WEATHER.
Cloudy and warm, local thunder
showers Sunday afternoon or night.
Monday fate, with somewhat lower tem
perature. Temperature fo r twenty- two
hours ended at 10 p.m. last night: High
est, 86 at 2 p.m. yesterday; lowest, 68
at 2 a.m. yesterday. Report on page 5.
-I—-- -
Vs a VTL OQ Entered as sccond-clasn matter
iN O. i/Oit. iN O. I • post office Washington, D. C.
cults OVERTHROW
SET FOR TOMORROW
BY SOCIAUST CHIEFS
Germany Seethes as 30 Are
Slain in Riots While Pol
itical Chiefs Meet.
NEW DEAL WITH FRANCE
TO BE ASKED OF CABINET
Liberal Leaders and Workers De
mand Relief for Oppressed
Poor Classes.
Bt Cabl* to Th* Star and N>w York Tribune.
Copyright. 1D23.
BERLIN. August 11. —The fate of |
the Cuno cabinet—at least in its pres
ent composition —was decided todaj
when a caucus of the socialist relchs
tag delegation decided to overthrow
the government upon reconvocation
on Monday. The socialists will not
pupport the resolution expressing
lack of confidence In the government,
but will introduce their own resolu
tion of lack of confidence, stating at
the same time that they are ready to
support any government which ac
cepts certain of their minimum de
mands, especially a direct levy on
Capital-
Following this decision hy the so
cialists the bourgeois parties imme
diately went into caucus tonight to
discuss the situation arising from the i
socialists’ stand, which is regarded
as a bid by the socialists to join the
so-called “big coalition." with Gus
tav Stresemann as chancellor.
Thirty Killed In Riots.
While this situation was develop
ing along the political front thirty
persons were killed and scores In
jured in riots throughout Germany.
At Aix La Chappelle eleven were
Lille <l. but it is believed the situa
tion can be controled.
At Leipsic demonstrators paraded
the downtown streets and industrj
was at a standstill. A shortage of
currency was alarmingly felt. Au
thorities. however, said there was
enough food to go around.
Four persons were killed and many
more injured in outbreaks in Rati
iiour. in upper Silesia. Anti-govern
ment demonstrations and clashes
with the police occurred in Dresden.
Stuttgart, Jena and Passewalk. At
Crefell currency was short and the
populace plundered the food shops
when the dealers refused to sell on
credit. Four rioters were killed.
Ileclslon l'p to Ebert.
The final political decision lies to
night in the hands of President Ebert
and Chancellor Cuno themselves. Two
alternatives are believed to be open
in the face of present conditions—
either Cuno's resignation followed by
a “big coalition," or a readjustment
of the Cuno cabinet by the elimina
tion of Finance Minister Hermes and
Minister of National Economy Beck
er. who are regarded as chiefly re
sponsible for the government’s dis
astrous financial policy and conse
quent present, financial situation.
The first of these alternatives is re
garded as the one more likely to be
adopted.
Berlin Still Tense.
In Berlin the situation, while some- ,
what relaxed continued tense. These j
shop councils meeting called by the j
communists today proclaimefl a gene- j
ral strike, for Tuesday, affecting the j
capital and vicinity. The strike was j
called to enforce a whole series of j
demands, including the Immediate j
resignation of Cuno, the confiscation of |
all foodstuffs and provisions, recognl- j
tion of the workers control comm is- j
sions. in plants the rescinding of the 1
T order prohibiting the formation of |
armored proletarian bands, a minimum j
wage of sixty gold pfennigs an hour
and the release of all political pris
oners.
“Vorwaerts” pronounced the death |
verdict upon the Cuno cabinet today |
when it sgid:
’’Cuno will go. Perhaps today, per- )
haps tomorrow, perhaps Monday. But j
at any rate, quite soon. The question ;
now to be discussed is not whether j
the cabinet will go, but what Is to fol- j
low when it does.”
It was really this question which '
occupied the attention of the so- j
, iiallsts all day in their caucus. While \
i majority of them are willing to |
participate in a government headed j
by Stresemann, it is understood they j
will demand some of the leading port- i
folios, including the foreign office, j
the interior, national economy, and j
possibly finance.
I'nndidatex Named.
Their candidate for foreign minister 1
ts former Minister of the Interior j
Koester, now German envoy to Riga, j
On the other hand, it is regarded as j
Bxtremely probable that the Ruhr in- j
dustrlaltsts will be represented In the |
new cabinet through the well known |
magnate Kirdorff. who, with other 1
prominent members of the people’s j
party, strongly favors an effort at |
direct understanding with France as
a move absolutely' essential for the
rescue of the country from the pres
ent serious situation.
Herr Stresemann, It Is learned, is
willing to form a new cabinet if the
socialists join, but while he favors
conversations with France, all of his
recent declarations have been to the
effect that these cannot begin as long
gs Prance insists that passive resist
ance in the Ruhr cease first.
Worker* Demand Power.
Above all is the demand for a pure
ly workers’ government. The fact
that the strike was not set until
Tuesday, however, is regarded as an
indication that the communists really
are not aiming at a general walkout,
whjoh_ they are not at all sure of be- J
? . (Continued on Page 2. Column 3.)
BERGDOLL SHOOTS
FOE DEAD IN MAD
FIGHT FORFREEDOM
Bites Off Thumb of Another
in Kidnaping Plot—U. S.
Army Officer Is Held.
CONSPIRATORS SAVED
FROM INFLAMED CROWD
Frenchmen Victims; Plan Said to
Be to Get Draft Evader
Punished.
(B.v c *M»t» Star and the Philadelphia
Public Ledger. Copyright. 1923.)
j EBERBACH, Baden. August 11.
Grover Bergdol! last night for a sec
ond time escaped from an attempt to
kidnap him and spirit him across the
border into occupied territory for de
livery to American authorities for
trial and punishment.
Bergdoll himself was badly injured,
being beaten over the head with a
rubber billy while his assailants were
trying to stun and carry him off; one
of his assailants was killed and an
other seriously wounded, while a
third, together with an American offi
cer. giving the name of First Lieut. G.
H. Griffith, and an American chauf
feur, \ ictor Neilson. were captured
and barely escaped lynching at the
hands of the enraged friends and
sympathizers with Bergdoll.
The attempt was pulled off late last
night in the dark corridor of the Ho
tel Post and Krone, belonging to
Bergdoll’s cousin, while Bergdoll was
going to his room about 11 o’clock.
Bltee Off Mane Thumb.
Bergdoll after biting off the thumb
of one of the kidnapers, succeeded
in drawing his revolver and freeing
himself. Bergdoll, who ostensibly has
been in Switzerland, has for some
time made his headquarters at Zin
.sheim, where he felt himself in great
er security than in Eberbach. but
came to Eberbach several days ago
to see his mother, who recently ar
rived from America.
Three emissaries in the kidnaping
Plot, two Frenchmen and one a Rus
sian, have been scouting around Eber
bach for the last eight days, spying
out the lay of tha land, the Russian
remaining constantly In Eberbach.
while the two Frenchmen spent their
nights in Heidelberg to minimize sus
picion and avoid danger. Their
visits, however, did not escape notice
The Frenchmen were summoned by
the police, ostensibly to obtain pay
ment of the foreigners’ “tax.” but
really to ascertain their identity, and
thereafter a sharp watch was kept on
them.
Last night they succeeded in enter
ing the hotel unnoticed and lay in
wait for Bergdoll in a corridor lead
ing to his room. They attacked him
with rubber slingshots and also tried
to drug him. Bergdoll resisted des
perately. got the thumb of one of his
assailants into his mouth during the
struggle and bit It completely off.
Kill* Assailant.
He finally succeeded In drawing his I
revolver and shot one kidnaper dead I
and severely wounded the second. The
third, who rushed in. made off, close
|ly followed by gendarmes, and ran
j down the Heidelberg road toward the
; automobile awaiting the kidnapers.,
i The police arrived before it was pos
j sible to get away and arrested Lieut.
Griffith, Neilson and the Russian.
I An angry crowd gathered and i
j threatened to lynch the prisoners, but
the gendarmes succeeded in landing 1
j them in Jail.
j The Eberbach population is today 1
I still In a very ugly mood, and many
1 threats are heard, but danger of
violence to the prisoners is believed
past.
The kidnaping attempt was well or
ganized. AH the conspirators were
j armed, and provided with maps of
j Eberbach and the surrounding coun
) try, a diagram of the hotel, with the
! location of Bergdoll’s room and a
| supply of narcotics to be used in
| stupefying Bergdoll, and enable them
to get him across the frontier as a
| drunken friend, if stopped by the Ger
! man frontier police.
DENY ACT OFFICIAL.
i
; War Department Had No Part in
Bergdoll Plot, Is Said.
j By the Associated Press.
j War Department officials expressed j
i interest yesterday in reports of the
j attempted capture of Grover Cleve- |
1 (Continued on Page 2, Column 7.) ‘
| Keeper's Voice by Radio Stirs
Only Contempt of Elephant
| By Cable to The Star.
LONDON, August 11.—" We don't
care much for wireless,” was the
verdict of Indarini, one of the ele
phants of the Regents’ Park zoo,
when an experiment was made to
see whether the animal would
! obey the keeper's voice, coming
from a loud transmitter of a wire
less telephone set.
Pondering on the spread of the
broadcasting craze, some zoo offi
cials wondered whether It would
not be possible for the keepers to
give orders to their charges over
the wireless. They arranged a
demonstration with Indarini as a
subject.
At 6 o’clock Syed All. the Indian
mahout who rules over the zoo
elephant, began issuing orders in
Hindustani over the phone. His
first command was “He down.”
1% Jlwmfcm PW.
'' WITH DAILY EVENING EDITION
WASHINGTON, 1). €., SUNDAY MORNING, AUGUST 12, 1923.-EIGHTY-FOUR PAGES.
BRITISH DISPATCH
REPARATIONS NOTE
Message, Directed Primarily
to France, Questions
Ruhr Action.
By Cable to The Star.
LONDON. August 11.—The British
reparations note to France was dis
patched to Paris this afternoon. It
comprises a complete summing up of
the official British views on the whole
question of reparations, inter-allied
debts, the occupation of the Ruhr, ;
and the question of the security of I
the French Rhine frontier.
While Staulalre. the French am- j
bassador in London, tonight forward
ed the not© to his government, its
text will not be given out here until
tomorrow night whan it will be in
cluded with the blue book which will
be Issued containing all the docu
ment* bearing on the reparation*
situation since the Gertnab bote of
June 7.
Appeal to Pablle.
This evening’s London newspapers
emphasize a feature of the note which
foreshadowed the dispatch mentioned ,
above—that while it la primarily
addressed to France, it in reality con
stitutes a submission of the British
position to the bar of the world s
public opinion.
The British communication goes In
for a consideration of the legality
of the French Ruhr occupation. It
contains a repetition of the British
belief that Germany’s capacity to pay
should be re-assessed, preferably by
{an International commission, such as
I figured prominently in the recent
British reparations proposals.
It is pointed out that Britain has
suffered heavy losses since the Ruhr
occupation began In January, ’ and
j there is also an intimation that Brl-
(tain in any circumstances must col
lect enough to cover her own debt
j payment.
|SAUNDERS TO QUIT
I AS HEAD OF PIGGLY
Ready to Permit Control of Stores
to Pass to Hands of Pool
Members.
By the Af>*ocl*te<l Press.
MEMPHIS, August 11.—Clarence
Saunders, founder of Plggly Wiggly
and president of Piggly Wiggly,
Stores. Inc., tonight anhounced that 1
he was ready to step down from his
position as directing head of the
Piggly Wiggly stores and permit con
trol of the organization to pass into
the hands of members of the "pool,”
with whom he was associated in
Piggly Wiggly’s recent venture Into
Wall street.
Mr. Saunders made this announcement
1 on the heels of rumors that he would
j relinquish the presidency of Piggly
Wiggly Stores.
This development followed recent
differences between Mr. Saunders and
1 members of the pooL
Indarini glanced contemptuously
at the horn just outside her cage
and went right on eating her potatoes.
The second command, ordering
her to "stand up,’.’ seemed merely
foolish to her, as she had not
obeyed the first order. While other
instructions were being Issued
from the set, she simply finished
her dinner and looked disgustedly
at the horn.
Then the keeper, who was pres
ent, advanced and gave the same
orders. Incidentally, he empha
sized them by jabs with a sharp
stick. Indarini obeyed Imme
diately, but did not even glance
up when the "good night” signal
came over the wireless.
Zoo officials have decided for the
time being to stick to the old
fashioned methods.
(Copyright, 1X3.) «.
TODAY’S STAR
PART ONE—2B Pa K rs.
General News —Local, National, Foreign.
I Rest Farm Cares for Animals—Page 3.
Maryland and Virginia News —Pages
IS and 19.
Financial News—Pages 26 and 27.
PART TWO—2O Pages.
Editorial and Editorial Features.
Washington and Other Society.
Tales of Well Known Folk—Page 8.
Parent-Teacher Activities—Page 11.
Boys' and Girls’ Page—Page 12.
Girls' and Their Affairs—Page 13.
i Radio News and Gossip—Page 13.
I Classified Advertisements Pages 13
j to 18.
PART THREE—I 2 Pages.
| Amusements —Theaters and the Photo
! P'ay.
; Music In Washington—Page 4.
I Serial—‘‘The Owl Taxi"—Page 4.
| Around the City—Page 4.
| Reviews of New Books—Page 4.
Motors and Motoring—Pages 5 to 10.
Fraternities —Page 11.
Army and Navy New*—-Pa** 11.
Veterans of the Great War—Page 11.
Spanish War Veterans—Page 11.
The Civilian Army—Page 12.
The Public Library—Page 12.
PART FOl'Rr— 4 Pages.
Pink Sports Section.
PART FIVE—B Pages,
j Magazine Section —Fiction and Features.
GRAPHIC—B Pages.
World Events In Pictures.
COMIC SECTION—4 Pages.
Mutt and Jeff; Reg'lar Fellers; Betty;
Mr. and Mrs.
DONOVAN OUSTED
BV LEGION POST
Vincent B. Costello Organiza
tion Asks Resignation of
First Commander.
Daniel J. Donovan, District auditor
and first commander of Vincent B.
Costello Post of the American Legion,
was ousted by that post last night
EBp 1 i i.iiijj by a vote of 20
J The motion
Hi adopted called for
|i his resignation.
I 1 and authorized
■ the officers of the
K JHHr post, in case he
3MB. rliri not resign, to
refuse his
rsm>* Action of the post
' followed a pro
-118 ■ traded and bitter
/ ■». ''gSg controversy con
i : ceming a letter
Maj. Donovan. written by Dono
van to the departmental command
er of the legion, in which Donovan
criticized his post for its plan to
raise funds for a clubhouse by giv
ing the promoter 50 per cent of the
proceeds.
Donovan in his letter had charged
that Dr. Walter F. Sullivan, post com
mander, and the executive committee
had refused to carry out the express
ed orders of the post, which Donovan
said had voted against going Into
the fifty-fifty proposition. The con
tract with the promoter has since
been canceled by the post officers.
The motion to oust the district
auditor was presented by R. A.
O’Brien, vice commander, and sec
onded by E. J. Lefferts, vice com
mander, and precipitated a heated
argument, which waged until mid
night. Attempts to adjourn the
meeting at 11 o’clock without voting
on the Donovan ouster failed.
Refuses io Resign.
“I will not resign,” declared Maj.
Donovan, following the meeting. “I
will circularize the entire member
ship of the post, which is about 650,
and see that the whole matter is pre
sented to them.”
The anti-Donovan forpes. led by
O’Brien, and the commander. Dr. Sul
livan, charged that Donovan had been
(Continued on Page 2, ‘ Column S.)
SEP TO BE SNOT
IN KEPNERDEFENSE
Counsel Expects to Show by
Test Wife Could Have
Killed Herself.
By a Staff Corre»pon<l-nt.
FREDERICK. Md.. August 11.—The
lifeless head of a sheep’s carcass may
become the key with which B, Evard
Kepner's lawyers will unlock the cell
In which he is imprisoned, charged
with the murder of his wife, Mrs.
Kepner, the wealthy
daughter of an old Maryland family.
Persisting In his assertion that Mrs.
Kepner was the victim of her own
hand, Leo Weinberg, chief counsel
for the defense, will take the county
circuit court out, to a small hack lot
Monday morning and.’using the same
pistol with, which murder is alleged
to disprove testimony offered by the
prosecution to the effect that the
death bullet, entered Mrs. Kepner’s
head from the left Side.
Experts to Test Theory.
”It is a poor rule that doesn’t work
two ways.” said Mr. Weinberg to
night. “The prosecution used sheep’s
heads to show that the caliber bullet
which slew Mrs. Kepner makes a
small hole at the point of ingress
and a gaping at the point of
egress. If that Is true, then certainly
Mrs. Kepner was shot from the left
side and the possibility of suicide
seems to have been removed.
"But we have experts who will take
that same pistol Monday morning and
fire a bullet Into the head of a sheep.
When the skull Is examined by other
experts it will be found that the hole
Jmade where the bullet entered was
larger than where it left.. You know,
not only do different kinds of bone
vary, but (here are certain mathe
matical facts about the progress of
high-powered bullets In which the
court undoubtedly will be much In
terested.
Will Offer Bine Prints.
“We will ask the entire court and
every newspaper man In Frederick
to witness our Own demonstration,
because we are sure it will remove
all doubt In the minds of those who
see It as to whether or not suicide
would have been possible In the case of
Mrs. Kepner. In addition, we have a
number of blue prints, drawn to scale,
which will show that the bullet could
have entered Mrs. Kepner’s head from
the right side and still have lodged
In the wall where It was found.”
All doubt as to whether Mrs.
Ezra Houck, the elghty-four-year-old
mother of Mrs. Kepner, who lay a
helpless invalid in a room Just across
the hall from the chamber In which
Mrs. Kepner died, will testify, was re
moved late this afternoon following
a second visit to her bedside by
State’s Attorney Aaron R. Anders, and
Dr. J. O. Hendrix. Not only is Mrs.
Houck physically and mentally un
able to withstand such an ordeal, the
state’s attorney said, but her testi
mony could not be accepted by a
court.
"Mrs. Houck’s physical condition
Is so serious that she knows little of
what has transpired.” Mr. Anders
paid. “When we talked to her about
(Continued on Page 2, Column 7.)
TWO AMERICANS DIE
IN AIRPLANE CRASH
Pilot, Famous French War Aviator,
Also Killed in
Fall.
LE BOUBGET, FRANCE. August
11. —Two Americans, Arthur and
Joseph Steep, brothers, of Oil City,
Pa., were killed when an airplane
In which ’ they were passengers
crashed to the ground at Degny, near
here, today. Gabriel Poulaln, noted
for his exploits as a French airman
during the war, pilot of the machine,
also wu killed.
PRESIDENCY HARD, CRUEL
TASK, TUMULTY ASSERTS
Cites Grinding Duty
That Causes Break
in Health.
Fight for Re-election
Terrific Strain—
For One Term.
EDITOR’S NOTE—N'o min ha* * Hearer
conception of the duties of the prenitiency,
unlenH we except the di*tineul*hed holders
of that office, than Joseph j». Tumulty. for
eight years secretary to former I’resident
Wilson.
The country has seen the great burdens
of the office break down the health and
cause the death of Warren O. Harding: it
also knows how former President Wilson
became an Invalid before he left the While
House. Mr. Tumulty goes to the heart of
the matter, and reveals those things which
worry and harass the nation’s Chief Exec
utives.
BY JOSEPH I*. TUMULTY.
(Copyright. ISI2S. hr The Washington Star.
Reproduction Prohibited.)
The untimely death of President
Harding has brought on a discussion
of the duties and burdens of the pres
idential office. Distinguished public
men are now engaged in debating leg
islation with a view of relieving the
President.
The most definite proposal of relief
thus far advanced is that an official
be designated to act as assistant to
the President, upon whom will de
volve the ministerial duties in con
tradistinction to the administrative
duties which are inseparable fro&*
the office of the Chief Executive.
From my own experience in the
White House, covering a period of
eight years (three of which encom
passed the momentous events of the
FATE UPSETS PUN
OF G. 0. P. TO OUST
COOLIOGEINI924
Dramatic Accident Places
Him as Almost Sure Party
Standard-Bearer.
t . ■ ; 1
BY ROBERT T. SMALL.
In the calm that has followed the
‘ Storm, the ieadaxa pX the grand old
party, gathered herd from every sec
tion of the country, profest* to see in
the succession of Calvin Coolidgc to
the presidency a solution rather than
a complication of their problems.
Fate plays many strange prank;.
One turn of the political kaleidoscope
and the whole picture is changed.
The man the republican leaders had
decided to shelve, the man who was
to be cat/t aside after one term in the
vice presidency, flashes to the fore,
and these same leaders are agreed
today that he must be the next nom
inee of the party to succeed himself
in the White House. They are wait
ing for his orders.
It has been one of the most dra
matic switches in a presidential sit
uation ever known in Washington.
Men who two weeks ago shrugged
their shoulders at the mention of Cal
vin' Coolldge’a name-today attend
him, hat in hand. They have learned
that destiny sometimes rises above
the dictates of a party council.
* Slated for Shelf.
It has been decided that Mr. Cool
idge would lend no particular
strength to a ticket In lO’t headed
by Warren Harding. Mr. Harding
could pretty safely count upon the
New England vote anywav. In the
interest of party success. Mr. Ccol-
Idge must forego any further ambi
tions he might have and step aside to
make room for some good man from
the west, from the home of the pro
greasives and the radicals: some one
who might lend a touch, at least, of
progressive color to the national
ticket. _
All this is changed now. Party
leaders have faith in President Cool
idge Many of them believe that
even in the short time that inter
venes before the preference primaries
and the convention itself Is upon us
he will establish himself as the party
choice.
The conclusion that President Hard
ing’s death had left the party In
chaos was erroneous. The progres
sives and radical wings of the party
were preparing to descend upon Mr.
Harding In the presidential year. It
will be difficult for them to descend
upon President Coolldge. for he has
done nothing upon which they can
i descend-
Awamn Leadership.
1 Calvin Coolldge has assumed a lead
ership which must be respected. It
must not be assumed from this that
progressive hopes are dead. They
are still. In a mood to fight, to fight
somebody, somewhere. Perhaps they
can And rifts in the armor,
but the time is short, and he has all
the advantage.
The hopes of Hiram Johnson, of
L,a Follette, of Plnchot and the oth
ers who may have been considered
in line for the preeidentlal nomina
tion, were built upon an opportunity
of attack. They arc suddenly left
with no one to attack.
The Harding administration is gone
from consideration. It died with the
late President. The republican plat
form, dictated by the regular leaders,
•will point to the administration with
pride; the insurgents cannot view it
with alarm, for It Is a thing over and
done with.
Republican leaders no longer deny
(Continued on Page 4, Column 5.)
“From Press to Home
Within the Hour **
The Star is delivered every evening and
Sunday morning to Washington homes at
60 cents per month. Telephone Main 5000
and service will start immediately.
JOKKPH P. TIMILTY.
world war),, my opinion is that if the
plan of naming an assistant is car
ried out it ?rill be a mere expedient—
a quack renSedy—and would not go to
the heart of;the thing we seek to cor
rect. We cannot really lift the bur
dens which; beset the President at
every turn ifntii we find away to free
him from those things which worry
and harass, those things which take
his thoughts'^way from a proper con
sideration ofthe real questions of im
portance affecting the country's wel
fare and whil-h daily press upon him
for solution.
The trials J>f the presidency about
which we coinplain are inherent in
(Continued on Page 4, Column 6.)
Executive Office
Packing Directed
\ By Mrs. Harding
1 Mrs. Hardisig. who returned to
Washington yesterday from Ma
rion, spent toe entire afternoon
supervising the clearing out of the
effects of the'late President from
his office in tlhe Executive build
ing. .Secretary Christian. Rudolph
Forster, executive clerk, and oth- >
ers of the White House staff were
called into assist, and a mass of
material, consisting chiefly of cor
respondence and memoranda, was
taken away.
it is Mrs. Harding s present pur
pose to remain in the White House
at least until Monday, after which
time she may take up a temporary
residence here, either at the home
of Mr. Christian or of other
friends. Mrs. Coolidge, wife of
the President, greeted her at the
White House on her arrival from
Marion, and remained with her
for a brief time.
Miss Ruth Powderly. one of the
nurses who attended President
Harding during his fatal illness, is
at the White House with Mrs.
Harding.
GITIESIHOWVALUE
OF HIGHPRESSURE
Five Larger Centers Find
System Has Become Good
Investment.
| High-pressure water systems for
fire fighting in Baltimore. Philadel
phia. Cleveland, New York and Bos-
J ton are not only safeguards against
disastrous conflagrations, but are
proving to be good investments to the
taxpayers since their installation.
1 Aside from the actual saving in the
’ prevention of loss by fire, a drop in
; Insurance rates has followed the In
| stallation of the system in these
cities, and in New York and Brook
lyn taxpayers have been saved a
yearly average of $750,000 on insur
ance rates alone.
Installation of high-pressure sys
tems In these cities followed great
5 losses by fire in the cities mentioned,
3 as In Baltimore, whose great disaster
served as an impetus to the Installa
tion of high-pressure systems
throughout the country.
1 Will Washington wait for a great
r (Continued on Page 2, Column 2.)
; TOTH STILL SWIMMING
■ CHANNEL AT MIDNIGHT
. American's Two Competitors Forced
to Quit Four Hours After
r Start to France.
t _
i
By the Associated Press.
| DOVER. England, August 11.
Charles Toth, the doughty little Bos
s ton waiter, was still breasting the
_ seething currents of the English chan
j nel at the apprbach of midnight to
night in an attempt to swim to Calais,
according to latest reports. His two
r competitors, Sam Richards, also of
Boston, and Romeo Maclel of Argen
tina, who took to the water with him
5 at 12:35 here this afternoon, were
5 forced to abandon the swim after
having struggled with the waves, tide
• and wind for more than four hours.
1 Further interest was added to the
L event tonight when word was received
1 from Calais, France, that Enrique
Tlrabocchl, an- Argentine swimmer,
had started to swim the channel from
Cape Griz-nez to the English 'Hast.
FIVE CENTS.
COOLIDGE TO APPLE
FULL FORCE OF 0. S,
TO COAJJEADLOCK
Swift Action Indicated If Pay
Controversy Threatens to
Stop Production.
CABINET ON TUESDAY
TO TAKE UP PROBLEM
Resumption of Wage Parley Likely
to Be Requested This Week
by Government.
President Coolidge turned his at
tention vigorously yesterday to the
anthracite coal situation. It is ex
pected that he will take steps, unless
there is some intimation that the
operators and miners are going to
get together, within a very short time
to safeguard the people against a
shutdown of the mines and the cut
ting off of their fuel supply.
George Otis Smith of the United
States Coal Commission was with the
President for half an hour yester
day afternoon, and he was followed
by Joseph B. Eastman, the Massa
chusetts member of the Interstate
Commerce Commission.
The President, it is understood,
went into the anthracite situation
with both these callers, and also with
Secretary Hoover of the Departmen'
of Commerce, earlier in the day.
Will Consult Hammond.
Dr. Smith left here last night to go
to Gloucester. Mass., to meet John
Hays Hammond, chairman of the
coal commission, and report to him
the result of his conference with the
President.
The first formal meeting of -the
cabinet is to be held Tuesday. The
coal problem undoubtedly will be one
of the important Issues discussed at
that meeting. The President is pur
suing his usual course before acting
on important matters—gathering the
fullest information obtainable.
In informed quarters, however, i:
was said last night that if there were
no evidences of a coming settlement
of the controversy by the operators
and miners themselves, the President
would act quickly and would make the
contending parties understand that
the full force of the government—
which in this case is backed up
strongly by public opinion—would he
used to compel the continued opera
tion of the coal mines'.
Plans If Strike Comes.
Dr. Smith was asked if the coal
commission had worked out a plan
for government action in the event of
a strike.
"We have no plan worked out be
yond the recommendations made by the
commission in its report to the Presi
dent,” said Dr. Smith. These recom
mendations, to become effective, re
quire legislation giving the President
authority to declare a national
emergency and to bring about opera
tion of the mines by the government
in case of a strike. They also provide
for full publicity relating to the coal
industry.
It is considered doubtful, however,
that Congress will be called in extra
session unless conditions develope
that make it necessary for the Presi
dent to be given additional powers.
There is a growing belief, however,
that President Coolidge, if it becomes
necessary, will notify the operators
and the miners that, if they fail to
reach an agreement within a reason
able time, he will call Congress to
gether and obtain legislation giving
him full authority to take over and
work the coal mines in the event of
a shut down. That such legislation,
on the eve of a coal strike, could In
put through Congress at the sugges
tion of the administration seems u
foregone conclusion.
May Urge S«w Parley.
The governmental intervention ex
pected this week may take the form
of an invitation by the coal commis
sion to the officials of the miners’
union and representatives of the an
thracite coal operators to resume
negotiations for a wage contract
which would keep the men at work
after September 1. Negotiations
broke off ten days ago, when the
union representatives at an Atlantic
City conference demanded that the
operators grant the "check-off” in the
new contract, and the operators re-
I fused.
Due to the death of President
Harding, official action in the matter
has been held in abeyance, although
a study of the situation has been
continuing. Some officials are of the
opinion that sufficient anthracite has
been mined by the hlgh-pressnire pro
duction of the last six months to pre
vent a fuel famine, even if operations
were actually suspended, provided
the suspension was of short duration.
Notwithstanding, the chief desire is
to prevent any test of the storage
capacity.
IniUtn on Check-Off.
John Lewis, president of the
United Mine Workers and chief of
the union’s negotiators, visited
Washington for President Harding’s
funeral ceremonies. While here he
conveyed the impression to members
of the coal commission that the
"check-off” demand would be per
sisted in to the point of suspending
1 all work on September 1. There
were some Intimations at the coal
commission that the miners might
not care to walk out on that issue
alone, but they came from other than
union sources.
The "check-off” is the practice now
prevailing in the unionized bitumi
(Contlnued on Page 4, Column 1)