davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1947-12-26
Democrats Won't Woo
Wallace, McGrath Says
By the Associated Press

PROVIDENCE, r. l., Dec. 26.-
Senator McGrath, Democrat, of
Rhode Island, chairman of the
Democratic National Committee,
said yesterday the administration
would welcome Henry Wallace's
support in the 1s4S election, but will
not change its policies to win it.
Senator McGrath said Mr.. Wal
laces name never come up during
his discussions with President Tru-
man.
Commenting on a published re-
port that the White House has for
hidden moves to "appease" the for
mer Vice President, Senator Nc
Grath said:
"The White House has never
given me advice or directions in
connection with Mr.. Wallace. ]
have never received directions from
the President or from any one con-
nected with the White House"
Mr.. Wallace has assailed the ad-
ministration's foreign policies as
leading to war and has indicated he
would be willing to run for Presi-
dent on a third party ticket in 194s
unless these policies were changed.
Wallace supporters say the for
mer Vice President will "state his
own views on the 1948 election" in a
coast to coast broadcast Monday
night.
Evening star., 1947-12-26
Remaining U50 Club!
Close Here TONIGHT;
Services 10 Continue

The remaining USO Clubs ir
Washington will close their doors
as such tonight, but sponsoring Or
ganizations will continue their serv-
ices to men and women of the armed
forces.
A transfer party" will take place
at midnight tonight at the YWCA
Penthouse USO, Seventeenth and K
streets NV. A new sign with
"USO" deleted will be put up by
servicemen during a dance.
The present program will then
continue as part OF the regular ac-
tivities Of the young adult depart
ment Of the YWCA. Omcials Of the
Army and Navy will be present to
express appreciation for USO serv-
ices.
Dance to Be Held Tonight.
The Georgia Avenue USO will
close following dance ending at
midnight. An open house program
was scheduled this afternoon at the
club, 2011 Georgia avenue NV. A
spokesman said the activities would
be continued under the YMCA II
quarters could be found The lease
on the present building is expiring,
Closing ceremonies were helc
earlier this month at the 1911 H
Street Club, which remained oper
as a lounge today and is to Close
at II pm.
The Bethesda USO Club, 8410 Wis
consin avenue, will remain open un.
til Wednesday and then be operated
by the YWCA and YMCA as 9
service center.
3,035 Clubs at One Time.
USO operations started February
4, 1941, with the United States pre-.
paredness program and grew unit
in 1914 3,O35 clubs we're in operation
and USO camp shows were appear.
ing in all parts of the world.
Attendance at the clubs. and show.
exceeded 100000, 900 during theil
existence. There were 100000 vol.
unteers assisting in the program
and up to 5000 paid professional
employees.
The public contributed abou
$3.50, 100000 to maintain the club.
and shows.
Remaining funds are being al.
lotted to agencies participating ii
the USO to help continue specia
services where they appear war.
ranted, and camp and hospital pro.
grams as well as center activitie.
will be provided.
The USO includes the YWCA
YMCA, National Catholic Com.
munity Service. the Salvation Army
National Jewish Welfare Board ane
the National Travellers Aid Asso-
ciation.
Evening star., 1947-12-26
$4,000 Long-Distonce Calls
Below Last Christmas Total

extraordinary volume, but had beer
adopted this year to keep customers
pacifed until the call could be
answered.
Emergency calls were given
priority, in accordance with COM
pany policy, the spokesman said.
One Washington resident reported
that after waiting hours for call
to Chattanooga, Tenn, he tried for
another hour to reach the operator
to cancel the call.
Nearby residents had no better
luck, since most calls to other cities
have to be routed through Wash
ington. A Leesburg, Va, man re-
ported that when he tried to call
Portsmouth, Ohio he was told that
the only towns that could be reached
without delay were nearby Win
chester, Aldie and Herndon. He
cancelled his call 8 hours later.
A telephone company spokesman
said that calls from Washington
to nearby points were placed with
out delay through most of the day.
Evening star., 1947-12-26

were hurt in the crash, which oc-
Cured about 6:15 pm.
They were listed by police as Miss
Consuelo Merritt, 81, colored. 390s
Sherman avenue NV, and Mr.. and
Mrs. John w. Carr, 201 V street
NV.
Sergt. Osborne, who was driving
north on the highway when his cal
crashed into one coming from the
opposite direction, was pronounced
dead on arrival at Alexandria Hos
pital, police said. Mr.. Brown, listed
by police as owner of the car they
said Miss Merritt was driving, was
pinned in the wreckage and was
pronounced dead after he was extri-
Gated by members of the Penn DaW
rescue squad.
Miss Merritt was taken to Alex
andria Hospital suffering compound
fractures of both legs and possible
internal and head injuries. Her con-
dition was described as fair today.
The Cars were passengers in the
Brown automobile, police said. They
were treated first at Fort Belvoir
Hospital. Mr.. Carr later was trans
ferred to Alexandria Hospital and
Mrs. Carr to Gallinger Hospital.
Mr.. Carr, SO, was said to have COM
pound fractures of both legs, a hip
fracture and possible internal in
juries. Mrs. Carr, 40, has possible
internal injuries. They were said to
be in fair condition.
Still in a critical condition at
Emergency Hospital is Mrs. Cathe-
rine Hurney, 10, of 1407 Hamilton
street NV, who was struck by a
car as she stepped from a streetcar
loading platform in the $500 block
of Georgia avenue NV. Wednesday
Evening star., 1947-12-26

/ has been reading about in magazine
fiction, who thinks Washington is a
cosmopolitan city because Govern
ment workers come here in equal
numbers from Nebraska, Iowa, Min
nesota and the other As States. is
likely to be a little thrilled at the
thought of a sinful street in the city
of ner residence. She may or may
not visit it. If she does she is sure
to ne disappointed.
Not Very Tough.
Fans of low life would never in
clude Washington's Ninth in list
of Americas toughest streets. AS
has so often been pointed out,
Washington is different. Practically
all its gainful occupation is clerical
or commercial. It's only heavy in
dustry is the Naval Gun Factory.
AS a port, it's maritime employment
is negligible. 1t has never pro-
duced enough box office to be big
time fight city. Its tough street
is not very tOugn.
The movies shown on Ninth street
today are westerns, in which vigor-
Gus out-of-door men use Colt re-
volvers to eliminate villains In the
approved American tradition. For
years most arrests for street solicit
ing have been made several blocks
west Of Ninth street.
Baltimore's "block" Is so much
tougher that Washingtonians who
like that sort of thing have been
known to entrain to spend Bohe-
mian nights in its cellars. No one
would compare Ninth street with
the around-the-clock honky-tonks
Of New Orleans French quarter
The incorrigibles in New York travel
out on the Jersey flats to visit the
cabarets of Secaucus. There are
those who hold that Boston, de-
spite its puritan tradition and its
Watch and Ward Society, has 1t
over Washington with its Scollay
Square, locale of that ancient har-
Dor of burlesque, the Old Howard.
mullAIS oVCl eA1CoC VAAou6AA1o, yooA
reporter walked In the eager and
nipping air to New York avenue.
The east side Of the block north
Of I street has three eating places
with liquor licenses and two pool
rooms. The poolrooms and two OF
the drinking places were crowded.
There were men who obviously
worked with their hands and women
whose social standards did not warn
them against wearing slacks in the
evening and neglecting to put up
their hair.
Pugnacious Man Heeds.
A diminutive but pugnacious man
had Just been pushed out OF one OF
the drinking places. He wanted 10
Evening star., 1947-12-26

In case you were one Of the
thousands who waited long hours
to telephone the folks back home
q Merry Christmas, you may be
surprised to learn long-distance
traffic in the District was lighter
this year than last.
Telephone company officials said
81, 900 calls were placed yesterday
compared with more than 10000 last
Christmas. They added that full
crews of telephone operators worked
through the holiday manning the
various exchanges.
Fifty per cent of the calls placed
were completed, a figure which is
normal for holidays, the company
spokesman said.
Many callers who dialed the long
distance operator were greeted with
q recorded announcement advising
of del~ys up to 5 hours for most
calls and saying that the operator
would answer as soon as she could.
The spokesman said the use Of
RECORDINGS was not the result of an
Evening star., 1947-12-26
have to give up if the rent were

have to give up if the rent were
not lowered.
The investigator found that the
peep shows cost a dime. He was
assured that this was a prewar de-
velopment and had nothing to dt
with the current imitation. The only
new thing about the machines was
the price. A dime in the slot buys
three minute movie. The costumes
of the young women in the films
were dof1ed too quickly for identi.
fication as to period, but their colt
fures indicated the pictures were
taken circa 1925. This finding was
supported by the Pickering of the
films which showed they had been
in use at least 20 years.
Two Tattoo Artists.
You can still get tattooed or
Ninth street. Two needle men are
stilr plying the ancient art.
The 50-cent sign for minimum
priced beds has been crossed off
There are only a few beds available
at rs cents.
New store fronts with windows
filled with popular priced hats and
shoes are crowding the old razzle-
dazzle amusement parlors" and
may crowd them out. The retail
vitality of the area may completely
change the character of the street
Undoubtedly there are those who
would regret that, who think OF
Ninth street as a place of color. an
outcropping of the underworld, an
area to invade with Summing
parties.
The newly arrived Government
girl who thinks the Wizards pea
cock alley is the trysting place she
Evening star., 1947-12-26
Missing Maryland Man
Is Found Shot 10 Death

A farmer who had been missing
from his home in Howard County,
Md, for a week was found shot,
apparently a suicide, on Christmas
eve in the bushes near his home.
The body of the man, D. Beirne
Pue, IS, was discovered in the un-
dergrowth near his home north of
Gaithersburg, by searchers. State
police said the underground there
was SO dense that "searchers could
have passed within a few feet with
out detecting it."
Mp. Pue had been shot in the
forehead. A shotgun was found be-
side his body. The death appar-
emily was a suicide, according to
DR.. A. N. Herbert Of Ellicott City,
Howard County medical examiner.
Evening star., 1947-12-26
Found Neither Very Tough Nor Tender in Survey

OF here?' the proprietor, George
Baganakis, was asked.
They know when I say No more
mean no more" he said. Then
ne added: You talk to Nick Papa
nicolas tomorrow"
That's right" said Corpl. Proctor.
Nick is the one behind this demand
to clean up Ninth street. When he
came to Ninth street five years ago,
ne opened this restaurant. He still
owns the building. The owner of the
New York Cafe across the street
and the owner of the Western Lunch
next door opposed his getting a
liquor license and held him up for
"a year.
Buys Building.
"He bought the building acrosc
the vay and remodeled the first
floor into mocern stores. That
was before the building collapsed.
Now he is organizing a campaign
against the renewal of the liquor
license of the Western Lunch and
the Reno, farther down the block. !"
The next day this reporter called
on Mr.. Papanicolas in his Office next
to the Grecian Gardens.
That's right" he said, I'm op-
posing renewal of those licenses. I
got the signatures on the petition.
1t will come up in January. It's not
for revenge. It's to make money.
The way to increase real estate val
uations around here is to get rid Of
those places"
The meeting of the Mid-City
Citizens Association at which DR..
Rustin spoke out on Ninth street
was held in Mr.. Papanicolas' Office.
He gave the reporter a photostat of
the petition to the ABC Board. 1t
was signed by DR.. Rustin, C. F.
Burton, president of the City Bank
at Ninth street and Mount Vernon
place; Wayne Coy, head of Station
WINK around the corner on I
street; John c. Chevalier, head of
the Palace Laundry, and practically
every other businessman in the
neighborhood. 1t protested the re-
newal of the licenses as contrary
to the principles of our institutions,
detrimental to our properties and
businesses and morally disgracefu]
to our neighborhood."
License Opposition Admitted.
The reporter called at the places
in question. The proprietor of the
Reno was not in, but David Perl
mutter, who runs the Western
Lunch, was.
That's right" he said. II op-
posed Nick's license for business
reasons. He's doing this for re-
venge. Furthermore he's jealous
because we do "a better business
than the Grecian Gardens. I see
he's had bad luck with his building u
Evening star., 1947-12-26
Flyer, 1S, Injured
In Forced Landinq

An 18-year-old youth, who has
been flying for less than two months,
suffered possible internal injuries
yesterday when his small plane
crashed during a forced landing near
Frederick, Md. The Frederick City
Hospital said today his condition
was satisfactory"
The youth, Hugh L. Green, 4012
Third street NV, was on solo
training fight from the Congress
sional Airport to LeWistown, Md.
His fuel ran low when he was blown
off course, State police said, and he
attempted to land in a field AS he
was making the landing, police said,
a wheel buckled, upsetting the craft.
His mother, Mrs. Jean Green, said
the youth has been taking flying
lessons since early in November, only
a month after his discharge from
the Army. He is employed as an
electrician with a Mount Rainier
firm.
Yesterdays fight, Mrs. Green said,
was the second solo cross-country
trip her son has made. The first
was to Richmond, Va.
Evening star., 1947-12-26
By George Kennedy
Ninth street is under fire agail

Ninth street is under fire again.
The police are little hurt by this
They say that Ninth street was
tough during the old days-durine
Prohibition-but that it has i'm
proved so much they cannot under
stand what the fuss is about.
The Rev. DR.. John Rustin, pastor
of the Mount Vernon Place Meth
cdist Church, at Ninth and x
streets NV, called for a cleanup
last week at meeting Of the Mid
City Citizens Association.
The meeting was called to protest
renewal of the liquor licenses of two
Ninth street bars. DR.. Rustin is ali
for closing them. He says it's a
shame there are places where known
acknowledgements who are drink
ing themselves to death and acting
accordingly-are sold liquor.
Interviewed later, DR.. .Rustin said
that, for the first time, he had al
lowed himself to say something nice
about Ninth street. He remarked
at the meeting on how the street
had improved over the past IL
years. It was when a policeman
present accepted this as satisfaction
with the situation, DR.. Rustin said
that he called the street a disgrace
Reporter Investigates.
This reporter set out to investigate
the situation. First he caught Dusty
Fletcher's act at the Gayety. open
the Door Richards" popularity as
song has not spoiled this famous
ohk-man performance.
Next door in Jimmy Lakes cafe
George Marshall (the Secretary OF
State not the Washington Redskins
owner) was making an important
address. Mr.. Lake has installed
television. The political apathy OF
the crowd was complete.
A fight that followed (televised
from Madison Square Garden) be-
tween Tommy Bell and Steve Belloise
caused them to pick up interest
and there was general approval
when Mr.. Belloise was declared the
winner after the 10th round.
Ninth Street Divided.
A conversation with Mr.. Lake
revealed that Ninth street is d.
vided.
1--WE are getting along all right,
he said. "It's that slum block be-
tween I street and New York ave-
nue. that is causing the trouble
In the penny arcades no one was
shooting at the rifle ranges which
were so crowded with soldiers, sail
ors and Marines during the war
The proprietor of one said he would
Evening star., 1947-12-26
D. {. Man Files Application
For Charles County Airport

The Maryland State Aviation
Commission disclosed today that a
Washington businessman has filed
application for permission to estab-
lish a major" airport IN Charles
County, two miles west of Waldorf.
The application was signed by
Scott B. Appleby, who has offices in
the Southern Building. Mr. Appleby
refused to discuss details of the
project but the commission said the
airport would be situated on a
1,500-acre tract of land.
The application outlined plans
for two 6,000-foot runways and q
1900 square foot hangar, long
enough to accommodate the largest
commercial planes now in use.
Mr.. Appleby estimated that the
aviation commission would act on
his petition by the end Of January.
Evening star., 1947-12-26
ice Elects William Lee
As Chairman for 1948
BY the Assoeioied Press

The Interstate Commerce Com
mission today announced the elec-
ton of William Erwin Lee Of Idaho
as its chairman for 1948.
Mr.. Lee, a 65-year-old Republican,
was first named to the commission
by former President Hoover. He
will succeed Clyde B. Aitchison in
the Craftsmanship, which is rotated
annually among the II. commission
members. Mr.. Aitchison resumes his
place as a commissioner on Janu-
ary /.
Seniority on the commission Is
usually, but not always, followed in
the annual election. On seniority
the 1948 Craftsmanship would have
gone to Commissioner j. Monroe
johnson. 1t was learned that Mr..
johnson asked to be passed over
because of the continuation of the
Office of Defense Transportation, of
which he is director.
Mr.. Lee, an attorney, is a native
of Madison County, N. c., but has
spent most Of his life in Idaho. He
was chief justice Of the Idaho SUI
preme Court when Mr.. Hoover called
him to the ICC in January, 1880: He
was reappointed by Presidents
Roosevelt and Truman.
Evening star., 1947-12-26
Hospitals Report
| 50 YuIe Babies
| |nCopitoI Area

The stork effectively doubled fol
Santa Claus yesterday, with Wash
ington and suburban hospitals re-
porting SO Christmas babies. The
first was born l minute after mid
night.
Christmas twins were born to Mr.
and Mrs. w. L. Gray, Telegraph
road, Alexandria. The twin boys
since named Martin and Marion
were born at the Sibley Memoria
Hospital. Their father is an engi-
neer employed by the Terminal Re-
frigerating & Warhousing Corp.
Alexandria.
Washington area hospital reported
the following Christmas births: Gar.
field, IL; Gallinger, 10; Columbia
10; Sibley Memorial, 8; Freedmen's s
8; Providence, 7; Arlington, 4;
Georgetown, 3; Suburban, 8; George
Washington University, 2; Doctors
2, and Adams l.
Evening star., 1947-12-26
Empire Apartments .
Raizing q Is Resumed; y
Snow No Handicap
Razing Of the Empire Apartments,
Ninth street and New York avenue

Razing OF the Empire Apartments,
Ninth street and New York avenue
NV, was resumed today as work.
men attempted to find out what
caused the building to collapse De-
cember 16, killing four persons and
injuring twelve.
The Pines Wrecking CO. stopped
work at noon Wednesday for a
Christmas holiday. They found the
snow this morning n0 handicap to
continuing.
Meanwhile, a proposal by Engineer
Commissioner Gordon R. Young
that a special demolition unit be
established in the Fire Department
to handle such emergencies met with
disapproval from Fire Chief Clement
Murphy.
The fire chief said that the job OF
the firemen is "to fight fires"
Gen. Young yesterday said he
would propose to the Board of Com
missioners that such q unit be
established. He said the need for q
demolition unit to handle emer-
gency work for the city was dem
onstrated by the collapse of the
Empire Apartments. Recovery OF
the bodies buried in debris was de-
layed for several days after the
Fire Department was called off the
job. The private wrecking concern
finally undertook the job.
Chief Murphy said his feeling was
that such a demolition unit would
require men specially trained in
engineering and would bring the
Fire Department into a different
field. The need for such q unit
would arise possibly only every 20
years, the chief added.
Gen. Young said that besides the
specially trained men, the unit
would require one or two large cranes
of the type being used to demolisi
the building by the private firm.
Still undetermined is the cause
of the collapse of the building. The
wrecking company is concentrating
its attention on the remains of g
huge pillar on the first floor be-
lieved' to have supported five i'm.
portapt structural beams.
1t will take several more days o1
digging, it was estimated, to uncover
the supposedly vital structure.
Evening star., 1947-12-26
Clio Council Approves
Home Rule Plan, Asks
Ban on Segregation

General approval of the Auchin-
Gloss plan for an elected and
streamlined District government has
been voted by the Washington In
dustrial Union Council of the CIO,
Gertrude Evans, executive secretary,
announced today.
The council, in a special member
ship meeting Monday, also called for
some further additions to the plan
and at least one major change.
Democracy will not be achieved
here, the group held, unless the pro-
posed organic act for the District
contains provisions against segrega-
ton and discrimination.
Dual School System Opposed.
"The charter establishing home
rule should provide specifically that
there be no discrimination or segre-
cation in the operation of, or serv-
ices furnished by, the District Gov
ernment," the council statement
said. This would include the aboli-
ton of the dual school system and
the discriminatory practices of the
Recreation Department"
The home rule plan, the group
added, also provides an opportunity
to carry out the recommendations
of the Presidents Committee on
Civil Rights.
Use of the proportional represen-
tation system. in the election of the
city council and the Board Of Public
Education also was urged by the
council. 1t voiced fears that under
the present proposal for council
elections, minority groups and espe-
cially the Negro population would
not have adequate representation.
Under the present plan, of II
councilmen would be elected "at
large" The 8 others would be chosen
from "equal-population" areas
into which the District would be
divided-2 from each section. These
8 councilmen, while nominated from
their own districts, also would be
subject to election by city-wide vote.
The council also recommended
that the voting age be lowered from
81 to 18 years. -.'
In it's statement of general in
dorsement of the plan as outlined
by the Home Rule Subcommittee Of
the House District Committee, the
council said:
'It is only by having officials re-
sponsible to the will Of the people
that we can have an efficient gov
ernment. This Is clearly seen by
the absence of actions for the gen.
eral welfare Of the people by the
Board of Commissioners and the
conditions that exist in the city.
mo action has been taken on
important issues which have been
brought repeatedly to the attention
of the Commissioners by delegations
of citizens, the press, radio and
other means of public expression"
Among conditions that need i'm
mediate correction, and have been
ignored, are high cost of living, labor
problems, general health and police
brutality"
The group also protested that the
Commissioners are advocating q
sales tax.
Evening star., 1947-12-26
Shotgun Kills Virginion
AT Christmas Gathering
BY the Assoeiofed Press

CLARKSVILLE. Va, Dec. 26.-
George O. Wade III, 20, examined q
shotgun at the home of his grand
father during Christmas gathering
yesterday. The gun was discharged
and Mr.. Wade's 16-year -old cousin
Bernard K. Wade, jr., fell fatally
wounded. Relatives said the CUR
went of accidentally.
The youth is survived by his par.
ents, Mr.. and Mrs. B. K. Wade; &
sister, Mabel Wade; two brothers
Lenis and Peter Wade, and hi.
grandparents, Mr.. and Mrs. George
@. Wade.