Evening star. [volume], December 04, 1938, Image 1

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

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WASHINGTON, D. C., DECEMBER 4, 1938-144 PAGES. *
1 ---»——.. - -
<*>M«uw five CENTS I ten cents
AMMlktod Tnm. W WARTTTNOTON AND SUBURBS I ELSEWWTRK
T. V. A. 'Giving Power Away'
And Is About $9,500,000 in Red,
Ousted Chairman Tells Probe
- A --:
Morgan Charges Sales
Are Being Made at
Less Than Cost
BACKGROUND—
President Roosevelt removed
Dr. Arthur E. Morgan as T. V. A.
chairman last spring after he re
fused to discuss ivith the Presi
dent the dissension which had
developed within the T. V. A. Dr.
Morgan insisted a congressional
inquiry was needed and said he
would give his side of the case
only to a committee of Congress.
Since then he has testified four
times before the joint Senate
House group conducting the in
vestigation.
By the Associated Press.
Arthur E. Morgan, ousted by
President Roosevelt from the chair
manship of the Tennessee Valley
Authority, told a congressional in
vestigating committee yesterday
that the T. V. A. was "giving power
away” and was about $9,500,000 in
the red for its first five years of
operation.
The tall, gray-haired executive,
who once headed Antioch College
at Yellow Springs, Ohio, thumbed
through voluminous^ documents for
data to support his contention that
the present board had made er
roneous cost allocations, had
adopted a policy “dangerous” to
flood control, and had demonstrated
a "lack of responsibility.”
Raising a long, bony hand to em
phasize his points, the veteran en
gineer testified before the special
committee investigating the gov
ernment agency. He traced through
a maze of complicated T. V. A. ac
counts and then asserted:
"The T. V. A. is serving as a hold
ing and an operating company to
the so-called "yardstick” community
to which it provides power. It sets
up books and performs all the serv
ices of a private holding or operat
ing company.
“Giving Power Away.”
“They (the T. V. A. board) are
giving power away. I say that flat
ly—they are giving power away.”
The witness asserted, in explana
tion. that T. V. A. power sales were
made at less than cost.
"Every time we sold a kilowatt of
power," he asserted, “we gave it to
them.”
Dr. Morgan testified that various
Government agencies had advanced
a total of $21,700,000 in loans and
grants to various Tennessee Valley
communities. The T. V. A. had
loaned $2,304,000 to communities at
3'2 per cent interest for construc
tion of electric distribution systems,
he said. •
“All the interest paid back to the
T. V. A is reported as income,” he
continued, “but no account is taken
of the interest the Government has
to pay on the money it borrowed for
the advances to the communities.
“The T. V. A. makes no charge for
losses on the loans, bad debts or
loan servicing. If a ‘yardstick’ com
munity gets in bad, the T. V. A. takes
Its electric system back, puts it on
Its feet again and hands it back to
the community. The T. V. A.
makes no charge for this service.
"The T. V. A. makes the loans on
no security except the electric sys
tems. Under such conditions, the
loans at 3'4 per cent interest con
stitute an outright subsidy to these
communities.”
Dr. Morgan said Tupelo. Miss.. W'as
an example of “generous treatment"
accorded “yardstick” communities
by the T. V. A. He did not elaborate.
The bespectacled witness, hunch
ing his shoulders over the witness
table, derided statements he said
had been made by T. V. A. authori
ties that the Government agency
was selling power at “only a few
mills” less than private utilities.
“The difference of a mill or two
per kilowatt hour,” he said, “means
the making or breaking of a private
utility company.”
Dr. Morgan said less than 10 per
cent of T. V. A. power was sold to
residential users, and that less than
20 per cent went to “yardstick” com
munities.
80 Per Cent to Industry.
“The remaining 80 per cent goes
to big industries and for uses of the
T. V. A. itself,” he said. “The yard
stick program can only exist—if it
can exist at all—because of big in
dustrial consumers.”
The witness said the T. V. A- had
written off $30,000,000 of the value
of Wilson Dam when it took over
the dam. He said that was a correct
write-off, but added this comment:
“If a private utility had made a
mistake like that < in fixing the dam’s
original valuation) the security hold
ers would have to pay for it. When
the Government makes such a mis
take, the taxpayers have to pay for
it.”
Dr. Morgan at first was subjected
to frequent interrogation by Francis
(See T. V. A., Page A-3.)
Gloucester Injured
In Fall From Horse
By the Associated Press.
LONDON, Dec. 3—The Duke of
Gloucester—brother of King George
VI—broke his collar bone today
when his horse fell and rolled on
him after clearing a jump.
The dangerous accident occurred
while the Duke was riding to the
hounds at Leicestershire. Physicians,
after X-raying the break, said it
was a simple fracture.
It was the Duke’s first spill since
1034, although he had been involved
in 10 tumbles before that. This time
the fall was attributed to his mount
losing his footing in soft ground
after coming down ofT the jump. The
Duke landed on his shoulder.
He will be confined to bed for
several days and all his engage
ments have been canceled, including
that of representing the royal fam
ily next Thursday at the funeral of
Queen Maud of Norway, his k> *■,
*4 'll
Memphis Utility Cuts Rates
To Meet T.V. A. Competition
Action Seen Beginning of "Knock-Down,
Drag-Out" Battle" Over Power
BACKGROUND—
Declaring electric rates too
high, Memphis officials last turn
mer, started contsruction of oum
distribution system for sale of
T.V. A. power. Work was halted
in September, when tentative
agreement was reached for pur
chase of electric properties of
National Power & Light Co.
Whether to include gas proper
ties also led to a dispute.
By the Associated Press.
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Dec. 3.—The
National Power & Light Co. elected
today to fight the encroachment of
Federal electric power by meeting
Tennessee Valley Authority rates in
the Memphis area.
At the same time it left up to
stockholders a decision whether to
accept a $17,385,000 offer by the city
1929 Levels Termed
Starting Index for
Next Prosperity
T
Boom Era Production
Is Held Necessary to
End Unemployment
BACKGROUND—
President Roosevelt last spring
asked Congress to authorize a
comprehensive study of the
American business structure. In
response, Congress set up a 12
man committee containing rep
resentatives of the legislative
and executive branches of Gov
ernment, supplied them with
$500,000 and gave broad powers
for a diagnosis of our economic
system.
By JOHN C. HENRY.
Informed that America's next pe
riod of prosperity must use the levels
of 1929 as a starting point rather
than a goal, the Monopoly Commit
tee this week will examine the part
which Government intervention
through patent controls has played
in development of the Nation's eco
nomic structure.
On this and other measuring rods
of the part Government has played
in the business picture in the past,
may be determined the part it will
play in the future.
The initial examination of indus
try’s use of patents, and the benefits
that are derived from governmental
protection under the patent laws,
will be in connection with the man
ufacture of automobiles. Among the
witnesses expected to appear tomor
row is Edsel Ford, president of the
Ford Motor Co.
Three Days in Auto Field.
With at least three days to be de
voted to the automotive industry,
the committee plans to turn its at
tention immediately thereafter to
patent usages in the glass industry.
As the 12-man Temporary Na
tional Economic Committee pre
pared to take its initial plunge into
the practices of a specific industry,
it had as background three full days
of unspectacular but comprehensive
testimony on American business
trends of the last 100 years.
The challenge to the committee
and to the Nation, was contributed
yesterday by Leon Henderson, New
Deal economist and executive sec
retary of the inquiry group, in an
estimate that a record high index
of production of 140 would be neces
sary to give jobs to the unem
ployment load, currently placed at
10,569,000.
Figure at 101.
At present, the production index
as figured by the Federal Reserve
Board is about 101, while at the
1929 peak it was only 120.
In terms of national income, these
production levels would mean ap
proximately $94,000,000,000 at full
employment, as contrasted with
$81,000,000,000 in 1929 and about
$62,000,000,000 this year.
In developing his estimates of
production needs, Mr. Henderson
presented tabular comparisons of
unemployment as balanced against
labor supply of the country. In
March, 1933, for instance, unem
ployment was estimated at 14,317,
000, with the total labor supply
being placed at 50.300,000. By July,
1937, unemployment had dropped
to 7,412,000 despite an Increase in
the labor force to 53,000,000.
Against the current unemployment
load of 10,569.000. Mr. Henderson
(See MONOPOLY, Page A-5.)
of Memphis for the gas and electric
properties of Its Memphis Power &
Light Co. subsidiary.
The action was interpreted here
as the beginning of a "knock-down
drag-out” battle, a term which
Political Leader E. H. Crump used
recently in describing future action
by the city should its offer meet a
rebuff.
It was the first time in the recol
lection of utility men here that a
power company had chosen to do
battle with the T. V. A. on the basis
of the Government agency’s "yard
stick” rates.
Memphis last summer began
building its own distribution system
for sale of T. V. A. power, under
cutting private rates. Construction
was interrupted when a tentative
agreement was reached September
1 (SeeMEMPHIS,PageA73J j
G. M. Officials Insist
Union End Fisher
Plant Strike
Says Walkout Violates
Company's Agreement
With U. A. W.
BACKGROUND—
The troubled automotive in
dustry was hampered again when
employes of Fisher Body Plant
No. l walked out after an 8-to-l
strike vote. The striking em
ployes. members of a Flint local
of the U. A. W.. affiliate of the
C. I. O. quit work after failure
of prolonged negotiations lor
day wages instead of piecework
pay for certain types of labor.
By the Associated Press.
DETROIT, Dec. 3.—General Mo
tors Corp. sent a “demand” to the
C. I. O. United Automobile Workers
tonight for immediate cancellation
of a strike in Fisher Body plant No.
I at Flint, Mich., asserting that the
union had violated its agreement
with the corporation by authorizing
the walkout.
Failure to obtain an early settle
ment of the strike might cause
20,000 General Motors workers to be
idle next week.
The cancellation demand was con
tained in a telegram sent by C. E.
Wilson, General Motors vice presi
dent, to Homer Martin, internation
al president of the U. A. W., a few
hours after Mr. Martin had an
nounced that the strike was "duly
authorized” and denied that it vio
lated the U. A. W.-G. M. agreement.
Day-Work Is Issue.
Substitution of a day-work basis
of pay for piecework in one depart
ment of the Fisher plant is the ma
jor issue in the strike, which al
ready has affected 6,400 Fisher em
ployes and 3,000 workers on the
final assembly line of General Mo
tors' Buick division plant at Flint.
General Motors officials said the
strike, if prolonged, would close the
entire Buick factory, which employs
nearly 14,000 men. The Fisher plant
supplies automobile bodies for Buick.
The United, States Department of
Labor announced at Washington
that James F. Dewey, its ace medi
ator, had been sent to Michigan to
seek a settlement of the dispute.
Mr. Dewey will be on familiar
grounds, for he participated in ne
gotiations that led to a settlement
of the protracted General Motors
strike of 1937.
There were indications tonight
(See STRIKE, Page A-5.)
Stockyards Strike
Virtually Settled
By the Associated Press.
CHICAGO. Dec. 3—Henry John
son, assistant national director of
the Packinghouse Organizing Com
mittee, a C. I. O. affiliate, an
nounced tonight the 13 day old Chi
cago stockyards strike was virtually
ended.
He said the Bargaining Committee
of the union recommended that
members of the Stock Handlers
Local No. 567 return to their jobs
Sunday night and Monday morning,
agreeing to accept the written pro
posal submitted by the Union Stock
yards and Transit Co.
Mr. Johnson added that members
of the local would vote on the pro
posal at a meeting tomorrow.
London, Initiated by Neptune
At Equator, Escapes Ducking
By the Associated Press.
ABOARD S. S. SANTA CLARA,
EN ROUTE TO LIMA, Peru, Dec.
3.—Father Neptune initiated Alfred
M. Landon into the ancient order of
shellbacks today as this liner bearing
the United States delegation to the
Pan-American Conference crossed
the Equator.
The mock ceremony was conducted
beside an open air swimming pool
with Neptune impersonated by Eu
gene P. Thomas of the Foreign
Trade Council, New York.
Neptune found the 1936 presiden
tial candidate guilty of "high crimes
and misdemeanors, including Repub
i
licanism and political aberrations.
Mr. Landon was sentenced to be
shaved by the royal barber of Nep
tune’s court. The shaving consisted
of liberal desplashing with a flour
paste, then shaving with a 3-foot
raaor. Mr. Landon escaped being
tossed into the swimming pool, part
of the usual procedure.
Secretary of State Hull, head of
the delegation, and Ship’s Capt. An
dersen presented Mr. Landon a cer
tificate to show he had crossed the
Equator and been initiated.
Three newspapermen who followed
Mr. Landon in the Initiation revolted
and tossed most of Neptune’s at
tendants into the pool.
1
Trojans Defeat
V
Notre Dame
Eleven, 13-0
U. S. C. Scores Twice
On Hard Thrusts
After breaks'
By ROBERT MYERS,
Associated Press Sports Writer.
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 3 —Notre
Dame came tumbling off football’s
highest peak today, knocked down
for the first time this year by South
ern California, the Rose Bowl hope
of the Far West, in a savage game
that ended in a 13-to-0 victory for
the Trojans before a record crowd
of 101,000. Beaten twice this year
but determined to carry no more
defeats into the Rose Bowl against
Duke January 3, the warriors of Troy
upset the Notre Dame hopes in two
lightning-like thrusts.
Coach Howard Jones' eleven scored
the first touchdown in the fading
moments of the first half after the
“Irish” had gambled for a first down
near midfield and lost, and ham
mered the Notre Dame defense 35
yards after recovering a fumble late
in the fourth period.
It was the 13th annual struggle
between these two intersectional
foes, and the courageous lads from
South Bend went into the battle on
the crest of eight victorious games.
Minnesota, Northwestern, Army,
Navy, and all the others on one of
the toughest schedules in the land
had surrendered to the “Irish”!
forces, but Troy refused to bend.
Miss Early Opportunities.
Packed in the coliseum was the
biggest Los Angeles crowd of the col
orful Notre Dame-U. S. C. series. It
rivalled the huge throng that saw
the game in Chicago in 1929.
Keyed up to a pitch of excitement,
both elevens missed scoring oppor
tunities in the first part of the
battle. Then came another oppor
tunity for the so-called Notre Dame
opportunists. But Bob Saggau. the
splendid "Irish” sophomore half
back, who tried to make 3 yards!
on fourth down, missed by 1 on
the "Irish'’ 38.
The Trojans took the ball and
Ollie Day, a reserve, trotted into
the S. C. backfleld. Two plays later, i
with the ball on the 37. Day sailed a
pass into the arms of A1 Krueger,
hard-socking sophomore end. He
took If on the 6 and fell across the
line with a Notre Dame tackier,
apparently Zontini, clutching his
ankles. Phil Caspar missed the
conversion, and 35 seconds later the
half ended.
The “Irish” came out battling
after the rest, but so did the Trojans.
They were without their star quar
terback, Grenville Lansdell, who
left the game in the first quarter
with a twisted ankle, but Day,
Mickey Anderson, Jack Banta, Jim
my Jones and a few other lesser
lights were carrying on the battle.
Trojans Cash In on Break.
The second break for S. C. came
with about 10 minutes of the fourth 1
period left. Joe Piepul fumbled
and Jimmy Jones came up with the
ball for Troy on the "Irish” 35.
Ten plays—crash!—Troy s second
(Continued”on Page”B-10, Col. 8.)
-
Crude Bomb Set Off
Near London Ministry
B? the Associated Press.
LONDON, Dec. 3.—A shaving soap
holder filled with gunpowder ex
ploded today outside the ministry of
health.
An official of the ministry ex
pressed belief that the crude bomb
was the work of some one with a
grievance against the ministry or
possibly the home office, next door.
%
V
THE SOUR NOTE.
Chest Fund Reduced
$10,120 by Stickers
On Pledge Cards
G. H. A. Dispute Involved; 1
962 Conditional
Gifts Not Counted
t
The $248,000 deficit in this year’s
Community Chest campaign to raise
funds for the needy and underpriv
ileged here would have been $10,120
less had 962 contributors not used ,
restrictive stickers on their pledge
cards, Chest officials revealed last |
night.
“If these promises to contribute
had not been made conditional upon
action which is beyond the power ot
the Community Chest,” said a state
ment from the Chest, “this amount
would have added almost one-half
of 1 per cent to the campaign re
sults.”
The stickers, reflecting the group
health controversy here, provided j
that the pledge cards to which they j
were attached would become valid
when the Community Chest made |
payments through its hospitaliza- !
tion fund or otherwise only to hos
pitals which the Chest and the
Group Health Association agreed
were not discriminating against
group health members.
When group health advocate*
started circulating the stickers early
in the Chest campaign. Chest offi
cials made it clear that conditional
contributors could not be counted
toward this year s goal of $2,127,000.
952 Pledges Suspended.
In a report yesterday on the use
of the stickers, James A. Councilor,
campaign auditor, said that 962
pledges which were turned in with
the sticker attached were suspended
and cannot be counted. He said
that many other cards bore stickers
when they were fi rst turned in, but
when the contributors realized their
money could not be used for the
work of any agency, they canceled
the condition rather than deprive
some one of needed help.
In one such instance cited by
Chest officials, Miss Mollie Ray Car
roll, a Government employe, in
structed the keyman in her office to
(See STICKERS, Page A-3J
Mother, 3 of Whose 8 Children
Have No Shoes, Asks Yule Aid
Similar Letters Received Daily at
Christmas Campaign Headquarters
Three Washington children were
found going barefoot a few days
ago when the weather was coldest.
It wasn’t a prank. They didn’t
have any shoes.
Maj. Ernest W. Brown, superin
tendedt of the Metropolitan Police
Department, was distressed enough
when he heard about it to phone
headquarters of The Star-Warner
Bros.'-N. B. C. Christmas Campaigffiv
and tell about it personally.
These children are the youngest of
a family of eight, the children of
Mr. and Mrs. Michael A. Moltz, 123
Xenia street S.W. The four oldler
chcildren, Joseph. 15; Dorothy, 12;
Loralne, 8. and Michael, 7, are go
ing to school inadequately clothed,
it was flund when Maj. Brown sent
a policeman to the Moltz home in
answer to a letter he received from
Mrs. Moltz. It was discovered that
the three children going without
shoes are Montie. 5; Mary, 4, and
Ada, 3. Betty, who is only 1 year
old, doesn’t need shoes badly yet.
Capt. Joseph Morgan of precinct 5
had a few necessities sent to this
family as soon as the letter was re
ceived, but as he said yesterday,
“They still need food." The father
is earning what money he can
through doing odd jobs.
It is for families like this that you
are asked to play Santa Claus this
Christmas.
Mrs. Molts' Appeal.
Mrs. Moltz’ letter follows:
“Maj. Ernest W. Brown,
“Dear Sir: I am writing this
letter to you to ask you will you
please see if you can help me at
Christmas time. I have eight
children, 14 to 1 years of ago,
and we don’t have enough in
come to feed them and buy fuel
and clothes. I have three little
ones going barefooted now, and
(See CHRISTMAS, Page A-3.)
*
The Star - Warner Bros. - N.
B. C.-Metropolitan Police De
partment and Parent-Teacher
Association campaign to assist
needy families of Washington
at Christmas is a laudable un
dertaking. It has my warm
indorsement.
On board ships of the Navy
in all parts of the world Christ
mas finds many officers and
men of the naval service un
able to be with their own- loved
ones. These men of the sea
have for many years made a
practice of giving Christmas
parties on board their ships
lor unfortunate or underprivi
leged youngsters in the vicinity.
Those invited usually come
from local orphanages or hos
pitals. Their happiness on
Christmas day is our happiness,
and the happiness of the under
privileged of Washington on
' this day should be the concern
of all in this vicinity.
CLAUDS A. SWANSON,
Secretary of the Navy.
4
Benched for Life,
Justice Reed
Tells Yale Men
P; the Associated Press.
MONTCLAIR, N. J.. Dec. 3 —
“Stan” Reed, recently “benched for
life,” was toasted by Yale men to
night for having won his “Y in
life.”
“Stan" is the way Associate Jus
tice Stanley Reed of the United
States Supreme Court was intro
duced at the traditional Yale bam!
party by the host and toastmaster,
Nick Roberts. "Benched for life”
is the way the justice described his
appointment to the court in his brief
speech of acceptance of a silver
bowl.
Also a guest of honor was a class
mate of Justice Reed in 1906, Hugh
Wilson, United States Ambassador
recently called from Berlin to re
port to the President on conditions
in Germany.
'Suspicious' Truck
Tips Are Probed in
Mary Brown Case
i
Maryland Police Vainly
Seek Solution of
Gir^s Kidnaping
A continuous investigation of more
than 72 hours left Maryland State
police early today with no new in
formation to lead them to the three
men accused by 18-year-old Mary
Brown of kidnaping and beating her
after a wild ride over Maryland
roads.
Weary, but stil determined to get
to the bottom of the strange case,
police were willing to admit early
today that they were no nearer a
solution than when the girl, fright
ened to the verge of hysteria, stag
gered into her home near Oxon Hill
Thursday night.
The search for a black delivery
truck described by the school girl as
the vehicle in which three men bore
her off Wednesday afternoon prob
ably will center about Southern
Maryland today. Corpl. J. P. Morris,
in charge of the Waldorf substation
of Maryland police, said several tips
on "suspicious" trucks still remain
to be run down.
Misunderstan|ling Claimed.
"Every bit of information that
sounds logical is being traced down,"
the corporal said. "The trucks are
being located and their occupants
questioned as to their movements on
the night the girl disappeared."
The girl's father, William B.
Brown, employe of the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing, said a mis
understanding existed as to' what
Mary said about the blindfold which
her captors kept over her eyes dur
ing 30 hours as a prisoner in a shack
in the woods.
Mary, according to Mr. Brown,
said the men removed the blindfold
before they let her out of a sedan
in which they returned here Thurs
day to a point on Box road about
half a mile from their home. State
police made a futile search for this
blindfold, under the impression the
girl took it off after she left the car.
Mr. Brown said the men obviously
carried the blindfold away in the
car with them. 9
Maj. Elmer P. Munshower, super
intendent of State police, who is in
charge of the investigation, said
yesterday he would question the girl
again when her physician assures
him she has recovered from the
(See MARY BROWN, Page A-5.)
French Suspend
Use of Normandie,
Fire 3,000 Workers
Act as Requisitioning
Of Crew Fails to t
Budge Strikers
BACKGROUND—
Premier Daladier's economic
measures under decree powers
coni erred after Munich agree
ment dismembered Czechoslo
vakia caused French labor to
strike in protest. General walk
out on Wednesday failed in face
of marshalled force of French
military and police. Attempts to
punish strikers led to new wave
of walkouts.
B» the Associated Pfess.
PARIS, Dec. 3.—The French gov
ernment tonight laid up the liner j
Normandie and discharged its 3,000
crewmen and other employes in a j
move to break a strike of about 5,000
maritime workers at Le Havre.
Louis de Chappedelaine. minister
of merchant marine, ordered dis
charge of the crew members who
engaged in a sympathy strike with
60 of their fellow workers discharged
for joining Wednesday’s unsuccess
ful general strike.
The government earlier requisi
tioned the workers, placing them
under military control. This dras
tic step failed to budge the strikers.
Two thousand other crewmen of
the liners Paris and 111 de France,
which like the Normandie are op- I
erated by the French Line, joined j
the strike. These workers, how- j
ever, were on leave from their yes- I
sels which were being reconditioned, j
Suspension Temporary.
French Line officials said the Nor
mandie's operations were suspended
only temporarily while the govern
ment sought to arbitrate between
the company and the strikers.
The officials said they had re
ceived information from the Mer
chant Marine Ministry which indi
cated a settlement which would per
mit the large liner to sail, possibly
late tomorrow or Monday. She was
to have sailed for New York this
afternoon.
Two hundred persons who had
booked passage on the Normandie
transferred their reservations to the
Cunard-White Star (British) liner
Aquitania, sailing from Southamp
ton to New York by way of Cher
bourg.
The passengers included Anthony
Eden, former British foreign secre
tary, and Mrs. Eden, Gary Cooper,
Douglas Fairbanks, jr., and George
Arliss. Mr. Eden is en route to New
York to address the National Asso
ciation of Manufacturers.
Union Proposal Rejected.
The minister of merchant marine
requisitioned all 50 ships in the
harbor, including the Normandie, to
break the strike—a move under
which the seamen technically were
placed under government direction,
subject to drastic punishment if
they disobeyed. But the strike con
tinued and shipping circles in Paris
said they feared it might spread to
“all companies in all ports, affecting
all sailors." '
M. Chappedelaine rejected a union
suggestion that restoration of 60
discharged men to their Jobs and
cancellation of charges against
three union officials would lead the
maritime workers to call off their
strike. The strikers Included sea
men, stewards and waiters.
D. C. Fog Balks 3 Airliners;
2 Forced Down in Nearby States
.... ...» _ M "VT f.1U If.
Rolling fog, nemesis of the air
ways, played havoc with commercial
airline schedules in the Washington
vicinity yesterday, necessitating
forced landings by pilots of two
ships, one in Maryland and one in
Virginia. A third had to pass up
Washington Airport for a safe land
ing in Newark, N. J.
Eastern Air Lines’ Flight 6, a
Douglas DC-3, with 18 passengers
and a crew of three aboard, was
piloted to a safe landing In a field
1% miles from Pasadena, near Glen
bumie, in Anne Arundel County,
Md., without injury to the plane
or passengers.
Flight 9 of Pennsylvania Central
i
Airlines, en route irom norioia, va,
to Washington, landed at Dahlgren,
Va, on the Navy testing field, after
attempting to reach Washington,
but being forced to turn south be
cause of the "soupy” weather at
the local port.
The third liner trapped by
weather, American Airlines’ Flight 8,
flew over Washington and continued
north to Newark Airport, landing
safely at 6:34 pm.
Capt. L. E. McLaughlin, pilot of
the Eastern ship, circled the load
field for 40 minutes attempting to
find a hole in the fog, then headed
for Baltimore, hoping lor better
(Bee AUIL1NE8, Page A-4.)
i
Britain Backs
France Against
Italy on Tunisia
Fascist Challenge
Perils Premier's
"Trip Plans
BACKGROUND—
Speech by Italian foreign min
ister. Count Galeazzo Ciano, in
Chamber of Deputies Wednesday
touched off demonstration by
Deputies shouting for Tunisia,
French North African territory,
which has large Italian popula
tion. This was followed by edi
torial blast by Virginico Gay da.
Fascist editor, saying Italy was
ready to march against France.
French protest made subse
quently.
By the Aseoctated Press.
LONDON, Dec. 3—Great Britain
backed France today by deciding on
diplomatic action to block Italian
designs on Tunisia, French African
protectorate.
The Fascist challenge to French
control of Tunisia has threatened to
deliver a final blow to Prime Minis
ter Chamberlain’s European ap
peasement policy, already weakened
by Germany's anti-Semitic cam
paign.
The Tunisian development led
Foreign Secretary Viscount Halifax
to order immediate strong repre
sentations at the Italian foreign
office. With vital English and
French strategic interests in the
Mediterranean involved. Lord Hali
fax, reliable quarters said, ordered
Britain's Ambassador to Rome, the
Earl of Perth, to take a "firm stand”
against Italy's latest anti-French
drive.
Plans far Visit Menaced.
This drive threatened to wreck Mr. .
Chamberlain's projected visit to
Rome. First announced Monday, the
trip was set today for January 11 to
14. The foreign office announced the
date, however, amid conjecture that
Mr. Chamberlain might not go at all
as a re6alt of the French-Italian
friction.
The situation still was far from
settled and there were some who
felt the fast-changing European
scene might yet shift enough to
force a reconsideration of the visit.
Lord Halifax is to accompany the
Prime Minister.
Britain decided on the Rome rep
resentations in order to reinforce
the request of the French Ambassa
dor in Rome, Andre Francois-Poncet,
for an explanation of the Italian
clamor over Tunisia.
The foreign office made its de
cision after it had been informed
officially that France could not tol
erate interference in Tunisia or anf
other territory.
Aim Not Exactly Stated.
The Italian aim has not been
stated exactly and it was not clear
whether the Fascists are calling for
cession of Tunisia or simply for in
creased Italian rights.
Lord Perth's instructions appar
ently reached him too late for action
when he called upon Count Ciano
today, but the Ambassador was ex
pected to take the first opportunity
of voicing London's views.
France meanwhile maintained a
tight military and civilian grip on
her North African protectorate. Only
a month ago French army leaders
traveled through Tunisia inspecting
defenses and civil authorities have
been routing out remnants of a
secret nationalist organization which
it was feared Italy might use to
weaken French rule.
Rome contended today that France
misunderstood ‘‘the new Italy and
its natural aspirations." and was
using the Fascist outcry for Tunisia
to sabotage Mr. Chamberlain’s good
will visit to Rome. Count Ciano
disavowed any official responsibility
for the Tunisia demonstrations.
Part of Post-Munich Drive.
Reliable observers in both London
and Paris, however, saw Italy's anti
French drive as an integral part of
the totalitarian post-Munich cam
paign to squeeze more concessions
out of the democracies.
The manner in which the drive
has been conducted is calculated to
leave very little peace in Mr. Cham
berlain's appeasement program, they
said.
Some in London felt that Mr.
Chamberlain's keen desire to cement
personally Britain’s new friendship
with Italy might not be able to sur
vive widespread British condemna
tion of what the Times called “in
vention of grievances” by dictators.
Italy's campaign, following swift
ly on her unyielding advocacy of
(See TUNI8IA, Page A-4.)
■ • ", —
10,000 W. P. A. Worke -
To Be Fingerprinted
By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Dec. 3 —The finger
printing of some 10,000 W. P. A.
employes here for the announced
purpose of guarding against sex
crimes was ordered today by Lt. Col.
Brehon Somervell, city W. P. A.
administrator.
The order applied to all men whose
duties bring them into contact with
children—teachers, counselors, rec
reational workers, psychologists and
examiners—and stated that if fin
gerprinting revealed a record of past
irregularities the employe would be
transferred immediately.
Two of three sex crimes against
children by W. P. A. workers last
summer were reported to have
prompted the order.
A protest against the order came
quickly. Oscar Fuss, vice president
of the Workers' Alliance, said he had
wired Harry L. Hopkins, national
W. P. A. administrator, to the effect
the action was "discriminatory."
-■. .
Radio Programs, Page F-3
Complete Index, Page A-2