Evening Star Newspaper, December 4, 1927, Page 1

S \WEATHE (U. S Weather Bureau Cloudy. followed by ra night and tomorrow. Not in_temperature. %, Temperature: Highest, R. Forecast.) in or snow to- much change 40, at mid night: lowest. 32, at 10 p.m. “Full report on Page 11. No. 1,185— No. 2, CONGRESS 10 OPEN 30,1 MANY VAL ISSE Vare-Smith Controversy May Delay Organization of Senate. HOUSE IS SEEN CERTAIN TO PROCEED SMOOTHLY Bitter Debate Forecast on Legis- lative Program of Inde- pendent Senators. The Seventieth Cong noon tomorrow. Whether or Senate can organize prompt! the President’s message ceived Tuesday, is probler hope is entertained that an agreement | will be reached under which the fight over the seating of Senators-elect Vare of Pennsylvania and Smith of llinois will be held in leash. | The House will organize without difficulty and proceed serenely with a well-defined legislative program, and with several of the most important measures ready for immediate con sideration. Tax reduction, settlement of alien property claims, 11 appropriation bills 10 cover all Government costs for the ensuing fiscal year and flood relief are the most important items of legisla-| tion coming before the incoming Con- gress, on all of which the House will be ready. Program Faces Delay. How long the session will run de- pends entirely upon the Senate, be- cause the House has rules under which important business can be ex- peditiously disposed of. In the Sen- ate, however, bitter controversies threaten to delay the program, with the balance of power heid by the Western independents, who have a definite legislative program of their own, decidedly at variance with that of the administration, and with party political oratory in this pre-campaign session seeking every possible outlet. Congress may close the legislative mill well within six months If un- bridled discussion of all the questions that present themselves, as is possi- ble under thhe Senate rules, is elimi- nated. . The Republicans have a safe ma- jority in the House anl a bare ma- Jority in the Sepate; which is threat- ened by defections within their own ranks, especially from the -Western independents, ‘who have submitted to the Republican conservatives, or “the old guard,” a legislative program with insistent demands for prompt action. _ This Is apt to cause as much trouble " as the Vare and Smith contests, be cause there is a good chance that it may seriously interfere with the ma- jority organizing the Senate. This definite _program of three measures—farm Telief aiong the lines of the McNary-Haugen bill, legisla- tion to limit the power off Federal judges in issuing injunctions, and an investigation of the United States policy in Central and South America —is fathered by a group composed of five Western progressives—sSenators zier, South Dakota; La Follette, Wisoensin; Shipstead, Minnesota; Blaine, Wisconsin, and Nye, North Dakota. In a strategic reply Floor Leader Curtis pointed out that these measures will be handled by com- mittees whose chairmen are under- stood to be progressively inclined. Assistance Is Asked. The group countered with a cour- teous request that Curtis get from the Republican majority the assurance that they will assist in obtaining a final vote on these ~measures at this first session. If Senator Curtis accedes to this new demand, it will mean that the progressives' program must be submitted to the Republican conference, which is soon to be called to pass upon appointments to the standing committees. There ar>» several other groups threatening trouble in the Senate on legislation in which they are par- ticularly interested. Senator Moses of New Hampshire has been renominated by the Repub- lican majority for president pro tem- pore, and, doubtless will be re-elected. | ‘There \\af an undercurrent of specu- Jation last night that a situation might I~ engineered, however, so that the Democratic minority, which always goes through the formality of nom-| inatiag its own slate o® candidates for Senate offices, may be afforded an opportunity to fill the subordinate offices. While neither Senators-elect Smith nor Vare, storm centers of feeling be- cause of charges of excessive expendi- tures in their campaigns, has much chance of getting a sufficient number wf votes to insure a seat in the Sen- ate, a stubborn fight will be made in their bebalf which threatens to con- sume days, and even “veeks. Agreement Is Aim. Republican leaders sough® tirelessly all yesterday and last night to bring about an agreement that would allow the Senate to organize and receive the President’s annual message and his | budget message, so that orderly legis- lative procedure might not be spec. tacularly delayed by the “slush fund scrap. I any agreement was reached after the series of conferences, no inkling was given that either Vare or Smith had consented to postpone | his effort tu claim the seat to which his constituency had elected him. There are 19 Republican and 13 Democratic Senators to be sworn in. Included in these are five new Re- publican and six new Democratic members. The other 1 are re-elected. Under the usual procedure, the fight would start when the States are called in alphabetical order and the name of Smith is reached. Senator Norris of Nebraska, a leader of the Western progressive group, is ready to offer a resolution to refer Mr. Smith’s claim to the committee on privileges and lection for further consideration of expenditures in the Illinois senatorial primaries, and similarly when the mname of Vare is called, another reso- dution would be offered. If these two Senators-elect present themselves and there is no agreement for delay. debate on the Norris resolu tions would start immediately after swearing in of the other 30 Senators, and would doubtless continue for a week or more, with the scandalous spectacle of Congress being otherwise at a standstill and public business de- not the so that be re- layed. While friends of both Smith and Vare were busy and last pight considering ._method of ical, but |} Entered as second class matter post office, Washington. D C. he WASHINGTON, FORBES. IN “INSIDE STORY." SAYS . FRIENDS BETRAYED HARDING | i Poker Party, and . TOMORROW, FACING Former Director Describes White House Brands Daugherty as “Evil Genius” of Regime. | By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, December 3.—The |New York World will publish to- morrow a copyrighted article purport ing to reveal the “inside sto Ohio gang™ and intimate dets Harding administration, written of the United States Veterans' Bureau. recently released after' serving part of a two-year prison sentence for de- frauding the Government on hospital contracts. story, which will appear also Louls Post-Dispatch, broadly sketches the Harding regime from the pre-senatorial days of Harding until his death. Covering his Washington experiences, Forbes tells of a poker party at the White House, describes £75.000 in bills of large denomination lving on the table in the Departmen! of Justice offices, declares Dr. Saw- ver, Harding's personal physician, ved a “pernicious meddler” in gov- ernmental affairs sserts that the | ate President fina s “betrayed | his friends.” | Describes Poker Party. Describing the White House poker | game, Forbes writes The poker part lowing evening in the library of the White House. It was like many sim- ilar parties which were held there. We played at a rectangular table in the north end of the room. On this par- ticular occasion the President sat at one end and Will Hays, who was then the Postmaster General, at the other The others there were Albert Lasker, at that time chairman of the Shipping Board; Harry Daugherty. Ned Mc. Lean, Mrs. McLean and Mrs. Harding. Mrs 'Harding did not play—she often sat with us at poker games, but never Col. Charles R. Forbes, former head | played. T remember that it was very hot and that Albert Lasker took his coat off, displaying red suspenders 2 inches wide. T won $397. and Wil fays won. The losers all paid up “During the game Ned McLean an- nounced that Jack Johnson, the prize fighter, was to be discharged from the Federal penitentiary at Leaven- worth, and either Ned or Albert Lasker exclaimed: ‘Why, his old mother used to work fe me and he has a fine of ‘$1,000 hanging over him and can’t pay it Ned MeLean said. “Albert I'll give $500 and vou give $500 and we will pay his fine.’ The President spoke up: ‘Don’t let that worry you: I'll r it the fine,” and the game went on Upholds Late Pre As to the late P Forbes declared he is Harding of dent. atisfied that received none of the spoils alleged administration graft and was honest in performance of his duties, Warren G. Harding, jr,” Forbes te was a much misunderstood man. If he erred in the administration of his high office, it was solely out of an excess of loyalty to friends whom the world now knows to have been faithless. T am confident that before he departed for Alaska he had begun to suspect what these men had done to him and to the country, and that this suspicion contributed to his un- timely death. At the outset of his story Forbes denies that Harry Daugherty, whom he calls “the evil genius of the admin- istration,” was responsible for Presi- dent Harding’s nomination by the Re- publican party in 1920. As early as 1915 Harding had been discussed as a presidential possibility by Theodore Roosevelt at a New York conference, (Continued on Page 2, Column 6.) WISCANSIN G. 0. P. BEATS LA FOLLETTE Regulars Nominated to Na- tional Committee Posts. Coolidge Indorsed. By the Associated Press. MADISON, Wis.,, December 3.— Progressive Republican forces suffer- ed a crushing and unexpected defeat today when the State central Repub- lican committee nominated fwo sup- porters of the national administration to represent Wisconsin -on the na- tional committee of the pdrty. Surprising the Progressives, who for many vears have dominated Re- publican politics in this State, antl- La Follette members of the commit- tee obtained the nomination of Geotge Vits, Manitowoc manufacturer, and Mrs. Harry E. Thomas of Sheybogan to fill the places on the national com- mittee that have been vacant for three years. Using their parrow majority, the anti-La Follette members obtained the passage of a resolution indorsing the “splendid business-like administration of national affairs under the able leadership of President Coolidge.” It was the first time in two decades that the State party committee has record- ed its approval of the national ad- ministration. Ekern Is Defeated. In nominating Vits and Mrs. Thomas for the national committee the ma- jority defeated the efforts of the La Follette group that hacked Norman L. Ekern, former attorney general, and Mrs. Rose Meyers, Sauk City, secre- tary of the State committee. The action of the committee is sub- ject to ratification by the Republican national committee, but political lead- ers predicted the State committee’s recommendations would be approved. An effort by Milwaukee wets to have the committee urge Wisconsin representatives on the national com- mittee sponsor a plank for modifica- tion of the Volstead act in the national platform was tabled by acclamation vote. Dissolution Is Overruled. The session, called at the suggestion of William M Butler, chairman of the national committee. was marked at the outset by an unsuccessful effort of Eugene Warnimont of Milwaukee to have the meeting dissolved. He charged that several members of the committee aligned with the national party, had failed to receive notice of the meeting. State Senator John B. “hake. chair- man of the committee overruled the motion. asserting that most of the members were present anyway. The committee sustained the chairman, 22—13 when Warnimon appealed from the ruling. Several names were suggested for Republican national committeemen, but on the deciding ballot Vits was nominated over Ekern. 19—16. The in- dorsement of Mrs. Thomas to be the woman representative of the commit- tee was given a vote of 20—16 over Mrs. Meyers. LA FOLLETTE IS SILENT nn} Semator Declines to Comment State Party’s Move. ‘When appraised of the results of the selection of the Republican com- mitteemen from Wisconsin by the State’s central committee, Senator La Follette, Republican, Wisconsin, to- CONTEMPT HEARING BEGINS TOMORROW Sinclair, Burns and Four Others Face Court on Jury- Tampering Charge. Weeks of’ investigation by the United States attorney's office into circumstances which brought about the celebrated Teapot Dome mistrial, during avhich Harry -F.. Sinclajr, ofl millionaire, and Willlam J. Burns, noted Investigator, by the (overnment in charges that the oil trial jury was tampered with, will come to & climax tomorrow morn- ing with the inauguration of criminal contempt proceedings against Sinclair, Burns and four others in the District Supreme Court before Justice Fred- erick L. Siddons. On the eve of the court battle, which is expected to be protracted, the Government stood in danger of losing one of its most prominent wit- nesses—Charles G. Ruddy, manager of the Philadelphia branch of the Burns International Detective Agency, Inc., who was in charge of the detali of jury-shadowing Burns detectives while the Teapot Dome conspiracy trial was in progress. Ruddy Leaves in Anger. Ruddy has been subpoenaed as a Government witness, but yesterday afternoon. when he called at the office of Assistant United States Attormey Neil Burkinshaw, at the latter's re- quest, he stayed but a moment, ieav- ing in a heat of passion and charging that Burkinshaw had informed ‘me that he knew I had been in New York on a drunk within the last week."” Burkinshdw and Ruddy were to have conferred on the nature of testi- mony the Burns manager would be called upon to give, but as a result ot the clash. Ruddy announced his next appearance in the court build- ing would be Monday morning in an- swer to the Government subpoena. To the Ruddy charges, Burkin- shaw’s only comment was: ‘“The district attorney’s office isn't in the mood to accept a lecture on ethics from the Burns agency.” Any presumption that the respond ents would seek to block the proceed- ings or make an effort to tie them up into a legal tangle, was dissipated last night by George P. Hoover, attor- ney for Sinclair, and Charles A. Doug- las, counsel for Burns; W. Sherman Burns, secretary-treasurer of the | agency, and Charles L. Veitsch, man- ager of the Baltimore bureau of the| detective concern. Promise No Delays. “We will file our answer to the court’s rule calling on us to show cause why we should not be cited in contempt, Monday morning,” Hoover said, “and we will not indulge in any dilatory tactics.” “There will be no application o¢ m tion for any postponement or dela Douglas explained, “and in saying this on behalf of the three Burns mer., I think I can speak for the others as well. We are ready to go to the bat Monday morhing.” 5 The other respondents to the court's contempt rule are Henry Mason Day. vice president of the Sinclair Explo tion Co., and Sheldon Clark, vice presi- dent of the Sinclair Refining Co. Day will_be represented in court by John M. W. Crim, former Assistant Attor- ney General,‘and Daniel Thew Wright, former District Supreme Court justice. Clark will be represented by Edwin C.| Brandenburg, general counsel for the | day declined to make any comment. (Continued on Page 2, Column 7.) Cowboys Clean Up By the Associated Press. CHICAGO, December 3.—Because they were afraid they would use up 4ll the red ink in the world, two cow- boys deserted a money-losing ranch three years ago, came to Chicago and hegan collecting skyscrapers. The pair, Adolph Stamer and zarnest A. Jackson, still with the rud diness of the open on their cheeks and the horny palm of range work in their hands, Lave corralled four downtown buildings, the smallest 16 stories and the talles: 42 The $1,000.000 in the red of three vears ago is several times that on the ’—«:omlnued on Page 4, Column 2) indigo side of their ledger now. 7 X Millions in Chicago After Deserting Money-Losing Ranch Stumer was born and reared on the South Dakota plains, and never knew urban life until he came here. Jack- son, son of a former governor of Iowa. left Des Moines several years ago because he wanted the open air life of cow punching. That's how he met Stamer, and the cattle partner ship in South Dakota followed. Deflation afger the World Wai wreck.:d_them. “Our bookkeeper was using three rottles of red ink to every one of blue * said Stamer. They came to Chicago, hecause they thought it offered the best possibilities D. himself | e mentionedy, .., |arsky WITH DAILY EVENING EDITION C. SUNDAY MORNI RENEVA 1S STIRRED BY POSSIBILITY 0F PRIVATE MEETINGS Russians, Italians and British Are Rumored. CONCLUSION OF SEVERAL SECURITY PACTS URGED Britain May Decline to Back New Treaty. By the Associated Press. EVA, December meetings between 3.—Possible private represent and Great Britain to discuss differ- ences hetween their respective coun- tries was one of the burniug topics of discussion tonight after adjourn ment of the preparatory disarmament conference. Speculation as to whether Premier Mussolini would follow up an opening given by foreign Minister Briand to talk over personally means of eradi- cating friction belween the two coun tries came to the fore with the ad journment. Delegates also kept their eyes open to learn if Maxim Litvinoff head of the Russian delegation, would take advantage of the opportunity to talk with M. Briand over differences with France and also with Sir Austen Chamberlain, British foreign secre- tary, with a view to re-establishing dipiomatic relations. Other Problems Pending. There were other more definite prob- lems to worry statesmen also. The free city of Danzig, whose German population always has inspired For- eign Minister Stresemann to rally their support, seems determined fo get | oland out of Danzig. Poland, there- fore, is arrayed against two hostile states in measures coming before the League of Nations Council next week —Danzig and Lithuania. ~Lithuania has protested that Poland has been conspiring to overthrow the fncum- bent Waldemaras government of Lithuania. Poland was given the right by the council to utilize the port of the free city of Danzig as a warship nase nnd also to use a small peninsula at the edge of the city for landiLg war mu- nitions. Therefore, s1v Polish spokes- men, it is unnecessary for Premier Pilsudski of Poland, as has heen re- ported from Berlin, to promulgate a secret order to regard Danzig as military base for Poland, since Poland has no inténtion of exceeding rights already granted. Want “Aetlvities Transferred. To this the Danzigites report thut their city has been made effectually a military center and that Poland shuld transfer all of its military and raval activities to the Polish port of Gdynia, now ;nearing completion a - short dis- tancd down the coast. Enrique Villegas, Chilean member of the council, is special reporter of the Polish-Danzig problems, which | have been pending for years, and hopes to make ~recommendations which will be satisfactory to the tree city, Poland and Germany : Russian problems and proposals have a paramount place in the discus- sions that follow the adjournment. Litvinoff encountered an overwhelm- ing defeat today when he made a de- mand that the next session of the preparatory disarmament commission be tonvoked January 10, before the security committee meets again, so that preliminaries for the fortheom- ing international disarmament con- ference could be pursued uninterrupt- edly. However, he accepted philo sophically the commission’s verdict that it was impossible to hold anotrer session of the preparatory commission before March 15, the date eventually selected. General Pact Urged. Conclusion of a general pact of se surity for continental Europe, includ- | ing Russia, was proposed by Joseph | Paul Boncour of Krance tonight as a solution of the problem of putting | Europe on a permanent peace basis and as a foundation for disnrmament. M. Paul-Boncour discussed the ques- tion tonight with Anatole Lunach of the Russian _delegation. “(Continued on Page 5, Column 2.) . TODAY’S STAR PART ONE—60 PAGES. General News—Local, National and Foreign. Schools and Colleges—Page 22. At the Community Centers—Page 29. Army and Navy News—Page 34. Y. W. C. A. Notes—Page 34. W. C. T. U. Notes—Page 34. Around the City—Page 35. Veterans of the Great War—Page 36 Parent-Teacher Activities—Page 37. Civillan Army News—Page 39. News of the Clubs—Page 45. Radio News and Program: 47, 48 and 49. Clubwomen of the Nation—P D. A. R. Activities—Page 5. Financial News—Pages 54, 55 and 56. Girl Scout Notes—Page 57. Marine Corps News—Page 58. PART TWO0—20 PAGES. Fditorials and Editorial Features. Washington and Other Society. Notes of Art and Artists—Page 4. In the Realm of Books—Page 4. Tales of Well Known Folk—Page 14 PART THREE—12 PAGES. Amusements—Theaters and the Photo play. Music—Page 5. Motors and Motoring—Pages 6 and 7 Spanish War Veterans—Page 8. District National Guard—Page 8. Serial, “The Four Stragglers”—Page 10. Pages 46, ge 52 D. C. Naval Reserve—Page 10. Fraternal News—Page 11. PART FOUR—4 PAGES. Pink Sports Section. PART FIVE—8 PAGES. . Magazine Section—Fiction and Fea ures, ‘The Rambler—Page 2. PART SIX—10 PAGES. Classified Advertising. Boy Scout Notes—Page 8. GRAPHIC SECTION—12 PAGE! World Events in Pictures. COLOR SECTION—4 PAGES. for the cow hand who had gone ten derfoot. Mutt and Jeff: Reg'lar Fellers: and Mrs.; High Lights of History. f‘: Parleys Between Fren_ch,I Briand to Meet Litvinoff, but/ atives of France and Italy and Russia | | made in a speech.at Albany Friday My NG, DECEMBER 4, 1927 —130 Sunthny Star, PAGES. 60 cents (#) Means Associated Press. i | By the Associated Prc-:v NEW YORK, December 3.—The British steamer Baron Herries tonight was standing by the crippled Greek tanker Paraguay, which late today sent out an § O S saying she was leaking fore and aft and in need of assistance, a message picked up by the Independent Wireless Co. said. The Baron Herries found the Para- guay in latitude 36:14 N.; longitude T5:18 W. 26 LIVES IMPERILLED. Steamer Caught in Gale, Leaking Badly. NORFOLK, Va., December 3 (#).— Twenty-six men, the crew of a help- less vessel, caught in a 60-mile north- cast gale off the Virginia and South Carolina coasts, were facing death tonight. according to wireless reports received at Coast Guard headquarters in this city. The tanker Paraguay was reported Reported 26 FACING DEATH AS VESSEL IS BUFFETED BY COAST GALE| Greek Tanker Helpless in Raging Seas 60 | Miles Below Cape Henry—Rescue leaking fore and aft, her deck gear carried aw and the vessel unable to help herself in latitude 36:35 north longitude 74:50 west. ‘This position is about 60 miles southeast of Cape Henry. The Coast Guard cutter Carrabas- sett, formerly a naval tug. was dis- patched to the assistance of the Para- guay, but the seas were so high the rescue craft was herself having ex- treme difficulty with the elements. The Carrabassett is the largest of Coast Guard vessels now in this vicin- ity. the Manning and Mascoutin both being laid up for repairs at Baltimore, The Payaguay sent out repeated calls for assistance. They were heard all.along the coast, Boston. New York and Norfolk, and by at least two ships—the [East Indian and the Harvester. = The message picked up by {he latter steamer was a frantic appeal for im- mediate assistance “conmie at once if youw' can. We dare badly in need of assistance,” it read. The East Indian Wwas at that time about 58 miles from the Paraguay. The Harvester was closer and she sent a_message to the (Continued on Page 4, Column 1.) SMITH DRAWS FIRE OF DRY CHIEFTAINS Anti-Saloon League Leaders; Attack Governor on Eve of Convention. The Anti-Saloon League last night fired the first shot in its 1928 presi- | dential campaign fight. The shot was | directed at Gov. Al Smith of New | York. b Replying to Gov. Smith’s defense of his opposition to the eighteenth | amendment and his simultaneous promise to uphold the Constitution, night, Dr. Arthur | lanta, chairman committee of the announcement: “No word Gov. Smith can say will In any degree satisfy the dry forces of America nor offset his lifelong rec- ord as an unfaltering friend of liquor and his recent efforts to nullify the Constitution, and as an inveterate enemy of prohibition and all reform legislation that looks to the better- ment of moral and civic conditions among our people.” Consider Situation “Hopeful.” Dr. Barton made it clear that he spoke as chairman of the league's executive committee and as a ‘life- long Southern Democrat.” “If the party wants to drive out the South let it nominate Smith,” he declared. The executive committee, which met yesterday to smooth the way for the convention, which opens at the May- flower Hotel tomorrow, spent the day in considering reports from F. Scoft McBride, its general superintendent; Howard H. Russell, assistant generai superintendent, and Dr. Ernest H. Cherington. superintendent of public interests, and in surveying the work ¢ the past two ye: and planning for the forthcoming two years. The situation of the prohibition forces was described as “hopeful” for the future. Nominations of officers and a legis- lative superintendent and attorney to succeed Wayne B. Wheeler were to be reported to the board of directors to- | 1 orrow. The election is expected to | take place late in the day. Until the people shall have reversed their decision relative to prohibition every official is bound by oath to up- | hold” the law and refrain from any-} thing that encourages its violation, . Scott McBride, general superintend- ent of the Anti-Saloon League, de-| clared. I McBride Issues Statement. Discussing Smith’s address in which he asserted he saw no reason why any group of voters should not oppose the prohibition laws, Mr. McBride said that while any group had the right to oppose any law, neither clllzenxl nor official have the right to suggest or encourage violation of the law “In a Government by the people any | | zroup has the right to agitate for the | repeal of any statutory or constitu | | tional law,” he said. *“But so long as | any constitutional law or any statutory law is in effect, it 1s the obligation of the citizen to obey, and the obligation | of the official to enforce the law. ny one who agitates the right of J. Barton of At- of the executive league, made this (Continued on Page 2, Column 4) BLOOD TRAIL LEFT BY FLEEING THIEF Prowler Cuts Hand as He Breaks Glass in Kitchen Door. The marauder who has kept the Cleveland Park neighborhood in an uproar for the past couple of weeks— or another of his ilk—last night left a trail of blood behind him in a bold attempt to enter a house by smash ing a door glass with his fist. Brazenly selecting a_house lighted from top to bottom and at the bright intersection of three streets, the home of Capt. Clarence Kempff, 3600 Iduho avenue, the intruder calmly removed the electric light socket from the back porch and then entered the kitchen but was frightened away when he heard Miss Alice Kempff, 18 vears old, descending the steps. After removing the socket giving him a small patch of darkness in which to conceal himself. the prowler Jjerked open a screen door with such focce as to pull the hook from its screw and then drove his fist through th> glass of the kitchen door. cutting his hand and spattering the interior of the room with blood and bits of broken glass. Parents Away on Visit. Reaching through the jagged hole the intruder turned the key in the lock and pulled the door open, but fled as he hear® a noise on the stair- case. No one caught a glimpse of him. Clarence Kempff, jr.. 14 years old, was in the basement chopping wood and did not hear th. crash of the glass which aroused his sister. Three young children were asleep in an upstairs room. Capt. and Mrs. Kempft were visiting at the home of a friend The daring manifested by the housebreaker in selecting a_house in such a conspicuous position, with Thirty-seventh and Ordway. streets on two sides of it and Idaho avenue on a third side, all traversed by automo- biles at frequent intervals around 10 o'clock, when the episode occurred, led police to express the conviction that the burglar is either crazy or junder the influence of drugs or liGuor. Although last night's house break- FEDERATION BAGKS JURISDICTION SHIFT Approves Plan to Place Arrested Minors Under Welfare Board. The Federation of Citizens’ Associa- tions last night added its support to the movement initiated by the Federal Bureau of Efficiency to shift the juris- diction of the Woman's Bureau of the Police Department over children under 17 years of age, who are de- tained by the police, to the board of public welfare. Action was taken without debate and upon the recommendation of the committee on charities and corrections to which had been referred earlier in the meeting a communication from Mrs. Giles Scott Rafter, president of the District Congress of Parent-Teach- er Associations, requesting the federa- tion's co-operation in urging the Com- missioner§ to include an jtem in the deficiency appropriation bill to provide speeial quarters for the children when they are separated from the adults in the House of Detention. Mrs. Rafter Is Present. “Owing to the necessity for secur- ing different quarters for the House of Dentention occasioned by the pro- posed construction of new Govern- ment buildings on the site now oc- cupied by the House of Detention, the present seems the logical and opportune time to Insure that de- pendent and delinquent children no longer be confined in the same build- ing with adult criminals under the Police Department,” said Mrs. Raf- ter's letter. “The District Congress of Parent-Teacher Associations is hopeful that, if the District Com- missioners will submit an estimate for this purpose, which they have al- ready approved, the provision de- sired may be secured in the defic- iency act about to be introduced in the Seventieth Congress.” Mrs. Rafter was present and upon ! invitation, occupied a seat adjoining Dr. George C. Havenner, acting president. The Hansel merger plan, which was prepared expressly for the federation. was ceremoniously turned over to its public utilities committee for study in connection with the other two pro- posals for consolidating the trans- portation units Unopened and wrapped in manila paper, the voluminous document con- taining the plan was handed to Wil- liam McK. Clayton, chairman of the committee, by Dr. Havenner, with a request that it be given the same con- sideration as all other merger proposals. In receiving it. Clayton announced that the committee had “open minds” on all of merger pro- posals. and that persomally he was not espousing any one plan. although he did approve of certain features of the so-called Bachman plan. Threatened Storm Fails. The threatened eruption over the question of reimbursing the firm for its expense in making the extensive transportation survey on which it based its merger proposals and the secrecy which involved its nresenta- tion to a subcommittee of the utilities committee failed to mate:alze. William A. Roberts, who was named to replace Maj. Clayton E. Emig as vice chairman of the utilities ccmmit- tee, however, apparently ruffied J. G. Hefty, a member of the -ommitiee, with an explanation of ororedure that had been followed in the oreparation of the Hansel plan, which, he said, had only been seen by a subcommittee of three members. Maj. Emig as acting chairman of the utilities committee was instru- mental in having the Hansel firm undertake the transportation survey. and Mr. Hefty construed the remarks of Mr. Roberts as an attack on Maj. Emig. “I am one of the three members of | ¥ the subcommittee,” he said. as he took the floor. *“Mr. Robert's remarks un- ing_did_not bear the characteristic doubtedly were an_ attack on Maj (Continued on Page 2, Column 1. (Continued on Page 4, Column 6.) Street Car Passenger Held an Oddity In New Mexico, So Service Will Cease By the Associated Press. SANTA FE, N. Mex., December 3.— New Mexico scon will be a State without a street car. Use of the cars nas gradually de- creased until a passenger is almost an oddity.,” declared a petition pre- sented the State Corporation Com - mission today by the Las Vegas Transit Co. Permission to abandon the line because of operating losses was asked The line operates between East and West Las Vegas and the two municipalities already have approved the proposed suspension. The cor- poration commission sent letters to mayors of the two towns advising them if there was no objection, the petition would be granted. A court order was issued recently for abandoment December 31 of street car line in Albuquerque, the only other city in the State with street car service. The Albuquerque car system is operated by women “motorettes” who first were employ ed during the World War. Applications have heen made for operation of motor busses in Albu- querque, but no such move has been indicated yet at Las Vegas: A & | come their criticism. “*From Press to Home Within the Hour” The Star is delivered every evening and Sunday morning to Washington homes at r month. Telephone Main 5000 and service will start immediately FIVE CENTS. MELLON ATTACKS U.S. CHAMBER FOR TAX CUT PROPOSAL | Considers $400,000,000 Re- cuction as “Unworthy of Business Men’s Report.” ASSAILS REVENUE SLASH ON BASIS OF U. S. FIGURES Challenges Critics to Show Esti- mates Compiled by Govern- ment Are Inaccurate. By the Associated Press The Chamber of Commerce of the United States was charged yesterday by Secretary Mellon with having pre- | sented a surprising misconception of facts and an argument hardly worthy | ot a business men's report in urging a $400.000,000 reduction in taxes. Mr. Mellon wrote to Lewis E. Pier- son, president of the chamber, in a continuation of the controversy that has arisen between the administration and the chamber over the size of the | tax reduction to be made by the Con gress which begins sessions on Mon- day. The ‘Ireasury favors a $225. 000.000 reduction, while a slash of $236,000,000 is proposed in the revenue bill drafted by the House ways and means committee. In assailing the Chamber of Com- merce program Secretary Mellon fol- lowed the lead of President Coolidge, whose view that the chamber was ad- vocating an unwarranted reduction, was disclosed recently at the White House. After this, the chamber re- iterated its demand for a $400,000,000 tax cut and defended its course in ad- vocating it. “Inexcusable Carelessness.” Secretary Mellon yesterday expressed surprise that the chamber had made a tax demand in “the entire absence of detailed figures as to future rev- enues and expenditures” and charged that its estimated yield from the cor- poration income tax represented “in excusable carelessness.” By its own argument, the secretary said, the chamber disproved the wis dow of repealing the excise tax on au tomobiles .or on admission and club dues as it would make a too narrow tax base and force the Government to rely solely on the income tax on cor- porations and individuals, the tobacco tax and customs duties. In copclusion, the Secretary said. “let me take serious exception to the statement in the chamber's report that ‘there would be no great cause for alarm even though a deficit should, through unexpected developments, arise in any Ifi?". e “For the United States Government to botrow to pay for current expendi tures would in my judgment be in excusable,” Mr. Mellon added. *“A balanced budget is an essential ele- ment of any sound fiscal system, and as long as I am Secretary, the Treas ury Department will resist the under- mining of this | -inciple -and will eon tinue to advocate a tax system ade quate to produce every year the reve nues necessary to meet current ex penditures.” Mr. Mellon advised the Chamber o! Commerce that he was in accord with some of jts revenue suggestions, as serting: “I believe that the corporation tax rate should be reduced, though cir cumstances do not permit as sweeping: a reduction as you advocate; and I fa :or'lhe repeal of the Federal estat« ax.” Invites Check of Figures. ‘Turning to the administration’s ow! tax program, the Treasury head said “Detailed figures have been sub mitted to the ways and means com mittee. If the Chamber of Commerce will point out to me in what respects these figures are inaccurate, either in the case of estimated receipts or of estimated expenditures, 1 shall wel They were pre. oared after studies made independently by three experts having access to al' of the facts. The estimates for 1929 as finally submitted to the committee exceeded the average of the estimates ‘of these individual exports by over $45,000,000. 1 mention this in order to disprove the charge that has been made that the Treasury deliberately errs on the side of conservatism.” Mr.. Mellon repeatedly challenged the accuracy of statements made by the chamber in advocating its tax program and emphasized the care with which he said the Treasury’'s plan was determined and outlined to the House committee. “In my statement before the ways and means committee,” he said, “I pointed out that the revenue from temporary sources must disappear in the course of the next year or two. The report of your commi‘tee answers this argument with the statement that ‘similar predictions have been made in the past only to be disproved by later developments.' This is hard- Iy worthy of a business men's report. How can receipts be realized from as- sets whic! no longer exist? Farm Loan Bonds Receipts. “Receipts from Federal farm loan bonds and other minor securities amounted to $34,000,000 in 1926 and to $63,000,000 in 1927. Th: Govern- ment holds no more farm loan bonds. Receipts from the War Finance Cor- poration assets amounted to $19,000,- 000 in 1926 and to $27.000,000 in 1927. The War Finance Corporation has been practic uly liquidated, and not more than $6,000,000 can be realized from this source in the future. Re- railroad securities amount- to $36.000,000. in 1927 to 00,000, and we will receive in probably $169,000,000. But in 29 not more than $24,000,000 is an- ticipated from this source, and after that little or no revenue cen be sx- pected under this head, fus the very simple and good reason that omly $49,000,000 principal amount of rail- road obligations will be left out of the $230,000,000 held on June 30, 19:7. “The Treasury's estimates 1o ex- penditures are based on the figures furnished by the Budget Bureau, which submits them after a careful survey of the needs of all depart- ments and bureaus and with com- plete knowledge of the appropriations to be recommended to the Congress for the year in question. It must be noted that the_estimates of expendi- tures submitted to the ways and means committee did not include in- creased expenditures which may re. sult from new legislation, such as flood relief. “The present Treasury estimates of receipts are based on a careful analy- sis of (1) propable receipts from mis- laneous sources in the light of past (Continued on Page 10, Column 1) £