Evening star. [volume], April 21, 1935, Page A-2, Image 2

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

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BANK Bill SEEN
Fletcher Says Bankers Now
Have Power—G. 0. P.
Cries Dictatorship.
By th» Associated Press.
Demanding enactment of the om
nibus bank bill. Chairman Fletcher
of the Senate Banking Committee
last night, issued a warning that
"there now lies within the hands of
bankers the potential makings for one
of the most stupendous inflations this
or any other nation ever has experi
enced."
His statement was given out short
ly after House Banking Committee
Republicans had denounced the bill’s
provisions for centralizing control of
the Nation's credit resources as the
forerunner of dictatorship. All seven
minority members of the committee
joined in an indignantly worded mi
nority report terming the move to
strengthen the Federal Reserve
Board's powers "ill advised.”
Fletcher, however, asserted that
"bankers as a whole are not qualified
to determine nor competent to ad
minister our monetary policy.” He
contended it was necessary to place
control over the Nation’s monetary
policy In the hands of the Federal
Reserve system to prevent a finan
cial collapse comparable to that of
1929.
Propaganda Charged.
The veteran Florida Senator
charged “vicious propaganda and mis
information" was being circulated
against the proposed bill.
"The proposed banking act of 1935
is. In all probability, the mast im
portant piece of banking and mone
tary policy legislation with which this
or any other Congress has dealt,” he
said.
Marriner S. Eccles, governor of the
Federal Reserve Board, has urged en
actment of the bill.
■% r_IaaJa..
mustered their forces to fight the
measure when it comes up in the House
week after next. Also Chairman Glass
of the Senate Banking Subcommittee
. prepared questions through which he
hopes to draw from witnesses state
ments that the centralization section
was written by Eccles.
Glass opposes tampering with the
present Federal Reserve set-up.
Independence Challenged.
The minority report said the pro
posed legislation made the Reserve
Board governor and vice governor re
movable at the President's will and
the governors of the reserve banks, in
turn, accountable to the board. Such
a plan, it added, was in conflict with
the present system, intended to assure
Independence from Government con
trol.
"This separation of the Reserve
banks from governmental control Is
in accordance with central banking
practice in most of the more highly
civilized countries under a democratic
form of government,” it said. ' Con
versely, countries under close dictator
ship, iike Italy and Russia, have cen
tral banks entirely under government
domination.
“One of the first and essential steps
In any dictatorship is to extend pow
er over the credit resources of the
country.”
Dictatorship Denied.
Denying the bill* would create a
“banking dictatorship,” Fletcher said
the Federal Reserve Board's direc
tions to banks "are either permissive
or prohibitive as to all purely banking
operations. Within these two extremes
all actions with respect to purely
banking matters are left to the dis
cretion of Federal Reserve Banks and
their member banks.”
But the supervision of the monetary
policy, he insisted, is another thing.
"The administration of a monetary
policy has to do with the contraction
and expansion of the credit and cur
rency of the country and directly af
fects the purchasing power of money.
This function transcends those of
banking, farming, manufacturing or
that of any other business activity.
It literally controls the economic and
aoeial welfare of the whole Nation.”
FRIENDS TO ATTEND
HANGED MAN’S RITES
Sympathizers Invited to Funeral.
Opinion on Guilt of Dead
Man Divided.
By the Assoclsted Press.
PADUCAH. Ky„ April 20—An Invi
tation tor “friends and sympathizers”
to attend the funeral of William T.
De Boe. who was hanged at Smlthland
yesterday In the presence of the
woman he was convicted of assaulting,
was Issued tonight by De Boe's cousin.
J. E. Carter.
The funeral will be held here at 2
o'clock Sunday afternoon. In charge
of Rev. J. W. Bailey, chaplain at
Eddyville Penitentiary, who baptized
De Boe while the blaclc-haired youth
was In the death house.
Carter told the hundreds of visitors
Who came to his home to view the
body that he believed De Boe was
innocent of an assault on Mrs. Mar
jorie Johnson, wife of a Livingston
County storekeeper, the crime for
which he was put to death.
Carter recalled De Boe's dramatic
tirade on the gallows yesterday, his
charge of "cold-blooded murderer"
flung defiantly at Mrs. Johnson, who
shrilled back an angry denial when
the condemned man shouted to her
that she would have dropped the
charge for $500.
Opinion was divided at Smithland
M to the guilt or Innocence of De Boe.
Peeling in some sections of the county
was reported almost bitter against De
Boe's prosecutors.
AIR PASSENGER KILLED
Pilot Is Hurt in Plane Crash at
Wilson, N. C.
WILSON, N. C„ April 20 (/¥>).—W. C.
(Pat) Murphy of Wilson was instantly
killed and Tommy Moore of Vineland.
N. J., the pUot, was critically injured
In an airplane crash at the local air
port about 6 o’clock this afternoon.
Moore was about to set the plane
down on the field after a 15-minute
flight with Murphy, who had never
been up before.
Moore, who is about 32 years of
age, had been at Wilson about a year,
serving as flying Instructor and work
ing at the airport. He has a wife and
one child, who live In New Jersey.
Murphy, 30 years of age, Is sur
vived by his widow and one child.
Crossing Crash Nips Finger.
STERLING, Dl.. April 20 </P).—Mrs.
Esther Covell lost a finger of her right
hand today when a fast train demd
ishad her automobile.
Accident Victim
EDGAR B. SMITH,
Retired stock broker, who was
fatally Injured yesterday when
struck by a taxicab at Eleventh
street and New York avenue. cStory
on Page 1.)
DEMOCRATS PUSH
Leaders Trim “Must” List
in Effort to Adjourn
by August.
By the Associated Press.
Narrowing their “must” legislative
list to six bills, Democratic congres
sional leaders yesterday planned a
drive for speed which they hoped
would let them end the session before
August.
The “must” bills were social secur
ity, N. R. A. extension, utilities hold
ing company legislation, banking,
taxes and an increase in the fund
available for the Home Owners’ Loan
Corp.
Of those measures, only one—the H.
O. L. C. fund increase—has been
passed by both House and Senate. It
is m conference for an adjustment of
differences over minor amendments
inserted by the Senate. All the other
j “must” bills are still locked in Senate
or House committees, although the
security program has been passed by
the House.
In arriving at the six-bill program
leaders had to sliunt aside, at least j
temporarily, legislation dealing with1
■ transportation, ship subsidies and;
amendments to the farm adjustment
and the food and drug acts.
Night Sessions Considered.
It was their understanding, one said
speaking privately, that "the Presi
dent will be willing for Congress to
adjourn without acting on those bills." I
Indicative of the desire for speed
was the fact that Senator Harrison,
j Democrat, of Mississippi was consider- i
lng night sessions of his Finance
Committee to expedite three bills now
before it.
Tomorrow and Tuesday his com
mittee will hear witnesses on the
: "compromise’’ bonus bill: Wednesday
it will hold an executive session on
the bill, with Harrison hoping for
j prompt approval.
After a bonus bill is reported to the
1 Senate, Harrison's committee will
i take up the N. R. A. and the social
security bills. It was forecast the first
would take 10 days to 2 weeks in
committee, and the latter probably
an equally long time.
Farm Aid Up Tomorrow.
On the Senate floor, meanwhile, the
question of sending back to committee
the bill setting up a billion dollar cor
poration to aid farmers will be consid
ered tomorrow. That will be followed
by the anti-lynching bill, on which a
filibuster is promised. And Senator
Long. Democrat, of Louisiana will be
back in town tomorrow to answer Sec
retary Ickes' assertion that the Lou
lsianan suffers from ‘ halitosis ol the
intellect.”
The hearings on the highly contro
versial omnibus banking bill, ap
proved Friday by the House Banking
Committee, will be resumed tomorrow ,
by the Senate Banking Committee, j
In the House, most of the admin- j
istration’s bills are a little farther
along. Tuesday the $480,000,000 naval j
appropriation bill—next to last of the
nine annual supply measures—will be
considered.
The following week, the omnibus
banking bill will be debated and. I
Democratic chiefs predict, passed. '
Their hope is that the utilities hold- j
ing company bill will be approved next:
and brought to the floor.
K. R. A. Bill May Be Delayed.
Meanwhile, the House Ways and
Means Committee—which just finished j
putting the social security bill through j
—will get to work on N. R. A. exten
sion and the renewal of “nuisance”
taxes which expire June 30.
Chairman Doughton said there was
a possibility that his committee's ac
tion on N. R. A. might be delayed if
the Senate showed signs of a vote. :
He added that there was at least a
“possibility” that this session "might
get by without imposing any additional
taxes.”
Summarizing the general situation
today, Speaker Byrns told newspaper
men:
"The House, in all probability, will I
be ready to adjourn by June 15. If
there's any delay beyond that, it won't
be our fault."
In the Senate, however, lengthy de
bate of all the "must” bills yet to be
passed promised that leaders there
would have difficulty getting ready to
adjourn by June 15. The forecasts ’
were that it would take an unusual
burst of speed for the Senate to get
through before August 1.
GOLD MESH BAG FOUND
IN 1906 BURDENS WIDOW
Court Tells Woman to Keep It
After 29 Tears of Vain
Hunt for Owner.
By the Associated Press.
PALO ALTO, Calif., April 20.—
Twenty-nine years ago William Hay
retrieved a costly gold mesh purse
from San Francisco's earthquake ruins.
Intermittently, he advertised for the
owner. When he died several years
ago his widow Anna carried on the
quest, but to no avail.
Today Mrs. Hay, bowed with years
and In fading health, sought the ad
vice of Police Judge John E. Springer.
“But I haven’t the money to adver
tise for three weeks,” she replied' to
Judge Springer's explanation of the
law’s demands.
"Then keep the bag—and forget
•bout it,” he told her. •
“Keep it. yes—but forget •bout it?—
never,” she said, flfcnly.
LONG GUIDES LAST
BILLTO LAW BOOKS
Legislator Asks Ickes’ Aid
in Plan to Violate Relief
Fund Bill.
By the Associated Press.
BATON ROUGE. La., April 20.—
Huey P. Long tonight pulled the last
string that forced his dictated laws
through the special session of the
State Legislature and turned his
thoughts toward Washington, where
he said he planned to put a ‘‘blast”
under certain administratlonists In a
speech in the United States Senate, i
“I will answer them when I get
there,” said Senator Long as he sat
in the House and watched his last
bill pass by a substantial majority.
One of the new laws placed con
trol of all Federal relief funds under
a State board that would be dominated
by the Long machine. It passed in
the face of threats from Washington
to stop the flow of millions of dollars
in Federal relief iunds to Louisiana
if a Long board controlled the ex
penditures. The bill even added a
Jail penalty for any one handling the
funds except the State board.
Long charged that the Roosevelt
administration was attempting to
send $170,000,000 into Louisiana in
the form of relief funds to wreck the
Long political machine. Secretary
Ickes replied that the money would
not be permitted to be used to build
up the Long political machine.
Representative Rupert Peyton, news
paper man and critic of Long’s policies,
today invited Secretary Ickes to Join
him in a court test of Long's relief
control bill.
In spite of the six months' Jail
penalty, Peyton said he intended ‘‘to
violate this law the moment It be
comes effective.”
‘ Will you authorize a Federal re
presentative to co-operate with me in
this proposed violation?” asked the
Representative.
In addition to the bill controlling
Federal funds, the Legislature also
passed a new election law. which
anti-Long spokesmen charged placed
the election machinery of the State
under the absolute control of Senator
Long
TALMADGE GLAD FOR CASH.
Sayi Federal Aid Will Put Schools in
"Fine Shape.” j
ATLANTA. April 20 OP).—Gov. Tal- J
madge. critic of President Roosevelt’s
relief policies, today said Federal
monetary aid would place Georgia'*
schools in ' fine shape” financially.
Continuing his attack on the New
Deal administration, he questioned
the President's motives ir. signing the
$4.880.000.000 work-relief bill.
• Did he do it for political purposes?” i
he interposed.
Gov. Talmadge said he was "very
pleased” with the outlook “first be
cause Georgia is receiving her pro
portionate share of the work-relief
money, as I knew she w ould do.” He
had reference to the statement made
by President Roosevelt that political
differences between the State and ,
National governments would not in-j
terfere with distribution of the $4,
880.000.000 fund.
Talmadge made little mention of
the $90,000,000 this State hopes to
get in general work-relief grants ex
cept to reiterate he never felt uneasy
about it.
TOSCHEFF UNABLE
TO FORM CABINET
—
Bulgarian Premier-Designate Con
fers With Military Leaders |
in Crisis.
By the Associated Press.
SOFIA, Bulgaria, April 20.—Bul
garia still had no cabinet tonight. .
though Premier-Designate Andrea
Toscheff had been conferring almost
continuously with military leaders dur
ing the last 36 hours.
Most of his time Toscheff, called
from retirement and botanical re
search to help solve Bulgaria's govern
mental crisis, spent with leaders of
the Military League, which is the
dominant factor in Bulgarian politics. \
Although the league yesterday con
sented to have the new government
consist of civilians, it apparently 1 '■
feared return to the old system of
political parties and declined to re
linquish control of governmental af- i
fairs until it waa certain what form '
the new government would take.
Another obstacle in Toscheff's way •
was the many demands from civilians
slated for cabinet posts for the release
of former Premiers Kimon GueorguiefI
and Alexander ZankofI, whose arrest
and internment Thursday brought the •'
fall of the ZlatefI government. l
NEWS MEN FREED
OF JURORS’CHARGE
- j
No Criminal Libel in Report of
Their Disagreement, Coart
Finds. i
_ i
Br the Associated Press.
MIAMI. Fla., April 20 —Two Miami
Beach Tribune men, Paul O. Jeans, ' i
editor, and Shannon Cormack, report-' J
er, were acquitted by a Crimes Court j
jury today of criminal libel charges j
brought by four members of another
Jury.
The jurors, through County Solicitor
Fred W. Pine, charged the Tribune’s
account of the Jury disagreement
which ended the first trial of E. C.
Collins, former Dade Judge, for al
leged bribe-taking, libeled them.
Closing for the defense, James M.
Carson told the six jurors "criminal
libel has been used throughout his- 1
tory by those In power to squelch <
freedom of expression and of writing. ^
It is an off-shoot of the ‘divine right
of kings’ and, when abused, Is dan- j
gerous and un-American.”
Stafford Caldwell, special prosecu- 1
tor, ended summation for the State j
with the statement "the Issue at stake
is the principle of the jury system” ’
as provided for In State and national 1
constitutions.
Carson reviewed the evidence, em- <
phasizlng the testimony of several
witnesses which, he claimed, tended
to show members of the Collins jury i
had been approached. ]
Cuban Killed in Skirmiah. 1
SANTA CLARA, Cuba. April 20 C4P. <
—A soldier was killed In a skirmish ]
between soldiers and bandits at the
Manaqulta farm, near the town of 1
Sanctl Spirltus today. Late reports ,
said the aoldtars-wsri «UU pursuing
the marauders. ^ I
ADEQUATE WHEAT
SUPPLYFORECAST
Federal Officials and Red
Cross Move to Aid
Duststorm Area.
By Lh« Associated Press.
Government and private agencies
moved to supply relief to dust-plagued
farmers In the dry West yesterday as
tho Agriculture Department foresaw—
with favorable conditions—a Spring
wheat crop ample for domestic needs.
Immediate relief steps In the dust
area were announced by the Agricul
tural Adjustment Administration and
the American Red Cross, while soil
erosion service officials said an ex
panded program was planned for the
"wind erosion” territory.
The Agriculture Department said
moisture in the Spring wheat area was
"better than normal.” and that if
present conditions continued, the 1935
crop should be sufficient to meet
domestic needs. Winter wheat aban
donment. the department said, was
less than last year, reaching a total
of 28 per cent April 1.
Freight Rates Cut.
The A. A. A. announced completion
of arrangements for reduced freight
rates for the benefit of drought and
dust-storm victims. The reductions
cover shipment of cattle to pasture
In non-drought areas, extension of
time for tne return of stock shipped
last Fall and Winter and reduction
of rates on Incoming shipments of
feed.
A branch office of the Federal Live
stock Feed Agency of Kansas City is
being established at Amarillo, Tex., to
assist the farmers in moving stock.
The reduced rail rates, to become
effective on outbound shipments of
livestock from the drought areas of
Texas. Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colo
rado and Kansas as soon as the tariffs
are published, were said to authorize:
A charge of 85 per cent of the
normal outbound rate on live stock
moved for feeding to non-drought
areas, and 15 per cent of the normal
inbound rate on the return of such
stock later.
A privilege of returning such cattle i
to and Including June 30, 1936.
Old Concession Extended.
An extension to June 30, 1936, of
the permission for farmers who
shipped cattle last Fall and Winter
to return the stock at 15 per cent of
the normal rate.
The reduced rates may be obtained
sn certificates issued by county agents
jr drought relief directors.
Rear Admiral Cary T. Grayson,
chairman-of the Red Cross, announced
inauguration of a welfare program in
Kansas. Oklahoma, Texas. New Mex
ico and Colorado. Albert Evans of
the national disaster relief staff has
■stablished headquarters at Liberty, j
Kans., and Red Cross nurses have
»een assigned to counties where seri
jus health conditions exist.
Evans reported to Grayson yestes
iay that the dust situation was "un
abated. with no relief in sight, and
sickness increasing." Lung trouble
was said to be growing rapidly and
jneumonia was developing from "a
considerable number of ‘red’ measles" ,
cases.
Dr. William Dekleine. medical ad- :
visor of the Red Cross. Is en route to
Liberty to confer with health au
thorities.
As Secretary Ickes Issued a state
nent calling attention to conservation
week, officials of the Agriculture De
jartment were asking an allotment
tor soil erosion work not to exceed
180.000.000.
Proceeding with plans to turn the
Soil Erosion Service Into a permanent j
igency, a high official said *50.000.000
would be sufficient for two years and
that he did not want the *150.000 -
100 urged for the work by some mem
>ers of Congress.
PLANE CRASH FIRE
IS FATAL TO TRIO
Youths on First Flight Killed
.With Pilot in Plunge Into
Harsh.
Br the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. April 20 —A pilot and
two 17-year-old boys, on their first
airplane flight, were burned to death
late today when the ship crashed near
Springfield, Queens, and burst into
flames.
The victims were Charles A. Hoell,
25. the pilot; Lawrence Lagassee, 17,
and Joseph Chappie, 17, all of
Queens.
The ship, a biplane, took off from
Jamaica Sea airport, rose 150 feet, then
abruptly nose-dived into the marsh i
land at Jamaica Creek, near Bay ave- ;
nue. at 154th road.
The gasoline tank exploded as the
ship hit the ground and it immediately
burst Into flames. Several spectators
rushed to the rescue, but were driven
back by the fire.
BALLOON TEST TODAY
Army Men Plan 25,000-Foot
Ascension in Illinois.
BELLEVILLE, 111., April 20 (•#>).—
Army men today started inflation of
an 80,000-cubic-foot balloon that will
be used tomorrow in a substratosphere
test flight at Scott Field here.
Capt. R. P. Williams and Capt. Or
vil A. Anderson, who will occupy the
open basket of the balloon when it
gcea aloft at 7 a.m., said they hope to
attain a height of 25,000 feet. Pur
pose bf the flight is to test instru
ments that will be used later in the
year m an Army stratosphere flight
at Rapid City, S. Dak.
Byrd’s Discoveries in Antarctic Are Hailed
As Greatest in Century Since Ross’ Search
_ JL. t +£ __
Planes Made Possible
Broad Exploratic •
Over Barrier.
_< Continued From First Page.)_
was spread fanwise over the most in
teresting part of the unknown terri
tory. His obvious attack this time
was to the east and south, and
the area covered is a complete sector,
running from the nearest approach to
the land possible by sea and air as far
as the Queen Maud Mountains and
the polar plateau.
Admiral Byrd was not able to take
part in most of the Arid work because
of ill health, but June explained that
the work was carried out as it had
been arranged before the admiral iso
lated himself In his advanced base.
' Field Work Begun Early.
The field work was started two
months before the usual time for
getting under way in the Antarctic,
some of the early sledging and tractor
journeys being in temperatures of 60
degrees below sero. Although the
tractors fell into crevasses time after
time and were extricated only with
great danger and difficulty, they
proved that this means of transporta
tion call be used successfully when
a better type of machine for the work
is invented.
But the most astonishing method of
determining the geographical outlines
of the country was by using airplanes
to measure surface altitudes. Junff
a former Navy pilot, obtained the
contour lines showing the gradual rise
of the plateau to the east between
the coast and the Queen Maud Moun
tains by touching the skis of his plane
to the ground every 20 miles and re
cording the surface height each time
by means of his altimeter.
This simple and yet roughly effec
tive method of outlining the surface
of a territory has never been at
tempted before. It is dangerous, but
June proved its effectiveness on sev
eral flights.
He also proved that it was possible
to fly blind in the Antarctic, flying at
times high above the clouds, or through
them for distances of 200 miles or
more, and finding a hole near Little
American through which he could
come down. He made landings when
the surface of the barrier was in
distinguishable because of overcast
skies, catching a bare glimpse of the
edge of the barrier and then stalling
in for a landing.
14 Landings Made.
This dangerous but unavoidable
procedure made possible much flying
which, because of bad weather, could
not otherwise have been carried on.
And 14 landings were made away
from camp to assist surface parties,
or to make seismic soundings.
This part of the work, which is
also new in the Antarctic, was done
under poor weather conditions, but it
has had the result of nrnvincr thp
position of the western shore-line of
Marie Byrd Land, which runs south
under the Ross shelf Ice. The sound
ings also proved the accuracy of
Amundsen's deduction that land
south of the Bay of Whales and on
the eastern side preserves for long
periods of time the same relative
shape of the bay.
The island that Amundsen sus
pected was just south of the Bay of
Whales was found to rise more than
500 feet above sea level, the remain
ing 700 feet consisting of shelf Ice
anchored on it. Even the outlines of
this island were traced, and Amund
sen's uncanny Judgment was shown
by the fact that he pitched his camp
directly north of it. so that he waa
protected from the advancing ice
rrom the south.
Land also rises above aea level and
anchors the barrier ice between
Amundsen's camp and Little America,
ir.d the cape that runs north of Little
America out into the bay and serves
as protection is also resting on land.
Ire Masses Piled Up.
“The eastern side of the bay we
found to be very much the same as
t was when we were there before,”
said June, "although pressure on the
say had piled up such a mass of ice
that it was impossible to get into
Uttle America by the old route.
“The western side of the bay, how
ler. Is moving north at the rate of
about five feet a day in the Summer
line. It is probably slower in Winter.
But this steady movement, and the
land under the barrier which forms
;he eastern side of the bay, explain
many of the great upheavals and Ice
:anyons to the south which puzzled
is so much before.
“There is no doubt, either, that the
basin in which Little America lies is
between two anchored parts of the
barrier and is supported only by
water. The accumulated weight of
snow and our stores made it break
°ose at the end of our first Summer,
to that its up-and-down movement
:ould be definitely seen. But the
»pe to the north prevented it from
noving out to sea. and when Winter
;ame it quickly froze fast again to
fie sides of the barrier which sur- j
ound It.”
The original plan of campaign
:alled for a flying field near Mount
3race McKinley, the southern end of
fie Edsel Ford Range. From this
leld it was Admiral Byrd’s intention
o make flights to the east and south
;ast, so that the shore line might be
extended far to the east.
Tractor Trip Thrilling.
Bad weather prevented use of the
Held, but the tractor trip out there
!o take supplies was one of June's
nost exciting journeys. The trip was
nade early in the season, when the
lemperature was often 60 degrees be
iow and the weather abominable.
“It blew so hard at times that It
learly tipped the tractor over,” said
June, “and it did bend the stick of the
rail flags flat with the surface. Often
—--1
Hails Discovery
CHIEF PILOT HAROLD JUNE.
we could not see more than a few feet
ahead because of fog or drift.
“We stopped once because the sur- '
face made us suspect crevasses, and. 1
when it cleared sufficiently so we
‘ could look ahead, we found ourselves
facing one of the most tumbled sur
faces I have ever seen. In a few
minutes more of traveling we would
' have been right in the middle of a
hi ge held of crevasses, and I doubt
if we would have come out safely.
But we found our way around them
and. by luck, struck the only pos
sible path through them to the
plateau beyond. Later from the plane
I saw this pass and marveled at our
, good fortune.
“It is exciting work riding a tractor
in the Antarctic. Often the crevasses
are entirely hidden and the short,
heavy tractors could easily disappear
in one. We all fell into them and
were lucky not to kill anybody.
Tractor Takes Plunge.
“Once I dropped nearly 30 feet, or
so it seemed, and the tractor stuck,
tall down. We had to cut away a big
ramp and pile snow in the crevasses
below the tractor so we could drive it j
, out. Another time we were traveling
parallel to a cW-vasse without knowing
it, when one tread went in and the
machine tipped over until the top of
it hooked itself to the other edge.
; Knowing whot was around us, it made
our hair stand on end sometimes when .
the entire barrier surface would drop
with a terrific rumble, as it sometimes
does.
I “I think, however, that a 40-foot
tractor, made of duraluminum and
powered by a different type of motor,
would permit such safe surface travel
that the entire Antarctic could be ex
plored quickly.
"Our engine never frose up. because
we drained them every time we
stopped, but we frequently ran short
of anti-freeze solution, and once we
ran two tractors the last part of the
trip with nothing but water tn the
radiatcffs and the thermometer around
minus 65. We covered those engines
up like babies In their perambulators.
And when fuel ran short we mixed
gasoline with kerosene, anti-freeze
and anything else we could get. Once
we used transmission (freest In the
engine because we ran short of oil.
2.000-Foot Cliff.
“And I won’t forget in n long time
the experience of making a new gas
ket for the crankcase because the oil
was leaking. I froze a finger on that ;
trip so that I could see the bone where
the flesh cracked. But we drove that !
tractor to within a few hundred feet ;
of McKinley Mountain, and, on the
sea side, that mountain drops 2.000
feet sheer into the sea.
"We nearly lost one of our men on
that trip—at least, we went off with
out him. I had arranged to turn the
tractor at a certain point to head for
home after passing the crevasses. He
was on the rear sledge, reading a com- j
pass and telling me by lights on the
dashboard which way to bear to keep
on the trail.
“The contact points of the electrical
switches froze, and I didn't get the
signal. He tried to run up ahead and
tell me. and almost made the tractor
through the soft snow when he be
came tired and fell down. About 8 |
miles further I stopped and the radio
man came running up from another
sledge, yelling that I had left our
companion ’way back on the trail. He
was the weariest looking human being
I ever saw when ve got back to him.
“One of our other exciting experi
ences was when we were flying over
the Edsel Ford range on our way back
to Little America. We found that,
beyond the range, there was an area
of scattered mountain peaks looking
very much like the cones of extinct
volcanoes sticking above the snow.
There were so many of them that it
was as if they had been tossed in
there by some ice god in a playful
mood.
"Far at the edge of the sea coast i
Dangers on Every Handy
. Expedition's Chief
Pilot Reveals.
we could tee three widely separated
extinct volcanoes lifting 3.000 or
4.000 feet above the plateau, which
was about 4,000 feet high. They were
enormous mountains and so straight
they gave the illusion of being square
blocks.
"AH the way in, we had found the
surface rising, but, beyond the Edsel
Ford range it seemed to run flat at
4.000 feet as far as we could see.
where we turned around. That was
probably about 400 miles out, perhaps j
a little more.
"The weather began to get bad
and before we had gone far we were
flying at 17,000 feet through clouds.
Under us were mountains, which we
could sometimes see through a small
opening in the clouds. And then
both motors cut out because of ice
in the venturi tubes of the carburetor.
“The usual way to get that out is
to lean the mixture so the motors wUl
backfire, but at our altitude I couldn't
do it. We began to come down,
slowly but surely, and those mountains
below became more numerous and
much closer. Finally, in desperation,
I thought of turning off the gas to
make the motors backfire. That did
it, and as I turned it on again they
backfired again, and we picked up
speed and altitude. But it was a bad
few minutes. We were 280 miles from
home, and every mile would have
been doubled because of the contour
of the ground.
Byrd Too Weak to Fly.
"This flight and the long one to
the southeast, on which we saw the
Queen Maud mountains get lower I
and finally seem to blend into the
plateau, were planned after Admiral
Byrd made his first triangular flight
to look over the ground in that
direction. The flights were the
carrying out of his ideas, and it was
only because he was so weak as the
result of his isolation during the
Winter that he did not make them.
"But from what we saw on those
two flights and two or three others,
and the observations made by Black
bum in the Queen Maud range and
Siple in the Edsel Ford range, there
is no longer any possibility that the
Antarctic is divided by a frozen
strait. Both these ranges apparently
blend into the plateau, and the
Queen Maud range far to the east;
seemed to be completely covered by1
ten AotlMno fenm t K a Dolor
plateau. I think myself that the
Queen Maud range comes out again
in Graham Land end the western
shore of the Weddell Sea and is a
continuation of the Andean chain.
“The Edsel Ford range, the Rocke
feller mountains and the Scott
Nunataks are all part of the same
mountain chain that outlines the
northern coast line of the Antarctic
in this sector.
"The coast line runs just west of
the Rockefeller mountains, turns
south and runs in a gentle curve to
the Queen Maud range. There is one
break In It to the southeast, where
there are apparently a number of
Islands above sea level which cause
the break in the Ice that is con
tinued far to the west in a tremen
dous chain of crevasses. We have all
our positions well marked, for we
took literally hundreds of celestial
observations. I think our present
maps show nearly all the mountain
ranges and other landmarks within a
mile of their true position.
Sounding Work Valuable.
"One of the most interesting jobs
we had in aviation was flying the
party that took seismic observations.
Landing away from base has been
looked upon as hazardous, but we
made about 14 or 15 landings and
never had any trouble.
'This sounding work was of tre
mendous value, for It established the
roast line under the barrier and en
abled us to explain what goes on in
the Bay of Whales. We even landed
once on the peninsula north of Dis
covery Inlet and found that that long
tongue of Ice Is also anchored to land.
"We could have done much more
if the weather had not been so bad.
much worse than on the former ex
pedition. It was a hard year. Land
ing was a terrible job. much worse
than we had anticipated, and aviation
played a part in it. There was little
relaxation during the year because it
took so long to get settled and we
had to get busy so early in the Spring.
"But we are well satisfied with the
result and would be happy about the
whole trip if it had not been for Ad
miral Byrd's Ulness. He is not at all
well, although he is naturally gratl-1
lied at the results of his plan.”
Admiral Byrd's two ships mav ar
rive In this country the latter part of
May. although the time will depend
upon when they reach Panama after :
their long trip across the Pacific, and
the length of the interval there for
refueling and repairs.
(Copyritht. 1P:I5. by N A. N A . Ine„ tnd
New York Times.*
Byrd Forum Speaker
New Deal finances and agricultural
ilannlng will be the topics of an ad
Iress by Senator Harry Flood Byrd of
Virginia In the National Radio Forum
ilonday, April 22, at 10:30 pjn., East
>rn standard time. The National
ladio Forum Is arranged by The
Vashington Star and broadcast over
he network of the National Broad
asting Co.
Senator Byrd, a Democrat, has
[uestioned the large-scale spending
mlicy of the administration. Also, he
las been opposed to many features
if the A. A. A. and its control of ag
Iculture. Legislation extending the
towers of the A. A. A. has been pro
need and is awaiting action by con
k . * .
llNATOI BTia •• -I
Naming of Admirals Ruled
Within Commissioners9 Power
Sticking his tongue in his cheek.
Corporation Counsel Prettyman ruled
yesterday, formally and officially, the
Commissioners can, if they wish, ap
point a staff of admirals and sub
admirals as their personal aides—but
without duties, except as friendly con
sultants.
Whether they will or won’t remains
to be seen, for the Commissioners ap
pear to be a bit dubious, but Commis
sioner Allen opined that Government
business was getting "too serious for
any use.”
"The Governor of Kentucky has his '
colonels, hasn't he?” said Allen. "Why :
can’t we have our admirals?”
The point was debated recently and
Prettyman decided, in a curbstone
opinion, that it could not be done;
but he has changed his mind. He
lound, on examination, that the Dis
trict has a "navy,” although it may
consist of a group of tugboats, fire
boats, and rowboats, and that "navy”
officers necessarily may not give any
service and therefore no salary need be
paid.
The matter may be brought up for
formal decision by the Commissioners
this week. Frettyman’s opinion states:
“I have examined the law from
Magna Charta to the N. R. A. in
an effort to discover whether an ad
miral must have a navy. Surely, not
all ‘colonels’ have an army, nor all
‘Judges’ a court, nor all ’doctors' a
practice,’ nor all ‘lawyers’ a client. I
have definitely ascertained that not
every man who answers to the salu
tation of ‘chief is an Indian.
"The term ‘admiral,’ therefore, Is a
title—not a job. Its use has been
largely pre-empted by nations having
battleships, cruisers and submarines,
but this pre-emption is a custom, not
a law.
"In my opinion an admiral need
not nettssarlly have a navy, nor even
ft rawbpt; but why worry about thto
anyway, because it is a fact that the
District of Columbia has its navy.
Every sovereign citizen of the District
feels great pride In Washington's fleet,
to wit: (
"The ‘Firefighter,’ the tug ‘William i
Tyndall.’ the tug Virginia.’ the tug |
’Louise,' police motor boats Nos. 1. I ,
2, 3, 4 and 5, five rowboat* and one
unnamed launch.
"Furthermore. I understand these
admirals would have no duties; there
fore, how could they render any
services?
“A certain amount of pomp and
circumstance, panoply and parade is
an inherent necessity to the people's
ruler. Why should the Commission
ers arrive at a national function or
a neighborhood carnival without fan
fare. fuss or flunkies? It has always
seemed to me to be out of place for a
great multitude to wait on the qul
vlve for the appearance of their Com
missioners and then have a car drive
up. one lone gentleman In a business
suit get out, and some one say, who
the heck is that?’ Rather there
should be a flag, a fluttering bevy of
attendance, a gold-braided escort.
Then, too, this staff could advise the
Commissioners on matters of prece
dents and social amenity; not as
binding pronouncement of statutory ■
authority, but as friendly views freely i
given.
"If you want to appoint a legal
admiral with appurtenances thereto
attached, It cannot be done; but if you
want to appoint some without duties,
status or salary, except as unofficial *
consultants pro boro publico. It Is
proper, and can be done."
Shop Displays Early. ;
Fashionable shops of chilly Glss- I
bow. Scotland, were featuring Bum- 1
per bathing suit* in February. i
CHAIN BRIDGE PLAN
IS GOJUFPJIEY
Conference Tuesday to Try
to Settle Differences
of Opinion.
•
Efforts to work out a program for
replacement of Chain Bridge, which
will meet with unanimous approval of
Interested District and Virginia groups,
will be made at a conference in the
office of Engineer Commissioner Sul
tan at 10:30 a m. Tuesday.
The conference w as decided upon as
a result of a meeting Friday in the of
fice of Representative Howard W.
Smith of Virginia, at which consider
able difference of opinion upon the
merits of the high and low level bridge
proposals arose. There also were dif
ferences of opinion over routes to the
bridge and the means of financing
the project. ’ *
The group which will confer with
Col. Sultan Is a fact-finding commit
tee appointed by the representatives
attending Friday’s conference with
Judge Smith. The committee was re
quested to obtain information as to all
phases of the bridge problem and to
study all official recommendations
which have been made.
Personnel of Committee.
The committee Is composed of
George C. Shinn, Clyde B. Bailey,*
Capt. Ellis R. King. Dr. Llewellyn Jor
dan. Representative Smith and Jesse
C. Suter. Capt. H. C. Whitehurst will"
co-operate as the representative of the
District Commissioners.
The meeting in Judge Smith's office
Friday was informal and opened with
a statement by Capt. Whitehurst, in
which he explained that the District
Commissioners favored rebuilding of
the superstructure of the present
Chain Bridge, including repairs to the
existing piers and improvement of
the approach from Canal road. This
construction, he said, would cost about
$350,000 and could be carried in the
District's annual appropriation bill.
The Commissioners believe, White
hurst said, that this reconstruction
project would serve every purpose in
sofar as the District is concerned. The
Commissioners, he said, can see no
Justification, from a District stand
point, for the b’. tiding of a costly
high-level bridge at or near the Chain
Bridge location.
Virginia Want* Replacement.
Virginia representatives at the meet
ing also agreed as to the need for
the earliest possible replacement of
the present bridge, holding that the
proposed high-level bridge is a proj
ect to be considered for the future.
They held out no hope that Arling
ton and Fairfax Counties would
share In the cost of the bridge and ex
pressed doubt that the State of Vir
ginia would contribute.
A delegation from the Conduit Road
Citizens’ Association strongly urged
the high-level bridge program advo
cated by the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission. They
voiced the opinion that any money
spent for replacement of the bridge
on the present piers would be wasted
and would serve to delay the neces
sary construction of a high-levrl
Bridge.
The Conduit road delegation also
pointed out the value of a high-level
bridge as a means of by-passing
through traffic around Washington.
In this connection, Capt. Whitehurst
said that a bridge serving as such
a by-pass link should be in an entirely
different location because of the tor
tuous grades In the route to the Chain
Bridge site.
Truck Traffic Seen.
He voiced the opinion that traffic
over such a by-pass route would con
sist largely of heavy freight truck*,
objectionable to the residential sec
tions through which they would pass
from the Chain Bridge area. He said
any such by-pass should be located
at least 10 miles beyond the District.
The position of the Federation of
Citizens' Associations, as stated by
Suter. was one of approving the high-'
level bridge project as a Federal un
dertaking and without any cost to
the District ol Columbia, even for a
survey and plans. He stated that he
was aware of no official action of
the federation regarding the mere re
placement of the bridge at its present
location and on existing piers.
Shinn, chairman of the Committee
Bn Bridges of the Board of Trade,
stated that the Board of Trade ha*
long advocated a new Chain Bridge.
They are not particular as to whether
the bridge be merely a replacement
ir the more pretentious structure pro
posed for the high-level location.
FIVE MEN INDICTED
IN PRISON TORTURE
Former Pfficials Accused of
Maiming Two Colored
Convicts.
Sr the Associated Press.
CHARLOTTE. N. <5.. April 30—In
llctments charging five former State
prison camp officials with torturing,
naiming and assaulting two colored
convicts with intent to kill were re
urned today by the Mecklenburg
bounty grand jury after an lnvestiga
,lon of alleged brutality to prisoner*.
The indictments were based on the
■ases of Woodrow Shropshire and Rob
irt Barnes, 19-year-old Charlotte coi
ned prisoners, whose feet became
tangrenous and were amputated while .
hey were serving short terms.
Those indicted were H. C. Little,
ormer superintendent of the camp:
5r. C. S. McLaughlin, former county
ind camp physician, and J. W. Eudy,
t. C. Rape and T. M. Gordon, guards.
All five were indicted jointly on the
orturing, assault and maiming
harges. Separate indictments charged
leglect In performance of their duties,
dalmlng is a common law felony.
The defendants had been held for
rrand jury action under $1,000 bonds
ifter a hearing before Superior Court
fudge Don PhllUps, sitting as a com
nitting magistrate. The bonds were
ontinued and the cases docketed for
he Superior Court term, beginning
day 11.
At the hearing. Shropshire charged
he loss of his feet was caused by their
reezing while he wa* chained in a
dark cell,” where unruly prisoners
ire placed as punishment.
QUAKE KILLS 130
louthwest Section of Formosa la
Shaken Heavily.
TOKIO, April 21 (Sjmday) (ffV—
In estimated 130 persona were killed
rhen a severe earthquake rocked the
outhwest section of the Island of
"orrr.osa early today, said a Rengo
Japanese) news agency dispatch, f
t