Evening star., 1943-06-12

amphibious truck cruises along
belle, Fla, with a load of full,
ance possible" in his defense against
criminal libel charges growing out
of his comment on the case in the
June issue of the Somerset News.
The Board of Directors of the
American Newspaper Publishers
Association. meeting in New York
yesterday. instructed the ANPA's
general counsel to lend any assist
| ance possible to Mr. Matthews. who
is now free under S25OO bond to
await action of the Somerset County
grand jury.
Elisha Hanson. who has his head
| quarters in Washington and is a
Maryland resident and attorney, is
general counsel of the ANPA. Mr.
Matthews. publisher and editor of
the Princess Anne weekly was ar
rested Tuesday after Mr.. Tawes'
exoneration on pleasure driving
charges by the Ration Board.
Mr.. TaWes, in his statement to
Mr.. Mundy. said he had learned
of the imposition of the Eastern
pleasure driving ban only the night
before he planned to start for Fort
Benning to attend his sons Wedding
Upon hearing of it." he said Il
at once looked up the chief clerk of
the local ratloning board. Mr.. M. B.
ThaWley, whom l considered to be
the best informed man in Crisfeld
on the subject of gasoline rationing,
and I asked him if he thought it
would be proper for me to make the
trip.
Mr.. Thawley told me it would be
and added that if he were in my place
he would take it, and on the basis
of these statements l decided to do
So
The Baltimore Sun quoted Mr..
Thawley as disputing Mr.. Tawes'
version of the conference on the
projected trip. The newspaper said
Mr.. ThaWley asserted that Mr.. Tawes
is wrong on that. 1 did not say it
was proper for nim to go. He came
TO me as soon as he heard about it
renewal of the pleasure driving
BAN. We talked it over. He wanted
to know what I thought about it.
of course, 1 could not give him
any authority Or permit. I had no
authority to advise him. He said to
me What would you do if you were
in my place?' l told him, Why Mil
lard, Id 60 But as chief clerk of
the board I did not give him any
advice or authority"
Thought Trip Legal
The controller said he did not
consider the kind of gasoline coupons
which would be used to make the
trip. and gave no thought to the
use of C coupons being a possible
violation of a possible regulation
and when Mr. ThaWley approved
the trip so far as pleasure driving
was concerned, I thought it was all
right to 60"
Mr.. Tawes said he had decided to
take the action obviating an open
hearing because Mr.. Evans. his at
torney. has now advised me that
the use of these c coupons on the
trip to my sons wedding does con-
stitute a violation of the ration
regulations covering the use of such
coupons
Il accordingly admit such viola
tion," he added
The controller said he had in
tended. in his capacity as State
property officer to make inquiries
in States he passed through as to
how civilian defense property sent
by the Federal Government into the
State was cared for.
Il did make some inquiries" he
said, adding, however this was
incidental to-. and l do not urge it
in Justification of, the trip which
was really taken to see my son
married right after he had received
his commission in the United States
Army"
Mr.. TaWes said the trip, which be-
gan on May % and ended May %;
was made with his wife and four
members of his immediate family
Autos Called "Responsibility."
Mr.. Miles, in issuing his auto use
order, said:
The use of an automobile pur-
chased and maintained by the State
is not an added privilege attached to
the Office Of the official or employe
to whom ii may be temporarily as
signed, but is, in fact. an added re-
sponsibility tor which he or she is
strictly accountable.
With the country at war and
citizens in. every walk of life being
daily subjected to many sacrifices
and Inconvenience, this RESPONSE
bility is paramount.
To what extent State-owned au-
tomobiles are being used unneces-
sarily or for personal purposes 1 do
not know. but it is now my job to
find out as quickly as possible, and
to formulate plans and policies for
the elimination of all such cases
and to reduce the use of such auto
LOST.
WAR RATION BOOK No. 2. issued to Ward
T. Goss. 420l Haywood drive, Mount Rain
fa~ AT 1vHtN