Evening star. [volume], May 24, 1936, Image 1

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

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WEATHER r
/f I |/t A Full Associated Press
today, possibly showers tomorrow; mod- fl ■ A H ■ ■/ NeWS and WirephotOS
erate southwest winds today. Tempera- ■ / I ■ WT __ i
tures—Highest. 82, at 4:45 p.m. yester- IJ ■ I * blinday Morning and
day; lowest. 52. at 5:30 am. yesterday. A Every AftemOOn
Pull report on Page B-3. ^ ■
UP) Means Associated Press. _
• No. 1.627-No. 33,626. gT&a _WASHINGTON. D, C„ SUNDAY MORNING. MAY 24. 1936-114 PAGES. *_ in wI™JLC%£TL.m J TKE^J^TS
ROOSEVELFS RULE
OVER RELIEF CASH
URGED IN SENAIE
His Administration of Huge
.Fund Sought to Quiet
Agency Conflict.
PROPOSAL WEIGHED
BY SUBCOMMITTEE
Committee Seeks Provisions Simi
lar to Those Provided in
Last Congress.
BACKGROUND—
Last year Congress appropriated
14,880.000.000 for all relief purposes:
allocation of fund was left largely
to discretion of President. Last
meek local Circuit Court Questioned
constitutionality of Congressional
delegation of power as effected in
relief act.
This Winter various New Deal
agencies of relief sought earmark
ing of specific part of $1,425,000.
000 fund. Only Hopkins and
W. p. A., however, seemed, sure of
blessing of administration-con
trolled Congress. Ickes and P. W.
A., after valiant fight for earmark
ing. announced plans for curtail
ment.
Administration of the new $1,425.
(100,000 works relief fund at the “di
rection and discretion” of President
Roosevelt, rather than direct appropri
ation to Harry L. Hopkins' Works
Progress Administration, was projected
In the Senate yesterday as a way to
quiet the conflict among the several
administration relief agencies, all
fighting for a share.
At least this plan, it was learned.
Is under serious consideration by the
Senate Subcommittee on Appropria
tions in charge of the $2,364,000,000
deficiency bill, on which the Senate
looks for a report early this week.
With the tax bill, its early passage
Is regarded as essential to permit ad
journment in advance of the Repub
lican National Convention June 9.
Under the provisions of the House
Version of the bill, the full $1,425,000,
C00 is appropriated specifically for
the Works Progress Administration,
leaving no discretion for use of funds
for the Public Works Administration
under Secretary of Interior Ickes or
Dr. Rexford G. Tugwell’s Resettle
ment Administration unless the Pres
ident found a way to finance this
agency as a branch of Hopkins’
W. P. A
Plan of Committee.
It is the belief of the Senate com
mittee that the provisions covering
the works relief fund in the deficiency
bill should follow the lines of the
resolution of the last Congress by
which $4,000,000,000 was made avail
able to the President with authority
to transfer not to exceed 20 per cent
from the various categories in which
projects were listed.
In adopting such a plan in the
pending bill, the Senate committee
would follow closely the categories al
ready set forth in the House bill,
which were designed to cover the
kinds of work best fitted for W. P. A.
projects.
The result would be that the fund
Would be virtually tagged for W. P. A.,
but leeway would be afforded the
President to take care of the Resettle
ment Administration in the manner he
recently suggested when he said that
Mr. Tugwell might continue his work
as an agent of Administrator Hopkins.
Limitations by Projects.
The limitations, by types of projects,
In the House bill, which may be re
phrased by the Senate committee for
use at the President's discretion to
shift amounts up to 15 or 20 per cent,
follow:
Highways, roads and streets $4J.t.25n.nnn
Public buildings 15B.750.000
Fprks and other recrea
tional facilities 156.750.000
•ewer aystenis. water snoots
'and purification, airports
and other transporlauu.i
facilities 171.000.000
Flood control and other
conservation 12S.250.00tl
White-collar projects ..... 85.500,000
Women’s projects 85.Roo.000
Miscellaneous work projects 71.250,000
National Youth Atiminis
t ration • 71.250 000
Rural rehabilitation and re
lief to farmers - 85.500.000
Total - SI,425.000,000
Fund for Ickes.
Virtual agreement already has been
reached to take care of Secretary
Ickes by an amendment to the House
bill. It would remove the limitation of
S250.000.000 on the P. W. A. revolving
fund to permit the Reconstruction Fi
nance Corp. to buy larger amounts of
securities taken by the P. W. A. from
i See RELIEF, Page~A-87)
BUS FIRM TO MEET
RAIL FARE SLASH
Short Line Files New Schedule
of Lower Rates With
I. C C.
Accepting the "challenge"” of re
duced railroad fares, scheduled to
become effective June 1, the Short
Line last night announced lower
tariffs on its interstate bus service
would go into operation on the same
date.
The line operates along the Atlantic
seaboard from Portland, Me., to the
Couth, via Washington.
Reporting the filing of new tariffs
with the Interstate Commerce Com
mission. the Short Line said it “will
make drastic reductions to keep bus
travel at a cost well below the new
2-eent-a-mfle base of rail transporta
tion.”
As a part of its new tariff plan,
the company said it will offer a 10
per cent discount on round trip
tickets.
Prom Washington to Baltimore the
present Short Line rate is 75 cents.
The new one-way rate will be 65
cents. The new round trip ticket,
good for four days, will cost $1.
Prom Washington to New York the
present rate is $4.50, The new rate
will be $3.75 and a round trip ticket.
$6.75.
A 4
Black Legion Marked 50 to Die,
Police Hear, as Probe Is Pushed
_ ' _
Prison Guard Is Held After Woman Says
•/
Husband Was Flogged to Death.
Unsolved Murders Investigated.•
By the Asscclated Press.
DETROIT. May 23.—State Police
Capt. Ira H. Marmon. terming the
Black Legion “the strong-arm agency
(or the Ku Klux Klan.’’ announced
teday that he was investigating a
report that 50 Michigan men had
been marked (or death by the secret
vigilante organization
Capt. Marmon said that (or months
his troopers have been making an ex
tensive investigation o( the Night
Rider Society, (our o( whose members
have con(essed the slaying o( Charles
A. Poole here.
Meanwhile, Ray Ernest, a guard at
the Southern Michigan prison at
Jackson, was detained there tonight
and witnesses (or a one-man grand
jury were summoned hastily to in
vestigate the reported flogging and
death o( Paul Every, 42.
Every, who also was a guard at the
I prison, died April 14 at his home o(
i what physicians pronounced heart
1 disease and diabetes.
Mis widow and his son Ralph. 20,
told Prosecutor Owen Dudley at Jack
son. however, that Every had been
flogged by a group of masked men
and that he "seemed to pine away
after the beating."
Prosecutor Dudley, State Police
Capt. William Hanson and Detective
Lieut. Van Loomis said Mrs. Every
told them that Ernest, who is held
on a technical charge of carrying
concealed weapons, was the leader of
the vigilantes.
The Black Legion’s Michigan head
quarters are at Napoleon. Marmon
said, and there are units in Adrian,
Hillsdale, Jackson and Detroit.
Prospective members are asked if they
will "take up arms against Jews,
Negroes and Catholics." he said.
"We are checking all unsolved mur
der cases and a number of ques
tionable suicides in the State,” he
said, explaining that he had received
a report that the Black Legion was
responsible for a number of deaths
which had been made to appear sui
cidal.
Prosecutor Duncan C. McCrea.
rejecting as "too fantastic’* the ex
planation in the four confessioas that
i (See VIGILANTE, Page A-2 ) “
LANDON DEW
I
|
East Doubtful Whether Kan
san Has Sufficient Grasp j
of Affairs.
Bl’ G. GOl'LD LINCOLN.
With the great majority of the
delegates to the Republican National
Convention already selected, politi
cal backwash is lapping the shores of
the Potomac.
The Landon-for-President move
ment, one bit of gossip has it, has
reached its peak and is falling away.
The East, having used the Kansas
Governor to stem the Borah tide, is
not ready to commit itself to him.
Delegates instructed or pledged for
Gov. Landon are asking themselves—
and others—whether after all the
Kansan has a sufficient grasp of na
tional affairs to tackle the job of
President; they are asking where he
stands on the tariff and whether he
would approve, for example, the Fra
zier-Lempke farm moratorium bill,
which recently had the support of
th- Kansas members of the House.
If not Landon. then to whom will j
the Republican National Convention j
turn, you ask. And the anti-Landon
ites, who, generally speaking, are 1
the supporters of the other aspirants
for the nomination, answer: "Ther4
U Vandenberg of Michigan, who al
though a dark horse already has a big
following in many sections of the
country.” Or they reply: “Watch j
Steiwer of Oregon, the keynoter of the (
coming convention: he has the back- !
ing of men like Hilles of New York, >
Roraback of Connecticut and this, }
that and the .other one.”
More Landon Delegate*.
Despite all this gossip and chit-chat. ^
the fact still remains that Landon
will go into the convention a little j
more than two weeks hence with
more delegates pledged to him or
favorable to him than any other can
didate. His opponents are planning
a campaign to stop him for four bal- j
lots. They Insist that if this can be
accomplished he will not be nomi
(See LANDON, Page A-4.)
RAILROADS FIGHT
23 Eastern Lines Challenge
I. C. C. Ruling in Federal
Court Action.
By th« Associated Press.
NEW YORK. May 23.—The Inter
.state Commerce Commission's author
ity to force Eastern railroads to cut
their rates beginning June ?. was
challenged in Federal Court todav.
Twenty-three lines operating in this
section of the country filed suit to
restrain the commission from en
forcing its order of February 28,
which established a basic rate of
2 cents a mile for coaches. 3 cents
for Pullmans and abolished the pres
ent 50 per cent surcharge for Pullman
travel.
In a bulky document filed five
minutes before court closed, the rail
roads contended that the present basic
fares of 3.6 cents a mile for Pullmans
and coaches, together with the Pull
man surcharge, were "just and
reasonable" and should be continued.
Older Is Assailed.
•
Terming the commission's order
“arbitrary and capricious." the rail
roads set forth it w'as based only on
“a hope and speculation of the com
mission that its judgment will prove
to be superior to that of responsible
railroad managers.”
The present rates have been in
effect since 1920. when they were
raised from the 3-cents-a-milc basis
that prevailed during the World War.
Asserting that the commission was
influenced by experiments with lower
fares in the West and Southeast, tne
suit contended that conditions in the
Eastern territory were different.
Most passengers in this section were
held to be professional and business
men who would not take advantage of
lower fares to travel more.
Complaint Hits Authority.
Describing the commission’s order
as "unreasonable and confiscatory,''
the complaint said:
"The commission assumes freedom
of ownership of the petitioners’ prop
erty, substitutes its judgment for that
ol the petitioners in a matter of policy,
and so encroaches upon the preroga
tives, rights and responsibilities of
ownership and management as to
amount to a taking of the petitioners’
property without due process of law.”
The railroads said they had filed
new rate schedules effective June 1
“under duress" In order to “escape
the drastic penalties” provided in the
commission’s order.
They asked lor an early hearing on
a temporary Injunction pending a Anal
determination.
The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad,
which has advocated lower fares, was
not a party to the suit.
Point to Passenger Decline.
With the single exception of the
Chesapeake & Ohio, the other Eastern
lines said their passenger traffic and
revenues had dwindled during the last
six or seven years because of competi
tion by private automobiles, com
mercial vehicles and economic condi
tions generally.
The suit contends, however, that
neither the interstate cofnmerce act
nor any other law authorises the com
mission to require companies under
(See RAILROADS, Page A-8.)
Senator King Beaten
For Delegate’s Post
By Utah Democrats
---
By the Associated Press.
OGDEN, Utah, May 23.—
United States Senator William H.
King was nominated as a dele
gate at large to the Democratic
National Convention by the State
party today, but was beaten with
shouts of “he’s against the New
Deal” and “he's against Roose
velt."
A. S. -Brown of Salt Lake City
was named national committee
man and Mrs. J. R. Rawlings of
Draper was chosen national com
mitteewoman, winning over Mrs.
Ora Bundy of Ogden.
The State voted unanimously
to instruct delegates to the Dem
ocratic National Convention for
the renomination of Roosevelt
and Garner. Utah has eight
votes.
Wrangel Tyrant to Be Shot
With Companion in Crimes
By tht- Associated Press.
MOSCOW. May 23.—K. B. Semen
chuk. petty tyrant of an icy island in
the Arctic Circle, was sentenced to
night to be shot for a reign of starva
tion, terror and death at Wrangel
Polar Station.
A Supreme Court asserted a like
sentence for Semenchuk’s aide and
co-defendant, S. P. Startseff.
The sentences were passed after a
week's trial, during which the two were
accused of murder and of wrecking
Soviet prestige in the Arctic.
They were sentenced under a pro
vision of Soviet law which classifies
offenses against the state as banditry,
punishable by death. The maximum
penalty for "common murder” is 10
years in prison.
Semenchuk, who had pleaded des
perately that ”1 dont' deserve to die,”
covered his face with a handkerchief
and wept bitterly when he heard the
verdict.
Startseff, by contrast, lighted a
cigarette haughtily.
Mrs. Semenchuk. who faces charges
of perjury as a result of the trial, be
came hysterical and fainted. She was
carried from the court room.
*
The judge and his two associates
were closeted for five hours before they
returned the verdict, written, in ac
cordance with law, In the judge’s own
handwriting.
Defense counsel said the prisoners
would appeal immediately to the Cen
tral Executive Soviet Committee for
clemency.
However, the law allows only 12
hours for such action before execution.
In his final plea Semenchuk insisted
the death of Dr. W. R. Wulfson. one
of the four persons who lost their
lives mysteriously during Semenchuk’s
term as administrator of the Island,
was a mystery to him.
‘‘I had no reason to kill him,”
be said.
The petty dictator promised to de
vote his life to “ Socialist construc
tion” If it were spared.
Startseff likewise denied his guilt
and dwelt mostly on his service In
the Red army.
Defense counsel, in final arguments,
contended the evidence too circum
stantial and weak to justify the death
sentence.
Semenchuk also was accused of
starving Eskimo* ^
SENATORS AGREE
ON REVISION OE
r
i
Finance Committee Moves
to Gain Adjournment
in Two Weeks.
YIELD OF COMPROMISE
PUT AT $560,000,000
Harrison Hopeful of Final Action
Tomorrow Before Sending
Measure to Senate.
BACKGROUND—
New taxation never is popular
legislative subject in election year;
last February President Roosevelt
distressed present Congress by ask
ing additional revenue through
corporate tax reforms. Feature was
to be levy on undistributed corpora
tion profits.
House passed bill containing
modification o) presidential pro
posal. but measure ran into in
tense opposition as business con
centrated fight before Senate
Finance Committee. Last week
compromise was reported, then re
jected. In any event, committee
seems certain to recommend com
pletely revised legislation.
1
Py the Associated Press.
1 The Senate Finance Committee
! agreed yesterday on the fundamental
! framework of a drastic revision of
j the House tax bill, and then set out
to All in structural details speedily in
an attempt to gain congressional ad
journment in a fortnight.
A new Treasury estimate placed
the yield of the "compromise” meas
ure at $560,000,000 of permanent
revenue.
The committee was considering seri
! ously the imposition of a half-cent
a-pound excise tax on sugar. Intended
to bring in $66,000,000 and lift the
total beyond the *620.000.000 asked
by President Roosevelt to finance the
farm program and cost of pre-pay
ment of the bonus.
Sugar Subcommittee Named.
A subcommittee was named to study
the sugar tax question, but Chairman
Harrison Indicated that for the sake
of speed he was willing to report the
bill out without the levy. If the
committee accepted it. he said, it
could be inserted on the floor.
He reiterated a hope of final com
mittee action on the bill tomorrow,
although some members said they
thought two or three more days would
1 be required.
Nevertheless, there was every indica
tion that the measure would be ready
I for consideration on the Senate floor
by late this week.
Senate leaders, bending every effort
to finish legislating by June 6, ar
ranged to move another key bill—the
deficiency-relief appropriation—onto
! the floor ahead of taxes. Majority
(See TAXES, Page A~3.>
--
GIRL ATTACKED, MOTHER
SAVES MAN FROM MOB
| ty the Associated Press,
j MONTGOMERY, Ala.. May 23.—
The mother of a 7-year-old white
! girl a colored man is accused of as
saulting saved him from a mob.
"Let the law take its course." tear
fully pleaded Mrs. R. M. Hawkins,
when an angry crowd surrounded
Oscar Patterson. 24-year-old farm
hand, at Goodwater, Ala., last night.
While the mother spoke, a group
of deputized citizens and officers sped
out of town with Patterson on the
pretext of taking him to a physician
for examination. The prisoner was
brought here for safekeeping.
A physician said the girl was in
serious condition.
,-,:
Readers'1 Guide
i I
PART ONE.
Main News Section.
General News—Pages A-l. B-4.
Washington Wayside—A-2.
Lost and Found—A-3.
Death Notices—A-12.
Educational—B-5.
Sports Section—Pages B-6, B-ll.
Boating and Fishing News—B-ll.
PART TWO.
Editorial Section.
Editorial Articles — Pages D-l,
D-3.
Editorial and Editorial Fea
tures—D-2.
Civic News and Comment—D-4.
Veterans’ Organizations, Na
tional Guard, Organized
Reserves—D-5-7.
Women’s Club£, Parent-Teacher
Activities—D-5-7.
Cross-word Puzzle—D-6.
Resorts—D-8-9.
Contract—D-12.
Stamps—D-10.
PART THREE.
Society Section.
Society News and Comment
Pages E-l, E-9.
Well-Known Folic—E-2.
Barbara Bell Pattern—E-9.
PART FOUR.
Feature Section.
News Features—Pages F-l, F-4.
John Clagett Proctor’s Article on
Old Washington—F-2.
“Those Were the Happy Days,"
by Dick Mansfield—F-2.
Radio News and Programs—F-3.
Stage and Screen—F-5.
Automobiles—F-6.
Children’s Page—F-7.
High Lights of History—F-7.
Aviation—F-8.
PART FIVE.
Financial, Classified.
Financial News and Comment,
Stock, Bond and Curb Sum
maries—Pages 0-1, 0-4.
Classified Advertising — Pages
G-4, G-l«. -
AGAIN SPEAKING OF TAKING A WALK!
Ex-Policeman Granted Four
Days to File Motion for
New Trial.
By i hr Assoc'tted Press
BARTOW, Fla., May 23—A Jury
which listened to six weeks of testi
mony took three and a half hours
today to convict five former Tampa
policemen charged with kidnaping
Eugene F. Poulnot. unemployed labor
organizer, last November.
Judge Robert T. Dewell deferred
sentence for four days pending a new
trial motion for the husky defendants.
They are C. A. Brown, jr.; John P.
Bridges, Sam Crosby, F. W. Switzer
and C. W. Carlisle.
The officers, suspended from the
Tampa force after the affair, were
charged with a part in the abduction
of Poulnot. Sam Rogers and Joseph
Shoemaker, leaders in a coalition po
litical organization formed to ‘clean
up" Tampa politics.
A squad of policemen, entering with
out a warrant, seized the trio ai a
meeting in a private home. They were
taken to police headquarters, ques
tioned regarding possible Communis
tic activities and "released"—the pros
ecution told the jury the word “re
leased" was "prostituted."
Tar and Feathers Used.
Outside the police station the men
were forced into automobiles, and
driven Into the country’ where they
were beaten. Tar and feathers were
applied to their bodies.
Shoemaker died of his Injuries.
Thirty-four State witnesses were
heard during the long, drawn-out trial.
The jury of six men was charged
by Judge Dewell. at the defense re
quest, that if they believed the pur
pose of the kidnaping was to flog
Poulnot rather than to "secretly con
fine” him. as the statute specifies, they
must return an acquittal. The jury
took three ballots.
Previously, Judge Dewell directed
acquittal of two other defendants.
Chief of Police R. G. Tittsworth and
Robert Chappell, special officer.
Three others named in Indictments
but granted severance are to be tried
in about two months. They are Arlie
Gillam. Ed Spivey and James Dean,
all of Orlando, Fla.
inner marges racea.
In addition, all the defendants face ,
trial on charges of kidnaping Rogers, >
kidnaping Shoemaker and for second- i
degree murder in connection with
Shoemaker's death.
The case attracted wide interest,
because of the victim's "liberal'' con
nections. Norman Thomas, came to
Tampa and formed a defense com
mittee to press for prosecution of
those responsible. The American Fed
eration of Labor threatened to with
Sfaw its national convention from
ampa next Fall, unless action were
taken against the floggers.
CONVICTION “STEP FORWARD” '
-
Civil Rights Committee to Continue
Work in Florida.
NEW YORK, May 23 VP)—'The
conviction of five former Tampa, Fla.,
policemen in the kidnaping and flog
ging of Eugene F. Poulnot was hailed
as a “step forward” to night by the
Committee for the Defense of Civil
Rights in Tampa.
The committee, headed by Norman
Thomas, Socialist leader, said it was
“a step forward in our fight to restore
civil liberties in Tampa. Fla., and to
oust from control of the municipal
government the Ku Klux Klan, which
has been responsible for this and
other simUar outrages.”
“Our work will not be done.” the
statement added, “unless similar ver
dicts are returned for the murder of
Joseph Shoemaker and the kidnaping
and flogging of Dr. Sam Rogers.”
FOUR EXECUTED
Lithuanian Farmer* Accused of
Plot Against Government.
KAUNAS, Lithuania, May 33 (P.—
Four farmers, one of whom was
caught smuggling inflammatory proc
lamations into Lithuania from Ger
many were executed today after a
secret court-martial.
They were charged with “plotting
to overthrow the government.”
Eight other farmers were sentenced
to life imprisonment on the same
charge.
The details of the trial were not
made public, and there is little likeli
hood they ever will be, for the pro
ceedings were guarded in strict mili
tary fashion.
TWO DIE AS PLANE
CRASHES IN STREET
One Escapes as Flames De
stroy Craft in Business
Area of Town.
By i he Assoelatea Press.
MONTOURSVILLE. Pa.. May 23 —
Two men burned to death end a third
narrowly escaped a similar fate late
today when their low-flying airplane,
apparently beset by engine trouble,
smashed into a tree, crashed cm the
main street of this little Lycoming
County borough and burst into flames.
Michael Kovack of Scranton, a pas
senger in the privately owned plane,
crawled from the wreckage just before
the fire started, but was so badly In
jured he was unable to aid hls com
panions as the flames destroyed the
w reckage. Hundreds of passersby wit
nessed the smash, ,
Kovack identified the victims as
Harold J. Fulweiler of Dunmore. for
mer Army pilot and one-time New
York-Pennsylvania League base ball
player, and Harold Garrett of Scran
ton.
Although he was unable to give
many of the details of the tragedy, Ko
vack related that he and hls compan
ions were nearing the airport nere—
the municipal field from nearby Wil
liamsport—after a flight from Scran
ton.
Motor trouble developed, or the
plane’s glide was too low. and the
craft struck the tree. The plane
plummeted down onto the street.
Firemen were unable to prevent the
blaze from destroying the plane. They
kept the Are from spreading to nearby
(See CRASH, Page A-4.)
_•—
____
PROBED BY U. $.
Wagner Act Test Seen in
Dispute at Portsmouth
Works.
By the Associated Press.
PORTSMOUTH, Ohio. May 23—A
strike at the Portsmouth works ot
the Wheeling Steel Corp. involving
a possible test of the Wagner labor
disputes act. faced tonight a United
State's labor councilia tor’s inquiry.
Pending the expected arrival tomor
row of R M. Pilkington. ordered by
Secretary of Labor Perkins to inves
tigate the dispute. 5.500 workers
awaited an announcement on the cor
poration's stand.
Company officials replied to Friday
night's strike call of the Amalgamated
Association of Iron, Steel and Tin
Workers by indefinitely closing the
plant, Portsmouth's principal indus
try.
Board's Authority.
At issue was the governing author
ity of the National Labor Relations
Board, set up under the Wagner act.
The Amalgamated demands that 17
department councils, organized two
years ago with the company's permis
sion, be disbanded.
An order issued by the Labor Re
lations Board last November for the
company to “desist coercing the Amal
gamated, abandon any support of the
17 councils and reinstate one em
ploye" has not been recognized.
Corporation officials previously con
' tended the disputes act is unconstitu
i tiongl.
Fifty per cent wage increases and
recognition as sole bargaining agency
for the workers are other Amal
| gamated strike demands.
Mrnte rigures uncertain.
Just how many workers were "on
strike” could not be authoritatively de
termined. The Amalgamated claims
a membership of 3.500 and a similar
membership is claimed by the de
partment councils.
Quiet prevailed as pickets patrolled
the mile-long plant, which produces
nails, range boilers, garbage pails,
auto sheet, oil drums and coke. It
has been operating at near capacity
for a month.
Observers said 1.000 men. who sur
rounded the plant, appeared a
"happy-go-lucky" group, and that a
"picnic” atmosphere was evident.
MOOSE RIVER PROBERS
ARE TOLD OF‘BAD PROPS’
By the Associated Press.
MOOSE RIVER, Nova Scotia, May
23.—Employes of the Moose River
gold mine told a government inquiry
today there were “bulging” pillars
and “bad props” in the mine the night
before the cave-in which killed Her
man Magill and imprisoned two other
men for 10 days.
The commission adjourned until
Thursday, when the hearing will be
resumed in Halifax. Dr. D. E. Rob
ertson and Alfred Scadding. who
survived their imprisonment, will tes
tify later.
Rushawav’s Second
j
Victory in 24 Hours
Breaks Turf Record
Turf history was made on
several fronts yesterday, the out
standing performance occurring
at the Latonia track. Just out
side of Cincinnati, where A. G.
Tarn's Rushaway won the $15,000
Latonia Derby only 24 hours after
winning the $12,000 Illinois Derby
at the Aurora track, more than
300 miles away.
Veterans say it is the first time
in racing annals that a horse has
won two stake events in 24 hours
at two different tracks. Rush
away covered the mile and a
quarter yesterday a full second
faster than Bold Venture did in
winning the Kentucky Derby, and
paid 4 to 1.
At Belmont Park. J. E. Wide
ner's Brevity, whose defeat in
the Kentucky Derby created such
a controversy, was beaten two
lengths by Ogden Phipps'
White Cockade in the sixtv-flrst
running of the Withers Stakes.
Belmont Park also was the scene
of a dead heat in a steeplechase
stake, an unprecedented occur
rence.
(Further details in Sports
Section).
Metcalf Submits “Kapers”
Speech to Young Democrats
Senator Jesse H. Metcalf. Repub
lican, of Rhode Island, who recently
and quite inadvertently received an
invitation to make a radio speech for
the “Kapital Kapers” of the Young
Democratic Clubs June 1, yesterday
made public his letter of acceptance
and also a draft of a speech submitted,
he said, for scrutiny and possible
deletions.
The invitation had been sent to
Senator Metcalf by Steel Kennedy,
general chairman of the “Kapital
Kapers” Committee, District of Co
lumbia. Division of the Young Demo
cratic Clubs of America. In his let
ter of acceptance, Senator Metcalf
said:
"Realizing that the administration
censorship will probably reach down
to the theatrical endeavors of the
Young Democrats, I transmit, here
with, the short manuscript I have pre
pared to be delivered June 1, on the
occasion of the opening of your musi
cal revue, ‘Kapital Kapers.’ In order
that you will not be embarrassed, I
suggest that you send copies to all of
the powers who might visit their wrath
upon you should my appearance in
any way cast a reflection upon your
integrity as money raisers and organ
£
iztrs. I should appreciate your ex
amining this manuscript and advising
me of such deletions as you may
think wise.”
The speech proposed by Senator
Metcalf follows:
"Iwish to congratulate the young
Democrats who organized this enter
prise. and I hope that the “Kapital
Kapers” will be as good comedy as
that acted by your elders of the ad
ministration. My commendation comes
deep from the heart as I realize that
most of you hold Government Jobs in
the daytime and have to work at
night in order to keep them. I came
here tonight in a spirit of helpfulness,
as I realize that if you fail to raise
your quota of mcney to help re-elect
President Roosevelt you may loee the
Job which you very much need, and
as I like to see youth get along. I
thought my little contribution might
help keep somebody from going
hungry. Of course, the $1,500,000,000
relief bill might very well make un
necessary such money raising projects
as the “Kapital Kapers,” but if Post
master General Farley needs a little
more money to make you young people
think you are Democrats, I hope he
(See MSTCA^r, Page A-2.)
a
ACTION 10 SHIF1
HIM’$ ML
TO COURT^BEGUN
Leaders Would Transfer
Contempt Action to Fed
eral Bench.
ADJOURNMENT RUSH
GIVEN AS REASON
Postal Inspectors Reported Ready
to Investigate Mail Fraud
Charge.
BACKGROUND—
Dr. Francis E. Townsend, Cali
fornia physician and real estate
promoter, preaches prosperity
through a $200-pcr-month pension
for old persons. So many believed
him that his following became a
dangerous political force; the
House voted to investigate.
Last Tuesday, two months after
probe'began, Townsend took stand
before committee. As they grilled
him with increasing severity, he
became increasingly impatient. On
Thursday he defied them, walked
out. On Friday hr advised other
witnesses subpoenaed to do like
wise. The committee has made no
announcement of its next move.
BY JOHN C. HENRY.
! Administration pressure is being
brought to force the contempt trial o#f
Dr. Francis E. Townsend into the Fed
eral courts rather than before the bar
of the House of Representatives, it
was learned last night.
The pressure, exerted by Speaker
Byrns and other House leaders on
Democratic members of the commit
tee investigating old-age pension
schemes, is being explained as result
ing from a desire for an early ad
journment of Congress. There is. of
course, the additional fact that House
members would not be forced to vote
"guilty” or "not guilty” if the trial is
conducted before a court of law.
While this issue remains in a state
of virtual deadlock within the com
mittee. two other developments were
uncovered yesterday.
Charges of Mail Fraud.
First of these is that postal inspec
tors stand ready to investigate Com
mittee Counsel James R. Sullivan's
charges that the Townsend organiza
tion has used the mails to defraud.
The charge was made last Thursday
morning In connection with a Town
send mail appeal for contributions to
a "congressional action” fund when
money already was on hand for this
purpose and the subsequent collec
tion of $11,000 was not used for the
designated purpose.
j Second of the developments w as that
Dr. Clinton L. Wunder. member of the
board of directors of Old Age Revolv
ing Pensions, Ltd., and Townsend
; leader in New York, informed the com
mittee by telegram that he intends to
be in Washington tomorrow or Tues
day in response to their subpoena.
I The surprising angle to this develop
ment lies in the fact that Dr. Town
send instructed Wunder and four other
pension officials to ignore the com
j mittee summons.
An executive meeting of the com
j mittee is scheduled Tuesday morning,
i but it could not be learned last night
\ whether Wunder will be asked to
testify that day.
rail io Line up .Majority.
Principal obstacle to the adminis
tration's attempts to have the con
‘ tempt issue diverted to the courts is
| the fact that administration leaders
i have not been able to line up a ma
j jority of the eight-man committee.
Some recommendation as to disposi
; tion of the doctor's case must be
| made by the committee and adminis
j tration leaders are insistent that
the recommendation should be for
court action.
In Friday’s three-hour executive
session they came close, as four mem
bers out of seven voted for the court
I recommendation. The expressed de
j termination of one member of the
minority bloc. Hoffman. Republican,
of Michigan, to stir up a storm on
the floor of the House scared them
off. however, and the vote was re
scinded and the whole question left
in abeyance over the week end.
j In the Friday vote. Democrats Bell
| of Missouri, Gavagan of New York
i and Lucas of Illinois responded to
i pressure and were joined by Repub
lican Hollister of Ohio in favoring
the court recommendation. Opposed
to them were Hoffman, Collins, Re
publican. of California and Tolan,
Democrat, of California. On the mi
noriity side, though not voting, of
(See^TOWNSENDr PagfTA-3.) ’
NAZIS RUSH WORK
ON FORTS IN RHINE
150.000 Completing Two Lines,
Says Article in German
Paper at Strasbourg.
Py the Associated Press.
STRASBOURG. France, May 23 —
The German language newspaper, El
saesser, today said 150,000 German
workers were rushing two lines of
fortifications to completion in the
Rhineland.
The article, signed ‘Reited, cap
tain,” said the first line of forts cov
ered the Elfel. Hinsbruck and Oden
wald Mountains and that the sec
ond extended across the Taunus
Mountains toward the Neckar Val
ley.
They formed gigantic pincers open
ed toward France, the newspaper said.
Old Fort Istein, opposite Mulhouse,
which was destroyed in accordance
with the treaty of Versailles, was be
ing replaced, the article continued,
while heavy fortifications were under
construction near the junction of the
Saar and Moselle Rivers.
The writer stated the Nazis had
adequate heavy artillery to install in
the forts and observed the Krupja
Works “now Is trying to sell Its sur
plus to Turkey for the Dardanelles.”
*
A