Evening Star Newspaper, May 24, 1935, Page 2

PRESSURE TESTING PRESIDENT'S SKILL His Ability in Conciliating Conflicting Interests Is Put to Test. BY DAVID LAWRENCE. President Roosevelt has suddenly become the focal poimt of pressure from groups representing business and labor dnd agriculture and finance in hat is the most extraordinary con- flict of interest of his whole adminis- tration. ? The President’s skill as a concili- ator of opposite viewpoints, as a medi- @tor between rival positions and as a negotiator with the committees of Congress has never been put to a greater test. Within the last 48 hours word has @ome to the Capitol and, undoubt- edly, to the White House, that busi- ness and industry are alarmed be- yond the point that expresses fear Psychology, with the exception of the state of mind around the time of the bank holiday. Personal Move Required. The feeling that business and in- dustry had reached a crisis and could not go ahead without an open refusal to obey the unconstitutional proposals, the knowledge that a series of strikes and industrial disputes of an un- precedented character is in the mak- ing, and the loss of confidence in the administration’s willingness to give management a chance to co-operate for real recovery all raised such @oubts and misgivings that the Pres- ident had to take a personal hand in the whole situation. * Just what the outcome will be is| uncertain now. But the climax came ith the passage by the Senate of the Wagner labor disputes bill, which in- dustry regards as a declaration of war and as the beginning of an era that will spell economic chaos. In the middle of the severe reac tion against the Wagner bill, confer- ences were held in New York and Chicago and Washington. Members of the Business Advisory Council, known as the “Roper Council” hur- 9 What’s What ind N Behind News . In Capital Relief Pay Not What It Seems—Only Few in $19-a-Month Group. BY PAUL MALLON, RESIDENT ROOSEVELT’S own relief agents are growling I sharply off-stage about the way the new relief wage sched- ules were announced. say the official announcement gave an erroneous impression that the rates are much lower than they really are. The announcement was handed out from the office of Mr. Roosevelt’s leading doughboy, Prank Walker, but, i just between you and the gate post, it really was passed on by the White House itself. The wage-depressing tone of it was apparently adopted by design. The main idea seems to have been to offset sharp business criti- cism against the old high-wage relief set-up, at the start. Most politicos agree that the President is going to be in hot water about this wage-Aring mat- ter jfrom now on. In fact, some of them say the worst dlunder of the New Deal was his acceptance of the responsibility on this highly con- troversial issue. No nnocent bystander in his right mind will endeavor to referee this endless row. But it can be safely said now that the announcement was not what it seemed to be in all par- ticulars. As an example, that $19-a-month | minimum wage does not mean & | thing nationally. It applies only to comparatively few persons in one rural | zone area where very few work reliel ried here and relayed their impres- | projects are contemplated. There are sions back to absent members or to now on relief only 15,000 persons (out leaders of industrial groups. r Atmosphere Tense. Twice on Thursday the President gave up a good deal of his time for discussions with members of the Roper Council. The atmosphere is tense with uncertainty because all the | efforts made by business men for six months to bring about co-operation | with the administration had appar- ently gone for naught when this ‘week began. Mr. Roosevelt has tried to offset gome of the gloomy impressions by taking two steps: First, ne has given a definite pledge #gainst printing press money and cur- rency inflation. This is believed to be intended to mollify some of the oppositicn to the banking bill. Second, he has sent for members of congressional committees having in charge major pieces of legislation to see what can be done to amengd the proposals so as to make them less ohjectionable to the opponents. The conferences at the White House are described by the business men as “cordial and hopeful,” but whether they are helpful depends on results. Fear Efforts Futile. The particular subject of apprehen- sion is the way Congress has gone ahead with legislation without any word apparently from the White House to take into account the opposi- tion points and suggestions mentioned in the various Roper council reports. | of 20,000.000) in the sections where ;n would apply. | Real Money to Some. | | those sections. $19 & month is money. Families, largely Negro, live mostly out of gardens, in their own huts or cottages. Prof. Tugwell will take care of some of them additionally in | his rural promotion scheme. Certain saying, off the record, that the new ‘scnle will permit employed families there to keep domestic help, which | | has been enticed away by old relief payments. | The announcement also failed to mention that nearly one-third of those to be put to work will not be | under the relief scale at all. Some of these will recieve the prevailing } wage scale for the kind of work they | are doing in a particular community. (Roughly 1,000,000 men are in this | class.) & | Ezemptions covér 600,000 persons in the C. C. C., probably 400,000 more on highways and grade cross- ings and another 300,000 under the new P. W. A. * The average rate of pay for the { country will be around $55 a month. | While low, it is more thgn most fam- | ilies have been getting from direct re- | lief to date. The average of direct | payments is supposed to be $25 to $30 per month. ! Consequently, you need not expect The blunt fact is that, in some of | congressmen from those areas are| THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C. FRIDAY, MAY 24, 1935. Royal Pair Married GARNETT WEIGHS OFFIGERS' CASES Considers Civil Action Againts Col. Williams and Col. McMullen. BY REX COLLIER. Documerfts and other evidence on which Col. Alexander E. Williams, former assistant quartermaster gen- eral, was convicted by court-martial of improper financial relations with a tire representative, will be turned over to the Department of Justice when the military case is closed. ‘The office of United States Attor- ney Garnett already is in possession of a transcript of testimony given by Col. Williams and his alleged creditor, Frank E. Speicher, leak-proof tube salesman, before the House Military Affairs Committee. Col. Williams' testimony before this committee, the general court-martial found, was false. The military court in its verdict declared Col. Williams denied to the committee he had re- ceived a loan of $2,500 from Speicher, when, as a matter of fact, he “so- licited and obtained” such a loan. Heard Allegations. Assistant United States Attorney Allen J. Krouse sat with the House group in executive session during the questioning of Speicher and Col. Wil- liams, and, because of the serious na- ture of the allegations made by the tire agent, secured a transcript of the testimony for the United States attor- ney's office. Garnett already has received from the War Department evidence against another Army officer, Lieut. Col. Joseph 1. McMullen of the Judge Advocate General's office, who re- cently was rebuked severely by Sec- retary of War Dern for accepting legal fees from private business firms. The House committee has secured additional facts concerning Col. Mc- Mullen which Chairman McSwain has informed Secretary Dern may warrant the trial by court-martial of Col. McMullen. Dern some time ago ad- vised McSwain that while the War Department had established that Col. violations were outlawcd by the stat- ute of limitations. Dern at the same time told the committee he believed the alleged offenses were within the jurisdiction of civil courts, for which reason he was forwarding the evi- dence to the Justice Department. Civil Action Studied. At the office of Garnett it was learned that assistants are studying the cases of the two colonels, to learn whether there is cause to present the matters to the grand jury. In the meantime J. Leonard Town- send, who was Col. Williams’ civilian attorney before the secret court-mar- tial this week at the Army War Col- lege, was awaiting a transcript of the record betore appealing on *“several important legal issues” to the Board of Review of the judge advocate gen- eral's office. In seeking to have the military ver- | dict set aside or modified, it is known | that Col. Williams’ counsel will argue that no testimony was introduced to indicate that the loan from Speicher in any way influenced Col. Willlams in awarding Army contracts. The defense will declare that Col. Wil- liams made no recommendation what- jever regarding the brand of auto- | mobile tubes which Speicher was seek- | ing to sell the War Department at the | time of the loan. | Clemency Recommended. | The court-martial, in sentencing Col. | Williams to be dismissed from the If there is to be no spirit of give much in the way of tapering off gross | Army after 37 years of otherwise meri- and take, no effort to realize the relief expenditures, at least not as'itorious service, recommended clem- value of the co-operative idea, then many members of the Roper Coun- cil feel the organization is futile and that nothing further can be gained by keeping it alive. It is necessary, of course, for the President to keep to himself the strategy he is employing. But on the Wagner bill, the latest word is that he is trying to get some amend- ments written into the House bill 50 as to make it less objectionable to industry and yet safeguard labor's main benefit—namely, collective bar- gaining. As for the amendments to the agricultural adjustment act, these are about to be debated in the House. Some of the features which were the subject of strenuous objection have been removed, but it will not be known whether the real point at issue —namely, the right of the Depart- ment of Agriculture to set itself up as dictator of food and processing businesses—is to be retained until the Senate has acted. Extension 0. K. Qualified. ‘Then there's the N. R. A. extension bill. Some changes are wanted by industry. The impression that the Roper council approved the two-year extension unqualifiedly is wrong. It favored the two-year idea, all right, but not without specific reservations. The trading between the Senate and House conferees on this will be most interesting to watch. Mr. Roosevelt probably is coming to realize that with the left wing ham- mering hard at him through such speeches as Father Coughlin and Huey Long are making, and with the right wing disgruntled because it has hardly had even courteous treatment on the part of high administration officials, the whole recovery process is bound to suffer. Hence what happens this week may shape the administration’s des- :l:y to an extent far more important an any similar period bank holiday. = e Business and industrial leaders everywhere are waiting to learn from Wi n whether they may expect efforts at recovery or chaos and de- moralization of business in the next several months. The decision is pe- culiarly in the hands of the Presi- dent, who may this month be through the crisis of his whole career. (Copyright, 1935.) $500,000 LONG DEPOSIT RUMOR IS DISCOUNTED Treasury Official Says “We Never Heard” of Incident Involving Senator and Friend. By the Associated Press. Published reports that the Govern- ment’s investigation of income re- ceived by Senator Long of Louisiana had produced information purporting to show he and a friend put $500,000 in a St. Louis bank in a single de- posit were described at the Treasury today as “one of those rumors which are continuelly popping up.” “We never heard of it,” one official ! much as the official announcement | implied. | The unexplained reason why Mr. | Roosevelt spoke his bonus piece in | person to Congress is at least partly the radio. His associates will tell you confl- dentially he wanted to reach the ears | of Father Coughlin's and Huey Long's | followers, some of whom do not or 'clnnet keep abreast of the times by | reading newspapers and.magazines. {If he had sent up his veto in the | usual way, it would have been widely printed, but not broadcast in its en- tirety. New Publicity Wrinkle. This will be s permanent new wrinkle in New Deal publicity strat- egy. The New Dealers are apparently bent on beating back the ether waves with their own broadcasting. Stock marketeers have been whis- pering the word that a small Euro- pean nation will go off gold within a few weeks, and that a larger na- tion in the gold bloc will have to fol- | low involuntarily shortly thereafter. This is supposed to be the hidden reason why the market has been somewhat more buoyant, rather than the published excuses. Marketeers may be wrong about the time of the expected gold bloc crack-up. They have been before. But all the best financial authori- ties here agree they are right in lhle‘tr ezpectations of the final re- sult. The development of Senator Thom- as ad an inflation leader has been one of the foremost unpublicized events of this congressional session. He has the balance and technical legisiative skill which most of his hot-headed as- sociates have lacked. He has helped his cause by not losing contact with the administration or with his C8ugh- lin-Long following. Others may do the shouting for his outfit, but he has become, to & considerable degree, the brains of the organization. Co-operation in Far East. Anglo-American co-operation in the Far East continues. This is the news behind the news this week that Lon- don and Washington simultaneously decided to raise our respective lega- tions in China to the rank of em- bassies, along with the Japanese. The understanding dates back to 1924 when Soviet Russia surprised the diplomatic corps by raising its lega- ency. | | If leniency is granted, Col. Williams could be permitted to retire with usual | retirement pay or to resign without | further compensation. { The verdict of the court-martial must be passed on not only by the | Judge Advocate General's Review ‘Board, but by Secretary Dern and | President Roosevelt. — 'WEBB AND YODER MAKE GOLF FINALS | Latter Springs Surprise by. De- feating Manor Defending Champion Pitt. Two men new to final rounds in major golf tournaments around Wash- ington were playing this afternoon in the ultimate round of the Manor Club invitation tournament. They are Thomas D. Webb, jr. 22-year-old Washington Golf and Country Club player, and Levi Yoder of the Indian Spring Country Club. Yoder sprang an upset in the semi- finals this morning by defeating Harry G. Pitt, Manor, the defending cham- pion, by 2 and 1. Webb defeated the veteran John R. Miller, Beaver Dam, 2 and 1, in the other semi-finals. Finalists in the second flight were two Manor members, Ralph P. Gibson and J. W. Harvey, jr. Gibson de- feated Jack Tucker, 4 and 3, while Harvey eliminated Albert R. Mac- Kenzie, Columbia, 3 and 1. In the fourth flight the finalists are P. B. Patterson, Manor, who defeated J. L. Quigley, Army-Navy, 1 up, and Forrest Thompson, Beaver Dam, who won by default. Everett Johnson, Beaver Dam, reached the third flight final, defeating Bobby Marks, unat- tached, 2 and 1. —e Wife Asks Divorce. ROCKVILLE, Md, May 24—In a suit filed in the Circuit Court here, Mrs. Mary L. Hodge of Montgomery County asks an absolute divorce from Herbert F. Hodge of Spring Harbor, and custody of the couple’s children, Mary L., 14; Frances E, 12, and Herbert F., jr., 10. Mich., three Committes testimony on N. R. A. extension. TOMORROW. Senate. Not expected to be in session. House. Not expected to be in sesslon. Committes on Flood Control meets ¢ 10:30 am. \ igeid ) McMullen violated military law, the | PRINCESS INGRID AND FREDERIK WED AMID ROYAL POMP (Continued From First Page.) flower girls, the little Princesses Regn- | hild and Astrid of Norway, followed. The entire audience, one of the most distinguished ever to gather in Stockholm, joined in the singing of a | wedding psalm as Ingrid passed the altar to join the Prince. Archbishop Eidem of Sweden read the wedding service. In the final repetition of their wed- ding vows Frederik and Ingrid held the ring together before the Crown future Queen. In Stockholm Harbor ships of the Swedish Navy fired a royal salute A stately, colorful procession from the church followed, the royal newly- Prince placed it on the hand of his| CROWN PRINCE FREDRICK OF DENMARK AND PRINCESS INGRID OF SWEDEN. —A. P. Photo. weds stepping Into their carriage, in | which they were driven under cavalry | escort the short distance from the church to the royal palace. From a palace balcony the newly- weds heard a Danish choir serenade them with special wedding songs com- posed for the occasion. After a wedding luncheon in the | palace, Stockholm citizens were given their opportunity to celebrate the nuptials in a gala procession. Hundreds of thousands of spec- tators turned Standvagen, Stock- holm’s famous promenade, into a tur- moil of humanity. For Stockholm, ordinarily sedate and restrained, the occasion was one for wild cheering as one carriage after another rolled by with members of the royal families of Sweden, Denmuk. and other nations. ‘With salutes from harbor craft, | Princess Ingrid later took farewell of her father, King Gustaf, and departed |in a manner to move the heart of a Hollywood director, for her new land | | with her prince. WEDDING FORGED {Murder Trial Adjourned to Monday—Judge Upholds Defense. | By the Assoclated Press. NEW YORK, May 24.—The trial of Joseph L. Steinmetz, 22 - year-old Brooklyn divinity student, for the murder of his 17-year-old bride, Ruth, | adjourned today until Monday follow- ing the failure of the State to prove that the defendant had been forced to marry the girl he is accused of killing. Judge Charles C. Nott ruled out most of the testimony of the slain bride's father, Samuel Armstrong, when the witness stated that Stein- metz had asked his consent w the marriage, which was refused. | Steinmetz also is accused of killing | Rev. Joseph J. Leonard, a priest whom he found with his wife in a hot2l room. Assistant District Attorney Alex- ander H. Kaminsky questioned the tions between his daughter and Stein- metz prior to their marriage. questioned him particularly about Ruth’s having spent the night before in Los Angeles. Judge Nott dismissed most of Arm- strong’s testimony largely on the wit- ness' admission that he had refused Steinmets's request for his daughter’s hand wantéd marriage, and it therefore could not be represented as forved. | Steinmetz, cross-examined by Kam- | insky, denied he had attacked his wife | the night before he married her | “Was your love for this girl the hon- orable love of a young man for a de- cent woman or was it merely the pas- sion of & man for possession of a beau- asked him. “I loved her as a wife,” he replied. Yesterday Steinmets testified how he burst drunkenly into a hotel room and found his bride—“the most beau- tiful girl I ever saw"—being kissed by the middle-aged priest. “I don’t remember—I don't remem- ber,” he sobbed when asked what hap- pened next. Under direct examination, Stein- netz testified that Father Leonard, a casual hotel acquaintance, had taken him and his wife to a restaurant the day of the killing—last November 26— plied them with liquor and then had taken his wife to his own room to “hear a confession.” father regarding the reported rela- | He! her marriage in Steinmetz’s bungalow | It proved, he said, the youth' tiful girl's physical self?” Kaminsky | STEINMETZ DENIES DAVIS DEPLORES - SCIENGE NEGLECT 'Museums Group of Art Ses- sion Told Need of Dis- tributing Results. Watson Davis, director of Science Service, told delegates to the American Ascociation of Museums, meeting at the Willard Hotel today, the mechan- ism for making science popular has not kept pace with the progress of scientific research. “Research men themselves,” the speaker said, “have been so concerned with the pursuit of their own prob- lems that they have had little time to devote to distribution of their re- sults to other scientists and the world at large.” Davis said that, because of failure of proper publicity methods, days of valuable research time are wasted on doing over experiments already done. He advocated remodeling of scientific bibliography on an international scale. Museums Edueational. As a tribute to the modernization of American museums, Davis said they have lost the aspect of mausoleums and have taken on the importance of educational institutions. association, in the chaiar, important papers and addresses were heard from the following: Henry W. Kent, secre- | tary of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, “Museum Trends, Past and Fu- | ture”; Arthur W. Melton, instructor in psychology, Yale University, “Some Principles of Installation for Museums of Science and Industry,” and a mo- tion picture lecture by Mrs. Laura | Adams Arner, author, on “The Moun- tain Chants of the Navajo.” At the morning session of the Col- the Willard, the discussion was de- voted to art and education, with the following speakers: Miss Marion D. Pease, Skidmore College, “Art Experi- ence for College Women”; Miss Ro- berta M. Fansler, Metropolitan Mu- seum. “Some Aspects of Museum “Art at Top z The afternoon sessions of the Col- lege Art Association were devoted to archeological research in the fine arts and museum training. Members of the American Association of Museums devoted the afternocon to visiting the museums of Washingtcn and to a discussion of papers read at the meet- ing yesterday. Young John S. Nolen, 13, is re- covering today in Georgetown Hos- pital from an emergency appendicitis operation, performed last night short- 1y after his arrival at the Washington Airport 1n s plane he himseif had chartered to bring him here from South Bend, Ind. On finding an operation was neces- sary, John took things in his own hands and obtained the airplane to bring him to Washington s he could be operated on in his home city by the family surgeon, Dr. George Tully Vaughan. Last night anxious parents, who have been separated, were at the air- anxiously ing plane. When it was late, the fa- ther, William J. Nolan, 20233 Kalo- rama road, t of the Noian Motor Co., asked the Department of Commerce to contact it by radio. Hardly had the request been made when, & few minutes before 9 o’clock {,:e-hmormm'-m-u the distance in and mother and father atood tense by & waiting l'l.“mn-—-.-uh ’ Boy, 13, Flies From Indiana For Appendicitis Operation plane’s landing, by Leone n-!.\q accompanied the boy Mr. Nolan followed close behind in an automobile. Dr. Vaughan performed the operation about 10:30 p.m. Mr. Nolan said his son is varticu- larly order to be time for FH] g8t E % ADMIRAL HAMLET 10 LEAD PARADES Shrine Marshal’s Post Goes to Commandant of Coast Guard. Rear Admiral Harry G. Hamlet, commandant of the Coast Guard, has been selected as grand marshal of all parades during the Im ! Shrine conclave here June § to 15, it was announced today by Robert P. Smith, -director general of the con- vention. Smith also announced the order of the head of the parades. Admiral Hamlet is a member of Almas Temple and will officiate at the three major functions—Tuesday morning, Wednesday and Thursday nights—during convention week. The order of the officials at the head of the parades, Smith said, would be Maj. Ernest W. Brown, superin- tendent of police; Grand Marshal Hamlet, Capt. Howard F. Clark, Assist- ant Engineer Commissioner, marshal of the first division: Director General Smith, potentate of Almas Temple, and members of Almas Temple in marching units; Kora Temple of Maine, as an escort to Dana 8. Wil- liams imperial potentate of the Shrine; Anah Temple, also of Maine; Deputy Imperial Potentate L. P. Steuart of this city, who will be elected im- perial potentate at the convention, ::m other members of the imperial van. Grandstand Tickets Sorted. ‘The marshal of the second division will be Col. Charles C. Combs, U. 8. A, retired, member of Almas Tem- ple. and the head of the third division | will be Maj. Lane Schofield, U. 8. A,, retired. Tickets for the grandstands ar- rived yesterday and were sorted last night by a force of 30 persoms at Al- | mas Temple, to check them accurately | with plans for the parade stands now being constructed along the line of march. ready have been reserved in advance, went on sale today at Almas Temple, 1315 K street. Complaints, based on erroneous in- Shrine Marshal REAR ADMIRAL H. G. HAMLET. IUSSOLINI AGAIN - RATILES SABER ‘“Now Ready for Any Trial,” He Tells Thousands at Flag Ceremony. These tickets, many of which al-| formation, have come to Shrine head- | By the Associated Press. ROME, May 24—Premier Benito Mussolini told massed thousands of soldiers and civilians today: | “Italy now is ready for any trial” | His declaration came in the course | of observance of the twentieth anni- versary of Italy’s entrance into the | World War, a ceremony which in- cluded the presenting of battle flags signed to East Africa. | His listeners packed Venezia Square, |in front of his office. They heard him say: “The words of an unknown Italian to regiments which replaced units as- | quarters that the prices of the seats |, ji0r scrawled on the wall of a house ‘With Paul J. Sachs, president of the | lege Art Association, meeting also in | Education,” and Huger Elliott of the | Metropolitan® Museum who spoke on | rade. However, Director General | Smith emphasized, to correct this mis- apprehension, that one ticket is for a | seat throughout the entire week, in- cluding the three parades. Seats for All Events. | In addition to the parade, the seats | will be available gt any time to the | purchasers, Smith explained, to listen in on musical programs and Shrine announcements which will be ampli- fied over the far-flung sound ampli- fication system installed along the line of march. The official convention song Wwas announced today by Director General Smith to have been written by a member of Almas Temple under the title, “Make Your Salaam to Uncle Sam.” This was the winning slogan in a recent contest for the best 1935 conclave slogan. The song, Wwhose | composer is anonymous, was sung last | night by the newest organization of Almas Temple, the Chanters, who will make their first appearance in uni- form of gold capes at the ceremonial next Monday night at the Mayflower Hotel. At this ceremonial it is expected that approximately 102 members will | be brought into Almas Temple. High Lights Announced. High lights of the forthcoming con- | clave were disclosed late yesterday by Director General Smith, in the fol- lowing order: Sunday morning, June $—Temple Heights, divine services. Sunday afternoon—Marine carnival and regatta, Potomac River. Monday afternoon—Pilgrimage to Arlington and Mount Vernon. Monday night—Prize fight, Can- zoneri vs. Klick, at Griffith Stadium. | Tuesday morning—First parade of Shrine uniformed bodies, escorting Imperial Potentate Dana S. Williams of Matne to the opening session of the | Imperial ~ Council ‘Theater. - Tuesday night—Banquet for im- perial potentate, Willard Hotel. ‘Wednesday—Council, morning and afternoon; massed band concert and Army day on Ellipse, afternoon; first | night parade. Thursday—Closing session of coun- cil; Army day continued, and Navy day at Navy Yard; perade and pageant at night. Priday—Closing festivities. Saturday—End of conclave. Showing the size of the grand- stands, Director General Smith ex- plained the Pavilion of Omar, in front feet of lumber, and will be decorated with 20 miles of bunting. The Shrine is using 10,000 flags in decorations and 60,000 light bulbs. | @ TRAFFIC TIPS by the NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL 1 traffic deaths and some 70,000 injur- ies in this country last year, repre- of the total. lowing. served. Left turn procedure, how- varies in different localities. Some cities require motorists to pull clear out on the outer right side of the crossing and awalt the “go” light for the cross traffic before making a left turn. The National Conference on Street at the National | of the White House, contains 1,500,000 | were understood to be for each Pa- | jomqliched by a shell, ‘It is better to | | live one day as a lion than 100 days | | as a lamb.’ are not merely an order— | they are gospel for us. “We swear to respect this sacred injunction everywhere and in spite | of any one.” | Pledges Firm Policy. He added: “Let no one in Italy or abroad delude themselves. Italy will consider carefully before arriving at a deci- slon, but when the decision is reached. then she will go forward without any turning back. * * ¢ “It is necessary, once we have started, to burn our ships and guide | ourselves along the road of destiny | with & firm hand.” King Victor Emmanuel and Premier Mussolini stood before the tomb of the unknown soldier, in the shadow of Il Duce's office building, and pre- sented battle flags to 16 regiments. The ceremony was attended by 20,009 soldiers and blackshirted Fascists. The divisions ordered to East Africa | are the Gavinana, Peloritana, Sabuda | —the only one thus far mentioned in official communiques—and the Gran | Sasso, Sila and Caprera. | Deupsu“ tl;e lack of an official state- | ment, all Italian news today | ’uutzd that these dxmm‘x:p:r:re e tined for East Africa, thus making a total of at least 100,000 men in the regular army alone. | The colonels of the 16 regiments re- ceived their banners from the hands | of the King after they had been | blessed at an altar erected before the tomb. Previously Mussolini had presided over a Fascist “leva,” the graduation exercises for Fascist youth from one organization into another. Half a million of Italy’s youth—boys ana girls ranging in age from 8 to 22 years—stood at attention in hundreds of towns and cities throughout the Nation, taking an oath of fealty to Il Duce and his dictates. | In Rome more than 10,000 of the youngsters massed on the Via Del Impero, where they were reviewed by Il Duce and the Fascist hierarchy. 4,397,288 Youths Enrolled. ‘The almost 500,000 youngsters who participated in ceremonies through- out the nation today constitute only a small part of the 4.397.288 members of the Opera Nazionale Balilla, or na- tional youth movement. Thus 178,789 Balilla who have just passed into their fourteenth years ap- peared for the first time this morning in the ranks of Avanguardisti, where they will stay for four years of study, crill and physical exercise. They re- ceived real rifles in” ceremonies held in their various encampments after taking their oaths. them were formed with machine gun companies, others with artillery, naval, aviation, tank and radio signal units. Those enrolled in higher classes in | the great Leva today were: Piccole Italiane (girls between 8 and 14), 111,977; Balilla, 178,789; Giovani Italiane (girls between 14 and 18), 34,839; Giovani Fasciste (girls be- tween 18 and 22), 20,788; Avanguar- disti, 140,308; University Fascists and ‘Young Fascists of Combat, 243,712 BRITISH HOPE FOR PEACE. Progress Declared Made in Italo- Ethiopian Dispute. the British delegation attending the League of Nations Council sessions, while making no effort to minimize the gravity of the Italo-Ethiopian dispute, said today progress.had been made toward a peaceful settlement. Further conversations might result in a solution of the difficulties, they added. The British sources said there was no question of a Franco-British ulti- matum being presented to Premier Mussolin of Italy. Great Britain, however, wants some assurance that League of Nations procedure in deal- ldnl with the conflict will not be aban- loned. The British expect the issue to be considered by the Council either today or tomorrow. They particularly desire that the Council be reconvened if attempts at conciliation and arbitra- tion between the two nations fail. The officials who have been work- ing to prevent the East African troubles from flaring into open hostili- ties were much encouraged by an announcement from Italian s that a compromise conciliation plan had been accepted. The plan calls for a meeting of the Conciliation Commission at an early date without the appointment of a League of Nations reporter or Coun- cil committee, as is customarv in handling such problems. This de- parture was made as s concession to the | Mussolini. Hail Destroys Huts. destroyed huts, killing five Hail people, at Moulsy-Idriss, Morocco, re- contly. Many sections of | GENEVA, May 24 (A).—Members of | POSTAL SURPLUS SEEN BY FARLEY Forecast Excludes Free Mail and Subsidy, However. Despite the absorption of approxi- mately $36,000,000 in increased costs over last year, due to pay restoration and assumption of custodial service formerly performed by the Treasury Department, the Post Office Depart- ment will finish the present fiscal year with a surplus so far as strictly postal operations are concerned, Postmaster General Farley said today. It will be the second successive year that the department has been out of the “red,” excluding, of course, subsidy charges and the credit for franked and other free mail, which aggregate from $50,000,000 to $60- 000,000, the air and ocean contracts accounting for about $40,000,000. Even with these charges, Farley said, the showing is gratifying, inas- much as the addition of $20,000,000 for the pay increase, and some $16,- 1 000,000 for the custodial service, both | of which properly are postal items sets up a balancing account toward the subsidy and free mail expenditures, which are obligations with no compen- satory feature. $35,000,000 Ahead. The Postmaster General would hazard no guess as to the probable surplus, but said receipts for the first 10 months of the fiscal year were run- ning about $35,000,000 ahead of last year, and at the present rate the 11-month advantage would be about $40,000,000. Increased business and economical operation were responsible, he said, | adding that the consolidation of about 5,000 rural routes had been a material factor in the latter respect. Retire- ments also figure. | Correspondingly, however, Farley | added, promotions that had been held |up since the economy wave started in 1932 now were being made, and the troublesome substitute situation was being settled. Substitute postal workers have felt the pinch severely, due to the lag in promotions, the non- filling of vacancies, and the general falling-off of work due to diminish- ing postal business. Substitutes Shfted. Under a new arrangement substi- tutes in an office where the business volume is low now are being trans- ferred to those points—within their own States—where ther services can | be used, and the result is, Farley amplified, that many are being put to_work The Postmaster General discussed the departmental finances at a press conference. digressing to _reply to critics of last year's Post Office state- ment, which showed a surplus—ex- cluding subsidies and free mail—of about $12,000,000. He pointed out that in previous years the department al- ways had set up gross and net ac- counts as representing the difference between strictly postal operation and the other charges, and that on the very infrequent occasions a surplus was reported, it always was on this basis. $15,000 AWARDED IN CLAPP CASE New York Breach of Promise \ Defendant Will File Appeal. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, May 24 —A Supreme Court jury today awarded $15,000 damages to Miss Katherine Leary Bond in her $500.000 breach of prom- ise suit brought against Paul Spencer Clapp, former Herbert Hoover aide and now a utilities exectuive of Co- lumbus, Ohio. B. M. Webster, counsel for Clapp. immediately moved for the setting aside of the verdict and a new trial. Both motions were denied by Justice Aaron Steur. Webster said an ap- peal will be filed. The jury deliberated 1 hour and 50 minutes. Miss Bond left the court Toom when the jury retired and was not present when it brought in the verdict for her. Clapp declined to comment on the outcome of the case. Justice Aaron Steur told the jurors they must decide two questions. The first was: Was there an agreement that Clapp and Miss Bond were to marry? And the second: Did Miss Bond give Clapp any information about her relations with Horace 8. Bond? The plaintiff has testified that she was “intimate” with Bond, but that she told Clapp all about it. Clapp denied she had informed him about her relations with Bond. In his charge, Justice Steur said: | “Marriage implies an understanding | that both parties are chaste.” FEATURES KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES “Ma” McGinnis gives “Pa” McGinnis a social-climbing headache trying to keep up with the Joneses . . . makes him toe the mark 24 hours a day. Some say it's the