davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1945-12-24
Two Sailors Injured
lin Norfolk Hotel Fire
BY the Associated Press.


NORFOLK, Va, Dec. 24.-A three
alarm fire swept the two top floors
of the six-story Victoria Hotel here
yesterday and resulted in the injury
of two sailors.
Deputy Fire Chief w. r. McCul-
lin said is persons who were reg
istered in the hotel were rnaccount-
ed for, but expressed confidence they
got out of the building and obtained
other lodgings. He said heavy debris
had prevented a search of four
wrecked bedrooms, but he did not
believe any bodies would be found
in those rooms.
One sailor suffered severe injuries
when he leaped from a fifth-hoor
window to an alley at the rear OF
the hotel. The other sailor was in
jured slightly on a fire escape.
The sailors were listed as Seaman
1/c William D. Morton, stationed
at the amphibious base at Little
Greek, and Seaman 1Ic c. E. varnes
stationed at the Miami Receiving
Station.
Chief McCullim said when he
reached the fifth floor he saw several
sailors fighting the flames, and that
he knew these men later got out
of the building.
The top floor was destroyed and
the rear portion of the fifth floor
was badly damaged. A section of
the roof caved in and crashed down
the stairwel to the second floor
All the lower floors were damaged
by water.
Evening star., 1945-12-24
Mrs. Ethel Coffman Dies
In Indiana Auto Crash

Mrs. Ethel Coffman, 30, of 1906
Parkside drive. Silver Spring, was
one of four persons killed when the
car in whcih she was riding collideo
headon with another car nea,
Washington, Ind, yesterday, the
Associated Press reported.
John M. Ferguson, Is, recently
discharged Army Air Force lieuten-
ant from Bluefield, w. Va, a pas
senger in the car with Mrs. Coff-
man, and the driver and a sailor
hitch-hiker in the other car, also
were killed.
Mrs. Cofman was returning from
Reno, New, where she had filed di-
yorce proceedings against Capt
Robert D. Coffman, stationed at the
Pentagon, who lives at 5000 Thir-
teenth street NV, relatives here
said.
Mrs. Coffman was the daughter
of Frederick Collough, 1927 Six
teenth street NV.
Evening star., 1945-12-24
|WeI|es Urges Jewish
State in Palestine
Ry the Associated Press

BALTIMORE, Dec. 24.-Former
Undersecretary of State Sumner
Welles yesterday urged establish
ment of a Jewish Commonwealth ir
Palestine and declared the Interna.
tional Trusteeship Council of the
United Nations should be charged
with setting it up.
Mr.. Welles, in statement accept
ing the Craftsmanship for MARYLAND
OF the American Christian Palestine
Committee, also advocated unre-
stricted immigration into Palestine,
He asserted that President Roose-
velt never believed that establish
ment of a Jewish commonwealth
there was in any sense hostile to the
Arab peoples.
Mr.. Welles said the United States
Government was committed to es-
tablishment of a Jewish National
Home in Palestine, and failure of
the United States to assume it's full
share of responsibility for the reali-
cation of this ideal could only dan
generously increase existing interna-
tional tensions.
Maryland members serving with
Mr.. Welles are William j. Casey,
Joseph P. Healy, Francis A. Davis
DR.. Lena c. Van Ribber, DR.. Ger
trude c. Bussey, the Rev. Don Frank
Fem and Prof. William Foxwell Al
bright, all of Baltimore.
Evening star., 1945-12-24
|0ystermen Organize
Local Associations 10
Push Revision Of Laws
BY the Associated Press.


RICHMOND, Va, Dec. 24.-For-
nation of the Potomac River Oys-
terman's Association as the initial
step in the program for joint COM
mission of Virginia and Maryland
and complete revision Of existing
laws in the two States for control
Of the industry along the river, has
begun with the organization at Co.
lonial Beach and Hague of local
associations.
Meetings Of oyster interests all
along the river are planned soon
and work already has started on
plans for revising Virginia's oyster
industry laws
The movement came into State
wide notice with the announcement
that it has the backing of State
Senator Robert o. Norris, jr,, of
Lively; Charles Unruh, member of
the House of Delegates, and Charles
E. Stuart of Stratford, member of
the State Fisheries Commission.
One of the principal objectives
Of the organization, it is understood
will be promotion of the Virginia
Maryland Commission along the
lines proposed recently by Gov
O'Conor of Maryland.
Such commission would have
power to impose regulations affect
ing the industry on the Potomac
working in close cooperation with
the oystermen's association. Ex-
perienced oystermen declare such a
system of control would eliminate
much of the friction between the
two States, which they say results
from conflicting regulations.
Evening star., 1945-12-24
BowIes Asks Identity
Of Clothing Exhibit Firms

by Ine Associated PreSS.
Chester Bowles said Yesterday an
exhibit of the Ma tional Retail Dry
Goods Association seems to have
been another sorry effort" to crack
imitation controls. .-..
The OPA chief made what was
his fourth attempt to have Lew
Hahn, general manager of the asso-
citation, disclose the identity Of the
manufacturers represented in the
exhibit so that full investigation
could be made"
OPA contends that the exhibit
recently displayed in a Congress
sional committee room, is designed
to prove that OPA prices have Gre
ated difficulties for old manufac-
turers while allowing special advan-
tages to new producers.
In letter to Mr.. Hahn, the OPA
head repeated that in almost every
instance in which his organization
has been able to check statements
made in the exhibit, they were
found "to be rather seriously in
error"
Mr.. Bowles said he was "astound-
ed" that Mr.. Hahn would sponsor
"a presentation which at best seems
to have been founded on unchecked
flimsy evidence"
Evening star., 1945-12-24
Blue Ridge Bus Line
|WaIkout Ends After
New Wage Proposal
By the Associated Press,


HAGERSTOWN, Md, Dec. "a
Union bus drivers of the Blue Ridge
Motor Lines, who had been in a
continuous meeting" since Friday
night, returned to their jobs to-
day.
A. H. Keeler, representative of the
Amalgamated Association of Street
Electric Railway and Motor Bus
Operators (AFL), said the drivers
voted to return to work last night
after the company reported that
another wage proposal would be of
fered them the first week in jan
uary.
The continuous meeting" had
caused complete stoppage of serT-
ice on the company's lines between
Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Wash
ington, and between Harrisburg,
Pa, and Winchester, Va.
The affected lines normally carry
about 10000 persons a day during
the holiday season, A. F. McDon-
aid, general manager of Blue Ridge,
said.
Company officials said buses,
which operate from the Greyhound
Terminal in Washington, would re-
sumo scheduled trips today. The
lines operate eight trips a day from
Washington, carrying an average
load of from 400 to 500 passengers.
The union is seeking a 4o-hour
work week without reduction in pay
from the wartime 48-hour work
week. 1t also asked for a 1o-cent
hourly wage rate.
The company had offered s.
cent-per- hour wage boost.
Evening star., 1945-12-24
Hunters in Fouquier
Bog so Wild Turkeys.
special Dispatch to T,he Star

Special Dispatch to The Star.
WARRENTON, Va, Dec. "a
Wild turkeys are plentiful this year
in the lower section of Fauquie,
County, according to James K
Douglas, game warden, who an.
nounced that so to so have beer
bagged by hunters since the season
opened November 20.
Mr.. Douglas said 80 of these were
killed the first two days of the sea-
son. the majority being shot in the
Catlett, White Ridge, Bristersburg
Morrisville, Bealeton and Reming-
ton areas.
He reported only four arrests to
date for turkey hunting violations
The bag limit of four turkeys for
the season is limited to two in any
one day, but no one, so far has
succeeded in fulfilling his quota, he
said. The season will continue
through January 20.
Evening star., 1945-12-24
Urgent Building Needs Here
Estimated al S798t0.170

The District urgently needs $7s,-
810,170 In construction during 1916.
OF which 2.2S6, 900 would be in
buildings Of all kinds, according to
estimates announced today by the
American Institute Of Architects.
This would be the Districts share
LOT the national construction activity
needed to produce an annual volume
|of $4,000, ,000. 900, an institute state
|ment said. This volume will be
required to meet the most urgent
demands for new construction and
to rehabilitate the industry for its
full development OF q high-leyel
economy, :, the institute explained.
The total volume, the architects
said, would represent about half the
capacity of the industry, as estab-
lished during the war. and about
twice the volume expected by the
end Of this year.
It would require substantial ex-
|pansion" In the production Of many
vital building materials. the organ
ization said.
Evening star., 1945-12-24
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
BALTIMORE, Dec. 24.-Charter
air freight service will be bringing
rare orchids from the Amazon, trop-
ical fish from Peru, shrimp from
New Orleans and Holsters from New
foundland into Baltimore within a
few weeks under plans announced
here.
George r. Hutchinson, manager
of aviation service for John C. Knipp
g. Son Co., said the concern al
ready had two reconverted CAT
cargo planes in Baltimore and ex-
poets soon to obtain three 4-engine
C-54s for the service.
The company recently purchased
the Curtiss-W Wright Airport for a
sum reported to be in excess of
$3.50, 900.
I'VE already have contract to fly
shrimp from New Orleans to mar
kets in New York, Boston and other
cities" Mr. Hutchinson explained
Evening star., 1945-12-24
Charter Air Freight Service
Planned by Baltimore Firm
1--WE will use Baltimore as our home

"We will use Baltimore as our home
base.
"We will take of from Baltimore
fly to st. Johns, Newfoundland, or
some other Northern fishing port,
pick up Holsters and distribute them
to dealers in New York, Boston, Bal
timore and New Orleans"
Plans for obtaining tropical fish
from Aquistos, Peru, are nearing
completion, he added. A tentative
schedule Of one plane a week to
Peru to pick up the fish for a Pc
riod of 50 weeks is contemplated.
Since the fish would make such
a light cargo, it is possible for us
to stop off at Venezuela and load
up with Orchids" he explained.
I'VE won't bring back ordinary
orchids, but the rare black ones that
sell for $50 apiece"
Plans for transporting American
sportsmen to Africa for big game
hunting also are in the developing
stage, he said.
Evening star., 1945-12-24
Port tobacco Creek
Project Disapproved

Rquested Improvement of Port
Tobacco Creek. Md, has been dis
approved by the Army Engineers
after preliminary examination
the War Department has an
nounced.
The notice stated that the prin-
cipal grounds on which disapproval
was based are that, while a chan
mel through the marshland up
stream from Warehouse Point in
Port Tobacco Greek appears de-
sirable in the interest of improved
local drainage, the improvement is
not requested by navigation inter-
ests and that no apparent benefits
would accrue to waterborne COM
merce.
Funds appropriated by Congress
for rivers and harbors, it was said
are stipulated for projects in the
interest of commerce and naviga-
ton.
Interested parties were told they
have the privilege of an appeal to
the Board of Engineers for Rivers
and Harbors, at No. New York
avenue NV; such appeals to be
presented before January IS, 1946
Evening star., 1945-12-24
81 Maryland Convicts
Given YuIe Commufations
BY the Associated Press,

bs tAlc hSoOC1dteQ PreSS.
ANNAPOLIS, Md, Dec. "a. -
Thirty-two inmates of State penal
institutions have had the balance of
their sentence commuted by Gov.
O'Conor as Christmas gift. the
Maryland chief executive announced
yesterday.
Mr.. O'Conor said that of the 80
released, the expiration dates of the
sentences ranged from December 26
to February Is, and the ma jority of
them would have expired during the
hrst three weeks in January.
Most of those whose sentences
were commuted, he explained, were
convicted of minor offenses such as
disturbing the peace, assault and
violation of motor vehicle laws.
The practice of granting COM
mutations at Christmas time was
initiated by Gov. O'Conor the first
Christmas after he became Governor
in 1899.
Each year since then a group of
convicted men have received COM
mutation, and he reported that
subsequent check-ups indicated that
only small percentage again come
in contact with the law.
Evening star., 1945-12-24
Baptist Home Children
To Be Guests of Lions

Children at the Bethesda Baptist
Home will be treated to a turkey
dinner, presents from a Christmas
tree and program of entertain
ment at the Kenwood Country Club
Friday evening, with the Bethesda
Chevy Chase Lions Club as hosts.
Robert M. Burklin is chairman of
the Program Committee. The enter.
tainment will feature an illustrated
talk by Dick Mansfield, vocal solos
by Jerry Strong and Christmas
carols by Joseph Virga. Kenneth
Trunnell has provided and trimmed
the Christmas tree.
Evening star., 1945-12-24
Big Staffs Rush
Mail andExpress
Deliveries Here
Special Carriers
Expected to Move
Lust-Minute jam

The Washington City Post Office
and Washington agency of the Rail-
way Express Co. today labored to ef-
feet last-minute delivery of Christ
mas packages and envelopes.
Postmaster Vincent C. Burke
promised that all Christmas mail
arriving here today would be deliv-
cred. From $50 to 400 volunteer car
riers will continue delivery of Christ
mas parcel post tomorrow morning
he said, and special deliveries will
continue as usual.
Express Shipments Larger.
c. A. williams, Washington agent
for the express company, said today
that his agency is current in
other words has everything under
control and expects to effect deliv-
cry of all Christmas shipments re-
ceived today.
While letter mail and parcel post
ran about the same as last year
the express company reported 10
per cent increase in shipments this
year over 1874.
Mr.. Williams said that by the end
OF the month his agnecy would have
loaded or unloaded more than 1000
express cars containing more than
100000 shipments requiring 22000,-
600 cubic feet of space. He said that
while the Christmas rush this year
had been greater than last year,
1t had been easier to handle due
to an improved manpower situation.
Even so, he said, employees had
been working overtime and far into
the night and the city had been
cnmbed for trucks to be rented in
place of the new trucks the COM
pany needs but cannot obtain.
Carrier Staff Doubled.
Postmaster Burke said his staff of
carriers had been doubled to 1000
for the Christmas season.
Mr.. Burke said the 1884 900
pieces of outgoing letter mail had
passed through postoffice cancelling
machines in the first % days of De-
cember as against 34,329 900 last
year. There have been $4,000 out
going parcel post sacks as against
$4,000 sacks last year. Incoming
letters have run about go per cent of
outgoing and slight decrease, from
99,245 to 92,834, has been registered
In incoming parcel post, he said.
Evening star., 1945-12-24
Group Named to Select
Rector at Manassas
Special Dispatch to The Star,

Special Dispatch to The Star.
MANASSAS, Va, Dec. 24.-Ihe
Vestry Of the Trinity Episcopal
Church here has appointed a com.
mittee to fill the vacancy in the
rectorship when the resignation ot
the Rev. Thomas G. Faulkner, jr.
becomes effective February /.
The group includes James, E
Bradford, G. A. Sinclair, jr., HI T
Davies. r. Jackson Ratcliffe and
Paul j. Arlington. The Rev. Mr.
Faulkner, who has been Trinity
rector for four years, has accepted
a call to st. Georges Episcopal
Church, Fredericksburg
Evening star., 1945-12-24
New Legion Post Meets
Wednesday at Glen Echo

A meeting of the newly formed
Frank p Stone Legion Post will be
held in the Glen Echo fire house
at 8 pm. Wednesday.
The new post covers the Glen
Echo Fire Board area, including
Brookmont, Cabin John, Fairway
Hills, Bannockburn Heights, Wood
Acres, Glen Echo Heights and ad-
jacent communities. All men from,
the areas who have served in the
World War, or World War. II are
eligible for membership.
Evening star., 1945-12-24
Baby Of s Months
Suffocates in Crib

Clarence Edward Darnell, 6
months old, was pronounced dead at
Children's Hospital this morning
after being found unconscious in his
crib at 637 street NV, where his
mother, Mrs. Pauline Darnell, lives.
Police said the child apparently
suffocated after becoming entangled
in bedclothes. A Fire Rescue Squad
worked for approximately an hour
in an effort at resuscitation.
Mrs. Darnell lives with sister
Mrs. Eva Mcdaniel, at the 1 street
address. The husbands of both
women are in military service over
seas. 4
Evening star., 1945-12-24
Crop
Values Decline
10 From 1945
= Short Fruit Output
Chiefly Responsible;
Acreage Also Smaller
BY the Associated Press,

BY the Associated Press.
RICHMOND, Va, Dec. 24.-A 2
per cent decline In the value and
acreage of principal crops harvested
by Virginia farmers in 1945 was re-
ported yesterday through the Vir-
genia Cooperative Crop Reporting
Service.
The 2 per cent decline in total
farm value of the main crops to
$237 900, 900 was attributed chiefly
to a sharp drop in the value of the
short 1945 fruit crops, especially ap-
Piles and peaches.
The acreage in principal crops
harvested this year totaled 1874, ,O0C
compared with 3,945, 900 the pre-
vious year, but was still almost pei
cent above the 10-year average fol
the period 1934-43.
Wide Variations Seen.
The report, based largely on re-
ports from thousands of Virginia
farmers, showed wide variations be-
tween this and other years in acre
ages, yields per acre, and total pro-
duction of some crops.
Corn, with an acreage of 1,233 900
or 9 per cent below last year, II
per cent below the average anc
the smallest since 1868, had a record
yield per acre of 80 bushels which
gave a total production of 40,359 ,0Ot
bushels, Is per cent above 1914 anc
II per cent above average. The
value of the crop was estimated
at $56, ,906, 900 compared with $40.
$4,000 in 1914.
The 1945 oats production of $780,.
600 bushels was 3 per cent above
1914 and the largest since 1898
with the exception of 1881. The
yield per acre set new record
though the oats crop value of s3,.
l75,000 is per cent below 1944s.
Tobacco Value Hits Peak.
Tobacco - including f1ue cured
hurley and sun-cured-had an esti-
mated value of s65, ,7o1, 900, 7 per cent
ahead of 1914 and the highest ir
the 79 years of record.
A record high tame hay acreage
combined with the highest yield pei
acre, resulted in It'll 900 tons OF
hay, the largest ever harvested ir
the State and having a value oi
SAL ,064 900, also record. The al.
falfa crop was reported a recorc
one. Clover and timothy are As pei
cent over last year and lespedeza i!
up rs per cent.
On the other hand, Virginia grow.
ers harvested the lowest sweet DO
tai acreage since 1892, except fol
1910 and 1912, and had the fourth
lowest production in Is years. Cot
ton acreage was the lowest sine,
1908, and Irish potato acreage tn,
smallest since 1904. Peanut acre
age and production were the loves
since 1888. Also on the short sid
were rye and barley.
Apple Crop Short.
The 1945 apple crop was one O
the shortest in the States history
and the peach crop dwindled to tn,
smallest in II years, with the ex
ception of 1943.
The report noted that the 1914
growing season was marked b,
heavy free damage to fruits, no crol
injury from excessively high tenn
peratures, and ample to excessiv,
rainfall except in few midwester,
counties.
The price level showed no marked
change from 1914, some being Slight
ly above and some below last years
Evening star., 1945-12-24
|Yu|e Exodus
From Capital
Sets Record
Huge Crush Eases,
With Many Facilities
Found Unneeded

Washington's biggest Christmas
travel rush In history ended today.
Transportation officials haven't be-
gun to count the tickets they sold
but they agree they have set an
all-time record for the holiday
season.
Planes actually left Washington
National Airport with empty seats.
Bus lines stopped running extra
sections. Union Station settled
down to normal.
Ofncials of the Washington Term
inal Co. called 1t "the best and the
worst" travel week end on record.
Trains from the West still were
arriving three and four hours late,
but few passengers had to wait for
accommodations here.
Like Tomb" at Airport.
The Greyhound Lines reported
that its terminal had cleared all
waiting passengers to the South and
Southwest by o'clock last night.
Short-distance bus travel continued
heavy today.
Its like tomb out here" sighed
a spokesman for the airport. There
were quite few mo shows" today.
with few asking for Cancelled tickets.
OF all the children who became
separated from their parents in the
holiday travel jam, only one had not
been returned by today. A young
colored woman who left Union Sta
ton yesterday reported to West vir-
ginia police that she still has a q
year-old boy entrusted to her by a
mother of three children as they
were trying to get on Chesapeake
& Ohio train.
Couldn't Locate Mother.
Miss Angeline Ross of Glen White,
w. Va, said she was not able to
locate the mother after getting on
the train with the child She said
she would see to it that the child
was not forgotten on Christmas If
its mother could not be found.
The Travellers Aid booth at Union
Station restored IL children to their
parents over the week end. But
the mother in this case did not come
to Travellers Aid or to police.
Rough estimates by transportation
officials indicate that 100000 Wash
Iingtonians have left town for Christ
mas by automobile, bus, plane and
train. Servicemen had a difficult
time getting out of Washington.
Some of those going long distances
may miss Christmas Day at home,
but all who stuck it out eventually
got on trains and buses yesterday.
All Transport Facilities Used.
Every available piece of transpor-
tation equipment in the country was
used to break the travel jam. Penn
sylvania Railroad estimated il
handled more than half million
persons on its New York division
Ialone. Atlanta, Ga, expected its tie
up to continue through Christmas
eve.
The. American Automobile Asso-
citation said warmer weather and
improved road conditions had en-
abled many persons to use their
automobiles to escape the crush on
trains and buses.
The travel jam had let up every
where today. The numbers travel
ing through Chicago had dropped
sufficiently for railroads to REIN
state rules against standees. Thou
sands who managed to squeeze on
trains to Miami arrived only to
find that space in hotels was as
scarce as space on trains.
Evening star., 1945-12-24
Armenian Group Reported
Making Demands on Turks
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, Dec. 24.-Tfne official
Communist newspaper Pravda pub
hshed Tass dispatch from Egypt
yesterday reporting that group Of
Armenians in Alexandria were seek
ing to have Turkey give certain
frontier districts to Soviet Armenia.
The dispatch said the group,
known as the Armenian National
Council, offered a 9-point program
based on the contention that Tur-
key had forcibly split up Armenia
after the World War.
Soviet newspapers published
Thursday demands that Turkey
cede strategic 180-rnile stretch Of
her Black Sea coast to Russia. The
demands were made in letter from
two intellectuals of the Georgian
Soviet Socialist Republic.
Evening star., 1945-12-24
Virginia to Continue
December Liquor Rution
BY the Associated Pres,


RICHMOND, Va, Dec. 24-The
current December liquor ration of
two "flfths" of whisky, other than
Scotch or bottled in bond, and the
bonus. allotment of one fifth" of
selected brands and one pint OF
any available stock, will continue
in January, spokesman for the
Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control
Board has announced.
One of the bonus brands has been
elevated to the status of straight
rationed whisky.
-Four other 'current-age whis-
kies-hquor less than one month
old and artif1cially favored and
colored-will be available for pur-
chasers next month, the ABC said.