Evening star., 1936-01-13
FATHER cox GETS
COOL RECEPTION
AT END OF MARCH
Townsend Plan Headquar.
tiers Irked by Priests In
vasion of Capital.
CALIFORNIAN HAILED
"THE MODERN MOSES"
Pittsburgh Contingent, 35 Strong,
Arrived Here Last Night
Aboard Bus.

A cold reception from Townsend
plan headquarters In the Southern
Building today awaited Father James
r. Cox. pastor Of st. Patrick's Catho-
lie Church. Pittsburgh, who brought
35 men here by bus from Pennsyl-
vania last night to demand enact
ment Of legislation providing pay
ment Of the $200-a-month pension
to citizens over IS.
The priest, who four years ago
led . hunger army to the Capital.
Is holding conferences today with the
three Pittsburgh members Of the House
of Observation-Disclosures Moritz,
Democrat: Henry Ellenbogen. Demo-
crat, and Matthew Dunn, Democrat
Dunn, who is blind, sold newspapers
with Father Cox In downtown Pitts
burgh when both were boys.
Hailed as Modern Moses"
Father Cox hailed DR.. Francis e.
Townsend, inventor Of the old-age re-
volving pension plan which would
bring mild luxury to the aged pro-
vided they spent every cent of their
$500 every month, as the modern
Moses" and said:
Il will 60 over to the O. A. r. P.
ofnces this afternoon and say hello
to the good man."
Townsends Washington manager,
Baxter Rankin, exclaimed:
We've asked the supporters Of the
plan not to bring any expeditions to
Washington. We are doing every
thing possible here ourselves. If they
want. 70 be of use, they can work hard
in other parts Of the country"
Father Cox has been broadcasting
the virtue of the Townsend plan four
times q week during the past two
months As a result, he says, 10000
letters from radio listeners in Western
Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio and West
Virginia have come TO him demanding
the pension.
Plan Held Real Religion"
"It's a real religion" he said of the
plan. It's no use talking about doing
anything for the soul when you're
dirty and hungry.
I've been interested In old-age pen
sions for years. I'm for the plan be-
cause 1t will help the poor. I came
from the poor people. I've always
lived with the poor people, and I hope
to die with them"
Father Cox and his cohorts reached
La Fayette Hotel soon after midnight
today. A police escort, which was to
have been headed by Supt. of Police
Ernest w. Brown and Representative
Ellenbogen, the only one of the three
Pittsburgh members who Is not COM
mitted to the Townsend plan, failed
to meet the "marchers" when the
group neglected to let police know
what time they were arriving at the
District line.
Armed With Petition.
Father Cox brought with him a
petition for presentation to the Presi-
dent, the House and the Senate, which
read, in part:
I'VE will always have 12,000,00
unemployed in the United States.
We have laws protecting and caring
for the birds of the air, the beasts Of
the field and the lilies of the valley
We must have q fundamental, solid
method Of caring for these $4,000, 900
people. The only liberal. up-to- date,
plan that has been proposed
to care for the victims Of the economic
order Is the Townsend old-age re-
volving pension plan"
A cheap money advocate, Father
Cox four years ago established Cox
town, on the edge of Pittsburgh, where
go destitute families lived in houses
erected with scrap lumber and bought
food, furniture, clothing and fuel at
. commissary with scrip.