Evening star. [volume], December 22, 1948, Image 1

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

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Weather Forecast
Mostly sunny with high in middle 50s today.
Pair and colder tonight with low about 30.
Tomorrow, some cloudiness and colder. (Pull
report on Page A-2.)
Midnight -.36 £ a.m_35 10 a.m_41 ,
2 a.rp-35 « a.m..35 11 a m_49 j
4 a.m-35 9 a.m-37 Noon..51 I
Lote New York Markets, Page A-25
!
Guide for Readers
Page.
Amusements ... C-4
Comics ..C-8-9
Editorial_A-8
Editorial Articles A-9
Finance _A-25
Lost and Found A-3
Page.
Obituary _A-2(1
Radio ....._C-9
Society, Clubs . B-3
Sports_C-l-3
Where to Go B-5
Woman’s Page B-14
An Associated Press Newspaper
96th Year. No. 357. Phone ST. 5000
★★ WASHINGTON, D. C., WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1948 —FIFTY-TWO PAGES.
City Home Delivery, Dally and Sunday. JF.20 a Month. When ft C /'VtT'VTrnQ
Sunday*. *1.30. Night Final Edition. S1.30 and $1.40 per Month X O
U. S. Stops Marshall Plan Aid
To Indies to Halt Dutch Drive;
U. N. Unit Blames Netherlands
Payments Suspended
Pending Clarification
Of Present Situation
V
•y the Associated Pres*
The United States tfday sus
pended Marshall Plan aid to the
Netherlands Indies.
It was indicated that the move,
taken by the Economic Co-opera
tion Administration with State De
partment approval, is intended to
discourage Dutch military action
against the Indonesian Republic.
The Dutch last week launched what
they termed "police action” in In
donesia. United Nations investiga
tors called it a violation of a truce
agreement.
Economic Co-operation Adminis
trator Hoffman said the suspension
will continue "pending clarification
of the present situation.”
Aid to the Dutch homeland is not
affected. Officials had "no com
ment” when asked whether this too
might be suspended if the civil
fighting goes on despite the U. N.
ban.
- S14.000.00fl Is Affected
Mr. Hoffman said the suspension
is "effective immediately." It was
explained that this means any con
tracts for recovery shipments sign
ed today or later will not be hon
ored—in other words, the United
States will not pick up the check.
The Netherlands Indies were al
lotted $68,000,000 in direct help for
the recovery year which started last
April 3.
Perhaps $14,100,000 of that total
is affected by the shutdown, officials
estimated—as well as future aid in
the remaining years of the recovery
program, unless Indonesia is paci
fied.
The Dutch homeland government
has been allotted $298,500,000 in
stating that the Netherlands itself
is ont affected, one official added
privately, however, that ECA will
check closely on whether the In
donesian fighting represents a
drain on the home economy suf
ficient to hurt the recovery effort.
Aid Must Reach People.
Mr. Hoffman said in a statement
that ECA funds can be devoted to
Indonesia “only if there is reasona
ble assurance that United States aid
can be distributed efficiently among
the people of Indonesia and that it
will contribute to economic recovery
there and in Europe.”
The Dutch-held portion of Indo
nesia was included in the recovery
program, ECA explained, on the
conviction that an expansion of ex
ports of rubber, copra, palm oil, tin,
petroleum, bauxite and other raw
materials from the Indies would pro
vide a stimulus to the recovery not
only of Holland but of all Western
Europe.
More than half of the aid to In
donesia has been in textiles, rice and
wheat flour.
“As previously indicated, no pro
curement authorizations have been
issued for military supplies,” Mr.
Hoffman said.
Envoy Asked Suspension.
Dr. D. Soemitro, Indonesian envoy
had asked Undersecretary of State
Lovett to shut off Marshall Plan aid
to the Dutch, charging the assistance
was being used to crush the Indo
nesian Republic.
The Dutch Ambassador. Eelco van
Kleffens, denied any recovery funds
have been used to arm Dutch troops.
The action suspending aid to In
donesia was the second such move
in as many days.
Mr. Hoffman yesterday announced
the dropping, for the time being, of
(SeeECA, Page A-5.1 #
Philadelphia Freight Moves
As Dock Workers Return
Ey the Associoted Pres*
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 22.—Move
merit of freight in the port of Phila
delphia returned to normal today
after settlement of the three-day
longshoremen's strike.
Paul Baker, a vice president of
the AFL International Longshore
mens Union, announced last night
that union members had ratified an
agreement reached in New York
with the Philadelphia Marine Trade
Association.
The men quit work Saturday in a
dispute over interpretation of a
clause in a previous agreement
affecting pay for less than a full
four-hour shift.
Mr. Baker said agreement was
reached on the union viewpoint and
that men reporting for work today
will be guaranteed four hours’ pay
even if weather or other conditions
prevent them from working. And
men reporting at 1 p.m. or later, he
said, will be guaranteed two hours’
pay.
The employers had insisted on
paying only for the length of time
worked until weather forced a lay
off. They made no comment on the
settlement.
With the men back on the job, the
railroad embargo on all freight in
tended for overseas shipment from
the port was expected to be lifted.
The eiiibargo was ordered “to pre
vent an accumulation of vitally
needed freight cars at Philadelphia.’’
Wind May"B]ock New Try
To Rescue 11 on Ice Cap
•y Hi* Associated Cress
The Air Force made tentative
plans for a new attempt to rescue
11 men from the Greenland ice cap
today, but reports of strong winds
in the area raised some doubt that
It could be carried out.
Air Force officials said a C-82
transport plane was scheduled to
take off from Goose Bay, Labrador,
to try again to hook onto a glider
and bring out at least part of the
marooned party.
A helicopter which made a weather
reconnaissance flight early in the
morning reported heavy winds still
prevailed.
Good Offices Group
Charges Breach of
Truce Agreement
By Associated Press
BATAVIA, Java, Dec. 22.—The
United Nations Good Offices
Committee accused the Dutch
today of violating last January’s
Renville truce agreement in their
new warfare against the Indo
nesian Republic.
The Dutch, continuing their al
most unopposed march through
Indonesian territory, have taken all
but two major cities in Java, Dutch
communiques said, and in Sumatra
the picture was reported much the
same. The Indonesians have called
for scorched earth tactics.
The Dutch announced that the
Indonesians put the torch to Tjepee.
Java's only oil center. This was the
first mention in any communique of
the Indonesian scorched-earth poli
cy. Tire Dutch subsequently over
ran the city.
Sumatra Capital Taken.
A communique, continuing a reci
tal of advances in both Java and
Sumatra, reported that Bukitt'inggi
(Fort de Kock), the Republican
capital on Sumatra, was taken.
Jogjakarta, the No. 1 capital in
Central Java, was seized at the out
set of the campaign Sunday. Thus
far, the Dutch said, their total' cas
ualties are 8 killed and 14 wounded,
and the drive continues against
' very little resistance.”
The Good Offices Committee,
which had tried to mediate the
Netherlands - Indonesian Republic
dispute, accused the Dutch .in a
cable to the Security Council at
Paris.
The U. N. report to the Council
said the Dutch evidently planned
their current campaign against the
Republic while still corresponding
with Republicans through the
United Nations. Since the ‘‘police
action” began, the Dutch have
seized all the top Indonesian polit
ical leaders and their army com
mander.
(.'ultimatum in Letter.
The committee's report to the
Council, signed by Merle Cochrane
of the United States and T. W.
Cutts of Australia, said the tone of
a Netherlands letter of December
17—a day before the “police action’
began—to the American representa
tive required a reply within a time
limit which was “impossible of ful
nilment.’’
This, the committee said, gave
the letter "some features of an ulti
matum.”
(The Dutch announced Decern- ;
ber 11 that they were breaking
off discussions with the Idonesian J
Republic and would form an in
terim federal government for the ;
islands without it. December 16
the Dutch rejected a proposal by :
Republican Premier Mohamed |
Hatta for further talks.)
“Not only have the possibilities of
negotiation under auspices of the
committee not been exhausted, but
they have not been adequately ex
plored,” the committee told the Se
curity Council. "There have been
no negotiations under auspices of
the committee since 23 July. Re
cent direct talks cannot be regarded
as negotiations as they took the
form of Netherlands demands for
complete surrender of the Republic
to the Netherlands position on all
important issues.
“Despite frequent requests, Neth
erlands authorities have not yet pro
vided the United States representa
tive or the deputy Australian repre
sentative who are in Batavia with
any information regarding the wel
fare of members of the committee
and their staffs and the United Na
tions secretariat, who were in Kal
ioerang 19 December. (The Dutch
announced today, after occupying
Kalioerang, that all were safe.)
Communications Cut Off.
“Nor have the Netherlands au
thorities provided means of com
munication between the two groups.
The United States representative
and the deputy Australian repre
sentative are, therefore, once more
constrained to forward this report
on behalf of the committee without
referring (it) to members who are
still in Kalioerang.
“In repudiation of the Renville
truce agreement, the Netherlands
government did not comply with
provisions of Article 10 of that
agreement.
“The committee was not aware of
any circumstances connected with
the concentration of Republican
(See INDONESIA, Page” A-5.)
West Point Cadets Flying
Home for 10-Day Leaves
• y th# Associated Press
WEST POINT, N. Y„ Dec, 22.—
Nearly all the Military Academy's
1.800 cadets are departing today by
air for 10-day holiday leaves at
their homes in all parts of the
country.
They are flying in Air Force
planes, with about 1,500 departing
Urom Stewart Field at Newburg,
N. Y.; 137 from the Dutchess County
Airport at New Hackensack, N. Y.,
and 136 from Teterboro Airport,
N. J.
Col. William Proctor ' of the
academy said the flights serve the
double .purpose of getting the cadets
jhome for Christmas and giving Air
Force personnel routine training in
! cross-country flying.
ANNAPOLIS, Dec. 22 (^.—Mid
shipmen, all 3,300 of them, left the
Naval Academy today for their
Christmas vacation. The brigade is
due to return January 2.
Caracas Paper Suspended
CARACAS, Venezuela, Dec. 22 </P>.
—The federal district government
yesterday ordered suspension for 15
days of the newspaper Tribuna
Popular, organ of the Communist
Party of Venezuela, for “having
published works without submitting,
them to the censor.”
O'Dwyer Orders
Police to Probe
Duggan's Death
Nfew York Mayor
Calls for Thorough
Inquiry in Plunge
By the Associated Pres*
NEW YORK, Dec. 22.—Mayor
O’Dwyer today directed New
York Police to make a “thorough
investigation” of the mysterious
death of Laurence Duggan.
The Mayor acted after receiving a
telegram from former Undersecre
tary of State Sumner Welles, who
said he was convinced the death of
the one-time State Department ex
pert was not a suicide.
Mr. Duggan plunged to his death
Monday night from his 16th-floor
offide_ just off Fifth avenue.
The police will seek to find out
whether he committed suicide, was
the victim of an accident as his rel
atives maintain, or was the object
of foul play.
Foul Play Hinted by M*undt.
The suggestion that “foul play
had figured in the plunge was made
yesterday by Acting Chairman
Mundt of the House Cmomittee on
Un-American Activities.
The committee earlier had re
leased testimony linking Mr. Dug
gan to a prewar Communist group
in the State Department.
Mr. Welles’ telegram to Mayor
O'Dwyer read:
"Laurence Duggan was for years
one of my closest associates in the
State Department and since I re
ceived from him only yesterday
(Monday) a letter written in the
best of spirits, asking me to send
him some suggestions in a mat
ter in which he was interested, 11
find it impossible to believe his!
death was self-inflicted.
“I hope you will permit me to urge
that every possible step be taken to:
find out whether there may not be
some other explanation.”
The Mayor replied:
“Police Commissioner (Arthur)
Wallander has been directed to make
a thorough investigation of all cir
cumstances concerning the death of
Laurence Duggan as requested by
you. You have my personal assur
ance that this will be done.”
FBI Won’t Enter Case.
At the same time, the Federal Bu
reau of Investigation announced it
will not enter the investigation of
Mr. Duggan's death because it is a
local police matter.
Earlier, Stephen Duggan. Jr„
Laurence's brother, told a reporter,
“There no motive at all for my|
brother to have taken his life.
“I believe he fell from the window
when he went there for air after
suffering an atack of nausea or
something like that,” the brothei
declared. “He had a weak stomach
and had been ordered to drink milk
through the day to keep it settled.
“Also, he was a very tired man.
I think he went back to work too
soon after a back operation.”
Mr. Duggan, an attorney, said he
had examined Laurence's office and
had found that his brother returned
there Monday night after appoint
ments elsewhere to sign his mail be
fore going home.
Planned Washington' Trip.
“In this mail were several letters
making appointments for the next
few weeks,” he said. “He had
planned to make a trip to Washing
ton Tuesday with an associate at!
the institute.
“He had a wonderful family with \
four kids and he loved his-job. This
investigation (by the FBIi didn't
bother him. He was a fighter. He
laughed at it."
Mr. Mundt had said there was
“more than a slight possibility of
foul play' that might “lead directly
to the Communist espionage con-j
spirators." Later, he said, he had
no evidence of his own to support;
his suspicipns.
Yesterday afternoon Whittaker,
Chambers, ex-Communist courier,
who purportedly once accused Mr. j
Duggan of giving him confidential!
(See DUGGAN. Page A-4.) I
; ....AND DON'T ^
FORGET THE
MOST IMPORTANT
GIFT OF ALL...
y ...LIFE
'ttfimSAMDS
Murray Fails to Obey Summons
To Hearing Set by Rep. Hoffman
Michigan Republican to Turn Over
Case of CIO Chief to Justice Officials
By James Y. Newton
CIO President Philip t Murray
made good his promise today by
ignoring a subpoena issued by
the House Labor Committee one
man subcommittee. The one
man, Representative Hoffman,
Republican, of Michigan said he
was turning the matter over to
the Justice Department.
The CIO chief had been ordered
by Mr. Hoffman to testify this
morning on the strike at the plant
of the Shakespeare Co., makers of
fishing tackle, at Kalamazoo. Mich.
Three members of the CIO United
Steelworkers, of which Mr. Murray
also is president, were jailed yes
terday for 60 days for refusing to
answer a Kalamazoo grand jury's
questoins about a December raid on
the Shakespeare Co.’s plants.
Mr. Murray was the only witness
called for the hearing by Mr. Hoff
man, and when he did not appear
the one-man session was adjourned.
Mr. Hoffman convened his hear
ing, noted that Mr. Murray was
not present and told reporters he
was turning the case over to the
Justice Department.
“I have got a suspicion that the
Justice ’Department will do nothing
about it,” Mr. Hoffman said, add
ing that he planned no further ac
tion against Mr. Murray other than
to heckle Congress about it “from
day to day” through the next ses
sion, “if I live and the chair recog
nizes me.”
In writing Mr. Hoffman that he
iSee MURRAY, Page A-5.i
Report Will Indicate
Other Spy Inquiry
Targets, Mundt Says
House Group May Reveal
'Explosive' Testimony
Given by Chambers
By Robert K. Walsh
The espionage report being
proposed by the House Commit
tee on Un-American Activities
for week-end release will “point
to other targets” the committee
must investigate during the next
year, Acting Chairman Mundt
said today.
Under a heading “unfinished busi
ness,” the report probably will in
clude “explosive” and hitherto un
published testimony given by Whit
taker Chambers either to the com
mittee in closed session or in a pre
trial deposition last month in Bal
timore.
Confident of Continuance.
Declaring he is “highly confident"
that the committee will be Continued
in the Eighty-first Congress. Mr.
Mundt said the report on the Hiss
Chambers case and evidence of gen
eral Communist spy activities in the
Government will deal wtih the fol
lowing points:
1. Names of and information on
persons the committee will not have
an opportunity to examine until
after the perjury trial of Alger Hiss,
former State Department official,
Who was accused by Mr. Chambers
of having giver* him confidential
Government information before the
war.
2. Legislation the committee be
(SeeSPY INQUIRY, Page X-5J
U. S. Files First Told Brunette
Her Husband Had Wed Blond
The files of the State Department,
where she is employed, first revealed,
to brunette Mrs. Margaret Garrett,
34. that her husband. Chief Petty,
Officer Laurence Cash Garrett, 45.
was already married to a blond
when he married her, she testified
in District Court today.
Mrs. Margaret Garrett told Jus
tice F. Dickenson Letts, who is
trying her husband’s suit for an
annulment that she discovered his
marital duplicity in the passport
files of the State Department. She
has filed a cross complaint suit for
divorce and it is being heard with
the annulment suit.
She became suspicious after a
long distance telephone call to
Chief Garrett in Atlanta was
answered by a “Mrs. Garrett” and
began a search of the files of pass
port applications, Margaret said.
"I found Ruth’s application for a
passport,” she continued.
Thp application was filed in 1939
when 40-.vear-old blond Ruth ac
companied her seagoing husband toi
China for a tour of duty in Hong
Kong.
Mrs. Margaret Garrett, who mar
ried the Navy veteran on May 4,
1937, told Judge Letts she filed suit
for divorce in May, 1946, after estab
lishing that he had married Ruth 14'
months before he married her. I
Earlier, Chief Garrett admitted to
the court that while he was on an
equatorial cruise of the submarine
.Pickerel in the spring of 1937, he
wrote romantic letters to Margaret.
He was recalled to the stand after
Margaret positively identified a
typewritten letter on the stationery
of the U. S. S. Pickerel as a letter
from her husband. He testified yes
terday that he had no recollection
of writing the letter.
But Margaret produced several
snapshots of ceremonies aboard the
submarine when it crossed the Equa
tor which were referred to in the
letter, and Judge F. Dickinson Letts
commanded Chief Garrett to take
“a good look” at the missive and
say whether he wrote it.
1 Chief Garrett looked at the letter
for several minutes, whispered to his
attorney, and then said: “Yes, I
wrote it.”
The letter informed Margaret that
the Pickerel would come to Wash
: ington early in May to get a gun
i at the Naval. Gun Factory and prom
ised her “we will step out one night
and have a big time."
In the letter, Chief Garrett told
Margaret the submarine would go
to Portsmouth, N. H., from Wash
ington and there he would get 15
days’ leave and would return here
l (See DIVORCE, Page A-2.)
Flanders Urges Talks
On Economy by Labor,
Industry and Farmers
Profits Hearing Closes;
Senator Says Business
Offered 'Good Case'
A national conference of busi
ness, labor and agriculture to
seek agreement on Jong-range
economic policies was favored
today by Senator Flanders, Re
publican, of Vermont after he
had presided for two weeks over
congressional hearings on cur
rent corporation profits.
The American Federation of La
bor suggested such a meeting at
the start of the hearings, and ex
pressed hope the President would
help arrange it early in the new
year.
Meanwhile, the Flanders group
—a subcommittee of the Joint
Economic Committee—set to work
to see what conclusions could be
drawn from the hearings. This
committee, however, like all oth
ers, is due to be reorganized as
soon as the Democrats take con
trol of Congress on January 3.
Its present chairman. Senator
Taft, Republican, of Ohio, is likely
to be succeeded by Senator O Ma
honey, Democrat, of Wyoming. Re
gardless of what immediate rec
ommendations may grow out of
the Flanders hearings, the com
mittee will continue to study the
wiiole economic picture after the
Democrats take the reins. Sena
tor O Mahoney also has indicated
he favors a joint conference of la-.l
bor management and farm leaders.
Industry Made Good Case.
Senator Flanders said industrial
leaders “made a better case for
their profits than I expected.”
During the hearings spokesmen
for various industries argfied that
! their profits are not too high—as
consumer and labor groups con
; tend they are — because more
money is needed to meet grow
ing demand for still greater pro
duction.
Senator Flanders, however, add- j
ed this observation to newsmen:
"I am disturbed about the irre
sistible growth of the big, efficient
corporations. No matter how well
they are justified they cannot
(See PROFITS, Page A-57) j
Big 4 Talks on Austria
Expected in January
By the Associated Press
LONDON, Dec. 22.—The British
(Foreign Office said today it expects
imore Big Four talks on Austria
(probably late in January.
A spokesman said the office has;
not yet received a formal request fori
a resumption of negotiations from
Samuel Reber of the American State
Department. Mr. Reber was chair
man of the last meeting and it is his
duty to call the next session.
The last conference broke down
last spring over Russian demands
for reparations and Yugoslav claims
to Austrian territory.
U. S. Plans to Slash
Payrolls of AMG in
Reich 60 Pet. in '49
Cutback Program Drafted
Hire Is Being Taken to
Germany by Clay Aide
By the Associated Pres»
BERLIN, Dec. 22.—A drastic
slash in American Military Gov
ernment operations in Germany
is planned for 1949 to cut pay
rolls by 60 per cent.
The cutback has been drafted in
: Washington by the Army Depart
ment and Col. J. T. Duke, repre
senting Gen. Lucius D. Clay, the
American military governor in
Germany.
(This does not mean troops on
occupation duty are being de
duced. The AMG staff handles
governmental administrative af
fairs gradually being turned back
to the Germans.i
A responsible source said Col.
Duke, who is expected to return to
Berlin by plane late today, is bring
ing with him final details of the
1949 plan.
It is known to call for a 30 per
cent reduction of AMG personnel
in the spring and another 30 per
cent later in the year. All military
government organizations supplied
from funds obtained by the Army
by appropriation may be affected.
Trimming of the military govern
ment to top supervisors is a policy
dependent to some extent, however,
on the progress Western Germany
makes toward becoming a federal
state. *
Gen. Clay said last week end that
he hopes the federal state will be
established by the middle of 1949.
The present AMG staff is esti
mated at 4,000 Americans. This is
small compared to the British and
French governmental organizations.
The British have nearly three times
as many officials in their zone.
Army officials in Washington said
any cutback in AMG operations in
Germany would be gradual and they
pointed out that the organization
had been reduced gradually over the
last year as additional duties were
turned over to the Germans them
selves.
Any cutback next year, they said,
will be contingent on the drafting
•f a new constitution for the west
ern zones.' A constitutional con
vention is now sitting in Bonn.
The percentage cutback will be
decided by Gen. Clay rather than
by the Army Department here, they
said, and added that Col. Duke is
not returning with any definite re
duction program.
When and if the Germans write
a constitution acceptable to the oc
cupying powers and take over addi
tional governmental responsibilities,
there still will remain a job of sur
veillance for the Army's uniformed
personnel for years to come, officials
said.
Greeks Slash Rebel Force
ATHENS, Dec. 22 (£>!.—The Greek
general staff today said national
forces cut to pieces a small guer
rilla force northwest of Drama,
near the Bulgarian border.
Syria Bans Life, Newsweek
DAMASCUS, Dec. 22 <£>).—'The
Syrian government today banned
the American magazines Life and
Newsweek because of what it termed
“increased Zionist propaganda.’’
Tojo and Six Aides
Are Hanged in Tokyo
For Crimes of War
Secret Executions in
Sugamo Prison Take
Only 35 Minutes
By tht Associated Press
TOKYO, Thursday, Dec. 23
Former Premier Hideki Tojo and
six other Japanese warlords were
hanged today for Japan’s crimes
against humanity.
The Army announced the seven
went to their deaths on the gallows
I in Sugamo Prison, where they had
been held for more than two-and-a
half years—during and after their
long trial.
Only Monday the United States
Supreme Court closed the last pos
sible door of escape. It found it was
without authority to act on the
appeals of two of them, Gen. Kenji
Doihara and former Premier Koki
Hirota, since it had no power to
review the actions of the Interna
tional Tribunal which condemned
the seven and handed out prison
terms to 18 of their co-defendants.
(The Supreme Court today was
asked to reconsider its decision
in a petition filed shortly be
fore word came from Tokyo that
the seven had been hanged. The
request was made by John G.
Brannon of Kansas City, one of
the attorneys who represented
the Japanese before the court last
week. He said the court had fail
ed to consider the vital question
of whether the President and
military authorities had exceeded
their authority under the Consti
1 tution. >
No Details Given Out.
The Army gave no details of the
hangings. It promised to hand out
| more information later to newsmen,
who were not permitted to attend.
In addition to Tojo the other six
hanged were:
Gen. Kenji Doihara, the Man
churian plotter.
Koki Hirota, former Premier.
Gen. Seish Iro Itagaki, former war
minister.
I Gen. Heitaro Kumura, chief of the
! Japanese armies in Manchuria.
Gen. Iwane Watsui, who com
manded at the rape of Nanking.
|. Lt. Gen. Akira Muto, chief of staff
in the Philippines.
Tire first of the condemned men
dropped to his death at one minute
past midnight today (10:01 a.m.
EST).
Who was the first to die and the
order in which they went-were not
indicated. It also was possible sev
eral were hanged at once because
the executions went off fast.
The hangings were finished 35
minutes after midnight.
Clergy Reported in Prison.
A Buddhist priest and two Amer
ican chaplains were reportedly in
the prison for the executions since
early Wednesday.
Tojo survived his fellow dictators,
1 Adolf Hitler of Germany and Be
nito Mussolinio of Italy, because of
American medical skill.
In September, 1945, as American
troops came to arrest him, Tojo
shot himself with a revolver. Quick
medical attention and a transfusion
of American whole blood saved him
for the gallows.
Tojo was the only one of the three
to stand trial. Hitler supposedly
died in the ruins of Berlin as the
Russians clo ed in. Mussolini was
killed by Italian Partisans.
Col. Marion P. Echols, Gen. Mac
' Arthur's public information officer,
apparently was at Sugamo Prison
when the hangings took place.
Capt. H. H. Hawkins, duty officer,
said he received his information
directly from Col. Echols, who may
furnish the additional details.
Court Sat 2 <4 Years.
The seven were convicted of plot
ting and waging aggressive war in
the Pacific and the Far East. An
11-nation Allied tribunal sat in
judgment on them for 2'3 years.
Headquarters has announced that
bodies of the former cabinet mem
bers and military leaders will be
cremated. To prevent enshrinement
of the war criminals, their families
will be denied the ashes,
i • The United States 8th Army was
1 (See PROFITS, Page A-2.)
Soldier, Bitten on Finger
By Snake, Shoots It Off
By the Associated Press
; HATTIESBURG, Miss., Dec. 22.—
A 17-year-old soldier shot off a
I finger yesterday after being bitten
by a rattlesnake.
The soldier, Pvt. Paul Douglas
Carter, said he stepped on the snake
while hunting near his home. Pvt.
Carter is on leave from Brookley Air
Force Basa at Mobile, Ala.
He said the rattler struck him on
the right index finger. He said he
then insci ted his finger in the barrel
of his.shotgun and fired left-handed.
Amputation of the finger was com
pleted at a clinic.
A physician said no symptoms of
snake bite were aparent after the
amputation.
Truman Leaves for Missouri;
Plane Faces 70-M.P.H. Winds
By th« Associated Press
President Truman left by plane
today for Independence, Mo., to
spend Christmas.
Accompanying him were a secre
tarial staff and his personal physi
cian, Brig. Gen. Wallace H. Graham;
Mrs. Graham and the two Graham
children.
The presidential plane, Independ
ence, took off at 10:07 a.m. Ordi
narily it is a four-hour flight to
Kansas City, but airport officials said
that the plane would be bucking
70-mile-an-hour headwinds today.
From Kansas City, the presidential
party will drive to Independence.
Mr. Truman left in a holiday mood.
Just before boarding the plane, he
waved to reporters and tne crowd
seeing him off and said:
“I hope Santa Claus brings you,
everything you want."
The President plans to return to
Washington next Wednesday. He
was not able to put away the cares
of office entirely for his holiday.
Along with presents for his family,
he took with him a brief case full of
work for himself.
The paper work includes a three
page meifforandum on the current
economic situation, left with him
yesterday by Dr. Edwin G. Nourse.
chairman of the President’s Council
of Economic Advisers.
The briefcase also contains mate
rial for his State-of-the-Union mes
sage to the new Congress. He will
work on some phases of that mes
sage (luring his stay in Missouri.
H1DEKI TOJO.
—AP Photo.
(Pictures of other executed Japs
on Page A-4.)
Chiang Gives Approval
To Cabinet Committed
To 'Honorable Peace'
Reds Moving Closer to
Yangtze; Situation in
North Crumbling Fast
By the Associated Press
NANKING, Dec. 22.—General
issimo Chiang Kai-shek gave
the go-ahead today to a new
cabinet committed to an “hon
orable peace.” But prospects for
peace’ in China are dim.
Communist armies to the north
rambled toward the Yangtze. Gen.
Chiang's troops were in southward
retreat. All of North China and the
area of East Central China north
of the Yangtze appeared doomed.
Jumpy Nanking residents fretted.
In this dark picture, Gen. Chiang
approved a cabinet selected by Pre
mier Sun Fo. The fact the cabinet
was approved by Gen. Chiang was
significant. Observers felt Gen.
Chiang showed by this act that he
was still boss of the Nationalist
government and was not about to
quit.
Surrender Ruled Out.
Dr. Sun announced Nationalist
China "Would fight on until it could
secure an honorable peace. Then
he said there would be no surrender
to the Communists. Observers felt
some sort of a deal might be offered
the Reds. Others felt the Com
munists would not want to make
peace with a government headed
by Gen. Chiang.
With the situation to the north
crumbling fast, there was a possibil
ity that the new cabinet may have
to take to its heels soon.
The next major Nationalist stand
is expected to be at the Yangtze.
Just what Gen. Chiang can throw
at the Communists here in the way
of military strength has not been
shown.
The vast area north of the Yang
tze was being written off by some
sources. Peiping and Tientsin held
out against attacking armies, but
both were isolated and appeared
hopelessly lost.
Battles raged outside both cities
and the sound of gunfire could be
heard within their limits.
Nationalists Entrenched.
Some reports here had the Na
tionalists repulsing Red attacks on
the outskirts of both cities. Claims
of more than 1,000 Reds destroyed
were made at Peiping headquarters.
Central News said Nationalist
troops were firmly entrenched
southwest of Suchow. Other sources
said thousands of government troops
on the western flank of Pengpu
joined a Nationalist retreat from
the Hwai River line. Pengpu is 108
miles northwest of Nanking. Trav
elers said there was no fighting
north of the Hwai in East Central
China.
Among the members of the new
Cabinet were Wu Te-chen. vice
premier and foreign minister; Hsu'
iYung-chang, minister of national
defense; Hsu Kan. finance min
jister; Yu Ta-wei, communications;
'Robert K. S. Lim, health; Shen
Chang-huan, information; Mei Yi
chi. education; Mei Juao, judiciary,
and Ministers Without Portfolio
Chang Chun, a former premier;
Chang Chih-chung, Chen Li-fu and
Wong Wen-hao.
Navy Plane, Gas Low,
Fights to Reach Coast
By the Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 22.—After
having been reported down, a Navy
plane stiy was trying to make the
mainland today on a flight from
Honolulu, with its fuel supply near
ing exhaustion.
The Navy said at 10 a.m. <PDT>
that the pilot of the four-engined
B-17 reported he had only 325 gal
lons of gasoline, that he was burn
ing 200 gallons an hour and was
3% hours out of San Francisco.
Air Force, Ooast Guard and other
Navy planes raced to a rendezvous.
The Navy had reported earlier
that the pilot actually had set his
plane down on the sea. This was
attributed to a garbled message.
Subsequently it said the B-17 was
known to be still in the air, but
for how long was problematical.
A Navy spokesman explained that
it was standard ditching procedure
not to expend all fuel, but to hit
the water at full power and allow
the plane to settle, instead of drop
ping like a rock.
The Coast Guard radioed that its
planes had rendezvoused with the
distressed plane at 9:45 a.m. (PDT>
and were escorting the B-17 at
'11,000 feet. The bomber was losing
altitude, however.