Basketball The climax of the basket ball season, the state tour lament, la here. The States man brings yoa the tonrn&a ttent news hours ahead. .. The leather . Occasional rain today and Saturday, cool; Max. Temp. Thursday 83, MIn. 31; river -3 feet, rain .03 inch, sooth, southwest wind. ' POU NDDO 1651 EIGHTY-SIXTH YEAR Salem, Oregon, Friday Morning:, March 19, 1937 Price 3c; Newsstands 5eL No. 307 oil Is - ; . ' : " 'WV' t - V"'.-': m ! TiY e. Mast Over 7 Salem Beaten; Semi-Finals in Tourney x4head Bellfountain, Franklin, Lincoln, McLoughlin to Clash Tonight Railsplitters Too Lofty for Vikings Who Put Up Tight Defense TOURXEY GAMES TODAY 10 o'clock Astoria vs. Ath ena. . 11 o'clock LaG r a n d e vs. McMinnville. 2 o'clock Eugene ts. Chil oqain. S o'clock Ashland vs. Sa lem. ': Semi-finals 7:30 o'clock B ell fountain s. Franklin. 8:30 o'clock McL o a g hlln ts. Lincoln. SCORES YESTERDAY Amity 13, Athena 25. Astoria 44, Mllwaukie 30. LaGrande 32, Klamath Falls 21. ; McMinnville 42, North Bend 21. Bellfountain 39. Chiloquin 21." Franklin'26, Eugene 24. McLoughlin 34, Ashland . Lincoln 20, Salem 15. 26. By PAUL HAUSER Lincoln high of Portland, its heighth too much for even a ball hawking crew like the Vikings, defeated Salem 20 to 15 last night to complete the list of four teams yet undefeated which will vie tonight in the semi-final round of the state - high 'school basketball tournament. Lincoln, of the four, teams the only one not a semi-finalist last year, will meet McLoughlin to night after Franklin and Bell fountain fight It out for the final-. 1st berth in the upper bracket. McLoughlin -qualified by defeat ing Ashland 34 to 26 last night in one of the most smoothly played games of the tourney. Franklin provided the biggest surprise and the greatest thrills of the tournament when It defeated Eugene, touted as the coming champion. 26 to 24 in a game In which a last-second field goal de cided the issue. Bellfountain Again . State B Champion Bellfountain breezed easily through Chiloquin to win both the B championship and its second try in the tournament semi-finals. Relegated to the list of, those who tried and lost were the four teams given their first defeat yes terday. With fourth place their goal they will meet in two games this afternoon. Eugene plays Chil oquin at 2 o'clock and Ashland meets Salem at 3 o'clock. Amity, Mllwaukie. Klamath Falls and North Bend were drop ped from the running yesterday as they all lost their second games and were automatically retired to the sidelines. In the consolation bracket Astoria will meet Athena at 10 o'clock this morning and LaGrande will play McMinnville at 11. All-Portland Final Distinct Possibility With two Portland teams, Franklin and Lincoln, in the semi finals, . possibilities were strong that for the first time In history there will be an all-Portland fi nal. Franklin was a finalist last year. Height that enabled Lincoln to control the tipoft and keep pos session of backboard rebounds, plus a tight sone defense, proved too much for the spunky Salem team. "Ahead 5 to 0 before Salem scored, Lincoln, checking the Vik ings way out with Its sone de fense, kept its lead throughout the game despite Salem's ceaseless ball-hawking. With both teams using the xone (Turn to page 13, Col. 1) Frank Riggi Sues Oswego Ex-Judge OREGON CITY, March 18 -")-irank Rlggl, Salem boxer, filed suit In circuit court today for 12800 against H. Fred Septka, former justiee of the peace at Oswego. Rlggl alleged he was Injured and his automobile damaged in a collision with a car operated by Septka near Aurora on January 6. He named Victor A. Sidor, owner of the machine, the co-defendant. Septka, indicted for embeKle ment In connection with the Jus tice of the peace office at Oswego, Is scheduled to appear at the Woodburn Justice court tomorrow to answer to charges growing out ot the auto crash. Recently police found a note bearing Septka's name on the Marlon-Polk county bridge indi cating he planned to take his own life. Later he was reported at Oakland, Calif. Last week police arrested him at Portland on a Clackamas county warrant. VIKINGS ANjF 1 7 IS Above, the Salem high basketeers who upset McMinnville the first Alght of the state tournament and then bowed to Lincoln in a close-checking game Thursday night. Top row, from left. Manager Car kin, Gallaber, Hill, Maerz, Chambers, Coach Harold Hauk. Lower row, Lowe, Wickert, Medley, TJp ston, Maynard. Lower picture, the Eugene Axemen, victims of a Frank Merrlwell upset at the hands of Franklin. From left. Baker, Kilbora, Hamer, Igoe, McNeese, Stevenson, Caven, Austin, Coach Fritz' Kramer. ' . . All on WPA Sent Copies of Hopkins 'Address in Favor of Court Plan Mailed, Griffith Explains PORTLAND. Ore., March 18-(Jpy-The Oregonian tonight quot ed E. J. Griffith, Oregon WPA ad ministrator, as confirming that 15,000 copies of a speech by Har ry Hopkins, federal administrator. favoring the president's proposed J supreme court plan, had been sent to WPA employes in the state. The administrator explained, the newspaper said, that the speech, given March 1, was too long fori inclusion in the WPA magazine which goes regularly to all workers, and the 15,000 mim eographed .copies were prepared to supplement the regular issue of the magazine. "Sending out a speech by the head of our staff is not political," Griffith was quoted. "It is a mat ter of routine to advise workers of his attitude on a social ques tion of interest to them." Asked if he had urged employes to communicate with congress, the newspaper Bald, Griffith re plied: ! "Probably, in the course of con versation. I have talked with sev eral persons about the matter and suggested to some that they com (Turn to page 2, coL 1) Cofferdam Leaks At Coulee Fought " GRAND COULEE DAM, March 1 SHFVGialU pumps fought a los ing battle tonight against water which ran through a broken cof ferdam cell and led indirectly to the death of a workman. I Austin . McAfee, of Kelso, was crushed to death last night by a big truck I during feverish at tempts to plug the leak In the dike. . : ' i' ' i The lake behind the coffer dams, where the riven flowed be fore diversion, was rising tonight at the rate of a foot an hour. The M-W-A-K company, builder of the Grand Coulee dam project, added a second 9,0 00-gallon a mlnuto pump to the front line battery. . Speech Bellfountain Is B Champion Second Time; Tops Chiloquin Bellfountain became state B champion for the second year yesterday as it defeated Chiloquin 39 to 21 to complete its breeze through the B bracket. Coach Bill Lemmon's lads from Benton county will now enter competition with A teams In the tourney . semi-finals where they meet Franklin high of ; Portland at 7:30 o'clock tonight. , Bellfountain last year lost to Corvallis in the semi-finals and then went on to down McLoughlin for third place. Chiloquin : gave - Bellfountain little trouble and the Benton coun XEMEN UPSET VJCTIMS Danger of Flying Kite Near Power Line Is Stressed A graphic portrayal of the dan gers of flying kites near power lines was set up in the window of the Portland General Electric com pany store at 237 North Liberty street yesterday. The exhibit shows three of the kites which caused as many short circuits of 11,000 volt lines within the last month, a street scene depicting such an oc currence, and a clinker formed by mixture of molten copper from a fallen line with soil. The street scene shows a high tension line melted in two, an automobile damaged by the fallen wires and a doll kits flyer lying in the street, still clutching his tin sel kite string. "We put In the exhibit to show what this kite flying near power lines means," District Manager W. M. Hamilton said. "I hope all children will come down town and see Just what can happen." Dykstra Selected Wisconsin Leader MADISON, Wis., March- 1S-(JF) -University of Wisconsin regents appointed Clarence Addison Dyk stra president of the Institution today. ? " Under a one-year contract, the 54-year-old Cincinnati city mana ger and former university profes sor will take office July 1, suc ceeding Dr. Glenn Frank, whose 11-year tenure ended in his ouster on charges of administrative In efficiency. ? Dykstra will receive $15,000 a year and certain expenses. Dr. Frank' received $20,000 and ex penses when he came here in 1926, but the salary was trimmed grad ually to $15,000. At Cincinnati, Dykstra received $25,000 annu ally. Teachers Get Raise OREGON CITY, March 18-SV Park Place grade school teach ers have been reelected for nexK car wiiu a per cent Biliary tyn creases. ty team took an early lead.: With victory in the bag Bellfountain played a looser game than It had the previous day, and took Chilo quin In stride. Kessler Is Again Team's Top Scorer Led again by big Bunny Kessler, who scored 1 points to make his tournament total SC. Bellfountain grabbed a IS to S lead by the end of the quarter and made it 24 to 9 by half time. Wallace, plunking In long shots, accounted for 11 points while the rest of the Bellfountain lads took (Turn to page 13, Col. 6) 1 Law School Deans Favor Court Plan Opposition Learns One Is Candidate For Bench of Appeals Court WASHINGTON, March 18--The deans of two university law schools, appearing today at a tur bulent hearing In which senators snapped and glowered at each other, called for the enactment of the Roosevelt court reorganiza tion proposal. Dean Thomas F. Konop ft No tre Dame described the measure as a "safety valve to save the su preme court and its jurisdiction." unless it is enacted, he said, an "outraged" people will put -through an amendment "sweeping the supreme court out of the con stitutional picture." Dean Leon Green of Northwest ern urged passage of the bill to obtain a "reinterpretation of the constitution" and provide a "fair supreme court." In the course of a sharp cross examination. Senator O'Mahoney (D.-Wyo.) asserted that the bill held only a "pious hope" that such a reinterpretation would en sue. Green disagreed. With an air of triumph, oppo sition senators confronted Green with assertions that his prepared statement had been submitted to the justice department for revi sion and that he was a candidate' for appointment to the bench of the circuit court of appeals. He denied both contentions. McReynolds Bill Passed by House WASHINGTON. March 1S.-VP) -The house smashed the McRey nolds neutrality bill to passage today over all opposition, 374 to 12. The republicans and some dem ocrats sought vainly to make more rigid a provision granting wide discretion to the president to set up a cash and carry system for handling war material shipments o nations at war. Backers ot the'leglslatlon made hut one Imnnrtant rntiroRofnn on the cash and carry provisions an amendment limiting their op eration to two years. Two Pedestrians Injured Slightly Helen F. Smith, 22, 430 North. Liberty street, and Florence Weidmer, 574 North Cottage, were struck but apparently not seriously Injured by an automo bile driven by Forrest Ivan Gist, Cloverdale, at the Center and Lib erty street Intersection at C o'clock last night. Both women, suffering mainly from bruises and shock, were re ported resting well at Salem Gen eral hospital early today. ' City police released Gist on $50 ball after arresting him on a charge of falling to give right of way to a pedestrian. Amelia Trims Speed Record Honolulu Trip Less Than lt Hours for 2400 Miles; Clipper Comes in Later Rest Taken Before Next Hop to Howland Isle on World Circuit HONOLULU, . March 18-ZV- Amella Earhart's 180.000 "labor atory plane' streaked -h, to Hono lulu today ahead of two big sky clippers to set a speed record In her 2400-mile dash from Oakland, out delayed nntil tomorrow a flight to Howland Island, second stage of her world flight. : "I'm terribly tired," she said. adding that she wanted to await better flying weather. Miss Earhart told reporters she bad stuck to the controls most of the night, relinquishing -them to Paul Mants, her technical adviser, only as the speedy ship approach ed Wheeler field for a landing. Seems Longer, Says Amelia, But Isn't Amid the cheers of several hun dred early morning spectators, (Turn to page 2, col. 2) Conference Hears Policy For Power Public Agencies to Have First Call, Declared by WPA Official EUGENE, Ore . March H.-VP) -Problems pertaining to the dis tribution of power to be generated at Bonneville dam were consid ered today at the opening session of the commonwealth conference on the University of Oregon cam pus here. E. R. Foley, Jr., general coun sel for the WPA, and representa tive of the president's committee on national power policies, said that under the committee's recom mendations states, counties, muni cipalities and cooperative associ ations would be given first chance of utilizing the power. The TVA. he added, has set the precedent for such a policy. He described the federal pro- I gram as designed to stimulate in- u us try ana reueva uuciuyiujwcuii and not to destroy private Indus try In the power field. Ormond R. Bean, chairman of the state planning board, outlined the board's recommendations that the power be marketed to the best Interests of public agencies and industry, and that a market study precede establishment of policies and rates. Helen Wills Love Regains Normalcy LOS ANGELES. March li-JPy-Helen Wills Love was quoted to night by The Los Angeles Times as saying, when she was aroused from her strange trance: "I want to go back where I was, away from staring eyes, fin gers that point at me, crying You're guilty you must pay. " The Times Baid the woman con victed of shooting to death the man she said was her secret hus band, added: "But now that I'm back, I mean to make a fight of It a fight for my acquittal." The Times Interview continued, in part: "I can't believe that a week has passed. I keep thinking it's last Friday (the day she went into her sleep). "There were no dreams. It was very peaceful." Pedestrian Killed PORTLAND, Ore.. March 28-(A)-Charles Larson, 62, was kill ed tonight when struck by a car which police said was driven by Donald T. Willis. 17.- Two wit nesses said Larson was not on the crosswalk. Late Sports DAYTONA BEACH. Fla.. March 1 9.-( Friday )-fls)-S a m Breadon. president ot the St. Louis Cardin als, early today said 'that Dizzy Dean had wired him he had signed his contract and would report for spring training today. Breadon did not disclose the terms, although It is understood the Cardinals had offered Dean $24,000. . SEATTLE, March 18.-P-The Washington state high school bas k e t b a 1 1 tournament narrowed down tonight to Wenatchee, Wal la Walla. Everett and' Dayton for the semi-finals of the champion ship. Worst Disaster in U.S. History Involving Children; Scenes of Horror imTexas Town Related Fire Is Raging In Auto Plant Where Sit-Down Strikers Hold Forth; Climax of . : Dispute Held Near i DETROIT. March 19-P)-Flre departments of two suburbs were fighting a tire early today at the Chrysler corporation's main Dodge automobile plant in Ham tramck. The factory is one of those occupied by sitdown strik ers. (By The Associated Press) - Michigan's paralyzing labor trouble moved toward a crisis yesterday. Chrysler corporation attorneys conferred with Circuit Judge Al lan Campbell on further legal moves to regain eight plants held by 6,000 sitdown strikers, but ac tion was deferred nntil today (Fri day). Earlier the Rev. Frederic Sied enberg, S. J.,.. University of De troit dean, was appointed chair man of the mediation board of three which grew out of Gov. Frank Murphy's "law and order" conference Wednesday. Over OO.OOO Idle In Aato Industry Union forces holding the plants redoubled their guard. More than 90,000 wage earners Jn the auto mobile industry were Idle. 1 - Wages were raised on a -large sector Of the textile : Industry on the ere of the -start of the com mittee for industrial organization campaign to enroll more than a million workers. About 44,500 employes In the Carolinas will benefit from pay raises announced yesterday. In creases were sighted for thou sands more. Sidney Hillman, chosen by the C. L O. last week to lead the tex tile drive, called the textile work ers' organizing committee togeth er in New York. The union claims 100,000 already are under the C. L O. banner. Printers Strike At Indianapolis (By The Associated Press) Union printers In tall three ot the Indianapolis, Ind.. newspapers Toted yesterday to go on strike at once while an agreement to settle the prolonged Remington-Rand strike was announced at Washing ton and Michigan's labor trouble moved toward a crisis. Glenn L. Mitchell.' president ot the Indianapolis Typographical union No. 1 said printers at the News, Star and Times voted a walkout shortly after union mem bers left their jobs ' at the Star, Indianapolis' only morning news paper. He declined , to state the union's demands. At Washington American Fed eration of Labor leaders and James H. Rand, Jr., disclosed they had reached an agreement Involv ing employment of i about' 1,200 Remington-Rand strikers. Dynamite Has No Bearing on Blast OVERTON, Tex., March 1S.-UP) American Legion officials said tonight that several sticks of dy namite found in wreckage of the London Consolidated school had no connection with a blast mat killed an estimated 450 children. They explained that the dyna mite was found in a part ot the school - which was i not badly wrecked. The explosive was left after blasting on a football field recently. .. Student Eye-Witness Tells Of School Explosion Horror (KdiUr'a KoU: Martha Harris. 18- year-ld stadtnt la U Kcw Loadoa MhooU wai km I abort atanc away from taa atrvetura kn it barst asunder wiU a tarriGa roar aad killed aoadreda at . caildna. Saa sriba ib aeaneaJ Bare.) By MARTHA HARRIS OVERTON, Texas, March 18- (JFy-I was In the home economy building about CO yards from the school when I heard a terrible roar. The earth shook and brick and glass came showering down. X looked out a window and saw my friends dying like flies. Kids were blown out through the top onto the roof. Some of them hung .up there and others; fell off two Terrific Explosion Lifts Roof, Then j Entire Building Crumples Crushing ' Fupiis and 1 eachers; Gas Blamed Ten Minutes Before Dismissal Time; Martial Law Declared; Long Rows of Bodies Await NEW LONDON. Tex- March lQCTV-SurTcys showed 89 oodles of school children and teacher had been removed early I today from the wreckage of the London Consolidated high school t building where a terrific explosion occurred yesterday. I i ! S ITEW LONDON, Tex., March 18 (AP) A gigantic schoolhouse explosion killed more than 321 children just i j before their dismissal hour today in the worst disaster of its kind America has known. 1 1 It happened in the heart of the east Texas oil fields in a l,000,000s school plant. The high school building, center of the Ikmdon consolidated school, was torn apart in an appall ing tragedy.! . I I A captain of the Texas rangers estimated the dead at 150. The recovered bodies ran up to 214 in the early evening. The school principal feared the total would reach 670. I' ! At 3:20 p. m. ten minutes before, the end of the school Y ' a day the walla were shaken with Task of Removing Bodies Is Speeded 'Richest School in World" Now Shambles; Parents Seek For Children By WILLIAM T. RIVES NEW LONDON. Texas, Marcn 1 n-iOHl walked Into a scene of desolation and despair at the Lon don consolidated school tonight that made by heart sink. " Hundreds of children lay bur fed underneath a mass of brick and stone, wreckage ot a fine three-winged building that boast ed' a reputation as the "richest school! In the world because of its location in the center of the yast east Texas fairyland of oil. 1 With automobile traffic halted about a mile and a half away, we walked upon the eerie scene, lit by flares from gas pipes nearby, jut ting 30 feet into the air .and by floodlights on the football fiejd hearby. i In the middle of a ring ot about five thousand persons lay the remnants of the huge structure. The center portion had: only a bare split wall at the rear still Standing. The brick and stone were piled about 15 feet high In a quarry-like; effect. From the h (Turn to page 2, coL 1) jSit-Down Strike i iHere Short lived j: Salem's first : sit-down strike, which i occurred yesterday after noon proved of the "quickie" va riety in both beginning and end ing. 1 - f Thei four drivers employed by the Merchants City Delivery. 460 Ferry street, sat down on the of fice bench at 1 p.m. yesterday and announced they would stay there until they received their March 15: pay checks and an explanation of a change In wage system was felven; j They got the checks and the explanation from Clyde John son, proprietor, at 4 p.m. and by 4:05 were driving truck again. ! The drivers contended that they were underpaid, with 1 60 a month the wage of the best paid of the quartet, and that they would earn still less under an hourly work basis which they said the proprie tor, had announced as effective Wednesday, i i Johnson said the strike was the result ot a "misunderstanding. stories! to the ground. I saw girls fn my class jumping out windows like they were deserting a burn ing ship. r ' Brother and Friend Escape Unscathed ; My brother Milton Harris, 1C years old. jumped from the sec ond story and didnt get a scratch: just a little bruise on his knee when he hit the ground. My friend,' Geraldine Ruf fin, jumped out too and was not hurt. : V My brother said the place just blew . np : all : of a sudden and scared them awfully. It took his breath away and all he knew was i (Turn to page 2, col. 2) Identification snauenng iorce. ine rooi rose, then settled with killing strength on the children trapped within. An explosion of accumulated gas in a space below the first floor was one theory. There are seven producing oil wells on the campus. - Chaps rivaling the explosion it self developed in -the aftermath. Martial law became necessary. - From his Warm . Springs. Ga., vacation President ' Roosevelt summoned the Red Cross "and all of .the government agencies" to render every assistance in their power. Court of Inquiry Will Investigate Governor James V. Allred de clared martial law In the pre cinct, ordered in national guard troops and instructed that a mili tary court of inquiry be set up to begin an Investigation. Red 'Cross nurses, doctors by the score rushed against time to allay the confusion here 1000 oil field workers tore at the de bris, frenzied parents strove to find their children and hundreds of curious blocked the highways. Supt. W. C. Shaw, who lost a son in the explosion, said accu mulated gas in a space between the floor of the two-story build ing and the ground undoubtedly caused the explosion. .The build ing was heated by gas-stean radiators and there was ho main boiler. There were 700 pupils In the high school. . .Witnesses said there was an ear-hammering' explosion alter -the grumbling roar that preceded the -blast. The roof then, they said, moved up. the walls crashed outward, and the roof fell Into the wreckage, crushing those within. Bricks Are Throws For Quarter Mile The high school building was wrecked. A flame shot forth for a brief time. Nearby stood the grade school empty its several hundred pupils ' having already been dismissed for the day. i Bricks hurtled through the air - (Turn to page 2, coL 1) Building Permits Continue to Gain Permits for a 16500 house and a 12000 store building were Issued by the city building department yesterday along with two smaller permits. A. Volchok received the house construction permit. This new home will be located at 1895 South Church street. The.lxth and State street busi ness block will be enlarged by the store building, to be built at 1260 State by William Lebold. It will be 21 by 65 feet In size. Permits for a $175 private'gar age at 593 Highland avenne was taken out by Sarah Patrick and for rerooflng a house at 690 Le felle at cost of 1 25, by Mrs. E. Weiler. ALLADC of TOD A V One little child Is harmed and we, though strangers, mourn In sympathy; the grief of loved ones we would share, we know the cross that parents bear. What It by hundreds children die. The shock's too great: with tearless eye we grope for words. that will convey our feel ingsyet what can we say?