Evening Star Newspaper, January 18, 1930, Page 1

WEATHER. (U. 8. Weather Bureau ast.) Fair, with a cold wave ghd tempera- ture near zero tonight: tqgmorrow con- tinued cold: rising temperature tomor- row night and Monday. Temperatures— Highest, 31. at 11 a.m. today: Jowest, 27, at 4:30 a.m. today. Fuil report on page 7. The only evening paper in Washington with the Associated Press news service. ¢ Foenin WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION Yesterday’s Circulation, 113,141 Closing N.Y.Markets ,Pages 8,9 & 10-B b No. 31,308. post office, Entered as second class matter Washington, C D. C. WASHINGTON, D. C., SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 1930—TWENTY-EIGHT PAGES ans Associated Press. TWO CENTS. STIMSON PREPARES * O SEEFRENCH AND [TALIAN DELEGATES Makes Formal Call on Prime Minister to Present His Colleagues. WANTS U—N_ISE.RSTANDING WITH TARDIEU AND GRANDI Will Meet Them Tomorrow in Ef- fort to Dispel Doubts About U. S. and Britain. By the Associated Pres LONDON, January 18.—The full American dclegation to the naval dis- armament conference headed by Secre- tary of State Stimson was received by Prime Minister Macdonald at No. 10 Downing street during the noon hour today. Chatles G. Dawes, American Ambas- sador to Great Britain, who is a dele- gate himself, accompanied the party to the premier’s official residence for their formal visit. Secretary Stimson had a three-hour talk with the prime min- ter yesterday. The meeting developed into some- thing more than a formal call as it lasted for an hour and a quarter, dur- ing which the entire American dele- gation for the first time conferred with the entire British delegation. Arthur Henderson, British secretary of State, and A. V. Alexander, first lord of the admiralty, both members of the Brit- i1sh naval delegation, remained through only part of the meeting. Reassured as to the distance Premier Macdonald fmpcses to go toward abol- ishing battleships, Col. Stimson pre- pared today for his attempt to dispel French and Italian suspicions of an Anglo-American accord. Will Visit Delegates. Tomorrow the American Secretary of State will confer with Dino Grandi, Italian foreign minister, and Andre Tardieu, French premier, in separate | conferences. These are intended more than anything else to establish the ac- uaintanceship of Col. Stimson with &:e two men on & firm foundation, permitting mutual understanding prior 1o opening of the five-power conference ‘Tuesday. Col. Stimson will tell the two men probably that America and Great Brit- ain have an ideal in common—that is, limitation and reduction of the world sea forces, not to a point Where se- curity is threatened, but sufficiently to reduce the heavy fidanci en mod- ern navies have come to be and to remove large navies as a threat of war. He will repudiate, rflbly tactily and ot in many wor the suggestion which has been made on the continent that America and Great Britain have contracted an entente cordial, the co- operative nature of which is a threat to other nations, and that there is any- | thing transcending an ordinary friendly alliance between them. 2 Col. Stimson will be much more in- terested in conveying this idea to Signor Grande and M. Tardieu than he will be in making an initial effort toward paci- fying differences outstanding between their two governments, differences in which some observers already see a threat to the projected five-power naval accord. The Italian and French differences between themselves will come up in the due course of time at the corference table, where they will be' threshed out, refil’dl , it is felt generally, of any- thing Col. Stimson might do or say now; whereas general understanding of the ~true relationship between Great Britain and America is a necessary ?remlu on which much of the con- erence negotiations are to be bullt. Americans Relieved. ‘The conference yesterday between Col. Stimson and Mr. Macdonald was believed to have relieved the Americans’ minds of a misunderstanding as re- gards the premier'’s attitude toward battleships. The version of Mr. Macdonald's statement Wednesday on that score as radioed to the George Washington said he intended to propose “abolition” of battleships or capital ships, whereas he | only expressed himself to newspaper men as hoping for eventual or ulti- mate abolition of battleships, but ex- pecting at present to propose length- | ening of age limits, or extension of the building_holiday agreed upon at the | Washington conference. The erroneous interpretation of Mr. Macdonald’s statement to the news per men greatly concerned Col. Stim- £on the other American delegates, ~(Continued on Page 2, Column 2.) MOTHERS WHO DECLINE TRIP MAY RECEIVE CASH Representative Collins Gold Star Payments in Lieu of Pilgrimage. Proposes Gold Star mothers who do not de- sire to make a pilgrimage to the Eu- ropean battlefields and cemeteries at the expense of the Government, as au- thorized under present law, could draw in cash an amount equal to the cost of the pilgrimage under a bill introduced yesterday by Representative Collins, Democrat, Mississippi. If finally enacted, the measure would affect several thousand Gold Star mothers who have declined the offer of the pilgrimage. About 11,000 mothers are eligible to make the trip, and only approximately 6,000 have signified their intention to join the piigrimage. OIL PRICE PROBE ASKED. Independent Association Appeal to Senators. OKMULGEE, Okla., January 18 (#). ~—The Independent Oil & Gas Associa- tion has requested Senators W. B. Pine and Elmer Thomas of Oklahoma to institute a senatorial investigation of the “disastrous differential” between the price of crude ofl at the well and the retail price of all its by-products. The association, which represents yoyalty and lease owners as well as producers, also requested the Senators to renew efforts to obtain & tariff on importation of crude oil and by-prod- uets. “The ultimate Yesult of drastie reduc- tions in erude ofl prices, a resolution adopted vesterday stated, is the “abso- Jute annihilation of the :mducln( eces e d individuals are " Ine ‘produetion of erude L. Makes Divorce Plea Bares 0Odd Plan to Dodge “Pink Elephants” Wife Says Mate Took Live Animals to Bed With Him. By the Associated Press. CHICAGO, January 18.—Animals, real and imaginary. have driven Mrs. Sophie Seidler to seek a divorce from Walter, She says her husband imagined the existence of pink elephants and wiggly snakes, and that they annoyed him dreadfully. In an effort to get rid of them, his wife asserts, he got real ani- mals and took them to bed with him. One night he would come home with a cat, another night a dog. and some | times with a rabbit, a pigeon or a chicken. Mrs. Seidler told of a strange pastime favored by her spouse. When funds for beverage purposes were scant, she charged, he would run around and around the room in circles until he got dizzy. She wants, besides a divorce, custody of their child. HOOVER PLEDEES NATION'S AD FOR EREATER CAPITAL Meeting. President Hoover gave the pledge of the American people, last night, to work for a Greater Washington. At the presentation of the regional plan for Washington and its environs at Constitution Hall by the National Capital Park and Planning Commis- | sion a letter addressed to Frederic A. Delano, the commission’s chairman, by Mr. Hoover asserted: “It is our national ambition to make a great and effective city for the seat of our Government, with a dignity, character and symbolism truly repre-| sentative of America. As a Nation we have resolved that it shall be accom- plished."” Governors Promise Aid. ‘The of this letter from the Chief Executive of the Nation was one of the high lights of the meeting. atv/| which Gov. Albert E. Ritchie of Mary- land and Gov. John Garland Pollard | of Virginia both pledged continued sup- port of their Commonwealths to assist in developing the regions adjacent to| the National Capital. Lieut. Col. U. S. Grant, 3d, the com- mission’s executive officer and its vice chairman, speaking before a distin- guished audience that included Secre: tary Mellon, members of the Fede Congress and the Virginia General Assembly, which attended in a body, sketched the commission’s work during the three and a half years of its ex- istence and illustrated his address by a serifes of slides. Highways, railroads, water terminals, airports and parks, both within the District and in adja- cent territory, were dealt with in the course of Co. Grant's address, which set the goal for Washington of “Amer- ica’s highest attainment in the art of city building Hoover Unable to Attend. President Hoover's letter follows: “I deeply regret that I am unable to present at this meeting under the auspices of the National Park and Plan- ning Commission. I should like to have been present on such an occa- sion dealing with the upbuilding of the Capital city. “The creation by Congress in 1926 of the National Capital Park and Plan- ning Commission is one of the funda- mental steps taken in national recogni tion of our need and opportunity to| build the most effective and most beau- tiful capital city in the world. Just as the minds of many men of diverse experience took part in the original planning of the city under President Washington, so it has been recognized by Congress that we should have the advantage of the diversity of skill and experience in this renaissance of the City of Washington through our new undertaking for the expansion and re- vision of our Capital eity. “President Washington was the founder of city planning, and after more than a century of neglect the nezd and purpose of city planning re- cefved a great impetus as the result of conferences held in Washington a few years ago. I am glad to learn that over 800 towns and cities have since then proved the value of advance plan- ning, not only in the better application of public funds but also in the intelli- gent development of the many and complex phases of life which go with the modern city. It is not the purpose of these commissions to execute or ad- " (Continued on Page 3, Column 2.) | TOMBS PRISON SINKING: DANGER IS FORESEEN | Immediate Remedy Is Urged to Avert Disaster Following Inspection. Special Dispatch to The Star. ALBANY, January 18.—The sinking of Tombs Prison, of which the New York City Department of Correction be investigated promptly to determine if_there is any danger of the building collapsing, inspectors for the State De- partment of Correction asserted in a report, made public here yesterday, which criticizes the prison administra- tion, “This may develop into a very seri- ous situation and it is recommended that the commissioner of correction promptly arrange for competent engi- neers to make an examination of this situation to determine whether or not there is any danger of the bullding collapsing,” the report said. Jail is overcrowded; that convicted and unconvicted prisoners occupy the same tier of cells in violation of the proper guard is not and that sanitary facilities are inade- quate. Radio Programs on l’;(c B-16 b ad Letter From Executive Re::\dI | Congress.” This section, he said, came into force | when the amendment as & whole was | at Planning Commission | has been aware for some time, should ! ‘The inspectors also reported that the | LA GUARDIA BLOCKS DRY ENFORCEMENT FUNDS IN HOUSE Ratified, He Declares, Rais- ing Point of Order. RATIFICATION UNDER SECTION 3 LACKING Terms of Measure Itself Make It Void, New York Representa- tive Asserts, By the Associated Press. Arguing that the eighteenth amend- ment had by*its own terms become in- valid, Representative La Guardia, Re- publican, New York, today raised a point of order against appropriations for prohibition enforcement included in the pending Treasury-Post Office supply bill. The New Yorker contended that the amendment had never been properly ratified, basing this assertion upon the third section of the amendment, which says that the amendment “shall be in- operative unless it shall have been rati- fled as an amendment to the Constitu- tion by the Legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the | submissicn thereof to the States by the first ratified by 36 States. Coming into force at that time, he interpreted it as stipulating then that it must again be ratified by 36 States or at the expiration of the seven-year period the entire amendment became inoperative. Ten he saw as the necessary procedure of a second ratification. “Must Be Construed.” Asserting that “we cannot ignore sec- tion 3 or brush it aside as mean- ingless,” La Guardia said, “We cannot accept the theory, which scme will urge, that it had reference to the ratific tion of the amendment and has now no force or effect.” The section must be construed, he said, with the same rules of construc- tion applicable to other sections of the amendment. The mere fact, he continued, that the section described the method of “re-ratification to be the same as that required for original rat- ification indicates that section 3 is novel provision in our Constitution, lim- iting the life of the eighteenth amend- ment unless certain contingencles in the. future shall have taken place.” La Guardia described how the orig- inal amendment, now section 3, was offered in the Senate by the late Sen- ator Harding of Ohio, providing a date before which the amendment must be ratified. Doubt as to Effect. “There was great doubt,” the New Yorker said, “in the Senate as well as in the House as to the force and effect of section 3 as part of the Constitution and as to its meaning &s such should the amendment be ratified. Congress voted for it with its eyes open. The amendment was submitted to the States under the provisions of the Constitution as it then existed. If this particular amendment had not been ratified within seven years there was nothing to pre- vent the States from ratifying it Iater. “So that to say it is applicable only to the date or time of original submis- sion has no force, for the States were not bound to any such limitation until section 3 became a part of the Consti- tution itself. That being so, it cannot be said then that it is applicable to something that has already happened. Section 3 necessarily means that the article must again be ratified as therein provided in the period therein provided or else become inoperative as therein provided.” Among others discussing prohibition Representative Britten, Republican, Illi- nois, one of the leaders of the House wet group, said in a statement that if seek & “test vote” on modification of the Volstead act instead of repeal of the amendment. He added: “The vote should be on modification of the Volstead act so as to permit the manufacture and sale of beer and light wines and the consumption of the same away from the place of purchase. The saloon must not return. I challenge the drys in Congress to request this vote.” Speeding up Federal court procedure by abandoning the grand jury system, except where necessity requires, Is sug- gested by Chairman Norris of the Sen- ate judiciary committee. Counter Proposition. Senator Norris offers this proposition as a counter proposal to the recom- mendation of President Hoover's Law Enforcement Commission for trials by United States commissioners of petty offenders, which he is inclined to regard as unconstitutional The voluminous recommendations of the Law Enforcement Commission are before Senator Norris' committee and will come up there for early consider- atlon. Chairman Norris s ready to support the recommendation for transfer of the prohibition enforcement service from | the Treasury to the Justice Department, !a proposal that has long been before Congress. However, there are some troubles ahead in the Senate for the many other suggestions for strengthening the dry law, and out of it all there is little certainty that other than the transfer measure will get through at this ses- sion. Would Require Amendment. ‘The Norris proposal for abandonment of the grand jury system would require a constitutional amendment. He feels, however, that it offers a solution for the crowded court dockets. He would not abolish the grand jury system, but he would permit prosecution of offend- ers upon information by the district at- torneys, leaving it within the discretion of the judge to order the grand jury hearings for indictments. “We have such a law in Nebras Senator Norris explained. “As a_judge there I found it very satisfactory. Not once did I have to order & grand jury | to meet in order to make sure that the prosecuting attorney did his work thor- | oughly.” The law Enforcement Commission would have Congress define certain law violations as coming within petty of- fenses, this pcrmitting trial by United States commissioners. Norris beljeves, however, the difficulties in the way of making such a definition are manifold. Moreover, he does mot want any step taken which will menace the constitu= tional right of all men to trial by jury. Amendment Never Properly| States, he said, had gone through what | the dry leaders were sincere they would | RUTH BRYAN OWEN FCHTS FOR POST Says She Never Renounced Citizenship, Even Though | Married to Englishman. By the Associated Press. Presenting her own case in the con. | test over her seat in the House, Repre- | sentative Ruth Bryan Owen, Demo- | crat, Florida, asserted before ‘a House | elections committee today that she had never renounced her citizenship to the United States even though married to an Englishman. Mrs, Owen met the non-citizenship charge of William C. Lawson, Repub- lican contestant for her seat in the House. with a dramatic recital of ,the hardships encountered over her citizen- ship status as a result of her marriage. “No man ever was called before & committee such as this to explain his mlx;;hl!." Mrs. Owen sald. “It, there . is any penalty for my marriage, I bear it proudly. I ask noth- ing more than justice and expect noth- ing leas from this committee.” Mrs. Owen said by her marriage in Nebraska to Maj. Reginald A. Owen of the British Army, in 1910, her citi- zenship was involuntarily lost under the act of 1907, but asserted she regained it in 1925 under the Cable act of 1922, through na‘uralization, She denied charges concerning the effect of her European residence made | by Noah C. Bainum of St. Petersburg, Fla,, counsel for Lawson, and related how she had served with Mrs. Herbert Hoover during the World War in re- lief work in England, and later how she worked in nursing wounded British soldiers in Egypt. With her husband invalided by his service in the Dardanelles campaign, Mrs. Owen brought him to Florida, where, she said, it became necessary for her to take the lecture platform to provide for her husband and four children. Because lecture tours necessitated her absence when opportunity was af- forded by immigration officials at Miami for her to regain her citizen- ship, she sald, it was 1925 before she was restored to status enjoyed before her marriage. Her eligibllity, she said, had been | passed upon by prominent attorneys in | Florida, who pointed out that under the Cable act, her citizenship of 44 | years had been restored, and under the | | Constitution amounted to 29 years. ’ CHILDREN’S SIGHT SAVED. By Cnble to The Star. ATHENS, January 18—Skillful work by lr!‘chlixu has succeeded in saving wholly or partially the eyesight of most of the children infected in the Kas- sariani Refugees' Hospital. The au- thorities said today they believed none of the patients would be totaly blinded, though two have lost one eye each and eight are still in a doubtful condition. The origin of the infection is now stated to have been the wrong diagnosis of two cases of opthalmia neonatorum which, instead of being isolated, were | placed in the ward with non-contagious patients, L] (Copyright. 1930.) Yesterday’s Store News (Local Display) Lines | The Evening Star... 42,999 12d Newspaper...... 3d Newspaper...... 10,275 4th Newspaper 5,818 5th Newspaper..... 4,907 739,765 3234 The advertising in tomor- row's Sunday Star will be read by thousands of thrifty buy- ers and all those who interested in what is newest Star’s Excess, are and best in the stores Circulation . The Evening Star. . 113,141] Year Ago Yesterday 108,466 | Increase, 4,675 In snow or storm The Star’s wonderful circulation system insures delivery nearly every home in the city and suburbs. 1 to Owner Changes Mind On Killing Sick Dog As Chloroform Fails By the Associated Press. WAUKEGAN, IIl,, January 18. —Trixie, George Van Valken- berg's police dog, isn't dead after all. She’s sick, but the doctor says she’ll be all right. veral days ‘Trixie's master arranged to put her out of her misery via chloroform. Afterwards he took Trixie to the garage to await suitable burial weather. Yesterday the grave was dug, and Van Valkenberg went to the garage to get Trixie, From her blanket shroud, the dog scram- bled up, and ran happily to her master. JONES ASKS WIDER APPOINTMENT LAW Bill Would Make Citizens Who | ¢ Vote Elsewhere Eligible as Commissioners. An Important change in the law fix- | ing the qualifications of District Com- missioners, which would enable thel President to consider men who live in | the District even though they might retain a voting residence elsewhere, was proposed today by Senator Jones, R publican, of Washington. The bill was | referred to the Senate District commit- | tee for consideration. With the terms of Commissioners Dougherty and Taliaferro about to ex- pire with a few weeks, the Jones bill is of exceptional interest at this time. The present law Tequires that ap- pointees to the office of the District Commissioner must be bona fide resi- dents of the District of Columbia for three years next preceding appoint- ment. Senator Jones said that he un- derstood this law has been construed | to mean that a man who retains the right to vote in some States is not eligi- ble to be Commissicner even though he has lived here and been in business here for the required time. Alms to Widen Field. The Senator sald that the purpose of his measure was to widen the field from which selections could be made. The next of the bill, which is brief, fol- lows: “Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in Congress assembled that the (wo persons ap- pointed Commissioners of the District of Columbia from civil life shall at the time of their appointment be cit- jzens of the United States, and shall have been actual residents of the Dis- trict of Columbia, or have actually maintained therein an office or place of business for three years next be- fore thei pointments; provided that maintal a voting residence else- where shall not prevent such appoint- ment. Any provision of law incon- | sistent herewith is hereby repealed.” Early Action Desired. Asked if he thought it possible to| enact the bill in time to take effect in connection with the two appoint- ments expected to be made soon, Sen- | ator Jones said he could not say how soon the measure wowld be acted on, but that he would endeavor to have it considered as soon as the District com- mittee has a meeting. There have been occasions in previous years when persons who had resided in Wishington, but retained the voting | privilege in some State, have been men- | tioned for appointment as Commis- sioners of the District, but who did not come entirely within the present quali- fications clause of the law. RETURN MURDER VERDICT Two Suspects Sought in Death of Christos Haralampidis. A verdict of “murder by a person, or persons unknown to the jury” was returned by a coroner's jury this aft- ernoon at an inquest into the death of Christos Haralampldis, Greek proprietor of & restaurant at 511 Ninth street, who was found dead in his room above the restaurant Tuesday morning. His head had been battered in with & brick. Police are searching for two sus- pects. ‘Woman Bank Bandit to Wed. PEORIA, Ill, January 18 (#).— Norma Anderson, who, with her 2-year- old baby in her arms, robbed the Steen- burg State Bank of Farmington, IIL., of $1,000 in 1924, has taken out a license to' marry. She recently was released from the State Home for Girls, to which she was sentenced for five years, Harry }le, Stoughbaugh was named in the icense, PITTMAN'S HOME SWEPT BY FLAMES |Nevada Senator Nearly Over- | come and Two Firemen In- jured Fighting Blaze. Two firemen were injured and Sena- tor Key Pittman of Nevada nearly overcome by smoke early this morning when fire practically destroyed the Sen- ator's extensive home, Ridgeland, on Ridge road, in a remote section of Wes- ley Heights. 4 ‘The firemen were blown into the air by a blast caused by the falling roof. A third fireman was overcome by smoke, The Senator himself was near asphyx- jation from combating the flames when firemen forced him to leave the house. Mrs. Pittman, clad only in a nightgown and bathrobe, was forced to take refuge in the servants' guarters, to the rear of the house, where she borrowed & palr Senator and Mrs. Pitt a hasty check-up immediately after the fire, agreed with police that the flames had done appreximately $150,000 dam- age. Deputy Fire Marshal Ochstetter, however, estimated the damage at $10,000 to the house and $5,000 to its contents. His estimation came after a complete survey several hours after the fire had been put out. The second story of the house, which is part of the spacious es- tate overlooking the Potomac near the Maryland line, was destroyed by the flames and, the water ruined the first story. The fire apparently started from an overheated chimney to a fireplace in the reception room. Thousands of dol- lars’ worth of luxurious furniture and all of the clothing of Senator and Mrs. Pittman were destroyed. A heavy fall of soggy snow and the necessity of laying hose lines for a quarter of a mile to the nearest fire plugs interfered with fighting the fire. The two injured men were on a ladder when a sudden blast of air thrown out by the collapsing roof threw them off. They are Revelle Jones, 22, of 818 Longfellow street, dislocated shoulder and shock; W. R. Cryer, 27, of 2115 F street, severe bruises to his arm and shock, and A. E. Calhoun, 31, of 306 C street’ northeast, overcome by smoke. Jones and Calhoun were admitted to the hospital, but Cryer was sent home. Senator Pittman said he was sitting up reading when he discovered the fire. He saved only the suit and dressing robe he wore. “The heailng system was out of order,” Mrs. Pittman explained. “We use water from an artesian well and the pumping apparatus had broken down, making it impossible to run the furnace. During the day we used the three fireplaces, but they did not give enough heat to warm the house. We had planned a dinner party last night at home in honor of Senator and Mrs. Gerry of Rhode Island, but the house was so cold we held it in the Carlton Hotel. “Senator Pittman and I returned home just a short while before the fire started. I was asleep and the Senator was reading in our bedroom when he smelled smoke, a few minutes before 4 oclock. He descended to the first floor and went first to the south side of the house. Then he examined the fireplace in the reception room on the (Continued ¢n Page 12, Column 3.) 'COAST GUARDS HELD ON BRIBE CHARGES Three Accused of Taking $2,500 for Releasing Rum Boat Arrest- ed—Fourth Man Sought. By the Associated Press. BUFFALO, N. Y. January 18.—Ac- cused of accepting a bribe from & rum runner for the release of a seized speed boat, three Coast Guardsmen were un- der arrest in the Erie County jail today while a country-wide search was under way for a fourth man. Coast Guard authorities said the four guardsmen after seizing a speed boat in Toledo Harbor accepted a $2,500 bribe trom a Toledo bootlegger named Court- ney for the release of the craft. The boat later was agaln captured, and Courtney then made his charges. Man Is Held in Toledo. TOLEDO, Ohio, January 18 (®).— Federal suthorities have been holding a man arrested at Port Clinton, Ohio, in the ‘county jail here for the last two weeks in connection with alleged bribery and rumrunning operations involving members of the Coast Guard. The arrest of the man, who gave his name as Ollie Zess, was kept secret until it became known that three Coast Guardsmen were being held at Buffol and a fourth member of the service was being gnm . iV frame | UTILITIES GROUPS TLAM PUBLITY WA SELFEFENSE But Federal Trade Commis-| sioner Rules Out Much of Evidence. LAWYER AND M'CULLOCH HAVE HEATED ARGUMENT Former Charges Associations and Leagues Propagandized School Children. B the Associated Press. The Federal Trade Commission’s in- quiry into publicity activities of public utilities ended today with Commissioner MeCulloch declining to accept docu- mentary and detailed evidence present- | ed by the power companies in an effort to show that much of their propaganda against Government ownership was is- sued as a defensive measure. A sharp clash between Bernard F. Weadock, special counsel “for public utilities, and Commissioner McCulloch came as Weadock attempted to submit into record 96 exhibits, which he said, showed the extent to which proponents of Government ownership had gone in circulating propaganda. He challenged the ruling of Commissioner McCulloch. For two years, Weadock said, the whole utilities industry has given all it has, “and now when we wish to present our side we are cut off." Continues to Argue. As the presiding commissioner insisted i | MERCURY T0 DROP NEAR ZERO TONIGHT BUREAL PREDCTS Coldest Weather of Winter Forecast for Capital After 3-Inch Snow. WIDESPREAD TERRITORY IS BLANKETED BY COLD Lower Temperatures Hampers Aid to Families Marooned in Flooded Areas. As a small army of workmen swept the heaviest snow of the Winter from Washington streets today, the tempera- ture went into a nose dive, Weather Bureau officials predicting the coldest weather in more than a decade for to- night. The prediction for tonight was: “Fair with a cold wave and lowest tempere- ture near zero; Sunday fair and con- tinued cold.” The last time the Capital had a taste of zero weather was February 5, 1918, when the mercury registered 2 degrees below. The thermometer reached its lowest mark last vear on Janu: 14, :ll::;(‘ it wn; ; ?nbova. The most frigid Tecorde 1928 was Jl;{\oury 30. st recasters said it was practicall certainty that the umw‘ieuu would :um‘b}:l tnd within 4 degrees of zero onight and a distinct possibilit; before morning. Sl Cold Elsewhere. that his ruling blocking the exhibits from the record be respected, Weadock continued to argue and the commis- sioner ordered the court reporter to |end the record temporarily and told Weadock . he would find some way to see that his ruling was respected. The attorney cited the' Public Owner- ship League, the National Popular Gov- ernment League and the People's Legislative Service as leading organiza- tions who have *propagandiz Government ownership. Commissioner McCulloch said he would permit the names of these organizations to go into the record as showing that the utilities ! had to combat opposition propaganda, but held that the commission was not investigating these organizations and could not, therefore, go into the extent of their alleged activities. An army of nearly 100 exhibits were offered. Culminating the presentation of evi- dence in defense of the activities of the utilities which have been under inves- tigation by the commission, Weadock asked to have the exhibits placed in the investigation record on ‘the .ground that publicity distributed by his clients could not be appraised fairly without an | understanding of the methods employed Iby individuals and organizations op- {posed to the private companies. Weadock sought to show that an or- | ganized campaign had been conducted | “disrupt and socialize the industries of the country” by organizations cam- paigning in schools, colleges, news- ators and Representatives | these efforts. Senator Norris Involved. Pamphlets and booklets of the League for Industrial Democracy, the Public Ownership League of America, the Na- tional Popular Government League, and the People’s Legislative service were offered, together with clippings from Socialist and other papers detailing the activities of these groups in the cam- paign for public ownership of utilities. had sided ' the League for Industrial Democracy bearing the name of Senator George W. Norris among members of the advisory council to its committee on coal and giant power. The exhibits were arranged to show that the several assoclations and leagues were linked closely through interlock- ing directorates, that they acted in common, that they were either Social- ist In structure or had co-operated close~ ly with Socialist groups, and had formed with the National Socialist party in 1921 the conference for progressive political action. the conference adopted a platform fa- voring the development of a national super-water power system including Muscle Shoals, public ownership of rail- roads, and submission to the people *“for their considerate judgment, & constitu- gress may by enacting & statute make it effective over a judicial veto.” Soclalist Clipping Shown, A clipping from a Socialist newspaper containing the statememtthat public operation and ownership of Boulder Dam and Muscle Shoals would “split the power trust wide open and pave the way for the practical realization of socialism as nothing else will" was included with exhibits offered to show that the electric utilities had been centered upon as the foeal point of & general campaign for public ownership of all “key industries.” Papers on the creation of the Peo- ple's College at Fort Scott, Kans., by & group including Eugene V. Debs, Ar- thur Leshueur and Carl D. Thompson, founder of the Public Ownership League, were offered, as was a letter written by Lesueur as vice president of the school and signed, “Yours for the revolution.” Several of the exhibits were reports of the associations to their members on legislation, clalming the co-opera- tion of Senator Norris und other mem- bers of Congress. A clipping from the Public Ownership Magazjne quoted Carl D. Thompson as saying: “Arrangements were made for the bill (one ealling for a nation-wide, publicly owned power system) to be introduced in the Senate by United States Sena- tor George W. Norris, and in the House by Congressman Oscar E. Keller of Minnesota.” This bill, counsel pointed out, was introduced on March 10, 1924. Several of the exhibits, it was argued, gave evidence of consistent lobbying for pub- lic ownership, attempts to intimidate Senators opposing Government opera- tion, and an “intolerant attitude” to- ward the utilities. Among the papers were two showing that the League for the ‘industrial democracy had sent lecturers on sociali- zation of industry to student meetings in more than 130 colleges and that in 1925. it claimed more than 1,200 stu- dents enrolled as dues-paying members. Two Hurt in Train Crash.’ JANESVILLE, Wis., January 18 (#)— Two men were injured, one seriously, early today when the Sioux Limited, |Chlu'fl. Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad passenger train, crashed head- *on into a Chicago & Northwestern pas- senger train at a Juxwtlm?ln Janesville, papers and magazines and that Sen- | Attention was called to the leaflet of | It was pointed out that in 1924 ! tional amendment providing that Con- . Meanwhile telegraphic rej that King Winter today mkdmfie!m:;ld Middle Western and several of the lSca;lnhern !sllng and had made his nfluence felt throughout half of Dixie. ¢ b In Arkansas and Tennessee he ham- pered levee workers battling high water of the Mississippi Valley's interior ;(rell::'!’, "t‘l‘tlleedm Indiana his cold blasts roug| a mise) to mai familles in flood dt!tl’l:{s. sirare Chicago reported that subzero weather had gripped the North and Middle Western States. The lowest temperatures were reported in Duluth, Minn., and Moines, Iowa, which recorded 26 below. In Chicago the temperature was 15 below and still lower in the surrounding suburbs. A blizzard slowly making its exit from the northern Rocky Mountains caused temperature records of a dozen States to fall in the Southwest and took a toll of 14 lives. Texas, Okla- l‘:numcl ?"?h:('m‘g were in the grip.of of most severe cold of their history. & i Zero weather and snow covered ple::kuted Arkansas Dixie. The snowfall ran; of & nd nsas , Tenn.,, 8 steady fall. Sleet peited Atlanta and rth Georgia as the temperature slip- ped through the low twenties, Flooded Families Suffer, The cold brought added suff marooned llmllle!x in_flood dhgflncnt: :0' the Wabash and White Rivers in Indiana. ‘The rm out of the West brought snow and rain to New York. The tem- perature, however, was well above the S m-rks. m San Francisco came that cold weather had begun to :'mmm slowly from some parts of the Far West. i Ca mlll :‘nnn than 500 men engaged a ay long in kee the streets open. They h}d the nlmg tion well in hand when snow and sleet ceased falling shortly before 10:30 |o'clock this morning. Numerous snow plows, swespers and scrapers were brought into play. Starting at 12:25 am. snow and sleet fell intermittently until Weather Bureau instruments revealed a total snowfall for the day of more than 3 inche This was three-fourths sleet, There had been less than 2 inches of snow ,,;]rm;uuy xbr:u season, including .1 inches November 23 and 1.5 inches December 23. Observers announced there would have heen at least 7 inches of snow from 12:25 am. until the hour when conditions began to approach normal had the snow been “light” instead of “wet.” Motorists were warned to guard against slippery streets tonight. ‘Workmen Called Out. ‘The temperature was several degrees below freezing when crews of workmen were distributed over wide areas to keep the streets open at 2 o'clock am. The District street cleaning division called more than 150 men to duty. A battery of 28 snow plows combed downtown streets, as well as the main arteries leading into the business section. Special crews cleared the snow from street car stops in the business district (Continued on Page 2, Column 6.) MISTRIAL ORDERED IN MURDER CASE Jury Unable to Agree on Guilt of Aldridge, Charged With Kill- ing Policeman. A mistrial was ordered this after- noon by Justice Peyton Gordon criminal division No. 1 of the case of Alfred Scott Aldridge, colored, indicf for first degree murder in connection with the death of Policeman Harry J. McDonald July 6, last. The jury had deliberated more than 20 hours and the foreman announced to the court that there was no chance of_an agreement. It is understood nine jurors favored second-degree and three held out for first-degree murder. The prisoner was remanded to walt a1 new trial. ek ter being locked up for the night the jury filed into court this monflnl and asked Justice Peyton Gordon to define the difference between murder in the first degree and murder in the sec~ ond degree. When the court had expounded the law as to the degrees of murder, one of the two women on the jury inquired of the court as to how long a time is to be allowed for premeditation, the essential feature of a first-degree l:hlr‘le. “That is for you to decide.” said the court. “The law does not fix any ap- preciable period of time.” ‘The jurors then resumed their de- liberations. Assistant _ United States Attorney conducted the prose~ Reilly Walter M. Shea cution, while Attorney James defended the prisoner. 4 {