Belcher's Statements Debated

city election, Fifth Ward Council candidates Louis Belcher, Republican, and Paul Brown, Democrat, are trading political blows over Belcher's campaign literature. Brown sharply criticized campaign literature distributed by Belcher with the heading "Belcher - Councilman, Fifth Ward," and a statement contained in the letter which says Belcher was the "Republican candidate for mayor in 1971." Brown said: "This statement j ing Belcher's mayoral race) is false. Mr. Garrís was the Republican candidate for mayor that year, having defeated Mr. Belcher in the primary. "I have sent Mr. Belcher a telegram respectfully requesting him to cease distribution of this letter, to repudiate its misleading portions, and to prevent distribution before the election of any other literature or advertising that contains statement that Mr. Belcher knows are patently false ... "In addition, I have communicated with the prosecuting attorney to ask whether a violation of the Michigan election code with reference to the implication of incumbency has occurred ..." When contacted by The news, Belcher said he believed his literature was not misleading and that Brown's statements were "an obvious political ploy by the DemoI crats. "That literature has been out for six weeks . . . and by I any stretch of the imagination I I have not posed myself as the Republican candidate for mayor. It's a typical, typical political ploy." Belcher said he was sending Brown an answering telegram and wás anxious to hear the decisión of the county I nrosecutor.