f /WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1953 Ike Undecided on Blockade Against Red China -Dulles WASHINGTON, Feb.'lo (#>)— Secretary of State Dulles -told Congress today Presi dent Eisenhower has reached no -decision' yet on the controversial question of a naval blockade against Red China, Intensifying the war of nerves against Chinese Communists, Dulles reportedly in dicated, that the whole subject of U.S. policy in the Far East is being carefully weighed at the highest levels. I At the same time, Congress members took a lively interest in an assertion by Gen. James A. Van Fleet, retiring commander of the U.S. Eighth Army in Korea, that an, Allied^ general offensive in Korea now would be a success. Senator Ferguson (R.-Mich.) com mented: , “I think Van Fleet is right. It would be harder now than when we started the phony truce talks. But I believe we* can win this war and we ought to win it.” Situation Wide Open ' Senators who heard Dulles tes tify at a closed-door session of the Senate Foreign Relations Commit tee quoted him as saying that any discussion of a blockade is “pre mature” at this time. Senators H. Alexander Smith (R.-N.J.) and Fulbright (D.-Ark.) said they, got the impression from Dulles that the entire Far East situation is wide open for any ac tion the President may decide to take in the future. The two senators said Dulles in sisted Eisenhower has not gone beyond the announcement, in his State of the Union message to: Congress last week that the U.S. Seventh Fleet has been ordered] to stop “shielding” Red China j from possible 'raids by Formosa based Chinese Nationalist forces.] i British Alarm j •Smith and Fulbright also quoted] Dulles as saying he believes he I satisfied European statesmen, dim ing his recent 10-day" swing through Western Europe, about, i American intentions in the Far East. j'. Almost coincident with Dulles’ testifnony on Capitol Hill, dis patches from London told of re newed British alarm over the pos sibility of a blockade against the China mainland. The Marquess of Reading, par liamentary undersecretary for for-i eign affairs, told the: House of Lords the British government would “view with concern any proposal to institute a n a vail blockade.” “It would not in our view con tribute to the early conclusion of the hostilities in Korea, 'he’ said. Arms Aid ToFormosa Slipped Up i WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 (&) Gen. Omar-N: Bradley reportedly told Congress todaythat U.S. arms shipments to Formosa are 1 being “stepped up.” President. Eisenhower last, week took, the wraps off Chiang Kai shek’s Nationalists on Formosa, ( 'freeing them to raid Red China if they can. Testifying behind, closed doors, Bradley was also quoted as say r ing that the controversial question of a naval blockade against Com munist China is “a high 1 policy { matter which must be determined by the President.” Testified Almost 2 Hours Secretary of . State . Dulles had l previously told the Senate For eign Relations Committee the same group that heard Bradley —that President Eisenhower has 1 reached no decision yet on the blockade issue. Committee members told news men that Bradley, chairman of ' the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made these further points during his one hour and 45 minutes of tes timony: ‘ 1. International law would per mit blockading the Russian-held ports of Darien and Port Arthur Cin Manchuria, because basic sov ereignty over the ports rests with the Chinese. Manpower. Ammunition Improved / 2. More money and more mili tary manpower would be", required to undertake any of several' un disclosed “alternatives” for end ; ing the Korean "War. 3. Mobilization of South Ko rean manpower and the ammuni tion supply situation in Korea are ( both much improved. Chairman Wiley (R-Wis.), said committee members questioned Bradley at length on “the pros and cons, of the naval blockade from a military point of view.” “Gen. Bradley pointed out that the question as to whether or not a naval blockade should be estab lished against Communist China is a high policy matter which must be determined by the Pres ident,” Wiley said. State Prison Probe Stalled BELLEFONTE, Feb. 10 (£>)— A special state-wide prison probe ordered' by Gov. John S. Fine stalled temporarily today when a five-man investigating commit te failed to arrive for a reported tour of Rockview Penitentiary. Atty. Gen. Robert E. Woodside said the ultimate decision oh the proposed tour rested with the committee. One member, however. John C. Burke, warden of Wis consin State Prison at Waupun, has made reservations at a Belle fonte hotel for the week end. Named by Fine, the committee was scheduled to tour the huge prison farm, where some 800 in mates rioted for three days last month. „ Runaway Bucknell Coed Reunited with Father WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 (JP)— The 18-year old coed who took off from her studies at Bucknell Uni : versity for a sojourn- in Florida with a high school boy was wrought to Washington today by her father. The boy, 16-year old Michael O Connell of surburban Bethesda, Md., was driving back from Day tona Beach with his father, Joseph O’Cqnnell, a Washington business man. Police picked up the young pair at Daytona Beach yesterday. THE DAIDY CXTIjDEGrIAW, STATE COLLEGE. PENNSYLVANIA UN Can Beat Reds —Van Fleet ■ SEOUL, Wednesday, Feb. 11 tfP) —Gen. James A. Van Fleet laid down his Korean command today with a ringing affirmation that the Communists can be smashed now by an Allied general offens ive, . With one sweeping word, “cer tainly,” he answered the question “Do you think a general offensive in Korea can be successful at this time?”. Speaking with a frankness he never was able to use as com manding , general, the graying field soldier said opportunities for victory 'were lost twice while he commanded and called for a Re public , of, Korea army with 20 combat divisions. It now has 14 and a million men. Van Fleet took his stand in an swering nine questions asked by The Associated Press Tuesday on the eve of the completion of his historic, 22-month command. Bth Army Held Back His exact words in replies to the questions were amplified in formally and by intimates. Van Fleet told ’of the heart breaking disappointment, when the Eighth Army, was held back— obviously Against his will—from exploiting its victories. Van Fleet said the lost oppor tunities were after the defeat of the Communists in their April and May offensive of 1951, and after the grinding, successful Uni ted Nations offensive that fall. His answers implied that he was Asia Bloc Rejects Red Accusation BANDOENG, Indonesia, Feb. 10 (/P) —Newly independent Asian nations joined the United States and Britain today in rejecting So viet charges that American econ omic aid is enslaving Far Eastern nations. Winding up a three-day debate, the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East voted 10-1 asainst a Soviet resolution which blamed “domination of foreign monopolies and of colonial pow ers” for Asia’s low economic level. Delegates from Burma, India,, and Pakistan, which in the past have been sympathetic to Russia, praised. American aid “with no strings attached” and said more assistance was necessary to de velop Asia. Russia opened the. debate Sat urday with . a charge that U.S. Point Four technical aid and eco nomic assistance was being used >to continue colonial-style domina tion in Asia. Strong support was voiced .yesterday and today for American' aid and the outspoken criticism of the Soviets by newly independent.. nations surprised even the U.S. delegation. The , only country which pub licly remained neutral in the eco nomic debate was . Indonesia. Liquor Law Bills HARRISBURG, Feb. 10 (JF) —A package'of four bills to liberalize Pennsylvania’s liquor laws was introduced in the State Senate to day by Sen. Patrick J. Toole (D.- Luzerne). The measures, affecting the Sunday blue ■ laws would extend the Saturday night midnight deadline in public drinking places to 2 a.m. and permit Sunday sales between 12:30 p.m. and midnight. willing to smash the Reds both times with all he. had but was held back by policy-making au thority. The fall offensive drove the Communists back until. truce negotiators at Panmunjom agreed on a cease fire line freezing the front along its present -line on Nov. 28, 1951. From other sources it was learned that for more than a year Van Fleet has not' been allowed to make a. single attack of as much, as battalion size without clearing it first with the Far East Command in Tokyo, an unprece dented restraint, that the Tokyo command itself possibly did not relish. Praised ROKs Van Fleet, while following or ders to the letter, never, made any secret of his belief that “the only thing - they the Communists un derstand is force,” and “the only good Communist is a dead Com munist.” Van Fleet said a final word of praise for the “anti-Communist patriotism and loyalty of the Re public. of Korea he re trained into a modern force of 14 divisions. Van Fleet indicated a general offensive he might have directed would have gone like this: „ Wide-scale infantry attacks to VALENTINES! NITTANY CARD & GIFT SHOP E. College Aye., Opp. Aih. Hall Reed Demands 10% Income Tax Slash WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 (A*)—Chairman Reed (R.-N.Y.) of the House ways and means committee said today he doesn’t intend to abandon his drive for a 10 per cent cut in personal income, taxes starting June 30. Although the White House has hoisted a “go slow” signal on tax reductions, Reed made it clear that he intends to shove his bill through the tax-writing ways and means committee next Monday if possible. / , “I don’t run away from my own goal line,’’ he told reporters. Congressional staff experts es timate a 10 per cent ,cut would cost the government $1,800,000,000 in revenue during the fiscal year beginning July 1. Extend Excess Profits President Eisenhower’s policy is to grapple with tax cuts only after some progress has been made in reducing federal spending and balancing the budget. A . legisla tive program. worked out with Republican leaders at the White House yesterday, did not include any measures for reducing taxes in the next five months. Senator Taft of Ohio, GOP floor leader in the Senate, said in fact he would like to see the excess profits tax extended to the end of the year. This tax on business, yielding about $1,300,000,000 a year, is due to exaire June 30. Treasury Rejections Reed’s committee met behind closed doors for two hours today. Members agreed that nothing de veloped to change the chairman’s plans for action on his bill Mon day. One member, who asked not to be- identified by name, said if Reed insists on getting commit tee approval Monday, “he’ll do it.” Regarding possible .Treasury objections to a mid-year tax cut, this member commented: “The Treasury doesn’t tell us what to do. Congress tells the Treasury what to do.” Constitutional Convention Proposal Gains Support HARRISBURG, Feb. 10 (JP)— The House today increased from 45 to 120 the membership of a proposed constitutional conven tion to revise Pennsylvania’s 79- year-old basic law. - There wasn’t a word of debate as Democrats joined Republicans in pushing the measure into a po sition for a final vote next Mon day. The administration-backed bill also was amended to remove a ban against tinkering with the “declaration of rights,” a section of the constitution which has re mained intact since 1776. prevent the Communists from concentrating, followed by daring armored thrusts into Red weak points,, plus the full force of air and sea power. CLIFTON WEBB "STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER" —FEATURETIME— -1:55, 3:49, 5:43, 7:37, 9:31 YVONNE DE CARLO "HURRICANE SMITH" . —FEATURETIME— -2:02, 3:54, 5:46, 7:38, 9:36 MARIO LANZA Because You're Mine —FEATURETIME— -6:05, rts7, 9:49 1 PAG® THREE Lucas Asks Taft-Hartley Revisions WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 (JP)— Representative Lucas (D.-Tex.) asked the House labor committee today to outlaw industry-wide bargaining, setting off the first sharp skirmish of a coming battle over revision of the Taft-Hartley Labor Act. Contending that multi-company wage dealings by one union a mount to a “labor monopoly,” the Texas legislator argued that the practice “is fraught with dan ger to the American people” in the field of national defense. “The rights of all the people are more important than the rights of any segment of the people,” he said. Lucas drew support for his gen eral views from a number of com mittee members but a Democratic group stood in bitter opposition. “I-think your bill would destroy the economy of this country,” Representative Perkins (D.-Ky.) told Lucas. Representative Bail e' y (D.- W.Va.) said the proposal “would confuse, not statbilize, our econ omy.” Representative Wier (D.-Minn.) chimed in: “This bill, from my experience in the labor field and in my opin ion, will take the labor movement' back to the 1920’5.” Lucas’ stoutest committee back ing was offered, however, by. an other Democrat, Represenative Barden (N.C.). Barden compli mented him “on your nerve for wading into a problem as explos ive” as industry-wide bargaining. Former Prof in Arabia John M. Amos, former 'profes sor of entomology extension, has gone to Saudi Arabia to serve in insect control work with the Point 4 mission of the Technical Cooperation Administration, De partment of State. ► Zke One and Only (to keep it that way) ► your Whole Sugar Cist (because it’s sound tactics) >Mom . .. or Pop (for reasons you know better than anyone else) ► Someone Somewhere (a kid sister or brother—or grandma—or Cousin Mehitabel ...just because they’ll like it so much) send your Valentine greetings the nicest way there is,. . . by Western Union 105 SO. ALLEN ST. Telephone 6731
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers