Evening Star Newspaper, May 17, 1932, Page 2

SWITH'S PROGRAM ASKS SALES TAX Democratic Leader Urges Congress to Eschew Cliques in Radio Address. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, May 17.—Calling upon Congress to eschew cliques and other obstructionist tactics in the interests of national rehabilitation, .Alfred E. Smith had his own program for the alleviation of economic ills before the voters today. In a radio address last night he ad- vocated a manufacturers' sales tax, re- striction of veterans’ legislation, an ex- panded program of Federal public works, action on war debts and modifi- chtion of the prohibition laws. The first duty of Congress, he said, was to find means to balance the bud- get. To accomplish this he urged re- duction of appropriations to an irre- ducible minimum and imposition of a manufacturers’ sales tax. For Reorganization. Reorganization of governmental de- partments is an executive, not legisia- tive, function, he said, and the Presi- dent should be given the full responsi- bility and power which he has asked in the immediate consolidation of Gov- ernment activities and bureaus and in other ways to reduce the cost of gov- esnment. Regarding veterans' relief, Smith urged a return to the “principles of the wise and far-sighted plans set forth by President Wilson in his program for payments to the soldiers.” _ He restated his plan for a public works program financed by a bond issue to spur business and industry. Meet Debt Situation. Congress should empower the Presi- dent. he said, to meet the war debt situation and, if necessary, to prolong the Hoover moratorium. He urged immediate action by Con- gress to place a more liberal interpre- tation by statute on what constitutes an intoxicant pending action by party conventions to determine party policy on modification or Tepeal of the eighteenth amendment Roosevelt, for whom 362 of the dele- | gates elected to date are pledged, in- structed or claimed, has not taken a public stand on the sales tax. For Average Citizen. In discussing this subject, Smith, said all his life he had been of and for the ordinary citizen of limited means and limited earning power. “For this reason,” he added, “I can- not give my approvel to the false friend who leads the working man to believe that his condition of life can be bettered by the slogan attributed by the press to. those opposed to the sales tax—'in order to make up the deficit, soak the flr‘EL'hlt means soak capital, and every- knows you cannot soak capital without soaking labor at the same time. They are bound together. One is es- sential to the other. The success of one means the success of the other. The destruction of one means the de- struction of the other. Capital must bear the main burden of taxation, but it should never be an unfair burden.” Tax Not Understood. He said the “man in the street” did not understand the sales tax. He esti- mated the yearly expenditure of the average family head among working classes at $1,000, and figured the sales tax would cost him about $8. He concluded with this statement: ““There are plenty of subjects Yo be discussed during the Summer by con- ventions and candidates. Let us co- operate now and argue afterwards.” VICTORY IN KANSAS SPURS ROOSEVELT WITH YOUNG “0UT” (Continued From First Page.) effectually tied to Roosevelt as long as Roosevelt has a chance of obtaining the presidential nomination. While the Kansas convention was instructing for Roosevelt and electing Shouse a delegate at large, Mr. Shouse was in Connecticut where he delivered the keynote speech at the Democratic State Convention yesterday. Connecticut has been regarded as a Smith stronghold, and the Roosevelt opposition has de- clared Connecticut’s 16 votes will be pledged to Alfred E. Smith. However, the Roosevelt opposition in Connecti- cut apparently has agreed to permit the naming of Homer S. Cummings and several other Roosevelt supporters as members of the State’s delegation. To <have done otherwise would have merely iintensified the row among the Demo- fcrats in the Nutmeg State. Out in New Mexico the Democrats in State convention are expected today to instruct their delegation with six votes “fer Roosevelt. Although in his letter to John Crow- Aey, publisher of the Little Falls, N. Y., 3 es, declaring he could not accept & kommluon for President, Mr. Young ent into no detailed statement of his freasons, friends of Mr. Young have in- fterpreted it as meaning that he would lnot accept because of Mrs. Young's ill- mess. Mrs. Young is reported to be suf- fering from heart trouble and has never en well since their son, John, was jlled while saving a dog from an ap- roaching railroad train The anti-Roosevelt Democrats are jeounting on having more than one-third f the 1,154 delegates in the Democratic Vational Convention opposed to Roose- , thereby making his nomination #for President impossible under the two- hirds rule, which has prevailed for a Fhundred years in Democratic national 1; eonventions. They are counting on these delegates (Femaining firm for favorite son candi- 1dates—like Gov. White of Ohio, Sena- r Lewis of Illinois, former Senator iReed of Missouri and several others. i3t is no more possible for these oppo- inents of Roosevelt to say just how long these delegates will stick by favorite 'son candidates than it is possible for {the Roosevelt suporters to say just how dong all the Roosevelt delegates will istick by their candidate. However, if ‘Roosevelt has a majority of the dele- g:les in the convention and looks to {be a winner, it is not difficult to figure ‘that the urge will be toward him rather [than away from him. Would Like Single Candidate. The oppositton to Roosevelt would like to center on a single candidate if it was able to do so. There are Smith, Ritchie of Maryland and Garner of Texas to whom they might tie. The cifficulty, however, lies in bringing the delegates from Ohio and Illinois, for ‘example, in anything like complete umbers to support Smith or Garner, {8e to bring the delegation from Call- +Zognia. instructed now for Garner, ‘support Ritchie. The Smith candidacy ‘has been regarded in Democratic circles gensrally as a stop-Roosevelt movement out any real ’t:mee‘el ng-:i- ‘mating Alfred E. Smi again. v, tehie's candidacy is frankly in the = Smith strength him. Speaker Garner's presidential boom thas not gathered much way. It was thought at one time that many Demo- ieratic members of the House would be out fighting’ for his nomination. But stch & movement the House 'was split between and big dry v County went . more than 76,000 votes THE Makes Debut Under Big Tentv IRVIN COBB'S BAUG“EI_ RIDES IN CIRCUS. EVENING STAR, CURTIS ADMITS FAKING HIS STORY Norfolk Man Confesses Lind- bergh Activities Were Deliberate Hoax. (Continued Prom First Paj rious vessel supposed to harbor Lind- bergh extortionists was untrue bore out the belief of the United States Coast Guard. Capt. L. C. Covell, acting comman- dant of the Coast Guard, asserted that from the start the Coast Guard had believed there was no vessel such as described by Curtis because of discrep- anciss and the fact the Coast Guard had combed the coast and sea from Massachusetts to Norfolk with cutters, destroyers, patrol boats and airplanes WASHINGTON, D. 0, TUESDAY, MAY 17, 1932 Bombed by Japanese Military Terrorists Mrs. Elizabeth Cobb Brody, daughter of Irvin Cobb, the writer. made her initial appearance as an equestrienne in the circus here yesterday. She told report- ers she is gathering material for a novel and will be with the show a short while. “Father says ne's tickled to death and wishes he could be here with me,” she GOV, WHITE NOVES 1000 TURN OUT 10 SETTLE STRIKE| - AS CIRCUS OPENS Proposes Truce of One Year Gandhi, With His Goat, and Between Disputing Parties Daughter of Irvin Cobb in Ohio. Share Honors. By the Associated Preax, COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 17—A pro- gram for settlement of the Ohio bitu- minous coal mine strike, which started April 1, was submitted to operators and miners today by Gov. George White. It included a recommendation for a truce of one year between the disputing parties. Gov. White suggested the operators and miners declare a truce and reopen the mines immediately under a mini- mum wage scale of 38 cents a ton for loading machine mined coal and $3.28 per day for motormen and other em- ployes. BY E. DE S. MELCHER. One of the highlights of yester- day's circus opening—Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's mammoth | spectacle—was Mahatmo Gandhi. Mr. | Gandhi, walking cheerily around the three-ring tent, with a celestial smile, a chilly shawl and an unwilling goat, was one of the major features. As a matter of fact, Mr. Gandhi and Mrs. Elizabeth Cobb Brody (famed daughter of the more famed writer, Irvin Cobb) provided much of the afternoon’s com- {ment. While Mr. Gandhi trod the dusty road winding inside tire huge tent, spectators nudged each other and | asked “Well, where is this writing and | riding lady who is to be starred in this afternoon's performance?” | | | | 7 | Governor's Program. without,_result, The Coast Guard search was started before the finding of the body of baby Lindbergh. Capt. Covell sald that despite disbe- lief, every agency of the Coast Guard had been thrown into the search to be certain that no move might be over- looked that might aid the search. BRECKINRIDGE QUIZZED. Lindbergh Aide Questioned on Futile $50,000 Payment. HOPEWELL, N. J., May 17 (#)—Col. Henry Breckinridge, friend and adviser of Col. Charles A. Lmdbergh, told a grand jury in the Bronx, New York City, today what he knew of payment of the futile $50,000 ransom for the murdered Lincoergh baby. Japanese terrorists bombed the Bank of Japan (shown above) and assassinated Premier Suyoshi Inukai. army and navy cadets participated in the attempt to destroy the government and seize the capital Young —A. P. Photo. There was no announcement as to whether Col. Lindbergh himself would be called before the grand jury to tell how he sat nearby in an automobile while Dr. John F. Condon passed the ransom through & cemetery hedge to the supposed kidnaper. It was generally believed, however, that Col. Lindbergh would not be call- ed, his story being told for him by Col. Breckinridge, who has been actively engaged in the investigation ever since the child was stolen on March 1. Col. Schwarzkopf said today that the persons who will interrogate prisoners had been given a general description of one of the group being sought. This was assumed to be the alleged mem- ber of the kidnap band with whom Dr. Condon dealt and whose descrip- tion he has given the authorities. The State police head declined to make the description public lest he hinder the search. Jafsie Appears at Probe. Jatsie talked today of & murder trail | grown hot and of developments that | might be sensational. Jafsie—Dr. John F. Condon—has spent two days in a study of rogues’ gallery pictures in New York, in White Plains and in Yonkers, N. Y. He gave no hint of reason for belleving progress Jost children. And she will learn some was being made in the hunt. | day, as we other mothers who have Dr. Condon, who paid & $50,000 ran- | children close and dear in that other som in a futile effort to obtain the | world so near our own have learned return of the baby, appeared at the | pefore her, that the child we lose is Bronx County Court House to tell the | the only child we keep. The others— grand jury about his negotiations with | nis joyous, noisy, eager sisters and the purported kidnapers. He was &c- | prothers— will not be children long. companied by Al Reich, former pugl- | They will flash through babyhood, be Taf. who auied & his bodyguard during | great creatures home for school vaca- e negotiations o one agal to the Br. Gondon had heen expected to| Soom: Be gone agein-gone £ attend the morning line-up at police headquarters, but did not arrive. Among the prisoners it was felt there might be one or more members of the kidnap band with which Condon conducted ransom negotiations. | Kithleen Norris, among the most popular of American novelists, Wwhose Saturday’s ~ Child,” “Little ' Ships. Mother and Son." and numerous other books have touched the hearts of count- less readers. points out how the women of America can build Ch the memory of a living monument of kindness to the of unfortunates among the children of the Naticn. BY KATHLEEN NORRIS. Special Dispatch to The Star. PALO ALTO, Callf, May 17 (N.AN.A).—Anne Linbergh has joined the great company of the mothers of they are hers. But this child will be forever young. Forever the adored baby who played in the nursery firelight, and lest his breath with laughter, and was put to world, before she fairly realizes that The program suggested by the Gov- ernor is: Re-employment of miners without prejudice for the part they took in the | present strike and without discrimina- | tion against any man for membership | in the union. Hold the jobs of miners who were employed when the strike started open for a “reasonable time.” | Pay all employes in currency. | Permit miners to buy in the open | market without compuision to patronize | company-owned stores. Those who really took the matter seriously eventually found that Mrs. Brody, whose appearance With thel circus is limited to a week's engage- ment, appeared only briefly. In fact, she was to be observed high up on the | back of an elephant, clutching a large { diamond-studded headdress and look- ing as though she wished she were anywhere else in the world except bob- bing back and forth on Modoc—this articular elephant. After one rather ecure trip around the arena Mrs. Brody disappeared into the ‘great beyond” of circus performers and was| The State police have turned back to this ransom money—all old bills of five, ten and twenty-dollar denomina- tions—in the hope it may lead to im- portant arrests. The serial numbers of all the ransom currency were kept, and have been was requested today to urge again on bankers the importance of keeping a close watch for this money, only & few biils of which have appeared. Two grand jury investigations con- tinued. One was in the county in Permit miners to elect checkwelgh- | not to be seen again during the entire | Which the body of the baby was found men if they desire. | Pay a minimum wage scale of 38 cents an hour for loading machine- mined coal and $3,28 a day for motor- men and other employes. | afternoon’s show, Bigger and better than ever, however, is this circus caravanserai. New addi- tions include a set of three human Mickey Mouses—a Miss Tamara. who Carry on the “dead work” in the same | does amazing things hanging by the manner as before the strike, subject t0 | sheer strength of her m‘?;n Bombayo a percentage of increase or decrease @s | (the first Hindu acrobat ever to appear found in the basic wage. | in America), who promises to kill him- Settlement of disputes between oper- | self jumping up and down on & rope; ator and miner over differential of wage | Luicita Leers, who rolls around 79 times scales peculiar to a certain mine by & | on a trapeze bar; the Flylng Coronas, conference, and if that fails permit the | who do everything your grandmother Governor to appoint a referee to act |always told you not to do high up in the in settlement. | air, and that man made of iron, wWho One-Year Truce Propesed. | L1080 Bl 0, Propeea o of Make no further pay reductions with- | 00 SV S0 e as musical as ever; last Thursday. The other was in the Bronx, where the grand jurors &re inquiring into the ransom negotiations conducted by Dr. Condon. Moore Thanks Mitchell. Gov. A. Harry Moore expressed formal thanks Jate yesterday to Attor- ney General Mitchell at Washington for the Federal Government's offer of help in the man hunt. Federal agencies, however, have been co-operating with State police throughout the entire investigation. Police, blanketing the entire Atlantic seaboard in their search for the kid- naper-murderers, find their investiga- tion handicapped through inability to bed and kissed, and who watched his | dearly-loved family through his crib | bars with just his usual content and | confidence on that fatal evening. | And for his sake all childhood will | be sacred now to that desolate young father and mother whose grief the | world is sharing. For his sake a wave | of tenderness for babyhood is sweeping | over the Nation, a determination to pro- tect it, to keep it safe and well and happy. Indeed, we feel the wings of this new high endeavor stirring now. Some losses are so great we measure them by gain, said Emily Dickinson. This loss, with God's help, we shall | measure by gain. The sunny days of a baby less than 2 years old shall spread their influence over the destinies of | Monument for Slain Baby Kathleen Norris Foresees Kindness Crusade f Unfortunate Children Arising From Lindbergh Tragedy. |countless other babies, less fortunate |today in their darkened, twisted little |lives than is Lindy’s crowing, laughing, | idolized baby, even in his tragic death. | ‘The women of America could build a8 monument to little Charles Lindbergh, | ir., if they would. Not a cold monu- ment of stone and marble—no, not for this hlp%’ baby—but a living monu- ment of idness to thousangs of other small babies, now, in the shock and sorrow we are all feeling, and al- | ways, straight on through the years, |even when in God's good time there shall be half a dozen youngsters in the Lindbergh nursery. | Some of these little foster brothers of the lost baby are in orphanages; some never have had a kiss or a toy or 8 woman's arms tight about them. | Some are looking out of great institu- | tion windows, hoping, with the insa- tiable hope of babyhood, that there will presently be a motor down there at the | steps and a lady in it who “likes kids,” | who knows what a bicycle means to & boy. Some are in crowded tenements. It would be a great thing if ten | thousand of them could have a month's | spoiling on a farm this year, in memory |of little Lindy. Take one, feed him, clothe him, give him a coaster and fishing line. And when you return him to his mother after vacation, brown and |strong and merry, tell her you did it because of another woman's sorrow. And write Anne Lindbergh, too, to let her know that the little light is still | shining in the dark. | Anne Lindbergh! One's thoughts | come ba¢k to her. The only voice that ever said anythi worth while in a mother's world had a message for her. | She can not accept it now, nor ecould | T when the earth closed over two small | heads I loved, God knows how dearly, eighteen years ago. But some day she | will believe it. | It is—“Blessed are they that mourn, | for they shall be comforted. | (Copyright. 1932, by the North American | Newspaper Alliance, Inc.) | Stat> police have handled the investi- gation was answered yesterday by Gov. Moore's announcement that Col. | Schwarzkopf would continue in com- | plete charge of the hunt for the mur- | derers. | Spring has done her share to bring | comfort to the Lindberghs. On that blustery March night when the baby was taken away, the home stood in a setting of dank, bare woods. But today the scene of the tragedy was cloaked with screens of beauty. out 30 days notice to the Governor who | ¢yoca®Crive’ waxen figures, revealed out | will then investigate and determine of Jarge blue curtains, have a new dis- the need for the reductlon. | play in which a fountain is lighted by : Declm'- tgce ;r;ulhe present con- | goff amber lights; thelclowns shoot dog- | roversy for e year. like rabbits, and rabbit-like dogs—grow | Gov. White told the miners and) preen hair on baldheaded individuals, operators that it was their “patriotic|zng jump out of exploding vehicles and duty” to reopen the mines and to con- | purning houses—the Ubangi savages ! cede points in their controversy 3o that | zeem to have grown another half-inch production may be resumed. on their lower lips; the fat lady hasn't | The strike called April 1 was pre-| redyced, and the tall man hasn't grown | cipitated by an announcement Of &/ jess and there is a new form of ice-| :a)o:i‘ty of operators of & reductlon | cream which looks like pink cotton. | wages. | 's first show u Disorders followed and resulted mwgozfis';;:;ym.fion ect g '{-’122 EEE the killing of one alleged striker and | pression hasn't hit circus enthusiasts. In | the wounding of several others. GOV.| fact, it is said to have spurred them on. | White sent troops into the area and | rarger audiences than ever v several squadrons are still on duty. | nessed this group, an N Yor BETW—GBWWORS Sonance rororas nave nees exabiuhed REPEATEDLY DENIED } This is the circus’ last day. Tonight it By the Assoctated Press moves to Baltimo {CHEST PAD CLINCHED oo dumentad e ol IDENTITY OF SLAIN e o Sty o o | LINDBERGH CHILD continued to circulate today, apparently ————— broadcast by some obscure radio station | (Continued Prom Pirst Page) whose identity the leading broadcasting | companies were unable to check. | Condon, who received it by mail from Today's story, denied by all official | the supposed kidnapers | and authentic sources, was that Miss| Betty Gow took the heart-rending Gow had confessed to throwing the|piece of evidence that was the pad and | baby out of the window to the kid-|compared it with the remains of the napers on the ground below. Police |shirt from which she had cut material | have sald repeatediy that Miss Gow is|to make it. It fitted exactly. All doubt | in no way implicated in the kidnaping. |as to identity of the skeleton was dis- | A rumor that had spread across the | pelled by this test | Receipts by Attorney General Mitchell of a letter from Gov. Moore of New Jersey, designating Col. H. Norman Schwartzkopf, ci of State police, as country vesterday was that Miss Gow had committed euicide. A telephone call to the Lindbergh home at Hopewell brought the information that she was alive and in good health the official with whom Federal investi- Other fantastic rumors still circu- | gators may deal, paved the way today lated, including one dealing with a|for an early conference between supposed new figure in the case. In- | Schwartzkop! and J. Edgar Hoover, di- vestigation has established that there rector general of Federal activities in | is no such person. |the case | Gov. Moore thanked Federal authori- ties for their renewed offer of assistance and for past co-operation. He said he had asked Col. Schwartzkopf to get in Jeanette McDonald Hurt. HOLLYWOOD, May 17 (#.—A frightened horse ran away with Jeanette | touch with Mr. Hoover at once McDonald, film actress, yesterday and| A plan for co-ordination of Federal, jammed one of her legs against a fence. ! State and municipal efforts to find the No bones were broken, and physicians|slayers will be worked out at the con- did not believe the injury to be serious. | ference, it is understood. P add o S0 m'r;he ‘Treasury sent out a new appeal anks of the Nation to maintain ex- BAND CONCERT. ceptional vigilance for serfal numbers By the United States Soldiers’ Home | of the ransem bills turned over April 2 Band this evening at the band stand at 10 8 man representing himself as one 5:30 o'cleek; Jel M. Zimmermans, “ of the kidnapers. Only two of the bills bandmaster; Anton Peintmer, assistant. | making up the $50,000 bundle have March, “Greater Chicago,” | come to light. The Treasury mailed cob Havener | out 23,000 circulars containing the ap- Overture, “Orpheus”. .Offenbach | peel suggestion of New Jersey of- Entr'acte— fic! " from “Jocelyn”. b Ml Grippe Spreads in Brazil. RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, May 17 | {#)—Cool weather has resulted iIn ..English | hundreds of cases of grippe in Rio de Waldteufel | Janeiro. Most o” them have been mild, junder and Cannon,” | sithough during the last week 24 per- Meinicke | sons, for the most part aged and in- ““The Star Spangied Banner.” firm, have succumbed. - | of New York, in that both believe that | determine definitely the motive. | " Thes pot on Mount Rose Hill where “It is like looking for some one in|the body was found, heretofore plainly an_impenetrable fog," one official said. yisiple from the so windows of the Dozens of theories have been advanced, | home five miles a: is now hidden many of them extremely logical. The | by foliage. one given most credence by the police | ~ peatherfed lane, down which the kid- Is that the crime was committed by | napers were assumed to have driven tlz:remmtz:;wm:::% !g; Fusam This H‘s from the estate, was transformed from . Moore. e | v al bl g’:’;mnm entirely the theory. that a rocky, almost impassable trail among v was kidnaped for revenge. | "Though Col. Lindbergh has rio known | *°3 2PPle blossoms. enemies, it is pointed out that a figure | e of his prominence might have some | foes who were brooding over a fancied | wrong or slight. | Moore’s views largely coincide with those of Police Commissioner Mulrooney —— DEFIES CHICAGO MAYOR State's Attorney Continues Gam- Liianos N oy bemue tie new| DinE MailsiDesplis’Cormak popular racket with gangsters and| CHICAGO, May 17 (#) —Disregard- | racketeers, who have suffered financial- | ing a request for the city administra- ly from prevailing economic conditions. | “stick to his own affairs” | tlon to Carrter Pigeon Found. State’s Attorney John A. Swanson again | An injured carrier pigeon found at |sent raiding squads to 30 gambling re- Lowville, N. V. with the name of the | sorts in Chicago yesterday. colored truckman who found the baby's . - body had led o a belief that it mignt| Similsr raids were made by Swan have had some connection with the case. | Son’s agents last week and were criti- There was no registry number on the cized by Mayor Anton J. Cermak. “We bird, however. don't need Mr. Swanson for that pur- Criticism of the manner in which the pose,” the mayor said. the | bare trees into a corridor of cherry BT Sl M 2 L T M Demolishing and Constructing “Demolition of insanitary and dangerous old houses seems to be a most useful method of adding to the available employment in the District.” The Housing Committee of the Washing- ton Council of Social Agencies says so in one of its reports. This Committee has made a study of the situation under experts. Is £ The Housing Committee also says that such old houses mar the beauty of the city and reduce the value of the property in the neighborhood where such houses are located. Demolishing such unsightly houses will fur- nish employment to men in need of jobs. In all likelihood where the tumble-down houses now stand new ones would be erected and that naturally means jobs and better business as well as nicer neighborhoods. The old, unsightly heuse is not productive to its owner. A new house on the same land is profitable. Why not demolish the old and construet something new? It can be done mest reasenably now. |ILSLEY DEATH CASE | SUSPECT ARRESTED ;Man Believed to Be George Cra: ford Held in Another Murder in Carolina. A man believed to be George Craw- ford, colored, road laborer, sought for the murder of Mrs. Agnes Boeing Ilsley and her mald, Mrs. Mina Buckner, at Middleburg, Va., January 13, was under arrest at Orangeburg, 8. C., today, where he was held in connection with the in- last Wednesday. ‘The colored man, who gave his name as Andrew Rowell, according to an As- sociated Press dispatch, was said by Orangeburg County authorities to an- swer the description and resemble pic- tures of Crawford sent out on a police circular shortly after the Middleburg slayings. Rowell's fingerprints will be taken and forwarded to Loudoun County authorities for identification. Rowell was arrested at Orangeburg as a suspect in the death of Jerome M was found shot and beaten to death last week. The colored man formerly station. Morgan Irick, Jackson's brother-in- law, also is in custody for questioning in the killing. Orangeburg County authorities said Rowell was first seen in that district around Pebruary 1, two weeks after the Isley murders. They said Rowell de- nied he is Crawford, said he had been working in Virginia and New Jersey re- cently, but refused to give detalls. Among the colored people about Orangeburg Rowell is known “Shorty,” the officers said. Crawford bore the same nickname. SIR WILLMOTT TO SPEAK London Journalist to Address In- quirendo Club. Sir Willmott Lewis, Washington cor- London Times, will er at the third an- the Inquirendo Club, at L i e Semators the guests Wi 0l SmAgg.nxKlnl .‘llnd Lewis; Prederick William Wile and others prominent in politioal and journalistic the Mayflower affairs here. BILLARD IMPROVING Coast Guard Commander Still Dan- gerously Ill Rear Admiral F. C. Billard, com- proved from the iliness which yesterday caused grave doubts of his recovery. The admiral is still dangerously il 1t was explained, but there was much more for his continued improve- ment. is at his home, at 2301 Con- necticut avenue. STIMSON HOPEFUL - OF GENEVA RESULT Finds European Nations Try- ing to Co-operate, but Each Distrustful. BY CONSTANTINE BROWN. Secretary Henry L. Stimson yester- day made his first report to President Hoover regarding the international sit- uation as it appeared to him at Geneva. | Mr. Stimson returned from Geneva | mildly optimistic. He is satisfled that most of the European leaders are aware of the dangerous situation of the world today and are anxious to do something | to alleviate it. But, he is also convinced | that nobody quite knows what can be | done. The situation in a nutshell appears as follows: | France is willing to reduce her arm- aments, either by ratio, giving her the same preponderance she has now over | other European countries, or a security | pact guaranteeing her against any pos- | sible aggression from outside. It must be mentioned that any attempt to change the existing peace treatles con- cluded after the World is consid- | ered by the Prench as an aggression. Ttaly is willing to disarm; in fact she is prepared to reduce her army and navy | to & mere police force if the other na- tions do the same thing. Germany Wants Equality. Germany is disarmed, but insists that other nations should follow her example. Great Britain does not want to in- crease her present armaments and is willing to reduce somewhat the size of her navy, if that is necessary to bring |about a friendlier feeling among the | nations of the world, provided that the French and Italians refrain from fur- ther increasing their navies. In other words, the Secretary of | State has found a sincere desire among all the European leaders to disarm, pro- a European power. | . Under these circumstances, it is evi- | dent that our expectation for a serious | disarmament move at this session of | the Geneva conference cannot be ful- filled and the world must be satisfied with & mere gesture to indicate the de- sire for disarmament of European Statesmen. More important results can vided that somebedy else sets the ex-| ample and that somebody else must be | STABILIZATION ACT SCORED BY MILLS House Measure Called “Dis- turbing Factor” by Secre- tary in Letter to Senate. By the Associated Press. Mills informed the Senate Banking Committee today that passage by the House of the Goldsborough dol- lar stabilization bill “was a disturbing factor, both at home and abroad” and that the Federal Reserve Board is unan- imously opposed to it. ‘The Secretary's letter was in to a request that he comment on a Senate bill by Senator Fletcher, Demo- crat, of Florida, virtually identical with the Goldsborough measure passed by the House. They provide that the Federal Reserve Board and the Secretary of the Treas- \:hrydrefitcrsa n;le purchasing power of e dollar the 1926 level curre expansion. < e Cannot Carry Out. “In my opinion it would not be pos- sible for the Government to carry out such a mandate,” Secretary Mills wrote. “Price levels are dependent upon s large number of factors that are be- yond the control of the Federal Re- serve System, the Treasury Department or any other agency of the Government, and I do not believe that it would be wise to impose upon them a duty and & responsibility which they could not discharge. “Such an attempt would tend to un- dermine the confidence of the peopls in the various agencies of the Govern- ment and the result would be unfortu- nate.” He recalled that Gov. Eugene Meyer of the Federal Reserve Board testified before a House committee in opposition to the bill and said his position was approved by all the members of the board. Gov. Meyer is expected to testify on the measure before the Senate Banking Committee tomorrow. PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO KILLING WRITER British Flyer Enters Denial at Hearing in Slaying of Aviatrix’s Fiance. By the Associated Press. MIAMI, Fla, May 17—Capt. W. N. Lancaster, former British army aviator, pleaded not guilty in Circuit Court to- day on charges of murdering Haden Clarke, youthful writer and flance of Mrs. J. M. Keith-Miller, jhe Austra- lian fiyer. He appeared haggard after weeks of confinement in jail, but spoke calmly in entering his plea. As the court clerk read the grand jury indictment, he dis- played no emotions James M. Carson, chief of defense counsel, asked that the trial be post- poned for six weeks to bring character witnesses here from other States. State Attorney N. Vernon Hawthorne, who charges Capt. Lancaster killed Clarke in a bedroom at Mrs. Keith- Miller's home as a uence of a love triangle, did not object. Clarke was found in bed the morning of April 21 with a bullet wound in his temple. He died several hours later without regaining conscicusness, Mrs. Keith-Miller and Capt. Lan- caster, her fiying partner for five years, contend he committed suicide. {DEAD IN SHIP FIRE STILL UNCOUNTED; SURVIVORS IN PORT (Continued From First Page.) ablaze today, with a 15-degree list to ! Its present position was given as | 50 miles north of Cape Guardafui. The French steamer Andre Lebon took aboard 420 of the Georges Philip~ par’s passengers in mid-ocean from the Russian steamer Sovietskaia Neft and headed full speed for Jibuti, PFrench Somaliland. TERRORIST PLOT DENIED. | port. Company Official Says Fire Started Several Days Ago in Holds. be achieved only after the political| Jackson, filling station proprietor, who | was employed by Jackson at the flmn(: problems, which cause the present dis- trust in Europe, are settled in a satis- | factory manner. Talks to Leaders. pite of the formal atmosphere of Gen Mr. Stimson has acted most in- In s PARIS, May 17 (#).—Adrian Monge, director of the Compagnie des Mes- sageries Maritimes, owners of the French motorship Georges Philippar, which was destroyed by fire yesterday, said today there was no substance in the theory that terrorists caused the formally with the main actors of the | European drama. He has had heart-to- lhenn talks with Andre Tardieu, Dr. Bruening, Dino Grandi, Paul Boncour, man; Ramsay MacDonald, Lord Heil- | sham and Sir John Simon, the pillars | of the British government; Mr. Benes, the clever Czechoslovakian prime min- ister, and others. He has found them all reasonable in their point of view and anxious to see the various disputes existing between the European nations | settled in a satisfactory manner. But, unfortunately, the time does not seem ripe yet for such a settlement. | _ Furthermore, the fine idealistic views (and intentions expressed by these | statesmen in the cordial Geneva atmos- | Enere change when they return to their | hontelands and are faced with the mat- ter-of-fact realities of each country. | The reparations question is one of the greatest obstacles to an early settle- ment of the European problem. The French and German leaders fully agree that something must be done, but they disaster. | The fire started several days ago in | freight holds and it was not perceptible until it burst forth with such violence vestigation of a murder committed there | Count Appony, the Hungarian states- | that all normal safety measures were in vain, M. Monge declared. The office of the Messageries Meri- times said today its latest word of the disaster was that 420 survivors were aboard the Soviet tanker Sovietskaia Neft, 104 aboard the British steamer Contractor and 130 aboard the Mahsud. Announcing that they had received information about a ble attempt to fire the ship, the police said it seemed out of the question that any political group was responsible for the disaster. The Georges Philippar was homeward bound from her maiden trip to the Orient. When she sailed from Marseilles outward bound she was carefully in- spected. Because of the tips they had received, the police took extra precau- tions, identifying passengers as well as members of the crew. are both confronted with a determined Pj i public opinion in their respective coun- | Pinchot Not to Attend Convention. tries. The Germans feel they havel HARRISBURG, Pa, May 17 (®)— paid enough, the French maintain the | Gov. Gifford Pinchot today announced Young plan, even if somewhat modified, | he would not attend the Republican must continue to be maintained. The National Convention. The Governor Lausanne conference might help to-| Was not a candidate for delegate at ward the solution of this problem, espe- | the recent primary. as | mandant of the United States Coast | Guard, was reported today to be im- | cially since the British intend to help both the French and the Germans, but | the world still seems to be far away from a real settlement. Situation Not Improved. The situation between France and Italy does not appear to have greatly improved. | At Geneva, Dino Grandi spoke warmly | to Mr. Stimson about the necessity of reducing armaments, the burden of which is causing harrships in Italy. | But when Dino Grandi returned to Italy from Geneva, he made a speech which is not likely to contribute toward the improvement of the Franco-Italian re- lations. After complaining that the Ge- neva conference was very slow, Signor Grandi brought into the limelight the much-debated question of Italy’s colo- nial claims in North Africa. He said Italy was being stified and needed more room for her growing population. He indicated Italy would soon take up the matter of expanding her African pos- sessions in Tripolls, south of her pres- ent boundariés. This question is one of the main stumbling blocks in the Franco-Italian relations, because the Prench suspect the Italians of wanting to extend their colonial possessions close to Lake Tchad, thus coming dan- gerously close to one of the most im- portant French trade routes. u:?mm" speech is not likely to help which prevent an agreement for general disarmament. Under these circumstances, it s only natural that Mr. Stimson should not be very sanguine in his expectations re- rding the Geneva Disarmament Con- ference. His opinion is that the con- ference will not fail, but its results wil be merger—that is to say merely psy- chological effects which might indicate that the world is thinking about dis- armament, and as soon as the political problems are settled, everybody will be ready to take up the disarmament ques- tion and to achieve something construc- tive. Mr. Stimson was highly gratified at the cordial reception he has received everywhere. As soon as it was known that he would be in Geneva, the world- statesmen flocked to that town to see and discuss their varied problems with the American Secretary of State. They all talked frankly and openly to him and he in turn was asble to express his views without restraint. The European nations may not be ready yet to accept the lofty American ideals, byt they seem to like some of the well established American institu- tions, like the conventions, which Mr. Stimson seems to have brought into international diplomacy. The Ameri- can business men have all kinds of conventions every , Wwhere they gmrtmnuwmmdmwumn discuss their various problems. This has been translated now into interna- tional diplomacy, and the prime min- isters of the world seem pleased with help the world as much as the con- vention of business men helps