Evening star. [volume], May 04, 1941, Image 1

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

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No. 1,884— No. 35,432. * WASHINGTON, D. C., MAY 4, 1941-136 PAGES. * TEN CENTS
Iraqis Repulsed, British Declare;
26 American Aid Ships Reported
To Have Reached Suez in Convoy'
- A — ■ . . — - — - ■ . .. A
Planes, Artillery
Beat Off Attack;
In Basra Area
BACKGROUND—
Fighting between Iraq and
British troops broke out Friday
as climax of landings of English
troops at Basra at head of Per
sian Gulf. Iraq government,
headed by pro-Nazi Premier
Raschid Ali Al Gailani, who came
to. power month ago in coup.
Iraq rich in oil and may be ob
jective of next Nazi moves in
Near East.
•3 the Associated Press.
LONDON, May 4 (Sunday).—
British troops battling to pre
serve the empire’s vast oil fields
In the Near East drove off Iraq
forces attacking in the Basra
area at the head of the Persian
Gulf, It was learned in London
early today.
R. A, P. bombers and artillery
were thrown into action against the
Iraqi troops in this, the second bat
tle area to develop in the suddenly
flaring war in Iraq.
The British acknowledged last
night tha*t planes and men had been
lost In a two-day battle at Habbani
yah airdrome.
Two contingents of reinforce
ments have been landed in recent
days at Basra to help meet the
threat to the precious flow of oil to
the British Mediterranean fleet.
British quarters here branded as
Untrue German reports that Indian
colonials had surrendered to the
Iraqi forces.
Guns Blasted Into Silence.
The official statement, admitting
that “a number of our aircraft have
been destroyed on the ground and
gome casualties have been sus
tained.” said, however, that the R.
A. P. had paid the Iraqis back by
blasting some of their guns into
gilence. .
The battle continued last night
—but, authoritative sources assert
ed, the oil which alone makes Iraq
a prize worth fighting for still flows
by pipeline to the Mediterranean.
Britain blames agents of oil-hungry
Germany for provoking the two
dav-old conflict.
■hie Iraq government, anti-British
aince a coup d’etat placed Raschid
Ali Al Gailani in power as premier
April 4. claimed destruction of 26
British planes at Habanayah. the
R. A. F. base 60 miles west of Bagh
dad, and said the British had lost
mechanized units in a vain attack
on Rutbah (Rusba) fort and air
drome, 250 miles west of Baghdad.
The Ministry of Information said
the Rutbah story was untrue but
acknowledged destruction of Hab
banivah planes, mostly trainers.
Blasted by Tons of Shells.
A formal British communique
said Habbaniyah was entirely sur
rounded bv Iraq troops entrenched
in the high ground overlooking the
field and that since early Friday the
unfortified cantonment had been
blasted bv tons of artillery shells.
Some of the guns were smashed
by British bombers, but the shelling
at point-blank range continues, and
the Iraq air force has tried to raid
the airdrome, the British officials
atated. x .
“As regards Iraqi claims to have
occupied oil wells and all airdromes
of the country,” said the Ministry
of Information, “it should be point
ed out that these have always been
In Iraqi hands with the single ex
ception of Shaiba Airdrome, near
Basra, where so far as is known no
hostile action has been attempted.”
Authoritative British sources said
they were unable to reconcile this
declaration with the fact that be
fore the war the R. A. F. was known
to have operated several airdromes
in Iraq and that this number pre
sumably had been increased rather
than decreased.
Reports Heard on Nasi Radio.
The German radio kept up a run
' Bing comment of sensational declar
ations concerning the Iraq strug
gle even while German officialdom
professed relative disinterest.
Overheard in London, these
broadcasts included assertions that
British planes tried to raid the
Bagdad residence of the Premier;
That one British plane was shot
#own in two R. A. F. raids on Iraq
iSee IRAQ. Page A-5.)
Three Killed, One Injured
In Locomotive Boiler Blast
(Picture on Page A-3.)
•r the Associated Press.
SALINAS. Calif., May 3.-Three
wen were blown to bits and another
injured today in the explosion of
a boiler on a locomotive pulling a
94-car freight train.
A woman, identified only as a
Mrs. Patrick, was hurt by pieces of
the boiler that crashed into her
home near the right of way. The
dead:
P. Y. Jolly, the engineer.
Floyd K. McKeen, fireman.
Herb Horan, brakeman.
Southern Pacific officials said the
men were coast division trainmen
but their addresses were not im
mediately available. A student
brakeman named Schoendeller was
injured. - v -
Twenty box cart and oil cars were
derailed and main line traffic was
tied up. TJie freight was en route to
Los Angeles.
14 Lost in Sinking
LA CORUNA, Spain, May 4 (Sun
day”) <JP).—The entire crew of 14
fishermen aboard the bark Turkuesa
was lost today when the vessel sank
•S Cedeira near here.
British Night Fighters Down
11 Nazis Bombing Liverpool
Port Attacked Hour After Hour
In Third Night of New Blitz
By the Associated Press.
LONDON. May 4 (Sunday).—
British night fighters reported today
they shot down 11 German raiders
as swarms of Nazi planes battered
Britain's East and West Coasts and
bombed Liverpool hour after hour
for the third successive night.
As the raiders roared inland,
keeping London under alarm for
hours although no bombings were
reported there, the R. A. F. sent
night fighters screaming up to meet
them from airfield after airfield.
Their bag of 11, the British said,
made the night fighters’ toll 17
German planes downed in the first
three nights of the month.
May Have Answer.
These victories in the darkness
prompted talk anew that the British
are finding an answer to after-dusk
raiding, and this was backed by
statements that out of 112 German
planes downed over Britain last
month 87 were listed as accounted
for by night defenses.
The raiders apparently were re
peating on Liverpool the tactics of
persistant attack they employed at
Plymouth. Explosive and fire bombs
showered down hour after hour
throughout the night and it was
; feared the loss of lives and destruc
tion of property were heavy.
Fire fighters and air-raid precau
tion so.uad members who had toiled
all day clearing away debris and
digging for victims worked cease
lessly amid the new wreckage.
Raiders Fan Out.
Other Merseyside areas also suf
fered. the northeast coastal district
was bombed, and London had its
first alert since April 26.
Bombs falling on an east coast
town caused several casualties
among civilians trapped in wreck
age.
The raiders fanned out over Eng- ]
land. A northeast coast town public
shelter holding 200 persons were
showered with bombs and rescue
squads worked through the night
attempting to free them. Many
casualties were reported among the
first 100 brought out.
Casualties were reported, too, in
neighboring districts. The raid on
this section was said not to be as
heavy as recent attacks. South and
southeast coastal towns also were
struck and casualties were reported.
London went through a four-hour
alert without incident except anti
aircraft bursts in one area. It was
London's first alert since April 26.
U.S. Can’t Wage War
Abroad Successfully,
Lindbergh Asserts
America Can Win Victory
Defending Itself on Own
Shores, Flyer Soys
BACKGROUND—
Charles A. Lindbergh, noted
aviator and critic of the admin
stration's foreign policy, resigned
last Monday his commission ar
colonel in the Air Corps Reserve
after President Roosevelt likened
him to Revolutionary War “ap
peasers” and Civil War ‘‘Copper
heads’’
By the Associated Press.
ST. LOUIS. May 3 —Charles A.
Lindbergh declared tonight America
was not prepared to wage war
abroad successfully, but pleaded that
we must and can defend our own
Nation.
He stressed particularly, in a
speech prepared for an America
First Committee rally, what he said
was our inadequacy in the air.
He said that no matter how many
planes we built and sent to England,
we could not make the British Isles
stronger than Germany in military
aviation.
“Not only is the performance of
some of our vital types of service
aircraft inadequate, but our total
air force in the United States today,
including both Army and Navy, both
modem and obsolescent types, is
not more than Germany can produce
in a few weeks,’’ he said. “It is a
small fraction of her present air
force. To enter a European war
today with our air force would be
almost as great a folly as that com
mitted by France when she declared
war on Germany in 1939.’’
Says U. S. Lacks True Facts.
Mr. Lindbergh, referring to his
resignation this week from the Air
Corps Reserve, said:
“I resigned because I felt that
the statements of the President left
me no honorable alternative. This
situation arose because I, together
with millions of Americans, believe
that our country should not enter
the war in Europe, while the Presi
dent. and many with him. believe
we should take part in that war.”
“This is the third great nation that
I have watched being led into war
without adequate preparation and
(See LINDBERGH, Page A-4,)
Reichstag Summoned
To Hear Declaration
Of Government
Important Turning Point
In War Appears at
Hand in Berlin
R> the Associate# Press.
BERLIN, May 4 (Sunday).—The
Reichstag is to meet at 6 pm. today
(11 am., E. S. T.) to “receive a dec
liration of the Reicha government.”
An official announcement said:
"The German Reichstag will as
semble at 6 pm. tonight. On the
day’s agenda: Acceptance of a dec
laration of the Reichs government.
The session will be broadcast over
all German stations.”
Today's Reichstag meeting will be
the first since July 19, when Adolf
Hitler offered Great Britain a “last
j chance” to withdraw from the con
flict.
He outlined no conditions for a
peace, but said it was senseless to
prolong the war. He set no time
limit for Britain’s answer to his
appeal “to reason.” • '
Today’s session of the Reichstag
may have been called to hear a sum
mary of Germany's triumphant Bal
kan campaign.
An important turning point in the
war appeared almost at hand to
day as Berlin concentrated its at
tention on the swiftly moving events
in the Near East.
The possibility of some declara
tion of policy was discussed in in
formed quarters, and the words
“new phase" was being heard as
events speeded up in the Eastern
Mediterranean and Asia Minor.
To date Germans have divided
the war into sharply distinct phases:
Poland, Norway, France, the Balkans
Hence an air of expectancy settled
over Berlin and Germans asked
one another: Will a similarly dis
tinct campaign be the Reich's next
move?
Authorized spokesmen were non
communicative save for such ob
servations as “the war doesn’t stand
still” or "coming events cast their
shadows before them.”
But Germany's intense interest in
the Near East was obvious and the
cheering for Iraq, now fighting the
British imperial forces, swelled in
volume as news reports told of ex
panding operations there.
The first semi-official comment,
(See BERLIN, Page A-3.)
Ships Said to Be
Heavily Loaded
With Munitions
BACKGROUND—
With completion of British of
fensive against Italians along
coast of East Africa, President
Roosevelt recently reopened the
Red Sea to traffic by American
merchantmen, and it was indi
cated that American merchant
men would lose no time in utiliz
ing this route to carry American
war materials to British fight
ing in the Near East. President
Roosevelt also recently asserted
that American war vessels would
carry on their neutrality patrol
wherever it was necessary for
them to do so.
By the Associated Press.
VICHY, France. May 3 —
Usually reliable diplomatic in
formants said tonight they had
circumstantial reports that 26
American merchant ships, I
stacked to the funnels with war
materiel for the British Near
Eastern armies and accompanied
by American warships, had
reached the Suez Canal.
The word used by the informants
to describe the reported presence of
United States naval vessels was that
they were "convoying” the mer
chant ships.
In Washington, the Navy De
partment stated immediately
upon receipt of the report: "No
United States Navy ships are em
ployed in convoy duty.”
Maritime sources, however, said
it was quite possible that the
merchant ships reported at Suez
had left United States shores
with 75 mm. cannon and other
materiel intended for Greece and
Yugoslavia, and while it had
been understood that these vessels
were mainly Yugoslav and Greek
freighters, some Informed sources
suggested that American vessels
also might have headed for Suez
via the Cepe of Good Hope.
The report that the ships had
arrived created a great stir in
Vichy, where United States willing
ness as well as ability to convoy aid
to Britain has Men considered
doubtful.
However, the fact that President
Roosevelt recently suspended the
neutrality ban on American shlp^
entering the Red Sea and proceed
ing to Suez had been considered
the forerunner of just such a move
as reported today.
The accounts of the ships' arrival
in the canal obviously could not be
confirmed In Vichy, but they ran
' swiftly through neutral as wpll as
French circles.
These accounts said the vessels
were loaded with light tanks, anti
tank and anti-aircraft guns, and
the informants insisted also that
American warships were in evidence.
In Cairo Friday British sources
said new equipment arriving in the
Near East, much of it American
made, is offsetting the British ma
terial losses in Greece.
• • • *■ r
Tokio Paper Reports
Inklings of Peace
By the Associated Press.
TOKIO, May 4 (Sunday).—The
Times Advertiser, under a heading
“mart tone improved as peace felt
near,” said today a favorable tone
had been brought to the stock mar
ket by inklings of a European peace.
This feeling, the newspaper said,
was engendered by rapproachment
of Turkey toward the axis, the Brit
ish-Iraq clash, progress of Ger
many’s campaign aimed at the Suez
Canal, and other developments the
paper regarded as to German ad
vantage.
It said therefore some traders felt
peace in Europe might come sooner
than had been anticipated. J •
Radio Programs, Page F-5
Complete index, Page A-2
Wounded Reporter Tells of Dodging Bombs
Four Weeks on Land and Sea to Flee Balkans
In one of the most dramatic
stories to come out of the Euro
pean war, Robert St. John, war
correspondent, tells for The Star’s
Special News Service of his flight
from Yugoslavia and Greece one
step ahead of the Nazi invaders,
and of the British evacuation
under a terrific aerial bombard
ment. St. John was wounded in
the leg by a machine gun bullet
and narrowly escaped death from
bombs.
By ROBERT ST. JOHN,
Forelsn Correspondent of The Star'*
Special News Service.
ALEXANDRIA, Egypt, May 3 —
After traveling four weeks night
and day by almo6t every conceivable
method of transportation, I finally
have arrived in a “safe port” with
the bloody story of the invasion and
fall of Yugoslavia and the evacua
tion of Greece.
Here are a few things which hap
pened along the way after that
gruesome dawn of Sunday, April 6.
when Nazi bombers rained terror
on sleeping Belgrade.
With Russell Hill of the New
York Herald Tribune, Leigh White
of C. B. 8. and the Overseas News
Agency and Terence Atherton of
the London Daily Mail, I left Budva,
on the Yugoslav coast, in a 30-foot
ROBERT ST. JOHN.
sardine boat we got in trade for an
automobile as the Italian occupa
tion force was entering that ancient
walled city.
We set out with no compass, with
automobila road maps in lieu of
charts, with only 12 gallons of gaso
line, and a gunny sack of black
bread as our chief food supply.
After a night of slow progress
along a treacherous course, we lay
hidden for a day in a little Dalma
tian seaport, which the Italians
had already occupied. We were
protected by native fishermen who
resented they were already being
forced to take Italian lira for any
thing the occupying force wanted.
As we continued our flight, we
took aboard a 60-year-old weather
beaten fisherman to help guide our
tiny craft, but he was killed and
Atherton was wounded when Stuka
bombers screamed down from the
clouds in a combination bomb and
machine gun attack.
We lay on our stomachs on a 3
foot-square deck through two nights,
peering over black waters for float
ing death as wf sailed with full
canvas through extensive mine fields
in the narrow Straits of Otranto.
We wiggled our boat through
much of the Italian fleet hiding
away near Durazzo, Albania.
We were hailed by two armed
Italian mine layers whose crews
manned their machine guns as we
passed dose under their bows, but
held their fire when we spread a
(Continued on Page A-3, Column 3.)
/This Wont Make You \
POORER-AND it Wont i
V MAKE YOU RICHE*.
5 „ jDR ■
; Roosevelts
NE.W
i TAX£5
Tiai
The Sugar-Coated Pills
Willkie Calls Patrol
System Inadequate;
Favors Convoys
Tells British Aid Backers
To Avoid Personalities
With Isolationists
BACKGROUND
Britain's greatest problem is
maintaining ocean supply lines,
particularly those bringing lease
lend aid from America. American
republics have maintained neu
trality patrols several hundred
miles at sea and President Roose
velt said last week United States I
icarships would extend this watch
wherever necessary to protect the
Western Hemisphere. Meanwhile
the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee voted to pigeonhole
anti-convoy resolutions.
By 1. V~OXEARY.
Describing the administration's
present naval patrol system as in- .
adequate to meet the situation, |
Wendell L. Willkie last night de-1
clared the time has come to see I
that American aid to Britain is
"delivered” by whatever methoa
Government experts deem most
effective.
“If my information is correct,” he
said, “the present patrol method is
not enough to prevent our products
from going to the bottom of the
ocean.”
The 1940 Republican presidential
nominee is understood to have made
known to aides of the President
within the last few days his willing
ness to support the administration
m adopting whatever is found to
be the best way of protecting de
liver!'. Asked if by deliver he meant
use of convoys, Mr. Willkie replied:
"If I were President of the United
States. I d have the naval and aero
nautical experts of the Government
tell me the best method and then
proceed on their advice. I do not
pretend to have the technical
training to determine the best
method of delivery, but I am in favor
of insuring delivery—whether by
convoy, airplane accompaniement
or the best method the experts
advise.”
Increasing Demands fcxpectea.
At the Capitol, meantime, there!
were indications that Congress
would hear increasing demands
from some of its members for
American convoys.
Senator Guffey. Democrat, of
Pennsylvania voiced the first such
plea Thursday, and it was disclosed
yesterday that Senator Pepper, Dem
ocrat, of Florida would express simi
lar views in a Senate speech tomor
row. Several other legislators were
said to be withholding public state
ments of that nature because of
uncertainty as to whether they
might prove embarrassing to Presi
dent Roosevelt.
Senator Tobey, Republican, of New |
Hampshire, author of an anti-con- ■
voy resolution, contended Senator
Guffey's statement and Senator
Pepper’s projected speech were part
of an administration program to
pave the way for convoys.
Mr. Willkie struck a new note i
in the Nation-wide discussion of I
the war situation by urging those
who believe in aiding the democ- j
(See WILLKIETPage A-4.)
Airline Links Singapore,
Dutch Indies and U. S.
By tb* Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 3.—Singa
pore and the Netherlands East In
dies were linked to the United States
by commercial airline today.
Pan America’s California Clipper
left Its Treasure Island base at
3:37 p.m. on the first scheduled
flight to Singapore. President
Roosevelt this week authorized ex
tension of the airway system.
"The current world conditions and
the importance to the United States
of Malaya and the Netherlands East
Indies require the establishment of
service in the public interest,” he
said.
The flight as far as Manila will be
over the route which Pan-American
has been flying for more than five
years On the initial flights be
tween Manila and Singapore only
mall will be carried.
Singapore will be the terminal
every other week. Honk Kqpg Is the
final stop on alternate schedules.
Nineteen passengers sailed on to
day's clipper ,and there was a
crew of nine and two airways ob
servers.
Message of Hope Sent
To Poles by Churchill
By the Associated Press.
LONDON. May 3 —Prime Minister
Churchill, in a message of hope to
“Polish people all over the world,’’
said today the presence of the
Polish government and its armed
forces in Britain has "enabled us to
build the foundations for Anglo
Polish relations after a common
victory and the restoration of your
freedom.”
His broadcast address marked the
150th anniversary of adoption of
a Polish constitution.
Mr. Churchill told the Polish
people that Germany's “brutal at
tack" on Poland in 1939 resulted
from the German “alarm’’ at the
success of the Polish nation.
Whirlaway Shatters
Record in Amazing
Derby Triumph
Staretor, Outsider, Runs
Second as Winner
Stages Hot Finish
By FRANCIS E. STAN,
Star staff Correspondent.
CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville,
Kj., May 3.—Roaring down the
track in the fastest mile and a
quarter ever run at historic
Churchill Downs and making a
mockery of what promised to be a
free-for-all among at least seven
well-matched speedsters. Whirlaway
of Calumet Farm won the 67th
running of the Kentucky Derby
here today before 80,000 gasping
spectators.
The handsome. unpredictable
chestnut colt went a mile before
he fell into a running mood and
when he responded to the earnest,
intelligent ride of little Eddie Ar
caro, Whirlaway literally leaped
from fourth to the front and, as
Warren Wright s ace ^ore past the
finish line, he was eight lengths
ahead of the closest contender and
clocked in the amazing and un
precedented time of 24 seconds for
the last quarter.
Whirlaway made history today.
From the record of 2:014s which
Twenty Grand established in win
ning the 1931 Derby, the son of
the imported Blenheim 2d-Dust
whirl clipped two-fifths of a second.
Moreover, he became the first 2-year
old champion to win the bluegrass
special since Morvich in 1921. The
early winter book favorite, Whirl
away today became the first such
to win since Gallant Fox in 1930.
Long-Shot Staretor Second.
Far behind but only a neck ahead
of his own nearest challenger came
Hugh S. Nesbitt's Staretor, long
shot and only gelding -among the
11 horses which faced the barrier.
Nesbitt's 30-to-l shot beat out Louis
Tufano's Market Wise and far be
hind the brilliant new champion
came such highly regarded colts as
Porter's Cap. fourth; Little Beans,
fifth; Dispose, sixth; Blue Pair,
seventh; Our Boots, an apologetic
eighth, and Robert Morris, ninth.
Two more long shots. Emerson F.
Woodward's Valdina Paul and
Cleaveland Putnam's Swain were
paired in the field and ran precisely
according to the 20-to-l odds, finish
ing tenth and eleventh, respectively.
But the whole show was Whirla
way. the horse like the little girl
with the curl, and Arcaro. 26-year
(Continued on Page B-7, Column 8.)
Roosevelt Prepares
New Enunciation of
Nation's Policy
President Will Speak
At Wilson Birthplace
Shortly After Noon
By JOHN C. HENRY,
Star Staff Correspondent.
CHARLOTTESVILLE. Va.. May
3.—In a setting rich in the lore of
American presidential history. Pres
ident Roosevelt today prepared a
new enunciation of this Nation's
intentions in the present period
of world crisis.
To be delivered tomorrow at the
restored birthplace of Woodrow
Wilson in nearby Staunton, it will
be an utterance expected to re
flect clearly the deep and linger
ing influences left in American his
tory and political consciousness by
the World War President and by
Presidents Jefferson and Monroe.
Today Mr. Roosevelt dictated his
address in a mountainside guest
cottage which looked upward to
the stately Monticello residence of
Thomas Jeffersorl, a signer of this
Nations Declaration of Independ
ence. a few hours before he had
ridden through the spacious grounds
of Ash Lawn, the old home of James
Monroe, on whose doctrine of West
ern Hemisphere mutuality all, our
"good neighbor” and defense poli
cies of today are founded.
Little Advance Information.
White House aides have volun
teered little advance information
on the character of this address to
morrow, but it is considered signifi
cant that from an original plan for
the President to speak extempo
raneously and informally for only a
few minutes there has been an an
nounced revision to the effect that
he will talk from a prepared text to
be drafted tonight and made avail
able to the press just before the
time of presentation.
(The radio chains had made no
arrangements to broadcast the
ceremonies and officials said the
President's decision to deliver a
formal address instead of ex
temporaneous remarks would not
cause them to change their plans.
A Columbia spokesman told the
Associated Press that C. B. S.
would broadcast the address “if
the White House says it is of na
tional importance.” but that no
such word had been received so
far.)
Assisting in preparation of the
speech tonight were Harry L. Hop
kins, principal assistant and confi
dant of the President on the defense
and aid programs, and Secretaries
Stephen T. Early and Maj. Gen.
Edwin M. Watson, the latter the
host to the Chief Executive.
Expected to be present when the
address is delivered tomorrow, the
occasion being the formal opening
of the Wilson birthplace as a na
tional shrine, are Secretary of State
and Mrs. Cordell Hull and Mrs.
Woodrow Wilson, widow of the
World War President.
Speech to Be Climax.
Against this background and com
bination of circumstances specula
tion has been encouraged that the
speech will be. a climax, first to a
week which has recorded a marked
intensification of our defense and
aid efforts and, second, to a 20
month period which has seen the
Nation move steadily from a posi
tion of aloofness into one of active
and aggressive resistance to the
sweep of totalitarianism.
A retracing of this trend toward
(See ROOSEVELT. Page A-6.)
Cut in Overtime Pay Halts
Saturday Work in Shipyard
Bf the Associated Preu.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 3.—The
huge Bethlehem Shipbuilding Yard,
building both warships and freight
ers under the defense program, was
idle today as A. F. L. machinists
and pipefitters refused to work Sat
urday shifts unless paid double for
overtime. v
Between 200 and 300 men failed
to report for work. A corporation
spokesman said orders to work Sat
urdays in the shipyards were issued
for the first time last night, follow
ing President Roosevelt's plea for
a 24-hour day and seven-day week
in defense work,
Anthony Ballerinl, president of
the Pacific Coast Metal Trades
Council, said the refusal of the men
to work was not a violation of the
recently-adopted master contract
for Pacific Coast shipyards, because
Bethlehem had never signed it.
Bethlehem has been paying
double time for Saturday work, the
corporation spokesman said, but re
ceived instructions from the Mari
time Commission that, in accord
ance with the ship stabilization
agreement, overtime should be paid
off at time and a half.
Henry Hook, union business agent,
said the men would return to work
as usual Monday and would con
tinue working the five-day week,
but would not report for work on
Saturday unless double time is paid.
Radio Networks
Face Sharp Curb
In New Rules
N. B. C. Ordered Split,
Two Chain Outlets in
Same Area Barred
The Federal Communications
Commission yesterday approved
radio regulations which would make
it necessary for the National Broad
casting Co. to dispose of one of its
two networks; would prohibit a
chain from operating more than
one station in the same area, unless
it car* be shown that public interest
requires otherwise, and would
sharply regulate the affiliation con
tracts between networks and sta
tions.
The commission, which ac*ed by
a 5-to-2 vote, said the new rules
were intended to increase the num
ber of radio networks and give indi
vidual stations "wider latitude" in
their dealings with networks.
Features of present affiliation
contracts which the F. C C. said
the new regulations were intended
to eliminate included:
1. "Exclusivity” under which a
station affiliated with one network
may not carry a program of an
other.
2. “Territorial exclusivity” under
which a nettvork is bound not to
send a program to any station lo
cated in an area served by its af
filiated station, even though the af
filiated station rejects the program.
Rules May Be Challenged.
3. Contracts binding for more
I than one year.
4. Network optional time under
1 which a station must cancel any
j program scheduled during an option
I period if the network witii which it
j is affiliated offers a program for
i the period.
5. Restrictions on the right to
reject network programs, i Some
affiliation contracts restrict the
right of a station to reject net
work programs, the F. C. C. said.)
6. Limitation of competition be
tween network and stations. (Some
. affiliation contracts penalize a sta
| tion for selling time to national
advertisers at less than the rate
j which the network charges for the
station's time, the commission said.)
There was immediate indication
that the industry might challenge
the regulations in the courts.
Neville Miller, president of the
National Association of Broad
casters. called a meeting of the as
sociation's Executive Committee
1 Wednesday in New York and said
in a statement that the F. C. C.
order “constitutes usurpation of
power which has no justification in
law and menances the freedom of
the American system of broadcast
ing.”
Paley Sees Blow at Freedom.
Mr. Miller quoted a recent resolu
! tion of the association's directorate
which said:
“The philosophy of American
broadcasting as expressed in deci
I sions of the Supreme Court of the
j United States and the applicable
j statutes envisages control of pro
grams, of business management and
of policy in the broadcaster and not
subject to the supervisory control
of the Government."
In New York. William S. Paley,
president of the Columbia Broad
casting System, declared that the
regulations would make networks
“mere catch-as-catch-can. fly-by
night sellers of programs” and
j termed them a blow at "freedom of
j the air, because a commission which
can exercise such drastic powers
I without even going to Congress for
authority to exercise them, will
have reduced the networks and
stations of America to impotent
vassals able to survive only so long
as they please the regulatory au
thority.”
Mutual Chairman Pleased.
On the other hand, Alfred J. Mc
Cosker, chairman of the Mutual
Broadcasting System’s Board of
Directors was quoted by the As
sociated Press as saying:
“From the limited opportunity we
have had to examine the press
i summarization of the majority
monopoly report released today by
j the F. C. C, we find it a scholarly
and thorough analysis of the net
work monopoly problem.”
National Broadcasting Co. execu
tives were unavailable for comment.
The F C. C. order prohibiting a
network to operate more than one
station in the same service area
provided for exceptions when it can
be shown that the public interest
requires otherwise.
Regulations regarding existing
contracts between networks and sta
tions will not become effective foT 90
| days; others are effective immedi
ately.
Rules Called Magna Carta.
Chairman James L. Fly of the
commission called the new rules “a
j Magna Carta for American broad
casting stations.” Norman S. Casa
and T. A. M. Craven, the two com
missioners who voted against the
regulations, however, expressed tha
“fear that the proposals of the ma
jority will result inevitably in im
paired efficiency of the existing
broadcast organization of the coun
try * * *. More specifically, we fear
that the revolutionary change pro
posed * • * will result in the destruc
tion of the present excellent na
tional program distribution system
and the substitution therefor of some
new kind of system, the effects of
which the majority does not ade
quately visualize.”
The commissioners voting with
Chairman Fly for the new regula
tions were Paul A. Walker, George
Henry Payne, Frederick I. Thomp
son and Ray C. Wakefield.
Meanwhile, it was reported that
members of the Senate and House
called the F. C. C. for information
on the new regulations yesterday
and the belief was expressed that a
congressional investigation of the
commission and the radio industry
was in prospect.
In his statement, Mr. Paley as
serted that “to make a fetish of
competition to the extent the com
mission proposes makes as much
sense to me as If one were to argue
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