Evening star. [volume], February 28, 1937, Image 1

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

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WEATHER. _ „ . . _
(U. 8 weather Bureau Forecast.) X* Ull ASSOCiated PreSS
Snow or rain today; tomorrow fair, not Npws and WirpnVtntno
much change in temperature; moderate an(J W irephOtOS
north and northeast winds, increasing. oUIlQEy MOmillg Elld
Temperatures—Highest, 40, at 4 p.m. yes- E VPFV A ftovnonn
terctay; lowest, 30, at 12:01 a.m. today. very Aiteinoon.
Full report on page A-13. —
OP) Means Associated Pratt.___ __ ——-■ _ —
v„ laer-Wn. 33.906. gaatSM&yg WASHINGTON, D. C., SUNDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 28, 1937-116 PAGES. * ,
NEW DEAL BACKING
FOR COMPROMISE
COURT PROPOSAL
PREDICTEDBY FOES
Plan for Only Two More
Justices Advanced at
White House Parley, but
President Is Silent.
STRENGTH IN SENATE
TO KILL PLAN SEEN
Smathers, New Jersey Senator,
Backs Roosevelt as Donahey
Hints Opposition—Administra
tion Leaders Cheered by “Pro
Speech by Gov. La Follette.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
Senate opponents of President
Roosevelt’s plan to increase the mem
bership of the Supreme Court, de
claring their confidence that they will
have votes enough to defeat the pro
posal, said yesterday they expected
to see eventually a compromise ad
vanced by administration leaders.
One such compromise proposal, sug
gested by a strong administration
Senator during a recent White House
conference with a group of Senators,
would provide for a flat increase of
two members, giving the Supreme
Court thereafter 11 justices, including
the Chief Justice, instead of 9. The
proposal did not include the Presi
dent's plan to permit appointment
of additional associate justices in case
any member failed to resign or retire
at 70 Vi years of age.
The suggestion was not made by
the President at the conference nor
did he comment upon it.
This “compromise” proposal failed
to register successfully with those
opposing the President's bill as it
relates to the Supreme Court. They
regard it as merely another way of
“packing” the court. One of them
admitted, however, that if such a
compromise is put forward, several
of the Senators now counted upon
to vote against the President's plan
might fall In line for the compro
mise.
Smathers Favors Plan.
Two more Senators, one for and
one against the President's Supreme
Court plan, announced themselves
definitely in public statements yes
terday. William H. Smathers, Sena
tor-elect from New Jersey, who has
not yet come here to take his seat,
declared himself in favor of the plan.
Senator Donahey of Ohio indicated
he would fight the measure. Both are j
Democrats.
The radio barrage to rouse senti
ment for and against the President's
court proposal continued over the
week end. Gov. Philip La Follette of
Wisconsin and Senator Pope of Idaho
took to the air last night in support
of the President. Senator Copeland
of New York will deliver a radio ad-'
dress tonight in opposition.
It was Gov. La Follette to whom
the administration turned for aid in
combating the opposition of Western
Insurgents in Congress to the court
enlargement plan.
More forthright than most of the
advocates of what opponents have
called the "court-packing” scheme,
Oov. La Follette said:
"Of course the President's proposal |
will affect the decisions of the j
Supreme Court. It is intended to do
exactly that. The point of view of
some of the Supreme Court justices
and the decisions resulting from that j
point of view is in crying need of .
change. The spectacle of five men :
blocking the progress of 130,000,000
people by twisting and distorting the
plain terms of the Constitution to
accord with outworn prejudices is a
situation that needs correction, and
this situation cannot be corrected by
amending the Constitution. It must
(See JUDICIARY7Page~A-11.)
30 Netv Yorkers
Hurt in Blasts
at 7 Theaters,
Stench and Tear Gas
Bombs Explode in
Movie Houses
By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, February 27 —Thirty
or more persons were injured tonight
when stench and tear gas bombs were
exploded simultaneously in seven up-;
per Broadway motion picture theaters.;
None of the injured was seriously j
hurt. Most of those treated were cut
by glass or suffered inflammation of
the eyes from the chemical contents
of bombs.
Practically all the bombs had been
placed near the rear of the theaters
on the main floor, and were believed
by police to have been exploded by a
time device. A watch was found in
one of the theaters.
All of the theaters, where the bombs
Were exploded, were owned by the
Bpringer and Oocalis chain, which op
erates about 35 motion picture houses
In the city.
For a few minutes after the bombs
exploded the audiences were in a near
panic, but the theaters were quickly ]
cleared by ushers while the fumes,
were blown out. They all continued
their shows after a short time.
There were 1,100 persons in the
Stoddard Theater, which was cleared
for almost half an hour while the
fumes were blown out. One patron
of the theater, James Fleming, 26,
received lacerations of the left leg
and was taken to a hospital.
Police said executives of the thea
ters denied that they had had any
labor trouble or that they knew any
Reason for the explosions. ft
Boy, 15, Slain, Says Father;
Skeleton Found in Alexandria
- _- —- •
Coroner ^However, Rules
Lad, Missing 7 Months,
Killed at Play.
By a Stall Correspondent of The Star.
ALEXANDRIA. Va., February 27.—
Spurred by protests of the father of
15-year-old Luther Cummins that his
son was slain before the body was
left in a Hume Springs swamp thicket,
where the skeleton was discovered to
day, local police tonight continued
Investigation of the case after is
suance of a coroner's accidental d£ath
certificate.
The skeleton of the youngster, miss
ing from his home here for more
than seven months, was found by
the victim's 12-year-old brother 100
yards from .the Cummins residence
shortly before noon. The bones were
In a clump of white ash saplings 5
feet from a pathway.
After visiting the scene of the trag
edy, the dead youth’s father, Frank
lin D. Cummins of Mount Vernon ave
nue and Reed road, assistant foreman
at the Capital Transit. Co. shops in
Washington, said tonight:
“I don’t care what anybody says.
My son’s body could not have been
there all this time without some of
us lading it. I, personally, have
searched every foot of that swamp
and I know that I have been on the
LUTHER CUMMINS.
actual spot where the body was found.
I believe my son was killed some
where else and the body brought
there.’’
Police tonight supported a theory
that the youngster had been setting
up a swing in the thicket, had fallen
(See CUMMINS, Page A-47)
RAIN STOPS DRIVE
Heavy Losses Reported on
Both Sides as Insurgents
Retain Stronghold.
BACKGROUND—
Although the 27-power ban on
volunteers to Spain thus far has
accomplished its aim, the hope that
it would expedite peace has been
dimmed by intensified fighting on
both sides. Yesterday's progress of
government troops at Oviedo gave
signs of a prolonged conflict, in
surgents having strengthened their
ground around Madrid in prepara
tion for a mass Spring drive, and
Madrillenos having improved their
fortifications and made gains.
Bj the Associated Press.
Spanish belligerents clung grimly
last (Saturday! night to besieged
strongholds as the civil war raged in
its eighth month.
Oviedo, in Northern Spain, re
mained in Insurgent hands but gov
ernment reports said attacking militia
men captured the provincial capital's
prison and a slaughter house before
rain stalled the offensive.
An insurgent statement issued from
the headquarters at Salamanca mean
while declared the government’s sec
ond big offensive against Oviedo had
been resisted.
Insurgent commanders within the
beleaguered city asserted their foe
had lost 12,000 men while their own
losses were “minor.”
Refugees • arriving in Bayonne,
France, however, said casualties had
been high on both sides.
Madrid Bombing Renewed.
Madrid, where the insurgents are
the besiegers, was subjected to a mid
afternoon artillery bombardment—the
first of the central section of the ;
capital in five weeks. At least one
man was hit.
The Madrid defense junta ordered j
the evacuation of all persons over 45 I
who had been detained for political
or other offenses and freed.
Four soldiers were executed follow
ing their conviction by a people's
court of taking the law into their own
hands and committing diverse crimes
in Alia. Caceres Province.
In Valencia, temporary seat of the
government, the municipal council
fixed daily quotas for bread.
In Salamanca, the insurgent gov
ernment announced a ban on all
films written, acted or directed by a
proscribed list of Hollywood film per
sons. No reason for the action was
announced. ■
Spanish Actress Reported Safe.
Police in Madrid said they were con
vinced Rosita Diaz, Spanish motion
picture actress, had neither been shot
nor arrested. Reports from Lisbon
Thursday said she was executed by
insurgents for espionage.
Yesterday, however, Rosita Moreno,
Hollywood film actress, received a
cablegram signed “Rosita” in answer to
one she sent to Senora Diaz in Segovia,
(See SPAIN, Page A-16J
NEW COMET LOCATED
Harvard Confirms Discovery of
Observer in Poland.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., February 27
(4>).—Harvard Observatory reported it
had located and photographed a "new
comet,” discovered earlier today by a
man named Wilks at Cracow, Poland.
Observatory experts here located the
comet a few hours after receiving a
radiogram announcing Wilks' dis
covery.
The observatory said the comet was
in the western sky and could be seen
shortly after sunset.
IMS DEMANDED
Nazis Call for Sharing of
Property Under Threat
of Compulsion.'
BACKGROUND—
Four years of National Socialist
rule in Germany has been marked
by growing attempts to orient the
church to Nazi purposes, but re
sistance has come from Protestant
groups as well as Catholic. Numer
ous Protestant and Catholic clergy
men have been imprisoned for
forthright utterances against sub
version of Christianity to the new
religious philosophy, which has
anti-Semitism as one of its chief
tenets.
Attempts to reconcile Christianity
with the pagan mysticism of
Nazism proved abortive, and grow
ing tendency is noted to surround
Der Fuehrer .with the aura of
divinity as God's revelation to the
German people.
By the Associated Press.
BERLIN, February 27.—The gov
ernment tonight called on German
churches to share part of their, lands
with the landless and spoke of the
"necessity of compulsory measures” if
they failed to do so voluntarily.
Hans Kerri, minister for church :
(airs, appealed to the Evangelical
churches and German bishops to co
operate wholeheartedly in the gov
ernment's task of finding land for
small settlers.
Synod Election Ap:l 4.
The appeal came after the propa
ganda ministry announced delegates
to the general synod of the Protestant
Church would be elected April 4 in
conformance with Reichsfuehrer Hit
ler's order putting control of Prct
estant affairs back in the hands of
church members.
Kerri pointed out that Nazi Ger
many expects its churches to carry
their share of the land settlement load
through voluntary designation of cer
tain church lands for settlement pur
poses—“thus avoiding the necessity of
compulsory measures.”
For the churches to act with the
same enthusiasm with which the gov
ernment has given land to settlers,
Kerri said, .would be in keeping with
their mission. A citizen’s “spiritual
welfare” unquestionably would be fur
thered if he were helped to find a
home, he asserted.
The importance of the appeal was
indicated by the fact religious organ
izations own approximately 2.470.000
acres of Germany’s agricultural and
forest lands. Monasteries, onvents
and Protestant churches are a. iong
the principal owners.
Nazi party headquarters a few
months ago issued statistics showing
that 27 per cent of all Qerman land
is in the hands of the churches and
(See GERMANY, Page A-l«.)
BOY HIT-RUN VICTIM
UNCONSCIOUS 5 DAYS
Critically injured when struck by
a hit-and-run automobile Tuesday,
U-year-old George Widmyer, 3125
Mount Pleasant street, was still un
conscious in Emergency Hospital
last night.
The boy was run down, apparently
while on his way home from the
Washington birthday ceremonies at
the Monument, a short time before
his mother, Mrs. Lulu Widmyer had
asked police to search for him.
The mishap occurred on Consti
tution avenue near Twenty-seveath
street.
| Physicians said the boy has a
fractured skuU and other injuries.
Broker Surrenders to Answer
Charge of Burning Mansion
By tr.e Associated Frets.
NEWBURGH, N. Y., February 27.— |
Col. Frank B. Keech, a Wall Street :
| broker, surrendered at the court house !
here late today to answer arson i
charges in connection with the $200,- j
' 000 destruction, in 1932, of his Tuxedo I
Park home.
The wealthy broker, sought since
Thursday, was arraigned Immediately,
pleaded not guilty before Supreme
Court Justice Graham Witschief and
was released on $50,000 bail.
The pleading was to indictments
charging second and third degree ar
son and conspiracy to defraud insur
ance companies of $177,000. Tba fc
dictments were returned Thursday.
John E. Mack, Reech’s attorney, was
allowed 15 days in which to make a
motion to enter a demurrer to the in
dictments. Mack announced prior to
his client’s surrender that Keech had
no knowledge of the origin of the fire.
District Attorney Hirschberg an
nounced Immediately after Keech bad
entered his plea that the .case would
be moved to County Court and that
the date for the trial would prob
ably be set within 15 days.
Keech was indicted following the
arrest in North Carolina of Charles
F. Smith, formerly his chauffeur, who
is held in jail here under an indict*
meat charging aaoond-degr{t anon.
ROSEMONT WINS
SANTA ANITA DACE
AFTER BITTER DUEL
Richards Drives Du Pont
Horse to Photo Finish
With Seabiscuit.
INDIAN BROOM IS THIRD,
SPECIAL AGENT FOURTH
55.000 See Victor Overcome Four
Length Handicap at Straight
away.
BY CHARLES M. EGAN.
Staff Correspondent ol The Star.
SANTA ANITA RACE TRACK, Ar
cadia, Calif., February 27.—Harry
Richards’ wizardry at driving a race
horse home, when the folding money
is at stake, paid tremendous dividends
in the third running of the Santa
Anita Handicap here this afternoon.
As a consequence, the Du Ponts
ought to make the veteran jockey an
honorary member of the Liberty
League, for it was William du Pont’s
Rosemont that Richards was lading.
He got him up just in time to win
after a bitter stretch duel with Mrs.
C. S. Howard's Sea Biscuit that lelt
55.000 spectators absolutely limp.
The finish was so close that the
winner’s number was not posted until
after the camera eye photograph had
been closely inspected. Rosemont had
closed with a tremendous rush througn
the stretch, but many of the thousands
who had made him a 4-to-l favorite
were fearful that his rush had been
made in vain.
Indian Broom Third.
Back of the battling first two horses
came Maj. A. C. Taylor’s Indian Broom
and Special Agent, gamering third
and fourth money for the Vancouver
sportsman. Then the rest of the strag
gling field of 18 horses, each of whose
owners had planked 11.000 on the line
this morning for a shot at the world s
richest turf award.
Rosemont and Richards covered the
1»4 miles in 2:02 4 5, splendid time
considering the track's condition. The
winner paid $9 80 straight. $6 to place
and $4 to show. Sea Biscuit paid off
at $8.40 to place and $6.80 to show,
while those who backed the Taylor
entry got $5.80 in show money.
For his victory, Du Pont gets $90,
700. exclusive of his entry fee. Mrs.
Howard wins $20,000 for Sea Biscuit s
accomplishment, while Maj. Taylor
picks up a total of $15,000, two-thirds
of it for Indian Broom and the rest
of it in fourth-place money.
Besides all this gold. Dick Handlen,
the popular trainer of Du Pont’s Pox
catcher Farms, gets an additional
$10,000 for training the winner. Rich
ards. of course, gets 10 per cent of
the rich purse, a matter of $9,070,
and then picks up $1,750 more con
tributed by the track to the winning
jockey. Judging by the powerful fin
ish Richards made, it is just possible
that he was thinking about that dough
as he wielded his baton on Rosemont s
flanks.
5*50 to Second Jockey.
Red Pollard, the less fortunate rider
who came so close to winning with
Sea Biscuit, gets another $750 from
the track. All in all, quite a bit of
money was being passed out this after
<Continued on Page B-7, Column 1.)
*
Nazis Clash With Jews.
BAKAU, Rumania. February 27
(£>).—Thirty persons were .injured se
verely enough to require hospital
treatment and 35 suffered minor in
juries today when members of an
anti-Semitic Nazi party sought to
prevent Jews from voting in munici
pal elections.
I \1nrvlntifpM Rin P
Conference Title
Nedomatsky Wins
From Farrar to Nose
Out Duke’s Team,
BY BUBTON HAWKINS.
. Special Correspondent of The Star.
COLLEGE PARK, Md., February 27.
—The champagne of collegiate box
ing was poured here tonight and
Maryland wallowed in the bubbles aa
its team captured the Southern Con
ference tournament for the nrst time
in the 11-year history of the event. •
What proved to be joyous intoxica
tion for Maryland sports followers,
however, was bitter vinegar to Duke,
whose co-favored team finished in the
runner-up berth, three points behind
the Terps, who totaled 19. South
Carolina. Clemson and Citadel tied for
third with eight point each, while
North Carolina tailed the scoring clubs
with five points.
Ivan Nedomatsky, Maryland's mur
derous 145-pounder, assured the 4.500
spectators a chance to exercise their
lungs when he soundly whipped Danny
Farrar of Duke and In so doing became
the third man in conference history to
win a championship three times.
Archie Hahn and Bobby Ooldstein,
both of Virginia, previously accom
plished the feat.
High Spot of Card.
rPHE Nedomatsky-Farrar bout, eagerly
x anticipated by the vast majority of
collegiate boxing fans for more than
a year, easily was the mo6t brilliant
spot of the card.
The rugged Nedomatsky executed his
previously planned style of attack al
most flawlessly and received dividends
when he was awarded the decision over
the game but weary Farrar. Ivan
stung Danny with rights in the first
round, offsetting the Blue Devil's con
centrated attack to the body with one
vicious right which rocked Farrar.
Both were guilty of professional
tactics early in the scrap, but ceased
hitting in the clinches In the second
(Continued an Page B-Vloiumn 8.)
oj*y i
An Extraordinary Session of the Supreme Court Will Be Held on the Evening of March 9.
I
House Bloc’s Movement
Gains Momentum From
Navy’s Steel Problem.
BACKGROUND—
Failure of the Navy Department
to receive bids on steel orders is
understood to be due to the com
pany's antagonism to the Walsh
Healey act. The act requires cer
tain wage and hour standards be
observed on all Government orders
in excess of SI 0,000.
Inability of the Navy to purchase
sufficient metal has led to proposals
f of Government manufacture.
By the Associated Press.
A movement to put the Government
into the munitions business gathered
momentum in the House yesterday as
a result of the Navy's recent inability
to buy steel.
Leaders of a bloc recently organized
to seek nationalisation of essential
parts of the munitions industry de
cided to use the steel situation as a
springboard for their proposal.
They called a meeting of the bloc
for Tuesday to consider legislation
authorizing the Government to buy
or build a steel plant.
Companies Fail to Bid.
This step followed failure of steel
companies to bid on a large part of
recent Navy orders. Navy officials
have declared that the failure to bid
was due to a provision of the Walsh
Healey act requiring holders of Gov
ernment contracts to observe a 40
hour week. The United States Steel
Corp. has indicated that in certain
steel manufacturing operations a 40
hour week is not feasible.
Representative Scott, Democrat, of
California, who with Representative
Maverick, Democrat, of Texas, heads
the House bloc meeting Tuesday, as
serted yesterday:
“Why should the United States Gov
ernment be at the mercy of a couple
of steel companies? If it’s our policy
to maintain a Navy purely for na
tional defense and not to keep these
steel and shipbuilding companies in
business, then the Government could
make its own steel and build its own
ships."
Hopes to Break Deadlock.
Meanwhile, the Labor Department
announced it hoped to break the steel
deadlock by getting one concern to
submit bids without demanding any
cMmptions from the Walsh-Healey
act.
In this connection. Scott emphat
ically opposed exemptions as a solu
tion.
"There are too many exemptions to
the law now,” he said.
He and some other members of the
House Naval Affairs Committee fa
vored an investigation to determine
what effect operation of the Walsh
Healey law has on national defense.
In support of a nationalized mu
nitions industry, Scott said the pro
posed Government munitions plants
and navy yards should not be per
mitted to sell their products to any
foreign nations.
“Then if we did become involved in
a war,” he contended, “we would not
have to face an enemy armed with our
own weapons.”
Dies Trying to Rescue Dog.
MASSENA, N. Y.. February 27 UP).
—Peter Dumers, 65-year-old farmer
and father of 10 children, drowned in
the St. Regis River today while at
tempting to rescue a shepherd dog.
The dog had broken through the
ice and Dumers fell through also
•when he ran out to rescue it.
Snow Forecast for Capital
As Parking Ban Is Dropped
A prediction of snow or rain for to
day was viewed with little interest by
police as they put away their "ticket
books" in response to the decision of
Police Court Judge Edward M. Curran
that the “snow-removal" parking ban
is “unreasonable and invalid.”
Enforcement of the regulation was
stopped yesterday and at least 1,500
warrants and parking tickets were
ordered nolle pressed.
Regardless of the depth of the ex
pected snow, which will be accom
panied by fairly low temperatures.
Corporation Counsel Elwood H. Seal
said no attempt will be made to carry
out the ban.
The official lorecaet eguod lor enow
or rain today, with not mucn cnange
In temperature, followed by clear skies
tomorrow. The minimum this morn
ing was expected to be about 28 de
grees.
Although Seal declared the question
will be taken to the Court of Appeals,
it appeared the parking ban was defi
nitely off until March 15, officials
pointing out they could scarcely ex
pect a ruling by the higher court be
fore that time, when the regulation
expires.
“One reason for declaring the first
snow-removal regulation invalid,"
Judge Curran said, “was the fact that
I- (Sea SNOW. Page A-14)
Roosevelt Refuses to Commute
Beard Associates’ Sentences
Sides With U. S. Attorney Garnett on
Advice of Attorney General Against
Justice Cox on Matter.
President Roosevelt has refused to
commute the sentences of 12 associ
ates of Sam Beard, "kingpin” of local
gamblers—thereby ending a disagree
ment that has existed between United
States Attorney Leslie C. Garnett and
Trial Justice Joseph W. Cox over the
matter.
T President, apparently acting on
advice of Attorney General Homer
Cummings, sided with Garnett in the
unusual case. The application of the
convicts for executive clemency bore
the indorsement of Justice Cox and
the emphatic disapproval of Garnett.
Garnett, in opposing leniency, had
declared that "if these men are turned
out of prison, we might as well stop
trying to enforce the gambling laws
here.”
Justice Cox was reported to have
said he would have been more lenient
in sentencing the group had he known
the defendants had been trying to "re
habilitate” themselves following their
arrest in a sensational raid two years
ago on Beard’s gambling headquarters
In the Mather Building.
Beard was not a party to the peti
tion for clemency. He is serving a
2-to-6-year term in Atlanta Peniten
tiary. The 12 employes of the gam
bling "joint” are serving l-to-3-year
terms in Lorton Reformatory. They
were committed May 15. 1935.
The President made no comment on
the applications, beyond the brief de
nial of clemency, it is understood. He
acted after receiving from Cummings
a detailed report on the case.
The convicted men are Melville
George Jacobs. George E. Hutchins,
! John J. Sartori, William G. Smith,
William Carroll. Joseph A. O'Calla
ghan, Fred H. Heck. Fred J. Meese,
I (See BEARD, Page A-14.)
R.E.A.HEADWARNS
UTIUTYJKTERESTS
Carmody Promises War to
Finish—Efforts to Balk
Program Charged.
War to the finish with the Federal
Government dictating the terms was
the challenge laid down to the private
utility interests last night by John
Carmody, recently appointed admin
istrator of the Rural Electrification
Administration, in an address before
the League for Industrial Democracy,
in session at the Washington Hotel.
“I’m getting sick of the weasel
worded contracts offered by private
companies to R. E. A„” Carmody told
his listeners. “We’ve had to spend
months trying to get words out or
other words into those contracts. From
now on well offer the contracts and
let them spend their time trying to
get something out or something into
them."
Speaking throughout in a tone of no
compromise, Carmody declared that
the $30,000,000 appropriation expected
this year from Congress for the rural
electrification program is only a "drqp
in the bucket,” and that if it isn’t
all spent wisely within the first six
months of the next fiscal year “we
ought to get out of business.”
Says Program Obstructed.
Private utility interests, he con-1
tinued, are obstructing the program
whenever possible, one of the great
est efforts in this direction being in
their attempts to take the “cream” of
the farm territory being developed by
the R. E. A. By provision of the law
the administration is forbidden to do
any promotional work.
Asked by a delegate after his ad
dress if the amortization period of
20 years now set by the agency for re
payment of loans for construction of
public power systems might be ex
tended. Carmody answered:
“This act wasn’t passed for the
power companies nor the city con
sumers. If the rural beneficiaries are
unable to amortize the loans in 20
years, then we’ll have to extend them.
That's my opinion. The act allows
(See R. E. A., Page A-14.)
THIRD-TERM TALK
—
Quoted in Dispatch as Aim
ing to Leave Nation
Shipshape.
BJ ttr Associater Press.
NEW YORK. February 27 —Arthur
Krock, in a copyrighted dispatch to
the New York Times from Washing
ton. tonight said President Roose
velt has been saying to his friends
this week:
“When I retire to private life on
January 20, 1940, I do not want to
leave this country in the condition
Buchanan left it to Lincoln. If I
cannot, in the brief time given me to
attack its deep and disturbing prob
lems. solve those problems, I hope
at least to have moved them well on
the way to solution by my successor.
It is absolutely essential that the
solving process begin at once.”
No Third Term Plan.
Krock wrote that “this is his
answer to those who have contended
that the President has a third term
in mind and would remake the
Supreme Court majority for a period
of submissive co-operation with the
other Federal divisions that will ex
ceed the precedental time for Chief
Executives.
“And it is his answer also to those
who insist that nothing in the present
condition of the country calls for new
haste in the attack on problems, and
nothing will be lost by awaiting the
long process of a constitutional
amendment. Doubtless he wall make
these responses for himself before
the argument about the Supreme
Court is ended by triumph, defeat
or compromise."
Misconception of Aims.
Krock said that in discussing with
the President charges that the Presi
dent intended to supplant the Federal
system of checks and balances with
one-man government, "the writer be
came conscious of Mr. Rooeevelt's
complete certainty that the accusations
are all founded on misconceptions of
his alms and their consequences, in a
total lack of understanding of the
crisis which confronts this country
and calls for drastic remedies * * *•
"In the President’s view—and dis
cusslons with him makes it clearer—
the Supreme Court issue is but a part
of a larger problem; how to make
democracy work in a world where
democracy has In many lands, been
subverted. He believes that within the
American democratic machine are all
the essential devices. He feels that they
must be boldly grasped and employed
to save democracy itself * * *■ What
he has done and is doing are to him
the definite solvents of democracy,”
Temblor Frightens Italians.
TERNI, Italy, February 27 (A*).—An
earthquake shock lasting several sec
onds today frightened crowds of
workmen and residents of this mu
nitions manufacturing center north
of Rome. No damage was reported.
Radio Programs, Page F-3.
| Complete htin. Pal* A-t.
LABOR DIMES
LEAVE 30,10) IDLE
THROUGHOUT U.S.
Three Injured in Detroit as
“Sit-Down” Strikers
Rout Opponents.
PICKETING IS PLANNED
AT VARIOUS FACTORIES
"Concrete Wall” Is Promised by
Union Leader as Aircraft
Plant Maps Reopening.
BACKGROUND—
Sit-down strike technique, first
used effectively in France, was
introduced to America on big scale
for first time in December in strike
of United Automobile Workers
against General Motors. The com
pany obtained court order to have
strikers evicted, but never used it
and peaceful evacuation finally was
arranged as both sides agreed to
bargain.
Claims of gains by union leaders
gave impetus to similar tactics
against other industries until yes
terday an estimated 30.000 were
idle in controversies involving a
half hundred plants.
Bs the Associated Press.
Embattled unionists came to grips
with their adversaries yesterday at a
pivotal point on the Nation's coast
to-coast strike front.
‘•Sit-down” strikers, bombarded with
heavy lead pellets, swarmed into the
administration building of the Ferro
Stamping Co. at Detroit and routed
most of their 20 non-union foes. A
woman and two men were injured.
Gov. Frank Murphy offered the serv
ices of State Labor Commissioner G.
A. Krogstad in adjusting a score of
labor disputes in progress there. A
strike of 100 workers forced 1.000 into
idleness at the Michigan Malleable
Iron Co. Approximately 100 sales
girls at the F. W. Woolworth 5 and
10 cent store and 15 drivers and sales
men at the Canada Dry Ginger Ale Co.
started “sit-down” strikes. Six hun
dred went out at Thompson Products,
Inc.
Picket lines tightened in other cen
ters. Altogether, about 30.000 were
idle in controversies over wages and
union recognition at 50 factories and
foundries, mills and boat yards and
utility and airplane plants in many
sections of the Nation.
Illinois Pickets Gather.
Pickets gathered at the Fansteel
Metallurgical Corp. in North Chicago,
111., where 61 squatters fled a tear
gas attack Friday. Five union and
Committee for Industrial Organization
leaders were hunted on warrants
charging conspiracy to obstruct a court
order for the strikers’ eviction. Two
others were arrested and released on
bond.
The Douglas Aircraft Corp.'s an
nouncement that it would resume
operations next week at Santa Monica,
Calif., was challenged by William
Busick, organizer for the United Auto
mobile Workers' aircraft division. He
declared a "concrete wall” of pickets
would be thrown about the world's
largest plane plant. The Northrop
Corp., Douglas subsidiary, also planned
to reopen. The disputes at the two
companies affected 6.750 employes
Picketing of the main plants of the
Northern States Power Co. at Min
neapolis continued as police guarded
substations. Secretary of Labor Per
kins sent Father Francis Haas to me
diate the difficulty. Vandals Interrupt
ed the flow of electricity of some 2.000
homes. Minnesota's attorney general
studied the legality of State control
of the facilities pending settlement
of the strike.
New Recruits Sought.
Strike leaders strove to gain new
recruits in an attempt to prevent thf
scheduled resumption Monday of sub
marine building at the Electric Boat
Co. yards at Groton. Conn.
Mayor Myron Lehman named a
citizens' committee to seek to arbi
trate the picket strike at the UlinoU
Watch Case Co. at Elgin, 111.
U. A. W. A. leaders sought to settla
a strike that resulted in the closing
of two General Motors branches em
ploying 2,700 at Janesville, Wis.
Labor chieftains and industrialistl
alike eyed the Committee for Indus
trial Organization's membership com
paign among the New Jersey employes
of the Ford Motor Co. and Federal
(See STRIKE, Page A-6.)
■ - -
NAZIS BAN FOREIGN
SECURITIES TRADING
Quotations Are Discontinued on
Bourses—“Fair Prices” to
Be Set by Banks.
B» the Associated Press.
BERLIN. February 27 —Nazi Ger
many clamped a strict ban on trading
in foregin securities today to complete
restrictions initiated last October, gov.
eming all German-owned foreign se*
curities.
Such securities must be sold to thl
Reichsbank or to Devisen banks lq
the future, at a “fair price,” to bg
fixed by the Reichsbank, the govern*
ment announced.
Any other trading may be carried
on only with special government per.
mission. Quotations on foreign se.
curities were immediately discontinued
on German bourses.
Informed American financial sourcef
saw the German regulations as a ste|
in the four-year plan to make thl
Reich self-contained.
These sources declared the imme
diate and obvious result would be t<
“encourage" Germans to sell their for
eign securities and Invest their monej
in German government bonds or in
dustrial stocks. This, they said, woulg
be the natural reaction of an invested
who foresaw the possibiUty of mort
stringent regulations later and th|
possible requisition of foreign securi
ties.