Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 9, 1947)
The Weather Eugene and vicinity, cloudy today with occasional light show ers; little temperature change. VOLUME XLIX ' UNIVERSITY OF OREGON, EUGENE, THURSDAY, OCTOBER A 1947 ~ * NUMBER jTiene Cuidados! Bankrupt Mex/cano Appeals to (JO Dean By DIANA DYE Clouds of mystery unfolded recently when Dr. Eldon Johnson, dean of the college of liberal arts and graduate school, received a letter from a man supposedly a prisoner in Mexico City on bankruptcy charges. The letter, which is a plea to Dean Johnson to cancel an $8300 em bargo, was of a confidential nature. As this letter has all the markings t of a new angle to an old routine which smells of “swindle,” Dr. John son has notified the FBI. According to the letter, the prisoner wanted to have Dr. Johnson help him save $375,000 in U. S. currency that he received upon disposal of his persona] resources. A Vera Cruz banker, he fled to seek refuge abroad to avoid being arrested for bankruptcy. Ke placed this $375,000 in a secret compartment of a trunk which he checked, at Tampico to a custums house in the United States. The baggage check for the trunk and a cheer. for $25,000, pajmble tc bearer upon demand at a Texas bank, he hid. in c. secret compartment . of one of his twc suitcases. Plans for escape fell through, however, when he and his 18-year-old daughter were caught at the Mexican border. m was arrested, and proceedings began, because his creditors want ed action on the 2,000,000 pesos he owned. His sentence, pronounced Sept. 26. rays in effect that he shall be assessed a fine and three years in. prison if $8300 is-not. paid by October 31. Upon searching the baggage, nothing but personal effects and jew elry were found, hi:.i letter said. The suitcases were sealed and tied by the authoritier awaiting the execution of the sentence. By offering the prison guard 3000 pesos, he had him promise to break the seals on the baggage providing 'that the embargo wan can celled on the same day. If the embargo was not broker, within. 24 hourr after the seals on the baggage, the guard himself would, be arrested and, according to him, he didn’t want tc take the risk. If Dr. Johnson would come to Mexico City, he would get more spe cific instructions on how and where to get the trunk, containing the money. His reward for the enterprise would be $133,333 pluc his travel expenses. The balance would be turned over tc his daughter, now in a public boarding school outside Mexico City. She would put. all "but thfe guard’s reward in a safe deposit box, according to the letter. The prisoner said that he had heard about Dr. Johnson from another inmate of the prison who had known him “very well” in Oregon. He would not give the prisoner’s name at the man was going under a false name to avoid letting people at home know that he was in jail. However, the letter was addressed Eldon Lee Johnson and Dr. Johnson seldom uses his full name. Speculation, shows that if this is a swindle the racketeer may have gotten Dr. Johnson’s name from some other source. The four-page typewritten letter was not censored. The writer explained that he was head of the prison school since he could read and write. His mail therefore would go through without interference form the authorities. \ Another curiosity about the letter was that it was dated September 26, the same day that the sentence was pronounced. Also included' in the dispatch were two judicial documents in Spanish telling about the sentence and the charges, a newspaper clipping about the arrest, and instructions on the hotels where Johnson was to stay if he went to Mexico City. The mystery will probably never be solved for the interested readers of this story. The postal authorities have taken over the case and their investigations will most likely be secret. 'Living Costs' and 'World Union' Chosen as Symposium Topics “The High Cost of Living” and “A Federal Union of Nations” were the topics chosen Tuesday night for the 1947-43 University symposium discussions. Under the direction of Dr. E. Ray Nichols, Jr., the 45 stu dents present at the organizational meetings of the symposium squad, have begun work on this 14th con secutive year of symposium activ ity sponsored by the University speech and drama department. Early season plans, as outlined by Dr. Nichols, call for practice de bates among squad members, com bined with discussion and practice sessions designed to familiarize all members with this year’s program. At the beginning of winter term the annual ^appearances before schools, service clubs and civic groups throughout the state will commence. Early inquiries indicate that this year's activity may break the record for total audience reached, 13,000, set in 1945-46 as k - well as for total number of en gagements, 127, established last year. Groups to Meet in Friendly The groups discussing “The High Cost of Living” will meet Tuesday, October 14, at 4 p.m. in room 106 Friendly and the group discussing “The Federal Union of Nations” will meet at 7:30 p.m. at the same place. Dr. Nichols said that any students not yet assigned to a top ic or not yet acquainted with the program should either attend one or both of these meetings or con tact him in his office in Friendly. For the first time since the early years of the war the symposium squad has a number of experienced men returning for a second year of action. These veterans will be bol stered by the addition of a large number of freshman and sopho more speakers who have not had previous speaking experience on the Universal y campus. Assembly Ends Girls’ Week; Duck-Bruin Rally Rolls Tonight Faculty Talent To Spark AWS Variety Show Climax of University Women’s week will be the Associated Wom en Students' assembly at 7:30 to night at McArthur court. Features of the all-campus event will be entertainment by student and fac ulty groups. General chairmen of the assem bly are Ann Burgess and Nila Des inger. Helen McFetridge and Sid Rcsen planned the program. Wom en are reminded to wear yellow name tags. Following a roll call of women’s houses, Barbara Johns, president of AWS, will open the program with the presentation of the presi dents of the campus YWCA, the WAA, and the various women’s honoraries. The program will include num bers by a new campus band, vocal solos, original songs by Helen Mc Fetridge, skits, and a quiz pro gram. Prizes will be awarded to the winning contestants. The out standing feature of the evening will be a faculty skit and musical numbers. A well-rounded and entertaining program is offered and all stu dents are urged to attend, the co chairmen announced. The Nickel Hop, concluding event of the week, is scheduled for Friday evening from 7:30 to 10:30. Albums of records will be present ed to the women's living organiza tion netting most nickels on a per centage basis and to the men’s or ganization stopping at the most houses. PEDAL PUSHERS All women interested in the overnight “Bike Hike” sponsored by the Outing club, are to sign at the “cage” in the gym at Ger iinger ha I, and check the poster on the bulletin board. AWS Prexy Barbara Johns, AYVS president, will introduce the heads of lionor aries and other organizations at the all-campus assembly tonight. Library Schedules Study Aid Exhibits On display in the circulation lobby of the University library is a series of exhibits on how to study. The exhibits show study aids such as graphs and books on out lining, writing themes, and study ing for exams. Also shown are other materials of use to a student including audio visual aids and library files. One exhibit concerns the use of the library as a study aid, and this shows sample file cards, and re ference material. Books and maga zines for improving compi'chen sion are also listed. Baccaloni, Due Here Saturday, One of World's Great Singers I SALVATORE BACCALONI One of the greatest clowning singers, Salvatore Baccaloni, will demonstrate his charms on the au dience at McArthur court this Sat urday evening. Formerly from Rome, Baccaloni has worked with opera companies in the United States since 1930. Toscanini first had him cast as the musical comic in opera. According to G. E. Gaylord, Eugene, Bacca loni is the “best buffo basso since La Balch who died in 1858. It takes a very clever individual to do the acting called for in the ridiculous parts of the story and the excep tional voice range required too.” Characteristic of the type of ■oles which Baccaloni has made 'amous is the part of Bartolo in he “Barber of Seville.” The concert will start at 8:15 o.m. Saturday with the women’s honorary groups ushering. The loors open at 7:30 and students will be admitted by showing their stu ’ent body cards. 1 Rally Parade Ends At Igloo After Program A snowball rally for the Oregon UCLA football game Saturday at Los Angeles will be held tonight from 6:05 to 7:30 p.m. Tonight's rally will be organ ized differently from those in the past. Instead of starting at three separate places, the snowball will start rolling at two different points on the campus, join forces, and pro ceed to McArthur court for yells, songs, and other entertainment. A 20-piece pep band will lead the snowball to the court. Yell King Johnny Backlund, act ing as master of ceremonies, will introduce members of the Duck grid squad. Entertainment will include “Bumble Boogie,” on the piano by Mary Lou Timmens, and music by a combo. Lynn Renick will also sing. Two Groups Meet The first group will start from the Alpha Tau Omega house at 6:05 p.m., proceed up Nineteenth to Alder and down Alder to Thir teenth, where it will join the sec ond group. The second mass will originate at the Chi Psi house at 6:15 p.m. travel up Eleventh to Al der and up Alder to Thirteenth, from where the two groups will proceed to the Igloo. All living organizations are urged to join the snowball as it passes. Each one is requested to have appropriate signs ready for the rally, according to the yell king. The rally will precede the AWS assembly. Oregana Drive To Start Soon To accommodate students who wish to be guaranteed 1948 Ore ganas, Olga Yevticli, business manager ,has planned a sales cam paign for the week beginning October 27. At that time students who have been financially reim bursed since registration week or have received veterans’ checks will be able to purchase their books. More details will be announced later. Members of the business staff have contacted all living organi zations for the signing of con tracts guaranteeing them space in the 1948 book. All organizations are asked to bring or mail their checks to the Oregana business of fice, McArthur court, as promptly as possible, Miss Yevtich said. Clubs and honoraries are also being lined up this week. It is suggested that those wishing space contact the Oregana business man- - ager ,ext. 237, between 1 ana 3 p.m. daily or go to the business office between those hours. AMPHIBIAN TRYOUTS Final tryouts for the Amphi •bians,women's swimming honor ary will bo held today from 3:30 to p.m. at Gerlinger hall.