Evening star. [volume], April 16, 1947, Image 1

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

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
^ (Weather Forecast! VifffW
Cloudy and showers this afternoon, with pos- IHBHBBHBWpi Isa* ■■-• !
sible thunderstorm. Windy, cooler tonight, ^ % . V*": „,,,_ *?*■:
low about 44. Tomorrow gunny, cooL IMF s ' rv ^ ^Std«^„.B-lg!lg Up
Temperatures today—High, 58,. at 1:10 pm.; I Editorial"!!_A-l* Society, Clubs"!.-B-*
low, 52, at 4:50 aJU. Yesterday—High, 70, Editorial ArtidesA-lS Sports_A-20-21
at 4:20 pm.; low. 46, at 2:45 a.m. ^ Pinance_k-U Where to Oo.-..B-0
(Fuu Report on Pw* A-2.) F Lost and Pound._A-3 Woman’s Page. _B-12
Lote New York Morkets. Poge A-23. _ _ ^ : An Associoted Press Newspaper
95th YEAR. No. 57,601 Phone NA. 5000. WASHINGTON, D. C., WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1947—FORTY-FOUR PAGES. ★★★ I 5 CENTS
“ - '. .—. 1 ...... -•--'.. . —.
Greek Aid Bill
Wins Approval
Of House Group
Senate Presses Debate;
Administration Lashes
At Wallace Charges
By th* Auociated Pr«>
The House Foreign Affairs
Committee today approved
the administration’s $400,000,000
Greek-Turkish aid measure.
Chairman Eaton said the vote was
12 members for the measure with
3 voting present. Ten were absent.
As finally approved by the House
comimttee, the measure contains, few
major differences from that now
under debate in the Senate.
Missing from the House bill is
the Connally-Vandenberg preamble
terming the measure consistent with
the principles of the United Nations
Charter.
Clark Charges “Lie.”
In an effort to speed action on
their bill, Senate leaders ordered a
night session tonight. They were
anxious to take advantage of what
some Senators described as melting
opposition to the measure.
Meanwhile, the administration
lashed out at Henry A. Wallace’s
criticism abroad with a charge of
“lie.”
While Mr. Wallace went unnamed
in the blistering denunciation At
torney General Clark fired at “the
cheap, blundering asault now being
made by some upon the bipartisan
foreign policy of our Nation,” the
reference was obvious.
Particularly so when Mr. Clark
told a Jefferson Day dinner audi
ence in Philadelphia last night
that: “One who tells the people of
Europe that the United States is
committed to ruthless imperialism—
and war with the Soviet Union—
tells a lie.”
It seemed equally clear, too, that
the Attorney General would not
have delivered his blast at the for
mer Vice President if the cabinet
officer thought Mr. Truman might
object.
Senator Ellender, Democrat, of Lou
isiana, announced that he has:
changed his mind—partly because of I
Mr. Wallace—and will support the
Greek-Turkish aid bill.
Ellender Won Over.
With Senate leaders plugging for
a vote today on opposition amend
ments, Senator' Ellender told a re
porter he has been converted into
a supporter because (1) he fears
Mr. Wallace has placed the ‘‘wrong
light” on the. program and (2) be
cause he now is convinced no more
than a handful of American troops
will be sent to the two countries.
Previously, the Louisiana Senator
had said he would vote for only non
military relief aid, a proposal Sen
ator Johnson, Democrat of Colorado,
planned to call up today instead of
his pending amendment to eliminate
Turkey from the program.
“I think Henry Wallace's attacks
on this program abroad have been
near treasonable,” Senator Ellender
said. "I don’t understand the man,
for I think he is as much against
communism as most of us are. But
he has helped me make up my
mind to support the program.”
Senator Vandenberg, Republican,
of Michigan told the Senate yester
day in urging speedy passage that
the situation abroad is “deteriorat
ing.”
Senator Lucas, Democrat, of Il
linois, agreeing, put an added slant
on it
Lucas Urges Quick Action.
“The sooner we pass this bill,
the sooner we'll answer Henry Wal
lace,” the Illinois Senator told a
reporter.
Senator Lucas was one of the
members of the Senate Democratic
Policy Committee which discussed
(See FOREIGN, Page~A-4l
Spring Snows Blanket
Wide Area of Midwest
By the Associated Press
CHICAGO, April 16.—A spring
storm, centered over Ohio today,
brought snow and rain to a large
section of the Nation.
Snow fell in Southern Michigan.
Northern Indiana, Northern Illinois,
Southern Wisconsin and Southeast
ern Iowa.
Dubuque. Iowa, had 3 inches over
nigh*; Madison, Wis.. had 2 inches,
and Milwaukee, Wis., and Des
Moines, Iowa, 1 inch.
The storm was moving northeast
ward and was expected to bring
rain or snow to the New England
area by late afternoon.
During the last 24 hours, it caused
extensive precipitation—either snow
or rain—from the Continental Divide
to the Atlantic Coast, missing only
Southern Texas. New England,
Minnesota and the extreme North
ern Great Lakes region.
Skies will clear tomorrow in all
areas aflected by the storm except
New England, the Weather Bureau
at Chicago said.
In the District, the rain was ex
pected to end late today, and the
Weather Bureau forecast clear and
cooler weather for tomorrow. The
thermometer will drop to about 45
tonight after a temperature in the
middle or upper 60s thts afternoon,
according to the forecast. Lowest
temperature today was 52 degrees
at about 5 am.
French-Bulgar Rift Ends
PARIS, April 16. oP^.—The French
and Bulgarian governments issued
a joint statement yesterday which
said the two nations had reestab
lished normal diplomatic relations
and that their recent rift was a
closed incident. The trouble in
volved alleged mistreatment of
French nationals.
Guards Ring Offices in London
After 4 Jews Hang in Palestine
Bomb Is Discovered
In. Building; Blast
Threat Is Received
*y the Associated Pross
LONDON, April 16.—Rigid se
curity precautions against a
long-threatened wave of Pales
tine terrorism in the heart of
London were taken tonight fol
lowing the discovery of a bomb
in a section of the Colonial
Office and a telephoned threat
that the War Office would be
bombed.
Military and civilian police con
ducted a thorough search for the
person—possibly a woman—who left
the Colonial Office bomb with its
mechanism set to explode about the
time Dov Bela .Gruner and three
other convicted terrorists were
hanged in Palestine at dawn.
It was officially disclosed tonight
that a woman carrying a parcel
about the size of the bomb called at
tiie Colonial Office yesterday and
was permitted to use a lavatory,
(See LONDON, Page A-4.)
Severe Security
Measures Taken
In Holy Land
ly the Associated Prass
JERUSALEM, April 16.—Dov
Bela Gruner and three other
Jews convicted of acts of vio
lence against British authority
in the Holy Land were hanged
at dawn today in Acre Prison,
and a curfew of unprecedented
severity was imposed on all Pal
estine to prevent bloody retalia
tion.
The four prisoners went to the
gallows defiantly—all of them sing
ing the Jewish anthem.
Even before they died, double and
triple guards were mounted on
security points, British citizens
began moving voluntarily into safety
zones, and Jews were prevented
from leaving their homes.
So acute was the nation-wide ten
sion that some authorities indicated
fear that the security measures
themselves might produce distur
(See PALESTINE, Page A-4.)
Britain Repudiates
Any Connection With
Wallace's Speeches
Talk With Attlee Did Not
Change Status as Private
Citizen, Official Says
By th« Associated Frets
LONDON, April 16.—A high
British official let it be known
today that the British govern
ment accepts no responsibility
for anything that Henry A. Wal
lace has said in Britain or may
say in the future.
In almost the same words that
White House Press Secretary
Charles Ross used yesterday, the
official said Mr. Wallace is regarded
as purely a private citizen. The fact
he had lunch with Prime Minister
Attlee last week, the official added,
does not change his status.
Mr. Attlee, he said, entertained
Mr. Wallace “because he had known
him before,” and they didn’t dis
cuss politics except in the most
general terms.
The official said it was his per
sonal opinion that the former Vice
President's trip to Britain, which
ends tomorrow, had been "a popular
success” in some intellectual groups
—but had “not one iota of effect”
on British foreign policy.
Rebels Declared Strengthened.
Some other men In public life
here, however, took the view that
the Wallace visit had strengthened
the position of the Labor Party
rebels in the House of Commons
who object to the policies of For
eign Secretary Bevin.
These rebels have enthusiastically
applauded Mr. Wallace's view that
Britain should steer a middle course
between Communist Russia and
free-enterprise America.
Last night Mr. Wallace answered
critics of his recent speeches in a
broadcast Interview with CBS Re
porter Bob Trout.
Mr. Wallace said:
“A little over a year ago at Fulton,
Mo., a distinguished private citizen
of Great Britain—Winston Churchill
—told the American people how he
felt. The President of the United
States sat behind him as he spoke.
Mr. Churchill said:
“ ‘Amid his heavy burdens, duties
and responsibilities the President
has traveled 1,000 miles to dignify
and magnify our meeting here today.
The President has told you that it
is his wish that I should have full
liberty to give my true and faithful
counsel to these anxious and baf
fling times.’
“* * * At Fulton Winston Church
ill expressed personal opinions at
variance with those of his govern
ment. Now there was nothing wrong
in this, surely. A large part of the
(See WALLACE, Page A-*.)
Truman to See Editors;
Cancels Press Session
•y th* Associated Pros*
President Truman has decided to
foregq his usual Thursday news con
ference this week.
The White House said today that
instead, he will see from 200 to 300
editors at the White House at 3:45
p.m. tomorrow. The editors are at
tending a meeting of the American
Society of Newspaper Editors.
Passage of Labor Bill
By Two-Thirds Vote
Predicted in House
G. 0. P. Expects Margin
Tomorrow Wide Enough
To Override Veto
|
ly the Associated Press
Republican leaders made an
informal poll of the House today
and concluded they have the
votes to pass their general labor
bill by well over a two-thirds
majority.
The figure is important because
it takes a two-third majority to
pass a bill over a Presidential veto.
Republican leaders suspect Presi
dent Truman might veto the bill if
it should reach the White House
in substantially its present form.
Representative Arends, Republi
can, of Illinois, the party whip, told
a reporter the sentiment surround
ing indicates only 18 to 20 of the
245 Republicans will vote against
the measure.
He figures 75 to 80 of the 187
Democrats will support the bill.
The GOP is shooting now at pas
sage late tomorrow.
Democrats critical of the measure
indicate they will not make any pro
longed fight against it.
They figured they could not stop
it in any case and the tougher the
bill’s provisions remain (from the
standpoint of unions), the more po
litical grief it will pile up for Re
publicans with union men trying
to get even with the GOP at the
polls.
Hasty Action Charged.
As debate was resumed, Repre
sentative McCormack, Democrat, of
Massachusetts called the bill both
"antilabor and antimanagement.”
The Democratic whip accused Re
publicans of "hasty” action not only
on labor legislation but also on taxes
and budget cutting.
"A desperate leadership,” he said,
"invariably produces very harmful
results, and this is what has hap
pened in this bill.
"The few good provisions are
many times offset by the unwise
ones.”
Representative Kennedy, Demo
crat, of Massachusetts predicted
passage of the measure would lead
to “industrial warfare.”
“The actual fact is,” Mr. Kennedy
said, “and I say this with restraint,
this bill would in its present form
strike down in one devastating blow
the union shop, industry-wide bar
gaining and so strangle collective
bargaining with restraints and limi
tations as to make it ineffectual.”
Republicans — and some Demo
crats—are banking on rank-and
file union members to back their
measure even though union leaders
oppose it. They point to a “bill of
rights” section which they say will
rid members of union “tyranny.”
In the Senate, some Republicans
and Southern Democrats were siz
ing up the chances of toughening
up on the floor a milder bill that
was softened even more in the
Labor Committee.
The Senate expects to debate la
bor legislation next week. The
Labor Committee there is through
with the bill except for rounding
off rough edges and a final vote
of approval later in the week.
Chairman Taft, beaten in a num
ber of attempts to prevent diluting
the measure, was undecided whether
to offer a substitute or try to
(See LABOR, Page A-4.)
Chambers Tells Permit Hearing
Of Big Profits in Embalming
W. W. Chambers, the undertaker,
today staged a one-man revolt be
fore a House and Senate Joint Sub
committee against a bill to reequire;
licensing of Washington's undertak- j
ers and embalmers.
He denounced the measure as a
scheme to permit undertakers to
“gobble up as much money as they
can get from widows and orphans."
Specifically. Mr. Chambers pro
tested that coffins costing only $30
were being sold for as high as $150
to $250.
The hearing was conducted at a
joint meeting of the Health Sub
committees of the House and Sen
ate District Committees by Repre
sentative Miller, Republican, of Ne
braska, and Senator Cooper, Repub
lican, of Kentucky.
Enactment of the legislation was
urged by Dr. Daniel L. Seckinger.i
deputy health officer; Joseph B.j
♦ i
Irvine, director of the Bureau of
Vital Statistics; William A. Gawler,
speaking for the District Funeral
Directors’ Association, and William
C. Houston, representing an associ
ation of colored undertakers.
They pointed out that 48 states
have such licensing laws and that
the District is operating under a
law of 1878 which requires only that
undertakers and embalmers be reg
istered with the Health Department
or vouched for by a registered
funeral director.
Mr. Chambers said’s he left the
livery stable 'business to go into
undertaking business many years
ago because the profits were “so
sweet” it “beat the horse business.”
Later, when he was attacking al
legedly high profits in the under
taking business, Representative Mil
ler reminded him that profits is
(See UNDERTAKERS, Page A-4.)
Marshall-Slalin
ConferenceFails
To End Deadlock
Result of 90-Minute
Talk Believed Given
Directly to Truman
BULLETIN
MOSCOW iff).—Soviet For
eign Minister Molotov told the
Council of Foreign Ministers
tonight that Russia had no
objection to completing Aus
tria’s peace treaty during the
current conference. He prom
ised his delegation would strive
toward that end.
WESTERN DELEGATIONS prepare
to end Moscow Conference.
Page A-2
By th* Awociated Press
MOSCOW April 16.—Secretary
of State Marshall’s 90-minute
talk with Prime Minister Stalin
last night was understood today
to have failed to break any of
the deadlocks which have tied
the Council of Foreign Ministers
in knots over the whole range of
issues.
The chief value of the talk from
Gen. Marshall’s viewpoint was be
lieved to have been the presenta
tion to the Soviet leader of a frank
and unvarnished statement of Amer
ican policy in relation to Germany,
Europe and the whole trouble area
of United States-Russian political
and diplomatic conflict.
The Secretary clamped tight
secrecy on the American delegation
respecting his trip to the Kremlin.
He was believed, however, to have
reported the result of his meeting
in his daily report to President Tru
man.
Marshall Took Initiative.
It was disclosed officially that the
meeting was arranged on Gen.
Marshall's initiative in response to
a request he made several days1 ago.
Ambassador Walter Bedell Smith
and Charles Bohlen, interpreter, ac
companied the Secretary to the old
fortress, which is the Soviet Union’s
seat of government.
The Marshall-Stalin meeting was
an event so momentous on the
possible work of the Council of
Foreign Ministers and on the state
of relations between the two
greatest powers in the world that
it monopolized diplomatic talk
throughout Moscow.
Some nuggets of hard facts be
gan to appear alongside the bare
bones of the official announcement
which Gen. Marshall and his ad
visers agreed to give out.
It was disclosed officially that
Gen. Marshall, Gen. Smith and Mr.
Bohlen were with Mr. Stalin for
about an hour and a half that Gen.
Smith requested the conference
through the Soviet foreign min
istry.
Exactly what took place behind
the battlemented walls remained for
the moment a closely held secret
of a handful of men.
Situation Unchanged.
It was no secret, however, to
any one who inquired persistently
among responsible informants that
the deadlocked diplomatic situation
here had not changed as. a result
of the talk, though there was some
hope that in an indirect way, it
might be changed eventually.
Major diplomats held the gloomy
conviction that the current break
down in Big Four co-operation
could hardly be worse.
Both the American and Russian
positions held firm — certainly so
far as any spoken commitments
go—on such basic problems as
reparations, the American-sponsored
German disarmament treaty and
the like. If any changes were to
result from last night’s conversa
tion, the best responsible opinion
was that it would develop rather
slowly as a result of policy reviews,
(See MOSCOW, Page A-4.)
U.5. Information Chief
In Soviet Quits in Row
By the Associated Press
MOSCOW, April ' 16.—Armand
Willis has resigned as chief of the
United States Information Service
here and left Moscow by air today
for the United States, where he
planned to make public the differ
ences with the United States Em
bassy that led to his resignation.
Shortly before his departure. Mr.
Willis said he did not know whether
his explanation of his leaving his
post would be given in a statement
to the press or would be written by
himself for publication. n
Reliable sources said Mr. Willis
resigned because of sharp differen
ces with the embassy over American
policy in the Soviet Union, princi
pally as it applied to his own work.
He resigned after returning to
Moscow from a trip to the Ukraine.
His report on that trip was said to
have climaxed his differences with
the embassy.
Informants said he submitted his
resignation after being ordered to
take a post with the information
service in another European city.
Mr. Willis had his two children in
Russian schools in Moscow and of
ten expressed a belief that he had
better contacts and understanding
with the Russian people than many
persons at the embassy.
It was in his office that Elliott
Roosevelt and his wife, during their
visit here, had a spirited exchange
;with American correspondents on
| Russian - American relations.
Mr. Willis, however, did not figure
jin that controversy.
His wife and children remained
'behind in Moscow.
I
The Champ—of All Boomerang Throwers
- ■ -- ■ ■ —. .. . * Urn .... ---—- .
Congress Group to Study Prices;
Baruch Sees'Brink of Inflation'
Taft Announces
Survey in Effort to
Prevent Depressions
ly the Associated Press
Senator Taft, Republican,* of
Ohio announced today that the
Joint Congressional Economic
Committee will begin an inten
sive study of prices as part of its
long-range job of trying “to pre
vent future depressions.’’
Senator Taft said members of the
Senate-House committee, which he
heads, agreed at a meeting today to
send out a general pricing question
naire to leaders of agriculture, man
ufacturing, economics and govern
ment.
"Then we may call in some five or
six people for testimony,” he added.
Senator Taft had said in advance
of the meeting that he agrees with
President Truman that prices are
too high.
But it would be a mistake, he
added, to jack up wages before a
determined effort is made to bring
living costs down.
“Everybody agrees that prices are
(See PRICES, Page A-4.)
Advocates 44-Hour
Week, No Strikes
Until '49 as Cure
By tht Asiociattd Pr«t»
COLUMBIA. S. C.. April 16.—
Bernard M. Baruch declared
today that “we are on the brink
of an engulfing inflation. There
is only one way out. That is by
work.”
Mr. Baruch, addressing the South
Carolina State Legislature on the
occasion of the unveiling of his
portrait, asserted:
“The more we produce, the less
will be the coat of living; the more
things we can buy, the easier will
be the building up of our reserves—
physical, financial and spiritual, too,
for We shall be free of worry, the
absence of which is a sense of
security.
“We are today in the midst of a
cold war,” he said, adding;
"Our enemies are to be round
abroad and at home. Let us never
forget this: Our unrest is the heart
of their success. The peace of the
world is the hope and the goal of
I (See BARUCH, Page A-4.)
Teacher Pay Raise Bill
Favored Conditionally
By Commissioners
Mason Opposes Meeting
Cost by Cutting Other
City Expenditures
By John W. Thompson, Jr.
The District Commissioners
today gave conditional approval
to the new teachers’ pay bill.
Commissioner Guy Mason told a
Senate-House committee they favor
the general pay boosts asked by the
Board of Education, provided the
cost is not met by cutting other city
expenditures in the 1948 District
budget now before .Congress.
District budget officials have esti
mated the bill would cost the city
approximately $2,500,000 at first, but
eventually about $4,000,000.
Mr. Mason said taking money from
other departments, or from proposed
new construction items, to meet
teacher pay increases would be “cur
ing one sore and creating another.”
Hearing Room Well Filled.
If this is done, he predicted, “pre
cisely as critical a condition will
develop elsewhere as has already de
veloped in the Department of Edu
cation.”
The joint committee, headed by
Senator Cain, Republican, of Wash
ington, is handling the bill in con
nection with its work on a new city
tax program. The hearing room
was well filled with District and
(See TEACHERS’ PAY, Page A-6.)
Governor of Szechwan
Named Premier of China
By the Associated Press
NANKING, April 16. — Chang
Chun, governor of Szechwan Prov
ince, today was appointed Premier
| of China.
Chang’s appointment had been
forecast for months—even before T.
V. Soong resigned as Premier a
month ago. There was no explana
tion for the delay in naming him,
however.
Since Soong's retirement,' under
fire of some political factions who
partially blamed him for China's
economic crisis early this year. Gen
eralissimo Chiang Kai-shek had
been acting premier as well as
president of the republic.
Nats' Game Called Off
BOSTON, April 16.—The Nate
Red Sox baseball game was called
off today because of cold weather.
. A
Reynolds Flyers Due
At White House Today
After Setting Record
Globe-Girdling Trip Cuts
12 Hours 19 Minutes
From Hughes' Time
. Ey th« Associated Press
NEW YORK April 16—Airport
crowds broke through police
lines early today to welcome,
with kisses and congratulations,
three men whose trip around the
world was the quickest ever
made.
Milton Reynolds, Chicago pen
manufacturer: his pilot, William
Odom, and his flight engineer, T.
Carroll Sallee, brought their con
verted A-26 bomber—the “Bomb
shell"—over La Quardia Field at
12:06:30 a.m„ just 78 hours and 55
Tninutes after their takeoff last
Saturday. Their unofficial record
cut 12 hours and 19 minutes from
the previous unofficial record.
A Reynolds spokesman said the
three men expected to go to Wash
ington some time today to receive
(See REYNOLDS, Page A-6.)
Schwellenbach Awaits
Public Reaction to
Phone Strike Appeal
White House Maintains
Hands-Off Stand Despite
Failure of Peace Plan
Active maneuvering toward
ending the 10-day telephone
strike ebbed today as Secretary
of Labor Schwellenbach awaited
reaction to his radio appeal for
public opinion to bear on the
disputing parties.
Despite rejections by the Ameri
can Telephone & Telegraph Co. and
the National Federation of Tele
phone Workers to Mr. Schwellen
bach’s peace plan late yesterday, the
White House still reported a hands
off attitude by President Truman.
With negotiations set back gener
ally almost to the status that existed
when 340,000 telephone workers be
gan leaving their jobs April 7, there
was a move afoot here today for
company and unions to resume
bargaining.
Conciliator E. T. Bell announced
that he would meet with of the
negotiators of the Chesapeake & Po
tomac Telephone Co. and the District
Federation of Telephone Workers
at 11 a.m. tomorrow in the Hamilton
Hotel. The meeting was arranged
when the company announced a
willingness to bargain at once all
disputed issues not covered in Sec
retary Schwellenbach’s plan.
Tuck to Seize Virginia Plants.
The union replied it had wanted
to bargain these issues since Janu
ary 27 and Helery Robinson, union
president, added that he proposed
to bargain them "with the company
rather than with the public through
the medium of the radio and the
press.”
In Richmond, Va., Gov. Tuck Is
sued a proclamation that, on behalf
of the State, he would take posses
sion at 6 aun. May 17 of the Chesa
peake & Potomac plants in Virginia,
to protect the public health, wel
fare and safety.
The Virginia Federation of Tele
phone Workers, prevented from join
ing the national strike by State law,
have indicated they will strike
May 17.
When the NFTW’s Policy Com
mittee recessed at noon i today with
no prospects of further delibera
tions until tomorrow, there was no
indication the union would seek
immediate intervention by President
Truman. The committee has named
a three-man delegation to call on
the President and outline the union’s
position.
Joseph A. Beime, NFTW presi
(See TELEPHONE, Page A-6.)
Witnesses Say Blasts Jumped
From Ship to Industrial Plants
By the Associated Pres*
TEXAS CITY, April 16.—Bloody
from head to foot and wearing an
improvised bandage about his badly
cut head, W. H. Sanberg, vice
president of the Texas City Term
inal Railway Co., gave the first
eyewitness account of today s ex
plosion which is estimated to have
killed about 200 persons here.
The first explosion was on the
French ship Grand Camp which he
had Just left 5 minutes previously.
Mr. Sanberg’s office was near the
ship, which was at Texas City re
portedly to take on a cargo of
fertilizer.
Early today, Mr. Sandberg re
lated, the ship was discovered
| ablaze. Live steam was immedi
ately applied to the fire, he said,
but it failed to bring it under con
trol.
Then, Mr. Sandberg said, the ship
was towed out in a stream but
before it could be gotten away, the
first terrific explosion occurred.
Mr. Sandberg said it was rumored
that the boat was carrying a load
of ammunition. This rumor was
not confirmed, but he said "I feel
safe in saying it did carry ammuni
tion.’’
He told Fred Pool of the La Porte
Chamber of Commerce that he had
i
left the doomed ship for his nearby
office less than five minutes before
it blew up, and he Immediately
began putting in emergency tele
phone calls.
"When the explosion first oc
curred,” Mr. Sandberg said, “I
jumped under my roll-top desk.”
Mr. Pool said the Monsanto Chem
ical Co. "simply doesn’t exist,” and
he added that “the devastation here
is the most terrible thing you ever
saw. You can’t imagine it. As I
speak, I feel there are thousands
dead and injured.”
CApivwauue, JXU. X"UU1 fciUU,
jumped in one, two, three order
from the ship to the Monsanto
Chemical plant to the Stone Oil
Co. and possibly to others, since
a heavy piece of steel from the Re
public Oil Co. was picked up two
miles away.
“The concussion was simply terri
ble,” Mr. Pool said. “It blew win
dows out of every home in town. It
blew in ceilings in business buildings.
It cracked new buildings from end
to end.
"In the M. E. Agee drugstore every
clerk was injured. The explosion
even blew doors off their hinges.
(The explosion was felt in La Porte
and the blaze could be seen from
Seabrook as I drove toward Houston
1 to reach a telephone,” Mr. port said.
-
Chemicals Go Up
In Ship Fire in
Galveston Bay
Stricken Gulf Town
Reports Poison Gas
Spreads After Blaze
BULLETIN *
TEXAS CITY, Tex. (JP).
—The Texas Department
of Public Safety announc
ed this afternoon that re
vised estimates indicated
350 were killed in a chain
of explosions that virtually
razed this city 10 miles
across the bay from Gal
eston, Tex. Well over 1,000
were injured it said.
ly tho Associated Pros*
TEXAS CITY. Tex.. April 16.—
The worst explosion In Texu
Gulf Coast history today rocked
a 100-mile area, killed an esti
mated 200, injured possibly 1,000
more, and virtually razed this
city of 15,000.
Poison gas was reported to be
infiltrating the still-burning city at
noon. The National Guard waa
called out in the area.
Doctors, nurses, police and fire
men from Galveston, Houston and
other nearby cities were rushed
here.
The chain of explosion began on
the Grand Camp, a French ship
loaded with nitrate. It spread to
the multimillion dollar Monsanto
Chemical Corp. plant, now reported
a complete ruin following the ex
plosion an dfire.
Crowd on Docks.
The death and casualty estimate
was made by the Galveston Tribune,
which rushed newsmen to Texas
City, 10 miles across Galveston Bay
from Galveston. Telephone com
munications wars disrupted by the
explosion, the few remaining lines
being clogged with emergency calls
for help.
The Grand Camp, destroyed with
all men aboard by the explosion, ac
Telephone Workers
Return to Jobs in ,
Texas Blast Area
•y th« AuociAtod Pnw
ST. LOUIS, April 18.—All
Southwestern Bell Telephone
Co. employes who are members
of the Southwestern Telephone
Workers’ Union, including op
erators, repairmen and any
other necessary personnel, have
been directed to return to their
jobs in the area affected by the
Texas City ship-explosion emer
gency. *
Everett Cotter, general coun
sel for the union, said today the
members have been instructed
not to resume their part In the
Nation-wide telephone strike
# until the emergency has been
met.
cording to the Tribune, caught Are
early today. Several hundred curi
ous gathered at the docks to watch
the fire. *
When the explosion followed,
many on the docks were killed. 8teel
beams were hurled over the city,
some as far as 15 miles away.
Many of the dead were Monsanto
workers.
Port Arthur and Orange, about
100 miles distant, said the blast was
audible there, and buildings rocked.
At Pelly, 27 miles distant, a man
said the sound “hurt my eardrums.'*
Palestine, 160 miles north of here,
claimed to have heard the sound
also.
Fires Still Raging.
Fires still were raging hours after
the explosion, and no water was
available to fight them.
Albert Nichols, Harris County
sheriff’s dispatcher, said Texas city
officials have radioed Fort Crockett
at Galveston that poison gas was
infiltrating the city. He said ofll
cials were urging that all available
(See EXPLOSION, Page A-6.)
King Christian Is Worse
With Temperature of 102.2
*y th. A»eciot«d Prni
COPENHAGEN, Denmark, April
16-—King Christian’s four physi
cians were called to Amalienborg
! Castle this afternoon and one of
them said the 76-year-old mon
arch’s "condition has deteriorated
much since this morning.”
"His fever has increased alarm
ingly during the day and has now
just passed 102.2,” the doctor said,
"His majesty is very tired. We ex
pect to be called to the castle agate
this evening or night.”
King Christian suffered a sever*
heart attack on Easter Sunday.
Another of the four physicians
said their examination disclosed
that mucous secretions in the king’s
lungs had increased: that his heart
function still was fairly good, but
that respiration difficulties were in
creasing.
"The king has no pains,” this doc
tor said, “The king is dozing and his
consciousness now and then is
dimmed. The pulse rate is 76 and
the respiration rate 50.”
Stassen in Leningrad
LONDON, April 16 <£>).—The Mos
cow radio said today that Harold E.
Stassen, Republican presidential
aspirant who is touring Europe, had
reached Leningrad.
ft