FORECAST: ^ ^ ^ Served By Leased Wires Wilmington vicinity—Tartly cloudy ^B |B iB W^B ASSOC1AT ED PRESS and not quite so warm today, followed Jr I B B I I fl BBIBIfll Ay 7/ ■ >\ 1 ■ and the by increasing cloudiness and mild tonight M1M. ■ M. II 1 I HI Bill UNITED PRESS ___ W -W ^ With Complete Coverage of ____ State and National New* XPL- 8L.--N0- 197:__WILMINGTON, N. C„ FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 1947 " - '- 1 F ESTABLISHED 186T Telegraphers May Walk Out \ Fifty Thousand Western Union Workers Serve Notice Of Intent NEW YORK, April 3 —(/P)—A nationwide strike of 50,000 West ern Union Telegraph co. workers outside of the New York metro politan area loomed as a possibili ty today as the AFL Commercial Telegrapers union sent out notices of intent to call a walk out. Jesse A. Payne, the union pres ident, asserted there had been a “complete collapse of collective bargaining’’ and accused the com pany of effecting “wholesale lay offs, down-grading and unilateral wage Cl/'s.’' There was no immediate com ment from Western Union. The intent to strike notices were sent to the company, President Truman, the U. S. Labor depart ment and the National Labor Re lations board, the union head said. He explained that the teleg raphers’ contract with Western Union expired April 1 but was ex tended to July 1. However, the contract had a 30-day cancella tion clause so that a strike could be called any time after May 3, Payne said. A union policy committee will remain in continuous session here, the president said, and will decide when and if to poll the member ship on a strike. 25-Cent Increase Payne said the employes were seeking a wage increase of 25 cents an hour and a 40-hour week, plus health-welfare and pension benefits. The company has stated that present rates of pay for all em ployes but messengers average $1,98 an hour. Motor messengers get 88.7 cents an hour, and walk ing and bicycle messengers 65.4 cents, the concern said. About 50,000 workers are Invol ved in the dispute, Payne said, with 40,000 belonging to the CTU and 10,000 others in the Telegr aph Employes union and the Tele graph Workers union, both AFL. The smaller unions have partici pated with the CTU in the negotia tions, which began March 10. The 7,000 Western Union em ployes in the New York metropoli tan area are represented by the CIO American Communications association which is negotiating a new contract with the company but has given no notice of intent to strike. NEW TELEPHONE PLANS REVEALED Local Southern Bell Man ager Reveals Exten sion Of Service Set Additional telephone facilities for the City of Wilmington loomed yes terday with the announcement by O. G. Bain, manager of the local office of the Southern Bell Tele phone company, that those now on the waiting list in the community for telephones will probably be served during the year. Bain pointed out that telephone lines have been extended into the Castle Hayne area and the plans were being formulated to extend lines out the Market Street road to include Hampstead sometime this year. He explained that the shortage of materials during 1946 delayed the expansion program of the company but pointed out that de spite the shortages 1237 addition al telephones were installed in Wil mington. “We are proud that we added 3.760 rural telephones in North Carolina during 1946. which was a gain of 92 per cent oyer the pre vious year and a gain of 35,500 ffcral telephones in the nine south eastern states,” Bain said. The numbers of local calls handb ( •d by Southern Bell increased 19 per cent over 1945 to approximate ly 16,600,000 daily in 1946, while the number of calls made per tele phone also increased. In Wilming ton about 128,724 local calls are made daily There was also an increase in the number of long distance calls of 14 per cent to approximately 377,000 per business day. Of this number, 2.500 are placed daily m Wilmington, the records show. To handle this increased de mand for long distance service, the company added 39,000 mi of long distance circuits, which was twice the mileage constructed during 1945. The Weather FORECAST: North Carolina—Partly cloudy and not ,*t°. so warm today WtawMjf £ cloudiness and mild tonight, uc easional rain tonight beginning over west portion this afternoon. Time> (Eastern Standard Time, /«v it s. Weather Bureau) Meteorological data for the 24 ours aiding 7:30 p. m. yesterday. temperatures 1:30 a. m. 59; 7:30 a. m. 59; 1:30 ■»; 7 ;30 p. m. 52; Maximum 76, Mini mum 52; Mean 64; Normal 58. humidity 1:30 a. m. 98 . 7:30 a. m. 91; 1 ;30 p. m »*; 7:30 p. m. 79 PRECIPITATION Total for 24 hours ending 7:30 p. m. ^Tomfllnce the first of the month 0.84 h‘Ch*1! TIDES FOR TODAY • From the Tide Tables publisher! by U. ■. Coast and Geodetic Survey). High Low Wilmington_ 9:02 a m. 3:34 a.m. 8:27 p.m. 3:5o p.m Mason boro-6:48 a.m. 12:37 a.m. 7:15 p m. 12:59 p m. gunrise 5:56; Sunset 6:35; Moonrlse l:4«p; Moonset 5:39a. River '“age at Fayetteville, N. C. at 8 a. m. Tnursday 13.8 feet. Mere Weather Ob i’agre Five ARRIVING in the U. S.' from Europe aboard the S. S. Marine Marlin, little Joseph Kopnizka, 3, has a greeting for Uncle Sam as he reaches New York under the sponsorship of the U. S. Commit tee for Care of European Chll dren. — (International). HUNDRED INJURED IN TRAIN WRECK Crack Train Derails Near Suburban Chicago Late Last Night CHICAGO, April 4.—(Friday)— (&)—'■Police estimated 100 persons were injured tonight when the B u rlington railroad’s speeding twin city Zephyr -passenger train was derailed by a tractor that fell from a passing freight. There were no early reports of any fatalities. Downer’s Grove police said that the first tiree or four cars on the streamlined stainless steel train overturned and smashed into a passenger station. T. E. Pratt, transportation of ficer for the Burlington, said the deisel Zephyr was derailed by "something” which fell on the track from a westbound freight train passing on an adjoining track. Downer’s Grove police also said that the passenger train had struck an obstruction which ap parently dropped from a west bound freight. Downer’s Grove is located 21 miles southwest of Chicago and about 10 miles from Naperville where 45 persons died last April 25 in the collision of two other Burlington trains. TRUMAN UNAFRAID OF COMMUNISTS President Sees No Danger Of Party Becoming Dominant In Nation WASHINGTON, April 3 — (JP)—In dividual Communists in govern ment posts are a menace in the eyes of President Truman but their party as a political force is not a danger to the nation. That was the explanation the President gave to his news con. ierence today of a letter he wrote to George H. Earle, 3d, on Feb. 28 saying that “people are very much wrought up about the Com munist bugaboo, but I am of the opinion that the country is perfect ly safe so far as Communism is concerned—we have too manv sane peopls.’’ Earle, former diplomat and Pennsylvania governor, had Com mented in Philadelphia that Mr. Truman’s “bugaboo” characteri zation “astonishes me.” He made public a reply to the President dated March 4, saying: “When you refer to the Com munist menace as a bugaboo, it is. the most frightening thing I have ever heard. “I am so worried that I intend to bring this matter to the atten tion of the leaders of our (Demo cratic) party and of the majority party and if their opinion coin cides with yours, the future of our country is without hope.” Mr. Truman when asked about the matter, gave this interprets - tion of his views: He is not worried about the Communist party taking over the government because the country has too much sense ever to go Communist. He is against a per son whose loyalty is not to the government of the United States holding a government job. He con siders these two points entirely different things. Along The Cape Fear CAROLINA SOCIETY — Not so long ago we mentioned Mr. Lind say Russell of Cardinal Point and referred to him as the founder of the North Carolina Society in New York City. Always singing t h e praises of any Wilmingtonian who leads the way in a matter of real sig nificance Along The Cape Fear was anxious to learn more about that organization. We finally prevailed upon M r. Russell, a distinguished lawyer who has retired to his home town after a brilliant practice in New York City and abroad, to tell us something about the club. The society was organized in 1905 at the D. K. E. Clut> located on 32nd Street in New York City. Another Wilmingtonian who was present when the club came into being, in addition to Mr. Rus sell, was Mr. Joseph Strange. STATE REPRESENTED - In addition to these two natives of the Port City many other Tar Heels were on hand. Among those who Mr. Russell recalls were George Gordon Bat tle of Rocky Mount, Willis Dowd of Charlotte, Albert Massey of Raleigh, and John S. Primrose. But do not think that the first session of the society was un eventful. As a matter of fact it turned out to be a very cold af fair. In fact several of the charter members of the organization came close to freezing to death that same night, Mr. Russell confessed. Not fully realizing that the so ciety they had founded that night was to be one of the most famous in the country, the work of some thief made a much greater im pression upon them. All the gentlemen had left their overcoats in the hall and after the meeting was over they made the s a d discovery that a (Continued On Page rive, Col. S) SENATE COMMITTEE APPROVES GREEK LOAN; LT. HAYES GIVEN “EDGE” FOR POLICE CHIEF; TRUMAN STANDS BEHIND KRUG IN CHARGES Unsafe Mines Ordered Shut Embattled Secretary Jakes Action To Prevent Fur ther Disasters WASHINGTON, April 3.—WS President Truman today rej' John L. Lewis’ demand tha retary of Interior J. A. Krug fired for "criminal negligence” li the Centralia mine explosion. At the same time the embattled sec retary moved to prevent a recur rence of that disaster by closing 518 soft coal mines condemned as unsafe. The President told his press con ference that he had no intention of removing Krug from office, as the coal union leader had urged before a Congressional subcom mittee a few hours earlier. He refused to comment on the lurid charges of “butchery” and incompetence raised against Krug by Lewis, who held the secretary directly responsible for the 111 miners killed in last week’s Cen tralia disaster. But Mr. Truman said Krug was staying on in the cabinet and tha> he regarded him as an efficient public officer. That view was challenged scorn fully by Lewis, who Went before a House Labor subcommittee to testify on pro-posed mine safety legislation and expanded his f.esti mony into an extraordinary per sonal attack on Krug. Denounces Krug Lewis denounced Krug as the “arch-criminal” of the Centralia explosion and said that the mines had been turned into “slaughter houses” under his administration. He asked Congress to adopt a joint House-Senate resolution calling upon President Truman to oust the secretary. Lewis also denied that the recent Spireme court decision ordering him to reinstate the United Mine Workers’ contract with the govern ment had anything to do with the present mine shuntdown, which he ordered as a six-day memorial to the Centralia victims. He said the miners will return to work Monday in “any mine that is safe to enter,” but he added bluntly that the UMW might call (Continued on Page Ten, Col. 5) PETITIONS URGE DAYLIGHT SAVING Only Three Unfavorable Responses Received, Says Benson City Manager J. R. Benson said yesterday that he h a d received five petitions bearing several hundred names and numerous letters from many other Wilming ton residents urging that daylight saving time be proclaimed for the city of Wilmington. Thus far, "he said, he had re ceived only three unfavorable re sponses relative to the time change since he asked last week that Wilmingtonians inform him as to their wishes on the matter. One of these three, Benson, ex plained, came from without the county. When asked whether or not the daylight saving subject would come up at the next meeting of the city council, he replied that it depended upon the reaction of the city’s people. “It is a matter which concerns all of the people of the city,” he said, “and we need to know how they feel about the change before any action is taken.” A law passed by the general as sembly in 1931 gave to the gov erning body of the city the right to order a change to daylight sav ing time between April 1 and Oc tober 1, and city officials said that as far as they knew the law was still in effect. LIFE OF LUXURY . WASHINGTON, April 3.—(#)— Senator Bridges (R-NH) de clared today that some customs bureau commissioners are liv ing “a life of luxury” which may lead to “some indict ments.” The 'aan of the Senate appr- ,■ -ommittee made thb c\ denouncing v o'' <5* / . barrage of* Jr /.Oy d” pro ^X / v-/ e-approved / w m customs /f^/ -te® hearing on ,^N / Jy cut> BridRes an /£■■■/ A he had received / / a 5,000 letters and / -s urging that the Sen. restore funds pared away by the House. LILIENTHAL WINS SENATE VICTORY Upper Chamber Votes Against Sending Nomi nation To Committee WASHINGTON, April 3— (ffi) — David E. Lilienthal, President Truman’s choice for chairman of the Atomic Energy commission, scored a major victory today when the Senate refused, 52 to 38, to send his nomination back t o committee for an FBI check. This, was widely interpreted as meaning that the Senate will con firm Lilienthal when a final vote comes, perhaps next week. Senators Vandenberg (R-Mich) and Taft (R-Ohio), sometimes re garded as the “big two’ ’among Senate Republicans, split on the issue. Taft supported the recommittal motion offered by his first term colleague. Senator Bricker (R Ohio). Vandenberg, hardly an hour before the vote, appealed for re jection of the motion and for quick confirmation of Lilienthal as a “reliable man. The Senate had agreed in ad vance to recess until Monday if the Bricker motion lost. The breathing spell will give Lilienthal’s opponents an oppor tunity to decide whether to carry on the fight next week in the face of apparently insurmountable odds. Both sides said the opposi tion probably mustered its great est strength in today’s test. Galleries Crowded The Senate galleries were crowded for the crucial vote and spectators broke into loud ap plause when Vandenberg finished his vigorous argument for Lilien thal. Voting to recommit were 31 Re publicans and 7 Democrats, while the victorious side included 18 Re publicans and 34 Democrats. It was a bitter defeat for Sena (Continued On Page Five, Col. 1) WHAT NEXT? BOSTON, April 3—(U.R)—First the paper-holder was stolen from the washroom at police headquarters. Then the towel rack disap peared. Today policemen found one of the toilet seats missing. Council May Act Shortly Governing Body Awaits Copy Of New Civil Ser vice Law Before Move BY EARL HOWARD Star Staff Writer An authoritative and usually well-informed source revealed last night that Lt. Hubert Hayes, head of the detective force of the police department here, is being serious ly considered as the successor to Charles H. Casteen as chief of the Wilmington police department and predicted that he would be recommended and confirmed at the next session of the city coun cil. The next session of the council is expected to be held either late this week or early next week, or as soon as a certified copy of the new civil service law is re ceived by city officials. The new law, passed by both houses of the legislature, the Sen ate last Thursday and the House Wednesday, gives to the govern ing body of the city the authority to select a police chief without the action being subject to confirma tion by the civil service commis sion. City Manager J. K. Benson .ask ed yesterday if a new police chief had been decided on as yec, re plied in the negative. He pointed out that the council could not act until a copy of the new law had been received. He did say, how ever, that it was only reasonable to assume that a selection would be made soon. Last night was the first time that the name of Hayes had been mentioned prominently for the police chief post, although it has been known for several days that he was being considered, along with others, for the position. Lt. Col. Etheridge, one of the (Continued on Page Ten, Col. 4) GROWERS OPPOSE CHANGE OF TIME Vegetable And Flower Group Against Daylight Saving Time Vegetable and flower growers of the Wrightsboro district last night went on record as being staunchly opposed to adoption of daylight saving in New Hanover county for the summer months. Action by the group was taken at the regular annual “Farmers Night.” meeting of the Kiwanis club, when the clubmen were guests of the farmers at a bounti ful dinner served in the Wrights boro clubhouse. Some sixty Kiwanians and farm ers sat down around the well laden tables for an exchange of views and good fellowship. Vice president George D. Conant pre sided over the first phase of the program and then County Agent R. H. Gallphin took over and in troduced Neil Bolton, agricultural representative for the Tide Water Fbwer company. Bolton spoke briefly to the Kiwanians and farmers present on the ^ubject of “Better Farm/g (Continued On Page Five, Col. 6) Probe Continues As Nurse At County Home Resigns By GEORGE HASLAM Star Staff Writer Round three of the inquest into conditions at the New Hanover county home will, in all probability, swing into action next Monday at the regular meeting of the county commissioners, Chairman Addison Hewlett announced yesterday fol lowing a lengthy tour of the insti tution. With Commissioners L. J. Cole man, H. R. Gardner, and George W. Trask present, only Commis sioner J. M Hall was missing when the body visited the majority of the inmates from 3 until after 5 p. m. The only fireworks provided dur ing the second day of the intensive probe was the announced resigna tion by the assistant matron, Mrs. Effie Bryant, who was recalled be fore the board yesterday at the in sistence of Commissioner Trask. Shortly after the commissioners assembled in the office of the coun ty home, which was the scene of Wednesday’s three-hour long in quest, Commissioner Trask said that Mrs. Bryant had informed him Wednesday night that the Carters, by their attitude, were forcing her to quit her position. One other witness, which Com missioner Trask wished to be heard by the board, was called into the room before Mrs. Bryant told the board of Wednesday night’s hap penings. The first witness summoned was Cora Robinson, a Negro employe of the home, who said that she had worked there since November 7, 1946. "They's treated good, they’s kept clean,” Cora contended while praising the administration of Supt. C. M. Carter and his care of the inmates. When asked by Commissioner Trask if there had been any trouble, Cora answered “No, Sir.” Then she added that some of them (the inmates) “is hard to suit ” To Commissioner Gardner’s query as to which ones were “hard to suit,” she gave an Slmost identi cal list of inmates as that present ed by Superintendent Carter and his wife, who is matron of the in stitution, earlier in the inquest. ' “Most of the trouble is from the chronical ones,” Cora sighed. To another question by Com missioner Gardner as to whether she had seen whiskey brought in to the home, she replied in the af firmative. Commissioner Trask then asked the witness if she had been a prisoner prior to her employ at the home, and again she answered in the affirmative. “Folks here gets about every thing they’s ask for,” Cora volun teered this information to the board before being asked by Commission er Gardner what they “kicked about?” “They’s kick about everything,” replied Cora, who added “They’s even kick about Jesus.” “I’se looks after all the sick peo ple. I’se go from ward to ward,” she said when asked by Commis sioned Trask how many wards she had to keep clean. Upon the suggestion of Chairman Hewlett, the board members de cided that they preferred to visit the Inmates In their rooms Instead of having them brought to the of fice. At this point Commissioner Trask again reminded the board that he was anxious for Mrs. Bryant, who on Wednesday had said that some i imates had been deprived of meals upon severaloccasions, to be recall ed before the board for a hear ing. “Mr. Carter told me he was surprised at me,” Mrs. Bryant in formed the commissioners. “He told me last night that I had told the truth but that I’d told too much,” she added. She then recounted how she had gone into the city last night to confer with a sister, who advised her to contact Commissioner Trask. When asked by Commissioner Gardner what part of the testi mony Carter had objected to, Mrs. Bryant said “All of it.” She then told briefly of her life’s history, pointing out that she was a native of Clinton, and had lived here for the past five years dur ing which time she had worked at the shipyard for three years and at the Shamrock Inn until it closed down. . She closed her remarks by tell ing the board that: her things were packed. “I’m going to leave tonight. I’ve enjoyed working here with the in mates and I hope everything turns out all right,” she said. The board members then toured the entire facilities, where with the exception of Mrs. Tessie Gris som, all of the inmates told of receiving good care, sufficient (Continued Ob Ps|« FW»i W. 9 TOP TELEPHONE UNION and company officials are shown as they met with a government conciliator at the U. S. Labor Department in Washington, in an effort to head off the nationwide phone strike scheduled for April 7. They are (1. to r.): George S. Dring, assist ant vice-president of the American Telephone and Telegraph Com pany; William Margolis, federal labor conciliator; and John J. Mor gan, president of the American Union of Telephone Workers—(Inter national Soundphoto). Tr uman May Take Over All Phones ALL CHRISTENDOM WILL PRAY TODAY People Of Three Faiths To Converge On. Jerusalem For Holy Day Rites JERUSALEM, April 3 —(f)—The peoples of three faiths will offer up their prayers in Jerusalem to morrow in the Holy Day services of each religion. Throughout all Christendom the prayers of the devout will menlion Jerusalem, where churchmen will lead Good Friday services in the very places where Jesus Christ suffered. Moslems of the Islamic world commemorate the day for the death of the prophet Moses, as Jerusalem’s Moslems make the annual pilgrimage to the small desert shrine near Jerich where Mohammed’s adherents believe Moses lies buried. For Jews it is the 3395th anni versary of the date Moses- led his people out of Egypt. Christian services in this troubled land commemorate the day on which Christ was iired, scourged and crucified and in ciude a symbolic procession along the Via Dolorosa (Way of Sor rows) which is believed to corre spond to the path he trod when he shouldered his cross and was led to Calvary. Walk And Pray Along the grubby streets of the old city, past the stations com - memorating some incident in Christ’s torturous journey, priests and pilgrims will walk and pray as they march toward the Church (Continued On Page Five, Col, 5) President Now Consider ing Seizure Of Industry If Strike Comes WASHINGTON, April 3 -(/Pi President Truman tonight consider ed intervening to prevent a nation wide telephone strike which union leaders described as seemingly “inevitable.” Mr. Truman told a news con ference he is investigating to determine whether he has authority to seize the industry. Mr. Truman’s seizure powers under the Smith-Connally Labor Disputes act expired last Dec. 31. However, some officials are study ing the Federal Communications act, in the belief thait it may per mit seizure. Secretary of Labor Schwellen bach said he may ask Attorney General Clark for a ruling on the government’s powers. He informed newsmen, however, he probably will wait until Satur day before making such a request, because experience has shown “they never sta