Evening star. [volume], May 04, 1929, Image 1

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

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WEATHER.
<V. 8. Weather Bureau Forecast >
Mostly cloudy and somewhat warmer
tonight and tomorrow, probably occa
sional shotvers.
Temperatures: Highest. 61. at 11 a.m.
today; lowest. 43. at 5 am. today.
Full report on page 7.
Closing N.Y. Markets, Pages 26 and 27
X r *3l fUO Entered as second class matter
IN O. OAjVt'it/. post office, Washington, D. C.
MELLON UPHELD
BY SENATE GROUP
PROBING HOLDINGS
Judiciary Committee Votes
8 to 5 That Secretary Is
Not Disqualified.
NORRIS MOVE CHARGING
VIOLATION IS DEFEATED
Borah and King Announce They
Will Submit Report* to
Upper House.
By the Associated Press.
The Senate judiciary committ-Je
voted eight to five today to report to
the Senate that Secretary Mellon was
not disqualified to hold office because
of his stock holdings.
The committee by a similar vote re
fused to call Mr. Mellon for an open
investigation of his relation with the
companies in which he is a stock
holder.
The report of Chairman Norris de
daring that Mr. Mellon as a stock- ,
holder violated a statute forbidding the j
Secretary of the Treasury to be inter- {
ested in carrying on trade or commerce J
was defeated by a vote of 10 to 3.
Walsh and Blaine Favor Report. j
Senators Blaine, Republican, of Wis
consin, Walsh, Democrat, of Montana
and Norris voted for the Norris report.
Senator Steiwer, Republican, of Ore
gon presented the'report which received j
the committee's approval.
Senators Borah, Republican, of Idaho j
and King, Democrat, of Utah, however, |
announced they would submit individ- i
ual reports to the Senate.
Chairman Norris also will place his '
report before the Senate.
The eight Senators who supported
the report of Senator Steiwer included
Burton, Ohio; Hastings, Delaware;
Waterman, Colorado; Denecn. Illinois; ,
Gillett, Massachusetts, and Robinson, j
Indiana, Republicans, and Overman, •
North Carolina. Democrat.
Senator Walsh put the motion to call'
Mr. Mellon for an investigation. He ;
was supported by Senators Norris, j
Blaine and Borah, Republicans, and!
King, Democrat.
Report Cites Intentions.
The report of Senator Steiwer de- ;
dared:
“It is clear to the signers of this re- j
port that the statute condemns only an j
Interest or concern, direct or indirect, 1
'in carrying on the business of trade
or commerce.’ With respect to a cor-;
poation this means that the Secretary i
of the Treasury shall not hold office as
a director or as an officer and that he
shall not, by any means, either direct or
indirect, participate in any activity in
carrying on the business of a corpora
tion if the corporation is engaged in
trade or commerce.
“The interpretation by the under
signed members of the committee is
supported by the fact that numerous
Secretaries of the Treasury have owned
stock in corporations engaged in trade.
It is inconceivable that all these Sec
retaries wilfully violated the law, and !
equally inconceivable that the Presi-!
dents under whom they served would j
have appointed men of known ineligi
hility, or that the Senate would have |
confirmed ineligible appointees. Obvi- j
ously it has been thought in many offi- ,
cial quarters that the section referred j
to did not apply to mere ownership of ;
corporate stock.
Jurisdiction Is Questioned.
“Some of those signing the report j
question the jurisdiction of the com- j
mittee to proceed in this inquiry be
yond an interpretation of the statute in
question, on the ground that, it would
be a judicial inquiry and is not in aid
of any legislative function of the Sen
nate. and that there is no legislation
pending or proposed which would bring
the Investigation within the lawful
power of the Senate or of the commit
tee on the judiciary. They believe that
it Is improper for the Senate to prose
cute this investigation because by the
Constitution the initiative has been
vested in another body.''
The report further suggested that if ■
there had been violation of the law'
by Mr. Mellon he might be reached by !
indictment by a grand jury or by j
initiation of articles of impeachment:
In the House.
Four absent Democratic members, j
Ashurst, Arizona; Caraway, Arkansas;
Dill. Washington, and Stephens. Mis- |
sissippi, are yet to be polled. While j
their votes may be cast against the
Steiwer report, it Is certain that their
support for the report of Chairman
Norris could not change the result.
Senators Borah and King concurred
in a third report declaring that while
Mr. Mellon as a stockholder did not
violate the law, that any participation,
directly or indirectly, in business by the
Secretary of the Treasury would con
stitute a violation of the statute.
Borah Explains Position.
Explaining his position later. Senator
Borah said: "My view is that the owner
ship of stock does not of itself render
a person ineligible to this office.
‘ But while the ownership of stock ■
does not of itself render the person
ineligible, certain activity or concern in
carrying on the business in which he is j
r. stockholder would be a violation of i
the law. The Secretary of the Treasury j
under the statute is compelled to di- |
vorce himself completely from advising, j
counseling or directing the business. ;
“I take the view also that the statute i
ought o be amended and made more '
specifir and more adapted to modern |
business. The statute was adopted 140
years ago and it is indrfinite in the
light of present business methods."
HOOVERS ON PICNIC.
Fishing Is Not on Schedule of
Presidential Party.
President and Mrs. Hoover this after
noon are motoring In the nearby coun
try. but it is not the former's intention
to do any fishing or to visit the fishing
grounds selected for him at Catoctin
Furnace.
They are accompanied bv several per
sonal friends and it w'as their intention
when they left the White House to
have a picnic supper at some pic
turesque spot before returning to the
White House tonight.
State News, Pages 4 and 5
HELD UP IN BANK ROBBERY
~' - ; ' _ ' ‘' ...
Six bandits, believed to have come front Washington, held up the Bank of
Del Raj’, Va„ near Alexandria, this morning and escaped with $2,000.
Above: Charles E. Jones, the cashier, kneeling before the safe which the |
bandits looted. Lower left: Miss Mary Ford, stenographer, who was forced into
the vault by the bandits. Lower right: Roy Thomas, 12 years old. who was about
to make a deposit of $2O when the hold-up occurred. The bandits returned his
money. —Star Staff Photos.
’ . i
HIGHWAYS BLOCKED!
AS DAM CRUMBLES
.
Virginia Tornado Death List
Drops to 22 as Relief
Workers Check Up.
By the Associated Press.
COLEBROOK, N. H., May 4.—The
Mohawk River Valley, stretching from
the Connecticut River eastward toward j
Dixville Notch, presented a scene of j
flood-wrought havoc today. Houses !
and bridges were swept away and high
ways washed out when waters rushed
last night from Balsam Dam, 13 miles
above here. The dam burst from pres
sure due to heavy rain.
Estimates of property damage ranged
as high as SIOO,OOO.
Ample warnings reached the half- ;
dozen or more families comprising the j
hamlet of Kidderville, nine miles east
of this place.
The river, ordinarily a comparatively
shallow stream, rose 20 feet in a few
minutes and maintained that gauge
nearly half an hour. In addition to nu
merous wooden bridges whioh went out
in the valley, one 40-foot steel bridge
was swept down the stream, while the
trestle of the Maine Central Railroad
which spans the Mohawk close to its
confluence with the Connecticut River,
just below here, was carried into the i
larger stream.
Damage here was heavy. Eight or
nine houses disappeared in the river.
The dam which gave way hemmed in
two small artificial lakes at the Balsams,
a Summer hotel near Dixville Notch.
TORNADO LOSS IS. HEAVY.
| More Than 100 Hurt, Property Hit
Hard, in Southern States.
ATLANTA. Ga., May 4 </P).—The
death list from the tornadoes that
struck seven Southern States Wednes
day and Thursday stood today at 38,
with the greatest toll in Virginia, where
22 persons lost, their lives.
Relief workers, penetrating the isolat
ed sections yesterday, saw the death
list mount above 40 and then drop
again, due to conflicting and over
lapping reports.
In addition to the dead, more than
100 persons were injured, many of them
seriously, and an enormous crop and
property toll was taken,
i The greatest loss of life was at Rye
1 Co%'e, Va., where 12 children and a
1 teacher were killed in the collapse of a j
! schoolhouse. Nine other persons were j
, killed in widely scattered sections of
j the State.
Six fatalities were reported In Mary
i land, Arkansas had five dead. Tennes-
I see two, and Kentucky, Alabama and
! Florida one each. • .
'Presidential Yacht, Retired by Hoover,
Will Be Sold, Navy Department Reveals
The U. S. S. Mayflower, famous presi-
I dential yacht, is to be sold, but the re
quest for bids is not to be made for
j some time.
This announcement today at the Navy
Department came as a surprise, inas
much as previous information was that
' the noted yacht would be placed in a
1 decommissioned status at the Phila
delphia Navy Yard and left to repose
until President Hoover or some other
occupant of the White House should
determine that she be summoned baqjc
to active service.
The vessel left Washington for Phila
delphia for decommissioning April 2, ar
riving in the Quaker City the following
day. Official sources said that she
would be placed in reserve, but Secre- j
tary Adams and the administration j
since have decided to put the May- I
flower on the auction block. . . i
W\c JEtoerihra JMaf.
J WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION
WASHINGTON, I). SATURDAY, MAY 4, 1929—THIRTY-SIX PAGES. *
EXPERTS APPROVE
PLAN OF PUBLICITY
Soviet Russia and China Op
pose Proposal—Germany
Refrains From Voting.
By the Associated Press.
GENEVA, May 4. —After France had •
announced that in the spirit of ;cn- I
cession it withdrew its proposal to limit
war material by the budgetary system,
the preliminary disarmament confer
ence today approved the idea of puD-
Ucity for land armaments as the best I
available solution of this problem.
Soviet Russia and China voted j
against the resolution for publicity and
Germany abstained from voting.
Maxim Litvinoff, Soviet delegate,
characterized it as a step backward, j
declaring it showed that the Prepara
tory Commission had renounced the
1 principle of limitation or reduction of
j war material. He insisted that pub
licity put restraint on no one and that
all the governments could publish any
figures they wanted.
The resolution says that the commis
sion rejected systems of direct limita
tion of material in service and in stock
and, having noted that the system of j
indirect limitation through limitation |
of expenditure on material did not meet
with general assent, decided that limi
tation and reduction of material must
be sought by means of publicity of cx
i penditure.
Bernstorff Charges Failure.
Count, von Bernstorff, the German
delegate, created a stir by announcing
that Germany now washed its hands
of the work of the commission and
would leave to the majority full and
complete responsibility of preparing for
the projected international conference.
He accused the delegates of having
eliminated the essentials of reduction of
at least land armaments and declared
that the commission had entirely lost
sight of its real task. He considered
the situation grave.
As the German delegate, however, did
not leave the room, the delegates were
under the impression that Germany had
no intention of going so far as to bolt
the commission.
During the discussion, Hugh S. Gib
son, the American representative, voiced
great satisfaction at France's conces
sion on the budgetary system. It was
on Mr. Gibson’s request that the com
mission resorted to a roll call on the
publicity resolution.
Naval Armaments Topic Monday.
The commission adjourned until
: Monday morning with an agreemnt
| that it would then resume discussion of
naval armaments. At that time the
Japanese, British and Americans will
recommend adjournment of detailed
discussion to' permit conversations be
tween the governments of the five big
naval powers.
The Mayflower now' is being placed
out of commission at' Philadelphia.
She first served as a presidential yacht
in 1902, after she was purchased by
the Navy from Ogden Goelet in March,
1398. The vessel w r as built in Clyde
bank. Scotland, in 1896, and she was
placed in commission as a naval vessel
at the New York Navy Yard in March,
1898. and was part of the Havana
blockading squadron that took part in
the blockade of Santiago and Porto
Rico.
Used by five Presidents of the United
States, the Mayflower came to be a
familiar s f ght on the Potomac and
achieved further fame during the Cool
idge administration for her week end
; trips down the river.
\ Radio Programs—Page 36
SIX BANDITS LOOT
BANK AT DEL RAY
OF m IN CASH
Robbers, in Car Bearing D. C.
Tags, Flee Virginia Town
Toward Washington.
BOY IS TIED AND CASHIER
AND GIRL PUT IN VAULT
Both Ordered to Face Wall and
Hold Hands in Air as One
Stands Guard by Them.
Walking into the Bank of Del Ray
at Del Ray, Va., shortly after it had
! opened this morning, six armed bandits
I forced the cashier and stenographer
| into the bank vault, tied a 12-year-old
I boy to a stool with telephone wire rip
| ped from the wall, scooped up $2,000 in
I currency and fled toward Washington
I in a large sedan bearing District of Co-
I lumbia license tags.
I The six men, all of whom are
described as being “foreigners,” parked
their automobile across the street from
the bank, pointed toward Washington.
At about five minutes after 10 o’clock
they walked into the bank.
Two Confront Cashier.
Two of them, with drawn guns, con
fronted the cashier, Charles E. Jones,
who was in his cage. Another forced
Miss Mary Ford of Alexandria, the
stenographer, to go into the bank vault,
where she was ordered to face the wall
and hold her hands in the air.
A moment lr.ter, she was joined by
Jones, who was given the same Instruc
tions. One of the bandits stood behind
them while the other five went to the
front of the bank.
The doors were locked and one man
left on guard. Two others grabbed 12-
year-old Roy Thomas of Mount Ida,
wrapped a handkerchief around his
| mouth and tied him to a stool with the
! telephone wire cut from phones which
they had ripped from the walls and
| tables.
Boy Told to Keep Savings.
One of the men found S2O in small
bills in the boy’s pockets. "What is
this?” he asked. The boy told him it
was money which he had saved and
come to the bank to deposit. "Keep it
then,” the bandit replied; ‘W’e don't
want your savings.”
Three of the men removed $2,000 in
bills from the vault, stuffing the money
into a small satchel one of them car
ried. They hesitated over SSOO in silver
and then left without it, apparently de
ciding it was too heavy to carry.
■ Two of the men walked up behind
Miss Ford and Jones, who had been
standing against the wall. A revolver
was pressed against each of them and
they were told not to leave the bank
for five minutes.
Bidding good-bye to the boy they had
tied to the chair, the men put their
weapons back in their pockets and
walked leisurely from the bank, lock
ing the front door behind them. A
moment later the three in the bank
; heard the roar of a motor as the bandits
sped in the direction of Washington.
Roads Are Guarded.
Jones ran from the bank and called
I Mayor W. B. Fulton of Del Ray, and
I found Sergt. A. F. Driscoll. The two
j officials immediately called police in
Washington, Alexandria and neighbor
! ing small towns. All roads leading out
of Del Ray were blockaded, and Arllng-
I ton County police stationed at various
I strategic points throughout the county,
but the cordon was unsuccessful.
One county policeman pursued a large
sedan into Alexandria, where he lost
the trail in a traffic-filled street. He
said he first sighted the machine travel
ing toward Washington at a high rate
of speed.
Gang May Have Separated.
Taking it to be a "speeder" or a
I drunken driver, the officer started in
i pursuit. As soon as the two occupants
of the car saw they were being fol
lowed, they turned to the right and
headed back toward Alexandria along
the main highway.
Maj. Fulton believed the bandits may
have separated after leaving Del Ray
and that the two men chased by the
officers were, in all probability, members
of the gang trying to escape into
Washington.
I The six bandits wore gray gloves, blue
suits and gray caps. None was masked.
DR. KLEIN AND FESS
TO SPEAK IN FORUM
I
Radio Addresses on Railroad, Trade
and Industry, to Start
Hour Earlier.
Senator Simeon D. Fess of Ohio and
Dr. Julius Klein, Assistant Secretary of
Commerce, will speak tonight over the
National Radio Forum, arranged by The
Washington Star and broadcast over
the Nation-wide network of the Colum
bia Broadcasting Co.
Senator Fess, who is ranking major
ity member of the Interstate Commerce
Commission, next to Chairman Couzens,
will discuss the vital problem of rail
road consolidation and its connection
with the commerce of the United State'!*.
Dr. Klein, w’ho w r as advanced by
President Hoover from the post of di
rector of the Bureau of Foreign and
Domestic Commerce to Assistant Secre
tary of the department, will discuss
questions of trade and industry. He
recently returned from a trip abroad.
The program presenting Senator Fess
and Dr. Klein will go on the air at 9
o'clock, an hour earlier than the pre
vious regular 10 o'clock hour of the
j forum. The change w'as made in line
j with the earlier hours of the Nation
wide radio hook-ups because of daylight
saving time.
Three Die as Car Goes Off Bridge.
MEMPHIS, Tenn., May 4 (/P). —An
autombbile plunged 20 feet off the
Harahan Viaduct after a crash with
another car today and carried a man,
his wife and their small daughter to
their deaths in the high waters of the
Mississippi River. Th" viaduct crosses
the lowlands on the Arkansas side of
the Harahan Bridge that span* the
river here. . <
p
1
! GEN. LORD TO QUIT BUDGET POST
JULY 1 TO ENGAGE IN BUSINESS
_
Will Become Chairman of
| Enterprise of Interna
tional Scope.
Retired Officer Has Served
i
Federal Government More
Than 30 Years.
| BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE.
I Gen. Herbert M. Lord, director of the
Budget since July 1, 1922, is retiring
from that, post on July 1 next to enter
1 i private business life. He has accepted
1 j a flattering offer from Arthur S. Klee
i man & Co., Investment bankers of New
York, to become chairman of the board
' of one of that firm s new industrial un
dertakings which will have important
i international ramifications. The exact
character of Gen. Lord's future activi
ties will not be disclosed until he actual
ly has quit the Government's service.
[ Following EJdgene Mayer's resignation as
farm loan commissioner, Gen. Lord is
■ the second "financial best mind" to
[ quit the Government service within a
week.
Gen. Lord indicated soon after Presi
dent Hoover came into office that he
expected to continue as director of the
budget. Several weeks later, however,
he announced that he desired to retire.
PROBE OF PAPERS’
SOUGHT BY WALSH
?Montanan Wants Data on
International Power Firm’s
Holdings.
By the Associated Press.
A resolution directing the Postmaster
General to inform the Senate of the
■ names and addresses of all editors, pub
| Ushers, managing editors and stock and
i bond holders of papers in which the In
ternational Paper & Power Co. claimed
an interest, was introduced today by
Senator Walsh, Democrat, of Montana.
1 Senator Walsh asked immediate con
sideration, but Senator Watson of In
diana, the Republican leader, said he
wished to "lock it over.” and the reso
lution went over under the rules.
Asked by Senator Watson what the
purpose of the resolution was. Senator
Walsh replied that it "desired to find
out if some change is necessary” in the
law which requires newspapers to file
a list of their owners with the Govern
ment.
! Plan Not Defined Now.
"Does the Senator have in mind any
kind of investigation?” Senator Watson
asked.
"I have no idea of that at this time,”
Walsh replied.
; The resolution would require the Post
l master General to submit the names of
[ | all persons connected with the manage
, | ment of the papers concerned as well as
1 the names of all holders of bond or
‘ . stock or any other type of security.
- j The Federal Trade Commission an
; nounced today that William Lavarre
' | and Harold Hall, publishers of three
S Southern newspapers, w’ould testify May
! 10 at a resumption of its investigation
,! into the financing of public power utili
ties.
’ Previously it was announced that
' Samuel S. Wyer of Columbus, Ohio, also
1 would be a witness at the hearing on
■"(-.that date.
j| GANNETT TAKES ACTION.
\ * Retires Investment in His Papers by
! International.
NEW YORK, May 4 (JP).—' The Brook
’> lyn Eagle announced today that the In
-1 ternational Paper & Power Co, no longer
■ had any financial interest in the Brook
! lyn Eagle or in any of the Gannett
: newspapers.
Frank E. Gannett, president of the
t Gannett Newspapers, today delivered to
(Continued on Page 2, Column 8.)
> Bank Statements
i
Washington clearing house, $5,547,-
i 00403.
Treasury balance, $221,394,514.59.
> New York clearing house exchange,
' $1.455,000,000.
: New York clearing house balance,
$171,000,000.
.
GEN. HERBERT M. LORD.
but had consented to remain as director j
for an indefinite period.
During the seven years of his budget
service Lord has achieved national rep-!
utation. He has turned down repeated
offers to accept private employment at
many times his Government salary of
$lO,OOO a year. As a matter of fact only
$5,500 of that sum is budget director's
salary. The other $4,500 is Lord’s re
(Continued on Page 2, Column 1.)
TORNADO RELIEF
WORK IS PUSHED
Red Cross Directs Task of
Aiding Sufferers in
Nearby Areas.
With the launching today of a drive ,
for a fund for the relief of sufferers
I from the twisters which ravaged a long j
j swath of Montgomery County Thursday j
night, killing four persons in that area, !
came reports also of relief measures j
being carried on in other tornado
stricken areas in nearby Maryland and
Virginia, and the inoculation of all in
jured survivors of the storms with te
tanus anti-toxin to prevent blood
poisoning and lockjaw.
In Fauquier, Loudoun and Rappa
hannock Counties in Virginia, where
the injured list is heaviest and the in
juries are more serious, relief work is j
being carried on by the Red Cross
organizations of the towns in the vicin- i
ity of Woodville and Catlett, where [
Thursday night the twisters took five I
lives and left a dozen or more badly I
injured.
The Montgomery County tornado
sufferers' relief drive will be carried on
under the auspices of the Montgomery
County Red Cross Chapter, of which
Mrs. J. Somervell Dawson of Rockville j
is chairman. Funds may be sent either |
to Mrs. Dawson or to the chapter’s
treasurer, Lorraine Garrett of Rock
ville. The funds, it is pointed out. are
needed for the immediate relief of the
storm sufferers.
At Frederick. Md„ where two per
sons were killed and six injured, it was
reported today that all the injured ,
were recovering and that none was in j
! a serious condition.
In the Warrenton, Va„ area quick :
measures have been taken to attend to 1
the needs of those left homeless and
injured by the storm, and the situation
is reported well in hand.
CHINA SENDS U. S. PLEA
ON EXTRATERRITORIALITY
Note Asks That American Minister
Be Authorized to Consider
Question of Abolition.
By the Associated Press.
Secretary Stimson has received
through the Chinese Minister, C. C. Wu,
a note from the Nationalist government
tof China, asking that the American
| Minister there be authorized to take '
up the question of the abolition of the ;
I extraterritoriality privileges now held by
the United States under treaty.
No indication was given by Mr. Stim
son as to what reply would be made to
him, but the announced policy of the
American Government is that the
United States would be willing to nego
tiate the release of those rights as soon
as China is prepared to provide protec
tion, by law and through their courts. ;
to American citizens, their rights and
' property. 1
The only evening paper
in Washington with the
Associated Press news
service.
Yesterday’s Circulation, 111,545
(A 5 ) Means Associated Press.
GERMANS ACCEPT
YOUNG DEBT PLAN;
MUST WIN ALLIES
Full Settlement of Repara
tions Possible if France
and Belgium Agree.
By the Associated Press.
PARIS, May 4.—The German and
American reparations delegations have
reached a full agreement on a complete
■ settlement of the reparations problem.
It remains, however, for the Americans
to win the French and Belgian dele
tions to their plan.
It was far from certain the French
| and Belgians will accept the American
; proposals. The French point of view
j is that they presented an irreducible
minimum claims total, based on what
i they must pay to America plus only a
fraction of what they have spent for
| reparations.
Premier Poincare has declared pub
licly that France cannot make further
sacrifices, and it was commented that
| even if the French experts approved
the American’s plan in order to dispose
1 of the vexing problem it was most prob
able Parliament and the government
would reject the settlement.
Trouble Seen Ahead.
Observers close to the delegations
| themselves said there was only a slim
| hope the settlement agreed upon by the
: Americans and Germans would prove
acceptable to the French or Belgians.
| Mr. Young, however, they said, was de-
I termined to do his utmost to achieve
the settlement which the committee al
ready has spent three months vainly
seeking.
The proposed settlement just about
splits the difference between the origi
nal German offer of annuities of 1,-
650.000,000 marks and the Allied de
mand of annuities of 2,200,000,000
marks.
The German offer, calculated at five
: per cent interest plus nine-tenths per
cent for amortization, had a present
! value of about 26,000.000.000 gold marks
• about $6.240.000.0001. The Allied de
j mand amounted roughly to 39.000.000.-
000 marks, totaling, when costs of the
| army of Rhine occupation and redem
-1 tion of Belgian currency was added. I
about 41.000,000,000 marks (about $lO,- ;
00,000,000).
Provision for Annuities.
The settlement agreed upon by the j
Americans and the Germans provides
for annuities to run only 37 years. The I
payments of 1,750.000,000 marks needed
for the succeeding 21 years to meet the
; debts of the allied countries to America
(Continued on Page 2, Column 3.)
GIBSON’S OFFER
PROVES PUZZLING
Clarification of Proposal on Arma
ments Is Sought by Offi
cials Here.
' "
By the Associated Press.
Indications of confusion of the Amer
ican viewpoint on questions of land and :
naval armaments as outlined by Am- i
bassador Hugh Gibson to the Prepar
atory Disarmament Commission at j
Geneva have brought a new attempt •
in Government circles here to make the !
meaning clear.
The explanation of Gibson's state
ment that the United States was willing
to withdraw its reservations to the ex
clusion of trained reserves from any
formula for evaluation of land strength
is that, since the United States already
had reduced its land forces to the min
imum, it is not concerned in the ques
tion of land armaments.
Taking that position, It does not
wish to he in a position of obstructing
an agreement among the European na
tions that are concerned. Naturally, j
it could not become a party to an
agreement wdth which it had no con- J
cern.
That is one of the points which has j
aroused discussion, particularly among .
Senators, with considerable conjecture
as to the meaning of Gihson’s statement. |
Another point on which confusion
seems to persist is attacked with a
reiteration of the explanation that the
Geneva meeting is not a disarmament
conference, but an effort to pave the
way for such a conference by working I
out formulas on which hope of success- !
ful negotiations might be based. '
TWO CENTS.
DEBENTURE DEFEAT
IN SENATE BY ONE
: VOTE IS INDICATED
Poll, Excluding Broussard
and Shipstead, Lists 47
Against Plait. _
BALLOT LIKELY MONDAY,
WEEK END DRIVE SEEN
Not Likely to Beach White House,
However, Even if Upper
House Adopts It.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
The Hoover administration, in its first
clash with the Senate over the de
benture plan in the farm bill, has a
shade the better of the situation, but
only a shade, as the time for voting ap
proaches. Today it is almost a 50-50
proposition, with the possibility that
Vice President Curtis may be called
upon to decide the matter in favor of
the President.
For more than a week it has been
generally believed that the debenture
clause would be stricken from the farm
bill, following the broadside which
President Hoover fired against it. Only
a day or two ago Senator Watson. Re
publican leader, was predicting that the
debenture clause would lose by a mar
gin of five votes.
But the Democrats have succeeded in
weaning several of their number away
from the administration—Senators who
I had been counted upon to vote against
debenture. Among them are Senator
l Hendrick of Wyoming, a member of
' the committee who stood with the Pres
ident when the bill was reported out,
and Senator Copeland of New York,
who at first declared he could not stom
-1 ich the debenture plan, but now says he
will "hold his nose and vote for It,”
Some Republican Backsliding.
Furthermore, there have been some
backsliding on the Republican side ot
the chamber. Senator Pine of OkiM
1 oma is now counted for the debenture.
So is Senator Borah of Idaho and Sen
ator Nye of North Dakota, in a speech
I in the Senate today, said he would vote
• for the debenture, although he quali
, fled it somewhat by saying that if
President Hoover announced he would
• [ veto the bill if it came to him with the
» debenture plan in it, he would vote
. against the debenture.
A poll carefully made by administra
tion leaders today showed a probable
i line-up of 47 Senators against the de
i benture and 46 Senators for it. This
r poll, however, does not include Senator
Broussard of Louisiana, a Democrat, or
‘ Senator Shipstead of Minnesota, Farm
; er-Labor. Broussard has not Anally in
dicated how he will vote, the Repub
lican leaders said. He may vote against
the debenture, sticking with his col
league Senator Ransdell. Senator Ship
stead is in a hospital and will be unable
to be present when the vote Is taken.
Indeed, he has not yet been able to
' appear In the Senate to take the oath
I I of office. He is for the debenture plan.
Senator Norris of Nebraska, Repub
i lican Progressive, who supported A1
| Smith for President last Fall, a leader
, in the effort to foist the debenture
| clause upon the President, prevailed
; upon the Senate to adopt a resolution
authorizing Senator Shipstead to take
! the oath of office in the hospital. John
! Crockett, an employe of the Senate, was
designated to go to the hospital and
! administer the oath. The administra
i tion leaders, however, flatly refused to
j agree to arrange any "pair” for Senator
Shipstead by which his vote for the
I debenture clause would be counted on
| the roll call. This is the first time in
i the memory of old employes of the Sen
ate that a Senator has been permitted
to take the oath of office outside of the
Senate chamber. The rule ha* been
that the oath must be taken in the
Senate chamber while the Senate is In
session.
Count on Four Democrats.
The administration leaders are count
j ing on the votes of four Democrats,
! Walsh of Massachusetts. Ransdell of
i Louisiana. Wagner of New York and
i King of Utah. If Broussard votes with
1 them also, they will have at least five
! Democratic votes. They count as lost
! to the administration cause in this
fight 12 Republicans: Blaine of Wiscon
! sin. Borah of Idaho. Brookhart of lowa,
Frazier of North Dakota. Howell of
Nebraska, Johnson of California, La
j Follette of Wisconsin. McMaster South
Dakota. Norbeck of South Dakota, Nor.
ris of Nebraska, Nye of North Dakota
; and Pine of Oklahoma.
: No vote is expected in the Senato
' on the debenture clause until Monday.
Over the week end it is likely that both
sides will exert as much influence as
they can to win additional votes. The
lines are closely drawn, however. If
there should be a tie vote. Vice Presl
dnt Curtis will decide the Issue in
favor of the administration.
The Democrats are playing a desper
! ate game in an effort to embarrass the
administration and also to be able to
say to the farmers, if the Hoover plan
does not work out well that the Demo
crats supported a plan which would
have given them relief.
Not Likely to Reach .loover.
It is not believed that the House will
stand for the debenture plan, even If
it should bp placed in the bill by the
Senate. In the end. It Is not likely to
reach the President. Therefore, a num
ber of the Republican Senators from
| the farm States appa-ently are willing
! to vote for the debenture plan, believ
| ing it will strengthen them with some
of their constituents, and then let the
! House pull the chestnuts out of the fire
I for the administration,
j The threat is made in the Senate to
I renew the fight for the debenture plan
when the tariff bill comes to the Senate
for consideration, if the debenture plan
is defeated now in the Senate. Indeed,
it is said that several Republicans now
standing with the President may flop
over to the debenture if it Is offered as
an amendment to the tariff bill.
Rival Afghan Forces Clash.
PESHAWAR. India, May 4 (A*)— Re
ports here today confirmed news of
heavy fighting near Lohgarh. Afghanis
tan. between 3.000 troops of the de
posed Emir Amanullah and twice as
many followers of Bacha Eakao, usurper
of Amanullah's throne.
■
College Burns, Students Saved.
DES MOINES. lowa. May 4 (As).—Be
tween 75 and 100 young people marched
• to safety when fire destroyed Grand
View College, a Danish Institution her%
I last night. The college, housed in one
building, quartered the girls in one win#
'and the boys in another.