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Show NEWS REVIEW Parley Still Deadlocked; Higher Prices Predicted MOSCOW: No Agreement The conference between U. S. Secretary of State Marshall and Premier Stalin has achieved little or nothing, in the opinion of American Ameri-can diplomats in Moscow. The deadlock dead-lock between Russian and United States delegations in the Council of Foreign Ministers seems no nearer to solution. Basic disagreements on the German peace treaty are too geat, it Is thought, for any easy or rapid agreement. This pessimistic view does not exclude ex-clude the possibility that some minor concessions may be made by the Russians for propaganda purposes. pur-poses. It is not believed likely, however, how-ever, that anything important will be achieved at this session. Hope that the Austrian treaty would be completed has pretty well faded. Main stumbling block In all the treaty negotiations is the Russian demand for huge reparations. If the Russians would retreat somewhat from their position, some arrangement arrange-ment might be worked out, it is admitted. While there is considerable Justification Justi-fication for calling this conference a failure, American diplomats point out that certain fundamental issues have been aired, and that Secretary Marshall has had an opportunity to present American policy to Russia and the world. HIGHER PRICES: Sloan Says So Still higher prices are coming soon, according to one of the topflight top-flight business executives of the country Alfred P. Sloan Jr., chairman chair-man of General Motors corporation. In a speech before the Economic club ot New York, Sloan blamed demands de-mands ot union laborers for wage Increases. "It is clear a new national wage pattern is being formed, he said, and that business cannot meet higher wages and make price reductions re-ductions at the same time. He admitted ad-mitted that lowering of prices is a "badly needed" change. Any enterprise enter-prise that can absorb wage boosts without raising prices should do so, he advocated, but he added that few could do so. Burdensome taxes also prevent substantial price reductions, reduc-tions, he said. It is the price level of farm produce, prod-uce, not of manufactured goods, that is most out of line, Sloan declared. de-clared. In all likelihood, he predicted, pre-dicted, consumer resistance to high price in the perishable goods lines, particularly foods, will bring "a more or less serious decline hi general gen-eral business volume before final adjustment is made." TEXAS CITY BLAST.: Chaos Prevails The explosion of the French freighter Grandcamp in a slip in Galveston bay, Texas City, Tex., was followed In rather fast order by explosion of the freighter High Flyer, as well as other explosions. Both ships were laden with tons of ammonium nitrate. It may be weeks before any reliable reli-able facts can be secured even as to the origin of the first blast Hundreds Hun-dreds lost their lives, the injured may reach thousands and property damage of millions is certain. The loss to the Monsanto Chemical plant In immediate vicinity of the initial explosion ot the French vessel, ves-sel, will reach 20 million dollars. Prompt assistance by state officials, offi-cials, federal authorities and Red Cross units as well as Houston, Galveston Gal-veston and other Texas firefighters and police, the cooperation of air lines, railroads and doctors, nurses and ambulance workers, prevented the loss in life from reaching sev eral hundred more. A few hours after the first blast Texas City was the scene of chaos. Ten Ores sprang up within a few hours. The concussion wrecked buildings In the center of town, and fires completed the destruction ot many sections of the industrial city. The residential section was about the only section not leveled. Homes and buildings In Houston. Galveston and other cities were thrown open to the evacuees, who wandered around in a daze. The shock was felt 10 miles away and the fires could be seen tor 100 miles. Even airplanes exploded In the air. Atomic Control Possible Now Article 51 of the United Nations charter provides a basis for possible pos-sible compromise on an atomic energy control plan which bypasses the veto problem. "It it could be agreed that illicit production or storing ot fissionable materials constitutes evidence of intent in-tent to commit armed attack, then nations could automatically, once a violation had been certified, proceed to take enforcement action without waiting for explicit Security Council Coun-cil approval," points out Dr. Fox. |