Comp.
V
1
J, '
Russian Grumbling In Berlin Starts
WHO DOES WHAT ' "
Allies Accused
The Weather
Of Laxity In
Mostly cloudy with scattered
showers today and Saturday.
Sunset today 7:28 p. m.
Sunrise tomorrow 4:50 a. m.
j U. Of 0. Litrary
.-"4. itegene, Oregon
r MRS. DALLEN JONES is dressing an infected eye on a Poki
' nese at the Roseburg Animal Hospital on N. Stephens St. Mickey,
the Pelce, is just about fed up with hospitals, with bad eyes and
with life in general.
"I'd rather have anything happen to me," Mickey moaned,
"than an ailing eye." Sure, at the time (and the time is now)
he thinks it's a lot worse than having a broken leg. It peeves
him no end when has has to wait a few minutes for a nurse, or
a nurse's aid, after fretfully ringing his bell for some need or
other, you can lay to that.
He sure is leading a dog's life, if any canine ever did.
Francis P. Matthews Nominated By
Truman To Be Secretary Of Navy
WASHINGTON, May 13. (API Francis Patrick Matthews,
Omaha lawyer, was named Secretary of the Navy today.
The White House announced that Matthews, 62, widely known
Catholie layman, has been nominated to succeed John 'L Sulli
van. Sullivan quit recently with a blast at Secretary of Defense
Johnson for halting work on the Navy's super aircraft carrier.
Matthews, a Democrat, was a member of the President's
committee on civil rights in 1946. He is a graduate of Creighton
University and a native of Albion, Neb.
The President, it was announced, is not yet ready to name a
new Secretary of the Army to succeed Kenneth C. Royall, who
also resigned.
Selection of Matthews followed the refusal of Jonathan
Daniels, North Carolina editor, to accept the Navy job.
President Truman also announced he is promoting Dan A.
Kimball to undersecretary of the Navy.' Kimball is now assistant
secretary. He is a Californian. ,
Kimball succeeds former Undersecretary W. John Kenney,
whose resignation was announced last week. ' . .
In the Days News
By FRANK JENKINS
AS the heat goes off in Berlin,
it goes on in China where
it looks like the Communists may
be gunning for Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is a British colony,
and a few days ago the British
defense minister told the House
of Commons that Britain is send
ing substantial land, sea and air
reinforcements there.
He added:
"While we have scrupulously
endeavored to avoid being In
volved In war on the Chinese
mainland, we are no less resolute
In our attitude as regards terri
tory for which we hold a direct
responsibility."
THE point?
Well, If the Chinese Commu
nists attack Hong Kong, which
is British territory, and the
British DEFEND it, it will be a
(Continued on Page Four)
MA TOR COMMUNITY
i : -
Veterans HasDital Here
Disburses $1,324,000 In
j Year; Open House Slated
l C DI1.I11.. mm Dsn 1 S V
r .
I As an institution employing 357 persons and caring for more
I than 600 patients, the Roseburg Veterans Hospital is responsible
i tor exnenriiture of $1,324,000 in this eommunitv nnniinllv ' Thl.
( was brought out by Floyd Powell, executive officer of the Hospital,
? in a speech to the Roseburg Rotary Club Thursday noon.
I'oweii extended an in
' vitalion to his listeners to
: visit the hospital Sunday after
'. noon, when a public open house
" will he held in observance of Na-
tional Hospital Day. Other rep
v resentatives of the Hospital at
J the Rntoary meeting included Dr.
H. J. Haskins, manager; Dr. Ken
neth W. Kinney, chief of profes
slonal services; Ted Wirak. per-
; snnnel director, and Ralph
Church, assistant personnel di-
rector.
Opening remarks were made by
' Dr. Haskins. who said the Rose
: burg Veterans Hospital is "not
' an asylum, boarding house, or fa
! cillty, and the patients are not In
' mates." Because the public "knows
little" about mental hosDltals.
;thev ire invited to visit the insti
tution Sunday.
Administration
Powell. Introduced by Dr. Has
tkins. explained the adrrinisMative
fcrgAnization of the hospital and
Woscribed the work of the major
divisions. He pointed that the
' annual payroll Is $1,200,000. large
lv spent looallv, in addition to
which the hospital spends $124,000
Rodeo Queen To
Be Chosen Sunday
Some fair young lady of Doug
las County Sunday will hold the
honor of being selected queen of
the Sheriff's Posse's 1949 rodeo.
All girls wishing to enter the
contest are asked to be at the
Fairgrounds Sunday before 2 p.
m., when the selection will be
made, announced Chairman Del
McKay.
Rules state that contestants
must be unmarried and between
the ages of 16 and 21 years.
They must ride the same horse
in the rodeo as at the time of
competing for queen. Their rid'
ing equipment and costume must
be. In good condition.
Contestants will be Judged, said
McKay, on tneir ability to ride,
on their horse and equipment
and on personal beauty. Decisions
will be final. The queen's court
will be chosen at the same time.
The rodeo queen will be present-
ed with a western riding outfit
cis ner piije. sne win uuii'tauy
represent the rodeo as its queen.
The public is Invited to wit
ness the contest. There will be
no admission charge.
ASSET
annually here for food and sup
plies. Major divisions of the hospital
administration are Finance, re
sponsible for accounting and bud
geting; Suppiv, in charge of con
tracting, purchasing, requisition
ing and storage; Personnel,
which hires and trains employes
and has charge of public rela
tions: Engineering, maintaining
buildings and grounds and In
charge of utilities; Special Serv
ices, in charge of recreation, and
the Registrar, who admits and
charges patients and maintains
clincal records.
Powell described the admini
strative branch of the hospital
as "the spokes of a wheel, Dr.
Haskins being the hub, and the
medical division being the tire
of the wheel." Powell added that,
"My division supports the medi
cal program at the hospital."
Tyoc of Treatments Told
Dr. Kinney pointed o ' it
the Roseburg Veterans I al
is a "nervous and mental ,ios-
( Continued on Page Two)
Established 1873
Forest Fire Rages
Beaver Creek
Burn Acreage
Flaming Mass
Fire Believed Due To
Electrical Storm; Men
Rushed To Combat It
Fifty forest service men and
loggers today are making their
way into the old Beaver Creek
burn area of the South UmDO.ua
watershed, where fire is report
ed raging over 200 to 300 acres
of burned over timber land. The
area is included in the upper
Cow Creek ranger district out
from Drew.
Forest Supervisor M. M. "Red"
Nelson stated that isolation of
the area, which is three to eight
miles beyond the nearest road,
may prove a serious handicap in
fighting the blaze.
Milton Andrews, South Ump
qua district ranger with head
quarters at Tiller, flew over the
area about 6 p.m. yesterday and
reported the fire, fanned by an
east wind, spreading rapidly most
ly in tne tops ol dead snags, it
was burning up the mountain side
toward green timber.
Believed to have been of light-,
ning origin, the blaze was re
ported to the forest supervisor's
office about 3 p.m. yesterday by
a United Airlines pilot, who flew
over the area. Nelson said no
lookouts are stationed in the
mountains this early In the sea
son.
The fire Ls believed to have
started from an electrical storm
Wednesday, although storms have
occurred since.
Ranger Andrews, assisted by
Roy Hampton, is directing the
fire fighters. Fallers and buck
ers from Harbor Plywood log
ging operations in the Tiller area,
some from Firmco's crew and
other available men, left at 5:30
p.m. yesterday on their way into
the rugged area, the elevation of
which Is upwards of 4.UUU leeti
rThe tcenc '"Is reached by way
of Devil's Knob road lrom Drew.
However, the road is having to
(Continued on Page Two)
Drunk Driving Charge
Denied; Bail Posted
Benjamin Earl Howard, 49,
Centralia, Wash., pleaded inno
cent to a charge of drunk driving,
when arraigned in Justice Court
Thursday, reported Justice A. J.
Gerides.
Howard, arrested by state po
lice in connection with an acci
dent early Thursday on Rice
Hill, was released upon payment
of $150 bail on the drunk driving
charge, and an additional $50
ball on a charge of operating a
motor vehicle without a driver's
lioense.'
Parachute Fails To Open;
Stuntman Killed In Drop
COLFAX, Wash., May 13. P)
Dan Bracy, 35-year-old sign
painter and part-time stuntman,
jumped from an airplane at 15,000
feet yesterday. A borrowed para-; 88, the U. S. Weather Bureau re
chute failed to open. His body was ports. Thursday's maximum tern
found in a wheat field. I perature was 89, but showers
Flying with him was Oscar ! today apparently have broken the
Murray of Hood River, Ore. 1 hot -ne"
I ' " ' , 1
SCHOOL ADDITION RISES Preliminary construction 11 already underway at Fullerton School, where tight roomi are to be added
te the prtient building. Contractor H. J. Settergren m6ved onto the job almoit Immediately after being awarded tht $253,330
contract for tht combintd lob of building tht Fullerten and Rivtriidt addition. Tht buildingi hive bten dttigned by Fret'mtn
f Frtemtn and Htyilip. (Piefurt by Paul Jenlcini) .
MOLASSES FROM WOOD
Southern Firm
Bids For Plant
At Springfield
WASHINGTON, May 13. UP)
A southern firm has offered to
take over the Springfield, Ore.,
alcohol plant and use it to make
molasses trom wood.
Rep. Ellsworth (R.-Ore.) and
the war Assets Administration
announced that yesterday, dis
closing that Charles B., and W.
S. Hudson of Americus, Ga made
the offer to lease the plant. Terms
were not disclosed.
The WAA said no decision
would be made until at least ten
days.
Ellsworth said he was inform
ed that the complete operation
of fermentation and distillation
would not be undertaken. He said
the Hudson brothers would not
rebuild or operate all four units
of the plant at the start.
What they Intend is to perfect
the process for malting molasses
from wood waste, using only one
of the percolators, he said. Later
the other three porcolr.tors would
go into operation.
The plant was constructed by
the government in the war to
make alcohol from wood waste,
but the process never was com
pleted. Ellsworth said experiments
have shown "one ton of sawdust
will make one ton of molasses
and that the cost of reduction is
ndt expensive."
As ol today it seems likely
the WAA will reach a satisfactory
agreement with Hudson hrnlhprs
for operation of the Springfield
nlQnt" 1.a
plant, he said.
Film-Comic Type
Of Crime Lands
Youth Behind Bars
SEATTLE, May 13 tl A 19-year-old
would-be detective sat
In the county jail today, blaming
his plight on "seeing too many
movies and reading too. many
crime comic books."
"Tilings like this deal of mine
always pan out pretty well in
the kind of stuff I've been read
ing," added the youth, Walter
Franklin Butler.
He was arrested by FBI agents
Wednesday night after accepting
a dummy package which was
supposed to contain $10,000.
The money was to have come
from B. W. Oseran, owner and
manager of the Sportsmen's Sup
ply Center, for whom Butler once
worked.
Oseran called In the FBI after
receiving a threatening note stat
ing that:
"It is worth $10,000 to you to
keep breathing. If you disobey
these orders, you will die."
The orders directed Oseran to
deliver the money to a nearby
beverage store. The arrest fol
lowed. Butler, a former soldier, said
he wanted the money to finish
his education as a private detec
tive. SHOWERS BREAK HEAT
Roseburg's weather Thursday
climbed to one degree warmer
than the previous day's high of
,'1
SWT-" ifL -. 'MWN.vX'AiS
ROSEBURG, OREGON FRIDAY, MAY
In South Umpqua Region
Hotel Fire At
Pasco Claims
Two Lives
Two Other Persons Hurt
Seriously; Damage May
Reach Nearly $50,000
PASCO, Wash., May 13.-OP)
im men died ana iour otners
were injured, two seriously, in a
$50,000 fire that swept the Lewis
Hotel and two stores here early
today.
All 36 occupants of the 25-room
hotel were made homeless. The
fire started on the ground floor a
few minutes after midnight.
The dead were C. T. Hillman
and Clarence Heath, both of Port
land. Although not in the same
room they were both found lying
in water In the Hotel while the
fire was still being brought under
control. Heath was dead when
found and Hillman died shortly
aiitri ueiug iflKeii iu me iiusptiai.
Firemen said that smoke prob
ably knocked the men down as
they tried to escape and that they
either drowned or suffocated be-
(Contlnued on Page Two)
Flood Battled To
Save Idaho Town
EONNERS FERRY, Idaho,
' May 1J- Ur) Dike workers were
Inn n 94-hnilt- hactic tnrlnxt In hnnn
on a 24-hour basis today to keep
the swelling Kootenai River off
30,000 acres of rich farm land
and out of this northern Idaho
town.
Late last night the river level
stood slightly above 26 feet
five feet below flood stage. A
succession of hot days has melt
ed mountain snow packs and is
driving the river upward at the
rate of three and one-half feet
a day. .,
, FVrris on Oe va"oy floor v eVe
most seriously threatened, The
flood of 1948 ripped huge holes
in tne dikes ana workers are
struggling to strengthen patches
and bring the levees to a safe
neignt.
The genera! flood picture in
the rest of the Northwest was
dangerous in certain localities,
but gave no indication of a major
Columbia River flood.
Several fnrm homes In Ore
gon were threatened when Cath
erine Creek broke through its
barriers. Volunteer workers filled
sandbags to protect the homes.
No serious damage was expected
at the town of Union, Ore., be
low the break where' floodwaler
caused $500,000 in damage last
year.
Suicide Indicated In
Naval Officer's Death
SAN FRANCISCO, May 13.
tP) Cmdr. Everett O. Kigsbee
Jr., skipper of the aircraft carrier
Anlietam, was found shot to
death yesterday in his quarters
aboard ship at Hunters Point
Naval Shipyard. His widow said
he had been "terribly overworked
and under great strain."
"The death weapon was reported
13, 1949
Dona Mears Chosen Valedictorian,
Jane Wiggen As Salutatorian For
R. H. S. Commencement Exercises
. Miss Dona Mears and Miss Jane Wiggen, Roseburg High School
seniors, pictured below, have not only been leaders in their class
and school activities, but are also tops scholastlcally.
Principal Alva Laws has announced the selection of Miss Mears
as class valedictorian and Miss Wiggen as salutatorian for com
mencement exercises at the school June 5.
Selection was based on grade
point averages, and Miss Mears
was well in front, with a grade
point average of 3.92 out of a
possible 4.00 perfect, while Miss
Wiggen followed with an aver
age of 3.83.
Of special Interest this year
is the fact the seven students
whose grade point averages were
over 3.5 were all girls.
Outstanding in school affairs,
Miss Mears had difficulty re
membering all the activities in
which she has participated in
school. She is currently student
body secretary and president of
the Trl-Hi-Y. She was a home
coming princess this year and
junior prom princess last year.
She took part in the senior class
play, served as Carnival Plan
ning Lommiuee cnauman, wuin-
ed on last year's Junior Prom
Committee, and was a junior
class secretary. Musically Inclined
she has also served as song
queen, ls a member ol both the
triple trio ana senior trio, ana
a member of the Knignts 01
Pythias Girls Drum Corps.
As if her school activities were
not enough, Miss Mears has time
to work Saturdays and vacation
time at Miller's Department Store.
She was a model at the Spring
Festival and finds time for other
(Co-itinued on Page Two)
Portland Lumberman
Killed In Auto Crash
LEBANON, Ore., May 13. 11)
Allen A. Jones, 43, Portland lum
berman, was killed early today
in a highway accident aB he
drove alone near Sweet Home.
He was .here on ..business, eon
necled with the Western Veneer
Plywood plants at Lebanon and
Sweet Home. He was secretary-
treasurer of the firm.
Linn County Coroner Glenn
Huston said Jones apparently
went to sleep at the wheel. His
car left the highway and ran
along the edge lor 380 feet be
fore striking a guard railing.
Two planks pierced the car.
Jones was thrown free, but the
car rolled on top of him, crushing
him fatally.
Salem Bank Employee
An Alleged Embezzler
PORTLAND, May 13.
Amyot F. Aymong, 40, former
employe of the First National
Bank of Salem, was free today
on his own recognizance on an
embezzlement charge.
He appeared yesterday before
Federal Judge Fee who ordered
the release.
Drputy District Attorney Ed
ward Twining said the actions
charged Involved writing checks
on his personal account and by
miss-routing within the bank pre
venting them from showing on
the books. The total sum In
volved was $445 and restitution
'" nln" said.
"3-49
4
t
u
DONA MEARS
Valedictorian
4
JANE WIGGEN
Salutatorian
Conviction Of
6 Negroes Target
Of Bitter Attack
TRENTON, N. J May 13.-(P)
The conviction of six Negroes,
now under death sentence, was
attacked today as a "vicious
frameup" by the left-wing Civil
Rights Congress.
On the eve of an appeal of the
case before New Jersey's highest
court, the Congress Issued a state
ment branding the conviction "an
attempted lynching northern
style.'1
The state supreme court is to
near argument on the appeal
Monday.
Hurling charges of racial per
secution at Mercer County police
officials, the Congress termed the
trial a "northern Scottsboro
case."
The group, listed as subversive
by the U. S. Department of Jus
tice, has distributed leaflets con
taining these accusations in a
wide campaign to "free the Tren
ton six."
Controversy over the case start
ed last summer when the six men
were sentenced to die In the
electric chair for the bludgeon
slaying of William Horner, 72-year-old
Trenton shopkeeper. Now
In the state death house, they
face the biggest mass execution In
New Jersey's history.
"Conviction of the six Negroes
by an all-white Jury was based
soieiv on so-called conlesslcns
which were extorted from the
men and later repudiated by all
of them," the Congress. charged.
"They were arrested without
warrants, not permitted to con
sult with counsel and nuestloned
by relays of police officers for
five days and nights."
Defense lawyers contend their
clients confessed after they were
drugged and beaten by the police.
The staff of defense attorneys
Is hearted by former Assistant
V. S. Attorney General O. John
Rogge.
Trusty Escapes Prison,
Taking Radio And Clock
SALEM, Ore., May 13.-4T)
A 34-year-old state prison trusty
escaped on this Friday the 13th.
taking with him a portable radio
and an alarm clock.
Prison Warden George Alexan
der said the man, Robert Earl
Lee, walked away from the pris
on farm.
Lee was sentenced Sept. 4. 1917.
In Lake County to serve eight
ears for assault with Intent to
III. He was employed In the
prison chickenhouse.
He was dressed in Ills prison
garb of blue overalls and blue
shirt. Lee Is 5 feet 9 Inches tall,
weighs 170 pounds, and has blue
eyes and brown hair.
tl -
i ?
Blockade Lift
'Nonsense,' Western
Spokesman Says; Plaint
Bares Reds' Supply Need
BERLIN. May 13. fP)Th
Russians accused the Western Al.
lies today of "torpedoing" the
3"rre! nt to lift the Berlin
blockade.
1 weoiern spokesman nromntlv
labelled the accusation "a lot of
nonsense." The spokesman ui
Lawrence Wilkinson, economics
adviser to the U. S. military gov
ernor. "We were told by our gov
ernments to remove all restric
tions put into effect since March
i, i4," ne said. "We've don
that and more."
The Soviet protest wa vrio
informally, through the mouth
piece of the Soviet Army news
paper in Germany, Taegliche
Rundschau.
The Western Powers ni-o auirf.
Ing the lifting of their restric
tions under Invalid pretexts," It
charged.
'he agreement cannot be lul
filled by the Soviet atria
it added. '
Taegllsche Rundsehsm on.
plained the Western Allies failed
to match a Russian order remov
Ing all trade barriers back to
March 1, 1948. The paper was
not specific.
home observers saw In thn
words an Implied threat to raim
pose the blockade but such a
step would be a matter of policy,
for higher authorities than the
Russians in Germany to decide.
But the Rundschau 'statements
did lend emphasis to the Russian-
need lor getting supplies from
Western Germany for her nearly
bankrupt occupation zone.
Situation Explained
The economic ministry of
American-occupied Hesse - said
cargoes for the Soviet zone would
receive export licenses only If
they were covered by pre-block-ade
contracts and had been made
before the Western zone currency
reform of mld-1948.
The ministry said negotiation.
for a new clearing arrangement
are In process, but that It ls not
ciear now tne exchange rate for
East and West marks should be
determined. Until a new agree
ment materializes, It added, only
prepaid shipments are being per
mitted. ... ...
The Soviets had incurred wit.
em wram yesieraay py .refusing.
in Biiuw miens irom west Ber
lin to travel to the Western occu
pation zones without obtaining
permits from the Soviet military
or the Russian-backed German
economic commission.
However, early today West
Berlin police quoted the officer
commanding the Russian high
way checkpoint outside Berlin
saying such trucks now need only
an order from the West Berlin
(Continued on Page Two) .
Pickets Prevent
Removal Of Auto
Parts From Plant
SOUTH BEND, Ind May 13
(iP) Pickets stopped an attempt
Anay Uy me 1-acnara Motor
Company to remove seven brake
dies and a million auto parts
from the strike-bound Bendix
Aviation plant.
Sheriff Stephen C. Hlpsak and
two deputies read to sixty pick
ets in front of the Bendix gates
a circuit order allowing Packard
to remove Its equipment from
the Bendix plant.
The pickets replied that they
would refuse to move. Six semi
trailers started to move into the
plant through the pickets. The
sheriff said the pickets shouted:
We'll wreck your trucks," and
the first driver stopped. He said
he could go no farther and the'
attempt was called off by the
sheriff.
About 7,500 CIO-Un!ted Auto
Workers have been on strlk at
the Bendix plant since April 20.
Other major auto makers have
removed their brake dies from
the plant under court orders with
out Interference.
ihe union has demanded re
instatement of 47 workers dis
missed for an alleged slowdown,
elimination of an alleged speed
up and dismissal of a $1,500,000
damage suit filed against It by
Bendix.
Company officials have con
tended the union has refused to
follow contract provisions for set
tlement of disputes.
Wife OfTugitive Red
Re-arrested In U. S.
WASHINGTON, May 13)
Mrs. Gearhart Elsler today was
rearrested for deportation while
the Justice Department laid plans
to bring her husband back from
his flight across the seas.
One reason for her re-srrest
was that the Government wished
to question her about the flight
of Eisler, 52-year-old admitted
Communist, as a stoaway on a
Pollih vessel.
Levity Fact Rant
By U F. Relceneteta
This Ii unquestionably a ma
chine ago, but not for tht type
operated by Jersey City's Frank
nagut.