Evening Star Newspaper, January 11, 1929, Page 1

WEATHER. (U. 8. Weather Bureau Foreeast.) Light rain or snow and colder tonight; tomorrow fair and much colder; lowest temperature tonight about 22 degrees. ‘Temperatures: Highest, 62, at 2:30 p.m. yesterday: lowest, 32, at 7 am. to- day. Full report Closing N. Y. Markets, Pages 14 and 15 on page 9. b WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION ¢ Fpening Slar. The only evening paper in Washington with the Associated Press news service. Yesterday’s Circulation, 108,592 No. 30,936. 75& e, Entered as second class matter Washington WASHINGTON, D. FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 1929—-FORTY-TWO PAGES. * (#) Means Associated Press. TWO CENTS. FIVE KILLED, 3 HURT . AS BOLLING FIELD PLANE CRASHES AT MIDDLETOWN, PA. Seven Enlisted Men in Big Passenger Transport Ship Which Falls to Earth Near Army Airport. FOUR BODIES EXTRICATED, ONE MAN FOUND DYING Capt. Dinger, Who Piloted Machine | East, Escapes Death by Turning Stick Over to Lieut. Robert Angel, Who Is in Hospital With Two ! Broken Legs. Lieut. Angel, pilot of the plane, died at 3:15 o'clock this afternoon. Five members of the crew of an Army transport plane which left the Army Air Depot at Middletown, Pa., for Bol- ling Field here were killed when the machine early this afternoon crashed | at Royalton, Pa., near the Army Air | Depot at Middletown. The plane was piloted by Lieut. Rob- | ert Angel, attached to the field here, and contained seven passengers, all en- | listed men, who were being transported | to Washington. The injured men, including Licut. Robert Angel, were rushed to a Har- risburg, Pa., hospital. The passengers in the plane were Sergt. Charles Maylon, Pvt. Samuel Jones, Pvt. Clarence Bird, Staff Sergt. Rudolph J. LeHutton, Pvt. Mike B. Kelly and Staff Sergt. Henry Cronan. Ail were attached to Bolling Field. Early reports did not identiry the dead. Associated Press dispatches said the ticket agent of the Pennsylvania Rail- road at Middletown first reported that he saw the plane leave the field at Middletown, waver in its flight and finally fall. He rushed to the scene and kelped extricate four bodies from the wreckage. Another man was dying, he said. The wrecked plane, an Army trans- jport, three-motored Fokker, was of the same type as the Question Mark, Army pndurance plane. The piane, piloted by Capt. H. A. Dinger, also attached w0 Bolling Field, lett the local field this morning. It had arrived safely at the Middletown base and was ret g to Washington under command of Lieut. Angel when the crash occurred. Early reports indicated that Capt. Dinger haa been killed, but it was learned later that he left Middletown in an am- hibian shortly before the big Fokker k to the air. No cause for the crash of the plane has been determined. Identification of the dead could not be made immediately, officials of the Middletown airport said, as they had ho record of the occupants. The plane came to Middletown for supplies and as a training trip for the men at Bolling Field, Capt. Frederick EA‘Chnsty. commandant at the air field, said. B At the Harrisburg hospital it was yeported Lieut. Angel had both arms broken and severe head injuries. The occupants of the plane had to e sawed out of the wreckage. At the airport it was said that the cause of the wreck might never be known because the machine was so com- letely wrecked. It was apparent that eut. Angel attempted to make a forced Janding. The plane came down between rows of trees and close to houses. DOLLAR LINE SHIP AGROUND ON REEF Tugs Try to Pull President Adams Free Outside Cristobal Breakwater. By the Associated Press. PANAMA, January 11.—The steam- ship President Adams of the Dollar Line, bound for San Francisco by way of the Panama Canal, struck a reef outside of the Cristobal breakwater today and went aground. At 9 o'clock this morn- ing three tugs began trying to pull her ree. The President Adams left Boston De- cember 30 and New York January 3 with 90 passengers for Marseille by way of Havana and San Francisco, calling also at Far East and Mediterranean ports en route. Most_of the passengers, it was said he Dollar Line offices, were making complete trip. A few were to dis- embark at Havana and San Francisco. The President Adams, of 6,200 tons net register, was formerly known as the Centennial State. She was built @ Cam- den, N. J., in 1921 Cristobal is on the Atlantic side of | GUNMAN SLAIN, TWO POLICEMEN WOUNDED Battle Follows Complaint of Toledo Man He Was Ousted From Home by Pair. By the Associated Press, TOLEDO, Ohio, January 11.—An un- jdentificd man was killed and two po- licemen were wounded in a gun fight early today which started after Mike Henison complained to police that he had been forcefully ejected from his home by two men, one of them “a De- troit man armed with two guns.” Two officers accompanied Henison to his home and as they approached the house one of the men tried to escape and an exchange of bullets followed. The man, identified only as “Mike,” died from five bullet wounds. Charles Dolly, one of the policemen, received a bullet below his heart, which may prove atal, and the other officer, Ben Rabe, Was wounded in the band. 34 Women Among 5,200 in U. S. Given Right to Fly Planes By the Associated Press On the first day of the year, 5.200 persons held authority from the Commerce Department to pilot airplanes, and 34 of them were women. Of the iotal, 2,927 of the pilots held transport licenses, the high- est grade of certificate for a ci- vilian aviator, allowing them to encage in interstate commerce; 1,105 were authorized to fly pri- vate machines and 532 were lim- ited commercial pilots. Two of the women ranked as transport pilots. VAN LEER FAVORS COMBINING BILLS Best Parts of Brookhart, Lehlbach Acts Would Be Kept by Him. After a careful analysis of the Brook- hart and Lehlbach pay bills pending before Congress, Capt. Carlos Van Leer, chairman of the Personnel Classifica- tion Board, today declared that in his opinion the most satisfactory salary measure for the Government would be a combination of the best points of each of these bills. The part of the Brookhart bill which Capt. Van Leer would retain would be that which establishes the same num- | ber of steps in each grade, as existed under the classification act before the Welch bill changed the number of steps. This feature, which has been | generally approved by most of the rep- resentatives of Government employes, would enable all persons in the Gov- ernment service to be promoted equally by placing them in the same relative step in the new law, which they held in the old. It was Controller General McCarl's mathematical formula that put the workers from seven into five and six steps which met widespread criti- cism from the employes' organization and others. Chairman Van Leer would discard the mathematical formula in the Lehl- bach measure for placing persons in the same relative positions for the Brookhart provision establishing the same number of steps. But the chair- man is for retention of that part of the Lehlbach bill which gives to the classification board full authority to al- locate all positions in the Government. Further ~criticism of the Lehlbach mathematical formula came today 1 J We-Karsner, chief of the docket ;-é! tion of the Federal Trade Commission, whose extensive brief of 25 against the McCarl formula not only was laid before McCarl, but also before the House civil service committee. Karsner said that his objection to the McCarl formula was sustained by 10 of the leading mathematical experts in colleges, universities and technical schools of the United States. Karsner charged that the Lehlbach formula was as erroneous as the McCarl formula. Sirovich Would Abolish Board. Proposal to abolish. the personnel board and to transfer its powers, duties and functions to the United States Civil Service Commission is made in a bill introduced in the House today by Rep- resentative Sirovich, Democrat, of New York. Representative Sirovich said that com- plaints are coming to members of Con- gress from hundreds of thousands of Government employes and that these compliants all lead to the personnel board. Whatever Congress enacts is misinterpreted by this board, Mr. Siro- vich complained. He declared that the work for an ef- ficient and satisfied personnel should not be divided, but unified, and for this rea- son he would turn it all back to the Civil Service Commission. The new bill provides that annual in- creases in compensation shall be made upon the attainment and maintenance of excellent or satisfactory efiiciency ratings to the next higher rate within the salary range of the grades until the maximum is reached. CAILLAUX’S MONOCLE NEARLY COSTS HIM EYE French Leader Injured When Auto Skids Into Another on Icy Pavement. By the Assoclated Press. PARIS, January 11.—The ever-pres- ent monocle of Joseph Caillaux, former premier, nearly cost him the sight of his right eye when he was injured in an automobile accident near Chartres yesterday. His nose was broken and his eye injured, but it was announced today that there was no permanent injury. The former premier was riding in a closed car and reading correspondence when his automobile skidded on an icy pavement. It was foggy and the ma- chine crashed into another automobile. M. Caillaux hastened to Paris after the crash, but arrived too late to at- tend the opening session of the Senate, in which he had intended to take part in the attack on the Poincare cabinet. NYE TELLS HOOVER FIGHT WILL FOLLOW MELLON RENAMING North Dakotan Expresses Opposition to Pittsburgh- er’s Reappointment. OTHER WESTERNERS ALSO ARE AGAINST SECRETARY Special Session This Spring to Deal With Farm Legislation Is Predicted. BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. " Presaging a fight in the Senate on the confirmation of Secretary Andrew W. Mellon if he is reappointed Secretary of the Treasury by President-elect Hoover, Secnator Nye of North Dakota, during a call upon Mr. Hoover today voiced his opposition to the appoint- ment of Mr. Mellon. Other Senators from the West, in- cluding Senator Brookhart and several members of the progressive group, are opposing the continuation of Mr. Mel- lon in the office of Secretary of the Treasury. Senator Nye expressed the opinion, after his call upon Mr. Hoover, that a special session of the nmew Congress would be called this Spring to deal with farm legislation, if a program of farm relief is not put through the present Congress by March 4. He pointed out that the McNary bill, which has the in- dorsement of the present administra- tion, has not yet been considered by the Senate committee on agriculture. If the bill is reported out in its present form, Senator Nye predicted it would lead to endless debate. The farm co-operatives, Senator Nye said, would have a friend in Mr. Hoover. He said that some of the co- operatives recently have been alarmed at the suggestion that a superorganiza- tion to deal with farm products might develop under the proposed farm pro- gram. This fear he considered ground- less. While Senator Nye did not make any recommendations for appointment to the cabinet, he said it was surpris- ing how some of the farm co-operatives recently had been “warming up” to Sec- retary Jardine of the Department of Agriculture, Secretary Davis of the Department of Labor discussed with Mr. Hoover today the question of stabilization of employ- ment in this country, a subject in which Mr. Hoover has been much inter- ested. Mr. Davis sald there had been ‘r:a hfl‘.Lw\mlon of cabinet appointments conference with Mr, Hoover.. he added that any man who was in the Hoover cabinet must be pre- pared for hard work and that the Presi- dent-elect was one of the hardest work- ers he had ever known. He added that Mr. Hoover was apparently in fine physical condition and prepared to work hard when he begins his new duties as Chief Executive. A long list of visitors again filed through President-elect Hoover’s head- quarters, at the Mayflower Hotel, today, including members of the cabinet, Sen- ators and Representatives. Elihu Root, former Secretary of State, was a guest of Mr. Hoover at breakfast today. Senator Deneen of Tilinois discussed with Mr. Hoover problems relating to his State, including a project for a sea- way from Chicago to the Atlantic Coast, and the waterway from Chicago to the Guif. Cabinet Is Discussed. ‘The Illinois Senator discussed in a general way matters relating to the selection of the cabinet. The nomina- tion of Roy O West, Secretary of the Interior, is to come up for considera- tion in the Senate in another week. Mr. West is from Chicago, and has long been a close friend of Senator Deneen. The Senator did not say whether he had recommended Mr. West for reap- pointment. ‘There is a fight on in the Senate over the confirmation of Mr, ‘West’s appointment, but it is expected that he will be confirmed when the vote is taken. Illinois has two other possible can- didates for cabinet offices in the Hoover administration. They are: Silas Strawn, 'who has been mentioned for Attorney General, and Julius Rosenwald for Secretary of Commerce. Bingham Talks Aviation. Senator Bingham of Connecticut, who has long been interested in aviation, took up with Mr. Hoover particularly the question of commercial aviation between the United States and South America. Senator Bingham feels that much could be done along this line by mail contracts and pointed out that air service between New York and the West Coast of South America would save weeks of time in communication. Other Senators who visited Mr. Hoo- ver today included Nye of North Dakota and Thomas of Idaho. J. R. Nutt, treasurer of the Repub- lican national committee, and Secretary of Labor Davis called upon Mr. Hoover, as did A. H. Wiggin, president of the Chase National Bank of New York, To See House Members. Mr. Hoover is to see a number of members of the House this afternoon, including Representatives Dyer of Mis- souri, Cramton of Michigan,. Nutson of (Continued on Page 2, Column 2.) By the Associated Press. SAN FRANCISCO, January 11.—A World War veteran, held here for the murder of his former wife, waited with apparent satisfaction today for the law to take its course, maintaining that his execution would complete a strange death pact and unite him with his erst- while mate in the hereafter. He is Gar- la .1 Willlams, 28, who saw service in i Siberia and who is accused of slaying Mrs. Lorraine Ambrose, whose body was found in a hotel room here Sunday. When arrested in a hotel yesterday, Williams held out his wrists smilingly for the handcuffs. Police sald he con- fessed killing the woman, assuring them he would have given himself up as soon as_he had wound up his affairs. Police said Williams made an amaz- ing confession, killed Mrs. Ambrose in a death pact that was to be completed when the law claimed his life for the murder. He said he elected vo be hanged be- cause he objected to suicide, 4 in which he said he|s: War Veteran Awaits Execution to Rejoin Wife He Killed in Strange Death Pact Williams told officers his wife had separated from him because of trouble caused by a “friend,” who told tales about him. “Last Thursday she came to my room,” he declared, “and said she could not live without me. She wanted me to kill her and then commit suicide. I told her I couldn’t do that. We talked all day, and finally she went away, “Saturday she telephoned me to come to her. When I arrived, she had her suit cases packed. We took them and went to my rooms. She tried to coax me to turn on the gas, so we could die together. But I told her I could not kill myself. “Then I thought of letting the police take care of me. We had talked all day. She agreed to that plan. “‘Be sure and do a good job, she id. ‘Good-by, Bill." “She_just lay still while I choked her. Then I cut her wrisis with a safety razor blade. I know nothing about the broken knife the police found in the roonw’ . BUT TH E BAND KEPT STRAIGHT AHEAD! CHEAP FU LU NOVE THROTTLED Parley Is Asked to Go on Rec- ord in Favor of Price Control. An attempt to get the National Con- ference on Influenza to go on record in favor of some form of Federal con- trol of the price of medicinal liquor as one method of combating spread of influenza epidemics was promptly and effectively squelched today during the closing deliberations of the mobilized Public Health officials and scientists. Dr. Frank G. Atwood of New Haven, Conn., paved the way for indignant protests from several delegates by urg- ing that the “seal of approval” be placed on Federal re reach of any influenza patient. ‘With good liquor selling in Canada at about $1.35 a quart, he told the con- ference, medicinal liquor should not cost patients in the United States over $2. He had just begun to tell the health officials that in his opinion “a few days use of liquor was of value in the treat- ment of influenza patients,” when Dr. Arthur T. McCormick of Kentucky jumped to his feet to make a point of order against the speaker. “We all know that liquor has nothing at all to do with the flu,” the Kentucky health officer admonished, after Dr. Atwood had succeeded in getting in another protest that “we are forced to pay altogether too much for it.” Protests to Chairman. At this point, Dr. H. F. Vaughan, Detroit health officer, indignantly pro- tested to the chairman against the “danger of diverting the real object of the conference.” Other membzers began mixing into the controversy, when As- sistant Surgeon General C. C. Plerce, who was presiding, called the meeting to order. Bringing its sessions to a close, the conference adopted resolutions point- ing the way for congressional action in making preventable recurrence of the influenza epidemic which has now as- sumed almost Nation-wide proportions. In line with the bill introduced by Representative Edwards of Georgia au- thorizing a $25,000,000 appropriation in view of the existing epidemic, the con- ference adopted a resolution petitioning Congress to grant larger appropriations for the Public Health Service for the extension of research work in the in- vestigation of influenza, cancer and other pernicious diseases. It was of- fered by Dr. Joseph C. Bloodgood of Johns Hopkins University. Defense System Asked. A second resolution of equal impor- tance appealed to Congress to create a system of “national health defense,” providing machinery whereby the Pub- lic Health Service could co-operate more adequately with rural sections hich (Continued on Page 2, Column 6.) Cameramen, Facing Arrest on Mayor’s Order, Flee York Staff Correspondent of The Star, YORK, Pa. January 11.— Newspaper photographers, who have been conspicuous about the urthouse here in the York “witch” murder trial, were ab- sent yesterday. According to a local news- paper, they departed hastily Wednesday night after an ulti- matum from the mayor that any one caught on the street with a camera would be arrested and put in jail for disorderly conduct. YOUTH CONFESSES INGAS MYSTERY Tells Police He Wished to of House Il for Robbery. ‘The mystery surrounding the apparent attempt early yesterday to asphyxiate the staff of women at the Friendship House, the settlement house at 326 Vir- ginia avenue southeast, was solved with the arrest this morning of William Alfonso _Johnson, colored, 20 years old, of 314 F street southwest, who has con- fessed to turning on all the burners of a gas stove “to make everybody sick so he could rob the place.” He is charged with assault with intent to kill, three cases of housebreaking and two of larceny. Miss Lydia Burklin, manager of the house, was awakened by a slight noise and going to the kitchen found the six jets of the gas stove on and the room full of gas. She threw open all the windows and called the police, Detective F. L. Arrington, of the fifth precinct, who arrested Johnson, and Headquarters Detective James Collins were assigned to investigate. Seven women were in the house at the time. Johnson was traced through discovery | of his overcoat," in a pocket of which was his knife, outside a window and an investigation of all former employes. He was discharged by Miss Burklin last September. Arrington found him at his home early this morning. According to Arrington, Johnson ad- mitted breaking into the place Thursday and also January 1 and during the middle of November. He is said to have stolen a coat on the first occasion and a cape the second time. The last time he is alleged to have taken a bunch of keys and a few cents found in a desk. Johnson is quoted by Arrington as saying that he did not intend to kill any one as the women workers at Friendship House had always been kind to him, but merely wanted to make them ill so he could ransack the house without being disturbed. He also told the detective that he stood in the kitchen until he heard Miss Burklin coming arid then he ran. Police say this would have been impossible because the room was so completely filled with gas that he would have cer- tainly been overcome. Prizes of $175 cAre Offered for Community Chest €ssays Washington’s Community Chest drive is near. Through it the city’s giving to charitable projects will be co-ordinated. Greater good is expected to be achieved with organized effort. Citizens everywhere are uniting for the great fund-raising effort. These funds are to be distributed to 57 organized charities of the District’ during the course of the coming year. To further interest in the coming campaign The Evening Star today is offering prizes totaling $175 for the best essays to be written by Washingtonians on the advantages of the Community Chest in the National Capital. These essays must be under three hundred words in length. They must be submitted to the Community Chest Essays Contest Editor of The Star before Wednesday, January 23. ‘Their merits will be judged by a board of editors of The Star. That essay deemed best will be awarded a prize of $100. Second best, $50, and third best, $25. Be sure and enter your essay early. Do not delay. YORK WAIF FOUND GUILTY OF MURDER 14-Year-0ld Boy Convicted in Murder of Recluse “Witch Doctor.” ,By a Stafl Correspondent of The Star. “YORK, Pa., January 1l1.—John Curry, 14, this @afternoon was found guilty of murder in the first degree, carrying a sentence of life imprison- ment, for the murder of Nelson Rehmeyer, elderly recluse and alleged witch doctor, by a jury in the York County Court. The jury was out approximately two hours. The severity of the ver- dict came as a great surprise to the crowds which milled in the corri- dors of the courthouse. BY THOMAS R. HENRY. Staft Correspondent of The Star. YORK, Pa., January 11.—John Curry, 14, is awaiting the verdict of a jury which may send him to the electric chair or to life imprisonment. The trial of the boy for the murder of Nelson D. Rehmeyer, aged recluse and alleged witch doctor, on Thanks- giving eve ended this morning. The work of drawing a jury to try the third defendant in this weird murder case, Wilbert Sess, started at once. In his final plea to the jury, Com- monwealth Attorney August Herrmann urged that “you should stop your ears and close your eyes to the age of the defendant.”” “His mind is as old as his muscles,” Herrmann said. “He is as accountabie as_any of you would be.” In instructing the jury, Judge Ray P. Sherwood said he could see no justifica- tion in the evidence for bringing in a verdict of voluntary manslaughter, for which the maximum penalty is 10 years’ imprisonment. Second degree murder carries a penalty of from 10 to 20 years. Sought to Break “Hex” Spell. William A. Vanbaman, attorney for Curry, had insisted that the three youths visited Rehmeyer’s house for the burpose of securing a lock of the re- cluse’s hair to break a witchcraft spell and that Curry was influenced by John Blymeyer, who was sentenced to life imprisonment, for the murder. Con- siderable witcheraft evidence is likely to be brought out in the trial of young Hess, who, it is alleged, was induced to 20 on the strange expedition because his family, beset by iliness and a run of hard luck, believed they were be- witched. Hess’ mother, a middle-aged, motherly-looking country woman, sat beside him as the drawing of jurors started. The machinery of justice moved swift- ly yesterday afternoon in the York County courtroom, where this Curry, a black-haired boy of 14 sat beside his sobbing young mother and listened to testimony which might send him to the electric chair. Seems to Enjoy Attention. Under cross-examination on the wit- ness stand the boy was dry-eyed and at times, a trifle defiant. He had started out Thanksgiving eve on a thrilling boy- ish adventure ~with apparently no | thought that it would end in such & predicament, Now he was afraid, but mixed in the fear there seemed a little vainglory that he should be the centcr of so much attention. Fatherless child of the factory tene- ments, said to_have been, driven_ from ANTIIAR TREATY ATTACK LAUNCHED INSENATEBY REED Mutilated by Reservations, Nothing Left to Preserve Peace, He Declares. MAP MARKING BRITISH POSSESSIONS EXHIBITED Ridicules Proposal to Effect Peace by Magic Stroke of Kel- logg’s Pen. By the Associated Press. Before crowded galleries and an al- most filled Senate chamber, Senator Reed of Missouri today delivered his long-awaited attack upon the Kellogg treaty to renounce war. Employing all the oratorical prowess that brought him fame, the silver- haired Democrat denounced the “senti- mentality” that cried for world peace at the expense of the United States when, he said, the public opinion of the world is at present far from accomplish- ing that objective. Remembered as an irreconcilable in the historic fight against the League of Nations, Senator Reed described ihe pact as a document so mutilated by notes of reservation that nothing was left to preserve a lasting peace. He argued that the Locarno pact, the cove- nant of the League of Nations, the as- serted right in certain spheres of the world by Great Britain and the right to wage wars in self-defense left the treaty meaningless and dangerous. Calls It Treaty of Words “Your treaty is a treaty of words,” he shouted. *You are doing nothing to re- move the causes of war.” “No_wonder the Senator from Vir- zinia (Mr. Swanson) described the treaty as a gesture and the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Borah) practically admitted that the treaty was nothing but a gesture of good will.” ‘The Missouri Senator was interrupted for the first time at this point by Sena- tor Borah, who observed that “when the Senator gets through there won't be that left.” “Well,” Senator Reed rejoined, “Sec- retary Kellogg won't listen. He sets up his own opinion as final, so there is nothing to do but debate this to the end.” He added that he was not filibuster- ing against the treaty or in any way aiming to prevent ratification coming to a vote, but he contended it was neces- sary that the dangers of ratification without an _interpretation protecting the Monroe Doctrine be brought to the attention of the Senate. Decries Contention. Senator Reed decried the contention of some advocates of the treaty that it will be enforced by the “general opinion of mankind.” “What is the general opinion of man- kind?” he asked. “More people have been fooled by phrases than anything else. One would think that this opinion could be got into one room, arouse against conflict, resolve into something like a church meeting where everything would be con- sidered lovely, sweet and nice. “The general opinion of mankind,” he growled. “Let’s have a little common sense. They have it on the other side.” The Senator denounced “senti- mentality” in this country. No nation but the United States, he contended, could have composed such a song as “ Didn’t Rais My Boy to Be a Sailor.’ “Other nations teach their young men it is an honor to lay down their lives for their country,” Senator Reed declared. Denies Good Will Created. He asserted that treaties do not create good will, that they must express a will already formed. The will to peace, he contended, was not universal throughout the world. The people of India, he said, are rising against British rule; China is rising against Japanese domination; Germans and Austrians are discontent- ednunder the foot of oppression on their soil. Russians, Reed added, are of the opinion that other nations are in- adequate; Egypt is fretting under the “strangle hold"” of Great Britain, Poland wants some of Russia, and Persia and Algeria are discontented. “Under these conditions there can be no public opinion against war. And they say the world opinion of mankind will compel obedience to this treaty.” “When you say that every nation shall decide the question of how it ought to act in self-defense,” Reed argued, “and you go farther and allow these reservations, then there is no such thing as public opinion which will require these nations to relinquish these rights reserved to themselves in this corre- spondence. Unfortunate, if a Gesture. “We reduce this then to what its ad- vocates say—it means nothing except a mere gesture, except an act of cour- tesy. If it is a mere gesture, it is an unfortunate one. “If it is only a gesture it is a foolish thing. If it only says what has already been said in treaties resting in the chancellories of the nations, then it might better have not been said.” “Why not interpret it? Why not say on paper what you are willing to " (Continued on Page 2, Column 5.) (Continued on Page 2, Column 3.) Graf Zeppelin to Fly The Graf Zeppelin, the world’s largest dirigible, faces a strenuous program of flying this Spring and Summer, includ- ing three exploration trips into the Arctic, a trail-blazing flight to Alaska by way of Siberia, two transatlantic trips to the United States and possibly a trip around the world, according to word received here today. The Graf Zeppelin will make six or seven trial flights this month in the vicinity of Lake Constance to comply with German government regulations, according to a tentative schedule out- lined by Dr. Hugo Eckener, the Zep- pelin’s master, it is stated in Associated Press dispatches. Toward the end of February a Mediterranean flight of about four days is planned over a route which will include Marseille, Alex- andria, Cairo, Jaffa, Jerusalem, Trieste and Vienna. Intermediate landings are contemplated to permit excursions to | the Pyramids and the Holy Sepulchre. In March a 48-hour flight to the Ma- deira group is planned. The Arctic explorations are to begin lnext April, according to_information received here by the Department of to Arctic, Alaska, U.S.. and Maybe Around the World in 1929! Commerce from H. R. Buckley, United States trade commissioner at Paris. The dirigible will be used by a scien- tific expedition to be headed by Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, noted explorer. The expedition has been arranged by the Society for the Exploration of the Arctic, and the big fimm‘g has been placed at the disposal of the explorers by the Zeppelin works and the Germa: government, according to Commissioner Buckley's message. The dirigible will be used also for a flight to Alaska by way of Siberia to ascertain the prac- ticability of that route for regular flights from Europe and America. ‘The transatlantic trips to this country are to be made in June and July, the Assoclated Press dispatch states. Pas- sengers, mail and freight will be carried on these two trips, Dr. Eckener said. The round-the-world trip would be un- dertaken later in the Summer, depend- ing largely upon Dr. Eckener’s ability ‘this | JUry_trying t to replenish his motor fuel gas in country. Radio Programs—Page 30 REPORT ON DISTRICT FISCAL RELATIONS IS LAID BEFORE HOUSE Survey Fails to Draw Conclu- sions—Points Out Large Untaxed Area. COMPARES TAXES HERE WITH OTHER CITIES Federal Share in 1928 $7,440,939, Computed on Municipal Tax- payers Basis. The report of the Bureau of Efficiency on fiscal relations between the District jand Federal governments, including & survey and comparison of tax figures in 14 leading cities of the country, was laid before the House today by Repre- sentative Simmons, chairman of the | subcommittee on appropriations. The report contains no recommenda- tions, but in a summary accompanying it points out that it is the opinion of the investigators that the solution of the fiscal relations problem may lie in determining the Government lability toward the cost of operation and main- tenance of the Capital City along two lines, namely (1) its tax liability as a municipal taxpayer of Washington in connection with the ordinary costs of Government to the municipality, and (2) its liability on account of the loss of revenue and on account of extraor- dinary expenditures occasioned by the fact that Washington is the National Capital. The liability of the Federal Govern- ment in the cost of operation of the city in the fiscal year of 1928, was computed on the basis of a municipal taxpayer, $7,440,939, the Bureau re- ported. The report was prepared at the request of the Senate and House ap- propriations subcommittees. In arriving at the $7,440,939 figure the report points out that it _has made no attempt to compute the liability of the Government on the loss of tax rev- enue on account of excess ordinary real property exemptions and the cost of excess park acquisition and mainte- nance in the Capital. Contribution Was $9,000,000. In the fiscal year 1928, the year for which the computation was drawn, the Government _ contributed a $9,000,000 lump sum In this connection the re- port points out that $1,559,061 was left of the Federal contribution to be ap- plied against the e; expendi- tures of the Capital City. “So far as I have been able to ex= amine this report,” said Mr. Sim “it completely supports the position held by the House.” The report is voluminous, containing 44 typewritten pages. In accordan: with instructions the Bureau of Effi- clency has made no recommendations mor drawn conclusions. Summary Is Furnished. The bureau furnished the following Tined the teps oy " compiation, and steps com| explains the reason trmelgr: e The subject of fiscal relations between the Federal Government and the Dis- trict of Columbia has been one of lively interest ever since the District of Co- lumbia was established as the seat of the Government of the United States, in 1800. Briefly, it covers the determina- tion of the lability of the Federal Gov- ernmeni toward the cost of ration and maintenance of the city of Wash- ington, D. C. A careful study of the various - posals advanced from time to time for the solution of the problem of fiscal relations and of the volut.inous hear- ings held in connection therewith. in- dicates that complete tax data for ‘Washington, D. C., and for other cities in the United States of comparable size have never been gathered at any one time. The Bureau of Efficiency was re- quested, therefore, in 1928, by the appro- priations committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives and by the Burcau of the Budget to collect the data essential to a full consideration of the subject. History of Fiscal Relations. For a complete understanding of the problem a knowledge of the history of | the District of Columbia is ne A Part 1 of the bureau’s report is devoted to this subject. A review of the fiscal affairs of the District of Columbia during the period 1790 to 1871 indicates that no definite plan of contribution by the Federal Government toward the support of the government of the District of Columbia existed during any part of this period, and that appeals were continually being made to Congress by the residents for relief from a situation which they claimed was becoming intolerable. It was held that the District of Columbia, as the Capital of the Nation, was being developed on a scale beyond that which could be afforded by the average municipality, and that, therefore, the Federal Government should shere with the citizens the cost of its operation and maintenance. From 1790 to 1835 the Federal Government contributed $1,- 429,079.46 toward the municipal ex- penses of the District of Columbia, while the residents of the District paid $4,121,570.46 during that period. The contribution of the Federal Government varied from year to year, no_paymens whatever being made during 22 of the 45 years. In 1835 the committee on the District of Columbia of the Senate made an investigation of the subject and recom- mended that the Federal Government should pay a definite proportion of the expense based upon its property holdings in the District. No action was taken on the committee’s report, and the Federal Government continued its ir- regular voluntary payments. These were more liberal, however, it being apparent from the fiscal reports of that (Continued on Page 3, Column 2.) RONGETTI JURY VOTES MANSLAUGHTER VERDICT Chicago Jurors Convict Physician Who Was Granted Retrial After Death Sentence. By the Associated Press. CHICAGO, January 11.—A verdict of ughter, carrying a penalty of 1 to 14 years, was returned today by the Aman! tti on a eged illegal tenced to c‘l‘er::h"l:ll‘ the Bu;m::. granted a retriak