-7-
Weather
A Community
. Newspaper
For Every
Member of the
Family
Data for 24 hours to 7 a.m.
Temperature:
Maximum 82
Minimum 49
Forecast: Partly cloudy with
scattered showers, tonight and
Friday, cooler east of Cascades
Friday.
iTirriui til i nil liti i
-!
Vafat Willtvt C-taaffai
i . .
ESTABLISHED 1896
LA GRANDE, OREGON THURDAY EVENING, JULY 19, 1945
FIVE CENTS
FIT(gS
Pioneers
Holding
Reunion
More than 125 pioneer sons
and daughters of Union coun
ty met for their annual pot
luck luncheon and program to
day at Riverside park pavil
ion. Memorial service for Hattie
Proebstel Eckley, charter mem
ber of the Union county pioneers
and organizer of the sons and
daughter group was held, at
which Mrs. Edith Curry made
the memorial address in which
she praised the civic activities
of Mrs. Eckley.
She reminded the audience the
present site of the park is the
Proebstel homestead.
Beauties of Valley
Address of welcome by George
T. Cochran was responded to by
Grace Wright Powers, daughter
of the late Dunham Wright, pio
neer of the county. Mrs. Powers
again pointed out the beauties
and excellence of the Grande
Ronoe valley.
Cochran, who led the meeting,
real a telegram from Walter
Pierce, former governor and for
mer senator, a valley pioneer,
voicing his regrets he could not
attend. Jesse Hindman, former
ly of the valley, now of Chico,
Calif., wrote his greetings to his
old friends.
' " Dinner Tonight
Members were present from
Cove, Alicel, Elgin, Summerville,
Island City, Union, La Grande,
and from the greatest distance
Mrs. Belle Hawley McAllister of
Portland.
,,After the formal urogram the
i pioneers visited7?rhey will have
a. dinner tonight and the histori
cal society will meeta nd elect
officers.
Ed Reynolds who is in Klamath
Falls visiting relatives, missed
the reunion for the first time in
many years.
City Will Sell
Six Tracts For
Taxes July 28
Six tracts of land will be sold
for delinquent taxes at the July
28 sale, the city commission de
cided last night. The city has
liens against tracts 2, 4, and b,
but will protect only the liens
against tract 4, lot 6, and portion
of lot 7, block 25, Predmore's
addition, minimum price $120;
and tract 6, lots 12, 13, block 21,
Predmore's addition, minimum
price $190.
The commission also passed a
resolution to start suit to quiet
title for the west 23 feet of lot
25,. and all of lot 26, blick 6,
Predmore's addition.
Bill presented by C. D. Kclley
for 428 street markers, less 10
percent retained, was allowed.
M. J. Goss talked to the com
mission on the matter of build
ing more seats for the Maverick
club show to be held this fall at
the fairgrounds.
J. T. Hood, from the Eastern
Oregon Light and Power com
pany, explained to the commis
sion a plan for a change in the
lighting system on Adams ave
nue. City manager's report for week
ending July 14: General re
ceipts, $7,525.14; feeneral dis
bursements, $7,797.24; cash on
hand, $47,400.80.
Water receipts, $1,908.81; water
disbursements, $91.78; cash on
hand, $4,705.23.
Funeral Saturday
For William March
Funeral services for William
March, 71, who died at Portland
Wednesday, will be held at 2 p.
m. Saturday at Snodgrass funer
al home. March had gone to
Portland about two years Ego to
work in the shipyards.
Born in Missouri, he had been
a resident of Union county for
about 35 years. Besides his sis
ter, Mrs. Clara Stewart of La
Grand, he leaves two brothers,
James and Harve, both of La
Grande.
PACKERS STRIKE "
ST. LOUIS, July 19 (UP)
Fifteen hundred workers in three
St. Louis packing houses went
on strike today, further aggravat
ing an already serious meat situation.
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rmmmm mmmm mmllmmm mm mmmm mm m mm mm mm mmm mi mmm mm
TRUMAN PRESIDES AT FIRST BIG THREE SESSION President Truman presides over the'
first full-dress session of the Big Three conference as it got underway with a "preliminary exchange
of views on matters requiring decision by the he ads of the three governments." President Truman,
with his aides on either side, is seated with back to earner. Premier Stalin and his aides are seated
further on right, while Churchill and staff can be seen at left.
County Share of
School Support
Fund $118,607
Union county's share of the
$8,000,000 state school support
fund is $118,607.06, it was an
nounced today by the state de
partment of public instruction.
Wallowa county's share is $51,
691.81. Suspended districts do not par
ticipate in the money received by
the counties, nor do districts in
which the school tax levy is less
than three mills, Miss Ethel Han
sen, county superintendent, said.
,., In Advance y' ''
, First ..payment will be -made
Oct. 15, and will be followed by
another Apn; 15. The tabulation
has been distributed to 'he coun
ties so they will know their share
in advance.
The apportionment, based on
a combination of pupil-days of
attendance and the teacher units
in each county, amounts to about
19 cents per pupil day, and $257.
54 per teacher unit.
The money is derived from
state income taxes. The total
was raised from $5,000,000 to
$8,000,000 by the 1945 legislature.
Amounts
Money going to each county:
Baker $101,606.23; Benton,
$142,067.10; Clackamas $476,820.-
95; Clatsop $152,282.56; Columbia,
$161,343.58; Coos $215,298.53;
Crook $40,710.4.1; Curry $27,999.
43; Deschutes $125,276.36; Doug
las $216,209.83; Gilliam $20,963.
52; Grant $46,714.94; Harney
$35,405.80; Hood River, $80,556.
63; Jackson $281,821.70; Jeffer
son $12,721.40; Josephine $124,
299.33; Klamath $264,155.83; Lake
$44,951.03; Lane $564,712.42; Lin
coln $96,065.93; Linn $291,999.01;
Malheur $160,539.48; Marion
$465,614.33; Morrow $37,901.57;
Multnomah $2,510,630.72; Polk
$160,594.70; Sherman $16,620.69;
Tillamook . $85,632.43; Umatilla
$220,953.57; Wasco $78,170.02;
Washington $330,000.06; Wheeler
$20,130.77; Yamhill $218,930.20.
Oscar Poarch Makes Nearly Everything of Wood
But Hasn't Yet
He eventually may have to
build a large house to take care
of the expanding products of his
hobby, but Oscar Poarch, artisan
in wood, figures it's worth it.
Poarch turns out beautiful
specimens of woodworking in his
basement shop at 2006 Cedar,
shaping the rough pieces of wood
on his lathe, and polishing and
varnishing the pieces by hand.
Some of his products have been
given away, several have been
sold, but the remainder rest in
every available space, under
beds, on tables, in boxes, and on
shelves, making the house a
treasure trove of wooden master
piccs. Furnitura
Poarch has made every imag
inable article from wood, and a
few unimaginable, such as a
purse for Mrs. Poarch, made of
hinged strips of pine. He has of
fered (threatened?) to make a
hat, too, but Mrs. Poarch is still
a littl apprehensive, " although
she admits her husband's hobby
has come in mighty handy when
it comes to such things as nut
bowls, flower pot coasters, ash
trays, wall shelves, and bud I
VFW Officers at
Union Installed,
Charter Presented
Officers were installed and
charter was presented last night
at the first meeting of Crag
Mountain post of the Veterans of
Foreign Wars at Union.
Officers installed were: Earl
Johnson, commander; Estel
Fosey, senior vice - commander;
Alfus Mayes, junior vice-commander;
Clarence Dobbs, chap
lain; William Dobbins, quarter
master; Norman Haskell, adjut
ant; and Merton Davis, L. D.
Harris, and Edward Griggs, trus
tees. Death Comes To
Mrs. Crouter,
Union Resident
Mrs. Daniel H. Crouter, 74, of
Union, who has been a resident
of Union county for 47 years,
died at a hospital hero this morn
ing after a long illness.
A native of Heppner, Ore., she
had been a lifelong resident of
the state, and was a well known
resident of Union. She was a
member of the Methodist church
there: Funeral services have not
been fived until members of the
family who live at a distance can
be heard from.
Besides her husband, she leaves
five sons, L. D. ol New York City,
Paul of Malta, Mont., Alfred of
Union; Daniel of the U. S. ma
rines, Robert of Prosscr, Wash.;
five daughters, Mrs. B. W. Mackie
of Redwood City, Calif., Maude
of Astoria, Mrs. Mary Ellis of
Pittsburgh, Mrs. R. H. Dunning
ton of Aldorwood, Wash., Mrs.
M. C Allen of West Inglewood,
and Dora ol Union; two brothers,
Arch Gcer of Salem and Bert
Geer of Marysville, Wash; a sis
ter, Musa Geer of Goodnoug
Hills, Wash.; 14 grandchildren
and one great grandchild.
A son, Cmdr. Mark H. Crouter,
was killed in action in the south
west Pacific.
Tried to Make Women's Hats
vases.
He has made several pieces of
furniture too, such as a bed, pine
breakfast nook table and bench
set, tables, drop leaf tables, cof
fee tables, dressing table and
bench, and two and thrce-ticred
conversation-piece tables.
Many Wood
Poarch also has made some
graceful honey-beige box elder
standing lamps, half-sphere can
dlestick holders, salad bowls,
fruit bowls, picture frames, sew
ing baskets, plates, pin-up lamps,
and a pine paperweight with a
top made from - a thunder egg
agate given him by a friend, Ce
cil Parsons.
He makes most of his products
from ponderosa pine, but has sev
eral articles marie from tenino
mahognay, myrtlewood, (which
is grown in only two places in
the world tha Holy Land and
southwestern Oregon), mtplc,
box elder, juniper, South Amer
ican maple, California redwood,
Honduras mahognay, teakwood,
camphorwood, ch'.Try, apple, and
Troy walnut. Troy walnut was
planted by the first settlers on
the Grande Rondc river, who
Truman Bargains
Supplies Against
Aid in Pacific
POTSDAM, July 19 (UP) -r
President Truman carried into
the third big three session today
the most potent bargaining stock
of the conference billions of
dollars of American aid to be
balanced against military help
in the Pacific. Premier Stalin
and Prime Minister Churchill are
learning Truman's position in
this conference is strictly give
and take.
An official announcement one
of the few pieces of concrete in
formation-seeping through the)
ifigid censorship revealed Tru
man gave an official state dinner
tonight. Churchill, Stalin and
five representatives of each gov
ernment attended.
Schedule
The big three had established
a schedule of regular meetings.
The foreign ministers were meet
ing daily at 11 a.m. lo prepare
the material for the following
meeting of Mr. Truman, Stalin,
and Churchill. The procedure
began Monday with Secretary
of Stale James F. Byrnes pre
siding and the chairmanship ro
tating thereafter.
Charles. Ross, While House
press secretary, disclosed Gen.
Omar N. Bradley was summoned
to the conference compound Fri
day to discuss his new job as
chief of veterans administration
with Truman. . .
No Goods
The president's policy, it can
bo revealed, is essentially this:
The United States will not pour
out its tremendous material
wealth without something con
ciete in return. It will not under-
lake fresh economic burdens
without some concessions from
the other side.
And Truman is completely un
interested in concessions invol
ving goods or cash because
there simply isn't any of either
in Europe.
brought seedlings of Missouri
black walnut with them, planting
them at what is now Troy.
Prefers Pine
Poarch prefers pine not only
because it is a native wood, but
also because such a variety of
colors is found in it: shadings
from blue to purple, pink to red.
beige to brown-black, and white
to sun-yellow. A spontaneous
growth when the cap rises in the
spring and summer causes the
colors. Poarch has sometimes
been asked by customers if the
colors are painted in, but no paint
made could achievo the delicate
shades put there by natural
means. The colors, however,
sometimes may be artificaily pro
duced by laying the wood in a
moist place.
Poarch also prefers pine he
cause striking contrasts are mafic
possible, proven by a rich tiger
striped beige and brown salad
bowl, a marble-pine plate with
watermelon colored stripes, a
rolled-edge birdseye bowl, a rus
set bowl with golden flecks, and
an ivory-white bowl with dark
stripes, with a border of stripes
See OSCAR . . . Page 5
Annual4-H Club Crops Tour Will
Begin Friday for 115 Oregon Boys
Annual eastern Oregon -1-H
livestock and crops tour has
been scheduled for Friday and
Saturday, July 20-21, Price
Schroeder, assistant county
agent in charge of 4-H club
work, announced today.
Because of wartime restric
tion, the tour will be held prin
cipally at the experiment station
at Union. The 4-H boys and
leaders from eastern Oregon
counties will assemble on the
grounds Friday morning at 9:30.
At 10 will be pope holsters, ty
ing livestock, etc.; 12 lunch; 1
Hall ranch on Catherine creek,
branding, dehorning, castration,
vaccination, and range manage
ment; 4:30 grasses and weeds;
experiment station; 5:00 games:
7 Softball; 8 assembly; 10 to bed.
Camp at Station
Saturday starts with breakfast
at 7 a.m., 8 beef judging and
management; 9:30 sheep judging
and management; 11 weeds and
crops identification; 12 lunch; 1
dairy judging and management;
2:30 hog judging and manage
ment; 3:30 swimming at Cove.
The boys will camp on the
grounds at the experiment sta
tion and meals will be served
on the tables provided for picnic
purposes at the station. Each boy
is to provide his own table ser
vice and bedding and everything
is so arranged that the program
will move smoothly from 9:30
Friday morning until its close
with the swim at Cove on Satur
day afternoon.
Large Group
A large delegation is expected,
since beside the 60 members from
Union county planning to attend,
mere win be eight members from
Umatilla county, 10 from Mal
heur, 25 from Baker, four from
Grant and six from Wallowa.
The delegations from the vari
ous counties will be headed by:
Union, Assistant County Agent
Price Schroeder; Umatilla, As
sistant County Agent E. M.
Houser; Baker, Assistant County
Agent James Parent: Grant.
County Agent William II. Far
rell; Wallowa, Emergency Assist
ant Lee Hulburd.
L, J. Allen, assistant state 4-H
club leader and H," G. Averv.
superintendent of the Eastern
Oregon experiment station, will
-e in cnarge ol the tour.
14 Injured, None
Killed in Halifax
Arsenal Blasts
HALIFAX, July 19 (UP) Fire
spreading uncontrolled through
the nearby Royal Canadian naval
arsenal sel off a continuous
drumfire or heavy ammunition
today, driving thousands from
their homes in Halifax and Dart
mouth and pinning them against
the sea.
No trains were leaving or ar
riving and all boats had fled.
Wild rumors began sweeping
the city at dawn as residents ven
tured into the glass-strewn streets
after a sleepless night.
There were only 14 persons
officially reportedl injured, but
there were numerous rumors that
at least six persons were killed.
Communications were jammed
and there was no way to check
the rumors.
The city was almost panic
stricken. The worst was waiting
for the next explosion.
Rites Monday For
M. A. Stephenson
Milan A. Stephenson, 79, died
early today in a hospital here
Ho was born Aug. 10, 1865, in
Eugene, but had lived all hii life
in Union and Baker counties.
Surviving him are two ions,
Clarence, La Grande, Archie,
Huntington; one sister, Mrs. Lou
Shaw, Portland; four grandchil
dren, two great grandchildren,
and olher relatives.
Funnral will no 2 p. m. Monday
at the Snndgraas funeral home
Interment will be ,n the Masonic
cemetery.
ADEQUATE SPACE
BOSTON, July 19 (UP) Un
der a front page heading of "of
ficial" news of the big thi con
ference, the Boston Globe today
had a two inch square of blank
pace.
East, Weafc
HONSHU
Q 0SHIMA
TARGET BY NIGHT In the
first night lea bombardment of
Jap homeland. Hitachi, war
"boom" town 75 miles north of
Tokyo, is smashed by teriffic
shelling of Admiral Haliey's
third fleet, while 1500 carriers
continued to strike capital.
Record Force of
B-29s Hammers
4 Honsu Cities
GUAM, Friday, July 20 (UP)
A record-breaking force of more
than 600 Superfortresses, follow
ing up the greatest fleet surface
and air bombardment in history,
showered almost 4,000 tons of
fire bombs on four Japanese in
dustrial cities of Honshu island
early today.
The newest and greatest Super,
fort attack came while Tokyo bay
echoed from the crash of Ameri
can gunfire from a naval squad
ron which shelled the mouth of
the enemy stronghold in a bid to
flush out the remnants of Jap
an's Imperial fleet.
47 Blasted
The Honshu cities of Hitachi,
Choshi, Fukui and Okazaki were
the targets, raising to 47 the
number of Japanese industrial
centers blasted in the 20th air
force's knockout campuign.
In addition, the Superforls pin
pointed the Nippon Oil company
lefinery north of Osaka with a
sargo of high explosives, making
it the tenth oil center sought out.
The navy revealed American
carrier pilots sighted and attack
ed Japanese "combat shipping"
at the Yokosuka naval base just
inside Tokyo bay yesterday, sug
gesting major enemy fleet units
might have been caught there.
On the List
Units of the great Suporforl.ess
fleet dropped their incendiaries
over a 810-mile stretch of Hon
shu. Hitachi, vital war produc
tion cenler 75 miles north of
Tokyo with a population of 52,
000, was still reeling from a bom
bardment by heavy fleet units
Tuesday night.
"Hitachi came up for its turn
coincidental,'' a headquarters
spokesman said. "It has been on
our list for a long time."
Choshi, Honshu's most import
ant fishing harbor, lies 00 miles
cast of the bomb-battered Jap
anese capital. Fukui, perfectural
capital, is one of the leading in
dustrial cities of western Honshu.
Okazaki is an industrial suburb
of Nagoya.
Ceilings To Be Susp
On Some Jewelry, Fur
Br OWEN MORGAN
WASHINGTON, July 19 (UP)
The government soon will an
noume a broad change in price
control policy which will lift or
suspend price ceilings on 50 to
100 items, including jewelry and
many types of fur coats, author
itative sources revealed today.
This action Is being taken, it
was said, lo "streamline the of
fice of price administration so it
can spend more of it budget and
manpower on basic reconversion
pricing."
Free Enorffy
Deputy 1'rre Chief Jan-tea
F. Brownlcc Was scheduled to
hold a pitas confertm-e on f -conversion
pricing lata) today. It
wi!, doubted, however, ha would
announce the llw s exemption
policy since it has not yet rcch-
JtlliNOMIYA. I
3S
CHOIH
"3
I
V
Croix de Guerre
With Palm Given
Sergeant Seward
Receives One of
Highest Honors
From French
Sgt. Harlcy Seward, 27, La
Grande, husband of the former
Gloria Wilkerson and son of Mr.
and Mrs. Frank Seward, has re
ceived the Croix de Guerra with
palm for taking part in the liber
ation of France as a member of
the first engineers, his family re
ceived word today.
The honor is one of the high
est award by the French to a
soldier.
Sergeant Seward did not de
scribe the particular action for
which the cross was awarded,
but did reveal in his letter he
expect to be starting homeward
soon. He is in a camp near
Rouen, called "20 Grand" from
which soldiers are deployed to
Le Havre from where they are
sent home.
From de Gaulle
The citation he received came
from Gen. Charles de Gaulle.
Sergeant Seward has been, in
service five yearts, having left
with the national guard, and has
been overseas 18 months. He was
In -B'-hospltal In Britain with a
back injury on D-day, howover,
and when recovered from that
underwent an emergency appen
dectomy.
Born at Elgin
Born at Elgin, Sergeant Sew
ard went to grade and high
schools hero. He is a member of
the Veterans of Foreign Wars,
And of the Eagles. He was the
first Eagle to leave here in ser
vice in this war. At present, he
writes his wife, ho is helping to
build camps for troops awaiting
nome orders or for occupation
troops.
Besides the decoration already
mentioned he has four ribbons
for combat campaigns, etc. He
lacks one point of having enough
uir uiscnarge.
Sergeant Seward Is the
La Grande soldier to receive this
award, the fust being Lt. Fran
cis (Hans) Snodgrass.
Five Chinese Die
For Killing Men
CHUNGKING. Julv tn HIP
The Central news agency today
reported the execution of five
Chinese army officers convicted
of murdering more than 100 of
their own troops, some of whom
were buried alive.
In addition to wholesale mur-
uer me cxccuicd oillcers were
accused of misappropriating mili
tary supplies, torturing relatives
oi ineir troops, extortion and
other crimes.
The five officers of the Chinese
80th army were convicted by the
inspectorate general for military
law. A sixth officer involved in
the case died while awaiting
trial.
ended Soon . . .
Coats, Luxuries
cd the "directive stage."
The specific purpose of the new
policy will be to remove or sus
pend control on "less Important
items" to free OPA enemies and
manpower for "must" programs.
How It Works
The exemption policy will
work this way.
1. Ceilings will be suspended
rather than removed in cases
where supply meets demand and
prices, are not expected to go
above ceilings. These would in
clude items made of basic mater
ials. . Ceiling will be "either sus
pended or removed" from numer
ous items which arc "not signif
icant" in their effect on the cost
of living but involve adminis
trative time and money to control.
New Spot
Flames
Scatter
PORTLAND, July 19 (UP)'
With Tillamook county
fires creeping east farther in
to Washington by the hour
and roaring west toward the
ocean fanned by whipping
winds, exhausted navy men
have had to be returned to
Astoria today for respite, af
ter many days gruelling bat
tie. '.
Additional replacements from
Fort Stevens, Fort Lewis, and
Camp Adair were being rushed
In. today to stations at a camp
set up where the Wilson river
road crosses the Wilson river.-
At noon, the entire country
side In the vicinity of the Con
solidated lumber company camp
was reported by spectators as
an inferno, where flames leap
from tree to tree, and new spot
fires started from embers burst
into house size conflagrations
every quarter hour. )
Spreads ;
One large spot fire born dur
ing night hours between the 28,
000 acre Washington county;
northeast Tillamook county and
the 5,000 acre Salmonberry river
fire, was spreading in both direc
tions. Officials Sre charge ex
pected the three fires to merge
some time today.
Astoria and Tongue Point sail
ors narrowly escaped during the
night, when fire moved toward
them. They lay on the ground
and sprayed the aea .with fire
extinguishing fluid before they
could move,
, From Washington county head
quarters at 'the .lumber company
camp, Dwight Phipps, assistant
state forester, fire chief for the
Wilson river burn, Is directing
the work of nearly 2,000 men
working frantically to check the
oiafze before it reaches green
timber.
The Salmonberry blaze was
advancing northward, while the
Wilson river fire was gaining to
ine norm at the- west end.
At the Portland mills camp
at the west end of the Wilson
river conflagation the roofs were
burned off the donkey engines.
The Wilson river highway was
closed between Glenwood and
Tillamook function. Re-opened
Tuesday it was reclosed yester
day because of burning snags,
hot rocks, and dense smoke.
A. J. Ford, district mainten
ance superintendent of the state
highway department, said Me
Numer's camp, a former WPA
construction camp, is in the nath
of the fire.
Out Again
More than 400 flro fighters
from Fort Stevens camnert at
the Smith logging operations
were forced to move back to the
Tillamook air base, 20 miles dis
tant, as the huge blaze on Its
western front in Tillamook swcdI
coastward on both sides of the.
wuson river.
In Polk county, the Willamette
valley lumber company fire
broke out of control again, 30
miles west of Dallas, covering
some 2800 acres, aeenrrfino in
Earl Fulgham, comminv m.n.
ager. He said the fire had de
stroyed an estimated 4,000,000
feet of logs and some $8000 worth
of Willamette valley's equip,
ment.
The Wilson river ronfln a rat inn
has also Invaded an Island f
gieen Stimson tirnlw iri
of old-growth Douglas fir and the
last remaining belt spared by
the famed Tilla moolc fir nf ioiq
according to Gordon T. Hanson!
Stimson official.
Mountbatten Goes
lo iaee Mac Arthur '
MANILA. July in (Hpiaj,
miral Lord Louis Mountbatten
visited Gen. Douchis lfini.ii.....
headquarters last wrnk
ordinate the final pushes against
me uapanese irom the southwest
Pacific and the India-Burma the'
ater, it was announced today.
Mountbatten, allied snnrpm.
"i,iMiuuer m southeast Asia,
was accompanied by key mem
bers of his staff on the visit to
McArthur's headquarters.
Mountbatten commands the
forces facing the largest Japa
ncseheld land masses so far un-
Invaded by the allies, Including
Malaya, Thailand and Sumatra,'
as well as a number of Indian
ocean islands and parts of Burma.:
i