Evening star. [volume], May 03, 1946, Image 22

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

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SOCIETY AND GENERAL NEWS
WASHINGTON, D. C.
fljc ^Dating fi&tf
WASHINGTON NEWS
FRIDAY, MAY 3, 1946.
B
K ★★★★
Nimitz Proposes
Cure for Navy's
Merger Fears
Backs Forrestal on
Faults in Measure;
Cites Basic Weakness
By the Associated Press
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz
declared today the “basic de
fects’’ or pending legislation to
unify the Army and Navy could
be remedied to eliminate Navy
fear of becoming tne “weak
link” in the national security
chain.
The chief of naval operations,
appearing before the Senate Naval
Affairs Committee, closely followed
the testimony, occasionally word
for word, which Secretary of the
Navy Forrestal gave Wednesday.
Like Mr. Forrestal, he found fault
with provisions of the proposed
merger that would create a supreme
chief of staff and reduce the status
of the War and Navy Departments
to that of agencies. He echoed his
chief's assertion that the plan does
not provide unity at all and no or
ganizational details have been
worked out.
Stresses Independent Status.
“The basic defects * * * should be
remedied by restoring the military
and naval services to independent
department status,” he suggested,
“and by vesting in their secretaries
all direct administrative responsi
bility and authority.”
This, Admiral Nimitz said, would
free from administrative duties the
“director of national security” that
the Navy has advocated in its plan
for the postwar defense setup. Ad
miral Nimitz added that the pro
posed director thus would be able
to concentrate as deputy chairman
of a Council of National Security
responsible for co-ordinating for
eign, military and economic policies.
The President w-ould be chairman.
"In this manner the strength wc
now have w’ould be retained and
supplemented by the improved co
ordination which experience has
shown to be necessary,” the ad
miral said.
Urges Three Provisions.
But Admiral Nimitz “definitely
recommended “that three provisions
be included in any reorganization
legislation.”
1. No service will attempt to re
strict in any way the means and
weapons used by another service
in carrying out its functions.
2. No service will attempt to re
strict in any way the areas of op
erations of the other services in car
rying out their functions.
3. Each service will lend the ut
most assistance possible to the other
services in carrying out their func
tions.
Counterproposal Offered
On National Health Plan
ly th* Associated Press
A Republican counterproposal to
the administration’s national health
insurance bill would allot $220,000,
000 yearly to the States to improve
medical and dental care.
Senators Taft of Ohio, Ball of
Minnesota and Smith of New Jersey
joined in offering the bill which they
said “places the primary responsibil
ity for the health of the people on
the States and local governments.”
“We believe Federal funds are
necessary,” they added in a state
ment last night, “but only to aid
the lower income groups of the
population ana furnish financial
assistance to States and local gov
ernments to supplement the limited
funds available for help.”
The administration’s bill, backed
by President Truman and sponsored
by Senators Wagner of New York
and Murray, Democrat, of Montana
contemplates creation of a national
health fund from which the Gov
ernment would pay costs of medical
care for “insured” persons.
The Taft-Ball-Smith measure
would bring all Federal health activ
ities under a national health agency
to be headed by a physician, pre
ferably with cabinet status.
Cathedral Women to Open
Annual Meeting Tuesday
The annual meeting of the Na
tional Women's Committee of the
National Cathedral Association will
open at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Col
lege of Preachers on the Washington
Cathedral grounds.
The convocation will end Thurs
day when members attend the dinner
of the Washington Committee of
the Cathedral Fund Building Cam
paign at the Mayflower Hotel.
Elections of officers will be held
by the Women's Committee at the
Wednesday morning session. The
association's president, Walter B.
Clarkson, will also report on the
group’s work at this meeting. A
corporate communion will be held at
7:30 a.m. Thursday.
Court Order Calls Halt
On Doughnut Bakery
Justice Matthew F. McGuire of
District Court yesterday granted an
injunction against James G. Mase
las, trading as the Washington
Doughnut Co., 1100 block of Seventh
street N.W., enjoining him from
manufacturing food under insani
tary conditions in violation of the
Pure Food and Drug Act.
The Government was represented
in the case by Assistant United j
States Attorney Daniel B. Maher.;
Weatherman Scores Again
Vowing frantically that he only
predicts the weather and has noth
ing to do with its creation, the
Weather Man took credit for an
other win as clouds and showers
yesterday forced Washingtonians to
keep one eye on their raincoats
and the other on the skies.
Unable to conceal his pleasure,
the Weathffl- Man pointed out that
50,000Attend Vandegrift Day,
Apple Blossom Festival Climax
Admiral Nimitz places the crown of apple blossom queen
on Miss Nancy Anderson’s head at the opening yesterday of the
Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester, Va. The festival, which
was resumed this year after a four-year lapse because of the
war, ends today. —Star Staff Photo.
By Alex R. Preston
^ Star Staff Correspondent
WINCHESTER. Va„ May 3 —Gen.
A. A. Vandegrift, commandant ot
the Marine Corps, was to lead the
biggest parade in the history of the
Shenandoah Apple Blossom Fes
tival today, climaxing the two-day
fete here.
An estimated 50.000 visitors were
here for the final program on what
has been designated as “Vandegrift
day." Under clearing skies this
morning, the festival got under way
after rain forced postponement of
then- pageant yesterday shortly
after Miss Nancy Anderson, daugh
ter of the Secretary of Agriculture,
was crowned Queen Shenandoah
XIX by Admiral Chester W. Nimite.
Chief of Naval Operations.
Today's events included presen
tation of the pageant “Our Herit
age" at Handley High School this
morning.
A band from the Middlesboro
(Ky.) High School was to give sev
eral concerts.
Band Concerts Scheduled.
The Warren County High Schooi
Band from Front Royal is sched
uled to play in the City Hall Pa
vilion this morning and another
concert is slated for noon in the
city square.
This afternoon, a band from the
Quantico Marine Base will give a
concert at the City Hall Pavilion.
It will be followed by the “grand
feature parade.'’
Festival officials estimated yes
terdays visitors at 35.000.
The pageant was interrupted by
rain yesterday shortly after Miss
Anderson’s coronation. Participants
and spectators accepted the ele
ments in good humor until finally
the narrator, School Supt. Garland
R. Quarles, announced that the re
mainder of the program would be
called off, even though most of the
spectators had remained in the sta
dium.
Queen Richly Gowned.
Miss Anderson, gowned in much of
the finery of any queen, had fol
lowed her maids of honor and prin
cesses down the steps of the high
school to the strains of Sir Edward
Elgar’s march, “Pomp and Circum
stance.’’
Representative Robertson, Demo
crat. of the 7th congressional dis
trict assumed the role of "minister
of state” for the coronation.
Earlier. Miss Anderson and her
29 princesses motored to Berryville,
the home of E. Blaekburne Moore,
member of the House of Delegates
and the administration's spokesman
in the General Assembly. Her mo
torcade was led by State Trooper E.
C. Trice and Capt. E. J. McDermott
of the Virginia State police.
Torchlight Parade.
Winchester assumed a festive air
last night when the princesses and
visiting firemen staged a torchlight
parade followed by a fireworks dis
play at the Handley High School
bowd. Gas-filled balloons and souve
nirs were prominent on every street.
Neither President Truman nor
Gov. Tuck, both of whom had been
extended invitations, could be pres
ent.
Miss Anderson's maids of honor
were Dorothy Degrange and Irene
Johnson, both of Winchester. Her
junior maids were Lucinda Ann Ful
ton of the Maryland Horticultural
Society: Frances G. Ninninger, Vir
ginia Horticultural Society, and
Bettie Sloan Williams, West Vir
ginia Horticultural Society.
Princesses in the queen’s court
are Ann N. Revercomb, Stuart Hall
cloudy skies and some rain were
just what he called for.
“It’s not that at all,” he said,
denying he was glad to see it rain
again, “but I was right again.”
The Weather Man, who is in the
second week of his 30-day contest
with the elements to determine just
how right he is. now holds an 8-to-3
advantage. He is rated each day
by his predictions for the 24-hour
period starting at 7 a.m. the day
before.
The Standings.
Won. Lost. Pet.
Weather Man _8 3 .727
The Forecast.
Prom 7 a.m. today to 7 a.m. Sat
urday, partly cloudy and mild to
day. Rain and cooler tonight and
tomorrow.
College. Staunton; Martha Chen
weth. Potomac State College. Key
ser. W. Va.: Antoinette E. Willock,
Madison College. Harrisonburg;;
Donna H. Lepper, William and Mary;
College; Margaret R. Marshall, St.1
Mary’s Female Seminary. St. Marys1
City, Md.. Barbara J. Bond, Rad
ford College; Vivian L. Akinson,;
Wilson College, Chambersburg, Pa.;;
Barbara A. White. Shepherds Col
lege, Shepherdstown. W. Va.: Nancy
A. Breunmg, Stratford College, Dan
ville: Eliza R. Smith. Salem College,;
Winston-Salem, N. C.: Margaret D
Fitch. Warrenton Country School,
Warrenton: Ann G. Purdy, Shenan
doah College. Dayton; Martha S.
De Pass, Sullins College, Bristol;
Ora E. Robinson, Mary Washington
College. Fredericksburg.
Martha C. Wells, State Teachers’
College, Farmville; Anne H. Early.1
Mary Baldwin College, Staunton:
Feme L. Hughes, Greenbrier College;
Lewisburg, W. Va.; Virginia Lee
Grant, Handley High School; Jean L.
Woodson, Averett College, Danville;
Carolyn Boham, Marion College.
Marion; Janet H. Eustis, Southern
Seminary College, Buena Vista;
Miriam Morgan Arwood, Blackstone
College, Blackstone; Norma J. Hud
son, Fairfax Junior College,
Waynesboro; Betty R. Bloch, West
hampton College, Richmond: Gloria
Dorsey, Virginia Woolen Mills, Win
chester, and Lucy Mitchell, Berry
ville.
Fitch Orders Release
Of Accused Musician
By th# Associated Press
ANNAPOLIS. May 3.—Musician
1/C Ernest J. Tomanio, Naval Acad-'
emy bandsman who was one of four!
persons detained in an investigation
of '‘irregularities" at the Academy
was ordered released and returned
to duty yesterday by Vice Admiral!
Aubrey W. Fitch, Academy superin-!
tendent.
Tomanio has been a “prisoner at
large" at the Academy for more than
two months. Specific charges
against him never were announced.
Comdr. Russell C. Burke, aide to
Admiral Fitch, said that investiga
tions subsequent to the detention:
had shown “suspicions of irregu
larities brought out in the previous
inquiry were unsubstantiated."
He said that Tomanio would be
given an audition to determine his
musical proficiency. Fifteen similar
auditions have been given to bands
men since the investigation started
in February and five have failed,
the Navy officials said.
A general court-martial on vari
ous charges, including embezzlement,
theft and gambling, scheduled to
begin Monday for Chief Steward
Walter W. Rollins, colored, another
one of the four detained, has been
postponed a few days at the request
of the defendant, the Naval Acad
emy said. William R. Sima, sr„ is
still under detention and his son,
Musician 1/C William R. Sima, jr.,
was found guilty of conduct preju
dicial to good conduct and dis-!
cipline.
Middie Fined in Accident
Fatal to Annapolis Gn>:
By the Associated Press
ANNAPOLIS, May 3.—Midship
man James I. Mellencamp of Mount
Pleasant, Mich., was convicted yes
terday of reckless driving and fined
$500 and costs in connection with
the automobile death last Septem
ber of Miss Elizabeth Hagood, 16,
of Annapolis.
Mellencamp was acquitted of a
manslaughter charge by Anne
Arundel County Circuit Court
Judges James Clark and James
Boylan, who thus set aside the ver
dict of Trial Magistrate James G.
Woodware.
Mellencamp had appealed the
trial magistrate’s suspended sen
tence of three years in the Mary
land House of Correction and a
$1,000 fine.
It was testified that Mellencamp
drove an automobile past an inter
section stop sign into an embank
ment some 60 feet away. The girl
was killed and her sister Ruby and
a fourth passenger. Midshipman
John Killeen of New London, Conn,
were injured, as was Mellencamp.
Churches Urge
Food Drive Days
May 10 to 12
Leaders Will Ask
City Heads to Back
Conservation Plan
The Commissioners will be asked
by the District Food Conservation
Committee to set aside May 10 to
12 inclusive as food conservation
days in all churches throughout
the city.
This was decided yesterday at a
meeting of church representatives
of the committee at the District
Building. The group included the
Rev. Leo J. McCormick, represent
ing Catholic churches, and Dr.
Frederick E. Reissig. of the Wash
ington Federation of Churches.
Although representatives of the
Jewish synagogues were unable to,
attend, It is expected they will take
part in the program.
Pledges to Be Sought.
During the conservation days,
clergymen will speak on the import-;
ance of the program to provide food
for starving populations abroad.
Churchgoers will be asked to pledge
their support to the program.
Following the meeting of the
church spokesmen, Chairman Ray
mond F. Garrity of the full food
committee met with Arthur Har
nett of the Washington Hotel Asso
ciation and Robert J. Wilson of the
Washington Restaurant Association
for a report on the progress of food
saving in their fields.
Mr. Hartnett reported whole
hearted acceptance of the program
by the eating public and said the
publicity given the program is hav
ing its effect on the operators and
patrons of the hotels alike.
Cooking Modified.
According to Mr. Wilson, some
restaurants have offered customers
open-faced pies with such success
that they may be continued after
the drive is over.
"Many restaurants have modified
their manner of cooking,” he said,
"so, that a great amount of conser
vation in wheat products and oils
has been possible.”
Restaurants are being sent a
questionnaire, he said, to find out
what specific plans are in effect, and
those appearing suitable for other
agencies will be given wide circula
tion.
Mr. Garrity expects to confer be
ginning at 2 p.m. today at the Dis
trict Building, with representatives
of retail and department stores,
womens organizations, and civic
groups.
Senate Group Backs
Tax Waiver on Estates
Given to Red Cross
Following a brief hearing, the
Senate-District Committee today or
dered a favorable report on the
Randolph bill, passed recently by
the House, which would exempt the
American Red Cross from payment
of the District’s inheritance tax on
properties bequeathed to the organi
zation. This would involve refunds
to the Red Cross of $137,040 of in
heritance taxes paid under protest,
which were levied on properties of
the Clapp and the Lockwood estates
which were given the Red Cross.
Protest Presented for District.
A protest against the bill was pre
sented for the District government
by George C. Updegraff. an assist
ant corporation counsel, who brought
out that funds of the Red Cross are
spent outside of the District as well
as here.
In reply. H. J. Hughes, general
counsel of the Red Cross, told the
committee most of the States, in
cluding Maryland and Virginia, have
granted such tax exemptions to the
Red Cross and that it was unfair
to those States which give tax
exemptions for the Red Cross to
have to pay the District tax and
thereby reduce Red Cross funds.
The Red Cross donations from the
States, he said, have been used for
the benefit of District residents.
Second Bill Reported Out.
Senator Hoey, Democrat, of North
Carolina, acting chairman of the
District Committe. said it was real
ized such legislation affected Dis
trict revenues but that this goes to
the question of the proper size of
the Federal payment toward the
District, and this subject was now
being explored by the O'Mahoney
Subcommittee of the Senate Appro
priations Committee.
A second bill reported out today,
sponsored by Senator Tydings, Dem
ocrat, of Maryland would set up
additional protection for illegiti
mate District children adopted by
nonresidents. It provides for plac
ing the new names of the children
on the official birth records here
and for placing the record of the
original names under seal to be
opened only on court order.
Masons1 National Lodge
To Observe Centennial
National Lodge, No. 12, P. A. A. M.,
will observe its 100th anniversary
here with a celebration beginning
Monday and ending Thursday, Wor
shipful Master Fred M. Booth an
nounced today.
The lodge will .hold a banquet
Monday at the Hotel Statler in
honor of Most Worshipful Grand
Master William E. Schooley. A spe
cial communication of the lodge
will be held Tuesday, the anniversary
date, at the George Washington
Masonic Memorial, Alexandria.
The celebration will conclude with
entertainment and a dance for
members at the Hotel Statler Thurs
day.
Montgomery Extends
Cancer Fund Campaign
Mrs. B. Peyton Whalen, Mont
gomery County chairman, Maryland
Cancer Control Division, announces
that the fund drive in Montgomery
County has been extended to May
15 in view of the late arrival from
State headquarters of literature and
other campaign material.
While no goal has been set for
Montgomery County, members of
the Fund Raising Committee are
hopeful that sufficient amounts may
be contributed to permit the estab
lishment of a clinic in the county.
Gifts should be sent to Mrs. Whalen
at 5500 Lincoln street, Bethesda.
VETERANS NOMINATE BEAUTY QUEERS—Nine Walter Reed amputation cases survey the
three finalists they chose last night to contend for the May Queen crown of George Washington
University. Parading before the judges in the hospital ceremonies are Jeanne Mobberly, 19 (left);
Sue Burgess, jr., 21, and Joann Beames, 18 (front). The GI panel includes (seated from left to
right) Pfc. Wilfred Puentes, Pfc. Joe Rauert, Pfc. Jim Bailey and Pvt. Walter Anderson; and,
starlding, 1st Sergt. Anthony Riccardi, Sergt. Michael Buanno and Pfc. Louis Bromfeld. Win
ner of the contest will be announced tonight at the university’s spring festival in Lisner audi
torium, Twenty-first and H streets N.W. —Star Staff Photo.
Strong National Guard
Is Alternative to Huge|
Army, Adjutants Hear
A National Guard which can be
counted on for "dependable” sup
port of the regular military estab
lishment on any future mobilization
day is the only alternative to main
tenance of an “enormous” standing
army, Maj. Gen. Ray E. Porter, di
rector of the Special Planning Di
vision of the War Department, said
today.
Addressing the Adjutants’ General
Association of the United States at
i the Hotel Statler, Gen. Porter said
any future war “will, in all likeli
hood. be undeclared.” He said he
spoke as an individual and not for
the War Department.
He explained that future aggres
sors would have "the impelling in
j centive and appropriate means to
I launch a sudden and devastating at
! tack” before they decided to move
! against the United States.
Gen. Porter said 12 continuous
months of training was the desirable
minimum for any program of uni
versal military service. In the event
men subject to the program were
, permitted an option of joining an
: organized reserve unit in lieu of a
I portion of such training, he said at
least six months’ instruction should
I be requir ed.
Would Not Permit Preparation.
They would not be likely again to
permit the Nation time for prepara
tion after hostilities began, he
warned.
Gen. Porter said he considered
universal military training the "most
desirable and probably the only
1 practical means” of assuring the
Nation an adequate pool of trained
reserve manpower. He said he did
not hold with some private citizens
who felt the National Guard never
could be made a dependable force,
capable of prompt, effective combat
service, and added he considered it
significant that he had heard no
such expression from any Regular
Army officer.
May, Kerr to Speak.
Chairman May of the House Mili
tary Affairs Committee, Represent
ative Kerr. Democrat, of North
Carolina and Rear Admiral John E.
Gingrich, U. S. N., were to be heard
thifi afternoon.
Several speakers at yesterday's
sessions expressed concern for fate
of the National Guard if Selective
Service is not extended, saying im
mediate troop allotments of 250,000
men would remain unfilled. It was
pointed out a provision of the Se
lective Service Act provides exemp
tion from induction for men who
join the National Guard.
If the law lapses, the speakers
argued, the major Guard recruiting
inducement would be removed.
Addressing the association were
Secretary of War Patterson. Maj.
Gen. Butler B. Miltonberger. chief
of the National Guard Bureau; Maj.
Gen. Milton A. Reckord, adjutant
general of Maryland and head of
the Legislative Committee of the
Adjutants General Association; and
Maj. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, head of
Selective Service.
Reckord Attacks Air Forces.
Gen. Reckord in his speech ac
cused the Air Forces, in the event
that it is established as a separate
service, of planning to “take over”
the aviation of the National Guard.
The general predicted that the
National Guard “was headed for
trouble” with the Air Forces. He
said: “They have some young men
there who apparently don't know
the background and history of the
National Guard, the constitution or
the law. They think they are going
to take over the aviation of the
National Guard. If the Air Forces
is in that frame of mind and if they
become autonomous in a lew
months, we had better do some
thing about it now.”
Gen. Reckord suggested tlfet the
remedy was to lift the National
Guard Bureau to a higher level with
an Assistant Secretary of War and
to define the bureau’s functions defi
nitely by law.
Patterson Urges Strong Guard.
Secretary of War Patterson said
prompt re-establishment of a strong
National Guard is essential in ward
ing off possible future threats to
peace because of the Nation’s tradi
tional reliance on trained civilian
manpower as the "backbone’’ of its
peacetime military establishment.
Carnival 'Pin Cushion'
Jailed for Bad Check
Mitchell A. Moore, 35, of Clinch
port, Va., the human pin cushion
and fire eater in Prells Broadway
Show, carnival now appearing in
Alexandria, yesterday was sen
tenced to four months in jail for
passing an $18 worthless check in
Alexandria.
Tardy GardenSrs Are Assured
It's Not Too Late to Start
It's not too late to start a vege
table garden.
J. Morton Franklin, director of
the District community garden pro
gram, wants it known that satisfac
tory crops of green beans, carrots,
beets and corn can be harvested
from plantings made in June and
July. As a matter of fact, he adds,
it still is somewhat early for start
ing tomatoes, okra, peppers and
lima beans.
Mr. Franklin hopes Washingtoni
ans will take the hint and aid the
emergency food program further by
adding substantially to the present
total of plots under cultivation here.
At a meeting of the Community
Garden Committee yesterday Mr.
Franklin reported at least 90 of the
102 neighborhood areas planted in
vegetables in last year’s victory gar
den program already are being
worked this year, and two others are
being prepared. About 2,500 indi
vidual plots are included in these
areas, he said.
Mr. Franklin emphasized these
figures did not include private back
yard plantings, which he has not
counted. He said he was pleased
with public response to the plea for
continuance of victory garden ac
tivity as a postwar aid to the over
seas famine relief program.
The garden director said he had
received assurance the canning
kitchen at 1640 Wisconsin avenue
N.W. would be open in July to care
for produce of the community gar
dens. He added that tomatoes are
easiest to can and, because of their
limited availability in canned form,
should be planted and canned by
all gardeners.
Mr. Franklin said his office has
a number of plots in community
; gardens still available for assign
ments, as well as large areas which
might be worked conveniently by
persons having automobile trans
portation^
Information is available from the
office. 472 Indiana Avenue N.W.
The telephone number is National
6000. extension 2837.
Clinic lor Veterans
To Occupy H Street
Quarters by May IS
The Veterans’ Administration to
day had the promise of a home for
the medical clinic to which thou
sands of Washington veterans must
report every’ month.
The clinic will go on the first
floors vacated at 1825 H street NW.
While this had been the plan for
many months, the Veterans’ Ad
ministration had no idea when the
clinic might be moved in until yes
terday.
The Public Buildings Administra
tion. according to the veterans'
agency, yesterday ntified the Vet
erans' Administration that the
chain of moves designed to get the
Washington regional office for vet
erans, including the clinic, into the
H street structure had begun.
Occupation by May 15.
The State Department has va
cated its space in the Social Secur
ity Building, thereby clearing the
way for part of the Social Security
Board to move out of 1825 H street
and into the Social Security Build
ing.
The Social Security Board was ex
pected to start moving next week
and the Public Buildings Adminis
tration notified the Veterans’ Ad
ministration that it could take pos
session of the third and fourth
floors of the H street building by
May 15.
Drawing plans, getting the neces
sary lumber, remodeling the floors
and installing clinic equipment is
expected to take two months.
Lease Won't Be Renewed.
Until several other moves are
made by Government agencies, it
was explained, the rest of the Social
Security Board will have to remain
in the H street building, which
means that all but the medical divi
sion of the Washington regional
office of the Veterans’ Administra
tion will stay in the Municipal Cen
ter. The District Commissioners al
ready have notified the Veterans’
Administration that its lease will
not be renewed after June 30.
Agencies which still have to move
before the regional office can get
out of the Municipal Center include
parts of the National Housing
Agency, Civilian Production Admin
istration, War Department. Social
Security Board and the Veterans’
Administration itself.
Housing for the clinic has been
regarded by the Veterans’ Adminis
tration as the No. 1 problem for
Washington veterans who have been
shunting back and forth between
Mount Alto Hospital and the re
gional office for examination and
treatment.
Laise to Head Red Cross
In D. C.r Three States
The duties of Frederic S. Laise,
American Red Cross regional di
rector for Pennsylvania, have been
broadened to include direction of
activities in the District, Maryland
and Virginia, R. S. Eaton, manager
of Red Cross Eastern area offices,
announced today.
Separated from the Navy in
March, where he served as a lieu
tenant, Mr. Laise resides at 1727 T
street N.W. He succeeds V. A.
Phillips, who will become Red
Cross State relations officer for
Michigan.
A native of Bunker Hill, W. Va.,
Mr. Laise is a graduate of Deep
Springs College in California. He
was employed with Alexander Brown
& Sons, Washington investment
bankers, before going to the Red
Cross in 1942.
Faiths Unite to Aid
Veterans in Search
For Housing Here
Leaders of three religious faiths
Who are in charge of arrangements
for church observance of “Veterans1
Housing Week,” today called for co
operation of all religious groups in
helping veterans find vacancies.
“This program is merely putting
to practical use one of the basic
teachings of religion—helping these
war-weary boys to find places for
themselves and their families to
live," Rabbi Norman Gerster.feld, of
the Washington Hebrew Congrega
tion declared. “I believe that many
congregation members can. by ex
erting a little thought and action,
arrange to receive a veteran or two
in their homes. Even temporary
housing will be appreciated."
Rabbis in Jewish houses of wor
ship will observe "Veterans’ Hous
ing Week” in services tonight in co
operation with the District Emer
gency Veterans’ Housing Committee.
The drive to obtain living facilities
for the ex-servicemen started May 1.
Church Appeal Sunday.
Pastors of all Protestant churches
here have been urged by the Wash
ington Federation of Churches to
ask their congregations at services
on Sunday to join in the Nation
wide program.
At request of the Most Rev.
Michael J. Curley. Archbishop of
Baltimore and Washington, priests
of the Catholic churches in the
Washington area have also been
written by the Right Rev. Msgr. J.
J. Russell ^if St. Patrick's Church,
urging participation at their Sun
day services. Leaders of the Greek
Orthodox Church have, in addi
tion, been asked to take part in the
housing drive.
Msgr. Russell said today: "If there
is one time an ex-serviceman needs
the assurance of a home for himself,
his wife and children, more than
another, it is during the difficult
period of his readjustment to ci
vilian life. Here, I believe, is a
chance for all of our churches to
show one of the most practical
aspects of true religion; aiding those
who need one of the basic require
ments of living, to find it. * * *
Help by our church organizations in
discovering every available bit of
living space for their own member
veterans should be aimed to give
ex-servicemen the first chance at all
vacancies as they occur.”
Help Declared Vital.
Dr. Frederick A. Reissig, executive
secretary of the Washington Feder
ation of Churches, declared protec
tion of the home and family life is
the bedrock of all religious doctrine
“and in this important period of
readjustment to civilian living, the
people of Washington will be eager
to see that the veteran gets a
chance at any adequate housing we
can find for him.”
By inquiry, Dr. Reissig said, church
members can ascertain which of
their veterans need help in locating
space for themselves and their
families.
All unused housing space—rooms,
apartments, houses—available for
veteran tenants should be referred
to the Housing Center of Washing
ton, 1400 Pennsylvania avenue N.W.,
across from the Willard Hotel. The
telephone number is Executive 4160.
Extension 3001.
Dr. Buxton Elected
ROCKVILLE, Md„ May 3 (Special).
—Dr. Rex Buxton was elected presi
dent of the Montgomery County
Mental Hygiene Association yester
day. Mrs. Owsley Vose was elected
secretary. i
Civil Service
Chiefs Denounce
Bargaining Plan
Personnel Council's
Proposal Called
'III Considered'
By Joseph Young
Civil Service Commission officials
today expressed their outright op
position to a plan advanced within
the Council of Personnel Adminis
tration to grant limited collective
bargaining rights to Federal em
ployes’ unions.
“The commission will never ap
prove a plan like this in a hundred
years,” one of the commission's top
officials predicted. Any recommen
dation made by the council must be
approved by the commission before
it is presented for the President s
consideration.
“If any plan was ill-considered,
this is it," the official said. He re
vealed that commission officials
“were horrified" when they first
learned of the proposal.
Dissension and Confusion.
Commission officials base their op
position to the plan on the asser
tion that collective bargaining elec
tions in the various bureaus would
lead to dissension and confusion as
unions battled among themselves for
exclusive bargaining rights.
“And the vast bulk of Government
employes who don’t belong to any
union would be caught in between
this battle,’’ a commission spokes
man said.
Increasing opposition to the plan
has come from various agency
heads, to whom the drafted report
has been sent for comment. It was
implied in a story in Tuesday’s Star
that the report had been put before
the Civil Service Commission, but
this was in error.
Proposals in Report.
The report, which was advocated
by the council's Personnel Rela
tions -Committee, proposes that the
union having the greatest numer
ical strength in an agency or bureau
would be recognized as the bar
gaining group for all the employes
in the section. This would pertain
to everything except wages. Collec
tive bargaining in wages in Govern,
ment is regarded as an impossibility
since Congress fixes the pay scales
of Federal workers.
Under the proposal, “written
agreements” or contracts could be
entered into by Federal agencies
and unions on matters pertaining
to working conditions, grievances,
granting of leave, vacations and
other personnel problems.
The strong opposition to the com
mittee proposal has caused the
council to send it back to its per
sonnel relations group for further
study and revision. The council,
composed of the personnel directors
of various Federal agencies, serves
in an advisory capacity to the Civil
Service Commission.
Truman Expresses Views.
Meanwhile, President Truman
told his press conference yester
day he did not believe in strikes
against the Government, declaring
that if they ever happened ths
Government would cease to exist.
President Truman made his state
ment in response to a question by
Elisabeth May Craig, correspondent
for a group of Maine newspapers.
Apparently referring to the plan
to grant limited collective bar
gaining rights to Federal employes’
unions, Mi's. Craig asked:
“Will you allow executive depart
ments to bargain collectively with
unions whose constitutions permit
strikes against the Government?"
Mr. Truman did not answer the
question directly, but emphasized
that strikes against the Government
could not be allowed.
The collective bargaining proposal
before the Council specifically states
that Federal employes' unions
should not be given the right to
strike and that the plan should not
be interpreted in this light.
Among the three major Govern
ment workers’ union, the CIO's new
United Public Workers of America
has £ loophole in its constitution
which does not completely bar
the possibility of strikes against
the Government, although the union
adopted a "no strike” policy.
Voters Warned to Pay
Poll Tax Tomorrow
Virginia residents were warned
today that poll taxes must be paid
tomorrow in order to be eligible to
vote in the general election No
vember 5.
Arlington County Treasurer John
Locke Green said he would accept
funds “in hand” at the 1 p.m. closing
time tomorrow to pay for poll taxes
due for the past three years. To
morrow was set because regulations
call for payment six months before
the election date, and May 5 falls
on Sunday, he explained.
Those eligible for vote in the gen
eral election also may cast their
votes in the primaries, set for Au
gust 6. Under a new ruling this
year, voters also must register by
July 6 to qualify for primary vot
ing. Previously they were able to
register up to the date of the elec
tion.
Requirements for voting in the
general election include residency in
the State for one year, in the county
six months and in the precinct 30
days prior to the November date.
Commissioner of Revenue Harry
K. Green reminded that residents
who moved to the county after Jan
uary 1. 1945, must be assessed by
him before the capitation tax can
be paid to the treasurer.
Book Section
In The Sunday Star
The Book Section of The
Sunday Star contains timely
and authoritative reviews each
week on the Nation’s new books.
This week’s issue also contains
an informative article by Mary
Carter Roberts on the signifi
cance of Religious Book Week,
being observed from May 5 to
May 12, and on the centuries
old practice of assaulting free
dom of thought by condemning
books to death by fire.
Watch for it in
fljc Sunday £faf