davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1941-03-31
High Court Holds U. 5.
Cannot Sue Bidders
Accused Of Plot
Justice Department Says
Action Will Have Bearing
On Defense Purchases
By 7. A, FOX.

In an action that the Justice De-
partment had said would have i'm
portant bearing on defense program
purchases, the Supreme Court To-Day
held that the bidders accused of
combining to raise prices on Federal
contracts could not be sued by the
Government under the triple dam
age provision of the Sherman Anti
Trust Act.
The court divided, 4 to 3, on the
issue, Justice Roberts reading the
opinion which brought a sharp dis
sent from Justice Black who was
joined by Justices Reed and Doug
las. Justice Murphy did not take
part
The case-the first of its kind in
history-involved an effort by the
Government to collect damages ag-
gregating s1053,000 from II rubber
concerns which were said 10 have
held up the price of tires in 1868
by submitting identical bids and
forcing the Government to go into
the open market for its purchases.
The Supreme Court said the Gov
ernment was rot a person" within
the meaning of the Sherman Act
and therefore could not have re-
course TO its protection.
No Intent of Congress.
Justice Eoberts said Congress had
not intended TO give the Govern
ment this protection and 1T is not
for the courts to indulge in the busi-
ness of policy-making in the field
of antitrust legislation"
The courts finding was the same
made by the District Court of the
Southern District of New York
where the action was instituted, and
by the Second Circuit of Appeals
to which the Government took the
case before going to the Supreme
Court.
Companies involved included the
Firestone Tire and Rubber Co.. the
B. F. Goodrich Co.. and the Good
year Tire and Rubber Co.. Inc.
In another case today in which
the unanimous decision of the court
was read by Chief Justice Hughes,
New Hampshire statute was up
held under which five members of
Jehovas Witnesses were fined for
participation in a procession on a
public otreet without special
license.
The court, in a labor case, sent
back to the Fourth Circuit for ac-
ton Labor Board order which had
directed the White Swan Laundry
& Dry Cleaning Co. of Wheeling,
w. Va, to cease certain unfair labor
practices and to reinstate certain
employees found to have been dis
charged for union activity.
Wants Precise Findings.
The company had held that its
operations were purely local in
character even though it transacted
business across the river from
Wheeling into Ohio. The Supreme
Court said the record in the case did
not reflect the precise conclusions
of the Labor Board and the precise
findings on which they were based.
The opinion, read by Justice Doug
las, described this as an objection
able generality"
In the tire case Justice Roberts
said:
The Government admits that
(See SUPREME COURT, Page A-5)
Evening star., 1941-03-31

acIe7 could save the SltuatlOn.
The secretary announced that
German Minister Viktor Won Heeren
was leaving for Berlin and at the
same time the Yugoslav Minister to
Germany. DR.. Ivo Andric, arrived
Unexpectedly from Germany.
An unofficial German source de-
clared Adolf Hitler intended to wait
only until midnight to issue an ulti-
matum demanding rehabilitation of
the 000-man Yugoslav Army
the same demand which was re-
ported to have touched off last
weeks S upset of Yugoslavia's S axis"
Evening star., 1941-03-31
1900 Italian Seamen
Killed in Battle,
British Believe
1000 Rescued From Five
Wurshiips Destroyed in
Mediterranean Fight
B. the Associated Press.

~
LONDON, March 3l-About $500
Italian seamen are believed to have
persisted in the sinking of five-and
possibly seven-Fascist warships in
a great week end battle in the East
ern Mediterranean.
The complement of the italian
warships sunk in the battle was
about $500. Of these approximately
1000 "a story from Alexandria,
Egypt, said 9OO) were saved by the
British forces, the Admiralty said.
At the other end of the Mediter-
ranean, other British warships
sought to halt French convoy yes
terday and exchanged shots with
shore BATTERIES on the Algerian
coast. the Admiralty also declared,
in the fourth clash between Britain
and her former ally since France
capitulated last June.
Britain contended the French
opened fire to prevent the normal
process of visit and search" and an
authoritative source declared she
intends fully to maintain" her bel
ligerent rights of blockade despite
French objections.
CThe French government an
nounced that it was protesting to
Britain through the United States
Embassy in London, and the
navy ministry said the convoy
carried neither rubber nor war
material nor any food supplies
destined for enemies of England"
Instead, it said, the freighters
bore rice, vegetables, seed and
oranges, cargoes to be shared by
Algeria and the unoccupied zone
of France)
Good Will Declared Abused.
A spokesman of the Ministry of
Economic Warfare asserted that
France had been using her own
ships in the interest of the axis,
abusing" British good will in allow
ing large shipments of food to pass
from Northern Africa to the unoccu-
pied zone.
The spokesman added that British
leniency would not be encouraged
by yesterdays incident.
Since October, the ministry
spokesman said, the British have
intercepted more than 100000 tons
of Vichy shipping in the Atlantic,
taking it to British ports.
The ministry spokesman said
Britain had information that a
German program" for shipments
from unoccupied France to Ger
many included important war ma
terials.
This schedule, he asserted, in
c1uded priority between January Is
and March l for the following items
among others: 80 900 tons of bauXite,
10 900 tons of aluminium, 1,700 tons
of raw rubber and 1900 tons OF
Chilean nitrate.
'It long has been known that
French merchant ships have been
(See BATTLE, Page A-4)
Evening star., 1941-03-31
New Staggered Hours Tie Up
Traffic Flowing From Virginia
Highway Span Jam Is Worst on Record;
Cars Creep Along for Hour and Half

and Lincoln Memorial Bridges, with
the former bearing the brunt. BY
7:30 am. cars were banked solidly
from the Virginia end of the High
way Bridge to Fourteenth street and
Maine avenue S.W. and for an hour
and a half progress was at a snail's
pace.
Police Inspector Arthur Miller
said today he and Traffic Director
William Van Duzer will go to Four
teenth street and Maine avenue
tomorrow morning to observe the
traffic as it reaches that point. The
inspector also said he had reports
from several precinct policemen who
said this mornings traffic seemed to
move very well. with exception of
Fourteenth street and Maine
Continued on Page As. Column 2
Evening star., 1941-03-31
Hobbs to Discuss
Defense Strikes

The knotty problem OF strikes
in defense industries will be dis.
cussed by Representative Hobbs,
Democrat. of Alabama in the
National Radio Forum at 1880
o'clock tonight. The Forum is
arranged by The Star and broad
cast over the network of the
National Broadcasting Co. 1t is
heard locally over WMAL.
Representative Hobbs is men,
ber of the House Judiciary Com.
mittee, working on legislation to
curb defense strikes. His active
questioning of witnesses has re.
vealed a conviction that steps
must be taken to curtail strikes
in essential industries during the
emergency.
Evening star., 1941-03-31
By LARRY ALLEN,

ASSOCldteQ freSS war correspondent
ABOARD H. M. S. WARSPRITE,
Flagship of the British Mediter-
ranean Fleet at Alexandria,
Egypt, March 31.-Britain's fight
ing ships paraded into port to-
day, apparently unscathed in the
victorious Battle of the Ionian
Sea-" in which at least five Ital-
ian warships sank under their
blazing guns.
Besides claiming three-and pos
sibly four-of Italy's biggest cruisers
and two-perhaps sthree-destroyer
the British said three aerial torpedo
hits on the crack, new italian battle
ship Littorio left that 35,000-ton
capital ship heavily damaged.
The Italians acknowledge that
the 10.000-ton cruisers cara,
Fiume and Pola and the de-
stroyers Maestrale and Vincenzo
Gioberto we're sunk by the British,
but declared that at least one
British cruiser was sunk and two
other warships were damaged
The l5-inch guns of Britain's
battleships were said to have turned
the Italian cruisers into mass of
flames when the Fascist feet was
surprised heading eastward in the
Mediterranean last Friday night.
All the Italian ships, and possibly
another cruiser of the Bande Mere
class and another destroyer, went
down in the two hours between
10 pm. and midnight that night,
the British said.
After the battle was over. British
officers said, they still could hear
heavy firing and surmised that, in
the darkness, the Littorio mis-
takenly might have opened fire
against some of her own warships.
In addition, they said three Ger
man warplanes were shot down and
more than 900 Italian seamen and
officers were taken prisoner. The
Admiralty in London said the figure
was more than 10000
No British warship was hit and
there were no casualties on any
British surface vessel naval Off
cials declared. The Admiralty.
however. has acknowledged two
British warplanes as missing)
Got Chance Thursday.
Jubilant British naval men hailed
the battle as the greatest fought
so far in the Mediterranean and
declared it probably had blighted
permanently any ambition Premier
Mussolini still might have had to
make his battle fleet vital war
factor.
The British suddenly got their
long-awaited chance to come to
grips with II Duce's navy when the
Fascist fleet was reported off Cape
Passero, in Sicily, on Thursday.
For the first time since the battle
of Jutland, the British fought a
night battle involving capital ships
the next night, when destroyer
forces made contact with an Italian
flotilla of cruisers and a Littorio
class battleship near the western
end of the Greek island of Crete
A second Italian force, including
two battleships, cruisers and de-
stroyers, also was reported by air
scouts slightly to the north.
British fleet air arm torpedo
bombers Immediately flew from the
British warships, heavily attacking
the Littorio and cutting her normal
top speed of 80 knots down to Is
with several hits which seriously
damaged her.
British feet units pursued the Lit
torio, but contact was made only as
(See FLEET, Page A-5)
Evening star., 1941-03-31
pictures on Page BID

The staggered-hour plan got un-
der way this morning with traffic
congestion in the Highway Bridge
area such that police described it
as the worst on record. Early re-
ports from other sections indicated
the movement was about at normal
pace as transportation schedules of
$4,000 Government employees were
rearranged in an effort to get away
from the 9 m and 4:30 pm. tieups.
With the new reporting hour ad-
vanced as early as 730 O'Clock in
one instance-at the Bureau of En-
craving and Printing-and a new
peak-load of 10000 workers estab-
lished for agencies opening at 8:15.
the first jam caught Virginia resi-
dents coming in over the Highway
Evening star., 1941-03-31
0verton Bill Action
Deferred by House
DistrictCommittee
Randolph Plans Special
Meeting for Study Of
Entire Tux Field
By LANES E. CHM.

The House District Committee to-
day deferred action on the Senate
approved Overton fiscal relations
bill after discussing it for nearly
an hour behind closed doors.
AS passed by the Senate, the
measure would. after certain de-
ductions. base the amount of the
annual Federal payment toward ex-
penses of the municipal government
on the radio of the acreage of tax
exempt property owned by the Ma
tional Government to the total land
area of the District. 1t is estimated
that adoption of this formula would
increase the present s6,000000 an
nual lump sum Federal payment in
the coming fiscal year beginning
July 1 to approximately 100000.
Special Meeting Planned.
AS soon as the committee ad-
journed its executive session at 1910
pm, Chairman Randolph called in
newspapermen and dictated to them
the following statement:
The committee decided, in view
Of the Importance of the question
and the difference of opinion, to
postpone action on the Overton-
Hunter formula and other related
proposals. A special meeting of the
full committee will be held at fu-
ture date, possibly at night, to con-
slider the entire tax field
No Attempt at Vote.
Chairman Hunter of the Fiscal
Affairs Subcommittee which last
week Endorsed the formula by g.
to-1 vote, added that no attempt
was made to have the full committee
vote on the bill because of the cir
cumstances."
1t is understood that chief objec-
ton to the Overton plan in the full
committee came from Representa-
tive Bates, Republican, of Massa-
chusetts, who had threatened to
oppose it when, and if, it reaches the
House floor.
Approval of the bill by the full
(see OVERTON, Page A-2D
Evening star., 1941-03-31

government and the catapulting OF
King Peter II to the throne.
Hitler was said by this source TO
be waiting only until all axis ma
tionals could get out of the coun-
try and then if the Yugoslavs failed
to meet the expected ultimatum
Germany would set her war machine
to rolling.
A great exodus of axis nationals, on
orders from Rome and Berlin, was
proceeding. All trains leaving the
city last night and early this morn
CSee YUGOSLAV, Page A-6.)
Evening star., 1941-03-31
British Follow Up
Night Raids on Two
Nazi Batt|eships
Invasion Coost, Channel
Shipping Are Blasted
In Daylight Attacks
BN the Associated Press.

L
LONDON, March 31.-R. A. F.
bombers blasted the French in
vasion coast and German Channel
shipping by daylight today in a
fiery follow-up to a night raid on
the Nazi battleships Scharnhorst
and Gneisenau at Brest.
The air over the Dover Strait was
declared "humming" throughout the
morning and early afternoon with
British planes, and the heavy crump
of falling bombs could be heard
plainly on this side of the Channel.
Observers watching through glasses
also saw water shooting into the
air near the German occupied
shore. This was believed to be a
continuation of attacks on German
shipping which earlier in the day
was reported by the Air Ministry to
have left two German tankers afire
and sinking off LIE Havre.
In last nights attack on Brest
the Air Ministry said no direct hits
were obserbed on the Scharnhorst
and Gneisenau, but that their docks
were "straddled from all directions
by the medium, large and very large
bombs.
Believed Raid Leaders.
The 26,O00-ton Nazi sister ships
are believed by the British to have
led the assault by surface craft and
U-boats in recent merchant opera
tions in the Atlantic. (The Ger
mans reported 126,000 tons of Brit
ish ships were sunk IN combined
German naval assaults on conveys
beginning March 220
While the r. A. F. swarmed over
the Channel, German Big Ber-
thas" on the French coast pumped
shells into the Dover area. The
shelling started at II am. and con-
tinued at irregular intervals.
Several houses were said to have
been damaged by the Nazi shells.
No casualties were reported. One
shell fell beside a churchyard, tear
ing up a tombstone and shattering
windows over a wide area.
Watchers on the Channel coast
said a British Spitfire pilot ap-
parently shot down one of four
Messerschmitt fighters he was seen
stalking at 10000 feet over the
Channel.
The night raid on Brest, reported
by the Air Ministry to have been
carried out by "a powerful force"
of British bombers, was said to
have left furious fires blazing.
Small forces OF aircraft were said
to have started other fires in an
attack on the harbor at Calais.
These operations were followed up
today, an official announcement de-
Goo pAInC paoe A-1o)
Evening star., 1941-03-31

japanese cherry trees circlng the
Tidal Basin will be in perfect flower
for the Cherry Blossom Festival on
April IL and l3-if intervening days
produce no abnormal weather
park horticulturists reported today
to Irving c. Root, superintendent of
National Capital Parks.
A spell of 80-degree sunshine
would hasten the period of full bios
som by about two days, and an un-
expected chill would slightly delay
the splendor, the scientists said. But
they reported that even such
vagaries could hardly prevent "a
very good showing" on April Is,
Easter Sunday.
Double blossoms, on trees around
Hams Point, will reach their climax
about two weeks later.
Evening star., 1941-03-31
Lowenstein' s Son, 81,
Killed in Air Crash

By the Associated Press.
LONDON, March 81. - Robert
LoWenstein, 81, air transport pilot
and heir to s2O,O0O,0 900 of the fortune
left by his father, Alfred Lowen-
stein, Belgian f1nancier, was killed
Saturday in an air crash near his
home at Maidenhead.
He inherited a share of the for
tune left by the f1nancier after his
fall to death from plane crossing
the English Channel July 4, 1928.
Evening star., 1941-03-31
Cherry Trees May Be Perfect
For Festival, Scientists Say

Railroad and bus companies said
the news will permit them to go
ahead with plans to funnel crowds
from the entire Eastern section OF
the country into Washington on
Easter week end. They predicted
heaviest traffic from the North.
where people are hungry for a taste
of spring.
Numbers of excursion trains will
be run from such centers as New
York and Philadelphia, and large
proportion of visitors may come on
Sunday and return the same day.
For those who wish to SAVIOR spring.
time somewhat longer, the WASH
ington Board of Trade has set up a
housing bureau, whose six employees
already have been at work for q
(Ses BLOSSOMS, Page A-0
Evening star., 1941-03-31
Swiss-AIsutiun Border
Kept Closed by Nozis
Rx the Assnciated Press.

By tie Associated Press.
BASEL, Switzerland, March 81
Berlin today Unexpectedly Cancelled
the usual monthly three-hour open
ing of the Swiss-Alsatian frontier
to permit an exchange of visits OF
the border populations.
Evening star., 1941-03-31
Records for Only Two. Years.
Summary of Todoy's Star

Recreation commission plan for
District is favored. Page B-1
Editorial ond Comment.
Letters to The Star Page A-10
Answers to Questions. Page A-10
This and That. Page A-10
The Coming Tower
IF. P. Al Page ALL
Constantine Brown. Page ALL
Jay G. Haden. Page ALL
Dorothy Thompson. Page ALL
David Lawrence. Page ALL
Sports.
Beck, promising Nat hurler, gets test
against Cards. Page ALA
Yankee stock scars with added wins
in Grapefruit League. Page ALA
Central faces tough road in defense
of baseball title. Page Ais
Hogan's gritty Asheville win boosts
stock at Augusta. Page Ais
Miscellaneous. :
Natures Children. Page BE-
Bedtime Story. Page BIS
Winning Contract. Page B-19
Uncle Rays Corner. Page Bis
Crossword Puzzle. Page B-19
Evening star., 1941-03-31
Leuhy Visits DorIon
On Food Situation

BY the Associated Press.
VICHY, France, March 31-United
States Ambassador William D.
Leahy was received by Vice Premier
Admiral Jean Darlan yesterday for
a discussion of the food situation.
Admiral Darlan left Immediately
after the conference for Paris.
Dispatches from Vichy yesterday
said it was possible Admiral Darlan
might confer in Paris with japanese
Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka.
Evening star., 1941-03-31
Bruden Flies to Punumu

BOGOTA, Colombia, March 81 (H1.
The United States Ambassador to
Colombia, Spruille Braden, few to
Panama today in an Army transport
plane to board the liner Santa Lucia
for New York. He expects to confer
with the State Department during a
three visit.
Evening star., 1941-03-31

Amusements Ais Radio ----B-18
Comics --B-1S-19 Serial Story --B-S
Editorials --A-10 Society ------B-3
Financial --A-19 Sports ---A-16-1S
Lost, Found, BIS Woman's pg. B-14
Obituary ALP
Foreign.
Diredawa is captured, British an
nounce. Page Al
Nazi ultimatum to Yugoslavia fore
cast. Page Al
British follow up night raids on two
Nazi battleShips. Page Al
$500 Italian seamen killed in battle,
British believe. Page Al
British fleet parades into port un-
scathed by italian fire. Page Al
British reinforce Singapore with ace
fighter pilots. Page A
NotionoI.
Producers blamed for 1887 Little
Steel" strike. Page Al
Washington and Vicinity.
Cherry blossoms expected about
April II. Page Al
Appeals court decides against bakery
in slit against union. Page B-1
Evening star., 1941-03-31
2 Axis Ships Fired in COSTA Rica;
Berlin Prepares Note on Seizures;
British Fleet Unscathed in Battle
Italy Admits Five
Worships Sunk in
Ionion Sea Fight


Although British lDarShips
ranged the Mediterranean from
one end to the other, they did not
succeed until last tUeek in drdW-
ing substantial part OF the italian
feet into decisive engagement.
Principal damage to both British
and italian 1OdrShipS has been
drought By bombing planes OF
both sides. Germans have sent
air force to Sicily for this pur-
pose.
Evening star., 1941-03-31
Woman Clerk Indicted
On Charge Of Taking.
$3.50 in Dog Taxes
Grand Jury Names Five
In Removed Of Civil
Service Personnel Records

Mrs. Hattie F. Small, 81. of 100 G
street NE, former District dog IL
cense clerk, was indicted by the
grand jury today on charges of en-
bezzling approximately $3.50 from
the District government. There
were 80 counts in the indictment.
Although the total dog tax shortage
has been placed at $4,000, it was
emphasized that Mrs. Small is not
accused under the indictment of
taking it all.
simultaneously the grand jury in
dicted five other persons in con-
nection with the removal of per-
sonnel records from a building oc-
cupied by the United States Civil
Service Commission. They were
Harlin w. Crandall, suspended Civil
Service Commission clerk: Lawrence
Lynford Haynes, his associate: Wal
ter August Camp, Werner Julius Or
bach, associated with food prod
ucts concern here, and Katherine
Kay.
Assistant United States Attorney
william S. Tarver, who presented
the case against Mrs. Small, said
the alleged peculations in the tax
collectors Office, where Mrs. Small
worked, extended from August, 1889,
to October, 1910. She was one of
three District employees dismissed for
the good of the service" after
agents from the auditors office dis
covered shortages between the num-
Der of So dog tags sold and the
amounts turned over to the tax col
lector.
Records for Only Two Years.
1t was estimated at one stage of
the investigation that the shortages
would exceed $4,000, and in mid
February Acting Auditor Arthur R.
Pilkerton said the figure actually
was $1,000. The irregularities, off,
cials said at the time, went back
as far as 1887. Just before the grand
jury was given the case, however,
(See INDICTMENTS, Page A-12)
Evening star., 1941-03-31
Nozi UItimotum to YugosIovio
Is Forecast for onight
Demand for Demobizotion Expected
When Evacuation Is Completed
BY the Associated PreA.


Yugosavia, March 31Relations between Ger
Yugoava grew the hour today and the Ger
man Legation secretary declared only unexpected mir
Evening star., 1941-03-31
Weather Forecast

Cloudy, occasional rain beginning late
tonight or tomorrow; warmer tonight,
lowest about As, mild tomorrow. Tenn
peratures today-Highest, 62, at pm;
lowest, 81, at $3.50 am.
From the United States Weather Bureau report.
Full Details on Page A-2.
Evening star., 1941-03-31

(See RAIDS, Page A-12.)
Evening star., 1941-03-31

Continued On Page AS, Column -
Evening star., 1941-03-31

Most people in Washington have The
Star delivered to their homes every
weekday evening and Sunday morning.
The Hagerstown globe. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1936-1943, 1941-01-10
NATTENTINE DRIVERS

Driving an automobile something that necessarily
calls great intelligence Nor does it necessarily require
much mechanical skill persons Of broad knowledge
who whole libraries full of philosophy drivers
peril the road Some people who extremely clever
with mechanical tools handle steering wheel reckIesSy and
I$c the brake SllringIy that they too unfit.
driving is the result OF careful attention. When
speeds along road where there many chances for
things happen, the driver needs be wdeawake and alert
every Things happen within few seconds that
may 4 serious accident
If the intersection is not clearly open to your
driver slipping from behind those trees be
unable stop his Or those parked along city street
seemingly empty who is just about to
step in front of your machine.
Many drivers cuStomriy become sleepy when taking long
1t requires struggle for them to keep Their
Open Driving under that handicap perilous If they
loze of a single moment something may happen.
Too much talking with other occupants of the too
much flirting with the pretty girl who Struggled up to the
driver have brought many grief Anyone who wants to main
operator will have to learn
put his mind right on the job