Evening star. [volume], February 12, 1952, Image 1

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

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New York Martels Closed Todoy.____to fewwleled Pres, Newspaper
100th Year. No. 43. Phone ST. 5000 ** WASHINGTON, D. C„ TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1952—THIRTY-SIX PAGES. tEi£*V£.I’EXJ&Si S CENTS
Common Folk
File Past Coffin
♦
To Honor King
Body to Lie in State
14 Hours a Day *
For Three Days
By tn« Associated rress
LONDON, Feb. 12. — Through
the hushed dignity of great West
minster Hall, the somberly clad
people of Britain shuffled softly
In- reverent homage today past
the body of King George VI.
Silent men bowed before the
dosed coffin and passed on. Silent
women curtsied to the sovereign
In death as they would in life.
High in the towers of the Palace
of Westminster, Big Ben chimed
its resounding notes marking the
passing of each quarter hour.
As 8 a.m. tolled, the heavy iron
studded doors of the hall swung
slowly open.
The first to bare his head in the
freezing wind and walk solemnly
into the big stone hall was A. A.
Pugh of Liverpool. He had waited
on the steps for 13 hours to lead
the mourning procession.
2,000 in Line at Start.
This 47-year-old citizen said he
was “one of his majesty’s loyal
subjects of the old type—not one
of the moderns."
By the time the doors opened
more than 2,000 were waiting in
patient line to pay respect to the
King who walked among them in
wartime and encouraged them to
stand fast against the troubles of
uneasy peace.
The throng that stood for hours
was a mixture of the common
folk of England. There were
early workmen wrapped in
trench coats against London’s
ever-present damp. There were
professional men in bowler hats,
carrying umbrellas and brief
cases. Here and there stood a
woman in mink. Most others, in
cluding charwomen who stayed
their home-going from nightly
cleaning work in offices, were
dressed in the threadbare coats
that mark Britain’s austere life.
Mrs. Charlotte Threlfall. a tel
ephone operator, joined the pa
tient line at 6 a.m., as she did 16
years ago, when George V lay in
state in the same cold hall.
“I would have stayed all night
If it had been necessary,” she said.
Line stretcnea 10 auu xaras.
One of the quiet London
bobbies, on duty at the door, said
the mourning subjects were being
admitted at the rate of 1,200
every 15 minutes. The 200-yard
line outside the door stretched
later in the day to as much as
900 yards along the north side of
the Parliament Buildings. It in
cluded sailors on shore leave,
school children in groups led by
teachers and nuns and visitors
from the colonies and dominions,
some in Oriental attire. The sun
shone today, after yesterday’s
dismal rain.
The public entered at the top
of a wide flight of steps. They
first saw the catafalque from
above, and approached it by slowly
descending the steps.
The coffin containing the body
they came to bow to lay on a
purple-covered catafalque readied
by four scarlet-carpeted steps.
Tall candles in golden holders
flickered at the movements of
passing mourners.
On the closed coffin the imperial
crown returned the candles’ flicker
with flashes of fire from the vast
wealth of diamonds, rubies, emer
alds and sapphires.
Widow’s Flowers on Coffin.
The oak coffin was draped in
the red and gold royal standard.
On it, at the head, was a single
wreath of snow white flowers—
from the dead monarch’s widow,
the Queen Mother Elizabeth.
A yeoman of the guard, wearing
the Tudor robes of the first Eliza
beth’s reign, stood just off each
comer of the catafalque.
Their gold-embroidered scarlet
(See KING, Page A-4.)
President, Mrs. Truman
Visit Lincoln Memorial
President and Mrs. Truman
today saw the laying of the presi
dential wreath at the Lincoln
Memorial.
The arrival of the President
climaxed a colorful ceremony
sponsored each year by the Mili
tary Order of the Loyal Legion.
Maj. Gen. U. S. Grant m, na
tional commander of the Loyal
Legion, presided. Representatives
of patriotic societies placed
wreaths outside the front pillars
of the Memorial as their names
were called.
Troops of the Army, Navy, Ma
rine Corps and Air Force, standing
at attention, formed an aisle from
the roadway up the steps of the
Memorial when the presidential
party arrived.
Standing at attention while the
Marine Corps Band played the
National Anthem, the President
watched two Air Force generals
carry his wreath up the steps and
put it at the base of the Lincoln
Btatue. _
House Sold in Day
Through Ad in Star
In on* day, a classified ad in The
Star brought a buyer for a house in the
400 block of Hamilton street N.W.
Quick action like this is typical of
classified ads in The Star. It accounts
for the fact The Star carries more classi
fied ads than the three other Washing
ton newspapers combined. To advertise
in Washington's No. I classified me
dium, phene Sterling 5000.
4
Truman May Run at'Sacrifice'
To Save Peace, Sabath Says
President Concerned About Health,
Representative Declares After Visit
Representative Sabath, Demo
crat, of Illinois, chairman of the
House Rules Committee, said after
a White House call today that
President Truman told him he
might be willing to make the “sac
rifice” and seek re-election if he
feels that is necessary to speed the
peace.
Mr. Sabath said said the Presi
dent offered several reasons which
swayed him against the idea, say
ing the strain would injure his
health and shorten his life.
Mr. Sabath said the President
further added that after seven
years he had had “enough.”
However, according to Mr.
Sabath, the President evinced
willingness to run if he though it
would be “for the best Interests of
the country.”
- Mr. Sabath said that for his part
he did not see how Mr. Truman
could refuse to be a candidate,
and he had told Mr. Truman “he
owed it to himself and his coun
try” again to head the ticket. .
Mr. Sabath’s statement was
the first definite word that has
been attributed to the President
about his well-kept secret as to
whether he will be a candidate.
Some of those who have talked
with Mr. Truman have left with
the impression the President
would seek re-election and others
have thought he was still of open
mind. Mr. Truman has repeat
edly told reporters he has already
made up his mind, and he would
make his stand known when the
time comes._
Lack of Unified Plan
For Buying Uniforms
Criticized at Hearing
Defense 'Waste' Probers
Plug Idea of Single
Standard Catalogue
By Robert K. Walsh
Munitions Board officials wh(
have tried unsuccessfully to de
cide on a unified system of buyin?
clothing for the military force!
drew the fire of a House sub
committee today.
“No wonder the peace talks ir
Korea are going on so long,’
Representative Hebert, Democrat
of Louisiana, chairman of ar
Armed Services “watchdog” Com
mittee, exclaimed. “Why ever
the Mun.;ions Board hasn’t beer
able to make up its mind in £
year and a half on a joint sys
tem of buying uniforms anc
shoes.”
The subcommittee is looking
into what members have criti
cized as a costly lack of progresi
in establishing a single standard
catalogue of items purchased by
the military services. The wit
ness at the second day of the open
hearings was Rear Admiral Mor
ton L. Ring, vice chairman ol
supply management for the Muni
tions Board.
Authority Strengthened.
Admiral Ring underwent a bar
rage of pointed questions dealing
with such varied matters as nails
and a directive signed late yes
terday to strengthen the authority
of the director of the cataloguing
project.
He disclosed that Deputy Sec
retary of Defense William C
Foster, who testified yesterday, re
turned to the Pentagon and signec
a directive which strengthened the
position of Rear Admiral J. W
Fowler, retired, director of th<
Munitions Board cataloguing
agency Admiral Ring explainec
the new order does not broader
the scope of Admiral Fowler’s du
ties but it “makes him a directoi
who now directs.” Previously the
director had to work largely
through a committee, he added.
The inquiry began yesterday
with emphasis on the lack of a
single, standard catalogue for the
millions of items used by the sev
eral services, and with question
ing of Mr. Foster.
A bristling statement today by
Representative Lyle, Democrat, ol
Texas indicated a much broadei
examination of what he called “a
military spending spree without
regard to basic economies or eco
nomic capabilities."
Big Saving Called Possible.
Representative Lyle’s statement
declared that several billion dol
lars could be cut from Presiden
Truman’s $85 billion budget b;
“reconsidering” military spending
requests, especially those for hugi
construction projects.
He warned that the "spending
spree” would hurt the Unitec
States more than potential en
emies. Among examples he citec
was a $5 billion dollar Army sig
nal corps construction project an
nounced on the same day that the
Government curtailed the amoum
of steel, copper and aluminum anc
other materials for home building
The Atomic Energy Commissior
also came in for criticism by Mr
Lyle.
“Because it is done under tne
cloak of secrecy,” he said, “I an
certain in my own mind that mil
lions have been foolishly and reck
lessly spent which have addec
neither to the development ol
atomic energy nor to the de
fense of the country.”
The Hebert subcommittee doe!
not plan to look into “real estati
transactions” of the armed forces
Mr. Hebert explained, however
that his group has wide authority
to investigate practically even
other aspect of buying and spend
ing practices.
“We are not on a fishing expedi
tion,” he said, “This investigatioi
is not for the purpose of destruc
tion. We hope to suggest thi
substitution of a modem progran
for the obvious archaic progran
under which the armed forces an
laboring. We hope to bring somi
order out of the existing chaos
There can be no justification fo:
added or higher taxes as long a
there is evidence of waste in Gov
emment, whether it be within th
area of the armed srvices or out
side that area.”
300 Whales Trapped
TOKYO, Feb. 12 (JP).—'Thre
hundred small whales chasin
sardines crowded into a bay 01
Kyushu Island and thereby seal©
their fate. Fishermen killed then
Communists to Offer
New Plan to Settle
Korean Truce Issue
Negotiators Adjourn
To Await Proposal by
Peiping or Pyongyang
By tho Associated Prosy
, MT7NSAN, Korea, Feb. 12.—
Communists promised today to
present a new plan for patching
up the latest truce trouble spot—
recommendations to governments
for a final Korean peace.
The Reds did not indicate when
it would be ready or what It would
be like.
Truce negotiators adjourned
their full-dress meetings until the
Biggest Single Action in Weeks Flares
Near Heartbreak Ridge. Page A-3
new plan is ready. Presumably It
will come from Pyongyang or
Pieping.
Communists made two conces
; sions today in another truce tent
where staff officers are trying to
work out machinery for supervis
ing a truce.
Agree to 4 Entry Ports.
Reds offered to boost limits on
monthly rotation of troops to 30,
000 and establish four ports of en
try for incoming troops and war
materials to be inspected by neu-,
tral teams. The Allies said Out
figures are not high enough. They
are asking a 40,000 rotation limit
and eight entry ports.
The previous Red proposals
were 25,000 troops and three ports.
Staff officers working on the
third unsettled point of ah armis
, tice remained split on two issues
and a number of “minor places
1 and wording,” said Col. George
: W. Hickman, Allied staff officer.
The major differences are vol
i untary repatriation of prisoners
of war and the scope of work to
be done by joint Red Cross teams.
Today's session was devoted
mostly to the second question.
Col. Hickman said the Reds in
dicated they want Red Cross op
erations "considerably restricted.”
Before offering to produce a new
set of Red policy recommenda
tions, North Korean Gen. Nam H
accepted the Allied position that
whatever recommendations are
adopted would not be binding on
the proposed later high-level po
litical conference.
Wanted High-Level Parley.
The Reds’ original proposal
called for a high-level political
conference between Red Korea
and Red China with belligerent
U. N. powers to arrange for with
drawal of foreign troops, peaceful
settlement of the Korean question
and discussion of other questions
related to peace in Korea.
Vice Admiral C. Turner Joy,
leading the Allied negotiators, said
the plan (1) would open the door
for talking about "all the prob
lems of Asia.” (2) would omit
South Korea, which is not a mem
ber of the United Nations, and
(3) would include Red China, al
though the Communists have re
peatedly said Red China is not
participating in the Korean war.
The Reds indicated South
Korea would be included but have
given no other hint of possible
modifjcations they will propose.
Communist-Led Strikers
Clash With Paris Police
By the Associated Brass
PARIS, Feb. 12.—Communist
led strikers and police clashed near
the big Renault automobile plant
; in Paris’ suburban “red belt” to
1 day.
Paving blocks, scrap iron and
. roof tiles were showered on police
’ by several hundred demonstrators
’ and two big trailer trucks were
overturned. But no casualties were
reported immediately.
- The trouble started whenstrikers
i tried to prevent men from going
■ to work. The government-owned
! Renault factory said only 10 to 15
i per cent of its nearly 30,000 em
i ployes failed to show up.
s The Communist-controlled Gen
! eral Confederation of Labor called
■ a 24-hour general stoppage today,
‘ but on the whole the strike ap
i peared to be a failure.
; Tennessee Fires Raging
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., Feb.
12 (JP).—A State forester last night
issued an appeal for volunteers
to help battle the worst out
; break of forest fires in this area
i in five years.
1 Joe Simpson, district forester,
1 said 25 biases were raging over
.5,000 acres in Hamilton County.
•4a
Newark Airport
Future Studied
After 3 Crashes
Elizabeth Residents
Fear Shutdown Order
Isn't Permanent
By th« Associattd Prui
ELIZABETH. -N. J., Feb. 12.—
Nerve-shattered Elizabeth resi
dents—numbed and bewildered
after three major air catastrophes
here—riveted their attention to
day on a meeting to determine
Newark Airport’s future.
The sprawling and once-bustling
airport, closed since yesterday’s
Aerial Photo on Page A-3.
crash of a National Airlines plane
that snuffed out 31 lives, now is
the scene of ghost-like silence.
Its future hangs in the balance
and will be discussed in New York
today at a meeting between the
Port of New York Authority and
officials of 17 airlines. Gov. Al
fred E. Driscoll of New Jersey and
Gov. Dewey of New York have
been advised of the session. The
port authority has operated the
$53 million field since 1947.
Wary Elizabeth residents, terri
fied and furious because of the
three crashes within less than two
months, wondered whether the
close-down order would last.
Death Toll Now 31.
“In my opinion, the present
Newark Airport is dead,” said Rep
resentative Canfield, Republican,
of New Jersey.
The death toll from the crash
yesterday of the four-engined
DC-6 rose to 31 last night. The
craft plunged out of control into
this crowded city and tore into the
top of a 52-family aparment house,
setting it ablaze. Twenty-seven
of the 63 aboard perished and four
persons trapped in the infemo-like
apartment building lost their lives.
Forty persons—mostly plane pas
sengers—were injured, many of
them seriously.
Harold De Fiore of Lynbrook,
N. Y., a passenger on the plane,
died in Elizabeth General Hospital
last night. He was on a honey
moon with his bride, who was re
ported in good condition.
This brought the combined
death toll of the three tragedies
to 117.
in the other two crashes, one
o< the planes—as in yesterday’s
disaster — was wrecked within
minutes after taking off from
Newark Airport on December 16.
The other nose-dived January 22
as it groped its way to a landing
on the field in fog and rain.
At Least One Engine Quit.
One or more of the engines on
the Miami-bound DC-6 quit dur
ing the takeoff. There was no
clue, however, to the engine fail
ure. Senator Smith, Republican,
of New Jersey, in Washington,
suggested “a strong possibility of
inadequate inspection.” But the
Civil Aeronautics Board said the
doomed plane had been inspected
twice before takeoff.
This most recent crash in Eliz
abeth was called "one of the rar
est coincidences in the annals of
aviation” by Joseph E. Fluet, a
CAB regional investigator.
The port authority operates
three other major airports in the
New York-New Jersey metropoli
tan area. These are TeterboroT in
New Jersey, and LaGuardia and
Idlewild in New York.
Flights Are Shunted.
Flights scheduled for Newark
Airport were shunted to New York,
Philadelphia and Teterboro.
Gov. Driscoll said the port au
thority had ordered the shutdown
of Newark Airport after a confer
ence with him because “we could
not afford to await action of Fed
eral authorities.”
For some time, even before the
first plane crash here, residents of
this city and other areas near the
airport have protested about low
flying planes over residential
areas.
The majority of the passengers
who escaped death in yesterday’s
crash were seated in the rear of
the DC-6. The impact on this
section of the craft was cushioned
by the branches of a tree.
In Washington, a Civil Aero
nautics Administration expert said
today the series of air disasters at
Elizabeth, is "one of the most
baffling coincidences that will ever
happen in aviation history.”
E. S. Hensley, director of CAA’s
Office of Aviation Safety, said
there probably is no way of ex
plaining how three major crashes
could have occurred in the same
place within less than 60 days.
"It could just as easily have
been San Francisco, Timbukto or
Saskatchewan,” Mr. Hensley said.
“Why the Lord let it happen at
Elizabeth, I cannot guess. There
is no earthly reason.”
Mr. Hensley said Newark Air
port is one of the oldest and
safest in the Country.
Owner of Car Tagged
37 Times Fined $373
ly llw Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA. Feb. 12.—Po
lice came across an abandoned car
this week end and towed it off.
They had seen it before.
In fact records showed they had
placed 37 traffic summonses on it
during the last 10 months—with
out ever hearing from the owner.
Yesterday Steve Kosolov. 1#, of
Bridgeton. N. J., walked into the
station and Inquired about the
car. He was arrested.
Chief Magistrate James* J.
Clotber conducted a hearing and
levied a $373.26 fine. Young Koso
lov’s father paid the fine and the
youth went off with the car.
THEY'RE STILL U
.HEARD ANYTHING TALKIN6 BUTI
NEW ON TH' PEACE UNDKSTOND THEy
CONFERENCE? AGREE WAR IS
CONFERENCE < - Naj- INEVITABLE f
/ * -a
Somewhere in Korea
City Heads Oppose. Relief Bill
Because of Secrecy Clause
Support of Measure Pending in Congress
Is Withdrawn With Donohue Dissenting
The Commissioners today with
drew their support of the District
public assistance bill, pending in
Congress, because it requires that
names on relief rolls be kept se
cret.
The decision came in to a 2-to-l
vote, with Commissioner F. Joseph
Donohue upholding the bill. Mr.
Donohue has consistently stated
that he favors keeping the names
of relief clients secret.
Commissioner John Russell
Young and Engineer Commissionei
Bernard L. Robinson indicated
that in previous study of the bill
they had overlooked the secrecj
provision.
The bill provides a fine of up
to $500 and up to six months In
jail for any person convicted of
revealing the names of any one
on relief Hsts here.
The bill was introduced at the
request of the Commissioners and
was intended to streamline and
co-ordinate the activities of vari
ous public assistance programs
here.
Supporters of the secrecy provi
sion feel that publishing of relief
clients’ names would cause them
unnecessary embarrassment. Op
ponents point out that access to
the names would provide a check
against relief chiselers.
Senator Butler, Republican, of
Maryland, a member of the Senate
District Subcommittee which will
handle the bill, said today he
would fatror the general policy of
opening the Washington public re
lief foils to inspection by responsi
ble organizations.
He suggested mat me proviso ui
the bill now requiring secrecy be
substituted for one that would re
move the secrecy. He did not
specify exactly what he meant by
“responsible organisations.”
The new Federal law would per
mit Government aid to States
which opened their relief rolls.
But this law, in the form of the so
called Jenner amendment to an
appropriation bill, leaves the de
tails as to who could see the lists
up to the States themselves.
Symington Indicates
He'll Run for Senate
After Truman Visit
Resignation as Chief
Of RFC Is Due Friday;
Successor Unconfirmed
W. Stuart Symington, who for
a month has been trying to carry
out his resignation as Recon
struction Finance Corp. admin
istrator, went to the White House
to tell President Truman today
that he will definitely leave Fri
day.
Whether he did or not remained
uncertain after the call. But Mr.
Symington did tell reporters that
“I’m. more interested in running
for the Senate after talking to
the President than I was before.”
Mr. Symington would not say if
the President asked him to run.
He was quoted in St. Louis sev
eral days ago as saying he would
seek the Senate seat now occupied
by Senator Kem, Republican of
Missouri, if the President so de
sired.
A Senate subcommittee con
sidering the nomination of Harry
A. McDonald as Mr. Symington’s
successor showed no sign of ac
tion. A House subcommittee
scheduled another closed meeting
late today in its. month-long
examination of the Securities
and Exchange Commission of
which Mr. McDonald is chairman.
The Senate group has refused to
vote on the McDonald nomina
tion to RFC before the House
group finishes its inquiry.
Mr. Symington told reporters
he plans to leave February 15,
exactly a month after his resig
nation was to have become effec
tive. He had promised last month
to stay on “a few days” until a
new administrator was confirmed
by the Senate.
RFC officials said they believed
the President or Mr. Symington
could legally delegate temporary
administrative authority to some
official or committee of officials
of RFC. Leo Neilson, RFC sec
retary, has been mentioned for
possible selection as acting ad
ministrator.
Hooded Robbers Get
$25,000 ot Gold Mine
ly the Associated Press
TIMMINS. Ontario, Feb. 12.—
Two or three hooded men made
off with $25,000 worth of unre
fined gold at the Aunor Gold Mina
today after tying up three work
men. The robbers carried the
gold precipitate an a 'boggan a
quarter mile to a getaway car.
A
Tax Probers Weighing
Return to Washington
For Session Monday
Convening of Grand Jury
In Brooklyn Brings Action
By King on West Coast
By Cecil Holland
Star Staff Corraspendant
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 12.—
The' King subcommittee met in
an unusual closed session here
today to decide whether it should
return to Washington in time to
begin hearings there Monday on
tax scandals in the New York
area.
Chairman King, Democrat, of
California, called the meeting as
Brooklyn Grand Jury Is Given Evidence
in New Tax Inquiry. Page A-7
an unusual tug-of-war developed
with the Treasury Department
over the administration’s unex
pected move—at least as far as
the subcommittee is concerned—
of convening a Federal grand
jury in Brooklyn to investigate
tax matters.
Acting swiftly after being in
formed of the grand jury inves
tigation, Mr. King also directed:
1. The issuance of subpoenas for
some of the key witnesses for its
own inquiry and made the sub
poenas returnable in Washington
at 10 a.m. Thursday. These in
cluded subpoenas for four high
former officials of the scandal-hit
Revenue Bureau—Daniel A. Bolich,
Joseph Nunan, Carroll A. Mealey
and James B. E. Olson—as well as
some revenue agents who have
been active in working with the
subcommittee in the New York in
vestigation.
inquiry specaea up.
2. Tentative plans for the sub
committee’s inquiry into the New
York situation to get under way
with closed hearings in Washing
ton starting Thursday by some of
the subcommittee members who
remained there.
3. A marked speedup of the
current inquiry here which saw
the subcommittee hold hearings
yesterday running throughout the
day and until 11:35 pm. (PST).
The hearings, however, were
marked more by partisan split
than anything els® ' * ' ■>e sub
committee ezplor s that
efforts had been > side
track a grand ju .gation
of irregularities in tne o_ce of the
San Francisco collector o&revenue.
All the steps were the result of
(See REVENUE, Page A-4.)
AchesonLeavesToday
'or Conferences in
London and Lisbon
Will Seek to Speed Up
Plans for Consolidated
Western Europe Army
By John M. Hightower
Associated Pross Staff Writer
Secretary of State Acheson
leaves for London today to try tc
put new drive behind Western
Europe’s faltering talks toward s
consolidated defense army.
Accompanied by his two top
experts on Germany, Mr. Achesor
will leave on President Truman’!
plane “The Independence” at !
p.m. for a round of talks with th<
British and French Foreign Min
isters.
While in liondon, he will repre
sent President Truman at th<
funeral Friday of Britain’s latf
King George VI.
Next Tuesday the Secretary
plans to fly to Lisbon for a meet
ing of the 12 Atlantic pact gov
ernments which are trying to map
a common strategy for stopping
any Communist aggression in
Europe.
Fears Funds Slash.
Mr. Acheson is reported deter
mined to make a major effort to
prod the Europeans into settling
their differences over Western
Germany and finances. He re
portedly fears Congress may slash
foreign aid funds for next year
unless the bickering stops soon.
Before leaving London, Mr
Acheson will seek to iron out
British-American-French differ
ences over a “peace contract” for
Western Germany.
An interim plan for linking
Western Germany to the Atlantic
Pact also is reported to be part
of the goal. He is against imme
diate membership in the alliance
for the Germans, aides said, but
thinks specific defense guarantees
should be given them until they
are brought in as equal members.
Congress Hearings in March.
Despite existing differences on
West Germany’s role, he is hoping
the Atlantic Pact Council in Lis
bon will give formal approval tc
the blueprint already agreed on
by France, Italy, Belgium, the
Netherlands, Luxembourg and
Western Germany in talks at
Paris.
Congressional hearings on the
administration’s new $7.9 billion
foreign aid request are tentatively
scheduled to begin in mid-March.
Mr. Acheson is hoping to have the
Atlantic army proposal and a Ger
man peace contract complete
by then.
Most Markets Closed
NEW YORK, Feb. 12 (in
security exchanges and major
commodity markets — with the
exception of various livestock mar
kets—were closed today through
out the United States in observance
of Lincoln’s Birthday.
Commissioners Get
Started Early on
Daylight Time Pleas
The District Commissioners to
day paved the way for their annua]
battle over daylight saving time.
The city heads voted to ask
Congress for permission to order
local timepieces set ahead one hour
when the rest of the country goes
on daylight time the third Sunday
in April.
Last year, Congress got the day
light bill through barely in time.
Twice before the bill was delayed
and the District remained on
standard time for weeks while day
light time prevailed elsewhere.
Congress last year refused to give
the Commissioners permenant
authority to settle the annual is
sue themselves. The Commission
ora are asking for the same
authority again.
1
District Invites
Nearby Areas
To Join Council
Maryland, Virginia
Officials Asked to
Donohue Luncheon
The District Commissioners to
day voted to invite governing
officials of surrounding Maryland
and Virginia counties to join them
in establishing an interstate coun
cil for consideration of mutual
problems of health, welfare and
public safety.
“The District must abandon its
territorial boundaries” in consid
ering these problems, declared
Commissioner F. Joseph Donohue,
who suggested formation of the
Greater Washington Council.
Brig. Gen. Bernard L. Robinson,
Engineer Commissioner, quickly
seconded Commissioner Donohue’s
proposal and said he is convinced
such an organization could work
effectively for the “mutual inter
est" of citizens of nearby Maryland
and Virginia as well as the District.
Donohue to Pay for Lunch.
As a first step toward creation
of a permanent organization.
Commissioner Donohue said he
will arrange an interstate lunch
eon conference in the near future.
Officials of Alexandria and Ar
lington, Fairfax, Montgomery
and Prince Georges County will
be asked to attend. The Commis
sioner said he wbuld defray costs
of the luncheon conference him
self.
Commissioner Donohoe empha
sized that close co-operation now
exists between the District Gov
ernment and the governments of
the surrounding areas. Several
boards and commissions now
strive to co-ordinate the planning
of the various governments, he
pointed out.
Mr. Donohue cited the Decem
ber sleet and snow storm which
snarled traffic in and out of
Washington for several hours. In
that instance, he said, joint com
mittees representing the District
and the surrounding areas worked
together on a mutual problem.
Police and Firemen Involved.
Mutual problems of Public
safety, Commissioner Donohue
said, involve full utilization of
the police and fire departments of
the Washington area in times of
emergency.
Sorpany people who work in
the^Witfi#***w live in Virginia’
and Maryland, often crossing
county lines as well as the District
line en route to and from their
jobs, that their problems cannot
be considered independently, the
Commissioner said.
He will try to organize the
luncheon conference as quickly as
the future engagements of nearby
government officials permit, the
Commissioner said.
Bills Before Congress.
The latest move for Inter
area co-operation on mutual
problems comes on the heels of
some other developments along
that line, including:
1. Two measures now before
Congress, one to reorganize the
National Capital Park and Plan
ning Commission to give suburban
areas a greater voice in Metro
politan Area planning, and the
other, by Representative Sasscer,
to establish a joint commission
for the study of interjurisdic
tional problems.
2. A recent conference of area
officials under the sponsorship of
the Arlington Public Utilities
Commission to organize support
for resolutions in Congress which
call for an Interstate Commerce
Commission study of area public
transportation problems.
3. The December conferences
which resulted in an area-wide
program for moving traffic in
snow emergencies.
4. The recently disclosed re
ports from the Regional Highway
Planning Committee on recom
mended road-building projects in
the area. The far-reaching rec
ommendations for the District
and nearby Maryland have been
outlined and those tor Virginia
are soon to follow.
Police Protection an Issue.
One of the thorniest problems
that could confront the proposed
Greater Washington area coun
cil might be the diversity of police
protection in the various juris
dictions.
Some of the nearby jurisdictions
have far from adequate policing
by District standards. Others
(See INTERSTATE, Page A-3.)
Avalanche Toll Up to 20
SONTHOFEN, Germany, Feb.
12 (jP).—The death toll in an
avalanche which crushed a moun
tain ski hut rose to 20 today with
the death of a young Frankfurt
girl. Nineteen others were killed
when tons of ice and snow rum
bled down onto the hut in West
ern Austria early yesterday. The
girl, Hilda Lepien, was brought
here for treatment with three
other seriously injured victims.
Featured Reading
Inside Today's Star
PRO AND CON—The arguments far
and against sending an Ambassador to
the Vatican are outlined by Associated
Press Staff Writer George Cornell in
the second of his series on the church
and state controversy. The series is
taking up, point by point, all of the
church-state arguments. Page A-5.
M STREET REDECORATING—The
District plans to take up the paving
stones an Georgetown's M street and
Key Bridge. Other changes are slated
there, toa. They ore oatlined in an*
other article ea the city's new highway
program on page B-l,