Evening star. [volume], May 29, 1935, Image 1

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

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(U 8 The only evening paper
Cloudy and cooler tonight and tomor- in Washington with the
ff',r.r;rzsr',?„r2,'sis Associated Press News
jS*W5^lSSrS!,!rr"i5c’i2 and Wirephoto Services.
day. Pull report on page A-9. 1 -- - - - wimommit
r, . wvMtrP it I, Yesterday’s Circulation, 130,141
Closing N. I. Markets, Pages 11, 1Z, 13 8ome Returni Not Yet Received
No. 33,265. py:tarwa0«hingto;mi)Uc._WASHINGTON, D. C., WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 1935-TWENTY-SIX PAGES. * *** (*>> m..o. A...Ci,t.d pc„. TWO CENTS.
M
OF WEYERHAEUSER
Father, Absent From Home,
Believed Closing Deal
With Kidnapers.
“DEADLINE” IS TONIGHT;
NEW LETTER ARRIVES
Officers Stay Away From Lumber
King'* Keisdence to Allow
Free Negotiations.
(Wirephotos on Page A-JJ
(Copyright. 1935. by the Associated Press.!
TACOMA. Wash.. May 29.—Tacoma
crew tense today as the city inter
preted aetivity around the J. P. Wey
erhaeuser home as indicating the fam
ily would pav $200,000 ransom for the
return of 9-vear-old George Weyer
haeuser before the deadline tonight.
Retiring after midnight, the house
hold from which the curly-haired
lumber heir was snatched last Friday
was awake and stirring again by dawn
John Philip Weyerhaeuser, father of
thp missing lad. was nowhere to be
seen and was believed to be with J.
Rodman Titcomb. uncle of the missing
boy and mentioned as probable con
tact man for negotiations with the
kidnapers. Titcomb and a man be
lieved to be Weyerhaeuser left the
lumber family's home last night and
did not return.
Their departure a few hours after
the familv received a registered letter
recalled that the kidnapers said in
the ransom note. ‘ You will be noti
fied where to go when the time comes."
Mrs. Weyerhaeuser, grief-stricken
mother of the boy. also left her home
for an hour last night in the Titcomb
automobile. She may have gone to
Tit comb's suburban home at Ameri
can lake to visit her three other
children. The trio—Ann. 13: Philip,
in. and Elizabeth. 2—were rushed to
the seclusion of her brother's home
ihortly after delivery of the note.
Activity Significant.
This unprecedented activity on the
eve of the deadline srt for payment of
the ransom was regarded as signifi
cant. If the $200,000 was not paid
on time “harm” was threatened to
Cteorge bv the kidnaper ' Egoist." de
scribed today by Dr. Harry R. Hoff
man. Chicago psychiatrist, as “defi
nitely homicidal, if trapped.”
Indicative of the tenseness in this
rumor-filled Puget Sound city was a i
call that sent the police “flying squad
ron" to an abandoned house a mile
south of the Weyerhaeuser mansion
early today.
Thev had received a report some
one. perhaps the kidnap victim, was
pounding on the walls in a desperate
effort to escape. Eight officers forced
their way into the building, followed j
the sound of thudding blows to the
third-story attic, where they found
• loose window banging in the wind.
It was just one of many night
alarms. increasing as the hour for
payment of the ransom drew nearer.
The deadline for payment of the
$200,000 is 6:35 o'clock tonight.
Readiness of the parents to meet the (
demand was shown in their reply to |
abductors through the personal col- j
umns of a Seattle newspaper: "W«
are ready. Percy Minnie.”
Advertisement Appears.
That brief ad—the signal directed
by "Egoist. Egoist.” in his kidnap let-1
ter—appeared again today in the Seat
tle Post-Intelligencer.
There was no explanation from any
source as to whether any actual con
tact had been made, or whether the
kidnapers had given any sign the boy
was safe. The kidnapers had threat
ened "harm" to the boy if police or
newspapers were even told of the ab
duction. or if the random demand was
not met In detail.
But the stir of activity last night
strongly indicated such contacts had
been made. Further signs of com
munication between the parents and
the abductors were seen in continued
bizarre signals from the Weyerhaeuser
porch—an open umbrella, a sheet, a
sweater—and installation of a new
telephone in the mansion with an
unlisted number.
The departure of the boy's parents
from their home left the mansion tem
porarily deserted by all except serv
ants and George's grandmother. Mrs.
Clara Walker, bedridden by a paralytic
stroke. She has not been informed
of the kidnaping.
Earlier "G men.” the State patrol
»nd city detectives had deserted the
vicinity of the Weyerhaeuser home to
permtth the abductors to make easy
contact.
They turned their attention to in- I
vestigation of two possible lookout
posts used by the abductors Rnd
diverse rumors as to the curly-haired
boy's whereabouts.
The lookout spots which the gang
may have used as it plotted the ab
duction were in two vacant houses.
One afforded a view of the Weyer
haeuser home and the other of the
•pot where George was last seen.
A recent fire in a vacant mansion
back of the timber family's home
showed some one had been there
within the last two weeks. A knot
hole in a boarded window afforded
a view of the Weyerhaeuser back gar
den for a lookout who would be
•creened from view from the street.
A stool, from which dust and cob
webs had been recently brushed, was
found In another house in front of a
window overlooking the street from
which the boy was snatched.
CHINESE BANK CLOSES
Acute Financial Situation la
Blamed on Silver Prices.
SHANGHAI, May 29 C4>).—As a re
sult of the acute financial situation
in China, the Shanghai Tingsun Na
tive Bank, one of the largest Chinese
style banks, closed its doors today.
The Tingsun bank is the third
financial house to collapse during the
past week, the others having been
the American Oriental Bank and the
Minghua Commercial Savings Bank.
(Officials of the American Oriental
Bank blamed their difficulties on the
American Government's silver-pur
f hasing policy.! <
Millions of Francs
Pour From French
To Belgian Money
I By the Associated Press.
BRUSSELS, May 29—Hundreds
of millions of franrs in gold are
pouring in from France for ex
change into Belgian franrs.
The brokers in the Brussels
exchange market have been un
able to satisfy the demand which
has been enormous for the last
48 hours.
On the French frontier resi
dents of the Tournai and
Courtrai districts are eagerly ex
changing French for Belgian
currency, fearing that the French
money may be devalued, while
Belgian frontier stores have
benefited by the heavy buying.
Warrants Promised Soon by
Prosecutor—Sheriff
Awaits Papers.
The burning dumps in Arlington
County, Va„ objects of strenuous pro
tests from citizens in Virginia and
Washington, including high Govern
ment officials, today were ordered to
be abolished forthwith in a resolu
tion adopted by the County Board at
a meeting in the court house.
The order to enforce the existing
ordinance prohibiting dumps came
when the boards special Ordinance
Committee reported in favor of re
taining and enforcing the existing law
against dumps.
Commonwealth's Attorney Lawrence
W. Douglas, absent from the meeting
when, the resolution was adopted,
stated upon questioning by newspaper
men that he "would enforce the law
if the board ordered it enforced.”
Before making that statement,
Douglas said he was not an arresting
official, but only a prosecutor.
Pressed for an answer as to when the
dumps should be closed, he said that
he would issue warrants "soon.”
Sheriff Ready for Action.
Sheriff Howard B. Field declared
he would serve papers "immediately
after he received them from the
Commonwealth's attorney."
J. H. Houser, operator of the dump
at Rnsslyn, was present, but made no
defense of his commercial dumping
business. After the board's action
Houser said he would close his dump
ing lots when ordered and would not
apply for a permit from the county
health officer.
Lloyd Schaffer, operator of the
dump at the Highway Bridge, was not
present and could not be reached for
a statement.
County Board Chairman B. M.
Smith was absent and Christopher
Garnett presided.
The Ordinance Committee, composed
of County Manager Roy S. Braden,
Commonwealth's Attorney Lawrence
W. Douglas and County Health Officer
P. M. Chichester, presented the rec
ommendation to the board when it
convened at 9 a.m.
Hauling May Be Regulated.
Based upon the overwhelming sen
timent. of citizens attending th public
hearing in the court house Monday
night, the recommendations provided
for retention of the present ordinance J
and an amendment for governing the
types of vehicles which will be per
mitted to haul junk and debris over
county roads.
Under this amendment, which also
was approved today, vehicles engaged
in carrying junk and debris to dump
ing lots will be required to have uni
form bodies equipped with tightly
fitting canvas covers so as to prevent
any of the material from falling or
being blown to the highways.
In approving the amendment. It
was pointed out, authorities in no way
will be delayed in the enforcement of
the present ordinance.
The purpose of the amendment,
however, was held to be based on the
county's obligation to provide for the
dumping of trash collected from
homes in the county.
Board Receives Bids.
The board received bids today for
the collection of garbage, trash and
ashes for the year beginning July 1.
Specifications contain provisions for ;
steel-bodied trucks with “fly-tight" j
covers.
The dumping lot which the county
maintains for this purpose is located
in an undeveloped area near Lyon
Park. Citizens have not complained
of this lot, as they have of those at
the south end of Highway Bridge
across from the airport, and on Ceme
tery road between Memorial Bridge
and Rosslyn. Another dump Is situ
ated at Four Mile Run, partly in
Arlington County and partly In Alex
andria City.
TWO BANDITS ROB
BANK IN VIRGINIA
Get $3,000 From Woman Em
ployes at Point of Ma
chine Gun.
By the Associated Press.
FORK UNION. Va.. May 29—Us
ing a machine gun and a pistol, two
youthful gunmen held up and robbed
the Fluvanna County Bank here of
between $2,500 and $3,000 in cur
rency and cash at 10:30 o'clock this
morning, escaping in a small coupe.
The two bandits held up the cash
ier Rnd assistant cashier, collected
cash and currency from the counter,
rifled the vault and escaped.
Mrs. Bernice Thomas, the cashier,
said she and her assistant, Mrs. Iva
White, were the only two persons in
the bank when the men. described as
about 30 years old. dashed in with
the order "stick ’em up.”
”We did." she said, "and one of the
men—the one with the big, ugly ma
chine gun—stood at the door.
“The other man came behind the
counter and told us to put our hands
down if we wanted to, but to stand
still. He took all the cash and cur
rency In the counter drawer and then
went into the vault, where he got all
he could find—the total being about
*3.000.”
She said the bandits then walked
"very calmly” to the door.
FIANDIN CABINET
TOPPLING IN FIGHT
TO DEFEND FRANC
Chamber Committee Certain
to Resist Demand for
Dictator Power.
DEVALUATION IS TERMED
ALTERNATIVE MEASURE
Government Head to Appear Be
fore Deputies Tomorrow in
Personal Appeal.
BULLETIN.
Copyright. lfW.V by the Associated Press.
PARIS. May 29.—The Finance
Committee of the Chamber of
Deputies turned against Premier
Pierre-Etienne Flandin today in
his demand for dictatorial finan
cial powers over France and voted
against his bill, 25 to 15.
(Copyright. 1 by the Associated Press )
PARIS. May 29—The position of
Premier Pierre-Eiiennc Flandin’s cab
inet became increas.ngly precarious
today as it became virtually certain
the Chamber of Deputies F.nance
Committee would oppose his demands
for dictatorial powers to defend the
franc.
Voices were raised In violent dis
cussion when members of th? com
mittee conferred with the premier in
his office prior to today's Parlia
mentary session.
The conference was described as
"emotional and sometimes dramatic.”
Devaluation Feared.
Flandin asserted France might be
forced to devalue its currency un
less he is granted the full powers he
demands. Members of the Commit
tee said, however, a majority was
still adamant in its opposition to grant
ing dictatorial powers "to this gov
ernment.”
Flandin was reliably reported to
be determined to fight for dictatorial
powers to combat devaluation until
he wins or goes down to defeat with
his government.
The energetic premier, handicapped
by a slowly healing fiacture of his
arm, told a close iriend he would re
fuse to be diverted from his pro
gram by the hostility of the Cham
ber of Deputies.
Face* Chamber Tomorrow.
He said he would face the cham
ber tomorrow in a personal appeal
for support of his project to defend
the franc. A vote against him. he
asserted, would be a vote for devalua
tion.
Government supporters counted on
the premier's appeal to the r.ation
for assistance in defending the franc
against speculators to carry him
through to victory.
Some members of Parliament as
serted however, that Flandin would
prefer to resign tonight rather than
to fight out the issue with the op
position in the Finance Committee
and the dominant radical Socialist
group on the floor of the Chamber
of Deputies.
The radical Socialists instructed
their representatives on the Finance
Committee to ask the premier today
to divulge details of hla plans for bal
ancing the budget and promoting eco
nomic recovery. The delegates were
told to call on Flandin at his home.
Assurances on Pay Asked.
The radical Socialists also sought to
obtain a promise that the pay of offi
cial functionaries and the pensions of
veterans would not be cut.
Prospects that they would obtain
such assurance appeared slight. Louis
Germain-Martin. the finance minister,
airpady has indicated that both vet
erans and functionaries must share
the burden of balancing the budget.
Flandin's friends said he was un
likely to make concessions since the
strongest opposition emanates from
the left wing majority In the Finance
Committee, which opposes as a matter
of principle the premier's demands
that he war against devaluation by
decree.
The specific measures which the
government contemplates have been
kept secret. Edouard Herriot, Radical
Socialist leader and member of the
cabinet, informed his followers that
only Germain-Martin was acquainted
with the projects. Herriot pleaded,
however, for support of the govern
ment.
Followers Oppose Plan.
Some of his followers, however, were
so bitterly opposed to the finance dic
tatorship plan that they urged the
former premier to resign from his post
as minister of state in the Flandin
government.
Thirty leading business men ap
pealed to the government to prevent
devaluation, as the Bank of France
began applying the new 6 per cent dis
count rate to check the steady drain
on the gold reserve.
The increase in the discount rate
was the third in a week, successively
elevating it from 2'i to 3 to 4 to 6
per cent. The new figure was the
highest since the latte Raymond Poin
care employed similar 'measures to
"save the franc” in 1926.
t
Renders’ Guide
Page.
Amusements .B-12
Changing World .A-3
Comics .B-8
Cross-word Puzzle .B-8
Editorials .A-8
Finance .A-12-13
Lost and Found.A-9
Paul Mallon ...A-2
Radio .B-7
Serial Story .A-7
Service Orders.A-14
Short Story .A-10
Society .B-2
Sports .B-3-4-5
Vital Statistics .A-9
Washington Wayside_A-10
Women's Features ....^B-6-7
PUTTW A
THU THIMG '
TOGETHER
IS SOIM' Tto
e>e So/^e J
S PUZZLE /
\ CHIEF W
War Department Applies for
Work-Relief Funds for
Local Jobs.
Formal requests for $6,366,885 to
provide construction at Army posts in
and near Washington were announced
today by the Division of Application*
and Information of the new works-re
lief set-up.
The War Department applied for a
total of $65,956,816 In work relief funds
covering a program in 23 States. Ad
ditional applications by the Treasury
sought funds to put professional and
clerical workers at tasks examining
income tax returns.
Funds for posts in this vicinity in
clude $3,513 019 for new buildings and
other improvements at the Army Med
ical Center: $1,233,253 for new build
ings at Fort Humphreys: $1,570,613 for
new buildings at the Army Quarter
master Depot, and $50,000 to defray
extra expenses imposed on the Ad
ministrative Division of the War De
partment by the emergency relief act.
$528,093,600 Already Approved.
While still more applications poured
in from Federal departments, munici
palities and the States, the Govern
ment sought to mot e nearer an artual
start of its program of substituting
jobs for the dole.
Funds to begin $528,093,600 of proj
ects already approved by President
Roosevelt were made available by an
Executive order signed last night. The
largest item to win the President's
final o. k. was $400,000,000 for high
way construction and grade-crossing
elimination. More than a half-billion
dollars of other work already recom
mended by the Works Allotment Ad
visor’' Committee remained to be
pas'.ed on formally by the Chief Ex
ec .itive.
In the additional applications dis
closed today the Treasury asked $14.
542.825 to employ jobless "white col
lar" people in two tax-ferreting
projects.
Income Taxes Would Be Probed.
One of these would be the exam
ination of 350,000 income tax returns
which normal forces of the Internal
Revenue Bureau were said to be un
able to handle. The other would
be special investigation, in 20 met
ropolitan areas, of Industries subject
to certain excise taxes.
The excise tax investigation was
proposed to include furriers, manu
facturing jewelers, sporting goods
manufacturers, makers of cosmetics
and taxpayers subject to levies on
admissions and dues. It was ex
plained that there are 208.827 tax
payers in these classifications in met
ropolitan areas which include New
York. Buffalo. Chicago. Philadelphia.
Pittsburgh, Detroit, Los Angeles. San
Francisco, Cleveland, Cincinnati, St.
Louis, Kansas City. Baltimore, Wash
ington, Boston, Milwaukee, Minne
apolis, New Orleans, Newark and
Seattle.
Waterway Surveys Sought.
An application filed by the Com
merce Department asked *7.038,409
to carry on surveys and investigations
under the Geodetic Survey. This
would include surveying and charting
the inland waterways along the At
lantic and Gulf coasts, surveys to
complete the United States topographic
map, surveys of tides and currents
and magnetic and seismological in
vestigations for mariners, aviators and
surveyors.
The War Department requested *43,
926.771 for Army base construction
projects, and the Interior Department
applied for *446.000 for highway work
in Alaska. For clearing, grading,
surfacing and building bridges along
a 30-mile route in the Matanuska
Valley, where the Government is set
tling a group of colonists from Min
nesota. *120,000 was requested. To
carry out similar work on the road
from Anchorage and Matanuska the
department sought *326,000.
ASHES TO BE SCATTERED
Rear Admiral Cola Directs Dis
posal at Sea.
VALLEJO, Calif.. May 29 (JP).—The
ashes of Rear Admiral William Carey
Cole will be scattered on the sea where
he spent 46 years.
Admiral Cole, who retired from the
Navy in 1932. died yesterday at the
Mare Island Navy Yard Hospital. He
was 67. His widow Minnie, a daugh
ter, Mrs. Louise Chapin, Cleveland,
Ohio, and two brothers survive.
Relatives said his body would be
cremated at Berkeley. Calif., and the
ashes scattered on the sea from a
naval vessel In accordance with his
expressed wishes.
Mrs. Roosevelt
Visits Mill Town*
Inspects Homes
With Party Spends Night
at Residence of Rail
Agent in Virginia.
By the Associated Press.
GOSHEN. Va, May 29—After
spending the night as a guest in
the home of a railway agent here, Mrs.
Franklin D. Roosevelt took back to
Washington today another of the first
hand impressions of workers' living
conditions for which she is noted.
| Unheralded, she arrived yesterday
with a party to inspect "model'1 mills
and employes' homes here and at Au
gusta Springs and Craigsville, in Au
gusta County. She addressed a small
crowd at Craigsville and demon
strated a keen interest in the lives
of the workers, whose homes are re
garded as above the average for mill
villages in condition and appearance.
Last night the President's wife and
her party stayed at the home of J.
B. Wood. Chesapeake & Ohio Railway
agent here.
-•
FROM DEATH CHAIR
I _
Roosevelt Commutes Sen
tence of Man Convicted
in Henry Killing.
President Roosevelt today com
muted to life imprisonment the death
sentence given Charles Harris for the
slaying of Milton iMilsiet Henry early
on the morning of April 21. 1932.
Harris, whose real name is Bern
stein. was to have been electrocuted
at the District Jail June 10 He had
been granted three stays of execution
\ by the President pending a careful in
i vestigation of his conviction by the
Justice Department's Federal Bureau
of Investigation.
President Roosevelt acted on recom
mendation of Attorney General Cum
mings. Harris will be notified officially
of the grant of clemency when he is
presented a formally-inscribed war
rant signed by the President.
Cummings Is Silent.
It was said at the Department of
Justice that the mitigating circum
stances which induced Cummings to
; recommend leniency for Harris will
not be divulged. Cummings ordered
an inquiry after the department had
been flooded with requests from prom
inent citizens for a show of mercy.
1 for Harris. The prisoner, through
Attorneys Nugent Dodds and Neil
Burkinshaw, has insisted Henry was
murdered by anotner man now dead.
Henry was shot to death as he
slowed his automobile behind a milk
truck near his home. Another auto
mobile pulled along side and a man
whom the Government later charged
was Harris, jumped to the street and
fired at Henry.
Henry was known as a gambler and
the shooting was said to have climaxed
an underworld feud. Harris and Harry
Davis were arrested and indicted for
the killing, but Davis was shot to death
by gangster^ before his trial.
Appealed to Supreme Court.
Harris was convicted and sentenced
October 7. 1933. to die in the electric
chair. He appealed and the case was
carried to the United States Supreme
Court, which refused last October to
review the conviction. The date for
execution was set first for January 11
last, but, by order of the President,
was stayed successively 60, 30 and 60
days to permit the Department of Jus
tice to continue its investigation.
Harris has served time for previous
crimes. On one occasion in Minne
sota Gov. Olsen announced his belief
that Harris was wrongly convicted.
Six Slain at African Mines.
BULAWAYO, Southern Rhodesia,
May 29 (A3).—Six strikers were shot
and killed today in a clash with police
at the Roan Antelope copper mines.
Three thousand natives, striking
against an increase in the poll tax.
wrecked the compound and offices. A
regiment of Northern Rhodesia troops
has been dispatched.
Breckinridge long Sails.
NAPLES, May 29 (A3).—Breckinridge
Long, United States Ambassador to
Italy, sailed today aboard the Comte
dl Savoia for New York^
Omnibus Banking Measure
Would Bar Recovery,
He Testifies.
By the Associated Press.
Opposing the Government credit
control provisions of the omnibus
banking bill because it •'threatens to
retard recovery." Owen D. Young,
financier and industrialist, told a Sen
ate committee today nothing should
be done or threatened that would
shatter “reviving business confidence.”
Questioned by members of the bank
ing subcommittee, he said business
had been reassured by the defeat of
the Patman bonus inflation bill and
there was an ‘'underlying demand for
durable goods” which, if financing
was forthcoming, would do more to
revive business "quickly and in a very
large volume" than anything else.
Home Building Urged.
“If we could build one or two mil
lion homes of *5.000 each.” he said,
"it would do more than a *4.000.000 -
000 appropriation toward reviving the
durable goods industries and taking
up the employment slack.”
"What can be done to restore con
fidence of investors in the durable
goods industries?” asked Senator
Couzens. Republican, of Michigan.
"The less we do and the less we
threaten to do the quicker confidence
will be restored and the quicker we
will have prosperity and a recovery.”
"Do you think we ought to adjourn
and go home?” Couzens asked.
“I think that would be very good,”
Young replied, smiling.
"Have you felt that way since
1930?” asked Senator Byrnes, Demo
crat, of South Carolina.
Credit Lies Unused.
"No.” he replied. "We have sound
banks with two and a quarter billions
of unused credit, or the basis for
$25,000,000,000 of operating credit,
and the only thing is to get business
to use it. It will the moment it has
enough confidence.”
Asked by Senator McAdoo. Demo
crat, of California for his ideas on in
flation, the financier said:
"My attitude toward inflation is
!hat I'm apprehensive about it for the
same reason I would be if a man who
had my trusted possessions began tak
ing morphine. Some may say he was
strong and a little morphine might
not hurt him, but I still would be ap
prehensive.”
"Aren't we on an inflation basis
now?” McAdoo asked.
"If you mean we've had so much
currency and credit in use. I say no.
If you mean there is a base on which
to get it, I say yes. We are not in
danger because it can only be ex
panded as business uses it. That's
the check.”
Questioned on Optimism.
To another question from Couzens
as to whether durable goods indus
tries were optimistic. Young said it
depended on whether reviving con
fidence is shattered again or continued
and built up.
Asked by Senator Byrnes if these
Industries would not be boosted if half
of the *4,000,000,000 work-relief money
went into materials. Young answered
he did not believe that much would
be used for that purpose, and even
though it were it "would not have a
tremendous effect on the durable
goods market because it is such a
large field.”
_ Asserting the omnibus bill dealt in
(Continued on Page 2, Column 3.)
1,500 ACCOUNTING
EMPLOYES NEEDED
General Office Authorized to Add
Workers to Care for Re
lief Spending;.
The General Accounting Office will
add about 1,500 employes to care for
the increased auditing work under the
S4.880.000.000 work-relief act, it was
made known today after a $6,000,000
allotment fr8m the fund was granted
the Accounting Office.
Clerks, typists and auditors will be
among the classes employed, but noth
ing will be done in this line for the
next 30 or 60 days, it was empha
sized, as additional space first must
be acquired to house the new force.
The employes will come both from
civil service registers and outside
civil service.
The Accounting Office now em
ploys about 2,700 jfrsons. i
JOHNSON SUMMONED
BY ROOSEVELT TO AID
IN N. R. A. BILL DRAFT
Brings White House Tentative
Measure for Suspension of
Anti-Trust Law.
PRICE W AR REPORTS OFFSET
VOLUNTARY CODE SUPPORT
Impression Grows That Constitutional
Amendment Is Only Way to
Remedy Situation.
Bj the Associated Pres*. 9
The New Deal probed vainly today for means to meet the
extraordinary problem presented by the Supreme Court blasting
of N. R. A.
Officials assayed conflicting reports about preservation of code
wage and hour standards.
Gratification over public announcements that many businesses
would observe codes voluntarily was offset by private information
of some moves to cut wages and lengthen hours. While refusing
to speak for quotation, one key N. R. A. officer predicted a general
code breakdown.
v President Roosevelt, pursuing his own studies silently, was
believed to be waiting especially for two things: First, a consensus
from both his administrative and legislative advisers on how to
proceed, and, second, a crystallization of public opinion.
“Interstate Commerce” Definition Sought.
Perhaps surmounting both was an attempt to define “inter
state commerce” in the light of the broad decision that goods
which affect interstate commerce only indirectly were not subject
to Federal jurisdiction.
There was a pronounced impression that, under the decision,
it would be extremely difficult to embrace N. R. A. principles in any
law, and so a constitutional amendment would be necessary if the
New Deal is not to alter its announced objectives.
Hugh S. Johnson, who guided the Blue Eagle through its
heyday, was called to the White House from New York to partici
pate in the discussions. He went to work drafting a tentative
plan of legislation.
This invitation brought back to the White House scene the man
who. with United States Senator Robert F. Wagner, drafted the
original national industrial recovery act.
The decision to ask Johnson to return, it was learned, was
made late yesterday and Johnson at once set to work in preparing
new legislation.
Tentative Outline Is Given.
In one-well-informed quarter the new legislation was outlined
tentatively along this line: Coneress could give authority to the
Federal Trade Commission to suspend provisions of the anti-trust
act and allow industry and labor to voluntarily band together
under codes of fair practice.
Industries so operating could be given an insignia—the Blue
Eagle or something corresponding to it—to show the public they
were operating under voluntary codes.
-■ ■ - . ■■■ " ■ «j
Costigan Revives
Plan for New Deal
22nd Amendment
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
An amendment to the Constitution,
legalizing the New Deal, introduced
in the Senate by Senator Costigan of
Colorado, leaped into the limelight to
day as a possible solution of the pre
dicament in which the New Deal finds
itself due to the Supreme Court N.
R A. decision.
i Senator Costigan said his resolution
proposing an amendment to the Con
! rtitution was in the hands of a sub
committee of the Judiciary Commit
tee, headed by Senator King of Utah.
I The Colorado Senator added that he
! planned to press for early considera
tion and already has talked with a
number of Senators in regard to it.
Members of the subcommittee, be
sides Senator King, are Logan of
Kentucky. Burke of Nebraska. Norris
of Nebraska and Hastings of Dela
ware.
In order to expedite ratification of
the amendment. Senator Costigan
suggested a conference of the Gov
ernors of the 48 States might be called.
Such a conference could be held as
1 soon as Congress has submitted the
proposed amendment to the States. If
the proposal is dramatized and it be
comes evident that public opinion is
back of the New Deal and the better
, regulation of business and labor. Sen
’ ator Costigan believes ratification may
be obtained within a year.
He admitted speed was of the es
sence if effective action is to be had.
The Costigan amendment would em
power Congress to regulate hours and
conditions of labor and to establish
minimum wages in any employment.
It also would empower Congress to
regulate production, industry, business.
trade and commerce to prevent unfair
methods and practices therein.
Text of Amendment.
The text of the amendment is as
follows; ^ „ .
"Section 1. The Congress shall have
(Continued on Page 4, Column 3.)
DISBARMENT URGED
FOR TWO LAWYERS
Ickes Complaint Is Backed in
Illinois by Board of Chi
cago Bar.
Disbarment of two Chicago lawyers.
Lucius J. M. Malmin and C. W. Lar
son. on complaint of Secretary of In
terior Ickes. was recommended today
to the Supreme Court of Illinois by (
the Board of Managers and Commit
tee on Grievances of the Chicago Bar
Association, acting as commissioners ,
of the Supreme Court, it was an- :
nounced here.
Secretary Ickes made the com
plaint last March 24. charging the ;
two attorneys, after a series of con
ferences and correspondence, had at- !
tempted by threat to force his sup- j
port for the appointment of Malmin
as Governor of the Virgin Islands.
The threat, which Ickes termed |
"blackmail” at the time, related to a
probate case which Ickes handled In
1929 before his elevation to a cabinet
past.
Hie Probate Court of Cooke County
and the Chicago Bar Association,
which investigated, found no unpro
fessional conduct on the pert of Ickes
in handling this ease.
The two attorneys will have 10 days
in which to file objections to the re
port. 3
• Trie voluntary xartor wouio oe con
stantly stressed under this tentative
outline and industry would more ap
proximate self-regulation—something
biz business has been advocating for
more than a decade.
This proposal would also give wide
authority to the Federal Trade Com
mission—or whatever body Congress
delegated as the forum under which
industry and labor came tozether—to
protect the consuming public.
Johnson was a frequent critic of
some of the provisions of the N. I. R. A.
He has for more than a decade
studied the field of industrial regula
tion, mainly In collaboration with
Bernard M. Baruch.
Co-ordinated Provisions.
While all of the provisions of the
N. I. R. A. were not of his preparing,
he co-ordinated practically all of the
provisions into the final legislation.
It is known that the White House
regards him as one of the few men
qualified to draft legislation in this
field.
Johnson was in New York yesterday
for an address. When word was re
ceived from Washington that his
services were desired in preparing any
new legislation he left at once for the
Capital.
It was emphasised that Johnson
would engage only in aiding the draft
ing of new legislation and that he
would not accept any administrative
position.
Donald R. Richberg. N. R. A. chief
tain. still was holding conferences
with many interested in the recovery
law. seeking ideas and suggestions.
Among those he arranged to see to
day was Senator Wagner. Democrat,
of New York, author of the original
law.
Still marking time until the effect
of the N. R. A. decision is analyzed
and a program decided, the House
today agreed to recess until Friday
and meet on that day for only a few
minutes.
The only rpason for the Friday
meeting was the constitutional re
quirement that neither branch of
Congress may recess more than three
days without the consent of the other.
A committee representing 47 oil
trade associations called on the Presi
dent to report its request for con*
(Continued on Page 4, Column 1.)
STOCKS CONTINUE
ON LOWER COURSE
Rails and Utilities Attract Some
Buying, but Industrials
Decline Further.
By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. May 29 —Speculative
security and commodity markets con
tinued downgrade today, although at
a slower pace than yesterday.
Uncertainties over the adjustments
to be made as result of the Supreme
Court's blow to N. R. A. still dom
inated speculative sentiment. In
vestors. however, showed no inclina
tion to sell bonds, and the bond mar
ket generally maintained a steady
tone.
In shares, rails and utilities again
attracted some buying, with a few
issues advancing as much as a dollar,
but Industrials were mostly lower, with
numerous declines of 50 cents to more
than $1 a share.
In the Chicago staple markets
grains were again steady, with wheat
opening Vi cent a bushel lower to Vi
of a cent higher. But in the New
York futures markets cotton lost
about 75 cents a bale and hides, silk,
rubber and sugar were a little lower.
Copper futures, however, stiffened a
little. £