Evening Star Newspaper, December 2, 1931, Page 2

A—2 xx» THE "EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. (. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9 1931. HOME OWNERSHIP PARLEY TO OPEN \ Hundreds-of Delegates Arrive | to Hear President Dis- ' | cuss Plans. Registration of the greatest force of experts ever mobilized in this country for the specific purpose of benefiting | the individual home owner was in | progress today at the new Dvg)mlmfl:tl of Commerce Building | Hundreds of delegates frc 1 all sec- | here at were being tions of the Nation, meetir the call of President Hoover registered for the President’s confer- | ence on home building and home own ership, with the prospect that total enroliment would run beyond 3,000 delegates The conference will be set tion tonight with en address ident Hoover before the fi session in C stitution Hal row the delegates will split into many | sectional conferences to hear formal | findings of specialized groups, which | have been at work during the past year. | All | Practically every economic and social | phase of American life has been | touched upon by more than 500 tech- nical and professional experts in their detailed analyses during the past year of the home owner's problems Their recommendat) for tmproving and maki and economical t! American home w delegaies which v inous factual find them practical force /8ince the value of the research studies would be to the millions of in- dividual home owners and prospective home butlders of the country unless the | findings of the conference are trans- lated into popular practices, the ground- work has been laid for creation of & permanent organization for promulga- tion of results of the conference Officials of the conference reported this morning that 3,000 acceptances had been received from leaders throughout | the country who are interested in one | way or anotner in the welfare of the home owner. Marine Band to Play. The United States Marine Band, un- der direction of Capt. Taylor Branson, will open the first general session this evening with a concert. Rev. Joseph R. 8izoo, pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, will say an invo- ecation ! Commerce Secretary Lamont, co- chsirman of the President’s conference with Interfor Secretary Wilbur, will welcome the assembled delegates President Hoover, in his address formzlly setting the conference in mo- tion, is expected to touch upon his plan for establishing a system of home loan discount banks, which he recently pro- posed as a means of loosening credits for the benefit of the home owner by means of expanding possible activities of home finance agencies of the country. This proposal calls for creation of a banking institution for the rediscount of home mortgages in each of the 12 Federal Reserve disiricts of the country. A tremendous amount of data re- garding the current problems of the home owner and builder has been col- lected by 31 large committees of spe- cialists in various lines of activity dur- ing the year. Appended to the reports are recommendations for new methods and new combinations of forces by which it is hoped conditions can be bettered, These commitlees’ have delved into problems ranging from elimination of slums to encouragement of mass pro- duction of housing. There will be re- ports on design, equipment, taxation, financing, construction and community planning. Improved Negro housing and modernization of both farm and city dwellings also are the subjects of rec- ommendations. President Sounds Keynote. In calling the conference to consider the findings of the 500 or more special- | ists, President Hoover issued this key- | note thought | “Adequate housing goes to the very | roots of well-being of the family, and the family is the soetal unit of the Na- tion. The question invelves important in_mo- by Pres- general | ! Tomor- | Phases Touched Upon ways of desirable p of the re the volum- give ow 1 be digest d seek t | Lights Chri SEVENTH STREET DECORATIONS stmas Lane TURNED ON BY DISTRICT HEAD. T Seventh and 1 streets last night a switch which caused the Seventh street shopping distr holidey lights. The ness Men'’s Association. TOM MOONEY'S FATE ‘ RESTS WITH ROLPH AS FICKERT AIDS HIM (Continued From First Page.) human nature than I had ever had be- fore. And I went And what I saw I can't describe But not in that face was there the pacity for such an atrocious crime. Not in that clear, yet sympathetic. kindly blue eve did I find the mirror of a soul 50 depraved as to be guilty of *his crime. 1 saw gentility, obvious injus- tice. I saw a kindly grown old in appearance inside of those walls, I heard a voice that was sympathy itself, and his eye looked straight forward, did not swerve. 1 knew the record was right, T knew the judge was right, I knew the living jurcrs had seen the light, I knew there had been a great miscarriage of justice.” Agitators Arrested. Soon_ after the hearing was started & crowd carrying banners assembled in the square outside the State Building They chanted “Free Tom Mooney,” and two delegations attempted w0 enter the | court room. Entrance was refused The indignant shouts following ths double refusal precipitated a mild dis- turbance’ and half a dozen patrol wagons filled with agitators wege taken to the police station. Charles M. Fickert, who prosecuted Mooney, expressed his belief today that the best interests of the State probably would be served by granting Mooney executive clemency. The former San Francisco district T | attorney made the statement in a let- ter answering & telegram from Mayor Walker. So far as known, it was the first time Fickert had spoken in favor of freeing Mooney. He said he was influenced by a re- port of former Gov. Young, who made & special study of the Mooney case, that Oxman, one of the chief witnesses against Mooney, gave perjured testi- | mony “and wes nothing more or less than a publicity-seeking romancer.” occasion was arranged by the Seventh,Street Busi- Commissioner Crosby is on the right | Democratic candidate | and_omission alike. Commissioner Reichelderfer (left) threw t to glitter with E o - Slarffifaffr}‘ho(n DEMOCRATS SWELL MAJORITY IN HOUSE BY JERSEY VICTORY (Continued From First Page.) the late Representative Harry M. Wurz- bach, a Republican They captured the elghth Michigan district from Republicans in a special election November besides filling_two normally Democratic seats The Republicans kept two districts on | that date. All five of these and the Texas district returned anti-prohi- bitionists Representative-elect brother-in-law of the Smith Cochrane, doi of Preachers of Washington Cathedral Mrs. Stewart was Miss Eleanor Coch- rane before her marriage. The partici- pation of the newly-elected Congress- man and his wife in social life in Wash- ington will be now assured. SEES HOOVER REFUDIATION. Stewart is a late Alexander of the College BOSTON, December 2 (#).—Jouett Shouse, chairman of the Executive Committee of the Democratic National Committee, today interpreted the elec- tion to Congress of Percy Stewart, a Democrat, from New Jersey, as a “new repudiation” of the Hoover administra- tion. Shouse, en route to Manchester, N. H, to attend a caucus to nameé a for Congress, breakfasted Lere with Gov. Joseph B. Ely. “The situation in the fifth New Jer- sey district,” he said, “was fought ad- mittedly on both sides on the basis of a referendum on the national admin- | istration. In 1928 and in 1930 that district was overwhelmingly Republic~ an, Yesterday it gave a Democrat a majority. No analysis of the figures s necessary. Mr. Stewart, the cone gressman-elect, attacked the Hoover ad- ministration for its sins of commission “The Republican nominee, Mr. Mc- | Lean, defended the administration and pitched his battle upon a plea for a {there on the afternoon of April 6, and | he was not sure th LIQUOR INVOLVED IN BEATING GASE Woman Says Detective Ac- cused of Brutality Had Been Drinking. (Continued From First Page.) sell Kelly, who; with Attorney Harry | Whelan, is representing Barrett Kelly said the defense would admit | that the officers waited for Baber in his spartment. He declared, how- | ever, that it would be shown there was no brutal assault; that Barrett merely grabbed him as he opened the door. He said the defense would introduce | testimony to show that Baber's face bore no marks or bruises after his arrest . “We will show you members of the jury,” the attorney said. “that Officer Barrett acted in the belief he was ar- | resting a dangerous murderer. We do not contend now that Baber had any connection with the crime, but we will show that Detective Barrett had good reason to believe at that time that he was the gullty party.” Employer Takes Stand. ‘The first two witnesses called by the Government_were Police Capt. H. H Grove and H. B. Seacrist, chief clerk of the Detective Bureau, They merely identified official notations of Baber's arrest | Another Government witness, Cor- nelius J. Morris, & supervisor for the Standard Ol Co., testified that Baber | had been employed by his company at a filling station at Eleventh street and | at Park road. He said he saw the youth that his face bore no marks at that time. He sald he next saw Baber on April 9, after he had been released by the police. and that his upper lip, eyes and the right side of his face were | bruised and swollen at that time. Saw Face Bleeding. Willlam H. Sheets, manager of the gas station at which Baber worked, testified that he found Barrett and Baber in the Belmont street apart- ment on the night of April 6 and that | Baber's face was biceding. Sheets said | he drove Baber to the apartment house, following closing of the gas station at 10 o'clock. Baber went into the building, carrying & small package in his hand, which he said contained magazines, the witness declared in re- | sponse to questions by Mr. Richards Sheets said that & few minutes later, while he was waiting for Baber to come out, two men in plain clothes who sald they were policemen walked up to ! his car, inquired what he was doing there and t' h'm he was under arrest They ordcred him to follow them into the apartment, Sheets testified. The wit- ness said that when they entered the apartment where Baber was, Baber was standing in the middle of th~ floor with a handkerchief covered with blood against his face Just as they entered the apartment Sheets stated, Barrett came. cut of the bed room in his shirt sleeves. Later Sheets was taken outside, placed in a headquarters car and taken to head- quarters. He said that when he saw | pj Baber the next morning at police head- | e quarters his eyes were discolored and his | nose and lips swollen. Under cross-examination by Defense | Attorney Kelly, Sheets admitted that t Barrett was not one of the two detectives who placed him under arrest. He later testified that Detective Van D. Hughes was one of the two arresting officers and that | the other one was slightly taller than Hughes. Kelly showed Sheets a photo- graph taken of Baber at police head- quarters on the morning of October 7 and Steets said it accurately portrayed the injuries to Baber he had described to the jury B in re pl do { m ico | | ho to th re: M th ne Sober Trial Opens. ot Policeman Sober gf the second pre- cinct went on lrmld&fcre Justice F. D. | Letts in Criminal Division No. 2 this afternoon, charged with an assault on Arthur T. Paul, colored, 14, on August 1 The colored boy was the first witness put on by the prosecution 1 The government was represented by Assistant United States Attorney John | J. Sirica and the defense by Attorncy James A. O'Shea, | fa ve at! would taken endum clally | submission of the eighteenth amend- | ham, o Congress would be quick | Forces Reported. Gang Leader and 3 6 of His Men Seized ECTED OF RUM RUNNING ON THEIR EX-WARCRAFT. ROOKLY} Staten Island, N. Y., yesterday, Te ided there w , as they were ried no liquor and the agents’ be sed when customs official: s no charge which could after conferring wit e placed against them. Photo the barge office, New York City, after their seizure EARLY DRY VOTE IN CONGRESS SEEN oth Factions Hope to Dis- pose of Issue to Clear Way for Economics. (Continued From First Page.) dications today that the White House not adverse to a vote being in Congress on a prohibition ferendum proposal Wet supporters of a pr ion refer- although they admit that their an for a referendum might be voted own by both Senate and House, espe- if it comes in the form of a re- ent, said today that they would wel- me a showdown on this question. Says Referendum Needed. “What we need,” said Senator Bing- ‘is to have a vote on this prohi tion issue and particularly on the ferendum proposal, so that we may get some reaction from the people back | ome.”" The Connecticut opinion that Senator expressed the constituents of take cognizance of the action of eir representatives in Congress on a ferendum proposal The anti-prohibitionis desire a vote to place the candidates for Congress on | record in time for the 1932 campaign. | any drys recognize that prohibition is high up in the minds of a large part of | e population and that until a vote is | had “these persons will not give eco- omic issues as much consideration as herwise. Rainey Favors Vote. Rainey has alwais voted dry, but vors a referenium on the eighteenth amendn ent “What T am trving to do,” the Illinols teran legislator said, “is to attract the tention of the people to the economic issues. “We can't get a lare section of the Companion In On Jail Cell, Too, Because of Pledge By the Associated Press. OKLAHOMA CITY, December 2—Two New York youths, who played the roles of Damon and Pythias and went to jail together, although only one of them faced charges, are [ree to continue a tour of the country together. When Joe Costello of New York City was arrested on a charge of vagrancy, W. M. Snyder of Buffalo asked that he be locked up, too, explaining that' he had promised to “stick with” Costello on the tour. Both promised to leave Oklahoma City after being dismissed in Municipal Court LACK OF MUMITIONS CITEDBY MPARTHUR General Says Reserves De- ficient—Mechanization of | The Army munition reserves and due to insuf- of the service are “far below” the level set by Congress, Gen. Douglas Mac- Arthur, chiel of staff, reported today in his annual report to Secretary Hur. ley. Two fleld armies, or 1,000,000 men, are called for under the congres- | sional authorization. Advances toward mechanization of | the Army were changes of “considerable eventual import,” he asserted. “Every part of the Army will adopt | mechanization — and motorization — a [far as s practicable and desirable,” he said. machines will be used to increase the mobility, security and striking power of every ground arm, but no separate “To the greatest extent possible, | S leading rum runner, Vannie Higgins, and 36 of his men were caught by Treasury agents off Clifton, running in through the narrows in a converted British mine layer. | st guess is that they missed their supply ship in the night fog. They attaches of the United States attorney's office, | shows the big batch of prisoners landing GERMANY TOCUT NONCPOLY PRCES | }Coal, Iron, Potash and Rail | Rates to Be Brought ta | World Levels. BY EDGAR ANSEL MOWRER. BERLIN, Germany, December 2.— Controlled prices of coal, fron and pot- | ash and railway freight tariffs in Ger- | many are going to be reduced. This is the glad news contained in the com- ing batch of new emergency decrees to be published presumably at the end of this week For years the failure of these articles |to follow the world price movement | owing to controlled or monopoly prices has been the greatest single hinder- | ance, except perhaps the monstrous tariffs on imported grain and food- stuffs. to Germany’s harmonizing with the downward world trend. | Wage Cuts Also Loom. | If, now, an appreciable price re- | duction will be forced by the cabinet, there may be a hopeful utterance of a is becoming deficient in 8eneral price reduction, which is an| absolute necessity. Naturally the pill ficlent appropriations the reserve forces | Will also contain a bitter center, name- | |ly, in that the wages of all govern- | ment, state and municipal employes will be further reduced to approxi- mately the 1927 level. | But this was a foregone conclusion anyway, with a total floating debt or deficit for the Reich, the states and | the municipalities which threatens to pass $1,000,000,000, as estimated for toe close of the present fiscal year at the end of next March. ng the greatest efforts at economv and really are admitting that a nearly bankrupt country must have a lwing | |are still largely solvent. It must be remembered that Germany is & coun- Today the Germans really are mak- | standard below that of countries ‘l‘llchl IBANKER DECLARES FOR TRADE LIBERTY Mitchell Tells Senate Group Economic Crntro! Is Not Feasible. By the Associated Press. Charles E. Mitchell, chairman of the board of the National City Bank of New York, contended today that fluc- tuations in business are inevitable Before the Senate Manufactures Subcommittee, considering proposals for a National Economic Council, the banker said all Americans “cherish the freedom” to develop their own busi- hess in their own way, and “this in- volves the Tight to make mistakes.” Despite the defects of this system. he did not believe the people would tolerate a change, though “there is no question that controlled economy would function with less friction.” Dictation Denied. Mitchell said he did not believe Con- gress had any intention to teil the American business man how much he could produce or the wage earner how much he could earn. He expressed doubt that any group of men could be assembled “wise enough” to steer the complicated economic machinery. Mitchell saw no serious objection to an advisory council to study business trends, but expressed the opinion that it it were organized on a voluntary basis, which he said was the only kind the people would stand for, its Tesults would be disappointing. He suggested modification of the anti-trust laws so business men could “sit down and compare their views of conditions and devleop a sound policy of precedure without the possibility of going to jail.” Slump Unavoidable. Conditions which led up to the busi- ness collapse of 1929 could have been lessened though not averted, in his opinion. Questioned by Chairman La Follette, he agreed the banking system's credit policy during the years of prosperity was too liberal. “Do you believe there were any signs which could have been a warning of what was coming?” La Follette asked “Yes, I do,” Mitchell replied, “I think there was warning aplenty. Bankers generally warned of the situation, but were folled by conditions that were #x- traneous to themselves, Blames Public. “They made an effort to limit.their lending. but the public took the hit in its mouth and ran around the banks.” | La Follette asked what would have happened if the banks had refused to handle loans for cthers. “The public would have' taken the chances involved in operating through outside agencies Mitchell replied. “The horse got to running pretty fast and the amount in loans to account of others became so large that a refusal to lcan on account of others would have brought sharp repercussions.” BRITAIN MAY ASK POSTPONEMENT OF ARMS CONFEREN.E (Continued From PFirst Page.) disarmament iscue when there is not enough force in sight to promise success. (Copyright, “ll‘) FRANCE TO OPPOSE DELAY. | By the Associated Press. PARIS, December 2—Premier Pierre Laval may attend personally the open= ing of the World Disarmament Confer- ence at Geneva in February. | " The premier has been giving close | study to all documents and data con= nected with the position of France at the conference and, it is believed, he may himself outline the French attie tud at the opening sessions, maintaine ing that France needs sufficient armae | ment to protect her against invasion. Manchurian Inquiry Planned. In his opening statement to the jury corps will be established.” | try which is for t | aspects of health, morals, education| Fickert added he had believed Ox- ced to import rawstuffs and efficlency. Nothing contributes | mans testimony was the truth. more to social stability and the happi-| “As district attorney,” he said, ness of our people than the surround- | presented to the jury only such ev ings of their homes. dence as was gathered by the police “Although we have & larger propor- tion of adequate housing than any other country, we have not yet reached our ideal of homes for all our people “It should be possible in our country for any person of sound character and | industrious habits to provide himself with adequate and suitable housing and preferably to own his own home.” The work of the groups of exper'.«.“ has been carried out under the direc- | tion of a planning committee of rep- | resentatives of 31 national organiza- | tions having to do with home prob- Jems. John M. Gries of the Depart- | ment of Commerce is secretary of this | planning body A prosperous era the buflding industry was predicted by Myers Y. Cooper, former Governor of Ohio, upon his arrival to attend the | conference { He sald the real estate organization he heads in Cincinneti, confident that next Spring would see renewed interest in buying homes, had determined to bufld 15 houses in the near .uture, | with the prospect the number would be increased building ‘market fust ahead for lagged because of strir idences of an up! of & most wholesome nature. particu- | larly during the last 60 days.” 1 JAPAN WILL INSIST ON NEED OF TROOPS TO OPPOSE BANDITS ! (Continued From First Page.) | Chinese withdrawing but we mean business The Japanese delegation to the league up to the present has d nothing about the necessity of the Chinese civil government evacuating Chinchow. The announcement came in a press report from Tokio and caused sharp surprise. | The Japanese proposal was described by the Chinese representatives as an- other step by Japan to establish a pup- pet government which would be sub- servient to Tokio Simultaneously with the receipt of | the Tokio dispatch the |12 neutral members of the Council convened to resume discussion of Chairman Aristide Briand’s declaration, which will preface the peace resolution when presented for adoption Some league officials regarded the news about the evacuation of the civil government as almost incredible | The Chinese delegation also expressed astonishment but reserved comment until the dispatch was confirmed. It was understood, however, that such a demand would be entirely inacceptable to_the Chinese The evacuation of Chinchow is not | embodied in the Councii's resolution, but the Japanese delegates advance it in connection with the provision for a truce in hostilities. A peaceful gime cannot be guaranteed, ihey tend. unless Chinese . military clear out of Manch The Japanese press the same demard i connection with the scheme for or- ganizing a neutral zone. On the other hand, Dr. Alfred Sze and his colleagues | maintain that evacuation behind the Great Wall is proposed by the Chinese gorernment only upon the condition it the great ers send military de- s to area, from Chinchow e- con- jorces | contair department and in doing so acted with- out prejudice or mali Text of Fickert’s Letter. The letter follows “Your telegram this date received I need nct tell you that I have given serfous consideration to the cause of the people vs. Mooney “In discharge of my duties as an of- ficlal of the State of California, I en deavored to act impartially, without fear or prejudice. I had confidence in the truthfulness of all evidence adduced at the trial 1 conscientiously believed the ny given by Frank C. Oxman the truth. Later, until the very last time I say him, he maintained the same position and insisted always that the evidence produced- against him was not true. However. Go Young said he had especially studied his te: and went deeply into the testi- of witnesses produced to discredit him,” and, in his message to the Legis- lature, found to the contrary in these words 1 have made a special study of Ox- testi- m was dit it. 1 have pe ally and at great length interviewed th Mr. ana Mrs. Hetcher of Wood- land, where Oxman visited on the morning of July 22, and am convinced that he did not arrive in San Francisco hours after the explosion took I believe Oxman was nothing more or less than a publicity-seek: romancer, so 1 do not believe his con- nection with the case was through any connivance or conspiracy with the pros- ecuting officials As district attorney, the jury only such gathered by the Police doing so I acted malic At th this the Governor er, in answer to in your telegram, end par- ticularly in view of the conclusion of former Gov. Young, herein abbve men- tioned, In my opinion, you are prob- ably right in maintaining that 1t would be to the best interests of the State that executive clemency should be granted to Mooney TWO MEN SAW WAY FROM ELKTON JAIL Scale 30-Foot Wall, but Leave Companion Behind With Broken Leg. roughly aiscre: place 1 presented to evidence as was Department and without prejudice or resent time 1 am only a fore no longer no occasion to e case with the pri in disc present How he request . By the Associated Press LKTON, Md.. December 2 their way through a steel lock other prisoners slept early today youthful elleged automobile thie caped from the Cecil County led a 30-foot wall which rounded it and escaped in a w automobile They were Larry Smith and Walter Anderson, both of Elkton. A third member of the escape party, Alfred Stokes, fell from the wall, broke his leg, and was left by his companions to be found later by guards. ing while two es- Jail, iting | 8 proposal to ask for a Federal Trade | vote of confidence in President Hoover, | in a district which, according to leading Republicans of the East, was as im- pregnable in its political loyalty as any in America. When such a district can be carried by a Democrat, there are few Republican districts in America that the good Dr. Fess and his sponsor, President Hoovgr, may consider de- pendable In short, the result marks another step in Democratic progress toward control of both the legislative and executive branches of the Federal Gov- | ernment. It is a new repudiation of the present administration by an elec- torate which voted without reference 1o normal party affiliation “There is an excellent chance to elect a Democratic Representative in New Hamps We did in in Michigan, | we did it in New Jersey and we can do it in New Hampshire.” EXPECTS MORE VICTORIES. Democratic quarters predicted today that “when other special elections are held we are certain of a further in- crease in our House membership.” The statcment came from Repre- sentative Bymns of Tennessee, chair- man of the Democratic National Con- gressional Commlttee, in commenting on the Democratic victory yesterday in the. fifth Jersey district. There r a vacancy from the first nire district to be filled | d the result of the New | Jerscy election was edditional evidence that “cvery section of the country is turning to the Democratic party.” “In Missouri, in Texas, in Michigan and now in New Jersey the Hoover ad- ministration’s policies and record have been the overshadowing issue, and in every instance Democratic candidates have won striking victories, overturn- ing three districts long held by Repub- licans, g us a clear majority in the | House of Re ntatives,” he said. | ns ¢ ¢ ¢ can mean American people have minds to turn to the rty for that leadership | present administration | the their ic ps the nid. TIRE CUT SEEN BLOW AT SMALL CONCERNS! United States Trade Probe Looms ! Democr of which has been d as Smcl1l Firms Charge Move to Ciush Them. AKRON, Ohi>, December 2.—The Akron Beacon Journal sald today that Commission investigation of this week's tire price slash is being considered by several rubber company executives. The story, which did not reveal source of the information, said no decision has yet been rcached | The price cut of 5 to 10 per cent on | ndard poasenger car tires and 15 | cent on inner tubes brings prircs’ their lowest level in history. Heads cf a number of tire manufacturing c'ncerns scored the cu's L :lared they were for.ed to foliow suit The newspaper sald that if the pro- test is filed it will be based on claims | that the price slash was made for the | purpose of squeezing thefimaller com- | panies and thus consti restraint "of trade t | Gatty for their eight-day flight around | dent of the National Sirica offered to show that Sorber | striick Paul several times with his fists knocking him down, and then kickcd him Sirica sald his withnesses would prove that when the boy got to his feet Sorber again assaulted him and caused his head to strike a brick wall Boy Was Acquitted. The prosecutor said he would at- tempt to show that Paul then was ar- rested on a charge of taking property without right, and, after being held at the second precinct for several hours was sent to Freedmen's Hospital and treated there for a laceration over his right eye. Later, Sirica stated, Paul was found not guilty by Judge Kath- ryn_Sellers, in Juvenile Court The Government’s witnesses will te: tify. the jury was told, that the as sault was occastoned by Paul going to Sorber's automobile, parked in an al- ley in the vicinity of the O Street Mar- ket, to get a light for a cigarette, Sorber found Paul leaning into the car. Sirica declared, and accused him of stealing articles from it. O'Shea reserved making his opening statement to the jury until the Gov- ernment had closed its case. A jury was qualified in less than half an hour, the Government exercis- | ing one and the defense two peremp- | tory challenges Indications were that consume all afternoon to tomorrow. Bingham Will Seek . Medal of Congress For Dead War Ace | ne qu qu 1t no | | | | | { | | ak 17 er m al tal ing at| tus A1 m; the case would | and run over | to Pr . re: mi re fol nator to Ask Honor for Maj. Roaul Lufbery, Whom He Calls Greatest. | ta | pu ta in th fo By the Assoclated Press As a Dero's reward for the fiyer he | considers America’s ace’ of aces, Sena- | tor Bingham will ask Congress for a Medal of Honor for Maj. Raoul Luf- bery, noted French-American pilot. And, in recognition of peace-time aviation accomplishment, he will seck a gold medal for Wiley Post and Harold in bil sel fo the world The Connecticut Republican, presi- Acronautic Ass cation, will submit the bills shortly after Congress convenes Monday. Lufbery, who leaped to his death May 19, 1918, over Maron, near Tours, France, is unofficially credited with 36 planes. Officially he bagged 17 before | his craft burst into flames over the ! lines while chasing a German photo- | graphic machine. A globe trotter and soldier of for- tune, Lufbery galned a transfer from | the Foreign Legion to the Lafayette Es- | cadrille to avenge his friend, -farc Pourpe, who was killed in action. When | Amcrica entered the war, he went to! the 94th and 95th Pursuit Squadrona He called Wallingford, Conn., his | home, although born in France, and the Medal of Honor would be given to his brother, Charles A, Lufbery, who now lives there Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker, America’s premier native ace, holder of the Con- gressional Medal of Honor, i credited officially with 26 enemy planes, that Wi York on the Committee this session of Congr dential campaign of people of tne country to consider eco- omic problems because the prohibition iestion overshadows all others with particular section of the people. e ought to vote on the wet-and-dry lestion early in the coming session. will then be possible to give the eco- »mic issues the consideration to which they are entitled | that he was speaking| ed ) yself Representative Linthicum of Mary |land, the Democratic chairman of the wet bloc, and Representative La Guar- independent Republican, of New expect the House to vote estion With the wet bloc numbering about 0 members and the Republicans gen- ally favoring a ruie which will per- it a vote on prohibition, it appears most certain some action will be ken a Wood Asks for Statement. Attorney General Mitchell today was ked to tell the exact cost of enforc- | g prohibition The request was made by Represent- ive Wood of Indiana, who said he wanted the information so all conjec- re would be removed during this ses- of Congress. /hen guesses are made,” the chair- of the last House Appropriations added, “I want to be able ent the figures.” Mitchell was asked to include the rohibition Bureau, Coast Guard, Bu- au of Industrial Alcohol and court 2l pre: costs for prohibition cases Meanwhile, the national prohibition board of strategy reported today that ore than 25,000 dimes were scooped out of one day's mail as the first cash turns from the dry group’s campatgn r “dry dimes to beat wet dollars.” Expects Million Dollars, Edwin C. Dinwiddie, executive secre- ry of the board, watched 10 women ushing the dimes into & mound on a ble, and then into an electric counter a’local bank. He said he believed e campalgn, begun some r funds to carry their cause through and the presi- 1932, would bring “well over a million dollars.” Dinwiddie said the wets would be defeated in any congressional roll call on the dry law. “We don't think it is fair to prohl- tion to keep agitating now,” he said, “when we ought to be devoting our- lves to enforcing the law, but if these lks—the wets—are able to get a vote without the help of the drys, we wuli | be ready to meet it.” The Army has remained allmost con stantly for several years at 12,000 of ficers and 118,750 enlisted men. Du to the depression, Gen. MacArthur as- serted that the loss to the service had been less than normally The Chief of Stafl opposes the quar- tering of Federal prisoners on military reservations, insisting that if it is con- tinued it would “soon be reflected in a deteriorating morale in the units af- fected.” The actual strength of the Regular Army as given by Maj. Gen. C. H. Bridges, adjutant general. in his an- nual report today, is 140,543, including 125467 enlisted men, 12.322 commis stoned officers, 1208 warrant officers, 886 cadets at the Military Academy, 909 nurses and 31 contract surgeons. The total strength includes 6,433 Philippine Scouts commanded by 78 sioned officers. as well as 60 officers | and 948 enlisted men in Chjna. There | are 2,578 officers on the retired list of the Army. Accepted appointments in the Offi- | cers' Reserve Corps number 120,500 in all commissioned grades and include 18 major generals and 106 brigadier | generals. y Gen. Bridges summarizes the total issue_of military decorations to date | as follows q | Honor, 1,823 the Distinguished Service Cross, 6.334: the Distinguished Service Medal. 2,162; the Soldiers' Medal, 44: the Distinguished Flving Cross, 55, and the Silver Star Citation, 1,123. |INQUIRY OF LEVEE LABOR CONDITIONS ORDERED BY ARMY ontinued From First Page) et age charges. Collier believed transfer of levee maintenance and construction work to private contractors had caused the trouble. weeks ago | | BROWN PLANS INQUIRY. General Will Examine Situation if Specific Charges Are Made. GREENVILLE, Miss., December 2 (%) —Maj. Gen. Lytle Brown, chief of the United States Army Engineers, says “a close examination” will be made if spe- cific charges of peonage and brutality agalnst Negro laborers by river levee contractors are flled with him. Thomas E. Carroll of Washington and Holt F. J. Ross of Laurel, Miss, and New Orleans, representatives of the | American Federation of Labor, made | general charges that river levee con- | tractors were practicing peonage and | brutali borer: “If given any specifications, a close examination will be made for the truth or falsity of the charges,” Gen. Brown sald when he arrived here aboard the U. 8. 8. Control on an inspection of flood control projects. Doubts Labor Exploitation. “From my present knowledge of work on the river, I am inclined to belleve | that labor is not being exploited and that the practice of peonage would be | impos=tble.” | He added that such practices will not | be tolerated on any work where the iUnlted States Corps of Engineers is | concerned. Referring to charges that common | labor in many camps ran as low as 75 cents for 12 to 18 hours wo day, Gen. Brown said he had inquired of in- against “helpless Negro la- commis- | The Congressional Medal of | and some food in order to live. By | paying national farmers monstrous | prices, it may be possible to make the | country largely independent of foreign | countries in respect to food, but raw- stuffs the country must have. | Debt Payments Endangered. | The present world tendency to strangle " international trade will cut particularly at two countries, Germany and Great Britain, both of which live |to a large extent on export trade. If | the present strangulation continues, |the German outlook will become | catastrophic. | German imports already in the course | of four years have been reduced in money value by 50 per cent and in bulk by about one-third, and further reduction seems impossible. If now the world refuses- to allow a German export surplus, then any payment of debts or reparations becomes frankly impossible and futhermore an immense number of German export industries will have to close their doors. Meanwhile new restrictions on foreign exchange seem to be doing their work, | since there has been no losses in cur- Tency cover now for about two weeks. Fascist Moves Opposed. | _The executive council of the Social Democratic party, the strongest in the Reich, unanimously adopted a resolu- tion vesterday not to yield an inch in its fight against fasclsm and social | reaction, and to demand from Chancel- | lor Bruening a stronger defense of the | constitution. The party, with the full support of | trade unions, rejected moves 1o lower wage levels. Appointment of a “food dictator” also was forecas!, today. | No definite date has been set for the | appointment. but it was said the official would probably come from the ministry | of economics and be empowered auto-| matically to 1educe wages and costs of industrial and food products. He would 2lso have the power, it was said, to pre- vent wage cuts in factorles unless a| similar saving were passed along to the consumer, (Copyright, 1931.) —_—— | dividual Negroes about their wages on | three jobs. On two of them he was told they were paid $2 & day and board and on the other a Negro engaged as “spotter” for | dirt said he received $5 a day. | DENIES BRUTALITY CHARGE. Head of Contractors’ Group Says Con- ditions Are Good. MEMPHIS Tenn,, December 2 (#).— | Frank Stanford, president of the Mis- | sissippi Valley Flood Control Branch | of the Associated General Contractors, today denied charges of “peonage and brutality” against “helpless Negroes” in contractors’ camps in the Vicksburg area of the Mississippi River. He sald he frequently visited levee camps in the Memphis, Vicksburg and New Orleans areas, and added: “I can | say ‘'most positively that nowhere in the valley have I found conditions as | described by representatives of the labor federation.” | ~ stanford said “flogging of Negro| | labor cased many years ago.” He pic- | tured conditions as entirely sasisfac- tory. | “The unjust criticism comes with In League of Nations circles reports are current that several nations would like to.see the conference postponed, believing the present world situation is not the best in which to hold it, but | Prance, it was learned, is prepared | actively to object to a postponemeat if the move should take concrete form. The Council’s drafting committee was enabled at its conference today to reach a decision on the membership of the Manchurian Inquiry Commission. It was agreed that three of the five placs on the commission shall go to the United States, Great Britain and France Italy asked for a plac2, waereupon Germany, which hitherto has indicated | it did not desire representation, decided a German should be included. Japan, however, is known not to fayor appointing a German member. A Dutch | member was next suggested, and this was understood to be acceptable to Japan. Japan Holds to Demands. The Council decided to confer again with the Chinese and Japanese repre- sentatives, however, and obtain their latest views. Meanwhile the Japanese delegation | continued to pres sthe Council to sup= | port its demand that the Chinese with- | draw their troops from Chinchow inside the great wall. They were understood | to be willing that a small Chinese mili- | tary force be left in the area to co- operate with civil authorities in main- | taining order, but they insisted that the | force should not be strong enough to constitute a menace of attack. | 'The Chinese position continued to be that they promised to evacuate Manchu« ria only if the neutral powers placed military detachments between Chinchow and the Japanese army. U. S. OBSERVATORY NEEDS ARE LISTED Has | Superintendent, in Report, Itemized Program for Modernization. A modernization program, which, when carried out, would find the United States Naval Observatory equipped with the latest in scientific apparatus, has been mapped out, and one precision instrument—*"ths most accurate type of timepiece in the world"—is already under construction. Besides the acoustic feed-back crystal clock, now being built at the Naval Research Laboratory, Bellevue, D. C., other items on the modernization pro- gram include: A 40-inch reflector telescope, with separate dome. A 15-inch wide angle photographic refractor telescope, similar to that used at Flagstaff in the discovery of Plito, with & separate donhe. A modern, fireproof, double-walled and air-insulated clock vault, maintain. ing constant temperature and pressure, with periscoplc visibility apparatus. " An astrographic laboratory of eonyen- tional pattern The program was out] J. P. Hellweg, superin annual report. The su lined by ¢ cndent, yln ‘)?1‘.' poor grace from organized labor, which | to_date has suffered less from the depressiorr “than any other class in America,” he added. er marked progress hnsp nten;e.l:’tenlld cleaning up buildings, but that place is stlll out of harmony with surrounding residential section,