Imperial Valley press., 1944-04-06
Butune Dealer
Faces Charge

HOLLYWOOD, April 6. up
War Production compliance Off
cials filed a criminal information
against Lawrence w. Zonker, charg-
ing him with illegal sale of butane
carburetor and tank sets TO Holly
wood film notables as means of
sidestepping gasoline rationing re-
strictionS.
James z. Harrington, head OF
the war frauds unit OF the depart
ment of justice, described use of
the butane gas as fuel for motor
cars as a "flagrant violation" of
war proc uction board orders.
Harrington said that among the
motion picture celebrities who have
bought the expensive equipment for
installation in their automobiles at
as much as $1,000 a set were Bob
Hope, Enrol Flynn, Eddie Cantor,
Gary Cooper and Director Leo
Spitz.
Others named in the information
as purchasers included Producer
Louis B. Mayer, Actor Cary Grant
and his wife Barbara Hutton, Pro-
Queer William Goetz. Director Hen
ry Hathaway, the Berg Metals
company and the Rev. Joe Jeffers.
MAKES DENIAL
Flynn denied that he used butane
fuel.
Il run on gasoline" he said. Il
don't know what butane is. Ap-
parently somebody thought it was
time I was in court again"
Harrington estimated that more
than S500,OOO had been spent here
in the last year in converting auto
mobiles to the use OF butane, stored
in tanks in liquid form under pres
sure and released as vapor into
special carburetor TO propel motor
vehicles. The fuel has been used
on trucks for many years.
Zonker. owner of a butane car
buretor service, was charged with
selling the sets without special per-
mission of the War Production
Board. After the criminal informa-
ton had been filed in the court OF
U. S. Judge Leon R. Yankwich, a
bench warrant was issued for his
arrest.
Conversion to use of butane has
been most prevalent in Hollywood,
Harrington said
John G.. Handy, WPB compliance
chief, said it was entirely possible
that legal action would be taken
against persons who have purchased
the equipment. He said more than
600 persons in this area had pur-
chased the gadgets in the past
year.
NEED IN WAR
Consumption of butane gasoline
within the last year has exceeded
more than 100000 gallons Handy
said This gasoline IS necessary to
further the war effort. IL is needed
by farmers to increase their efforts
for production and is used exten-
sively in airplanes and in other
military operations
Investigation of the use OF butane,
Handy said, began after a visit to
the west coast of Petroleum Ad-
ministrator Harold l.. Ickes.
The complaint against Zonker
contained 10 counts.
J Liquified butane gas is highly
explosive and requires special in
: stallation, the complaint aoded.
Other charges included sales to
Mrs. Grace Ford. wealthy resident
/ in the exclusive Beverly Hills dis
! trict. t
/ James E. Harrington, head OF the
! local war frauds unit, said zonkers
equipped luxurious limousines OF
many other persons in Hollywood
and Los Angeles, including many
movie personalities whose purchases
he is investigating.
Harrington said Zonkers failed
to keep any record OF his transac-
tions.
The information charged Cooper
bought a butane tank, regulator,
and mixer on Dec. Is, l943, almost
Immediately after he returned from