Evening star. [volume], December 02, 1930, Image 1

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

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WEATHER.
<V.‘ a. Weather Bureau Forecast.)
Fair and not quite so cold tonight, min
imum temperature about 23 degrees; to
morrow increasing cloudiness and wanner.
Temperatures—Highest. 56, at 3:30 p.m.
yesterday; lowest, 17, at 8:15 a.m. today.
Full report on page 9.
Closing N.Y. Markets, Pages 13,14 &15
No. 31,626.
RELIEF MEASURES GIVEN
FIRST PLACE IN HOOVER S
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS
Funds Ajsked
r to Aid Jobless
and Farmers.
ECONOMY URGED
TO MEET DEFICIT
Muscle Slioals and
Bus Regulations
Also Mentioned.
BT O. GOULD LINCOLN.
President Hoover painted for
Congress today a picture of the
United States at grips with busi
ness depression and the drought.
At the same time he laid before
that body his recommendations
for legislation to. relieve unem
ployment and the drought-strick
en areas, and gave an accounting
of his stewardship during the last
4
{rear.
He advocated, in his annual
message to the Congress, an in
crease in public construction as
’ m safety valve to meet the unem
ployment situation. Concretely,
he asked for an added appropria
\ tion of from $100,000,000 to $150,-
000,000 “to provide such further
employment in this emergency.”
Asks Aid for Farmers.
To aid the American fanners who
have suffered from the drought he
urged an appropriation ,be made to the
Department of Agriculture "to be loaned
for the purpose of seed and feed for
animals. Its application should as hith
erto in such loans be limited to gross
amount to any individual, and secured
upon the crop.”
"The Red Cross can relieve the cases
of individual distress by the sympa
thetic assistance of cur people,” the
President added.
Turning to the finances of the Gov
ernment, which have suffered along
with the rest of the country, because
of the business depression. President
Hoover recommended a period of rigid
economy outside of the projects which
he outlined for relief of the unem
ployed and the farmers.
The President estimated that the
deficit which the Federal Treasury
will face at the dose of the present
fiscal year next June will be $180,000,-
000.
"I shall make suggestions for hand
ling the present-year deficit in the
budget message (which will be sent to
Congress tomorrow), but I do not
favor encroachment upon the statu
tory reduction of the public debt,” he
said.
, Urges Bifid Economy.
While the President did not say so
directly in his message to the Congress
today, he clearly implied that there
should not be continuance of the re
duction of 1 per cent in the normal
Income tax rates which was provided
by Congress for the payment of taxes
on the incomes received in 1928. .
Looking ahead to the fiscal year
which will close June 30. 1932, he pre
dictd a surplus of $30,000,000, with
the country again out of the financial
Woods. He added, however, that:
“Most rigid economy is therefore
necessary to avoid increase in taxes."
The President's recommendations for
general legislation at the present short
session of Congress are limited. Realiz
ing that the Congress would not have
time to put through a great deal of
legislation in the three months remain
ing to it, he enumerated Muscle Shoals,
bus regulation, relief of congestion in
courts, reorganization of border pa
(Contlnued on Page 4, Column 6.)
FRIENDS OF MOONEY -
TO CONTINUE FIGHT
Defense Undismayed by Denial of
Pardon to Billings in
Bomb Case.
£r th« Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO. December 2
Undismayed by the State Supreme
Court’s refusal to recommend a pardon
for Warren K. Billings, defense forces
prepared today to press their pleas for
It pardon for Thomas J. Mooney.
Billings and Mooney were convicted
erf the San Francisco Preparedness day
bombing in 1916 which resulted in
a the death of 10 persons and the injury
of about 40. For more than a decade
critics of the case have inspired agita
tion throughout the country against
1 their imprisonment on the ground that
they were not fairly convicted.
The Supreme Court justice* hand* d
down their finding yesterday, climax :*g
a long rehearing of witn* >es nd
others connected with the original trial.
In the case of Billings, their ruling is
final, unless they consent to a rehear
ing of his pardon application.
Billing s’ petition was based in part
upon the retraction by John Macdon
ald. atar witness for the State In the
original trial, of testimony that he saw
the accused men deposit a suit case at
Bteuart and Market street? a few min
utes before the bomb exploded. The
* bomb bad been transported in a suit
case.
The high court Justices held that Mac-
Donald’s recantation “savored strongly
of subornation of perjury."
DANES ATTACK LEADERS
' COPENHAGEN. Denmark, December
§ (j?).— The new Nationalist Socialist
narty, recently formed by Capt. Lembke,
U pursuing a program by which it hopes
to thrust itself into a position of con
siderable political power
Lembke and some of his associates
already have handed the foreign min
ister and other cabinet members for
mal protests against' what they con
■ sidered to be 111-advised government
9 policies, and Lembke has demanded the
V resignation of both the minister of Jus
ticeand the foreign minister.
Ui
Entered an second class matter
post office, Washington, D. C.
President’s Annual Message
Congress Warned Utmost Care Is Necessary to Avoid
Any Increase in Public Debt—People Must
Have Faith and Courage.
The text of the President’s annual
message to Congress follows:
To the Senate and House of Repre
sentatives:
I have the honor to comply with
the requirement of the Constitution
that I should lay before the Con
gress information as to the s'ata of
the Union, and recommend consid
eration of such measures as are
necessary and expedient.
Substantial progress has been
made during the year in nationa’
peace and security: the fundamental
strength of the Nation’s economic
life is unimpaired; education and
scientific discovery have made ad
vances: our country is more alive to
its problems of moral and spiritual
welfare.
During the past 12 months we
have suffered with ether Nations
from economic depression.
The origins of this depression lie
to some extent within our own bor-
CONGRESS IS READY
FOR SERIOUS WORK
Formalities Over, Legislators
Clear Way for Business
of New Session.
By the Associated Press.
Business was the order for Congress
today, in contrast to yesterday’s few
minutes of opening ceremonies and re
union backslapplng.
The legislators looked to President
Hoover for the formal signal to proceed,
friend and foe both awaiting the Chief
Executive's recommendations, contained
in his annual message.
They lost no time, however, in draw
ing programs for the drive aimed at a I
clean sweep of essential legislation be
fore midnight of March 3, 1931. The
unofficial Steering Committee of the
House, under Majority Leader Tlleon,
was making up a tentative calendar for
passing in quick order emergency un
employment legislation and the annual
supply bills. The success of auch a pro-
Sram, however, will rest largely on the
evelopments attending the numerous
controversial issues which are not far
in the background.
Muscle Shoals in Fore.
An early gathering of the Senate and
House Conference Committee on the
Muscle Bhoals deadlock was in prospect
also, and while Chairman McNary of
the Senate group said the proffered
House compromise was not acceptable,
there was some hope for action. Tilson
has promised a clear track in the House
for any report the conferees may
submit.
The one field so far free of contro
versy—unemployment and drought
relief legislation—was expected to re
ceive further attention by the Senate
today with introduction of a number
of bills, both by Democrats and
Republicans.
With these activities on the surface.
Senate Republican leaders were work
ing hard on the effort to keep the
World Court issue from breaking up
the orderly progress of the session.
They feared President Hoover’s decision
to submit the Court protocols for
Senate ratification made it doubtful an
extra session could be forestalled.
Many Relief Plans.
The opening of Congress saw unem
ployment and drought relief biLs of
varied context, proposing the expendi
ture of billions of dollars, either intro
duced or prepared for Introduction.
The most comprehensive plan for
drought relief was proposed by Demo
cratic Leader Robinson, in the Senate,
in a bill which would authorize Presi
dent Hoover to take control of the
Wheat purchased by the Federal Farm
Board and distribute it for seed and
food necessary for making crops next
: year.
Robinson's bill, introduced on his
i own responsibility but after a confer
ence with the President Sunday, also
1 would authorize $60,000,000 for seed,
feed and fertilizer loans to farmers;
authorize loans of $5,000,000 to drought
stricken States for highways other
than those aided by the the usual Fed
eral funds, and provide $3,500,000 for
agricultural extension work in drought
sections.
Meanwhile, Benator Glenn, Republic
an, Illinois, was preparing to introduce
a companion measure, to deal with the
unemployment situation. Glenn's bill
was drawn up at the request of admin
istration leaders.
House Basket Crowded.
It would authorize the immediate ap
propriation cn $150,000,000 for speed
ing up pub’.c construction work under
the enlarged rivers and harbors, public
(Continued on Page 2, Column b.) ~
'PARIS FLOODS WORSE;
SEINE AT HIGH MARK
! Invalides Railway Station Aban
doned—Many Suburban Resi
dents Live in Old Forts.
By the Associated Press.
PARIS, December 2.—The Seine,
flooded by recent rains and the influx
of tributaries, reached a new high level
since 1924 this mcming of 20 feet and
3 Inches above normal. The suburbs
on the east and west of the city re
mained in the grasp of the high waters,
and many families are living in tem
porary quarters In old forts and the
’ small town city halls.
The towns of Clichy, Asnieres, Joln
, villa, Neuilly and Courbevoie are all
i partially under water.
Pumps were used during the night
to clear the lower floor of Austerlitz
i station so that that terminal could be
■ used this morning. The Invalides sta
» tion. abandoned yesterday, could not
- be used today, passengers for Brittany
t being shifted to the Montparnasse and
s Champ de Mars stations. The water
■ is fast approaching the latter station
and may force its abandonment.
4
W)t %\szvmx
J V* y WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION L/
WASHINGTON, D. C., TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1930—FORTY-FOUR PAGES. ***
ders through a speculative period
which diverted capital and energy
into speculation rather than con
structive enterprise. Had overspeeu
lation in securities been the only
force operating, we should have seen
recovery many months ago, as these
particular dislocations have generally
readjusted themselves.
World-Wide Overproduction
Strikes U. S. Industry.
Other deep-seated causes have been
in action, however, chiefly the world
wide overproduction beyond even the
demand of prosperous times for such
important basic commodities as
wheat, rubber, coffee, sugar, copper,
silver, zinc, to some extent cotton,
and other raw materials. The cumu
lative effects of demoralizing price
falls of these important commodities
in the process of adjustment of pro
duction to world consumption have
(Continued on Page 4, Column 2.)
BANDIT'ABDUCTS
D. G. AUTO DRIVER
Captor Stages 3 Hold-ups,
Battles Maryland Police
and Flees in Car.
James Allen of Bethesda, Md„ a
driver for the Chesapeake & Potomac
Telephone Co., was held up right out
side of Laurel this morning by an
armed man who forced him to drive
over Baltimors-Annapolls Highway,
where his captor staged three hold-ups,
engaged in a gun battle with the Mary
land police, and finally ordered Allen to
take him into Baltimore, where the
driver was forced out of the car, which
was then taken over by the bandit,
who drove away in it.
Police Get Few Details.
Police had only meager accounts of
the affair early this afternoon.
Allen left here this morning in a
sedan to pick up C. A Robinson, as
sistant to the president prthe Chesa
peake A Potomac Telephone Co., in
Baltimore.
The next heard from him was when
police were advised of the hold-up and
checking back on the tag numbers of
the car used, lound that it was a tele
phone company car. For more than
two hours Allen's whereabouts were in
doubt. Then the man showed up at
the telephone offices in Baltimore,
j He reported there that he was just
beyond Laurel when he was halted by
a man with a shotgun. Three miles
beyond Laurel, at Savage, he was forced
by his captor to turn off the main
highway and then, swinging into the
; Baltlmore-Annapolis Pike, the hold-ups
; started.
Merchant First Victim.
A. F. Besecker, proprietor of a store
and filling station at Arnolds Station,
was the first victim. He reported the
passenger In the machine held him up
and robbed him of $5. A Western
Maryland dairy wagon driver wav the
next to be held up. The police did not
learn how much he lost. Continuing
on toward Annapolis, the bandit next
held up a filling station at Bells Cor
ner. The proprietor ran out with a
shotgun and fired two shots at the
machine as it sped down the road. He
is sure he hit the target.
By this time reports of the hold-ups
had been flashed to Annapolis and Of
ficers Linton and Zang set out to look
for the machine. They caught sight of
it just as it swung into the Defense
Highway toward Washington and began
firing. The heavier machine used by
the bandit pulled away from them and
1 they were unable to continue the chase.
VANDALS RUIN FIXTURES
IN ST. ANDREW’S CHURCH
Unable to Find Money or Valua
bles, Intruders Break Furni
ture and Windows.
Vandals, unable to find any money
or valuables in St. Andrew's Episcopal
Church, New Hampshire avenue and V
street, late Sunday or early yesterday
morning, broke up furniture and win
i dows, causing about $l5O damage, the
rector, Rev. J. J. Dimon, reported to
police today.
j Numerous other petty robberies listed
today by police included. Theft, of
clothing valued at $145 from the rpart
ments of Gladys Willis and John King,
at 732 Lamont street; theft of a coat
; from Josephine .Edwards, 1004 Euclid
street, from her room at the Cook
, School; theft of $5 In cash from the
! cash register in the store of Elmer
j Jankins, 1517 U street; theft of four
packages from a Woodward <& Lothrop
delivery truck at First street and New
York avenue northeast; theft of • lec
trlcai appliances from the home of
Wiilis L. Stephenson, 919 L street;
‘heft of the tags from the car of Theo.
! Jore Levy, 1110 Four-and-a-Half street
i southwest, and ransacking of the Sani
tary store at 3712 Macomb street.
GETS 15-YEAR Term
Maryland Man Sentenced for Slay
ing Wife and Another Woman.
CAMBRIDGE, Md„ December 2 OP).
•-Goman Booze, 35, contracting car
' penter, who pleaded guilty to slaying
his wife and another woman, was taken
to Baltimore today to begin serving a
sentence of 15 years for manslaughter,
pronounced last night.
Booze was convicted by a jury last
: week. He testified that his wife ac
' tivitles in a religious organization had
’ caused them to separate and that , she
was unfaithful.
' Mrs. Booze and Mrs. Leon Wilson, at
I whose home Mrs. Booze waa visiting,
- were slain the night of August 25 by
i a single charge from a shotgun fired
through a window.
THOSE LONG, LONG HOURS HIiFORE THE SENATE ACTED.
MRS. KEITH-MILLER DESCRIBES .
FORCED LANDING IN BAHAMAS
Australian Aviatrix, Blown From Course
by Terrific Gale, Says "Compass Went |
Haywire and Gas Ran Low/’
By the Associated Press.
HAVANA, December 2.—Mrs. J. M.
Kelth-Miller, who was forced down in
the Bahamas during a flight from Ha
vana to New York, today wired the As
sociated Press the first story of her ad
venturous experience.
“A terrific gale blew me off my course
somewhere between Havana and the
mainland,” she said. “Then my com
pass went haywire and I flew seven ■
hours looking for a place to land.
“The gas began to run low and I got
panicky. I didn’t know whether I was
in the Gulf of Mexico or somewhere
over the Atlantic. It was a fearful re
lief when I did see a spot of land. I
thought it was Florida.
“But it was this village called Kemps
Bay on Andros Island. There was a
BANDIT QUARTET
CONFESS HOLD-UPS
Three Boys and Leader Held
in Series of Store and Gas
Station Robberies.
A trio of young bandits and their
self-confessed leader are to be arraigned
in Police Court tomorrow morning on
charges of having staged four daring
hold-ups In the Capital during the past
two weeks.
Detectives say the quartet broke down
under questioning at police headquar
ters last night and admitted they had
planned and executed the robbery of
two grocery stores about 10 days ago, as
wel las two gasoline station hold-ups
last Friday night.
Confession Is Claimed.
Two of the youths, Vincent Delcher,
18 years old, and Clyde Fisher, 20, both
of Rochester, N. Y., and their alleged
leader, John R. Martin, 30, of the 1600
block H street southeast, were arrested
on Saturday, while the fourth, Joseph
Andrew Cross, 18, of the 2900 block of
Nichols avenue southeast, was taken
into custody last night.
Detective Sergt. Thomas Nally said
this morning that Martin admitted last
night that he had organized the hold
up “mob" and that he had purchased
revolvers for the others and also planned
the robberies.
Robbery charges had Already been
filed against Delcher and Fisher in
connection with the hold-ups of two
Lord Baltimore filling stations Friday
night, while two additional charges
were booked against them last night
upon their identification in the grocery
store thefts.
Identified by Victims. . ,
Mrs. Samuel Fillius of 3000 Nichols
avenue southeast and Robert Croce of
1726 B street southeast told police that
Fisher and Delcher robbed their stores
of $44 and $125, respectively, during
the past two weeks. Martin and Cross,
police say. were also charged with rob
bery in the grocery store hold-ups, but
were not participants in the gasoline
station thefts, according to police.
Detectives announced Saturday after
the arrests of Fisher and Delcher that
the two boys had confessed that they
had held up the Lord Baltimore sta
tions, at Fifteenth and D streets south
east and in the 2400 block of Pennsyl
vania avenue, Friday night, collecting
S4O at the southeast station and $95 in
the Pennsylvania avenue robbery.
APPELLATE JUDGESHIP
WITHHELD! BY HOOVER
Justice William Hitz Expected to
Be Appointed to District Tribunal
at Some Later Date.
In the batch of nominations to be
sent to the Senate tomorrow by Presi
dent Hoover the two vacant associate
judgeships for the Court of Appeals of
the District of Columbia will, not be in
cluded.
The two Court of Appeals places were
created last year. It is understood that
Justice William Hitz, at present an as
sociate Justice of the Supreme Court
of the District of Columbia, will be ap
pointed to one of these places later
It was also learned today that the
President has net yet decided upon the
successor to Justice Hits on the Su
preme Court bench.
Among those who were understood to
be seriously considered for this place
[ are James M. ‘Proctor, Prescott Gatley
knd Paul Sleman - -
Y
terrific wind, but I came in with full
motor, tfien stalled her and pancaked
into the thick bushes. I looked the ship
over and it was O. K.
“I started out to walk and it was 16
miles to the first telegraph station I
came to. I walked all night over the
rockiest beach I ever saw. My feet were
blistered and I was mighty tired. lam
sorry I can’t send you more.”
Aviation Circles Puzzled.
I NASSAU, Bahamas. December 2 (TP). —
Mrs. J. M. Keith Miller, who failed to
arrive in Miami, Fla., Friday on a
flight from Havana, today told of being
forced down on a remote link in the
Bahamas island chain by adverse
weather.
The aviatrix said she walked to Kemps
Bay and was given pawpaws, a tropical
fruit, and shelter by an aged colored
< Continued on Page 2, Column lT)
GENEVA SUPPORTS
BAN ON POISON GAS
Action on Chemical Warfare
Is Delayed on Advice of
U. S. Delegate.
By the Associated Press.
GENEVA, December 2.—Delegates to
the League's Preparatory Disarmament
Commission, with Hugh S. Gibson of
the United States delegation taking an
active part In the discussion, today reg
istered a concerted opposition to the
use of poison gas in warfare.
It was a spirited discussion, but defi
nite action on prohibitive measures was
referred for final decision to the Gen
eral Disarmament Conference.
On Ambassador Gibson's motion the
Preparatory Commission invited all
governments to set their experts to work
on this Issue and to come to the Gen
eral Conference ready to draft an
agreement which would clarify the in
terpretation of restrictions on chemical
warfare.
German Proposal Defeated.
By a vote of 6 to 5 the commission
rejected budgetary limitation for air
forces, with the American delegate not
voting. Lord Cecil of England directed
particular attention to the narrow mar
gin by which this measure was defeated.
The German proposal to prohibit use
of tanks of all kinds and use of cannon
above certain caliber—as imposed on
Germany by the Versailles treaty—was
defeated. Only the Soviet delegate sup
ported Count von Bemstorff’s proposal.
The poison gas discussion began when
Lord Cecil asserted that Britain inter
prets the Geneva protocol of 1925 as
prohibiting tear gas. and he asked the
delegates to consider embodiment of the
interpretation in a disarmament treaty
draft.
Gibson, however, pointed out that this
matter is too profoundly technical for
a wise decision now and suggested that
it be studied fully before any action be
taken.
Nearly all the states supported the
British and American suggestion and
the Soviets and the Chinese went even
further, urging prohibition of the man
ufacture of harmful gases.
Canadian Amendment Tabled.
Canada’s dependence upon aircraft
to patrol her vast forest areas and to
maintain communication with remote
parts of the dominion was set forth
today by Walter Riddell, Canadian
delegate.
He objected to incorporation in the
draft convention, which the commis
sion is drawing up, a provision prohibit
ing employment of military aviation
personnel or craft for civil purposes,
and he proposed that material and per
sonnel used In civil matters be counted
in the agreed military quotas.
Mr. Gibson, Lord Cecil and Count
von BernstorfT supported the Canadian
amendment, but France and others
feared that it would establish an inti
mate link between civil and military
aviation which would result in in
creased war potentialities of civil craft
and personnel.
M. Westman of Sweden suggested
that the Canadian proposal would en
courage militarisation of civil aero
nautics. The question was referred to
a subcommittee.
Radio Programs, on Page C-3
FISCAL RELATIONS
HEARINGS WILL BE
UPENEO TOMORROW
Simmons and Cramton First
on List of Those
to Testify.
The special House committee ap
pointed by the Speaker to make an
intensive study of fiscal relations be
tween the Federal Government and the
District taxpayers, of which Represent
ative Carl Mapes of Michigan is chair
man, will start hearings in the District
of Columbia committee room tomorrow
morning at 9:45 o’clock.
The committee held Its first meeting
today, with Representative Crisp, Dem
ocrat, of Georgia, sitting in, although
he has emphasized his determination
not to serve with the committee to
which he was appointed by the Speaker.
Many yean ago Mr. Crisp introduced
a resolution to abolish the then time
honored half-and-half principle of fi
nancing the District*appropriation bill.
Trie members of the committee ex
pressed regret today that Mr. Crisp will
not serve. The Speaker is expected to
announce Mr. Crisp’s successor some
time today.
Committee Accepts Rapp.
Chairman Mapes announced that the
committee has accepted the services of
Herbert Rapp, an expert economist and
research worker from the United States
Bureau of Efficiency, who has previously
made an extensive study of this subject.
The hearings for the present' will be
of two hours’ duration and the commit
tee does not plan, as yet, to sit during
sessions of the House.
The committee will first hear a state
ment from Rpereaentatlve Simmons of
Nebraska, chairman of the subcommit
tee on District appropriations, who is
the father of the resolution providing
for this fiscal relations study.
The second witness ?s to be Repre
sentative Cramton, Republican, of
Michigan, who is father of the lump
sum proposition, while he was serving
temporarily as chairman of the sub
committee on District appropriations.
D. C. Officials to Be Heard.
Following these the Mapes commit
tee will hear the District Commission
ers, the District assessor, William P.
Richards, and the District auditor, Maj.
Daniel J. Donovan, and other District
officials whom the Commissioners de
sire to present.
The Mapes Committee will then re
ceive a report from the Bureau of Ef
ficiency, presented by Thomas F. Mur
phy, covering the bureau’s study of Dis
trict finances and fiscal relations, as
prepared several years ago, for the
House Appropriations CommitOee, and
brought to date for the Mapes Com
mittee.
Mr. Mapes said his committee wHI
then be ready to throw the hearings
open for testimony by representatives
of the citizenship of the District.
He said that the plan of the com
mittee is to hold public hearings to give
the people of the District an opportunity
to be heard fully. He expressed the
hope that different interests, such as
business, civic and other organizations
would get together and select their
representatives to present their opinions
on District finances without duplication
and to avoid as much as possible, repe
tition of the mass of material that has
previously been presented at other hear
ing on this subject.
Tilson Favors $9,500,095.
House Leader Tilson is favorable to'
continuing the $9,500,000 contribution
by the Federal Government.
“I believe that this was a clear com
promise for the present fiscal year, and
if it has been used I believe that it is
a still further indication that it is a
fair contribution from the Federal Gov
ernment,” said Mr. Tilson.
"If the budget recommends $9,500,000,
as has been puolished in the press, as a
basis for the appropriations for the Dis
trict government, I believe that is still
further evidence that this is a fair
amount for a lump-sum contribution
until we have determined, after careful
study, what a more exact ratio between
the Federal Government and the Dis
trict taxpayers would be.
“I would be opposed, on the other
hand,” said Mr. Tilson, “to increasing
the amount above $9,500,000 until we
have evidence to show that such in
crease should be fairly drawn from the
Federal Treasury. I believe this is a
very bad time to Increase appropria
tions,” he concluded. .
Trooper Bans Amuck.
MUDON, Lower Burma, December 2
(IP). —A Sepoy trooper went berserk
through the city today, killing five
policemen, wounding several bystanders
and barricading himself in police head
quarters, where he committMg suicide
i as reinforcements closed in upon him.
“From Press to Homo
Within the Hour n
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’* Circulation, 115,872
OP) Means Associated Preaa.
BOOKKEEPER TEELS
OF F. H. SMITH CO.’S
SUSPENSE ACCOUNT
r ::’ares Few Items Were
Removed to Fixed Charge
Records of Firm.
MANIPULATION ALLEGED
IN HANDLING OF RECORDS
Defense Prevents Witness Calling
Method “Temporary Dump
ing ground.”
A sharp-featured young bookkeeper
unfolded an intricate account of al
leged record juggling and manipulation
to the jury in the P. H. Smith Co.
conspiracy trial in District Supreme
Court today.
Testifying against the defendants, O.
Bryan Pitts, C. Elbert Anadale and
John H. Edwards, the witness, Ed
ward Pierce, former Smith Co. book
keeper, charged an average of from
SIOO,OOO to $125,000 had been listed in
a "suspense account" each month dur
ing the period of his employment. He
said these sums never were charged
to any fixed account, except in a few
Isolated instances.
Other alleged irregularities, Pierce
contended he had noticed, included the
removal from the flies of numerous
Canceled checks. He said he had
"pulled” the checks and turned them
over to Edtoards at the instruction of
the latter.
Objection Is Upheld.
At one point in the cross-examination
of Pierce, however, Prank O. Raichle of
defense counsel succeeded in drawing
an affirmative answer to a query that
so far as he knew the suspense account
had been properly used.
Raichle Jumped up and waived his
arms in an effort to silence the witness
when Pierce declared the "suspense ac
count was more or less a temporary
dumping ground for items they had no
place for.” ,
“I object and demand that his state
ment be stricken from the record,”
Raichle shouted. Associate Justice Wil
liam Hits sustained the objection.
Another objection was voiced by the
defense attorney when Pierce was asked
by Niel J. Burkinshaw, an assistant
United States attorney, to tell whether
he had found It a difficult task to bal
ance the company’s books. Raichle was
upheld by Justice Hits.
Quit to Play Base Ball.
"Is it not a fact,” Raichle demanded,
"that you were discharged for steal
ing coupons and cashing them?”
“Mr. Edwards asked me," Pierce re
sponded, “where I got them, but I
wasn’t discharged. I resigned to ac
cept a contract to play professional
base ball."
Pierce added the only knowledge he
had of the incident to which Raichle
referred might have developed from
the fact that he once cashed from per
sonal funds a coupon for a strange
man who was in the Smith Co. office*
one morning when he reported for work.
He said the man complained he had
been waiting 30 minutes to have the
coupon of a security converted into
cash. ' The witness declared he later
cashed the coupon in the customary
manner so he might reimburse him
self.
Raichle attempted without success
to force Pierce to admit he had been
accused of stealing several coupons after
they already had been cashed onee. The
witness insisted he never had been
charged with any such thefts, and po
one had even discussed the matter with
him in any sense except Edwards.
Raichle had sought to prove other of
ficials of the company had questioned
Pierce concerning the alleged thefts.
Tells of Checks to "Cash.”
Pierce said "he was 25 years old. He
testified the only bookkeeping experi
ence he obtained prior to his employ
ment by the Smith company was with
an Atlanta advertising concern. He had
taken a correspondence school course in
bookkeeping.
Another former Smith company book
keeper, John S. Warrington, testified
countless checks for sums ranging from
SI,OOO to SIO,OOO and made out to
"cash” had been written by officials.
He said in some months there were
“two such checks and in other months
102.” He explained most of these
checks were listed in the suspense ac
count.
Meanwhile, the jurors glanced with
curiosity at a strange device brought
into the court room for the first time
with the opening of the session. News
paper men were told the machine was
owned by the Murray Hill Trust Co. of
New York City.
It was reported an effort would be
made by the Government to have a
witness from the trust company show
motion pictures of checks of the de
fendants cashed by his bank through
operation of the machine.
Wilton J. Lambert of defense coun
sel declared he never had heard of the
granting of authority for such an ex
hibition in a District court and would
oppose any effort which might be made
to carry out such plans.
YOUTH, 17, IS SENTENCED
FOR KILLING EMPLOYER
Boy Given 18-Year Term for His
Confessed Crime, Revealed by
Spendthrift Career.
By the Associated Press.
BALTIMORE, December 2.—Convict
ed of killing his employer and hiding
his body a month in a barrel, Kennard
Thompson, 17, was sentenced today to
serve 18 years in the penitentiary.
The boy testified he struck tnd killed
Herbert G. Wetter, 48, a chemist with
whom Kennard made his home, the
night of August 1. The body was found
September 2, after Kennard's spend
thrift career, financed with money ob
tained by forgery, was Investigated. •
Young Thompson was Indicted for
first-degree murder, but a jury returned
a verdict of murder in the second de
gree after he testified the older man
had attacked him, firing three shots
from a pistol.
Ship Sinks Off Mexico.
VERA CRUZ, Mexico, December 2 (JP)
—Radio messages received here from
the captain of the Italian steamer San
gro today and that tbs coastwise mo
tor ship flan Francisco iWßjsunk Mon
day 40 piles northeast of HQrto Mex
ico. Pgfsengers and crew we*| taken
aboard she steamer Sangro, which hap
pened |jy just in time. The SartA'an
clsco tl»s a small boat with b\M 149
tons displacement.
TWO CENTS.
DAVIS IS SEATED
AS SENATE VOTES
AGAINST NYE
Committee Head Makes Vain
Effort to Delay Acceptance
Pending Inquiry.
DEMOCRAT GROUP GIVES
AID TO EX-SECRETARY
Pennsylvania's Junior Senator
Wins Over Attempt to Keep Him
Out for Several Days More.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
James J. Davis, for the last 10 years
Secretary of Labor, today took the oath
of office as Senator from Pennsylvania.
An effort to prevent Senator Davis
from being sworn in was made by Sen
ator Nye of North Dakota, chairman of
the Select Committee on Senatorial
Campaign Expenditures. Senator Nye
submitted a special report to the Sen
ate dealing with the expenditures in tha
Pennsylvania primary last Spring and
urging that the committee be given
more time to consider them.
27 Favor Delay.
Senator Reed of Pennsylvania de
manded that his colleague be permitted
to take the oath of office without further
delay.
On a motion made by Senator Nye
to refer the Davis case to the committee
for further consideration, the Senate
divided, 58 to 27, against the motion.
The oath of office was then adminis
tered to Senator Davis by the Vice Pres
ident.
Will Push Probe.
After the vote, Senator Nye said the
investigation would proceed, he, being
"convinced that the Davis-Brown ticket
spent more than one million dollars
in the primary campaign.”
Hearings will begin tomorrow. Samuel
Vauclain of Philadelphia, treasurer of
the Davis-Brown Campaign Committee,
will be the first witness, and George F.
Weaver, a Philadelphia attorney, who
says he has a clafm of $74,000 against
the campaign organization will be the
second witness.
”1 think the voting on the floor today
needs a lot of explaining,” Nye added.
“I don’t know what to make of It.”
He said that the committee, with one
exception, had approved the report he
read on the floor.
Vote Is Tabulated.
The vote on the Nye resolution fol.
lows:
For—Republicans: Blaine, Couzens,
Cutting, Dale, Frazier, Howell, Norbeek,
Norris and Nye, 9.
Democrats : Ashurst Barkley, Black,
Bulkley. Connally, Dill, George, Har
ris, Hayden, Heflin, McQjU, Sheppard,
Simmons, Trammell, wagner, Wheeler
and Williamson, 17.
Farmer-Labor: Shlpstead, 1.
Total, 27.
Against Republicans: Bingham,
Borah, Brookhart, Capper, Carey. De
neen. Fess, Gillett. Glenn. Goff, Golds- -
borough, Gould. Greene. Hale. Hastings, -
Hatfield, Herbert. Johnson, Jones,
Kean, Keyes, McMaster, McNary,
Moses, Oddle, Patterson, Phipps, Pine,
Reed. Robinson- of Indiana. Schall,
Shortridge, Smoot, Steiwer, Thomas of
Idaho, Townsend, Vandenberg, Water,
man and Watson. 39.
Democrats: Blease, Brock, Brous
sard, Copeland, Fletcher, Harrison,
Kendrick, King, McKellar, Overman,
Pittman, Robinson of Arkansas, Smith,
Stcck, Swanson, Thomas of Oklahoma,
Tydings, Walsh of Massachusetts and
Walsh of Montana, 19.
Total, 58.
Democrats Back Davis.
Prior to the meeting of the Senate,
the Democratic Steering Committee of
the Senate met to discuss the Davis
case. After the meeting, the following
statement was issued:
“The Steering Committee also dis
cussed the right of Senator-elect Davis
of Pennsylvania to take his seat, and In
view of the fact that the special com
mittee, of which Senator Nye is chair
man, has made no report to the Senate
of evidence of conclusion justifying the
contrary course, the opinion was unan
imous that the case is readily dis
tinguishable from that of Messrs. Vare
and Smith (Who were denied seats in
the Senate because of campaign ex
penditures) and that no justification ap
pears to deny Mr. Davis the right to
take office merely because the special
committee may request further time to
investigate the expenditure.”
Nye Offers Resolution.
At the conclusion of the reading of
Nye’s special report, Senator Nye of
fered a resolution to have the Davis
case referred to his committee.
Senator Reed of Pennsylvania made
the point of order that under the rules
of the Senate the resolution must lie
over for a day. Senator Nye then
moved that his resolution be taken up.
On a viva voce vote the motion was
lost and Senator Nye demanded a roll
call of the Senate. In his report to
the Senate, Senator Nye said in part:
“Your committee will be prepared
within the next few days to submit a
special report covering the expenditures
(Continued on Page 2, Column 4.)
AGREEMENTONPACT
REVISION REPORTED
Basel Hears Blethen Has Announc
ed Decision of Hungary, Italy,
Albania, Turkey and Bulgaria.
By the Associated Press.
BASEL, Switzerland, December 2.
Newspapers here today received reports I
from Budapest that Premier Count
Bethlen, who has been visiting various
European capitals during the past year,
had announced that a formal agree
ment has been reached between Hun
gary, Italy, Albania, Turkey and Bui-;
garla to attempt to secure revision of
the treaty of Versailles.
Jugoslav Official Athens’ Quest.
ATHENS, Greece, December 2 (JP). —
The Jugoslavian foreign minister, M. —,
Marinkovitch, arrived - Monday in
Athens with four Jugoslavian officials
ftxr a four-day visit. Considerable im
portance is attached to his visit, which
is at the invitation of the Grecian gov
ernment, whose guest he is. This is
the first visit erf any Jugoslavian for
eign minister to Greece since the war.-