Evening star. [volume], September 07, 1948, Image 1

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

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
Weather Forecast
Mostly cloudy today, occasional showers with
highest near 82. Cloudy, with lowest tonight
about 68. Tomorrow, cloudy, highest about
84, showers likely. (Full report on Page A-2.)
Midnight --73 8 a.m.68 Noon_76
4 am..69 10 a.m_70 1 p.m.78
6 a.m.71 11 a.m_73 2 p.m_78
Late New York Markets, Poge A-21.
Guide for Readers
Page.
After Dark _A-IO
Amusements ...A-22
Comics .B-18-19
Editorial .A-«
Editor! Articles, A-13
Finance .A-21
Page. ,
Lost and Found, A-3
Obituary _A-14
Radio .B-19
Society, Clubs. ..B-S
Sports .A-18-19
Womans Page..A-16
An Associated Press Newspaper
96th Year. No. 251. Phone STerling 5000
WASHINGTON, D. C., TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1948-FORTY-TWO PAGES.
City Home Delivery. Dally and Sunday, $1.20 a Month. When 5
Sundays, $1.30. Night Final Edition. $1.30 and $1.40 per Month
5 CENTS
Allies Weighing
Joint Protest on
Riots in Berlin
Western Envoys Hold
Seventh Parley With
Marshal Sokolovsky
By tht Associated Press
BERLIN, Sept. 7—The West
ern military governors consid
erede today joint protests to the
Russians against Communist-led
riots which have disrupted
blockaded Berlin’s civil govern
ment.
The three Western military gov
ernors, Gen. Lucius D. Clay of the
United States, Gen. Sir Brian Rob
ertson of Britain and Gen. Pierre
Koenig of France, met briefly.
Then they went into their seventh
conference on the Berlin blockade
with their Russian counterpart,
Marshal Vassily D. Sokolovsky.
Gen. Clay told newsmen he did
not know whether the riots would
be taken up with the Rusisans at
this meeting.
May Approach Sokolovsky.
The Western generals may decide
to take up the City Hall riots di
rectly with Marshal Sokolovsky. If
that were done, it would lift the
local German political crisis into
direct Big Four negotiations.
In London a British diplomatic
source said today that the Western
powers plan a joint protest to Rus
sia over Communist-led rioting in
Berlin, but the Foreign Office is
sued a disclaimer.
The diplomatic scarce, in a posi
tion to know the situation, but uni
dentifiable by name, said the pro
test may go either to Moscow or to
Marshal Sokolovsky.
The Foreign Office issued a for
mal statement to deny this aspect
of the situation when it was re
ported by the Associated Press. The
Foreign Office described as “with
out foundation” any report that an
official British diplomatic source had
said the Western powers were plan
ning a joint protest
The London diplomatic source
said the British have no doubt the
French Major Gets
Death Threat in
Berlin City Hall
By the Associated Press
BERLIN, Sept. 7. —An uni
dentified telephone caller today
threatened the French liaison
officer in City Hall with death.
Maj. George Mrazovtch, the
Frenchman, is protecting 27
German police of the Western
zone who took refuge in the
Western power liaison offices
yesterday to escape arrest by
Soviet-controlled police during
the Communist-led riot. City
Hall is in the Russian sector.
••We will deliver that coffin
you ordered shortly," the voice
told him. .. ,
Maj. Mrazovich said he
ordered no coffin. His heckler
told him:
“You will need it.’
wave of Communist-led riots in the
last few weeks had been organized
“with the deliberate intention of
wrecking the City Council.
City Council Moves.
The crisis became acute after a
third Communist storming of the
Citv Hall yesterday forced the elect
ed city assembly to move to Western
Berlin for protection.
The delegates of the Communist
controlled Socialist Unity Parti
(SED) refused to move along with
the majority.
Leaders of the SED announced
at a news conference they will boy
cott any further assembly meeting
held in West Berlin. This appeared
to be a prelude to setting up a sep
arate Red government in the Soviet
sector of the city.
The Russians served notice at the
four-power Berlin air safety center
that Soviet planes will hold maneu
vers over the Berlin area and the
Russian zone during the week end
ing September 14.
An American official said it is
not known how extensive the ma
neuvers will be, "but the implica
tion is that there will be more than
normal activity." Since the Russians
blockaded the land approaches to
Berlin in late June, the United
States and Britain have been supply
ing Western sectors of the city by
air.
"Deadline" Conference.
The meeting of the four military
governors was described as their
"deadline" conference in efforts to
settle the 76-day blockade.
An- authoritative source said the
American, Russian, British and
French commanders were instruct
ed to send complete "progress" re
ports back to their governments to
night, regardless of whether they
had reached an agreement on a
'See BERLIN, Page A-6.)
4.85-lnch Downpour Does
Heavy Damage in Georgia
By the Associated Press
AUGUSTA, Ga., Sept. 7—Dam
ages running into millions of dollars
were reported from a downpour of
4.85 Inches of rain in less than four
hours in neighboring Georgia and
South Carolina counties.
Water stood 14 inches deep in the
basement of a large furniture store
here after the deluge early yester
day. Streets and other buildings
were flooded and officials said the
damage was “very great."
Farm spokesmen said that crops,
specially cotton, were flattened for
miles around and the loss from this
source alone might run into the mil
lions. ’An additional heavy loss re
sulted from the washing away of
acres of topsoil.
A large bridge was washed out
on Highway No. 1 a mile south of
Wrens in Jefferson County. Scores
of smaller spans were reported swept
away by high waters surging up
after the rain.
Stassen Reaches Detroit, Ready
To Answer President Tonight
Says Truman Made 180-Degree Turn Since
He Sought Law to Draft Strikers in 1946
By tht Associated Press
DETROIT, Sept. 7.—Harold E.
Stassen asserted today that
President Truman has made an
180-degree turn in his attitude
toward labor since Mr. Truman
asked authority in 1946 to draft
strikers into the Army.
Mr. Stassen came here to answer
the President’s speeches in Michi»n
and Ohio yesterday attacking the
Republican labor record and blam
ing the GOP for high prices.
The former Minnesota Governor
will speak at 9 o'clock tonight over
the same NBC hookup which carried
the President’s address in Detroit
yesterday.
Mr. Stassen told a press conference
that he heard Mr. Truman’s appeal
for labor support in Detroit yester
day.
“That speech brought back for
me memories of another speech he
made to Congress on May 25, 1946,
!when the President asked for the
most totalitarian power over labor
ever proposed in time of peace,” Mr.
Stassen declared.
Mr. Stassen, who Is the new
president of the University of
Pennsylvania, said he will devote
most of October to campaigning for
Gov. E. Dewey of New York, the
Republican presidential nominee,
and'Gov. Warren of California, the
vice presidential candidate.
Gov. Dewey chose Mr.'Stassen to
answer President Truman’s opening
sally of the campaign.
Mr. Stassen said he will be acting
as spokesman for the party rather
than for Gov. Dewey personally.
He conceded that Gov. Dewey is re
viewing the speech hi advance.
Meanwhile, in Albany Gov. Dewey
himself sidestepped comment on
President Truman’s speeches today.
While en route to Albany, N. Y.,
from his Pawling farm, Gov. Dewey
was asked by a reporter whether he
had any comment on Mr. Truman's
round of speeches in Michigan.
The Republican nominee smiled
and said:
“I am going to listen with great
interest to Mr. Stassen tonight.”
Gov. Dewey, who listened to a
broadcast of Mr. Truman’s Detroit
address, said he conferred by tele
phone with Mr. Stassen late last
night about tonight’s speech.
The Governor personally wsis di
recting the strategy.
President ol Poland
Gets Sweeping Power
In New Leftist Union
Socialists to Join With
Communists in United
Workers' Party
By the Associated Press
WARSAW, Sept. 7.—President
Boleslaw Bierut was picked today
I to take over sweeping political
power as head of a new united
Communist - Socialist workers’
party.
Polish Communists, meanwhile,
carried on their purge intended to
heal a party breach which threatens
their control of Polland. The purge
is aimed at Nationalists in the Com
munist Workers Party who deviate
from the Moscow party line—or in
ternational Communism.
Premier Josef Cyrankiewicz and
j Oscar Lange, former Ambassador
! to Washington and former Polish
chief delegate to the United Na
tions, headed a delegation calling
on Bierut at his Belvedere Palace.
Top Choice to Head Party.
They told him he was the No. 1
man for presiding over the flew
Communist-Socialist Workers party.
Bierut long had been the ohoice of
his Communists.
Bierut thanked them for the
nomination, which is the same as
election. Since the Communists
and Socialists hold control in the
Warsaw government this would give
him exceptionally broad powers.
Vice Premier Wladyslaw Gomulka,
who lost his job as the party’s sec
retary-general Sunday because of
his nationalist attitude and his sup
port for Premier Marshal Tito of
! Yugoslavia, declared last night the
party’s troubles are past the crisis.
Differences Patched Up.
j s He appeared before a war council
of party leaders to admit charges
levelled against him—that he had
pursued “a false and anti-Marxist
line" and had permitted rightist
and nationalist deviations. He said
he had patched up his ideological
differences with Poland’s Commu
nist chieftains. •
The council was called by Bierut,
who succeeded Gomulka as party
secretary-general, to draw up plans
for ending the party breach. He
offered an eight-point program. Po
litical circles said Gomulka’s recant
ing would strengthen Bierut’s hand
in enforcing this program to halt
the straying of members who prefer
the nationalist brand of commu
nism to that of the international
Cominform.
Gomulka, although he lost his
important party job, retained his
post as first vice premier in the
Cvrankiewlcz government and as
minister for western territories.
Bierut continues as President. •
Eight-Point Program.
Bierut's program for fighting the
party's troubles included the follow
ing points:
1. Purify the party by throwing
out all members of questionable loy
alty or suspected of “rightist and
nationalist deviation.”
2. Eliminate capitalism in peasant
villages by establishing co-opera
tives to handle farm production.
Gomulka also differed with the
party on this point before his pub
lic statement last night.
3. Sharpen party discipline and
screen thoroughly all applicants for
membership.
4. Wage unceasing war against
“American imperialism” and the in
filtration of foreign agents into the
party.
5. Campaign to teach Poland’s
15.000,000 national-minded peasant*
the advantages of socialization and
Polish ties with the Russian Com
munist Party and the Soviet gov
ernment.
6. Permit the free flow of self
criticism by party leaders to pre
vent recurrence of past mistakes.
Polish newspapers predicted Bie
rut would succeed in settling the
internal quarrels, but none ven
tured to say how long it would take.
Burma Rebels Reported
Retreating Into Siam
By th« Anocteted Prtn
BANGKOK. Sept. 7.—New trou
bles for Siam were reported today
in an announcement that Burmese
rebels were fleeing across her north
west border to escape pursuing
forces of the Burma government.
Siamese police and qfBcials in the
Northwest Maehongsqrn Province
asked urgently for more arms and
reinforcements in expectation that
the refugee invasion would continue.
About 200 Red Karen insurgents
have filtered into the province and
clashed with government forces
near Myadi, where on September 4
the Karens took over the police
station.
<
Three-Hour Skirmish
Is Fought in Jewish
Suburb ol Jerusalem
Bernadotte Charges Two
'Flagrant Violations'
Of Truce to Israel
By the Associated Press
JERUSALEM, Sept. 7.—Pre
dawn firing in Jewish residential
suburbs awakened Jerusalem
this morning. Official Israeli
sources said the Arabs started
it and that Jews returned the
fire.
The shooting, first of any conse
quence in the city m the last five
days, started at 4 a.m. It continued
for about three hours and then died
down. Residents went to work as
usual. Rifles, automatic weapons
and mortars could be heard.
Violations Charged to Jews.
An accusation that the Jews com
mitted "two flagrant violations” of
the Palestine truce last month went
from Count Folke Berjiadotte to
day to the United Nations Security
Council.
Hamilton Fisher, press secretary
for the United Nations mediator,
said Count Bemadotte had sant this
cable to Lake Success:
“After careful inquiry, the cen
tral Truce Supervision Board, sit
ting m Haifa, decided on August 27
that Jewish forces (in Jerusalem)
had committed two flagrant viola
tions of the terms of the truce:
Firstly, by attacking Egyptians on
the night of August 16-17; secondly,
by letalning positions within the
Red Cross zone.”
His cable noted that the "danger
ous" situation which had arisen i$
the Red Cross zone of Jerusalem
now has been “satisfactorily
settled.” Both Arab and Jewish
troops have withdrawn from the
area.
Observers Declared Murdered.
In Rhodes yesterday Count Ber
nadotte said he had notified the
Security Council that two French
officers serving as unarmed U. N.
truce observers were "brutally mur
dered and robbed” by Saudi Arabian
iriegulars under Egyptian command
near Gaza August 28.
Mr. Fisher said Count Bernadotte
will go to Paris next week with a
full report for the United Nations
Assembly on the Palestine truce.
"It is quite possible,” Mr. Fisher
added, "he will have to present
some new ideas for a long-range
settlement.”
Arabs Report Casualties
In Jerusalem Fighting
AMMAN. Trans-Jordan, Sept. 7
<>P).—An Arab Legion communique
said today a legionnaire was killed
and two Arab irregulars wounded in
fighting in Jerusalem during the
night.
The communique said the Jews
laid down a curtain of mortar fire
on Arab posts at several points, in
cluding Mount Zion and the Jaffa
Gate.
"The enemy attempted to infil
trate Arab lines at Wadi Rababi but
was repulsed after a 90-minute at
tempt during which the enemy mor
tared and machinegunned our posi
tions heavily,” the communique said.
Truman Returns
From Labor Day
Speaking Tour
Will Begin Preparing
For Two-Week Swing
To Pacific Coast
(Text of Truman’s Detroit Speech,.
Page AS.)
By Joseph- A. Fox
President Truman returned to
Washington this afternoon after
a whirlwind Labor Day speaking
tour in Michigan and Ohio.
He was expected to begin prep
arations at once for his next cam
paign trip and further efforts to
unite the farm and labor vote be
hind his 1948 election drive.
His next scheduled campaign
speech will be September 18 in Dex
ter, Iowa. According to present
plans, this will be the opening
speech on a two-week swing which
will take the President to the West
Coast.
The President’s special train
pulled into Union Station at 12:30
p.m. Aides reported Mr. Truman
was very much cheered by the re
sults of the trip through Michigan
and Ohio.
Misunderstood Remark.
In the last talk of his Labor Day
swing, at Toledo last night, Mr.
Truman told a yelling, whistling
crowd that he intends to “cover the
length and breadth of this land"
and visit "at every whistle stop. ’
When someone in the crowd
yelled "you are going to get all of
labor's vote,” the President ap
parently misunderstood and re
torted: *
“What do you know about it.
Labor knows its friends. Labor
knows which side its bread is but
tered on.”
Mr. Truman’s opening bid for
votes in his Labor Day speeches
indicated the campaign pattern will
be woven around these two prin
cipal themes:
1. Tire argument that a Repub
lican victory in November may be
expected to bring on another de
pression and more restrictive labor
laws.
2. Continuation of the attack on
the Republican-dominated Congress
for failing to act on legislation
sought by the President, particu
larly to control prices, provide low
coet housing and education.
President Hits Hard.
It was along this line that the
President hit hard yesterday in a
speaking marathon starting at
Grand Rapids, Mich., at the break
fast hour, and ending near last
midnight, when Mr. Truman bowed
out before the Toledo gathering
from the back platform of his spe
cial train.
Measured in terms of public turn
out, the President’s trip yesterday
which took him from one side of
Michigan to the other, and then
into Ohio, rates as a success.
Whether this will be translated into
votes remains to be seen.
In the course of Labor Day
speeches at Grand Rapids. Lansing,
Detroit, Pontiac and Flint, he was
seen by several hundred thousand
persons and had a chance to meet
a lot of party workers and labor
leaders. The brief dip into Ohio
also afforded an opportunity to fix
some fences. And in sharp contrast
to the "nonpolitical” swing to the
coast in June, when party chiefs
were shooed away from the presi
dential special as though they had
something catching, they were wel
comed with open arms yesterday.
Crowds Were Interested.
The crowds were not oarticulariy
demonstrative, but they always were
interested. The principal turnout,
of course, was at Detroit in early
afternoon where the President
spoke in Cadilac Square to a gath
ering police estimated at 175,000.
• Continued on Page A-5, Col. 1.)
Reds Charge 39 Centers
In Reich Produce Arms
By the Associated Pros*
MOSCOW, Sept. 7.—Red Star,
Russian army newspaper, today
published a map of Germany show
ing 39 centers where it claimed
German war factories are produc
ing war material. It said these fac
tories are in the American, British
and French zones.
The newspaper claimed wide
spread violation by the Western
powers of demilitarization decisions.
The Soviet Army paper devoted half
of its foreign affairs page to details
of its accusations, listing factory
by factory.
20,000 U. S. Troops Engaged
iIn First Big Reich Maneuvers
By the Associated Press
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany, Sept.
7.—About 20,000 American soldiers
rolled out of their tents at dawn
today and deployed through rough
mountain terrain in the biggest
mock battle since the real thing
ended.
Thousands of jeep6, weapon car
riers and tanks rolled from this res
ervation soon after sunup on the
first maneuver on a grand scale ever
planned by American armed forces
in Germany.
While the generals insisted there
was no political significance, some
cognizance of the .tense world situa
tion was taken.
For example, the Army for the
first time discarded the time-worn
system of calling two teams in any
maneuver the "Reds" and “Blues.”
In the exercise, to last two weeks,
it was decided to have an “aggressor
force” and a defender to be known
as “United States Armed Forces.”
This was done, it was explained, so
the people would not think the
“reds” meant Soviet Russians.
fIn the “aggressor” force was the
American constabulary-police force
L A
of occupied Germany—plus about
two dozen fighters, bombers and
some tanks.
The “defenders” were essential
parts of the only division the United
States has in Europe—the 1st In
fantry.
Every gun was loaded with blank
ammunition. By Thursday morning,
after a day an a half of tactical
tricks, it should be established by
special umpires whether the aggres
sor has punched a good hole or the
defender has beaten off the attack.
Actually, the aim of the whole job
is to show whether the 1st Division
can function as a unit.
The problem being simulated is
simply this: Can a division hold
back an attacker all the way from
the hills of Franconia in a delay
ing fight to such a bulwark as the
Rhine River?
The division involved in the phony
fight is the same 1st Infantry that
chewed through North Africa, Sicily,
Italy, France and Germany. In
stead of the stubble-bearded vet
erans of those days, however, now
there are pink-cheeked 18-year-olds
in the front lines.
Overseeing the whole job is Lt
(See MANEUVERS, Page A-8.)
4
^ MAYBE I SHOULD.
SPRAY IT WITH THIS'
JESS
The Titoitis Germ Is Spreading
Phone Strike Called
By Equipment Union
For September 17
Western Electric Talks
Snagged; Pickets Expected
To Tie Up Service
NO EARLY SETTLEMENT Seen in
Oil, Trucking and Shipping Strikes.
Page A-6.
fcy th« Associated Press
CHICAGO, Sept. 7.—The CIO
Association of Communication
Equipment Workers today set
September 17 for a strike which
it said would cripple telephone
service over the Nation.
Announcement of the strike date
was made by Dan Harris, Portland,
Oreg., vioe president of the union.
He said negotiations between the
union and the Western* Electric
Manufacturing Co. are deadlocked.
Mr. Harris said the strike would
pull out 25,000 members of the union
working in 2,200 Bell Telephone Co.
locals In 43 of the 48 States and
the District of Columbia. •
450 Affected Here.
The five States where the union
does not operate are Maine, New
Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts
and Montana.
(In the event of such a strike,
about 450 workers in the Wash
ington area would be affected,
according to George Lawler, bus
iness manager of the union local
here. Mr. Lawler said that while
his men work for Western Elec
tric rather than for the parent
Bell system, the union would
picket all local phone offices.
(“We certainly expect all other
unions to honor our picket line
in the event of a strike,” Mr.
Lawler said. There are several
other unions whose members are
employed directly by the local
Bel! affiliate, the Chesapeake &
Potomac Telephone Co.
(The strike thus would affect
local and long distance service
here only if other union members
who run and maintain the C. &
P. system did observe the equip
ment workers’ picket line.)
Dispute Over Wages.
Mr. Harris said the dispute Is
over wages and working conditions.
The union is demanding a 15 cents
an-hour increase across the board.
The company, he said, has stood
pat on its offer of 8 cents. Wages
of union members now range fgpm
88 cents to *1.54 an hour.
Negotiations have been going on
intermittently since May 11, Mr.
Harris reported. Union members
approved a strike to enforce their
demands on July 1. he said.
Ralph Johnson, Chicago spokes
man for Western Electric, said the
disputants are continuing to ne
gotiate in efforts to settle the issues.
Stadium Held Up
CHICAGO, Sept. 7 iJF).—Four men
wearing handkerchief masks tied up
a watchman at the. Bid well Stadium,
1921 East Seventy-fifth street, and
fled early today after carting off in
a truck a large safe containing
*4,019. The money was receipts for
girls’ basket ball games played in
the last three days.
Hacker Demands
$12 Pay as Man
Bleeds to Death
fty th« Associated Press
TORONTO, Sept. 7.—Angered when
his automobile broke down, Gordon
Metcalf, 39, smashed his fist through
a rear plate glass window and died
of wounds today.
Coroner Fred Ticket said several
arteries were severed in the forearm
of the 200-pound man and he had
suffered loss of blood when he
reached the hospital in a taxicab.
An autopsy was ordered.
As he stood at the hospital door
with blood pouring out of his wrist
and forearm the taxi driver de
manded $12 from him to clean the
blood off the upholstery.
The 1927 model car had given Mr.
Metcalf considerable expense and
trouble since he bought it a few
weeks igo, police said. .When it
broke down in front of his house,
they added, "He became so incensed
that he crashed the window with
his fist.’’
Scattered Showers Due
To Continue Tomorrow
After a long Labor Day week-end
of sunny skies and warm tempera
tures, Washington weather changed
last night and workers returned to
their jobs today in the rain.
Furthermore, the Weather Bu
reau said, similar conditions prob
ably will exist when the homeward
trek begins this afterneon, although
forecasters said the sun would break
through the clouds from time to
time. The showers probably will
continue intermittently through to
morrow, it was said.
Temperatures wUl reach the low
80s today, the Weather Bureau fore
cast. A low of 68 tonight was
predicted.
Seven Fc'red Dead,
20 Hurl in Cafldy-Plan!
Explosion and Fire
Two Bodies Recovered
From Wrecked Factory
On Chicago's West Side
By the Associated Press
CHICAGO, Sept. 7—At least
two persons were killed early
today by an explosion and fire
in a large West Side candy fac
tory. Twenty persons were in
jured.
The two bodies in the County
Morgue remained unidentified. The
shattered plant was searched for
others. Max Gorenson, chief investi
gator for the coroner's office, said he
believes that five more persons were
killed.
Three blast* occurred at about
4:10 a.m. in the south end of the
third floor of the two-block long
building. Flames then leaped
through shattered parts of the wall
and shot 50 feet above the roof of
the E. J. Brach & Sons Candy Co.
plant at 4656 West Kinzie street.
Time cards showed 29 employes
were in the building when the dis
aster occurred. Many of these were
machine operators who had arrived
at 4 a.m., an hour before the bulk of
1,000 day shift employes.
Fire Commissioner Michael J.
Corrigan estimated damage at be
tween $500,000 and $750,000. He said
the cause of the blasts was not de
termined. They occurred in or near
the plant’s creamery, where starch
is stored. The flames were brought
under control at 6:41 a.m.
Streets and railroad tracks ad
jacent to the building were strewn
with machinery, glass, jelly beans
and chocolate.
Late News
Bulletin
Auto Kills Child
An 18-month-old child, Jean
nette Clement, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. David L. Clement,
1329 Belmont street N.W., was
injured fatally this afternoon
when struck by an automobile
in front of her home. Police
broadcast a lookout for a hit
and-run driver described as a
man about 50 and driving an
“old model car.” The child
died shortly after her arrival
in Children’s Hospital.
Wife of Policeman
Forced Info Car and
Beaten, Attacked
31-Year-Old Woman Tells
Of Being Seized Near
Home in Southeast
The 31-year-old wife of a Park
policeman told police she had
been criminally attacked early
today after she was beaten and
forced to enter a car in front
of her home.
The woman, a resident of the
3200 block of Brothers place S.E.,
got the North Carolina license num
ber of the car her assailant was
driving, police said.
She told police she had left her
job as a telephone operator for a
private company about 1 a.m. and
i took a bus home.
Bm Followed by Car.
Shortly before the bus arrived at
her stop, she reported, the driver
pointed out to the handful of pas
sengers that a car had been follow
ing them slowly for some blocks.
Lt. John Layton of the sex
squad today identified the bus
driver as Herman A. Lemon, 26,
of 403 B street S.E. Lt. Layton
said Mr. Lemon told him the
car had first been seen at Good
Hope road S.E. Mr. Lemon was
quoted as saying he called the
passengers' attention to the car
several blocks later.)
The woman alighted at Nichols
avenue and Waclark place S.E.
I As she walked the two blocks
to her home, she said, a car slowly
drove along behind. Two doors
from her home, she said, a man
called, "Want a lift, baby?”
"I quickened my steps,” she told
police. “But the car pulled to the
curb and before I could run into my
house this man came after me.”
She said she was choked and
struck in the face several times.
The assailant dragged her into
his car. As he sped away, the wom
an reached over and blew the horn.
“If you do that again, I’ll kill
you,” she quoted the driver as say
ing.
tsne was driven to a seciuaea spot
on Joliet street S.E., near Nichols
avenue where, she told police, she
was assaulted.
Takes Down Tag Number.
The man then drove back along
Nichols avenue to a spot half-way
between Esther place and Waclark
place S.E.
“I don't know my way around here
very well.’* she quoted the driver as
saying. “So get out here.”
The man pushed her out, she said.
As the car drove away, she took
down the license number.
She ran to her home and called
park police headquarters. Her hus
band, who was on duty, was sent
home, arriving about the same time
as a scout car from the 11th
precinct.
Doctors Confirm Attack.
The woman was taken to Gallin
ger Hospital, where she was re
leased after treatment for a lacer
ated lip, a bruised jaw, forehead and
right leg. Doctors said she had
been criminally attacked.
The victim told police her assail
ant weighed about 140 pounds and
was about 5 feet 6 inches tall. He
spoke with a Southern drawl, she
said.
Neighbor's later reported hearing
the horn blast as the car was being
driven away, the woman’s husband
said.
Man, Believed Alexandrian, Dies
In Longfellow Building Leap
A man about 60 years old plunged
to his death at 1 pm. today from
the eleventh floor of the Longfellow
Building, Connecticut and Rhode
Island avenues.
Police said cards in his pockets
and papers left behind in a Public
Housing Administration office bore
the name of George B. Harrison, 56,
of 1648 Mount Eagle place, Alexan
dria, a former employe of the agency.
The body landed in an alleyway
in the rear of the building, striking
close to two workmen, Harry Fer
guson, 66, of 1716 P street N.W., and
Francis J. Burke, 32. of 921 Nine
teenth street N.W.
A brief case, glasses and an unad
dressed and unsigned note were
found in the PHA office from which
he plunged, police ‘said. They added
that the note gave no motive for
the leap, but indicated -that he in
tended to do so. They withheld the
exact contents.
a
The briefcase contained photo
static copies of an application
blank used by the Mr. Harrison of
the Alexandria address when he
sought the PHA job. Mr. Harrison
was a per diem employe of the
agency as an analyst, records
showed. He left PHA on June 30.
H. M. Cotyin, a member of the
PHA legal sUfl, said the man ap
peared at his office door shortly
before the laep and asked if he
could “use a Uble.” Mr. Colvin
said he told him to "go ahead” and
the man presumably then went to
the office from which he plunged.
The office, was unoccupied at the
time. A window in it was found
open.
The impact of the falling body,
which first struck a wall along the
alleyway, cracked a portion of the
sidewalk, witnesses said. Die man
was killed insUntly.
The body was taken to the
morgue.
t
20 to 25 More
Subpoenaed by
Spy Probers
Groves Questioned
On Possible Atomic
Leaks to Russia
The House Committee on Un
American Activities announced
today it is serving subpoenas on
“between 20 and 25” witnesses to
appear at closed sessions this
week.
The identity of the witnesses was
kept secret, but it was known that
one of the witnesses who will tes
tify at the forthcoming series of
open hearings will be Lt. Gen. Les
lie R. Groves, wartime head of the
atomic bomb project.
Representative McDowell, Repub
lican, of Pennsylvania told report
ers in advance of today’s closed ses
sion that Gen. Groves already has
been questioned several times at
closed sessions in connection with
the committee’s efforts to discover
whether any atomic bomb secrets
passed into the hands of the Rus
sians.
Names Are Withheld.
Chairman Thomas emerged from
today’s closed session with the an
nouncement that subpoenas are be
ing served on between 20 and 25
witnesses.
He said he wasn’t being “coy” but
added that "for obvious reasons” he
could not divulge the names of the
witnesses today.
Asked if the committee would
identify the witnesses to reporters
as they appeared for hearings. Mr.
Thomas said that had not been dis
cussed.
Mr. Thomas said that the com
mittee will hold executive sessions
all day every day for the rest of
this week in preparation for hear
ings now scheduled to begin Sep
tember 15. Witnesses, he said, will
begin appearing before the commit
tee at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow. All of
them, he said, will “have to do with
hearings we have been holding and
will hold.”
Plans for Three Weeks.
Mr. Thomas said everything "is
going according to plan.” The plan,
as announced by the committee pre
viously, is for the committee to do
these things in a three-week span:
1. Uncover evidence that a third
spy ring, perhaps involving atomic
scientists, operated in the Govern
ment.
2. Bring into the open the infor
mation on which the commute*
based its six-months-old charges
that Dr. Edward U. Condon was
one of the weakest links in atomic
security. Dr. Condon, head of the
Federal Bureau of Standards has
denied the charges and has been
cleared by a Commerce Department
Loyalty Board. •
3. Determine whether Communist*
have made inroads among Negroes.
4. Clean up odd and ends of the
story of Elizabeth T. Bentley, ad
mitted former Communist, that she
was the Washington-New York mes
senger for two wartime spy rings
that got secrets from Government
employes and officials and sent them
along to Moscow,
5. Clear up more loose ends of the
Hiss-Chambers dispute. Whittaker
Chambers, another admitted former
Red, testified that he was the
courier and Alger Hiss a leading
member of a pre-war Communist
underground in Washington.
Land Purchases Cited.
Mr. Hiss has denied Mr. Cham
bers’ accusations. Mr. Hiss, for
merly a high State Department
official, now is president of the
Carnegie Endowment for Interna
tional Peace. Mr. Chambers is a
senior editor of Time magazine.
As the committee looks for leaks
of atomic energy secrets in closed
and open sessions Mr. McDowell said
it expects to bring out testimony
that a Russian-born French citizen
now living in Paris began buying up
surrounding land after the United
States Government acquired soma
Colorado uranium deposits. Uranium
is one of the materials that goes
into an atomic bomb.
Mr. McDowell has reported several
tunes that during the war this
country allowed Russia to get more
than a ton of partly refined uranium
ores and 25 pounds of the pure
metal.
He said two highly placed per
sons in the Government were large
ly responsible, and that they will be
questioned.
Byproduct of Condon Probe.
“This,” he said, “was all a by
product of our look-see into Dr.
Condon. There isn't the slightest
indication that Condon had a fin
ger in this, however.”
In Investigating Dr. Condon, Mr.
McDowell said, clues developed that
pointed to “even more Important
matters, so we started tracking them
down.”
The committee still is checking
secret testimony of a former Army
intelligence officer that the Rus
sians got secrets from a scientist
with an “inside” position at the
Berkeley (Calif.) atomic laboratory.
The committee was told another
scientist was fired for breaking
atomic security rules.
Only One District Fatality
Reported Over Holiday
Although nearly 400 persons over
the Nation lost their lives in acci
dents over the long Labor Day week
end. only one fatality was reported
in the District.
Police credited dry streets and
good visibility with the fact there
were no fatal traffic acidenta here.
The one District death was that of
a terminal employe, Augustine
Lufriu, 22, of 1410 Sixteenth street
N.W., who drowned Sunday while
canoeing in the Potomac.
Nationally, traffic deaths ac
counted for 281 of the total fatali
ties, exceeding the estimate of 260
made by the National Safety Coun
cil. Pifty-nine persons were drowned
and 53 lost their lives in miscel
laneous accidents.