Evening Star Newspaper, September 27, 1931, Page 2

AL, A PRESIDENT SILENT - ON STEEL PAY CUT White House “Gentleman’s | Agreement” Was to Run 6 Months, Says Report. President Hoove is refusing to be ! drawn into the controversy whether the ' White House agreement of November | 21, 1920, has been violated by the United States Steel Corporation's de- | cislon to reduce wages by 10 per cent | on October 1, announcement of which | has led to a lowered pay rate in many other corporations. New light on that agreement was of- fered yesterday by Senator James J. Davis, Republican, of Pennsylvania, who was Sccretary of Labor at the time. Reached by telephone at Lan- caster, Pa, Senator Davis confirmed reports that there was an unwritten “gentlemen’s understanding” that the agreement between capital and labor announced on that day by President Hoover was for a fixed period. While the Senator sald he could not recall how long that period was to be, others quoted Mr. Davis as having said at the time that it was for six months. In view of the charge by William Green, president of the American Fed- eration of Labor, that “this great cor- poration has broken its promise,” the incident is considered important not only for jts bearing on the immediate situation, but also as a matter of record ' in the relations between capital and labor. Believe Hoover Facts Proper. In some quarters the incident has been regarded sufficiently important to | justify an importuning of President Hoover to state the facts. The matter | was submitted to the White House yes- terday with a request for a stand from the President. The answer given was that the White House declined to com- ment on the question in any way. Yet it is becoming increasingly t that the President, while ad- ering to his stand for maintaining the American standard of living, has no in- tention of decrying or objecting to the cuts that have been announced. Ad- ministration officials incline to the‘ view, however, that the President may have something to say if the down- ‘ward movement of wages should become too general and extend to lines of em- ployment which have not been hit by | the depression. ‘That there was a time limit on the wage agreement has not hitherto been stated authoritatively. It was only a| ort time after a stock market crash and the prevailing opinion in the Pres- ident's office was that the main thing to do was to avoid a bad psychological reaction on business. i | Brotherhoods Fall in Line, { It was in this spirit, it is said, that certain leaders of the railroad brother- hoods at first balked at agreeing not to seek higher wages. Senator Davis is credited with having brought them into agreement with the rail executives on the unwritten understanding that the agreement would be for no more than six months. After that the brother- hoods would be at liberty to ask pay in- creases. The raiiroad brotherhoods were persuaded. it is said, not to insist upon having the period written into the agreement announced by President Hoover at the end of & day of exhaust- ive efforts with heads of industry and | organized labor. Whatever promise industrial leaders | made at thst time was made to Presi- dent Hoover and transmitted to Presi- dent Green and the labor leaders. In! the N‘le announcement issued by the lent that evening nothing was said about the duration of the truce between capital and labor, save in this final plr;g‘ph: “The purpose of these declarations is to give assurance that conflicts should | not occur during the present situation | which will affect the continuation of | work and thus to maintain stability of | employment.” i | { | | | | | 1 Changed Condition Cited. Without undertaking to discuss the action of the steel corporation now, it is | pointed out in responsible administta- | ton _quarters tgl.t: (o nditions have inged subsequl e ‘eement. The United States began to feel effects of the drop in the purchasing power of European and Latin-American powers, it is explained, and other causes com- bined to prolong the depression longer than Government economists expected. These who justify the steel corpora- tion's action so far as the wage sgree. | ment is concerned, take the view that | the whole spirit of the egreement was | thst it applied to conditions then ex- | istent and that in any event the six- month understanding, whether spply- Ing merely to the railroad fleld or to the | entirs industrial field, could be ccn- strued as touching the entire eagree- | ment. i Wage cutting figures announced yes- | terday by the Labor Department showed that the movement, which started early this year, is spreading among corpora- tions. The department’s Bureau of Statistics reported that for the month ending August 15, pay cuts_were | ordered in 221 factories and affected | 20,739 employes. | The cuts ranged from 5 to 27 per cent, the report showed. However, a decline was noted for this | period in comparing the statistics with | those for the month ending July 15 when 238 establishments ordered pay reductions, affecting 33.238 employes and ranging from 4 to 25 per cent. CONGRESS MAY ACT | TO BAN STOCK AND | GRAIN SHORT SALES' (Continued From First Page.) ! quickly because it was afraid the policy might become t00 popular, and bring about such & demand from all quarters that a ban would have to remain p°r- | manently on selling short | Among the Senato:s who have taken & keen interest in the affairs of the| stock market and the produce markete, | from a critical point of view, are Sen- ators Glass of Virginia, Brookhart of Towa and Caraway of Ariansas, Brook- hart has a bill ready now for introduc- | tion to put a curb on short seliing, and 50 has Senator Caraway. Incidentally there were three Repub- lcan standpat Senators session of Congress who had resolutions | all prepared for introduction calling for an inquiry into the operations of the New York Stock Market. None of them was offered, but the fact that these Senators had prepared them is an indication that the agitation for some kind of reform of the stock mar- | ket and its procedure has spread to guarters which are usually regarded as; friendly to the exchange and the powers ' there. Manipulation Belief Held. Rightly or wrongly, the opinion ha: [rovn in Congress that the stock mar. et has been manipulated in the last two years by persons who have made in the last| | i | | I | THE SUNDAY Virginia authorities -are investigatinz the mysterious death of Mr. and Mrs. Goodwin Miller and their infant son, Thursday night near Joplin, Va. lcnpn Inset is Miller, a World War joan. found the bodies a day after the house HOOVER HAS NINE GUESTSAT RAPIDAN Speculation on Talk Arisés as Roosevelt and Bingham Visit Camp. By the Assoclated Press. Presideat Hoover changed his mind twice yesterday because of erratic weather, and then motored to his Vir- | ginia mountain camp for a week end of rest. Rain early in the day caused the President to call off his usual Rapidan trip, but as the skies cleared he de- cided to take his problems and a party of nine guests to the higher altitude for some informal chats around cabin fireplace. ‘The usual speculation as to subjects of discussion at these week end visits was inaugurated because of the presence in t cgt‘ny <[ Gov. Roosevelt of Porto Rico, irman Bingham of the Senate Territcries Committee and Gov. Brucker of Michigan. Roosevelt has been mentioned often | for the post of Governor General of the Philippines. Both Roosevelt and Gov. Brucker were leaders at the Detroit convention of the American Legion in backing Mr. Hoo- ver's stand against demands for new bonus legislation. The island Governor joined Hanford MacNider, American Minister to Can- in opposing the move. ‘'We worked night and day,” Roose- velt sald. Brucker also threw his weight against more bonus money, and it was thought the Chief Executive would thank both men for their work at Detroit. Senator Bingham heads a committee which handles Porto Rican as well as other island possession legislation. Others on the presidential guest list were Mrs. Bingham and Mrs. Brucker; H. P. Wolfe, Columbus. Ohio, newspaper publisher, and Mrs. Wolfe, and Fred P. Shedd, Philadelphia editor, and Mrs, Shedd. Before leaving the White House Roose- velt indicated to newspaper men he would not be interested in the Repub- lican vice presidential nomination in the event Vice President Curtis decided not to seek re-election. He also suggested Patrick Hurley, Secretary of War, would be & good man for the position. THREE FATALLY BURNED IN NEW YORK BLAZE By the Asscciated Press. NEW YORK, September 26. persons were others were in in a lower East Side tenement tonight, The dead, whose bodies were found on a stairway. were unidentified. Ten of the ]Injured were taken to Bellevue Hos- ital, 1 fortunes out of the losses in commodity and stock prices. Here and there, however, is found & defender of the market and of short selling among the legislators. One of them, a prominent Republican, last night that he believed that short selling often turned out to be a real asset; that the shorts provided a buy- ing contingent that frequently checked too rnthl: descent in market prices, and, on other hand, that without them, there would be too great inflation - » country’s cziminality. in a fire which destroyed their home | Ruins of the home are shown in top photo- veteran, who recently received a bonus Below, Mrs. Virgle Miller, his sister-in-law, and her son Wilson, who burned. —Star Staff Photos. MURDER IS HINTED IN DEATH OF THREE IN FIRE IN VIRGINIA (Continued From First Page.) man and wife indicated they had died without an effort to get out of bed. This fact also was responsible in a measure for the advancement of the murder theory, investigators contending that if they had been alive they would have discovered the smoke or ifire and made some effort to escape. Man’s Teeth Found. | The baby’s skeleton, which was in- | tact, was found lying cross-wise in its crib. The dead man's teeth were found by 'his brother, Raymond Miller, late Fri- day evening. They were found near the man’s hips, and this led Miller to believe his brother had been slain, his head cut off and the home burned in an effort to conceal the crime. “I went squirrel hunting PFriday,” he sald, “and didn’t hear about this until the | late. After I had shot seven squirrels I | came home and Virgie told me what had happened. I went right over to Goodwin's house, around some found the teeth. I don't see how they could have gotten where they were if his head had been in the right place. 1 believe Goodwin was chloroformed or slugged by somebody who cut his head off afterward and then burned the house. “I don't see how fire could have start- ed without them knowing it unless somebody set it. They weren't using any | stove and nothing but oil lamps. I know he wouldn’t go to bed and leave & lamp | burning.” Told Shot Was Heard. Miller cashed his bonus check at the | store of E. L. Herring at Independence Hill, Va., and paid a bill there, leaving with $75 in cash. Wednesday he sold some chickens, the proceeds bringing his cash to $80. The fire killed all but one of his remaining flock. W. E. Lloyd, justice of the peace at Triangle, said he had been told a shot was heard near the Miller home about 2 o'clock Friday morning. could not be confirmed. Joseph Wolferton of Joplin told po- ! lice he saw smoke near the Miller home at daybreak Friday. He said, however, that he “thought it was somebody making whisky down on the creek” and didn't investigate. Funeral This Afternoon. Justice of the Peace Crow was in- and after poking | This report , rally proceed with tax readjustment ac- SI'E'AR. WASHINGTON, D. C, ! MARRIAGE CANON| OF DRUGGAN BRIBE SHOFS - REJECT Episcopal Committee Offers Substitute Involving Divorce Question. By the Associated Pres: DENVER, September 26.—A com- U. S PROBES STORY Gangster’s Friend Charges $75,000 Paid U. S. Attor- ney for Leniency. By the Associcted Pre CHICAGO, September 26.—The story ! mittee of the House of Bishops of the|that Terry Druggan and Frank Lake Episcopal Church today rejected a pro- posed matrimonial canon, approved yesterday by the House of Deputiel which would have established ecclesi< astical courts with authority to grant communicant rights to divorced per- sons. ‘The committee in turn offered a new proposal as a substitute. The commit- tee's proposed canon agrees with that of the deputies in almost all respects. The chief difference concerns techni- calitles regarding the status in the church of & divorced person who has remarrfed. Discussion of this point was set for Monday with prospects that a conference committee may be ap- pointed to -iron out differences. Pledge Feature Defeated. ‘The bishops defeated a provision con- tained both in the deputies’ canon and that advanced by their own canon ! committee, requiring parties to a mar- riage to sign & pledge declaring a be- llef in the Christian ideal of marriage as a lifelong physical and spiritual union. The majority of bishops agreed with Bishop Irving Peake Johnson, Colorado, who sald, “There is no need of making them sign a pledge to keep a pledge which they will take during the solem- nization of the marriage.” Two provisions contained in neither proposal were adopted. One requires the intervention of three days between the issuance of a marriage license and ! the performance of the ceremony. This | was adopted by a narrow margin, and only after considerable debate. The other provision requires that one party to a marriage must have been baptized. With adjournment of the general convention tentatively set for next Wednesday, a number of controversial problems were still before the dele- gates. Liguor Question Waits. Trke deputies had yet to take action on the report of the Committee of Twenty-one, adopted by the bishops, which recognizes a “widespread and honest difference of opinion in the Na- tion, within this church and among the members of this commission, as to the wisdom snd desirability of re- taining the eighteenth amendment and the consequent legislation in their pres- ent form. Other convention developments today included -adoption of a resolution by | the House of Bishops allowing married women to serve as deaconesses. The proposal has been controversial in the church for 11 years. The bishops also adopted a resolution providing for an assistant to the presiding bishop. ‘The House of Deputies received a resolution to drop the name “protestant’ from the church, on the grounds that it is misunderstood and is a hindrance in the work of the church. A resolu- tion was also introduced which seeks to place the convention on record as holding clergymen need not interpret literally the Bible or the creeds. A resolution for international legis- lation against narcotics, by the World Narcotic Defense at Geneva, was approved by the deputies today, as adopted by the House of Bishops. v The last of the mass meetings of | the convention under auspices of the department of foreign missions will be held tomorrow night. HULL WOULD DROP PROHIBITION ISSUE, HE SAYS IN FORUM ___ (Continued From First Page) markets, it would take another Lonf— fellow's ‘Evangeline’ to depict, would be free from the fatal effects of over- production and disposable surpluses. Nor would everybSdy be running to the Government for authority to pool, to regulate or artificially to 0x or peg prices.” He warned in this connection, how- ever, that “to accepi leadership the Democratic party must restate its fun- damentals and face back to a clean-cut attitude toward its historic tariff and commercial policies, ridding itself of such equivocal utterances as the Hous- ton platform.” Discussing measures for copipg with the immediate situation, Senator Hull declared that “high tariff walls should come down everywhere,” “this Nation having measurably led others into the present economic catas- trophe cannot proceed too soon to lead them out. There should be a careful and gradual tariff reduction downward by Congress, with the aid of a fact- finding commission, a fair and friendly commercial policy based upon the un- conditional favored-nation doctrine.” ‘Taking up the subject of taxes, Sen- ator Hull said that “it is not improbable that Federal taxes have been so reduced that those accruing during an average business year will not meet the normal requirements of the Treasury. This is the first inquiry at present, and if the suggestion is correct Congress will natu- cordingly. Any additional taxes levied would more equitably come from in- comes, inheritances and possibly certain stamp taxes. Excise taxes on some of the chief tariff beneficiaries is well worth considering.” As to the dry “in striving to advance the Democratic welfare, it has invariably been my at- clined to the belief that the deaths|tjjude tcward prohibition and anti- were accidental. He sald he h been | prohibition alike that prohibition is es- told Miller habitually smoked cigarettes | sentially a non-partisan question for in bed. Mrs. Flossle Watkins, a sister, said Miller had been fighting Wednesday | oo fit at any and all times. with some man whose identity she did not know. She expressed the opinion, however, that this had nothing to do with the deaths and that Miller was killed by some one after his money. Funeral services for the Millers will be held this afterncon at Belhaven Chapel, Independence Hill. Miller is survived by two brothers, Raymond | and Milton, and his sister. Mrs. Mil- ler is survived by her mother, Mrs. J. }!. Stroke of Incependence Hill. U. S. a Dumping Ground for Scum of Old World Criminal racketeers have amassed fortunes as they have bartered in the lives and hopes of human beings. The Department of Labor is striking hard and effectively to wipe out the sources of much of the It’s an amazing story! A Thrilling One! T:24 Tom Henry’s series of stories starting in The Evening Star Tomorrow the exclusive consideration and determi- |nation of the general public as it may | | I deny the right of either side to saddle th! controversy cn the Democratic perty. Hitting at “some overzealous gentle- men,” whq say that a Democrat, in re- fusing <o take a partisan stand on the issue, is “pussyfooting,” Hull quoted the late President Wilson as declaring the questions invclved in this subject are “social and moral and are not susceptible of being made parts of a party program.” (The text of Senator Hull's speech is carried in the editorial section of The Star today.) TWO BADLY INJURED Virginian Suffers Broken Neck; ‘Woman's S8kull Fractured. ‘Two persons were seriously injured last night when the automobile in which they were riding skidded from ' the bighway and cra: into & tree near Falls Church, ‘Those injured were John Coleman, 31, of Falls Church, and Mrs, Mary Muutay, 49, also of Falls Church, They were brought to Georgetown Hospital by county police. Ooleman's neck vas broken and he is mot ex- pected to live. Mrs. Murray's condition also is critical. Her skull was frac- ‘tured. BMan Found Murdered, CHICAGO, September 26 (/).—The body of & man who had been shot to death was found tonight on the side of h t the Role'ol The city, uUET® 09, 608 Weas as prepared | adding that | w Senstor Hull said, ' - paid $75000 in an effort to escape penitentiary sentences for violating in- come tax laws was being investigated {by the Federal Government today “in |an exbaustive manner.” ‘United States District Attorney George E. Q. Johnson denled in a formal statement that he or any one in his office had been “bribed or im- properly influenced.” He sald investi- gation of the story was going forward with his “full co-operation. Hajes Repeats Charge. Harry C. Hayes, hotel owner and friend of the two gangsters, who first revealed that: Department of Justice agents had ccme to Chicago to investi- gate the charge, reiterated that $75,000 was paid to clear Druggan and Lake in the income tax case.” Hayes had previously said the money was given an unnamed attorney, in- ferring that he was to pass it on to persons$ who might have influence in the case. He did not accuse any Gov- | ernment official or employe of having received any of it. } The Federal Building version of the | entire affair was that it was a “plot” to discredit Johnson and obstruct jus- tice on fhe eve of important cases bagainst gangsters, including the in- come tax case against “Scarface Al” Capone. Promises Punishment. “What the purpose of this story con- veys except to impair my usefulness as a public official I do not understand,” sald Johnson “When the Govern- ment's investigation is completed, which T hope will be in a short time, steps will be taken to punish those who are gullty in this matter. “My private, professional and official life in Chicago is an open book to all who care to know. And if the reputa- tion of & public official can be destroyed by the uncorroborated word of a man who. by his own statement is in a con- spiracy to bribe, then no one who values his reputation can afford to be in public office.” Druggan and Lake have pleaded | guilty to violating income tax laws with | the stipulation that if certain cases were reversed by the Supreme Court they might change their pleas. Gangster Gets Extension. more notorious “Scarface Al"” Capone, escaped immediate imprisonment for faflure to pay Federal income taxes as the United States Circuit Court of Ap- peals granted him an extension until October 6 to prepare an appeal to the Supreme Court. On that date “Scarface Al” will face Federal Judge James H. Wilkerson to be tried also for income tax evasion. A mandate committing Ralph Capone to the Federal Penitentiary at Leaven- worth to serve a sentence of three veare was stayed by the action of the Circuit Court. “which yesterday denied the also faces $11,000 in fines. He was charged with evading payment of more than $300,000 in taxes and penalties. His attorneys said they would ask the Supreme Court to review the case under & writ of certiorari. {GANDHI UNSHAKEN_ | BY COTTON WORKERS; INDIA WORSE, HE SAYS __(Continued From First Page.) ] hands with them, he told them he loved all children in the world as his own. After lunch he issued a statement in which he declared he was overwhelmed by Lancashire’s hospitality, that he was fully aware of the hardships undergone {by the district and that it depressed him to think he had had some share, even if unintended, in bringing about istress, Defends Indian Stand. But India, he sald. must stand firm on the determination to préduce her |own cloth. He pointed out that since the Delhi truce the boycott has been effective not only against Britain but against all nations. And he promised | that, if the present round table confer- ence results in a solution to the Indian problem and if at some time in the fu- ture India is able to consume more goods than she can produce, then British products will be favored above those of other nations. The mayor of Darwen said it was apparent Britain must come to the realization that never again will the textile trade with India be regained. Although the people Mr. Gandhi talked with today were for the most part jobless, they appeared to be cheer- ful and uninvindictive. One man, shaking his fist in the bearded face of the Rev. Charles An- drews, the Mahatma's friend, declared: {“You tell Gandhi that a thousand Gandhi’s couldn't shake Lancashire off | its feet.” ATTORNEYS CLAIM THEY KNOW MOTHER OF MRS. WHOLEAN _ (Continued From First Page) client would claim any interest in the estate as a blood descendant. “At this time we are relying on Mrs. Henderson's action in 1924, when she adopted Mrs. Wholean as her daughter and made her her sole heir at law. If we are defeated in this, we will cross ! the next bridge when we come to it.” Mrs. Henderson subsequently filed a | | petition to set aside the adoption de- | cree, which had been signed by Justice William Hitz. A motion to dismiss this | petition was dented, | Through a trust fund and a division | of personal property belonging to John | Hendetson, jr., Mrs. Wholean is said to have received already more than $1,000,000. She is also entitled to one- | half of the son's real estate under the terms of his will. Virtually Disinherited. Mrs. Henderson's last will, executed April 8, 1931, virtually disinherits Mrs. Whoelan in so far as the wealthy dowa- ger's estate is concerned. This will, | which was the subject of the legal at- | tack yesterday, left $100,000 in cash and $100,000 trust to her Japanese secretary, Jesse S. Shima. ‘The caveats alleged that the will was drawn while Mrs. Henderson was of unsound mind and subject to “undue influence” by Shima. Attorney Edmund L. Jones, of the firm of Hogan, Donovan, Jones, Hartson & Guider, filed the caveat on behalf of the Battle Creek College, which was named as principal beneficiary in the | will of July 13, 1927, 4 Get Reserve Commissions. Commissions in the. Army Reserve fr:orpn have been Wi Department to shirtieth strest, as a.capisin and spe cialist; to Henry N. Weigandt, University {Club, as a captain in the Military In- gn nce Division, and to Richard P, “tenat gangster a rehearing of the case. He. SEPTEMBER 27, | | 1 | | | | i | | | | | arrested in connection with the Jaynes | intimidation of Baber, with a view to , 3041 N street, as & first lieus and specialist, i A 1931 —PART ON Held in Tntimidation Probe TWO MEN SEIZED FOR INTIMIDATION Alleged Accomplice in Third- Degree Plot Is Released Under Bond. | | 1 (Continued From First Page.) ! 3 LA i or imprisoned not more than 3 years, Ralph Capone, older brother of the | OF both.” Mason was arrested on & warrant is- | sued by the commissioner Friday morning. . O'Connor was sought on & ““John Doe” warrant, as his identity was not known until Masop was taken into custody. O'Connor_learned that he was wanted and had his attorney, George McNeil, arrange for his sur- render. Advised to “Go Easy.” According to the story told Federal officers by Baber, and later substanti- | ated by Mason, Mason and a com- | panion alleged to have been O’Connor | drove up to Baber's filling station on | yniteq States Commissioner Turnage the morning of September 18, the day after Baber had given sensational tes- timony to the grand jury. The men, inquired for “the fellow who testified on_the third degree yesterday.” Baber was called to the car and the pair is alleged to have advised the man- | ager that the detective against whom he had given damaging testimony was “a good friend” of theirs. Mason, it is stated, told Baber the detective had- saved him from “taking & rap.” The two are alleged to have suggested that Baber “go easy” on their detective friend when called to testify -again. Baber paid little attention to the incident at that time, but become more impressed when the pair returned that night and, it is charged, repeated the suggestion that Baber “soft pedal” the | case. On this occasion, Justice agents | were advised, Baber was invited to “have & drink.” | Notified Officials. ‘The manager decided to notify the Department of Justice of the visits. In- vestigators traced Mason through the|today began preparations to greet for | tag numbers of the car, but failed to! | locate him at his home or other haunts until yesterday. Baber, who is 20 years old, was ar- rested as a suspect in the slaying of | Mrs. Elizabeth Jaynes. He and another youth, Mahlon Milburn, were taken into custody April 6, three days after the killing. The two had been living in an apartment in the Marne, Thirteenth and Belmont streets. Whien Baber returned to the apart-: ment after an absence of several hours, he said, four detectives awaited him. One of them, a headquarters man, step- ped from behind the door and attacked him as he entered, Baber declared. ‘The detective, Baber continued, pum- meled him with his fists, blackening his eyes and striking him in the mouth with such force that one of his teeth plerced his upper lip, Only the inter- vention of one of the other detectives halted the beating, Baber asserted. Detective Intoxicated. The detective who attacked him, Ba- ber said, was intoxicated. When Mil- burn returned to the apartment a short time later, Baber went on, he, too, was beaten. Baber, Milburn and. another man case were held for investigation for three days, but finally were 'relesscd. All three men, as well as the resident manager of the apartment house, were questliuned by Department of Justice agents. The manager, & woman, declared the detective whom Baber and Milburn accused of assaulting them, tried to make & “date” with her. She not only corroborated Baber's assertion that the detective was drunk, but also accused one of his companions of ordering liquor over the telephone in her apartment. Hoover -Orders Inquiry, J. Edgar Hoover, director of the | Bureau of Investigation, order thorough investigation of the .fn‘lna learning if there were other ramifica- tions. Hoover has promised the more than 200 Government witnesses' that all re. sources of the Government will be used fo protect them from intimidators, The Government will prosecute Mason and O'Connor vigorously as & warning to others. Two men were arrested yesterday by Department of Justice agents and dep- uty marshals on warrants charging ob- structing justice in the police third- degree inquiry. Above, Maurice O'Con- nor (left), as he was brought to the | court house by Deputy Marshal John who Clarkson. Below, Cecil Mason, pleaded guilty to the charge before FRENCH COLONY 10 REET LAVAL —§Star Staff Photos. 'Prepare Elaborate Receptions, and Dinner for Premier in New York. By the Assoclated Press. NEW YORK, September 26.—Mem- bers of the French colony in New York the first time Plerre Laval, premier of France, on his maiden trip to the United States next month. Premier Laval will arrive about Oc-‘ tober 20, it was made known, and will be literally in a strange land, since not a handful of the more than 25,000 Frenchmen in the metropolis ever met the peasant who became prime minis- ter in a sudden rise to political emi- nence. “That is true also of the 50,000 French people in the eastern consulate area,” Maxim Mongendre, consul gen- eral of France in New York, stated. Plan Elaborate Reception. Elaborate receptions and other cere- monies are being contemplated, but these will be & part of the city's greet- ing, and = dinner will be given Premier Laval here. The dinner may have to await_the completion of his business with President Hoover and other state officials. It will be combined with honors to Marshal Petain, arriving at the same time. Laval is middle aged, medium height, swarthy and heavily mustached. He is rated wealthy, having enjoyed & suc- cessful legal practice for many years. Native of Auvergne and known ali over France as “the man with the white necktie” for his fondness for & white piquet cravat, M. Laval rose in national politics so rapidly even his neighbors scarcely sensed his sirength. Born of Peasant Parents. He is the first premler of the many in recent years who had not held that office at least once before. Born of peasant parents, who made great sacrifices to educate him to sci- ence and the law, Pierre Laval turned to socialism as a natural bent. He is described by French journalists as a “citizen of the sofl.” His first government post outside of his home department of Pay de Dome was minister of public works in the Painleve cabinet in 1925. His chief ac- complishment there was prevention of a trous economic blow to France during the northern textile strike. As minister of labor he put into ef- fect France's soclal insurance, securing old age pensions for workers, A Warning to Intimidators Director J. Edgar Hoover of the United States Bureau of Investigation has announced his determina- tion to preserve the inviolability of Government wit- nesses in the Federal third degree inquiry. Aroused by the recurrence of attempts to intimi- date important witnesses against police officers ac- cused of brutality, Hoover requests that his bureau be notified promptly of any incldent which might be con- strued as an effort to obstruct justice, All such cases will be prosecuted vlgms usly, it Investigated _thoroughly and Was emphasized. LLOYD GEORGE MAY DIRECT OPPOSITION [London Press Discusses His Substitution for Hender- son. By the Associated Press. LONDON, September 26.—A possibil- ity that David Lioyd George, veteran Liberal leader, might become head of the opposition to the national govern- ment in place of Arthur Henderson was the subject of speculation in early edi- tions of the Sunday newspapers to- night. The most prominent place in the Sun~ day papers was given to discussion of a general election, and Lioyd George was credited with contemplating the issu: ance of a vigorous free-trade manifesto in opposition to of tariffs for Britain. MacDonald Decision Seen. It was agreed on all sides that Prime Minister MacDonald will announce his decision next week, perhaps Monday, but more probably Wednesday, which will be the day after King George re- turns from Scotland. ‘The press was about evenly divided on the question. Those papers which op- posed an immediate election called it “a conspiracy to force tariffs upon the country” and urged that the situation of the pound sterling on world markets would be dangerous during the uncer- tainty of a campaign. Papers which favored holding the election soon, however, said it was es- sential to restore the confidence of for- eigners in Great Britain and the pres- ent government could not continue longer in office without securing a man- date from the nation. These took the view that the national government would appeal to the country, with Mac- Donald as prime minister and with tar- iffs as the main plank of its platform. Retirement Forecast. ‘The retirement of Philip Snowden {from active politics was forecast and the possible defection from the ministry of two or three Liberal free-traders. In connection with the speculatior over the possibility of Lloyd George as- suming the role of opposition leader, it was said that Arthur Henderson was having a hard time keeping his follow- ers together. SEEK MACDONALD OPPONENT. Repudiation of Coalition Leader Is Pushed in Own Constituency. SEAHAM HARBOR, Durham, Eng- land, September 26 (#).—Repudiation of Ramsay MacDonald by his own con- stituency was carried an important step further today. Delegates at a meeting of the Seaham division Labor party unanimously decided to obtain a Labor candidate for the next general election, which many political observers believe will occur before the end of October. ‘Thus, if Mr. MacDonald seeks re- election in his present constituency as @ member of the national government he will be opposed by an official Labor candidate. The Seaham Labor party recently asked the. Prime Minister to resign his seat in the House of Commons, | LAVAL AND BRIAND VISIT TO GERMANY STIRS PEACE HOPES Sarah Bernhardt is said to have over- looked him at a banquet, not knowing who he was. LAVAL GETS U. S. BIDS. ! Premier Flooded With Invitations. T 26 American (/). —Before ‘They came from chambers of com- xerce, patriotic socleties, hotels, husi- ness houses and individuals. Some | were sent to him direct, others were transmitted through the American em- 58, | The embassy pointed out the impos- sibility of the premier's |of the invitations, sin | America only five or six days. The * tel of peace” left for Ber- lin to the accompaniment of noisy cheers by throngs at the Gard du Nord, {on their mission of improving rela- tions with the German govern uent. As their train pulled out of the s.a- i tion hundreds of well wishers lighted | bengal lights and shouted, “Long live (Lavall Tong live Briand! Long live peace!” All the ministers in the French cab- | inet were present to see the statesman |depart and the German government was represented by charge d'affaires Forster in the absence of Ambassador Leo von Hoesch. ‘With the French premier and foreign secretary were Albert Buisson, financial expert and members of the foreign of- fice staff. Before his departure M. Laval de- clared the object of his visit to Berlin was to_improve economic relations be- tween France and Germany. “If the relations of the two countries Improve by active co-operation,” he said, “1 am convinced they will be a powerful psychological factor in the creation of & general atmosphere of calm and con- fidence without which we cannot solve the grave problems now disturbing the world.” In Paris France's desires so far as Germany are concernsd are described thus: That she “.ay down her arms,” both morally and physically. France wants a cessation of nationalistic out- breaks which are declared to be plainly | directed either against France or her ally,” Poland. She would like if possible to have & jgquietus put on campaigns to take the | Folish corridor away from Poland and restore it to Germany. Some commen- tators declare that if the Polish problem is taken up at Berlin, it will prove the hardest nut of all to crack. The biggest spur to a genuine Franco- | German understanding is seen here in the urgent need for economic improve- ment everywhere in Europe. There is talk of an accord between French min- eral and German coal interests and of the. development by Germans of vasi clectrical projects in France, the theory being that the Germans are past mas- ters in this type of work. Whatever be the outcome of the La- val-Briand visit, it is the consensus in Paris that they have taken a bold step in the face of criticism that the present is not the time to build up s general understanding with Germany. PICTURE SELLER JAILED Plea of Aiding Sick Mother Fails Man Vending Lewd Matter.