Evening star. [volume], February 21, 1936, Image 1

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

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WEATHER.
(V. 8 Weather Bureau Forecast ! The on]v oV0nin<r nanav
Cloudy, possibly light snow late this •'«!?• ^Veiling paper
afternoon and early tonight; minimum 111 Washington With the
temperature tonight about 14 degrees; Associated Npwq
tomorrow fair, not much change in tern- t'fj YiV- . .eWS
perature. Temperatures—Highest, 28, at 311(1 WirephOtO Services.
5 p.m. yesterday; lowest, 14, at 5:45 a.m.
Closing New York Markets, Page 18 ___ Circulation Over 140,000
No. 33,533. Entered a, -ond cias^t^___WASHINGTON, D. C., FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1936—FORTY-SIX PAGES. ***_<*> Mean, Awcuted pr«». TWO CENTS. "
HOUSE AMENDS
FARM BILL FOR
CONSUMERNEEDS
McCormack Proposal Sim
ilar to That Defeated
by Senate.
MEASURE EXPECTED
TO PASS BY TONIGHT
Group Protesting Lack of Hear
ing Given Audience by Bank
head and Snell.
BACKGROUND—
As solution to problem of aiding
agriculture, issue raised by invali
dation of A. A. A. by Supreme
Court, administration leaders are
pressing legislation involving pro
gram of Federal subsidies based
upon soil conservation. ,
Measure already has passed the
Senate and is now under considera
tion in House. Yesterday, House
stfbstiiuted its committee version
for Senate bill, although no major
differences exist between two.
Other congressional friends of
farmers favor plans for tariff
equalization, export debentures and
various other devices.
By the Associated Press.
The House today wrote a strong
consumer-protection amendment into
the new farm bill and pushed the
measure ahead toward passage tonight.
The amendment was proposed by
Representative McCormack. Democrat,
of Massachusetts. It would direct, the
Secretary of Agriculture to work to
ward a pre-war “parity" income for
the farmer without discouraging pro
duction to a point below the 1920-^9
average domestic consumption. Ac
cepted by Chairman Jones of the
Agriculture Committee, the consumer
proviso was along the lines of the
Wagner amendment, defeated by a
Wide margin in the Senate.
After McCormack had explained
the interests of his industrial area in
protection of the consumer. Jones
told the House the amendment was
acceptable since it included the 1908
1914 “parity” objective for farm in
come. This would be attained by
seeking to re-establish the ratio of
that period between the net income of
the farmer and non-farmer.
The amendment was adopted on a
Voice vote.
Protest Is Heard.
Before the House met, representa
tives of several organizations headed
by the people’s lobby were given a
formal “protest” audience by Major
ity Leader Bankhead of Alabama and
Minority Leader Snell of New York.
They complained that the bill, al
ready passed in the Senate, was be
ing put through without any hearings.
Republicans on the floor have voiced
similar complaints.
“I don’t see how at this stage of the
game, in all candor, there is anything
I can do,” Bankhead told them. “It
was an emergency situation requiring
speed. The Agriculture Committee
has always been very liberal in hold
ing hearings.”
Snell nodded assent.
The protestors as identified by Ben
jamin C. Marsh, secretary of the
People's Lobby, were, in addition to
himself, the National Committee on
Rural Social Planning, Farm Research,
Inc.; the Southern Tenant Farmers’
Union, the Workers’ Alliance and the
League for Industrial Democracy.
Since House leaders plan to pass the
measure as an amendment to very
similar bill recently approved by the
Senate, further action by the latter
chamber will be necessary before the
legislation goes to the White House.
The main battle is on the Boileau
(Progressive of Wisconsin) amend
ment to prevent subsidized farmers
from producing dairy commodities
with the aid of land taken out of
wheat, cotton or other production,
leaders were confident this amend
ment would be beaten. Chairman
Jones, Democrat, of Texas, of the
House Agriculture Committee said it
would make the bill unconstitutional.
By the same token, the leaders were
confident of snowing under a proposal
by Representative Andresen, Repub
lican, of Minnesota, to repeal the law
under which the administration has
been making international agreements
for mutual tariff reductions.
Some of the minority, in turn, under
Representative Taber, Republican, of
New York, stored up trouble for a
Jones amendment to authorize use of
$2,000,000 of relief funds for wind
erosion work in the duststorm areas of
Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Okla
homa and Texas. This proposal was
supported, though, by Representative
Hope of Kansas, ranking Republican
on the Agriculture Committee. Yes
terday he announced he would sup
port the administration bill as a step
In the right direction. He is a frieDd
of Gov. Alf M. Landon of Kansas.
Art
Books
Music
Churches
Features
in
the bigger and better
SATURDAY STAR
Be Sure and Get Your Copy
Watch for it Each Week
A |
Civil Service for Postmasters
Is Favored by Roosevelt
President Also Approves Placing of
Emergency Agencies on Same Basis
When They Become Permanent.
President Roosevelt announced to
day that he favors legislation bringing
all postmasters under civil service,
along with employes of Federal emer
gency agencies as fast as the agencies
become permanent.
The President recalled that as far
back as 1913 he advocated putting
first, second and third class post
masters on a civil service basis. He
explained that while he is not urging
such legislation at this session, he
expects to continue conferences on
the subject.
The President indicated it would be
difficult to conduct examinations for
the great number of employes hired
for emergency duty because of the
length of time required.
He hopes, however, in time to have
civil service status extended to all
emergency agencies as fast as they
become permanent.
The President did not designate
which agencies he had in mind, al
though in his budget message to Con
gress he said the success of the A. A.
A. and the Civilian Conservation
Corps warranted their designation as
‘‘regular activities” of the Govern
ment.
While the Supreme Court killed the
A. A. A. the same day the message
was delivered the pending soil con
servation-subsidy farm bill would set
up a permanent State-aid system.
OHIO G. 0. P. POLLED
Straw Vote Seeks to Bring
Strong Candidate Against
Idahoan.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
The Republican organization In
Ohio does not intend to let Senator
William E. Borah win the State's dele
gation to the Republican National
Committee by default, if it can be
avoided. The State committee, through
Chairman Schorr, has begun a poll of
a large number of Republicans, ask
ing first choice for President.
When this poll has been completed
it is apparently the intention of the
State organization to place a slate
of delegates in the field committed to
the winner in the poll as first choice
for President, and the second man
as second choice. The Ohio leaders
opposed to Borah hope, through the
results of such a poll, to bring into
the State primary a candidate who
may defeat the Idaho Senator.
It looks as though Senator Borah,
who has been demanding an open
fight in the Ohio primary, with all
candidates for the presidential nomi
nation competing, had about forced
the organization into line. He wants
a contest, believing he can win. The
organization leaders are seeking to
induce a strong candidate to come
into Ohio wdth whom they hope to
defeat Borah.
Results of Poll Awaited.
The results of the poll might, it is
true, show Borah as the first choice
of the greatest number. If that were
the case, then the organization would
nave uj go aiung wiin uoran, or pick
the second choice in the poll as the
man to back in the primary, or go back
to the old “favorite son" candidate
plan.
If the poll now being conducted
shows, for example, that Gov. Alf M.
Landon of Kansas Is first choice or
that Col. Knox of Illinois or Senator
Vandenberg of Michigan is first
choice, will the winner of the poll
give his written consent to use his
name on the primary ballot? Under
the law, such consent must be ob
tained.
The poll, obviously, is being used as
a bait to bring Landon or Knox or
some other candidate into Ohio against
Borah. Whether the Kansas Governor
will rise to it is another thing. His
friends here today declined to make a
guess. The Landon strategy has been
so far not to engage in conflict with
other candidates, like Borah and Knox,
hoping at the convention to inherit
some of their delegate strength at the
proper time. It is said that he is par
ticularly friendly toward the Idaho
Senator.
Poll May Be Criticised.
If and when the results of the poll
now being conducted by the Ohio State
committee chairman are made public,
should they show some candidate
other than Borah — Landon, for ex
ample—running ahead, the Borah
supporters may be expected to charge
that the poll after all was a “hand
picked” affair, and therefore not a real
test of public sentiment. Those who
are interested in the poll, however, as
serted today that a very careful ef
fort is being made to get a real cross
section of Republican sentiment in the
(See BORAH, Page 5.)
THREE ALARMS FALSE
Police Seek Two Youths in Auto
Reported by Pedestrians.
Second precinct police today sought
two youths who last night turned in
three false alarms within 20 minutes
at Fourteenth and R streets, Twelfth
and Q streets and Thirteenth and R
streets.
Pvt. E. C. Helms, assigned to in
vestigate the case, was told by a
passerby that the culprits rode in a
black automobile decorated by a red
stripe. The alarms were sounded at
11:51 p.m„ 12:05 a.m. and 12:10 a.m.
POPE ASKS BENES
TO PROPOSE PEACE
Paris Newspaper Reports
Czech President Gets
Prelate’s Plea.
By the Associated Press.
PARIS, February 21.—The newspa
per L'Oeuvre said today that Pope
Pius has requested Eduard Benes,
President of Czechoslovakia, to act as
peacemaker between Premier Musso
lini and the League of Nations’ coun
tries which have imposed sanctions
against Italy.
The newspaper said that Benes had
imposed the following terms:
1. Italy must reveal the mini
mum terms on which it will ac
cept peace.
2. If these terms are achieved
Italy must promise definitely to ac
cept a settlement of the conflict.
Italians' Position Strong.
ROME. February 21 (JP).—Marshal
■ Pietro Badoglio reported today that
| the first army corps of his forces in
Northern Ethiopia occupied the
; strong position of Aderat, south of
Buia, a town 20 miles south of Makale.
The capture of Aderat was con
sidered most important by military
experts here, because of its situation
as the half-way point between Makale
and Amba Alajl—the latter believed
to be the next major objective of the
Italians.
It was at this point that Italian
forces were driven back in the ill
fated expedition of 1895.
Losses Reported Light.
ADDIS ABABA, February 21 (A>).—
Ethiopian War Minister Has Mulug
heta reported from Dessye today that
he lost 147 men killed and 268 wound
ed in an action south of Makale, on
the northern front.
The principal leader in the north
explained in his communique that the
action was a “strategic retreat,” which
the Italians “vainlv attemDted to nre
vent.”
(The Italian northern army cap
tured Amba Aradam, south of Makale,
in a six-day offensive last week, and
Rome reports estimated from 4,000 to
5,000 Ehtiopians were killed.
The seizure of Amba Aradam was
confirmed by neutral eye-witnesses.)
Another Ethiopian communique said
Italian planes bombed Korem, north
west of Dessye, on the northern front,
and several villages south of Magalo,
on the southern front.
Italian Goods Seized.
JAFFA, Palestine, February 21 (Pal
cor Agency). — The first seizure of
Italian goods under the application of
sanctions in Palestine was reported
here yesterday when port authorities
took possession of 670 tons of Italian
goods, including glassware, pottery
and textiles.
Proceeds of sale of the goods at
auction will revert to the treasury of
the Palestine government.
13-YEAR-OLD CYCLISTS
ON WAY BACK HOME
Richmond Police Turn Boys Away
From Trip Started to Sunny
South.
The penniless, bicycle-riding Flor
ida-bound 13-year-old rovers who set
off Friday for the Southland without
so much as a wave of the hand to
their parents were on their way home
today.
Word of their discovery was sent
anxious parents last night by Rich
mond, Va„ police. The boys are
Stewart Poland, Paul Dayton and
Randolph Hamilton, Powell Junior
High School students.
Syrian Chief Quits.
BEIRUT, Syria, February 21 (/P).—
The secret resignation of the Presi
dent of the Syrian republic, Ahmed
All Bek El-Abed, on February 15, fol
lowing the request of a delegation of
Nationalist women, was learned today.
Double Murder “By the Clock”
Leads to Arrest of Chauffeur
By the Associated Press.
LOS ANGELES, February 21.—A
double “murder by the clock,” with
the fantastic twists of a Action "thrill
er” led today to the arrest of a 25
year-old chauffeur and search for an
other man suspected in the robbery
killing of a middle-aged rooming
house keeper and his wife.
Detective Lieut. Lloyd Patton said
the chauffeur, Fred Stettler, was a
former lodger at the home of Carl
S. Barbour, 66, and his wife, Doro
thea, 61, who were bludgeoned to
death yesterday.
An attempt had been made to de
stroy clues of the double slaying
by Are, set off through an Ingenious
\ '
electrical “timeclock” contrivance.
Stettler was arrested after police
checked the rooming-house register
for persons with a techinical knowl
edge of electricity.
Lieut. Patton said the chauffeur
had in his possession an electric sol
dering iron and wire similar to that
used in the construction of the “time
clock” mechanism. Stettler told offi
cers he had not seen the couple for
a week.
“The case isn’t solved yet, but it
looks like we’re making some -prog
ress," Detective Patton declared.
Detectives hoped the methodical
way in which the crime was planned
would lead to the apprehension of
tfetaCUBBSR* Page
f
DUD IN SPANISH
Martial Law Declared and
Hundreds of Political
Prisoners Freed.
COMMUNIST FLAGS
RAISED IN SOME TOWNS
Huelva Province Killings Follow
Attack by Extremists on Vil
lage Conservatives.
BACKGROUND—
Spanish elections of last' Sunday
resulted in sweeping victory for
Leftist faction; rioting started on
that day and has continued inter
mittently since then. Victorious
faction campaigned for release of
political prisoners of Socialist re
bellion; since election day have
demonstrated against administra
tion of President Zamora.
Spanish Republic was established
on April 14. 1931. Alfonso, former
Kina is now in exile.
(Copyright. 1936. by the Associated Press.!
MADRID, February 21.—Civil Guards
killed 2 extremist rioters and wounded
10 more at Bollullos del Condado,
Huelva Province, today raising the
total of election dead to 27 persons.
The new Leftist government of
Manuel Azana was forced to declare
martial law in many communities as
a result of increased rioting by the
celebrating Leftists.
Civil Guards and troops were active
everywhere, attempting to restore or
der. while hundreds of political pris
oners were released from jails.
Red flags were raised by Communists
in several isolated villages.
Conservatives Attacked.
The killings at Bollullos del Condado
were precipitated by a crowd of ex
tremists who attacked Conservatives
of the village.
The Civil Guards, Spain's semi- !
military constabulary tried to break :
up the fight, but failing, shot a vol- j
ley into the extremist ranks.
One of the men wounded in last
night's riot in Barcelona died today.
One hundred guards, armed with
machine guns, were dispatched to the
town of Ecija, in the far southwestern
Province of Huelya, where Com
munists proclaimed a Soviet state and
raised their red flag.
Police clashed with another group
of demonstrators, displaying the red
flag in Hoyo Pinares, Avila Province,
and one woman was killed there.
Question of Amnesty.
The government decided to ask
President Niceto Alcala Zamora’s sig
nature to a decree authorizing the
cabinet to submit to the Permanent
Parliamentary Committee the question
of an immediate amnesty for all polit
ical prisoners.
In view of the mounting demonstra
tions by the Leftists, reluctant to
wait until the amnesty could be de
bated by the Parliament, the govern
ment arranged for an early meeting
of the parliamentary commission on
the question.
Informed sources said a decree of
general amnesty for all political pris
oners—many of them held since the
Socialist revolution of October, 1934—
probably would be drafted and signed
Saturday, to become effective upon
publication in- the official gazette
Monday.
A riotous demonstration at Bar
celona, where Leftists carrying the
Catalonian flag of independence, used
during the 1934 revolution, demanded
quick liberation of all persons held
for political offenses, prompted the
government action.
Release of 10,000 to 20,000.
Prison cells were emptying already
under a government order granting
provisional liberty to from 10,000 to
20,000 persons against whom charges
had not yet been preferred and those
convicted but not yet sentenced.
Those sentenced to short terms were
ordered released pending appeals, but
the more important prisoners, includ
ing leaders of the Austrian revolt,
serving life sentences, were forced to
await a geenral amnesty law.
Two demonstrators died in clashes
with police and three were wounded
seriously when Rightists fired from a
balcony into a group of parading
Leftists. Five persons were killed in
(See SPAIN, Page 4.;
JAPANESE LEFTISTS
GAIN IN BALLOTING
17 Proletarians Win Seats in Par
liament— Minseito Party
Leads Seiyukai.
By the Associated Press.
TOKIO Febraury 21.—A gain of 14
seats in Parliament for candidates of
Proletarian parties (the Leftists of
Japan) featured the returns tonight
from the national election.
The Proletarians, who held three
seats in the last Parliament, had
elected 17 to the next on the basis of
returns up until 8 p.m. The votes al
ready counted are mainly from city
districts.
On the basis of these returns, the
Minseito party, closely allied with the
government of Premier Admired
Keisuke Okada, was leading the
Seiyukai party by 105 to 84 seats.
This margin for the Minseitos does
not, however, mean victory, for they
have always been favored by the
cities, while the real strength of the
Seiyukai party lies in the rural dis
tricts. . There are 466 seats in the
House of Representatives.
Japanese Launch Destroyer.
YOKOSUKA, Japan, February 21
UP).—The Japanese navy launched
today the destroyer Yamakaze, of 1,
368 tons, capable of making 34 knots
and bearing five 12.7 centimeter guns.
There are to be 15 destroyers in this
class. Eleven are being built or have
been appropriated for.
3UT. DOC. X
DoNY you Think \
I OUGHT TO DO
SOMETHIMO BESIDES
Being Santa Claus? J
Governor Still Believes Case
Unsolved, but Plans
No Reprieve.
By the Associated Press.
TRENTON, N. J., February 21.—
Gov. Harold G. Hoffman, “more con
vinced than ever" by Bruno Richard
Hauptmann’s silence that the Lind
bergh kidnap-slaying is still unsolved,
pressed his investigation of the crime
today.
The withdrawal of Samuel S. Leibo
witz, New York criminal lawyer, from
participation in Hauptmann's defense
activities, and statements indicating
Leibowitz believes Hauptmann is
guilty, have not influenced the Gov
ernor’s views of the case, he said last
night.
“I had hoped," he said, "that Mr.
Leibowitz in almost nine hours of
questioning might have been able to
get something from Hauptmann if he
had anything to tell.”
No Reprieve Planned.
The Governor, though, said he has
made no plans for another reprieve for
Hauptmann, who is to go to the electric
chair the week of March 30.
Either today or tomorrow Col. H.
Norman Schwarzkopf, superintendent
of the New Jersey State Police, will
give him the third weekly report on
the progress of the reopened State
police investigation.
Col. Mark O. Kimberling, principal
keeper at State prison, said the “loose
talk" of an employe had given rise to
reports that notes written by Haupt
mann in the death house showed a
similarity in handwriting to the ran
som notes. Kimberling said the un
derling had been reprimanded. No
study was being made to compare the
notes with the ransom letters, the
keeper said. •
Hauptmann himself, his chief cottn
sel, C. Lloyd Fisher, said, is fully aware
of the hopelessness of his situation,
but is still in good physical and mental
condition.
Fisher said he had written to and
j in.. ♦ „ t.u. ti
Condon, the “Jafsie” of the ransom
negotiations, about his reported state
ment that he was offered $250,000 to
change his testimony, and to explain
purported discrepancies in his story.
He said he has received no reply.
“If it is necessary to ask the attor
ney general to get Dr. Condon back
here, I will,” Fisher said. Condon is
in Panama.
Leibowitc Uses Old Ruse.
Lelbowitz, in his last visit to Haupt
mann's cell, used a variation of an
old third-degree trick to try to frighten
Hauptmann and persuade him “to tell
the whole truth.”
Leibowitz’s plan was to make Haupt
mann visualize the proximity of the
electric chair, separated from the cell
block by a door. How he did it was
described by a person who was present
at the interview Wednesday.
Guards removed the screen from
Hauptmann's cell, as he pointed to
flaws in the condemned man's story.
Then he moved to the door of the
execution chamber, looked through a
peep hole and asked a guard casually
if that was the chair he saw.
The person who observed these hap
penings said Hauptmann paled and
gripped the bars. He shivered and
sighed and, for a moment, lost his
voice. But he quickly recovered.
Leibowitz’s plan had failed.
Icebreaker Believed Lost.
BAKU, Russia, February 21 (A1).—A
search in the Caspian vicinity of
Chechen Island, where the Soviet ice
breaker Shaumian was believed to
have foundered with 31 persons
aboard, proved fruitless today and it
was feared all perished.
Readers9 Guide
Pages.
Amusements_C-3
Answers to Questions-A-10
Comics .. ...C-6
Cross-word Puzzle_C-6
Editorials_A-10
Finance _A-17-18-19
Lost and Found_A-ll
Radio .-B-14
Serial Story_B-ll
Short Story_C-5
Society_B-2
Sports_C-l-2
Washington Wayside_A-16
Woman’s Features_C-4
I .
.
Woman, in Disguise,
Loses Railroad Job
When W'ind Lifts Cap
By the Associated Press.
BOSTON. February 21.—A gust
of wind blew off a Boston &
Maine Railroad snow shoveler’s
cap today and disclosed the work
er was a woman.
Her iong hair gave away her
disguise.
Dressed as a man, the unidenti
fied woman had worked with a
crew of shovelers for three days,
the railroad announced, and
might still have been employed at
40 cents an hour if her sex had
not been revealed.
Efforts to learn her identity by
checking the pay roll were futile.
DETECTIVE FACES
HIT-RUN HEARING
His Car Found Damaged,
Boys’ Club Head Denies
He Was Driver.
John P. MeshkofT, fourth precinct
detective detailed to duty as director
of the Metropolitan Police Boys’ Club.
' and until recently an instructor in
the police school, early today was
ordered to appear before the cor
poration counsel to be questioned on
! whether he was driving his car last
| night when it sped away after a col
lision in which three persons were
hurt. The hearing will be held
Wednesday.
Herman Norris, 36, of 1456 T street,
the driver of the taxicab with which
■ the MeshkofT car was in collision
at 12:45 a.m. at Seventh and F streets
southwest, faced MeshkofT in the
fourth precinct station and said he
was the hit-and-run driver. The
detective vehemently denied the ac
cusation and explained the last he
saw of his car was at 7:30 p.m., when
he parked it on Ordway street.
Three Treated at Hospital.
Norris was treated at Emergency
Hospital for abrasions, along with his
two passengers, James Douglas, 30,
colored, of 1013 Fifteenth street and
Aloysius Brow'n. 24, colored, of 28
Wniirf AAntVi ctrAA* tirVtrt cliffArAH Idfprfl
tions. Neither identified Meshkoff as
the driver of the car.
The taxicab suffered superficial
damage, but Meshkoff's coupe, found
abandoned in the 300 block of I street
southwest by police half an hour after
the accident, was said to be badly
damaged.
Although Meshkoff was not charged
on the precinct blotter, his superior
officer, Lieut. Oscar Letterman, who
investigated the case, declared:
“Sufficient evidence developed to
warrant presentation of the case to
the corporation counsel.”
Investigated at Scene.
Letterman hurried to the intersec
tion of Seventh and F streets south
west as soon as word of the collision
reached the station. He found the
taxicab, its front crumpled, parked
by the curb and learned that its occu
pants had been taken to the hospital.
He ordered a search made for the
missing coupe.
When he learned the car was regis
tered in Meshkoff’s name, Letterman
called Meshkoff from his home, where
the detective insisted he had been
since the time he parked his auto.
"The last I saw of that car was
when I left it on Ordway street,” Let
terman quoted Meshkoff as saying.
-•- •
Polish Party Disbanded.
WARSAW, Poland, February 21 VP).
—The National Democratic party of
Upper Silesia was ordered disbanded
today on charges of conducting anti
Semitic agitation.
j-|cBlue Streaklc!
| Noon Edition
The NOON EDITION of The Star will continue to
be sold by newsboys and newstands throughout the j
| city at ONE CENT per copy until further notice. j
I Just Think of it! 1
TREASONSENTENCE
GIVEN U. S. CITIZEN
Nisselbeck Receives Term in
Reich in Traitorous
Attempt.
By the Associated Press.
MUNICH, Germany, February 21.—
Charles Nisselbeck, naturalized United
States citizen tried for “attempted
high treason,” was sentenced today
to two years’ imprisonment, of which
he has served nine months while un
der investigation.
The prosecuting attorney had asked
that Nisselbeck be sentenced to six
years’ imprisonment, charging that
the defendant “was prepared to enter
into communication with Otto Stras
ser,” exiled leader of the anti-Hitler
“Black Front.”
Declared Agent of Stahlhelm.
The defense insisted, however, that
Nisselbeck was an agent of the
Stahlhelm, disbanded war veterans’
organization, and that he had no in
tention of overthrowing the German
government.
The court failed to accede to the
prosecutor’s demand for six years’
penal servitude, holding that, while
Nisselbeck attempted to assist Strasser,
his approval of Strasser’s ideas was not
established.
The main point against Nisselbeck
was that he attempted to arrange a
loan through a Jewish firm, ostensibly
for Strasser’s use, although Nissel
beck said he tried to raise the money
to gain Strasser’s confidence, in order
to exploit any information thus re
ceived for the Stahlhelm's purposes.
The court president ruled that
“the end does not justify the means
when Germany's welfare is at stake."
Second Defendant Acquitted.
Rudolf Kflnzlpr pnnthpr dpfpnriant
in the case, was acquitted because
the prosecution failed to prove that
he attempted a treasonable act,
Alfons Hartmann, German alleged
accomplice of Nisselbeck, was sen
tenced to nine months’ imprisonment,
which he has already spent in jail
during the investigation.
Nisselbeck returned from the court
to the jail, after hearing his sentence,
apparently not planning an appeal.
He accepted the sentence calmly, but
his 35-year-old wife, worn and wor
ried, was near collapse because the
status of her American citizenship was
considered doubtful, although her 11
year-old child was born in the United
States.
Mrs. Nisselbeck expressed belief that
her husband shouldered much of the
blame for the case, in order to help
Kanzler.
FILING DATE EXTENDED .
FOR MOTOR CARRIERS
The Interstate Commerce Commis
sion today extended until March 23
the time in which trucks and busses
must file schedules of their charges
and rates under the new motor car
rier act.
The effective date of these tariffs,
April 1, is not changed, however.
The original filing date was March
2, and the commission explained that
the delay was granted “in response
to the earnest requests of numerous
motor carriers and their associa
tions.”
Swanson Recovering.
The most optimistic report in more
than a week on the condition of Sec
retary Swanson, ill of pleurisy and a
fractured rib, came today from Naval
Hospital.
Capt. George C. Thomas, comman
dant, said the Navy chief has been im
proving “continuously” for several
days. He is “getting along fine” and
should recover unless something now
unforeseen develops, Thomas added.
ROOSEVaT TURNS
THUMBS DOWN ON
0. A. POTOMAC
Opposes Proposal Because
He Believes Area Is
Too Small.
EXPLAINS OVERHEAD
WOULD BE TOO GREAT
Rankin, Author of Bill, Says He
Would Be Willing to Con
sider Amendments.
President Roosevelt today turned
thumbs down on a Potomac River
Valley Authority, fashioned on the
lines of the T. V. A., which is the
main feature of a bill introduced in
the House yesterday by Representa
tive Rankin, of Mississippi.
Mr. Roosevelt made it plain that
he would oppose the plan principally
because he does not think the
Potomac Valley area is sufficiently
large to warrant a separate electric
power authority on the part of the
Federal Government.
The President also intimated that
at the present he does not favor a
multiplicity of these power authorities
scattered about rivers throughout the
country. He explained that the over
head cost would be too great for an
authority of this kind in an area as
small as the Potomac Valley.
Has Studied Subject.
Mr. Roosevelt made it evident that
he has given considerable previous
thought to this subject, as well as to
the proposed parkway development
and scenic treatment along the Poto
mac, at least from Mount Vernon to
In this connection, the President re
called that already the Government's
planning includes at least three fea
tures which are included in the Ran
kin venture. The first of these is the
extension and further development
of the highway and parking system
between Mount Vernon and Great
Falls The second feature is the de
velopment of a superhighway from
Great Falls to Gettysburg, Pa., which
is aimed to serve as a highway con
necting the Gettysburg battlefield with
Washington and Mount Vernon.
He said that a commission already
is working on preliminary plans for
this. The third feature, the President
said, calls for the revamping of the old
1 National Highway up the Potomac to
1 Cumberland. This, along with the
i other tentative plans, have in mind
[ the provision for connecting links be
tween this park area and the Blue
Ridge trails and the Great Smoky
Park system farther South, and even
tually a provision to make a connecting
link with the Bear Mountain Highway
park system in New York State and
the Berkshire Mountains in New Eng
land.
Rankin Denies Conflict.
After being informed of the Presi
dent’s view, Rankin issued a statement
in which he said there is no conflict
between the administration's attitude
and his on the power question, and that
he would be willing to consider any
amendment to make his bill conform
to the administration’s wishes.
The statement also declared that
electricity consumers in the District,
Maryland, West Virginia and Dela
ware are overcharged $24,000,000 a
year and that the people of Virginia
are overcharged more than $9,000,000
(See POTOMAC-T.V.A., Page 5.)
SIX BALLOONS MISSING
Russians in Endurance Test With
Temperature 8 Below.
MOSCOW, February 21 (#>.—'The
whereabouts of five small “jump
ing balloons,’’ which ascended from
Moscow yesterday morning in a tem
perature of 8 below' zero, with an air
man strapped to an open seat sus
pended by ropes from each bag, were
unreported today.
The balloons are of 150 cubic meters
capacity each, and the airmen had
orders to remain aloft for 24 hours
as an endurance test. They were
wearing fur clothes and helmets.
Another balloon of 900 cubic meters,
which took off at the same time with
four men in a gondola, was likewise
unreported.
- - - *
I
The Airport
Issue
—"0—* i
What have other cities done
to solve the problem of an
adequate air terminal, one of I
the most harrassing issues
confronting Washington offi
cials today?
The Star assigned Alice
Rogers Hager to find out the
answer to that question.
Literally taking wings, Mrs. i
Hager flew thousands of miles,
-visited numerous airports and
interviewed many municipal |
and aviation executives to get
a complete story of the pub
licly-owned airport. What it
must offer, how it may be built,
the provisions that must be
made for ever larger and faster
airplanes, these are some of
the questions to which she
found a ready-made answer in
many of the country’s larger
cities.
Her story, one of especial in
terest to all Washingtonians,
will appear in the Feature
Section
—of—
The Sunday Star
I