Evening star. [volume], March 08, 1935, Page B-1, Image 19

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

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WASHINGTON, D. C., FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 1935.
**
PAGF. Β—1
DAILY SESSIONS
TO SPEED UP D. C.
CRIME HEARINGS
Scores of Gamblers and
Others Yet to Be Called
to Witness Stand.
REPORT IS DESIRED
BEFORE ADJOURNMENT
Head of Woman's Bureau and
Capt. Bobo First on Captains'
List to Be Questioned.
The special Crime Committee of the
House arranged today to speed up its
Investigation of the District's crime
situation in order to finish belore the
adjournment of Congress.
Instead of two and three hearings
a week the committee adopted a
•chedule calling for daily sessions
lasting from 10.30 a.m. until late in
the afternoon, beginning Monday.
Scores of witnesses—gamblers, pro
fessional bondsmen, lawyers, court
attaches and penal authorities—are
yet to be called to the witness stand
and only through prolonged daily
hearings, the cemmittee decided, will
It be able to complete the inquiry in
time to make a report at the current
session of Congress in obedience to
the resolution authorizing the Inves
tigation.
The immediate plan of the com
mittee is to summon every police cap
tain, and follow with attaches ol the
various courts, and then the noto
rious figures in the gambling fra
ternity.
The parade of captains started yes
terday with Rhoda J. Milliken, head
of the Woman's Bureau, and James
E. Bobo, commander of the second
precinct. Capt. Edward J. Kelly of
the third precinct probably will be
called upon resumption of the hear
ings Monday.
Bobo Told of Gambling.
Capt. Bobo received quite a shock
While he was on the witness stand
when the committee informed him
that two big gambling establish
ments are operating in his precinct
and that the operator of one had
made enough money to erect a big
apartment house.
Bobo Insisted he had no knowledge
ef the establishments and promised to
make an immediate investigation and
report the results to the committee.
Chairman Randolph disclosed the
committee's information after asking
Bobo several times if he knew there
are gambling houses operating in his
precinct at the present time.
Denies Knowledge.
"No. not right now," replied Bobo.
"Well." said Randolph, "the com
mittee has information that at Eighth
end Τ streets there is a gambling
establishment where 100 runners meet
the proprietor every day and there is
λ pay-off. The operator is said to
have accumulated sufficient funds to
erect an apartment house at Sixteenth
and Τ streets and has openly boasted
toe had never been arrested."
"That's news to me," remarked
Bobo.
Randolph then asked him if he
knew of a gambling house located
•t Seventh and Ο streets.
"No, I don't know that," replied
Bobo.
"It is reported to us." continued
Randolph, "that Sam Beard's head
quarters, formerly in the sixth pre
cinct, are now in your precinct."
"I know Sam Beard," said Bobo,
••and if he is operating in my precinct
I would soon flrd it out."
Representative Reed, Republican, of
Illinois had just previously read Into
the record figures showing there were
284 arrests and 137 convictions for
gambling in the 1932 fiscal year, 403
arrests and 211 convictions in 1933
and 130 arrests and 44 convictions in
1934, when Representative Schulte,
Democrat, of Indiana suddenly de
clared:
"Whoa, let's get this."
Bobo hesitatingly admitted under a
rapid fire of questions that there is
a lack of co-operation between the
Police Department and the United
etatee Attorney's Office.
Several times members of the com
mittee tried vainly to get Bobo to
make this admission, and as he at
tempted to evade a definite answer,
Schulte said:
"Be frank, be frank, we will protect
you."
"Well," Bobo finally said, "I wouldn't
want to say now, but the lack of speed
In the prosecution of cases has lasted
ior several years."
Capt. Milliken Heard.
Capt. Milliken told the commit
tee there had been a marked in
crease in the number of arrests of
women and said this was due chiefly
to soliciting of prostitution and alco
holism. She cited figures showing
there were 980 arrests in 1933 and
1,065 in 1934.
Capt. Milliken also revealed there
had been an increase in the number
of women kept at the House of De
tention and admitted these conditions
had caused overcrowding and insani
tary conditions to a certain extent.
Schulte asked her if the police
women had any trouble with the
"curbstone sheiks" and "automobile
flirts" and she admitted there had
been some complaints and that some
of the women who had been picked
up had come to harm.
Schulte declared he thought* the
Martin Johnson Once "Cook."
For. Jack London on Cruise
Mr. and Mrs. Martin Johnson, photographed at the Willard Hotel today.
—Star Staff Photo.
BY W. H. SHIPPEN, JR.
WHEN Jack London sailed for
the South Seas in 1906 he
signed on the world's worst
cook, a green Kansas youth
whose ignorance of culi
nary blandishments was only excelled
by his thirst for travel and adventure.
The cook's biscuits recommended
him for a transfer almost before the
little vessel laid the land behind her.
London made young Martin Johnson
an engineer, more to keep him out of
the galley than anything else.
Yet If London lost a cook, he won
a disciple who was to carry on the
London tradition long after the
author, globe-trotter and Idealist had
embarked on his last adventure.
Both Present Story.
Today, at 51. Johnson Is as eager
to see the world, to explore lost jun
gles, endless veldts and forgotten seas
as he was on that Spring day in 1906.
London's medium was the pen and
Johnson's the camera. Both tried to
tell the story as they saw it.
Johnson is still perfecting his me
dium. still experimenting to develop
the type of camera which will, for
example, portray a charging lion, a
mad rhinoceros or a whole panorama
of moving animals.
On his last trip to Africa. Johnson
told reporters in his rooms at the
Willard Hotel here today, he shot
280,000 feet of Aim for the 6.000 feet
now on the screen at the Columbia
under the title "Baboona."
Mrs. Johnson Provide· Food.
Johnson shoots with his camera,
while Mrs. Johnson keepe the camp
meat pots full with her rifle. John
son, he admitted, knows next to noth
ing about a gun. but his wife Is a
quick and accurate shot, who can be
relied upon in an emergency, whether
it may arise from hunger or danger.
For years now they have made a
fine team in the field, years in the
Woman's Bureau personnel should be
increased to protect the women of
Washington against "these cowboys
and tinhorn sports." Capt. Milliken
added that an increase in personnel
and more stringent laws would enable
the Woman's Bureau to perform that
function.
Denies Hints Operate.
Capt. Milllken said there are no
.white slave rings in Washington, but
there had been incidental cases of
white slavery involving girls who came
here from other cities looking for
work.
Randolph said he had received re
ports that one group of white slavers
is Importing girls from a mining sec
tion of his own district in West Vir
ginia.
In response to questions. Capt.
Milliken admitted the present $25 fine
or collateral imposed upon women
arrested for soliciting is too low.
She .said these women consider $25
merely as a license fee and nearly all
had sufficient funds to pay the fines.
She declared a mandatory jail sentence
for chronic offenders might alleviate
existing conditions.
Representative Randolph asked her
why Washington "has been a mecca
for this type of woman"?
Capt. Milllken said the condition is
due to the fact that Washington had
not been affected by the depression as
seriously as some other cities.
Capt. Milliken told the committet
the better class of hotels in Wash
ington are co-operating with her bu
reau.
Both Chairman Randolph and Rep
resentative Schulte complimented
Capt. Milliken and said she had given
the committee more Information than
any previous witness. "If your su
periors are as efficient as you," said
Schulte, "we would have less crime
in the District."
Randolph declared as she left the
witness stand: "Your grasp of your
duties is highly gratifying to this
committee."
South Seas, In Borneo, and finally In
their favorite Africa. They returned
only a few months ago after an ex
tensive airplane venture Into the
big-game country.
Johnson's narrowest escape on his
last. expedition. he said, taught him
a lot about leopards. Johnson Icrew
cats from long association.
The lion will not charge unless he
sees the whole of a human bsdy.
Thus he can be photographed, a'mcst
without danger, a point blank range,
so long as the photographer hides
part of his body—In a grounded air
plane or an automobile, for example.
Discovers Difference.
But leopards are different, Johnson
learned.
He and Mrs. Johnson spotted a cave
in the big game country which was
littered with bones, indicating it was
haunted by some carnivorous animal.
They set up a blind and returned to
it from time to time in hope of get
ting some shots of the cave's tenant.
They were at length rewarded by
the appearance of a huge female
leopard, which prowled in the vicinity
of the blind, affording the photog
rapher in concealment some excellent
shots. Johnson was behind his big
sound camera, trained through a small
opening in a pen banked with grass.
A friend of the couple, a Boer of
long experience with the Veldt, was In
the blind with them. None of the
party was aware the leopard detected
their presence. Suddenly the leopard
whirled and leaped for the camera
opening.
Quick With Gun.
"Those Boers," Johnson said, "are
great with a gun. They almost In
variably have one under arm or hand
at a second's notice. I did not even
know the leopard had charged when
the Boer shot her head half away
almost in my face.
"The muzzle of his gun was almost
alongside my forehead, which was
spattered with the leopard's blood.
If that Boer had been a second slow
on the draw the leopard vould have
been in the pen with us all. Well,
you can Imagine what that would
have meant. Perhaps we wouldn't be
here now, would we, dear?"
"Probably not," smiled Mrs. Johnson.
COLDER WEATHER DUE
Minimum of 30 Predicted Tonight.
Clouds to Stay.
Cloudy and somewhat colder
weather is in prospect for tonight,
with a minimum of about 30 degrees.
The cloudy weather is expected to
continue through tomorrow, fol
lowed by rain tomorrow night or
Sunday.
Washington and cities to the north
experienced a trace of snow this
morning, but no additional precipi
tation was expected until tomorrow
night.
Horseplay Ruling
Prevents Receipt
Of Death Benefits
U. S. Employes9 Com
pensation Commission
Refuses Suit Snarls.
Holding that a workman, although
on duty, was not actually in a state of
employment because he had been en
gaging in "horseplay" immediately
preceding his death the United States
Employes' Compensation Commission
has refused to pay benefits under the
compensation insurance act, it was
developed in a suit filed in District
Supreme Court today.
The case came to light in applica
tion for a writ of mandamus by John
Christopher Cook, 750 Third street,
against Robert J. Hoage, deputy com
missioner of the United States Em
ployes' Compensation Commission, and
the National Casualty Co. Cook seeks
to force payment for the death of his
son, Howard B. Cock, fatally injured
in a fall just as he had finished a
friendly scuffle with a coworker on
November 10.
Howard Cook was an employe of the
Poole Drayage Co., against which, to
gether with the casualty company as
insurer, the father had filed the death
benefit claim. The claim was denied
on the ground that Cook's death was
"outside the scope of his employment"
in that it had not been shown he did
any work from the time he engaged In
the scuffle until his death.
Attorney Charles A. Schaeffer rep
resents the plaint».
PAVLESS WORKERS
IN U. S. TREASURY
MAY GET SALARIES
Compromise Is Reached for
1,200 in Former Pro
hibition Bureau.
450, HOWEVER, FACE
LOSING OF POSITIONS
Employes Placed on Unusual
Status When Be-examina·
tions Were Demanded.
All of the approximately 1,200
Treasury employes who have been
working since December 1 without pay
because of the McKellar rider would
receive their salaries, but after May
15 about 450 of them would go out of
the service under a compromise plan
adopted today by the Senate Subcom
mittee on the Treasury-Post Office
appropriation bill.
The McKellar rider of last year
originally was Intended to affect about
700 employes of the former Prohibi
tion Bureau, who were called back
into the employment of the Treasury
Department after the abolition of the
Prohibition Bureau had left them
without jobs.
McKellar's rider provided that after
December 1 no current appropriations
could be used to pay the salaries of
these agents unless they had passed a
new civU service examination, Mc
Kellar having questioned their civil
service status.
wmiwî uu nunoui ray.
After Congress had adopted this
proviso last June, however, the con
troller general's office held that the
language of the rider had the effect of
stopping also the pay of several hun
dred other employes.
Under the compromise these other
groups of employes will receive the
back pay they have been deprived of
since December and will remain In
the service.
With respect to the 700 or more
who were affected by the original
controversy over Civil Service status,
the substance of the compromise Is
that all will receive their back pay
and remain at work until May IS.
but after that date, only those who
passed a new Civil Service examina
tion subsequent to last June will be
retained It was estimated at the
Capitol today that about 250 would
remain under this compromise, leav
ing about 450 or more who would be
dropped by May 15.
Fall in Re-examination.
When the McKellar rider passed
last year it was contended on behalf
of these 700 employes that they al
ready had Civil Service status, and
for that reason some of them declined
to take the new examination required
by the rider. A considerable number
of those who took it failed. In re
cent hearings before the Senate Sub
committee there was some discussion
of the nature of this examination, as
to whether the questions related to
the work to be performed.
After the examination was held last
Fall, the Treasury Department de
cided that enforcement of the liquor
laws would collapse if these trained
workers who had not passed the new
examination were dropped and re
placed by inexperienced men who had
passed the civil service test. Attorney
General Cummings held that the old
employes could be allowed to con
tinue at work if they so desired and
trust to Congress to settle the pay
question. The decision of the sub
committee today will go before the
entire Appropriations Committee, and
later to the Senate.
TWO STUDENTS FINED
IN THEFT OF LANTERN
Judge Hitt Imposes $25 Each on
Pair Who Invaded Apartment
! i
on Twentieth Street.
Fines of $25 each were imposed to
day by Police Court Judge Isaac R.
Hitt on Charles Donson, 2100 block of
I street, and Louis N. J. Nicklaw, 500
block Twentieth street, both university
students, for the theft Sunday of an
antique lantern from the lobby of an
apartment house at 1612 Twentieth
street.
The complainant in the case, Victor
Sadd. informed the court when the
case came up for trial that he did not
wish to prosecute. The Government,
however, insisted on going through
with the case.
The testimony showed the theft
was traced through the license num
ber, which was taken by a witness
as the two left the apartment house
in Nicklaw's car. The latter was later
arrested by Policeman W. S. Rinker
for speeding and a search of his rooms
revealed the lantern.
THEFT BOND FORFEITED
Newspaper Honor System Rack
Held Robbed.
John A. Langston, 50, 700 block
Twenty-second street, forfeited $10 in
Police Court today on a charge of
stealing a newspaper from an honor
system rack at Twenty-first and I
streets yesterday.
BIG SCHOOL PLANT
IN HEART OF CHY
URGED BY BAaOU
Wants to Remove Wilson
Teachers' College to Pres
ent Hospital Site.
FOURTEENTH STREET
BOUNDARY OF'CENTER'
Area Around Upshur, Arkansas,
Allison and Iowa Would Be·
oome Educational Unit.
An elaborate educational plant oc
cupying 30 acres of land in the heart
of the city, on a plot bounded by Up
shur street, Fourteenth street, Arkan
sas avenue, Allison street. Iowa ave
nue and Thirteenth street, was dis
cussed by Supt. of Schools Ballou to
day and labeled "the greatest need of
the city." He was speaking, naturally,
as an educator.
What Dr. Ballou intends to do. with
the aid and advice of the Board of
Education, is to remove the Wilson
Teachers' College from its present
cramped position at Eleventh and
Harvard streets and put in on the site
that already holds the Tuberculosis
Hospital, which he believes should be
torn down.
In the 30-acre tract already se
lected for this development, e project
talked over with the Board of Edu
cation, there are now located the
Health School, the Tuberculosis Hos
pital, the MacFarland Junior High
School and the Roosevelt High School.
Immediately across the street, on the
south side of Upshur, is the Powell
School which is being used for ob
servation and practice for Wilson
Teachers' College.
Development Needed.
The absolute necessity for the re
moval of Wilson Tcachers' College
has brought about the scheme to make
the aforementioned tract the greatest
educational development in Wash
ington.
There are close to 600 students at
tending Wilson Teachers' College. For
some time the Board of Education has
wondered how the problem of an
overcrowded school building might be
solved.
Then came word that the tubercu
losis hospital will be removed to Glenn
Dale, Md. That put an idea in Dr.
Ballou's head.
"It's a natural step," Dr. Ballou
said, "to take the Wilson Teachers'
College from Eleventh and Harvard
struts and place it on the site of the
tuberculosis hospital. Chances are
those buildings will have to be torn
down—but we may be able to use the
nurses home. Anyway, that is the
logical place for the teachers' college
The health school is there f.Ueady.
but we do no know whether it will
remain. We will bring the new Den
nison Vocation School there, too."
At present the Dennison Vocational
School is on S street between Thir
teenth and Fourteenth streets—and
Dr. Ballou calls attention to it as one
of the horrors of the city. It stands,
in his estimation, as a sign pointing
out what is needed in Washington
school facilities.
More Relief Needed.
In discussing the general question
today. Dr. Ballou said: "We need re
lief for high schools far beyond what
the Woodrow Wilson High School and
the one in Anacostia are going to pro
vide when they are ready.
"Such relief can be accomplished
by the building of additions to junior
high schools, especially so these may
relieve the pressure from Takoma
Park and Manor Park. There should
be additions to Elliott and Paul, and
later—say within two or three years—
an addition to Deal.
"In the colored schools, now de
veloping need for a Senior High School
at Benning, the proof of the need for
expansion is shown by the congestion
at Armstrong and Dumbarton.
"In the elemetary school field, the
needs are scattered. There is need
for many additional class rooms.
Some of the schools need to have addi
tional stories built. Some need as
sembly rooms and gymnasiums. Some
need painting. Things like that. The
list is formidable—and it will take
a deal of money. Where the money
is coming from, of course, is the ques
tion; but I am sure legislation will be
provided. Just at present the $4,
880.000.000 work and relief bill is in
a jam."
Dr. Ballou intimated that he saw no
reason why the schools should not be
granted sufficient moneys. Last De
cember the Board of Education made
up a list of absolute needs. This list
was turned over to Dr. John W. Stude
baker. United States commissioner of
education. The District of Columbia
school want list, together with lists
from 48 States, was sent by Dr. Stude
baker to Secretary of Interior Ickes,
to be considered as P. W. A. material.
So far, the P. W. A. has done noth
ing for the schools of Washington—
and it is intimated that the school
officials are not putting any great store
by the P. W. A. project possibilities.
Couple Licensed.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
LEONARDTOWN, Md., March Ρ -
Α marriage license was issued here to
John M. Morgan, 21, of Oraville, Md..
and Elizabeth V. Quade, 17, of Laurel
Grove.
'Terrorism" on the Radio!
That 4-to-8 Session of Gangsters, Conjurers
and Torturers Finally Starts a Revolt
by Dazed Parents.
BY THOMAS Κ. HENRY.
Gangsters, gunmen, «pies,
masked murderers, counter
feiters, bad Indians, air ban
cits, dope smugglers, Oriental
torturers
Nerve-torturing shriek of police
sirens, rattlp of machine gun, sicken
ing crash of fallen airplanes, despair
ing cry of the murderer's victim
What conglomerations of horrible
sights and sounds are the dreams of
Washington children! No wonder the
little boy "sneaks" his toy pistol under
his pillow unbeknown to mother or
steals from under the sheets in the
middle of the night to put on the
"bullet-proof vest" he has Just gotten
by mail underneath his pajamas. No
wonder his sister screams hysterically
In her sleep and no wonder, when
mother goes to discover what is the
matter, her pillow is found damp with
tears.
Voices in the Night.
And no wonder fathers and mothers
with children between 4 and 14—
especially those who come home
weary in the late afternoon—are con
sidering seriously either some fancy
banditry of their own or mass suicide.
"The Shadow knows—ha-ha-ha-ha."
"Now I've got you. Buck Rogers.
I will disintegrate you. I will be king
of the universe."
The malevolent voices break into
their sleep. They hear the moans of
widows, the triumphant challenge of
sidiously It has crept upon a suffer- I
ing world. It started, as this par
ticular sufferer recalls the growth of
the nightmare of our times, about
two years ago with a couple of serial
stories which were harmless enough.
Perhaps the first recounted the rather
innocent adventure of two little boys,
Skippy and Sooky. Shortly after
ward a high-school hero named Jack
Armstrong—* holier-than-thou lad |
whom one would like to give a healthy
sock in the eye Just as a matter of |
principle—appeared on the scene in a
program sponsored by a popular
brand of breakfast food. Jack was
forever making home runs with the
bases loaded, running the length of
the field for a touchdown just 10 sec
onds before the final whistle, lectur
ing some less elevated school fellow
on the morals of good soprtsmanship,
etc.
What a Boy Is Jack.
He was the "typical American
boy" and he was ably seconded in ι
all his uplifting activities by Betty
Fairfield, "the typical American girl." !
! But Just about the time even the
8-year-olds were almost ready to give
Jack and Betty some swift kicks
where they would do the most good
the whole tenor of the serial changed.
Almost before the parents realized
what had happened noble Jack and
beautiful Betty were engaged in foil
ing the plots of vile gangsters, circum- ι
venting the schemes of the wicked '
the conqueror-criminal. No longer is
it possible for them to find peace in
the bosom of one's family of an eve
ning. And no longer is it possible to
find peace outside, for wherever they
seek it—in church or cocktail room—
they are met with the same blood
curdling "ha-ha-ha-ha" of the omni
present, all-knowing shadow or the
sinister threats of the space-ranging
Killer Kane.
Everybody Complaining.
It is to this sad estate that the
radio—perhaps the most marvelous
product of human intelligence in the
twentieth century—has fallen in the
Winter of 1935. Everybody is com
plaining. All parents one meets have
; lurid tales to tell of incidents in their
j own homes. Apparently It is *
; Nation-wide condition, since the of
; fensive programs are broadcast on
I Nation-wide chains. But nobody
seems able to do anything about it.
In case anybody doesn't know what
this is all about it may be explained
that—starting at about 4:30 and last
ing until 8:30 or 9 every evening—
a continuous succession of episodes pf
I serial stories intended for children
' are broadcast. One follows another
I without any breathing spells, except
for the Interval devoted to extolling
the products of the sponsors.
They are staged by excellent actors.
The serials have been written by
masters of the art of sustaining ln
j terest. They are exciting, lurid, and
ι h'ghly emotional. They deal, for the
most part, with criminal activities.
They have acquired a powerful, and
pernicious hold on the interests of
the children. Little boys and girls
sit with their ears glued against the
radios, their eyes bulging with ex
citement or filled with tears, their
faces flushed, their hearts thumping.
banker, and being rescued on the
split second from all sorts of danger
ous situations. But the change had
come so insidiously it almost escaped
notice.
Jack and Betty, of course, owed
their lofty characters and sturdy
young bodies to the fact that they
always ate a certain variety of break
fast food. It happens to be a cold
cereal. In some families, it appears,
there lingers the quaint old supersti
tion that a warm cereal is best on
cold Winter mornings. One of the
ideals of the hero and heroine, it ap
pears, has been to combat this linger
ing superstition of a crude and be
nighted age.
Taught to Argue.
"If your father and mother tell you
that you must eat warm breakfast food
to keep your bodies warm just tell
them that they don't shovel hot coals
on the fire to keep the house warm,"
was one choice bit of advice. In other
words, the avid listeners are encour
aged to argue with their parents about
what they should eet. Probably the
point iteelf its well taken, but most
parents prefer the dietary advice of
their family physicians to that of the
saintly Jack Armstrong.
More and more lurid, by degrees,
grew the adventures of Jack and
Betty. Still they were no worse than
the average juvenile fiction and the
average parent could not see that they
were doing any particular harm.
They remembered with a bit of
nostalgia the Horatio Alger heroes
of their own childhoods. The only
difference was that the appeal of ex
cellent acting took the place of that
of the printed page. Complete identi
fication was easier.
rarenis Miner, too.
They are oblivious to everything that
goes on about them. Mother calls
them to dinner. They do not hear.
They are far, far away—hurtling In
a space ship between Neptune and
Pluto, fleeing from a Northwest
mounted policeman over Arctic drifts,
opening wide the throttles of their
airplanes to escape the bandits who
are swooping upon them from the
clouds to steal the mine pay roll,
rushing to the poor widow with her
lost brother's fortune before the crafty
lawyer arrives with the sheriff to set
her furniture on the street.
Finally, after repeated calls go un
answered, they are led away, pro
testing, to the bathroom to wash their
hands. They come to the table. The
radio is turned on loud. The meat and
potatoes are cold. Father and mother
are discussing the events of the day.
They are Implored not to talk. It
interferes with listening. They gulp
their food. Back to the radio again.
"Leave It On, Mother."
Perhaps some station has a program
the elders wish to hear—some choice
musical broadcast, a sports discussion,
the news of the day. The dial Is
turned. There is a tearful protest.
How can folks be such morons as to
turn on such silly stuff when the
bandits have Just cornered Dick Tracy
in the abandoned mine, or the leader
of the cattle "rustlers" has a gun
leveled at the head of brave Tom Mix,
, or Buck Rogers' space ship has just
broken down and is just ready to
crash on Jupiter with something
mysteriously wrong with the de-gravity
belts.
So it continues as the evening
passes. Bedtime comes. The chil
dren are told to undress. They beg,
in tears, to listen to just one more
program. If they are refused It Is
gross injustice because their play
mates next door are allowed to listen
every night. Only after a word fight,
and sometimes a physical struggle, are
they gotten into their pajamas and
tucked between the sheets. There
they toss nervously before going to
sleep and going through it all again
in their dreams.
Home a Nightmare.
Home, In the early evening,
has become a nightmare. Fathers,
mothers, grandmothers, uncles and
aunts are being driven to distraction.
As for the children—they are becom
ing nervous wrecks. Every nerve is
tense as they listen.
Somebody might suggest that the
remedy Is simply to turn off the radio
and refuse permission to listen at all.
It isn't quite so simple as all that.
Like most other evils this one was
not born In its full hideousnees. In
A.
oui uixicT aeiinjd wnc luiuuig vu
the air. Such, for example, was that
describing the adventures of Buck
Rogers and his girl friend Wilma
Deering in the twenty-fifth century.
In their day interplanetary flights had
become everyday affairs. There were
vivid descriptions of an imaginary
world of five centuries hence. In
many ways this was educational and
stimulating. The listeners learned a
good deal1 of physics and astronomy.
All over the United States little girls
and boys were drawing diagrams of
the solar system. Unfortunately, to
keep up the interest, there had to be
a vilialn. Such a fellow was intro
duced In the person of a sinister
"Killer Kane." who used disintegrator
rays on his pursuers as freely as Dill
inger used machine guns. Every epi
sode closed with Buck and Wilma in
some horribly desperate situation In
midspace. In the wilds of some other
planet, etc. The children were left
to dream about the sad fate of their
heroes.
This was merely the start. If it
had gone no further there could be
little valid complaint. After all, most
of us sneaked a dime novel to bed
now and then. The trouble was that
all this served to establish the radio
serial habit It became part of the
routine of life, so that a forced change
could be made to appear an injustice.
When parents began to be a little
worried over the exciting predicaments
of Jack Armstrong or Buck Rogers,
they were in a position where shut
ting off these programs would appear
in the light of unmerited punishment.
Then, starting about last Fall, came
the flood—heroes that made Jack
Armstrong look like a babe in arms,
villains that made Killer Kane look
like a Sabbath school teacher. Before
the parents realized it, the children
had been caught in the colls. They
protested and cried when any objec
tion was raised. They didnt come
home to supper because they were
listening at a chum's home to some
thing barred in their own home.
The horrible laugh of The Shadow
resounded across the dinner table.
Right in the middle of the soup
the pistol of the beautiful actress
spy cut short the life of brave young
Capt. Jones of the Intelligence Corps.
Meat and potatoes were interrupted
by the despairing screams of the widow
as the kidnapers tore her child from
her arms.
Far, Far Into the Night.
And so on until 8 or 8:30 o'clock.
One after another they came. Objec
tion· to listening to them were met
with tears and even hysterics.
Parente were forced to buy tooth
paste· and breakfast foods they hated
so the box-top could be mailed to the
company for all aorta of paraphernalia
*
Clïï UNO M
WITH BIG CENTER
SIIE.SAYSSULTAN
Commissioner Tells Senate
Committee of $6,600,000
Investment.
HEARINGS UNDER WAY
ON MODIFICATION BILL
Measure to Define Procedure for
Conserving Estates of Absentees
and Absconders Heard.
Having invested S6.600.000 in buy
ing the site for the original Municipal
Center group of District buildings, the
local government is now in the posi
tion of being "land poor." Engineer
Commissioner Dan I. Sultan told the
Senate District Committee today at
the beginning of hearings on a bill
that would lead to modification of
the original elaborate program.
Col. Sultan emphasized that, having
applied most of its surplus revenues
of a few years ago to buying this
large site, which extends from Third
to Sixth streets, Pennsylvania to In
diana avenues, the District is without
funds now to go ahead with the build
ings on the scale contemplated by the
original program.
Authority to Borrow.
The pending bill would authorize
the Commissioners to borrow from
the Public Works Administration to
erect one or more buildings for the
so-called small courts—Police, Ju
venile and Municipal—to be located
on Government-owned land in Judi
ciary Square, which is north of the
original Municipal Center site and
adjacent to District Supreme Court.
While this bill does not deal with
the use to be made of the old site,
it paves the way for modifying the
original Center program, and there
has been discussion of the advisibiljty
of allowing the District to dispose of
part of the site on the north side oi
Pennsylvania avenue.
Sentiment Is Desired.
Chairman King of the Senate com
mittee, pointed out he was opposed
from the start to the elaborate nature
of the original Municipal Center pro
gram. He said however, he would like
to be sure local citizens are in favor
of the proposed changes. Col. Sultan
said the Commissioners have con
sulted with various civic groups, in
cluding the Board of Trade, and have
had no protests against the change
The committee was unable to go into
details today, and will meet at 3
o'clock tomorrow afternoon to con
tinue the hearing.
The only other action taken today
was to report out a bill, already
passed by the House, to define the
court procedure for conserving the
estates of absentees and absconders.
The committee turned over to Sen
ator Austin of Vermont the King
bill to define the qualifications of law
yers in the District, with authority
to report it after perfecing certain
amendments In conference with Cor
poration Counsel E. Barrett Pret
tyman.
DR. eTsCHWÂRTZ
QUITS HEALTH POST
Resignation in Effect April 1.
Plans Prolonged Vacation
in California.
Dr. Edward J. Schwartz, assistant
health officer of the District, has re
signed, effective April 1, and plans
to leave then for a prolonged vaca
tion in California.
Dr. Schwartz was acting health
officer for several weeks, between the
retirement of Dr. William C. Fowler
and the appointment of Dr. George
C. Ruhland. When Dr. Fowler re
tired, he offered his resignation then,
but was asked to withdraw It and
serve as head of the department un
til Fowler's successor was chosen.
Upon Dr. Ruhland's appointment,
he was reappointed as assistant
health officer, but decided to remain
only long enough to assist the new
chief to familiarize himself with the
post.
Dr. Schwartz came to the Health
Department eight years ago from Al
liance. Ohio, where he served on the
Ohio State Board of Health. Prior
to that time he had held a similar
position in Florida.
District Commissioners George E.
Allen and Dan I. Sultan accepted the
resignation late yesterday.
CHINESE IS BEATEN
OVER HEAD BY WOMAN
Laundryman in Hospital In Un
determined Condition—Assail
ant Held Pending Outcome.
Hang Wah, Chinese laundryman,
was in an undetermined condition at
Freedmen's Hospital today after a
dispute with a colored woman in his
shop at 2216 Fourteenth street last
night.
The police never learned what the
row was about, but when they arrived
they found that some one had broken
a plate and a glass Jar over Wah's
head. He was taken to the hospital
for treatment of scalp wounds and an
injury to the skull.
Meanwhile, the colored woman,
Jesse Mae Blvins. 20, of 343 Κ street
southwest, surrendered to police. She
was being held pending the outcome
of Wah's condition.
which had been featured in the broad
casts.
Worst of all—there was more and
more instructions to children how to
argue with their parents.
"If your mother tries to make you
take some nasty, bad-tasting laxative
Just tell her you will take nothing
until she goes to the corner drug store
and buys you some nice, sweet, deli
cious said one announcer the
other night.
This is a strange age—and here
may be the strangest phenomenon of
alL
D. C. Law Balks Allen's Plans
To Create Staff of Admirals
Commissioner George Ε. Allen Is
disappointed.
Ruby Laffoon, Governor of Ken
tucky, has thousands of colonels at
hit beck and call, but Commissioner
Allen can't even have one admiral.
The Commissioner, prompted by the
else of the Kentucky Governor's staff,
to seek a similar corps of aides-de
camp in the District, looked around
for authority under which he and his
two colleagues could act.
The District has a "navy." The
Police and Fire Departments each are
represented on the Potomac River
and down at Lor ton Reformatory
there are a tug and a barge. Boats
a-plenty, Allen reasoned, why not
admirals?
But, alas, the District has a law
that prohibits the acceptance of "vol
untary services." and there is no ap
propriation available for salariée for
admirals.
The Commissioner didn't aay so. but
he was so hopeful of granting a hun
dred or so commissions that he had
a design ol the commissions drawn,
and was all set, until the law step
ped in.
Music Loses Charm for Three
Arrested in Auto Theft Case
What was music to the ears of De
tectives Watson Salkeld and Fuller
Arrington turned out to be very sour
notes for three colored men who were
held for the grand jury today in con
nection with the theft of an automo
bile.
Starting out to Investigate the lar
ceny of several musical instruments,
the detectives subsequently uncovered
evidence that led to the arrest of Wil
liam A. Jones and Charles E. and
James H. Simms for operating an au
tomobile theft ring.
Posing as music lovers the detec
tives casually strolled through the
Southeast, keeping their ears open for
the delicate strains of a violin and the
twang of a guitar. They entered eev
erml houses from which music ema
nated, finally recovering two violins.
Λ
Seizure of the guitar broke up a dance
being held in Navy place.
By questioning the musicians who
played the "borrowed" instruments.
Salkeld and Arrington said they traced
the theft to Jones and the Simms
brothers. The instruments were stolen
from a second-hand store on Eighth
street southeast.
Later the trio was found to be in
volved in the theft of 30 automobiles,
the detectives said.
In Police Court, Jones, who lives in
the 600 block of Κ street southeast,
and the Simms brothers, who reside in
the 300 block of I street southeast,
pleaded guilty to one charge of steal
ing an automobile.
The other automobile theft cases
and the housebreaking case also will
be placed before the grand Jury.