Evening star. [volume], May 18, 1948, Image 1

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

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96th Year. No. 139. Phone NA. 5000. ★★★ WASHINGTON, D. C., TUESDAY, MAY 18. 1948-THIRTY-EIGHT PAGES. 5 CENTS
Acre Surrender
To Jews After
Battle Reported
Tel Aviv Raided for
Fourth Day; Broken
Dam Traps 500 Arabs
ARABS USE CANNON in Jerusa
lem; Legion Holds Central Pales
tine. Page A-5.
By th# Associated Press
TEL AVIV, Israel, May 18.—
Jewish army sources said the
ancient all - Arab town of
Acre surrendered unconditionally
early today after a 72-hour bat
tle in the streets.
Hagana said earlier it had some
4.000 Arabs trapped in the old walled
city, 9 miles north of the Jewish port
of Taifa. The Hagana fighters
claimed control of the highway
through the city, a link to Jewish
settlements in the north.
Acre is just outside the area of
Palestine designated as Jewish un
der the United Nations partition
plan.
500 Reported Drowned.
To the east, Jewish sources in
Haifa declared 500 Arabs were
drowned when Jews opened a dam
and flooded plain lands south of the
Sea of Galilee.
Tel Aviv was raided by light
bombers just after dawn, for the
fourth straight day. The 45-minute
attack was the longest yet on the
city. The Jews said they shot down
one of the attacking planes and
damaged another.
Hagana said one of the attacking
pilots crash-landed near Rehovot,
15 miles southeast of Tel Aviv, and
was taken into custody by two girl
soldiers. They said he identified
himself as an Egyptian air force
pilot officer. In the first day’s air
raids Saturday, the Jews also had
claimed capture of an Egyptian
pilot.
Armored Units Trapped.
The Haifa informant said Arab
armored columns were trapped by
the rushing dam waters near
Deganya on the southern tip of the
Sea of Galilee. The plain lies below
sea level in the Jordan Valley along
the Palestine-Trans-Jordan frontier.
The source said Arab tanks be
came mired and heavy equipment
wyas trapped by the swirling waters.
From atop the historic hill from
which Napoleon once tried unsuc
cessfully to storm Acre, Jewish
commandos swooped down on the
ancient city, Hagana said.
Under a protective curtain of fire
from the hilltop, a Jewish convoy
pushed through the outskirts of the
coastal town. The vehicles were hit
by only a few bullets. A Jewish com
mander said it was the first convoy
to get through in two months.
Towns Evacuated.
He said women and children of
the Jewish settlements along the
Lebanese frontier have been evacu
ated. Other Arab villages along the
highway have been neutralized, he
said.
Tel Aviv air raid yesterday was
the heaviest to date. Three persons
were killed, one of them a military
nurse, a source said.
From 20 to 30 persons were re
ported injured. A small hospital
and several other cities were bombed
and strafed.
Arabs Attack in Jerusalem.
Hagana announced yesterday that
Arabs had begun a massed attack
against the Jewish quarter of Jerus
alem's old walled city. The U. N.
Consular Truce Commission has re
ported to have hastened to Amman.
Trans-Jordan, for talks with King
Abdullah.
(A pooled dispatch from Amer
ican correspondents in the Holy
City yesterday said virtually all
the center of Jerusalem was in
the hands of the Jews after 51
hours of furious street fighting
that followed Friday’s withdrawal
of the British. The dispatch,
dated Sunday, said Arab shells
were falling into the city at that
time.
Since the British withdrawal,
foreign newsmen in Jerusalem 1
have been cut off from normal
communications. The pooled
dispatch came over facilities
made available by thg United
States Navy.
In Cairo, -the Arab Higher j
Executive said the Jewish
Agency had authorized the sur
render of Jews in the old city :
of Jerusalem to the Arab volun
teers. The office said the sur
render terms ‘ have been accept
ed by the old city Jews.”
(The statement said the terms
provide that the Jews relinquish
their arms and that men be con
sidered prisoners of war and
that women and children be
handed over to the International
Red Cross.)
15 Arab Casualties Reported.
British sources said 15 Arabs were
killed or wounded in the Jerusalem
battle. Arabs claimed the Jews suf
fered some 20 casualties.
The British said the Arabs were
understood to have captured Bar
clay's Bank and Darouti’s Hotel in
the heart of the Holy City. They
(See ISRAEL. Page A-5.) !
Hudson Hurls for Haefner,
Ouf Wifh Sinus Ailment
By e Staff Correspondent of The Star
CHICAGO. May 18. —Pitcher
Mickey Haefner of the Nats today
returned to his New, Athens, 111.,
home for treatment of a sinus in
fection.
Scheduled to pitch here against
the Chicago White Sox in the open
er of a two-game series today, Haef
ner asked Manager Joe Kuhel for
permission to visit his physician at
New Athens. He will rejoin the
club in St. Louis.
Sid Hudson was sent to the
mound in an attempt to snap
Washington's four- game losing j
streak.
The Nats scored in the second
inning on singles by Gillenwater |
and Evans, to take a 1 to 0 lead
in the game. 1
Draft Bill Called Regimentation
At House Rules Group Hearing
Armed Services Committee Approves Plan
To Start on 65,000-Ton Aircraft Carrier
By Robert K. Walsh
Highly critical members of the
House Rules Committee lashed
out at the Armed Services Com
mittee’s selective service bill to
day as “Nefcv Deal regimenta
tion” and as unnecessary for the
military forces and contrary to
“the democratic way of life.”
Chairman Andrews of the armed
services group, testifying as the
! first witness at hearings on whether
! to clear the measure for House floor
debate, retorted that the Army
needs 822.000 men regardless of pro
posed expansion of the Air Force
to 70-group strength.
While contending that both a
draft and military training should
not be enacted at this time, because
the military establishment is not
equipped "to implement and in
tegrate both of them," Mr. Andrews
declared:
“This country must accept a draft
for two years now or it must eventu
ally accept universal military train
ing for five years unless it wants
to gamble dangerously with the na
tional security.-’
When the Rules Committee re
cessed its hearings until tomorrow,
the Armed Services Committee an
nounced approval of a bill permit
ting the Navy to stop work on
construction of 13 warships and to
transfer approximately $229,000,
000 for a start on a 65,000-ton air
craft carrier. The measure, request
ed by the Navy, and indorsed by
I President Truman and the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, was unanimously ap
proved yesterday by an Armed
Services subcommittee.
The 70-group Air Force authori
sation, contained in a bill await
ing White House action, came up
several times at the Rules Com
mittees session on the draft bill.
Economic controls and allocations
would be required for that air force
expansion, Mr. Andrews told the
committee.
"It will require imposition of al
locations and controls," he said, "not
i See DEFENSE.”PageA-4. i
10 Killed as Explosion
Shatters Building at
Jersey Chemical Plant
50,000-Gallon Tank of
Distillate Goes Up With
Roar Heard for 15 Miles
By tht Associated Press
KEARNY, N. J„ May 18.—A
shattering tank explosion and
fire shortly before midnight last
night killed at least 10 persons
at the sprawling Koppers Co.
Tar and Chemical Division plant.
Nine bodies were taken from the
ruins of the building along the
Hackensack River and a 10th victim
died in a hospital. Firemen
searched the wreckage for addi
tional victims of the blast that set \
off a fire in an adjoining building
of the plant.
me company s omce in nusuuigu
said the explosion occurred when a
strong wind blew part of the con
tents of a 50.000-gallon tank of a
distallate against a hot pipe. The
! distillate, used in making other
chemicals, "flashed” and then set
thp tank afire. A service building,
laboratory and machine shop were
burned.
First reports said the blast was
caused by blazing naphthalene.
Detective Sergt. Charles Schillon
had estimated from eyewitness re
ports that 11 workers were trapped
in the building when the explosion
occurred.
Names of the dead and missing
were not immediately available.
The blast, heard over a 15-mile
area, sent a sheet of flame into the
air. The reflection against low
hanging clouds was reported seen
10 miles away. A series of minor
explosions followed the first blast.
Lt. George Kelty of the Hudson
County police, in headquarters a
half-mile away, said the intense
glare "seemed to envelop the police
building. It was the closest thing
to an atomic bomb explosion I
ever want to see.”
Fire Severely Damages
Queen Wilhelmina's Palace
By the Associated Press
THE HAGUE, May 18.—A fire
severely damaged Queen Wilhel-!
mina's Noordeine palace today.;
raging for an hour before it was
brought under control.
Witnesses said the flames, fanned
by a strong wind, probably were
started by a torch used by painters,
who were burning off old paint on
the roof.
The 67-year-old Queen and other
members of the royal family were
not at the palace, which was built
ir. 1553. and has been the residence
of the Orange dynasty for centuries.
It has been used only for official
receptions in recent years. Wil
helmina is staying at Het Loo. her
summer residence in the country’.
The fire broke out about 2:30
p.m. Police reported an hour later
that it was under control. Part of
the roof fell.
Soldiers carried the many art
treasures of the palace to safety,
under the direction of Prince
Bernhard, the husband of Crown
Princess Juliana.
Formal 10-Day Notice
Of GM Strike Filed
By Auto Workers
Negotiations Continue
As UAW Clears Ground
For Walkout of 225,000
By the Associated Press
DETROIT, May 18.—A formal
10-day notice that a strike “is
pending" for 225,000 General
Motors employes was filed today
by the CIO-United Auto Workers.
The union sent a letter to that
effect to the State Labor Mediation
Board as negotiations continued in
an effort to head off a second major
walkout in the auto industry.
A strike of 75,000 Chrysler employes
went into its seventh day without
further violence on picket lines sim
ilar to incidents yesterday that
brought out State police.
A CIO-UAW official yesterday
posed a threat to strike about 90
General Motors plants May 28. the
date a contract extension expires,
unless a new contract is agreed to
by then.
Other Developments.
These other developments colored
the auto-labor picture:
1— Official action by Michigan
authorities to test a State labor law
in the Chrysler strike. The union
immediately blocked such a move by
obtaining a Circuit Court injunction.
2— A truce reached by the UAW
and Chrysler permitting white
collar workers to enter the com
pany's Kercheval- plant and issue
overdue paychecks for the strikers'
last full work week.
3— The second court injunction
issued against the UAW. restraining
picketing at the plant in Mary
ville, Mich.
Sigler Visits Disorder Scene.
Chrysler workers walked out of
16 plants across the country last
Wednesday, demanding that the
company add 17 cents to their $1.50
hourly wages. The UAW-CIO origi
nally asked 30 cents more per hour,
but slashed the demand on the eve
of the strike.
Gov. Kim Sigler of Michigan came
here yesterday to oversee State
troopers he had sent into suburban
Highland Park to quell fist-fighting
and rock-throwing disturbances at
the Chrysler plant there.
Meanwhile, at the State Capital
in Lansing, Attorney General Eu
gene F. Black issued his first orders
to bring the Bonine-Tripp labor
law to a test.
Noting UAW officers had failed
fo conduct the required State strike
vote before the walkout, he ordered
Prosecutor James McNally of Wayne
County to determine “who was re
sponsible for the current Chrysler
strike * * • and take immediate1
(See AUTO WORKERS, Page A-&J
103 Greek Guerrillas
Are Reported Killed
ly the Associated Press
ATHENS, May 13.—Today’s gen
eral staff communique said 103
guerrillas were killed Sunday in
heavy fighting north of Drama.
Government casualties were given
as one dead and 14 wounded.
The communique said fighting In
the area continued until yesterday,
when government reinforcements
at rived and Loyalists counter at
tacked. Greek planes strafed the
fleeing rebels and killed three of
their leaders, the communique said.
Gl Lured by Russian Had Access
To Secrets, Acquaintance Says
By Herman F. Schaden
Sergt. James M. McMillin, the
soldier who was lured away from the
American Embassy in Moscow by a
Russian siren, “very definitely” had
access to secret information, an ac
quaintance said today.
The revelation came from Alex
Timm, 23, of Passaic. N. J.„who for
merly was associated with Sergt.
McMillin on the Embassy staff and
was thoroughly acquainted with
what the State Department has
labeled a routine Soviet practice of
enticing American Embassy men
with fascinating women.
Getting the jump on Russian
propagandists, the State Depart
ment had disclosed that on the eve
of his projected return to this coun
try, Sergt. McMillin, 21-year-old
Boulder 1C0I0.1 youth, disappeared
in Russia with Mrs. Galina Dunaeva
Biconish, 21-year-old wife of an
other American soldier.
Mr. Timm, now planning to at
tend college, and Paul P. Beatley,
21, of Landover Hills, Md., a State
Department employe, knew both
Sergt. McMillin and his “Galya”
during the days when they were
together in Moscow.
Where the couple is living in the
land of secret police is a mystery
to both Mr. Timm and Mr. Beatiey.
They think possibly they are stay
ing with Mrs. Biconish's mother.
But it is "very probable.” Mr.
Beatiey believes, that the secret po
! lice (MVD) w ill question the AWOL
soldier closely. The Russians know;
that, as a cryptographer at the Em
bassy, Sergt. McMillin worked with
coded messages.
Mr. Timm said he believed the
words of a letter supposedly writ
ten by Sergt. McMillin against the
I United States and in favor of the
'Soviet Union "were put in the poor
kid's mouth.”
The McMillin letter "just smells
of the typical phraseology of the
Soviets.” he added.
Mr. Timm said Sergt. McMillin
was not politically minded at all.
He said he emphatically was of the
opinion that the wording of the let
ter was not that of his former Army
companion.
Both of Sergt. McMillin’s former
companions agree with the State
Department disclosure that his se
duction by the Russian Circe was
part of an organized plan practiced
wholesale at the American, British
and other embassies.
“Why. I was telephoned by three
(Sec McMILLLN, Page A-3J
U. S. Is Cautious
In Reaction to
Stalin 'Offer'
Issues Not Bilateral,
But State Department
Calls Act Encouraging
BULLETIN
The State Department said
today that Prime Minister Sta
lin's latest statement on peace
‘'is encouraging” but that the
issues proposed for settlement
do not stand between $he
United States and the Soviet
Union alone. The issues listed
have been under negotiation
for two years or more In the
United Nations, the Council of
Foreign Ministers and else
where, the department said.
By Eddy Gilmore
Associated Press Foreign Correspondent
MOSCOW. May 18, — Prime
Minister Stalin says Russia is
willing, if the United States is,
to accept Henry A. Wallace's re
cent “open letter” to him as the
foundation for peaceful settle
ment of Soviet-American quar
rels.
In a statement dated yesterday
and released by the Soviet press
department last night, Mr. Stalin
replied to proposals made by Mr.
Wallace at a .political rally in New
York a week ago today.
“I do not know,” Mr. Stalin said,
in his first public pronouncement
in more than a month, “whether the
United States government approves
of Mr. Wallace's program as a basis
for agreement between the U. S.
3. R. and the United States.
"As far as the government of the
U. S. S. R. is concerned, it con
siders that Mr. Wallace’s program
should serve as a good and fruitful
basis for such an agreement and for
the development of international
co-operation.”
i In Washington, the White
House and the State Department
withheld official comment.
Summarizes Wallace Plan.
Mr. Stalin gave a concise sum
mary of the Wallace proposals, which
he said “are known to everybody,'
listing them as follows:
1. “A general reduction of arma
ments and prohibition of atomic
weapons.
2. “Conclusion of peace treaties
with Germany and Japan and the
question of evacuation of troops
from these countries.
а. evacuation oi troops from
China and Korea.
4. "Respect for the sovereignty of
individual countries and noninter
ference in their domestic affairs.
5. "The inadmissibility of military
bases in member countries of the
United Nations.
б. “World development of inter
national trade, excluding any sort of
discrimination.
7. “In the framework of the Unit
ed Nations, assistance to and eco
nomic restoration of countries which
suffered from the war.
8. “Defense of democracy and in
suring of civil rights in all countries;
and so on.” •
Wide Support Seen.
“It is possible to agree or to dis
agree with the program of Mr.
Wallace,” Mr. Stalin said. “But
one thing is, nevertheless, beyond
doubt: there is no statesman
caring for peace and co-operation
among the peoples who can ignore
this program, since it reflects the
hopes and strivings of the peoples
toward consolidation of peace, and
it doubtless will have the support of
millions of ordinary people.
“Despite the difference in the
economic system and the ideologies,
the co-existence of these systems
and a peaceful settlement of dif
ferences between the U. S. S. R.
and the United States are not only
possible, but also necessary in the
interests of a general peace.”
Mr. Stalin referred to the recent
diplomatic exchange between For
eign Minister Molotov and American
Ambassador Walter B. Smith only to
mention its “inadequacy.” He said
that exchange did nothing more
than declared “the desirability of
settling the Soviet-American dif
ferences.”
The difference between the Smith
Molotov exchange and the Wallace
proposals, Mr. Stalin said, “consists:
in the fact that it (Wallace’s letter)
does not limit itself to a declaration,
but goes further, makes a serious
rsee STALIN, Page A-4.>
Committee Delays Action
On Home Rule Debate
The House Rules Committee to
day postponed until tomorrow aft
ernoon action on a rule for House
consideration of the Auchincloss
Home Rule bill.
Chairman Allen said a vote had
been expected shortly after noon
today, but the absence of two mem
bers caused the delay.
The House District Committee has
asked for a special rule granting,
three hours general debate on the
bill to be followed by consideration
of proposed amendments. The re
quested rule also would waive points
of order to facilitate House consid
eration.
The special rule, it is hoped by
proponents of the bill, would have
the effect of preventing opponents
from filibustering the bill to death
on the floor.
Chinese Communists
Free 2 Belgian Priests
By the Associated Press
PEIPING, May 18.—Two Belgian
priests who were captured by Com
munists while en route from Peiping
to Tatung in Shansi province have
been released unharmed after nine
days' captivity.
Catholic authorities making the
announcement said the priests were
the Very Rev. A1 phone van Buggen
hout. who recently returned to China
after six months in Europe, and the
Rev. Albert van Pelt.
*
Hope This Won't Develop Into a Neighborhood Feud
District Guard Colonels Fight
OverWhoHasActingCommand
Nevitt Quotes 1947 Order by Gen. Cox;
Mann Bases Claim on Regulations
A showdown fight over who
commands the District National
Guard in the absence from the
city of its commander, Brig. Gen.
Albert L. Cox was under way
today.
The principals are:
Col. Le Roy S. Mann, command
ing officer of the 260th Anti-Aircraft
Artillery Group and the senior line
officer of the Guard and senior office
in date of rank.
Col. Peyton G. Nevitt, adjutant
general of the District National
Guard and its senior staff officer.
Col. Nevitt says he is commanding
the Guard in the absence of Gen.
Cox, who is abroad. He bases his
claim on a general order issued
April 3, 1947, signed by Col. Nevitt
by order of Gen. Cox, designating
Col. Nevitt as the officer in com
maud during absence of the com
manding general.
On May 12 of this year. Col. Mann j
wrote to Col. Nevitt quoting the
Articles of War, Army regulations
and the District Code to suport his
claim that he is in command of the
Guard in Gen. Cox's absence and
directing Col. Nevitt to issue a gen
eral order notifying the Guard that
Col. Mann has assumed command
in compliance with the authorities
he quoted.
Yesterday. Col. Nevitt. ignoring
the communication from Col. Mann
in so far as its directive was con
cerned. issued the following general;
order for circulation among mem
bers of the Guard:
"Any order purporting to be issued
by other than the undersigned com- j
manding in the absence of Brig. j
(See GUARD, Page A-4.» j
Special Grand Jury
Begins Investigation
Of Gambling Here
Fay Expected to Give
General Picture of
D. C. Area Conditions
By Chris Mathisen
The special grand jury selected
to investigate Washington gam
bling operations began consider
ation of the problem today under
a policy of secrecy extending
even to its schedule of sessions.
It was believed the jurors’ first
concern was to receive a gen
eral presentation of the Capital area
gambling picture from United States
Attorney George Morris Fay and
Assistant United States Attorneys
John W. Fihelly and Charles B.
Murray.
Today s meeting was neio in ine
regular grand jury room in the Mu
nicipal Court Criminal Division
Building. The regular grand jury,
which returned indictments yester
day, apparently was not sitting to
day.
Mr. Fihelly would say nothing
about the proceedings during a brief
absence from the room.
Room Reported Ready.
It was understood a room in the
Municipal Court Civil Division
Building haa been prepared for the
special grand jury. This gave rise
to speculation that might be the
site of its deliberations when the
regular grand jury returned to duty.
It was not known whether any
witnesses would be brought before
the investigators today.
The 11 women and 12 men met
briefly after their selection yestei
day by Justice David A. Pine of
District Court. On being sworn in
and receiving the charge from Jus
tice Pine, they were conducted to a
room on the top floor of the court
house. A deputy United States
i See GAMBLING, Page A-4.)
Commissioners Back
Direct Admissions
To St. Elizabeths
Bill Would Let Chronic
Mental Patients By-Pass
Gallinger Hospital
By Miriam Ottenberg
The District Commissioners
today unanimously approved
proposed legislation to permit
chronic mental patients to by
pass Gallinger and go directly
to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital.
Immediately afterward, Chairman
Miller of the House District sub
committee on health, education and :
recreation introduced the bill in the
House.
In another development, the
House today approved a measure
allowing persons who are not insane
but feel in need of treatment to
have themselves admitted volun
tarily to St. Elizabeths.
At present, patients can be ad
mitted voluntarily to Gallinger, but
not St. Elizabeths. The bill, re
quested by the Federal Security
Agency, was introduced by Repre
sentative Buck, Republican, of New
York.
Completely Different Bills.
Dr. Miller explained the voluntary j
admissions bill was completely dif- j
ferent from the one he irltroduced!
today for direct admissions. In the
case of voluntary admissions, those 1
seeking treatment take the initia-j
(See GALLINGER, Page A-4.) ;
Gov. Long Names Oil Man
To Succeed Overlon
By th« Associotvd Pr*s»
BASTON ROUGE La., May 18 -
Gov. Earl K. Long today named
William C. Feazel, independent oil
and gas producer of Monroe and j
Shreveport, as Senator from Louisi
ana to succeed the late Senator
John H. Overton. Democrat.
Roy North Nominated
To Succeed Burke
As Postmaster Here
Veteran of 38 Years
In Postal Service Rose
From Railway Clerk
(Picture on Page A-3.)
President Truman today nom
inated Roy M. North, deputy
Third Assistant Postmaster Gen
eral, to be postmaster here, suc
ceeding Vincent C. Burke, re
cently promoted to be First As
sistant Postmaster General.
Mr. North, a career employe of
many years' service, came to Wash
ington on the staff of the Post
master General early in the Roose
velt administration.
Mr. North, who is 57, has spent
38 years in the postal service, start
ing as a railway mall clerk when
he was 19. He was promoted to
post office inspector in August,
1915. the month after he became
25, the minimum age for the job.
Native of Georgia.
He served as an inspector in St.
Louis and then in Chicago and then
was appointed deputy Third Assist
ant Postmaster General in May.
1933. In that position he has had
supervision of the divisions of
stamps, finance and postal savings.
Mr. North is a native of Georgia
and attended Emory College in Ox
ford, Ga., now Emory University
at Atlanta. He has been active in
the Emory Alumni Association of
Washington, serving as its presi
dent, and is a member of Omicron
Delta Kappa Fraternity. He is pres
ident of the Post Office Department
Mutual Benefit Association, an in
surance organization for postal
employes. He is also a member of
the Board of Stewards of the Mount
Vernon Place Methodist Church.
Mr. and Mrs. North live at 2501
Calvert street N.W. They have two
daughters. The elder. Miss Romona
North, made her debut at the Wash
ington Club two years ago. and is
graduating in June from Catholic
University. Miss Janis North, 15,
is a student at Woodrow Wilson
High School.
The nomination went to the sen
ate Post Office and Civil Service
Committee which has scheduled a
regular meeting for 10 a.m. next
Tuesday to consider several nomina
tions for postmasters and it is like
ly that Mr. North's name will be
taken up at that time.
Most postmaster nominations are
considered in executive session. A
nearing on the nomination prob
ably would not be scheduled, it was
said, unless there were some op
position or other indication that a
public hearing was requested. "
Bulletin
Senate Confirms Larson
The Senate today confirmed
the nomination of Jess Lar
son as administrator of the
War Assets Administration.
Senator Tydings. Democrat, of
Maryland, sought unsuccess
fully to have the nomination
sent back to committee.
Both Parties Claim They're the Home Team
The Republican-Demo cr a t i c
baseball game at Griffith Sta
dium Friday night was on the
verge of becoming a double-head
er today.
“The first contest will be at
home plate,” announced Man
ager Dick Richards of the Demo
crats. “After we’ve settled which
side is home team—meaning us
—we'll begin the ball game.”
Manager C. W. (Runt) Bishop
of the Republicans was anxious
to know the size of his rival's
hat.
;‘He’s talking through his hat,"
he' declared. “As majority party,
Republicans will enjoy the privi
lege of sitting in the home dug
out. It’s our legal right, and by
gdily we intend to exercise it.”
That would be, observed Man
ager Richards, about all the ex
ercise the Republicans get, if
they win the argument.
“Republicans have an annoy
ing habit of trying to brow-beat
p e o p 1 e,” Richards continued.
“But we refuse to be intimi
dated.”
The verbal exchange did not
prevent Bishop from virtually
ft
.
completing his plans for the fray.
Don Jackson of California and
Ed Devitt of Minnesota will
share the first base chores with
Judge Evan Howell of the United
States Court of Claims.
Bishop, Walt Horan of Wash
ington and Gerald Landis of
Indiana will direct traffic around
second base, while a couple of
Wisconsin Badgers, Glenn Davis
and Alvin OTConski, will divide
the shortstopping duties. Thor
Tollefson apparently will handle
all the business at third base, al
though, as Bishop explained, the
infield situation is “fluid.'’
The Republicans are proud of
their outfield, what with a couple
of 200-pound fence Dusters in uiu
Crow of Pennsylvania and Char
ley Fletcher of California leading
the pack. Francis Case of South
Dakota, Harold Hagen of Min
nesota and Bill Stratton of
Illinois round out the group.
“Stratton used to chase rattle
(See BALL GAME. Page A-4.)
Tickets for Ball Game
On Sale in Star Lobby
Tickets for the Congressional
baseball game at Griffith Sta
dium at 8 p.m. Friday can be
purchased in the lobby of The
Evening Star Building and at
the stadium.
The scale of prices is $1 for
general admission, $1.25 for re
served seats and $2 for box
seats, tax included.
Those desiring to make res
ervations by mail should send
checks made out to The Eve
ning Star and address them to
Congressional Ball Game. Room
724, The Evening Star Building.
Civil Contempt
Case Against
Lewis Dropped
Action Delayed on
Anti-Strike Order;
Negotiations Opened
By James Y. Newton
Justice T. Alan Goldsborough
today dismissed without penalty
the civil contempt proceedings
against John L. Lewis and his
United Mine Workers and took
under advisement a Government
request to dismiss the anti
strike injunction held over Mr.
Lewis and the union.
The surprise District Court action
came as Mr. Lewis and the mine
operators met at the Shoreham
Hctel tc open negotiations for a new
soft coal industry work contract.
Justice Department attorneys filed
two motions with Justice Golds
borough. The first one. which the
judge granted, asked, dismissal of.
the civil contempt of court case
which the court had left open after
the recent miners’ pension strike.
The second requested dismissal of
the 80-day Taft-Hartley Act injunc
tion against a strike which Justice
Goldsborough issued April 23.
jurist tails for Brief.
Justice Goldsborough refused to
dismiss the injunction at least for .
the time being and asked Federal )
attorneys to submit a brief to him
on the subject.
The court fined Mr. Lewis $20,000
and the UMW $1,400,000 on a charge
of criminal contempt for refusing
to obey a court order instructing
them to call off the pension strike.
Mr, Lewis and the union also were
judged guilty of civil contempt, but
the sentence was left open by Judge
Goldsborough.
The action today tosses out of
court the entire civil contempt case
under which Mr. Lewis and the
UMW could have been given addi
tional penalties had the pension
strike been continued.
The Government today was rep
resented by Assistant Attorney Gen- /
eral H. Graham Morison and Joseph
M Friedman, special Assistant At
torney General.
Says Purposes are Achieved.
They told the court, in asking dis
missal of both the civil contempt
case and the anti-strike injunction,
that the Government was convinced
that normal production of coal had
now been resumed and that it was
“abundantly clear” that ihe pur
poses of the Government in obtain
ing the injunction had been accom
plished.
"The United States has but one
interest in this case,” Mr. Morison
said, “and that is to protect the
public interest against the catastro
phe of work stoppage in this vital
industry. It now appears that the
underlying dispute (over miners*
pensions* which led to this work
stoppage has been channeled into
an appropriate form for disposition.**
Mr. Morison referred to the plan
worked out by Senator Bridges, Re
publican, of New Hampshire, for the
payment of $100 monthly pensions
to miners 62 years and older with
zu years service, senator tsnages
is the neutral member of the three
man board of trustees for the UMW
Welfare and Retirement Fund.
The Bridges pension plan has
been challenged in District Court
by the mine operators and it was
Mr. Morison's contention that th®
whole dispute will be settled in court
without another strike.
Not Convinced of Settlement.
Justice Goldsborough, in refusing
to grant dismissal of the injunction
immediately, said he was not con
vinced that the pension dispute had
been settled. He added that Mr.
Morison’s arguments for the dis
missal of the injunction “lacked
force.’’
“This last motion (to dismiss th®
injunction* is something the court
had no idea it would be called on to
pass on,” Justice Goldsborough told
Mr. Morison.
The judge then said he would hold
the matter under advisement and
asked the Government attorneys to
submit a brief of their argument to
him.
Opening session of the contract
talks was recessed a half hour
after Mr. Lewis challenged the right
of Joseph E. Moody, president of
the Southern Coal Producers’ Asso
ciation, to take part in the confer
ence. Before that, the miners and
operators elected officers for th®
joint wage conference, selecting
Harvey Cartwright, Indiana opera
tor, as chairman. The session wa«
recessed until 2 p.m.
Committee to Pass on Moody.
A Credentials Committee of three
operators and three miners was set
up to pass on Mr. Moody’s eligibil
ity. Mr. Lewis for sometime ha®
challenged Mr. Moody as a negoti
ator for the industry because neither
he nor the Southern Association
signed the present contract. How
ever, the individual coal companies
and operator groups comprising th®
association did sign the agreement
last July 7.
Operator Charles O'Neill touched
off the controversy anew by nom
inating Mr. Moody for one of th®
(oee ukjalj, a-*.;
New GAO Building Bill
Is Signed by President
President Truman today signed
legislation to provide for construc
tion of a new building for the Gen
eral Accounting Office at a cost of
$22,850,000.
Controller General Lindsay C.
Warren and several GAO aides were
present for the ceremony at the
White House.
The new building will be erected
in the block bounded by Fourth,
Fifth, G and H streets directly north
of the present site. Excavation had
been started there when war halted
construction and the work will be
pushed now with an appropriation
of approximately $5,000,000 left from
the original project. The building
will occupy the entire square with
the exception of the area occupied
by St. Mary's Church.
M