Evening Star Newspaper, March 3, 1935, Page 20

B—2 PRETTYMAN LOAN BILL WINS BACKING Citizens’ Federation Urges Passage of New Law for District. Enactment of a new small loan bill for the District, substantially in the form of the proposal drafted by Cor- poration Counsel Prettyman, now be- fore Congress, was urged last night by the Federation of Citizens' Associa- tions. ‘The action was taken after a two- hour acrimonious debate in approving a substitute motion by James G. Yaden, federation president, who re- tired from the chair to debate the issue. The vote was 39 to 24. The majority report of the Laws and Leg- islation Committee, submitted by W. J. Neale, was rejected, the Yaden mo- tion being a substitute for a minority report by George E. Sullivan, which substantially approved the Prettyman bill, ¢ Favors Interest Change. The federation favored legislation to change the present legal interest rate on small loans from 1 to 2 per cent per month on the unpaid bal- ance and allow, in addition, certain specified charges and fees for investi- gation and other administration, the total not to exceed $3. The federa- tion urged that the Prettyman bill be amended to strike out a clause which would authorize the superin- tendent of insurance of the District, at nis discretion, to lower the inter- est rate to 1 per cent per month on the unpaid balance, or to raise it to as much as 4 per cent per month cn the unpaid balance. Both sides in the federation debate declared that under the present law “loan sharks are reaping a harvest” at the expense of the unfortunate persons who are forced to seek small loans, which they cannot afford to ob- tain from banks, which charge 6 per cent per year. Sullivan, in opposing the majority report, attacked the Rus- sell Sage Foundation as an organiz: tion which is maintaining “the most persistent lobby ever yet known” in favor of & type of small loan legisla- tion favored by the majority commit- tee report. Foundation Supported. This matter, he said, has been be- fore Congress for a number of years and “Congress hasn’t yet been willing to swallow the foundation.” Immediately Neale and other sup- porters of the Sage Foundation type of bill came to the support of that institution as one interested only in the welfare of the public. Neale favored & bill permitting small loan operators to charge from 2’z to 31, per cent per month on the unpaid balance and would require that com- panies doing such business have liquid assets of not less than $25,000 and require annual inspection of their books. 5 Henry A. Donovan precipitated ver- bal fireworks by declaring 3'2 per cent per month on the unpaid balance really means a return to the company of 42 per cent per year, if the com- pany can keep its loan funds loaned. Neale argued the rate was justified be- cause of the great risk run by those engaged in the small loan business. He said they had to make 8 or 9 per cent per year to make small loan business profitable. Fees for “Procurors.” Supporters of the Prettyman bill, amended as proposed by Yaden, em- phasized that one of its important features is that the “procurors” of Joans would be brought into the pic- ture by allowing them specified but restricted fees. Will P, Kennedy, & newly elected delegate from the North Capitol Citizens’ Association, was presented to the federation at the opening of the session and President Yaden assigned him to serve on the Committee on National Representation. The federation adopted a resolu- tion expressing regret over the death of Henry K. Bush-Brown, who for many years was a delegate from the Arts Club. Prayer to Open Meetings. All meetings of the federation here- after will be opened with prayer, under the terms of a resolution adopted by the body and presented by Jesse C. Suter. The invocations will be by clergymen of different faiths, Jewish and Gentile, Catholic and Protestant. In the same resolution the federation expressed hope for success of the newly formed Committee on the Reli- gious Life in the Nation's Capital., A special adjourned meeting of the federation will be held next Saturday night to take action on the proposed bill to create a commission on mental health, to handle lunacy cases, BILL AROUSES TEACHERS Threaten Strikes if $60-a-Month Salary Clause Remains. OKLAHOMA CITY, March 2 (#).— Strikes of Oklahoma teachers were forecast by legislators today if a $60 maximum monthly salary clause is Sfiwfld to the emergency school aid Legislators said they had received numerous letters and telegrams warn- ing strikes would greet passage of the measure, e EX-OFFICER SENTENCED Former Soldier Jailed and Fined in Stolen Auto Case. OKLAHOMA CITY, March 2 (&). =Charles Wentworth George Lemoyne Fitzwilliams, former British and American army officer, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison and fined $200 on two charges of trans- porting_stolen automobiles. Frank Evans, Chicago garage own- er, a co-defendant, was given a sim- ilar sentence, but was placed on pro- bation for two years. Liquor Lost During Federation Debate Remains Unclaimed Miss Etta Taggart, well known ‘Washington attorney and a dele- gate to the Federation of Citi- zens’ Associations sat quietly dur- ing a heated debate at the fed- eration's meeting last night. As the verbal battle was finally concluded Miss Taggart jumped to her feet. “I will be glad to return this package to its owner,” she an- nounced, holding it aloft, “if he can produce satisfactory proof of ownership.” A coat had been dislodged from the back of the seat in front of It was a bottle of liquor. No one moved to assert owner- ship. THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, [Early’s Article Answers Joslin | Y A AID JRGED By Denying Press Claims Newspaper Men Can’t BeFooled by W hite House Propaganda. Roosevelt’s Secretary Says Hoover Aide Shocked by Inter- view Plan. In an article in the Redbook, made public here yesterday, Stephen Early, secretary to President Roose- velt, replies at length to an article in the February Redbook by Theodore Joslin, who was private secretary to President Hoover. D “Joslin in his article declared “free- dom of the press will be one of the issues confronting the new Congress.” At the same time, he dwelt on what he termed the “wholesale hiring” of ‘Washington correspondents, editors and publishers by the Government and sought to show that the New Deal was trying to effect and had ef- fected a virtual censorship of the press in the National Capital. Early, in his article, endeavors to controvert the representations of Joslin. He makes light of the idea there is any censorship or anything resembling it, and contends it is im- possible to “fol newspaper men with propaganda.” Talking Through Hat. In the course of his article, Early says: “If there is a censorship, T ought to be mixed up in it. If there is a plot to curb the press, I must be one of the plotters. Besides, I am partly responsible, at least, for the fact that a number of former newsmen have come into the Government service as public relations officers of various agencies, In my secretarial capacity it seems to be my plain duty to say that Mr. Joslin is talking through his hat; and speaking as one secretary to another, I know that he must have at least one tall silk one. “The second reason is that as a newspaper man of many years experi- ence in Washington I know something about the Washington corps of corre- spondents. From that standpoint I defy any administration to fool them with propaganda, or even undertake such a thing. Believe me, they are not babes in the woods. They Know Government. “Many of them know far more con- cerning the processes and philosophy of government than some officials. All of them are keenly alert to any threat to their freedom of action. They are instantly aware of any at- tempt to flatter or cajole them. In their impersonal view, presidential secretaries are but passing ships in the night. “From this standpoint, again I say, that Mr. Joslin is reveling in bunk. “In general, about the most con- crete charge the author makes is that President Roosevelt permits himself to smile, thereby incurring great dan- ger that the press will be bewitched. But there are some things in the article that should be treated in the light of setting the record straight. “First, however, let me go back to an incident which involved Mr. Joslin and myself, and which. according to my notion, fairly warrants recount- ing as a way of establishing the back- ground of his approach to this matter. Named Press Secretary. “In December, 1932, I was called to Warm Springs by Franklin D, Roosevelt—then President-elect—and for the first time, acquainted with Mr. Roosevelt's desire that I become his ‘press secretary.’ I accepted, and the handling of press relations under the new administration was discussed. Returning to Washington, I was invited by Mr. Joslin, then one of President Hoover’'s secretaries, to confer with him. I did so. Mr. Joslin graciously offered his co-operation. He asked me what plan I had in mind for handling the press. “Bear in mind that presidential press conferences under Mr. Hoover, by that time, had faded almost injo the limbo of forgotten things. For a long period before the change of ad- ministrations, the semi-weekly ses- sions with the press had been all but abandoned. Weeks went by when, time after time, notices were posted in the White House press room to the effect that a session had been called off or postponed. “When sessions were held, the sys- tem was the old one of the newsman handing in written queries before the meeting. An individual who wrote a question did not always conflde to his fellows. The others were in the dark. So rarely were pertinent ques- tions answered that many of the cor- respondents gave up the idea of sub- mitting them. Toward the close of the Hoover administration there was scarcely any direct link between the President of the United States and the public, so far as the majority members of the correspondence corps were concerned. Plan Horrifies Joslin. “In response to Mr. Joslin’s ques- tion, I told him frankly that Mr. Roosevelt meant to throw open his press conferences to direct verbal questions. ‘That meant that any member of the press eligible to attend could fire queries at him at will. It meant that the President, facing 200 or more newspaper men, would ex- pose himself to cross-examination on subjects possibly involving delicate considerations. It meant that hostile interrogators could do their worst. The only reservati was that the President could talk “off the record” or for “background.” “Mr. Joslin was horrified. “He said in substance: You cannot do that. Suppose the President made a mistake. Then he would have to take the blame for it himself. A President cannot do that. That is what the Presidental secretaries are for—to take the rap when it is neces- sary to ease the President out of a tight spot. “One could not help recalling the Hiram Johnson incident. That was when, during the visit of Ramsay MacDonald of Great Britain to this ccuntry, President Hoover gave & din- ner to the Prime Minister and was called upon to invite an appropriate company to the affair. Naturally, the Foreign Relations Committee of the Senate was included. But Sena- tor Johnson, & member of that com- mittee, it was well known, long had been at outs with the President. The list given out on the afternoon of the day preceding that of the dinner did not contain Mr. Johnson’s name. Error Corrected. “The ommission was a glaring one, | and news gatherers immediately made inquiries. The reply of the secretariat was that the list stood as given out. There was an uproar the next day— such an uproar that immediate steps were taken to still it. A messenger was sent from the White House with a letter to Senator Johnson, informing' him that due to a clerical error, his name had been ‘inadvertently’ left out Censorship STEPHEN EARLY. THEODORE JOSLIN. ment on the plan that had been laid out for dealing with the press under the Roosevelt administration, I was obliged to tell him that the incom- ing President had ideas differing vastly from those of the preceding regime. Mr. Joslin seemed dazed. “Mr. Roosevelt takes the news- paper men as they come. There are no favored groups who are called into private seances because they are friendly ¢o the administration. There | are no ‘big shots’ invited to be the President’s special guests when he is traveling. At the outset, equal treatment for all and equal respect for the rights of all were decided upon as a rigid policy.” Propaganda Denied. Early proceeds to contend that the policy of President Roosevelt is to “turn on the light.” He discussed employment of newspaper men and points out that in fact many of them have long been in the Govern- ment service. Beyond this, he seeks to show that the material given out by the various press bureaus and agencies of the Government do not constitute propaganda, but is factuab and “dispassionate.” At the end of the article the Red Book attached the following editor's note: “Mr. Joslin, shown Mr. Early’s reply to his article, has wired us, briefly: ‘My answer is that facts, not personalities, are at issue. I stated in my article that this administration has employed and is employing an un- precedented number of former news- paper men, He has not controverted that statement.’ “Mr. Joslin goes on to say that there are two inaccuracies in Mr. Early’s reply that require attention: That Mr. Early’s reference to censor- ship is without warrant. And that— while Mr. Joslin did voluntarily offer, in keeping with established custom, to be of any assistance possible to Mr, Early prior to his assuming office— the ret of Mr. Early’s statement of that incident does not agree with his (Mr. Joslin's) recollectios —_ PEACE PROMISES EASE FEARS OF TONG STRIFE San Francisco Chinatown Dispute Originated in “Sale” of Girl for $1,800. By the Associated Press. SAN FRANCISCO, March 2.—Fears of a tong war aroused by a dispute over a bartered Chinese bride abated tonight when peace promises were made in the office of Capt. Bert Wallis of the homicide squad. Pretty Toy Fong Lew, “exquisite pheasant,” who was sold in marriage for $1,800 and then sought by authori- ties on two continents, was the cause of the threatened Chinatown clash between the Hop Sings and the Four Families Association. For a day and a night, police, heav- ily armed with riot guns, have been patroling the narrow, twisted alleys of the Chinese quarter. The word had gone out that men had been marked for death. CHILD LABOR MOVE LOST South Dakota Senate Kills Reso- lution. S. Dak, March 2 (#)— Toll call vote, the South killed by indef- inite postponement a resolution pro- posing ratification of the Federal child labor amendment. Advocates of the proposal said they would transfer their efforts to the House, where a child labor resolution is pending. PIERRE, Without a Dakota JORDAN’S 13th & 6 I Buys a good demonstrator Other Used Washers $10—$20—%25 ARTHUR JORDAN * PIANO COMPANY 1239 G St., cor. 13th & G FORD. C. SCHOOLS Two Senior Highs Included in Works Favored by Studebaker. (Continued From First Page.) between Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets. ‘The suggested land purchases would provide a site for a junior high school in the vicinity of Massachusetts ave- nue and Macomb street, site for an elementary school in the vicinity of Concord avenue and Third street, land adjoining the present Dennison Vo- cational School for a new elementary school, sites for schools for crippled children in the vicinity of Children's Hospital and near Freedmen’s Hos- pital and additional land at the old J. F. Cook School for playground pur- poses. These items were not valued separately for the obvious reason of avolding a boost in the prices of land. Lumped together they would cost an estimated $515,500. Other Projects Covered. Other pojects covered by Dr. Stude- baker's resume of needs here are as follows: Completion of the second floor at the Hardy School, Foxhall road and Volta place, $35,000. Completion of the second floor at the Shepherd School, Fourteenth and Kalmia streets, $35,000. An assembly-gymnasium at the ‘Whittier School, Fifth and Sheridan streets, $40,000. An eight-room addition and assem- bly-gymnasium at the Truesdell School, Ingraham street between Eighth and Ninth streets, $155,000. For class rooms and unfinished space for four additional class rooms at Bunker Hill School, Michigan ave- nue east of Twelfth street, $115,000. Eight-room addition and assembly- gymnasium at the Ketchum School, Fifteenth and U streets southeast, $155,000. Monroe School Project. Assembly-gymnasium at Monroe School, Columbia road between Geor- gla and Sherman avenues, $67,000. Eight-room addition and assembly- gymnasium at the Grimke School, Vermont avenue between T and U sureets, $190,000. Assembly-gymnasium at the Gid- bings School, G street between Third and Fourth streets southeast, $40,000. A room for cleaning and dyeing at the Margaret Murray Washington Vocational School, O street between at Paul Junior High School, Eighth d Ogletharpe streets, $190,000. Improvement of stage and corri- dors at Shaw Junior High School, Seventh street and Rhode Island ave- nue, $10,000. Gymnasium and extension of auto repair shop at Armstrong High School, O street between First and Third streets, $70.000, and for cor- ridor and remodeling of gymnasium at Armstrong, $45,000. STRIKE DEMANDS MADE Ex-Service Men Present Plea to Gov. Sholtz. KEY WEST, Fla, March 2 () —|| Disgruntled former service men, on strike 1n the Florida Keys where they have been engaged in highway con- || struction, wired Gov. Dave Sholtz to- | | day they would return to work imme- diately on two conditions. One was the reinstatement of E. B. Bubier, recently removed as captain of the camp on Lower Matecumbe Island, where the 425 strikers now are being watched over by two de- tachments of National Guards, called out to preserve order. ‘The other was the return of the strikers’ original spokesman commit- tee of four who, they claim, were run out of the camp by deputies. The four last were reported to be in Miami. Other demands which had been made by the former service men were improved sanitary conditions in the camp and wages equal to those paid civilians working with them. PLANES TO COUNT ELK Hole Country. CHEYENNE, Wyo., March 2 () — ‘There’s going to be a census of the big elk herd in the Jackson Hole country next month, It will require the use of an air- plane for a part of the count, in which the United States Biological Survey and the Forest Service will co-operate with the State Game De- partment. When_the tally is completed the Game Department will have exact data on which to base its calcula- gg:: for efficient management of the A daily canter on the beach makes a good riding habit North Capitol and First streets, $7.500. Ten-room addition and gymnasium Golden Gate CAPT. W. E. McKAY DIES Retired Naval Officer Was Util- ities Executive. BOSTON, March 2 (#).—Capt. Wil- liam E. McKay, 70, & retired naval officer and widely known public util- ities official, died late today here. He was formerly president of the New England Fuel & Transportation Co. and was senlor vice president of the Massachusetts Gas Companies. Capt. McKay was born in Phila- delphia and was graduated from Ah- napolis at the age of 20. 75 | | | instrument, every The fine music. wherever you sit. This aerial view shows construction of the Yerba Buena Island spans ‘The West Bay towers are shown, with the concrete center anchorage ready ;{ m:e:lu‘e G::ldex; Gate Bridge between San Francisco and Oakland, Calif. lor & construction, all in preparation for the cable-spinning operations this month. In the background can be seen part of San Francisco. Phileo’s gift to the musical world. Every richness and luster that delights the lover of * Other Philcos $20 to 'HOMER L.KITT CO. 1330 G St. “The House of Music” Na. 4730 MARCH 3, 1935—PART ONE. JAPAN OPPOSES LOAN TO CHINESE Conference Here on Inter- national Aid to China Reported in Tokio. Bridge Rises By Radio to The Star. TOKIO, March 2-—Strong opposi- tion to an international loan to China was expressed in official circles here today, on the ground that “it would Inevitably lead to international con- trol of China,” according to the semi- official Japanese Rengo News Agency. Conflicting reports from Washing- ton created consternation in official quarters here. On the one hand, President Roosevelt denied any knowl- edge of a projected nine-power loan to China, while on the other hand Sir Ronald Lindsay, British Ambassador at Washington, and Willlam Phillips, acting Secretary of State, were re- ported to have discussed the possi- bility of an international loan. Whatever the truth, Japanese officials obviously do not want any interfer- ence from abroad which might hinder their efforts to bring about a rap- prochement with China. Agreement Made. Rengo reiterated that Chinese-Jap- anese negotiations had not reached the stage of discussing concrete prob- lems, but that an agreement had been made to settle outstanding issues by diplomatic means on the basis of equality. ‘There is considerable activity evi- dent among Japanese officials and various visiting Chinese and much is being heard about the necessity of | co-operation between the two coun- tries “on the basis of the ‘Greater Asia’ policy of Sun Yat-Sen.” But little has become known to the public of what actuslly has been discussed. The only concrete result so far aj parent is Nanking's latest order de- signed to suppress the anti-Japanese boycott. Leader to Come Here. Dr. Wang Chung-Hui, Chinese judge of the World Court and former pre- mier, who has put in & busy week interviewing the Japanese leaders, went sight seeing today and is ex- pected to return only in time to catch the Empress of Canada from Yako- hama Tuesday on his way to the Hague via the United States. Several other Chinese are following in Dr. Chen Pai-Fen, envoy of the Chinese National Association of Commerce and Iudustry, who is here now, and Li Tsei, Chinese adviser of the Nan- king foreign office, who arrived in Kobe today preaching the doctrine of —A. P. Photo. DEATH SAVES FOUR LIVES BOONVILLE, N. Y, March 2 (#).— ‘The lives of two men and two women were saved today because another man died. Ellis Wheeler, a night attendant for | Henry C. Utley, 84, who had been i1, found that Utley was dead. He went to the rooms of Mrs. | Maura Sawyer and Mr. eand Mrs. John | Joslin to tell them. He found them | | overcome by coal gas and, going for aid, collapsed himself at an outside door. Fresh air revived him and he summoned help. The others were re- vived. ALLOWANCE for your OLD RADIO on This Brand-New 1935 | High Fidelity PHILCO | “The Radio That’s Musically Perfect” Census to Be Taken in Jackson || Philco 200X Allowanece . . . . Pay only The Same Price to Every One The Best Price to EASY TERMS voice reproduced with a Sound-Diffusing Cabinet enables you to get the full tonal beauty Wang's footsteps, including | SIGNING OF T.V.A. RULING DELAYED Judge Announces Decree May Be Approved Some Time Tomorrow. By the Associated Press. BIRMINGHAM, Ala, March 2— Judge V7. I. Grubb announced tonight he would not sign before Monday & final decree in the suit of preferred shareholders of the Alabama Power Co. to restrain the Tennessee Valley Authority from purchasing the util- ity's holdings in North Alabama. The announcement came as at- torneys for the two contending par- ties waited nervously for his action, expected momentarily since mid- afternoon. During the forenoon in a closed conference, Judge Grubb, Forney Johnston, attorney for the plaintiffs, and James Lawrence Fly, chief of counsel for T. V. A, again reviewed the outline of the decree. In an oral opinion a week ago, Judge Grubb, at the conclusion of a lengthy hearing, held the T. V. A. was without authority to dispose of surplus power generated in the Ten- nessee Valley. The jurist also held the contract at issue was illegal and placed the T. V. A. in “proprietary” utility operations. This was expected to be the sub- stance of the decree to be signed. Before leaving the city Fly said “our properties in Mississippi are not en- dangered,” and said the decree would protect those towns and organiza- tions receiving current from T. V. A. An immediate appeal to the United States Circuit Court of Appeals at New Orleans was contemplated, with | final decision expected to be handed | down by the United States Supreme | Court. Two Killed in Plane Crash. LAMAR, Mo., March 2 (#).—An airplane fell on a street on the city square here late today, killing Maurice Bassett, Barton County dep- uty sheriff, and Rex Thomas, Lamar newspaper man, passengers. Ward Millard, pilot, who was distributing handbills, was critically injured. PO'.'I.:I'B.Y AND EGGS. M CROWING / . ‘,c’(,("‘ ks Buff Minor: Silver Laced $10—100: Wh —and adjusted by our experts to as- sure you of real life- Cross Bree Orpingtons. Bral Game Ducklingi 00. BECK'S HA’ . . $200 875 *125 All $600 — Special Allowances