Evening star. [volume], July 04, 1930, Page PAGE B-1, Image 11

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

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Washington News
MANY CONTRACTS
TO FOLLOW SUPPLY
MEASURE PASSAGE
$2,000,000 Worth of Street
Construction Planned
for District.
iTAX RATE FOR CAPITAL
REMAINS TO BE FIXED
Dr. William Tindall Honored by
Special Clause Recognizing U. S.
Service Here Since 1869.
Passage of the District supply biU
last night, after the municipality had |
been running on credit for three days,
will bring a rush of work to the Dis
trict Commissioners Monday. Numerous
contracts will be let, promotions made,
•nd reorganizations effected.
Although the city has been forced to
tun on credit, it has had plenty of
money in the treasury. Acting Auditor
A. R. Pilkerton yesterday informed
Commissioner Luther H. Reichelderfer
that the exact sum to the credit of the
District in the Treasury was $15,773,-
823.87, of which $14,693,229.37 was in ,
the general fund and $1,080,594.50 in i
trusts and special funds. About j
$10,000,000 of this money had no strings :
on it. The rest was to Care for work ]
done in the past fiscal year and not
yet paid for.
Street Contracts to Be Let.
Foremost among the contracts to be I
let at the special board meeting, which
has been called for Monday, are those
involving about $2,000,000 worth of new
etreet and road construction. The long
delay in getting the appropriation bill
through will mean that this program
will be far from complete by the time
freezing weather shuts down road-mak
ing activities. Two months of excel
lent working weather have already been
lost.
One of the things remaining to do
is to set a tax rate for the city. This
is usrally done before the fiscal year
begin*. It was impossible this year,
however, on account of the fact that
the city heads did not know until last
night what the amount of their 1931
expenditures would be. It is expected
that the Commissioners will set a rate
of $1.70 per SIOO valuation on real and
personal property, the same rate that
has been in effect for the past two
years. The act passed last night pro
vides that the rate shall be not less
than this amount.
The new appointments to be made
involve a number of promotions in the
Police Department, new positions of
engineers, accountants and office work
ers in the Public Utilities Commission
and a new assistant corporation coun
sel to handle the legal work of the
utilities commission. There are also
several extra clerks to be hired in vari
ous departments.
Tribute Paid Dr. Tindall.
One of the men to whom the bill
paid a great personal tribute vas Dr.
william Tindall, who has served the
District since it was a territory t ndev
the governorship of Gov. Alex* ider
Sheppard. He entered the service in
A 869 and is far past the retirement
Age. His friends at tne Capital, how
ever, wrote into the bill a special clause
allowing him to retain his position
with the District for the balance of
his natural life. Had it not been in
cluded he would have retired auto
matically next August 20.
Although of an advanced age, Dr.
Tindall is extremely active both physi
cally and mentally. He is a great walk
er and is at his desk early every day.
He heard the whistle of the bullets in
■even engagements in the Civil War;
and later wrote a history of the en- ,
counter between the Monitor and the j
Merrimac, differing in many details
from orthodox accounts of the affair.
His hobby is physics and he has writ
ten a monograph on "The Attitude of
Rifle Projectiles in Flight,” which won
the praise of the War Department's
gunnery experts. Dr. Tindall runs the
Information service of the District and
his sharp memory of long past events
Is of invaluable service to the District.
He showed up for work as usual today,
received congratulations and left short
ly after for his home.
lUHRINGCONFIRMED
FOR POST ON BENCH
i
Favorable Action on Appointment
by Unanimous Consent Is
Taken by Senate.
Just before the Senate adjourned last
night it confirmed without debate the
nomination of Oscar R. Luhring, an
assistant to the Attorney General for
the past five years, to be an associate
justice of the District Supreme Court,
filling one of the newly created places
on the bench.
When the nomination first came up
several days ago Senator Blaine re
quested that action be delayed, but last
night favorable action was taken on the
appointment by unanimous consent.
The Senate several days ago con
firmed Joseph W Cox, a well known
local attorney, for the other new posi
tion as associate justice of the District
Supreme Court.
LIQUOR ODOR BETRAYS
Colored Suspect Drops Two Bottles
When Chased by Police.
The rare aroma of genuine pre-war
liquor pervaded the air out on Alaska
■venue last night when a colored man,
being chased by a suspicious police
man. dropped a package containing
two bottles of the aged product.
Policeman F E. Kenney of the thir
teenth precinct was ou .distanced by
the fugitive. Later he learned the
liquor was part of a case of 12 bottles
stolen from t resident in the 7300 block
of Alaska avenue. The latter told
jwlice the liquor was valued at S6O.
* OVERCOME BY GAS
Mrs. May Burch Rcovers Under
Treatment by Rescue Squad.
Overcome by illuminating gas escap
ing from a leaky Jet, Mrs. May Burch.
34 years old, of 3617 Prospect avenue,
was revived shortly after 5 o’clock this
morning by Fire Rescue Squad No. 1
In charge of Sergt E. J. Carroll. Her
i condition was pronounced not serious by
■ Dr. L. E Dressoff, who responded, In
charge of the Georgetown Hospital am-
CHANCE MEETING BRINGS RARE
BOOKS TO LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Representative Collins Instru
mental in Purchase of
Incunabula.
Collector Wanted Volumes for
Homeland, but Germany
Could Not Pay.
A Mississippi lawyer and a retired
Berlin merenant met in Washington,
and from the handshake of two kindred
spirits has come a symbolic event —one
of those inconspicuous happenings
packed with meaning which sometimes
change the course of histcry.
One was Representative Ross A. Col
lins of Meridian. Almost unsuspected
by his colleagues this Southern legis
lator concealed under the exterior of
the practical man of affairs another
and deeper personality—the broad
scholar, the lover of learning, the stu
dent of human cultures and the phil
! osopher with certain ideas as to the
future and needs of democracy.
The other was Dr. Otto H. F. Voll
bchr, rich and patriotic German, medi
eval scholar, follower of quaint and
colorful paths of erudition and enthusi
astic book collector, whose hobby had
such a hold on him that he couldn’t
resist the temptation to buy a rare vol
ume, and who now saw the dream of a
lifetime collapsing around him.
Meeting Strange Result.
For both men the meeting had a
strange result. From it the somewhat
obscure Mississippi lawyer emerged as
the legislative voice of intellectual
; America. And the German patriot who
I had devoted his time and fortune for
i the greater glory of the fatherland pe
i came the great benefactor of a land of
i strangers and a central symbolic figure
I in the growing movement for the kln-
I ship of nations.
j Dr. Vollbehr for 30 years had devoted
most of his life to combing Europe for
incunabula—books printed in the fif
teenth century, following Immediately
on the establishment of the first print
ing press in Germany by the unfor
tunate dreamer, Johann Gutenberg, and
the practical-minded magician, Faust.
It had been a labor of love. Upon it
Dr. Vollbehr spent the greater part of
his fortune.
With the fall of the mark and the
impoverishment of German institutions
after the war, he was able to secure
many rare volumes until he had the
greatest collection of incunabula in pri
vate hands in the world. rhe greatest
prize of all was a Gutenberg Bible—
one of the three parchment copies re
maining from the Gutenberg-Faust
press, and conservatively valued at
$1,500,000.
Intended for Germany.
The collection of these books was to
be his life work and his monument.
All the time he intended to present
them or sell them at a nominal figure
to Germany. Had It been left to him
self, he says, he would have turned
them over to his native land. But they
represented all he had. and his family
must be considered. He had an enor
mous fortune —in books. There was a
ready market. He could have disposed
of them for many times their assessed
value to private American collectors.
But he could not bear to see them go
He wanted them kept together and
available to scholars. He could not give
them away, as he wanted. He could not
break up the collection, which he loved
almost more than life itself.
In Europe he met Cardinal Munde
lein of Chicago, then enthusiastic over
the vision of establishing a great re
ligious university in the American city.
The prelate persuaded Dr. VollDehr to
bring the collection to the Eucharistic
Congress in Chicago that Summer, in
the hope that they could be purchased
and form the nucleus of the library of
this projected institution.
The plan did not materialize. Dr.
Vollbehr sorrowfully packed his books
and planned to return to Germany
Plenty of American institutions wanted
a few volumes or fragments of volumes.
He could have sold the Gutenberg Bible
page by page and realized apnroxi
-1 mately $3,000,000. But this, or even
1 the detaching of a single book from the
collection, seemed like a sacrilege to the
scholar.
Met Library Personnel.
The return to Germany was delayed.
There were several exhibits of parts of
the collection. Dr. Vollbehr became
acquainted with the personnel of the
Library of Congress, greatest collection
of books in the Western hemisphere
and one of the greatest in the world.
It appealed to him as an ideal depository
of literary treasures. He presented to
It his invaluable collection of book
marks. But he could not see his way
clear to completely impovlsh himself
and his family by turning over to It the
Bible and the incunabula collection
which he had intended for Germany.
He offered to compromise. He had
the collection appraised at a minimum
by American experts. They set a figure
of $3,000,000 for the collection as a
whole—not, of course, for its value if
sold In separate Items, which would
have been much greater.
Then Dr. Vollbehr offered the whole
to the American Government for
$1,500,000. That is, he offered to give
the United States $1,500,000 worth of
books free if they would take the rest
off his hands.
Now, the difficulty was that the money
must come from the public purse, and
the guardians of the public purse could
not be expected to be very enthusiastic
over an opportunity to spend that much
for what seemed luxuries—books in old
French and German and In Latin which
only a handful of scholars could read.
It was—although Mr. Collins scoffs the
idea —a new departure in government.
At least it was the symbol of a new
departure.
Saw Practical Investment.
Then Dr. Vollbehr and Representative
Collins met. The Mississippi lawyer
knew very little of incunabula, but his
wide reading and his insight enabled
him to grasp at once the significance
of what was offered. This collection
was not a luxury. It represented, he
saw, one of the most practical invest
ments the American Government could
make.
In the fifteenth century the mind of
Europe was awakening. The concepts
which play the greatest part In the life
of today were being born, laboriously
and confusedly, In the thought of Eu
rope. It was the age of the Renais
sance, of the Reformation, of the dis
covery of America, of the emergence of
objective science out of philosophy, of
the establishment of modern languages.
This age was not alone the cradle of
printing. It was the cradle of modem
thought. Nobody could possibly under
stand fully the thought trends of today
without tracing them back to the age
represented by these Incunabula. And
the books themselves were a cross-sec
tion of the thought of the time. They
were "reference books,” necessary for
Congress, which deals in current eco
nomic and political concepts bom in
those far-off days.
Now, the Library of Congress is a
. peculiar institution. It exists primarily
, as a reference library for Congress.
5 Other uses made of It are Incidental.
Congress ran do with it as it pleases,
r The Bureau of the Budget has nothing
y to do with the appropriations made for
l the Library. And it is Representative
- Collins' idea that Congest please* to
make It a center of world scholarship,
Setting pto
■W r v< ftMP
.* jP^Af
jj Fj^^Hf
REPRESENTATIVE COLLINS.
the greatest reference library in the
world, and a potent instrument for the
preservation of democracy through
education.
Makes Historic Address.
He joined hands with Dr. Vollbehr.
Last February he made from the floor
an address which, appearing in the
pages of the Congressional Record, will
go down in history as one of the most
unusual contributions ever to adorn that
publication. It was seized upon by the
scientific and literary world, which be
gan to hail Mr. Collins as its legislative
leader. Letters and telegrams from sci
entific societies, colleges and editors of
learned publications began to pour in
upon him.
There still was a hurdle to be crossed
The committee on the Library, to wnich
the measure had been referred, reported
it back to the House without comment,
stating that it represented such a de
parture that the members did not care
to take the responsibility of either ap
proving or disapproving it. But it has
been passed, not without subterranean
opposition, by both House and Senate,
and yesterday was signed by the Presi
dent.
Both Representative Collins and Dr.
Vollbehr are enthusiastic, but with
mixed feelings.
“Nonsense,” says Mr. Collins. "Buy
ing reference books is no new depar
ture."
But in the next breath he adds that
the ice has been broken, that the na
tional legislative body has definitely
taken the path from the obviously and
grossly utilitarian to the fostering of
higher culture and scholarship, that
the Library of Congress is on its way
toward becoming a great center of
American learning, and that “almost
for the price of one torpedo boat we can
have a library second to none in the
world.”
Nation Creates Precedent
It is not exactly a new departure.
The Library of Congress has purchased
rare books before. But now the Amer
ican Nation, through Congress, has
created a precedent. The resources and
needs have been widely advertised. Mr.
Collins believes that the extreme gene
rosity of Dr. Vollbehr will start many
American owners of literary treasures
to emulating his example and giving
their books to the public through the
library.
He believes, moreover, that Congress
has vindicated Itself Intellectually.
“This should show,” he says, “that
members of Congress are not a lot of
ignoramuses, as some seem to have as
sumed. Os course, there are some who
don’t belong there, but the great ma
jority are educated men.”
And he relates that two of his col
leagues visited Dr. Vollbehr’s apart
ment one night recently and had the
time of their lives poring over the old
books. One burled himself in a treatise
on magic written in old French and
printed in Gothic letters. Only a few
people in the United States could have
read it. And the other became ab
sorbed in the Latin encyclopedia which
he read with ease. That, Mr. Collins
thinks, is a sample of the scholarship
and tastes of Congress.
But he is far from admitting that the
books are luxuries, available only to the
few. They are, he holds, storehouses
of ideas and eventually few persons in
the United States will not benefit, di
rectly or otherwise, from the ideas
stored there. Doctors, lawyers, crafts
men, printers will get ideas from them.
Just for example, he says, when they
are available to the public they are
almost certain to influence the designs
of American wall paper and thus ex
tend into every home. Os course, only
a handful of men will mine the ideas
out of the old French. German and
Latin. But once mined they will be
available to all.
Available to World.
As for Dr. Vollbehr—his feelings are
strangely mixed. He is parting with
the labor and love of a lifetime. He is
leaving it among strangers. No suave
salesman is this blunt German doctor.
He Ls not entirely without bitterness
when he speaks of the turn of events
that has practically forced one of a
defeated nation to occome the volun
tary and generous benefactor of the
victor. But he knows that his be
loved books will remain together, safe
forever from unsympathetic collectors
and dealers and in a place where they
will be available to the world and do
good for the world.
“I wanted them for my own coun
try,” he says. “I am too good a Ger
man to think otherwise. But I did not
want to see my whole life work go for
nothing. And I wanted the collection
where it would be safe and would be
useful.”
And Representative Collins thinks
that there are few books in the Li
brary of Congress which will be con
sulted more frequently than these. He
believes that Congress has done its
duty.
And he believes—but this is an idea
for the future—that some day branch
"Libraries of Congress’’ should be es
tablished all over the country for, he
says, "democracy can survive only with
an educated people.”
TRUSTIES LEAVE JAIL
Two Walk Away From Prison Pre
sumably for Holiday.
In the absence of a note of explana
tion, jail officials last night took it for
granted that William J. Millen and
Lawrence Dowe, who had been intrust
ed to their care by a Police Court judge
had merely gone off without permission
to Indulge in an Independence day cele
bration.
Millen, 45 years old, gave a Four-and
a-half street southwest address when he
appeared a few days ago to spend a
month’s vacation, while Dowe, 27 year*
old, gave his address In the 200 block
of H street. He was scheduled to spend
, 10 days In Jail. Both were charged with
intoxication, according to a report of
i officials. They were trusties.
CITY NEWS IN BRIEF.
today.
t Dinner. New England Elks. May
; flower Hotel, tonight.
’■irfiSS*.. T ph * Zet* Sorority,
i Mayflower Hotel, tkii eveulofc
WASHINGTON, D. C., FRIDAY, JULY 4, 1930. *
NAVAL SCIENTISTS
TO VIEW ECLIPSE
FROM TINY ISLAND
Important Observations to
Take Place in 93 Seconds’
Time Next October.
NIUAFOU, UNIQUE POINT
IN PACIFIC, TO BE SITE
Establishment of Ponderous Instru
ments in Readiness on Rocky
Location Presents Problem.
BY THOMAS R. HENRY.
A queer, lonely little island in the
mid-Pacific will be a center of world
Interest for 93 seconds next October.
Niuafou, a palm-covered circular ring
of land rising abruptly out of the ocean
and surrounding a large lake whose
water bubbles as if it were boiling, hap
pens to be one of the two spots crossed
by the path of a total eclipse of the
sun the morning of October 21.
The United States Naval Observa
tory is sending an expedition there.
The party, composed of distinguished
astronomers, will leave San Francisco
July 31 with 60 tons of equipment, to be
ready for that fleeting instant when,
if the sky happens to be clear, the black
disk of the moon can be seen swallowing
and then disgorging the sun.
This is one of the most difficult
eclipse expeditions ever attempted by
the Navy. The party, In command of
Comdr. C. H. J. Kepplar, expects to
reach Pago Pago, American Samoa.
August 13. Then the equipment will be
transferred to the mine sweeper Tanager
for landing on Niuafou. 300 miles away.
A report just received from a Navy
party at Pago Pago, which made a pre
liminary visit to the island, reveals
that there is only one possible place of
anchorage for the Tanager. and that In
deep water. The cliffs of the island
rise rather abruptly on all sides, but
a landing place has been found for small
boats. It will require extreme skill to
transport and land the heavy equip
ment, augmented by 8,000 feet of lumber
brought from Pago Pago, in the small
boats. The work will be possible, It Is
believed, only on abolustely calm days.
Even a moderate breeze swelling the
ocean will make It very risky, if not
impossible.
Will Set Up Camera.
Approximately eight weeks’ work will
be necessary on the island. The big
gest job will be building the 65-foot
camera through which the weird corona
of the eclipse will be photographed.
This ■will be an exact job of astronom
ical engineering. The camera must be
directed with absolute accuracy to the
spot in the heavens where the sun and
moon will meet. None of the precious
93 seconds can be wasted In adjust
ments. The astronomical marksmen
must fire rapidly and leave nothing to
chance. Calculators at the Naval Ob
servatory, under the direction of Prof.
James Robertson, have figured it all out
months ago to the fraction of a second
and the chance of error is so slight as
to be negligible.
If the sky happens to be cloudy that
morning most of the work will be
wasted. The astronomers are taking
a big chance on the weather, because
they have no basis for predictions.
Meteorological observations never have
been taken on Niuafou, with its two
white inhabitants and 1.100 Polynesian
natives, and it Is a funny little island
where funny things may happen even to
the weather. Otherwise the astronomers
would be a little more confident than
usual because the eclipse will take place
in the morning and the morning sky of
the Pacific Islands usually Is clear at
that time of year. If It were scheduled
for the afternoon they would be very
dubious.
Niuafou Is In the Tonga Archipelago
one of the mandate islands of New Zea
land. The only other spot of land in
the path of the eclipse is the tiny Island
of Nurakita, in the Ellice group. Condi
tions there were reported by Navy ob
servers as so much worse that there
was no room for choice. Usually ob
servatories from several countries and
universities send expeditions to observe
total eclipses. This time it Is so expen
sive and difficult a proposition that the
Naval Observatory will have the field
to Itself, with the exception of one ex
pedition from New Zealand.
Will Study Other Phases.
Scientific work will not be confined
to astronomy. Lieut. H. C. Kellers,
medical member of the party, has a
commission from the Smithsonian In
stitution to collect plants and animals.
The isolated island is so queer in other
ways that it Is likely to have a queer
flora and fauna. Dr. Kellers will look
out especially for one bird found there,
the melau. It looks something like a
small pigeon, but lays eggs enormously
out of proportion to the size of its body.
These eggs are left In the sand and
hatch without any incubation.
Niuafou produces giant coconuts, the
biggest In all the Pacific. This is be
lieved due to some queer make-up of
the soil. The same thing should bring
about other plant curiosities, for which
Dr. Kellers will keep his eyes open.
The island is 3 miles wide and 4
miles long. It has 30 volcanic craters,
some of which were erupting last Feb
ruary. Last Summer there was a big
eruption which destroyed a native vil
lage. This constant threat adds to the
difficulties of the expedition.
There is a vast amount of data which
astronomers can gather from eclipse
expeditions, so that they cannot afford
to miss one that Is at all accessible.
Among the soecial objectives of the
Naval Observatory party will be obser
vations of the so-called Einstein effect.
When the sun is covered the stars will
appear in the sky. Presumably, the
light from a distant star, passing close
to the sun, is bent toward that body.
If this is the case, and it seems to
have been pretty well established by
past expeditions, the Implications are
tremendous. Observation of the phe
nomenon requires such exact measure
ments that astronomers are not entirely
satisfied. The effect will be photo
graphed by the 65-foot camera and the
plates studied.
All Done by Instrument.
The astronomers will leave very lit
tle to the eye Everything will be re
corded by the camera and the spectro
scope, which work ajmost Instantane
ously The only difficulty Is in getting
the instruments there.
Those who will take part In the ex
pedition, besides Comdr. Keppler, Lieut.
Kellers and the Navy enlisted men, are
Prof S. A. Mitchell of the University
of Virginia Prof. R. W. Marriott of
Swarthmore College, who will study
especially the corona and the Einstein
effect: Dr. Weld Arnold of the Ameri
can Geographical Society, Dr. J. J.
Johnson of the California Institute of
Technology. B. F. Shapless of the Naval
Observatory and Dr. T. A. Jaggers of
the Carnegie Institution, who will study
the volcanoes.
Navy officers who itave visited Niua
tou describe it as lhaped almost ex-
Mtlx Ilka ft giant algnet ring. On all
TWO PERSONS HURT
BY FIREWORKS AS
FIVE ARE ARRESTED
Boy, 11, Burned on Hip When
Playmate Ignites Firecracker
• Tied to Trousers.
COMPANION, ARRESTED,
TO FACE COURT TRIAL
Second Casualty Treated for Burns
Suffered When Cracker Ex
plodes in Hand.
Two persons were Injured by explod
ing fireworks last night, while five others
were placed under arrest by police and
charged with discharging firecrackers
in the city.
Joseph Malick, 11 years old, of 710
Hobart street, was burned on the left
hip when a playmate tied a firecracker
to his trousers and ignited it. The boy
was treated by a private physician and
allowed to return to his home.
His companion. George Richardson.
13 years old, of 1612 Hobart street, was
arrested by a tenth precinct policeman,
J. A. Duley, and booked for discharg
ing fireworks. He was released in cus
tody of his parents for appearance in
Juvenile Court.
A similar charge was lodged against
Charles W. Smith, 17 years old, of 1657
Hobart street, by Policeman Duley.
Smith obtained his release on $5 col
lateral.
John Williams, 21 years old, of the
100 block of C street northeast was the
second casualty reported last night,
suffering burns when a firecracker ex
ploded in his hands. He was treated
by a staff physician at Casualty Hos
pital.
Nelson A. Miller, 35 years old, of the
Mcßeynolds Apartments, Eighteenth
and G streets, was arrested by Pvt.
Ernest Phillmore of the third precinct
for discharging fireworks and was later
released on $lO collateral. Thomas Wil
liams, colored, 21, of 216 Twenty-sixth
street was taken into custody by Lieut.
W. E. Holmes and Pvt. Frank O. Brass
of No. 3 station on the same charge.
Williams was held when he failed to
raise collateral.
A report that some one was shooting
firecrackers on E street near Twelfth
street shortly before 4 o’clock this
morning led to the arrest of Robert L.
Parker. 43, of 1126 Eleventh street by
Pvt. T. D. Atkinson on a charge of
discharging fireworks. He posted $5
collateral for his release.
D. C. REPORTS FEWER
DEATHS BY VIOLENCE
Police Department Records Show
Decrease of Nine, Compared With
Previous Fiscal Year.
Deaths from violence in the District
during the fiscal year just ended totaled
346, according to figures compiled by
Lieut. L. I. H. Edwards, In charge of
the personnel and statistical work of
the Police Department, a decrease of
nine compared with the preceding simi
lar period.
Traffic deaths the past fiscal year
totaled 68, the total for the preceding
12 months being 89, a decrease of 21.
During the two years there were 247
deaths from accidents other than traf
fic, 131 the past 12 months and 116
during the prior fiscal year, last year's
deaths showing an increase of 15 over
the previous year.
There were 91 homicide victims dur
ing the two-year period, 50 in 1929 and
41 in 1930. an appreciable decrease of
nine the past fiscal year. Suicides the
past 12 months totaled 106. an Increase
of six compared with the preceding
year.
DOUBLE TAXATION
ISSUE UNSETTLED
Mellon Explains Legislation Need
ed to Make French Agree
ment Final.
Preliminary arrangements recently
made by American and French experts
to relieve American corporations of
double taxation on business done In
France ls not regarded by Secretary
Mellon as representing final action.
In a statement yesterday the Treas
ury Secretary said legislation ls neces
sary before any such International
agreement could be concluded. Legis
lation to that end is pending.
Mr. Mellon also said that Great Bri
tain was not included In the negoti
ations. as previously reported, and that
no negotiations with Great Britain were
contemplated by the Treasury at pres
ent.
Announcement that a “satisfactory
arrangement” had been reached In the
Franco-American discussions was made
yesterday by E. C. Alvord. special as
sistant to the Secretary. He explained
today that he had meant only to say
that the experts had reached an ar
rangement satisfactory to American
business Interests.
LOMBARDY* ARRESTED
Ex-Tile Company Manager Faces
Charge of Embezzling $795.28.
Frank Camilla Lombardy, 44 years
old. of the 2200 block of Monroe street
northeast, was arrested at his home at
4 o'clock morning by Detective
Howard E Ogle on a warrant alleging
embezzlement of *795.28 from the Co
lumbia Mosaic <fc Tile Co., Inc., 114 c
street, where he was employed as man
ager.
George Ronchi, president of the com
pany, obtained the warrant. Lombardy
would make no statement.
Train Crash Kills 14.
SASSO, Italy. July 4 (A*).—Fourteen
persons were killed yesterday and many
injured in a collision of a train from
Milan with a freight train 11 miles
from Bologna. The accident happened
at 6:40 a.m.
sides the waves break; against precipT
tous basalt cliffs rising from 30 to 70
feet out of the ocean. Then the land
slopes up gently from 300 to 600 feet,
covered with a dense growth of coconut
palms. Then It slopes down gently
into the interior lake, whose surface is
considerably above sea level. The wa
ters of the lake are charged with some
sort of gas, so that in some places the
water bubbles like boiling water,
TOTAL ECLIPSE IN NEW ENGLAND
LEADS IN 1932 ALMANAC EVENTS
Naval Observatory Publication, Now
Complete, Lists Two Other Eclipses
For That Year.
The almanac Ls all ready for 1932.
Exactly what will be going on in the
universe two years hence—the behavior
of the earth, moon, sun, planets and
2.000 stars and the mathematical anites
of time itself according to the various
calendars—has been worked out to the
hundredth of a second by the astrono
mers of the Naval Almanac office here
under Director James Robertson.
From this work the almanacs and cal
endars for general distribution will be
compiled sometime before January 1,
1932. With a single exception, there will
not be much excitement in the star
gemmed heavens, so far as the United
States is concerned. The exception is
the total eclipse of the sun visible at
Washington the forenoon of August 31,
which, in Midsummer and with its path
of totality over thickly populated New
England, promises to be one of the great
astronomical events of all time. The
eclipse of 1925 which passed over New
England was in Midwinter, so that ob
servations were hampered by the un
comfortable temperature.
The path of totality will start off
Northwestern Siberia, sweep southeast
ward across the Arctic, Hudson Bay and
Labrador and pass directly over Port
land and Boston. Washington will be
well within the range of visibility. The
phenomenon is expected to draw thou
sands of astronomers from all over the
world. The International Astronomical
Union will come to the United States
and the meetings may be held In Wash
ington.
No Others Visible Here.
Director Robertson schedules three
other eclipses for the year, none visi
ble here. There will be an annular
eclipse of the sun on March 7. starting
in the Antarctic and sweeping In a
broad, semicircular path northeast
ward to barely touch the coast of Tas
mania, the only point where any obser
vations will be possible.
Then there will be two partial
eclipses of the moon, one on March 22.
visible over most of North America
exceDt the northeastern and Atlantic
Coast areas, and generally visible In
Eastern Asia. Australia and extreme
Western South America. The second
will come on September 14, beginning
over Europe and ending over North
America, but not visible here.
A peculiar feature of the year will be
the general thrusting forward of the
movable holidays. Ash Wednesday, the
beginning of Lent, will come on Febru
ary 10 and Easter will follow on March
9 PEOPLE INJURED
IN TRAFFIC MISHAPS
Three Philadelphia Children,
Here on Visit, Taken
to Hospital.
Nine persons were Injured, one seri
ously, in a series of automobile acci
dents reported to District police late
yesterday afternoon and last night.
Struck by a machine while crossing
in the first block of H street, three
Philadelphia children visiting friends in
Washington were removed to Casualty
Hospital for treatment by staff physi
cians.
Dorothy Hogopian, 15, was badly in
jured, suffering contusions of the head,
possible brain concussion, abrasions of
the shoulders and shock, while her
brother, Alfred Hogopian, 5, and Mary
Bowden, 8, were treated for minor cuts
and bruises.
The older girl’s condition was listed
as undetermined by attending physi
cians, but she left the hospital against
the advice of doctors. The car which
felled the children, sixth precinct police
reported, was driven by Harry W. Badin
44, of 1210 Neal street northeast.
A charge of failing to stop after a
collision was placed against Charles
Druckemmiller, 24 years old, of Claren
don, Va., by police of the first precinct
last night following an accident at
Thlrteen-and-One-Half street and Ohio
avenue last night.
The Clarendon man, according to
police, left his car and tried to escape,
but was arrested by Policeman Thomas
Mason of the Traffic Bureau, and turn
ed over to Policeman H. W. Estes of
No. 1 station, who had been chasing
him. Druckemmiller was taken to the
Emergency Hospital for treatment for
cuts about the face and hands.
A fractured right leg and lacerations
of the foot were sustained by Ellwocd
Payne, 11 years old, of Oakton, Va.,
when knocked from his bljycle on the
Chain Bridge road In Fairfax County by
a machine driven by Henry Fanzell of
Oakland, Va.
Harry Slpe, 50. of 62 K street north
east, escaped with only slight hurts
when an automobile driven by Colbert
P. Balderson of 4012 Davenport street
knocked him down at Fourth street and
Massachusetts avenue.
Columbus Jester, colored. 12 years old,
of 803 R street, received bruises of the
left ankle In an accident yesterday
afternoon when a truck, driven by Dave
McClanahan, who gave his address as
1132 Douglas street northeast, struck
him The boy was treated at Garfield
Hospital.
Contusions were suffered by Wilfred
Spearman, 39 years old, of 615 Fourth
street, when an automobile operated by
Louis Rato. 37, of Seat Pleasant, Md..
struck him on Fourth street near F.
He was treated at Casualty Hospital.
William Thomas Bell, 8 years old, of
616 Fifth street northeast, escaped with
minor cuts when a machine operated
by Benjamin W. Foer, 29 years old. of
3100 Warder street, struck him on Fifth j
street northeast near G. The boy was
treated at Casualty.
UNDIGNIFIED ATTITUDE OF HENS
COSTS YOUTH JULY 4th FREEDOM
Detective Ogle Observes Too Closely for Robert Lee’s
Holiday Comfort.
The two big fat hens which Robert
Lee, colored youth, was carrying under
his arm near Sixth and O streets
southwest at the break of cawn today
did not have the contented lcok that
hens display toward me with whom
they are on friendly terms.
The feathers on their backs were
ruffled in an undignified manner, and
in their eyes there was the glint of
growing suspicion. It was plain to De
tective Howard Ogle, well known police
authority on barnyard composure, that
these particular hens were r oved bv
the self-same spirit ol independence
that impelled our forefathers to cast
off the yoke that bound ’hem.
Detective Ogle's curiosity overcoming
him, he directed his driver to pull over 1
toward the struggling hens and their
i I
Features and Classified
27. These unusually early dates throw
forward Palm Sunday, Good Friday and
all the others.
The Navy astronomers calculate the
first day of the year the world over for
all the chronological systems in general
use In civilized nations. For the United
States, January 1 will be the beginning
of 1932, according to the Gregorian
calendar. A lew still use the discarded
Julian calendar. For them the new
year will be delayed until January 14.
The year 5693 of the Jewish era will
start on September 30. while for the
Japanese January 1 will begin the year
2592. On September 1 will start the
year 2244 of the Grecian era, still used
by some of the Eastern Christian sects.
For Islam, which dates Its time from
the flight of Mohammed from Mecca,
year 1351 will start at sunset on May 6
Many Calculations Necessary.
Many thousands of calculations, all
double-checked, are necessary each
year to make up the nautical almanac
and American Ephemiris. The stars
whose positions are calculated exactly
to determine their time of passing over
the meridian of Washington seldom give
the calculators much trouble. They are
so far away that any little eccen
tricities they may have are lost sight
of in their general strictly law-abiding
behavior.
But the planets, and especially their
satellites, are not such model citizens of
the sky. and they cause the astronomers
a lot of work every year, according to
Prof. Robertson. Among the meanest
of them are the nine little moons of
the ringed planet Saturn, whose posi
tions are predicted for the entire year
with a vast amount of complicated
mathematics. But Mimas. Enceladus.,
Tethys, Dione. Rhea. Tttan. Hyperion.
lapetus and Phoebe are all started off
In the right direction.
The earth's moon also gives the as
tronomers a good deal of trouble. They
can figure its position years ahead to
a very small fraction of a second, but
It ls so conspicuous and important an
object so far as humans are concerned
that even Its slightest departure from
the path of mathematical rectitude
that can be detected with sensitive
instruments ls very annoying.
Director Robertson and hLs assistants
already are at work on the almanac for
1934 They can figure the heaven
ahead for as many years as they please,
so far as the application of general
astronomical formulae Ls concerned.
BOYI7, ARRESTED
IN 2 ROBBERIES
Police Allege Confession Ob
tained on Entering
of Homes.
Arrested early today by Policeman
Frank S. Marshall of the fourteenth
precinct, Willard Lee Winston, 17 years
old, ls being held for Investigation fol
lowing his alleged confession to robbing
two homes in the Northwest section of
the city early today.
Winston ls said to have told police
he entered the residences of Radford
Moses of 3839 Livingston street and
James A. Toomey of 3823 Morrison
street shortly before he was taken Into
custody on Connecticut avenue near
Albemarle street.
Marshall was patrolling his beat In a
police car about 4 o’clock this morning
when he came upon the youth. His sus
picions aroused by Winston’s nervous
ness, the officer took the boy to No. 14
station, where a revolver, four knives,
' a cigarette case, two change purses, ap-
I proxlmately $24 In money and other
1 articles were found In his clothing.
1 Under questioning, it is said, Winston
told police he robbed the two homes by
'raining entrance to Moses’ house by
; alslng a ladder to a second-story
window and by climbing through a
first-floor window to enter Toomey’s
residence.
Winston told police he made friends
with Toomey’a watchdog by patting him
on the head when the dog rushed to
the window as he was raising It.
Police went to the two homes and
learned that a bathing suit, cigarette
case, a change purse and several other
articles had been stolen at Moses’ house.
Toomey’s trousers had been robbed of
$22 in bills, a cigarette case and a purse
containing 50 cents while the owner
was asleep.
WOMAN AND MAN SEIZED
IN FINDING OF LIQUOR
Seeking an explanation for an un
usually large number of visitors to the
basement of an apartment house at
718 Eighteenth street, not far from the
homes of Sergt. O. J. Letterman and
Richard J. Cox of the police liquor squad,
Sergt. Letterman sent an undercover
agent to do a little investigating about
the janitor’s quarters.
A report from the undercover agent
contained an entry of the purpose of
a pint of liquor from a colored wom
an and yesterday afternoon the mem
bers of the squad paid the janitor,
Jerry Ramsey, colored, 51 years old, a
surprLse visit, arresting him on a charge
of Illegal possession of a 2-quart con
tainer of liquor.
Juanita Brown, colored. 31 years old.
the woman from whom the undercover
agent reported making the purchase,
was arrested and charged with sale ,
and possession.
| companions—for two other colored men
were walking beside Lee. It was at this
point that Lee and his friends suddenly
remembered they had pressing engage- '
ments in different directions. The 1
chickens went over a nearby fence and 1
Lee went with them. Ogle followed in ]
hot pursuit. >
Not long after Detective Ogle walked
Into the fourth precinct station with
two squawking hens and a downcast
prisoner.
"And I was all set for a big Fourth )
of July feast today," moaned Lee as he i
was escorted to a cell, explaining that l
the chickens came out of a yard some- t
where in Anacostia, according to the 1
police. c
‘‘All of which should teach you not to ' 1
freeort to fowl play," ogle cackled. I
PAGE B-1
PRATT COMPLETES
i PLANS FOR SHIFTS
| IN POLICE FORCE
More Than 100 Officers of
Varied Ranks Involved in
Wide Reorganization.
MORE THAN 60 SLATED
TO RECEIVE PROMOTIONS
Several of Original Ideas Are
Dropped, Due to Compromises
in Fund Measure.
Plans for an extensive reorganization
of the Police Department, Involving
more than 100 officers of varying rank,
were completed today by Maj. Henry
G. Pratt, superintendent, after a con
ference with Inspector E. W. Brown,
assistant superintendent, and Lieut. L.
I H. Edwards, personnel officer.
The changes include the promotion
; °* more than 60 men and the transfer
of at least 40 others, which will consti
tute a widespread readjustment of the
entire force. The names of the officers
to be affected were not officially dis
; closed in view of the fact that the
Commissioners must approve the plan
; before it is put into effect.
Maj. Pratt said he would submit the
, list of names of the men he has selected
. to be promoted to the Commissioners
Monday morning. As a special meeting
of the Board of Commissioners will be
; held that day, the recommendations are
expected to be approved and ordered
. effective Tuesday morning.
Several Plans Fall.
. Tentative plans for the reorganization
i have been in the process of preparation
, for nearly two months, but Maj. Pratt
\ waa unable to make any definite
, arrangements pending the passage of
, the District appropriation bill for the
current fiscal year which began July 1.
5 The bill became a law last night and
r the police superintendent lost no time in
i completing the reorganization scheme.
, Maj. Pratt, however, probably will
1 be unable to carry out several of his
original plans because of compromises
made in several Police Department
items in the appropriation bill as it
finally passed. Instead of 25 additional
men which the Senate provided, the de
partment was allowed 11. which likely
will prevent the reorganization of tne
police training school.
1 With 25 additional men, it was pro
posed to enlarge the curriculum of the
| police school, and give all new ap
pointees a three-month course before
assigning them to beats. The present
course lasts 30 days, and the school
has been operated on a haphazard sys
tem, sessions being held only when a
sufficient number of new men were ap
pointed to organize a class.
Shelby Was Slated for Post,
tile department been granted
25 additional men, Maj. Pratt believed
it would have been possible to keep the
school running continuously and make
it of such importance that an assistant
i superintendent would be assigned to
5 2 activities. Inspector William
S. Shelby, an assistant superintendent,
who is now serving as chief of de-
E tectives, was slated for this post, and
r Inspector Brown, in charge of the Traf
fic Bureau, would have succeeded Shel
by “chief of detectives. With only
s 11 additional men, Maj. Pratt said, he
I would not be justified in designating
l assistant superintendent to take over
the school, although it would be pos
sible to organize a class of about 30
. i® r the initial session. Subsequent
classes, however, would necessarily be
smaller.
The major promotions involve 17
■ sergeants who are to be promoted to
lieutenants and one lieutenant, B. A.
Lamb, of the Traffic Bureau who Is
to step up to a captaincy. Two of the
sergeants slated for promotions are
. are Frank A. Varney, special aid to
Police Commissioner Herbert B. Crosby
and president of the Policemen's Asso
ciation, and Oscar J. Letterman, for
mer head of the vice squad. Some of
the others expected to be promoted
to lieutenants are Acting Lieut. War
ren O. Embrey, Dennis J. Cullinane,
John H. Fowler, Bagby R. King and
Richard J. Cox, all of the Detective
Bureau. The remaining 10 lieuten
ancies will be filled by the promotions
of sergeants assigned to the various
precincts.
Lieut. Edw'ards, the personnel officer,
also is expected to be made a captaiq.
He is now the ranking lieutenant or.
the eligible list for promotion.
Lieut. Edwards Is stationed at head
quarters, and under the reorganization
scheme he will remain there, in charge
of the personnel office.
Twelve privates are to be promoted
to sergeants. Four of these are ex
pected to be drawn from the Detective
Bureau personnel, and the others from
the precincts. Those at the Detective
Bureau eligible for advancement are
Hoyle D. Secrest, Hugh D. Robey,
David G. Fletcher and Ben H. Johnson
Robey has been acting as a chauffeur
for a number of years, and Secrest has
been doing clerical work in the office
of the chief of detectives. Johnson is
now detailed at Union Station.
The other eight sergeants will be
picked from the precincts. Some of
them will be assigned to duty at the
Detective Bureau. The first, second,
fourth and thirteenth precincts, will
provide most of these men.
Under the reorganization plan it also
Is proposed to return to the Detective
Bureau, Charles P. J. Weber, who was
recently promoted from a detective
sergeant to a lieutenant and assigned
to the tenth precinct. This will be in
line with the plan to have a commis
sioned officer in charge of the Detective
Bureau through the 24 hours of the
day.
Although the department will have
after the reorganization plan is put
into effect 60 vacancies in the person
nel of the privates, it will be unable to
appoint any new men until the Civil
Service Commission certifies candidates
who took the last police examination.
The department has been notified that
nearly 70 of the candidates for ap
pointment had passed the requisite
mental and physical tests, but a char
acter investigation must be made be
fore they can be qualified as eligible
for appointment.
- • ■>■■.■■■
Worker Loses Thumb.
A thumb amputation was necessary
when James Davidson, 48, of 3117
Warder street, cut the member badly
while working at Fourth and H streets
yesterday. The man was sawing and
the tool slipped, inflicting the injury.
- •
Man Cut and Robbed.
Victim of what police suspect as a
frame-up. George L. Cable, 30, of Balti
more, who came to Washington to cele
brate the Fourth of July, was cut about
the head with a blunt instrument, be
lieved to have been a file, and robbed
of $35 in a room at the Atlas Hotel, 601
Pennsylvania avenue, about 6 o'clock
thu xnomtaif.