Wilmington and vicinity: 1 I |TT T TT 1 | I ' ft 1 | ■■ ■ WM ■ ^ ASSOCIATED PRESS
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- ; —^Stat ^oln*>^* Coverage of
^ ^_N0. 1.7. __ - WILMINGTON, nT^ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1917 il^I^HED M
Delegation Seeks
Funds For Harbor
Representative Clark And Senators Hoey
And Umstead Confer In Capital With
Steelman On Developments Here
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27—(AP)—Three North Caro
lina members of congress today reported “progress” in ef
forts to improve the Wilmington, N. C., port
Rep Clark and Senators Hoey and Umstead talked with
John R. Steelman, presidential assistant, and Maritime J
NEW TRUCK LANE
PLAN CRITICIZED
Cameron Urges Use 01
Third Street As Logi
cal Route
Establishment of a lengthy
iround-the-city truck route would
result in a severe inconvenience to
petroleum carriers which would
bring about a serious reduction in
tbc traffic of this commodity
through the Port of Wilmington,
Bruce B. Cameron, of MacMillan
and Cameron company, said yes
terday.
His comment on current efforts
to establish ,a definite lane was
given in a survey conducted to
determine the attitude of oil ter
minal interests.
It was based on the current oil
distribution situation in North Car
olina.
At the present, the Plantation
pipe line extends as far north as
Greensboro, moving up from the
aoiith through Spartanburg, Char
lotte and other points.
Most of the oil companies are
row constructing terminals along
the route and, as soon as they go
Into operation will seriously af
fect oil traffic through Wilmington.
The line is serving a 1 1 territory
west of it, all along it and several
miles eastward. Anything done
here to discourage the activities of
the present terminals would be to
the advantage of the pipe line and
detrimental to Wilmington
Cameron stated.
Should a truck lane be set up
around the city, it would add at
least five miles to present trans
portation routes. This, doubled by
two-way traffic, would in effect
move advantages of use of the
pipe line 10 miles eastward from
the present point, he said.
This 10-mile belt extending
through all of North Carolina and
a part of South Carolina would in
clude approximately 2000 square
miles of the two states’ richest
petroleum distribution territory,
Cameron added.
He pointed out that, through the
facts available on one terminal
here it would reduce the volume
of its traffic by fully 15 to 20 per
lent.
Cameron advocated retention of
Third street, with material im
provements to the thoroughfare,
(Continued on Page Three, Col. 2)
BEVIN PROMISES
BRITISH SUPPORT
Solidarity With U. S. As
sured In Spite Of
Palestine
LONDON, Feb. 27. — (jPt— Brit
ish Foreign Secretary Ernest Bev
ln reaffirmed today British-Ameri
can solidarity despite ‘'misunder
standing" over Palestine and said
Britain would support at the Mos
cow conference the American pro
posal for a 25-year four-power pact
•o insure German demilitarization.
In the only reference to the
•torni aroused in the United States
■ Bis charge that President Tru
man had wrecked negotiations for
> Palestine settlement by issuing
* statement during the 1946 con
gressional election campaign, Bev
m told the house of commons:
While there may have been
»ome misunderstanding over the
matter debated in this house two
days ago. this is a matter which
stands by itself. On all questions
one relations with the United
stales are of the most cordial char
acter, and we for our part will not
allow any wedge to be driven be
,ween the two countries to dis
lurb our friendship.'‘
HAMBONE’S meditations
By Alley
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Pat. Office)
mission officials about transfer of
the North Carolina Ship Building
Co. yards at Wilmington to the
state port authority.
They also asked that $1,000,000
appropriated by the last session
of congress for improvement of
the Wilmington harbor and chan
nels be mfcde available, the money
has been tied up by executive
order.
^ “We are hopeful,” they -Said,
that eventually a proposition may
be worked out that will take care
of the needs of the government as
well as of the port authority.”
MORNING STAR
WASHINGTON .BUREAU
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27.—A sec
ond congressional conference was
tentatively set today for next week
on the proposal submitted by the
State Ports Authority to purchase
the North Carolina Shipbuilding
company’s plant at Wilmington.
North Carolina congressional
delegation conferred at the White
House for an hour today with John
Steelman, assistant to President
Truman, on the pending negotia
tions involving the shipyard.
However, members of the dele
gation would commit themselves
no further than that. they were
"hopeful” an agreement might be
reached in regard to the purchase
offer.
No definite date for next week’s
follow-up conference on the subject
was announced.
In the Tar Heel delegation con
ferring with Steelman were Sena
tors Clyde R. Hoey and William B.
Umstead and Representative J.
Bayard C.nrk.
Attending the session also was
9‘ dmiral W. W. Smith of the United
states Maritime commission.
Representative Clark informed
Steelman that he hoped funds
might be made available by the
Government before spring for the
dredging of the Cape Fear river
channel.
He directed Steelman’s attention
to the fact that the channel, now
lower than before the war, is
steadily filling and should be
dredged without delay.
DANGER OF FIRE
CITED IN ROUTE
I
City Council Schedules
Public Hearing On Mat
ter Today
Robert Strange, chairman of the
-Seventh st. committee opposing
■the diverting of truck traffic to
that thoroughfare, last night call
ed attention to the fire hazard
which may result from gasoline
trucks should this street become a
truck lane
Strknge’s warning came on the
eve of the city council’s meeting
this morning at 10 o’clock, at
which time some definite plans
may be made for handling truck
traffic through the city.
He pointed out tha-t the grand
jury of Mecklenburg county re
cently called to the attention of the
I Charlotte city council and mayor
the “ever present menace to life
and property by oil tankers ’’
Strange said that Judge Don
Phillips, in commending the grand
jury for their action said, “You
have done your duty about the
matter. If they fail to do theirs
and a great disaster befalls the
citizens of Mecklenburg county,
then it cannot be blamed upon you
and me. They have the authority
to remedy this situation. ’
He said that this was mentioned
only to show how seriously citi
zens of other Nofth Carolina com
munities feel about the matter.
“Our city has been most fortu
nate,” Strange sand, “but can our
luck hold indefinitely. Disaster has
not struck yet and we are doing
all in our power to prevent such
a thing.
“The sacrifice of Seventh st.—
which will increase the fire hazard
to an unknown degree’’ must be
prevented, he said
A protest meeting was held
Tuesday night in Hemenway
school by residents of the area.
More than 200 persons signed a
petition asking the city council not
to divert Third street truck traffic
to Seventh or any other street, but
to provide a route for trucks
around the city.
Thfe meeting this morning will
be held in council chambers in the
city hall.
Iwo Jitna. Dead Honoved On Second Annlvetsovy
Commemorating the second anniversary of the landing of TJ. S. forces on Iwo Jim a soldiers
stationed on the Island pay tribute to the men who lost their lives in taking the vital Japanese strong
hold. The American flag flies at half mast in the cemetery as a group of bombing planes flv in
formation over Moujit Suribachi (background) where a brief ceremony was also conducted. (Interna
lonal Soundphoto). '
Child Guidance Clinic To
Begin Operating March 7
City’s New Psychiatric
Agency Will Function
Two Days Weekly
The newly established Child
Guidance clinic of Wilmington
offering psychiatric diagnosis
service t o children in particular
and adults as well, will operate
Friday and Saturday of each
week, beginning next Friday, in
the Red Cross building on South
Front street.
The established operating sched
ule was announce yesterday by
Mrs. Herbert Bluethenthal, chair
man of the Child Guidance clinic
committee.
The clinic’s executive and ad
ministrative committees, meet
ing in the council room of the
Community Chest, officially adop
ted Child Guidance clinic as the
name of this new community
agency, second of its kind to be
set up in the state.
- The committees also desig
nated 9 a. m. to 5 p. m. as the
Friday and Saturday operating
hours of the clinic, the work oi
which will be carried on under
the professional guidance of Dr.
Irene Anderson, of Wrightsville
Eeach, graduate psychiatrist.
The clinic offices will be main
tained on the second floor of the
Red Cross building.
The clinic will accept patients
on a graduated fee basis, with
(Continued on Page Three, Col. 7)
BUFFALO SCHOOL
STRIKE MAY END
Teachers Ask Official As
surance That Pay Be
Increased
BUFFALO, N. Y., Feb. 27 —
(TP)—The president of the Buffalo
Teachers Federation said tonight
that the city’s 98 strike-bound
schools “could open by Monday”
with official assurance that state
proposed pay increases would be
effective this year.
Raymond J. Ast declared in a
prepared radio statement that to
day’s report of Governor Dewey’s
special education committee 'on
the surface appears to be attrac
tive.”
He asserted that what the 2,400
striking teachers needed was "to
feel they have something on whicli
to act.”
“We must have assurance from
the legislature that they will act
on legislation to incorporate the
committee’s proposal into law for
1947-48,” said Ast. “We must
have assurance from the governor
that he will sign the b’ll.”
The committee recommended a
$2,500-34,510 scale in Buffalo
Ast’s statement continued:
“We must have assurance re
garding a bill for permissive lo
caltaxation to provide the funds
(for the raises) and we must have
asurance from our local officials
that the funds will be used to meet
the demands of the new sala-y
schedule, which so far as vve
know, may or may not be .man
dated.”
Today And Tomorrow
By WALTER LIPPMANN
‘Not for the first time,” said
j "Toe London Economist” a few
weeks ago, 'die Foreign Secretary
has found that sweeping honest
to-goodness statements about Bri
tish policy may be misunder
stood.” The latest example, his
'impromptu outburst making the
! Pres:dent the scapegoa' for his
Inability to reach a solution in
[Palestine, will certainly not pro
mote a better understanding of
anything.
For while Mr. Truman's state
ment during the elections was a
i regrettable incident, it was only
1 an incident. It cannot be the rea
son why Mr. Bevin has failed to
produce an agreed solution. Foi
Mr. Truman has not meddled
with British policy in India, In
Egypt, or in Greece, and yet
there, as in Palestine, there are
no agreed solutions.
The fact is that in the whole
region of the Middle East and
southern Asia, from the eastern
Mediterranean to Malaya, the
British authority is insufficient. It
is unable to induce, and certainly
it is unable to impose solutions
for the historic transition from
empire to independence.
* * *
It is clear that the United
States will be compelled to as
sume new and unexpected re
sponsibilities as the ’ British
Empire in Asia dissolves. But
how we shall define and how we
(Continued on Page Three, Col. 5)
The Weather
FORECAST;
North Carolina — Increasing cloud
iness Friday, rain Friday night and Sat
urday and in west portion Friday af
ternoon, beginning as sleet or snow.
(Eastern Standard Time)
(By U. S. Weather Bureau)
Meteorogical data for the 24 hours
ending 7:30 p. m. yesterday.
Temperatures:
1:30 a. m. 33; 7:30 a. m. 29; 1:30 p. m.
42; 7:30 p. m. 42.
Maximum 47; Minimum 28; Mean 38;
Normal 49.
Humidity:
1:30 a. m. 58; 7:30 a. m. 58; 1:30 p. m.
27; 7:30 p. m. 33.
Precipitation:
Total since the first of the month —
0.65 inches.
Tides For Today
(From the Tide Tables published by
U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey).
HIGH LOW
Wilmington — 3:18 a.m. 10:49 a.m.
3:40 p.m. 10:59 p.m.
Masonboro Inlet 12:55 a.m. 7:27 a.m.
1:12 p.m. 7:42 p.m.
Sunrise 6:42; Sunset 6:07; JVtoonrise
11:23a; Moonset 1:06a.
River stage at Fayetteville,'N. C. at 8
a. m. Thursday, 12.2 feet.
UN COUNCIL TO
PROBE CHARGES
Committee To Investigate
British Mine-Laying
Allegations
LAKE SUCCESS,'N. Y. Feb. 27
—(TP)—The United Nations Se
curity Council today set up a three
nation sub-committee to investi
gate British mine-laying charges
against Albania after wrangling
two hours on whether Russia had
a right to veto such a step.
The vqte was 8 to 0 with Russia,
Poland and Syria' abstaining.
Immediately after the ballot, the
council debated composition of the
sub-committee for another hour
and finally selected Australia, Co
lombia, and Poland. The core of
this discussion centered on Rus
sia’s ins' hence that Poland be
given a seat.
Soviet delegate Andrei A. Gro
Myko was unable to muster any
support for his contention that
the step of setting up a sub-com
mittee was substantive and thus,
subject to veto. He finally said
he would abstain, but insisted that
he held the power to block the
move.
The sub-committee resolution,
submitted by Australia, provides
that the group report back to the
council not later than March 10.
The three-man body is empower
ed to gather further information
here from the parties to the dis
pute and “make a report on the
facts of the ca'~ as disclosed by
such evidence ”
SUPPORT ASKED
IN COMING VOTE
Red Cross Sanatorium Ex
ecutive Committee Ex
plains Election
The executive committee of the
Wilmington Red Cross Sanatorium
yesterday called upon all qualified
free-holders of the county and city
to register for the special election
to be held March 25 on the $100,
000 county tuberculosis hospital.
The first registration date is
Saturday. The books will be open
in the,county s 22 precincts at the
hemes of registrars, and at the
polling places on March 1, 8 and
15.
Money for the erection and
maintenance of the hospital will be
drawn from a sum formerly add
ed to the capital reserve fund, it
was pointed out. Therefore, the
committee said, it will not be nec
essary for an additional tax levy.
The county commissioners, in
calling the special election, are
merely asking the citizens of the
county to authorize the spending of
this money, it was said.
However, the commissioners
will request the right to levy a
tax net to exceed five cents on
the $100 valuation to make sure
there will be sufficient funds to
maintain the institution.
The report adds that there now
are t»2 county and city residents
who need treatment for tubercu
(Continued on Page Three, Col. 2)
GIRL FOUND NUDE
ON HIGHWAY SAYS
HER STORY HOAX
LONG BEACH, Cal.. Feb. 27 -
(U.R) — Pretty Jacqueline May
Stang, 17, today admitted her story
of having been bound and left
nude along the highway by a kid
naper was a hoax.
The high school student broke
down and confessed the story was
a fabrication after questioning by
juvenile investigators Joseph Ken
nick and Mrs. Margie Cate.
The officers said the girl gave
no reason for her act and will
be re-questioned later. She is be
ing held for making a false report
to police.
Miss Stang was found nude on
the outskirts of this city by a pass
ing motorist. She was bound with
strips of her own underwear and
her body bore marks of cigarette
burns and scratches.
When taken to police head
quarters, the girl said her as
sailant held his hand over her
mouth as he tortured her. She
said the man followed her from
school yesterday, grabbed her and
■pulled her into an alley.
An examinatioh disclosed the
girl had not been raped and police
became suspicious of her story.
After long questioning by juven
ile officers, she confessed the
story was a hoax.
j Along The Cape Fear
! DISILLUSIONED—Ask any resi
dent of The Port City wnat the
Lower Cape Fear region owes its
ideal climate to and he will im
mediately tell you, "Wny it’s the
Gulf Stream.”
For years, we have always con
tended that that great warm body
of water lapping at our very door
step was the major factor in the
Fort City boasting one of the finest
year-round ‘climates in the entire
nation.
Now lo and behold what should
we run across but a report by the
U. S. Weather Bureau which really
st.ratles us.
CONTRARY TO — ‘‘Contrary to
the more or less prevailing im
pression. the nearness of the Gulf
Stream has comparatively little ef
fect on the climate of eastern North
Carolina because the stream is
separted from the coast by 50 miles
of compartively cold water and
the prevailing wind is from the
southwest,” so says Herbert E.
Kichline.
And Mr. Kichline should know
as he is the associate meteorologist
and climatic section director for
North Carolina, Weather Bureau.
Ra’eigh.
STILL DEBATABLE — Despite
the expert opinion of the weather
specilaist there’s many a native
of the Port City who will still be
willing to bet you that the Gulf
Stream'is not 50 miles off the
coast. Likewise most residents will
go right on contending that the Gull
Stream does play a big role in
giving Wilmington a mild winter.
We’re casting our lot with the
majority as the Port City has an
ideal climate to attract winter
tourists.
SAD TALE—While speaking of
tourists we would like to recount
one tale for which we can offer
no proof, but to all intent we be
lieve there is good evidence to con
tent that it’s correct.
Most of you will recall the name
of Flagler, the extremely wealthy
operator who is credited with de
veloping the East Coast of Florida
Well, according to the legend,
Mr. Flager was, manv years ago,
invited to come to Wilmington to
look over the possibilities of mak
ing the costal area one of the
major resort sections of America.
Arriving here on his private
railroad car. Mr. Flager suggested
that his car be taken directly to
the beach. Nothing would please
him more than to see the locality
(Continued on Page Three, Col. 3)
Parish Approval Delayed
By Civil Service Board;
Atlantic Storm Raging
CUTTER AT HAND
TO AID VESSEL
Eleven Ships Battle High
Seas In Vast Area, Coast
Guard Says
The Coast-Guard cutter “Agas
siz” arrived off Topsail inlet at 1
a. m. today and was arranging to
free the two-master schooner
“Night Witch” on the first high
tide, Coast Guard headquarters in
Norfolk said.
The “Night Witch” has been
aground off the inlet since early
Wednesday. The buoy tender Bar
berry, which has been standing by,
was unable to move the schooner
because of insufficient power,
headquarters said, adding that the
•hip is not in danger.
Meanwhile, all along the At
lantic Coast sailors fought for their
lives yesterday against their
toughest enemy, the weather as
raging waves and winds made 10
other vessels helpless.
With a freezing northwest wind
whipping through rigging and 25
feet waves washing over decks,
seamen pumped with frozen
fingers and cursed and prayed
through lips blue from cold as they
battled to keep their vessels afloat.
In a daring rescue operation in
the pitching seas, nine men were
taken from the fishing schooner,
Catherine L. Brown, by the Socony
Vacuum tanker, Calusa, 80 miles
southeast of Cape May, N. J. The
seams in the hull of the fishing
vessel split during the night and
for five hours her crew fought a
losing fight against the water
streaming into the hold. The coast
guard said it wa< believed she
sank.
Then the Calusa hove to near
by, maneuvered carefully and shot
across lifelines. One by one the
nine men swung across the gap of
water between the two wildly toss
ing ships to safety.
10 Others In Trouble
From Cape Cod to 'the Florida
Keys and as far east as Bermuda,
10 other ships and the men aboard
them fought similar battles. The
1,814-ton steamer President War
field, 69 men aboard, was taken
in tow 75 miles off Cape Hatteras,
N. C. She reached Hampton
Roads, Va., safely. A former
Chesapeake Bay steamer, the War
field never was meant for the
open ocean. A day out of Balti
na o r e,. bound for Marseilles,
Prance, she ran into trouble. The
Coast Guard cutter Cherokee an
swered the Warfield’s call for help.
The S. S. Georgie, a 5,695-ton
Panamanian freighter, had double
trouble 200 miles northeast of Ber
muda. First the Georgia lost her
(Continued on Page Three, Col. 1)
FOOD URGED FOR
GERMAN NATION
Hoover Recommendation
Follows Survey Of Re
lief Needs
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27.—UP)—
Herbert Hoover recommended to
President Truman today that the
United States pay $475,500,000 foi
food for German civilians in the
18 months beginning last Jan. 1
as an essential contribution to
peace and order in the western
world.
He urged that this sum not be
“an irrecoverable expenditure”
and that it be stiuplated in all
peace arrangements that the
money be repaid from any future
German net exports “before any
other payments to other nations
of any kind.”
Such repayments thus would
come ahead of reparations.
The former President lumped
in his $475,500,000 food total "col
lateral relief imports” of $51,000,
000 for seed and fertilized and $18,
000,000 for petroleum products in
addition to $406,000,000 worth of
foods for direct consumption.
Hoover made the proposal in a
formal report to President Truman
after investigating relief needs in
central Europe. He expanded on
it by telling reporters at the White
House today that conditions all
over Europe are the worst in 50
years.
“Pretty grim,” he summed up.
He said railroads are still dis
organized and that “everybody is
cold” in northern and central
Europe, where frozen canals and
rivers do not permit shipment of
coal even by barge.
Suspect Held |j
Phillip E. Smalley (above), 31,
an electrician from Knoxville,
Tenn., was jailed at Los Angeles
on suspicion of murder while
police investigated his story that
a girl he met in a bar last Jan. 9
may have been Elizabeth Short,
the ‘‘Black Dahlia,” whose muti
lated body was found Jan. 15. (AP
Wi rephoto).
NEW BILLS SEK
VOTE ON L IIOR
Proposals For State-Wide
Referendum Are Put
Before Assembly
RALEIGH, Feb. 27 — (/P) —
Liquor bills fell into legislature
hoppers from all directions today
while a measure to set up a wild
life resources commission to
handle game and inland fish con
tinued its rapid pace toward en
actment.
From Representative Tompkins
of Jackson came a bill calling on
the Governor to .call a state-wide
referendum on the sale of all bev
erages containing more than one
half of one-per cent alcohol.
That quickly was followed by .a
bill by Senator Chaffin of Harnett
calling for a referendum next No
vember 4 on the sale of everything
that coiftains drinking-purpose
alcohol with the exception of do
mestic, light wines.
The house delegation from heav
ily populated Mecklenburg, which
voted dry more than a decade ago,
listened to the folks back home
and introduced a bill to direct a
referendum in that county 90 days
after the bill’s enactment.
The state-wide bills were the
second and third of that character
to appear in this assembly, which
now has received 32 measures
dealing with wine, whisky or beer,
most of them local.
Senator Penny of Guilford al
ready had sent up one to provide
a referendum on the sale of
(Continued on Page Three, Col. 5)
WHARF DESTROYED
BY COSTLY BLAZE
AT PEARL HARBOR
PEAR HARBOR, Feb. 27.—(ff)—
A quarter-mile long wooden wharf
at Pearl Harbor burst into flame
today and indications were that
it would be a total loss, running
to many thousands of dollars. The
cause was not determined.
Navy,- Marine and Army fire
fighters and seven fire tugs poured
water into the fire, which spread
along the submarine side of the
naval base, starting at 10:50 a. m
(4:20 p. m. Eastern Standard
Time).
Oil lines under the wharf burst,
adding fuel to the fire enveloping
the oil - soaked, asphalt - topped
structure.
A dense smoke pall hung over the
Navy yard and spread over near
by Hickam Field, where the Army
fighter plane Betty Jo was poised
for a scheduled take off at 3 p. m.
on a flight to New York.
The destroyed tender Sierra and
supply ship Oberon got up steam
and pulled into the channel with
out damage while civilian work
ers removed more than 5.000 tons
of supplies from a threatened ware
house.
Diogenes Could Locate
An Honest “Man” Here
Jessie Mae Kegler probably
never has heard of Diogenes.
And most certainly Diogenes
never had an opportunity to know
Jessie Mae.
However, the two have some
thing in common—if a great gulf
did separate their main objectives
in life.
Diogenes' great ambition — so
they say—was to find an honest
person.
Jessie Mae’s life goal is to ful
fill Diogene’s ambition. And she
did that very thing yesterday
afternoon in the sheriff’s ofiice
when she walked in with two heavi
ly laden cases of clothes.
She told the sheriff’s deputies
that when she learned that her
husband, Cullen Kegler, was be
ing held in jail under $1,500 bond
on charges of looting automobiles
at Hobb’s Tourist Camp on route
17, she returned the suit cases he
had given her.
Jessie Mae said that she was in
South Carolina, but when she got
word^of his arrest, site came all
the way back to tur.. the suit cases
over to the sheriff. The two hand
bags contained a number of pieces
of women's and men’s clothing
and a camera.
"No, ” she said. "1’se honest.
I fotched them back when I
heerd they was hot,” she declar
ed and bowed out of the office.
POSTPONE ACTION
ON POLICE CHIEF
City Council Seeking To AK
ter Existing Law On
Commission
Action on the appointment cl
Sergeant P. J. Parish as chief of
the Wilmington police department
was postponed by the civil servic#
commission at a meeting last
night, but indications pointed to It
decision on the matter some tlmd
next week.
The session in the city hall last
night was barred to the public
but Dr. David Murchison, who
presided at the meeting, said that
no action would be taken on thf
appointment until Parish’s physical
condition could be passed on.
Parish is now in James Walker
Memorial hospital for examination
and treatment but so far no of
ficial announcement on the cause
of his illness has been forthcom
ing. Dr. Murchison last night re
peated his previous statement that
he was not as yet ready to render
his decision on the reasons for
Parish’s sickness.
At last reports Palish was rest
ing comfortably and his condition
deemed satisfactory by attache*
of the hospital.
Members of the commission,
other than Dr. Murchison, declined
to comment on what took place
during the two hour secret session.
Meanwhile, rumors continued
rife on the subject of changes in
the civil service commission act.
The feeling has been expressed
that no amendments would be
made until such time as a dead
lock occurred between the cojar
mission and the city council ovelr
an appointment.
Parish was named to fill thf
position vacated by Charles H.
Casteen at a special meeting of
the city council last week and
since that time it has been known
that the city administration favor
ed a change in the act giving thf
governing body of the oity thf
right to name a man to the post
without the selection being sulj»
jected to the civil service commit
sion for approval.
This was upheld yesterday when
the minutes of the February 31
council session were released, witft
the record showing that suol>
changes were desired by thd
group.
(Continued on Page Three, Col. Vf
PRESIDENT HOLDS
TOP SECRET MEET
Diplomatic And Key Legis
lative Leaders Gather At
White House
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27. —WP)—
A top secret conference by Presl
dent Truman, his diplomatic ad
visers and key legislators stirred
speculation today that some diplo
matic decision of world import
might be in the making.
Its importance was underscored
by the fact that all the conferee*
were pledged to secrecy. Nine
congressmen, including the repub
lican chiefs of the foreign and ap
propriations committees, were con
sulted by the President but non*
would go beyond an announcement
of Chairman Vandenberg (R.
Mich.) of the senate foreign rela
tions committee:
“On the eve of Secretary fol *
State) Marshall’s departure for
Moscow we had a general disc is
sion of the European problem which
is involved in the approaching
meeting.”
The session, for which Marshall
and his staff will leave March 5,
was arranged tu consider the peace
treaty for Germany. But it will be
the first meeting of the foreign
ministers of the United States,
Russia, Britain and France since
Britain’s economic plight came to
a head in the industrial shutdown
forced by the coal shortage, lead
ing to some talk that Britain might
be forced to reduce her political
and military commitments.
Any expansion of American com
mitments, even though made by
executive decision, would require
funds to carry out. The chairmen
of the senate and house appropri
ations committees thus would play
an influential role.
The appropriations chairmen al
so will have much to say about the
relief funds the President has re
quested for liberated countries and
those for the occupied nations
contemplated in the war depart
ment budget but it appeared that
this was not the subject of the
conference. One congressional lead
er said that the recommendations
of Herbert Hoover, who has just
completed his study of relief needs,
were not discussed.
And So To Bed
*
The latest fad sweeping the
city and costing one thin dime
ends by you receiving a neat
ly folded scrap of paper.
A glance inside reveals the
following message after yol’ve
donated to a “worthy cause”:
“Thank You!
“You have just contributed
10 cents to a worthy cause.
Poor Richard’s room - mate
must have a key so he will
stop yelling “Open the Door,
Richard.”
“Now don't fret or whin*,
I get your dime like I got mine.