Evening star. [volume], February 18, 1937, Image 1

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

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WEATHER. ---—
tU S Weather Bureau Forecast.)
Cloudy, with occasional rain tonight The only evening naner
and possibly tomorrow morning; slightly • «»i . ®. £ * ,
warmer tonight, minimum about 34 de- 111 w dSninglOn WltH the
grees; warmer tomorrow. Temperatures— Associated PreSS NeWS
Highest, 39. 4:30 p.m. yesterday; lowest. ori/s Tit- . 0
24. 3 a m. today. Pull report page A-14. and WirephotO Services.
Closing New York Markets, Page 18 Yesterday’s Circulation, 143,434
— ■ ---- -.—1 ■ - -.. 1 ■ 1 ... (Some returns not yet received.!
85th YEAR. No. 33,896. j^dncV. Washington, OP) Meant Associated Priu, TWO CENTS.
FIERCE FIGHTING
ALONG ALL FRONIS
Spanish Rebels Repulse
Mass Counter Attack Led
by Gen. Miaja.
SIEGE OF CAPITAL
BELIEVED NEAR END
Planes and Tanks Participate in
Drive—Heavy Casualties
Are Reported.
BACKGROUND—
Madrid, after three months of
bloody siege, continues to be the
center of Spanish warfare which
has run for eight months. Renewed
activities in the capital sector ap
pear to indicate final drive by in
surgents for victory before deadline
on outside intervention arrives this
Saturday. This time was set by In
ternational Non-Intervention Com
mittee this week in London after
France issued ultimatum to Italy
complaining of violation of previous
nations' agreement. Germany also
had been accused of sending troops
and munitions to assist rebel cause.
Both Rome and Berlin, however,
denied such charges, although their
soldiers were reported in action in
Spain.
By Lie Associated Press.
AVILA. Spain. February 18.—A mass
onslaught of government troops on the
La Maranosa chemical factory settle
ment in the Jarama River sector was
reported crushed today by insurgent
besiegers of Madrid.
Insurgent headquarters declared
there were heavy casualties among the
Madrid troops, personally led by Gen.
Jose Miaja.
The government offensive, a coun
ter attack on the desperate insurgent
attempt to rip the southeastern barri
cades of Madrid, was directed at en
circling the factory settlement which
Insurgents captured 10 days ago.
The settlement lies between the
Jarama River and the Valencia road
southeast of Madrid.
Two Attacks Made.
Twice the government forces were
flung at La Maranosa. The first as
sault was led by six tanks followed by a
wave of infantry.
Insurgent artillery fire wrecked two
of the tanks. The insurgents held
their fire until their assailants were
fairly upon them and then mowed
down the advancing troops with rifle
and machine-gun fire and hand gran
ades.
Recoiling from this withering blast.
the government troops withdrew, leav
ing the field strewn with their dead
comrades.
The report from the scene of battle
said the Madrid militiamen closed
their ranks and surged back in an
other attack. However, their strength
had been so cut the second attempt
Was weak and easily repulsed.
Insurgent commanders reported
their troops farther south in the cen
ter of the Jarama River front had
thrust forward, pursuing their enemy
Into olive groves.
The insurgents blazed at them with
machine guns and automatic rifles
to drive them from cover. Many
were reported to have thrown down
their arms in mad flight. Large num
bers were reported captured.
On this same general front 17 for
eign volunteers to the Madrid cause
were reported killed when two trucks
In which they were riding took a
WTong turn and drove directly into
Insurgent lines. One of the detach
ment was taken prisoner.
Move Believed Misinterpreted.
The government's surprise attack
©n La Maranosa was planned appar
ently. insurgent officers said, in the
mistaken belief that Gen. Jose Varela
had massed all his insurgent troops
in the center of the four-mile Jarama
River front.
On another segment of the battle
line government soldiers rushed at
the insurgents from the village of
Perales and from a road house on the
banks of the Manzanares River near
Vaciamadrid.
'Jnder scorching machine gun fire
they dropped to the ground and tanks
bringing up the rear were forced to
turn back to avoid crushing them
A squadron of insurgent planes
bombarded the enemy and completed
f : widespread rout of the Madrid
froces, a field report declared.
Government casualties ali.along the
front were “enormous,” the insurgents
asserted.
When Madrid militiamen scurried
©nto the open battlefield to gather up
their dead after the tide of battle sub
sided. the insurgents said they with
held fire, permitting completion of the
gruesome task without hindrance.
Before an official communique re
ported the 17 “foreigners” hac been
killed, dispatches from the battle area
(See SPAIN~Page~A^4.)
Three Air Raids
Spread Horror
In Madrid Area
Dead and Injured Lit
tered About After In
surgent Bombings.
Br the Associated Press.
MADRID, February lb.—A triple
renewal of death and destruction
dealt out for this beleaguered capital
by night raiding bombers ushered in
the eighth month of Spain’s civil war
today.
Three times last night insurgent
planes droned out of a clear, moonlit
sky and hurled their explosive cargoes
Into the city and its environs.
In the Vallecas district alone 10
persons were killed and more than
70 wounded. Bodies of the dead and
^ (See MADRID, Page A-5.) A
Farnsworth, Ignoring Counsel,
Asks Judge to Change Plea
“iVot GuiltyHe Says
in Letter to Justice
Proctor.
Ignoring the advice of his attorneys,
John S. Farnsworth, former naval offi
cer charged with selling secret naval
information to the Japanese, today
requested permission to change his
plea of “nolo contendere," entered
Monday in District Court, back to
"not guilty.”
Declaring that his plea of “nolo
contendere” was made under “enor
mous pressure” and finally “on the
flip of a coin,” the one-time lieutenant
commander and flyer, dispatched a re
quest to Justice Janies M. Proctor pe
titioning for permission to revert to
his original plea of not guilty. It is
within the discretion of the court to
grant or deny such a request. The
justice took his request under advise
ment.
Farnsworth, unshaven and nervous
from lack of sleep, paced the narrow
cell in the infirmary of the District
Jail, said he was determined to have
both indictments brought to trial, one
charging with selling to Japanese naval
officers on duty with the office of
naval attache a secret document,
"Source of Information and Security,”
JOHN S. FARNSWORTH.
—Star Staff Photo
and the second, a general conspiracy
indictment setting forth violation of
the peace-time espionage statutes.
He revealed for the first time that
he had suggested an unofficial trial by
a jury of three persons, a naval officer,
~ i See"FARNSWORTH7Page ~A-4. T~
FINAL G. M. PEACE
PACI IS DELAYED
Counter Charges of Viola
tions of Agreement Made
at Conference.
BACKGROUND—
General Motors strike which
began last December, throwing
more than 100,000 men out of work,
became struggle between John L.
Lewis’ Committee for Industrial
Organization and great motor firm.
But back of C. I. O.’s entry into
organization of auto workers were
grievances of latter against em
ployers as set forth in letter sent
G. M. January 4 demanding better
working conditions, more pay. Also
demanded was recognition of United
Automobile Workers of America as
sole collective bargaining agency,
and this became paramount issue.
It was settled partially and tempo- !
rarily by truce of last Thursday,
which provided negotiations to be- i
gin in Detroit yesterday looking
toward permanent peace.
By the Associated Press.
DETROIT, February 18.—New is
sues arising from the reopening of
strike-closed General Motors automo
tive plants tended today to delay final
settlement of diSerences involved in
the recent strikes.
Counter-charges of violations of the
i agreement that ended the long dis
pute between the corporation and the
United Automobile Workers a week
ago were heard as negotiators met
today in their fifth session.
Ed Hall, union vice president, say
ing 10 union members were dis
charged at Flint, Mich., last night,
and that locals at Flint, Anderson,
Ind.; Cleveland, Ohio; St. Louis, Mo.,
and Janesville, Wis., had reported
that their members were being
transferred from the jobs they held
before the strikes to new posts, de
clared these matters would be pre
sented today to the corporation repre
sentatives. U. A. W. A. strikes oc
curred in all the cities mentioned.
Work Resumed.
General Motors announced the re
sumption of work in all of its 69 units,
although some were said to be operat
ing with skeleton staffs until enough
materials from other plants are re
ceived to start full production.
Despite the differences brought up
yesterday and today, it was said au
thoritatively that the conferees were
in a co-operative mood and that the
basic questions about which the
negotiations center—union demands
unsettled in the strike peace agree
ment—are expected to be ironed out.
Wyndham Mortimer, first vice pres
ident of the U. A. W. A., said that
the union had assured General Mo
tors that a complained-of practice of
soliciting union memberships on com
pany property would be halted.
Just before this morning's con
(See STRIKE,-Page A-2.)
CHANG AT LOYANG
Marshal Believed Preparing: to
Take Over Old Command.
NANKING, February 18 (/P).—Mar
shal Chang Hsueh-liang was believed
today to be preparing to resume the
leadership shorn from him after his
December rebellion when he kidnaped
Premier Chiang Kai-shek.
The "young marshal." restored yes
terday to full civil rights, has arrived
at Loyang, Honan Province, and es
tablished contact with his former
command, a preliminary step toward
renewing command of the army on
orders of the generalissimo.
Chang’s restoration, it was learned,
came only after the premier carried
a dramatic fight with the government
by threatening to resign all his posi
tions and retire to private life.
NEW BATTLESHIPS
British $7,500,000,000 Plan
May Force Building of
Three by U. S.
Construction of three new battle
ships to keep the United States Navy
equal to that of Great Britain was
seen today as a possibility, after com
ment by Admiral William D. Leahy,
Chief of Naval Operations, highest
ranking officer in the service, on
London's $7,500,000,000 five-year
naval building program.
Admiral Leahy made it clear Presi
dent Roosevelt and Secretary Swan
son will decide on the steps to be
taken and said the naval supply bill,
now before Congress, will not be de
layed Recommendations by the Navy
will await notification by the British
government of its plans.
"It is a fair presumption that If
any other power expands its fleet, the
United States may find it necessary
to do likewise," declared the admiral,
at a press conference yesterday.
Unofficial Information reaching
j Washington is that the British pro
' pose to lay the keels immediately for
three new battleships, seven cruisers
and two aircraft carriers.
Recalls American Tradition.
Admiral Leahy recalled the Ameri
can tradition of having “a Navy
second to none." He said: "It must
be noted that the British thus far
have actually done no more than we
have or plan to do in battleship con
struction."
Under the present program of the
Roosevelt administration the Navy ex
pects to reach its quota, set out under
the London naval treaty, by 1942.
Appropriations are now shaped to that
end. Uncle Sam is preparing to lay
down the keels of two now battleships
this Summer and invitations to bid
are already in the hands of contractors
and navy yards are making estimates
on what it would cost them to con
struct the latest fighting equipment.
England laid the keels of two new
battleships recently and this actuated
the United States to do likewise.
Admir&l Leahy said that the Navy
will study the situation thoroughly,
after it has received official informa
tion from London, and will make its
recommendations to President Roose
velt. The understanding is that the
United States wUl not attempt to
equal Great Britain in cruisers, as
England's requirements are held to
be peculiar, due to her far-flung em
pire, requiring more cruisers than
this country.
Britain Building (9 Warship*.
Great Britain now has under con
struction 69 warships, totaling 321,310
tons, and with the new program to be
launched she would have the largest
navy in the world, officials here be
lieve. Being built or in contemplation
are 94 American warships, aggregating
355,215 tons, while Japan, with 31
warships under construction, totaling
90,194 tons, possesses 192 warships of
734,672 tons. Great Britain has 279
warships, aggregating 1,192,103 tons,
while the United States has 305 war
ships, totaling 1,046,475 tons.
One Interpretation placed upon
Great Britain's current building move
is that it is taken to frighten Italy
and Germany in an effort to bring
them Into a new naval pact.
Last year's naval treaty recognised
the parity of the United States fleet
with that of Great Britain. One of
the things that is puzzling officials
here is whether London's decision to
build three battleships represents the
need of replacements or entirely new
construction. If merely replacements,
naval authorities here are not exer
cised, but if the battleships form a
stepping out on a building boom in
warships, then the American Govern
ment will give the matter close atten
tion, officials said.
___
$1,800 Unclaimed as 2 Women
Refuse to Admit Owning Horse
Nearly $1,800 went begging in Dis
trict Court today because neither of
two prominent women would admit
ownership of a horse.
The horse is Cypress de Beau,
blooded hunter, sold at auction here
last month to satisfy a board and
freight bill of the Railway Express
Agency, in whose unwilling hands the
animal had been left.
Cypress brought $2,225, which was
bid by John Stranford, auditor of a
local newspaper. This left a surplus
of $1,885.05 after payment of the
express agency’s claim. It was this
sum which no one would claim today.
The circumstances involving this
strange state of affairs concern ^s.
John Hay Whitney, wealthy and prom
inent sportswoman, and Mrs. L. L.
Bredin of Montreal.
The first time the express agency
ever heard of the horse was when Mrs.
Bredin shipped him from Montreal to
Washington, consigned to Mrs. Whit
ney. Notified that the horse had ar
rived, Mrs. Whitney refused to accept
him, saying the animal did not belong
to her.
Mrs. Bredin contended the horse
did belong to Mrs. Whitney, the ex
press agency informed the court. De
nials and counterdenials of ownership
continued for several months.
Meanwhile, Cypress was eating at
(See HORS* Page ^4.)
CROP INSURANCE
Recommends Storage Sys
tem of Reserves for Sur*
pluses in Good Years.
PROGRAM MUST INCLUDE
CONSERVATION OF SOIL
Farmer Would Be Protected Up
to 75 Per Cent on Hit K
mal Yield.
By the Associated Press.
President Roosevelt recommended
to Congress today adoption of a sys
tem of crop insurance to provide the
farmer with a buffer against dis
astrous crop failures.
He said such Insurance, coupled
With a system of storage reserves for
crop surpluses in good years, "would
assist in providing a more nearly
even flo'v of farm supplies, thus
stabilizing farm buying power and
contributing to the security of busi
ness and employment.’’
"A program of crop insurance and
storage of reserves," he said, "should
be part of the foundation of agricul
tural policy which we are building
and which must include the conser
vation of soil and water, better land
use. increased farm income, and al
leviation of distress in rural areas
arising out of factors beyond the
control of individuel producers.”
Gives Congress Report.
The President sent to Congress
with his message a report of his
special committee of Government of
ficials which planned the insurance
program.
Under the program, the Insured
farm would be protected against such
natural hazards as drought, grass
hoppers and hail.
The farmer would be protected up
to 75 per cent of his normal yield.
Thus if he lost his wheat crop which
would have returned him 12 bushels
to the acre, he would be protected
against nine bushels of the loss. He
would be paid either in the com
modity or its cash equivalent.
The President recommended that
crop insurance be extended to wheat
for the crop year, 1938.
"I believe that legislation should
authorize application of similar pro
grams to other commodities,” he said,
“when it is established that producers
desire them and application of the
plan to wheat has provided a back
log of experience in applying the prin- *
clples of crop insurance ”
Too Big for Private Firms.
The committee of Federal officials
who planned the insurance program >
told Mr. Roosevelt it was "too large
an undertaking for private companies"
They said the Federal Government
could “well afford'* to pay “adminis
trative” and overhead costs for the
plan to protect farmers against crop
losses by drought and other "unavoid
able disasters."
Secretary Wallace, chairman of the
committee, said the plan "would have
the effect of storing up reserves of
wheat in years of large crops and re
leasing them on the market in years
of crop failure"
The insurance was not a “substitute"
for any other Federal farm measures,
he said, but rather “supplementary."
Estimating more than $600,000,000
in Federal funds had been expended in
the last 10 years for distressed farmers
who lost crops, the Insurance Com
mittee said much of this would be
eliminated by “assisting wheat farm
ers to assist themselves.”
The committee report said ‘'wheat
(See CROP-IN8URA.NCE.Page A-2.)
SNOW DUE TO DISAPPEAR
Rain and Warmer Weather Fore
cast for Capital.
The last remnants of snow and ice
are expected to disappear tonight or
tomorrow in view of a Weather Bu
reau forecast of rail and slightly
warmer weather.
A minimum temperature of 34 de
grees is expected tonight, and It will
be warmer tomorrow. Occasional rain
was foreseen tonight snd tomorrow
morning.
Thine ’5
7 OLDER. ,
/BUT.X
mine s >
V FASTER’
BUT BOTH OF ’EM CAN’T LAST!
LA FOLLEUE HITS
Cites Use for Destruction
of Genuine Collective
Bargaining.
BY JOHN C. HENRY.
Aroused at the unwillingness of
a General Motors official to admit on
the witness stand that labor espionage
has had an injurious effect on organ
zation and bargaining activities of
workers. Chairman La Follette of the
Senate Civil Liberties Committee to
day delivered a sharply worded con
demnation of the practice. Some of
the Nation's greatest corporations
have spent hundreds of thousands of
dollars in the past few years on such
espionage, testimony has showed
' The evidence is overwhelming.” La
Pollen* declared, "that the injection
of these labor spies into unions—and
the fact that they become in charge
of union activities, get to be officers
of unions, cart the records back and
forth to detective agency offices and
report the names of men who apply
for membership to the management of
the corporation—demoastmtes beyond
any doubt in the mind of any fair
minded person that the use of this
labor espionage is prcved to be one of
the most effective weapons in destroy
ing genune collective bargaining and
activities on the part of workers.”
Outburst During Quiz.
The Senator's outburst, following
which he recessed the committee un
til thts afternoon, came as he was
questioning Alfred Marshall, labor re
lations chief of the Chevrolet division
of General Motors Corp.. about the
operations of one Richard Adlen.
Identified as agent 0226 of the Corpo
rations Auxiliary Co.
Adlen, it was developed, while 1
working for C. A. C. as an informant
to the G. M. management, became a
member of the Executive Board of
the Flint local of the United Auto
mobile Workers. At the same time
the local's membership dropped off as
dissension arose in its ranks.
Marshall declined to admit that
Adlen's activities might have con
tributed to this union development,
precipitating La Polletle's angry de
nunciation of the espionage practice.
Railway Audit & Inspection Co., an
Industrial espionage service, still is
serving Chevrolet Motor Co., the com
mittee was told by Marshall.
Similar services by five other agen
cies, including Pinkerton, have been
discontinued. Marshall testified, add
ing that he hadn't "gotten around” to
discontinuing the R. A. & I. service.
Most of the work for which Chev
rolet paid Pinkerton $119,545 in a 31
month period is now being done by
(See LA FOLLETTE, Page”4-2.)
Summary of Today’s Star
Page.
Amusements B-14
Comics._C-7
Editorial ...A-lt
Financial_A-17
Lost & Found A-3
Obituary_A-13
Page.
Radio .C-4
Short Story ..C-6
Society_B-3
Sports _C-l-3
Woman’s Pg. .C-5
FOREIGN.
Fierce battle rages to take
Madrid. Page A-l
NATIONAL.
La Pollette in outburst against labor
espionage. Page A-l
A. F. of L. backs court plan; Wallace
sees farm support. Page A-l
'Mary Astor weds Mexican in elope
ment, by plane. Page A-l
Conferees fail to agree over G. M.
strike. Page A-l
Admiral Leahy hints U. 8. to build 3
new battleships. Page A-l
Bridge scaffold probed In fatal plunge
of 10. Page A-2
Wallace defends President's farm
tenancy program. , Page A-4
WASHINGTON AND VICINITY.
West Virginians on trial for deputy's
slaying at Rocky Mount. Page A-t
Emmett Warring released on bond on
gaming charge. Page B-l
Increased D. C. quota for service
academies asked. Page B-l
Tidal Basin site for Jefferson Memo
rial reported chosen. Page B-l
Hearings on District supply bill re
cessed. Page B-l
Cummings “knocks out" Garnett in
battle of erudition. Page B-l
"Full dress burglar’’ Indicted in thirty
cases. » Page B-l
FINANCIAL.
Railroad bonds higher. Page A-17
Clearings lag in short week. Page A-17
Carrier parnlngs climb. Page A-17
rail, metal stock rise table). Page A-lg
Curb list mixed (table). Page A-19
National Biscuit net gains. Page A-19
Rail, metal stock rise. Page A-19
EDITORIAL AND COMMENT.
Editorials. Page A-10
This and That. Page A-10
Answers to Questions.. Page A-10
Stars, Men and Atoms. Page A-10
David Lawrence. Page A-ll
Paul Mallon. Page A-ll
Mark Sullivan. Page A-ll
Jay Franklin. Page A-ll
Delia Pynchon. Page A-ll
SPORTS.
Estallella shows he’s good gardener
by play In Cuba. Page C-l
La Fond of C. U. would score on
mentor. Miller of Terps. Page C-l
Louis very ordinary in scoring kayo
over Natle Brown. Page C-*
Zone defense in basket ball is panned
by Jourdet of Penn. Page C-3
Olenna Collett decides to return to
golf competition. Page C-4
MISCELLANY.
Washington Wayside. Page A-2
Service Orders. Page A-16
After Dark. PageB-l«
Young Washington. Page B-12
Traffic Convictions. PageB-i3
Betsy Caswell. Page C-5
Dorothy Dix. Page C-5
Bedtime Story. Page C-6
Nature’s Children. Page C-5
Crossword Puzsle. Page C-7
City News in Brief. Page C-8
Vital Statistics. Page C-8
Letter-Out. f Page C-ll
Mary Astor Elopes in Airplane
To Yuma With Young Mexican
- - A —__
Husband Flies to Mexico
Soon After—She De
nies Marriage.
Bj Ihe Associated Press.
YUMA. Ariz.. February 18— Mary
Astor of film and diary fame eloped
1 here today with Manuel del Campo,
young Latin American, who two hours
later was en route alone to Mexico
City.
She accompanied him by motor car
as far as Mexicali. Lower California,
where he boarded a plane. After kiss
ing him good-by. the film star would
not admit that they had been married.
At Hollywood she said: "I did not
get married there. I merely went
down to take a boy friend to the
border."
The 25-vear-old bridegroom had
been called to the Mexican capital
by the death from pneumonia there
yesterday of his father. Five years
her junior, he is described as a clean
cut, clean-shaven man of medium
height, polished manners and light
complexion. •
Ex-Husband Surprised.
The couple arrived here after mid
night in a chartered airplane. Holly
wood friends, and Dr. Franklyn
Thorpe, divorced husband of Mary
Astor. were taken by surprise.
MARY ASTOR.
The elopement plane landed here.
The cop vie, Mary wearing dark
glasses, a;•on to the home of Superior
Judge Henry C. Kelly and were wed.
Later the judge said he didn't really
know it was Mary Astor. She gave
the name of Lucille L. Thorpe, her
i See- ASTOR”" Page--A-6 )
Senator’s Son Among Pick
ets at Capitol After Dis
pute in Boston.
By the Associated Press.
BOSTON, February 18— Approxi
mately 100 men and women, led by
officials of the Massachusetts Feder
ation of Labor, today stormed from
a legislative committee hearing on
ratification of the Federal child labor
anrendment and picketed the main
entrance of the State Capitol.
“We expect Gov. Charles F. Hurley
will take some action to see that our
constitutional rights are protected,”
Kenneth I. Taylor, legislative agent
of the State Federation, declared as
he marched in the picket line. Taylor
led a walkout at the opening of the
second day of the hearing before the
Constitutional Law Committee after
its chairman. Senator John D.
Mackay. Republican, of Quincy
ruled that he would break into the
sponsor's argument on the bill for
one hour to permit opponents to
present their case.
This ruling Is highly irregular, so
irregular that many of our people
who have come here from all over
the State feel that they have been
abused by Senator Mackay, who is
evidently anti-union,” Taylor said.
March Back and Forth.
The pickets marched slowly back
and forth before the main entrance,
some laughing, some inviting out
siders to join the line. Occasionally
those in the line shouted they had
been denied their constitutional
rights. They made no effort to pre- '
vent people from entering the build- i
lng.
The pickets, on Beacon street, were
joined by Edward K. Wheeler, son of
United States Senator Burton K.
Wheeler of Montana, and prominent
leaders of organized labor, including
~ (See HEARING, Page A-2.)
COAL COST BOOST
SEEN $270,000,000
Producers Estimate Effects
of Increased Pay and
Shorter Hours.
b? the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. February 18—Soft
coal producers estimated today the
increased wages and shorter hours
demanded by the United Mine
Workers would increase the country's
coal bill by at least <270.000.000 a
year.
Philip Murray, vice president of the
miners' union, immediately chal
lenged this figure. He told reporters
the 30-hour work week and 15 per
cent pay increase the miners ask for
their new agreement with the opera
tors would ‘ not by any means” cost
60 cents a ton.
The operators on the other hand
maintained their estimate was con
servative. Their spokesman, Charles
P. O'Neill, said they had not included
the miners’ demand for a guaranteed
annual income of <1,200 in their cal
culations.
“No on can tell what that would
coat,” O'Neill said.
Demands Called Amazing.
Yesterday O'Neill called the miners'
demands “amazing” and "utterly im
possible.” This sentiment echoed
through the operators' hotel rooms
after their accountants had estimated
(See COAL, Page A-3.)
DR. OLAYA-HERRERA DIES
ROME, February 18 1/P).—Dr. En- |
rique Olaya-Herrera, 56, former Presi
dent of Colombia and Minister to the
Vatican since 1935, died suddenly to
day at Quissa Sana clinic.
The former Colombian envoy to
Washington died after receiving a
final benediction sent by Pope Pius.
Prescott Urges Prison Labor
Be Used on Maryland Roads
£t a Staff Correspondent ot The Star.
ANNAPOLIS, Md„ February 18.—
Use of prison labor—Maryland’s now
famous "idle hands”—on sorely needed
road construction and maintenance
work will be advocated In the State
Assembly by Senator Stedman Prescott.
The Montgomery County Senator
said this morning he is having a bill
of that type drawn and will intro
duce it within a few days. In the
meantime, he plans to confer with
Prisons Supt. Harold E. Donnell re
garding the plan.
Prescott explained the proposal
would in no way curtail work that
is available to contractors and resi
dents of the State who look to high
way job6 to keeflUhem off relief rolls.
“It is a well-established fact that
Maryland’s road appropriations are
far below the amount actually re- 1
qulred for adequate building and up- I
keep,” he said. "My plan would not
cut those appropriations in any way,
but would provide a means of doing
the work that we otherwise could
not hope to have done.”
He added it would particularly bene
fit farmers and others along dirt roads
whose chances of ever having their
roads built up or maintained properly
are remote under the present system.
All but a small amount of construc
tion is now done by private contr cting
firms under contracts let by the State
Roads Commission. Forces of the lat- |
(8ee-PRIjpNrPage A-3 j '
JUDICIARY PUN
BACKING DEMAND
OF UBOR GROUP
Congress Liberals Warned
in Letter by Berry-Lewis
Hillman Force.
PRESIDENT’S CAMPAIGN
SUPPORT RECALLED
Roosevelt Confers With Several
More Democratic Senators, Pre
sumably on Judiciary Bill.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
Those liberals in Congress who have
come out in opposition to President
Roosevelt's plan to revamp the Su
preme Court were warned today that
Labor's Non-Partisan League "will
confidently expect that every progres
sive and liberal member of the House
and Senate—every man who, in so
liciting votes at the last election, sin
cerely claimed to be a supporter of
the President—will back his plan for
judicial reform.”
The warning to the liberals from
this organization, headed by Maj.
George L. Berry, John L. Lewis and
Sidney Hillman, was contained in a
letter addressed to every member of
Congress. The letter is part of a
huge campaign that is being put on to
force enactment of the Roosevelt
judiciary' bill into law. a campaign in
which the American Federation of
Labor has now joined also.
Several more Senators were called
into conference at the White House
today, presumably to talk with the
President regarding the judiciary bill.
Senators Maloney of Connecticut.
Moore of New Jersey and Brown of
New Hampshire, all Democrats, were
with the President in a group. Sen
ator O'Mahoney of Wyoming. Demo
crat. was another conferee, and Sen
ator Byrnes of South Carolina was a
guest of the President at luncheon.
The South Carolina Senator made a
radio speech in defense of the Presi
dent's bill last night.
Progressives Considered.
While the Labor League letter de
manding favorable action on the
President's Supreme Court plan was
addressed to all members of Congress,
it seemingly was aimed particularly to
influence progressives like Senators
Wheeler of Montana. Johnson of Cal
ifornia, Borah of Idaho, Norris of Ne
braska and Frazier of North Dakota.
Ail have expressed, in greater or lesser
degree, their disapproval of the Pres
ident's plan.
The position taken by some of these
opponents of the bill is that it would
be far better to have a constitutional
amendment than to tamper with the
court membership by legislation. La
bor's Non-Partisan League, while ad
mitting “it may be true that we should
have a constitutional amendment re
stricting the power of the Federal judi
ciary.” insists that to try for such an
amendment would cause costly delay.
“However honestly public officials
may believe we should choose other
routes for judicial reform than that
proposed by the President.” saiu a let
ter signed by E. L. Oliver, executive
vice president, “the plain fact is that
time will not permit.
"Recovery has been well begun, but
it is far from complete. There is real
danger of relapse unless governmental
action Is taken t safeguard our pro
ducing population.”
The letter added:
“By the time the amendment could
be adopted the damage of unrestricted
industrial autocracy would have been
done. We escaped almost miraculously
from the last depression without ac
tive and open attack upon our institu
tions. but every man in public life
mus. have known it was a narrow es
cape. If Congress now permits the
Nation to be precipitated back Into
the depths of economic collapse, it
may well be that many of our insti
tutions—even democracy itself—will
not survive."
More Directly to Court. ’
Turning his attention more directly
to the Supreme Court, the letter said:
"Those members of Congress who
honestly feel that other methods of
court reform would be less open to
objection should reflect upon the his
tory of our Supreme Court—of the
many grave crises into which the
obtuseness of the judges have plunged
the Nation.
"The court has unquestionably
usurped a power never formally
granted it—and strongly denied by
(See JUDICIArVTPage-A-2*>
PTOMAINE BLAMED
IN ILLNESS OF FOUR
Three Taken to Hospital After
Druggist Firftis Them in Semi
Conscious Condition.
Pour persons, three of them mem
bers of one family, were stricken with
what was believed to be ptomaine
poisoning this afternoon in a resi
dence at 251 Farragut street. Three
of them were taken to Casualty Hos
pital for treatment after a druggist,
delivering a prescription, found them
in a semi-conscious condition.
The victims are Dorsey A. Reynolds,
54: Mrs. Cornelia Reynolds, 51, hts
wife; Dorsey A. Reynolds, jr„ 13, and
Mrs. Cornelius Martenette, 79. The
father and son and Mrs. Martenet'e
were taken to the hospital. Mrs.
Reynolds was treated at home.
The druggist, Bernard Misler, from
the Jolson Pharmacy, went to the
Reynolds residence in answer to a
telephone call from the home asking
for help.
Misler found Mr and Mrs. Reynolds
and Mrs. Martenette lying on the
floor of the living room, half con
scious. The son was upstairs in bed,
in the same condition. A nurse who
apparently also had been called to
the residence was coming out of the
front door to summon police aid when
Misler arrived.
The condition of Reynolds and his
son was rep^ed undetermined.