Evening Star Newspaper, December 13, 1935, Page 1

(U 8. Weather Bureau Forecast) Rain tonight and probably tomorrow morning; not much change in tempera- ture; lowest tonight, about 36 degrees. Temperatures—Highest, 45, at noon to- day; lowest, 38, at 9:30 p.m, yesterday. Full report on page A-6. Closing N. Y. Markets, Pages 21, 22, 23 No. 33,463. Entered econd class matter post office, Washington, D. C. WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION WASHINGTON, D. C, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 138, 1935—SEVENTY PAGES. ##» TWO-THIRDS OF ETHIOPIA GIVEN ITALY IN TERMS OF POWERS’ PEACE PLAN L 2 Tigre Province Would Go to Duce. NEW FRONTIER LINES DRAWN Free Port on Sea Is Provided for Africans. BACKGROUND— Strength of League of Nations lies in faith of small nations that increased protection results from maintenance of organization. Claiming this faith shaken by Franco-British proposals for Ethio- pian land cessions to [taly, small nations have criticized® suggestion, yeopardized its chances of ap- proval by League. Meanwhile, en- forcement of economic sanctions and invoking of oil embargo against aggressor Italy stand in abeyance. At London and Paris political forces opposed to present administrations are making capi- tal of present stalemate. By the Associated Press. ROME, December 13.—The Franco- British plan for peace between Italy end Ethiopia, made public today, would give Italy sovereignty or control over approximately two-thirds of Ethiopia. An Italian government spokesman said his government could make no comment on the proposal at present, but that “they are being examined with care.” There are five points to the plan, as follows: 1. Italy wouid get sovereignty over fTigre Province, already conquered by her military forces except for the| sacred city of Aksum and a corridor | eonnecting that city with Ethiopia. 2. The Danakil frontier would be “rectified” so as to give the Aussa region to Ethiopia in full sovereignty. 3. The Somaliland frontier would be *rectified” running from the Kenya- Somaliland boundary intersection to Gorrahei, west of Guramdab, to the intersection of the 45th degree and the British Somaliland frontier. Ethiopia Would Get Port. 4. Ethiopia would get a free port on the sea, preferably Assab, and a cor- ridor leading to it; France and Great Britain would undertake to get from Ethiopia guarantees against the im- portation of arms and munitions. | 5. France and Great Britain would agree at Geneva to urge Emperor Haile Selassie to grant Italy a zone of in- fluence running from the new Somali- | land frontier established under point 3 and extending all across Ethiopia | from the ftwenty-fifth to the forty- fifth longitude and northward to the eighth parallel; Emperor Haile Selas- sie would have sovereignty over this zone of Italian influence but would have an adviser who might or might not be an Italian, There would be a League of Nations commission to advise the Ethiopian monarch on internal affairs, but no member of this commission could be a citizen of any other interested power, Jtalian Privileged Company. 1In the Italian zone of influence the active administration would be through an Italian privileged com- pany with exclusive economic rights which, however, would have to recog- nize the existing property rights. This company would be obliged to contrib- ute to the expense of the social im- provement of the natives. The proposal was offered with the hope that Premier Mussolini would answer it as speedily as possible. It urged him to accept the plan in principle as a basis for discussion without prejudice for the final settle- ment. The preamble to the proposals said the settlement of the Italo-Ethiopian conflict should be handled by the League’s Committee of Five which delegated Great Britain and France to find a solution, LEAGUE HELD VIOLATED. Selagsie Asks Assembly to Consider Proposal of Powers. By the Associated Press. Emperor Haile Selassie asked the League of Nations to call a special meeting o. the League Assembly on the grounds that the Franco-British peace pla violated the spirit of the League Covenant. The plan already has resulted in s call for a session of the Council next Wednesday. 4 Many of the smaller nations in the League were represented as opposed to the plan on thé¢ grounds that it would give Premier Mussolini his objective in East Africa, Rebellion against the peace pro- posal threatened in the House of Commons today as ‘the impression grew in Geneva the plan would be turned down. British Protest Move. By letter and telegram, British constituents protested to their rep- resentatives in Parliament against the settlement suggestion. The sentiment reflected the reported efforts of smaller powers at the League conference to exert their influence for peace terms which would uphold League principles without approving Italian aggression by & grant of territ tory. At Dessye, Selassie, who has not yet said By the Associated Press. . KALGAN, Chahar Province, China, December 14 (Saturday)—A small detachment of Japanese troops en- tered this gateway city of the Chinese northwest early today while the popu- lace and Chinese soldiery gaped in wonderment. Not a shot was fired and not a voice was lifted in protest. It was the first appearance of Jap- anese armed forces here and the “in- vasion” was viewed as a manifestation of the Japanese Army's determination to clinch its hold on North China by acquifing military control of strategic centers. what their immediate purpose might be was not disclosed, but the arrival of 20 Japanese buses from Peiping was Where the troops came from and | Japanese Troops Enter Kalgan, Gateway to Chinese Northwest Invasion Viewed as Manifestation of Army’s Determination to Acquire. Control of Strategic Centers. thought possibly to indicate an expe- dition deeper into the interior. Hostilities between Manchukuo and Chinese forces in Southeastern Chahar Province meanwhile lulled with re- ports that a settlement had been reached involving installation of Mon- gol police in the disputed frontier ter- ritory. To Increase Treops. TIENTSIN, December 13 (#).—High Japanese officers formulated at & con- ference today their “policy” toward North China involving a sharp in- crease of Japanese army forces in this area and close collaboration with the | new, semi-autonomous regime. The conference was called by Maj. NEW NEUTRALITY LAW 1§ SOUGHT Roosevelt Bares Effort to Gain Substitute When Present One Expires. BACKGROUND— Aroused by findings of Senate Investigating Committee of great munitions profits and by war scare in Europe, Congress last Summer hurriedly passed neutrality law. Most effective provision was au- thorization to President to prohibit ezport of “war materiels” to bel- ligerent nations; applied last Oc- tober when President Roosevelt proclaimed Italy and Ethiopia in state of war. Definition of “war materiels” present principal prob- lem in application of act, which expires in February. Administra- tion seeks wide range of discre- itonary powers in such legislation; congressional dloc favors rigid defi- nition and direction by law. By the Associated Press. President Roosevelt will seek new neutrality legislation early in the next session of Congress. In making this known at a press conference today, Mr. Roosevelt re- marked that the present temporary | neutrality law expires next February. Obviously, the President said, he is | trying to find something to take its place. But the Chief Executive declined to discuss the probable form the ad- ministration’s proposals would take. The exact date of expiration of the present law making it mandatory upon the President to declare an em- bargo on arms, ammunition and im- plements of war upon the outbreak of hostilities, is February 28. Many Proposals Advanced. The President said he did not know whether he would refer to the sub- ject of neutrality in his message to Congress next month. But, he indi- cated, he would reach a decision on the outline of several proposals already advanced within the next two weeks. His comment was prompted by a questioner who asked if the admin- istration intended to seek neutrality legislation in line with its appeals for voluntary steps to discourage war profits. In addition to invoking the embargo on implements of war, the Govern- (See NEUTRALITY, Page 2.) Ready to Study Pensions. ST. LOUIS, December 13 (A).— City Counselor Charles M. Hay will leave Monday for Washington, where he will assume duties as vice chairman of a commission named by President Roosevelt to make a survey of a pruopoud railroad employes’ pension plan, Hay will resign his city position temporarily to take over the Federal appointment. Toy Empty-Handed BS TR EEEEH"E 2gd 13 g JAPAN CONCEDES PARITY T0 RUSSIA Maneuvers to Win Support in Demands for Naval Equality. BACKGROUND— Warning that success of present Naval Armament Conference hinged upon reaction of dominant powers to her demands for equality with Britain and United States, Japan refused consideration of other problems until tonnage issue was settled. Denied “paper parity” compromise at previous session by objection of United States, Japan yesterday encountered solid front of opposition from Britain, France and Italy. Original naval arma- ment limitation of 1921 established 5—5§==3—3—3 ratio of capital ships, with Britain and United States allowed mazimum. London agreement of 1930 increased Japa- nese allowance for smaller ships,” but was still far short of parity. By the Associated Press. LONDON, December 13.—Japan granted Soviet Russia the right to a fleet equal to its own in arguing for tonnage equality for all nations before the international naval conference, authoritative quarters disclosed today. This widening of the scope of Japan’s position was regarded as one of the most significant developments of the five-day-old conference. The delegation from Tokio developed the theory that a single standard should apply to all nations indis- criminately, regardless of their defense requirements or colonial commitments, other delegations reported. Japan's delegation maneuvered to- day to win the support of Prance and Italy in the Asiatic empire's demand for sea power equality. The Japanese revised their request for a common upper limit on naval tonnage to include the five powers— Japan, the United States, Great Brit- ain, Prance and Italy—instead of the first three only, as previously sug- gested. The French and Italians opposed the Japanese demands yesterday be- cause they were not included. How- ever, informed sources said they did not consider the new tactics would prove successful, although they will bring the French and Italians more into the general debate. As a result of the new Japanese plan, the French and Italians are ex- pected to present more detailed view- points when the session is resumed Monday after a week end of confer- ences within the delegations. Delegation Heads to Confer. Next Monday’s meeting will be for the heads of the delegations only. Observers saw significance in this limitation and said they believed it (See PARLEY, Page 4.) Drive to End Tomorrow With Old Santa’s Hopes High Thoughiful Citizens Expected to Leave No Little Boy or Girl of District Christmas Day. who have no one to give them even so much as a lollypop.- ‘Tomorrow the great drive finishes . . and it has been a great drive. With every agency in the city pulling .8 E H [ : i {1 i | i ; g i 5 E % {1 1t . TO RUN OR NOT TO RUN. Life’s Real Beg inning Bared In Carnegie Embryo Exhibit Gigantic Monkey Egg Model Used by Dr. Streetet ta Show Segregation of Elements Within Blastocyst. BY THOMAS R. HENRY. Discovery of the first significant process In the development of mammal —an automatic process by which, starting with the ninth day, the ma- terial within the monkey egg divides life was announced by Dr. George L., into two components. One part, much Streeter, director of the embryological laboratory of the Carnegie Institution of Washington at the research exhibit held In conjunction with the annual meeting of the trustees here today. This discovery, made possible by combination of remarkable operative and laboratory techniques with the institution’s colony of 200 Macaque monkeys, enables biologists to state for the first time how the higher animals —including human beings of whom the macaque is a close relative—start the formative process. The hitherto unknown first step was described by Dr. Streeter as “segrega- tion of eiements Within the blastocyst” BARNET ACCEPTED BY CUBAN PARTY Provisional President Back- ed as Menocalista Plans to Enter Election. By the Associated Press. HAVANA, December 13.—Thie pow- erful Menocalista party, which § jreed the resignation of President Carlos Mendieta, announced today its ac- ceptance of the election of Jose A. Barnet, 71-year-old diplomat, as pro- visional President. The party, head by twice-President Gen. Mario G. Menocal, revoked its withdrawal from the national elec- tions, set for January 10 to set a con- stitutional government to suppiant the provisional administration, and ex- pressed confidence of vietory. Barnet, former secretary of state, who became acting President when Mendieta resigned early Wednesday, was named provisional President last night by the cabinet and Council of State, meeting as an electoral college in a joint session. He was to take the oath of office later today and serve until the inaugu- ration May 20 of the President elected next month. The cabinet intended to resign to permit Barnet to make any changes he may see fit. The National Executive Committee 'of the Menocalista party, which came into conflict with Mendieta over elec- tion regulations and refused to par- ticipate unless he resigned, expressed confidence that his withdrawal “re- stored political serenity” and that the elections would be held on the date set. i Of Barnet's election, the committee announced: “Despite the fact that he was in the cabinet of the outgoing provisional President, recognizing that he em- bodies an exceptional degree of pa- triotism, probity and impartiality and expecting him to make necessary cabi- net changes and exercise vigilance over the conduct of public officials; we have revoked our withdrawal from the elections, ordered our candidacy resig- nations returned and our campaign re- newed.” G. 0. P. Convention Asked. CHICAGO, December 13 (P).—A citizens’ committee headed for Wash- ington today to present Chicago’s bid for the 1936 Republican convention to the party’s national committee. Robert ¥. Carr and Albert D. Lasker. chairmen of the Chicago group, said Mayor Edward J. Kelly would join the smaller, constitutes the material which is to develop into the body of the future animal. The other part is comprised of material—knowledge of the chemical composition of which may become one of the foremost ob- jectives of biological chemistry—which does not enter into the animal struc- ture at all but makes it possible for this to develop. The outstanding feature of the ex- hibit was & model f a monkey egg on the ninth day of embryonic life en- larged 1,400 times, A hen egg magni- fied in .the same proportion would not have fitted into the exhibit hall SILVER PURCHASE STRATEGY VEILED Reason for U. S. Buying in ‘Marts Outside London Is Not Clarified. BACKGROUND— Determined to “do something for silver,” Congress passed silver purchase act in Jume, 1934, di- rected Treasury to = iewase WO silver at own price until world fig- ure reaches $1.29 per ounce or hold= ings equal one-third of gold hold- ings. Buying principally through London, Treasury became biggest customer; on Tuesday, English mart closed because of absence of buying bids in face of huge offer- ings from Far East. With price far below $1.29 and great gold imports blocking eforts to establish three- to-one ratio, continuance of Treas- ury policy was questioned; reaf- firmed yesterday. By the Associated Press. ‘The reason for a change in tactics, which has led the Treasury- to buy silver “in many different places” in- stead of concentrating its purchases, remained officially a mystery today. There were hints ffi some quarters that it may be seeking to thwart speculators. 1t was also suggested that when the United States, biggest customer for silver, buys in London, the ‘brokers can guess the amount of purchases with fair accuracy, and thus seem to penetrate American in- tentions. The. London market collapsed last Tuesddy and dispatches told of the Treasury’s apparent refusal to buy there in the face of huge offerings from the Far East. There were gen- eral rumors' that the Treasury was not buying any more silver. Secretary Morgerithau acted to dis- pel these rumors. yesterday.. He said he was still carrying out the “man- date” of Congress which calls. for purchases until the price reaches $1.29 an ounce, or until silver is one- quarter of the monetary stocks. tices. There ' was ' renewed “confusion in the markets after his remarks. The price - dropped—-again - yesterday | London . and New.York, but rose in The ‘Treasury said-it- has acquired 761,744,000 ounces to date. ‘The prices paid are supposed to range from 35 cents to 77.5 cents an ounce. (Yes- HOLDING COMPANY TEST HITS IMPASSE Government and Utilities Deadlocked Over Way to Sound Out law. BACKGROUND— Center of bitterest congressional fight since Democratic administra- tion took over Government in 1933, law to regulate and eliminate utility holding companies brought flood of court actions seeking in- junctions against enforcement. In opposition, Government flled case against Electric Bond & Share, would prefer to test law through this action. Requirement of regis- tration of all companies by Decem- ber 1 ignored by many major units. Principal indication thus far of ju- dicial gttitude towerd law found in opinion of unconstitutionality handed down by Federal Court in Baltimore. By the Associated Press. The Government and the utilities were dealocked today over the proper way to test the constitutionality of the Roosevelt holding company law. The impasse appeared unlikely to be broken for at least two weeks. Attorney General Cummings step- ped into District Supreme Court yes- terday to argue that the test case should be narrowed down to a suit the Government has brought against Electric Bond & Share Co. in New York. In his first appearance as the Gov- ernment’s chief lawyer in a subordinate Federal court, Cummings asked that seven injunction suits brought in the local court by utility firms be stayed | pending a United States Supreme Court ruling in the Electric Bond & | Share case. Explains His Presence, Without referring directly to Solici- tor General Stanley Reed, who suf- fered a fainting spell at the end of (See UTILITIES, Page 6.) FILM PIONEER “BROKE” Old Biograph Casting Director Looks for a Job. HOLLYWOOD, December 13 (#).— The first casting directors in the movies, & man who gave employment to thousands of people, came to a studio himself today—looking for a job. He is Edward Allen Biby, casting director 25 years ago at the old Bio- graph Studios. He piled up a fortune and then saw it swept away. ‘Today he was signed up for “at- mosphere.” SUNDAY —in— The only evening paper in Washington with the Associated Press News and Wirephoto Services. | Department at present has no author- Yesterday’s Circulation, 133,294 Some Returns Not Yet Received. P Means Associated P: TWO CENTS. ress. 40 OVERCOME IN COST LY FIRE AT POST OFFICE Triangle Departmental Build- ingDamage Estimated Between $50,000 and $500,000. ELECTRIC LIGHT BULB BLAMED; NEARBY VOLUNTEERS CALLED IN Light Gas Masks Virtually Useless in Suffocating Fum es—Valuable Dis- bursement Records Lost. ‘The six-alarm fire which swept through a section of the new $11.000,000 Post Office Building shortly after midnight—causing damage variously esti mated at from $50,000 to $500,000 and necessitating hospital treatment for about 40 firemen—was caused by heat from an unprotected 100-watt light being communicated to a stack of open by Fire Marshal Calvin G. Lauber. files, it was determined at noon today None of the two-score firemen overcome is in a serious condition, it was said at Egergency Hospital. Lauber estimated the damage at from $50,000 to $75,000. However, other unofficial estimates at the Post Office Department, which took into con- sideration the cost of repairs, put the total loss as high as $500,000. At the same time the practice throughout the Government of storing papers loosely and without any safegua rds was condemned vigorously by Fire Chief C. E. Schrom. This brought from the White House an opinion by President Roosevelt that the fire inspection service of the District govern- ment should be extended to cover Federal properties. President Shocked By Fire Hazards in | Federal Buildings Vigorous condemnation—implied and | expressed—of the hazard created by the storage of files under conditions| such as are held responsible for the Post Office Department fire, came| from ghe White House and fire off- | clals today. Astonished that the District Fire| ity to inspect Federal buildings, and told of the statement of PFire Chiet | Charles E. Schrom, describing condi- | tions in the Post Office Building as constituting one of the worst hazards | imaginable, President Roosevelt said | the District fire force should be given inspection supervision over all struc- tur es. District Commissioner Hazen took the same view as the President and further said he belleves a new fire station should be established in the | Triangle area. This would cost up-| ward of $100,000. 50 More Men Needed. To apply District inspection to Fed- eral buildings would also mean that the force, now 18 men, would have to be increased by 50 more. ‘, Hazen emphasized that if the Dis- trict undertakes this added expense, | the contribution of the Federal Gov- | ernment toward local upkeep should be raised cerrespondingly. The attention of the Presidemt also{ was called to the fact doors in the | executive offices all open inward in- | stead of outward as required by the | District code, and said he could ad- | vance no reason for it. He did not | indicate he would have the matter | looked into. “Similar Conditions Elsewhere.” Schrom’s criticism was amplified by Fire Marshal Calvin G. Lauber in his statement regarding the source of the fire. Pointing out that files adjacent to high-powered lamps probably started the conflagration, he added: “Information which this office has received has indicated that there are similar conditions of open files of papers stored in inaccessible and im- properly pretected locations in several of the new Government buildings. Such conditions are not permitted in properties subject to the control of the District authorities.” Those conversant with conditions over the Government establishment as a whole, however, recalled that the conditions of which the fire officials complain are not confined to new butldings, but are more or less gen- eral. The varied activities of the expand- ing Government have produced such & volume of paper work that, in many buildings, hallways have been con- verted into filing compartments, and papers are stacked ceiling-high on “This Week” “Robber Barons of the Sky” DANIEL P. MANNIX —Falconry was a major sport when knighthood was in flower and Mannix tells the colorful story of its revival in modern dress. Tamed, trained hawks are the hunting dogs of this ancient field sport. rough-board shelves. Papers Stacked In Building. In the old Pension Office, now hous- ing the headquarters of the General Accounting Office, the corridors gener- ally have been kept clear, but the huge center court is & mountainous stack of papers. The Civil Service Commission, handling hundreds of thousands of applications for work, long ago was forced to seek filing space in hallways. The new Post Office Building, which “The Frame-Up” ERLE STANLEY GARDNER . “Hollywood’s Big Secret” JIM TULLY ~From chorus boy to movie he- man, with a detour involving ele- These and other features and fiction will be found in shares quarters with Reclamation, Home Owners’ Loan and Communica- tions Commission, also has been hard pushed for room. Like conditions prevail elsewhere. Post Office records suffered but lit- PILOT REPORTED MISSING Caught in Snowstorm in Virginia |’ Farley Offices Damaged. Before Lauber’s inspection other in- vestigators were inclined to the belief a carelessly tossed cigarette had started the blaze, which broke out on the Twelfth street side of the sixth floor and spread into the seventh. ‘While the fire damage was confined to these two areas, water damage was far more widespread, even the huge reception room in Postmaster General Farley's suite on the third floor, one of the show places of the Govern- ment, being affected. Farley, how- ever, was at his desk as usual this morning. There also was water damage in the Interstate Commerce Commission Building, which adjoins the post office to the south. The blaze was discovered by a watchman just before mignight. The first firemen io arrive on the scene were met by a dense black cloud of smoke on the sixth floor, which repelled them from the filing room, & large area near the center of the build- ing on the Twelfth street side. The filing room contained no windows and the gas generated in the almost air- tight area overcame several of the first firemen on the scene. Nearby Volunteers Called. Every available gas mask was or- dered and the formidable nature of the fumes encountered 1esulted in suc- | cessive alarms at 12:02, 12:27, 1:20, 1:35 and a special alarm at 1:52 am. All fire apparatus in the District raced to the fire or shifted stations, and vol- unteer companies from surrounding communities were summoned to man some of the empty engine houses. Up to noon today, almost 40 fire- men had gone to Emergency Hos- pital to have their eyes treated after the fumes had strongly affected them, or to receive first aid after being overcome. At least a score of the firemen were admitted to the hospis tal, although none was believed se- riously affected. The hospital was so crowded with emergency cases that some of the firemen were placed on cots in the basement and others assigned, two and even three, to & room on the upper floors. Tons of Water. This afternoon firemen aided by | several hundred Federal janitors and laborers were sluicing and sweeping the water from several floors of the elaborate building. During the peak of the battle last night, water from at least 16 hose lines was being played on the burning files. The overflow ran into the cor- ridors and made twin cascades down the beautiful spiral staircases, which descend for eight floors on either side of the main entrance. The elaborate, high-paneled recep- tion room of Postmaster General Far- ley, located three floors below the fire-swept filing room, showed con# siderable damage. Some of the wal- nut paneling was cracking from water seepage and fine rugs and furnishings (See FIRE, Page 3. ESCAPES ON HOODOO DAY Driver in Auto Teeter-Totters Over 30-Foot Drop. CHICAGO, December 13 (#)— Moritz Mommsen, 45, held his breath today as his automobile hung peril- ously over a 30-foot drop at the end of a dead-end street. He carefully crawled out. Friday the 13th was his lucky day, he de= cided. His car crashed through the 3-foot concrete barrier just far enough to balance like a teeter-totter. He escaped with cuts and rib injrries. Changing World “Comics yside Women's Features ...B-16-17 :