davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-11
Maryland Man Charge
In Fathers Auto Death

A Selma (Md) man was
charged with maAslaughter last
night in the traffic death of his
father.
The charge was lodged against
James G. Thomas, 80, colored, q
laborer. Montgomery County po-
lice said he was the driver Of an
auto In which Allen Thomas, Sc.
was fatally injured June 26. The
car overturned on a sharp curve
near Poolesville, Md. The elder
Mr.. Thomas died Friday at Sub.
urban Hospital.
James Thomas also was charged
with driving with q revoked per.
init and failure to reduce speed
at an intersection.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-11
Spencer Declares
D. {. Cant Afford
Force

Commissioner Samuel Spencer
last night declared that the Dis
trict cannot now afford to raise
its police force to $500 men--the
goal police and other groups
have been striving for for years.
Speaking on Report to the
People" on radio station WWDC.
Mr.. Spencer said the added $50
men would cost about 81 million
a year. He is the commissioner
directly responsible for police
matters in the city.
Mr.. Spencer praised the work
of the department under Chief
Robert v. Murray, pointing out
the decrease of >16!4 per cent in
felonies committed here during
the year ended June 80.
Satisfactory Job Cited.
The job being done now is
satisfactory" he said, In oppos-
ing the increase to $500 men.
"Chief Murray does not agree"
the Commissioner added.
Chief Murray later told The
Star $500 policemen are needed
here ito do the kind of job we'd
like to do--when and If the
budget can stand it,"
He asked that the increase
from the 2,270 men now author
lied by Congress be included in
the current budget, he said. The
Commissioners and the Budget
Bureau turned him down.
The department does not have
the 2.270 men it is now author
lied to hire. but has been using
the money to hire some police
men to work a sixth day each
week, he explained.
"This has been a great help
to us this year." Chief Murray
said. 1T is one Of the reasons
our record is so good"
1876 Vacancies Exist.
Vacancies now stand at 1875.
which includes IS men absent
on military leave. Thus the de-
partment could hire Ill addi-
tional men, under current APP
preparations.
Recruitment efforts have
brought the number Of policemen
up about 100 since this time last
year, the chief reported.
Commissioner Spencer said one
Of the factors in the drop in
crime here has been "the ex-
cellent job" Chief Murray has
been doing. 1.-THE men feel it,"
Mr.. Spencer said. Morale is
going up."
The Washington Criminal Jus
tice Association and the District
Law Enforcement Council have
recommended q 2,500-man force
several times. Commissioner
Spencer heads the council.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-11
Officials Face Dilemma on Stun Powers

lions were met. In other words,
a tenant could re-occupy a house
with defective electric wiring or
some other dangerous condition
that had nothing to do with sam
itation. r.
If a house were condemned
for insanitary reasons, an owner
would be given a minimum OF
six months to put it in shape
He could appeal within Is days
to a review board, two-thirds of
the membership of which would
be residents of the District and
non-District employees.
If the review board sustained
the condemnation board, the
owners minimum of six months
to repair would be dated from
the time of the review boards
action and the owner would have
Is days to start proceedings in
Municipal Court.
The court would be required to
give precedence to the case so it
could be handled speedily and
the Judge would have to visit the
property himself. II the con-
demnation board were still up
held, the minimum of six months
to repair would be dated from
the time of the courts action.
Total elapsed time-if the owner
didn't take his appeal higher
would be a minimum Of about
eight months.
In the cases Of the hundreds
of houses now under condemna-
ton notice and unrepaired, the
grace period of q minimum Of six
months would apply, too-as
would the rights of appeal. So
the District could not start NOV
ing against these places for q
minimum Of six months, al
though they may have been un-
der condemnation for as long
as 10 years.
Immediate Danger: Quick Action
However, II it could be proved
that there were an immediate
grave health danger to the COM
munity by leaving a building
standing, it could be removed i'm
mediately.
The tenant would be liable tx
penalties If he contributed tx
unsanitary conditions-and If II
could be proved that he was the
one. This is one of the provision.
the District objects to on thu
ground 1t would be put In thu
position of acting as an enforce.
ment agent between LANDLORD
and tenant in what is essentially
a civil matter.
/ The procedural requirement.
also are worrying the District
which faces the prospect of pre-.
pairing case for the review
board, preparing it again for thu
court, continually inspecting tht
| property to make sure it hasnI
gotten worse. and coping with
the now-familiar delaying tactic.
Of reluctant landlords.
Initial Gain Cited.
AS one District official summed
it up:
Under this proposal the Dis
trict would gain initial1y. II
would have the power to repair
or demoliSh buildings and assess
the cost to the owner If he didn't
do it himself. But once the own
er is served with notice, we could
get SO involved in procedure that
many man hours and a long time
I could be used up in following out
all the steps"
Gen. PrentiSs puzzled over II
this way: IF it doesn't look like
it viii help US any, there's nc
sense in going through with it
And, Of course, we don't want to
risk what we have now.
"But hundreds Of these houses
have been sitting there for years
empty. lowering the property
values Of their neighborS. How
are we going to get them fixed
Iup or torn down without this
lbH'"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-11
Case Promised
Planners View
On New Bridge
Eurly Hearing Seen
On New Hampshire,
Jones Point Spans

The National Capital Planning
Commission has promised Chair
man Case of the Senate District
Committee at least q ''prelim-
mary comment" by Thursday on
his proposal for q new Potomac
River bridge extending from
New Hampshire avenue NV.
Senator Case. meanwhile, in
dicated he will call a hearing
shortly after that date to con-
slider both his New Hampshire
avenue proposal and a House.
passed bill to authorize a new
bridge at Jones Point, Alexan-
dria.
In an exchange of letters with
the planners, made public yes
terday, the Senator dispelled any
question about whether he wants
to have at least q preliminary
discussion Of his bridge proposal
before Congress adjourns.
Cites Nine Advantages
In a letter July / to Planning
Commission Director John Nolen,
jr., Senator Case listed nine spe-
cif1c advantages" he feels his
bridge idea has over other pro-
posals. He requested eat least q
preliminary comment" on il
from the planners by this coming
Thursday.
Mr. Nolen responded that hi
staff was pretty well depleted By
vacations. but that a study was
under way with q view to Civ.
ing you at least q preliminary
comment" His letter gave nc
indication of what the planners
reaction will be.
Senator Case believes his pro-
posal is a promising "compro-
mise for the bitter dispute which
ragged for two years between the
planners and District highway
officials over the location of g
downtown area bridge.
District officials strongly backed
a bridge leading from E street
NV. The planners opposed it or
grounds that it would not prop
erly serve traffic needs on either
side Of the Potomac and also
voiced objections on esthetic
grounds.
Strongest opposition, however
came from the Roosevelt Memoir.
ial Association, which commended
the bridges crossing of Theodore
Roosevelt Island was an illega
encroachment on the island wild.
erness sanctuary.
Avoids Roosevelt Island.
Senator Cases bridge wouls
miss Roosevelt Island proper, ant
pass over South Island, q small
parcel Of land separated from tn,
main island by shallow water
Park records show South Isant
legally is a part Of Roosevelt Is
land, however, and some official
expect the association to main
tain its opposition.
The Senator conferred will
association officials in New Yorl
several weeks ago, but any re.
action they have was not made
public.
Senator Cases aides said hi
intends to bring up the Jone.
Point bill at the same time hi
considers the downtown pro.
posal. The House-passed Jone.
Point measure provides that the
Federal Government pay for the
bridge proper on condition thai
Maryland and Virginia builc
adequate approach roads,
Oficials in Maryland and Vir.
ginia-both strong advocates Of
the Jones Point span - have
been growing more and more
concerned about Senator Casei
failure to call UP the bill. The
Senator, meanwhile, consistently
has ducked any commitment
about his personal position OF
the Alexandria bridge.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-11

members neld q nearing, l1S-
tened to pro-and-con arguments,
inspected condemned buildings
and pronounced themselves ready
to report the bill fayorably.,
But it never reached the full
Senate District Committee be.
cause the subcommittee chair
man, Senator Beall. Republican,
of Maryland agreed to Repre-
sentative O'Hara's request to
hold it up until the House sub
committee had agreed on amend
mentS.
Trouble on House Side.
The bill ran into trouble from
the start on the House side.
First, Mr.. O'Hara announced
that owners should have a sta
tutory right of appeal to the
courts, since the District in
effect would be taking property
without compensation.
Then, slum property owners
and their representatives-wh
had made no dent on the Sena-
tors convictionS-began attack
ing the entire operations Of the
Board for the Condemnation of
Insanitary Buildings. They
wanted definite standards Of
what was insanitary written
into the law. They complained
the board was arbitrary and
made them fix up defects that
had nothing to do with santa
ton. They wanted q review
board Of laymen. They claimed
it was the tenants faults any
how and wanted them to be
penalized. They contended the
law, which has been on the
books since 1906, was unconstf-
tutional.
District officials argued that
owners got q list Of all the de-
fects instead of those applying
only to sanitation so they could
make all the repairs at once in
stead of making some repairs
and being forced to make 9TH
ers-which might involve tear
ing out some improvements lin
q short time.
District officials also argued
that it was up to the landlords
to keep their tenants in line
that it would be difficult to prove
whether the tenant then in resi-
dence or his predecessor was
responsible for an insanitary
condition. And they fought long
est against writing standards
into the law on the ground that
such q move would make the
law inflexible, hard to admin
lister and hard to change.
They Work ON Law.
But the amendments were or.
dered and District official;
struggled to give the legislator:
what they wanted. Attorney Han
nan provided his proposal for q
whole new law.
Gen. PrentisS took q hand
He marched up the Hill with
1alf-a-dozen aides and marched
down again with instructions tc
prepare more amendments.
Mr.. O'Hara and Mr.. Hyde
worked over the law last week
Mr.. O'Hara then told Mr.. Hyde
to sit down with Mr.. Hannah and
Mr.. Kneipp to straighten the
whole thing out.
How the Bill Stands.
What the District wanted in
the first place-the power to get
insanitary dwellings fixed up OF
torn downs still in. Here's
what else has been added.
The place could be condemned
only for conditions reasonably
related to sanitation. (If other
defects were found, presumably
the appropriate District official
would be notified and the owner
could be prosecuted Il he failed
to make the repairs, but that Is
not in the bill.) The condemna-
ton notice would be lifted and
the house could be re-occupied
% lsoon 90 the sanitary condi-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-11
BY Miriam Ottenberc

District officials yesterday
faced the dilemma of deciding
whether they want additional
antt-slum powers enough to risk
the powers they've cot now.
The District has the power to
get buildings vacated and barri-
caded now, II they are consid-
cred uninhabitable. But the city
can't force the owners to repair
or remove them once they have
been vacated.
The Commissioners have been
trying to get legislation giving
the city the right to repair or
remove buildings condemned as
insanitary if the owner fails to
do so within a reasonable period.
4 Propose Amendments.
Members Of the House Dis
trict subcommittee considering
the bill. who have been listening
to the protests, demands and
suggestions Of slum property
owners and their representa-
tives, have asked for a series of
amendments to existing law.
The amendments have now
become so numerous that last
week Representative Hyde, Re-
publican Of Maryland, told AS
sistant Corporation Counsel
Robert F. Kneipp to rewrite the
entire law covering condemna-
ton Of insanitary buildings.
What should go into the new
law was worked out at q confer
ence between Mr.. Hyde, Mr..
Kneipp and William T. Hannah,
q lawyer who numbers slum
property owners among his
clients.
District officials are unhappy
about some of the provisions
that came out Of that confer
ence. But they're more unhappy
at the idea Of exposing the en-
tire law to what Engineer Com
missioner Louis w. Prentiss
called "sharp-shooting" either in
committee or on the floors of
Congress.
Fears Are Discounted.
Chairman O'Hara Of the House
District judiciary subcommittee
and Mr.. Hyde discounted Gen.
Prentiss' fears. They said any
amendment could open the rest
Of q law to congressional scru-
tiny. But Corporation Counsel
Vernon West said his experience
shows legislators are less likely
to look at an entire law If they
only have an amendment to con-
slider.
Gen. Prentiss said yesterday
he viii wait and see how the
draft looks in its revised form
and then confer with committee
members ito get their attitude
about reporting 1t out in some
shape helpful to the District"
1T will be q very serious blow
to US If this legislation fails to
pass or Is so changed as to make
1t procedurally unavoidable and
without the favorable features
of existing law" Gen. Prentiss
said.
I'VE need this law" he added.
you can't expect neighborhoods
to get enthusiastic about fixing
up their places when there's q
dilapidated and barricaded eye
sore in their block. The Commits
sioners have felt very strongly
that this is one of the keyStones
to getting neighborhood CO.
operation in the general uplift of
the living standards Of semi
Slum dwellings"
Amendment Sails Through.
The amendment - giving the
Commissioners the power to act
where owners wouldn't or
couldn't do so and permitting
them to serve notice on an owner
or any one Of q group Of hard
to : find part : owners - sailed
through . Senate District sub
COMMITTEES without Q hitch.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-11

ride him. We called him our
little pony. =.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-11
Council Hit Proposal.

The board and Recreation Di-
rector Forest Gustafson two
years ago took a verbal slapping
from the council when they pro-
posed construction Of four public
pools at q total cost Of $500, 900
to the county, even before the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-11

porteQly gave q neighhorhood
pool association more than I'VE
acres for q site on condition that
purchasers of his houses would
be eligible for membership.
Delaying Public Pools.
The second group Of opponents
are those who feel establishment
Of the pools win delay establish
ment at taxpayers expense. Of D
network Of public pools.
Philip Marcus Of Wheaton re-
Gently posed the question In q
letter to The Star.
Us this to be the easy way for
the County Council. other mu-
nicipal bodies and civic associa-
lions to avoid the issue Of pub
lie pools?"
Not the least among those who
have offered little encourage
ment to- the community pool
proponents is the County Rec
reation Board.
II am not against them ex-
cept as they interfere with the
county getting an adequate net
work of public pools" Chair
man Donald j. Hunt, said yes
terday.
Evening star., 1954-10-03
Service Notes

The members Of the
United States Coast Guard
are preparing for an influx
of out-of town guests this
week. They will be coming
from all corners of the
Western Hemisphere to at
tend the Coast Guard
League National Conven-
ton.
Mr.. and Mrs. Luis r.
Caratini arrive from San
Juan, P. r.. at the end of
the week. They will be on
hand for the Puerto Rico
night celebration which is
expected to be one of the
highlights of the five-day
convention.
Others who are due In
about that time are Mrs.
Raymond M. Theill of San
Francisco, Calf. Miss Flor
ence Butt of Portland, !,
Greg: Mr.. and Mrs. v. w.
Conn Of San Diego. Calf.
and Mr.. and Mrs. Herbert
| o. Halford of Savannah,
Evening star., 1954-10-03

people Is sure 70 touch off a
round of entertaining. Mrs.
Hughes was the former Bar
bara Matlack. She made her
debut at Fort McNair in 1947,
when her father, the late Col.
Matlack, was commanding Of
flcer.
Maj. Hughes leaves shortly
for a week at a special school
in Southern Pines, N. c.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Hughes, with
their children, Henry Joseph
III and the twins, Barbara
and James Matlack, will stay
in town with her mother.
Maj. and Mrs. John @.
Henion Is entertaining this
evening for Maj. and Mrs.
Hughes. Their guests for the
most part will be those who
were on duty together at Fort
Benning, Ga.
Mrs. Thomas Dresser White,
wife of Gen. White. Air Force
vice chief Of staff, arrived
home on Tuesday after a
three-week holiday with her
family in England.
Mrs. White was the guest
of her brother -in-law and sis
ter, british Army 1t. Gen. and
Mrs. r. G. Stone, at their
home in London. She also
Evening star., 1954-10-03
Heir Seal

When we think Of q seal
skin coat. we think of one
made Of the soft, lustrous pelt
of the fur seal. Our fur seal
has q poor relation, however.
who seems to have a future In
fur fashion. The pelt Of the
hair seel Is sleek and shiny.
with no underfur, and In the
past has been used primarily
for leather. Today, however.
designers looking for variety
in furs have hit upon 1t for
sportswear. In styles reminis-
cent of the pony skin coats OF
the '20s, hair. seal makes trim
jackets and overcoats. has
even been used for ski outfits.
Shown recently by a top de-
signer was q handsome seal
topcoat, in natural gray with
skins worked so that seals
white bellies made a contrast
ing trim.
Evening star., 1954-10-03

Sunday, october 16. is des-
ignated as parents day.
Brig. Gen. and Mrs. Henry
r. Mckenzie are spending the
week end of the convention in
Boston, going afterward to
Quonset Point. r. l., where
they will visit their son-in-law
and daughter, 1t. (j.g0 and
Mrs. Richard Blagbrough.
Supper for Conference
Brig. Gen. and Mrs. Alfred
B. Denniston plan a small sup
per while the Quartermaster
Commanders Conference is
here.
At the moment they are
happy to have as their house
guest Mrs. Leslie Wilson OF
Englewood, N. j., mother of
Mrs. Denniston. who is here
on a months visit.
Mai. Gen. and Mrs. Robert
N. Young will be host on Fri
day, October 20, at a buffet
supper in their quarters at
Fort Myer.
Their guests of honor will be
Maj. Gen. and Mrs. George c.
Stewart. Gen. Stewart retires
at the end of the month, and
with Mrs. Stewart. plans to
leave for Chicago about Octo-
ber 81, where they will make
their home.
Gen. and Mrs. Stewart are
busy at the moment happily
greeting their returning family
and getting a first look at their
twin grandsons. Their son and
daughter law, Capt. and
Mrs. George Craig Stewart, jr..
have arrived with their chill
dren from Germany. Mary
and George c. III were glad to
introduce their twin brothers,
William and Patrick.
Capt. and Mrs. Stewart leave
shortly for Fayetteville, N. c.,
to visit Mr.. and Mrs. George
Tinnan, parents of Mrs.
Stewart.
Honors Couple
Mrs. Jesse B. Matlack will
entertain on Tuesday at Z
o'clock in the Officers Club,
Fort Lesley j. McNair, in honor
of her son-in- law and daugh-
ter, Maj. and Mrs. Henry j.
Hughes. jr., Of West Point,
N. Y.
The arrival of the young
Evening star., 1954-10-03
Look Again

fool the e-eye effects under
your suit jacket. A Paris
house shows a blue satin scarf
that, from a modest knot at
the neckline, broadens so that
it ties around the waist. CIV
ing the appearance of wes-
kit
Evening star., 1954-10-03
Service News
Bottles
1osts to
FrouSinke|
By Evelyn M. Dent

advertisement In the serv-
ices will have an international
flavor this week. The Army
Vice Chief of STAFF. .and Mrs.
Charles L. Bolte, and Mrs.
Bolte are entertaining Frau
Liselotte Sinkel of Stuttgart,
Germany, who will be with
them for a month. Mrs. Bolte
says the visitor left her hus-
band, Hans Georg Sinkel, at
home baby-sitting with their
daughter Isabel. He will have
company and some assistance
from their daughter Margrit
and sons Jurgen and Bern
hard.
The German Ambassador,
DR.. Heinz L. Krekeler. will be
the ranking guest tomorrow
evening when Gen. and Mrs.
Bolte are hosts at dinner for
their house guest. The coun-
selor of the mission, DR.. Georg
Federer, will also be among
the guests.
Friday Luncheon
Mrs. Bolte was hostess at
luncheon on Friday in their
quarters at Fort Myer. Frau
Hanna Kiep was there, as
were Mrs. Eleanor Dulles,
Nine Beue Tam, Mrs. James
Gavin, Mrs. John B. Magru-
der, Mrs. Nelson M. Walker,
Mrs. Charles White. Mrs.
Charles L. Heltzel and the
hostess daughter, Miss Damara
Bolte.
Mrs. HeltZel gave a coffee
on Thursday morning in honor
of Frau Sinkel. The company
included Mrs. S. w. Silk, Mrs.
Harry Brumbaugh, Mrs. Rob-
ert c. ingalls,, Mrs. Charles
Nelson, Mrs. Rex Minckler,
Mrs. William Johnston, Mrs.
James Bottoff and Mrs. Frank
Dvorsky.
Honor Gen. GiIIoume
Gen. and Mrs. Bolte will
honor the chief of of the
French armed forces staff,
Gen. Augustin Leon Gillaume,
who is on an official visit to
this country, at a 6:30-to-8:30
party on Friday at the Off
GERS Club, Fort Lesley J. Nc
@Nair.
Miss Patricia Barr and 1t.
Godfrey Grove will share
honors at the supper party
Gen. and Mrs. Bolte will give
on Saturday. Miss Barr is
the daughter of Maj. Gen.
and Mrs. David G. Barr and
since the announcement of
her coming marriage to 1t.
Grove, son Of Capt. and Mrs.
John F. Grove, she has been
much entertained.
Also on the calendar for
Miss Barr is the evening party
October Is which Miss Mona
Randolph will give at the home
of her parents, Mr.. and Mrs.
John Peyton Randolph. The
young people were at Holton-
Arms together.
Porty Series PIonned
The Army Quartermaster
General. Maj. Gen. Kester L.
Hastings. and Mrs. Hastings,
are planning another in the
series of delightful parties
they have given as calls made
and returned in the corps.
They will be at home from 5
to 7 on Sunday, October "a.
Gen. and Mrs. Hastings will
be hosts at a buffet supper on
Monday, October IL, enter
tanning at home for the visitors
to the @. M. Commanders
Conference.
Their guests will be the COM
manding officers of @. M. in
stallations in the Far East and
Europe who are due here on
that day for a three-day con-
ference.
They will also attend the
Quartermaster Corps conven-
tion in Boston, Mass, October
IA and Is. Gen. and Mrs.
Hastings plan to go to Massa-
chusetts for this affair after
which they expect to be at
Amherst College with their
son. James Eastman Hastings.
Evening star., 1954-10-03

visited her mother. Mrs. w.
II. Rowe.
Maj. Gen. and Mrs. Her.
bert Bishop Thatcher were
happy to have their daughter
at home for q few days fol-
lowing her vacation at Center
Harbor, N. H., and West Point.
N. Y. She has now returned
to her studies at St. Agnes.