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W LATHER. (T7. S. Weather Bureau Forecast.) Rain tonight and tomorrow morn ing. partly cloudy tomorrow afternoon, warmer tonight, cooler tomorrow. Temperatures—Highest, 63, at 2:45 p.m. yesterday; lowest. 48. at 12:30 a.m. today. Full report on page 5. Closing N. Y. Stocks and Bonds, Page 30 -vt on Entered as second class matter ISO. 0,1. post office, Washington. D. C. NAT-PIRATE GAME IS BALKED BY RAIN; MORE DELAY SEEN Pittsburgh in for Siege of Bad Weather, According to Forecaster. BOTH CLUBS’ PITCHERS WILL BENEFIT BY REST Johnson and Aldridge Were Scheduled to Meet in Deciding Clash Today. BY DENMAN THOMPSON. Sports Editor. Washington Star. FORBES FIELD. Pittsburgh. Octo ber 14. —Rain forced postponement of the deciding clash between It ashing ton and Pittsburgh for the world championship here this afternoon. Commissioner Landis waited until 2:32 p.m. before deciding that the continued precipitation would pre clude play. 'With several days of bad weather predicted by the official Government forecaster for this section, the pros pect was for a long delay before i the 1925 world series could be decided. J The delay was regarded as likely j to prove beneficial to both clubs, as j It would give the rival pitching staffs j additional time for recuperation from their earlier efforts. A half hour before starting time j interjnittent drops of moisture in-1 dicated that it was only a 'lues- j tlon of time before rain in sufficient quantity to prevent play might set In. Ten minutes later the downfall had assumed the proportions of aj ligfyt drizzle, with a brisk breeze from the southwest driving storm-laden clouds toward the battlefield. Many spectators, prepared for just such an emergency, sat in their seats with umbrellas raised, but some 500 news paper men and telegraph operators. * along with .the thousands of fans In the uncovered stands, faced the pros pect of a good drenching. Champions Practice in Rain. Preparation hv the athletes for play | went on as usual, but with only 20 | minutes left t>efore the starting hour, the Pittsburgh ground crew made prep arations to spread the huge canvas tarpaulin over the infield. Although Commissioner Landis, whose word is final in everything pertaining to world \ series, let It be known that he planned to have the game started regardless of prevailing conditions, the precipita tion by this time. 15 minutes before the barrier was due to he sprung, had Increased in intensity, but the Wash ington players trotted out for the usual fielding practice. The expected announcement that Johnson would make his third start in an effort to record as many vic tories was forthcoming from Manager Stanley Harris, despite the fact that Barney had had but two days of rest and was suffering with a lame leg. At this point, 10 minutes before! game time, although the drizzle had decreased slightly, the covering was spread over the infield, with the um pires gathered at the home plate mark ing time. At the zero hour no word had been forthcoming from Commis sioner Landis, who sat in his unpro tected front seat vigorously puffing at a cigar. This indicated the com missioner had determined to await developments in the weather. It still was drizzling steadily. At five min utes past two. Manager McKechnie of the Pirates crossed the field to Mr. Landis’ box, as the rain descended steadily, and after a five-minute con ference Judge Landis sent word to the press to ‘‘sit tight for a while.” The rain by this time had slackened a trifle, constituting a steady drizzle. Comedians Go Swimming. Some 10 minutes later the fans be gan yelling. "Call it off!” came from those in the unprotected seats and "Play!” from the spectators i>rotected from the elements. Promptly at 2:20 pm. the umpires made a pilgrimage from the Pirates’ bench, where they had sought shelter, to Commissioner Landis’ box as Nick Altrock and A1 Schacht provoked merriment by start ing out to the diamond wearing hip boots and carrying agyly-covered um brellas. Seated on the tarpaulin, the comedians put on their well known fishing stunt, in which they fall out of the boat and Schacht swims to the rescue of Altrock its the crowd roared with merriment. Commissioner Landis then sent further word to the press to “sit tight for 10 minutes,” as Al trock amused the throng by taking running dives on the ground. A slight sign of clearing skies caused the cen ter-field hleacherites to raise a cheer i at this point. Then came the official announce ment that the game was off. JOHNSON WAS CHOICE. Ready to Go to Mound With But * Little Rest. FORBES FIELD. PITTSBURGH, Pa.. October 14 (A*).—Under overcast and threatening skies the greatest crush of fans that lias yet attempted to see the 1925 championship games eddied and swirled about Forbes Field to gain places in the background of the * seventh and deciding battle between Washington and Pittsburgh. It seemed from the size of the rap idly gathering throng more than two hours before the game that the park's capacity of about 45,000 would be ex tended, with probably as many more vainly seeking admittance. Enthusiasm, aroused to high pitch •yesterday when the Pirates won their second straight game to tie the series at three victories each, grew by leaps ' and bounds overnight. There were wild scenes outside the park through out the morning as the crowds strug gled and pushed their way into lines that stretched almost, without end in all directions from the main gates. This was to be the crucial test to day. with the veteran Washington club fighting to defend its title against the onrush of the inspired young Pirate horde, but there was a prospec tive individual clash that almost over shadowed the main goal—a probable pitchers' battle between the two un defeated twirling heroes of the rival clubs, Walter Johnson and Victor Ald ridge. Overnight It developed that the rival “(Continued on Page 2, Column 3.) ■'■■■■ ■! I - ■ Town’s Bakeries Closed, Gouging Bakers in Jail By the Aaeo<-iate<l Preas. CALAHORRA. Spain. October 14. —This town of about 11,000 has plenty of flour, but nobody to knead and bake it. All the bakers are in prison. They were sent there for having refused to sell bread at a price fixed by the municipality. Each of the incarcerated men also has l»een fined 500 pesetas. The authorities threaten to seize the bakeshops if the bakers when they are released still refuse to comply with the price scale. Meanwhile neighboring towns are supplying the people here the bread they require. RUM BOAT FLEETS DASHING TO SOUTH I Seek Riches and Greater Safety in Florida and Gulf Ports. By the Associated Press. ATLANTA, October 14. —Rum row, that movable mart for illicit trade in forbidden beverages, Is now more or less firmly established in Southern waters. Present activities there are so extensive it Is believed the trade in j eludes most of those former operators I who managed to escape the sharp j shooting Coast Guardsmen's cam i paign to break up flourishing business ; off New York. Boston and Atlantic j City shores. I Rum runners have accepted literal | lv the admonition of Col. Luke Lea of | Teuneessee to "come South, young j fellow,” paraphrased from Horace I Greely’s famous advice to young men. I And they have come —fleets of j them. Many have been lured to i Florida by tales of fabulous riches and of an orgy of spending by Winter tourists. Others have been driven to Florida by Uncle Sam's Intense efforts in other Southern waters. Coinbat Force Ready. Three branches of America's com bat service are represented in Florida ! by Col. B. T. Simmons, retired Army j officer. State prohibition administra tor: Comdr. P. F. Hambsch, retired ! Navy officer, his assistant, and Capt. John G. Berry, active commander of the Coast Guard forces. Col. Simmons has set up headquar ters at Tampa with branch offices at Miami, Jacksonville and Pensacola. Key West is headquarters for the Coast Guard. Comdr. Hambsch has discovered that a giant English rum running syndicate is operating in Florida waters. In the syndicate’s fleet are ships carrying cargoes of 15,000 to 20,000 cases valued at $500,000 and re tailed in Florida for $3,500,000. There are seven vessels —six schooners and a converted yacht—in the fleet, which keeps its supplies replenished by fast motor boats capable of outdistancing any craft in the Coast Guard Service. There was a time when Jacksonville and vicinity were favorite haunts for ! the smuggling ilk, but these now have been transferred to Miami, Tampa and Key West. Norfolk Blockaded. In Norfolk the blockade has been made effective. With many ships coming in daily from foreign ports considerable rum Is landed In small quantities, but there is nothing to in dicate any wholesale deliveries. The story is virtually the same as other Atlantic Coast ports down to Sa vannah. where a big rum ring was uncovered a short time ago. Six ships were confiscated and seven ring leaders sent to the Federal peniten tiary. One of the vessels seized at Savannah, the Astra, flying the Brit ish flag, was turned into a rum chaser and used with good effect by the Coast Guard. Dash and deviltry displayed by the rum runner elsewhere are lacking in the species working out of New Or leans to the West. They have been consldrably discouraged by activities of Federal agents in and around the Crescent City and have been cautious In recruiting for fear of tfigning on some Federal “under-cove r ” men. (Continued on Page 2, Column 2.b TWO SEVERELY BURNED. Mother and Boy Injured While Fighting Blaze. Vincent Rudolph. 11 years old, and his mother. Mrs. Nora Rudolph, 42, were burned about the hands and arms last night while attempting to extinguish a fire in clothing in a closet at their home, 415 H street. I They were treated for burns at Emer gency Hospital. Two companies of firemen responded to the alarm and extinguished the fire after about $75 damage had been done, it was reported. IOWA FARMERS DEMAND “COST PLUS” CORN PRICES By the Associated Press. DES MOINES. lowa, October 14. Meetings are being held in lowa this week to organize farmers to withhold their corn from the market until it can he sold for “cost plus” prices. Success of the movement is assured now, recording to officers of the lowa Corn Growers’ Association. Farmers are urged to take advan tage of the new State warehouse law by sealing up their corn, obtaining a warehouse receipt and holding it to prevent warehouse companies and grain companies in the East making the profit on the corn "dumped” on the market all at one period. Seven-Ton Meteorite, Dragged Two Years Out of Greenland, Is Brought to Europe By the Associated Press. ABERDEEN, Scotland, October 14. —The third largest meteorite In the world has just arrived here from Greenland aboard the Danish schooner Sokongen. Nobody here has yet seen the stone, but Capt. Pedersen of the Sokogen says it weighs 7 tons. Eskimos are attributed with the statement that the meterorite fell in 1918, and that they had been dragging it toward the coast on dog sledges ©he Mtomim Skf. V J V X WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION WASHINGTON, D. C., WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1925-FIFTY-EIGHT PAGES. - M’NIDER REGARDED CERTAIN CHOICE AS DAVIS’ ASSISTANT Former Legion Head May Get War Department Post by Saturday. REPORTED SELECTION WINS POPULAR FAVOR New War Secretary Takes Oath of Office Before Army Heads and Many Friends Today. Col. Hanford MacNider of lowa, for mer national conlmander of the Amer ican Legion, Is understood to he Presi dent Coolidge’s choice for Assistant Secretary of War to succeed Dwight F. Davis, who has been elevated to succeed John W. Weeks as Secretary. Mr. Davis was sworn in today. This is the opinion of associates of the President, who, while discuss ing the subject today said they look for no delay in filling this vacancy. They explain that the President has given the question considerable thought, inasmuch as he made up his mind several weeks, ago to pro mote Mr. Davis, and that since then his only concern has been to decide on a successor to him. It is known that the White House j has been in touch with Col. MacNider I within the past few days, and that he is expected to himself at the White House within the next day or so. Some who are in a position to speak authoritatively feel certain that the President will announce Secre tary Davis’ successor by Saturday, possibly sooner. The President is known to have a high regard for Col. MacNider. and is convinced from his record while at the head of the Ameri can Legion that he possesses the training and ability admirably to fill the office of assistant head of the War Department. Choice Would Be Popular. It Is iH)‘nted out by friends of the President that Mr. MacNider would ! not only prove a splendid acquisition to the administration because of his peculiar fitness, but they say there is no doubting the j>opular effect such an appointment would have generally throughout the country. Besides his brilliant and enviable war record. Col. MacNider was more than ordinarily active and conspicuous while com mander of the legion. That was during the younger days of the Legion and during a period when the National Government and the country at large was struggling to recover from the World War, and to enter upon a sound program of recon struction. He made innumerable speeches through the country, not only In the interest of the Legion itself, but in the interest of the Nation in general. He forcibly urged stabiliza tion and normalcy and the building-up of Industry. Mentioned for P. O. Post. The fact that President Coolidge is known to have seriously considered ap pointing Col. McNider Second Assist ant Postmaster General to succeed Paul Henderson when the latter re signed last Summer is taken by many as strong evidence of the President’s favorable opinion of the former Le gion head, and suggested that Mr. Coolidge has had his eye on him for some time as a possible addition to his official family. The opinion was expressed in some quarters today that there is a possi bility of Col. MacNider not accepting the assistant secretaryship. However, this is taken as being only an opinion of those who are Inclined to think that Col. MacNider’s aspirations go much higher than an assistant secretary ship. There is no doubt that the appoint ment would be pleasing to the Re publicans of the Midwest and inti mates of the President feel certain it would further strengthen the Presi dent with the American Legion. Col. MacNider’s name was promi nently mentioned tn 1924 as a running mate for President Coolidge on the national ticket and his name was actually placed In nomination for the vice presidency. Besides this compli ment, friends of Col. MacNider at tempted to obtain his consent to op pose Senator Brookhart last No vember. Col. MacNider is a native of Mason City, lowa, and is only 37 years old. He has been successful as a banker and as a business man. He was grad uated from Harvard, and saw military service on the Mexican border In 1916 before entering the Army in the World War. He resigned from the Army In 1919 with the rank of lieu tenant colonel, and afterward re ceived the distinguished service cross. While discussing this probable ap pointment at the White House to day the associates of the President said that very few names have been presented to the President for consid eration in connection with the ap pointment of an Assistant Secretary of War. This is explained by the fact that it was not known that Dwight Davis was to be appointed to succeed Secretary Weeks, but now that the other appointment has been made public it is expected that there will be a number of names suggested between now and the time the Presi dent fills the vacancy. Davis Takes Oath. Col. Davis formally assumed the du ties of Secretary of War at 10 o'clock this morning in succession to Secre tary Weeks of Massachusetts, who i resigned on account of ill health. Chief .lustice Taft of the Supreme Court, former President of the United States, (Continued on Page 2, Column 8J • since 1923. Great difficulty was en countered in taking the meteorite on board the Sokongen. Capt. Pedersen said he had much trouble in steering his vessel to Aber deen because the stone deflected the compass. The Sokongen in 1924 res cued the Danish explorer Peter Fre unehen, who had been lost in Baffin Land for three years. Os the two larger meteorites in ex istence one is in the United-States and the other in Great Britain. fsfdfdf POLISH PROBLEMS TROUBLE LOCARNO { | Question of Corridor One of | Few Still in Way of Accord on Security Pact. By the Associated Press. LOCARNO, Switzerland, October 14. i —That the Polish problem, particular- I ly the question of a Polish corridor to I the sea, still troubles the Locarno se ! curity conference was the impression j Riven today by Austen Chamberlain, j British foreign secretary, who said I that he and Sir Cecil Hurst, English j jurist, had placed their services at the | disposal of the delegates in an en- I deavor to reach an agreement con cerning Germany's eastern frontiers. Mr. Chamberlain was optimistic over the possibility of bringing Ger many and Poland together. He em phasized that sueh a measure of agree ment had already been reached at the Locarno conference that no country and no parliament could dare to as sume responsibility for bringing to naught those things that had been achieved. New Chapter in History. “We have opened a new chapter in European history,” he said, "not only fashioning peace on paper, but also within the councils of government and the hearts of men, and the treaty of Locarno would appear to be a real watershed between peace rind war— even more so than the treaty of Ver sailles.” The British statesman ad mitted that formal solution of all the points had not yet been reached, but said he was convinced they would be, and that mutual good will, b; sed on common Interests, would establish an enduring peace. It is understood that difficulties have arisen over the text of the Polish- German arbitration treaty because Poland, wishing to protect her corri dor to the sea. does not desire that the treaty shall affect disputes aris ing out of existing treaties, which she believes can only be revised under the provisions of the League of Nations covenant. Moreover, Poland wants the same guarantee from her ally, France, for the Polish-German treaty as Great Britain is according to France and Germany In connection with the Rhine security pact. Mostly Agreed Upon. In principle the greater portion of the Locarno pact has been agreed upon. Dr. Kempner of the German delega tion here has proceeded to Berlin, where he Is outlining the entire situ ation at Locarno to President von Hindenburg and the members of his cabinet. If finally the compact Is signed and Germany enters the League of Na tions, Great Britain, France and Italy, under the gentlemen’s agreement en tered into with Germany, will en deavor to aid Germany in her plea that she Is unable to contribute eco nomic, financial or military aid to help the League of Nations In any move It may take against a nation that has been proclaimed an ag gressor. It seems evident, however, that once Germany Is a member of the league she must convlncee the coun cil of the league of her lmpotency In her effort to secure a revision of the penalty clauses of the league cove nant. SCALPERS OPEN OFFICES NEAR PITTSBURGH FIELD By the Associated Press. PITTSBURGH, October 14.—Reports here are to the effect that scalpers, who hitherto had found little business, are reaping a rich harvest from the demand for tickets to the seventh and deciding game of the world’s series to day. Through "dummies” in the ticket line the scalpers yesterday ob tained scores of choice seats, it was said. Their box offices sprang up near Forbes Field and fans seemed eager to buy the scalpers’ tickets at twice their original price. FORD PAYS FOR SHIPS. Check for Received in • Settlement. A check for $1,522,470 was received by the Shipping Board today from Henry Ford in final payment for the 200 ships he has bought for scrapping. Previously he had paid $175,000 on deposit for the ships and $255,000 for six steel tugs to be used In hauling them to points for scrapping. NOTRE DAME UNIVERSITY LOSES SIOO,OOO BY FIRE Flames of Undetermined Origin Destroy Main Building in Farm Group Adjacent to Campus. By the Associated Press. SOUTH BEND, Ind., October 14. —Fire of undetermined origin last night razed the main building of the University of Notre Dame farm build ings group, adjacent to the campus, causing a loss unofficially estimated at SIOO,OOO. Nearly 2,000 Notre Dame students aided the South Bend firemen In their attempt to save the building, but a high wind swept the flames beyond their control soon .after the fire was discovered. The entire local fire department and a majority of the students stood by ready to resume their fight should a changing wind endanger the university bui'dings nearby. U. S. WOVE PUZZLES PRESS IN LONDON Holds Reported Independent Action in China In comprehensible. By the Associated Press. LONDON, October 14. —The Times in an editorial this morning expressed perplexity and concern over informa tion it has received from Washington to the effect that the United States Government is prepared, unless agree ment on concurrent action dan be se cured among the powers at the cus toms conference in Peking, to act in dependently and immediately revise its commercial treaty arrangements with China. "This is so nearly incomprehensible,” says the Times, "that the natural at titude here must be one of puzzled In credulity until further information is available.” The newspaper adds that the sugges tion of independent action by any power participating in the conference is likely to render the whole effort of the conference nugatory, and that “In the crlcumstances some fuller and precise definition of the attitude the American government purposes to take at the conference is eminently desirable.” % CAUSES SURPRISE HERE. Kellogg Stands For United Action On Chinese Problem. Reports circulated In London that the Washington Government was pre paring to deal with the Chinese problem independerttly of the other powers caused considerable surprise here as the attitude thus far taken by Secretary Kellogg In all aspects of the discussions has been that unity of action was essential. There has been no disposition In official circles here to doubt that the British government Is as anxious to reach constructive results In the forth coming customs conference in Peking as Is the Washington Government. The chief difficulties that will be en countered are due to the disturbed po litical situation in China itself and not to divergent views on the part of the other powers. There has at no time been a sug gestion in any official quarter that a threat of independent action by the United States, direct of Indirect, had played any part in the negotiations. CHARGES INVOLVING PANI FAIL TO INTEREST WlF€ “We Mexican Women Our Husbands Ho Questions,” She Says, in Actress’ Case. By the Associated' Press. LCfs ANGELES, Calif., October 14. —Seffora Esther Alva de Pani, wife of the Mexican finance secretary, Al berta Par.’., expressed little surprise and less interest In the charges brought against a Mexican actress in New York in connection with Senor Pani’s visit to the United States. Without expressing any opinion as to the credibility of statements con tained in the complaint filed with im migration authorities in New York, she pointed out that It had been filed by a political enemy of her husband. "Besides,” she remarked, "we Mexi can women ask our husbands no ques tions, so that they can tell us the truth.” ARMY TORN ANEW BY FUMY ROW Orders of Maj. Gen. Fries for * Articles Countermanded by Post Commander. ' The gaunt specter of another war in i the Army has stalked into Washing- i ten from the stormy posts of Texas, ■ birthplace of the most recent air j service tornado, and parked itself . with uncomfortable complacency In i the heretofore peaceful precincts of 1 the Chemical Warfare Service. "Although the possible theaters of strife are quiet at present, details of ; the controversy are just beginning to : seep through the long channels of their official itinerary, disclosing a sit- ! uatlon which may Involve the whole question of Army publicity and free dom of speech in the service before it is cleared up. The whole upheaval started when j Maj. Gen. Amos A. Fries, chief of i the Chemical Warfare Service, order ed officers of his section In the va rious Army corps areas to prepare for the newspapers in their sectors j certain publicity setting forth the i true mission of the Chemical War- j fare Service in contradiction of recent j misstatements that have been pub- j llshed about it. General Bans Story. Everything apparently went well until Lieut. William S. Barret, chemi cal warfare officer at Fort Bliss, Tex., endeavoring to carry out the orders of his superiors in Washington and at the same time to accord his post commandant the usual courtesies, submitted his publicity campaign to Brig. Gen. Joseph C. Castner, com manding officer at the fort. According to the formal and strictly military report received by Gen. Fries from Lieut. Barrett, Gen. Castner did nothing more unusual than forbid publication of the articles until after they had been submitted to Maj. Gen. Hinds, commanding that corps area, and formally approved by him. But, according to accounts published in Texas newspapers and received in of ficial circles at the War Department, the outbreak was much more serious. Gen. Castner, who won his way to r brigadier’s star after entering the service without the assistance of a diploma from West Point, is quoted as having used some hard language, covering not only the question of pub licity for the Chemical Warfare Serv ice, but the Army Air Service, too, and the entire Army personnel, as a matter of fact. "The sooner these galoots out here understand thaf “T £nf"running this show,” the El Paso Post quotes him as declaring, “the better we’ll be. I don’-t give a damn who tells these blrdfi to talk, as long as they are slider me they are going to do as I say. “ 'lf Washington wants the news papers of El Paso to know anything about chemical warfare, all the War Department has to do Is to notify me and I’ll prepare a series of articles tell ing them what I think they should know. This will soon be & hell of an Army If every half-baked officer wear ing a uniform Is allowed to go around shooting off his mouth to the news papers.’ ” Await Castner Action. On top of that, Gen. Castner is re ported to have informed Lieut. Barrett that he would be court-martialed if he "shot off his trap” to the newspapers. As a result, Lieut. Barrett simply with held his articles and Informed Gen. Fries of the situation. In his letter, however, he'did not quote Gen. Cast ner as having used such terms as "shooting off his trap.” At- the Chemical Warfare Service officers seem bewildered whether to be Amused or worried. Officially, that sec tion of the Army will withhold any action until Gen. Castner has had time to submit the chemical warfare publicity to Gen. Hinds. It is not known whether that has been done or not, but two weeks have passed, and (Continued on Page 2, Column 8.) [What About Florida? ! Have you invested money , there, expecting to get rich quick? If you have, or are thinking about doing so, you will be In- \ terested In the series of articles i. by i Ben McKelway Beginning tomorrow in The Evening Star “From Press to Home Within the Hour 99 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, 103,629 G4 5 ) Means Associated Press. ONE KILLED, 2 HURT IN GAS EXPLOSION AND FIRE IN GARAGE Blast at 13th and B Buries: i Michael O’Connor, Gas Man, in Debris. FIRE SWEEPS BUILDING, BUT QUICKLY IS QUELLED Woman Employe of Federal Taxi Company Among Hurt in Early Afternoon Accident. One man was killed and a man ! and a woman were less seriously hurt | when an explosion, l>elieved to have | originated in the illuminating gas line, wrecked the second floor front of the federal Taxicab garage at 212 Thir teenth street this afternoon. Lying in the red-hot embers fire men found the prostrate form of j Michael O’Connor. 55 years old, em- ] ploye of the Washington Gas Light i Co. and a resident of 205 Shepherd street, Chevy Chase, Md. He was , pushed to emergency Hosptial in the] rescue squad vehicle of the lire De-j partment, but he was so seriously burned about the body that he died J shortly after arrival there. Spectacular Rescue. A spectacular rescue probably saved j the lives of three others who were in i the building at the time. Nearby j workmen threw a ladder up to the front window of the building before the Fire Department arrived. In an j j instant P. M. Kirkwood, chief book- j i keeper of the firm, had sent Miss j i Edna B. Riddle of 1217 H street | I down the ladder with A. T. Lichten- j ] berg, another clerk. Kirkwood then ' • descended himself, turning, on the i ground, to see the whole front of the ; ■ building wreathed in a sheet of flame. ; Had the rescue been delayed until j j the arrival of the Fire Department I J this method of exit would have been j : cut off by the flames which engulfed j ' the second floor, although the speed : |of the fire engines themselves was ! , considered remarkable. ; I O’Connor, accompanied by Paul i j Collins, another employe of the gas J I companv, had been blowing out the ' gas lines to get rid of an obstruction i J just three minutes when the explosion ! ! rocked the building. Kirkwood said. ! I He was positive that there were two | ! employes of the gas company in the j I building. Only one was found — \ O'Connor, who later died at the hos- I pital. A thorough search of the charred ruins by firemen failed to disclose any trace of Collins. He had not reported back to his foreman at the gns company an hour after the fire, but the idea was prevalent that he ; had escaped, through some good for- i tune unharmed. Fire Marshal Seib explored the build-' ' ing immediately after the firemen had ! | extinguished the blaze. He refused j to make a statement as to the cause. ] • The only clue as to the possible cause: I of the explosion is furnished by Kirk j wood. “I was sitting at my desk,” Kirk- j wood said, “when a terrific explosion ; occurred in the northeast corner of j this building. Struck by Timber. "A chunk of timber fell and hit j me on 'the head. The desk toppled j over on Mrs. Riddle, one of our clerks. I remember that the explosion hap pened just nhout three minutes after j the gas company men had started to ! blow out the pipes to give us more; pressure. "Exactly where the explosion hap pened I can’t say. "Well, somebody went and got a ladder up to this window. We couldn’t get down the stairs for the fire had already cut us off and hedged us into this little office. That ladder and the one who did the quick thinking saved our lives, I believe, for when the Fire Department got here and I looked at the building all you could see was a sheet of flames.” Two alarms were sent in for fire apparatus. The blaze was under con trol within half an hour after the ar ; rival of the Fire Department. By^aW hour and a half after the arrival of the fire apparatus the fire was an nounced as “out."„ ' Difficulty was 'encountered in get ting O’Coruaorto the hospital. He was brought-ffown a ladder on a stretcher, barely breathing, and it was found Jm 'possible to put the stretcher In the patrol wagon. Then the fire rescue squad automobile was summoned and after much difficulty in backing into position through the large crowd, the man, dying, was put Into It and taken to the hospital. An Investigation into the exact cause of the fire was launched by the fire marshal this afternoon. Estimates of the damage run above SIO,OOO. The fire destroyed many valuable records of the company. Mrs. Riddle, it was found at the hospital, was cut about the hands and body and suffered considerably from shock. Lichtenberg, also treated at the hospital, was burned about the neck. Kirkwood said he was not In jured. O'Connor, who had been employed by the gas company 30 years, was a complaint man and pipefitter. He is survived by his wife and daughter. SCOPES’ COUNSEL ACCUSES STEWART By the Associated Press. KNOXVILLE, Tenn.. October 14. Attorney General A. T. Stewart, prose cutor for John Thomas Scopes, con victed of violating the Tennessee anti evolution act, has been accused by John Randolph Neal of changing the memorandum on the bill of exceptions in the case from 30 to 60 days. This declaration is made in the re ply of counsel for the plaintiff in error, in the case of Scopes, vs. the State of Tennessee, to the motion of the State’s attorney general to quash the appeal now pending before the Supreme Court. The reply was filed with the clerk of the court here late today by Mr. Neal, senior counsel for Scopes. It states that Stewart changed the dates in conformity with the order, which it was then understood between him and other counsel for the State and the attorneys for the defendant, would be entered before the minutes were signed. The minutes had not been signed when the change was made, the plain tiff asserts. TWO CENTS. MORALE OE NAVY HURT BY UNTRAINED HEADS, SAYS SIMS Retired Admiral Tells Board Air Development Is Impossi ble in Such Atmosphere. OPPOSED TO SEPARATE AVIATION DEPARTMENT Initiative of Subordinates Blight ed by Unmilitary Administra tion, He Says. The Navy Department is adminis tered hv untrained leaders In violation I °f military principles, which Is detri mental to morale of the service, Admiral William P. Sims, retired, commanding the American forces in European waters during the. war, de clared before the President's air j hoard today. The admiral's testimony ] was by far the most pointed and pic i turesque yet delivered before the ! hoard with the possible exception of ] Col. William Mitchell’s “destructive j criticism” statement. The Shenandoah disaster, the ad j miral said, "is a symbol of the con i tinuous violation of this age-old prin ! ciple that is destroying morale and ■ blighting initiative of subordinates — j which is unreasonable, unscientific and j unmilitary administration. Such meth ! ods applied hy high officials of a great | railroad would wreck its equipment. No War Pressure. j "Why is this allowed to go on? Prin- „ | cipally because we don't feel the pres | sure of war over here as the Euro ! peans do," he said. | "We have had men appointed to high positions whom the whole Navy knew to be entirely Inefficient. They : hadn't even looked in a book. 4 j "We are getting tired of it. We j are not stupid on this side, just in different, because we are so far re • moved from the possibility of war." The admiral said there was no i policy in the Navy dealing with ayia j tion. The Navy Department belittles ithe power of the plane while the alr | men regard it as rapidly developing. A policy must be established, he said, ! before a useful decision is reached. ] Admiral Sims opposed a department |of national defense or separate corps : In the Navy on the grounds that alr ; men must be Indoctrinated with the I principles of Navy strategy and tac -1 tics. Admiration for Airmen. "I have tlie greatest admiration for the airmen, for their courage, skill and loyal devotion. The deserve all the praise they get and much of what they give themselves, but they are : mistaken in assuming that as mem j bers of a separate air force or>as j members of a separate air corps in | the Navy they can acquire either the ; nautical, tactical or strategic knowl edge of the line officer in handling ! fleet air forces in efficient, tactical jand strategical co-operation with the I plans of the commander-in-chief. "I understand that figuratively they j look down on us who never get off ; the earth and regard us as old fogies, 1 who are away behind the times." j The airplane, the admiral declared, I has supplanted the battleship as the ] major weapon of warfare and a "good, j fast carrier can lick any battleship.” ! He said those who believe in the fu j ture of the airplane want a definite I policy announced that aircraft is go ] ing to get complete control of the ' air and "not the policy now of a well 1 balanced fleet, which means nothing, but is dangerous at the same time.” Senator Bingham interrupted the witness and said that Secretary Wil i bur, in testimony before the board, had declared there was "no such thing as control of the air as long as the. Navy has one plane.” "I wonder who told him that?” asked Admiral Sims as the spectators roared. "That remar-k of the Secretary's, although ,be does not suspect it. doesn't fflfen anything at all, really.” „ - "Development Is Impossible." The development of an efficient air force in the Navy is "impossible” un der present influences. Admiral Sims declared. He said the Navy is ruled by the "Daniels’ cabinet" which is 'still in the saddle. They are earnest, honest, hard-working, able men, but the idea seems to be that the depart ment has supreme authority over all operations, he said. This is done through an ignorant conviction of duty, faithfully performed. Manifest ly, development of an efficient air force is impossible under such Influ ence." "In London,” the admiral said, “you can go into any barber shop and they will tell you the names and histories of all the British admirals. Over here you never hear of one unless he gets in trouble.” He decried the failure of the Navy to put into key positions in the Navy Department officers who had grad uated from the Naval War College. England, he added, would never think of such a thing. "The Army system on the general staff is vastly superior and should be adopted by the Navy,” declared the witness. lie said while he was on active duty and "after r gave up hope with the Secretary,” he wrote a letter to the Assistant I Secretary to put three War College men on the general board to “buck up the morale.” His suggestion was not followed, he added. Course at War College. “A man can go to sea for 20 years and not see a maneuver such as we carry out on the game board at tho War College,” the admiral said. He then explained the course at the col lege and said the Navy would know whom to appoint to important posi tions after a student had completed a course there. The admiral said his interest in the present controversy was in making it clear that an air force must be trained with the Navy. « "Then you don't agree with Gen. Mitchell's plan for a department of national defense?” asked Senator Bingham. „ , “No, I don't,” replied the admiral. "But I have the greatest respect for him. He is a bully good fellow and he has done splendid work In getting the question before the pub lic, particularly before a board like this. We are tired of congressional on Page 2, Column 4.) Radio Programs—Page 50.