Evening star. [volume], January 07, 1925, Image 1

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

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WEATHER.
(T7. S. Weather Bureau rorecait.t
Partly cloudy and slightly warmer to
night ; minimum temperature about 27
degrees;'’tomorrow fair.
Temperatures—Highest, 43,'at 4 p.m.
yesterday; lowest, 21. at 6:30 a.m. to
day. Full report on page 3.
Closing N. Y. Stocks and Bonds, Page 22
XT 9Q J. 71 Entered as soconi) olhss matter
*>u. 1 l. po3 , office Washington. D. C.
CHURCHILL URGES
PARLEY TO TACKLE
ALL DEBT TANGLE
Proposal for General Confer
ence Follows Difference With
French Stand.
NEED FOR HELP OF U. S.
IS SEEN BY MINISTERS
i
Financial Leaders’ Opening Ses
sion Reveals Full Ex
tent of Mix-Up.
By the Associated Press.
PARIS, January 7.—The conference
of allied finance ministers, called to
consider the distribution of German
reparation payments and kindred sub
jects, opened its series of meetings to
day with a session lasting 40 minutes.
The proceedings were confined to an
exchange of formal addresses, the
representatives present, among whom
was included an American diplomatic
delegation, being welcomed by Etien
ne Clementel, French minister of fi
nance, to whose address Winston
Churchill, British chancellor of the
exchequer, replied suitably. The dele
gates adjourned shortly before 4
o'clock until 5 p.m, tomorrow, to give
the members time to study the mass
of reports and documentary points of
views submitted by the various coun
tries.
Experts who have been active in
work under the Dawes plan were
given the task of drafting a program
to be submitted to the conference to
morrow. They will recommend the
procedure to be followed and outline j
generally what questions should be I
taken up fiTst.
Welcomes Delegates.
Finance Minister Clementel of
France, in welcoming the delegations,
said he was glad to see among them
a number of men who had aided in
solving previous problems.
“I know by experience,” said he,
"that together we will find unani- 1
mous solutions for the problems con- j
fronting us, and that we are going 1
to be able to complete the work done j
In London several months ago. At \
that time we established an accord |
with Germany for a new regime of j
reparations payments.
"Our common debtor since then Is i
certain as to her obligations to us—- j
obligations which up to this time she
furthermore has executed punctu- I
ally. Now several elements of uncer- j
tainty remain concerning the distri- I
bution of the German payments
among creditor states.”
M. Clementel said that the work
before the conference was not sim
ple. "But, in reality," he said, "In
this tangle of rights and interests
there are only three or four prob
lems that dominate. All the rest is
detail.”
Prlvnte Talks Feature.
It was not the public sessions of j
the conference, however, but the se- j
ries of private talks between the
principal delegates in an effort to find
away out of the mix-up into which
interallied affairs have worked, that
was the principal feature of the first
day’s proceedings. The most con
spicuous of these talks was that be
tween Winston Churchill, British
chancellor of the exchequer, and Fi
nance Minister Clementel of France,
who discussed the general aspects of
the interallied debts, as most of the
delegates to the conference agree
that a solution of the other allied
problems hangs on the solving of the
debt problem.
Prof, de Stefanl, the Italian finance
minister, conferred with Premier Her
riot of France, while the American
and other delegations held consulta
tions preparatory to the conference,
taking up the different points in
which the United States is especially
interested.
The original idea, that the present
conference was to be chiefly for a
general accounting on reparations
since the last distribution of the pro
ceeds, seems gradually to be giving
way to a conviction that the whole
interallied situation must be cleared
up.
All Take Same View.
Whenever the question of distribu
tion of receipts under the Dawes plan
is mentioned the subject of the inter
allied debts is inevitably brought In.
The British say they must have
enough to payi the United States;
France declares she must have
enough to pay the United States, and
Great Britain and the smaller allied
debtors Insist they cannot pay be- 1
cause of various conditions. All of j
them, with the exception of Great !
Britain, want a larger share of rep- I
stations than now is attributed to j
them.
Thus the question always expands ■
over the whole ground of interallied j
relations and brings the discussion up !
to the greatest obstacle —the impos
sibility of getting the United States |
into a debt conference.
When the conference met this aft- j
ernoon it was plain that some of!
the delegations were still unprepared,
to grapple with the situation, and
adjournment until tomorrow was
therefore decided upon. This will
give the leading delegates another
whole day in which to negotiate out
side the conference.
In addition to Mr. Churchill, those
who spoke at the conference session
in reply to M. Clementel's speech
were Viscount -Ishii of Japan, Amer
ican Ambassador Herrick and Prof,
de Stefani.
A highly important talk between
Finance Minister Clementel of France
and Winston Churchill. British chan
cellor of the exchequer, held today
in advance of the opening of the
finance minister’s conference, served
once more to bring out the tendency
of all European debt discussions, no
matter what their beginning, to veer
toward Washington before they have
progressed very far.
A communique on the subject is
sued after the meeting, threw little
light on the discussion, merely de
claring there had been an unofficial
exchange of views on the general
aspects of the interallied debts. It
is understood, however, that Mr.
Churchill opened the discussion by
setting forth the well known British
standpoint that Great Britain must
receive from her war debtors sums
equivalent to those she must pay the
United States.
The French finance ministers reply
was that the French were obliged to
(Continued on Page 1, Column 5.)
Dial Withdraws His Speech
Assailing Democrats’ Methods
South Carolina Senator, Declaring He
Meant No Offense , Asks to Have Re
marks Stricken From Records.
The Democratic family row over re
sponsibility for the crushing defeat
of last November was resumed in the
Senate today with party leaders at
tacking Senator Dial of South Caro
lina for his recent speech blaming
Democratic members of Congress.
The debate, the fourth intraparty
squabble In the Senate in as many
days, started when Senator Dial
asked permission to correct the rec
ord of his speech in certain details.
Senator Robinson and Senator Smith,
the other member from South Caro
lina, suggested that Mr. Dial might
do well to withdraw' the entire
speech.
Senator Dial said he only wished to
withdraw those remarks which seem
ed to infer that the Democrats lost
the election because they ought to
have lost, and those which referred
to “political sabotage."
Calls It AfTront.
Senator Robinson of Arkansas, the
Democratic floor leader, declared Sen
ator Dial’s speech seemed "a de
liberate affront to his colleagues, a
dishonoring of the constituency which
honored him with election, and a be
fouling of his own nest."
Senator Robinson urged the Senator
to withdraw the entire address.
EARTHQUAKE ROCKS
BAY STATE TOWNS
Stove Covers Dislodged, Pic
tures Shaken Down —Laid
to Ice Breaking.
Br the AKucclsted Pre»».
BOSTON. January 7.—An earth
tremor lasting 15 seconds and of con
siderable intensity was recorded at
8:07 o’clock this morning at the
Harvard seismographieal station. Be
cause of some storm or disturbance
offshore at the time, it was not pos
sible to estimate the" distance of the
tremor, officials said, but the direc
tion was believed to be north.
The preliminary tremor, by which
selmologlsts estimate the distance of
earthquakes were obscured by some
unexplained disturbance, it was said.
The intensity of the seismograph rec
ord was attributed to the fact that
the tremor was local in character.
Towns Report Shocks.
Officials at the station said they
were led to believe that the direction
of the tremor was north, by reports from
points north of Boston indicating that it
was most severely felt there. Glouces
ter, Marblehead. Salem and other
North Shore cities and towns report
ed heavy shocks lasting from 20 to
30 seconds and accompanied by a
rumbling resembling the noise made
by a loaded truest on a paved street.
In Swampscott stove covers were dis
lodged and in Nahant pictures were
knocked down from walls.
The tremors were marked through
out the entire eastern section of the
State and in the Merrimack Valley
region of New Hampshire. They were
not felt in Manchester or north of
that city, according to reports. In
many places householders rushed to
the street believing that heaters had
exploded.
ICE CRACKING BLAMED.
Father Tondorf Doubts Genuine
Earth Tremor Occurred.
Heavy fracking of ice in the
vicinity of Boston was probably the
cause for the disturbance in that
region reported this morning, In the
opinion of Rev. Father Tondorf of the
Georgetown University seismograph
leal laboratory.
"We are confident that the tremor
felt there was not of seismic origin,”
he said. "That means there was no
slipping of the earth. Our Instru
ments failed to record any disturbance
of such a nature and conditions are
such that there is no assignable rea
son why the instruments would fail
to Indicate a slipping of the earth
if it really did occur.
"Consequently we are of the
opinion that the tremor felt was
caused by Ice cracking.”
Cracking of Ice in streams or rivers,
when the ice is thick, according to
scientists, will have the effect of
creating a tremor in the earth sur
rounding or supporting the ice.
Army Horses Die in Fire.
NEW YORK, January 7. —Twenty-
two polo ponies, eight horses and
seven mules were burned to death
when fire destroyed the quartermaster
stable on Governors Island today.
Among the horses killed was the fa
vorite mount of Maj. Gen. Robert Lee
Bullard. •
Children Held Under Occult Spell
Stir Psychic Circles of West Coast
B.r the Associated Press.
SANTA CLARA, Calif., January
7.—Students of psychic pheno
mena were evidencing Interest
today in an unusual case which
has affected two children of a
family within the shadow of the
Mission Santa Clara, where a boy
and a girl have been reported
under the spell of an occult Influ
ence which sends them into
nightly seances.
The children, John Santos, 18,
and his sister, Adeline, 16, last
night were reported taken into
the walls of Mission Santa Clara,
where they were scheduled to re
main until morning. The parents
have refused to permit their chil
dren to be seen since interest in
their situation has extended be
yond the community.
Neighbors, however, verified the
report that for seven nights
Adeline and John have fallen
' under the control of apparitions.
m SUNDAY MORNING EDITION
WASHINGTON, I). C., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1925-THIRTY-FOUR PAGES.
Senator Smith of South Carolina
defied Senator Dial to "point to any act
of the Democratic national party, in
Congress or out, that was a repudia
tion of the party principles.”
"Speaking for some of the people of
South Carolina," shouted Senator
Smith, "nay speaking for all of the
people of South Carolina, they love
the Democratic party. It was their
savior In time of civil strife, it has
been their beacon light since that
time.
“The Democratic party was defeat
ed, yes, but not defeated because it
was not true to the principles of the
party. The cause of defeat lies back
of that; It comes from other sources.”
When Senator Dial said he would
request withdrawal of the whole
speech. Senator Smith exclaimed:
“Thank God for the request he has
made."
"I make that request,” returned
Senator Dial.
Senator Heflin, Democrat, Alabama,
obtalnod recognition, but Senator
Robinson interrupted him to say:
"If the speech Is withdrawn the in
cident is closed so far as I am con
cerned. and it should be so far as
other Senators are concerned.”
"If the Senator withdraws his
speech I have nothing to say," said
Senator Heflin.
553 NAVY RATIO
DECLAREDKEPTUP
Senate Committee Says
Probe Determines Alarm
Is Unnecessary.
After examining Secretary Wilbur
and other high officials of the Navy
Department, the Senate naval appro
priations committee concurs in the
view of the House committee that
“the country need not be alarmed"
about reports that the American Navy
has fallen below the 6-5-3 ratio.
Adopting a report similar to that
of the House committee, the Senate
committee declared today that with
the exception of the battleship Florida,
laid up for refitting, "no one can say
that as to capital ships that 5-5-3 does
not prevail.
Cause for Alarm.
"Much is heard of the Navy’s rela
tive standing with respect to the
navies of Great Britain and Japan,"
said the report. "Self-styled experts
and others who cannot possibly be in
a position to speak authoritatively,
seemingly, with little difficulty, get
Into the public prints with articles
depicting us as retrograding ni vary
ing degrees, and the effect has been to
create quite generally the impression
that our naval prestige is rapidly
■waning. The committee does not feel
that the country need be alarmed."
The report added that with the
Florida’s boilers repaired the 5-5-3
ratio as to capital ships will pre
vail. even granting that the capital
ships of the other powers are "fit
In all respects.” The money is
available to repair the Florida’s boil
ers, It was added, but the work has
been delayed pending decision as to
whether to convert her from a coal
to an oil-burning ship.
Disadvantage la Cited.
The committee conceded that the
United States “is at a disadvantage"
in aircraft carriers, but added that
conversion work now in progress
would give this Government a greater
modern carrier capacity than any
other power, although in less modern
tonnage Great Britain still will rank
first. It was suggested that It was a
question whether to go ahead with
more carriers in the present experi
mental stage of that arm of defense.
Pointing out that a bill, recently
passed authorized the modernization of
capital ships and the construction of
eight light cruisers, the report said
that the present bill carries all the
money that It will be "practicable” to
spend during the coming fiscal year
for repairing and makfing desirable
improvements on ships of the fleet.
BRITISH TO SINK MONARCH
Battleship, Doomed by Arms Pact,
to Be Target.
PORTSMOUTH, England, January
7.—The battleship Monarch, the last
capital shift which Great Britain
scraps under the Washington treaty,
was towed out of Portsmouth harbor
yesterday. She will be taken to
Plymouth and before the end of the
month will go to sea to become a
target for the vessels of the Atlantic
fleet. The Monarch, from which all
usable finishings have been removed,
must be completely destroyed by
February 1.
The boy says he is under the spell
of an old gray bewhiskered figure,
while the girl is caught by the
appearance of the ghost of an old
departed family friend asking
that prayers be said for him.
The believers in the spiritistic
influence gave the Poltergeist
theory of spirit operations as an
explanation for the situation.
This theory is one wherein the
spiritistic influence . operates
through the medium of a child,
according to the recognized
authorities.
Dr. Joseph Catton, San Fran
cisco phychiatrist, was called
here last night by friends of the
family', but was refused admission
to the Santos home. He said:
"This community is a hotbed of
religious enthusiasm, and the
condition of the Santos children
was due probably to religious
frenzy. Such cases are contag
ious, and this explains why
brother and sister swooned at
the same time.”
SCHOOLBUDGETPUT
UNDER 11. S. BUREAU
DIRECTLYJN BILL
Board Measure Takes Esti
mates Out of Hands of
D. C. Commissioners.
EXPECTS MORE FUNDS
IF PROPOSAL ADOPTED
Secret Sessions by Educational
Body Also Provided in Draft
Sent to Congress.
The District Commissioners would
he precluded from handling the
school budget under the.provisions
of a school reorganization bill drafted
by the Board of Education and sub
mitted to chairmen of the Senate and
House District committees today bv
Mrs. Lillian Y. Herron, chairman of
the committee on legislation of the
school board. The bill provides that
the annual school estimates be made
directly to the Bureau of the Budget.
By preventing the Commissioners
from handling the school budget, the
board Is hopeful of getting increased
appropriations for the schools. Here
tofore, it has not been unusual for
the Commissioners to lop off $2,-
000,000 and even 83,000,000 from the
school budget before submitting it to
the Budget Bureau.
Approved by Board.
In presenting the new bill to Chair
man Ball of the Senate committee and
Chairman Reed of the House com
mittee, Mrs. Herron pointed out that
it was prepared and approved by the
school board as a school reorganiza
tion bill. The measure, she said, was
framed on the basis of a report of
the Joint Senate and House commit
tees of the District, and the board i 3
deslrlous of having it introduced at
the present session.
Among the many provisions in the
new bill is one which would give the
board authority to hold conferences
behind closed doors. The present
law will permit secret session only
to discuss the character of a school
employe. Another provision would
take from the District Commission
ers the direction and control of funds
appropriated for the schools.
Provisions of Bill.
The bill provides that the purchas
ing officer of the District also shall
be the purchasing officer of the school
board; that the auditor for the Dis
trict also shall be the auditor for the
schools; that the expenditures of
school funds be under the direction
of the board; that the disbursing of
ficer of the District also shall be the
disbursing officer for the board; that
the method of disbursements of
money appropriated for payment of
salaries of employes of the schools
be defined by the board; that the land
for schools and playgrounds be pur
chased by the Commissioners on the
recommendation of the board and
that the Commissioners be charged
with the construction of all school
buildings, alterations, repairs and
improvements after consultation with
the board.
The new bill also proposes that the
business manager of the schools shall
rank as assistant superintendent; that
(Continued on Page 2, Column 2.)
FASCIST ROUND-UP
OF FOESGONTINUES
Alleged Anarchists Seized in
Milan— Searches and
Press-Muzzling Go On.
By the Associated Presa.
ROME, January 7.—Searches, arrests
and seizures of opposition newspapers
continued today in Italy as part of the
measures which Premier Mussolini an
nounced last Saturday in the Chamber
of Deputies he would rigorously enforce
to preserve order In the country and
suppress the subversive elements.
The police at Milan raided an an
archist stronghold known as the "Ba
kunin Club," arrested 10 alleged an
archists and seized a quantity of im
portant documents. The prefect of Milan
has mobilized a section of the fascisti
militia to assist the police and Cara
biniers in controling disturbing ele
ments. The militia is also working with
the carabiniers in patroling the city.
Undersecretaries Remain.
All but one of the ministerial under
secretaries who yesterday announced
their resignations today agreed to re
tain their offices.
That Prclmer Mussolini, as a suc
cessful revolutionary leader has the
right to defend his regime against
any one who wishes to overthrow it
with every means In his power was
declared today by one of tne most
prominent Fascist leaders in an Inter
view* with the Associated Press con
cerning the present situation In Italy.
The Fascist chief argued that Mus
solini in all of his public utterances
had always laid great stress on the
fact that “he Is In power by virtue
of a revolution which, owing to the
timely intervention of the King, was
comparatively bloodless, but was a
revolution nevertheless.”
Defends Rights of Revolt.
“Mussolini is a successful revolu
tionary leader," the premier’s sup
porter said. “As such he has the
right to defend his government
against those who are trying to over
throw it. The premier cannot be ac
cused of not speaking his mind
frankly and clearly at all times, even
brutally. But even so there seem to
be many people who do not under
stand him. He Is misunderstood
somewhat In Italy, but more espe
cially abroad.
"No one who looks upon the pres
ent Italian situation as an ordinary
political crisis can form a correct
opinion of what is happening. What
would have happened In France if
some one, after -the French revolu
(Continued on Page 3, Column 4.)
> '
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER.
PRESIDENT WINS
i POSTAL PAY FIGHT
Senate Sustains Coolidge
Veto With Narrow Margin
of One Vote.
President Coolidge won his big
1 fight with Congress since his elec
! tlon last November when his veto of
the postal pay bill was sustained
late yesterday by the Senate.
By a vote of 55 in favor of over
! riding the veto to 29 against, the
: Senate gave the President the edge
in the contest.
How narrow an edge it was, how
! ever, is evident from the fact that
' had a single Senator who voted for
I the President’s veto changed his vote
| the veto would have been overridden
| and the postal pay bill would have
I passed the Senate, notwithstanding
I the disapproval of the President.
Twenty-eight Republicans and one
| Democrat —Dial of South Carolina—
| voted with the President, and twenty
one Republicans, thirty-three Demo-
I crats and one Farmer-Labor Senator
i voted against the President.
Democrat Saves Veto.
In a measure it may be said that
! the President was saved from a de
i feat by the single Democratic vote.
| In the list of 21 Republicans who
I voted against the President were
i Senators who have been close sup
! porters of the President, including
i Senators Moses of New Hampshire,
! McLean of Connecticut, Reed of Penn
i sylvania. Edge of New Jersey, Wads
worth of New York, Dale of Vermont.
Scarcely had the vote been an
nounced when Senator Ladd of North
Dakota, one of the four insurgent
Republicans who were cast out of
party councils because of their oppo
sition to President Coolidge during
the campaign, launched an attack on
the Republican caucus, defending his
course, and inquiring why Republi
cans who followed the Bull Moose
t party in 1912 had not been so dis
ciplined. Senator Edge of New
Jersey, a prime mover in the oust
ing of the four insurgents, sought
to reply to Senator Ladd. A shower
of questions from Senators Borah of
Idaho and Norris of Nebraska fell
upon the New Jersey Senator.
Senator Borah demanded a defini
tion of the test of party loyalty. Sen
ator Edge replied that support of the
party candidates in the campaign con
stituted such a test.
"Do I understand loyalty is sup
porting a candidate to get him in, and
- (Continued on Page 2, Column 8.)
WOMAN SUES BELMONT
ON RENOVATING BILL
Miss Talbert of Virginia Asks $335
Alleged Due Her for Housfe
cleaning.
Miss Hazel E. Talbert of A’ienna,
Va„ a contracting renovator of homes,
today filed suit in the Municipal
Court to recover $335 from Perry Bel
mont, prominent society leader, for
placing his mansion at Eighteenth
! and R streets northwest In condition
\for habitation after the absence of the
owner in Europe for seven years. Miss
Talbert says the amount asked rep
resents a balance due under a con
tract by which Mr. Belmont promised
to pay $650 for the conditioning of
his home. He paid $315, It Is said,
leaving the balance sued for.
The contract was in writing, ac
cording to Attorney Godfrey L. Mun
ter, representing the plaintiff. Be
cause of the house being shut up so
long, Miss Talbert tells the court, it
was in a "very disorderly and dirty”
I condition and required much effort to
render it habitable.
| • .
BINGHAM GOES IN TODAY.
Will Take Oath as Governor, Then
Resign Tomorrow.
HARTFORD, Conn., January 7.—001.
Hiram Bingham, former Yale pro
fessor, lieutenant governor and
United States Senator-elect, will be
! inaugurated governor today. He
expects to resign the governorship
tomorrow and proceed to Washing
ton to qualify as a member of the
Senate, succeeding the late Frank R.
Brandegee. John H. Trumbull will
become lieutenant governor
and governor tomorrow.
Plane in Air Kills
2 in Auto Truck
At Dayton Field
By the Associated Tress.
DAYTON, Ohio, January 7. —Two
employes of Wilbur Wright flying
field, near here, were instantly
killed this morning when a truck
in which they were riding was
struck and demolished by an air
plane flying over the speed course
at the field.
The dead: Leon C. Harness, field
Inspector, and Paul Long, truck
driver.
Lieut. E. C. Barksdale of McCook
Field was piloting the ship. He
was accompanied by an observer.
Both aviators escaped without a
scratch.
The accident is believed to be
the first on record in which a
ground vehicle was struck by a
flying plane, resulting in fatalities.
TEACHER SHOT JAN
SLAIN ATWISCONSIN
Mystery Shrouds Tragedy in
Wounding of Roung Homan
Instructor.
By the Associated Press.
MADISON, Wis„ January 7.—F. X.
Bernard, 32, of Hibbing, Minn., is dead,
and Miss Laura B. Palmer, 28. a Wis
consin University romance language in
structor, whose home is in La Crosse,
Wis., is dying at the Madison General
Hospital, as a result of a double
shooting this morning in the receiv
ing room of the French House.
The French House is a boarding
and rooming house occupied by uni
versityVoman students who are tak
ing romance language courses at the
University of Wisconsin.
Bernard's body was found on the
floor by Mrs. M. Hanson, a cook at
the house, shortly after she heard the
report of the pistol. A bullet hole
was in his right temple and a pistol
was clutched in his right hand.
Miss Palmer, after calling for help,
collapsed in Mrs. Hanson's arms. One
bullet had penetrated her right arm and
another her abdomen.
A letter, addressed to "Dear X," and
found in Bernard's coat, is thought by—
(Continued on Page 2, Column 2.)
WORLD COURT ISSUE
TO BE TAKEN UP SOON
Senate Foreign Relations Commit
tee Plans Consideration of Pro
posal Next Wednesday.
President Coolidge's proposal for
American adherence to the World
Court will be taken up next Wednes
day by the Senate foreign relations
committee.
Besides agreeing to go forward
with the World Court matter the
committee approved today the arbi
tration treaty with Sweden.
The committee may take up the
■World Court subject in open session,
a somewhat unusual procedure, al
though that question has not been
finally determined.
“Man of Mystery ” to Talk on Radio
In Effort to Establish Identity
By the Associated Press.
NORFOLK, Va., January 7.—The
powers of radio will be invoked
In a novel purpose when it car
ries from a local broadcasting
station today the voice of Nor
folk's "mystery man," who has
baffled all other means of estab
lishing his identity.
Found straying near Cape Charles
two months ago, and now believed
to be a victim of aphasia, the
individual who will speak over
the air has In turn been a charge
on immigration authorities, local
police and, lastly, of charity dur
ing fruitless efforts to determine .
his identity.
The most puzzling feature of the
ease la tba man’s language, which
“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 homes
as fast as the papers are printed.
YesterJay’s Circulation, 100,706
START IS FAVORED
ON POWER PROJECT
House Given Favorable Re
port on Great Falls Plan by
District Committee.
Favorable Teport to the House on
the proposed hydro-electric develop
ment of Great Falls through erection
of a dam at Chain Bridge was or
dered by the House District commit
tee today.
Representative Frederick N. Zihl
man of Maryland made a report from
the subcommittee which has been
investigating the proposed develop
ment and which held extensive bear
ings. The Zihlman report showed
four of the five members of the sub
committee in favor of starting this
work. Representative Thomas L.
Blanton, Democrat, of Texas, was the
one objecting, and he made a state
ment to the committee opposing the
measure principally on the ground
of unconstitutionality.
Meets Blanton Objection*.
Representative William C. Hammer,
Democrat, of North Carolina, another
member of the subcommittee, argued
against Mr. Blanton on the question
of unconstitutionality and quoted
from the testimony of Attorney Gen
eral Stone. Representative Krnest W.
Gibson of Vermont, also a lawyer
and a member of the subcommittee,
supported Representative Hammer's
argument and called attention to the
fact that the Attorney General had
cited several cases as precedents.
Representative Hammer said the
question nas purely legislative, and
not judicial, and that it would never
be brought before the court for a
decision.
Answering objections from Repre
sentative Underhill, who, with Repre
senattive Blanton, was the only other
member of the committee speaking in
opposition to this legislation, Repre
sentative Zihlman explained that a
sinking fund would be set up to pay
off all costs out of earnings and that
contracts assuring such returns would
be entered into before any work was
undertaken.
Promises His Support.
Representative Stalker, Republican,
of New York said that he was great
ly interested in the proposed devel
opment and would go a long way to
see the project put through.
Representative Ralph Gilbert, Dem
ocrat, of Kentucky, moved that action
on the report be deferred until the
next meeting of the District com
mittee. This motion was defeated
by a vote of 6 to 5, and the same
vote was recorded on the motion or
dering a favorable report. Repre
sentatives Gilbert and Beers of Penn
sylvania, however, both called atten
tion that their vote must not be
taken as indicating opposition to this
legislation, but merely that they
wished more time to study the ques
tion.
Representative Gilbert expressed
great interest, warning that the
scenic beauty and the Potomac River
bank should not be despoiled.
Document In Two Parts.
In his report Representative Zihl
man emphasized that the Senate doc
ument upon which the bill under con
sideration is based, is divided into
two parts. The first deals with the
increase of the existing water sup
ply of the District. This work is
well under way and should be com
pleted by 1926, Representative Zihl
man said.
The second part of the Senate docu
(Continued on Page 2, ColumiTTT)
has led to uncertainty among;
linguists as to whether he speaks
in an unknown tongue or his
words are merely a jumble of sev
eral languages he has spoken In
the past. Occasional words of
various languages have been
caught in the man’s utterances,
which otherwise have been unin
telligible to experts in decipher
ing.
An appearance strongly indicat
ing culture and refinement, de
spite his condition of poverty
when picked up, has heightened
interest in the case. Persons In
terested have arranged to broad
cast his voice from station WTAR
at 6 p.m. in the hope that it will
be heard In some quarter that
can provide a clue to the man's
Identity.
* TWO CENTS.
ELABORATE PLANS
FOR INAUGURATION
GOINGTOCOOLIDGE
Galliher’s Ideas to Be Laid
Before Executive Today.
Gala Nature Stressed.
CURTIS SEES PRESIDENT
ON CAPITOL CEREMONY
Erection of Huge Stand for Spec
tators at Inaugural Address
Is Among Proposals.
The ceremonies attending- the in
auguration of President Coolidge will
be the most pretentious since the dajs
of William McKinley and Theodore
Roosevelt, according to William T.
Galliher, chairman of the inaugural
committee, who will lay plans for the
ceremonies before the President today.
Although the committees in charge
will not depart from the dignity that
is considered befitting the induction
into office of a President of the United
State, Mr. Galliher declared, he hopes
to see the greatest parade that ever
passed down Pennsylvania avenue
when President Coolidge takes the
oath of office March 4.
Instead of the "severely simple’’
ceremonies that attended the ad
ministering of the oath to Presidents
Wilson and Harding, a great stand
stretching from the Senate to the
House wings of the Capitol, covering
the entire east steps and capable of
seating at least 8,000 dignitaries of
state, official guests, diplomatic rep
resentatives and other spectators
may be erected.
Mr. Galliher said that it is his idea
to make the inauguration of Presi
dent Coolidge an occasion for joy, to
be participated in by the people of
America, rather than shrouding it in
an overabundance of forbidding dignity.
Curtis Sees Coolidge.
Senator Curtis of Kansas, Republi
can leader of the Senate and chair
man of the joint congressional in
augural committee, had breakfast
with the President in the White
House today, and discussed with Mr.
Coolidge the plan for the inaugural
ceremonies.
Hater Senator Curtis said that he
had asked the architect of the Capi
tol and other officials to compare
three different plans. The first similar
to the plan adopted for the Harding
inauguration, at which the guests
stood, with the exception of a few
who had places on the small stand
from which the President delivered
his address; second, by calling for the
erection of a stand to seat about 6.000
people, and a third, to seat 8,800 peo
ple.
When these plans have been prepared
Senator Curtis said that he would
call his committee together again to
determine which should be adopted.
It is understood that the President
has left the matter of arrangements
for the inaugural ceremonies at the
Capitol largely in the hands of the
joint committee, although the com
mittee will follow such wishes in the
matter as the President may express.
May Deride Today.
It is believed possible that the
question of what form the inaugura
tion ceremonies will take—that is.
whether they will carry out the idea
of simplicity truch as marked the
Wilson and Harding inductions—
will be decided this afternoon when
President Coolidge sees Mr. Galliher.
That the President wishes to allow
himself considerable time for this
meeting was indicated when he sent
word to Mr. Galliher, who was wait
ing to see him shortly before noon,
that unexpected engagements had
made It impossible for him to allot
the conference sufficient time at that
hour and requested the inaugural
chairman to return at 3:30 o'clock.
One of the issues to be decided will
be the question of the inaugural ball.
Heretofore the President has firmly
vetoed all suggestions for an official
inaugural bail. On the other hand,
every plan submitted has called for
entertainment of that character on
the evening of the inauguration, and
Mr. Galliher has intimated that can
cellation of any kind of a ball would
necessarily curtail the day’s program.
Seen as Discourteous.
He has pointed out that it would be
discourteous to invite large numbers
of persons here merely to see the pa
rade, and then leave them with no
means of entertainment in the
evening.
So far as can be learned, however,
the committees in charge have not
specified what kind of a ball should
be held. They have, it is said, merely
suggested that some such fete be ar
ranged. On this basis there is a pos
sibility that the President may not
disapprove of holding a charity ball
such as marked the evening of Pres
ident Harding’s inauguration.
If he vetoes an official inaugural
ball and does not offer objection to
the charity event, It is regarded as
certain that the latter will be held.
President Harding did not attend
the charity ball in 1921. There is an
open question, however, as to wheth
er President and Mrs. Coolidge might
appear at such an event for a short
time, in view of the fact that it would
not necessitate the rigors of stand
ing in a receiving line for long and
tiresome hours, such as would be nec
essary at an official reception.
Want Coolidge to Decide.
Neither Mr. Galliher nor Senator
Curtis have committed themselves
one way or the other on this subject.
Both wish to let the President decide
the matter for himself without being
embarrassed by any intimation of a
choice on their part.
Mr. Galliher said that the ball is
probably one of the subjects to be
discussed when he meets President
Coolidge this afternoon.
In case it is decided to have a mili
tary «md civic parade, it Is said at the
War Department, that the general
plan of parade of previous inaugura
tions undoubtedly would be followed.
If precedent Is followed, Maj. Gen.
John L. Hines, chief of staff of the
Army, the highest ranking officer
available, naturally would serve as
grand marshal, and Brig. Gen. Samuel
D. Rockenbach, commanding the Dis
trict of Washington, would be his
chief of staff and attend to all the de
tails of the organization of the pro
cession. At the Wilson inauguration
(Continued on Page 2, Column 3.)
Radio Programs—Page 20.