New-York tribune. [volume], December 16, 1921, Image 1

About New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
ALL MERCHANDISE
ADVERTISED IN THE
TRIBUNE IS GUARANTEED
Vol. LXXXI No. 27,424
First to Last? the Truth: News ?Editorials?Advertisements
tXbVLM
T H E WE AT H E K
Increas<ne cloudiness and somewhat
warmer to-day, to-morrow snow or
rain and warmer; east and
southeast winds
Full Report on Laut Pa*e
(OopVi-tirht, to?i,
New York Tribuno In?...*?
FR] DA Y, DIX MM BEB 16, 1021
*??.?.*
TWO CENTS
In firent er New York
THREE CENT?
Within H? Mil??
FOTR CENT?
El new her*
Pe Valera Is
Badly Beaten
In First Test
Vote on Pact
Dail Majority Overwhelm?
ing Against His Plan to
Alter Oath; Treaty May
Be Ratified To-morrow
Fall of Sinn Fein
Chieftain Forecast
Griffith-Collins Triumph
and Immediate Peace on
Tenus Signed in Lon?
don Considered Assured
By Arthur S. Draper
Pro* The Tribune's European Bureau
Copyright. 1921, Now York Trib?ne Inc.
DUBLIN. Doc. 15.?In the first test
of strengt)? between the Sinn Fein fac?
tions that are debating the Anglo-Irish
treaty in the Dail Eireann, Eamon de
Valera, "president of the Irish repub?
lic," was overwhelmingly defeated to?
night. His leadership of the repub?
licans is expected to end quickly.
Near the close of the second of twe
long secret sessions. De Valera pro?
posed a substitute for the oath of al
legianoe contained in the treaty a;
kigned by the plenipoteniaries in Lon
ion. When put to a vote the alter
native was beaten by an" enormou:
majority and it was plainly eviden
I that the pro-treaty Sinn Fciners ha<
sufficient votes to assure the earl;
(?tification cf the pact by the Dail.
! De Valera's proposai was that in
?tead of swearing allegiance to the con
ititution of the Irish Free State am
fulness to the King the Dai
Eireann should offer to pay tribute t
the crown's civil list?in other words
agree to help defray the King's ex
} penses.
May Ratify on Saturday
As a result of tho defeat of this sur
gestion pians were being made t,c
oight for an early open session of th
Dail Eireann, at wir.cn the formal mr
tion to ratify tho treaty will be vote
on. With a secret session again tc
morrow, it is probable that the ope
fitting will be held Saturday. All alon
two battles have been waging?one fo
tie party leadership and the other ove
ti'- fata of _&he treaty ?but to-night
i -. 61 strength virtually d?cides botl
During a short adjournment betwee
tho two sessions to-day the member
-.btood smoking and talking outside th
asiembly hail at University College
They seemed tired and nervous, as :
the strain of tho fight was beginning 1
tell en them. The members of the tw
factions were grouped separately i
ibey talked, show-ing that their diffe
enees of opinion were extending eve
to personal relations. The most chee
Mil member was Speaker MacNeil
Michael- Collins, leader with Arthi
Griftith of the pro-treaty party, acte
as if the debate was more exhaustif
than the negotiations in Downir
Street. Of the women members on'
tire Countess Markevicz seemed can
free as she chattered with other de]
lities.
Two outside events reacted on ?
members of the Dail. The publicatic
of* the letter from Sir James Crai
' la er Premier, renouncing the treat
End saying the North would not jo
the Irish state strengthened rathi
than weakened the treaty advocates
the Dail. The debate in the Britir
Parliament also had its influence, bi
as there was considerable material c
both sides both groups of Sinn Feir
err- found declarations.that helped the
justify their stand.
Ammunition for Factions
Lloyd George's insistence that tl
treaty put the Irishmen in the san
position as the residents in the domi
ions in that they had to pledge the
allegiance to the King would natura
ly be seized upon by the De Valera a
herents as proof of their contentio
while, on the other hand, the Colli:
and Griffith faction could point to Lo
Carson's denunciation of the treaty
a betrayal of the royalists as the be
possible evidence in their favor.
There is bitter disappointme
throughout Ireland that the Di
rireann elected to meet behind clos
(.oorg for so long a period.
The Irish newspapers do not spec
late on the probable outcome of t
?tmgglc in the Dail for party lead?
?ship, but privately one hears all soi
of forecasts. Certainly the Irish pre
j considers itself free, but when t
future is so uncertain it is best not
run the danger of making enemio?.
On the question of the rejection
the ratification of the treaty there
only one view. The Sinn Feine
Unionists and Nationalists aro willi
?o wager that it will be ratified; soi
venture the forecast that the vote w
'be unanimous, while others decla
that some Sinn Fein members of t
Dail will resist ratification to the b
ter end.
If De Valera should be able to :
?in the leadership it will be becai
he shows more adaptability than hii
*rto, and that means a weakening
his power.
. There is no question that he is fig:
?ng for his political life under desp
(Continu??! en pat? thro?)
Film Show for Royalty
At the King's Side Dot
Future Brothcr-m-Law of Pri
cess Mary to Direct New En
?erprise Near Buckingham
From The Tribune's Muropeay^Burea*
Copyright. 1921. New York Tribuno In.
LONDON, Dec. 15.?A moving i
ture theater for London's soci
'oik is to he opened this winter
* disused, deconsecrated church wit
? stone's throw of the t-rivate
trance to Buckingham Palace. "
Honorable Edward Lascelles, Princ
f**'-'* future brother-in-law, will
?"rector of the new enterprise, and
?Merest in it is expected to bring c
smerable royal patronage. The Pri
?r Wales a;'d other members of
royal household are enthusiastic scr
ran?. Queen Mother Alexandra e
"as private shows in Marlboroi
Mouse.
The ,)ew theater will not run in c<
Petition with commercial moving
wr* houses. Its interior will be d<
???S on a lavish seal??.
The Tribune to Move Up Town
Into a Big, New Model Plant
Present Quarters Near City Hall Outgrown by Un?
precedented Increase in Circulation and Business;
Adequate Building Will Be Erected in W. 40th St.
The Tribune is to have a new homo, i
Pressed for space in which to meet
i the constantly growing demand for its
newspaper, The New York Tribune is
?compelled to acquire a now site upon
?which it will erect a building and in?
stall a new plant, with adequate facili
j ties not only for Its present require
! ments but for futuro growth as well.
Contracts were signed yesterday for
the purchase by The New York Trib
1 une, Ogden Reid president, of the plot
; of 15,000 square feet of land at No.
1219 to 229 West Fortieth Street, in the
! heart of the grer.t up-town business
! section. Here u building will be
?erected for Ihe exclusive use of The
Tribune, in which adequate .tpace will
] be provided for the expanding activi
i ties of all departments and .'or future
growth. Building operations will be
started soon, in the hope of having
! the new Tribune Building ready for
! use by May, 192S.
Then will end an occupancy which
has extended over a period of more
?than eighty years, for it was in
? 1841 that Horace Greeley established
| The Tribune in a small frame build?
ing at the corner of Nassau and Spruce
i streets, from which was issued the
?paper that has played so large a part
i in the affairs of the city and nation
?during three generations. Twenty-live
?years ago the present Tribune Build
ling contained a model newspaper plant
and to-day it is a modern plant in every
respect, but growth of circulation and
advertising culls for new facilities for
which there is not space in the present
Tribune Building.
Until within recent years the groat
body of morning newspaper readers
could be served by a delivery system
which made situation of the plant un?
important. But the city is rapidly
moving into the country, and tho morn?
ing newspaper must follow population.
Suburban circulation has become so
great that a plant well situated with
reference to railroad terminals is es?
sential to a successful morning news?
paper.
The Tribune plant that in 1914 was
turning out 00,000 papers daily was in
1920 producing 150,000 papers daily of
as many as twenty-four pages week?
days and from eighty to one hundred
pages on Sundays,
And in that plant, where in 1914 a
total of 2,000,000 lines of advertising
was considered a splendid volume fora
year, a total of more than 10,000,000
lines was handled in 1920.
Meanwhile, during the same period,
other departments had increased cor?
respondingly. In these days of spe?
cialization and wide interest in world
affairs a newspaper, to be complete,
must cover almost every phase of hu?
man activity. To provide complete?
ness requires the services of a great
staff of men and women, who in turn
require considerable space. At present
they are scattered over many of the
twenty stories of the Tribune Building.
During the last seven years the
(Contlnuod on pave eleven)
Law Indorses
Irish Compact,
Stunning Foes
j Veteran Unionist Blasts Last
Hope of "Die-Hards" to
Block Treaty by Dra?
matic Speech in House
_____
?Urges North to Accept
i -
?Leaves Lord Carson Only
Prominent British Figure
Opposed to Peace Plan
From The Tribune's European Bureau
Copyright, 1921, Now York Tribune Inc.
j LONDON,-Dec. 15.--The last hope of
i the "die-hards" in the House of Com
; mons was blasted to-day when Andrew
; Bonar Law, former government leader
I in that House, announced his support
of the Anglo-Irish treaty. The hopes
of the Opposition rose as the veteran
j Unionist entered the chamber for the
! first time in many months. He had
; been counted on perhaps to lend a great
I leadership to the campaign against the
; pact. Instead he stood up amid cheers
to say: "I am in favor of this agree
! ment. It would be cowardly not to ex
I press my opinion."
This declaration by the former leader
, of the Conservatives left Lord Carson
I (formerly Sir Edward Carson) the only
! outstanding figure in British public
, life opposed to the Irish treaty.
Bonar Law said that he differed with
Lord Carson's view because all efforts
I to compel Ulster to come in on an all
, Ireland parliament had been abandoned.
j He expressed the opinion that the bit
? ter feeling growing up in Ulster on the
ground that the north had been be
j trayed was not justified. Ulster, he
? added, would make a great mistake if
j it refused to accept the agreement.
These few sentences came as a cli
I max in the second day of debate in
: Parliament on the Irish agreement. A
' debate between Premier Lloyd George
' and former Premier Asquith enlivened
? the session of the Commons, but in the
House of Lords Lord Birkenhead did
, not make his expected reply to Lord
: Carson's attack last night on the treaty.
Asquith Criticizes Delay
Asquith challenged Lloyd George's
i assertion that the peace agreement had
; come at the right time. He insisted
; that the government should have at
; tempted earlier to bring about this
i peace, and warned that an end to diffi
! culties had not yet come. Asquith rec
! ommended that the treaty be approved,
! but renewed his attacks on what he
' called the government's attitude
? toward the Irish army and navy.
, The "die-hards" tr'ed to push their
i amendment which would express re
i gret over the proposed settlement,
, Colonel Gretton saving as he offered it
1 that the Conservatives intended it as a
test motion. If it was defeated, he
! ^aid, they would accept the decision.
Premier Lloyd George replied that
| any alterations mad o in the treaty by
either side without the consent of the
i (Continued on pane three)
Burglar Shot
When Trapped
During Raid
Breaking of Glass Betrays
intruder to Occupant
of House Who Phones
From Room for Police
Cordon Surrounds Home
-
? Robber Snaps Gun Twice at
Wailing Detective; Gets
Two Wounds in Return
Nathan Halperin, a manufacturer of
jersey cloth, returned with his wife
from the opera about midnight last
night to their home, at 1519 President
Street, Brooklyn, a three-story de?
tached houe, and was preparing to re?
tire when lie heard a crash downstairs
and the tinkle of falling glass.
The sound came from the kitchen,
the door of which had a glass panel,
and Mr. Halperin was certain that a
burglar had gained entrance. Thero
was an extension telephone in his room
and he called Police Headquarters,
which connected him with the At.antic
Avenue police station.
Within three minutes after the first
bit of glass struck the kitchen floor,
Sergeant Sherman and Detectives
McLaughlin and Seckinger were in
front of the police station waving to a
motorist to take them aboard. The run
to the Halperin home was made in
record time.
Police Surround House
Sherman stationed himself in front
of the house. The detectives circled it,
McLaughlin to the left and Seckinger
to the right.
As Seckinger rounded the corner at
?the rear of the house the kitchen door
! opened and a man stepped across the
threshold. The shadow of the detec?
tive, flung before him by the distant
street light, caught the man's eye. He
raised his right arm and Seckinger
caught the dull gleam of a blued bull?
dog revolver.
Two clicks came in quick succession
as the hammer fell upon defective
cartridges or empty chambers. Seck?
inger waited for no further warning,
but drew his own pistol and fired. One
bullet struck the man in the right side.
Another went through his left eye.
He fell, but as Seckinger approached
thrust his right arm beneath his coat.
Seckinger seized his wrist before he
could complete the motion, and with
his other hand tore, open the stranger's
coat, revealing a pistol of large cal?
ibre slung from his shoulder by an
elastic loop.
"Professional Burglar" Taken
The shots brought McLaughlin and
Sherman on the run. An ambulance
was called and the wounded man was
taken to St. John's Hospital. He said
he was William Martin, "professional
burglar" by occupation. He had no
home, he said. A jimmy and a pair
of soft kid gloves, which would con?
ceal fingerprints without impairing dex?
terity greatly, were found in his
pockets. Ho was charged with burg
( lary. His wounds are serious.
Trail of Bloodspots Betrays
Alleged Slayer in Brooklyn
Revolver shots on Sands Street,
Brooklyn, are not unusual, but they
generally mean business, nevertheless,
; and as soon as Patrolman Finn heard
j five or six reports last night he has
I tened to the saloon at the corner of
Gold Street whence the sounds came.
He found Tony Manoleti dead on the
floor in front of the bar, a bullet
wound in his head. Beside his body
' was stretched that of his brother,
' Samuel, who had bullet wounds in his
! chest, back and arm, but was still alive.
A waiter was the only other person
! to be found in the place, and he
j averred that all he knew was that
j there had been an "argument," some
| thing which Patrolman Finn already
? had surmised. As soon as he had started
i the wounded man for the Cumberland
I Street Hospital aid called a patrol
1 wagon for the removal of the body of
! his brother, Patrolman Finn looked
about to see what he could see.
The first interesting object he be
! held was a drop of blood on the floor.
j His interest was further attracted by
the fact that there yfcre others beyond
?
I that and that they led toward a side
I door, while the wounded man had been
i carried out the front door.
Finn followed the trail. Gold Street
is dark between the street lights and
he had to use his electric torch to see
the trail. He followed it, however,
for six blocks to 188 Jay Street, where
it led him up two flights of stairs to
? a room occupied by Samuel Bomulo.
JRomulo was sitting on the bed trying
to bandage a wound in his thigh with
strips torn from a sheet. He refused
to say h'jw he came by his injury,
and, after searching him in vain for a
weapon, Finn sent him to Cumberland
Street Hospital. There a charge of
homicide was entered against him, af?
ter his fellow patient, Samuel Manoleti,
had identified him as one of the men
who had shot him and his brother.
According to Manoleti, the shooting
followed un ineffectual attempt on the
part of Romulo's companion to steal
j $200 which Tony Manoleti had in his
pocket. His story, however, di not ac?
count for Romulo's wound, and the po?
lice are far from certain that they have
the whoel story.
Both Samuel Manoleti and Romulo
said they were butchers. The former
lives at York and Charles streets,
Brooklyn. His brother's home was at
1342 Sixtieth Street, Brooklyn.
Berlin Can't
Pay; Asks for
Moratorium
Note to Reparations Com?
mission Announces Cash
for Next 2 Settlements
Has Not Been Obtained
Unable to Get
Loan in England
Belief in Paris Is Amer?
ica Will Co-operate in
Plan for Readjustment
By Wilbur Forrest
Special Cable Dispatch to The Tribune
Copyright, 1921, New York Tribune Inr.
PARIS, Dee. 15. The German gov?
ernment to-night, notified the Allied
Reparations Commission, in a note that
asks a moratorium on reparation pay?
ments, that the Berlin Treasury hasn't
the money to pay the installments on
Germany's war bill, nue January 15 and
February 15. These amount to 500,
000,000 gold marks each.
The communication, which was signed I
by Chancellor Wirth, pointed out that
Germany had failed in her efforts to
obtain credits in England or elsewhere,
and said thut although all Germany
asked at this time was an extension of
time in which to pay these installments j
it was expected that similar difficulties :
would face the Berlin Treasury in the ?
future.
This note was accepted here, to-night
as a frank confession of German bank?
ruptcy. The Reparations Commission
notified the Berlin government last
month that it would have to meet the
January and February installments "or
suffer grave consequences." In the face
of this ultimatum, the German Cabinet
announces that it cannot obtain more
than 200,000,000 gold marks toward the j
sums due.
No Invasion Planned
What reaction the note will bring
from the Allies depends largely upon
the meeting of Premiers Briand and
Lloyd George in London on Monday. It
may be said now, however, that the
French plan on other occasions of in?
vading the Ruhr Valley when Germany
didn't live up to her obligations has
been abandoned, and the Allied answer
will be that Germany must pay, even if
payment is possible only through
means devised by the Allies. The ]
French and British Premiers are ex- j
pee.ted to bring forward a plan that '
wih solve the German government's
difficulty. In any event, Germany ;
must pay.
No military measures are being
planned by France to enforce pay?
ments. The Briand government favors
instead a fiscal operation, whereby the
German government will float a loan ?
that carries the indorsement of the
Allied powers, which in turn will as?
sume control of certain physical as?
sets that will be a sufficient guaranty
to the lenders. The prevailing opinion
nere is that this scheme will compel ,
Germany to pay when punitive meas?
ures would not, because the latter only
dampen Germany's will to pay and
hamper her ability to meet obligations
both present and future.
It is believed that the new found
unity of France and Great Britain that
prevailed in Washington will pervade
the London conference and permit
early agreement on some such finan?
cial plan as here outlined.
Co-operation of America
There is a tendency in some circles
here to-night to believe that the
United States is going to have to help
out in the present muddle because of j
the close connection between the rep- \
arations issue and world finances.
Premier Briand talked to-day with M.
.Taspar. Belgian Minister, who later
conferred with President Millerand and
Louis Loucheur, French Minister of
Devastated Regions. To-night M.
Jaspar told the Tribune correspondent
he was convinced that an agreement
between England and France could be
reached on the details of a large finan?
cial operation by which German repara- \
tions loans would be guaranteed by the
Allies with liens against certain prop- I
erties as guaranties. But, he said, this
question was so intimately connected
with several economic questions of a
world-wide aspect that it could not
be solved one way or another without
the active co-operation of the United
States.
M. Jaspar hinted that the Allies
had lnade new though discreet, repre?
sentations to Washington in this re
gard, and that the French hoped a sat?
isfactory answer would be. received by !
next Monday.
The Reparations Commission with- |
held the announcement of the receipt.
of Chancellor Wirth's letter until after
the Bourse had closed this afternoon,
but the evening papers carried the
bare outlines of the fact that Germany
was not disposed to pay.
PARIS, Dec. 15 (By The Associated
Press).-?The text of the German note,
which is signed by Dr. Wirr.ii and ad?
dressed to the chairman of the Repara?
tions Commission, follows:
"As 1 had the honor to explain to the
Reparations Commission during its
(Continued on next ptje)
Girl Loses Suit When
His Mother Says Nay
-~
Plea in Broken Troth Action
Saves Defendant in a Shat?
tered Romance of Florida
P. Cannon Forbes, manager for the
Johns-Manville Company at Atlanta,
successfully defended in the Supreme
Court yesterday a $100,000 breach of
promise suit brought- by Miss Laura
Sligh, a milliner of Jacksonville, Fla.,
by explaining that their engagement
was subject to the approval of Mr.
Forbes's mother, who withheld her con?
sent. The jury decided against the
young woman.
Miss Sligh testitied that she became
engaged in May, 1919, after a friend?
ship of six years. A few days after
Mr. Forbes had promised to make her
his wife, said Miss Sligh, she received
a letter from him announcing that the
engagement was off.
Mr! Forbes admitted the promise, but
leclared it was understood by Miss
Sligh that if hi--- mother withheld her
Approval the engagement would not be
'regarded as binding.
Agreement on U. S. Navy Ratio
Announced; Japan Saves Mutsu ;
21 Demands May Be Modified
- . 'i
Tokio Insists, However,
That Treaties Relating
to Manchuria and Porti
Arthur Are Inviolate ?
U. S. Backs China
In Revision Plea
-
Peking Offer of 53 Mil?
lions in Gold Marks
for Railroad Accepted
By Thomas Steep
WASHINGTON, Dec. 15.? Japan's
"special interests" in China obtained
under the famous twenty-one demands
of 1915 may be reviewed by the arma?
ment limitation conference in so far as
they are thought to infringe upon the
open door and territorial integrity poli?
cies insisted upon by the United States.
At the same time it was learned that
the Japanese delegation, subject to the
approval of their government, had ac?
cepted the Chinese offer of 53,000,000
German gold marks for the Japanese
rights to the Kiaochau-Tsinau Railroad
in Shantung, China to pay also for per?
manent improvements on the railroad
made by Japan. The details of the pro?
posed payment will be worked out at
later meetings of the two delegations.
Under the proposed review of the
twenty-ono demands Japan will not
consent to any discussion of the. two
treaties concluded under tne demands
hy which she acquired leaseholds on
Port Arthur and Dairen and a ninety
nine-year extension of the Russian
leasehold on the South Manchurian
Railroad. The Russian leasehold ex?
pires in 1923, the extension running
until the year 2022. Japan's insistence
on keeping Manchuria, as voiced by
Masanao Hanihara, the Japanese Vice
Minister for Foreign Affairs, ends
China's hopes of regaining that terri?
tory, it is thought, so far as the con?
ference is concerned.
Treaties Held Domestic Issue?
"Japan will never consent to havfc
the legality of the treaties obtained
under the twenty-one demands passed
upon by the conference," Mr. Hani?
hara said to-night. "We consider that
the existence of these treaties is a
question concerning only the two coun?
tries?Japan and China."
It was Japan's attitude which prompt?
ed Secretary Hughes to postpone in?
definitely the session of the committee
on Pacific and Far Eastern questions
on Wednesday soon after the Chinese
delegates had presented their plea for
a review of the twenty-one demands.
Abrogation of all the demands, which
collectively China regards as inflicting
the quasi-sovereignty of a foreign
power on her domestic affairs, was
asked by the Chinese delegates.
While they will refuse to consider
the abrogation of any of the demands, ?
it developed to-day that the Japanese ?
delegates are prepared to modify some ?
of their rights other than those per-!
taining to Manchuria. These rights j
were acquired in various notes inde?
pendently of the Manchurian treaties.
They provide that Japanese shall be
employed to supervise the police de?
partments of important Chinese cities,
that no third power shall obtain the
right to operate enterprises in China
without Japan's consent, that Japanese
financial advisers shall be consulted in
the making of foreign loans, and that
generally Japan shall have preference
in all industry requiring foreign assist?
ance. China contends that these priv?
ileges are in violation of the four prin?
ciples framed by Elihu Root and
adopted by all the nine powers for
their guidance in settling Far Eastern
controversies, and that as such they
properly may be acted upon by the
conference.
Two Alternatives Presented
The Far Eastern committee's deci?
sion to defer action on China's plea de?
veloped the question as to what method
may be employed to dispose of the is?
sue". The twenty-one demands are of?
ficially before the committee. Two al?
ternatives are proposed. One is that
the committee shall act upon them. The
other is that demands shall be. reduced
to direct negotiations between the
Japanese and Chinese, delegates as is
now being done in the Shantung con?
troversy. A spokesman for the Chi?
nese said to-day that China would not
consent to any more direct negotia?
tion. He declared the twenty-one de?
mands would be acted upon by the con?
ference or they would have to be
thrown out of the conference alto?
gether.
Squarely behind China's plea for at
least a modification of the demands,
(Continued on next etge)
$100,000,000 a Year Saved to U. S.;
Amounts to $3 for Each Taxpayer
From The Tribune's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Dec. 15.?The naval reduction program agreed
upon by the United States, Great Britain and Japan will save each
taxpayer about $3 a year for the next ten years. The revised program,
announced to-day, will save the United States Treasury about $200,
000,000 next year and $100,000,000 annually during the life of the naval
building holiday. The greatest initial saving is in the stoppage of
work on warships now under construction, upon which some money has
been expended. In the future the bulk of the gain to the Treasury will
come from reductions in the number of sailors and the resultant
smaller appropriations needed to pay them and maintain their equip?
ment. The estimated cost of upkeep for the navy is $200 a ton, or a
total of $225,000,000 annually for the reduced United States fleet.
Nine-Cent Fare
Discovered in
Hylan Bus Plan
? Initial Investment Would Be j
$73,000,000 to Replace!
Cars With Motor Vehi-j
cles, Transit Board Hears!
_
Present Jitneys a Menace!
Price of Safe Service More j
Than 8 Cents ; Receiver- ?
ship Cost B.R.T. $643,655
Mayor Hylan's plan to junk the sur?
face lines and replace them with busses
was somewhat shattered by facts laid
before the Transit Commission yes?
terday.
It was established that an initial in?
vestment of $73,000,000 would be re- j
quired to provide suitable bus accom- ?
modations for the billion passengers j
which the surface lines carry annually, i
and that it would cost more than ?ight j
cents per passenger to supply such a
service with the 5,480 busses neces?
sary.
Discussion of the bus subject was
taken up by the commission through
John A. Ritchie, president of the Fifth
Avenue Coach Company, which operates
on Fifth Avenue, Riverside Drive and
other thoroughfares.
City Jitneys Criticized
The type of vehicle now operated
under the supervision of the city ad?
ministration, referred to by Clarence
J. 'Shearn, special counsel of the com?
mission, as "these jitneys that are hop
skipping around," was criticized by the
bus expert, particularly from the
standpoint of safety.
Asked by Mr. Shearn what advantage
the city busses had over those of the j
Fifth Avenue Company that enabled
them to get along for a time on a 6- j
cent fare, Mr. Ritchie replied:
"They pack them like cattle to the I
point of danger. The vehicles are not
only overcrowded, but often to a de?
gree that makes capsizing imminent.
These jitneys select short routes where ,
the haul is seldom over four miles."
There was no more comparison, Mr.
Ritchie said, between a bus and the
jitney than between a streetcar and a
cattle car.
Mr. Ritchie said he could not see
how the commission could extend the
bus service as a feeder adjunct to the
transportation system, as proposed, on
[ a live-cent fare.
Fare to Exceed Eight Cents
"In other words," inquired George
McAneny, chairman- of the commission, !
"you think that approx mately eight |
cents would be the minimum cost per I
passenger for comfortable bus opera?
tion on any street in the city."
"You couldn't get it down to eight
cents, no matter what part of the city
you operate in or under what con?
dition, provided you were to give ade?
quate service," responded Mr. Ritchie.
Mr. Shearn asked:
"If we are go.ng to tack a bus serv?
ice on to the streetcar lines, and do it
at five cents, it would have to be a sec?
ond-class service, and you don't think
the public sentiment would stand for a
first-class and a second-class service
like they have in European railroad
trains?"
"I think you will find," Mr. Ritchie
repl'ed. "that those who couldn't afford
it would insist upon riding in the first
class and t'"ose who could probably
(Continuad on p?io four)
Congressman Dies Mysteriously
In Potomac; Believed Suicide
From Th-: Tribune'* Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Dec. 15, The body
of Representative John A. Elston, of
the <3th California District, was found
in the Potomac River late this after?
noon under circumstances which point
to suicide. Representative Elston was
from Berkeley and was a lawyer and
a graduate of the University of Cali?
fornia. He was forty-seven years old
A rambling note scrawled in pencil
was found in one of Mr. Elston's pock?
ets containing the words "circum?
stances which spelled ruin" and other
references which his friends do not
understand. So f^r as revealed here,
Mr. Elston had neither financia1 nor
other serious troub'es, and those who
knew him b*?st believe he suffered a
nervous break-down from overwork and
while unstrung jumped into the river.
The note Mr. Elston left read:
"I am in a chain of circumstances
that spell ruin, although my offense
was irnocently made in the beginning.
11 hope all the facts come out. My
stay means embarrassment to my dis?
trict and to a worthy people clean and
generous."
Mr. Elston disappeared Tuesday
night. He complained of feeling ill
Tuesday morning and in the afternoon
ent out '"or a t-'xicab ride. He ended
this near the Treasury, and this was the
ast seiii of him .:live. Detectives in?
stituted a search when he could not be
found to-day, and his body was finally
recovered from the Potomac near the
Highway Bridge. His hat and coat,,
floating in the stream, led to the dis?
covery of the body.
Mrs. Elston is in Berkeley. Repre?
sentative Elston recent'y received a
telegram announcing that a daughter
had been born and he seemed pleased
and proud of the fact. His close
friends on the California delegation
are at a loss to account for his ap?
parent suicide and can explain it only
on the theory that his nervous system
went to pieces. The body will be sent
to California for interment.
"Tr** ncHt Writing- l'ai-ors
ar? Whltlnjf Paper?."?Advt.
4-Power Pact
A 'Gold Brick/
Reed Declares
Conference Trying to Sell !
Bad Agreement Quickly j
to Unsuspecting Public, j
He Says in the Senate !
Underwood Not Worried
Expects Few Votes Against j
Treaty, and Movement I
to Depose Him Wanes!
From The Tribune's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Dec. 15?Beginning!
a speech in the Senate against the !
four-power agreement late this after-;
noon, Senator Reed, of Missouri, Demo-j
crct, one of the leaders of the irrecon- !
cilables against the league covenant!
and the Versailles Treaty, called the'j
agreement a "gold brick" which the;
Conference on the Limitation of Arma?
ment sought to sell quickly to "an un-'
suspecting public."
Senator Reed pictured the plan for ?
limiting of naval armaments as a I
"pack horse" on which was to be loaded
the alliance for the protection of the
British and Japanese interests in the j
Orient and in the Pacific.
The Missouri Senator did not com-j
plete his speech, owing to the fact hei
was indisposed, but will do so to-mor- i
row, when he will go into details con-'
cerning his objections to the four-i
power treaty. He is bitterly opposed
to the agreement and is expected to do
his utmost to defeat it. However, there'
is no indication that he will be able to ?
muster more than a few votes.
Administration Senators, calling at
the White House to-day, assured the !
President there would be only slight!
opposition to the four-power treaty!
when the test is finally taken. Senator
Underwood, Democratic leader, one of ;
the American delegates to the confer-1
ence, visited the Capitol to-day and!
conferred with many of his colleagues. |
Senator Underwood left no doubt that
he expects ratification of the confer- !
ence agreements and that he expects
but few votes in opposition either to
the four-power treaty or to the other
agreements.
Democrats With Underwood
Senator Underwood was in his place
in the Senate through a part of the
afternoon session. A large number of
the Democratic Senators conferred
with him and took occasion to assure
him they would not join the movement
which has been begun to unhorse
him as leader. Even Senator Glass, of
Virginia, leader of the movement to
unhorse Senntor Underwood as leader,
sat down by his side and told him that
statements by himself appearing in
newspapers against the Underwood
leadership were "unauthorized."
The day's developments indicated
that the movement to oust Senator
Underwood from the leadership of the
minority will not get far, although
there is no question of the hostility
of the radical Democrats toward him '
and their purpose to overthrow him ;
when they calculate they can command
the votes to do it. At the same time,
a number of the Democratic Senators
who will not fight Underwood's reten?
tion of leadership reserve the right to
vote as they see fit on the four-power
(Continued on next ?at?)
Stinnes to Visit U. S.
Soon, Is Berlin Report
Financier Expected to Confer
With American Bankers on
Reparations and Russia
Bu Wireless to The Tribune
Copyright, 1921, New York Tribune Inc.
BERLIN, Dec. 15.?It is reported in
financial circles that Hugo Stinnes is
going to the United States soon after
the new year to confer with American
financiers on reparations, as well as
on hift scheme for the formation of
an Anglo - German - Franco - American
combine for the restoration of Russia.
While the report must be taken with
reserve, persons close to Stinnes
neither deny nor affirm it.
?
*Flu' in U.S. Army on Rhine
150 Cages in Light Epidemic,
but No Deaths
COBLENZ, Dec. 15 (By The Asso?
ciated Press).?Many o? the Amer.uti
soldiers are in the hospital suffering
from influenza, which is epidemic.
There are at present 150 cases of the
disease, which is of a moderate type.
There is little pneumonia, and no
deaths have occurred thus far.
The moving picture houses have been
placed out of bound? by the army
authorities.
U.S.to Complete Colorado
and Washington and
Britain to Build Two
Vessels of Hood Class
French and Italian
Navies Next Issue
Shan?ung Now Only Ques?
tion of First Impor?
tance To Be Adjusted
By Carter Field
WASHINGTON, Dec. 15.?The
three naval powers finally have
agreed to scrap 1,775,000 tons of
their warships. After weeks of ne?
gotiation the 5-5-3 ratio laid down
by Chairman Charles IS. Hughes has
been acceded to by Japan, and as
soon as the extent of reductions in
the French and Italian navies is de?
termined the entire program of ar?
mament limitation will be embodied
in a treaty among the five nations.
Under the agreement Jripan will
be permitted to keep the pride of her
navy, the Mutsu, sci-apping in its
place the much older Satsu.
The United States will, following
the same line, retain the new battle?
ships now almost completed, the
Colorado and the Washington
scrapping the Delaware and the
North Dakota.
Britain Gels Two Hoods
Britain will be permitted to build
two new Hoods, with tonnage not to
exceed 37,000 tons each, American
computation, 35,000 British compu?
tation, and must scrap in their place
four of the King George V type of
ships.
Coupled with this agreement on
capital ships was an agreement ap?
plying to all island possessions of
both Japan and the United States in
the Far East, with Hawaii specifical?
ly exempted, not to change the pres?
ent status quo of fortifications. No
new fortifications will be construct?
ed and no old ones will be replaced
by modern ones.
Every detail of the agreement was
made clear in an official statement
read to the new sub-committee on naval^|
armament limitation plans by Secre-fl
tary Hughes just after 4 o'clock thla^
afternoon and given to the presB at
the State Department soon after 6
o'clock.
Program Slightly Revised
The revisions made in the original
Hughes program affected slightly the
number of ships and the total tonnage
to be scrapped by each nation. The
figures proposed by Secretary Hughes
and those fixed by the revision are:
No. of Ships Tonnage
Hughes Revised H'ig?H'S Revised
1'nited Status.. 30 30 845.140 820.540
Great Britain. 19 23 583.375 605.971-,
Japan . 17 17 488.92S 436,328
The number of ships to be retained
by the three powers and their total
tonnage under the Hughes and revised
plans are:
Xo. of Ships Total Tonn afp
Hughes Revised ilUKhes Revlned
United States. 18 IS 209.700 313.300
Great Britain. 22 20 604,450 5S2.05O
Japan. JO 10 299,700 313,30!?
At the expiration of the ten-year
! construction holiday the tonnage of the
three fleets will stand: United State**,
i 525,000; Great Britain, 525.000, and
Japan, 315,000.
For the time being the questions in?
volved in subsidiary craft, as, for ex?
ample, the appeal of Japan for moro
airplane carriers than she is allotted
under the Hughes plan, and of Britain
for the abolition of submarines, will
be sidetracked to permit the new naval
committee to take up the question of
the French and Italian navies.
British Objection Met
The decision to permit Great Britain
to build the two new Hoods, which
probably will be carried out during
the ten-year holiday period, will auto
mat:cal)y remove one of the British
economic objections to the Hughes pro?
gram as first advanced. This was that
on account of the injunction against
building ships during this ten years
the British would have a large num?
ber of r?placements falling due at the
end of the ten-year holiday and that
thereafter their navy always would
consist of a large number of new ships
every twenty years. This would be be?
cause they would build these ships im?
mediately at the end of the holiday,
and for a time after that the British
would heve a navy much stronger in
modern ships than the United States.
They would gradually lose this ad?
vantage during the twenty years, at the
end of which, under the Hughes plan
of replacing a ship twenty years old,
they would have a preponderantly new
navy again.
To-day s decision about building the
Hoods during this holiday meets that
? point, in which was involved also the
question of how to keep the British
shipyards occupied during the inter?
vals between building batches of big
ships every twenty years.
Changes Promote Economy
There are variations in numbeife o?
ships and tonnage in the agreement
finally reached to-day, buc the fact
stands out, in the opinion of observers
1 here that a great moral victory has
been won. The changes in the Hughes
i program are all in favor of economy
in the long run, it was pointed out, un?
less one assumes that the battleship
is obsolete, which the experts con?
nected with all three of the big powei
! delegate? here refuse to admit.
j Announcement ot* the agreement on
j the 5-5-3 ratio, h*>ld back for mor-s
than two weeks after it was actually
j reached, during the discussio? and sot