davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-05-28
More About the Price of Gas
Why Consumers Remain Unprotected Against Rising Rates;
Federal Power Commission Refuses to Follow Low

cases. The Supreme Court
sustained the commission and
upheld the constitutionality of
the act. .
The gas producers went to
Congress and in 1850 Sue
ceeded in obtaining the pas
sage Of what was known as
the Kerr bill. This would
have given them the freedom
from control they had pre-
viously enjoyed. The legisla-
tive battle was bitter. but the
gas producers won, 176 to 174
in the House. A to 80 in the
Senate. President Truman
vetoed the bill and no effort
was made to pass 1t over his
veto. Instead, the producers
fell back on the Power Com
mission, in which there had
been some changes in member.
ship, and the Power Commits
sion gave them what they
desired-immunity from regu-
lation.
What the commission will
do in the face Of the courts
rebuke isn't known. The guess
ing in Washington Is that it
will attempt to stall until an
other attempt to pass q Kerr
bill has been made. The STALL
ing would take the form of q
Supreme Court appeal. al
though that courts views al
ready are known.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-05-28
David Lowrence:

The long-expected reaction
of members of Congress, ire
spective of party, who feel that
our European allies are letting
down America by seeking trade
with the Communists and by
failing to keep up their end in
the Korean war now has come
in the form of a sensational
speech by Senator Taft of
Ohio, Republican leader.
Contrary to the mistaken i'm
preston that Clement Attlee
gave in the British Parliament
recently that Americans want
ed an about war in Asia, Sen
ator Taft would have the
United States. in effect, pull
back from both Europe and
Asia.
The Ohio Senator says that
the United Nations has failed
to stop aggression and that the
world might as well face the
fact that only military alliances
can prevent aggression-and
that a universal body like the
U.N. in which each of five
major powers has the veto is
useless as a barrier to agrees
sion, however useful it might
be otherwise. He doubts the
military practicability Of
NATO" and thinks that the
defense of Europe should be
undertaken by those who
occupy Western Europe" and
that latter all there are at
least 225 million of them, so
per cent more people than we
have in the United States"
The main reason for Senator
Taft's outspoken declaration
for an American policy. not Of
isolation. but of independence
is given in these two key para
graphs from the Ohio Sena-
tors speech at Cincinnati,
copies of which became avail
able here today:
But there is another diff
Guilty about maintaining the
general policy of a unified
world wide opposition to COM
munism by all free nations:
We have to have not only the
written word, but the real
sympathetic support of our
allies in that job. Recent
events in France and England
indicate that they are more
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-05-28
Fletcher KnebeI:
Potomac Fever

Ike lunches at the Pentagon with the incoming
going military chiefs of staff This friendly administration
nobody gets fired empty stomach.
Senator TaftS leS-go-it-aone" speech strs
Taft is expert going presidential year
people agree to let him do it.
South Korea continues to reject latest peace
the Reds It's little difficult for America to face the enemy
these dayS-we don't know which way to turn.
Queen Elizabeth coronation with COM
monweah banquet Pomp and circumstance thing
the British that appeals to peope-ost
what the other is.
Defense Secretary Wilson 60 questions
from Senator Margaret Chase Smith about
feels double didn't somebody
had bunch of lady stockholders?
Former Premier Reynaud refuses to form French
unless the constitution Reynaud thinks
the French should learn keep in office at least
long enough to find what they don't like
Secretary of State Dulles toward home after visiting
the Middle East The Secretary Congress with clear
conSciencehe didn't have time single State DEPART
ment book while he abroad.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-05-28
Constantine Brown:
y. S. Gives In Under Pressure
We Can Expect Full Red Victory at Peace Conference,
For the Communists Have Trumps Up Their Sleeve

Unless the Kremlin decides
that its Chinese puppet should
extract further concessions
from us and thus delay the
conclusion of a Korean ar \
mistice, Washington believes
that a document providing for
the cessation of hostilities
soon will be signed.
A large number Of officials
and political men are keeping
their fingers crossed about the
possible consequences of an
armistice almost entirely to
the taste of the enemy. They
see in it two immediate ad-
vantages: American BOYS will
no longer die in Korea. and
the campaign promises of
President Eisenhower to end
the Korean mess will thus be
fulfilled.
Senate Majority Leader Taft
crystallized the views of many
of his colleagues of both par
ties. and also of a number Of
political men and officials.
when he stated last Tuesday,
Even the best truce under
present conditions will be ex-
tremely unsatisfactory.
From the very beginning we
should have insisted on a gen.
eral peace negotiation with
China. including a unification
of Korea. under free Koreans,
and a pledge against further
expansion in Southeast Asia"
AS a matter Of fact. this
appeared to be the intention
OF the administration until
very recently. The informal
agreement with the French
last March that Indo-China
be considered an extension OF
the Korean front implied that,
at the truce negotiations,
the American representatives
would insist on cessation Of
hostilities throughout the
areas which are now ablaze.
There were technical diff
culties in pressing this point.
since we are negotiating in the
name of the U. N. and the
French had refused to bring
before that body the 1ndo-
Chinese war. But since tech
nicalities need not stand in
the way of a real peace agree
ment, the matter at least
could have been raised by the
American delegates.
Neither did we press the
question of the withdrawal Of
the Chinese forces beyond the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-05-28

away from the scene in these
times can do that even to i'm
portant figures in the Govern
ment.
Here where 1t is almost OBJ
ligatory to be suspicious and
cynical, word Immediately
spread that the President had
learned Of Senator Taft's "go-
it-alone" speech and had is
sued his statement to coun-
teract it.
This is untrue. The Presi-
dent acted to set at rest any
approximations that might arise
from the complaints of the
South Koreans. Americans do
not turn helpless prisoners
over to totalitarian justice and
he wanted to stress that.
There are two other known
facts. British Prime Minister
Churchill has supported the
truce terms and so has Indian
Prime Minister Nehru.
Doubtless this caused some
hackles to rise here. In adj
ministration quarters comfort
is derived from Senator Taft's
admission that I'VE should do
our best now to negotiate this
truce"
Should the Communists re-
ject the truce terms. the issue
moves to different grounds.
Acceptance or a counterpart
posal returns the ball to the
President. He will know few
more solemn hours than those
in which he might then have
to decide what next.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-05-28

are not regulated by the States
from which they take the gas
nor by the Federal Govern
ment. Actually the Federal
Power Commission has full au-
thority to act, according to
the courts. In a clear and
positive opinion written by
Judge Henry w. Edgerton,
the. U. S. Court of Appeals
reaffirmed this last week. say
ing, "the commission should
Ak the rates at which these
sales are made"
Whether the commission will
continue to insist on its i'm
potence remains to be seen.
BY refusing to exercise its au-
thority. it is defying the law,
as interpreted several times
by the Supreme Court.
In 1924, in the days of "the
nine old men," the Supreme
Court held that the States
cannot regulate these rates,
saying they are IAN insepara-
BILE part Of o transaction in
interstate commencement To-
cal, but essentially national in
character" It said, however,
1.-THE contention that. in the
public interest, the business is
one requiring regulation, need
not be challenged. But Con-
gress thus far has not seen
fit to regulate it and its silence,
where it has sole power to
speak, is equivalent to a decla-
ration that that particular
commerce shall be free from
regulation"
Which left the consumer
holding the sack for the time
being. But In 1898, Congress
did act. putting the Natural
Gas Act on the books. The
Public Power Commission fol-
lowed the law, putting Q curb
on what it found to be excess
sive prices In o number Of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-05-28

the armistice it will have the
much needed homes" for
fighter planes to escort their
bombers on whatever missions
may be necessary. This will be
a powerful diplomatic argyll
ment" of which the Reds will
not fail to avail themselves at
the peace table to follow the
signature of the truce.
1t is at that peace confer
ence that the question Of
Korea's unity will be tackled.
as will be the acceptance Of
Communist China by the
United Nations and probably
the surrender of Formosa to
the Peiping regime.
President Eisenhower and
Secretary of State Dulles are
strongly opposed to such terms.
But we have been given notice
by Great Britain, our most i'm
porsant ally, in the speech made
two weeks ago by opposition
leader Clement Attlee, that
China must be given a place
in the U. N. after the armistice
is concluded. Prime Minister
Churchill concurred. The Arab
Asian group in the United Ma
tons is equally on record to
replace the Chinese National
lists by the Peiping Commu-
nists in the General Assembly
and in the Security Council.
Prime Minister Nehru has
given us official and off-the-
record warnings that he will
spare no effort to see that this
is done.
Thus, we can expect only
a full Red victory at the peace
conference. The Communists
will have the following trump
cards: Cd a much improved
military position. compared
with what they have today.
and ca the support not only
of the powerful Arab-Asia bloc
but also of Great Britain and
the overwhelming majority Of
the western European coun-
tries which are anxious to re-
sumo full trade with Commu-
mist China, regardless Of the
ultimate political and military
consequences.
1t is in this light that the
expected conclusion Of the
armistice in Korea is regarded
by the administration. But
apparently the pressure Of our
allies has been too irresistible
in recent weeks to permit us
to insist on a truce in keeping
with the realities Of the tense
global situation.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-05-28

Senator Taft speaks plainly
and bluntly. The fact that
he is leader of the majority
party doesn't prevent him
from saying what he as an
individual thinks. because there
is not supposed to be any
politics or partisanship in for
eign policy. anyway. and
there is no rule which says
the leader of a party in the
Senate must sit by and fail
to criticize a trend in inter-
national policy if he thinks it
is wrong. The minority leader
feels the same freedom to ex-
press himself.
The Taft speech will bring
repercussions.. But, since the
British House Of Commons de-
bate recently was defended as
right of expression by allies
and with a right of criticism of
America, the Ohio Senator's
statement will doubtless be an
swered abroad and be the basis
OF a continuing diScusSion-all
of which is healthy because it
brings into the open that which
has long been smouldering.
This feeling exists in both
parties, as may be inferred
from the fact that Republicans
and Democrats in the Senate
Appropriations Committee have
just voted almost unanimously
to approve an amendment to
an appropriation bill which
would withdraw all financial
support from the u. N. if Red
China or any other nation
fighting our. forces in Korea is
admitted to the Security Coun-
Gil Of the U. N. Similarly, Re-
publicans and Democrats in
another Senate committee are
demanding that the admins
tration clear up its attitude to-
ward allied trade with Red
China.
These are non-partisan or
bipartisan outbursts of resent
ment against those govern
ments in Europe which not
only put their trade above con-
Germ for the troops who have
made blood sacrifices but are
willing now to reward agrees
sion by giving an aggressor
government a place in the
U. N. Security Council.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-05-28
Lowell WeNett:

In cities and towns all over
the country consumers of nat
ural gas have become &C
customed to having the rates
increased from time to time.
Usually this happens after the
local gas company has demon
Strated to the satisfaction of
the local regulating body that
rising costs Of one kind and an
other have made the increased
rates necessary. Some of these
claims are sometimes disputed
by the local regulators, but
there is one they cannot dis
pute. That is the wholesale
cost, the price at which the
gas enters the pipelines. the
price the distributing company
pays and passes on to the local
gas companies. And this,
more than anything else, de-
termines what domestic and
industrial users are compelled
to pay.
Senator Tobey, Republican,
Of New Hampshire discussed
these wholesale prices in a
Senate speech this week.
Prior to the war (World
War ID. natural gas was sold
freely at 2 cents a thousand
cubic feet" he said. To-day
the average price runs from
6 to 10 cents a thousand cubic
feet. And during the past
year or so many contracts have
been written at a rate of Is
cents, with a few in recent
months at 20 cents. I cannot
believe that costs of produc-
ton have risen to such a de-
gree as to justify these radi-
cally increased prices"
The Senator could not dis
cuss the justification offered
by the wholesalers for their
prices, for the wholesalers Of
fer no justi1ication-not to the
public. at least. They do not
have to. In this respect they
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-05-28
Boy Must Pass Grudes
To Get $10O q Month
BY the Associated Press

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. May %.
AS long" as Charles Gordon
Davis makes passing grades In
school. he'll get 500 a month
from his foster fathers estate.
And if young Davis, a high
school sophomore. is graduated
from college he'll get $4,000.
less the amount of monthly pay
ments made him.
The provisions were set out in
the will Of Charles w. Davis.
Knoxville grocer who died Sat-
urday. If young Davis flunks .
subject and fails to make it up
during the summer, the will cuts
him off from the monthly pay
ments or any other share in the
estate.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-05-28
Doris FIeeson:
Great Decision in the Mokino
Eisenhower Tries New Method of Secret Diplomacy
In Truce Conference. and Now Waits Patiently

Washington is going about
its business rather absent
mindedly. It is realized here
that a great deciSion-whether
or not there shall be q truce in
Korea-is in the making.
Congress and the country
have pressed the new President
for leadership and in this area
they have it.
Exactly what he has con-
sented to in the way Of a Ko-
rean truce is still a secret. But
the Eisenhower leadership at
least consists in this:
He has been willing to try a
new method. It is the method
of secret diplomacy.
Open negotiations have been
tried and have failed. They
have led only to recriminations
and more stalemate. One day
the Peiping radio would blast;
the next day the allies would
answer. Result: Zero.
The new terms were laid
down in executive session and
a recess was tacitly agreed to.
With the great courage and
patience with which his name
was associated during World
War II, the President has sat
down to wait.
Not everybody is as patient.
The South Koreans are vocal.
Their Ambassador here objects
on two grounds: The terms do
not provide for uniflcation of
Korea and they do not offer
an acceptable solution of the
prisoner -of-war issue.
The White House broke its
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-05-28
Taft Speaks Plainly and B|unt|y
His Suggestion That U. S. Quit Both Europe and Asia
Is One That Urges Independence Not isolation

anxious to settle with Russia.
and resume as much trade as
possible, which means that
as long as Russia talks nicely,
the whole military alliance
against Russia is weak, even
though military preparations
behind the lines continue
undated.
Secretary Dulles has tried
to reaSSure the Iron Curtain
nations that we are not going
to make a deal with Russia
giving the Communists a zone
of influence over all the Iron
Curtain countries. It seems
clear that Mr.. Churchill and
the French administration
would be willing to assign that
zone of influence gladly and
abandon the Poles. the Czechs,
the Hungarians and the Ro-
manianS to the tender mercies
of Soviet Russia in return for
some cutting of ornaments,
freer trade and promises to
behave in the future"
The Senator says the pres
ent administration has the
job of trying to maintain
this worldwide alliance
against Soviet Russia" that
America has spent billions
for that purpose, and that he
hopes it can be carried
through but doubts whether it
is "in fact possible over any
long period of years."
In addition to this skepti-
cism about half-hearted al
lianceS, Senator Taft is doubt
full on the military side. He
adds:
"One atomic bomb would
probably destroy a French
port for a year, and eight or
ten bombs would cut off most
means of supplying our
soldiers or withdrawing them
in case of retreat. If we are
worried here about the drop
ping OF Russian bombs on
American cities and factories,
surely it is 10 times as easy for
them to bomb Western Europe
and its ports. Or they could
leave Europe alone and devote
themselves to a bombing of
this country. in which case
our European expenses would
be of doubtful value"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-05-28
British Firm Again Gives
Lowest Bid on Project

SEATTLE, May ga British
Arm submitted the low bid for
the second time yesterday for 10
big power transformers for the
Federal Governments Chief JOS
eph Dam project on the Colum-
bia River. -,. r..
English Electrical Export &
Trading Co., Ltd, Of London
submitted a $442,751 lower bid
than the lowest bidding Ameri-
can firm. The efficiency rating
listed for the British product
however, was slightly below that
of the lowest American bidder.
Rejection of original bids by
the Department of the Army, and
a call for rebidding, brought
criticism in Britain's House OF
Commons. The bid award will
be made after study in WASH
ington.
The English firm cut $70,563
from it's earlier bid while the
lowest bidding American firm,
Maloney Electric Co., of st.
Louis, was $270 higher than
originally.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-05-28

silence to answer the prisoner
issue. It said no prisoners will
be rep tria ted by force.
coerced or inundated in any
way. There must be a definite
limit to the period of their
captivity Prisoner procedures
must reflect these principles.
Then silence. It is permis-
sible to speculate that some
thing less than unif1cation of
Korea is in the terms. It can
be suggested that Secretary of
State Dulles gave informed
guidance on this matter re-
Gently, despite a White House
reputation.
All that is speculation.
Whatever he has done the
President clearly is prepared
to defend it. Most politicians
think the country will believe
him.
Senator Taft's outburst
Tuesday has muddied the
waters, yet it is entirely pos
sible that he did not so intend.
He has known for some time
that he was to receive an
award in Cincinnati cere-
monies at which his remarks
were read for him. In fact,
he had planned a short speak
ing tour in that general area.
Instead, he has been for
nearly a week in hospitals here
and in Cincinnati while doc
tors tried to track down the
causes of a painful hip all
ment. It could be that the
majority leader is a little out
Of touch-only a few hours
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-05-28
British Claim New Jet
Is Unsurpassed by Any
BY the Asseeioted Press

LONDON, May 28.-The Wick
ers Armstrong Aircraft Co. says
it has a new jet fighter with
climb, endurance and maneu-
variability unsurpassed by any
fighter in the world"
The plane is an improved ver-
sion of the Supermarire Swift,
a one-jet fighter with swept
back wings that already has
broken the sound barrier. The
Swift is a direct descendant of
the Spitf1re used against the
NaziS in the Battle of Britain.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-05-28
House Sends Senate
Pork Bill Fattened
By Only 100000
By Robert K. Welsh

The House delivered to the
Senate today a thinly sliced
pork" bill fattened by only
100000 in extra appropriations
for harbor, river and flood con-
troll projects despite attempts to
add SAL million more.
The bill, passed early last night
after eight hours of fighting over
rs amendment proposals, carried
a technical total Of about $416
million. Approximately 1896 mil
lion Of this was for civil works
handled by the Army Engineers.
The overall total was $4OO, 900
more than the appropriations
committee had recommended.
This increase represented a sucL
cessful drive by New York Demo-
Gratis and Republicans to get
that further amount to deepen
the Gowanus Greek channel in
Brooklyn.
Actually, the bill sent to the
Senate promised net reduction
OF $3.6 million from the House
committees figure. The House
adopted an amendment aimed at
blocking expenditures of 81 mil
lion for a food control project
in North Dakota.
Peace Cross Fails.
There was one casualty of di-
rect concern to the District. Rep
resentative Small, Republican of
Maryland tried unSuccesSfully to
obtain 81 million in Federal funds
for q start on the Anacostia
river flood prevention work in
the Peace Cross area of Bladens-
burg.
This Army civil functions bill
was the seventh regular appro-
priations bill passed by the House
for the fiscal year beginning
July l. It's total was $267 mil
lion under the sum requested by
former President Truman, $82
million below the revised amount
asked by the Eisenhower admin
istration, and about $168 million
under the amount being spent
thtis year.
In contrast to the rapid de-
livery system of the House, the
Senate is about to receive only
the second such House-approved
bill from its own appropriations
committee. It previously acted
on a House-approved bill supply
ing funds for % independent
agencies.
The second bill appropriates
money for the State, Justice and
Commerce Departments, for a
combined total Of approximately
$1.1 million.
Further Battle Seen.
While the House was heading
toward passage of the civil func-
tons bill, the Senate committee
late yesterday, took action that
guaranteed a further battle on
the State, Justice, Commerce
measure.
] The committee restored q
House disapproved provision to
give the heads Of those depart
ments blanket authority to dis
charge any employe.
The Senate committee also
voted, 20 to 8, to bar contribu-
tons by the United States to the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-05-28

military equipment. AS an ex-
ample, Senator Wiley cited a cut
in the unit price of tanks because
of volume production and the
substitution of the MIG tank
for the more expensive MAT.
Senator Wiley said the cuts
were evidence Of the conscien-
tious efforts Of the administra-
ton to maintain a constant re-
view of the program and cut costs
wherever that can be done with
out harming actual operations"
II view it," he said, "as a
further justification of the full
amount requested by the admin
istration, because we can be con-
fident that further savings will
be made in this amount if that
should be at all possible"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-05-28

United Nations during the COM
ing fiscal year if Red China be-
comes member of the Security
Council. The House early this
month defeated moves to restrict
such contributions to the U. N.
It did not consider ban in re-
lation to Red China.