Evening star., 1950-05-18

jail ana Cney can 1ee0 me /
.. :" the irate landlady said.
She's in jail, and the peo-
pie are feeding her. |
Barron, McGarraghy
Fire Opening Guns in
Sesqui Political Fight
Political battle lines are being
drawn today in a controversy that
is expected to sound the death
knell of the Freedom Fair at a
meeting of the Sesquicentennial
Commission next Tuesday.
Carter T. Barron, executive vice
chairman of the commission, and
Joseph c. McGarraghy. Executive
Committee chairman, fired open
ing guns in the political battle in
letters to Senator Margaret Chase
Smith, Republican, of Maine.
Mr.. McGarraghy. a local Repub-
lican leader, took exception in his
letter to a statement by Mr..
Barron that the collapse of Free
dom Fair plans could be traced to
the 80th Congress. He said in a
letter to Senator Smith that Con-
gress had given the commission
all the legislative authority it was
asked for.
Mr.. Barron, long active in Dem
ocratic activities here, wrote a
letter yesterday in which he re-
peated his charge that congress
sional legislation is not broad
enough to support a Freedom Fair
Business Leaders Blamed.
Business leaders who have failed
to rally to support of the proposed
fair must share blame with Con.
gress for collapse of the project
Mr.. Barron informed Senator
Smith She is a member of thu
SeSqui Commission.
The commissions Executive
Committee has recommended
abandonment of plans for the
fair. This recommendation will be
passed on by the full commission
at its meeting Tuesday.
The Federation of Businessmen
Associations last night adopted q
resolution declaring that the Free.
dom Fair is very important to the
business life of the community
and urging that it be held next
year.
After an Executive Committee
meeting at the National Press
Club Building yesterday after
noon. Mr.. Barron released his let
ter to Senator Smith. He said it
is positively ridiculous" that
there is any politics in the Sesqui
He declared: IF anybody has
tried to keep politics out Of the
Sesquicentennial, I have" He re-
called that Mrs. Smith appeared
with him before the Senate Ap-
preparations Committee and fought
for commission funds. He said:
II could not be a supine individ.
ual and fail to let her have some
explanation from me as result o.
MIR. McGarraghy's letter"
Legislation Criticized.
Mr.. Barron's letter said he felt
the legislation passed by Congress.
was mot sufficiently broad" ts
support the Freedom Fair. The
fact that Congress felt it wa.
broad enough, he added, was ap.
parent as it later appropriated
funds which In part were assigned
to the fair.
The most discouraging thins
about the whole thing. Mr.. Barro,
commented in his letter, is tn,
failure Of the public and business
leaders to support the Freedom
Fair. He said he could not imag
line a Freedom Fair reaching sucl
a fate in any other city.
i Mr.. Barron said he will lay tn,
offers Of land on which to lnol,
Freedom Fair made by Charles H
Tompkins, Morris Cafritz and Le
M. Bernstein, Washington rea
estate men. before the full com
mission. He said commission
members are being polled toda
on whether they can meet Tues
day in the Senate District Com
mittee room.
! The Executive Committee for
mally approved the signing of
contract with Paul Green, Pulitze
Prize-winning dramatist, who vii
produce Faith of Our Fathers
IN the new Rock Creek amphi
theater. Mr.. Barron announce,
that Poe Leggett of Catholic Uni
| versity's drama department ha
, been retained as production di
! rector for this Offering.