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

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

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Weather Forecast First in Washington—
Rain this afternoon and tonight; mini- ___...
mum temperature tonight about 38 First in the news coverage that
degrees; tomorrow partly cloudy and builds public confidence—First in
39. at l p.m.; lowest, 35, at 2 a.m. circulation and advertising that .
Full report on page A-2. reflect public confidence.
Closing New York Markets, Page 22. _ _uF) Meant A»«oci»t«d Pr«««.
87th YEAR. No. 34,610. gAraa_WASHINGTON, D. C., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1539-FIFTY-TWO PAGES. ***_ THREE CENTS.
President Talks
With Committee
On Army Needs
Arms Bill to Provide
$50,000,000 for
War Planes
BACKGROUND—
Disclosure last week that a
French agent had been given a
ride in a new American military
plane led to the present agitation
in Congress for a thorough in
quiry into the administration’s
foreign policy. The White House
says it is willing that France buy
as many planes in the United
States as possible. Objection is
made to the secrecy with which
the White House proceded in this
instance.
B> the Associated Press.
President Roosevelt and members
of a House Appropriations Subcom
mittee studied today “world affairs”
and “technical developments" in
connection with the Army defense
program.
Mr. Roosevelt conferred for about
an hour with Chairman Taylor,
Democrat, of Colorado of the full
House Appropriations Committee
and an eight-member subcommittee
headed by Representative Synder,
Democrat, of Pennsylvania. The
subcommittee has been framing the
War bepartment appropriation bill.
“We were just talking over the
technical details as to the general
situation in world affairs and what
this committee is considering,” said
Mr. Taylor.
“It was a very ordinary and
friendly discussion of the situation.”
Both Representatives Taylor and
Snyder said the President did not
go into a broad outline of the back
ground of foreign policy as he did at
the White House meeting Tuesday
with the Senate Military Affairs
Committee.
Mr. Snyder added there was no
mention of the sale of planes to
Prance.
To Provide for Planes.
Mr. Roosevelts talk with the Sen
ate committee on the purchase of
warplanes In this country by dem
ocracies aroused a great flurry of
debate in Congress on whether the
American aviation could supply the
Army with 3,000 new planes and fill
foreign orders at the same time.
Mr. Snyder would not predict
when the Army bill would be ready,
but said it would carry a provision
to make $50,000,000 immediately
available to get mass production of
planes for our Army under way.
This fund was especially requested
by the President.
The War Department announced
today that Brig. Gen. Bartor. K.
Yount had taken general charge of
the training of several thousand ad
ditional flyers needed in expanding
the Air Corps.
Gen. Yount, former commander
of the Air Corps training center in
Texas, became chief yesterday of
a new training and operations divi
sion here.
To man the 3,000 or more new
war planes for which President
Roosevelt asked Congress for funds,
the Air Corps plans to add 2.200 of
ficers and 1.200 flying cadets, and
upwards of 25.000 enlisted men.
Denies Fund Used.
Secretary Morgenthau. who ad
ministers the Treasury's $2,000,000,
000 stabilization fund, denied today
it had been used to help France or
any other power buy military sup
plies or merchandise in this coun
try. "directly or indirectly.”
He said he hoped the Senate Mili
tary Affairs Committee would make
public his testimony of last week
to show what, if any, help he gave
France in buying planes in this
Country.
The stabilization fund, created out
Of the profit on dollar devaluation
In 1934, conducts foreign exchange
market operations in an effort to
Stabilize the dollar in reference to
foreign currencies.
Mr. Morgenthau Said secrecy was
Viecessary to the fund's operations,
adding that its usefulness would be
lessened by the full publicity advo
cated by Senator Lodge. Republican,
of Massachusetts and others.
He declined to comment directly
on a proposal of Senator Lodge for
an independent audit of the fund,
but said such a resolution would
reflect on the integrity of three
Treasury employes who audit the
fund's accounts every year.
More Information Sought.
Without identifying the trio, Mr.
Morgenthau said each had worked
In the Treasury for 27 to 29 years.
Meanwhile, Republicans demanded
that the Senate Military Affairs
Committee summons airplane man
ufacturers to clear up the question
of whether Army orders and for
eign orders both could be handled.
Senator Austin, Republican, of
Vermont said the five Republican
members of the committee wanted
first-hand information because this
was a vital question in the con
troversy over proposed sale of the
latest type of military planes to
France.
The projected sale aroused a
stormy debate in the Senate yester
day, with critics of the President
(See DEFENSE, Page A-3.)
Senate Votes $25,000
For T. V. A. Inquiry
By the Associated Press.
The Senate voted today to provide
an additional $25,000 for the congres
sional investigation of the Tennessee
Valley Authority.
At the same time it agreed to ex
tend the life of the joint committee
to April 1. The committee’s life
technically expired when this ses
sion began.
The House, which will pay half the
cost, must act on the extension be
fore it becomes effective.
Chairman Donahey, Democrat, of
Ohio has announced the committee
expects to hold no further hearings
but must have additional funds
and more time to prepare a final
report.
DOORN, NETHERLANDS—FOURSCORE FOR EX-KAISER—
This is the first photo to show the aging Wilhelm of Germany as
he celebrated his 80th birthday anniversary in exile. With him
is his wife, Princess Hermine. Thirty members of the former
ruling family attended a glittering reception January 27.
—A. P. Wirephoto.
Schmeling Denies
Being in Trouble
With Nazi Officials
Says He Is Willing
To Fight Joe Louis
Again, and Will Win
I Picture on Page A-3.)
Fv the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. Feb. 2— Max
Schmeling, former world heavy
weight boxing champion, arrived
from Germany today emphatically
denying that he or his wife had any
trouble with Nazi authorities, or
that he had any intention of quit
ting the ring.
“I'm ready to fight Joe Louis
again, but first I want to meet one
or two of the leading title con
tenders,” he said as he left the
Normandie. Schmeling’s hopes of
regaining his heavyweight crown
were given a decided setback last
summer when he was knocked out
in 2 minutes and 4 seconds of the
first round by Champion Louis.
Max said Mike Jacobs had been in
touch with him for some time and
that he planned to see Jacobs dur
ing the, day.
He tossed aside with an emphatic
“nein” any suggestion that he had
been sent to this country by the
German government to quiet rumors
that all was not well between him
and his wife and the Nazi authori
ties.
Just Came to Say "Hello.”
"I just came over to say ‘hello' to
my friends here and to pay a little
visit,” Schmeling said. “The whole
story about my trouble with govern
ment leaders was a lot of bunk.
And the report that Propaganda
Minister Goebbels was beaten up by
some friends of an actress is abso
lutely silly.
"I was never reprimanded or de
tained in any way by the Nazi party
and I never said I would break Herr
Goebbels neck if he paid attention
to my wife.”
Mrs. Schmeling. Anny Ondra of
the German films, couldn't make
the trip with Max because she is
under contract to start work on a
new picture March 1. "But I prom
ise I'll bring her along on my next
trip.” he pledged.
Later, while speaking for the
newsreel, the beetle-browed heavy
weight refused to make any refer
ence to the rumored row with Nazi
authorities.
Diplomat in Parrying Questions.
He parried persistent questions
about his reported difficulties like a
diplomat.
“Why ask me all these things
about politics?” he finally demanded.
“I’m not a politician. Ask some
politician. Things are fine in Ger
many now.
“You ask me why I came on a
French boat (the Normandie). Well,
why not? I’ve crossed the ocean 20
times and I did not always come by
a German liner.”
Max said that although the back
injury he suffered when Louis flat
tened him last summer is now all
healed, he had been under the
doctor’s care until only 10 days ago.
“I was in the hospital for 14 days
after my return to Germany last
summer,” he said, “but my spine is
all well again now.”
“I weigh about 196 now—just a
couple of pounds heavier than when
I was here last'summer. I’ve been
in light training, but have done no
sparring.
“I want to fight Joe Louis again—
and I think I can beat him if J
have the chance. I don’t want to
quit the ring with a defeat.”
Winant Sworn as Head
Of World Labor Office
By the Associated Press.
GENEVA. Feb. 2—Former Gov.
John G. Winant of New Hampshire
was sworn in today as director of
the International Labor Office at
the opening of the Governing Com
mittee's 86th session.
Mr. Winant, who resigned as head
of the United States Social Security
Board in 1936, was elected to the
post June 4, succeeding Harold B.
Buoler of England.
Ickes Scoffs at U. S.
War Peril During
Roosevelt Regime
Calls Hoover Alarmist;
Says Government Is
Strong for Peace
By NELSON SHEPARD.
Secretary7 of Interior Ickes said
today he saw no danger of the
United States becoming involved in
a foreign war "under this admin
istration.”
The assertion was made during
questioning at his weekly press con
ference in connection with a state
ment made by former President
Hoover last night that* the admin
istration’s foreign policy threatens
to lead this Nation into war.
“Mr. Hoover is an alarmist,” Mr.
Ickes commented. "His statement is
no more than an exaggeration of a
good many other similar statements
he has made.” Mr. Ickes said he
felt inclined to be “considerate,
kindly and forbearing toward a
heart-broken man.” but suggested
that the former President “owes it
to the office he filled for four years,
if not to the American people, not
to misrepresent the present situa
tion and become an alarmist when
there is no occasion for being one.”
Mr. Ickes declined to discuss the
general European situation in the
face of Hitler's warning to democ
racies and the debate at the Capitol
over this Government's assurances
that it would back the democracies
in Great Britain and France.
Claiming he is a "man of peace,”
Mr. Ickes said there is “no one in
this administration, so far as I know
who is not ardently in favor of
peace.” The secretary’, who recently
played an important part in bar
ring the sale of United States he
lium for German dirigibles, ex
plained today the question of dis
posing of helium to Poland has not
come before him officially.
He said he had not been advised
as to the attitude of the Munitions
Control Board on the question.
Acting under a recent congres
sional act governing the sale of the
non-imflammable gas, Mr. Ickes op
posed Its sale to Germany because
this Government was not given posi
tive assurance the helium would not
be diverted to military use.
-B ■ . -—
Protects Strikebreakers
MANILA, Feb. 2 (/Pi.—President
Manuel L. Quezon told reporters to
day he would afford protection to
any man wanting to work, even in
the place of a striker. He said strikes
were lawful, but often hurt the
strikers themselves. The Philippines
recently have been the scene of a
senes of strikes.
Summary of Today's Star
Page.
Amusements,
C-6-7
Comics C-10-11
Editorials __A-12
Financial __\-21
Lost and Found,
C.7
Page.
Obituary ___A-14
Radio _C-3
Short Story.C-5
Society _B-3
Sports _C-l-3
Women’s Page,
C-4
Foreign. *
Anatole Deibler, guillotine master,
dies in France at 75. Page A-l
Vatican disputes Hitler denial of
persecution. * Page A-3
Rebel police seize many in Barcelona
for aiding foe. Page A-4
Fascist press cites Hoover as foe of
Roosevelt policy. Page A-5
Remove Ruling refugees, Japan
warns powers. Page A-19
U. S. planes assist evacuation of
Chile’s injured. Page B-2
National.
Schmeling denies trouble with Nazi
Party. Page A-l
President calls conference on Army
needs. Page A-l
House takes up conference report
on W. P. A. bill. Page A-l
Hoover fears Roosevelt policies may
lead to war. Page A-2
Senate to uphold Roberts rejection,
critics declare. Page A-3
A. F. of L. seeks tightening of Labor
Standards Act. Page A-5
Testimony swings toward "higher
ups” in W. P. A. trial. Page A-19
House Adopts
W. P. A. Report
After Clash
a
Bill on the Way
To the President
With Funds Cut
By J. A. O LEARY.
Congressional action on the $725,
000,000 W. P. A. appropriation *bill
was completed this afternoon when
the House dropped its fight for a
limitation on wage differentials by
roll-call vote of 252-to-140.
The remainder of tlje conference
report, embodying amendments to
keep politics oift of relief, had been
agreed to earlier without a record
vote. When the House receded from
the Tarver amendment to place a 25
per cent limit on wage differentials
on work projects in different locali
ties, the relief measure was ready
to go to the White House for sig
nature.
House action came after a verbal
clash between Democrats over the
action of both ’Houses in reducing
the administration's estimate from
$875,000,000.
Opponents of the Tarver amend
ment construed it as destroying the
prevailing wage rate principle now
followed by W. P. A. Although the
hourly pay rate on work projects is
based on the prevailing rate, the
number of hours of work of indi
viduals is regulated to produce a
given monthly security wage for the
area in which the work is being car
ried on. Southern members, sup
porting the Tarver amendment, con
tend the wage differentials on .work
relief projects are too great between
that and other sections of the coun
try.
Compromise Suggested.
In the Senate yesterday, Senator
O'Mahoney, Democrat of Wyoming,
tried to have the Senate conferees
instructed to consider a compromise
proposal, because, he said, he be
lieved there is grave danger the
prevailing wage rule may be seri
ously impaired. To indicate this, he
said he understood the conferees had
almost decided on aasubstitute under i
which the new appropriation would
not be available after 60 days, unless
hourly rates for the same work in
areas of the same general type are
so fixed as to eliminate as far as
possible, consistent with local eco- j
nomic conditions, differentials of
more than 25 per cent of the maxi
mum rates of pay.
He argued that the only concession
to the prevailing wage rule in that
proposal would be the words “con
sistent with local economic condi
tions.-’ That language, he said,
would not preserve the prevailing
wage.
The Wyoming Senator moved to
instruct the Senate conferees to con
sider a provision that within 30 days
the W. P. A. shall so determine and
fix the numbfer of hours per month
of workers that the monthly security
wage shall not be lower in any area
than that paid workers in that same
occupation in areas of the same gen
eral type within the same security
wage region, regardless of variations
in county population.
His proposal was ruled out of
order, with the bill in its present
parliamentary status.
Wheat-Laden Ship
Sinks in Lake Port
^ORT COLBORNE, Ontario. Feb.
2 (Canadian Press(.—The freighter
Northton of Colonial Steamships I
Limited, with 117.000 bushels of j
wheat aboard for storage, sank at \
her berth at the west pier of the :
harbor here today.
The 2.227-ton vessel started set
tling in Lake Erie shortly after mid
night. She gradually went lower
and by 7 am. her hatches were
awash. Two‘hours later she was on
the bottom in 30 feet of water.
J. O. McKellar of Sarnia Steam
ships. Limited, in charge of the ship,
said he could give no reason for
the sinking.
-. m —
Soviet-Manchukuoan
Border Clash Reported
By the Associated Press.
TOKIO, Feb. 2—Domei (Japanese !
News Agency) reported today from I
Hsinking, capital of Manchukuo, j
that a Manchukuo garrison had
killed five Soviet Russian soldiers
and wounded three in a clash 60
miles northeast of Manchuli.
Manchuli, on the northwest
border of Manchukuo, is the point
at which the railroad across Siberia
reaches Manchukuo.
Washington and Vicinity.
Lawyer challenges Government
theory in Warring case. Page A-2
Medical Society loan opens way for
prepayment care plan. Page B-l
Utilities Commission orders lower
electric rates in D. C. Page B-l
Representative starts intensive traf
fic safety campaign. Page B-l
Plan to cut Jobless fund payments
to be considerea. Page B-l
Editorial and Comment
This and That. PageA-12
Answers to Questions. PageA-12
Letters to The Star. PageA-12
David Lawrence. Page A-13
Alsop and Kintner. Page A-13
G. Gould Lincoln. Page A-13
Jay Franklin. Page A-13
Delia Pynchon. Page A-13
Sports.
Nats start earliest spring training
with 19 recruits. Page C-l
Appendicitis blasts Walker's hopes
for bowling titles. Page C-2
Gulfstream Park, newest race track,
opens auspiciously. Page C-3
Miscellany
City News in Brief. Page A-23
After Dark. Page B-8
Vital Statistics. Page B-12
Nature’s Children. Page C-12
Bedtime Story. Page C-10
Cross-Word Puzzle. Page C-lft
Letter-Out. Page C-10
Winning Contract. Page C-ll
WHATb MAKING N
\JHEM SO SNOOTY?;
They ve \
JUST BEEN PUT >
IN HITLERS HALL
op FAME! j
Cox Declares Ickes
Has Made Dies
'A National Figure’
House Rules Committee
In Stormy Session on
Reviving 'Isms' Probe
By the Associated Press.
Representative Cox. Democrat, of
Georgia asserted in a stormy House
committei'hearing today that Secre
tary Ickes’ criticism of Chairman
Dies of the House Un-American
Committee boomeranged to make
the Texas Democrat "an outsanding
national figure."
Arguing with Representative Hill.
Democrat, of Washington before the
House Rules Committee. Mr. Cox
said the cabinet member "went on
the stump to attack Mr. Dies." This,
Mr. Cox said, was "perfectly out
rageous."
Told by Mr. Hill he had no right to
criticize Mr. Ickes. Mr. Cox flared:
"Why not? He certainly had a
right to answer. Whether they
meant to or not. they have made
Dies an outstanding national fig
ure.”
Mr. Ickes once called Representa
tive Dies an "outstanding zany.”
They were then disputing the fair
ness of Mr. Dies’ conduct as chair
man of the committee investigat
ing un-American activities. The
Rules Committee is considering re
vival of the committee, and House
approval of continuing its inquiry
was considered a foregone conclu
sion on Capitol Hill.
Action Likely Today.
Action was likely later today, after
a closed session to hear Mr. Dies
answer various criticism.
Representative Dies, meanwhile
filed application for admission to
practice before the Supreme Court,
explaining that he desires to sub
mit a brief in the deportation case
against Joseph G. Strecker of Hot
Springs, Ark., which was brought
because of Mr. Strecker's member
ship in the Communist party. The
case will be heard by the Supreme
Court February 9.
The committee chairman, a law
yer, made the application chiefly be
cause Secretary Perkins has said
the Supreme Court's decision on Mr.
Strecker would determine future
steps in deportation proceedings
against Harry Bridges, C I. O.
iparitiine labor leader. Mr. Dies
l»s demanded Mr. Bridges' deporta
tion.
Representatives Keller, Democrat,
of Illinois and Dingell. Democrat,
of Michigan criticized the conduct
of the Dies inquiry to the Rules
Committee yesterday, contending
there were political motives* behind
the hearings last summer.
Murphy Declared Hit.
Mr. Dingell declared the testimony
had blackened the character of
Attorney General Frank Murphy.
Mr. Keller said the testimony had
defeated Mr. Murphy for re-election
as Governor of Michigan, and other
wise had assisted the Republican
party in Minnesota and California.
Representative Keller introduced
a resolution in the House asking
that a new 11-member group be
named to replace Dies’ group.
Mr. Keller charged that the latter
committee had “violated every
fundamental principle and consti
tutional right-of American citizens”
and held up House members to
“scorn and ridicule.” He accused
the committee of making "abso
lutely no attempt to investigate the
credibility or reliability” of wit
nesses.
Representative Dies clashed fre
quently with the witnesses, asking
them to “keep tf^p record straight”
and not repeat hearsay statements.
Senator La Follette
Opposes Giving Labor
'Right to Sit Down'
B» tbe Associated Press.
POUGHKEEPSIE, N. Y„ Feb.
2.—United States Senator Rob
ert M. La Follette believes the
rights of labor should never be
extended to the “right to sit
down.’’
After an address before mem
bers of a Vassar College forum
last night Senator La Follette
was asked:
“How far do you think the
rights of labor should be ex
tended?”
"Never so far as to Include
the right to sit down,” he re
plied.
MERVEL A. HUTSLER.
—Star Staff Photo.
Bandit Seizes Truck,
Flees With $1,200
In Daring Holdup
Robber Deserts Auto
Three Blocks From
Hot Shoppe Theft
An armed bandit escaped with
$1,200 in a daring holdup of a truck
driver at the A. & W. Hot Shoppe,
Fourth street and Florida avenue
N.E., during the breakfast rush
hour this morning.
Mervel A. Hutsler. who was mak
ing his daily collection round of the
Hot Shoppe chain, was forced at the
point of a revolver, just as he was
about to get in the truck at the curb,
to surrender the machine in which
he had eight money bags, each con
taining approximately $150. accord
ing to police.
The holdup man abandoned the
truck three blocks from the scene
of the robbery after smashing the
locked money compartment and
taking its contents.
Mr. Hutsler said he had come from
the Hot Shoppe near Washington
Airport, where he picked up five
bags of cash, and had made his col
lection at the Florida avenue res
taurant when he was approached by
the bandit, a middle-aged colored
man.
More than a dozen customers
milled in and out of the shop, un
mindful that the holdup was in pro
gress.
“Get in and slip over.’’ the man
commanded, brandishing a revolver,
“this is a stick-up.”
The driver climbed through the
cab of the truck and out the other
side, but the bandit started the mo
tor and drove away. Mr. Hutsler
ran to a customer parked nearby
and asked him to take up the chase.
Despite the fact that the victim
urged more speed, the driver of the
passenger car insisted on stopping
at two stop signs, Mr. Hutsler told
police. On reaching Fourth and L
streets N.E., they found the truck
at the curb and the money missing.
Mr. Hutsler told detectives he rec
ognized the bandit as a former em
ploye of the Florida avenue shop.
In a similar holdup at the same
restaurant four years ago, Mr. Huts
ler was forced to surrender approx
imately $300 to two armed youths.
They later were captured and con
victed. Employes of the chain re
called today that the driver also had
been the victim of "a third robbery
in which he lost more than $2,500.
Master of French Guillotine,
Who Killed 300, Dies at 75
By the Associated Press.
PARIS, Feb. 2.—Anatole Deibler,
75-year-old hereditary high execu
tioner of France, died suddenly to
day.
The aged “Monsieur de Paris,”
whose family has given France her
executioners since the revolution, col
lapsed in a subway station on the
outskirts of Paris and died shortly
after he reached a hospital.
M. Deibler had executed more
than 300 men on the guillotine since
he inherited the office from his
father, Louis Diebler, just before the
end of the last century.
A mysterious and sinister char
acter to most of France, he was in
reality a mild old man who always
spoke in gentle tones of his gruesome
job. He kept entirely to himself, his
Gross Income Levy
Advocated for
District
, Representative Schulte
Urges Scrapping of
Combined Tax Plan
Representative Schulte, Democrat,
of Indiana today advocated scrap
ping the combination income-sales
tax feature of the District's proposed
new tax program and substitution bf
a gross income tax on both in
dividuals and corporations.
At the same time, the Fiscal Af
fairs Subcommittee of the House
District Committee postponed, be
cause of the absence from Wash
ington of its chairman. Representa
tive Jack Nichols, Democrat, of
Oklahoma a public hearing on the
tax program tentatively set for to
; day.
The gross income tax. Mr. Schulte
! said, was adopted in Indiana four
! years ago at the suggestion of former
i Gov. McNutt and has raised more
j revenue than needed, resulting in
a surplus which now totals $11,
I 000,000.
Its Use Urged Here.
j Corporations under the Indiana
I law. according to Mr. Schulte, are
S taxed one-fourth of 1 per cent on
gross receipts, and individuals pay 1
per cent on gross receipts in excess of
$1,000.
"The gross receipts tax is doing
marvelous work in Indiana.” Mr.
Schulte declared. "And I believe it
would solve Washington's tax prob
! lems. It does away with the com
■ plexities of taxation, and in my
opinion is an equitable form of taxa
! tion.”
As the surplus in tax revenues
mounted in Indiana under the gross
income tax, Representative Schulte
said, real and personal property
taxes were reduced and the State
adopted a plan of contributing $600
a year toward the salary of every
public school teacher.
To Go Before Subcommittee.
Representative Schulte is a mem
ber of the House District Commit
tee. but he is not serving on its
Fiscal Affairs Subcommittee, which
will write the new tax legislation.
He said, however, he expected to
appear before the Fiscal Affairs
Subcommittee during hearings on
the tax program and urge sub
stitution of the Indiana gross in
come tax for the proposed combina
tion sales and personal income tax.
---.
Russia Will Close
Budapest Legation
By the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, Feb. 2.—Tass. official
Soviet news agency, announced to
day that Foreign Commissar Maxim
Litvinoff had informed the Hun
garian minister that Russia had
decided to close its Legation in Bud
apest and expected that the Hun
garian Legation in Moscow also
would be closed.
Tass said that it “learned from
competent sources’’ that this deci
sion of the Soviet government was
connected with “the fact that as a
'result of the Munich agreement
Hungary lately has been subjected
to strong pressure from certain
states.”
“The policy of the Hungarian
government.” Tass continued, "shows
that it easily yields to this pressure
and has lost its independence to a
considerable degree.”
family and a close circle of friends.
Although said to be a millionaire
in francs, he made such a fetish of
privacy that he refused to have any
servants in his home, which he al
ways kept shuttered. Even delivery
boys were not allowed to enter.
Always in traveling about France
with his three assistants he used a
private train compartment, the
shades of which he usually kept
drawn. Invariably he traveled un
der an assumed name.
For many years one of Deibler’s
great sorrows was that no one in the
family was willing to take over the
functions of executioner. In 1936,
however, he persuaded his nephew,
Andre Obrecht, to accept the re
sponsibility of keeping the Job in
the family.
Townsend Plan
Is Denounced by
Ex-Sponsor
Sheppard of California
Tells House Group
He Quit Organization
BACKGROUND—
President Roosevelt recently
suggested Congress extend and
liberalize Social Security Act on
basis of experience in its opera
tion since enactment in 1935.
House Ways and Means Commit
tee started hearings yesterday on
Social Security Board's proposals
for changes, and all other pro
posals for giving greater security
to aged.
By GARNETT D. HORNER.
Representative Sheppard, Demo
crat, of California told the House
Ways and Means Committee today
he was "washed up" with the Town
sent old-age pension organization
because he did not believe it was
functioning on an "honest basis.”
"When Townsend speakers kept
telling the old people that they were
going to get them $200 a month and
their own bill did not provide for
that," Mr. Sheppard said, "I just
couldn't take it any more.”
Mr. Sheppard, who introduced the
Townsend bill in the House at the
last session of Congress, appeared
before the committee to urge ap
proval of a new measure sponsored
by the General Welfare Federation
of America, whose congressional
Steering Committee he heads. Called
the "General Welfare Act,” it would
provide a 2 per cent tax on gross
incomes of more than $100 a month
to finance pro rata pensions of from
$30 to $60 a month for all Americans
over 60 years old.
Origin of Bill's Title.
Chairman Doughton asked Mr.
Sheppard how his bill get its title,
pointing out the Townsend organ
ization also called its measure a
General Welfare Act. Mr. Sheppard
said the title was originated by
Arthur Johnson, legislative secretary
of the General Welfare Federation,
who formerly worked for the Town
send movement.
Then Mr. Doughton asked, “Would
you mind giving us the reason for
the divorce, if any. between yourself
and the Townsend outfit?"
Mr. Sheppard replied:
“My reason for leaving the Town
send organization was predicated
upon the conduct of its national
leader and many of its officers. The
organization was not functioning on
what I considered as an honest
basis.”
Asked to explain more fully what
he meant by his charges of the lack
of an “honest basis,” Mr. Sheppard
referred to transposition of pages in
the minute book of the organization
to give what he termed a false im
pression and to what he described
as false hopes held out for the
elderly people who w’ere contribut
ing their dimes and quarters.
Called Embarrassing.
In addition, Mr. Sheppard said,
‘‘the general conduct of the leader
(Dr. Francis E. Townsend) was of
such a character that it was em
barrassing to us members of Con
gress who were diligently trying to
accomplish something for our senior
citizens."
“We called Dr. Townsend to a
conference," he added, “to see if we
couldn't get some amendments
added to the bill that would make
it more reasonable and acceptable
to Congress.
“The good doctor refused to do
that. In the next issue of the
Townsend weekly, he gave us Con
gressmen plenty of hades for calling
such a meeting without his per
mission.
"Things went from bad to worse.
We called another conference and
tried to talk to him.
"In response to an inquiry about
the $200 a month question asking
why he did not have his national
speakers confine themselves to the
facts. Dr. Townsend said:
“ ‘You fellows have heard that
old saw about whisk a straw’ in front
of an ox, haven't you? Well, that's
the purpose of the $200.'
Townsend’s Attitude.
“I said, 'Is that your attitude
about this whole legislation?’ He
said, ‘Yes.’
"Then I said I was all washed
up with his outfit.”
Mr. Sheppard evoked laughter
from the committee members and
spectators by reading from what he
said was a recent issue of the Town
send weekly, claiming remarkable
progress for the Townsend move
ment in Congress because its bill in
the Seventy-fourth Congress was
numbered “H. R. 7154" and in the
present Congress is known as "H. R.
2.” Mr. Sheppard quoted the article
as saying this means "we are now
close to the top of the heap of the
thousands of bills introduced in Con
gress.”
Chairman Doughton interrupted
with a chuckle to say, “It would ap
pear Dr. Townsend has made nom
inal progress.”
Chairman Doughton asked Mr.
Sheppard if he thought tnc article
(See SECURITY, Page A-4.)
Wood Resigns Post
On District Committee
Representative Wood, Democrat,
of Missouri, resigned today as a
member of the House District Com
mittee. He gave as his reason the
pressure of business on two other
committees on which he serves—
War Claims and Labor.
A member of the District Com
mittee for four years. Mr. Wood has
taken an active part in all labor
and somal legislation it has con
sidered. A week ago. Chairman
Randolph selected him to head die
Public Utilities Subcommittee for
the present Congress.
Mr. Wood’s resignation created
the first vacancy that has occurred
on the committee since its organi
zation two weeks ago.