Evening star. [volume], July 18, 1948, Page A-2, Image 2

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

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
Truman Gives Hershey
His Old Job As Head
Of Selective Service
•y Astociatad 8r»»»
Maj. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey
got his old job back yesterday.
He’s director of Selective Service
again.
Gen. Hershey'* formal reanpoint
ment by President Truman was an
other step toward national prepared
ness as unrest in Europe continued.;
The task of assembling manpower
is one with which Gen. Hershey is
highly familiar.
He first was appointed director of
Selective Service in 1941 and was
responsible for setting , up the or
ganization under which 10,000.000
men eventually were supplied the
armed forces, and under which 36,
000,000 men were registered and clas
sified for military service.
New Job Outlined.
This time Gen. Hershey's prime
Job is the registration of youths 18
through 25 under the new peace
time draft act.
An executive order dealing with
registration will be issued bv Presi
dent Truman this week, the White
House announced.
The order in which various age
groups will be called among those
eligible for service under the draft
has not yet been disclosed.
Registration of males from 18
through 25 Is expected to begin about
August 16.
Only those between the ages of
18 and 25 will be subject to the draft.
Meanwhile, 161.000 of the 18-year
old group can volunteer for a special
one-year term of duty In the armed
forces.
Enlistment Begins Wednesday.
The Army, Navy and Air Force
will begin accepting enlistments
from 18 year olds beginning Wednes
day.
Enlistment of the 18-year-old vol
unteers will be conducted by regular
recruiting officers of each branch
of the Department of Defense.
Qualified applicants will be ac
cepted in the order in which they
apply for enlistment, the armed
services said.
During the four weeks beginning
Wednesday, the Army will take in
about 10,000 volunteers; the Navy,
including the Marines, about 3,000,
and the Air Force 1,300.
No applicant will be rejected
should he reach his 19th birthday
before his application has been com
pletely processed, provided it was
made by him before that date, the
Defense Department said.
Will Train In U. S.
The 18-year-olds will spend their
one-year hitch within the continen
tal limits of the United States.
After they get out they must
spend an extended period in the re
serves.
This can involve either four years
In an organized unit with regular
drill and training periods, six years
in an in active unit or participation
in an officer training program.
If assigned to an inactive reserve
unit, the youth will be liable to re
call to active duty for not more than
one month in any year, except In
case of an emergency declared by
Congress.
Although draft registration is
scheduled for mid-August, actual
Induction of men into the armed
forces cannot begin before Septem
ber 22. This was specified by Con
gress. —.
The services, meanwhile, are pre
paring various campsites and train
ing areas for the men, and selective
service is completing the organiza
tion of about 4,000 draft boards to
handle the new peacetime job.
Hays of Arkansas
Refuses to ’Bolt'
ly th» Auociattd Pr«u
Any new party formed by South
ern Democrats, Representative Hays,
Democrat, of Arkansas said yester
day, wotfld hurt not only the South
but the country’s political system as
well.
Mr. Hayes told a reporter he hopes
that ’’cool heads will counsel alle
giance to the two-party system, that
nothing will be done to establish a
parallel in America to the tragic
misfortunes of Italy and France
w'here radical and revolutionary
groups seized power as a result of
multiplication of political parties.”
Mr. Hays said he will support the
Democratic nominees in the coming
election.
Meanwhile, another Democrat,
Representative Walter of Pennsyl
vania asked bolting Southerners to
examine Thomas Jefferson’s prin
ciples before ‘committing hara kiri.”
Mr. Walter telegraphed Gov.
Wright of Mississippi that these
Southerners are hurting any future
programs to help the South.
Readers' Guide
Sunday, July 18, 1948.
SECTION A.
General News, Financial.
Lost, Found. Page A-S
Obituary. Page A-26
Financial. Pages A-28-29
SECTION B.
Sports, Resorts and Travel.
Sports News. Page* B-l-4
Farm and Garden. Page B-5
Resorts and Travel. Pages B-6-7
Junior Star. Page B-8
Camera Angles. Page B-8
SECTION C.
Editorial, Features, Amusements.
Editorial Articles. Pages C-l-5
Art. Page C-2
Bridge. Page C-2
John Clagett Proctor. Page C-2
Book Review*. Page C-3
Crossword Puzzle. Page C-8
Editorials* Page C-4
Editorial Features. Page* C-4-5
Amusements. Page* C-8-7
1 Music. Page C-7
Stamps. Page C-7
Radio Programs. Page C-8
SECTION D.
Society, Women's Clubs.
Society News. Page* D-l-15
Women's Clubs. Page D-5
Readers' Clearing House. Page D-9
SECTION E.
Classified Advertising
Classified Advertising. Page* E-l-14
Civic News. Page E-14
Where to Go. Page E-14
Educational. Page* E-15
Jessie Fant Evans. Page E-15
Service Organizations. Page E-15
,* This edition contains This
Week Magazine of 24 pages, a
14-page comic section and IS
■pages of rotogravure,
£_
The Federal Spotlight
Veterans' Preference Attacked
Within Government Agencies
By Joseph Young
A behind-the-scenes battle is going on in the Government
over the issue of veterans’ preference in Federal Jobs.
A number of personnel officials in Federal agencies would like j
to see veterans’ preference ended within the next few years insofar
as applying for Government jobs is concerned. They contend that
veterans’ preference hurts the merit system and the Government’s
chance to obtain the best possible choices for all jobs.
rPVx _ * _*_!
.inese omciais argue that a time
limit—say, 1950 or 1951—would
give ample opportunity to all vet
erans who would like to get Gov
eminent jods to
make use of
their five-point
preference priv
ilege. After that
all other veter
ans seeking
Federal em
ployment would
be on their own.
These officials
would not take
away veterans’
preference
rights from 10
point disabled
veterans, who
would always
Joseph Yount.
have preference in applying ror
Government jobs. And they would
.etain veterans' preference for all
veterans when it comes to job re
tention rights. In other words, all
veterans on the Federal payroll
would retain the right to be kept on
longer than nonveterans whenever
ihe Government had a reduction
in-force program.
The proposal to curtail veterans’
preference is vigorously opposed by
another group of Federal officials
led by Civil Service Commissioner
Arthur S. Flemming.
Mr. Flemming asserts that the
Government ‘'would be breaking
faith" with veterans by denying
them full veterans’ preference.
Mr. Flemming says that service
men and service women were spe
cifically promised during the war
the right to veterans’ preference in
competing for Government jobs
when they got back to civilian life.
This pledge must be kept, Mr. Flem
ming feels.
In opposing a time limit on vet
erans’ preference, Mr. Flemming
and his supporters declare that a
veteran, who does not now need a
Government job, may in future
years find himself in need of one.
And it would be unfair to cut the
veteran off from veterans’ rights
that other former servicemen have
had, it is argued.
For the time being, at least, vet
erans’ preference will be continued
in the Government. Congress at
this time would not agree to any
legislation that would take away
veterans’ privileges. But those ad
vocating curtailment of veterans’
preference in Government employ
ment base their hopes on the fact
that Congress might change its
mind during the next few years as
times change.
* * * *
INTERNAL REVENUE—This bu
reau is set for a gradual expansion
during the next few years.
The Joint Committee studying
•the reoBganization of the Internal
Revenue Bureau already has made
several recommendations to improve
the bureau’s operations and increase
its staff.
Other recommendations are forth
coming in the next few months.
Congresrjjext;
be asked by Internal Revenue for
more money to add personnel, parti
cularly tax collecting agents.
* * * *
NLRB—The special session of
Congress may look into the situa
tion at the National Labor Relations
Board, where all is not sweetness
and light.
The board's members and its gen
eral counsel, Robert N. Denham,
have not always seen eye to eye on
policy matters, and NLRB employes
report that there is considerable dis
sension.
Jr Jr Jr ^
SMOOTH—The Federal Register,
which is the official daily publica
tion containing all Government di
rectives and regulations, started ap
pearing the other day on "slick”
paper such as national magazines
use instead of the usual "butcher
paper.”
Alas, the change may not be per
manent. The Government Printing
Office happened to have some of the
slick paper on hand and used it
for the Federal Register. However,
Government officials who have to
read the Register every day hope
that the supply of slick paper will
last for quite a while.
* * * *
LOSS—Treasury Department em
ployes as well as other Government
workers will miss A. L. M. Wiggins
who resigned the other day as Un
dersecretary of the Treasury. Inci
dentally, this column predicted Mr.
W’iggins’ resignation last month.
Mr. Wiggins, a wealthy banker
who took the Treasury job more
than a year ago, is returning to
private industry. During his time
in office, he proved himself an ag
gressive and outspoken champion
of Government employes.
At one of his appearances before
the Senate Appropriations Commit- j
tee, Mr. Wiggins told the Senators
that he resented the incessant at
tacks that some members of Con
gress keep making on Federal em-;
ployes. Mr. Wiggins staunchly de
fended the record of Government
workers as a group and said irre
sponsible attacks were preventing
other top-flight people from taking
important jobs in the Government.
When he took the Treasury job,
Mr. Wiggins let it be known that
it would*be for a limited time. Now
that he is returning to the business
world, he takes with him the friend
ship and admiration of his co
workers in the Federal service.
* * * *
CAPITAL ROUNDUP—The Civil
Service Commission announces that
90 persons in 18 different Federal
departments and agencies have
been nominated to participate in
the commission's semiannual Ad
ministrative Interne Program,
which trains employes for future
executive Jobs in the Government.
The names of the 30 successful can
didates will be announced at the
end of the month. ... As predicted
here on Friday, Congress will not
take action during the special ses
sion of Congress on revisions of
the Federal pay structure. House
and Senate Civil Service Commit
tee members say the study being
made on Classification Act charges
cannot be completed before next
January. . . . Exams soon will be
announced for office appliance re
pairmen jobs and medical officer
positions in the Government. . . J
Federal employes will get time off!
tomorrow to view the funeral pro
cession honoring Gen. Pershing. The
time off will not be charged to
annual leave.
(Be sure to listen at 3:15 p.m.
today over WMAL, The Star sta
tion, for Joseph Young's broad
cast version of the Federal Spot
light, featuring additional news
of Government affairs and per
sonalities.)
Boy, 12, Tries to Save
Sister, 9; Both Drown
By the Associated Press
WYTHEVILLE. Va., July 17.—A
12-year-old boy and his 7-year-old
sister drowned near here yesterday
when the girl accidentally fell into
a creek and her brother lost his
life in attempting to rescue her.
They were Herman Willard Coley
and his sister, Mary Lee Coley,
children of Mrs. Eulah Coley.
Authorities said they were told
by, another brother, James, 9, that
he, Herman and Mary Lee were on
a berry picking expedition when the
accident occurred.
. _ i
Weather Report
District of CbTOWrera — Today,
mostly sunny, hot and humid with
an afternoon or evening thunder
showers likely. Highest tempera-,
ture about 90 degrees. Tomorrow)
fair and not so warm.
Virginia and Maryland—Today,!
hot and humid with a few scattered:
thundershowers in afternoon or |
evening. Tomorrow far and not so
warm.
Fiver Fennrt.
(From United States Engineers !
Potomac River clear at Harpers Ferrv
snd at Great Falls; Shenandoah clear at
Harpers Ferry
High and Low far Yesterday.
Hiah, 88. at 3:50 p.m.
Low. 70. at 1:3S a.m.
Record Temperatures This Year.
Hlthest. 05. on June 74
Lowest. 5, on January 76.
Tide Tables.
(Furnished bv United States Coast and
Geodetic Survey.)
Today. Tomorrow.
High -5:67 am. 7:50 g.m.
Low _1:17 a.m. 7:00 a.m
High _7:30 p.m. 8:71 pm.
Low - .. 1:58 p m 7:45 p.m.
The Sun and Moon.
Rises. Sets.
8un, today _ 6:57 8::u
8un. tomorrow -.5:87 8:31
Moon, today_7:10 pm. 3:1P a.m.
Automobile llghta must be turned on
one-halt hour after aunset.
Monthly precipitation in Inches in the
Capital (current month to date):
Month 184H. Ave Record
January _4.57 3.55 7.83 '37
February_ 1.67 3.37 6,84 '84
March _ 3.60 3.76 8.84 '01
April _ 3,05 3.77 0.13 '89
May _ 8.87 3 70 10.60 '80
June _ 6.78 4.13 10.04 '00
July _... 4.71 10.03 '78
August _r_ 4.01 14.41 "18
September__ 3.74 17.45 '34
October _ 7.84 8 81 '37
November _ _ 7.37 8.00 '80
December __ 3.37 7.56 '01
Temperatures In Various Cities.
High. Low. High. Low.
Atlanta_ 07 70 Miami . . 86 70
Boston_ 81 07 New York.. 77 00
Chicago 80 00 Phoenix 108 70
Cincinnati. 87 01 Pittsburgh 88 70
Detroit .... 0(1 05 P'rtl'nd. Me. 80 63
El Paso ... 06 70 St. Louis B7 74
Gslveston B7 77 Ssn Antonio 08 78
Ksnsss City 88 80 San Pr'n'co 64 5.3
Los Angeles 86 60 Seattle- 84 SB
Louisville 01 70 Tampa _ . 07 74
NEWEST STYLES IN
Finished
VENETIAN BLINDS
So Little More Buys
So Much More
AT
THE SHADE SHOP
(SINCE 1902)
830 13th St. N.W. RE. 6262
W. Stokes Sammons
U. N. Officials Expect
Reply by Arabs Soon
To Cease-Fire Order
By Associated Pros*
LAKE SUCCESS, N. Y., July 17—
An Arab reply to the new United
Nations cease-fire order is expected
soon by U. N. officials.
By early evening, however, there
I still was no word whether the Arabs
would accept or reject the Security
Council s edict which becomes effec
tive at 11 a.m. (EDT) tomorrow.
The government of Israel accepted
j the cease-fire yesterday.
Some officials were optimistic dur
ing the day because both Arabs and
Jews had accepted a cease-fire for
| Jerusalem. Others cautioned against
using this as a barometer to deter
mine what the Arabs would do in
the rest of Palestine.
As the deadline approached, Arab
leaders here were as much in the
dark as every one else. They refused
to speculate as to what the Arabs’
reply would be.
Some delegates were not as opti
mistic as Count Polke Bernadotte,
U. N. mediator, who left by plane
this morning for his Middle East
headquarters.
Count Bernadotte told newsmen
he hoped the cease-fire order would
lead to permanent peace in the Holy
Land. He said a basis for a solu
tion might be found before the Gen
eral Assembly meets in Paris Sep
tember 21.
Before leaving. Count Bernadotte
formally asked the United States,
Prance and Belgium to provide him
with 300 military observers to super
vise the proposed truce. He asked
the United States and Prance to
supply 125 each and Belgium to pro
vide 50.
Count Bernadotte also indicated
; he wanted 250 armed guards from
| the United States, Prance and Bel
; gium as soon as possible as the be
i ginning of an international police
force for Jerusalem. He has made
no formal request for these, however,
U.N. officials said.
Palestine
_ t Continued From First Page!
deliveries to the United States Navy
and Western Europe.
Firing stopped in Jerusalem after
a tumultuous night of fighting.
Guns thundered to the final second
before a 4 a.m. deadline. The U. N.
on Thursday night had given the
Arabs and Jews 24 hours to end the
fighting.
Arabs Advance 500 Yards.
Before the artillery duel began,
Arab troops smashed through the
Jewish front in the Mea Shearim
quarter and blasted forward for
500 yards in the direction ot mod
ern Jerusalem’s heart, American
correspondents with the Arab Le
gion reported.
During the night, the Jews un
leashed repeated attacks against
the Damascus, Jaffa, Zion and New
Gates to the Old City. Arab Le
gion officers estimated 5,000 Jewish
troops were engaged. Legion gun
ners returned the fire until their
guns smoked with heat. The fight
ing was so close that legion officers
climbed to the tops of the wells end
emptied tlieir revolvers .at charging
Jews.
Automatic weapons hammered un
ceasingly for 10 straight hours. Be
hind them mortar shells thundered
and roared at one-second intervals
all night. There were about SO
craters in the wide courtyard around
the historic mosque of Omar—Is
lam's third holiest place from which
Mohammedr is said to have ascended
to heaven on a white horse.
With the dawn came the cease,
fire. For hours afterward not a
shot was heard.
Arab Fight Outside Nazareth.
Meanwhile, holdout Arab forces
continued fighting in the hill posi
tions outside Nazareth. Jewish
forces announced capture of the
tiny town in the mountains of
Galilee yesterday. A dispatch today
said Nazareth—Jioly to Christendom
the world over—shows no signs of
war destruction.
In Jerusalem, a leader of Irgun
Zvai Leumi declared that if the
Holy City becomes an international
city as a result of the U. N. truce
plan, it will mean “the Jews have
won the fight but lost the war.”
This leader said Irgun—now oper
ating as a military force only in
Jerusalem—will never agree “to in
ternationalization of the traditional
capital of the Jews.” He declared:
"We shall, if necessary, return to
underground operations to bring
about the judeafication of Jerusa
lem.”'
Latrun-Ramallah Highway
Under Small Arms Fire
WITH THE TRANS - JORDAN
LEGION IN PALESTINE, July 17 j
UP).—'The newly-occupied villages of!
El Burj and Bir Main put the La
trun-Ramallah highway under small
arms fire today.
The villages are approximately 10
miles west of Ramallah and five to
seven miles northeast of Latrun
where the Trans-Jordanian Arab
Legion's artillery still menaces the
Jews’ lifeline highway between
Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Two Jewish shells were reported to j
have landed in the Ramallah area!
last night. Ramallah is eight miles!
north of Jerusalem.
Arab forces have fought their w'ay
into Quia and Malu Zeiria, within
one miles of the Jewish-controlled
railway near Wilhelma, in the Lyd
da area.
Late today, frontline Arab units
still had not received news as to
whether the Arab states had ac
cepted the cease-five for all of j
Palestine.
Jewish and Arab front lines in
Jerusalem for the duration of the
truce are to be discussed tomorrow
by representatives of the United
Nations, Hagana, the Trans-Jor
danian Legion and the Egyptian
Army.
Robert E. Harvey to Speak
Robert E. Harvey, sales manager
of National Analysts, Inc., will ad
dress a luncheon meeting of the
American Public Relations Associ
ation at 12:15 p.m. tomorrow in the
Hotel Lafayette. Mr. Harvey will
speak on “Market Research in Pub
lic Relations.”
Gen. Donovan Urges Worldwide
Counter-Squeeze on Russians
By th« Associated Press
BERLIN, July 17—Maj. Gen. Wil
liam (Wild Bill) Donovan urged
world-wide retaliation against the
Soviet Union today.
He suggested at a news confer
ence that the Western Allies might
j deny the Russians access to the
j Panama and Suez Canals and to the
j Kiel Canal in Germany.
He said also that the Western
I powers might urge Turkey to take
! measures in the Dardanelles to pre
vent the passage of Soviet ships.
| "If the Soviets want to make
the squeeze on Berlin an economic
war, we should not confine it to
here,” said Gen. Donovan, who was
the wartime head of the United
States Office of Strategic Services
(OSS). "We should go to other
places in the world where they are
weak.”
I Gen. Donovan said the Western
I powers should stand firm in Ber
lin.
He said he did not like the phrase
! “cold war—because it is hot as hell.”
Gen. Donovan’s sharp comments
were made after the official Soviet
newspaper Taegliche Rundschau
said that “even the adventurous
politicians of American imperialism
would not now risk starting a war.”
Gen Donovan, who is retired and
visiting Germany in private capac
ity, said that if the Soviet Union
wanted war it, was better to find
it out “here and now.” •
He said the Russians were at
tempting to wreck the European Re
covery Program and drive the Uni
ted States from Europe.
The only solution to the present
impasse, he said, was for the West
ern Allies to apply econmic and other
sanctions against the Soviet Union
throughout the world.
It is known that other high Amer- i
ican officials here share .the opinion
that a show of force to break the
Russian blockade may be necessary, j
They reason that either the Rus-;
sians are bluffing or they have de
cided the only way to prevent the
successful conclusion of the Euro- j
pean Recovery Program is through
a new war. If the latter Is the case,
the Russians will apply pressure i
against the Western Allies until i
they commit an overt act. If the
Russians really want a new war, and
they have denied it for three years,
Berlin is only an incident.
These American circles say the
only way to learn Soviet intentions
is to make a show of force, perhaps j
with an armed effort to bring a con
voy up the autobahn from Berlin
to the western occupation zones.
If the show of force is not made
here it would have to be made else
where, they reason. They said with
out it the Russians probably would
win in Berlin.
There has been no reports of Rus
sian preparations for war in Ger
many. They have about 30 divisions
in their zone.
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OPEN EVENINGS
Berlin Crisis Laid to Refusal
Of Winant to Demand Corridor
Late Envoy Feared to Imply Distrust of,
Soviet When Relations Were Improving
By Wes Gallagher
Associated Press Foreign Correspondent
BERLIN, July 17.—In drawing
up the occupation zones of Ger
many the victorious powers un
wittingly provided the incident
which threatens to bring a new
armed conflict.
The incident is Berlin. A war
time diplomatic blunder left the
western occupation forces in this
one-time power city Isolated more
than 100 miles behind the Soviet
Iron Curtain across Europe.
Authoritative sources who cannot
be named, out who have dealt with
the situation since early in the war,
revealed today how this blunder
came about. It is in part an untold
story of the war.
The blunder has nothing to do
wfeh the legal rights of the United
States, France and Britain to be in
Berlin. These rights have been
clearly established by numerous
agreements.
It has to do with the failure to
■egotiate a physical means of get
ting in and out of the city.
Here is the history of Berlin and
how it got into its present mess:
In 1944 the United States. Russia
and Britain created the European
Advisory Commission. It was as
signed the task of working out
agreements on the occupation of
Germany. The American member
was the late ambassador John Win
ant, who shot himself to death last
November 3. \
This commission negotiated the
present occupation areas of Ger
many and Berlin in a three-power
protocol September 12, 1944. It was
later amended in minor detail in
November, 1944. At the Crimea con
ference in February, 1945, this agree
ment was confirmed and it was de
cided to invite France to join in the
occupation.
Prime Minister Stalin agreed to
the entry of France on the condi
tion that France’s occupation area
would not be taken out of any ter
ritory assigned to the Soviet Union.
The United States and Britain made
room for France by giving up part
of their occupation areas in Western
Germany and Berlin.
The blunder in the European Ad
visory Commission diplomacy was
that while it clearly established
rights of the Western powers to be
in Berlin, it did not provide any way
for them to get in or out of the city.
According to authoritative sources,
this major blunder was spotted by
State Department experts who urged
Mr. Winant to negotiate a “corridor"
from the Western zones to Berlin
which would belong indisputably to
the West.
Feared to Imply Distrust.
Mr. Winant is said to have refused
to do this on the ground that it
would imply distrust of the Soviets
and their intentions. He is further
quoted as saying that the United
States was winning some Russian
confidence and he felt he was
achieving some ground in the same
direction with the Soviet member,
Ambassador Feodor Gusev. He felt
that any demand for such a cor
ridor would destroy this mutual con
fidence.
It is reported that Mr. Winant
appealed to President Roosevelt to
have his view supported. This can
not be confirmed, but at any rate
no formal American demand was
made for such a corridor.
If a Western land corridor had
been negotiated on the basis that
it was to be part of the occupation
territory, the present blockade of
Berlin probably would not have
arisen. It would have required
Soviet military action to cut the
corridor.
When the war ended, the Soviets
refused at first to allow the West
ern powers to come to Berlin. The
first Western power troops were al
lowed in for the Potsdam confer
ence. At this conference, Presi
dent Truman affirmed the right of
free access to the city in a message
to Mr. Stalin.
Agreement Worked Out.
It was finally agreed by the So
viets thBt such access should be
granted on condition that Ameri
can and British troops on the Elbe
rfiver withdraw to their original
occupation areas, turning over the
captured territory to the Soviet
army.
Oen. Lucius D. Clay, with the
British and Russian representatives,
worked out an agreement for the
withdrawal of the American and
British troops from the Elbe and
for the free and unrestricted use of
the main highway from the West
ern zones to Berlin by the Western
powers.
This agreement was signed in
minutes of the meeting by the three
commanders. While the Western
powers had the right to use the
highway, it remained in Soviet
hands..
In September. 1945. the four
power transport directorate in Ber
lin reached an agreement whereby
16 Allied trains would be allowed
into the city daily from the west
on the Helmstedt-Berlin rail line.
This later was expanded to 20.
Air Corridors Established.
On November 30, 1945, the Allied
Control Council composed of the
United States. Russia. Britain and
France agreed to establish air cor
ridors to Berlin. These were air
"highways” 20 miles wide running
from the west to Berlin through
which Western planes could move
freely. There are three. One runs
from Frankfurt to Berlin, another
from Buckenburg to Berlin and the
third from Hamburg to Berlin. Wes
tern planes were supposed to keep
within these corridors.
These were the agreements.
"Even lacking a land corridor, if
we made these agreements with any
other power except Russia we would
not have the slightest difficulty in
carry them out.” one top American
diplomat said. "Most any agreement
is worthless if one party is deter
mined not to carry it out.”
When the Soviets decided to hold
Berlin hostage to achieve their aims
in Germany, the squeeze on the city
began.
Right of Inspection Demanded.
In March of this year the Sov
iets demanded the right to inspect
American, British and French mili
tary trains carrying passengers to
and from Berlin. The Western pow
ers refused to allow this infringment
on sovereignty. The Russians re
fused to let the trains pass without
inspection.
Faced with the prospect of fight
ing their way through, the Western
i powers atopped running passenger
(trains.
On the international highway tha
Soviets installed a special inspec
tion post to inspect all passes. Then
they refused to pass freight ship
ments leaving the city by rail or
auto.
The next step was to cut off all
freight shipments entirely. The ex
cuse was that the Helmstedt rail
line needed repairs. The canals
leading to the city then were dis
covered to need “repairs.’' Then
the highway was closed to all in
coming traffic by Soviet order.
Plane Inspection Rejected.
This left only air as a means to
feed Berlin's Western sector popu
lation of 2.000,000-plus. The So
viets had tried to move against the
air corridors starting March 11 of
this year. They proposed changes
which would have required each
plane entering the city to have So
viet inspection. The West refused
to accept this.
Since then the Soviets have made
repeated protests claiming flighC
violations outside the corridors.
They have threatened to halt air
traffic, but to do so would require
shooting or forcing-down a Western
plane.
The Soviets are in the same diffi
cult position in the air as the Allies
are on the ground. It requires a
military act for the West to break
the land blockade and one by the
Soviets to halt the air bridge.
Either act might lead to war. The
Soviets have shown no inclination
to make this final step.
If the Western Allies had nego
tiated a land occupation corridor to
Berlin the Soviets would have had
to use military force to achieve the
blockade they have installed.
Crack Chinese Army
Reported in Taiyuan ;
By tht Associated Press
NANKING. July 17.—The official
Central Daily News said today that
a "crack government army." mov
ing under air cover, had joined tht
Taiyuan garrison 20 miles south of
that Shansi provincial capital.
• This contrasted with a sweep
ing victory claim broadcast by
the Chinese Communist radio. It
said more than 10 divisions of
government troops had been "an
nihilated” in the Red offensive in
Shansi since June 14, the last
three of them on Friday 20 miles
southeast of Taiyuan. If at full
strength. 10 divisions would total
more than 200,000 men.
(The Communist broadcasts,
heard in San Francisco by the
Associated Press, asserted that
Taiyuan was surrounded and War
Lord Yen His-shan had only two
divisions and a brigade left for
it? defense.)
Tire Central Daily News report
gave no details on the Shansi fight
ing, but other government sources
contended the situation of Taiyuan
was not as critical as had been
feared.
The other principal war report
came from the government's Peiping
headquarters, which said a battle
against 22.000 Communists was in
progress from 13 to 30 miles south
west of Peiping.
It said 2.000 Communists had been
scattered from Changhsintien, 13
miles southwest, but acknowledged
that the enemy had captured several
strongpoints as far as Tafangshan,
30 miles from Peiping.
Displaced persons from Europe
are expected to settle in the Falk
lands.
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