Evening Star Newspaper, December 12, 1925, Page 1

WEATHER. ther Bureau Forecast.) with lowest temperature about :es tonight: tomorrow partly older tomorrow afternoon or night. ~ Temperatures: Highest, 48, at 5 pam. vesterday; lowest, 41, at 1:30 a.m. today. Full report on page 10. The only evening paper in Washington with the Associated Press news service. Faii 38 deg i Ciosing N. Y. Stocks and Bonds, Page 26 nyxlc: ed as second class matter 20 ] 29,810. st office. Washington, D. C. WASHINGTON, D. €., SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1925—THIRTY-SIX PAGES. 'FRANG MAKES LOW | i RECORD IN FOREIGN ¢ Foening Star. * Yesterday’s Circulation, 101,712 TWO CENTS. ‘THREE BIG POWERS OPPOSE SEPARATE > (P) Means Associated Press. [ROY A. AMERICANS CAUGHT ™ot Cororns “nmers oo IN'RAIN OF SHELLS ndrews Explains Omission Was Due to Error, us INCHINESE BATTLE Twenty, Trapped Between! Armies, Save Lives by Lying Under Rail Coaches. BATTLE STOPS TRAIN BOUND FOR TIENTSIN Party Is Taken Safely Back to Peking After Conflict—Protests Made to Gen. Feng. B: the Associated Press PEKING, China, December T terpational train which left Peki for Tientsin early Thursday morning eturned here at 6 o'clock ter having been caught wetween the forces of Feng ¥ nd Li Ching-Ling, at Yar miles north of Tientsin Twenty Americans. nine Britishers eral prominent Japu ague of Nations vepr ~ent to studv the plague in Manchuria, were on board, were forced to ke refuge frora bursting shells un ier the coaches of the stalled train The passengers included a number of women and children. All escaped | unharmed, and declared they were! e the worse for thelr experience except for the discomfort of huddling under the train in the chilly weather. Their experience, however, was not without its thrills. A bomb from an airplane fell in the midst of & camel train nearhy and fri trated the cars, which a by several bullets. Feng Opens Battie. When the inter din was stopped at Yangtsu rmored train | belonging to Feng Yu-Hslang, which had followed it, landed 1.000 troops | with artillery and began shelling the forces of Li Ching-Ling. the governor | of Chihli, across the river. As the wuns opened fire the p engers on the international in, who had 1lighted with the intentior walking r securing transportation to Tientsin, r back to the train and took refige under the cars. News of their plight reached Peking and Willys R. Peck of the American | legation hurried to the scene with a tor truck loaded with food and | nkets. Subsequently the train was | fely withdrawn from the fighting | area to Langfang. miles to the| northwest, and thence back to Peking. | and Li's armies were still en- | 2 furious fighting to the morth | near Pehtsang, 7 this morning. The foreign | legations here huve lodged strong pro- | tests with Feng against the move on 3 pointing out that it is xL“ rese Vangtsun, hreach of the Boxer protecols, which reserve to the foreign powers the spe c right to hold Yangtsun as a van tage point in keeping the railroad be- tween Peking and the coast open. Japanese Officials Safe. Among the passengers were Mochizuki, a_member of the Japanese Diet; Count Insui, undersecretary of | the Japanese navy: M. Bardac, brother- | of the F nch min: er to ! nd four Leagzue of Nations missioners westigate the lague in Manchuris Among the Americ: ‘arrere_of Chicago houn, widow of the \finister in Peking. Mr. Peck reached he international’ train early thi: morning and dellvered the provisions. The train guard numbered 70 men, | whom 70 were Americans. The | of additional American pas- d a A man s of Chihle b | M was Miss Ann d Mrs. J. Cal-| ormer American | of names sengers on bos named Willia Provinee; Mrs. Chicago C; Poor, Mrs. T and Holt, Ma four children Ward, A Miller, Misses Harper, his wife and | i Lieut. Burkhardt. Ttalian Troops on Guard. M ut 20 miles north of | Tientsin, while Langfang is 25 miles | arther to the northwest, toward | Peking. Both are ation points on the important Peking-Tientsin Rail- | road, which is the main artery of | ommu ion between Peking and | the coast. i During the present Chinese trouble hese inter trains have each carried a guard of forcign soldiers or marines. Apparently the Ttalian m: rines mentioned in the above dispatch formed the guerd on this train LONDON FEELS ANXIETY. Yangtsun is ‘Later Reports of Peking Trai Altays Fears, LONDON. December 12 (#).—News | the plight of the International train at Yanstsun, hetween Peking and | Tientsin, caused ve anxiety in Lon- | don until word was received that it had been safely withdrawn today and that nobody on hoard was injured. The train apparently was caught be- tween the contending forces vester- day. Yangtsun is surrounded by the opposing troops of Fenx Yu-Hsiang, \who controls the Peking government, and Li-Ching-Ling, the governor of | Chihli province. | Farlier in the week the train was held up through the destruction of al bridge, and when it left Peking Thurs- in it had on| an Infantry. 's Fate | day morning for Tien board a guard of Ame Crew of Wrecked Trawler Found Clinging to Reef. i i VIGO, Spain, December 12. (P).— | Sixteen members of ghe crew of the trawier Arlanza were brought Into Wouzas, near Vigo, yvesterday by a i steamer which found them clinging to reef. \ear Bou: xploded e wreck cef, thous ured. Thurs The men got away rd made their wa: from to the Millionaire’s Wife Divorced. LOS ANGELES, Calif., December | 12 (P).—Mrs. Olivia Westcott, wife of ' harles Westcott. known as ‘the mil.{ sonaire moving picture cowboy and | ow serving a term in Los Angeles “ounty Prison for & statutory offense. was glven her final decree of divorce eaterday {orders immediately would be The trawler ran on the rocks || and the boiler | | several of them were in- || Officials See in It Further Sign of Prohibition Commissioner’s Dethronement. While speculation was rife today concerning the ommission of the name of Roy A. Haynes of Ohlo from the new Congressfonal Directory, just off the presses, Assistant Secrefary of Treasury Andrews, fleld marshal of the prohibition enforcement forces ¢Xplained that “a serfous and griev- ous error has been made” in th. ununission, although he dfd not indi cate who had made the he discovery of brought to light iwded with inter previous directorie wppeared in the back of the book and Lody of the book in th voted to the executive departments In the latter position it appeared under the heading of *“ issloner of Internal Revenue,” along with other officfals in the Internal Revenue Bu- reau The name of James E. Jones, for- mer Assistant Prohibition Commis- sioner, which appeared In previous issues of the directory, evidently has supplanted that Hayues in the new book. Jones' name appears in both the index aand in the section de- voted to executive departments. But the heretofore fumiliar name of Prohi- bition Commissloner Roy A. Haynes is «bsent. , made today, Tie led nd_other whether Department ental circles as to % still occupied | e |the administration had deliberately |eliminated Haynes from the new | divectory as a further token of the | fuct that he has been sharply demoted |in_authority over prohibition affairs. Administration officlals from the President on down, when guestioned concerning the status of Haynes under the sweeping reorganization 3 Asslstant Secretary of the ury Andrews in charge, have declared ihat Mr. Haynes responsible place. It he wus still the t arm” of Ileld Marshal An But an apparently {usignifi- Ing officla! order, weeks ago. red practically 1 of the au formerly possessed by the com prohibition to the new prohibition aduministrators in the tield, of which there are 24 Furthermore, Mr. Haynes' assistant, Mr. Jones, was promoted to the new- 1y created post of director of prohibi- tion. Mr. Jones is now in complete | charge of actlvitles at headquarters of the prohibition unit. It i< his name | alone which appears in the new di- {rectory in the place tormerly occupied by Mr. Haynes. Efforts to discover why Mr. Haynes' name had been uthitted and to learn who was responsible, were in vain. At the Capitol, officfals, in charge of the loffice of the Congressionul Director: | were unavailable and at the Treasury up to_noon, there were no Indlcations (Continued on Page 2, Column 8.) has been sald t trunsre | thorit missioner of "ALMOST TREASON" CHARGE IS DENIED IN'MITCHELL CASE Witness Says Alleged Lack of Hawaii Defense Plans " Is Baseless. Answering ~ the charge lodged gainst the War Department by Col. Willfatm Mitchell of “almost treason able administration,” due to the fact hat up to 1923 there were in Hawall “no defense plans for employment of the Alr Service in the protection of the fslands,” the prosecution to- day brought forth a witness who as- serted there were plans in exigtence at that time, but that the accused bad not seen them on his visit to the tslands. The witness was Maj. L. J. McNalr, Field Artillery, now attached Pur- due University, but who was on the staff of the commanding general of he Hawailan Department for a num- ber of years. Under direct examina- tion_by Maj. Francis B. Wilby the witness testified these plans were in the form of field orders, and were 8o arranged as to be revised from time to time. If a situation arose these issued and modified, and therefore, the wit- ness explained, there always are plans for the defense of the {slands. Mitchell Drew Plans. Col. Mitchell's charge regarding the non-existence of defense arrangements for the islands was made following an inspection in December of 1923. As a result of this survey the colonel, then assistant chief of the Army Air Service, drew up a comprehensive plan for the employment of aviation in the event of war. This plan was presented to the then commanding general of the Hawallan department, Maj. Gen. Charles P. Summerall. Asked if Col. Mitchell's plans differ- ed materially from those in the fleld orders and in contemplation, MaJ. Mc- Nair replied they differed widely. “Both,” he added, “still could be term- ed effective. They might well insure the proper employment of troops in an emergenty. Our plans for the Air Service were quite brief and did not attempt to go into detail after an emergency. The accused went quite fully into the Alr Service employment after action had begun. However, since he didn’t know where an emergency might be- gin he confined himself to air tactics. We took to developing the skill of the alr service units with the view of having them perform efficiently under any condition. For that reason the ccused’s plans were much more elab- orate and expensive than ours. I wouldn’t say his plans were not good fones. If they had been presented to me I would have questioned certain parts and would have left them in, in event of a satisfactory explanation. The scope of the plans, however, really covered only one of five points we had in contemplation. Visit Purpose Unknown. “When the accused visited the is- lands were not aware of his pur- pose in detall. There was some spec- ulation as to just what he was seek- ing. He was very active and con- stantly on the move, but we were at a loss as to what details he was after. I found out more about this the day before he left. I was called into the office of the chief of staff and the ac- cused was there presenting a copy of the rt. He discussed it while I inued on Page 4, Column 2. The Larg‘est Pictorial Section Ever Issued - a Washington Newspaper Will Be a Part of B Tomorrow’s Star 13 Will Contain 20 Pages Order f The Sunday o Sons osaedosler foday 1 | Democratic Woman | Legislator Joins ' Hill's “Wet” Squa Mrs. Mary T. Norton of New Jersey, the first Democratic woman member of the House, today ac- cepted an invitation by House “wets” to become u member of their unofficial committee for modi- fication of the Volstead act In a letter to Representative Hill, Republican, Maryland, who headed the organization in the last Congress, she said: “I hope that. by adding my name to your list, that it will be an in- centive to others to act honestly, even though it may not be consid- ered good politics. HANDSDNE MARKERS ST Eldridge Asks $3,500 to Put Up Ornamental Motorist Directors. Theft and destruction of hundreds of traffic signs calling attention to the parking limit led M. O. Eldridge, di rector of traffic, to ask the Budget | Bureau today to approve a special | emergency item of $3.600 to buy per- | manent ornamental markers which he | plans to insfall on lampposts far out | of reach of the average person. Attractive shields with a green and white color scheme suspended eight feet above the pavement on a hori- zontal spear-shaped bar made fast to the lamppost are proposed to sup- plant the present markers now tied to trees and other objects in the re- stricted parking zone and along high- ways where parking is not permitted during rush hours. These signs will be so placed that any motorist can discern them at a distance, and con- sequently will be unable to conjure an alibl when arrested for violating the parking regulations. Director Eldridge has good reason to believe that the temporary signs now adorning the trees and lamp- posts are too easily removed by motor- ists who willfully violate the parking regulations. Cases have been reported to him in which the signs have been found in the tonneau of automobiles, labeled by the police for overtime parking. In each instance the of- fender confronted the traffic officers with the time-worn story that no signs ‘were in evidence when he parked. Director Eldridge estimates that the new signs with their spear-pointed suspension rods will cost approximate- 1y $1.50 each. While the first cost will be greater than for the temporary string-tied signs, Mr. Eldridge {s confi- dent that the present replacement item will diminish sufficiently to equal- ize any discrepancies. Hundreds of the signs, Mr. Eldridge pointed out, have been removed from trees and lampposts, carried away and destroyed. Only recently, he sald, every sign on alternate trees on Eight- eenth street for a distance of 600 feet wera removed. This practice will be stopped completely when the new signs are installed. THEFT OF SANTA HOMES OF D. C. P When the last tinkle of old Santa’s sleigh bells fades away into the shad- | ows of the Northland, and the children | of Washington open beaming eyes on Christmas morning in anticipation of the joys he promised to leave behind, there will be many anguished lt- tle hearts unless the thief who broke into one of Chris Kingle's storerooms here_feels the rebuke of a suffering conscience and returns 48 stolen toys before it is too late. The theft occurred either last night or Thursday night from a reom in the | basement of the District Building, where Santa had intrusted a large col- lection of fountain pens, dolls and | deserving little friends to the care of il the Board of Children’'s Guardians. There, under the direction of Mrs. ,Henry Flather, a number of prom- inent women had been preparing | them for distribution. The room was literally filled with neat packages, attractively wrapped in fresh tissue paper and brilliant red and green ribbon. There were dolls an® presents by the scores when Mrs. Flather locked the door Thursday. But when she returned 48 of the pres- ente. including one of the prettiest TRAFFIC STOCK BUYING ORGY Most of Cash Paid for Bond| Redemption Invested in Alien Securities. GOVERNMENT IS SHAKY IN FACE OF OPPOSITION Loucheur Measures Apparently Have Failed to Satisfy Fac- tions in Chamber. | By the Associsted Press PARIS. December 12.—A {renzied | sh to buy forcing stocks listed on | the Bourse caused i further sharp decline today in the franc which dur- ing the morning reached the record figure of 27.42 to the dolia A large part of the francs pald out by the treasury in | redemption of short-term bonds on Tuesday has been Invested in indus- rial, mining and ofl shares. | The attraction of such investments, 00,400,000 with the certainty of automatic profits us the franc declines, has been in- | creased by the shaky condition of | | the French cabinet, which now fis | being attacked systematically by the | newspapers supporting the coalition | of the Left. | The antagonism to the government | inside its own parltamentary majority ' | has again brought into question the possibility of early adoption of meas | ures for financial renovation of the i country. | Outflow of Capital. A considerable amount of fureign capital in French banks and branches | of foreign banks here which was | formerly invested in national defense | bonds, now is belng turned into for- eign stocks. i !~ Finance Minister Loucheur declares | the present decline in the franc is | {unjustified and is considering meas- | | ures to Intim: | morning that speculators agalnst the |franc might smddenly discover that the Morgan loan was still intact in dol Thus far the government | has hesttated to use this fund because | !'Tic it. o atlons were given out this! | | | | the epeculative element in the situa- [tion was insignificant. H | Now, however, it it appears that | | vesterdax's drive was due to specula- | tlon, Finance Minister Loucheur may | | decide to repeat M. Poincare’s opera- | tion of 1924, to catch the shorts. ! “The deadly ains” Loucheur d scribes’ the se up his financlal rehabilitation plan, | apparently are not gaining in favor with closer examination my members of the finance committee of the Cham- ber of Deputies. The bills seem to contain something displeasing to all groups in the chamber, including the minister's own party. Already two groups are preparing counter plans and there probably will be amendements by the score, thus giving promise of many protracted | sittings of the chamber before the bills are finally acted on. Seek to Pass Expenditures. | Consequently the chamber’s finance | committee is losing no time in en- deavoring to try to pass the expendi- tare section of the budget before the end of next week. Then it will im mediately press for a vote for the rev- enue necessary to balance the budget This they belleve s the best way of steadying the franc. M. Loucheur yesterday told the | finance committee that it was the de- sire of the government after the set {tlement of interallled debts to make fiscal reforms and stabilize the franc. He spent the entire afternoon be- fore the committee giving its mem bers an idea of his full proposal, but in political quarters it is asserted that he failed to convince a majority of the committee. The Soclalist mem- | | bers of the chamber are declared to | | have prepared counter proposals to those of M. Loucheur, which, if :lc—l cepted, will make the’ finance minis. | ter's measures completely fnopera- ' tive. ] The entire political situation is most | confused and experienced observers are of the opinfon that the minist may find itself in such a precario situation when it comes before the chamber with its heavy tax increases ' that even hte master skill of Premier | Briand will fail to save it. MAY SELL REPARATION BONDS. BY EDGAR ANSELL MOWRER. i By Radio to the Star and the Chicago Daily News. BERLIN, December 12—If the | German government will stand behind | the French in the project for market | ing of a large block of German Rail. | way Co. bonds by the rallway trustee | and_the reparations commission, the French are prepared to disciss simul. (Continued on Page 4, Column 4. ’S TOYS FILLS OOR WITH GLOOM| dolls had been stolen. And all of the energies of the Police Department | have thus far failed to reveal fts whereabouts. There is appealing pity in that theft, for every clue seems to point to the home of some other poor children, whose worrled mother feared Santa might, by some slip of memory, fail to leave gifts for her loved ones. And, police believe, she may have stooped even to larceny to save them grief. Had the thief sought to enrich him. self, he could have cleaned out the room. But one pretty doll and a choice selection from other varieties of gifts was all that was taken. Members of the Board of Children’s Guardians are reluctant to discuss the theft. They are’confident that if it was some poor mother who placed her children’s happiness so Righ, she will see the uselessness of such a step | and return the gifts. But, If it was | another kind of thief, and the toys| are not returned soon, 48 poor chil- dren. whose one bright hope for months has been the anticipation of a joyous Christmas, at least, will find even that hog bghlfi be!o d ;m Radio Programs—Page 15. | | nature, | as to the progress toward a voluntary = /(".' e wils_gobmns. i CITY HEADS ASKED ORATED.C.BLLS Capper Wants Various Meas- | ures Listed—Favors More | Power for Commissioners. | | The views of the District Conmis- | sioners as to the relative impcriance | of various local bills that are to be | proposed for consideration at this ses- | ston of Corgress will be welcomed by Senator Arthur Capper, chatrman of the Senate District committee. The Senator said today that. while it 1s not always possible (o get through all of the things proposed for the Dis- trict, he regards it as desirable to have the optnion of the Commissioners as | to the legislation which Is neoded | ‘most. { The for Commissioners several | ven bills which make ' months have been considering the | preparation of a legislative program | for this session of Congress which would show ‘the committee the bills | regarded by the Commissioners as most important. Favors More Authority . Senator Capper indicated today that he would look with favor upon the proposal to give the Commissioneis more power tn pass upon municipal | questions of a more or less minor which now must be put through both houses of Congress. A bill on this subject is among the sev- eral pleces of legislatian now in prec- ess of preparation at the District Building. The chalrman of the District com mittee cited changes in streets as one of the purely municipal questions which now require action by Congress that might well be handled by the Commissioners. Would Delay on Merger. On the subject of street railway mergers, Senator Capper indicated that he would be disposed to watt a reasonable length of time to see what progress the companies may make toward a voluntary merger agreement fa accordance with the act passed by the last Congress. The Senator pointed out that the passage of the law authorizing a voluntary consolidation was an indication of the Qestre of Congress to see the com- panies merge. &2o) The Senator also is following with interest the new development which entered the street railway situation Quring the pest Summer, when the North American Co. of New York had a $560,000 sur made to de- termine the future transportation needs of Washington and the pos- sibility of a_merged system. It was indicated that the question of whether any further legislation on the street car situation is to be taken up will depend largely on the Information the committee recelves merger. The first meeting of the Senate Dis- trict committee probably will be held ‘Wednesday. et “FLOOD” STOPS TRAINS. Water Main Breaks, Inundating Pennsylvania Tracks. PHILADELPHIA, December 12 (P). —Bursting of a water main neay the East Park reservoir early today in- undated tracks of the Pennsylvania Ratiroad, New York division, at that point, tying up eastbound traffic for ore than an hour. mstmls and houses in the vicinity were flooded and a number of motor cars marooned. Although steam traf- fic on the railroad was later resumed, electric trafiic_between Broad Street Station and North Philadelphia was annulled, electric trains on the Chest- put Hill @ivision ~perating from North Philadelphia, = Plans Ten Coast Guard Vessels. Construction of 10 vessels for the Coast Guard at a cost not exceeding $9,000,000 was proposed in & bill iatro- duced by Representative Parker, Re- publican, New York. # — Chokes on Medicine. | KANSAS CITY, December 12 (#).— While attempting to swallow medi- cine George Berbquist chocked to death in a physician’s office here. —_—— League Gets Locarno Pact. GENEVA, Switzerland, December 12 (®).—The original Locarno security |in No. MacNider Approves $50,000 Monument To Unknown Hero Congress is to be asked by the War Department to appropriate $50.000 for the construction of suftable monument at the tomb the Unknown Sotdler ingt Arlington Memorial Amphitheater. Assistant Secretary MacNider has approved a recommendation from the quartermaster general that an estimate of that amount be in cluded in the deficiency estimates to be submitted through the direc tor of the budget. Numerous designs for such monument have been received by the ssistant secretar from artists and others in all parts of the country, but, it Is stated, final action regarding the character and design of the proposed structure will be deferred until Congress provides funds for the project. BURIAL OF 51 DEAD IN EXPLOSION BEGINS a Laying Away Victims—Re- lief Is Begun. By the Associated Press. | BIRMINGHAM, Ala. December 12.-Burial of the dead was the task before the little mining town of Over- ton today, which was plunged 'into rief Thursday when 53 men_ met death as the result of a gas explosion 2 mine of the Alabama Fuel and Iron Co. The death list embraced 9 white and 44 negro workers. Of the 53 men who were killed, 2 bodies still are to be recovered. Of clals expect to reach the entombed men during the day after removing large quantities’ of fallen rock. Rehabilitation work for the families of the dead miners has started under | direction of the Birmingham chapter of the American Red Cross, acting on instructions from headquarters in Washington. CONCEDES SOME FRAUD IN ISOLATED TAX CASES Solicitor of Internal Revenue Bu- reau Tells Senate Body Situation Is Being Corrected. Conceding that there have been cases of ‘“irregularity” and some “isolated cases” of fraud in the set- recently zppointed solicitor of the In- ternal Revenue Bureau, has informed the Senate investigating committee that everything possible is being done to correct the situation. Mr. Gregg’s statement to the com- of testimony at secret hearings made public today after its presentation to the Senate. The solicitor protested that representatives of the commit- tee had selected “a few isolated cases” and advertised them as typical. PRIEST SENTENCED TO DIE By Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News. MOSCOW, _December 12.—Priest Nicodemus Dobrovolsky, who re- ceived a salary and also promotion to the priesthood in return for informa- tion to the secret police in 1905, caus- ing the executlon of several colleagues, has been sentenced to death at Novo- piatigors, in north Caucasus. The court later, on account of the priest's age, commuted the sentence to six years and recommended a. par- on. ?fioflyfl‘l(. 1925, by Chicago Daily News Co.) tlement of tax matters, A. W. Gregg, | mittee is contained in another batch | 'EXPOSURE OF RICH OPIUM RING NEAR U. S. Vice Consul at Teheran on Way Here With Sen- sational Report. December Opium | muggling transactions totaling mil-| ons of dollars will be described to! the State Department at V' ing- | | ton when George G. Fuller, Amerl- | |can vice consul at Teheran, Persia,| reaches \Washington. He was inter- | viewed here yesterday upon the ar val of the President Cleveland, on | which he was a passenger. Mr. Fuller said he would report the arrest in Bushire, Persian seaport. of /M. T. Woodward, an American_citi- {2en, and selzure of a suit case of pa- { pers revealing how an international ring which he headed was smuggling | high-grade Persian opium into China |aboard Chinese warships; how crates of | opium, part of which ultimately was Alabama Town Turus to Task of |smuggled into the United States and'namely, the supervision other countries, were guarded by sol- dlers of the Chinese army; how graft dertved from the trade by Chinese offl- clals is a present cause of conflict between opposing leaders in Chekiang Province, on the east coast of China and how the smuggling ring barterec to secure the favor of each new Chi- nese regime. Among other things, Mr. Fuller told of three huge shipments of opium into China shortly before the {arrest of Woodward last October. The shipments were conservatively valued, he said, at $10.000,000. The consular officer declared every tra Pacific liner had opium aboard, de- spite the dogged searches made by | the United States customs officlals. | Mr. Fuller's home is in Rochester, IN. Y. He succeeded the late Maj. Robert Imbrie at Teheran after the | latter had been slain there by religious | fanatics. SO s REAL ESTATE LICENSING BILL OFFERED IN HOUSE | Blanton Measure Would Force All | Operators to Acquire Per- mits to Practice. Provision for a board which would license all real estate operators in the National Capital and aimed at pre- venting fraudulent transactions in real estate is proposed in a bill in- troduced today by Representative Blanton, Democrat, of Texas ‘This is essentially the same as the measure which Mr. Blanton proposed in the last Congress and which re- | ceived the approval of both the Sen-| ate and House District committees, being incorporated as part of the| Copeland bill. In view of the death of the Rent Commission, Mr. Blanton said today | that he belleved his measure to be | constructive legisiation, whick will re. cefve approval of the House District committee. SIX HELD IN ROBBERY. DETROIT, December 12 (#).—Six men, believed to be those who terror- ized Cassapolis, Mich, several weeks ago in an_unsuccessful attempt to rob the bank there, are held on armed robbery charges. They were ar- rested late yesterday at a rooming house here. ~ A woman aiso was ar- rested and is being held with the men for_possible identification today. The men are charged with partici- pation in the $18,000 pay roll robbery at the Ainswerth Manufacturing Co. early last month, when an armored car messenger was killed and another serfously wounded. By the Associated Press. ROME, December 12.—Benito Mus- solini, the Fascist premier, who con- | siders Italy “in a permanent state of war,” has driven home another vic- tory. The Chamber of Deputies last night adopted a law compelling arbitration of all disputes between capital ‘and labor. The reference to-a state of war was made when he said he considered the bill & war measure. “I consider the next five or ten years decisive for Italy,” he sald, “be- pact and collaterial arbitration treaties were deposited today with the League of Nations. cause the international struggle is being unchained, and will be unchain- ed, with everincreasing intensity. We Forced Arbitration of Labor Disputés Wins in Italy Under Whip of Mussolini who have entered the international scene late cannot afford to dissipate our energy. Even as controversies are not permitted at the front in war- time, so now we must realize the maximum national efficiency.” Mussolini had the bill amended to apply to all classes of labor and all categories of employers, _including farm hands and farmers. Red syndi- calism, he said, under the guise of fighting for higher wages, really was aiming at the right of holding prop- erty. He expressed the opinion that NAVY ARMS PARLEY France, Italy and Japan In- sist Sea Armaments Be Cut With Others. SUPERVISION QUESTION BRINGS VARIED VIEWS United States Action on League In- vitation May Be Put Before Congress. By the Associated Press. GENEVA, December of opposition by France Ja; to holding an | 'l?‘bonfprr-nr- osed general di vas the outstanding features of to ¥ developine: in Geneva ormed & motable topic of discusst n connection with President Cox dge’s message to Congress. Meanwhile the question of America: participation {n the preparatory stud: for the general conference under the auspices of the league was public] opened when the league council for mally invited the United States to ap Point representatives on the prepara commission. The commiss: program of study also was defined and it was announced that it woul hold its first meeting here on Fei ruary 15. The French, Italian and Japanes stand, which was revealed at & pu 1eeting of the league counctl today caffirm the decisions taken in fts ret sessfons, is based upon a res tion adopted by the fifth assembl ue declaring that the questi 1 disarmament should be ¢ cussed as part of the problem of g eral disarmament. Benes Report Approved. The council approved the report Foreign Minister Benes of Czechos vakia, under which the United States Germany and Soviet Russia, as norn members of the league, are invited ! participate in the work of the r paratory ¢ ommissfon. The othe members of the commission are tho: states holding membership in league council and in addition Bu! L] osure an ! ria, Finland, the Netherlands, Polan Rumania and Jugoslavia. The council adopted a list of seve questions, which will form the basis of & study to be undertaken by commission, and then fixed the dat« for its first meeting Dr. Benes emphasized that the di- armament council (co-ordination co mission) of the league during its de liberations had reached no conclusions on one highly important guestion of arma ments. He cited a statement by Lord Cec! of Great Britain before the disarma ment council that the preparato commission would have to inquire into the subject of international super sion in order to make sure that t countries kept within the limit of the scale of armament fixed. Lord Cec added that it might prove impossible ostablish such international super iston, and that the countries, as now have to rely vpon their military at wiches. Boncour Stand Differs. Dr. Benes then cited M. Paul Bon cour of France, who took a vigorous opposite stand Declaring that if the limitation of armaments were not given the cou erpart of a eystem of control it would be equivalent to placing a premium o bad faith, M. Paul-Boncour added “If only visible disarmament peace time were taken into accou control could only be exercised ove actual troops, barracks, war mater and magazines. . “On the other hand, were account to be taken of potential war strengtl it must be admitted that war materia must simultaneously be controlled particularly during a period of cor {ilation and arbitration. TU. 8. MOVE UP TO CONGRESS. Coolidge Will Be Guided by Its Answer on Invitation of League. By the Associated Press. Should the invitation issulng from the council of the League of Nations today for American participation in the arms limitation discussions at Geneva be found acceptable by the administration, such a conclusion, it is expected, would go only so far as a ecommendation, to be passed upon nally by Congre: President Coolidge, meanwhile, is forming no definite opinion upon the uestion until he has had full oppor unity to study the text of the invi tation to the United States to join in the work of the special committee to prepare for the convocation of an in- ternational arms conference. What ever his decision, he feels strong that any practicable undertaking in that direction can count upon the fullest sympathy of the United States. Includes Germany and Russia. The invitation to the United Sfates, with almost identical ones to Germany and Russia, was reported in Geneva dispatches to have been agreed upon in final text at a secret session of the council last night, and made ready for dispatch today. None of the texts will be made public, it was said, untt all have been received by the govern ments addressed. The invitation to the United State: was understood from unofficial sources in Geneva to include a definite outlinc of the scope of the study to be submit- ted to the preparatory committee. This is expected here to enable Presi- dent Coolidge to form a clear concep tlon of the aims and proposed methods of the undertaking as basis for an opinion whether it is possible or desir able for the United States to take part either in the preliminary work or the conference itself. Should the edministration’s decision be favorable to acceptance, the mat ter almost autmatically would go to Congress for :he Amerlcan Govern ment’s final asswer, since it would.ir volve authorization of funds to defra expenses of a delegation. Legislative Restrictions. Congr in acting on the questio: could thus interpret for itself the leg islative restrictions placed upon the fi courts for labor disputes would not be used much, as the prohibition of strikes and lockouts would compel settlement out of court. Executive {n dealing with some forn: of international conferences, particu larly_those sponsored by the (Continued on Page 2, Colum