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' Weather Forecast Rain this afternoon and tonight; to- Established ill 1852 morrow lair and colder; lowest tonight about 38 degrees. Temperatures to- Most people in Washington have The day—Highest, 39. at 1 p.m.; lowest, 35, Star delivered to their homes every fit S fi m ! j “ ' *; .. . evening and Sunday morning. From the United States Weather Bureau report. ° • Full details on Page A-2. » t ■ ’ — i, .... i _l —i i .- mi i. Closing N, Y. Markets—Sales. Page 16._UP) Means Associated Press. 88th YEAR. No. 34,983. WASHINGTON, D. C., SATURDAY, ' FEBRUARY 10, ' 1940—THIRTY-FOUR PAGES. ** THREE CENTS. _ ——— ■■ ■ .. ■ 1 . . ... - .. ._ __-_ - _ — Roosevelt Denounces Russia As Barrier to Any Peace Now In Talk to Youth Congress Brands as 'Twaddle' Claim Finn Aid Is Step to War (Text of the President's Address on Page A-10.) By JOHN C. HENRY. Bitterly denouncing Russia's Com munistic government. President Roosevelt declared today that his hopes that the Soviet would eventu ally become a peace-loving member of the family of nations has been “either shattered or put away in storage against a better day." Addressing delegates to the Ameri can Youth Congress from the south portico of the White House, the President delivered one of his most strongly-worded and significant ad dresses bearing on our relations With any foreign government. On several occasions throughout his half-hour address, the Chief pointedly warned the Youth Con gress. itself often accused of Com munistic domination, that its mem bers have a sacred duty to confine their reform efforts to the consti tutional processes of the United States Government. “You have no American right, by act or deed of any kind," he re marked sharply, “to subvert the Government and the Constitution of this Nation." *• Finn Aid Foes Assailed. In bitter tone, even though with a smile, the President described as “unadulterated twaddle" the conten tion by one of the congress affiliates that American efforts to aid Finland constitute an attempt to force this aountry into an imperialistic war. “That reasoning was unadul terated twaddle. ” he rapped, "based perhaps on sincerity, but, at the tame time, on 90 per cent ignorance fif what they were talking about." Proceeding then into the whole controversial Finnish-Russian issue, the President described the smaller Baltic nation as one wishing "solely to maintain its own territorial and governmental integrity. Nobody With any pretense at common sense believes that Finland had any Ulterior designs on the integrity of the Soviet Union." “That American sympathy is 98 per cent with the Finns in their effort to stave off invasion of their bwn soil is by now axiomatic. That America wants to help them by lending or giving money to them to nave tiicii uwu uveau niau aAiumaiic by now. That the Soviet Union Would, because of this, declare war on the United States is about the tnost absurd thought that I have ever heard advanced in the 58 years bf my life. War Table Called Absurd. “That we are going to war with the Soviet Union is an equally silly thought and. therefore, while i have hot the slightest objection in the World to the passing of futile reso lutions by conventions. I do think that there is room for improvement In common sense thinking and defi nite room for improvement in the art tf not passing resolutions concerning things one knows very little about. "And so I suggest that all of you smile and—don't do it again.” Of Soviet Russia, the President admitted the utmost sympathy 20 years ago for the Russian people and definite hopes that the leaders of Communism would bring a better era to their nation. In its early days, he remarked, the Communis tic movement brought improved education, better health and greater opportunity to millions "who had been kept in ignorance and serfdom under the imperial regime." At the same time, Mr. Roosevelt added, he disliked the regimentation Under Communism, abhorred in discriminate killings and deprecated the banishment of religion. “I hoped that Russia would work out its owm problems and that their government would eventually be come a peace-loving popular govern ment which would not interfere With the integrity of its neighbors. “That hope is today either shat tered or put away in storage against a better day. The Soviet Union, as a matter of practiced fact. * * * is a dictatorship as absolute as any other dictatorship in the world. It < See ROOSEVELT, Page A-7J ~ I........ f_m:ii:_ tarryci jumy iui riiiuuil Held on Old Larceny Charge By the Associated Press. NEW YORK. Feb. 10.—Attorney General John J. Bennett, jr.. today announced the arrest of Rudoll Hecht, stock broker and promoter on a five-year-old indictment charging grand larceny. Mr. Bennett said the indictment against Hecht grew out of an inves tigation of his stock promoting ac tivities! Hecht has a $1,000,000 suit pend ing in the appellate division of Su preme Court, in which he says he was promised that fee for arranging a $30,000,000 loan to China two years ago. Papers in connection with the suit Bet forth that Basil O’Connor, President Roosevelt's former law partner, "personally pressed" on the Chief Executive and Secretary of State Hull the successful conclusion of the loan. Discussing his suit with news papermen last Thursday, Hecht re marked that he once had been ar rested in connection with a finan cial transaction, but had been exonerated. Hecht, a native of Germany and a friend of the former Kaiser Wil helm, was said by Assistant Attor ney General Ambrose V. McCall to have had a comparatively long record of successful tussles with the law. The American Bankers’ Associ ation issued a statement saying that Hecht should not be confused with Rudolf S. Hecht. New Orleans banker and forpier president of the association. A 1 *- ■ Nazis Must Be Crushed First, Paris' Reaction to Peace Step Trade and Post-War Arms Reduction America's Aims, Hull Declares As Secretary of State Hull today amplified his formal announcement i of yesterday that the United States has begun informal peace talks with neutral countries, warning came from Paris that the “constant peril'’ of Germany must be crushed before Prance can join any international economic system such as Mr. Hull mentioned. Mr. Hull, however, again empha sized that a post-war peace pro gram of disarmament and liberal trade policies are the objectives of discussions now under way between the United States and other neu tral nations and of the assignment on which Undersecretary Sumner Welles will visit Rome, Berlin, Paris and London. A semi-official note said Mr. Welles would be welcomed on his mission of seeking information, but com mented more coolly on the Hull an nouncement of informal diplomatic t conversations with neutrals “relating ; to a sound international economic | system and, at the same time, world wide reduction of armaments." “England and Prance are now seeking by victory of their arms to | obtain 'material and positive guar | antees’ of peace without which no stable organization of international relations could be established either ' in the politicAl or the economic j field." the French note said, accord , ing to the Associated Press. At his press conference today Sec | retary Hull pointed out that this I Government has been striving for | a long time to keep alive basic ideas and programs relating to a sound and stable international re lationship after the war in Europe is over. Considered fundamentals of this 'See PEACE MOVES. Page A-4.f 2,400 Youth Delegates March in Rain to Hear Roosevelt Paraders Arrive Early; Wait to Give President Enthusiastic Reception About 2,400 marching delegates of the American Youth Congress gath ered around the south portico of the White House at 12:30 p.m. today and gave President Roosevelt an en thusiastic reception as he addressed them. The delegation reached the White House grounds about 45 minutes in advance of the schedule of the cere mony after parading their banners through a cold, drizzling rain from Fourth street and Constitution avenue. Few spectators were on hand for I the parade, except for casual groups at street comers along the route and clerks looking out the windows of the line of Government buildings on Constitution avenue. Mrs. Roosevelt, who has been con ! spicuous in championing American | youth, was an interested spectator as the parade bearing banners ap proached the White House grounds. Mrs. Roosevelt on Curb. Sheltered from the weather by a rain cape. Mrs. Roosevelt stood on the curbstone like any other Wash ington spectator and waved to the groups of young people as they passed. She took her position with Jack McMichael, chairman of the congress, on the small triangle near the east entrance to the grounds. Guarded by cordons of police, the parade passed into the grounds in a quiet and orderly fashion. The only clamor cam# from a sound wagon that accompanied the march ers. A police count of the number of marchers in the parade listed 2.400 participants, male and female, white and colored. The women were rep resented by 1.081 paraders and the men with 1,319. Nearly 185 colored marchers were counted by police along with 2,216 white persons. Lewis Afternoon Speaker. Following the White House cere mony, the Youth Congress was scheduled to hold a session this afternoon in the Departmental Au ditorium. John L. Lewis, president of the Congress of Industrial Or ganizations, was to be the principal speaker. The crowd waited patiently in thp rain for thp Prpsiripnt tn art pear on the south portico. A group of somber-clad pilgrims headed the line of march. Behind them. 35 young men and women bore a 20-foot American flag. Dies Committee Hit. The parade was marked by an assortment of slogans written on banners and placards carried by the 20 or more patrols, advocating the various causes which the American Youth Congress is supporting in Washington. Absent from the line of march were some of the advertised floats, including one which was to have carried Luise Ranier, the motion picture star, costomed as Joan d'Arc crusading for peace. Scores of placards aimed at the Dies Committee on Un-American Activities were conspicuous in the line of march. Some of them read in large letters, “Dies is flippity about the civil liberties bill.” An other read, “The truth never dies.’ Others bore the legend, “Bow down to Martin Dies! 57 kinds of lies,” and "The Dies Committee Hearsay.” Behind the huge American flag marched youngsters bearing the standards of various States. A large picture of Abraham Lincoln (See~YOUTH CONGRESST Pg. A-7J Lincoln Legend As a tribute to the memory of Abraham Lincoln the Cross Roads Theater Players will be featured in a radio dramatiza tion of the highlights of the Great Emancipator's career. The program will be heard over WMAL at 7:30 p.m. This is another in the series of educational programs spon sored by The Star with the co operation of the National Broad casting Co. and the Board of Education. \ A Reds' Massed Drive Repulsed for Ninth Day, Finns Report All Assaults Are Thrown Back With Big Losses, Command Declares By the Associated Press. HELSINKI, Feb. 10—The Red Army's massed offensive on the Karelian Isthmus was continued for the ninth successive day. the Finns reported tonight, but all assaults were thrown back with heavy losses. Russian infantry continued to at tack with undiminished vigor and with heavy artillery and tank sup port, but nowhere were the Finnish lines broken, declared the high command. Tonight’s communique reported destruction yesterday of 32 enemy tanks, making a total of 72 destroyed Mr captured in two days. It also reported four Russian planes shot down. Although the heaviest assaults were on the Karelian Isthmus, where the Red Army has made its main efforts to break through, the Finns reported that the Russians lost 800 men killed northeast of Lake Ladoga, site of another long continued battle. The communique also announced that “according to confirmed re ports, Col. Borisoff, commanding the 11th Russian Division, was killed in fighting on February 8.” There were no further details and no indication why a colonel should have been in command of a division. Shells Dropped From Planes. Artillery shells and hand grenades replaced bombs in Russian warplane attacks and Finns fought with bay onets instead of bullets as heavy fightipg apparently depleted supplies of both nations. Finns reported today that shells of all sizes were being dropped from planes on Finnish positions in the war zone. They said the use of shells indicated a shortage of bombs, which was believed to be the reason for a slackening of air attacks on civilian Finland. The only home area reported bombed yesterday was Hanko, south western part, where 25 bombs were dropped but no casualties were re J7U1 ItU. Fierce Fight on Isthmus. Fierce fighting was* reported yes terday on the Karelian Isthums, where wave after wave of Russians advanced on Finnish posts but were reported repulsed in savage bayonet and hand-grenade encounters with the Finns. Finnish officers reported the Red Army had advanced in such great numbers that ammunition supplies temporarily were exhausted faster than replenishments could be rushed to the front. Soviet infantrymen pushed against the Finns in the Summa sector, military observers said, in a des perate effort to break the thus far impregnable Mannerheim fortifica tions. Despite losses which ttye Finns placed in the thousands, the Rus sians were attempting to batter down resistance by the sheer weight oi numbers. (The Russian communique said repeated Finnish attempts to ‘‘recover lost positions in the Karelian Isthmus were repulsed with heavy losses for the enemy. Soviet airplanes successfully bombed military objectives.”) Artillery fire was reported through out the isthmus front. Russian wounded were left on the field, Finnish advices from the front said, due to an apparent breakdown in the Soviet transportation system that made difficult the removal of casualties to hospitals. Finnish military observers were mystified by the letup in recent days of Russian air attacks. Air raid alarms sounded at Turku yester day, but no Soviet planes were re ported sighted elsewhere. Heaviest fighting on the Karelian front was between Punnunjold and Panuri, on the central section. The Finns estimated Russian losses at more than 700, but made no men tion of their own. In the far north the Russians were reported hurled back in an at tempt to take Hoyhenjarvi, south of the Petsamo district, and Finnish patrols broke through enemy lines at Salmijarvi, nickel mining district and scene of previous Russian set backs. A Ramspeck Bill Changes Seen In Senate Amended Measure Would Exclude D. C., Maryland and Virginia BACKGROUND— House passage of the Ramspeck hill marks another step in the efforts of President Roosevelt to extend civil service generally throughout the executive agen cies to positions exempt by law. The legislation complements a plan to bring into civil service also several thousand positions in upper brackets, whose status may be changed without new law. By WILL P. KENNEDY. The Ramspeck bill to bring thou sands of Federal employes under civil service was headed for the Senate today, with the opinion pre vailing that material changes would be made in the measure which passed the House late yesterday carrying an amendment that would withhold its benefits from workers from the District. Maryland. Vir ginia and other States which have more persons in service than they are entitled to under the apportion ment law. This law purports to apportion positions in the District of Colum bia to the States on the basis of comparative population. Due to the wartime influx, the District and its two neighbors are far above “quota,” while a dozen or more other States also customarily have more places than they are due. Provisions of Amendment The troublesome amendment was sponsored by Representative Keller. miiiuvwu, ui iiuuuio. BilU IVCJIIC* 1 tentative Nichols. Democrat, of Okla homa. It reads: "Notwithstanding any of the pro visions of subsection tai, no person shall be covered into civil service, appointed, transferred or promoted to any position covered into the classified service under the pro visions of section 1 of this act if such person is from a State whose quota is more than filled unless and until the quota of all States whose quota of positions in the classified service is unfilled has been filled As used in this section, the term State’ includes a Territory and the District of Columbia.” Advised of this provision. Harry B. Mitchell, president of the Civil Service Commission, said that, “on the face at reports, it appears that if the bill as it passed the House becomes la# It will be extremely difficult to administer." He also expressed the opinion that it appears to be “very unjust to many States who may be in excess of their quota today, but may be in arrears tomor row, if it freezes the situation as it is on the day it becomes law.” Action Not Mandatory. The Ramspeck bill, passing by a vote of 214 to 110. would blanket into the civil service by executive order in the direction of the Presi dent, under non-competitive exami nation some 250.000 to 300.000 tem porary employes; many of them with New Deal agencies, some of which already are dated for expiration; some of whom with many years of service have no civil service status; deputy collectors of internal reve nue and deputy marshals, and would authorize the President to extend the classification to the field serv ice. It is now pointed out that the language of the bill is not manda tory and leaves in the discretion of the President Just how far he will go in extending the civil service, leaving out certain units if he sees fit. Th*. Works Progress Adminis tration is specifically exempt. An effort was first made to hold all future appointments, following this blanketing in, to the State quotas. It had been emphasized in debate that 33 States are below their quotas, while the rest and the (See-RAMSPECKTPage A-3.) Another German Liner Runs British Blockade By the Associated Pres*. BERLIN, Peb. 10—The trade paper Bergwerkszeitung reported to day the Hamburg American-North German Lloyd liner Cordillera reached Hamburg Thursday after running the British blockade from Murmansk, Russia. Summary of Today's Star Page. Page. Amusements, Obituary _-.A-12 B-16 Radio .-B-7 Church News, Real Estate, A-13-14-15 B-l-7 Comics .B-14-15 Society ... A-ll Editorial _A-8 Sports _B-8-9 Finance .A-16-17 Woman's Pg. B-6 Lost, Found B-10 Foreign New Russian attacks repelled, Fin land reports. Page A-l Red pact disappoints Reich, Brit ish air chief says. Page A-3 Nazi attack near Sajrelouis re pulsed, say French. Page A-3 Daladler confidence vote caps Cham ber war debate today. Page A-3 Poles have better rule than ever, Nazi governors boast. Page A-3 Soviet reported hastening defenses on Turk frontier. Page A-3 German plane believed sighted off British coast. Page A-3 Pilgrims stream to Lhasa for Dalai lama’s enthronement. Page A-3 National $100,000,000 cut in Navy fund by sub committee reported. Page A-l Several killed, 75 hurt in Georgia tornada. Page A-l Varying reactions greet news of U. S. peace moves. Page A-l « Washington and Vicinity Aged home inmates to testify on conditions. Page A-ll r Roosevelt attacks Russia in talk tc Youth Congress. Page A-1 D. C. business groups ask job ta; bill delay. Page A-1 Ruling applies D. C. tax to all domi ciled in Capital. Page A-ll Hoover denounces Civil Servici board for “red tape.” Page A-ll Sports Return bout looms as "slipping’ Louis beats Godoy. Page B-i Ewell cracks 26-year-old record; Fenske beats Glen. Page B-i Unbanked track mark target of mile aces in Baltimore. Page B-i Sixth win in row proves Roosevel! quint’s title class. Page B-( Editorial and Comment This and That. Page A-I Answers to Questions. Page A-i Letters to The Star. Page A-i David Lawrence. „ Page A-I Alsop and Kintner. Page A-I G. Gould Lincoln. Page A-I Constantine Brown. Page A-i Preston Grover. Page A-I Miscellany Service Orders. Page B-! Nature’s Children. Page B-l Bedtime Story. Page B-L Cross-word Puzzle. Page B-l' Letter-Out. Page B-l' Winning Contract. Page B-l! Uncle Ray’s Comer. Page B-l! Vital Statistics. Page -B-l A MEmU^ Pelley Would Jail La Follette, Dicksfein And Lewis for Life Starnes Warns Against Using Un-American Quiz As 'Sounding Board' By the As.*iociated Press. William Dudley Pelley, head of the Silver Shirt Legion, testified today he favored life imprisonment for Senator La Follette. Wisconsin Progressive: John L. Lewis. C. I. O. head, and Representative Dlckstein, New York Democrat. Mr. Pelley advocated this action while being questioned by Repre sentative Voorhis. Democrat, of Cal ifornia as the House committee in vestigating un-American activities continued delving into affairs of the Silver Shirts. The line of questioning brought a clap of gavel pounding from Rep resentative Starnes. Democrat, of Alabama, qcting chairman, who said he was not going to let the com mittee serve as a "sounding board" for loose charges against leading Americans. Mr. Voorhis questioned Mr. Pelley about some of his writings, includ ing an article advocating that Sen ator La Follette, Mr. Lewis and Representative Dickstein be tried by a jury of “Silver Shirt" members and given life imprisonment. — ■■ --- -- d_l: n.:J Ill 111311 UVIIIIIIIIl) l\Hlu On Nazi Base Reported By the Associated Press. TOENDER. Denmark. Feb. 10—A British bomber raided the German i naval base on the island of Sylt to j day. Dai^sh observers said, drop 1 ping four bombs. Sylt is in the North off the southwestern Danish coast. Observers at the Danish frontier said they saw the plane pass over the southern part of the island, then wheel westward toward the sea atfer unloading the bombs. The British Air Ministry issued this denial: "A report ccpning from a foreign source states a British bomber raided the Island of Sylt and dropped four bombs this morn ing. The report is without founda tion.” Fireworks Plant Blasts Believed Accidental By the Associated Press. REDONDO BEACH. Calif., Feb 10.—Police Chief Harry M. Peter sen said today explosions which wrecked a large fireworks plant ap parently were accidental. He said the first major explosion occurred in a building in which chemicals subject to spontaneous combustion were stored. Blue Plains Inmates to Testify On Conditions at Home District Suffrage, Full or Partial, Is Urged by Mrs. Roosevelt (Transcript of Mrs. Roosevelt’s Testimony on Page A-18. Bv MIRIAM OTTENBERG. Given impetus by the testimony of Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Public Health Subcommittee of the House District Committee, investi gating District welfare institutions, announced todav it would call in mates of the Home for the Aged and Infirm at Blue Plains as its next witnesses. Representative Thomas D'Alesan dro. jr.. chairman of the subcom mittee which yesterday starred Mrs Roosevelt as its first witness, said he would invite at least three inmates ( to testify at the next hearing, to be held Tuesday at 10:30 a m. Scheduled to appear at the same hearing are Robert Bondy. director of the Board of Public Welfare, and I Frank Haskell, superintendent of { j the Blue Plains institution, to which j ! attention was directed by Mrs. ! j Roosevelt visit two weeks ago. D’Alesandre for Quick Action. I , As a result of Mrs. Roosevelt’s testimony, Chairman D Alesandro ! said he felt something should be j done immediately to remedy the ■ conditions which Mrs. Roosevelt j told the committee left her with j a “sickening feeling." As an immediate step, the Repre sentative recommended the start of a general survey of public welfare ! institutions in the District. Unlike i the District Commissioners, however, j who recently put forward a similar proposal to be presented to Con- | gress at its next session. Mr. D'Ale- I sandro wants the survey to be pre sented to his subcommittee to be incorporated in the final report of the investigation. The survey, as proposed by the subcommittee chairman, would call an the services of "unbiased ex perts” with one of its members to be from the Public Health Service. After discussing the plight of vari- . pus District institutions. Mrs. Roose velt, first wife of a President to appear before a congressional‘com mittee. recommended District suf- i frage and said that perhaps na tional representation for District residents "would be a good thing.” ! , Worthy of Consideration. "It is worth considering when you are studying the whole question.” ; she added in answer to a question from Representative Jennings Ran- j dolph. chairman of the House Dis trict Committee, who with Repre sentative D'Alesandro and Repre- ' sentative Ambrose Kennedy, also of j the House District Committee, ques- ! tioned Mrs. Roosevelt during the session In asking his question about na- I tional representation, Mr. Randolph said: "It has seemed to some people who are living in the District of Co lumbia—who are actually bona fide residents and who cannot establish a residence in the State from which they came, where they can partici pate as voters—that they should have a right to vote for the President of the United States, perhaps for a i See INSTITUTIONS, Page A-10.) Answer Census Quiz, President Urges, Pledging Secrecy Co-operation of All Over 18 Is Asked in Proclamation Taking cognizance of recent po litical criticisms of the comprehen sive nature of the 16th decennial census scheduled to be undertaken on April 1, President Roosevelt to day called on all persons over 18 years of age to answer all questions involved, warned that failure would constitute a violation of law. and gave assurance there need be no fear of harm or improper use of the i material thus acquired. The President’s declaration was contained in a formal proclamation that the census is to be made, con cluding with the reminder that co operation in the country should be regarded as one of the requirements of good citizenship embraced within the variety of responsibilties en tailed in the preservation of life and liberty Tinder a free democracy. In recent weeks, frequent criti cism, much of it claiming unneces sary probing of personal matters by government for some “sinister” pur pose, nas Been directed at tne iortn coming census. Only a few days ago the administration leadership beat 1 down an effort in the House to cur ! tail the census funds as a means of I narrowing the scope of the study. Detailed questions about homes, farms, industrial properties and other resources are included in the comprehensive questionnaire al ready prepared. Defends Nature of Study. The President defended the com prehensive nature of the study as being essential to a measuring of the effects of "the difficult decade now closing” and as a guide for the fu ture. The proclamation follows: “Whereas, pursuant to the Act of Congress approved June 18, 1929, 48 Stat., 21, the 16th decennial cen sus of the United States will be taken beginning April 1, 1940, and “Whereas, the census, which will mark the 150th anniversary of the first United States census, is re quired by the Constitution of the United States to determine the ap portionment among the several l States of seats in the House of I Representatives, and I “Whereas, the information ob ; tained from the census inquiries ; Us year must present a complete i (See CENSUS, Page A-7.1 4 m D. C. Business Groups Ask Delay in Action On Job Tax Change Organizations Contend Amendment Is in Need Of Critical Study Members of the House District Committee had before them today formal requests from spokesmen for 1 20 Washington business groups for a delay in the vote on the proposed revision of the District Unemploy ment Compensation Act, to permit time for further study. Telegrams to this effect were sent last night to all members of the House District Committee following a lengthy joint meeting between authorized spokesmen for the vari ous organizations. The pending bill, which would reduce the pay roll tax rate from 3 to 2.7 per cent and liberalize benefit payments to the jobless, now is on the House calendar for action Monday. Want “Critical Examination.” Decision to seek a temporary delay in House action was reached after Li 1C glUUp UCUUCU IllttUV iCttlUICS U1 the bill needed “critical examina tion.” The joint meeting, held at the offices of the Board of Trade, at the invitation of its president, Law rence E. Williams, came after a week of intensive study of the meas ure by some of its officials. The following message was sent to the House District Committee members: “Duly authorized representatives of the organizations signing this telegram have today met and con sidered H. R. 7926, a bill to amend the District of Columbia Unemploy ment Compensation Act. The study of the bill by these groups, which has been in progress for the past week, has convinced them that there are many features of H. R. 7926 which need further study and critical examination before being enacted into law. We, therefore, join in requesting the House Com mittee on the District of Columbia to postpone action on H. R. 7926 for at least two weeks so that we may have an opportunity to further study the matter and discuss it with the District of Columbia Commit tee.” Ranks and Bar Sign. Spokesmen for the following groups signed the message: Wash ington Board of Trade, District (See JOB TAX, Page A-4.) * 15 Are Killed When Tornado Hits Albany, Ga. Several Hundred Hurt; 85% of Stores Reported Damaged By the Associated Press. ALBANY, Ga., Feb. 10—Between 12 and 15 persons were killed and several hundred injured by a tor nado which smashed the business section oi this Southwest Georgia city' today. Chairman L. R. Ferrell of the Albany Red Cross Chapter made the estimate of dead in a wire to Na tional Red Cross headquarters and told James R. Blair of the Amer icus Times-Recorder that "it was impossible to say” exactly how many. Mr. Blair said a Railway Express employe told him about 85 per cent of the business buildings and "sev eral hundreds homes" were either wrecked or badly damaged. He said all indications were the death list would run considerably higher, with many victims in one of the smaller hotels, but that no accurate check had been made. Guardsmen Ordered to City. Two companies of National Guardsmen were ordered to the city by Gov. E. D. Rivers. Heavy rain followed the winds, preventing fires, but making rescue work difficult. Debris littered streets of the city, whose population was 14.507 in 1930. Communication and power lines were damaged. Damage was estimated by Man I aging Editor W. M. Pryse of the Albany Herald at $3.000 000 W. B Bryan, manager of the tele phone company.' said the storm struck the business area near the post office. He said the New Albany Hotel, the ! Gordon Hotel, the St. Nicholas Hotel, the Royal Building. Radio Station WGPC and several other business structures along or near Pine avenue wuc uaiuagcu ui ucmuu&ucu. Hotel Unroofed. An estimate of the death toll awaited a check of street debris and the top floor of the unroofed St Nicholas Hotel. Martha Percilla. Atlanta Journal correspondent, reported to her news paper by telephone four hours after r the storm, "They are carrying out bodies." She said one residential area five blocks south of the business section, the 400 blocks of Oglethorpe and Highland avenues, was "swept clean,” by the tornado which struck the sleeping populace about 4:10 a m. Si?#ty State highway patrolmen were concentrated here from nearby cities to assist Albany authoritie* and guardsmen in rescue work. The Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital reported ambulances brought in injured persons so fast that floor space was used to care lor them. Power Lines Fail. Trees were leveled, buildings un roofed and windows smashed. The clock was blown from the dome of the Dougherty County Courthouse. The city was plunged into dark ness when power lines failed. Mr. Pryse reported a foot-square piece of paving was blown through an upstairs window of his home. Debris was scattered in the streets. Ambulance drivers were ordered to pick up only the injured, leaving the bodies for later. Roaring out of the Southwest, the tornado ripped through scores of shanties, smashed railroad proper ties around the station and unroof ed the depot, and crushed the walls of the buildings along the main business street. Mr. Pryse said the storm roared out of the Southwest "like a thou sand freight trains." Store Fronts Smashed. “Only the fact it came at night saved us from being another Gaines ville.” he declared. "Every store front downtown is smashed and many of the roofs are caved in." More than 200 nersons were killpd in the disastrous Gainesville, Ga., tornado in 1936. A quick survey of the Albany business section showed the three storv Elks Club building was wTeck ed. the floors and walls falling in'on stores on the ground floor. Rosenberg Bros., a department store, also was damaged: the three storv Sears Roebuck store, Wool worth. a new A. and P Super Market and the Binns Hotel were described by Mr. Pryse as ‘'almost complete wrecks.” 75 Red Cross Workers Ordered to Albany By the Associated Press. The Red Cross announced that 15 disaster relief workers would be sent to Albany. Ga., today. These include one physician. Dr. William De Kleine. medical director of the Red^Cross; three other per sons from ’ Washington headquar ters, including a nurse, six nurses from Macon. Ga., and five Red Cross representatives now in the State. Dr. De Kleine has a 3 p.m. plane reservation. De Witt C. Smith, the Red Cross’ national director of disaster relief, received a report from John Phil lips of the Albany Red Cross that 250 injured had been treated at 9 a.m. Mr. Phillips also reported an emergency hospital had been set up and that blankets and cots had been received from the United States Army post at Port Benning. Pope Marks Anniversary Of Pius XI's Death By the Associated Press. ! VATICAN CITY, Feb. 10.—Pop* Pius XII made an unprecedented appearance today in St. Peter s to participate in the pontifical mass commemorating the 1st anniversary of the death of Pope Pius XI. Although pontiffs usually do not attend these ceremonies, the Pope was reported to have wished to emphasize his close ties with his predecessor. V