THE BRIDGEPORT TELEGRAM, TUESDAY, deliberations 'officers. Friday." difficulty advance in committee replied: Stevenson in inquiry of HouseSenate Committee development submarines in[creasing the not development requested off. Tuesday. a snapped 'Police - Puerto Rican Relations Good Here' Police relations with the city's Puerto Rican population were rated as excellent last night group of Bridgeport policemen studying urban minority problems at the University, of Bridgeport, but a language barrier still hampers law enforcement in Spanish-speaking sectors. The policemen, attending the weekly sessions at the universiwhich will c tend to April, were commenting on problems the Spanish-speaking community following an orientation lecture on the Puerto Rican in the United States Alfredo Murphy, executive secretary of the Bridgeport Catholic Diocese Social Action department. Murphy Cites Barriers In his talk, Mr. Murphy saw language and discrimination problems as the two chief barriers the Puerto-Rican's assimilation with society today, but predicted that the barriers would eventually vanish, as they have with other immigrant groups. The former Action for Bridgeport Community Development, Inc., aide agreed with a police: man who the policeman the "The relationship. between Rican people couldn't be better.' But in many ways the Puerto Rican community remains a closed society, accordingto one the 25 policemen. It is often difficult to get information on criminal activity from Spanish speaking citizens because of their reluctance to indict another member of their group, he said, resulting in a "closed mouth" attitude. The law officers both in and out of uniform, and most working in ghetto districts spoke freely on problems encountered in blighted areas. Negroes 'More Defiant' Negroes, another officer said were often "more defiant." "Negroes tend to be more defiant" than Puerto Ricans when dealing with policemen, said another officer. Mr. Murphy pointed out that perhaps the greater respect for the law evolves from the strict Rican family structure Puerto. attitude toward law officers that exists on their native island- which has a relatively low crime rate. "*The policeman in Puerto-Ri-1 co is a hero," he observed, "and here he is not." Mr. Murphy was joined by the majority of dents when he disagreed with the department's recent lowering. of educational standards for police recruits. Under the change, police pa[trolman candidates are no longer required to be high school graduates. Out of 35 police trainees who will report to the department tomorrow, one law officer noted, there is only one Puerto-Rican. Higher Wages Wanted Young Spanish-speaking men who have attained a secondary school education, Mr. Murphy said, do not want to become policemen because other available employment usually brings a higher wage. It was also pointed out that only six of 326 city policemen_ are fluent in Spanish, although language lessons are currently being conducted in the department. In his lecture, Mr. Murphy rendered a brief background sketch of the island life PuertoRican immigrants leave behind. Discrimination, he said, 'is rare in Puerto Rico, despite the fact that there is a correlation between lighter skin and higher income, he said. "In the islands, Puerto Ricans are not initiated to discrimination.' A film on Puerto Rican lems shown later in the session substantiated his point. It portrayed a U.S. government representative lecturing soon-to-emigrate Purto Ricans on life on the mainland exwill plaining face soon after arrival to the discrimination they 13 More Grass Fires Fought in Fairfield Fairfield firemen battled 13 more grass fires yesterday, including one 'on Verna Hill road which burned over a large area. This fire was reported at 3:38 p.m. Firemen from Company Five were forced to call for assistance from Companies One and Four. The blaze was extinguished in about 45 minutes. Firemen were also called at 1:50 p.m. to the home of J.E. Newbauer, 64 Beaconview drive,| where a water heater set the fioor on fire. Damage was minor, firemen said. At 2:15 p.m, firemen were sent to the home of J.F. Wildenberg, 300 Gilbert highway to check a relief valve on a furnace. They shut off the gas in the home of Howard Weil, 345 Rowland road, at 7 p.m. when a leak developed in an appliance. Man Acquitted In Fatal Shooting Of Car Thief, 16 BALTIMORE, Md. (AP) -A man whose car had been stolen times within two years was charge in the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old boy suspected of trying to steal the vehicle. James F. Lee, 29, had been accused of firing a shot last April 12 which ricocheted off a sidewalk and struck Angelo H. Moreno. Lee was acquitted by Judge Anselm Sodaro in Baltimore Criminal Court after defense attorney Frank Federico produced testimony that the white convertible had been stolen nine times, beginning in 1965-the last time three days before the shooting. Lee, who testified he had lost his auto insurance because of the repeated thefts, said he fired a warning shot from a window at a distance of about 75 feet. Two men standing near the car fled, and one crouched forward in the driver's seat remained in the car. After firing a second shot at the sidewalk, Lee said, he went outside and was told that a youth was lying in an alley with la gunshot wound in the shoulder. Lee said he owned the pistol about 10 years and did not purchase it because of the car thefts. McNamara Will Get 19-Gun Adieu Salute WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara will receive full mili• tary honors including a 19-gun salute in his final day at the Pentagon Thursday. The Defense Department said an armed forces departure ceremony for the outgoing defense chief will be held at noon outside the Pentagon. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul H. Nitze and Gen. Earle G. Wheeler, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are co-hosts for the ceremony. Weather permitting, Navy and Air Force planes will sweep overhead. McNamara takes over his new job as head of the World Bank April 1. He will take a month off after ending en-year tenure in the defense department. Norwich and Teachers In Contract Impasse NORWICH (AP) - Teacherschool board negotiations came to an abrupt halt late* Monday night with a terse two-para-tion, graph statement issued by both sides. "Economic and other matters in the proposed contract betwees the Norwich Board of need the podiatry 000 are affiliated or is in in as 2 National
