Evening Star Newspaper, December 18, 1928, Page 2

PLCRIS RETURN ~ FROMKITTY HAWK Impressive Ceremonies Held on Dunes Where First Flight Was Made. BY JOSEPH S. UDGERTON. It is the traditional privilege of pil- grims to undergo hardships with a cheerful heart to attain the object of their pilgrifiage, ands the 200-odd pil- grims. who returned to this city today after paying tribute to the Wright brothers yesterday on the scene of the first airplane flight on the desolate sand dunes of the North Carolina coast proved themselves no exception to the rule. It was a trip in which all available means of transportation, except the old reliable “shoe leather express,” suf- fered breakdowrs in greater or lesser degree and a majority of the pilgrims, who normally are world leaders in aero- nautics and scientfic research from moreé than 40 nations, found themselves reduced to the common level of man- kind and seeking to go places by any means which - individual enterprise might devise. Pilgrim Falls Overboard. Currituck Sound, which separates the Kitty Hawk dunes from the NOl’th‘ Carolina- mainland, was navigated by the aeronautical pilgrims in all manner of craft, including a quaint and creak- ing ferry, which on the return trip ran aground on a sandbar; Coast Guard surf boats, fishing boats and motor boats of sundry ‘sorts. One pilgrim, Woody Hockaday, a Kansas airway marking engineer. fell overboard and was fished out, clothed in parts of Coast Guard uniforms, and continued his pilgrimage. {. Other hardy pilgrims, shipped in a Coast Guard surf boat in the pitch black night, found that the automatic bailer was working in reverse and set to work with a bucket to keep their feet dry, ceasing their bucket brigade activi- ties only to peer hither and yon with the Coast Guard crew in search of elusive marking buoys, which hid coyly in the darkness. Many of the pilgrims made their way to the scene of the first flight in true pilgrim fashion, trudging on foot through more than two miles of shift- ing, puddle-strewn sand, in which au- tomobil~s chugged and foundered. Back safe ¢a the Norfolk & Washington steamed District of Columbia last night, 8owever, the pilgrims seemed happy that the minor mishaps had added gest to a pilgrimage which had been moving with a clocklike regularity. Marred by Tragedy. ‘The pilgrimage to Kitty Hawk was marred by a tragedy, the death from heart trouble last night aboard the little Currituck Sound ferry Dare. of Allen R. Hueth, Asbury Park, N. J., who, with two other New Jersey men, owned all of the seacoast in the vicinity of the Wright experiments. He was talking with Secretary of War Dwight Davis when he collapsed, and died without regaining consciousness. The body was sent to Elizabeth City, N. C., and will be taken to his home, at Asbury Park, for burial. Hueth and his fellow land- owners had just completed the transfer to the Federal Government of 500 acres of the dune country, including Kill Devil Hills and the scenes of the Wright glider and airplane flights, for memorial park purposes. The pilgrimage was the climax of a two-weeks’ meeting of the aviation leaders of the world, including the In- ternational Civil Aeronautics Confer- ence in Washington last week. The foreign visitors and American delegates and guests made the trip to Kitty Hawk :?ufi‘m-g&s ;hz ‘;:emy-grth anniversary of the airplane flight)in history, made there December 17, 1903, by Or- ville Wright, to witness the dedication of two memorials commemorating that’ ‘historic_even., The first of these was the laying, of the corner stone of a monument to be erected by the Federal Government on the crest of Kill Devil Hills, a 92-foot- high mound of shifting yellow. sand, from which the Wrights made their first glider flights. The second, and real climax of the m%o was the unveil- ing of a huge granite bowlder memorial, g\ell;:ln the Sph‘;thméh"henundy plain rom whicl e first airplane flight began. Ceremonies Impressive. Both ceremonies, conducted amid the _wild sandy desolation, with the cold gray Atlantic rolling on one side and historic Carrituck and Albemarle Sounds on the other, were remarkably impressive. Here, in one of the most barren wlldernesses in the Eastern United States, were gathered the great leaders of aeronautics, who had jour- neyed many thousands of miles to wit- ness these events. The petty misad- ventures encountered in the trip to the place, merely formed a background Wwhich added to the solemnity of the proceedings themselves. - It was an event which will live long in the minds of those present. On top of Kill Devil Hills, several hundred pegsons, clustered together in a little knof, which was almost lost in the vastness of the sand and water, watched the laying of a corner stone by Secretary of War Davis. Owing to the shifting of the sands' composing | the hills, which are continuously on the move, it probably will become necessary for Army engineers to take up the stone and defer the erection of the monument until they have anchored the hill by covering it with a growth of hardy, deep-rooted bushes and grass. A double row of Cape Cod “brush” has been planted completely around the foot of the hill for this purpose, as the initial step in conquering the shifting of the sands. In laying the cornen stone, Secretary Davis pointed out that it.is an age-old custom of mankind to consecrate its battlefields by the ereetion of monu- ments to the valor of its heroes. | Notable Battle Won. “This Nation, dedicated to peace.” he said, “may well consecrate these sea- swept, sandy shores as a peace-time battlefield. for here mankind won a| notable battle; here man conquered the air.” F. Trubee Davison, Assistant Secre- tary of War for Aeronautics, was pre- siding officer. An address of welcome was made by Gov. Angus W. McLean of North Carolina, and the address of the day was made by Representative Lind- say C. Warren of North Carolina. his address Representative Warren pointed out that within 3 miles of the scene of the first flight, the first Eng- lish colony in America was established. Here the first American child was born; Virginia Dare. This was the ill-fated “lost colony,” which disappeared, leav-| ing only the mystic word “Croatan” crudely carved on a tree to mark its place. The memorial on the scene of the first flight was erected by the National Aeronautic _Association, - which spon- sored the pilgrimage, and the stone was unveiled by Senator Hiram Bingham of Connecticut, president of the associa- tion. John F. Victory, secretary of the national advisory committee for aero- nautics,’and chairman of the commit- tee in charge of the trip, was presiding officer. The address of welcome was made by W. O. Saunders, president of the Kill Devil Hills Memorial Associa- tion, organized to create a national park on the scene. A certificate estab- lishing the site of the memorial as that from which the first flight began was presented by Capt. William J. Tate, now keeper of the lighthouse at Coin- jock, N. C., who was host to the Wright brothers during their first trip to North Carolina, and in whose front yard the first ‘Wright glider was assembled. The world owes an obligation to the ‘Wright brothers to continue the task of conquering the air, Senator Bj m declared, He Teyiewed the of In| Hill at Kitty Hawk, N I 1i the Government. ham and Amelia the corner stone t APARTNENT HOUSE 10 COST MILLION Construction of Ha'rvard Street Project to Start in Short Time. A $1,000,000 apartment house of major proportions, embodying new ideas in its design, is to be erected by Wil- liam S. Phillips, local real estate oper- ator. at 1650 Harvard street,near the big apartment center at Sixteenth street and Columbia road, it was announced today. Permit was issued today by Col. John W. Oehmann, building -inspector, and construction’ of the building is expected to_be started shortly. ‘The new apartment will be erected on a sité ‘on Harvard street between Lanier place and Quarry road, which contains® approximately 45,137 square feet fiv‘area. Jt will be of reinforced concrete construction, with brick fa- cades, ornamented with limestone trim- ming. Landscaping Planned. ‘The building, which will be of six storles at one end and seven stories at the other, due to the slope of Harvard street, will be set back ‘60 feet from the street, and plans call for lavish landsca garden at the rear of the building. As designed by Louis Justement, the apartment will contain 148 apartment units, Tanging from two to four rooms, bath and kitchen each. All the rooms, it “is announced, will be unusually large, some 14 by 24 feet. All apart- ments will have a porch. The building will be of Spanish design. Shop Space Provided. ‘The building will be served by forced ventilation and apartment units will have mechanical refrigeration and me- chanical dishwashers. Plans call for provision for a cafe, beauty parlor, valet shop, drug store and cigar stand. ‘The lobby will be 34 by 60 feet in size and have a ceiling height of 20 feet” It will be finished in marble. An unusual feature will be provision of receptacles for newspapers and milk bottles in the hallways. It is expected the building will be completed next August. the first flight and of the development of aviation since that day, and declared | that the flying people of the world “have started to shrink the earth until it is difficult to foresee just when and where this shrinkage will stop.” The pilgrims left Washington early Sunday, after the.steamboat departure had been delayed nearly four hours be- cause of fog, and arrived at Old Point Comfort Sunday afternoon, visiting the aeronautical laboratories' of the Na- tional - Advisory Committee for Aero- nauties at Langley Field that after- noon. Returning to the steamer, the party arrived at Norfolk Sunday night, remaining there until yesterday morning. In 12 busses the party left for the North ' Carolina coast. At Currituck Court House, N. C. the party trans- ferred from the busses to private au- tomobiles, volunteered for the purpose by residents of the countryside from miles around. After a 30-mile trip over sandy, rain-soaked roads hastily put in shape by a road crew, the party arrived at Foint Harbor, N. C.. nearly two hours behind schedule. Several minor auto- mobile accidents ocgurred during the trip, without injury to the occupants. Boats Assembled. In addition to the regular Currituck Sound ferry, a fleet of fishing boats | and motor boats had been assembled to | carry the visitors across the sound.| cre nearly 100 automobiles had been assembled from points as far distant as 100 miles to carry the visitors across the marshy and sandy stretch to Vir- ginia Dare Shores, where a barbecue | luncheon was provided by the Kill Devil | Hills Memorial Association. Then began the trek across nearly 3 miles of sandy wastes to the scene of the flights, scores of automobiles blazing & way across marshes and sand dunes, where no road ever existed Many expired by the wayside, and dis- tinguished visitors finished the trip with wet feet and shoes filled with the sand of “Wright country.” The return trip was even more| of the stragglers were not able to get back to the steamer at Norfolk until more than four hours after scheduled departure time. The steamer proceeded under forced draught, making a record 12-hour run from Norfolk to the Sev- enth street wharf, landing here at 10:30 o'clock this morning. The international aeronautical assembly was officially dis- banded upon arrival here today, and the foreign delegates separated for the ping of the grounds, including a | o) fraught with difficulties, and the last: commercial COMMONTY GHEST JONIT 3MENBERS Emergeficy Hospital, Insti- tute for Blind and Parent- Teacher Congress in Fold. ‘Total membership of the Community Chest was increased to 57 yesterday afternoon when the membership and budget committee voted to admit three new applicants, the Emergency Hospi- tal, the District of Columbia Congress of Parent-Teacher Associations and the Columbia Polytechnic Institute for the Blind. Committee action in approving the applications will be submitted to the executive board for final disposition tomorrow night, In-filing its application, Emergency Hospital named Woodbury Blair and George W. White as its representatives on the Chest board. The hospital has been supported by patients and phil- anthropic gifts. It has a caPacity of 160 beds gnd maintains clinics for all branches of surgery and medicine, The Parent-Teacher Congress nomi- nated as its representatives on the board, Mrs, Louis B. Castell and Walter B. Fry. H. R. W. Miles, president, and A. G. Ramisch, manager of the institute for the blind, will represent this agercy on the Chest board. This organization rates a non-secretarian school for the instruction and employment of blind residentsgof the District and has | accommodations for 15 persons. It 1s| supported in part by public appro-| priations. D. C. JURY SYSTEM IN NEED OF CHANGE, GIBSON GROUP TOLD (Continued From First Page.) large police station,” complaining that there are several large bootleg establish- ments doing a thriving business in_his yeighborhood and have been for the last five years. “Mind you,” Gibson remarked,” that is right in the shadow of the Supreme Court of the Dfstrict of Columbia.” “You can’t blame the Supreme Court for that,” Sebring responded. Repre- sentative Bowman of West Virginia then took up the examination of Sebring and commented on the liquor situation in Washington. “I belleve that the break- ing down of the prohibition law in the District is due primarily to the indif- ference of gthe citizens themselves,” he declared. § “The newspapers and the good people of the District should make an honest effort to clean up the city and report any information they have as to the location of bootleg joints to the police. I cannot believe that the police depart- ment is deficient in the enforcement of the law. However, no attempt was made by the police to eliminate the gambling joints here until the chairman of this committee called a conference on the subject. What we want is an alert and efficient police department. Spasmodic campaigns against gamblers and boot- leggers will do no good.” ‘When Cunningham took the witness stand Bowman asked him if he had noticed any duplication of the names on jury panels, and he replied that he had mot. It was then that Chairman Gibson remarked that he was ffe- quently disturbed about the jury sys- tem in the District. Douthitt reviewed some of the in- formation he gave the committee last year concerning liquor conditions in the District, and criticized the methods of keeping records of the disposition of cases involving bootleggers and other liquor law violators. "AVIATION BOOKS LISTED. Publte Library Compiles Works on Aeronautical Subjects. In connection with the anniversaiy celebration of the Wright flight at Kitty Hawk, the Public Library has just issued for distribution a descriptive list of books on aeronautics. Books dealing with the pre-war de- velopment of airplanes, aerial warfare, aeronautics, _ aeronautical engineering, as well as flights of ad- venture and exploration, are included in this list. TE LY “Honest Bootlegger” Freed. SILVER CITY, N. Mex,, December18 (#).—Antonio Cruz, so-called “honest bootlegger” of Santa Rita, who volun- tarily brought his still to' the sheriff’s office when so ordered by a prohibi- first time since their arrival in the United States two weeks ago, many of them beginning their trips home im- mediately, F tion officer who had been unable to find it, was discharged in District Court here yesterday because of his action in the casey 3 - v L4 | lightly touched by the influenza epi- D. C.,' TUESDAY. DECEMBER.- 18, 1928. Above: Crowd coming down Kill Devil v after the aying of the corner stone for the ma- ional memorial to be erected there by Below: Orville Wright, Senator Bing- Earhart standing by on the spot where he first flight was made, in 1903. ssociated Press Photos. IFLUENZADEATHS SHOW SLIGHT GAIN Officials Estimate 403,185| New Cases in 20 States and New York City Last Week. . By the Associated Press. 403,185 new cases of influenza had de- veloped in 20 States and New York City last week, basing their figures on actual reports in these States. Reports were not available from other States, but public health officials said the out- break seemed to be moving eastward along lfes of traffic at an “expected” speed. Kansas still had the greatest number of cases reported, with 68,843. Illinois reported 2,196, Arizona 2,615, and New York City *68. Health officlals said the death rate “seems to be increasing slightly still.” “The rate, however, is not nearly so high as we could expect,” they added, “with so many cases of influenza in the country: Neither is the rate nearly comparable with the rate during the 1918 epidemic.” Reports from health officers in other States recetved today follow: Michigan, 244; South Dakota, 167; Vermont, 1; Massachusetts, 21; Connecticut, 14; New Jersey, 54; Wisconsin, 583; Dela- ware, 4; West Virginia, 461; Arkansas, 412; Louisiana, 1; Texas, 37; Montana, 3.060; Idaho, 79; Colorado, 1,146; Utah, 224, and Washington, 407. 65 NEW CASES IN BALTIMORE. Monday Report Breaks Record for Present Spread of Disease. Special Dispatch to The Star. BALTIMORE, December 18.—Rec- ords for the current spread of influenza in the city were broken yesterday when 65 new cases were reported to the city Health Department and 35 to the State Bureau. Sunday's report showed 31 new cases and 29 were recorded both Sunday and Saturday. So far the disease has not been suf- ficiently concentrated to make neces- sary closing of schools or other insti- tutions in the city. FEW CASES IN ARLINGTON. County Nurses Make Optimistic Report After School Survey. Speclal Dispatch to The Star. CLARENDON, Va. December 18.— Arlington County, to date, has been but demic which is sweeping certain parts of the country and-all means are being resorted to by the health department to keep it out, according to Dr. P, M. Chichester, county health officer, who issued a statement today advising the citizens of the best methods of fighting the disease and urging them not to be- come unduly alarmed over reports that the disease is coming this way. Since December 8, only five cases of influenza have been reported to the health department, and these are said to be of a mild form. County nurses made a survey of the schools yesterday, reporting back that they saw no need for alarm. 46 NEW CASES HERE. Mildness of Outbreak Shown in Fact No New Deaths Are Reported. Forty-six cases of influenza, the lar- gest number in any one day this year, ‘were reported to the District Health Department. todaay. The mildness of the present outbreak is shown in the fact, however, that no new deaths were Teported. ‘One hundred cases of the disease have been reperted thus far in Decem- ber, with 11 deaths. The latest death reported occurred Saturday. DISEASE KILLS 42 IN KANSA‘S. 68,843 New Cases of Respiratory Mal- adies Reported in Last Week. TOPEKA, Kans., December 18 (#).— Forty-two deaths attributed to influenza, and 68,843 cases of the disease, or other respiratory maladies, were report- ed in Kansas in the last week, Dr. Earle G. Brown, secretary of the State Board of Health, has announced. In the preceding week the total num- ber of cases was placed at 13,965, with three deaths. Dr. Brown said his conversations with physicians led him to the belief that there had been comparatively few new cases within the last 72 hours. JUNEAU, Alaska, December 18 (#).— More than 300 cases of influenza were reported today at Roonah, an Indian village about 50 miles west of here. The town is entirely without medical sup- plies and there is but one nurse to tend the sufferers. Assistance is being sent Public’ officials today estimated that SIMONDS TO HEAD INAUGURAL STAFF Gen. Summerall Puts in Mo- tion Machinery for Big Parade. Maj. Gen. Charles P. Summerail, chief of staff of the Army, who has been appointed grand marshal of the inau- | gural parade, today started the machin- ery for the practical organization of that feature of the inauguration of President-elect_Hoover, by the designa- tion of Brig, Gen. George S. Simonds, assistant chief of staff of the Army and head of the War Plans Division, War | Department, to be his personal chief of | staff, for the preparation of all the de- tails connected with the organization and movements of the parade which will escort the President to the Capitol and then to his future residence in the ‘White House. Mrs. Speel Active. Mrs, Virginia White Speel, chairman of the inaugural subcommittee on hous- | ing and hospitality of the general com- mittee, who is making a survey of the available hotels, boarding and room- ing houses and other places where the visitors may be quartered next March has served notice that exorbitant prices will not be tolerated, and that her committee will do everything possi- ble to prevent any unnecessary boosts in the charges either for rooms or for food. Steps also will be taken to prevent the visitors from being the victims of in- creased prices, not only regarding their rooms and meals, but in the matter of everything relating to their convenience and pleasure during their participation in the Capital's celebration of the forth- coming inaugural. The inaugural committee feels that the business men of Washington will co-operate with them to the fullest in this respect. To List Places. Mrs. Speel, as chairman of the hous- ing committee, is having prepared at the inaugural committee headquarters at the Willard Hotel a list of the avail- able places to house the many men and women who will come to Washington at that time. She has informed those who are listing their rooms with her com- mittee that they must keep charges within reason, and within easy reach of the average persons if they want their accommodations placed on the official list at the inaugural headquarters. A preliminary report on the progress her committee has made in this direc- tion will be made tomorrow afternoon when the general committee meets in the Willard Hotel. There will be simi- lar reports from the finance, entertain- ment of State governors, law legislation, parade, publicity and entertainment committees. Besides the reading of these reports, which will give some indication of just how far the preliminary work of the inaugural committee has progressed, Lieut. Col. U. S. Grant, 3d, chairman of the general committee, will outline to the meeting the scope of the cele- bration, which will form the basis of the plan to be definitely adopted. Grant's Appointments. Col. Grant’announced the following additional committee appointments to- day: Commissioner Proctor L. Dougherty, chairman of public order committee; J. Harry Cunningham, vice chairman. New members of the general inaugu- ral committee, Charles J. Brand, W. F. Corby, Mrs. Proctor L. Dougherty, Mrs. W. B. Ladue, Roy L. Neuhauser, Thom- as W. Phillips, jr., Mrs. Sydney Talia- ferro, Mrs. Chester Wells and Edward G. Yonker. M. M. DUNCAN, FORMERLY OF WASHINGTON, DIES Vice President of Iron Company Succumbs at Ishpeming, Mich., at Age of 70. former Washingtonian, died yesterday at Ishpeming, Mich, where he was vice president of the Cleveland Cliffs Iron Co. Funeral services will be held from the Grace Episcopal Church at Ishpeming tomorrow. Mr. Duncan was born in Washing- ton on May 10, 1858, a son of Rev. Thomas and Maria L. Duncan. He at- fended private schools here and entered Lehigh University at the age of 18, being graduated as a mining engineer in 1880. In 1881 he was married to Harriette de Witt COPDOE. daughter of the president of Lehigh -University. Mr. Duncan was affillated with sev- eral iron-producing concerns, including the Cambria Iron Co. at Johnstown, Pa.; the Roane Iron Co. at Chatta- nooga, Tenn., and the Antrim Iron Co. plant at Mancelona, Mich. In 1873 Mr. Duncan was elected as the twentieth member of the K. F. R. Society. This is a famous secret ciety organized by a group of Washing- ton boys during the presidency of Gen. Grant. Its early meetings were held in a shed on the White House grounds. The organization has been kept alive by the surviving members, who still hold get-together meetings here each Spring. REAL ESTATE BOARD LAUDS CHEST PLAN Individual Service and Support of Members Is Pledged to ' Movement. Members of the Washington Real Es- tate Board have adopted a resolution indorsing the newly organized Com- munity Chest plan for financing local charitable and social service agencies and pledge their individual support and active co-operation for the plan, it was announced today by John A. Petty, executive secretary of the board. ‘The board, in its resolution, declared “the Community Chest would be of great benefit to business men ‘of Wash- ington in relieving them of continual harassment from financial drives and at the same time assure a more effi- cient and equitable handling of wel- fare matters here.” The operation of the chest, it was declared, offers a large measure of service to the charity and welfare or- ganizations and centralizes the collec- tion of funds for all such necessary from Juneau. organizations. ‘The heirs of John W. Ross, former District Commissioner, who own 100 acres of land on the Anacostia River, today filed suit for injunction in the District Supreme Court against Maj. Brehon Somervell, in charge of the development of Anacostia Park, to re- strain him from taking possession of their property and depositing material from the .operations of a dredge in the Anacostia River upon their land. The defendant, they asserted, has threatened to bégin dumping, and it is claimed it would have the effect of changing the level and contour of their land and blot out evidences derlved from the appearance of the land and the vegetation growing upon it upon Heirs Seek to Prevent Dumping of Dirt On Land Bordering Anacostia Rivéer the plaintiffs cite the original patents from the Colony of Maryland to the three tracts involved in 1685, 1688 and 1685, respectively, and call attentjon to the act of the Assembly of Maryland of 1679, providing that where land was patented on the shore of a river and there existed marsh land between the firm land and the river no other person than the patentee could acquire such land, but it was to belong absolutely to the owner of the adjacent upland. Condemnation proceedings have been brought against only 3.333 acres of their land, when they own 25.333 acres within the taking lines of the Anacos- tia Park improvement, it is pointed out, and the claim is made that the pro- which they rely to sustain their con- tention that the land is above the mean )fillgh-wngzr mark of the Anacostia ver. Jhmush Atiogrns Jogeol D- Sl posed action will amount to a taking of the remaining 22 acres without " con- demnation or purchase. A motion for the injunction will be dent of the Farmers' National Bank of heard by Justice Baley next Friday, 2 P Murray Morris Duncan, 70 years old, | JANITR'S SKULL CRUSHED BY BLOWS Body of Colored Man Is Found on Second Floor of Social Club. “Slim” Woodson, 35-year-old colored janitor-of the Social Club, occupying the second floor of 514 Tenth street, was found dead In a darkened hallway con- necting the two club rooms shortly after noon today with the top of his head crushed by blows from the end rail of a pool table, which lay beside his body. The body was found by Garner Bar- ber, 1734 Massachusetts avenue south- east, owner of the Social Club. Barber | said that his club, which is conducted | for recreational purposes, has been | closed for the past three weeks. Former Operators Gone. Up until the last several months the two rooms were fised for gambling pur- poses and lad been raided on several occasions. The former operators of the place have disappeared. Woodson, who lived in the 1400 block of N streef, was last seen at 9 o'clock this morning when he went to William Tibbs, engineer of the building, to bor- row a broom and dustpan. Tibbs said Woodson's wife came to him about 12:30 to inquire for her husband. He said he told her he might be down- stairs and that she went away without | going to the second floor. Sustained Compound Fracture. Woodson was lying on his face in the hallway, his overcoat still on. The dustpan and broom were lying beside him. Apparently he had been struck several times with the heavy instrument as he sustained a compound fracture of | the skull, according to Dr. I. Rutkoski | of Emergency Hospital. Police are developing the theory that Woodson might have been killed by some one whom he surprised in the club iwhefl he went in to clean up this morn- ng. STITT IS ASSIGNED TO PACIFIC COAST Ordered to Sex Diego to Taks Post of Inspector of Naval Activities, Rear Admiral Edward R. Stitt, who since his relief as surgeon general of the Navy upon completion of a four- year detail has been on duty at the Naval Medical School here, today was ordered to the eleventh naval district on the Pacific Coast, where he will fill the assignment of inspector of naval activities in the Hawalian, Puget Sound, Mare Island and® San Diego naval dis- tricts. His headquarters will be at the latter place. He fills a vacancy caused about two years ago by the death of Rear Admiral George H. Barber. Prior to departing for his new as- signment, Admiral Stitt will sit as president of a selection board, which will pick for promotion to rear admiral an officer in the Medical Corps to fill the vacancy caused by the retirement of Rear Admiral Carey Grayson, who was physician to the late President ‘Wilson. Admiral Sttty in his new assignment, will make a special study of physical conditions among the men at the naval and Marine Corps training stations in the West Coast area, with a view to obtaining for the Army and the Marine Corps only the best type of young men physically and mentally. During his entire service in the Navy, Admiral Stitt jhas made a study of re- cruits from a physical and mental standpoint, and he said that he expects to have an opportunity to make fur- ther studies at the West Coast training station so that only the best type of men will be selected and finally sent for duty to the ships and Marine bases. His work along this line has received the hearty approval of Rear Admiral R. H. Leigh, chief of the Bureau of Navigation, and Maj. Gen. John A. Lejeune, commandant of the United States Marine Corps. HOUSE OF DETENTION STAY IS REFUSED Permission for Continued Occu-| pancy of B Street Site Up to Appeals Court. \ The District Commissioners must look to the Court of Appeals for permission to continue to occupy premises at 908 B street southwest as a House of De- tention pending action by that tribunal on the appeal of the Commis- sioners from the decision of Justice Jennings Bailey that the placing of the home of the Woman's Bureau in a resi- dential area was a violation of the zon- ing laws, which are bniding on the municipal authorities as well as on the citizens. Justice Bailey today denied an application of Assistant Corporation Counsel Alexander H. Bell, jr., for a stay of execution of the injunction which he granted yesterday. Attorney George E. Sullivan, counsel for W. Kurtz Wimsatt, 910 B street southwest, who led the opposition of citizens to the action of the Commis- sioners, will allow a reasonable time to Mr. Bell to get his application before the Appellate Court. He says he will strenuously oppose the application when made. M’NAMEE AND KING DISCUSS CRUISER BILL Admiral and Senator Differ on Relative Strength of Ameri- can Navy. Expressions for and against the cruiser program being considered by Congress were made yesterday by Rear Admiral Luke McNamee and Senator King, Democrat, of Utah, speaking be- fore the weekly forum luncheon of the Women's National Democratic Club. It was the opinion of Admiral Mc- Namee that the United States cannot hope to equal the naval strength of either Great Britain or Japan, even if this country carries out the most am- bitious building program now under consideration, On the other hand, Senator King asserted that our Navy equals the fight- ing strength of Great Britain's and Japan's. He said it was his understand- ing that England is going to abandon her cruiser program. . Marshal Caborna Ill. BORDIGHERA, Italy, December 18 (#)—Marshal Luigi Caborna, chief of staff of the Italian armies from 1914 to 1917, was taken ill suddenly today. His condition was considered to be Proposes Parkway REPRE! FIRE ESCAPE FIGHT REVIVED BY DEATH Question of Safety Appliance Brought Under Spotlight by C Street Tragedy. TATIVE_CRAMTON. ‘The fire at 201 C street Sunday night resulted today in a second death. and at the same time revived an old cam- paign to amend the District fire escape law by including rooming and board- ing houses among the establishments required to be equipped with fire es- capes. ‘The victim today was 9-year-old Franklin Donohue. His mother, Mrs. Sadie Donohue, and William Earl Gold- smith, who was known at the C street house as Earl Donohue, are in serious condition, the former in Emergency Hospital, where the boy died this morn- ing, and the latter af Casualty. Mrs. Donohue’s condition is so critical that she has not been told of the death of her son. Fire Escape Law Quoted. ‘The fire escape law’enacted by Con- gress in 1906, and amended in 1907, provides that all buildings three stories or more in height or more than 30 feet high used or intended for use as a “tengment house, apartment house, flat, hotel, hospital, seminary, academy, school, college, institute, dormitory, asylum, sanitarium, hall or place of amusement” shall be equipped with one or more fire escapes of type and con- structibn to be determined by the Dis- trict Commissioners. The question of whether boarding or rooming houses should be included in the scope of the law quickly came up for decision, and on October 10, 1907, E. H. Thomas, then corporation counsel, ruled that they should not. “The answer depends on whether the definition of the word ‘tenement house,” ‘apartment house,’ or ‘flat’ as use in section 1 of the act cover a ‘boarding house’,” Mr. Thomas wrote. He then quoted legal definitions of the four words and concluded that “the or- dinary meaning of the term ‘boarding house’ is distinguishable from other buildings known as tenement houses, apartment houses or flats." Opinion Amplified. “It remains to be considered,” he wrote, “whether the legislation on the subject of fire escapes in the District should be liberally construed for the purpose of embracing within its provi- sions all classes of buildings whenever it is practical to do so, or whether it should be construed in derogation of the rights' of private persons, in view of the pen- alties and the taxation provided therein in event of failure to comply with the act. I assume dthn the act is to be strictly construed.” . 4 Theyqueatlnn again bobbed up in 1920 and the Commissioners submitted it again to the corporation counsel, then Francis H. Stephens. Mr. Stephens ruled that “the obvious intent of the- law was to protect people congregating : in the day time or sleeping at night in numbers above the average to be found in dwellings. I think a ‘lodging house’ is perhaps a ‘flat’ certainly it | is a ‘dormitory’ within the meaning of | the law.” With two contradictory opinions be- fore him, John P. Healey, then build- ing inspector, asked for more legal light and Corporation Counsel Stephens wrote a second opinion holding that “not every boarding nor every lodging house should be required to erect fire escapes. A great deal of latitude should be al- lowed the building inspector, in my judgment, on such a matter. A great deal depends upon the size of the building and the height above the ground and the number of sleepers. The law should not be applied so as to work a hardship, but there should be some reasonable reguirements to protect the safety of citizens.” Law Amendment Advocated. Matters rested in this shape until a fire at 638 Pennsylvania avenue on March 25, 1924. The building was used as a rooming house. It was four stories high, and about 20 persons were taken rom the upper stories by firemen. It vas not equipped with fire escapes. Deputy Fire Marshal C. G. Achstetter recommended that the fire escape law be amended so as to include rooming houses. Accordingly an amendment was pre- pared to include rooming houses, board- ing houses and any building where five or more persons slept above the second floor, except strictly private dwellings, under the fire escape law. In some way unexplained, however, this draft re- mained pigeonholed until April 19, 1928, never reaching the District Commis- sloners. Tssue Again Delayed. Then another case of requiring a rooming house to install fire escapes came to the attention of the building inspector's office and the old draft was dug out. At the time, however, Build- ing Inspector John W. Oehmann was at work making a revision of the entire building code, and planned to await the completion of his revision before again urging enactment of the amendment to the fire escape law. Since the fire escape law is an act of Congress, Col. Oehmann says, it can only be amended by Congress, and its wording may not be charged by a revamping of the mu- nicipal building code. Sunday’s fire has again brought the matter to official attention and Col. Oehmann said today that he intends to make a strong effort to get the amend- ment passed. R COMMITTE OF 100 LAUDS PARK BILL Cramton Measure Providing | Extensive Playground Sys- tem Wins Favor of Group. The Cramton bill to provide a com- prehensive park, parkway and play- ground system for the Capital, including the George Washington Memorial Park- way, on_both shores of the Potomac, was favorably discussed informally yesterday afternoon by the Committce of One Hundred on the National Capital of the American Civic Assocfation ‘The bill, with three principal parts of its proposed program, was read to the committee by Miss Harlean James, sec- retary of the assoclation, after a brief introduction of the matter by Frederic A. Delano, presiding officer and chair- man of the committee. The three main divisions of the bill would provide for development of the George Washington Memorfal Parkway to include _both shores of the Potomac from Mount Vernon and Fort Washington to a point above Great Falls, except within Alex- andria and the District of Columbia; extension of Rock Creek Park and the Anacostia Park system into Maryland, as may be agreed to by Federal and Maryland authorities, and the appropri-* ation of $16,000,000 for development, of the District park, parkway and play- ground system, to be repaid by the Dis- trict to the United States without inter- est at $1,000,000 annually. General Program Favored. No formal action was taken by the committee, but the discussion was uni- formly favorable. Among those who dis+ cussed the matter briefly were Capt. Chester Wells of the Maryland Planning Commission; Charles F. Consaul, vice chairman of the Committee of One Hundred, and Maj. Carey Brown, En- gincer of the National Capital Park and Planning Commission. e Speakers said they could not at ¥he present stage vote on ‘approval of the text of the measure, as there might be changes necessary in wording, but they approved the general idea. The Cramton bill outlines, the finan< cial program for his proposed develop- ment in detail. Regarding the purchase of lands for the George ‘Washington Memorial Parkway on both sides of the Potomac, Mr. Cramton explained, in & statement yesterday, that ‘“outside of such lands as may now belong to the United States or may be donated. the United States is to pay one-half the cost of acquiring the necessary lands, and constructing the Fort Washington- Great Falls Highway, and the balance between the States of Maryland and Vir- ginia, or political subdivisions thereof, or_other responsible sources.” % It is further provided in the bill that the United States may advance the full amount of the funds necessary for the acquisition of the lands, to be reim=- bursed to the extent of one-half the cost without interest within not more than five years. “This parkway,” sald Mr. Cramton, “taking control of the banks of the Po- tomac from Mount Vernon, where George Washington lved, through the Capital. which he founded, to Great Falls, where he had his industrial dreams, has tremendous possibilities for scenic enjoyment and recreation on land and water.” ‘Would Extend Rock Creek Park. Extension of Rock Creek Park and the Anacostia park system into Maryland, Mr. Cramton explained, would be made “as may be agreed upon between the planning commisison and Maryland au- thorities, one-third of the cost to be borne by the United States and two- thirds by Maryland or private sources, with prfovision for advance of the full amount ‘of the finds necessary for the acquisition of these lands with reim- bursement to the United States to the extent of two-thirds of the cost without interest within not more than five years. The contribution of the United States is confined to acquisitions of the lands and does not include maintenance, road building, etc. = This gives opportunity for development of a continuous - park system with congiguous areas in Mary- land, protects the sources of Rock Creek and other streams, and thereby is of much importance to the District Park system.” The third phase of the bill, for suit- able development of the District park, parkway and playground system, pro- vides for appropriation of $16,000,000 “in the fiscal year 1931 and there- after as required for the expenditious acquisition of such landsjn the Dis- trict as are necessary and desirable for suitable development.” Gives Illustrated Lecture. Such financing as is proposed, Mr. Cramton declared. “is on an entirely feasible and fair basis.” Payment an- | nually of the $1,000,000 by the District would supersede the present appropria- tion for the work of the Park and Plan- ning Commission. - As to the Potomac and other projects in the bill, he said, “the door is open for necessary and fair co-operation by Maryland - and Virginia or subdivisions thereof or by private gifts.” Charles W. Eliot, 3d, city planner of the Park and Planning Commission, gave an illustrated lecture before the committee of 100 on the proposed.de- velopment for park purposes of the Great Falls of the Potomac. His stereopticon pictures included views of ftributary streams of the Potomac. During his lecture he made no mention whatever of the proposed power project for Great Falls, which is being opposed by the Park and Planning Commission. PRINCESS CLARA DIES. Noted as One of Best Dressed Women and Lavish Entertainers. LONDON, December 18 (#)—Prin~ cess Clara de Wildenberg Hatzfeldt died today. She was the former Clara M. Campbell, adopted daughter of Col- lis P. Huntington of New York. The princess was the widow of a Prussian noble and had been living in England since the war. She had been a soclety leader for many years and was considered one of the best dressed women in Europe. She was noted for her lavish entertainment her country estate near Windsor. The princess contracted bronchitis a week ago and was threatened with Ppneumonia. ME BRoTHER'S COMIN' HOME FRoM THE PREVEN ToRIUM NEXT WEEK AN’ THE NURSE SAYs SHE'Lw PuTHIM IN AN 0PeN AR Cars Overturn, No Casualties Re- ported; Insurgents Routed. grave, PICRE I S Former Representative Dies. HODGENVILLE, Ky, December 18 (#).—David_ Highbaugh Smith, 73, former member of Congress from the fourth Kentucky district, and presi- here, died today, MEXICO CITY, December 18 (#).— Dispatches from Guadalajara today said that a gnsenzer train running from Colima had been dynamited between jons of Quemado and Nicolas. were no casualties, . The engine, a box car and express and mail coaches overturned. The military escort drove ff the insurgents who dynamited th ( e Taberculosis kills 4000 Children of school age each year