Evening Star Newspaper, April 29, 1931, Page 1

WEATHER. (U. 8. Weather Bureau Forecast.) Fair and cooler with lowest tempera- ture about 43 degrees tonight; tomor- row fair. ‘Temperatures—Highest, 63, at 5 pm. yesterday; lowest, 52, Full report on page 3. Closing N.Y. Markets, Pages13,14 & 15 at 6 am. today. @h WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION ¢ Foening St “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 as fast as the papers are printed. Yesterday’s Circulation, 117,790 No. 31,774 post office, Entered as second class matter Washington, o D. WASHINGTON, I ). C, WEDNESDAY, A PRIL 29, 1931—THIRT Y-EIGHT PAGES. (®) Means Associated Press. HIEH WAGE LEVES URCED BY LAONT BEFORELL..OF ¢ Tells Delegates This Is Nec- essary to Maintain Pur- chasing Power. PRAISES CO-OPERATION OF INDUSTRY IN CRISIS Propesed Resclution Will Revision of Anti-Trust L;w:. By the Associated Press. ATLANTIC CITY, N. J., April 29— The most prospercus periods of th» Naticr’s industriz] hist said Robert P. Lamont, Secretzry ef Cemmere”, at the cpening session tocey of the United States Chamber of Commerce, have been those “coincident with high wag:s and sherter hours.” “If millions of workers are out of em- plevmient for a year through loss of wages, their buying power is cut by billions of dollars,” the Secretary said. “If the income of the remaining millions | less than half an hour when the Presi- | wiip cre still employed is cut 10 per cent througk shorter hours and part-time Wwo! Lillions. Add to th's great loss in buy- ine power the ritrenchment due to the fears and uncertainties of such a period, and the total loss of purchasing power becomes a staggering unt.” A governmental program contemplat- ing expenditures 2s high as a billion dollars a year would be helpful, he &aid, but “could not materially affec the situation.” Mr. Lamont's address followed Presi- dent William Butterworth’s keynote order at 10 o'clock. History Will Repeat. “I am enough of an optimist,” Mr. Lamont said, “to believe that industrial history will again repeat itself and that the next 50 years will witness further | displaccment of labor and the further Cevelopment of many new procucts and services which will afford employment to those displaced and supply the ever- capanding wants of our people. “Cut these bright prospzcts for the long-term future cannot obscure the fact that we are deep into one of the most s2vere depressions of cur business history, and that labor and capital as well have suffered seriously frcm cur- tailed earnings and unemployment. In spite of this I am sure it will not be denied that there has been less actual distress and less social disturbance than ever before under 'ar clreumsianees. “Incdustry generaMy has shown an in- terest in its workers of a quality never before seen in this or any other country. Labor’s attitude as well has been a most. enlightened one. Co-operation Helpful Factor. “This voluntary assumption of the part of industry, involving as it has the finest type of co-operative spirit and collective effort, has been one of the most important factors in carrying us thus far without serious distress or disturbance through a major depression. And this attitude on the part of in- dustry toward its common problems seems to me to hold out the b2st hope of the_ future.” Mr. Lamont said he had seen no way whereby the Federal Government cculd have helped the situation more than | it has: That already there are some indications the present situation is being corrected. He pointed out that the “severity of depressions”—at least the “statistical picture” ol the severity of the depres- sion—has been becoming greater in re- cent decades, and this still further em- phasizes the necessity of serious efforts 10 bring about some means of control, He emphasized that attempts to rem- edy the Fitua!i% after a collapse can- not be very elective—that industry mu!}} large’y do the job of prevention dtself. Urge Trust Law Change. A campaign for revision of the anti- trust laws to authorize trade agree- ments under the Federal Trade Com- mission is foreshadowed in a resolution to be submitted to the convention. Henry Fowler of the Trade Relations Committee of the chazmber, in'an ad- dress before the newly-formed congress of industries, said his committee hes prepared a resolution to be offered to the chamber as follows n order to define and thercby make certain the proper basis of co-opera- tion between business and the Federal Trade Commissicn for the promotion of botter business standards and for the prevention of unsound competitive prac- tices, the Chamber of Commerce urges (Continued on Page 2, Column 4.) SMOKE OVERCOMES BOYS Two Are Carried From Burning School Dormitory. MARLBORO, Mass., April 29 (#).— Two boys overcome by smoke were carried to safety and 14 others ran from @ blazing dormitory eerly today when fire d buildings at ! Hillsid hool tor Boys Victims three woman employes > overcome by smoke as ir b an_ agricultural usetts boys between It has 67 puplls. scheol for Massa 8 to 16 years of age Urge | and Robert Ernst were | “Tell Me About Yourself and Your Folks,” Is President’s Friendly Greeting. Somewhat ildered by Reception, Asks to See Dogs. |Bryan Untiedt, Bev shznds with you and have you as m |guest at the White House. Cn:ae, sit | beside me, and tell me all about yous- | Self and your folks. That was Fresident Hoover's grect- ing to Bryan Untiedt, 13-year-old boy {of Towner, Colo., the o of a |schcol bus tragedy in which five would nave lost their lives had he not execut:d heroic efforts to keep them ac- tive and warm. van was left in charge cf the bus by Carl Miller, the driver, woen it be- came snowbound. Miller froze to death in an attempt to obtain hclp. When airplanes found the bus, nearly two days later, young Unticdt had removed | his outer clothing to cover tne younger | children. The deed so arousci Mr. | Hoover's admiration and interest_that | he invited the boy to visit the White | House. | Bryan had been at the White House Ident sent word to have him brought | to his office. The ycuthful hero, mod- est and somewhat bewildered, showed the loss amounts to several more 'no signs of being nervous at his meet- " BOY BUS HERO CALLS ON HOOVER, SEES KING AND QUEEN OF SIAM “Hello, Bryan, I am glad to shake | children perished and in which more | BRYAN UNTIEDT., ing with the Chief Executive. He ex- | tended his hand to the President in a manly fashion and in response to t | latter's ome, thanked him for in (Continued on Fage 2, Column 6.) ROOSEVELT UNHURT - BY WALKER ACTION iRepuhlicans and Democrats speech. The ccnvention was called to| Alike in Views on Dis- missal of Charges. BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. Gov. Frankl'n D. Roosevelt's dismis- |zal of the charges brought by the City | Affairs Club against Mayor “Jimmic” Walker of New York City will not, in | the opin‘on of both Rcpublican and Democratic leaders in Washington to- {day, act as a hendicap to the Cov- ernor in the race for the Democratic president'al nomination next vear. Roosevelt has for weeks been out in | front in the contest for the Dzmocratic presidential nomination. He is not an | # ennounced candidate for the nomina- {tion. But certa'nly he has done noth- ing to halt the boom which has been launched for him. Poosevelt for Pres-i dent Ciubs are sprngirg up all over | the country, North, East, Wast and | South. For that very rcason, | fore, enything that Gov. Roosevelt does is watched with keen interest because | of its possible edect on the presidential | race in 1932. | Under a caption, “The Right De- | eision,” the New York Herald Tribune, | the strongest Republican organ in New | York City, if not in tre State, commends { Gov. Roosevelt for his action in dis- missing the charges against Mayor Wal ker. “Gov. Roosevelt,” the Herald Trib- | une editorial says, “has very properly dismissed the charg:s preferred against Mayor Walker. too generai to constitute grounds for removal or even justify investigation # '+ * The charges, which never should have been begun upon the basis of any evidence at present available, were best | s0on _ended. The city is indebted to the Governor, both for his prompt de- cision and for his clear statement of z‘;e principles of law and government in ue.” Suspicious of G. O. P. The Democrats may be inclined in scme quarters to look with suspicion | | upon the Republicans “bearing gifts” as | they seem to b> doing in this editorial | of the New York Tribune. It is possi- ble that the Republicans, including the Herald Tribune, are waiting until the | Dzmocrats shall have nominated Gov. Roosevelt for President, before unlimber- ing their guns and attacking him for kis dismissal of charges against Mayor Wal- | ker, the darling of Tammany Hall. But in that event the Roosevelt follow will c:rtainly be able to dig up today editorial in the Herald Tribune as an answer. Mayor Walker's administration of New York City government is to be ‘under investigation by the State Legis- lative Committee, which already und the guidance of Judge Samuel Seabury |is getting ready for that inquiry and has called upon Mayor Walker for data regarding various officials and officers. What the effect upon Gov. Roosevelt's chances for the presidential nomina- (Continued on Page 2, Column 8.) QUAKE KILLS 100 Three Districts in Transcaucasia Affected by Shock. MOSCOW, April 29 ().—At least 100 persons were reported killed or injured today in an earthquake which struck three districts of the Soviet republic of Nakichevan in Transcaucasia Several villeges were reported to h {been wiped out and many houses other settlements were destroyed. The | Trenscaucasian government moved im- mediately to organize relief. | WOMAN FACES RABIES DEATH, WITHOU Pastor Spends Three Days Trying to Warn Victim After; Dog Had By the Assoclated Press T KNOWING PERIL Bitten Her. |ton learned the dog later developed They were obviously | $107,153 SOUGHT INLAND SELZURE Payment From Montgom- ery County. | By a Staff Correspondent of RCCKVILLE, Md., April ng trespacs, breach of cont violation of “due process” clauses the Maryland end United States Con- stitutions, Dr. Anna Barizch Dunne, 2500 Conneci , Wash ngton, | filed suit in Circuit Court here thi: morning _ 2gainst the Montgome County , Commiss oners, asking 1153.03 damages for property taken in 1 the widening of Georgia avenue almost¥ three years 2go. Dr. Dunne ga‘ned considerable pub- | licity during July, 1920, by living in a tent on a portion of the same plot {involved in the present litigation in order to conform with the law requiring re-entry, following the expration of an option. 'At that time the dispute over possession of the land was with the Maryland Garage & Machine Co. Dr. Dunne won out. Land Selzure Charged. The precent suit statcs that the C.mmizsioners, exercising the power of eminent domain, took possessi 17,592.18 square feet at the corner of Georgia avenue | Colesville Pike, which belong to the plaintiff, with‘ut demnation pro- ceedings or other proper procedure of any kind. The land in question is now part of the intersection of the two thorough- fares and is cne of the busiest corners in Silver Spring and the leges that the County Commissioners “faithfully promised the plainufl to pay her as much money as she reason- ably descrved to have when payment should be requested.” Through her attorneys, Peter, Simp- son and Oxley of Rockville; Butler, Lamb, Foster and Pope of Washington, and E. Barrett’ Prettyman, Karl Loos and Preston King, also of War ington, the plaintiff states that she ‘reasonably deserved to have of the de- fendant the sum of $53,576.54." “Nevertheless,” the declaration con- tinues, “the defendant, not regarding its several promises and undertakings, but contriving and fraudulently intend- ing craftily and subtly to deceive and defraud the plaintiff in this behalf, hath not as yet paid the sum of money althcugh requested so to do.” Camped on Ground The suit sets June, 7, 1928, as the date the ccmmissioners took possession of the land. msnth later that Dr. Dunne camped on the same corner to establish her right to the remaining portion of her against the Maryland Garage & | ine_Co. | The suit on the breach of con tract is aimed against the county com- missioncrs as & corporate body but the action in individual commissioners holding office when the land was taken as well as the | present board as a whole. The commissioners and former com- | missioners sought to be held individ- |ually liable are Robert L. Hickerson, | Downey Williams, Clagett C. Hilton, Lacy Shaw and Dr. Benjamin C. Perry. Mr. Hickerson and Dr. Perry no longer hold office. | Three Theories Advanced. ¥ e 2ction proceeds on three thories. first is that the action of the y commissioners constituted a tak- of private property for public use vithout due process of law, which is prohibited by the constitutions of Mary- and the United States; that their to compensate Dr. Dunne for the y violated an implied contract, nd that it was a trespass. Lawycrs for the plaintiff say that they s, e the case into i e adverse decisions by Mary- land tribunals. the constitutional question involved would place the litigation in the pur- | view of the Supreme Court The value set on the property by the ?lalnlfif! is at the rate of $3 per square oot. BANDITS GET $43,000 29 | | | CHICAGO, April (/P).—Four WILLIAMSTON, N. C., April 29.— rables and hearing of the animal's at- | masked gunmen terrorized ssven mem- An unsuspecting woman who faced |tack on the saleswoman, began inquir.es | bers of the 1. M. Bailen household last possible death from the dreaded rabies | to learn her name and warn her. today received a warning of her danger from a minister, who for three days | him her ‘Today a resident of the section gave name and he had devoted his entire time to trying | wired Mrs. Smith, warning her to take to learn her name. the pasteur treatment, almost a certain She was Mrs. Gilbert Smith of Castle- | preventive of the disease. on-Hudson, N. Y, a religious books and magazines, first ald and went her way. The Rev. A. H. Marshall of Williams- saleswoman _for | Two weeks ago Mrs. Smith was bitten by & dog at Roper, N. C. She was given His warning was believed to be in t'me. Physiclans at the state depart- ment of health in Raleigh told Mr. Marshall the disease usually was from four to six weeks in developing in a humen. immediately | n'ght 2nd escaped with jew valued | at_$18,000. Bailen, a furrier: his wife, daughter, néphew end threée servants were threat- ened witW"shooting unless they revealed tq th> quartet where the jewels were hidcen. Earlier prowlers entered the home of Charles L. Krum, president of the Morkrum Co., dur.ng absence of the family, and escaped with loot valued at $25,000 " |warning ofl companies of the alleged Dr. Anna B. Dunne Demands‘ The suit for breach of contract al-! D. | It was just a year and a | only, | spass names the | They point out that | IRED PLOT SOUGHT IN TEXAS OIL FIRE ‘COSTING 7 LIVES Rangers Investigating Igni- tion of Wild Well at Glade- water—2 More May Die. OFFICIAL SAYS SPARK COULD NOT BE CAUSE Brother Among Dead as Relief Is Rushed to Scene in Effort to Quench Flame. | By the Associated Press. | TYLER, Tex., April 29. — Sinclair Ofl Co. officials here said today that Texas rangers investigating an alleged | Communist plot to blow up oilfield prop- | erties were expected to inquire Into the | oil well explosion that killed seven men near Gladewater, Tex., last night. Glenn Haroun, production superin- | tendent for the company, said the fire | which ignited the well as it was flow- ing wild was known to have started beneath the derrick floor, where, he | said, there were no frictional parts that might have caused a cpark. | He referred to letters sent out re- cently by Ranger Capt. Frank Hamer Ccmmunist plot in _connection with {thefts of quantities of nitroglycerine in | {Tex2s and Oklahoma. Haroun's | | brother Bill lost his life in the explo- ision and fire at the well, which® was still burning fiercely today. Sherifl Martin Hoyes of Gregg Coun- | |ty ceclared it was his opinion the well | ignited accidentally by sparks from | | friction of machinery and scouted the | | theory of incendiarism. RELIEF RUSHED TO SCI | | Men and Equipment Seck to Quench' Oil Well Fire, B the Associated Press. GLADEWATER, Tex.. April 20.—Men and equipment were fusied to the Sin- ciair No. 1 Cole well, 4 mles routheast {of here, today in an efiort to subdue the mighty roaring caldron that burned | scven men to death last night. | Two othcr men who were pulled from the infern> after it had becom: ignited | were pear death in a Longviev hos-| pital. It was possible others had died | in the blaze, but operators were hope- | ful all had been a-counted for. ‘rhe dezd: Bob Murdock, Orlando, OKla.; Bill Haroun, Canadian, Okla.;' George Albright, Okiahoma City, Okla.; Roy | | Blankenship, Tulsa, Okla.; Bill Mc- land, sr., Winona, Bill Mec- Cas'and, jr, Wincna, Virgil Woltz, Hunter, Ckla. | | Two Others Dying. | John Keys. 39. of Oklahoma City and Frank Fiouck, 35, ¢f Woodfield Okla., were in the hospital at Longvie | in a dying condition The mtic geyser of fire crackled | !and leagtd unabated, gathering mo- mentum through the night, lighting the pine forests for many miles. Its f | heat became intensified as thousands of barrels of crude oil were lapped up by_the shooting flames. | It appeared likely that several days w:uid be necessary for experts to place nitroglycerine to blow out the fire. | While the oil fire snorted and popped, | buddies of Murdock and Haroun, whoss | bodies were cremated in the withering | caldron, kept a sort of wake over their |ton of 2,000 pounds is a violation of . | ashes. Around campfires they talked cf | the agonizing scene as men died in the | fire and related incidents of heroism. | There was the cese of Driller Mur- | dock, caught on the floor of the rig, | who ‘thought of his pal, Virgll Woltz, | second driller, and made a mad rush to | extricate him from the flames. Last Act Described. Pat Massey t-1d of that incident. He | was standing on the runway when the | spark of undetermined origin set | the funeral pyre. Only a mnute before | Murdock had handed him his watch | and said, “Pat, hold this for me, 1 | don't want to get ofl on it.” Murdock | | walked back down the runway to the | floor of the rig and never came out. Whether Murdock g-t his pal, Woltz, ‘ off the rig no one knew, but they picked up Woltz's charred, blickened tody five | hours later far from the fire. There waes the wife of Murdock, whose ashes still were whirled skyward by the menster, with her 13-month- | old babe in one arm and the 3-yea3-old girl by a hand. Frem her front veranda, th~ roustab-uts said, she could see the reflection of the sky through the night All of the men who perished were | young, save one—McCasland, sr., who died with his son. Most of them were under 30, all of them married and sev- eral had families. Fourteen on Job at Time. There were 14 men on the job when the fire gushed forth from ‘the well, which was brought in Sunday night and had been running wild for 30 hours. Glenn Haroun, field superintendent, was standing near his brother Bill, one of the drillers burned to death. He rushed to aid his other men, as some were able to run trom the derrick floor. Other wells in the new East Texas field were In nc danger unless gales should iblow and set the pine forests afire. | The closest well is one-half mile away. CALL FOR CREW TOO LATE. f Superintendent Who Asked Aid Among Victims. OKLAHOMA CITY, April 29 ().— | A hurry-up call for members of a wild | well erew from the Oklahoma City field |to speed to Texas and attempt to tame {the wild gusher at Gladewater came too late. Glenn Harroun, Sinclair production superintendent in charge of the Texas gusher, sent the call yesterday to mem- bers of a wild well crew he formerly headed, only a few hours before the gusher canught fite. One of the dead was Harroun’s young broter Bill Glenn, before going to Texas, directed a band that successfully fought several oil and gas well fires in the Oklahoma City fleld. | Brother of British Steamer Afire. PERTH, West Australia, April 29 {(#).—The British steamer Demos- thenes, out of Brisbane for Liverpool, radiofed Lloyds today that her forward bunker was afire and she was putting into Freemantle She sailed from Freemantle last Saturday with several passengers. Radio Prolr;!m on l;lle B-10 12,240 pounds. TWO CENTS. BRIDE SUGGESTS COAL TEST SUT Corporation Counsel Offers| Commissfoners No Opin- ion on Legal Ton. Corporation Counsel William W. Bride today returned to the District Commis- sioners the papers requesting of him an opinion as to whether it is legal to sell coal by the short ton of 2,000 pounds, with a suggestion that a test-case be arrangad to try the matter out in court. He submitted no opinion as to the legality of the sale. At the same time, in another document, he scat up a sug- gestion that the Commissioners turn over to the Department of Justice alleged evidence of price fixing by coal wholesalers said to have been uncov- ered by Superintndent of Weights and Measures George M. Roberts during the course of his investigation into the new system of selling coal. On April 1, coal dealers announced that coal wculd be sold by 2,000-pound units instead of by the long ton of Mr. Roberts was ordered y the Commissioners the next day to invesc.gate the situation, in view of the provision cf the weights ‘and measures act that coal shall be sold by the long ton. On April 18, Mr. Bride was asked for an opinion on_the legality of the chort-ton sales. In his communica- tion tcday, Mr. Bride said: | “I return herewith corporation coun- sel's office which is a request by the superintendent of weights, measures and markets for the opinion of this cf- fice on the question of whether or not the sale of coal in the District of Co- lumbia on a basis equivalent to a short section 8 of the weights and measure act of 1921, quoted herein, and whether cr not ccal dealers can successfully evade the provisions contained in sec- tion 8 of said act, stipulating that ‘coal shall be sold by the lorg ton, consisting of 2,240 pounds avoirdup:is’ and escape punishment by calling the said short ton of 2000 pounds & ‘unit’ instead of a short ton. 2 Legal Test Suggested. “In view of the public agitation over this matter and the position taken by Representative Crosser of Ohio, who I aes'sted in drafting of this legislation, | that it was the intention of the framers thereof that coal should be priced and sold by the 1°ng ton only, I recommend the Commissioners direct | this office to institute proceedings to test the legality of the sale of a 2,000~ pound unit and thus obtain a judicial interpretation of the statutes.” Mr. Crosser's views were stated at a conference yesterday with Assistant Corporation 'C-unsel Vernon L. West shortly before Mark Lansburgh, presi- dent of the Merzhants & Manufacturers Association, accompanied by a commit- | | tee from that organization, had called on Mr. West to explain the merchants' view was legal. The recommendation cf the corpora- tion counsel will come before the Com- missioners at thelr next regular meet- ing on Friday and is expected to be adopted. MEX|EI6 RAISES DUTIES Higher Tariff on Farm and Dairy Products in Effect May 2. MEXICO CITY, April 29 ().— Greatly increased import duties will go into effect May 2 on a long list of dairy and farm products as a conse- {quence of government approval of a measure of the cabinet council which takes this means of helping Mexican farmers A current duty of 7 centavos per kilogram on wheat wil be increased to 10 centavo: of 1 centavos on corn to 6 centavos; beans, 6 to 10 centavos; flour, 19 to 28 centavos; lard, 10 to 20 centavos; butter, 60 to 80 centavos; peas, 60 to 80 centavos. Among other articles on which the duty is increased are eggs, wool, silk, cotion seed, cotton-seed: oil and vege- table ofl. L $400,000 LOST IN FIRE Flames Tobacco Warehouse Threaten Winston-Salem District. WINSTON-SALEM, N. C. April 29 (/P).—Fire of unknown origin early to- day destroyed the huge warehouse of the Winston-Salem Leaf & Storage to- bacco Co., approximately 4,000,000 pounds, of tobacco and 12 small Negro residences nearby. The damage was estimated in excess of $400,000. The flames threatened a r2-drying plant operated by the company and ad- Joining the warehouse, in that the sale by the short ton| Wind Blows Lake Off Shore, Baring Jettisoned Liquor By the Associated Press. MONROE, Mich., April 29.— The local liquor supply seems to depend upon how the wind b ows. Monday thore was a strong west wind which blew ths waters of Lake Erie several hundred yards off shore. When the natives 2wcke yesterday morning they found a great quantity of beer, whisky and wine scattered along the beach. Rum runners from Ontario, fearing capture, are believed to have dumped the contraband overboard. MISPECTOR TAKEN FROM STUART 108 E. F. Horton Transferred After Collapse of Frames at School. Inspector E. F. Horton, attached to the municipal architect's office, was transferred from the jcb of building a 10-room additicn to the Stuart Junior High School today, following the col- lapse yesterday of wooden frames and shoring into which concrete was being poured. Another inspector will be as- signed to the job. A general inspection of all school construction jobs was ordeged today by Assistant Engineer Commissioner H. L. Robb. It will be made by George War- ren and Leslie N. Brown, chief in- spectors of the municipal architect's cffice. A second inspection of all of the school construction jobs under way will be made tomorrow by Engineer Com- missioner John C. Gotwals, who re- turned to his desk today from a short vacation. All of the frames, holes and shoring involved in the ccllapse yesterday, which occurred in the domestic science room of the new addition, have been condemned. The W. P. Rose Construc- tion Co. of Goldsboro, N. C., the con- tractors Luilding the addition, have been instructed to tear all of this woodwork out and to replace it with new lumber. The ccmpny was crdered by Assistant Mu icipal Architect S. B. Wals! use i 1 Archi Walsh to shoring which is not spiiced. The shoring under the job whch gave way was made of old lumber spliced together, |and this was considered cne of the reas-ns for the colapse. Maj. Robb said today the damage would amount to about $300 and that the accident was not serious. The di- rect cause was the fact that the work- men poured two bins of concrete onto the same spot on the frames almost simultaneously instead of spreading out the concrete from the first bin before pouring in the second bin. A contrib- uting cause was the old spliced shoring. By e {HOP TO PORTO RICO BEGUN BY 2 FLYERS | Pangborn and Herndon Off on Non-Stop Trip Test for Globe Flight. | | | By the Associated Press. | ROOSEVELT FIELD, N. Y., April |29.—Clyde E. Pangborn, veteran air Icircus pilot, and Hugh Herndon, jr., wealthy aviation enthusiast, took off at | 8:25 a.m. (Eastern daylight time) today | on a 1,600-mile non-stop flight to Porto |Rico. The trip was to be a test in ‘pre].));ruuon for a flight around the | world. On their return to Roosevelt Field in |a week or 10 days, the flyers hope to | start their globe-girdling flight. They will attempt to break the record of the Graf Zeppelin. - They plan to fly first to England, then the Moscow, Tokio, Seattle and back to New York. Mrs. H. M. Alexander, mother-in-law of Gov. Theodare Roosevelt of Porto Rico, was at the fleld as the plane left. She sent a package of books apd toys to Ler grandson, Quentin. An- other interested spectator was Mr: Dixon Boardman, mother of Herndon, anfl backer of the flight. e pigeons were taken aboard the craft and will be released at inter- vals of 200 and 500 miles. The plane carries no radio. Lone Bank Bandit Gets $1,600. man armed with a sawed-off shotgun held up the Otisville Statz Bank this mornlnf and escapéd wll‘l.h‘ sl.egohxldm posse of villagers gave chase and fire 2t him, with rifies. It was believed his auton obile; was hit, OTISVILLE, Mich,, April 29 (#).—A X RAYS SHORTAGE DECLARED S300 State Officials Silent Pending Report on Audit of County Books. By a Staff Correspondent of The Star. ROCKVILLE, Md., April 29.—With ! Stste officials maintaining silence pend- | e a formal report by auditors con- cernig the condition of the accounts | of the late Preston B. Ray, clerk of the } Circuit Court here, it was reported from a reifable source today that the report mey show a shortage of approximately $20.000. | This amount is claimed to be the sum |of successive shortages occurring each t | | vear since 1914, when Mr. Ray was ap- | poinied clerk. Cor:ficting with this information was th- emphatic denial by Clayton K. Wat- | kins. who succeeded Mr. Ray in office, | that there was a shortzge. Calls Charge False. “It L a lie,” he declared, “and even |if the report indicates a shortags, they wili have to show me exactly where it as before I will believe it. Mr. Ray was {on2 oi my best friends and I know he | couid ret have dons anything wrong.” | ~Th: principal shortage, according to the reports, is said to have been found |in enc section of Mr. Ray's accounts. | There is said to have been no record for | 17 years of any fees received for record- ‘g:g the sale of property in default of xex. | The fee from this source is $3 in | each sale, with the yearly total run- ning from $900 to $1,500. clared that the report of the auditors | may rhow that the books in the clerk’s i(’)fflfide: record no dispcsition of these | funds. County Books Checked. The amount of the reported shortage | was ascertained by checking books in | the offices of the county commission- | ers and the county treasurer, each of which show tax sales. When' property is sold for taxes a total fee of $16.50 is assessed. Three dollars of this goes to the clerk of the court, $1 to the auctioneer, $8 for advertising, $2.50 to | attorneys and $2 to the county com- | missioners.a The treasurer's books show the | money received in payment for the | property. The treasurer’s accounts and those in the office of the county com- | missioners were examined and the | fixing of the reported deficit frcm this | source was merely a matter of multi- plication. __Besides the shortage in this account (Continued on Page 2, Column 7.) | WEATHER DELAYS EAKER Noted Pilot Awaits Improvement Before Starting for Capital. BURBANK, Calif., April 29 Capt. Ira Eaker, noted Army pilot, who planned to take off at 1 am. today for ashington, delayed his flight because of threatening weather. His plane was held in readiness for the take-off in case the skies cleared later today. TORNADO HITS IN MEXICO MEXICO CITY, April 20 (#)—A dispatch to Excelsior today from Chia- pas said that 90 per cent of the houses in Comitan, a town of that State, were nroofed yesterday by a tornado which lasted two hours and was ac- companied by hail half the size ot hen_eggs. P The light and power system was wrecked and communications were dis- ;uptfim A number of persons were in- jured. It is de- | (P— | SIAMESE MONARCH EXCHANGES VIS WITH PRESIDENT |Call at White House Returned by Chief Executive and First Lady. QUEEN SMILESEPPILY FOR CLICKING CAMERAS il’mjz«lhx’puk‘u Health Curtails Pro- gram as Others of Party Visit Tombs. With all the ceremony that marks ;the mesting of the heads of nations, | King Prajadhipok of Siam and Presi- | dent Hoover this morning exchanged | greetings. The blue rocm of the White House was the scene of the meeting of the ruler of 11,000,000 people who live un- der one of the three absolute mon- archies of the world end the Chief Executive of the American people. Added color was lent to the scene as gold braided military and naval aldes stood by while the felicitations were exchanged. King Prajadhinok was accompanied | to the White House by his Queen, | Rambai Barni, while Mrs. Hoover stood with the President to greet the visitors. Immediately following the trip to the White House, President Hoover and | Mrs. Hoover returned the visit to the | Massachusetts avenue home, where the | Eastern monarch and his wife are domiciled while in Washington, and thus the way was paved for the visit of other representatives of this and of | foreign governments who also called to pay their respects. Guests for 15 Minutes. | The King and Queen, with their retinue, arrived at the White House | about 10:15 and were witn President and Mrs. Hoover for about 15 minutes. | Upon emerging the royal couple, to- | gether with Prince Svasti and the Prin- | cess Svasti, the Queen's father and mother, posed for photographers. | While cameras were clicking, the Queen, whose every movement is eagerly | observed by the crowds which follow | the progress of the royal couple, smiled | | happily. TEIE King and Queen then re-entered | White House cars, which are at their disposal, and hastened back to their | residence _to receive JME. and Mrs. | Hoover. This call was also brief, and | then the procession of other officialdom | started. | _First in order came Vice President Curtis and his official hostess, Mrs, Edward Everett Gann; the Chief Jus- tice, Charles Evans Hughes, and Mrs. Hughes; the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court and their wives; the members of the cabinet with their wives; Senator Moses of New Hamp- | sjre, President pro tem. of the Senate, | and Mrs. Moses; the chief of staff, Gen. Douglas MacArthur; the chief of naval operations, Admiral William V. Pratt, and Mrs. Pratt. Welcome to Diplomats. ‘With their greetings to the Americans concluded, their majesties then greeted MNhe chiefs of the foreign diplomat'c missions accredited to this Government. This reception concluded the pro- gram to be followed today by the King and Queen, who, however, Wil resume | the formalities of their visit when they { attend the state dinner at the White | House tonight at 8 o'clock. | The King was to have visited Arling- | ton and Mount Vernon this aftermoon, but because of his health this arramge- | ment was canceled. However, Prince | Svasii and the Princess Svasti are going | to Arlington to place a wreath on the | Tomb the Unknown Soldier, and | from there are gaing to Mount Vernon | to piace a floral tribut: at the Tomb | of Washington. The King also was forced to cancel his broadcast, which was scheduled this afternoon. A cloud was cest on the visit this morning, when the King received word | of the death of Mrs. Whitelaw Reid, at whose home in New York he is a guest while in th's country. Advised cf Mrs. Reid’s death, the ing issued the following statement: “The Queen and I are profoundly . gricved by the distressing news of the death cf Mrs. Whitelaw Reid. Her | gifts of character, her qualities of mind |and her unfailing kindness won ad- | miration and affection for her in dis- | tant lands as well as here.” | The royal party arrived here at 6 | o'clock last night, coming down from | New York in a special Pullman attached |to a regular Pennsylvania train, | _As King Prajadhipok and Queen | Rambi Barni alighted from the train | they were greeted by Vice President | Curtis and Secretary of State Stimson. Crossing the platform then, they met, (Continued on Page 2, Column 3.) Ki Common Scold Woman's Right. | LOCK HAVEN, Pa. April 29 (®).— | An’ indictment charging Asa T. Kulp with being a common scold was quashed here yesterday, the court ruling that only a woman could be accused of that offense. By the Assoclated Press. NEW YORK, April 29.—In order that he might stick to his post until the last minute, sending calls for help, an un- identified radio operator jumped into clambered back aboard the burning tanker Castor yesterday after the rest of the crew had taken to the lifeboats. He made his way. to the radio room, 1 his clothes dripping, and continued to |send pleas for assistance until the { flames t out of commission. ker oaded with petro- and while he’ still aboard the firg got into the engine One of hi§ messages said an explsion was ex- pfeted any minute, s call brought four ship , and the British freigl the res- Ouse-~ the sea to fireproof his clothing and |8 O RADIO OPERATOR BRAVES BLAZE .~ TO CALL HELP FOR BURNING SHIP Unidentified Man Returns to Tanker From Safety After Escape in Boat to Send SOS. bridge picked up the crew. The story of the rescue and the radio operator’ heroism was received here by the Amer- ican export line, whose ship, the Ex- calibur, was the first to answer the S and to broadcast the call for help to other vessels. The ‘tanker, under Swedish registry, caught fire about 340 miles southeast of the Azores. Just before his set went out of commission, the operator ticked Off his last faint mesage: “Hurry—— Hurry assistance—— fire raging aft—-~ all crew safe in boats.” ‘The radio operator was gu:kzd up with the rest of the crew by ths Ousebridge. Last word from the Ousebridge was that the tanker was still afloat, not burning. Attempts were being made to tow her to the Azores,