Evening star. [volume], July 19, 1936, Image 1

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

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
WEATHER. „
Of 8. Weather Bureau Forecast.) Full Associated PreSS
Mostly cloudy, probably occasional News and WirpnWrva
showers today and tomorrow; cooler to- iscws dxlU VV ilcpilOtOS
night; gentle winds, mostly north. Tern- Sunday Morning and
peratures—Highest. 84, at 1 p.m. yester- Evprv Affprnnon
day; lowest, 71 at 5 am. yesterday. livery AliemOOn.
Pull Report on Page B-3. _
CP) Means Associated Press. ____
No. 1,635-No. 33,682. SS4S SS&SrBT WASHINGTON, D. C„ SUNDAY MORNING, JULY 19, 1936-NINETY-EIGHT PAGES.* I TEn“cENTS
F~ - - .. —... -.-.— - :. ■■ ■ - ■■■■■■ -- -- ■ -
SPANISH CABINET QUITS
AS ARMY REVOLT GRIPS
MOROCCO AND ISLANDS
-. i
Government Is
i»
Reformed by
Barrio.
SHIPS, PLANES
ORDERED OUT
Strikes Are Called
If Martial Law
Is D^ereed.
BACKGROUND— .
Fascist and monarchist elements
in Spanish army resenting suppres
sive measures taken by Spain’s
Leftist government, in power as re
sult of radical front's victory in
February 16 election. General am
nesty for Socialists and Com
munists followed poll victory. Two
thousand Fascists have taken place
of 25,000 of their enemies in Span
ish fails.
Unrest in Spain heightcnecd this
week when men dressed as Assault
Guards assassinated Jose Cairo
Sotelo, monarchist leader.
By the Associated Press.
MADRID. July 19 (Sunday).—The
Spanish cabinet of Premier Santiago
Casares Quiroga. harassed by a mili
tary revolt, in Spanish Morocco and the
Canary Islands and outbreaks in
Bpain itself, resigned early today.
Diego Martinez Barrio, chief of the
pepublican Union and for a brief time
President of Spain, immediately or
ganized a new cabinet, containing five
tnembers of the previous group.
The resignation of the Casares Qui
t oga government came only a few
hours after it had sent air and naval
forces against the rebellious soldiers
In the two Spanish possessions and
had claimed complete control of the
Internal uprising, which it is said cen
tered at Seville.
Racked by Labor Front.
The Leftist Casares Quiroga cabi
net—installed May 13. when former
Premier Manuel Azana was raised to
the presidency of the republic—had
won the support of a solid labor front
•gainst the revolt.
Socialist, Communist and Syndicalist
leaders had ordered general strikes in
•ny places where martial law' was
jji ' jLitniiitru luii li iii \ lu go\ernmeiu
©rders.
Reports from Tangier, interna
tionalized zone in Morocco, said 20,000
rebels, headed by Gen. Francisco
Franco, military governor of the Ca
nary Islands, held complete control
of Spanish Morocco,
An unconfirmed dispatch received
Bt Oran, Algeria, related, however,
that Franco had been arrested, two
generals killed and 30 other officers
eeized at Tetuan, capital of Spanish
Morocco.
This report stated loyal soldiers,
Joined by naval aviation forces.
Which refused to join the rebels, made
• successful counter attack.
Border Is Closed.
British authorities at Gibraltar, on
the southern tip of the Iberian Pen
insula, closed the Spanish border after
Bn encounter at La Linea. Spain, In
Which one person was killed and at
least 20 were Injured.
Reports received at Gibraltar s^id
£0,000 troops of the Spanish Foreign
legion were participating in the Mo
loccan revolt.
Spanish government airplanes
bombed the cities of Melilla and
Ceuta, Spanish Morocco. Warships
bad been sent to aid in attempting
to crush the rebellion across the nar
row strait separating Spain from
Forth Africa.
The civil governor of the Canary
Islands Informed the government at
Madrid he and the civil guard chief
at Las Palmas were beseiged in his
palace.
Admitting the revolt had spread to
Spain proper, the government de
clared it had crushed a rebellion
movement among soldiers at Seville,
important southern city.
Gen. Franco was relieved of his
command by a cabinet decision, along
With Gen. Queipo de llano, who the
covernment accused of leading the
outbreak at Seville.
French sources provided uncon
firmed reports that fighting had oc
curred at Cadiz, Burgos and Barce
lona, as well as in Seville.
The administration announced all
foldiers implicated in the revolt would
be granted immediate and indefinite
borne leave. The move was seen as
pn attempt to weaken the rebel forces.
Rebellious Elements Checked.
An official note said the public
m (See'REVOLT,’ Page-4-47)
dUDGE LIKELY TO BAR
LABOR BOARD HEARING
Indicates He Will .Enjoin Body
From Hearing Workers’
Complaint. .
0? tbe Associated Press.
EAST ST. LOUIS, 111., July 18.—
Federal Judge Fred L. Wham indi
cated today he would grant a pre
liminary Injunction to prevent the
Rational Labor Relations Board 'from
hearing a complaint that the Weil
Kalter Manufacturing Co. had dis
charged employed for union activity
at its Millstadt, 111., garment factory.
Though not passing on the consti
tutionality of the Wagner labor dis
putes act. Judge Wham expressed the
opinion the act provides for an in
vasion of rights of the company,
which he did not believe was engaged
In interstate commerce.
Weil-Kalter attorneys were asked
to presept a form of injunction to
t>js court Tuesday.
JOSE CALVO SOTELO.
Fascist leader, whose murder
after he was kidnaped has
brought revolt to Spain.
SANTIAGO CASARES
QUIROGA,
Ousted Spanish premier. His
Leftists are “ready to go into
the streets and fight.”
LANDON CAMPAIGN
OPENS INIS WEEK
—
Delivers First Speech at To
peka on Thursday.—G.
0. P. Hopeful.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
Gov. Alf M. Landon, Republican
nominee for President, slips out ol
j the realm of silence this week. H<
| delivers hiS first speech of the presi
• dential campaign against Franklin D,
j Roosevelt in Topeka Thursday .night
: More than a month ago the Kansas
| Governor was selected by the Repub
1 lican National Convention to be th<
paiiy Manual u utaici. xac iiaa «nu
j conference after conference with Re
! publican leaders since then. But re
| garding the issues of the campaign he
lias made no public utterance.
One speech does not win or lose a
campaign necessarily. If Landon has
a speech that is well received, how
ever, It won’t do him any harm. It
is what the Republicans are praying
for. President Roosevelt got in the
first lick of the campaign with his ac
ceptance speech at Franklin Field
immediately after his renomination
in Philadelphia. Roosevelt’s was a re
markable speech, an appealing apeech
to many who believe as he does.
With the formal acceptance of the
Republican nomination by Landon,
the decks will be cleared for the ac
tion of the campaign. There have
been two stehools of thought in the
Republican camp. One which has
held to the idea that Landon should do
a minimum of campaigning and
adopt a front-porch style. The other
considers that Landon should actively
campaign throughout the country.
Landon Unknown to Big Majority.
The country has a great curiosity
about the Republican presidential
nominee. He is known far and wide
through newspaper comment and
newspaper pictures. But personally he
AO UltBiinAl IV V A A V. >0UV AA VA
voters in all sections of the country,
except his own immediate bailiwick.
Many of the Republican leaders who
have visited Gov. Landon are con
vinced he will aid himself materially
by getting about the country and
meeting the people face to face. And
that he seems likely to do.
Speaking of first bows, Representa
tive William Lemke of North Dakota,
Father Coughlin’s white hope, is to
address the Townsend old-age pension
conference in Cleveland today. Dr.
Townsend has personally declared his
(See POLITICS, Page A-X)
MRS. AMY PORTER DIES
Was Widow of Secretary to Presi
dent McKinley.
NEW HAVEN, Conn.. July 18 (*>).—
Mrs. Amy Betts Porter, 79. widow of
John Addison Porter, secretary to
President McKinley, died today in a
hospital.
She was bom here September 5,
1856.
During the Spanish-American War,
Mrs. Porter was active in Red Cross
work, assisting Clara Barton as a
nurse in Cuban hospitals.
Asheville Police Question
Mark Wollner, Musician,
Who Lived Here.
By the Associatea Press.
ASHEVILLE. N. C.. July 19 (Sun
i day).—Mark Wollner, 35-year-old
j classic German violinist, was held to
i day for questioning in the death ol
pretty Helen Clevenger. New York
honor student.
Wollner. who has played difficult
| transcriptions of Bach, Franck and
| Mozart on three continents, was ar
rested last night shortly after officers
announced a "prominent white man"
was sought.
The German musician immediately
produced an alibi in the person of
19-year-old Mildred Ward, daughter
of his landlady, who said he was at
home from 9 n m Werinesriav until 8
a.m. Thursday, when Miss Clevenger's
body, shot and stabbed, was found in
her room.
Arrested at Friend's Home.
The" musician was taken into cus
tody by two deputies at the home of
i a friend, a piano salesman, at
] 9:30 p.m.
Sheriff Laurence E. Brown quoted
Wollner as saying he was with a
1 young woman friend at 1 a.m.
; Thursday—the hour officers fixed as
the time of the mysterious murder,
j Wollner, whose parents live In Ger
! many, was held simply "for question,”
; a classification under which police
, said they could detain him for 48
1 hours.
j The sheriff said he had been in
; formed by a witness, whose name he
1 did not reveal, that Wollner had re
marked about 10 p.m. Wednesday:
' I've got a date with a girl at the
I Battery Park Hotel tonight.”
It was at that hotel that Miss Cle
venger, pretty 18-year-old blond, was
found shot to death, and her face
stabbed with some sharp instrument.
Sheriff Brown said Wollner would
be detained and questioned further.
Wollner, who came to Asheville more
than a year ago, maintains a studio
here. He speaks English with a barely
distinguishable accent.
Formerly in Washington.
Previously, the violinist, who studied
music at Berlin and Paris, lived in New
York and Washington. He gave a
series of concerts in Florida last Win
ter.
(Wollner’s wife, Mrs. Mary Bowen
Wollner. is a teacher at the Cathedral
Schools for Girls. She said last night
she married Wollner here in 1928, but
had been separated from him for two
years.)
A few years ago, after his American
debut at the town hall in New York,
Wollner made a number of appear
ances in South American cities.
While here, he has played on a
i number of national radio hook-ups.
Guests and Employes.
The dozen witnesses questioned at
the Inquest were guests and employes
of the fashionable -resort hotel (Bat
tery Park), where the girl was found
shot to death.
While officers pressed their hunt
(See VIOLINIST, Page A-3.)
Drought Aid Plan Is Extended
By Tug well to 11 More States
Resettlement Head Acts When Told
664,000 Need Immediate Help.
Rain Relieves Lakes Area.
(Copyright. 1936, by the Associated Press.)
RAPID CITY, S. Dak., .July 18.—
The Federal drought relief program
was ordered extended into 11 South
ern. Central and Northwest States
tonight by R. O. Tugwell, resettle
ment administrator.
Communicating with resettlement
supervisors and regional heads of 16
States, Tugwell was informed that at
least 664,000 farmers and their de
pendents must be taken care of at
once.
A quick order for immediate applica
tion of the aid program to Virginia,
Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina,
Alabama. Georgia, Oklahoma, Mia*
souri, Nebraska, Kansas and Western
Wisconsin followed. Residents of the
sections were described as victims of
drought conditions constantly becom
ing more serious.
"Extend Immediate aid to the needy
farmers and place every agency at
*}rour command into the field at once,”
was Tuswell's general order to Reset
tlement Administration officials of all
drought States.
Five States Previously Listed.
Previous plans had contemplated
the drought relief program’s operation
only in North and South Dakota, Mon
tana, Wyoming and Minnesota—the
Northwest drought sector.
"The President has ordered that no
one must be permitted to go without
food,” the resettlement head told hia
staff members in the added territory.
“The Job is up to you.”
In the 11 States the Resettlement
Administration listed 122,500 farm
families representing 490,000 depend?
ents, as requiring Immediate help. By
States, the figures were:
Georgia, 25,000; Virginia, 1.000;
Kentucky, 10,000; Tennessee. 10,000;
South Carolina. 18.000; Alabama,
18.000; Oklahoma. 10.000; Missouri.
(See DROUGHT. Page A?*)
THOMAS IS BOOED
BY TOWNSENDITES
AS HE HITS PLAN
Appeals to Delegates to
Rally to Socialism to
End Capitalism.
ONLY SMILES AT BOOS
AS DOCTOR INTERCEDES
Proposal to Reorganize and Strip
Townsend of Power Is
Tabled.
By the Associated Press.
CLEVELAND, July 1*.—Norman
Thomas. Socialist candidate for Presi
dent, told the National Convention of
Townsend Clubs today that their old
age pension plan is unworkable, but
he was met with a chorus of boos and
the session wound up with a vote
which left Dr. Francis E. Townsend
In control of the movement.
Thomas appealed to the delegates to
rally to the socialistic movement to do
away with the capitalistic system.
He said he did not believe that the
transactions tax. through which the
Townsenhjtes propose to pay *200 a
month pension to all persons over 60,
would work.
He was interrupted frequently by
boos, once so prolonged that Dr. Town
send appealed lor order.
Reorganisation Tabled.
A resolution was brought before the
convention proposing to reorganize so
that the board of directors would be
elected by the citizens maximi or dis
trict leaders. This would have stripped
Dr. Townsend of much of his power.
"If it is your will that I renounce
ownership—which means control, then
I will,” he said as a roar of "no"
swept the crowded public auditorium.
Amendment upon amendment en
tangled debate until finally the whole
resolution- was tabled.
Tomorrow's session at which Repre
sentative William Lemke. the new
Union party candidate for President,
will speak, ends the convention.
Smiths Rally Delegates.
The Socialist presidential candi
date’s speech came just after the con
vention had been stirred into a whoop
ing. purse-opening frenzy of enthu
siasm bv a display of unanimity among
the leaders of the movement and a
series of emotion-rousing appeals by
Gerald L. K. Smith and Gomer Smith.
The Smiths who have been at outs,
asked the delegates to rally behind
Dr. Townsend in defending a suit
brought by Dr. A. A. Wright of Cleve
I land, a former Townsend director de
' mandlng an accounting of funds and
the ousting of Townsend.
Thousands of dollars had been col
i lected in cash and pledges before the
day ended. Hundreds of delegates
pushed^thelr way to the platform,
opening bill folds, check books, bat
tered pocketbooks and untying money
from handkerchief corners.
Resolutions Adopted.
The day saw, too. the adoption of a
series of resolutions, which put the
convention on record as:
Condemning the congressional com
mittee which recently investigated
Dr. Townsend.
Declaring that partisan political
speeches made before the convention
represented only the views of the
speakers.
Resolved, not “at any time during
♦ v*« e*omr>a!on rtirArt.lv nr indirActlv.**
Indorse any presidential or vice presi
dential candidate.
Determined to leave up to the board
of directors the question of recon
sidering previous approval that may
have been given to congressional can
didates!
Empowering the national board and
State area manager areas to devise a
new method for a systematic way of
financing the organization.
Desirous of investigating the pos
sibility of sending a representative to
the World Youth Conference at
Geneva.
Recommended that a youth be
~ < See TOWNSEND, Page A-5?)
Readers9 Guide
PART ONE.
Main News Section.
General News—Pages A-l, B-3.
Washington Wayside—A-2.
Lost and Found—A-3.
Death Notices—A-10.
Resorts—B-4-5.
Sports Section—Pages B-6, B-ll.
Boating and Fishing News—B-9.
PART TWO.
Editorial Section.
Editorial Articles—Page D-l.
Editorials and Editorial Fea
tures— D-2.
Dnlifirol RnnnH.TTn_Ti-5
Civic News and Comment—D-4.
Veterans’ Organizations, Na
tional Guard, Organized
Reserves—D-4.
Cross-word Puzzle—D-5.
Conquering Contract—D-6.
Stamps—D-6.
PART THREE.
Society Section.
Society News and Comment—
Pages E-l, E-9.
Well-Known Folk—E-4.
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..
Aviation—F-6.
Children’s Pago—F-7.
High Lights of History—F-7.
PART FIVE.
Financial, Classified.
Financial News and Comment
Pages <3-1, G-5.
Classified Advertising Pages
Q-5, 0-13. I
SHIFTS EXPECTED
Morgenthau Said to Reflect
Roosevelt Views on “Snip
ing” Report.
BY REX COLLIER.
A shake-up in the Secret Service
is expected to follow the disclosure— !
officially characterized as “horrify- |
ing”—that agents of that veteran in
vestigative service have been “spying”
on their fellow Government agents,
the Justice Department's G-men.
Secretary of the Treasury Morgen
thau is said to have reflected the
attitude of President Roosevelt when
he expressed to the Department of
j Justice his consternation over pre
liminary substantiation of "sniping”
reports that have been current for
some weeks.
Oradv I. Rnatwrieht aeent in charee
i of the St. Paul office of the Secret
! Service. Is said to have confirmed
j under questioning here yesterday that
he and another Secret Service man
under his command have been ques
tioning eye-witnesses to the fatal
shooting by G-men in 1934 of Eddie
Green, Dillinger machine gunner,
Murphy En Route Here.
Boatwright, first of several agents
ordered to come to Washington and
explain their ‘'ill-advised" activities,
is understood to have said he was
directed to make an investigation of
the Green case by Joseph Murphy,
assistant chief of the Secret Serv
ice. Murphy is said be en route here
from the Pacific Coast, where, reach
ed by telephone, he expressed sur
prise that his men "might have mis
I construed" anything he told them.
Murphy is to be interrogated as to
what he mieht have told his men that
could have been, interpreted by them
as Instructions for a check-up on
work of the Federal Bureau of In
vestigation in St. Paul and Chicago.
Thomas J. Callahan, in charge of
the Chicago office of the Secret Serv
ice. and Harry Schaetzel, agent in the
Chicago office, have been called upon
to explain certain inquiries made of
police and other persons about the
death of John Dillinger at the hands
of F. B. I. agents just two years ago.
Duties Limited in 1908.
The present explosion parallels
sofhewhat the furore caused in Con
gress in 1908 over disclosure that the
Secret Service was “spying" on em
ployes of various executive depart
ments and on Senators and Represen
tatives, themselves. As a result, the
jurisdiction of the service was lim
ited to suppression of counterfeiting
and protecting the President.
President Theodore Roosevelt threw
a bombshell into Congress when he
sent a message denouncing the restric
tion of Secret Service activities and
insinuating that members of Congress
were afraid to be investigated.
In discussions on the floor of the
Senate, it was brought out the Secret
Service had "shadowed” a naval officer
who had run away with the wife of
some one else, and had made a report
upon which the officer was discharged.
Roosevelt’s Message Direct.
In asking for elimination of the
limitations on Secret Service activity,
Theodore Roosevelt told Congress:
"The chief argument in favor of the
provision (for restriction) was that
the Congressmen did not themselves
tu uc Jiuvcotigntcu vjr
ice men. Very little of such investi
gation has been done in the past, but
it is true that the work of the Secret
Service agents was partly responsible
for the indictment and conviction of
(See SECRET SERVICE, PageA^T
TYPHOID FEVER CASES
IN LOWELL REACH 21
16 Children In Orphanage.
'Peak Expected Within
72 Hours.
By the Associated Press.
BOSTON, July 18. — Twenty-one
cases of typhoid fever In Lowell were
reported tonight by State health offi
cials. Sixteen of them were children
at St. Joseph's Orphanage.
In Lowell Dr. John J. McNamara,
city director of health, reported five
were new cases since yesterday. The
peak should come, he said, ‘‘within
72 hours.”
Dr. John M. J. Poutas. assistant di
rector of communicable diseases of
the State health department, said a
cheek of water and milk revealed
aathiag wrong. ♦
Woman’s Face Cuts
Found Sewed W ith
Thread and Button
Victim ts Discovered in
Church Y ard in Dazed
Condition.
Py the Associated Press.
LOUISVILLE. Ky.. July 18—Police
sought tonight to solve the mystery
surrounding a woman discovered at
noon in a downtown church yard, in
a dazed condition from face wounds
sewed up with black thread and a
button.
After treatment at the City Hospi
tal, the woman was questioned by
Capt. William A. Oeltjen, then com
mitted to jail on charges of disorderly
conduct and vagrancy. She was
booked as Edna Morris, 33, of Cincin
nati.
Capt. Oeltjen termed “unsatisfac
tory" the woman's story of receiving
the wound in a Jefferson County au-*
tomobile accident. He sent her pho
tograph and fingerprints to authorities
i See WOMAN Puw A.2 I .
i
Lausanne Post-War Treaty
Signatories to Sign Con
vention Tomorrow.
BACKGROUND—
Turkey refused to violate a
treaty pledge openly, although well
able to defy any opposition to her
wishes, and asked for the privilege
of refortifying the Dardanelles.
Smarting from, the sting of Ger
many’s sudden reoccupation of the
Rhineland, the powers long ago
gave quick assurance Turkey’s
wishes were most reasonable.
Ef the Associated Press.
MONTBEUX, Switzerland. July 18.
—Immediate right to remilitarize the
Dardanelles was granted to Turkey
tonight by nine signatories to the
Lausanne post-war treaty.
Delegates to the international con
ference resulting from the Turkish
request to rearm the straits agreed to
sign a convention Monday.
The decision was unanimous, with
only the Japanese making slight res
ervations because of what a spokes
man described as Japan's "unfor
tunate departure from the League of
Nations."
The countries agreeing to the con
vention included Great Britain,
Prance. Russia. Japan. Turkey.
Greece. Rumania, Yugoslavia and
Bulgaria.
The convention would grant com
plete liberty to merchant marine pas
(See DARDANELLES, Page A-3.) ~
PLEASURE RIDE TRUCK
UPSETS, KILLING YOUTH
By the Associated Press.
WELCH. W. Va., July 18.—A truck
filled with young people out on a
pleasure ride overturned on a moun
tainside near the mining town of Oary
tonight, killing one youth and injur
ing an undetermined number of
others.
Sevent^n-year-old Louis Barta was
killed when the machine rolled 100
feet down the steep hill. Seven of
the injured were brought to Welch
hospitals and ambulances returned
for others who were reported hurt.
Doctors said those at the hospital
are expected to recover. Three of the
injured, whose names were not learned
immediately, were taken to a local hos
pital. Others hurt were treated at a
doctor’s office in Oary.
______
Received SI ,000 From Japa
nese Agent for 2 Articles,
He Asserts.
BY BEN H. PEARSE.
John S. Farnsworth, dismissed naval
officer, charged with espionage, ad
mitted yesterday he had received
$1,000 from an agent of the Japanese
government, but stated the money
was in payment for two articles, or
monographs, he had written.
One of the monographs, he said,
was on the London naval conference
last Winter and the other on naval
aviation training. Neither, he said,
contained information he considered
secret or confidential.
The charges against Farnsworth al
lege that he sold a secret naval docu
ment, "Service of Information and
Security,” intended for circulation
only among high-ranking naval offi
cers, to an agent of the Japanese
government. ' The agent has not been
named by the prosecution, for fear of
diplomatic complications, as be, re
portedly an officer in the Japanese
Navy, has diplomatic immunity.
Visited by Cousin.
Defense plans In the case were still
unsettled last night, although John
Farnsworth was visited by his cousin.
Ward Farnsworth, Chicago real estate
broker, and retention of an attorney
was discussed. Ward Farnsworth left
last night for Cincinnati, to meet his
cousin's father. Frederick Farnsworth,
who was in California at the time De
partment of Justice agents arrested
the former Navy flyer at the home of
his former wife here. He is expected
to return tomorrow.
The one-time Navy lieutenant com
mander, whc«e condition had improved
considerably yesterday, although he
was still in the District jail infirmary,
readily admitted he had been paid by
the Japanese government, but declared
that the money he received was for
his writing.
"The article on the London naval
uumeicn« merely an estimate
of the situation as I saw it, to the
effect that if Japan should withdraw
as a signatory of the limitations pact,
due to preoccupation over present
economic conditions, nothing would
be done about it. All the conclusions
reached were my own and had no
relation to the opinions or policies of
the Navy,” Farnsworth said.
"The other monograph was on a
plan for training of naval aviators and
(See FARNSWORTH, 1Page A-3.)
■ ■ ■ •
SAN FRANCISCO FIRE
CAUSES HEAVY LOSS
Shipbuilding Plant Is Destroyed,
Another Is Damaged and
Boats Are Burned.
B? the Associated Press.
3AN FRANCISCO, July 18. —A
spectacular water front blaze was
brought under control tonight after
causing damage estimated by fire of
ficials at $50,000 to $100,000.
The George W. Kneass Co., ship
building plant, was destroyed, the
roof of the John Twiggs A Sons
Co. plant was burned. 7 cruising
launches were consumed by the Are,
14 skiffs destroyed and 1 oyster boat
burned. The Twiggs company also
is a shipbuilding concern. Two
firemen were injured, neither seri
ously. Origin of the lire was un
known.
"The flames, whipped by a strong
wind, menaced two blocks of water
front. The Mariposa Yacht Club and
the Union Iron Works Co., were the
other principal structures in the path
of the Are. Neither was damaged,
although a number of boats were
cut from their lines at the yacht
club and taken out Into the bay.
Political News From the States
Another presentation of developments
"back home” in the political campaign, as re
ported by The Star’s special correspondents,
appears in today’s Star on Page 3, Part 2, the
Editorial Section.
1—■—-ft----4--1
\
THE THREE MUSKETEERS!
I ^_____ _
EXAMINERS DELVE
INTO FINANCES OF
CLOSED LOAN FIRM
I- .
Fidelity Association Placed
in Charge of Receiver
After Probe.
$13,000 LARCENY LAID '
TO FORMER PRESIDENT
“Apparent Irregularities” Re
vealed in Investigation by
Federal Agents.
With operations suspended, the
Fidelity Building & Loan Association
yesterday, while Treasury and Justice
agents continued to delve into its
finances.
The association, with headquarters
at 610 Thirteenth street, and six
branches over the city, was closed early
yesterday afternoon, after the former
president, Fred B. Rhodes, 60. promi
nent attorney, had been arrested on a
warrant charging a $13,000 larceny.
The closing was ordered by William
Prentiss, Jr., acting controller of the
currency He said an examination
had revealed “apparent irregularities
and losses which exceeded the profits
and reserve accounts of the associa
tion, which, in the judgment of the
controller rendered the association in
solvent.”
It was announced that the shut
down would be “for at least 10 days."
and M. L. Barnett. jr„ a bank ex
aminer, was named receiver.
Released I'nder $5,000 Bond.
Rhodes was taken into custody
shortly after I p.m. in his offices in
the National Press Building by De
tective Sergeant Paul Ambrose. At
police headquarters he was booked,
! fingerprinted and released under
$5,000 bond.
"There is not a word of truth in
this charge,” said Rhodes, who re
signed several months ago as president
i of the association. “I have never
taken a dollar from the association.
At the proper time it will be shown
that everything I have done was for
the best interests of the association.”
AVWiru^c. VW.IU Lo UlulUCU A11U lias
four children, lives at 4715 Seven
teenth street. For several years he
has been identified with important
banking litigation here.
The warrant mas issued at the re
quest of Assistant United States At
torney Henry A. Schweinhaut, mho
said transactions by Rhodes, in addi
tion to the one described in the mar
rant, are under investigation.
Charged With Obtaining Loan.
The former president mas charged
specifically with obtaining a $13,000
loan from the Fidelity last November
8 through a “straw” party, crediting
the proceeds to his own account at
the Fidelity to meet an overdraft. The
loan supposedly was made for use on
a construction project in the Guilford
l subdivision. Fairfax. Va.. Schweinhaut
I said. When the alleged overdraft had
been satisfied, according to Schwein
haut. only $398 of the $13,000 re
mained.
Issuance of the warrant followed In
vestigations by agents of the Treasury
and Justice Departments, working
with Assistant United States Attorney
Charles B. Murray, mho is now out
of the city. These investigations, it
mas said, mill be continued.
The Fidelity association has about
16,000 accounts, most of them small.
It Is not a member of the District of
Columbia Building and Loan League,
and its accounts, officials said, mera
not insured.
TVi a ncenoiot ion'r cfolcmnnt /%# nccate
and liabilities, filed with the controller
on June 30, 1935. listed installment
dues paid in at that time at $1,862.*
! 655. This, it was said, represented
| the money owed the general public
I by the association at that time. Dr.
ftalph Bonnett. the president, said the
financial statement for 1936 had not
been completed when the office was
closed.
Dr. Bonnett said he would confer
on the closing tomorrow with I. I.
Chorpening. chief national bank ex
aminer. After a meeting with other
officials of the association. Dr. Bonnett
issued the following statement:
“The transaction which led to the
closing of the Fidelity Building and
Loan Association by the controller of
the currency occurred before I be
came president last March 1. The
Treasury Department has been inves
( See FIDELITY, Page A-4.1
-•-j
51 AM tot I WIN WtU
AT TEXAS FESTIVAL
Violet Hilton Becomes Bride of
Dancer—Denies It’s Pub
licity “Gag."
By tty Asscclsted Press.
DALLAS, Tex., July 18.—A brunette
Siamese twin sister was married here
tonight to a tall, dark dancer and
musician with the other twin assuring:
“She has never resented my pres
ence when on dates with gentleman
friends and I know this marriage will
cause no rift between us.”
In the cotton bowl of the Texas
Centennial Exposition, winsome 28
year-old Violet Hilton became the •
bride of James Moore of Cleveland,
Ohio.
"Sure, I know every one has tagged
it a publicity gag," smiled Violet.
"After all, you know, we're show
people.
“But I’ve been in'love with Jimmy
since I met him two years ago at San
Antonio. You know we tried in several
Eastern States to arrange a wedding,
but strict State laws calling for the
establishment of a residence stopped
m.”
"They’ll hardly know I’m around."
said sister Daisy, joined with Violet
since birth by cartilage at the base
of the spinal column.
Moore, a member of the Hilton
sisters' night club troupe, will continue
as Violet’s professional as well as do
mestic partner.