Evening star. [volume], May 29, 1938, Image 1

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

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WEATHER.
<U 8. Weather Bureau Forecast.)
Pair today, except probably a thunder
shower this afternoon; tomorrow, local
thundershowers; not much change in tem
perature. Temperatures yesterday—High
est. 77, at 4 p.m.; lowest, 63, at 4 a.m.
Pull report on page A-2.
Full Associated Press
News and Wirephotos
Sunday Morning and
Every Afternoon.
K1 ron vr Qfti Entered as second class matter
O. l,iO« oN O. Oi^uUl. post office, Washington. D. C.
WASHINGTON, D. C., MAY 29, 1938—NINETY-SIX PAGES. *
rn umm FIVE CENTS TEN CENTS
Awoatatad Ptmi. in WASHINGTON AND SUBURBS KLSFWHERB
1 LIVES SAVED
BOAT COLLISION
Excursion Vessel Goes Down
Half Hour After Liner
Rams Her.
QUICK ACTION BY CREW
AVERTS BAY TRAGEDY
Band Keeps Playing as Those on
Boomed Craft Are Taken
on Crashing Ship.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, May 28.—The excur
sion steamer Mandalay with more
than 300 aboard was sunk tonight in
a collision about 6:15 o’clock with
the steamship Acadia of the Eastern
Steamship Lines about a mile south
of the Narrows in the lower bay. The
vessels were held together after the
* crash and in the half hour which
elapsed before the Mandalay sank, all
on board marched across a gangplank
to the deck of the Acadia.
The Acadia anchored there, off the
Craven Shoals Buoy, until Coast
Guard craft took off the rescued pas
sengers, then the ship, which started
a few rivets in the crash, returned to
her pier at Murray street and the
Hudson River, her captain, W. B.
Corning, uncertain whether his. 115
passengers would be able to make a
new start on their three-day cruise to
Bermuda.
The collision occurred in a heavy
fog which had rolled in suddenly on
a south wind about 10 minutes before
* the accident.
All Were on Deck.
The Mandalay, which began her
season today on the run between the
Battery and Atlantic Highlands, N. J.,
■was returning to New York. Capt.
Philip R. Curran said he had about
300 passengers aboard and there were
65 in the crew. On her preceding
trip to Atlantic Highlands she had
, carried 420 passengers.
Almost all of the passengers were
on deck as the steamer came up the
lower bay toward the narrows. Many
were dancing on the third deck. Oth
ers stood by the rail watching the fog.
which came in from the ocean and
suddenly enveloped the vessel.
The crash came within 10 minutes
after the fog. Officers of fireboats
which sped to the scene said later that
visibility was limited to 100 feet.
The Acadia struck the excursion
/ boat on the starboard bow and her
steel stem went through the side of
the 46-year-old craft like a knife
through cheese. Capt. Curran, experi
enced in local waters, shouted from
the pilot house: “Hold her there.”
Held Bow Up.
Capt, Coming of the Acadia already
had signaled the engine room. He
had seen at once that the bow of the
Acadia was wedged into the flank of
the Mandalay in such a way that, un
less the latter vessel's deck burst up
ward, he could hold the bow above
, water.
Most of the passengers on the Man
dalay seemed to be dazed, according
to her officers, and for some minutes |
did not realize that anything serious
had occurred, although the shock was
so severe that several of them were
thrown against stanchions. By the
time they began to realize the gravity
of the accident, officers and men of
both vessels were forming them in line
and guiding them toward the gang
plank which had been thrown across
• from the deck of the Mandalay to that
of the Acadia.
In the first few seconds of the
movement toward the gangplank there
was some crowding and shoving and
one woman reported later that she
had been thrown to the deck by a
man. Most of the passengers agreed,
however, that everybody on board
kept his head remarkably well. There
were 25 or 30 children among the
excursion boat’s passengers and sev
eral of the women spoke of the care
with which the men in their vicinity
herded them toward the gangplank.
Orchestra Kept Playing.
» The four-piece orchestra on the
Mandalay, which has been playing
aboard that vessel for 14 years, was
playing "Honeysuckle Rose" when the
crash came. It kept right on playing
"Honeysuckle Rose," though the nose
of the Acadia had come through in a
few feet of them.
William Griffith of Roselle, N. J.,
the drummer, discovered after it was
all over that he had a broken wrist,
but he kept right on drumming at the
time.
I “We got no orders to stop playing,"
he said later, "so we kept right on
playing ‘Honeysuckle Rose.’ I guess
we played it 8 or 10 times.”
The members of the orchestra were
among the last to leave the Manda
lay. When Capt. Curran left his
steamer and reported that everybody
was off, Capt. Corning backed cau
tiously out of the gap in her side.
The Mandalay slid off into the fog,
but was still visible whep she broke
in two in the middle a minute or two
later. Within 10 minutes she had
' (See SHIP CRASH, Page A-3.)
ANGLERS USE AUTOS
AS FISHING TACKLE
Hook Wire to Spark Plugs and
Shock Pish, Says Warden,
Worried Over Problem.
By the Associated Press.
* TIPTON, Ga., May 28.—Anglers
using their automobiles instead of
orthodox tackle to catch fish gave
Warden Lenox Henderson a new
worry today.
The method, authorities said, is to
hook a naked wire to a spark plug
and dangle it in the water. Then the
engine is speeded up, generating a
current strong enough to shock nearby
fish into insensibility. ,
Warden Henderson said the illegal
fishing would result in a shock for
the fishermen as well when he pre
sented their names to the grand
Jr-. *
Rescued in Ship Crash
Happy, bright-eyed, girl waves jubilantly to persons on
shore as she was brought safely to New York last night aboard
a Coast Guard cutter after being rescued from the sinking
steamer Mandalay, a pleasure and excursion ship, in lower
New York Bay. Note life preserver the woman in background
is wearing. —Copyright, A. P. Wirephoto.
STOPOPPRESSIOH,
LANDON DEMANDS
Calls on G. 0. P. to Battle
‘Dictation’ by Any Group.
Sees New Deal Doom.
E” t*12 Associated Press.
NIAGARA FALLS, N. Y„ May 28.—
Former Gov. All M. Landon of Kan
sas called on the Republican party
tonight to resolve to "free this country
from all oppressive dictation,” whether
by government, industry, finance or
labor.
Addressing the annual New York
State Young Republican Clubs conven
tion, Mr. Landon declared the Repub
lican party, equally with the Demo
cratic party, “derives from Thomas
Jefferson, the individualist, the decen
tralist, the opponent of oppression,
and the enemy of omnipotent plan
ning.”
•‘The Republican party must remem
ber that Jefferson fought not only gov
ernment oppression, but all economic
oppression as well,” he said.
Calling his speech “the opportunity
of the Republican party,” the 1936
Republican standard bearer declared
that the party might attract “practical
liberals” by opposing oppression.
Chance for Big Service.
The party, he continued, “must re
solve to free this country from all op
pressive dictation, whether by bureau
cratic official or financier, whether by
industrialist or by labor leader,
whether by public money or by private
money, whether by the force of the
militia or by the force of the mob.
“If the Republican party can take
so broad and honest a view of its
mission,” he continued, “it will last
through a multitude of years. It will
stand as a bulwark against hitherto
unknown oppression in America. It
will be of immeasurable service in time
of need.”
He continued: "i don t want to see
the pendulum swing back to the dom
inant rampant individualism of old.
Neither do I want to see it swing
toward the complete elimination of in
dividualism with the destruction of
all the precious freedom that makes
democracy.
“None of us wants to see society
ruled by Fascist or bureaucratic gov
ernment on the one hand, or by the
power of money on the other. The
average man can lose his political and
economic security either way.”
Jobs First Problem.
“We have failed to check our mo
nopolies. They must be checked,
and there is little difference between
a private monopoly and a government
monopoly. It is still a monopoly.”
Mr. Landon declared, however, that
re-employment of 12,000,000 men and
(See LANDON, Page A-4.)
PACKING PLANT BURNED
6,000,000 Cana of Vegetables and
Fruit Destroyed.
SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 28 OP).
—Six million cans of fruit and vege
tables were almost totally destroyed
late today when flames swept the
main warehouse of the Bercut-Rlch
ards Packing Plant, one of the Na
tion’s largest.
Tom Richards, general manager of
the company, tentatively estimated the
loss at (600,000.
Boys!
Turn to Page A-4 of
today's Star and find
directions for entering
The Star-Americon Le
gion Soapbox Derby.
Follow the news of
the Derby every day and
Sunday in
&tar
Surprise Conference Stirs
Optimism on Eve of
Town Elections.
BACKGROUND—
Czech-German tension created
by demands of Sudeten Germans
in Czechoslovakia for autonomy
and by series of municipal elections
which are reflecting extent of
Sudetens’ power. Czechoslovakia
has reinforced her regular army
with reserves in expanding her
garrisons along border with Ger
many. Acute situation of week
ago moderated considerably.
B; the Associated Press.
PRAHA, Czechoslovakia, May 28.—
Czechoslovakia’s pro-Nazi German mi
nority and the government suddenly
resumed negotiations today. The sur
prise conference created general op
timism on the eve of municipal elec
tions.
The republic tonight was bright with
hope of an eventful understanding
over the autonomy demands of her
3,500,000 Sudeten Germans, backed by
Germany in their troublous dealings
with the Praha government.
This was in sharp contrast to the
mood of exactly one week ago when
the country felt on the verge of war
over the Sudeten problem and attend
ant disorders.
Parley Makes Progress.
Today’s parley between Premier Mi
lan Hodza and two Sudeten Germans
actually made some progress toward
the goal of a workable compromise
between the Sudeten German de
mands and the government’s insist
ence upon security for the Czechoslo
vakian state. .
The progress was relatively small,
the chief result of the meeting being
an agreement to convene regularly
from now on and really settle down to
the business of negotiating a perma
nent peace.
But after the many disappointments
of the past, the mere fact the peace
parleys were resumed, and the prospect
of their actually continuing, made the
week end much brighter. t
Tomorrow’s balloting in 2,740 com
munities—700 of them predominantly
German—was the center of popular
interest. It will be the second of a
series of three municipal elections.
Last Sunday 1,500 communities voted,
and, on June 12, 5,760 will go to the
polls, 7,000,000 citizens voting in all.
With troops already occupying the
border districts in which the majority
of German communities are found,
new measures to insure against po
litical clashes during the voting con
sisted largely in a shifting of contin
gents of gendarmes from one section
to another.
Newspapers as an additional pre
caution published the official warning:
“In order to avoid accidents and mis
fortune, the public is requested not
to approach military objects or mili
tary sentries.”
Benes’ 54th Birthday Marked.
Today’s optimism was in keeping
with the character of President
Eduard Benes as he was eulogized in
press editorials marking his 54th
birthday anniversary today. He was
(See CZECHS, Page A-7.)
P. R. R. WINS $730,005
LANDSLIDE DAMAGES
Buit Against Pittsburgh Based
on Bock Pall on Track*
in City 18 Years Ago.
Py the Associated Press.
PITTSBURGH. May 28.—The
Pennsylvania Railroad was awarded
$730,005.05 damages today for a land
slide which 18 years ago sent tons of
rock and earth hurtling onto its main
tracks in downtown Pittsburgh.
For 58 hours a Common Pleas Court
iurv of 10 women and * men deliber
ated the road’s suit for $1,500,000
against the city. They refused any
compensation payment for the 15
years the case has been in the courts.
Oty Solicitor Churchill Mehard said
ha would ask for a #cw tri^l.
HOPKINS DOOMS
BY IOWA POLICY
Senate Ire Over Comment
on Race Kills Welfare
Department Bill.
WHEELER SEES DRIVE
TO UNSEAT COURT FOES
Charges ‘Handful Close to White
House' Marking Anti-New
Deal Men for Oblivion.
BACKGROUND—
Harry Hopkins, W. P. A. head,
told the press Tuesday that if he
were an Iowa voter he would cast
his ballot in the Democratic pri
mary contest for Senator for Rep
resentative Otha Wearin, who op
poses the incumbent, Guy Gillette.
Senate reaction against this state
ment broke out Wednesday under
the leadership of Wheeler of Mon
tana.
By G. GOULD LINCOLN.
The entrance of Harry L. Hopkins,
W. P. A. administrator, into the Iowa
senatorial primary contest against
Senator Gillette has doomed all chance
of the passage of a bill to create a new
Department of Public Welfare, accord
ing to Democratic Senators. The
creation of such a department is part
of President Roosevelt’s plan for gov
ernmental reorganization.
Mr. Hopkins has been slated for ap
pointment as head of the proposed new
major department of the Government.
This would mean a place in the Presi
dent’s cabinet.
Senator Wheeler, Democrat, of
Montana, who led the coalition which
defeated the court bill, charged in the
Senate yesterday during the debate
on the spending-lending bill that Mr.
Hopkins was one of a handful of men
close to the White House who are
marking anti-New Deal Democrats for
“oblivion,”
Names Ickes and Corcoran.
In the group, besides Mr. Hopkins,
he named:
Secretary’ of the Interior Ickes, who
also is public works administrator.
Thomas G. Corcoran and Ben
Cohen, young attorneys who are among
the President’s advisers.
Joseph B. Keenan, Assistant At
torney General.
Janies Roosevelt, the President’s son
and secretary.
"It is this little handful of men,”
Senator Wheeler declared, “that wants
to say how the party shall be reor
ganized and who shall be elected."
The group is “running the Govern
ment,” he said.
Senator Bailey, Democrat, of North
Carolina, joined in Senator Wheeler's
denunciation of high administration
officials who have intervened in party
primary contests.
“Can’t Win,” Says Bailey.
“That crowd is not going to run
the Democratic party,’’ Senator Bailey
declared. “They can't run it and win
an election.
“The Federal Government has noth
ing whatever to do with the election
of United States Senators and Gov
ernors, and that goes for the Presi
dent of the United Statfs."
Senator Bailey said Mr. Hopkins
had announced publicly that the W.
P. A. would take no part in politics
“and in the same breath” had indorsed
Representative Wearin. Democrat, of
Iowa, who is running against Senator
Gillette, a court bill foe.
Mr. Ickes gave aid to Mayor Fiorello
La Guardia in his last campaign in
New York City, Senator Bailey con
tinued.
Senator Pope, Democrat, of Idaho,
an administration supporter, inter
rupted to ask if a cabinet officer must
be mute on political questions.
“Public officers distributing funds
ought not to have anything to do with
politics,” Senator Bailey retorted.
Cabinet Bill Doomed.
So aroused are the Democratic Sen
ators over the interjection of Mr. Hop
kins and the relief administration into
the Iowa battle that they will go the
limit to prevent the passage of the
Welfare Department bill. The House,
breaking the President's reorganiza
tion plan into several bills last year,
passed three such measures, one of
them providing for the Welfare De
partment. There have been hints that
an effort would be made to get this
(See HOFKINSTPage A-3.)
THE MODERN ACHILLES! ~
FLEES SPY QUIZ
U. S. Agents Ask French to
Take Gudenberg Off Ship
at Cherbourg.
Bt the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. May 23—Federal
agents today sent an urgent request
to French officials at Cherbourg to
intercept a second “runaway witness”
in the Government’s investigation of
a suspected major spy ring in this
country.
United States Attorney Lamar Hardy
disclosed that the witness, Werner
G. Gudenberg, whom he described as
a key figure in the espionage probe,
slipped through the Government’s net
and sailed last Wednesday at mid
night.
Plane Factory Employe.
Mr. Hardy said Gudenberg was em
ployed in an airplane factory at Bris
tol. Pa., and “after testifying before
a Federal grand jury’ on Tuesday and
Wednesday last, went aboard the S.
8. Hamburg Wednesday night as a
stowaway without a passport, money
or papers, bound for Germany
“His testimony was material, but
his absence will in no way impede
the investigation now being conduct
ed * * *. He was under a subpoena
to return before the grand jury when
he left this jurisdiction.”
The prosecutors disclosure came
shortly after four members of the
crew of the North German Lloyd
liner Bremen—including Wilhelm
Boehnke, scar-faced political “fuehrer”
of the ship's crew—were freed on
a total of $40,000 bail as material
witnesses in the espionage drama.
Well-Planned Ruse.
Mr. Hardy said Gudenbcrg skipped
the country by the same apparently
well-planned ruse as Dr. Ignatz T.
Griebl, a former Germany Army in
telligence officer, sailed without a pass
port on the Bremen on May 10.
Both had been subpoenaed to tes
tify in the Government's case against
Gunther Gustav Rumrich, a United
States Army deserter, one of the first
(See ESPIONAGE. Page A-4.)
-—- -•-■
CHRYSLER ILL
Car Magnate Suffering From
‘Circulatory Attack.’
NEW YORK, May 28 Walter
P. Chrysler, automobile manufacturer,
was in a sanitarium today suffering
the effects of what his physician. Dr.
Arthur P. Chase, described as a “cir
culatory attack.”
Dr. Chase said Mr. Chrysler “became
ill Thursday night at Great Neck and
went to Leroy Sanitarium about noon
Friday. He had a circulatory attack
and we were fearful of complications.
There is danger of pneumonia and
he needs a complete rest. His condi
tion, however, is improving satisfac
torily.” _
Hohenzollern Prince and Bride
Are President’s Dinner Guests
Biographer of Kaiser Wilhelm Also at Hyde Park;
Roosevelt Buys 42 Additional Acres of Land
Bringing Holdings to 800.
Ej the Associated Press.
HYDE PARK, N. Y., May 28.—Presi
dent Roosevelt, spending a quiet week
end at home, had Prince I/>uis Ferdi
nand of Hohenzollem and his princess
bride Kyra, for his house guests to
night. . ... .
The Prince and Princess, visiting at
the home of Poultney Bigelow across
the Hudson River, also were the Presi
dent's honor guests at dinner tonight
to which, White House officials said,
several neighbors were Invited.
Mr. Bigelow, biographer of Kaiser
Wilhelm II of Germany, who is Louis
Ferdinand's grandfather, was among
those asked over by the Roosevelts.
Drives Over Countryside.
The President, who arrived this
morning from Arthurdale, W. Va.,
where he delivered a speech on taxes
yesterday at the Government home
stead project, drove over the country
side today.
Tomorrow he and Mrs. Roosevelt will
have for luncheon guests Theodore E.
Steinway, the piano manufacturer;
Henry Junge, who arrejues White!
House musicals, and Eric Gugler, the
architect who designed revisions of the
White House executive offices a few
years ago.
Mr. Roosevelt also disclosed plans
to motor to nearby Rhinebeck Monday
morning to Inspect stonework panels
for the new post office there. He will
return to Washington early in the
week.
Bays More Land.
After the return of the President
here, it became known through the
recording of a deed that he had ac
quired 42 more acres in Hyde Park,
bringing his total land holdings here
to nearly 800 acres.
Under terms of his father’s will the
President will inherit the Roosevelt
family estate here, now owned by his
mother. This would make the Presi
dent one of the largest land owners
in this vicinity. i.
It was announced the President
would attend services tomorrow morn
ing at St. James’ Episcopal Church.
Mr. Roosevelt is senior warden of the
church parish, his son Jamas Junior
wsrden. _
Legislator Returns
$1,200 Allowed Him
For Travel Expense
By the Associated Press.
Representative Havenner, Dem
ocrat, of California made con
gressional history yesterday even
if he did not establish a prece
dent—he turned back to the Gov
ernment $1,200 allowed him for
traveling expenses.
The Californian said he did not
feel justified in keeping the
money.
He received a similar amount
for traveling to and from the
special session of Congress last
December and, although he went
home for Christmas, he said he
had enough of the money left to
get home after this session.
Members of Congress receive a
travel allowance of 20 cents a j
mile. Some contend this leaves
them "in the red" because they
have to bring their families with
them.
20,000 SEE FLYER
DIE AT AIR RACES;
Wife Is Among Onlookers as
Acrobatic Pilot Crashes at
Oakland, Calif.
Fy the Associated Press.
OAKLAND. Calif., May 28.—The
first of the summer season’s air shows
brought sudden death to an acrobatic
fiver today when Ralph Johnson, Los
Angeles, dived into the ground before
a crowd of 20.000 spectators at the
Pacific International Air Races.
The accident occurred as Johnson
was trying to pull his plane out of a
"barrel roll.” His machine burned.
Mrs. Johnson, who saw the crash, col
lapsed.
In the only speed event, over an
8'i-mile closed course, Tony Levier,
Monticello, Calif., sntached first place
from Steve Wittman, Oshkosh, Wis.,
with the 75-mile race two-thirds run.
Levier’s time was 249.351 miles an
hour.
Frank Fuller, winner of the 1937
transcontinental Bendix air race,
maintained an average speed of al
most 260 miles an hour in a flight
from Vancouver, B. C., to Oakland, a
distance of 835 miles.
QUINTUPLETS, 4, TASTE
ICE CREAM FIRST TIME
Birthday Celebrated at Family
Farty, Re-enacted Later as
200 Tourists Watch.
CALLANDER, Ontario, May 28 (Ca
nadian Press).—The Dionne quintup
lets celebrated their 4th birthday to
day at a private family party by tast
ing ice cream for the first time.
Later they re-enacted the scene for
visitors.
Yvonne stood solemnly at the head
of a little table in the sand pile
of their playground inclosure while
200 tourists watched.
With Marie, Annette, Cecile and
Emile grouped around as they had
been at the party, Yvonne ceremo
niously said grace, led the way to
the chairs and poured "tea” from a
long-spouted watering can.
The quints’ parents, Oliva and El
zire Dionne, and four of their seven
brothers and sisters attended the
family party. Three other Dionne
children were away at boarding
school.
SHIP RUNS AGROUND
AFTER BLAST AND FIRE
Two-Man Crew Takes to Lifeboat
and Schooner Drifts
to Land.
Br the Associated Press.
ELIZABETH CITY. N. C., May 28.—
Fire which followed an explosion
raked the Isle of Surrey, 65-foot auxil
iary schooler, today and she drafted
a mile and a half before running
aground,near the mouth of Newbegun
Creek.
The two-man crew, Sam Perkins
and Joe Hayman of Elizabeth City,
took a lifeboat and were picked up
by the E. R. Daniels of the Wanehese
Line, which proceeded to Wanehese,
45 miles from here. The Isle of
Surrey, owned by Tom Sumner of
Elizabeth City, was valued at 16,600.
Cause of the blast not known.
CENTERATSHRINE
Arlington Tribute Tomorrow
to Follow Wreath Laying
at Unknown’s Tomb.
All Americans who perished for
their country will be honored tomor
row on Memorial Day at a service
in the Amphitheater at Arlington Na
tional Cemetery in which a handful
of surviving members of the Grand
Army of the Republic and delegates
from 149 other patriotic, civic and fra
ternal organizations will join.
The main service of the day will be
held at 1 p.m., and will be preceded
by the laying of wreaths cm the Tomb
of the Unknown Soldier, led by the
presentation of a tribute from Presi
dent Roosevelt.
Scores e! other services at ceme
teries and historic shrines in and
around Washington are being held to
day or tomorrow in commemoration
of the war dead.
The Weather Bureau last night of
fered little encouragement to picnick
ers and campers. Fair weather was
expected this morning, but showers
were predicted for this afternoon and
tomorrow. Not much change in tem
perature was anticipated.
Despite the uncertain weather,
transportation companies reported a
big rush in and out of the city for
the double holiday. Many Washing
tonians left by train, plane or motor
yesterday afternoon for two-day
trips, while an influx of tourists over
Memorial Day taxed the Capital's
housing facilities.
Established May 5. 1868.
While Memorial Day has come to
embrace tributes to all who gave their
lives for America in any war, the day
was established on May 5, 1868, by
Gen. John A. Logan, then commander
in chief of the Grand Army of the
Republic, and it still is identified par
ticularly with the heroic dead of the
Civil War. At the service in the
Amphitheater the order of Gen. Logan
creating the day will be read by David
Herman, department commander of
the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
John M. Kline, department com
mander of the G. A. R., will call the
meeting to order and present the col
ors. He then will introduce the pre
siding officer, James G. Yaden, presi
dent of the G. A. R. Memorial Day
Corp. The invocation will be pro
nounced by the Rev. John F. Carruth
ers, past department chaplain of the
V. F. W
Mario Cozzi, baritone of the Metro
politan Opera Co., will sing "The Star
Spangled Banner” and later “There Is
No Death,” accompanied by the Ma
rine band. The Memorial Day oration
will be delivered by Senator David I.
Walsh of Massachusetts. Harlan
Wood, past department commander of
the American Legion, will recite Lin
coln’s Gettysburg Address. The cere
mony will close with “Taps” as a cor
net solo by Winfred Kemp of the Ma
rine Band and the benediction by the
Rev. William H. La Roche, depart
ment chaplain of the United Spanish
War Veterans.
Legion to Mass Colors.
The colors will be massed by the
national guard of honor of the Amer
ican Legion, under the command of
Capt. Guy C. Nadeau. The program
will be preceded by a concert by the
Legion Boys’ Band, W. R. Clifford,
leader; the Legion Drum and Bugle
Corps, directed by R. H. Viancour,
and the Marine Band, conducted by
Capt. Taylor Branson
Time has made such inroads on the
health of the eight remaining Union
Army veterans in the District who are
members of the Grand Army of the
Republic, Department of the Potomac,
that only three of them will be able to
attend the services in the Arlington
Amphitheatre.
Mrs. K. P. McElroy. daughter-in-law
of the late Cbl. John McElroy, for
years prominent in the work of the
Grand Army organization, plans to
take two of the veterans to Arlington
tomorrow. It is at the home of Mrs.
McElroy where the old veterans have
held their meetings since the Grand
(See MEMORIAL DAY, Page, A-5.)
No 5:30 Editions
Tomorrow.
Due to the holiday the
5:30 and Night Final edi
tions of The Star will not
be issued tomorrow.
Subscribers to these edi
tions win receive the regular
home edition.
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SENATE APPROVES
BILL AUTHORIZING
D. C. SLUM IRK
Measure Goes to House for
Action on Minor Points.
Early Enactment Due.
KING MAY ASK PASSAGE
OFP.W. A. BILL TUESDAY
Housing Measure Will Permit
City to Borrow $10,000,000
to $15,000,000 Fund.
BACKGROUND—
Alter many years of congres
sional consideration of Washing
ton’s inhabited alley problem, the
Alley Dwelling Authority was cre
ated in 1934. The authority has
allocated SS65.496.S0. Four housing
projects have been completed and
a contract awarded for a fifth.
It has completed five non-residen
tial projects and in two cases sold
former slum sites after clearing
away the slums.
By J. A. O’LEARY.
The Senate late yesterday passed
the House-approved bill to set in mo
tion a broader slum-clearance and
low-rent housing program in Wash
ington by the Alley Dwelling Author
ity. with the co-operation of the
United States Housing Authority.
The measure must go back to the
House for action on Senate phrase
ology. but since both branches have
accepted the basic features, aU indi
cations point to early enactment, en
abling the Alley Dwelling Authority
to do three things:
Participate with other com
munities in borrowing from the
United States Housing Authority,
which has indicated a willingness
to advance between $10,000,000 and
$15,000,000 for low-rent dwellings
here.
Authorize the Alley Dwelling
agency to obtain from the Treasury
loans of $1,000,000 each year for
five years, at the going Federal
rate of interest as defined in the
Housing Act of 1937, to expedite
the agency's own program of slum
clearance and self-liquidating
housing developments.
Permit the authority to acquire
land outside of squares containing
inhabited alleys, to which its op
erations are confined by the origi
nal law.
Passed by Unanimous Consent.
Chairman King of the District
Committee brought the question up
by unanimous consent during a lull
in Senate debate on the work-relief
bill and it was promptly passed. The
Utah Senator had the bill which the
House passed Wednesday taken up,
struck out all after the enacting clause
and inserted the text of the Senate
measure. There are no essential dif
ferences between the two bills, and
for this reason it would be possible
for the House to concur without going
to conference, which would send the
measure to the President for signa
ture.
With this bill well along the road
to enactment, Senator King announced
he will make a similar effort v.arly this
week, possibly Tuesday, to obtain pas
sage of another important till, to place
the District on a basis of equality with
the States in the repayment of Public
Works Administration loans. Because
P. W. A. terms elsewhere have been
liberalized since the local public works
law passed several years ago, Wash
ington is required to pay back 70 per
cent of the cost of its projects, while
other cities receive 45 per cent as a
grant and only 55 per cent as a loan.
House Action Seen.
While the House has not acted on
the P. W. A. measure. Chairman Fal
misano is expected to hold a special
meeting Wednesday on this bill, which
also has good prospects of enactment
before adjournment.
The District has approved applica
tions on file at P. W. A. headquarters
for a new ward at Gallinger Hospital
and for construction of new Municipal
and Juvenile Court facilities, for which
allotments could be made after the
new work relief bill passes. Unless the
District P. W. A. loan law is amended,
however, the District could obtain
projects only on the old 30-70 grant
loan ratio, while all other communi
ties are eligible for a 45-55 ratio. Fur
thermore. the District now is required
to repay its loans at the rate of $1,000.
000 a year, while other cities issue
long-term bonds to cover their loans.
The pending bill would give the Dis
trict 25 years to make repayment.
Meanwhile, the District Commis
sioners yesterday cited urgent needs
of the District for several new muni
cipal buildings in reports to Chairmen
King and Palmisano requesting pas
sage of the bill.
Tax Law Change Voted.
The District Committee pointed out
to the Senate that some of the slum
squares are in commercial areas, un
suited to low-rent housing develop
ment. The pending legislation will
make possible housing developments
elsewhere to house families substanti
ally equal in number to those whose
slum dwellings are demolished. The
Budget Bureau informed Congress the
bill is in accordance with the Presi
dent's program.
The Senate also passed yesterday
and sent to the President a House
resolution, changing a section of the
new District law which inadvertently
would allow deduction of motor ve
hicle taxes in computing the business
privilege gross receipts tax. The origi
nal Intent was to allow deduction of
personal taxes on all tangible property,
except motor vehicles, but as passed
recently the wording of the bill ap
plied the deduction to automobile
levies also. The resolution excepts
motor vehicle taxes from deduction.
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