The News Journal from Wilmington, Delaware • Page 1

The Weather Today's Chuckle Business prophets attempt to tell us what will happen. Busi-ncss profits tell us what did happen. Evening JOURNAL Clear and colder tonight. Mostly sunny tomorrow. (Waalher Map ma Details on Pag 3) Vol.

39 No. 70 WILMINGTON w22 DELAWARE Wednesday, March 24, 1971 Home Delivered 73 Cents Per Week Ten Cents Laos Drive Ends Red Tanks Pursue iaaV 'JMTVI kaTJ outh Viet Pullou Compiled from Dispatches SAIGON The South Vietnamese drive against the Ho Chi Minn Trail in southern Laos ended today with North Vietnamese tanks pursuing the Saigon troops right to their border. U.S. aircraft knocked out six tanks, spokesmen said. AMERICAN crews who manned the fleet of 600 helicopters that gave the South Vietnamese support from Khe Sanh base 12 miles from the Laotian border also continued their withdrawal.

The withdrawal of the U.S. helicopters was a clear indication the Laotian campaign was over. Without the choppers the South Vietnamese were without the mobility necessary to carry out the campaign. Lt. Col.

Do Viet, a spokesman for the South Vietnamese Command in Saigon, said the last fire base in Laos had been abandoned and the remaining 2,000 troops had marched 9 Did Minn. Jump Gun? State Cries 'FouV In Ratifying Race AP Wirephoto RETURNING FROM LAOS South Viet-naniesc troops, riding on a tank, wave to American soldiers (upper right) as their armored column returns to South Vietnam from Laos. Americans provided covering sup port along Route 9. Youth Flags Judge's Eye, Gets Jail At least 26 other states were expected to follow soon with their approval. 38 states in all, three-fourths of the total, will have to vote approval for the amendment to become part of the Constitution.

Opposition to the 18-year-old vote amendment was noted in states that have experienced severe student disorders in the past few years. Gov. Ronald Reagan of California had no plans for seeking swift legislative approval of the amendment and said yesterday he would prefer to let the voters decide directly. LAST year, Congress approved a law lowering the minimum voting age to 18 for all elections, but the U.S. Supreme Court struck that down, saying Congress had the right to control voting regulations only for federal elections and a constitutional amendment would be required to force the states to lower the voting age for all elections.

In the last decade, 20 states, includnig Delaware, have beaten back measures that would have lowered the voting age, but times have changed and ratification is expected to be easy See 18-YEAR Page 2, Col. 2 Tawing the mark with impatience, the Delaware General Assembly took off like a strea yesterday to make this the first state to ratify the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and finished second. The cry of the Blue Hen was heard throughout the land, screaming "foul." Delaware ratified the 26th Amendment, granting 18-year-olds the right to vote in all elections, at 4:51 yesterday afternoon, just 16 minutes after the U.S. House had approved the amendment.

MINNESOTA ratified the amendment at 4:14, 21 minutes before it officially existed, and claims it is the first state to ratify. Is this fair? Only a good lawyer would know for sure. Such are the rewards of perfidy that the history books will almost certainly record, if they record it at all, that Minnesota was the first to ratify the 26th Amendment. MINNESOTA or Delaware was followed by Connecticut, Tennessee and Washington, all ratifying the amendment within an hour of its passage by the House. MIAMI CP) A Cleveland vouth who went tn through the hills to the border.

But a report from the front said several hundred Vietnamese marines remained in the vicinity of the base, on a ridge about 2 miles inside Laos, to prevent North Vietnamese gunners using it to shell allied bases on the Vietnamese side of the border. ALLIED spokesmen said U.S. helicopter gunships and fighter-bombers knocked out the six pursuing enemy tanks along a 5-mile stretch of Highway 9 west of the Lao Bao border outpost The U.S. Command said three of the tanks were 15 tonners. The South Vietnamese command's chief spokesman, Lt.

Col. Tran Van An, said the South Vietnamese forces had accomplished 80 to 93 per cent of their objectives. Field reports, however, said the operation had fallen far short of expectations and that it was closed out sooner than scheduled because of the battering the South Vietnamese were taking from North Vietnamese forces estimated to outumber them 2 to 1. THE South Vietnamese claimed that 13,668 North Viet-names troops were killed, but some U.S. officers in the field said this claim was greatly exaggerated.

By their own accounting, the South Vietnamese suffered heavily, admitting 1,146 troops killed, 245 missing, and 4,235 wounded. This total of 5,626 casualties represented 25 per cent of the invasion force, and the South Vietnamese command considers 15 per cent casualties a heavy loss. Half of an armored column of more than 200 tanks and armored personnel carriers was wiped out, field reports said. U.S. Intelligence sources said North Vietnamese forces already have moved back into some segments of the Ho Chi Minh trail cut by the South Vietnamese and were repairing them, including the key transportation hub of Sepone, on Highway 9, 25 miles west of the border.

Sepone was the deepest penetration into Laos. Although spokesmen in Saigon claimed their forces had cut Highway 914, another key artery running southeast from Highway 9, field reports said they scrapped this objective when the North Viet- See S. VIETS-Page 2, Col. 8 Municipal Court as a witness was sentenced to 30 days for contempt because he wore a store-purchased shirt that bore an American flag pattern. Donovan LaKowta, 18, had appeared in Judge Gerald Tobin's court yesterday on behalf Supreme Court upholds New York law making it a crime to defile or cast contempt upon the American flag.

Story on page 2. of two unidentified minor girls accused of illegal possession of alcoholic Tobin noticed the youth wearing the red, white and blue shirt, ordered him to step forward and remove the garment, then sent him to jail. "My feeling was that the flag has 200 years of history and a lot of brave men died Senate Trouble Seen For Wage-Tax Hike st 7 ,4 I termed political maneuvering. The Republicans felt their support for the wage tax would be used against their party as a political issue in the 1972 elections. Rep.

W. Neal Moerschel, R-Dover, one of the six to change his vote, said he was told by one Wilmington Democratic representative that the city needed the tax. "Then, he turned around See VOTE-Page 2, Col. 1 City Still On Rail Routes By GEORGE MONAGHAN Staff Business Writer Commuter service to and from the Wilmington area will not be affected by the new train routes announced by the National Railroad Passenger Corp. The 21 passenger-train routes linking major cities throughout the nation will go into effect after May 1 and, although service has been curtailed drastically in 0 areas, the corridor between New YorX and Washington has been left, for the most part, untouched.

THE corporation, created by Congress last year, said two unprofitable trains will be retired in the New York- Washington segment-the night train from Railpai map m.eetz storm of protest. Story on page 42. Washington to Boston and the connecting train to points in the south. The idea behind the corporation was to relieve private railroads of their expensive passenger service burdens. But in choosing the new routes the corporation reduced the already dwindling passenger train service across the nation.

Because passenger service along the East Coast corridor has been generally considered a good base for revival of rail service, it was hardly touched by reductions. NO changes in present fares have been announced under the new corporation. Commuter service was untouched mainly because it is subsidized by local or regional public corporations such as the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transport Authority. SEPTA subsidizes Penn Cen- See COMMUTERS-P. 2, C.

I Brownlowii Area Due Rust Flush Wilmington officials are requesting that residents of the Browntown area refrain from using water beginning tomorrow morning at 9. At that time, ths city Water Department will flush 'the rust from city water lines between Broom and Jackson Streets and south of Maple Street. Water used during that time could stain clothing and while not harmful to drink will not taste normal, a city spokesman said. The flushing procedure should be completed by afternoon, the spokesman said, and local radio stations will inform residents when normal water usage may be resumed. Residents are warned to check the water before using it.

Blast, Fire Hit Home Of Lawyer By WALTER R. BISHOFF Gasoline and a one-pound can of black powder were blamed for an explosion and fire early today just outside a rear porch of a Westover Hills home of a corporation lawyer. The blast and fire caused only slight damage at the home of Daniel L. Bell 41, of 903 Overbrook Drive, about 2:35 this morning. Bell is an attorney for Columbia Gas Systems, Inc.

State police detectives, cooperating with the state fire marshal's office, said today that early investigation had not uncovered a motive. POLICE gave this account: About 2:35, Bell was awakened by an explosion and looked out the window to see fire in front of a rear screened-in porch. They said two gallon cans of gasoline were placed outside near the door of the porch, along with the can of black powder. Police said they believe some sort of fuse was used to ignite the gasoline and set off the powder. They added that the blast scattered flaming gasoline in all directions, causing damage to the porch.

Some brick siding was also scorched. MRS. Bell, contacted at the home today, said she and her husband were awakened by the blast and could see the reflection of the blaze through their bedroom window. As Mrs. Bell took their three children, girls aged 13, 12 and 1, to a neighbor, Bell called firemen and state police.

Cranston Heights and Elsmere Fire Companies responded to the alarm, and, according to police, quickly brought the fire under control. POLICE said they expect to be at the fires scene most of today. Meanwhile, they have gathered evidence which will be sent to the FBI laboratory in Washington for study. Police said they agree with the Bells that those responsible for the blast and fire probably fled into a wooded area at the rear of the house. Woman Wins Booze Wacr-Thcn Dies EL SOBRANTE, Calif.

(UPI) Annie Tomain, 25, had been drinking heavily at a cocktail party Monday night when revelers challenged her to demonstrate her speed and capacity. They bet her $23 she couldn't down nearly a pint of Scotch in 10 minutes. She won the bet, then collapsed, police said. She was dead on arrival at Brook-side Hospital. crest, attempted to amend the bill to make the tax one per cent, but was hooted down by Republican proponents of the measure.

"I'LL save it," he said of his amendment. "The bill will come back from the Senate. They won't pass it the way it is." Wilmington Mayor Harry G. Haskell Jr. said yesterday he was pleased with the passage of the measure and that the added funds "will keep Wilmington from fiscal difficulties." He said he was pleased the vote was bipartisan and "it is my sincere hope that the state Senate concurs when they consider this vital legislation." H.

B. 48 failed to gain the 20 votes necessary for a simple majority last week after some House Republicans refused to support the bill unless their Democratic counterparts did. DEMOCRATS, until yesterday, held out from voting for the bill in what some Republicans DOVER The Senate president pro tern said today that a House bill to continue and raise the Wilmington wage tax might face possible amendment in the Senate. Sen. Reynolds duPont, R-Greenvillc, said he has heard that an amendment has been prepared for the Senate that would leave the tax at its pre- More legislative news on Page 6 sent 1 per cent, rather than the 1.5 per cent passed by the House.

"I believe, though, that the bill has a fighting chance to go through at 1.5 per cent and that's the side I'll be fighting for," Du Pont said. H.B. 48, amended several times, just cleared the House yesterday after six representatives changed from not voting to yea. The bill extends the wage? tax for two years and increases the tax to 1.5 per cent. Rep.

Robert J. Berndt, R-Hill- Seitz Will Head 3d Circuit Court AP rephvo UPON his retirement, Hastie becomes known as a senior judge. Along with his colleague, Biggs, he can accept whatever judicial assignments are given him by the chief judge or whatever assignments he is willing to accept. The retirement of Hastie and the death of Freedman creates three vacancies on the active See SEITZ-Page 2, Col. 7 The Inside Story (load communications is the key to tureen in the stale legislature.

A news analysis about three pieces of legislation. University of Delaware picked as Western Hemisphere depository of copies of papers of the Englishman who made the first map of the moon. By WILLIAM P. FRANK Judge Collins J. Seitz becomes chief judge of the U.S.

3d Circuit Court of Appeals June 1. He will succeed Judge William H. Hastie of Philadelphia, who retires May 31. Seitz, who is 56, will be the third Delawarean to hold the post. Others before him were the late George Gray who was named to the circuit bench in 1899 and was chief judge when he retired in 1914, and John Biggs Jr.

of Wooddale, who was chief judge for 26 of his 28 years as an active member of the court. By the rule of seniority, therefore, the mantle of chief judge falls upon Seitz, who has been a judge of the court since July 1966. THE 3d Circuit Court covers eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and the U.S. Virgin Islands. With the announced retirement of Hastie as an active member of the court, the post of chief judge would have gone to Judge Abraham Freedman of Philadelphia.

Freedman, 66, died at his home March 13. ANGRY JUDGE Municipal Court Judge Gerald Tobin staic. at flag shirt he confiscated from a vouth who wore it into court. defending it," Tobin said. "I felt it was entirely inappropriate to wear into court." The girls accused on the alcoholic beverage charge were found guilty and fined $25 each.

They had the money to pay the fines, Tubin said, but chose to spend three days in jail inslcad. Florence Willis, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Miami, said of the incident, courts are the worst in the country. "They're not courts of record, they get away with absolutely outrageous things, and it's difficult to do anything about it." Mrs. Willis said the ACLU probably would protest LaKowta's sentence before the city commission. LaKowta's shirt was confiscated by the court, and Tobin ordered that it was not to be returned to the youth.

Dissipate for the State! ST. CLOUD, Minn. (LTD Gov. Wendell boosting his proposal for increased liquor and cigarette taxes, urged a Rotary Club luncheon to "keep smoking and is ft a rn II Texas millionaire Ross Perot comes to the result of financially-troubled F. I.

du Pont brokerage Jinn. Page 12 Arts and Amusements 10-13 Crossword Puzzle 50 Astrological Forecast 54 Daily Record 38 Area Date Book 22 Editorials 28 Bridge 51 Obituaries 38 Business i2ri2 SPorts 4,48 Cjassifjc( 48-57 Television and Radio 8-9 Comjcs 40 Women's World 15-17 Judge Collins J. Seitz.