Evening Star Newspaper, January 3, 1937, Page 1

MELLON GIVE S[STAY-IN STRIERS PRICELESS ART, (ERED T0-QUIT BUILDING TO U. S.|FISHER FACTORES : ¢ Offer to President Made in Letters Now Public. STRUCTURE COST OVER $8,000,000 Site on Mall Specified for National Exhibit of Finest Works. Andrew W. Mellon, former Sec- retary of the Treasury, has ten- dered to the Nation through President Roosevelt, and the Executive will recommend ac- certnnce. the priceless Mellon art collection —ranked among the world’s finest—together with a rojected $8,000,600-t0-$9,000,000 “National Gallery of Art” on the Mall in which to house it. The gift, destined to make ‘Washington one of the principal art capitals of the world, was disclosed last night when the President made public a series of four letters exchanged between Mellon and himself since De- cember 22. At_the same time, Mellon disclcsed here a number of recent acquisitions that add immeasurably to the import- ance of his remarkable collection of ©Old World masters. In addition to the notable assortment of Raphaels, Rem- brandts, Rubens and masterpieces of other great painters, he has secured within recent weeks the famed Drey- fuss collection of Italian Renaissance ANDREW W. MELLON. LOW-PAD GROLFS N UL S. SERVE GET SENHTORS AD sculptures in Paris. He also bought recently the Clarke collection of his- torical American portraits. Actual Work Indefinite. Art connoisseurs and Mellon bim- self are reluctant to place a monetary value on the entire collection, but it is known that five of the Hermitage col- lection paintings which Mellon pur- chased in Russia in 1930 him $3,- 241,250—ccnsidered by experts a bar- gain price. This became known when Mellon sought to obtain tax reductions for the amount paid for these paint- ings. The collection, prior to the recent acquisitions, has been roughly esti- mated as worth from §50.000,000 to $100,000,000. The works are held by the Mellon Educational and Charitable ‘Trust, organized by the Pittsburgh mil- lionaire to take custody of the collec- tion pending acceptance by the Gov- ernment. A letter containing the formal offer and outlining condtions under which the gift was made was presented per- sonally to President Roosevelt by the former cabinet officer last Thursday. It stipulated. 1. That the gallery should not bear | Mellon’s name, bui should be called the National Gallery of Art or some similar name identifying it as a Fed- | eral institution. | 2. That it should be erected from designs being dqywn by John Russell Pope, noted New ¥ork museum archi- | tect, subject to approval of the Fine Arts Commission, the cost to be borne by Mellon. Location Specified. 8. That the building should be eonstructed on the south side of Con- stitution avenue, between Seventh and Fourth streets, on a site that should extend from Seventh street to Third street and from Constitution avenue to Independence avenue. 4. That the regents of the Smith- sonian Institution be authorized to take over the building and its coilec- tion on completion of the project. 5. That Congress provide funds an- nually for the upkeep of the gallery and for other administrative expenses —except salaries of a director and his immediate official staff, who will bej paid from a Mellon endowment fund. 6. That a self-perpetuating board of nine trustees be created—five to be named by Mellon with approval of the Smithsonian Institution and the others to be ex-officio officers—to manage the gallery. 7. That the board of trustees be PR o G108 ISEAbecy 198 (See MELLON, Page A-3.) - U. S. EMPLOYE DIES OF MONOXIDE GAS Body of James W. Higgins, Jr., Found in Garage—Note in Car, Police Say. James W. Higgius, jr, 42, Internal Revenue Bureau employe, was found dead of carbon monoxide poisening late last night in the garage at his home, 537 Quintana place. Higgins' body was slumped on the front seat of his car when it was dis- covered by a maid, Nettie Watson. The doors to the garage were closed and the engine of the car was runaing, Jpolice said. ] The Pire Rescue Squad made a|" Robinson and Bulow Favor Upward Revision in Lower Brackets. BY J. A. O’'LEARY. Two more Senators — Majority Leader Robinson of Arkansas and! | Chairman Bulow of the Civil Service | | Committee—expressed themselves yes- terday in sympathy with the proposal | to have the Seventy-fifth Congress, which convenes Tuesday, consider an upward revision of salaries in the | lower brackets of the Government service. Asked to comment on the sugges- tion advanced recehtly’ by other Sen- ators that Federal workers in the lowest salary schedules be increased, Senator Robinson said he would be “disposed to favor it.” Senator Bulow also made known that he would be inclined to support the proposition. Meanwhile, Senator McCarran, Democrat of Nevada, who is-taking a leading Part in having the subject brought to the attention of the new Congress, said yesterday he is still awaiting data he is having collected before drafting the details of the bill. He emphasized that he, too, has in | mind the lower brackets and not a! general pay increase throughout the service. Several Topics Taking Shape. ‘This is only one of several topics| affecting Federal personnel that are taking shape for consideration during the session about to get under way. Others include: Proposed extension of the eivil service system to large groups of | Government positions now outside that law; liberalization of the age limits for optional retirement after 30 years of service; that provision should be made, from the standpoint of retirement, for the many non- civil service employes, who, it has been found, are not covered either by the Government retirement plan or the social security law, and the ques- tion of what compensation should be made, either through additionial leave, or otherwise, for overtime work per- formed in Government departments. Congress will receive a report some- time this month from the Civil Service Commission showing the amount of overtime required during the last six months. This report was ordered by the last Congress to give the House and Senate an indivation of the ex- tent to which overtime occurs. Plans for Hearings. Definite plans for Civil Service Com- mittee hearings on these various sub- Jects will not be made until the ses- sion gets under way and the organiza- tion preliminaries are disposed of. In fact, introduction of bills is not likely to start in the Senate before Thursday. One of the first tasks fac- ing the leaders is to reapportion the ratio of party membership on com- mittees, and then work out the com- mittee assignments of new Senators, Police Carry Court Order to 400 Occupying Plants at Flint—Immediate Action on Injunction Deferred. 30,000 WORKERS IDLE; 135,000 FACE LAY-OFF Union Officials Complete Plans for Meeting Today of Representa- tives from ‘10 Cities—Will Con- sider Bargaining Contract as Basis for Negotiations. BACKGROUND— Occupational strike method, widely used for first time last Summer in European labor dis- putes, particularly in France, after advent of Popular Fronmt governe ment. Practice quickly adopted by American labor, first major strike of this kind occurring last No- vember at the Bendiz plant in South Bend, Ind. Present wave of stay-in strikes which have hit automobile in- dustry began November 1§ when the Fisher body plant ct Atlanta was closed. Movement spread, be- coming aggravated during past week to the point where 30,000 automobile workers are idle. Automobile industry opens year curtailed when leaders were ez- pecting a 5,000,000-unit year. Br the Associsted Press. DETROIT, January 2.—Strikers in two Fisher body plants of the General Motors Corp. at Flint were ordered to vacate the plants in an injunction signed today by Circuit Judge Edward D. Black. Sheriff’s officers said that while 7,500 employes of the two plants were affected by the suspension of | work, there were only about 200 “stay in” strikers in each building. Action on the injunction at Flint was deferred and a force of 175 officers who had been heid in readiness to eject the strikers was demobilized. Strike leaders tonight dispatched a telegram to Washington urging Sena- tor Robert M. Lafollette to “send ob- servers % Flint at once.” . The men ceased work in both plants Iast Wednesday as part of the drive of the United Automobile Workers of the General Motors Corp. and was directed against the United Automobile ‘Workers and more than a dozen union executives. It restrains the union members from picketing, interfering with any persons desiring to enter or leave the plants or from interfer- ing with the delivery of merchandise to and from the buildings, or from injuring property or intimidating workers, Flint Police Sent to Plants. Flint police immediately were sent to the plants to serve the order upon the strikers. Leaders of the giant motor car industry, at the start of what they expect to be a 5,000,000 unit produc- tion year, looked tonight to the end of & three-day holiday on Monday to determine whether additional plants are to be closed. Strikes called by the United Auto- mobile Workers of America have closed seven General Motors Corp. plants, most of them Misher body division units. Five other General Motors plants, among them Buick and Chev- rolet, have been forced to close or shut down assembly lines as a result. More than 30,000 General Motors (See STRIKES, Page A-8) REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT IS WED IN MONTANA Jerry O’Connell, 27, Says He and Bride Will Fly to Capital Tuesday. By the Associated Pross. GREAT FALLS, Mont., January 2. —Jerry J. O’Connell, 27, Representa~ tive-elect, and Miss Mazie Richardson, 22, of Great Falls, were married here tonight. O'Connell, & Democrat, said he and his bride would fiy to Washington before committee work can be begun on bills. With all indications pointing to a session of about six months® however, there will be ample time for consideration of the various subjects likely to be brought to the attention ‘Tuesday. Philippines Begin Army. * MANILA, January 32 (#).—The Philippine Commonwealth ,tomorrow will begin training zo,ooo_mna men, For Saving Pennies to Buy Suit ton) in the hope that you or some- body else on the with pen may £ i i b K g f ! i 5§ eFD § gé ; 68 0 iz #= i fit it §E Y : : ! i : ; : ? f 2 E EE o ; i 31 ifs s I WAGE-HOUR BILLS EXPECTED 0 TOP CONGRESS AGEND Robinson Favors Amend- ment to Constitution as Best Solution. BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. ‘The third New Deal Congress—the Seventy-fifth Congress, in the old phraseclogy—assembles at noon Tues- day. As & New Deal Congress it is bigger than ever—owing to the sweeping | Roosevelt victory in the recent election | —and it may be expected to tackle the job of consolidating and making per- manent New Deal legislation and ob- | Jectives. outline of the legisiative program as contained in the President’s message, which will be delivered by Mr. Roose- velt personally to & joint session on during the campaign, and more re- cently at a press conference last week, that something “must be done” toward shorter hours and higher pay for labor, abolition of sweatshops and child labor, legislation dealing with such subjects is expected to take a prominent place on the program. As yet, however, the President has refrained from suggest- ing publicly how to reach such objec- tives within the limitations of the Constitution as interpreted by the Su- preme Court. Robinson Favors Amendment. In his first conference with the press yesterday since returning to the Capital for the new session, Senator Robinson of Arkansas, Senate leader, declared his support of a constitutional amend- . ment which would give to the Federal Government or to the States power to pass laws fixing maximum hours of labor and minimum wages. He said he felt this was the most direct and effective way of dealing with the sub- ject, thus taking the view that has been held, with others, by Senator Ashurst of Arizona, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “I expect the session will continue until some time in June,” Senator Robinson said. “There will be little legislation of & general character until after the inauguration. That does not mean Senators will be idle. In the first place, we have a task in regard to organization that is a little different from previous cases in my memory. | Due to the increase in membership on our side. it will be necessary to rea] the membership on com- mittees. Ihave been in comimunication with Senator McNary, and it will be worked out with reasonable prompt- ness and without difficulty.” Robinson said he understood Senator Lundeen, newly-elected Farmer-Labor- ite from Minnesota, has expressed a desire to be assigned on the Democratic side of committee, and that probably will be done, he said. He said it is expected that Senator La Follette, " (See CONGRESS, Page A6) YOUNG FILM ACTOR FOUND SHOT DEAD | Ross Alexander Suicide, Wife Be- lieves—Pistol Beside Congress and the country await the |- Invitation List For Inaugural Includes Hoover Survivors of Wilson Cabinet Also Are Sent Bids. Former President Herbert Hoover and Mrs. Hoover and the living widows of all other former Chief Executives are being invited to attend the inau- guration ceremonies for President Roosevelt January 20 as distinguished guests of honor, rear Admiral Cary T. QGrayson, Inaugural Committee head, announced yesterday. Among others invited as special guests will be the members of the Woodrow Wilson cabinet who are | still alive. The widows of former Presidents |to whom invitations are being sent are Mrs. Benjamin Harrison, Mrs. Thomas J. Preston, jr. widow of Grover Cleveland; Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt, Mrs. William Howard Taft, MARINE OFFICER AND MOTHER SLAIN Murder and Suicide Seen by Police in Deaths by Stabbing. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, January 2.—Maj. Peter C. Geyer, 46, of the United States Marines, and his 80-year-old mother, Eliza Geyer, were found in Mrs. Geyer's apartment today, both stabbed to death with a bread knife. Police said Geyer had killed his mother and then committed suicide by stabbing himself in the stomach. r was said to be attached to the Baltimore recruiting station. ‘Their bodies were found by Mrs. Mary Gellin, a friend of Mrs. Geyer, and the superintendent of the build- ing, Lionel Mapp, after Mrs. Gellin failed to get a response to her knock- ing on the apartment door. The exact time of the killing was. unknown. Geyer's body, partly dressed, lay on the living room floor, the knife imbedded in his stomach. Mrs. Geyer’s body, dressed in a night gown, was on a bed. She had been stabbed in the abdomen. Lieut. of Detectives Charles Flood said he found an unsigned note in the room, addressed to “Whom it may concern.” The note said: “In case anything happens to me, I want no church service—no under- taker. I want a cheap coffin, and I want no flowers, no undue car- riages or automobiles. I want to be buried in a nearby cemetery. I will be looking down upon you and see the 1and of the living and watch what you are doing. Even in hell the old stoker will let you look out.” Later police said the note was in the handwriting of Geyer’s father, Peter C. Geyer, sr, a retired naval officer, who is ill in a New York hos- pital. They said he apparently in- tended it to be forwarded to his son. ILL BEFORE DEPARTURE. Marine Officer Served in For- eign Countries. BALTIMORE, January 2 (Special). —Maj. Peter C. Geyer, jr., who had been in charge of the Baltimore Ma- rine Recruiting Station since last October 31, left his sick bed to go to New York on Christmas eve, when he received word that his father was se- (See MARINE, Page A-8.) FREIGHTER TOWED IN Ship Disabled New Year Day Brought to S8hallow Water. NEW BEDFORD, January 2 (P)— Her decks awash from her mainmast aft, the Lykes Line freighter Lafcomo was towed by a tugboat and the Coast cutter Faunce from Dead EFFORT T0' REACH KIDNAPER WITH AD Supposed “Contact” Mes- sage Again Is Placed in Seattle Paper. BACKGROUND— Last Sunday nmight a masked, bearded man leaped through French doors-ef living room at Dr. W. W. Mattson’s home in Tacoma, terrified four children with a pis- tol, snatched Charles, 10; dropped a note and disappeared into dark- ness with his captive. The note demanded $28,000 ransom. Since then there have been rumors of ransom megotiations, but Charles has not returned. Thus 1936 record of no kidnapings in United States was blemished, and Mattson kid- naper pits his wits against United States record of all major kid- napings 0f recent times Ddeing solved, with death or imprisonment to abductors. By the Associated Press. TACOMA, Wash., January 2—The supposed “contact” advertisement in the Charles Mattson kidnaping reap- peared tonight, indicating a continua- tion of family efforts to deal with the abductor regardless of sudden police pursuit of several “clues.” “Mable—We are ready, everything entirely in accordance with your de- sires. Ann,” said a classified ad in the Sunday edition of the Seattle Times. Except for the spelling of the initial word, it was the same as one which appeared in Thursday, Friday and Saturday editions of the paper. The first ad spelled the name *“Mabel.” The Seattle Times, which published the ad as before, said it was paid for in cash by an unidentified person and ordered ‘to run Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Reappearance of the ad was taken in some quarters to mean that the family’s intermediary had not yet con- tacted the abductor who seized the 10-year-old boy last Sunday night and left a note demanding $28,000 ransom. Boy Scouts Search Brush, At the same time, Charles’ Boy Scout schoolmates began searching through brush and along hillside trails an a bluff back of the Mattson home avow- edly on their own initiative in a search for clues. Other groups of boys gathered across the street from the home anxiously querying newsmen. The youthful searchers explained they wanted to do everything possible be- fore going back to school Monday. Police investigators sought the trail of a swarthy, whiskered man near Olympia. Laboratory workers turned to an examination of ink specimens to match the writing fluid used in the ransom letter. Detectives continued to hold for questioning a former con- vict said to answer in some respects & description of the abductor. In a fruitless hunt for clues, police (See MATTSON, Page A-2) TENSION TEN CENTS GROWS AS SPAIN DEFIES NAZIS’ THREATS ques Warn Shellfire Will Answer Attempts to Inter- fere With Shipping. FIRING ON FREIGHTER SOTON IS TERMED AN “ACT OF WAR” Germany Determined to Get Full Satis- faction in Palos Incident—Paris Sees Threat to Peace. BACKGROUND— Shelling of Spanish freighter Soton by German cruiser Koenigs- berg and capture of another merchantman by Admiral Spee in reprisal Jor seizure of a Reich vessel by Socialists, may be the spark which will fire tinder starting European war conflagration. Tension has been growing during recent weeks with Britain and France pressing for non-intervention in Spanish civil war. Non- intervention move was climazed early in the week with France's ultimatum to Germany to prevent further departure of volunteers for Spanish front and demand that Adolf Hitler sign general disarmament accord. Hitler's reply is expected early this week. BULLETIN. LONDON, January 2 (A.P.).—A Basque government statement issued here tonight asserted four Spanish insurgent trawlers had fired 16 shots Friday in an unsuccessful pursuit of the British merchant vessel Blackhill. The attack was stated to have taken place 7 miles- from the Basque coast in the vicinity of the town of Lekeitio. By the Associated Press. Threats and counter-threats in the wake of German retaliation for seizure of a German freighter by Spanish Socialist last night dimmed European efforts to keep the Spanish civil war confined to Spain. Germany announced the pocket battleship Graf Spee had seized the Spanish freighter Aragon and forced it into an unnamed Spanish insurgent port and the cruiser Koenigsberg with shell fire had driven the Spanish freighter Soton aground on the Basque ‘These measures, retaliation German freighter Palos by the 8 would be continued, a German been e autonomous B: the Bay of Biscay area to merchant men. It announced: “The the most extreme measures, be the international terferencé violating international law and has if necessary, fully real ons of these measures.” coast. for the recent seizure of the anish Basque regime at Bilbao, cial said, until satisfaction had iven Germany over the Palos incident. ue government ordered patrol boats in e on any vessel of any nation attacking Basque government is not disposed to permit any German fil!vlen orders for ing what may The Valencia Socialist government declared it was prepared to “reply in fitting manner” to the shelling of the Soton and termed the attack an “act of war.” The Palos itself was freed Tuesday, but the cargo which they said was “contr: they said was a Fascist. A German spokesman said ues detained aband” and a Spanish passenger “we want the Palos just as it was seized—her cargo intact and all her passengers.” —_— & The Basques said they were unable 20 Crated Planes . At Long Island | Bound for Spain BY the Associated Press. NEW YORK, January 2.—At least 20 crated second-hand American air- plapes are at North Beach Airport, Long Island, tonight, airport officials said, ready for immediate shipment to Spain, and more are expected. They were described at the airport | as part of the order of 60 planes bought by Robert Cuse of Jersey City, N. J, which Government leaders hoped to prevent leaving the United States. Speedy action is planned after Congress convenes next week to bar the shipment to the Spanish govern- ment at Valencia, the purchaser. Another group of four planes at Floyd Bennett Field, Long Island, airport attaches there said, will be flown to Mexico, where a Spanish liner already has loaded a number of similar machines. These planes belonged to the Amer- ican Air Lines, which has sold 13 machines of the same make to the Compagnia de Transportes Aeros del Pacifico, a Mexican air line, under a stipulation that they were intended (8ee PLANES, Page A-4.) Quezon Due February 20. MANILA, January 2 (#).—Common- wealth President Manuel Quezon an- nounced today he will leave January 23, arriving in Washington, D. C., Pebruary 20, to participate in discus- sions preliminary to the Philippine- United States trade conference in the Spring. Alleged Member of Gang Slain After Daring New York Hold-Up By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, January 2—A man B8 §§§E§ Yy g g ihf i1 i £ i E g their arms while the others held pistols. Mrs. Pressman, wife of the proprie- tor, was stripped of jewels she valued at $8,000. They included a diamond ring, three bracelets and a breast pin. Police said they were informed about 6 of the 50 customers in the store were robbed. The hold-up happened about 8:30 p.m., while scores of persons passed in the street outside. The store is located st Seventh avenue and Seventeenth Forty tailors were at work in the basement while the hold-up was in progress. Police said witnesses reported robbers escaped in two automobiles. records at police head- to confirm the German information that the Spanish steamer Aragon had been seized, stating they were aware only of the Soton incident. Grave concern was aroused in French official quarters as the Gere man-Spanish incidents were followed by the shelling of a Prench vessel by three Spanish insurgent trawlers. The French merchant vessel, border and foreign office reports said, was shelled off the northern coast of Spain, but escaped without damage. Paris Gloomy Over Incident. Diplomatic sources in Paris said they were gloomy over the Soton ine cident, terming it an “extremely bad augury for the future.” They pointed out it came at a time when Pranco-British proposals were before Reichsfuehrer Hitler for stem= ming the flow of foreign volunteers into Spain. ‘The German reply will be delivered “probably next week,” it was indicated in Berlin after Foreign Minister Konstantin von Neurath conferred with the Italian Ambassador in & presumed discussion of harmonization of Berlin's and Rome’s answers to the proposals. In the battlefield, Spdnish Social ists claimed a decisive victory in their offensive to cut off a Fascist march against Valencia, seat of the Socialist government. Great Britain and Italy meanwhile signed a pledge to respect each other's rights in the Mediterranean. GERMANY WARNED. Basques to Protect hlvpln‘. ‘With Shellfire From Patrols. By the Associated Press. BILBAO, January 2.—The Basque government warned Germany tonight that shellfire will answer any new ate tempt to interfere with Spanish So= cialist merchant ships. Roused by attack against.the Spane ish freighter, Soton, by the German warship, Koenigsberg, the autonomous Spanish regime invoked the order “to (See SPAIN, Page A-4.) CABMEN SIGN TERMS IN BALTIMORE STRIKE 75 Per Cent of Drivers Join Come pany Union as Result of Settlement. By the Associated Press. the | formal