Evening Star Newspaper, January 26, 1942, Page 1

Weather Forecast Blightly colder tonight. Temperatures today— Highest, 41, at 5 am.; lowest, 38, at 1:45 am.; 40 at 4 pm. w Prom the UnlLId'!‘lulll‘l eather luln}_#um Detalls on Page Closing N. Y. Markets—Sales, Page 16. 90th YEAR. No. 35,698. @h WASHINGTON, D. WITR SUNDAY MORNING EDITION HEer MONDAY, JANU. \ ¢ Foening Star RY 26, 1942— THIRTY-FOUR PAGES. | NIGHT FINA ’ SPORTS UP) Means Associ Press. THREE CENTS. U. S. SUB SINKS JAP AIRCRAFT CARRIER; ~ AMERICAN TROOP Second Vessel House Accepts Also Sent Down Price Control In Philippines Compromise Effort to Return Hit by U.S.in Plan to Conference Macassar Straits Other Enemy Ships { ( Earlier Story on Page A-1.) Sinking of a Japanese aircraft carrier in the Far East was re- ported by the Navy tonight in a communique that also disclosed sinking of a 5,000-ton enemy ves- sel in a second torpedo boat raid close in Subic Bay, Philippine Is- lands. The aircraft carrier, believed to be of the fieet carrier size, was Is Voted Down (Earlier Story on Page A-3.) By the Associated Press A compromise wartime price- | control bill was approved finally | by the House today and sent to | the Senate. 1 Passage came after the House re- | Jected, on a 209-t0-189 roll call vote, a Republican demand that the legis- | lation be sent back to conference with instructions to eliminate pro- | visions for licensing of business and sunk during continued action against Japanese convoys in the Macassar Straits. The Navy re- ported yesterday the sinking of five additional enemy transports and probably one other in the same locality and hostilities are said to be still raging there. The Navy also reported that heavy hits on additional enemy destroyers and transports had | been delivered by United States units in the battle of the strait, which lies between the islands of Borneo and Celebes on the route to create a board of review to study | price orders. Majority Leader McCormack had told the House earlier that some of the Republican objections to the measure were not sound and that President Roosevelt would sign the bill even though additional remedial legislation might be necessary. Representative Wolcott. Repub- lican. of Michigan asserted durimg debate that he doubted whether Price Administrator Leon Hender- son was “temperamentally fitted” for his job. During debate on price-control SEVENTH SHIP SUNK OFF ATLANTIC COAST—The Navy De- partment announced today that the 8,016-ton ore carrier Venore was torpedoed and sunk off the Atlantic Coast early Saturday LAND IN NORTH First Combat Group = Of Several Thousand % Is Headed by Hartle * No Indication of Additional Units Given by Stimson | | Secretary of War Stimson an- | nounced at 1 p.m. today that| United States Army forces had | arrived in Northern Ireland un- | der the command of Maj. Gen. Russell P. Hartle. The announcement was made in the first extraordinary war com- | munique issued at midday by the | War Department since hostilities Hearty Welcome Given Soldiers On Arrival BY the Associated Press. PORT IN NORTHERN IRE- LAND, Jan. 26.—The vanguard of 1942's A. E. F,, several thou- sand strong, landed in this port today, less than three weeks after President Roosevelt an- nounced they were coming. “The Yanks Are Here Again!” said British headlines tonight. tacked by submarines off the seaboard in the last two weeks. Twenty-two of the crew were reported missing. (Story on |secret. Page A-1) morning. The vessel was the seventh sunk and the eighth at- Wew Ci;il gefvice \President and Congress Join to the Dutch East Indies. legislation, Mr. Wolcott said: —A. P. Wirephoto. Axis Submarine Used began. Part of an infantry division with Mr. Stimson refused to designate | an artillery complement, the troops | the units, their composition and | were said to include men from all strength. For military secrecy the | parts of the United States. | ports of embarkation, sailing dates Wearing tin hats and packing and other details of the movement | full kits, the men trooped ashore to |from the United States were kept | the strains of “America,” played by |a band. and were greeted by the | cheers of a throng waiting at a red, A War Department spokesman | d | cautioned thltpthis movem‘::skt could | White and blue bedecked dock shed. |hardly be termed an American | The British Press Association said Expeditionary Force. He pointed out | the convoy was escorted across the that Ireland, as in the case of Ice- land, was an outpost. There was no indication as to whether this initial force would be of both the United States and Brit- ish Navdes. Not a life was lost in transit. followed by others at any early date. Men Rarin’ to Gn. b 4 w w w w IRELAND : " ¢ submarine-infested Atlantic by units 3 Ruse fo Lure Ship Within Firing Range Refirement Bill Is 'Signed by President “The reason we have been fighting 8 Sy over this for several months is that estimate total damage inflicted | x."qoupt that Leon Henderson is by our combat Vesse{s the Navy | tempermentally fitted for this job. communique said, “the known | He's a splendid fellow. I don't be- results are substantial.” lieve he’s a Communist.” As the swelling olive-drab ranks poured ashore, their officers declared their men were “all pepped up and rarin’ to go."” | They stepped on the soil of the | Old World, in the second adventure ;In Tribute to MacArthur | (Earlier Story wn Page A-2.) President Roosevelt this afternoon joined members of Con- gress in paying tribute to Gen. Douglas MacArthur in the Philip- pines, congratulating him “on the magnificent stand that you “While it is still impossible to | American engineers, . laborers and technicians for several months have been preparing huge bases in North- ern Ireland. Text of Communique. A small, hard-hitting torpedo Mr. Wolcott contended the con- boat, under command of Ensign ference report would not interfere George Cox, made the second "ith Government “bureaucrats” who s hi i - successful raid into Subic Bay, to :f;fli:‘ bomore) tntetestan. Mmsicon S e g agriculture and business sink an enemy craft. Participgt- | than in regulating prices. ing in that attack also were Lt.' o e T gamaca o ' Hill Plea for New Trial Will Be Heard Wednesday De Long. The daring dash succeeded in A motion for & new trial for eorge Hill, Capitol secretary, will spite of heavy close-range fire from shore batteries and Jap- Gi anese machine-gun-fire from the | e 1eard at 10 a.m. Wednesday by | ship under attack. The motor | pistrict Court Justice F. Dickinson torpedo boat. of the type known Letts. as “mosquito” boats, slipped into Attorneys for Mr. Hill, second waters near its Japanese objec- secretary to Representative Fish, tive despite the net and boom Republican. of New York, contend defenses laid down by the enemy. | evidence was illegally admitted at While it is still impossible to the trial that recently resulted in 5 his conviction on charges he per- estimate total damages by OUr|jyreq himseif before a District Navy's combat vessels, the com- | grand jury investigating Nazi propa- munique said, the two reported ganda. e tonight may safely be added to the totals previously reported in naval communiques. This would bring the total ships sunk by the Navy to 39, which, added to the Army’'s 13. make a total of 51 since fighting started in the Far Policemen Foil Woman In Death Leap Attempt B the Associated Pamss. NEW YORK, Jan. 26—For 55 East. minutes today Mary Kovatch. 37, | Members of Congress | Get Pension Privileges Under Measure | President Roosevelt this after-, Inoon signed the new civil service 1 retirement bill, liberalizing the optional features for Government | employes generally, and giving ! members of Congress pension privileges. The most important changes made in the old law are: Establishes a uniform age limit of 70 for compulsory retirement, whereas the present law had three age limits—62, 65 and 70—depending on the type of work performed. Gives employes the option of re- tiring at 60 after 30 years of serv- | ice, or at 62 after 15 years of serv- | ice. Allows employes the option to re- | tire at 55 after 30 years of service, | but with a smaller annuity. Also gives the Government the option of retiring an employe at these earlier age limits where it is | deemed advisable, subject to a hear- ing pefore the Civil Service Com- mission. Increases the emplove contribu- J'and your men are making.” | _Mr. Roosevelt, in a telegram to | Gen. MacArthur. who observed his | 62d birthday today, told the gerreral | that “we are watching with pride | and understanding, and are think- lx.u of you on your birthday.” | "Senator’ Thomas, Democrat, of Utah told the Senate today that Gen. MacArthur's courage and re- | sourcefulness in defending the Philippines had never been sur- passed by a military commander. Senator Thomas said: | “Seldom in all history has a mili- tary leader faced such insuperable lodds. Never has a commander or | his troops met such a situation with | greater and cooler courage: never | with more resourceful or briliant ac- tion.” In the House, Gen. MacArthur was honored as “one of the out- standing Americans of all time.” Majority Leader McCormack told a cheering House that Gen. Mac- | Arthur was “a great military leader and a brilliant strategist.” “Douglas MacArthur is one of the outstanding Americans of all time,” Mr. McCormack said. “In | honoring him today, when he is waging the greatest fight of his P SR PSSV S and enlisted man of his command.” Representative Pish, Republican, of New York, said Gen. MacArthur's leadership and devotion to duty in face of great odds was “an inspira- tion to the American people” Mr. Fish said the general was “an ex- perienced, brilliant, able, and courageous officer.” | carrier Venore to close range units, “On this, his birthday anniversary, | let us in the House of Representa- tives, including manyv who knew him well and admire him, send over to him and his heroic American and Philippine soldiers a message of heartfelt congratulations gratitude for his brave and mag- nificent stand.” Mr. Fish said The New Yorker expressed a “fervent hope” that Gen. MacArthur would live to see the United States victorious in the islands and that he would “lead our armies to vic- tory, not only against the treacher- ous Japs but against all their allies wherever the war may be waged.” Mr. Fish said Gen. MacArthur's success in organizing an island army “has been amply the glorious and gallent battle he is fighting against overwhelming Japanese forces.” career, we honor also every officer and | ‘The War Department communique | No. 17 follows: No. 1. Northern Ireland. The | Secretary of War announces the ar- | rival in northern Ireland of United States Army forces under the com- mand of Maj. Gen. Russell P. Attacker Posed as Lightship to Sink U. S. Ore Carrier By the Associated Press. NORFOLK, Va. Jan. 26.—An Axis submarine posing e 8! A4S & The Secretary of War declined to lightship lured the American ore make public the designation of the their composition and with a blinker signal off the Car- | strength nor would be divulge the olina coast Saturday morning | Ports of debarkation, dates of sail- and then sank the 8,016-ton con- N8 or other details of movement verted tanker by torpedo and [TOM the United States. shellfire with the possible 1085 Of | frows ciper hoi, 15 TOthing to report 22 lives. z Gen. Hartle, who commands this The Navy announced the sinking | first American military force )anémg today with the arrival here of 21 at a Northern Ireland base, is a na- survivors, Crewmen said the sub- | live of Chewsville. Md. He entered = 3 5 the Army in 1910 after graduating marine’s crafty tactics “fooled US| f;om the University of Maryland at completely” by blinking in code that | College Park. He will be 53 years | she was a lightship and requesting | 0ld on June 26 and is among the demonstrated in| younger high commanders. | He served on the War Plans Di- vision of the War Department General Staff from 1934 to 1937, the Venore to draw near. “We started toward her still think- ing she was the lightship when a shell hit us in the bow.,” said Allen | = s Harte, able seaman from Baltimore. | *hen he became chiel of the opera~ The Navy received its first word | the year following to take the ad- that still another United States ship | yance course at the Naval War was under fire of a submarine when | college, and then went on duty in the vessel's radio operator flashed & | pyerto Rico. He -served with the of an A. E. F. in a quarter of a cen- tury, less than two months after Germany and Italy had declared themselves at war with the United States. “Your safe arrival marks a new stage in the World War and a gloomy portent for Hitler, Nor will its significance be lost on Gen. Tojo.” ldechred Sir Archibak Sinclair, | British Air Minister, in a welcoming ! speech. Maj. Gen. Russell P. Hartle. the commanding officer of the disem- | barking troops, stepped ashore first. A band broke into “America” as he reached the end of the gangplank. Just before the ship reached the dock the band played “The Star Spangled Banner” and the throng gave three cheers. Minnesotan First Ashore. The British Broadcasting Corp. said Pvt. Milburn Henke, 22. Hutch- inson, Minn., was the first scldier to set foot on Northern Ireland soil behind Gen. Hartle. The B. B. C. said Henke's father was born in Germany. Military censors prevented identi- fication of the units or publication of their exact numbers. There was no announcement of plans for the troops, but it was un- derstood they were being taken to an somewhere in w w 4 b 4 | cleaning woman, stood on the ledge | tion to tH retirement fund from encampment | of the 18th floor of the International | 31, per cent to 5 per cent of sal- | Telephone & Telegraph Co. Build-..r(, ':0 help meet ‘l,;e cost of the Bund Trial Witness distress call at 12:47 am. 65th Infantry and as commander of the post of San Juan and Fort Buchanan until October 1, 1940, Northern Ireland Steam Slowly Into Port. H . | ing, waving‘to the crowd below and | Gu'hy n Dn‘gs Case vhgenttmng to jump. Then, as shgf By tke Associated Press. stepped back momentarily into the NEW YORK. Jan. 26—Virginia building. two policemen tackled her. Cogswell, once known as “the Geor- Herbert Juch, buflding superin- gia Peach,” pleaded guilty today to tendent, who discovered the woman, a narcotics charge just before she nad not checked out of the building was to go on trial on schedule, said she ignored his Miss Cogswell, 32, recently was a pleas to leave the sill, shouting: “I'm prosecution witness at the trial of | poisored.” Fritz Kuhn, former leader of the ~ while she stood on the ledge she German-American Bund, who now | tossed down a paper napkin on is in prison. which was written: “I want help.” After her arrest last September ghe was taken to a hospital. 8 on a charge of obtaining a nar- cotic on prescriptions ubtain;cl (ro;n | two physicians on the same day, she s 2 snidihe had received many threat-, Illinois Educator Dies SPRINGFIELD. Ill.. Jan. 26 (#.— ening letters and telephone calls l!terg her testimony and that she FrancisG. Blair, 77, former superin- used the narcotic for a heart con- | tendent of public instruction in - dition that developed as a result of the threats. Senate Kills Attempt to Limit War Powers Bill, 47 to 32 BULLETIN. | State or national political commit- as an educator, died today. $2.135,250 D. more liberal age limits. 1 | nois for 28 years and widely known | §113 1I°d Bstccesstully o mend | Changes the formula for comput- ing the pension to give those in the higher salary brackets a more equitable annuity in relation to their contributions. Under the present law, employes below the | 81,600 level may retire on 75 per cent of their basic salaries after 30 | years, while those between $1,600 ;and $2400 may receive up to 50 per cent. The percentage rate of annuities to salaries in the higher grades is as low as 20 per cent. Senator Capper, Republican, of Kansas made a last-minute appeal to the President. Saturday to veto the bill because of the .provision for congressional pensions, and Senator Byrd, Democrat, of Vir- | gress to deposit back payments for at least five years. ¥ For Scrap Iron Scarcity A spokesman for the scrap fron ginia tried unsuccessfully to amend | The Senate, by a vote of 47 | tee. he shall have no part in the war to 32, this afternoon refused to modify the Government’s right, under the new war pow- ers bill, to sell or lease with- out time limit properties ac- quired and taken over for war purposes. | effort at home. I have always re- | industry blamed Federal agencies | sented the inference that because a | today for “the present scarcity of man becomes engaged in politics He 2 | scrap fron.” becomes unclean. | | Senator Brown said that was a| Cbarles H. Lipsett of Ney York, | good argument against the Hatch | publisher of the Daily Metal Re- | Act in its entirety, but he insisted | porter and the Waste Trade Jour- | there is no Government official deal- | | | ing with a more tender subject than | nal, told"the House Small Business 'Is Signed by President President Roosevelt has ap- proved a $2,135,250 public works | program for the District to pro- | vide for urgently needed expan- |sion of municipal water, sewer, school and fire protection facill- | ties, it was announced late today. | Here are the projects authorized under the program: 1—$230,000 (including a $115.000 grant and a loan of the same | amount) for construction of a 30- | inch water main from Eighteenth | street and Minnesota avenue to | Pirth Sterling and Stevens roads SE., to provide, chiefly, for water | supply for some 8,700 homes of war workers in that Southeast area. 2—$798,900 (a grant) for construc- tion of about 2 miles of storm sewers | to prevent flooding of low -areas in | Anacostia. 3—$28,000 (divided equally in loan | and grant) for installation of a | 10,000,000-gallon-daily pump at the Dalecarlia Filtration Plant, includ- ing motor, new foundation, installa- tion of suitable control equipment and necessary piping and valves. é. Works Bill 4-$198150 (Including a $59,000 loan and a grant of $139.150) for construction and equipment of an eight-room elementary school bufld_- ing at Nichols avenue and Atlantic street S.E., to serve as the first unit | of an extensible structure. 5—$273.000 (including a loan of $109,000 and a grant of $164,000) for | construction of more than 2 miles of ‘water mains to give the Con- | gress Heights area additional water | supply. 6—$550,000 (including a grant and | loan of $275.000 each) for construc- i tion of additional chemical mixing | and flocculating capacity td serve | the entire filtration system. This project would include six new 4,000, 000-gallon-daily capacity filter units, | which would increase the filtration | {capacuy by 24,000,000 gallons daily. Construction of additional reservoir | facilities also is included. 7.—$57,000 (a grant) for extension | of the existing fire alarm system to residential areas in the Northeast and Southeast sections where such fire protection facilities are not now available. McNutt Sa passing on the status of citizens tor military service. The Michigan Sen- ator said he has never accepted the principles of the Hatch Act, but if By J. A. O'LEARY. A section of the new war pow- | ers bill amending the Hatch Act to permit members of local po-| litical committees throughout the country to serve on draft boards or similar part-time civilian de-| fense work stirred controversy during Senate debate on the [ic’ jiving it to the clerks under measure today. | these officials, but Senator O'Ma- Senators Brown, Democrat, of | honey pointed out the pending bill Michigan and Gillette, Democrat, of | does not exempt dollar-a-year men Towa opposed the exemption, while | Who are serving full time on Gov- Senators O'Mahoney, Democrat, of | ernment work. Wyoming and Austin, Republican,| Senator Gillette recalled that he of Vermont defended it as necessary | Was chairman of the Campaign In- to the defence effort. ! vestigating Committee two years Senator Brown said he could think | 880, and declared that “we uncov- ©f no group to whom the Hatch Act | éred time and again the use of should apply as much as to those | influence, indirectly.” He added his about to be exempt, such as draft | belief it would be “a fatal mistake boards and tire rationing boards. to open the door to destruction of Senator O'Mahoney replied, “It is | the Hatch Act.” utterly wrong to say that because a | _Earlier Senators Danaher. Répub- man has accepted a place on a local, ' ~ (See WAR POWERS, Pagn 2 .i.) < & 4 books. then the men who pass on such matters as military service should not be exempt On Dollar-a-Year Men. Senator Brown also asserted it would be unfair to exempt dollar- a-year men from the Hatch Act it is to be accepted on the statute | Committee there was “a great short- age” of the metal, but said there was no hoarding by the industry generally. “In my humble judgment,” he | said, “the present scarcity of scrap iron is due largely to the wrong ap- proach to that industry by the O. P. | M. and the O. P. A, and to a lack of understanding of the importance of a co-ordinated national collection | drive, and the failure to appreciate its value. | “At a time when efforts should have been made to bring out scrap by a co-ordinated collection drive, there was a bickering among com- mittees, lack of understanding, opposition because of selfish inter- est, with the result that nothing was accomplished.” Mr. Lipsett told the committee the scrap iron industry furnished 27,500,000 tons of scrap to the steel industry in 1941 and hoped to fur- | nish 32,000,000 tons this year “if the national collection campaign” is s onessful, 2 | (Earlier Story on Page B-1) Federal | Paul V. McNutt said bluntly today that he thought it would be a | “tragedy” if the war were used as an | excuse to bring back prohibition. ! In answer to a question on this | subject at the board meeting | of the General Federation of Wom- en’s Clubs at the Mayflower Hotel, Mr. McNutt said that he did not want to go through what we went through during the last war. His office has made no recom- mendation ongproposed legislation relative to bition, he said, and would be on the alert to keep the liquor situation under control. If such control is not effective, he predicted, there will be legislation. Mr. McNutt said some of the health and welfare problems with which his office is concerned are at their worst here, but promised his f S Security Administrator | expressed belief that camp officials | ys It Would Be Tragic To Bring Back Prohibition staff would do something to bring about an improvement. Conservation, he declared, should be extended to health and human resources. “Play and leisure have servation and national defense,” he said. He also suggested that if factories worked round the clock, community recreation facilities —school gym- nasiums, public parks and conimun- ity centers—should- be put on a three-shift basis. GUIDE FOR READE RS | Editorials _-_A-8 Editorial | Articles ___A-9| Financial __A-16 LegalNoticesB-11 | Y | Lost & Found A-3 | Where to Go -B-9 L & B-3 Sports -..A-14-15 ‘Woman's an important part in human con- | Also Dennis | Meal, Lochness and when he was designated as com- Late Races | mander of the Puerto Ricari mobile | force. Gen. Hartle returned to the United States for duty on June 19 last for duty with the 6th Division | at Fort Leonard Wood, Miss. On | August 19 last he was assigned to | the 34th Infantry Division at Fort allow- | Claiborne, La. 410 First Combat Force in Europe. 2.50 o Special Army details have been | sent to England, Libya, China and elsewhere through the war zones. but today’s announcement was the first that an American combat mili- tary force under its own com- mander had been sent to such a distant outpost in which might be (See IRELAND, Page 2-X.) Earlier results, Rossvan's Com- ment, other selections and entries for tomorrow on Page 2-X. Hialeah Park FIFTH RACE—Purse. $1.300 ances: 3-year-olds: 7 furlongs Bold Qu'stion (Caff'relia) 15.80 5.80 Tomochichi_(Atkinson) 300 Pig Tails (Schmidl) Time. 1:25 4-5 Spread Eagle. Big r Lord. Pirst SIXTH RACE—Purse. $1.400: yer Bluff: 4-ear-olds and upward miles. Peep Show (Mehrtens) 11.40 6.10 ) 360 the Sil- | 1t 3.90 230 ¥ 330 Time, 1:50 -5, Also_ran—Pet, Century Note and Home- ard Bound. Late News Bulletins Short and Kimmel Suffered Loss in Rank Both Gen. Walter C. Short and Admiral Husband E. Kimmel suffered a loss in rank on being relieved of their commands in the Pacific, it was disclosed this afternoon. Gen. Short reverted to major general from lieutenant gen- eral and Admiral Kimmel reverted to rear admiral, officials said. These were permanent ranks held by the men. (Earlier Story on Page A-1.) Government to Return to Paris, Swiss Say LONDON (#.—The Swiss radio reported tonight that the French government will return to Paris March 1. The source of the information was not given. Nazis Report New Jap Landings in Malaya LONDON (P.—The German radio reported tonight that the Japanese had effected new landings on the west coast of Malaya and were advancing in a semicircle on Johore Bahru, which lies at the very end of the Malay Peninsula, across Singapore Strait from the island of Singapore. House Asked to Pass Police Pay Bill The House District Committee, in a formal report, this afternoon urged the House to pass the Schulte bill, designed to increase the maximum pay of District firemen and Met- ropolitan, Park and White House police by $300 a year. Churchill, Ill With Cold, Won't Broadcast LONDON (#.—Prime Minister Churchill is suffering from a heavy cold and, acting on medical advice, will not make a broadcast tomorrow, the Ministry of Information said to- night. He hopes to make a statement in Commons shortly, however. No broadcast had been announced, but the state- ment indicated he had planned to make one. § o The ships steamed slowly into this port as a large group of American and British Army officers and Jjournalists stood waiting, straining their eyes to catch the first glimpse of the Yanks lined against the deck railings. The soldiers, too, were eager for a glimpse of their new area of oper- | ations. They were sticking their heads out of every opening in the ! ship. Mixed emotions were apparent on the faces of the troops, who wore steel campaign helmets and full campaign packs. Some of ‘them flipped hesitant Nazi Planes Appear Over North Ireland; No Damage Reported By the Associated Press. LONDON, Jan. 26.—German planes were over Northern Ire- land today, but apparently did no damage. A communique of R. A. F. headquarters for Northern Ire- land and the Northern Ireland Ministry of Public Security said: “There was some slight air activity over Northern Ireland this afternoon, Air defenses went into action. No incidents have been reported.” X X K X K K X % K XK KK XK K KKK KK XXX | hand-waves as the convoy neared the docks. Salute American Flag. Several men quickly saluted the American flag which flew from a isufl on the docks. The British | Union Jack flew from a similar staff a few feet away. | The B. B. C. tonight on its 9 p.m. | (3 pm., E. S. T) program gave the | general British public its first news |of the arrival of the American troops. Only a few officials and journal- ists with inside spurces of informa- | tion knew that they were even ex- pected within so short a time after | President Roosevelt's announcement on January 6 that they would be sent. That announcement was made in the President’s “State of the Union” message to Congress. Markets at a Glance NEW_ YORK, Jan. 26 (#.— Stocks firm; rails, specialties lean forward. Bonds higher; car- riers continue advance. Cotton strong; trade and commission hotise buying. X =