Evening star. [volume], August 07, 1939, Image 1

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

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Partly cloudy tonight; tomorrow mostly W Today’s news Is tomorrow’s history
cloudy, local showers in afternoon or at ■ .
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__Closing N,- Y. Markets—Sales, Page 14._ ___Hr_ <*»> Me«n. Associated Press.
87th YEAR. No. 34,796._WASHINGTON, D. C.„ MONDAY, AUGUST 7, 1939—THIRTY-TWO PAGES. *** THREE CENTS.
Congress Seeks
Public Reaction
To Record
New Dealers Hopeful;
G. 0. P. Sees Trend
From Roosevelt
BACKGROUND—
Congress Saturday night ended
most rebellious session since New
■ Deal came into poiver. Important
* administration legislation which
failed was neutrality law re
vision. a $3,000,000,000 lending
spending program, addition of
$800.000,000 to funds for housing.
Major acts asked by New Deal
and passed included reorganiza
Ition of certain governmental
agencies, $2,000,000,000 defense
program, continuation of mone
tary authority and stabilization
fund and neiv relief program.
B.v the Associated Press.
A new struggle to swing popular
opinion for or against the unfinished
items on the Roosevelt program was
in the making today as members
of the first $13,000,000,000 Congress
laid their record before the “home
folks."
m From President Roosevelt down,
administration leaders took the at
titude that public reaction would
force the 1940 Congress to adopt
most of the New Deal measures
shelved during the session which
ended Saturday night.
Republican legislators, on the
other hand, argued that next year
the Senate and the House would
show even greater independence and
that there was a distinct drift away
from administration policies.
Indications pointed to a record
, amount of political and legislative
debate throughout the country be
fore the final Congress of Mr
i Roosevelt's second term meets in
January.
rresiaem weaves lonigni.
The President, who will leave to
night for Hyde Park, N. Y„ to study
the last batch of congressional bills
may discuss the situation when he
goes to the West Coast in October
He was represented by Senate
- Leader Barkley, Democrat, of Ken
tucky as believing that when opposi
tion Congressmen have sounded out
their constituents they will modify
their views on such measures as the
neutrality and lending programs.
The former was held over until next
year and the latter was killed by a
bi-partisan coalition in the House.
1 After a"Sunday luncheon confer
ence at the White House, Senator
Barkley said the President did not
intend to abandon his major legis
lative objectives. He expressed the
' belief that on the whole Mr. Roose
velt seemed fairly well satisfied with
the 1939 record.
Tn direct contrast with the ad
ministration view that the New
Deal forces would be more success
ful next year, Senator Austin, Re
; publican, of Vermont, the acting
| minority leader, contended the anti
Roosevelt coalition would show even
greater strength than in the last
session.
“I think that the coalition move
, men is growing,” Senator Austin
said, “and will extend right on into
j the 1940 campaign.”
l Representative Martin. Repub
lican. of Massachusetts, the minor
ity leader, who held his men firmly
together throughout the session, is
sued a statement saying the minor
ity had “substantially redeemed" its
» 1938 pledges to "check one-man gov
ernment, stop rubber-stamp legis
(See CONGRESS. Page A-3J
McCarran Escapes Harm
As Car Is Ditched
Scerlol Dispatch to The Star.
LEESBURG. Va., Aug. 7.—Sen
ator McCarran. Democrat, of Nevada
escaped injury when his car was
. sideswiped and forced into a ditch
by a motorist near here yesterday.
Police said the driver of the other
car did not stop after his auto had
attempted to pass Senator McCar
ran s car. swerved in too close and
ditched it. A chauffer was driving
the McCarran car. which was also
occupied by the Senator's wife and
daughter. Occupants of the Mc
Carran machine got, the license
number of the other car and notified
police.
A short time later Deputy Sheriff
, Dick Downs noticed a car with the
license number reported to him
parked near a beer parlor on Route
_ 7 a few miles from the scene of the
* collision.
The driver, who gave his name as
William Boyd of Purcellville, Va.,
was tried by Trial Justice W. A.
Metzger and convicted of driving
with dead tags and without a driver’s
. permit. The man was ordered to
I pay costs and had his permit re
voked.
The magistrate explained that no
fine was imposed because the driver
was the father of five children.
Senator McCarran and his family
| escaped injury. His car was not ex
tensively damaged.
| Polish Peasants
'Raid' Barbed Wire
Defending Germany
By the Associated Press.
WARSAW. Aug. 7.—The steal
ing of barbed wire from German
“military obstructions," it is
reported by the newspaper Illus
trowany Kurjer of Krakow, has
become a “sport" among Polish
peasants along the German
frontier.
Mischievously, the newspaper
indicates, the peasants cross the
border and snip away lengths of
were, which they used to fence
their gardens.
There is an element of com
petition. says the newspaper,
* to see who can get the most wire,
and in some cases the peasants
bring back pieces of military
equipment to prove their dar
Work to Start Soon on 9 Probes
Voted $845,000 by Congress
Depressions, Banking. N. L. R. B. and
Un-American Activities on List
Bj the Associated Press.
Adjournment of Congress was the
signal today for investigators and
clerks to start on the groundwork
for nine congressional inquiries for
which $845,000 was appropriated.
About 40 Congressmen will come
back here in the early fall for hear
ings on such things as un-American
activities, the National Labor Rela
| tions Board, banking and the gen
j eral economic condition of the
country.
Others will travel to Alaska to in
quire into the fisheries situation
there, and one committee will hold
hearings in California on how em
ployers are treating labor.
Last of the hearings to be launched
was the Hoh.se inquiry into the Na
tional Labor Relations Board.
Just before adjournment Saturday
Speaker Bankhead appointed Rep
: resentative Smith. Democrat, of Vir
ginia. who often opposes President
Roosevelt's policies, to head the spe
cial Inquiry, which the House or
dered over the protest of its Labor
Committee.
Along with Mr. Smith, Speaker
Bankhead named two New Deal
Democrats, Representatives Healey
of Massachusetts and Murdock of
Utah, and two Republicans, Repre
sentatives Halleck of Indiana and
Routzohn of Ohio.
The committee decided to meet
September 7. Mr. Smith said hear
ings probably would be started be
fore October.
Dies Unit to Resume Work.
In the meantime, the House Com
mittee on Un-American Activities,
headed by Representative Dies,
Democrat, of Texas, will resume its
work. Mr. Dies, who has been re
cuperating from illness in Texas,
will get back here this week, and
hearings are planned for either
August 15 or September 1.
Investigators of the House W. P. A.
(See INVESTIGATION^, Page A-5.)
Chandler Candidate
Has Lead of 11,934
In Kentucky Race
l
Lt. Gov. Johnson Ahead
Of Brown, 85,862
To 73,928
♦
By the Associated Press.
LOUISVILLE. Ky., Aug. 7.—Lt.
Gov. Keen Johnson, Democrat, and
Circuit Judge King Swope, Repub
lican, held to their leads for Ken
tucky's gubernatorial nominations as
counting of ballots cast in Satur
day's primary was resumed today
after a law-required Sunday recess.
Unofficial returns from 1.173 of
4.307 precincts gave Mr. Johnson,
Richmond newspaper publisher, 85,
862 votes to 73.928 for John Young
Brown of Lexington, former United
States Representative, his nearest
opponent.
In the Republican race the Lex
ington judge defeated by Gov. A. B.
Chandler in 1935 had 25.141 votes to
17,213 for John Sherman Cooper,
Somerset attorney, in 912 precincts
unofficially tabulated.
Throughout the campaign Mr.
Johnson, who bore the indorsement
of the State Federation of Labor,
an A. F. of L. affiliate, attacked the
C. I. O. and Mr. Brown's connec
tion with it as an attorney for the
C. I O.'s United Mine Workers.
Returns from 820 precincts put
Mr. Swope, a veteran Lexington
campaigner, 8,108 votes in front of
his chief opponent. John Sherman
Cooper of Somerset. The vote: Mr.
Swope, 22.909: Mr. Cooper, 14.801.
The Courier-Journal, predicting
Mr. Johnson and Mr. Swope would
meet in the November election, esti
mated Mr. Johnson's final margin
would exceed 35.000.
Nominations for many other State,
district and loca^races remained in
decisive on the basis of returns tabu
lated so far.
Danzig Is Reported
Willing to Negotiate
Dispute With Poles
Tension Is Relaxed After
Warning to Reich by
Smigly-Rydz
By the Associated Press.
WARSAW, Aug. 7.—Polish reports
from Danzig today said Nazi au
thorities there had agreed to nego
tiate their customs dispute precipi
tated by the Danzig-Polish “herring
and margarine war.”
This brought immediate relaxa
tion of tension, although the Polish
press voiced irritation at German
Nazi activities in Danzig, talcing their
cue from a speech yesterday by
Marshal Edward Smigly-Rydz, com
mander of Polish armed forces, who
used such phrases as “clear warn
ing” and “Polish guns may roar.”
The Polish view of today's action
by Nazi authorities in the customs
dispute was that negotiation was
quite in order provided the funda
mental principles involved—Polish
rights to customs control—were not
involved.
Warsaw circles were inclined to
regard this as a moral victory for
Poland, with Danzig authorities
yielding to a virtual ultimatum.
Smigly-Rydz Made Demand.
The newspaper Polonia of Kato
wice stated that a demand for “an
immediate answer” from Danzig au
thorities Friday, after an announce
ment that Polish frontier inspectors
would not be permitted to work any
longer, was at the direct instigation
of Smigly-Rydz.
At Danzig it was announced offi
cially that “the Danzig Senate to
day handed diplomatic representa
tives of the republic of Poland a re
ply concerning the activity of Polish
controllers and ultimatum-like
threats of Poland issued in connec
tion therewith," but gave no other
details.
There were continuing reports
that Marian Chodacki, Polish com
missioner to the Free City, bluntly
told Dr. Arthur Karl Greiser, Danzig
Senate president. Saturday that Pol
ish guards would forcibly intervene
to “protect" Polish customs officials
if necessary.
Poland stopped importing herring
and margarine from Danzig last
week, contending that the customs
men were not permitted to inspect
the products.
The Free City of Danzig is within
the Polish customs administration.
Freighter Hits Iceberg,
Proceeds on Way
Bf trie A?sociated Press.
BOSTON. Aug. 7.—The 503-foot
Canadian Pacific Steamship Line's
freighter Beaverhill, bound from
Montreal to London, struck an ice
berg early today off the Northeast
Coast of Newfoundland, but several
hours later she reported damage
was slight and she was proceeding.
At first the liner Ausonia had
stood by.
A message from Capt. T. Jones
said the inside hull was untouched
by the collision. He reported that
the “No. 4 double-bottom tank " had
been damaged. The freighter's cap
tain said his vessel would reach
London as scheduled on August 13.
The Coast Guard cutter Cham
plain, which was considerably south
of the position reported by the
Beaverhill, at first started to her aid
but later, upon receipt of the re
assuring messages, put about and
continued her ice patrol duties.
Esther Ralston Wed
GUILFORD. Conn., Aug. 7 (/P).—
A starring role in a summer the
ater production of “Susan and God"
today called Esther Ralston of the
stage and screen back from a one
day honeymoon. The actress and
Ted Lloyd, radio commentator and
columnist, were married yesterday
at Greenwich, Conn.
Addressed 100,000.
Smigly-Rydz addressed 100,000
persons yesterday in Krakow in a
celebration marking the 25th anni
versary of the entrance of Polish
legionnaires into the World War to
fight for Poland’s independence.
The marshal declared in answer
to German demands for incorpora
tion of Danzig in Germany that the
Free City, "tied to Poland lor cen
turies,” constitutes “the lungs of
our economic life.”
The conservative newspaper Czas
said that "Danzig may have peace,
welfare and freedom, but it may
also become the arena for a life-and
death fight.
“The guns of the Polish Army are
facing Danzig should authorities of
the Free City not abandon in time
the dangerous road they are follow
ing on orders from the outside.”
An editorial in the Ilustrowany
Kurjer of Krakow said, "Poland is
ready to pay the tribute of blood
• See WARSAW, Page A-5.)
Summary of Today's Star
Page. | Page.
Amusements, | Obituary __A-10
B-14 Radio _B-6
Comics B-12-13 Society _B-3
Editorials A-8 Sports A-14-15
Finance A-13 Woman's Page,
Lost. Found B-10 B-8
Foreign.
Japan premeditated ship sinkings,
British charge. Page A-l
Germans in Tyrol true to Italy may
be allowed to stay. Page A-4
Britain closely watching German and
Italian maneuvers. Page A-4
Rumania and Yugoslavia hoard
grain, Nazis charge. Page A-4
Franco pushes cleanup after 60 are
executed for slaying. Page A-4
National.
U. S. files suit charging monopoly
by theater chain. Page A-l
Doctor risks life in vain attempt to
save dangling man. Page A-l
Work on nine congressional inquiries
to start soon. Page A-l
Government employment at all-time
high of 925,260. Page A-l
New Dealers look to public to force
program adoption. Page A-l
U. S. opeas war to break up whole
underworld system. Page A-5
Plans to expand U. 8. defense forces^
/ advanced. Page A-5*
Washington and Vicinity.
District troops to "defend” railhead
in Virginia. Page A-3
Assessed valuation of Fairfax County
increased $500,000. Page B-l
Confidential prisoner records report
ed missing at Lorton. 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
David Lawrence. Page A-9
Alsop and Kintner. Page A-9
Grover Whelan. Page A-9
Jay Franklin. Page A-9
Lemuel Parton. Page A-9
Sports.
Good pitching baffles Yanks, just
like other clubs. PageA-16
Million dollar gamble in horse flesh
opens today. Page A-16
Pam Barton, British golf queen,
primed for U. S. tourney. Page A-17
Over 100 seek Patty Berg's Western
golf championship. Page A-17
Miscellany
Nature’s Children. Page B-9
Bedtime Story. Page B-12
Cross-word Puzzle. Page B-12
Letter-Out. Page B-12
Winning Contract, PagfcB-13
tJncle Ray's Corner. Page*-13
Ship Sinkings
Premeditated,
British Charge
Strong Protest Is
Made to Japan
On Attacks
By the Associated Press.
SHANGHAI, Aug. 7.—British ac
cused the Japanese today of mak
ing a premeditated attack on
British interests in air raids yes
terday at Ichang in which two
British river steamers were de
stroyed with the death of four
crewmen and injury of five and
property of the Asiatic Petroleum
Co. was damaged
All the victims were Chinese ex
cept H. J. Denyer, a Canadian,
who was reported in a grave condi
tion from bomb fragment injuries.
There were two separate attacks.
‘ Ichang is more than 1.000 miles
up the Yangtze River from Shang
hai.
A strnnt? "Rrit.ich nrnt.A«t. xrnc
lodged with Admiral Koshiro Oik
awa, commander of the Japanese
naval forces in China waters, who
said he was referring it to army
authorities because “no navy planes
attacked Ichang yesterday."
A Japanese army spokesman said
“We have no information. If it 1
happened, it is a regrettable mis
take.”
Sumner Welles, undersecretary
of State, said today American
representatives in China had pro
tested to Japanese against the
bombing of the Lutheran United
Mission at Kioshan.
• The mission was bombed July
26 and representations were made
shortly thereafter by the Amer
ican consulate at Peiping. Fol
lowing receipt of further infor
mation, the American consulate
at Hankow emphasized the pro
test already made.)
Haimen Port to Be Closed.
Furthering their drive to blockade
the China coast, Japanese naval
authorities announced they would
close at 11 a.m. tomorrow the
port of Haimen, in Chekiang prov
ince, 250 miles south of Shanghai. 1
Foreign consuls here were notified
and requested that their shipping
and nationals withdraw from the
port and vicinity which, the warn
ing said, “Is destined to become an
area of hostilities.”
Japanese said they were planting
mines and othei- “dangerous objects ' i
in Haimen waters and disclaimed
any responsibility for damage that
may be suffered by third-power na
tionals or property in future oper- !
ations.
Consuls reserved comment hut 1n- '
dicated their attitude was the same
as on similar notifications in the
past—that they would hold the Jap
anese responsible for any harm to
foreign lives and property.
It was not believed there was any
foreign shipping in the port now and
no missionaries of any nationality
were listed as stationed there.
Planes Dived at Oil Plant.
British naval reports from the
gunboat Gannet, whose officers wit
nessed the Ichang attacks, said the
raiders, 12 planes in all, appeared
not to be concerned with any ob
jective, but the anchorage of British
ships just below Ichang and nearby
water front property of the Asiatic
Petroleum Co.
These reports said the planes
dived at the oil plant and the an
chored ships, which included 18
lighters, a floating dock and two
tugs, "with seeming undeniable in
| tent to destroy this foreign prop
! erty ”
Officials asserted that all the prop
erties were marked clearly with
British flags.
Standard Oil Co. property in the
vicinity was not struck.
Meanwhile an anti-French cam
paign in Tientsin and confiscation
of British missions, hospitals and j
schools in Honan Province were pre
dicted by the Japanese press
The Japanese blockade of British
and French concessions at Tientsin,
after 53 days, was reported to have
cut off virtually all meat and fish
from the British zone. Chinese
feared to carry their goods through
the tightened Japanese lines.
Tientsin newspapers said inclu
sion of the French In the "Asia-for
Asiatics” campaign against foreign
ers—already expanded in North
China to cover both Britons and
Americans — might result from
French silence regarding the Cen
tral Chinese government’s silver re
serves held in Chinese banks in the
French concession.
Tokio Talk Bogged Down.
A Japanese demand for surrender
of similar funds held by banks in the
adjoining British concession is one
of the points which apparently has
bogged down the British-Japanese
conference at Tokio.
The Japanese-controlled news
papers also* reported the "anti
British Committee of Honan Prov
ince” was planning to take over
British mission, hospital and school
properties at Kaifeng and other
Honan cities. The properties had
been abandoned under threat.
The Frencn concession at Tientsin
(See CHINA, Page A-4.)
Rayburn to Review
Congressional Work
Representative Sam Ray
burn of Texas, majority leader
of the House, will be the guest
speaker tonight on the Na
tional Radio Forum over
WMAL at 9:30 o’clock.
Representative Rayburn will
discuss the work of Congress
during the last session. He
also is expected to review the
administration’s record in
Congress since the advent of
the New Deal in 1933.
The National Radio Forum
is arranged by The Star and is
heard over a coast-to-coast
network of the Na&onal
Broadcasting Co. *
Frank W. Mondell Dies Here;
Ex-Majority Leader of House
Saw Long Service <
As Representative
From Wyoming
Frank Wheeler Mondell. 78. who
served in Congress from Wyoming
for 24 vears and was majority leader
of the House for two terms during
the post-war years, died yesterdav
at his home. 3147 Sixteenth street
N.W., after an illness of six months.
Private funeral services will be
held at 11 a m. tomorrow at the resi
dence. with burial in Cedar Hill
Cemetery.
Retiring from Congress in 1923,
Mr. Mondell served for two years as
a director of the War Finance Corp.,
and since then had practiced law
here.
Surviving are his widow, three
sons, Frank W„ jr.: George Parker
and William Harris Mondell. and
two daughters, Mrs. Alfons Landa
and Mrs. Mondell Gregg, all resi
dents of Washington.
Conservative Republican.
During his long political career j
Mr. Mondell was known as a con
servative Republican, andfhe took
Two of 7 Convicts
In Virginia Break
Seized in Illinois
Pair Who Fled Bus Taken
In Tourist Cabin; Auto
Tags, Unmatched, Clue
By the Associated Press.
KANKAKEE. 111., Aug. 7.—Two of
the seven prisoners who escaped
from Federal guards near Thorn
burg, Va., July 26 were recaptured ;
in a tourist camp near here today.
Deputy Sheriff Gene La Fontaine
said they identified themselves as
Gerald Montague. 21, of Kankakee,
who was serving three years for the
theft of a taxicab, and Walter Smith.
22. of Cincinnati, a convicted post
office burglar.
La Fontaine and another deputy, I
Walter Bauer, surprised the pair as
they slept in a cabin. They were
armed, but did not offer resistance.
Five other Federal prisoners.
Montague and Smith were being
transferred by bus from the pen
itentiary at Atlanta to the Govern
ment prison at Lawrenceburg. Pa.,
when they escaped on the Rich
mond-Washington highway below
Fredericksburg.
After overpowering the guards
they commandeered an automobile
driven by a woman and headed
south toward Richmond. Montague
and Smith said the fugitives sepa
rated soon afterward and that they
hopped a freight and arrived here
July 28.
La Fontaine reported the pair
had admitted five burglaries and the
theft of a car from a Kankakee ga
rage. Near their cabin the officers
found the stolen car.
It was this machine which led
to their capture. Marshal William
Bukowski ot nearby Momence,
checking licenses, noticed that the
numbers on the front and rear of
the car were different. He called
the deputies, who entered the cabin
and recognized Montague.
At Chicago, A. A. Imus, chief
postal inspector, announced he had
sent two men to Kankakee to ques
tion the prisoners about the at
tempted seizure of a $56,000 Army
pay roll aboard an Illinois Central
train last Monday.
Two men boarded the train at
Onarga, south of here, but were
driven off by guards. One, John
Waldon of Chicago, was shot and
captured. The other escaped in an
automobile driven by a confederate
along a highway bordering the
tracks.
Miners' Bodies Found.
RAVINE, Pa., Aug. 7 (/P).—Bodies
of two more miners dead in Penn
sylvania's makeshift mine workings
were recovered today only a step
from safety. These brought 22
fatalities in the Schuyhall County
fields alone.
Rescuers who dug out the bodies
of Noah Kohr, 37, and Robert
Fiddler, 45, said they apparently
heard the rumblings of the rock
fall and were running up ifnt slope
last Friday when caught. ;
FRANK W. MONDELL.
pride in his opposition to insurgent
tendencies in his party's ranks. As
an ‘‘organization man’’ he opposed
efforts to take away many of Speak
< See MONDELLTPage A-37)
U. S. Asks Dissolution
Of Huge Schine
Theater Chain
Major Distributors Also
Named Defendants in
Anti-Trust Action
By the Associated Press.
BUFFALO, N. Y., Aug. 7.—The
Justice Department asked today the
dissolution of the huge Schme thea
ter chain and its affiliates in an
equity suit charging the chain and
major motion picture production
companies combined to restrain
trade.
Assistant United States District
Attorney R. Norman Kirchgraber
filed the suit in Federal Court, the
complaint outlining charges of
monopolistic practices against the
Schine group of 190 theaters in New
York, Ohio, Kentucky, Maryland,
Delaware, and against 11 production
and distribution firms.
At the same time he filed an ap
plication to Federal Judge John
Knight for an order to serve the
Schine Chain Theaters of Ohio. Inc.,
with headquarters in Cleveland.
21 Defendants Named.
Twenty - one defendants were
named, divided into two groups. One
was designated as the "Schine de
fendants,” embracing the Schine
Chain Theaters, Inc.; six affiliates
and three individuals. The other
was designated as the ‘‘distributor
defendants,” embracing motion pic
ture production companies which
maintain film exchanges in the vari
out communities serving Schine in
terests.
Mr. Kirchgraber said summons
probably would be issued today and
the defendants would have 20 days
in which to answer. He said he
(See THEATERS,-Page”A-3.)
Doctor Risks Life in Vain
To Rescue Dangling Man
By the Associated Press.
SOMERSET, Pa., Aug. 7—A small
town surgeon who risked his life in
a vain attempt to save one of four
men crushed by a 20-ton rock fall
in a highway tunnel was hailed as
a hero today while two agencies
sought to fix responsibility for the
tragedy.
Ignoring dust and small stones
that crumbled from a gaping hole
in the ceiling of the tunnel, Dr. John
D. Spencer stood on a stepladder
and cut away William Leach, 33,
from his pinioned left arm.
Leach, who had dangled by the
arm for an hour, was conscious
throughout the operation because
there was no chance to give an
anesthetic. He died a few minutes
later in an ambulance.
Hardened tunnel workers, accus
tomed to fatal mishaps, called Dr.
Spencer a "guy with guts,” but the
surgeon modestly said:
“I was scared, scared stiff, but I
knew it was the onl^hance to save
a life.” T
The four victims brought to 11 the
number killed in the construction
of the tunnel, which will carry the
State s $60,000,000 express highway
under Laurel Hill. Seven others
were killed when the tunnel was
first started in the 1880s as part of
a railroad designed as a competitor
to the Pennsylvania Railroad.
, The tunnel, left unfinished when
the railroad was abandoned, was
taken over by the Pennsylvania
Turnpike Commission as one of
seven on the superhighway between
Pittsburgh and Harrisburg.
Commission Chairman Walter A.
Jones said "Nothing will be left un
done” to determine whether the ac
cident Saturday could have been
avoided and Coroner H. A. McMur
ray announced he would make a
“very thorough investigation.”
The coroner said seven men had
been killed on the construction of
the highway in his county and
added:
“That toll is too
Federal Employment
Hits All-Time High
With 925,260 Jobs
123,505 Workers on
Rolls in Washington,
June Report Shows
Government employment reached
an all-time high in June, when the
rolls showed a total of 925,260 work
ers, according to the monthly re- !
port of the Civil Service Commis- [
sion today.
The nearest approach to this was
last December, when thousands of
holiday postal workers ran the fig
ure to 919,161.
Wartime Peak Surpassed.
The estimated wartime peak was
slightly under 918,000.
Employment increased both in
Washington and the field in June.
Locally, there was an addition of
713 persons, to raise the total to
123,505, with pay of $22,178,128. In
the field, the increase was 22,148,
to 801.755. and the pay $117,962,405.
Of the total employment, 86.286
was on such projects as naval and
road construction. There were
792.090 full-time employes and 48.
884 part-time engaged in other ac
tivities.
In the Distri t. Interior, Navy and
War Departments had the principal
increases.
Seasonal Increases.
In the field Agriculture, Post Of
fice, Interior, Commerce, Tennessee
Valley Authority, Civil Aeronautics
and Panama Canal reported seasonal
increases. War and Navy had some
seasonal increases, and others due to
the armament program, while the
Railroad Retirement Board added
almost 1.000 persons to its force of
less than 200 in setting up field of
fices for unemployment compensa
tion functions.
Treasury and Works Progress
showed decreases.
Woman Killed as Storms,
Fires Sweep Northwest
By the Associated Press.
SPOKANE, Wash., Aug. 7.—A
woman was killed and property
damage has mounted to hundreds
of thousands of dollars in Western
storms and tires.
A limb ripped from a tree by a
violent windstorm killed Mrs.
Josephine Tobler Graff, 51, at Santa
Clara, Utah. A three-hour hre, con
quered early today by firemen from
five communities, destroyed $275,000
worth of property in Centralia,
Wash. At least 25.000 acres of tim
ber and brush land in Washington.
Oregon and Idaho lay in blackened
rums.
The Centralia fire swept through
the main -holdings of the Eastern
Railway & Lumber Co. and burned
a residence, blacksmith shop, 10,
000,000 feet of lumber, and damaged
the Driscoll Boiler Works. Sparks
from the fire started several fires
throughout the city, but all were ex
tinguished.
Much property damage resulted
from a Southern Utah windstorm.
Trees were uprooted, windows
broken and harvested crops scattered
in the fields.
Leche, Weiss
Indicted Under
'Hot Oil' Act
Texas Operator
Also Named in
Louisiana Probe
d? i iic nswnnea rres*.
NEW ORLEANS. Aug. 7.—Former
Gov. Richard Leche was indicted by
a Federal grand jury today along
with Seymour Weiss, hotel owner
and powerful political figure, on
charges of violation of the Connally
"Hot Oil" Act.
Named with Leche and Weiss in
the indictment, which Attorney Gen
eral Frank Murphy had studied yes
terday in Washington, were Freman
Burford, wealthy independent Dal
las (Tex.) oil operator, and the East
Texas Refining Co.
Weiss also was charged in an
other indictment with evading pay
ment of income taxes for 1936, and
he and Louis C. Lesage, suspended
assistant to the president of the
Standard Oil Co. of Louisiana, were
named in a third indictment as con
spiring together to violate the in
come tax laws.
Weiss and Lesage had been pre
viously indicted on mail fraud
charges.
$134,000 Declared Involved.
Weiss and Leche were accused of
receiving $67,000 each in the pur
ported deal, the latter getting his
in 67 $1,000 bills. Leche, one-time
lieutenant to the late Huey P. Long,
quit the governorship six weeks ago,
shortly after announcing the resig
nation of Dr. James Monroe Smith
as president of Louisiana State Uni
versity.
The indictment said Weiss and
Leche were parties to an agreement
by which Burford built a 59-mile
pipeline from the Rodessa, La., oil
fields near Shreveport to East Texas
and the Pelican Oil Co. was given
a daily allowable increase from
4,550 barrels to 20.000 barrels by
the State conservation department.
The Government alleged the East
Texas Refining Co. agreed to take
1.000.000 barrels of the “hot oil.”
but that only 480.000 barrels were
actually shipped on which commis
sions of $48,800 were paid Weiss for
distribution. The pipeline, which
cost $499,000, then was sold for a
reputed price of $950,000 and $100,
000 paid Weiss as a commission.
After payment of $14,800 as attor
neys’ fees, the Government charged
Leche and Weiss split the remaining
$134,000 in equal shares.
Crippled with arthritis since Jan
uary', Leche gave ill health as the
reason when he resigned June 26,
one day after resignation and dis
appearance of t)r. Smith, whose al
leged manipulations with school
funds plunged the State into mani
fold investigations.
“I shall probably fool around some
in the oil business.” the handsome
Governor said at that time.
Leche, strapping 6-foot-3-inch
former athlete and attorney forged
ahead rapidly under the political
tutelege of his close friend, the late
Senator Long. He was only 38 when
he was elected Governor by a great
landslide in January, 1936. He took
office in May and served three years
and a month of his four-year term.
His resignation gave the Gov
ernor's chair to Early K. Long,
brother of the slain “Kingfish.”
Charges Against Weiss.
In the income-tax indictment
Weiss, whose indictment on income
tax charges in 1935 later was
dropped by the Federal Government
after failure to convict in the Abe
Shushan income-tax case, today was
also charged with having waited un
til 1937 to report $27,500 he reported
ly received in a double sale of Bien
ville Hotel furnishings to Louisiana
State University in 1936. This deal
forms the basis for a mail fraud
charge against him and Dr. Smith
The Connally Act was set up by
Congress to prevent movement into
interstate commerce of oil produced
in violation of pro rata permits in
States seeking to conserve their
natural resources by limitation of
production. Such illegally produced
oil has become known as "hot oil.”
The jury alleged the deal was en
tered into in March. 1936, when
Leche was Governor-elect of Louisi
ana and allegedly permitted stepping
up of production of certain wells
near Shreveport from 4.550 barrels
daily to 20.000 barrels daily for sev
eral months with the understanding
Burford was to pay Leche and Weiss
10 cents per barrel for oil “produced
under said illegal orders.”
'Going to Get Eviler/
Says Garner, in Texas
By the Associated Press.
DALLAS, Aug. 7.—Vice President
Garner, in high good humor and
robust health, rode today toward his
Uvalde home "where I’m going to
fish, get lull of chiggers and feel
natural once more.”
He still had no comment on John
L. Lewis’ recent charge he was a
“poker-playing, labor-baiting, whis
key-drinking, evil old man,” but he
was heard to remark Jokingly to a
friend:
“I’m going to get eviler every day.
I’m going to be my natural self and
a free man as long as I live.”
Mr. Garner, who met well-wishers
at a train stop here with firm hand
shakes, refused to discuss the Gar
ner-for-President movement or the
recently adjourned Congress.
He said he would not go fishing
his first day at home, where, Wash
ington sources have said, he would
■conduct a “front porch” campaign
for the Democratic presidential
nomination, but would sit around
and rest.
Roosevelt Felicitates
Bolivia's President
By the Associated Press.
President Roosevelt telegraphed
congratulations to President German
Busch of Bolivia today on the oc
casion of Bolivia independence
day.
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