Evening star. [volume], April 12, 1936, Page A-2, Image 2

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

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CALLES CHARGES
MEXICOGOES RED
Dictatorship Along Soviet
Lines Is Objective, He
Says in U. S.
BACKGROUND— '
Mexican authorities, accusing
Gen. Plutarco Calles of responsibil
ity for the bombing of a train
which was wrecked as it was cross
ing a bridge headed for Mexico
City, ordered him expelled from
Mexico.
Calles, once president of Mex
ico. elected on a labor ticket, had
left Mexico in protest over radical
tendencies, returning last December,
By Uw Associated Press.
LOS ANGELES, April 11—Defiant
In exile, Plutarco Elias Calles tonight
accused the government which ban
ished him of attempting a dictator
ship in Mexico "on the Russian plan.”
"And because I opposed it, I was
exiled," snapped Mexico’s “strong
man," President for 11 years, after
reaching his exile destination at the
end of a forced airplane trip from
Mexico City. With him were three
exiled political aides.
He .said his expulsion came after
friends of President Lazaro Cardenas
spread word Calles was responsible j
for the dynamiting of a train, was J
guilty of treason, and was conspiring ;
to create a situation that would cause
the United States to intervene in
Mexico.
Treason Charge "Ridiculous.”
"Actually,” Calles said, "the crim
inal act of dynamiting that train was
a result of the anarchism rampant
in the country. To be an anarchist
is to lose all respect for the value of
human life.
As lor me accusation oi treason
against me, that's ridiculous. I have
always defended the Interests of my
country against intervention from the
outside. In the second place, I have
no influence or authority, either
among my people or among the
American people, to Influence a situ
ation tending toward intervention.”
In a long and careful analysis of
what he said are the prevailing polit
ical trends in Mexico, he asserted:
“The government wants to change
the constitutional status of the coun
try to implant communism, which
the people as a whole do not want.
Complete Dictatorship.
“The government, by backing the
Communists, is trying to crush all
ether groups. This accounts for the
sporadic internal disturbances in
Mexico today.
“The tendency of the radical
groups Is to force immediately a con
dition of complete government owner
ship and thereby impose a complete
dictatorship of the proletariat, modeled
on the Russian plan."
He stood in opposition to this trend,
he said, and his sudden explusion w as
the answer.
“I opposed, within the law, that
kind of politics, which is not appro
priate to our industrial condition. I
. Judged it would be ruinous to the
principles of the working class, and
the rights of the people as a whole.”
COUNTRY HELD IN CHAOS.
Done With Politics, Calles Wants to
Return Home.
EL PASO, Tex.. April 11 OF).—Gen.
Plutarco Elias Calles, shorn Sampson
of Mexico, declared today he had been
banished by a “country sw-ept with
chaos" as he paused in his hurried
air trip to a California exile.
Despite his Insistence that he is
"through with politics,” the now
weakened "strong man" told question
ers that he wants to return to his
native country.
During his brief luncheon stop here
Calles assailed in bitter terms the
man who sent him into forced exile.
“Cardenas (President Lazaro Car
denas) has gone into a field of which
he knows nothing." Calles asserted.
"This field is Socialism and Commu
nism. There is a complete state of
anarchy in Mexico at present; there
are hundreds of strikes and the coun
try is being swept with chaos.”
PERMITTED TRIP HOME.
Calles' Son Allowed Return to Adjust
Affairs.
BROWNSVILLE, Tex., April 11 OP).
—Alfredo E. Calles, son of Plutarco
Elias Calles, exiled former President
of Mexico, received permission late to
day from the Mexican department of
interior to return to Mexico City to
adjust his business affairs.
His first effort to return this morn
ing was thwarted by immigration au
thorities, who said they had been or
dered to bar him. He appealed Imme
diately by telegraph to Silvano Barba
Gonzales, minister of the interior. He
will leave here tomorrow morning.
The telegram did not state how long
Calles would be permitted to remain
In Mexico. It merely informed he
could “return to Mexico to adjust his
affairs."
The youth accompanied his father
here from Mexico City yesterday after
the former "strong man" of Mexico
and three adherents were arrested and
deported.
When the younger Calles attempted
to board a Pan-American plane for the
return trip today, immigration agents
at the airport intervened. “We have
orders to keep you out of Mexico,”
they said.
POLICE GUARDING HOME.
Seek to Forestall Renewal of Social
ists' Attack.
MEXICO CITY, April 11 OP).—Po
lice went on guard tonight around the
residence of former President Plutarco
Elias Calles in the Anzures section
of the city against any renewal of an
attempt by Socialists to seize the
horde of the exiled “iron man of
About 50 members of the General
Confederation of Mexican Workers at
tempted to Invade the property earlier
in the day, but were driven out by
hastily summoned police.
Since Calles and three of his aides
were exiled to the United States by
order of President Lazaro Cardenas
yesterday, a general dispute has
sprung up among Calles’ enemies as
to what steps are to be taken con
cerning his extensive property hold*
logs.
Henry Ford Wed 48 Years.
DBTROIT. April 11 OP).—Mr. and
Mrs. Henry Ford, who recently re
turned from their annual Winter va
cation in the South, observed their
forty - eighth wedding anniversary
quietly today.
At the offices of the Ford Motor
Co. It was said that no ceremony was
planned and that Ford might spend
the day In the engineering labora
tory,!as he did a year ago today,
i •
V •
« «
Trivial Things
That Make
a World
Woman Leads More
Than 1,000 Cou
ples to Altar.
By the Associated Press..
ZAGREB. Yugoslavia.—"Aunt Niko
lays" Mali, head of the St. Stanko
Society, is waging a personal war on
common-law marriages and has
brought single handed to the altar
more than 1,000 couples who had set
up housekeeping without a marriage
ceremony. Among Aunt Nlkolaya’a
converts were a 93-year-old man and
woman who had lived together for 64
years without ecclesiastical blessings.
Picturesque Gendarme to Quit.
PARIS—M. Remy Leclerc, Paris’
bearded gendarme, famed in ditties,
post cards and cartoons, is going to
resign. His drooping mustaches and
beaver beard have made his corner an
attraction for tourists ever since the
exposition of 1889.
Addis Ababa Prices Drop.
ADDIS ABABA.—A visitor today
can get a nice little room in Addis
Ababa for only about $3 or Si—now
that the majority of the army of
war correspondents has gone away.
During the height of the war ex
citement the prices averaged about
$15 in American money a day. A
five-minute taxi ride the length of
Addis’ main street—Makonnen—
can now be accomplished for SO
cents instead of the $2 asked and
paid a few weeks ago.
Pronunciation Problem.
LONDON.—During the first levee
of King Edward's reign one of those
announced was M. Lev Vladimirovich
Antsipochikunski, new naval attache
at the Soviet Embassy.
Olav May Visit U. S.
OSLO, Norway.—Crown Prince Olav
of Norway may visit the United States,
Central and South America this year,
according to plans under discussion
here.
Shakespeare to Be Remembered.
STRATFORD-ON-AVON. — Begin
ning April 13 a 24-week presentation
of plays will be given to commemo
rate the birthday of Shakespeare, gen
erally accepted as April 23. On the
bard’s birth date, the play will be
"Much Ado About Nothing.”
Quits Because of Low Pay.
PARIS.—Henry Clerc, mayor of
Aix-les-Bains, resigned from Parlia
ment “because a poor and honest
Deputy from the provinces couldn’t
live in Paris on his salary " He
predicted a strike of members of
Parliament unless the salary of
62,000 francs (about J4,300J a year
is raised.
King’s Prayer Book Presented.
LONDON.—The late King George's
personal prayer book has been given
to the British and Foreign Bible So
ciety by Queen Mary. It was given
to the Monarch on the seventeenth
anniversary of his marriage, two
months after his succession to the
1 throne. The King's signature is on
the flyleaf.
Hitler's Book Popular.
BERLIN.—More than 2,180.000
copies of Adolf Hitler's book, "My
Struggle.” have been sold, with the
volume now in its 173d edition. First
editions are selling for 120 marks, and
total sales have netted about 15,000,
000 marks. The volume has been
translated into English, Swedish, Chi
nese, Hungarian and Spanish.
—
Floodlights for Highways.
LONDON —E. W. Salt, member of
Parliament, announced that he would
submit a bill to have 10.000 miles of
highways in England floodlighted at
a cost of $10,000 a mile. There are
7,000 persons killed and 190,000 in
jured on England's highways each
year, he said.
School Teachers Adopt Baby.
ADDIS ABABA.—Three unmar
ried American school teachers have
adopted officially a forsaken Italian
baby. An Italian father aban
doned the child when he left Ethio
pia at the start of the war. The
mother, a Greek subject, was un
able to support the child and relin
quished its custody. The foster
mothers, Bertha Dommermuth,
Ruth Shippey and Ellen French,
all of Avoca, N. Y., plan to take the
chili to America for its later edu
cation.
Chief Weds In Style.
SEROME. Behcuanaland, South
Africa. — Chief Tshekedi Khama.
who got a British admiral and 200
Marines sent to his door in 1933 by
ordering the flogging of a white man,
took a wife recently. At the ceremony
many Europeans were present in cut
aways and top hats. The bride, the
daughter of a half-brother of the
chief, wore a modem gown especially
imported for the ceremony.
DANCE PLANS MAPPED
The District Division of the Young
Democratic Clubs ol America an
nounced yesterday that plans had
been completed lor the pre-convention
dance to be given Thursday night at
the Mayflower Hotel.
The Honorary Advisory Board Is
headed by Mrs. Roosevelt and in
cludes Vice President Garner. Secre
tary Hull. Postmaster General Far
ley, Secretary Ickes, Secretary Roper
and a number of members of Con
gress and other officials.
. War on Pnnch Boards.
BLACK MOUNTAIN, N. C. UP}.—
In the opinion ol Rev. O. B. Haigler,
Baptist minister, it was bad enough
for laymen to spend their money on
punch boards, but when "even
preachers" took up the gaming prac
tice—Mr. Haigler and three other
church representatives appealed to the
Board ol Aldermen to prohibit sale and
operation of the boards.__
k
Bulldog Guards Bunny
Easter eggs or not, Lady Patricia, square-jawed, bowlegged
bulldog, apparently is determined no harm shall come to her
adopted pal, the bunny. A. R. Brin of Portland. Oreg., owner of
both pets, said the dog fussed over the little rabbit like a
mother.__-A. P. Photo.
Sharp Dissension Among
Members of House Com
mittee Disclosed.
BACKGROUND—
Out of a vision of $200 per month
for everybody over 60 years old grew
the menacing Townsend political
snowball. To check its course, the
House voted an investigation; placed
four Republican and four Demo
cratic lawyers on the committee.
On March 26, open hearings be
gan before preliminary work of in
vestigators had been completed:
Townsend sympathy was displayed
by at least one committee member
and signs that others were working
at cross purposes were evident. On
April 2, hearings suddenly were re
cessed while investigators scattered
over the country and committee
members followed suit.
By the Associated Press.
Sharp dissension among members of
the special House committee investi
gating the Townsend old-age pension
movement was disclosed yesterday
Although Chairman Bell was out of
town, it was learned that marked dif
ferences of opinion exist over methods
of procedure and the failure thus far
to call Dr. F. E. Townsend, founder
of the plan to give *200 monthly
pensions to all over 60.
It was said to be the view of some
committee members, too, that Robert
E. Clements, resigned national secre
tary of the organization, should have
been allowed to complete his testi
mony before public hearings were ad
journed for an Indefinite period.
Question Never Answered.
The committee adjourned hearings
more than a week ago after questlon
: ing Clements about the financial
i structure of the Townsend plan and
the motives of its leaders.
“The testimony showed the Town
send organization has taken In nearly
a million dollars during its life.’’ said
one committee member, “but Clements
was never allowed to testify as to
what happened to this money, a
question the people are entitled to
have answered and which Clements
was ready to answer.’*
Another committee member made
known that Dr. Townsend asked to be
called to testify during a recent visit
to Washington, but was not called.
Awaiting Next Move.
Members of Congress, particularly
those faced with Townsend opposi
tion In approaching primary elec
tions. are looking to the committee In
the hope of getting material with
which to answer their opponents and
are awaiting the next move in the
Investigation.
Just when the hearings will be re
sumed was uncertain, but It was not
expected to be for several weeks.
Representatives Gavag&n, Democrat,
of New York and Collins, Republican,
of California have been sent to the
West Coast as a subcommittee to take
depositions and conduct some personal
investigations in the birthplace of the
Townsend movement.
James R. Sullivan, special com
mittee counsel, was understood to be
on his way to California to assist
Gavagan and Collins.
Many members of Congress, both
Democrats and Republicans, have ex
pressed themselves privately that the
investigation should be pushed to a
speedy conclusion before adjournment
of Congress.
Representative McGroarty, Demo
crat, of California, leader of the
Townsend bloc and sponsor of legisla
tion to make the Townsend plan law,
said he believed it “unfair and unjust
to drag this investigation out and I so
told Mr. Bell.’1
"I do not believe the investigation
has hurt the Townsend movement one
bit.” he added. “The movement will
continue despite the investigation, or
what it discloses.”
TOWNSEND OPTIMISTIC.
Says Clementa and MeGroarty’s With
drawal Has Helped.
By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. April 11.—Dr. Fran
cis E. Townsend, founder of the
Townsend old age pension plan, to
night declared the movement had been
strengthened by the withdrawal of R.
E. Clements, co-founder, and Repre
sentatlve John S. McGroarty of Cali
fornia.
He said McGroaty resigned because
the organisations refused to back his
“presidential aspirations,” and gave
the following reasons for Clements’
resignation:
1. He believed the profits of the
Townsend Weekly, which exceeded
*50,000 last year, should belong to him
and Dr. Townsend personally, while
Dr. Townsend Insisted they should go
to the Townsend movement.
a. He objected to Dr. Townsend’s
efforts to “democratise" the organisa
tion by placing the management In
the hands of a large directorate..
Britain’* Crown Valuable.
Britain’s Imperial state crown
weighs nearly 2% pounds and contains
3437 diamond* and 237 pearl*,
I
HOOD STATUS
STILL A MYSTERY
General and White House
Silent on “Showdown”
Conference.
BACKGROUND—
Because he called W. P. A. funds
"stage money” hard to get for
worthwhile projects, but easy to
obtain for inconsequential purposes,
Maj. Gen. Johnson Hagood was re
lieved of command of 8th Corps
Area and ordered to home to await
further orders.
Incident aroused political storm
In House and Senate, but no de
partment action has been taken to
ward restoring Hagood to active
duty.
By the Associated Press.
Maj. Gen. Johnson Hagood. who
was sent ihto military exile after his
criticism of W. P. A. spending, left
a "showdown” conference with Pres
ident Roosevelt at the White House
yesterday without disclosing whether
he would be restored to active duty or
retire to enter business or politics.
The White House was equally reti
cent concerning the President’s deci
sion as to the general's future, but
indicated an announcement might be
made at the War Departmet early this
week.
While Gen. Hagooa remamea suem
concerning his plans for the future,
friends said that unless he was as
signed to command an Army Corps
area, preferably in New York City, he
would insist on retiring to take ad
vantage of "otner opportunities.”
Report Attractive Offer.
An informed source said Gen. Ha
good had been offered a high executive
position with a Chicago mall order
house, and might retire to accept
the opportunity, regardless of what
final action was taken in his case.
Hagood sped to Chicago "on private
business" immediately after his first
conference with the President on
board the train that took the latter
to Florida on his fishing vacation on
March 23.
The general refused to comment
yesterday on the reported business
offer.
Political circles here also have dis
cussed a report—never denied by Ha
good—that he might enter politics in
his native State of South Carolina by
becoming -a candidate against Senator
Byrnes, administration stalwart, who
is up for re-election this November.
President Roosevelt, as Commander
in Chief of the military forces, may
restore Hagood to active duty with
command of the 6th Corps Area at
Chicago or the 2d Corps Area at New
York, to which he would ordinarily be
entitled by reason of his being the
; third ranking general officer in the
Army.
The general, clad in civilian clothes,
was bombarded by questions from
newspaper men as he left the White
House yesterday, but side-stepped any
discussion of his talk w-ith the Presi
j dent.
"I have nothing to report,” he in
• sisted, “and anything concerning my
.visit must come from the White
House.”
In excellent humor, the general par
ried his questioners Jocularly, to the
delight of a group of Easter sight
, seers clustered nearby.
"What did you see the President
about?” he was asked.
"About 11:30,” the general answer*
! ed.
"You seem to exude optimism. May
we draw the Inference that-”
"You may draw the inference that
my wife told me to be jovial here
after when facing newspaper men or
photographers, because you all had me
looking so 'sour* when I saw the
President on his trip South,” Hagood
responded.
"What are you going to do next?”
"I’m going to lunch with my daugh
ter, the wife of Comdr. Holloway ol
the Navy."
FOUNDATION UNVEILS
BLAIR MANSION TABLET
Marker* Commemorates Offer ol
Union Leadership to
Gen. Lee.
A tablet was unveiled in the his
toric Blair mansion at 1651 Pennsyl
vania avenue yesterday commemorat
ing a conversation 'between Gen. Rob
ert E. Lee and Francis Preston Blair,
during which command of the Fed
eral Army was tendered the Virginia
leader shortly before he decided to
support the Confederacy.
The tablet was placed near the fire
place in the front room to the right
of the entrance, where the offer was
was made 75 years ago. Writing ol
the event several years after the war,
Gen. Lee stated he understood the
offer was made at the Instance ol
President Lincoln, of whom Blair wai
a trusted friend.
The home will be open to the pub
lic April 21 and 22 under auspices ol
the District Committee of the Robert
E. Lee Memorial Foundation to raise
funds for Stratford Hall, Gen. Lee’i
birthplace. The tablet is a gift from
the foundation to Maj. Gist Blair
present owner and occupant of thi
home, whleh first came Into posses
sion of the family spore than a cen
tury ago. ____
L. f
1
Tells Senate Group of Mass
Movement of Guns and
Gas Against Strikers.
By the Associated Press.
Angry labor spokesmen told a Sen
ate committee yesterday there was a
mass movement of machine guns, tear
gas and police clubs into Industrial
centers for use In curbing strikes and
disorders.
J. P. Harris, red-haired Portsmouth,
Ohio, steel worker, was the first to
appear before the Senate Labor Sub
committee with stories of industrial
plants "arming” for possible conflict.
In support of his assertions came a
mass of data compiled by the Senate
Munitions Committee and presented at
the hearing by Heber Blankenhorn,
an employe of the National Labor Re
lations Board.
Tells of “Arming** and Spies.
At one point, Harris testified he
knew the Wheeling Steel Corp. at
Portsmouth, Ohio, was "arming.” a
statement that brought from corpora
tion officials at Portsmouth an asser
tion that company police were armed
to protect property against "thieves
and firebugs, and they will continue1
to be armed."
At another point in yesterday's
hearing, there was testimony that gen
eral ‘'rumors’1 were being circulated
that the Ford Motor Co. was "shot
through” with spies, hired to report
on the activities of labor.
The evidence presented by Blanken
horn was largely in the form of ship
ping orders for gas and guns from Fed
eral Laboratories, Inc., of Pittsburgh,
to centers of Impending strike troubles
in 1934 and 1935.
mere was evidence also tnat some
of the purchasers sought to keep their
activities secret. Blankenhom re
ferred to a letter on May 24, 1934,
from Federal Laboratories to Smith
& Wesson Co.., Springfield, Mass., di
recting that a shipment of 12 pistols
Intended for Weirton Steel Co. should
be sent first to Federal Laboratorlea.
Action Held Necessary.
The letter said:
"This is absolutely necessary from
the point of view of the customer, who
at the same time orders gas equipment
from us. We have been specifically
requested that no invoice specifying
revolvers come from us or from any
other concern.”
The guns were wanted, the letter
explained, because "the long-adver
tised crisis in the labor situation of
the steel and allied industries is now
at hand.”
Another letter from Federal Labora
tories to Attorney General Cummings
on June 26. 1934, asked the Jus
tice Department's attitude toward de
livery of machine guns to Cudahy
, Packing Co., New Port, Minn.; Gulf
| State Steel Co.. Birmingham. Ala.: Re
' public Steel Co., Youngstown. Ohio;
Southern Natural Gas Co., Birming
1 ham, Ala., and Tennessee Coal, Iron
& Railroad Co., Birmingham.
In addition, Blankenhom put In
the record & list of industrial cities,
j such as Detroit. Bethlehem. Pa.; Bos
I ton, Denver and Atlantic City, whose
I officials, he said, had purchased thou
sands of dollars worth of gas and guns
I from Federal Laboratories.
This evidence of an arming indus
i try was thrown in to support the
j pleas of the witnesses for legislation
i to curb the "spy system” in industry,
! which, they declared, was "demoralis
ing'' labor ranks and inciting workers
to desperate reprisal.
Part of Cause of Unrest.
"These things are a part of the
cause of unrest,” testified Blanken
horn.
Learning of these secret armaments,
he told the committee, "gives the men
the feeling they are at war with their
employers.”
Preceding Blankenhom on the stand.
John M. Carmody qf the National
Labor Relations Board declared it was
I "generally rumored” that "the Ford
I Motor Co. Is shot through” with labor
spies fed into the ranks of workmen
j to report any union activities to their
| employers.
It was the youthful-appearing Har
ris who told of what he described as
first-hand experiences with the "spy
system,” with gas and gun shipments
and alleged "discrimination” against
! union employes.
He said he was "demoted” by his
boss in the Wheeling Steel Corp. at
Portsmouth for his union activities.
Subsequently, he said, his employer,
by stressing his need of money for
a growing family, sought to hire him
to work in Washington against enact
ment of N. R. A. in 1933.
ouugiu ruwu ana uu.
Last Summer, he said, he learned
through correspondence with a fellow
employe In an outlying plant that the
Wheeling Steel was ‘'arming" for pos
sible labor troubles. In July, 1935.
j he said, he learned the company had
bought 24 pistols, supplies of gas and
! nightsticks and was doubling its police
force. At the same time, he said, the
company sought to prevail on authori
' ties to deputize the company police
so they could carry arms.
Never smiling, Harris spoke silently,
jumping from one instance to an
; other with scarcely a pause between
sentences.
The mayor of Portsmouth, he said,
would not deputize the company po
lice.
‘‘But they won’t stop with one re
quest," he continued. "They will keep
on trying, and if the city councllmen
don't repeal the ordinance on which
the mayor based his refusal, they’ll be
told they'll lose their Jobs.”
Found Gas Supply.
At one time, Harris said, company
warehousemen came upon a shipment
of tear gas.
“Right away, the men got wise,” he
said.
Company officials branded the ship
ment a "mistake,” he added, although
they kept the box of gas In the office.
A few days later, It was returned to
the warehouse, marked for reshipment
to the manufacturer.
"But it was easy to see it had been
opened and closed again,” he said. "It
is my belief they took the tear gas
out and put In some kind of dummies.
They didn’t let that mistake happen
again.”
Patience of the union men is about
exhausted, he added.
“Congress must do something imme
diately,” Harris pleaded. "Why do you
let spying break down labor organiza
tions.”
Senator Murphy, Democrat ol
Iowa, expressed the view, however,
that these “tools” of employers for
dealing with labor probably could not
be Interfered with by Congress.
Kind Working* Studied.
Advertising is built up oa an accu
rate analysis of the working* of thi
mind,
A
\
Testify in Labor Probe
Left: J. P. Harris, Portsmouth (Ohio) steel worker, as he
testified before a Senate Labor Subcommittee, charging the
Wheeling Steel Corp. is ‘‘arming" for possible labor troubles.
Harris said he had been demoted for labor union activity.
Right: John M Carmoiy, member of the National Labor
Relations Board, who testified, there were rumors the Ford
Motor Co. was “shot through’’ with spies.
—A. P. and Harris-Ewing Photos.
Soii Conservationists Take
Senator Norris by Surprise
Attack on Mississippi Valley Authority
Bill May Cause Nebraskan to Change
Attitude Touard New Deal.
BY CARLISLE BARGERON.
Senator George Norris, on the eve
of adding another monument to his
career, is faced by the flank attack
of a counter •‘advanced-thinking"
movement within the New Deal. It
threatens the Senator's own move
ment, which comes In the “advanced
thinking" class itself.
The Senator's movement is to ex
tend the vast sociological and power
experiment that is the Tennessee Val
ley Authority, to embrace about three
fifths of the country. This he would
do through the establishment of the
Mississippi Valley Authority, on which
hearings are now being held before a
subcommittee of the Senate Commit
tee on Agriculture and Forestry.
Norris was all ready to press for
action on the Mississippi Valley bill j
after the Supreme Court ruled favor- •
ably on Norris Dam in the Tennessee
Valley experiment. Mr. Roosevelt,
however, prevailed upon him to wait '
until the elections on the ground that
the country was not yet ready for ex
tension of the Tennessee Valley plan.
Norris' purpose in having hearings on
the bill at this time is to build up sup
port for it, with a view to having it 1
indorsed by a plank in the Democratic -
platform.
Enter Conservationists.
But in the midst of his hearings
come the soil conservationists who
have been projected into the public
consciousness through a series of hap
penings. First, there were the dust
storms of two years ago. Since this ;
the soil conservationists have been as
siduously distributing pictures of the
Gobi Desert and the arid lands of
Mesopotamia, and contending that if
this country didn't do something about
soil conservation it would come to
look just like the pictures. They are
most impressive pictures, resembling
a bald-headed man.
Even with these pictures, though, it
can t be said the soU conservationists
really broke through the maze that is
political Washington until the New
Dealers, desperate for something or
which to base new payments to the
farmers, following the Supreme Court's
invalidation of the processing tax pay
ments, hit upon the slumbering soil
conservation law. It took up only a
pagaraph on the Nation's statute books,
but now the law on "soil conservation"
covers many pages. Soil conservation
is incidental to the payments to the
farmers in this law, but it gave the soil
conservationists a recognition they
had not theretofore enjoyed.
Following closely upon this came
what the soil conservationists call the
best break they have had. It was the
recent floods which swept over the
I Eastern part of the country. From the
I editorials, magazine and newspaper
I articles which Have since appeared on
■■ soil conservation the Impression is that
the country, or at least, the Eastern
part of it, is pretty much in a soil con
servation mood.
Fortified by this situation, what do
the soil conservationists do but appear
before the subcommittee to oppose
! Senator Norris’ bill. What we need,
j they say, is not big dams, as we have
I been building in the past, like those at
: Muscle Shoals and like those planned
In the Norris bill, but little dams to
control the little streams before they
grow into big streams. The philosophy
of the soil conservationists, or at least,
those now holding the stage, is ex
pressed in a book issued some time ago
under the auspices of Prof. Tugwell,
resettlement administrator, and Norris
L. Cooke, head of the Rural Electrifica
tion Service.
One of the things wrong now, they
contend, after the millions that have
been spent on flood control, is that
we put the flood control In the wrong
place. The book Is called "Little
Waters,” and makes a case for flood
control up-country, so to speak, in
stead of where the little waters have
poured into a mighty stream. Bear
ing particularly upon the Norris bill
is the contention that the big dams,
over the course of years, become
clogged with silt.
Norris Taken by Surprise.
It was apparent that this flank at
tack took Norris completely by sur
prise. He had considered himself a
part of the soil-conservation move
ment, just as he had been in the fore
front of other "advanced thinking”
movements in the last 30 years. But
this was something to give him pause.
He and Cooke argued back and
forth, when Cooke appeared before
the committee, over the relative merits
of big and little dams. The outcome
of that particular set-to was that al
though Cooke held his ground on the
necessity of little dams and the com
parative worthlessness of big dams,
he agreed, in effect, that Norris could
have his big dams if the soil conserva
tion could also have the little ones.
More is bound to be heard of the
matter, however, particularly when
Norris tries to get support for his Mis
sissippi Valley project in the Demo-1
cratic platform. The Senator is
wrapped up in his project. It is con- i
ceivable that his failure to get it
might influence his attitude toward
the New Deal.
,
WATER SAFETY EXPERT
ADVISES SWIMMERS
Commodore Longfellow of Red
Cross Warns Them of
Conduct.
The approach of the "drowning
season" on the Potomac brought a
warning to swimmers and canoeists
yesterday from Commodore W. E.
Longfellow, veteran water safety ex
ert of the American Red Cross.
"Practically all the river drownings
are unnecessary, especially if they
happen when a boat or canoe upsets."
he declared. "The safety factor of
canoes is great because It sticks
around waiting for the canoeist to get
back into it.
"The ordinary canoe will hold up
four persons even when filled to the
gunwales, providing they sit on the
bottom. Even a small boy attempting
to stand in a canoe will push it out
from under two or three others.
Never leave the canoe if it overturns,
and always keep your weight as low
as possible.
"Swimmers should remember that
for a couple of months yet the river
water will be quite cold under the
surface. In the Spring one doesn’t
have the same endurance as the pre
vious Fall, and the first swim—say
some time next month—should be a
short one close to shore.”
CARD PARTY TUESDAY
LYON PAPRK. Va„ April 11 (Spe
cial.).—The annual Spring card party
of the Lyon Park Citizens' Associa
tion will be held Tuesday evening in
the community house. Contract and
auction bridge, 500 and other games
will be played. A door prize in addi
tion to game prizes will be awarded.
A. H. Pearson is general chairman ol
the Committee on Arrangements. Re
freshments will be served.
Nudists Don Sandwich Boards
To Picket Sally Rand’s Show
By the Associated Press.
SAN DIEGO, Calif., April 11.—
Nudist pickets wearing sandwich
boards strolled the exposition grounds
today as war flared between Sally
Rand, fan dancer, and the nudist
colony.
Miss Rand has been brought here
as a free exposition attraction and an
ornate stage erected for her fan and
bubble dances.
Led by militant Mary Pomeroy,
raven-haired beauty, the embattled
nudist* avowed they will give sally
"a battle she will never forget.”
Exposition police promised to see
that no untoward disturbance took
place.
So infuriated were the nudists after
Sally snubbed the invitation of
Queen Tanya to tea in the nudist
colony that they rallied together and
pondered ways of rebuking her.
Graybeards of the colony. Princes
Arlo, Alexander and Jason, who com
pose the August Council of the Sun,
would have no part of the controversy,
they advised the younger members
*
of the bareskin clan to exercise
patience until they could study com
ments of Miss Rand and determine If
they were not based on insufficient
knowledge of nudism.
"It might be excusable in other cir
cumstances,” stormed Mary Pomeroy
as she clambered to a tree-stump in
Zoro Gardens and addressed the as
sembled nudists, ‘ but we are well
aware that last year in the East Miss
Rand launched a bitter attack against
us.
“She has had plenty of opportunity
to acquaint herself with nudism*
high principles but the truth is that
she doesn’t want to. She probably
figures that nudism will sound the
death knell of sensationalism such a*
she practices.”
George Barr, strong man of th«
colony, walked up.
"I cannot take part In this cam
paign-.” he said. "I stiU believe it l!
part of wisdom to try to convert Mis:
Rand, rather than attempt to an
tagonlze her.”
Other nudists shouted “phooeyl’
and paraded out.
mm rights
SEENAjMOF U. S.'
Intention of Seeking Inter
national Action Disclosed
by Hull.
Bj the Associated Press. *
The United State** Intention of
seeking concerted international ac
tion to stretch a protective arm about
the right* of neutral nation* in war
time has been disclosed by Secretary
Bull. |
Coupled with this revelation was a f
declaration by the Secretary of State
before a congressional committee last
January, but made public only yes- *
terday, that the chances were “nine
out of ten” against a “general war.”
To this Hull added an admonition that
the world should not harbor any
“false Impression” that the United
States "will not fight.”
It was made known authoritatively
yesterday that Hull has not definitely
approached other governments upon
the matter of new international ac
tion to insure neutral rights. It was
added that, at present, he has no
specific plan for doing so.
Speculation immediately was stirred
in unofficial circles, however, over
whether he might suggest the sum
moning of a world conference on the
subject, or possibly take his proposals
directly to the principal powers indi
vidually.
Follow Bid to Nations.
It was noted particularly that the
Secretary’s views, outlined to the Sen
ate Foreign Relation* Committee three
months ago, were expressed only a
short while before President Roose
velt invited all 21 nations of North
and South America to join in a peace
conference this year at Buenos Aires. <
During January hearings on th«
then pending neutrality legislation.
Hull deplored that the neutrality
question had been "virtually domi
nant" since the World War, because
"most nations are not seriously con
cerned about the matter.” He told
the committee changing world condi
tions necessitated new neutrality
rules.
Because of this, he said, the United
States intends to “urge other nations
to jom us at the earliest opportunity
in re-examining and revitalizing neu
tral rights under international law'
as they existed prior to the World
War. as nearly as we find it con
sistent and as other nations find it
consistent to do so.”
Rights of Neutrals Ignored.
In declaring that his proposal for in
ternational action would contemplate
any changes suggested by World War
experience, he said "the whole rights
of neutrals were largely ignored" dur
ing that period.
“We might as well recognize that
most of our neutral rights in the
future are not going to be main
tained simply on paper.” he con
tinued.
“We might as well realize also that
while we do not stand for extrava
gant navies we must have enough
force to command respect of other
nations when we hold up to them a
threatened violation of our rights to
trade as neutrals.”
Opposing a flat embargo on com
modities of the character of war sup
plies. Hull advocated instead that auch
trade with belligerents be confined to
"normal" peacetime proportions. H*
said:
"I have not seen any good reason
for a complete embargo, either on free
goods or on conditional contraband.
That enables this Nation to stand
out before all the nations of the world
as permitting normal trade at all times
between this country and belligerents,
but definitely drawing the line be
tween this trade and what would be
avowedly aid on the part of this coun
try to belligerents by furnishing ab
normal quantities of war materials.
Objection Is Seen.
‘‘I think that policy, if made known
everywhere, and if practiced every
where, would not be open to valid ob
' jection. When we assure to every
nation its normal trade, we do not vio
late either the substance or the spirit
of any peacetime trade agree
j ment • • •
“If there is danger of our being
drawn into war, on account of export
ing finished commodities, the danger
is all the greater if these materials are
exported in abnormal quantities.”
Characterizing the early part of the
year as a "very serious period," Hull
added:
“I do not anticipate any geneal war.
The chances are 9 out of 10 that
there will not be any such war. but It
is a very serious period when team
work here to the extent that it is con
sistent is of the utmost importance."
He bespoke co-operation between
Congress, the State Department and
the President to avoid any steps that
might "jeopardize" this country's neu
i tral provision.
II we create me impression mat.
! we are too extreme in either direction
we can get into trouble—this means
either extreme internationalism, or
extreme nationalism.
"Some countries might gain the false
impression that we will not fight and
we do not wish to run the risk of be
ing imposed upon by reason of any
such impression.”
Stands for Flexible Policy.
By his testimony the Secretary of
State voiced the State Department's
stand for a flexible neutrality policy.
As finally passed the neutrality law did
not contain the provision he sought,
whereby the President would have
been given discretionary power to con
fine exports of so-called war materials
to belligerents to normal quantities.
Secretary Hull Informed the com
mittee that in setting out terms of
the neutrality proclamation last Fall,
under the first version of the neutral
ity act. he was acting independently of
other nations.
After the embargo on contraband
was dissolved, he said, it soon devel
oped that exportation of materials
going Into the manufacture of war
materials was rapidly increasing.
There then followed, he recalled, the
State Department warning that such
abnormal shipments were "morally’'
the same as selling the war materials.
“YOUTH DAY” SPEAKER
Marie Peary Stafford, daughter of
the late Rear Admiral Peary, discov
erer of the North Pole, will be guest
of honor and principal speaker at
the celebration of "Youth day” next
Wednesday by the Lions Club at the
Mayflower Hotel.
Preble Earle Donoho. 5-year-old
pianist, who has appeared at Radio
City, will play several numbers.
Leonard W. De Gast. general secre
tary of the Young Men's Christian
Association, will be master of cere
monies. Wives and children of mem
bers of the Lions Club have been in
vited to attend the program, which
will start with a luncheon at 13:10
pm. _ _
1 4