Show I f WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS I 1 New Crisis Appears in Germany j I As Russ Threaten Berlin Airlift I 1 Rent Control Extension Proposed i By Bill Staff Writer riter j EDITORS EDITOR'S NOTE NOTES When opinions opinion are expressed In these be columns column the they are those fit ef f Western VestuD Newspaper Unions Union's news nw analysts and aDd not Dot necessarily of 01 Ibis newspaper I AIRLIFT New Crisis Morally defeated In their efforts to make good the blockade of Ber- Ber I lir the Soviets were brewing up n a nI I new Dew batch of trouble tc keep AmerIcan American Amer Amer- ican planes out of the skies over the German capital I The Russian military tion in Berlin charged that foreign 1 planes had flown illegally over the Soviet zone of Germany and 1 threatened to force such planes down if it ever happened again IT HAD all the earmarks of a desi desperate desperate des des- i last ditch attempt to keep J the U. U S. S airlift from succeeding I in its mission of supplying food and fuel to Germans inside the blockI blockaded blockaded block block- I zones But American officials weren't having any of it In a brittle reply to the Soviet letter Brig Gen C. C K Gailey Galley stated that if it any Americans I were injured as a result of a planes plane's I being forced down the full responsibility I would rest on Soviet ders I J THE RUSSIAN letter received I from Lt Gen G. G S. S I chief of sta stall staff I of the Soviet military administration asserted that foreign foreign foreign for eign aircraft not bearing identification cation marks of nationality had hadI I flown over Soviet territory both within and without the international tt air corridors t I His missive concluded with a flat fiat two-point two threat of Red intentions I in the future 1 SOVIET air patrols would force down all aU unidentified aircraft over the Soviet zone 2 SOVIET air patrols would force down all foreign aircraft appearing ap ap- I 1 over the Soviet zone outside outside out out- side the limits of the air corridors and greater Berlin The incident was tabbed as the Berlin situation situation situa situa- latest crisis in the tion but in comparison to the theother theother theother I other crises that have come and gone this one appeared to be little littlemore littlemore more than a tempest in a tea tea- pot It seemed to convey the Impression impression im Im- Im that the Russians were losing their grip that grip that they couldn't I even foment a real hot crisis any more Not that the affair was to be beI betaken betaken I taken lightly In an atmosphere charged with hostility it wouldn't take much more than the intentional intentional intent destruction of one American 4 plane to touch of off of a serious con con- ii CONTROL Jt i On Rents One of the promises that President President dent Truman made to the people during his campaign tour was that he would secure an extension of rent controls And scarcely had the startling election day passed before a concerted concerted con con- rent control effort was being be be- i ing ine brought under way by the Dem Dem- Rent Director Tighe E. E Woods announced that he would ask the new congress not only to extend but to strengthen the present present present pres pres- ent rent control law HE SAID he would ask congress to extend the rent law for 12 months past its present expiration date March 31 and to close what he considers three big loopholes in the the present present act The liThe shortage of rental housing I is more serious today especially in inthe inthe inthe the smaller communities thank than it was a year ago he declared In addition to extending and buttressing the present law Woods indicated that he probably would propose that congress give him new Dew authority to restore controls or impose them for the first time in areas that may be boomed by new defense activity These are the changes he will Jl sk k c i 1 EVICTION CONTROLS CONTROL ReI Re Re- I tore federal control over evictions I H Now evictions are left to local I courts The result Woods said is isa i J a serious black market in rents I 2 TREBLE Give DAMAGES the rent director power to sue rent I 1 violators for three times their I I overcharge Now only the tenant l I cat can bring such suits This means that landlords usually get of off with I simple repayment of the over over- I charge 3 CRIMINAL SANCTIONS SANCTIONS ProVide Pro Pro- Vide jail terms and fines for cont convicted con con- t violators This would give th the rent dir director a to back backup backup backup up his orders Woods was confident that the new Democratic congress would receive his proposals cordially and most r I sources on on Capitol Hill confirmed j 4 L that belief |