Weather
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Member of the
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Data for 24 hours to 7 a. hi.
Temperature:
Maximum 102
Minimum 57
Forecast: Partly cloudy with
scattered thunder storms; clear
tonight- and Sunday. Slightly,
cooler Sunday.
Wll!!!l!!li!rMieffl!S!!l!!l
ESTABLISHED 1S96
LA GRANDE. OREGON SATUKDAY EVENING, JULY, 2S. 19-t.i
FIVE CENTS
Plane Smacks into Empire State
OVERWHELMING CHOICE Thoir smiles reflecting labor party's
sweeping victory over conservutivss, Clement R. Allee, labor party
leader, and wife (foreground) are cheered by supporters at Mile
End, London, after Altlcc's election as member of parliament from
Limehouse. Atlee succeeds Winston Churchill as prime minister.
Haying Accident
Proves Fata! To
John E. Thompson
John E 1 in e r Thompson, 50-year-uld
farmer of Union, died
yesterday at a hospital here fol
lowing an accident at. his fatni
late in the morning.
Thoninson was driving a team
of horses on a buck rake, when j
the horses ran away, and in try
ing to head off the horses,
Thompson was pierced from the
lower ehost through his right
shoulder with a .fake tooth. .
Death f i i TI7 w At ' " B ' ' "1 e vv" 1 1 o li vs
later.
He leaves his wife, Maude; five
step-children, Mrs. Ora G-i'iscn-haver
of Union, James Calhnur.
of Caldwcil, Ida.. Lester Calhoun
of Casllelord, Ida., Mrs. Anna
Essy of Tamarack, Ida., and Mrs.
Hazel Samuelson of Levele, Utah;
a brother and five sis.U'is, Georgo
Thompson, Emma Jackson, Flor
ence Brendle, all of Lebanon;
Alice Huston of Paye'.te. Ida., Lu
la Davis of Oregon City, Ann
Rare of Riggins, Ida., 12 slep- j
gianucnnurcn ana
and nephews.
vjral nieces I
Thompson was born Aug. 22,
1888 in Council, Ida., and had re-
sided in the Union district for
the past four years.
Funeral services will be at 2
p.m., Tuesday, July 3;, m the
Mothodist church in Union, with
Itev. O. A. Forttir-3 officiating.
Burial will be in Union cemetciy.
Sea-Air Baltic
Rages Off Malaya
MANILA, July 28 (UP) Radio
Tokyo said today a fierce air-sea
battle was raging off the Malay
an peninsula as allied troops for
the fifth day persisted in their
attempts to invade Puket island.
The Japanese Doinei agency
claimed enemy suicide planes
had sunk "one allied cruiser and
heavily damaged another which I
was probablv" a converted air- 1
craft carrier."
Domei said the allied naval
tatk force had pushed in close
support of a second landing
Thursday and today its heavy
guns are raking shore installa
tions. BULLETINS
SAN FRANCISCO, July 28
(UP) Seven huqe task forces
of Superforltesres, fulfilling
America's unprecedented noti
fication to the enemy, early
Sunday (Tokyo time) bombed
six of the Jl Japanese cities
which had been warned by
leaflet of impending doom.
NBC correspondents reported
today.
POTSDAM, Juiy 28 (UP)
The big three conference was
resumed tonight after Prime
Minister CUrtent Attlee re
lumed from his election in
Britain and made social call
on Presldrnl Truman and Pre
mier Slalin.
WASHINGTON, July 7t (UP)
The senate today ratified the
Unicd Nations charter. The
vote for ratification was 19 to 2.
Megirtive TOles wire cat by
Sens. Williem Larrr. W. D..
and Henrifc Shiptlead. Minn.
Kiceilin Retaken
By Chinese Troops
CHUNGKING, July 82 (UP)
The Chinese communique tonight
reported K w c i 1 i n, the former
great American aiiba.se city in
Kwangsi province, has been re
captured by Chinese forces.
The ro-oceupalion of the city
was completed at 10 p. m. yester
dav, the communique reported,
by troops under the command of
Gen. Tang En-Po. Japanese forces
were reported fleeing to the
northwest with Chinese in hot
pur-uit in hope of -annihilating
the Japanese.
Navy Announces
Two Ship Losses
WASHINGTON, July 28 (UP)
The navy today announced the
loss of a medium landing ship
and a submarine chaser.
The landing ship, LSN-59, was
lost in the Okinawa area as a re
sult of enemy action. Two en
lis'.ed men were wounded. Their
r-ext of kin have been notified.
Normal wartime complement of
the ship is 58 men.
The subchaser. SC-521, was lost
! as the result ''of a marine disas-
tel
in the south Pacific area.
Wartime complement of a sub
chaser is 27 men. Loss of the two
craft brought to 827 the number
of naval vessels lost from all
causes in this war.
Skipper nf the LSM-59, was Lt.
David G. Hawley Kansas City.
He is not a casualty.
The navy listed two skippers
for the SC-521. A change of com
mand was due to take place at
the time of that vessel's loss, and
the navy said it did not know
which man was actually in
charge. The two men are Lt. (jg)
Granger H. Frost, Tarrytown, N.
Y., who was due to relieve Lt.
(jg) Chester R. Patridge, Long
! Ecach, Calif. Both men were list
i ed as dead.
"D0 N0T REMOVE"
NEW YORK, July 28 (UP)
Rescue workers poking through
smouldering rubble of the 7!)th
floor of the Empire Slate build
ing found a small card, its edges
chaired. It lead: "Do not remove
from plane No. 577."
Sgt. Mitchell Asia Discharged on Points
j Sgt. Mitchell Asia, son of Mr.
j and Mis. F-lix Alsa, sr., arrived
in La Grande yesterday with an
i honorable discharge from the
j army under the point system.
: hrving 118 points to his credit,
and alter having served in, the
army since September, 1940 when
he left La Grande with the na
tional guards.
Ho has seven gold seivice
stripi s for threi and one-half
cais of ov-vrscas service, and two
siripcs for throe years each. Ser
geant Asia has ribbons for tlie
Facitic-Asiatic theater of opeia
tions. the American defense, th"
Purple Hi art for wounds rrccKtd
at B'.ik, for the Philippines cam
paign, the Good Conduct medal,
the combat infantryman's badge,
tnd has thrt : bronze and one sil
ver battle stars.
Prior to entiling the service,
A:,ia was employed in La Grande
as an e'.ec'rician. His plans for
the immediate future ai? indef
inite. ... He ha two brothers in the
Building on
Attlee Promises
'Mandate Will
Be Carried Out'
Some Appointments
To Cabinet Jobs
Cause Surprise
LONDON, July 28 (UP) Prime
Minister Clement Attlee and For
eign Secretary Ernest Bevin left
for Potsdam to resume big three
discussions today after Attlee told
a cheering assembly of his labor
supporters there would be no
pussyfooting in his administra
tion "and the battle will be a
tough one."
Attlee and Bevin left by plane
for Potsdam shortly after formal
ly assuming office. Before he left,
however, he addressed a gather
ing of the 3!)H newly elected la
bor members of commons.
Confidence
They shouted a vote of confi
dence to the now premier at the
motion of Bevin. .
"Our honeymoon will be a short
one," Attlee said, "and then, make
no mistake about it, the fighting
will start.
"We now have the clearest
mandate from the people and we
are going straight ahead."
Attlee said he is picking the
strongest possible cabinet and will
not hesitate to change ministeis
who do not succeed.
New Blood
Attlee. warmly welcomed the
infusion! of new blood , in 'he la
bor party. Maiiy'ofhe-TTrcnTbere"
of parliament elected in the sweet
are young laboiites with no pre
vious parliamentary experience.
It was a hectic day for normal
ly shy and retiring Attlee. He
and the six key members nf his
government already picked were
sworn in at a privy council con
voked by King George at Buck
ingham Palace. He then went di
rect to the labor party meeting
and returned to No. 10 downing
street for two hours of confer
ences. New Program
There was slight surprise Her
bert Morrison, named leader of
the house of commons and ap
pointed lord president of council,
didn't receive higher cabinet rec
ognition. However, his appointment as
house leader signified he will bo
assigned the all important task of
whipping through the house the
sweeping domestic program.
Attlee, like Churchill, retained
the posts of first lord of the treas
ury and minister of defense.
Dalton, Cripps
Hugh Dalton, 51, president of
the board of trade under Church
ill, was named chancellor of the
exchequer. This corresponds tj
secretary of the treasury in the
United States.
Sir Stafford Cripps 50, and one
of the most highly respected men
in labor's ranks, became president
of the board of trade post, which
corresponds to the U. S. secre
tary of commerce.
Aithur Greenwood, 05, who
held the minister without port
folio under Churchill until he re
signed without explanation, was
appointed lord privy seal.
SGT. MITCH EI.L ASLA comet
home with 1U points.
aimy, Lt. Felix Asia, jr., at Hono
lulu. OahB, T. H., and Pic. Ralph
Asia, on Luzon.
. ; 1
PLAN WEST COAST CAR PRODUCTION Henry J. Kaiser,
president Kaiser corporation, (loft) and Joseph W. Frazer, presi
dent of Graham Paige corporation, at Richmond, Calif., shipyard
discuss plans for .manufacture on west coast of small, low cost
car, to be called "The Kaiser."
8 8 8 4-
Outlook for Reconversion in
West Bright; Three Problems
j. By PAUL'WARRISON - -
WASHINGTON, July 28 (UP) The outlook for reconversion is
generally bright but three serious problems must be solved before
civilian production can be stepped up, according to war production
board chief J. A. Krug.
"Our nation is still engaged in the toughest war in its history."
He said, "many materials are in tight supply and the military has
first call on them."
More Men
The nation's No. 1 problem, he said, is the crisis in railroad trans
poitation which can be met only by more manpower.
Next, he said, aircraft produc
tion is threatened by a serious
migration of workers to peace
time jobs. This trend will spread
to other industries which cannot
convert to peacetime production.
Finally tin is a "desperately
tight" raw material and further
controls on its use may have to be
invoked.
More Textiles
On the credit sWe, Krug said
textile production should increase
steadily from now on. Manpower
shortages which have been the
major cause of insufficient pro
duction are checked.
He said this year's new passen
ger automobile quotas should be
met without any trouble although
the bulk of 1045 prodction will
not come until the last few weeks
of the year.
His summary of the production
situation was made largely on the
basis of a tour of industrial cen
ters in the west from which he
has just returned.
Lose Workers
He said unless congress passes
an unemployment compensation
law which will relieve unemploy
ment fears of war workers there
will be new manpower crises in
ar production and inevitably slow
leeonversion. Some aircraft plants
are already behind he said. On
the west coast, he added, every
plant is losing more workers than
can be spared without sacrific
ing scheduled plane output.
In all the cities he visited Krug
said he found no need for work
ers to fear unemployment for
some time. In spite of substantial
cutbacks in aircraft and ship pro
duction, he said, virtually all of
their productive capacity is being
used.
South Forty Club
Plans Annual Tour
Annual crops tour and picnic
for the South Folly club will be
held tomorrow at the Eastern
Oregon experiment station at Un
ion, it was announced today.
II. G. Avery, superintendent of
the experiment station, will con
duit the tour for the club, which
is omposed of young Union
county farmers. The club, organ
V, .'1 in ! 0.15. meets evciy month
10 study technical, economic, and
serial problems
Tlie committee in charge con
sist; ot Clayton Kox, Arthur V.c
Call, Robert Betkr, and Clelus
Hohstadt.
'
78th
yg
Methodists Elect
Five From Here To
Executive Posts
Five La Grande delegates from
the western district of the Idaho
confeience were elected to ex
ecutive positions at the 35th an
nual institute of the Methodist
church on the Methodist camp
grounds at Wallowa Lake, it was
announced today.
Rev. Floyd E. White of Fir
street Methodist church was elect
ed dean; Rev. Logan Pruitt, First
Methodist church, assistant dean;
James White, son of Rev. Mr.
White, president of the student
council; Ula Metsopulos, Fir
street, secretary; and Barbara De
trick, First Methodist, first com
missioner. Other officers elected were Ol
iver J. Gill, Pendleton, business
manager; and Mrs. S. E. Smut.,
Cove, dean of women.
Approximately 105 delegates
were present at the institute, 70
of whom were from La Grande.
The First Methodist church sent
32 delegates, and the Fir street
Methodist church had 24 present
for the conference.
Mrs. Haltie Rultan,
84, Dies at Home;
At Elgin M Years,
Mrs. Hatlic Ruttan, 84, of Elgin
died at her home today after a
long illness. She was born Dec.
3, 1800 in Pennsylvania, and had
been a resident of Elgin for 80
years.
Survivors are two children, O.
G. Ruttan and Ruth Ruttan, both
of Elgin, one sister, Mrs. Caroline
KlxTsole of Michigan, and one
In other. Frank Van Der Voort ol
Elgin, and other relatives. A son.
Garry, was killed in an auto ac
eirii nt March 10 of this year.
Funeral services will be at 2
p.m. Monday, July 30, in the
Christan church in Elgin with
Rev. Glenn Ballard officiating.
Interment will be in the Elgin
cemetery.
DIVORCE GRANTED
SALEM, July 28 (UP) A de
cree of divot re has been granted
in Marion county circuit court to
Ml. Marian A. Rilea, wif of
Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Rilea. ad
jutant general of the Oregon na
tional guard.
Floor; 13
B-25 Explodes, Flames Trap
Offices 1,000
NEW YORK, July 28 (UP)
of the Empire State building:
instantly uecjune a blazing
street
The plane was lost" in a fog when it struck. It broke into a giant, spectacular burst of
flame. The explosion rocked midtown Manhattan. -
Two hours later police reported at least 13 dead.
Flames raged out of control In six floors of the building for 10 minutes. '-Three -elen
valms crashed from the 80th floor to the ground. Glass and debris rained into the street;
The plane struck the north side of the building, penetrated, a 'wing of the floor, .de
stroyed everything in its path and went out the south wing of the building. Part! of it
landed on the roof of the
Carriers
Hit Again
By WILLIAM F. TYREE
GUAM, July 28 (UP)
Greatest carrier strike in his
tory turned Nippon's inland
sea into a graveyard of wreck
ed and burning Japanese ships
today as s o in e 2,000 war
planes of Admiral William
Ilalsey's third fleet resumed
the attack on the K'tiic naval
base. Slamming in at dawn through
a skyful of flak and fighters,
Ilalsey's American and British
JHorsJilfued-a. new-trail of death
and ruin across waters still doted
with the hulks of 808 enemy
ships smashed in the onslaught
Tuesday and Wednesday.
Finish Job
The first wave of attacking
dive bombers spotted the 30,000
ton battleship Hyuga lying on
the sandy bottom of Nasaka Jimn
harbor, outside Kuro, her decks
awash and her superstructure
burned out.
The great ship and 22 other
warships, the last mujor fighting
foior in the Imperial navy, were
holed by allied bombs and rocket
fire Tuesday.
Preliminary reports from the
gieat battle fleet maneuvering
almost within sight of the Hun
shu coast said Halsey's fliers had
finished today the job they start
ed Tuesday complete neutral
ization of the Japanese fleet,
See Earlier Pcaco
Every single major enemy war
ship was believed to have been
sunk or knocked out of action
at least temporarily, if not for the
duration of the war.
Halsey opened his licet strike
on Japan almost three weeks ago
with a three-fold purpose; To
beat down the enemy's air force,
to strike the hitherto - immune
noithern areas of Japan, and to
silence the Japanese warships
whose big guns might have play
ed havoc with an invading fleet.
All three aims have now been
accomplished and the possibili
ties of an early peace have great
ly increased.
Crash of Plane Wo Surprise'
Occupant of 75th Floor Office 'Lucky'
By JAMES W. IRWIN
NEW YORK, July 28 (UP)
At about 10 a.m. today I was
sitting alone in my office on the
75th floor of the Empire State
building. Outside the winodws
there was a dense fog.
The roar of airplanes going
i.'voihend is a familiar sound, but
this morning I hi ard one coming
that seemed lo be headed right
my way,
I ran into the hall as ho roar
increased. Just as I hit the hall
the plane struck.
Isolated
A gill elevator operator had
just opined the door of the ele
vator shaft on my floor. The
blast bk-w her all the way acioss
the hall.
She is in the next office as
I dictate this to the , United
Press. No first aid has reached
us yet, We arc isolated,
There are at liasl 11 othor
casualties on this floor alone.
Mostly women, sonic oi them
badly burned.
I am told the plane struck the
building several Moors above my
office. Tlu halls are still so full
of fumes that we are afraid to
Feet High; Caused by Fog :
- - - A B-25 bomber crashed and
today and the upper part of the
mlerno tor hundreds ol oil ice
' . '
12-story Waldorf b uilding on 33rd
Offices Empty ' .
Six of the dead wero reported
to be soldiets, some of whom pre
sumably were members of the
plane crew of five.
Only the fact it was Saturduy
morning, when many offices are
closed, prevented a fur greater
disaster. . . .
The 78th floor was unoccupied.
On the 7Dth floor, occupied by
offices of the war relief service
of the national council welfare
council, several ' persons were
killed. Nine bodies were found
on the 79th floor. Three bodies
were taken from two of the fall
en elevators. The third was emp
ty. Huge Crowd
An enormous crowd gathered
in the street and the largest
amount of fire fighting apparatus
ever assembled in New York
City was rushed out in four fire
alarms. Glass and debris con
tinued to shower down for alrrtbst
an hour. The 34th street foyer of
the building was' converted into
an emergency receiving station.
Bellevuc hospital sent ull avail
able doctors, nurses and disaster
equipment.
First reporters to fight their
way up past the smoke-clouded
00th floor found the cowling of
the plane still stuck to the side
of the building. The point where
the plane struck was near a bank
of 10 elevators. All floors from
the OOlh to the 70th were littered
with debris.
Windows Shattered
About 20 feet inside the win
dow nearest where the plane
struck lay one of the B-25 en
gines and half a propellor. A
fragment of a propellor was im
bedded in a wall.
Office windows were shattered
10 floors up and 10 floor bslow
the 78th story. A stream of fire
men, police, piiests, doctors and
nurses moved up and down the
stairs. Six charred bodies lay in.
or near the Catholic welfare of
fices. Mayor LaGuardia said the
plane was "flying too low." City
regulations forbid fewer than
5,000 foot over the city, he said.
Saw Approach
Eye-witnesses said the plane
zoomed down Fifth avenuo, ap
parently in trouble. Nanette
Morrison, typist in the office of
Carl Byor associates, publicists,
was gazing out the window as
See B-25 EXPLODES , . . Page 7
use the stairs. ,
The screaming and general
hubbub up here is so terrific I
ran hardly hear over the tele
phone, but now things are ciiit
ing down.
Not Surprised
All of my windows are gone
and the hallways are littered
with glass.
I don't want to claim too
much, but I must say I am not
too surprised at what has hap
pened. We heur these planes
all the lime and frequently
they sound like they are com
ing awfully close.
Fortunately the building was
not too full of tennants this
morning because so many people
take Saturday off.
Returning to my office after
the blunt I saw how lucky it was
I got out into the hall. I would
have been full of splintered glass
if I'd been in hero when It hit.
Firemen have reached us. on
(he 75th floor. They came pant
ing up the stairs and said any
body who was able could start
walking do v.. Hie 74 flights.
They said the fumes arc clearing
out.
Killed
Hundreds in
exploded in the 78th floor.
tallest building in the world"
workers 1,000 leet above the
street. ' .
Fire Out
Of Hand
i ' V .
. PORTLAND, July 28 (UP)
Dry winds today catapulted
the Tillamook fire in western
Oregon out of control and past
the 200,000 acre mark.
- There is every prospeect the
fire will surpass the 240,000 acre
Tillamook burn of 1033, worst
firee in the modern history of
Pacific northwest.
' Tho inforno defied more than
2,000 fire fighters und raced north
into Clatsop county and east and
south nearly 25 miles away Into
Washington . countty . Many lire
trails, held sinoe' rains a-week
ago; hhd to abandoned as-line
crews retreated to save equip
ment and' lives. Three lives al
ready have been lost.
Much Timber
The perimeter of the fire ex
ceeds tho total area of the 1933
fire but unburned spots kept the
estimated burned area at about
200,000 acres. It was less than
100,000 acrecs only two days ago.
Much green timber is being de
stroyed, as well as second growth
covering the burns of 1933 and
11)30.
The Consolidated Timber com
pany's camp near Glenwood was
still standing although surround
ed on two siaes. Fire hoses play
ed on the mill and buildings to
ward off sparks and heat.
Stimson's camp west of the
base line guard station was en
dangered. Pall Great
The pall of smoke was so
great it was impossible to deter
mine how far the flames have
swept down the Trask river to
ward the Siuslaw national forest
10 or 15 miles away. Federal
forest crews were preparing for
a giant backfire operation to pre
Seo FIRE . . . Page 7
Shower Helps To
Break Heat Wave
Eastern Oregon residents arc
hoping the trace of rain which
fell this morning may break the
heat wav which has oppressed
the city lately, and their hopes
may be realized, since weather
forecasts predict "cloudy and
cooler" weather. .,
Yesterday was the hottest day
of (he year so far, with a temper
ature of 102, and was the hottest
July 27 La Grande has had since
10311, when a temperature of 108
was registered.
California Added
To Damaged List
WASHINGTON, July 28 (UP)
The battleship California was
added today to the navy's list of
U. S. warships publicly revealed
to have been victims of Japanese
suicide plane attacks.
The 30,000 ton battlewagon,
which is 24 years old, was hit by'
suicide plane Jan. 0, 1045, during
the battle ..pt Lingayen gulf. Six
officers and 39 enlisted men were
killed, three more were reported
missing and 155 were wounded, r
The California is now back in
action, the navy added.
SIGNS EXTRADITION "
SALEM, 'July-i 28 (UP) Gov.
Earl Sncll today signed extradi
tion for Chnuncy Draper, who is
wantrd in Price, Utah on charge
of non-support. Draper is being
held in Salem for Utah police.