National Affairs: NO HAVEN

Only a block from the Hudson River pier where the Normandie burned and sank five years ago, fire broke out one day last week on the John Ericsson, formerly the Swedish liner Kungsholm. For three hours, fire engines and boats fought the flames while clouds of yellowish smoke billowed over the 85,000-ton Queen Elizabeth, tied up at the same pier and engaged in loading 2,200 passengers for her scheduled sailing that afternoon. The 20,200-ton John Ericsson, a troopship during the war, is owned by the Maritime Commission and operated by the United States Lines. With damage estimated at more than $500,000, Maritime officials doubted that she would ever sail again under the U.S. flag.