K
VOL. LX NO. 18,8G
Entered at Portland (Oregon)
Pnmofflr ss Seond-Clss Mutter
PORTLAND, OREGON, sATl RDAY, FEIiRUARY 5, 1921
PRICE FIVE CENTS
CHARLES SCKSEL
sum er CRIPPLE
DRY AGENTS CAPTURE
AUTOS WORTH MILLION
JOKER IS EXPOSED;
ROAD DEAL HALTED
THOUSANDS AT SHOW
CHEER MRS. HARDING
OHIO GIRLS IX CAST .GIVE
BOCQrET OF CARXATIOXS.
BUSINESS REVIVAL
IS EXPECTED SOON
FIRE FOUGHT DURING
SHAM BATTLE IN AIR
NATION WILL CALL1
FOOL EVEN HOBBY
250,000 GALLONS OF. WHISKY
SEIZED BY GOVERXMEXT.
FIXAXCIERS EXCOURAGED BY
FLIERS BATTLE FOR LIFE FX
KXOWX TO SPECTATORS.
GENERAL CONDITION'S-
ADOPTED BABIES
mm
E CONFAB
V
Fancied Grievances Lead
J. C. Poeschl to Deed.
MEDAL HELD BY ASSAILANT
Award for Saving Train Made
by Legislature.
LOSS OF SUIT IS FACTOR
Blame for Failure to Get Big
Amount of Damages for In
juries Is Laid to Lawyer.
Charles J. Schnabel, prominent at
torney of Portland, was shot in the
back and fatally wounded by Joseph
C. Poeschl, an ex-client, as he was
about , to enter an elevator on the.
third floor of the court house shortly
after 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon.
He died In an ambulance on the way
to a hospital.
Fancied grievances against the
lawyer, harbored for more than ten
years by Poeschl. who was crippled
in a railroad accident in 1910 and
was obsessed with the idea that much
of his suffering and failure to re
ceive heavy damages from the South
ern Pacific company was due to Mr.
Schnabel. furnished the motive for
the killing. Investigation by Dis
trict Attorney Evans yesterday led
to the conclusion that Poeschl was
a paranoiac or a very clever actor.
Mnrder Intent Denied.
. "I didn't kill him. I just shot be
tween his legs to scare him." declared
the slayer at the county Jail a few
minutes after the shooting. He re
fused to believe that his victim was
dead.
Mr. Schnabel was talking
August bchirmer. deputy sheriff, con
cerning a case in which he was in
terested in the district court when,
without warning. there was the click
or a hammer against a cartridge
which railed to explode, followed by
the report of the revolver as th
second pull on the trigger was su
cessTUL Poeschl was not more than
13 feet from the attorney and th
rang was point-blank.
Without a sound. Mr. Schnabel
staggered toward a supporting col
uran of the court house and collapsed.
He never regained consciousness.
. Fnsritlve Easily Cansat.
Deputy Sheriff Schirmer meanwhile
had whipped out his automatic and
had started for Poeschl. who had
broken Into a halting run. At th
same moment, persons began crowd
ing from the courtroom of Circui
Judge Tucker at the far end of the
corridor, toward which the man was
hobbling, propelled by a single
crutch and good leg.
"Clear away, back there,;" shouted
Schirmer to the people in the back
grouud; then, addressing Poeschl
"Put that gun in your pocket and
your hands up, and be quick about it.
Poeschl obeyed and was disarmed
Schirmer then turned and helped
carry Mr. Schnabel into the chambers
of Judge Stapleton, nearby. No blood
was seen and the first assumptio
was that the lawyer had fainted. The
gathering crowd began to search the
corridor in the vicinity of the elevator
for the bullet mark or spent bullet.
An ambulance arrived shortly and
the wounded man was started for a
hospital. Death occurred on the way
and the body was removed to the
morgue.
Bullet Enters Back.
Examination by Coroner Smith dis
closed that the bullet had entered the
back and ranged upward, piercing
the heart.
Mrs. Schnabel was notified by Dis
trict Attorney Evans of the shooting
of her husband and started for the
hospital. He had died before she
reached him.
Poeschl came into prominence in
1917 when the state legislature voted
him a gold medal in recognition of
his supposed bravery in saving prop
erty and lives at the sacrifice of bis
own limb and health in 1910. At
various times, prominent citizens
were Interested In his case and en
deavored to have him pensioned by
the state. He never received a cent
from the railroad company, having
refused a proffered settlement of
$2800, and a Jury in the federal court
having found for the railroad in
damage action brought.
At the time of his accident there
was no mention of bravery or the
risk of his life to save others, and
there has been much question as to
the facts which he later related con
eernlng the incident.
Schnabel Once His Attorney.
The law firm of Schnabel & La
Roche was retained by Poeschl fol
lowing the accident and asked to
bring suit against the railroad com
pany. W. P. La Roche, whose partnership
with Mr. Schnabel was dissolved in
1913 upon accepting the post of city
attorney, commented on the case
yesterday as follows:
"Poeschl was a bridge carpenter
working on a Southern Pacific trestle
south of Fulton on January 4, 1910.
A train appeared unexpectedly and
all the workmen but Poeschl ran
from the structure. Poeschl ran
toward one end of the trestle, changed
his mind and started for the other
end, when he caught his foot be-
(Concluded oa Page 2. Column 2.)
$200,000 Requested to Guard
Property Taken in Enforcement
of Prohibition Law.
WASHINGTON', Feb. 4. More than
250,000 gallons of whisky and auto
mobiles worth $1,000,000 are now in
the possession or the government, as
a result of its campaign against the
illicit commerce in liquor, according
to Wayne B. Wheeler, counsat for the
Anti-Saloon league.
To guard this and other property
seized by the government in enforce
ment of prohibition, the sundry civil
appropriation bill, reported today to
the senate, ret aside $200,000 as re
quested by Mr. Wheeler.
The seized liquor and automobiles,
according to testimony of Mr. Wheeler
before the senate committee, made
public today, are to be sold by the
government. In some cases, Mr.
Wheeler told the committee, federal
marshals had refused to take care of
the confiscated evidence. Mr. Wheeler
said that prohibition enforcement has
been 50 per cent effective in some
places. He said that no good reason
had yet been found for transferring
prohibition enforcement from the
treasury department to the depart
ment of justice.
TENANT FARMERS WARNED
Join Union or Leave, Ultimatum ol
Alabama Organization.
BRIDGEPORT, Ala., Feb. 4. Masked
right riders with horses covered with
white cloth descended upon a score of
non-union farm renters last night
and served notice that they must
"either join the tenants' union or
leave your farms within 10 days.
They also called upon landowners
e.nd demanded that only union farm
ers be employed or given shelter.
The demonstration. It is understood,
was a result of differences arising
between landowners and union ten
ants over requests of the latter for a
ralf share in the crops instead of
one-third, as has heretofore been the
basis of land leasing.
SLAYER OF CHUM HANGED
Murderer Neither KuLs Nor Sleeps
Two Days Before Death.
SAN QUENTIN. Cal., Feb. 4.
James C. Clark was hanged at the
aiate prison today for the murder of
Richard RevelL a companion, two
years ago in an argument arising
from Clark's accusation that Revell
had stolen $76 of his money.
Clark had neither eaten nor slept
since - Wednesday, prison officials
said. He refused to notice a special
chicken dinner prepared for him last
night.
He was haggard and seemed near
collapse as he approached the gal
lows, but walked to the trap without
assistance.
PARISIANS GET TOGETHER
Organized Move for Profit-Sharing
in Industry Started.
PARIS. Feb. 4. The first organized
effort1 to introduce in France the
system of sharing the profits of in
dustrial enterprises with workmen
was inaugurated in Paris today when
representatives of employers and
workmen met to frame such a plan.
Deputy Godart. former under-secre-
tary in the ministry of war, cited
several individual cases of French'
manufacturers who have adopted the
system with excellent results. The
employers and workmen formed sepa
rate committees to draw up tentative
projects.
GOLD FOUNDJN CHICKEN
Five Xuggcts Taken From Craw of
Bird Prepared for Dinner.
MEDFORD, Or., Feb. 4. (Special.)
While preparing a chicken for cook
ing today Miss Grace Orde, a nurse
living in the Holland apartments.
found a rich gold pocket in the chick
en's craw and extracted five nuggets
about the size of small peas of an
estimated value of $5.
Before its demise the chicken lived
in the Jacksonville district. It is not
unusual to f'nd one nugget in the
craw of a fowl, but five is a. record
for thia section.
MAYOR IS P0LICE CHIEF
Bend Executive Appoints Himself
Head of Department.
BEND. Or Feb. 4. (Special.)
Emulating the example of the city
executive of Portland, Mayor Gilson
has appointed himself chief of police
of Bend, to serve without compensa
tion, it was announced today.
The Job is not a strenuous one.
however, for the mayor has named
three assistants n addition to the
night officer already appointed.
Bend has been without a - police
chief since January 4. although no
less than 22 men bad filed their
applications for the post.
0BREG0N FETES McADOOS
Mexican President Host to Family
of ex-Secretary of Treasury.
MEXICO CITY. Feb. 4. WUIJara G.
McAdoo, formerly secretary of the
United States treasury was formally
received by President Obregon at the
ational palace -this morning.
He and Mrs. McAdoo accepted the
nvitation of the preeldent for dinner
in Cbapultepes castle tonight.
I
Roosevelt Highway E
Encounters Snag.
SENATE "TRADE" DISCLOSED
Support Pledged for Suppor
of Irrigation.
RECALL NOW IS PROPOSED
Iniquities of Measure Within Ace
of Passage Exposed Just in
Time by Commissioners.
STATE HOUSE, Salem, Or., Feb. 4.
(Special.) The Roosevelt' highway
bill sponsored by Senators Hall and
Norblad has struck a snag. Although
the advocates of the bill are con
tinuing an active campaign and have
planned an aggressive battle, they are
rapidly losing ground.
The appearance of Highway Com
missioners Booth, Teon and Barratt
on the scene has upset the programme
which was worked out to push the
Roosevelt highway bill through the
house. The commissioners did not
arrive a day too soon.
Senator Vinton made a motion to
day to recall the highway measure
from the house and return it to the
senate for reconsideration ' of the
vote by which It was taken.
Owing to absence of one senator,
called away suddenly on account of
illness in his family, the matter has
been postponed until Monday.
Attitude Changes Noted.
Senator Vinton says that a number
of senators who supported the bill
have come .to him and offered to
change their votes to kill the measure
It opportunity is afforded. Only four
votes were cast against the Roosevelt
highway bill when It passed the sen
ate. It will require a majority to
table the bill or kill It.
The house committee on roads and
highways, where the bill now rests,
feels like a man holding an infernal
machine. The house adjourned today
for the week-end before the commit
tee could act. Monday morning the
senate may recall the measure.
which will be. perfectly, satisfactory
to the house committee.
Senator Norblad announced today
that he and Senator Hall will issue
a public statement challenging the
figures submitted by the highway
commission relative to the amount of
money that has been spent on the
coast road. Senator Norblad contends
that the highway commission has not
expended the sum which the commis
sion states, and fhat the money was
Concluded on Pas 4, Column 2.)
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Spotlight Focused on Next First
Lady, Who Smiles as Theater
- Patrons Applaud.
. NEW YORK, Feb. 4. Mrs. Warren
G. Harding, smiling into the glare of
a spotlight flashed upon her theater
box. received a noisy greeting from
several thousand matinee spectators
at the Hippodrome this afternoon.
All of her other trips outside her
hotel suite were so closely guarded
that few recognized the future lady
of the land, but attention was focused
upon her today when Madge Loomis
of 'Cincinnati, one of the leading
dancers at the theater, appeared In
Mrs. Harding's box between acts with
a huge bouquet of scarlet carnations,
the state flower of Ohio. She pre
sented them as the g'ft of 40 Ohio
girls in the cast. The orchestra be
gan playirc "Beautiful Ohio" and the
lights were concentrated on Mrs.
Harding.
Later her favorite air, "The End of
a Perfect Day," was played and Mrs.
Harding led In the applause. Over
looking her box were 80 orphan chil
dren from Jersey City, N. J., each
munching a box of chocolates which
she had sent them.
Crowds gathered in the street near
the side entrance, where Mrs. Hard
ing's car awaited her, and she stopped
and smiled to the accompaniment of
cheers and the clicking of movie cam
eras upon emerging from the theater.
Tonight she visited another theater
with her companions, Mrs. Edward
B. McLean and Mrs. H-rry S. New
Tomorrow Mrs. Harding expects to
make a few final select'ons for her
White Hcuse wardrobe, to which she
has given almost exclusive attention
all week. She will return to Wash
ington Sunday, later going to Florida
for a rest.
SEATTLE TO HELP NEEDY
Council Appropriates $30,000 for
Relief of Unemployed.
SEATTLE, Wash., Feb. 4. The Se
attle city council today passed an
emergency ordinance appropriating
$30,000 for the relief of the unem
ployed of the city and, of destitute
families. Of the sum $20,000 will be
administered! by the street and park
departments to relieve unemployment
and $10,000 will be used to aid needy
families.
The council's action resulted from
a conference with a committee repre
senting the unemployed which waited
on the body last week.
RENO MAY LOSE BUSINESS
Amendment Making Divorce Less
Easy Cp to Governor.
RENO, Nev., Feb. 4. An amendment
to the Nevada divorce law, providing
that every applicant for divorce must
have been a resident of the state for
six months preceding commencement
of divorce action, was passed by the
assembly of the state legislature to
day. It now goes to the governor for
signature.
Dealers Are Told to Stimulate Buy
. ing by Cutting Prices and
by Reducing Profits.
NEW YORK, Feb. 4. Confidence
that business will soon settle down
on sound fundamentals was expressed
by leading financiers and practical
economists tonight at a dinner of
the Association of Stock Exchange
Firms.
James S. Alexander, president of
the National Bank of Commerce In
New York, cautioned against waiting
for active buying, urging business
men to stimulate purchasing by re
duced prices based on keener, effi
ciency in production and "reasonable
margins of profits."
"The growing' tendency of labor to
become more efficient and its will
ingness to accept some liquidation of
inflated wages is encouraging." he
said. "The readjustment is favorable
to the individual worker.
"Competition for work means stim
ulation of efficiency and staunch in
dividualism as opposed to radicalism.
An abundance of labor permits em
ployers to choose workmen intelli
gently and co-ordinate wages to their
proper part In production costs, facil
itating the establishment of price
levels best for all.
"But employers must play fair and
not attempt to lower wages unduly
or to enforce greater curtailment
than circumstances warrant. They
must recognize that in any country
worth living in, the standard of liv
ing tends ever upward."
$100,000 MAIL IS STOLEN
Messenger Reports Being Held Up
and Kidnaped by 5 Men.
ST. LOUIS. Feb. 4. Willis H
Thornhill, a mail messenger, reported
to the police tonight that he was
held up at St. Charles, 20 miles west
of here, by five men, who kidnaped
him and stole a registered pouch
said to contain approximately $100,
000, which was to have been put
aboard a train for shipment to St.
Louis.
The postmaster at St Charles said
that the pouch contained shipments
of money from the local banks. He
said it was impossible to estimate
the loss until a check had been made.
DENTISTRY'S AID OFFERED
Method of Repairing Breaks in
i Plymouth Rock Suggested.
PLYMOUTH, Mass., Feb. 4. Plym
outh ' Rock can : be permanently
patched in such manner a to restore
virtually its origina shape and to
preserve it for posterity, in the opin
ion of Cyrus E. Dallln of Arlington,
the sculptor commissioned by the
Pilgrim tercentenary commission to
determine the best method of rejoin
ing the rock, which is now in three
pieces.
Mr. Dallin eald today that he
thought modern methods, including
the application of some of the prlnci
pies of dentistry, would bring the
boulder together again, so that it
would stand for centuries.
y Aim i n
Amazing Story of Mother
Love Is Revealed.
TRIPLETS TALE FOUND FALSE
Two Sets of Twins "Also Ob
tained at ReIiefHome.
REPORTER FINDS FRAUD
Failurevto Register Medical Certif
icates Causes Suspicion Hus
band Scouts Revelations.
ATLANTA, Ga,, Feb. 4. (Special.)
One of the most amazing stories of
mother-love that the world has ever
Known came to light In Atlanta this
morning when Mrs. F: E. A. South, 23
Weyman avenue, confessed that th
"triplets" supposedly "born" to he
on New Year's eve were not her own
that twin girls "born" to her fou
years ago were not her own; that sh
has reared altogether 11 children
who. even her husband believed, wer
born to her when. In reality, the
were all adopted secretly because o
her great desira for babies.
Mrs. South's husband, who is clerk
in a grocery store, first laughed whe
he was informed of his wife's confes
sion, and tnen was indignant, de
ciaring tt an "Infernal lie."
Sinister Influence Charged.
it she made such a statement, it
was because some sinister lnfluenc
was at work on her," he declared.
They are all my children, and m
neighbors will testify to the fact."
While Mrs. South fooled her hus
band, fooled the children themselves,
fooled the newspapers and the public,
looien everybody but herself and th
institutions from which she procure
the babieB, she has committed n
wrong in the eyes of the law. and It Ik
to be doubted if she has even com
mitted a wrong from a moral stand'
point.
It appear, her motives were of th
n'ghest. -
I don t like movies. I don't lik
theaters. I don't like to go out. Th
greatest thing in my life is children
she declared. "I did it because I love
children and because I wanted to glv
tnem the best raising I could, esn
nlally the little nameless waifs in th
maternity hospitals, who haven't a
chance in the world."
Promised Education Coveted.
Thus Mrs. South declared that th
reason she fooled her husband, with
triplets "born" on New Year's eve,
but m reality procured from Mrs.
M. R. Mitchell's maternity hospital at
22 Windsor street, was because the
women in charge of the "cradle roll'
at St. Paul's Methodist church, where
the has a membership, had agreed to
educate as missionaries the first trip
Uts born to a church member.
'I have raised all my children to be
good men and won en." declared Mrs.
Scuth, "and I saw here a chance to
have three little ones and bring them
up-to go and teach the gospel to the
heathen."
Mrs. South said she waa the daugh
ter of a Methodist .minister, now
dead, and that her mother was dead
alto. She waa brought up In a re
lig-loua home, she declared, and felt
it was her duty to train as many
children as possible, whether they
were her own or not.-
Three Children Are Own.
During her married life she has
actually had three children of her
own, now grown and married.
Mrs. South is now 52 years old.
More than ten years ago, she said
her yearning for children to take the
place of her grown-up sons and
aughter was so overpowering that
she hit upon the scheme of deceiving
her husband with a "fake birth," and
she succeeded in fooling him, she
said. She said the plan worked so
well that at usual intervals she
adopted three more. These four
babies, said Mrs. South, she got from
institutions, the namee of which she
would not give. They now range in
age from 5 to 13 and live at the
South home, in ' complete ignorance
of their true origin.
Triplet Are Not Real.
Four years ago, said Mrs. South,
she decided to. have twins. She got
them from the maternity home, she
said. They were boys, but both later
died. So, two years ago "Mrs. South
declared,, she got two girls from the
home which she palmed off as twins.
And then, the last day in December
she procured three l'ttle girls from
the home to serve as her triplets.
Mrs. Mitchell, who conducts the
home, admitted Mrs. South's state
ment regarding these sets of "trip
lets" and "twins. The triplets, said
Mrs. Mitchell, were not really trip
lets,' but were three little girls of
three different mothers.
The birth of the triplets was first
announced in the newspapers shortly
atter New Year's. Their picture. were
published, along with Mrs. South's
and those of one pair of "twins."
Hundreds of people called at the Wey
man avenue home to see them. The
church people were extremely Inter
ested and the associated charities,
to whom the case were reported on
January 11, sent out two loads of
coal to help the family.
And then official Atlanta took no
tice of the case. There began the
(Concluded on Page 3,' Column 2.)
Destruction of Machine Threatened
While New York Is 'Bombed'
to Get Army Recruits.
NEW YORK. Feb. 4. A real fight
for life was held above New York to
day when 15 army airplanes "bombed"
the city with smoke bombs and rat
tled a tattoo with machine guns in a
sham battle to stimulate recruiting
for the air service.
While thousands of persons out for
noonday lunch watched the thrilling
spectacle. Lieutenant Edward Black
an obsciver in one of the machines,
was fighting, unknown to the crowd
below, a fire which threatened th
destruction of the machine and th
lives of his pilot. Lieutenant Ulysse
G. Jones, and himself.
Blacky who was In the gunner's pit
behind the pilot, was dropping smok
bombs when one cf them exploded in
the pit. His face and hands were
burned and his clothing and the fusel
age of the plane caught on fire
Jones turned and saw the struggle,
but was powerless to help. He kept
an eye on the nearest river, ready to
plunge 2000 feet below if it should be
necessary.
Black kept his head, however,
grasped a fire extinguisher and
pumped its contents on the flames.
When Jones saw that his companion
had won the grim oattle he turned
his plane toward Mineola field, 20
miles away, making the trip in abou
ten minutes. Black was hurried to
a hospital, where ha will be laid up
for several days.
STORM WARNINGS GIVEN
Signs Ordered Displayed From
Point Reyes, Cal., North.
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 4 A storm
off the coast of Oregon and Wash
ington today resulted in the order
to display southwest storm warn
ings from Point Reyes, Cal., north
G. H. Wlllson. forecaster of the
United States weather bureau, said
tonight.
The forecaster said he expected a
repetition tomorrow of today's rain
along the coast north of San Fran
cisco.
MANY KILLED IN QUAKE
Much Damage Is Reported About
Isthmus of Tehuantepec.
MEXICO CITY, Feb. 5, 2 A. M.
Many lives were lost and much prop
erty damage was done by an earth
quake Thursday night in the districts
centering about the Isthmus of Te
huantepec, ,
News dispatches to this effect
reached here early this morning.
WILSON GETS FURNITURE
Household Effects From Trenton
Delivered in Washington.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 4. Three
trucks loaded with furniture from
President Wilson's former home in
Trenton. N. J., arrived here today.
They were being unloaded at the
house purchased by the president re
cently from Henry P. Fairbanks.
INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS
The Weather.
TESTERDAT'S Maximum temperature, 40
degrees; minimum, 38; rain.
TODAY'S Rain; southwesterly winds.
Foreign.
Germany rrfaseH to allow her experts to.
Britain would wipe out inter-Allied debt.
but America objects. Fags 4.
Sir James Craig; made unionist leader In
Ulster parliament. Pag-e 2.
British draft of mand-ate for Palestine Is
made public in London. Face 8.
. Kational.
United States to call disarmament eon
ference. Page 1.
Senate puts through four amendments to
Fordney tarirt bin. Fase B.
Ex-head of liquidation commission defends
sales made in trance. Pare 4.
Pressure is brought to swing foes of road
aid bill into line. Pace X.
Compromise looms on confirmation of army
promotions, t age 11.
Automobiles worth 11,000,000 and KvO.OOO
gallons or wmsKy seizea by dry law
agents. Fage 1.
Pomentlc. ,
Thousands at theater cheer Mrs. Harding.
Pago 1.
Business revival Is expected soon by finan
ciers. Page 1.
Mystery Man" supposed to b missing
husband or Mrs. May t:rawrord of
Portland, Is released at Oakland, Cal.
Page 20.
Guardsman denies any part In shooting.
Page !.
Eleven adopted babies, passed off as own.
fooled even nusbana. Fage i.
Aviator fights fire during sham battle In
air. Fage I.
Legislatures.
Free text books plan causes spirited
nato debate. Fage o.
Bill to restore direct primary favored In
Idaho house. Fage I.
Resolution halts land board probe. Page 6.
Joker In Roosevelt highway measure ex
posed Just in time, l ags i.
Leeway ' sought In vacating streets for
terminal. Fago .
Pacific Northwest.
Dr Sargentlch declares. Europe's attitude
is "let America do it" in relief matters.
Page 20.
Builders will cut wages SI per day.
Fage 12.
P porta.
We. una. Lks club plana clubhouse.
Pago 14.
Davis cup decision to be made today.
Page n.
Darcy defeats McOoorty. Page 14.
University of Oregon defeats Oregon Ag
ricultural college basketball team at
Corvallis, Or. Page 15.
Commercial and Marine.
Hide buyers withdraw from market owing
to lack of outlet Page 19.
General gains recorded in stock market.
Page 19.
New steamer line coming to coast
Page VI.
Portland and Vicinity.
C. J. 'Schnabel is abot to death by crank.
Page 1.
Promoters of lecture by UncoTn Steffen
cannot lease hall in Portland, Page J,
Promise Made in House
by Chairman Butler.
HARDING EXPECTED TO ACT
Ten High Naval Officers Are
. Heard by Committee.
CAPITAL SHIP FAVORED
Sims Advises Against Immcdlata
Abandonment of Construction
of Tj-pe pt Warfhlps.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 4. Satisfied
from testimony of a large number of
witnesses that calling of an interna
tional conference to discuss disarma
meat would meet with general ap
proval, the house naval committee
today called before it 10 high officers
of the navy and one of the army and
heard a vast amount of divergent and
confusing testimony as to whether
aircraft had mada capital naval ves
sels useless.
Before the testimony, however.
Chairman Butler announced positive
ly that an International disarmament
conference would be called by this
country. He did not say when the
call would go out, but it was assumed
from his line of questioning that It
would be shortly after President
elect Harding, witn whom Mr. Butler
recently conferred, takes office.
Mm Favors Capital Ship.
Rear-Admiral William S. Sims, the
first witness called, counselled
against immediate abandonment of
the capital ship. He added, however.
that if aerial forces demonstrated the
values he expected them to, in the
near future, they would soon make
major surface craft useless. He op
posed discontinuing work on the gen
eral 1916 naval building programme,
and declared "nobody is going to take
his hand off his gun" until conditions
become settled In Europe.
The superiority of the battleshla
over either the airplane or subma
rine was defended by Rear-Admiral
Charles J. Badger, who declared that
battleships and battle cruisers would
remain the backbone of the fleet for
years to come. He did not believe,
he said, that anything very definite
would come out of the proposed dis
armament conierence, dui sam it w
worth-while effort.
l'luke Gives Another View.
Still another view was presented
by Rear-Admiral Bradley A. Fiske,
retired, inventor of the torpedo plane.
who told the committee that aerial
dreadnaughts would be the capital
ships of the future.
Brigadier-General William Mitchell.
chief of training and operations of
the army air service, called to the
stand, told the committee that It was
a slmplo matter for air forces to hit
and destroy a battleship, and repeated
his testimony of last week before the
appropriations committee to the ef
fect that aerial developments hl
made surface navies obsolete.
General Mitchell cleared up one
point that had been causing the com
mlttee some wonderment all day when
declared that data, supposed by
naval officials to bo secret, but dis
closed by him before a senate com.
mJttee, had been obtained by army of.
ficers who attended the bombing of '
the old battleship Indiana at the ln
vltatlon of Secretary Daniels.
General Mitchell on Stand.
General Mitchell was on the Stan
when the session concluded and will
continue his testimony tomorrow.
All of the -naval officers who tcstl.
fled stressed the necessity for the Im
mediate construction of hlgh-pec4
airplane-carrying hlps.
While the house committee heard
this testimony, the senate naval sub.
committee drafted an adverse report
on the resolution presented by Sen
ator Borah, republican, Idaho, pro
viding for a six months suspension
'of naval building while experts study
the best types of ships.
Congress must determine national
policies before naval, officers cart
formulate naval plans, said Admiral
Sims.
If the navy were maintained purely
for defensive purposes. Admiral Slma
said, the United States would be safe,
with .a navy half as large as that of
any possible enemy thousands of
miles away. If. however, the United
States intended to rely on its navy
for carrying out broad International
policies, he said, Its sea power should
be equal to that of any other nation,
81ms Agrees With Pennine.
Admiral Sims said he agreed with,
General Pershing that war with Great
Britain was "inconceivable," but
added that he would not abandon th
navy entirely under any condition,
even if there were no enemy in sight.
"You can never tell what may coma
out of Europe," he said. "Nobody la
going to take his hand off hJs gun."
Admiral Sims advised the commit
tee not to slop work on the 191(
building programme, particularly the
battle cruisers. He added that Amer
ican submarines were inferior to foreign-built
craft and that America -was
"extraordinarily" behind In avin
ation development. The officer sug
gested that two of the scout cruisers
under construction be altered as air
plane carriers.
Bear-Admiral Badger said:
"The nations of the world are nr
(Concluded ea Page 3, Column 1).