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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 9, 1922)
vol. lxt xo. 19,102 pr.v?: rv..:0";; PORTLAND, OREGON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1923 PRICE FIVE CENTS I POPE SENDS BLESSING POLICE BLOCKED FLOODS DO DAMAGE ULSTER UNIONISTS FARM BLOC SCORES B 1921 FARM EXPORTS TWICE THOSE OF 1913 ; IN UMATILLA COUNTY TO AMERICAN PEOPLE CXSELFISHXESS OF XATIOX IS PRAISED BY PONTIFF. SWEEPING VICTORY CRAFT PICKED UP RAILROAD TRACKS OX TWO LI-XES WASHED OCT. CO - OPERATIVE MARKETING BILL PASSED, 58 TO 1. . VALUE ABOUT TWO-THIRDS THAT OF PREVIOUS YEAR. CREW IRK ON CAPITAL IN MOVIE MUHDER KIDNAPED RAIDS V V District Attorney Takes Charge of Case. CONSPIRACY IS ALLEGED Film Folk Said to Have Re fused to Help Sleuths. NORMAND LETTERS FOUND .Handkerchief With Initials "M. M. M." Also Is Discoveerd In Slain Director's Apartments. LOS ANGELES. Cat. Feb. . Fur ther investigation of the murder of William Desmond Taylor, motion picture director, a week ago tonight, will be centralised In the district at torney office. It -was announced to night. It was believed this centralisation would result in the breaking down of "the conspiracy of silence" the po lice declared existed on the part of the motion-picture people concerning details essential to the apprehension of the assailant. William C Dorm, chief deputy dis trict attorney, admitted late today he would be at the head of the combined attempt to solve the mystery and that the investigation would be far more sweeping than any possible to any one of the three forces Involved. The letters of Mabel Normand, film rtrrss. to Taylor, murdered airector. bave bren found and tonight were in the office of the district attorney, ac cording to a atory to be printed In a local paper. The letters, for which Miss Normand searched Taylor's apartment vainly. . r...- fhj innunt Saturday, were found in a boot in a closet in the Taylor home by a party of city detec tives, it was said. A woman's handkerchief bearing the initials M. M. 51." also was found In the apartments today. Henry Pea vey. Taylor's ngro house man. dis covered it and gave it to the detec tives, who were said to have turned it over to the district attorney with the letters. (tela H Rial. It was stated every person who Is believed to have the slightest con nection with the affair or the slight est Information bearing upon It would be subjected to the most rigid ques tioning. This would' mean motion picture people, from the humblest to the highest. It was said, and would result at least In the dissipation of certain minor mysteries, as, for in stance, the whereabouts of letters aid to have been written by actresses. Including Mabel Normand and Mary Wiles Mlnter, to t'..e director. The decision for' a centralisation of energy was reached after a consulta tion at the district attorney's office of his agents, the sheriff's deputies assigned to the case and the members of the city ietectlve bureau who have been working on It from the begin ning. The search for Kdward F. Sands, Taylor's missing ex-butler-secrejary. Is proceeding unabated, as informa tion the detectives still consider good was to the effect he was in or near tee Taylor apartments about the time of the murder. Avartsaeata Are Searched. A new search of Taylor's apart ments, conducted today by the public administrator, with the help of police detectives, disclosed a bank book which had belonged to Sands, it was stated. The public administrator, in his de sire to close up the estate, took pos session of ail articles owned by Tay lor that the detectives did not need for their investigation. The estate, once valued at as much as 0.00t. will not amoun.1 to more than I'.'O.OOO. the pub'.ic administrator stated, unless more bank accounts are located. Miss Kthel Palsy Tanner of New Tork. the director's daughter, is the only claimant to the estate, it was said. Sneriff's deputies have announced their disbelief that Sands had any thing to do with the slaying of Tay lor, and said tonight they had three 'leads" Involving persons of the film world. Arrr.1 In Eiserltt. They said they hoped to make an arrest tonight or tomorrow. A similar statement as to a pos sible arrest was made try Detective Sergeant Kdward Kng. attached to the district attorney's office, in con nection with an investigation he has been making. It was said an actress called upon Chief Deputy District Attorner Doran and advanced two theories, neither of which involved Sands. One was believed to relate to a Jealous suitor of hers, while the other involved a group of motion picture people, it was said. Another story of the man seen near the Taylor apartments a week ago to night, when the director was slain, and who. the police announced last night, probably was the chauffeur, Howard Fellows, reporting to his employer, was told today by Mrs. William McBurney, wife of a real estate operator. Mrs. McHurney to'.d of having seen iCuacutitd oa Fa Cwiuwa & Wild Horse Creek Submerges En tire Valley West End or City Under Water; Worse Feared. PENDLETON. Or, Feb. S (Spe cial.) Flood damage was rapidly increasing In Umatilla county tonight with the falling of heavy rains which started this afternoon. Railroad tracks between Pendleton and Walla Walla and between Pendleton and Pasco are washed out. Wild Horse creek, near Pendleton, has completely washed out its bed, flooding the en tire valley and submerging -crops. Numerous washouts are reported on the highways of the county and the west end of the city Is bow being covered rapidly with water. The Umatilla river is running high. carrying debris of all kinds and tons of mud. If the present rain continues tonight the rapidly melting snow in the mountains will cause a serious flood. WALLA WALLA. Wash.. Feb. I. (Special.) .Rapidly melting snows in the hills have begun to flood low lands, though most of the valley streams are still carrying a normal flow of water. Reports from Pres cott tonight are that it Is practically Isolated both by train and automobile and the O.-W. R. & N. train from Spo kane, due here at 2:50 this afternoon. Is still at Prescott. with Indications that it will not be able to get out until after midnight. ASTORIA. Or, Feb. 8. (Special.) Warnings were issued by the weather bureau this morning that a storm is off the Washington coast moving southeast and will cause fresh strong southeast gales shifting'to the south west tonight. Up to this evening the gale had not materialised here. North Head reporting the wind blowing from the west at a seven-mile rate and the barometer, which had dropped to 29:29, started up. SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. S. Con tinued strong southerly winds and rain for the entire Pacific coast was the forecast of the weather bureau for tonight and tomorrow. The storm is centered off Vancouver is land in the north Pacific, the fore cast said. CO-EDS WILL LEAD MEN Senior Women Required to Make Dates' With Male Members. ' EUGENE, Or, Feb. 8. Next week will be senior "leap week" at the University of Oregon, when the wemen members of the senior class wi;f be required to make "dates" with the male members of the class and to pay the expenses of such appoint ments on a basis of 60-50. according to a decision at a meeting of the c.nss today. wt is announced that the Oregon Emerald, the student daily paper, will fjich day print stories of who were out together on the tight previous, wtere they went and how much money they spent. VICTORY NOTES CALLED $400,000,000 of Tax Exempt Se curities to Be Redeemed. WASHINGTON, D. C. Feb. 8. An nouncement was .made by Secretary Mellon tonight that the 8400.000,000 outstanding of tax exempt i per cent victory notes had been called for redemption at par June IS and that tho conversion -privilege of victory notes would be suspended beginning February 9. This action was taken, he ex plained, in connection with the treas ury's programme for refinancing the S6.S00.000.OO0 of snort dated debt out standing. RAILROAD MUST PAY $100 Appeal From Fine for Holding Back Employe's, Pay Dismissed.' SPRINGFIELD, III, Feb. 8. The supreme court today dismissed the appeal of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St- Paul railroad from the rulings of Judge Righelmer. who fined the com pany 8100 and costs for withholding an employe's wages for time spent in voting on election day. The court ruled that as the prosecu tion was under the criminal code, an appeal, as in a civil case, was not In order. SOVIET TO CONTROL SUGAR Russian Factories Will Be Pnt Into Government Trust. MOSCOW. Feb. 8 All sugar fac tories in Russia are to be organised under a trust which will have its central board here, with branches at Kiev and Ivharkoff. xThe trust will be under the direc tioovof the soviet government, which willfinance and operate it under direction of the supreme economic council. BOLIVIA TO FLOAT LOAN Government Wants $15,000,000 for Debts and Improvements. LIMA. Peru. Feb. 8. A dispatch from La Pas to La Prensa says that the Bolivian senate has approved a revised law authorising the president to seek a foreign loan of 81i.000.000 in gold. - The money would be used for cancellation of the balance of the Bolivian internal debt, construction of a railroad from Rotosi to Sucre, and in other improvements. Prominent Citizens and Constables Victims. OFFICER KILLED IN BATTLE Northern Ireland Appeals for Protection. BLAME PUT ON BRITISH Demobilization of Constabulary De clared to Complicate Formation of Free State. LONDON. Feb. 8. (By the Asso ciated Press.) The Irish situation took a startling turn today with news of wholesale and organised kidnaping raids against prominent Ulster union ists early this morning. The numer ous victims, including many special constables who were dispatched to aid in stopping the raids, were spir ited to unknown destinations. The capture of a score of raiders showed that they were attached to the Irish republican army. The northern government was un able to invoke the aid of the military, and had to depend on the special forces, which apparently were not strong enough to prevent the kld naplngs. The northern government appealed to the imperial government, which took prompt steps to meet the situation, authorising the Belfast government to employ Br'tish troops for guarding the boundaries, and sending a message to Michael Collins, provisional president, demanding that proper measures be initiated lor the release of the captured men and pre vention of a repetition of the out rages. Winston Spencer Churchill, secre tary for the colonies, announced In Darliament tonight that a response haJ been received from Mr. Collins explaining that the raids were due to apprehensions over the fate of the Derrv prisoners and that' the pro-' visional government was taking nec essary steps to secure their release. It was announced that the men cap tured in Sligo had already returned home, but whether as a result of the imoerial government's action is not known. No news of releases else where has been received. Coastable Killed la Fight, The counties where the raids oc curred were Fermanagh, Tyrone, Donegal and Sligo. In several cases. Unionists attacked put up a desperate resistance and were wounded before being carried off. One constable was shot and killed In a fight with his assailants. Consternation ruled In the affected districts and elsewhere in Ireland and fears were expressed in quarters friendly to the provisional govern ment, now engaged in preparing for the establishment of the Irisn Free ( Com-Iurted on Page 3. Column 1.) SOMEBODY IS ALWAYS TRYING TO TAKE THE JOY Pius XI Tells Cardinal O'Connell of His Desire to Welcome Countrymen in Rome. ROME. Feb. 8. (By the Associated Press.) Pope Pius XI today gave Cardinal O'Connell of Boston tbe fol lowing message to be sent through the Associatea Press to the American people: "Tell the American people I send them my very sincere and affectionate blessing and that I shall always have at heart their prosperity and welfare. I beg your eminence to let the United States know that all my life I have felt the most sincere admiration for that young and vigorous nation. "I have read very much about America and have often wished to be able to see that marvelous country. But now, of course, that can never happen. But still I am consoled to think that I can welcome Americans to Rome. "My one great desire Is to help re establish peace and harmony among all nations. The conference at Wash ington accomplished much towards tho pacification of the world. America has shown herself most unselfish both during and since the war. God bless her for that. She seems never to want anything for herself except what is Justly hers. At the same time she is always helping the old nations of Europe, which today more than ever, need her co-operation. God bless your country and your people." EXTRAS' CONDEMN DANCE Flasks and Moonshine Excursions Lead to Injunction. FALL RIVER. Mass.. Feb. 8. Be cause the "shimmy" and the "toddle" and the "Washington Johnny" were supplemented at intermission with moonshine excursions to remote parts ef the city, high school dances in this city are banned for the rest of the school year. So ordained the acnooi committee tonight, after a long dis cussion of charges surrounding recent school dancing incidents. Conservative elements sought to have established a set of rules that would curb abuses of the social privileges of the school, but when complainants declared that it was growing to be the custom for young men to arrive at the dances with flasks not too well concealed in their pockets summary action was voted. MAN SHOTjTriMES LIVES Denim-Clad Victim Arises, Brushes Clothes, Reports to Police. NEW YORK, Feb. 8. A limousine stepped beside the curb on upper Riverside drive today near where Tony Bruno stood In overalls. Two well-groomed men stepped from the car, fired five shots Into Tony's body and drove away. Bruno got up, brushed himself, walked to a police station, told the stcry and collapsed. The bullets could not have been better distributed in his body." the desk lieutenant said, amazed that the man still lived. He was in a hospital tonight won dering what all the racket was about, while police were seeking his assailants CONRE.SS HftYWY 4 IT) :. Senate Overrides Own Judiciary Committee Measure Now Goes to Conference. WASHINGTON, D. C, Feb. 8. The bouse co-operative marketing bill, a measure designed to aid the agri cultural interests and pressed by the farm bloc, was passed by the senate late today. Only one vote, that of Senator Gerry, democrat. Rhode Is land, was cast against the measure. Two other senators. Brandegee, re publican, Connecticut, and King, democrat, Utah, were paired against the measure and withheld their votes. The vote was 68 to 1 and the senate's action was regarded by some as the most sweeping of the victories yet attained by the iarm bloc since, in assepting the house bill, the senate overrode its own Judiciary committee, which had reported a substitute meas ure. The substitute was defeated 66 to 4. The bill now goes to conference. As passed by the senate, the bill retains the provisions which relieve the co-operative associations from the application of the law prohibiting trusts or unfair business practices, placing the authority to determine when such acts have been committed with the secretary of agriculture. The senate substitute would have made the associations ame: able to the pres ent laws and it was around this point that debate revolved. During the closing hours of debate today reference was made to the bloc's power. This brought from Sen- ator Norris, republican, Nebraska, the statement that he. had heard the bill had administrative support. "It is the first time in many, many months that the majority has come over to my side," he added. "It hap pens so almighty seldom that I feel I must make note of it. Maybe the administration is behind this bill. It it is so, then I am glad they have come over into tne same was"" mi me. Whether they came because or m or in spite of me, I do not know. but I welcome them here." The bill was introduced simultanr- eously in the house ana senate iaM April. It was soon acted on by the house but when it reached the senate, it lay in committee several months. More delay came after It was re ported out. Tho most Important amendment ac cepted by the senate was one provid ing "that the associations shall not deal in products of non-members to an amount greater in value than sucn as are handled by it for members." This, It was alleged, makes it im possible for co-operative associations to be "stolen" by a group of individ uals who merely by declining to ad mit new members resolve themselves Into a closed corporation. Without the amendment the group would be able, according to senators, to en gage In competitive trade. The amendment Mimits any association in the handling of the commodities of non-members so that what was de scribed as a throttle of local busi ness could not be obtained. Other important provisions pre-s-ribe that no member of an associa tion may have more than one vote in directing its activities regardless, of the amount of stock he holds, nor can any association pay dividends on (Concluded on Page 2, Column 2.) OUT OF THE WORLD. TWY: uA Va Fate of Four on Northern Pacific in Doubt. 2 VESSELS ANSWER CALLS Fire Virtually Traps Men in Steward's Department. TRANSPORT LEFT ADRIFT Captain Lusti, Who Commanded Steamer Which Piled Up on Sands' in 1919, Rescued. NORFOLK, Va., Feb. 9. The steam er Transportation, with 22 survivors of the steamer Northern Pacific, which burned off Cape May, N. J., yesterday, arrived at Newport News at 2:30 o'clock this morning. The captain' of the Northern Pacific, who was aboard the Transportation, refused to make any statement as ta the origin of the fire on his vessel. and members of his crew said he had issued orders forbidding them to make any. The master of the Northern Pacific was unable to account for the four engineers of the Sun Shipbuilding company of Chester, Pa., who were reported missing following the sink ing of the ship. Five men, including the second as sistant engineer and the second offi cer, were picked up by the tank steamer Herbert G. Wylie, he said, the Wylie picking up one boat load of survivors and the Transportation three boat loads. NEW YORK. Feb. 8. After leav ing the former transport Northern Pacific drifting ablaze to sink off Cape May, New Jersey, rescue craft tonight were making for Norfolk and Hampton Roads with survivors picked up from small boats. Meanwhile shipping circles awaited their arrival with concern, for radio messages, coming since early today, when the fire broke out, left in doubt the fate of four employes of the Sun Shipbuilding corporation of CheBter, Pa., whither the Northern Pacific was bound from Hoboken with a skeleton crew to be recondi tioned for service on" the west coast. Early in the day these four men were reported missing, then rescued, and again missing. The latest mes sage from the rescue ' fleet, received from the transport, stated that the four shipbuilders were not aboard her. Origin of Fire Not Told. Details of how the fire started also were lacking. Among the rescued was Captain William Lusti. who commanded the transport during her dangerous trans-Atlantic trips during the war and when piled up on the sands of Fire island in 1919 with 3000 doughboys homeward bound. The position of the burning ves sel was reported to be 20 miles northeast by east of the five-fathom bank lightship or about 40 miles due east of Cape May. The wireless calls for aid sent out by the flaming steamer first were answered by the Herbert G. Wylie and the Transportation, which re ported at 3 o'clock this morning that they had picked up boats containing members of the Northern Pacific's crew. The Transportation at that hour said: "Has all the crew but nine men, who possibly are adrift." A few minutes later the Wylie sent a radio, saying she had picked up a boat containing the second mate, the second engineer, two sailors and one oiler or fireman. A recheck of the rescued men apparently was made, however, for later it was said four men had not been found. Men Virtually Trapped. The second mate of the Northern Pacific, when picked up by the Wylie. asked that the Transportation be asked if all men employed in the steward's department of the burning ship were safe, adding "that they virtually were trapped by the fire." The Transportation replied that all the men under the supervision of the Northern Pacific's stewards were safe and aboard the rescuing vessel. The Northern Pacific was built in 1915, by the William Cramp & Sons' shipbuilding company of Philadelphia, for the Great Northern' Steamship company. When the United Spates entered the war, the vessel was taken over by the American government as a transport and was in operation during virtually the entire period of the subsequent struggle. Transport Has Trouble History. On January 1, 1919, she went ashore i off Fire island, when a mistake in j the lights along the southern shore. O L lOllB i.n.iiiu . ........ ui j. j i l. At this time she had aboard 3000 American soldiers being brought back to America from the battlefields of France. The soldiers were removed and the vessel floated on January 18. Almost a year later, on January 20, 1920, she played a heroic role in rush ing to the aid of the steamer Pow hattan, now the Hudson, which was drifting heiptessly off the Nova Concluded on Pago 2. Column 2.) Cause of Enormous Increase in Food Sent Abroad Due to Failure of Russia to Supply Grain. WASHINGTON. D. C, Feb. .8. Ex ports of agricultural products during the past year the largest total volume in the country's history ex ceeded those of 1920c by nearly four million tons and were almost twice as large as the pre-war volume in 1913, according to a statement issued tonight by the commerce department. In money value, however, the depart ment said, the country received only about two-thirds as much for the total of exports In 1921 as for the previous year, although Europe paid twice as much as in 1913. During the last year agricultural exports totaled more than 20,000,000 tons, for which $2,000,000,000 was re ceived, compared with 16,500,000 tons worth 83,000,000,000 in 1920, and 10, 500.000 tons valued at 81,000,000,000 in 1913. Grain was the principal .ag ricultural commodity exported in 1921, the total amounting to. 16,000,000 tons, as compared with 12,000.000 tons in 1920 and 6,000,000 tons in 1913. "The cause of our enormous in crease in food exports since 1913," the department said, "does not lie so much in decreayed production in western and central Europe for the area is rapidly recovering its normal pro duction. The major cause is the total failure of Russia as a food export country. Russia formerly exported from 8,000,000 to 10,000,000 tons of food, all of which has ceased, and thus the food base for western Europe is transferred to the United States. The economic degeneration of Russia has gone to such depths that a re covery of her agriculture to conse quential export basis is extremely un likely for a number of years to come." GIRL READY TO TESTIFY Probe of Charges Against Missis sippi Governor Planned. JACKSON, Miss, Feb. 8. A resolu tion asking an investigation of the seduction charge against Governor Russell will be introduced in the lower branch of the legislature as soon as word is received from Miss Francis Birkhead, the complainant, that she will testify before the com mittee, it was announced today. Miss Birkhead is In New Orleans. NEW ORLEANs7La., Feb. 8. Miss Frances Birkhead, in an interview published in the Daily Item, says she will be glad to go to Jackson at any time to give the legislative commit tee any information it desires in re gard to her relations, with Governor Russell, whom she is suing for $100,- 000 damages on a charge of seduc tion. DEATH FAKER SENTENCED Ex-Curate Who Tried to Deceive Wife, Is Sent to Prison. REGINA, Sask., Feb. 8. Rev. Gwylyn E. Williams, formerly a cu rate at Oxbow, has been sentenced to nine months at hard labor for trying to deceive his wife into thinking: him dead. He admitted sending a false cable message from England, forging a death certificate and also forging the name of another church official to a letter describing his death and fu neral. INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS The Weather. YESTERDAY'S Maximum temperature, 47 degrees; minimum, 36 degrees. TODAY'S Rain; southerly winds. Foreign. Ulster officials kidnaped by raiders. Page 1. France to demand allied guarantees. Page 7. . Pope sends blessing to American people. Page 1. National. Agricultural committee of house begins hearings on Ford nitrate project. Page 3 Work on 14 warships suspended by order of Secretary Denby. Page 1. Farm bloc scores sweeping victory. Page 1. World's hopes raised by work of confer ence, says Secretary Hughes. Page 3. Antf'-bonus group In senate Is Impressive. Page 4. Farm exports in 1921 exceed 20.000.000 tons. Page 1. Interior department appropriation bill re - ported by house committee. Page 6. Bonus bill carries five-way feature. Page 2. Domestic. Love cult clew in movie murder. Pare 1. Crew of burning craft picked up. Page 1. Optimism is held basis of success by president of Railway Business asso ciation.. Page 22. Police blocked in movie murder. Page 1. Brainy cave men appeal to co-eds. Page 6. Pacific Northwest. Floods do great damage In Umatilla county. Page 1. Four governors favor narcotics conference. Page 15. Railway head sees upturn in business. Page 5. Witnesses testify to Slagle killing. Page 5. Sports. Bribery of girl in Rickard case charged. Page 15. Weight classifications for championship bouts changed. Page 14. Basketball game followed' by fight. Page 14 Commercial and Marine. Local flour prices advance with wheat. page 22. Chicago wheat market higher on crop damage reports. Page 22. Railway list strong feature of stock mar ket. Page 23. Chairman Lasker of shipping board meets Pacific coast pool delegation. Page 4. Ocean lumber rate to Atlantic coast ports open. Page 16. Portland and Vicinity. Community chest workers prepare to launch "mop-up" offensive. Page 9. Clearing of highway difficult task. Page 8. Stephen . Lowell in governorship race. Page '13. Dr Wayson is held to lack sympathy, 'page 8. Special state committee ends investigation of institute for blind. Page 4. Weather report, data and forecast. Page 22. SHIPSSUSPENDED Denby Calls Halt oh 14 Big War Vessels. PRESIDENT DIRECTS ACTION Step Taken in Anticipation of Treaty Approval. LARGE SAVING EFFECTED Building Operations Thus Stopped Said to Have Cost Government $5,000,000 Month. WASHINGTON. D. C, Feb. 8. (By the Associated Press.) Construction work on 14 capital ships was sus pended today by order of Secretary Denby under direction of President Harding. The step was taken in an ticipation of ratification of the naval limitation treaty which resulted from the Washington conference and under which only three of the vessels in volved will be completed as war craft. The 11 others will be scrapped or con verted to merchant ships under the treaty. Secretary Denby acted after Assist ant Secretary Roosevelt had discussed with President Harding the terms of the treaty affecting the new ships. Mr. Harding approved the suggestion that work be halted immediately on the eight superdreadnoughts and six battle cruisers pending final action on the treaty. The building operations thus halt ed have cost the government approx imately $5,000,000 a month. Following ratification of the treaty, contracts for the new ships will be canceled. The ultimate cost to the government of this cancelation cannot be determined, but naval officials be lieve a considerable saving will be made through today's action. Colorado Is Exempted. Only one capital ship under con struction was exempted from today's suspension order. She is the Colo rado, more than 90 per cent complete, which will be retained in the per manent fleet. Ships on which work was stopped were as follows: ' Superdreadnoughts The Washing- ! ton. at the New Tork Shipbuilding 'corporation yard; the West Virginia, ! Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry- dock company; the South Dakota, j New York navy yard: the Indiana. New York navy yard; the Montana, Mare Island navy yard; the North Carolina, Norfolk navy yard; the Iowa, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock company, and the Massachu setts, Bethelehem Shipbuilding cor poration, Fore River, Mass. Battle cruisers Lexington, Bethle hem Shipbuilding corporation ; Con stellation, Newport News Shipbuild ing & Drydock company; Saratoga. New York Shipbuilding corporation; Ranger, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock company; Constitution and United States, Philadelphia navy yard. One to Be Completed. While work on the battleships West Virginia and Washington was ordered stopped, one will be completed and added to the fleet. Which is to be selected has not been decided, but it has been indicated that the West Virginia probably will be named. It is believed by navy officials that she can be finished more cheaply than the Washington, a sister ship of the post-Jutland class like the Colorado. With the Colorado the vessel select ed for completion will make up the two battleships "of the West Virginia class" which the United States is to retain to replace the Delaware and North Dakota, which will be scrapped on completion of the new vessels. The two form the American equiva lent under the 5-5-3 naval ratio agreement of the treaty for Japanese retention of the battleship Mutsu. The other battleships on which work was stopped are of the 40,000 ton type, armed with 12 16-inch guns, excluded from future naval establish ments of the treaty powers. Obsolete Craft to Go. Of the six battle cruisers, two are to be completed as airplane carriers, but the work of converting them to that type will not be undertaken until the treaty has been ratified. Further steps toward carrying into execution the naval treaty will be taken by the navy department with the sale of obsolete pre-dread-noughts slated for scrapping. It was said that this work would be done prior to the ratification of tne treaty, since the vessels are regarded as of no military value. Two such old bat tleships were sold for junk during the conference. Secretary Denby's suspension order was the first major step toward car rying out the treaty. As yet plans for actual scrapping of the vessel as required by the treaty within a fixed time after ratification by all signatory powers have not been com pleted. A special technical board ot officers is working out details of this programme. The board is to recommend the best method of scrap ping to be followed with each new - old ship to be disposed of President Harding approved m. suspension of work on the new ships even before he ' received the lejioi-f (Concluded on Page 2. Column 2) lOO.O