WEATHER. 1 ---
<U 8. Weather Bureau Forecast.) H . A ^ 17 11 A . ,
Occasional rain today, followed by gen- -T Uil ASSOCiatcd PfGSS
■ I TI News and Wirephotos
peratures—Highest, 51. at 6:15 p.m. yes- / ■ ■ ■ Sunday Morning and
terday; lowest, 46, at 6:45 a.m. yesterday. r J o «aiiu
Full report on page B-3. ▼ r^w'^W EVGTy AftcmOOIl.
- V, __
(A3) Means Associated Press. , 1 '
—- ■■.. . .... . , , , '..I.. _
No. 1,675—No. 33,962. post office, W&shinrton, mDUcr FIVE CENTS 7tEN CENTS I
■——-----,----- - — ^ WASHI^OTQK_ AFP SUBURBS fi.kftwhftrf’ 1
COMMITTEE MAY
REJECT ROOSEVELT
■I PROPOSAL
Outcome Seen Hinging on
Final Attitude of Sev
eral Members.
VAN NUYS TO OFFER
MOTION FOR SEPARATION
Chairman Ashurst Has Doubts for
Approval, Believing Body
Is Split, 9-9.
BACKGROUND—
Buffeted by a storm of opposition,
President Roosevelt's Supreme
Court bill had rough sailing
through nearly seven weeks of
hearings by Senate Judiciary Com
mittee. which ended Friday.
Those who opposed the plan
when it was announced February
5 apparently lost none of their de
termination to defeat it during the
lengthy hearings and are now lay
ing plans for the battle in executive
sessions of the committee and the
still-pending fight on the Senate
floor.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
Disapproval of President Roosevelt’s
court bill by the Senate Judiciary
Committee, so far as it relates to the
Supreme Court, hung in the air as a
possibility last night.
The outcome depended upon the
final attitude taken by three or four
members of the committee still uncom
mitted and who have proposed or are
backing compromise amendments to
the bill.
Meanwhile, it was learned that an
effort to divide the President's court
bill into two separate measures—one
devoted to the Supreme Court alone—
will be made when the Senate Ju
diciary Committee meets Tuesday at
10:30 am. in executive session. Sen
ator Van Nu.vs of Indiana, an op
ponent of the President's Supreme
Court program, said:
”1 have a motion so to separate the
bill now pending and I intend to ask
a vote on it in committee. It will be
one of the first motions brought up.”
Hopes Motion Will Prevail.
The Indiana Senator said he hoped
his motion would prevail. Doubt was
expressed in other quarters, however,
that it would succeed. Van Nuys raid
there was little, if any, opposition to
those features of the court bill outside
of the proposal to give the President
authority to appoint a maximum of six
additional new justices of the Su
preme Court, one for each justice now
over 70’2 years of age.
As the bill now goes into its second
phase of consideration by the com
mittee— with the hearings “ndea—the
impression prevailed that it would be
reported to the Senate without amend
ment so fas as it relates to the Su
preme Court. However, a number of
amendments to that part of the bill
will be offered in committee and voted
upon.
Opponents of the Supreme Court
plan of the President believe that it
will be In its weakest and most vul
nerable condition if it is reported
unamended. For that reason the irrec
oncilables in the committee like
Burke of Nebraska. Van Nuys of Indi
ana, King of Utah. Borah of Idaho
and others will resist the McCarran
amendment to substitute a proposal
for the addition of two new justices,
and amendments offered by Senators
Hatch of New j^fexico and McGill of
Kansas, which would permit the ap
pointment of one or two additional
justices each year only, up to a maxi
mum of 15. The supporters of the
President's plan will resist such
amendments also.
Committee Is Divided.
The committee was divided last
night, it was said, approximately as
follows, on the President's Supreme
Court program: For: Chairman Ash
urst of Arizona. Senators Neely of
West Virginia, Logan of Kentucky,
Dieterich of Illinois, McGill of Kansas,
Pittman of Nevada and Norris of
Nebraska—7. Against: Senators King
of Utah, Van Nuys of Indiana, Burke
t>f Nebraska, Connally of Texas, Borah
of Idaho, Austin of Vermont and
Bteiwer of Oregon—7. Uncommitted:
Senators McCarran of Nevada, Hatch
of New Mpxico, O’Mahoney of Wy
oming and Hughes of Delaware.
.O'Mahoney, it is expected, will vote
• gainst the bill in its present form
when the final showdown comes in
committee. What the other three
Senators, McCarran, Hatch snd
Hughes, will do has not been finaly
disclosed. If one of them sides with
the opposition, the committee would
divide 9 to 9. defeating a motion to
report the measure favorably, end
some other steps would have to be
taken to bring the bill before the
Senate—perhaps a motion to report
without recommendation. If two of
the Senators join the opposition, the
bill might be reported unfavorably to
the Senate, or an effort made to table
the measure in committee. If the
latter motion prevailed it would take
a vote of the Senate to discharge the
committee from further consideration
of the bill to get it to the floor of the
Senate.
Chairman Ashurst frankly admitted
that there was grave doubt as to what
(See JUDICIARY, Page-ifT)
The Coronation.
Some of the interesting
symbolism of the ritual, the
historic background of the
paraphernalia, the anecdotes
and rich traditions associ
ated with Britain’s crowning
of a King form the back
ground of a series of articles
By Thomas R. Henry.
The first of which appears
on Page A-2 of today's Star.
A M
100 Invited to Mystery Party
Find Actress-Hostess Suicide
Chain Letters Bid Guests
to “Most Unusual”
Cocktail Fete.
By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, April 24.—A Park
avenue hostess who planned "the
most unusual and amusing" cocktail
party ever held in New York, died of
illuminating gas tonight in the kitch
en of her swanky apartment as her
guests—invited by chain letters—ar
rived in the lobby below.
The hostess, Mrs. Helen Mont, 25
year-old actress and bride of a month,
failed to answer the bell when the
first of her 100 guests arrived, and
the apartment superintendent un
locked the door. Guided by the odor
of gas, he walked past tables, already
set for the cocktail party, to the
kitchen.
There he found Mrs. Mont, un
conscious, a gas tube from the stove
in her mouth. She was clad only in
a slip, silk stockings and shoes. As
an emergency squad worked to re
vive her, and finally pronounced her
dead, the party guests waited in the
apartment lobby.
Police Detective Frank McDonald,
who said he was told Mrs. Mont had
a spat over plans for her party with
her husband, James Mont, promi
nent interior decorator, listed her
death as suicide.
Mont was in his West Fifty-seventh
street studio, just off Fifth avenue,
when his wife's body was found.
Mrs. Mont had called her cocktail
party “a mystery cocktail party,”
and warned her guests “not to talk
about sending or receiving this let
ter."
Here is an invitation she sent to
one friend:
"Dear Grace:
"You are cordially invited to a
'mystery cocktail party- in honor of
some one you know. It will be a most
unusual and amusing one ever held
in New Yorg. Make two copies of
MRS. HELEN MONT.
—Copyright, A. P. Wirephoto.
this letter immediately and mail them
to two friends.
“Be sure that your friends will not
recognize your handwriting and that
they are the type that will pass the
letter on and thus keep the chain
going. Please do not mail any letters
after April 22. Sign your initials
below those of others and above all,
do not talk about sending or receiving
this letter.
"This invitation is good only for
you and a single friend. Have it
with you and present it for admission
on Saturday, April 24, 1937, 5 p.m.,
at 480 Park avenue.
"P. S.—In case you should be un
able to attend please do not end the
chain."
Known on the stage as Helen Kim,
Mrs. Mont appeared in “Roar China"
(See SUICIDE, Page A-2.)
Brussels Government Freed
of Obligations Under
Locarno Pacts.
BACKGROUND—
Locarno treaty of 1925, guaran
teeing Franco-German and Belgo
German frontiers, denounced by
Germany in March, 1936, with re
occupation of Rhineland, following
which France. Belgium and Britain
entered into stop-gap arrangements
at London March 19. 1936.
King Leopold later denounced
military alliance with France and
expressed intention to return to
system of neutrality existing be
fore 1914. Efforts of Britain,
France and Germany to arrive at
new peace guarantees futile in face
of German rearmament.
By Radio to Tne Star.
LONDON, April 24.—Belgium will
serve as "listening post" to help ward
off aerial invasion of Great Britain in
time of war. it was disclosed tonight
as the foreign office published the
text of the Anglo-French note to
Brussels releasing the Belgium gov-,
eminent from its Locarno obligations,
but binding it to defend its frontiers
against aggression by air, land or
sea.
Perhaps even more significant than
the note itself is the news that Pierre
Cot, the French Air Minister, is fly
ing to London Wednesday. He is
coming to address a peace demonstra
tion in Albert Hall, but is expected
to pass much of his time at the
British air ministry, perfecting plans
for joint action bv the British and
French flying forces in case Germany
moves westward, as in 1914.
In addition to conferring with gov
ernment officials, Cot w’ill meet
Winston Churchill, who has repeat
edly warned against the menace of
the rapidly-growing German air force.
Cot's visit, coming on the heels of
that of France's Defense Minister,
Eduord Daladier, is another sign that
the staff talks between Britain and
France are about to be renewed and
intensified. Belgium originally par
ticipated in these staff talks which
began after Hitler remilitarized the
Rhineland. Now that Belgium is
withdrawing from its defensive al
liance with Britain and France, there
is all the more reason for these two
countries to co-ordinate their defense
strategy.
Another straw pointing to the new
(See*BELGIUM7 PageA-7.)
Order Frees Miaja to Pursue
Rebels More
Vigorously.
BACKGROUND—
The Fascist insurgent armies of
Spain reached Madrid's suburbs
last November. The government
fled to Valencia and Gen. Jose
Miaja and an all-powerful military
junta took over what looked, then,
like a hopeless defense of the city.
The insurgents are still in Ma
drid's suburbs, but Miaja has grad
ually trained an army of workers
to the offensive and Madrid believes
now it never can he taken: that
it soon will dispel all threat to the
city and disperse the insurgent be
siegers for good and all. Fighting
lessened during the Winter months,
but has been renewed vigorously
in the last few weeks.
Br the Associated Press.
MADRID, April 24.—A Socialist
baker and 32 other civilian anti
Fascists took over workaday Madrid
today from the military hands of
heavy-jowled Gen. Jose Miaja and
restored civil rule to a city still un
der the guns of insurgent siege.
The new man of the hour, so far
as Madrid's civil problems go, is 45
year-old Rafael Henche de la l*lata,
once head of the Baker's Union and
for 20 years an important Socialist
politician in Madrid.
He was quickly elected head of
the new Municipal Council of 33
members following a sudden order
from Premier Francisco Largo Ca
ballero at Valencia, which, in effect,
directed Miaja to spend all his time
fighting the insurgents.
That suited the bluff general, who
has had to fight off insurgent armies
in Madrid's suburbs and elsewhere for
nearly six months- -and at the same
time direct the Madrid military junta
(See SPAIN, Page A-4.)
TREE BRINGS $160
Single “Curly” Poplar Scales Net
of 5.370 Feet.
ATLANTA, April 24 (4s).—United
States Regional Forester Joseph C.
Kircher said today Ranger R. C. Nich
olson "reached a new high” of $160
for the sale of a single “curly” poplar
tree measing 58 inches through and
scaling a net 5,370 feet.
It was among mature timber cut
In the Chattahoochee National Forest.
Count Weds Self to Princess
At Gold Lotus Altar in Japan
By the Associated Press.
KYOTO, Japan, April 24.—Bowing
before a glittering gold lotus altar and
a huge gilt Buddha, Count Kocho
Otani, aristocratic hereditary chief
abbot of one of Japan's foremost sects
of Buddhism, married himself shortly
after dawn today to a beautiful 19
year-old princess.
The count. 27 years old and spiritual
leader of 13.000,000 Japanese Bud
dhists, celebrated ancient, strikingly
colorful rituals that made Princess
Yoshiko Tokudaiji his bride. The
ruler of the Nishi-Honganji sect per
formed the service himself because no
lesser dignitary was deemed eligible
for such an honor.
Hundreds of Buddhist dignitaries,
court officials, members of nobility and
20,000 followers in the faith crowded
into a vast temple courtyard to catch
a glimpse of the wedding procession.
High on the still morning air rose
the queer-pitched song of two cho
ruses of 700 priests, chanting an
antiphonal liturgy older than Chris
tianity. The priests led the man
whom they believe to be Buddha’s
earthly representative from his simple
monastic dwelling.
The procession passed into the
M
courtyard, joined there by a bend of
more than 100 acolytes, who swung
their bronze censers in a rhythm to
match the beat of the big skin drums
in the temple.
In the inner temple, before the
great lotus altar, high dignitaries of
the church knelt in devout prayer.
In a cloud of incense, and with a
mighty clash of cymbals, the tall but
demure princess was led from a
nearby gold-screened anteroom, garbed
in the impressive and glamorous bro
cade robes of a court lady of nine
centuries ago.
She wore 11 vari-colored kimonos,
laid one over the other. So volumin
ous were the ancient skirts that she
had difficulty walking to the altar
where her tall and handsome fiance
awaited her.
The ceremony over, the young
hereditary abbot of the Buddhist sect
distributed 1,500,000 yen ($420,000) as
gifts among the poor. His bride gave
away 1,500,000 classical fans to the
wedding guests and other friends.
A newly-built palace, with an ex
quisite garden landscaped in the old
Japanese style, was presented to the
abbot and his bride by his followers.
It has 46 nous.
GOTHAM HAD
STRIKEBARSOOGHT
IN WEEK END TALK
25,000 of Brotherhood Are
Scheduled to Walk Out
• Tomorrow Noon.
ACTION WOULD TIE UP
ALL NEW YORK FREIGHT
_
| Lewiston, Me., Shoe Manufac
turers Reiterate Determination
to Spurn C. I. 0.
‘
BACKGROUND—
Rising tide of business activity,
bringing a new prosperity, has in
spired widening movement of labor
unrest and strikes for higher pay
and shorter hours. Normal labor
controversy complicated by rise of
John L. Lewis' Committee for In
dustrial Organization and its cam
paign to organize many industries.
Violence has marked use of sit
down technique, borrowed from
Europe, which has closed plants
for long period. Favorable decision
of Supreme Court on Wagner labor
relations act also stimulated or
ganization of workers arid demands
for improved conditions.
By the Associated Press.
Week-end conferences, begun last
night in New York, held the hopes
of railroad and union officials for
averting a strike that would cripple
freight movement in Gotham's met
ropolitan area.
About 25,000 members of the
Brotherhood of Railway and Steam
ship Clerks, Freight Handlers and
Station Employes were scheduled to
walk out at noon yesterday, but post
poned action for 48 hours. A Federal
labor mediator arranged a peace [jar
ley soon afterward.
A conference between officials of
eight railroads and representatives of
the brotherhood adjourned late last
night without an agreement having
; been reached.
The conferees said they would meet
j separately tomorrow morning and re
sume the conference tomorrow after
I noon.
Eight railroads were involved. One
official attributed the trouble to a
dispute between the Brotherhood and j
the International Longshoremen's As
sociation.
A wage increase of 20 cents an hour
was among the demands.
New Peace Prospect Seen.
If the conferences fail to bring
accord, another peace prospect was
seen in the possible application of a j
section of the ralway labor act which
would offer a «0-day postponement of
strike action pending mediation by
a Doard to be named by the President.
Most of the Nation's labor contro
versies were concentrated at geograph
ical extremes. Many were quiet or
moving toward settlement.
In Lewiston. Me., however, shoe
manufacturers reiterated their deter
(See STRIKES, Page A-3.)
CREW OF 7 SAVED
Taken From Sinking British
Schooner, Coast Guard Informed.
NORFOLK. Va„ April 24 (/P).—The
crew of seven men of the British
schooner Charles and Vernon were
taken off their sinking craft 6 miles
off Winter Quarter Light this after
noon by the Ford Motor Co.’s steamer
Lake Ormoc, a message received here
: by the Coast Guard said. The Lake
Ormoc is bound to Norfolk and will
land the men here.
The Charles and Vernon was re
ported en route from Philadelphia to
Lahavre, Nova Scotia, with a cargo
of coal.
f THE FLOOD LASTED ONLY "V
J FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS W*
V AND THIS IS JUST The BeGiNNiNGy^
-ri.-- III
I
SENATE !
JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE
chairman
ASMT.
k
THE COURT BILL HEARINGS ADJOURN AFTER FORTY-FOUR DAYS!
President Reported Favor
able to Linking It With
Population Count.
BACKGROUND—
Lack of reasonably exact figures
on unemployment has been com
mented on frequently of late and
various estimates offered. Senator
Vandcnberg has said existing fig
ures exaggerate conditions by
5.000.000. Labor Secretary Perkins
also beliei'es current estimates er
roneous, u'hile W. P. A. Adminis
trator Hopkins thinks much un
employment is permanent and due
to technological causes.
An elaborately detailed plan for the
enumeration of the unemployed in
connection with the next decennial
census has been submitted to Presi
dent Roosevelt by the Commerce and
Labor Departments.
Ordinarily the next census would be
taken in 1940, but the Commerce De
partment. which has charge of the
Census Bureau, has recommended
that the regular enumeration be
taken in 1938 or 1939.
The President, it was learned, looks
with favor on the idea of linking the
unemployment count with the regu
lar census, but as yet he has given
the census officials no hint as to how
he feels about moving up the regu
lar population enumerations.
Favor Early Census.
The Commerce and Labor Depart
ments and the Central Statistical
Board, the principal statistics-gather
ing agencies of the Government, all
favor taking the census sooner than
it ordinarily would be taken, as early
as 1938, if possible. As the Govern
ment statisticians see it. the whole
social and economic pattern of the
Nation has been so greatly altered in
the last few years that the basic
figures of 1930 census are no longer
to be relied on. Moreover, they be
lieve that the new census should be
more comprehensive than any hitherto
made.
Not only is the Government in the
dark as to employment and unem
ployment, but no one knows what
^ (See”CEN8US', Page” A~C)
New Rider Threatens Schools in
Confusion Over Teachers’ Pay
Proviso in Pending Bill Forbids Clerical Work
Other Than Necessary or Incidental
to Class Room.
BACKGROUND—
Trying to find much-needed
teachers for the school system
without appropriating for addition
al salaries, the House Subcommittee
on Appropriations thoroughly in
vestigated persons rated as teachers
not actually doing class room in
struction with a view to making
regular teachers of them. Commit
tee felt many teachers were doing
work that could be done more
cheaply by clerks.
Already “red rider” ridden, the en
tire school system from the Board
of Education down is bussing with
alarm as to what may happen if an
other rider—contained in the pending
bill—is not eliminated.
This rider, it was freely admitted,
could throw a "monkey wrench”
into nearly every activity of the public
schools.
The rider is contained in the pro
viso that no salary shall be paid any
teacher performing any clerical work
other than that "necessary or inci
dental to the regular class room teach
ing assignment.” If broadly inter
preted, that prohibition may not only
confuse every activity in the schools
requiring any clerical work at all but
may result in a repetition of the
monthly pay roll statement now de
manded by the cordially hated red
rider.
If the clause becomes law, for ex
ample, a ruling by the corporation
counsel will be necessary to define
what clerical work is or is not "nec
essary and incidental” to the regular
“class room teaching assignment.”
Since the proviso, like the red rider,
is worded so that no money shall be
paid in salary to teachers doing that
which is prohibited, the General Ac
count ng OfBce nay easily require an
■4
“Oh promise me.” like the red rider
blank, that the teacher has not per
formed any extra clerical work. This,
it was pointed out, would further
overburden an already overburdened
clerical staff in the school and Dis
trict service in addition to added ex
pense for printed forms.
Originally aimed at the school re
search department which handles the
psychological and achievement tests
to determine student capabilities, the
generally worded rider may go far be
yond its goal and school officials are
aghast at its possibilities.
Under it teachers may not be per
mitted to hold home rooms for check
ing marks and absences. They might
not be allowed to keep records of the
cadet corps on which promotion of
the boys is based. The school cafe
terias might be forced to close if
teachers are not allowed to handle the
accounts or audit them at the end of
the year.
Distributing and collecting text
books with its attendant necessary rec
ords may be banned from the scope
of the teacher under a broad interpre
tation of the rider. Athletic schedules,
dramatics box office accounts or ad
vertising accounts on the school pub
lications now directly supervised or
handled by teachers or groups of
teachers who, even though they want
to help out, won't dare risk their salary
to do so, can be affected.
Teacher committees like those that
pass on magazines for the approved
lists or for teacher rating lists may be
forbidden. And who, the teachers ask,
will conduct the inventories in school
laboratories, make up the programs
for teacher and pupil alike and per
form many other clerical choree that
many teachers do during and after
(See RTDtTff. R»ge A-2.)
Bryan Political
Dynasty to End
As C. W. Retires
Nebraska Brothers
Began Public Ca
reer in lB90's.
By th* Associated Press.
LINCOLN, Nebr. April 24 —The
"Bryan dynasty” will bow its way out
of American politics three weeks from
tomorrow for the first, time in half a
century. On that day Mayor Charles
W. Bryan will leave office.
His brother, the late William Jen
nings Bryan, began the "dynasty” in
the 1890s. Since then at least one
Bryan has held office or has been a
candidate in almost every important
national or Nebraska State election.
"I’m just a young man of 70 now,”
Mayor Bryan confides. "I've been a
salesman, manufacturer and a broker
as well as a public servant, but this
time I think I'll go in for farming.”
He may be back, however, for a cur
tain call. "I don't say I'm calling it
quits for good.” he warns. "I still
have one good fight left in case any
thing comes up.”
The mayor owns several farms near
Lincoln. He said he has been thinking
about assuming active management of
them for severaLyears, but also wants
to spend some rime sorting out thou
sands of newspaper clippings and let
ters concemutg himself and his
brother.
Percentage Reduction of Ap
propriations Becomes an
Issue of Session.
BACKGROUND—
Fight over expenditures was pre
cipitated during past fortnight,
when tax returns showed disap
pointing revenue, and. pressure in
creased for high relief appropria
tion.
One solution offered by those fa
voring economy is flat 10 per cent
reduction in appropriation bills.
One group of opponents claims
this is unscientific; another flays
any attempts to curtail expendi
tures, particularly for relief, as
shirking Government's responsi
bilities.
BY J. A. O LEARY.
The flat 10 per cent method of re
ducing annual appropriation bills as
an economy move, proposed during
the last week at both ends of the
Capitol, is showing signs of adding
another controversial issue to the
program of the present session.
Commenting yesterday on these
proposals for a horizontal percentage
trimming of supply items, Senator
Borah, Republican, of Idaho said:
“I have never found this horizontal
method of dealing with appropria
tions or tariffs to be very practicable.”
Senator Johnson, Republican, of
California called attention to the
difficulty of applying such a rule gen
erally.
“Economy, yes, but with some dis
cretion,” said the Californian. “If
the flat 10 per cent were to be ap
plied to everything and there was
nothing which would not be subject
to it, it would be all right. The dif
(See APPROPRIATIONS, Page A-3.)
NEUTRALITY BILL
IS NEAR DEADLOCK
Enactment Before Present
Law Expires May 1 Rests
on Conferees.
By the Associated Press.
A near-deadlock between House and
Senate conferees threatens to prevent
enactment of permanent neutrality
legislation before the present law ex
pires May 1.
The permanent measure has passed
both chambers, but in different form,
and legislators have been trying to set
tle their differences in conference. In
formed persons said the conferees have ■
agreed on all of the important issues,
but are at odds on the form of their
report.
A deep conflict has developed be
tween Chairman Pittman of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee and
Chairman McReynolds of the House
Foreign Affairs Committee, colleagues
said.
None of the conferees would discuss
the matter beyond saying the dispute
between the authors of the House and
Senate bills does not involve differences
on fundamental policy.
Recess Over Week End.
The row became serious, however,
when the conferees recessed over the
week end without reaching an agree
ment. President Roosevelt, whose sig
nature is necessary to enact legisla- !
tion, leaves for a Southern vacation
Tuesday night. Chairman Pittman
was discussing the idea of extending
the temporary law if an agreement
could not be reached on the permanent
law in time to obtain the Chief Execu
tive’s signature before he leaves.
Early last week, conferees said, an
agreement was reached on the impor
tant controversies between the two
houses. But they added that the
conflict between Pittman and McRey
nolds became so serious that attempts
to work out a final accord were almost
abandoned.
me agreement, cans ior aoanaon
ment of the Senate's mandatory “cash
and carry” system, in favor of the
House provision to give the President
discretionary- authority to invoke the
drastic isolation policy.
Purchase in America.
Under the “cash and carry” system
foreign belligerents could obtain
American goods only by taking title
to them before they left American
shores.
The House yielded to the Senate to
make the prohibition against Ameri
can travel on belligerent ships man
datory, and agreed to include the
Senate's provision against arming
American merchant vessels engaged
in trading with belligerents.
Legislation of this kind would
launch America on a “keep out of
trouble" policy in sharp contrast with
the old “freedom of the seas” theory.
But many legislators agreed such a
conference agreement would be almost
certain to run into trouble in the
Senate. The old Munitions Commit
tee bloc there has consistently fought
for a mandatory “cash and carry”
plan.
African Ex-Queen Sentenced.
SEROWE, Bechuanaland, South Af
rica, April 24 (/P).—Former Queen
Bagakametsi was sentenced today to
pay a $250 fine or serve one year in
jail for witchcraft. She pleaded guilty
to charges of trying to harm the
Queen Mother by mystic potions and
incantations. Two skin-clad witch
doctors, who had made the same con
fession at the bizarre trial held under
a cluster of thorn trees, received the
same sentence.
King Arthur Used to Publicize
Early Church, Scientist Finds
By the Associated Press.
PHILADELPHIA, April 24 —A lit
erary sleuth reported today that King
Arthur of the Round Table was once
employed in a publicity campaign for
an early English church.
The great knight was “borrowed” by
some twelfth century English during
the reign of Henry II to establish the
priority of Glastonbury Abbey, Dr.
William A. Nitse of the University if
Chicago asserted at tht annual meet
ing of the American Philosophical So
ciety.
The Incident occurred 800 years be
fore propagandists were introduced
Into modern industry and politics.
The way it happened. Dr. Nitze
said, was this:
The legend of King Arthur began
with the Celts centuries ago. The
Celts for generations were taught that
Arthur was not dead, but was being
treated for wounds and would some
day miraculously return to lead his
people to victory in battle.
Henry II, like English kings before
him, held his throne only with the
aid of powerful neighbors. The Celts
had been friendly, but now they were
not. And the legend of Arthur, the
war hero, held them on that course.
One way for King Henry to get
around the difficulty was to prove that
(See ARTHUR, Page A^2l
DISTRICT’S HEADS
EXPECTED TD ASK
TOBACCOSAIE TAX
Will Submit Own Revenue
Program to House
Body Tuesday.
GAS LEVY INCREASE
'ALSO REPORTED AIM
Weight as Well as Personal Prop
erty Assessment on Cars
Held Sought
BACKGROUND—
Need of an increase of 18,100.000
in the District's revenues during
the 1938 fiscal year uas created by
passage by the House of the city’s
appropriation bill for the next
year, carrying a Federal payment
of but $5,000,000. House District
Committee named subcommittee to
study nine new tax measures of
fered by Chairman Collins of House
Appropriations Subcommittee for
District. Commissioners then be
gan drafting revised tax program
intended to raise only enough to
meet expected deficit.
BY JAMES E. CHINN.
A sales tax on all forms of tobacco
is expected to be recommended by the
Commissioners when they go before the
Special Tax Subcommittee of the
House District Committee Tuesday to
submit their own program for raising
additional revenue to offset an antici
pated $6,000,000 deficit in the coming
fiscal year.
The Commissioners, it Is reported,
also will propose an increase of 1 cent
a gallon in the gasoline tax, a tax on
insurance companies and a weight tax
on motor vehicles.
A sales tax on tobacco is understood
to have been suggested to the Commis
sioners by a special committee of Dis
trict officials appointed some months
ago to study plans for raising addi
tional revenue. It has been estimated
such a tax might yield about $800,000
a year of which a 2-cent tax on cig
arettes would produce about $600,000.
States which have a 2-cent sales tax
on cigarettes, it was said, receive a re
turn of about $1 a year per capita from
this source.
Gas Tax Increase.
An increase in the gasoline tax. a
weight tax on motor vehicles and a tax
on insurance companies is provided in
the series of nine Collins tax bills now
before the tax subcommittee. The
Commissioners, however, plan to urge
certain modifications in these meas
ures.
For instance, a lower scale than the
one set up in the Collins motor vehicle
weight tax bill is to be suggested, but,
coupled with this, the Commissioners
are planning to urge continuation
of the present personal property tax
on automobiles. The Collins weight
tax measure would remove the per
sonal property tax, but the Commis
sioners are said to favor retention of
this tax primarily to prevent the
owner of a used car from paying the
same tax as the owner of a new car
of the same type.
An increase of two cents a gallon in
the gasoline tax is provided in another
one of the Collins bills, but the Com
missioners are said to take the position
one cent will be sufficient if the tax
load is spread to new sources of po
tential revenue. However, they are re
ported to favor diversion of the gaso
line tax fund to the extent of support
ing certain activities of the Depart
ment of Vehicles and Traffic as well
as the Trees and Parkings Depart
ment.
Insurance Company Levy.
Whether any changes will be recom
mended in the Collins bill to license
and tax insurance companies has not
been disclosed. The Collins measure
provides a tax of 2 per cent on policy
and membership fees and net premium
receipts on all insurance companies.
The present rate for all but marine in
surance is 1.5 per cent.
The Commissioners are working on
their own tax program at the sug
gestion of Chairman Kennedy of the
OSeeREVEN UE~TPagiTA-^) "
SOUTHERN GALES
KILL 3, HURT 50
Widely Separated Sections of
Four States Are Struck
by Storms.
By the Associated Press.
BENTON. Ark., April 24 —Wind,
hail and electrical storms over the
Midsouth last night and early today
killed three persons and injured more
thun 50.
Damage from wind and hail was re
ported in widely separated sections of
Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi and
AVabama.
At Benton, Mayor L. B. White esti
mated property loss at $40,000. Her
man Zinn. 50-year-old farmer, was
killed when a tornado splintered his
home. His son. Maxie Zinn, 12, died
several hours later of Injuries. A
score of homes were destroyed or
badly damaged.
Near New Madrid, Mo„ five persons
were injured, three seriously, as sev
eral farm homes were wrecked.
At Cepe Girardeau, Mo., the wind
struck the industrial section near the
Mississippi River, leveled one large
building and several smaller units of
the Riverside Ice & Fuel Co. Damage
there was estimated at $40,000.
Lightning accompanying a hail
storm near Cullman, Ala., killed J. H.
Howard, 46, a farmer. Heavy hall was
reported elsewhere in that State.
At Newport, Ark., hail described by
residents as larger than hens' eggs
dealt major damage, causing head in
juries to three children.
Radio Programs, Page F-3.
C-'T'ete Index, Page A-2.
V