davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-05-01
EorI Browder Moscow Bound In Mystery

Stockholm, May 1-(UP)-Swed- ish Communist leaders professed to- day to be completely mystified by the Moscow mission of Earl Browd- CT, former secretary of the Com munist Party in the United States.
 Browder left Sweden yesterday by ship for Finland. He said here that he was on his way to Moscow by way of Finland as writer study ing Russia,s political life"
 Ragnar Edberg, editor of the Communist Party's NY Dag. said: T only know about Browder what I read in the papers," In a dis patch under a New York dateline, NY Dag said:
 Tt seems the purpose of Browd- er's trip is to establish contact abroad to create an international center through which he can pur- sue his activities against Commun. ist parties.
 Tt has been known for some time that Browder is spreading an appeal abroad against the decision of the Communists to exclude him because of activities inimical to the party"
 NY Dag was the only morning paper failing to publish an inter- view with Browder on his arrival at the airport here.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-05-01

popped out. Portable cantilever bridges came from the ceiling, bear ing additional nearly naked ladies aloft. With a whirring of gears, machinery began moving goose- pimply females all over the place.
 They didn't look happy. How'd you like to be standing precariously on the rung of a ladder in your birthday suit while hidden motors moved you jerkily over the custom. erS' heads?
 Out went into the Place Pigalle, known to all GIs as Pig Alley. Cob- blestones glistened in the rain. On every hand doormen tried to lure folks inside 30 nightclubs, cabarets, bars and restaurants damned to- gether on the hillside. succumbed to the Club Royale man, who spoke English as well as I did and who promised big evening within.
 Feels Shivers Running
 He was not fooling. His was a smallish upstairs with pink lights, mirrored walls, soft seats, a hot band, couple of dozen Frenchmen stirring the bubbles from their champagne, and @ comedian who. am informed reliably, told feelthy stories. I wouldn't know. His French sounded to me like a machine gun with the hiccups.
 So came lady in a !.siue gown, silver slippers and long black gloves. l think there must have been some- thing wrong with her zipper, maybe. Her dress came off. She seemed to have forgotten her underwear. My, my. never saw her like in St. Louis She looked cold, all but her hands. They continued to stir their bubbles.
 I had my g sandwich, washed 1t down with my SIS champagne, and felt like old Joe sucker himself. Only the place was full of F,renchmen peeling of francs like petals from artichokes. I wasn't Lonesome, just broke.
 This business of spending money as if 1t were confetti seems to be part of the French imitation you read about occasionally on the fin- ancial pages.
 Cigaret Butt Priceless
 It is sad thing. While I know little about international finance, do know about $4 for a bowl of soup and the shock you get when you toss away cigaret butt and ped- estrian behind you darts into the gutter to recover 1t.
 These things I'll try to report in detail as soon as recover from my night in Pig Alley, where the dawn Is as gray as I ever expect to see 1t.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-05-01
Polish Priest Meets Cultured People in yoiI

Boston, May l-(UP)-To meet the cultured people of Europe you have to go to prison according to Q Chicago-bound Polish Catholic Priest who was one of l4 passengers arriving here today aboard the 10.- OOO-ton freighter Philip Schuyler after a 32-day trip from Bombay, India.
 The Rev. Francis P. Pluta. a O. year-old chaplain in the Polish army, said he so concluded after spending two years in 26 Russian prisons and having death sen- tence twice comInuted.
 Greeted at the pier by his broth- CT Joseph Pluta of Cleveland. the priest said he was enroute to confer with Carl Roszmarek, president of the Polish Congress Union in Chi- cago. Through the conference, Father Pluta said, he hoped to arr range to bring 500 Polish war or- phans now in India to the United States. Later he planned to meet with the vicar-general of the Cath olic Church in Cleveland in hope of obtaining a parish in America.
 Father Pluta said he was seized by Russians in his home in 1889 on grounds that certain of his writings were antagonistic to the Soviets. He said they sought to show him guilty of various crimes, sentenced him to death and then "rnagnanimously" commute. the sentences. For a time, he said, he was confined in prison camp at Kotlas near Archangel where 5000 Russian and Polish Jews and other cultured" persons were held. Ultimately he was freed through intervention of the Polish government in London and sent to India to supervise the orphaned children.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-05-01
co La La
Gay Paree Is Shocking To Innocent Othn1an
nited Preaa Staf1. CorreanOnden

{ nited Press Staff Correspondent
 Paris, May l - I'd better warn you before you read further that the Mademoiselles of Montmartre twirl wooden pinwheels in their gob- lets to get the bubbles out of their champagne, then they drink 1t.
 This is waste of bubbles, which come high on the Place Pigalle, but you get the idea: I'm trying to lead you gently into a night of super charged co Ia Ia.
 Supercharged is correct. I had to pay $7 for a ham sandwich in the Cafe Royale, but let us worry no more about money at o'clock in the morning. Nobody else is. There are too many ladies around wear ing nothing much but high-heeled shoes while paper francs are fiut- tering like blossoms from an apple tree.
 Champagne MOnOpOlized
 My first stop was the Bal Tabarin, a night club celebrated above all others for its beauties without their shirts. Eleven hundred people sat at tiny tables removing bubbles from their champagne. Ask for glass of snthing else at the Bal and you start riot.
 The chef d'orchestre, Jean Alfaro, gave with fanfare, the lights went down, the dance floor slid on tracks under the bandstand, and these things happened: ladies wearing hats, shoes and talcun powder rose up from a hole in the ground, slid- ing panels slid, and more ladies
The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-05-01
NOTIONS

oXED WRITING PAPER Thin Air Mail. 70 sheets, 35 en- velopes. Reg. s9c box. NMm Sale 8VV WRITING PAPER-6o sheets and 50 envelopes. Reg. goo $1.00 box. Sale ct. .... OOV 'GL1DA" ADJUSTABLE MAKE UP CAFES 0An Reg. $1.00. Sale ..... O3V LoTHEs BRUSHES WITH HANDLE l0M Reg. 79c. Sale .... VOV 4 PIECE SILVER PLATED DINNER WEAR-6 knives, 6 forks, 6 tablespoons and 6 tea spoons. Reg. $11.9S. @M no set. Sale ........ @WOOO .-oZ. HANKS .oOoo WOOL KNITTING WoRSTED-Large assortment of colors. 0AM Reg. $1.00. Sale ...... OEV 'LAsTIC COAT HANGERS
 Assorted colors. MMA Reg. 39c. Sale ...... AOV "FLEUR DE LYs" DRESS SHIELDS-Color, white. Cres- cent styles No. ? and 3. 00n Reg. 39c. Sale ...... OAC
The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-05-01
Trio Rebuke 

Washington, May 1--CUP)-The Veterans Administration and two Federal Housing agencies today is- sued a joint statement rebuking a VA loan official for recent charges that veterans homes are overpriced but conceding that much of what he said was true.
 Spokesmen for Gen. Omar N. Bradley, Veterans Administrator and for Housing Expeditor Wilson W. Wyatt and Federal Housing Commissioner Raymond M. Foley promptly disagreed on what the statement meant.
 The joint statement was prompt ed by Francis x. Pavesich, veterans loan chief, who said over the week. end that because FILA sets ceilings on veterans homes without looking at them, many are so overpriced that the Veterans Administration cannot approve CT loans to buy them. The result is, he indicated, that veterans are prevented from getting the homes that have been built for them.
 The joint statement, prepared in Foley's office after a conference among Bradley, Foley and Wyatt, said in part:
 '"The implication that ceiling price authorizations are generally higher than valuations made by VA appraisers was not intended and is not substantiated That there are and will be such instances, in view of the type of processing permitted, is inevitable.
 Tn many cases the differences found represent no more than dif- ference of opinion of estimators or appraisers, which is frequently wide in this market.
 Nevertheless the problem exists and in some cases results in a house built with veterans preferential pri- ority not going to a veteran"
The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-05-01
HANDBAGS

3PRING HAND BAGs-In fab. ric and plastic feathers. All this seasons styles. Reg. $2.9S. Sal. SPAS 1aSs sss JPRING HAND BAGs-In fab ric, plastic feathers and real feathers. Assorted styles.
 ssIs ssE, s4.9s S4.S0 ssIs sss, sS.'s' $5.18 ss1s sss; s7.ss' S6.78 F,a' ss4 BAGs-In fabric and imitation feathers. Colors: Black and brown. Assorted styles. sss, ssis ss''s. '''..... $1.OO s.a' ssa HAND BAGS - In fabric and plastic feathers. Reg. $3.9s. Sal. $2.69 s's' tsa A LOT OF $4.9s HAND BAGS Mostly black. Assorted styles. Sal. :. $2.49 s's' ssa
The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-05-01

The 100the anniversary of the founding of the Lehigh Valley Rail- road and its century of progress will be celebrated this year. The rail- road dates from the opening of 8 one-track line running from Eas- ton to ethBlehem, Pa, a distance of 1872 miles, serving the rich coal fields of the region which eventu- ally made the system famous as the road of anthracite.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-05-01
SOUVENIR COLLECTORS

Seminole, Okla. (UP)-In the first seven days of operation, park ing meters, here netted the city $490.15, and five German 10-mark pieces, one Tunisian coin, one Bel gian coin and three slugs of no value.
The Ypsilanti daily press., 1946-03-08
Eaton Mills

Eaton Mills, Mich.-Miss Flor
ence Santure graduated from St
Mary's School OF Nursing, Detroit
Sunday afternoon. She is the
daughter Of Mrs. Harvey Santure,
Wear Road.
Mr. and Mrs Arthur Wall and
family. New Boston. are moving
to the Breining farm where Mr.. and
Mrs. Glenn Raisch have been living
Thor Baisch left Thursday for
military service.
Mr.. and Mrs. Alden Day and
children, Carol and Burton spent
Saturday evening with Mr. and
Mrs. Eaton Roberts, Ypsilanti.
Mr.. and Mrs. Gilbert Day and
Mrs. Glen Day and son Douglas,
Rosedale Gardens. Plymouth, spent
Sunday evening with Mr. and Mrs.
AFRO Day.
Mr.. and Mrs. George Essex and
Mr.. and Mrs. Edward Maleske at
tended the wedding OF Thelma
Lutz and William Klapper at the
Lutheran Church. Ypsilauti, Satur-
day evening.
Mr.. and Mrs. Carl Snyder and
son, Dearborn; were Sunday visit
tors of Mr.. aud Mrs. Lee Day.
Mr. and Mrs. Dean Thomas and
family. Ypsilanti. spent Saturday
with Mr.. and Mrs Glenn Baisch.
Mr. and Mrs. AFRO Day returned
home Thursday after visiting Mr..
and Mrs. Theo. Visnaw. Grayling,
and Mr.. and Mrs. James Valley,
Pinconning. They also visited with
Mrs. Days sister, Mrs. Estella
Greanya, Flint.
Mr.. and Mrs. Clarence Sampler.
Stony Greek: spent Sunday az
ternoon with her parents, Mr.. and
Mrs Ray Wright.
Miss Leona Nudge attended Fun
Night at Lincoln School. Satur-
day evening.
The Ypsilanti daily press., 1946-03-08
Stony Greek NeiCs

and family moved from the J. W.
Talladay farm on Judd Road, 10
farm that they have purchased
near Fowlerville. Mr.. and Mrs.
Frank Herbert, Gregory, have
moved into the house vacated BY
Mr.. and Mrs. Maleitzke. Mr.. Her
bert is a brother Of Mrs. Maleitzke.
Mrs. Marjorie Heath and son,
Ronald, Mooreville, we're Wednes-
day dinner guests OF Mr.. and Mrs.
John Hammond.
Mr.. and Mrs. Hugh Alexander
and Mrs. Sara Alexander, Carson.
vile. and James Alexander. Ypsi-
lantL spent Saturday night and
Sunday with Mr.. and Mrs. andrew
Cash and mother, Mrs. Mabel
Cash.
Mr.. and Mrs. John Dysinger and
Mr.. and Mrs. John Richards at
tended the auction sale at the home
OF Mr.. and Mrs. Clem Baisch, S. E.
Augusta. Saturday.
Mrs. Don McCrone was a lunch
con guest, Tuesday OF Mrs. Frank
Draper, Milan. Mr.. McCrone and
son, Forsyth, attended a Rotarian
dinner and meeting in Milan Tues
day where Dean Anthony, president
OF the Agriculture Department in
Lansing was the guest speaker.
Mr.. and Mrs. A. ]. Schupp and
Mr.. and Mrs. We're Schupp and
daughter, Kay, called on Mr. and
Mrs. Ivan Gray and children, Whit
more Lake. Thursday.
Saturday evening guests at the
home OF Mr.. and Mrs. Jacob Ben
nett, Jr., were Mr.. and Mrs. Ray
mond Roy and family, Mr.. and Mrs.
John Hadgwood and family, Belle
vile, and Miss Lorraine Palmer, De.
troit.
Elwood Dethloff, Plymouth, spent
Saturday night and Sunday with
Mr.. and Mrs. Joseph Book and
family.
Miss Bessie Colby and Samuel
Bong1oYanni, lpsilanu, were Sun
day dinner guests OF Mr.. and Mrs.
Orval Throne and family.
Mr.. and Mrs. John Bobicz, Whit
taker, were Sunday afternoon visit
tors OF Mr.. and Mrs. Leon Jones
and family.
Mr.. and Mrs. Julius Feldkamp
and grandson, Richard Taylor, Yp-
silanti, spent Sunday afternoon at
the home of Mr.. and Mrs. Miles
Latin.
Monday evening visitors of Mr..
and Mrs. Joseph BOck and family
we're Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Schultz,
Mr.. and Mrs. Robert Schultz and
Mr.. and Mrs. Clifton Gilbert, all
OF Saline.
Mr.. and Mrs. Kenneth Briggs
and daughter Trudy spent from
Wednesday until Saturday with
their sister, Mrs. Clarence Haugh,
The Ypsilanti daily press., 1946-03-08
The Birthday Murder

I fll TO him, or not useful. But this
was no secret thing, no hidden
malady. Believing everyone else to
be like himself, he had been quite
frank and open. And she had been
unable to grasp the quiet mon
strosity which had shown itself
even before she became his wife.
Albert's maggot, she saw, was
curiously without psychological un-
dertones. It was a plain, garden va
riety Of self-engrossment carried to
final extreme.
Victoria picked up her coffee cup
and with the other hand reached
for a cigaret from the box on the
table. She saw the blue ring shin.
ing on her left hand.
Facts" said Tuck, "for which
most people have such respect, are
dangerous. The root OF my confu-
sion about this case lay in my In
depreciation OF one fact. The chem
ist found poison in the sugar bowl.
So / assumed that it had been the
sugar In that bowl which killed
your husband. That glaring mis-
take In my thinking was supported
by the fact that he had been seen
by you to use sugar from that bowl.
at the time he must have taken the
poison.
"One statement finally showed
the poisoned sugar in its true light.
Captain Harriss' statement that he
had used sugar from that bowl at
seven-thlrty. II would have been
better II he'd told me that as soon
as he realized II, which was during
conversation between the two of
you on your balcony. But he fooled
around for while with the idea
that you had killed your husband,
and kept quiet about what he felt
would prove this TO me. However,
he had abandoned that idea by the
time questioned him about the
sugar. When he signed the deposit
tion, he told me you might shoot
a man but would never poison him.
80 what he had to say about
the sugar left the situation for the
time stripped bare. No one except
yourself or your husband could
have poisoned It. And by that time
was sure that Moira Hastings
had lied, and why. And even before
that, I had begun to suspect Hime."
Before that?"
"When showed me the ring
he gave you and told me when he
had ordered t."
Not until Them"
Tuck's face looked mournful.
Doesn't make me sound very
bright, does il? But then, you had
been married to him, and you didn't
guess until Miss Hastings told her
little story"
GO on" said Victoria.
"a thought flashed into my head,
from nowhere. Not a very logical
thought, just the uneasy feeling
that a husband who had forgotten
his wife's birthday until the last
moment had behaved oddly in wtr-
ing for a ring which could not ar
rive until a week afterward. He
could have bought Just as hand
some a ring the next day at a Jew
eler's in Los Angeles or Hollywood
Why get up out OF bed and order
one from New York? a rather
poetic notion occurred TO me-that
II was almost as though the man
had somehow known he would be
dead the next day. Then came the
eorollary OF that Idea, or that he
The Ypsilanti daily press., 1946-03-08
Salem

Salem, Mich, Mar. s-Mr. and
Mrs. Charles Adams and son. Roy
al Oak, were Sunday dinner guests
OF Mr.. and Mrs. Earl Roberts.
Mr.. and hrrs. E. Dunkerbwak
and family, Leslie, were Sunday
dinner guests of Mr.. and Mrs.
Forest Roberts.
Friends of Mr.. and Mrs. Nell
Currie will be interested In learn
ing that they are moving TO Call
foFnia. Neil left q few weeks ago
and has bought a house in Mont
rose, ready for his family TO move
into. Mrs. Currie and children eI-
pect to start west by plane next
week.
Mr.. and Mrs. Raymond Clark, Jr.,
and baby have moved to Ypsilanti,
Raymond has his discharge from
the Army.
Mrs. George Bennett visited
Thursday with her sister, Mrs.
Green, Worthwhile.
Miss Betty Lou Hall spent the
week end with her friend, Karen
JaskF, Worthwhile.
Mrs. William Hall and Mrs. John
Podlack, w. Six Mile Rd., spent
last Monday in Detroit.
Mr. and Mrs. william Merritt,
Seven Mile Rd., had their farm
house insulated last week.
Leo Cook, while working with a
we'll drilling machine, had the mis-
fortune to have one OF his thumbs
nearly severed. He was taken to
st. Joseph's Hospital, Ann Arbor,
where every effort is being made
to save the injured thumb.
Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Van AIKEN
were in South Lyon Friday, visit
inG at the Merrill Renwick and
James Dickie homes.
After two weeks visit at the
Donald Clement home, Airline
Atchison is back at the Charles
Payne home.
The Ypsilanti daily press., 1946-03-08

able condition. and there has been
no mail since Friday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Wayne Bartell, Mrs.
Stella Wojak and Miss Eleanor
Gawronski, Detroit, were Sunday
guests in the home OF Mr.. and Mrs.
John Zanacki and John Bartelle.
Mr.. and Mrs. John Zanacki and
Leo attended a reception at Sump-
ter Hall Saturday evening for Mr..
and Mrs. Erwin BlonousBi. Mrs.
Blonouski was Geneyieye Boron be-
fore her marriage Saturday morn
ing.
Mr.. and Mrs. Harold Hasley, near
Maybee, were guests OF Mr.. and
Mrs. Fred HolZinger Thursday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Fred Holzinger
visited Friday evening with MIR.
and Mrs. Henry Eby, Maybee.
Mr.. and Mrs. Albert Helzerman,
Detroit, and Mr.. and Mrs. Arthur
Northrup, Ypsilanu, were Sunday
guests Of Mr.. and Mrs. Robert
Helzerman.
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Sanford
and Carol Sue visited Friday eve
ming with Mr.. and Mrs. John Luc-
Yak, Rawsonyille Rd.
Mrs. Ethel Burget and Mrs. Ken
meth Sanford and Carol Sue spent
Friday afternoon in Milan.
Mrs. Frederick Helzerman spent
Saturday forenoon IN Ypsilanti.
Mr.. and Mrs Allen Burget, Ypsi-
lanti, were after church guests
Sunday in the home OF Mr.. and
Mrs. Kenneth Sanford.
The Ypsilanti daily press., 1946-03-08

had known his wife would ne dead
While I stood looking at the ring
on your finger, two crazy comments
chased themselves around my
brain. A corpse can't buy a ring.
You don't buy a ring for a corpse
1t was when / realized why a man
might buy a ring for a corpse that
saw the whole picture reversed. I
saw you as the intended victim, not
Albert"
Victoria looked down at the ring
on her hand. She pulled it from her
finger. She let 1t roll from lrer hand
onto the coffee table. II came to
rest with the heavy stone face
down, the platinum hoop upper
most "Of course" she said slowly.
"An afterthought. He believed 1
had drunk poison. He had planted
the poison in the sugar bowl. He
intended that my death should pass
as the result Of Hazels mistake. He
was going to play the bereaved hus-
band. And he had forgotten my
birthday. So he decided to remem-
Der It."
Tuck nodded.
"And when did you learn about
the Coffee"
TO put 1t chronologically,
knew from Captain Harriss' state
ment that only you or your hus-
band could have poisoned the SUI
gar. / also knew why he could have
done so. Yet he used sugar from
that bowl. Therefore it could not
have contained poison at that time.
Therefore 1t was never the means
of administering the poison. What
else ? The coffee. And that's where
the whole picture clarified.
Il tried to reconstruct that little
dinner. The man at the head Of the
table, gnawed by his problem. His
eyes falling perhaps on the green
canisters which he could see
through the open kitchen door. The
sudden, flashing realization that
with you dead he would have both
MORA Hastings and the oppor-
tunity he wanted so intensely. The
realization Of the danger to him
self. The recollection of the mistake
Hazel had made when she put salt
into the sugar bowl. The sugar
bowl on the table before him. But
you weren't using sugar. Your cof-
fee cup. with the coffee poured
out, waiting for you. Your voice on
the telephone in the hall. He went
TO the kitchen for the poison. He
stirred 1t into your coffee.
After the dishes had been rinsed
Il imagine he took especial care
with your cup-you spent a quiet
evening together. and went to your
separate rooms. He was reminded
Of your birthday by the music next
door. He got up. put the poison in
the sugar. and added the new -four
ish Of wiring for the ring. He wrote
a check-there was an inkstain on
his finger the next day-and left
the envelope out at the mailbox for
the postman to pick up in the
morning. He went back 10 bed.
After a while he began to feel IN.
The pain became really bad. He got
up, started for the door 10 call you
or telephone a doctor. He never got
there
Victoria sahi: That was Albert.
He never got there. He always fell
Just little short Of reaching what
he wanted. Because he cheated, but
he didn't know that"
Ito De Concluded)
The Ypsilanti daily press., 1946-03-08
CHAPTER roRrY.oNr

Nk1AE In ROhA 4~OAN0
TUCK MADE coffee. He sat In
the chair that was too small for
him. They drank one cup in silence,
and then he brought them each
another. ''Your plan worked" Vic
toria said. "You arranged It SO
Sawn would say what he did In
front of Moira Hastings. You hoped
she would tell what she told"
YES" said Tuck. II needed her
admission Of that relationship with
your husband. She gave me little
more than I'd counted on"
What" asked Victoria, "did Al
bert see in herr"
"She told you that He saw face
looking up, which made him taller.
He saw eyes which said, You're
wonderful He found relief from
the sense Of lnadequacy you gave
him. He'd begun to doubt himself.
He needed what she gave him,
needed 1t badly"
II can't get used to H." Victoria
said. II know 1t happened, but /
keep thinking OF what I believed
Albert to be, and I can't get used
to It. He would have murdered me
for nothing-to keep a pretty girl,
to keep a chance to produce a pic
ture."
Tuck nodded. "Yes. These were
important enough to Albert"
ut makes him sound like q per-
son with no sense, no sense at ALL"
HE was mad with common
sense" said Tuck. "A good many
people are"
But he certainly realized 1
wasn't desperately In love with
him! That to learn about MORA
wouldn't shatter my lifew
do you think he did? I don't.
He liked himself pretty we'll"
Yes" said Victoria. He did"
'T think he believed that to tell
you about Mora would have only
one result. After a narrowing
scene, you would become angry and
would at once try to ruin bis
chance with Leighman."
"He couldn't have!"
"And are you sure you wouldn't
have done just that?"
Victoria stared at the long face
opposite. She thought about her
self. Il MIGHT have turned nasty"
she said.
The three tin masks we're staring
at her. She lowered her eyes from
them and looked around the room.
Albert had sat looking at this
room before he put the poison in
her coffee, and after. Anger stirred
In her. Not at Albert-at herself.
How had she been blind for 50
long? Not to the relationship be-
tween him and Mora. Her absorp-
ton IN her own work made her
one Of the few wives who could re-
main oblivious to such a situation.
It was her blindness about what
Albert had been that angered her.
Albert's voice came back TO her,
the words he had spoken on the
night she had agreed to marry him.
you would always give a man
more than he expected. :" And
her own voice: In other words,
I'm a good deal" And Albert: "Yes,
II you want to put It that way"
The candor Of the man had
fooled her. He saw people very sim
ply. Like cards In a game-high
cards, low cards, People were USE