Evening star. [volume], January 15, 1947, Image 1

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

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Weather Forecast
Cloudy, occasional rain this afternoon, high
about 50. Rain tonight, low about 45. To
morrow cloudy, rain likely.
Temperatures today—High, 45, at 12:20 pm.;
low, 39, at 3:20 a.m. yesterday—High, 42,
at 1:55 pm.; low, 36, at 12:01 a.m.
^ Pull Report on Pnge A-1S.
Lote New York Morkets, Page A-21.
I ' _
I Guide for Readers
Page.
Amusements -- A-16
Comics_B-1S-19
Editorials -A-10
Editlal Articles, A-ll
Finance_A-21
Los* and Found--A-S
Page.
Obituary „.A-12
Radio ^.—B-19
Society, Clubs—B-3
Sports _—A-18-19
Where to Go—B-ll
Woman's Page.-B-12
An Associoted Press Newspaper
95th YEAR. No. 57,510 Phone NA. 5000.
WASHINGTON, D. €., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 1947-FORTY-TWO PAGES. ★**
City Horn* Delivery. Dally ana ounaay c / l
90c a Month. When 6 Sundays, *1.00 ** x u
Rival Georgia Governors Set Up
Separate State Military Forces;
Both Seek Aid From Washington
' \ _
Fights Break Out
As Arnall Rejects
Talmadge Election
•y th« Associated Press
ATLANTA, Jan. 15. — Rival
claimants to the governorship of
Georgia established offices in the
State Capitol today and each
immediately set up his own mili
tary department.
The claimants yere Ellis Arnall,
who has held the office for the
last four years, and Herman Tal
madge, who was named by the
Legislature early today to the office
which his late father, Eugene Tal
madge, won in last November’s gen
eral election. The elder Mr. Tal
madge died last month.
Mr. Arnall refused to heed the
action of the Legislature and in a
dramatic early morning encounter
with Mr. Talmadge and in the face
of a yelling mob of Talmadge sup
porters refused to turn the office
over to him.
Fist fights broke out in the execu
tive offices as the two men faced
each other across Mr. Arnall’s desk,
and after the heated exchange be
tween the two men Talmadge sup
porters threatened to come in and
null Mr. Arnall from the office.
Talks With Secretary of War.
As his first act on arrival at his
officfe today, Mr. Arnall named Col.
R. W. Collins, commander of the
State Guard, as adjutant general to
succeed Brig. Gen. Marvin Griffin,
who last night was sworn in by Mr.
Talmadge as his adjutant general.
Col. Griffin formerly erved under
Mr. Arnall.
Then Mr. Arnall communicated
With Secretary of War Patterson by
telephone and asked Federal recog
nition of Col. Collins as a brigadier
general and the State’s adjutant
general. He refused to say what
Secretary Patterson answered, but
when he hung up, he turned to
newsmen and said “This is the adju
tant general,” pointing toward Col.
Collins.
(Asked about the Arnall call,
the War Depatrment said he had
communirated with Secretary
Patterson on the question of
whether the Secretary would
recognize Col. Collins as the legal
adjutant general.
(Secretary Patterson’s reply
was that there was no com
pulsion for War Department
recognition of a State adjutant
general. He explained that a
Governor is empowered to ap
point any one of his choice.
(Although some adjutants gen
eral -are accredited by the Fed
eral Government, such a proced
ure usually takes time and is not
required. The matter of any con
troversy between two apparent
appointees for the same position
would be a matter for settlement
in State courts, the War Depart
ment said.)
Mr. Arnall said Gen. Griffin had
resigned and had accepted office
under Mr. Talmadge, “this pre
tender.”
Blocks Communications.
When Mr. Talmadge, who was in
an office Gen. Griffith had set up
for him just off the main Gover
nor's reception room, heard of Mr.
Arnall's call to the Secretary of
War, he told his executive secretary,
Benton Odom, to "block all com
munications.” . ,
Then Mr. Talmade put in a tele
phone call for Senator Russell in
Washington.
Mr Talmadge arrived at the Cap
itol shortly after 9:30 a.m. and Mr.
Arnall, who earlier had left under
protection of National Guardsmen,
arrived shortly thereafter.
Shortly after his arrival Mr. Tal
madge conferred with Gen. Griffin
and then called newsmen into his
office and said that he hoped to
exercise the powers of the gover
norship “without any violence,” but
that the National Guard was ready
• to function-in any emergency.”
Says He Ordered Protection.
"I don’t expect to have to use
any force,” he said.
“Although I understand that Gov.
Arnall is now surrounded by cer
tain units of the State Guard. The
National Guard gave him protec
tion last night at my request.”
Proceeding to set up his adminis
tration, Mr. Talmadge swore in and
commissioned in rapid order
Charles D. Redwine of Fayetteville
as commissioner of revenue and Lt.
J. Paul Smith, 38, of the State High
way Patrol, as director of public
safety.
Mr. Redwine told newsmen “I’m
going right down now and take
(See GEORGIA, Page A-3.) ’
Truman to Meet Leaders
Of Both Parties Tomorrow
President Truman will hold his
first bipartisan legislative confer
ence to discuss the Capitol Hill pro
gram at 10 a.m. tomorrow, the
White House announced today.
Republicans participating will be
Senator Vandenberg of Michigan,
president pro tern of the Senate;
Senator White of Maine, majority
leader; House Speaker Martin of
Massachusetts, and Representative
Halleck of Indiana, majority leader.
Senator Barkley of Kentucky and
Representative Rayburn of Texas,
the minority leaders of Senate and
House, will be the Democratic par
ticipants.
These conferences, to be held
whenever occasion warrants, will re
place the weekly conferences held
at the White House when the Demo
crats controlled Congress. Only the
majority party participated in those
matings.
Eastland Suggests CIO 'Racket'
In Pressing Portal Pay Suits
Senate Hearing Recesses After Capehart
And Wiley Offer Views on Legislation
By th« Associated Press
Senator Eastland, Democrat,
of Mississippi, today raised the
question of whether a CIO union
used “racketeering” tactics in
pressing portal-to-portal pay
suits.
The point came up when Senator
Capehartf Republican, of Indiana,
testifying before a Senate Judiciary
Subcommittee on legislation to out
law such suits, submitted a question
naire which he said the CIO United
Steel Workers Union circulated
among its members.
Senator Capehart said the ques
tionnaire, dealing with portal pay,
put this inquiry among others.
“Do you normally take a shower
before leaving company property?”
“This indicates,” Senator Cape
hart said, “that the unions are out
on a fishing- expedition and that
they don’t know whether they have
a case or not.”
Senator Eastland, member of the
subcommittee asked:
“Isn’t that more like racketeer
ing?”
Senator Capehart replied that “It
might be called that.”
He added: "It’s a high pressure
sales campaign on a wholesale
basis.” .
The subcommittee recessed until
tomorrow morning after hearing
Senator Capehart and Senator
Wiley, Republican, of Wisconsin, au
thors of separate bills to outlaw
or curb portal suits.
Senator Wiley, pointing out that
“This is the first subcommittee
hearing held under auspices of the
Republican Party since 1933,” told
the crowded hearing room:
“The very real threat of bank
ISee PORTAL PAY, Page A-6.)
Normal Service Due
Monday in Cafeterias
As Strike Is Ended
Points of Arbitration
Settled; Price Boost
On Lunches Scheduled
Their eight-day strike ended,
Government cafeteria employes
will begin returning to work to
morrow, assuring normal service
for 50 dining rooms by Monday.
The stalemate ended last night
when Government Services, Inc., and
the United Restaurant and Cafeteria
Workers, Local 471 (CIO), agreed to
arbitrate their contract controversy.
Nearly 130,000 Federal employes
who eat in the cafeterias were
served again today by the super
visory crew that kept some of the
places open during the strike. Get
ting the closed cafeterias back in
operation will require a series of
gradual steps the rest of the week.
Many Return Tomorrow.
Tomorrow 50 per cent of the
hourly workers normally employed
in the 26 cafeterias now open will
return to their jobs behind the
steam tables and in the kitchens.
But the fare still will be the
“emergency” rations served during
the strike.
On Friday the full forces of these
cafeterias will be on the job serving
complete meals, including breakfasts
where they are normally served.
Also on Friday the units closed dur
ing the strike will reopen, with 50
per cent of the personnel on hand.
Monday, when restocking is com
pleted, GSI will present its cus
tomary menus at all cafeterias. But
customers will be paying slightly
more for meals—the same prices
introduced briefly this month when
it was believed the union was ac
cepting an 8-cent wage increase.
Points Are Listed.
It was the union’s rejection of
these terms that precipitated the
strike. Under relentless hammering
by Federal conciliators, the dis
putants decided to call it off last
night and submit these points in
arbitration:
(1) 20 cents an hour across-the
board wage increase; (2) 15 days
annual leave after 18 months’ serv
ice; (3) 15 days sick leave; (4) com
pany-paid hospitalization plan; (5)
arbitration of suspensions and dis
charges; (6) 3 through 6 hours daily
to constitute part-time employment
with a 10-cent differential; (7) re
duction to two months of proba
tionary period for hiring, with 10
cent differential during that period;
(8* a retroactive date for these issues
not to go back beyond January 14.
If, after five days, the parties have
not agreed on an arbitrator, he will
be appointed by the Secretary of
Labor. In either case, his decision
shall be final.
Bargaining to Continue.
Collective bargaining will con
tinue for 60 days on three other
issues: Layoffs on the basis of
seniority and minimum 8-hour work
days, as requested by the union,
and the right to fire for inefficiency,
as requested by the company.
Commissioner Peter J. Manno of
Philadelphia, a conciliator in the
(See CAFETERIAS, Page A-6.)
London Strike Grows
l
Walk Out in Sympathy
Total of 40,000 Now Have
Quit Work in Protest on
Troops Moving Food
By tha Associated Press
LONDON, Jan. 15.—More than
2,000 Thames lightermen and
thousands of stevedores and
dockers quit work today in sym
pathy walkouts, swelling to 40,
000 or more the number of per
sons idle in London’s mushroom
ing 10-day-old transport strike.
The new work stoppages, protest
ing the use of troops to replace
striking truck drivers for delivery of
food, came as negotiators hoped for
an early settlement of the truck dis
pute, crux of an “unofficial” strike
which some Labor partisans feared
might upset the Labor government.
Leaders Shouted Down.
Union leaders appealed to the
dock workers at a meeting this
morning to return to their job6, but
their speeches, citing the striking
truckers’ advice against further
sympathy walkouts, were shouted
down.
Strike Leader J. E. Evans, In a
message to the 30,000 truck strikers,
said he hoped “some concrete pro
posals” would develop in union, ne
gotiations today and the Daily Her
ald, labor organ, said in a bold head
line: “Strike Call-Off Likely To
day.”
At least 20,000 other union mem
bers—protesting use of troops to de
liver food supplies to London shops
—prepared to join the walkout if
the new conferences fail. The truck
drivers want a 44-hour work week
instead of 48 hours, two-week paid
vacations and overtime pay instead
of time off.
Hope Placed In New Council.
The public, which already has
missed most of one week’s meat ra
tion because of the strike, placed
its hope for settlement in a new
government-sponsored Joint Indus
trial Council of transport workers
and employers empowered to recon
sider the strikers’ demands. The
employers insist, however, that the
strike end before the new council
takes action.
The council was established yes
terday by obviously worried Labor
government officials. One Labor
member of Parliament, Tom
O’Brien, declared at a union meet
(See LONDON. Page A-3.)
Gardner Takes Oath
As Envoy fo Britain
O. Max Gardner was sworn in to
day as Ambassador to Great Britain.
Chief Justice Vinson administered
the oath to Mr. Gardner in a brief
ceremony in the office of retiring
Secretary of State Byrnes. Mr.
Byrnes and a group of friends and
political associates of Mr. Gardner
witnessed the ceremony.
Mr. Gardner was Undersecretary
of the Treasury when he was ap
pointed to the London diplomatic
post. He will sail for London
February 6 aboard the liner America.
Ships Break Through Ice Pack,
Covering 600 Miles in 14 Days
By Thomas R. Henry
Star Staff Correspondent
WITH THE NAVY ANTARCTIC
EXPEDITION, Jan. 15.—The four
ship Navy flotilla yesterday com
pleted a 14-day crash through more
than 600 miles of the Antarctic ice
pack, setting a world record in ice
navigation by a long margin.
More than half the way the ice
field was almost unbroken, and at
least 3 feet thick. The flotilla
broke through one ice rib estimated
to be 30 feet thick and at least 100
feet wide'.
For 400 miles the trackless expanse
of ice was broken only by occasional
lakes of open water. Only below 75
degrees south latitude did the ice
decrease so the ships could sail most
of the time in water. Although the
average speed was 50 miles a day,
there were days of no progress and
others when ships were swept back
ward by ice drift as much as 6 miles.
This, with one possible exception,
was the largest ice pack ever known
in Antarctic summer. Sir James
Ross in 1842 reported ice covering
800 miles from north to south.
If the record is accurate, says
Rear Admiral Richard H. Cruzen,
expedition commander, the ice must
have been very thin, as after two
futile attempts Sir James’ wooden
ship Erebus went through in four
days. Probably he went 800 miles
in all three efforts to escape.
The heavy pack this yea*, almost
twice the size expected, is believed
due to the lack of storms to break
up the drifting ice The open water
finally reached had a nearly ripple
less surface.
Meeting the heavy ice “pack was
fortunate for the Navy experiment,
findings from which are expected to
add greatly to the undevelopell sci
ence of ice navigation.
No long passage through ice ever
(See HENRY, Page A-6.)
Senate Hearing
Set Jan. 23 on
All Labor Bills
March 1 Fixed as Goal
For Completing Work
On New Legislation
By J. A. O'Leary
The Senate Labor Committee
decided today to hold one set
of hearings, starting January 23,
on all bills intended to reduce
industrial strife.
The committee decided on this
course in preference to taking up
one bill or one subject at a time,
which would have resulted in re
peated appearances of the same wit
nesses.
Chairman Taft said March 1 has
been fixed as a goal for completing
hearings, which means no labor leg
islation will be taken up in the
Senate before that date, except pos
sibly some solution of the portal
to-portal pay issue.
The problems growing out ol nu
merous lawsuits throughout the
country based on the Supreme
Court portal-to-portal decision, is in
the hands of the Senate Judiciary
Committee, which began separate
hearings today.
The Labor Committee’s plan to
hold omnibus hearings changes
somewhat earlier indications that
the Senatq might get a revised draft
of the old Case bill before other
more controversial labor measures
are taken up.
No Decision on Number of Bills.
Senator Taft emphasized, how
ever, that the committee did not
decide today whether there will be
one or several labor bills when the
hearings are over. It voted only
to take the testimony at one time
on all subjects.
The new Case bill is sponsored by
Senators Taft, Ball of Minnesota
and Smith of New Jersey, all Re
publicans. It follows the general
outline of the bill President Truman
vetoed last year, setting up a Media
tion Board, providing a cooling off
period, outlawing jurisdictional
strikes, requiring separate unions
for foremen, and annual financial
statements from unions.
There is a separate Ball bill to
outlaw the closetLshop and a resolu
tion by Senator Murray, Democrat,
of Montana calling for a commis
sion to study all labor changes be
fore specific remedies are drafted,
which is in line with a White
House recommendation.
Senator Taft said the January
23 hearings will go into each of
these measures, and all other bills
“dealing with the organization and
responsibility of labor unions,” with
labor courts and compulsory arbi
tration, with mediation and con
ciliation, the closed shop and Na
tion-wide collective bargaining.
Testimony will be taken at the
same time on change's in the Na
tional Labor Relations Act.
Schwellenbach to Be Witness.
The first witnesses will include
Secretary of Labor Schwellenbach
and other Government officials.
In accordance with the Reorgan
ization Act, witnesses will be asked
to state the particular issues they
wash to discuss, which side they are
on, and to file brief summaries of
their views. These steps are de
signed to speed up the heatings.
Secretary Schwellenbach yester
day provided a preview—but only
in part—of the tastimonw he will
give when the Senate and House
Labor Committees ask for his opin
ions.
At a news conference Mr. Schwel
lenbach said:
He will co-operate with Congress
in any efforts to minimize labor
strife.
He won’t go up to Capitol Hill
just to “say no to everything.”
But he most positively will oppose
(See LABOR, Page A-6.)
British Jail American
Who Defied Entry Ban
By the Associated Press
LONDON, Jan. 15.—Johan J.
Smartenko, vice president of the
American League for a Free Pales
tine, was arrested and taken to
jail as an unwanted visitor to
Britain shortly after he flew from
Paris to Croydon Airport in a
chartered plane today.
Immigration authorities met him
at the airport.
The Russian-born American citi
zen was accompanied by two Ameri
can newspapermen, who satisfied
authorities that their papers were
in order. However, the pilot of the
private Messerschmitt plane which
took Mr. Smertenko across the
Channel was detained.
Mr. Smertenko, accused by the
British of making derogatory state
ments concerning the British ad
ministration in Palestine, said his
words had been ‘‘grossly distorted.”
As he left the plane, he was ap
proached by immigration officials
and officers of Scotland Yard’s Crim
inal Investigation Division. No one
else was permitted near him. Air
Ministry police guarded all doors to
the immigration department.
The Free Palestine office in Paris
said Mr. Smertenko had chosen two
American newspapermen to ac
company him on a “pool” basis. The
correspondents were identified t as
William Boyle of the United Press
and David Perlman of the European
edition of the New York Herald
Tribune.
U. S. Insists on Consultation
On Any Change for Spitsbergen
No Word Received of
Defense Agreement;
McDermott Says
The United States today as
serted its right to be consulted
before any formal move is made
by Russia and Norway to change
the status of the Spitsbergen
Islands.
This Government has no informa
tion so far concerning any formal
Russian-Norwegian agreement for
joint defense of the strategic island
group in the North Atlantic, Michael
J. McDermott, State Department
press officer, said.
Mr. McDermott told reporters that
the United States has been informed
that Norway and the Soviet govern
ment are discussing the possibility
of a levision of the 1920 treaty which
gave Norway jurisdiction over the
islands and banned any military
installations.
“As we are a party to that treaty,”
Mr. McDermott said, “we have no
doubt at all that we will be con
sulted in case Norway and the Soviet
Union reach agreement that revi
sion of the treaty is desirable;.”
Mr. McDermott's remarks were in
reply to questions about the United
States position in view of a Moscow
radio broadcast last night asserting
that Russia and Norway reached an
“understanding” in 1945 “about the
necessity of joint defense of the
Spitzbergen Islands.”
He said that, while this Govern
ment has been kept informed of de
velopments in the Soviet-Norwegian
discussions, it has no information
concerning any “formal agreement”
regarding "the necessity for joint
~See~AGREEMENTS,Tage A-5.)
Britain Challenges
Soviet Claim to
One of Islands
By the Associated Press
LONDON. Jan. 15.—A Foreign
Office spokesman today chal
lenged a new Soviet claim to the
Arctic island of Medvezhi, in the
strategic Spitsbergen archipela
go, and said Russia remained
bound by the 1920 treaty demili
tarizing the islands.
The Soviet news agency Tass,
quoting “authoritative Soviet cir
cles,” said Medvezhi “actually was a
Russian island” and announced that
Russia and Norway had agreed on
“the necessity of joint defense” in
the area,
“We are unaware that the Soviet
Union have any valid claim to any
island in that region,” the spokes
man said. “That is Norwegian ter
ritory.” ,
Soviet View Rejected.
Tass said the 1920 treaty could not
remain valid because its signatories
included nations which fought
against the Allies in World War II.
These were Italy and Japan.
The Foreign Office official said
Brieain could not accept that view.
He remarked that many existing
treaties bore the signatures of ex
enemy states, including the Mon
treux convention and The Hague
Convention, and said “it has never
hitherto been suggested that they
be renegotiated because of this
fact.”
Britain has no knoweldge of any
Soviet-Norwegian agreement on the
necessity of joint defense, the
(See SPITSBERGEN, Page A-6.)
Australia Proposes
That Council Create
Commission on Arms
Speed in Consideration of
Atomic Energy Controls
Also Urged by Makin
DEPUTIES CONFRONTED by bor
der issues in starting treaty work.
Page A-2
By the Associated Press
LAKE SUCCESS, N. Y„ Jan. 15.
—Australia proposed today that
the United Nations Security
Council create a disarmament
commission and rush considera
tion of atomic energy control.
Norman J. O. Makin, chairman of
the Council and Australian Ambas
sador to the United States, submit
ted a resolution providing:
1. For a disarmament commission
to work out arms limitation- pro
posals.
2. For the Atomic Energy Com
mission to continue its work on
atomic controls.
3. For the Military Staff Commit
tee to draft proposals for the United
Nations international police force to
preserve world order.
4. For the Disarmament Com
mission, the Atomic Energy Com
mission and the Military Staff Com
mittee to submit reports before
April 30.
5. For the Security Council to ex
pedite consideration of the "first re
port of the Atomio Energy Commis
sion, which contains the American
plan for atomic control.
Chinese Supports U. S.
Before Mr. Makin introduced his
resolution Dr. Quo Tai-chi of China
supported the American position
that atomic energy should be given
top priority in the arms limitation
study. , „
China also supported a Russian
proposal for a commission to draw
up plans for arms regulation.
The United States, Russia, France
and Australia now have resolutions
before the Council suggesting vary
ing ways of approach to the arms
problem.
Warren R. Austin took his seat
~ (See UTNTPage A-5.)
French Papers Resume
PARIS, Jan. 15 (/P).—French-lan
guage newspapers in Paris resumed
full-scale publication today for the
first time since January 9 under
the terms of an early morning
agreement by government, man
agement and labor representatives
to submit a pressroom wage dis
pute to arbitration.
Permanent Yardstick
For Federal Payment
To District Demanded
O'Mahoney Again Offers
Bill Providing Formula
Based on Land Area
Senator O’Mahoney, Democrat,
of Wyoming today renewed his
fight for the permanent fixing
of a more equitable Federal pay
ment toward the expenses of the
National Capital.
He reintroduced for himself and
Senator Overton, Democrat, of
Louisiana, a bill which would base
the Federal share on the ratio
which the land area used for Fed
eral purposes bears to the total land
area of the city.
A Senate report last year esti
mated that, under this formula, the
Federal obligation toward the ex
penses of the city would have been
18.66 per cent.
Would Provide $ll,uuu,uuu.
If the formula were in effect now,
District officials say it would make
the Federal payment $11,000,000 in
stead of the $8,000,000 lump sum
granted by the last Congress.
Senator O’Mahoney, who was
chairman of the Senate Subcom
mittee on District Appropriations
last year, took a leading part in
the successful effort to raise the
Federal payment from $6,000,000
to $8,000,000 last year. Even with
this increase, however, the issue
remained on a temporary, year-to
year basis.
A permanent solution of the issue
is considered of special importance
at present in view of the large new
budget which threatens increased
local taxes.
Senators O’Mahoney and Overton
believe the problem should be set
tled permanently by adopting some
yardstick which Congress could ap
ply each year without difficulty in
determining the Federal obligation.
This bill provides such a yard
stick, because the FflHeral payment
would vary only as the United States
increased or cut down its area of
tax exempt land. Such changes
could be ascertained quickly and
with mathematical accuracy.
Referred to Committee.
Senator Overton first proposed the
land area formula when he had
charge of District appropriations,
and Senator O’Mahoney continued
to advocate it.
"I am reintroducing the bill,”
Senator O'Mahoney said, "in the
(See O’MAHONEY, Page A-6.)
Threat of Neon Signs 1
Facing White House
Seen in Zoning Plan
Special Meeting Held
On Commercial Rating
For Lower 16th Street
The possibility of blinking
neon signs, barber poles and
liquor stores facing the White
House from across Lafayette
Square was brought up at a
hearing before the District Zon
ing Commission today.
The commission held a special
meeting on a petition to reclassify
Sixteenth street from H street N.W.
to Scott Circle from residential to
commercial.
If such a reclassification were
granted, it would permit commercial
establishments, with their bright
lights, to line Sixteenth street di
rectly across Lafayette Square from
the north entrance to the White
House.
Sentiment Divided.
Sentiment of the witnesses at the
meeting appeared to be divided three
ways. There were those who op
posed any change in the present
zoning, those who wanted it, and
those who favored a middle ground,
or limited commercial rezoning to
permit certain types of “semimonu
mental” office buildings and enter
prises, but would bar neon signs,
barber poles and liquor stores.
Ringgold Hart, attorney, told the
Commission the petition for the
change, signed by many of the
property owners affected, originated
when his client, the American Fed
eration of Labor, found it could
not build a new office building on
lower Sixteenth street under present
conditions.
He was supported by a majority
of the three-man Zoning Advisory
Council, which investigates each
proposed zoning change for the
commission; the Citizens’ Zoning Ad
visory Council, and several property
owners, including former Senator
Henry F. Ashurst of Arizona.
The attack on the plan was led
by John Nolen, jr„ of the National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission staff, in a minority dissent
from the opinion of the Zoning
Advisory Council.
Nolen Reads Statement.
Residential zoning of Sixteenth
street, he declared in a statement
read to the commission, was based
first on a desire “to preserve it as
a dignified monumental frontal
approach to the White House along
which would be fine hotels, apart
ments, embassies, churches and
appropriate institutions.’’
Secondly, he continued, it was
designed as a separation barrier
between the main downtown com
mercial area to the east and the
special Connecticut avenue busi
ness development to the west.
Merger of these two sections, he
said, would result in business and
commercial shifts that would de
crease central business .property
values more than it would increase
Sixteenth street values.
James L. Houghteling, speaking
for St. John’s Protestant Episcopal
Church, Sixteenth and H streets
N.W., also attacked the plan as a
traffic hazard and as a blow to
the historic setting of the church
—known as the Church of the
Presidents.
Mr. Hart told the commission he
(See ZONING, Page A-6.) I
Choking Baby Is Saved
By Exhaling in Mouth -
Sy the Associated Press
NEW YORK, Jan. 15.—Andrew J.
Montero, clutching the wriggling
body of his 7-month-old son in his
arms, dashed into a Brooklyn police
station last night.
“My son can’t breathe, he’s chok
ing to death,” he shouted tp Sergt.
George Allen, on duty at the switch
board.
Sergt. Allen, a veteran of 14 years
on police emergency squad detail,
grabbed the infant, whose throat
and nasal passages were blocked
with phlegm, and began exhaling
into his mouth. For 15 minutes
Sergt. Allen leaned over the child
and breathed into his gasping
mouth.
Then the child’s purple face
changed back to normal. He was
brought to a hospital where physi
cians credited Sergt. Allen with
saving his life.
$144,000 Fraud
In Surplus Laid
To WAA Official
Former Convict
Also Arrested in
Textiles Purchase
Arrest of a War Assets Admin
istration official and an ex-con
vict, both of Washington, on
charges of fraud costing the
Government $144,000 was an
nounced by the FBI today.
FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover
identified the men as Louis V,
Dionne, 38, a WAA expediter, of
1918 N street N.W., and George A.
Gormley, 50, a former convict, liv
ing at 3802 Fulton street N.W.
Mr. Hoover said the two men
evolved a plan to obtain textiles,
consisting of woolen goods, through
alteration of sales documents at a
WAA site sale at the Washington
Quartermaster Depot in Alexandria.
Textiles Recovered.
The FBI chief said that $144,000
worth of the textiles were recovered
from a New York storage firm to
which they were traced from a
trucking firm terminal.
The two men were reported to
have concocted a scheme at a Wash
ington hotel bar last November
whereby Gormley was assured de
livery of more high-grade woolen
goods from the Government ware
house than he had purchased and
paid for at the sale at Alexandria,
the FBI said.
Mr. Hoover said Dionne’s “admit
ted participation in the scheme
netted him $7,000, paid by Gormley
through an intermediary on De
cember 11, 194G.
Reviewing results of the investi
gation, Mr. Hoover said:
“The plan called for Dionne to
‘raise’ or increase the yardage
figures on the shipping order when
it crossed his desk in routine fash
ion.
Purchase Described.
“On December 6, 1946, Gormley
purchased $24,000 worth of the
goods, described as 10,000 yards of
36-ounce wool cloth suitable for
clothing material, from a WAA site
salesman. He tendered In full pay
ment therefor his personal check
drawn on a Washington bank. The
material was originally purchased
by the Government for $3.60 per
yard.”
According to Mr. Hoover the sales
document was altered during rou
tine processing to show Gormley’s
purchase as 40,000 yards and the
amount paid to the Government as
$96,000. The altered document was
forwarded to the warehouse, and on
December 10, 40,000 yards of textiles
consigned to Gormley were trucked
from the warehouse to a Washing
ton truck terminal, the FBI director
continued.
“The goods were then hauled to
New York City and stored, con
signed to another owner,” Mr.
Hoover added. “The new owner had
come to Washington on December
10, and through negotiations with
Gormley had agreed on a purchase
price of $53,000 for the lot.
Two Checks Presented.
“Two checks in the amounts of
$25,000 and $28,000 were tendered
Gormley in payment. Through in
vestigation, the FBI located the
fraudulently obtained goods ship
ment in the above storage company
and it was seized on January 13.”
Meanwhile, Gormley’s check to
the Treasurer of the United States
had been returned by the bank
marked “insufficient funds” and
Gormley was so advised, Mr. Hoover
continued.
“Upon receipts of the two checks
aggregating $53,000, Gormley re
ceived cash for the larger and pur
chased a cashier’s check payable to
the Government for $24,000 with
the other check,” the statement
said.
“This he sent to the Government
to cover his original check on which
collection had been refused.”
Arraigned this morning before
United States Commissioner Need
ham C. Turnage, Gormley was re
leased in $3,000 bond.
The FBI said Dionne was Jailed
in Alexandria in default of $5,000
bond after a hearing before United
States Commissioner Stanley King.
Both are specifically charged with
causing a forged document to be
presented to the United States Gov
ernment.
Gormley, arrested at his home
yesterday, was sentenced to serve
eight years in connection with the
$5,000 swindle of a Washington fln
(See FRAUD, Page A-6.)
Big Profits in Sales
To Treasury Charged
By the Associated Press
Senator Ferguson, Republican, of
Michigan declared today that "inor
dinate profits” were made on sales of
small hardware items to the Treas
ury procurement branch for lease
lend during the war.
Senator Ferguson told the Senat®
that the War Investigating Com
mittee has turned up instance*
“where contractors having no man
ufacturing facilities were paid price*
50 to 1,000 per eent higher than
the manufacturer’s price.”
He spoke in favor of extending th®
life of the special committee.
“In the cases examined by the
committee, doing business in this
fashion has cost the Government
$2,000,000 over the manufacturers’
actual price,” he said. i
Senator Thomas, Democrat, of1
Utah, who was a member of the
joint committee which drafted the
congressional reorganization law,
spoke at length against continuing
the committee.
“One of the reasons Congress
loses control of itself Is that it di
vides itself tip into so many com
mittees,” he said.
“An investigating committee is a
never-ending affair.”
Republicans, meanwhile, claimed
the first test vote of the new Con
gress will give them a victory in th®
continuance of the War Investigat
ing Committee.