Evening star. [volume], July 13, 1941, Image 1

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

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Weather Forecast ^iihcrrihpr nr
Mostly cloudy, cooler, occasional show- JUI/wvlIUcr
ers today; tomorrow considerable cloudi- .
ness, moderate temperature. Tempera- kI r* m l r\r\\!
tures yesterday—Highest, 90; lowest, 71. l^fcWSSrUrlU wUpy
From the United States Weather Bureau rchcrt. c. klA r/wt
Full Details on Page a-2. If Sold by Newsboy, Please Notify 5tor, NA. 5000
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No. 1,894— No. 35,502. WASHINGTON, D. C., JULY 13, 1941-120 PAGES. *** AJ0?TEN CENTS
Russian Defenses Are Shattered
At 3 Main Points, Nazis Claim;
Dents Unimportant, Reds Reply
_ • A _
Less Than 300 Miles
From Moscow, Reich
Communique Says
the Associated Pres*.
BERLIN, June 12.—The Ger
man High Command after al
most a full week of silence of
ficially announced tonight that
the Stalin Line. Russia's main
defense barrier, had been broken
Bt "all decisive points.”
The Germans reported that their
blitzkrieg legions had smashed
through in the direction of all three
of their main drives—toward Mos
cow; the capital, Leningrad. Rus
sia’s big Western port, and toward
Kiev, capital of the grain-rich
Ukraine.
The German army pushed
through in tiie central Minsk area
to a point 125 miles beyond Minsk,
putting the Nazi legions less than
300 miles from Moscow, the high
command said.
In the drive toward the Ukraine,
Cterman troops were declared to be
standing "close before Kiev" and
elsewhere along this southern end
of the front German and Rumanian
troops were stated to be pursuing
Russians fleeing in disorder.
To the north the Nazi troops are
moving through the region of Lake
Peipus, along the Esthonian bor
der. and "are advancing toward
Leningrad.” said the High Com
mand. after a break-througn in
this sector.
In the all-important central sec
tor beyond Minsk and on tne high
way to Moscow the Russians are
showing “signs of a break-up and
dissolution,” said the communique.
Nazi Air Force Active.
The German air force was de
clared to have been active in the
big battles, particularly "bv de
stroying the enemy railway net,”
behind Russian lines and thus tak
ing away from the Russians any
•further possibility of a counter
eperation on a large scale."
This also enabled German panzer
units to move their supply bases
right up close to "the former Stalin
Line,” the communique observed.
The fast-moving panzer forma
tions which apparently executed all
of the break-throughs are trail
blazers for the slower infantry, al
though earlier D.N.B.. the official
new agency, had stated that Ger
man infantrymen had cleared the
way for an all-out assault in the
northern sector.
D.N.B. said the infantry had
swung into action after 16 days of
marching at a 21-mile-a-day clip.
The high command's sweeping an
nouncement was made in the spe
cial communique issued shortly be
fore midnight. The first operations
Against the Stalin Line were an
nounced by the high command on
July 6. Since then it had given no
specific indication of progress.
The most significant break
through appeared to be that at the
center of the line beyond Minsk on
the direct road to Moscow. The
high command had especially sig
nalled out this area on the Dnepr
River north of the Pinsk Marshes as
being "strongly fortified.”
Vitebsk, the fall of which was an
nounced in the communique tonight
Although it occurred Friday, was one
of the bulwarks in this sector, aside
from the natural obstruction of the
wide Dnepr itself.
50 Miles From Smolensk.
German panzer units in smashing
more than 125 miles beyond Minsk
would be only a little more than 50
miles from Smolensk, important
communications center still to be
hurdled in any drive to Moscow.
Smolensk played a vital part in
Napoleon's march to the Russian
capital.
There w'as no indication here
whether German and Finnish divi
sions were moving in from the north
across the Karelian Isthmus to close
in on Leningrad from the north and
take this second largest Russian city
by the famous Nazi pincer strategy.
Estonia, behind the fast-moving
panzer divisions in the Lake Peipus
region, appeared to be pretty well
cleaned up. although the Russians
Hill hold Tallinn, the capital.
At the southern end of the line
Hungarian and Slovak troops were
declared to be marching with the
Germans in pursuing retreating
Russians in the Galician sector.
Still further south, near where
the Stalin Line ends at the Black
Sea, German and Rumanian col
umns fighting together were de
clared to have crossed the Dnestr
“on a broad front,” thus putting ad
ditional German troops in the
Ukraine besides those bearing down
on Kiev, which lies in the north
western part of the rich territory.
The Dnestr is the boundary between
the Ukraine and Bessarabia, ceded
to Russia by Rumania a vear ago.
Odessa, important_Ukranian Black
• See BERLIN. Page A-3.)
Lightning Kills 3 Caddies
And Knocks Down 2 Others
£y the Associated Press.
LOUISVILLE. Ky„ July 12.—
Three golf caddies were killed by
lightning here today and two others
were knocked down and shocked as
they accompanied players.
The dead were Richard Cougler.
14; William L. Karger, 17, and
Bobby Harding, 17. The injured
were William Wild, 17. and Joseph
Knight, jr, 12. All are from Louis
ville.
Cougler, Karger, Wild and Knight
were accompanying golfers at the
Louisville Country Club and were
standing in a group when the bolt
struck them.
Harding and two golfers had
sought shelter in a shack at Audu
bon Country Club when lightning
struck the shelter, killing the youth.
) §
Wing-Walking
Pilot Puts Out
Fire Over Sea
Jinx Stalks Britons
Raiding Muenster,
But They Get Home
By the Associated Press.
LONDON. July 12—A smoking,
crippled Wellington night bomber
landed at an R. A. F. airdrome, saved \
by a wing-walking pilot who fought
flames in midair over the turbulent
North Sea.
The Wellington had headed home
after bombing Muester when a Mes
serschmitt 110 roared up from below
with guns blazing and raked it from |
wingtip to wingtip. the crew re
lated today.
Everything seemed to happen. Tire
front gunner was wounded in the
foot. The starboard engine was
badly damaged. The hydraulic sys
tem was ruined. The radio was
knocked out. The undercarriage
flopped down. The bomb doors
swung open. The pilot's cockpit
filled with smoke fumes.
A sheet of flame four feet long
flared out where a gasoline feed
pipe in the wing had been hit by a
cannon shell.
Apparently confident that the
bomber Was nearly finished, the
German plane closed in to 20 yards.
The Wellingtons rear gunner fired
'See BOMBEr7a-4.)“'
Heaviest Nazi Raids
Surpassed in Bomb
Tonnage, British Say
Weight English Dropped
In June Held Greater Than
Germany's Record in April
i fc> the As:oc:alcd Press.
LONDON. July 12.—'The British
air offensive against Germany has
reached a point in tonnage of bombs
dropped surpassing the heaviest j
German attacks on England, it was
seated authoritatively today, as the 1
K. A. F. continued its non-stop as
saults on the continent.
During June, a statement said, j
the weight of British bombs dropped
on Germany actually exceeded the j
tonnage dropped on England in !
April, which it is said the Ger- |
mans claim as their record month.
Furthermore, the weight of bombs
dropped on Germany in July “will i
i be heavier still,” it was said.
8.000 Nazi Planes Claimed.
British air sources declared the
new air offensive had accounted for
216 German planes since June 22
and that the total German losses
since the start of the war, on all
fronts from the Arctic to Equatorial
Africa, have now risen to 8,000 air
craft and 20,000 airmen.
Last night raiders flew through a
thunderstorm to attack the north- ,
western German naval base of Wil
helmshaven, the air ministry an- |
nounced, without losing a plane, and i
today heavy British bombers roared
over northern France and were re
ported authoritatively to have bom
barded railway and canal communi
cations near St. Omer. The south
east England skies were described
as being alive with the bombers and
escorting fighter planes as unusually
heavy forces took part in the attack.
Two British fighters and one
bomber were missing from day raids,
but six German fighters were de
clared to have been shot down.
Few Bale Out Safely.
Authoritative British circles state
that the cannon fire of their fight
ing planes is taking a devastating
and constantly heavier toll of Ger
man pilots.
"Only a small proportion of Ger
man pilots bale out Safely,” said a
statement on this phase of the war
reviewing the steadily increasing at
tacks on fterman and German-oc
cupied territory. The Nazis were
said to be losing much more heavily
in pilots than the British did during
the battle of Britain.
The statement quoted reports of
R. A. F. pilots of repeated instances
in which German fighter planes had
literally been blown to bits by can
nonfire. 1
The Air Ministry news service
said a German minesweeper of 1,200
tons was swept by fire from end to
end after being bombed yesterday
off Ouessant, an island near the
Brittany coast of France.
A Hudson bomber of the coastal
command sighted the vessel and two
smaller craft, all three of which
opened fire on the plane. The
(See-RAIDS,~A-5.)
—
Berlin News Broadcasts
Are Resumed by C. B. S.
By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, July 12.—The Co
lumbia Broadcasting System an
nounced today that its news broad
casts from Berlin had been resumed
after Columbia Broadcasting Sys
tem officials had made it clear to
German authorities that resumption
j would not mean any change in its
method of handling news.
Germany banned C. B. S. from
the Berlin news broadcasting field
on June 28 in protest against an
analysis by Elmer Davis of a radio
interview with P. G. Wodehouse,
British author held in Berlin.
At that time, Harry W. Flannery,
chief of the C. B. S. Berlin bureau,
was instructed to notify German au
thorities that C. B. S. would not
compromise its integrity and that
broadcasts from beyond German
territory were beyond the censor
ship of that country.
A
Soviet Admits Fierce
Fighting on Line of
Chief German Drives
ey the Associated Press.
MOSCOW. Sunday. July 13.— !
Soviet Russia officially claimed
early today that German attacks;
in three great areas of fighting
on the continent-wide battleline
failed entirely to make any ‘ im
portant” dents in the front.
The Soviet communique acknowl
edged stubborn fighting between the
Red Army and “enemy” troops in
the areas of Pskov, a railway center
about 175 miles southwest of Lenin
grad Vitebsk, in northern White
Russia, where the Germans are driv- J
ing on Moscow, and Novograd Vo- |
lynski, in the Ukraine.
These were the regions of the
three main German drives—directed. |
respectively, at Leningrad. Moscow.!
and Kiev, important industrial city
and capital of the Ukraine.
(These same three areas were
declared by the German high
command in its special communi
que late last night to have been
points where the Germans suc
cessfully broke through the Stalin
Line.)
Although acknowledging that the
battle was renewed in these three
areas, the communique stated blunt
ly that "these encounters caused no
important change in the front.”
Red Air Force Strikes.
The communique said the Red Air
Force struck at German mechanized
units and airdromes, and against
Rumanian port and oil field objec
tives. A total of 102 German air
planes were declared to have been
destroyed Friday.
The two communiques Saturday
and the one early Friday—the three
communiques preceding that issued
this morning — all reported “no
change” at the front, and that issued
during the day Thursday had stated
that there was “nothing of conse
quence” to report at the front.
All this was interpreted to mean
that a lull had fallen upon the
front.
Today's communique carried out
a theme stressed by the official Tsss
news agency yesterday that guerrilla
warfare had broken out behind the
German lines.
“Guerrilla deteachments,” said the
communique, “are operating behind
the lines of German occupation and
are carrying out incessant attacks
on enemy communication lines and
destroying munitions and fuel trains
and discovering and exterminating
whole groups and units of German
troops.”
Tass said “the flames of a nation- j
wide guerrilla war are enveloping
the districts of Soviet Byelo-Russia
(White Russia) captured by Ger
man Fascists.”
The agency told of numerous in
stances of these harassing tactics,
notably in the region about Pinsk. a
town in the Pinsk marshes far be
hind the German lines declared to
be still in Soviet hands.
The Red Army reported its air
force was continuing its behind-the- !
lines raids, smashing up German
troop concentrations and striking at
communications lines to hamper
preparations for the expected on
slaught. It also reported repulsing |
two German attempts to cross un
specified rivers.
The German Army was reported
again to have remained at a stand
still on the line of battle, now rough
ly along the Dnestr River in the
south and Dnepr and Dvina Rivers
in the north. This roughly also is i
the Stalin Line, except that the !
Dvina flows through Latvia to the
(See MOSCOW, Page-fc-13.)
_
Peru Reports Apology
LIMA. Peru, Sunday, July 13
(TP).—The Peruvian Foreign Of
fice declared today Ecuador had
apologized officially to Peru for
an incident in the outbreaks
along a disputed frontier between
the two nations. (There was no
confirmation of such a report
from Ecuador.)
(Story on Page A-3.)
Bill to Retain
Selectees Faces
Sharp Revision
Senate Hearings Due
To Start Wednesday;
Compromise Seen
—BACKGROUND
Selective Service Act stipulates
that trainees may not be held
in service /or more than 12
months unless Congress declares
the national interest is imperiled,
and bans use of selectees beyond
limits of Western Hemisphere
except in United States terri
tories and possessions. War De
partment proposals for removing
these restrictions have stirred
storm of controversy in Congress.
B$ the Associated Press.
Suggestions developed in the Sen
ate yesterday for drastic overhaul
ing of War Department-sponsored
legislation to retain Selective Serv
ice trainees in the Army beyond
one year and to lift the ban against
sending them outside the Western
Hemisphere.
Chairman Reynolds told report
ers he would ask the Senate Mili
tary Affairs Committee to start
hearings on the measure next
Wednesday.
Although he introduced the leg
islation at the War Department's
request. Senator Reynolds made
clear he did not lavor it in its
present form.
“When I voted for the Draft Act."
Senator Reynolds declared. "I did
so with the clear understanding
that the men would not be sent out
of this hemisphere and that they
were making a contract with the
Government to serve for only one
year.”
As an alternative, Senator Rey
nolds suggested that selectees might
be given “some inducement, per
haps higher pay, to re-enlist.”
George Sees Compromise.
Another to suggest changes was
Chairman George of the Foreign
Relations Committee. Telling re
porters "that some compromise will
be worked out. Senator C-eorge sug
gested a plan whereby selectees
could enlist for one. two or three
years, in their discretion.
Enlistment of trainees would ac
complish the ends of the legisla
tion, since there is no restriction on
where Regular Army troops may be
sent.
Senator George conceded that his
idea might not, however, prove
practicable. “Those who enlisted
might not be the ones the Army
w-ants to keep.” he said.
Some Senators, linking the legis
lation with foreign policy, said pri
vately that they would have to have
a clearer explanation of why it #as
needed before they would consider
voting for it. In asking for the
legislation. War Department officials
have spoken only in general terms
of a necessity for this country to
be ready for any emergency.
In that connection, Senator Dana
her. Republican, of Connecticut, as
serted that “the administration
should be more honest with the
Congress and with the people re
garding the various steps it is tak
ing.”
Senator Danaher said that much
information about Government ac
tivities was circulated through
"back door” channels and added
that administration spokesmen sel
dom made public the facts until
they had been developed on the
floors of Congress.
Senator Wheeler, Democrat, of
Montana, expressing a similar view,
told reporters that "unless the
President is willing to ask Congress
for a declaration of war he should
keep the country advised of what
steps he is taking that might lead
us to war.”
Senator Reynolds, saying that ac
“ < See DRAFT ~A-2. >
Traffic Injuries Fatal
Mrs. Aletha Seebode. 37, of
1327 North Carolina avenue N.E.
died early today at Casualty
Hospital of injuries received a
few hours previously when she
was run down by an alleged
drunken driver in the 2300 block
of Bladensburg road N.E. while
carrying ice cream cones to her
husband and 6-year-old daughter.
(Earlier Story on Page B-3.)
I GOr>
THAT
MANY!,
/You OUCMT^I
iTo SEE THE
ONES THAT GOT
.WAT erom us
Fish Stories
U. S. Would Resist
Any Nazi Attack in
Iceland, Hill Says
Alabaman Replies to
Demand by Bone tor
British Withdrawal
Bv GOULD LINCOLN.
Any a 4 tck made by Germany on
Iceland, whether British forces still
are in the country or not. will be re
sisted by the American armed
forces now taking over the duty of
defending that country, in the opin
ion of Senator Hill. Democrat, of
Alabama, a member of the Senate
Military Affairs Committee.
"If the Nazis attack Iceland, the
attack, of course, would be resisted
by the American forces there.” said
Senator Hill yesterday, comment
ing on the issue raised by Senator
Bone. Democrat, of Washington and
others that the Germans had a
right to attack the British, and
I that the British should promptly
1 evacuate Iceland now that the
Americans had moved in.
"If the American forces are not
to fight back against such an at
tack,” Senator Hill continued. "I
would be in favor of recalling them
right now. The only reason that I
I know for their being in Iceland is
i to protect the country’ against seiz
: tire by the Nazis, who might in
, the future use it as a base for at
I tack against the Western Hemi
sphere.
Doubts Hitler Will Attack.
"I do not believe, however, that
Hitler will make any attack on
I Iceland. One of the last things, in
my opionion. that he wants now
! is to bring the United States into
open warfare against him.”
The possibility of an attack on
fSee~ICELAND,-A~-2.)
Nazi Bomber Felled
By Trawler, Iceland
Dispatch Reports
By tbe Associated Press.
NEW YORK. July 12—A 1
Reykjavik, Iceland, dispatch
broadcast today by the British
Broadcasting Co. said an armed
British trawler had shot down
a German bomber in flames
after withstanding its aerial
attack.
The report was heard here by
National Broadcasting Co.
No details were given, but the
implication of the dateline was
that the action occurred in the
waters about Iceland, which has
been occupied by United States
naval forces.
Unexpected Shift of H. 0. L C.
To New York Creates Hardships
Many Unable or Unwilling to Leave D. C.;
Half of 1,000 Workers Expected to Go
By J. A. FOX.
The unexpected order transferring the Federal Home Loan
Bank Board and subsidiary agencies from Washington to New
York to make way here for defense activities is creating grave
problems for many of the 1.000 employes who stand to be affected
by the change. In fact, after a week to think it over, the con
viction is growing in the staff that not more than 50 per cent of
their number—if that—will make•>
the move.
Some say that they are so situated
that it is not possible to tear up
roots here and establish new homes.
Others are simply unwilling to leave
Washington. At the same time,;
however, all are faced with the
realization that finding new jobs
poses a difficult tssk. and the pinch
in this direction may be reflected
ultimately by a corresponding in
crease in the ranks of those who
go.
In one office in the huge structure
at First street and Indiana avenue
N.W. which is being vacated, it was
'See H. O. L. C., Page A-3.t
Streamliner Wrecked;
17 Persons Injured
As Engines Hit Cow
Washington Woman
On Casualty List
In Georgia Derailment
B' the Associated Press.
LUDOWICI. Ga.. July ^.—Seven
teen passengers of the Atlantic
Coast Line Railroad s crack stream
liner. the Champion, were injured
tonight when two engines and eight
cars of the train were derailed after
striking a cow.
Two of 17 persons hurt. Capt. Hu
bert L. Ketch of the 152d Field Ar
tillery, Camp Blanding. Fla., and
Miss Ethel Friedman of Philadel
phia. were taken to the post hospital
at Camp Stewart. 6 miles from the
scene of the accident at nearby
Walthourville.
Capt. Ketch received minor in
juries and Miss Friedman slight
back injuries.
Fifteen other persons, whose in
juries were reported as not serious,
but as warranting hospital observa
tion overnight, were taken to the
railroad hospital at Waycross, Ga.
A listing of them included:
Miss Detitta of Bronx. New York.
Miss Nettie Burd of Philadelphia.
Mrs. J. Seeley of Brooklyn. N. Y.
Mrs. Ida Baldwin of Washington.
< See WRECKrPage A-2.)
Mayor of Reno Divorced
RENO, July 12 (4s).—Mrs. Janes
Frohlich won a divorce today from
August C. Frohlich, mayor of this
divorce center. She charged cruelty.
Gene Bean, 13, Wins District's Fourth Soap Box Derby
Paul Junior High
Student Victorious
In His Third Try
By C. A. MATHISEN.
Gene C. Bean, a determined 13
year-old who would not have been
content with anything but top hon
ors, became Washington’s fourth
Soap Box Derby champion yester
day. It was his third try for the M.
E. Coyle Trophy and the right to
represent the Capital in the national
finals in Akron, Ohio.
The new coaster hero, who takes
his place beside Norman Rocca, Carl
Cedarstrand and Bill Jennings, pre
vious local Derby winners, lives at
608 Rittenhouse street N.W. and is
the son of Mr. and Mrs. Preston C.
Bean. He is a Paul Junior High
School student, and will enter grade
8-B there in the fall.
Gene was considered a logical con
tender even before the racing began,
and his final victory of the day,
which came shortly after 6 p.m., was
no surprise to those who remem
bered last year’s Derby. Running
over the same course, Gene finished
second to Billy1 Warner, the Class
"B” champ, who was runner-up to
Bill Jennings. In addition, he won
a special prize for having tHe racer
adjudged best-designed among the
1940 entries.
When the modest but self-assured
youngster became the boy-of-the
hour yesterday, he had piloted his
streamlined white-and-black coaster
car across the finish line at Penn
(See DERBY , A~5 j
Gene Bean, left, winner of the Soap Box Derby, and Noel White, jr„ 12, the runner-up, ex
1 change congratulatory handshakes after the deciding race. Noel has his trophy in the package
under his arm. —Star Staff Photo.
J T I
Lipscomb Convicted
In Battle With Police;
Officers Criticized
Weigle Guilty, Elam Freed;
Prosecutor Korman
Warned of Contempt
BACKGROUND—
On June 26 Lisle T. Lipscomb.
24. arrested on traffic charges,
was taken to No. 10 precinct
station. Lipscomb, severely beat
en about face and head in fight
at station, accused police of bru
tality, as did his two companions.
Police charged Lipscomb and
companions with disorderly con
duct. Trial of youths postponed
until Lipscomb returned from
wedding trip.
Lisle T. Lipscomb and Graham
Weigle last night were held guilty
of disorderly conduct, but the po
licemen who beat them were accused
of having engaged in a "disgraceful
spectacle.”
The trial, regarded as one of the
most bitterly contested cases ever
fought in Police Court, came to an
end with a memorandum opinion
by Judge George D. Neilson in
which a third defendant, George
Elam, was acquitted of the disor
derly charge.
Judge Neilson held that Mr.
Lipscomb and Mr. Weigle "provoked
the disturbance” at No. 10 precinct
June 26. but that “the facts would
not seem to justify the punishment
inflicted on the defendants.”
“Here we have three young and
small boys, surrounded by some
eight large and experienced police
men,” the judge continued. “Could
not they have restrained the boys
without resorting to physical blows?
Police Conduct Criticized.
“Of course, the police were en
titled to make and maintain an ar
rest—but disorderly conduct on the
part of the prisoners does not justify
like conduct on the part of the
officers. Able-bodied, husky officers
should be able to restrain prisoners
of much slighter build, without re
sorting to the disgraceful spectacle
of swapping punches.”
Mr. Lipscomb, who is 24, was
beaten severely in the face, suffer
ing two black eyes, a cut on the
forehead and several cuts in his
mouth. Mr. Weigle and Mr. Elam
received bumps on the head.
The fight began after Mr. Lip
scomb had been arrested on traffic
charges and had gone to the pre
cinct station at the direction of Po
liceman P. H. Sams, the arresting
officer. The three had been riding
around the city for about an hour
and a half after attending a “bach
elor” party in Virginia in celebration
of Mr. Lipscomb’s approaching mar
riage and also his induction into the
Army under Selective Service Act.
He was married two days after the
incident.
Mr. Lipscomb was convicted by
Judge John P. McMahon and paid
a $16 fine on the traffic charges
Thursday.
13 Hours of Testimony.
The disorderly conduct trial began
before Judge Neilson the same day
and 13 hours were consumed in tak
ing of testimony and arguments
during the following two days.
The trial ranged in variety from
quotations from Shakespeare and
the “Ancient Mariner” to the courts
threatening to hold the “violently
objecting” prosecutor, Milton Kor
' <See~ LipSCOMBT~A-4T)
9
Civil Service
Board Defends
Police System
Assails House Group
Intent to Abolish
Promotion Plan
CITIZENS FEDERATION HITS
congressional interference with
police, defends Brown. Page B-l
Taking sharp issue with the House
subcommittee which plans to rec
ommend abolition of the civil serv
ice system lor promotion of police
officers here the Civil Service Com
mission last night came to the de
fense of the system, contending it
was a "protection” to the public
and a guard against "favoritism''
and "influence” in a police depart
ment.
The commission took action after
announcement by the District Com
missioners Friday that they had
agreed to follow the earlier sugges
tion of subcommittee members for
abolition of the civil service pro
motion plan.
In a formal statement, the Civil
■Service Commission charged that
"false and misleading statements”
had been made on the subject be
fore the committee. It explained
the nature of the promotion exami
nations. made public copies of all
questions asked in the 1939 civil
service examination and issued
copies of a letter which was sent
yesterday by the commission to
every member of the House District
Committee, and to the chairman ot
the House Civil Service Committee.
The letter was signed by Lucille
Foster McMillin, acting president o:
the commission, and addressed to
Chairman Randolph of the House
District Committee.
Meanwhile the House subcommit
tee, of which Representative Schulte
of Indiana is chairman, plans to
meet at 10 a.m. tomorrow to draft
its recommendations for a thorough
going shake-up in the Police De
partment, "from top to bottom ”
Among the recommendations, it is
understood, will be a definite pro
posal to abolish the civil service
system of promotions
Citizens’ Group Protests.
From another quarter, the Federa
tion of Citizens’ Associations, came
condemnation last night of what
members felt was interference by
members of Congress and other Fed
eral officials in affairs of the Po
lice Department. Opposition was
expressed to the so-called "oust
ing” of Maj. Ernest W. Brown, su
perintendent of policee. Acting fer
j the Federation, its Executive Board
forwarded 19 recommendations for
1 improvement of the department to
Congress. District officials and the
Police Department itself. Harry S.
Wender, one member of the Execu
tive Board, thought the hearing
should not have closed without giv
ing opportunity for citizens’ group1
j to testify.
During the three weeks’ hearing
by the Police and Fire Subcommit
tee Of the House District Commit
tee. which closed Friday, the sub
ject of civil service examinations
for police promotions had been con
sidered at some length. There was
much testimony to the effect that
. the arrangement for these examina
I tions between the Civil Service Com
mission and the District Commis
: sioners had been based only on an
agreement, which could be termi
nated voluntarily by the Commis
! sioners. Instead, it was declared by
j the Civil Service Commission the
promotion system is based on law
I and could not be abolished without
| new legislation. The examinations
could, however, be modified by
agreement between Civil Service
and District officials.
Chairman Schulte, amd Repre
sentative Hebert of Louisiana, who
inspired the police probe by the
House committee, both seem deter
mined to do away with the civil
service system of police promotion.
They will have before them, when
they meet tomorrow morning, copies
of the Civil Service Commission let
ter in defense of the plan.
Lack of Knowledge Charged
Charging that certain statements
made before the committee con
cerning civil service examinations
nad indicated ”a complete lack oi
snowledge of these examinations.”
Mrs. McMillin believed that the
committee desired, "correct infor
mation” on the subject.
Mrs. McMillin did not specify
what she meant by “lack of knowl
edge,” nor did the official statement
[rom the commission itself explain
(See POUCETa^T)
1,400 Escape as Fire
Levels Ft. Wood Theater
B> the Associated Press.
FORT LEONARD WOOD. Mo.
July 12.—Officers standing on seats
and shouting orders directed 1,400
soldiers to safety tonight as fire de
stroyed a theater in this Army en
campment. The fort's Public Rela
tions Department estimated the loss
at approximately $30,000.
Corp. Bill Massingill of Fort
Pierce. Fla., and Pvt. Willis Ander
son of Hazarx. Ky., noticed the fire
break through the roof of the
wooden structure and turned in the
alarm.
Army authorities blamed the fire
on a short in wiring under the roof.
Brenda Marshall to Wed
William Holden of Films
By the Associated Press.
HOLLYWOOD. July 12—Brenda
Marshall and William Holden of the
movies chartered an airplane to
night for a hop to Las Vegas, Ner„
and a midnight marriage. They
have been keeping steady company
more than a year.
Miss Marshall, 24, was divorced
14 months ago from Actor Houston
Caines. She has a daughter, 3. II
will be the first, marriage for Mr.
Holden. 23.
i