Evening star. [volume], December 01, 1937, Image 1

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

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
‘ I ,-1 - __
WEATHER.
CO. B. Waathtr Bureau Riracait.)
Generally fair; lowest temperature about The OTllv PVPnfrtg paper
30 degrees tonight; tomorrow cloudy, not {n WoeM*i«+«w ii..
much change in temperature; gentle winds. “ Washington With the
Temperatures today—Highest, 45, at 3 Associated PreSS NeWS
P?u:ii10rrSon^:A-2>m- and Wirephoto Services.
Closing New York Markets, Page 18
85th YEAR. Xo. 34,182. area «SS.rg WASHINGTON, D. C„ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER-1, 1937—FIFTY-SIX PAGES. *** TWO CENTS.
PERILS WAGE-HOUR
AND FARM BILLS
City Men Try to Scuttle
Cotton Plan Unlecs LalJor
Aid Is Supported.
BLOC PLUCKS RECRUITS
IN CORRIDOR PARLEYS
Democrats in Position of Having
to Rely on G. 0. P. Help
in Impasse.
By th« Associated Press.
A behind-the-scenes struggle over
crop control and wage-hour bills
threw House members into such tur
moil today that some legislators said
both measures might be endangered.
Representatives of urban and indus
trial districts indicated they would
try to strike cotton provisions from
the farm bill unless Southern col
leagues help get a vote on the labor
standards measure.
The labor bloc arranged to organize
last night, but postponed the meeting
until tonight on the plea of Chairman
Norton of the Labor Committee.
Mr*. Norton preferred to see how
many of 24 necessary names could
be added today to a petition to wrest
tne wage-nour dui irom tne Rules
Committee and bring it before the
House within a fortnight. The Rules
Committee has prevented House con
sideration ever since the Senate
lassed the bill last summer.
House Leaders Confident.
Although Mrs. Norton said a
double-edged sword" might kill both
arm and labor bills, House leaders
' eclared they were not worried about
ither. Majority Leader Rayburn
aid he was confident the wage-hour
ietition would be completed by the
nd of the week.
In corridor conferences, however,
he movement to scuttle the farm
ill picked up momentum. Mrs. Nor
on predicted a “determined bloc
ould make trouble" unless the peri
od is completed by tonight.
Representative Gavagan, Democrat
f New York, added, “The cotton boys
re going to get it.”
; Tile labor bill’s backers contended
Hey were entitled to support from
irm-8tate congressmen because they
Iways had aided farm legislation,
tany Southern members have opposed
bfc wage-hour bill on the contention
S would harm industrial development
ft the South.
Gavagan Thinks Cities Unaided.
“We are forever aiding and abetting
Anners and never, except through
he P. W. A., have we done anything
'Or the industrial sections,” Repre
sentative Gavagan said. “How can
'du expect farmers to sell In the cities
rhile you have people working for
tarvarion wages?”
Democratic chieftains were in the
deuliar position of having to rely on
tepublican help in the wage-hour
hpasse. A dozen Republicans have
fgned the petition, they said, and
lore may follow.
In both Senate and House, farm
egislation entered the Anal stages of
iebate. Although opponents have
iriticized virtually all major provisions,
ponaors predicted the measures would
>e approved with only minor changes.
The House has agreed to consider
tmendments tomorrow. Any effort
o strip cotton benefits from the bill
irobably will take the form of an
imtnHmant
ROOSEVELT FISHES
OFF DRY TORTUGAS
Hopkins Reported Having “Slight
Lead” in Competition—Yacht
Anchored Near Islands.
Mr the AuocUted Press.
MIAMI, Fla., Dec. 1.—President
Roosevelt found the fishing so good
around the historic dry Tortugas
Islands near Key West that he or
dered the yacht Potomac anchored
there overnight so he could troll the
surrounding waters again today.
The latest dispatches to temporary
White House headquarters here made
no mention or the catch, but it was
reported Relief Director Harry L.
Hopkins, who thinks fishing a "crazy”
•port, had taken a “slight lead” in
the competition. Hopkins is one of
seven vacation companions of the
Resident.
The President was said to be en
joying the warm air of the Gulf and
was accomplishing “much work on
deck.” It was added he was show
ing “satisfactory improvement” from
h. recent tooth Infection.
At the dry Tortugas yesterday sev
eral went ashore to Inspect the
fortress-prison built in the Seminole
wars.
Dr. Samuel Mudd, charged with
conspiracy after treating the broken
leg of John Wilkes Booth, President
Lincoln's assassin, was incarcerated
there for yean before being freed by
presidential pardon.
PLANES HUNT OUTLAWS
Philippine Bombers Help Jinny
Besieging More Ports.
j • MANILA, Dec. 1 UP).—Three Philip
pine Army bombing planes hopped
off for Lanao Province today to aid
army detachments besieging outlaw
Mora fortresses, where natives are re
belling against commonwealth rule.
Bach plane carried five 25-pound
• bomba.
■ One hundred and twenty soldiers
iffl by boat for the scene of the
•jungle fighting in which 1 soldier
was killed and 10 wounded.
'* Oen. Paulino Santos, chief of staff,
. mid the air bombs would be used
against the outlaws only in csss of
extreme necessity.
1
Garner Carries
125-Pound Buck
Back to Camp
By the Associated PrMS.
ST. MARYS. Pa.. Dec. l.—vice
President John N. Gamer tramped
into camp today with a 126-pound
four-point buck slung over his shoul
der, the lone kill of a senatorial deer
hunting junket.
"This is the Way I take ’em in. I
Just wanted to show you I could carry
it,” he explained to the accompani
ment of cheers and congratulations
offered by other members of the Wash
ington entourage crowded around the
hunting lodge of Col. William Kaul.
Mrs. Kaul hung a cardboard gold
star suspended by a red ribbon around
the Vice President's neck.
I The hostess of the 10,000-acre estate
in this picturesque Northern Pennsyl
vania woodland turned to Senators
Gulley of Pennsylvania, Murray of
Montana and Truman of Missouri, who
had fired at deer and missed, and pre
sented them with lemons tied to a
string.
Guffey gave Garner a gun “on be
^ half of the visiting firemen and Dr.
Hobbs (L. L. Hobbs of Ridgway. Pa.)
for your fine shot this morning."
Garner shot the buck in the hind
quarter from 40 yards a few hours
after the party entered the woods.
COAL HI
PROBE IS ASKED
4
King Alleges Failure to Fol
low Civil Service Laws
in Resolution.
; BACKGROUND—
Created to stabilize conditions in
the soft coal industry the National
Bituminous Coal Commission has
been the scene of bitter internal
warfare in which patronage has
been a principal bone of contention.
As a result, it has been charged
that the work of the organization
has suffered badly.
j A Senate Investigation of the
Bituminous Coal Commission was
called for today by Senator King,
Democrat, of Utah in a resolution al
leging failure to follow the civil
service law in appointments, exces
i sive administration expense and sev
| eral other charges.
The resolution, which was not acted
| on immediately, asked for a special
committee of three Senators to con
duct an inquiry to determine the fol
lowing:
"l. Thq number of employes of the
Bituminous Coal Commission em
pioyea without regard to the Civil
Service law*, t Whether an* Such
appointments have been made ill vi
olation of the Civil Service laws, and
If so, to what extent. 3. The methods
and means, if any, used to circumvent
the provisions of Civil Service laws
in making appointments. 4. The
number of employes, if any, the com
pensation of which has been fixed
contrary to the classification act; and
S. Whether there has been any mis
conduct or incompetence on the part
of the Commissioners in carrying out
the purposes and provisions of the
Bituminous Coal Act of 1937.”
The preamble of the resolution out
lined the various allegations in a
series of whereases, one of which
states that the Coal Commission law,
with certain enumerated exceptions,
placed other personnel under the civil
sen-ice and classification law. An
other whereas read in part ms fol
lows :
"It is alleged that the commis
sion has not properly functioned; that
controversies and contentions among
the members thereof have prevented
the adoption of suitable and neces
sary policies, to the injury of the in
dustry and the public * * *”
HOUSE MEMBER ILL
Representative Ditter Is in Phil
adelphia Hospital.
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 1 (ff).—Rep
resentative J. William Ditter of Am
bler was in the United States Naval
Hospital today for treatment of a
gall bladder disorder. Doctors said
an operation might be necessary.
Ditter is vice chairman of the Re
publican . Congressional Campaign
Committee.
N.LR.B. BUNDS
FORD’S ST. LOUIS
PRACTICES UNFAIR
Federal Unit Makes Charges
and Prepares to Sit in
Judgment.
EACH CLAIM IS DENIED
IN DETAIL BY MANAGER
—i
Alleged Coercion of Workers in
Exercise of Right to Organise
Is Basis of Accnsations.
By the Associated Press. '
ST. LOUIS, Dec. 1 —The National
Labor Relations Board issued a com
plaint today charging the Ford Motor
Co. with unfair labor practices in its
St. Louis assembly plant. A hearing
was set for December 16.
Charges against the company were
filed with the board October 25 by the
United Automobile Workers of Amer
ica, which* called a strike at the plant
a week ago, alleging discrimination
against its members.
Milton N. Johnson, plant manager,
served with the complaint by Miss
Dorothea de Schweinits, N. L. R. B.
regional director, specifically denied
each of the union's charges.
Threats Are Alleged.
The complaint alleged that the com
pany has "interfered with, restrained
and coerced its employes in the exer
cise of their right to self-organisation”
"O'
1. Threatening to discharge em
ployes who wore union buttons in the
plant or displayed other evidence of
union membership.
2. Threatening to discharge em
ployes who refused to sign a state
ment that they were satisfied with
working conditions and the company’s
labor policy.
3. Preparing and disseminating
“loyalty pledges” and urging and
compelling employes to sign them.
4. Threatening to close the plant
and move it to another city unless
employes halted labor activity and
dropped any union affiliations.
Sarveillance Is Charged.
5. Keeping all union and organisa
tional activities under “strict sur
veillance.”
§. Employing armed guards for the
intimidation of employes seeking to
exercise the rights of self-organization.
7. Distributing anti-union propa
ganda and fostering and financing the
"Ftord Service Workers” and the “Ford
Loyalty Group.”
>. Laying off and refusing to rehire
certain workers because of their union
No Strike Intervention.
DETROIT, Dec. 1 UP.—James P.
Dewey, Federal labor conciliator,
said today he saw no reason for in
tervening at this time in a strike of
United Automobile Workers of Amer
ica members in the Ford Motor Co.'s
St. Louis assembly plant.
He conferred yesterday with Harry
H. Bennett, Ford personnel director.
Before leaving today for Cleveland,
Dewey explained that he was in De
troit on other business and met Ben
nett to ask if there was anything he
could do to end the St. Louis strike.
Bennett said: "I told him I thought
not. There isn’t any strike at St.
Louis as far as those inside the plant
are concerned. The only ones who
are talking strike are on the outside.”
Bennett had no comment today on
the complaint filed by the National
Labor Relations Board in St. Louis.
LUDENOORFFWORSE
■
German War Leader, Now 72,
Pails After Operation.
MUNICH, Dec. 1. (A*),—Gen. Erich
Ludendorff, critically ill after an op
eration for a bladder infection, today
took a turn for the worse. He is 72.
Doctors attending him, however,
said the German World War com
mander might linger for hours or even
days. His wife has moved to the hos
pital to be near him.
Summary of Todays Star
Page. Page.
Amusements C-t Lost it Pound D-S
Christmas story. Obituary ...A-lt
B-l* Radio _B-g
Comics —C-t-7 Society __B-S
Editorials sports . D-l-S
Financial ..A-17 Woman’s Pg._c-t
FOREIGN.
French cruisers are dispatched to Far
East Page a-1
Powers to test Central Europe on Reich
demands. Page A-l
Japan apologises in returning U. S.
vessel and flags. Page A-l
House members hear Salto explain
Japanese policy. Page A-S
NATIONAL.
Edgerton may be called to explain
judicial views. Page A-l
Farm bill used as club by backers of
wage-hour measure. Page A-l
A. F. of L. calls special meeting of
Executive Council Page A-2
Restoration of investment confidence
sought by WUlkle. Page A-l
Amish father prepared to push relig
ious freedom fight Page A-l
Congress divided on proposal to curtail
road expenditures: Paga A-4
Peace pact reported sear in Grey
hound bus strike. Page A-l<
WASHINGTON AND NEABBY.
King asks Senate probe of Coal Com
mission. Page A-l
New York woman indicted here on
narcotics charge. Page A-l
Health inquiry here to be made by
Surgeon General Page A-l
Community Chest workers to continue
campaign. Page A-l
Opening statements completed in Rosa
trial. Page a-12
D. C. Reorganisation Committee to
meet today. Page B-l
Per capita tax load here Increases 01
per cent. Page B-l
D. C. consumers to profit little by new
coal schedules. Page B-l
Washington Savings pays final 20 per
cent dividend. Page B-l
Plan disclosed to charge $3,000 for
slaughter house permit. Page B-l
Controller General to probe use of
funds for Group Health. Page B-l
EDITORIAL AND COMMENT.
Editorials. Page A-ll
This and That. Page A-lo
Answers to Questions. Page A-18
Washington Observations. Page A-ll
David Lawrence. Page A-ll
The Capital Parade. Page A-ll
Dorothy Thompson. Page A-ll
Constantine Brown. Page A-ll
Lemuel Parton. Page A-ll
FINANCIAL.
Curb gains wiped out in moat
issue*. Page A-1B
Stock market pfce slowest in several
days. Page A-ll
Bond market quiet; changes only
fractional. Page A-17
Peoplea Drug Stem, Inc., votes extra
dividend. Page A-18
SPORTS.
Ranis spurns White Sox offers of
Berger for Myer. page D-l
Colleges eager for De Correvont, great
schoolboy grid star. Page d-2
Plow of ftsr tournament entries
a mages bowling leader. Page D-3
MISCELLANY.
Shipping News. Page A-<
Bedtime Stories. Page A-13
Vita) Statistics. Page B-S
City News in Brief. Page B-l
Nature’s Children. Page B-U
Dorothy Dlx. Page C-l
Betsy CaswelL Page C-*
Cross-word Pusafe. Page C-l
Letter-Out Page c-l
Winning Osntaaet Page C-7
4 i
JAPAN APOLOGIZES
VESSEL AND FLAGS
Two Italian Ships Also Are
Handed Back—Mistake
Confessed.
BLOCKADE RULES CITED
FOR SEIZURE OF LAUNCH
Nipponese Claim Kiangyin Forts
Captured, Opening Yangtze
to Nanking.
BACKGROUND—
Japanese yesterday seized Amer
ican-owned launch off French
concession at Shanghai and were
reported to have pulled down the
American flag. American Consul
General Clarence Gauss protested
sharply to the Japanese. Army
inarching steadily on to Nanking,
which has begun making prepara
tions for a finish fight against the
attackers.
By the Associated Press.
SHANGHAI, Dec. 1.—The Japanese
Navy returned to lta owners with
apologies today an American-owned
launch, seizure of which by Japanese
sailors yesterday drew a protest from
the United States Consul General.
Apparently disturbed by strong reac
tion In the United States, the Japanese
returned two American flags with the
vessel
They also handed back to their
owners two Italian vessels with
apologies that their seizure yesterday
woe “all a m let a Ira *•
Flag Not Thrown Into River.
Japanese assertions that Japanese
sailors had not thrown the United
States flag into the Whangpoo River
when they took over the vessel were
confirmed by United States consulate
officials.
The William Hunt Steamship Co.,
owner of the launch, had reported the
alleged disrespect to the flag to Amer
ican Consul General • Clarence E.
Gauss, who protested yesterday against
seisure of America;! property and dis
courtesy to the fl!g.
Officials expla' ned that the flag
merely had been handed down to an
adjoining Chinese launch at the time
the American vessel was seised.
A Japanese Embassy spokesman
earlier today explained that the launch
was aetotf under Jgpafft blockade
regulations and declared the Japanese
Navy had felt certain that it waa {he
property of the Chinese govemritebt
He said that the American flag to
question had been hauled down by the
Chinese crew of the launch and edited
that It was in Japanese naval custody.
Chinese Vessels Seised.
Japanese forces had seised a num
ber of Chinese vessels to transport
supplies and troops to the interior for
their drive against Nanking. Rein
forcements moved steadily westward.
Japanese reported capture of
Klangyln forts, where Chinese had
blockaded the Yangtee River approach
to Nanking with a boom of sunken
lunk#.
(Nanking dispatches said Jap
anese advances threatened to bot
tle up Chinese defenders of Nan
king unless Chinese retreat from
the city Immediately. Foreign
military experts advised the Chi
anese to withdraw their track divi
sions, but commanders apparently
had not decided whether to stake
all on a finish fight at Nanking.
(Large-scale retreat under fire
across the Yangtze would be vir
tually Impossible, because there are
no bridges.)
Although Japanese authorities said
they hoped It would not be “necessary"
to establish censorship over press dis
patches to the United States, it was
understood they soon would place
censors in the offices of the three for
eign cable companies. Including the
American-owned Commercial Pacific.
The position of American and for
eign cable companies was that they
were merely carriers of traffic and that
matters of censorship were outside
their province.
Hull Satisfied With Apology.
Secretary Hull indicated today the
United States Government considered
sauaiaviuiy uie ocuuu ui me Japanese
naval authorities at Shanghai in re
turning a launch seized from an
American company yesterday.
The Secretary of State said at his
press conference that in returning
the boat and American flag which it
flew, the Japanese officials offered
suitable expressions of regret and
apologies over the incident to Ameri
can consular representatives in
Shanghai.
He implied that no further action
was contemplated by this Government,
which protested against the seizure to
Japanese consular authorities.
RECOGNIZE FRANCO
Japan and Manchukuo to Extend
Sights to Spanish Bebela.
TOKIO, Dec. 1 VP).—Japan formal
ly recognized today the Spanish in
lurgent regime of Generalissimo Fran
sisu Franco. The cabinet previously
bad announced recognition would be
{ranted.
Domei (Japanese news agency) re
ported from Hslnklng that Manchu
kuo had decided to recognise the Fran
co government, although Franco had
not yet recognized Manchukuo.
CITY BANK GIVES BONUS
Saif Month’s Salary Is Voted for
All Employes.
Directors of the City Bank have
voted one-half month salary as extra
compensation at Christmas time to
all employes of the bank, President
C. F. Burton annn*i»mm today -
This is the flrst bank in the Cap
ital to report such action this year, :
favorable busbies* during the last 12
months being listened as the reason :
For tbs bonus. It will be paid
(that Medicine hasir\
\ POKE YOU ANY Got©
\ l'«fi0IH6T0CHA«e I
_\ it KARIMLCl'i , ■'t
'
Groups Aiding Christmas Drive
Care for Destitute All Year
P^T. A, and Police Department Help
Needy, Not Only at Yuletide, but
During Other Seasons.
What it the use of taking care of
destitute people at Christmas time
and forgetting them the remainder of
the year?
This is a question often asked by
persons commenting on toy and
Christmas campaigns, and the an
swer to It la that the two organisa
tions working with The 8tar-Warner
Bros.-N. B. C. Christmas campaign,
the Metropolitan Police Department
and the Parent-Teacher Association,
assist the needy aU year long.
And they do so partially with cash
and clothing contributed during the
Christmas campaign with which they
co-operate.
Punds collected by the Police De
partment last year through this drlat
war* used for food in emergency casut
aa late as June of this year, when
the funds were exhausted, according
to Capt. Joseph C. Morgan.
And then, of course, there are
thousands of families in the District
who cannot be said to be destitute
who are living so close to that level
that they have no money with which
to buy Christmas presents for their
children. Life to them has become
merely a matter of survival. They
are large families with fathers work
ing on W. P. A. Jobs for about *45
monthly. They are families on re
lief. They are widcwed or deserted
mothers trying to support their chil
dren on low wages.
Children ih institutions, children
who are wards of the District in foster
homes, children in hospitals—there
are thousands of them dependent upon
charitable organisations for the bare
naeessitiea of life. Even though they
(Sea pHRMTMAsTPage~A^37)
SENT TO FAR EAST
Paris Acts on Report Tokio
• May Take Shanghai
Concession.
B» th« Asioeltted Press.
PARIS, Dec. 1.—Prance sent a di
vision of her most modern cruisers to
the Par East today following reports
from Tokio that Japan might at
tempt to take control of the Prench
Concession in Shanghai.
Officially the navy ministry said
the ships were off “on an endurance
cruise” to Saigon, Prench Indo-China
port, but officials left no doubt that
the cruisers were ordered to stand
ready for action if they were needed
in the war zone.
A spokesman at the Japanese Em
bassy said that although the Japanese
had not been informed officially of
the naval order, he doubted whether
the home government would consider
the action anything but “nance's own
business,” provided the vessels remain
in Indo-China waters.
U. ..1J TW.- v_
had been on a "normal” baste since
Prance gave assurances November 19
that her railroad would not be used
to take arms into China.
A navy ministry spokesman pointed
to a recent announcement of Marius
Moutet, Minister of Colonies, that the
cabinet had appropriated "large sums"
to reinforoe France’s Far Eastern mil
itary defenses ss an additional ex
planation as to why the warships were
sent to Indo-Chlna.
Commons Shews Anxiety.
LONDON, Dec. 1 (Jf).—The House
of Commons today reflected anxiety
over the fate of British interests in
Japanese-conquered Shanghai in ques
tions put to Foreign Secretary Anthony
Eden.
Eden said negotiations with Japan
were proceeding and that “we haven’t
agreed to anything yet”
Queried on the possibility of the
Japanese extending military control
to all of Shanghai, Eden replied:
“His Majesty’s government could
not of course, recognise the right of
any of the Settlement powers (of
which Japan Is one) to take unilateral
action for solution of the problems
arising from administration of the
Settlement." 1
Refuted Pie, Blind Man Dip.
INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 1 (/P) .—Sev
enty-year-old Harry Oodderd, blind
pensioner 111 a long time, asked his
andlady, Mrs. Nellie Anderson, yes
terday for a piece of pie.
Mrs. Anderson told him that hte
weakened condition made pie eating
wwise. Oodderd sighed, then died.
Five Actors Injured.
HOLLYWOOD. Dec. 1 (JP>.—Five
Urn players, canted away by the raci
sm of a light scene, Fere In a hoo
)ital today.
Ctene Autrey. cowboy singer, euf
’ered a wrenched shoulder and Hobart
gang had a broken leg.
Senate Subcommittee May
Cali Nominee to Give
Views on Laws.
Henry W. Edgerton of New York,
nominated last week by President
Roosevelt for a place on the United
States Court of Appeals for the Dis
trict of Columbia, may be called before
the Senate subcommittee to give his
views on the question of Judicial re
view of acts of Congress.
This was made known today by
Senator Burke, Democrat, of Nebraska,
chairman of the subcommittee to
which the Edgerton appointment was
referred for study. Senator Burke
said he was prompted to recommend
to his colleagues on the subcommittee
that the nominee be called before it
after reading a legal treatise by Mr.
Edgerton in the Cornell Law Quarterly
for April of this year.
“The appointment may be all right.”
Senator Burke said, “but I think it
would be advisable for the subcom
mittee to ask the nominee to at
tend when the subcommittee meets.”
The Nebraska Senator, who took a
leading part in the successful light on
the President's Supreme Court reor
ganisation plan last session, will con
sult with Senators Van Nuys, Demo
crat, of Indiana and Borah, Repub
lican, of Idaho, the other subcommit
tee members, before making definite
plans for a meeting. It may be a
day or two before a meeting is called.
Senator Burke said the article in
the Cornell publication did not analyze
any of the New Deal laws that reached
the courts. The article was described
as having been started in 1922 and
completed in 1936. Among other ,
things. It set forth the views of the <
nominee on Supreme Court cases in
volving taxation and also differences i
between capital and labor.
Mr. Edgerton was formerly a pro
fessor at Cornell and more recently 1
was special assistant in the Attorney '
General's office.
Wife of New Yorker Was
Trapped by Nurse of
D. C. Invalid.
A thriving business allegedly carried
on for the last 15 years by a group
of New York narcotic* peddlers among
well-to-do Washington addicts, was
disclosed today with the indictment of
Mrs. Bertha Levy, 43, wife of a promi
nent New York bondsman.
Trapped by a graduate nurse who
has been attending an elderly invalid
in his Connecticut avenue home, Mrs.
Levy was arrested September 28 in a
large downtown hotel. Marked money
amounting to $1,170—allegedly part
payment for a consignment of nar
cotics—was found in her possession
when Federal agents seized her, the
agents reported.
Later United State* Commissioner
_ei m__ _ .... _
- - v/. auiungc AJCiU XlCi 1X1 940,
000 bail, and she was sent to New York
to face an indictment there of conspir
ing with her husband, Moe Levy, and
Samuel Straus, to violate the narcotics
laws.
Suspicions Aroused.
Suspicions of the Federal men were
aroused when a post-mortem examina
tion of a well-to-do Washingtonian
disclosed his death was due to narcotic
poisoning rather than the malgdy
from which he had suffered for a
number of years. His trained nurse,
a young married woman, was inter
viewed and she told the Federal
agents her employer was supplied with
narcotics from New York and re
ceived them in *1.600 lots. She
agreed to assist the agents.
Telephone wires leading to the home
of Levy were tapped and agents
listened to the nurse call and say she
wanted some drugs for another
patient. She telegraphed *500 to a
New York address and it was arranged
the consignment would be delivered
in a Washington hotel.
Arrested in Hotel.
The nurse reportedly met Mrs. Levy
in the hotel lobby September 28. and
the transfer of the narcotics was ac
complished in a room there. Agents
seised Mrs. Levy as she entered the
elevator on her way out of the hotel.
Neither the woman nor the two men
arrested in New York are addicts, it
was stated.
Plans for apprehension of Mrs. Levy
almost failed when she refused to go
to an Alexandria, Va., hotel, and de
liver the narcotics in person to a
Federal agent who lay in bed there
posing as the patient for whom the
narcotics were intended.
FREEDOM FOR CHURCHES
DECLARED NAZI POLICY
Proviso Is Non-Menace to State
and Non-Interference With
Moral Concepts of Bace.
Sr the Associated Press.
HAGEN, Germany, Dec. 1.—The
dead of Germany’s department of
ihurch affairs avowed today that the
‘Nazi party and the state favor free
Jom for all religious faiths, provided
hey do not threaten existence of the
itate and do not interfere with moral
soncepts of the Germanic race."
The minister, Hans Kerri, denied in
tn address here that Nazi-ism was
vcrlcing for a state church.
He defined religion as ‘‘knowing
vhat we are doing,” and insisted that
our conscience lies in our blood. All
vho are of one blood belong together.”
Shop Keeper Slqys Little Girl
For Scribbling on His Side walk
irwwrK on rage Jl-J./
By th« Associated Press.
NEWPORT NEWS, Va„ Dec. 1.—
Michael Ritter, 77-year-old keeper of
aa odds-and-ends shop, was held la
an undisclosed Jail today on charges
that he murdered an 11-year-old
Schoolgirl and seriously wounded her
companion as they scribbled on thp
sidewalk fronting his musty store.
Detective Capt. 'J. M. Peach said
Ritter, arrested yesterday as . he
calmly clipped the hedge about his
home across the street from the stem,
admitted “I did the shooting,” but
gats no motive.
Juvenile Officer Edward O. Burcher
said the shopkeeper recently had com
plained children were defacing his
property.
Police Capt. R. A. Johnson said
witnernes told him Ritter apparently
shot once from behind the screen
i
aoor or we store at trie cnuaren,
and twice more as they fled.
Neighbors found Sue Stokes lying
mortally wounded four doors from
the store and Mary Ellen Coleman,
12, screaming in the street.
The Stokes child was shot twice
through the jaw and the other girl .
was wounded in the hip.
Ritter, in custody of Capt. Peach,
was spirited out of town late yes
terday when knots of people gathered
on street comers in the neighborhood
where the dead girl lived. Police
refused to disclose where they had :
removed the prisoner.
Dr. J. Hugh Matey, who examined
Mary Ellen Coleman at Riverside Hos- !
pltal, said his examination disclosed 1
that one shot entered the back near
the left hip and passed through the
body. No shots hit vital organs, he
said. The child also was found to i
have a scratch on her head.
*
PARRAN WILL IKE
D. C. HEALTH STUDY
ON CITY HEADS’ BID
Surgeon General Urged to
Undertake Survey to Stop
“Buck-Passing.”
GLENN DALE PROBLEM
DISCUSSED BY RUHLAND
Officer Meets Advisory Board to
Consider Segregation of Tuber
cular Patients at Sanatorium.
BACKGROUND—
The municipal hospital system
here long has been a controversial
issue, with conditions at Gallinger
the focal point. Jurisdiction over
Gallinger was tranferred from the
Board of Public Welfare to the
Health Department on July 1
last, in an effort to effect a better
ment.
Investigations of health conditions
in the District will be enlarged by a
survey to be made under the direction
of Surg. Gen. Thomas Parran of the
United States Public Health Service,
it was announced today.
Dr. Parran agreed to order the gen
eral survey of health facilities and
services and disease in the District at
the request of Commissioner George
E. Allen, who has supervision over Dis
trict health activities.
Meanwhile, District Health Officer
George C. Ruhland discussed with his
Tuberculosis Advisory Board in a
nuui a cunierence toaay tne problem
of whether adult and child patients
may be treated in the same buildings
at the Glenn Dale Tuberculosis Sana
torium or shall be permanently segre
gated in different buildings. No deci
sion was reached and the group will
meet again.
Another development expected in
the general health situation here waa
the arrival of Richard MacKenzie,
hospital consultant who recently has
completed a survey for the Budget
Bureau of hospitals maintained by
Federal funds, to begin an adminis
trative reorganization of Freedmen'a
Hospital.
Allen Requests Survey.
Commissioner Allen's request for the
Public Health Service survey followed
recent publicity concerning health
conditions in the District, particularly
with reference to overcrowded and
understaffed conditions at Gallinger
Municipal Hospital.
After conferring with Dr. Ruhland
and Commissioner Melvin C Hazen,
Mr. Allen telephoned Dr. Parran and
said:
"There has been a lot of talk In the
papers about our health conditions.
There has been a lot of buck-passing
about the proposed survey, so I’ll take
the bull by the horns and ask you if
you can make the study. I think it
would be a good thing, and Mr. Hazen
agrees with me.”
Mr. Allen then announced that Dr.
Parran had agreed to order the sur
vey. The scope of the study, it was
assumed, will be announced shortly by
Dr. Parran.
When Mr. Allen first was asked this
morning if the District was requesting
that the study be made, he said that,
if Health Officer George C. Ruhland
wanted the survey made he was en
tirely in favor of it.
Rnhlwtiil'a AHWitfla
Dr. Huhland said he thought such
a study would be desirable, tnit, since
it had been suggested that the Com
missioners make the request, he felt
he should not step into the picture.
When Commissioner Hazen was asked
to comment, he asked if Dr. Huhland
had requested the survey.
At this juncture Mr. Allen called
Mr. Hazen into conference and tele
phoned to Dr. Parran.
Some years ago, before he was made
head of the Public Health Service,
Dr. Parran participated in a study
of health conditions in the District,
specializing on the venerea! disease
situation. His findings were made a
part of the Preble report, which sug
gested a comprehensive reorganization
of health services, most of which were
ignored until the last year or two.
Dr. Huhland said he would seek an
other conference later with the Tu
berculosis Advisory Board, and would
accept its decision as to whether
treatment of adults in the same build
ing with child patients Involved dan
ger of cross-infection for the children,
as charged by critics of this policy.
Dr. Ruhland ordered all patients
who had been hospitalized in the
children’s building transferred back to
the adult building last Saturday pend
ing final solution of the controversy
stirred by his announced policy of
operating the two buildings as a sin
gle institution, with no restrictions on
the age of patients admitted to either
building.
Freedmen's Reorganisation.
In directing reorganization of Freed
men's Hospital Mr. MacKenzie will
work in close co-operation with Dr.
I\ Edward Jones, surgeon in chief,
»nd Secretary of the Interior Ickes
n efforts to iron out administrative
iefects so as to Improve the hos
altars service to the colored popula
;ion as much as possible under ex
isting appropriations. Interior De
partment officials said.
Mr. MacKenzie was “borrowed’*
'rom the Budget Bureau to undertake
administrative reorganization of
Freedmen’s Hospital after a verbal
■eport in connection with his survey
■here for the Budget Bureau con
vinced Secretary Iekes of the need for
mmediate action.
Interior Department officials ex
pected him to begin the assignment
»day and said he would consult dally
Kith Dr. Jones and Secretary Ickes
n developing and carrying out the
eorganization program.
It was emphasized that the reor
ganization plan did not involve crlti
:ism of members of the present ad
nlnistrative staff but was designed to
ron out defects for which no one
n particular is to blame. There
(till will remain, it was said, prob
(See HOSPITALS, Page A-4.)
1