Evening Star Newspaper, January 27, 1937, Page 1

. WEATHER. (U.'s. Weather Bureau Forecast.) Increasing cloudiness, followed by rain late tonight or tomorrow; slowly rising temperature; lowest temperature tonight about 32 degrees. Temperatures—Highest, 44, at 3 p.m. yesterday; lowest, 29, at T a.m, today. Full report on page A-5. Closing New York Markets, Page 16 85th YEAR. No. 33,874 Entered as second class matter post office, Washington, D. C. ch WASHINGTON, D. ‘WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION c, ¢ Foening Star WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 1937—THIRTY-FOUR PAGES. *¥** The only evening paper in Washington with the Associated Press News and Wirephoto Services. (®) Means Associated Press. Yesterday’s Circulation, 145,117 (Some returns not yet received.) TWO CENTS. . S,, FEARING WORST, PLANS TO SPEED 500,000 BACK FROM MISSISSIPPI RIVER MOVED 50 MILES TO REAR Army Generals to Direct Work. 35.000 TRUCKS AREMOBILIZED Peak Danger Point; May Be 2 Weeks | Distant. Full Page of Flood Pictures, Page A-7. l By the Associated P:;;s | The Army organized today for the gigantic task of| evacuating thousands from the Mississippi River Valley | if flood waters threaten life. | At President Roosevelt’s | direction, Secretary of War Woodring ordered command- | ing generals along the more | than 1,000-mile stretch of the river from Cairo, Ill., to New Orleans to be ready by 6 p.m. Friday to move to higher ground a minimum of 500,- 000 persons living within 50 | miles of the river. | The people to be evacuated are to be moved to the nearest cen- | ters on levels considered safe| from inundation and then will be turned over to the Red Cross for housing, feeding and hos- pitalization. ’ Simultaneously with the ex-| traordinary plans for the huge | task, War Department spokes-| men said a minimum of seven days will elapse before it is| known definitely whether the| swollen tributary may cause sc- | rious damage along the Missis- | sippi. They said the peak dan- | ger point may not be reached for two weeks. “We hope we won't have to use these arrangements,” the spokesman said. “It all depends upon whether the Mis- sissippi can take care of the expected flood.” Safety Is First Concern. « Further elaborating the extraordi- nary precautions when reached by | newsmen, Gen. Malin Craig, chief of staff, said his engineers thought the | chances now are that a gencral evacu- ation will not be necessary. | “At any rate,” Craig said, “we hope | not. The matter of safety of the pop- ulation and the saving of life, if it becomes necessary, are our first con- cern.” Should the evacuation become nec- essary when Ohio River flood crests reach the Mississippi, Craig said those removed to higher ground will be dis- tributed among the various communi- ties not endangered. Should the lower Mississippi levees fail to hold, the general added, ap- proximately the same area inundated in the disastrous flood of 1927 would be affected. Instructions to prepare the evacua- tion plans were sent to the following commanding generals: Maj. Gen. George Vanhorn Mosely, 4th Corps Area with headquarters at Atlanta; Maj. Gen. Stanley Ford, 7th Corps Area with headquarters at | Omaha; Maj. Gen. Herbert Brees, 8th | Corps Area at San Antonio, Tex. The burden of most of the prepara- tions falls on Gen. Moseley, whose area embraces most of the lower Miss- issippi valley. 35,000 Trucks Mobilized. Thirty-five thousand motor trucks alieady have been mobilized, to be used in conjunction with railroad flat (See EVACUATION, Page A-4.) MERCURY DROPS T0 29; RAIN FORECAST TONIQHT Temperature at 7 A.M. Lowest Here Since Christmas Day. The lowest temperature in more than a month—29 degrees—was re- corded this morning after predicted rain or snow failed to materialize. More rain is coming, however, the forecaster says, and will get here either late tonight or tomorrow. This afternoon will find the skies becoming overcast, while the “low” tonight is expected to be about 32. The 29 this morning was registered at 7 o'clock, the mercury remaining at that level until nearly 9:30, when it climbed a degree. The last time a similar temperature was recorded here was on Christmas day. ’ |4 ’ GULF of MEXICO W The shaded area of the map shows the region in the lower Mississippi Valley Army Engineers are preparing to evacuate, should the necessity arise. Some of the cities on the river, ar- ticularly Memphis and Vicksburg, are safely situated on b?ufls and will not be evacuated. FACIATON P N CARD VENTY iCoast Guard Boats From Boston Arrive to Aid in Rescue Work. By the Associated Press. CAIRO, Ill, January 27.—Coast | Guard cutters from Boston sped into Cairo today to aid the evacuation of this flood-threatened area, operations base for a grim, silent fight against the turgid Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Women, children and invalids have been deserting the area, extending from miles above here on the Ohio down to Southern Missouri on the Mis- sissippi. By boa‘®, triin and truck refugees have been sent to shelter bases as far away as St. Louis. Arrival of 15 Coast Guard cutters from Boston this morning sent to 22 the number of Government craft carry- ing on relief operations. Army planes from Scott Field cruised the flood zone locating isolated flood victims. As the Army prepared to evacuate all river bottom families from Cairo to New Orleans, the Ohio inched downward along the 60-foot seawall here, showing the shadow of a victory in the desperate fight to keep the swollen confluence of the two rivers out of Cairo. The early stage today was 58 feet here, about a 6-inch fall since engi- neers bombed a Mississippi levee to the south, releasing the pent-up flood into a 131,000-acre spillway in Mis- souri and easing the pressure here. Railroad service of the Illinois Cen- tral into Cairo was abandoned today as backwater swept over the tracks. In Washington Secretary of War (See CAIRO, Page A-4), —Star Staff Photo. SENATE PREPARES TOPASSRELEF $790,000,000 Flood Fund Is Swept Along With House Approval. BY the Assoclated Press. Senate Democratic leaders took a cue from the House today in calling for speedy approval of a $790,000,000 flood relief fund. A statement by Chairman Cary T. Grayson of the Red Cross that the Ohio Valley disaster was the greatest American emergency since the World ‘War spurred congressional action. Speaker’ Bankhead held the House in session until dusk yesterday to ob- tain authorization for the money, in- tended originally to finance work relief until July 1. ‘The Senate Appropriations Com- mittee arranged for & quick study of the bill. Even so, leaders predicted it would be next week before the funds can be used. So great was favorable sentiment in the House’s overwhelming Demo- cratic majority that no record vote was taken. A Republican attempt to cut the fund to $500,000,000 was defeated. Representative Taber, Republican, of New York, proposed the reduction to “put the brakes on the spending pro- Representative Boileau, Progressive, of Wisconsin, unsuccessfully led a drive by the so-called liberal bloc to increase the appropriation for regular work relief to $1,040,000,000. His proposal lost, 241 to 23. If necessary, sll the money will be used for flood refugees. Another ap- (See FLOOD RELIEF, Page A-5.), RELIEVES POLIE 20 KNOWN DEAD New Fires Menace Business Area, Adding to Night of Terror— 230,000 Resi- dents Are Homeless. RIVER IS STATIONARY; | OUTLOOK UNCERTAIN | Scope of Disaster Broadens, With Blazes Causing $750,000 Dam- age During Few Hours—Offi- cers From Other Cities Called to Help. | By the Associated Press. | LOUISVILLE, Ky., Janu- | ary 27.—A night of terror, of | flames leaping toward the| moon-bright skies, of brown | flood waters, body laden, lap- | ping at lightless homes, gave | way today to the darkest dawn in all the history of| once beautiful Louisville. Pestilence tore at the city, along with the tremendous flood waters of the Ohio, spreading over 30 of the 40 square miles of the city proper. The river had remained stationary at 57.1 feet for five hours, it was reported at |7 am. today. The Weather Bu- reau declined to predict whether the crest had been reached. City Health Officer Dr. Hugh Rodman Leavell estimated that 200 have died in three days of flood diseases, in addition to the first batch of drowning victims —20 found floating in the streets oil the inundated West End sec- tion. Three separate fires that did perhaps $750,000 damage in all and threatened for hours to sweep the city just as the oil inflamed floods ravaged part of Cincinnati had died down. So began the fourth day of hunger, fear of what the end may be, cold and homelessness for | | 230,000 out of the 330,000 popu- lation. City officials expressed concern over property in West Louisville, pointing out that the Ohio River might cut a new channel through that section of the city. The swift current was tearing a path through West Louis- ville and if the flood waters remain there for any length of time it was feared the stream may change its course. Into Louisville poured first aid from | anl parts of the Nation as many cities, (See LOUISVILLE, Page A-4.) e Sir Halley Stewart Dead. HARPENDEN, Hartfordshire, Eng- land, January 27 (#).—Sir Halley Stewart, industrialist and philan- |Senate Civil Liberties Com- { of discrimination anc coercion where- | ever they are,” Chief Investigator Rob- L RESIDENTS FROM CAIRO L0USVLLE FGHTS TO NEW ORLEANS TO BE DSEASE A5 ARY HIS PURGE TECHNIQUE 1S RATHER SLOVENLY? HUNDREDS CHARGE 1.5 ABOR ABSE mittee Agents Probe Dis- criminations. BY JOHN C HENRY. Hundreds of complaints of anti- labor discriminations ir. Government departments have been made to the Senate Civil Liberties Committee, it was learned today. The charges are being studied by committee agents, with action on all those considered justifiable to be taken at a later date. Many of the cam- plaints have ben filed formally by | recognized unions having membership within the Federal departments. Among the departments and agen- | cies involved are Justice, Interior, Re- settlement, W. P. A, and others, it was learned. “We are concerned with instances ert Wohlforth said. “We'll investigate labor relations policies of Government departments just as readily as those of private corporations whenever we con- sider such inquiry justified.” That many of the complaints filed are not within the interest of the com- mittee is indicated by the fact the bulk of the W. P. A. complaints, al- though not all, deal with wage and hour conditions. = Spying on Frankensteen. The committee this morning un- folded a story of extensive investiga- tion of Richard L. Frankensteen, former Chrysler employe and now a full-time organizer of the United Au- tomobile Workers, by two agents of Corporations’ Auxiliaries in the Sum- mer of 1935. One of the agents, a fellow employe, established friendship with Frankensteen, their wives became thropist, died today. He was 99 years old. 2 Summary of Page. Amusements B-16 -B-11 - A-8 | Short Story..B-16 _A-15 | Society Lost & Found A-3 | Sports Obituary ..A-10 | Woman’s Pg. B-10 NATIONAL. U. 8. prepares to evacuate 500,000 out of Mississippi Valley. Page A-1 Joint committee on reorganization virtually assured. Page A-1 Secretary Perkins to confer with Lewis group today. Page A-1 Senate ready to push through flood relief fund. Page A-1 ‘Workers battle to strengthen Miss- issippi flood defenses. Page A-1 40,000 employes called back to work at auto plants. Page A-2 Louisville fights rising tide of disease; 200 dead. Page A-1 Hope of 30,000 Cincinnati homeless raised by river drop. Page A-4 WASHINGTON AND VICIITY. Church wins court fight over early morning Angelus. Page A-1 Fight to bar D. C. property tax rise is pledged. Page A-1 State rests in Cumberland strike riot trial. Page A-2 F. B. I to be asked to return Reed, caught in Louisiana. © Page A-3 D. C. Red Cross quota raised to $120,000. Kirby named acting intendent. Ickes offers Senate committee audi- torium report. Page B-1 Early hearings on Federal pay bill. Page B-1 Snow removal parking subject of con- ference. Page B-1 Bugher butler to be quizzed again in gem theft. Page B-1 Juvenile Court bill gets favorable report. Page B-1 Civil War veterans’ memorial pro- posed. Page B-1 ® (See LABOR, Page A-2.) Today’s Star Moore baby case. continued three months. Page B-1 EDITORIAL AND COMMENT. ‘This and That. Page A-8 Answers to Questions Page A-8 Washington Observations. Page A-8 David Lawrence. Page A-9 Paul Mallon. Page A-9 Dorothy Thompson. Page A-9 Jay Franklin, Page A-9 Constantine Brown. Page A-9 SPORTS. Pacific Coast fans cold to pro foot ball. Page B-8 Bramham seen as “crown prince” to “Czar” Landis. Page B-8 Music and clocks intrigue San Ro- mani, ace runner. Page B-8 Base ball faster, better, says Emslie, now 76. Page B-8 Hagen favors P. G. A. plan for golf tournament. Page B-9 Weary of advice, Pastor sure he will beat Louis. Page B-9 Harry Cooper rated master of wooden golf clubs. Page B-9 MISCELLANY. Washington Wayside. ‘Young Washington. Winning Contract. Vital Statistics. City News in Brief. Traffic Convictions. Nature’s Children. Bedtime Story. Betsy Caswell. Dorothy Dix. Men's Fashions. FINANCIAL. U. S. bonds improve (table) Page A-15 Power output down Page A-15 Stock buying selective (table) Page A-16 Curb list mixed (table) Page A-17 Treasury studies currencies Page A-17 Utility earnings gain Page A-17 4 Page A-2 Page A-11 Page A-11 Page A-13 Page A-13 Page A-13 Page B-6 Page B-6 Page B-10 Page B-10 Page B-6 Church Wins Court Skirmish Over Angelus Judge Will Not Grant Preliminary Injunc- tion Against Chimes. Refusing to grant a prelimmary in- junction against the early morning | Angelus at the Most Blessed Sacrament Church in Chevy Chase, District Court Justice Jennings Bailey remarked that he once lived across the street from a fraternity, and he'd “Take the chimes any day.” Donald Bowie, jr., attorney for the 22 nearby property owners who have protested to the court that the ringing | of the Angelus chimes at 7 a.m. dis- turbed their slumbers, had hardly be- gun to argue when Justice Bailey stopped him. “This court will not undertake to de- cide between different religions,” the (See CHIMES, Page A-2) JOINT ORGANIZING PLAN SUPPORTED Senate Rules Committee Backs House—Asks Nine Members. BY J. A. O'LEARY. Creation of a joint congressional committee to deal with reorganization of Government bureaus was virtually assured today, when the Senate Rules Committee approved the House pro- posal to follow that course. The only change in the resolution already adopted by the House was to increase the representation of each branch on the joint committee from seven to nine members. Under the joint resolution, the Sen- ate membership would be named by the Vice President. Senate leaders declined to comment or speculate on reports that the existing Byrd Com- mittee, which began studying reor- ganization last Summer, would form the nucleus of the Senate’s group of nine. No Restrictions Specified. The only observation of Senate spokesmen was that the resolution places no restrictions on the Vice President in selecting the personnel. 1t is believed probable, however, that Senator Byrd, Democrat, of Virginia and some of the other members of the existing special committee will be included in the Senate roster of the joint group. In addition to Byrd, the other mem- bers of the present committee are Majority Leader Robinson of Arkan- sas, Senator O'Mahoney, Democrat, of Wyoming; Minority Leader McNary of Oregon and Senator Townsend, Re- publican, of Delaware. Since the House decided to have its group on the Joint Committee serve also as Standing Committee of the (See REORGANIZING, Page A-2.) Star Will Receive Funds for Red Cross Flood Relief - The District of Columbia has been assigned a quota of $120,000 (originally $24,000) for flood relief by the Amercan Red Cross. The Evening Star will assist in raising the required amount by receiving and acknowledging in its columns the contributions of Washingtonians. Make checks payable to District Chapter, American Red Cross, for flood relief. Bring or mail them to the cashier, The Evening Star. hose who desire to submit American Red Cross may send or deliver cash or checks to the District Chapter, American Regd Cross, 1730 E street. FIATTOBRD.S. TAXRSEPLEGED ‘Subcommittee Chairman Ex- | pects to Hold Down Property Levy. BY JAMES E. CHINN. Irrespective of the outcome of the | Jacobs plan for solving the fiscal | relations controversy between the | Federal and District governments, Chairman Collins of the House Ap- propriations Subcommittee in charge of the 1938 District supply bill gave assurance today he would attempt to prevent an increase in real estate and personal property taxes in the coming fiscal year. Collins disclosed he planned to write into the appropriation bill a provision forbidding the Commission- ers to make any change in the present $1.50 tax levy. At the same time, Collins announced that hearings on the 1938 bill prob- ably would start next Wednesday. He also said his subcommittee would make a thorough investigation of every important item recommended | | by the Budget Bureau, even going to | the extent of personally inspecting various municipal institutions and ac- tivities which need funds for improve- ments and expansion. May Ignore Formula. Maj. Daniel J. Donovan, District auditor and budget officer, has esti- mated that approval by Congress of the Jacobs three-point fiscal relations formula would confront the District with a revenue deficit of nearly £10,000,000 in the coming fiscal year. Collins’ announced determination to prevent an increase in the tax rate obviously indicates: 1. That the Jacobs fiscal relations plan may not be considered seriously by the subcommittee. 2. That any additional revenues needed to offset a prospective deficit will be raised by tapping potential new sources of revenue. In the first place, Collins is known to be unsympathetic with the com- plicated three-point formula for determining the division of expenses between the United States and the District. A member of the Mapes Committee which made an exhaustive study of the fiscal relations problem (See TAX, Page A-2) . THREAT TC FRUIT ENDS Warmer Temperature Reported in California Citrus Belt. LOS ANGELES, January 27 (®).— Warmer temperatures allowed the half-billion-dollar citrus fruit industry of California to relax early today a MISS PERKINS SEES HOPE FOR PEACE IF “3DPARTY AGREES" |Settlement May Be “Quit Possible,” She Says After Parley. |CONFERS WITH LEWIS,, REPORTING PROGRESC Sloan Issues Statement Repeatin Denial G. M. C. Can Be Blamed for Breakdown. By the Associated Press Secretary of Labor Perkins said te- day that her conference with John L. Lewis and other spokesmen for Gen- eral Motors strikers “developed a sit- uation which will make a settlement quite possible if the thisd party con- sents.” At about the same time Alfred P. Sloan, jr., president of General Motor:, denied in New York that the compan; “is responsible for the breakdown of negotiations” with workers and re- iterated the company's refusa] to negotiate until the plants occupied by sit-down strikers are evacuated. The General Motors head referred to “efforts * * * made to make you believe that General Motors is re- sponsible for the breakdown of nego- tiations,” and denied that such is the case. Criticized by Roosevelt. Sloan was criticized yesterday by both President Roosevelt and Miss Perkins for declining to attend a pro- posed strike peace conference here. The Secretary evaded most of the questions reporters fired at her after | the conference with the Lewis group. She said, however, the meeting with the strike leaders had made “progress” and that “action may be developed as the result of information received.” She said also that a new plan for approaching settlement of the walk- out was under consideration. She added she thought she could discuss this plan better later today. She said the plan was being “studied,” but de- clined to say by whom or give any ine formation of its nature. Lewis Sees Miss Perkins. When Lewis came out of Miss Pere kins' office, he said: “We conferred with the Secretary, gentlemen. We fully advised her on conditions in General Motors plants and how coercion is being exercised. “We discussed further procedure and policies. Anything else should come from Miss Perkins.” The problem of enforcing labor standards by law was brought into the General Motors picture by President Roosevelt. The President told reporters he dis- cussed legislation fixing maximum hours and minimum wages with labor and business leaders in three confer- ences yesterday, and” also touched on proposals which might affect the au- tomobile strike. One proposal would give the Labor Department power to subpoena wit- nesses and documents during strikes to determine causes and make findings of fact. With Lewis at the conference were Sidney Hillman, president of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, and Charles P. Howard, president of the International Typographical Union, both members of the Lewis committee; John Brophy, director, and Len De- caux, publicity director for the com- mittee; Homer Martin, president of the United Automobile Workers; Windham Mortimer, first vice presi- dent; Ed Hall, second vice president, and George Addis, secretary-treasurer, (See STRIKE, Page A-2.) U. . JUDGE UPHOLDS TAX FOR AID OF AGED Rules Provisions of Social Se- curity Act Are Consti- tutional. BY the Associated Press. BOSTON, January 27.—Federal month-long vigil against frost. Little orchard heating was neces- sary to protect orange and lemon crops. The mercury ranged from 30 to 35 degrees, well above the danger point, in most of the citrus belt. Floyd Young, Federal frost fore- caster, said the cold wave is broken for at least two days and possibly longer. their contributions directly to the Judge George B. Sweeney today upheld the constitutionality of the provisions of the social security act which pro- vide a tax for assistance for the aged. Judge Sweeney denied an injunction to prevent the payment of the tax by the Edison Electric Illuminating Co. of Boston. The case was the first test of the old-age provision of the act in this district. The injunction was sought by George P. Davis of Waltham as a stockholder of the Edison company, Davis recently sought a similar ine junction against payment of the une employment insurance tax by the Bos- ton & Maine Railroad. Judge Sweeney, who also heard that case, upheld that section of the act. In his ruling today that section eight of the act, covering old-age as- sistance, was constitutignal, the jurist said it was a valid exercise of the taxing power of Congress. He held that the tax was intended to pro- vide for the general welfare of the country. He overruled a contentian of coune sel for Davis that the tax was not uniform throughout the country. f