Evening star. [volume], August 10, 1940, Page A-16, Image 16

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

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Collision Hurls
Couple 30 Feet
Killing Woman
Mrs. Lillian Goodhart
Is 43d to Die Here
In Traffic This Year
Washington recorded its 43d
traffic accident death today as Mrs.
Lillian P. Goodhart, 66, of 1214 H
street N.W., was fatally injured last
night in an automobile collision at
Fourth and E streets S.E.
So terrific was the impact, police
said, that both Mrs. Goodhart and
her husband, Fred B. Goodhart, 66,
proprietor of a printing firm at 1214
H street N.W., were thrown 30 feet
from their car, which Mr. Goodhart
was driving. He is under treatment
for severe head and back injuries at
Casualty Hospital.
The driver of the other automobile,
Charles E. Wright, 20, of 218 C street
S.E., was treated for shock at Gal
linger Hospital. He is being held
for action of the coroner.
Toll Greater Last Year.
At this time last year 50 persons
had lost their lives in traffic acci
dents in the District.
A mother and her 5-year-old
daughter, who was operated on for
mastoiditis Monday, were injured
when their car was in collision with
one ariven by School Supt, Fletcher
Kemp of Arlington County yester
day afternoon.
The mother, Mrs. Patty Beck, 36.
of 2116 Sixteenth street north, Ar
lington, was charged by police with
failing to halt at a stop sign and
failing to have a driving permit.
The case has been set for Wednes
day in the County Police Court.
The collision occurred at Key
boulevard and North Veitch street.
Supt. Kemp was said to be un
injured. At the Beck home it was
Traffic Record
The traffic record as revealed
at police headquarters for 24
hour period ending at 8 a.m.
today:
Fatalities, 1 motorist.
Accidents, 32.
Motorists injured, 10.
Motorists arrested, 310.
Pedestrians injured. 2.
Pedestrians arrested for vio
lation of pedestrian protection
regulations, none.
stated the mother was confined to
bed, but that her daughter Alice
was not seriously hurt.
Two colored Washington residents
—Henry Pendleton, 30, of the 2200
block of Fourteenth street N.W., and
Mazwell Howard, 25, of the 600 block
of Twenty-first street N.E.—received
serious injuries early today when
their automobile overturned into a
ditch near Cookville, Md. They were
brought to Freedman's Hospital.
Two bicycle riders received minor
injuries when they were struck by
automobiles here yesterday. They
were Joseph C. Lina, 5. 603 Raleigh
street S.E., treated by a private
physician for head and arm injuries,
and Charles McDade. 15, colored, of
4801 Grant street N.W., admitted to
Casualty Hospital for treatment of
head lacerations.
Pennsylvania Woman Hurt.
Mrs. Helen Young, 27, of York,
Pa,, was treated at Alexandria (Va.)
Hospital early this morning for
lacerations on the face after a caj
in which she was riding struck an
electric light pole on U. S. Route 1 in
Arlington County. County police
said her husband, H. E. Young, was
driving.
Seven-month-old Barbara Gray,
colored, daughter of Mrs. Constance
Gray of the 300 block of G street
S.E., narrowly escaped injury when
she was knocked out of her baby
carriage yesterday by an automobile
that ran upon the sidewalk and
crashed into a telegraph pole near
where the child was being wheeled
by her sister. Providence Hospital
physicians said the baby suffered
only slight finger bruises.
Amendment Would Restrict
Debt Claims on Guardsmen
By the Associated Press.
The bill empowering President
Roosevelt to call out the National
Guard contains an amendment de
signed to protect militiamen and re
serves against the eviction of their
families or the loss of real or per
sonal property which they are buy
ing on the installment plan.
The provision was adopted in the
form of an amendment at the urg
ing of Senator Overton, Democrat,
of Louisiana.
Special court action must be un
dertaken by the serviceman's credi
tor or landlord to obtain either evic
tion or the repossession of the prop
erty involved. In such cases, the
court would be given wide discre
tion to bring about a settlement, or
to refuse the appeal of the creditor.
In the case of evictions, however,
this would not apply if the rent
were more than $50 monthly.
The War Department, it was
understood, was preparing a more
extensive amendment than that in
corporated by the Senate in the
National Guard bill. The depart
ment's amendment probably will be
offered in the House.
The Guard bill, as it now stands,
does not grant any relief for
Guardsmen unable to make pay
ment on insurance policies. Wheth
er such relief would be granted in
later amendments was not stated.
Naturalization Petition
Filed by Columnist
Igor Loiewski, better known as a
local newspaper columnist under
the name of Igor Cassifli, has filed
a petition for naturalization in Dis
trict Court.
He will be eligible for admission
as an American citizen early in
November if he passes the required
examinations, officials said yester
day.
Mr. Loiewski, who wants his name
as an American to be Igor Loiewski
Cassini, told the court he lives at
2501 Calvert street N.W., that he
wras born in Sebastopol, Russia, on
September 20, 1915. and that he
arrived in New York from Naples,
Italy, on February 11, 1937.
He has lived in the District of
Columbia since October, 1937. The
court is told in the petition that
his wife-is the former Miss Austine
McDonnell, native of Boston, to
whom he was married in Fred
ericksburg, Va., on February 12 of
this year.
OFF TO RACE AT AKRON—Fifteen-year-old Bill Jennings, Washington’s 1940 Soap Box Derby
champion, shown this morning saying good-by to his stepfather, Marion P. Wormhoudt, as he
and his mother, Mrs. Marion P. Wormhoudt, prepared to board an airplane for the finals tomor
row at Akron. Mr. Wormhoudt is expected to join them later. —Star Staff Photo.
Plan for Developing
Temple Heights
Pressed by Thurman
Associate Says Head
Of Syndicate Out of
City for Conferences
Roy S. Thurman of this city, head
of a syndicate which has signed
a contract for purchase of Temple
Heights from the Grand Lodge of
Masons for a price reported at close
to a million dollars, was out of the
city today consulting with other
persons "in furtherance” of the pro
posed $12,000,000 development for
the site.
This was announced by Charles
H. Bergazin, attorney, who is asso
ciated with Mr. Thurman in the
project. The contract, which called
for down payment of a considerable
but undisclosed sum, also provided
that the property should be paid
for in cash within 180 days. A
second period of 180 days is pro
vided with the stipulation that the
price goes up $1,000 each month,
after the first 180 days.
Approved by Lodge.
The contract was approved offi
cially by the Grand Lodge of Masons
on August 1, and signed by three
trustees for the lodge on August 5.
It was also signed by representa
tives of the syndicate on the same
date.
Needham C. Turnage, grand mas
ter of Masons, said that the Grand
Lodge had been attempting to solve
the problem of Temple Heights for
several years. Of many proposals
which had been discussed, he said,
this one was the most practical, and
had bene adopted by the Grand
Lodge. He believed it would be con
summated.
In the absence of Mr. Thurman,
head of the purchasing syndicate,
Mr. Bergazin, his attorney and asso
ciate, announced plans were pro
gressing rapidly, and that a com
prehensive layout had been designed
for the site.
Hotel Considered.
Inquiries had been received, he
said, looking toward the construc
tion of an 800-room, air-conditioned
hotel for the site, proposed by one
of the "leading hotel firms in the
country.”
Mr. Thurman for many years was
managing director of the National
Library Foundation. In addition to
Mr. Thurman and Mr. Bergazin, the
latter said there was one other per
son interested in the syndicate,
whose name could not be disclosed
at the present time.
Negotiations for the Grand Lodge,
Mr. Turnage said, were carried on
by the committee on sale, headed
by Vernon Owens, and the Grand
Lodge officially approved the com
mittee report and contract for sale.
The property now has a trust
of $330,000 on it. Contributions by
Masons toward purchase of the
property, it was divulged, had
amounted to about $550,000. But
when the depression struck, the
Grand Lodge took over the burden
and carried the property, so that
there has never been a default in
any payment.
Mrs. M. C. McNamara
Dies After Year's Illness
Mrs. Margaret C. McNamara, 75,
widow of John P. McNamara, Wash
ington policeman, died yesterday at
her home, 1429 Holly street N.W.,
after a year's illness.
A native of Washington, Mrs. Mc
Namara was the daughter of the late
Andrew and Catherine Slattery
Sullivan. She was a lifelong resi
dent of the District and was a mem
ber of the Sodality of the Catholic
Church of the Nativity and a mem
ber of the United States Golden
Cross.
Mrs. McNamara leaves a daughter,
Mrs. J. P. Hayden, and a son, Frank
V. McNamara, both of Washington;
a sister, Mrs. Mary McCambridge
of Indianapolis.
Funeral services will be held at
Monday at 9:30 am. at the home,
followed by mass at 10 am. at the
Church of the Nativity. Burial will
be in Rock Creek Cemetery.
V. F. W. Post Offers
Services to President
Members of Follow Me-Defense
Post, No. 1830, Veterans of Foreign
Wars, unanimously adopted a reso
lution Thursday placing the services
of the post at the disposal of the
President in case of a national
emergency.
Comdr. Sidney R. Snider requested
all members to register with him
so they would be readily available
in case of a call for local service.
Island Bought at Half Price
Due to Be Parkway Attraction
Sherwin Isle Near Great Falls Sold Cheaply
On Condition Its Name Be a Memorial
When the long-awaited George
Washington Memorial parkway is
completed some years hence and its
park-bordered roadway stretches on
both sides of the Potomac River
from Mount Vernon and Fort Wash
ington to Great Falls, perhaps one
of the most popular places in its
entire length will be an island in the
river a few miles below the falls.
At present only a few lovers of the
river and its out-of-the-way picnic
spots know Sherwin Island well. At
least that is what its name has been
since the Government bought it last
winter.
It had been known for years by
the names Cupids Bower and Crows
Nest Island. It holds a very special
place in the hearts of many Wash
ingtonians who use it for camping
and picnicking.
About 23 acres in area, it is situ
ated off the north bank of the river
just above the old Anglers’ Club on
Conduit road and is separated from
the mainland in low water only by a
small and nearly stagnant channel
which becomes a raging torrent in
time of flood. Another channel sep
arates it from the much larger
Bear Island at the head of which
is Great Falls.
Ideal Picnic Spot.
Abundant driftwood, water
smoothed rocks and an occasional
sandy beach make it an ideal picnic
spot. From its rocky heights a fine
view of the river can be had.
It is named for G. W. F. Sherwin,
a pioneer city planner, engineer,
educator and philanthropist. A
native of Erie, Pa., he had little to
do with Washington and vicinity.
His life was spent mainly in the
rapidly expanding Midwest or in
Erie. He was successful as an en
gineer, helping plan railroads and
new towns. In addition he was a
member of the original board of
trustees of Iowa State Agricultural
College, served as a public official
from time to time, helped found the
Erie Y. M. C. A. and was one of the
earliest members of the National
Historical Society.
His son, James M. Sherwin, is a
successful Erie attorney, the first
president of the Erie Chamber of
Commerce. It is the latter who
bought the island Some years ago,
“just because I'd always wanted to
own an island.”
' Sold for Half Price.
When the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission mapped
its program for buying land for the
memorial parkway it realized the
river islands would be a desirable
adjunct to any parkway which was
constructed.
Negotiations last summer with Mr.
Sherwin resulted in a price on his
part of $8,000. But he told the
commission’s land purchasers he
would agree to half that much pro
viding the commission guaranteed
changing the name of the island to
Sherwin ^Island, in honor of his
father.
The planners, part of whose pur
pose is to buy as much land as
possible with as little money as pos
sible, jumped at a chance to save
$4,000 out of the $300,000 they had
available for parkway purchases
between the District line and Great
Falls in Maryland.
After the United States Board on
Geographic Names signified its ap
proval of the change in name the
deal was closed.
Mr. Sherwin, who takes a great
interest in the island, is planning
to donate to the Government, if it
wants it, valuable plant material
from his estate near Erie for use in
landscaping the island. He has in
mind dogwood, Japanese maple and
Blarney Castle ivy from Ireland.
Buying of Democratic Ads
Is Illegal, Bridges Says
Senator Bridges, Republican, of
New Hampshire declared today that
the Democratic National Committee
was causing “thousands of citizens”
to violate the Hatch Act through
sale of advertising in its campaign
book.
Attorney General Jackson, he said,
“gratuitously pointed out a loop
hole in the section (of the Hatch
Act) dealing with political adver
tising due to the fact Congress
omitted the word ‘sale’ from the
act’s provisions.”
He warned that “while the Demo
cratic Committee may think it can
escape by a loophole,” he had no
doubt that “buyers of advertising in
Democratic books and those who
buy the books are violating the
law.”
Whatever Mr. Jackson “may say
in his effort to protect the Demo
cratic National Committee, the fact
remains that the Hatch Act makes
it unlawful for any person, corpo
ration of group to ‘purchase or buy’
advertising in a campaign book and
it also makes it unlawful to ‘pur
chase or buy’ such books when the
profits benefit a candidate for Fed
eral office,” Senator Bridges de
clared in a statement issued by the
Republican National Committee.
Suit Claims Ownership,
Seeks to Stop Building
A suit filed by Mrs. Ellen Mar
shall, 1317 Peabody street N.W.,
who claims adverse possession of
an 8-foot-wide strip of land ad
joining her property and asks that
completion of an apartment on the
next door premises be held up, will
be heard at District Court Thursday
morning.
Attorney Dorsey K. Offutt, rep
resenting Mrs. Marshall, said his
client has used the strip of land
for flower growing and has been built
a shed on it. Mr. Offutt explained
that if a party has had sole use of
land, regardless of who owns it, for
15 years, then the user may claim
it as his own by adverse possession.
Mrs. Marshall has been living on
her property for more than 40 years,
it was said.
Mrs. Marshall asks for $10,000
damages as well as injunction to
halt the builders from completing
the apartment house, a 14-unit,
three-story structure almost fin
ished.
Defendants in the suit are the
Nalpak Realty Co. and the Standard
Construction Co., Inc., both of 416
Fifth street N.W., and the Crane
Service Co., Inc., 1042 Twenty-ninth |
street N.W.
!
Stargazers Can See
Meteor Shower Tonight
Stargazers tonight will witness
the beginning of the annual meteor
shower, which should reach a peak
of intensity tomorrow and Monday
nights.
Astronomers predicted that alert
observers should be able to see more
than bO “fiery space bullets” an
hour during the height of the
shower.
The Perseids shower, sometimes
known as “the Tears of St. Law
rence,” occurs throughout most of
August and presumably is caused by
the debris of a broken-up comet
passing through the earth’s atmos
phere. A somewhat similar shower
occurs in October.
Local amateur astronomers, who
will turn out tonight to gaze at the
stars and half moon through home
made telescopes in Meridian Hill
Park, hope to get occasional
glimpses of the meteors through
their instruments.
The phenomena can best be ob
served, however, through field
glasses or the naked eye.
Akron Greets
Soap Box Derby
Champ of D. C.
Bill Jennings to Race
In All-American
Finals Tomorrow
By GEORGE HADDOCK,
Star Staff Correspondent.
AKRON, Ohio, Aug. 10.—Bill Jen
nings, Washington’s entry in the
All-American Soap Box Derby, got
his first glimpse of Derby Downs
today as the airliner which carried
him from Washington circled the
course before landing at the air
port.
As soon as he stepped out of the
plane he was plunged into the ex
citing pace that characterizes pre
Derby activities. Greeted by Derby
officials, he then was rushed in a
special Derby car behind police mo
torcycles to the Mayflower Hotel,
headquarters for Derby champions
and officials.
As soon as he entered the- hotel
he was taken in tow by more offi
cials, and before he had quite
caught his breath he was registered
for the race and for a room, had
been issued two Derby shirts, had
been fitted for a helmet and cap,
and shunted along to another desk.
There he received instructions on
mealtimes, bedtimes and the hours
for meetings.
This afternoon he is scheduled to
take Stuff, the underslung speedster
he drove to victory in Washington’s
Derby on July 13, and make a trial
run at Derby Downs.
Courses Much Different.
Bill will find the Akron course
considerably different from Wash
ington’s 1940 track on Pennsylvania
avenue S.E. Both tracks are ap
proximately 1.000 feet long, but
where the Washington course main
tains a 6-degree slope to within
200 feet of the finish line, the Akron
course has a much steeper slope
for more than a third of the way,
and then levels off sharply for the
remaining distance.
It has been found that the Derby
coaster racers gain their maximum
speed about half-way down the
Akron course. Bill’s racer was just
beginning to open up on the Wash
ington course as he crossed the fin
ish line, and the Akron course
should prove to be to his advantage.
Bill was eager to try out his home
built racer, but refrained from mak
ing any too-optimistic predictions.
”1 think I have a fast car,” he
said, ‘‘but you never can tell what
somebody else will come up with.”
More Than 100 to Compete.
Tonight Bill and the more than
100 other city champions from all
over the United States will be treat
ed to shows or a baseball game and
then packed off to bed so they’ll be
in good shape for tomorrow's race.
After breakfast tomorrow, the
boys will be given last-minute in
structions before going to the track,
and then they'll pile into cars and
buses and be on their way.
Racing usually gets under way
around noon, with the little cars
coming down the hill three at a
time. After an afternoon of elimi
nation races, one youngster will
emerge as the All-American Soap
Box Derby champion, and will be
awarded a four-year college schol
arship, a diamond-set medal and a
gold-finish trophy. A prize of an
automobile, a medal and a trophy
will go to the second-place winner;
miniature racing cars with gasoline
motors will be awarded to third and
fourth-place winners, and fifth and
sixth place winners will receive
medals and trophies.
The awards will be made at a
banquet after the races tomorrow
night.
C.I.O. Protests C.C.C.
Plan to Buy Prison Shoes
By the Associated Press.
The United Shoe Workers of
America protested yesterday to the
Civilian Conservation Corps against
what the union said were plans to
order 300,000 pairs of shoes to be
made at the Leavenworth (Kans.)
Penitentiary.
Frank McGrath, president of the
union, affiliated with the C. I. O.,
said workers in the shoe industry
could not afford to lose hundreds of
thousands of dollars in wages that
would be lost if the shoes were made
by convict labor.
He said that a year ago the union
protested granting of contracts for
making shoes at the Leavenworth
prison.
Band Concert
By the United States Soldiers’
Home Band at the Soldiers’ Home
bandstand this evening at 6:30
o’clock. John S. M. Zimmermann,
bandmaster; Anton Pointner, as
sistant.
Helen Traubel Completely
An American Musician
New Residence Limit
For Policemen and
Firemen Opposed
D. C. Officials Protest
Change to 12 Miles
From City Boundaries
Protest to Congress against pro
posed legislation which would per
mit members of the District Police
and Fire Departments to reside not
more than 12 miles from the District
boundary lines was made today by
the District Commissioners.
Chairman Randolph of the House
District Committee was officially
notified in a letter by Commissioner
Hazen. He wrote that the Commis
sioners agree on this with Maj.
Ernest W. Brown, superintendent of
police, and Stephen T. Porter, chief
of the Fire Department.
The argument was that to permit a
policeman or fireman to live 12
miles from the District line might
extend the present limit of 12 miles
from the Capitol Building to about
20 miles.
Chaiman Randolph had intended
to poll his committee the first of the
week on this measure, due to the
vigorous opposition of the District
officials, but is expected to abandon
that plan.
Commissioner Hazen's letter said:
“Since the United States Capitol
and the White House are two of the
strategic points which the District
and Federal authorities have desig
nated for the assembling of a large
number of police and firemen in
cases of unusual emergency, the
rendering of efficient service, if the
radius was increased, would become
more difficult.” Mr. Hazen also em
phasized that the ^Jpard of Police
and Fire Surgeons would have prac
tically “no supervision” over mem
bers of these service forces living
outside the District.
“From a practical standpoint,” he
continued, “it is not possible to
check with any degree of efficiency
on the sick calls of members living
so far away from the District of
Columbia proper.”
Maryland Legislators
Asked to Oppose Draft
Sidney R. Katz, secretary-treas
urer of the Maryland and District
Industrial Union Council, has writ
ten to Senators Tydings and Rad
cliffe and to Maryland Representa
tives urging them to oppose the con
scription bill.
C. I. O. affiliates here and in Bal
timore have gone on record against
the legislation, Mr. Katz said, as
have the United Automobile Workers
of America, the second largest union
of the C. I. O.
AN ISLAND MEMORIAL—Sherwin Island, formerly called Cupids Bower, which as a part of
the development in connection with the projected Potomac Parkway, will be a memorial.
—Photo by Fairchild Aerial Surveys, Inc.
HELEN TRAVBEL.
—Star Staff Photo.
listen to her sing. He did.
“When I had finished singing he
kissed me right out in front of
the orchestra,” Miss Traubel said.
“Then he said ‘Where have you
been? What are you doing here?’”
First Trip to Capital.
Later she sang with the Phila
delphia Orchestra, the Minneapolis
Symphony Orchestra and later, of
course, in New York. Now she has
concert tours scheduled, radio ap
pearances booked and will sing with
the Metropolitan Opera next sea
son.
This is Miss Traubel's first trip
to Washington. Being a famous
singer hasn’t defeated the sight
seeing impulse in her and she is
determined to do a little touring
around Washington if she can sand
wich in the trips between rehearsals.
Miss Traubel will share honors
tomorrow night with Charles O’Con
nell, guest conductor, on the pro
gram which will begin at 8 o’clock.
Unscheduled Speaker
Reminds Anti-Draft
Rally of Norway
Student Union Meeting
Finally Quiets Youth
Who Saw Nazi Victory
An “anti-draft rally” called by the
American Student Union to protest
“being taken away from home and
Job to be stuffed into a military
career” was thrown into temporary
turmoil last night by denunciation
from a youpg member of the audi
ence who gained the floor to declare
he had attended similary anti-con
scription meetings in Norway last
year—and had remained in Oslo
long enough to see the German
Army march in.
Identifying himself as Reidar
Claffy, an American citizen of mixed
Norwegian and Irish descent, former
Oslo University student, he attrib
uted the fall of Norway to “the fact
that, despite their descent from
the Vikings, the young men did not
know how how to hold a gun.”
Invasion “Impossible.”
Previously Morton Nash, principal
scheduled speaker, had stated that
“America must be kept out of war
at any cost.” and had stated that it
is “mechanically impossible” for any
hostile power to invade the United
States.
"Bombers would have to carry so
much gas and oil to get here that
they couldn't carry their bombs—
which would be kind of silly,” said
Mr. Nash, who is financial director
of the Washington Peace Mobiliza
tion, now organizing a delegation
to a national “emergency peace”
rally in Chicago over Labor Day
week end.
Claffy Muffled.
Mr. daffy retorted that "young
Norwegians also went to bed at
night thinking they would wake
up a free people.” He said that
when surprise attack came, the
nation was unprepared in arms and
training—that their resistance was
symbolized by an old farmer woman
who slashed a German soldier with
an old-fashioned scythe.
After repeated demands from the
floor, Mr. Claffy's remarks were
terminated by the presiding officer,
Bernard Fonoroff of the student
union, who stated his organization
is alive to the danger of Fascism
from without, but is determined
fifst to defeat “the danger of
Fascism within.” The meeting was
held at the Y. W. C. A., Seven
teenth and K streets N.W.
Cantor Schiffman
To Sing in Capital
Boris Schiffman, famous cantor,
has accepted an invitation to con
duct a special Mariv service at the
Ohev Sholom Congregation, Fifth
and I streets N.W., on the night
of September 8._
The cantor will
be assisted by a
New York sym
phonic choir
under the direc
tion of Joseph
Lebow.
The service
will be followed
by a concert of
liturgical music,
operatic arias
and Yiddish and
other folk songs.
Cantor Schiff
man is the only
cantor ever to be Canter Sehiffman.
given a contract by the Chicago
Civic Opera Co. He was signed to
sing the role of Eleazar in Halevi's
opera “La Juive,” a role made
famous by Enrico Caruso.
Jacob Bass is president of the
Ohev Sholom Congregation.
Marshall Flies West
To View Maneuvers
Gen. George C. Marshall, Army
chief of staff, today was en route
by plane to view the 4th Army man
euvers. He left Bolling Field for
Camp Ripley, Minn., and Fort
Lewis, Wash., to watch 80,000 Regu
lars, Guardsmen and Reservists in
action.
The 4th Army during these man
euvers has the second largest assem
bly of troops, the largest being the
1st Army, which has more than 100,
000 men.
Lesh Cites Case
Of U. S. Workers
In Vole Plea
Have No Ballot
Elsewhere, He Says
In Radio Speech
Pointing out that most Govern
ment employes who work here are
long-time residents of Washington
who have no vote elsewhere, Paul
Lesh, attorney and vice chairman
of the Citizens’ Joint Committee on
National Representation, last night
outlined in a radio speech the need
for support of the pending Sumners
resolution providing a constitutional
amendment to empower Congress to
grant District residents national
representation.
Mr. Lesh termed as "false” the
"oft-repeated statement that most
of our people who wish to vote
could vote elsewhere if they wanted
to.”
He broadcast as guest speaker on
the Washington Junior Board of
Commerce over Station WOL to in
form the radio audience that that
group has indorsed national repre
sentation for the District and is sup
porting the Sumners resolution
pending in the House and corre
sponding resolution introduced by
Senator King in the Senate. Mr.
Lesh was introduced by Charles E.
Smoot, vice president of the Junior
Board.
Long Residents of D. C.
"We have it said to us that there
are now 130.000 employes in the civil
service who live here,” Mr. Lesh
said. “The ones who say this imply
that these are all newcomers or
transients. They forget that the
great bulk of these people, numerous
as they are, are long-time residents
of Washington.
“Many of them in the old estab
lised branches of the Government
know no other home. The number
includes the Patent Office with its
trained and permanent personnel,
the Agriculture Department, the
Bureau of Standards with employes
of scientific training and attainment
and all the minor personnel of the
departments, experienced and per
manent." *
An additional fact which is often
overlooked, Mr. Lesh continued, is
that many Government employes
live outside the District in surround
ing counties where they can vote.
. “My point,” he explained, “is that
the Federal employes who work here
are not all among the people of the
District, who, according to the 1940
census figure number 663,000.”
W hy Should Youth Move?
Speaking of the young men who
have no opportunity to participate
in affairs of the Nation because they
live in 'Washington, Mr. Lesh said:
‘‘Why should they be told to move
out of town if they want a vote for
President or representation in Con
gress which governs all of the Na
tion and their community in par
ticular?”
“Consider our sister republics in
South America whose governments
were modeled after ours,” he con
tinued. “They have set up federal
districts for the seat of the govern
ment just as did we. But the young
men of Rio and Buenos Aires and
Mexico City are not told to move
out of town if they want to have
anything to do with the govern
ment of their nation. Argentina,
Brazil and Mexico, in following our
example, stopped short of disabling
the residents of their capital cities
in national affairs.”
Referring to members of the
Washington Junior Board of Com
merce as “typical young Americans,
intelligent, able and ambitious,” he
asserted that their only disability
as young Americans fit to partici
pate in the government of the Na
tion through the ballot box is the
fact that they are residents of the
District.
Population Exeeds 8 States.
He also pointed out in his address
that the population of the District,
as of 1930, exceeded that of eight
States and the population of the
District has increased by almost
180,000 persons in the last decade.
In addition, he said, the District
paid a larger amount in Federal
revenue in 1938 than was paid by
any one of 24 States.
Meanwhile, Chairman Sumners of
the House Judiciary Committee, au
thor of the proposed constitutional
amendment, plans to go before the
House Rules Committee on Tuesday
to ask that a special rule be granted
to speed consideration of his reso
lution by the House. Mr. Sumners
will be accompanied by Representa
tive Guyer of Kansas, ranking Re
publican member of the Judiciary
Committee, and Chairman Randolph
of the House District Committee,
who will support him in his request.
The resolution pending in the House
was amended by the Judiciary Com
mittee to limit the body in which
Congress might give District resi
dents national representation to the
House instead of to both houses of
Congress.
The corresponding resolution in
troduced in the Senate is in the
form of the original Sumners reso
lution, making it permissive for
Congress to grant representation in
both houses. Action will not be
taken in the Senate, however, until
after the House Rules Committee
has acted and Representative Sum
ners has appeared before the sub
committee of the Senate Judiciary
Committee to explain his resolution.
Hull Delays Measure
To Reimburse Biddle
By the Associated Press.
Ambassador Anthony J. Drexel
Biddle; jr„ arriving home today
from the fighting zones of Europe,
may have to wait until after the war
to collect for his valuable art works
and other property lost in the Ger
man bombing of Warsaw last year.
A bill pending in the Senate since
last May to reimburse the envoy to
Poland $243,361 for the destroyed
valuables was put aside on the ad
vice of Secretary of State Hull.
The Secretary wrote the Senate
Claims Committee that he wanted
to facilitate payment of Mr. Biddle
or others for their losses, but
thought it preferable to “await re
ports from all our officers and em
ployes who may have suffered losses
in this particular catastrophe.”
The Biddle losses have not been
disclosed in detail either by the
State Department or Senator Guffey
Democrat, of Pennsylvania, who in
troduced the bill. But they were
said to include rich tapestries,
paintings and antique furniture.
Water Gate Soloist 4
Refused to Finish
Training Abroad
In Helen Traubel, soloist with the
National Symphony Orchestra at
the Water Gate concert tomorrow
night, Washingtonians will hear a
singer as American as the install
ment plan.
She is one singer who believed
it was unnecessary to put in an
apprenticeship in Germany or Italy
before being accepted as a singer
in this country. She said, talking
to reporters yesterday, that many
people—all of them with convincing
arguments—tried to persuade her
to finish her training in Europe, but
she was sure she could receive ex
cellent instruction here, and equally
sure that when she was ready, the
American people would accept her
even without the background
supplied by European triumphs.
She was right. After her ap
pearance with the New York Phil
harmonic Symphony Orchestra
when she sang solos from Wagner’s
"Gotterdammerung,” she was hailed
as a new sensation by critics and
public alike. This triumph cemented
the approval already given for two
previous New York performances.
Born in St. Louis.
Her success, however, had come
the long, hard way.
Yesterday, she said she had been
interested in music as long as she
could remember, and had studied
since she was a little girl. Her
mother was a concert singer, and
Miss Traubel made her first pro
fessional appearance in St. Louis,
where she was born.
One of her most satisfying experi
ences, she said, came when she was
scheduled to sing with the St. Louis
Orchestra, with Walter Damrosch as
guest conductor. Told who was to
be his soloist, Mr. Damrosch said:
"But who is this girl? You can’t
do this.”
He was persuaded to at least