La Grande evening observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1904-1959, August 31, 1945, Image 1

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La Grande evening observer., August 31, 1945, Image 1

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Newspaper Page Textm Weather Data, for 24 hours to 7 a. m. Temperature: Maximum 87 Minimum 43 Forecast: Clear tonight and Saturday but fog near coast. Slightly warmer over interior' Saturday. 1 u La mtmmmBmmwm innuiMH.JHiiiuimii Union eerf Wallowa Covniai ESTABLISHED 1S96 LA GRANDE, OREGON, FRIDAY EVENING, AUGUST 31, 1945 FIVE CENTS I f SUWLIEtS, NOT BOMBS chute with supplies falls farmhouse in dropping area adjacent to Weihsian. China, prisoner of war camp. Feed and clothing are in the barrels attached to chute drop fad by B-29s of 73rd bombard BMnt wing. Prisoners run and slouch near house. 20th air force photo by navy radio-tele-' photo. Fewer Sales For Taxes in County, 1945 An unusually small number of ..tracts in Union county have been foreclosed this year, it was an nounced today, said Colon R. Eberhard, district attorney. Only 31 tracts were foreclosed for delinquent taxes, no pay ments having been made on 1941 and subsequent taxes. In normal years, as many as 100 tracts are foreclosed. Thirty-seven tracts were adver tised in the summons, but taxes on six were paid before Tuesday. Tracts foreclosed may still be redeemed, it was announced, by payment, within a year, of taxes, interest, penalty, and foreclosure charges, i If, at the end of the year, the tracts arenot redeemed, a deed is issued to the county by the sheriff, and the tract is sold. Thirty-four owners of the 37 tracts were named in the sum mons, published every Friday from July 27 to Aug. 17. Baker Elks Give 7 Scholarships Elks lodge of Baker has award ed seven scholarships in Baker and Grant .counties. A, special scholarship committee met with D" Robcn J. Maaske, president, and Lyle H. Johnson, registrar, of Eastern Oregon college to make the" selections. The scholarships were given to outstanding se niors on the basis of character and personality, worthiness and need, leadership qualifications, and scholarship record. The schol arships were awarded to: Alice Bergeson, Shirley Leonnig and Marjory Walter of Baker; Bar bara Johnson of Keating; Mary Lee Cork of Monument, Edna Kenworlh of North Powder; and Madonna Cummings of Richland. Seven Fined in Justice Court David Ray York, Pondosa. was fined $5 Wednesday in justice court on charge of not having op erator's permit or vehicle license. Willard Carey, La Grande, was fined $10 for violation of the bas ic rule. Owen L. Mills .transient, was fined $5 yesterday for not having a muffler on his automo bile. Kenneth Duane Sanderson, Summerville, was also fined $5 for having no muffler. John Os car Potter, Joseph, was fined $B for not having operator's permit. Harvey-Eugene Strasbury, trans ient, was fined $10 for not having a tail light, and Earl Richard Whoples, Baker, was fined $8 for not having a tail light. Reservations for Douglas Luncheon Wanted Saturday Reservations for the lun ' cheon next Tuesday at which William O. Douglas, associate justice of the U. S. supreme court, will be chief speaker, should be made by Saturday night with the chamber of com merce office, Charles Reynolds, vice president, urged today. Because ef the holiday Mon de, there will be no oppor tunity to make reservations that day. ' Raymond Grey, chembef president, will be the presiding officer arid it has not yet been decided who will introduce Judge Douglas. Mrs. Ada Clark will prepare the luncheon which will be served at the Elks lodge. 0) re n Mrs. Lynch, Former Leader Here, Dies Word haa been received here of the death in Portland today of Mrs. J. D. Lynch, former La Grande resident. Funeral services for Mrs. Lynch, who had been ill several months, will be held at 9 a.m. tomorrow at Holman and Sons in Portland. Mrs. Lynch was prominent in La Grande affairs, and was presi dent of the Neighborhood club from 1923 to 1924. She was an excellent and entertaining speak er, and while president, the club had 325 members, the largest membership it has had since its organization 51 years ago. She organized a musical department to the club, whioh was very suc cessful, and was prominent in en tertaining the Oregon Federation of Women's clubs which met here at that time. For the past few years she has Loss in Kaiser Yards 3 Millions As Ships Saved PORTLAND, Aug. 31 (UP) The 2,800-foot outfiting dock of the Kaiser Oregon shipyards lay in ruins today after a $3,000,000 fire which damaged seven unfin ished war vessels. The spectacular fire forced closure of the yard until next Tuesday. Since the yard had only three more ships to complete and was cutting, down its force rap idly, it "was believed the fire may prove 'to the impetus virtually to end the wartime job of the yard. It was feared the loss would pass the $25,000,000 mark shortly after the fire broke out and the seven ships caught fire. Then it was discovered quick action in towing the ships into the Wil lamette river had prevented in terior damage to the vessels. The fire broke out yesterday when an acetylene line burst un der the outfitting dock, igniting the wooden piling. Loss of $250,000 In Pendleton Mill PENDLETON, Aug. 31 (UP) Loss has been estimated at $250,- 000 in the blaze which destroyed the Kerr-Gifford flouring mill here. Only part of the plant saved was the warehouse section locat ed east of the main building. Orig inally built in 1887, the mill was a Pendleton landmark. The fire occurred late Wednesday night. Eight boxcars were burned on a siding. Weather To Be Good Labor Day WASHINGTON, Aug. 31 (UP) Go ahead and plan that Labor day outing, the weather bureau suggested today. The entire na tion can expect mostly good weather over the three-day Labor day holiday. President Truman noted the approach of the nation's first peacetime Labor day holiday in four years with a warning to motorists. Assignments of Teachers to Schools in System Announced; School Opens Tuesday When schools here open at 9 a.m. next Tuesday there will not be more than two teacher va cancies and these probably will be filled before the opening date, Supt. Fred Patton anonunced to day in listing the teacher assign ments here. The two vacancies so far in the second and sixth grades at Riv eria school. In addition to regular high school course, radio and auto mofhnnirs will be offered if en rollment warrants, Patton said. Assignments: Ackerman: Edith Darby. 1; n,,th tcnhiman. 2 Eva Wear, 3: Mable HawMnson, 4; Elizabeth Harris, 5 & 6; Floyd Hill, 6 St 1. Central: Imogen Russell, 1; Mollie Gower, 2; Nell Mahaffey, been housemother at Snell hall, on the Oregon State campus at Corvallis. Surviving her are two sons, Schowalter, Portland; Douglas, now serving overseas; a daugh ter, Mrs. Leo Miller, La Grande; and other relatives. Government to Quit Competing For Meat Supply WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 (UP) The American public was told today its biggest wartime compet itor for the meat supply, the gov ernment, will step out of the pri ority market Sept. 2. As a consequence food officials predict civilians will get 25 per cent more meat in the last three months of 1945, still leaving 700, 000,000 pounds for export. The agriculture department an nounced it is lifting the last re maining set-aside on federally inspected meat production. Pack ers no longer will have to reserve 50 percent of the output of pork shoulders and loins. Set-aside on beef, mutton, lamb, veal, and other pork cuts were removed 10 days ago. Henceforth military and other government needs for meat will be met by purchases on the open market. There was more margarine, canned pineapple and pineapple juice on grocery shelves in Au gust, but less applesauce, mixed fruits, lard, cooking and salad oils and sugar. - ' ' Office of "price administration is worried about another infla tionary food price spiral such as followed World War I. To combat this it plans to hand out "anti-inflation shopping lists" to housewives to use for spotting above-ceiling prices on meats and other foods. Nine Girls Attend Project Meeting Nine girls in "our home" proj ects were present last night at a meeting of the Mt. Emily 4-H clubs at the home of Mrs. Hagey. Girls brought completed items which they had made for credit in the project, and two girls gave a demonstration on simple shirt- ironing which they will also pre sent at the county 4-H club fair to be held Sept. 19 and 20 in La Grande. Refreshments, consisting of frosted graham crackers and punch, were served. Present were: Mrs. Hagey, Miss Doris Wc Whorler, Union county home de monstration agent, DeLeva Car per, Florence Cam, Leona Carn, Janet Coats, Jean Hopkins, Gail Hug, Evelyn Lloyd, Agnes Tsi atsos, and Kathryn Tsiatsos. Justice Marries Two Couples Here Charles P. Byrne and Marie Dunham were married Aug. 23 by Justice of the. Peace George Currey. Witnesses' were Mary Cooper and Edith Currey. Dale Edward Lcfcver and Vivian Fay Pupil were married Aug. 29 by Justice Currey. Mr. and Mrs. Le fever are residents of Baker county. 3; Edna Mae Burress, 4; Vivian Grubb, 5; Berta Lloyd, 6; Larry Brunette, 7. Greenwood: Nell Thacker, 1; June Coolidge, 1; Evelyn Mastcn. 2; Frances Wilson, 3; Grace Snook, 4; Jeana Mac Nice, 5; El sie Gietlhuber, 6; Pauline John son, 7; Floyd McLin, prin. math. Riwia: Bnatrice Youngc, 1; Nina Kame, 3; Bessie Geibel, 4; Elinor Kennedy, J; John Bennett, prin., 7. Willow: Neva Neill, 1; Kay Burk, 2 & 3; Ruth Greene & 5; J. B. Conaway, prin. 9 & 7. Junior High: Norma Maygcr, math.; Effic S n i d c r, English; Mary Heassler, soc. sci.; Watdo Gerards, science; Harvey Carter, prin., science. MAJ. GREG BOYINGTON, Corsair fighter squadron lead er, returns to American fleet alive after 17 months of mis treatment in Japanese prison camp. Imbler School to Open Tuesday; Same faculty IMBLER, Aug. 31 (Special) By order of t h e Imbler school board of directors, Imbler Con solidated Schools will open Sept. 4. School will be in session until 12 that day. High school students will reg ister on Sept. 3 from 9 a. m. un til 5 p. m. Students are requested to enroll on this date regardless of when they start as enrollment will determine courses, to be of fered and materials to be purch ased. ' 'Schedule for bus No. 1 follows: South from Imbler to Ruckman corner, west to foothill highway (7:55), north to Pleasant Grove (8:05), west to Frank Smith cor ner (8:07), north to John Lewis (8:12), west to Cantrel corner (8:14), north to Simpson corner (8:22), east to Dry Creek by way of Geo. Craig (8:30), then through Summerville (8:35), back to Im bler (8:42). Bus No. 2: Same as last school year. All teachers of the Imbler school faculty have returned with the exception of M's,. Blanche Quebbeman, who resigned. She will be replaced by Mrs. George Downing. Teachers Arrive To Take up Duties Teachers for La Grande schools for the 1945-46 school year who arrived last night are: Clifford Exley, from Colville, Wash., who will teach social sci ence and athletics in Junior high school. He has two children, a boy, 5, and a girl 18 months old. Gene Cooper, from Glenns Fer ry, Ida., who will teach physical education and football in high school. He has a son, 4, and a daughter, 8. Leonard Rice, from Roseburg, vocational agricultural teacher, with three children, a girl, 2, a boy, 4, and a three-months old baby. Mary Bennett, from Salem, who will teach girls' physical educa tion in high school. High school: Leonard Rice, agric; Lucy Comstock, commer cial; Edith Anderson, ommercial; Jean Williams, English; Marie Tiggelbeck, English ; M a x i n c Jones, English; Helen Schapcr, English, dean of girls; Clifford Exley, soc. sci.; Ron Walk, trades; Leslie Smith, soc. sci.; Helen Quinn, mathematics; Helen Shoe maker, mathematics; Vernal Shoemaker, science; O. P. Wci gcl, music; Naomi Dotrick, sci ence, home ec; ,Thcltria Olscn, Latin, Spanish, library; Marie Ledbetter, home ec; Ray Kel logg, soc. sci., mech., dr., ait: Dee McLin, man. tr.; R. E. Quinn. soc. sci.; Owen Price, soc. sci., dean of boys; Mary Bennett, girls' P. E.; Gene Cooper, boys' P. E. tied Hospital " i Japanese Hope Americans Continue Fair; Anxious to Start on Road to Friendship By JAMES McGLINCY TOKYO, Aug. 31 (UP) T. Kase, Harvard-educated, spokes man for the Japanese foreign of fice, said today Japan is ready to pay the price of defeat but he asks for American friendship while his country carries out pro visions of what he termed the "stringdnt" Potsdam surrender declaration. In the first official statement of Jupanese policy to the Amer ican press, Kase described the war criminal problem as "very, very delicate." Japan Ready "Stevenson said it lakes two to make a kiss," said Kase. "It also takes two to make friendship, Japan is ready." He said America should be firm but fair in dealing with Japan. Kase reflects the views of Jap anese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu. "Japan, is anxious to do every thing possible to start on the long road to shall I say friend ship? Again it depends on you." No Objection Asked what would happen if the Japanese government was asked to turn over former Pre mier Hideki (The Razor) Tojo, Kase said: "If the Japanese people can be convinced any man designated as war criminals should be brought to justice, they will not object." He said the case of the Japanese military men ac cused of specific atrocities is dif ferent because they had violated international law. . ... ' - Favorable-.; . -i Kase acknowledged there had been "great apprehension and Carlos Easley to Teach Radio at Eastern College The new treminal curriculum in radio-electric service and man agement at Eastern Oregon col lege will be headed during the coming year by Carlos Easley. Mr. Easley comes wel qualified for this position, having complet ed his Bachelor of Arts Degree at the University of Colorado in 1942. He expects to complete the requirements for the Master's De gree at that institution in the very near future. Easley has had considerable experience as a ra dio technician in the State of Tex as and has taught physics and radio in the Boulder, Colorado High School. He headed the Sci ence Department at the Pendle ton High School last year, doing considerable work in electric fre quencies as an avocation. Easley served as instructor in mathe matics and science at Eastern Or egon college during the army av iation program here. MacArthur Meets Wainwright Again By United Press Gen. Douglas MacArthur shook hands today with LI. Gen. Jona than Wainwright. Wainwright, freed from a Japanese prison camp in Manchuria, was rushed by air via Chungking and Man ila to be present at the formal surrender ceremony Sunday. The meeting took place in a private dining room of the hotel where MacArthur and his stnff awaited Walnwright's arrival. "Well, I'm glad to see you," MacArthur said, shaking Wain- wrlght's hand as the cmacluled officer walked in. Wainwright, obviously in fine spirits, swal lowed momentarily and said "I'm glad to see you, too." Wainwright was accompanied by Gen. Sir Archibald Percival, British commander at Singapore. Curfew to Start Here Next Tuesday Beginning next Tuesday, Sept. 4, curfew will go Into ef fect, City Manager Ed ford said today. The siren will be sounded at 9:45 p.m., with three blasts given, and all children 16 years of age or less must lie off the streets by 10 p.m. unless accompanied by grown'1 ups. Parents of children eit after hours will be held responsible. anxiety" as to how Japanese sur? render envoys would be received in Manila. "Our correspondent reported your attitude was firm but fair," Kase said. "After the return of our envoys, the reports they gave did much to relieve the appre hension of the people, You know our people are shy. Now they also had a fear of how they would be treated, "Remember every one of them expected to die. But the man ner in which your ships entered Tokyo bay, and the way the men Yanks Place Heavy Guards on Strategic Points Near Tokyo GENERAL MacARTHUR'S HDQS. YOKOHAMA, Aug. 31 (UP) U. S. air and sea forces mounted armed guard over stra tegic points within a 200-mile-square sector of the Tokyo plain today and Gen. Douglas Mac Arthur prepared to receive Jap an's surrender. In light drizzling rain and un der grey skies armed units of the 11th airborne division fan- Truman Orders EndofOWIin Foreign Fields WASHINGTON, Aug. 31 ' (UP) President Truman today or dered abolition of the office of war information and asked Sec retary of State James F. Byrnes to prepare a program to put American,1 foreign Informational needs on a continuing basis. Effective immediately, the foreign functions of OWI and the informational operations of the office of inter-American . affairs were consolidated in a few In terim inlernationat information services within the state depart ment. Domestic Ends Effective Sept. 15, the domes ic functions of OWI will be abol ished. Byrnes was directed to abolish the interim international information service by Dec. 31. The president made it plain the government's future interna tional information program will not compete with American pri vate organizations and individ uals in the fields of news, motion pictures and communications. Praises Press Instead, he said, the govern ment's program will be designed to assist American private enter prise in disseminating informa tion abroad, supplementing pri vate services with specialized informational activities "in which commercial or other limitations make it difficult for private con cerns." Hie president praised the work of OWI under leadership of Elmer Davis. He said the agency made "an outstanding contribu tion to victory." Stocks Advance, Hut Trading Light NEW YORK, Aug. 31 (UP) Stocks had u general advance under the leadership of industrial shares today, as that group hit a new high for eight years. Trading, however, was light, hampered by week-end holiday considerations. The Now York stock exchange closes tomorrow for the last of nine Saturday summer closings, and will he closer! Monday, Lnhor Hay. Industry Expects to Produce 'More' Employment Next Year "133 Percent" WASHINGTON, Aug. 31 (UP) Industry expects to produce more civilian goods by the end of the yr than it dkl before the war. Production Chief J. A. Krug, made public the war production Ixiard's first survey of the pro gress of Induntry's shift-over to IMacetimc output. He said re conversion rate is better than he ixpected. Using 1939-41 as the base peacetime period! the survey Bhowcd that: 1 In Juiy 194S, civilian pro duction was at 46 percent and employment at SI percent. landed at Atsugl airdrome has created a favorable impression. Another Try He was asked whether he thought Japan would want to make another try to world- dom ination in perhaps 50 years from now. "We are paying a very great price for our attempt. However, if your treatment is too severe, the Japanese people will react." The Japanese only a few months even week ago were beating and jabbing Americans with bayonets. ncd out over the metropolitan Atsuga - Yokosuka - Yokohama areas. Seem Few They set up guWd posts at main intersections, bridges, stra tegic points, and around build ings taken over by the American forces. More than 40,000 American army and navy men were ashore and thousands more were pour ing in. But as they fanned out over the metropolitan region their numbers still seemed small. MacArthur is busy arranging for the surrender ceremony Sun day. No untoward Incidents of any nature with the Japanese were reported and It was said they continued to cooperate fully. ' Worst Beaten Tokyo Itself Is off limits to American forces but .correspond ents who inspected the Japanese capital said it was the "worst beaten up city" ' they had ever seen. Japanese informants placed destruction at "about 60 per cent." It may be considerable time before any Urge number of American troops enter Tokyo. Life in the city is at a complete standstill, All allied prisoners In the To kyo area, with the exception of one prison camp, have been lib erated. Seven hundred were re leased from the Omori camp. All records at this camp were seized by the recovered personnel team of the 11th airborne division. Stoddard Brothers Here for Visits Waldo I. Stoddard and David, I. Stoddard, brothers, arc here for first visits here together. In sev eral years. Both sons of an earlier lumber industry family here, they have still large interests here. Waldo Stoddard is executive vice president of the Michigan state bank of Grand Rapids. He is a former athlete of La Grande high school basketball and was president of his senior class. He and his brother Howard, were In bunking business together here. David, also a native of this area, still has farms here, but for the past, few years has been in charge of church work in the middleweBt for the Latter Day Saints church, with his headquarters in Chicago. Three Cove 4-H Clubs in Meeting Three Cove 4-H club groups were represented last night at a meeting at the home of Mrs. Dena Towle, Fourteen members of child care, sewing, and cook ing clubs were present. Water melon was served for refresh ments. 2 August production estimates were 4g percent and employment 57 percent. S By December, production will be 112 percent and employ ment flfi percent. 4 By June 1946, production h expected to reach 187 percent and employment I'i'S percent. "In our book," said Krug, "the reconversion rate is much bettor than we had expected. These In dustries, our experience has shown, don't usually stick their necks out in making' future esti mates. I have great confidence In their figures." Tales of Brutality Continue Br FRANK BARTHOLOMEW ADMIRAL BADGER'S FLAG SHIP, YOKOSUKA Aug. 31 (UP) T-Fifty percent of the 1,500 allied Wart prisoners already rescued from camps in the Tokyo area were treated so brutally by the Japanese they need hospital care; Cmdr. Harold E. Stassen revealed today. Most prisoners said they were beaten regularly. Some showed torture scars on their hands, apparently the result of thumb screws or similar devices. Stassen, former governor at Minnesota, member of Admiral William F. Halsey's staff, said there were many reports of pri soners dying from beatings and lack of care. No instances of de liberate executions yet have been reported, however. , Home Soon ' The latest count showed 1,494 American, British, Australian and Dutch prisoners liberated and aboard the hospital ship Benevo lence. Those who do not require hospital treatment will be trans ferred for transportation home. Some prisoners told of an "in quisition center" inland from Tokyo. Airmen and submarine crews were the main "customers," Sassen said. Shiragawa "hospital" also was among the worst places, prison ers said. No Remorse "You shouldn't use the word 'hospital' for that place," Stassen said. "You could only describe it as a hellhole. The filth was 4 indescribable.'.', J. An American doctor captured on Guam was given a pick and shovel job until recently and not permitted to treat fellow pri soners. , , Asked if Japanese camp offi cials had expressed any remorse, Stassen said: "I just can't analyze what a Jap appears to be." Swim to Ships Talcs of torture spurred Amer ican rescue squads. Doctors and nurses worked without rest to care for tlje hundreds who poured aboard the U.S.S. Bene volence. Most of the men who have been freed so far came from seven prison camps near Tokyo. Hundreds, naked and starving, tried frantically to swim out to meet their rescuers. They kept shouting, "Thank God, you've come. Thank God, you've come." The rough-tough rescue teams, who up until now have landed in the face of shrapnel and bul lets, found their new assignment almost more than they could bear, Many of those who storm ed ashore to aid the sick and weak were openly crying. They could only reply, "Take it easy, boys. We'll get you all. Take it easy." Complaints Complaints mounted rapidly against the treatment accorded prisoners. (Marine combat correspondent Sgt. Don Petit of Burlington, Vt., quoted a rescued marine of thu Wake Island garrison today as saying that Maj. James P. S. De vereux, marine commander at Wake, was believed to be alive and well. But the dispatch did not report Devercux' where abouts.) Many of the war's major mys teries slowly began taking solid shape as prisoners who were cap tured in all corners of the Pacific began to tell of their experiences. (Hamilton Faron, representing the combined allied press, re ported from the hospital ship Reeves off Omori, the famous American submarine Tang was torpedoed and sunk off Formosa, Oct. 25. Only nine of her crow, including Comdr. Richard H. O'Kane of Durham, N. H., es caped. O'Kane and eight of his men were among those rescued from Omoro.) Carrier planes still circling over other camps saw signs read ing: We want food. Keezer to Join McGraw Hill Staff WASHINGTON, Aug. 31 (UP) Dexter M. Keezer, former pres ident of Reed college, Portland has resigned as a public member of the war labor board, the WLB announced today. He will Join the economic staff of McGraw- Hill Publishing company. is Si' mi