Evening star., 1948-01-11
Explosives

companies which Mr.. Weisman
heads. Pratt Steamship Line, Inc,
Materials Redistribution Corp. and
Paragon Design and Development
Corp.
(Provisions of the 1889 Neu-
trality Act still in effect prohibit
the shipment of arms, ammuni-
tion or implements of war to for
eign countries without export Ii
cense from the State Department.
Explosives are defined as imple-
ments of war by a presidential
proclamation under the act. The
State Department has announced
it is issuing no export licenses
for arms shipments to Palestine.
Gocal laws presumably would
apply to unauthorized transpor-
tation of explosives within this
country)
Meanwhile, the last of a 199-ton
consignment of explosives was &C
counted for today at the Seneca
Ordnance Depot. 1t. Col. Robert
r. Judson, commanding officer, said
the Army had refused to deliver
the last "a tons of composition G"
(cyclonite) composed of 80 per cent
TINT (tri-nitro- -toluene) and half
again as devastating.
The explosive had been pur-
chased by Foundry Associates. The
Army refused to deliver it after
the War Assets Administration had
frozen deliveries in the New York
region "as a precautionary measure"
to prevent their misuse, he said.
A third batch of SO tons was un-
covered in a warehouse at Asbury
Park, N. j., and in a farmhouse
in nearby Wall Township Thursday
night and yesterday. Another
batch of explosive, which Navy
crews, inventorying it at the am
munition depot at Earle, N. j., said
was more than 100000 pounds"
was found a week ago as it was
being loaded onto a Palestine
bound freighter in Jersey City.
IL Persons Held.
Col. Judson said composition c"
does not detonate readily, but has
to be touched off with a fuse or
firing cap. He said neither was
shipped from the Seneca depot
with the explosives.
Twelve persons are held by police
in connection with shipment and
storing gof the explosives Three
truck drivers pleaded innocent in
Kingston to violating State Labor
law requiring minimum marking OF
trucks and were held In
$2,500 bond each.
Charles Lowy, identified by I.
Victor Carton, Monmouth County
IN. j. prosecutor, as the owner OF
the warehouse and farm where the
explosives .. were found, and as 9
member of the Asbury Park Zionist
was released today in
$4,000 bail provided by his wife
Malvina. He was charged with
transporting and storing explosives
a permit. Eight other men,
and drivers were
freed earlier under bail on the same
charge.
Tabor Demands Explanation.
In Washington, Chairman Taber
Of the House Appropriations Com
mittee demanded that the Army
explain why it declared surplus
nearly 200 tons of TINT"
"It seems to me-" he said, that
it is treading on pretty thin ice and
getting into very dangerous waters
to allow explosives of that kind to be
exported without strict Government
to be sure that they
do not get into hands where they
might endanger the peace OF the
world.
IT have written the Secretary OF
the Army asking him by what au-
thority the INT was released and
whether the people to whom 1t was
delivered had a license or permit
to transport explosives"
"I have also asked why such ex-
plosives should be declared surplus
at a time like this" he added.
Mr.. Taber said ut Is rather diff
cult for us to have such things de-
clared surplus and then have the