Evening star. [volume], December 31, 1923, Image 1

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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weather!
Kaln tonight: tomorrow rain, probably
changing to snow; mild temperature to
night. becoming much colder tomorrow
and tomorrow night: temperature for 24
hours ended at 2 p.m. today: Highest,
46, at 12 noon: lowest; 40. at 2:45 a.m.
today. Full report on page 7.
Closing N. Y. Stocks and Bonds, Page 20
v on AOU Entered as second-class matter
O. -J.UJo. post office Washington, D. C.
U.S. BACKING GIVEN
OBREGONMAY HAVE
BIG COMMENCES
South and Central America
Watching Policy of Selling
War Supplies.
DENIAL MADE HARDING
POSITION IS REVERSED
u '
Aim of Government Said Only to
Assist Friendly Nation to
Curb Insurrection.
By the Associated Press.
The de la Huerta faction in
Mexico today filed with the State
Department a formal protest
against the plan of the United
States to sell war materials to
the Mexico City government of
t Gen. Obregon.
BY DAVID I< A WHENCE.
Decision of the United States pov
ernent to sell muult'ons to the Obre
fron government in Mex.to means
more than the mere help of war
materials, It carries at expression
rs "loral sun ort which m:*' have far-
Teaching consequences in Central and
South America.
Although on the surface it would
appear that there is a contradiction
between the policy of the late Presi
dent Harding in refusing to supply
1 government .war munitions to other
countries, the decision of the Cool
j Idge administration is really in con
' formity with the Harding principle.
Mr. Harding did not wish to use war
supplies stored by the American gov
j ernment to "encourage warfare.”
Probably Mr. Coolldge would feel the
Barfle way if the supplies were to be
used as between two warring nations
both of which were on terms of peace
with the United States.
Aim to Cnrb Rebellion.
But the exportation of supplies to
' a recognized government to enable it
\ to squelch rebellion and maintain or-
I der within its gates is a different
I proposition. For several months
there has been an interesting discus
sion going on in the various foreign
0 offices of the world and also in Gen
t cva in the league of nations with re
* spect to the control of the sale of war
I supplies. The United States has re
fused to become a party to the pro
l posed treaty largely because of'an
unwillingness to tie its own hands
with respect to the situation in Cen
tral and South America.
The smaller countries south of the
Rio Grande do not have large arsenals
nor have they the necessary resources
with which to make arms in an emer
gency. The American government
feels that it should always be free to
supply them with vfhatever they may
need in the way of war material. The
decision of the American government
»• itself to do the selling marks a radi
cal departure in previous policy, how
• ever, in another respect. Heretofore
I ail the traffic in arms has been carried
on by private manufacturers, and it
lias been charged at various times
that these manufacturers were them
t selves instrumental In fomenting re
volt or, at least, in fanning the flames
•when once the fires of revolution
were kindled.
Keeps Arms Male Guarded.
B\> taking into Its own hands the
sale of munitions the Washington
government is able to maintain con
trol of the situation and keep private j
Interests from becoming entanglejl in
a. delicate problem.
While the biggest value to the
Obregon administration in the episode
is not the readiness of the American
government to supply arms, but Its
public announcement of sympathy
ywith the existing government In Mex
ico City, the decision is not without 1
its dangers. The de la Huerta faction
is known to be much more conserva
tive than the Obregon elements.
Up to this moment, American busi- j
jiess interests have not been Involved i
in any sense as between de la Huerta 1
and Obregon, the position being taken j
that both groups were friendly to the i
American investor and business man. i
Propaganda 1m Possible.
Now, however, it would not be sur
prising if the de la Huerta faction j
(Continued on Page 4, Column 1.) j
* CHINESE BANDITS
f CAPTURE U. S. WOMAN
Seize Mrs. Julina Ellen, Lutheran
, Missionary—Two Others
Wounded in Raid.
By the Associated Press.
PEKING, December 31.—Followers
of the notorious bandit leader, Lao
Yao-Jen captured an American mis
sionary, Mrs. Julina Kilen, and
cunded two other missionaries. Prof.
Bernhard Hoff and Mrs. Hoff, in a raid
upon the town of Tsaoyang, in north
ern Hupeh province near the border
town of Siangyangfu, according to
advices received here today.
The American legation has taken
v active steps to bring about the cap
s lure of the brigands and the libera
tion of Mrs. Kilen. The Chinese gov
ernment has offered a bounty for the
capture, dead or alive, of the bandit
leader.
The thro missionaries are repre
sersS&tives 91 the Church of the Lu
theran Brethren of the United States
and were conducting a mission at
TsaofMg wh«n the town was raid
ed. Warned of activities of the ban
dits in the vicinity, by the tuchun. or
military governor of the province,
they had vacated their station and
embarked on river craft for safety
before the raid. Later, however, on
receiving asqrancea from the tuchun
that the bandits had been suppressed,
they returned to the mission.
fMrs. Kilen is fifty years old, and
her home is in Northfield, Minn. Prof.
Hoff. thirty-two, and Mrs. Hoff, twen
, ty-flve. were married here last
August, and only recently had
gone to Tsaoyang, accompanied by
. Air*. Kilen, to open the mission there.
They formerly resided in Grand
jLorlts and Abercrombie* D,
i
Klondyke Gold
And Silver Find
Starts New Rush
By the Associated Press,
DAWSON, Y. T.. December 31.
The Klondyke Is in the throes of
another gold and silver rush.
| At the head of the Beaver river,
fifty miles west of Keno Hill, a
reported discovery of silver and
gold has started a stampede from
Keno and from Mayo, the major
mining settlement of the Yukon.
Assays have revealed pay dirt
running 1,100 ounces of silver to
the ton. Radio messages have told
of gold without giving details of
assays.
choicelgeddes’
SUCCESSORSCOREDI
Undue Haste in Picking Brit
ish Envoy to U. S. Charged
by Liberal Daily.
By the Associated Press.
LONDON, December 31.—Comment
ing on the resignation of Sir Auck
land Geddes and the appointment of
; Sir Esme Howard, the liberal Daily
News protests angrily against “the
. indecent hurry with which the mori
bund government filled the most im
portant position in the diplomatic
service.” It contends that "at this
juncture of events the ambassador at
Washington ought to be a representa
tive Englishman well known on both
sides of the Atlantic and with special
gifts for strengthening the new un
.) derstanding which has recently grown
up between the two nations.” The
Daily News asks whether the pre
mier’s frantic haste In appointing Sir
Esme was due to fear lest the next
ministry should appoint some impos
sible person.
The Westminster Gazette, whose
political views are identical with
those of the Daily News, takes the
opposite position, saying that as the
i selection of the successor to Ambas- i
■ sador Geddes fell “to a government!
awaiting execution, it is right that 1
j the ambassador should be appointed !
i from the ranks of the diplomatic
I corps rather than from the outside.”
Polities Is Denied.
“That robs the choice of all politi
cal significances.” continues the
newspaper. *Tt has other advantages.
Inasmuch as during the next few
years relations with the United States
must Involve many questions In deal
ing with whlch-xjiplomatic experience
will be most desirable.”
The newspaper argues that in the
*Jl ure the United States, far more
than In the past, must concern her
self with affairs outside her own
borders, and that the business aspects
of a diplomatic relation consequently
will have more prominence. The only
other comment Is that of the Daily
Express, which dwells on the smooth- I
ness of the tasks before both Ambas
sador Kellogg and Ambassador How
ard. because obliteration of the last
seeds of disagreement has made a
reality of the friendship to which
many decades of lip service have been
paid.”
Mr. Kellogg left New York on his
birthday and landed In Plymouth Yes
terday on the birthday of Mrs. Kel
logg. They were greeted by the may
or of Plymouth.
Baldwin Bark in London.
Prime Minister Baldwin is expected
to return to London from his Christ
mas holiday in the country today, and
j an early tneetlng of the cabinet to
complete the king’s speech for the
opening of parliament a week from
tomorrow is foreshadowed.
Newspapers whose avowed object Is
! to prevent, if possible, the installa
tion of a socialist government renew
today stories that a considerable sec
tion of the liberals in dissatisfied with
the attitude of Herbert Asquith and
other leaders and is working for an
arrangement amounting to a fusion
of the liberals and conservatives to
support the Baldwin ministry on some
agreed non-party program to, keep
| the socialists out.
The Times professes to be able to
correct these reports, saying that
| Ramsay Macdonald will take over the
i premiership before the end of Janu
! ary with the full consent of the con
i servatives and with the assistance of
! the liberals, and that the gloomy pre
j dictions of the results of the advent
< of the socialists to power emanate
largely from “the ranks of the panic
! stricken plutocrats, who have failed
I to have their way with Mr. Baldwin
and whose wild alarm is not shared
I by the responsible leaders of any of
i the three parties.”
G«44m to Return.
The foreign office has issued the fol
i lowing statement respecting the reslg
-1 nation of Sir Auckland Geddes as am
bassador to the United States;
“Sir Auckland Geddes, having been
informed by his medical advisers that
the state of his eyes will not admit
of his immediate resumption of work
(Continued on Page 4, Column 6.)
iTSAO KUN HELPLESS
i WITH SEALS STOLEN
I
Fears to Leave Palace —No Act of
Parliament Gan Be Made
Official.
!
BY (LIFFORD FOX.
Br Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News.
J Copyright. 1923.
PEKING, December 31.—Recent de
velopments in the central government
situation have virtually paralyzed
President Tsao Kun’s administration.
Tsao Is afraid to leave his palace
because of assassination acts, and Act
ing Premier Kao Llng-Wel has seized
the parliamentary ballot box contain
ing the votes of ratification of Sun
Pao-Chl’s candidacy for the premier
ship. Wu Ching-Llen, erstwhile speak
er of the house of representatives and
former stanchest advocate of the aboli
tion of extra territories, has fled to
safety in the foreign concession at
Tientsin, where he enjoys protection
under the Japanese flag.
Before fleeing Peking Wu-Chlng-Lien
seized the parliamentary seals, mak
ing it impossible for parliament to
pass upon the cabinet decisions as pro
vided by China’s new constitution. All
efforts of the Chinese police to recover
the seals and arrest Wu have thus far
Jailed, because they do not dare act
ft’bUe Mu Is under. £be Japanese flag, t ,
*
Uht lEticnimj ms£.
J V X WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION W 7
WASHINGTON, D. MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1923-TWENTY-SIX PAGES.
NEW BOARD NAMED
TO SOLVE TRAFFIC
ISSUESJDISTRICT
Permanent Body Co-Ordi
nates Various. Agencies.
Headed by Maj. Holcomb.
BALL TO SEEK REMEDIES
IN NEEDED LEGISLATION
jWill Introduce Bill for More Po
j lice, Better Lighting and Crossing
Squad Under Full D. C. Rule.
Two decisive steps toward finding a
solution of Washington’s traffic prob
lem were taken today.
! The first was the appointment of a
permanent traffic board by the District
Commissioners composed of Maj. \V. H.
Holcomb, assistant engineer commis
sioner, as chairman; Inspector Albert
J. Headley, In charge of the traffic bu
reau, and Ringgold Hart, assistant
corporation counsel. The board co
ordinates the District agencies han
dling traffic, namely, the engineering
department, the police department and
the legal department.
The second step was the announce
ment of a tentative draft of a proposed |
report on traffic conditions in the Dis- j
trlct, prepared by Senator Ball, chair- I
man of the District committee. This j
report will be submitted, when com- |
plete. (o two other members of a Sen
ate subcommittee which has been in
vestigating traffic conditions here. j
Engineer Commissioner Bell, in an- j
uounclng the appointment of the per
manent traffic board, declared that It i
will become a branch of the District
government and Is being created with
a view to bringing about co-ordinated
and concerted action between the |
various municipal agencies in better- j
ing traffic conditions.
Will Make Thorough Study.
Maj. Holcombe will be relieved of j
j some of his other duties, if necessary. !
Ito make a thorough study of the |
1 traffic situations, the Engineer Com- j
| missloner stated. He added that the ]
chairman of the new board already (
has begun the task and from time to
time he will be sent to other large
cities of the country to keep in touch
with what those centers of popula
tion are doing to facilitate the move
ment of traffic and to reduce the
death toll of the streets. ,
All the suggestions recently
brought out at the Senate committee
investigation into local traffic mat
ters will be given careful considera
tion by the new board, Maj. Bell said.
“The handling of traffic.” said Maj.
Bell, "presents many engineering fea
tures. such as the widening of streets
and the provision of ample lighting
equipment. Maj. Holcombe already
alts with Maj. Wheeler and Capt.
Wood on an engineer department
board which deals with such matters
' and he will be able to keep the traffic
board informed of everything the en
gineer department is doing that may
have a bearing on traffic.”
Urges More Police.
Among the recommendations which i
Senator Ball’s report will contain are j
the following:
An increase in the number of po
licemen employed by 160, as recoin- !
1 mended.
Better lighting of streets in Wash
ington.
All crossing policemen to be paid
by the District government instead of
by the street railway companies, thus
giving the District full authority to i
assign these men to whatever duty !
may be necessary.
One feature of the report which Is
being given very careful considera
tion has to do with parking of auto
mobiles In the congested area. Sen
ator Ball has in mind a plan whereby
automobiles shall be parked no longer
than fifteen minutes In an area run
ning from K street to F street, in
clusive, and from 7th to 17th streets
northwest. The same plan contem
plates a shorter period of parking
in Pennsylvania avenue. In the opin
ion of Senator Bail, some such plan
must be adopted or else all parking
In the congested area must be pro
hibited.
Would Change School Honrs.
Senator Ball today received from
Capt. Julius I. Peyser, president of
the District of Columbia Public
School Association and a member of
the board of education, a letter re
questing the senator to give his views
on the proposal that the public
schools shall be opened hereafter at
9:30 o'clock Instead of 9 and shall
close a half hour later in the after
noon. Capt. Peyser said that this pro
posal was put forward to relieve con
gestion on the street cars and to bet
ter safeguard the children from traf
fic accidents and from disease, which
is more easily spread in congested
street cars. He said that the views
of the chairman and other members
of the Senate District committee on
this question would be valuable in
giving it further consideration.
Senator Ball said that he had not
! fully made up his mind in regard to j
this proposal. While he admitted the
benefits to be derived therefrom, he
said there were arguments against |
the plan. For example, he said un- i
doubtedly many of the children are
employed In the afternoons selling i
or distributing newspapers or doing
other work to help their parents. To
extend the school hours a half hour l
I later in the afternoon might work n |
i hardship on these children and their j
I families.
PLEA WIRED GERMANY
FOR PARDON OF GRIFFIS |
i
By the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, December 31.—A cable
gram to President Ebert of the Ger
man republic asking the pardon of
Lieut. Corliss H. Griffis, serving a
sentence at Mosbach, Germany, for
the attempted kidnaping of Grover
Cleveland Bergdoll. American draft
evader, was sent last night by Dr.
James Whitney Hall, president of
the association seeking Griffis’ re
petitions circulated In cities
throughout the country to which
have been placed the signatures of
thousands of citizens determined the
officers of the association to make
Immediate efforts to secure Griffis’
pardon, Dr. Hall said. Unless favor
able action is the result of this cable
gram, a conference will be held in
Washington January 14. and a rep
resentative delegation selected to go
to Germany to present the petition
in person.
The goal of the committee has been
.raised #i*uMur»a l
j DECEMBER 31. 1923.
DM WILL SEEK 7
TRACE OF DIXMUDE
Protest Made Against French
Admiral for Orders Given
i
Ship's Commander.
I
j Bj- the Anwiated Pres*.
PARIS, December 31. —Ah noon as
! the pale off the coast of Sicily abates
the French authorities will institute
diviner operations around the spot
where the body of Lieut. Grenadan
was found last week, in an effort to .
determine beyond a doubt whether ,
the airship he commanded, the lost j
dirigible Dixmude. with her fifty of- )
fleers and men, went down in that I
'vicinity or if her commander’s body I
alone fell from the airship there.
Except for this search, the Dixmude j
disaster has entered the realm of de
termination of responsibility for the
loss of the airship, beginning with the
appointment of a naval commission
jof investigation. This commission (
1 will begin its sittings January 2 at j
j Toulon.
i At the ministry of marine today it j
was explained that the investigating
I body would not constitute a court- i
I martial, but was the usual commls- j
| slon named after a ship had been lost
j at sea to determine the immediate re- J
j sponsibilittes of her captain and de- i
j clde whether he should be retained In j
j command. In this instance, owing to i
I the death of Lieut. Grenadan, the |
I question is one of clearing his mem- ;
; ory from blame or ruling that he was j
| responsible for the tragedy.
May Probe Higher Officer*.
The commission will go no further
| in its Investigations than, the ship’s
i officers and crew, but should its find
ings completely exonerate them, certain
interpellations will be made when the
chamber of deputies reconvenes, with
the possibility that a parliamentary
commission may be appointed to in
vestigate the responsibilities of supe
rior officials.
There has been some criticism in
naval circles that orders had ema
nated from the headquarters of the
admiral commanding the Algiers base.
Instructing Lieut. Grenadan not to
try to make the French coast. The
‘ criticism declared full authority
j should have been left the man en
i gaged in fighting the elements to de
termine what measures should best
be taken to save the dirigible and
the lives of its crew.
GRENADAN SAW DEATg. |
1
Tragedy * Takes Scandal Turn;
S. 0. S. Call Picked Dp Dec. 21.
By Cable to The Star and Philadelphia Public
Ledger. Copyright, 1923.
I PARIS. December 31.—The loss of
I the dirigible airship Dixmude, which
now Is described as a “tragedy,"
i easily go down In French aeronautic
I annals ae a “scandal" following the
■findings of the committee of investi
gation which is charged with fixing
| the responsibility for the disaster.
1 From an authorltlve source It has
i been learned that the SOS call report
ied to have been picked up by the
1 steamship Lamartine actually was
I sent by the Dixmude at 2 o clock
on the morning of December 21. It
was directed to the Italian aviation
base. Porte Alexandretto. on the Sici
lian coast, because that was the only
station within flying range where
Commander de Grenadan knew- he
stood the slightest chance of land
in The two stations in northern Africa
to which the French ministry of ma
rine later ordered Grenadan to pro
were known by the commander
j (Continued on Page 2, Column 8.)
I AFGHAN BORDER RAIDS
ALARM BRITISH INDIA
Viceroy Cuts Short Tour of Burma.
Officers and Women
Murdered.
EANGOON, British India' December
31, The’ viceroy has curtailed his
tour of Burma and is returning to ;
Delhi because of the Afghan trouble.
There is an Increasing tenseness be
cause of the raids over the north
western frontier. Mohammet All,
president df the India national con
gress denies the possibility of an
Afghan liwasion saying that ‘the
Kabul ponA cannot swallow the In
dian elephalt-”
Recent .Mspatches from London
have reportsl the murders of British
officers andMwomen along the north
western frostier of India, by Afghan
tribesmen, *
25,000,000 to 50,000,000 in Nation Listen
To Radio , Spend 3400,000,000 on It
I Takes Place Among Nation’s Largest Industries , With
Demand Ever Growing—Jazz Music Most
Popular—Movies and Auto Hurt.
BV FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE,
Nineteen hundred and twenty-three
was the radio year. It found be- j
I tween 25,000.000 and 50.000.000 Us- I
; teners-in throughout the United j
States. Receiving apparatus valued
at anywhere from *40,000.000 to
150.000,000 was marketed. Manu
facturers were never able to keep up
with their orders. In dollar value ‘
the electric bulbs used for radio ap- |
; paratus today represent one-quarter!
of alt incandescent lamps made. The ’
radio industry is already practically
on the level attained by the talking
machine trade, accounting for an an- j
nual volume of business of $400,000.- I
, 000. In 1924 radio will cross the ‘
• *300,000,000 mark and be on the high
road to becoming one of the fore
most industries in the United States.
The Radio Corporation of America,
which is the distributing agency of !
SPORTS FEDERATION
:MAY ATTACK A. A. U. 1
i
j Amateur Body, Meeting j
Here, Resentful of Con- |
trol of Athletes.
r .
A determined effort to reduce con
trol over certain branches of amateur
j athletics held for years by the Ama
teur Athletic Union was expected to
be made this afternoon by the Na
tional Amateur Athletic Federation of
America in the closing session of its
second annual meeting at the Ameri
can Red Cross building. Addressing
the more than fifty delegates, all
from nationally active constituent
members of the federation, its presi
dent, Col. Henry Breckinridge, this
morning fired the opening gun of'the
battle against the Amateur Athletic
| Union, and the fight was to be con-
I tinued in resolutions to be brought
I before the meeting this afternoon.
In submitting his annual report
Col. Breckinridge emphasized the mis
sion of the federation, which is an
alliance of organizations national in
scope devoted to the promotion of
physical education, wholesome recrea
tion and amateur athletics. While
not specifically mentioning the A. A.
U., the federation president insisted
that control of amateur athletics here
should not be vested in any particu
lar unit, but that all organizations
interested in sports should hold equal
prlvleges in their conduct.
Purpose to stimulate.
A hlrtt of the federation's opposition
to the alleged autocratic policies of
the A. A. U. was conveyed 'by Col. i
Breckinridge when he said: "The j
purpose of the federation is to stlmu- •
late, not to repress. If possible, we |
would assist each constituent member
to play Its role more abundantly and I
to occupy its field more fully.
“We do ont touch the individual j
except through our members. We
claim no police power over him. We !
do not say to him, ‘You shall not go ,
there.’ or ‘you must not do this.’ We
•call for no Prusslanlzation in the field
of American recreation, and shall en
gage in no persecution or proscription
of American athletes at home or
abroad.”
Col. Robert M. Thompson, president
iof the American Olympic Association, i
which will direct the assembling of
the team to represent the United
States in the Olympiad In France
next summer, pleads for peace among
all organisations promoting sports.
He told of the present necessity of
his organisation accepting the edicts
of the A. A. U. as United States
correspondent of the International
Athletic Federation, a body that has
assumed great Importance in the con
duct of International competitions
and in the government of the Olym
piads.
Col. Thompson cited briefly the case
(Continued on Page 4. Column 4.)
\
New Year Day
The regular edition of
The Star will go to press
at 1 o'clock. There
will fee jio £:3O edition. L
the Westinghouse and General Elec
tric Companies. in 1922 bookec
orders aggregating *14.409,557. bu
could fill only *11,286,489 of them
Figures for 1923 are not yet mad*
up. but they will be not less that
double those for 1922. In addltior
to the Westinghouse and Generg
Electric, seventeen other concerns
throughout the country are manufac
turing radio apparatus produced un
der the Armstrong patent, the stand
ard process..
Radio quietly but steadily is effect
ing a revolution in American soda
habits, deslned. perhaps, to ehangi
them as radically as tho automobile
! and Gie ’’movies” have done.. Both o’
; the latter industries, indeed, alreadj
1 are feeling the effects of raldo com
j petition. Folks.who thought of buy
: ing a car or a new car have In count
less cases decided instead to put if
a radio set in their home. Pamiliei
that used to depend on the “pictures’
for the evening's entertainment ar<
coming more and more to gather It
tlie living room and “listen-in” or
programs far more varied and enter
(Continued on Page 4.’ Column 2.)
AUTO RECIPROCITY
IN EFFECTTONIGHT
D. C. Tags for 1924 Will Be
Honored in Maryland.
1923 Tags Good Here.
Automobile reciprocity betweer
Maryland and the District of Colum
bia goes into effect at midnight.
Washington motorists who wish
to take advantage of the temporarj
agreement tomorrow must have 192*
D. C. tags on their cars, however
although the Commissioners have is
sued an order permitting car owner:
to operate within the District ox
1923 tags until January 5 because o;
the impossibility of selling new tag!
to every one today.
A crowd again jammed the licens<
office In the District building todai
to get new tags.
Temporary reciprocity was agree:
to by Maryland and the District ir
the hope that before March 1 Con
gress will enact the gasoline ta:
law, which would make possible i
permanent agreement.
The Senate District committee. Sen
ator Ball declared today, had inserted
in the gasoline tax bill a proposal U
retain the personal property tax or
automobiles largely because the com
mlttee had expected the House to sene
the bill to the Senate in that shape*
He said that he himself was not par
tlcularly anxious to see the persona
property tax retained, since there was
little likelihood that the additions
money raised thereby would be appro
priated for the use of the District. Th«
revenues derived from taxation now. h<
pointed out. are not fully used, becaust
Congress does not appropriate up tc
the maximum amount for the District
"I should be glad to see the money
derived from a personal tax on auto
mobiles in connection with the gaso
line tax law used for further street Im
provements and repairs,” said Senator
Ball. "But Ido not see much proapecl
of that being done.”
Senator Ball said that his commute*
would begin hearings during Januarj
on proposed street railway legislation
including the McKellar bill to force v
reduction in street car fares to 5 cents
a ride.
400 Stills Taken
In Raids Crushed
By Steam Roller
By the Associated Press.
UNIONTOWN, Pa.. December 31.
Sheriff I. I. Shaw of Fayette
county today employed a steam
roller to destroy 400 stills, con
fiscated In this region during the
year. The stills were carried to a
paved street in the rear of the
county jail and the heavy roller
went Into action.
Last week the sheriff destroyed
confiscated whisky, moonshine and
wine worth more than $200,000.
The order to destroy the con
traband was given by the county
court when Sheriff Shaw, who
goes out of office tomorrow, an
nounced that he wanted to quit
.with a clean slat*, „
“From Press to Home
Within the Hour”
The Star’s carrier system covers
every city block and the regular edi
tion is delivered to Washington home*
as fast as the papers are printed.
Saturday’s Net Circulation, 91,074
Sunday’s Circulation, 99,338
Mercury Sinks
To 40 Below in
Wyoming Hills
liy the Associated Press.
ROCK SPRINGS. Wyo„ Decem
ber 31.—Temperatures averaging
forty degrees below zero are re
ported from the mountainous dis
trict around Rock Springs, and
sheep and cattle raisers are de
clared to have been exceptionally
hard hit. In Rock Springs last
night the temperature was down
to twenty-flve degrees below zero.
Snow fell Saturday night and early
yesterday and drifts have made
roads impassable.
OMAHA, Neb.. December 31.
The most severe storm of the
winter, bringing sub-zero tempera
tures, wind-driven snow and ap
prehension for cattle on the
ranges of western Nebraska and
eastern Wyoming, struck this sec
tion yesterday.
Temperatures of from eight to
ten degrees below zero prevailed in
South Dakota, and at Sheridan.
Wyo., a temperature of twelve
degrees below was reported.
ELABORATE PLANS i
[LAID TWEET 1924
i Celebrations to Range F rom
j Church Services to Dance
J and Dinner Parties.
| The infant 1924 will be greeted in
j home, church and hotel tonight with
I j manifestations of joy on the part of
j the residents of the National Capital,
J as old 1923 breathes its last at mid
j night.
With music and song, ranging from
the glad hymn, as congregations wel
come the New Year at watch parties
throughout the city, to the latest fox
trbt number resounding at hotels.
Washingtonians will give 1924 a rous
•- Ing welcome.
d Even radio, precocious Infant of i
science, will be utilized here to wel- |
le come the New Year, when, station 1
n WCAP broadcasts, beginning at 11 j
" o’clock this evening, a concert of j
’ s chimes music from the memorial i
.. chimes at the Church of the Epiphany, ■
i- | followed by orchestra music.
Dry Forces to Keep Watch.
Police are taking all precautions;
to prevent use of intoxicants in pub
p lie places at watch-night affairs, and 1
e members of the hip-pockot brigade ;
,f found In public places partaking of ]
y “wet goods" or treating their friends I
i. may expect arrest.
r- Divisional office* of the prohibition |
L- unit throughout the country will 1
n keep “open house" tonight in a con- l
■s certed effort to prevent New Year '
parties from violating the prohibition i
•e law.
n Prohibition officials declared todav j
n that with "extra precautions” being I
•- | taken everywhere. It seemed certain
- ! the old year would pass out in a
| perfectly legal manner.
More frequent use of the injunc
tion provisions of the prohibition, act
I and a drive against the "big con
spirators.” the officials added, will
jbe the policy followed by the drv
unit in 1924. The smaller cases, they
added, will be left for state and
r j local officials to handle,
I | In addition to the many watch par-
I j ties at churches and dining parties at
I ■ hotels and cases, countless homes in
i the District will hold their own par- i
j ties when the New Year will be given i
| a noisy, rousing welcome.
0 Temperature to Drop.
j It is expected that the weather will j
j have cleared by the time 1924 arrives, I
j with a rapidly descending thermo- !
j meter, so that the blare and blast of 1
whistles and horns from all sections |
of the city will resound through crisp,
n cool air.
i- These happy celebrations this even- i
ing will be_ the prelude to an old- !
. fashioned New Year here tomorrow, I
h ( when the White House will resume I
y | *he annual New Year reception.
. | Citizens will be received in the after- !
1 noon by President Coolldge, after he j
r - has formally greeted members of the i
i- diplomatic ' corps, high government ;
. s officials and representatives of pa- '
triotlc and civic organizations.
n At 28th and M streets the citizens
>f jof Georgetown will light their
:s j Christmas tree, and hold ceremonies, !
j beginning at 8 o’clock this evening.
I under the auspices of the Georgetown
ie Community Sing committee. The pro- i
y j gram given Christmas eve will be i
j repeated. Members of the choirs are j
'asked to assemble, at 7:45 p.m., in
d the Peck Memorial Chapel.
Hotels Fxpect Crowds.
1-
x Hotels and cases made gigantic
a preparations today for the night's
festivities, where bright lights and
i- gay music, will while away the few
j (Continued on Page 2, Column 57)
j PARISIANS WORRIED
j AS SEINE RISES FAST
ii
>-1
| i River Threatens Suburbs With
o ; Inundation—People Preparing
y ; to Leave Homes.
•-1 -
>- j
I’ ; By the A«o< i»ted Pres*.
■t 1 PARIS, December 31. —The Seine
• was rising faster than ever today and
* expert observers said it would prob
i, ably continue to do so all this week.
a Parisians are beginning to ask
8 whether they are to live over again
the ordeal of the Inundation of 1910,
when the river passed the twenty
seven-foot mark. Crowds watch the
swollen yellow stream as It rolls
through the cit£ whirling timbers,
barrels and miscellaneous wreckage
f to the sea.
The prefect of police visited the
flood threatened suburbs last night
and made arrangements with the civil
and military authorities for the
evacuation and shelter of the inhabi
tants who, it seems, more than likely
will have to leave their homes at no
distant date.
MOSCOW, December 31. —Reports
from Petrograd say that part of the
city is submerged under the waters
of the Neva, .which has flooded its
banks despite the severe winter
weather. Many factories have been
inundated.
The Neva is full of icebergs floating
in from Lake Ladoga. Special sapper
detachments are working day and
night dynamiting thejn.
TWO CENTS
DRY MEN QUESTION
6 0. C. DETECTIVES
ON BOOTLEG LIST
Two Refuse to Explain or Tell
Whether They Are
Liquor Users.
ONE STOUTLY REFUSES
TO BE “STOOL PIGEON”
Another Says He Does Not Drink
Some Claim Paper Is Part
. of “Frame-Up,’’
i
; Six headquarters detectives have
j been brought into the, local rum syn
j dicate investigation, 'it was learned
j today, when it was discovered tha*
Saturday afternoon special intelli
gence agents of the Treasury Depart
ment interviewed them at the Treas
ury building in an effort to find on'
why their names appeared on one of
the lists in their possession.
It is understood that the names of
these men are on the list of twenty -
one found on the person of one of tb.
men arrested in the conspiracy case
?. n >^ cem t)er 21. In checking up fhi
list the special intelligence operators
r^ n j across this group of names, snug
gled down beside some other fair!’
prominent names.
Refuses to Talk.
Saturday afternoon the question
ing of the headquarters detectives
started. One of the men was asked
to furnish information concerning
some of his colleagues. He told the
investigators very politely that he
was a detective and not a “stool
pigeon” and Invited them to go some
where else to look for their informa
tion.
Another was asked to make an affi
j davit concerning his habits and eo
i brlety. He refused flatly to do so,
j informing them that he was not there
!to be insulted and would take no iu-
I suits from them.
Denim I nine I.iquor.
i Still anothar did not hesitate about
i signing an affidavit relative to bis
| use of Intoxicating liquor. The affi
davit stated he had no use for such.
I All of the men whose names are
supposed to appear on the list have
made records for themselves in their
1 respective lines of work and are helo
|in the highest regard by their su-
Iperiors.
Officials at the special agents’ head
quarters lir the Treasury Department
, would not discuss the case. Elmer
jlrey, chief of the special intelligence
> unit, refused either to affirm or deny
J anything relative to the interviews
j Saturday.
Oyster is Silent.
| AVhen asked regarding this. Com
missioner Oyster said. “You’re bring
ing news to me.” He would not dis
cuss it.
Detectives were looking up at
torneys this morning to put the cases
up before them, they said.
Possibilities that the list of twentv
one is a “frame-up" list, made up bv
bootleggers, were being discussed iii
official quarters today. It was admitted
that it would be an easy thing for boot
leggers to frame up a list of their ene
j mies, so that if they were ever raided
this list would be found, indicating
] that those whose names were on it
] were connected either as patrons or
j advisers with the bootleggers.
New Lawn likely,
j Legislation specifically covering
| diplomatic Immunity so as to prevent
| employes of foreign embassies and
j legations from trafficking in liquors in
( the United States when American
citizens are forbidden to engage In
i similar business is likely to be given
, serious consideration by the judicial v
| committee as a result of the rum
•scandal in Washington, which in
i eluded the discovery of $50,000 worth
jof liquor claimed by an employe of
1 the Polish legation.
| Representative Davis of Tennessee,
j democrat, has written on the subject
jto Secretary Hughes and to D. 11.
i Blair, commissioner of internal reve
j nue, and while he has not received
ja reply from Secretary Hughes, has
i an answer from Commissioner Blair,
j whose interpretation of diplomatic
■ immunity as regards liquors coincides
| with that of Representative Davis
Commissioner Blair explained that Dr.
Venceslas Sokolowski, secretary of the
I Polish legation, was registered with the
: Slate Department as an accredited raem
i ber of the Polish legation, thus being
! entitled to immunity. The commission
er further advised Representative Davis
that nothing contained in the diplomatic
liquor privilege granted by the internal
revenue service as a result of a com
munication from the Secretary of State
"authorizes the sale, gift or other dis
tribution of ’diplomatic liquors’ for bev
erage purposes, the rights and privileges
of the representatives of foreign coun
tries in this respect being confined to
their families and bona fide guests."
No Rights of Sale.
Representative Davis emphasizes
that the Volstead act itself nowhere
grants any immunity to representa
tives of foreign governments, but that
the immunity is based on old statutes
which had no reference whatever to
the liquor question. He says that Con
gress in passing the prohibition
amendment and the American people
in ratifying it through their state
legislatures, had no intention of al
lowing foreigners to engage in boot
legging'in this country with imrauni-
I ty while American citizens were for
I bidden to do so by law. }
In his letter to Commissioner Blair
Representative Davis said:
"I shall appreciate it If you will
advise me under what provision of
law or treaty the so-called ’diplomatic
immunity’ is extended to Intoxicating
1 liquors imported. transported or
possessed by foreign diplomatic
representatives or employes; and also
as to whether or not, under your in
terpretation, such immunity applies
in case Intoxicating liquors thus im
ported, transported or possessed by
foreign diplomatic representatives c>-
employes, is being sold by them or
their agents or is being transported
from diplomatic premises to places
other than diplomatic premises.
“1 shall also appreciate it if yon
will advise me as to whether or not
it is the policy of your department
to extend such diplomatic immunity
to all of the employes and servants
of foreign diplomatic representatives
If not, please advise me Just what
representatives are protected under
your interpretation and practice."
Reply of Blair.
Commissioner Blair in his reply
said:
“I acknowledge receipt of your let
ter of December 26 requesting infor
mation as to the law, regulations and
procedure in the allowance of what
are called 'diplomatic liquors’ to am
bassadors, ministers and other rep
resentatives of foreign countries and
their attaches, clerks, employes and
1 (.Continued ou i'age 4, Column 31