Evening star. [volume], April 25, 1948, Image 1

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

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_ i - - -- - ■ — — 1 -———
96th Year. No. 116. WASHINGTON, D. G, APRIL 25, 1948-148 PAGES. * SflBfiS. TEN CENTS.
. - - - — — . . — .... 1 ~ ~ ■ *
Jews Battle to Seal Off Haifa;
Arab Thousands Fleeing City;
Truce Aids Women, Children
_ A — ■ , -- , . - ■ — ■ .. . 1 --1-—-i
Haganah Presses
Drive Along Road
To Nazareth
U. 8. SIMPLIFIES PLAN to Win
U. N. to Palestine Trusteeship j
Page A-8.
i
ly the Associated Press
JERUSALEM, April 24.--Jew
lsh militia fought today to take
possession of a buffer area to
seal off their greatest prize, the
port city of Haifa.
While thousands of weary Arabs,
streamed from the city which was
captured by Jews in a spectacular
battle Thursday. Hagana guns
blazed out at Balad Esh Sheikh and
nearby Tirah, two villages about
five miles east of the big port. The
Arab villages are on the road to
Nazareth and Tiberias, a city on
the Sea of Galilee from which the
Arabs also have been driven by the
Jews.
V The British said the Arabs asked
a truce at dawn after an all-!
night fight and agreed to surrender)
their arms When only 22 rifles
were turned in, however, the Jews
delivered a new ultimatum for the
delivery of all guns and the fight
ing was renewed. The latest reports I
said the British had arranged a
temporary truce for the evacuation
of women and children from the
villages.
Jews Oppose Evacuation.
Dispatches from Haifa said the
Jews were trying to prevent the
evacuation of the 37.000 Arabs re
maining in the city. The Jews con
sidered the evacuation a political
rebuff, and wanted them to remain
to demonstrate that Arabs and Jews
can live side by side. They offered
the Arabs co-operation in solving
food and supply problems.
Arab leaders replied to Jewish
persuasions, however, that they
could not “subject ourselves to con
querors.”
Indications w'ere that most of the
Arabs would leave the city as a
silent protest against the Jewish
blitz of the parts of the town not
controlled by the British.
The Arabs believed their with
drawal would prevent the British
owned oil refinery in the port area
from operating. The refinery has
been closed for two weeks and the
gasoline shortage is acute. The re- j
finery management said it w'Ould
not reopen unless both Afab and
Jewish laborers returned to work.
Arabs in the city were under a1
Jewish curfew, virtual house ar
rest. Hagana said five field guns,
mortars and other arms had been
found in an inch-by-inch search of
Arab quarters.
Arabs Won’t Enforce Terms.
Arab civilian leaders ordered the
evacuation because they were un
willing to attempt to enforce Jew- |
ish terms for surrender of arms]
upon armecj Arab volunteers. The
city of 130.000 is about half Arab.
The Arab population was being
moved across the bay to Acre by
British army landing craft and small
boats, and plans were being made
to move other thousands by British
army trucks overland to Nazareth,
neighboring Lebanon and Nablus in
the- Arabs so-called “triangle ol
strength” in Central Palestine.
The evacuation was being carried
cut at the time Jews observe the
passover in commemoration of their
own exodus from Egypt, and from
docks where the British customarily !
deported intercepted Jewish immi
grants to Cyprus.
Thousands still huddled in ref
uges without food.
Elsewhere nine Arabs, five Jews
and a British policeman were killed
in continuing violence today.
Jews Fail to Take 3 Towns.
The British reported that the
Jews were unsuccessful in yester
day’s attempt to capture three Arab
villages, Beit Iksa. Biddu, and Nebi
Samuel on the northwestern out
skirts of Jerusalem and lost 20 dead
in the operation. Nearly every:
house in Beit Iksa was levelled by
Jewish explosives.
After heavy firing in the border
land of Arab Jaffa and Jewish Tel,
Aviv on the coast last night. Hagana
reported it had moved some of its i
strongholds Into Arab territory.
This holy city is girding for war. j
The 150,000 Jews and Arabs here
believe chances for a truce are dim.
Both claim the city for their capi
(See’PALESTINE, Page A-8J ;
Greek Ships Bombard
Force of 2,500 Rebels
By the Associated Press
ATHENS. April 24— Guns of the
Greek navy are bombarding a force
of 2.500 guerrillas in the south cen
tral area of Greece not far from
the Gulf of Corinth, a general staff
communique said today.'
The naval units joined the army
and air force to make it a three
pronged attack on the Communist
led guerrillas.
The communique gave no details
of the naval attack, but a frontline
correspondent for the newspaper
Ethnos said he saw the destroyers
Themistocles and Hastings in the
Gulf of Corinth send shells into
guerrilla positions west of Lidoriki.
on the western wing of a front
extending to Agrappa, 60 miles to
the northeast.
A press report said 1.500 guerrillas
were under attack on Mount Var
doussia, one of four strategic heights
held by the Communist-led fighters.
A qualified source said 450 guer
rillas have been killed thus far in
the spring offensive launched by
three Greek divisions in this area.
The Ethnos correspondent said
Greek air force planes aided the
naval bombardment by making
strafing runs.
Radio Programs, Page C-8
Complete Index, Page A-2.
?
* !
Commerce Department Refuses
To Give Condon Data to House
Letter Refers Question to Truman;
Not 'Last Word/ Martin Declares
By the Associated Pres*
The Commerce Department
formally refused yesterday to
hand over to the House an F.B.I.
loyalty report on Dr. Edward U.
Condon, director of the National
Bureau of Standards.
House Speaker Martin thereupon
declared:
"The last word hasn't been
spoken."
He said the House now can try
legislation to get the desired infor
mation.
In a resolution adopted Thursday
by a 300 to 29 vote, the House had
demanded that the FBI report on
Dr. Condon be sent to it.
A subcommittee of the House
Committee on Un-American Activi
ties has called Dr. Condon the
weakest link in the Nation’s atomic
security, and accused him of asso
ciating with Russian spies, charges
which he has denied. He also has
been cleared by the Commerce De
partment Loyalty Board.
The FBI report on Dr. Condon has
been sought by the Un-American
Activities Committee, but President
Truman has told all Government
agencies they must keep secret their
flies on investigations of employes'
loyalty. ;
National security demands that,
the President said.
Should the House now try further
legislation to get the wanted docu
ments, Speaker Martin predicted it
would “breeze through.”
A bill authorizing any congres
sional committee to obtain from
Government agencies whatever in
formation it considers necessary
already has been approved by the
House Expenditures Committee.
But the Senate also would have to
act on it, and it might encounter a
presidential veto even if the Senate
went along.
William C. Foster, acting Secre
tary of Commerce, sent a letter to
John Andrews, clerk of the House
yesterday “respectfully'' refusing the1
loyalty report on Dr. Condon, and
< See CONDON, Page A-4. >
Italy Plans to Disarm Oleomargarine Battle
All Private Armies, Due to Break on Floor
Including Communists Of House Tomorrow
Interior Minister Warns
Of Need for Vigilance
Despite Election Victory
By the Associated Press
ROME, April 24.—Interior Min
ister Mario Scelba said today
that the Italian government in
tends to move vigorously to dis
arm and put down private
armies such as the Communists’!
Garibaldi brigades.*
He declared Italy must be vigilant
against any possible Communist vio
lence despite the severe setback
the Communist-dominated Popular1
Front received in the parliamentary j
election last Sunday and Monday. |
Premier Alcide de Gasperi's Chris-:
tian Democrats won the election.
Mr. Scelba s warning came as the j
national police force jailed alleged
Communist agitators in both North
ern and Southern Italy. A dispatch
from the Communist stronghold of
Modena said police there had re
ceived word of armed formations in |
the nearby Apennine Mountains.
Cites 8.000,000 Red Voters.
In an interview with a Swiss
newspaper correspondent, Mr. Scel
ba, who heads the nation's police
forces, said:
"When you have in the house as
many Communists as we do <8.000,
000 of 26.000.000 voted for the Popu
lar Front), you cannot ever be safe
Italian Red Wins
$100,000 Lottery on
Deputy Elections
By the Associated Press
ROME, April 24.—A pessimis
tic member of the Communist
Popular Front won the Italian
election lottery.
Luigi Prato, of Northern Va
lenza, won 60,000,000 lire
(roughly, $100,000* for guessing
that his party would take a
trouncing at the polls.
He was sole winner, and only
the government taxes put a
bite into his prize.
The newspaper Momento Sera
said everybody in Valenza
turned up at Luigi's home after
he won—everybody but his
Popular Front pals.
against all attempts at violence. I
think, then, that it is necessary to
remain constantly alert.”
Vice Premier Randolfo Pacci&rdi,
who shared with Mr. Scelba the re
sponsibility of seeing that the elec
tion went off peacefully, expressed
the belief yesterday that the peril
of an uprising was past. Mr.
Scelba, less optimistic, said:
"I am still convinced that if a
favorable occasion turned up the
Communists would not fail to take
advantage of it. and that they would
< See ITALY, Page A-87)
Backers Expect Passage,
But Admit Fight May
Last Two or Three Days
By Chalmers M. Roberts
At last, a bill to repeal the 62
year-old Federal taxes on oleo
margarine will reach the House
floor tomorrow and every indi
cation points to passage of a re
peal measure.
It may take two or three days to
get a bill through the House, back-|
ers conceded last night, but they!
were confident that the dairy lobby's|
never-ending battle to limit the sale j
of margarine now faces a major de- j
feat.
Shortly after the House meets at!
noon, Speaker Martin is expected j
to recognize Representative Rivers,1
the South Carolina Democrat who
originated the successful petition to
force a repeal bill to the floor over
the opposition of the Agriculture
Committee. The petition gained
| signatures of 218 House members, a
i majority, thus bringing to the floor
a motion to discharge the commit
tee from consideration of the Rivers
Bill.
Debate to Be Limited.
Only 10 minutes of debate is per
mitted on each side. Mr. Rivers
will control the time of the repeal
proponents with the butter backers'
time being handled by Representa
tive Hope, the Kansas Republican
who heads the Agriculture Commit
tee.
Thus, a test vote is certain short
ly after the matter is taken up. If
the House votes to discharge the
committee, a motion then will be
made to go into the committee of
the whole for immediate considera
tion of the bill.
How long that consideration will
take is uncertain because the two
factions have so far failed to agree
on a time limit for debate. How
ever, the majority can set a limit
by a House vote. Bakers would
prefer a vote tomorrow but, if they
cannot get it then, they will try
to hold off until Wednesday due to
the Pennsylvania primary election
on Tuesday which will call many
members back to that State. More
than two-thirds of the State's 33
representatives signed the discharge
i petition.
Second Action Is Due.
An hour before the House meets,
an Armed Services subcommittee
which has been considering another
margarine bill is expected to report
'it out. This bill would end the
present prohibition on use of mar
garine by the Army, Navy and Air
Force. The measure, however, will
go through the normal procedure
of reaching the House floor and will
not be voted on for come time, even
assuming it can hurdle the House
Rules Committee.
Its approval tomorrow, however,
(See MARGARINE, Page A-LT~
Roving Electric Charge Helps
Bind Atom Core, Tests Show
By the Associated Press
CHICAGO, April 24—Experiments
with super heavy water indicate
that a roving electrical charge plays
a role in the mysterious binding
force that keeps the core of an atom
from flying apart, two atomic scien
tists reported today.
The binding power in an atom’s
nucleus—forces that are released in’
an atomic bomb explosion—are
among the most puzzling problems
of modern physics.
A direct look into this secret of
matter was made by Dr. Herbert
L. Anderson and Dr. Aaron Novick
of Chicago.
Working at the United States
Atomic Energy Commission’s Ar
gonne National Laboratories, the
two demonstrated that the positive
ly charged proton and the un
charged neutron exchange their
electrical characteristics rapidly and
continuously in the nucleus of the
atom.
Dr. W’alter H. Zinn. director of,
Argonne. said the findings are "a
most important forward step in the
understanding of the nucleus" and
adfrd they “stem directly from the
wartime effort to produce the atomic
bomb, since the measurements are
made possible by the use of the
nuclear chain reactor to produce
the materials.”
Drs. Anderson and Novick meas
ured the magnetic power of the
atomic nuclei of hydrogen and
helium, both in the unusual atomic
weights of three.
Both protons and neutrons be
have in many respects like small
magnets. Their magnetic strengths
have been determined with accur
acy.
Under normal conditions, the
total magnetic strength of a system
should be equal to the algebraic
sum of its individual parts. How
ever. Drs. Anderson and Novick
found that in hydrogen 3 and heli
um 3 the magnetic strength was
about 10 pier cent greater than it
should be,
This indicated there wras some
thing in addition to the magnetic
system. They concluded the “some
thing in addition” was an exchange
current flowing clockwise in one
necleus and counter-clockwise in
the other, as the protons and neu
trons change their identity.
I I
U. S. to Continue
Using Berlin Air
Lane, Clay Says
Will Abide by Pact
Between 4 Powers,
He Declares
By the Associated Press
BERLIN, April 24.—Gen. Lucius
D. Clay gave notice today that
the United States will continue
to use the air corridor between
Berlin and the western occupa
tion zones.
Tin; American commander ex
pressed United States policy follow
ing reports the Russians plan to
restrict air travel of the Western
Allies with new "safety” regulations.
He told a news conference:
I "We will abide by the. quardi
partite ifour poweri agreements
which set up the air corridor and
we will continue use of the air cor
ridor.” He repeated this statement,
as if for emphasis.
No Formal Proposals Made.
Gen. Clay reported the Russians
have made no formal proposals to
set up the restrictions. Such a pro
gram has been officially recom
i mended to the Rissian military gov
ernor by a Soviet commission.
He said four-power agreement
prohibits formation flying or mili
Itary maneuvers in the air corridors
but. ‘ when the time comes that you
have to use fighter escort. I don’t
think you’ll worry about that very
much.”
Gen. Clay said the Russians have
made no move to hold talks they
had proposed for clarifying their
restrictions on land travel to Berlin.
Asked if he thought a reasonable
solution could be reached on this
question, he replied:
"Reasonable people can sit across
a table and develop a reasonable
solution, but I can't see much pros
pect on this.”
No Presure to Leave.
He said no pressure is being put
on American dependents to leave
Berlin or Germany because of the
strained political situation here, he
added:
“Anybody who feels isolated and
nervous over here ought to go
home. Personally, I’d just as soon
not have nervous people around.
I don’t feel isolated.”
fin was reported by Stars and
Stripes in Frankfurt today that
more than half the families of
! American airmen in Europe an
swered yes when %sked if they
wanted to fly home at Government
expense. The Army newspaper said
between 1.500 and 1.6QP of the Air
Forces 2.80Q family units will be
flown home as soon as planes are
; available.
Gen. Clay said 43 families rep
resenting 72 dependents in Berlin.
Reds Purge Border Police.
The American-licensed press re
ported the Russians are purging
their zonal border police of all but
"trusted Communists.” A Dana
new's agency dispatch said approxi
mately 30 per cent of the 7.000
German police who guard the Rus
sian zone's border with the w'est.
had deserted.
The Russians today released 20 of
the 50 German barges which they
had held up at Wittenberge. The
skippers were told, however, that
they could not return from the
British zone until they got new in
i terzonal permits, but they were not
tola where or how they could get
the new papers.
The British said their suspension
of inland water traffic through the
Soviet zone will remain in force
until the situation is clarified. All
the released barges were bound for
Hamburg.
$60,000 Alexandria Fire
Destroys Building Supplies
A large quonset hut on Duke
street extended. Alexandria, which1
contained lumber and fibreglass and
rock wool insulation, was practically
destroyed by fire last night, causing
damage estimated at approximately
$60,000.
The building was one of six used
as warehouses by the Fruit Growers
Express Co. The damage estimate
was given by a company spokesman,
who recalled that a similar fire in
boxcars in April, 1947, resulted in
a $300,000 loss.
Two firemen from the Penn Daw
Fire Department were slightly in
jured when particles of rock wool
got in their eyes. The firemen, Till
Brown and Joseph Baker, were
treated at Alexandria Hospital and
released.
Also responding to the two-hour J
blaze were firemen from Alexandria,
Franconia and Mount Vernon as
well as the company's own fire units.
Although insulating materials nor
mally are fireproof, firemen ex
plained, intense heat may ignite
them.
Reds in Germany Killing
Priests, Layman Charges
By th« Associated Press
ATLANTIC CITY, N. J.. April
24.—A Catholic lay leader charged
today that 50 per cent of all priests
in the Soviet zone of Germany have I
been put to death.
The leader. John M. Haffert of,
New York, lay director of the Scap
ular Militia, added that in Czecho
slovakia 1.400 Ursuline nuns are
performing forced labor in salt
mines.
In a speech at the 21st biennial
.convention of New Jersey Court.
Cathode Daughters of America, he
said Russian persecution of reli
gious groups “surpasses the cruel
ties suffered by early day Chris
tians who had to hide in catacombs
to escape death.”
The Most Rev. Bartholomew J.
Eustace, S.T.D., Bishop of Camden,
said much of today’s trouble is
caused by "modern materialism."
This materialism, the bishop said,
is “manifested by too much speed,
too much noise and the emphasis
to build large structures and accu- j
mulate large sums of money.”
^oJeeruroldcharmy bovsX
MAY DO SOMETHING THIS WEEK
ABOUT LETTING YOU MAKE d
"i YOUR DECISION®^#/
600Sir AN S
DECIDE TO G0 °N
I SUMMERTIME
II 'TODAYi1^ j|
Maher to Head 7-Man Board Daylight Time Starts
To Rule on Loyalty Check Need In 21 States; District
D. C. Official Says
Investigation May
Never Materialize
By Jerry O'Leary, Jr.
Special Assistant Corporation
Counsel Daniel B. Maher, the
District Government’s trouble
shooter, will be named chairman
of a Commissioners’ seven-man
committee to decide whether a
loyalty check of city employes is
necessary and how it shall be
conducted, it was learned last
night.
Mr. Maher. No. 3 man of the city’s
law department, has been selected
by Corporation Counsel Vernon
West, it was learned, and his ap
pointment will be announced early
this week.
At the same time, a District of
ficial indicated there is some pos
sibility the loyalty check of the
District's 17,000 employes may never
materialize. He sfcid one of the first
things the committee will do will be
House Backers Press
For Action This Week
On District Measures
Rent Control, Home Rule
And New Courthouse
Are Leading Issues
With time running short.
House members in charge of
District measures will make spe
cial efforts to get action this
week on rent-control, home rule
and the projected new Federal
courthouse.
Both House and Senate are ex
pected to approve the conference
report on extension of the city’s rent
control system for a year—once it
can be taken up.
Tomorrow is District Day in the
House but the whole program there
is subject to the fight over freeing
oleomargarine from its special tax
since the petition taking the issue to
the House has the right of way.
Agreement of House and Senate
conferees on the city rent control
bill, however, also has a privileged
status and is expected to be called
up during some gap in the oleo tax
wrangle.
Law Expires Friday.
Present District rent control law
expires Friday. The bill extending
controls, with some midiflcations to
next March 31, therefore, will have
to clear the congressional hutdles
and reach the White House for
signature by Friday night if there
is to be no break in rent curbs.
The rent measure continues the
control system basically as it has
been except that it decontrols tran
sient hotel accommodations, new
construction and reconverted prop
erties, completed after March 31 j
this year: and nonhousekeeping,
furnished rooms in family-occupied
dwellings where there are not more
than two paying tenants.
The House Rules Committee to
morrow is scheduled to reconsider
the bill authorizing construction of
the new courthouse, which is esti
mated to cost $18,665,000. The Rules
Committee recently laid aside the
measure despite pleas that It be
sent to the House for action because
of serious overcrowding in the old
court building.
Approval Expected.
There were reports at the Capitol
yesterday that the rules group prob
ably would give' It the green light.
The House District Committee re
| sumes tomorrow also its closed-door
study of the Auchincloss Subcom
, mittee District charter bill for an
Tsee D. C LEGISLATION, P. A-».)
9 Killed When Train
Hits Truck in Greece
Sy the Associated Press
ATHENS, April 24—Nine persons
were killed and 45 injured today
when an express train struck an
American military government
truck. The accident occurred eaat
of Patras.
Police said all persons killed and
; injured, including 16 Greek soldiers,
were on the train. The engine and
Itwo cars overturned. The driver of
I the truck, who was not injured, was
arrested.
I
DANIEL B. MAHER.
—Harris & Ewing.
to decide whether a loyalty check
Is necessary at all.
If the committee decides to rec
ommend to the Commissioners that
the proposed investigation be or
rsee "LOYALTY, Page A-4.) ~
Teaching Plan Soughf
For Children Jammed
Info Receiving Home
Young Victims of Broken
Families Get Slight
Educational Chances
By George Beveridge
District school officials have
asked the Corporation Counsel
whether they can assign a*
teacher to set up a critically
needed educational program at
the Receiving Home for Chil
dren.
At the same time, the Board of
Public Welfare—with one eye on its
1949 budget requests—is discussing
other possibilities for setting up such
a program.
The outmoded, ill-equipped home
on Little Falls road N.W., "virtually
has lost its identity as a temporary
shelter. Lack of funds, insufficient
personnel and failure of the board’s
foster-homes program, officials
said, have combined to overcrowd
the institution with youngsters who
are staying for increased periods
of time.
Same Story for Months.
Some youngsters, victims of broken
families, are staying as long as five
or six months at the home designed
to keep them for only a few days.
Opinion supporting the need for
an education program at the home
is solid. “Certainly some sort of
job must be attempted by next fall, ’
declared Dr. William H. Stavsky.
superintendent of the institution.
Judge Fay L. Bentley of Juvenile
Court termed the absence of an ed
ucational setup* "a disgrace to the
community.”
“It’s bad enough that these chil
dren must be held in a home at all
(See RECEIVING HOME, P. A-STF.
Waits on Congress
House May Vote on Bill
Tomorrow; Confusion
Due Over Timetables
Daylight saving time became a
reality for all or parts of 21
States at 2 a.m. today but Wash
ington was left wondering
whether advanced time would
be adopted here tomorrow, next
week or ever.
The snare here was whether the
House would get around to voting
on a daylight time bill tomorrow,
and, if it passed, whether the Senate
sflfihKb accept the House version
without conference and send it along
to the President.
That would be the quickest way
Washington, and incidentally, near
by Maryland and Virginia, could
catch up with other daylight-saving
communities. The longer route may
take until next Sunday, or even
beyond.
Meanwhile, there was certain to
be some confusion here for travelers
using standard time while most
railroads and buses are adopting
daylight schedules. This means that
commuters must either start an
hour earlier to catch their usual
trains and buses, or arrange to ride
later ones.
Trains to Run Earlier.
The Baltimore & Ohio and Penn
sylvania Railroads announced most
of their trains, both local and
through, would run an hour earlier
in accordance with daylight sched
ules. Both systems were adjusting
commuter train schedules to keep
1 them as close as possible to former
! times.
Transportation companies that
spent thousands of dollars printing
►new daylight time schedules said
they would adhere to them.
Washington radio stations with
network facilities will schedule all
| programs at the usual time. This
will be accomplished by using tran
scribed play-backs of shows broad
cast an hour earlier from cities with
daylight time.
Among the major cities switching
to daylight time are New York, Bal
timore, Philadelphia. Pittsburgh,
Chicago, St. Louis, Cleveland, Cin
cinnati and Louisville.
Nearby Areas Mark Time.
States in which most communities
have turned their clocks ahead an
hour are Maine. Vermont, New
Hampshire. Massachusetts, Rhode
Island, Connecticut, New York, New
| Jersey, Pennsylvania. Maryland,
Illinois, California and Nevade.
Other States partly observing
daylight time are Tennessee, West
Virginia, Michigan, Missouri. Ohio,
Indiana and Virginia. Miami. Fla.,
~(See DAYLIGHT TIME, P. A-9.f
3 Die in Alberta Flood
EDMONTON, Alberta, April 24
j (A>).—Two children and a woman
drowned in swollen creeks in the
northern section of Alberta Prov
! ince, Royal Canadian Mounted Po
lice headquarters reported today,
i The deaths brought the province
flood toll figure to six.
Wedding Party Turns to Brawl;
Bridegroom and Best Man Held
By Coit Hendley, Jr.
The bridegroom, the best man and
a big batch of the Manning-Sullivan
wedding party ended up in a police
station yesterday after the recep- j
tion at the American Legion Club
turned into a free-for-all fight.
A call over the police radio—
“They’re fighting with sabers”—
sent five scout cars, two patrol
wagons and two ambulances to the
club 2437 Fifteenth street N.W
Before it was over more than 25
policemen were present.
They found confusion, but no
saber battle.
Hilton Mace, manager of the club,
was lying unconcious on the floor
from a blow on the head from a
bottle. About half of the 100 guests,
male and female, were engaged in
an active fight. Andrew Burdis, the
bartender, was bleeding from cuts
on the hand inflicted by a broken
bottle. Photographers and report
ers, who responded to the police
call, were being pummelled by rela
tives and guests.
The bride was in tears, crying:
! What a way to start a marriage!”
The patrol wagons then took
i about 20 of the party to the 13th
A
: precinct station and what happened
gradually became clearer.
, It started quietly at St. Stephen’s
Church at 10 a m. when Miss Cath
erine Sullivan of 1622 Thirty-fourth
street N.W. and James A. Manning,
jr„ were married. Mr. Manning
lives at 101 Seventh street S.E.
The reception began at noon at
the American Legion Club. By 4:30
p.m., the police were told, an argu
ment began in the basement bar
of the club.
When Mr. Mace tried to inter
vene, he was hit over the head with
a ginger ale bottle. He told police
the bottle was wielded by the bride
groom.
Mr. Burdis said he attempted to
interfere on Mr, Mace's side and
got a wallop with a broken bottle
for his trouble.
Police said at one point a guest
was chased up to the second floor,
but jumped out the window.
The battle with the photographers
began in front of the club as Mr.
Mace was being carried to the am
bulance. Henry Holland of the Post
was near the ambulance door. Sev
eral women grabbed him and tried
(See WEDDING, Page A-l)
Operators Claim
Coal Fund Allows
But $50 Pension
Contention Is Based
On Report of Actuaries
In Firm Lewis Hired
By James Y. Newton
Soft coal operators, girding
for renewal of the battle with
John L. Lewis over pensions for
miners, declared last night the
United Mine Workers welfare
fund will support pensions of
only $50 a month for men 65 or
older.
The operators disclosed the final
results of a study of the pension
problem made by a firm of actuarial
experts, as Mr. Lewis prepared to
put into effect the Bridges plan,
calling for $100 monthly pension*
for miners 62 or older.
Mr. Lewis has called a meeting
of welfare fund trustees for 4:30
p.m. tomorrow, presumably td make
arrangements to begin the $100-a
month payments provided in the
settlement worked out by' Senator
Bridges, Republican, of New Hamp
shire. Senator Bridges is the neu
tral member of the trustees board,
and Ezra Van Horn represents the
operators.
Court Asked to Void Plan.
Mr. Van Horn last wee asked
District Court to void the Bridges
plan and to hold its author and
Mr. Lewis ••personally liable'' for
any expenditures from the welfare
fund until his injunction request
can be heard. He charged that the
plan, pushed through a trustees
meeting over his objections, violates
the Taft-Hartley Act in several re
spects and would bankrupt the fund.
The final report of the actuarial
experts shows that the present wel
fare fund, supported by payment of
10 cents per ton on all cdal produced,
would fall far short of taking care
of the Bridges plan. It was made
by the same firm Mr. Lewis hired to
make a preliminary study last fall.
The study allows for pensions for
the miners employed by the coal
firms contributing to the welfare
fund—those companies who signed
the present contract with Mr. Lewis.
Mr. Van Horn estimates the total
number of employes at 336,000 and
the number 65 or over who are still
working at 7.500. The 10 cents per
ton “royalty” will bring in about
$50,000,000 a year.
$35,000,000 for Pensions.
A total of $35,000,000 would be put
into the pension fund each year,
leaving the rest for payment of
death, accident and sickness benefits,
hospitalization and medical care for
the miners, which is also called for
in the industry contract with Mr.
Lewis.
First-year cost of $50 monthly
pensions to the miners 65 or older
would be $4,545,000. The cost would
rise rapidly in succeeding years to
a peak of $48,440,000 a year.
The balance from the early low
cost years would be placed in a re
serve fund, which the experts said
by 1972 would total $500,000,000. In
terest from the reserve fund, plus
the annual contributions of $35,000.
000, would support the $50 pensions
from then on.
The experts placed the minimum
cost of the contract benefits other
than pensions at about $14,500,000
a year. However, no allowance is
made in that figure for payments to
miners’ dependents, or for pay
ment of a death benefit after the
miner has retired.
Benefits Included.
That figure would include these
benefits:
Payment of $1,000 for death be
fore retirement: $20 weekly accident
or sickness payments for a maxi
mum of 26 weeks; hospitalization,
$5 a dey for 31 days; $50 to cover
other hospital expenses, and surgi
cal expense up to $150.
There was no estimate from the
experts as to the cost of the Bridges
plan, but the operators claim a
royalty of from 30 to 40 cents per
ton of coal would be required to
support it.
Their figures show that 19,500 of
the men now working for contrib
utors to the fund are 62 or older,
compared with the 7,500 figure used
by the actuaries. Then, the Bridges
plan would cover all miners who
have retired since May 28, 1946,
] adding several thousand others to
the list. Apparently, the Bridges
j plan would also include the old
| among the estimated 40,000 UMW
members whose employers are not
contributing to the fund.
The operators claim they are also
obligated to provide pensions for
the old among some 35.000 foremen,
supervisors and "straw bosses" who.
under the Taft-Hartley Act, are
exempt from the contract with the
UMW. This has been called to their
Tsee COAL, Page A-7. >
Army Discharges 10
For Security Reasons
i Ten employes of the Army De
partment have been discharged for
security reasons since February, the
J department said last night.
A recapitulation by the Army
shows that in recent months 129
cases, including the 10 recently dis
: missed, have been considered. Of
the total, 72 were discharged while
the other 57 cases were otherwise
disposed of—some were cleared,
others quit and two or three died.
No exact figures on the 57 are avail
able, it was stated.
Of the 72 persons dismissed, 15
appealed to the Army’s Board of
Review and subsequently were rein
stated; 27 others appealed but lost
the appeal and were not rein
stated; 20 did not appeal and 10
cases are still pending. Of the 10,
six still have time to appeal and
four already have done so.
Under a new Army regulation, in
effect early this month, a person
facing discharge may appear in
person before the rcvr. - ';oard. The
| Army has the author; ' discharge
without appeal to < :■ resident*
1 loyalty appeal boai d.