Evening Star Newspaper, February 18, 1935, Page 4

JUSTICE CARDOZO. —Wide World Photo. JUSTICE BRANDEIS. —Harris-Ewing Photo. 1S, IS VICTORIOUS IN GOLD DECISION Upheld on Two, but Loses on Federal Bonds—Bars Collection. | { | (Continued From First Page.) which he demands would appear to | constitute not a recoupment of loss in any proper sense but an unjustified | enrichment. Plaintiff’s Position Termed Untenable. “Pfaintiff seeks to make his case | solely upon the theory that by rea- son of the change in the weight of the dollar he is entitled to $1.69 in the present currency for every dollar promised by the bond, regardless of any actual loss he has suffered with respect to any transaction in which his dollars may be used. We think that position is untenable.” President Roosevelt kept in tele- phone conversation with the Capitol, but he reserved comment until he bad opportunity to read the decision. Elation was evident among Roose- velt's advisers, both in Congress and downtown. “We are not concerned with conse- | quneces,” said the court, “in the sense that consequences, however serious, many excuse an invasion of constitu- | tional right. “We are concerned with the consti- | tutional power of the Congress over the monetary system of the country and its attempted frustration. i “Exercising that power, the Congress has undertaken to establish a uniform currency, and parity between kinds of | currency, and to make that currency, | dollar for dollar, legal tender for the | payment of debts. “In the light of abundant experi- | ence, the Congress was entitled to choose such a uniform monetary sys- | tem and to reject a dual system, with | respect to all obligations within the | range of the exercise of its constitu- tional authority. “The contention that these gold clauses are valid contracts and can | not be struck down proceeds upon the assumption that privaté parties and States and municipalities may make | and enforce contracts which may limit that authority. “Dismissing that untenable assump- tion, the facts must be faced.” Clauses Interfere With Congress. “We think that it is clearly shown that these (gold) clauses interfere with the exertion of the power grant- ed to the Congress, and certainly it is not established that the Congress arbitrarily or capriciously decided that such an interference existed.” While there was a little uncertainty at the White House as to the exact ruling on Federal bonds, there was no indication that presidential action was imminent. The court's position on private bonds applied as well to bonds issued by States and municipalities. Regarding gold certificates, Hughes ! specified the Court of Claims had no | Jurisdiction, As to whether holders had the right to recover actual damages when gold coin is not paid, the court reminded that the plaintiff admitted Congress had power to regulate currency and deliver gold. Law Held Not Valid Act. As to Federal bonds, Hughes said the law was not a valid act when it applied dollar for dollar in payment of Government bonds, the question be- ing whether Congress can invalidate the pledge which the Government made when it pledged its credit in issuing bonds. Congress cannot ignore the promise which the Government had made, he said, and Congress cannot repudiate the Government'’s obligations. But, it developed subsequently, those who consider themselves to have suf- fered wrongly from the contested law cannot sue for the additional money they believe their due. The joint resolution of Congress sus- pending gold payments which the court today declared valid as applied to private contracts was enacted on June 5, 1933. Its purpose was “to as- sure uniform value to the coins and currencies of the United States.” Hughes reviewed at length the history of previous regulations con- cerning money and a decision of the court on the subject. He stated the court was not con- cerned with the wisdom of the law in question, but that the question was ©ne of power and not politics. President Roosevelt was closeted with his secretaries, Marvin H. Mc- Intyre and Stephen T. Early, as the Supreme Court decision was handed down, Lower Courts Are Sustained. Hughes emphasized the word “af- firmed” when the private bond cases were decided, sustaining lower courts. The Chief Justice enunciated with a distinctive clearness. With feeling he read his brief summary of the cases decided and then launched into the reasons for the court findings. The crowded court listened intently, all eyes fixed upon the black-robed Chief Justice. “Fairly construed, the gold clauses were intended to afford & definite standard of a measure of value and thus protect against the depreciation of the currency by payment of a lesser value than the prescribed,” Hughes said. Treasury officials were running back and forth from the court to the mar- shal’s office relaying the decision over an open telephone circuit to high ad- ministration officials downtown. Senator Robinson, Democratic leader, came out of the court at 12:15 and said “I'm satisfied.” Informed of the court’s decision, Chairman Summers, Democrat, of s Photographers setting up elaborate apparatus near the door of the Supreme Court chamber at the gold ruling. JUSTICE ROBERTS. THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, MONDAY, FEBRUA —Harris-Ewing Photo. JUSTICE McREYNOLDS. ~—A. P, Photo. Texas, of the House Judiciary Com- mittee, sald: “That's all right, The big trouble | was in the private cases. We can take care of the Federal cases by legislation without paying a cent.” Hughes then discussed the power of Congress to invalidate existing con- tracts which interfere with its consti- | tutional power, including those issued by private parties, State municipali- ties and their political subdivisions. The Court reached the conclusion, he said, that Congress in the exercise of its power to regulate currency could not be controlled by gold clauses in private obligations. The Court had | repeatedly ruled to that effect. An attache of Attorney General Cummings’ office was present and im- | mediately left to telephone Cummings of the decision. A number of others also dashed out of the chamber presumably to notify | other Government officials and indi- viduals directly affected. As he spoke, Hughes now and again, | leaned forward to emphasize a point. | He nodded his head frequently as he stressed some former court decisions. Now and then he paused. to continue in a more vigorous fashion. Byrns Is Satisfied. Speaker Byrns said: “A satisfac- tory verdict. But the importance of the opinion, as I've said before, is, to my mind, exaggerated.” In his summary, Hughes said: “The questions at-issue were power of Congress to establish a monetary system and power of Congress to in- validate existing contracts which in- terfere with its constitutional author- ity and whether the gold clause did constitute such an interference as to | bring them within the range of Con- gress over the monetary system.” The controversy over the validity of the abrogation by Congress of the gold clauses in contractual obligations reached the Supreme Court in five cases. ‘Three rose out of the refusal of railroads to observe the gold clause in their bonds, and two the refusal of the United States. All involved the validity of the June, 1933, resolution declaring it “against public policy” to permit the payment of debts only in gold or in any particular kind of coin or cur- rency. The prohibition included both private and public obligations. It directed that all gold obligations which had been issued “shall be dis- charged upon payment, dollar for dol- lar, in any coin or currency which at the time of payment is legal tender for public and private debts.” It prohibited issuance of any more gold clause bonds. All Currency Legal Tender. All coins and currencies of the United States, including Federal Re- serve notes and circulating notes ‘ot Federal Reserve and national banks, whenever issued, were made legal ten- der for all debts. Normam C. Norman of New York, the owner of a Baltimore & Ohio $1,000 gold bond, presented for pay- ment an interest coupon due in Feb- ruildry, 1934, This called for $22.50 in gold. He insisted that if payment in gold was impossible, he should receive its equivalent in currency—which he placed at $38.10. When the railroad refused to pay more than $22.50 in currency, he sued in the Néw York State courts, which sustained the law and ruled the debt could be dis- charged in currency, dollar for dollar. The second case involved 1903 gpld bonds of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Raflway, which later be- came & part of the Missouri Pacific, The Bankers' Trust Co. and Willlam H. Bixby, as trustees of certain bond- holders, brought suit to compel the payment to them of $34,548,000 and interest in gold of the standard of weight and fineness prevailing May 1, 1933, when the bonds matured. In the event gold was not available, they demanded an amount of currency equal to the value of the gold coin “at the times of such payments.” Railroad Bankrupt. The Missouri Pacific was & bank- rupt, undergoing reorganization, The ‘RPCuns(mcnnn Finance Corp. had loaned it $23.134.800, taking as se- curity bonds subordinate to the x903, first mortgage bonds Also, the United States held a claim against the railroad for $5,000,000 unpaid taxes. So the Government became appre- hensive that, should the Iron Moun- | tain first mortgage bonds be paid in currency in accordance with the de- | mana of the trustees, its position as a creditor would be materially im- paired, and its chances of collecting | what was owed it would be substan- tially lessened. The Government joined in the Fed- | eral District Court at St. Louis in opposing the demands of the trustees. | Judge Ferris, recently promoted to the Federal Eeighth Circuit Court of Appeals, declared payment of the Iron Mountain first mortgage bonds in | gold or its equivalent in currency was ‘impossible in fact and in law.” The trustees took the controversy to the Eighth Circuit Court—but to expedite a final decision—the Su- preme Court agreed to review the two cases, as requested by the United States, without awaiting action on them by the Circuit Court. New Yorker Sued. In the next case, F. Eugene Nortz, of New York, owner of $106,300 in gold certificates, protested he had re- ceived only their face value in cur- rency when compelled to surrender | them. He sued in the Court of Claims, demanding in addition $64,- 334, which he asserted was the differ- ence in what he had received and the value of the gold to which he was entitled. | The last case involved John M. Perry of New York, owner of & $10,- 000 Fourth Liberty Loan bond, which | had been called for redemption. He filed suit in the Court of Claims de- manding either the gold called for by the bond or $16931 in currency, which he insisted represented the value of the gold to which he was entitled. The Court of Claims, being un- certain as to its jurisdiction to decide the two suits which had been filed without the consent of the United States, asked the Supreme Court for instructions. The cases, five according to Gocket numbering, but in reality presenting only four separate disputes, were heard by the Supreme Court in suc- cession, the oral argument extending beyond three days in January. In recognition of the crucial im- portance of the questions involved, Attorney General Cummings made | his first appearance in argument since taking charge of the Department of Justice. He was assisted by Assistant Solicitor General Angus D. MacLean and Stanley Reed, general counsel of the Reconstruction Finance Corp. Counsel in Cases. Emanuel Redfleld appeared as coun- sel for Norman and Frederick H. ‘Wood for the B. & O. Edward J. White appeared for the trustees of the Missouri Pacific and James H. McIntosh and Edward W. Bourne for the trustees of the bond- holders. Otto @. Sommerich and Raymond: T. Heilpern were counsel for Nortz. Perry appeared as his own counsel. The cases, from the Government viewpoint, involved its sovereign pow- er to dpal with and the authority of Congress to legislate in respect of coinage and currency, to declare what shall be legal tender for all debts and te annul all contracts which r Ject the legal tender as a full meas- ure, dollar for dollar, in the discharge of gold clause obligations. It argued the law’s declaration that gold payment clauses were contrary to public policy, and the suspension of gold payments, to be justified by conditions following the World War which made it necessary, in the judg- ment of Congress, to abandon the dual monetary system which had pre- vailed during and following the Civil War, when two kinds of money, With different values, were in circulation. Other Contentions. Other Government contentions: It was the purpcse of Gongress to maintain at all times the equal power ¥ CHIEF JUSTICE HUGHES. ~—Harris-Ewing Photo, [ 2 Capitol this morning in preparation for the —A. P. Photo. Questions and Answers Involved in Gold Cases By the Assoctated Press : The gold cases in questions and | answers: Q. What took them into the Su- preme Court? A. The Government's suspension of | gold payments and refusal to pay an equivalent sum in present-day de- | valued currency. Q. How much money was involved? | A. $69,000,000,000 Q. Who is concerned? A. Every holder of public and pri- vate obligations specifying payment in | gold or its equivalent—bonds, mort- gages, notes and the like. Q. What is the total amount of these obligations? 5 A. Estimated at $100,000,000,000 up. $169,000,000,000 Needed. | Q. If these obligations had to be paid in an equivalent amount of cur- rency, what would the amount be? A. $169,000,000,000 if the total orig- inally was $100,000,000,000. Q. Why is that? A. Because the amount of gold| needed to fulfill the contracts at the reduced dollar content of 15 5-21 grains would require that amount of | present currency. Q. What was the direct issue before | the Supreme Court? A. The validity of “public resolution No. 10" adopted by Congress June 5, 1933, declaring it to be “against pub- lic policy” to settle contract obliga- tions in gold or in any particular kind of coin or currency. Q What kind of payment was | specified by the resolution? A. It directed that all gold-clause | contracts “shall be discharged upon payment, dollar-for-dollar, in any coin or currency which at the time of payment is legal tender for public and private debts.” Q. What did this mean? A. That the $100,000,000,000 of ob- ligations would be settled dollar-for- dollar in existing greenback currency. Act Called Invalid. Q. What did those challenging the | law contend? A. That “public resolution No. 10” was unconstitutional, that by approv- ing it Congres materially aitered the terms of contracts. Q. What was the basis of the Gov- ernment's contention? A. The Government argued Con- gress had full authority to regulate | coinage currency, to say what shall be legal tender for all debts and to suspend gold payments in order to maintain the equal power of every dollar. of every dollar, with equal legal tender | value. “The gold clauses constituted a seri- ous obstruction to the effective exer- cise by Congress of its monetary and other powers. 1If gold clauses were to be enforced, Congress would be deprived of the power to regulate the value of the dollar. Such clauses would, if enforced, interfere with recent monetary meas- ures adopted to protect the gold re- serves of the United States, to pro- vide a more effective use of those reserves, and to regulate and protect the foreign commerce. The monetary measures adopted were necessary to cope with the dis- organized financial and economic con- ditions which reached a crisis in this country in 1933. By declaring the gold clauses were not enforceable Congress was able to take steps to remedy the conditions, The volume of gold debts made it necessary for Congress to adopt the| resolution. ‘The holders of gold obligations who insisted in being paid in currency in amounts t the value of the gold called for in them were demanding $1.69 for every $1 invested. Law Properly Enacted. An impressive Congress majority had properly enacted the legislation; and it did not constitute an abridg- ment of constitutional rights. Existing gold clause contracts could not be permitted to obstruct the legiti- mate monetary policy of Congress. The Supreme Court had frequently declared _existing contracts could not be permitted to have that effect. Holders of gold bonds could only demand the face amount of the debt payable in legal tender currency, be- cause of proclamations, orders and regulations concerring hoarding, and the acquisition and export of gold coin and bullion. Gold clause obligations called only for the payment in gold coin, and did not require a promise to pay an asserted equivalent of that value in legal tender currency. The payment of gold bonds in gold coin was illegal and impossible. If gold coin was available to dis- charge the debt, the owners of gold clause obligations cculd have realized on the gold no more than the face amount in lawful money. The United States must be sup- ported in the exercise of its sovereign power over its coinage and currency, and the monetary legislation must be supported, with no hinderance from gold clause obligations. On the other side, the law was sssailed as an abridgment of con- tractual rights in violation of the i Constitution. The challengers emphatically dis- sented from the Government argu- ments and insisted the Constitution protected them from conflscation of their property and guaranteed to them compensation when contractual rights were violated. If payment in gold required by the obligations was impossible be- cause of the hoarding act and other monetary legislation, they declared the contractual obligations could only be discharged by paying them in lawful money the value of the gold to_which they were entitled. Regarding United States gold clause obligations in its currency and bonds, they insisted the Government must not repudate its promise to pay in gold or its equivalent, asserting that it had borrowed the money on its credit and must discharge the obli- gation in good faith. The Government claimed it had been demonstrated in March, 1933, that the time had come to check the withdrawals of gold because of the drain long exerted on its mone- tary stock of gold, and also to combat the deflationary effect resuiting from the fact that the United States was the only important commerce nation in the world still endeavoring to maine tain pre-war gold parity of its mone- tary unit. RADIO “DEVIL-CHASER” IS FILMED FOR MOVIES “Lick” Satan by Singing, Elder Shouts Before Cameras Mak- ing a “Short.” If you want to “lick” the devil, “just open your mouth and sing. Be happy.” Thus Elder Solomon Lightfoot Mi- chaux, nationally known colored radio preacher, advised his congregation last night from in front of kleig lights and cameras as they filmed him as the devil-chaser-away in his first movie short. ‘The short subject, he said, would be entitleg: “Happy Am I” or “We've Got the Devil on the Run.” “The devil doesn't like radio preach- ing,” Michaux told his congregation of more than 1,000 persons jamming his Church of ‘God. “So the devil enters the static. Yeah man! “But this movie will lick the devil if we all sing loud enough,” he shouted. 8o the massive congregation fairly licked the tar out of the leading cit- izen of Hades, 3 JUSTICE SUTHERLAND. —A., P, Photo. 18, 1935. —Harris-Ewing JUSTICE BUTLER. JUSTICE STONE. Photo. —Harris-Ewing Photo. JUSTICE VAN DE VANTER. —Underwcod Photo. D. Briglio of the assay office in New York looking at two stacks of gold bricks, which illustrate simply the outcome of today's Supreme Court decision. ruling. The larger stack, before devaluation, was worth only $100,000. it is now worth $169,300. The smaller stack is now worth $100,000 as a result of the court’s Under the value upheld by today’s ruling —A. P. Photo. | CELEBRITIES CROWD | CHAMBER TO HEAR HUGHES READ DECISION | (Continued From First Page.) a lift in terms of foreign currencies. Morgenthau previously had passed out assurances that the $2,000,000,000 | New Deal stabilization fund would be | used to keep the dollar steady abroad. Long Line at Capitol. | At the Capitol the Supreme Court | attracted Washingtonians and visitors alike, rather than doings of the Sen- | ate and House. A line began forming outside the historic chamber at 9 am. By 10:30 it stretched almost a block long and was increasing in size by the minute. | The reserved seats inside were soon | | filled. Several lawyers came early to | | sit in sections reserved for the bar. | They read newspapers to while away | | the time. | Al was expectancy. Officials of | | the marshal’s office nervously made | } last-minute preparations for the press innd for handling the crowd. | The best indication yet that the | | court would hand down its gold de- | | cision was seen in the appearance of some friends of the justices, with | official letters requesting that they | be admitted to the session. The small office of the marshal, located off the court room, was be- sieged by men and women hoping to hear the opinion. Some were suc- cessful; others were not. Picture Men on Hand. Perhaps for the first time motion picture cameras ground away outside the court room. The marshal’s office allowed all cameramen to take shots in the cor- | ridor until 11 o'clock. Extra Capitol police were in the corridors to keep would-be spectators in line. Admission seekers were s0 thick around the marshal's office that the | doors were closed. Court pages, neat in blue, were more alert than ever, darting here and there to seat auditors or to see that pencils and paper were in place on the Jjustices’ bench. Lawyers Speculate. ‘The seats reserved for lawyers filled rapidly and their conversation turned at once to speculation as to what the | decision would be. They also ad- vanced opinions as to what the Gov- ernment would do if the court’s rul- ing was unfavorable to it. The sombreness of the scene— sombre despite the alr of excitement —was relieved somewhat by a golden stream of sunlight from the skylight in the high semi-circular dome. Women were in the majority among the early arrivals. One read a book, papers, Colored attendants, usually slow and studied in their movements as befit- ting the dignity of the justices they serve, stepped quickly about their duties. One of the early arrivals was a lookout from the Treasury, who would not give his name to reporters. Accompanied by a woman, he went to the marshal's office. He was told that he could remain in the office but that the woman could not. He was there to dispatch the awaited word of a decision to Secretary Morgenthau. Mrs. Morgenthau, wife of the Sec- retary of the Treasury also came in with a friend. They took seats on a bench that was occupied entirely by ‘women. Another arrival was James M. Beck, former Solicitor General and former Representative, who is recognized as one of the country’s most prominent constitutional lawyers. Notables Arrive. Every passing minute brought more into the chamber. The marshal and his deputies appeared to grow more harassed by the request for seats. A deputy was heard to say to an attendant: “I am in a hell of & fix.” Notables that filtered into the room also included Mrs. Owen J. Roberts, wife of the Associate Justice, who came with two friends. Francis Biddle, head of the National Labor Relations Board, was another. Gov. Martin L. Davey of Ohio was on hand. He was accompanied by Prancis M. Poulson, chairman of the Ohio Democratic Committee. As the chamber became filled—at 11:35—the buzz of conversation rose in volume and in some respects the scene resembled a theater before s play. Indeed, drama affecting the 2 | property of millions of Americans was | in the making. | Mrs. Hughes and her friend chatted animatedly while they waited the measured procession of the black- | robed justices to their chairs at noon I Shortly before noon, Justice Mc- | Reynolds brought a group of friends | to the marshall's office. Room wu‘ found for them although the capacity ‘ was already taxed. | Mrs. Roberts Present. Mrs. Robegts, wife of the justice, was asked as she sat in the court room about the case. She laughingly said she did not know herself whether a decision had been reached, but de- | cided to come “and take a chance.” She sat near Mrs. Hughes. Both were dressed in black Mabel Walker Willebrandt, former Assistant Attorney General, was in the front row of the lawyers’ section. Senator Shipstead, Farmer-Labor, of Minnesota, took a seat just ahead of the Minister from Panama. At 11:40 Justice Stone was the first member of the tribunal to appear. He went into the marshal’s office | to see that a friend was admitted, | and thence to the robing room. | Associate Justice Cardozo then stepped briskly into the robing room. He smiled at persons he recognized, | but did not speak. His black eyes flashed almost excitedly, however, in | marked contrast to his usual de-| meanor. | Senators McKellar, Democrat of | Tennessee and McAdoo, Democrat, of | California found seats near Senator | Shipstead. The group was joined later by Senator Duffy, Democrat, of Wis- | consin. | More than 50 lawyers stood in the rear of the room. Sensing the drama of the event, pages rearranged the | chairs of the justices and nervously stood by to assist in seating members | of the bench when they arrived, The delegation from the Justice De- partment was swelled with the arrival of Wiliam Stanley, Assistant Attor- ney General, and Angus MacLean, | assistant solicitor general, who were | seated in the front of the room along | with Solicitor General Biggs. | ROXY THEATER ROBBED By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, February 18.—A bold robber, who carried off his loot in a paper bag, entered the Roxy Theater at Seventh avenue and Fiftieth street just after midnight today, tied up three officials of the theater and tween $11,000 and $16,000. unaware the hold-up was taking place. nothing of it. ‘The robbery took place in the office | of James Muldoon, Roxy treasurer, Jjust off the spacious rotunda through | which a steady stream of persons wui others the latest editions of news- |Pa3ine. ing. | The bandit gained admittance by | complaining he had ben short changed by a ticket seller. The attendant took him to the treasurer’s office, telling him to wait outside the door. The bandit took only paper money, | ignoring $3,000 in silver. Cases In Brief Two Challenges Made To Validity of Gold Resolution. By the Assoclated Press. ‘The gold cases in brief: Norman C. Norman of New York, holder of a $1,000 Baltimore and Ohio Railroad bond, presented an interest coupon for $2250 and demanded $38.10, which he contended was the equivalent in currency of the $22.50 he was entitled to receive in gold. John M. Perry of New York asked either $10,000 in gold for the $10,000 liberty bond he held, or $16,931 in currency, asserting that amount rep- resented in currency the gold right- fully his. P. Eugene Nortz of New York, hold- er of $106,300 of gold certificates, sued to recover $64,334, which he alleged was the difference between what he received for his certificates and the value of the gold to which he was entitled. | Bankers Trust Co. of New York and Willlam H. Bixby, trustees of $34,548,000 of Iron Mountain Rail- road bonds, demanded they be paid ’vil gold or currency equal to its old lue. 1 OF MORE THAN $11,000 : i More than 100 theater employes knew |3 AFFECTED BONDS TOTAL 21 BILLIONS Gold Securities Estimated 14 Billions—Local Debts About $40,000,000,000. By the Assoclated Press Value of Federal bonds, both out- standing and matured. which contain the disputed gold clause is set at $21,565.727.180 by the office of the commissioner of public debt There are 22 issues outstanding, one aggregating about $50,000.000 in va- rious series of postal savings bonds. Outstanding securities containing the clause amount to $14,565,727,180. The Treasury estimates that approx- imately $7,000,000,000 has been retired since abrogation of the clause. Should the Treasury be forced to pay off these securities in present-day dollars of the old gold content, the obligation would be increased by about 70 per cent, or, roughly, $15,096,000,000. Other Gold Debts. In addition, it was estimated there was at least $40.000,000,000 of local indebtedness (State, county and mu- nicipal) payable in gold. Payment in dollars of the old gold content would tack $28,000,000,000 on local debt. Estimates of the amount of private contracts written in gold vary by as much as $100,000,000.000. One ob- server for the Federal Reserve Board estimated the total at $200,000,000,000, which would mean an increase of $140,000,000,000 if paid off in dollars of the old gold content. U. S. Securities Listed. In the table that follows Federal securities containing the gold clause are listed serially, as determined by the office of the public debt commis- sioner: BONDS. consols. of 1930. . ., Panama Canals 1016« Panama Canais 1015- Panama Canals 1961 conv. 1946-47 3 Postal Savings. Vari- ous_seri 3599.,724,050 48,084,180 25,947,400 40.800.000 28.804.600 escaped with cash estimated at be- An audience of 2,500 persons was : s due June 15 1935.. 1. 1936 1 5 A1 502,36 276,679,800 35,000,000 die Sept 3 due Aoril 15. 2%s due Feb, 1 Special no.es outstanding Totais . . Securities Tetired’ . Total affected TWO DIE IN FLMAES Fashionable Astor Hotel in Mil- waukee Damaged by Fire. MILWAUKEE, February 18 (#).— Two persons lost their lives early to- day in a fire at the fashionable Hotel Astor, residential hotel and apartment house near Juneau Park. The dead are Oscar Teweles, 66- year-old deaf mute of Milwaukee, and his nurse, Ilsie Saxigger. The fire broke out in the basement shortly after 4 a.m., and although the flames did not spread quickly smoke filled the halls. Many of the guests summoned by telephone walked to the street un- aided, but others were carried out by firemen. Five persons, all -Milwaukee resi- dents, were taken to the County Emer- gency Hospital suffering from the effects of smoke. . the Radioen H"‘l‘c‘ll RESEARCH WAS PRODUCED.” ETZ—1217 G