Evening star. [volume], January 03, 1925, Image 1

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

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
WEATHER.
/TT. 8. Weather Bureau Forecast.)
Unsettled, probably rain tonight
and tomorrow; slightly warmer tomor
row. Temperature: Highest, 34, at noon
today: lowest, 29. at 8 p.m. yesterday.
Full report on page 2.
Closing N. Y. Stocks and Bonds, Page 16
’VT 9Q AfV7 Entered as second class matter
o. i , post office, Washington D. C.
' WNL T. GALUHER
NAMED INAUGURAL
CONIMITTEE HEAD
President Chooses Prominent
G. 0. P. Business Man to
}
Direct Program.
PLANS TO BE RUSHED
FOR COLORFUL EVENT
Ball in Evening Improbable.
Day's Festivities to Rival
Best in Past.
With little time to lose between
,inw and inauguration day. March 4,
plans for Washington’s tribute to
tlie incoming executive moved swift
ly forward today when President
Coolidge summoned William T. Ual
liher. local business man and promi
nent Republican, to the White House.
" 9 tendered him the chairmanship of j
the inaugural committee and received j
his acceptance. After a hasty dis- i
mission with the President over gen- |
eral plans for the ceremony March t
\ Mr. Galliher left the White House j
to begin immediately his duties, J
which call for the planning of an j
"old-fashioned inauguration" which. :
he indicated, will rival those of pre-
war days.
These plans, only hastily sketched
and still tentative, will include a
gigantic parade, drawing troops and
* organizations from all parts of the,
country, a carnival and a night dis- j
play of fireworks, but it seems to t
be quiet certain that there will be |
A co inaugural ball or reception.
Tt was indicated that the President j
would not attend such a function, and j
Mr. Galliher pointed out that to have |
an inaugural without the President 1
and Mrs. Coolidge present would be !
• like piayihg Hamlet without Hamlet, j
Starts Work nt Once.
Mr. Galliher is starting immediately !
on the work of formulating his plans j
• and said that he would make an es- j
fort to confer this afternoon, or at |
least not later than Monday with
Senator Curtis, head of the congres
sional committee to ascertain the ;
views of congressional members on i
the matter.
Mr. Galliher said that after this j
conference he would be in a better
position to discuss his plans for pub- (
lication. However, after conferring j
with Senator Curtis and the plans of j
the two committees ' are laid down, j
$ both wjll be laid before tlie President i
for his final approval.
< omm It tecs Considered.
Mr. Galliher already has given some :
consideration, he said, to the selec- j
tions of personnel for the various ;
committees which he will appoint to ,
handle the ceremonies. and these I
probably will be made public within
the next few days.
As the inaugural chairman pointed j
out. there is very little time in which
to make the preparations, and he in- ]
tends to push them through with al! I
• possible speed.
Mr. Galliher pointed out that coro- j
nations rfiay be made the basis for a !
great carnival celebration, and he be- j
lieves that the inauguration of Presi
• dent Coolidge should be held on that
big scale, which would attract to Wash
ington thousands of visitors to take
part in the festivities incident to the
• inauguration.
It is not. believed that the President
will oppose inaugural ceremonies
a gala scale which would at
v tract many people to the Capi- i
tal City. It Is believed that Mr. ]
Galliher will discuss with Sena- j
tor Curtis plans for a big parade and J
carnival, and whether it will be car- j
ried out, it was indicated, depends !
entirely upon the view of the matter j
taken by Senator Curtis and his col- ;
leagues on the joint congressional ,
committee.
Just as soon as Mr. Galliher ascer- i
j tains the ideas of the members of j
Congress and gets final approval from
President Coolidge he will announce
his committees and proceed with the
preparations for the celebration
March 1.
Curtis to Co-Operate.
Senator Curtis said that he would see
Mr. Galliher some time this afternoon
to discuss inaugural matters with
hint. He said that the congressional
4 committee had charge only of the ar
” rangements at the Capitol. He indi
cated. however, that the congressional
committee would be glad to co-oper
nte with the local inaugural commit
tee.
The joint congressional committee j
is to have a meeting Tuesday morn- I
i ing. At that time it is expected the |
plan for the inauguration at the Capi- j
tol will be adopted.
Charity Ball Is Seen.
a Intimation by Mr. Galliher that
there will be no inaugural bail at
tendant upon the ceremonies of in
. stalling President Coo'idge in office
® on March 4 brought the possibility
' of a charity bill as a substitute for
• this event to the forefront of spec
ulation.
Four years ago at the Harding in
auguration a charity ball was ten
dered by leading social figures in !
"Washington and a large sum was 1
raised thereby. When the forerun
ning speculations this year were to
the effect that the Coolidge inaugural
would embrace no inaugural ball, ar
rangements for a charity ball were
discusseß again, but were halted by
the vague possibility that an inaug-,
Ural ball might yet be decided upon.
Those making the arrangements
reaching an impasse, it was decided
to hold all preliminary plans and
W preparations in abeyance until a defi
nite decision had been reached, for
or against an inaugural ball. When
«. direct statement has been made by
Mr. Galliher on this topic to those
planning the function for charity it
Is regarded as entirely possible that
steps will be taken Immediately to
ahape plans for a charity ball.
“If there is no inaugural ball or
official reception there' will be a
charity ball along the same lines
as the charity ball given at the Hard
ing inauguration,” Mrs. John Allan
Daugherty said today.
Mrs. Daugherty was chairman of
the inaugural charity ball commit
. tee of the Harding inaugural eere
\ monies, when a large sum was real
ized for local charity. Some time
ago, when it was intimated that the
• inaugural ball and reception would
not meet with favor at the White
House, preliminary plans were laid for
a charity ball by a group of Wash
(Contlnued «B Page 2, Column 1.)
Made Inaugural Head
1 B e
< "t
j* v
lw>k
WII.I.IAM T. GALLIHER.
RAIN AND WARMER
WEATHER TO END
TIE-UP FROM SNOW
Showers Tonight and Tomor
row to Aid in Clearing
Streets.
Dowering skies, remorseful over the
frigid treatment they afforded Wash
| ington at the outset of the New Tear,
| extended the figurative hand of fel
] lowship to the snow-shoveling squads
< today, with a promise of warmer
i weather and occasional light rains to
j night and tomorrow.
j The effects of their wild rampage
j yesterday and the night before, how
( ever, were so firmly Impressed on the
{stricken city that Forecaster Weight-]
i man of the Weather Bureau believes !
■ Washingtonians will be slushing
. around in the slush for a day or so
• yet.
Meanwhile, not content to wait for
natural aid. Washington was still dig- |
ging Its way to freedom today so far I
;as street ear and vehicular traffic were j
concerned.
Seek* Better Co-nperatlon.
I Ma j. \\ . E. R. Coveil of the Public i
i 1 tilities Commission is planning a j
j conference with street railway offi- |
i ciajs. it Is understood, for the pur- j
pose of working out some system of]
! co-operation between railway and I
municipal snow-cleaning forces in i
future emergencies. It is the belief]
that a closer alignment of these forces !
will result in decreased interruption I
I to street car traffic during big snow- |
storms.
| While vehicles bumped along over |
the mounds of snow today, the Dis
, triet street cleaning department had I
: about 400 men at work, confining |
their efforts to clearing some of the |
: main streets downtown and opening j
! cross-walks for pedestrians,
j Morris Hacker, supervisor of city |
| refuse, still maintained today that he I
1 would not be justified in spending
; any money on extra snow-re
moval work, because such action
would result in the abandonment of
street cleaning and dust prevention
activity in the Spring.
linns Extra Crews.
Although the lump sum appropria
tion for his department is so word
ed as to be available for snow re
j movftl as well as street cleaning. Mr.
Hacker said the total amount is not
] large enough to permit expenditure
,of unusual amounts during snow
, storms without causing a deficiency
before the fiscal year ends in July.
The superintendent announced
! that he. would work his regular force
• of 400 men all day tomorrow, but he
I tioes not plan to put on any addi
‘ tional crews.
With more than 450 miles of paved
highways, including macadam, the
city has only 17 motorized snow
plows, eight of which are for the
city proper and nine for use in the
suburban areas.
Asked if he planned to purchase
any more plows for use in future
storms. Mr. Hacker said he did not
feel that he should take any money
from this year’s appropriation for
snow equipment and thus reduce the
amount available for dust prevention
in the Spring.
Only *l«N,Oon ItmialiM.
j The total appropriation allowed by
t Congress for street cleaning and snow
I removal for tlie current fiscal year
j was $410,000. of which $168,000 re
j mains to carry the service from now
] until July 1.
With small number of motorized
plows the District owns, the city had
to confine the operation of them to
those thoroughfares on which there
are street car tracks and on main
highways.
The plan on which the street clean
ing department operates is to have
its plows follow the snow-sweepers
(Continued on Page 2, Column 4.)
U. S. Trade With Russia, 50 Pet . Greater
Than in Czarist Days, Totals $63,000,000
By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, January 3.—The
United States did 50 per cent more
business with Soviet Russia in 1924
without official recognition than
with czarist Russia before the
war, according to claims made by
Soviet representatives here to
day.
The Soviet's three principal trad
ing companies here footed up their
ledgers for the twelve months end
ing December 31 last to report a
tia'de turnover through % their
hands between the two countries
of $63,416,147. They then added 10
per cent to cover transactions pre
sumably concluded in Moscow, Ber
lin. Rendon and other European
centers, making an estimated total
of $69,757,761. This exceeded by
$23,257,761 the pre-war turnover In
Russian-American trade of about
$46,500,000.
The present turnover of $69,757.-
761 represented actual exports
from the United States to Russia
of $52,692,649 and imports of $lO,-
723,598, leaving an apparent trade
balance In favor of this country of
•L
Wf\c lEtietthrg Skf.
WASHINGTON, D. C., SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 1925— TWENTY-TWO PAGES. *
FRENCH DEBT PLAN
INFORMAL. HELD IN
PARIS, ENVOY SAYS
Herrick Denies Official Pro
posal Made for Funding
War Loans.
CONFLICTING REPORTS
CONFUSE U. S. OFFICIALS
Optimism of Yesterday Wanes
Hughes' Request for Text Not
Yet Answered.
By the Associated Press.
PARIS,. January 3.—Pressed from
all sides for further information as
to the step taken by Finance Minister
Clemente! to open up Informal ex
changes of views on the funding of
the French debt, American Ambassa
dor Herrick today said that he had
not yet forwarded to Washington the
memorandum which the minister of
finance had handed hint. He said he
had been engaged In the most Infor
mal and personal discussions with
various officials of the government
concerning the contents of tlie memo- j
randum.
The document which M. Clementel j
handed the Ambassador was entitled j
“An unofficial memorandum concern
ing French public opinion on the pay
ment of France's debt to the United
States."
Ambassador Herrick said he could
make no statement regarding the
memorandum further than that it
contained an unofficial suggestion re
garding the manner of payment of
the French debt.
Would Clarify Situation.
The Ambassador stated he had de
cided to give out this further infor
mation because he felt there was like
ly to arise a great deal of misunder
standing if nothing at all were said.
] He would not, however, discuss eer- 1
tain details which were supposed to
be among M. Ciementel's suggestions, ]
such as small, nominal interest for j
the moratorium period, to be in- j
creased as the payments began.
The moratorium period suggested j
| is giVen variously as between 10 and j
15 years, while the period over which 1
i repayment is to run is given ail the;
i way from 68 years to 100 years. The i
] American Ambassador declined to i
l confirm or deny the accuracy of any !
j of these suggestions.
It is understood Mr. Herrick had j
I promised the French government to j
(Continued on Page 2, Column Z.)
9 BURN TO DEATH
IN MONTREAL FIRES
I
j i
Eight of Victims, Children,
Trapped in Rapidly Spread
ing Home Blazes.
By the AMnciated Pre„.
MONTREAL, Quebec, January 3. —
Nine persons, eight of them small
children, lost their lives early today
when fire swept through three dwell
ings in two different sections of the
city. In each case the flames spread
so rapidly that the victims were trap
ped In their beds or were overcome as
they attempted to flee.
Six of the dead, of whom five were
children, perished in two houses on
Steagathe lane. Three other persons
were rescued with difficulty and were
removed to the Montreal General
Hospital, suffering from serious burns
and injuries. A score of others, mem
bers of several families, escaped from
the flames Into the bitter cold and
were cared for by neighbors.
Flames Spread Rapidly.
The fire, the origin of which is unde
termined, spread with such rapidity and
with such intensity that the victims
were found lying on the floors or col
lapsed on tables and chairs. All the
families in the dwellings were asleep
when the flames broke out and were
apparently overcome before they could
find safety.
The second fire occurred almost at
the same time in Montreal North,
where two girls and a boy perished
in their beds when flames swept a
small dwelling owned by A. L. Taylor.
The children were alone in the house,
as their parents were visiting the
city. Two of the children were guests
in the Taylor home, their mother be
ing a visitor in the city.
The dead are Rene Thouin, 12 years
old; Romeo Thouin, 3; Cecile Thouin,
9; Emmelinne Thouin, 6; Lionel Brault,
fl. and a woman and three children
whose names have not been ascer
tained by the police.
about $41,968,951. according to the
books.
The three concerns are the All-
Russian Textile Syndicate, Inc.;
the Amtorg Corporation and Cen
trosoyuz America, Inc.
Cotton was the principal Item of
exports from the United States.
According to the figures of All-
Russian Textile Syndicate, Inc.,
its chief handler, the amount
shipped was 265,645 bales, valued
at $42,700,000. A fleet of 26 ves
sels was chartered to transport
these cargoes to Murmansk. Re
mittances of money were reported
received here from Moscow via
England. Bankers and brokers in
London were said to collect a fee
for acting as go-between for the
two countries.
Kurs, the principal item of im
ports from Russia, were estimated
at more than $8,000,000.
The Soviet Union had drawn up
a plan by which Russia's cotton
crop was to have caught up with
the demand for staple by its textile
industry some lime in 1926. The .
cotton mills, however, it now is
reported officially, have expanded
too rapidly for these calculation*
j - |
THE WEATHER VANE VINDICATED.
i U. S. CHOOSES TRIO
FOR PARIS PARLEY
Kellogg, Herrick and Logan
to Meet With Finance
Ministers.
| Ambassadors Frank Kellogg at Lon
; don and Myron T. Herrick at Fans,
; with Col. James A. Logan. will rcpre-
I sent the United States Government at
the allied finance ministers' meeting
| opening Wednesday in Paris.
! Ambassador Kellogg has been fully
! informed of the attitude of this Gov
; eminent on the claims question, and
! communicated it to the allied govern-
I ments at the time of the London eonfer
j ence. Ambassador Herrick and Mr.
! Logan also are prepared to present the
I American views fully.
No \et» Developments,
j It was said today there had been no
i development in diplomatic conversations
I and exchanges of correspondence be
j tween Washington and London, aside
from a British objection to the Ameri
can attitude, as presented to Secretary
Hughes in several communications from
London.
The most recent British note was
leceived yesterday and a reply will
be dispatched before the Paris meet
ing.
One subject of acute interest to
the United States and listed for dis
cussion at the meeting, is that re
lating to the payment of war claims
of the United States against Ger
many. money for which, the Wash
ington Government contends, should
come from payments made under the
Dawes plan.
Envoys of Experience.
Mr. Kellogg was selected because
of the important role played by him
in the London conference and Mr.
i Herrick, and Mr. Logan because of
i their long experience in representing
i the United States at various meetings
| of allied missions and diplomats in
j Paris since the war.
It was emphasized here again to
day that the Paris conference had
been called for the purpose of dis
cussing the allocation of annuities to
be paid by Germany under the Dawes
plan, and it was added that of course
debts would not be discussed, as Con
gress has placed the debt question
exclusively in the hands of the Debt
Funding Commission, the administra
tion taking the attitude that none of
its agents abroad has authority even
to discuss the question informally In
any such conference as that called
to meet in Paris.
RICH BUILDER HELD
IN WIFE’S SLAYING
Woman's Body, Gashed, Found in
Basement of Home—Bloody
Clothing Uncovered.
By tlie Associated Pre««.
OMAHA, Neb., January 3. —Police
today are holding John W. Hahne,
1 wealthy contractor and real estate ;
dealer, pending an investigation of
the death of his wife. Mrs. Mary
Hahne. whose gashed body was found
at the bottom of the basement stair
way in the Hahne home. Hahne de
clared that he knew nothing of the
affair until he arrived home with a
plumber yesterday. A hatchet and a
hammer, each blood stained, were
found hanging over Hahne's work
bench in the basement, detectives de
clare. A suit of work clothes, with
blood on the suspenders, also was
found, according to the police report.
That robbery might have been a
motive is being investigated by po
lice who point out that two diamond
rings valued at SI,OOO each are miss
ing. However, two valuable diamond
earrings were untouched.
According to Hahne and the plum
ber. Thomas Bronder, they came upon
the body when they entered the base
ment.
A doctor was called and he in turn
summoned the police.
Mrs. Hahne was'Hahne's second wife.
Hahne was not arrested until he
had gone to a mortuary and selected
a casket and made plans for the trans
portation of her body to Colorado
Springs for burial.
Aooording to Hahne, his first wife
died In New York about 10 years ago.
k
Vagrants Refusing !
To Work Are Given
Workhouse Terms
By the Associated Press
NEW YORK. January 3.—Thirty
four men who demanded shelter at
the municipal lodging house last
night, but declined Jobs shoveling
snow, were sentenced to five days
in the workhouse as vagrants.
Police said that the men were
from out of town.
NEW ARMS PARLEY
GAINING SUPPORT
Borah Ready to Back Presi
dent in His Views on Con
ference Limited in Scope.
A further crystalizing of the move
ment toward another international
conference on disarmament was seen
here today in the most recent expres.
slons on the question by President
Coolldge and Chairman Borah of the
Senate foreign relations committee.
After the President had let it be
known yesterday that he regarded
Senator Borah’s proposal to link up
economic questions with disarmament
in an international conference as Im
practical. the Senator announced that
he would warmly support a proposal
for a conference to deal only with
disarmament if that were deemed
wisest.
The President has not discussed
with Senator Borah his view that in
clusion of economic questions in such
a conference would mean a too broad
and indefinite scope to yield practical
results, but believes that a conference
resolution satisfactory to both could
readily be framed.
Economic Problems Stressed.
While stating that a conference for
further progress in disarmament
would be "a great gain in itself and
he would heartily support It, the
foreign relations chairman said he
was still of the belief that ‘‘substan
tial disarmament, or substantial
progress toward permanent peace
cannot be had without settling two
or three prior economic problems
which are disturbing the world.”
Declaring his idea of an interna
tional conference "Is possibly imprac
ticable at this time,” Senator Borah
• n a statement last night declared he
was of the belief, and had been for
three years, that "substantial dis
armament, or substantial progress to
ward permanent peace, capnot be had
without settling two or three prior
economic problems which are dis
turbing the world."
The Idaho Senator said he felt sure
these matters would have to be dis
cussed some time, but added he would
"be delighted, if my proposal seems
too broad, to have a disarmament
conference called, Including the great
naval powers.”
"If the President called a confer
ence to make further progress in dis
armament without including the set
tlement of the economic questions.”
Senator Borah said, “that would be a
great gain in itself.” He added he
would be glad to support that propo
sition, "In view of the situation now
existing between the United States
and Japan.”
Senator Borah predicted that unless
there is called some kind of a con
ference in which disarmament, among
other things, would be considered,
“we are going to be in a real com
petitive naval race with Japan.”
"Above all things.” he asserted, "we
ought to avoid that.”
Mr. Coolldge has not studied any
draft of Senator Borah's proposed
resolution directing the President to
call an economic and armament con
ference, but on the basis of prelimi
nary description of the resolution is
inclined to regard it as too broad in
scope to be practical.
The best results from a conference
to limit further competitive- arma
ments, the President holds, would
arise from a conference of limited
scope. The question of economic con
ditions is too broad in its general
application to be successfully con
sidered at an International meeting,
the President believes, and therefore
any meeting to discuss matters of an
economic nature should be made spe
cific as to its purpose.
Mr. Coolidge and Senator Borah
have not conferred on the Senator's
proposal, but the President believes
that through such a conference it
would be possible to frame a resolu
tion acceptable to both.
Radio Programs—Page 9.
1 EXILED SENATORS
GOING NOME TODAY
Score of Rhode Island Men
Leave Bay State as
Legislature Dies.
!
By the Associated Pre»«.
RUTLAND, Mass., January 3.—Self- I
exiled Rhode Island Republican sena- |
tors are going home today. Their 1
exile, which began after the release j
of bromine gas in the Senate cham- i
ber June 19. ended when the General I
Assembly adjourned yesterday, after |
a session which began January 1, |
1924.
Worn out by the strain of the fili- !
buster conducted by the Democratic j
minority, in which protracted sittings
were common, the last of 52 hours, •
and during which disorders several i
times occurred, with threats of per
sonal violence, 21 of 22 Republicans !
left the State. Two days later they j
established themselves here in the I
Hotel Bartlett, the geographical cen- I
ter of the State. Since many of their
families soon followed them, and sev- :
era! rooms were required for the :
week end visits of party leaders and
friends, the hotel became almost
completely a substation of the Rhode
Tgland capitol.
The "exiles” organized themselves
into a close-knit community. The
floor leaders became the house com
mittee. Guards were hired and pa
trolled the grounds night and day, to
guard against the abduction which
the senators feared would be at
tempted to force a quorum in the
Senate.
Stayed in Open.
The senators led a life in the open,
which restored their physical vigor.
The Summer sports of bathing, tennis
and golf gave way to hunting and |
mountain climbing with the coming I
of Fall, and then. In turn, to the Win- I
ter sports.
The Hotel Bartlett became the focal j
point to the town. The senatoriaJ '
party organized a Fourth of July;
celebration which dwarfed any pre- !
vious in the town. They provided the !
orators, composed half of the parade
and outshone every one In fireworks. [
The local storekeepers adapted their;
stocks to the senator’s tastes, the !
moving picture shows, dances and j
sporting events swelled their audt- I
ences with visitors from Rhode Island, i
And yet the hotel was almost a
community in itself. Twice death vis
ited It. Edwin Sprague, its manager
when he Senators first arrived, died
suddenly one night. A few months
ago Senator Jesse H. Hopkins died
while visiting relatives on Cape Cod.
A marriage was performed, when a j
daughter of one of the Senators trans
ferred her ceremony to Rutland so
that her father might attend. Chil
dren came here for their birthdays,
on Thanksgiving a gigantic dinner
was served to the senatorial family,
on Christmas a tree bore gifts for all
and on New Year eve the four-story
building winked lights from every
window until the clock in the village
church nearby boomed its announce
ment of the new year.
Aided by Families.
Meanwhile, in Rhode Island, the af
fairs In which the Senators had been
leaders went on without them. . Thfeir
wives did double duty in maintaining
homes while attempting frequent vis
its here. Sons assumed responsibili
ties beyond their years in acting as
contacts or managers In their father’s
business.
The elections were waged at long
range. Thirteen of the 22 were re
turned to office in the Republican
landslide which swept the State. Sev
eral did not run. Now, with the stamp
of approval placed on their course by
the voter, they enter Tuesday upon a
new legislative year.
DR. SUN STRICKEN.
Chinese Leader, Seriously 111, Ord
ered to Best.
By the Associated Press.
PEKING, January 3. —Dr. Sun Yat-
Sen, leader in the government of
southern Chihli, who has been here
in conference with the victorious
Chang Tso-lin wing of the central
government, is seriously ill.
Seven physicians, after a consulta
tion today, said that the liver malady
ailing the famous Chinese leader will
entail an operation. The prospects
for complete recovery are promising,
the physicians said, but Dr. Sun was
ordered to abstain from all official or
social adtrlUas during his con
valescent period.
y
“From Press to Home
Within the Hour* 9
The Star’s carrier system covers
every city block and the regular edi
tion is delivered to Washington homes
as fast as the papers are printed.
Yesterday’s Circulation, 96,775
COOLIDGE TO OFFER
NEW PROPOSAL FOR
SHOALS DISPOSITION
Predicted That Congress Will I
Sanction Scheme Now
Under Study.
FORMER PROPOSITIONS i
ARE DISCARDED ENTIRELY
Ford Held Glad to Withdraw Bid, 1 1
From Purely Business
Standpoint.
Hdltor’n note: This is fin* first of throe
»rti<T«-s by Mr. Kennedy explaining the
many vexatious questions involved in tlie
Muaele ShoaU problem, and indieating
vrlint the President's advisers and other in
formed students believe to be the only
praetteal solution. The second article will
be published tomorrow.
BY WILL I*. KENNEDY.
The vast power and nitrate plants
at Muscle Shoals, costing upward of
$150,000,000, which have been a "greaj
white elephant" on the Government's
I hands since the armistice was signed, i
November 11. 1918, before long now j
will be disposed of by Uncle Sam on
a businesslike basis. The general
scheme of sale has been pretty well
agreed upon at White House confer- ;
ences, although the details are yet to !
be worked out. and it,is confidently !
stated that Congress will agree to the
administration plan just as soon as (
members get through talking and are
ready to do business.
The various proposals thus far
made and debated in Congress for dis
posing of these properties will be
thrown in the discard, because they
have been figured from an uneco- j
nomic basis, those who have been ad- ]
vising the President say.
Kurd Glad to Withdraw.
Since Henry Fard made his offer on
July 8, 1921. the terms of sale or lease
of the Muscle Shoals properties have
been thrashed out in public print. The !
Ford offer can be dismissed now from I
consideration. Those who seem best
qualified to size up the situation ex- j
press the opinion that the original j
Ford offer was so adroitly framed as
to give the impression of an agree- j
ment to manufacture nitrates by
| wholesale, without any real intention
jof doing this. Then, when Ford's
! good faith was challenged he gave
j his legal and business staff heart fail
| ure by going the limit in his agree- j
S ment to produce nitrates. When de- j
i veloproents opened the way for him ,
; to withdraw, he was only too glad to j
! do so.
Then there is another aspect to the j
! Ford proposal. One of the great in- I
| dustrial needs of the United States is ;
! for development of some process of j
j manufacture of nitrates at a cost so !
1 reduced that it can successfully com
i pete against the British-capitalized
i combine in the Chilean field, which
{now has a stranglehold on the Ameri- '
; can market. Private capital must be
j ready to take a loss of some $30,000.-
i 000 in an effort to do this. Henry Ford
may have been ready to pay that price |
to perform a tremendous public service !
—and he may still be ready to do so. j
Considering the matter from a business i
standpoint. Henry Ford has washed his
hands of Muscle Shoals.
Before going further it is important |
to see just what is included when we I
speak of "Muscle Shoals."
Composition of Plant.
By section 124 of the national defense !
act of June 3. 1916, the President was
authorized to determine the most avail- j
able means for the production of nitrates !
for munitions of war. and for manufac- j
J ture of fertilizers, and to construct. I
j maintain and operate the works and j
\ plants necessary for such purposes. In
| accordance with this - authority there 1
j have been built ’in the vicinity of Shef
j field. Ala., nitrate plant No. 1. capable
I of producing 22.(100 tons of ammonium
j nitrate per annum by the Haber process
j and costing $12,888,000, and there was
I constructed nitrate plant No. 2, capable
| of producing 110.000 tons of ammonium
1 nitrate per annum by the cyanide process
| and costing $67,555,000. The sites of
these two plants have an aggregate area
j of more than 4.200 acres, and contain
! scores of other buildings, including
shops erected at a cost of $2.1196.000,
residences at a cost of $3,121,000, roads,
railways, water supply, sewers, etc., at
a cost of $6,310,000 and an electric dis
tribution system at a cost of $2,533,000.
On the site of nitrate plant No. 2
[ is a steam plant of the most mod
ern construction of 60,000 kw. (80.-
000 horsepower) capacity and with
foundations in place for an additional
60,000 kw., erected at a cost of $12.-
326,000. About 20 miles distant is
Waco Quarry, embracing an area of
460 acres, connected l>y rail with
nitrate plant No. 2, having a stone
crushing plant with daily capacity of
2,000 tons, and costing $1,170,000.
Properties font $!>10.4-I3,00(».
All of these properties, built or ac
quired at an aggregate cost of $80,433,-
000 and having a scrap value in excess
of $10,000,000, it was proposed to sell
outright to Henry Ford for a net
payment of $1,528,000 or less than 2
per cent of their cost.
At Muscle Shoals, on the Tennessee
River, in the vicinity of these nitrate
; plants, the United States has under
construction a dam and power plant.
This dam, known as "dam No. 2,” will
contain 60 per cent more material
than any other dam in the world.
(Continued on Page 5, Column 4.)
r— |
; I
Bucky Harris’
Own Story
r
“From Mine Boy to
Manager 99
Begins Monday in
The Evening Star
TWO CENTS.
LUMP SUM GRANT
FOR D.C. EXPECTED
TO-BE $9,000,000
House Likely to Follow Last
Year’s Policy in Appro
priation Plan.
GENEROUS PROVISIONS
ARE MADE FOR SCHOOLS
Measure Soon to Be Reported.
Leaders Want Action on
Surplus Issue.
The District apppropriation bill for
the next fiscal year probably will be
reported to the House the last of next
week or the first of the week follow
ing. Indications are that it will be
based on a lump sum contribution
from the Federal Treasury, approxi
mately $9,01(0,000, the as last
year, when the fixed proportion plan
of sharing in the expenses of the Na
tional Capital was abolished and the
lump sum arrangement substituted
by an amendment on the floor of the
House.
In view of the fact that the bill
will be framed on the basis of this
lump sum contribution, the appro
priations committee will be more lib
eral in providing for the needs of the
District than ever before. The com
mittee is now in the attitude of will
ingness to give the residents of the
National Capital "all they want," with
the usual safeguards, of course, in
the interests « i economy.
Schools to Fare Well.
Two things are already assured.
One is that the most liberal allowance
j ever made for the public school sys
\ tern will be written into the bill now
being drafted. Another is that in
creases will be granted all along the
line for the protection of property,
and this particularly includes a very
substantial increase in the police
force.
Canvass of members of the subcom
j mittee on District appropriations and
! of the full committee, shows that the
1 members are practically to a unit in
| favor of these increases.
I The surplus to the credit of the
j District in the Federal Treasury prob
i ably will be made available for ex
penditure on important permanent im
provements In the National Capita!.
’ by action to be take-11 at this session
|of Congress. Just as soon as th<
I House District committee brings this
! bill up for consideration it will have
‘the stanch support of the House ap-
I propriations committee. including
j Chairman .Madden and Kepresentati\>
] Louis C. Cram ton of Michigan, on
1 whose motion tiie lump sum plan so.
[ financing the District was adopted.
Action Seen Necessary.
I Leaders in the House arc agreed
lat this time the surplus question
J should be definitely disposed of, and
recognizing the n ed for many im
1 portant permanent improvements, a
strong effort will be made to tnak.
this $4,000,000 to $5,000,000 availabl.
! for use at the earliest possible date.
! All that is needed to provide an
| adequate water supply for the Gov-
I eminent workshops and for the gen
| eral consumption in the National
! Capital will be provided in the new
I bill. This will be made sufficient to
i give adequate fire protection to the
1 priceless records of the Government
I which are now subject to unusual
I fire hazard.
1 The bill will be brought out on
'■ the lump sum plan, even though the
i permanent law is tor a 60-40 propor
j tion, while the lump sum arrange
j ment was adopted specially for the
j current fiscal year. The committee
will justify its action by the fact
‘that the House has 1 tiled the lump sum
i amendment in order, and this very
fact makes it in order for the
committee to recognize the expressed
sentiment of the House and bring oui
a bill carrying a lump sum appropri
ation without it being subject to a
point of order on that paragraph.
School Officials Heard.
School officials were before the sub
committee at hearings today presenting
in detail the program for school de
velopment which was approved b>
representatives ol the various citizens’
associations. This constitutes the
largest group that lias been before the
subcommittee on any particular de
partment of District work. This dele
gation of school officials was given
1 very decided encouragement that no
action by the subcommittee would
hamper the proper development of the
school system of the National Capital.
Provision for giving per diem em
ployes of the District government lo
days' annual leave was asked by the
District officials at the nearing yes
terday. The question came up during
the questioning of J. S. Garland, su
perintendent of the District Water
Department, by the subcommittee.
The recent decision of Controller
General McCarl that per diem em
ployes of the District government
were not entitled to such leave was
called to the attention of the sub
committee.
Th% Commissioners are understood
to favor giving the per diem em
ployes 30 days’ annual leave and 30
days' sick leave, the same as other
employes of the District who are on
the statutory rolls, and legislation to
this effect will be sought in the next
Congress.
FIREMAN LOSES LIFE
IN HALF-MILLION BLAZE
Suffocated When Trapped in One of
Two Philadelphia Concerns
Wiped Out.
Ry tlie Associated Press.
PHILADELPHIA, January 3. —One
fireman lost his life and property val
ued approximately at $500,000 was de
stroyed in a fire that swept through
two buildings occupied by automobile
accessaries'” concerns, at 2514-16-18
j North Broad street today.
Walter Connison, attached to a fire
truck company, lost his way in one of
the buildings and was overcome by
smoke. When found by other firemen
he was still alive, but pulmotors failed
to save his life. The flames started
in the Queen Auto Supply Co., dealers
in garage machinery, and spread to
the United States Tire Co.’s building.
The firemen were handicapped by
deep snow and slush that covered fhs
streets.
a
*