Evening star. [volume], September 28, 1947, Image 1

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

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__ Vs-S WITH DAILY EVENING EDITION --—-—-r,
No. 2,217 No. 57,766 WASHINGTON, D. C., SEPTEMBER 28, 1947 —150 PAGES. A w»5hir.gton tfv CFNTS is cents
---—___ ' __ 7 and Suburbs IO. Elsewhere
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Purchase Wheat at Rising Prices
Or Risk Obtaining Too Little
For Europe, President Is Told
- T -
Harriman Committee
Would Ask Change
In Argentine Policy
SURVEY SHOWS Most of Europe
Faces Hunger. Page A-5.
(Text on Page A-4.)
By Chalmers M. Roberts
President Truman was told
last night that he must make a
“critical” decision at once on
American policy in buying wheat
to feed' Europe—whether “to
make sure of getting the wheat
at the risk of pushing prices
higher” or to buy cautiously “at
the risk of obtaining consider
ably less” than will be needed.
The advice came in a frank and
hard-hitting special report to the
President by the 19-man Harriman
Committee of business, labor and
other non-Government leaders, set
up to consider problems raised by j
the Marshall Plan. The European!
food emergency was considered so
great, however, that a special in
terim report was issued.
The committee said that even the
export of 500,000,000 bushels of
wheat “would impose no grave
physical hardship on the American
people as a whole” but that a good
part of Europe's food deficit could
be supplied by Argentina—"if giver,
sufficiently powerful inducements.”
Pressure for New Policy Urged.
The Administration was urged to
“use every means at the disposal
of our Government to bring about5
changes in the Argentine policy so
as to secure the export of maximum
quantities of grain and its distri
bution to the right countries on
reasonable terms.” Argentina re
cently has been selling grain atj
around $6 a bushel to all comers. i
Other important points in the
report of the committee, headed by
Secretary of Commerce Harriman,
include:
1. The “most effective weapon
that can be brought into plav im
mediately to reduce pressure on
tbe grain markets is a drive to cut!
the demand for meat, butter, poul-j
try and eggs by voluntary self-1
rationing on the part of consum
ers.” The .new Citizens Food Com
mittee W’ill begin work along this!
line on Wednesday. j,
2. “Immediate consideration should
be given to the various types of con
trols which might be enacted by the,
Congress. However, action in the
present situation cannot wait for i
consideration of possible legislation
and the creation of new administra
tive machinery.”
Higher Margins Urged.
8. “The executive departments1
should keep pressure on the com
modity exchanges to set the high
est margin requirements for non
hedging futures trading in grain
that are obtainable without destroy
ing the effectiveness of the ex
changes for necessary hedging op
eration.” There is “evidence of a
growing speculative interest in com
modities," the report said, “that
should be discouraged in every way
possible.” Exchange leaders, how
ever, have so far failed to raise mar
gin requirements as requested by the j
Government.
4. Exports to countries other than
Western Europe and occupied areas
in the Far East should be "restricted
to amounts demonstrably required
to meet essential needs.” Cuts in
shipments to Latin America, Asia
and Africa thus appear likely, if the
report’s recommendations are fol
lowed.
5. Although “not relevant to the
urgent problems of this winter,” the
committee urged “immediate atten
tion” to “the deirability of increas
ing .exports of nitrate fertilizers
from the United Sta^s to Western
Europe,” making possible “a large
net HuuiLiuii bu wuiiu iuuu supplies ;
if shipped in time for use next
spring.
6. Crop conditions in Europe are
such that “to maintain the same
level off diet (in terms of calories
per person per day) as in the season
just ended, impofts of grain * * *
would have to be 5.000,000 tons
larger.” The main problem is to
feed* the large urban centers, it was
pointed out.
7. This year's supply of grain in
the United States “is adequate to
permit exports equal or nearly equal
(See POOD, Page A-5J
French Line Is Blamed
For Texas City Blast
fty (He Associated Press
The Coast Guard yesterday rec
ommended that operators of the
French vessel Grandcamp. which
caught fire and blew up at Texas
City last April, be cited to the
Attorney General for alleged vio
lation of regulations covering ship
ment of explosives or “other dan
gerous articles."
The Coast Guard previously had
identified the French Government
a? owner of the ship and the
French Line as operators.
The fire was attributed by the
Coast Guard to probable unauthor
ized smoking in the hold of the
vessel while it was being loaded
with bags of ammonium nitrate
fertilizer.
In the series of explosions which
followed the fire, nearly 500 lives
were lost. Heavy damage was in
flicted in Texas City.
Besides recommending that op
erators of the Grandcamp be cited
for allegedly failing to report dam
aged ; bags of fertilizer, the Coast
Guard also suggested that action
be taken by the Attorney General
looking toward assessment of pen
alties against the ocean shipper of
the fertilizer. This would be on
the stated grounds that the vessel's
operator was not notified in advance
of the nature of the cargo tc be
handled. The shipper was not iden
tified.
> *
„ K
Higher Costs to Boost Estimate
Of Needs, 16 Nations Warn U. S.
Report Says Big Advance Would Increase.
22 Billion Figure on Long Range Aid
PRICES OF MAJOR Food Items
Lower Here and in Other Cities.1
Page A-4.
By the Associated Press
New stress on holding down
American prices developed last
night in a report of 16 Europe*fi
nations that any big advance
will increase their $22,400,000,000
estimate for long range foreign
aid.
High prices, particularly of grain
and other food, figure too in the
cost of emergency, hurry-up help
for Europe. Emergency aid !s the
topic for Republican and Democratic (
congressional leaders at a White
House conference tomorrow with
President Truman and key cabinet
membeis.
With the problems of prices and
of preventing starvation and Com
munism fiom stalking Western Eu
rope fitting together like a jig saw
puzzle, tomorrow's White House
meeting, and another Wednesday,
will hunt some of the missing
pieces.
The conference with congressional
chiefs is expected to determine
whether President Truman will call
a special session to provide stop-i
gap assistance for the next few
months. Mr. Truman wants to avoid
one. if possible.
The Wednesday conference will
bring together the President's Citi
zens Food Committee to spearhead
a national campaign to “waste less
food.” A food committee of cabinet
members has said this is the only
plan offering any immediate hope
of helping to feed Europe without
pumping up prices at home.
Developments that may influence
the two conferences:
1. Tire success and size of West
ern Europe's $22,400,000,000 four
year plan for recovery was described
as depending in part on v'hether
American prices are held near the
levels of last July. The State De
partment released last night a 50,
000 word report from the 16 nations
which drafted the plan at a Paris
meeting. Previously, a summary j
had been given out.
2. Prices of all grains rose sub
stantially today on the big Chicago
Board of Trade. But the second
weekly decline in a row in the As
sociated Press weighted wholesale
price index of five commodities
pointed toward lower retail prices
f See FOREIGN ~AID7 PagefA^O —
U.S. Science Must Gear
For War, Truman Told
In Steelman Report
Nearly 624 Million
Spent for Research
In Last Fiscal Year
By Joseph A. Fox
American science must gear
for war, President Truman was
told yesterday.
In a report showing expendi
tures in the last fis9al year of
$623,930,000 by the Federal Gov
ernment, for research and de
velopment, John R. Steelman,
assistant to the President head
ing the President’s Scientific Re
search Board, said:
“The armed forces are relying
heavily upon research and develop
ment as a vital adjunct to forces
in being. This choice, together with
the uneasy world situation, makes
effective prosecution of the programs
a matter of extreme national con
cern.”
Atomic-powered aircraft is one
scientific goal.
The Steelman report was the sec
ond in a series of five covering the
general topic of “Science and Public
Policy.”
Covers Wide Scope.
It is a factual account of the re
agencies, whose scope, as Mr. Tru
man explained in an accompanying
statement "extends from the de
velopment of guided missies, rockets
and other military devices to the
control of soil erosion and the
development of disease-resistant
plants."
These programs, the President
said, vital to the people, “cannot
profitably be undertaken by private
industry or agriculture.”
Of last year’s expenditures, $49,
000,000—or 80 per cent of the total—
went to the work of the Navy and
War Departments and excluded
atomic expenditures, including those
of the Atomic Energy Commission.
The report said that the Govern
ment has an investment of about
$2,000,000,000, including production
plants, in atomics, and that the
number of persons working on
atomic projects had dropped from
a wartime peak of 500,000 to 41,500
last June 1.
While the report placed emphasis
on military research, security rea
sons prompted omission of many
details.
Armed Forces Alert.
“The armed forces are taking
! more interest than ever before in
basic research," it said. “There is a
j sharp awareness in all branches of
j the arn.ed forces that new weapons.
! as contrasted with modifications of
existing weapons, must be based on
fundamental exploration at the
I boundaries of scientific knowledge.
In fact, much o' the basic knowledge
i necessary for the development of
(See SCIENCETPage A-7.)
NLRB Plans to Take
Steps Soon to End
Affidavits Dispute
Get Taft Law Working
May Reverse Denham to
Reports Declare Board
MEDIATION CHIEF to Concentrate
on Large Disputes. Page A-9.
TOP UAW LEADER Urges Compli
ance With Taft-Hartley Act. A-9.
By James Y. Newton
The National Labor Relations
Board plans early action in the
controversy revolving around the
filing by union officers of non
Communist affidavits, which it
hopes will correct the almost
complete breakdown in adminis
tration of the new Taft-Hartley
labor relations law, It was
learned last night.
There are indications the action
by the five members of the board
will come before the opening of the
big AFL and CIO conventions, set
for early next month. The AFL
meeting gets under way in San
Francisco October 6, while the CIO
convention opens a wee it later in
Boston .
There has been no official word
as to how the board will decide the
issue. However, there are apparently
j well-founded reports to the effect
mat me wuuiu icvnsc me
! ruling of Robert N. Denham whicn
has been used by union leaders as
a basis for attack on the Taft
! Hartley Act and the NLRB.
Affidavits Required.
Mr. Denham’s ruling was to the
e£ect that all officers of the AFL
and CIO, as well as officers of in
dividual internationals and locals,
are required to file affidavits stat
ing they are not Communists if
any union affiliated witn the two
big organizations is to do business
with the NLRB.
John L. Lewis recently blocked ac
tion by the AFL Executive Council
on the matter. One of 13 vice presi
dents of the AFL, the United Mine
Workers chief has made it clear he
will not sign tne affidavit. AH other
AFL officers originally favored filing
the papers, but Mr. Lewis now has
support for his stand from William
L. Hutcheson, head of the powerful
Carpenters Union, and possibly from
other officers.
Unless the issue is clarified be
forehand, the issue promises to cre
ate a real storm at the AFL conven
tion. Daniel J. Tobin, head of the
Teamsters, who filed the required
affidavit, has stated that unless the
issue is settled to the satisfaction
of his union he may be forced to
take the Teamsters ont of the AFL.
He pointed out that his union has
numerous cases before the NLRB
on which action has been suspend
ed by the failure of all AFL officers
to qualify under the new law.
A number of smaller unions, both
in the AFL and CIO, have indicated
they w'ill be forced into independent
(See LABOR, Page A-97)
Flanders Sees Prices Causing
Undernourishment in Big Cities
By th« Associated Press
Senator Flanders, Republican, of
Vermont, said yesterday food prices
have climbed so high in New York
City and other large metropolitan
areas that some white collar work
ers and low-salaried vjob holders are
‘seriously undernourished."
Senator Flanders has been direct
ing two weeks of public hearings by
a Senate-House subcommittee in
vestigating high costs of food and
clothing in New York and other
cities.
“It is my personal opinion that
there is a submerged population in
New York City and some other large
cities,” Senator Flanders said.
He defined “submerged popula
tion” as those persons whose family
incomes have not kept pace with the
ruse in the cost of living.
Senator Flanders said data from
welfare agencies, hospitals and other
' sources in the larger cities disclosed
)
that soaring food prices caused such,
undernourishment.
The wage advances that have been
made go largely* to those who al
I ready were getting relative high
wages, the Senator said, adding that
these higher wage level workers
usually are found in fields-where
unions are strongly organized.
"I think there is evidence that
white-collar workers and low-sal
j aried job holders are hurt each time
| the upper level groups win a new
| wage advance.” he said. “These ad
! vances often are at the expense of
i the low-wage earners."
Previously Senator Flanders sug
! gested that the best relief for low
! salaried groups would be increased
| food production and stability of
I food prices. “I also favor an in
| crease in the present Federal mini
| mum wage law,” he said, “but X have
j not decided just how much.”
The present law fixes minimum
| hourly wages at 40 cents or $18 for
a 40-hour week.
!
Greek Aid Plan
MayWreckU.N.,
Gromyko Says
Poles Ask Assembly
For Condemnation
^Of Marshall Program
U. S. BACKS Argentina, Canada.,
Czechs for Council. Page A-6.
By the Associated Press
LAKE SUCCESS, Sept. 27. —
Russia today accused the United
States of attempting to justify
Armed American intervention in
Greece and declared the United
States was using the Greek ques-1
tion to undermine the United!
Nations.
Andrei A. Gromyko, Soviet dele
gate, told the United Nations As
sembly's 55-nation political com-1
mittee in a bitter 66-minute attack'
on American “interference” that j
the United States action “might
cause the collapse of the U. N.”
“The United States is ready to
act in circumvention of the United
Nations if their Greek proposal j
isn't accepted,” Mr. Gromyko told
the delegates. He then added care
fully that the United States was at
tempting to “justify armed United
States Intervention in Greece” and !
was following a "dangerous path.” j
Repeats Counter-Proposal.
Mr. Gromyko rejected the pro
posal presented earlier by the
the United States in a formal reso
lution and re-offered a counter
proposal absolving Soviet satellites
of all blame for Balkan disorders.
The Russian resolution, a copy of
nr*p mrprwhplminfflv roiontnrl Vw +V*
Security Council, blamed Greece
for border unrest, demanded with
drawal of foreign troops and for- j
eign military personnel from Greece,
and asked the assembly to create;
a commission to supervise economic |
aid to Greece, an apparent refer-;
ence to the Truman aid program.
The American proposal accuses
Albania, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia of
supporting guerrilla warfare against
the Greek government and calls for
establishment of a special commit
tee to investigate disturbances.
Poland Assails Marshall Plan.
It was the second attack on
United States policy within the day
by the Soviet bloc. Poland asked
the United Nations to condemn the
Marshall Plan for European eco
nomic recovery and called on all
members to refuse to participate in
any economic program set up out
side the U. N.
In his general condemnation of
American aid, Mr. Gromkyo said
he had been advised that the United
States soon would have 18,000 mili
tary instructors in Greece.
Following the Soviet address, dele
gates voted down, 35 to 6, a Russian
motion to give full participation
rights to Albania and Bulgaria, non
U. N. members, in the Balkans
debate. The committee then passed
a Belgian resolution, 39 to 1, grant
ing the two the opportunity to make
statements and answer specific
questions. Czechoslovakia voted in
the negative and Russia abstained.
The committee had asked the two
governments to agree to accept the
provisions of the U. N. Charter, and
delegates generally agreed that the:
replies had been evasive.
Adjourns until Monday.
The committee then adjourned
until Monday when discussions on
the American and Russian proposals
are expected to begin.
Like his resolution, Mr. Gromyko's!
speech was virtually a carbon copy!
of all the accusations he hurled
against the United States, Britain I
and Greece in lengthy council
debates.
“It is obvious," Mr. Gromyko
added, “that the United States has
no Intention whatever to settle the
Greek question properly. The United
States had found it fit to pursue its
own aims in Greace.”
He charged the United States with |
i hand-picking the leaders of the
Greek regime.
Dr. Oscar Lange, Polish delegate
and former University of Chicago
economics professor, said the Mar
shall program offered at Paris was
inadequate and harmful to U. N.
authority and effectiveness.
Rather, Dr. Lange said, members
of the U. N. should make use of
the peace agency's machinery. As a
step in this direction, he asked for
periodic surveys of world economic
conditions by the U. N. with sub
sequent recommendations on how to
remedy them.
District Goes Back
To Standard Time
The District, along with other
parts of the Nation where Daylight
Saving Time had been in effect,
went back to Standard Time at
2 a.m. today.
Many commercial and office build-'
iiig, viuvivo piuuauiy wail uui uc tui’
rected until workers reset them to
morrow morning. The majority of
the offices were closed Saturday.
Any confusion that may result
; from shifting the time probably will
: come tonight and tomorrow when
| the public begins to meet train, bu.S|
and airline schedules or tune in on
favorite rad;o programs.
Railroads and airlines which set
their schedules last summer to meet
the convenience of customers al
though on paper they quoted stand
ard time, are shuffling their time
tables again.
The buslines, which maintained
standard time, wiil generally ad
jhere to their present schedules.
■ Greyhound, however, announced
that its Annapolis trips, which have
■ operated on daylight time, will go
over to standard time to accommo
date commuters to Landover Hills
and other points between here and
Annapolis.
Radio stations reported that most
| programs would go on at regular
| times. They urged the public, how
| ever, to consult newspaper radio
schedules.
Complete Index, Pg. A-2
' Radio Programs, Pog^C-8
pswu IStfe.
AINTYOU?!
c
Mercury s Drop to Record Low
Endangers Maryland Crops
District Chilled With New Minimum Mark
Of 39 Forecast for This Morning
The District woke up chilled
today, as Maryland farmers, in
freezing temperatures, hoped for
a respite before their crops be
came a total loss.
At midnight the Weather Bureau
forecast a drop to 39 before day
break, which would be three degrees
lower than the record low for Sep
tember 28. The previous record of
42 was first established in 1889, and
repeated in 1898 and 1918. The 39
figure was for the city and the j
temperature was to drop to near
freezing with frost in the suburbs.
The decline was steady after 6 p.m.
yesterday, dropping from 60 to 48
at 1 a.m today.
Today's cold followed a drop
to 41 yesterday, which was the low
est for that date in 68 years.
The sudden cold snap was far
more serious to Maryland farmess,
who experienced a low of 22 yes-!
terday morning, with little hope ofj
a break before Monday. The late!
tomato and corn crops were readyi
to be written off as almost a total i
loss unless the weather gets warmer
in a hurry.
Near Hagerstown the frost was re
ported so thick a rabbit could be
tracked in the white covering. Tem
peratures were 28 in Hagerstown
and 30 in Cumberland, but the 22
degrees in the mountain counties
made almost certain the loss of the
tomato crop in that area. Balti
more’s 41 was only two degrees
above the all-time September low.
The cold snap was widespread.
The threat to the corn crop in the
Midwest was lessened yesterday
somewhat by cloudy skies and
slowly mounting temperatures, but
the Northeast States received a new
forecast of freezing weather. The
first snow of the season fell in Sara
nac Lake in Northern New York.
For the District the forecast for
Sunday was clear and cool, with an
afternoon high of 65, and gentle
northerly winds.
District Guard Budget
Asks $2,500,000 for
Airfield of Its Own
Increase of 391% Over
'48 Sought for Unit's
Operating Expenses
The District National Guard,
having been told by the Army
that it cannot continue indefi
nitely to keep its air units at An
drews Field, is asking the Dis
trict taxpayers for $2,500,000 to
spend in the fiscal year 1949 on
an airfield of its own.
For the local guard units oper
ating expenses, Brig. Gen. Albert
L. Cox seeks $337,037. This is” an
increase of 391 per cent over the
$68,600 on which the Guard is
operating in the current fiscal year,
in which no money is being spent
on capital outlay. Most of this
operating increase results from the
unit's occupation last spring of the
new Armory at Nineteenth and B
streets S.E.
The ariport plan, however, brings
the total appropriation request to
40 times the amount being spent
this year.
As they viewed the scheme against
the chilling background of "next
year’s total budget estimate of some
$144,000,000, District officials pri
vately expressed the view that the
request could not be granted.
Assuming the $2,500,000 were
available yesterday as to what the
airport might be expected to cost
by the time it was completed. Next
year's appropriation request is only
for buying the land and starting
tunou uuuuu.
Gen. Cox, in his request, contem
plates the possibility that the air-:
port eventually "may be established;
in combination and co-operation1
with other District of Columbia, |
Federal. State, county and other
agencies which may have an in-]
terest therin.”
Gen. Cox was not available for1
comment last night, but Col. Pey
i ton Nevitt, adjutant general of the
1 Guard, said it was felt such a field
• See BUDGET, fcage A-5J
WhattheRussians
Are Saying of Us:
The Moscow radio, broadcasting
! in Czech and Slovak last week to
! Europe, said:
"The entire economic policy
of the British and Americans is
*.to conceal their real intention
under false phrases about the
need to maintain German econ
omy for the reconstruction of
war-ravaged European countries,
i and render deliveries to the So
! viet Union and other countries
impossible, thus violating the
Crimean and Potsdam agree
ments concerning the economic
; disarmament of Germany and
] reparations to countries sufler
| ing from Hitler's aggression,
i “American expansionists spec
ulate with the difficulties that are
5 being experienced by the coun
{ tries of Western Europe, and
j stubbornly fulfill Truman’s doc
j trine which is based on the
i endeavors of United States capi
I talist monopolies to achieve world
' domination.”
1
Manager of Grocery
Is Robbed of $3,000
In View of Customers
Holdup Man Threads
Way Through Crowd
In Store and Escapes
A shabby bandit robbed a
Northeast Washington grocery
manager of about $3,000 at gun
point yesterday afternoon with
in view of more than 50 custom
ers and clerks.
The Acme chain store at 1531 F
street N.E. was crowded with shop
ping housewives in the usual Satur
day rush at 4:25 p.m., witnesses told
police, when the robber walked in,
threaded his way through the cus
tomers and clerks to the store's
office where he committed the hold
up.
In the rear of the store, he walked
up to a mezzanine office where the
manager, Francis Feagan, 42, of 1510
D street S.E., was counting the day's
receipts preparatory to depositing
the money in a bank.
TT’o q rro n coirl fVan eVtAHAfl
a .45 caliber pistol at him and
growled:
“You don’t want to die. do you?"
"No!” the manager said he re
plied.
"Well, keep quiet then,” the bandit
commanded.
The holdup man then scooped up
the bills, stuffed them into his
pocket and calmly walked back
through the store and out the front
door.
Late last night a wide police
search was under way for him after
several customers described him. He
was said to be about 37 to 40 years
old, 5 feet 8 inches tall, 190 to 200
pounds, unshaven, wearing a tan
cap, tan coat and dark trousers.
Policeman Oscar Rehbein, of the
Ninth Precinct, said Mr. Feagan
began to shout and gave the alarm
j as soon as the bandit had cleared the
front door.
2 of 3 Police Benefit
Groups Here Employ
No Outside Auditors
Fisher Found in Arrears;
Heads Promise Tighter
Financial Supervision
Only one of the three police
benefit associations in Washing
ton, with funds totaling more
than $625,000. hires outside audi
tors to check its accounts.
This came to light as attention!
centered yesterday on police associa- ;
tions in view of an announcement
that complete audits are being made
into accounts of Pvt. Oscar L.
Fisher of No. 4 Precinct.
Pvt. Fisher, veteran desk clerk and
precinct collector for three associa
tions, killed himself September 18.
His monthly collections ranged from
$350 to $370, officials estimated. As
a result of the current audits, asso
ciation heads promised tighter fi
nancial supervision and more effi
cient record keeping.
None of the three associations has
strictly enforced its rules for exact,
prompt monthly collection reports
from precinct stations, officials ad
mitted.
16 Policemen Handle Payments.
Money from payment of dues is
handled In the first instance by 16
policemen appointed by the associa
tion officers as unit collectors at each
precinct and department bureau
office. Most of them are desk clerks
at the precinct stations. These 16
men take In a total of approximately
$99,400 a year, or at the rate of;
almost $8,300 a month.
Figures on amounts received I
mnnthlv hv onrVi n nit pnllonfAr nrern
not available. The amount, associa
tion officials explained, depends on I
the number of association members
in each precinct or bureau. The
average unit collection for the larger
precincts was estimated at about
$4,500 a year or in the neighborhood
of $370 a month.
Audits thus far have disclosed
Pvt. Fisher was from one to four
months behind ifi turning over dues
collections to the three associations,
officers reported. It had not been
determined to what extent this sit
uation might be attributed to money
not collected by Pvt. Fisher, checks
he may not have cashed at the time
of his death, or funds and papers
in his desk,or at his home.
Department officials said examina
tions to date have not uncovered
actual shortages. The amount of
money apparently not yet officially
received in collections due the asso-,
ciations for the back months totaled
about $760, they said. If this repre
sents a shortage the associations
will not lose because it could be
j covered by benefits that would have
been paid out to Pvt. Fisher’s sur
vivors, they declared.
Thorough Check Being Made.
A shortage of approximately $145
apparently existed at one time in
Destrict Welfare funds handled by
Pvt. Fisher, a department official
said. This was made up by men at
No. 4 Precinct, he disclosed.
The* District Auditor’s office an
nounced it is making a “complete
and thorough check” but thus far
has found the District funds in order.
These funds are principally amounts
paid to the precinct station by
’ (See POLICE, Page A-7.)
air v
Well Treated, 3 U. S. Soldiers
Say After Release by Yugoslavs
(Picture on Page A.-6.)
By th» Associated Press
TRIESTE, Sept. 27.—Three United
j States soldiers in Yugoslav captivity
since Monday returned to the free
territory unscathed tonight, riding
their own horses and followed by
their big black mongrel mascot, Tiny.
They said they had been well treat
! ed.
The men were First Lt. William
van Atten of East Orange, N. J.;
Pfc. Earl G. Hendrick, jr„ of 1129
Sixteenth street South, Arlington,
Va., and Pfc. Glen A. Meyer, of
Edgerlev, N. D.
They rode back to Outpost No. 5
I on the territorial border, where they
had been captured Monday, from
the Yugoslav village of Vipaco,
about 15 miles from Trieste. They
were given an immediate physical
6heck in an ambulance, hurried to
the outpost and then were brought
here for interrogation.
In a short interview, the lieutenant
said the Yugoslavs treated them
well, took no personal belongings
and questioned them only twice. He
l
| said their only complaint was bed
bugs.
He reported the only explanation
the Yugoslavs gave for their cap
ture at gunpoint was that they had
“stepped over the line.” Lt. Van
Atten said he still believed he was
on his side of the frontier at the
time. He gave this account of the
group’s experiences:
The three were held the first two
{days in Goriano near the border,
! and then, because there was no place
| to shelter their horses there, were
| taken to Vipaco. They were allow
j ed to exercise daily under a light
!guard.
The Yugoslavs fed their dog and
! gave them the same food as Yugo
| slav soldiers—a loaf of bread per
: man every day, sauerkraut mixed
| with flour paste, soup and coffee.
IThey also got Yugoslav cigarettes.
; and liked them.
Before turning them loose, the
| Yugoslavs gave them two leaves of
bread and a generous supply of
cigarettes. Their horseback ride
from Vipaco took two hours, the
lieutenant said.
McGrath to Take
Party Helm as
Hannegan Quits
Senate Democrats
Hail Indorsement;
Team Work Forecast
(Picture on Page A-3.)
WALLACE WILL OPPOSE Truman
in Oregon Primary in May. P. A-S.
By J. A. O'Leary
When Senator McGrath of
Rhode Island, slated to succeed
Robert E. Hannegan as chair
man of the Democratic National
Committee takes over his new
duties next month, it is expected
that close teamwork between
Democratic party leaders in and
out of Congress will be assured
during the 1948 election battle.
Mr. Hannegan. who will remain in
the Cabinet as Postmaster General,
announced doctors have directed
him to limit his activities. Presi
dent Truman has indicated approval
of Senator McGrath for party chair
man, Mr. Hannegan revealed.
Senator McGrath’s election is ex
pected as a formality when the Na
tional Committee meets at the May
flower Hotel October 29 to pick a
city for the 1948 Democratic national
convention and lay the groundwork
for Mr. Truman’s re-election cam
paign.
Gael Sullivan, executive director
of the national committee, also an
nounced his resignation, although ha
had been urged by Senator McGrath
to stay. Both the Senator and Mr.
Sullivan are natives of Rhode Is
idud, sea scnooimates. Mr. sum
van said he will make known his
future plans before the October 29
meeting
The prospective new chairman an
nounced he wih stay in the Senate
and accept no salary from the Demo
cratic National Committee. The.e
are precedents in both parties for
his decision to remain a Senator.
Former Secretary of State Cordell
Hull was Democratic national chair
man while a member of the House.
The late Senator Fess of Ohio,
headed the Republican Committee
during the Hoover administration,
and, more recently, Speaker Martin
of Massachusetts was Republican
National Chairman from 1940 to
1942.
Senator McGrath agreed that
selection of a member of Congress
should contribute to close co-opera
| tion between the national committee
' and the party in Congress.
I This view was shared by Senator
O’Mahoney, Democrat, of Wyoming,
who said “the immediate effect will
be to bring about complete under
standing between the executive and
legislative branches with the na
tional committee. The Wyoming
Senator said this was not to imply
there has been anything lacking in
that respect, but added, "we start
out with that opportunity for unity.’*
Senator McGrath made it clear,
[however, that Ills job will be "to
j organize the party, not the Con
! gress.”
| Senator O’Mahoney described the
i prospective new chairman as “vigor
j ous, of progressive views, able and
'intelligent.” Other comments were:
l fionofne* T lion c r\nm/\o«*n ♦ nr Till _
1 nois—“He is youthful enough to give
the national committee the drive and
impetus that will lead us to victory
(See DEMOCRATS, 1Page~A-7.) ~
Massachusetts Chairman
To Back McGranery
By th« Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 27.—John
Cahill, Democratic State chairman
of Massachusetts, said here tonight
he will lead a campaign in the
Democratic National Committee to
elect Federal Judge James J. Mc
Granery, of Philadelphia, Demo
I cratic National chairman as the
'successor tp Robert E. Hannegan.
! Mr. Cahill, declining to name any
! national committee members who
' would support Judge McGranery,
said he "knows of a great many.’*
He stipulated that he was not op
j posed to Senator McGrath, of Rhode
| Island, whom he described as “an
able, active and- militant Democrat.
Judge McGranery, formerly a
special assistant to the United
States attorney general and for 10
years a member of Congress, has
agreed to resign if he is named
party chairman, Mr. Cahill said,
adding:
"I understand he has heen asked
j by the president if he would accept
| the post.”
r~---1
Armed Victorious;
Maryland Wins;
GU and GW Bow
College football crowded the wan
| ing baseball season into the back
j ground yesterday, but had to share
! the spotlight with horse racing.
Armed whipped Assault by six
lengths in their “race-of-the-year”
for a $100,000 purse before a crowd
; of 51,573 at Belmont Park.
At least a half dozen nationally
prominent elevens found themselvsp
among the beaten. In the group waa
I Navy, which took a 14-7 drubbing
| from California. Maryland upset
South Carolina, 19-13, but Georg*
! Washington was overpowered by
'; Virginia, 33-13, and Georgetown lost
I to Wake Forest last night, 6 to 0.
Army, with only three veteran*
.back from its 1946 team, beat Vil
la nova. 13-0. North Carolina, beaten
by Georgia in the Sugar Bowl last
January, rallied to hand the Bull
dogs a 14-7 setback. One of th*
day’s biggest surprises was Vander
bilt's 3-0 victory over Northwestern.
In another upset, L. S. U. scored
twice in the last quarter to beat
Rice, 21 to 14.
i On the baseball front here Ted
Williams cracked out his 32d homer
of the season as the Boston Red
Sox routed the Nationals 8-1. Stan
Spence’s round-tripper saved th*
: Nats from a whitewash. (Detail*
in Sports Section.)
\