The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, October 28, 1949, Image 2
THE NEWBERRY SUN, NEWBERRY. S. C.
Pressure Ends Probe
W HEN good old Clyde Hoey, the
swallow-tailed senator from
North Carolina, announced there
would be no more hearings on Gen
eral Vaughan, John Maragon and
the five-percenters, it didn’t sur
prise anybody on the inside.
For insiders have known how
much pressure has been exerted by
the White House to shut the investi
gation up.
About six weeks ago it was an
nounced that public hearings would
be suspended in order to give the
committee staff a chance to do
more investigating, also to give
committee counsel Rogers a two-
week vacation. Since then, however.
White House pressure has been ter
rific, with even staff investigators
threatened with loss of government
pensions.
Since then, also, some sensation
al leads have been glossed over by
committee investigators or care
fully stowed away in pigeonholes.
One of the most interesting fig
ures which Senator Hoey and his
staff have turned their backs on is
David A. Bennett, the perfume
manufacturer, who sent seven deep
freezes to General Vaughan, Mrs.
Truman and other bigwigs at about
the time Vaughan’s friend, John
Maragon, was trying to smuggle
Bennett's perfume into the United
States disguised as champagne for
the White House.
Yachts & Deep Freezes
There are some other interesting
things about Bennett which the pub
lic doesn’t know, and most of the
record is in government files where
any senate investigator could
easily dig it out.
This column doesn’t have the
same power to subpoena records as
does Senator Hoey of North Caro
lina, but since the senate commit
tee has decided to backslide on the
job, this writer has done his best
to take up where the senator from
North Carolina left off.
For instance, here are two inter
esting things which the public has
a right to know about. Bennett, at
the time he was giving away deep
freezes, acquired four government
airplanes without competitive bid
ding, and four luxury yachts, three
of them from the U.S. government.
Four yachts are a lot for any one
man to have. For that matter, so
are four airplanes. However, deep
freeze-giver Bennett wasn’t satis
fied with four yachts and wanted to
buy another. To this end, a letter
was written to John Maragon, care
of General Vaughan at the White
House, by one of Bennett's subor
dinates. The letter, dated Novem
ber 19, 1945, is in the files of Sen
ator Hoey’s committee, but since
be doesn’t seem interested in doing
anything about it, this column is
glad to publish the letter as fol
lows:
"Mr. John Maragon,
c/o Brig. Gen. Harry Vaughan’s
office.
White House,
Washington, D. C.
"Dear John: —
“At the request of Mr. Bennett,
am sending you herewith reprint
of an advertisement—on ‘yachting’
and ‘motor boating.’ Mr. Bennett
would like you to contact Commo
dore Moran, of the small boats di
vision, maritime commission—Miss
Barrett, sec’y.—and find out what
condition this is iii, and what price
they are asking for same.
“Mr. Bennett is feeling fine after
his little rest in the country, and is
planning on leaving here again to
morrow to spend Thanksgiving
there.
"Hope you are in the best of
health, and with kindest re
gards . .
Parties on Yachts
At the time this letter was writ
ten to Maragon, Bennett already
had the following luxury yachts:
“Cartnan,’’ 600 horsepower, 121 foot,
221 tons; "Valerie V,” 85 foot, 124
tons; “Caroline," 45 foot, 24 tons;
“Nedra B," 111 foot, 101 tons. All
of these, except the "Valerie V,”
were purchased direct from the
maritime commission. And when
the maritime commission was
asked to disclose who else bid on
the vessels, and how much was bid,
the information was refused.
When asked whether the bids had
been advertised, Miss Mary Bar
rett, referred to in the above letter
to Maragon, flew into a rage.
One reason why Senator Hoey
may wish to deal lightly with
the man who had so many deep
freezes and yachts at his dis
posal was because Harry Tru
man, when Vice-President, was
a guest aboard the Bennett
yachts.
In fact, the yachts were used for
some of the famed Truman-Vaugh-
an poker parties, and this long-time
intimacy between the President ol
the United States and the president
of the Verley perfume company
may be why Maragon felt that he
could with impunity label his per
fume as consigned to the White
House and try to smuggle it through
U.S. customs.
At that time—around 1945—one
Bennett yacht was moored on the
Potomac, another at Saugatuck,
Mich., and another in Florida.
WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS ‘
Harvest This Year Second Largest
In U.S. History, Government Says;
Reds Purge Czech Property-Owners
(EDITOR’S NOTE: When opinions are expressed In these columns, they are those of
Western Newspaper Union’s news analysts and not necessarily of this newspaper.)
HARVEST:
Second Largest
Witness
America’s horn of plenty con
tinued to go all out in its produc
tion of food for the world.
Latest crop summary of the U.S.
department of agriculture showed
that good harvest weather would
assure the nation of its second larg
est volume of crops in history,
topped only by the record-breaking
haul of 1948.
EQUALLY important was the fact
that a record supply of com was on
tap for producing meat, dairy and
poultry products.
The month of September brought
conditions sufficiently favorable
to boost total production prospects
1 per cent, despite a slight decline
in the com estimate. Total crop
volume was indicated at 131 per
cent of the 1923-1932 base level,
second only to last year’s 137 per
cent
However, present Indications are
that this may be the last year for
some time that crop production
reaches such astronomical heights.
As surpluses were mounting almost
alarmingly, the government was
preparing to take action to reduce
output next year.
There was every likelihood that
market quotas would be slapped on
some of the basic crops which have
been overflowing into storage in
recent years.
THIS YEAR’S huge output is the
result of fairly large production of
most individual crops, rather than
record-breaking yields of just a
few.
Nearly 128 million tons of live
stock-feed grains are being pro
duced this year, including a com
crop of about 3.47 billion bushels.
Last year’s com crop of 3.65 billion
bushels set an all-time record.
The 36.5 billion tons of food grains
now estimated, though exceeded in
each of the past three seasons, is
greater than in any earlier year.
Included in this figure is a bumper
wheat crop of 1.12 billion bushels,
virtually all of which has been har
vested.
CONGRESS:
Half a Loaf
Admiral Arthur W. Radford
took tile stand before the house
armed services committee to
testify that current defense
plans and military setup rele
gate the navy to a role "use
less and Inadequate” in the
event of an atomic war.
CZECH PURGE:
Slow Terror
Slow terror, the kind that even
tually is bom in persons living
under any totalitarian government,
was seeping through Communist
Czechoslovakia.
Cause of it was a Red purge,
aimed primarily at supposed bour
geois elements, but leaving no man
—be he a Communist party mem
ber or not—free from the fear that
he may become a victim sooner or
later.
UNCONFIRMED reports of the
total seized or marked for arrest
in the Communist police roundups
ranged between 30,000 and 40,000.
No information was being given,
either as to causes, results or any
other details of the widespread ar
rests.
The pattern of the purge was
clear. Landlords, architects, con-;
fectioners and other small shop
keepers were being picked up and
their business confiscated. In some
cases, their apartments were seized
and families dispossessed.
The first session of the 81st con
gress headed toward an October
adjournment with less than half of
President Truman’s program writ
ten into law.
THE PRESIDENT could count 15
major accomplishments, by his
reckoning, at least, on the part of
the congress he helped ride into
office last November.
Left as unfinished business for
the 1950 congressional campaign,
however, were a number of highly
controversial proposals among the
22 requests that Mr. Truman had
laid before the present session
without getting final action.
Chief among these is the Taft-
Hartley act repeal, which was
turned down in both houses during
this session. The President un
doubtedly will revive the issue in
January, and the outcome this time
may depend upon how some special
elections this year to fill senate and
house vacancies turn out.
SOME OF THE other requests
which Mr. Truman is almost sure
to re-introduce early next year will
be for a system of compulsory
health insurance, civil rights legis
lation, standby price-wage controls
and the passage of "Point 4" legis
lation to guarantee U.S. support in
developing backward areas of the
world.
PAY BOOST:
In the main, it was a drive
against Czechoslovakia’s proper
tied classes, theoretically the mor
tal enemies of Marxist communism.
HOWEVER, the prosecution of
the property owners was accom
panied throughout Bohemia and
Moravia by purges of government
employees, the clergy, army and
even the Communist ranks.
Charges, where there were any,
ranged from high treason and
sympathy with Titoism or “western
imperialism” to simple denuncia
tions by snoopers who had over
heard suspicious bits of conversa
tion.
Possible hint as to the reason
behind the purge was the report
that the government is having
trouble not only in its campaign to
control the Roman Catholic church,
but also its efforts to prod higher
production out of the workers.
CHINESE REDS:
Win Diplomats
Was It a case of rats deserting a
sinking ship?
That might have been a plaus
ible construction of the move as
Chinese diplomatic-staff members
in Paris deserted to the Communist
regime at Peking and called on
Chinese diplomats throughout the
world to follow their example.
: or Cabinet
There was good news for cabinet
members, who have been plugging
along at the same old salary ever
since 1925.
A joint senate-house conference
managed to arrive at an agreement
to boost cabinet members’ sal
aries from $15,000 to $22,500 a year.
THE CONGRESSIONAL group
also approved pay raises for some
200 other top-drawer federal offi
cials—at a cost of $1,087,000 an
nually.
In addition to raising cabinet sal
aries, the pay bill will:
GRANT Undersecretary of De
fense Steve Early $20,000 a year
instead of $14,500, and the armed-
forces secretaries $18,000 a year
instead of $14,000.
Most of the undersecretaries of
the various departments will go
up from $10,330 to $17,500. J. Edgar
Hoover who, as head of the FBI,
now receives $14,000 will get a
raise to $16,000.
GEORGE MONG, counselor of
the Paris embassy, made the an
nouncement. He reported that 11
diplomats, eight from the embassy
and three from the consulate had
walked out on Chiang Kai-shek and
the Nationalist government at
Canton.
The development posed a prob
lem for the French foreign minis
try’s Asiatic affairs section. They
were particularly concerned by the
threat of a rebel sit-in at the em
bassy. However, the issue was re
solved when the French moved
firmly to back up the Nationalists
and struck the dissident Chinese
envoys off its diplomatic list.
THE FRENCH difficulty was
clear. While Paris still recognized
the Nationalist government, it was
becoming increasingly apparent
that the western powers eventually
may recognize the Communist re
gime of Mao Tze-tung. Already
there have been conversations on
that subject
IGNORANCE COSTLY
Story of $200-Bills Trips Up Gambler
It was not the first case where
unfamiliarity with big money had
tripped up an individual who was
attempting to finagle with it, but
navy petty officer James G. Strat
ton, New York, might have made
his story stick had he known more
about money when he reported to
police he’d been robbed. He said
a tall, thin, mustachioed man held
a knife to his back and took $31,900
from him while he and spectators
stood helpless to do anything.
The robbery, Stratton told police
occurred on a Grand Central sub
way platform. He even showed of-
fleers where the holdup man’s
knife had cut his shirt and under
shirt. Then it all came out. He
had lost all of the $31,500 but $500
in gambling while his wife thought
ha had it safely stored away.
\
BURLEY:
U. S. Likes Quotas
The government took first steps
toward continuing existing rigid
marketing controls on barley to
bacco amid calls by agriculture
secretary Charles Brannan for
another three-year control pro
gram and for views by interested
persons on the question.
BRANNAN’S REQUEST for the
three-year extension of control on
the burley crops stemmed from the
fact that this year’s prospective
production of about 590 million
pounds is well above the current
annual rate of disappearance.
The leftover of burley on October
1, the beginning of the 1949-crop-
marketing year, was estimated at
970 million pounds—about 7.5 per
cent above that of a year ago. It
was the highest on record.
Brannan, in asking for expres
sions of views by interested per
sons, was acting under require
ments of the law. The question is
expected to be submitted to a ref
erendum in December. Approval
by at least two thirds of those vot
ing would be required.
QUOTAS for the 1947, 1948 and
1949 crops were voted in 1946.
Brannan is also required by law
to proclaim quotas by December 1
if he finds there is a surplus within
terms of the law, and there would
be few who would not concede
that a surplus exists.
BIG STEEL:
Try, Try Again
The government was pledged to
do its best to bring peace into the
steel Industry.
MORE AND MORE meetings
had been arranged in an effort to
end the deadlock between workers
and operators. Cyrur Ching, U. S.
conciliator director, made the first
peace move in the extended strike
when he arranged informal meet
ings with steel companies and the
striking CIO United Steelworkers.
Both sides had been holding
doggedly to their pre-strike posi
tions—the union for company-paid
insurance and pensions recom
mended by a presidential board,
and the industry for welfare bene
fits with workers helping to foot
the bill.
SOME COMPANIES had agreed
to accept the union terms, but this
did not mean strike’s end.
The stakes were big in the con
test. Where big steel went there
would go most of U. S. industry,
inasmuch as steel usually sets the
pattern in wage and labor nego.
tiations.
NAVY:
Blue Fading
The man with the charming
smile, the iron will and a weak
ness for salt water and blue uni
forms was no longer in the* White
House. Top man in U. S. govern
ment. Instead, was a hard-bitten
captain of artillery in World War
I, an army enthusiast with little in
common w'th sailors.
THUS THE NAVY, embattled
against a horde of critics, de
tractors. and air-minded big brass
was literally fighting for its life
before congress. The battle dragged
on and on, while the huge B-36,
world’s largest bomber, shook and
bumped about in the verbal hurri
cane raging in Washington.
The U. S. air force, for the mo
ment, at least, held the center of
the stage, seemed assured of most
support. The navy, according to
one witness, would be relegated to
the status of a convoy force if
present unification plans for the
armed services were carried out.
Hitting out viciously at the air
force, the navy declared building
of the B-36 was an inexcusable
waste of taxpayer money, claimed
the big ship could. never do the
job expected of it, argued and
fought for a chance at a duel be
tween the navy and the bomber,
Conferee
John L. Lewis, chief of the
United Mine Workers, coal
miners’ union, shown as ho
met with mediators in Wash
ington in an effort to settle the
coal strike.
BENEFITS:
For War I Vets
President Truman signed into
law a bill Increasing disability and
dependence payments to World
War I veterans by an estimated
112 million dollars annually. Among
its major provisions were:
Provide full compensation, in
stead of 75 per cent! for veterans
whose disability is presumed to
have resulted from war service.
Increase the length of time for
which payments may bo made.
HOARY TALE . . . Major Gregory Gudlofsky, hero of the Polish under
ground during the late war, who arrived in the United States recently,
tells a war story to Deiders Janls, a two-year-old Immigrant from
Poland. Major Gudlofsky was credited with killing General Kucera,
son-in-law of the notorious Heinrich Himmler, during a raid in which
he accounted for two other German generals also. His real name is
Gutman, and he will make his new home with a cousin in the Bronx,
DEB REPLACES STAR . . . Tongue-waggers of Broadway went into
their specialty recently when William D. Pawley, Jr., son of the former
United States ambassador to Brazil, escorted debutante Gloria Shannon
to El Morocco, one of New York’s fashionable night spots.
TITLED STUDENTS . . . The “Red Knight’s” niece and a princess
enter United States as students among 78 German exchange students
recently arriving in New York. They are Princess Eleanore Von Bayern
(left) and Baroness Ingabord Von Rlchtofen, niece of famed Baron Man
fred Von Richtofen, Germany’s World War I ace, who won fame as the
“Red Knight” of the air. The princess will attend Catholic university in
Washington, D. C.
DEPENDING ON JOE . . . New York Yankees’ manager, who has
been up to his neck in woes all season, puts a hand on the shoulder of
his recuperating slugger, Joe Di Maggio, and tells him that the fate of
the Yanks in the World Series rests on his shoulders. Joe returned to
the field after a siege of virus pneumonia Just in time to help New York
win the pennant and the series. The Yankees, now world champs, were
hounded by injuries all season.
NONCHALANCE ... Mrs. Mariam
Mateswosian, 99, from Armenia,
is oldest D. P. to enter United
States. Here, she awaits in New
York the next act in her ad
venture. She and her 44-year-old
son are enroute to Fresno, Calif.
THE WINNER . . . Mrs. Romaine
Dahlgren Simpson, New York di
vorcee, will become the bride of
the Marquess of Milford Haven,
cousin of King George, recognized
as Britain’s most eligible bache
lor.
"NO FRAMEUP” . . . Vicki
Evans (above) denies at New
York press conference charges by
Lila Leeds that frameup was in
volved in marijuana raid in which
Misses Evans and Leeds and Rob
ert Mitcham were caught.
EMBARRASSED . . . The face of
Andrei Vishinsky wears a self-
conscious expression as he is sur
prised by a photographer. He was
leaving a meeting of the Big-Four
foreign ministers at New York’s
Waldorf - Astoria. An Austrian
peace treaty was discussed.
TROPHY WINNER . . . Miss
Louise Suggs poses with trophy
she was awarded as winner of the
National Women’s Open Cham
pionship golf tournament at Land-
over, Md. In the final, she beat
Mrs. Babe Didricksuu Zaharia
CLASSIFIED
DEPARTMENT
AUTOS. TRUCKS & ACCESS.
FOR SALE—1946 Brockway 154W trac
tor, sleeper cab; 1946 26* stainless steel
Freuhauf trailer, insulated. Both ex
cellent condition. Will '■eh separately.
Zero Products, Inc., 1:1th and Donato*.
Chattanooga, Tenn. Y-6557. ^
BUSINESS & INVEST. OPPOB.
$5200 TOTAL price includes stock. 125 ft.
drive in, 2 gas oumps, draft beer, short
orders. 30' bar, dance patio. Htchen*
bedroom, bath, shower. 3 years lease.
3 year option. Rent, electricity and g«.s
$3.30 per day. Outside Inn, Sooth Fed-
oral, Delray Beach, Fla
FOR SALE
One practically new 4 W. J. B. Feed
Mill; Purtian Mixer, all direct, electric;
tank, transformers and installation.
J. L. Roberts, Abbeville. Ala.
FARMS AND RANCHES
FARM FOR SALE
201 Acres of Choice land located 1ft
miles Southeast of Headland, Alabama.
Call or write J. L. Roberts, Abbeville,
Alabama, t .
INSTRUCTION
LEARN AIR CONDITIONING
AND REFRIGERATION \
BY HOME STUDY
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to earn top money. “A.C.R.I./* one of
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home study course, with 4 weeks later
Practical Shop Training in Baltimore.
Write today for Free Booklet, ACRI,
11$ North Paea Street. Baltimore 1, Md.
LEARN BARBERING OR HAIR STYI#-
ING—PAYS GOOD. O. I.*s free training.
Non G.I.’s reasonable fees. Positions
plentiful. We pay you while learning,
Florida’s Barberlng College, Jaeksen-
vllle, Fla.
MISCELLANEOUS
USED Airplanes for sale cheap. Most all
makes. $350.00 and up. Aagesta School of
Aviation, Angneta, Georgia.
FIREWORKS: Save half. Sparklers. M
box; Chinese firecrackers,^ IWic pkj.
Free list. Alien Fireworks Co.,
Georgia.
Riagg
NATIONALLY Adv. double edge Raxor
Blades. Attractively packed. 1st. Quality.
ARMY Snrplns Hunting knife brand new.
leather handle, 6 inch blade, complete
with leather sheath. $1.50 pp. Send money
order or check. Satisfaction guar.
Moyer’s Army Serplns. Alpine, Tenaa.
BRONZING Baby Shoes: Start on SIL
Sparetime or hobby. Complete course;
instructions, formulas, sources, selling
ideas, $1.00 pp. Guaranteed. ■ R It
BRONZE CO., 6S6 So. Booker Ave„
Three Rivers, Mleklgaa,'
YACHT—32 ft. “Fairfonn Flier” In ex
cellent shape. Sleeps four. Kermnth
twin screw. Permanent *i*p at Yacht
Club. Just in time 'or good fishing. For
sale or Charter. Max Helslg, $3 Logan
St., Charleston. 8. C. Phene S8S66.
SURECATCH Fish: Sets hook, v*.
shock, still fish, cast, troll. 40 lb. test.
Children catch fish. 69c pp. Agents
wanted. 557 87th Ave.. N.E.. Minneapolis,
Minn.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
YOUR CHILDREN
Need to learn to play
some musical instru
ment to help them
make a success of life.
Write tor our list of wergainz.
mentioning what kind of instru
ment you need and you will
save money. Terms easy. Used
pianos as low as $95, and new
Spinet pianos. $495.
E. E. FORBES * SONS
PIANO CO„ INC.
Birmlnghaife. Ala.
Bnw.k.,i A.olOaSa-
den, Florence and Montgomery.
PERSONAL
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New scientific home way for
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SPECIALIZED PRODUCTS
CORPORATION,
Box 5998, Birmingham 9, Ala.
s
REAL ESTATE—BUS. PBOP.
FOR SALE by owner, apartment or resi
dential site near beautiful approach to
ocean in exclusive Seabreeze section.
Daytona Beach. Plans for S^unit apt.
available. FHA approved. H. B. Rheuark,
3924 Hendricks Ave., Jacksonville, Fla.
Day phone 9-4200.
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