, that the usual form of such proced. ures was a_cash offer for a majority tem 1 The Commissioners also gave a rfm~1 purchase of interested stock. tract to the Kirwan Engineering Com.| The matter of merger of the two pany to build another section of the | Propertles is primarily a matter of Rock Creek . interceptor sewer at a| cost of $5M000. This large sewer is| being constructed to intercept the ! sewage which now flows into Rock ! Creek. Burglar Scare Brings Riot Squad To Fashionable Home—for Lowly Rat At 4 o'clock this morning the tele- phone at No. 3 precinct station aroused a sleepy desk man from his lethargy with the information that burglars were ' rampant in the fashionable Sheridan Circle section. “This is Mrs. Hilliard, at 2131 Mas- sachusetts avenue,” the shrill voice at the end of the line gasped. “Come quick, there’'s somebody in the base- ment!” The sergeant jumped to his feet, only to find that the squadroom at that moment was empty. During the next few moments, while he was en- deavoring frantically to round up the precinct’s burglar sleuths, the | same voice called twice more for as- sistance. The riot squad meanwhile swung into action with faces set and guns ready. The distance from Twentieth and K streets to Twenty-second street and Massachusetts avenue was cov- ered in record time. As the big gray front of the big stone residence loomed into wiew the policemen' dismounted an? ied s'ea'thily to the sceve. vrm imspection of ‘the outside of | i | 1 | the house convinced the officers there | was no way of escape from the base- | ment, except through the front door- | way, so they went to the entrance and | were admitted into 7 dimly-lighted re. | ception hall, where ‘Mrs. Hilliard and several pale woman servants had | gathered. v “Dowp _there, Whispered. him at work.” The policemen beht forward, cocked their ears and detected a slight scratching sound emanating from the basement. Motioning for the others to follow, the leader of the squad tip- toed down the steps, revolver in| hand. The scratching noise con. ! tinued. It came from the direction of | the furnace. It seemed to be inside | the boiler. A flashlight shot its rays ahead and focussed inside the boiler. There en- | sued the sounds of a desperate en- counter, followed by a thud and then silence. The squad returned to the station | house, its work: done. “Any burglare?’ the sergeant in- cuired eagerly as they entered. |+ “Rats,” was ?e only reply. 4 & ' one of the servants Listen, you can hear agreement between the companies in- (Continued on Page 2, Column 5., LAST DAY OF SUMMER FINDS CITY SHIVERING Mercury Drops to 55 Degrees, and Will Stay Low, According to Weather Man. "Tis the last day of Summer, and a right chilly departure she wiil take when she passes out of the picture to- morrow morning at 8:44 o'clock, ac- coffing to the Weather Bureau. Autumn just couldn’t wait to make her debut, it seems, and so the fore- caster found his thermometer at a low ebb today. Fifty-eight degrees the mercury registered at noon, which was only three points higher than the mini- mum of 55 reached during the past 24 hours. Not much change in temperature is in sight for the immediate future either, Forecaster Welghtman opines. To add to the discomfort there will probably be a number of shivery showers tonight and tomorrow, he serts. Washington is only one of a score of cities throughout the country whose inhabitants are unpacking cedar chests today. In North Dakota the mecury was near the freezing point today, while in the Yellowstone it stood at 28 and in Sheridan, Wyo., at 30 de- grees. B