Evening Star Newspaper, February 23, 1931, Page 1

WEATHER. (U. 8. Weather Buresu Forecast.) Cle tonight; about 33 degrees; occasional rain: minimum iture pimn S in tem. ; not much change r gcnture. ‘Temperatures—Highest, 47, at p.m. yesterday; lowest, 36, at 7:30 a.m. today. Full report on page 3. New York Markets Closed Today. Do, 31700, Toueens second class matte; Washington, DG, IRENE SCHROEDER CALM AS SHE GOES - TODEATH IN CHAIR Dague Executed Three Min- utes After Gunwoman Is Pronounced Dead. REQUEST TO HALT FIGHT FOR LIFE IS DISCLOSED Doomed Man's Letter, Dated Yes- terday, Said They Did Not Want Prison Term “Now.” By the Associated Press | ROCKVIEW PENITENTIARY, Belle- fonte, Pa, February 23.—Calm and collected, Irene Schroeder and Walter Glenn Dague went to their deaths in the electric chair at Rockview Peniten- tiary today just after break of dawn. The State claimed of them the su- preme price for the killing of a guard- 1an of its highways. ‘The woman went to the chair first, at 7 am. One 't was made and she was pronounced dead at 7:05. Dague was placed in the chair at 7:08, and five minutes later was dead. Dague Gazes at Witnesses. Mrs. Schroeder's face was pale, al- most ghastly, except for a slight bit of rouge on either cheek, as she was brought into the death chamber. Her eyes were open until she was seated in the big chair; then she closed them and kept them closed until the death hood was placed over her head. Dague came in with steady stride and as he sat down in the chair gazed left and right at the witnesses. Then the hood was adjusted, and the electric contact was made while the prison chaplain still was offering up a prayer for the condemned. Neither of the slayers spoke, nor was any word spoken to them. Retains Iron Nerve. The woman who once wielded a gun with her gunman lover in merciless bloodshed, was_as_unflinching at her doom as ever she had been during her days of banditry and subsequent flight and fight for life. Disclosure tbat Mrs. Schroeder and e had asked their counsel not to take steps to obtain a further stay cf sentence “because we do not want life imprisonment now,” was contained in a Jetter written by Dague and made public by the Rev. H. O. Teagarden today. y. Dague revealed himself in the letter s a man who had spurned a cail to “consecrate my life to the service of God” back in October, 1917. In his letter dated February 22 Dague wrote to the Rev. Mr. Tea- garden. He said that he “had the call from God to consecrate my life to hig service” at a time when the minister was in the pulpit at his church in Dallas, W. Va. Dague recalled that the minister had asked if there was “a young man here who will consecrate himself to God. oer ‘Dague Gioted Mr. Teagarden swer,” e , Y 3 um-e“:xm will sink to the depths of hell” He could not h‘l;¢ known &h&t I was that young man, Dague wrote. “Iron Irene” they termed Mrs, Schroeder at her trial. “Iron Irene she was until the end. The spirit that bore her up when the jury in tre Lawrence County courts pro- nounced death as her sentence, held with her as she walked into the grim chamber of death Lere and surrendered Ter life for the life of Corp. Brady Paul of the State Highway Patrol, on De- mber 27, 1929. ©“She was clad in a gray, artificial silk dress, loose and poorly fitting. Ehe wore biege stockings and black slippcrs. The hair was clipped away from the back of her head at a spot where an electrode was attached. ’ With a guard holding either arm and a matron preceding her, the woman walked into the death chamber, appar- ently not needing the slight support the ards gave her. She walked into the righter circle of light cast by a huge flood lamp over the chair, and in the State's grim_instrument of dJeath the guards placed her, and quickly fastened the straps binding her to it. The matron stepped aside to a wall of the chamber. Chaplain Offers Prayer. As she sat, the woman's fingers trem- bled a trifie. The cnly human voice in the cold, gray chamber was that of the chaplain offering a prayer for the doomed woman. The straps und death hood were ad- Justed, the voice of the chapl2in whis- pered on, and even before he had com- pleted his words the contact was made. The woman's body ros: up against the straps that bound her, fists clenched, the body tense and struggling. Robert Elliott, the State’s executioner, was at the switches controlling the cur- “(Continued on Page 2, Column 2) TWO RUM RUNNERS ARE BELIEVED SUNK Firing Heard Off Newport, R. I., Between Coast Guard Patrols and Boats. By the Associated Press NEWPORT, R. I, February 23.—Two rum runners were believed to have been sunk just outside Newport Harbor early today during a running fight with Coast Guard patrol boats. Police received reports that the crews of the two boats were taken aboard Coast Guard patrol boats, which pro- ceeded to New London, Conn. “The rattle of machine gun fire and the boom of 1-pounders could be clearly heard in the city. From the high bluffs that overlook the sea at the outskirts of the city, two patrol boats could be seen engaging in battle with a squirm- ing power boat, which headed for the open sea and seemingly escaped. Police said that a tug captain brought yeports of the sinking of the rum boats. No 5:30 Today or sports final editions of The Star today. Melba Dies SKIN MALADY IS FATAL TO FAMOUS SOPRANO. DAME NELLIE MELBA. By the Associated Press. SYDNEY, Australia, February 23.— The curtain was Tung down today on the life of Dame Nellie Melba, one of the purest sopranos grand opera has ever kriown, after weeks abed with a strange illness which baffled her physicians. Seventy-one years old, the famous orima donna for several days had loufht a losing battle with a in malady picked up in Egypt and ag gravated by a long journey home from Europe before Christmas and the ex- treme heat of the Australian Summer. Stage Name From City. Friends believed she hastened her own end with insistence upon spending Christmas in her native Australia, dis- regarding the advice of her physicians in Europe under whose treatment she | (Continued on Page 4, Column 6.) | . BOY SHOT IN CHEST BY HIS PLAYMATE Children Watch as Strange! Youth Fires Rifle—Con- dition Serious. Eight-year-old Jackie Bennett, 1732 Twenty-seventh street southeast, is in & serious condition at Providence Hos- pital with & bullet wound in his chest, shot by one of two strange boys while playing in a woods near his home. Jackie and three children who live next door to him—VYettle, Virginia and Mildred Skillman, ages 9, 4 and 1, re- spectively—were playing with the two strange boys, both armed with .22-cali- | ber rifies. H Neighbor Hears Cry. ‘Without warning, according to Yet- tie, one of the strange boys raised his rifie to his shoulder and fired at Jackie. The wounded boy ran to a shed in the rear of his home, where he fell, screaming: “I'm shot!™ His cries were heard by Mrs. Ruby Skillman, mother of his three play- mates, She picked him up and carried him into his house, while a neighbor tele- | phoned police. Meanwhile, another | neighbor took the boy to the hos- pital. Police Begin Search. Police, after questioning Yettie, im- { mediately began a search of the woods. Jackie, whose father is dead, has boarded with Mr. and Mrs. Mack Stritz at the Twenty-seventh street ad- dress more than a year. His mother, Mrs. Margaret Bennett, is said to live at the Home Arartments, Seventh and K streets. She was notified of the rhootirg. Mrs. Stritz also was at work when the shooting occurred. TWO ARE APPROVED Senate Committee Reports on Hitt and Proctor Favorable. The Senate Judiciary Committee made favorable reports today on James M. Proctor to be a justice of the District Supreme Court, and on Judge Isaac R. Hitt for another term in Police Court, while a subcommittee was taking further | testimony in opposition to the reap- | pointment of Judge John P. McMahon | for another term in Police Court. | DIRIGIBLE MAKES TIME | Los Angeles Reports Off Jamaica | on Trip From Panama. ‘The dirigible Los Angeles at 7:47 am. today reported to the Navy De- partment it was off Point Morant, Ja- maica, and making good time on the voyage from Panama. Point Morant is 164 miles south of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the dirigible’s first stop. WASHINGTON, FRANCE MAY J0IN NAVAL LIMITATION TREATY OF LONDON Progress of British Negotia- tions in Paris Raises Hope of Such Action. ADVANCE TOWARD DEAL WITH ROME REPORTED Revival of Talk of “Consultative Pact” Believed Move to Expe- dite Agreement. BY CONSTANTINE BROWN, That France may join the London | naval treaty within a reasonably short | time was indicated in dispatches re- ceived during the week end in Wash- ington. Reports from Paris and London state that the Anglo-French conversa- tions for the settlement of the Franco- Ttalian naval dispute had made satis- factory progress. State Department and embassy officials are conservatively optimistic. They hope that the tentative agreement reached between Robert L. Craigie, representative of Prime Minister Ram- | say MacDonald, and Renc E. Massigli, representative of the French govern- ment, will prove satsifactory to the British admiralty and acceptable to the | Italian government. The agreement is reported to be as follows: France ceases to build 10,000~ ton cruisers and submarines until 1936, limiting her construction of such vessels to replacements; it limits the construc- tion of light cruisers and destroyers only, and proceeds to the laying down of at least two but probably three 23,000-ton battleships, as authorized by the Washington naval treaty of 1922. This tentative agreement is acceptable to the British government. Program Worried British. Mr. MacDonald was greatly worried over the original French naval program which included the construction of nine 10,000-ton cruisers and some 92,000 tons of submarines. The bullding of the French cruiser program, if followed by Italy, would have endangered Great Britain’s “two-power standard” which requires that Great Britain should have a numerical superiority over the princi- pal European naval powers, To this Mr. MacDonald had pledged himself to the British admiralty before the London Naval Conference. He had ised the British adm after his return from Washington in No~r vember, 1929, that he would insist on Great Britain maintaining her “two- power standard,” and only after he had given such a pledge did the admiraity agree to complete parity with the United States. On the other hand, construction of a large fleet of submarines was con- sidered by the British naval and mili- tary experts a serious menace to Great Britain’s lines of communications and food supplies. For this reason the British desired the French to reduce their submarine program by at least 30,000 tons. Concessions Obtained. These two concessions have now been obtained from the French by Mr. Craigie, but it appears that the idea of the French having two or three new battleships of the most modern type is unpalatable to the British admiralty. Mr. Craigie was asked to return to Lon- don and discuss the matter with the admiralty naval experts. It is believed here that the objections | of the British admirals to the French battleships will be overruled, because the French have the right to build such ships in accordance with the Wash- ington treaty. and it is only on ac- count of financial difficulties that they have not done this. Should the British admiralty accept the tentative agreement reached in Paris, the next move will have to be made in Rome. The French promise of | not building more large cruisers an submarines will certainly be welcomed there, but it is doubtful as to how the Italians will take the Prench decision to start buflding battleships. Italy Wants Holiday. In accordarce with the Washington Treaty the Italians are allowed to build the same number of capital ships. These ships, however, cost about $22,- 000,000 each and it appears that Italy’s financial situation does not permit it to start such an expensive naval pro- gram. Furthermore the upkeep of this type of warship is very costly. For this reason the Itallan government has indicated the desire of having a com- plete naval holiday until 1936. This Italian view is shlret%, accord- e | ing to reliable information, 13 Small Explosions Occur in Va-| rious Parts of City. HAVANA, February 23 (#).—Thirteen small bombs exploded in various parts of Havana Saturday night, one within a block of central police headquarters. Only small damage was reported, but authorities took precautions to prevent further trouble, calling extra reserves of police. Eighteen students were arrested when police raided a meeting of the student council of the closed National University. It is not & crime to steal coal if your wife and three children are shivering, in the opinion of R. L. Hinton, & third recinct policeman. He trailed Wil- lam Tweedy, colored, 30 years old, to fih h“)‘ulllt l:g'fls 'lemly-flnh ll:get': st night after receiving a report tha ‘Tweedy had stolen = bushel and a half of coal from the Georgetown plant of the Washington Gas t Co. ‘Tweedy's wife and three children, scantily clad, were hovering about an °fin fireplace as the husband cracl kindling over his knees preparatory to inject! lives w! liceman g & bit of warmth into their hen Hinton appeagd. seized the cosl 4 ked with fing POLICEMAN TURNS SAMARITAN TO AID FAMILY OF PRISONER | Pleads for Colored Man He Trailed to Desolate Home and Arrested on Charge of Taking Coal. charge of petit larceny against Tweedy at the third precinct. Tweedy's penni- less wife borrowed $10 from a friend, posted it as collateral and gained the man’s release. Hinton got busy today and talked the gas company into withdrawing the charge. He then aj red before John R. Fitzpatrick, int United States attorney, and obtained an order for the return of the $10. WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION pening Slar. ;" O, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, CAPITAL CITIZENS JOIN IN HONORING FRST PRESIDENT Services Throughout U. S.| Mark 199th Anniversary of His Birth. With & holiday for virtually all ex- | cept President Hoover and Congress, the “citizens of the National Capital jolned again today in celebrating the one hundred and ninety-ninth anni- versary of tbe birth of George Wash- ington, which yesterday was observed at devotional services throughout the country. The broad avenues of the - Capital were lined with the Stars and Stripes waving in & brisk breeze. Here and there the flags of foreign nations flut- tered their tribute from the embassics and legations. Most of the business houses of the city were closed or had planned to close their doors at 1 o'clock, as citizens released from their routine duties were joining in Elylnl tribute to the civic virtues of the first Presi- dent at especially arranged cercmonies. ‘These were featured by a colorful mili- tary mass in the Church of the Im- maculate Conception under the spon- sorship of the District of Columbia De- partment of the American Legion and a joint patriotic observance in Me- morial Continental Hall. President Hoover remembered the Father of His Country yesterday by at- tending divine services in_Alexandria, ‘Washington's “home town.” He occu- pied the pew in old Christ's Church in which George Washington often sat. With him were Mrs. Hoover, who has returned from visiting their conva- lescent son at Asheville, N.C., and their oldest grandchild, Peggy Ann, who thus celebrated her first attendance at church. Congress’ Work Piles Up. Congress had before it today a _mass of accumulated work, as did also Presi- dent Hoover, who remained on duty in the executive offices of the White House. Yet the House of Representatives con- vened an hour earlier, at 11 o'clock, to hear tribute paid to the memory of d | Washington by Representative James M. Beck of Pennsylvania, one of the lead- ing authorities on constitutional gov- ernment in the United States. Reading of Washington's farewell address was dispensed with. With the exception of the National Museum and a few other places of general interest to the thousands of visitors in the Capital, all the executive departments of the Federal and Dis- trict governments were closed today. This was done in keeping with cus- tom when a legal holiday occurs on Sunday. Although Alexandria dispensed with its civic parade which is held on Washington’s birthday anniversary only every other year, its citizens joined in “an official observance at 12:30 o'clock today at the laying of the corner stone of the new post pffice and Federal building under consfruction at Prince and Washington streets. The corner stone was laid under the aus- pices of the Alexandria-Washington Lodge of Masons, and the famous George Washington trowel, which was used in the laying of the corner stone of the United States Capitol, the Wash- ington Monument and other historic structures, again was put into service, Dr. A. M. Showalter, grand master of Masons of Virginia, was the principal (Continued on Page 3, Column 5.) ——y CLOCK KEY SWALLOWED Daughter Gives Milwaukee Man Good Late-to-Work Alibi. MILWAUKEE, Wis, February 23 (#).—If John Rogers is late for work the next fcow days he's going to have an alibl. His 2-year-old daughter, Roberta Jean, unscrewed the key to the family alarm clock and swallowed it last night. Alberta was taken to a hospital. Doctors said she was in no danger. Allied Squabbles Over U.:S. Aid Read Pershing m The Evening Star Tomorrow Gen. Pershing's story will be found today page 4. 1931—THIRTY THE The Star’s Sunday's PAGES. =* “From Press to Home Within the Hour” cairier system covers eyvery city block and the regular edi- tion i5 delivered to Washington homes as fast as the papers are printed. Saturday's Circulation, 115947 Circulation, 124, TWO CENTS. DELAWARE. Hanihara Sinks ENVOY WAS RECALLED IN i U. 8. EXCLUSION ROW. 1 \ | MASANAO HANITHARA. By the Associated Press. TOKIO, February 23. — Masanao Hanihara, Ambassador to Washington from 1922 to 1924, who created a stir by predicting the proposed Japanese ex- clusion act would bring “grave conse- quences,” was in & coma today after falling to raliy from a paralytic stroke. Physicians said his recovery was doubt- ful as the patient developed pneumonia and other complications. After Hanihara expressed his fear of the exclusion act he became the target of its advocates, who interpreted his statement as a threat against the United States. As the outcome, Hani- hara was recalled to Tokio. He retired from the diplomatic serv- | ice and since his return to Japan con- tinued to contend the immigration law | ishould be revised in the interests of | | better relations between Japan and the United States. 'CONFESSION MADE "IN $1,360 HOLD-UP Police Say Two Young Men Admit Robbing Filling Station Collector. & Questioned for more than five hours last night by headquarters detectives, two men are said to have confessed | that they held a collector for a Lord‘ Baltimore filling station at pistol point two weeks ago and robbed him of| $1,350.50 in checks and cash. The two men, Samuel A. Johnson, 23 years old, of 637 G street southeast, and Clarence P. Hulse, 24 years old, of Baltimore, Md., are being held at the first and ninth precincts, respec- tively, on charges of investigation. Formal charges will be made today. According to police, the two men stole an automobile at Baltimore and made | their way to Washington. Police said they were seeking a third | man in connection with the gas station hold-up. ‘The hold-up occurred at Sixth street and Rhode Island avenue, when three men held Benjamin Burch, collector for the company, at pistol point. Accord- ing to Burch, the trio forced him into a nearby alley and demanded his money. When he turned over the money the men fled, using a waiting automobile. Burch was the victim of a hold-up last August while he was collecting re- ceipts at a gasoline station at 133 Penn- sylvania avenue. At that time he was robbed of $2,500. He identified Johnson as_the perpetrator of this robbery. Phillip Bitmer, manager of the Rhode Island avenue filling station, in Novem- ber of 1928 was shot to death by hold- up men. Headquarters detectives are attempt- ing to connect Johnson and Hulse with the hold-up of a recent gas station in Baltimore. SKIP RECORD SOUGHT 61-Year-Old Would Beat Last Year’s 15,000 Times Over Rope. CHICAGO, February 23 (#)—Today was skipping day for Chester Levere, 61, and he planned a record. For years it has been his custom to break his rope-skipping record on the day following his day anniversary. Last year he skipped 15,000 times in 2 hours 39 minutes 15 seconds. “And you can tell the world,” he said, “:.:‘ll:t I'm not advertising anything either.” Radio Prolnn_; on P:le B-10 ITALIAN EMBASSY 10 STUDY D'BRIAN “ATTACK” ONDUCE Consulate inrl\rlew York Will Send Full Report to Envoy Here; No Action Expected. By the Associated Press. The Italian embassy today requested | the Italian consulate in New York to send to it for study a full report of the remarks there Saturday night by As- sistant Attorney General O'Brian. . Tl;led(,).'flcilal h:sx l‘)fln quoted as hav- ng indirectly criticized Premi z 1018 i s tatk o Ambassader de Martino declined to make any statement on O'Brian's speech before the Union League Club of Brooklyn, as reported in press dis- paches. It was said on high authority, however, that the attitude of the em- bassy new is that since O'Brian made a public explanation that he was not casting asperzions on Italy or Premier Mussolini, but merely drawing a con- trast, no action would be taken. The embassy has not communicated with the State Department. O’BRIAN DENIES SLAP. Assistant Attorney General Says He Was Merely Drawing Contrast. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, February 23.—An ad- dress in which John Lord O'Brian, First Assistant Attorney General of the United States, was quoted as indirectly criticizing Benito Mussolini rebounded in Italian-American circles today. Speaking before the Union League Club of Brooklyn Saturday night, Mr. O'Brian was quoted as foilows: “Thank God, we do mnot live in a country such as Italy, where a dictator- ship of one man can make a horizontal slice in wages.” Asked to explain his remarks later, he said: “Perhaps T made a poor choice of words in expressing my ideas. It was not my purpose to cast aspersions unon Italy or its rulers. pression to a contrast “I understand that when the de- pression came to Italy, Mussolini issued | & manifesto ordering a 10 per cent cut |in government salaries I understand this was later extended further into | private employment. “The thought I had was that the | Federal Government here has taken no such action.” Il Progresso, Italian newspaper, com- municated Mr. O'Brian’s first remarks to the Italian Ambassador at Washing- ton yesterday, requesting that he con- sider a demand for an explanation from the State Department. No comment was forthcoming from the Italian em- bassy. Mr. O'Brian’s address follows close upon the incident involving Maj. Gen. Smedley D. Butler. In a speech at Philadelphia, Gen. Butler referred to the Italian premier as a “hit-and-run driver” who injured a child. Secretary of State Simpson promptly tendered an apology to Italy and Gen. Butler was ordered held for court-martial. The order later was revoked, but the general was reprimanded. KIDNAPER CONFESSES Abductor of Illinois Banker Admits Crime as Pals Go to Trial. CAMBRIDGE, 111, February 23 (#).— Orville Whiskers pleaded guilty today to the kidnaping of Earl Yocum, Galva Bank president. Captured on an Iowa farm, Saturday, he was brought back and arraigned in Henry County Court where his three alleged confederates in the $50,000 ran- som plot of last October were to go on trial today. 1 was giving ex- | RISE IN EXPENGES OF GAS COMPANY NOW BEING PROBED Bachman Reports Increases | on Soliciting, Salaries and | Supplies Items. MAINTENANCE COSTS PUZZLE BY DECLINE Utilities Body, Awaits Wood's Re- ply, Engineer's Data and Keech's Findings. With an investigation under way into the ramifications of Washington's gas service to determine the cause of the unprecedented flood of complaints over | excessive bills, the Public Utilities Commission, it was disclosed today, has now turned its attention to the mount- ing overhead expenses of the Washing- ton Gas Light Company. | Data prepared for the commission's use by B. McK. Bachman, its chief ac- countant, shows a large increase in the expenses of the company. In 1930, the accountant’s report revealed, the | company spent $128,962.06 more than it did in 1929 on canvassing and | soliciting. salaries of additional em- ploves, advertising and supplies. | The company’s expenses arc being | closely watched by the commission, it | was said, because these items are all | deducted ‘from operating revenues which | constitute an important factor in the | determination of rates. ‘ Soliciting Cost Rises. | . Bachman’s report discloses that | the company’s records credit $136.- 460.39 in 1930 to canvassing and solicit- | ing. an increase of $89,400.14 over the same item for the preceding year. For advertising and supplies, the company | last " year spent $65.277.52, compared | with $45.842.30 in 1929. Salaries for new employes, according to the report, | amounted to $52,099.20, an increase of ‘ $20,126.69 over 1929. At the same time | there was an increase of $11,238.05 in | the salaries of administrative officials. | In his statement, Mr. Bachman called | attention to the fact that the change of | management of the gas company took | place last March, and that the full effect of the increase in personnel and | the accompanying increase in cost is not reflected in his compilations. The same is true, he said, as to the new business department. Mr, Bachman also called attention to an apparent decease in the general and miscellaneous expenses of the com- pany. *“This is partly due,” he said, “to the change in method of setting up a reserve for depreciation (due to the commission’s order) and in part to a different method being followed in dis- tributing transportation cxpenses. By this I mean that a larger part of these expenses were distributed to construc- tion work, and thus capitalized, than has been done heretofore. Maintenance Decreases. cline in maintenance costs. The reason for this I do not know, and I cannot state whether such has been required in order to make a better showing in earn- ings for the year or whether the property is in as good shape as it was a year ago.” The company's operating revenues in 1930, as shown by the report, amounted to $5892,579.75, an increase of $14,- 896.15 over 1929. The net income, less taxes, however, was $13,052.14 under the previous year. Mr. Bachman's statement, together with reports from engineers of the com- mission who were assigned to various phases of the situation in the gas pressure investigation, are expected to occupy the attention of the commission when it meets tomorrow in semi-weekly session. 2 Wood's Reply Awaited. By that time the commission also hopes to have a reply from George A. G. Wood, president of the gas com- pany, in response to its special order last week directing that steps be taken immediately to bring gas pressure with- in the new 8-inch maximum. Richmond B. Keech, people’s counsel, also will g2 before the commission with various information he has gathered in connection with his independent investi- bills, anxiously awaiting is that of Elmer G. Runyan, its gas engineer, who was directed to make a test to determine what effect varying pressures had on gas consumption. This test, the com- mission believes, will show definitely whether increased gas pressures pre- vailing generally throughout the Dis- trict are responsible for the high bills complained of by gas consumers. Wealthy Socialist in British Par- liament Expected to Bolt Ranks. LONDON, February 23 (#)—Reports were heard yesterday that Sir Oswald Moseley, wealthy young Socialist mem- ber of Parliament, soon would separate from the Labor party and form a new parliamentary group with a number of other Labor dissenters, estimated at from 6 to 15. Sir Oswald spoke at Portsmouth yes- terday and refused either to confirm or deny these reports, but said he would make a statement shortly. Some of those who signed his unemployment manifesto last year, which preceded his resignation from the cabinet and called for a five-man economic dictatorship to bring Britain out of the slump, said he would leave the Labor party.« They added that he was expected to resign ‘Wednesday. “Manhatta B Author of “The Tr guessers. It fairly bristles wi called “a masterpiece of thril In m > Tomorrow’s ‘This new novel is a mystery which will challenge the best Tomorrow’s n Nights” By William Almon Wolff, ial of Mary Dugan” Begins in Star th questions—and it might be lers.” - = Star “There was also a very marked de- | gation into the cause of the high gas The report which the commission is | HODVER LAUNGHES QU O DETERMINE REALBONUSNEES Begins Nation-Wide Inquiry as to Distress Among Veterans. CHIEF EXECUTIVE AT DESK AS USUAL DURING HOLIDAY 710,000 Can Benefit—Reports From Two Cities Show Small Per- centage in Want. President Hoover is having an inquiry made to determine the number of veterans throughout the country who are actually in distress, and the degree of their distress, as well as other pos- sible effects of the World War veterans’ loan bill, before he takes any action. Mr. Hoover did not declare a holiday for himself today, but was at his desk at his usual early hour, and remained absorbed in the study of this veterans' loan bill throughout the forenoon. The President has started a draft of the message he will send to Congress when he finally acts upon this measure, but he will not have it in completed form until he has completed this inquiry he has entered upon. In making this known at the White House today, it was said in his behalf that he wants to have sufficient re- sponse to this inquiry to make it pos- sible for him to dispose of this bill by the middle of the week. Maximum Loans of $500. ‘The President is also making this survey include a study as to how effec- tive the loan bill will really relieve distress. The average maximum bor- rowing capacity on veterans’ certificates will be $500, but the certificates will vary from $125 up to that amount. It has been assumed that this would be the measure of relief available. It was further explained in the Presi- dent's behalf that in the group of ve! erans whose certificates are for less thar $250, approximately 210,000 vet- erans would have a borrowing fa'e'r i of :m,ooo,oon, or an average each. ‘The next group, of 500,000 veterans, whose certificates average between $250 and $500, would have a borrowing po - er of $77,500,000, or an average of $137 Resirictive Needs Noted. President Hoover was Tepresented a- looking upon these figures as being i.- lustrative of just how restrictive is the actual need among veterans throughout the country. Moreover, it is safe to as- sume that these veterans who are in need already have borrowed up to the 227; per cent possible under - ent veterans’ bonus act. Figures already received by Presi- dent Hoover in this connection, which are considered as substantial proof of this restricted need, show that one un- named city has 20,000 in its population, and that only 159 of them are known to be in distress. Another city, having over 140,000 veterans in | its population, reports only 1,700 vet- erans in distress. These figures dre being furnished by local agencies en- gaged in alding those In distress, in their respective communities. The two cities mentioned are widely separated. and are looked upon at the White House x‘as being typical of the situation at arge. According to the White House this survey is being made for the President by the Vetcrans' Bureau and variou other agencies of the Government 2 by welfare organizations. {FOUR-MILE CHASE JAILS BOY DRIVER Joseph Hall, 21, Is Held for Jury After Takoma Park Crash. Girl Is Injured. Captured after a sensational four-mils chase through Washington streets by 14 other motorists, Joseph E. Hall, 21 years old, of Takoma Park, Md., today was arraigned in Police Court on charges of colliding and reckless driving. Hall was ordered held for the grand jury under $500 bond. Meanwhile, Miss Judy Hamilton ef the Wardmen Park Hotel, an occupant of a machine struck by Hall's car early yesterday at Fourteenth and S streets, was recovering from slight injuries suf- fered in the accident. She was dis- missed from Emergency Hospital after receiving first aid treatment.. A. Richitt, a traffic policeman, told Judge Ralph Given he had taken Hall into custody after his automobile had crashed into a %elephone pole at Piney Branch road near Thirteenth street. The policeman said Hall had been chased by 14 other drivers, scme of whom saw his car collide with a ma- chine operated by Wilmer T. Snowden of 2311 Connecticut avenue, at tie Fourteenth street intersection. Miss Hamilton was a passenger in Snowden's car. The liceman declared witnesses sald Hall was driving at 60 miles an hour when he drove his automobile into the telephone pole. KING, IN LONDON, TALKS WITH SON IN SANTIAGO Conversation Carried on Several Minutes Over Land Phone Line and Wireless. By the Associated Press. LONDON, February 23.—King George spoke today with the Prince of Wales. The fact that the father was at son at the British embassy in Santiago made no difference in these long-distance telephony and the con- versation was led on easily for some minutes. The voice of the Prince of Wales passed over a land line to Buenos Aires, then was carried by wireless to the British post office receiving station at Baldock, and finally was relayed through the London exchange - to Buckingham Palace. The King's voice traveled by land line through Ri then by wireless to Buenos AF over land line to Santiago.