Evening star. [volume], May 04, 1946, Image 1

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

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Weather Forecast
Cold, rainy this afternoon, tonight; rain
ending early tomorrow; clearing, warmer in
afternoon, temperature rising to about 60.
Temperatures today—High, 49, at 1 a.m.;
low, 44, at 7:06 a.m.; 46 at 1 p.m. Yesterday—
High, 62, at 12:20 a.m.; low, 47, at 10:04 p.m.
Guide for Readers
Page.
Amusements_B-14
Churches -A-8-10
Comics.B-12-13
Editorials.A-6
Editorial Articles, A-7
Lost and Found _A-3
Page.
Obituary .A-4
Radio .B-13
Real Estate_B-l-7
Society .. B-6
Sports_A-ll
Where to Go_A-7
An Associated Press Newspaper
94th YEAR. No. 37,254. Phone NA. 5000.
WASHINGTON, D. C., SATURDAY, MAY 4, 1946-TWENTY-SIX PAGES. ★★
City Home Delivery, Dally and Sunday
90e a Month. When 5 Sundays, $1.00
5 CENTS
Reinforced Alcatraz Guards Set
To Hurl New Assault on Rioters
After Give Up or Die Ultimatum
Prison Clerk Silent
On Report That
Mutiny Has Ended
BULLETIN
SAN FRANCISCO ^.—Ma
rines who rushed to the aid of
guards at Alcatraz Prison
when rioting broke out there
were being withdrawn from
the island today. Maj. Albert
Arsenault said Warden James
A. Johnston told him they no
longer were needed. There
was some indication that the
rioting convicts, under heavy
fire for two days, might be
dead or wounded.
ly the Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO, May 4.—|
Prison guards strengthened their
battle line with reinforcements
today and prepared to blast
rebel convicts out of their cell
block entrenchment at Alcatraz
if they refuse a “surrender or
die” ultimatum.
The choice for the desperate crim
inals was to face the blistering fire
of assembled guns and grenades
or to surrender and face charges
of murdering two guards and
wounding 14 others in the blazing
mutiny, now in its third day.
Marines, San Francisco police and
guards from other prisons bolstered
the officers of the island Federal
prison as the besiegers tensely
awaited the desperadoes’ decision.
James V. Bennett, director of the
Bureau of Prisons, flew to San
Francisco from Washington last
night to make a “complete investi
gation” of the riot.
The cell block of the three-story
concrete structure atop the rocky
island was quiet as the doomed men
considered their choice.
Saw Ladders at Windows.
A reporter for the Oakland Tri
bune said that while cruising around
Alcatraz today he saw several guards
put long ladders to the windows from
which convicts had been shooting;
that the guards peered in the win
dows, and there was no shooting
from inside. There had been no
fire from the convicts since late
yesterday.
A clerk at the prison reported
later by telephone, however, he could
not confirm reports the riot had
ended. He would say nothing more.
The reporter said two ladders
were set up to the windows of the
cell block. Five men mounted the
catwalk.
A shot was fired, either into the
cell window, or to attract attention.
Then a guard mounted one ladder
and looked inside.
Another man in a gray uniform,
such as convicts wear, climbed the
other ladder and stood for some
time peering inside the cell block,
his head and shoulders above the
window sill.
Then both men descended and
the five departed.
The cornered criminals were re
ported to have ammunition, but no
hots were heard from the embattled
ilockhouse since last night.
Warden Wouldn't Deal.
One of the convicts yesterday
■lephoned Warden J. A. Johnston
o bargain for surrender.
"We’ll make a deal when you
throw out your guns and ammuni
tion,’’ the 72 - year - old warden
Miapped back.
Silence followed.
There was no certainty how many
of the convicts remained alive. A
marine officer estimated 24 were in
volved, on the basis of wounded
guards' reports. It was presumed
that some were killed and wounded
in the fierce battling with machine
guns, rifles, pistols, hand grenades
and tear gas that raged for hours,
then slackened into last night’s
calm.
Guards Ordered Withdrawn.
Not a sound could be heard from
the portion of the prison which they
had held for more than 36 hours.
About 10:30 last night Warden
Johnston ordered guards who had
been attempting to creep within gun
shot of the rebels to withdraw.
“We’re leaving them alone to
night, to talk it over,” a prison offi
cial said. “We’ll go to work on them
in the morning.”
When the rioters seized the cell
block, one of the two guards killed
was brutally kicked and beaten. He
died later of his injuries. Others
were herded into a cell, where fren
zied and cursing convicts pumped
bullets into them.
The guards held as hostages were
rescued by a gallant group of prison
officials, who braved a hail of gun
fire to remove their comrades from
the hands of the desperadoes.
There was no Indication of con
vict casualties, but they undoubt
edly have been heavy. For more
iSee ALCATRAZ, Page A-3.)
12 Under Arrest in Milan
For Theft of Duce's Body
By th« Associated Press
MILAN, Italy, May 4.—Civil Police
Chief Umberto Ferrante said today
that 12 persons, including one sus
pected of being the head of a clan
destine Fascist movement, were un
der arrest in connection with the
theft of the body of Benito Mus
solini.
Ferrante said none of those ar
rested had admitted taking part in
the actual theft, but that some had
confessed taking an active part in
the organization “Partito Fascista
Democratica." This organization
asserted in a published letter that it
had arranged the body snatching.
Police operations in connection
with the theft continued to center
in Milan. Ferrante said the arrests
were only the first “rings of a long
chain.’’ He added he could not dis
close additional details at this time
without tipping off Fascists still at
large.
I
Mild Sun Greets Fans Arriving
For Running of Derby at 5:15
100,000 Will See Louisville Classic in Mud;
Wee Admiral Still on DouUful List
(Picture on Page A-ll.)
By the Associated Press
LOUISVILLE, Ky.. May 4 —Col.
Matt Winn’s Derby-day luck—a
tradition of the race track—held
up through most of the morning
today and a mild sun greeted the
vanguard of a crowd of 100,000
expected to be on hand for the
72d running of the classic at
5:15 p.m. t
In mid-morning, E. F. Unger of
the Weather Bureau predicted in a
special forecast that there would
be some cloudiness but no rain at
post time.
The track at Churchill Downs
was muddy, however, from rains
earlier in the week, promising gooey
underfoot for the 17 3-year-olds
shooting at the big gnd of the $100,
000 pot.
At 11 am. there had not been a
single scratch from the field of 17
horses er tered through the secre
tary’s off ce, although R. S. Mc
Laughlin’s Wee Admiral remained
on the somewhat doubtful list.
Art Brent, veteran trainer of the
Canadian campaigner—who likes a
fast track far more than mud—said
early today he would definitely start
We Admiral if it cameup sloppy,
but would not decide until noon
or later today what to di if the
footing was muddy or slow. A fast
track horse finds it easier to step
in the slop here, because of the
unusual running surface.
Any horse has until 45 minutes
before post time to pull out of the
race.
ror nours during the morning
the track workmen circled the strip
and swept the standing pools of
water off the running area and
under the inside rail.
Meanwhile, the thousands jam
ming Louisville were taking their
(See DERBY, Page A-2.J
Arab Appeal to U. N.
Through Moscow Is
Reported Planned
Palestine Groups Said to
Be Preparing to Send
Delegate to Russia
By th« Associated Press
LONDON, May 4.—An Arab
League spokesman said today
that Palestine reports indicated
Arab groups planned to send a
delegate to Moscow to ask the
Soviet government to submit
the Palestine problem to the
United Nations.
The spokesman, speaking to news
men in Cairo, added that he under
stood the Russians would be asked
“to support the Arabs in Palestine”
against the report of the British
American Inquiry Committee, which
recommended immediate authoriza
tion for the immigration of 100,000
Jews.
Tension mounted in the Holy
Land amid reports that the heads of
all the Arab states were discussing
the report and that an extraordi
nary meeting of the seven states in
the league would be convened.
Some Favor “Fight to Death.”
Arab youths staged a riotous dem
onstration against the report in
Jerusalem yesterday, and a high
Arab official asserted in Cairo that
some Arab leaders favored a fight to
the death “for their existence."
The official. Abdel Rahman Az
zam Pasha, secretary general of
the Arab League, said some Arabs
proposed that Palestine be convert
ed into a battleground where Arabs
from all over the Middle East would
wage a fight for a showdown on
the Jewish question.
He said these leaders had urged
the evacuation of women and chil
dren from Palestine to neighboring
states, as a prelude to the procla
mation of war, but added:
"This is a measure of despera
tion, and we are no desperate or
near desperation yet ’
Egypt Strike C nsidered.
Yesterday's demo istrations in
Jerusalem occurred during a one
day strike called ty the Arabs in
protest against the recommenda
tions by the British-American In
quiry Committee,
The strike proceeded quietly at
Haifa, Jaffa a'id Hebron. Two Jew
ish buses we: e stoned at Ramleh,
near the all-J iwish city of Tel Aviv.
Tire Arabs also are considering
the calling ol a general strike in
Egypt to protest against the com
missions recom nendations. May 10
has been mentic led as the date, but
no decision ha^ been reached.
Baghdad Area Are Closed
For All British Troops
BAGHDAD. May ' (Delayed) WPi.
—The east bank of t.\e Tigris Hiver,
including the main sections of Bagh
dad, was declared out f bounds for
all British troops today , s a precau
tion against trouble with Arabs an
gered by the Palestine report which
recommended that 100,000 Jews oe
permitted to enter Palestine.
Some legislators demanded sever
ance of relations with the United
States and abrogation of all treaties
with Britain.
Gen. Nuri A1 Said, President of
the Iraq Senate, addressing the Na
tional Committee for the Defense of
Palestine, urged the, ‘‘co-operation
of all Arab countries,” and Senator
Abdul Mahdi, Independence party
leader, said “we must meet force in
Palestine by force.”
Jewish Agency Committee
Hails Inquiry Report
The Executive Committee of the
Jewish Agency for Palestine has ex
pressed "profounaest satisfaction” at
the support accorded President Ta
man’s proposal for the immediate
admission of 100,000 Jews into Pal
estine by the Anglo-American Com
mittee of Inquiry.
A letter made public by the White
House yesterday put the committee
on record. It said that “our organ
ization here, on the continent and in
Palestine is at your disposal in the
execution of any part of the pro
gram that may be assigned to us.”
Among the signers was Eliahu Ep
stein, Washington representative.
I ' J
60,000 Chinese Reds
Declared Routed in
Battle Near Mukden
Casualties of 5,000 to
7,000 Are Claimed for
Nationalist Troops
By the Associated Press
Chinese Army headquarters in
Mukden said today government
forces have routed 60,000 Com
munists troops in a two-day bat
tle for Penhsihou, main Commu
nist stronghold southeast of
Mukden. It said national troops
inflicted 5,000 to 7,000 casualties.
Gen. Tu Li-ming, government
commander at Mukden, said the
battle began Wednesday and that
occupation of Penhsihou was com
pleted yesterday. He said the Na
tional forces had thrust northward
from Liaoyang.
Meanwhile, Gen. Chou En-lai,
No. 2 Chinese Communist, reported
in Nanking that the Russians had
withdrawn their diplomatic and
railroad representatives from Man
churia, recognizing the futility of
attempting to operate the Chang
chun railroad jointly with China;
while the civil wrar was raging.
Newsmen to Leave Changchun.
A Communist spokesman at Amer
ican Executive Headquarters in
Peiping reported that five American
news correspondents, including Tom
Masterson of the Associated Press,
were scheduled to be evacuated
from Changchun tomorrow.
The spokesman said Gen. Yeh
Chien-yin, Communist commissioner,
had been advised that the Chang
chun airport could not be put into
condition to land a rescue plane
earlier. The correspondents have
been held in protective custody since
Communist captured Changchun
April 16.
Gen. Chou today held his first
press conference in Nanking, where
he will resume peace conferences
with George C. Marshall, American
envoy, and Generalissimo Chiang
Kai-shek. He said the withdrawal
of the Russian representatives from
Manchuria "worsen relations” be
tween the Soviets and Chinese.
"Diplomatically, it is deplorable,”
he said, although the Russians had
promised to attempt to implement
their treaty with China “at an
other time.”
','In the matter of foreign rela
tions,” Gen. Chou said, “we (Na
tional China and the Communists)
are not agreed that Manchuria
(See MANCHUltlA, Page A-3.)
Truck Hits Streetcar,
Killing One, Hurting 55
By the Associated Press
TORONTO, May 4.—One man
was killed and at least 55 persons
were injured last night when a
runaway tractor-trailer collided
with a crowded streetcar and swept
the trolley with a searing blast of
fire at a busy Toronto intersection.
Police said the huge tractor
trailer’s brakes failed to hold and
it careened down Bathurst street
with the driver and his helper
shouting warnings to persons on the
streets before it rammed the street
car. The truck’s gasoline tank ex
ploded and a sheet of flame scorched
the 100-odd passengers inside. For
ty-two persons were hospitalized.
Senate Meeting
Today to Speed
Loan Action
Two Republicans Act
To Curb Debate on
Credit for Britain
By th« Associated Press
Putting on pressure to speed a
showdown on the British loan,
the administration today sum-'
foioned the Senate for an unusual
Saturday session, with a formal
move promised to curtail further
debate.
The move to cut further talk after
three weeks of it originated not with
the administration but with two Re
publican Senators, Ball of Minne
sota and Smith of New Jersey, both
outspoken advocates of the long
term $3,750,000,000 credit arrange
ment with Great Britain.
Within an hour yesterday after
noon, they accumulated 22 signa
tures to their petition for “cloture,”
a seldom-invoked Senate rule for
limiting debate to one hour per
member. Only 16 signatures are
necessary to force a vote on the pe
tition. They planned to file it today
and bring it to a vote Tuesday. It
requires two-thirds majority to
prevail.
Roll Calls Consume Time.
Senator Ball and Smith started
circulating their petition after two
roll calls to establish a quorum had
consumed nearly an hour of the
Senate’s time. Senator Ball told
reporters the quorum calls smacked
of “filibuster tactics" and he
thought the Senate ought to start
voting after three weeks general
debate.
Majority Leader Barkley said the
same thing—with even more vehe
mence—on the Senate floor.
Senator Barkley told the Senate1
he would “resist with all the power
and influence I possess any at
tempt to lay the loan legislation
aside for any other measure. And
that went, he added, even for legis
lation to extend the draft law, which
will expire a week from next Wed
nesday unless Congress acts.
He also demanded the session to
day, although the Senators on Sat
urdays usually take time out from
committee and floor work to at
tend to their mail and other office
duties. When Senator McFarland,
Democrat, of Arizona, protested
against meeting today because many
members were away from the Capi- 1
tal. Senator Barkley told him:
“I’m not going to postpone a vote
because a few Senators have gone
out of town, no matter whether
they are for or against the bill. If
they are not here, it is their respon
sibility.”
Hill Seeks Vote Tuesday.
The majority leader declared the
British loan is “the key to the in
ternational relations of the United
States."
Senator Hill, Democrat, of Ala
bama, the majority whip, told re
porters after the session that he be
lieves the Senate will agree to start
voting on proposed amendments to
the measure Tuesday without the
necessity of invoking cloture.
“I have seen these things work
out that way before,” he said. "The
Senate can act with a great deal of
speed when it wants to. I think the
amendments will go pretty fast
when we get the voting."
Conference to Seek
Housing Compromise
By th« Associated Press
House and Senate conferees rolled
up their sleeves today for a fresh try
at breaking the deadlock between the
two chambers on the administra
tion’s long-delayed emergency hous
ing bill.
The controversy centered on the
administration’s proposal to use
$600,000,000 in subsidies for encour
agement of larger production of
scorce building materials.
Such subsidies—described by Presi
dent Truman as the “very heart” of
the legislation—were rejected by the
House weeks ago on a vote of almost
2 to 1. Later, however, the Senate
sided with the President and put the
$600,000,000 back into the bill.
With Wilson W. Wyatt, housing
expediter, estimating that each day's
delay is costing 3,000 new houses for
veterans, administration leaders
called House and Senate conferees to
an unusual Saturday meeting in
hopes of making some headway
toward a compromise.
The House and Senate are in ac
cord on several major provisions of
the housing bill, including continua
tion of the Government's priorities
and allocation authority in channel
ing scare building materials; prefer
ence for veterans in the purchase or
rental of new dwellings, and a $1,
000,000,000 increase in Government
authority to insure mortgages on new
homes.
U. S. Clerk in Moscow Accused
Of Acts Against Soviet Actress
By xn« Associated rress
MOSCOW, May 4.—Waldo Ruess
of Hollywood, Calif., United States
Embassy clerk, received a summons
today to appear Wednesday in the
Moscow city prosecutor’s office to
answer charges of committing “in
solent acts’’ against an actress from
one of Moscow’s state theaters.
ttuess, jo, ana unmamea, wnose
home is on North Ardmore ave
nue, Hollywood, Calif., refused
to comment. He has been a
member of the administrative stafl
of the Embassy for two years and
had been expecting to leave soon for
home. He was not arrested or asked
to post any bail.
The Moscow newspaper Trud, in
one of the few instances in which it
has published police court news,
printed an account under the head
line:
“Hooligan acts of an American
citizen.’*
!
i
“Riding in an automobile with a
Soviet citizen, an actress in one of
the Moscow state theaters,” the
Labor newspaper said, “a member
of the American Embassy in Mos
cow, Waldo Ruess, permitted him
self a number of insolent hooligan
acts towards her.
“Ruess’ hooligan acts were
stopped only after interference by a
policeman, who hastened to the
citizen’s cries for help.
“In accordance with Soviet laws,
Ruess will be brought up for crimi
nal proceedings ”
Foreign diplomats, commenting on
legal aspects of the case, said mem
bers of embassy staffs in other
countries customarily enjoyed diplo
matic immunity, but that the So
viets apparently had not extended
this immunity to clerks and others
who are not on the official diplo
matic list.
k
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■ MASONS
Defense Chief Details
Plan for Air Reserve
Of 170,000 Men
Stratemeyer's Program
Provides for Guard
Of 84 Squadrons
Detailed plans for an air na
tional guard of 84 squadrons and
an air reserve of 50.000 officers
and 120,000 enlisted men to
augment the Regular Army Air
Force in event of an emergency
were announced today by Lt.
Gen. George E. Stratemeyer.
commander of the Air Defense
Command.
The over-all program, subject to
approval of the War Department
and Congress, was described by Gen.
Stratemeyer to adjutants general of
all the States at a meeting of the
National Guard Association at the
Statler Hotel. The plan calls for
27 Air National Guard groups and
34 Air Reserve groups to be integ
rated into an air defense system
with headquarters at Mitchel Field.
The Air National Guard, operat
ing from 79 bases with at least one
in each of the 48 States and the
District, would consist of 3.000 pilots.
3,800 nonrated officers and 40,000
enlisted men.
2,664 Aircraft Provided For.
Each of 72 fighter squadrons and
12 light bomber squadrons, Gen
Stratemeyer said, will include utility
flights of four tow targets, two
trainers, two liaison and one trans
port aircraft.
Under the plan the squadrons
would use 2,664 aircraft of late de
sign. including 1,000 North American
P-51 Mustangs. 800 Republic P-47
Thunderbolts. 196 Douglass A-26
Invaders, 96 Douglass C-47 Skytrains
and various tow target and liaison
planes.
Pay for participation in drills,
summer camps, schools and ma
neuvers would be similar to the
schedule of former National Guard
units. Sites of airports, enlistment
procedures and schedules for train
ing programs, Gen. Stratemeyer
said, will be announced after final
decisions are made.
A training program for the Air
Reserves, it was said, eventually will
employ 130 bases in all parts of the
country to establish and maintain
efficiency in all categories of AAF
reserve personnel. These bases will
have one or more organized combat
units made up entirely of Air Re
serve personnel.
Permanent or interim AAF ground
toee au, page a-3.)
Demobilization Handicaps!
Bases, Eisenhower Says
By the Associated Press
MANILA, May 4.—The speed of
demobilization has seriously handi
capped the maintenance of vital
American military bases in the
Pacific, Gen. Eisenhower said today.
He arrived by plane from the
Marianas.
“There are millions of dollars
worth of equipment to be taken care
of, and no one to take care of it,”
he said at a press conference.
“At Honolulu, for instance, the
entire 7th Air Force is down to a
strength of only 404 men. The same
general conditions apply elsewhere
in the Pacific.”
Asked about general plans for dis
tribution of American peacetime
forces in the Pacific, the Chief of
Staff said he could not say how
many divisions would be required as
a minimum force “but I will say that
history proves that we can never
afford to weaken ourselves.”
Late Bulletins
Pay Bill Again Held Up
Conferees on the Federal
pay bill today failed to reach
agreement on the final ver
sion of the legislation and
scheduled another meeting at
2:30 p.m. Tuesday.
('Earlier Story on Page A-3.)
Buying Change Asked
The State Department an
nounced today it had asked
15 nations to disband their
purchasing missions in this
country and get back to nor
mal peacetime trading prac
tices as soon as possible.
I
Fall From Auto
Fatal to Boy, 5,
Hailing Passerby
James Raymond Lawrence, 5, of
1314 I street N.W., died in Casualty;
Hospital shortly before noon today'
from injuries received when he fell
out of his parents’ moving auto
mobile in Laurel, Md„ as the family
left Washington for a vacation.
Casualty Hospital attaches said
the accident occurred at 9:15 a.m.
when tne Lawrence automobile
hailed a Navy truck ar- James
opened the car door. The boy was
given emergency treatment by a
private physician in Laurel, " re
porters were told, and then was
rushed to Casualty Hospital. Death
resulted from internal injuries, hos
pital officials said.
Arnold Lines Resume
Bus Service Tonight,
But New Threat Rises
Firm Says Fares Must
Go Up if Operations
Are to Continue
BULLETIN
The 250 union employes of
the Arnold-operated bus lines
voted approval today of strike
settlement terms reached by
conciliators last night. Meet
ing at the Ballston Firehouse,
the workers agreed to start
putting buses back in service.
The first scheduled run will
start at 11:55 o’clock tonight.
As the Arnold-operated bus
lines prepared to resume service
at 1 a.m. tomorrow for more
than 50,000 commuters in nearby
Virginia, company officials as
serted today that unless their
petition for higher fares is
granted by the Interstate Com
merce Commission they event
ually may have to discontinue
bus service between that area
and the District.
The company’s position was made
known shortly after union spokes
men agreed last night to end the
8-day-old strike and return to work
tomorrow.
The company spokesman said the
firm had lost money on its opera
tions during the last three months
at a rate of $10,000 a month. He
added the company estimated that
wage increases to its drivers would
increase the monthly loss to $17,500
unless the ICC grants its petition
for fare increases.
It was learned that the company's
petition requests what amounts m
a 2'2-cent increase over the present
10-cent fare. If the company's peti
tion were granted, commuters could
buy tokens at the rate of two for
9** rente
Company officials denied reports
that the firm is using its “huge
profits” to purchase business prop
erty in Palls Church. They as
serted that any purchases that have
been made by Leon Arnold, princi
pal stockholder of the company,
were made from his own private
funds.
Meanwhile, the bus drivers pre
pared to go back to work tomorrow
morning as both sides agreed to
(See BUS, Page A^3.)
Gas Wage Talks Open
After Union Members
Vote Against Strike
Decision Ends Threat
To Cut Off Supply of
260,000 Consumers
•BULLETIN
All threat of a strike of
Washington Gas Light Co.
workers ended today when
union and company repre
sentatives agreed to place the
company-union wage contro
versy before a five-man arbi
tration board. Two of the
board members will be named
by the union, two by the com
pany and the fifth by the Sec
retary of Labor. It was also
learned that President Tru
man and Secretary of Labor
Schwellenbach have been
keeping in touch with the
situation.
With the threat of a gas strike
removed at least temporarily by
the union’s vote to submit to
Federal arbitration, officials of
the Washington Gas Light Co.
and union representatives met
today to discuss means of set
tling their wages and hours dis
pute which had threatened to
cut off the supply for 260.000
consumers in the Washington
area.
Union members chose to arbitrate
early today after voting on the
question: “Strike or arbitrate.”
Results of the balloting were not
disclosed, but it was evident those
favoring a walkout failed to muster
the two-third majority necessary
to call a strike.
Participating were most of the
approximately 1.100 members of the
International Chemical Workers’
Union. Local 63, and the Office Em
ployes International Union. Local 2.
both AFL unions. Ballots were cast
throughout the day at different
localities, the final tabulations being
made at 1024 New Jersey avenue
N.W. at 2:30 a.m.
Union Head Hails Decision.
If the vote had called for a strike,
a walkout was scheduled for 12:01
a.m. Monday by the chemical work
ers. with the office employes slated
to follow their lead in a "sympathy”
move.
John F. Kenny, president of the
chemical workers' local, who an
nounced the decision, hailed the re
sult as a “wise move” on the part
of the union. He said he now hoped
for a decision from a Federal abri
tration board “within 10 days."
Announcement that there would
be no strike followed tumultuous
balloting sessions. Before each one.
AFL and international and local
union representatives urged the
workers to accept arbitration as “the
most satisfactory means" of settling
their differences with the gas com
pany.
24-Cent Raise Asked.
Princip>al bone of contention in
the dispute is the union's demand
for a 24-cent-an-hour wage in
crease. which the company has
countered with an offer of 16 4
cents, contending this amounts ac
tually to IS1* cents because of a 2
cent raise granted last fall. The
union also is asking time-and-a
half overtime pay for Saturday work
and double time pay for Sunday.
Searchers Find Two Lost Boys
After All-Night Hunt in Rain
Clyde A. “Tony” Lafoon, jr., 2,
and his 4-year-old companion, Wal
ter Jones, 4, were found in an open
field today only 200 yards from
Livingston road S.E., by a searching
party of Bolling Field soldiers, 19
hours after the two boys disappeared
from their homes in the 4300 block
of Halley terrace S.E.
Cold and wet, and suffering only
from exposure, the lost children
were located by Sergt. Ernest
Mackie, Pfc. Robert Marlel and
T/Sergt. J. T. Kelso in an area
already combed thoroughly by scores
of searchers last night and early
today.
it had been feared the two chil
dren had fallen into rain-swollen
Oxon Run after they wandered away
from their homes yesterday at 4:30
p.m. Police details, volunteer sol
diers from Bolling Field, 30 sailors
from the Naval Air Station at Ana
costia, neighbors and the frantic
parents of the two children had
covered the area thoroughly before
the two were located.
They were rushed to Casualty
Hospital for examination and treat
ment for exposure brought on by
the night police believed they spent
in the cold, wet woods behind their
homes.
Neither was able to give « lucid
account of what befell them after
they were last seen playing with
their tricycles at First and Elmira
streets S.E.
Tony is the son of Clyde A.
Lafoon, a barber. Walter is the
only child of Howard Jones, colored
janitor, who lives across the street
from the Lafoons.
Earlier, Mr. Jones told reporters
the only tfrace of the boys was their
tricycles, which were found at the
(See BOYS, Page A-2.)
New U. S. Move
In Coal Strike
Due Next Week
Dimout Here Today;
Lights on Streets
Won't Be Curtailed
BULLETIN
At the request of the Office
of Defense Transportation,
the Railway Express Agency
today ordered an embargo on
all express shipments, effec
tive May 10, except for those
classes of merchandise exempt
under the railway freight em
bargo announced two days
ago.
Top officials indicated today
the Government would take new
steps to end the 34-day-old coal
strike by the middle of next
week as dwindling fuel supplies
forced a wartime dimout on
Washington and similarly in
convenienced a wide area of the
Nation.
In Richmond, the State Corpor
ation Commission called representa
tives of 27 power companies doing
business in Virginia to a meeting
at 2 p.m. Monday to consider ration
ing of electricity
The commission acted after con
ferring for several hours with rep
resentatives of the Virginia Electric
& Power Co. during w’hich the com
pany president. Jack G. Holtzclaw,
laid before the commission “the
whole story” of the company’s
pow'er resources for the next few
weeks.
Proposal Believed Prepared.
There was little indication of the
nature of the new’ action being
planned by the Government, al
though it appeared that a proposal
for settlement of the strike w’as be
ing prepared. John L. Lewis' chief
demand for a union health and wel
fare fund was a touchy subject to
deal with and there was a possi
bility that arbitration might be sug
gested for that issue.
Although Mr. Lewis and the soft
coal operators were to meet under
Labor Department supervision today
and perhaps tomorrow, little hope
was held out for major developments
over the week end.
More Drastic Cuts Planned.
The District Commissioners or
dered the dimout. effective today,
after a conference between Assistant
Engineer Commissioner Joseph D.
Arthur, jr„ and officials of the Po
tomac Electric Power Co. A sched
ule of progressively more drastic
cuts was approved in event the
strike continues although only a
preliminary dimout was ordered im
mediately.
The Public Utilities Commission
issued a brief directive to the power
, company today to comply with the
dimout order.
It authorized Pepco to cut off the
supply of electricity to any con
sumers found violating the curtail
ment rules.
At the same time District officials
announced abandonment of earlier
plans to curtail street lighting.
After a conference between Dis
trict and Pepco electrical engineers
j it was decided that the elimination
of the commercial sign and window
j lights would so darken the streets as
to require the street lighting for
] public safety. Street lighting, it
was said, constitutes a very small
part of the power load and now will
be curtailed only as a last resort.
In other fuel-famine develop
ments, J. A. Krug, solid fuels ad
ministrator. declared that the relief
and rehabilitation program for
Europe is on the verge of collapse
because of the shortage of coal for
transportation.
He said there is.a grave possibility
that great quantities of food “will
not reach starving people in the
liberated nations in time to avert an
1 international catastrophe.”
In Chicago, where industry and
business were under a four-hour-a
day ration of electricity, things were
dull and dark, although more orderly
than immediately after emergency
measures took effect. After two days
of widespread confusion, emergency
curbs were tightened and compliance
with the dimout moved swiftly.
Steel Production Sags.
In the industry hardest hit so far
by the coal strike, steel production
sagged for the sixth consecutive
week and stood at 67.7 per cent of
capacity. The shutdown of the Na
tion's steel plants were gathering
momentum, however.
The Office of Defense Transpor
tation has ordered coal-burning
railroads to reduce passenger service
25 per cent May 10 and to deepen
the cut to 50 per cent May 15.
Virtually all freight shipments ex
cept fuel and food were embargoed,
effective May 10.
In Pennsylvania, Gov. Edward
Martin moved to get enough coal
mined to meet vital public utility
j needs. He named three of his cabi
| net members to confer in Pitts
flSee COAL. Page A-3.)
White Quits Treasury
For Monetary Fund Post
i The White House today announced
the resignation of Assistant Secre
| tary of the Treasury Harry D. White,
who is becoming United States ex
ecutive director of the International
Monetary Fund set up under the
! Bretton Woods agreement.
The resignation was effective May
j 1. The fund operations start Mon
day.
i Mr. White has been with the
Treasury Department for 12 years
and in accepting his resignation, the
I President told him that “I am con
fident that in your new position you
I will add distinction into your al
: ready distinguished career with the
; Treasury.”
1 In his letter of resignation, Mr.
White expressed the conviction that
the fund ‘‘has a real opportunity to
help the world achieve monetary
stability and sustained prosperity."