WEATHER
Fair tonight with fog in val
lV; mostly cloudy Wednesdiy;
high Wednesday !: low to
night 18-J4.
LA GRANDE OBSERVER
77th issue 4th Year
LA GRANDE, OREGON. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 19S9
8 Paget
Five Cents
1 .LW 'I'-s'
.gtviV.
People Killed
it
Plane Crash
r
I ...
'-.-I i"
LOOK, MOM! NO AIRPLANE
Dennis Boatman, La Grande manager for West Coast Airlines, points in both direc
tions at empty field when "last flight" by West Coast flew by at 4:10 p.m. yester
day. West Coast is abandoning its local air service and yesterday afternoon's sched
uled last flight didn't land. There was not even a going-away ceremony at the field for
Boatman who is being reassigned to Boi ;e. West Coast asked for and received Civil
Aeronautics Board approval to eliminate La Grande from its schedule. There are no
more commercial flights touching down here. (Observer Photo)
McElroy Resigns As Defense
Chief; Gates His Successor
WASHINGTON 'ITU Presi
dent Eisenhower to lay announced
the resignation of Defense Secre
tary Neil H. MeKlroy and named
Undersecretary Thomas S. Gates
Jr., to succeed him.
The anncuncement came after
a National Security Council meet
ing this morning where the Presi
dent presented the Medal of Free
dom to McElroy "in reeog iilion of
his . outstanding service to his
country and his dedication to his
task."
McElroy's resignation was ef
fective today. ' '
Postmaster
Urges Early
Mailing Here
Christmas cares and packages
should be in the mail as soon
as possible to assure delivery by
Christmas, according to La Grande
Postmaster Vic Eckley.
The local post o.fice official
said that residents should plan
their mailing list this w?ek.
He also pointed out the impor
tance of wrapping packages care
fully to assure safe arrival. Eckley
s:)id that persrns having articles
of unusual size or bulk shou'd
check with the post of'ice before
rttompting to mail them. He said
the limits of size and weight of
packages vary, depending on
where they are mailed from.
Return Address
Christmas stickers or seals
should be put on the back of the
envelopes if they are used and he
stressed the importance of a re
turn address.
The postmns'er also advised
sending Chris'mas crrds by first
class mail for prompt delivery.-
All mail going long distances
should be srnl well before D-c.
10. Christmas packages for local
delivery should be mailed by Dec.
15.
Battle Over
River Dam
PORTLAND i UPI' The battle
over the proposed Round Butte
dam on the Deschutes river' con
tinued before a Federal Power
Commission hearing today.
The FPC hearing, which follows
by only a short time a lengthy
state hearing on the 71 - millioi
SffflDtttae I
KXLP FIGHT TB
Qi;USTf.US SEALS
' :-.v-V;!-:
In an exchange of letters be
tween McElroy and Eisenhower
made public by the White House.
.McElroy said that "petsonal rea
sons of an urgent nature" neces
sitated his resignatiou after two
years in the top defense Job. He
said he would leave the depart
ment with "feclirgs of deep re
gret." McElroy, 54, plans to return to
Proctor & Gamble, the soap man
ufacturing firm he headed before
joining the Eisenhower Cabinet in
1957.
In his letter accepting the resig
nation, the President expressed
"deep appreciation" for McElroy's
"distinguished service." He said
he was "indeed sorry that per
sonal considerations compel your
departure from the government at
The President said that he was
thankful that McElroy left for his
successor "a department that will
continue to reflect the very bene
ficial changes effected under your
energetic leadership.-'
Jean Wick Wins
National Honors
CHICAGO UPI Six Oregon
4-H club members have won na
tional honors at the 33; h national
4-H club congress here.
Five received $400 scholarships.
They are Edward Burnap of Red
mond, Ma-garet Ann Burk. Vale:
Karen Cruickshank, McMinnville:
Mark Anderson of Colton and Neil
Hcesacker, Forest Grove. The
other winner was Jean Wick, La
Grande, who was cited for her
work in the forestry program.
Jean, 17, is the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. John ' L. Wick. Her
lather is a prominent forester.
Burnap won in the agricultural
program. Miss Burk was awarded
her scholarship under the beef
program.
Other winning fields: Miss
Cruickshank, dairy foods demon
stration: Anderson, soil and water
conservation, and Heesacker, trac
tor program.
Proposed
Gets Special Hearing
as a sister project to its Pelton
dam on the Deschutes. The State
Water Resources Board last week
gave its approval provided safe
guards for fish and recreation
were made.
fn the case of Pcltr,n dam, the
State Hydroelectric Commission
turned down the project but the
FPC licensed it and. the U.S. Su
preme Court upheld federal juris
diction. The Water P.esources
Board has referred its decision to
the Hyd oelectric Commission.
Opponents Speak
Opponents Monday were led by
Sen. Richard L. Kcuberger 'D'
etre' and by Erskine B. Wood.
Portland attorney. and chairman
of the Citizens Conservation Corn
Monday with a flurry of state
ments by opponents and propo
nents. Portland General Electric Com
pany wants to build Round Butte
dollar project, got under way
-'' .
this time."
Gates, a former Philadelphia in
vestment banker, was undersecre
tary of the Navy from 1953 to
1957 and secretary of the Navy
from 1957 until earlier this year
when he was named to succeed
the late Donald A. Quarlcs as No.
2 defense man.
Gates will fall he'.r to a num
ber oi difficult problems, includ
ing the task of fitting defense
needs Into budget cuts recently
decided upon by the adminis
tration. McElroy was nominated by Ei
senhower on August 7, 1957, to
succeed Chalres E. Wilson as de
fense secretary. The President
called McElroy one of the "most
capable men in the country."
Fire Special
Photo Rocket
CAPE CANAVERAL. Fla. UPI
Ait Air Force Thor IRBM car
rying a movie camera climbed in
to the sky today to t y for the
first full-color pictures of earth
from the fringes of space.
The 16 millimeter instrument
was tucked away In a heat-resistant
nose cone atop the sleek
white nvssile.
Ships were stationed about 1.700
statute miles down the Atlantic
missile range near Antigua Island
to drag the nose cone from the
ocean. The camera and film were
to be rushed by air to a proces
sing laboratory.
This marked America's first at
tempt to take color pictures of
earth with a camera carrying
ballistic missile, although a simi
lar shot by a Thor missile last
May 12 pulled the trick with black
and white film.
The shot tested feasibility of a
photo reconna ssa ice system to
oixrate at the edgss of space. An
nouncement of the result was ex
pected to come from the Air
Force in Washington.
Deschutes
mittee. Both stressed natural re
source conservation and Wood al
so called Round Butte a "margin
al" project and said testimony
would show steam power could be
p-oriuced more cheaply on a firm
basis.
Two central Orejon witnesses.
Owen Tanner, Bend attorney, and
.1. R. Roberts, Redmond mer
chant, said Chambers of Com
merce there believed the reser
voir to be created by Round Butte
would increase recreational use.
Chairman Charles Jackson of
the Wa'm Springs Confederated
Indian Tribes spoke in favor of
the dam.
Protests from about 50 PCE
stockholders were presented by
Dr. II. Lenox II. Dick. Portland
Clarence Phlllipis, PGE counsel,
said there were about J.600.000
outstanding shares. The PGE
Board will consider the protest
Dec. 8.
Form Of
Life Or,
Venus?
WASHINGTON il'Pl' New evi
dence of water vapor in Hie atmo
sphere of Venus has raised the
possibility that some lorm of life
may exist on that plane!.
Scientists reported Monday the
evidence was. uncovered hy instru
merits carried IS miles into the
stratopshere last week end by
Navy balloonist Malcolm Itoss
and meteorologist Charles B
Moore of Cambridge, Mass.
Dr. John Strong of Johns Hop
kins University, who designed the
instruments, told newsmen: "The
experiment in our opinion indicat
ed there is water vapor on Venus.
How much there is will take some
time to deterivilne."
The discovery, a scientific first.
could upset previous belief that
Venus was a dead world.
Strong refused to give a person
al estimate as to whether the find
ings indicated the possibility of
lite on venus. But asked if he felt
the possibility was ruled out,, he
said emphatically, "no."
Union Junior
Class Play
Set Tonight
UNION I Special I The Junior
Class of Union High School will
present "The Case of the Missing
Heirs tonight and Wednesday
The production will take place
both nights at 3 p.m. in the S.E.
Miller School auditorium.
This mystery comedy is de
signed -to Veep one' in stitches.
Suspense is an important factor
too, while the phantom terrorizes
the heirs of a rich old man's
estate.
Big Studtnl Cast
Mystery novel writer Perriut
Preston solves "The Case of the
Missing Heirs" with the assistance
of his body-guard, "Bruiser"
Barnes, and secretary, Gwen Tal
bet. Perriot, played by Jim Bate
man. "Bruiser." Dale Tyler, and
Gwen. Claudia Herman, are ahly
assisted by Eileen Edvalson. Con
nie Ballard. Sue Harris, Le-se
Taylor, Dewey-Straight. Earl
Sanders and Pat Edvalson in sup
porting roles.
Union, Baker School
Reorganization Meet
A joint meeting between the
Union and Baker County Schni l
Reorganization groups is sched
uled at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow nicht
at the North Powder Valley llich
School.
Discussion at this meeting will
center about what action is to be
takefi concerning the reorganiza
tion of Muddy Creek District 17,
according to Thomas 'Lampkin,
Union County chairman.
c
ANTI-AMERICAN DEMONSTRATION Swinging red
.banners and placards, Japanese demonstrators mass in
the Diet (Parliament) Plaza, Tokvo, Japan as they shout
slogans opposing the revision of the U S Japan Secur
ity Pact. Thousands dinionstrated, protesting the treaty
that will keep U.S. troops In Japan. Unofficial estimates
report at least 415 persons injured in the melee. .
ONE PASSENGER ALIVE;
SHIP CLEVELAND-BOUND
WILLIAMSPOKT. Fa. ITI) A Philadelphia to Cleve
land Allegheny Airlines plane crashed into South W'illiams
;urt Mountain while making a landing approach today, kill
'ng all but one of the 25 persons aboard.
The siil. survivor was thrown clear of the wreckage and
nto a trtv He was identified as Louis Matarazzo, Spring
iehl. Pa i c w.is in serious condition in Divine Providence
ni'-piai i,r He was trou;;IU
oi:t by helicopter.
Two other persons were re
move.! alue liom the flaming
wreckn.e but died later v. hie
''eing t;ik"i lo a Williamsport
luispi'al. The iilane was still bttrn
i' U several hours after the crash.
A drivine. snow fell intermit
tently during the day but hail
st j K-it when the plane circled
away (rotn Die Williamsport Mou
loinwille Airport to make a sec
ond lanilmj; approach. Airport of
ficials said heavy fog covered the
area.
Train Aids Removal
The plane, a twin-engine Martin
202. apnarently circled to the
south and crashed halfway up the
2.")IK foot mountain. Normal pro
cedure is to circle north away
from the mountain which lies just
across the Susquehanna River
from the airport.
Two of the survivors were low
ttcred down a 500-foot embank
ment to a railroad line running
along the base of the mountain.
A Pennsylvania Railroad yard en
Sine uiih a baggage car attached,
then took them to a railroad cross
ing where they were transferred
lo ambulances.
The helicopter, from the Olmsted
Air Force Base at Middletown.
Pa., was the onlv vehicle ahle
to reach the scno until several
hours after the crash.
David 1,. Miller, vice nresidenl
of Allegheny, sa il in Washington
that a weather observer al the
nirpcrt saw the p'ane pull up as
it approached the runway.
Ihats all we k:ow,'' he said
Allegheny had not had a fatal
crash in the 22 yea:s it has been
operating. It serves more than 9r,
cities between New York and De
troit, mainly in Pennsylvania.
The pilot of the crashed plane-
was Cant. Tom Goldsmith Th,
copilot was George Rowers and
the, flight steward Willi am Coneer
One of the passengers was the
airline s sales director. Jack K
Svitzcx of Washington.
Second Ward Sets
LDS Bazaar For
Public Tomorrow
LDS Second Ward members will
ho'd a bazaar, open to the public.
f:om 3:30 to 7:45 p.m. Wednesday
at the recreation hall. Fourth and
N Streets.
A cafeteria style dinner will be
served from 4 to 7 p.m. and at 8
a talent show will b? staged under
the direction of Geraldine Clark.
All tvnes of carnival enmes will
be held. There will be homemade
candy, all kinds of f. ncv work
and produce at the affair. Theme
01 the bazaar will cent?r around
Christmas.
GIRLS' POOL
FOR MEN ONLY
Washington UPI Th
Washington Post said today
tha following notic recently
appeared on tha bulletin board
of a government oHica hare:
"Executives who have no
secretary of their own may
take advantage of the girts
in the stenographic pool."
NIKITA'S SMILES MORE DEADLY
THAN REAL; CD HAS
(Editor's note The Obser
ver newspaper is presenting
a series of articles on U.S.
Civil Defense national,, state
and local level in the inter
est of the public. Today's
article deals on how an at
tack might develop against
this country.)
By GRADY PANNELL
Observer Staff Writer
Don't let Nikita Khrushchev's
jovial smiles and friendly nation
al trips to far and distant lands
fool you. There even could have
been "another side" to the Khru-
hchev trip of recent time to this
country. - - -
Ho could be softening us up
lor the kill.
Should a global nuclear on-
taught come, and U. S. Civil De
fense is geared for just that, the
North American continent would
be target No. 1 on the Soviet score
ckrd. History would not prove other-
vise.
Hitler Knew
The demented Hitler ranted
during his last hours that Ger
many made one grave mistake.
That was not attacking the U.S..
direct instead of waitiae until
rncle Sam flexed his mighty
muscles and began producing
big guns, tanks and Liberty Ships,
by the hundreds, every month of
the war.
The Soviets have shown how
hey profit by the other's mistak
es. They are where thev are bv
begging, borrowing, stealing and
working for an overall goal of
world domination by force if
other means fail.
War with the United States
must certainly be one of their
alternatives. Khrushchev's first
hand survey of America could be
part of their "master plan."
Pearl Harbor Date
Civil Defense, something talk
ed ajiout for several years but
very little done about it nation
wide, will remind all citizens of
America on Dec. 7, the annivers
ary date of Pearl Harbor, what
remains to be done and what in
dividuals should do.
Every life in this country'
WEST COAST 'NUCLEAR ATTACK'
Air Crews Score Hit On LA;
Supersonic Jet Output Delay
YUMA. Ariz. (UPD-A3D Sky
Warrior bombers manned by Navy
and Marine crews took off from
here today to muke a simulated
nuclear attack on Ixis Angeles.
The bombers and their crews
were part of 0)eration Top Gun.
the code name for the fourth an
nual naval air weaKins meet
which started Monday.
The bombers, flying at great
heights, zeroed in on specific lar'
gets in Los Angeles and let go
with imaginary destructive nu
clear weapons. Scoring for the
"bombing" was by radar.
The competition, which pits At
lantic Fleet against Pacific Fleet
siiiadrons, includes firing of mis
siles. iir to air firinsc against
drone targets and bombing and
weapons demonstrations.
JfU?
,r-t -t mt
FIERY SKELETON Only the'flaming skeleton re
mains of this small Piper Tri-Champ after it crashed
and exploded atop the house of Harry Gaffney in Comp
ton, Calif. The plane, attempting to land at the Comp
ton Airport, struck a high tension wire, dove into the
house and exploded, killing pilot Norman W. Thomas
of Torrance. Mr. and Mrs. Gaffney and their four child
ren. who were asleep below, escaped injury.
SOVIET MISSILE BASE? This is artist's conception
of what remote Ural Mountain Soviet missile bases look
like. It is known fact that the Russian military leaders
have been busy developing such sites back of the Urals.
could be at stake at that first
dreaded moment of surprise at
tack. The war could come out of
space, and it wouldn't be the
Martians directing the ICBM
rockets and follow-up strato
pheric jet bombers.
Major cities, important ports.
known strategic installations of
defense and counter-attack rock
et sites would be destined to re
ceive the first blow.
The enemy would hope that fall
out, that strange wisp of slow
death, cotild do the rest.
Fifth Column
While this country would be
struggling for means of fighting
back immediately, other problems
would tax our hopes of survi
val.
There could be fifth column
activity, a strategy used by man
tince he first began killing his
fellow beings.
Huge, spreading fires, downed
power lines, darkened cities,
contaminated water and a scatter
ing populace berserk with fear
and uncertainty these are ma
jor events U.S. Civil Defense pre
diets.
WASHINGTON H I'l' The Air
Force announced today that the
supersonic B70 heavy bomber's
first flight will be delayed by one
year and that major subcontracts
lor the plane a development will
be cancelled.
The action was described as an
economy move.
the first flight of the 2,000-m;le
an hour bomber is row expected
in 1963 instead of i'Ml. the Air
Force said. The economy pro
cram. Aernrrtintf fn Ihp statement
looks to the production of orly
prototype or test models of the
bomber.
The move ia wnerled tn s.-ive
SS million dollars in the budget
4;
J
SOLUTION
Population panic must not ha
overlooked in the overall defen
sive plan.
CD has 1 ready answer for thle.
Stay at home if it is Dossihle: taka
refule in your basement or your
home-made bomb or fall out
shelter.
Highway Panic
Don't crowd into the ODen a
you would for a Fourth of July
aerial display. Stay off the roads
with your auto if your helt?r skel
ter trip out of town is not nec
essary. I
Panic on the highways is a ter
rible thins. It indirectly led in
the hastening downfall of France
when Germany first invaded tha
Lowland countries.
Private vehicles, oush cart'
bicycles and other modes of trans
portation so cnoKed the French
roads that military vehicles could
not cet through, in time to trv and
stem the Wehrmacht advance. 4
This country is quite vulnerable
to attack, they claim., - ,
There is one burning question.'
Will we be ready?
(Next Jackass Piatt on a
cold desert morning.) '
tn be presented to Congress Ll
January.
The new budget will ask for
alxnit "3 million dollars for thai
liTii. instead of 160 millions as the
Air Force had planned.
By the lime the first B70 flies,
nearly a billion dollars will have
been spent on its development.
Designed to cruise at three times
the speed of sound, the plane Is
to be the first supersonic heavy
bomlcr.
Today's announcement, however,
raised some doubt whether a war
fleet of B70s will ever be built.
The announcement said "the B7B
suiwrsonic heavy bomber program
is being reoriented to a Drototvoa
aircraft program."