Evening star. [volume], April 06, 1924, Image 1

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

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weather.
Mostly cloudy, probably showers
today; tomorrow fair and somewhat
cooler; moderate south, shifting to
west, and northwest winds.
Temperature for twenty-two hours
ended at 10 p.m. last night: Highest,
66. at 4 p.m.; lowest, 48, at 10 p.m.
Full report on page 11.
V'n OQO \r_ OQ ICUI Entered as second-class matter
KfOO. XNO. p 3Bt offlce Washington. D. C.
80 TAKEN IN DRIVE
ON BOOTLEGGERS,
USING BUTLER PLAN
Rich Real Estate Operator
Is Among Accused—3l Il
legally Freed, Is Charge.
SERVANT OF PROMINENT
FAMILY ALSO ARRESTED
Haiders Get 600 Gallons of Liquor.
Scandal in Bonding of
Prisoners Hinted.
MaJ. Sullivan yesterday Butler-ized
Washington.
Whether he asked for advice or re
ceived it in his recent visit to Phila
delphia, the Quaker City clean-up and
Washington's city-wide raids yester
day—planned by Sullivan, Commis
sioner Oyster and Lieut. O. T. Davis
~-bore earmarks of similarity.
Some of the high spots in the raid
were:
Arrest of Morris Levy, wealthy real
estate operator, at 737 Hock Creek
Church road, on a charge of selling
and illegal possession of liquor.
Release of thirty-one of the fifty
odd prisoners taken at the second
precinct by United States Commissioner
Callan In a manner which U. S. Attor
ney Peyton Gordon denominated “il
legal” and the initiation of an inves
tigation of these releases by Depart
ment of Justice operatives.
Hitt Butler Arrested.
Arrest of Thomas Rayner, butler
for twenty years to the family of
Mrs. Robert Hitt, at present employ
ed by William Hitt, 1501 New Hamp
shire avenue, and the search of a
portion of the Hitt residence for
liquor. The search was fruitless.
More than eighty prisoners were
taken and approximately GOO gallons
of liquor seized in the raids, which
started at 7 o’clock yesterday morn
ing and were continuing in desultory
fashion, at midnight.
Levy was arrested at the 2nd
precinct when he was surrendered
by his attorney, Martin J. McNamara,
last night at 9 o’clock. McNamara
brought several friends in with Levy
and asked J. L Asher, who is the
complainant in the case, to identify
his client. Asher picked out Levy
immediately as the man from whom
he had bought liquor. Levy denied
ever having seen Asher before. $1,009
cash bond was provided for Levy's
release.
New Scandal Threatened.
The incidents surrounding the re
lease of the thirty-one prisoners on
bond approximating $50,000 threaten
a new scandal in police circles. Police,
when asked why Commissioner Callan
came to the 2nd precinct to conduct
hearings when warrants were sworn
out by Commissioner Macdonald who
held the affidavits and detailed
charges, stated tha-t he was brought
there by “bondsmen” after it was
learned that Macdonald would not
hear cases against first offenders.
Some time ago the Police Court
judges issued orders against bonds
men overwriting their liabilities, and
set twice the assessed valuation of
their property holdings as the amount
of liabilities they could assume. As a
result only two or three bondsmen
are qualified to go bond in Police
Court cases.
Bondsmen Reap Harvest.
A gentlemen’s agreement exists, it
was stated, between Commissioner
Macdonald and the police court,
whereby Macdonald will not hear
cases of first offenders against liquor
laws, which are misdemeanors in the
jurisdiction of the police court and
consequently will not assign bonds
in such cases. Since Macdonald was
unavailable, therefore, it was stated,
Commissioner Callan was impressed
into service to authorize bonds in the
cases. Bondsmen immediately began
reaping a harvest which was pro
hibited them in police court practice.
Those listed as “limit liability” men
in police court wrote bonds in Com
missioner Callan’s hearings.
The first charge made against the
legality of the hearings was that
there was no complaint or affidavits
before the committing magistrate
when the hearings were Initiated.
He was simply told that such and
such a charge was against such and
such a person. Later, when, it was
discovered that prohibition agents
had signed no complaints which, ac
cording to Assistant District Attor
ney Hart, are the first essential for a
hearing, efforts were made by per
sons to get Prohibition Agent Francis
V. Hertzig to sign the complaints
after tlxe cases were called.
J
Prisoner* An Released.
He communicated with Divisional
Prohibition Chief Harry Luckett, he
said, and tinder his orders refused
to do so. Asher was sought and re
fused on the same grounds. Mean
while the prisoners who h.ad been
arrested during the morning were
being released by Capt. Peck of the
second precinct on recognizance of
the signature of United States Com
missioner Callan.
Although Lieut. Davis asserted last
night that he had been interviewed
in the matter by two operatives from
the Department of Justice, and that
they had assured him the releases
were perfectly legal. United States
Attorney Peyton Gordon announced
that the case, as explained above,
was not In the Jurisdiction of Com
missioner Callan, and that his office
would take steps to probe the affair
thoroughly.
As a result, It was declared, every
(Continued on Page 2, Column 2.)
END OF APRIL WELL SEE
COOLIDGE WITH MAJORITY
Such Is Claim of President’s Manager,
but Johnson Says Fight Has Just
Commenced.
BY N. O. MESSENGER.
The contest for the republican
presidential nomination will be as
good as over by the end of this
month and will result by that time
In President Coolidge having a
clean majority of delegates, ac
cording to estimates of William M.
Butler, the national manager of
the Coolidge campaign. Ho will
have approximately 634 delegates,
or 79 more than enough to nomi
nate. This estimate excludes Il
linois, Michigan and New Jersey;
President Coolidge can get the
nomination without these states,
he says. Up to yesterday he had
382 delegates.
Senator Hiram W. Johnson does
not admit defeat, but says that
the fighting has just commenced
4 KILLED, 13 HURT
IN KLAN RIOTING
Visitors Alleged to Have Re
taliated When Attacked
at Lilly, Pa.
By the Associated Prem.
LILLY, Pa., April s.—Four men were
killed and thirteen injured when shots
were fired into a crowd of townspeople
just before 500 members of the Ku Klux
Klan boarded a special train for Johns
town, after holding ceremonies in a
field near the town and a demonstra
tion In the streets. The dead, who
were all residents of the town, are:
Phillip Conrad, tnaenty-five; Frank
Measko. twenty-two; Floyd Paul, twen
ty-eight, and an unidentified man. The
injured, some of whom are expected
to die, were taken to hospitals in
Johnstown and Altoona.
A special train bearing 500 robed
men arrived at the railroad station
here early in the evening. The
Klansmen detrained and held a cere
mony at a field near the town. They
were at the station ready to entrain
again when the shooting occurred.
Some residents of the town are said
to have played a stream of water
from the town fire hose upon the visi
tors as they were marching hack to
the station.
TRAIN FROM JOHNSTOWN.
Special Returned to Starting Point
After Shooting.
PITTSBURGH, April s.—Officials of
the Pennsylvania railroad here to
night said the special train bearing
klansmen, who are said to have par
ticipated In a shooting last night at
Lilly, Pa., seventeen miles east of
Johnstown, Pa., in which two persons
were killed and more than a dozen
wounded, originated at Johnstown,
Pa., and returned to Johnstown late
last night.
25 KLANSMEN ARRESTED.
Johnstown Police Also Confiscate
Fifty Guns.
JOHNSTOWN, Pa., April s.—When
the special train bearing members of
the Ku Klux Klan back from Lilly, Pa.,
where four men were killed and thirteen
Injured in a shooting Just before the
klansmen entrained after holding a
demonstration in that town, arrived
In Johnstown shortly before midnight it
was met by more than fifty police offi
cers, headed by Sheriff Logan N. Keller.
Twenty-five klansmen were arrested
and about fifty guns were confiscated.
RUMANIAN ROYALTY
LEAVE TODAY FOR PARIS
By the Associated Press.
BUCHAREST. April s.—King Ferdi
nand and Queen Marie of Rumania
will leave Bucharest tomorrow for ;
Strasbourg, en route to Paris, for
their official visit to the French
capital. They contemplate also a
visit to Brussels before their return.
SERVICE HOSPITAL RADIO FUND,
STARTED BY 'ROXIE’ $4,500 SHORT
Star Will Receive Contributions to Make Up Deficit,
Miles of Wire Required to Supply Set for
Each Patient,
. 4 ■
With the fund raised by “Roile"
and “hi 3 gn.ng" for tlxe installation
and maintenance of radio receiving
apparatus for the disabled service
men at Walter Reed, Mount Alto and
the Naval hospitals approximately
$4,500 short of the estimated amount
necessary, The Star will undertake to
help raise the deficit, at the request
of the committee having: the matter
in charge, by receiving contributions,
All persons, especially radio enthu
siasts, who can fully appreciate the
power of radio to make life a bit
brighter for the bed-ridden patients
at the three service hospitals In
Washington, are urged to aid In
swelling the fund which "Roxie” and
his troupe made a special trip to
Washington to create. Contributions
of any amount will be received by
The 3tar, acknowledged In Its col
umns and turned over to James H.
Baden, vice president of the Conamer
She Jluwfem Pkt
WITH DAILY EVENING EDITION
WASHINGTON, D. C., SUNDAY MORNING, APRIL 6, 1924—104 PAGES. *
and “to wait until the preferential
presidential primaries are heard
from.
♦* * *
In the meantime Senator John
son, campaigning in Illinois, is
keeping up an insistent attack
upon the administration, saying
things that the democrats are lis
tening to very eagerly and treas
uring up against the time they
can use them in the campaign for
election. According to his esti
mate of the present republican
party, it is reactionary to the
core and "needs a housecleaning,”
which he wants to undertake.
The republican leaders are bear- |
ing up under his criticism as best j
they can, regarding him as a
(Continued on Page 5, Column 5.) I
NEW FIELD OPENS
IN DAUGHERTY QUIZ
Wheeler Says Anti-Trust
Record Will Be Taken
Up This Week.
I
A busy staff of assistants spent I
yesterday pushing the ever-widening
circle of the Senate Daugherty com
mittee still farther out, even though
the committee itself was not in ses
sion.
Senator Wheeler, democrat, Mon
tana, the committee’s prosecutor,
promised that before the end of
this week witnesses would go on the
stand to testify concerning the record
of the Department of Justice in the
matter of anti-trust law enforcement,
which is as yet one of the few fields
of inquiry upon which the committee
has not entered. Monday will be de
voted, however, according to present
plans, to the taking of additional evi
dence bearing upon Indian land cases
In Oklahoma and the enforcement of
prohibition in New York.
Daugherty A eta Investigated
In connection with the prediction
that anti-trust cases would be taken
up. It was learned that the commit
tee’s agents have gone exhaustively
into transactions by former Attorney
General Daugherty touching upon
anti-trust decisions against the New
York, New Haven and Hartford rail
road. No Indication of-what the com
mittee expects to show in that situa
tion has been given.
The scheduled transfer of the in
quiry to Washington Court House.
Ohio, and the Midland National Bank,
operated by M. S. Daugherty, the
former Attorney General’s brother,
will take place, according to present
plans, at the end of this week. Sena
tor Wheeler and Senator Moses, re
publican, New Hampshire, have been
delegated to pursue the investigation
there, while the committee holds in
suspension a motion to cite M. S.
Daugherty to the Senate for con
tempt for failure to open the records
of the bank fully to the committee.
Letter Sent Bre*kh»r(.
H. L. Scaife, a former Investigator
for the Department of Justice, wrote
a letter yesterday to Chairman
Brookhart, referring to recent state
ments made public by Guy D. Goff,
former assistant attorney general,
and George W. Wickersham of New
York, challenging testimony which
he has given during three appear
ances before the committee. He sug
gested in the letter that the proper
place “for a show-down will be on the
witness stand, and not in gratuitous
statements issued at long range by
ex-employes of the department under
investigation.”
He also suggested that both Mr.
Wickersham and Mr. Goff be sub
poenaed by the committee “to take the
witness stand and be questioned as to
the documents which have already
been placed in the record” of Its in
quiry.
crial National Bank, and treasurer of
the -Roxie** fund. The contributions
should be addressed to The Stax's
"Roxie” fund.
L/eroy Mark, who was chairman of
the "Roxie” reception committee and
who has taken an active part In the
movement to Install radio sets In the
three service hospitals, sent the fol
lowing letter to "Roxie" yesterday;
"The spirit of 00-operatlon in get
ting radio sets installed in the hos
pitals is evidenced by the fact that
several meetings have been held in
Washington, the final one of which
was last Thursday afternoon, at
tended by the following: Command
er John B. Kaufman, executive officer
of the Naval Hospital; Col. D. P. Pen
hallow, medical officer in charge of
Mount Alto; P. J. Wctnple, electrical
engineer of the United States Vet
erans’ Bureau; C. E. Cmeoy, trans
(Continued on Page 6, Column 1_)
I her" presidential patch.
COMBINED FOREIGN
SERVICE TO GET O.K.
Diplomatic and Consular
Measure Expected to Pass
House This Week.
BY WILL P. KEWEDY.
Co-ordination, reorganization and
classification of the diplomatic and con
sular services into a single "foreign
service of the United States" with
retirement annuities, is provided for
in a bill sponsored by Representative
John J. Rogers of Massachusetts,
which is expected to pass the House
early this week.
House leaders have arranged to ex
pedite its passage so as to permit
action by-the Senate at this session.
This is the most Important and
beneficial step ever taken to place
the foreign service of the nation on
an efficiency basis, those who have
been in closest touch with the State
Department have assured Congress. It
will be of inestimable advantage to
the commercial as well as diplomatic
interests of Americans.
The Rogers bill has the strong sup
port of President Coolidge and the
State Department.
It will emphasize the importance of
merit and experience rather than pos
session of private fortune in selec
tion of emissaries to foreign govern
ments.
This measure was passed by the
House during the last Congress, but
was .caught in the usual eleventh
hour jam in the Senate.
Appropriation Increase.
The burde’n upon the Treasury for
the operation of the Department of
State, of the diplomatic service and
of the consular service for the last
fiscal year was $454,000. The Rogers
bill would increase this amount by
about $345,000 annually. A 16-inch
gun, which is now being set on its
emplacements in defense of the Pan
ama canal coast, complete, will cost
$450,000. First-class instrumentali
ties in our diplomatic and commer
cial foreign relations are just as im
portant as in our defensive and mili
tary relations. The cost of this one
big gun in comparison with the cost
of an up-to-date foreign service, fit
ted to cope with eventualities, illus
trates the relatively small outlay
necessary to give this country a proud
standing among the nations of the
world in the field of diplomacy.
Hitherto the diplomatic side of the
foreign service and the consular side
have ■ occupied separate, watertight
compartments. There has been a
minimum of contact, and practically
no personal 'exchange. Tet in our
modem world, almost every interna
tional question is partly diplomatic
and partly commercial. Take such
questions as tariffs, coal, seals, oil
and a score of others, and you have a
mixed question involving national
policies, diplomatic negotiations and
commerce. The more business a man
knows, the better diplomat he will
be and the more international poli
cies he knows the better consul he
will be. On the other hand, a poor
consul may quite conceivably make
an excellent diplomat, and. converse
ly, a poor diplomat make an excellent
consul.
Interchange of Personnel.
The Rogers bill authorizes for the
first time free interchange between
the two sides of the service as the
Interests of the United States may
dictate. A young man of twenty-five
seeks to embark upon a diplomatic
career. He has just been graduated
from college and passns an excellent
examination for the diplomatic corps.
There can be no sounder practical
education for such a young man than
to turn him for a few years into a
consulate, where for the first time be
will learn business methods and
where he will learn that worth-while
foreign service ts not exclusively an
opportunity to shine in society.
He will be a better man, a better
American and a better foreign serv
ice officer all his life, because of the
background of his experience in a
consulate. The provision for inter--
((Continued on Page 6, Cotanm 2.)
TODAY’S STAR
Part One—42 Pages.
General News—Local, National, Foreign.
National Pciitical Survey—. Pages 4 and 5.
Schools and Colleges—Pages 22 and 23.
| Army and Navy News—Page 33.
I Radio News and Gossip—Pages 34 and 35.
Parent-Teacher Activities —Page 36.
Reviews of New Books—Page 37.
Boy Scouts —Page 37.
Financial News —Pages 38 and 39.
The Civilian Army—Page 40.
QIH Scouts—Page 40.
Part Two—l 6 Pages.
Editorials,’and Editorial Features.
Washington and Other Society.
Tales of Well Known Folks—Page 12.
i At the Community Centers—Page 14.
i Veterans of the Great war—Page 14.
Around the City—Page 15.
D. A. R. Activities—Page 15.
Part Three —12 Pages.
Amusements—Theaters and the Photo.
play.
Music In Washington—Page 5.
Notes of Art and Artists—Page 5.
Motors and Motoring—Pages 6 to 10.
District National Guard—Page 10.
Fraternities—Page 11.
Part Four—4 Pages.
Pink Sports Section.
Part s—B Pages.
Magazine Section —Fiction and Features.
Part Six—lo Pages.
Classified Advertising.
News of the Clubs—Page 9.
Spanish War Veterans—Page 9.
Graphic Section—B Pages.
World Events in Pictures.
Comic Section—4 Pages.
Mr. Straphanger; Reglar Fellers; Mr.
and Mrs.; Mutt and Jeff.
guardslenTent
TO KENTUCKY MINE
Tense Situation Follows Kill
ing of One and Wounding
of Another Man.
By the Associated Press.
FRANKFORT, Ky., April s.—Two
companies of Kentucky national guards
men have been ordered to the mining
camp of the Liberty Coal and Coke
Company on Straight creek in Bell
county by Gov. W. J. Fields. An out
break of labor trouble was marked by
killing of one man and wounding of
another Thursday.
The order was issued Friday night,
but was kept secret until late today to
facilitate movement of the troops.
Machine Gun Company D, from Wil
liamsburg, and Company G, 149th In
fantry, Barbourville, were ordered to
proceed to Straight creek, "under cover,”
by AdjL Gen. James Kehoe, following a
conference with the governor.
The troops were moved in motor
trucks, and a number of them were at
the scene ready for duty early today.
‘The situation is very tense, and com
plicated by inroads of unknown parties,
supposedly agitators from oilier mines,”
Adjt. Kehoe said.
"The adjutant general’s office is hold
ing in readiness three large units for
instantaneous dispatch in event of com
plication and it becomes necessary."
H. P.' Reed, representative of union
miners at the Straight' Creek camp,
said tonight he had investigated the
shooting Thursday and determined
members of the organization were
not implicated. He declared he had
cautioned the men against violence.
Officials of the company challenged
Reed’s statement and asserted efforts
to prevent non-union men from work
ing was responsible for the trouble.
Reed said the union miners were
anxious to accept an Invitation from
Gov. W. J. Fields for an arbitration
conference. It was intimated com
pany officials were willing to meet
Gov. Fields and to negotiate directly
with the men, bat that they were dis
inclined to deal with the onto*.
TAX ON RADIO SETS
EMBODIED IN BILEi
i
Measure Now Cannot Be Re-j
ported to Senate Before
Middle of Week.
A last minute attack on the reve
nue bill, in an all-day session of the I
Senate finance committee yesterday, j
brought changes in the taxes on radio ;
sets, jewelry and estates and delayed ■
a report of the measure to the Senate |
1 until this week.
The 10 per cent radio tax was made
applicable to all sets and parts with
out exemption after the committee
earlier in the day had voted to In
crease from sls to SSO the minimum
price of a set on which the tax would
be levied.
This and the 10 pep cent tax on
mah-jong sets costing more than $5
are the only new taxes carried by the
bill. The taxes are levied on the
manufacturer. The radio tax, Chair
man Smoot declared, would not result
in an increase in the price of sets and
parts to consumers.
Part* Net Spec tied.
Just what parts will be taxed, how
ever, will be left to the jurisdiction
of the Internal revenue bureau, as in
the case of the tax on automobile
parts, Mr. Smoot said. He figured the
tax would net about $20,000,000, point
ing out, however, that no accurate
estimates were available.
Practically all of the rate schedules
now have been agreed upon, Mr.
Smoot said, and he predicted that the
few odds and ends of the bill yet to
be taken up would be agreed upon to
morrow, so that the bill may be
reported to the Senate by Wednesday.
This, however, will necessarily delay
actual consideration of it by the Sen
ate until the following week.
Meanwhile, Chairman Smoot said,
the soldier bonus bill passed by the
House would be taken up by the com
mittee. Little time would be neces
sary for the disposition of this meas
ure. be added, and several republican
members predicted the bonus bill
would be given precedence over the
tax bill on the floor of the Senate.
House Provision Widened.
The House provision opening tax
returns to inspection by congres
sional committees was broadened yes
terday by elimination of a previous
restriction voted by the finance com
mittee, making It possible for the
committees to make public “any
relevant or useful information” ob
tained in inspection of the tax re
tturns. The committee had previous
ly voted to allow congressional com
mittees to make public only the
names, addresses, amount of tax paid
and amount of refunds given to the
(Continued on Page 2, Column 6.)
RUINS OF GREAT MAYAN CITY,
3,000 YEARS OLD, DISCOVERED
Massive Pyramid, 300 Feet High, Among Chief
Features of Relics of Ancient Civilization
in Honduras Jungles .
By the Associated Press.
ALPOLE, Mass., April 5. News of
th© discovery of the ruins of a, grreat
city of the first Mayan Empire, lying
miles inland in the uninhabited jungle
of British Honduras, has been re
ceived by Lieut. Col. Walter M. Whit
man from his son, Edmund S. Whit
man, stationed in Honduras, Col.
Whitman said today. Amid the ruins
was one massive pyramid, towering
[ 300 feet, the letter said.
1 The huge stone structures, covering
hundreds of acres, date back 3,000
years, according to' estimates. Col.
Whitman said. The discovery was
i made by an expedition under Prof.
Mitchell Hedges and Dr. Gann, oper
ating with Belize, capital of British
: Honduras, as a base. Col. Whitman.
’ said that he understood that the
pedition was under British auspices*
backed by a London syndicate, ,
-" . ”
**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.
REDS REPORTED READY
TO INVADE BESSARABIA
Troops Being Massed on Border, |
Excited Populace
Believes.
By the Anson* fed Press.
BUCHAREST. April 5 (Jewish tele
graph agency).—ln consequence of the
break-up of the Kusuo-Rumanlan con
ference In Vienna, the Bessarabian
population Is living in a state of nerv
ousness and excitement. Rumors
have been current that Soviet Russia
is massing troops along the frontier.
The Rumanian government has taken
every measure to calm the population.
Hope is expressed here that a meet
ing of armed forces of Russia and
Rumania will be avoided through the
Anglo-Russian conference to be held
in London soon.
PLANS DEEP STUDY
OF EXPERT REPORT:
1
!
Reparations Committee |
Wants to Allow Plenty Time |
for World Reaction.
—
By the Associated Pres*.
PARIS. April s.—" Possibly Mon
day. probably Tuesday, In any case
Wednesday at the latest," is the re
vised forecast for the submission to
the reparation commission of the
I long-delayed report of the reparation
experts’ committee. The combined
difficulties of editing the French and
English texts so that they will mean
the same thing and not lend them
-1 selves to contrary interpretations, and j
the natural difficulty facing the i
| French national printing bureau in j
J turning out letter-perfect, fool-proof |
, English texts, again has set back the j
1 members of the drafting committee,
who are anxious to get away from j
Paris and seek a well earned respite
on the Riviera and in Italy. Corsica
and even Elba.
Will Avert Confusion..
The exports are determined that no
suoh confusion shall arise over their
j report as arose in the case of ihe
1 Versailles treaty, in which the French j
! and English texts varied in several j
1 notable Instances so as to permit
i widely divergent interpretations. As !
lan instance of this divergency will
be recalled the famous provision re
garding the Monroe doctrine, which
was eminently satisfactory to the
United States in the English version,
but in French lent itself virtually to
an opposed thesis.
From the beat authorities In rep
arations and diplomatic circles, it is
learned that the reparation commit
tee will not be likely to hurry In dis
cussing the report of framing reso
lutions to submit to the allied gov
ernments, because it is desirous above
all things of leaving plenty of time
for the reaction of world opinion,
particularly the opinion of Berlin, to
reach Paris.
The commission then will, after a
brief deliberation, refer the text to
the allies for an attempt at final set
tlement. Therefore, the next con
structive, forward move can hardly
be expected before the end of the
forthcoming week.
The French foreign office has reit
erated its willingness to accept the
report wholeheartedly as far as it
has hitherto become known in its
general outlines, particularly In view
of the fact that it will be a unani
mous conclusion and bear the signa
tures of impartial American experts.
The British are now Inclined to be
lieve that the French will desire a
speedy summoning of the interallied
conference, at which they will raise
the question of the interallied debts
at the same time as the reparations
from Germany. Nevertheless, they
voice the belief that Prance will not
be entirely disappointed if the onus
of rejecting a settlement is thrown
on Germany.
The British readily admit that they
do not consider the report to be per
fect, so far as its provisions have
become known, but they concede that
it is the best that can be done in the
way of a compromise agreement and
for that reason hope for the speeding
up of interallied conference project
some time after April 15.
Robbed of $725 in Crowd.
NEW YORK, April s.—While scores
of pedestrians and motorists passed
nearby, Jerome Kerns, cashier of the
Tremont Film Company, was held up
today by two men on a cross-walk in
the Bronx and robbed of $725.
A portion of his son’s letter, which
Col. Whitman made public, reads:
“An event has completely over
shadowed the revolution. One Pro
fessor Mitchell Hedges, and Dr.
Gann, disappeared not long ago into
the trackless wilderness of British
Honduras. And now, from the
depths of bosque, comes authentic
word that they /lave discovered a
great city of the first Mayan empire,
covering hundreds of acres, compris
ing a wonderful monolithic period,
and among other structures, a single
pyramid towering over 300 feet in
the air."
The ruins are covered with the
Mayan hieroglyphics which for many
years archaeologists have been trying
vainly to decipher. Col. Whitman said.
Most remark able, he said, according
to the scant Information that had
reached him, was the sise of the
(Continued on Page 2, Column 1.)
FIVE CENTS.
CONTINUED FIGHT
I ON AMENDED GAS
TAX BILL IN DOUBT
Citizens Doubt Ability to In
duce President to Veto
* Reciprocity Plan.
D. C. FISCAL RELATIONS
ARE LEFT UNDISTURBED
Action of Conferees Considered
Real Victory for Washing
j ton People.
Victorious in preventing an in
j fringement on the present fixed fiscal
j relations between the District and
j the federal government, as contained
in the gas tax bill passed by the
I House and Senate, citizens of the Dis
| trict were studying the measure last
■ night as agreed to in conference yes
] terday to decide whether their figlu
should be continued against a pro
posal which many believe is still un
fair to Washington.
After reading the text of the
agreement yesterday. Daniel J.
Donovan, District auditor, expressed
the belief that in so far as the fiscal
relations are concerned the measure
in its present form is a victory for
the District.
Give* All to District.
He said the bill recognizes the
! right of the District to entire credit
j for all moneys collected as taxes.
| Some fear had been expressed sev
j eral days ago that an effort might
I he made to require the District to
divide the personal tax on automobile
• with the federal government on the
60-40 basis. This action was dis
pelled by the conferees yesterday,
who decided that the money raised
from the two-cent per gallon gasoline
tax—about $900,000 annually—will be
placed to the credit of the District in
j the Treasury and used for street im
j provements, and the money thus ap
j propriated “shall be matched on the
i 60-40 or other basis."
j One interesting question was raised
at the District building yesterday
concerning the conferees' decision to
have the gas tax money used for
street improvements alone. It was:
Will Congress continue to make its
annual appropriations for street im
povements in addition to allowing the
$900,000 —plus the federal govern
ment’s proportionate share—to be
available for streets? It was felt, ac
cording to spokesmen at the District
building, that if the gas tax money is
appropriated over and above regular
street appropriations. It will provide
a much needed additional fund for im
proving the highways. If on the other
hand, the budget bureau or. Congress
should cut the regular estimate for
street work on the assumption that
the District is getting $900,000 —plu-t
the federal government’s 40 per cent
contribution —for streets, the street
system of Washington will suffer,
rather than benefit, from the gas tar
bill.
, Next Move In Doubt
The next move of the citizens who
have fought the gas tax bill since it
was changed from the commissioners'
original measure by the riouse and
Senate was in doubt last night. Ed
ward F. Colladay, president of the
board of trade and chairman of the
joint committee representing citizen*
and civic bodies on this measure, said
last night that he had called a meet
ing of his committee for Tuesday af
ternoon at 4:30 o'clock in the board
of trade rooms, where the measure
will be discussed. He declined to say
what, if any, recommendations would
be made for further action.
Charles A. Baker, president of the
Federation of Citizens’ Associations
and chairman of a special committee
of that body appointed to examine
the gras tax measure, said last night
his committee would also meet this
week to decide their course of action.
He was unwilling to predict what il
might be.
Will Nut Act In Haste.
“We do not want to act hastily on
this matter.” he said, “and we cer
tainly do not want the conferees to
think that ve are ungrateful for th*
concessions they have made. We are
pleased over the fact that the fiscal
relations have been left unchanged,
although there still exists a differ
ence of opinion concerning the fair
ness of retaining the personal prop
erty tax on automobiles. We do not
i mind being justly taxed, but it Is h
serious question whether this ad
ditional tax is either just or neces
sary."
Obviously, it was indicated last
night, about the only move the citi
zens ihay now take in opposing tha
measure before it becomes law is to
endeavor to InAuence the President to
veto the bit-, /ad there was little hop*
of having: this? done. The Commission
era, in the first place, are not dis
posed 16 tike any hand In having th»
bill vetoed. It wis learned on ?ooiJ
authority, and it is doubtful If the
President would be moved by pleas
which lacked the support of t4ie duly
constituted local authorities bow
ever representative that plea might
be.
Seeks Action at Once.
The conferees’ report on the bill
will be submitted to the Senate by
Senator Bail, chairman of the Dis
trict committee, when that body
meets tomorrow. Senator Ball said
last night he would ask unanimous
consent for-its immediate considera
tion. Senator Ball said he expected
the Senate to agree to the report and
he believed the House would also ap
prove it. The bill will then be sent tq
the President for his signature.
The bill, as it stands now. provides
for a 2-cent a gallon tax on gasolinq
In the District, an annual license fee
of $1 on automobiles and retention of
the present personal property tax.
The temporary reciprocity agreement
with Maryland will become penny,
nent as soon as the gasoline law is
enacted.
s *■ ‘