Evening Star Newspaper, April 3, 1930, Page 1

WEATHER. (U. 8. Weather Bureau Forecast.) Rain tonight and possibly tomorrow morning; not much change in tempera- ture; minimum temperature tonight about 38 degrees. Temperatures—High- est, 55, at 5 p.m. yesterday; lowest, 36, at 4 am, today. Full report on page 2. Late N. Y. Markets, Pages 13, 14 & 15 b ‘WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION No. 31,383. post office, Entered_as second class matter Washington, D. C. WASHINGTON, D. C, THURSDAY, APRIL EGHT ARE KILLED AND 35 INJURED IN BLAST DESTROVING FIREWORKS PLANT Explosion Near Philadelphia, Felt Many Miles, Does Much Damage — Workers Jarred Half Mile Away. SERIES OF DETONATIONS KEEP RESCUERS AWAY! Little Girls Playing Outside Fac- tory Among Victims—Passing Automobiles Blown From Street. Town of Devon Thrown in Up- roar by Tragedy. By the Associated Press. PHILADELPHIA, April 3.—Eight persons were Killed and scores of others injured in a series of ex- plosions today at the plant of the Pennsylvania Fireworks Dis- play Co., Inc., at Devon, 16 miles west of Philadelphia. About 35 injured persons were taken to the Bryn Mawr Hospital. A number of bodies were found in the debris of the wrecked plant and search was continued for others. Fire companies from many of ASKS TRIAL Fair By the Associated Press. Opposition to modification of the Jones law, which provides heavy maxi- mum penalties for violations of the prohibition statutes, has been filed with the House judiciary committee by At- torney General Mitchell. In a confidential communication he objected particularly” to a measure by Representative Stobbs, Republican, Massachusetts, to modify this law by defining slight and casual offenders and fixing the maximum penalty for such offenses at six months’ imprisonment and a fine of $500. The Jones statute, he said, should have a longer trial period. At the same time the Attorney Gen- eral disapproved two bills by Repre- sentative Christopherson, Republican, South Dakota, embodying plans for de- fining felonies and misdemeanors un- der the United States code and for setting up juryless trials before United States commissioners, as had been rec- MITCHELL, OPPOSING CHANGE, FOR JONES LAW Tells House Judiciary Committee Dry Measure Has Not Yet Been Given Test. ommended by the Hoover Law En- forcement Commission. He approved in_general two other bills written by Christopherson and recommended to Congress by the Hoover commission to relieve con- gested Federal Courts, but suggested several changes in these. The Attorney General would have the commission plan_for trials by United States commissiohers operative in Dis- trict Courts only when the judges order it, with the commissioners who would conduct trials specifically designated. He urged that the maximum penalty for slight or c.sual violations be fixed at six months in jail, $1,000 fine or both. Leaving the classification of minor cases to_the discretion of the courts. sion measure by eliminating a vision which would give district attor- neys authority to proceed against a dry law offender on a felony charge after being tried before a commissioner for a misdemeanor. “The chairman of the commission,” (Continued on Page 2, Column 1) MILES DEATH QUIZ IS NEARING CLOSE Probers Hampered by Inabil- ity to Reach Several Im- portant Witnesses. Although several important witnesses remain to be questioned, it was believed today that the investigation which the the suburban towns rushed to the | pooariment of Justice and district at- scene of the blast and gave first| aid to injured and used all sorts| of vehicles to rush the injured to the hospital. The explosion was so terrific that it was felt and heard for many miles. Much damage was caused in the imme- diate vicinity by the blast. Damages Another Plant. Automobiles that were passing the plant at the time were said to have been thrown from the road. The plant of Benjamin T. Dentner, a short distance from the scene of the| explosion, where 200 persons were em- | ployed, was partly wrecked as large pieces ot fiying debris rained down on | the building. ‘When the first firemen arrived con- tinued explosions in the plant prevented them from going close to the place. Workmen in a switchtower of the Pennsylvania Railroad at Devon, nearly a half-mile away, were thrown to floor by the blast. Town Thrown in Uproar. The town of Devon, which is in the midst of the fashionable suburban area | west of Philadelphia, was in an uproar | as one explosion followed another, breaking window glass and causing other Gamage. An emergency call was sent to the Valley Forge Military Academy, at Devon, and Maj. Milton G. Baker, head at the academy, led the school's entire personnel of 250 cadets to the scene.| They formed a guard around the plant | and assisted in restoring order. Most of the dead and injured were | employes of the plant. Three of the dead were women. Two little girls, sis- ters, firemen said, were killed at play outside the plant. Other bodies were found in the debris. They were badly | burned. Covered Seven Acres, { ‘The plant consisted of 10 smallj buildings on a seven-acre tract of land ; near the Pennsylvania Rallroad’s main line to the West. Like a roar of a battery of artillery the first explosion let loose at about 9:50, sending debris through the air for long distances. Two other detona- tions followed immediately, and for 20 minutes there were explosions like the rattle of machine guns. The heavy de- tonations were felt more than 20 miles away. The blasts were distinctly felt in the upper part of Philadelphia and in New Jersey. Many windows in a Pennsylvania Railroad local train at Devon Station were broken and some of the passen- gers were cut by glass. They were treated and sent to their homes. After the explosion hundreds of persons crowded the four tracks of the railroad. Cadets went on duty patroling the rail- road and, equipped with improvised flags, were sent up and down the rail- road to caution train crews of the danger from persons running on the right of way. o SEVERAL PERSONS HURT BY EXPLODING GAS MAIN Buildings Emptied by Police Aft- er Blasts Blow Off Man- Hole Covers. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, April 3.—Several per- sons were reported injured in a series of explosions that blew off a dozen manhole covers in lower Broadway to- torney’s office has been conducting into years ago of Basil Miles, distinguished diplomat and economist, is nearing its close. Difficulty in reaching several persons who niight tell of additional circum- stances surrounding Mr. Miles’ death has hampered the investigation, which was begun six weeks ago, but there were indications that it will be con- cluded within 10 days. Mrs. Thomas Surratte of Concord, Mass., Mr. Miles' sister, arrived in | Washington last night, presumably to assist Neil Burkinshaw, assistant district attorney in charge of the investigation, should he find that she has any in- formation of importance. Hoover to Quiz Mrs, Rogers. J. Edgar Hoover, chief of the Bureau of Investigation of the ent of Justice, left Washington yesterday, and, according to dispatches, hopes to terview the former Mrs. Miles, now the wife of Col. H. H. Rogers, wealthy Standard Ofl magnate. It was understood Mr. Hoover would &roceed directly to the Southampton, ng_Island, estate of Col. Rogers. At the Rogers home, however, it was said Col. and Mrs. Rogers were motoring in the South. While in New York Mr. Hoover is ex- sected to interview several acquaintances of the diplomat. It also was thought possible he might go to Philadelphia, where Mr. Miles was buried, but_there was no indication he intended to have the body exhumed. Dr. J. Ramsay Nevitt, coroner, said he had received no intimation that such a move was being contemplated. Death Was Sudden. Miles died suddenly June 14, 1928, 10 days after undergoing a mincr operation at Emergency Hospital. He had so far recovered from the effects of the opera- tion that he had been considered vir- tually out of danger on the day of his death. ) The death certiffcate, signed by Dr. E. J. Grass, at that time resident phy- | siclan in the hospital, gave pulmonary | embolism as the cause of death. Mr. Miles was in his room with his wife at 5 o'clock on the afternoon of June '4, his special nurse having gone out for a few minutes. He was sitting up in bed talking with Mrs. Miles and drinking a highball, when suddenly he collapsed and his face began to turn blue Mrs. Miles ran screaming from the room. Dr. Grass heard her cries and hur- ried to the room. Artificial respiration was resorted to, but Mr. Miles died al- most immediately. BRITISH MISSIONARY MURDERED IN CHINA Yorke Scarlett Was on Inspection Tour of Property at Time of Death. By the Associated Press. ‘TIENTSIN, China, April 3.—The Lon- don mission was informed by telegram today that Yorke Scarlett, British mis- sigu;‘utry, was murdered at Peitaiho last night. Scarlett, with a colleague, Augustus P. Cullen, were proceeding through Peitaiho to inspect the mission property prior to opening of the Summer season. day where workmen were repairing a gas main. ‘The blasts occurred between Tweaty. eighth and Thirtieth streets. Police re- serves were called out and ali persons immediately were ordered out of the buildings in the vicinity, which includes several hotels. The front wheels were blown off a wagon which was passing over one of - the manholes when it blew up and the horses were thrown to the pavement. SUPERTAX IMPOSED Australia Makes Extra Levy on Im- portation or Luxuries. CANBERRA, Australia, April 3 (#).— Premier Scullin today announced im- position of a 50 per cent supertax on luxury imports. Imports of some lux- urles are absolutely forbidden under the new restriction. ‘The luxury Linec on which the super- tax is to be imposed include all spirits, beverages, matcnes and piece un- der the heading of textiles, felts, manu- factures thereof, and attire other than piece goods in knitted tabular form of cotton-silk or contdining silk and ar- tificial silks, or being an admixture of wool and other fibers. The directory of Protestants missions in China shows an E. Y. Scarlett as stationed by the London Missionary So- ciety in Tientsin. Mr. Scarlett, who was married, went to Tientsin in 1924. Au- stus P. Cullen, who went to Tientsin 1916, also was listed at the same mission as Mr. Scarlett. the death in Emergency Hospital two | BRITAIN TOKEEP - RULE IN PALESTINE MacDonald Tells House of Commons Administration Is International Obligation. By the Associated Press. LONDON, April 3.—Prime Minister Macdonald told the House of Commons today that the -British government would continue to administer Palestine |in accordance with the terms of the mandate as approved by the council of | the League of Nations. The prime minister, replying to a question by former Premier Baldwin, said that administration was an inter- national obligation from which there could be no question of receding. “Under the terms of the mandate," he continued, “his majesty’s government are responsible for promoting the estab- !lishment in Palestine of a national { home for the Jewish people, it being | clearly understood nothing should be dene which might prejudice the civil and_religious rights of existing non- | | Jewish communities in Palestine for the | rights nad political status enjoyed by | Jews in any other country.” .. 'UNEMPLOYMENT BILLS {0. K’D BY COMMITTEE | Wagner Measures Would Create Stabilization Board to Plan Public Construction. By the Assoclated Press. The Senate commerce committee today approved without a record vote two Wagner unemployment bills that would create a stabilization board to |plan for public construction, but the committee held over a third Wagner | proposal to set up a Federal Employ- ment Agency. Senator Wagner announced after the meeting he would make a determined |drive to bring the bills up for final action by the Senate, on a special order, immediately after the Muscle Shoals debate is concluded. That debate is expected to be completed within the next few days. | _The measures would carry an appro- priation of $150,000,000 and also would arrange for facilities to collect informa- tion on unemployment. The committee deferred action on the employment agency proposal in response to a plea for a hearing received today from the National Association of Manu- facturers. It was said in a letter to Chairman Johnson, Republican, Cali- fornia, dated today, that the organiza- tion was disturbed at a possibility that the legislation, if enacted, might bring conflict between Federal and State functions with regard to employment agencies. . INTERNATIONAL MOTOR REGULATIONS PLANNED Legislation by Both Canada and United States Proposed to Curb Violations. By the Assoclated Press. HAMILTON, Ontario, April 3.—A plan for international legislation be- tween Canada and the United States to provide for the prosecution of metorists wanted for breaking laws on foreign nighways was announced last night by George S. Henry, provincial minister of h!gshwlys. pe: the Hamilton Auto Club, he said several Provinces and many States were now framing reciprocal laws to allow prose- cuzlion of citizens wanted by the other 1ation. The Provincic® Legislature two weeks 1go passed a law providing for the au- tomatic suspension of an Ontario mo- torist’s license when he is involved in an accident either in Canada or the United States until he posts a bond with the registrar of motor vehicles here to cover gnmlge liability. The law will go into effect next Winter. FIREMEN DEMAND NEW PANTS OR WILL WORK ONLY AT NIGHT Flint, Mich., Council in Muddle Over Difficulty of| Supplying Money to Replace Worn Garments. By the Assoclated Press. FLINT, Mich,, April 3.—For the next few weeks fire fighting is going to be only a minor hazard among Flint fire- men. They have just found out that their pants are rapidly wearing out and there isn’t any chance of getting new ones before the present trousers are pretty far gone. A three-alarm for pants rellef was turned in to the city council N‘Q&Wfl- $ they were tied up by the city charter and couldn’t touch the 1930 budget, in which the pants are included, before July 1. The fremen say they have to have pants—293 pairs of them— long before July 1. Aldman 4 Boysen said the city would have to its chances on hav- ing fires e at least in_ the day time—if the pants aren't forthcom- I.n‘ within a couple weeks. council, which is in a predica- ment almost as serious as the firemen, has gone into & huddle over the affair, ing at the annual meeting of | 1. 5. AND BRITAIN APPROVE JAPAN'S NAVAL CONDITIONS Powerful Agreement Among Three Powers at Least Assured by Action. ITALY ASKED TO JOIN MEDITERRANEAN SET-UP New Optimism Follows Conviction of Failure Manifest on All Sides Over Week End. By the Assuclated Press. LONDON, April 3.—After 10 weeks of difficult negotiations, during which Okstacles often were encountered that seemed insurmountable, the Naval Con- ference this afternoon was recorded in American, British and Japanese circles as having achieved great success. This position was reached after a con- nce this morning wherein the Amer- icans and British accepted the Japan- ese government's reservations to the American-British naval proposals. Thus was assured at least a power- ful three-power agreement as an out- come of the conference even if France and Italy cannot participate. In this connection observers were much interested in a statement made this afternoon by A. V. Alexander, first lord of the British admiralty. Speaking at Brixton, Mr. Alexandria said: “This_week the conference is much more hopeful than it was a little time ago.” Reed Issues Statement. Senator Reed, credited with having been instrumental in solving the Ameri- can, British and Japanese problem, made the following statement: “I cannot too strongly impress on you the fine spirit in which the Japanese and British have met us. There was no disposition to quibble on the part of any ane of the three delegations. “All three delegations have been { frank and fair. I cannot imagine more | pleasant negotiations than these have | been. The result was not a victory for | any one, but an honorable and reason- | able settlement between the three.” | _ At the conclusion of the meeting the three chiefs appointed a sub-commit- tee consisting of Admiral W. V. Pratt and Capt. Alexander Van Kueren, representing the United States; Ad- miral Fisher and Capt. Bellairs, repre- senting Great Britain, and Admiral Abo and Capt. Toyoda, representing Japan, to study the amount of tonnage which would normally be laid down in Japanese yards under the Reed-Matsu- daira agreement and make suggestions to supplement deficiencies which would come about through the yards not hav- | ing sufficient work. The report of this subcommittee is expected early next week. Italy’s Aid Ts Asked. Italy has been asked to join Great Britain and France in a mutual security arrangement affecting the Mediter- ranean, it became known. Meanwhile French foregin secretary, continued { their negotiations regarding the extent i to which Great Britain will guarantee | Prance against aggression. Despite some indications of further | difficulties for the five-power Naval Conference, Col. Stimson, head of the American delegation, said: “The situation is much improved since last week and I am much more optimis- tic of a five-power agreement now than I was at that time.” Some conference observers saw in the invitation to Italy to join in the Mediterranean security arrangement a Jjockeying by the French for a position from which it might be suggested to Italy that, since everybody's security was guaranteed, the Mussolini govern- ment might abandon its claim for naval parity with France. French Concessiong Speculated. Behind all the talk of a security arrangement there has run a current of speculation as to the extent of re- ductions in the French naval program which M. Briand will make in return. If his answer was to be found in pub- lished statements credited to him today. these same observers saw considerable further negotiation before a five:power limitation pact is reached. It was said to be the French foreign minister’s view that a Frev.ch-British security arrangement {f and when reached, will be outside the Naval Con- ference, will benefit all members of the League of Nations and wil offer no reason why France should make any special naval reductions, which rather should be made proportionately by all the powers. New Optimism Arises. New optimism has succeeded the con- viction of failure, which was manifest almost everywhere over the week end. Although many believed the Italians eventually would acquiesce in some arrangement agreeable to France, there still were no indications of recession. Experts from the various delegations met today to discuss aircraft carriers. There are other technical problems also to occupy their attention. Only optimistic inferences were drawn from the postponement of the plenary seu’l‘on scheduled for Priday until next week. BRUENING iS VICTOR IN REICHSTAG CLASH By the Assoclatec Press. BERLIN, April 3.—Chancellor Hein- rich Bruening, whose new cabinet scored its first victory in the Reichstag today, defeating a non-confidence motion, called a cabinet meeting immediately after adjournment to decide on his gevernment'’s position. He was reported to be concerned over the problem of obtaining a majority for the government’s complete and to have consulted his cabinet as to ‘whether it would not be better, after all, to dissolve t2 Reichstag and have new elections. The Nationalists, who did not sup- port today’s non-confidence motion, which was defeated 252 to 187, made so many reservations that Chancellor Bruening was fearful that Nationalists' support might prove illusory when it came to practical work. Radio Programs t Page D-4 Arthur Henderson and Aristide Briand. | (774 CONFEREE BEGIY HUGE TARFF 08 i Reconciling 1,250 Disputes Problem as Bill Moves Into Final Stage. | By the Associated Press. . The stupendous task of bringing the House and Senate into agreement upon the 1,250 disputed points of the tariff bill was taken in hand today by con- ference committees representing the two branches of Congress. ‘The measure, now more than a year in the making, moved into another and a final stage of its progress toward enactment, and the oratorical tumult that has attended its formulation was replaced by the quiet of a committee room from which the public was barred. Six major disputes confronted the conferees, all of which they are to bring back to their respective houses for rec- ord votes before a final agreement is reached. On the remainder of the con- | troverted points the work of the con- | ference consisted in arriving at com- | promise figures between the rates ap- proved by the House and those written into the bill by the Senate. | Bound by Agreement. | The House conferees were bound by a gentleman’s agreement to come to no decision on sugar, cement, lumber and ishingle rates without first seeking the advice of the chamber as a whole. A | similar understanding prevented the | Senate’s representatives from relin- | quishing its amendments to the admin- | istrative provisions, embodying in the (bill the export debenture farm relief | plan and revoking the President's au- { thority to alter tariff rates, vested in | him by the flexible provisions of the | law now in force. | _Chairman Smoot of the Senate finance committee was in charge of the conference group representing his branch of Congress and Chairman Hawley of the ways and means com- mittee held the corresponding position among the House conferees. Otherwise, the conference committee consisted of the two ranking members of each political party on the finance and ways and means committees. These were Senators Watson of Indiana and Shortridge of California, Republicans, and Simmons of North Carolina and Harrison of Mississippi, Democrats, and for the House, Representatives Tread- way of Massachusetts and Bacharach of New Jersey, Republicans, and Gar- ner of Texas and Collier of Mississippi, Democrats. Adoption of Rule. The conferees were appointed yester- day after the House had adopted a rule submitting all Senate amendments to arbitration in_conference, with no separate votes beforehand. This form of procedure was approved, 241 to 153, in a vote which found 14 Democrats casting their ballots with 277 Repub- licans in favor of the rule. Nineteen Republicans, 133 Democrats and the one Farmer-Labor member voted against adoption. ";'he Bctlogu of the Senate came after a brief discussion. It. had been indi- cated that the old Democratic-Inde- pendent Republican coalition, which for six months was in command of the tariff situation in the Senate, might seek representation in the conference, but a move to bring this about did not develop. It was the coalition that wrote the export debenture plan and the revocation of presidential tariff author- ity amendments into_the bill. Senator Watson, Republican leader, said last night that in the course of the tariff debate a total of 1,010 Demo- cratic votes had been cast for increased rates, or against decreases, while the Democrats sought to “screen their own mwins behind a curtain of propaganda smoke.” Referring to “assaults of the Senate tarift bill emnn;gnz from t.hedmxgo‘; cratic pi n¢ bureau under Rames of ndiv it was “illuminating” to examine the votes cast by these Senators. PROBE D YNAMITE PLOT Missouri Prison Officials Find Stor- age House Broken Into. N CITY, Mo., April 3 (). niten ge tiary mgnlulvo here. Director Frank Jones and Warden Leslie Rudolph said a guard found a window had been broken in the build- esterday and a lock on an iron where the ite is stored had ith. It was not de- termined whether any “trusty” convict was involved or whether the attempt 1o steal the explosive had any connec- tion with last week's mutiny at the penitentiary. s been 3, 1930—FIFTY PAGES. ividual Senators,” he said | be ¢ Toening Star, ¥ “From Press to Home Within the Hour” The Star’s carrier system covers every city block and the regular edi- tion is delivered to Washington homes * () Means Associated as fast as the papers are printed. Yesterday’s Circulation, 115,315 Press. TWO CENTS. ! 1| HEADQUARTERS Police Hold Duchess On Charge of Effort To End Life by Gas By the Assoclated Press. LONDON, April 3—Mary Fitz- gerald, Duchess of Leinster, was remanded by the Lambeth Police Court today on charge of at- tempting to commit suicide. Fitzgerald is the family name of the Duke of Leinster. The duchess, who has been sep- arated from her husband for some time, was taken to Lambeth Hospital early Tuesday morning after having been found half- conscious in a gas-filled room in a small flat in Brixton. She was known to her neighbors simply as “Mrs. Williams.” RAIN HALTS FIRES SWEEPING FORESTS age Burned Over—Care- lessness Charged. April showers today brought welcome relief to hundreds of fatigued forest wardens and volunteer firemen, the lat- ter including inmates of the Lorton Re- formatory and Engineers from Fort Humphreys, who yesterday and last night fought a series of forest fires in at times sent up such billowing clouds of smoke as to tie up traffic on the road. Careless Persons Reported. In Maryland, officials of the State De- partment of Foresty, who attributed most of the fires to negligence on the part of persons burning brush, an- nounced that a list of persons believed responsible for the flames had been re- ported by forest wardens and would probably result in a number of arrests for carelessness. Among the smoldering embers this morning were the remains of the old lock house at Great Falls, the remnants of a Virginia saw mill, carcasses of live stock and the ashes of several farm buildings. as probably the greatest loss from the fires, which swept more than 2,000 acres in the two States. Most of the fires were in Maryland, the one at Great Falls burning simul- taneously with fires at Leonardtown, Glenn Dale, Seabrook, Tuxedo, Berwyn, Beltsville and Ammendale in Prince Georges County. In Southern Maryland. Severe fire conditions were also re- ported in woodland tracts in Anne Arundel, Charles and St. Marys Coun- ties. The famous loblolly pine forests of the latter county, which have for years been comparatively free from fire, have been menaced by flames which destroyed hundreds of acres of valuable growth. District Forester Walter J. Quick, jr., in charge of forest protection on the Western Shore, today expressed little hope of securing a commendable Spring fire record because of yesterday's fires. He pointed out that the high winds oi yesterday and the lack of rain were adverse conditions more severe than had been faced by the forest wardens, who succeeded in improving fire records in 1928 and 1929. FIND MINERS’ BODIES KETTLE ISLAND, Ky., April 3 (#).— Eight more bodies were recovered today from the Piloneer Coal Co. mine, wrecked by an explosion Saturday, which entombed 16 men: Seven bodies had already been recovered, leaving onl; J'te% Hill, mine foreman, still to located. '/ X % Maryland and Virginia Acre-| Damage to standing timber was listed | 54! AL " [ i PEACE LETTERMAN SQUAD MAY FAGE BOARD Police Inspector Bean Rec- ommends Hearing in Report on Investigation. | members of his squad who made a raid |on the apartment of Mr. and Mrs. Eleck Harmon, 1600 block of S street, last Friday, will be brought before the trial board on charges growing out of the raid, as a result of a report filed with Maj. Henry G. Pratt, superinten- dent of police, Thaddeus Bean investigate the circumstances of | ture in the seventies.” by Police mpectaxi Inspector Bean, who was detailed u::; SOMERVELL REPLY ATTACKS GRANT'S ENGINEER REPORTS Questions Colonel’s Knowl- edge of Work in Statement Answering Criticism. WANTS ISSUE SUBMITTED TO POWER COMMISSION Declares Willingness to Abide by Decision, Regardless of Whether His Stand Is Favored. The debate between two Engineer officers of the Army—Col. U. S. Grant, 3d, representing the National Capital Park and Planning Commission, and Maj. Brehon Somervell, District Engi- neer for the Washington area—over the future of Great Falls and the Potomac, became more acrimonious today when Maj. Somervell replied to the statement issued yesterday by Col. Grant, in which Col. Grant ridiculed the findings of Maj. Somervell regarding potential savings to the public by power develop= ment, In his statement today, in which he questions the knowledge of engineering displayed by Col. Grant in the latter's reports, Maj. Somervell insists he is willing to abide by facts reached ind pendently by the Federal Power Co mission—whether they favor his posi- tion or not. He asks that the National Capital Park and Planning Commission likewise submit the controversy to this “independent” authority. Report to Jadwin Cited. Having in mind particularly a state- ment issued yesterday by Licut. Col. U. 8. Grant, 3d, vice chairman and executive officer of the National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Maj. Somervell said that while he took the Sergt. Oscar J. Letterman and the colonel's remarks seriously at first, he has “been unable to do so since I saw his report to Gen. Jadwin in which he stated that the flood of 1889. which reached its crest on June 2 of that year, was due to an ice jam at Long Bridge, this in June with the tempera- Lieut. Gen Edgar Jadwin, now retired, was chief of Army engineers and chairman of the National Capital Park and Planning Commission, until his retirement from raid, which was conducted without a search warrant for the premises raided, reported that he had intervi and Mrs. Harmon. reported, that they had taken up the matter with their attorney, and that they had decided to file char the squad in the form of a vits of complaint. In view of this, Bean recommended that when the affidavits are received at headquarters, the matter | will be placed before the trial board. Affidavits Are Awaited. Maj. Pratt said today this would be done. The affidavits had not been received at noon today, and it is not known when they will come in. The specific charges | on ‘which the men are to be tried wili | not be determined until after the af- | fidavits have been received and ex: amined, he said. According to Letterman's story of the | that this person was at the Harmon | apartment. He went there and knocked | on the door. and Mrs. Harmon admitted | said, he detected the odor of alcohcl | and found 10 quarts af alleged liquor, | which he seized. He placed Mrs. Har- mon under arrest. | Seizure Held Illegal. | ‘When he made this statement of facts to Assistant United States Attorney | David Hart, in charge of Police Court | liquor prosecutions, Hart held that Let- | terman had no right to have made | the seizure, and declined to prosecute the case. Maj. Pratt, on learning of | Mr. Hart's action, ordered Bean to | make an investigation. Yesterday Maj. Pratt said that, re- gardless ot the outcome of the investi- gation, he intended to caution the liquor uad to be more careful of the manner in which raids are made in future. He | said policemen should be careful to have | search warrants before enters houses bent on making arrests for misde- meanors not committed in their pres- ence. {SHOALS LEEiISI.ATION TO BE FORUM TOPIC ; McKellar Will Discuss Expendi- ture of $130,000,000 by Gov- ernment Over Hook-up. The Muscle Shoals legislative situa- tion will be discussed by Senator Kenneth McKellar of Tennessee, in the National Radio Forum arranged by The Evening Star and sponsored by the Columbia Broadcasting System, at 10:30 o'clock tonight. Station WMAL will broadcast the speech locally. The Senate is expected to act soon on the Norris bill providing for permanent Government ownership and operation of the Shoals. President Coolidge tailed to act favorably in 1928 on a similar meas re passed by Con- gress. The bill suffered a “pocket veto” as Congress had adjourned soon after its passage. wenator McKellar will tell of the expenditure of $130,000,000 by the Government at Muscle Shoals. OIL MOTOR PROVES SUCCESS FOR TRANSPORT AIRPLANES Flight Made in Ford Craft When 660 Horsepower Is Developed by By the Associated Press. DETROIT, April 3 (#)—The new Diesel airplane engine has demonstrated its adaptability on transport planes. The successful demonstration was held at the Ford airport yesterday by Leroy Mm-| ning and Capt. L. M. Woolson, wha made a test flight in a Ford tri-motored gl powered by the newest of oil- ane "¢ inres engings afforded the transe l Three Engines. against | raid, he had an arrest warrant for an- | nearby Maryland and Virginia, which | other person and received information | the service late last vear. Maj. Somervell indicated that “iie jewed Mr. | newspapers are ro.place to debote t They told him, he | merits of this cuestion” and assert ed that if he is the “spokesman for th= | Potomac River Corporation, as sug- | gested by Col. Grant, Col. Grant must | be the spokesman for the Potomac Elec- tric Power Co." explaining that “the . greatest single beneficiary from ths { Cramdon bill, as it was originally writ- ten, would be the Potomac Electric Power Co.” | Tackling the assertion of Col. Grant that Maj. Somervell is not a park ex- | pert, the major said that he did mot claim to be such, but pointed out that “the park laid out around the power development proposed by this office fol- lows exactly the report of the nrevious Senate committee, under the chairman- ship of Senator McMillan, which in- ! vestigated this matter.” Major's Statement. | Maj. Somervell's statement follows: { “I have read Col. Grant's article, which was evidently given to the news- Richmond Highway and the Conduit| him. Once inside the apartment, he | papers before being presented to the proper authorities, as was the first let- |ter written by the parks commission to the power commission. The news- | apers are no place to debate the merits { of this question. | 7 “Col. Grant was requested to reply to ! my statement on the Potomac by the | Senate District committee and declined ! to do so. Had there been any merit in inis contentions he should have ad- vanced them at that time, when he could have been cross-questioned as to his knowledge of the economics of the development on the Potomac. The rea- (Continued on Page 2, Column 4. o GRUNDY AND PINCHOT GIVEN NEW SUPPORT Philadelphia Committee of Seventy Urges State-Wide Aid of Candidates. By the Assoclated Press. PHILADELPHIA, April 3.—The com- mittee of seventy, whose objective is purity of the ballot, was engaged ac- tively in the pclitical campaign today with the announcement of Thomas Raeburn White, chairman, that it urged the voters to support Joseph R. Grundy for United States Senator and Gifford Pinchot for governor. At the same timc the Association Against Prohibition asserted through ts secretary, Willlam Morse, that the prohibition question would be the dom- inant issue in the May 20 primary. In urging support of a Grundy-Pin- chot ticket, White charged the Phila- delghll Republican organization with seeking to extend its power throughout the State. Pinchot, who is running for governor independently, has made no comment thus far as to the suggestion that he unite with Grundy on a ticket against Secretary of Labor James J. Davis for Senator and Francis Shunk Brown for governor. Announcement came from Harris- burg yesterday that representatives of labor in conference there had declined i for the present to indorse a State ticket and that they were opposed to the nom- ination of Senaor Grundy. HOOVER PLANS TO FISH Expects to Go to Rapidan Camp Tomorrow. President Hoover plans to make his first week end trip of the year to his ‘| Summer camp on the headwaters of horsepower as compared urnished by light (u:l.:n port ship 660 ‘with the 900 fi - nes customarily used in the ship. Fol- lo the test it was announced that Diesel engines will be optional equip- ment on all Ford 4-AT transport planes in the future. Capt. Woolson, who is the designer of the oil-burning motor, recently made a round-trip flight to Miami, Fla, in a gl‘:ne powered by one of his motors. The ht demonstrated the economy of fus in operating the new motors, the Rapidan, in Virginia, this week. The plans contemplate that the presi- dential party will leave tomorrow after- noon and return Sunday afternoon. The party will include Mrs. Hoover, Attorney General Mitchell and Mrs. Mitchell, Secretary Wilbur, Secretary Lamont and Mrs. Lamont, Representa- tive Fort of New Jersey and Lawrence Elclhfl. one of the President’s secre- ries. The Chief Executive plans to fish on el Saturday, the season having opened on April 1. A v