Evening Star Newspaper, December 17, 1927, Page 2

BLACKMER SERVED CONTEMPT ORDER Missing Oil Witness Gets Papers in Paris in Fall- Sinclair Case. H. M. Blackmer, missing witness in the Fall-Sinclair ofl conspiracy trial, has been served with an order of the Supreme Court of the District of Co- Jumbia citing him to show cause why | he should not be adjudged guilty of | contempt and $100,000 of his property | forfeited. e was served in De cember 5. Blackmer, former chairman of the boa-1 of the Midwest Refining ¢ summoned as a witness in the con- | spiracy trial in October, failed to ap- pear. Government counsel, acting | under the law sponsored by Walsh, Democrat, Montana tor of the oil investigation, asked that he be cited to show cause why $109,000 of his property should not be seized. | Counsel for Blackmer depos ib. | erty bonds to that amount in a Wash- | ington bank, and they were seized by Senator | prosecu- | Soutn BYRD'S SOUTH POLE FLIGHT OUTLINED Commander, in Address, Re- veals General Plans for Ex- ploring Antarctic Continent. Comdr. Richard E. Byrd, aviator-explorer of the world, first to fly to the North Pole and hero of foremos: lantic Jast Summer, revealed his gen- the South Pole next September and explorations of the vast and barren Antarctic continent last night to members of the National Geographic Society who packed the Washington Auditorium |~ Introduced hy Dr. | president of the acknowledged the from the exploration society voted him by its trustees recently and indicated that in addi- | tion to being § ntific quest he also | considered his flight a good will enter- prise in respect to the 10 republics of Americ The Antarctic continent, one and a itlbert Grosvenor, v, Comdr. ant of 825,000 funds of the a the Government. Blackmer tified to appear in court Jan; wyen the return on the contempt citation will be made The citation and order were ser on Blackmer by George Orr, America consul, at Hotel Plaza Athenaa. Case Adjourned to Mont: Sessions of the contempt proceed- | ings growing out of the shadowing of the jury in the Fall-Sinclair oil con- spiracy case stood adjourned today | until Monday morning. Under a recess agreement, the six respondents in the contempt pro- ceedings and the 15 Burns detectives held here as witnesses since open- ing of the case two weeks ago may return to their homes to spend Christmas and New Year day. Upon the suggestion of Martin W. Little- ton of counsel for Harry F. Sinclair, the court decided before adjournment veésterday to permit a recess from December 23 until January 2. It wa: one motion, at least, during the two weeks of acrimonious arguments which the Government did not seek to_oppose. In view of the holiday recess, it is likely that the contempt proceed- ings will continue until a few days before January 16, the date set by Justice Frederick L. Siddons for the retrial of the Teapot Dome case. That case will require fully a month and the Teapot Dome criminal ac- tion, which started early in October, is likely to_set a new endurance rec- ord in the District courts. Will Call Other Burns Men. When the contempt proceedings are resumed Monday. the Government will call other Burns operatives as witnesses in its endeavor to sub- stantiate its charges that the surveil- lance was for the purpose of intimi- dating and influencing the action of the Teapot Dome jurors. Despite ad- missions that inquiries had been made into the credit standing of one of the jurors and that the parents of Ed- ward J. Kidwell, jr., had been ap- proached, the Government has been unable to prove thus far that any one of the 12 jurors under surveillance had been approached by a Burns de- tective. ‘While the Government was success- ful yesterday in barring from the record conversation that took place between Operative Frank J. O'Reilly and the parents of Juror Kidwell, the defense--was' able to- circumvent tie ruling ow at least -oné occasion. One question put by the defense, tending to establish that the trip to the Kid- ‘well home had no direct relation to the juror himself, got into the record with #n answer and without being stricken out by the court. Charles A. Douglas, counsel ‘William J. Burns, asked O'Reilly: “Did -you on the occasion of this trip to Anacostia make any inquiry of anybody whatsoever, between the time you went to Anacostia and the time you returned from Anacostia, about Juror Kidwell?"” “I did not,” replied O'Reilly. Detective Is Reticent. James J. O'Leary, assistant United States attorney, tried in vain to have the answer stricken from the record, holding it was not permissible under the previous ruling of the court. The court held, however, the question was not designed to elicit any portion of m conversation which the operative for A Burns detective on the stand just before court adjourned was reluctant to afirm under oath the absolute ac- curacy of reports he had submitted | to his superiors on the shadowing of Jurors Kidwell and Gardner P, Gren- fell. The operative was Martin Stewart, who had been assigned to trail the jurors on different days. Unlike O'Reilly, whose “remark- able memory” which the defense held was due to persistent coaching by the district attorney’s office, cause comment from the bench, Stewart prefaced most of his answers as to whether statements in his reports were correct with remarks that he couldn’t recollect or that they were accurate so far as he could remem- ber. He even refused to say definitely that his reports identifying Grenfell were true, declaring the man he shadowed was a man he believed to have been the juror. Jurors Examined. Preparatory to Monday session a number of witnesses, including three of the jurors, were examfed this morning in the District attorney’s of- fice. Don King, local newspaper man and J. Ray Akers, former street car conductor, whose affidavits to the ef- fect that Juror Kidwell had discussed the Teapot Dome trial with them, were among those examined. Juror Kidwell himself was present on this occasion, but no reason was given for the examination of the wit- nesses. Conrad J. Herzog and Gard- ner T. Grenfell, two other Teapot Dome jurors, also were questioned by the Government attorneys. PRESIDENT IMPRESSED. Coolidge Looks Forward to Lindy's Central American Trip. President Coolidge has been impress- If times the size of the United es, he said, is “‘the last great cha to the explorer and aviator.” Byrd added that it is and coldest re the : Ter suddenly in of ice and in peaks t fury at times rific storms = i's unknown snow and towering and blow with gri for days on end. The average wind velocity for the period of a v noted by Sir Douglas Mawson 50 miles an hour.” Applause for Lindbergh. spri fasty up mou The flying commander was ap plaused when he mentioned Col. Lind- bergh’s mission of good will to Mexico. “Soma months ago when I informed the board of trustees of the National Geographic Society of our proposed expedition,” said the explorer, “I em. phasized the importance of the flight and its good will aspects. emphasize this publicly here. “I like to think that our explora tions of the great unknown Antarctic continent, and our #erial conquest of the South Pole, if we succeed, will he an all-American achievement—and by that T mean both North and South America. “The flyers who crossed the Atlantic last Summer were hailed not only for their aerial victory. but also as good will ambassadors to Europe. Col. Lindbergh has helped cement the friendship of the United States and Mexico. The interest and co-operation of the South American reublics indi cates already that ours will be a good will flight so far as our neighbor con- tinent is concerned ‘Geography will make it that. South America extends 1,200 miles nearer the South Pole than any other conti- | nent. We will leave a South Ameri- can base for our quest. If our me- teorological observations are of vaiue an adventurous flight across the At-| “the | 1 wish to| {ana administer payment of compen- THE EVENING STAR. WASHINGTON. D. C. SATURDAY, DE(‘EST# | | | { eral plans for the proposed flight to | Byrd | | 1 Federal tract at Sixth and B streets northwest, use of which has been asked of | until such time as a permanent site has been selected and developed. ER I7, 192T. RECOMMENDED AS TEMPORARY SITE FOR FARMERS’ MARKET l('A)rl:."en by the District Commissioners for Farmers' Produce Market l AU]’[] |NSURANGE iReports of What He Will Do for Living On Lcaving White House Amuse President " BILPRESENTED {Senator Jones Introduces Plan to Establish Public Liability Fund. A compulsory automobile insurance plan for the District of Columbia to be administered by the United States Employes’ Compensation Commission, which would collect the necessary pre- mium from all motor vehicle owners tion, is proposed in a bill intro- duced by Senator Jones, Republican, of Washington. Every application for registration of a motor vehicle would have to be they will be of greatest immediate util- ity in weather predictions for South | America, | Cites Valuable By-product. | “Though, as I have stated, our pur- pose is scientific exploration, a valuable by-product will be the cementing of | good will between the United States | and its historic friends, the 10 re- publics of South America. The air- plane has proved itself a messenger of peace and good will. And if our flight adds to the ties of common govern- ment ideals, of national amity of leng standing, and the friendliness already ngendered by the pan-American good- will flight of Maj. Herbert A. Dargue fand his associftes, it will, indeed, have been worth whil Speaking of the area to be explored and the pians of ition. Comdr. Byrd said: “The natural won- | ders that the explorer is sure to find capture my imagination The great ice bulwarks which surround the con- | tinent have held back the explorer, | but it seems to me that aviation can | surmount and conquer these barriers | al lay bare her secrets. | “Whatever trail we follow toward the South Pole, we will from our flight altitude be looking down into areas never before seen. Our base will be at the threshold of unexplored areas, and when we fly into them we hope, with our mapping cameras, to fill in some of the great white blank spaces | now on the maps of school children, at the rate of 100 milex an hour. “The primary object of the expedi- tion is scientific and we hope to plant the American flag at the South Pole. The Antarctic continent has more ef- fect on weather conditions than any other region in the world. We will have a chance to study the glaciology of a land in the grip of one ice Age. We hope to photograph geological sec- tions of the rugged mountainous cliffs, and we shall search for fossil remains in efforts to disclose something of the past. “We will carry our personnel and equipment to the great ice barrier which surrounds the continent in a ice, and we will make our base on the ice of the great Ross Barrier. We will take three planes and with them hope to lay bases down 100 miles apart toward the Pole, and on the very edge of the unexplored region. The work of the planes will be augmented by special motor toboggans and @ teams. “We expect to take 6 Fskimos with us and at least 12 members of the expedition will be experts in Arc- tic work.” Reviews MacMillan Expedition. Prior to discussing his plans for the South Pole flight, Comdr. Byrd re- viewed his ‘part in the MacMillan Arctic Expedition under the auspices of the Geographic Pole flight and the tr: Mation pictures graphi ing these expeditions were shown, gether with a short reel dealing with the flight of the Navy NC boats to th Azores in which he played a prom! nent part in the navigational prepara. tions. ‘When pictures were flashed on the screen showing the award of the Hubbard Medal Society to him, Comdr. Byrd explained this was the same honor conferred upon Col. Lindbergh a short tim2 ago and added, “We are proud to welcome Col. Lindbergh to the ranks of the Hubbard medalists.” GIBSON SUBCOMMITTEE TO PLAN PROBE PROGRAM ed deeply with the successful flight of Col. Charles A. Lindbergh from this city to Mexico City, and he is now Jooking forward with the same interest 10 this young fiyer's prospective flight to Central America. The President is satisfied that Col. Lindbergh’s Mexican flight has had a thrilling effect both in this country and in Mexico. He considers it quite evident that Col. Lindbergh pleased the people of Mexico, and ex- pressed pleasure at the painstaking and cordial reception being accorded the fiyer in Mexico. JEN— Suggests Part for Mitchell. The appointment of William Mitchell, center of the aircraft controversy in Congress two years ago, as a member of the board of managers of the Na- tional Home for Disabled Soldiers is 1 recommended in a bill by Representa- | tive Schafer, Republican, Wisconsin. — Airplanes are now used in trans. porting gold trom the goldfields in Bi- berla. B House Group Will Map Out District Inquiry Schedule at Meet- ing Monday. The program for the investigations of the District government, which are to be pursued during the present ses- sion’ of Congress, will be mapped out at a meeting of the Gibson subcom- mittee of the House District commit- tee to be held Monday morning. This .announcement was made_to- day by Representative Gibson of Ver- mont, chairman of the new subcom- mittee of nine members authorized by the full House District committee to continue its comprehensive and systematic survey of the entire Dis- trict government, which was begun at the last session of Congress and following whose recommendations sev- ral pieces of remedial legislation have already been enacted. No hearings will be held by this | the lowest rates consistent with main- | tude and was first oberved about two ship specially made to withstand the | of the Geographic | accompanied by a certificate showing the owner had secured insurance. Would Create Fund. The bill would create a District of Columbia motor vehicle insurance fund and every automobile owner would pay into taat fund an annual premium, the amount to be deter- mined by the commission with the approval of the District superintend- ent of insurance. The bill provides an appropriation of $50.040 from the Treasury to start the insurance fund and when the fund has acquired & surpius of $75,000 | the $30,000 advanced from the easury is to be returnad. | Would Classify Drivers. The commission would be empow- ered to divide automobile owners into such groups as shall be equitable for the purpose of establishing premium rates, and in that connection th commission may employ a system of merit rating or experience rating, or woth. Premiums would be fixed at tenance of a solvent fund. The bill prescribes a schedule of | compensation payments to be made to injured persons according to the degree of disability. For. total dis- ability there would be paid during | the period of disability a sum equal to 66 2-3 per cent of the person’s av- erage salary. There is also a sched- ule of payinents to be made to the families of those killed. The bill has been referred to the PDistrict committee for consideration. CAPONE GOES HOME WITH ARMED GUARD; DEFIES POLICE FORCE Chicago agaln, was more lenient to- ay. i “Well if be's back, he's back, that's | all there is to it,” he said. “If he is in his mother's home, he's safe. We | haven't any specific charge against | him and we won't break into a home to get him. 1 have instructed any bureau squads that see 'him on the streets to pick him up and take him ito ail.” Capone prefers Florida climate, hc say in spite of his good time ir California. “The climate's better in the South,’ he said. “It rained two days while 1 was in Los Angeles. It rains in Chicago, too, and snows. But after all, home is home, and I'm going there and the police won't keep me away.’ His parting message to Joliet, the city which contains the State peniten- tiary, was When I come back for my trial 1 am going to make a good big dona- tion to the worthy charities of Jollet. I am not mad at anybody.” | BLOOD POISON VICTIM | William Price, Colored, Dies as Re- sult of Pistol Wound. Willlam Price, colored, 38 years old, of 1612 Reeves court, died at Freed- men's Hospital ‘yesterday from blood poisoning and pneumonia which de- veloped from a bullet wound in the right shoulder. Thomas Hall, colored, 34, of 221 Brooks court, arrested in connection with the shooting, said the weapon was accidentally discharged when he picked it up to put it away, after it had been laid on a table by Price, the owner. He was held pending an in- quest. The shooting occurred at 76 Q street Saturday night. Price immediately went to Freedmen's Hospital for treat- ment and left later, contrary to the advice of physicians. He re-entered the institution two days later. o PLANS NEW FLIGHT. PROVIDENCE, R. 1., December 17 P)—The Providence Tribune says that Clarence D. Chamberlin, trans- atlantic fiyer, upon his arrival here today announced he would attempt a | round-trip flight to Europe. Chamber- lin was en route to Pawtucket to in- spect a prospective site for an air plane factory. On his next flight, which will not he subcommittee, however, until after the Christmas holidays, Mr, Gibson re- affirmed today. in the immediate future, he ill use :Mndhlp equipped to land on ter, he L] President Coolidge has derived con- siderable fun out of the various and frequent reports of what he is going to do in the way of earning a living when he retires from the presidency, but he has authorized it to be said in his behalf that all of these reports are without foundation. However, the President is happy to know that “he public is interested in his future. Of all the reports the one which has amused him most was in connection with his becoming a candidate for either the Senate or House from Massachuseits, He was represented as of the view that of all the various positions he might consider he cer- tainly has no intention a ting one at the other end of Pennsylvania ave- He cannot understand, however, these rumors h: not included COMET 70 BE SEEN HERE THIS EVENING Celestial Body Is Brightest to Come Within Capital’s Vision in Years. ‘Washingtonians who look intently to the southwest shortly after sunset his evening may be able to see with the naked eye, close to the horizon, one of the first comets observable without a telescope in this locality for several years, it was predicted at the Naval Observatory this morning. Naval Observatory astronomers had hoped to see the comet last night, but re unable 1o see it, since it was so ow on the horizon and came so close- Iy in conjunction with sunset. It will come slightly higher tonight, however. This comet is of the third magni- eks ago st Melbourne, Australia, hy F. J. Shjellerup, an amateur as- tronomer, for whom it has been named. It was visible in New York late yesterday, observers reported, and probably will continue to be visibls for several weeks throughout the Northern Hemisphere. CAMBRIDGE, Mass., December 17 (P).—A_cablegram received at fhe Harvard Observatory last night from La Plata, Argentine Republic, said that Skjellerup’s comet, recently dis- covered in the Southern Hemisphere, now was visible in broad daylight. The cablegram was signed by Prof. Hartmann, director of the National Ob- servatory, which is situated in the university town of Plata, near Buenos Afres. Prof. Harlow Shapley, director of the Harvard Observatory. in making public the message, said that such visibility was very rare. * “The comet is probably the brightest seen in many decades,” he said. “In a few days, perhaps by tomorrow, it should be visible in the United States.” Another cablegram received at the Harvard Observatory today gave a new orbit for the comet, which will bring it closest to the sun and hence at its brightest phase, on December 18. The first observation gave this date as December 1. MINERS MUST VACATE COMPANY-OWNED HOMES Court Orders Union Men to Move From Houses by April 1. By the Associated Press. COLUMBUS, Ohio, December 17.— More than 100 union miners’ families in Belmont and Jefferson Counties will have to move from the companies’ | houses next April 1, according to a decision of Federal Judge Benson W. Hough, who in Federal Court here to- day granted an eviction order asked by the companies. The eviction order affects all miners sought to be evicted by the companies except those living in company houses at the number 2 mine of the Clarkson Coal Mining Co. The court refuged the order there because the mine is not operating and there appeared to be no jmmediate need by the company for the houses to shelter mnon-uhion workers. his pogsible election to the City Coun- cil or some other office in Northamp- ton, his home town. The President has let it be known that he has given absolutely no con- sideration to the question of how he will occupy his time when he retires to private life, in March, 1929, and that It is unlikely that he will give any thought to this matter while he is an occupant of the White House, or at least until the time approaches for him to put aside the duties of President: While discussing his future plans with friends in the Black Hills| last Summer the President remarked that throughout his life work had no difficuity in finding him and that he was of the opinfon that it will con- tinue to come his way even after he ceases to be President. Capone Pays Fines Of Two Prisoners; Occupies Cell Alone By the Associated Press. CHICAGO, December 17.—Al Ca- pone, a fastidious dresser and in- clined to be particular in his choice of assoclates, was somewhat put out at the Joliet Jail yesterday be- cause he had been placed in a cell with two men whose general ap- pearance and demeanor were, not to his lking. “Why are you In here?" Capone asked. They explained they were unable to pay their fines, Whereupon Ca- pone told police to take the neces- sary $72 from his own btank roll of more than §2,000 and pay the fines. The men were released and, Ca- pone had the cell to himself.* —— e TELEGRAPH CHECK FAILS TO REVEAL SLUSH FUND DATA (Continu from First Page.) office this morning on a typewriter at the dictation of Comdr. Carlos V. Cusachs, The letter was not read, but the purpose was to check on how Avila used a typewriter. He handed to Senator Reed a copy of the New York World. He appar- ently wanted to take exception to something in that newspaper, but Senator Reed told him that was a personal matter the committee could not into. Committee Examines Letter. Putting their heads closely together, the committee members went over the letter written today by Avila at their request, Avila told the committee the $12,000 paid Mexican clerks for the documents was pald in bills, “old bills and mostly twenties,” and that the package was about 3 inches thick in size. “Don’t you know $12.000 in old bills would be about a foot thick at least?” Senator Robinson asked. Avila shrugged his shoulders. News Writer Testifles. John Page, writer of the stories about the documents published in the Hearst papers, identified two letters written today by him at the request of the committee, and then the com- mittee was adjourned indefinitely. Later Senator Reed said none of the telegrams submitted today by the Western Union Co. seemed to relate “in any way" to the telegrams in the documents given to the committee. Following the flat denial of the Sen- ators—Borah, Norris, Heflin, and La Follette—that any of the money had | reached them, the question of the doc- uments’ authenticity has become par- amount and in its determination to unravel the mystery the committee intends to employ the secret service if necessary. Thus far the committee has hefore it in sworn testimony the story of Avila that he bought the papers from clerks in the Mexican government service in Mexico City and bought dovetailing correspondence from em- ployes in the New York office of Ar- turo M. Elias, Mexican consul general and President Calles’ half-brother. It has also the testimony of Elias de- any association with the affair Turkey Brings in 18 Little Ones And Wins Respite Special Dispatch to The Star. FREDERICKSBURG, Va., Decem- ber 17.—For months Mrs. W. G. Pey- ton, who lives in Stafford County about four miles from town, had reared a Christmas turkey from flap- per days to full henhood It was a fine, robust and healthy fow] and Mrs, Peyton was exceedingly proud of it. The turkey had one fault. Almost daily it would slip away from its feathered associates and return several hours later with a pecullar look of slyness in its eyes. Just as Mrs. Peyton was looking forward to a deliclous Turkey repast this Yuletide her turkey disarpeared. She searched everywh but mot a sign of the fowl could she find. Mrs. Peyton was in the yard look: From Yule Ax ing over her flock of chickens with a view to deciding which of the smaller would have the honor of substituting for the turkey. at Christmas. Hearing a disturbance nearby, she Investigated and saw hastening to- ward her the missing turkey—with a brood of 18 little turks at her feet! Veteran turkey raisers in these parts are as much surprised over Mrs. Peyton's turkey as Mrs. Peyton was herself. They point out that turkeys rarely go to setting this late in the season, and none can remember ever having heard of such a large brood being hatched in the open. The Summer-like Fall is assigned as the reason for the accomplishment. Mrs. Peyton has decided that a tur key with such domestic instincts should be spared the ax. W OFFIIALS T0 VIEW - SITE FOR MARKET Smoot Says Commission Will | Visit Proposed Temporary Area Thursday. | The Public Buildings Commission plans to go carefully into the advis- ability of locating the Farmers' Mar- | ket temporarily in the Mall between {Sixth and Seventh streets, it was in- | dicated by members of the commission today. Following a meeting of the commis- sion in the Senate Office Building, Chairman Smoot announced that the full membership of the committee would go out at 10 o'clock Thurse morning with the District Commis- sioners to make a careful inspection of the temporary site recommended to Congress by the city authorities a few days ago. Opposition Is Reported. Senator Smoot said there was some opposition to locating the farmers’ stand temporarily at the point recom- mended by the Commissioners, and that the Public Buildings Commission was desirous of going with the Com- missioners to study the problem. In response to questions, Senator Smoot indicated there is a possibility that some change may be suggested, adding that the bujldings commission would approach the subject with an | open mind. In their report to Congress the city heads advised against permanent re- location of the Farmers' Market at this time because of the uncertainty as to where the commission merchants will move to when they vacate the present commission row, and recom- mended that the farmers be taken care of for the time being on the Government land south of B street, between Sixth and Seventh streets. Mellon Has Authority. Mellon has ample au- | thority to permit the temp loca- |tion of the Farmers' Market, which | must be moved from its present site to make way for the Federal build- ing program, on the Mall, south of the foundations for the Victory Mem- otial Building, between Sixth and Seventh streets, Chairman Zihlman of the House District committee and 4 member of the National Capital Park and Planning Commission, said late yesterday. 1t $55,000 is needed for the erection of shelters, a restaurant and conven- fence station as recommended in the report of the District Commissioners to Congress, which has been referred to Mr. Zihlman's committee, this ap- propriation should be included in the District supply bill, Mr. Zihlman said. After the Christmas holidays, Mr. Zihlman will bring this report to the attention of his committee when an effort will be made to draft a bill to carry into effect the recommendations of the Commissioners for the pur- chase of a site in Southwest Wash- ington for a permanent location for the Farmers’ Market. |""Monday the bill authorizing the ap- propriation of $25,000,000 to purchase the entire triangle south of Pennsyl- vania avenue to the Mall is expected to pass the House. When the Treas- ury Department has negotiated this purchase it is understood that the com- mission merchants and wholesale produce men will be forced to evacu- ate their present location between the existing Farmers’ Market and Cen- ter Market. In a few years Center Market will be wiped out by the Fed- eral bullding program, which has des- ignated that site for the new Depart- ment of Justice building. VARE REPORTED BETTER. PHILADELPHIA, December 17 (#). —The condition of Senator-elect Wil- liam S. Vare, who has been confined to his bed since Wednesday with an attack of grip, was reported improved today. He still has a fever, but it has started to recede slowly. Dr. Ellwood R. Kirby, his physician, said there were no complications that would indicate anything more than a case of influenza. e—————————————— Secretary and his belief that the whole thing is built upon fraud and forgery. Avila said that he bought the cor- respondence with the money and con- sent of Mr. Hearst, and the latter and others in his employ have given the committee little more than that phase of the story, except thelr own belief that none of the slush fund actually was paid to the four Senators. Call Documents Forgeries. Closed sessions were resorted to yes- terday by the committee to study the documents; and at one meeting it spread the papers before experts who were asked for opinions on their gen- uineness. What information the in- quirers gained was not made public, however. Emphasizing its own repeated as- sertion that the Hearst documents are forgeries, the Mexican embassy last night issued another statement incor- porating the same opinion as ex- pressed recently in Paris by Alberto J. Pani, Mexican Minister to France and former minister of the treasury in Mexico. Pani, who was mentioned in some of the papers, declared they | would deceive only persons who were unfamiliar with the usual form of the Mexican official papers or with their signatures. Ibut the Fine Arts | numerous. AN ARS LK OCAR BULDING ' Commission Still Objects to| Projecting Display Win- dows, However. Suggesting that the “objectionable” projecting show windows be omitted, |the Commission of Fine Arts today ap- | proved a revised design for the mew | United Cigar Stores' building now | under construction at the corner of | Fourteenth and E streets. The ap- proval of the Fine Arts body brings to an end a controversy lasting several | weeks over the type of building to be constructed by the United Cigar Stores Co., during which the latter organiza- | tion challenged the authority of the commission to supervise private build- ing and later agreed to revise its plans after pressure had been brought by Washington trade organizations and the controversy had been echoed | in Congress. Instead of brick, the Cigar Stores | Building will be constructed of lime- stone, to harmonize with the Govern- ment structures to be erected on the south side of Pennsylvania avenue. Certaln other changes made by archi- tects for the structure were approved. Commission still insists that the projecting show win dows are objectionable. i Improvement Is Suggested. ! The following letter has been sent | of the United Cigars Stores Co.: | “The Commission of Fine Arts ap- prove the revised designs, submitted by the United Cigar Stores Co. for their building at Fourteenth and E streets in this cit) The commission realize that the construction of the show windows is subject to permit issued in accordance with existing building regulations of the District of Columbia. In the opinion of this commission, the design would be much improved by omitting the projecting show windows. It is understood that the building is to be constructed of limestone throughout. Helpfulness Is Commended. “The commission desires to express their appreciation of the helpful spirit in which their suggestions have been ou and your Washington ar- fr. Julius Wenig, and they venture to express the hope that the executed work will prove satisfactory to your company as well as to the Washington public.” Approximately 540 square feet of sidewalk space is to be utilized in the building construction for show win- dows, under a permit issued from the District Building several weeks ago. The commission has consistently ob- jected to this type of construction on one of the most important downtown corners and one that will face a group of Government buildings and a pro- jected park across Pennsylvania ave- nue. = | Award for Death of Dog and Per- | sonal Injuries Appealed. Justice Stafford of the District Supreme Court refused vesterday to interfere with the verdict of a jury which awarded $1,050 for personal injuries and $275 for the death of his dog to George Hill, an employe of the House Office Bullding, against Fred erick O. Ling, 328 New Jersey avenuc southeast. Ling’s dog and the dog o Hill were in a fight March 7, 1925 and in separating the animals Hil! was bitten. Ling claimed that his own dog bit the plaintiff when not ullowed to continue the scrap. Thc jury decided otherwise and the court upheld its verdict. Through Attorneys Jeffords & Dut. ton, Ling noted an appeal to thc Court of Appeals. FRANCE AND ITALY SEEK TERMS FOR PEACE IN EUROPE {Continued from First Page.) tion of the international zone at Tangier. 4. France shall support the Italian demand for African or Asiatic terri- tory and mandate from the League of Nations. 5. France shall recognize Italy's predominant rights and interests in the Adriatic and in the Balkans. 6. France shall not oppose Italian penetration’ in Abyssinia. 7. France shall prevent anti-Fascist Italian refugees from using French soil as a base for plotting and propa- ganda against Fascism. 8. France_ shall grant good condi- tions for Ttalian emigration into France. France Wants Peace. If these things are done, Dictator Mussolini allows it to be known that 1taly then will cease anti-French propaganda and will accept the fact of a sisterly “‘Latin block,” including France, Italy and Spain. All this is not very enticing to nce, which, moreover, is divided in internal politics, the Conservatives favoring an entente with Italy and the Liberals favoring one with Ger- many. However, there is one big thing that France has to gain, name- ly. European peace. For the sake of peace and partiy at the friendly instigation of Great Britain, the French government re- cently has taken a whole series of measures intended to prepare the way for the present negotiations. A new French Ambassador, an expert on African affairs, has heen sent to Rome. Foreign Minister Briand, in a_ public speech, said he would be glad to converse personally with Mus- solini. M. Briand held long talks in Geneva with the Italian delegate to the League and the British Ambas- sador to Rome. The French signed with Italy. a modus vivendi favoring Italian nationals in France, who are The anti-Fascist Italian newspaper Corriere Degli TItaliana, published in Nice, has just been sup- pressed by a decree of the French government. A Franco-Italian rail- way and frontier agreement is under discussion. But, while France for the sake of peace and equity is ready to make some concessions, she considers that the Itallan problem concerns France alone, but all of Europe, and she will expect other powers, notably Great Britain, also. Object of Negotiations. The negotations, if they succeed, will doubtless lead to— 1. A Balkan peace pact giving Italy economic advantages there, but guar- anteeing_political stability. 2. A Mediterranean pact, including France, Italy, Spain and Great Brit- ain, in which Italy's claim of special interests in the eastern Mediterranean may be tacitly recognized, with a cor- responding position for France in the western Mediterranean. 3. Concessions to Italy on colonial frontiers. 4. Some scheme of giving Italy a League of Nations mandate some- where. 5. Admission of Italy in participa. tion in the international zone of Tan- giers. 6. A compromise on the status of Italian nationals in French territory. to H. G. Mitchell, consulting architect | { DAMAGE VERDICT UPHELD. |2 to make concessions || HURLED TO DEATH FROM PLANE SEAT Head of Virginia Airport Com- mittee Victim of Accident Caused by Wind. By the Associated Press. LYNCHBURG, Va., December 17.— Thrown from the cockpit, when an irplane struck a sudden gust of wind, late yesterday, and slipped out of the pilot's control, Phinehas Stephens, chairman of the airport committee of Shenandoah Valley, fell to the earth and was killed. The plane, piloted by Capt. C. A. Masson of Baltimore, was one of two s the State in an airport The pilot succecd aireraft flying acros drive. 1 in righting the and continued to Oak Ridge, re he made a safe landing. A ch was instituted for Stephens and his pody was found in the mountains ¢ of Nelson County, near Lowesville. Mr. Stephens was one of the fore- most young engineers of the State, He was a graduate of Georgia Tech and was in charge of the electrical illum- ination of the “Endless Cavern” and e whe! | the Natural Bridge in Virginia. Weather Delays Start. The departure of the planes from xington was delayed by unfavorable weather, members of the party told the News tonight, and as soon as they zot over the mountai the air became rough. uneven up and down currer tossed the planes about in uncc Wble manner. T was flying at an altitude of » proximately 3,000 feet,” Capt. Masson said, “although the plane was bobbing up and down within a radius of 1on or 200 feet. Suddenly a down current of air caused us to drop, and a hur- ried glance at the altimeter showed that we must have fallen at least 1,000 feet. It was then that Mr. Stephens was jerked out. I hardly saw it, it happened so quickly. and for several minutes afterward I had all T co to right the plane. The rubber on the control stick was pulled off it was jerked so violently. and for time T thought we would fall.” Turning to Richard Fellers of Ma:- tinsburg, W. Va., third occupant of | the palne who narrowly escaped, Capt. | Masson added, “I'll never forget the look on your face when you turnc: around toward me."” Saved by a Strut. “T suppose not,” agreed Mr. Fellers. “When the plane started to drop 1 threw my arm around a strut. I was bumped against the upper plane, and when I fell back I reached out my other arm to help hold Mr. Stephens {in—you may imagine my feelinge when I discovered that he was gone! Maj. William D. Tipton, commander of the Maryland National Guard, air unit, piloting the other plane, said: “When the other plane caught up with us and Masson and Fellers be- gan to motion to us we could not understand what they meant at first,” he said. “I thought that Mr. Stephens had gotten sick and was down in the cockpit. I understood heir motions to mean that he wanted to turn back to Lexington and 1 motioned back that we should keep on. Finally it dawned upon me that he had fallen out.” “It still seemed almost unbeliev able,” said Thornston Perry, an oc- cupant of Tipton's plane, “and I'll never forget our expressions as we looked at each other and tried to realize that Phinehas really was gone.” VICTIM WIDELY KNOWN. Stephens Originated Indirect u;l;rh-; in Virginia Caverns. Phinehas Stephens, who was killed in a fall from an airplane yesterday, was president of a firm of consulting en- gineers in New York and a widely known financier, nationally known as the originator and constructor of the indirect system of lighting in the cav- erns of Virginia. A close friend of Col. E. W. Brown, a relative of Woodrow Wilson, Mr. Stephens installed the first indirect lighting system in the End- less Caverns near New Market, Va He was prominent in church work in New York and was a grandson of Alexander Hamilton Stephens. vice president of the Confederate States. As president of the American In- dustries Corporation of New York. Mr. Stephens organized the lighting system in several of the caverns, and only last Summer completed the work of illuminating the Natural Bridge of Virginia, near Clifton Forge, not far from where he met his death. He was intcrested in Chenvalee, a new resort hotel now under construction at New Market, where he began a project for rehabilitation of the town water works last Summer, and later took over the financial management of the resort project. Prominent for several years in the development of the Valley of Virginia. Mr. Stephens was one of the leaders in the project which will bring the Lee Highway over the mountains from Warrenton through Luray to New Market and had worked for several years toward completion of this scheme, collaborating with Lee High way Assoclation leaders. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Francesca Pecora Stephens; two sons and a daughter. in New York. A statue to his grandfather, who had been refused the right to sit in ti United States Senate after the Civil ‘War because of his affliations with the Confederacy, was unveiled a few days ago in the hall of statuary o' the Capitol. CLAUDEL VISITS BORAH. Pact to Outlaw War Discussed b French Envoy and Senator. The Briand proposal for a treat) for the outlawing of war between the United States and France was the subject of a conference yesterday be tween Paul Cludel, the French Am bassador, and Chairman Borah of the Senate foreign relations committee. The Ambassador ,who already has discussed the subject with Secretary Kellogg in a preliminary way, was a visitor at the Senator’s office for an hour. Mr. Borah said afterward that the whole situation had been gone over fully and that he got the impression that the French govern ment was willing to go as far as it r;nu found to be practicable at this me. ington, not | | | December 17. 8 Days to Christmas Buy Christmas Seals— They stand for health the greatest gift.