Evening Star Newspaper, July 4, 1930, Page 11

Washington News ¢ Foening Star | 1930. MANY CONTRAGTS TOFOLLOW SUPRLY MEASURE PASSAGE Representative Collins Instru- mental in Purchase of Incunabula. ICOIIector Wanted Volumes for $2,000,000 Worth of Street Construction Planned for District. TAX RATE FOR CAPITAL REMAINS TO BE FIXED Dr. William Tindall Honored by Special Clause Recognizing U. S. Service Here Since 1869. Passage of the District supply bill last night, after the municipality had been running on credit for three days, will bring a rush of work to the Dis- trict Commissioners Monday. Numerous contracts will be let, promotions made, and reorganizations effected. Although the city has been forced te | run on credit, it has had plenty of money in the treasury. Acting Auditor A. R. Pilkerton yesterday informed Commissioner Luther H. Reichelderfer that the exact sum to the credit of the District in the Treasury was $15,773,~ 823.87, of which $14,693,229.37 was in | the general fund and $1,080,594.50 in| trusts and special funds. About | $10,000,000 of this money had no strings | on it. The rest was to tare for work done In the past fiscal year and not| yet paid for. Street Contracts to Be Let. Foremost among the contracts to be | let at the special board meeting, which has been called for Monday, are those involving about $2,000,000 worth of new street and road construction. The long delay in getting the appropriation bill through will mean that this program will be far from complete by the time freezing weather shuts down road-mak- ing activities. Two months of excel- lent working weather have already been t. One of the things remaining to do 15 to set a tax rate for the city. This is usrally done before the fiscal year begins. It was impossible this year, however, on account of the fact that the city heads did not know until last night what the amount of their 1931 expenditures would be. It is expected that the Commissioners will set a rate of $1.70 per $100 valuation on real and personal property, the same rate that has been in effect for the past two years. The act passed last night pro- vides that the rate shall be not less than this amount. The new appointments to be made involve a number of promotions in the Police Department, new positions of engineers, accountants and orfice Work- ers in the Public Utilities Commission and a new assistant corporation coun- sel to handle the legal work of the utilities commission. There are also several extra clerks to be hired in vari- ous departments. Tribute Paid Dr. Tindall. One of the men to whom the bill wld a great personal tribute was Dr. illiam Tindall, who has served the District since it was a territory 1nder the governorship of Gov. Alexaider Sheppard. He entered the rervice in 2869 and is far past the retirement @ge. His friends at the Capital, how- ever, wrote into the bili a special clause allowing him to retain his position with the District for the balance of his natural life. Had it not been in- cluded he would have retired auto- matically next August 20. Although of an advanced age, Dr. Tindall is extremely active both physi- cally and mentally. He is a great walk- er and is at his desk early every day. He heard the whistle of the bullets in seven engagements in the Civil War! and later wrote a history of the en- | counter between the Monitor and the Merrimac, differing in many details from orthodox accounts of the affair. His hobby is physics and he has writ- ten a monograph on “The Attitude of Rifle Projectiles in Flight,” which won the praise of the War Department’s gunnery experts. Dr. Tindall runs the information service of the District and his sharp memory of long past events 15 of invaluable service to the District. He showed up for work as usual toda received congratulations and left shor Jy after for his home. LUHRING CONFIRMED FOR POST ON BENCH Favorable Action on Appointment by Unanimous Consent Is Taken by Senate. Just before the Senate adjourned last night it confirmed without debate the pomination of Oscar R. Luhring, an assistant to the Attorney General for the past five years, to be an associate Justice of the District Supreme Court, filling one of the newly created places on the bench. When the nomination first came up several days ago Senator Blaine re- quested that action be delayed, but last night favorable action was taken on the sppointment by unanimous consent. The Senate several days ago con- firmed Joseph W. Cox, a well known Jocal attorney, for the other new posi- tion as assoclate justice of the District Supreme Court. LIQUOR ODOR BETRAYS Colored Suspect Drops Two Bottles When Chased by Police. The rare aroma of genuine pre-war liquor pervaded the air out on Alaska | avenue iast night when a colored man, being chased by a suspicious police- . dropped a package containing two bottles of the aged product. Policeman F. E. Kenney of the thir- teenth precinct was vu.distanced by | the fugitive. Later he learned the liquor was part of a case of 12 bottles stolen {rom « resident in the 7300 block of Alaska avenue. The latter told police the liquor was valued at $60. OVERCOME BY GAS Mrs. May Burch Rcovers Under Treatment by Rescue Squad. Overcome by illuminating gas escap- ing from a leaky jet, Mrs. May Burch, 34 years old, of 3617 Prospect avenue, was revived shortly after 5 o'clock this - available to scholars. the hope that the{e Homeland, but Germany Could Not Pay. A Mississippi lawyer and a retired Berlin merchant met in Washington, and from the handshake of two kindred spirits has come a symbolic event—one of those inconspicuous happenings packed with meaning which sometimes change the course of histcry. One was Representative Ross A. Col- lins of Meridian. Almost unsuspected by his colleagues this Southern legis- lator concealed under the exterior of the practical man of affairs another and ~ deeper personality—the broad scholar, the lover of learning, the stu- dent of human cultures and the phil- osopher with certain ideas as to the future and needs of democracy. The other was Dr. Otto H. F. Voll- behr, rich and patriotic German, medi- eval scholar, follower of quaint and astic book collector, whose hobby had such a hold on him that he couldn't resist the temptation to buy a rare vol- ume, and who now saw the dream of a lifetime collapsing around him. Meeting Strange Result. For both men the meeting had a strange result. From it the somewhat obscure Mississippi lawyer emerged as the legislative voice of intellectual America. And the German patriot who had devoted his time and fortune for {the greater glory of the fatherland be- came the great benefactor of a land of strangers and a central symbolic figure in the growing movement for the kin- ship of nations. Dr. Vollbehr for 30 years had devoted most of his life to combing Europe for incunabula—books printed in the fif- teenth century, following immediately on the establishment of the first print- ing press in Germany by the unfor- tunate dreamer, Johann Gutenberg, and the practical-minded magician, Faust. It had been a labor of love. Dr. Vollbehr spent the greater part of his fortune. With the fall of the mark and the after the war, he was able to secure many rare volumes until he had the greatest collection of incunabula in pri- vate hands in the world. The greatest prize of all was a Gutenberg Bible— one of the three parchment copies re- maining from the Gutenberg-Faust press, and conservatively valued at $1,500,000. Intended for Germany. ‘The collection of these books was to be his life work and his monument. All the time he intended to present them or sell them at a nominal figure to Germany. Had it been left to him- self, he says, he would have turned them over to his native land. But they represented all he had, and his family must be considered. He had an enor- mous fortune—in books. ready market. of them for many times their assessed There was a He could have disposed value to private American collectors. But he could not bear to see them go. He wanted them kept together and He could not give them away, as he wanted. He could not break up the collection, which he loved | almost more than life itself. In Europe he met Cardinal Munde- lein of Chicago, then enthusiastic over the vision of establishing a great re- %flm university in the American city. e prelate persuaded Dr. Volloehr to bring the collection to the Eucharistic Congress in Chicago that Summer, in could be purchased and form the nucleus of the library of this projected institution. ‘The plan did not materialize. Dr. Vollbehr sorrowfully packed his books and planned to return to Germany Plenty of American institutions wanted a few volumes or fragments of volumes. He could have sold the Gutenberg Bible page by page and realized approxi- mately $3.000,000. But this, or even the detaching of a single book from the | collection, seemed like a sacrilege to the scholar. Met Library Personnel. The return to Germany was delayed. There were several exhibits of parts of the collection. Dr. Vollbehr became acquainted with the personnel of the Library of Congress, greatest collection of books in the Western hemisphere and one of the greatest in the world. It appealed to him as an ideal depository of literary treasures. He presented to it his invaluable collection of book marks. But he could not see his way clear to completely impovish himself and his family by turning over to it the Bible and the incunabula collection which he had intended for Germany. He offered to compromise. He had the collection appraised at a minimum by American experts. They set a figure of $3,000,000 for the collection as a whole—not, of course, for its value if sold in separate items, which would have been much greater. ‘Then Dr. Vollbehr offered the whole to the American Government for $1,500,000. That is, he offered to give the United States $1,500,000 worth of books free if they would take the rest off his hands. Now, the difficulty was that the money must come from the -public purse, and the guardians of the public purse could not be expected to be very enthusiastic over an opportunity to spend that much for what seemed luxuries—books in old French and German and in Latin which only a handful of scholars could read. It was—although Mr. Collins scoffs the idea—a new departure in government. At least it was the symbol of a new departure. Saw Practical Investment. ‘Then Dr. Vollbehr and Representative Collins met. The Mississippi knew very little of incunabula, but his wide reading and his insight enabled him to grasp at once the significancé of what was offered. This collection was not a luxury. It represented, he saw, one of the most practical Invest- ments the American Government could make. In the fifteenth century the mind of Europe was awakening. The concepts which play the greatest part in the life of today were being born, laboriously and confusedly, in the thought of Eu- Tope. It was the age of the Renais- sance, of the Reformation, of the dis- covery of America, of the emergence of objective science out of philosophy, of the establishment of modern languages. This age was not alone the cradle of printing. It was the cradle of modern thought. Nobody could possibly under- stand fully the thought trends of today without tracing them back to the age represented by these incunabula. And the books themselves were a cross-sec- tion of the thought of the time. They were “reference books,” necessary for Congress, which deals in current eco- nomic_and_political concepts born in those far-off days. peculiar institution. as a reference library for Congress. morning by PFire Rescue Squad No. 1 in charge of Sergt. E. J. Carroll. Her Dr. L. E. Dressoff, who responded, in charge of the Georgetown Hospital am- mgarce. Congress can do with it as it plea The Bureau of the Budget has nothing condition was pronounced not serious by | to do with the appropriations made for Representative ulmwmw the Library. And it is Collins’ idea that make colorful paths of erudition and enthusi- | Upon it} impoverishment of German institutions | lawyer | d Now, the Library of Congress is a 1t exists primarily Other uses made of it are incidental. CHANCE MEETING BRINGS RARE BOOKS TO LIBRARY OF CONGRESS REPRESENTATIVE COLLINS. the greatest reference library in the world, and a potent instrument for the preservation of democracy through education. Makes Historic Address. He joined hands with Dr. Vollbehr. Last February he made from the floor an address which, appearing in the pages of the Congressional Record, will g0 down in history as one of the most unusual contributions ever to adorn that publication. It was seized upon by the scientific and literary world, which be- gan to hail Mr. Collins as its legislative leader Letters and telegrams from sci- entific societies, colleges and editors of learned publications began to pour in upon him. There still was a hurdle to be crossed The committee on the Library, to wnich the measure had been referred, reported it back to the House without comment, stating that it represented such a de- parture that the members did not care to teke the responsibility of either ap- proving or disapproving it. But it has been passed, not without subterranean opposition, by both House and Senate, ;ndtyesfcrdly was signed by the Presi- lent. Both Representative Collins and Dr. Vollbehr are enthusiastic, but with mixed feelings. “Nonsense,” says Mr. Collins. “Buy- :ng reference books is no new depar- ure." But in the next breath he adds that the ice has been broken, that the na- tional legislative body has definitely taken the path from the obviously and grossly utilitarian to the fostering of higher culture and scholarship, that the Library of Congress is on its way toward becoming a great center of American learning, and that “almost for the price of one torpedo boat we can have a library second to none in the world.” Nation Creates Precedent. It Is not exactly a new departure. The Library of Congress has purchased rare books before, But now the Amer- fcan Nation, through Congress, has created a precedent. The resources and needs have been widely advertised. Mr. Colling belleves that the extreme gene- rosity of Dr. Vollbehr will start many American owners of literary treasures to emulating his example and giving their books to the public through the library. He believes, moreover, that Congress has vindicated itself intellectually, “This should show,” he says, “that members of Congress are not a lot of ignoramuses, as some seem to have as- sumed. Of course, there are some who don’t belong there, but the great ma- Jority are educated men.” And he relates that two of his col- leagues visited Dr. Vollbehr's apart- ment one night recently and had the time of their lives poring over the old books. One buried himself in a treatise on magic written in old French and printed in Gothic letters. Only a few people in the United States could have Tead it. And the other became ab- sorbed in the Latin encyclopedia which he read with ease. That, Mr. Collins thinks, is a sample of the scholarship and tastes of Congress. But he is far from admittiog that the books are luxuries, available only to the few. They are, he holds, storehouses of ideas and eventually few persons in the United States will not benefit, di- rectly or otherwise, from the ideas stored there, Doctors, lawyers, crafts- men, printers will get ideas from them. Just for example, he says, when they are available to the public they are almost certain to influence the designs of American wall paper and thus ex- tend into every home. Of course, only 2 handful of men will mine the ideas out of the old French, German and Latin. But once mined they will be available to all. Available to World. As for Dr. Vollbehr—his feelings are strangely- mixed. He is parting with the labor and love of a lifetime. He is leaving it among strangers. No suave salesman is this blunt German doctor. He 15 not entirely without bitterness when he speaks of the turn of events that has practically forced one of a defeated nation to pecome the volun- tary and generous benefactor of the victor. But he knows that his be- loved books will remain together, safe forever from unsympathetic collectors and dealers and in a place where they will be available to the world and do good for the world. “I wanted them for my own coun- he says. “I am %00 good a Ger- man to think otherwise. But I did not want to see my whole life work go for nothing. And I wanted the collection where it would be safe and would be useful.” And Representative Collins _thinks that there are few books in the Li- brary of Congress which will be con- sulted more frequently than these, He belleves that Congress has done its luty. And he believes—but this is an idea for the future—that some dgy branch “Libraries of Congress” should be es- tablished all over the country for, he says, “democracy can survive only with an educated people. TRUSTIES LEAVE JAIL Two Walk Away From Prison Pre- sumably for Holiday. In the absence of a note of explana- tion, jail officlals last night took it for granted that Wililam J. Millen and Lawrence Dowe, who had been intrust- ed to their care by a Police Court judge had merely gone off without permission to indulge 1n an Independence day cele- bration. Millen, 45 years old, gave a Four-and- a-half street southwest address when he appeared a few days ago to spend & month's vacation, while Dowe, 27 yea old, gave his address in the 200 block of H street. He was scheduled to spend 10 days in Both were charged with intoxication, according to a report of jail officials. They were trusties. CITY NEWS IN BRIEF. TODAY. Dinner. New Engl, flower Hotel, lomlr):%. i Dance, Alpha ~Beta mfisfi: Zets Borority, ks, May- WASHINGTON, D. C, RIDAY, JULY 4, » NAVAL SCIENTISTS 10 VIEW ECLIPSE FROM TINY ISLAND Important Observations to Take Place in 93 Seconds’ Time Next October. NIUAFOU, UNIQUE POINT IN PACIFIC, TO BE SITE Establishment of Ponderous Instru- ments in Readiness on Rocky Location Presents Problem. BY THOMAS R. HENRY. A queer. lonely little island in the mid-Pacific will be a center of world interest for 93 seconds next October. Niuafou, a palm-covered circular ring of land rising abruptly out of the ocean and surrounding a large lake whose water bubbles as if it were boiling, hap- pens to be one of the two spots crossed by the path of a total eclipse of the sun the morning of October 21. The United States Naval Observa- tory is sending an expedition there. The party, composed of distinguished astronomers, will leave San Francisco July 31 with 60 tons of equipment, to be ready for that fleeting instant when, if the sky happens to be clear, the black disk of the moon can be seen swallowing and then disgorging the sun. This is one of the most difficult eclipse expeditions ever attempted by the Navy. The party, in command of Comdr. C. H. J. Kepplar, expects to reach Pago Pago, American Samoa, August 13. Then the equipment will be transferred to the mine sweeper Tanager for landing on Niuafou, 300 miles away. A report just received from a Navy party at Pago Pago, which made a pre- liminary visit to the island, reveals that there is only one possible place of anchorage for the Tanager, and that in deep water. The cliffs of the island rise rather abruptly on all sides, but a landing place has been found for small boats. It will require extreme skill to transport and land the heavy equip- ment, augmented by 8,000 feet of lumber brought from Pago Pago, in the small boats. The work will be possible, it is believed, only on abolustely calm days. Even a moderate breeze swelling the ocean will make it very risky, if not impossible. Will Set Up Camera. Approximately eight weeks' work will be necessary on the island. The big- gest job will be building the 65-foot camera through which the weird corona of the eclipse will be ]Jl"u)lbgl‘l;pl’\efl.l ‘This *will be an exact job of astronom- ical engineering. The camera must be directed with absolute accuracy to the spot in the heavens where the sun and moon will meet. None of the precious 93 seconds can be wasted in adjust- ments, The astronomical marksmen must fire rapidly and leave nothing to chance. Calculators at the Naval Ob- servatory, under the direction of Prof. James Robertson, have figured it all out months ago to the fraction of a second and the chance of error is so slight as to_be negligible. If the sky happens to be cloudy that morning most of the work will be wasted. The astronomers are taking a big chance on the weather, because they have no basis for predictions. Meteorological observations never have been taken on Niuafou, with its two white inhabitants and 1,100 Polynesian natives, and it is a funny little island where funny things may happen even to the weather. Otherwise the astronomers would be a little more confident than usual because the ecli} will take Ellct in the morning and the morning sky of the Pacific islands usually is clear at that time of year. If it were scheduled for the afternoon they would be very dublous. Niuafou is in the Tonga Archipelago. one of the mandate islands of New Zea- land. The only other spot of land in the path of the eclipse is the tiny island of Nurakita, in the Ellice group. Condi- tions there were reported by Navy ob-| servers as so much worse that ‘there was no room for choice. Usually ob- servatories from several countries and universities send expeditions to observe total eclipses. This time it is so expen- sive and difficult a prol)olfltlon that the Nas Observatory will have the field to itself, with the exception of one ex- pedition from New Zealand. ‘Will Study Other Phases. Scientific work_will not be confined to astronomy. Lieut, H. C. Kellers, medical member of the party. has a commission from the Smithsonian In- stitution to collect plants and animals. The isolated island is so queer in other ways that it is likely to have a queer flora and fauna, Dr, Kellers will look out especially for one bird found there, the melau. It looks something like a small pigeon, but lays eggs enormously out of proportion to the size of its body. These eggs are left in the sand and hatch without any incubation. Niuafou produces giant coconuts, the biggest in all the Pacific. This is be- lieved due to some queer make-up of the soll. The same thing should bring about other plant curiosities, for which Dr. Kellers will keep his eyes open. The island is 3 miles wide and 4 miles long. It has 30 volcanic craters, some of which were erupting last Feb- ruary. Last Summer there was a big eruption which destroyed a native vil- lage. This constant threat adds to the difficulties of the expedition. ‘There is a vast amount of data which astronomers can gather from eclipse expeditions, so that they cannot afford to miss one that is at all accessible. Among the special objectives of the Naval Observatory party will be obser- vations of the so-called Einstein effect. When the sun is covered the stars will appear in the sky. Presumably, the light from a distant star, passing close to the sun, 15 bent toward that body. If this is the case, and it seems to have been pretty well established by past expeditions, the implications are tremendous. Observation of the phe- nomenon requires such exact measure- ments that astronomers are not entirely satisfled. The effect will be photo- graphed by the 65-foot camera and the plates studied. All Done by Instrument. The astronomers will leave very lit- tle to the eye. Everything will be re- corded by the camera and the spectro- scope, which work almost instantane- ously The only difficulty is in getting the instruments there. Those who will take part in the ex- pedition, besides Comdr. Keppler, Lieut. Kellers and the Navy enlisted men, are Prof. 8. A. Mitchell of the University of Virginia Prof. R. W. Marriott of Swarthmore College, who will study especially the corona and the Einstein effect; Dr. Weld Arnold of the Ameri- can Geographical Society, Dr. J. J. Johnson of the California Institute of Technology. B. F. Shapless of the Naval Observatory and Dr. T. A. Jaggers of the Carnegie Institution, who will study the volcanoes. ve visited Niua- Navy officers who dou describe it as ped almost ex- actly like & glant ring. On all ' water TWO PERSONS HURT BY FIREWORKS AS FIVE ARE ARRESTED Boy, 11, Burned on H‘ip When Playmate Ignites Firecracker ¢ Tied to Trousers. COMPANIO_N, ARRESTED, TO FACE COURT TRIAL Second Casualty Treated for Burns Suffered When Cracker Ex- plodes in Hand. Two persons were injured by explod- ing fireworks last night, while five others were placed under arrest by police and charged with discharging firecrackers in the city. Joseph Malick, 11 years old, of 710 Hobart street, was burned on the left hip when a playmate tied a firecracker to his trousers and ignited it. The boy was treated by a private physician and allowed to return to his home. His companion, George Richardson, 13 years old, of 1612 Hobart street, was arrested by a tenth precinct policeman, J. A. Duley, and booked for discharg- ing fireworks. He was released in cus- tody of his parents for appearance in Juvenile Court. A similar charge was lodged against Charles W. Smith, 17 years old, of 1657 Hobart street, by Policeman Duley. Smith obtained his release on $5 col- lateral. John Williams, 21 years old, of the 100 block of C street northeast was the second casualty reported last night, suffering burns when a firecracker ex- ploded in his hands. He was treated b?'uT staff physician at Casualty Hos- pital. Nelson A. Miller, 35 years old, of the McReynolds Apartments, Eighteenth and G streets, was arrested by Pvi. Ernest Phillmore of the third precinct for discharging fireworks and was later released on $10 collateral. Thomas Wil- liams, colored, 21, of 216 Twenty-sixth street was taken into custody by Lieut. W. E. Holmes and Pvt. Frank O. Brass of No. 3 station on the same charge. Williams was held when he falled to raise collateral. A report that some one was shooting firecrackers on E street near Twelfth street shortly before 4 o'clock this morning led to the arrest of Robert L. Parker, 43, of 1126 Eleventh street by Pvt. T. D. Atkinson on & charge of discharging fireworks. He posted $5 collateral for his release. . D. C. REPORTS FEWER DEATHS BY VIOLENCE Police Department Records Show Decrease of Nine, Compared With Previous Fiscal Year. Deaths from violence in the District during the fiscal year just ended totaled 346, according to figures compiled by Lieut. L. I. H. Edwards, in charge of the personnel and statistical work of the Police Department, a decrease of nine compared with the preceding simi- lar period. Traffic deaths the past fiscal year totaled 68, the total for the preceding 12 months being 89, a decrease of 21. During the two years there were 247 deaths from accidents other than traf- fic, 131 the past 12 months and 116 during the prior fiscal year, last year's deaths showing an increase of 15 over the previous year. There were 91 homicide victims dur- ing the two-year perfod, 50 in 1929 and 41 in 1930, an_appreciable decrease of nine the past fiscal year. Suicides the past 12 months totaled 106, an increase of six compared with the preceding year, DOUBLE TAXATION ISSUE UNSETTLED Mellon Explains Legislation Need- ed to Make French Agree- ment Final. Preliminary arrangements recently made by American and French experts to relieve American corporations of double taxation on business done in France is not regarded by Secretary Mellon as representing final action. In a statement yesterday the Treas- ury Secretary said legislation is neces- sary before any such international agreement could be concluded. Legis- lation to that end is pending. Mr. Mellon also said that Great Bri- tain was not included in the negoti- ations, as previously reported, and that no negotiations with Great Britain were contemplated by the Treasury at pres- ent. Announcement that a “satisfactory arrangement” had been reached in the Franco-American discussions was made yesterday by E. C. Alvord, special as- sistant to the Secretary. He explained today that he had meant only to say that the experts had reached an ar- rangement satisfactory to American| business interests, LOMBARDY ARRESTED Ex-Tile Company Manager Faces Charge of Embezzling $795.28. Frank Camilla Lombardy, «4 years old, of the 2200 block of Monroe street northeast, was arrested at his_home at 4 o'clock this morning by Detective Howard E Ogle on a warrant alleging embezzlement of $795.28 from the Co- lumbla Mosaie & Tile Co., Inc., 114 C street, where he was employed as man- ager, George Ronchi, president of the com- pany, obtained the warrant. Lombardy would make no statement. Train Crash Kills 14. SASSO, Italy, July 4 (#).—Fourteen injured in a collision of a train from Milan_with freight trajn 11 miles from Bologna. The accident happened at 6:40 am. sides the waves break against precipi- tous basalt cliffs rising from 30 to 70 feet out of the ocean. Then the land slopes up gently from 300 to 600 feet, covered with a dense growth of coconut palms, Then it slopes down gently into the interior lake, whose surface is considerably above sea level. The w u: o; the lnkemm charged with some sort of gas, so that in some places the bubbles lke balling water, Features and Classified PAGE B—1 Naval Observatory The almanac is all ready for 1932, Exactly what will be going on in the persons were killed yesterday and many | his universe two years hence—the behavior of the earth, moon, sun, planets and 2.000 stars and the mathematical anitcs of time itself according to the various calendars—has been worked out to the hundredth of a second the astrono- mers of the Naval Almanac office here under Director James Robertson. From this work the almanacs and cal- endars for general distribution will be compiled sometime before January 1. 1932. With a single exception, there will not be much excitement in the star- gemmed heavens, so far as the United States is concerned. The exception is the total eclipse of the sun visible at ‘Washington the forenoon of August 31, which, in Midsummer and with its path of totality over thickly populated New England, promises to be one of the great astronomical events of all time. The eclipse of 1925 which passed over New England was in Midwinter, so that ob- servations were hampered by the un- comfortable temperature, The path of totality will start off Northwestern Siberia, sweep southeast- ward across the Arctic, Hudson Bay and Labrador and pass directly over Port- land and Boston. Washington will be well within the range of visibility. The | phenomenon is expected to draw thou- sands of astronomers from all over the world. The International Astronomical Union will come to the United States and the meetings may be held in Wash- ington. No Others Visible Here. Director Robertson schedules three other eclipses for the year, none visi- ble here. There will be an annular eclipse of the sun on March 7, starting in the Antarctic and sweeping in a broad, semicircular path northeast- ward to barely touch the coast of Tas- mania, the only point where any obser- vations will be possible. Then there will be two partial eclipses of the moon, one on March 22, visible over most of North America except the northeastern and Atlantic Coast areas, and generally visible in Eastern Asia, Australia and extreme Western South America. The second will come on September 14, beginning over Europe and ending over North America, but not visible here. A peculiar feature of the year will be the general thrusting forward of the movable holidays. Ash Wednesday. the beginning of Lent, will come on Febru- ary 10 and Easter will follow on March TOTAL ECLIPSE IN NEW ENGLAND LEADS IN 1932 ALMANAC EVENTS Publication, Now Complete, Lists Two Other Eclipses For That Year. 27. These unusually early dates throw forward Palm Sunday, Good Friday and all the others. The Navy astronomers calculate the first day of the year the world over for all the chronological systems in general use in civilized nations. For the United States, January 1 will be the beginning of 1932, according to the Gregorian calendar. A few still use the discarded Julian calendar. For them the new year will be delayed until January 14. The year 5693 of the Jewish era will start on September 30, while for the Japanese January 1 will begin the year 2592, On September 1 will start the year 2244 of the Grecian era, still used by some of the Eastern Christian sects. For Islam, which dates its time from the flight of Mohammed from Mecca, year 1351 will start at sunset on May 6. Many Calculations Necessary. Many thousands of calculations, all double-checked, are necessary each year to make up the nautical almanac and American Ephemiris. The stars whose positions are calculated exactly to determine their time of passing over the meridian of Washington seldom give the calculators much trouble. They are so far away that any little eccen- tricities they may have are lost sight of in their general strictly law-abiding havior. But the planets, and especially their satellites, are not such model citizens of the sky, and they cause the astronomers a lot of work every year, according to Prof. Robertson. Among the meanest of them are the nine little moons of the ringed planet Saturn, whose posi- tions are predicted for the entire year with a vast amount of complicated mathematics. But Mimas, Enceladus, ‘Tethys, Dione, Rhea, Titan, Hyperion, Tapetus and Phoebe are all started off in_the right direction. ‘The earth's moon also gives the as- tronomers a good deal of trouble. They can figure its position years ahead tc a very small fraction of a second, but it is so conspicuous and important an object so far as humans are concerned that even its slightest departure from the path of mathematical rectitude that can be detected with sensitive instruments is very annoying. Director Robertson and his assistants already are at work on the almanac for 1934 ~ They can figure the heaven ahead for as many years as they please, so far as the application of general astronomical formulae is concerned. 9 PEOPLE INJURED INTRAFFIC MISHAPS | Three Philadelphia Children, Here on Visit, Taken to Hospital. Nine persons were injured, one seri- ously, in a series of automobile acel- dents reported to District police late yesterday afternoon and last night. Struck by a machine while crossing in the first block of H street, three Philadelphia children visiting friends in ‘Washington were removed to Casualty Hospital for treatment by staff physi- clans. Dorothy Hogopian, 15, was badly in- Jjured, suffering contusions of the head, possible brain concussion, abrasions of the shoulders and shock, while her brother, Alfred Hogopian, 5, and Mary | Bowden, 8, were treated for minor cuts | and bruises. ‘The older girl’s condition was listed | as undetermined by attending physi- clans, but she left the hospital against the advice of doctors. The car which | felled the children, sixth precinct police | reported, was driven by Harry W. Badin, 44, of 1210 Neal street northeast. A charge of failing to stop after a collision was placed against Charles | Druckemmiller, 24 years old, of Claren- don, Va., by police of the first precinct last night following an accident at Thirteen-and-One-Half street and Ohio avenue last night. The Clarendon man, according tn police, left his car and tried to escape, but was arrested by Policeman Thomas Mason of the Traffic Bureau, and turn- ed over to Policeman H. W. Estes of No. 1 station, who had been chasing him. Druckemmiller was taken to the Emergency Hospital for treatment for cuts about the face and hands. A fractured right leg and lacerations of the foot were sustained by Ellwocd Payne, 11 years old, of Oakton, Va., when knocked from his bicycle on the Chain Bridge road in Fairfax County by a machine driven by Henry Fanzell of | Oakland, Va. Harry Sipe, 50, of 62 K street north- easl, escaped with cnly slight hurts when an automobile driven by Colbert P. Balderson of 4012 Davenport street knocked him down at Fourth street and Massachusetts avenuc. Columbus Jester, cclored, 12 years old, of 803 R street, recelved bruises of the left ankle in an accident yesterday afternoon when a truck driven by Dave McClanahan, who gave his address as 1152 Douglas street northeast, struck him_ The boy was treated at Garfleld Hospital. | Contusions were suffered by Wilfred Spearman, 39 years old, of €15 Fourth street, when an automobile operated by Louis Rato, 37, of Seat Pleasant, Md., struck him on Fourth street near F. He was treated at Casualty Hospits William Thomas Bell, 8 years old, of 616 Fifth street northeast, escaped with B0V, 17, ARRESTD N 2 ROBBERES {Police Allege Confession Ob- tained on Entering of Homes. Arrested early today by Policeman Frank 8. Marshall of the fourteenth | precinct, Willard Lee Winston, 17 years old, is being held for investigation fol- lowing his alleged confession to robbing two homes in the Northwest section of the city early today. Winston is sald to have told police he entered the residences of Radford Moses of 3839 Livingston street and James A. Toomey of 3823 Morrison street shortly before he was taken into custody on Connecticut avenue near Albemarle street. Marshall was patrolling his beat in a police car about 4 o'clock this morning when he came upon the youth. His sus- picions aroused by Winston's nervous- ness, the officer took the boy to No. 14 station, where a revolver, four knives, a cigarette case, two change purses, ap- proximately $24 in money and other articles were found in his clothing. Under questioning, it is said, Winston | told police he robbed the two homes by vaining entrance to Moses' house by ising & ladder to a second-story window and by climbing through a first-floor window to enter Toomey's residence. ‘Winston told police he made friends with Toomey's watchdog by patting him on the head when the dog rushed to the window as he was raising it. Police went to the two homes and learned that a bathing suit, cigarette case, a change purse and several other articles had been stolen at Moses' house. Toomey's trousers had been robbed of $22 in bills, a cigarette case and a purse containing 50 cents while the owner was asleep. WOMAN AND IIAF;EIZED IN FINDING OF LIQUOR Seeking an explanation for an un- usually large number of visitors to the basement of an apartment house at 718 Eighteenth street, not far from the homes of Sergt. O. J. Letterman and Richard J. Cox of the police liquor squad, Sergt. Letterman sent an undercover agent to do a little investigating about the janitor's quarters. A Treport from the undercover agent contained an entry of the purpose of a pint of liquor from a colored wom- an and yesterday afternoon the mem- bers of the luuldeé)lld the janitor, Jerry Ramsey, colored, 51 years old, & surprise visit, arresting him on & charge of illegal ession of a 2-quart con- tainer of liquor. minor cuts when a machine operated by Benjamin W. Foer, 29 years old, of | 3100 Warder street, struck him on Fifth | street northeast near G. The boy was treated at Casualty. Juanita Brown, colored, 31 years old, the woman from whom the undercover | agent reported making the purchase, | was arrested and charged with sale and possession. Holiday ‘The two big fat hens which Robert Lee, colored youth, was carrying under arm near Sixth and G streets southwest at the break of cawn today did not have the contented lcok that hens display towerd c¢ne with whom they are on friendly terms. ‘The feathers on their backs were ruffied in an undignified manner, and in their eyes there was the glint of growing_ suspicion. tective Howard Ogle, well known police authority on barnyard composure, that It was plain to De- | UNDIGNIFIED ATTITUDE OF HENS COSTS YOUTH JULY 4th FREEDOM Detective Ogle Observes Too Closely for Robert Lee’s Comfort. | companions—for two other colored men were walking beside Lee. It was at this point that Lee and his friends suddenly remembered they had pressing engage- ments in different directions. The chickens went over a nearby fence and Lee went with them. Ogle followed in hot pursuit. Not long after Detective Ogle walked into the fourth precinct station with tw‘o squawking hens and a downcast soner. | P"ARd T was all set for s big Fourth I for appointment. PRATT COMPLETES -PLANS FOR SHIFTS IN POLICE FORCE More Than 100 Officers of Varied Ranks Involved in Wide Reorganization. MORE THAN 60 SLATED TO RECEIVE PROMOTIONS Several of Original Ideas Are Dropped, Due to Compromises in Fund Measure. Plans for an extensive reorganization of the Police Department, involving more than 100 officers of varying rank, were completed today by Maj. Hen: G. Pratt, superintendent, after a Co!l;y ference with Inspector E. W. Brown, assistant superintendent, and Lieut. L. I H. Edwards, personnel officer. The changes include the promotion of more than 60 men and the transfer of at least 40 others, which will consti- tute a widespread readjustment of the entire force. The names of the officers to be affected were not officially dis- closed in view of the fact that the Commissicners must approve the plan before it is put into effect. Maj. Pratt sald he would submit the list of names of the men he has selected to be promoted to the Commissioners Monday morning. As a special meeting of the Board of Commissioners will be held that day, the recommendations are expected to be approved and ordered effective Tuesday morning. Several Plans Fall. Tentative plans for the reorganization have been in the process of preparation for nearly two months, but Maj. Pratt ! was unable to make any definite arrangements pending the passage of the District appropriation bill for the current fiscal year which began July 1. The bill became a law last night and the police superintendent lost no time in completing the reorganization scheme. Maj. Pratt, however, probably will be unable to carry out several of his original plans because of compromises made in several Police Department items in the appropriation bill as it finally passed. Instead of 25 additional | men which the Senate provided, the de- partment was allowed 11, which likely will prevent the reorganization of tue police training school. With 25 additional men, it was pro- posed to enlarge the curriculum of the police school, and give all new ap- bointees a three-month course before assigning them to beats. The present course lasts 30 days, and the school has been operated on'a haphazard sys- tem, sessions being held only when a sufficient number of new men were ap- pointed to organize a class. Shelby Was Slated for Post. Had the department been grante: 25 additional men, Maj. Pratt {erlleveg it would have been possible to keep the school running continuously and make 1t of such importance that an assistant superintendent would be assigned to direct its activities. Inspector Willlam S. Shelby, an assistant superintendent, Wwho is now serving as chief of de- tectives, was slated for this post, and Inspector Brown, in charge of the Traf- fic Bureau, would have succeeded Shel- by as chief of detectives. With only 11 additional men, Maj. Pratt said, he would not be justified in des nating an assistant lug;rlnundent to take over the school, al igh it would be - sible to organize a class of about 30 é?r t:xemlnmll lea;tfim Subsequent lasses, however, would nec: smaller, S The major promotions involve 17 sergeants who are to be promoted to lieutenants and one lieutenant, B, A. Lamb, of the Traffic Bureau who is to step up to a captaincy. Two of the sergeants slated for promotions are are Frank A. Varney, special ald to Police Commissioner Herbert B. Crosby and president of the Policemen's Asso- ciation, and Oscar J, Letterman, for- of the vice squad. Some of the others expected to be promoted to lieutenants are Acting Lieut. War- ren O. Embrey, Dennis J. Cullinane, John H. Fowler, Bagby R. King and Richard J. Cox, all of the Detective Bureau. The remaining 10 lieuten- ancies will be filled by the promotions of sergeants assigned to the various precincts. Lieut. Edwards, the personnel officer, also is expected to be made a captain. He is now the ranking lieutenant oz the eligible list for promotion. Lieut. Edwards is stationed at head- quarters, and under the reorganization scheme he will remain there, in charge of the personnel office. Twelve privates are to be promoted to sergeants. Four of these are ex- pected to be drawn from the Detective Bureau personnel, and the others from the precincts. Those at the Detective Bureau eligible for advancement are Hoyle D. Secrest, Hugh D. Robey, David G. Fletcher and Ben H. Johnson. Robey has been acting as a chauffeur for a number of years, and Secrest has been doing clerical work in the office of the chief of detectives. Johnson is now detailed at Union Station. The other eight sergeants will be picked from the precincts. Some of them will be assigned to duty at the Detective Bureau. The first, second, fourth and thirteenth precincts, wili provide most of these men. Under the reorganization plan it also is proposed to return to the Detective Bureau, Charles P. J. Weber, who was recently promoted from a detective sergeant to a lleutenant and assigned to the tenth precinct. This will be in line with the plan to have a_commis- sioned officer in charge of the Detective dBurelu through the 24 hours of the . y. Although the department will have after the reorganization plan is put into effect 60 vacancies in the person- nel of the privates, it will be unable to appoint any new men until the Civil Service Commission certifies candidates who took the last police examination. ‘The department has been notified that nearly 70 of the candidates for ap- pointment had passed the requisite mental and physical tests, but a char- acter investigation must be made be- fore they can be qualified as eligible ‘Worker Loses Thumb. A thumb amputation was necessary when James Davidson, 48, of 3117 ‘Warder street, cut the member badly while working at Fourth and H streets yesterday. The man was sawing and the tool slipped, inflicting the injury. PR Man Cut and Robbed. Victim of what police suspect a: frame-up, George L. Cable, 30, of a ti- these particular hens were r.oved by |of July feast today,” moaned Lee as he | more, who came to Washington to cele- the self-same spivit of that impelled our forefathers to cast off the yoke that bound *‘hem. Detectiye Ogle's curiosity overcoming him, he ected his driver to pull over toward the hens and their | the chickens came out of a yard some- where in Anacostia, according to the police. “All of which should teach you not to tesart to fowl play,” Ogle cackled, independence | was escorted to a cell, explaining that | brate the Fourth of July, was cut about the head with & blunt instrument, be- lieved to have been a file, and robbed ;:lai {n l‘:oom at the Mlu: l:oul‘ 601 nnsylvania avenue, abou o'clock this morning.