Evening star., 1932-06-21
SEARCH |SFUT|[E
FOR CAR REPORTED
WITH EXPLOSIVES
Police and Secret Service
Hold Rumor a Hoax-Gates
to City Are Guarded.
OFFICERS TRACE TIP
TO TREASURY WORKER
All Autos Entering Capital From
Virginia and Maryland Are Ex-
amined Closely During Night.

After an extensive search for an au-
tomobile reported to be bringing large
load Of explosives to Washington had
proved futile, police and members Of the
Secret Service became convinced this
morning they had been hoaxed by a
Treasury Department employe to whom
the rumor was traced.
The search did not end, however, and
hundreds of automobiles entering the
city from Maryland and Virginia were
subjected to a thorough examination
by police placed at each principal en-
trance to the city.
Acting on the tip from the Secret
Service, the Washington police main
tanned an all-night vigil at the en-
frances to the city and searched every
car entering.
No Extra Force at White House.
No special precautions were taken,
however, to protect the White House
beyond the regular force Of White
House police and Secret Service agents
assigned to protect the White House
family.
The tip, relayed by a Treasury en-
ploye to the Secret Service last night,
leaked out when Baltimore police were
notified by a Secret Service agent to
be on the lookout for a maroon sedan,
reported to be bringing a quantity Of
explosives here from New York.
Washington police also were notified
and upon orders Of Brig. Gen. Pelham
D. Glassford. superintendent OF police,
the heavy guard at entrances to the
city was established and the search be-
gun. Meanwhile. the Baltimore police
were maintaining a vigilant watch for
a car answering the description OF the
Secret Service
The hundreds Of suburbanites whose
cars were searched were reported by
police to have taken the search good
naturedly when the object was ex-
planned by the police.
Believes Rumor Baseless.
This morning Chief w. H. Moran Of
the Secret Service declared he believed
the whole rumor was baseless. and
ascribed the tip to an irresponsible
party in the Treasury Department
However, a close watch was kept for
any machine that might answer the
description given Of the machine re-
ported bearing the explosives.
Chief Moran this morning deplored
the leaking" Of the information about
the explosives car to the newspapers
saying the Secret Service was skeptical
about the report when it was first re-
ceived. but could not disregard any such
rumor, whatever its source Every effort
was made, he said, to keep the matter
secret but when lookout went out on
police teletype in Baltimore the cat
was out of the bag.
Licenses Are Checked.
License numbers mentioned in the
report were carefully checked by Mary
land State police. and the express truck
and the expensive car which bore the
two licenses involved were found not
to be involved In any explosives plot.
The rumor had wide circulation
Early this morning the London Evening
Standard got in touch with police head
quarters here by long distance phone to
inquire If it was true that the White
House had been blown up.
Lieut. Richard Mansfield. one Of the
three night chiefs of detectives, received
the call on the transatlantic line and
told the reporter that the White House
was still intact