Evening star. [volume], April 17, 1948, Image 1

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

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Sunny, windy and cool today, high near 56. Page. Page.
Clear, tonight, low near 35 in city, near 28 Amusements —B-22 Obituary .A-4
with frost in suburbs. Tomorrow, gunny, Church News-A-8-10 Radio .B-21
warmer. (Full report on Page A-2.) Comics -B-20-21 Real Estate .B-l-12
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An Assocfoted Press Ncwspop.*
96th Year. No. 108. Phone NA. 5000. ★★ WASHINGTON, D. C., SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 1948—THIRTY-FOUR PAGES. SundfysT J1.30. Night Pln»l Edition, *1.30 »nd *1.40 p«r Month. 5 CENTS
Italy Is Granted
8 Millions More
In ERP Funds
Additional Aid
Also Approved for
France, Netherlands
ly tht Associated Press
On the eve of the Italian elec
tions, the Economic Co-operation
Administration said today that
$20,424,000 more in food, coal
and other commodities will be
shipped to that country, France
and the Netherlands.
Paul G. Hoffman, ECA chief, said
these shipments will be in addition
to $37,877,000 in aid authorized for
the three countries earlier this week.
The money for purchases comes
from the new European Recovery
Program.
Mr. Hoffman listed these allot
ments to the three countries under
the shipping schedule:
To France: Coal, $5,658,000; wheat
flour, $5,650,000.
To Italy: Coal, $6,000,000; wheat
flour. $1,130,000; soya flour, $410,000;
rolled oats, $562,000.
To the Netherlands; Wheat,
$1,014,000.
The total for France Is $11,308,000
and to Italy $8,102,000.
Third Demand Made.
The western powers, meanwhile,
have made a third demand on Rus
sia for a yes-or-no answer on the
question of returning Trieste to
Italy.
Just an hour after the formal
windup of the Italian campaign, in
which the Communists are bidding
for control, the United States. Brit
ain and France in effect called on
Moscow yesterday to quit stalling
over their proposal to turn Trieste
back to Italy.
The western demand served as a
final reminder to millions of Ital
ians voting tomorrow that Russia
blocks the way to the border city's
return.
In another last-minute move. At
torney General Clark reminded
Italians in a shortwave broadcast
last night that this country had
found it necessary to bar its doors
to Communists.
And he appealed to the Italian
people to return "a resounding vic
tory for God and freedom" in to
morrow's election.
Panyushkin Gets Demand.
The newest demands on Russia
were contained in a note from
Undersecretary of State Lovett to
Soviet Ambassador Alexander S.
Panyushkin.
Mr. Lovett noted that Moscow had
said in a note last Tuesday that the
procedure suggested for returning
the free territory of Trieste was "un
acceptable." In reply, he said that
' (See TRIESTE. Page A-3.>
British Woman Hurt
When Struck by Car
A visiting lecturer from England,
who was to have left Washington
today to visit friends who cared for
her two children during the war,
today was in Georgetown Hospital
instead.
Police said Mrs. Mary E. Henn.
48. of London was struck by a car
as she crossed the street at Western
avenue and Wisconsin avenue N.W.
late last night. Taken to George
town Hospital with cuts on the leg.
she was reported to be in good con
dition today. Police listed driver
of the car as Hadden G. Garvin, 25.
of 3401 East-West highway, Chevy
Chase, Md.
Mrs. Henn. wife of a professor at
Cambridge University, has been in
this country several months on an
exchange fellowship. She had also
given lectures before various wom
en’s organizations. She had been
staying at Mary Graydon Hall at
American University.
A worker in British intelligence
during the war, she was to have left
this morning to visit a family in
New London. Conn., to whom she
had sent her children when war
broke out. Mrs. Henn had planned
to sail for England next week.
Meat Official Expects
Ho Shortage in May
By th® Associated Press
CLEVELAND, April 17.—The out
look for meat, as presented today by
Wesley Hardenbaugh. president of
the American Meat Institute:
“Maybe it's too early to tell, but
if there is a shortage of meats in
May, we in the meat business’shall
be surprises.
“The outlook for the year is that
we shall have a supply of meat
equivalent to 146 pounds per capita.
This compares with 156 in 1947 and
with 138 in the prewar period of
1939-1941. So you can see we are a
little below last year but a little
above a more normal average.
“The greatest reduction will occur
in supplies of beef, veal and lamb.
Pork will be only slightly smaller
than it was in 1947.”
Mr. Hardenbaugh spoke on “Out
look for Meat” at the annual con
vention of the National Restaurant
Association.
He said that “in spite of the par
tial strike in the meat packing in
dustry, meat production has held up
remarkably well. During March It
was only 9 per cent below produc
tion in the same month last year."
Finnish Cabinet to Quit
If Red Pact Isn't Ratified
By th® Associated Press
HELSINKI, Finland. April 17.—
The Finnish Parliament, heading
for a vote April 23 on the proposed
Russian-Finnish treaty, received a
warning last night from Premier
Mauno Pekkala that his cabinet will
resign unless the pact is approved.
The friendship and military as
•istance agreerhent was drafted two
weeks ago in Moscow.
Italians Go to Polls Tomorrow
With Warning Against Fraud
Interior Minister Threatens to Suspend
Election if Voting Is 'Compromised'
•y the Associated Press
ROME, April 17.—Italy’s In
terior Minister held out a threat
today to suspend this week end’s
fateful election “if the liberty of
the vote should be compro
mised.”
The election tomorrow and Mon
day, seating the first Parliament of
the Italian Republic, will test
whether Italy is to line up with
Russia or the West.
A Popular Front led by the Com
munists has striven to oust a mod
erate coalition government under
the Christian Democrats.
Public security forces variously
announced as between 300.000 and
400.000 guarded the election-eve
peace the country over today.
Mario Scelba. whose Interior
Ministry controls police, said in his
last campaign speech here last
; night:
‘ The government will be on the
watch. II the liberty of the vote
should be compromised, it would
2
Press Drive Against
Red-Held Territory
i
Offensive Is Started in
2,000-Square-Mile Area
Of Central Greece
0
ly the Associated Press
ATHENS, April 17.—Lamia
dispatches said today the Greek
Army is pressing its thrust
against more than 2,000 square
miles of rebel-infested territory
in Central Greece.
Several sources said the large
; scale attack was the opening of the
Nationalists’ spring offensive. One
i said 20,000 to 30,000 troops are in
! volved.
The guerrillas were reported sur
prised by the three-sided advance.
National forces are converging to
Iward main rebel bases, and resist
ance in the Ghiona and Vardoussa
Mountains is being smashed.
40 Guerrillas Killed.
In one encounter alone near the
village of Leluda guerrilla losses
were set at 40 dead and 23 captured.
It Is believed there are about 4,000
rebels in the area, which lies north
of the Gulf of Corinth.
The Greek air corps is aiding
mountain artillery and infantry
units in the drive. The operation
is being conducted by Lt. Gen.
Thrasivoulos Tsakalotos, com-1
mander of the 1st Army Corps, with
headquarters in Lamia.
A general staff communique said
fighting was continuing in the;
Drama area, near the Bulgarian1
border. The communique said
guerrillas coming from Bulgarian!
territory counterattacked but were
repelled.
Greek troops began mopping up
in the region after a three-day at-'
t^ck on a guerrilla force estimated
to number between 1.500 and 2,000
Seven loyalists were reported
killed in the operation. Guerrilla;
deaths were set at 182.
Rebel Losses Put at 500.
In Salonika, Col. Temple G. Hol
land of Dallas, Tex., chief American
observer, attached to the Greek 3d
Army, estimated that in four days
of fighting in the Drama area the
guerrillas had a total of 500 casual
ties. or a fourth to a third of the
estimated guerrilla strength in the
area. He estimated Greek Army;
casualties—dead, wounded and miss
ing—at 32.
Greek Army officials In Athens
continued a security blackout on
developments in the reported gen
eral offensive in Central Greece,
i Nothing was announced save for
the terse statement that ‘'opera
tions are proceeding according to
plan.”
U. 5. Citizen Among Four
Ordered to Quit Argentina
By th* Associated Press
BUENOS AIRES. April 17.—Four
foreigners, including a United States
! citizen, reportedly have been or
| dered deported as, undesirables by
I the Argentine government.
The United States citizen, John
Griffith, who is in the import-export
business, said yesterday he and three
others had been ordered to leave.
The four had been held by police
during investigation of a bank
clerks' strike. An Argentine court
freed them yesterday, ruling there
was insufficient evidence.
Mr. Griffith said he was still being
held on the deportation charge.
Such a count can be contested in
court. He is a former cultural at
tache of the American Embassy and
a former University of Southern
California professor.
not hesitate to take the most radical
measures, even the suspension of
the elections.”
He repeated his oft-made charge
that Genoa’s Communist mayor had
issued 30,000 false voting certificates,
three to Soviet employes of the
Genoa Russian Consulate.
But he said the government’s re
cent show of strength had “re
moved fear” from the minds of
Italians. He said measures have
been taken “to assure that the elec
tion will take place in an atmos
phere of freedom.”
The speechmaking campaign
ended apparently in peace, last mid
night and a 32-hour pre-election
cooling-off period began under a
cabinet decree forbidding further
political meetings.
The authoritative Rome news
paper Messagero quoted Christian
Democratic Premier Alcide de Gas
peri as saying in a Naples interview
last night he thought his party
would do better this time than in
(See ITALY, Page A-3^>
Biggest Food Convoy
Arrives for 100,000
Jews in Jerusalem
300 Trucks Roll Into City
Over Highway From Coast;!
Hagana Guards Shipment!
•y the Associated Press
JERUSALEM, April 17.—The
biggest food convoy evgr sent
from Tel Aviv and Palestine
coast points reached Jerusalem’s
hungry Jews today.
Nearly 300 trucks loaded with
flour, meat, vegetables and dairy
products rolled into town for the
otherwise isolated 100,000 Holy City
Jews.
Before the food convoy in Jeru
salem's western outskirts, Arabs
fired a number of mortar shells into
the Holy City's southwest sections,
but no damage was reported.
A strong Hagana (Jewish militia)
guard accompanied the convoy over
the road, which lately has been un
der Arab fire. A small group of pri
ority passengers came with it, in
cluding a number of Jewish Agency
officials and participants in the re
cent Zionist General Council meet
ing at Tel Aviv.
Not a Shot Fired.
The passengers said the trip was
uneventful and not a shot was fired.
The trip appeared to bear out the
Jews' claims yesterday that they
had knifed into Saris, a strategic
village on the route, and had driven
out the Arabs. Saris is between the
hilltop village of Kastel and Latrun.
Both Arabs and Jews continued
to claim victories in fighting at
Mishmar Haemak. a Jewish settle
ment southeast of Haifa on the old
battleground of Armageddon.
The Arab field commander of the
Arab Volunteer Army said yester
day his forces have pushed Hagana
fighters back into Mishmar Haemak
after beating an effort to encircle
his forces.
Decisive Victory Claimed.
Jewish sources said the Jews had
won a decisive victory over the Arab
forces there, led by FawZi Bey al!
Kaukji. commander of the Arab
Volunteer Army.
In other Palestine strife, two Jews,
were officially reported killed and
three wounded when Arabs blew up
the former Palestine Electric Corp.
building at Haifa. A Jewish-owned
wooden store adjacent to it was j
gutted.
Police said 13 Arabs were killed
and two hurt when three Jewish
armored cars attacked an Arab truck
near Beersheba in Southern Pales
tine.
Tomorrow to Be Warmer
After Light Frost Tonight
Warmer weather tomorrow fol
lowing a light frost in nearby areas
tonight was the Weather Bureau's
promise for the week end.
There will be plenty of sunshine
but topcoat temperatures will pre
vail today. Brisk northwest winds
are expected to keep the mercury in
the 50s. It is likely to drop to about
38 tonight, according to the official
1 prediction.
Yesterday’s temperature ranged
between 42 at 5:10 a.m. and 68 at
i 4:28 p.m. and today s continuing
; coolness were attributed to a "cool
I air mass moving from the north
| west," but were not regarded as un
usual for mid-April.
U. S. Planes Reach Greece
ATHENS. April 17 (4>).—Thirty
singie-engined fighter planes from
1 the United States landed here last
j night, en route to Turkey under
' the Greek-Turkish military aid pro
grams. Americans piloted the ships.
2 Students Hurt, One Arrested
After Crash During Police Chase
Two students were injured and
one of them was arrested on a
reckless driving charge early today
as the result of a crash in which
their rented car hit a parked auto
mobile after a long chase by a police
scout car.
At about the same time, between
5:20 and 6 a m., another &out car
chased a taxicab four miles at
more than 60 miles an hour in the
same general Northwest area.
The driver of the taxicab, Oren
M. Vernon, jr„ 34, of 2525 Ontario
place N.W., was booked on charges
of driving while drunk, speeding
and driving on the wrong side of
the street.
Charles J. Breese. 21, of Port
Chester. N. Y., and Thomas Hen
nigan. 21. of Bridgeport. Conn., re
ported by police to be students liv
i ing at Gibbons Hall. Catholic Uni
versity. were treated at Emergency
Hospital for facial Injuries.
m 4
Breese was charged with reckless
driving as a result of the chase, in
which the rented car hit a parked
automobile near Eighth and Parra
gut streets N.W., causing between
$500 and $1,000 damage, police said.
A 10th precinct scout car, manned
by Pvts. Frank B. Braezeale and
Spencer Roulison, began chasing
the car at Georgia avenue and Otis
street N.W. They followed north
on Georgia avenue, east on Emer
son street, north on Illinois avenue
to Farragut street and into Eighth
street. There the car made a sharp
turn and hit a new automobile be
longing to Fred H. Huffner, 5003
Eighth street N.W.. police said.
The other chase began w’hen Pvts.
A. K. Bershak and J. C. Lumpkin,
in a sixth precinct scout car. spotted
the speeding taxicab. They followed
it from Sixteenth street and Colo
rado avenue N.W., to Eastern ave
nue and to Piney Branch road, near
Blair road.
r
Council Orders
Jews and Arabs
To End Fighting
Neither Faction Gives
Indication of Heeding
U. N. Directives
By the Associated Press
LAKE SUCCESS, April 17.—
iThe United Nations Security
Council today told the Jews and
Arabs to stop fighting in Pales
tine, but there is no Indication
either faction will abide by the
order.
i The Council laid down six specific
truce directives to the two factions
but at the last minute killed a pro
vision to send a U. N. commission
to the Holy Land to check on com
pliance.
The final vote came at 2:19 a.m.
j after five and a half hours of de
i bate and paragraph-by-paragraph
balloting. The emergency night ses
sion started only a few hours after
adjournment of the first meeting ol
a special General Assembly session
on the Palestine problem.
Gromyko Abstains.
Russia refused to support the truce
; proposal, but Andrei A. Gromyko
| withheld his big-power veto and ab
j stained. The Soviet Ukraine joined
! Russia as usual. This made the final
j ballot 9 tp 0.
Four provisions were passed unan
imously. On two, Russia and the
Ukraine abstained.
There was no assurance that
either the Jevdsh Agency for Pal
estine or the Arab Higher Commit
; tee, representatives of Palestine
Jews and Arabs, would lay down
their arms. Direct efforts to bring
J them together failed previously and
.the Council drafted detailed truce
terms in a move to get their ac-'
iceptance and bring peace to the
. Holy Land.
Moshe Shertok, head of the agen
cy's political department, told the
Council in the midst of the voting
that the plan could not succeed un
less the U. N. sent a commission
to the scene.
As mandatory power in Palestine,
the British have the responsibility
for bringing the Arabs and Jews
together. Both factions refused
comment here. Indications were
that the British would deal with
the two groups on the spot. There
is no direct enforcement provision I
of the truce terms.
Commission Plan Beaten.
Mr. Gromyko refused to support;
the plan because the Council over-l
rode his demands that Arab armed j
bands be ordered to leave Palestine.
Only the Ukraine supported him.
Russia also opposed a ban on politi
cal activity in the Holy Land.
• The provision for a U. N. com
mission was beaten when delegates
could not agree on the makeup of
such a body. A vote finally was
taken on a move to send three
members of Secretary General
Trygve Lie’s staff. It fell one vote
short of the necessary seven when
the United States. Argentina, Brit
ain, Belgium and Syria abstained.
The United States wanted the con
suls in Jerusalem to serve on the
commission.
The truce terms direct the Jews
and Arabs to end all military ac
tivities, violence, terrorism and
sabotage; refrain from bringing into
Palestine armed bands and fighting
personnel; stop importing weapons
and war materials, and cease all
political activity.
j The Jews fought hardest against
the political activity clause, con
I tending that the Council was in ef
; feet overturning the 1947 Assembly’s
decision to partition Palestine into
Jewish and Arab nations.
Passage of the truce proposal was
viewed as clearing the way for the
United States to push its plan in
the Assembly for an interim U. N.
trusteeship. The truce takes effect
immediately and extends until the
British give up their mandate rule.
London insists the date will be May
15.
The General Assembly will open
full-scale debate Monday morning
; on reconsideration of the whole
I Palestine problem, including the
1947 partition scheme. A powerful
Arab-Latin American bloc yesterday
swept Dr. Jose Arce of Argentina
i into office as president of the special
session.
Mrs. Roosevelt in Brussels
BRUSSELS, April . 17 (/P).—Mrs.
Eleanor Roosevelt arrived in Brus
sels by air from Switzerland to
day. After a two-day visit she is
due to leave for Holland by road
Monday morning.
Late News
Bulletins
Lewis Asks Writ Dismissal
John L. Lewis today de
manded that Attorney General
Clark petition District Court
for discharge of the coal strike
restraining order issued two
weeks ago. The demand was
made on grounds the dispute
over miners’ pension that
touched off the mine walkoi^t
has been settled. Meanwhile,
% seven coal-producing organi
zations denied they had re
fused to bargain with Mr.
Lewis over pensions and asked
District Court to find them
blameless of responsibility for
the strike-causing dispute.
Coal Prices to Rise
Coal prices in Washington
will be increased 40 cents to
$1.25 a ton, effective Monday.
Patrick A. Deck, chairman of
!, the coal division, of the Mer
| chants and Manufacturers As
, sociation, announced today.
The 40-cent increase will be
for household fuel, the $1,25
j for types used by apartment
; houses and office buildings.
%■
Tail Calls for Repeal
Of 'Penalty Taxes'
On Oleomargarine
Senator, Back in Ohio,
Lists Other Differences
He Has With Stassen
OLEO TAX FIGHT Threatqps Split
on Other Farm Legislation.
Page A-3.
By the Associated Press
CLEVELAND, April 17.—Sen
ator Taft, Republican of Ohio,
came out today for repeal of
what he called “the penalty taxes
on oleomargarine.’’
In a news conference he said a
vote on the tax will come up in
Congress late next month.
His statement put him in direct
opposition to the stand taken by his
rival in the May 4 Ohio primaries,
Harold E. Stassen.
Senator Taft took up the marga
rine tax question again in a speech
at noon before the National Restau
rant Association. He said:
“Those taxes are designed for the
purpose of discouraging the sale of
margarine and its use. They are
not revenue producers. Their prin
cipal purpose was to prevent fraud
in the sale of margarine as butter.
But surely we can devise other
methods to prevent fraud."
Won’t Make Predictions.
Senator Taft, in his news confer
ence, refused to make any predic
tions concerning his fight for the 53
Ohio delegates to the Republican
Convention. But he said he had
canceled a speech tour in Vermont
to work harder in his home State.
Mr. Stassen. after rolling up vic
tories in Wisconsin and Nebraska
primaries, campaigned in Northeast
Ohio Thursday and will return next
week. Senator Taft also will be
campaigning In Ohio part of the
week. Stassen candidates have been
entered in 23 of the 53 contests for
delegates.
The Ohio Senator, In his talk with
reporters, listed several points on
which he felt he differed with Mr.
Stassen.
Points of Disagreement.
Mr. Stassen has suggested that
American aid to Europe should de
pend on promises by foreign coun
tries that aid will be used only to
encourage free enterprise. Senator
Taft said. He disagreed with that
stand.
Senator Taft said he felt it would
be difficult to follow Mr. Stassen’s
proposal to outlaw the Communist
Party.
"To call a Communist a criminal
is obviously unconstitutional." he
said. He favored the idea of re
stricting communism in certain
fields, such as Government, but in
sisted that the expression “outlaw
communism" was too vague and did
not mean anything.
When asked whether he thought
^ meeting on world peace between
President Truman and Prime Min
ister Stalin vrould do any good, he
laughed and replied that was a ques
tion for Mr. Truman to decide.
Magidoff Will Leave
Moscow Tomorrow
By the Associated Press
MOSCOW, April 17— Robert Ma
gidoff, American news correspond
ent denounced as a spy in the gov
ernment newspaper Izvestia, plans
to leave Moscow tomorrow with Mrs.
Magidoff. flying to Berlin.
Mr. Magidoff denied the charges
but was advised this week by the
Soviet government that his con
tinued residence here was undesir
able.
93-Degree Heat
And Quake Hit
Los Angeles
By Associated Press
LOS ANGELES. April 17.—Hot
and only slightly rocky, Los Angeles
shook off a one-two punch and came
l up for more today.
The mercury zipped up to 93, a
new high for April 16 here. Then
icame a momentary earthquake at
3:28 pm. Best estimates said it
; lasted about 2 seconds, but it broke
windows at Oxnard, 40 miles up the
coast. No serious damage was re
ported.
More heat today, said the Weather
Bureau. Quakecastera were mum.
■
Five GSI Pickets Get Jail Terms
For Assaulting Nonstrikers
Judge McMahon Lectures Each Defendant,
Denouncing One for Contempt of Law
Five participants in the recent
strike of cafeteria workers
against Government Services,
Inc., were sentenced to six-month
jailterms in Police Court today
after a jury convicted them of
kicking and'beating non-strikers.
Judge John P. McMahon also
handed out strong lectures to
each defendant.
The strike by Local 471 of the
United Cafeteria Workers. CIO,
against GSI, operator of more than
40 cafeterias in Federal buildings,
ended March 23 after 12 weeks.
"I served warning in these strike
cases not long ago,” Judge McMahon
declared, as the first defendant,
22 Killed, 28 Injured
As English Fast Mail
Hits Passenger Train
Express Standing on Track
Is Struck in Rear 150
Miles From London
By the Associated Press
CREWE, England, April 17.—
Twenty-two persons were killed
and 28 hurt early today, railroad
officials reported, when a Glas
gow-to-London fast mail struck
a standing passenger express.
Survivors said a passenger had
stopped the express 20 minutes be
fore by pulling an emergency cord.
They did not say why.
The wreck—worst since Britain’s
railways passed into government
hands January 1—occurred at 12:40
a.m., British summer time (6:40
p.m.. EST Friday) near Winsford.
Cheshire.
A British railways press officer
said the mail train hit the rear of
the London-bound express. Wins
ford is about 150 miles northwest of
London.
Seven Coaches Wrecked.
Seven coaches of the passenger
train were wrecked and four coaches
of the mail train derailed.
The survivors said the mail train
tore through the coaches at high
speed.
Rescuers, working by improvised
lights, dug into the wreckage for
injured, who could be heard scream
ing. Water was sprayed to protect
rescuers from possible fires as they
(See WRECK, Page A-2.)
Chicago Graduates
With System Beat
Roulette Again
I By the Associated Press
LAS VEGAS, Nev., April 17.
—Two young men with a sys
tem are playing the legal rou
lette tables profitably again.
Playing $1.50 on the nine on
each spin of the wheel, the
University of Chicago gradu
ates, Dr. Roy Walford, San
Diego, and Albert Hibbs, Chil
licothe. Ohio, each 23. were re
ported about $500 ahead so far.
Last November they won
$8,000 at Reno.
! _
Willie J. Thompson, 26, colored, of
the 1100 block of Tenth street N.W.,
came before him.
"I have noted before that every
one has the right to strike and to
picket properly, but that by the same
token any one has a perfect right to
go to work unmolested if he wants,”
the judge said.
“'But this defendant had no re
spect for the law—he had only i
j contempt,” the judge said of
Thompson, who was convicted by a
j jury of having tripped, kicked and
beaten a nonstriker in front of thd j
Munitions Building Cafeteria last
January.
Announcing the penalty in that
case. Judge McMahon turned to the
1 (See>ICKETS, Page A-2.)
Editors Go on Record
Against Censorship,
Urge Voluntary Action
Lawrence Resolution
Adopted at Convention;
Truman Talks Tonight
By Francis P. Douglas
The American Society of News
paper Editors adopted today as
: its No. 1 resolution a declaration
Opposing all forms of censorship.
It did urge, however, voluntary co
operation to protect the Nation's
safety.
This resolution was adopted as the
editors' organization went into the
i final day of its 26th annual conven
tion at the Hotel Statler. The con
| vention ends with a banquet tonight,
at which President Truman will
speak.
The resolution adopted was a sub
stitute for one which had been of
fered recognizing an exception to
censorship in restrictions on infor
mation concerning development of
new military weapons.
Lawrence Offers Substitute.
This resolution had been advanced
by a society committee which had
conferred on security with Secretary
of Defense Forrestal.
The substitute, offered by David
Lawrence, newspaper columnist and
publisher of the United States News
and World Report, said the society
"opposes all forms of censorship.”
The resolution went on to say that
to the end that the security of the
United States may not be endanger
ed, voluntary co-operation between
the press and the Government is
urged covering publication of infor
mation on development or use of
new military weapons.
Erwin D. Canham of the Chris
I tian Science Monitor was elected
; president today by the Board of
'Directors. Mr. Canham succeeds
i Nathaniel R. Howard of the Cleve
land News as the head of the or
ganization.
B. M. McKelway, editor of The
Star, was elected first vice presi
dent; Dwight Young of the Dayton
Journal-Herald, second vice presi
dent; Alexander F. Jones of the
Washington Post, treasurer, and
Wright Bryan of the Atlanta Jour
nal. secretary. Mr. McKelway had
been second vice president and Mr.
Young had been secretary.
Defense Secretary Forrestal was to
make an off-the-record address at
a luncheon with Mr. McKelway pre
Tsee-EDITORS, Page A-2.)
High Price of Asparagus Saves
Woman Fine in Traffic Case
The high price of asparagus today
was held a mitigating factor in a
Traffic Court case, with the result
that a 75-year-old housewife was
freed on her personal bond.
Mrs. Cornelia M. Kirby of the 200
block of Buffalo avenue. Takoma
Park, had been booked at the sixth
precinct for driving her car through
a red light. Facing Judge George
D. Neilson today, the neat, gray
| haired defendant freely admitted her
I guilt.
I But, smiling apologetically at the
judge find Policeman Lee Mclnteer
M
who arrested her, she offered an
explanation.
"X was on my way home from a
store where I had just had to pay
72 cents for one bunch of aspara
gus,” she said. ‘‘Think of it—72
cents! I was so disgusted and ag
gravated that I just didn’t know
What I was doing when I passed
that light. I guess.”
Judge Neilson nodded sympa
thetically. "I don't blame you for
being overwrought at these infla
tionary prices.”‘he commented. “In
the light of what you had to pay for
your asparagus, any fine I might
impose would be superfluous. You
are free to go." • '
1%.
Draff Foe Urges
Delay Till After
November Ballof
Deliberate Creation
Of War Hysteria
Charged at Hearing
By Robert K. Walsh
Congress should wait until
after the November elections be
fore deciding whether to revive
selective service, Frederick J.
Libby, executive secretary of the
National Council for Prevention
of War, told the House Armed
Services Committee today.
Declaring that a war hysteria has
been “unofficially created by delib
erate design,” Mr. Libby said: “Wa
should wait until the November
elections give our country a wiser
President.”
Other witnesses at committee
hearings on a proposed draft bill
included C. M. Richards of the War
Resisters' League, who described
selective service as “putting Caesar
in place of God."
Mr. Richards predicted “civil dis
obedience on a large scale” if the
draft were revived. He said many
veterans of the last war would re
fuse to serve again. He called at
tention to recent testimony by A.
Phillips Randolph, president of the
Sleeping Car Porters’ Union, who
said he would advise Negroes to
ignore a draft law if enacted with
out a ban on racial segregation in
the armed forces.
Mr. Richards said he did not
advocate civil disobedience, but" he
warned that enactment of selective
service would necessitate "the build
ing up of concentration camps for
objectors all over the country/’
Henry W. Sawyer III and Law
rence R. Mallery. jr., representing
the Greater Philadelphia Committee
Against Peacetime Conscription,
protested against the "military dom
ination" of United States foreign
policy and preparedness program at
this time. Mr. Sawyer declared
that “if we are thinking in terms
of vast armies we must think also in
terms of withdrawing that many
men from civilian production and
releasing that many monthly salt
aries to compete for goods in the
existing market.”
Meanwhile members of the Armed
: Services Committee indicated they
favored increasing the Army to 837,
000 men to keep pace with a House
approved bill to raise the Air Force
from 55 to 70 groups.
Several members said, however,
the bill should not have a specific
provision against racial segregation
in the services. That should be left
to administrators of the law, they
suggested.
Developments Considered.
Some committee members also
doubted the wisdom of including a
broad deferment provision for scien
tists, technicians or engineers. That
also could be left to administrators,
they said. The pending bill, drawn
by Committee Chairman Andrews
would allow the President to defer
men because of occupational or
professional skills, they noted.
While the House committee
planned further public hearings for
most of next week, it seemed to
‘ side with the recommendation of
Gen. Bradley, Army Chief of Staff,
that the Army’s authorized ceiling
be raised to at least 837,000 men.
Both the Andrews and the adminis
tration bills call for an increase to
782.000 for the Army, as compared
wtih a present strength of 542,000.
Draft to Provide Increase.
The bulk of the Increase would
| have to be provided by a draft, Gen.
Bradley declared.
Two Senate committees will hava
hearings Monday on phases of the
preparedness measures. The Ap
propriations Committee w1l begin
hearings on a $3,198,000,000 bill
approved by the House last Thurs
day to permit the Air Force to star!
buildl»g toward a 70-group force.
The Senate Armed Services Com
mittee will receive further detailed
j military establishment estimates
from Secretary of Defense Forres
I tal. Chairman Gurney said last
night that the proposed Air Force
i expansion would increase over-all
defense spending by $6,000,000,000.
“If that is done." he commented,
| “we probably will go into deficit
spending."
Secretary Forrestal, backed by
j President Truman, has urged
| strengthening of the 55 group Air
I Force instead of an increase to 70
groups.
Segregation Issue Raised.
The subject of racial segregation,
mentioned by several witnesses last
week at Senate Armed Services
Committee hearings, was brought up
at the House committee hearing yes
terday by Jesse O. Dedman of the
; National Association for the Ad
j vancement of Colored People. He
said the association's only objection
j to the Andrews' bill is that it lacks
a ban on racial segregation.
Representative Johnson, Repub
| ,'ican, of California said later that
he and other members object to
prohibiting segregation in the armed
forces by law.
“It's just one of those things very
hard to carry out,” he said. “It has
to be left to the field commanders.”
Henry Ford II Accepts*
Chairmanship of Chests
ty rh* Associated Press
ATLANTIC CITY, N. J.. April IT.
—Henry Ford II has accepted the
national chairmanship of Commu
nity Chests of America.
Announcement of the automobile
manufacturer's acceptance was made
today at the annual meeting of
Community Chests and Councils of
America by Edward L. Ryerson of
Chicago, president.
Mr. Ford succeeds H. J. Heinz II
of Pittsburgh, who will continue to
serve as vice chairman.
A leader for many years in De
troit’s Community Chest. Mr. Ford
will head the 1948 national Commu
nity Chest drives to raise an es
timated $180,000,000 th; oughout tha
country.
*