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Air Force Board Probes Crash Fatal to Two Reserve Colonel at Controls; Lieutenant Saved by 'Premonition' • A colonel in the Air Force Re serve and his crew chief, both resi dents of the Washington Area, were killed late yesterday in the flaming crash of their light trans port in a field near Andrews Air Force Base. The dead were Col. Raymond F. Nicholson, 46, of 1921 North Utah street, Arlington, and T'Sergt. Donald Hopfer, who was stationed at Bolling Air Force Base. A board of inquiry was to meet at Andrews Base today to investi gate the crash. “Hitch-Hiker” Injured. The only survivor was a “hitch hiker”—Pfc. Robert F. Lessel. 21, of Milwaukee, who tumbled from the wreckage of the twin-engined C-45 and extinguished the fire in his clothing by rolling in the grass. He suffered burns on his arms, upper chest and head and was reported in a good condition at Bolling Hospital today. Col. Nicholson, a veteran of World War II, had been recalled for two weeks of active service, and had been assigned to the Civil Aeronautics Administration. Crashed After Engine Fire. The plane took off from Bolling at 4:27 p.m. en route to Norfolk, Va., and Chicago. A few minutees later, as it gained altitude, the right engine caught fire. The ship began to lose altitude, and con tacted Andrews’ tower on emer gency landing procedure. It crashed almost at once in a potato j patch, within a mile of a runway,j and burst into flames. Pfc. Lessl got to the door andj kicked it open. With his clothing aflame, he rolled in the dirt and! put out the fire enveloping him. The plane narrowly missed thej house of Charles Biggs, at 7240 j Brinkley road, striking the ground j about 100 yards in the rear of| the building. A 6-foot-long part' of the wing lodged in trees about 75 feet away. Firemen were called by Thur man Biggs, 18, of the Silver Hill Volunteer Fire Department. Other companies responded from Clin-1 ton and Oxon Hill, and crash trucks also came from Andrews. Plane Burned Out. The plane was almost com pletely burned out. Parts of the j engines and wings and tail assem bly were all that remained after; the blaze. Last night a Bolling public Information officer received a tele phone call from an Army lieu-: tenant stationed at Fort Myer j Va. The lieutenant, who asked; that his name not be mentioned,! said he understood there had been a plane crash. He<inquired if the pilot was the colonel connected with the CAA. On being advised this was so, the lieutenant said he had ar ranged to be on the plane, but that as tie was getting into his car at Fort Myer with his bags he had a "premonition" and de- : cided to catch a train to Chicago, t To further justify his hunch, the Army officer called weather serv- ’ Ice and was told the ceiling at : Chicago was only 800 feet. That, he said, decided the matter for him and he telephoned the colonel ] that he wasn’t going. 1 On June 5. 1949, Col. Nichol- ' son won $20,000 in the running < of the Irish Sweepstakes, based t on the English Derby at Epsom. He signed his ticket "Happily t Married.” ,< Leaves Two Daughters. < Besides his wife, he leaves two 1 daughters. i The officer served during the 1 war. and then went to the State Department. 1 Sergt. Hopfer was the son of ' Mrs. Clara Hopfer. He was grad uated from Midland High School in 1935 and was in the Air Force 11 years. He served 32 months in the Pacific during World War II, and received the Soldiers Medal, which is awarded for an excep tionally heroic act. Sergt. Hopfer had been at Bol ling *for the last four years, serv ing with the 1.101th Maintenance Squadron as an aerial engineer. In addition to his mother, a sister, Pauline, survives. Pfc. Lessel was bound for Madi son, Wis., for reserve duty. He is assigned to the 84th Airborne Division. Fuel Oil, Kerosene Price Raised Kali Cent by Esso A half-cent-a-gallon increase in the price of fuel oil and kerosene has been announced by the Esso Standard Oil Co., effective today. The announcement from the company's New York headquarters cited an unusually strong demand, a less satisfactory inventory posi tion and inability to purchase needed supplies during recent weeks. On the supply outlook for fuel oil and kerosene for the coming winter—expected to be a record heating season—it was pointed out that with half the summer stock buildup period passed, the indus try and the combined East Coast Gulf Coast area has restored less than half of the amount drafted during the last heating season. An increase in price, it was be lieved. would provide added in * centive to manufacturers to in crease yields of these products which must be accomplished larglj at the expense of the more refinec products. Guest Preacher Named The Rev. Charles N. Jarrett, re tired minister, formerly of th( First Christian Church, Barnes ville, Ohio, will be guest preache at the Wilson Boulevard Christiai Church. Arlington, at 11 a.m tomovcw. A TWO AREA MEN DIE IN CRASH HERE—This Air Force twin-engined transport crashed near Andrews Air Force Base late yesterday and two men died in the flaming wreckage, while a third was seriously injured. Part of the wing of the C-45 was ripped away and remained in a tree shortly before the light transport plunged into a field. —Bolling Field Photos. Road Act Still Carries $3.2 Million lor D. C., $3 Million lor Parkway The Federal-Aid Road Act, cut yesterday by $120 million, still carries $3,223,750 for the District and $3 million for the Washing ton-Baltimore parkway. The $120 million slash was made yesterday by the Senate Public Works Committee, to reduce the authorization from $748.5 million to $628.5 million for each of the two fiscal years 1952 and 1953. Chairman Chavez of the Public Works Committee, in announcing the reductions, said they were made “in view of the changed in ernational situation brought about by the Korean situation and in view of increased military ex penditures.” Truman Asked Cut. The Senate Public Works Com mittee followed the recommenda tion made Thursday by President Truman, who asked Senator Dhavez to shave $120 million off the road measure. After Senator Chavez had laid :he committee proposal before the Senate, Senator Douglas. Demo crat. of Illinois, announced he would offer an amendment to make another major slash in the Federal aid. The measure has been debated for two days on the Senate floor with some bitterness. It will come to a vote Tuesday on the many amendments already pending. Douglas Charges. Senator Douglas charged that the Senate bill is already a sub stantial increase over appropria tions made this year for roads and "is absurd in view of the Ko rean war.” The District of Columbia would have received a total of $3,681,000 in Federal aid for each of the two years 1952 and 1953 under the bill as reported to the Senate. The $3 million carried in the measure for the Washington-Bal timore highway was left intact. In making the cuts the Public Works Committee did not touch a figure of $13 million a year for parkways throughout the country. Referring to the expressway already authorized by Congress, the Public Works Committee de clared: "Because of the strategic value of the Baltimore-Washing ton parkway to national defense, a provision was added making $3 million . . . available immediately for proceeding with construction of that parkway.” First Enlisted War Casualty At Arlington to Get Honors Infantry Sergt. Ernest K. Tur ner, 35, of Berwick, Pa., who died last month of wounds received in action in Korea, will be accorded full military honors as the first >; enlisted casualty of the Korean I fighting to be buried in Arlington Cemetery. • An honor guard from the 3d - i “Old Guard” Infantry Regiment - of Fort Myer, Va„ will be at . Union Station when the body ar rives at 9:30 a.m. Monday. Burial i | will be Jater in the week. I Sergt. Turner was wounded July 24 and died four days later at the 118th Station Hospital in Tokyo. He was a veteran of eight - years’ service and had just re e enlisted for a three-year terir - last February. r He is survived by his mother n Mrs. Leona Belle Turner, and s t. sister, Mrs. Lois Marie Hutton both of Berwick. Hecht's lenders Dinner To 200 Manufacturers Nearly 200 manufacturers were dined last night at the Statler: Hotel to mark the opening of a : complete downstairs store in the Hecht Co. Silver Spring branch. Guests were greeted by Harry Davidow. general merchandise manager of the Hecht Co.; Louis Frankel and Herman Spiegel, merchandise managers of the downstairs stores, and 20 buyers. After the dinner, chartered buses took the entire party on. an inspection tour of the new addi tion to the store at Fenton street and Ellsworth drive. Silver Spring. The $1 million downstairs store raises to five the number of sell ing floors of the suburban branch. Frank A. Loeffler, 81, Retired Employe of Patent Office, Dies Frank Andrew Loeffler, 81, re tired Patent Office employe, died unexpectedly yesterday at his summer home in Mount Gretna, Pa., where he had been since the first of July. Mr. Loeffler lived at 3410 T hirteenth street N.W. He was re tired from the Government in 1936 as prin cipal examiner of division 1 at the Patent Of fice. He had started his Gov- Mr- Lo*eM'T (eminent career in the Patent' Office in 1885 as a messenger. Mr. Loeffler was born in Wash ington, the son of the late Army Maj. and Mrs. D. A. Loeffler. Mr. Loeffler was a member of the International Order of Odd j Fellows and was active in church work at the First Evangelical Re formed Church. He is survived by ms widow, [Mrs. Cora Zeller Loeffler; two brothers, Carl A. Loeffler, 4615 Twenty-ninth place N.W., who when he retired as secretary of |the Senate in 1948 was the Sen jate’s oldest official, and Garnett G. Loeffler, 3220 Morrison street IN.W., General Accounting Office employe, and a sister, Mrs. Nich olas Eckhardt, 1212 Holly street | N.W. Also surviving are two chil dren and four great-grandchildren | by his first wife, and four step 1 children, eight grandchildren and , | four great-grandchildren by his j second wife. Funeral services will be held (Tuesday afternoon at Lebanon, Pa. Burial will be in Rohrers 'burg, Pa. Two Boys Get Linked Up With Lost Handcuffs By the Associated Press DETROIT, Aug. 19.—Obviously, I when you find a pair of handcuffs, the thing to do is to try them out. [ So Gordon Hardy, 17, and Jack , Kadrowski, 14, wound up at a j police precinct station to get un , shackled from each other. It wasn’t learned who lost the \ handcuffs. Let’s be sensible. 'There is no , shortage of food in the United i there is no immediate prospect of i. rationing. So let's be sensible Don't hoard. Monument to Flyers Killed by Yugoslavs Dedicated by Spaatz Government, military and civic leaders today joined the families of five American airmen shot down over Yugoslavia in 1946 in dedicating a marble monument to their memory in Arlington Ceme tery. More than 100 spectators gath ered on the quiet slopes of the cemetery to see Gen. Carl Spaatz, retired chief of staff of the Air Force, lead in laying more than a score of floral tributes at the common grave of the flyers. The 5-foot high monument is inscribed on one side with the names of the airmen: Capt. Richard H. Glaeys of St. Charles, 111.; Corpl. Matthew Comko of Monessen, Pa.; Capt. Blen H. Freestone of Burley, Idaho; Corpl. Chester J. Lower of Enfield, N. H.. and Capt. Harold F. Schreiber of New Albany. Ind. The back' of the thin marble slab bears simply a date and place name: Yugoslavia, August 19, 1946. On that day the five airmen were flying an unarmed transport plane from Vienna, Austria, to Udine, Italy. As the plane crossed a narrow strip of Yugoslav terri tory near Udine, a number of Yugoslav Yak fighters bore in and shot the transport down without warning. The incident nearly ended re lations between the United States and Yugoslavia. It was settled at length when the Tito govern ment agreed to pay. $150,000 in demnity. Until Arthur Bliss Lane, former Ambassador to Poland, started a contribution campaign for a monument, the grave of the air men had been marked by a low lying stone which identified the flyers and merely stated, “Killed in an airplane crash.” Ultimately 300 voluntary con tributions were received. Transit Radio Is Offered For Civil Defense Use Bus and street car riders would be alerted in an emergency via transit radio, under a plan pro posed to District civil defense plan ners. Ben Strouse, vice president and general manager of WWDC-FM and Washington Transit Radio, said he had written Engineer Com missionei* Gordon R. Young of fering the full facilities of transit radio to civil defense. Mr. Strouse said the Defense Department’s civil defense liaison committee had pointed out these uses of radios on streetcars and buses in an emergency: Bus drivers could be given in structions to take their passengers to safe areas; the drivers could be ; notified via the broadcasts to avoid certain areas; the drivers could be told to discharge their passengers and report at critical points for ambulance duty; and panic could be controlled through news broadcasts "designed to dis | pel wild rumors in event of at | tack.” Church Speaker Named ■ Charles S. Brown, a member of the Memorial Baptist Church oi Arlington, will speak at worship services of the church at 11 a.m tomorrow. The Rev. Paul Harrei pastorals on vacation. 'New Law May Add $500,000 To D.C. Aid Fund Clapp Estimate on Social Security Seen as Helping 3 Categories The pending legislation to ex tend the social security program may provide the District with from $400,000 to $500,000 more for public assistance this fiscal year. The measure, awaiting signature by President Truman, may mean that the public assistance allow ance can be brought up from the present 80 per cent of standard to from 95 to 100 per cent after January 1, welfare officials said. The standard is based on 1946 prices. Allowances have been cut three times in the last two years. The new legislation would permit District funds to earn more Fed eral reimbursement. May Benefit 3 Categories. The District expects to be able to extend its assistance through three categories of the bill: Expanded social security bene fits. Extension of-aid to dependent children. Increased aid to the perma nently and totally disabled. The bill would remove from the District's old-age assistance rolls some persons who also are re ceiving old-age insurance pay ments under social security. At present their social security pay ments must be supplemented by public assistance. Raymond F. Clapp, principal assistant to the director of pub lic welfare, estimated the increases provided by the pending bill in old-age insurance payments will be the equivalent of meeting the needs of about 4 per cent of those receiving assistance. Means About $30,000. This will /mean about $30,000 a year to the District, he esti mated. A substantial saving Is expected through the proposed change in the form of Federal reimburse ment for aid to dependent chil dren. It might increase the al lowance for families receiving such aid as much as $15 a month. The average now is $74 a month for a family with four children. The Federal Government re imburses the District for a cer tain percentage of payments to the families. The matchable amount is to be increased by an allowance for the mother. In the past, no reimbursement was granted for the portion of the as sistance payment needed by the mother. A third provision of the legisla tion which would benefit the District program is that apply ing to persons who are perma nently and totally disabled. Mr. Clapp said. The District has not received reimbursement for as sistance given such persons unless they were over 65 or blind. Mr. Clapp estimated that pos sibly half the persons now’ re ceiving general assistance will be come eligible for reimbursable payments. The welfare official said it is hoped the increased benefits might be translated into higher grants sometime after November 1. and the standard approached after January 1. Native of Fiji Islands Addresses Adventists Heathens of the Fiji Islands are being transformed from cannibals and headhunters into "sincere and loyal Christians" through the work of Seventh-day Adventists, Ratu Semi Vuloaloa, a native is lander, reported today. He spoke at the Potomac Con ference Seventh-day Adventist camp meeting in Sligo Church, Takoma Park, during the church's Sabbath school program. Ratu Semi is in this country with Elder G. B. Branster, presi dent of the denomination's Cen tral Pacific Union Island Mission. They attended the general con-! ference session in San Francisco last month and are on a tour of camp meetings and churches in the United States before return ing to the Fiji Islands. There are 71 Seventh-day Ad- i ventist churches in Fiji, with a5 church and Sabbath school mem bership of 2,089. More than 5,000 are attending; ; the camp meeting. Delegates are from Virginia, Maryland, and the District. The 10-day session will end tomorrow. D. C. Conservation Unit Plans Food Stock Survey The Commissioners have ac cepted the recommendation of the District Food Conservation Com mittee that Rick La Falce be em ployed to develop facts and fig ures pertaining to available food stocks and prepare information for the public. Mr. La Falce's job is to stop the public from engaging in fur ther panic buying, according to Thomas Kennedy, chairman of the committee. “All indications are that the period of scarce buying is ended on all food supplies, except in isolated areas,” Mr. Kennedy said. “The so-called short items again are appearing on the shelves of practically all stores. Appar ently the only thing gained by the hoarders was the buying of large stocks of unneeded supplies, taking up cupboard and shelf space and drawing mice and roaches.” The Commissioners have made two additional appointments to the committee, Mr. Kennedy said. They are Jerome McKee, presi dent of the Federation of Busi nessmen’s Association, and Mrs. Eleahor J. Palmer, president of Division 50, Communication Workers of America. Blood Donor Wants Hoarders Sent to Korea With K Rations Roger Watts, 27, of 10124 Hereford road, Silver Spring, has just finished donating a pint of blood and Nurse Elaine Godtfring places a small bandage on his arm to protect the puncture. —Star StafT Photo. ___ / "They ought to take hoarders over to Korea and let them live on K rations for a couple of months.” Then the lean. 27-year-old vet eran of the Army. Navy and Mer chant Marine shook his head. ' But even that might not cure them,*’ he said, as he prepared to donate blood to replenish sup plies depleted by the Korean war. Roger Watts was one of about 150 Army Map Service workers who responded to the Red Cross call for blood when the Montgom ery County Chapter's bloodmobile visited the Government building this week on MacArthur boule vard near Brookmont. Knows Value of Plasma. Like most of the other donors, Mr. Watts, who lives at 10124 Hereford road, Silver Spring, is a veteran and knows the value of whole blood and plasma on the battlefield. You would think that two years in the Merchant Marine, three in the Army, including 18 months overseas, and three in the Navy would be enough for any man. But not for Mr. Watts. He tried to join the Army Reserve recently so he could keep his sergeant's rating, but was turned down. "They told me I had too many dependents, and I'd better stay home, ” he laughed. Mr. Watts is married and has four children. Another donor, Mrs. Laicita Cook, 27, of 754 South Greenbriar stieet. Arlington, also has had first-hand experience with w-ar. She was a Wac corporal in New Guinea and the Philippines in 1944 and 1945 and her husband. George, was a bomber navigator. Tenth Donation. "A lot of boys over there need it.” she said simply, when asked why she was donating blood. It was her tenth donation. The headquarters for the blood mobile and its staff of volunteers, nurses, and a physician was the Army Map Service basement. Lined up behind the screen were eight beds. In front of the screen was a table loaded with doughnuts and cookies, with a coffee percolator bubbling near by. For those who didn’t want coffee there was a choice of tea or milk. It was all very efficient. As the donors entered in groups of eight they were shunted to a desk manned by two volunteers who took their names and addresses and asked whether they had ever given blood before. At another desk, a doctor took their pulse, temperature, blood pressure, a sample of their blood and their medical history. Then, after drinking some fruit juice, they had their blood drawn by a registered nurse. The final step was a short stop at the can teen for refreshments. The en tire process took about 45 min utes'. Happy Over Turnout. In a few days they w’ill receive a card from the chapter, giving their blood type and the date of their donation. Mrs. George B. Hartman, chair man of Volunteer Services for the Montgomery Chapter, was quite happy over the large turnout. “Before the Korean war,” she recalled, “we got only about half of what we needed in Montgom ery County. But in recent weeks the response has picked up tre mendously.” When the Bloodmobile last vis ited the Army Map Service in May there were about 80 donors, just about half of this week's turnout, Mrs. Hartman said. The require ments for donating blood are sim ple. One must be between 21 and 60 years old. Donors between 18 and 21 also are accepted if they have their parents’ permission or if they are married. The county Bloodmobile's next visit in Montgomery County will be from 2 to 8 p.m., September 6, at the Congregational Church on Westmoreland Circle. One of this week's donors Richard Nehritz, 21, of 4427 Q street N.W., said he probably W'ill be drafted soon. “There is a good chance I will get some blood back.” he said. Milk Cost Comparison Puts 74 ot 113 Cities Below District Level A comparison of milk prices In a current report of the Agricul ture Department reveals that only 24 of 113 cities have higher milk prices than Washington, while 74 have lower prices. The report also reveals that milk producers in the Washington vicinity receive a higher propor tion from retail milk sales than is average for producers else where. Noting that retail prices rose half a cent a quart here and in Baltimore this month, the report said prices also increased early in August in more than 40 cities. About one market in every three reporting indicated higher retail prices than in July. Prices for standard milk de livered at homes averaged 19.8 cents a quart in 24 cities, as com pared with a price of 22-23 cents in Washington. Some of the highest prices re ported were at Atlantic City, where milk retails for 26',2 to 27 Vi cents per quart, and Chi cago, which pays 24-25 cents. The department reported that the average price of milk in 24 cities increased three-tenths of a cent over July, but was three tenths of a cent lower than in August of last year. Board to Consider Closing 2 Ninth St. Billiard Parlors The License Board will meet at 10 a.m. on Monday in the Municipal Center to consider a Police Department recommenda tion that the licenses of two Ninth street billiard parlors be revoked. One of the halls, operated by William G. Heflin at 913-915 Ninth street N.W., was the scene! of the December 10 slaying of Joseph H. “Big Joe” Scheve by James A. Rgsbee, self - styled “tough guy,” who was sentenced on May 2 to serve from 15 years to life for the murder. The other billiard parlor is operated at 937 Ninth street N.W. by Frederick R. Murdock. The charge against both operators is “use tor an unlawful purpose.” 1 New Case Raises Polio Total Here to 76, Neai Double '49 Figure One new case of polio was re ported to the District Health De partment late yesterday, bringing the total of Washington cases this year to 76. Last year at this time 34 had been reported. The new patient is a 13-year old girl who lives in the 6100 block of Twenty-ninth street N.W. She is in George Washington Uni versity Hospital. Meanwhile, the National Foun dation for Infantile Paralysis an nounced the sending of $28,003 to six Virginia counties where foun dation chapters already have emptied their own March of Dimes treasuries in providing funds for care of patients stricken this sum mer. The State Health Department said yesterday it had reports of six new cases in Virginia—the smallest report in two months— which brought the 1950 total to 440. For the third straight day, no new cases were reported from Wytheville or Wythe County, and health officials felt sure the worst of the epidemic there was at an end. The six counties receiving March of Dimes funds are Wythe, $16, 174: Bland, $1,138; Carroll, $1 276: Pittsylvania, $4,956; Scott, $2,141, and Wise, $2,315. March of Dimes emergency funds sent into Virginia this year by the foundation already exceed $86,000. Dr. Yeager to Preach In Arlington Tomorrow The Rev. Carl F. Yeager will be j guest preacher at the Resurrec tion Lutheran Church, Arlington, at the 8:30 and 11 a.m. services, tomorrow. Dr. Yeager, a former pastor of the church, recently returned i from Germany where he has been ; for the past three years with the Lutheran World Relief Commis sion. The Rev.' Dana H. Johnson, i pastor of the church, will return, from his vacation on September 10. More Reserves Called by Army, Marine Corps 80,000 of Sergeant Rank and Below in Latter Group The Marine Corps and the Army today began to issue orders calling up additional reserves, and spokes men for the services said the new call Is to be completed in a few days. All enlisted men of sergeant’s rank or below in the Marine Vol unteer Reserves are being sum moned, both in the aviation and ground forces. About 80,000 men are affected. The Volunteer Reserves consist of men not assigned to Organized Reserve units. The Army's new announcement covered an additional 570 Reserve captains and lieutenants. They will be summoned with or without their consent, and be placed on active duty by October 13 the Army said. This would bring the total of recalled officers in all brances to 8,432. Engineer Officers Doubled. The new call doubles the quotas of Engineer officers to be returned to active duty in each of the six Army areas. Locally, the 430th Engineer Con struction Battalion reported for active duty this morning at the Engineer Armory, 450 Maine ave nue S.W., under command of Lt. Col. Oliver E. Deming of 2811 South Abingdon street, Arlington The battalion will spend the next week being processed, ori ented and brought up to date on current Army regulations and pro cedures before leaving the Wash ington Area in the near future, it was announced. Headquarters Outfit Called. Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 306th Armored Cavalry Group of Washington, an Army organized reserve unit, also have been ordered to report for active duty by September 13. Some personnel of the 306th will be sent to camp on August 30 to make ready for the remainder of the unit and prepare plans for taking on the two or more tank battalions ordinarily assigned to an Armored Group. The 306th became the second Washington Army organized re serve unit to be called up since the Korean fighting. About two weeks ago, the 340th Engineer Construc tion Battalion was alerted. It is understood they will shove oft for camp August 29. Reserve Tank Outfit. It was understood that e 306th would serve as an arm> or i corps reserve tank outfit. The military district of Washington requested that the name of the camp at which the unit will train not be made public. Lt. Col. Ford E. Young, jr., 4405 Leland street, Chevy Chase, Md„ is commander of the 306th. He joined it as an enlisted man in 1931, when it was known as the 306th Cavalry Regiment, reserve. Col. Young, who practices law in the District, said that he ex pected the word “cavalry” soon tq be dropped from the name of his unit. 1 A graduate of George Wash ington University and the law School of National University, the 42-year-old colonel served on the staff of the commanding gen eral of the 2nd Cavalry Division and taught at the cavalry school at Fort Riley, Kans., during - World War II. Last year he wrote a book entitled "Elementary Horsemanship.” 44% Accepted in Draft. On the draft front, meanwhile, i the District Selective Service Board announced that 44 per cent | of the first 470 eligibles examined have been accepted for military service. The board said 605 men had been ordered to report to the Arlington Farms preinduction center from July 24 through August 9 and that 130 failed to report. Of those examined, 211 were accepted and 264 rejected. The board noted that, since it has dipped into the 23-year-old gioup, the precentage of accept ances has increased. Thus. 48 per cent of the men examined in August passed, compared to 38 per cent for July. Other Related Developments. Other developments related to the expansion of the armed forces and security preparations in cluded: 1. A Senate Armed Services sub committee will open hearings Tuesday on a proposal to make doctors, dentists and other medi cal specialists subject to the draft. Chairman Hunt said the aim of the legislation is to draft first those who were deferred in the last war while they completed their education. 2. The Navy announced reopen ing of its stations on Midway Island in the Pacific after it was closed for economy reasons two months ago. Certain facilities will be reactivated at the naval sta tion at Trinidad, British West Indies. 3. The Army announced that it will save the time of its per sonnel during the emergency bv calling a halt to the presentation of old weapons to veterans and civic organizations. Wholesale Price Drop Of 0.4 Per Cent Reported By th« Associated Press Wholesale prices declined 0.4 per cent in the week ended Au gust 15. the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported yesterday. At the week’s end, its index stood at 165 per cent of the 1926 average. This was 1 per cent above a month ago and 8.1 per cent above the comparable week in 1949.