Evening star. [volume], December 08, 1945, Image 1

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

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_„______ An Associated Press Newspaper _
93d YEAR. No. 37,107. Phone NA. 5000. WASHINGTON, D. C., SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1945—TWENTY-FOUR PAGES. **★ ' &5 CENTS
Iran, Far East
Talks Are Due al
A-Bomb Parley
Big Three Ministers
To Review Conflicts
At Moscow Dec. 15
By GARNETT D. HORNER.
The United States and Grea
Britain will seek agreement witl
Russia on control of atomic en
ergy at a meeting of the Bij
Three foreign secretaries to con
vene in Moscow next Saturday
A number of other matters o
"current concern” to the thre
countries also will be discussed, thi
State Department disclosed las
night in announcing plans for thi
meeting.
Priority given to the subject o
atomic energy control indicate!
hope that reassurance to Russi:
on this *«oint may make it easie:
to clear up numerous political prob
lems which have ruptured Big Threi
harmony in recent months.
Other Problems on Agenda.
me civil striie m Iran, Alliei
controls for Japan, unification o
China and means for speeding nego
tiation of European peace treatie,
are among the problems likely t(
be discussed, although they wen
, not specified in the State Depart
ment announcement.
Secretary of State Byrnes is ex
pected to leave by plane early nex
week in order to meet British For
eign Minister Bevin and Soviei
Foreign Commissar Molotov on De
cember 15.
In London, a British Foreign Of
fice spokesman emphasized that thi
main purpose of the meeting wil
be to get the Russian view on hov
to work out some formula for deal
ing with atomic energy within thi
framework of the United Nation:
Organization.
President Truman and Prime
Ministers Attlee of Britain and
MacKenzie King of Canada, while
making it clear that their govern
ments will retain the “know how’
of manufacturing atomic bomb:
until peace appears secure, recentlj
proposed that the United Nation:
set up a committee to study future
controls.
The problem is expected to b<
tackled in meetings of the Unitec
Nations Assembly early next year
and there has been some apprehen
sion that a conflict might develop
between Russia and the Anglo
American position unless some un
derstanding is reached in advance
among the Big Three.
McMahon Hails Parley.
Announcement of the Moscow
meeting was hailed by Chairmar
McMahon of the Senate committee
set up to consider legislation for the
domestic control of the use ol
atomic energy.
“The decision to initiate face tc
face discussion with Russia anc
Great Britain on atomic energy con
trol,” he said, “indicates a com
mendable comprehension by Presi
dent Truman that this subject musl
have the highest priority if we an
to have p>eace and security.”
The meeting, arranged as suggest
%ed by Secretary Byrnes on Novem
* ber 24, will be the first gathering o
the Big Three secretaries since thi
breakdown of the Big Five Counci
of Foreign Ministers in Londan las
September. France and China w'eri
represented there, but will not tx
present at Moscow.
Foreign Colony in Moscow
Hails Big Three Meeting
MOSCOW, Dec. 8t (tP).—Member,
of the foreign colony in Moscov
today hailed the announcement tha
the foreign ministers of the Unitec
States, Britain and Russia woulc
meet in the Soviet capital Decern
ber 15 as the “best piece of diplO'
jnatic news in months.”
British and American quarter
confidently predicted that agree
ments on a number of question
would be reached. It was leamec
that preparations for the confer
ence have been underway for somi
time and that an agenda has beer
set forth in definite detail.
A number of persons here havi
attributed the breakdown last Oc
tober 2 of the five-power foreigr
ministers’ conference in London t<
a lack of preparation.
The fact the coming session wil
be a three-power and not a five
power meeting was interpreted ir
Moscow as a return to the Big Threi
principle laid down at Yalta anc
Potsdam—a position which has beei
insisted on by the Russians.
Secretary of State Byrnes, Britisl
Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin anc
Soviet Foreign Commissar V. M
Molotov probably will meet in th
Spiridonowka Palace, the scene o
other important international gath
erings.
I-----i
Capper to Boost
Eisenhower as
GOP Candidate
Bs the Associated Press.
Senator Capper, Republican o
Kansas, disclosed today that in i
radio speech tomorrow night he wil
suggest Gen. Dwight Eisenhowei
Army chief of staff, as a candidat
for the Republican nomination fo
President in 1948.
In his prepared statement, whicl
will be broadcast through his radi
station in Topeka, Kans., the Sen
ator declared the General has dem
onstrated not only his miljtar
ability, but also his qualities as
diplomat and patriot.
Senator Capper says he regard
the General “as a statesman-execu
tive of the highest caliber with
military background, and an ac
quaintance at first hand with th
intricacies of World politics."
Jap Sub Commander to Face
Indianapolis Victims at Inquiry
Skipper of Craft, Believed to Have Torpedoed
Cruiser, Flying Here for McVay Trial
The Japanese commander of a
^submarine which allegedly tor
pedoed the cruiser Indianapolis
will face his victims next week
at the court-martial trial of
Capt. Charles B, McVay III at
the Washington Navy Yard.
The Navy Department announced
today that Comdr. Ike Hashimoto,
skipper of the submarine 1-58, would
' arrive here Monday or Tuesday to
1 testify for the Judge Advocate “in
• an effort to establish whether or not
; the cruiser was torpedoed.’’ He left
. Japan yesterday.
The Navy alleges that Hashl
. moto’s submarine torpedoed the In
,! dianapolis, which sank in 15 minutes
; with the loss of 880 crewmen.
His testimony is expected to clarify
; one mystery of the sinking which
occurred July 30 in the Philippine
Sea. Hitherto, all testimony has
; concerned two explosions, but there
l has been no definite proof they
were caused by torpedoes. The
prosecution probably will try to
establish the visibility the night
of the sinking to prove that Capt.
McVay was negligent in failing to
cause the ship to be zigzagged
“through an area in which enemy
submarines might be encountered,"
as alleged in the charges.
Capt. McVay, who lives at 2126
Connecticut avenue, also is charged
with inefficiency in failing to give
timely orders to abandon ship.
Previous witnesses have testified,
that no zigzag course was pursued
chat night, but they have added that
it was a dark night with poor visi
bility until shortly before midnight,
when the moon was seen intermit
tently.
The trial has been postponed until
Tuesday morning to permit the ar
rival of 20 additional survivors who
have been summoned as witnesses.
The defense is expectad to call 12
additional witnesses.
Reactionary Elements
Blamed by Russia for
Iranian Disorders
Soviet Says Date for
Withdrawal of Troops
Was Fixed With Britain
| B> the Associated Press.
Russia blames the trouble In
Northern Iran on “reactionary
elements which have opposed
the extension of national rights’’
to people of that area, the State
Department disclosed today.
This information came with the
release of the text of Russia’s reply
to a United States note of Novem
11 ber 24 urging that all Soviet, British
and American troops evacuate Iran
by January 1.
Russia pointed out that it already
had agreed with Britain to with
draw the troops by next March 2
and said it saw no grounds for act
ing earlier.
Foreign Commissar Molotov also
I reiterated in the reply that the
j Soviet Union “adheres unwavering
i ly” to the Roosevelt-Churchill
Stalin declaration in Teheran in
1943, which pledged the three coun
tries to maintain the “independence,
sovereignty and territorial integrity
i of Iran.”
Uprising Incorrectly Reported.
Mr. Molotov said the Teheran dec
laration did not specify the number
of Russian troops in Iran or the
period of their occupation.
He said the question of the time
for removal of Russian and British
troops had been decided at the coun
cil of foreign ministers in London
two months ago and that no objec
tion then had been raised “in any
I quarters.”
TTp qHHpH that tV>p "RriHcY-i tmvorn_
ment in a note to Russia on the
Iranian situation November 25 did
not raise the question of the re
moval of Soviet troops.
The Russian note said the Iranian
I government’s account of a so-called
armed uprising in Northern Iran;
’ did not, in the Soviet view, corre-1
: spond to the facts. It declared the
‘ events did not constitute an armed
uprising and were not even directed
' against the national government at
1 Teheran.
! The so-called popular assembly of
Northern Iran is seeking only as
surance of democratic rights for the
people of Azerbaijan Province, Mr.
Molotov asserted.
Opposes Large Force.
! Mr. Molotov said the Azerbaija
nians were asking only for “national
[ autonomy within the limits of the
j Iranian state” and that these people
; speak a language different from the
Persian tongue.
“As far as the Soviet military
command is concerned, it has not
1 hindered, and is not hindering the
■ movement of the Iranian military
’ forces and gendarme police units
1 which are in the districts of North
' ern Iran,” Mr. Molotov said.
• He added that these forces in
1 eluded one infantry regiment, two
infantry brigades and two regiments
; of gendarme police units “the pres
. ence of which can insure order and
i calm in these parts.”
I Russia opposed the sending of ad
ditional Iranian forces to the area
L in the belief that such reinforce
ments would only increase the dis
‘ orders and bloodshed, he explained.
, The Iranian government repeat
j edly has charged that the autonomy
movement in Northern Iran was in
spired by a Communist minority.
j Military Toys Banned
BERLIN, Dec. 8 (#).—The provin
> cial administration of Russian-occu
f pied Saxony issued a decree today
. prohibiting the manufacture and
sale of all toys of a military char
acter and ordering Germans to sur
render of all such toys to the police.
Decision by British
To Smash Indonesians
Reported in Batavia
Restoring of Dutch Rule
Instead of Compromise
Decided at Singapore
By the Associated Presa.
BATAVIA, Java, Dec. 8.—High
est authorities said today the
British had decided to bring
whatever additional forces might
be needed into Java to restore
order and re-establish Dutch
sovereignty in the Netherlands
Indies.
The decision, which would end the
British policy of dealing with In
donesian independence leaders in an
effort to work out a compromise,
was said to have been reached at
the Singapore conferences this week
between Admiral Lord Louis Mount
batten and British, French and
Dutch commanders.
Dutch Troops to Be Used.
A fully informed r jrce said the
new plan called fo* use of a large
number of Dutch /oops as well as
British reinforce' Ants. The Dutch,
this source sav* would hold various
objectives aft» they were taken by
the British.
(In Lo* Jon, a British Foreign
Offioe spokesman declined to
comment on the report, saying
the situation was in the hands of
the British commander in Java.)
Meanwhile, British attacks con
tinued against Indonesian National
ists in the Ambarawa area, while
in Batavia a new Indonesian news
paper asserted that Hubertus J. van
Mook, acting Governor General of
the Netherlands Indies, had received
a “peremptory order” to report to
the Hague.
(HPVl a TYl tloitTf nnanmr Anafn
said six Royal Air Force Thun
derbolts bombed and strafed two
points south of Ambarawa In the
Semarang area of Central Java,
where Indonesian forces were
suspected of concentrating.
(The dispatch from Batavia
said the aircraft dropped leaflets
first, giving the “peaceable popu
lation” 13 minutes notice to take
cover. Returning pilots were quot
ed as saying targets were bombed
accurately.)
New Slogan Appears.
Dutch officials declined to com
ment on the report of the English
language Indonesian newspaper In
dependent that Van Mook had been
ordered to report to the government
in Holland.
Meanwhile, a new slogan appeared
in the troublesome Batavia suburb
of Kramjat. It was painted in big
letters on streetcars and was dif
(See INDONESIA, Page A-3.)
Two Sharp Earth Shocks
In Solomons Reported
By the Associated Presa.
NEW YORK, Dec. 8.—Two earth
shocks, described as quite severe,
were recorded on the Fordham Uni
versity seismograph last night.
The Rev. Joseph J. Lynch, seismo
logist, said they apparently were
about 8,300 miles west of here, or in
the vicinity of the Solomon Islands.
The first shock was recorded at
8:23.08 and the second at 8:26.29
(EST).
Paraguayan Leaders
Seized in 'Plot'
By the Associated Press.
ASUNCION, Paraguay, Dec. 8.—
An undisclosed number of Para
guayan political leaders have been
arrested on charges of plotting “a
revolution movement against the
government.”
A government communique last
night said the plot was confined to
the capital city, but few details were
disclosed.
Flares Spotted in Florida Bog
Spur Search for Navy Flyers
,1 By the Associated Press.
tj MIAMI, Fla., Dec. 8.—The Navy
j announced that flares and a large
fire were seen 20 miles apart in the
i desolate marshlands between Mel
'i bourne and Orlando shortly after 2
a.m. today and said search crews
were being rushed to the scene in
1 the hope of finding some survivors
5 of 27 missing naval airmen.
A heavy fog hampered the search.
The Navy said planes also were
1 seen at 2:50 am. approximately
1 150 miles northeast of Great Abago
Island in the Bahamas. The Coast
s Guard cutter Pandora, one of scores
- of vessels engaged in the air-sea
» search, was racing to the scene. The
- Pandora was reported approximately
s 60 miles away.
The Navy said an Eastern Airlines
pilot spotted the flares and flashing
lights about 10 miles southwest of
Melbourne, 190 miles north of Miami,
and saw a man standing in the
light of the flares, but no wreckage.
Five minutes later, the pilot re
ported he saw a large Are burning
between Melbourne and Orlando
about 20 miles from the position of
the flares.
These were the first possible clues
to the mysterious disappearance of
the five naval torpedo bombers and
the Martin Mariner bomber which
set out to find the torpedo craft
Wednesday night.
“It’s a lead—and we are following
every possible clue,” an official of
Miami headquarters of the air-sea
rescue group said.
Marines Shell
Chinese Town
After Killing
One American Slain,
Second Wounded,
Gen. Rockey Says
By the Associated Presa.
TIENTSIN, Dec. 8.—American
Marines fired 24 60-millimeter
mortar shells Into a Chinese vil
lage near Anshan on December
4 after one Marine had been
killed and another seriously
wounded by Chinese gunmen,
Marine Maj. Gen. Keller Rockey,
3d Amphibious Corps command
er, said today.
Firing into the village was ordered,
he said, after the two gunmen who
shot the Marines “in cold blood"
had not been surrendered to the
Americans.
A Marine corporal and a private
first class had been hunting rabbits,
Gen. Rockey’s formal statement
said, and Chinese gunmen shot them
“in cold blood.” The private was
killed. The corporal, wounded,
fejgned death and survived, al
though the Chinese fired another
shot which struck his leg.
Marines were authorized to “take
appropriate military action” to de
fend themselves from attack in an
order issued November 16 by Lt.
Gen. Albert C. Wedemeyer, com
mander of American forces in China,
after gunmen in a Communist
occupied village fired on a train on
which Maj. Gen. Dewitt Peck, com
mander of the 1st Marine Division,
was a passenger.
It was reported unofficially that
Marines in the train returned the
fire while en route from Tangshan
to the coal port of Chlnwangtao.
Gen. Peck requested permission for
planes to strafe the village if the
firing continued.
An emissary was sent to the vil
lage to deliver a written warning
that appropriate action would be
taken if the shooting was repeated.
No further incidents wore reported
at that time.
Gen. Wedemeyer's order empha
sized that no military action be
taken until after hostile elements
had received clear and "consider
able” warning. The matter was
reported at that time to General
issimo Chiang Kai-shek.
Six Downed Flyers Returned,
Chinese Reds Announce
CHUNGKING, Dec. 8 (IP).—Chi
nese Communists today announced
that six American flyers who made
a forced landing in Communist ter
ritory last November' 1 have been
returned to Tientsin, and reported
simultaneously the beginning of a
100,000-man central government of
fensive in Shansi lind Honan Prov
inces.
The American airmen were ac
corded “good treatment” while in
Communist territory, although, the
Reds added, they had "previously
strafed Communists and dropped in
timidating handbills over Commun
ist-held towns in Central Hopeh
Province.” Names of the flyers
have not been announced.
They were returned to American
guarded Tientsin, the Communists
said, IIS' a sign of “Sino-American
friendship.”
Their plane, forced down 70 miles
southwest of Tientsin, will be re
turned as soon as American officers
claim it.
Yellow River Crossed.
The reported National Govern
ment offensive, Communists said,
began with the massing of 100,000
men along the Lunghai railroad be
tween Chenghsien and Tungwan—
bolstered by well-armed Japanese.
Vanguards of these government
and Japanese forces already have
begun to cross the Yellow River in
their alleged offensive against “lib
erated” areas of Southern Shansi
and Northern Honan Provinces, the
Communists reported. Two Na
tionalist columns were reported to
have succeeded in joining at Yung
chang on the Tatung-Puchow rail
road in Southwest Shansi.
A large number of junks was
requisitioned for the river crossing,
the report added.
Communists also reported fighting
had flared on the Peiping-Jehol
(See CHINA, Page A-2.)
Truman to Present
British Loap Message
By the Associated Press.
President Truman told his news
conference yesterday he would send
a message to Congress in the near
future urging its approval of the
plan to grant Britain a $4,400,000,000
credit in return for trade support.
Newsmen asked the President
about reports that Russia also was
seeking a loan, but Mr. Truman said
he had received no such request
officially.
The British loan plan drew criti
cism from Senator Capehart, Re
publican, of Indiana.
Senator Capehart told the Senate
he would not support the loan unless
British officials repudiate remarks
he attributed to Harold Laski, a
Labor Party leader. Senator Cape
hart quoted Mr. Laski as having said
that the “American private enter
prise system must go.”
BOMBAY, Dec. 8 (JP).—Fears that
the loan agreement between Britain
and the United States might harm
India by influencing a reduction in
her import duties were expressed
yesterday by Sir Chunilal B. Mehta,
a member of the recent Indian trade
delegation to the United States.
On the other hand, he said, India
may be helped by having access to
dollars needed for international
trade. He reiterated his opposition
to a reduction in the British debt to
India, saying that the money should
be used to reduce Indian taxes.
v, f vim THAT CAT LOOKS 4=
k / LIKE THAT PAT HURLEV g
Lu( LETOUTOFTHEBAGJi
Federal Pay Raise Bill
Passage Seen Likely
In Senate Next Week
Foes of Measure Fail
To Take Outright Stand
In Two Days of Debate
By JOSEPH YOUNG.
Senate supporters of the Downey
bill to boost wages of Government
employes by 20 per cent today ex
pressed optimism over chances of
the bill's passage next week.
During the two-day debate on the
measure, not a single Senator has
expressed outright opposition to the
bill, although Senator Byrd, Demo
crat, of Virginia and Senator Hick
enlooper, Republican, of Iowa have
closely questioned some of the
statistics presented by Chairman
Downey of the Senate Civil Service
Committee, who is sponsor of the
bill.
The fact that Senator Byrd, who
is leader of the economy bloc in
Congress, so far has indicated no
intention to have the bill recom
mitted to the committee has further
encouraged the bill’s supporters.
Vote Possible Tuesday.
There is a likelihood that an
amendment may be offered to the
bill decreasing the percentage of the
raise, but Senator Downey is pre
pared to fight any such attempt.
"Things look very good now for
the bill,” one of the Senators who
has worked hardest for the legisla
tion’s passage said today. He ex
pressed the belief the bill would
come up for a vote on Tuesday. De
bate on the measure will be resumed
Monday.
During yesterday’s session, Sena
tor Downey introduced his amend
ment to increase the salaries of
members of Congress to $15,000 a
year.
Downey-Byrd Clash.
Earlier, Senator Downey clashed
with Senator Byrd over the amount
of wage increases granted Govern
ment employes since the start of the
war. Senator Byrd asserted that
within-grade promotions and up
grading of jobs had materially in
creased the income of Federal em
ployes in addition to the 15.9 per
cent wage increase granted them
last June. /
Senator Downey replied that the
overall average increase, including
the wage boost, was 21.3 per cent
Of this 2 per cent resulted from up
grading, 2% per cent from within
grade promotions, and 1 per cent
from raises granted custodial em
ployes.
The 2 per cent increase resulting
from upgrading during the war com
pares to 19 per cent wage increases
from upgrading granted employes
in private Industry, Senator Dow
ney said. Most employes in the Fed
eral service, he added, have nevei
had their jobs upgraded.
Senator Byrd retorted that al
within-grade promotions and up
grading were not included in th<
21.3 per cent figure. In reply, Sena
tor Downey pointed out that the fig
ures were compiled by the Civi
Service Commission and he chal
lenged the Virginian to refute them
Senator Mead Takes Floor.
Before the Senate adlourned
Senator Mead, Democrat, of Nev
York, took the floor to urge stronglj
the bill’s passage. He said thal
many Government employes hav<
been forced to take outside jobs U
supplement their “meager” income
Senator Mead described the eco
nomic plight of the average Gov
ernment employe as “very serious
even tragic.”
“It is a disgrace the way we—tin
richest Government in the world
have treated our own employes,” h<
declared.
The House has not yet acted or
Federal pay increase legislation
1,000 Japs Protesting
Food Rations Dispersed
Bj the Associated Press.
MATSUYAMA, Japan, Dec. 8
American military police today dis
persed a crowd of about 1,000 Japa
nese residents of this Shikoku islanc
city staging a protest in front of th<
city hall against "unequal” distribu
tion of food, clothing and buildinf
materials.
The demonstration was directec
at Japanese civilian officials, but wai
halted by the Americans because thi
noise interfered with work of 24tl
Division headquarters located in th<
same building.
Surge of City Building Reported
As New Controls Are Studied
October Boom Shows Most Activity
Since Height of War Plant Construction
By the Associated Press.
Unseasonal gains in construc
tion activity were reported today
as the White House worked on
new controls intended to guar
antee small homes a share in
the building boom.
In addition to restoring priorities
over building materials, President
Truman said yesterday some sort
of price control over real estate is
needed. Otherwise he foresees in
flation. especially in the cost of
smaller residences. The President
expressed uncertainty as to how the
controls could be effected.
This sw'ing to controls which were
scrapped less than two months ago
gained impetus from a report of
the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
It showed a “surge” of city build
i
ing in October, the month when
building controls were lilted, but
new dwellings accounted for little
more than a third of the total new
construction. The report added:
“Since there are no longer any
restrictions on home construction,
more houses are being built in the
higher price brackets.”
Mr. Truman cold his news con
ference he did not yet know just
! how the restoration of priorities
would be applied but the plan has
to see that building materials were
used principally for residences.
Other Government officials have
stated that most materials and
building labor are going into factory
and commercial construction.
They -suggested the priority plan
! (See CONSTRUCTION, Page A-3.)
GM Union Delegates
Meet Today to Act
In Wage Dispute
I Rejection of Truman's
Back-to-Work Plea
Indicated by Delegates
BULLETIN.
DETROIT (&).—The General
Motors Council of the CIO
United Auto Workers’ Union
today rejected the offer of
General Motors Corp. of a 10
per cent wage increase to end
the Nation-wide strike at GM
plants. Walter P. Reuther,
vice president of the UAW
CIO, said agreement had been
reached on President Tru
| man’s request to return to
work, but that formal action
would await a reassembly of
the council this afternoon. He
would not disclose the nature
of the agreement.
By the Associated Press.
DETROIT, Dec. 8.—General
Motors local union delegates
from 20 States convened in De
troit today to review a wage dis
pute that appeared only a few
cents nearer solution than when
their recommendations led tc
the widespread GM strike 18
days ago.
The 200 members of the National
GM Council were summoned intc
session by the International CIC
United Auto Workers specifically tc
consider President Truman's back
to work plea.
As delegates reached the meet
(See GENERAL MOTORS, P. A-3.)
Dachau Defense Closes
DACHAU, Germany, Dec. 8 (£>).—
The defense concluded its case ir
the Dachau atrocity trial today aftei
all 40 defendants had taken thf
stand and given testimony ranging
from complete denial to admission
of many acts of cruelty. The verdict
may be returned jiext week.
France Reported Seeking
Big 3 Attitude on Spain
By the Associated Press.
PARIS, Dec. 8.—A source at the
French Constituent Assembly today
said France has sent a note to the
United States, Britain and Russia
inviting them to state their position
Ion the question of breaking rela
tions with the Franco government
i of Spain.
Foreign Minister Georges Bidault
Was said to have advised the as
sembly's foreign affairs commission
of the note when he gave a foreign
policy review this week.
Couched in diplomatic language,
the note does not directly ask an
open break with Generalissimo
Franco, the informant said, but re
quests a statement of the present
status of each country’s relations
with Spain and their attitude
toward a rupture.
All three of France’s major par
ties—Communists, Socialists and
Popular Republicans—have advo
cated a break.
Truman Proposes
Federal Traffic Law
| The Federal Government may
, have to take steps to curb what
I President Truman calls crackpot
driving.
When a reporter brought up the
subject of the highway toll at the
President’s news conference late
yesterday, Mr. Truman said he long
had advocated a Federal require
men for the licensing of all drivers
using interstate highways, and that
he still thought some sort of regula
tion was needed.
Citing injury and damage figures
the President said that was ar
awful high price to pay for crackpot
driving.
He recalled that the Senate three
times had passed a bill he sponsored
when he served there, to require that
all States certify to the safety ol
drivers, but that each time the
House had killed it. He did not say
if he planned to make any recom
mendations now on the subject.
NextTruck Strike Move Appears
Up to Labor Department
The next move in the seven-week
old truckers’ strike appeared to be
up to Labor Department officials
today as Washingtonians found
their Christmas shopping increas
ingly difficult because of the mil
lions of dollars worth of goods tied
up in the strike.
Businessmen have estimated that
three to five million dollars worth
of merchandise is tied up at rail
road yards here because of the
stoppage. Stores are reporting a
tremendous buying volume the last
few weeks and many types of stocks
have been depleted.
With the Commissioners unsuc
cessful in their week-long attempt
to end the strike, the issue now
goes back to United States labor
conciliation officials, who tempo
l rarily had stepped aside to let the
i city heads have a chance at set
! tling the tie-up.
The White House announced last
i night that a telegram from the
District Federation of Businessmen’s
Associations, requesting Presidenl
Truman’s intervention, had beer
referred to Secretary of Laboi
Schwellenbach.
J. M. Heiser, president of th(
association, requested Mr. Trumar
to take the same action he tool
in the Capital Transit tie-up. Unti
now, however, ^abor Department
officials have reported that no seiz
ure action is contemplated in th<
trucking strike.
The union. Local 639, Interna
tional Brotherhood of Teamster!
(AFL), and the 11 strike-bounc
firms are deadlocked over th«
method of arbitration. Union of
ficials want the whole dispute sub
mitted to arbitration, while the firm
want just the wage demands me
diated.
Besides asking wage increase:
ranging up to 9% cents an hour
the union also has submitted
“fringe” demands, including vaca
tions, injury benefits and othei
issues.
Marshall Says
Army Feared
Attack on U. S.
Expected Japs to
Bomb Plants at
Seattle, San Diego
By J. A. O’LEARY and
CARTER BROOKE JONES.
Shortly before the attack on
Pearl Harbor the War Department
felt that there was more danger
of a Japanese attack on the air
plane plants of Seattle and San
Diego than against Hawaii, Gen.
George C. Marshall told the
; Pearl Harbor Investigating Com
mittee today.
"You thought the Japanese move
would be in the Far East and had
no attack on Hawaii in mind?"
asked Representative Gearhart, Re
publican, of California.
“My thought,” Gen. Marshall re
plied, “was that their campaign
would be southward in the China
Sea. I assumed that Guam would
be captured and probably Wake Is
land. We had in mind the possi
bility of an effort against the Pan
ama Canal.
“We thought they might strike a
blow at our airplane plants in Seat
tle and San Diego and possibly the
Central Pacific and Hawaii.”
Pearl Harbor "Most Improbable.”
Gen. Marshall added that he
thought the attack on Hawaii was
“the most improbable” of the various
Japanese plans which had been dis
cussed.
"You thought Pearl Harbor was
Impregnable?” Mr. Gearhart asked,
referring to a War Department
memorandum to the President which
was placed in evidence earlier in
the hearing.
“We thought it impregnable
against a landing expedition,” Gen.
Marshall corrected.
Mr. Gearhart repeatedly asked
yesterday why Gen. Marshall did
not take more notice of Maj. Gen.
Walter C. Short’s message that he
had placed the Hawaiian garrison
on only a ‘‘sabotage’’ alert Novem
ber 28, 1941. Gen. Short gave this
information in replying to a message
on November 27 that hostile action
was possible.
Opportunity to Intervene.
“That was my opportunity to in
tervene and I didn’t take it,” Gen.
Marshall replied frankly. "Just why,
I don’t know.”
He observed that Lt. Gen. Leon
ard T. Gerow, former chief of the
War Plans Division, had assumed
full responsibility for any War De
partment failure to send additional
warnings to Gen. Short.
“I greatly admired his attitude,*
Gen. Marshall commented.
“I, too, admired his generosity,"
Mr. Gearhart remarked.
Later, when Senator Ferguson,
Republican, of Michigan took up the
questioning, the subject of re
sponsibility came up again.
It was in Gen. Gerow’s division
where the details of the situation
rested, Gen. Marshall said, "but the
responsibility was mine as well as
! Gen. Gerow’s.”
Precautionary Move.
Gen. Marshall testified that the
Hawaiian command was ordered on
November 27 to carry out the alert
“under wraps” because it was im
perative not to give the Japanese an
excuse to say "we forced them to go
to war.”
“It was the strong desire of the
War Council, and certainly of the
President, that no overt act be
taken that would create a situation
that would cause the Japanese, how
| ever unjustly, to claim we had
j forced them to go to war,” Gen.
| Marshall said.
Brewster Called Away.
Gen. Marshall also testified that
if 100 four-engined bombers could
have been sent to the Philippines in
the fall of 1941 the Japs would have
been discouraged from attacking or
moving southward in the Pacific.
He made the statement when
Representative Gearhart asked if ha
and Admiral Harold R. Stark, for
mer chief of naval operations, held
the view in 1941 that if war could
be delayed long enough, America s
preparedness program would have
(See PEARL HARBOR, Page A-2.)
—
15 Army Men, 2 Pilots
Die in Crash of C-47
By the Associated Press.
BILLINGS, MONT., Dec. 8—Fif
teen Army men, several of them un
der discharge orders, and two
Northwest Airlines pilots were re
ported killed early today during a
snow storm when their west-bound
plane, a C-47, crashed and burned
one mile west of Billings in a field.
Northwest Airlines headquarters
in St. Paul, Minn., said the pilot
was George D. Miller, 34, of St.
Paul, and the co-pilot Vernon
Pfannkuch, 24, of Breda, Iowa.
Their next of kin have been noti
fied. Army authorities withheld
, names of the military personnel
pending notification of next of kin.
Eight men were taken to a Bill
ings hospital, where two of them,
the plane’s pilot and co-pilot, died
shortly afterward.
Of the 23 on the plane six escaped
, death, but were said by hospital
attendants to be in critical condi
tion.
The pilot was found pinned be
neath the motor when police ar
rived at the scene.
The crash occurred about 2:10
A. M. when the Army plane, ap
proaching the Billings municipal
airport from the south for a land
ing, apparently came in too low,
caught a wing in the tops of trees
bordering a boulevard and nose
dived into the field. The plane was
bound for Seattle.
Six bodies, charred beyond rec
ognition, were extricated from the
wreckage.
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