Evening star. [volume], December 09, 1951, Image 1

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

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Weather Forecast
Cloudy, mild, rain likely today and
tomorrow; high near 62. Cooler tomor
row. (Details on Page A-2.)
Yesterday’s Temperatures.
Noon --64 6 p.m.-.60 11 p.m..-58
2 p.m..-62 8 p.m-_58 12 a.m.-_59
4 p.m.,-61 10 p.m.-_58 1 a.m._ 69
99th Year. No. 343.
WASHINGTON,. D. C., DECEMBER 9,
_ Home Delivery
The Evening and Sunday Star Is
delivered by carrier to all subscribers
at $1.75 per month. Night Final
Edition 10 cents additional.
Telephone ST. 5000.
An Associoted Press Newspaper
and Suburbs
TEN CENTS.
is CKNTS
Elsewher*
T rumanSuddenly EndsVacation
ToFlyHereTodayforTalkWith
Joint Chiefs and State Officials
Mystery Surrounds
Purpose of Parley
Set for Tomorrow
President Truman is cutting
short his Florida vacation to fly
back to Washington today for a
hastily summjned meeting with
the Joint Chiefs of Staff and
State Department officials tomor
row mcrning.
There was no explanation at
the President's vacation head
quarters in Key West of the
reason for the meeting.
The best sources available in
Washington speculated that it in
volved crucial decisions concern
ing the Korean truce negotiations.
Officials here insisted they knew
of no new crisis requiring the
President’s return.
But even some of those expected
to attend the meeting at the
White House at 10:30 a.m. tomor
row professed not to know exactly
what it was about.
Mystery Surrounds Decision.
At Key West, where reporters
travelling with Mr. Truman had
expected him to remain at least
another week, an air of mystery
was put around his sudden deci
sion to return here today.
The reporters were notified
shortly before 6 p.m. to report to
the press room at the Key West
naval base for a news conference
at 6:30 p.m.
At the conference. Irving Peri
meter, assistant press secretary
to the President, announced:
“The President has decided to
depart at 2 p.m. tomorrow (Sun
day) in order to be in Washington
for a meeting he has called for
10:30 Monday morning in the
White House of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff and representatives of
the State Department.”
Evades Answers.
Mr. Perimeter was asked the
purpose of the unexpected return.
“That’s the purpose,” he said,
referring to his oral announce
ment.
Asked if the Korean truce nego
tiations were involved, he said:
*‘I can’t answer any further ques
tions.”
Then he was asked if he would
give “the usual- answer that this
is not an emergency.”
“I have said all I can,” he re
plied.
The President s decision came
after he had a long conference
at Key West earlier yesterday
with James S. Lay, executive sec
retary of the National Security
Council.
Issues concerning Government
policy in major problems such as
the Korean affair normally are
threshed out in the National
Security Council among top offi
cials of the State and Defense De
partments and other agencies con
cerned with agreed recommenda
tions going to the President for
final decision.
Some of those familiar with Mr.
Truman’s methods of operation
speculated that he decided, rather
than make decisions on the basis
of information relayed to him by
Mr. Lay, to hurry back here and
confer personally with those han
dling the problems before making
up his mind.
Negotiations Deadlocked.
One question calling for an
early decision is the extent to
which the United Nations com
mand should compromise with the
Communists in Korea on arrange
ments for a truce inspection sys
tem.
There has been talk that the
President may take some sweep
ing new action soon in an effort
to prevent charges of corruption
from becoming a main issue in
next year’s election campaign. He
presumably is anxious to confer
here on what course to take.
The suddenness of the Presi
dent’s decision was apparent. His
press secretary, Joseph Short, had
flown back to Washington Thurs
day and planned to return to Key
West tomorrow for the remainder
of the Truman stay there.
A sudden call wrent out to all
White House personnel at Key
West shortly before Mr. Perime
ter’s announcement there. The
decision apparently caught most
of them by surprise, reporters
noted.
Mr. Truman had been in Key
West for one month yesterday.
The White House conferees to
morrow, in addition to the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, will include Secre
tary of Defense Lovett and Under
secretary of State James E. Webb,
who is acting secretary in the
absence of Secretary Acheson. Mr.
Acheson is en route home by ship
from Europe.
Santas Plentiful
Here This Year
Washington will see a wealth of
Santas this yeor, judging from a re
port of one large specialty store which
already has sold more thon 100 Santa
Clout costumes.
One of the
best ways to
make sure Santa
visits the chil
dren in your
family is to con
sult the miscel
laneous for tale
Columns of The Star classified sec
♦ion. All sorts of toys are advertised
there.
The Star carries more classified ads
than the three other Washington
newspapers combined. So consult this
tremendous showcase for Christmas
toys. Phone Sterling 5000 for home
delivery of The Star.
Wilson Denies Civilian Output
Has Slowed Arms Production
It Has Been Needed to Bar Unemployment,
He Says, But Warns of Cutbacks Ahead
By tht Associated Press
BUFFALO, N. Y„ Dec. 8 —De
fense Mobilizer Charles E, Wilson
said tonight that guns-and-butter
production has been necessary
until now to prevent widespread
unemployment.
He added emphatically that the
output of civilian goods has not
held up military production.
In a speech prepared for the
Niagara Frontier Convocation, he
said the defense production pro
gram now is going into “high
gear.” This will mean, he warned
again, increased cutbacks of civil
ian goods “in the first half of next
year.”
The boss of the mobilization ef
fort said a graduated three-year
program was planned for defense
production.
“We purposely did not embark'
on all-out mobilization, with re
armament to be achieved in a year
or a year and a half,” he said.
‘‘All-out mobilization would
needlessly have thrown millions of j
men out of work, would have re
quired billions of dollars in relief1
and would have deprived us of
billions of dollars of tax revenues
we sorely need. It would also
have provided us with idle moun- j
tains of obsolete or obsolescent1
weapons.”
Mr. Wilson added:
A Senate Armed Services Sub
committee, under Chairman Lyn
don Johnson, Democrat, of Texas,
has reported that arms produc
tion is lagging dangerously be
cause, it said, “guns” have not
received priority over “butter.” i
Mr. Wilson added that “our
__<See WILSON. PageA-5 ) j
32 American Civilians
Listed by Knowland
As Prisoners in China
Most Are Missionaries;
Names Disclosed Despite
State Department Secrecy
By the Associated Press
LOS ANGELES. Dec. 8—The
names of 32 American citizens re
ported imprisoned in Red China
were announced tonight by Sena
tor Knowland, Republican, of
California, with the demand:
"Some major effort must be
made, before Korean peace nego
tiations go much further, to get
these people out of jail.”
The Californian, describing the
imprisonments as “32 more Voge
ler and Oatis cases," defied the
United States State Department'
by releasing a confidential list it
had given him.
“I am removing the restriction
on this list on my own responsi
bility as a United States Sena
tor.” Knowland told newsmen. “It
is high time the public knew about
it.”
Most of the persons on the list
are Catholic or Protestant mis
sionaries. Five of them are
women. Almost all of them were
reported arrested within the last
year, but one man—Lawrence R.
Buol of China Air Transport ^Gen.
Claire Chennault’s concern)—was
said to have been in custody since
January, 1950.
Prisoner May Be Dead.
Senator Knowland said that
another reported prisoner. Philip
Cline, a businessman arrested at
Tsingtao, may be dead—and there
is no certainty of the fate of any
of the others. (Newsweek Maga
zine this week reports Mr. Cline
dead.)
Three Catholic bishops and a
Presby tei ian mission head are
among those listed. They are
Bishop Francis X. Ford of Mary
knoll Mission, arrested at Mui
yuen. Kwangtung. April 14. 1951;
Bishop Robert Kowalski, Francis
can Fathers, arrested at Wuchang,
Hupet Province. June. 1951;
Bishop Ambrose H. Pinger. Fran
ciscan missionary union, at Tsing
tao. in August. 1951; Dr. Homer
V. Bradshaw, and his wife, of the
Presbyterian mission at Lien
Hsien in Kwangtung. The date
the Bradshaws were arrested was
not given.
Notifies Rusk.
Senator Knowland said he had
given the State Department “fair
warning” that he intended to re
lease the list. He obtained the
list October 19, he said, after a
first letter on the subject to As
sistant Secretary of State Dean
Rusk on October 3.
Eight days ago—November 30—
Knowland said he sent Mr. Rusk
a telegram asking whether any of
the 32 persons had been released
or any progress made by the State
• See KNOWLAND. Page A-3.)
Boy Flies Stolen Plane in Dark
To Prove He's No Coward in Air
By the Associated Press
ST. PAUL, Minn., Dec. 8.—A
16-year-old boy piloted a stolen
plane over St. Paul and Minne
apolis for an hour in darkness
and bad weather early today to
prove he “wouldn’t ‘chicken out’
under pressure.”
With a companion, also 16, the
boy brought the light plane down
in a plowed field, narrowly miss
ing a railway locomotive. The
boys were not injured and the
plane, worth more than $15,000
new, was not damaged.
The lads are being held for
juvenile authorities. Their names
were withheld.
The impromptu pilot said he
had been planning the flight for
about two years. He said he had
taken some Civil Air Patrol
courses, spending about two and a
half hours in flight with an in
structor.
The boys related these details
to police:
They told their parents they
!were taking a week end camping
trip to Southern Minnesota. In
stead, they took a streetcar to
nearby South St. Paul and ar
rived at Fleming Field about
1 am.
They wheeled out a Beech
Bonanza plane. Previously, the
boy who flew the plane had made
a complete sketch of a Beech
Bonanza instrument panel.
The first plane failed to start,
so another of the same type was
taken.
They took off at about 4 a.m.j
planning to land at Willmar,
about 125 miles west of here, but
ice formed on the windshield and'
wing6.
The pilot followed a beacon
back to the Mississippi River and
with that as a landmark guided
the plane back to South St. Paul.
As the plane neared the airport,
it narrowly missed a locomotive.
A railroad man called police.
Air Force Hints at Use
Of Guided Missiles
To Arm Bombers
I
Would Help Big Planes
Fight Off Interceptors
On Way to Target
The Air Force hinted last night
it has developed guided missile
armament for strategic bombers.;
which means they could fight their
own way through enemy inter
ceptors to protected targets deep,
in the Eurasian continent.
The significant reference was
tucked away in a semiannual’re
port of the Defense Department,
prepared by Gen. George C. Mar
shall, who retired in September
as Defense Secretary.
Missile Report Quoted.
' In a brief section on guided
missiles, the report said:
“During the year (ended last
June 30' the Air Force continued
development of six major guided
missiles and initiated one addi
tional major project. These proj-;
ects are intended to give the USAF
the ability to wage missile war
fare in carrying out its air de
fense, its strategic, and its tactical
air missions.
“They include developments de
signed to increase the effective
ness of interceptor aircraft and
the defensive capabilities of stra
tegic bombers and to permit all
weather tactical air operations.” j
First Hint of Bomber Use.
The Air Force has talked of
guided missiles for use by high
flying, swift jet interceptors to
destroy enemy bombers. But this
was the first time it had indicated i
officially that guided missiles are!
contemplated as defensive weap
ons for the long range planes of
the strategic bomber fleet.
The conventional armament of
big bombers so far has been .50
caiiber machine guns and 20 mil-'
limeter cannon. These were rea
sonably satisfactory when bombers
were fighting off World War n
design piston-engined intercep
tors.
Serious Problems Arise.
Serious problems arose, how-;
;ever, when airplanes, bombers as
well as fighters, moved into the1
jet era and began approaching
speeds near that of sound (760
miles an hour at sea level.)
The jet Interceptors, such as
the Soviet-made MIG-15s, are
hard to locate when the closing
speed of two planes may be in
the order of 1,200 miles an hour.
They also are harder to hit. And
the problem becames more acute
when the interceptors attack with
radar in dark or storm.
Out of this growing problem
arose the demand for missiles
w'hich bombers could launch and
which, by guidance from the
bomber and by “homing” devices
to draw them automatically to
the target, could locate and knock
down the fighters,
j In a retaliatory attack on Rus
<See DEFENSE. Page A-5.)
Jet Battle Roars
At 40,000 Feet
In Korean Skies
Sabres, MIGs Clash
In Substratosphere;
All U. S. Planes Safe
By the Associated Press
SEOUL, Korea, Sunday, Dec. 9.
—American Sabre jets, outnum
bered four to one, clashed with
swept-wing Communist jets nearly
eight miles above Northwest Korea
Saturday in one of the highest
dogfights in history.
The Air Force reported two of
| the 60 red-nosed MIG-15s were
Korean Truce Talks Appear Near Stage
of Hard Bargaining. Page A-8
j damaged and that all 15 American
jets returned to base safely.
The flashing battle raged at
40,000 feet in a brilliant blue sky.
It was one of five fights which
followed a one-day layoff because
of bad weather Friday.
The high altitude fight was re
garded as exceptional. Hitherto
the highest dogfights reported
were at around 36,000 feet. The
40,000-foot level is in the sub
stratosphere.
Pilot Rescued From Ocean.
The Air Force reported one F-84 i
Thunderjet was shot down by
Communist anti-aircraft guns, but
the pilot was rescued from the
ocean off the west coast.
The Air Force said a Mustang
fighter plane also was lost Satur
day to ground fire.
Eight Superforts Saturday night
turned their attention to the front,
and unloaded 500-pound bombs
on troop concentrations. Light
bombers claimed they destroyed i
100 enemy trucks behind the lines.
Other Thunderjets seared a big
Communist supply area south of
Wonsan on the east coast with
rockets and fire bombs.
On the ground, small but sharp
Chinese Red patrol jabs were re
pulsed in the central and west
central sectors.
Campaign Against Guerrillas. |
In the southern provinces, the
Republic of Korea army appeared
nearing the end of its anti-guer
rilla campaign in the Chiri Moun
tains.
ROK troops Saturday reached a
main guerrilla hideout and killed
50 Reds in a pitched battle. They
captured 119, including 42 women
camp followers.
A Government spokesman said
that since “operation rathole" be
gan December 1. 677 Reds have
been killed and 1,245 captured.
He said ROK casualties were 11
killed, 36 wounded and one miss
ing.
Argentine Exile Dies
In Uruguayan Crash
By th« Associated Press
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, Dec.
8.—Capt. Arturo Rawson. Argen
tine army officer who fled to Uru-1
guay after the abortive revolt
against Juan D Peron’s govern
ment, was killed in an automobile
accident early today.
Capt. Rawson, 32, was the son
of Gen. Arturo Rawson, former
president of Argentina.
The general, now in an Argen
tine penitentiary had been men
tioned in connection with the
September 28 rebellion, but later
the government said he had not
been involved in It Another son,
also an officer, fled with the cap
j tain.
Capt. Rawson had been per
mitted by the Uruguayan govern
ment to live in this country in
exile, but required to live at
Minas, northeast of Montevideo.
Capt. Rawson with Orma de
Davas and Rosa Viera, were riding
in a station wagon driven by
Heber Coates. Coates failed to
see a sharp curve outside Monte
video and the automobile over
turned. Coates was unhurt and
the women were only slightly in
jured.
Capt. Rawson lay by the side of
the road until a passing bus took
him to a first aid station. He died
shortly afterward en route to a
hospital.
Arlington Police Impound
City of Falk Church Car
Arlington police last night im
pounded a City of Falls Church
auto after they had given the
driver, the storekeeper at the
citys property yard, a summons
for reckless driving.
Police said the driver was Wil
liam Frederick Hesser, 32, of Mer
rifield. Falls Church City Mana
ger W. Rhodes Woodbury said Mr.
Hesser has authority to use the
city-owned car.
Mr. Hesser was arrested by De
tectives Russell L. Runyon and
Russell Pettie at Buckingham
Apartments after they had fol
lowed the car they said he was
(driving east on Lee boulevard
about 5 p.m. In addition to the
reckless driving charge, Mr. Hes
| ser also was given a summons
(for having no registration card.
Mr. Hesser was summoned to
appear in County Court Friday.
Mr. Woodbury said he planned
to have the vehicle returned to
Falls Church. Arlington police
said they would surrender it when
they see the registration card.
IF THIS SETS
ANY MORE ASININE
I'LL HAVE TO
CLEAN IT UP
MYS£LF/ iiJ
a&MjnistraYion "
n
Dependable Help Is So Hard to Get These Days.
7 7 Anti-Mossadegh Editors Take
Sanctuary in Iran Parliament
11 Opposition Deputies Move in With Them
Saying They Fear for Lives After Riots
By th« Associated Press
TEHERAN, Iran, Dec. 8.—Eleven
newspaper editors who have op
posed Premier Mohammed Mos
sadegh’s policies and 11 opposi
tion deputies moved into the parli
ment building today and an
nounced they were taking refuge
from pro-government terrorists.
I They issued statements declar
ing their lives were in danger as
a result of rioting here Thursday
in which from seven to 24 persons
have been reported killed and
more than 200 injured.
Sanctuary is traditionally of
fered by parliament to politicians
threatened with violence. Mossa
degh himself spent several days
within the building at the height
of the unnoil over nationalization
of tjie Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. He
said terrorists sought to kill him.
About 5,000 Communist-led
| youths set off the rioting Thurs
day with a forbidden inarch on
parliament. They were halted and
repulsed by a force that outnum
bered them two-to-one—police,
troops and nationalist civilians—
in five hours of street fighting.
Later gangs raided and wrecked
nine newspaper offices—two Com
munist and seven others which
have been both anti-Communist
and anti-Mossadegh. A gang
seized and burned copies of the
anti-government newspaper Attash
today.
Anti-Communist newspaper edi
tors said pro-government men had
started what they called a reign
of terror to muzzle the free press.
A pro-government newspaper, Sha
hed, blamed the wrecking cam
paign on “British-led Commu
nists and Communist-led »tu
dents.”
Jet's Tanks Fall,
Demolish House
At Van Nuys, Calif.
By the Associated Press
VAN NUYS. Calif., Dec. 8.—
Wing tanks falling from an Air
Force jet plane set fire to a resi
dence today, but no one was hurt.
Owner Jules Boyere and his wife
'were out shopping.
Damage to the new house and
^furnishings was estimated at $25,
Photos on Page A-7
000. The interior was wrecked,
the roof ripped and the walls
jarred off their foundations.
BotJh wing tip tanks, each carry
ing 230 gallons of jet fuel, dropped
from a Lockheed T-33 two-place
jet trainer which had just taken
off from Van Nuys. It was piloted
by 1st Lt. Elmer C. Hunley, jr., of
the 1737th Ferrying Squadron at
Kelly. He landed the plane safely
back at Van Nuys.
Both wing tanks apparently hit
the house, one of them skipping
from the back yard into the din
ing room before exploding, the
other blowing up in the house
after crashing through the roof.
Alaskan Oil Well Blaze
Extinguished at 50 Below
By the Associated Press
FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Dec. 8.—
A spectacular oil well fire near
Point Barrow in northernmost
Alaska was put out today after
it burned 48 hours and destroyed
a steel derrick.
The blaze started Thursday in;
one of the Navy’s exploratory;
wells about 500 miles northwest
of here.
All 10 on U. S. Plane
Found Dead in France
By tty Associated Press
CUGES-LES-PINS. France, Dec.
8.—Ground search parties found
all 10 crewmen and passengers
dead today when they reached the
: charred wreckage of a United
I States Air Force C-47 which
crashed Thursday night on Joug
jde L'Aigle, or Eagle Perch. The
victims’ names were not an
nounced.
The big transport, flying from
Tripoli, North Africa, had shat
tered itself against the rocky hill
side 30 miles east of Marseille.
The wreckage was scattered
over an area of 500 yards about
two-thirds of the way up the side
of the 3.500-foot peak.
The plane was the third Amer
ican Air Force craft lost in
Europe in less than a month. A
C-82 flying boxcar crashed in
Southern France November 13,
killing all 36 servicemen aboard.
Another C-47 stiayed from its
course from Munich, Germany, to
Belgrade. Yugoslavia, and was
forced down by Soviet Fighter
planes in Hungary November 19.
The plane and four crewmen are
still being held in Hungary.
A B-29 bomber carrying 16 men,
en route to California after a
training flight to England, crashed
Thursday just after taking off
from Lagens Air Force base in the I
Azores. No survivors have been
found.
Japs to Talk Reparations
TOKYO, Sunday, Dec. 9, (JP).—
A 15-member Indonesian mission
is coming to Tokyo next Thursday
to discuss reparations. The Kyodo
news agency reported today.
Mother, Son Injured
Seriously by Auto
On Wisconsin Avenue
Rescue Squad Truck
En Route to Accident
Scene Collides With Car
A mother and her 11-year-old
son were injured seriously last
night when struck by a car as
they were crossing Wisconsin
avenue.
Rain-slickened streets and poor
visibility caused a rash’ of minor
accidents which kept police and
ambulances busy.
Mrs. Martha Berman, 46, of
1655 Thirty-sixth street N.W., and
her son, Joel, were taken to
Emergency Hospital with injuries
suffered when struck by a car as
they started across the street to
board a streetcar at Wisconsin
avenue and S streets N.W. Mrs.
Berman suffered a fractured pelvis
and leg injuries, hospital officials
said, and her son is suffering from
a broken left leg and head in
juries.
Police said the driver of the
car was Donald E. Anderson, 24,
of 5006 Bradley boulevard, Chevy
Chase, Md. Mr. Anderson a
sheetmetal worker, posted $100
collateral on a charge of colliding.
A Bethesda-Chevy Chase Res
cue Squad truck was damaged
and one man was injured when
the rescue squad vehicle and a
car collided at Wisconsin avenue
and Old Georgetown road. The
rescue truck, followed by a squad
ambulance, was on the way to
the scene of a District accident
near,Chevy Chase circle.
| The rescue truck was in colli
sion with a car driven by Lewis
Riley, 68. a salesman, of 6511
Northfield road, Bethesda. He
told police he did not hear a siren
as he pulled out of Old George
town road. Mr. Riley was taken
in the squad ambulance to Sub
urban Hospital, where he was ad
mitted for observation. He suffer
ed chest and arm cuts.
The squad vehicles had been
en route to Chevy Chase circle,
where Mrs. Grace McKenna, 56.
of 5863 Chevy Chase parkway
N. W„ had been struck by a car
in front of the bus terminal there.
:She was taken by police to George
town Hospital, and released after
treatment.
Tito Amnesty Leads to Mines
BELGRADE, Yugoslavia, Dec. 8.
i/P)—Belgrade Radio announced
tonight 268 men have been freed
from prison in Bosnia-Herzego
vina under an amnesty granted by
the Interior ministry. The an
nouncement said the prisonersj
were so grateful to Marshall Tito’s
Communist government that they
“volunteered” to work three
months in the Bresi coal mines !
Friends Helped Caudle, Who Helped Anybody
By George Beveridge
I In the modestly-furnished liv
ing room, of his four-bedroom,
rented home at 2939 Newark
street N.W., Theron Lamar
Caudle last night talked with a
Star reporter about his troubles
and about his mystery-shrouded
rise to high Government office.
Thus far, the House subcom
nrttee investigating tax scandals
hi only sketched the develop
ments which elevated Mr. Caudle
from a relatively obscure North
Carolina county attorney’s job
to the high-level Justice Depart
ment positions he held until No
vember 16.
Instead, it has concentrated on
the way he handled the Nation’s
top tax-fraud cases, the “outside
interests” which brought his 12
year Federal career to an end
and his amazing affinity for the
friendship of people in tax troub
les^ ,
1 It is this affinity, plus an al
most unbelievable desire to help
anyone in trouble, which some of
his colleagues and friends say
figured in his own troubles.
Mr. Caudle is a well-propor
tioned 6-footer, with graying hair
and a face which reflects every
change of his emotional nature.
Like most of the witnesses linked
to him in the current investiga
tion, he has his own striking
characteristics.
He speaks with the heavy accent
and idom of the deep South and,
talks “better standing up.” He
gestures freely, and uses such
phrases as, “My soul!” and “Lord
God almighty” to make his points.
His most typical pose in the
witness chair is a slumped posi
tion. with his chin resting on one
h«nd.
He told the House Ways and
Means Subcommittee on one occa
sion he wished his wife “never |
had bought a mink coat.”
Showing obvious signs of strain
from his appearances before the
House Ways and Means Subcom
mittee, Mr. Caudle said last night,
“I do not feel I have acted wrongly
in a single case.”
Why, then, does he feel he is in
his present situation?
‘‘I just don’t know. I don’t
know,” he said.
Mr. Caudle said he “might have
been indiscreet about some of my
associations.” But, as in the case
of “influence man” Frank Nathan,
he insisted, he broke them off "in
my own way” whenever he found
anything was wrong.
During the interview, the tele
phone rang incessantly. Mr. Cau
dle also pointed to a nearby table,
containing dozens of letters, tele
grams and cards which have
poured in during the last few
days.'
All but a few, Mrs. Caudle said,
are from friends and acquaint
ances throughout the country, of
fering moral support. The “few,”
she said, were "letters from
(Continued on Page A-12, Col. 1.)
Tax Shakedown
Figure Grilled in
Secret Session
Probers Are Silent
On Testimony of
Bert K. Naster
By th« Associated Press
Bert K. Naster of Hollywood.
Fla., a key figure in a sensational
$500,000 tax “shakedown” story,
was questioned yesterday by House
investigators behind closed doors.
Members of the Ways and
Means Subcommittee would not
divulge the nature of the testi
mony given by the businessman
during several hours of question
ing.
But Adrian W, DeWind, com
mittee counsel, indicated that Mr.
Naster would be called to testify
in public hearings this week.
Mr. DeWind also intimated that
Henry Grunewald, a “mystery
witness" in the case, will be ques
tioned early this week. Mr. Grune
wald was served a subpoena Fri
day at Georgetown Hospital here.
Named By Teitelbaum.
Abraham Teitelbaum, wealthy
Chicago lawyer who once repre
sented A1 Capone, named Mr. Nas
ter and Frank Nathan, Pittsburgh
and Miami promoter, as the men
who tried to get $500,000 from him
to settle Mr. Teitelbaum’s tax dif
ficulties.
Mr. Teitelbaum testified the
pair claimed to ' have influence
with a "clique” of high Washing
ton officials looking for "soft
touches” like himself. They
warned him of a prison sentence
if he ignored them, he said.
Both Mr. Nathan and Mr.
Naster have denied Mr. Teitel
baum s story of the alleged “shake
down,” Mr. Naster in a statement
made in Florida and Mr. Nathan
in sworn testimony before the in
vestigating subcommittee.
Mr. Nathan called the story "a
dirty lie.”
Story Reportedly Denied.
Although committee member*
refused comment on Mr. Nasten’*
secret testimony, he reportedly de
nied flatly the story told by Mr.
Teitelbaum.
Mr. DeWind said the House sub
committee plans to adhere to it*
present schedule of winding up
the current phases of public hear
ings next Thursday and then re
cessing until January for public
sessions in San Francisco.
Caudle to Return.
Monday's lead-off witness is
, scheduled to be Theron Lamar
I Caudle, ousted recently by Presi
dent Truman as Assistant At- '
torney General in charge of tax
law violations prosecutions. He
previously has testified at length.
Also scheduled to be heard thi*
] week are Charles Oliphant, who
resigned last Wednesday as gen
eral counsel for the Internal Reve
nue Bureau; Attorney General
McGrath; former Internal Reve
nue Commissioner George J.
Schoeneman, and Mr. Grunewald.
The subcommittee received tes
timony Friday that Representa
tive Morrison, Democrat, of Lou
isiana intervened in a tax evasion
case against two Washington
businessmen. The House member
said yesterday he did so only in
the interest of justice.
Morrison’s Statement.
R. D. McLean, a former Justice
Department attorney, told the
committee that Mr. Morrison
asked that there be no criminal
prosecution in the case on the
ground that there had been an
agreement not to prosecute if the
taxpayers volunteered all infor
mation sought before formal in
vestigation.
In a statement issued through
his office here, Mr. Morrison said
that as a member of Congress he
had “helped 26,651 people in vari
ous troubles with Government de
partments.” One of them, he
added, was Sidney Kolker, one of
the men involved in the tax case
and “a personal friend of mine ’•
“My only interest in the case
was to see that he received jus
tice,” Mr. Morrison said.
The subcommittee has not
called Mr. Morrison as a witness
but has indicated a willingness to
hear him if he wishes to testify.
Tito Recognizes Germans
LONDON, Dec. 8. UP).—Yugo
slavia announced tonight she has
agreed to establish normal diplo
matic relations with West Ger
many.
Featured Reading
Inside Today's Star
^ WAR COMES—America has hun
dreds of merchant ships in mothballs.
They'll be an important asset in a
bigger war—if one comes. Star Writer
William A. Millen tells about this
reserve fleet in the first of two ar
ticles on Page A-30.
POPULATION TANGLE-Shiffs m
population are causing headaches for
Washington s public school adminis
trators. One such headache is the
current pupil strike. Star Education
Writer Coit Hendley, jr., explores the
problem on Page A-4. «
IS UNION NEAR—A federal union
of free nations long has been dreamed
about. Now war threats are giving
an urgency to the idea. Con it be
done? Should it? This vital subject
occupies the front page of the Edi
torial Section—Section C.
Complete Index, Page A-2
Radio-TV Programs, Pgs. C-1(Mi