Evening Star Newspaper, June 4, 1940, Page 2

Brifish fo Keep Bulk; Of Fleet at Home, U. . Observers Think Estimates of Increase in Force in Mediterranean Range to 20 Pct. By FRED H. MOHART, Jr. Despite a crisis in the Mediterra- nean because of the threatened Italian intervention in the war, naval observers here voiced the| opinion today that Great Britain | will continue to hold the great bulk | of its fleet in home waters. | Before the war started last Sep- | tember the British had a minimum of 50 fighting craft in the inland sea which offers & short route from the. Orient and African east coast | to the homeland. Since that time a considerable shifting of vessel as- | signments has been made and ship | movements have been kept as war | secrets. J However, it is believed, the Medi- terranean force has been increased at least 10 per cent, based on con- | servative estimates. Other observers | believe the British have made as| much as a 20 per cent increase in sea forces guarding the Gibraltar- | Suez route. HENRY C. BRISCOE. —Star Staff Photo. Dr. Briggs Declares Standardized Steel Needed for Defense Addresses Opening Conference Here on The home fleet, which operates around the British Isles, has taken | no little loss in operations in the Channel, the North Sea, and other points along the Atlantic front, it was pointed out. Early in the war many of the ships stationed in the Mediterranean were hurried to the scene of activity against Germany. | ‘This was brought out through the announcement of ships destroyed or damaged by German operations by sea and air. U. 8. Patrol Frees Many Ships. It is believed here, many ships we! brought in from regions not likely to be in danger at present. It was pointed out that since the | United States began its neutrality | patrol, the Allies were relieved of | the task of maintaining an enlarged fieet on this side of the Atlantic for German blockade purposes. The American action freed in- numerable Allied ships for duty along the home coast. In addition, it is believed that several ships from the West Indian-South American squadrons have been recalled for! duty in European waters. Among these it is believed here that the Exeter and, either or both, the Ajax and the Achilles are around the British Isles. Shortly after the his- toric fight with the German pocket- battleship Graf Spee, the Exeter and one of the lighter cruisers were called home to show the home people the power of British might In the beginning of the war Britain had listed eight submarines as on duty in the Nediterranean area as well as 13 motor torpedo boats. It is believed that in view of the likely type of action needed against Ttaly in case of war that these numbers have been greatly increased. In several quarters it is held likely that the British would feel it unnecessary to increase their number of battleships and battle cruisers here. Though the French Admiralty has been working in close harmony with | the British in actions to the west, it is understood that the larger portion of her fleet has been kept in Medi- terranean waters. This would seem logical in view of the protection needed for the sea lane from North- ern African possessions to South France. Over this route flows most of the French man power and sup- plies from Algeria ard other pos- sessions of North Africa. Speculation on Malta. Considerable speculation was given to the position o1 the British base of Malta, which lies only 100 miles south of Italian Sicily. Caughit in a pincers between Sicily and Italian Libya, it is thought the British probably would put up a stiff fight and then retire to stronger points. Meanwhile, the Italians could b~ expected to make a drive agains! Corsica in an effort to take it away from the | French and thus breax the threat to Central Ttaly. The part air power will play in the Mediterranean area is more open to speculation. However, it seems a foregone conclusion that the French, operating from land bases at home, will drive air attacks into the North- ern Italian industrial areas, while | at the same time using combined naval and air forces to battle the Italian navy. Close secrecy has veiled the actual disposition of the British fleet in the Mediterranean, but it is believed that probably the larger portion of power | is being held in the vicinity of the Suez Canal and the Near East, where large concentrations of land forces are being assembled Two other sea power factors af- fecting the war picture are the parts the Australian and Canadian navies are assigned to handie The Cana- dian navy is small and its fire power relatively of little consequence in operations of the magnitude de-| veloped since the invasion of the Low Countries Canadian Vessels on Convoy Duty. The Canadian ships. primarily of the destroyer class are being used for convoy and escort work on the trans-Atlantic routes. it is under- £tood. With them are a COH\‘lderflble‘ number of similar British ships, acting in co-operation along the shuttle line from the St. Lawrence River and other American points to the British Isles | The Australia apparently. have been held to activity in the Indian | and Pacific Oceans on similar con- voy and patrol duty. Thus far no| reports have come out mentioning Australian ships in the theater of | war along the Western European Coast | Aside from those fighting vessels | participating in the Norwegian cam- paign, it is believed that the Home Fleet is centered around the south- | ern bases of Portsmouth, Plymouth | and Falmouth and in spots around | the Bristol Channel. Plans are be- | ing rushed to develop these points as new communication points for Weights and Measures The lack of standardization “se- riously hampers” the mass produc- tion of steel, essential in speeding up the Nation's defense program, Dr. Lyman J. Briggs, director of the Bureau of Standards, told the opening session of the 30th national conference on weights and meas- ures at the bureau today. Dr. Briggs, president of the con- ference, told the gathering that last week he attended a technical dis- cussion on airplane developments in which it was disclosed that the multiplicity of types and kinds of steel demanded by the various in- dustries was a “bottleneck” in the production of motors and planes. Declaring the production of these special steels slows up production and increases overhead, the speaker said he was convinced that the best of the various steels can be re- duced without impairing the pro- duct and that steps are already being taken to this end. Regard- ing the manufacturers demanding the various types, he said: T believe thoroughly in individual initiative, but in times of stress this is initiative gone wild Urges General Support. Calling on the 200 representatives of State and city weights and meas- ures bureaus to co-operate in uni- formity of standards, he said that it is the duty of enforcement officials to support standards “in the interest of national unity.” L. V. Judson, chief of the Lengths Section of the bureau. was asked by a reporter what the effect of the possible destruction during the Eu- ropean war of the platinum and iridium standards of weights and measures for all the world that are kept in Paris would have on stand- ards throughout the world. He said that although all other measurements are taken originally from the bars and weights kept in a vault just outside Paris, the dupli- cation is so close that “unless some one wanted to argue about it, it wouldn't make any difference.” The International Bureau of ‘Weights and Measures is located in a park on the outskirts of the French capital and is a “neutral territory,” being owned by 40 nations of the world, including Germany.” Holbrook Is Honored. The four-day conference opened with memorial talks to the late Fay Stanley Holbrook, who was chief of the Weights and Measures Depart- ment at the bureau for many years. Speakers during the service in- cluded Dr. Briggs, John P. McBride, James O'Keefe, Charles C. Neale and M. J. J. Harrison. Other speakers at the morning session were H. A. Spilman, on “The Consolidated Standard-Container Bill"; Rollin E. Meek, report of the Conference Committee on Legisla- tion, and C. D. Baucom, “The Func- tion and Operation of Sight Glasses.” Seven speakers were listed for the afternoon session. Measurement of liquified petroleum gasses will be among topics discussed at tomor- Trow's morning session, beginning at 10 o'clock. A tour ef the bureau is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon and an _evening session at the May- flower Hotel at 8:30 o'clock. N.Y. A. May Use Jack Dempsey In Defense Role BV the Associated Press Jack Dempsey, former king of the heavyweight boxers, may be given a part in the national de- fense program as a physical train- ing director of mnon-combatant forces. Dempsey offered his services to the War Department and the Na- tiomal Youth Administration last week, it was said today at N. Y. A headquarters. Aubrey Williams, N. Y. A. director, was reported to be “definitely inter- ested” in making use of Dempsey's services if and when N. Y. A.’s youth training program becomes a part of national defense preparations. N. Y. A, officials said the former heavyweight champion might be given the job of developing organ- ized physical training among youths now employed on N. Y. A. voca- tional training projects. not to be as strong as the world has been led to think. Several observers here pointed out the probability that | Germany, Italy and ‘Spain have ac- | curate charts of “the Rock.” Specifi- cally, these charts are reported to | THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, Ti’IESDAY, ;TUNE 4, 1940. County Policeman Killed Demonstrating How Man Was Shot H. C. Briscoe With Wife And Friends in Auto When Gun Fires Policeman Henry C. Briscoe, 28, of the Prince Georges County force was shot to death early today with his own revolver while seated in an automobile with his wife and two friends on Queens Chapel road | at Queens Chapel Airport. Mr. Briscoe's fellow officers were told the gun went off accidentally while he was demonstrating how a young man had been shot in Mount Rainier early Saturday in a case he had investigated. The officer was off duty last night. Policemen Louis Mackall and Richard Pearson were told that Mr Briscoe went for a ride last night with his wife, Georgia, and Mr. and Mrs, Edward Bailey of Wash- ington. Mr. Briscoe was driving, it was said, and he stopped near the air- port about 12:30 am. because it was cool there. He was talking about the Mount Rainier shooting, Mr. Briscoe's fellow policemen were | told, and produced a gun to dem- | onstrate. | The gun, a 32-caliber revolver, | was said to have a “hair trigger.” Police said the weapon was not Mr. Briscoe's service revolver. The young }omcer was shot through the temple | while seated beneath the wheel. Dr. James I. Boyd, deputy medical examiner, was to make an investi- | gation before issuing a death cer- tificate. Mr. Briscoe was one of the most popular officers on the force. His record was praised today by Police | Chief Arthur W. Hepburn' of the Prince Georges force. | Was Commended by Judge. The policeman, a graduate of Hyattsville High School and the University of Maryland, where he plaved a guitar in the orchestra, joined the force in September of 1937. While still a police rookie his work resulted in the capture and convic- tion of a bandit who had been ter- rorizing Baltimore residents, and he was commended by a Baltimore judge. In January of 1938 he and Mr. Pearson were credited with the capture and conviction of the “bluff bandit” who had been holding up filling stations and cafes. In 1937 the two officers fought | a running gun battle with three | bandits wanted in Philadelphia for | robberies and assaults. The officers | chased the men into the District, | where they were captured | In addition to his wife, Mr. Briscoe, who lived at 20 Franklin | street, Hyattsville is survived by | his mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. James Briscoe of Hyattsville; | two brothers, George of Riverdale and James of Arlington, Va., and a married sister. Funeral arrangements have not been completed. 1 WAR BIRDS DROP THEIR EGGS—The French caption accom- panying this picture describes it as a French tank formation going forward in the field and met by five German bombers, rought down in a foray over France, according to French sources, { —A. P. Wirephoto From Paramount News. the tanks. Two W;shinglon Bus Lines Atfected by Walkout Two Washington bus lines—East- ern and Safeway Trails—were af- fected today by a walkout called in New York by the drivers’ union. Eastern and Safeway Trails buses operating out of Washington were temporarily at a standstill while ne- gotiations went on. that other companies were “co-op- erating” and that the public thus far was not inconvenienced. The strike was called at 4 o'clock this morning and 96 drives of Times Square Lodge, No. 682, Broth- erhood of Railway Trainmen, start- ed picketing two hours later. The pickets were established at division headquarters of Eastern, Safeway and Northern Trails, affiliates of the National Trailways’ Association, in Washington, Baltimore, New York. Pittsburgh, Toledo, Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago. Attorney Thomas F. Barry, mem- ber of the law firm representing Eastern and Safeway Trails, said the drivers demanded a wage in- crease from 3 to 3!, cents a mile. The negotiations are being carried on in New York. . Charles Cingran, in charge of strikers picketing the Washington | Terminal of National Trailways at | 1201 New York avenue N.W., said ' Times Square Lodge had opened contract negotiations April 3 and had given the company 30 days in which to complete negotiations. Tomorrow, he said, the union will start picketing 600 substations on the three lines. Congress in Brief TODAY. Senate: Debates bill to give Navy a mini- mum of 10,000 airplanes. Naval Committee continues hear- ings on bill to expedite naval con- struction Interstate Commerce Committee continues wire-tapping investiga- tion. Appropriations Subcommittee holds closed session on relief bill. House: Begins debate on Wagner Act amendments. Ways and Means Committee con- tinues tax bill hearings. Appropriations Subcommittee | studies additional billion dollar de- fense fund. TOMORROW. Senate: Will consider naval bills. Military Affairs Committee will am. Foreign Relations Committee meets in executive session, 10:30 shipments to France now that the |jocate precisely all openings leading | M- English Channel has fallen under| i, underground chambers as well | the shadow of German wings. | For the time being, it was ex-| plained, the new lines of communi- | cation probably will run from the English southern ports to Havre, Cherbourg and Brest in France. | Spain’s Attitude Major Question. | One of the major questions affect- | ing Allied activity in the Mediterra- | nean and Bay of Biscay regions is the attitude of Gen: Francxsco‘ Franco and the Spanish govern- ment. The Spanish attitude par- ticularly puts British Gibraltar in a precarious position. This fortifica- tion, though claimed to be self-suffi- cient and impregnable, is believed N as gun ports and lookout stations. A general roundup of British sea power at this stage of the war would indicate there are available 12 bat- tleships, at least three battle cruis- ers, six aircraft carriers, more than 15 flotilla leaders, 150 destroyers, 60 submarines, and at least 30 motor torpedo boats. Though the station of the United States Fleet around Hawaii has had some moral effect, the British are believed not to have weakened their Pacific force and are holding it in readiness for any eventuality in connection with the Dutch East Indies. A Interstate and Foreign Commerce | Subcommittee continues wire-tap- ping investigation, 10 a.m. Appropriations Committee con- | siders relief bill, 10:30 a.m. House: May begin debate on Smith amendments to National Labor Re- | lations Act. | Ways and Means Committee con- | tinues consideration of national de- | fense tax program, 10:30 a.m. | Immigration Committee consid- | ers miscellaneous bills, 10:30 a.m. | Judiciary Subcommittee of Dis- trict Committee begins hearings on bill to revise minimum wage law for women, 10 am. Representatives | of the lines pointed out, however, | consider “fifth column” bills, 10:30 ! For Proper Defense, Johnson Says Assistant Secretary Sees Industry Back in Former Routine in 1942 By the Associated Press. CINCINNATI, June 4.—Assistant Secretary of War Louis Johnson said today industry could return to its regular peacetime routine when the United States is fully prepared against any military threat. In a speech prepared for the Na- | tional ~ Association of Purchasing Agents, Col. Johnson declared the War Department’s ultimate objec- tive would not be “fully realized in less than two years.” The address was broadcast. Ve must assure ourselves that |at the end (of the national defense program) we will find an America ready to meet any military crisis * * *” the Assistant Secretary said. Points Out Advances. Listing advances in preparedness in the last two years, Col. Johnson said the Army had hardly enough Garand rifles for a division at the time of the Munich pact, but now | distribution to the Regular Army | has been completed. Full delivery | to the National Guard is expected by June, 1941, he added. “In 1938,” he said, “the Medical 3 Department could not have met the requirements of supplies and equip- ment for an initial protective force. Today it has completed its combat | equipment for an army of approx- imately one-half million men.” He said present deficiencies in- | clude trucks for the Regular Army, | modernized artillery for the Na- |tional Guard and anti-aircraft |guns. He predicted that tanks and field pieces needed for an army of 1,000,000 men would be on hand by December 31, 1941. Plans of Department. | War Department plans, he said, | “envisaged the Army’s possible use” to: | Increase the garrisons in the Pan- |ama Canal Zone, Hawaii and the Philippines from 65,000 to 70,000 | men; Protect America against with a force “available on short no- tice sufficient to thwart any threat that may develop against the Pan- ama Canal or the continental limits | of the United States”; and | Provide a “basic force which can | be expanded to meet the full needs of any grave emergency.” The real problem, he said, is find- | ing men with the skills necessary for | material. Lower Danube Flood Delays Nazi Oil By the Associated Press. BUCHAREST, June 4 —The lower Danube flooded today with heavy loss of life. Homes were swept away and villages inundated. Oil shipments to Germany were held up. Heavy rains washed out railroad tracks in seven places of a 300-mile main line from Bucharest northeast to Timisoara, halting all trafiic. & v raids | | manufacture and operation of war| Two Years Required | Marshall Believes Garand ' Goy, Wilson of lowa Good Against Parachufists | By the Associated Press. Gen. George C. Marshall, Army Chief of Staff, believes the Garand semi-automatic rifle would have been “an exceedingly effective wea- pon against the parachute troops of the German army Gen. Marshall informed a House | Appropriations Subcommittee that | the rifle would have been particu- larly valuable “because it gives the individual man a much more impos- ing firing power than heretofore, and it can be handled readily.” The Regular Army is now in the process of substituting Garands for the old Springfield rifle. Congress has appropriated funds for 169,789 of the new semi-automatic weapons. The Garands are being turned out at the rate of 1,000 a week. " Marshall (Continued From First Page.) the timely use of which might obvi- ate using “the whole fire depart- ment.” He reiterated his recent statement that he hoped it would not - be necessary to mobilize the Guard. He is strenuously opposed to such action at this time, he said, adding that the Army hoped to get suffi-| cient voluntar: | it unnecessary. “But that is a hope.” he re- minded the committee, “not an ac- complished fact. The problem de- enlistments to make pends on the events that occur in| the next month. In a sense, we are visualizing events for the fire ex- tinguishing and not the whole fire department.” Gen. Marshall said the proposed National Guard legislation would “give us a businesslike foundation for our plans, and I submit that we've got to be exceedingly busi- nesslike when dealing with a very | effective people, in a military sense.” Manpower Shortage. Testimony made public today on| Gen. Marshall's appearance before a House Appropriations Subcommittee | revealed that he had testified there that manpower is the Army's | “tragic shortage” at present and that the maximum peacetime en- listed strength would be inadequate | to meet emergencies stemming from | the present situation. “Personnel at the present moment is our serious deficiency,” he said, | “in the light of requirements that | are being brought to bear on the War Department, particularly in the last week or more, and the | necessity of having seasoned, trained | men whe can use the new weapons | effectively and immediately and | with a state of discipline that makes | them completely dependable.” Gen. Marshall testified in connec- | tion with Senate additions of $732,~ 000,000 to the Regular Army appro- priation bill for President Roose- velt’s first emergency defense pro- gram, recommended May 16. Funds to increase the Army from its present strength of 227,000 men to the 280,000 limit already have been included in the $1,800,000,000 Army supply bill. Gen. Marshall said that “if there is not a mobi- lization this summer,” the maximum legal strength would be reached be- fore September. Reiterating that it was “urgently necessary for us to have in the United States a greater number of seasoned, organized units imme- [} beside one of | | —A. P. Wirephoto From Paramount News. | 'Republican Victor, | Returns Indicate G. 0. P. Turnout Is | | Largest for State | [ In Six Years | By the Associated Press. DES MOINES, June 4—On the basis of unofficial returns, Gov.! George A. Wilson today had won renomination over two opponents inI the Republican party's largest Iowa primary turnout in the last six years. | Gov. Wilson will meet John K. Valentine of Centerville in the fall general election for the governor- | ship. Mr. Valentinue, a former Fed- eral district attorney, was nomi- nated by the Democrats vesterday. | Returns from 2,265 of the State's 2450 precincts gave Gov. Wilson 151989, H. R. Gross 135948 and Irving H. Knudson of Jewell 20,603. Mr. Gross and Gov. Wilson are | “around-the-corner” neighbors Des Moines. | Returns from 2215 precincts gave | Mr. Valentine 62913 and Mr. Breen | 44.328. Republican party leaders expected the combined totals of all three gu- | bernatorial candidates would exceed 325,000 or approximately 70,000 more | than the joint figure two years ago of the G. O. P. primary contestants | for United States Senator. The Democratic total vote was expected | to approach 120,000, or 37,000 under the party’s senatorial primary turn- out in 1938. Gov. Wilson two years ago headed | the Republican State ticket that | ended six years of Democratic State- | house control. The campaign was fought largely on personal issues. Some observers pointed to the pos- sibility that Democratic votes in the Republican column may have swelled that party's total. —_— diately available to be sent wherever | our common interest in the Western Hemisphere might require their presence,” Gen.»Marshall said that a ground garrison of one battalion of infantry and a field artillery de- tachment should be sent as quickly | as possible to the Army’'s projected $12,000000 air base at Anchorage, | Alaska. Russian Bases Established. Well informed congressional sources said recently the Army’s concern over the need for the An- chorage base was predicated on information that Russia had estab- lished naval and air bases on the nearby Siberian coast. “The situation has forced a revi- sion of our plans,” the general said. “We have got to get men up there on the ground. We have got to put in temporary air fields and run- ways.” 2 Gen. Marshall opposed suggestions that the Citizens’ Military Training Camps be expanded to meet the Army’s personnel demands. Instead, he said, he favored a plan, already authorized under the National De- fense Act but never employed, under which young men could be recruited for the enlisted reserves, trained for three or four months and then allowed to go back to their civilian pursuits. A | Citizens’ inches). and | North Head. Wash.. 10° Georgetown Groups Differ | At Hearing on Parking Ban Spokesmen for the Georgetown Association and the Georgetown Business Mens Assoc- iation were arraved against each other today at a hearing before the Commissioners on a proposal for a ban on parking of automobiles on M street in Georgetown. B. H. Meyer, representing the citizens' group, said the parking re- striction was necessary because of traffic congestion, and William A. Maio, representing the business men, protested that such a rule would put a blight on M street business. The Commissioners deferred ac- tion on a compromise plan offered by Traffic Director William A. Van Duzer which would ban parking on M street during the morning and | evening rush periods but permit 30-minute parking on side streets near M street during these periods. | 0 the walk in Louisiana, but Overton Answers Gov. James’ Attack on Louisiana Senators Doesn’t ‘Amount to Hill of Beans in Washington,” He Says Washington today was the battle- ground on which Louisiana politics was being fought, with Senator Overton wheeling up his big guns for a Dblast at Gov. Sum Houston Jones, who is visiting here. Gov. Jones yesterday drew a bead on his State’s two Senators, stating that their “bitter stand” against the Governor's reform ticket, which swept the Long machine on to the Junk heap, did not entitle them to a return to the Senate. Senator Overton issued a state- ment which said that Mr. Jones didn’t “amount to a hill of beans” in Washington. Senator Ellender, the other Louisianan in the Senate said he would make no comment, but attaches at his office indicated Mr. Overton's blast went for him, too. Senator Overton's statement in answer to Mr. Jones' denunciation of him said: “It ill becomes a Governor of Louisiana to make a bid, as Gov. Jones did, for a conference with reporters in the National Capital and, after denouncing his own State, undertake to repudiate the two United States Senators elected from Louisiana. “My term does not expire until | January, 1945, at which time Jones will have passed forever from the political scene; and Senator Ellen- der's term does not expire until January, 1943. “I was elected without opposition; it took two primary elections and a tremendous campaign fund to put Jones into the governorship. His criticism of the two United States Senators from Louisiana will fall here on deaf ears. “According to Jones, the sin com= mitted by the two United States Senators was not supporting him as the self-styled reform Governor. | Jones has vet to give any evidence | of his being a friend of reform. His | action has been limited to addressing men out of office—-a procedure not resorted to in Louisiana since carpet- bag days—in preparing to order a new election in New Orleans and in superseding the district attorneys with emissaries of the .\ttorney Gen- eral’s office, a device against which | he railed in the campaign for the governorship. Is Jones sincere in his statement that: ‘The day of dictatorship is over in Louisiana?’ “It would be better for Jones if | he would undertake to confine his | activities in Washington to carry- ing out his pre-election and post= | election promises to legislate un- | restricted production of sugar cane in Louisiana. to relieve Louisiana and other States from making a sponsor’s contribution of 25 per cent to W. P. A. projects, and to- ward having the Federal Govern- ment bear the entire cost of a $30- a-month old-age pension “Jones may be temporarily cock he doesn't amount to & hill of beans in Washington.” Chest Chairmen Of Central Area to Mex : Frank J. Luchs, Communitr Chest central area chairman, has called a meeting of division chair- men from the central area for 4 pm. tomorrow in the board room of Shannon & Luchs Co, 1505 H street N.W., to organize volunteer campaign forces before the vaca- tion exodus. Yesterday 12 recently appointed division chairmen from the western area met in the board room of the Federal Storage Co., with E. K. Morris, area chairman. The heads of all Community Chest volunteer campaign units will meet at the home of their general chairman, Chauncey G. Parker, jr., of 3314 O street N.W., at 4:30 pm. tomorrow to discuss plans for next fall's Chest campaign. It will be the last meeting until after Labor Day. Weather gentle south winds. continued warm Report (Purnished by the United » District of Columbia—Fair, in generally fair followed by thundershowers in late States Weather Bureau, tomight: tomicitow afternoon or at night; Maryland—Partly cloudy with local showers in extreme west portion, continued warm tonight; tomorrow partly cloudy with local showers and thunderstorms in west portion in afternoon and in east portion at night. Virginia—Partly cloudy with local showers in west portion tonight; tomorrow partly cloudy with local afternoon thundershowers; not much change in temperature. cloudy perature, The disturbance that was over Minnesota Monday morning has advanced northeast- ward and another wave disturbance is cen- tral over Southern Minnesota. Minneapolis, 10078 millibars (29.7¢ inches) with & trough extending southwestward to North- western Texas, Amarillo, 1004.4 millibars 2966 _inch and _thence westward to Norihern Arizona, Pressure 1s Telatively low over the Southern Gulf of Mexico. high-pressure area is moving eastward over Maine, Portland. 10180 millibars (0.06 inches). and pressure is high off the South Atlantic coasi, with a wedge extending northwestward’ over the Appalachian re- gion. Elkins, W. Va.. 10213 millibars (30.16 incnes). Pressure is also high over Mon- tan, elena. 10142 millibars (2993 on the North Pacific Codst 22.0 millibars (30.1 inches). "During the last 24 hours showers have occurred over the Northern Rocky Mountain rezion, the Middle and Northern Plains Statés, in'the extreme Upper Missis- sippi Valley ' and in the South Atlantic States. and Northern New England. Tem- peratures have risen in_portions of the North Atlantic States. while they have fallen slightly in the South Atlantic States, the Middle Plains States. the Middle Rocky Mountain region and in Minnesota. Report for Last 24 Hours, Temperature, Barometer, Saturday— degrees, inches depmi 86 K 8 pm Midnight _ Record for Last 24 Hours. (From noon yesterday to noon today.) Mighest, 87, at 3:15 D.m. yesterday. Year ago.’ 80 Lowest, 62. at 5:45 a.m. today. Year Record Temperatures This Year. Highest, 92, on May 14 Lowest, 7, on January 29. N Humidity for Last 24 Hours. (Prom nocn yesterday to noon today.) Highes{, 97 per cent, at 4 a.m. Lowest,” 33 per cent. at noon today. River Report. Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers muddy at Harpers Ferry; Potomac muddy at Great Falls today. Tide Tables. (Purnished by United States Coast and Geodetic Survey.) ‘Today. High _ - 643am. Low 1:08am. High Low i o 4143 . ‘tomorrow Moon. “loday . "T2T 3i83 am. 8:10pm. West Virginia—Cloudy with local showers tonight; tomorrow partly with local showers and thunderstorms; not much change in tem- Precipitation, Monthly precipitation in inches in the | Capiial (current month to date): |~ Month, January _ February | August | September | October November December | Abilene Albany __ Atlanta Atlan. City Baltimore Birm'gham Bismarck Boston Buffalo Chatleston Chicago Gineinnatt Cleveland Golumbla_ Denver Des Moines Detroit El Paso _ Galveston Helena | Huron Ind’'napolis Jacks'ville Kans. City L. Angeles Louisville M3 . 87 - 'O“IG; ;!'ATION‘. o Greenmigh L 28 ier : : Horta (Pa; Rain aD) Aores Current observations.) San Jian, Puerto Rico. &) avana. Automobile lights must be turned on ond ST Bowe Afer sunset. 4 Hi Colon, Canal Zone {