Evening star. [volume], January 02, 1939, Image 1

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

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
Weather Forecast
Fair tonight; tomorrow mostly cloudy
and somewhat colder; lowest tempera
ture tonight about 42 degrees. Tem
peratures today—Highest, 62, at noon;
lowest, 39, at 7 a.m.
Full report on page A-2.
New York Markets Closed Today.
.
- _____
First in Washington—
First in the news coverage that
builds public confidence—First in
circulation and advertising that
reflect public confidence.
(JP) Means Associated Press.
87th YEAR Yo 34 579 Entered *s second class matter
OIUI XJjXllt. u- 0-±,UlV. post offlce Washington, D. C.
—j -
WASHINGTON, D. C., MONDAY, JANUARY 2, 1939-JTHIRTY-EIGHT PAGES.
, I -.'■ »
THREE CENTS.
Relief, Defense
Facing Fight
In Congress
President's Power
Expected to Get
Speedy Test
ty the Associated Press,
Immediate clashes over relief and
defense policies were in prospect
i today as members of Congress began
' assembling for a crucial session,
which will put President Roosevelt s
leadership to new tests.
Vice President Garner and Speaker
> Bankhead will call the session to
order at noon tomorrow. The Presi
dent will deliver his annual message
Wednesday, and the battle will be on.
Even before the formal opening,
however, members of the strength
ened Republican minority were de
manding a reorganization of W. P.
A. activities and were urging caution
in developing an armament pro
gram.
Democrats Confident.
Democratic leaders, on the other
hand, expressed confidence their re
duced majority would carry out the
administration's wishes on these and
other major issues.
Representative Rayburn, Demo
crat, of Texas, unopposed for re
election as Democratic floor leader,
commented:
"I think our party is going to work
together this session and be very
harmonious.”
Representative Rayburn and
, other veteran Democrats were greet
ing new party members in advance
of the House Democratic caucus this
afternoon.
Offices and Capitol corridors were
filled with legislators renewing ac
quaintances, discussing the Novem
ber elections, and speculating on
the 1940 presidential campaign.
. Rpublican House members! whose
total of 169 is nearly double their
number in the 1938 session, will
meet tonight to choose a minority
leader. Representative Martin of
‘ Massachusetts, far in the lead for
the position, said last night in a
radio speech hailing the Republican
gains:
“Rubber Stamp Days Over.”
“The rubber stamp days are over.
Gone are the days of court-packing,
crack-down and purge. The Amer
ican people once more are the
masters of their own Government
and are therefore free.”
Vice President Garner, Speaker
Bankhead, Senator Barkley, Demo
crat, of Kentucky, and Representa
tive Ravbum were called to the
White House this morning for a j
final pre-session conference with the 1
President, who is completing his
congressional message. Unconfirmed
reports indicated the address would
contain a strong arraignment of
totalitarian governments and would
point to American insistence on the
principles of democracy.
Congressional authorities pre
dicted White House conferences with
Senate and House chieftains would
become weekly affairs, as they were
last year.
Mr. Roosevelt also arranged a
conference this afternoon with
Harry L. Hopkins, Secretary of Com
merce and former W. P. A. admin
istrator: Col. F. C. Harrington, new
W. P. A. Chief, and Daniel W. Bell, i
acting budget director.
This was expected to deal with
relief needs.
The President's budget message
is scheduled tentatively for delivery
Thursday afternoon.
Before today's meeting Senator
Barkley, who was re-elected Demo
cratic leader of the Senate Saturday,
disclosed that an appropriation to
operate W. P. A. until July 1 would
be the first business of the new
Congress.
He predicted the administration
would ask for $500,000,000 to $750,
000.000. inasmuch as W. P. A. funds
will run out early in February.
> Relief Fight Likely.
Debate on this emergency appro
priation was expected to touch off a
general discussion of relief admin
istration, especially since a Senate
committee report on complaints of
“politics in relief” will be made
public shortly.
Senator Bailey, Democrat, of
North Carolina, a frequent New Deal
critic, told reporters he was prepar
ing a bill to revamp the W. P. A.,
* but would withhold it until he saw
what the administration would pro
pose. *
Representative Woodrum. Demo
crat, of Virginia, a high-ranking
member of the House Appropria
| tions Committee, also declared a
“drastic and thorough-going revi
< See CONGRESS. Page A-6.)
Atlantic Air Service
Will Begin in June
By the Associated Press.
LONDON, Jan. 2.—The beginning
of regular weekly trans-Atlantic air
service between North America and
England was announced today for
June.
Imperial Airways said it was ready
to put three 24-ton Cabot flying
boats into service between South
ampton and Montreal by way of
Foynes, Ireland, and Botwood. New
foundland, when the ice clears from
Botwood Harbor.
Officials also said negotiations
were under way for a landing per
mit to make possible an extension
of the service to New York at the
same ’ time.
National
Radio Forum
0
Speaker William B. Bank
head will speak in the Na
tional Radio Forum this even
— ing at 10:30 o’clock on the
legislative program of the new
Congress which convenes to
morrow. Tune in WMAL at
? 10:30 tonight. ^
U. S. Developing Policy
Toward'Bad Neighbors'
President's Message Wednesday Seen Filling
In Outline Drawn by Recent Acts
By thf Associated Press.
The State Department rapidly is
developing a policy toward “bad
neighbors” to supplement the “good
neighbor policy” of American di
plomacy.
The new doctrine has not yet been
fully perfected or named, but its
broad outlines were charted in re
cent weeks by uncompromising
United States action against Ger
many and Japan.
President Roosevelt’s message to
Congress Wednesday, in the opinion
of many students of international
affairs, will give further bodv to
the new policy. So far it has been
manifest by these nine develop
ments :
1. Return of Ambassador Hugh
Wilson from Germany following an
outburst of anti-Semitic measures
which President Roosevelt called
"almost unbelievable.”
2. A demand that Germany pro
vide assurances Americans there
would not be bothered because of
their race or creed and further
assurances American holders of
Austrian obligations would get their,
money from Germany.
3. The rebuke of Germany’s pro
test against Secretary Ickes’ de
nunciation of dictatorships, includ
ing a flat refusal to apologize for
Mr. Ickes’ remarks.
4. Initialing of a new trade
agreement with Turkey (which lies
in the path of Germany's trade ex
pansion into the Balkans) and study
of new credit to Latin America in
challenge to German any Italian
commercial inroads.
5 A long series of protests to
Japan over damage to American
rights in China, property losses
there, discrimination of various
kinds, apd finally a demand that
Japan kl*tp open the treaty door of
equal opportunity in China.
6. This was accompanied by an
( See FOREIGN POLIC Y, Page A-4.)
Garner's Powerful
Position Can Put
Him on Spot
Public May Link Him
With Administration
Success, Failure
BACKGROVHD—
The importance of Vice Presi
dent Garner in the coming Con
gress was foreshadowed last week
when two cabinet officers, Secre
tary Wallace and Secretary-des
ignate Hopkins, journeyed to the
Capitol to discuss their programs
with him. Mr. Garner has been
definitely listed among the con
servative Democrats since the.
Supreme Court fight of 1937. He'
is reported a leader in the move
ment for decentralizing relief
administration.
By tne Associated Press.
The general recognition of the
power which John Nance Garner
will wield in the new’ Congress puts
the Vice President in a spot where
he may become a visible target.
The situation has developed in
such a way that the Democrats
might be said to have three lead
ers in Congress—Barkley in the
Senate. Rayburn in the House, and
Garner in a strategic position in
both chambers.
In a sense, this has been true
for six years, but it is becoming
widely accepted here that Vice
President Garner's position has been
vastly stengthened by the last elec
tion.
Anything approaching official rec
ognition of this power easily may
link Mr. Garner in the public, mind
with the success or failure of*tht
administration program in Congress.
It ties to him a certain responsi
bility for what Congress does, a
situation in which no Vice Presi
dent has been put in the past.
The visit paid the Texan by Sec
retaries Wallace and Hopkins on
" i See GARNER, Page A~~-4 J
Tariff May Be Used
As Farm Argument
For Processing Tax
Levy Held 'Equalizer'
For Cost of Import
Duties to Growers
B> the Associated Press.
The tariff—an issue over which
many historic legislative battles
have been waged—may be debated
again during consideration of the
farm problem by the new Congress.
Administration farm leaders have
indicated they would use tariff pro
tection now accorded many products
of American industry as an argu
ment in favor of a proposal of Secre
tary Wallace that processing taxes
be re-enacted.
Receipts from such taxes would
be used to increase benefit pay
ments to farmers co-operating with
the Agriculture Departments crop
adjustment programs.
Secretary Wallace prefers to refer
to processing taxes as "tariff-equal
izing taxes." They are levies made
on the process of turning wheat into
flour, cotton into cloth, and tobacco
into cigars and cigarettes.
The administration farm leaders
contend that agriculture is not on a
basis of equality with industry when
It comes to prices received for prod
ucts of each
“No one ever has measured ex
actly how much the tariff costs
American farmers, or other consum-,
ers who buy industrial goods." the
department said in a report sup
porting Secretary Wallace’s process
ing tax recommendation.
“Whether farm income goes up or
down, farmers always suffer from
tariff inequality. They buy on a
higher market than they sell on.
They sell their export crops at low
world prices and as long as they
export they will keep on selling at
world prices. They need payments
to make up something of what the
tariff costs them.’’
Britain May Expand
1939 Naval Estimates
By the Associated Press.
LONDON. Jan. 2.—The Herald
said today that Great Britain would
revise her naval estimates for 1939
upward by several million pounds
because of Germany's move for sub- J
marine parity.
"There will probably be an extra
two flotilla leaders and 14 destroyers
with large numbers of small, fast,
submarine-chaser motorboats,” the
newspaper said.
Chancellor Hitler has notified
London that Germany intends to
more than double her submarine
strength to bring it to parity with
Britain.
Germany W'as understood to plan
mass production of a "minnow”
submarine and to build two new
10,000-ton cruisers.
Under the German-British naval
treaty of 1935, Germany agreed to
restrict herself to 35 per cent of
British tonnage in every category
but submarines, which were to be
45 per cent unless by "friendly dis
cussions" Germany elected to build
to the full British tonnage.
False Accusations
Jail Five in Soviet
B.» the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, Jan. 2.—Five former ;
functionaries of the NKVD (state
police* in the Moldavian Republic,;
part of the Russian Ukraine, are be
ing tried before a military tribunal
at KiefT charged with “provocative
creation of artificial cases" against
blameless Soviet citizens.
The newspaper Soviet Ukraine
said today that a number of people,
mostly village teachers, had been |
jailed on trumped-up charges of be
longing to a counter-revolutionary
Fascist youth organization.
A typical case was that oi a
teacher accused in a letter to the
NKVD of having made private re
marks of an alleged anti-Soviet na
ture. The functionaries, it is
charged, built up a story of a wide
spread counter-revolutionary plot
and prepared a “fake report" indi
cating that a Fascist youth organi
zation involving at least 11 teachers
actually existed.
Jews also figured as victims of
such cases. Intimidation was used
it was charged, to make one Jew ac
cuse another of membership in a
Zionist counter-revolutionary or
ganization
Summary of Today's Star
Page. Page.
Amusem’ts, A-12 Radio_ A-17
Comics B-18-19 Sports A-15-17
Editorials .. A-8 Society -B-3
Lost and Woman’s
Found _B-15 Page-A-13
Obituary ...A-10
Foreign.
Daladier vows France will defend
Corsica. Page A-l
Hata relinquishes army command in
China. Page A-l
King George honors broad list but
ignores Wallis. Page A-2
Franco shifts offensive south toward
Valencia. Page A-3
Japan seen cold to negotiation on
“new order’’ theory. Page A-4
National.
Murphy takes oath of office at
White House. Page A-l
Garner^ powerful position makes
him visible target. Page A-l
Relief, defense policies facing fights
in Congress. Page A-l
U. S. develops policy toward “bad
neighbors." Page A-l
Tariff issue may be raised in farm
bill debate. Page A-l
Ohio searches for five escaped mad
men. Page A-2
Churches ask probe of San Francisco
F. H. A. offices. Page A-6
Philadelphia Mummers stage htibe
parade. PageiPU
Washington and Vicinity.
Oldest Inhabitants ask Congress to
grant D. C. suffrage. Page B-l
Two persons dead after New Year
Eve fights. Page B-l
64 planes en route to Miami stop at
College Park. Page B-l
Editorial and Comment
This and That. Page A-8
Answers to Questions. Page A-8
Letters to The Star. Page A-8
Henry J. Allen. Pnge A-9
Alsop and Kintner. Page A-9
Frederic William Wile. Page A-9
Jay Franklin. Page A-9
Lemuel Parton. Page A-9
Sports.
“Weather clear, backs fast’’ for big
grid games today. Page A-15
Duke short-enders confident in day’s
biggest bowl game. PageA-15
Mulvihill brothers’ duel to mark St.
John’s-Gonzaga feud. PageA-16
Budge debut to patch feud between
net pros, amateurs. PageA-16
Tough meet looms, with small cups,
for publinx players. Page A-17
Miscellany
Winning Contract. PageB-14
The Holy Terror. PageB-15
Bedtime Story. PageB-18
Cross-Word Puzzle. PageB-18
Letter-Out Page B-18
Uncle Ray’s Corner. AgeB-19
Nature's Children. ^ge B-20
Murphy Takes
Oath of Office
At White House
Selected Group of 27
Witnesses Ceremony
With President
Murphy Takes
Oath on Bible
Mother Gave Him
Gov. Frank Murphy took his
oath of office today as Attor
ney General on a 30-year-old
Bible. In it is inscribed:
‘‘To dear Frank from mama
on the day he graduated. June
26. 1908.”
The Governor has been read
ing this same Bible an hour
every day since he received it.
Frank Murphy, retiring Governor
of Michigan, was sworn in as At
torney General of the United States
at 12:15 p.m. today in the Presi
dent's study a^ the White House.
Arriving this morning from Michi
gan, Mr. Murphy had spent an hour
in conference with the President
before the swearing-in ceremony.
A selected group of 27 persons,
officials and friends of the Governor,
gathered for the swearing-in, at
which Associate Supreme Court
Justice Reed presided.
Two of the guests were the Gov
ernor's brother and sister, who ar
rived with him this morning on a
train from Detroit.
The Governor, who relinquished
his Michigan office today to Frank
D. Fitzgerald, successful Republican
candidate for the governorship, said
at Union Station that he would have
no statement to make until after he
was sworn in. He said he planned
to go from the ceremony at the
White House to the Department of
Justice, where he would bid an offi
cial good-bye to Mr. Cummings.
Closeted With President.
He was met at the station by a
White House car. which took him to
his hotel. From there he went by
cab to the White House at about 9:30
a m. and spent an hour closeted with
Mr. Roosevelt.
Vice President Garner was among
those asked to attend the swearing
in. The other guests included Sec
retary Morgenthau, Secretary Wood
ring, Secretary Ickes, Secretary Wal
lace, Secretary Hopkins. Attorney
General and Mrs. Cummings. Chair
man Jones of the R. F. C„ Solicitor
General Jackson, Assistant Attorney
General Arnold, Chairman Ashurst
of the Senate Judiciary Committee,
which will pass on Attorney Gen*
eral Murphy s appointment; Chair
man Sumners of the House Ju
diciary Committee. David Niles, dep
uty W. P. A. administrator; Repre
sentative Dingell, Democrat, of
Michigan and Mrs. Dingell; J. M.
Elizalde. resident commissioner of
the Philippines, where Mr. I.lurphv
once was high commissioner.
Friends at Ceremony.
Among Mr. Murphy's personal
friends attending the ceremony were
Justice McAllister of the Michigan
Supreme Court, Mrs. McAllister, di
rector of the women's division of
the Democratic party in Michigan;
Judge George Murphy of the Detroit
Recorder's Court, the Governors
brother; Mrs. Marguerite Teahan,
the Governor's sister; Maj. Gen. and
Mrs. Frank Parker and their daugh
ters, Annie and Kathryn, whom the
Governor knew in the Philippines.
Besides Mrs. Teahan and Judge
Murphy, two other persons made
the trip East with the Governor.
They are Miss Eleanor Baum
gardner, Mr. Murphy's secretary for
the past five years, and Edward
Kemp, the Governor's financial ad
viser.
President Roosevelt invited the
red-headed. 45-year-old Murphy to
take the oath in the same White
House study where on Christmas
Eve Harry Hopkins, former W. P. A.
administrator, was sworn in as Sec
retary of Commerce. Like Mr. Hop
kins, he long has been a close friend
and supporter of the Chief Exec
utive.
The President's choice to succeed
Attorney General Cummings, who
is retiring to private law practice,
came as no surprise in the Capital.
Mr.. Murphy’s defeat by a Repub
lican last November made him
available for a Federal post, and he
and Solicitor General Jackson had
been regarded as the leading can
didates to head the Justice De
partment.
Confirmation Is Expected.
Mr. Murphy still faces one hurdle
—Senate confirmation. Predictions
were general that the appointment
ultimately would be approved, but
several Senators indicated he would
be questioned closely about his
handling of Michigan's automobile
sit-down strikes in 1937.
A strong indication of confirma
tion came today in the statement of
Senator Vandenberg, Republican, of
Michigan, that “I do not expect to
oppose" the appointment, “since he
believes such selections to be a
President's “personal privilege and
responsibility."
Customarily any confirmation
fights are led by Senators from the
appointee's State. Senator Brown,
Democrat, of Michigan, has sup
ported Mr. Murphy.
Senator Vandenberg recalled that
he and Mr. Murphy had been per
sonal friends despite political dis
<See MURPHY, Page A-3.)
-» ■■ .
Dominican Novitiate
Damaged by Fire
QUEBEC. Jan. 2 (Canadian Press).
—The two top floors of the Domini
can Fathers' Novitiate here were
wrecked by fire which was brought
under control early today after
three hours.
Three members of the order were
injured. Valuable papers, including
treatises on economics being pre
pared by fathers of the fkder, were
destroyed. ■>
fh GEORCCA
JACK'5 CARRYING
iVlEFLAGy,.
/ CHIEF, \|
( Suppose they \
/ Took the law mro \
(. Thrown hands j
Daladier Pledges
French Defense
For Corsicans
'Mussolini to the
Scaffold/ Cries
Island Throng
B> the Associated Press.
AJACCIO. Corsica. Jan. 2 —French
Premier Daladier today answered
Italian clamor lor Corsica. France's
Mediterranean island department,
by telling the islanders France was
strong.and would protect them.
Cries of "Mussolini to the Scaf
fold!" from thousands of demon
strating Corsicans interrupted Dala
diers reception at the town hall.
The mayor halted his address of
I welcome until the windows could be
i closed to shut out the noisy cries
of the crowd demonstrating against
Italy's anti-French sampaign.
"France does not need to be ag
gressive or menacing." the Premier
said. "She has no need to raise her
voice. She must be strong; she is,
and it is that that I have come to
tell you now while this squadron
circles your island."
He referred to a fleet of warships
! in the Ajaccio Harbor which had
j convoyed him from France and
i which he pictured as an “image’’ of
France's strength.
Rousing Public Reception.
M. Daladier spoke at the Munici
pal Building after a rousing, colorful
! public reception.
I ‘‘While this squadron circles your
; island." he said. "I wish every
farmer and every fisherman seeing
it pass to return to his home with
the calm of one who knows security.
This squadron is the image of
France's strength and her vigilant
affection ”
Thousands of islanders, many from
interior mountain towns, jammed
the water front cheering “Corsica is
French.”
The Premier was preceded by a
native Corsican member of his cab
inet, Navy Minister Cesar Cam
pinchi, who landed from the cruiser
Suffren.
A few minutes later M. Daladier
stepped ashore from the cruiser
Foch which rode in Ajaccio Harbor
with the Suffren and a convoy of
six naval vessels.
Through beflagged streets and
cheering crowds he drove to the
monument honoring the island's
40.000 World War dead and received
a huge wreath from Corsican school
children. During a moment of
silence he placed it at the base of
the monument.
Defense Units Parade.
Soldiers, sailors and guns of the
island's defense units then paraded
in a brief review. Afterward the
premier, fresh from winning pas
sage of his 1939 budget in Paris,
was whirled off for an official re
ception at the town hall.
Guns thundering from the city's
forts and bells ringing from
churches added to music of military
bands and cheers of the crowds lin
ing the premier's route.
Above the Town Hall an old Cor
sican flag bearing a black Moor's
head dating from the Crusaders
floated between two French tri
colors.
M. Daladier, whose wife is of Cor
sican extraction, was greeted by the
mayor as “a Corsican by marriage.”
Isle Reaffirms Loyalty.
This island department of France
reaffirmed its loyalty to the main
land government with signs pro
claiming that “Corsica is and always
will be French.”
The huge signs were everywhere,
declaring the Corsican allegiance
to France against Italian colonial
aspirations.
Long before the Premier’s cruiser
rounded the point of Ajaccio Har
bor for the first stop of his tour of
the nation's outposts, double lines
of police took their places at the
docks and along the parade route
to city hall.
Special Guard for Consolate.
A special guard was ordered
around the Italian consulate, scene
of recent demonstrations by Corsi
cans against the Italian colonial
campaign in which the Fascist
press has argued for Italian domi
nation of Corsica, Tunisia and other
French territory.
Thousands of residents from
towns and settlements outside the
capital jammed- the city for a brief
glimpse of their government leader
before he left for Bastia, second
stop of the tour.
The prefecture of ^police issued
(See DALADIER, 4*age A-4.)
1,000 Hunters,
Facing, Hope to
Kill Coyotes Only
By thf Associated Press.
PHOENIX. Ariz., Jan. 2. —The
Arizona Sportsmen's Association
launched a unique coyote extermina
tion plan today, but skeptics had a
feeling that, unless extreme care is
used, the cross-fire of 1,000 guns
might result in extermination of a
number of hunters as well.
The coyote roundup is to be con
ducted over an area six miles square.
Hunters would converge toward a
tall flagpole, shooting coyotes and
other predatory animals on sight.
Said James R. Wilson, association
president, "the last few minutes of
the roundup should provide plenty
of excitement.”
The skeptics agreed, envisioning
the 1.000 hunters in a wooded area
blasting away at close range.
Gen. Franco Shifts
Offensive South
Toward Valencia
Catalonia Is Caught in
Rebel North and
South Drives
BACKGROUND—
Eleven days ago Gen. Francisco
Franco launced big. new offen
sive against Catalonia in attempt
to take Barcelona, provisional
seat of Spanish government, and
cut off source of Loyalist sup
plies coining from France. In
surgents have made slow but
steady progress against "Little
Maginot” line, constructed dur
ing months of inactivity in
Northeast Spain.
Bv ihe Associated Press.
HENDAYE, France, Jan. 2.—
Spanish government dispatches said
three insurgent battalions slashed
against government fortifications
guarding the road to Valencia early
this morning in an attack apparently
presaging a new offensive against
that Mediterranean seaport.
The attackers struck at fortifica
tions along the Segorbe-Valencia
road at Castillo Noguera. near Nules,
continuing throughout the morning.
Insurgent sources declared Gen
eralissimo Franco’s troops, renewing
activity on the coastal front, gained
key positions in the Vail de Uzco
sector, 12 miles north of Sagunto,
after bitter fighting with the govern
ment defenders.
Insurgent advances in the ex
treme northern and extreme south
ern sectors of Catalonia brought new
rearguard troops.
Smashing attacks Sunday in the
regions of Vilanova de Meya between
(See SPAIN. Page A-3.)
Hafa Relinquishes
Command of Japan's
Forces in China
Change Is Deemed Sign
Military Operations
Are Completed
B> the Associated Press.
SHANGHAI, Jan. 2.—Gen. Shun
roku Hata, commander of Japanese
forces in Chinjf and the conquerer
of Hankow, has relinquished his
command and departed for Tokio, it
was learned authoritatively today.
Gen. Hata’s departure was consid
ered by many foreign observers to
foreshadow a definite change in
Japanese tactics, with major mili
tary operations considered com
pleted and the Japanese campaign
henceforth concentrating on wiping
out guerrillas and pacifying partially
conquered regions.
Admiral Ranking Officer.
Admiral Koshiro Oikawa, com
mander of Japan's third fleet in
Chinese waters, becomes ranking
Japanese officer in Central China.
Thus it seemed the Navy hereafter
would dominate the picture, main
taining control of China's seaports
and the main avenues of inland
commerce, the Yangtze and Pearl
Rivers, while scattered army col
umns try to mop up guerrilla resist
ance.
After Gen. Hata became com
mander February 23. when the Jap
anese military machine was bog
ged down, his forces swept up the
Yangtze to capture Kiukiang, Wu
chang and Hankow, former Chinese
capital.
French Area Blockaded.
Meanwhile messages from Han
kow reported a Japanese blockade
of the French Concession there was
becoming more intense, with motor
boat patrols halting all vessels at
tempting to land food.
Industrial plants in Hankow re
ceived official Japanese encourage
ment to reopen but a lack of work
ers hampered operations. The
British-American tobacco plant re
sumed work but at only one-fifth
of normal production.
Party Expels Wang
For Peace Efforts
HONG KONG. Jan. 2 (^.—Expul
sion of former Premier Wang Ching
wei from the Kuomintang (Chinese
government) party raised speculation
today as to how far his efforts for
peace with Japan might have been
aimed at splitting China's military
unity.
A special session of a Kuomintang
Committee read Wang out of the
party yesterday a»t Chungking, tem
porary Chinese capital, for ‘ desert
ing his post and suing for peace in
contradiction to national policy."
Unofficial sources in Chungking
(See CHINA, Page A-6.)
White House 'Gate-Crashing'
Probed by Secret Service
Officials Seek to Fix
Responsibility for
'Impossible' Stunt
Secret Service heads are today in
vestigating the New Year's eve in
cident at the White House when a
girl and a boy in their teens crashed
the "gate” and joined the presi
dential family party on the second
floor of the mansion and afterwards
went away with autographs of the
President and Mrs. Roosevelt.
Frank Wilson, chief of the Secret
Service, who was credited with hav
ing put A1 Capone behind the bars,
is personally investigating. He was
at the White House today with his
assistant, Joseph Murphy, and Col.
E. W. Starling, in charge of the
White House Secret Service, ques
tioning men on duty Saturday night
in an effort to establish responsi
bility.
Should Be Impossible.
For anyone to outwit the various
guards and attaches at the White
House and get close to the President
or any member of his family is
looked upon as indicating a serious
neglect. According to the precau
tions taken to guard the presidential
family, such a thing should be im
possible, but it happens every now
and then. Secret Service heads are
amazed at the boldness of Joseph
Measel, 16, of ijfcl Connecticut ave
nue N.W. and Miss Beatrice White,
Don Measell, 13, who waited
in a car outside the White
House while his brother Joe
and Beatrice White interrupt
ed the Roosevelts’ New Year
family party.
—Star Staff Photo.
16, of 5367 Twenty-eighth street
N.W. in gaining admission to the
White House Saturday night and
confronting President and Mrs.
(See'CRA^ERsTPage A^ff)
D. C. Families
At $300 Level
Hit in Report
31 Such Receiving
Old-Age Grants,
Congress Told
By JAMES E. CHINN.
Thirty-one District families hav
ing incomes from other sources of
more than $300 a month also receive
old-age grants in the household
averaging about $15 a month, Bur
dette G. Lewis, public relief investi
gator. disclosed today in the second
installment of his report to Con
gress.
In the first section Mr. Lewis crit
icized the system under which pub
lic relief funds are administered,
claiming that there was a “surpris
ing proportion" of households where
a security grant supplements a rela
tively high level of income from
other sources. As a check on those
believed to be receiving "too much.”
he recommended establishment of a
“ceiling" of income in a household.
A major portion of the second in
stallment is devoted to an explana
tion of two charts in the report, one
relating to the income levels in
American life and the other old-age
assistance grants. There is also an
explanation of the procedure fol
lowed in collecting data used in
compilation of the old-age assist
ance chart.
Seeks ‘ Adequacy Gauge.
“The act of Congress ordering the
investigation of relief requires the
director to report concerning the
‘adequacy or inadequacy of individ
ual grants' of relief, social security,
W. P. A. and N. Y. A. aid," said Mr.
Lewis. “Hence, there must be some
standard or yardstick against which
to measure ‘adequacy’ or ‘inad
equacy.’
“Heretofore adequacy and inad
equacy generally has been left to
the judgment of the individual case
worker after certain standards of
the more general type had been
furnished her. Occasionally com
parable grants in so-called compar
able areas have laso been used as a
guide. At the 1937 annual meeting
of the National Conference of So
cial Work at Indianapolis, Ind., data
was presented by Dr. Roy Blough
showing the average income in good
years and in bad years of the aver
age person in America, and a ques
tion was asked but not answered,
j Would the public approve in the
long-run grants in excess of these
average earnings?’
“When the methods of conducting
| the investigation of public relief in
| the District of Columbia were being
! determined, suggestions were made
concerning standards of measure
ment which might be used in the
District of Columbia as a basis of
comparison against which 'adequacy
or inadequacy of individual grants’
might be determined. These were:
. “1. Average income of the average
family.
“2. Average wages earned by the
average gainfully employed worker
in the District of Columbia tin pri
vate business i.
“3. The cost of living for the aver
age family of four in the District.
“4. Comparable grants in com
parable cities.”
Mr. Lewis said to assist him in
reaching his conclusions as to the
adequacy and inadequacy of relief,
he also used special data collected
by the District Minimum Wage
Board, the Washington Housing As
sociation, the Bogrd of Trade and
groups of organized labor.
rears ureed and Chaos.
“While responding to the evident
need for a real co-ordination be
tween the cost of services and the
ultimate results to be obtained,” he
declared, “we do not hesitate to say
that our chief concern has been
the lower economic groups, takep as
a whole, and not merely those who
are on relief, and also those other
groups of thrifty, self-reliant per
sons who must earn the where
withal with which provisions can be
made for all classes and groups of
individuals in our beloved land.
With a feeling that greed and hate
have been much overworked, and
are too rapidly bringing certain
chaos in their wake, we have hoped
to indicate how co-operation and a
feeling of brotherhood, guided by the
findings of science, may reverse the
trends and save this civilization from
the menace of distempers and of
unfortunate misfits.”
Officials Cite Small Staff,
Insufficient Funds
Still without copies of the critical
report of Burdette G. Lewis, director
of the public relief investigation,
local relief officials today insisted
that the “crux” of the situation lies
in the shortage of staff and insuf
ficiency of funds.
Elwood Street, director of public
welfare, said today that he and
other officials had repeatedly warned
of the dangers of inadequate staff
and shortage of funds. He said he
even was on record as predicting the
“chiseling” by relief clients, which
was charged by the Lewis report
made public Saturday night.
“Most of the difficulties would
have been obviated by a larger
staff,” he insisted. "Our people
have a case load of almost twice that
recommended by the Federal Social
Security Board. Whereas that board
says each case worker should have
not more than 100, our workers have
more than 185 cases each, to look
after.
“We can't do the job without a
staff to do It.”
Frederick W. McReynolds, chair
man of the Board of Public Wel
fare, was represented by his asso
ciates _today as saying that the
(See D. cT~RELIEFTPage A-3.)
No Late Editions
Today
Due to the holiday, The Star
will not publish the 5:30 and
Night Final editions today.
Subscribers to these editions
will receive the regular city
edition. *