Evening star. [volume], September 09, 1947, Image 1

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

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
Weather Forecast Guide for Readers
Fair, continued warm and humid this after- Page Page
t^ett°?oSht^d tomorrow- Highest, 86. Amusements ...A-20 Lost and Found. A-3
lowest, 72. (Full report on page A-2.) After Dark_A-9 Obituary _A-12
Temperatures Today. Comics .B-14-15 Radio .B-15
Midnight .75 8 a.m. ...76 Noon.81 Editorial -A-10 Society, Clubs_B-3
4 a.m. ...75 10 a.m. ...79 1p.m. ...82 Editorial Art’les, A-ll Sports .A-16-17
6 a.m. ...75 11am. ...80 2 p.m. ...84 Finance..A-19 Woman's Page..A-l4
_Lote New York Markets, Page A-19. _An Associated Press Newspaper_
95th YEAR. No. 57,747 Phone NA. 5000. WASHINGTON, D. C., TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1947-THIRTY-SIX PAGES. ★★★ 5 CENTS
Struggling Jews
Are Driven From
Last of 3 Ships
British Troops Use
Clubs and Fire Hoses
To Empty Transport
By the Associated Press
HAMBURG, Germany, Sept.
9-—British troops, using clubs
and fire hoses, emptied today the
last of three transports which
brought the Exodus 1947 Jews to
Germany.
Some kicking, screaming Jews,
their heads bloodied in 90 minutes’
of fighting aboard, were carried
bodily from the transport, the Run
nymede Park, after a sit-down strike
against landing.
An official British casualty re
port said 33 Jews, including 13 wom
en, were injured and that 10 of
them were hospitalized. An earlier
report said three British soldiers
were hospitalized with injuries.
Correspondents on the dockside
counted at least six Jewish men
with bleeding heads. About 20
nthorK ItrofA K/wnn /I thn
plank face down, as if unconscious.
One Ship Peacefully Unloaded.
The violence attending the un
loading of the Runnymede Park con
trasted with the peaceable debarka
tion of the refugees aboard the Em
pire Rival a few hours earlier. The
first of the transports, the Ocean
Vigour, was emptied, with some vio
lence, yesterday.
Vans and trains left the Ham
burg docks with the refugees for
displaced persons’ quarters in the
area nearby. Thus was completed
another phase in the odyssey which
began July 10, when the Jews be
gan a futile attempt to reach Pal
estine aboard the Exodus 1947 from
the port of Sete, France.
The steel-helmeted troops under
took the forcible disembarkation of
the Jews aboard the Runnymede
Park after the passengers rejected
two ultimatums to leave peaceably.1
When some 300 British troops
moved into position for the opera
tion, armed with clubs and wearing
tear-gas goggles, many of the Jews
began to leave peacefully. But
others resisted bitterly.
The troops turned fire hoses on
the shouting and singing refugees
who resisted attempts to force them
up from the holds.
Clothing of Many Tom.
Jews who pressed against the |
barred windows of the police vans!
cringing tnem on tne last leg of
this journey looked bruised and j
disheveled, eyewitnesses said, and|
the clothing of many was torn. The;
convoy of vans was accompanied j
by a bus full of blue uniformed!
military government security offi
cers, two military police jeeps and
a truck containing about 40 Ger
man police.
The Jews will live in Nissen huts|
and tents, pending screening and
disposition.
Many of the young Jewish men*
continued their resistance all the j
(See EXODUS, Page~A-3. i |
Pennsylvania Vote Today
Tests Taft-Hartley Feeling
* By th« Associated Press
ALLENTOWN, Pa., Sept. 9 —
Pennsylvania’s 8 th congressional
district — traditional Republican *
stronghold—today became a test
ing ground for sentiment on the
controversial Taft-Hartley labor law.
In the rich farming and industrial
district, comprising Lehigh and
, Bucks Counties, voters were to select
a Representative to succeed the late
Charles L. Gerlach, Republican.
Democratic candidate Phil H.
Storch, 36-year-old newspaperman
and president of the CIO-Lehigh
Valley Newspaper Guild, conducted
his campaign with the support of
organized labor in a declared at
tempt to start a trend toward repeal
of the Taft-Hartley law.
Mr. Storch was opposed by Frank
lin H. Lichtenwalter, 37-year-old Re
publican Speaker of the Pennsyl-1
vania House of Representatives and
defender of the labor bill as “bi
partisan legislation" passed by ma
jorities of both major parties over
the President's veto.
Mr. Gerlach represented Pennsyl
vania’s 8th district for 10 years,
winning his fifth consecutive term,
in 1946 with a 15,000-vote majority.
There were 72.000 ReDUblicans and
46,000 Democrats eligible to cast j
their ballots today in the district j
where political leaders forecast a \
record outpouring of voters.
Bank Bandits Get $28,117
HAMBURG, N. Y„ Sept. 9 <7Ph—The
cashier of the Bank of Hamburg:
was held up in an alley today by |
three armed bandits who fled with
$28,117.
What the Russians
Are Saying of Us:
The Moscow radio, broadcasting
in English to the United Kingdom
last week, said:
“The present-day relations of
Britain’s economic life are show
ing the British people the price
they are having to pay for the so
called disinterested aid of the
United States.
“Only some 18 months ago,
when the Anglo-American loan
agreement was being signed,
many of Britain's statesmen and
the overwhelming majority of her
newspapers extolled this loan as
a cure for all her economic ills.
But now they are striking quite a I
different note, for it is plain for
ali to see that far from improv
ing Britain’s position, the loan
has definitely made it worse. * * * j
“Even a first acquaintance with j
the terms of the American loan
to Britain allowed one to see |
that United States expansionist
circles were bent on ousting the
pound and replacing it by the
dollar in all parts of the world
where Britain wields influence.”
A £
7
Soviet Urges U. N. Police Force
Of 12 Divisions, 1,200 Planes
Russian Proposal for World Unit Includes
5 or 6 Cruisers. No Battleships or Carriers
By the Associated Pres*
LAKE SUCCESS, Sept. 9.—
Soviet Russia proposed today
that the United Nations police
force have 12 divisions of troops,
1,200 planes and five or six
cruisers.
Russia did not propose any battle
ships or carriers for the U. N. force.
The figures were submitted by the
Soviet delegation to the U. N. Mili
tary Staff Committee as Russia's
estimate of the size and strength of
the forces to be put at the disposal
of the Security Council by the U. N.
members.
The United States, Prance, Britain
and China submitted- estimates last
June in response to a demand from
the Security Council for actual
figures on the U. N. force.
Russia refused then to turn in
figures. The Soviet estimates are
given now only a few days in ad
vance of the U. N. Assembly, where
the world police force is expected to
be discussed in some detail. The
actual force still appears far in the
future.
The figures submitted by the Big
Five now stand:
' RUSSIA:
Land forces, 12 divisions.
Air forces, 1,200 planes, including
600 bombers, 300 fighters, 300 other
planes.
Naval forces, 5-6 cruisers, 24 de
TSee WORLD POLICE, Page A-fU
U. S, Survey Indicates
Europe's Production
Must Exceed Prewar
Study in Connection With
Marshall Plan Shows
Help Will Be Needed
By the Associated Press
A secret Government study j
concludes that Europe, to be self- j
supporting, must raise its pro-!
duction higher than the prewar
level and will require help to
do so.
Top Government researchers con
cerned with international economics!
drafted the 30,000-word report in:
connection with the self-help plan
for European recovery proposed by
Secretary of State Marshall. They
used information which has been
assembled by the State and other
departments concurrent with the
16-nation conference in Paris on
the Marshall plan.
In Paris today, a Food and Agri
World Bank Official
Rules Out Stop-Gap
Help for Europe
By the Associated Press
World Bank Vice President
Robert Garner today ruled out
the $9,100,000,000 international
bank as a source of “stop gap”
financial assistance to Europe
before the Marshall plan goes
into effect.
Mr. Garner told a news con
ference the bank's policy makes
it impossible to grant loans for
food and consumer goods—the
items most European countries
need during the next few
months.
Undersecretary of State Lovett
last week mentioned the World
Bank as a possible “temporary
device” of assisting European
nations before funds from the
Marshall plan are available.
“I think it probably is a mis
take to think the bank can be
a stop gap in this situation,”
Mr. Garner said.
culture Subcommittee of the con
ferencp estimated some $21,900,000,
000 will be needed from the United
States by these European nations
in the next four years to spend
abroad for foods or the means to
produce it.
Co-operation Is Key.
The report is primarily a sur
vey of what is the problem, rather
than attempt to propose solutions,
but it reaches a number of con
clusions. These are the major ones:
1. Co-operation "is the key to
European recovery.This means
co-operation “in extending the
bounds of trade in Europe, in equi
table allocations of scarce materials
and commodities so as most ef
fectively to utilize and expand ca
pacity, in lowering such barriers to
trade as quotas, bilateral agree
ments, exchange restrictions and
tariffs."
2. “It is not possible to revive
(See EUROPE. Page A-6.)
Two Ships in Collision
Off Cape Henry Are in Tow
By th« Associated Press
NORFLOLK, Va., Sept. 9.—Two
American ships collided 3 miles off j
Cape Henry last night,' injuring two
crew members and the SOS of one
brought Coast Guard. Navy and
commercial vessels, which took the
two in tow for Norfolk.
The Thomas F. Cunningham,
7,218 tons, and the Winifred L.
Smith, 7,191-ton freighter, rammed
into each other about 10 p.m., the
Coast Guard reported. The freight
er’s call for help sent a number
of ship to the scene.
Two injured men were taken
aboard a Coast Guard picket boat:
and cutter and rushed to Little
Creek and from there by ambulance j
to the Marine Hospital here. Hos-.
pital attaches said they were: \
William Thurman, second cook,
of San Francisco, possible fracture ^
of pelvis, and Almancio Lima, chief!
cook, Philadelphia, possible fracture!
of both legs. _■
D. C. Stops Purchase of Butter
For Institutions Due to Price
District Purchasing Officer Roland
M. Brennan disclosed today that the
District has halted purchase of but
ter for its institutions because of
hieh prices and now is buying only
margarine.
Butter, he said, is being served
only to invalids and others requir
ing it in their diets.
Mr. Brennan added that if egg
prices increase further, it may be
necessary to ration each institution
inmate to one egg for breakfast
instead of two.
Additional steps to meet soaring
food prices may be forthcoming, the
official said. Much will depend on
oids for the District’s October food
needs. They are expected back from
wholesalers later this month.
Mr. Brennan pointed out that un
r
colored margarine costs the Dis
trict 27 cents a pound wholesale
as against 74 cents a pound for
butter several weeks ago.
“When butter hit 70 cents. I said
stop,” Mr. Brennan commented.
Heads of institutions operating
on a strict budget are planning
use of more cheaper foods, such as
macaroni and meat extenders like
soybean flour, he said.
Meanwhile, a check with several
chain stores here showed the re
tail price of butter had increased
in the last week from 2 to 5 cents
a pound. Best grade butter was
selling at 87 and 89 cents a pound
in chains and several cents more
in some independent stores.
Bacon has increased about 2 cents
(See FOOD PRICES, Page A-6.)
i
All in Greek Forces
Now Living Entirely
On American Rations
Feeding Responsibility
Taken Over Sept. 1,
Griswold Declares
By tfie Associated Pres*
ATHENS, Sept. 9.—Dwight P.j
Griswold, head of the American
aid mission to Greece, said today
the 196,000 men in Greece’s Army,
Navy, air force and gendarmerie
are now being fed entirely by
American Army rations, at a cost|
of about $102,000 a day.
The responsibility for feeding the I
Greek armed forces was taken over!
from the British September 1, he
said. The ration provides each sol
dier with 3,700 calories daily.
The Greek parliament, meanwhile,
was summoned for a vote of con- j
fidence on the newly formed Liberal
Populist government of Premier
Themistokles Sophoulis.
Mr. Sophoulis told a news con
ference he expected that at least 50
per cent of the leftist guerrillas
fighting government forces would
surrender under the terms of his
proposal of an unconditional am
nesty, but he added that no dead
line had been set as yet. He said
euerrillas who feared reDrisals would I
be moved to new communities and
given jobs.
Opposition leaders made it known
that they would suport the vote of
confidence in the coalition cabinet,
but Spiro Markezini, leader of a
group of 19 Deputies who have
bolted from the Populists, said he
would agree only to a vote of “tol
erance.”
Mr. Sophoulis told Parliament last
night that he would invite an in
ternational commission to "guar
antee execution” of an uncondi
tional amnesty to guerrillas who
surrender “as soon as possible.”
He announced today that the
United Nations would be asked to
send a commission to supervise exe
cution of the amnesty.
The 86-year-old Liberal leader
said the amnesty offer was a step to
end the costly warfare which has
been dragging on in the North, but
declared that if the revolt did not
end, he would call on the nation to
“stamp it out” with all the meas
nrfSQ at it.c rnntrnl.
McKellar's Condition
Reported Satisfactory
"Senator McKellar, Democrat, of
Tennessee, was in a “satisfactory”
condition today at "the Bethesda
Naval Hospital, where he was
brought last night after suffering
an acute gastric upset Sunday night
in Atlantic City.
The Senator was flown to.Wash
ington in an Army plane after
physicians at the New Jersey resort
advised him to enter a hospital, an
aid said. He reported the veteran
member of the Senate had been va
cationing in Atlantic City and had
planned a trip to New York before
returning to Washington.
Hospital authorities could not esti
mate the length of time Senator
McKellar would be a patient there.
Eight Nazis Acquitted
By U. S. Military Court
By the Associated Press
FRANKFURT, Germany, Sept.
9.—Former Nazi Lt. Col. Otto Sko
rzeny and seven co-defendants were
acquitted today by a United Statesi
military court at Dachau of charges
of sending German troops into bat- j
tie dressed in American uniforms. I
The big scar-faced former Ger-!
man S. S. (elite guard) officer com-'
manded the 150th Panzer Brigade;
at the time of the Battle of the!
Bulge in the winter of 1944-5. He
denied that he or his underofficers
ever sent troops in American uni
forms to spread confusion behind
the lines of retreating American
troops.
--— .
Rails Ask Speed
On Rate Boost
ro Avert Loss
ICC Hearing Opened
With Plea to Avoid
Deficit in Industry
By the Associated Press
The Nations railroads, seeking
an immediate temporary 10 per
cent increase in freight rates,
told the Interstate Commerce
Commission today that each
day’s delay in granting the raise
represents “an irreparable loss
to the carriers.”
Actually the railroads are asking
a 27 per cent increase with the 10
per cent to take effect at once as
'interim relief” while hearings pro
ceed on the larger figure.
Jacob Aronson, vice president of
the New York Central Railroad, act
ing as spokesman for the entire in
dustry, told the ICC:’
"The uncontroverted figures show
that unless relief is granted in the
way of increased freight rates, net
railway operating income for the
industry as a whole will almost dis
appear and for many of the large
and important roads of the country
deep deficits will ensue.
‘‘The most disturbing aspect of
this is that the condition prevails
at a time when the railroads are
carrying the largest volume of
freight traffic in all peacetime his
tory.”
Crowd Forces Change in Rooms.
The start of the hearing was de
layed briefly as an overflow crowd
Df representatives of the railroads
and of shipping interests marshal
ing major opposition to the in
creases made it necessary to shift
the proceedings from the usual
ICC chamber to a 1,400-capacity
departmental auditorium in an ad
joining building. The auditorium
was more than half filled as the
hearing got under way.
ICC Chairman Clyde B. Aitchison
and Commissioners J. Haden All
dredge and Walter M. W. Splawn
are representing the 11-member
commission.
Mr. Aronson told the ICC the pro
posed 10 per cent increase now “will j
just about offset” the lo’i-cents-an
hour wage raise granted railroad
nonoperating employes by an arbi
tration board last week along with
cost increas'es for materials and
supplies the last two months.
Wage Raise to Cosf 468 Million.
He estimated this cost of in
creased wages at $468,000,000 a year
and said the rise in prices for mate
rials and supplies since last June
amount to $158,000,000 annually.
The railroads were granted a 17
per cent freight rate increase last
January.
On the basis of increased operat
ing costs and greater outlays for
materials and supplies they asked
another 16.7 per cent increase in
July. When the wage boosts came
along last week they raised their
request to 27 per cent, asking the 10
per cent raise at once.
James K. Knudson. chief counsel
for the Agriculture Department,
who held a series of conferences
with farm groups and food proces
sors during the past week, told re
porters in advance of the session
that the department “will oppose
vigorously any attempt to put an
interim increase into effect with
cut a full and fair hearing.”
Grange Urges 90-Day Delay.
The National Grange suggested
some time ago that there should
be at least a 90-day “waiting period”
after the railroads have presented
r-heir case to permit an opposition
answer.
Ed Lacey, executive secretary of
the National Industrial Traffic
League, which is intervening in the
proceeding in behalf of industrial
shippers, said the railroad request
for an immediate rate increase had
produced “a state of confusion.”
“It will just have to be realized
(See FREIGHT RATES, Pa~ge~A-4.)
Plea for Talks on Bulgaria
Reported Rejected by Reds
By the Associated Press
LONDON, Sept. 9.—Russia has
rejected a British appeal for Brit
ish-American-Russian consultation
over what the Foreign Office has
called “Bulgaria’s vanishing politi
cal freedom,” authoritative sources
reported today.
A Foreign Office spokesman con
firmed that a “negative” Russian
reply had been received by Frank
Roberts, British Minister in Moscow.
The British had charged that
suppression of the Bulgarian Agra
rian Party, following on the passing
cf a death sentence on its leader,
Mikola Petkov, proved political free
iom in the Balkan republic was be
ing destroyed.
The Russian view was understood
:o be that British-American-Soviet
iiscussions over the Bulgarian polit
cal situation would constitute in
;erference in that country's internal
i flairs.
Hunt for Dollar Bill
To Pay Fine Takes
Chinese Eight Days
By th« Associated Pres*
SHANGHAI, Sept. 9.—Black
smith Chou Chu-ju thought
himself fortunate when the
judge fined him one Chinese
dollar in a slander case—but
the smallest change he could
find in ail Shanghai was a $10,
000 note.
Single dollars have been out
of circulation nearly two years,
and it now takes 400 of them to
equal one American cent.
Chou searched Shanghai for
days and eventually offered the
court a $10,000 note (25
cents, United States) but the
judge said the fine was one
dollar—no more, no less.
Today, eight days after he
was fined, Chou found a one
dollar bill.
4
•
—7 - '< ytjgnOI^^R Rg^p|S~| ~
rm
If It Worked With Sewell Avery—It Might Work in Reverse
Half Billion Overpaid
On War Contracts,.
House Unit Charges
Inquiry to Open Today;
Top Sum Went to Plane
Firm, GAO Official Says
Representative Bender, Re
publican, of Ohio today esti
mated overpayments on can
celed war contracts have totaled
nearly $500,000,000 and said a
public explanation will be de
manded of companies which fail
to return the money.
Mr. Bender is the chairman of a
House Expenditures Subcommittee
investigating contract terminations.
The group was called into session
today.
As the first witness, E. L. Fisher,
m official of the General Account
ing Office, filed a report Using over
payments by which he said ranged
is high as $650,355. The top sum was
received by an aircraft manufacturer
Mr. Fisher did not identify.
$625,459 Overpayment Cited.
Mr. Fisher listed a settlement of a
contract with the Consolidated Vul
tee Aircraft Corp. of San Diego in
volving an overpayment of $625,459.
Wp aIsa an nverna.vment. tn
the same company at Tucson, Ariz.,
of $24,896.
Two othar contracts which Mr.
Fisher described were with the Gui
berson Diesel Engine Co. of Dallas.
He said under one contract “for
which the firm was paid $3,078,174
the Government received nothing,
while under the other contract it
received only 46 or the 493 engines
called for.”
Mr. Fisher said under a settlement
of these contracts an excess pay-'
ment by the Government amount
ing to $99,982 resulted.
In another case Mr. Fisher said a
settlement of a contract with the
Puffer Engineering Co. of Detroit
resulted in an overpayment of $4,125.
Some Voluntary Settlements.
The witness said most cases in which
overpayments were made on settle
ment grew out of inventory ap
praisals and improper accounting
practices. He said in some cases vol
untary settlements had been made
when the concerns were advised of
overpayment.
The witness was asked about the
practice of Government contract of
ficers quitting Government employ
ment for jobs with those with whom
they had been doing business.
He said the controller general be
lieves this is a "vicious practice,”
and added that there were specific
examples of this practice in the War
and Navy Departments.
Recovery Efforts to Be Watched.
Mr. Bender said the committee
‘will watch closely the effectiveness
of the Federal agencies in securing
recoveries by voluntary means” in
overpayment cases where no legal
machinery for recovery now exists.
“If recoveries are not effected dur
ing the next six weeks,” he said in a
statement, “the subcommittee will
summon representatives of the indi
vidual companies which have re
present their reasons for not making
i return of money which they have
•eceived from the Government which
was not properly due them.”
He said the committee will ques
tion Justice Department officials
Thursday concerning prosecution of
:ases in which the general account
ing office has reported actual fraud.
Seek to Improve Procedure.
A review of contract settlements,
he said, shows that excessive pay
ment in which no fraud was ap
parent exceed the amount of actual
fraud.
Mr. Bender said a sampling of
1% per cent of settlements indicated
pverpayment of more than $6,000,
300, with the total likely to reach
half a billion dollars.
The committee, he said, "is con
rerned not only with exposing an
»vil to be remedied immediately,
out also with the improvement of
idministrative procedures generally
ind, where necessary, recommenda
tions for new legislation which will
prevent a recurrence in the future
Df misuse and waste.”
Globe Flyers Leave Rome
ROME, Sept. 9 (JP). — George W.
Truman of Los Angeles and Clif
ford V. Evans of Washington left
Rome today In their light sports
planes for Cairo, where they are ex
pected to arrive during the after
soon. The former United States
Army pilots are making a leisurelj
round-the-world flight.
>
AFL Chiefs Plan Court Attacks
On Taft-Hartley Labor Law
Executive Council Also Will Determine
Type of Political Action to Use Next Year
By James T. Newton
Star Staff Correspondent
CHICAGO, Sept. 9.—AFL pol
icy makers today began plan
ning court attacks on the Taft
Hartley labor relations law, after
postponing temporarily a deci
sion on whether federation offi
cers should file non-Communist
affidavits with the National
Labor Relations Board.
President William Green said the
AFL Executive Council, which is
meeting here, will begin working
on a program for court tests “of
every phase of the hated slave
labor law.”
After completion of that pro
gram, which may take several days,
TT f—3-^ ¥.
Mr. ureen saia tne councu wui
lay plans for the type of political
action that will be taken in the
1948 national elections. The AFL
is pledged to defeat every member
of Congress who supported the
Taft-Hartley bill. Whatever polit
ical plans are made here will be
subject to approval of the federa
tion's October convention in San
Francisco.
Mr. Green stuck by a prediction
he made as the council meeting
opened yesterday that the council
in the end will agree “unanimously,"
although “with great reluctance,”
to comply with an NLRB ruling
that all officers of the AFL, as well
as of individual unions, must file
(See AFL, Page A-4.)
universal Training !
Opposed by Taft on
Eve of Western Trip
Takes Stand Directly
Against That of Dewey;
To Discuss Needs Later
STASSEN TO ENTER Wisconsin
primary to test strength. Page A-2
By Gould Lincoln
Star Staff Correspondent
Senator Taft, Republican, of!
Ohio today reiterated his oppo
sition to a universal military
training system for the United
States, coming into direct con
flict on this issue with Gov.
Thomas E. Dewey of New York,
who recently came out strongly
in support of the training pro
gram in an address before the
American Legion.
The Senator, who paused in Chi
cago today on his way to Cali
fornia, said he intended to make
a speech dealing particularly with
the military setup he believes should
be the policy of the United States;
while on his "pulse-feeling” trip to
_T7T_T_Via Via
l/iiv * Oil ' * VUV *1V ~ “ |
lieves this country should maintain
regular Army of a million men
and should have another 500,000 in
the Navy.
This puts the two leading con
tenders for the Republican presi
dential nomination next year in
direct conflict on an issue that will
come before Congress at its next
session with the blessing of Presi
dent Truman.
Confers With Gov. Green.
Senator Taft while in Chicago
today conferred with Gov. Green
of Illinois, Senator Brooks and other
Republican leaders.
He was in Columbus yesterday for
a conference with the principal
Republican leaders of the State,
among them Representative Brown,
of Ohio, and Mrs. Katherine Ken
nedy Brown, both Ohio members
(See TAFT, Page A-6.)
VA Medical Service
Attacked for 'Abuses'
In VFW Resolution
Doctor-Training Program
Called Costly and Against
'Accepted Practices'
By George Beveridge
Star Staff Correspondent
CLEVELAND, Sept. 9.—The
Veterans of Foreign Wars today
strongly attacked what it termed
abuses in the Veterans’ Adminis
tration medical service.
Criticism of the Veterans’ Admin
istration was contained in a resolu
tion passed by delegates to the
VFW’s 48th annual convention. It
was identified to delegates only as
"relating to VA medical service.”
The resolution, thrashed out by
the group’s powerful Rehabilitation
Committee, said:
1. The medical service has em
uai AUU Ull A {JlUglUlU 1>W V* Atli uwv
tors costing “vast sums of money,”
and that few doctors so trained will
remain with the agency after their
training.
2. Some phases of the training
"appear to be foreign to accepted
and legal principles of medical
treatment.”
Says Inquiries Are Killed.
3. Requested investigations into
training and hospital conditions
“have been smothered, ignored or
conducted by inexperienced or in
competent investigators.”
4. That “vast sums have been
spent in ‘public relations’ to propa
gandize” the medical service.
5. That “there is a woeful lack
of co-operation between the medi
cal service and other operational
services within the Veterans’ Ad
ministration.”
The motion instructed standing
VFW committees to present to Vet
erans’ Administrator Bradley recom
mendations for “the correction ol
abuses presently existing within the
medical servfce.”
Another resolution asked Gen
(See VFW, Page A-6J
Margaret Pepper Appointed
Executive Assistant to Corning
Lafayette School Head*
Is Veteran of 31 Years'
Service as Educator
Miss Margaret Pepper, who has
been in the District School sys
tem for 31 years, today was
named executive assistant to
School Supt. Hobart M. Coming
by the Board of Education.
Since 1942 Miss Pepper has been
principal of the Lafayette School.
Northampton street and Broad
Branch road N.W. She will fill the
vacancy caused earlier this month
by the promotion of Dr. Carl F.
Hansen from executive assistant to
associate superintendent of the
white elementary schools. Her sal
ary will be $5,905 annually.
This appointment leaves one top
vacancy to be filled in the public
schools before classes begin Sep
tember 22.
Still under consideration by Dr.
Coming are candidates for the posi
tion of music director of the white
schools. This vacancy was created
I
MISS MARGARET PEPPER.
—Casson Photo.
by the retirement of Dr. Edwin N. C
Barnes on August 31 .
Miss Pepper, who lives at 1734 F
(See PEPPERTPage A-6.)
4
VA to Act in Sale
Of Substandard
Veteran Homes
Disciplinary Measures
Planned Against All
Who Violate Rules
By th« Associated Press
The Veterans’ Administration
said today it Is getting com
plaints of substandard and
shoddy construction in some
homes built for veterans and
proposes to take “disciplinary
measures” against builders, loan
agencies and appraisers.
In a bulletin distributed to branch
officers, lending agencies, architects,
appraisers and other participating
in the veterans loan guaranty pro
gram, the agency said “complaints
are being received daily” from
veterans about “serious defects" in
homes they have purchased or con
tracted to have built for them with
VA loans.
"Investigation of these complaints
discloses that structures have been
erected without regard to the plans
and specifications on which the ap
praisals were predicted, with poor
workmanship or shoddy material,"
the bulletin asserted.
Poor Quality is Stressed.
“As a result, within a few months
a-xtci txic punjiicfoc ui ilia iiuine, uie
veteran is faced with inordinate re
pair costs and in many instances
weaknesses in construction which
are impossible to correct.”
Veterans have complained largely
of poor quality materials and work
manship in violation of plans and
specifications, unfinished landscap
ing, deficient heating systems and
wet cellars.
All these defects, VA said, should
be caught by adequate inspection
during construction or prior to as
signing a certificate of satisfactory
completion.
May Remove Appraisers.
The bulletin added:
“It is the intention of the Vet
erans’ Administration insofar as its
authority will permit, to look to the
appraisers, the lending institutions,
and the builders to correct these
conditions wherever they may arise
and in cases where the fault is defi
nitely determinable to apply dis
ciplinary measures against the
offenders.
“This may take the form of re
moval of the appraisers from the
approved list, suspension of the
lender from further participation in
the program, or, in the case of a
builder, an appropriate reduction
from the finding as to reasonable
value (determined by the appraiser
on the basis of plans and specifica
tions) with respect to subsequent
building in anticipation of poor
workmanship.”
Caoilol Street Bridae
Contract Awarded
The Commissioners today awarded
a $2,329,043.50 contract to the
American Bridge Co. to build the
superstructure of the new South
Capitol Street Bridge.
The contract is a half of 1 per
cent higher than the amount bid
by the company in October, 1946,
at a time when the original limit
placed by Congress on the cost of
the bridge was not high enough to
permit awarding the contracts.
A delay of nearly a year resulted
while the District prevailed on Con
gress to raise the limit of cost on
the crossing from $4,500,000 to
$5,400,000.
The substructure of the bridge
is complete but, as the city heads
pointed out today, is "useless to the
city unless the superstructure is
completed and the bridge opened to
traffic.” The substructure cost
$2,500,000.
One of the city’s most important
post-war highway projects, the
bridge will link the heart of the
city with its fast-expanding South
eastern sections as well as with
Southern Maryland.
Nuns and Children Escape
Fire in Rome Convenl
* By th« Associated Pre$$
ROME, Sept, f.—Firemen said an
unknown number of nuns and chil
dren escaped without injury from
fire which broke out early today on
the third floor of the five-story
convent of San Giuseppe, in the
center of Rome.
Nuns, children and pilgrims who
came to Rome for the Pope’s ad
dress Sunday to the convention of
the Catholic Action movement were
in the building. Cause of the fire
was undetermined.
High DeathToll
Feared in Ship
Blast and Fire
By the As»oc»ated Pres*
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 9.—The
five-deck excursion steamer Is
land Queen exploded and was
destroyed by fire at her Monon
gahela River dock today, and it
was feared that a number of
persons were killed. One unoffi
cial estimate placed the death
toll as high as 60.
The blast occurred just before
passengers were to board the huge
boat for an afternoon ride down the
Monongahela and Ohio Rivers.
Jack O’Berry, a crewman, said:
“I was on the gangplank. There
were 92 aboard.
“I saw two women and eight men
on the porch. I didn't see them
after the blast.’’
Mass of Flames.
Melvin Stanley, Associated Press
Traffic Bureau chief at Pittsburgh,
who arrived at the scene a few
minutes after the blast, said:
“The Island ueen is one solid mass
I of red flames from the water to the
i top of the boat. The heat is terrific.’*
< *