Evening Star Newspaper, February 11, 1927, Page 1

W S. Weather tonight; (T Fair warmer; 30 _degrees. t Temperatures—Highest, 51, at 2:45 sterday; lo Full repor p.m. today. ATHER. minimum temperature about 't on page 9 Bureau Forecast.) omorrow fair and west, 34, at 8 a.m. ®(Closing N.Y. Stocks and Bonds, Page 14 intered as seco: 2 post office, Wa. No. 30,236. shington, nd class matter 305 G b WASHINGTON, WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION D, 0, FRIDAY, ¢ Foening Star FEBRUARY 11, 1927—FORTY-FOUR PAGES. - * service. (#) Means Associated Press. The only evening paper in Washington with the Associated Press news Yesterday's Circulation, 105,791 TWO CEN BRITAIN AND JAPAN FOR NAVAL PARLEY France Reluctant in Unofficial | Reports, With Italy More ‘; Sympathetic. | LONDON SEEKS TO AVOID *ANGLO-SAXON’ DICTATION Would Heed Sensib;lilies of Pnris“ and Rome—League's Position Is | Brought Into Debate. | | By the President further limitation of naval armament | appears to have found the maritime | powers in a receptive moog. | First impressions as reflected in| news dispatches from abroad indicate | that the President’s plan to discuss the question next month at Geneva! probably will be accepted, but that| Associated Press APPOINTMENT OF R. B. FLEHARTY 'AS PEOPLE'S COUNSEL INDICATED INDORSE PROPOSAL | Selection for Public Utilities | Board Post Likely to Be Announced Today. President Believed Convinced Nomination Will Meet Lit- tle Opposition. BY J. RUSSELL YOUNG. Ralph B. Fleharty, a. local attorney with offices in the Investment Bufld- ing, is being seriously considered by President Coolidge for appointment as people’s counsel of the Public Util- ities Commission of the District, it | was learned today from an authorita- | tive source, The President is known to have conferred at noon with Attorney Gen- eral Sargent, who has been assisting !him in the consideration of aspirants | g5, appointment as people’s counsel. Coolidge’s proposal for|and others who have been suggested | pyq president was represented as feel for this post, and it was indicated afterward that the President had vir- tually made up his mind in the mat- ter. While associates of the President would not say whether or not Mr. Fleharty had been decided upon, they did intimate that this attorney stood at the top of a small list of names specific methods of limitation will have to be left for determination by the conference itself. « Responsible officials of both the British and Japanese governments are | quoted as ble to a discussion of | the subjec hed by the Presi-| dent, but not ain that his sug gestion for extension of the 5—3—3 | ratio to all classes of warcraft can be | accepted in advance. i France and Italy Wait. i France and Italy, the other two nar{ tions to whom the proposal was | dressed, are reserving decision, but| they are not expected here to refuse | to discuss limitation should the other powers agree to such a discussion. | The immediately tavorable reaction | in London and Tokio apparently did prise officials here, although v still professed to be without of-| 1 advices. It is the usual thing | to send out informal diplomatic feel- | ers whenever a government contem-! plates such a step as that announced | yesterday by Mr. Coolidge, and to be | more or less certain how the ground | lies before there is any formal nego- | tiation. Whether this was done in| the present case the State Department | will not say. H There seems no doubt, however, that the project was undertaken with the full cognizance of the ranking Ameri- can diplomats abroad. In addition to Hugh 8. Gibson, who heads the Ameri- cer can delegation to Geneva, Ambassador | Morthes Houghton recently has been in :hui country on leave from his post in Lon- By C: to T Star_and _Chi BY 3 e ooamete, 167 of Manchuria and dictator o which the Attorney General sub- mitted to the President. Decision Likely Today. Tt was intimated also that the President probably would make pub- lic his decision very shortly, either | late this afternoon or tomorrow. Mr. Fleharty has been represented to the President as not only being a lawyer of experience and ability, but in every way ellglblf under the.law ! RALPH B. FLEHARTY. | Harris & | ing confident, from advices he has re- ceived reagrding the attorney, that his appointment would prove general- 1y popular, and that he expected there would be no great difficulty in obtain- ing his confirmation by the Senate. Since withdrawing the name of Blaine Mallan, whom he appointed to the place at the time he named the two civillari public utllities commis- sioners, the President is known to have been especially anxious to ob- tain the services of some one who would not have the slightest chance of belng disqualified because of the various restrictions provided by the law governing qualifications. For that reason the President and those who have been assisting him in king over the field of applicants “(Continued on Page 2, Column 6.) CHANG ABLE TO HIT HARD IF WU HELPS Northern Forces May Compel Cantonese Retreat Anyhow, Survey Indicates. BY JAMES L. BUTTS. PEKING, February 11.—Should the ARLINGTON BEAGH SOUGHT FOR PARK Alexanders Island and Prop- erty of Horse Show As- sociation Included. The Department of Justice has taken steps to acquire for park pur- ton Beach, the Natioaal Capital Horse rn militayy movement announced overlord by Marshal Chang Tse-Lin, . the Pe don and conferred fréquently with!king government, be seriously prose- ‘Washington officials, Approval General Here. | As a more definite indication of for- | elgn_opinion is awaited, the situation | in Washington quiescent. | Most of the leaders in Congress appear | to approve the President’s proposal, | although their discussions are colored | by some expressions of doubt whether | anything tangible will come out of the | negotiations at Geneva. | Communicated to Congress for their | Information, the President’s views! have been referred to the Senate and| House committees which deal with| matters of foreign policy. The sub-! ject will be discussed tomorrow by the House foreign affairs committee, when | kes up a proposal to appropriate 000 to pay the expenses of the| eneva. Some | ing 40,000 | cuted, the present obscurity of the Chi- nese military situation should soon be- gin to develop more clearly defined phases and rival forces should become more clearly aligned. Manchurian troops already massed long the Peking-Hankow Railway, at the Honan border, ready to participate in Chang’s drive to suppress the Can- tonese “‘bolsheviks,” number 50,000. An allied Chantung-Chihli force concen- trated in the Ying-Chow area, north- ern Anhwei province, is of equal strength. Joint Drive Planned. These two forces are intended for & al | simultaneous southward drive through Henan province toward Hankow, leav- ; Shantung troops available American delegation to -y . for emergencies in the lower Yangtze. Wu Pel-Fu's Honan army is noml- but probably not 20,000 ay they would that the bil be amended to pro-| i ecifically for carrying out the | nally 100, 3 : v Coolidge proposal by stipulating ot | ooe "reliable. The others are unruly the delegates must take up during|{and unpaid, living off the cuu:e‘l-")- the conference the question of limiting | along the rallway and forming & SO the smaller classes of warcraft. The | ous potential obstacle to the Tengt A Senate foreign relations committee | agvance. Several of theilr command does not meet again until next week. res may even join the southern army. equipment is scanty. “Christian_general,” Feng Yu- [ee e Delegates Sail Shortly. B b Military and naval advisers attach.! Hsiang, and his Kuomin-Hun (people’s ed to the Geneva delegation probably | national army) are not r;al::l;:gut:hbfh: will sail from New York, February|serious factor at present, ARV For 26, headed by Rear Admiral Hilary | nationalists clalm he W able to P. Jones and Gen. Dennis | join with the Cantonese mxfiou! r! E. Nolan. Mr. on will not get | Honan Province. Feng's entire forces away until March 2, the last sailing| do not exceed 100,000; they are most'y date that would insure his reaching|located in faraway KarI\;u 'rt lote Geneva in time for the reopening of |@nd even farther west. Weng® (orct the conference on March 21. {in snfiul r:ra;-;:;‘e,;:‘r‘;i::,‘x;nr:g‘::m Jn 3 3 0 sition to ! the event that the other four |a position to fofth, & JWUCC R Wag g6 tories to the Washington naval ation treaty accept the sugges.|together with the inferior Shensi | troops. tion of President Coolidge, the Ameri- can naval contingent undoubtedly will have to be increased materially. 1 Short of Munitions. They are extremely short of muni- | tions, and northern sources of supply | are blocked owing to Winter weather ~ | and Fengtien vigilance, 9 .| Reliable observers estimate that Wants to Avoid Appearance of Com- | ;e ave 170,000 Fengtien (Manchuri- bination With U. S. | an) troops inside che great wall, x:’wgtly . i i in CI , Honan and ‘Sui- UGHTON, Eebniuny LU Ity ':lfr:nb";'lhe«:l northwest defense—that is, British- government heartily indorses | Yofense against any activity shown by the principles of President Coolidge’s | Feng Yu-Hslang—is being largely dei- naval disarmament proposals. This' egated to Chang Tso-Lin's allies in was made known at the foreign office | Shensi Province, thus increasing Feng- . | tien compactness. % The forces of Sun ChuanFang, Sha S militarist, are es. ment on the President’s note voices| ;‘;;;u'ggfl;‘g‘;{g‘a‘gf‘gm in Chekiang and both the public and official opinion of | Kianesy Provinces at least two of Great Britain,” an official told the! pis generals are doubtful. Should Associated Press. they remain loyal Sun should be able It was asserted that Great Britain's| to eject the Cantonese from Chekiang, support of American efforts toward| where the southern - attackers are disarmament, as enunclated by Lord| estimated at 45,000 and under-equipped " ‘ashi iat that. Later reports state that Balfour at the Washington confer-| &t that LECE FRICC Soi arawn ence, would be accorded Mr. Coolidge’s | ¢ VTR o ngtze points toward plan akiGenevn, | Chekiang with Hang-Chow as their 8 jectives, Experts Yet to Speak. ‘ob(’)hm{rt'ers estimate the total south- British naval experts have yet to be| ern strength at 370,000, a muajority of heard on the technical aspects of the! which ‘are inferior, poorly equipped American plan and it is too soon to! provincial troops. say whether Great Britain is ready to alter her present building | m or to apply the 5—5—3 ratio Al armaments. Tt , that any im to the cause of disarmament « acceptable to the British govern- ment, with a definite program to be worked out at Gene GENEVA, February ,11.— There Downing street offi are greatly | were 818 deaths from influenza in interested in the continental comment | the larger cities of England during on the Coolidge proposals. Although | the first week of February, and more sections of the continental press are)than 400 in Bulgarla, says a bulletin not enthusiastic, it is hoped here that|issued by the health section of the will not be misinterpreted and | League of Nations. in the United States. One, The serious spread of the disease entials to the success of Mr.|in Bulgaria is further indicated by efforts, it is believed, is to|the fact that a total of 100,000 cases the idea that disarmament is|were reported during the period cov- an Anglo-American or An-|ered by the report. movement which is being | number of deaths in England, the Latin nations, epidemic in London is decreasing. A marked increase is reported in Japan, and slight increases tn Czecho- lovakia, Portugal and Eastern Hungary. Radio ProgramsaPage 30. BRITAIN INDOR: PLAN. The general favorable press com-| INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC SPREADING IN EUROPE By the Associated Press. avoid primarily glo-Saxon imposed upon the Proposal “Well Timed.” British press comment on the pro- posals, as was indicated by the foreign offioe spokesman, has been favorable. » (Continued on Page 5, Column 2.) Despite the large | “much other prop- sarayuds apd mtflpn‘am‘e‘wmw. Netices have been sent by Assist- ant ‘Attornéy General Parmenter to all property owners that they must shortly deferid their titles to the ground, and the defendants, it was learned today, have obtained counsel and are taking steps to meet the Gov- ernment in what may be either a suit for condemnation or efforts to pur- | chase the property direct. The Department of Justice is acting upon request of the National Capital Park Commission, and, according to the official notice sent out, will pro- ceed under an act of Congress which authorized the acquisition of such grounds as the Anacostia Flats. How soon the department may file suit or take other steps was not divulged to- day. Defendants Hold Meeting. A meeting, however, of many of the defendants, who own the largest part of the so-called island, was held yes- terday, and it was decided to employ counsel. These defendants, it was learned, are represented by H. Rozler Dulany and Representative R. Walton Moore of Virginia, trustees. This group, which owns about 140 acres, in- cluding Arlington Beach, the Horse Show grounds and a commercial fly- ing field, have retained as attorneys to represent them in the Government's proceedings R. S. Barbour of the law firm of Barbour, Keith, McCandlish & Garnett of Fairfax, Va., and Wash- ington; former District Attorney Mor- gan H. Beach and H. Rozier Du- lany, Jjr. Among the property owners in Alexanders Island who have received notice from the Government are the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Poto- mac Railroad, the Southern Oxygen Co., the American Oil Co., George E. Horning and others. Conferences between counsel repre- age 6, Column 4. | " (Continued on SENATE WILL VOTE N FARM-AID BILL BEFORE TONIGHT Friends of McNary-Haugen Measure Declare Plan Will Win Approval. DEMOCRATS ARE SPLIT ON FEE POSTPONEMENT Application to Cotton Industry May Cause Defeat—Watson Plans Change. BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. The fate of the McNary-Haugen farm-relie bill will be determined, so far as the Senate can determine it, before night. Friends of the bill say it will pass, though they admit the vote will be close. Under its unanimous consent agreement the Senate will begin vot- ing on the bill and all amendments not later than 4 o'clock this afternoon. The McNary-Haugenites have led the Senate to the point where it may pass the bill. They have found, how- ever, that “while it is easy to lead a horse to water it is hard to make him drink.” A ruction among the Democrats over a proposal to postpone for two years the operation of the equalization fee so far as cotton is concerned is caus- ing most of the trouble. Harrison Holding Out. Senator Pat Harrison of Mississippi has been holding out for the postpone- ment. Senator Caraway of Arkansas has been opposed to the postpone- ment. The Farm Relief backers on the Republican side-are inclined also to oppose the postponement of the equalization fee on cotton. The de- cision of the Senate may turn largely on this point. If Senator Harrison persists in his opposition to the bill without the deferment clause and can rally sufficient Democratic votes to his support the bill may yet be defeated The shadow of a possible presi- dential veto also hung over the bill as it approached its final stage in the Senate today. Senator Feas of Ohio, an opponent of the bil, has predicted that the President will not approve of the bill if Cangress passes it and sends it to him. ‘Watson ‘of Tngdiana ' /was O oAy 1o otas A St designed to remove in part the presi- dential objection to the measure. The bill as reported limits the President in""appointing members to fhe pro- eral Farm Board to a list of eligiblés siibmitted to him by a nomi- nating committee from the land bank districts. Senator Watson's amend- ment would make it optional with the President whether he should appoint from these lists of eligibles or go out- side the lists. The adoption of such | an amendment, it is thought, would remove much of the objection to the bill on the part of the President. It awould still leave in the méasure the equalization fee plan which also has been strongly opposed. Many Conferences Held. Many conferences were held yester- nd today in an effort to elimi (Continued on Page 6, Column 1.) GARY DENIES REPORT OF EARLY RESIGNATION Chairman of U. 8. Steel Corpora- tion Board Says Question Never Raised. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, February 11.—Elbert H. Gary, chairman of the United States Steel Corporation, announced today that the auestion of his resig- nation -had never been discussed or considered, setting at rost public ru- mors that he intended to retire this vear. Mr. Gary, in reading a statement to 50 newspaper men called to his of- fice, said that such rumors should not be given credence unless they were verified. He explained that decisions on matters of such importance would rest \7ith his 14 associates on the board, and that the controlling reason which would actuate them would be the best interest of tHe corporation. WHO SOUGHT A By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, February 11.—Judge Meekins, who presided at the Eker rum trial, which resulted in the sentence to Atlanta Penitentiary of the mayor and chief of police of Edgewater, J.. today rescinded his action of yes- terday in staying until May 10 the sentences of De Witt Turner and CHf- ford and Cecil Kinder. Turner and the Kinders, Chicagoans and owgers of the rum runner Eker, who pleaded guilty and turned Govern- ment witnesses, were ordered im- mediately committed to the Tombs prison. Cecll Kinder and Turner were under sentences of 18 months to At- lanta and Clifford Kinder to 6 months in the county jail. | Judge Meekins reduced the sentence of Turner to a year and a day in Atlanta, but did not change the others. U. 8. Attorney Protests. “Where is the marshal,” he replied, looking about him. A deputy marshal stepped forward. ““The bail of these men is ended an they are turned over to your custody sald Judge Meekins, addressing the . “They are to be taken to the 8, there to be confined until they can with convenient speed be re- moved to the places of imprisonment { | JUDGE QUICKLY JAILS THREE ID OF HIS FRIEND Rum Runners; Stay_ R;inded When High Official Is Said to Have Made Personal Plea After Taking Fee. man, “your honor granted a stay of sentence yesterday until May 10.” “That is revoked,” responded Judge Meekins. 3 Judge Meekins said that representa- tives of the men had gone to Washing- ton and tried to retain one of his best friends, for a fee, to intercede for them. “High Oficial” Involved. “I don't know how they knew that this gentleman was my friend,” he said. “It all shows how far the ramifications of this ring go. A high officlal came to me yesterday and pleaded for them, talked to me per- sonally in their- behalf, and I.have since learned that at the time he had a fee from them in his pocket.” “Your purpose s to appeal to the President,” Judge Meekins continued. “These men should be derving their sentences while the appeals are belng made and they will be unless they die naturally or are murdered before they get to prison. I shall strongly repre- sent to the President that in m; opinion no clemency should be ex- tended. Now, Mr, Stichman, I don't want to hear another word about this case from anybody at any time. My mind is made up and my conscience is clear. If you want to talk about the matter any more go before an- other judge. These men are going to designated. “But your honor,” protested = As- sistant Upited States Attorney Stich- Jail unless the marshal refuses to do his duty, and 4f he does, 'l find a way to stir higa up.” ~vestigate them., ‘ | | i i FOND T0 ELINATE ROSSNG FAVRED House Committee Backs| $275,000 Project on Michi- gan Avenue in Report. - ——— The House District committee today ordered a favorable report on the Com- missioners’ bill authorizing an appro- priation of $275,000 for the elimination of the Michigan avenue grade crossing under the policy of legislating out of existence one of these dangerous crossings ‘a vear, Engineer- Commissioner J. Franklin 1 ex) Q the tee that ?m» d{!:l m mv%mifi Michi- gun avenue and that the permanent highway plan of the District um\'ldl!] stroy - four homes and that the ap- aroaches.to the proposed viaduct would be four blocks long. In reply to ques- tions régarding the possibility of hay- ing the railroads raised above the | highway 'and having street traffic pro- ceed through a tunnel, Commissioner Bell said that this was not practicable. Distribution of Cost. The cost of the proposed improve- ment would be borne half and half by the railroads and the taxpayers with a provision that if street car tracks are. eyer run over this high- way they would bear one quarter of the cost. There were about 20 witnesses, in- cluding J. A. Kiernan, representing | the Michigan Park Citizens Associa- tlon, who spoke strongly in favor of the proposed legislation. L. B. Ernest, mayor of Kensington, emphasized the need for elimination of all grade crossings and stated that four hours before the recent midnight accident in which flve persons were killed at the Kensington crossing he had been in conference with the State Séhator in regard to doing away with that dangerous crossing. He explained that Maryland is now engaged on a program for eliminat- | | ing all of the hundred grade cross- ings at an annual expenditure of a million dollars for 10 years. Edgar Wallace, representing the American Federation of Labor, said that the casualties at grade crossings exceed all others, including all rail- road accidents and all mine ac- cidents. Railroad View Stated. Edmund Brady, general counsel for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, said that the elimination of all grade crossings is very important legisls: tion and that the Baltimore and Ohi¢ favors such improvement. He pointed out that already they have co-op- erated in doing away with such crossings on Benning ' road, Van Buren street, Monroe street and at Silver Spring, and that they are about to eliminate the crossing at Hyattsville. At present there are no further funds available for the Michigan ave- nue job, he said. In his opinion and that of the roalroads, the proper im- provement in Brookland would'be to widen the grade crossing on Monroe street, which is only one block away from the proposed viaduct on Michi- gan avenue. z Evan H. Tucker, representing the Northeast Washington Citizens’ As- soclation, declared that life and limb should be considered before any ques- tion of financial cost and urged the committee to work for passage of this legislation. | HOUSE ASKS PROBE | OF COOPER CHARGES| Judiciary Committee Directed tol Proceed With Impeachment | Ci The House today directed its judi- clary committee to proceed with tha| investigation of impeachment charges brought against Federal Judge Frank Cooper of the northern New York dis- trict. ‘Without a record vote a resolution by Chairman Graham, to give the committee authority to issue sub, poenas and to administer oaths was adopted. The judge is charged by Representative La Guardia, Repub-| lican, New York, of acting with pro- | hibition agents to entrap persons into | Jaw violations. Graham sald his request for author- | ity in on way could be construed as| a reflection against Cooper. He said ‘“frivolous charges’ had been made and the committee must in- for a 20-foot highway. He said that T e e R Town Gives Tramps Lay-over and Meals In Bed if Necessary By the Associated Press. ABERGAVENNY, Monmouth- shire, England, February 11.—This little town lays claim to having the most up-to-date and luxurious quarters for tramps in all the world, just opened. There are push buttons, and, what is more, attendants to an- swer them: spring mattresses in the beds, hot baths and hot suppers. If ill, the tramps may have their meals brought to their bedside. But all this luxury is not abso- lutely free, because after a good night's rest the guest of a night must milk a cow or two, if he can; feed the pigs and saw and chop so many stieks of wood. EFFORT TOYEE IO BEL S to Allow President to Ex- tend Engineer’s Term. Proposed legislation to permit the President to ‘retain Lieut. Col. J. Franklin Bell as Engineer Commis- sioner of the District at his discretion was sidetracked today when the Sen- ate military affairs committee voted to lay the bill on the table. This action is equivalent to killing the measure, BOTANIC GARDENS PLANS NOW READY Congress Asked to Provide for New Development Esti- mated to Cost $1,696,000. Plans for the development of the new Botanic Garden south of Mary- land avenue were approved today by the joint committée on Library to- gether with a recommendation that Congress appropriate the funds be- foré adjournment to make the project | a reality. H Estimates laid before the committee today by William E. Parsons, the | Chicago architéet who prepared the {and attractive conservatory building | contemplated for thé square bourded | by Maryland avenue, B street, First and Second streets southwest. This figure is in_ addition to the $820,000 already authorized by Congress for | the purchase of the two squares ex- | tending from Maryland avenue to! Canal street between First and Sec- | ond streets. Thus, the total cost of the new Botanic Garden when com- | pleted will be $1,696,000. i | ‘Will Submit Estimates. David- Lynn, architect of the Cap- itol, and Supt. Hess of the Botanic Garden will submit the estimates to the Budget Bureau this afternoon REGENTS TAKE UP CRISIS IN FUTURE OF SMITHSONIAN President Coolidge Delib- erates With Other Members of Establishment on Crux. TAFT APPEALS FOR AID OF NATION FOR SCIENCE Gathering, First of Kind Since 1878, Includes Dawes, Cabinet and Men of Wealth. An epochal step American science looking toward assumption by the United States of “world leadership in fundamental scientific research™ was initiated here today wh>n many of the highest minds of government science and industry conferred on “the in future of the Smithsonian Institution " Faced with a crisis in its distin- guished career because of insufficient funds with which to pursue to the fullest extent its original policy of increasing and diffusing knowledge, the entire membership of the Smith- sonian establishment, including Presi dnt Coolidge, Vice President Dawes, the Cabinet and Chief Justice Taft met at the institution to consider means for obtaining “the support of the Nation.” The meeting, which was participated in also by some 50 leaders of scienti fic, political and industrial life of the country, and which was presided over by Chief Justice Taft, chanc: the Smithsonian, was the fi kind held since 1878. It was arranged by Dr. Charles D. ‘Walcott, secretar- of the Institution, some weeks bef his death Wednesday, and the ses sfons, concluding with a luncheon, went forward as scheduled in defer ence to his death-bed request. Need Is Great. ‘“The Smithsonian has now come to a time,” Chancellor Taft declared in his opening address, “when without the support of the Nation it can no longer continue to be what Joseph Henry, its first secretary, made it. “Yet the need for such an institu tion as it has been is no less than the need was 80 years ago. In some re spects the unique opportunities are even greater. “The regents have felt it their duty to reveal to a leading group of repre- plan, showed that it will cost approx- | sentative American citizens what it is, imately $876,000 to bulld the modern | and does, and to advise with them what its future shaM be, They wish you to see the broad and eomprehen- sive scope of the institution, compet- ing or inferfering with nobedy, co- operating with all, reaching the bas.c problems of mankind and of the time, with & view to furnishing the informa tion through which alone they can be solved, “They wish vou to see what the future possibilities of the institution are, and, if you think them worthy of realization, to advise us as to how we may go about achieving it.”” Wealth Is Represented. The conferees, who included a num. with a view to having the appropri- ation Included in the second de-| ficiency bill before Congress adjourns, | ber of the country’s most wealthy and influential citizens, heard Acting Sec retary Charles G. Abbot outline the vast possibilities for service to man if Gen. Lord gives his approval. | kind which lie before the institutior, The action taken by the committee| and which, under present conditions, today also makes it possible to proceed | cannot be achieved. without deiay in the removal of the! Millions of specimens in geology. Batholdi fountain, which is blocking completion of the meniorial to Gen. Meade in the old Botanic Gardens, be- tween Maryland and Pennsylvania avenues. This fountain, which is one of the historic landmarks of the Na- tional Capital, could not be taken from its present place until its new loca- tion was definitely determined. The Parsons plan approved today provides space for this fountain in the south- | ern half of the new Botanic Garden: between B and Canal streets. Mr. Parsons outlined the cost of de- veloping the new Botanic Gardens for the first time today as foll : For the and means that the term of Col. Bell will expire some time this Summer. The purpose of the bill, which was sponsored by Senator Capper, chair- man of the District committee, was to exempt Col. Bell from the require- ments in the national defense act that all Army officers assigned to civilian posts must serve one yvear in every five on duty with troops. Col. Bell is now nearing the end of his fourth vear of service In the District. “The bill was acted on by the military affairs committee in executive session, but it was learned later that the rea: son for tabling the bill was because of a feeling among the committee members that the law requiring officers to serve every fifth year with troops should be strictly adhered to. In laying the bill before the military affairs committee several days ago Senator Capper explained that he in- troduced it because of the general in dication coming to him from local organizations and civil workers that Col. Bell has displayed unusual ability as Engineer Commissioner and that it would be in the interests of the District of Columbia to keep him on the board for a longer period. lumn 1.) BILL ON SOLDIERS’ (Continued on Page 5, Col House Committee Wants Jurisdic- tion Transferred to Veterans' ‘Bureau and Board Abolished. SLIDES DESTROY TRACKS. LIMA, Peru, February 11 (#).— Rail communication between the Coast and Central provinces of Peru has been interrupted by landslides, which have destroyed more than 20 miles of track on the Central Rail- way of Peru. The slides occurred in the Andes Mountains, at an altitude of more than 10,000 feet above sea level The Central Railway of Peru is reputed to be the world's highest railway, climbing to a maximum alti- tude of 17,200 feet at Ticla, Peru. The House veterans committee today instructed its chairman, Repre- sentative Johnson of South Dakota, to introduce a bill to authorize fer of jurisdiction of the Nationa Soldiers’ Home here to the Veterans' Bureau and abolish the board of governors of that organization. The committee tentatively agreed to approve and report the bill as soon as introduced and referred hack to it. 1t also approved a bill to authorize appropriation of $11,000,000 for con- struction of new hospitals and repairs to existing buildings. This measure would provide for retention for three years of existing contract hospitals, “Diet if You Must, But— Allow 12 Nationally Famous Experts Tell You How to Do It” There is a right way to reduce—a way which fits your individual case. There are countless wrong ways. Twelve specialists, officers of the American Medical Association, have written a series of articles on the subject, and the first, by Dr. Wendell C. Phillips, president of the association, will appear in The Magazine O‘E 1| portant problems which, he | zoology, botany ana anthropology | “are piled up under the Smithsonian's direction—unexamined, unclassified | undescribed and useless,” Dy | Abbot declared {he said, in many cases have | counterpart in the world and no con- tribution which the Smithsonian { could make to science would be “lesy i picturesque nor more valuable” than of these collections wchments of civilization are { obliterating forever the remains of | Indian _civilization in America, and | the same is true of the animal and | plant life of the world, Dr. Abbot | stated, Opportunity 1 “The mext 50 vears will offer the opportunities to secure many | forms of nature to preserve for the | information and study of future gen- 'erutmn " he advised the conference. “It is a serious responsibility to neglect our fleeting opportunities. | Among the fields of investigation {in the physical ‘sciences which Dr. | Abbot said the Smithsonian was par- | ticularly fitted to do effective work |is the development of new mathe- | matical formulae and the collection and publication of existing, but sca- | tered formulae for engineers and physicists in solar radiation, a field in which the Smithsonian is the world au- thority, Dr. Abbot presented ar im aid, the fitted to solve are best for Fleeting. | institution is best | First, which solar {human’ health and growth and at what -intensity; second, what rays {and at what intensity promote | growth and reproduction of the great {food and otherwise commercially | valuable plants, and whether useful modifications of these plants are pos- sible by the regulation of radiation; third, whether or not solar rays can be used directly for power; and, fourth, whether or not studies of solar variation can foretell good and ibad weather conditions. Purpose of Conference. The purpose, in detail, of the con- ference, according to the official an- | nouncement, was “to reveal the exact nature of the Smithsonian’s activities in the increase and diffusion of knowledge, the strength of its posi- tion as a private institution under the guardianship of the Government, its prestige as the parent of Ameri- can science and, finally, its possibili- ties as the inspirer and co-ordinator of basic scientific investigation in this country.” The program included inspection by the visitors of a carefully arranged exhibit of the researches and publ cations now being sponsored by the Smithsonian and of their possible expansion. In beginning his address, Chancellor Taft said that the conference had been called “to discuss the future of an institution which was given to this country by a native and resident another; an institution which enjoys the protection of the United States Next Sunday’s Star w | Government and is yet a private or- ganization; an institution which in- pired the orderly development of (Continued on Page 2, Column 4.)