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Mostly sunny with highest about 84 today.
Fair tonight with lowest near 64. Tomorrow, j
mostly sunny with little change in tempera- i
ture. (Full report on Page A-2.)
Midnight. 69 6 a.m. ... 63 Noon ... 78 j
2 a.m._ 67 8 a.m. 64 l p.m. .. 80
4 a.m._65 10 a.m. .. 73 2 p.m. .. 80 j
Late New York Markets Page A-15.
Guide for Readers
Page. ■ Page.
Amusements ..A-16 Obituary --.....A-10
Comics _B-14-15 Radio ..B-15
Editorial .A-S Society, Clubs...B-3
Editorial Articles A-9 Sports -A-12-13
Finance _A-15 | Where to Go-B-2
Lost and Pound .A-3 {Woman's Page...B-9
An Associated Press Newspaper
96th Year. No. 222. Phone STerling 5000
City Home Delivery, Daily and Sunday. $1.20 a Month. When 6 «J CENTS
Sundays, SI.30. Night Final edition. S1.3C and *1 40 per Month ^
Perlo Ref uses to Answer Probers,
Koral Delayed in Spy Testimony;
Soviets Seek Custody of Teacher
Ex-WPB Official
Rebuffs Queries
On Red Affiliation
Called to testify today after
the appearance of Alexander
Koral, New York secret witness,
was delayed for several hours,
Victor Perlo, whose name has
been frequently mentioned in the
current spy ring investigations,
refused to tell the House Com
mittee on Un-American Activi
ties whether he was a Commu
nist.
Mr. Koral. on whom the commit
tee is depending for information on
how a Soviet espionage ring infil
trated the Government, appeared as
scheduled, but asked for a delay
until 2:30 p.m. because his attorney
had been detained. The attorney,
Leo Prager of New' York, had taken
the w'rong plane out of New York,
landing in Boston instead of Wash
ington.
Accused dv an avowea lormw
Soviet agent of disclosing airplane
production figures while an econ
omist with the War Production
Board, Perlo steadfastly refused to
answer questions pertaining to his
politics. He said he is now an econ
omist at the headquarters of Henry
A. Wallace’s new Progressive Party.
Balks at Questions.
Asked whether he was or ever
had been a member of the Com
munist Party, he refused to answer
on grounds that he might incrim
inate or degrade himself.
He also balked at a question by
Chief Investigator Robert E. Strip
ling as to whether he knew Robert
A. Graham, identified by Mr. Strip
ling as a member of the wartime
Resources Protective Board of the
W7PB and other Government agen
cies.
Mr. Stripling then asked if Mr.
Graham had given the witness
special permission to examine secret
files of the board. Perlo said he
did not recall it.
Later Mr. Stripling said he was
prepared to show the committee
that Perlo was given special permis
sion to copy "secret data" from files
of the protective board covering the
"most strategic, vulnerable and key
points” in wartime production.
At one time Perlo was asked if
he knew Miss Elizabeth T. Bent
ley. the Vassar College graduate
who has told the committee that
while she was serving as an agent
for the Russians, she got in touch
with him for aviation production
figures.
Looking directly at Miss Bentley,
Perlo said he would not answer for
the usual reason that it might in
criminate him.
During the session she was re
called to the stand for brief addi
tional testimony.
seeks to Kean siaiemem.
When Perlo asked to read a one
page typewritten statement he had
brought along, the committee asked
to see it first. Then several com
mitteemen joined in a discussion,
advising Perlo he might make him
self subject to prosecution for per
jury if he read one of the lines:
"I vigorously deny the charges
which have been leveled against
me."
The committeemen pointed out
that Perlo had refused to answer
their questions pertaining to the
charges. If those charges proved
correct. Perlo might be prosecuted,
they said.
Apparently nervous, Perlo went
into a conference with his attorneys
and then said:
"After consultation with counsel
and in view' of the interpretation
which members of the committee
have put on a certain sentence, I
will delete that one from the state
ment."
After Perlo finished reading his
statement, Representative Nixon,
Republican of California pointed out
that Perlo had said in his statement
that he had never violated any law's
of his country.
‘‘What about the law making it a
crime to divulge any secret informa
tion to an unauthorized person?”
Mr. Nixon asked. “Do you categor
ically deny that you never gave
any information to an unauthorized
person?”
Perlo went back to his old answer
—that on advice of his counsel he
refused to answer on the ground it
might incriminate or degrade him.
Another witness scheduled at the
hearing today was Duncan Lee. ac
(Continued on Page A-A. Column 2.)
Japs Go on Strike
In Defiance of Ban
By the Associated Press
TOKYO. Aug. 9. — Unauthorized
work stoppages in defiance of the
cabinet's ban on strikes by govern
ment workers broke out all over
Japan today.
Their net effect, however, did not
seem great. Communication work
ers at several places in Honshu Is
land staged rallies which kept them
off their jobs. Railway men at
Hakodate walked off the ferry that
connects Honshu with Hokkaido Is
land.
The strikers seemed unperturbed
by the arrest at Matsuyama of 10
railway workers who had walked
out. *
Police arrested Satoji Sato, Com
munist Party central committee
man, at Niigata for “causing un
favorable effects on occupation
forces.’’
Sato, the first Communist cen
tral committeeman to be arrested
since the war, allegedly said at a
rice distribution meeting:
“Although recognizing the rice
shortage in Japan, Americans are
not giving us enough rice, also they
9 are exporting rice overseas." ^
ALEXANDER KORAL,
Witness in th£ House com
mittee on Un-American Ac
tivities inquiry, as he waited
to take the stand at today’s
hearinq. i Other pictures on
Paqc A-4 ) —AP Photo.
Romania to Conduct
Plebiscite on Joining
Russia, Refugees Say
Vote Set for August 23
With 4 Red Divisions in
Country, Turkey Hears
By the Associated Press
ISTANBUL. Turkey. Aug. 9.—
Romanian refugee sources here
said today Romanian will decide
in a plebiscite August 23 whether
to become a member of the
Soviet Union.
These sources quoted persons re
ported just arrived from Romania.
There is no means of confirming
the story here, but there have been
persistent reports that such a vote
was contemplated.
The newspaper Cumhuriyet said
it had been informed that many
thousands of persons opposed to
the plebiscite have been arrested
since early July and all but four
Bucharest movie houses have been
taken over as prisons.
Minister Reported Bamsnea.
The refugee sources said four di
visions of Russian troops have vir
tually surrounded Bucharest and
have strengthened garrisons in other
cities.
Cumhuriyet said the Minister of
Justice (according to the latest re
ports from Bucharest the Minister
of Justice was Avram Bunacio) had
opposed the plebiscite and that he
and his wife had been deported to
Russia.
The Minister of the Interior and
the secretary of the Romanian
Communist Party also were reported
opposed to the vote and have been
under close surveillance of Soviet
police, the paper said.
Bloc Won March Election.
Quoted reports from the refugees
said the Romanian Parliament
would be dissolved in the event a
plebiscite favored annexation to
Russia and that delegates to Mos
cow- wouid be named instead.
In elections last March 28, the
Communist-dominated government
bloc parties polled 92 per cent of the
vote in Romania and won more
than 400 of the 414 seats in Par
liament.
U. 5. Consul Drowns in Fall
From Ship at Antwerp
By the Associated Press
ROTTERDAM, the Netherlands,
Aug. 9.—Police feported today that
Harry Markey Donaldson. United
States consul in Antwerp, drowned
here Saturday.
He fell overboard from the
freighter American Defender, which
had just sailed from the harbor.
The cause was not established.
Mr. Donaldson, 42, was from
West Newton, Pa.
Waters nearby were dragged for
the body, but it was not recovered.
A similar accident last night re
sulted in the death of Jack Burk
Dykes, 42, of Athens, Tex. He
tripped on the quay and fell into
the harbor while trying to board
the American ship Louis Lykes, on
which he was assistant steward. His
body was recovered two hours later.
f'
Consul Asks Police
To Produce Mon
Who Talked to FBI
By the Associated Pres*
NEW YORK. Aug. 9.—New
York police at the request of the
I Soviet Consulate asked New Jer
sey police today to produce a
Russian-born school teacher who
| told his story to the FRI yes
I terday.
| The teacher, Michael Ivanovitch
Samarin, 40, and his wife and three
children are at Rova Farm, operated
by a White Russian (anti-Commu
nisti group near Cassville, N. J..
the consulate told police.
New Jersey State Police said, how
ever, that they had checked the
farm and found no trace of Mr.
Samarin or members of his family.
The House Committee on Un
American Activities has expressed
an interest in Mr. Samarin. His
whereabouts had been cloaked in
secrecy after he obtained a volun
tary interview with the FBI yes
j terday.
The police message sent to State
police headquarters in Toms River,
N. J., quoted the Russian consulate
;as saying it would prosecute if the
Samarin family was detained at the
farm against its will.
Will Talk to FBI.
Deputy Chief Police Inspector
Edward Mullins conferred 45 min
utes with Soviet Consul General
Jacob M. Lomakin on the Samarin
case.
The police officer said “we are
now going to check every person
and thing connected with the
Samarin case.” He said he planned
to talk to the FBI about it.
Soviet officials have been seeking
to return the teacher to his native
land. Mr. Samarin came here to
teach in a school for children of
Russian members of the United
Nations delegation.
FBI officials declined yesterday
to discuss the nature of their talks
with Mr. Samarin but they said he
was not in custody. .
Told that the House un-American
Activities Committee in Washing
ton—which now is engaged in prob
ing Communist espionage operations
—wanted to talk to Mr. Samarin, an
F.B.I. spokesman said:
"I am sure he can be found if J
he is wanted.”
Woman Teacher "Resting”
Meanwhile, another Russian j
school teacher, Mrs. Oksana Step
anovna Kosenkina, who became the
center of a melodramatic tug of
war between Soviet officials and a
White Russian group Saturday, was
reported “resting” at the Soviet
Consulate here.
Soviet officials said Mrs. Kosen
kina—whom the House committee!
also would like to question—hadj
been “rescued” from a White Rus-1
sian resort at Valley Cottage, Rock- 1
land County, N. Y.
Officials at the Valley Cottage re
sort said the woman had returned
to New York because she was too
"terrorized” to refuse. Both she
and Mr. Samarin had been sched
uled to return to Russia last month
on the Soviet liner Pobeda.
In Mrs. Kosenkina's presence,!
Russian consulate officials said at
a news conference Saturday that
she had been drugged and kid
naped by White Russians and beenj
held captive at the farm since
July 30.
Consulate spokesmen said the
White Russians’ object was to pre
vent her return to Russia, sched
uled for the day after the alleged
abduction.
Mr. Lomakin told of ‘rescuing"]
Mrs. Kosenkina from the farm j
Saturday after battling about a!
dozen "White Russian bandits.”
Countess Daughter of Novelist.
Countess Alexandra Tolstoy, who!
operates the farm about 30 miles:
north of New York City as a re
treat for displaced Russians, called
Mr. Lomakin’s story a “lot of ba
loney.”
The countess, youngest daughter
of the late Novelist Leo Tolstoy,
said Mrs. Kosenkina sought refuse
at the farm because “she believed
:she was going to be shot.” The
countess said the teacher returned
to New York City wtih Mr. Lomakin
only because she was “terrorized.’’
Mrs. Kosenkina came to the Unit
ed States from her native Russia
two years ago to teach at a school
operated by the Soviet government
for children of its diplomats in the
New York .area. Mr^ Samarin also
(See RUSSLANS~Page A-4.)
U. S. and British U. N. Observefs
Wounded by Greek Guerrillas
By th« A»*ociated
ATHENS, Aug. 9.—Two United
Nations observers, one American
and one British, were wounded by
guerrilla mortar fire yesterday near
the junction of the Bulgarian, Yogo
slav and Greek borders.
The U. N. Special Committee on
the Balkans identified the Ameri
can as Lt. Col. Richard Darnell and
the British officer as Maj. A. W.
Fielding. The home addresses were
lacking in Athens.
(The American Army and Air
Force register lists a Lt. Col.
Richard J. Darnell, 31, as a
native of Washington State and
a 1940 graduate of the Univer
sity of Idaho. His decorations
include the Silver Star. Bronze
Star Medal and Purple Heart
with oak leaf cluster.)
Greek sources declared the mor
tar fire came from inside Bulgaria.
The officers, members of one of five
U. N. observation groups in North
ern Greece, were traveling along a
road north of Levadia. Greece.
They were taken to a mili1
hospital in Salonika. A Greek
source said Maj. Fielding suffered
superficial wounds. He said Col.
Darnell was more seriously hurt
but out of danger.
Representatives of the United
States, British and Dutch U. N.
delegations went from Athens to
the scene to investigate. It was the
second time in three days that
U. N. observers have been wounded.
A Chinese was injured August 6.
Meanwhile, frontline dispatches
said the Greek army tightened and
shortened the semicircle squeezing
Communist guerrillas in their
Grammos Mountains positions. Ad
vances were reported north of the
Sarandoporos River, at the south
western end of the front.
THe dispatches said army units
attacked Zegma and Bouketsi,
strong guerrilla positions. The
troops also took Paliomonastirion.
Priaskon and Klissia and reached
a point near the peak of Mount
Liokos. the accounts said. On the
northeastern sector, the army
reached the Albanian border yester
day. I
Western Envoys
Confer 3 Hours
With Molotov
Russians Arming
Border, British
Newspaper Says
By the Associated Press
MOSCOW, Aug. 9.—Diplomats
of the United States, Britain and
France conferred in the Kremlin
with Foreign Minister Molotov
more than three hours today.
It was the third such conference
in a week and was believed con
cerned with the Berlin blockade and
ether problems in the range of dif
ferences between the West and East.
Meet at British Embassy.
The envoys left the Kremlin at
7:54 p.m. (11:54 a.m. EST) and
I v ent to the British Embassy for
another conference. Advisory staffs
o fall three missions were at the
.embassy awaiting their arrival.
American Ambassador Waiter
Bedell Smith led the procession into
the Russian seat of government at
4:50 p.m. (9:50 a.m., EST).' He was
followed by Frank Roberts, special
British envoy and private secre
tary to Foreign Secretary Bevin.
and by French Ambassador Yves
Chataigneau.
Mr. Smith conferred with Mr.
Roberts more than an hour be-[
fore going to the Kremlift.
Important Session.
An .informed source said the|
Kremlin session was expected to be
one of the most important meet
ings so far and may well determine
the course of the entire series of
talks.
It was a bright, warm afternoon
as Mr. Smith's long, black automo
bile, flying a big American flag,
drove through the Kremlin gates.
The Ambassador joked with an aide
as he left his embassy.
Germans Reported Forced
To Dig Soviet Trenches
BERLIN. Aug. 9 (&).—'Thp British
licensed newspaper Telegraf said
today the Russians are digging
trenches and mounting weapons, in-'
eluding-rocket guns, on the border;
between the Soviet occupation zone
and Western Germany.
United States border officials and;
Germans along the American-Rus-j
sian zone borders, however, said
they knew nothing to confirm re- j
ports the Russians are erecting
weapon points. They said the Rus
sians for a long time have been
strengthening their border with
guards and trenches, designed to
halt illegal traffic on country roads.
The newspaper reported feverish
activity in woods along the zonal
frontiers where, it said, Russian
engineers and construction troops
are “building a security border.”
Telegraf said it obtained this In
formation from Germaijs who were
pressed into service to help dig
trenches “and when released were
warned not to mention anything.”
New Threats Made.
This development came as the
Russians hurled new threats at Ber
lin’s anti-Communists, and the
United States headed more Super
Portresses and its ranking air chiefs
toward Germany.
In London and heading for Ger
many for an on-the-spot check of
the flying supply line to Berlin are
Air Secretary Symington and Lt.
Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Air Force
chief of staff.
The arrival of these high-ranking
figures at ^this time touched off
speculation in London diplomatic
circles that their purpose is:
1. To underline to the Russians
the American determination to
maintian and increase the air lift
as long as the Russians continue
to block the surface routes to Ber
lin from the Western zones of Ger
many.
2. To plan for the future, includ
ing the coming winter if no agree
ment is reached.
Will Fly to Germany.
Mr. Symington and Gen. Vanden
berg said they will flying to Ger
many within a few days to inves
tigate the problems facing the
American airmen and what futher
assistance is needed,,
Almost immediately after arriving
in London the two called on Ameri
can Ambassador Lewis W. Douglas.
Mr. Douglas, with French Ambas
'fSee^GERMANT Page_A-4.)
500 a Day Reported Dying
Of Hunger in Manchu City
By the Associated Press
PEIPING, Aug. 9— Five hundred
persons a day are starving to death
in Red-besieged Changchun and its
environs, the newspaper Shih Chieh
Jih Pao said today.
Within the Manchurian city, 200
are dying daily from hunger, the
newspaper said, and in the no
man's land around 300 more are
dying.
Dog meat, the paper added, is
selling for 24,000.000 Chinese dollars
a pound ($2.40 U. S.), horse meat
50.000. 000 ($5) and kaoliang, a
Chinese variety of sorghum at
100.000. 000 ($10) a pound.
The people, trapped between Na
tional and Red forces, are having
a terrible time because neither side
will admit many through their lines.
Some few get through the Red lines
after paying. The current s*fe
eonduct cost for six persons through
the Red lines is a pistol. .
V
Memphis Blues!
Cotton Futures Break
On U. S. Crop Forecast
Of 15,169,000 Bales
New Orleans Market
Drops $1.50 to $1.90 as
Figure Tops Expectation
By the Associated Press
Cotton futures in New Orleans
broke $1.50 to $1.90 a bale today
on a Government crop estimate
of 15,169,000 bales.
Members of the New Orleans cot
ton exchange had expected an esti
mate of 13,827,000 bales. Heavy sell
ing entered the market when trad
ing was resumed after the customary
20-minute suspension.
The 1948 indicated crop is 3,318,000
bales more than last year’s crop and
^,155,000 bales more than the 10
year (1937-46) average.
Would Be {seventh Largest.
Such a crop would be the seventh
largest on record. The top yield was
18,946,000 produced in 1937. The
indicated yield of 313.5 pounds per
acre is the highest on record, how
ever, 14.6 pounds above the pre
vious record of 298.9 pounds in 1944.
October futures contracts drop
ped to 31.23 cents a pound or $1.90
a bale below Friday's closing quota
tion in New Orleans. December
contracts were off $1.75 a bale to
31,34 cents a pound. March dropped
to 31.40 cents a pound or $1.75 a
bale, and May showed at 31.36 cents
a pound or $1.50 a bale below Fri^
day’s closing.
The Agriculture Department said
the unusually high yields in pros
pect are due not only to exception
ally favorable growing conditions,
but also to increased use of fer
tilizer, and a larger proportion of
the cotton acreage being planted in
heavy-yielding areas.
258,928 Bales Already Ginned.
In a companion report the Census
Bureau said 258,928 running bales of
this year's cotton crop had been
ginned prior to August 1. This com
pares with 193,638 ginned to the
same date last year and 171,641 to
the same date two years ago.
The condition of the cotton crop
on August 1 was reported at 85 per
cent of normal. This compares
with 78 per cent a year ago and 76
per cent for the 10-year average.
The indicated yield of lint cotton
per acre was reported at 313.5
pounds, compared with 267.2 last
year and 254.2 for the 10-year
average.
Texas Housewives Open
Meat Shop Boycott Today
By the Associated Pres*
DALLAS, Aug. 9.—The butcher
shop boycott starts today in Dallas
and other Texas cities.
Butchers, packers, ranchers and
housewives will be watching and
waiting to see if it accomplishes
its purpose—to bring down meat
prices.
Mrs. R. D. Vaughn, 71-year-old
Dallas grandmother, who started
the rebellion, is confident of suc
cess.
"Everything is too high," she
said. "We might as well start with
meat.”
Mrs. Vaughn and countless others
have pledged to boycott butcher
shops for one week. They’ve car
ried on a telephone campaign here
and / in other towns to enlist the
aid of every hqusewife.
California State Senator
Gets James Roosevelt Post
By the Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif.. Aug. 9 —
California Democrats have chosen
an outspoken State Senator as their
chairman, to replace James Roose-;
velt, eldest son of the late Presi
dent.
Oliver J. Carter of Redding, who
plans to retire from the upper
chamber, was elected by the party's
State Central Committee yesterday.
Former State Senator George Luckey
of Brawley was named vice chair
man.
Grinning widely, Mr. Roosevelt
was given a five-rtlinute ovation by
the committee as he turned the
chairmanship over to S4r. Carter.;
Mr. Roosevelt told them the forth- j
coming presidential campaign
wouldn’t be easy, and added: *!
“We must get out and work to
win this election.” ~ i
Pleasant Weather Lasting
Most of Week Predicted
Clear skies and mild tempera
tures in the low 80s made work
I more comfortable today for thou
; sands of Washingtonians who
i trooped back from a soothing
sunny week end at recreation places,
riverside or parks.
The Weather Bureau promised
continued pleasant conditions for
most of this week, with no sign of
extreme heat, stickiness or rain.
Today’s maximum was expected to
be in the low 80's. It was 81 at
4:32 p.m. yesterday.
These,temperatures are not un
usual for early August, but the
mean level of 71 between yesterday’s
low of 61 and high of 81 was five
degrees below normal for August 8,
the District forecaster said.
Foes of Fare Boost
Urge Capital Transit
To Hire Negro Drivers
Suggestion Is Opposed
By Company Official
At Commission's Hearing
By Jerry O'Leary, Jr.
Opponents of the Capital
Transit Co.’s request for higher
streetcar and bus fares today
injected the racial issue into
Public Utilities Commission hear
ings on the petition as the pro
ceedings went into the second
week.
Capital Transit seeks an increase
of the 10-cent cash fare to 15 cents,
permission to sell two tokens for a
quarter and a boost in the price of
$1.50 weekly pass to $1.85.
Under cross-examination by At
torney Harry R. Booth, a lawyer for
the Washington Committee for Con
sumer Protection, J. E. Heberle. vice
president and controller of Capital
Transit, denied the company would
be in a better position to meet its
service needs if it employed Negro
operators.
Mr. Heberle had testified earlier
that the company faces a man
power shortage. Asked by Mr.
Booth if it is true that there is
a supply of manpower (Negroes)
that the company could tap, the
witness replied that he knew of
no way to overcome the shortage
of drivers and streetcar operators.
‘You don’t know what the situa
tion would be here if you used Negro
operators?” Mr. Booth asked.
"We tried it,” Mr. Herberle re
plied.
(It was recalled that during
World War II Capital Transit
advertised for Negro applicants
S (See-TRANSIT, Page A-4.)
Agencies 'Finagling'
With Budget Slashes
Warned by Bridges
Committee to 'Go After'
Officials Who Cut Services
To 'Raise Public Howl'
By Harold B. Rogers
Chairman Bridges of the Sen
ate Appropriations Committee
today announced his unit will
•‘go after” officials of the Execu
tive branch of the Government
"who misrepresent Congressional
appropriation cuts.”
Senator Bridges charged that
'•finagling” government employes
often have deliberately applied ap
propriation cuts to necessary serv
ices in order to “raise a public howl.”
This, he charged, was a part of a
“smear campaign” by agencies in
the executive branch of the govern
ment to misrepresent the effect of
congressional appropriation cuts to
the public.
Senator Bridge mentioned none ;
by name.
“These subversive attacks by the
Government's own employes,” he'
declared, “are dangerously destruc
tive of public confidence.
Economy Efforts Cited. . j
"They undermine every serious
effort on the part l of economy
minded members of the Congress to
see to it that the American tax
payer gets a full dollar's worth for
every dollar spent in taxes.”
The New Hampshire Senator, in
charging that there were numerous
instances where departmental budg
et cuts nad been "deliberately ap
plied to necessary and proper public
services,” said:
“By doing this they have proved
that they are past masters of the
squeeze play. At the same time, they
have shown bad administrative
leadership.
“These men are engaged in what
is much too popular a game here
in Washington, that of prying
money from the Federal treasury.”
Action Is Pledged.
The Appropriations Committee, its
chairman said, “is hereby serving
notice that it will hereafter go after
all agencies and departments who
misrepresent Congressional appro
priation cuts.”
Senator Bridges declared too often
it had been the practice of bureaus,
in limiting their services to the
public, to explain that their action
is "due to budgetary curtailment.”
"Entrenched public employes who
scheme day and night to hold and
expand their Jobs,” the Senator
said, “have becorpe too adept at
distortinog the intentions of the
elected representatives of the peo
ple."
Maryland Boy, 10, Shot to Death
In Target Practice With Friend
Hit by Rifle Bullet
At Playmate's Home
Near Rockville
Robert Dodson, 10, of Mont
rose, near Rockville, was acci
dentally shot and killed at a
neighbor's home today when he
stepped into the line of fire of
a playmate’s rifle, according to
Montgomery County police.
The playmate, identified by police
as Robert Ertter, 14, suffered severe
shock and was unable to furnish de
tails of the tragedy, the police said.
Montgomery County medical ex
aminer Dr. F. J. Broschart issued a
certificate of accidental death.
The dead boy, a son of Mr. and
Mrs. Burgess Dodson of Montrose,
and his friend had engaged in target
practice in the back yard of the
Ertter home, the police repprted
They had attempted to correct the
sights of the .22-caliber rifle, which
belonged to Rudolph Ertter, father
of the friend. Both boys knew how
to handle the rifle, the police said.
The Dodson boy was shot at an
estimated distance of about 38 paces,
police said. Apparently Robert was
examining the target, which was at
tached to a garage.
The Ertter boy ran into his house
after the shooting, and told an
older brother what had happened.
The brother called the Rockvifie
Rescue Squad, which took the in
jured boy to Suburimn Hospital.
ROBERT DODSON.
He was pronounced dead on ar
rival.
The bullet entered the back of
his head.
The Dodsons live on Randolph
avenue, Montrose. Mr. Dodson said
his son and Robert were "like two
peas in a pod” and played together
most of the time.
Robert was a fifth grade studetn
at Montrose Elementary School. In
addition to his parents, he leaves
three brothers. Lion, 24: James,
23, and Donald. 3, and two sisters,
Dorothy, 18, and Violet, 15.
Mr. Dodson is employed at Edge
moor Motor Co, Bethesda, as a
mechanic.
Taft Backs Work
Of G. 0. P., Sees
Price Stability
White House Indicates
Signing of 2 Bills With
New Blast at Congress
TRUMAN STILL IN DARK on To
bin Acceptance of Labor Post.
Page A-J
Chairman Taft of the Senate
Republican Policy Committee to
day defended the actions of his
party at the special session of
Congress and stated his belief
that the country now is “fairly
close to stabilization” of prices.
His comments came as the White
House remained silent on whether
President Truman would sign the
limited housing and anti-inflation
bills which Congress passed before
it quit Saturday. White House
sources indicated he wil sign, but
will issue another blast at the Re
publicans in doing so.
The Ohio Senator told a press
conference at the Capitol that he
sees nothing in the situation today
“which necessarily means” a con
tinuing rise in prices. He agreed
the approaching stabilization of
prices is of little help to the person
struggling to keep up with the price
spiral- _ .
No Need ior wew
The Senator also said he did not
think it would be necessary to take
up anti-inflation legislation at the
opening of the Eighty-First Congress
in January. Nor did he think there
is "much likelihood” of another
special session folowing the Novem
ber election, as has been talked
about in some quarters.
He reiterated his intentions to
offer new housing legislation at the
next session to deal with low-cost
housing, slum clearance and per
haps with farm housing, all elim
mated from the housing bill finally
sent the President.
At the White House. Press Secre
tary Charles G. Ross told reporters
only that anyone can draw his own
inference on the President s strat
egy from his ‘known attitude.”
Housing Bill at White House.
The housing bill, less than the
President asked of the special ses
sion, has reached the President.
Mr. Ross said it will go through the
usual routine of submission to de
partments concerned for their com
ments. The anti-inflation bill, also
short of the President's demands,
should reach him shortly.
Senator Taft said President Tru
man's anti-inflation program was
"like tying down the safety valve
while you go on stoking the furnace.
It would only bring an explosion in
the end.” He said the Truman plan
would have revived OPA with its
65,000 employes costing the Govern
ment at least *150,000,000 a year.
The Senator was confident of a
Dewey victory in November, al
though he admitted there will b©
stiff fights over five or six Senate
seats. He said he did not think the
Democrats could win control of the
Senate.
Backs Senate ituies
He said President Truman knew
before he called for civil rights ac
tion that under Senate rules a
Southern Democratic filibuster
could not be broken. Senator Taft
repeated the Republican intention
of changing Senate rules so that
filibusters can be halted.
In discussing the inflation-price
situation, Senator Taft said:
"The present situation, while
serious for millions, is not likely to
produce either an extreme inflation
nor a depression.’’ .
"Wholesale prices are now higher
than they were in 1920, but they
are only 2 per cent higher than they
were in January, 1948. Further
more, the weekly earnings of factory
workers in 1920 were only $26.61 and
they now are $52.81 a week.
Cites Truman on Rationing.
"There are many reasons to be
lieve that we are reaching a stabil
ized price level.
"Wheat and corn already have
dropped close to the support prices
,nd will probably be followed grad
lally by many other foods. Even in
he price of meat, where prices are
nost outrageously high, the Presi
!ent in his message to Congress m
iicated that there was no need for
rationing. I
“He said: “On the basis of pres
ent facts, and unless further short
ages occur, this authority (to ration)
might not have to be used at all.'
The President now has every power
to prevent inflation, except price
control, and if price control is ever
accepted in time of peace, it will
mean the end of economic freedom
in the United States.”
Many Lawmakers Hurry Home.
While Senator Taft was still in
Washington, most other members of
Congress hustled home to take the
1948 campaign back to the counlf
courthouse squares.
Inevitably, there will be counter
blasts from the Republicans to
whatever criticism the President
(See CONGRESS Page A-4.)
Wife Killed in Struggle
For Choir Leader's Pistol
By th« Associated Pfts*
FORT WORTH. Tex., Aug. 9 —An
inquest verdict was awaited today in
the death of Mrs. Wyema Morrow,
44, who was shot to death while
scufflirtg over a gun in her husband’s
car.
J. Bennett Morrow, 46, a choir
leader, surrendered to the sheriff's
office after the shooting yesterday.
The Morrows were married last
November, he said. Several months
ago, he said in a statement, she
began to have “nervous spells’’ and
yesterday she "flew Into a rage.”
Morrow, choir leader at Rosen
Heights Church of Christ, said his
wife ran to the car, where there was
a pistol, and he followed her.
He said the gun went off while
they were scuffling for it.
The incident occurred ia front of
their home near Fort Worth.
Morrow brought his wife to a hos
pital. but she was pronounced dead
on arrival.