Evening star. [volume], April 05, 1948, Image 1

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

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British Order Fighter Escorts
After Airliner and Red Plane
Collide Over Berlin, Killing 15
Soviet Craft Clips
Big Ship's Wing,
Sending Both Down
BULLETIN
BERLIN (A5).—The office of
the British commander for
Germany announced tonight
that British planes coming
into Berlin will have fighter
escorts until assurance is re
ceived that Soviet planes “will
not again endanger British
flights.” A spokesman for
Gen. Sir Brian Robertson, the
British commander, said the
Soviet fighter which smashed
into a British transport today
was in a British area illegally.
Gen. Robertson carried a pro
test to the Russian com
mander, Marshal Vassily So
kolovsky.
By th« Associated Press
BERLIN, April 5.—A British
transport piane crashed in
flames today after colliding with
a Russian fighter craft, British
authorities announced. The
British plane, a Viking, carried
10 passengers and 4 crewmen.
RAF officers said all 14 were
killed. Two of the passengers were
Americans.
The Russian fighter also crashed,
killing the pilot.
The transport, belonging to the
British European Airways, crashed
as it was about to make a landing
after a flight from London.
RAF officials said the planes fell
when their wdngs hit.
Fall Near Spandau Prison.
Both dropped near the Spandau
International prison, which holds
the Nuernberg war crimes trial de
fendants who drew penitentiary
terms. Spandau is on the edge of
Berlin.
There have been frequent rumors
in Berlin that Soviet fighters were
diving on American and British
planes, but there was no immediate
indication whether this was true
today.
In London, the airline said the
crash occurred after the Russian
fighter flew across the transport's
nose.
German police reported the fight
er plane fell into the Heerstrasse,
A main street in the British sector
of Berlin, and the Russian pilot
was killed.
The fighter clipped one wing oft
the British Viking.
Two Americans Aboard.
The British Press Association said
American passengers aboard the
plane were a Sergt. Pintus and Mrs.
J. Clough. Their addresses and
further identification were not im
mediately available.
A list of the other passengers, as
issued by the Press Association, in
cluded a Londoner named Hald, Miss
J, Shea, n Mr. Roberts of the Ger
man section of the British Foreign
Office, S. J. Sticking. Capt. Flemings,
Robert Collier, who was a British
correspondent for the British United
Press, H. Read-Jahm and a Mr.
Lewin. It said Mr. Read-Jahm and
Mr. Lewin boarded the plane at
Hamburg.
Collision Over Border.
Apparently the collision took place
almost exactly over the borderline
of the British sector of Berlin and
the Soviet zone of Germany.
A German who saw the planes
fall said the Russian craft did not
burst into flames, but came down
with terrific force. He said the
crash took place almost exactly at
2:05 p.m. (8:05 a.m. EST.), which
was the time the passenger plane
was due to arrive at the RAF's
Gatow Airfield.
A dozen Soviet officers went to the
spot in the British sector where
their fighter came down, but made
no comment. German police pried
the pilot’s body from the wreck
age.
The British plane came down in
Soviet-occupied territory.
Soviet soldiers barred every one
from getting near the wreckage,
which was spread over a wide arqa.
Gart Stindt, American newsreel
iSee PLANE. Page A-6.)
U. S. Carrier Force
To Visit Norway Soon
•y th# As»ociot#d Pr*s*
Six American fighting ships in a
carrier task force wjll go to Norway
this month on a goodwill visit, the
Navy announced today.
This demonstration of American
might comes amid widespread
rumors that Russia may bring pres
sure on Norway for a mutual defense
treaty such as she has called for
from Finland.
The 20,000-ton Essex class carrier
Valley Forge, the 6,000-ton antiair
craft cruiser Fresno and four de
stroyers will visit Bergen, Norway,
from April 29 to May 2.
The vessels will go to Norway
after three of them pay a visit to
Southern England April 18 to 26.
The Navy’s announcement said
the visit will be “in continuation of
the Navy’s policy of making visits
to friendly countries for the promo
tion of good will and the furtherance
of friendly relations."
The Valley Forge is in the Med
iterranean for exercises. She is on
a round-the-world trip from China
with the American West Coast as
her ultimate destination. She
passed through the Suez Canal Sat
urday.
The carrier and two escorting de
stroyers. the W. C. Lawe and the
Lloyd Thomas, already have visited
Australia, India and the Persian
Oulf.
»---■" ■' ■ --—
20 Killed in Alexandria, Egypt,
As Troops Battle Striking Police
Civilian Looters and Hoodlums Roam City,
100 Buildings Fired, Property Loss in Millions
By the Associated Press
ALEXANDRIA. Egypt. April 5.
—Seven policemen and 13 civil
ians were slain in Alexandria
today as a police strike left
Egypt's second largest city ter
i rorized by looting mobs.
| Scores were wounded. More than
1100 buildings were set ablaze.
Troops, trying to maintain order,
l opened fire three times after being
stoned by screaming demonstrators.
The fate of Prime Minister Nckra
| shy Pasha’s government hung m the
'balance. Political opponents seized
the strike issue to stir up agitation
for his removal by King Farouk.
Alexandria’s police struck in a
demand for higher wages and better j
working conditions. They werej
joined by many police in Cairo and
the Suez Canal region, who walked
out in a sympathy strike.
The underworld of Alexandria,
toughest in all Egypt, ran wild dur
ing the morning. Hoodlums looted
and burned the shopping district.
According to unofficial estimates,
property damage ran into millions
of dollars.
Three thousand policemen, Alex
andria’s entire police force, walked
out this morning, demanding higher
wages and improved working con
ditions. Hundreds of police also
struck in Cairo, protesting a pro
posed transfer of some officers to
villages and asking more pay.
Gangs of hoodlums, including
teen-age boys, smashed shops and
set streetcars ablaze in Alexandria.
The mid-day train to Cairo was
raided and all passengers forced to
get off. Looters stormed through the
coaches, snatching furnishings and
baggage.
Firebugs set the police station and
the customs warehouse in the harbbr
district ablaze and they were burn
ing fiercely.
Two policemen and a 13-year-old
student died of wounds suffered
when troop® fired into a mob in Mo
hamed Aly Square, Alexandria’s
main square.
Ai> army officer was beaten un
conscious by civilians armed with
sticks and stones. Nineteen other
casualties also were hospitalized.
Two hundred police of the station
near the royal polace and the per
sonnel of the fire brigade at Cairo’s1
main station joined the Cairo strik
ers after appeals. Traffic became
snarled as traffic police began walk
ing off the job.
There were demonstrations in
both places, with civilians rallying
to the side of the strikers.
The army took over at once in
both cities, the largest in Egypt.
Armored cars took up stations near
government buildings in Cairo.
In Alexandria the striking police
paraded through the city shouting
their demands. In Cairo a civilian
(crowd staged a poo-police demon
stration near strike headquarters.
They shouted: “Down with No
krashy.” They helped the strikers
seize four police trucks.
The total number of strikers in
Cairo- was not known, but nearly
500 assembled at strike headquar
ters.
Soviet Bid for Talks
On Berlin Accepted
By U. S. and Britain
Full Four-Power Parley
On Russian Railway
Restrictions Sought
•y th* Aiseciattd Prtu
BERLIN. April 5.—British au
thorities accepted today a Soviet
offer to talk over the Allied dead
lock over Russian restrictions on
railroad traffic to and from Ber
lin. They suggested a full four
power meeting.
The United States previously had
accepted the Russian proposal for
discussion of these restrictions.
The controls, on traffic through
the Soviet occupation zone, had
forced suspension of Allied military
rail traffic between Berlin and the
western occupation zones.
The Russians wanted to board
and inspect such trains. The west
ern powers refused to let them.
Freight Trains Go Through.
Regularly scheduled passenger
trains still were suspended today,
but Allied freight trains were get
ting through to Berlin.
In his answer to the Russians.
Maj. Gen. N. C. D. Brownjohn,
British deputy military governor,
accepted their invitation for the
British.
Then he remarked he understood
the United States and French had
received similar offers to discuss
the regulations.
"I would suggest, therefore,” Gen
Brownjohn said, "that it would save
time if representatives of all four
commanders discuss the question to
gether."
If the Russians should agree to
this, it would result in the first
four-power meeting on the German
control since the Russians walked
out on the Allied Control Council
March 20.
The Americans brought another
freight train through the Russian
zone to supply their forces in Ber
lin today.
The 52-car military freight from
the west carried food, oil and other
supplies. It passed through Soviet
territory on presentation of cargo
manifest documents and without on
train inspection—such as the Rus
(See BERLIN. Page A-5.1
Picket Captain Wounded
At Omaha Meat Plant
ly the Associated Press
OMAHA. April 5.—A picket was
shot in the thigh today in the first
violence of the packing house strike
here.
Acting Police Chief Henry Bosen
said Jesse Foster, 38, a picket cap
tain, was shot when he attempted to
prevent a woman from going to work
at the Armour & Co. plant.
Bulletins
Atomic Plan Shelved
LAKE SUCCESS <*\ — A
United Nation* committee to
day shelved Russia’s atomic
control plan as . inadequate
and unrealistic. The vote was
9 to 2. Russia and the Soviet
Ukraine voted against the
majority.
(Earlier Story on Page A-3.)
Woman Burns to Death
Mrs. Richard H. Lester. 40,
wife of a Virginia State police
man, stationed at Groveton,
was burned to death this aft
ernoon in a fire at her home,
20 West Maple street, Alexan
dria. Firemen said Mrs. Les
! ter’s body was found in a sit
ting position on the sofa in her
1 living room.
Krupp and 11 Aides
Cleared by U. S. Court
Of War Conspiracy
Munitions Firm Officials
Still Face Charges of
Plunder, Slave Labor
Vy thy Associated h|u
NUERNBERG, Germany, April
5.—Alfred Krupp von Bohlen und
Halbfcch and 11 other directors
of the ttrupp munitions Combine
were acquitted by an American
court today on two of four war
crimes charges.
The tribunal cleared all 12 of
the charges that they committed
crimes against peace and that they
participated In a conspiracy against
peace.
They still face two charges—
plunder and spoliation of conquered
nations, and deportation, exploi
tation and abuse of slave labor.
The group pleaded not guilty last
November 17.
Acquittal was asked by the de
fense in a motion filed March 19.
“Disappointment” to Taylor.
Presiding Judge H. C. Anderson
of Jackson, Tenn., announced the
acquittal decisions after a four-hour
conference of the court.
Brig. Gen. Telford Taylor, chief
United States war crimes prosecutor,
said the ruling “is a disappoint
ment.”
The first count of the indictment
charged the Krupp officials with
taking part in launching invasions
against other countries and wars of
aggression in violation of interna
tional laws and treaties.
They were accused of systemat
ically violating the German arma
ment restrictions of the Versailles
Treaty to help Hitler build up a
powerful war machine. The Krupp
firm also was charged with using its
international connections for spying
and for spreading Nazi propaganda
abroad.
The fourth count charged con
spiracy with various other persons
“during a period of years” to commit
these crimes against peace.
Both counts are now dismissed.
Krupp, the principal defendant,
(See KRUPP, Page A-6.)
Russian Officer Found
Dead in British Zone
fty the Associated Press
BERLIN. April 5 —The body of a
Russian officer wa$ found today in
the British sector of Berlin. Ger
man police reports said the body
was on tracks of an electric railway
and the officer may have been elec
trocuted.
A British announcement said the
cause of death had not been de
termined, but it was established that
no British personnel were involved.
Star to Provide News Program
Foif WRUL Overseas Broadcast
The World Wide Broadcasting
Foundation has chosen The Star to
co-operate in weekly news broad
casts from Washington to short
wave listeners abroad beginning
Friday, Walter S. Lemmon, Founda
tion president and founder, an
nounced yesterday.
The Star was selected because of
its objective presentation of na
tional and world news, Mr. Lem
mon said. The 15-minute pro
grams every Friday will originate
in the new Washington studio of
the Foundation’s Station WRUL.
The nonprofit, independent sta
tion. which also has studios in Bos
ton and New York, beams news and
educational programs to Europe,
the Middle East and Latin Amer
ica to further international under
standing *nd good will.
The news broadcasts from Wash
ington will reflect The Star as it has
treated national and world events
each week. Size of the potential
audience is indicated in a ’United
Nations survey report that there are
8,000,000 receiving sets with short
wave dials in use throughout Eu
rope, Mr. Lemmon said.
Bill Coyle, radio director of The
Star, will have charge of the news
programs, which will be timed to
reach Europe at 9:45 pm. and re
peated for Latin America by trans
cription at 5:36 o'clock the same
evening.
First-hand reports by staff
specialists on news developments
and by some of the personalities
involved are contemplated. The
programs are designed to encourage
the dissemination of factual news
(Sea BROADCASTS, Page A-4.)
Truman to Speed ERP
With Quick Selection
Of Program Director
May Send Nomination
To Senate Tomorrow;
Interim Setup Delayed
President Truman expects to
name a director of the European
Recovery Program very soon,
possibly tomorrow, the White
House disclosed today.
Charles G. Ross, White House
press secretary, told reporters he
was not certain that the nomina
tion could be sent to the Senate
tomorrow J)ut indicated strong hope
that it would be.
“The nomination will be made
just as soon as possible,” Mr. Ross
said.
The ERP director will administer
the future program of economic as
sistance to 16 Western European na
tions and W**t*rn Germany which
Congress authorised last week.
A roving ambassador also Is to be
named by the President to super
vise activities of the recovery agency
abroad. Mr. Roes said the Presi
dent was not yet ready to announce
that appointment, and said he did
not know whether the director and
roving ambassador might be named
at the same time.
Hope to Avoid Controversy.
Recent speculation has centered
on Paul G. Hoffman, president of
the Studebaker Corp., as the man
most likely to be named director of
ERP, with Lewis W. Douglas, now
American Ambassador to Great
Britain, commonly mentioned for
the roving ambassadorship.
Indications were that the Presi
dent hoped by prompt appointment
of an ERP director to avoid con
troversy over designation of some
; Government agency to begin ad
ministration of the program on an
interim basis.
It had been reported earlier the
White House might issue an Execu
tive order today designating an
Interim administrative setup, with
the Reconstruction Finance Corp.
and the Export-Import Bank being
mentioned as possibilities lor the Job
as well as the State Department.
Such action was understood to be
unlikely now, however, in view of
the expected early nomination of
director.
Five Nations to Get Help.
Five countries are due to receive
the first help under the new
$6,098,000,000 foreign aid program.
They are Italy, France, Austria, the
Netherlands and Greece.
Shipments of food, fuel and pos
sibly some Industrial supplies are
considered of the utmost urgency
(See FOREIGN AID, Page A-4.)
High Court Denies Review
Of Rubinstein Conviction
ly the A*sociot«d Pr*s*
Serge M. Rubinstein, Russian
born international financier, today
was denied a Supreme Court review
of his conviction on a charge of
violating the Selective Service Act.
Rubinstein was accused of filing
false statements with his draft
board. These included assertions
that he was essential to wartime
operations of some of the companies
he controlled.
He was sentenced in Federal
Court in New York City to two and
one-half years in prison and was
fined $50,000.
---1
/ YEAH!.. AND
SOMEBODY
BETTER START
% PICKING IT 4
HEY-LOOK!
SOMEBODY
KICKED IT
^ OVER!
\V'"—\r'.. rr
500 Huge Trucks
Line Turnpike as
Drivers Sit Down
By tht Aisocioted Brass
CARLISLE. Pa., April 5.— More
than 500 big trailer-trucks were
lined along a 12-mile stretch of the
Pensylvania Turnpike today in what
drivers said was a "sit-down” pro
test against Pennsylvania’s truck
weight laws.
The trucks began stopping last
night near the Eastern end of the
$70,000,000 toll road. The number
increased in the early morning j
hours as drivers of the first vehicles ;
flagged down others.
Mark Holliday of Somerset, one
of the drivers, said they were pro- 1
testing against a Pennsylvania law:
which limits gross weight of trucks
to 45,000 pounds.
Mr. Holliday said some of the
vehicles themselves weigh 25,000
pounds and drivers want the law
changed to permit pay loads of
35,000 pounds.
Wisconsin’s Primary
Tomorrow Could Chill
Two Candidacies
I
Dewey-Stassen Fight for
Runnerup to MacArthur
Vital to Their Future
By Gould Lincoln
Star Staff Corratpondmnf
MILWAUKEE, April 5.—Voters
of Wisconsin go to the polls to
morrow in a Republican primary j
which may “make” a presiden
tial nominee, and “break” one—
or even two—candidates for the
nomination.
The consensus is that Gen. Mac- j
Arthur will win a majority of the
27 delegates to the Republican
National Convention, for whom he
is contesting with Gov. Dewey of
New York and former Gov. Harold
E. Stassen of Minnesota.
The MacArthur candidacy has
mushroomed into major proportions j
in this State since the general, a
short time ago, announced his will
ingness to accept >a presidential
nomination. It is an emotional af
fair, bolstered primarily by Wiscon
sin's pride in Gen. MacArthur’s
record as a war leader and as an
administrator in Japan. It has
been fostered, too, by a growing;
fear among the people that war
with Russia is on the way. They j
look to Gen. MacArthur to main
tain peace, and if that be not pos
sible, to win a war.
The MacArthur drive has gone
forward largely under the direction
of former Gov. Phil La Follette, a
wartime public relations colonel on
Gen. MacArthur s staff. The Mac
Arthur “organization,” such as it is,
consists of conservative Republicans,
foimer La Follette progressives, iso
lationists and American Firsters.
The makeup of the MacArthur dele
gate ticket is incredibly incon
gruous.
Hearst Paper Plugs General.
The campaign for Gen. MacArthur
has been pressed by William Ran
dolph Hearst's Milwaukee Senti
nel—and Hearst papers throughout
the country—and by Col. Robert R.
McCormick’s Chicago Tribune, which
circulates widely in Wisconsin. Day
after day, the Sentinel has given
two, three and four pages of space
to news stories, feature stories and
editorials favoring Gen. MacArthur.
Because the MacArthur boom is
largely emotional, it is difficult to
gauge its strength. "Every one” says
the general is going over big—that
he may even make a clean sweep
and take all 27 delegates. But no
one “knows” for sure.
Of the three candidates, Gov.
Dewey is the most modest in his
claims. In fact, he makes no claims.
Admittedly, according to his inti
mates, he would not have entered
the Wisconsin primary had he
known that the State's “favorite
son." Gen. MacArthur. was going
in. Making a poor mouth, his sup
porters say they would be delighted
to take six of the delegates and to
run second to Gen. MacArthur.
All important supporters take this
attitude except State Senator Bern
hard (Benny) Gettelman of Mil
waukee. Senator Gettelman has
been a prominent Dewey supporter
ever since the New Yorker made his
(See LINCOLN, Page A-6.)
Trailed and Seized
By Victims, Boxer
Admits 4 Holdups
Carried Cap Gun, Knife;
Five Others Robbed Over
Week End to View Suspect
A 22-year-old prize fighter
who sought his prizes on the
highways rather than in the
ring was arrested at Logan Cir
cle early today and Inspector
Robert S. Bryant, chief of de
tectives, said he admitted hav
ing staged a series of four hold
ups shortly before his capture.
The prisoner is Calvin Edward
Davis, colored, 1600 block of Tenth
street N.W. He said he fights in the
ring under the name of “Kid” Davis
and won 22 fights before he was
knocked out last February.
Knocked Out in Fight.
The District Boxing Commission
said Its records show a Calvin E.
Davis registered last February 8
for a four-round preliminary that
night. He was knocked out in the
first round. According to the com
mission, that was Davis’ only pro
fessional fight in the District.
Police summoned the victims of
five other holdups Saturday night
and early Sunday morning to see if
they could identify Davis.
Charged with robbery, Davis
pleaded not guilty before Municipal
Judge George D. Neilson and was
held for the grand Jury under *10,
000 bond.
His arrest was brought about
when some one called police after
seeing three men grappling with
Davis on Logan Circle. Two police
cruisers arrived promptly and seized
Davis. Police said he had a large
cap pistol on the side of which was
lettered “Army .45.” and an open
penknife in his pocket.
Boy, 16, Robbed of $2.
The holdup series, which police
said Davis admits, began at 12:40
a.m. when George V. Johnson. 16,
colored, of the 1600 block of Twelfth
street N.W., was robbed of *2 in the
1000 block of Q street N.W.
The next victim was Richard B.
Cupit, 25, of the 1600 block of Six
teenth street N.W. He was held up
in the same block of Q street. When
the holdup man demanded Mr.
Cupit’s money he put his hand In
his side pocket where he had a roll
of bills.
The highwayman curtly ordered
Mr. Cupit to keep his hands up and
then took his wallet from a hip
pocket. The wallet contained no
money and was returned.
Five minutes later Ernest Scott,
26, colored, of the 1300 block of
Twelfth street N.W.. was held up at
Twelfth and O streets and robbed of
$2.
The holdup man, trailed by Mr.
Tsee~HOLDUP, Page A-6T>'
Mother Sees Truck Kill Girl, 10,
Crossing Road to School Bus
Screams Warning
To Child; Driver
Faces 3 Charges
A 10-year-old Prince Georges
County schoolgirl was killed in
stantly today when struck by a truck
as she crossed the road in front of
her home to board an Oxon Hill
school bus.
The girl. Rose Marie Thome, was
the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wil
liam P. Thome, 8191 Livingston
road Broad Creek. A fourth-grade
pupil, she celebrated her birthday
only five days ago.
She was hit as her mother, Mrs.
Daisy Thome, screamed to warn
her. A moment earlier the girl had
protested to her mother about going
to school while a brother, William,
jr., 13. and sister, Cecilia Elizabeth,
12, remained home because of ill
ness.
Driver of the truck was listed by
Upper Marlboro police as Clemmer
Basil Nills, 37, Waldorf, lumber
dealer. He was charged with man
slaughter. failing to stop for a
school bus and having inadequate
brakes. Bond was set at 81,000, and
a hearing in Upper Marlboro Police
Court was tentatively aet for next
Monday.
Nills’ truck glanced against the j
side of the bus after striking the
girl, but none of the bus occupants
was injured. Among the 12 children*
I
ROSE MARIE THORNE.
on the bus was Howard Thome,
jr., 16, cousin of the victim, who
had boarded it ahead of her.
The empty truck was traveling
toward the bus from the opposite
direction.
The Thornes have two other chil
dren, Charles Richard, 5, and
Ronald Eugene, 2. Mr. Thome Is
employed at the Naval Powder Fac
tory at Indian Head, Md.
Driver of the school bus was listed
as Merrill Thome, of Oxon Hill. He
is not a relative, members of the
victim's family said.
Order to Halt Strike
Is Served on Lewis;
Miners Remain Idle
UMW Chief Expected
To Ask Dissolution
Of Injunction
By James Y. Newton
John L. Lewis today accepted
service of a District Court order
directing him and the United
Mine Workers to end "forthwith”
their 22-day soft coal strike and
the mine operators to bargain
with the union on the strike
causing pension dispute.
Deputy Marshals H. B. McCauley
and Michael Colasanto arrived at
UMW headquarters with the court
papers a few minutes after Mr.
Lewis had walked into the build
ing. The marshals left shortly after
telling reporters the Mr. Lewis ac
cepted service at 11:22 a.m.
As he arrived at his office, Mr.
Lewis gave a "no comment" answer
to all questions regarding what
his next step would be in the court
battle with the Government.
May Ask Voiding Of Order.
Federal officials expected Mr.
Lewis to send his attorneys into
court with a petition to dissolve
Justice Matthew F. McGuire's
strike-restraining order. Most offi
cials looked for the union to bat
tle the Taft-Hartley Act injunction
all the way through the courts.
Meanwhile, the coal industry ex
pected few if any of the 400,000
miners to return to work today and
early reports from the coal fields
bore out that expectation. Con
tinuation of the walkout another
day hardly would constitute defi
ance of Justice McGuire’s order
since official notification of the or
der was late in reaching Mr. Lewis.
He accepted service both for him
self as president of the union and
for the UMW itself.
United States marshals were busy
in a dozen coal producing States
serving similar papers on the 100
or so operators and their associa
tions named as defendants by Jus
tice McGuire.
Justice Department attorneys de
scribed today in the coal strike as
one of “watchful waiting.”
Operators Study Action.
The coal operators refused com
ment pending study of the court
action. Chief negotiators for the
mine owners were gathering here in
preparation for the negotiations on
the dispute over a pension for the
miners, as ordered by the court.
No one knew Just when such ne
gotiations would start or even if
they would be held at all. Oper
ators earlier told Mr. Lewis they
would discuss any contract griev
ances provided the miners first re
turned to work.
Although the owners opened the
mines for work, many of the UMW
leaders said both publicly and pri
vately there would be no return to
work today. They declined to say
what would happen beyond that
point.
Contempt Action Possible.
A problem posed to the Govern
ment was what to do if the miners
still refuse to work even after they
are told to do so by Mr. Lewis and
the other UMW leaders. Federal at
torneys were of the opinion that
(See COAL, Page X-6.>
Finns Return to Moscow
With Pact Instructions
By th« Associated Press
MOSCOW, Apirl 5.—Two mem
bers of Finland's Soviet treaty dele
gation returned here from Helsinki
last night, carrying new instruc
tions.
Urho Kekkonen and J. O. Soed
erhjelm had been in Linland two
days. They returned here on a
Soviet plane.
In Helsinki, some newspapers
predicted the new Finnish-Soviet
treaty, suggested by Prime Minis
ter Stalin, will be completed within
three or four days.
Kekkonen and Soederhjelm took
with them from Helskini a per
sonal letter from President Judo K.
Paasikivi to either Prime Minister
Stalin or Foreign Minister Molotov.
The contents-of the letter and of
the instructions given the two dele
gates were held in the strictest
secrecy.
Fighting Breaks Out
At Nonunion Strips
In West Virginia
By tH« Associated Press
PITTSBURGH, April 5.—Soft -
coal mining remained at &
standstill across the Nation to
day as the United Mine Workers
tacitly answered a Government
anti-strike injunction thus: “No
pension, no work.”
Fighting between roving pickets
and nonunion employes at West
Virginia strip mines disturbed the
walkout calm.
Reports rolling in from State
after State were the same. The coal
diggers — 400.000 UMW members
across the Nation—chose not to
work.
West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ala
bama. Tennessee, Maryland, Kan
sas, Missouri, Iowa and Virginia
were among the States reporting
miners still idle.
Electrical Controls Ripped.
Fists swung in West Virginia at a
clash between 100 roving pickets and
employes of a nonunion mine of the
Grafton Coal Co. at Bear Mountain
in Barbour County. A truck driver
was reported hurt. C. E. Compton,
president of the company, said the
pickets ripped out electric controls
at his firm’s tipple, putting it out of
commission.
Officials reported pickets set up
two road blocks in the Clarksburg,
W. Va., region to stop nonunion strip
mining.
On the heels of a free-for-all at
the Grafton Mine, came reports of
fighting around the J. and E. Coal
Company at Lost Creek, Harrison
County, and possible trouble near
Jane Lew, Lewis County.
State Police Sergt. W. E. Murphy
said in Clarksburg that troopers
were on their way to Lost Creek,
where a “pitched battle” was going
on.
Meanwhile, Barbour County Pros
ecutor W. T. George, jr„ said that
steps for warrants naming the pick
ets had been taken in connection
with the Bear Mountain fight.
Shots Fired Into Air.
Mr. Compton of the Gray ton
Coal Co, told Sheriff J. N. Forman
and State Police Sergt. H. D. Ansell
that “three or four” shots were fired
into the air as about 100 pickets
stormed the tipple.
He said the men forced open the
door to power plant controls for
the electrically operated tipple and
told employes that "we will turn to
blow this place sky high if loading
is not stopped.”
A free-for-all between the pickets
and the workers developed and one
company truck driver was reported
hurt.
Meanwhile, United States Steel
was among the latest steel firms to
tighten its belt in the Nation-wide
strike. It shut off the equivalent of
two Pittsburgh area blast furnaces.
It had banked one here previously.
The miners’ apparent refusal to
return to work came despite a Gov
ernment injunction ordering them
to end the walkout.
Virginia Brownout Possible.
A new consumers’ angle was in
jected int othe strike when from
; Richmond came word that a
i brownout on use of electric power
in Virginia may be necessary un
less the soft coal mines shutdown
ends within “the next few days.”
J. G. Holtzclaw, president of the
Virginia Electric & Power Co., was
the man who sounded the warning.
He said Vepco "simply is sitting still
to see what the miners do.”
Members of the State Corpora
tion Commission, meanwhile, dis
cussed coal and power problems.
Judge L. McCarthy Downs, who
supervised imposition of a brown
out order in May, 1946, said he
planned to confer with Federal au
thorities in Washington and with
Vepco officials.
No union local meetings on the
mine walkout were held anywhere
yesterday. Miners rarely act with
out such sessions. The only known
meetings today were scheduled by
; Utah’s miners and one 700-man
local in Library, Pa.
The coal diggers generally said
they wanted some definite work
i return order from Mr. Lewis.
Adolph Pacifico, president of UMW
District 6 at Bellaire, Ohio, said he
' was certain the State’s 18,000 miners
would stay home today.
“The miners seem to have de
cided they’re not going back to
work until the pension dispute is
settled,” he reported.
A UMW leader in Western Penn
sylvania, who declined to petmi,t use
of his name, declared:
"I’ve been doing a little talking
<See~MTNERS," Page A-6?)
New York Bus Walkout
May Spread Tomorrow
By the Associated Press
NEW YORK, April 5.—The 175
drivers of five commuter bus lines
were on strike today, and a work
stoppage of 300 drivers on two Man
hattan bus lines carrying an esti
mated 500,000 passengers dahy was
threatened tomorrow,
A strike started at 1 a m. yester
day on five lines operated from
New York through Bergen County,
N. J., and Rockland County, N. Y.,
by Rockland Coaches, Inc., and four
subsidiary companies. The line*
carry 40,000 passengers a day, mostly
commuters to and from New York.
The drivers, members of Rock
land Lodge No. 329, Brotherhood oI
Railroad Trainmen, struck for an
increase in pay from $1.20 to $1.45
an hour.
The Manhattan stoppage was
threatened on the East Side and
Comprehensive Bus Corp.'s lines.
Austin Hogan, president of Local
100 of the CIO Transport Workers
Union, said yesterday a stoppage is
“a strong possibility” in a dispute
over new work schedules drawn up
by the companies.