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Weather Forecast Cloudy, cold; high 48 today. Fair, cold tonight; low 32 in city, 26 in suburbs. /To morrow. little change. (Full report on Page A-2.) Midnight 46 6 a.m... 43 11 a.m... 43 2 a.m.__45 8 a.m... 43 Noon ...43 4 a.m... 44 10a.m-.43 1p.m.— 44 Lote New York Morkets, Poge A-23. Guide for Readers Page Amusements ..B-14 Classified.. B-15-20 Comics_B-22-23 Editorial_A-14 Edit’l Articles. A-15 Financial_A-23 Page Lost and Found A-3 Obituary_A-16 Radio-TV_B-21 Sports_A-19-21 Woman’s Section_B-3-6 An Associated Press Newspaper ** WASHINGTON, D. C., MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1951-FORTY-EIGHT PAGES. V&l'SA&SL 5 CENTS 99th Year. No. 344. Phone ST. 5000 McKinney Defends 68-to-1 Profit $ In Stock in Bankrupt Company; Grunewald Tied to'Fix'Message Democratic Chief And McHaleTell Of 10-Month Gains By Robert K. Walsh Frank E. McKinney, Democratic national chairman, made a quick profit of $74,000 in 1947 from a $1,000 investment in common stock of a company that sold 700 tractors to the Government, bank ruptcy hearing records in Phil adelphia indicated today. Frank M. McHale, Indiana Democratic committeeman who sponsored Mr. McKinney for the party post recently, made a simi lar amount after reselling 1,000 shares of common stock to the Empire Tractor Co., from which he had purchased it 10 months previously, the records indicated. Mr. McHale's wife netted $18,500 from $250 she invested. At a press conference here, called after disclosure of the rec ords, Mr. McKinney declared his' profits were only $68,000. The na tional chairman said he had in vested $26,000, in 1946, of which $25,000 was in preferred stock. When he resold all of the stock 10 months later he got back his original $25,000 on the preferred stock and about $68,000 on the $l-a-share common stock invest ment. McHale Tells of Net. Reached by telephone in In dianapolis, Mr. McHale told The, Star that his original investment! In the tractor firm was $26,000, of which $1,000 was for common stock and the rest for preferred. His profit on the common stock at the time of the sale was $69,468. he said. Mr. McKinney and Mr. McHale bought the stock from Frank Cohen, head of Empire Tractor. Mr. Cohen had headed the Em pire Ordnance Co., a World War II munitions combine which came in for considerable criticism by the then Truman committee in the Senate. Empire Tractor was a subsidiary of Empire Ordnance. The national chairman said he had known little about Mr. Cohen or the Empire Tractor when he bought the stock in 1946. He did so at the suggestion of Oscar Salenger, who was president of the Milwaukee American Associa tion baseball club at the time Mr. McKinney was an official of the Indianapolis club. Charges Distortion. Defending the stock transaction as a business venture that paid off, and denying that any deal was Involved, Mr. McKinney told re porters that critics have gone out of their way to “dig up and dis tort” something that took place years ago. “I don’t intend to take this lying down,” he declared, “I am per fectly willing to give a 15 or 20 year resume of all my investments, if necessary. I have made other investments just as good and I have made investments with cor responding losses. Only a year after that investment, I bought $66,000 in'a new company under very much the same circumstances and it all went down the drain.” Mr. McKinney and Mr. McHale, in their separate explanations, said they sold the stock in the belief that there was an argu ment over control of the company. Mr. McKinney said Mr. Salenger suggested that he hold on to the stock. But Mr. McKinney said he never believed in “sitting too long on an egg” when a good profit was .available. He also told reporters that he regarded the $26,000 total investment in Empire Tractor as “comparatively small.” Didn’t Investigate. Mr. McKinney said he made no Investigation of the company when he bought the stock. The bank ruptcy record in Philadelphia dis closed today that the company got a contract for 7,000 tractors from an Argentine company but the contract was cancelled later. Both Mr. McKinney and Mr. McHale recalled that they had to buy 250 shares of preferred stock at $100 a share before they could buy the common stock at $1 a share. Mr. McHale added that he had never represented the com pany as a lawyer or otherwise. Mr. McKinney, a banker who has extensive interests in other business fields, said he never had transactions or personal dealings with Mr. Cohen except for this (See McKINNEY, Page A-2.) Gift Sales Here Parallel Last Year A large District wholesaler and re tailer says the volume of Christmas gift sales so far is about the same as last year. Here is a goad way to help provide gifts for your youngsters: Sell outgrown toys through Stor Classified and use the money to buy more ad vanced toys. You can sell quickly through the miscellane ous for sale sec tion of Star Classified. So phono sterling 5000 and advertise in Wash aton't No. 1 classified medium. Truman DiscussesWorld Affairs With Military, Foreign Advisers White House Silent on Details of Talks After Executive's Return From Florida By Joseph A. Fox President Truman today met for more than an hour with top mili tary and foreign affairs advisers but at the end of the session the White House would only say that the conference had “discussed the world situation and no policy de jcisions were made.” Asked if tfte conferees dis cussed “any special aspects of the world situation that might be mentioned.” Joseph Short, the President’s press secretary, re sponded “I can't go beyond what I said.” Asked if the problem of spurring the Korean truce negotiations was taken up, Mr. Short said “Korea was among the subjects discussed but the meeting was not confined to that subject.” After the President had broken off his vacation in Key West Sat urday night a week earlier than he anticipated, offloials here indi cated that he wanted a detailed first-hand account of recent de velopments in Korea with full re ports on possible new moves in the armistice talks. The deadline for the Korean truce negotiations is December 27. Attending today's meeting were Secretary of Defense Lovett, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Secretary of the Army Pace, Air Force Sec retary Finletter, Assistant Navy Secretary Francis Whitehair, Act U. N. Demands Reds Reply on Proposal to Exchange Prisoners Radio Accuses Them Of Blackmail Effort On Armistice Terms By the Associated Press MUNSAN, Korea, Dec. 10.—The United Nations command today demanded an answer tomorrow from the Communists on the Allied proposal to start immediate negotiations for exchange of prisoners of war in Korea. There was no indication what the Red reply will be. The Reds Armistice Outlook Gloomy With Only 17 Doys Left. Poge A-7 U. N. Troops Repulse Nine Probing At tacks on Korean Front. Page A-7 Arlington Soldier Among Eight From Area Listed os Casualties. Page B-l have stood pat on their demand that the U. N. answer their pro posal for behind-the-lines inspec tion by representatives of neutral nations before discussing pris oners. Prom Tokyo, the United Nations radio tonight lambasted the Com munists in one of the bitterest attacks from an Allied source. It accused the Reds of holding U. N. prisoners for blackmail and ransom to win their point on the question of policing an armistice. The Allies in effect told the Communists at Panmunjom to day to quit stalling on the pris oner issue. They told the Reds that an Al lied liaison officer will be in Pan munjom at 10:30 am. Tuesday (8:30 p.m., EST. Monday) for their answer. Meeting Lasts 41 Minutes. Joint subcommittees working on arrangements for enforcing a truce met only 41 minutes today. They quit as far apart as ever, but scheduled another session for 11 a.m. Tuesday (9 p.m., EST, Monday). Excerpts from the U. N. radio broadcast were distributed to cor respondents in Tokyo by Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway’s headquar ters in a bulletin labeled “not an official release.” The broadcast declared that the Communists “have made hostages of all U. N. prisoners still alive in Red camps” by their apparent refusal to talk about exchanging prisoners unless the U. N. gives in to their demands for policing the truce. “This Communist blackmail, which is a thousand times more repulsive than the ordinary act of kidnaping by the lowest form of gangster, should not come as a complete surprise to the free world,” the broadcast continued. "The Communists have long held hostages for ransom of one type or another in Europe.” Silent on Truman Action. A U. N. spokesman. Brig. Gen. William P. Nuckols, declined to comment on President Truman’s return to Washington, reportedly for high level conferences on the Korean armistice negotiations. Asked which issues under dis cussion are of sufficient Impor tance to call for presidential ac tion, Gen. Nuckols replied: “I do not feel an answer to that question is within the perogatives of a spokesman of the U. N. com mand.” ling Secretary of State Webb and Deputy Undersecretary of State H. Freeman Matthews. Mr. Short said that the meeting took up European affairs, but he insisted, as the President had yesterday in Key West, that to-; day’s meeting was simply like those the President holds periodi cally with military and foreign af fairs chiefs. Asked if Mr. Truman might meet with the same group to con tinue today’s talks, Mr. Short j said that unquestionably there would be additional talks but that! he wouldn’t say if they'd be to morrow or the next day. Asked about the possibility of "new directives in connection with the handling of cease-fire nego tiations in Korea.” Mr. Short said "I don’t know of any but that; doesn’t mean anything.” Today’s conference was held in the cabinet room, and those who participated entered and left the executive offices by rear doors, thus avoiding reporters in the lobby. President Truman also said yes terday that one of the reasons for his return was to talk with people recently in Europe Defense Secretary Lovett just returned and Secretary of State Acheson will be in Wednesday. Secretary of the Treasury Sny (See TRUMAN, Page A-4.) Agreement Reported For Further Study Of Arms Reduction West and Russians Said To Have Accepted Plan For Forming Commission By tH« Associated Press PARIS, Dec. 10.—A high diplo matic source said today the West ern powers and Soviet Russia have agreed on formation of a disarm ament commission which could consider rival East and West! plans for arms reduction and atomic controls. This diplomat, who would not permit use of his name, said that U. N. Puts Off Hearing East German Views on Election Survey. Page A-4 agreement was the only important concrete result of the long secret j talks of the Big Four powers on disarmament. He said it appeared that the Western plans for arms limitation and reduction plus the Soviet version of disarmament plans would be put before a disarma ment commission next spring with instructions to 6tart work on drawing up arms limitation pro posals. No Immediate Atomic Ban. Informed sources insisted that the delegates of the four big powers, United States Ambassador Philip C. Jessup, British Minister of State Selwyn Lloyd, Soviet For eign Minister Andrei Y. Vishinsky and French Delegate Jfiles Moch, had not agreed on any plan for immediate prohibition of the atomic bomb. ' It was reported also that there had been no agreement on any of the major points separating the East and West except on the dis armament commission, which may not even be called by that name, but which actually will deal with that topic. The Big Four ended their secret talks in a session which ran through the lunch hour and caused the hungry delegates to order sandwiches and coffee taken into the smoke-filled room. Will Report Tomorrow. The four will report tomorrow to the U. N. Political Committee, which is expected in some circles to conclude the armaments de bate before the Christmas holi days begin December 21. Luis Padilla Nervo of Mexico, president of the Assembly and chairman of the Big Four ses sions, said the report would de scribe the areas of agreement be tween East and West, the areas of possible agreement and areas of disagreement Boy Who Fled Blue Plains Is Held in Housebreakings A youth who fled the Industrial School at Blue Plains six months ago was arrested and charged with housebreaking early today. The 16-year-old colored boy was taken into custody in the 600 block of S street N.W. Police said he told them he broke into a lunchroom in the 1200 block of Seventh street N.W. last night and took $112, and broke into a grocery in the 700 block of Sev enth street N.W. October 5 Mid pNc $103 in merchandise. * Caudle Quoted as Declaring Voice 'Might Be' His By Cecil Holland A new and mysterious element was disclosed today in the story of a $500,000 shakedown attempt when an Atlanta attorney testified that Theron Lamar Caudle told him that “a deep guttural. Ger man voice, figuring in the case "might be Grunewald,” referring to Henry Grunewald. The testimony was given by I. T. Cohen before the House Ways and Means subcommittee looking into the shakedown story as a part ,of its investigation of tax scandals. Mr. Cohen testified that he heard the story from Abraham Teitelbaum, wealthy Chicago at- i torney, last summer and related it to Mr. Caudle as something dis turbing and worthy of investiga tion. Spoke With Strong Accent. The witness said he learned the story of the alleged shakedown at tempt from Mr. Teitelbaum who! told him about receiving calls i from a man speaking in a “deep: guttural voice” and warning him "he'd better play ball” with those seeking $500,000 to fix his tax case. Mr. Cohen testified that during! his discussion of the story with Mr. Caudle he said it was "a very intriguing” one and might be traced because of the man who telephoned and spoke with a strong German accent. He added that Mr. Caudle differed with him and then he quoted Mr. Caudle as saying: “ ‘That might be Grunewald. He’s a Dutchman. (Berkt K.) Nas ter wanted me to see him but I declined because of his reputa tion.” Subcommittee Counsel Adrian' W. DeWind called Mr. Caudle to the stand and put question after question to him about why Mr. Caudle had linked the "sutural German voice” to Henry Grune wald. Just a Surmise About Voice. Mr. Caudle insisted that he "just surmised” the voice must have belonged to Grunewald. He said the only basis he had for this assumption was that he knew Grunewald “was a German or a Dutchman” and that Grunewald was acquainted with Naster, one of the two men linked to the shakedown charge. Mr. Caudle said Mr. Naster had tried to get him to meet Mr. Grunewald before Mr. Caudle went to Europe last summer, but that “I simply did not care to know the gentleman.” The subcommittee has sub poenaed Grunewald, a mysterious Washington figure and self-styled public relations man. for testi mony about the Teitelbaum case and his relations with Charles Oliphant, former counsel, and George J. Schoeneman, former commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue. The subcommittee headed by Representative King, Democrat, of California already has received testimony that Grunewald talked with Mr. Oliphant on one or more occasions about the tax case against Mr. Teitelbaum. Figured in Inquiry. Grunewald is a patient In Georgetown Hospital, where he was located by a United States marshal after being sought for two days to be served with a subcommittee subpoena. He is said to be a native of South Africa and was educated in Germany. He figured a year ago in a Sen ate District Committee’s inquiry into wiretapping here. The Naster who was referred to by Mr. Cohen in the statement quoting Mr. Caudle has been named by Mr. Teitelbaum as one of the two men who demanded $500,000 to keep him out of tax j troubles. Mr. Teitelbaum identified them as Naster, a Hollywood (Fla.) businessman, who formerly lived in Chicago, and Frank Nathan of Miami Beach, a self-styled pro moter of “deals.” He said the two men told him they were connected with a Washington “clique” of present and former officials seek ing “a soft touch” from taxpayers in trouble. \ Both Nathan and Naster have denied the charges. Strong de nials have also been made by those named as being members of the clique—Mr. Caudle, Mr. Oli phant, Mr. Schoeneman, Jess Lar (Continued on Page A-4, Col. 2.) GIs to Be Made By Price Tags or >y *h« Associated Press NEW YORK, Dec. 10.—To make officers and GIs cost-conscious, the Army is putting price tags on its equipment. The price tags, says Secretary of the Army Pace, are a “dramatic way of getting across to the soldier not only how important his job is, but how important it is that he use his equipment wisely and well.” $ As for officers, Mr. Face sMs, IF YOU WANT ANY HELP FROM ME, BROTHER, MAIL'EM NOW! Nebraska Governor Appoints Publisher to Wherry's Senate Seat Fred Seaton, Leader of Midwest Stassen Drive, Serves Until November ly th« Associated Press LINCOLN, Nebr., Dec. 10.—Fred A. Seaton, Hastings publisher to day was appointed Senator from Nebraska to succeed the late Re publican floor leader, Senator Kenneth S. Wherry. The appoint ment was made by Republican Gov. Val Peterson. Mr. Seaton, 42, will serve until a successor is elected at the gen eral election next November and qualified by the State canvassing board. He is a Midwest leader of the Harold E. Stassen for President forces and has served two terms as a State Senator in the Nebras ka one-House legislature. Active in Landon Campaign. Before coming to Nebraska as publisher of the Hastings Tribune, Mr. Seaton was active in his home State of Kansas in the Alf Landon presidential campaign. He now has publishing interests in Nebras ka, Kansas. South Dakota. Wyo ming and Colorado. Mr. Seaton headed the Stassen forces during Nebraska's all-star Presidential preference primary campaign in 1945, when Mr. Stas sen polled 80,979 votes to lead the field, including Gov. Dewey of New York, Gen. McArthur, Represen tative Martin of Massachusetts, Senator Taft of Ohio, the late Senator Vandenberg of Michigan and Gov. Warren of California. Mr. Seaton is married and has two children. As a State senator Mr. Seaton was particularly active in natural resources and conservation legis lation, school legislation and bet terment of the State operated hospitals. Senator Wherry's death in Washington November 29 added a new factor to the already con fused political situation in Ne braska. Peterson Files For Senate. A campaign was in progress for election of a successor to the late Karl Stefan, Republican, Nebraska who died in Washington October 2. Gov. Peterson had an nounced he would not seek re election and had filed for the Senate seat of Hugh A. Butler, also a Republican. Senator Butler since has filed for re-election, dispelling rumors he might change his mind. The Governor passed up a chance to accept a party draft for Mr. Stefan’s seat and had an nounced after Senator Wherry’s death he would not step down and accept the short term ap pointment to the .ninority leader’s seat. Only last week Robert D. Harri son, Norfolk Republican, was elected to Congress succeeding Mr. Stefan. Fire Hits Housing Project LINCOLN, Nebr., Dec. 10 (*).— Fire last night raced through a 1,000-foot main ramp at the Huskerville city housing project and then destroyed a theater, nursery and the housing office. Cost-Conscious t Equipment they also And it worthwhile to become economy-minded because it may mean a promotion. Mr. Pace explained the Army’s new “cost-consciousness” program during a Columbia Broadcasting System newscast yesterday. Senator Lyndon B. Johnson, Democrat, of Texas, said a week ago that the Navy also is rating officers on their “cost-con: ness.” Support for Beck Is Weakened As Kansas City Inquiry Opens Survey Commending Recorder Nominee's Home for Children Is Qualified by Beisser By Don S. Warren Star Staff Correspondent KANSAS CITY, Mo., Dec. 10.— One of the props supporting the hope of President Truman’s old time political friend, Earl Wayne j Beck of this city, to be the Dis-j trict of Columbia's new Recorder of Deeds has collapsed. Mr. Beck served 15 years as superintendent of the Jackson! County Home for Negro Boys and Girls here. During the earlier part, of that career, Mr. Truman headed the Jackson County Court In charge of this and other county j services. Eleven years ago Mr. Beck re signed that post after the Kansas City school board and some other groups demanded his ouster. But a main point of Mr. Beck’s sup-1 Son, 18, Braces Wall With Back 7 Hours in Well Digger's Rescue Oregon Rancher Saved After Being Pinned for 18 Hours by Cave-in By th« Associated Press PENDLETON, Oreg., Dec. 10 — A 51-year-old rancher, trapped for 18 hours in a 15-foot well while heavy digging equipment j churned about him, was brought to safety today. At the Pendleton Hospital where he was taken after the dramatic rescue in sub-freezing temperatures, doctors described his condition as “good.” The rancher, Norman Vina Ford, 51, was pinned to the wellj bottom with his foot under a| plank when the walls caved in at 11:30 a.m. (PST) yesterday. At 5:30 this morning, he was lifted to the surface. Mr. Ford’s 18-year-old son, Leon, was the hero of the rescue operation. He was helping his father sink the well but was working on the surface when the walls collapsed. Leon jumped in and began digging his father out with his hands. Neighbors whoj had been called lowered buckets to the youth. Son Braces Back. Leon had his father uncovered down to the knees when the walls caved in a second time. Leon, spotting another section of the wall about to give way, braced his back against the crumbling section. He remained there for seven hours. It took that long for a crew with digging equipment to arrive from nearby Umatilla, where Mc Nary Dam is under construction. As hundreds watched under the glare of searchlights, John Mor- 1 ton of the McNary Dam con tractors took charge of the rescue. He had a 24-inch iron pipe forced down around the trapped man. That prevented further cave-ins. When the pipe was in place, Leon was brought to the surface. i He was put to bed with a mild case of shock. Son Said He Was Scared. Later the youth said of his seven hours in the well: “I was scared a little—mostly when I saw more dirt falling down on Dad a little bit at a time.” After the pipe was slipped around Mr. Ford’s head and shoul ders, huge diggers began widening the mouth of the well to 50 feet across. The last several hours rescuers dug with their hands and small shovels. The pipe was re moved and Ford was propped up in the middle of the now huge ditch. He was weak, but still con scious, as rescuers uncovered his feet. Mrs. Ford remained at the top of the hole, calling down encour agement to her husband through the afternoon until rescuer&asked her to leave. W porters has been that a respected, nationally known welfare leader had given the institution a high rating. In fact, the home for de linquent children was rated the best in the county. That still stands, but, it is now revealed, the indorsement was not a blanket one. The survey, conducted in 1939 by Paul T. Beisser of Baltimore, then president of the Child Wel fare League of America, was a one-day job that allowed no time for examination of whether Mr. Beck properly fed his institutional wards or whether he beat them for disciplinary breaches. These two questions—the food i and the discipline—were promi (See BECK, Page A-4.) Non-Privafe Facilities Seen Sole Solution to Nursing Homes Need Area Survey Indicates Critical Shortage of Care for Elderly Persons By Wallace E. Clayton Construction of new Govern ment or non-profit facilities for the care of the chronically ill may be advocated as a result of a nearly completed survey of the nursing home situation by a spe cial United Community Services Subcommittee. Members of the UCS Subcom mittee on institutional care indi cate that additional non-private facilities may be the only answer to the increasingly acute problem of what to do with elderly persons who need supervised care. More than a dozen private nursing homes have closed as a result of a District fire regulations crack down. The profit margin for many still open is becoming in creasingly slim. Dr. Comely Statement. Dr. Paul B. Comely, medical di rector of Freedmen’s Hospital and chairman of the subcommittee, says: “The problem presented by the greatly reduced number of beds available to the chronically ill must be brought to the attention of the Commissioners and the pub lic.” Mrs. Martme McNeill, social service director at the Home for Incurables, describes the con valescent bed shortage as “the most acute health problem facing the District today.” First move in the campaign to create “community awareness” will be presentation of the sub committee’s report and recommen dations to an upcoming meeting of the UCS Health Section. Group Founded in 1950. The subcommittee was formed in January, 1950, to study the “neglected area” of nursing home care* The problem was made more acute early this year when the District Building Inspector’s office ordered 21 private nursing homes to make major fire prevention construction changes. To date, 14 of the homes have closed rather than spend an aver age of $7,000 to revise their homes. The rest have either filed plans with the office or asked a hearing from the Board of Special Ap peals. Homes which comply with the fire regulations, however, will face a new hurdle next year, when the Health Department will establish a code of minimum requirements covering care, sanitation and other health standards. At pres ent, nursing homes must meet only the general health regulation; covering private dwellings. The Health Department study was started about six months ago (Continued on Page A-3, 4fc>l. «.) Corning Insists PIA End Strike Before Parley Letter to Parents Calls Payne-Webb Walkout Unjustified By Coit Hendley, Jr. School Supt. Hobart M. Corn ing today announced that he will not meet with the striking parents of the Payne and Webb Elemen tary schools until the 800 pupils are returned to classes. Although Dr. Corning did not say that legal action against strik ing parents would be taken, his statement implied that this would be the next step. His refusal to confer with parents until the chil dren returned indicated a stiffer attitude since he earlier had ex pressed willingness for a confer ence without reservation. The colored students have been kept from school since last Thurs day by their parents as a protest over what the parents call inad equate measures to relieve over crowding at the two buildings. PTA Meeting Tomorrow. C. Melvin Sharpe, president of the Board of Education, said Dr. Coming’s statement was issued after consultation with him. Mr. Sharpe said he was in complete agreement with Dr. Coming’s stand. The Payne - Webb Parent Teacher Association executive committee met yesterday and de cided to seek a conference with Dr. Corning tomorrow. The PTA also decided to con tinue to strike through tomorrow, at least. A meeting of the full PTA is scheduled for 7:30 pm. tomorrow at the Payne school to determine the next step. Violating; Obligation. Dr. Corning, in a letter being mailed to the striking parents to day. declared: "In the performance of our official duties we hereby advise you that by continuing to keep your children out of school, you are violating your moral and legal obligation as parents to send your children to school regularly.” Dr. Coming stated that his office received several calls this morning from parents of Payne Webb children, complaining that their children were sent to school today but were turned away at the building "by persons sta tioned at or near the entrance of the schools who carry placards with false statements that the school is closed.” Conference Requested. "These practices of displaying false statements about the school and of influencing children to return to their homes violate the law. prevent parents from per forming their legal obligation, in fringe upon their rights as citi zens to send their children to school and prevent the children from obtaining the education to which they are entitled,” he de clared. Dr. Coming declared, “We again officially remind you of your legal obligation to send your children to school and your obligation as parents not to inflict upon your children the affect of disagree ments among adults.” Dr. Coming went on to say that this morning for the first time since the strike began an official of the Payne-Webb PTA requested a conference. Calls Action Unjustified. He declared: “The president of the Board of Education and the superintendent of schools will be glad to discuss the situation with representatives of the Payne-Webb PTA after your obligation to send your chil dren to school has been met. The withdrawal of your children in protest of a decision of the Board of Education is unjustified now or at any time.” The strike began after the Board of Education voted to transfer the Madison Elementary School, Tenth-and G streets N.E., from white to colored to help re lieve overcrowded conditions at the Payne School, Fifteenth and C streets S.E., and the Webb School, Fifteenth and Rosedale streets N.E. The three colored members of the School Board voted against the transfer. The Payne-Webb parents de manded that the Bryan School, three blocks from the Payne at Thirteenth and B streets S.E., be transferred to colored children instead. They maintained the Madison transfer would not solve their problem. Featured Reading Inside Today's Star ANY RAGS, ANY BONES?—A little imagination can save you a few dollars for a couple of extra Christmas gifts *this year. Betty Miles tells how to put the imagination to work for making attractive and inexpensive holiday decorations from odds and ends around the house. Page B-3. DOWN TO THE SEA-The import once of the United States merchant marine, active and in reserve, is dis cussed today in the second of two articles by Star Staff Reporter William A. Millen on Page A-6. WALLS OF BERWYN-The concrete barricades which close off the Berwyn road connection between Berwyn and Berwyn Heights may be knocked down with hammers wielded by irate citizens and ccsinty officials. The story of tha rood closing and its effect on the communities is told by StaM Staff Reporter Gene Goodwin on fJS B-l.