Evening star. [volume], February 10, 1940, Image 1

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

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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