Evening Star Newspaper, September 22, 1935, Page 1

WEATHER. (U S, Weather Bureau Forecast.) Fair today and tomorrow; slightly cool- er today: gentle northwest winds, becom- ing variable. Temperatures—Highest, 89, at 3 p.n. yesterday; lowest, 59, at 6 a.m. yesterday. Full report on page A-! 0. (#) Means Associated Pre No. 1,592—No. 33,381, Entered as second class mattel post office, Washington, D. C. he WASHINGTO 3y iy Star WITH DAILY EVENING EDITION 1008 IL. DUCE WILLING TO NEGOTIATE DESPITE PEACE PLAN REJECTION; ENGLAND IS POISED FOR CRISIS k3 k4 Italian-League Optimism for Anglo-Italian i Settlement Growing in Rome Ships Near Rupture Is Denied. BRITISH ARE DISAPPOINTED First Recognition of Geneva Act Is Seen. By the Associated Press GENEVA, September 21.—Premier Mussolini of Italy is disposed to ne- gotiate the acute Ethiopian problem, an Italian spokesman said tonight, even though his cabinet today tu:ned down the peace plan of a League of Nations committee. Insisting there is no rupture be- tween Italy and the League, the spokesman emphasized the signifi- cance of this phrase in today’s Italian communique: That the League ccm- Door to More Discussion | of Differences Is | Seen Open. By the Associated Press. ROME, September 21.—Italy's re- jection of the Geneva peace plan, a government spokesman said tonight, | “left the door open” for further dis- cussion of the Italo-Ethiopian ques- tion and created a definite note of optimism that differences with Great Britain may be straightened out. He said this optimism in no way envisaged the yielding of the Italian | point of view and its program regard- | ing Ethiopia. | “There is no foundation to reports {of a rupture between Italy and the League,” he said. To the contrary, | the spokesman cont:nued, Italy was | vastly pleased by the Committee of | Five’s action, which he said supported Italy's claim that Ethiopia is a bar- | baric country and must be subjected | to European tutelage. | The spokesman asserted that the | BARON POMPEO ALOISI, Chief Italian delegate to League of Nations. the mittee’s recommendations “do not | Committee of Five “completely for-| hope that such a phase of the problem offer a minimum basis for a conclu- |got” to take into account portions of | would be recognized at Geneva that sive realization which finally and ef- | the Italian memorandum filed at Ge- | 1ta)y left the door open for modifica- fectively would Italy's vital rights and interests. The League’s big five commiltee, which drafted the peace proposal, met tonight to discuss Italy’s rejection. Unable to determine the exact mean- ing of Il Duce's move, however, the committee adjourned after an hours conference with the announcement it ‘would continue to await Italy's official reply. Communique Noted. A communique was published by the committee to the effect that it met and “took note of the communique given to the press given by the Italian government.” It added: “In order to gain the exact idea of the significance of this communique the committee decided to await the official reply of the Italian government and what- ever observations might accompany circles that II Duce had given the League another chance to ask nim: What is your minimum? His chief delegate, Baron Pompeo Aloisi, doubt- less will make this new opportunity clear to the Council’s five-power com- mittee, it was said. One member of the Italian delega- tion pointed out that “this constitutes the first official recognition of the League’s mediation by the Italian gov- ernment,” and said the cabinet action Implies revised proposals would receive the most friendly consideration by Ttaly. British Disappointed. While the British reaction to the Ttalian reply was one of disappoint- ment, the British, like the othe seemed impressed by the moderzte tone of non-acceptance as compared to the flat “no compromise” state- ment that came out of last werk's cabinet meeting in Rome. League officials pointed out that Mussolini’s “‘non-acceptance” of the | definite Italo-Ethiopian problem which |is entirely between Italy and Ethi- opia. | "By this, the official said, he meant | “that 40 years of Italo-Ethiopian re- | lations have been marked by repeated Ethiopian aggression.” He indicated that it was upon the e P GERMANY WARNS - OF MEMEL PERIL - | Tells World East Prussia Is The impression prevailed in Italian | Own Agent if Fair Vote Is Not Assured. By the Associated Press. BERLIN, September 21.—Germany bluntly warned the world tonight she “cannot be held responsible for the acts of East Prussians” if the guaran- teeing powers do not assure a free | September 29. | This statement was made by a foreign office spokesman who also dis- | closed that the Reich has made ur- | gent requests to the powers, includ- !ing Britain, France and Italy. to force Lithuania to cease her alleged persecu- | tion of Memel Germans. Adolph Hitler in his Reichstag speech last Sunday said residents of | Memel, which Germany lost because of the World War, are being af- flicted by Lithuania. i Il Not Stand Seizure. | “We are preserving strict neutrality |and fair Landtag election in Memel | take into account |neva showing “that there is & Very|yion of the committee’s report. | " Concerning the British fleet concen- | tration in the Mediterranean, the | spokesman said that the British Am- ! bassador Sir Eric Drummond called on | Undersecretary Fulvio Suvich yester- | day to assure him that the concentra- (See ROME, Page 4.) 0., GIRLIS FOUND FATALLY WOUNOED Two Men Hunted in Room- ing House Mystery. Said She Shot Self. After lying on the floor of a bed room in a rooming house on New Jersey avenue for six hours suffering from a bullet wound, Miss Evelyn Jor- don, 24, of 1600 Gales street north- | east, died early today in Casualty Hos- pital. The young woman told police she shot herself about 6:30 p.m. after an argument with her “boy friend.” She | lay unattended on the floor until after midnight, when she was found by another occupant of the rooming house at 419 New Jersey avenue south- east. At about 6:30 police received a call that there had been a shooting at the rooming house, but two officers who responded were told there was no | trouble there. They left. :\ Pistol Under Pillow. Miss Jordon said she shot herself in | Officials were leaving for the week | should her interests be threatened by Concentrating Completion. ITALY’S ACTION IS DISCOUNTED Use of Huge Navy for Sanctions Is Denied. By the Associated Press. LONDON. September 21 —Great Britain told the world with swift and frankly “defensive” thrusts tonight she stands ready to act without delay an Italo-Ethiopian war. These moves centered about the concentration of the navy and air force in the Mediterranean, work which is near completion. A critical week will open Monday with a cabinet meeting. In contrast to the last cabinet session August 22,‘ when the admiralty was forced to re- port the navy was not prepared to enforce British will in the Mediter- nanean, the ministers will find the government ready for any eventuality in zones possibly endangered by the | Italo-Ethiopian crisis. Rejection Was Expected. | end when news of the Italian cabinet | | decision to reject the League's peace | | proposal reached London. They were | not inclined to place too much im- portance upon it, having expected a rejection. Authoritative sources pointed out this did not close the door to further negotiations. . : Although officials let it be known | Britain is ready to act without delay | n case of a threat, at the same time | they declared there is no quarrel be- tween Britain and Italy. The huge navy was not assembled in the Med- | iterranean with any idea of enforcing | sanctions, they asserted, but for frank- | ly defensive reasons in view of grave uncertainties over what the future { may bring. | Present Navy Strength, ‘The biggest peace time concentra- | tion of the British Navy in the Medi- | terranean gives her present strength | there at approximately five battleships, | three battle cruisers, 20 to 25 cruisers, | two aircraft carriers, 60 to 65 destroy- | ers, 10 to 15 submarines, a dozen mmesweepers and numerous sloops, mine layers, auxiliary and miscel- laneous craft. ‘The best available unofficial reports indicate this compered with Italy | four battleships, seven big cruisers, 20 | | cruisers, 20 large destroyeis, 40 de- stroyers, 50 to 65 submarines, 17 mine layers, 38 mine sweepers and many smaller armed craft. In the air, however, Italy appears far superior in that region, and activ- ities of Italians in Libya and Leros left British strategists with no few committee’s project does not involve in the Italo-Ethiopian affair, but our the right breast while lying in bed qualms in that respect. any clear rupture with the League | disinterestedness does not go so far|and then rolled onto the floor. A .32- because the Ethiopian crisis still is | as to see Lithuania take advantage of caliber 1n the conciliation stage It conciliation is officially declared impossible, the Italian dictator may find himself facing an international policeman. they added. that the is crisis not yet the League Covenant. should decide that conciliation is per- fectly hopeless the League Council must decide whether to proceed under | Article 15, presenting to both Italy ommendations. Sanctions Await War. These recommendations may not be | the same as those contained in the existing project of the Committee of Five, which was described as ‘“the framework of a plan” for technical assistance to Ethiopia in administra- | tive, economic, financial and social reform. . Should this report be accepted unanimously by the Council and re- Jected by Italy, and should Italy re- sort to war in defiance of the Coun- cil's recommendations, then, and then only, would the question of sanctions arise. Under the Covenant Italy would be enjoined from resorting to hostil- “(See GENEVA, Page 3.) Priest Held in Traffic Death. TORONTO, September 21 (#)— Attorney General A. W. Roebuck today ordered Crown Attorney Frank ‘Wallace of Brantford to lay a man- slaughter charge againsi Rev. P. H. Cook, Howell, Mich., priest, whose car struck and killed 8-year-old Billy Richardson of Simcoe, September 6. Emanuel Reported In Plea to George Y For Nations’ Accord By the Associated Press. LONDON, September 21.—A Reuters (British) News Agency dispatch from Geneva said a rumor was current there tonight that King Victor Emanuel had written a letter to King George of Great Britain appealing for “petter understanding” between the British and Italian peoples. Italy’s ruler, the rumor said, also referred to the comradship of the two kingdoms during the ‘World War. Alarm at the grow- ing tension in Anglo-Italian re- lations was reported to have in- spired this unusual step, the dis- patch said. British circles here declared they had no knowledge of the report. and Ethiopia a definite series of rec- | the absorption of Britain, France and Italy in this conflict to walk off with | Memel,” the spokesman asserted. i he charged, has disquali- | L, Page 4.) (See MEN Readers’ Guide | | PART ONE. | Main News Section. General News—Pages A-1, B-6. | Changing World—A-3. Lost and Pound—-A-13. Death Notices—A-13. | Vital Statistics—A-13. | Service Orders—A-13. } Washington Wayside—A-17. Melcher in Hollywood—A-18. Educational—B-4-5-6. | Sports Section—Pages B-7-11. | Contract Bridge—B-12. PART TWO. Editorial Section. Editorial Articles—Pages, D-1-3. Editorials and Editorial Fea- tures—Page D-2. Civic News and Comment—D-4. ‘Women’s Clubs, Fraternal News, Veterans’ Organizations — D-5-6. PART THREE. Society Section. Society News and Comment— Pages E-1-10. Barbara Bell Pattern—E-8. PART FOUR. Feature Section, News Features—Pages F-1-3-4. John Clagett Proctor’s Article on Old Washington—F-2. “Those Were the Happy Days,” by Dick Mansfield—F-4. Books and Art—F-5-6. Stage and Screen—F-T. Music—F-8. Radio News and Programs—F-9. {*Automobiles—F-10. Aviation—F-10. Cross-word Puzzle—F-10. Children’s Page—F-11. 3 High Lights of History—F-11. PART FIVE. Financial, Classified. | Financial News and Comment, Stock, Bond and Curb Sum- maries—Pages G-1-4. Classified Advertising—G-5-13. Serial Story—G-5. Resorts—G-14. Stamp News—G-14. Who Are You?—G-14. \ pistol was found under a pillow. 150 Planes With Fleet. There are only approximately 150 airplanes with the British fleet in the SUNDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER AND THAT 1S WHAT HE. MEANS BY A BREATHING SPELL' 95 22, 1935—108 PAGES. Not for Subscriber or Newsstand Copy Sale by Newsboys o FIVE CE IN WASHINGTON AND SUBURBS NTS TEN CENTS ELSEWHERE THE TALMADGE INTERPRETATION! WATTKUS FLYING INTO QGEAN FOG Wisconsin Airman Due Over Ireland Today on Lith- uania Hop. By the Associated Press NEW YORK. September 21 —Flving through cold rain and fog. Felix Wait- kus was believed to be over the North Atlantic tonight on a flight from Floyd Bennett Field to Kaunas. Lithu- ania. St. John's. Newfoundland, reported an unidentified plane passed over Harbor Buffett, Placentia Bay, flving east, at 4:58 Newfoundland time. (4:29 pm. E. S. T) Harbor Buffett is about 50 miles east of Bell Island where a plane, be- | lieved to be Waitkus, was reported earlier Though he had no radio sending Miss Barrie-Quits | John Barrymore Chase With Smile s | Lovelorn, She Still Is Sure Case Will Come Out Right in End. ‘ By the Associated Press. ! KANSAS CITY, September 21— | Elaine Barri¢, pretty 20-year-old ad- mirer of John Barrymore, abandoned tonight her dash from New York— they quarreled there—in an effort to overtake the westbound 5°-year-old screen lover who eluded her here. Tired but smiling after her search, the dark-eved girl made reservations to fly back East A wild dash through the outskirts of Kansas City by taxi from one train to another by the stubble-bearded | Barrymore enabled him to continue toward California without meeting Miss Barrie. “I love him dearly and I know he loves me, so it is bound to come out apperatus, the former Army fiyer was | all right but when I do not know,” equipped with a radio compass with which he can obtain direction. The radio station at Athlone, in the | Irish Free State, was directed to transmit weather reports to aid the aviator during the first quarter of every hour. In Dublin, the Free State radio station broadcast a special weather report and forecast after its usual closing hour. No Anxiety Felt. No anxiety was felt for the fiyer. It was believed in Ireland the aviator would arrive over that country about ncon Sunday (10 a.m., Eastern stand- ard time). The weather favored the Kohler, Wis,, airman when he took off in his monoplane at 5:45 am. today. but Dr. James H. Kimball. Government meteorologist. predicted Waitkus would run into fog In West Orange, N. J. the fiyer's 23-year-old wife sat by a radio and waited for reports. An anxious vigil Police last night were looking for | Mediterranean and verhaps twice that Was likewise kept in Chicago by the | Memel,” the | Harry Frye, 600 blook of Massachu- | many more gathered at secret rendez- | ngman) ceded Memel to the gua_r-\sen.s avenue, believed to have been!yoys in Egypt and adjacent areas. anteeing powers, but not to Lithuania, | ‘That means, the officials explained, and while trying to avoid disturbances, | said she had the argument. the man with whom Miss Jordan They being | yet the government cannot be held | also broadcast a lookout for Fred A. If the powers | sians if the scandal across the border sey avenue address. Police said they did not know who | made the 6:30 report of the shox g. | Miss Jordon left a note, detectiv contents. Four persons, all living at that ad- dress, were booked at the fifth pre- cinct as witnesses. Jordon, Fred Comer, Violet Harrison and Blanche Gilmore, the landlady. Miss Jordon lived with her mother, Mrs. Ida Purdy. SENATOR LEWIS ILL IN MOSCOW Stricken With Pneumonia, Wife and Niece Are at Bed- side. | | By the Associated Press. | MOSCOW, September 21.—United | States Senator J. Hamilton Lewis of Tllinois is ill of bronchial pneumonia at a Moscow hotel. Senator Lewis arrived a week ago, suffering from an asthma condition, which grew worse and developed into Ppneumonia. Dr. Adolph S. Rumreich of the American Embassy and Russian doc- tors are in attendance. Senator Lewis came here from Ber- lin, accompanied by his wife, his niece and a daughter of his niece, Doctors decided against transfer- ring him from his hotel, the National, where he is quartered on a floor below the suite Edward A. Filene, Boston philanthropist, occupied when he was ill of pneumonia last month. TIGER MAULS WOMAN Spectators See Trainer Attacked. Quells Beast to Finish Act. —A raging Bengal tiger, 1 of 18 being pu‘ through a circus act, pounced upon Miss Mabel Stark, its trainer, today and clawed and bit her left arm as thousands of spectators watched in horrified breathlessness. With her left arm hanging limp, Miss Stark subdued the tiger and fin- ished the act. Thirty astitches were necessary to close the muw. PHOENIX, Ariz., September 21 (®). | Against this the Italians are generally understood to be able to put nearly | family of the youthful fiyer winging | his way toward his home country. His | father, Anton, proprietor of a plumbing shop; his mother, Mary, and sister, 0 13,000 planes in the air and most of | Antoinette, gathered with friends. All handled by any definite article of |responsible for the acts of East Prus-' Taylor, 60, formerly of the New Jer- these :re believed co:cvn:raled in the | €XPressed confidence Waitkus would They are Clifford | | sociation, in his indorsement of the | tribution of safe driving pledge cards Mediterranean and East African sector. | Activities reminiscent of war times continued apace at Gibraltar, Malta, es | Alexandria and Aden, four key British | in a commemoration | said, but they refused to divulge its stations for control of the Mediter-| Darius and Stanley Girenas who ranean. | The admiralty list today reported the arrival of the cruiser-mine layer Adventurer at Aden last Wednesday. | The list did not disclose the where- | abouts of the heavy cruiser Australia | el (See LONDON, Page 3.) reach his destination. Bride Sees Take-off. The flight was arranged primarily of Stephen crossed the Atlantic two years ago only to crash 375 miles short of Kaunas. The flight is 4,500 miles. , Waitkus’ plane rose from the airport at the crack of dawn after the flyer had kissed his bride of 18 months and (See FLIGHT, Page 2.) Leaders of 200 ikl Clisess Enlist in Drive for Safety Association With15,000 Members Ordérs Pledge Cards to Support Star Campaign to Promising their personal support | of The Star’s street and highway safety campaign, officers of the Or- ganized Bible Class Association of the District of Columbia will under- take at a meeting of the association’s Executive Committee tomorrow night to bring actively into the drive 15,000 members of more than 200 Bible classes in Washington. The association has ordered 1,000 safe driving pledge cards for the use of members of the Executive Com- mittee at tomorrow night's meeting and for the use of delegates at the coming monthly meeting of the as- sociation to be called within the next few days. “I want to assure you that we are very happy to co-operate in such a splendid movement,” said Page MCcK. Etchison, president of the as- plan to put the association behind the ‘campaign. The Executive Committee, which is to meet at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow in the Central Y. M. C. A. Building, 1736 G street, will be asked to plan the dis- to every member of the association in ‘Washington. The Organized Bible Class Associa-- tion, founded in July, 1922, is said to be probably the oldest organization of its kind in the world. Its govern- ing body is a Central Committee com- mummm.-‘m:m Reduce Toll. Safety Broadcasts Today. 6:15 p.m, WRC—Richard M. Ham, safety director of the American Automobile Association, and Selden Ely, supervising prin- cipal in charge of safety, with two schoolboy patrolmen, telling how the 100,000 children who begin school tomorrow will be protected on the streets. 10:05 p.m., WJSV.—Analytical review of week end traffic acci- dents. Tomorrow. 12 * noon, WJSV.—Interviews with children of the Thomson school on safeguarding them- selves while crossing streets. broadcast from the sidewalk near Twelfth and L streets. 7:15 p.m., WRC—Dramatiza- tion of the method used in one State to horrify speeding drivers into observing traffic regulations. one member from each class. There are 200 men's and women's Bible classes in the organization. The association, it was explained, acts as a clearing house for informa- tion on class methods, assists in the organization of new classes, stresses 'MLss Barrie said, slumped wearily across a bed in her hotel suite. “Mr. Barrymore's manager or some one has plotted to keep me from see- | ing him. I am convinced he has no " (See BARRYMORE, Page 4) 8000 EXPECTED S STHOLS OPeN By Next Week 92,000 Will | Be Registered in D. C., [ Officials Believe. 1 A majority of Washington's more than ready to resume their studies at 9 am tomorrow, when the public schools open for the 1935-36 year. With the first-day attendance ex- pected to approximate 82,000, some 4.000 more than enrolled on opening day last year. the enrollment mark | probabiy will jump to 87,000 Tuesday, 89,000 Wednesday and 89,500 Thurs- day. | "By Thursday of next week Rober: tician, anticipates 92,000 boys | girls will be registered and by Novem- ber 1 a peak of 94,000 may be reached. Last year the total enrollment for the first day was 78,062, and the high mark for the year was 91,358, New Structures to Be Used. with one new senior high school unit complete, another expected to be ready | addition reacy tomorrow, another ex- pected to be ready by October 10, and | | one elementary school addition avail- | able tomorrow for the first time. | The new high school is the Wood- row Wilson on Nebraska avenue, be- | tween Wisconsin and Connecticut | avenues, which is expected to relievz greatly the overcrowding at Western and Roosevelt High Schools. Woodrow | Wwilson High was formally accepted by the District Commissioners only last -week, but everything is in readi- | ness for the initial enrollment. | Norman J. Nelson, former assistant | principal at Western, is head of ihe | school, and his faculty has been | selected from experienced personnel already in the school system after a | flood of applications that taxed the administration in making choices. Instructions to the future pupils of Anacostia High School were issued last week, telling them of the tem- porary assignments they will have (See SCHOOLS, Page 8.) Flag to Tigers Detroif to Play Either Cubs or Cards in Series. Foot Ball Starts. It's the Detroit Tigers against the Cubs or Cards, probably the Chi- cagoan in the world series. Detroit kept the American League flag by | beating the Browns twice yesterday and the Cubs ran their lead on the | Cards in the National to 3}, games by winning while St. Louis was losing. Foot ball also got well under way yesterday with no upsets, the Vir- ginia-William and Mary scoreless tilt at Williamsburg, which dedicated the |a new wage and hour contract 90,000 school children will be| Anderson, Board of Educaiion statis- | and ‘The school year will be inaugurated | by November 1, one junior high school | latter's new stadium, featuring the inaugurals. COAL WAGE RIT REAGHES IMPASSE Roosevelt Intervention Seen as Only Hope to Avert Strike Tomorrow. By the Associated Press. Last-minute intervention by Presi- dent Roosevelt appeared last night as the only hope of averting a soft- coal strike tomorrow. Appalachian producers and the United Mine Workers were dead- locked in their negotiations toward w0 succeed the agreement expiring at midnight. The miners asked higher pay. The operators refused to budge an inch higher from their position that a renewal of the present scale was the best they could offer. . Enactment of the Guffey bill to set up a “Little N. R. A" for the | bituminous industry apparently had not helped reconcile opposing views, contrary to the expectations of the union and the administration. ready the law was under court at- tack. Keeps Roosevelt In Touch. Edward F. McGrady, Assistant Secretary of Labor and the adminis- tration’s No 1 labor trouble-shooter. was understood to have suggested a compromise vesterday, but found the union unwilling to accept it. Mc- Grady kept Mr. Roosevelt in touch with the situation by telephone Even thongh the Guffey act was designed to assure the industry suf- ficient income to cover production costs—including wages—the pro- ducers contended any increase in these production costs at this time would mean a heavy loss of busi- ness to competitive fuels. Such a loss, they maintained. would be disastrous to both capital and labor in the long run The union, on the other hand, stressed rising living costs in the coal fields. Many miners, union chiefs said, had been forced to supplement their wages with Federal relief Philip Murray, union vice president, said the average miner made only | $15.80 a week during the first half of this year with which he had to keep himself and an average family of four. Three Alternatives Seen. Coal men here saw three openings for the President: 1. To suggest a compromise. 2. To ask the sixth extension of the old scale while negotiations were continued and the new coal commis- sion organized. 3. To demand arbitration. All three were reported reliably to be unsatisfactory to the union. Coal men said some operators. but not all, might agree to a compromise or arbitration while all would favor an- other extension. The old wage and hour agreement | first expired last April 1. Negotiations were deadlocked at the time and Mr. Roosevelt , obtained an extension. Since, there have been four more ex- tensions, the last arranged a week ago last night. Van Duzer Asks Motorists to Use Saf«:ly “Stickers” “Don’t fail to put on your safety campaign sticker,” William A. Van Duzer, traffic director, asks motorists who have signed the pledge for safe driving. “The sticker,” Mr. Van Duzer states, “is the emblem of a pledged safe driver. It makes the driver who has a sticker glued to his windshield think about safety. It makes others who see it, think about safety. The object of the campaign is to make every one think about safety. . “I have been told that some ‘people who have signed the pledge for careful driving are afraid to put on the sticker in case that if they do make a mistake or are involved in an accident they will be humiliated or fined more severely. This is untrue. “The signer of a safety pledge is not superhumah. He or she means that he or she is doing the best that he or she can do. “Show that you are on the traffic honor roll. “If you are for safety show your colors.” Al- | W.P. A, SWANPED, PUTS QUICK CHOICE UPTO STATE HEADS |Only Half Approved Jobs Can Be Financed, Hop- kins Reveals. {ICKES SUMMONS P. W. A. DIRECTORS TO CAPITAL | | | | Parley to Check Final List of Projects—Disappointment to Many Forecast. BY. NELSON M. SHEPARD. Distress signals flew from the mast of the floundering work-relief program vesterday as the administration, facing the necessity of putting nearly 430,000 persons to work each week for the next 40 days, resorted to two moves [to speed the lagging employment drive. First, Harry L. Hopkins progress administrator, v | centralized the $4.000 worl | ganization and placed the responsibility for a quick job on State administra- tors. He curtl d each of these that only appro but gave them discret to what projects to be s mediately In this connection, Hop works approval for twice as manv pr for each State as could be financed with available money f At the same time it was announced that Secretary Ickes, whose part in the work-relief drive has been re- duced to $200,000.000. had summoned every P. W. A. State director to Wash- |ington for a conference today, at which a final check e list of new | public works improvements will be made. He has completed selection of scores of projects that will eat up the allotted part of his share of the $4.- 000,000,000 fund and the scheduled conference will provide further safe- guards against approval of projects which have no chance of winning President Roosevelt's O. K. List Not Public Yet. P. W. A. will not make its list pu lic, it was said, until President Roose- velt has stamped his official approval on it—probably in a week or 10 days. Thousands of communities, large and small, will be disappointed as the works program takes final form, both by reason of the slashing of P. W. A. | funds and the expected scrapping of one-half the works progress improve- ments submitted by enthusiastic State directors. In giving his State administrators wide latitude in conducting their pro- grams, Hopkins said “It is obvious that you cannot pros- ecute every project approved. A proval merely constitutes autho! and does not mean you must start the work on each project.’ Wide Latitude Sought. State administrators generally have submitted projects in the belief the long-awaited official O. K. of the President was the guarantee the proj- ect could be financed by the Governs ment Hopkins notified them yesterday the attempt to secure approval of twice as many projects as can be financed out of available funds “had been done deliberately <o as to af- ford a maximum of iatitude in oper- ating programs.” | The District of Columbia has pend- ing before the Allotment Board and President Roosevelt 120 projects cost ing $10,328,000, according to the lat« est obtainable figures. These are | awaiting approval | It is apparent now that approxi- mately half of these projects have no immediate chance of being financed, | although the administration has left |a loophole. Should funds be later available, other projects can be put into operation. 4,207 at Work Here. Thus far Commissioner George E. | Allen, District works progress admin= istrator, has 24 projects in operation | costing $3,000008. To date he has | 4.207 persons at work, including some | employed on departmental projects. | The total employment goal in the Dis- trict is 15,847, it was said, based on the operation of the entire program. That this goal can be reached is | highly improbable if executive ap- proval does not mean orders to “go ahead.” The burden of sifting the works projects to be undertaken in thou- | sands of communities has been placed by Hopkins squarely on the shoulders of his State administrators. His orders were described at W. P. A. headquar- ters as “emphatic.” To each State administrator chief wrote: “The obligation and responsibility | thus placed upon you is tremendous. “Within the limits of human ability, you must provide employment for all eligible workers; you must complete projects, or project units, once begun; you must so plan your material pu chases that no project need be de- layed for lack of it, and yet you must not accumulate surpluses of unneeded materials.” Reservoir of Projects Denied. Hopkins warned them t» keep in reserve a large reservoir of projects which can be started or stopped as the labor supply fluctuates without jeop- ardizing the value of completed work. Before any State administrator can release the unused portior of an al- | lotment for an abandoned or income pleted project. he advised the Treas- | ury State Accounts Offices will require | them to certify that the United States | Is not obligated to complete the project |or to make any expenditure therefor. | Thursday, Hopkins gave these State | administrators discretionary power to | reduce working hours on projects | whenever it seemed advisable. This | will work out in some cases, he ex- | plained then, to establish prevailing wages. The public works pairt in the em- ployment drive, reduced to $200,000, 000 by order of President Roosevelt, (See yom{s, Page 1) | | the