Evening star. [volume], May 04, 1948, Image 1

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

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Arab Stronghold
Near Tel Aviv
Claimed by Jews
Truce Group Believed
In Trans-Jordan for
Talks With Abdullah
By the Associated Press
JERUSALEM, May 4.—Jews
claimed today the capture of
an Arab village which had barred
the way to Lydda airport.
Irgun Zvai Leumi, Jewish under
ground force now allied with Ha
gana, the Jewish militia, announced
in Tel Aviv the capture of the Arab
stronghold village of Yehudia after
an all-night battle with Arabs.
Yehydia lies 12 miles east of Tel
Aviv and about 4 miles north of
Lvdda airdrome, where all air opera
tions virtually have ceased.
Arab fighters were reported at
tacking the Jewish settlement of
Kfar Etzion south of Jerusalem.
Arabs said Jews fired on a convoy
of the British-officered Arab legion
there yesterday.
Other skirmishers developed else
where in Palestine, where the end of
the British mandate is now but 11
days away.
Truce Group in Amman.
A United Nations truce commis
sion made up of the French, British
and United States Consuls General
Is believed to have gone to Amman,
capital of Trans-Jordan, to confer
with King Abdullah and the secre
*ary general of the Arab League,
Rahman Azzam Pasha. Consulate
sources refused to discuss their
whereabouts. Abdullah has -aid he
personally will lead the regular
forces of Trans-Jordan, Iraq, Syria
and Lebanon against Palestine Jews.
The Arab attack on Kfar Etzion
was well under wav by noon, ac
cording to sparse reports received
In Jerusalem.
Jews last night attacked the 16th
General Hospital jon Mount Scopus,
held by Arab Legion ufiits. An Arab
spokesman said the attackers were
repulsed with "hundreds dead." A
Jewish spokesman said the attack
was retaliatory and only three Jews
were killed.
Arabs Shell Two Towns.
•Jewish military sources said Arab
artillery shelled two Jewish settle
ments north of Jerusalem in the
night.
The Informants said 30 shells
landed in the area of Neve Yacov
and Atarot. Both settlements are
on the highway between Jerusalem
and Ramallah. They said there
were no casualties and little damage.
Jerusalem was quiet during the
night, although scattered firing was
heard this morning in Mekor Halm.
This is inside the area where Brit
ish forces are enforcing a Jewish
Arab truce.
Most of the holy city was without'
light or power during the night,
after a power station breakdown.
It was only partially repaired by!
midmorning.
Eye witnesses said Arab forces!
were forming in the southern hills
for a massed attack on the Jewish
settlement of Kefar Etzion.
Arab States Warned.
The Arab states had a warning
today from Lt. Gen. Gordon Mac
Millan that Britain will resist "with
full force” any Arab invasion of
Palestine before the British man
date ends May 15.
The British commander made the
statement yesterday to Maj. George
Fielding Eliot, military analyst for
the New York Post, even as the
vanguard of strong British rein
forcements began arriving in Jer
usalem.
Arab sources In Amman hinted
that it is unlikely the Arab states
will launch any open invasion of
Palestine before the mandate ends.
This was in sharp contrast to pre
vious statements from Amman.
Arab military experts say the
Arab armies are not well enough
equipped to risk a clash with the
British.
Jerusalem had Its quietest day
■See PALESTINE. Page A-5.1 i
Bombing of Indo-Chinese
By French Reported
By the Associated Press
SAIGON, French Indo-China, May!
4—The French newspaper Le
Populaire d'lndo-Chine said today:
a French Army plane bombed a Mav
Day gathering Saturday and killed
300 persons.
The paper said members or Viet
Mmh 4United Revolutionary Front! 1
were holding the meeting in a jungle
clearing.
U. 5. Accuses Czechs
Of Border Violations
Sv the Associated Press
BERLIN, May 4—The American i
military government said today that
border violations have been com
mitted by Russian and Czech soldiers j
along American occupation zone i
frontiers in Germany.
A semimonthly military govern
ment report on occupation affairs:
said Czechoslovakian border police
had “fired at several persons within
Bavaria" in the United States zone
The full circumstances of these
Incidents were not reported, but
American public safety officials said
they occurred after the Czechs had
increased their border patrols to
check the flight of anti-Communist I
Czech refugees into Germany.
Russian soldiers were accused of5
two violations of Bavaria’s boundary i
with the Soviet zone of Germany
These were the first reported
major violations of the interzonal
frontier since February, w'hen the
Americans charged German border
police from the Russian zone with
arresting persons in Hesse, in the
American zone.
In the past few months the Rus
sians have greatly increased their
border controls.
Today's report noted a slight im
provement in Western Germany’s
over-all food situation, and said it
was due to increased American im-;
ports and a rising collection of food
from German farms.
4
Taft-Stassen Contest Draws
Heavy Vote in Ohio Primary
Republicans Far Outnumber Democrats
At Polling Places as 750,000 Ballot
By the Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 4 —
Ohio Republicans came out early
and in force today to settle the
battle between Senator Taft, the
favorite son, and Harold E. Stas
sen of Minnesota for 23 of 53
delegates to the party's national
convention.
Reports from all big cities showed
Republican ballots were being
handed out in today's primary elec
tion in numbers far in excess of
those to Democrats. The latter
v.ere deciding chiefly whether for
mer Gov. Frank J. Lausche or Rav
T Miller cf Cleveland was their
nominee for Governor.
Cleveland and Akron reported
heavy voting, with the Republican
balloting especially heavy. At Ak
ron, Ray Finley, a Stassen cam
paign manager and former Demo
jcrat, was challenged but finally was
U. 5.-British Division
On Palestine Appears
Developing in U. N.
American Group Holds
Secret Parley on Move to
Drop Trusteeship Plan
BULLETIN
LAKE SUCCESS <4\—King
Abdullah of Trans-Jordan told
the United Nations in a mes
sage today that the fighting in
Palestine will reach a pinnacle
of horrror after May 15.
By the Assockitcd Pres*
LAKE SUCCESS. May 4.—A
split appeared to be developing
today between the United States
and Britain over the Palestine
crisis.
This was Indicated after the
American delegation held a secret
conference on Britain's new pro
posal to drop the American-spon
sored plan for a Palestine trustee
ship and create instead a neutral
commission.
The United States already was at
odds with Russia over the trustee
ship scheme. Russia insists on
carrying out partition of Palestine
under the November 29. 1947, de
cision put through the U. N. under
joint American-Russian sponsor
ship.
Informed quarters said the United
States will continue to press for
action on the trusteeship project
despite Britain's declaration yester
day that such a plan would not
work.
Both Plans Up Today.
Both the American - sponsored
trusteeship plan syid the British
proposal were up for discussion this
afternoon by the 58-member Polit
ical Committee of the Special Pal
estine Assembly.
A United States spokesman said
his delegation feels the British plan
was worth considering, but that the
United States is not convinced it
would work any better than a
streamlined trusteeship.
It was emphasized, however, that
no final American decision had been
taken on the British proposal and
probably will not until it Is elab- j
orated in more concrete terms.
In this connection, it was noted;
that the chief American Delegate,
Warren R. Austin, plans to leave for
Washington tonight.
While Mr. Austin Is going pri
marily to state his views before a
congressional committee on pro
posals to strengthen the U. N., in
formed quarters said he undoubted
ly will discuss the Palestine prob
lem with top administration officials, j
Jerusalem Formula Sought.
The U. N. Trusteeship Council, j
meanw'hile. resumed its efforts to
find a formula to safeguard Jerusa
lem and its holy places from the
ravages of <?ivil war.
Delegates are in general accord
that no program with enforcement
provisions is possible. No Jewish
Arab agreement was in sight here
on a truce necessary to give any U.
N. plan a chance.
The Council hopefully looked to
Jerusalem, where the international
Red Cross is trying to bring a halt
to the fighting.
Late News
Bulletins
Jet Plane Crash Reported
A Jet fighter plane, attached
to the 4th Fighter Group at
Andrews Field, was reported to
have crashed today 20 miles
north of Richmond. Va., after
the pilot, when only 15 or 20
miles southeast of Andrews
Field, had radioed that he was
"bailing out.” Search planes
radioed that they believed the
wreckage had been seen, but
there was no word regarding
the pilot, whose name was
withheld.
Morgan Quits TV A Board
Dr. Harcourl A. Morgan, 80.
resigned today as a member
of the Tennessee Valley Board
of Directors. President Tru
man nominated Dr. Harry A.
Curtis of the University of
Missouri to succeed him. Dr.
Morgan, former president of
the University of Tennessee
and vice chairman of the TVA
Board, is retiring May 18.
Committee Approves Bruce
The Senate Foreign Rela
tions Committee today unani
mously recommended approval
of Howard Bruce, Baltimore
industrialist, as deputy ad
ministrator for the Economic
Co-operation Administration.
The Senate is expected to
confirm Mr. Bruce without op
position as top assistant to
ECA Administrator Hoffman.
i
/
given a Republican ballot. Numer
ous challenges but few refusals were
reported in Cleveland.
Outside of Cleveland, Akron and
Columbus, voting was slow. Youngs
town, also in the Northeastern Ohio
section where Mr. Stassen is center
ing his fight for delegates, reported
a total of 55,000 votes expected, or
about half the eligible vote.
Senator Taft's home town, Cin
cinnati, reported exceptionally slow
voting for the first three hours, with
almost three Republicans to one
Democrat going through the lines.
Dayton, where Mr. Stassen and
Senator Taft slugged each other in
speeches last week, had "surprising
ly light" turnouts.
Toledo, in the northwest corner,
also reported Republicans far out
numbering the Democrats in the
early part of the day. Observers
i See 0HI0TPage~X-2:>
Senators May Finish
Draft-Training Bill
Study by Friday
Push Work on Measure;
Early House Action
Promised by Martin
The Senate Armed Services!
Committee’s study of a combined
selective service and military!
training bill with an 18-through-!
25 age bracket for registration
and drafting of men may be
finished by Friday, Chairman
Gurney disclosed today.
The committee began work on a I
tentative measure spelling out de
tails of a compromise suggested last
week to draft 161,000 youths and 18
for one year of training, and 191,000
men aged 19 through 25 for two
years of service.
One of the first tasks was to write
special provisions for drafting of
doctors up to 45 years old without
depriving civilian communities of
adequate medical and dental serv
ices, committee members said.
House Armed Services Committee
approval of a draft bill yesterday,
and a promise today by Speaker
Martin that it would get early House
action, is understood to have caused
the Senate committee to speed up
its consideration of the "blended”
bill for draft and military training.
After meeting two hours this morn
ing, the Senate committee planned
to continue work in closed session
for another two or three hours this
afternoon.
General Agreement Seen.
Predicting that “we probably will j
finish it in a couple of days more,”
Senator Gurney said a preliminary
discussion of the bill today indi
cated "general concurrence with the
ideas and objectives of the bill.” He
added that some members plan to
submit amendemnts. but that these!
probably would not delay final com
mittee action on the measure.
The House Armed Services Com
mittee approved its bill yesterday by
a 28-to-5 vote.
Speaker Martin said it will go on
the House calendar as soon as the
schedule can be arranged.
"It depends a little on what else
is coming along,” he explained, "but
there will be no delay.”
The committees top-heavy vote
moved Congress and military lead
ers one step nearer a showdown on
the present three-way tussle among
the House, Senate and the adminis
tration over combining universal
military training and the draft in
a single bill.
Situation Outlined.
The situation right now is this:
1. The Senate Armed Services
Committee is waiting for Secretary
of the Army Royall to recommend
details of a bill to call 161,000
among the 18-year-olds for a year's
universal military training. They
would be taken in addition to men
of the 19-through-25 age group
drafted for two years' service in the
Army, Navy or Air Force.
Chairman Andrews of the House
Committee has called the Senate
Committee's plan "utterly foolish,
inconceivable and not called for.” He
says a draft and UMT could not be
handled together, and UMT should
be set up to start operating auto
(See DEFENSE; Page A-S.i —
Home-Rule Bill
Approved, 14-8,
By Committee
j
Special House Action
To Be Sought Before
Next District Day
By Don S. Warren
The House District Committee,
by a vote of 14 to 8, ordered a
favorable report today on the
Auchincloss bill for District
home rule.
' The committee did not announce
how members voted on a roll call
on its final action. All but three
members of the 25-man group voted
or left proxies stating their position.
Chairman Dirksen announced the
committee had given him authority
to take the legislation promptly be
fore the House Rules Committee for
a special order for House consid
eration of the charter bill, without
waiting for action at the next Dis
trict day.
The action came at 1 p.m. fol
lowing three hours of debate over
some important changes and the
question of favorable report.
Literacy Test Provided.
This was the fifth session of the
full committee, behind closed doors,
to consider the revised bill as
drafted by the Home Rule Subcom
mittee, headed by Representative
Auchincloss, Republican, of New
Jersey.
Several important changes were
made in the bill at today's session.
One of these is to insert a pro
vision for a nominal sort of literacy
test as a qualification for District
•ters. This will require that a can
didate for the right to vote in city
elections shall mSke out a voter's
registration form in his own hand
writing, without any assistance from
others, and that he sign the regis
tration certificate.
As explained by Chairman Dirk
sen, this will not involve, by any
stretch of the imagination, any test
such an an explanation of the
meaning of the Federal Constitution
or State Constitution. Such tests
are used in some of the States.
Referendum Set in November.
Another change, ordered in the
final session, would eliminate the!
proposed fiscal formula for measur-!
ing the size of the Federal pavment i
toward the Capital from the ref
erendum that Is set as the final test
of approval of the District charter
bill.
In other words, while the fiscal
formula was approvel as a part of
the charter bill, it Is to become im
mediately effective on passage of the
charter legislation by Congress, al
though the measure generally, with
this exception, Is to be contingent
on approval by a majority of quali
fied District voters.
The referendum would be held
next November if the bill is passed
by Congress %nd signed by the Pres
ident before the end of this Con
gress.
Dual Voting Left In.
Considerable debate developed to
day over the so-called “dual voting
plan" which would permit persons
living here for one year and other
wise qualified to vote in city elec
tions even though they maintained
the claim to legal domicile in their
home States.
This provision was left in the
bill although the vote on this was
closer than on any other issue
debated in the full committee. Offi
cials said the dual voting plan was
retained by a vote of 12 to 11.
The bill gives the District a lim
ited form of self-government while,
still retaining all final authority in
Congress, in keeping with the con
stitutional provisions.
It would abolish the appointed
Board of Commissioners and set up
an elected council of 12 members
as the city’s policy-making body.
The council would name a city
manager to take charge of all ad-1
ministrative functions of the city
government generally. There would |
be an elected Board of Education of,
eight members, to succeed to all of I
the powers and duties of the present
appointed School Board.
Poles Plan Atom Institute
WARSAW, Poland, May 4 (flA—
A group of Polish scientists an
nounced today that an institute for
atomic research will be built in
Poland within the next 10 month*.
The announcement said they expect
to get machinery from Switzerland.
Greeks Execute 152 in One Day
In Wake of Minister's Slaying
ly th« Associated Press
ATHENS, May 4.—It was offi
cially announced that 152 per
sons convicted of murder were
executed in Greece today.
Virtually all the slayings were
connected with the 1944 revolution.
All appeals by the condemned had
been formally rejected by the par
dons board.
The executions followed the as-;
sassination Saturday of Justice Min
ister Christos Ladas, officially de
scribed as the result of a Communist
plot.
Premier Themistokles Sophoulis
issued a statement saying “the gov
ernment will not be intimidated by
the treacherous Communist crime
against Ladas.” He said the govern
ment has decided to carry out all
death sentences which are upheld
by the pardons board.
The government intends to try
Markos Vafiades, guerrilla leader, in
absentia on charges that he was the
"moral author" of the assassination
of Mr. Ladas.
The 1944 revolt was engineered
by Communists and Communist
controlled groups against a govern
ment of national unity under Pre
mier George Papandreou. Greek
contingents and British troops
quelled the uprising after weeks of
bloodshed.
Orders for the executions were
signed Saturday by Constantine
Renkis. minister of public order
and acting justice minister. ^
I* > ?
A breakdown of the executions
showed 24 persons were put to death
in Athens, 37 on the island of j
Aegina, 12 in Lamia, 23 in Salonika
and the icmainder in Chalkis.
Tripolis, Sparta and Kalamata.
Assassin Praised on Radio.
Mr. Rentis announced the govern-!
ment's intention to try Vaflades last
night after a broadcast from the
secret rebel radio reportedly praised
the man who assassinated Mr. Ladas.
The broadcast also invited Com
munists to make similar attempts .on
the lives of Mr. Rentis, Premier
Sophoulls and Deputy Premier Con
stantin Tsaldaris. No date for the
trial of Vaflades was given.
Mr. Ladas was slain by grenades
hurled Saturday. His death was
described officially as a Communist1
plot aimed at three cabinet min
isters. including Mr. Rentis and
Mr. Sophoulis.
Assassin Closely Guarded.
Efstratos Moutsoyanis, 22, is be
ing held as the assassin and police
said he. is under close guard to pro
tect his life. Informed sources said
he was giving information which
can be termed “sensational" if con
firmed.
It was reported in reliable quar
ters that approximately 100 persons
have been arrested in connection
with Mr. Ladas' assassination, pre
sumably on the basis of disclosures
made by Moutsoyanis.
A reliable source said there are
nearly a thousand persons in Greece
now facing the death sentence for
various charges.
*
WELL,OF COURSE.rif
VtHJ HAVE ALL I
. VOUR EGGS IN ^
ONE BASKET....I ji
L HAVE OTHER
INVESTMENTS! ^
Covenants on Voluntary Basis
As Court Bars Enforcement
Opponents See 'Blow at Segregation';
No Cause for 'Panic/ Both Sides Agree
(Text of Supreme Court Decision
on Page A-4.)
By Robert K. Walsh
Covenants barring persons, for
race or color, from white neigh
borhoods stood solely on a volun
tary basis today as covenant
spokesmen had an “open mind”
on whether to ask the Supreme
Court to review its decision that
courts cannot enforce such
agreements.
In a 6-to-0 ruling yesterday the
Supreme Court overturned a 2-to-l
judgment by the United States
Court of Appeals here last May in
favor of restrictive covenants cover
ing property on Bryant street N.W.
A similar unanimous ruling re
jected findings of Missouri and
Michigan Supreme Courts that
At Least 75% of Globe
Would Help Revamp
U. N., Judd Says
House Committee Told
Of Support for Changes
To Assure Peace
By J. A. O'Leory
At least three-fourths of the
world would join the United
States in an effort to revamp
the United Nations Charter into
an effective instrument for
peace. Representative Judd, Re
publican, of Minnesota predicted
today.
Mr, Judd and Representative j
Hays, Democrat, of Arkansas, told
the House Foreign Affairs Com-1
mittee it would be desirable to
strengthen the U. N. with Russia's'
co-operation, but without it if neces
sary.
They were the first witnesses as
the committee began two weeks of
pfiblic hearings on a variety of
resolutions designed to strengthen
the world organization.
Veto Power Attacked.
Mr. Judd lost no time in attack
ing the veto power as "a monkey
wrench carefully placed in the U. N.
machinery in such a wray that it
could block turning of the wheels,
beyond discussion, if any one of the
Big Five so desired."
The Minnesota' Republican said
our purpose in agreeing to the veto
was to assure all nations that the
new organization would not be able
to make w»ar unjustifiably, or im
pose its will on any member.
"We were too naive to realize and
too trustful to suspect that the So
viet rulers had a totally different
idea." Mr. Judd went on. "They
were coldly planning to use the veto
not to block war. but to block peace.
They have not used it once to pre
vent war; they have used it re
peatedly to defeat measures or de
cisions that wore in the direction
of peace."
Mr. Judd said that at Teheran,
Yalta and other conferences, Amer
ican leaders yielded to Russia on
principles to get her to go along on
the United Nations Charter. It soon
became apparent, he added, "that!
the Soviet government came in, not!
to get solutions to problems but to
block solutions: not to make the
U. N. work, but to be in the best |
possible position to make sure it1
does not work.”
The Minnesotan said there are
three things this country could do
(See CHARTER. Page A-6.1
$50,000 in Cartridges
Found Cached in Mexico
By the Associated Press
MEXICO CITY, May 4 —Border
authorities in Nuevo Laredo re
ported today discovery of a cache
of cartridges valued at $50,000.
The cache was found in a private
house by customs officials headed by
Comdr. Bernal Garza.
Comdr. Garza said he learned the
cartridges were intended for ship
ment to the southern part of Mex
ico. He said he believed the cart
ridges had been brought into Mex
ico from the United States.
sustained covenants in St. Louis and
Detroit.
The covenant group in the Bryant
street cases has 20 days to request
the Supreme Court to review its
decision. One of its attorneys said
they have an open mind on the
feasibility of such a move.
In view of the court’s finding that
covenants, standing alone as private
agreements, are not illegal, there
was speculation that some might be
retained in one form or another,
though in no event could they be
enforced by court injunction.
Suggested possibilities included;
“Word of honor” residential owner
ship programs, establishement of
organizations similar to clubs with
membership limited to persons meet
ing certain qualifications, or “con
servation agreements’’ setting up
standards of use for residences in
certain neighborhoods.
Several leaders on both sides of
(See COVENANTS. Page A-4.)
Oleo Bill Is Referred
To Agriculture Group;
Backers Plan Appeal
Vote in Senate Is Sought,
Possibly This Afternoon,
On Vandenberg Decision
BULLETIN
The House-approved oleo
margarine tax repeal bill was
ordered referred to the Senate
Agriculture Committee today
by Senator Vandenberg, the
Senate presiding officer. Mar
garine backers planned to ap
peal from the chair’s ruling,
which would bring about a
Senate vote, possibly later to
day.
By Chalmers M. Roberts
The Senate was trying today
to unscramble a parliamentary
tangle over the House-approved
oleomargarine tax repeal bill.
When the Senate met at noon, it
plunged into a complicated argu
ment over which of two conflicting
Senate rules has priority. The effect
was to prevent an immediate deci
sion by the Senate on whether the
margarine bill will be considered by
the Agriculture or the Finance
Committee. v
Senator Vandenberg, Republican,
of Michigan, the presiding officer,
presented the parliamentary ques
tion and said it was one of the most
important ever to be decided by the
Senate.
Rare Procedure Involved.
It boils down to a question of
whether a House-approved bill can
be put on the Senate calendar at
once by the objection of a sir gle
Senator to further proceedings on it.
as was done yesterday with the tide
lands oil bill. This rarely used pro
cedure blocks sending the bill to a
committee.
If no decision is reached by 2 p.m.
today, the margarine question is ex
pected to go over until tomorrow,
when another effort will be made.
Senator Aiken, Republican, of
Vermont tried yesterday to work
out a compromise acceptable to both
dairy and margarine backers, but
he reported no success after an
(See OLEO. Page A-6j 1
Barrett, Back at Desk,
Seeks to Testily in
Gambling Inquiry
Also Suggests Calling
Precinct Captains and
Vice Squad Members
By Chris Mathisen
Police Supt. Robert J. Barrett
today asked United States At
torney George Morris Fay to
permit him to go before the
special grand jury which will be
impaneled May 17 to investigate
gambling in Washington.
Returning to his desk after leave
occasioned by the death of his
mother, Maj. Barrett made the re
quest in a letter to Mr. Fay in which
he suggested that precinct captains
and members of the vice squad also
be called before the grand jury.
‘‘I should also like to detail to you
such number of men as you may
feel is required to carry this investi
gation to a successful conclusion,"
Maj. Barrett wrote.
Plans No Special Measures.
He told reporters he planned no
special measures against gambling
activities at this time and said the
vice squad would continue to give
attention to the problem “in a
routine manner."
Maj. Barrett explained he felt
status quo should be maintained
until the grand jury had oppor
tunity to look into the existing
situation.
In asking to testify, he wrote Mr.
Fay he wanted to offer "such in
formation as is now in possession
of this department with respect to
gambling activities.”
He replied, "No comment," when
asked if this meant he had some
information other than that con
tained in flies of the vice squad and
other routine police reports.
Asked if he had heard any re
ports policemen might be involved
in “protecting” certain gamblers,
Maj. Barrett answered, "No.” >
Special Detail Offered.
In offering Mr. Fay a special de
tail to assist in the gambling in
vestigation, Maj. Barrett pointed
out:
“These men can be made available
to you on two hours' notice and
you may retain them indefinitely
for the purpose of this inquiry.”
Meanwhile, the numbers game, a
gambling enterprise of extreme
portability, continued its operations.
A numbers writer—the member
of the organization who deals with
j the customers—needs only a pencil,
! some slips of paper on which to
write the numbers played and a
place to keep the money until the
boss's runner collects from him. He
doesn't require an office.
"Chunky," for example, appeared
to be operating without strain yes
terday outside a news stand near
Seventh street and Florida avenue
N.W. A passerby couldn’t establish
beyond a doubt that "Chunky” was
writing numbers. But If he wasn't,
a great many of his friends chose
| yesterday to pay off their debts.
The stocky, well dressed colored
; (See G AMBLIngTPage A-87>
Former Nazi Gauleiter
In Danzig Asks Mercy
By the Associated Press
GDANSK, Poland, May 4.—Albert
Forster, former Nazi gauleiter of
Danzig, has asked President Boles
law Bierut to spare his life. He
also has sent a letter to Vatican
City asking Pope Pius XII to inter
; cede.
Foister is under sentence to be
hanged for engineering the Nazi
c the free city of Danzig.
Bill to Jail Newsmen in Leaks
Of Secret Hearings Approved
A bill that would permit the jail
ing ot newsmen who print leaks of
confidential information given tc
congressional committees was ap
proved today by the House Rules
Committee.
It still must be passed by the
House and the Senate and De ap
proved by the President before
becoming effective.
The measure would require all
executive departments to provide
congressional committees on de
mand whatever information the
committees decide they need.
The committees would decide by
majority vote whether the informa
tion, or part of it, should be made
public.
On a committee decision that the
information should be held confi
dential.* it would be a misdemeanor
for any one to divulge it or publish
it. The maximum punishment for
a violation would be one year in
jail and a $1,000 fine.
The penalty would apply not only
to newsmen but to committee mem
bers or any other individual obtain
ing knowledge of the information
and disclosing it “in any manner
whatever not provided by lawr.”
Chairman HofTman of the House
Expenditures Committee, which
drafted the legislation, admitted to
the Rules Committee that the press
would be affected by it.
i
District Budget
Of 101 Millions
Sent to House
Need for New Taxes
In Next Fiscal Year
Set at 6 Million
A 1949 District budget of
$101,164,900 that charts some
new policies and sets the need
for $6,000,000 in extra taxes, was
sent to the House today by its
Appropriations Committee.
As drafted by the Horan Subcom
mittee after a series of hearings, it
is to come up for House action
Thursday, Approval there will re
activate plans for a new load of
city taxes.
To fill the expected gap in finances
for the year beginning July 1, the
Commissioners, with the support of
numerous groups, are urging enact
ment of a 2 per cent general sales
levy, exempting only medicine and
groceries.
The bill leaves the Federal pay
ment toward the District costs as it
is at present—$11,000,000 for the
general fund and $1,000,000 for the
water fund.
The supply bill contains many
items of new interest but no major
surprises, since some of the depart
ures had been indicated by the
Horan Subcommittee during the
progress of its executive hearings.
High Lights of Measure.
Hight lights include:
1. Expansion of the medical chair
ities payments by the District for
indigent patients to include all those
cared for in nine of the city’s priv
ate hospitals. The estimated increas
ed cost is $380,000 per year. Only
four now are on the regular list.
In this same thought, the Horan
Subcommittee, with the approval of
0. C. Budget to Mean
New Revenue Law or
Realty Tax Increase
The District's budget for next
year was approved by the
House Appropriations Commit
tee, today with the specific un
derstanding that unless Con
gress enacts sufficient new
revenue laws to cover the bill
the Distlrct Commissioners will
be forced to increase the pres
ent real estate tax.
This was disclosed by Chair
man Horan of the District
Subcommittee of the House
Appropriations Committee.
the full funds group, rescinded •
1941 appropriation for construction
of a health center in the lower
Northwest section of the District.
2. Grant of funds for an increase
of 246 in the personnel of the Metro
politan Police Department, in moves
to provide a more adequate force,
to staff the new No. 14 precinct
station and to get more officers back
on regular beats.
In this connection the bill also
provides $25,000 additional to the
estimates for the purchase of arms
and ammunition for the force and
for equipment for the new Civil
Disturbance Unit.
School Construction Funds.
3. Extra funds for school con
struction above the level approved
by the Commissioners, who had
drastically slashed original requests
of the Board of Education. The
House Horan Subcommittee added
funds for beginning of construction
of two new 24-room elementary
school buildings, each to cost $825,
000, to relieve congestion in the
Stanton, Patterson and Congress
Heights Schools.
4. Provision of funds for a new
pediatries building for Gallinger
Municipal Hospital, to replace the
makeshift quarters on the second
floor of the psychiatric building. For
this purpose, the bill provides an
additional $300,000 for construction
of the projected new children's
i building and raises its maximum
construction cost contract to $1,
610,000.
, Glenn Dale Housing.
15. A grant of $65,000 for construc
tion of an apartment house at Glenn
Dale, Md., for housing medical offi
cers of the District Tuberculosis
Sanatorium.
6. A warning to the Commission
ers and city health officials to make
available, within appropriation limits
all available beds in District hospi
tals for patients revealed in the cur
rent tuberculosis X-ray survey.
7. Increased authority to District
'Auditor A. R. Pilkerton as to pre
; audit of expenditures under appro
j priated funds. This is a renewal of
| the fight started last year by Chair
man Horan and some District offi
cials to strengthen the hand of the
city auditor. Oniy a part of this
was enacted in the 1948 appropria
tion bill.
The Horan Subcommittee con
tended the cost of the Zoo should
ibe made a Federal responsibility.
Tests taken several years ago
j showed that most of the visitors to
| the Zoo were from out of town.
Fire Department “Conduct."
An additional section in the re
port of the Horan Subcommittee
calls for “stricter observance of
conduct” by Fire Department per
sonnel. This was an oblique ref
erence to the contest among Fire
Department personnel over the new
policies invoked by Fire Chief
Clement Murphy.
The bill proposes a new declara
tion as to District responsibility for
patients taken to St. Elizabeths Hos
pital from the National Capital.
New language written into the bill
would prescribe that city funds shall
not be available for the care of
mental patients who have lived
here for less than a year.
This is a restatement of an old
provision in a move to prevent the
District from being charged for
mental patients, discovered here,
but who are really residents of other
Jurisdictions.
The bill as reported calls for a
permanent improvement outlay of
nearly $18,000,000, or at „ 17.5 per
< See-BUDGET, Page A-6j ’
I