Evening Star Newspaper, August 2, 1927, Page 1

WEATHER. (U. 8. Weather Tair; slightly cooler tonight. Tomor- row Increasing cloudiness. ‘Temperature—Highest, 80, at 6 p.m. vesterday; lowest, day. Full report on Closing N.Y. Markets, Pages 10 and | No. 30,408. vost oftice, Bureau Forecast.) 63, at 5:30 a.m. to- page 9. 11 Entered as second class matter Washington, PG ‘| DONOT CHOOSE IT0 RUN IN 1528, GOOLIDGE ASSERTS ' AT SUMMER LODGE President Makes Statement on Fourth Anniversary of ! Taking Oath of Office as Harding Successor. EXECUTIVE SAYS PEACE ; OUTSTANDING FEATURE Peclares Prosperity, Lack of Un- employment and Reduction of Nation's Debt Are Other Im- portant Accomplishments of His & Administration. PBr the Assoclated P RAPID CITY, S. Dak.,, August 2— President Coolidge today issued a statement saying, “I do not choose to run for President in 1928” The statement, which was type- Awritten on small pieces of paper, was anded out today by the President fon the fourth anniversary of his be- coming Chief Executive of the United States, without comment. Calls Newspaper Men. Mr. Coolidge had asked newspaper men to see him at 12. o'clock today. Until a minute or two before there twas not the slightest knowledge pmong the presidential staff of what would occur at the conference. Shortly before 12 o’clock Mr. Cool- §dge sent for his personal stenog- yapher, Edwin Geiser, and dictated the brief message, which was then ‘transcribed onto small pieces of paper by typewriter. After the newspaper men had come nto the room, the President asked hem to file past him. He handed each the small slip of aper with the message. G . The paper had been folded by him. Refuses to Comment. ‘Newspapermen stopped to ask him 1t here was any comment and Mr. Cool- dge replied not. The dash for“tele- hones and telegraph wires was begun y_the newspapermen. Besides the newspapermen there vere in the reom-at the time Senator "apper, a house guest of the President; verett Sanders and Edward T. Clark, is secretaries; Col. Blanton Winship, his military aide, and Dr. James F. {Foupal, his physician. No word was spoken outside of Mr. Foolidge asking if every one was pre t, and inquiry of newspapermen if Ahere was anything more to say. It Is safe to say that the President coun- gelled with no one in preparing his startling announcement. ! Those closest to him in his official amily had taken occasion’ on this flay—the fourth anniversary of Mr. “oolidge’s taking the oath of office—to xpress the private view that he would ot make any statement of his plans or another term and would accept the omination if given to him without ex- fressing himself. it was pointed out later by those rame staunch supporters of the Presi- ent that the door to the momination iad not been closed by the statement n the event of his selection by the nvention. Announcement Causes Surprise. There is scarcely anything the Presi- fent might have said which could have urprised those with him more. The nanner in which he made his an- ouncement was almost as spectacu- ar a8 the statement itself. Not more han a dozen words were exchanged uring the entive conference. As the hewspaper men filed into the Presi- tlent’s private office he sat looking up to them, smoking a cigar held in an fvory holder and with just a trace of # smile lighting up his face. He rose before all had entered, but feeing that more were coming in, Eumd. and then asked: “Is every one re now?” . He was assured that all were pres- nt. Then Mr. Coolidge walked to the #nd of the long mahogany table which Is his desk and stood there for a fhoment. A pile of the little folded papers tvere in his hand. Will you please file past me here?” ¢ said. I have a little statement for yor. . The line quickly formed, and as each filed by he was handed one of the tatements by Coolidge. No sooner had they been given them than they were opened. A look of complete tmazement spread over the corre- kpondents’ s. Those who had not b ived their folded paper looked Imost pleadingly at those ahead, as It for some ray of light s to what It disclosed. Smiles at Consternation. Immediately after issuing his state- tuent the President put on pveecoat and smiling broadly, appa- tently at the co taused among his A ge crowd, as is usual upon the President’s departure, nad gathered tnd as Mr. Coolidge walked down the Bleps to his car he smiled continu; Stepping info his car, he sank b fnto the cushions still’ with a hroad kmile and to an acjuaintance who stood close by. DAWES DECLINES COMMENT. Vice President Receives Statement at Desk in Bank. CHICAGO, 111, President Charl, awes received ent the information that ssible presidential He was busy at his desk nt the Central Trust Co., when Presi- ddent Coolidge's statement was laid be- Jore him, OATH-TAKING mentioned RECALLED. Assumption of Office Marked by Dramatic Scene. By the Associated Pre RAPID CITY, 8. Dak., August 2.— [calvin Coolidge today ends four years Gentioued on Puss 2, Clpma-E) By the Associated Press. Walter Johnson expects never to box again. After 20 years of campaigning, the the game has ever known, now and then.” Walter fixed his gaze on the broad fleld injury I received this year hurt me a lot. It would not have made so_much base ball any time soon. he said with a smile. “Base ball is hard v from. much more, but the chances are that able to put on a uniform.” ago?’ and I may when the time comes for retire from the American League.” thrill. team to a world's championship. His greatest disappointment came DRY UNIT STAFF HERE REORGANIZED Zone System Abolished, Maj. White Put in Charge of Field Offices. Swinging Into action immediately after receiving his commission yes- terday as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Seymour Lowman, the new dry czar, today reorganized the head- quarters staff at Washington and completely abolished the system by which the field offices had been under the authority of five wone supervisors. In place of the five zone supervisors whose positions were eliminated, Mr. Lowman established a new position known as general supervisor of field offices, to which he appointed Maj. H. H. White, who has been acting as assistant prohibition commissioner. Four of the zone supervisors pie- viously had been transferred to other places. Oftedal Succeeds White. Two other changes in the headquar- ters staff also were made. Alf Oftedal, who has been deputy commissioner of prohibition has been given the office vacated by Maj. White and will be assistant commissioner with headquarters in Washington. James E. Jones, now special assist- and commissioner, has been given the office of deputy commissioner, succeed- ing Oftedal. This new arrangement, an official statement- by the assistant secretary said, means that Oftedal is to be next in authority to Prohibition Commis- sioner Doran, and Jones to be next in authority under Oftedal. Explaining further the status of Maj. White, the statement said that the organization of the prohibition dis- tricts of the country into six zones with zone supervisors, had been en- tirely abolished and Maj. White plac- ed in charge of the supervision of fleld offices throughout the country. Rapid Reorganization Planned. “These officers are to be reorgan- ized as rapidly as possible,” said Mr. Lowman, “and put on more effective business basis. Maj. White has just completed the reorganization of “the Washington offices of the Prohibition Bureau and is well qualified to take over the work of organizing the fleld offices to conform tot the plan of or- ganization in the Washington offices which will give greater uniformity and efficiency. “The new field office manual was prepared under the direction of Maj. White,” said the statement. “It is now practically completed and the carrying out of the plans therein established will do much toward mak- ing the work of prohibition enforce- ment more efficient and expeditious. This is in line with the established policy of strengthening decentralized administration by administrator dis- tricts, and all of these administrator district offices will be brought into a system of uniformity and efficiency.” Follows Andrews’ Plan. The new Assistant Secretary and Dr. Doran, prohibition commissioner, were understood to have worked close- lv in co-operation in developing the w plan which is designed to carry ard the decentralization idea itiated by Gen. Andrews, but which bolish the Andrews system of upervision, substituting a single isor, Maj. White. Maj. White has had long experience in the prohibition machine, having been for some time prohibition admin- of Columbia and Maryland. {istrator in Texas, where he demon- ed such marked ability that he was brought on_ to Washington by Gen. Andrews, He was first placed here as administrator of the District By the Associated Press. LONDON, August 2.—An adven- turous crossing of the Atlantic in the smallest recorded ocean craft—a tiny steel boat built like a submarine—is scheduled to start from Dover on August 8 by two Lancashire men, Ed- ward Tierney of Salford and Dick Hayman of Swinton. Their boat is named the Carrie and is only 12 feet long, 5 feet deep and has a beam of 3 feet. She draws 2 feet WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION ¢ Foening Star. WASHINGTON, D. C. TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1927—THIRTY-SIX PAGES. JOHNSON SAYS HE IS THROUGH PITCHING IN Blames Leg Injury. but Expects to Win Game Now and Then—Tells of Famous Batters and Criticizes Lively Ball. REGULAR TURN take his regular turn in the pitcher's Big Train has decided that he no long- er can be counted upon to pitch turn in and turn out, but is satisfied that he still has a number of winning games left in his right arm, which has hurled more base balls past batters than any other “I can't go out there and throw that ball like I used to,” Johnson told an Associated Press correspondent. “But with proper care and rest I think I can go in and win a game Leaning forward across the front rail of a deserted grand stand at Grifith Stadium, where he had scored so many of his triumphs. u know,” he said after a pause, “The whole differ- ence with a young fellow, but T am getting along and it took something out of me. Walter is undecided how long he will continue in the big show, but bis mind-is made up definitely that he will not give up “I'll probably be like the rest of them,” to get I probably won’t try to pitch T'll be connected with a ball club as long as I am “Are you still interested in buying into a mlr!nr league club as you were a few years ““I did want to buy a minor league club - me to WALTER JOHNSON, Johnson labored 17 years for the Washington club before he got his big That came in the 1924 world series, when, after losing two games to the New York Giants, he was called upon in a relief role and pitched his a year later on a rainsoaked fleld in Pittsburgh when the Pirates hammered out a victory against him in the (Continued on Page 2, Column 2.) President Pays High Tribute to Walter Johnson v_a Staff Correspondent of The Star. RAPID CITY, S. Dak., August 2.—President Coolidge paid a high tribute to Walter Johnson, the vet- eran pitcher of the Washington ball club, on the occasion of John- son completing 20 years at that one club. “I think Walter Johnson stands out as a fine character, es- pecially in the athletic world. I place that above everything else not only in athletics but in every- thing else in the world. “In addition, Walter Johnson is recognized as one of the foremost ball pitchers in his time. I do not suppose all the youth of America would care to be big league ball players, but I know they all would profit if the character of Walter Johnson was emulated by them.!” SOVIET REBELLION REPORTED GAINING Communist Organ Reveals Internal Moves to Break ks Unity. % By the Associated Press. MOSCOW, August 2.—The existence of determined groups of rebels against the Communist party policies, with the opposition carried to the ex- tent of organizing railroad factory strikes intended to further the ends of breaking the party unity, is report- ed by the Young Leninist, organ of the Moscow Young Communists, in an article today. ‘The so-called irreconcilables, the pa- per declares, have not hesitated to un- dertake the disorganization of the army and to enlist the support of non-party elements in their fight. These groups have recently increased their activity greatly, leading a viclous campaign against the party, it adds. Great Strike Planned. It quotes a member of the presidi- um of the party’s control commission, M. Yaroslavsky, as stating that in Tomsk the opposition had a definite plan afoot to call a strike in the whole territory of Eastern Siberla, with the object of tying up the railroads and factories, ousting the present Com- munist leaders and taking the author- ity in their own hands, with the aid of the disorganized army. Propagan- da work to this end has already been undertaken among the troops, miners and railwaymen, he added. That the Tomsk rebels are direct- ed by the Moscow oppositionists— meaning Trotsky, Zinovieff, Sokol- nikoff and others, although these are nat specifically mentioned—appears to have been demonstrated ‘to the satis- faction of the party control commis- sion. Disaffection is also evidenced by activities in Odessa and Kharkov, in the Ukraine, where oppositionist centers have been established. “That is where the party struggle stands, due to the so-called 100 per cent Leninists,” the paper says. “There exists a clear counter-revolu- tionary movement on the part of the enemies of the party and the Soviet government. Holds Promise Violated. “Without the support of the party masses, and refusing to recognize our socialistic development, these groups are degenerating into centers hostile to _the party. It is not surprising, (Continued on Page 4, Column 1) Britishers in 12-Foot Boat Will Start Crossing of Atlantic Ocean on August 8 through the force of the wind against a small windmill, which drives a screw propeller. In case of a calm the navigators can use muscle power to drive the pro- peller by means of a foot or hand pedal. The only opening in the vessel is a small hole atop, which can be closed during gales, with a tiny conning tower in which only one man is able to sit at a time. The other must lie down. |JOHNSON HONORED ON ANNIVERSARY OF BIG LEAGUE DEBUT Officials and Fans Acclaim Pitching Ace on 20th Year in Capital. GETS GREATEST OVATION IN HISTORY OF BASE BALL Kellogg Presents Gifts From Ad- mirers and Club—Service Medal Awarded. The glamourous pages of two decades of base ball history rolled back today at Clark Griffith Stadium as Walter Perry Johnson, ace of the hurling staff of the Washington base ball club for 20 years—today a fading veteran, whose name a few years hence will appear only in the records of the game and no longer in the box scores—toed the mound against the same club which faced him in his big league de- but on August 2, 1907, when he was a raw, gangling bush leaguer from the wilds of Idaho. Opposing Earl Whitehill, star hurler of the Detroit Tigers—back of him a ball team in the thick of a fight in the American League—Walter John- son saw about him none of the famil- far faces of players who witnessed his initial major league appearance. All have gone and Johnson alone remains, an active player—tempered in the flerce fire of a thousand diamond com- bats; his blinding speed of a score of years ago only a shadow, but replaced by the heady hurling of a veteran. During his 20 years of big league service Walter Johnson has heen the central figure in many celebrations to honor him. But none of these par- took of the many features and honors that came to the big pitcher today as official Washington joined with the loyal base ball fans of the Capital to do honor to “Barney,” beloved of ‘Washington fandom and the mainstay of the hurling staff of the Nationals ever since the hot August day he broke into the major leagues 20 years ago. Around and above him stretched the massive concrete stands of the new base ball stadium—far different from the wooden stands of two dec- ades back when he toiled on the rub- ber against the Tigers and saw the Detroit club virtually knock him from the box by bunting to the raw-boned, awkward fielding busher. These con- crete stands were filled with his friends, who have come to love Wal- (Continued on Page 2, Column 2.) e WATCHMAN IS SHOT IN OHIO MINE FIRE Gov. Donahey Asks Aid of Two Other Executives in Ending Strike. By the Associated Press. DOVER, Ohio, August 2.—Simul- taneously with the discovery early to- day of the burning of the tipple of the Maple Leaf mine near Newport reports were received that John Hines, night watchman at the mine, had been shot and slightly injured. Officials of the Pocock Mining Co. of Massillon, owners of the mine, assert- ed their investigation revealed the tipple was fired by a bomb, but resi- dents of the vicinity said they had not heard an explosion. Both mine company officials and Sheriff Abe Laird denied any knowl- edge of Hines' shooting, but Dr, R. M. Harrison of Uprichsville said he had attended him at his home there. Dr. Morrison said Hines was shot in the back with a shotgun. but was not seriously hurt. The tipple fire was discovered by persons living near the mine, but it had made such headway that the property could not be saved. Unoffi- cial estimates placed the loss at more than $10,000. Officlals of the mining company de- clared that union pickets. being main- tained on a 24-hour basis near the mine were in their tents when the tipple burned. Plan to Stop Trouble. Immediately after the destruction of the tipple Sherifft Abe Laird and James E. Patrick, county prosecutor, went into conference to determine what action should be taken to pre- vent further trouble. It was the Maple Leaf Mine that figured yesterday in a fight near New- port between non-union workers and union sympathizers, in which John Vesco, 50, of Wainwright, Ohio, was shot. He was reported in a serious condition today. John Horger, jr., who faces & charge of shooting with intent to kill in connection with his injury, was at liberty today on his own recognizance. No hearing will be held pending the outcome of Vesco's injuries. Vesco was declared by the non-union men to have been a member of the attacking party of union adherents, but he de- nied it. Col. Reynolds of the Ohio Natfonal Guard arrived here today as the rep- resentative of Gov. Donahey to sur- vey the situation. GOVERNOR CALLS CONFERENCE, Donahey Asks Two Other State Exec- utives to Assist Parley. COLUMBUS, Ohio, August 2 (#).— Gov. Donahey today asked the gov- ernors of Illinois and Indiana to join him in requesting a reconvening of the interstate conference of miners and operators representing the cen- tral competitive fleld in the hope of settling the coal mine wage dispute “on an economic basis.” As soon as Gov. Donahey receives word from Govs. Ed Jackson of In- diana and Len Small of Illinois !:i«l.t LT. SCHULZE DIES U. S. Wins $1,000,000 Suit, But McCarl service. % UP) Means Associated Press. CAPPER SUPPORTS N T000FO0T LEAP) | Obicets to 32 Feer ) . AIRPORT PLAN Officer Who Was Here With Lindbergh Escort Killed as Plane Takes Fire. By the Associated Pres: MT. CLEMENS, Mich., August 2.— Leaping from his burning airplane at the height of 1,000 feet, Lieut. Leclair D. Schulze, member of the First Pur- suit Group at Selfridge Field, was killed today when his parachute did not open. Schulze's home was in Los An- geles. Observers on the fleld saw his plane, in which he was testing a new engine, burst into flames. A moment later Schulze was seen to leap from the plane and hurtle toward the earth. When officers from the field reached his body they found that the rip cord on the parachute had not been pulled. An examination revealed that the parachute was not defective, leading the officers to believe that Schulze lost consciousness after away from the plane. Succeeded Lieut. Johnson, The plane crashed to earth near where Schulze’s body was found and was destroyed by fire. The destruc- tion of the plane prevented determin- ing the cause of the blaze. Lieut. Schulze, who was 36 years old and unmarried, was commanding officer of the 27th Squadron, succeed- ing Lieut. J. Thad Johnson, who was killed last month at Ottawa while lead- ing a flight of escort planes with Col. Charles A. Lindbergh. During the World War Schulze, who was a test pllot at the United States overseas base at Issoudon, France, was recommended for the distin- guished service medal. Coming to Selfridge Field dn 1920, he served for a time as adjutant of the 1st Pursuit Group. In 1922 he piloted a Loening monoplane in the Pulitzer trophy race at Selfridge Field. swinging Well Known Here. Lieut. Schulze had a large number of friends in Washington, where he ‘was on duty in the war plans division of the office of the chief of Air Corps prior to taking up duty with the first pursuit group at Selfridge Field, Mount Clemens, Mich, Lieut. Schulze was one of the best pursuit pilots in the Army Air Corps. Prior to taking up his post of duty here, he was advance officer for the Army Air Corps’ world flight project in Iceland and Greenland. His duty was to establish an advance base on the eastern coast of Greenland at Angmasalik, at which the world flyers would land on a flight from Iceland. For many weeks Lieut. Schulze was caught in the ice aboard the Danish steamer Gertrud Rask, and because the ice conditions did not break up the flyers abandoned that port of call and flew direct to Cape Farewell. Here With Escort. Lieut. Schulze was a flight leader in the pursuit group and commanded a formation of three planes which were a part of the 21 pursuit ships which welcomed Col. Charles A. Lind- bergh to Washington and later ac- companied him to New York, thence to St. Louls and into Canada. The death of Lieut. Schulze marks the second time a veteran pursuit pilot of that famous flying organization has been killed in the last few weeks. Lieut. J. Thad Johnson lost his life while flylng in the escort for Col. Lindbergh into Ottawa. He was killed when the tail of his plane was cut off by the propellor of a second plane which flew into his ship. Maj. Gen. Mason M. Patrick, chief of the Air Corps, received a telegram from Maj. Thomas G. Lanphier, com- manding Selfridge Field and the 1st Pursuit Group, this afternoon, which said that the pilot's plane caught on fire and the officer was killed when attempting to jump “at altitude too low for the parachute to function.” Soviet to Send Delegation. GENEVA, Switzerland, August 2 (#).—Georges Tchitcherin, Soviet for- eign minister, has notified the League of Nations that the Soviet Union will send a delegation to the international conference on transit and communica- tion, which has been convoked by the League for August 23. Child Fatally Hurt. Special Dispatch to The Star, CUMBERLAND, Md., August 2.— Jack, b years old, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Gracle, regiding on the National Highway ' 7 miles west of Cumberland, was fatally last night when struck by an automobile driven by James Bradley of Barton. —— BOSTON, August 2.—A $2 ex- penditure for air mail postage by the office of the United States dis- trict attorney which helped to expedite a $1,000,000 tax suit settlement in favor of the Govern- ment has been denied approval by Controller General J. R. McCarl. In consequence it probably will be up to Marcus Morton, jr., assist- ant district attorney, to pay. The documents were shipped to Call- fornia at the urgent request of the Federal Court there in a suit which the collector of internal revenue had brought against the estate of the late Frederick Ayer of Prides Crossing, to recover $3,180,000 in back taxes. Notification that the payment of the $2 postage bill has been “suspended” arrived here simul- taneously with news that the Ayer suit had been settled for $1,000,000. i GREDIT MEN URGE BANKRUPTGY PROBE Claim $300,000 Is Taken From D. C. in Year by Fake Schemes. Apprehensive over the fact that fraudulent bankruptcies and other forms of what they characterized as ‘“‘commercial crime” have cost Wash- ington $300,000 during the past year, members of the Washington Associa- tion of Credit Men, meeting in the Raleigh Hotel this afterncon, adopted a resolution calling upon United States District Attorney Peyton Gor- don to give certain bankruptcy cases pending before him “his immediate attention, with a view to presenting them at an early date to a grand Jury.” The resolution, which ~1so requests that “the proper authorities cause a thorough investigation in the District of all kinds of improper business and financial practices,” was introduced by W. Cassel Hanson, a director of the assoclation, at the conclusion of an address, in which he explained in detail how certain unscrupulous merchants have practiced fraud In the District at the expense of wholesale mercantile houses. Committee to Investigate. Mr. Hanson was named chairman of a committee which, under the terms of his resolution, will be empowered “to investigate the whole subject of fraud in the District.” Action Demanded. Lister Watts, president of the as- sociation, who presided at the meet- ing, named the following to serve on the special committee under Chairman Hanscn: H. E, Stringer, Eugene H. Ruark, Joshua Evans, jr., and C. W. Clayton. It was stated just prior to adontion of the resolution that there has not been a prosecution in a bankruptey case in the District for the past 11 years, “We must have action,” Chairman Hanson informed the members of the assoclation. involves the public, because it indi- rectly becomes the victim when large companies are defrauded of large sums of money. It is a condition which must_result in thg_gowntall of the (Continued on Page 3, Column 6.) U.S. Today Observes It is a condition which |t Senate District Committee Chairman Will Assist Commissioners. BY J. RUSSELL YOUNG. Staft Correspondent of The Star. STATE GAME LODGE, BLACK HILLS, 8. Dak., August 2.—Senator Arthur Capper of Kansas, chairman of the Senate District committee, agrees with President Coolidge, whom he is visiting at the Summer White House, that the Federal Government should share the cost of establishing a permanent municipal airport for the District of Columbia. ‘The Kansas Senator said with much emphasis today while discussing this subject that the Capital of the Nation | should have an airport adequate in size and facilities deemed necessary to meet the needs of the future, and he knows of no reason why the Dis- trict government should alone should- er the expense. Assurance was given by Senator Capper that he will support the Com- missioners of the District in their ef- forts to establish such a project. He explained that he is not thoroughly familfar with all that has been done in this respect since he left Washing- ton, and for that reason he did not care to pass judgment upon the avail- ability of Gravelly Point, Va., for the site of the airport, or upon any of the several other sites suggested. He stated that as chairman of the Sen- ate District commitee he would be willing to approve anything recom- mended by the Commissioners, not only in the matter of a site, but re- garding the cost as well. Thinks First Cost Reasonable. Senator Capper said he was very happy to see the President take such a decided stand in the matter. The fact that President Coolidge is so eager to have a municipal airport in Washington and approves of the Federal Government sharing in the expense should carry great weight when the time comes to ask Con- gress for the mnecessary authority and appropriation, according to the opinion expressed by Senator Capper. He added that he thought the $150,- 000 estimated by the Commissioner as the initial amount needed to start the project was reasonable. Senator Capper said he expects to be in ‘Washington in the early Fall and he will then look into the airport matter as well as a number of other im- portant District matters which will come before Congress next Winter. He mentioned in this connection the proposed merger of the Washington traction companies, the bond issue for local improvements, the public school building program and the proposed harnessing of the Potomac River at Great Falls for power development. It was explained by the Senate District committee chairman that he did not come to the Black Hills pri- marily to discuss District matters, farm relief, politics or anything else with the President. He said the President invited him to make a visit at his own convenience, and that he supposed his visit could be better described as being of social nature. He sald, however, that dur- ing his stay he and the President have “run over” a variety of subjects. Discusses Farm Relief. “T endeavored to give the President some idea of what I think the corn belt thinking about at the present me,” Senator Capper said. “In my opinion the farmers still feel that the veto of the McNary-Haugen farm- relief bill was unwise, especially since the administration failed to offer a sat- isfactory substitute. Nevertheless, the The only evening paper in Washington with the Associated Press news Yesterday’s Circulation, 96,618 TWO CENTS. COOLIDGE ‘EXPECTS PARLEY T0 END IF AGREEMENT FAILS Instructs Delegation to Make Every Effort to Reach Ac- cord With Britain. COMPROMISE PROPOSAL OFFERED BY JAPANESE Calls for Cruiser Building Holiday for England and Island Em- - pire Until 1931, By the Associated Press. RAPID CITY, 8. Dak., August 2.— President Coolidge has instructed the American delegation at the naval armament conference to make every effort to reach an agreement, but, fail- ing in this, he expects the meeting to adjourn sine die. Mr. Coolidge feels there is no foun- dation for any report that the confer- 2nce will recess until fall or some other time. It was said at the Summer White House today that Mr. Coolidge under- stands an effort will be made to reach an understanding at a plenary session Thursday. He expects the American conferees to make an effort then to agree with Great Britain, but should they fail the meeting will come to an end. JAPAN URGES COMPROMISE. Plan Provides for United States to Reach Parity on Cruisers. GENEVA, August 2 (#).—The Asso- clated Press learns that the Japanese compromise proposal, made in an effort to save the tripartite naval con- ference from failure, provides that Great Britain and Japan shall cease building cruisers when they reach the end of their present authorized pro- grams and that up to 1931 the num- ber of 10,000-ton cruisers shall be lim- ited to 12 for Great Britain and the United States and eight for Japan. The plan also calls for a secondary class of cruisers with a maximum of 8,000 tons each, but nothing Is said about 8-inch guns in connection with this type of cruiser. Pact Could Be Denounced. The plan proceeds by suggesting that if any building program becomes a menace to the other signatories they could be empowered to denounce the arrangement. The United States would undertake not to exceed the British cruiser strength before 1931. Hugh S. Gibson, head of the Ameri- can delegation, authorized the Asso- ciated Press today to deny that he had received instructions from Presi- dent Coolidge to end the conference. The President, he said, had left the question of the termination of the con- ference entirely to his discretion. Americans interpret the Japanese compromise to mean that, if the Brit- ish stop with their present strength, that strength would constitute the to- tal cruiser tonnage up to 1931. The correspondent understands that ‘W. C. Bridgeman, first lord of the ad- miralty, told Admiral Saito that the compromise was impossible under the present instructions of the British delegation, but that he immediately telegraphed the text to London for submission to the cabinet. Ambassador Gibson has cabled the compromise proposal to Washington with explanatory comment. PROPOSAL HELD EXCESSIVE. Officials Here, However Await Com- ment From Gibson. By the Associated Press. The Japanese proposal at Geneva for a provisiohal cruiser agreement to last until 1931 apparently involves a total cruiser tonnage for Great Britain and the United States that Washington authorities regard as far in excess of the needs of those two countries. The proposals were cabled to the State Department today by Ambassa- dor Gibson, but comments of the Am- bassador and his naval colleagues still were lacking. Until the Japanese plan is more clearly understood, it is doubt- ful that any expression of opinion will be transmitted to Gibson. In view of the nature of the sugges- tion and of the necessity for technical study of its terms and their effect upon the cruiser problem of each nation, ‘Washington officials doubt that it will be possible for a plenary session of the conference to be held on Thursday. On its face the Japanese proposal appeared to provide for a British ton- nage in cruisers up to 1931 of more than 450,000, which is 150,000 more than the Washington Government has indicated it believes necessary. The exact form of the Japanese proposal may affect that figure considerably, however. The British Ambassador, Sir Esme Howard, was again at the State De- partment today, where it was said Sec- retary Kellogg had asked him to call. His visit came after the Japanese pro- posals had been received from Ambas- sador Gibson, but there was no infor- mation forthcoming as to the extent to which this suggestion figures in the conference. (Continued on Page 5, Column 2.) 151st Anniversary Of America’s Official Independence Today, August 2, is the 151st anni- versary of the signing of the engrossed copy of the Declartion of American Independence. On the 4th of July previous to the date 12 of the Colonies or States, except New York, voted for tI Declaration. The New York convention in the meantime ratified the Declara- tion, thus completing the great docu- ment, which meant “that these United Colonies are and of right ought to be, free and independent States.” It is frequently said that August 2 should be our National Independence day, as the first resolution for our severance from the British crown ‘was adopted on July 2, 1776, by a vote of only 12 of the Golggln and the document was not signed by the rep- resentatives, of the 13 Colonies until pex a year ago Prof. Marcus Jernegan, speaking of this eventful day in our ational life, said: ‘The Philadelphia Evening Post an- nounced that the Continental Congress had declared the Colonies free and independent States when Lee's reso- lution was adopted on July 2. “Then on July 4 the first docu- ment of the Declaration, bearing only the signature of John Hancock, Presi- dent of the Congress, was sent to the printer, and on August 2 the 13 Colo- nies officially signed the document, but even on that date six of the Co gressmen did not afix their signa- tures.” Prof. Jernegan explained that the error came about when a committee drawing up a report from the secret Journal, which was not made public until 1832, ascribed the ‘‘unanimoi ugmu‘::" of August 3 to the date ! e IR i i BODY FOUND IN POND. Missing Man in Car Discovered by Swimmers. JOPLIN, Mo., August 2 (#).—Small boys swimming in an old brick yard pond discovered the body of A. J. Hoover, 60-year-old former cafe owner, at the wheel of his automobile under 20 feet of water here yesterday. He was missing since July 13. Police and the coroner believe Hoover drove off the road in a blind- ing rainstorm the night he disap- peared. The pond is located near the road which he took to reach the home of a business prospect with whom he had an engagement. Coolidge to Return in Month. RAPID CITY, S. Dak., August 2 (P).—It was stated definitely at the Summer White House today that the President and Mrs, Coolidge expect to leave the Black Hills the first part of September. Meanwhile they have no plans to visit either Yellowstone Na- tional Park or the Coolidge homestead in-venno‘nh- PSR