FORECAST:
Wilmington and vicinity: Considerable
cloudiness and warmer today, occasion
al showers tonight; Friday, cloudy and
warm with showers.
VOL. 80—NO. 214
^ ——— ” ■■■
Served By Leased Wires
ol the
ASSOCIATED PRESS
and the
UNITED PRESS
With Complete Coverage of
State and National New*
EST ABL ISHED~136r
British Close
Up Jerusalem
Mysterious Power Failure
Plunges City Into Pitch
Black Darkness
JERUSALEM, Palestine, April
13— (U.R) —A mysterious power fail
ure plunged Jerusalem into pitch
black darkness tonight, and Brit
ish military authorities, fearing an
all-out Jewish underground attack,
ordered all the city’s gates closed.
Police and military forces im
mediately were alerted, to repel
my assault.
The sudden and unexplained
blackout came shortly after the
outlawed Irgun Zvai Leumi’s an
nouncement that it was setting up
Irgun “military” courts to try al:
British prisoners that the Irgun
captured. The Irgun said all Brit
ons condemned to death by these
Jewish courts would be executed
by Irgun hangmen or firing
squads.
Ship Towed In
During the day, a 300-ton Jew
ish refugee ship was towed into
Haifa harbor with 12 wounded
aboard—nine Jews and three Brit
ish Navy men—as the result of a
fierce fight between the Jews and
i navy boarding party.
Tire Irgun announced the setting
lip of its “military” courts over
the secret Irgun radio, “Fighting
Zion.” It listed a series of
■‘charges” on which Britons would
be tried, and for which the death
penalty presumably would be ap
licable.
The “charges” were: associa
tion with the British army, which
v.as “illegal” in Palestine; “ille
gal” entry into Palestine; “Il
legal” possession of arms and the
“illegal” use of arms against the
Jewish populace.
Under such “charges,” nearly
any Briton in the Holy Land could
be killed by the Irgun, after ap
pearing before its “courts.” The
Irgun radio said sentences would
be imposed without right of ap
peal.
Admit Train Blast
In the same broadcast, the Ir
gunists announced that it was they
»ho blew up the Egypt-Palestine
(Continued on Page Two, Col. 5)
PARENT-TEACHERS
TO ELECT TODAY
Installation Of Officers,
Address To Wind Up
27 th Annual Tfteet
ASHEVILLE, April 23— UP) —
Election of a president and second
vice-president and installation of
newly-elected officers will feature
final sessions tomorrow of the 27th
annual convention of the North
Carolina Congress of Parents and
Teachers being held here.
Mrs. E. B. Hunter of Charlotte,
was nominated for president by
the committee, and Mrs. Maude
Baynor Foy was nominated from
the floor during the business ses
sion today. Mrs. Mayon Parker of
Ahoskie is candidate for the vice
president’s office.
Featured during the afternoon
session will be an address by Mrs.
Camille McGee Kelley, juvenile
court judge of Memphis, Tenn.,
and a discussion group lead by
Dr. Mildred I. Morgan, coordina
tor of the family life program in
the Asheville city schools.
Directors will report at the
morning session, awards will be
made, and Miss Agnes Samuelson,
national P-TA representative, will
present a blueprint for action. A
state chairmen’s conference is
scheduled for 8:30 until 9:30
o'clock, prior to the morning
meeting.
Keynote Address
The final general session will be
held in the city auditorium tomor
row night. Officers will be install
ed and Dr- c- Charles Burl‘
ingame, chairman, committee on
public education. American Psy
chiatric association, will deliver
the keynote address.
The convention banquet is set
for 6 p.m. at the George Vander
bilt hotel.
The keynote address of the sec
ond general session of the confer
ence this afternoon was made by
Dr. E. B. Norton, deputy commis
sioner, U. S. Office of education.
Dr. Norton advocated federal
aid to education on the grounds
that many states with less taxable
wealth have larger percentages of
children in the population. To pro
vide adequate educational advan
tages for these children, the fed
((ontinued on Page Two, Col. V
The Weather
FORECAST:
South and North Carolina—Consider
able cloudiness and wanner Thursday,
■howers beginning in mountains Thurs
day evening, occasional showers and
warmer Thursday night. Friday cloudy
and w rm with showers, becoming cool
er in mountains.
(Eastern Standard Time)
(Bv V. S. Weather Bureau)
Meteorological data for the 24 hours
•Tiding 7:30 r> n ve terdav.
TEMPERATURES
1:30 a. m. 48: 7:30 a. m. 46: 1:30 P- tn
7:30 p." m. 60: Maximum 68. Mini
mum 44- Mean Normal 64.
HUMIDITY
1:30 a. m. 83: 7-30 a. m. 95: 1:30 p. m. »
55; 7:30 p. m. 83.
PRECIPITATION
Total for 24 hours ending 7:30 p. m.
• 00 inches.
Total since the first of the month 3.72
inches.
TIDES FOR TODAY
•From the Tide Tablss published by U.
Coast and Geodetic Survey).
High Low
Wilmington _12:14 a.m. 7:20 a.m.
- p.m. 7:10 p.m.
Masonboro _10:04 a.m. 4:08 a.m.
10:32 p.m. 4:12 p.m.
Sunrise 5:30; Sunset 6:50;- Moon rise
®:04a; Moonset ll:07p.
River stage at Fayetteville, N. C. at 8
a tn. Wednesday 13.7 feet.
More Weather On Paie Two
ANDREW J. MAY, former
Democratic Congressman from
Kentucky, who will take the
stand in District Court in
Washington in his own defense
on charges of conspiring to
defraud the government in
war contract dealings. — (AP
Wirephoto).
MAY TO TESTIFY
IN OWN DEFENSE
Former Congressman Will
Deny He Took Bribes,
Attorney Declares
WASHINGTON, April 23 - (tP)—
Andrew J. May, wartime chair
man of the House Military com
mittee, plans to take the stand in
federal district court to deny that
he took bribes to obtain munitions
contracts.
His lawyer Sawyer Smith, told
the court today that it is untrue
that the 71-year old Kentucky
politican profited from deals be
tween the Garsson munitions com
bine and the Cumberland Lumber
Co.
“Andrew J. May will take the
witness stand and explain to you
how every dollar of that money
was spent, and how not, one cent
went to Andrew J. May,” Smith
told the jury.
May is on trial with three co
defendants accused of war fraud
charges in connection with the
$75,000,000 Garsson combine.
William A. Paisley, special as
sistant attorney general, charged
that May served as proprietor of
the lumber firm, and that it re
ceived more than $50,000 in Gars
son firm orders but failed to de
liver a “stick of lumber” in re
turn.
In fact, Paisley told the jury,
May and his friends tried to
“cover up” deals late in 1945
after discovering that the gov
ernment was investigating them.
Garssons’ Charged
On trial with May are Henry
and Murray Garsson, brothers,
heads of the war syndicate, and
Joseph F. Freeman, Washington
agent for the Garssons. Lawyers
for the other three waived prelim
inary statements at this time.
May succeeded in selling the
lumber to a friend, A. J. Brown,
for $40,000 and used the money to
repay Erie and Batavia Metal
Products companies — two Gars
son firms — for part of advances
he had received from them.
Paisley told the jury he expects
to show that the Erie firm pre
pared false invoices in its Chicago
office designed to show May had
intended to ship lumber to Erie.
The government prosecutor said
the invoices mentioned Southern
yellow pine, but there was no such
type on May’s Kentucky tract.
The prosecutor said, too, that
th" FBI had found a typewriter
in Erie’s Chicago offices which
was used in preparing the in
voices, whereas the papers were
dated in Prestonburg, Ky., May’s
home town.
The government contended that
(Continued on Page Two, Col. 5)
PRESIDENTPLANS
VISIT TO CANADA
Jaunt To Princeton Uni
versity, Kansas Trip Also
On Summer Schedule
WASHINGTON, April 23. — (£>)—
President Truman’s summer trav
el itinerary broadened today to
include definite trips to Canada
and Princeton university with per
haps a visit to Kansas City and
possibly Alaska.
Canadian Prime Minister Wil
liam L. McKenzie King paid a 30
minute call on Mr. Truman at the
White House, and later told report
ers that the Chief Executive plans
to visit Canada “very shortly.”
I MacKenzie King expressed “de
light” at the President’s prospec
tive trip. He said Mr. Truman will
visit Ottawa, and the Canadian
capital, and possibly make shoil
side trips from there. The ex
pected date is June 10.
To Get Degree
White House Secretary Charles
■G. Ross told newsmen that the
President’s trip to Canada and a
visit to Princeton. N. J., on June
16 to receive a degree are the only
definite travel plans at this time.
Asked about a possible summei
visit to Alaska, Ross said:
“All reports on the subject are
extremely tenuous and highly spec
ulative.”
In addition. Mr. Truman is
known to be considering a trip to
Kansas City about June 5 for a
meeting of the 35th Division, with
which he served in World War I.
i
100 Jurymen
Receive Call
Extra Venire^ Summoned
For PossiblT Duty At
Grissett Trial Today
One hundred additional juryme
will appear in Superior court
day at 9:30 a.m., at the d ^
tion of Judge Clawson L. W’
of Sanford, presiding jur’ ^S.
yesterday turned down r
the removal of the R' ^ tV 6
sett trial to another
Following argume
mer policeman’s attoi
Frink, Elbert Brown „
L. Henry, an<J Solicitor o.
Moore, James King and E,
Bellamy for the state’s prose a
tion, Judge Williams ordered that
100 new jurors be drawn from
the jury box and summoned for
possible duty today. >
The names of the’ prospective
jurors in the Grissett trial were
drawn from the jury box in open
court by J .F. Flowers, Jr., young
son of the state patrolman.
County Resident
Attaches of Sheriff Porter
Davis’ office were busy late yes
terday afternoon and last night
notifying the new group of jury
men. All of the hundred must
be non-residents of the city of
Wilmington and cannot be among
the jurors who served or were
even called for jury duty during
the last term of Superior court
here when Grissett was cleared
of a similar charge of larceny
and receiving.
With four charges of storebreak
ing, larceny and receiving facing
him, Grissett has added Ozmer L.
Henry of Lumberton to his legal
staff of defenders while the state
will be aided by Emmett Bellamy,
who d,id not figure in the first
trial here.
Solicitor Moore expressed con
fidence last night that a jury
would be selected from the new
venire and that the trial would
get underway this morning.
Acquittal Hearing
Frink revealed that the first
order of business facing the court
when it reconvenes at 9:30 a.m.,
will be a hearing on his plea for
formal acquittal as Grissett has
already been cleared of a sim
ilar charge during the February
term of court here.
H. L. Gurley, another former
member of the local police de
partment, may be tried today on
three charges of storebreaking,
larceny and receiving. However,
the Grissett trial will probably
consumer the full day thus de
(Continued on Page Two, Col. Z)
ratehTke urged
AT ICC HEARING
Boyd Says Local Port Will
Dry Up Unless Com
mission Acts
Morning Star
Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, April 23. — The
Port of Wilmington, will be “dried
up” if intercoastal water carriers
are not granted higher rates. Col
onel H. E. Boyd of the Wilmington
Port-Traffic Association told the
Interstate Commerce Commission
today.
Colonel Boyd urged that the do
mestic shipping companies raise
the rates about 15 per cent and that
competitive transcontinental rail
road freight rates be boosted about
25 per cent so that the water car
riers could have enough income
to stay solvent and yet would not
lose their business to the trains.
President Truman has asked the
ICC to rule on the rate case be
fore June 30, when the federal
subsidy to the intercoastal water
carriers expires, Colonel Boyd
said.
The Navy and the maritime com
mission want an adequate mer
chant marine to stay afloat as a
defense measure, he added.
If the shippers do not receive
relief in the present case, the re
sult will be “drying up the port
of Wilmington, destroying inter
coastal water service and causing
great financial loss to terminals
at the port of Wilmington,” he
told the ICC.
Boyd filed a lengthy brief with
statistics of rates to support his
view.
Lower Price Battle Wins
New Recruits Over Nation
Along The Cape Fear
INTERESTING CITIZEN—
More than a hundred years ago
the Port City acquired a citizen
who could have supplied the an
swer to one of the most perplex
ing riddles facing American his -
torians.
Did Marsha] Michael Ney. Na
poleon’s great military officer,
spend the last days of his life in
the Tar Heel state? One person
who should have been able to end
the dispute existing to the present
day was a resident of Wilmington
for a four year period.
He was Pasqual Luciani, him •
self a veteran of the wars of Na
poleon and the famous Battle of
Waterloo, who came here in 1843.
For several years he was in
business as a produce merchant
before going north just out hun
dred years ago.
* * *
FAMOUS SHIPMATE - When
I coming to America where h.
landed at Charleston, SX..
Luciani was accompanied by one
Peter Stuart Ney, whom many be
lieve was no other than the dis
tinguished Marshal Ney.
Alter landing in Charleston ,
Ney traveled to the Middle West
before settling down in the west
ern section of this state as a
school teacher.
In Charleston,- Luciani separat
ed from his distinguished ship
mate and came here to enter
business.
* * *
HISTORY CONTENDS — Most
authorities on French history tell
us that Marshal Ney was shot for
treason following the Battle of
Waterloo.
However tradition has a much
more exciting tale to tell. It con
tends that Marshal Ney, almost
as great an idol of the French
troops as Napoleon himself, was
spared.
His former comrades in arms
(Continued on Page Two, CoL $
Soap Manufacturers Join
Ranks Of Those Making
10 Per Cent Cut
NEW YORK, April 23—(/P)—The
battle for lower prices found new
recruits today in the ranks of
makers of soap, fats, oils, chemi
cals, wire and cables, music rec
ords and producers of Broadway
plays.
Retailers concentrated attention
on the embattled housewives of
New England, who were reported
hastening to take advantage of
the 10-day Newburyport, Mass., 10
percent retail price cut, which
had spread to nearby commu
nities.
But across the nation, buyers
cheered recent cuts at wholesale
levels of fats, oils, soap, butter,
pork and beef prices, which they
hope to see soon on shelves of
retailers who have not yet an
nounced reductions.
There remained a strong warn
ing, however, from manufacturers
I (Continued on Page Two, CoL 3}
FOREIGN MINISTERS WILL WIND UP
HECTIC MOSCOW CONFERENCE TODAY;
PHONE FIRMS CHARGE LINE CUTTING
--i-—_
Government Undertakes
Task Of Again Attempt
ing To Settle Strike
WASHINGTON, April 23—(IP)—
Reports of sabotage of some long
distance cables came from tele
phone company officials ' .day,
while the government undertook
again to settle the country-wide
phone strike.
The new settlement approach is
to revive peace talks in Washing
ton between the striking telephone
workers and three strategic parts
of t-ie Bell systei the long lines
division, the Western Electric com
pany and the Southwestern Bell
Telephone company.
At Milwaukee, the Wisconsin
Telephone company announced an
offer of a $1,000 reward for in
formation leading to the arrest ‘ of
persons who cut long distance
cables” linking Milwaukee and Ap
pleton.
At Louisville, J. C. McAllister,
Kentucky manager of the South
ern Bell Telephone company, an
nounced a $1,000 reward for in
formation leading to the arrest
and conviction of cable cutters.
He said an important line between
Louisville and Nashville, Tenn.,
was cut, as well as a lesser one
between Russellville and Guthrie,
Ky.
At Detroit, the Michigan Bell
Telephone company reported nu
merous instances of cut wires and
cable tampering, calling it ‘‘van
dalism or sabotage.”
Union Offers Reward
The Michigan company and the
striking union there each offered
$500 rewards for locating those
responsible. The union said it
“unequivocally condemns” such
action.
San Francisco, Los Angeles and
San Diego company officials like
wise reported the cutting of some
lines, including a break in one
|Los Angeles' cable 15 feet above
the ground.
A $500 reward was posted at
Columbia,' S. C., for conviction
of those responsible for what the
(Continued on Page Two, Col. 7)
FINANCIER JAILED
AS DRAFT DODGER
Judge Also Imposes $50,
000 Fine On Serge Ru
binstein At New York
NEW YORK, April 23. — (TP)—
Serge Rubinstein, 39-year-old Rus
sian-born financier who has had a
dazzling career in several coun
tries, was sentenced to 30 months in
prison and was fined $50,000 to
day in the most prominent draft
evasion case growing out of World
War II.
Federal Judge J. F. T. O’Con
nor suspended sentences of two
years and $10,000 fines each for
Rubinstein’s co-defendants, Allen
Gordon Foster, New York, former
director of the Panhandle Produc
ing and Refining Co., and James C.
Hart of Lee, Mass., former presi
dent of the Taylorcraft Aviation
corp. of Alliance, Ohio.
Foster and Hart were placed on
probation.
The three were convicted last
night after a seven-week trial on
charges of filing false statements
as to Rubinstein’s liability for mili
tary service and conspiracy to file
such statements.
The government contended in
Rubinstein’s trial that he falsified
his draft status by maintaining that
his business activities were vital
to the war effort and his induction
would leave his dependents without
financial support.
..—.— i ■ ii‘BJ-vaeDvaa
THE REV. JAMES W. COURTNEY (left), 46-ye ar-old Catholic priest, was stabbed four times and
seriously wounded as he bent over to administe r the Holy Communion to a man kneeling in the
Jesuits Church of the Immaculate Conception at New Orleans. Right: The assailant sits silently
in New Orleans police headquarters after he was subdued in the church by worshippers and
placed under arrest. Police identified him as » on Louis Laurentz, 27, of Honston and Beanmont,
Tex. He ignored questions ■ about the attack,—(AP Wirephoto).
County Must Make Suggested
School Repairs, Roland Says
MASK GROWS HAIR
FORT WAYNE, Ind., April 33
— (U.R) — Police experts studied
the plaster death mask of an
executed man today to deter
mine whether it was growing
hair.
The mask was sent to the po
lice department shortly after
the electrocution in 1939 of
Adrian H. Miller, 31, at the In
diana state prison. Miller, a
former Wisconsin farm boy,
was executed for the sex mur
der of Alice May Girton, 18.
A few hairs from Miller’s
forehead had stuck to the cast
and became rooted in the
hardened plaster. The mask
was stored in the Bureau of
identification files.
Each time the mask was
brought out, little hairs appear
ed to be growing over the fore
head.
GROUP SUPPORTS
BUS ROUTE PLAN
City, County Officials Tes
tfy In Behalf Of Caro
lina Coach Petition
Testimony supporting a petition
of the Carolina Coach company to
operate an added bus route
through Wilmington was offered
at an Interstate Commerce com
mission hearing in Raleigh yes -
terday by four city and county of
ficials.
City Manager J. R. Benson,
Harry Gardner, member of the
board of county commissioners,
James E. L. Wade, city council
man, and John H. Farrell, city
industrial agent, appeared oefore
the ICC in support of the coach’
company’s request for the operat
ing franchise.
The four officials returned to
Wilmington last night.
According to the plans of the
bus firm, direct service, now fur
nished from Norfolk to Jackson -
ville, N. C., would be extended to
include Wilmington on the route
(Continued on Page Two, Col. 6)
NBC ENDS BATTLE
ON RADIO GAGMEN
Allen, Benny And Skelton
Can Air Views On
Vice - Presidents
HOLLYWOOD, April 23 —<U.R)—
The National Broadcasting com
pany ended Its “fade-out” dis
couragement of radio gags about
its vice-presidents today and an
nounced it was going to make
honorary vice-presidents of the
three comedians who had tried to
perpetrate the jokes on listeners.
Fred Allen started the business
Sunday night with his wise-crack
about a mythical NBC vice presi
dent in charge of overtime who
got his vacation by taking seconds
here and there from the ends of
over-long broadcasts.
Allen was cut off the air for 25
seconds while he told his gag.
Comedians Bob Hope and Red
Skelton were cut off last night
while they tried to wise-crack
about NBC’s vice-presidents too.
Burns and Allen, Dennis Day and
Jack Benny all anounced that they
planned to continue the vice
president cracks on their shows,
but NBC announced it had rescind
ed its new policy of fading out any
performer who made derogatory
remarks about radio, and they
could go right ahead.
One of the senior vice-presidents
who chose to remain anonymous
said Allen will be named an
honorary vice-president of the NBC
and Hope and Skelton could be
honorary vice-presidents of the
West Coast division.
Other comedians were assured
they would not be blacked out
while their get off their vice-presi
dent gags.
Day was the first comedian to
have his fun tonight without being
shunted off the air. His radio girl
friend, Mildred, coming into the
room, asked:
“What are you doing?/
“I’m listening to the radio,” Day
replied.
“But I don’t hear anything,’’ she
said.
‘I know it,” Day said. “I’m lis
tening to the Fred Allen program.”
Burns and Allen will trot out
their gags tomorrow night, while
Benny will get his off on his Sun
day show.
In a statement after last night’s
silent treatment, the NBC said
Hope and Skelton decided they
would make some remarks about
Allen’s being cut off last Sunday
night.
“NBC authorities told them, just
as they told Allen, that if they did
not delete objectionable material.
(Continued on Page Two, Col. 3)
Two Policemen Killed
In Blazing Gun Battle
PHILADELPHIA, April 23 ~(JP)
—Two policemen were killed to -
day in a blazing street corner pis
tol battle with the 23-year-old
adopted son of a child psycholo
gist.
Wounded five times in the ex
change of gunfire, William K.
Hallowell told police from his
hospital bed:
“I know I did wrong,
sorry.”
Police Sergeant John J.
don said Hallowell shot
pursuers after a
dawn chase in a
bile.
The dead:
Sergeant Samuel
polkfcuan 30
Grand Jury Report Pleases
Superintendent; Wiring
At Tileston Old
Superintendent H. M. Roland of
the New .Hanover school system
revealed last night that he was
pleased with the report of the
grand jury urging immediate re
pair of numerous school buildings
in the system.
“The school board has funds
only for maintenance of the prop
erty, hence the suggested repairs
will have to be made by the coun
ty,” Roland, said yesterday upon
his return from Atlanta, Ga.,
where he had conferred with fed
eral officials concerning surplus
supplies and buildings sought by
the board of education.
The superintendent expressed no
surprise at the detailed recom
mendations found in the present
ments of the grand jury, which
was headed by J. C. Roe as fore
man. Roe is a prominent member
of the board of education, being
chairman of the high school and
athletic committee as well as a
member of the building and
grounds, budget, and junior col
lege committees.
Roland did point out however
that the wiring in Tilleston school,
(Continued on Page Two, Col. 5)
ASSfTCHARGES
FACE NEGRO HERE
•_
Jim Wilson, Alleged To
Shot At Wife And
Stepdaughter
Jim Wilson, Negro of 609 North
1th street, was arrested on two
counts of assault with intent to
till by city police last night but
was later released under $500 bond,
Wilson is alleged to have at
tacked his wife, Juanita, and his
11 year-old step daughter, De
tories Lee, by shooting at them
with two revolvers.
The only shot taking effect, ac
cording to police, was one which
grazed Delories’ neck but did not
seriously injure her.
The two pistols were confiscated
ly arresting officers, who were
called to the scene on reports of
wild shooting in the area of Wil
son’s home.
According to reports, Wilson fir
ed at a third person in the short
ived flurry of shots but failed to
lit his target. .
The latter target was unidenti
fied, but police arrived at the
scene in time to avert further
serious trouble.
No motive was given by Wilson
is to the reason he shot at the
members of his family.
both world wars and father of
three children.
Patrolman James Quigley, 32,
whose wife is expecting a third
child in July.
‘‘I stole the automobile,” Detec
tive Lieutenant Joseph Summers
cale and Lieutenant James A.
Iited Hallowell as telling
2d mother, ‘Dr. Dorothy
lowell.
were chasing me. They
ne. 1 didn’t mean to
n. The gun went off ac
attendants. who raid
would recover, quoted
ailing Dr. Hallowell:
vay from here. I want
ne.”
Major Issues
Go Unsolved
Marshall Charges Soviets
With Blocking Action On
Austrian Treaty
MOSCOW, April 23. —(#>)— The
Foreign Ministers council neared
the break up of its longest and per
haps most hectic conference to
night with major issues unsolved.
The ministers agreed to try to
wind up their Moscow meeting to
morrow.
In a session which was delayed
two hours in starting, U. S. Sec
retary of State Marshall caustically
charged the Soviet Union with
blocking action on the treaty for
Austria and declared the United
States favored referring the whole
problem to the United Nations as
sembly if a treaty is not complet
ed by the time the assembly meets
in September.
Marshall also charged Russia
with blocking the American-pro
posed four-power pact to keep Ger
many demilitarized.
Pointing out that on the four
power pact and essentia! clauses in
the Austrian treaty the three West
ern nations were lined up three to
one against the Soviet Union, the
American secretary of state de
clared Molotov had rejected the
four power pact by introducing in
the form of Amendments “nearly
every important difference which
exists between the four powers on
the subject of Germany.”
“I will only state that the United
States government regards very
seriously what in effect is virtual
ly a rejection of this treaty by the
Soviet government,” he added.
Molotov Curt
In a reply as curt, Molotov de
clared the United States was try
ing to force other powers to sign
its draft without amendment.
“If it is the intention of the
United States delegation to substi
tute a new and narrower agree
ment for Potsdam and Yalta it
would be better to say so,” the
(Continued on Page Two, Col. 3)
OPA WILL WARBLE
SWAN SONG JUNE 1
President Abolishes Price,
Two Other Major War
time Agencies
WASHINGTON, April 23—Presi
dent Truman today abolished OPA
and two other major wartime
agencies effective June 1 and or
dered most of their remaining
functions. Including rent controls
transferred to other departments
on May 4.
The executive orders wipe out,
besideg OPA, the Civilian Produc
tion administration and the Office
of War Mobilization and reconver
sion. ^
Along with them goes the Oifice
of Temporary controls which was
set up last December to start the
liquidation process.
The orders direct the transfer
of these functions:
1. Rent controls from OPA to
the Federal Housing expediter.
2. Price control over rice from
OPA to the Agriculture depart
ment.
. OPA activities relating to
claims and overpayments on sub
sidies and price adjustments, to
the Reconstruction Finance coipo
ration.
4. OPA liquidation activities and
OWMR functions relating chiefly
to premium payments on copper,
lead and zinc production from
marginal mines, to the Commerce
department—June 1.
5. CPA controls over rubber,
hard cordage fibers, tin, anti
mony, cinchona and streptomycin,
to the Commerce department.
Congress extended rubber controls
until next March 1, the others
until June 30.
Along with the transfer of func
tions, the Commerce department
will get 1,200 employes from OPA;
about 550 from CPA, and about
100 from OWMR. The Housing ex
pediter will get about 6,100 em
ployes from OPA’s rent division
Another 125 OPA employes will go
to RFC.
And So To Bed
City police had visions of
nabbing the now ill-famed
Catman last night but the
vision had faded before the im
pact of reality.
A Wilmington resident called
police headquarters shortly aft
er nine o’clock, saying there
was a prowler on her porch.
Realizing the intruder might
be the Catman and taking no
chances that he might escape,
three cars were rushed to the
scene and six police officers
cautiously approached the
porch of the house with re
volvers drawn.
But the visions of the cap
tured Catman faded swiftly as
a very drunk tnan who had
lost his way stggered out into
the yard with his hands up
, raised, _