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Weather Forecast Guide for Readers Mostly cloudy, occasional sunshine today. Page. Page. highest about 80. Partly cloudy and cooler • After Dark-A-21 Lost and Found--A-3 with lowest, near 60. Tomorrow, fair, mod- Amusements ...A-26 Obituary -A-24 •rate temperature. (Full report on Page A-2.) Comics .C-10-11 Radio .C-1I I Midnight -.70 8 a.m_70 Noon_76 Editorial -A-16 Society, Clubs-B-3 4 a.m_ 69 10 a.m_73 1 p.m_75 Editorial Articles A-17, Sports -C-l-S 6 am_69 11am_75 2 pm_74 Finance -A-29i Woman's Page-.B-l* Lote New York Markets, Page A-29. _’__ _An Associated Press Newspoper _b 96th Year. No. 218. Phone STerling 5000 WASHINGTON, D. C., THURSDAY, AUGUST 5, 1948—SIXTY PAGES. 5 CENTS TRUMAN HITS SPY PROBE AS RED HERRING' Loyalty Files Will Be Withheld; Hearing Told of Uranium for Reds - 4 i Inquiries Blocking Inflation Action, President Says BULLETIN A Senate investigating com mittee expressed dissatisfac- j tion this afternoon with em ployment records of William | W. Remington, supplied by the Commerce Department in line with President Truman’s or der. The records were stripped of any information regarding i loyalty investigations. Mat- 1 thew Hale, assistant solicitor of the Commerce Department, refused to answer some ques tions regarding the part played by the White House in the matter. The committee in structed Mr. Hale to telephone Secretary of Commerce Saw yer during a brief recess. President Truman today branded the Capitol Hill spy hearings a ’’red herring” and said they ‘ are serving no use ful purpose.” He rejected demands of con gressional investigators for secret information from Government em- j ploye and loyalty and investigative files, but granted requests for cer tain types of employment records. The President was asked at a news conference if he considered the spy hearings a "red herring." He replied that he did, and resorted to the unusual procedure of permit ting reporters to quote him on the appellation. He then read a prepared state ment declaring that the hearings are "doing irreparable harm to cer tain persons” and undermining public confidence in the Govern ment. Alter nmsmng tne preparea statement, Mr. Truman added trtt extemporaneous comment that: “They are using these hearings as a red herring to keep them from do ing what they ought to do," again; permitting direct quotation. By “they” he obviously meant Repub licans in Congress. The hearings, by both Senate and House investigating committees, Mr. Truman continued, have slandered a lot of people who don't deserve it.; He said the inquiries had not re vealed any information that had not been known for a long time to both the Federal Bureau of Invest!-1 gation and to a Federal grand jury in New York. Won't Yield Confidential Data. What has been brought out in testimony before the Seriate and House committees proved insuffi cient for indictments by the grand jury against those accused of hav ing a part in an alleged wartime Communist underground here, the President said. Mr. Truman bracketed in his de nunciation both the tarings being conducted by the House Committee on un-American Activities under | Acting Chairman Mundt and those; being held by a Senate Expendi tures subcommittee headed by Sen- j a tor Ferguson. He said flatly that the Ferguson subcommittee would get no confi dential information on William W Remington, suspended Commerce Department official who has denied charges that he gave secret data to a Communist spy ring courier. Data no Naval Discharge Sought. Senator Ferguson had sought in formation from Secretary of the Navy Sullivan on the circumstances of Mr. Remington's discharge last year from his Naval Reserve com mission as an ensign. Mr. Sullivan told the committee yesterday he was putting up to the President the question of whether he eowld provide the information. Mr. Truman said today his state ment was the answer to Mr. Sulli van. His statement revealed that an other request for information about Mr. Remington would be granted Senator Ferguson also had asked Secretary of Commerce Sawyer for Mr. Remington's civilian Govern ment job record, except, as to secret loyalty checks, and Mr. Sawyer had, put the matter up to the White ( House. The records sought from Mr. Sawyer were turned over to the Ferguson subcommittee by Matthew Hale, assistant solicitor of the Com merce Dpartment after the Presi dent's statement. He said he had removed from them anvthing bear ing on Mr. Remington's loyalty. ; Scouts Mundt Assertion. The "unclassified routine papers' which the President allowed to be supplied at request of congresaonal j records include such documents as! records of promotion, efficiency rat-' lngs, letters of recommendation, etc. A reporter told the President that : Representative Mundt had said his committee has good reason to be lieve "a Communist spy ring is op (See TRUMAN, Page A-4.) Greeks Compress Rebels In Small Grammos Area By Associated Press ATHENS, Aug. 5.—Greek National forces have compressed Communist led guerrillas into a smaller area of the Grammos Range, the Army said today. An Army spokesman announced capture of the 5.500-foot Tambouri Mountain in expanded operations west of Konitsa. He said 128 guer rilla bodies w ere found on the slopes of Tambouri. V Alger Hiss, former State Department official, pictured as he testified before the House Committee on Un-American Activities today. —Star Staff Photo. TopCommerceOfficial Declared Warned on j Hiring of Remington Attorney Says He Told David K. E. Bruce of Espionage Investigation A Senate investigating sub committee heard today that a top Commerce Department offi cial was told that William W. Remington was under investiga tion for possible espionage at the time of his appointment to an important position in the de partment. Samuel Klaus, State Department attorney and investigator on loan' to the Commerce Department, said ! he notified David K. E. Bruce, then Assistant Secretary of Commerce, of the spy inquiry the day Mr. Remington was appointed head of, the program and planning staff of the Export License Division. His testimony came after Chair-, man Ferguson of the Senate group assailed the Government's loyalty, checking system, and Represents- j tives Busbey, Republican, of Illi- j nois, charged before a House com mittee that the Civil Service Com mission is "wholly unfit" to handle trte loyalty program. Meloy Defends System. Lawrence V. Meloy, executive sec retary of the Civil Service Commis sion's Loyalty Review Board, de fended the system before the Fer guson subcommittee. Mr. Busby, testifying before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, asserted that the fault for keeping many loyalty suspects in Government jobs for long periods “rests squarely" on the Civil Service Commission. The Senate committee before which j Mr. Klaus appeared is attempting j to find out why Mr. Remington, now under suspension from his Com- j merce Department export license j job pending completion of an offi cial investigation, was allowed to I transfer from one Government job j to another while under FBI investi- j gation. Mr. Remington was named in testimony before the committee by a self-styled former Communist espionage agent—Miss Elizabeth T. Bentley—as one of a number of Gov ernment officials who supplied her with information. Received Vague Answers. Mr. Klaus said that when he in- ■ formed Mr. Bruce of Mr. Reming ton's involvement in the espionage inquiry, Mr. Bruce told him he would notify immediately Mr. Remington's superior, Thomas C. Blaisdell, jr., now Assistant Secretary of Com merce. However, he told the committee, for several months he received only vague answers to his inquiries as to what was being done about Mi Remington. Mr. Klaus, who was loaned to the Commerce Department to set up an | enforcement division for export con trols, said he heard accidentally that j Mr. Remington was taking the Com- 1 merce position in March and "I felt | that the information I had was of the greatest importance to the whole program." He said he went to Mr. Bruce, who now is in Paris on an assign ment for the ECA, and that the latter told him some questions had been brought out about Mr. Rem- ! ington that he thought had been "satisfactorily cleared up." Was Concerned About Remington. Mr. Klaus said part of his job was to see that goods assigned for ex port to a certain country did not go elsewhere and that he became in creasingly concerned about having Mr. Remington in the position. In his appearance before the House Committee, Mr. Busbey de manded that the committee call Civil Service Commissioner Arthur H. Fleming and other top officials "to answer their actions." Mr. Busbey's criticisms paralleled “See”COMMUNISTS, Page A-4j~~ $ Hiss Testifies He Has Never Been Communist By Miriam Ottenberg. Alger Hiss, former State De partment official, denied today charges that he was a leader in a Communist underground or ganization here. ‘T am npt and never have been a member of the Communist Party.'’ Mr. Hiss declared in testifying at his own request before the House Committee on Un-American Ac tivities. Other Session Highlights. Betore Mr. Hiss began his denial under oath, these were the high lights of the morning session: 1. A committee member. Repre sentative McDowell. Republican, of Pennsylvania, disclosed that he had taken secret testimony which re vealed that two shipments of uran ium compound were flown to Russia at the height of this Government's atomic research in 1943. He said the shipments were the result of tremendous pressure by ‘‘Russian agents known and acknowledged and others who had established themselves in high positions in Government.” 2. A demand by Representative Rankin. Democrat, of Mississippi, that Hehry A. Wallace, now Pro-, gressive Party candidate for Presi dent, be subpoenaed to explain why Communists were placed in key po sitions in the Commerce Depart ment while he headed it. 3. Acting Chairman Mundt of South Dakota, said the committee has "good reason to believe a Com munist spy ring is operating in Washington right now’.” At his press conference today, President Truman laughed ofT Mr. Mundt’s assertion and said he thought it was only in the South Dakotan’s mind. Mr. Hiss appeared to answer charges made before the committee last Tuesday by Whittaker Cham bers, avowed former espionage agent and now a senior editor of Time Magazine. Mr. Chambers listed Mr. Hiss as a leader of an under ground organization here seeking infiltration of the Government. I Hiss Denial categorical. Mr. Hiss made his categorical denial of Mr. Chambers’ charges in j these words: "I am not and never have been a member of the Communist Party. | "I do not and never have adhered to the tenets of the Communist Party. "I am not and never have been a member of any Communist front organization. "I have never followed the Com munist Party line directly or in directly. 'To the best of my knowledge none of my friends is a Commu nist.” He also said his wife was not a Communist. Has Never Seen Chambers. In a short prepared statement, which he was allowed to read as soon as he took the witness stand. Mr. Hiss anticipated many of the committee's questions. He said he had never laid eyes on Mr. Chambers and 'I should like to have the opportunity to do so.” He then proceeded to tell the committee the circumstances under which he knew the seven other men listed by Mr. Chambers as members of the pre-war Communist under ground here. He said he had known Henry Collins “since we were boys in camp together. I knew him again when he was at the Harvard Business School while I was at Harvard Law School and have seen him from time to time since I came to Washington in 1933.” Mr. Collins was described by Mr. Chambers as an Agriculture Department employe who was treas urer of the underground group. Pressman in Same Class. Lee Pressman, former CIO general counsel who quit to support Mr. Wallace, was in Mr. Hiss’ class at Harvard Law School “and we both were on the Harvard Law Review at the same time,” the witness said. They were both assistant to Judge Jerome Frank on the legal staff of the Agricultural Adjustment Ad ministration. the witness added, but “since I left the Department of Agriculture I have seen him only casually and infrequently.” He said he knew both Nathan Witt, former secretary of the Na tional Labor Relations Board, and John Abt, now employed by Mr. Wallace, when Mr. Witt and Mr. i See SPIES, Page A-5. i Russians Relax Berlin's Tight Money Blockade Hint Readiness to Compromise in Wake Of Moscow Parleys BULLETIN BERLIN <£*1.—The Russians today relaxed their financial blocade of Berlin, indicating that they might be willing to compromise on the East-West currency war. wl^ch the Rus sians assigned as a reason for imposing a land blocade on the strife-torn city. The relax ation consisted of unfreezing blocked accounts to meet needs of the Berlin city gov ernment and of Western sec tor business firms. By Eddy Gilmore Associated Press Foreign Correspondent MOSCOW. Aug. 5.—A new ap proach by the Western powers— probably in the form of a re quest for a new meeting with Prime Minister Stalin—may be made soon, a qualified source said today. The American. British and French envoys negotiating with the Rus sians on the German situation have received first reactions from their capitals to Monday night’s talks with Mr. Stalin. The reactions are a secret. A high authority said the reactions were reviewed last night at a three-power meeting here. It is not known whether the Westerners intend to ask the new meeting with Mr. Stalin for the purpose of giving their answer to questions discussed Monday night, or to negotiate further. It Is believed likely that they want to give their answer. Basic Issues Discussed. A good authority said the three power meeting last night got down to basic issues and final terms. It seems probable that in dis cussing the issues Mr. Stalin gave the Western envoys his terms and that the Russians might consider further talks with the Prime Min ister unnecessary. The three envoys met again this afternoon in American Ambassador Walter Bedell Smith’s office. Gen. Smith and the French Ambassador, Yves Chataigneau. had been con ferring for about an hour previous to the arrival of the British emis sary. Flank Roberts. Earlier Gen. Smith also had a separate meeting with Mr. Roberts.. The importance with which Berlin figures in the talks was underscored by the presence here of Francois Seydoux, political and diplomatic adviser to the French military gov ernment in Germany. Mr. Seydoux talked with Gen. Smith and Mr. Roberts at the Brit ish Embassy late yesterday. Today he conferred with Mr. Chataigneau. Agreement Believed Likely. Up to a late hour last night there was no indication that the Western diplomats had tried to obtain a second appointment with either Mr. Stalin or Foreign Minister Molotov At their meeting last night they possibly discussed whether to seek such a meeting in order to pass on (See MOSCOW, Page A-4j Truman Still Is Hopeful Of Outlawing A-Bomb By the Associated Press President Truman said today he was hopeful for peace and hopeful the atomic weapon eventually will be outlawed. Mr. Truman refused to comment on diplomatic negotiations in Mos cow. He said, however, when asked about the world outlook that he was always hopeful for peace. A reporter said it was three years ago that he gave an order for the release of the atomic bomb on Japa nese cities and asked if he was still hopeful it would be outlawed as a weapon. He replied in the affirma tive. His position has been that the atomic bomb should be outlawed after proper safeguards have been made by the United Nations. School Exposure of Communism Urged for Better Americanism EWING DENIES Balking Campaign Against Communism Page A-19. By Herman F. Schaden Americans need more schooling in the •isms" of Russia and other countries to become better Amer icans, many people believe. This became apparent today in a Star survey, inspired by the tes timony of Elizabeth T. Bentley, penitent Communist spy, that she slipped through nearly two decades of education without one lesson in American history or civics. While there is a general feeling that courses in the American way of , life should be improved, the sampling of thought revealed an even more widespread opinion that public schools are feeding communism by not exposing it in an honest, straightforward appraisal. By summing up the best and \ worst of all forms of government, the average American would select democracy as the best type extant, it appeared from the interrogation. By not telling the whole, truthful story about Russia the schools lay a provocative groundwork that may in time lead the curious individual astray, many said. Miss Bentley told a Senate in vestigating subcommittee she joined the Communist movement without a twitch of conscience, largely be cause she knew nothing about the advantages of democracy. Conversely, the majority of those quesiioned by The Star felt the greater evil arose from the mysteri ous attraction a foreign ideology presented under our current ele mentary and high school curricula. Some typical opinions follow: Miss Jessie Powel. 17, of 6306 (See SURVEY, Page A-4.) V K Be Careful—You Might Get Spattered Judge Raedy Says Prosecutors Drop Cases Against Friends Courtroom Hears Charge of Favoritism With Drunken Driving Defendants By Crosby Noyes Municipal Court Judge Ellen K. Raedy today accused the corporation counsel’s office at Municipal Court of playing fa vorites in the prosecution of per sons charged with drunken driv ing. The statement was made at a bench conference at the opening of the trial of Okey Leonard Payne, charged with operating a motor ve hicle under the influence of liquor.1 Shortly after the trial began, Judge Raed.v summond to the bench Robert H. McNeil, attorney for Payne, and Phillip N. Brophy, assistant corpora tion counsel. Reporters in the court were unable to hear the opening part of the bench conference. However, toward the end, Judge Raedy raised her voice and what she said could be heard by many persons in the court room. Judge Raedy was asking Mr. Bro phy why the corporation counsel's office had nolle prossed a previous drunken driving case. "Why did you nolle prosse the case, Mr. Brophy?” she asked. "Your analysis showed 1.2 per cent al coholic content 14 hours afterwards. What did it show at the time?” "We have no way of proving what it showed at the time,” Mr. Brophy replied. "Our position is . . "Your position is that you nolle i See RAEDY, Page A-4.) I U. S. Demands Share For Western Powers In Control of Danube Soviet Accused of Trying To Impose Monopoly by Communist Countries By the Associated Press BELGRADE, Aug. 5.—The United States today demanded a full share for the Western pow ers in control of Danube ship ping. She accused Russia of trying to impose a monopoly by the Communist states of East ern Europe. American Ambassador Cavendish Cannon placed before the 11-nation Danube conference the American plan for the river. But first he denounced a Russian proposal, in troduced previously, as giving Rus sia and all her neighbors “special privileges” in Europe's most impor tant waterway. The American plan would pro vide for a Danube commission of 11 nations—Austria, Bulgaria, Czecho slovakia, Hungary, Romania, the Ukraine, Russia, Yugoslavia, France, the United States and Britain. Un der the Soviet plan, the member ship would be limited to the Danube countries, excluding Austria until a peace treaty is signed. The American proposal would give Germany a seat when that country gets a peace treaty "or before that time” if agreement can be reached by other members of the commis sion. Defends 1921 Convention. Adrien Thierry, chief French dele gate, said he was glad the United States ofiered a plan. In a speech he defended the 1921 Danube con vention of Paris, which the Rus sians are trying to void. He insisted the undertaking still holds and that French rights must be protected. Mr. Cannon, chief of the Ameri can delegation, told the 11-nation Danube conference here the Rus sian proposal for future control of the river “is inadequate to assure that freedom of navigation to which all of us are committed.” He contended the Soviet proposal, formally presented to the conference yesterday, would place shipping on (See DANUBE~Page A-4.) Czech Tourist Travel To Yugoslavia Banned By th« Associated Press PRAGUE. Czechoslovakia. Aug 6. —Prague travel offices said today tourist travel to Yugoslavia by Czechoslovaks has been halted. One agency said the Czech In iterior Ministry imposed the l*n. [It said the order did not apply to business travelers. The Yugoslav Embassy in Prague said it had not been notified offlci | ally of the order and was issuing visas normally to those who applied. 'f Israel Invites Arabs Through Bernadotte To Peace Parleys Foreign Minister Extends Bid During Three-Hour Talk With Mediator By th# Associat#d Press TEL AVIV, Israel, Aug. 5.— Israel's government asked Count, Folke Bernadotte today to trans mit its invitation to the Arab nations for peace talks. It was the first move by the new Jewish state to arrange a peace treaty conference. Foreign Minister Moshe Shertok talked with the United Nations mediator three hours and then told him: “I approach you as mediator offi cially. on behalf of the provisional government of Israel, to transmit to the belligerent powers an invitation to meet the provisional government for peace negotiations." Bernadotte Says Arabs Need Held Urgently CAIRO. Aug. 5 (AY—Count Folke Bernadotte says help must be ex tended quickly to 300,000 Arab refugees Palestine to prevent still more suffering. The United Nations mediator said in Alexandria that he has asked the Security Council to affirm the right of the homeless Arabs to re turn to Palestine. He added: ‘One thing is sure—the need is enormous and the time is short, 1 because those people will suffer still more if we cannot give them help." In reply to a question. Count Bernadotte said. "It is quite true that some of the (Arab* houses in, Jaffa and Haifa at least are al ready taken by Jewish authorities, and Jewish private people.” He said Israeli authorities are "not very favorable" to the refugees returning. He said they mentioned two difficulties: The technical prob lem of moving people during the truce and the fact that many Arab houses have been damaged or de stroyed in the fighting. He said there are some Jewish refugees, but Israeli Foreign Min ister Moshe Shertok told him that they are not numerous and the problem can be handled easily, Count Bernadotte said. In Anman, King Abdullah of j Trans-Jordan said the question of returning the Arab refugees to Pal estine "is one of the tests to prove Jewish good faith.” Britain Anxious Over Delay In Forming Truce Teams LAKE SUCCESS, Aug. 5 (AY— British authorities expressed con cern today over the slow organiza tion of truce observer teams in Palestine. A spokesman fc* the British dele gation said the British hoped the teams would be on the Job quickly. Senate Banking Group Upsets G. 0. P. Plans On Housing Program Tobey and Flanders Aid In Adopting Amended Version of TEW Bill By J. A. O'Leary The Senate Banking Commit tee today approved housing leg islation providing for some pub lic housing and slum clearance. Action on the measure — an amended version of the controver sial Taft-Ellender-Wagner bill which failed to get through Congress earlier this summer—came after Republican managers ran into a surprising revolt which upset their plans to pass a limited emergency housing bill. Two New England Republicans— Senator Tobey of New Hampshire and Flanders of Vermont—joined with five Democrats to report out the Taft - Ellender - Wagner long range bill in place of the bill House and Senate leaders agreed on last night. Legislation May Be Lost. The Republicans may go through with their plans to push through a mild set of inflation controls and go home. But today’s upset in the Senate Banking Committee means that all housing legislation may be lost. The crux of the housing fight in Congress is that the TEW bill con tains federal aid for low-cost public housing developments, which was omitted from the bill Republican leaders of both houses worked out last night. It was sponsored by Senator McCarthy, Republican, of Wisconsin. Nevertheless, the Senate commit tee decided to go back to the TEW bill, in an effort to force the House at least to send it to conference with the Senate. The Senate passed the TEW bill several months ago. but it has been blocked bv House Leaders in the Rules Committee of that branch. It is now being revived on the Senate floor as a substitute for a milder House bill. Battle to Be Repeated. The same battle staged in the Senate Banking Committee this morning is expected to be repeated on the Senate floor this afternoon If the TEW bill passes, the House will face the choice of sending it to conference or having no legisla tion. The Republicans will make a final effort to go back to the compromise bill on the floor, but the outcome is doubtful with GOP ranks divided. The committee vote to revive the TEW bill was as folows: For—Senators Tobey and Flan ders. Republicans: Wagner of New York. Maybank of South Carolina, Taylor of Idaho. Fulbright of Ar <See~HOUSING, Page A-4.) Late News Bulletins Indians, 2; Nats, 0 CLEVELAND, Aug. 5.—The Indians smashed two homers in the third inning here today and were leading Washington, 2 to 0, at the end of the fifth. Eugene Bearden, pitcher, and Jim Hegan. catcher, got the round-trippers. It was Bear den's first and Hegan’s 10th of the season. Ray Scarborough was the Washington hurler. Kaplan Rejects Red Query Lou Kaplan, a field organ iser for the CIO United Elec trical Workers, refused to tell a House subcommittee today whether he is or ever was a member of the Communist Party. The House Labor Com mittee group is investigating the strike at the Univis Lens Co. plant in Dayton, Ohio. (Earlier Story on Page A-2.) t House Approves G. 0. P. inflation Bill, 264 to 97 Truman's Appeal for Action on Broader Program Ignored By Chalmers M. Roberts Despite a last-minute plea by President Truman for action on his cost-of-living program, the House today passed the Repub lican anti-inflation bill by a vote of 264 to 97. The measure was pushed through in the Republican drive for adjourn ment of the special session this week end a few hours after Mr. Truman accused Republican leaders of con cocting "feeble compromises" on his anti-inflaticn program and called on them not to quit this week end. The Republican leadership has agreed to seek special session action on three measures before adjourn ing, possibly Saturday—the limited anti-inflation bill, an emergency housing measure and a bill voting $65,000,000 as a loan for building the United Nations headquarters in New York. Hie House bill completely ignored the President's requests for price controls and rationing authority. The measure will be sent to the Senate tomorrow and Chairman Tobey of the Senate Banking Com mittee may attempt to insert some of the controls requested by Mr. Truman. However, he is not ex pected to win much support for such action. Aid From Southern Democrats. Fifty-one Democrats, mostly Southerners, joined with 213 Re publicans in voting for the House measure. Opposed were 93 Demo crats, 3 Republicans and 2 Amer ican-Labor Party members. The measure would: 1. Restore consumer credit con trols requiring a one-third down payment on purchases of such things as automobiles, stoves, refrigerator* and house furnishings, and limiting the number of ihonths over which installments could be paid. Actual credit rules would be set by the Federal Reserve Board. 2. Grant the Federal Reserve Board authority to raise reserve re quirements of member', banks, thus i tending to limit bank loans and : thereby put a brake on the inflation spiral. The bill would increase re serves by smaller percentages than those requested by the Administra tion, however. 3. Grant the Federal Reserve Board authority to restore previous gold reserve requirements, a simi lar credit move to limit inflationary lending. lienate Hem 10 su .wnuirs. During debate on the floor, limit ed to 40 minutes under the voting procedure, Democratic opponents derided the measure as one which would have no effect on inflation. Representative Monroney. Demo crat, of Oklahoma said the bill j merely "gives the giant of inflation a tiny slap on the wrist.” Chairman Wolcott of the House Banking Committee, who wrote the bill, blamed high prices on the ad ministration’s “cheap money" poli cies and said the measure passed today would have a “psychological’’ effect although he admitted little likelihood of any price reductions. Mr. Truman’s blast at the Repub lican leaders on the inflation issue took place at a press conference. He read a formal statement saying: Mr. Truman singled out the House | Banking and Currency Committee j and the House Ways and Means ; Committee. I He said Representative Wolcott had refused to hear testimony from | the Secretaries of Agriculture, Com i merce and Interior, t Mr. Truman also assailed the Ways and Means Committee for refusing i to consider his recommendation for an excess profits tax. He said such | a tax is “necessary to offset the in ' flationary effects of the tax bill passed last spring." “The Secretary of Agriculture I was prepared to offer a program s directed to the problem of exces sive food prices,” the President said, “The Secretafy of Commerce was prepared to discuss with the com (See CONGRESS, Page A-4.f Plane With 52 Reported Safe; Line Skeptical By th« Associated Press PARIS, Aug. 5.—Reports spread through Paris today that the missing French seaplane with 52 persons aboard has been found in the South Atlantic. Air France officials said they were skeptical. The six-engined craft was lost Sunday en route from Martinique to French South Africa Officials of Air France, the owners, said they could not confirm reporta it had been found. The semiofficial French Press Agency quoted Air France offices in Marseilles as saying the Latecoere 631 has been found, with all the 40 passengers and 12 crewmen aboard safe. The plane was reported down 120 miles from where it last had been heard from four days ago. Later the agency said the report "lacked precision." Three American B-29 bombers ar rived at Dakar from Germany to take part in the search for the flying boat. Air France officials said ‘‘the search is continuing.’’ They said I advices from the M&riagne Air Base inear Marseille that the craft had jbeen located were contradicted bf 'other reports. , «