Evening star. [volume], December 04, 1948, Image 1

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

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i Weather Forecast
I Mostly sunny today, high In low 60s. Clear
I tonight, becoming foggy by morning; low
tonight about 38. in suburbs 34. Tomorrow
fair, mild. (Full report on Page A-2.)
Midnight ..51 6 a.m-49 11 ajn-56
2 a.m.-...-51 8 a.m_47 Noon-59
4 a.m_50 10 a.m_53 1 p.m-60
Guide for Readers
Page.
Amusements ... B-14
Church News..A-8-l*
Comics.B-1S
Crossword-A-18
Editorial .-A-8
Editorial Articles A-7
Page.
Lost and Found--A-3
Obituary .-A-4
Radio .-.-B-13
Real Estate.--B-1-12
Society, Clubs.-A-10
Sports .A-ll
An Associated Press Newspaper
96th Year. No. 339. Phone ST. 5000 *★
S WASHINGTON, D. C., SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1948—THIRTY-FOUR PAGES.
City Home Dellefy. Daily and Sunday. *1.20 a Month. When 5 m flTj’VT’Q
Sunday!, *1.30 Sight Final Idltlon. Sl.30 and *1.40 per Month ** V-/XliXS l ij
-*. - ■ " " "■ .—...—
3,200 Chinese War Refugees
Feared Lost in Ship Sinking Off
Shanghai After Mystery Blast
Communist Sabotage
Possibility Raised
By One Survivor
•y the Associated Pres»
SHANGHAI, Dec. 4.—A small
ship crammed with Chinese war
refugees exploded and sank just
outside Shanghai late last night,
with a toll expected to exceed
3,200 lives.
If reports are even approximately
accurate, it was the worst marine
disaster in modern history.
Some 4,250 Chinese were reported
aboard the ship, the China Merchant
Steamship Co.’s 2.099-ton Kiangya.
It blew up amidships and sank in
less than an hour near the mouth
of the Yangtze River.
The steamship company said it
had no record of any foreigners be
ing aboard the Kiangya.
200 Bodies Reported Found.
A company spokesman said the
Kiangya had a capacity of 1.186
passengers, but that it was "offi
cially” carrying 2,250—mostly from
Nanking. He said another estimated
2,000 clambered aboard at Shanghai.
There seemed no way of determin
ing just how many.
Late tonight, as six Chinese rescue
boats bobbed about the shattered
superstructure extending out of the
chill waters, about 200 bodies were
reported recovered and at least 3.000
were reported still missing. Many
were believed trapped below decks.
Between 100 and 400 have been
reported rescued thus far.
N Cause of the blast had not been
determined. The welter of reports
advanced several reasons—Commu
nist sabotage, an underwater mine
or an explosion of overstrained
boilers.
First Disaster of Exodus.
It was the first major disaster in
the frenzied exodus from Shanghai
and Nanking. Both cities are men
aced by Chinese Communist armies
now engaged in critical—possibly
decisive—battles less than 200 miles
northwest of Nanking.
The steamship had sailed from
Shanghai en route to Ningpo
(Ninghsieni, about 200 miles south
of here. It was jammed with:
Shanghai and Nanking residents
attempting to reach the relative
safety of Chekiang province.
A company spokesman said the
vessel had carried at least 4.000
passengers on each of its previous
trips, and that there were at least
that many aboard this time.
Sabotage Believed Possible.
Survivors—some Of whom were in
jured—reported that the ship went
down shortly after a tremendous
explosion. One survivor said it
might have been sabotage, because
he noticed two junks passing the
stem of the ship a few minutes
earlier.
He said they might have loosed
• mine. Shipping men were in
clined to blame overstrained boilers
for the blast.
The ship's wireless was unac
countably out of commission, and
its plight was not learned until a
passing coastal vessel, the Hwa Foo,
sighted the smoking ship.
The Hwa Foo was believed to
have picked up some survivors. At
5 p.m. today she still was standing
by a small portion of the sunken
ship’s superstructure extending
above the water.
Three other rescue vessels arriv
ing in Shanghai reported that the
Hwo Foo probably didn’t pick up
more than a handful of survivors.
Rescue Work Continuing.
The company spokesman said res
cue work still was proceeding late
today—but this was interpreted to
mean chiefly the recovering of
bodies.
Shanghai dock workers blamed
the overloading of the Kiangya on
a scheme frequently used by the
Chinese—with those already aboard
throwing their tickets to friends on
the wharf and the friends coming
aboard.
Ningpo is an overnight trip from'
Shanghai. Several small vessels are
on that run. The vessels proceed
down the Whangpoo from Shanghai
eo» crowded they are black with hu-'
inanity. It has been a familiar
eight for weeks.
Ship Disasters
Loss Off Shanghai May
Be Worst in History
By the Associated Press
NEW YORK. Dec. 4.—The explo
sion which sank a Chinese ship near
the mouth of the Yangtze River
early today may be the worst ma
rine disaster in modern histQry. At
least 3,200 are feared drowned.
Other major recorded non-mili
tary ship disasters:
October 16, 1926—Troopship blown
up in Yangtze River; 1,200 killed.
August 29, 1916—Chinese steamer
Hsin Yu sank off China coast; 1,000
lost.
May 29, 1914—Canadian Pacific j
steamship Empress of Ireland sank1
after colliding with Danish Storstad
in St. Lawrence River; 1,024 lost.
September 28, 1912 — Japanese
Steamship Kicker Maru sank off
coast of Japan, 1,000 killed.
April 14, 1912—Steamer Titanic
sank in North Atlantic after col
lision with iceberg; 1,517 killed.
June 15, 1904—Excursion steam
ship Gen. Slocum burned in East
River, New York City; 1,021 killed.
October 29, 1867—Several ships
wrecked at St. Thomas, West Indies,
by hurricane; about 1,000 killed.
April 29, 1865—Steamer Sultana,
carrying exchanged union prisoners
of war, wrecked on Mississippi River
near Memphis, Tenn., by boiler ex
plosion^ approximately 1,450 killed.
Chiang Forces and Reds Moving
Toward Showdown Near Suchow
Nationalist Garrison Beaten, Fleeing West
10 Miles From City, Communists Claim
ly th« Associated Pres*
NANKING, Dec. 4.—Chinese
Nationalist and Communist
Armies moved today toward a
head-on collision south of Su
chow—a new battle which may
| determine China’s fate,
j Five Communist columns under
Gen. Chen Yi eased their pressure
on the government's new Hwai River
defense line. 100 miles northwest of
Nanking, and were heading north
to meet the three Nationalist army
groups that abandoned Suchow
Wednesday.
I (The Chinese Communist radio
j asserted that the Suchow gar
[ rison troops were fleeing west
ward, after being beaten only 10
miles south of the big Nationalist
base.
(The broadcast, heard by the
Associated Press in San Francisco,
asserted the three army groups
| had suffered "thousands of cas
| ualties." The Reds are in “hot
| pursuit.” the radio added.*
Gen. Chen's force was estimated
at J50.000. Three other Red columns,
totalling possibly 75.000 men, already
are engaging the 250.000-man Su
jchow garrison about 30 miles south
of the big base.
| In addition to those Communist
forces, two other columns were re
ported approaching the battle scene
from the east. Thus, it appeared
j the three government army groups—
constituting the core of Generaiis
jsimo Chiang Kai-shek’s strength in
East China—will be considerably
outnumbered.
While official attention was riveted1
! on the impending battle, the frantic
scramble of Chinese to leave Nan
king and Shanghai continued.
The Nanking garrison attempted
i to slow down the exodus from this
capital by closing the main gates to
railroad yards and to the Yangtze
River docks. Gen. Tan Gen-po,
garrison commander, ordered all
transport facilities placed under
military control.
For the first time in days, there
was considerable optimism in offi
cial Nanking circles regarding the
military situation northwest of here.
Officials expressed belief that the
forthcoming fight south of Suchow
will result in a government victory.
Informed foreign military quar
ters said that even partial Nation
alist success could delay for 60 to
90 days the “necessity for govern
ment evacuation of Nanking.
However, government hopes for a
I victory hinge mainly on an effort
ay the encircled 12th Army Group
I to break through Red columns in
the Suhsien sector and join the
Suchow armies. After eight days
of encirclement, the 12th was re
ported under artillery fire and fight
ing Communist night attacks.
The 12th, short of food and am
munition, is being supplied by air
drops. v
Where the Suchow force is now is
not exactly known. It last was re
ported about 60 miles north of this
i line and running into stiff resist
ance.
But at least it had given the
jthin ranks of troops holding the
i See CHINA, Page A-2.1
Cairo's Police Chief
Killed by Grenade in
Riot at University
Three Guards Also Lose
Lives in Battle With
Striking Students
By the Associated Press
CAIRO, Egypt, Dec. 4.—Police
Chief Selim Zaki Pasha ,was in
jured fatally today by an ex
ploding hand grenade in a
student riot at Faud University,
police announced.
Police told newsmen three police
guards also had been killed by gre
nades of striking students.
The university opened this morn
ing after a two-day close-down
which resulted from a previous stu
dent strike against British policy in
the Sudan.
The blast which killed the police
chief occurred in the vicinity of the:
School of Medicine, where striking
students shouted slogans against
i Premier Mahmoud Fahmy Nokrashy
Pasha's government.
Many Students Arrested.
Ambulances carried injured stu
dents from the scene. Four loads
of arrested students, many of them i
with bloodied faces, were seen be
ing taken away in police trucks.
Students said demonstrators
shouted, “Sudan for Egypt and Pal-;
estine for the Arabs” and “Down1
with Nokrashy.”
Student witnesses gave this ac
count of how the riot started. A
group of students compelled Dr.
Ibrahim Shawki Bey. director of
the university, to accompany them
as they marched toward the Prime
Minister’s office in the presidency
of the Council of Ministers. One
police cordon allowed them to pass,
but a second blocked their w?ay—
and the fight was on.
Police Start Firing.
After the chief was injured police,
who had been firing in the air out
side the university surged into the
school grounds behind an armored
car. They started firing inside and
outside the medical school buildings.
Police said they used tear gas
bombs and fired into the air until
the grenade incident. Mounted po
lice later arrived at the scene and
joined in pursuit of the rioters in
side the school grounds. They were
stdlied by the students.
Situation Reported Quiet.
Saber Tantawi Bey, chief of pub
i lie security, said the situation was
i quiet this afternoon.
; A police source said 259 students
of the medical school were arrested,
a majority of whom were injured.
Eighteen policemen were injured
slightly by stones thrown by the
students, the informant said.
Twelve police constables and eight
police officers in civilian clothes
guarded the acting United Nations
mediator for Palestine, Dr. Ralph
Bunche, and his assistants during
a visit to Cairo today.
Czechs Urged to Buy
No Christmas Cards,
Honor Writer Instead
ty the Associated Press
PRAGUE. Czechoslovakia. Dec.
4.—The Communist cabinet fig
ures Czechoslovaks ought to
forget about buying Christmas
cards this year.
This was suggested by Infor
mation Minister Vaclav Ko
pecky. The cabinet agreed.
Kopecky said the public should
turn over the money saved to a
fund to publish the works of
Alois Jirasek, a national writer
who died in 1930.
West Berlin Elects
New Administration
For City Tomorrow
Clay and Howley Spike
Red Scare Campaign
On Eve of Balloting
By th« Associated Pres*
BERLIN, Dec. 4. —Western
Berliners vote tomorrow for a
new city administration in their
“island of freedom,” 100 miles
inside the Soviet Army's ram
parts in Europe.
Blockaded Berlin Is going to have
a legal election that the Russians
couldn't stop.
The ballot is merely a list of three
mti-Communist parties competing
for municipal jobs.
But the East-West struggle for
Germany has made the local politi
cal contest a straw in the wind to
show which side the Germans pre
fer.
Vote May Indorse Allies.
If a high percentage or voters ap
pears at the polls, the United States,
Britain and France will claim Ger
man indorsement of their fight
against Russian efforts to Sovietize
Berlin.
If the voting is relatively meager,
Communists will hail it as a vindi
cation of Russian efforts to force
the Western Allies out of the city.1
But no Western observer expects
the Communists to admit a reverse,
no matter how many Berliners ig
nore their demand to boycott the
election.
The Communist gangs have been
attacking opposition political meet-1
ings all week. But If the vote is
heavy, past tactics suggest the Com
munists will cry fraud by “reaction
ary war-mongers."
Clay Spikes Red Campaign.
Gen. Lucius D. Clav spiked a Com
munist election eve scare campaign
today by assuring Berliners the
United States will not be forced out
of the four-power city.
The American military governor,
answering Communist declarations
that the Western powers would
withdraw from Berlin next month,
said:
"Responsible representatives of the
United States Government have de
clared the United States will not be
forced out of Berlin.
“My own headquarters will con
tinue in Berlin and. there will be no
'See BERLIN, Page A-2.)
Syrian Ex-President
Forming New Cabinet
By the Associated Press
DAMASCUS, Syria, Dec. 4—For
mer President Hasem Attassi today
undertook to form 'a new cabinet
for riot-torn Syria.
Rioting has ceased and the
strikers have returned to their jobs,
but the country’s security still rests
in the army’s hands.
Mr. Attassi interviewed President
Sayed Shukri al Kuwatly this morn
ing, and immediately began con
sultations preliminary to forming a
new cabinet. Jamil Mardam Bey
and his cabinet resigned during the
rioting which flared in protest
against the government’s handling
of the war with Israel.
The army took over yesterday.
A Cairo dispatch said Mardam Bey
was reported to have fled to Lebanon
for safety as a result of the bloody
rioting.
Censored messages from Damascus
have given no appraisal of casualties,
but elsewhere in the Middle East it
was reported that about 10 were
killed aod more than 120 injured in
disorders at Damascus and Aleppo.
The latter Is a commercial city in
the north. 1
Palestine Plan
Barely Voted in
U. N. Committee
Approval by Assembly
For Amended British
Proposal Uncertain
By th« Associated Press
PARIS, Dec. 4.—The much
amended British proposal for
conciliation of the Palestine
problem was approved narrowly
today in the United Nations Po
litical Committee.' The margin
was far too narrow to assure its
adoption by the General As
sembly.
The 58-nation Political Commit
tee approved the British resolu
tion as a whole by a vote of 25
to 21, with nine abstentions and
three members marked absent.
A two-thirds majority of those
present and voting is necessary for
approval in the General Assembly,
i Thus if the non-voters remain the
same, a switch of the six Soviet
bloc votes in the Assembly would
give the American-supported Brit
ish resolution a two-thirds majority
of 31 to 15.
, Obviously, this places Russia in
a strong bargaining position. Rus
sia and her five satellites voted
against the resolution in committee
apparently because they opposed
the way in which a three-nation
conciliation commission for Pales
jtine would be chosen.
Big Five to Select Committee.
The committee decided to place
selection of the commission in the
hands of the big-five powers—the
United States. Russia, Britain.
France and China. Russia wants
the commission named by the Se
curity Council, where the big-power
veto prevails.
The British resolution would set
up this three-nation commission to
adjust outstanding differences be
tween Jews and Arabs in the Holy
Land.
The committee knocked from the
British proposal earlier a section
i binding the commission to use the
1947 partition plan and the Bema
dotte report as references in fixing
of boundaries of Israel and Arab
Palestine.
The committee also voted down a
recommendation of Count Folke
Bernadotte, the slain mediator, that
Arab Palestine might be joined to
neighboring Trans-Jordan.
Vote on British Resolution.
Voting for the British resolution
were: Australia, Belgium, Brazil,
Canada, China, Colombia Denmark,
Dominican Republic, Ecuador,
France, Haiti, Honduras, Iceland,
Luxembourg, Netherlands, New
Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Pan
ama, Paraguay, Peru, Union of
South Africa, Britain, United States
and Sweden.
Opposing were: Afghanistan,
Burma, White Russia, Czechoslo
vakia. Cuba, Egypt, Greece, Ethio
pia. India, Iraq, Iran. Lebanon,
Pakistan, Poland, Saudi Arabia,
Syria, Turkey, Soviet Ukraine, So
viet Union, Yemen and Yugoslavia.
Abstaining were: Bolivia, Chile,
El Salvador. Guatemalr, Liberia,
Mexico, Philippines, Siam and Ven
ezuela. *
Marked as absent were: Argen
tina, Costa Rica and Uruguay.
Assembly to Act Next Week.
The resolution is expected to come
up for General Assembly balloting
next week, probahly Tuesday.
Some delegates attributed the
closeness of the Political Committee:
vote to a last-minute Canadian!
amendment which provided for a
subcommittee of the Big Five powers
to select the conciliation commission.
The Big Five committee would work
under the Assembly rules without a
veto, and could name the three
conciliation commission nations by
a simple majority vote.
Russia opposed this method, de
claring the conciliation commission
members should be named by the
11-nation Security Council. Russia
has used the big power veto 28 times
in the Council.
U. N. Committee Urges
Adjournment Dec. 11
By the Associated Press
PARIS, Dec. 4.—The 14-nation
Steering Committee approved today
an American proposal to adjourn the
United Nations Assembly here by
the night of December 11-12. Rus
sia supported the proposal.
The vote was 8 to 4. The Steering
Committee rejected, 6 to 5, a British
proposal that the Assembly continue
its session in Europe until it had
disposed of current business. The
Assembly convened in Paris Sep
tember 21.
The committee delayed until to
morrow afternoon a decision on
what should be done with unfin
ished items on its agenda.
Dr. Herbert V. Evatt of Australia,
Assembly president and chairman
of the Steering Committee, said the
recommended adjournment date and
the committee's decision on what
to do with unfinished business would
be put before the entire Assembly
Monday.
John Foster Dulles, acting chief
of the American delegation, intro
duced the adjournment proposal.
He said thousands of persons among
the secretariat and delegations are
in “a great state of mental anguish
because they don't know what is
going to happen.” Many wanted to
make plans to be home by Christ
mas, he added.
Bulwinkle Improving
Representative Bulwinkle, Demo
crat, of North Carolina, a patient at
the Naval Hospital in Bethesda, was
reported resting “more comfortably”
today. He entered the hospital three
days ago for treatment of a serious
spinal ailment.
Akihito Has Operation
TOKYO, Dec. 4 (£*).—Crown Prince
Akihito underwent an operation to
day for appendicitis. The Imperial
Household Ministry said there were
no complications and the 14-year
old prince is doing well.
*HE SURE^I
L^UNDS LIKE 1
HE MEANS A
BUSINESS..."
My BUSINESS/
Truman Participates
As Missouri Honors
'Mighty Mo'at Norfolk
Gift of Silver Service
Suggested by President
Presented by Governor
By Joseph A. Fox
Stor Staff Corraspondant
NORFOLK, Va., Dec. 4.—With
President Truman an interested
| participant in the ceremony, the
State of Missouri today present
ed a silver service to the battle
ship Missouri on which the Jap
anese surrender terms were
■ signed.
Gov. Phil M. Donnelly, who made
; the presentation for his State, in a
! tribute to the President, disclosed
that it was Mr. Truman who sug
i gested the gift.
"It was entirely fitting,” he said,
“that the suggestion that a silver
service be presented to the U. S. S.
Missouri should have been made
by the President of the United
States, who is a native of Missouri."
"It was this Missourian,” the
Governor continued, "when the sur
render took place, who was the
Commander in Chief of all the
armed forces of the Nation.
Truman's Services Praised.
“He was admirably fitted for this
high command because of his splen
did combat record in World War I.
his service to the Nation as a United
States Senator, as Vice President,
and finally, as President.
“He understood then and under
stands now, the problems of mili
tary as- well as civilian leadership."
As he formally presented the sil
ver service to Capt. James Thach of
Missouri, Gov. Donnelly said:
"Upon the great seal of the State
of Missouri are engraved the words
‘United We Stand, Divided We Fall.’
There is also engraved on it the
State motto, In Latin, which trans
lated means ‘The welfare of the
people shall be the supreme law.’
This seal is engraved on each piece
of the silver service.
“We commend these thoughts to
the people of our Nation, to the offi
cers and men of the battleship
Missouri, and to posterity. They
represent our deepest feelings to
ward our country, toward the people
of our State and toward the people
of the United States.’
Ship Won't Be Retired.
The ceremony on the battleship
tpok on additional interest because
of the report current a couple of
days ago that the big battlewagon
was to be retired to the “mothball
fleet,”
That, however, was denied yester
day by Navy Secretary John L. Sul
livan and Admiral Louis E. Denfeld,
Chief of Naval Operations, who said
the Navy has “no plan or intention
at present” of laying up the ship.
President Truman and his party
came down here for the ceremony
aboard the Yacht Williamsburg, leav
ing Washington at 10 o’clock last
night.
The return trip will be made to
night and the Williamsburg is due
;to arive at her mooring at Naval
Gun Factory at 10 am. tomorrow.
Receives 21-Gun Salute.
The usual honors were accorded
the President when he boarded the
Missouri at Norfolk Naval Base,
with a 21-gun salute putting him
over the side.
After the presentation there was
a luncheon aboard the ship.
Gov. and Mrs. Donnelly accom
panied the President and his fam
ily to Norfolk. Aboard the Wil
liamsburg also were three other
Missourians who were instrumental
in having the silver service pre
sented. They are Federal Judge
John Caskie Collett, Kansas City;
Richard Nacy, Jefferson City busi
nessman, and Brig. Gen. John H.
Harris, adjutant general of Missouri.
Yoshida Puts Democracy
Ahead of Peace Treaty
By the Ausciated Preti
TOKYO, Dec. 4—A peace treaty
is impossible until Japan estab
lishes a firm, democratic govern
ment, Prime Minister Shigeru
Yoshida told the Diet today.
With that brief remark, he dis
missed the Diet’s recent resolution
urging an early peace treaty for
Japan.
Owning Television Set
Ruled Grounds for
Eviction of Tenant
By fht Associated Press
WILMINGTON, Del., Dec. 4 —
Ownership of a television set is
grounds for eviction, the Wil
mington Housing Authority
says.
Arthur J. Scotten, director,
yesterday ordered Charles P.
Hoon to vacate his home in
Wilmington's Riverside war
housing project by December 14.
Mr. Scotten said Mr. Hoon
violated a clause in his lease
barring tenants from using
tacks, nails or screws. The tele
vision antenna was screwed to
the roof.
No Threat of Flood
Som ifl D. C. Vicinity
Despite 2-Day Rains
Fall Totals T.53 Inches;
River Observers Expect
No Sharp Potomac Rise
District river observers saw no
immediate threat of floods in the
vicinity today despite rainfall
exceeding IV2 inches in the last
two days.
The Weather Bureau’s river sec
tion looked for no sharp rise in the
Potomac
Most of the rain in this area fell
along the coast and Rappahannock
basin, with less recorded above
Washington.
The Rappahannock had reached
i the bank-full stage and there was
a possibility of overflows at Rapi
| dan, Remington and Fredericksburg.
In the Roanoke area where the
Roanoke River had risen to 12 feet
! above normal, the water was reced
ing without serious flood damage.
Earlier, business concerns in the
low-lying areas were reported ready
for evacuation.
The town of Scottsville on the
still-rising James River was flooded
in sections to about a foot early
today.
At National Airport, the rainfall
since Thursday midnight was re
corded as 1.53 inches.
At Alexandria, some cellars were
i reported flooded and at Bladens
I burg, water on the road at Peace
Cross was up to automobile hub
i caps, but traffic was moving through.
The Weather Bureau here fore
cast clearing skies this afternoon and
tonight, with increasing cloudiness
tomorrow followed by rain tomor
| row night. Tonight's minimum
j temperature will be about 38 degrees.
Bulletin
Nine Clergymen Summoned
Summons to appear before
Assistant Corporation Counsel
Clark' King next week were
sent today to nine clergymen
who reportedly failed to file
notices of marriages they per
formed here recently. More
than 100 clergymen are ex
pected to be called in, Mr.
King said, to explain reports
they failed to file notice of 140
marriages they performed be
tween last March and Septem
ber.
Hearing Set January 6
For Swing After Man
Is Shot in Firm's Office
Cause of Quarrel
With Former Employe
. Remains Mystery
(Pictures on Page A-3.J
The cause of a quarrel which
police said led up to the shoot
ling of a former employe by
Edward Marshall Swing, 60-year
old coffee company head, re
mained a mystery today as a
court hearing was continued
until January 6.
In Mount Alto Hospital with two
minor flesh wounds in the left
thigh, Malcolm B. Talbert, 38, of
11738 Minnesota avenue S.E., told
; police he was shot by .Swing yes
terday in the latter's office at the
M. E. Swing Coffee Co., 1013 E
street N.W.
Now a cab driver, Talbert until
three years ago was employed as a
salesman at the firm.
Hospital attendants quoted Tal
bert as saying the quarrel was over
"money matters.”
Hearing Is Continued.
Swing appeared in Municipal
Court today to face charges of as
sault with a dangerous weapon, but
the hearing was continued to en
able Talbert also to appear.
Until then Swing will remain free
under $3,000 bond posted at the first
I precinct yesterday when he was
questioned and fingerprinted.
This is the police version of the
shooting on the second floor of the
coffee company shortly after 4 p.m.
yesterday:
Talbert and Swing had been at
odds for some time for reasons not
learned by investigators. Yesterday
Talbert, drinking in the neighbor
hood. repeatedly sought to see Swing
in his office.
%
Talbert's wife Myrtle is employed
at the Polly Trent Candy Co. owned
by Swing and adjoining the coffee
concern, with entrance in the 500
block of Eleventh street N.W. In an
effort to appease Talbert, Swing
released Mrs. Talbert from her job
for the remainder of the day, hoping
she would persuade him to go home.
Altercation in Firm's Office.
Later, however, Talbert managed
to get into Swing's office and an ar
gument followed, during which po
lice believe Talbert threatened
Swing, seated at his desk, with a
heavy paperweight picked up from
the desk.
The way police reconstructed
what happened, Swing took a .32
caliber revolver from a drawer and
fired two shots at Talbert's legs. Tal
bert walked out unaided and called
a cab, which took him to Emergency
Hospital. Later he was trans
ferred to Mount Alto.
Merchant, Found Sick
In Clothing Store, Dies
Charles Scheer,. 48. of 1413 Sara
toga avenue N.E., who was found
semiconscious in his clothing store
a* 1100 North Capitol street shortly
before 10 p.m. November 29. died to
day in George Washington Hospital.
Coroner A. Magruder MacDonald
will perform an autopsy later today.
National Symphony Due to Lose
$25,000 Kindler Music Library
The availability of a music library
valued at $25,000 will be lost to
the National Symphony Orchestra,
with the resignation of Dr. Hans
Kindler, its founder and conductor.
Nearly all the music played by
the orchestra since it was organized
—excepting only /rented “new”
scores—Is Dr. Kindler’s personal
property. When he leaves next
March, the music will go with him.
This was disclosed by Dr. Kindler
In a telephone interview last night
from Syracuse, N. Y., in which he
also:
Revealed he has had three new
job offers since he announced his
resignation last Tuesday. Two of
the offers, he said, are “very in
teresting.”
Declared he resigned because “I
need a new perspective” and not
because of any criticism or any dis
agreement with the lymphony’s
Board of Directors. His health had
nothing to do with it, he declared,
and said he had tried to resign
twice before, but the board per
suaded him to stay.
He commended study of a possible
mergdr ef the Baltimore Symphony
and National Symphony Orchestras,
but added he thought the Capital
should maintain its own orchestra
if possible.
Dr. Kindler’s music library con
tains more than 600 different scores
which have been available to the
symphony practically rent-free. He
said he will need the scores himself,
declaring:
“I expect to continue my career.”
He has a number of guest-con
ducting assignments to fill following
completion of his season with the !
National Symphony, he pointed out. [
Since his music win not be avail-j
(See SYMPHONY, Page A-2.)
House Probers
To Reopen Spy
Hearing Tuesday
Identify of Persons
Who Supplied Data
Reported Found
BULLETIN
The House Committee on
Un-American Activities will
reopen public hearings at 2
p.m. Tuesday to bring out
"conclusive proof” on the
identity of the person or per
sons who reportedly fed secret
State and Navy Department
information to a Communist
agent before the war, the
committee announced today.
By Robert K. Walsh
The House Committee on Un
1 American Activities has obtained
'"conclusive proof” of the iden
tity of the person who turned'
over highly secret State Depart
ment information to Whittaker
Chambers, an avowed Commu
nist agent before the war, a com
mittee official disclosed today.
This proof consists of additional
documents dug up by committee in
vestigators apart from 10-year-old
microfilms which were found hidden
in a pumpkin on Mr. Chambers’
Maryland farm, and which con
tained pictures of secret State and
Navy Department documents from
| State Department files, Robert E.
i Stripling, chief committee investi
gator, said.
Mr. Stripling refused to discuss
the nature of the additional evi
dence he said the committee dug
up, or the contents of the micro
films. He also refused to disclose
the identity of the person who, on
the basis of the reported documen
tary evidence, gave the material to
Mr. Chambers. He indicated, how
j ever, that some of the additional
j material in the committee's posses
! sion was obtained from sources other
than Mr. Chambers.
Documents Subpoenaed.
The committee has issued sub
poenas for documents and micro
j films which came to light both at
! deposition hearings for Mr. Cham
bers and his wife in Baltimore last
.month, and the microfilms which
Mr. Chambers produced from the
i hiding place on his farm.
The depositions were taken in
j connection with a slander suit filed
several weeks ago by Alger Hiss,
j former State Department official,
i against Mr. Chambers. The suit
grew out of testimony in which Mr.
Chambers told the House committee
: last August in public session that
Mr. Hiss belonged to a prewar Com
munist “apparatus” in Washington.
| Mr. Chambers testified he himself
'was a Communist agent at the time
! and was closely associated with Mr.
Hiss in 1934 and 1935. When Mr.
Chambers repeated his charges in a
radio interview, Mr. Hiss filed suit
for $75,000 damages.
Reopening of the Hiss-Chambers
inquiry by the House committee is
i practically certain, Mr. Stripling
said. Sessions may be held next
week, but a final decision will not
be made until he confers with Sen
ator-elect Mundt, Republican, of
South Dakota and Representative
| Nixon, Republican, of California
both committee members.
Mr. Nixon, en route to Panama
j aboard ship, notified Mr. Stripling
I today that as soon as he lands in
the Canal Zone next Tuesday he
will take a plane back to Wash
ington.
Stripling to Phohe Mundt.
Mr. Mundt, committee officials
indicated earlier, planned to fly here
today from South Dakota. Mr.
Stripling, however, said he was not
sure that Mr. Mundt would come,
but that in any event he planned
to talk with him by long distance
today and probably would have a
statement later.
Mr. Stripling had a stack of
photostatic papers on his desk when
he talked with reporters today.
These, he indicated, included the
“additional evidence” which the
committee has obtained either from
Chambers or someone else. He
would not say whether the material
iSee~CHAMBERS, Page A-3.)
New Dispute Leaves
Western Ports Idle
By th« Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 4.—A
jurisdictional dispute left Pacific
Coast ports idle today despite the
settlement of a three-month strike
by five maritime unions.
Longshore workers ordered last
night were sent home and no dock
gangs were called in San Francisco
today.
The AFL Sailors’ Union of the
Pacific, which did not strike, but
was made idle by the walkout of five
other unions September 2. refused
to sail until settlement of the juris
dictional dispute.
Harry Lundeberg, executive secre
tary of *the union, said his men
would not man the ships until they
are guaranteed that new CIO Long
shore and cooks and stewards' con
tracts will not infringe on jobs
claimed by the AFL union. These
involve longshore work on coastwise
steam schooners and cooks on the
Alaska steamship run.
Harry Bridges’ CIO Longshore
men threatened damage suits if the
AFL sailors prevented them from
returning to work.
Mr. Lundeberg had promised no
interference with loading or un
loading, but the ships can’t sail
without the AFL crews. He said
shipowners promised yesterday they
would abide by existing contracts
with his union, but added his men
demanded a detailed agreement on
the controversial issues.
Times Square Flooded
NEW YORK, Dec. 4 (JP).—A broken
20-inch water main early today
flooded Times Square. Subway serv
ice was not affected. Surface traffic
was detoured when the flood rose to
curb height.