Evening Star Newspaper, December 18, 1935, Page 2

HOOVER BATTLES: FOR VINDICATION Different Man Locks Horns With Roosevelt in New Campaign. BY DAVID LAWRENCE. There's a new Hoover on the polit- fcal battle front. Maybe- it's - the Hoover who wants vindication be- cause he believes he was unjustly maligned. Certainly it's not the old Hoover, the indecisive. hesitating, overcautious, unpolitical personality who struggled four years in the White House with the problems of a world- wide economic upheaval. But whatever be the purpose or motive, it is becoming apparent to everybody in the political arena that Herbert Hoover is going to be a factor to reckon with, a force to consider in | appraising the elements of the next‘ campaign, | Even if Mr. Hoover knows in his heart than he cannot be nominated— and he has intimated to friends that he really isn't seeking public office— he_gould hardly keep silent now as he tees. the New Deal going out of its| wéy o attack the things he did. President Roosevelt's ‘speech- at~At- lanta last month was bound toarotise the'ire of the former President. For one thing, Mr. Roosevelt was misled by his. advisers who furnish him | statistical data into claiming credit | for certain assets that were created undér the Hoover administration by the R. F. C. Naturally, Mr. Roose- velt’s misstatement of the facts about the public debt in this respect would stir Mr. Hoover to the bolling-point. Difficult to Prove. But, unfortunately, the remainder of Hoover's speech, as he fastens the blame for the bank holiday on public fear of the New Deal, is as intangible and- difficult to prove as Mr. Roose- velt’s exaggerated comment in his Atlanta address that the “mechanics of civilization” had stopped on March 3, 1933. Looking back to the fateful month of February, 1933, the public generally had Jittle knowledge of what the New Deal held in store. So far as a spend- ing policy was concerned, Mr. Roose- velt not only was committed to econ- omy, but it will be recalled that he did put through the economy act in the first few weeks of his term. »There was no hint either of uncon- | sfitutional action or usurpation of power, nor of the subsequent plunge into spending. *Mr. Hoover is on the right track | when he mentions the publicity given | th R. E. C. loans to banks as & cause of panic. This is something concrete. The whispering campaign that was gbing on in the Winter of 1933 about the condition of banks was the direct résult of the insistence of the Demo- crats in Congress on making knawn} every loan, large and smal. People | r#asoned that, if a bank needed R. F. ©. money, it must be in a weak condi- @lon—a hurdle that it has taken two & three years to overcome, because the truth was the R. F. C. rarely came the rescue of a bank that really uldn't be saved. | There may have been & few insiders who knew Mr. Roosevelt was not overly fond of the gold standard. In fact, & great many persons more or less in- fluential in the Roosevelt circle were | discussing possible departure from the | 1d standard. But it is not plausible | argue, as Mr. Hoover does, that the blic generally knew it or that this | used the run on the banks. | What’s What . Behind News ital In Capi . . Fight Over Convention Site Averted by Republicans. BY PAUL MALLON. T Washington meeting ce Congress adjourned was the Republican National Committee gathering. Some faces were old, some new, but the speeches were all old. Do not let that fool you. Lack of interest was due to the fact that the real meecting was held ahead of time with a wise disregard for publicity. The boys got together the night before. An incipient con- vention site contention between Chi- cago's Frank Knox and Kansas City's Alf Landon was amicably settled by | choosing everybody's Cleveland. The story is that Landon’s sup- porters decided mot to press the site point on such personal grounds, and pulled their punches. That ‘may or may not de true. The point is personalities were sub- dued in a situation involving such per- sonalities as Messrs. Hoover, Borah, Knox and Landon. Farm March Feared. The whispered reason why the big- wigs turned Kansas City down is that they were afraid of another farm march on the convention. There was a minor one there back in 1928. At that time, the radicals got together and annoyed Reed Smoot’s patform committee. The inner councils sus- pected that a repetition of the 1928 incident might be organized on a larger scale this time. At any ra it was a worry. Similarly, there was some fear that the Kelly-Nash administration in Chi- cago might put firecrackers in the seats of delegates, if the convention went there. These fears helped to make the Cleveland decision easy. Knox Linked to Vandenberg Plentiful Knox advisers at the pri- vate Republican gab-feast were ad- vising him two ways. They said he was making too many speeches; also that they were glad to have some one coming into their districts with pep talks. Much discussion centered around what that might mean when the bal- loting starts. The only satisfactory answer was that Senator Vandenberg's Mich~ igan delegation to the convention will be uninstructed, but will con- tain several Knoz delegates. Knox and Vandenberg are Ddoyhood chums.. If there is a political un- derstanding between them, inquisi~ tive moguls could not find it out. The Governor of Kansas will keep on being that. His men here laughed off the pressure put upon them to make him take a stand on every passs ing national issue of the day—bonus, the A. A. A, and other matters which may be settled elsewhere before the campaign starts. They seemed to # Detroit Bank Mystery. . “As for Detroit and the Mithigan srea, the story of what happened there | has never been fully told. There are | those Who insist that the Detroft banks | could have been saved by the R. F. C. 4f it had not been intimidated by ! political considerations and fears of what might happen if it repeated its experience with the Dayes bank in| Chicago, which it helped only to have its action bitterly criticized by political opponents. Also it is doubtful whether the De- oit banks that were closed could have ‘been regarded as being as sound then #s.they are today, with the recovery that has been made ifi the assets they hela. - $here is not much value now in a pogt-mortem discussion of the factors | that brought on the bank holiday. Mr. Hogver may well be convinced that | pudic confidence was low in 1933 be- cause administrations were changing. WHatever the reason, it is true the Mjchigan fire became a national con- flagration. It will always be debatable whether the bank holiday could have been prevented, and many persons who Wwere in the thick of it will contend it could have been averted, Hoover Fight Defensive. -But today the fact is that Mr. Hoover feels he has been bitterly criticized for things which were not his fault, and he proposes to defend his own administration from all such attacks, no matter what it may do to his own political fortunes, This will make the record of the Hoover regime a matter of debate, something the Roosevelt Democrats will not dislike at all. The latter would prefer, anyway, to have public psychology transferred from the mis- takes of the hour to the events of 1931, 1932 and 1933. But Mr. Hoover, humanly enough, will fight the battle for vindication, and while he may not convert all of the many who deserted him in 1932, he may help to hold intact the Re- publican vote that was cast for him. Anyway, the Republican strategists can hardly ignore the Hoover tactics, for these are likely to become more important as the campaign unfolds, especially after the nominations have been made. Mr. Hoover's words are stronger, they have more punch and ginger than ever before. His style has im- proved and he has adopted the Roose- vejtian idea of a bit of frony and satire as he slashes out at his opposi- tioh. It's a new Hoover, and histor- jans may well wonder what might have happened if the new Hoover had been active in 1931 and 1033, (Copyright. 1935.) :Christmas Seals Why I Buy Them—A State- ment to Public by Elwood Street. % ¢ Tuberculosis is a community disease. NG home is safe from tuberculosis un- til*all homes are safe because it is a unicable disease caused by a “that can be passed by the sick to‘the well. The Christmas Seals you buy will help.find the sick and pro- tect the well. ELWOOD STREET, {Director Board of Public Weltare. t detect that the heat on them came indirectly from the hands of Mr. Hoover and Senator Borah. S. E. C. Suspicions. Down extra deep on the inside here are some suspicions that the Securities and Exchange Commission has just about three particular cases of stock market ground-flooring in mind. You know the old pre-depres- sion ground-flooring methods. A few speculators take hold of a stock for themselves and let their friends in on the ground floor, then excuse themselves and let everyone else awaken in the basement. The commisson is supposed to be restraining itself to see what the Market Correction Committee will do about this trio of matters. Another unmentioned angle be- hind the tarnishing silver policy is this: When the war scare is over, the Treasury is going to have & problem of relationship values be- tween the dollar and the pound. The pound will certainly go up in relation to the dollar. Well—you wouldn’t support the silver market now, would you? Ultra-fashionables who have seen “The First Lady” in New York, say it is misnamed. The inside on that is, it is & story of Cissie and Alice, not Eleanor, and not especially good. Mrs. Knox is residing in the mild climate of Washington this year, rather than Asheville, so that the Colonel can fly down from Chicago each week end. No one at the Republican Na- tional Committee gathering found out who Charles Hilles was for, al- though every ome tried to. The doubt is supposed to lie, not in Mr. Hilles’ mind, but in his tongue. The New Berry Council of Labor Leaders and Business Men is being referred to by the hoi pollol as “The Berry Pickers.” The betting is 10 to 1 that the resuits will be more razz than straw. (Copyright. 1935.) RECIPROCITY LIST HAS NINE NATIONS COUNCIL CONVENES Demonstrators Fail to-Halt Inaugural—City Reported Bombed by Japanese. By the Assoclated Press. PEIPING, China, December 18.—A semi-autonomous political council for the broad North China provinces of Hopeh and Chahar went into opera- tion today, over the opposition of demonstrating anti-Japanese students. The inauguration of the council, set up amid agitation for North China separation from the Central Chinese government, was held at an early morning hour and with utmost secrecy, apparently as a precaution against fresh protests, As news of the council's inaugura- tion spread, however, hundreds of students gathered at the city gates, where police armed with bayonets pre- vented them from entering. Student masses also paraded in the other major North China city of Tientsin, shouting slogans and demon- strating against the autonomy move- ment. < A committde of students presented demands to the Tientsin mayoralty for suppression of the Peiping - Council. Their declaration, broadcast to crowds in the streets, asserted public patience was exhausted by Japanese “aggres- sion” and urged merchants and workers to co-operate with the students in a nation-wide general strike. Gen. Sung Chen-Yuan, chairman of the council, which was accorded partial political independence from the Nanking government, announced the principles of the new North China regime called for promotion of friend- ly relations with neighboring coun- tries (Manchukuo and Japan). He asserted also that official ap- pointments would follow the will of ‘the North China people, and that officials themselves would share the “hardships of the people.” . Michigan (Continued From First Page.) also made a Republican campaign against the Roosevelt New Deal. He devoted a great part of his speeches to attacks on the New Deal. The Republican leaders do not at- tempt to minimize the growth of sen- timent for the Townsend plan in Michigan and elsewhere. It is an is- | sue which must be met sooner or later, | they say. Senator Vandenberg of | Michigan is one of those who believe | that it should be met immediately by | those who do not believe in the plan, and he issued a statement on the eve | of the election in the third Michigan | district flatly condemning the Town- serd plan. What would have happened had Cavanaugh, the Democrat, espoused the Townsend plan and Main opposed it is & moot question. But the Repub- licans insist that Main would have won under those circumstances, though perhaps by a very much narrower mar- gin. The Townsendites are well or- ganized and they centered a great deal of attention on the Michigan congres- sional election yesterday. Their entry into - congressional campaign is |reminiscent of the entry of the Anti-Saloon. League into past con- gressional campaigns, And it is contended that the Townsendites are gathering many of the old Anti- Saloon League workers into their fold | and putting them on their pay roll. The victory of Main, who won the Republican nomination as a supporter of the Townsend plan, outdistancing all four of his combined opponents, is significant again of the power of an organized minority in congressional primaries. Vandenberg Denies Candidacy. Senator Vandenberg, widely men- ltioned as a Republican presidential possibility, although he maintains that he is not a candidate for the office, said today: .“No one will ever be able to say precisely what yesterday’s out- come means. It would be necessary to probe the mind of each individual voter, Some Democratic Townsendites undoubtedly voted for the Republican because they deemed the Townsend issue paramount. Some Republican anti-Townsendites undoubtedly voted for the Democrat because, they too, deem the Townsend issue paramount. But I believe that a still larger group of Republican anti-Townsendites sup- ported Mr. Main because they would rather be misrepresented at the moment on the Townsend plan, which cannot possibly come to conclusive issue in the next session of Congress, than to be misrepresented at the moment on the various Roosevelt issues which must and will come to an issue in the next session of Con- gress. In other words they declined to be delivered to Dr. Tugwell today simply because they are opposed to Dr. Townsend tomorrow. “This does not minimize the fact,” continued Senator Vandenberg, “that the Townsend plan has a tremendous following in Michigan and elsewhere. The time is coming—if it is not al- ready here—when this issue must be separated from others and met on its own merits or lack of them. Favors Effective Pension. “My own position is clear. I believe in adequate and effective old-age pensions. 1 do not believe that the social security act will suffice in this particular respect. But I am sure the Townsend plan would prove & tragic disillusionment, neither feasible nor constitutional. “I believe a universal transactions tax would pyramid itself on practically every commodity until the cost of liv- ing would become unbearable. This would first destroy that vast majority of people who would pay for the ‘Townsend plan without participating in its promised benefits. Ul I believe it would destroy the promised beneficiaries themselves. Meanwhile, it would drive all production into self- contained trusts and combines to es- cape serial transactions taxes and, pending this alternative, it would drive American production costs so high that new and unbelievable tariffs would be necessary to prevent:com- plete delivery of the domestic market to f imports, . ¢ “It would not create power. It would at most merely purchasing ‘power off 92 per cent for the direct benefit of 8 per cent of our people. In my view it is an economic 1S TOWNSENDITE Main, However, Says'He Is Republican and Noth- ing More. BACKGROT™~ A Califo “ctor, behind whom stood a pro. * on genius, proposed that the United States Government pay all citizens” older than 59 a monthly pension of $200 on condi- tion they engage in mo further labor, spend within United States entire pension within 30 days of receipt. Last year a California poet in Congress introduced bill embrac- ing’ features of plan. It jailed of passage. 5 Eew weeks ago Michigan lawyer sought G. O. P. congressional nomi- nation, espoused poet’s bill. Party victory was followed yesterday with election triumph. The doctor was Townsend, the promoter, Clements; the poet-Con- gressmen, McGroarty; the Miche igan lawyer, Main. By the Assoctated Press. BATTLE CREEK, Mich, December 18—Verner W. Main, Battle Creek attorney and stanch advocate of the Townsend old-age pension plan, be- came Michigan's third district Repre- sentative in Congress today, after win- ning a special election as decisively as he carried off the nomination in & Republican primary. Despite Main's assertion of Repub- lican party regularity, leaders of Dr. F. E. Townsend's organization hailed his election as “the people’s expres- sion” in the first test ef the plan as a political issue east of the Mis- sissippl. Main, a “dark horse” winner in the | primary, defeated his Democratic op- ponent, Howard W. Cavanagh, in the election Tuesday by a 2-to-1 majority. E. G. Kiefer, a Farmer-Laborite, polled only 397 votes. Main's vote was 24,686 and Cavanagh's 11,342, Plan Strongly Opposed. Cavanagh, forcing the issue of Main's Townsend plan advocacy, sought to swing “regular” Republican votes to his cause, as he opposed the plan strongly. Republican leaders, however, swung to the support of Main to hold the district, Republican for more than 30 years, by urging his election as the party candidate, who would up- hold the party’s national policy. Main, | in a pre-election statement, declared he was “the Republican candidate.” Main estimated today that 10,000 of his 24,000 votes came from advo- cates of the Townsend plan. This led | election officials to say that the vote | might have established an all-time low had it not been for the work of | the Townsend clubs. Asked whether he would run as a Townsendite or a Republican in 1936, | Main replied: “I am not willing to say. I am a | Republican and that's all there is to it right now.” Pre-election predictions by leaders in both major parties that a. victory for Main would bring into every Michigan congressional campaign in 1936 a candidate whose principal plank is the Townsend plan were being repeated widely today in political circles, Floyd R. Moody, district manager of the Townsend organization, and active in the campaign, said, “1 be- lieve it is the people’s expression on the Townsend plan in no un- certain terms.” Edward J. ordinator, said in San Francisco the "elecnon of Main “is just a fore- runner of what's going to happen nationally.” Expected by Townsend. Dr. Townsend, at Rochester, Minn,, said the result was “exactly what I expected.” The founder of the pen- sion plon assisted Main in his primary campaign, speaking throughout the distric’ to urge .his election’ as & Townsend plan advocate. On the other hand, party leaders declared Main's election bore out the history of the district, strongly Republican. Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg, Republican, of Michigan indorsed Main’s candidacy on the basis of opposition to the New Deal, but attackec sharply the Townsend plan. Main, 49 years old, is a native of Ohio. He obtained his law degree at the University of Michigan, and has been a practicing attorney here 21 years. Recognized as a staunch pro- hibition advocate, he has taken an active interest in civic affairs, but his first campaign for & political office came with announcement of his candidacy for Congress. RELIEF WINS IN OKLAHOMA. OKLAHOMA CITY, December 18 (#).—The Oklahoma electorate—none too enthusiastically—handed a $2,- 500,000 Christmas gift to the needy today. Incompete and unofficial returns from yesterday’s special election on the appropriation for direct relief for the next 19 months showed 50,754 favor- able votes and 31,796 against, EDWARD T. CLARK RITES HELD TODAY Secretary to Coolidge to Be Buried Tomorrow at North- ampton. Fuperal services for Edward T. Clark, former White House secretary, who died suddenly Monday, were held this afternoon at the residence, 4706 Seventeenth street, with Rev. Al- len A. Stockdale, Dl-w of the First Congregational Church, officiating. Burial will be at Northampton, Mass., tomorrow morning, with Ma- sonic rites at the gfave. "' Mr: Clark was personal secretary to the ‘late President and had been active in political life for a quar- ter. of & ‘century. 1In 'recent years he has béen the Washington representa- tive of the United Drug Co. of Boston: Men prominent in. business ‘and civic sffairs: of Washington ‘and bearers. They ) Margett, regional co- { K. Liggett, Boston; Frank W. ) Boston; Col. William J. Donovan, New York; Eugene Meyer, Washington; Henry Herrick Bond, Boston; Ben- jamin P. Felt, Boston; Charles B. Rugg, Boston; Judge Thomas J. Ham- mond, Northampton; Col. J. W. Flan agan, Toronto, Canada, and Col. J. 'W. McIntosh, Warrenton, Va. pallbearers today were Rob- Upper: Mrs. Elizabeth Sullivan, representing the Progressive Cit- izens’ Association of Georgetown, is shown discussing transportation problems with John H. Hanna, president of the Capital Transit Co., at today's hearing on street car and bus service. She charged the company with failure to syn- chronize arrival of cars and busses at transfer points. Right: Milo H. Brinkley, Georgetown Citizens' Association, who recommended rerouting of the Burleith-Trinidad busses. He de- clared he once had to put his head out a bus window to escape fumes from the motor.—Star Stafl Photo. Transit (Continued From First Page) only to complaints?” demanded John H. Hanna, president of the transit company, who was seated near Phil- lips. “Are witnesses to be barred from speaking faverably of our service?” “Unfair,” Shouts Roberts. Roberts leaped to his feet. “That statement is most unfair.” he shouted. “Twice now I have permitted witnesses to testify out of turn in behalf of the company.” Mrs. Elizabeth Sullivan, representing the Progressive Citizens' Association of Georgetown, started the second day's procession of civic leaders, com- plaining about failure of the company to synchronize the time of arrival of busses and cars at transfer points. She also cited instances where con- ductors failed to have transfers or tokens. Rerouting of the Burleith-Trinidad busses down Nineteenth street from Dupont Circle was urged by Milo H. Brinkley of the Georgetown Citizens' Association. He also listed a series of complaints about rail and bus service. Opposes Pass System. First, he said, overloading of both cars and busses is due to the pass system, and suggested a uniform fare might remedy the situation. Next, be | | declared, odors from the exhaust pipes on some of the old busses seeped through the floor boards, and referred | to one instance when he was forced to put his head out of a window to get a breath of fresh air. Brinkley also said some of the tran- sit company employes are discourteous, especially conductors on the street cars. A moment later, however, he declared some of the bus drivers are too affable and talk to passengers without looking where they are driving. Brinkley's final criticism concerned the narrow aisles in some of the busses. 1In this connection he said: “We have different kinds of people in our section. It's not a homogeneous group, like Chevy Chase. The people don't like to rub against one another. Some are rough and rowdy, and don't care how they bump into people who vant to keep their clothes in condi- tion.” 150 Criticize Service. The parade of 150 civic representa- tives bearing specific complaints against street’ car and bus service started late yesterday after the com- mission’s chief engineer, Fred A. Sager, completed his testimony. It probably will continue throughout the week. A. J. Driscoll, president of the Mid- City Citizens’ Association, opened the barrage. He aimed his criticism par- ticularly at the service on the new Chevy Chase bus line. He also de- clared that business interests on Sev- enth street are losing the trade of some residents in the Connecticut ave- nue section because none of the Chevy Chase busses are routed through the Seventh street shopping district. Partly to remedy the situation, he sug- gested a bus line on Ninth street when the present rail line there is aban- doned. The most serious complaints came from Harry S. Wender, representing the Southwest Citizens’ Association, who leveled a serles of charges against Capital Transit service. Briefly, he declared transportation facilities in that section are “indiscribably poor” and that the Bouthwest is discrimi- nated against in transit equipment. He said none of the new streamlined bzusses is operating in that section. “The people of Washington are en- titled to a fair deal in to get it with a merger. But condi- tions are getting worse. If something isn’t done by the commission people will have to take the problem to other agencles.” g g § ¥ ¥ i i : % i § it f % g g it THIGH COURT HEARS (T0DD POISON QUIZ DEMOCRATS OPEN QUICK SKIRMISH | Spokesmen Continue to De- ride Hoover—G. 0. P. Ponders Funds. By the Associated Press. Democratic leaders thrust out today | in a counter-attack against prelimi- | nary skirmishes 6f Republicans; ‘who séek a quick start in the 4936 cam- paign to unseat the New Deal. The- fire of the administration’s| spokesmen was concentrated on former President Hoover, while the Republi- cans, off to & running start, planned to | talk over campaign money matters in New York today. . Senator Guffey of Pennsylvania, the | | Democratic Senatorial © Campaign Committee chairman, talked of Mr. Hoover's St. Louls speech and de-! clared: “If the ex-President really believes his own philosophy, I wish he would tell us why the American people almost unanimously pitched him out of office.” Fletcher Voices Optimism. Republican Chairman Henry P. Fletcher, however, declared the na- tional political situation “is very favorable.” He expressed satisfaction with the party’s meeting, which set June 9 as the date of the Cleveland convention, and planned a talk to- day in New York with William B. Bell, new Finance Committee head. “If funds are available for the pur- pose,” the chairman said, “we will start right in with an educational and organization campaign.” President Roosevelt remained aloof from the open declarations regarding the Hoover speech attacking the New Deal. He did, however, tell a re- porter to look up the record, when asked to comment on the Hoover charge that the President made a $2,500,000,000 error in estimating pub- lic debt commitments. Farley Confident. Postmaster General Farley, in his capacity as Democrati¢’ chairman, was more outspoken. 2 Answering a Republfcan resolution which sought aid from anti-New Deal Democrats, Farley declared “millions of Republicans voted for Roosevelt in 1932." He said “Just as many” will do so in 1936. In a radio address Farley asserted the President's re-election was as~ sured no matter who the Republican nominee is. He sald he did not envy the Republicans their task “of com- posing the abysmal differences of the fragments of that party.” Other political developments yester- day included: 1. Republican predictions that the G. O. P. would again break the “Solid South” in 1936, countered by Demo- cratic forecasts that President Roose- v;let would not lose a single State there. South’s Split Denied. 2. A Democratic assertion that “Jef- fersonian constitutional” Democrats below the Mason-Dixon line would vote for Roosevelt and not ‘join hands with the Republicans as suggested Monday in a formal resolution ap- proved by the G. O. P. National Com- mittee. : 3. A radio speech by Representative McLeod, Republican, of Michigan, who declared President Roosevelt's admin- people will not be & party to the vote- program of the New Deal.” AT I 3 LAWS DEBATED Swelling Tide of New Deal Litigation Reaches New High. By the Assoclated Press. . ‘The swelling tide of New Deal liti- gation in the Supreme Court reached a new high yesterday as that tri- 1, Heard concluding arguments in the attack by eight Louisiana rice millers on validity of A. A. A. amend- ments passed last August. 2. Recelved a request to review the constitutionality of the securities act of 1933. 3. Turned its attention to the suit brought by the Alabama Power Co. to test the legality of President Roose- velt’s “yardstick policy,” as embodied in T. V. A. The A. A. A. amendments, through which Congress tried to ratify actions of the Secretary of Agriculture to meet objections raised in the N. R. A. decision, were submitted to the nine| justices after a final pela for their constitutional justification. Prank J. Wideman, Assistant Attor- ney General, told the court A. A. A. was a “legislative enactment within the Constitution, based on the use of revenue and co-operation to bring about a Nation-wide economic bal- ance.” Injunction Is Urged. He spoke for an hour after John P. Bullington, counsel for the rice millers, had urged again that an injunction be granted to restrain the Government from collecting processing taxes until validity of the act has been deter- mined. After Bullington had asserted an injunction to prevent collection of the taxes was necessary because’“the Gov- ernment can withdraw its consent to be sued,” Chief Justice Hughes told him the court must assume Congress would pay any judgment obtained against the collector of internal rev- enue. “Otherwise,” said the Chief Justice, “government breaks down.” Widemar: defended the provision of the amendments requiring processors to show they had not passed the taxes ducers before being allowed to sue for recovery. Homer L. Bruce, also appearing for the rice millers, said farmers, under the A. A. A, had to accept Govern- ment contracts to control production in return for benefit payments. “The farmer who is in gets a bonus,” inquired Justice Sutherland, “and the one who is out does not?” “That's right,” Bruce replied. The A. A. A. and its amendments are generally regarded as the most vital of the New Deal measures up for review. It is believed an unfavorable decision would make controlled pro- duction the leading political issue in 1936 and might result in new taxes to pay the benefits that have been swell- ing the farmer's pocketbook. The attack by Hoosac Mills cn the orig! the Bankhead cotton control act al- ready are under consideration by the court and may be decided early next month. J. Edward Jones, New York securi- ties dealer, rubmitted the request for review of the new securities law. The court probably will grant or refuse his request January € or 13. “Unlimited Powers” Seen. Through his attorneys, Jemes M. Beck and Bainbridge Colby, Jones called the law “an attempt to invest in the National Government new and virtually unlimited powers of regula- tion over the minutest detdils of the business and affairs of men who iseue, purchase and sell securitie: He said the law violated States’ rights and delegated power unconsti- tutionally to & Government board. The jomn in the request for a review in the belief the law will be upheld. the Securities and Exchange Commis- sion a plan for a $100,000 issue of se- curities. After the commission had questioned the truth and fullness of information in the application, sought to withdraw the plan, but the commission fought this attempt. in lower courts, which ruled against Jones. - The Alabama Power Co. told the Supreme Court in a brief filed yes- terday that its “existence and busi- | ness in its entirety” were threatened | by the Government's Tennesssee Val- ley activities. Earlier the city of Florence, Ala, contended it had a right to construct supplied by T. V. A. Their briefs were presented as a the high tribunal on validity of leg- islation intended to establish “a yard- stick” to measure the proper cost of power, Irvin S. Cobb Says: Newspapers Must Print What Public Wants CULVER CITY, Calif, December 18—Beautiful actress mysteriously dead. Craged worker turns peaceful street into a shambles. Mother of [ deaths” on help- less patients. on to the consumers or balk to pro-| A.A. A, the amendments and | Governmeni, it was indicated, may | Several months ago Jones filed with he | There followed a series of legal moves | & municipal systém to use electricity | prelude to argument tomorrow before | ASKED BY JURY Foreman Seeks Thorough Probe of Actress’ Death. Threats Recalled, BULLETIN, LOS ANGELES, December 18 (P).—May Whitehead, Negro maid of Thelma Todd, at the inquest today disputed the story told police by Roland West, cafe partner of the film actress, that he “locked her out” of her seaside apartment. 'The maid told Coroner Frank Nance that before Miss Todd left Saturday evening for a Hollywood restaurant party she gave her a key to the side door of the apart- ment. West had previously told detectives that he waited up for Miss Todd until about 2 a.m. Sun- day and then retired, having “locked her out.” | By the Assoctated Press. | LOS ANGELES, December 18— George Rochester, foreman of the county grand jury, demanded today ‘lhn an analysis be made of Thelma | Todd's stomach to determine if poi- |son wag present, % | Rochester's request came as Coroner | Frank Nance opened an inguest into the death of the blond movie actress, which an autopsy indicated was caused by breathing automobile exhaust fumes, Rochester seid the grand fury would “leave no stone unturned”’ to fix the cause of death. . Atmosphere Tense. The eleventh-hour statement of Miss Todd's chauffeur that she feared gangsters created a tense atmosphere for the opening of the inquest. The coroner's office was crowded Ernest O. Peters, who often acted as | Miss Todd's chauffeur, told police that | when he drove her from a gay Holl | wood restaurant party to her seaside | cafe early Sunday morning, she urged ‘hlm to speed the car, because, she said, she feared she might be slain or | kidnaped by gangsters. Miss Todd was found dead Mondav morning in the front seat of her auto- mobile in a garage she shared with Roland West, her cafe partner and a film producer. Monoxide Blamed. ‘The autopsy fixed the cause of death as carbon monoxide poisoning. Police investigated theories of homicide or suicide, but held strongly to the belief the death was accidental. | Among the witnesses waiting in the coroner’s officer were Sid Grauman theater impresario and one of the guests at the Saturday night party Miss Todd attended: West and May Whitehead, Miss Todd's colored maid, who found the body. Some time between 4 am. and 4 | pm. Sunday, after Peters returned t- his Hollywood auto livery stand, th: glamorous comedienne died in her luxurious town car in a garage a few hundred yards up a steep roadway from her apartment. West told po- lice he had “locked out” Miss Todd. Alcohol May Be Factor. A preliminary report by Dr. A. F. | Wagner, county autopsy surgeon, dis- | closed the actress’ blood had 75 per cent saturation by carbon monoxide, {and her brain 0.13 per cent satura- tion by alcohol. | “Indications were found that there had been sufficient alcohol to stupefy her,” Dr. Wagner said. . “Increased h action caused by the alcohol would have pumped the monoxide poisoning through her blood in a few minutes.” | He said her heart had no organic condition which might have caused | death. | Miss Todd was dressed in a scintil- | lating gown of sequins and & mink {rap when her body was found. A small fortune in diamonds, her gloves and purse were undisturbed. Lips Bruised. Blood had trickled from her nose. | Her lips were bruised and a dental fllling was dislodged in her mouth. ‘The ignition key was turned on, the car battery run down, and the motor” silent. Only two and one-half gallons of gasoline remained in the 20-gallon tank. Tiff With West Suspected. Police Capt. Bert Wallis said it was his opinion “that Miss Todd and West had a tiff Saturday night when she left for the party at the home of Stan- ley Lupino, English comedian, and his wife. “I believe he told her to be home at 2 o'clock or he would lock her out,” Wallis said. He added that a “major-question” was Miss Todd's reason for going tc | the garage. ‘West, officers said, explained he lay awake until 4 am, finally going tc sleep after he heard water running in the ladies’ lounge of the cafe, which he took to mean that Miss Todd was retiring there. He said he didn’t wake up until 10 am, officers related, and when he failed to see Miss Todd during the day he assumed she had gone to the home of friends. The actress’ mother arranged private funeral services to be held in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, Cali., at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow. (Picture on Page A-5.) | @aw s s it Water couriers in India keep their messages “under their hats SHOPPING DAYS TO (CHRISTMAS \ODAY we are soused to “bullet® trains, 300-mile-an-hour airplanes and 75,000-ton express liners that it is difficult to realize that primitive means of communication still prevail in out-of-the-way corners of the earth. Eskimo kayaks, Malay proas, Chinese junks, dug-outs, catamarans and run- ners must still be used to carry letters to the farthest outposts of civilization, Here is shown a catamaran messenger in India carrying mail in his turban. He has no other place to conceal it. # ‘