Evening Star Newspaper, June 20, 1935, Page 1

‘WEATHER. (U, 8. Weather Bureau Forecast.) Fair tonight and probably tomorrow; slowly rising temperature; moderate west, shifting to southwest winds. Temperatures—Highest, 77, at noon today; lowest, 61, at 5 a.m. today, Full report on page Closing N. Y. Markets, Pages 17, 18, 19 No. 33,287. NEW TAXES ASKED BY PRESIDENT FAIL T0 VN APPROVL OF SENATE BODY Finance Committee Ignores Proposal in Approving Ex- tension of Nuisance and Excise Levies. FLOOR FIGHT PLANNED TO FORCE REVISIONS President Proposes Increases in Rates on Big Incomes and Asks Inheritance and Higher Corpo- ration Assessments—New N. R. A. Plan Expected. By the Associated Press. The Senate Finance Committee re- fused today to add any of President Roosevelt’s wealth tax proposals in ap- proving the House resolution extending $500,000,000 of nuisance and excise levies expiring June 30. Higher taxes on the wealthy were proposed yesterday by the President in a special message to Congress. He | asked this action to reduce large in-| comes and to prevent concentration of great wealth. Considerable difference of opinion existed as to whether he wanted the | program passed this session. There was a clear implication he wanted most of it enacted before adjournment, but some leading Democrats privately opposed this. The Senate Committee voted to extend the nuisance taxes for one year instead of two as voted by the House. Senator La Follette, Progressive, of ‘Wisconsin proposed that an inheritance tax and higher surtax and corpora- tion taxes be incorporated in the reso- lution, but Chairman Harrison an- nounced the “sentiment” of the com- | mittee was that the proposal should | ®o through without amendments. Fight to Be Renewed. La Follette said, however, he would renew his fight on the Senate floor. It was indicated the committee ma- Jority would oppose the amendments on the floor. Harrison expressed the belief the President’s program could not be put | into shape for passage this session. He also said the President did not want his new tax program to interfere with the nuisance tax proposal exten- sion. The committee, on motion of Sen- ator Gore, Democrat, of Oklahoma voted to extend the nuisance and ex- cise levies and four tariffs for one Year. o Harrison said the one year exten- .sion was voted because “it is hoped that conditions will improve so much that we won't have to extend the taxes more than one year.” The President’s recommendations for new taxes also entered into the Cecision for a shorter extension, Har- rison said. Committee members felt the ques- tion of another year’s extension could be considered next session along with the tax proposal, Doubts Action Now. Harrison said action on the Presi- dent’s recommendations was up to the Ways and Means Committee of the House, but he felt it would be “im- possible” to do anything with them this session. La Follette notified the committee he would- offer amendments on the floor to carry out the President's recommendations, but he said, “I don't believe the Senate is going to act specifically or adopt a program with- cut more serious consideration.” Confidants of the President, mean- while, passed the word that he is con- sidering a new and broad N. R. A. designed to be, in a sense, a com- panion measure to the tax program. Democratic leaders indicated pri- vately the President’s program was so extensive and required s9 much study that 1t should go over until next year, despite the fact 1936 is a campaign year. ‘Tax drafting expg'u estimated it would take at least a’ month to frame a bill to carry out the President's program. Democratic members of the Pinance Committee contended the congressional session would be pro- longed six weeks if new taxes were Morgen- thau declined to make public the ad- ministration’s estimate of what the new tax program -would return. ‘The Secretary said he would avoid any interpretation of the measure until he was asked by Congress. ~ Information Available, “If they want any technical in- formation based on the message, we have it ready for them,” he said. “Until I am invited, however, I shall have nothing to say.” Congressional chiefs indicated Presi- dent Roosevelt would be consulted again to remove any doubts about A-11, Entered as second class matter post_office, Washington, D. C. Window Sill Dance Results in Plunge 3 Stories to Death By the Associated Press. CHICAGO, June 20.— Miss Pauline Turner’s habit of tep dancing or window sills resulted in her death today, the police were told. She plunged from the fourth floor of a hotel. Richard Martain, a clerk, said she slipped and fell. The manager of an apartment house, where Miss Martin formerly resided, told Sergt. Joseph Kecseg he had asked Miss Turner to move be- cause of the “habit of dancing on the sills.” Miss Turner was 25 and was employed as a stenographer. Miss Turner, who was em- ployed ir a downtown real estate office, came to Chicago from Plymouth. Ind., police said they learned. EARLY TEST SEEN ON WAGNERBIL Measure Is Rushed Through House Over Cries of “Un- constitutional.” By the Associated Press. An early test in the Supreme Court of the Wagner labor disputes bill, creating a permanent National Labor Relations Board, appeared likely to- day after its victorious sweep through the House. Cries of “unconstitutional” were raised time and again during the eight hours of debate yesterday, but in the end it was jammed through without even a standing vote and sent to the Senate for concurrence in amendments. William Green, president of the American Federation of Labor, hailed the passage of the bill as a “Magna Charta of labor.” He and other labor leaders had renewed demands for its passage when N. R. A, with its col- lective bargaining guarantee, was swept away by the Supreme Court. They were confronted by organ- ized business groups and some indus- trialists who fought its passage through Congress. It was generally expected that foes of the bill would take the issue to the highest court. Connery Is Confident. Just before shoyts of “Vote,” “Vote,” rang through the House chamber early last night, Chairman Connery of the Labor’ Committee, said: “We have no fears for the bill on constitutional grounds.” But Representative Lehlbach, Re- publican, of New Jersey, asserted the bill “is manifestly unconstitutional.” Before passage, the bill was amend- ed to make the new Labor Board an independent agency instead of part of the Labor Department. Arother amendment adopted would prevent employes in one plant from calling on those in another in the same industry, but owned by a different employer, for help in forcing through collective bargaining agreements. Connery predicted the latter amend- ment would be stricken out in the Senate. ‘Among other provisions, the bill: Sets up a permanert National La- por Relations Board with quasi-judi- cial powers. Guarantees the rights of workers to bargain collectively. Gives workers fuil freedom to or- ganize without “intimidation” from employers. Designates representatives chosen by = majority ir a plant as 1epre- sentatives of all in collective bar- gaining, but reserves the right of in- dividuals or small groups to present grievances. Names five “unfair labor practices,” violstions of which makes emuioyers subject to orders by the Labor Board to “cease and cesist,” with the al- ternative of appealing to the courts. Practices Defined. The practices are defined as: To interfere with or coerce embloyes in self-organization or collective bar- gaining. To dominate, interfere with or con- tribute funds toward a labor organiza- tion. To discriminate in hiring or firing in order to encoyrage or discourage a lakor organization. To discharge or discriminate against an employe because he has given evi- dence under the lerms of the Lill. To refuse to bargain collectively. A proposal by Representative Ram- speck, Democrat, of Georgia, which was adopted, provided that employe units designated by the board shall not include workers of more than one employer. Three times the House turned aside an attempt to write into the bill a clause that would forbid unions from coercing workers into joining unions or into striking. That was the so- called Tydings amendment, which the Senate likewise thrust aside when offered by Senator Tydings, Democrat, of Maryland, before the bill was sent whether his share-the-wealth tax hounds, as well as a man end woman bandit they were brought to trail, WASHINGTON, D. C, THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 1935—FIFTY-FOUR FAGES. HAUPTMANN PLEA T EASE FRENCH ‘N 14 JUDGES PROBE T0-ESCAPE CHAIR Attorneys Asked Why They Did Not Raise Objections at Flemington. DECISION EXPECTED EARLY IN AUTUMN| Bruno's Lawyers Emphasize “Varying Theories” Advanced by Wilentz as to Baby's Death. By the Associated Press. TRENTON, N. J, June 20.—New Jersey’s 14 justices of the high court heard Bruno Richard Hauptmann's attorneys plead for a new trial today, and wanted to know why the attorneys failed at the trial to raise objection to the State’s arguments. Only 46 spectators heard the attor- neys prosecute their appeal behind locked doors. Of their allotted three hours, the condemned man’s attorneys reserved 15 minutes for rebuttal to the State’s hour and & half this afternoon. Hauptmann, sentenced to die for the murder of Baby Charles A. Lindbergh, jr., remained in his cell in State Prison. His wife, barred from the hearing, visited him there. She said she found him cheerful. Col. Lindbergh Absent. Col. Charles A. Lindbergh, constant attendant at the trial of Hauptmann, was not on hand to hear the appeal arguments. Hauptmann's lawyers charged the trial court erred in permitting Attor- ney General David T. Wilentz to say such things of Hauptmann as “he’ll be thawed out before he hears the switch.” To a query from Justice Clarence E. Case as to why he did not raise objection at the time, Attorney Egbert Rosecrans replied that Edward J. Rellly was then the chief attorney for Hauptmann. “Didn’t you have any rights?"” asked Justice Joseph L. Bodine. “Maybe I was too ignorant or motivated by things I can’t explain,” said Rosecrans. “Maybe I was neglectful, but & judge shouldn't allow such things to go on.” There were frequent rumors during the trial of friction between Reilly and Hauptmann's other attorneys. Reilly became separated from the case shortly after the verdict. ‘The justices—five of them lay- many other questions, By Justice Case—“Was not that (the finding of the kidnap ladder in Hunterdon County) evidence to show that the child was killed there?” Hauptmann’s attorneys contended the trial should have been conducted in Mercer County where the child's body was found. By Justice Harry Heher, after Rose- crans charged the attorney general had made a last-minute effort to show a wilful premediated murder— “Wasn't that cured by the judge's charge?” BY Justice Bodine, after Rosecrans characterized as “sheer nonsense” the thought that anybody would enter a house at night to steal a diaper or sleeping garment—-“It was productive of $50,000 of money of the United States, wasn't it?” The chief error alleged by the Hauptmann attorneys was that the court permitted the attorney general to introduce a new theory of the baby's death in summation. The new theory involved a chisel found under the Lindbergh window. The State sug- gested the chisel might have been used to kill the child. B “If connected, and the chisel was found on the premises,” Justice Case asked, “wasn’t the attorney general justified in using his inference as to what the chisel was for?” Haoptmann Is Confident. Hauptmann’s confidence that the court would grant him a new trial re- mained unshaken after his four months’ wait within the shadow of the electric chair. _ More months of waiting—three or (See HAUPTMANN, Page 3.) MISSING TOT FOUND Girl, 2, Discovered Asleep Under New England Apple Tree. HAZARDVILLE, Conn., June 20 (#). —Two-year-old Joan Clark, missing daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Prank Clark of this village, was found today asleep under an apple tree, a mile and one- half from the scene of her disappear- ance in Thompsonville. The little girl was found in the yard of James Ryan a short time be- fore 125 members of Camp Graves of the C. C. C. at Unien were to take ‘WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION ENCLAID WOVES NAVAL PAY FEAR Eden Departs for Paris t6 Give Reassurances in Conferences. BRITAIN ALSO SEEKING AIR TREATY DECISION French Delegates to Visit London for Continuation of Navy Program Talks. (Copyright. 1935. by the Associated Press.) LONDON, June 20.—The British government today took up the two- fold task of appeasing French fears regarding its naval agreement with Germany and of seeking an imme- diate decision of the powers concerned regarding a Western European air pact. Capt. Anthony Eden, minister for League of Nations relations, was given his final instructions by Prime Min- ister Stanley Baldwin at a private conference at 10 Downing street be- fore his departure this afternoon for Paris and conferences with the lead- ers of France. Receives Von Ribbentrop. Shortly before this meeting the prime minister received Gen. Joachim von Ribbentrop, Reichsfuehrer Hit- ler’s emissary, and discussed with him the prospects for adapting various drafts of proposed air pacts into one agreement. Capt. Eden, who is accompanied by William Strang, the foreign office expert, will remain in Paris at least two days in discussion of the general European situation with Premier Pierre Laval and other French min- isters. ‘The next move in the naval pro- gram will be talks between the French and English at London. These already have been tentatively ar- ranged, but the most important ques- tion Capt. Eden will put to the French is whether they are willing to sign a five-power air pact—including Germany, Italy and Belgium, as well as France and Great Britain—for mutual assistance and limitation of forces prior to decisions regarding other Anglo-French proposals. Aimed to Appease Europe. ., These proposals, made last Febru- #ry 3, were intended for the ap- it of Europe, and inciuded Danubian and Eastern European pacts and Germany's return to the League of Nations. In view of the presenf French criticism of the Anglo-German naval agreement on the ground it violates the February 3 proposals, on the principle that all the proposals should be settled simultaneously, France is expected to greet the idea of a separate air pact coldly. Meanwhile, British naval authori- ties worked on an international agree- ment to reduce the sizes of warships and to restrict drastically—or even abolish—submarines. An authoritative source disclosed that concessions made to Germany in their new naval agreement did not swerve Great Britain from these ob- Jectives, and it was understood the Reich would give whole-hearted sup- port to the program. Supplementary Pact Drafted. Delegates to the Anglo-German na- val conversations, at which the agree- ment limiting their navies to a 100-35 ratio was concluded, set about drafting a supplementary agreement to be guided by these principles. The new accord would be tentative until French, Italian and Russian authorities, invited to London in that order for naval conversations, have been consulted. Proposals advanced by the British, well-informed quarters said, included: 1. Limitation of warships to 25,000 tons or less and carrying no guns exceeding 12-inch calibre. - 2. Limitation of cruisers to 7,000 tons or less and their guns to 6 inches. 3. Limitation of aircraft carriers to 22,000 tons or less and 6-inch guns. France Accepts Challenge. PARIS, June 20 (#)—French offi- cials said privately today that France intends to meet Germany’s naval chal- lenge by strengthening France's fleet “as much as necessary.; The officials concerned said they considered that the Washington naval treaty of 1922 has ceased to apply, that France’s “hands are free,” and that Great Britain had violated the spirit although not the letter of the Washington accord—and that, there- fore, France was no longer bound. The government view, as reflected in a secret meeting of the Chamber of Deputies’ Naval Committee yester- day, was sald to be that the new Anglo-German naval agreement, per- mitting Germany to build a fleet 35 per cent as large as the British, really canceled the Washington and Ver- sailles” treaties and the spirit of the London declaration of February 3 entered into by Great Britain and French action is to be delayed, it was said, until the German treaty December 31, 1936. B S JAPAN RECEIVES ENVOY’ N\ SECURITY PASSED, 10 GO T0 PARLEY Senate Broadens Measure to Give Freer Hand to Industry. BY J. A. O'LEARY. Broadened by the Senate to give in- dustry a freer hand in working out old-age pensions and unemployment insurance, the administration’s far- reaching social security bill today was on its way to conference between the two branches of Congress. When it passed the Senate late yes- terday, 76 to 6, the measure contained a series of changes from the House @raft, the most important of which were: Allowing States to adopt the sepa- | rate company reserve system of un- | employment insurance if they prefer that to the State-wide system of pool- ing all funds, &b required in the House bill, has & plan ecual to or better than the Government system, it could be exemgted by the Social Security Board from the old-age pension pay roll taxes, amounting to & maximum of 3 per cent from employes and 3 per cent from employers. Authorizing Federal aid for pensions to the blind, the Government match- ing State payments up to a maximum of $15. One of the most liberal amendments the Senate mace was in adopting the proposal of Senator Russell, Demo- crat, of Georgis authorizing the Fed- eral Government to pay up to $15 a month to aged persons for a period of two years in States which have no old-age pension law under which the Federal payment would be matched by State funds " To take care of citizens who are al- ready old and cannot build up their own reserves under the "contributory pay roll tax, the theory of the pro- gram is that Uncle Sam will make Federal grants to the States to pay gratuity pensions to such persons. Un- der the House bill, however, the Fed- eral Government would have made (See SECURITY, Page 3.) MAURER, GASKINS GET SCHOOL POSTS Board of Education Vacancies Filled by Justices, Effective July 1. Robert A. Maurer, sr., of 2029 Park road, & professor of law at George- town University, and Benjamin L. Gaskins, 1915 Fourteenth street, were named to fill vacancies on the Board of Education by the justices of Dis- trict Supreme Court this afternoon. At the same time Henry Gilligan and Mrs. Mary A. McNeill, colored, veteran members of the board, were reappointed to three-year terms. Maurer, who formerly was princi- pal of Central High School, succeeds Dr. Hayden Johnson, president of the board, who.did not stand for reap- pointment. Gaskins succeeds to the unexpired term of Charles Houston, dean of Howard University Law School, who resigned recently with still a year to serve. Readers’ Guide Page. vessss.B-14 ..B-16-17 After Dark.. Amusements . Cross-word ‘Puzzle . .A-17-18-19 ¢ Foening Star The only evening paper in Washington with the Associated Press News and Wirephoto Services. L L L] I KNOW JUST \ EXACTLY HOow N\ THAT BLUE UZZARD S FEELS/ 9= ) T y7’ ’% 7 <[|ll||mu ~ |Red Airmen Claim Rising 34,449 Feet TwoReportTemperature of 40 Below Zero at Highest Point. X By the Associated Press. MOSCOW, June 20—Two Soviet airmen today claimed a world altitude record for open gondola balloons, as- serting they had reached a height of 10.500 meters (34,448.75 feet) in a balloon of 2,200 cubic meters capacity. (A balloon of the capacity indicated ranked in the fifth category, for which no international altitude record is listed. The record for the sixth cate- gory—balloons of 2,201-3,000 cubic meters—is officially recognized as held by Capt. Hawthorne C. Gray, U. 8. A, March 9, 1929, Belleville, I, 28,- 508.413 feet.) U. G. Prilutsky. They reported a temperature at their maximum height Record in Balloon The balloonists were K. I. Zille and | of 40 degrees below zero. FUSION AX FALLS ONZ3 DEMOCRATS Montgomery County Bloc Irked by Minority At- tempt at Coup. By a Staff Correspondent of The Star. ROCKVILLE, Md., June 20— Virtually a clean sweep of the Demo- cratic ofganization appointtees re- maining on the countys pay roll was made today by the Fusion party bloc controlling the Board of Montgomery County Commissioners. Twenty-three empiuves were dis- missed, effective July 1, while the board also voted {o discontinue the courty’s contribution toward the sal- aries of three road supervisors em- ployed jointly by the State and county. Only four of the old Democratic or- ganization's appointees now remamn. ‘They are employed in minor capacities. Irked by King Episode. Members of the Fusion oloc de- clared the dismissals are the result of the attempt which the Democratic organization minority group made on ‘Tuesday te gain control of the board oy having Commissioner Charles E. King, Fusion Democrat, bolt the new party. Among those ordered dismissed are County Engineer Harry Shaw, his as- sistant, Raymond D. Stevens; Mrs. Mary O'Brien and Mrs. Lucille Mul- lineaux, clerks in the commissioner’s office, and S. M. Hamilton, Charles I Israel and Wilson Stewart, auditor's office employes. Police Clerks Ousted. Others were James Nichols, Dunbar Padgett and Kelly McGee, police sta- [ tion desk clerks; Harry Lee Miller and Harry Miles, janitors, and the follow- ing road employes: William Talbott, D. W. Milstead, Russell Wright, William Bolten, Wil- liam Evans, Ossie Williams, ©. John- son, Albert Elley, M. W. Butcher, J. J. Lay and Other Butcher. ‘The road supervisors whose salary contribution will be discontinued are Bert Shaw, a brother of former Coun- ty Commissionér Lacy Shaw; Andrew Newman and former County Commis- sioner W, Prank Ricketts. Loy* Ss,gc' "Uflml (IO gy S - Y \\vl/' —\ e ) RUSH HOLT CLAIMS SENATORIAL SEAT West Virginian Appears to Take Oath After 30th Birthday Yesterday. BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. Rush D. Holt, who has been wait- ing at the Senate door, figuratively speaking, for the last five and a half months to qualify as Senator from West Virginia, presented himself to- day to take the oath of office. He at- tained yesterday the constitutional age for Senate service—30 years. Senator Neely of West Virginia | called up the Holt case soon after the | Senate met today. Senator George, chairman of the Privileges and Elec- tions Committee, offered the resolu- tion to seat Holt. Delaware presented as a substitute a resolution declaring the election of Holt void. The first vote will come on the substitute. Senator George opened the debate, giving in detail the argu- ments contained in the majority re- port, proposing to seat Holt. It is expected Holt will be seated. The majority report of the Committee on Privileges and Elections recom- mends that he be seated. The reso- lution proposed by the committee re- garding Holt follows: “Resolved, That Rush D. Holt is en- titled to his seat in the Senate of the United States as a Senator from the State of West Virginia; it appearing that he was 30 years of age at the time when he presented himself to the Senate to take the oath and to as- sume the duties of office.” Two Reports by Minority. ‘Two minority reports have been filed, holding Holt’s election void oe- cause he had not reached 30 years of age at the time when the term began for which he was elected. One of these was signed by Senators Hastings of Delaware, Austin of Vermont and Dickinson of Iowa, all Republicans. ‘The other was signed by Senator Hi- ram Johnson of California, also Re- publican. ‘The resolution proposed by the| minority holds that the election of Holt was void, “he not having attaim: the age of 30 years at the commence- ment of the term for which he was elected.” The term began January 3 last. The majority report was presented to the Senate by Senator George of Georgia, chairman of the committee. In it the majority admits that if Holt | had presented himself a day before he reached the age of 30 years—set by the Constitution for Senate service— the Senate would have been compelled to reject him. The majority holds, however, that a Senator-elect does not automatically become a member of Congress at the beginning of the term of office for which he was elected, and that therefore no substantial reason can be found in the Constitution why his qualification of age should be measured at that time. - Other Qualifications Cited. ‘The majority said that, while the Constitution provides for the sena- torial term of six years, it is obvious that a Senator-elect is not from the beginning of the term to which he is elected a Senator in Congress. It con- tended it was the purpose of the framers of the Constitution to ex- clude from service in the Senate im- mature persons, so the age of 30 years as a minimum was provided as a qualification, along with two other (See HOLT, Page 5.) Britain Stirred by Criticism - Of Wales’ Gesture to Germany By the Asggciated Press. LONDON, June 20.—Criticism of the Prince of Wales for his friendly gesture to Germany, in proposing that British war veterans send a good-will delegation to tke Reich, stirred politi- cal and diplometic circles today. The latest rebuke came in the House Aneurin Bevan. Bevan tried unsuccessfully to draw ; ke been called to the prince’s proposal, but he evaded Bevan's question as to whether it was “made with the knowl- edge and.consent of the government.” “His majesty’s government are aware it 1s the policy of the British Legion to establish friendly relations with ding organizations of all foreign secretary’s response, just as cries of “Order, order,” had broken out at Bevan’s action in bringing the name of the popular heir apparent into discussior, contrary to parlia- mentary custom. ‘The prince’s proposal, although re- ceived enthusiastically by Nazis, has been the target for several home at- of the Beian s, (#) Means Associated Press, Senator Hastings of | Yesterday’s Circulation, 125,174 Some Returns Not Yet Received. TWO CENTS. CUMMINGSORDERS MITCHELL'S GRAFT CHARGES PROBED BY JUSTICE UNIT Acts After Ousted Officer Says Cutting’s Life Might Have Been Saved if Air Bureau ‘Had Functioned.’ {INSPECTION HELD LAX IN MORRO CASTLE CASE Former Assistant Secretary of Commerce Implies to Senate In- vestigators That Two Shipping Board Officials Had Been Forced to Resign. By the Associated Press. Attorney General Cummings today said the Justice Department will make a “full investigation” of charges of “inefficiency,” “graft” and “favoritism” in departmental bureaus made by Ewing Y. Mitchell, ousted Assistant Secretary of Commerce, regardless of the outcome of an investigation by the Senate Commerce Committee. This announcement came soon after Mitchell had ended his second day of testimony before the committee with assertions that proper efficiency in the Air Commerce Bureau and steamboat inspection service of the Commerce Department might have prevented the recent airplane crash in which Senator Cutting of New Mexico was killed and the burning of the liner Morro Castle with a large loss of life. He acknowledged under sharp ques- tioning by openly hostile committee members, however, that he had no actual facts to support his charges, Keenan to Direct. The Attorney General said the de- partment’s investigation was being | handled by Joseph B. Keenan, As- sistant Attorney General in charge of the criminal division, who was present at the committee inquiry yesterday. Mitchell, he said, would be given op- portunity to “amplify his charges at any, time.” Cummings asserted the Mitchell charges first were referred to him by Secretary Roper on April 22, and that Roper, the Commerce Department head, supplied him with Mitchell's material on May 13 or 14. “We have not gone far enough to determine what course should be pur- sued,” the Attorney General said. “The investigation will not be limited to reading what Mr. Mitchell has to say, but an attempt will be made to get all the facts. “We will ind out whether there has been any dereliction of duty or merely an administrative matter that can be settled without the aid of the Depart- ment of Justice.” Two Resignations Claimed. Previously, the ousted official had | implied to the Senate Commerce Com-~ mittee that as a result of his com- plaints two officials of the Shipping Board had been forced to resign. Asked why he didn't “do some- thing” about the conditions of which he now complains, Mitchell said: “I was as much ignored as if I hadn’t been in the department. I was ostensi- bly in charge, but I had no power, It was known I had no authority. But I can present memorandum after memorandum to show what I tried to do.” Mitchell said that “pressure” from airplane companies had brought lax- | ity in safety inspection that “might” | have caused the airplane accident. | He conceded under sharp question- |ing by Senator Johnson, Republican of California, a close friend of the late Senator Cutting, however, that {he had no knowledge of the details | of the crash to back up his statement that the lives of those who died | might have been spared. Under insistent questioning by Chairman Copelend, Mitchell also | acknowledged he had no facts to support his assertions concerning the Morro Castle disaster. ‘The former Assistant Secretary, ap- 1 pearing for his second day to testify in support of his charges of “appar- ent corruption” and “graft” in the department, ran at once into some of the same sharp questions he en- countered yesterday from committee members. Mitchell told the committee that last February 4 he filed 23 charges against Admiral H. I. Cone, a Ship- ping Board member, based on asserted revelations by the Black Ocean Mail Investigation Committee, Had Been Warned, He Says. ‘The charges were filed, he said, in spite of warnings it would get him “in bad with the President” if he pressed them. Cone retired from the board 30 days later, Mitchell said, adding: “I understand there was pressure to get him to resign.” ‘Taking up another case, Mitchell declared J. W. Barnett, an official of the Shipping Board bureau, also had resigned after charges of “favoritism to steamship companies” were filed against him. He charged that Barnett accepted passes for his family from the United States Lines and the Baltimore Mail . Both companies, Mitchell said, “were large -debtors to the construc- tion loan fund of the United States Shipping Board, the administration of which Mr. Barnett, as director of the Bureau of Construction and Finance, had supervision.” Roper Smiles at Testimony. Secretary Roper, who came to the hearing prepared to answer Mitchell's charges involving the Commerce De- partment, at times smiled as his former subordinate pounded the table. Disagrees With President. At the outset of today's hearing, Mitchell took issue with President Roosevelt’s explanation of the laying up of the Leviathan, saying: “The President in his press confer-