(__I Weather Forecast! Guide for Readers J53?JSSJff64ft!srSJ?. /A L A vnrfniffhtP« t?L eq Nn„ M II ill I' Editorial .A-8 Society, Clubs,.-B-3 Midnight ..59 8 a.m 59 Noon 68 JM ■ V Editorial Articles A-9 Sports .A-13-15 • 25:::::“ 8 25:::::“ 5* 1^ "“«» -.*-» Romans Pa*eB-12 _ Lit; New York M^fTfagt A-17_V-' " _An Associoted Press Newspoper 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