o
WEATHER
Mostly cloudy through
Wednesday with patches of.
morning fog. High both days
SB-44. Low tonight 28-34.
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LA GRANDE, OREGON, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1958
Price 5 Cents
Satellite
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mfz. WSW I
Cuban U
Proqi
am
WASHINGTON UPI The
United Slates plans to launch an
average of two satellites a month
In' 1959 while at the same time
forging ahead with ballistic mis
siles and other nuclear weapons
to deter Russia from war.
In the nip-and-luck race, Amer
ica is credited by many experts
with setting a faster pace in space
exploration this year and holding
its own in long-range missile de
velopment. Scientists and military men hail
the talking Atlas satellite launched
Dec. 18 as evidence of spectacu
lar performance by a nation
caught flat-footed by Russia's first
Sputnik 14 months ago.
In the weapons field as 1958
ends, American Thor missiles are
installed in. Britain in at least
small numbers, ready to hurl
atomic retaliation if Russia pro
vokes war.
American Jupiter missiles of the
same range are ready for deploy
ment to Italy. "
Russia is credited officially here
with having operational missiles
with ranges up to 800 or 1,000
miles. She has not, apparently, de
ployed those weapons to bases in
her, Eastern .. European satellite
countries.
Both America and Russia are
perfecting intercontinental ballistic
missiles UCBM), but neither has
them in service. The U.S. Atlas
ICBM, one of which become the
now-orbiting 8,700 pound satellite,
is slated to enter Strategic Air
Command units by the end of
1959;
A test Atlas has been fired 6,300
miles down the Atlantic missile
range from Florida with consider
able, accuracy, .
Russia is believed to have fired
her competing missiles 4,000 miles
and the U.S. government accepts
the reported Russian claim that it
can. double-that grange. .- . ' .
Two Burglary
Suspects Held
.An alert La Grande police of
ficer, hours of interrogation by
,'hiof of Police O.. E. Reeve, and
the use of teletype communication
between here and ' Hood River
resulted in the admission of a
hood River burglary Dec. 22.
" Police Officer Leslie L. Gil-i
bert. yesterday spotted three
young men ."acting suspicious" in
. t heir. car. He "checked them out,"
and brought theni to the police
station for further questioning.
. Reeve contacted Hood River
Sheriff Rupert Gillmouthe after
it ' was learned the three men
. were from the Hood River area.
'. One of them, identified as Ros
ser Payson Smith, 10, had given
. pojice his name as James Arthur
Arnet -and had a . drivers license
social security card and other
identification using that name. He
finally .admitted his true name.
Cecil Cedric Gabriel, 17, is al
so held in the city jail in con
nection with the store burglary
wheih nottcd several cartons of
cigarettes, 10 cases of beer, sev
eral, cans of food, slabs of ba
ton and ham and other groceries.
- The third man brought in for
questioning was Lowell Halm, 19,
also from Hood River. lie is
charge with driving a car with de
tective brake? and defective muf-
: tier. ;.. ; ;
.'It was also' learned that Smith
V wanted on charges of being
, absent without leave from the
Navy. '
Hood River county officials are
.expected to come to La Grande
today to talk with the three men
and take Smith and Gabriel back
with them on charges of burglar
izing the . Niel Creek grocery
store.
: City Commission
To Meet. Tonight
Because of New Year's Eve
Wednesday, the city commission
will meet tonight This will be
the last meeting for Commission
President Robert McMillan who
has served on the commission
four years. .
McMillan will be replaced as a
member of the commission by
William Herrmann at the first
meeting of the commission after
the first of the year. Also after
the first of the year the commis
sion will vote on a new president.
The Tuesday meeting will
&tart at 7:30 p. m. on the sec
end floor of the city hall building.
Publicized
' !
MARCH OF DIMES Members of Alpha Upsilon chapter of Beta
Sigma Phi worked last night preparing Maren of Dimes folders
for mailing. The annual drive for polio funds will get under way
early in January here under the direction of A. B. (Spud) Olson.
Ike To Give
Talk In Person
GETTYSBURG, Pa. (UPD
The White House announced to
day that President Eisenhower
will deliver his Slate of the Union
Message in person to a joint ses
sion of Congress Jan. 9.
The document will be a broad
ly based review , of world, and na
tional affairs and will be followed
later by special messages on spe
cific domestic problems.
The President is devoting much
of his New Year's holiday on his
farm to work on the slate of the
union and the message to Con
gress later next month which will
acompanying his 77 billion dollar
budget.
A preliminary draft of the Slate
of the Union message was under
study in Washington at the White
House today. The President sum
moned his chief assistant, Maj.
Gen. Wilton B. Persons, and Dr.
Malcolm Moos, the top White
House speech writer, to Gettys
burg Wednesday for a conference
on the highly important message.
The new Congress opens Jan. 7.
Press Secretary James C. Hag-
erty confirmed reports that the
White House was studying a pro
posed reorganization and consoli
dation of the management activi
ties of the executive ofifecs of
the President.
Hagerty hoped before the day
was over to announce the detailed
plans for Eisenhower's ceremon
ial signing late this week of the
proclamation formally admitting
Alaska, to the union as the 49th
state.
Plane Crashes
Into Water
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil
lUPIi A twin-engine Swedish
built Scandia plane of the Bra
zilian domestic airline Vasp
plunged into Guanahara Bay be
fore hundreds of beachfront on
lookers today and sank within
three minutes.
Observers at the scene said no
one was killed, and only a few
persons aboard were injured.
The plane took off for Sao
Paulo from Sanlos Dumont Field
with 31 passengers and four crew
men aboard. One engine caught
fire and. the pilot attempted to
circle back to the airport.
But he did not have enough al
titude and the plane hit the water
about 200 yards short of the run
way and . 250 yards from the
fashionable Hotel Gloria.
Passengers scrambled out of
the wreckage before the aircraft
sank. Small boats immediately
x-gan picking thorn up and car
ried them ashore.
.LIBRARY CLOSURE SET
Persons expecting to read a
ood library book New Year's
o or during a lull in the Rose
owl football game, should go to
lie La Grande library before 5
uoranan miss Mabel Doty
,;:ia me iiorary wouia remain
closed New Year's Day,
ff i X s J 1 ' y- uvrJi
v yy vu k iv
W. Europe's
Strong After
LONDON (UPD-West Europe's
economy bounced back strongly
today from ils first big post-war
dose of freedom, and economic
experts said the way was now
clear to import morgMyf1.inij4,
uanaaian consumer goods.
The i British pound sterling,
which , any foreigner now can
change for U.S. and Canadian
dollars, kicked off ils second control-free
day with a new showing
of strength. Continental curren
Holiday Funds
Aid Needy
Christmas for the needy in the
La Grande area this year was the
"finest in history, thanks to the
generosity of area residents," Lt.
Oakley Summers, commander of
Ihe SA here, said this morning.
Through the SA Christmas Ap
peal drive, which includes dona
tions through the 'buckets' down
town and through mail solicita
tions, the army collected $1,789.23
to aid needy families during the
holiday season, setting a new
record.
"This was by far the finest ef
fort in history here of the Christ
mas Appeal," he said, "and the'
army wants to conve y its warmest
ihanks to the people in this area
(or their donations to assist their
fellowmen during the holiday sea
son." Summers said the army spent
"about $400 more on Christmas
baskets and toys this year, than
in 1957 which had been the best
year previously. He said 92 fam
ilies, which included 552 persons,1
were presented baskets this year
compared to 71 families last year.
Each basket was valued at ap
proximately $10.
This year 411 toys were distribut
ed to children compared to 226 last
year; 150 persons were visited
and presented gifts in various in
stitutions, jails and at Hot Lake;
207 children attended the Chil
dren's Christmas party where 170
attended last year 700 per sons re
ccivd th spcial SA Christmas mes
sage publication and hospitals
were visited.
Lt. Summers said 11 families
were referred to other agencies for
Christmas relief.
The SA and Christmas Appeal
Chairman Ken Lilliard again wish
ed lo thank residents here for their
generosity during the Christmas
season.
BULLETIN
CHICAGO (UPI) - Twelve
ounce Gloria Hanses, who H she
had lived would have tied the
record for the smallest baby lo
survive, died today In her third
day.
Front row, left to right. Alma Hornfelt (back to camera); Linda
Sands, Helen Knause, Mary Bea Jenkins and Phyllis Tarter. Back
row, from left, Alidean McMaster, Jean Sidor and Pat Young.
i - (Observer Photo)
Economy
Freedom
cies followed suit.
The biggest sour note in a gen
erally bright European economic
picture came from France. Com
munist - dominated labor; unions
.there rumlJled omlnouslyj)gaj'st
the heavy doses of austerity or
dered by the De Gaulle govern
ment. ,
President - elect Charles de
Gaulle's ability to enforce a stern
belt-tightening financial program
to keep France's newly devalued
franc in line would be the first
showdown test of his govern
ments authority.
Western Europe got its econom
ic boost Monday" when Britain
and ten continental neighbors
made their currencies "external
ly convertible" meaning that any
foreigner could convert the cur
rencies almost without restrictions
into dollars and other hard cur
rencies. It was a daring move designed
to restore sound money in Europe
and first results were promising.
British financial experts said
there now is no resoan why Brit
ain and other Western European
nations should not progressively
step up their imports of consum
er goods from the United Slates
and Canada.
Hitherto, because of a shortage
of dollars, most Western Europe
an countries have had to limit
their dollar area purchases to
heavy capital goods and vital nec
essary commodities like oil and
coal.
But now American cigarettes.
coffee, breakfast foods, canned
goods and oilier consumer items
for which Europeans have been
"starving" for years are likely to
cross the Atlantic in increasing
quantities.
West Europe s foreign exchange
markets and stock exchanges re
acted enthusiastically to the new
situation. The pound sterling and
most continental currencies stood
firm all day Monday and opened
strongly again this morning.
Dufur Man Gets
Wheat League Job
PENDLETON The appoint
ment of Andrew J. Ward, Jr.-,
Dufur, as Assistant Secretary of
the Oregon Wheat Growers Lea
gue was announced today by
President Frank Tubbs, Adams
'ancher. Ward, who has been do
ing graduate work in agriculture
at Oregon Slate College, will as
sume his post with the League of
fices in Pendleton on January 2.
Ward fills the vacancy created
this fall when Jim Hutchinson bc-
:ame far east marketing direc
tor for the Wheat League in Ja
:ian. As assistant secretary, Ward
will work with League officers
jnd committees, and county
wheat growers associations, as
well as with the Oregon Wheat
Commission, in helping to carry
out the growers' varied program
of activities. A portion of his
time will be devoted to League
publicity.
jj i
fl
Prizes Await
ContestWinner
Among other awards, the girl
selected as Miss Oregon Centen
nial in Portland next summer, will
receive a trip lo Hawaii, a trip
to Atlantic City lo participate in
the Miss American pageant, a col
lege scholarship from the Pepsi-
Cola Company and will reign over
the Oregon Centennial during 1959,
according to Dale McKeo, publlicy
director for the local 1959 slate
The winner of the Union county
"Miss Centennial" contest, slated
here Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, in
conjunction with a Birthday Ball,
and her two princesses will bo
entered in the Miss Oregon Ccn-
tenial contest.
McKee also reported that the
Oregon Pageant committee in
Poriland has agreed lo cooperate
in sponsoring a Miss Oregon Cen
tennial contest to select a Miss
Oregon for 1959.
McKee urged local groups and
business organizations lo sponsor
an entry in the local queen con
test. Only cost to the sponsor is a
$2 entry fee, he said. The entry
must be between the ages of 18
and 21, unmarried, and free to
reign over Union county festiv
ities throughout the year if she is
selected as queen.
He said that the Miss Oregon
pageant commitleeo will send a
representative lo work with the
county committee lo organize the
local pageant. Entry blanks for
the contest may be secured at the
county centennial office in the
Saeajawea Hotel, McKee said.
Car Report Stirs Brief Flurry
Of Excitement In Hunt For 5
PORTLAND (UPI) A report
that a station wagon similar to
the one belonging to the missing
Ken Martin family was seen here
Monday night touched off a brief
flurry of excitement.
Police set up roadblocks at Cas
cade Locks and on the Ml. Hood
highway after a service station
attendant east of here reported
selling gasoline to two men in a
1954 Ford station wagon painted
cream with a red trim. This was
the type of car Martin was driv
ing when he and his wife and
three daughters, of Portland, van
ished Dec. 7 after going on a
Christmas tree hunting trip.
However, search for a vehicle
bearing the Martin's license num
ber 1G-7150 proved fruitless.
The attendant had said the digits
7150 "seemed to stick" in his
mind. Later a similar vehicle was
reported to have stopped at a
PLANE CRASH KILLS TWO
PORTLAND (UPI) A light
plane crashed near the Baldock
freeway about 15 miles south of
here today, killing its two young
occupants.
The victims were identified by
sate police as Jorald Wayne Hal
let, 18, and Harold Richard Mon
roe Jr., both of Los Angeles.
EnpDosives
struck into tne noun oi nuvami
Province today with a dining raid
on an explosives depot in which
l hey dynamited the huge stoics m'
I ammiinilion they couui noi carry
."jiUway.
ii 1'he rniil on a nrivatcly owned
explosives depot at Cuanubacon
across the bay from Havana iol
lowcd rebel . claims to have
smashed government forces in
Central and Eastern Cuba. The
Snowstorm
Lashes
Southwest
United Press International
A record southwestern snow
storm raged through the night
crippling traffic and stranding
motorists in parts of Texas, Okla
homa and New Mexico.
A record 14 inches of snow
slalled traffic ' in Albuquerque,
N.M., Monday, snapping utility
lines and knocking out electricity
lo at least 50,000 persons.
Up to 15 inches of snow hit oth
er sections of the southern plains
of New Mexico and drifting snow
of six to seven inches swept the
Oklahoma and Texas panhandles
Drifts of nearly eight feet
closed all roads in the Oklahoma
panhandle during the night, and
other roads in central and north
western Oklahoma were reported
as hazardous with packed snow
and freezing ram.
In Texas, scores of persons
were stranded by the heavy snow
along U.S. 287 from Amarillo to
Dumas Monday before highway
crews opened the highway Mon
flnv nielli . - "
the Texas Highway Patrol said
roads 4nlOj.New,. Mexico flortlv of
Amarillo were blocked by' snow:
and plows worked through " the
nicht to restore traffic.
The snow storm was blamed for
a car-truck crash Monday which
killed Mrs. Elizabeth O'Dell
Whiteside, 39, Amarillo, and her
daughtcr.Tanya, 10, at Vernon,
Tex. , '
The snowstorm continued dur
ing the night from Oklahoma and
southwest Kansas westward into
southern Colorado and eastern
New Mexico.
An 18-inch snowfall buried Fra
zer. Colo.. Trinidad. Colo., re
ported five inches and Denver
had one inch.
Warmer temperatures in the 30s
nnd 40s nrcvai ed in the Ohio vai
ley and the Atlantic Coast and in
the Pacific Coast states. Itain
continued in the East from east
ern Virginia and southeast Penn
sylvania into southeastern New
York.
MOLESTOR REPORTED
PORTLAND (UPD A 20-year-old
woman told police a young
man assaulted her Monday night
and threatened to choke her be
fore fleeing when he heard some
one approaching. The incident oc
curred at the street subway of
North Broadway and Interstate,
lt was the fourth such incident
reported to police in the past
week.
Troutdale store. i
Meanwhile, authorities were
ready to write off as a possible
clue an abandoned 1951 car found
east of Cascade Locks. The car,
beglonging to Mario Alvarez of
Los Angeles, was reported Mon
day lo have been in Los Angeles
Dec. 9. two days after the Mar
tins disappeared. Alvarez said he
loaned the car to Lester Price. A
service station operator in Los
Angeles reported selling Price
gasoline Dec. 9 and said he had
a credit slip signed by Price.
Price also picked up his pay
check Dec. 8 at a printing llrm
according to a spokesman for the
firm. .
Two other possible leads still
were being checked out. A wom
an's clove found near the high
way cast of Cascade Locks was
sent to the r Hi laD tor cnccKing
Two hunters reported they had
seen a vehicle resembling the
Martin car In the Lolo Pass area
northwest of ML Hood Dec. 7. A
re-check of this area was sched
uled. ' i
The best clue to the Martin's
disappearance was a credit slip
indicating they purchased gasoline
at Cascade Locks, cast of here
on the Columbia River highway,
the day they vanished,
rebels were boasting they were
"at I lie doors of triumph."
Government sources disrupted
the sweeping rebel claims but ad
mitted there was heavy fighting
around the city of Simla Clara in
Central Cuba where the rebels
have claimed major successes in
si reel fighting.
'1'ho army said ils forces were
on the offensive in Ccnlrul Cuba
and were driving the rebels ahead
of Ihem despite rebel propaganda
Floor Leader
Nominees Told
WASHINGTON (UPD Liberal
Senule Republicans today picked
Sen. John S. Cooper iKy.) as
their candidulc for GOP floor
leader in their uphill buttle to
prevent Sen. Everett M. Dirksen
Ull.) from winning Ihe post.
The liberals also nominated
Sen. Thomas II. Kuchel (Calif.)
as their candidate for party whip.
Sen. George Aiken (Vt.) told
newsmen the liberal Republicans
believe both candidal es "have an
excellent chance to win."
However, an informal poll of
Senate Republicans indicated that
Dirksen, who served as party
whip in the last Congress, was
well out in front in the battle for
the floor leader post left vacant
by Ihe retirement of Sen. William
F. Knowland (Calif.)
Only eight members of the lib
eral bloc attended the 2',ii-hour
caucus at which the liberals se
lected their candidates for the
two top posts. They postponed un
til later their nominations for
three other GOP posts in Ihe Sen
ale. The selection of Cooper upset
advance indications that Aiken, 60,
senior member of their group,
was likely to get Hie nod.
(A poll by United Press Inter
national showed Dirksen hud 12
publicly --.-committed '.votes, some
hedged, against 10 for the yet un
chosen liberal candidate. Eighteen
of the 34 GOP votes would be
needed to win. '
Mrs. Duncan
Faces Charge
VENTURA, CALIF. (UPI)-A 54-year-old
mother whose fear of
losing her son allegedly led her
to mastermind the "for hire"
slaying of her dauglilcr-ln-law
will be arraigned on a murder
charge today along with two con
fessed killers.
Mrs. Elizabeth Duncan, a San-la-Barbara,
Calif., matron, and
Augustine Baldonado, 25, and Luis
Moya, 22, confessed killers were
indicted by the grand jury Fri
day for the bludgeon-strangulation
of Olga Duncan, 30.
District Attorney Roy Gustaf
son said he would seek the death
penalty against all three when
the case comes to court.
The attractive victim who was
seven-months pregnant when she
was killed Nov. 17 had married
attorney Frank Duncan, 29, last
June 20. They separated only two
weeks later but continued to ser
each oilier and were planning a
reconciliation at the time of the
slaying, according to Duncan.
At the same time the three de
fendants accused of Olga's death
were to be arraigned, it was be
lieved a private funeral service
for the attractive Canadian-born
nurse would be held at the First
Methodist Church.
Olga's futher, Elias Kupczyk,
01, a railroad worker from Be
nito, Manitoba, Canada, arrived
in Los Angeles, about (15 miles
south of here, on Sunday and
Monday held a tearful meeting
with Duncan. They had never
met before.
, Kupczyk and his son-in-law
agreed to comply with a wish ex
pressed by Olga several years
ago that she be cremated. They
said cremation would take place
at Ivy "Lawn Memorial Park.
Teen Dance Set
Tomorrow Night
Youth Activity Committee spokes
men said this morning that a teen
age "New Year's Dance" would
be held at the armory tomorrow
night from 9 p.m. lo 12:30 a.m. '
Music for the holiday dance will
be provided by records and regular
admission charges will be made.
They also reminded ten-age girls
that either dresses or sweater and
skirts must be worn to the dance.
Pedal-pushers are out, according
to the committee. All ten-agers
in the area are being urged to
come and make the dance a happy
holiday affair.
broadcasts lo "create unrest."
The blast of the Gunmibucoa ex-'
plosives were heard in lower Ha
vana. Police called in all reserves'
and alorled the 19 precinct sta-'
tions in ihe Greater Havana area.
Heads and airpnils were blocked
off.
First reports said several armed
men aboard a six-wheeled truck
pulled up in front of the explosives
storage of the Armcra de Cuba,
importers of explosives, at B:30
a.m. and Willi the aid of two of
(he three soldiers on guard loaded
Ihn v,.hi,.,,
They lied up a civilian walch
man and the third soldier and dy
namited what explosives were left.
Police established roadblocks in
Ihe area, adjacent the Hebrew
cemetery in Guanabacoa, and al
so pul on a special guard at the -private
airport in nearby Bacura
nao. Roads leading out of Havana
also were placed under vigilance,
particularly the Central Highway
leading lo Pinar del Rio Province 1
at Ihe western end of the island,
It was the second rebel-authored
incident of sabotage in Havana
Province in 12 hours. A small
bridge was blown up Monday
night at Guira de Melana.
At the same time a new radio
station which identified itself as
the "Voice of the Communist '
Party" appealed to all workers '
and members of the party to join
forces against the "last stand of
the dictator" President Fulgencia
Batista.
Rebel radio broadcasts said in
surgent forces had captured 80
per cent of the rich farming prov
ince of Las Villas in Central Cuba
in a major rebel victory that
would cut the island almost in
two-and seal off Havana from its
iooa supplies.
Other broadcasts reported
sweeping victories in Oriente
Province, the center of rebel ac
tivity in easternmost Cuba. Rebel
ladtftfr said the army'"wos orf the
run in many areas falling back
on the provincial capital of San
tiago. - .;
The government bombed the rebr
els ' relentlessly in around-the-clock
bombing and strafing at
tacks In perhaps the- heaviest
fighting of the Fidel Castro-led
revolution, but heavy street fight-.
ing was reported underway .in
Santa Clara, the capital of Las'
Villas Province, 100 miles east of
UUYUIIU. ....-
Santa Clara, a city of 150,000,
is one of the principal communi
cation centers of Cuba. It con
trols all main north-south and
east-west railroads and highways
and supplies Havana with -much
of its meat, sugar, coffee and to
bacco. Already a meat shortage
was reported in Havana.
A rebel broadcast said their
troops smashed through govern
ment lines to enter the city of
Santa Clara and capture the Uni
versity of Santa Clara three miles
from Ihe city limits. It said "ar
my forces fell bock towards the
Leoncio Vidal Barracks," head
quarters of the Third Military
District.
The radio said the rebels were
r.A hi, n KVncn nn,n..n
it u uj . iji ui.aiu uuciuia, u
left-wing Argentine-born physician
vho successfully assaulted nearby
cities last week.
A new station heard in Havana,
which claimed to be pro-rebel.
hailed him as a "Communist com
rade." ' A report from central Cuba said
the rebels were planning to form
a provisional government at Cni
baiguan, 25 miles southeast of
Snnla Clara, under Dr. Manuel
Urrutia, a former Oriente Prov
ince judge who fled into exile n
the United Slates and returned to
Cuba recently.
Fire Siren Will j
Test New Alarm
The La Grande fire siren will
sound at 7 p.m. today,' but unless
something unforeseen happens,
.1 will be only to try out a new
fire box and call paid and volun
Irer firemen to drill.
Fire 'Chief Roy Snider this
morning said a new fire alarm
box has been installed bv thn it
S. National Bank, and the siren
will be set off from, that box to
iry it out. .
A high voltage wire last sum-Mcr-was
blown into the city fire
ilarm wiring system and burned
ul the old box by the bank.
'BIG 3, NIX OUSTER
WASHINGTON (UPI) The
United States, Britain and France
today sent to Moscow their firrn
rejection of Russia's demand that
the western Big Three get out ;of
Berlin by June 1,
v.,