British Reported Looking to U. S. to A id in Greece, Turkey By Jack BH a4 Alex H. Siagietam WASHINGTON, Feb. ZS-4JP) Congressional leaders were re ported inclined today to back up President Truman if he decides the United States should take over hard-pressed Britain's eco nomic commitments in Greece and Turkey. They sought meanwhile to weigh the impact of such a mo e upon world stability and delicate relations with Russia. Diplomatic and congressional informants said word has come from London that the British, their domestic economy 'trained to the breaking point cannot much longer maintain troop .n Greece and give Turkey eco nomic and military assistance. SGDDjQS Defeat o HB 368 keeps in the law the provision that only prop erty taxpayers may vote at school elections on tax and bond issue question: but it leaves Portland school district in a predicament. The issue came up when it was proposed to give the Portland dis trict the opportunity to call spe cial elections for tax and bond purposes. They wanted the law fixed so no taxpayer qualification would be required. It was de cided, though, that it could not be fish for Portland and fowl for upstate in other words eligibility to vote should be the same. Whereupon it was decided to amend the present law. making it statewide and removing "the tax payer qualification. That was the bill which got beaten 44 to 15 in the house. The theory behind the taxpayer qualification Is that if property has to pay the tax decision on tax es or bonds should be restricted to property owners. The . state however is very inconsistent in this regard because it makes no such requirement In voting in state or county or city elections. As a matter of fact the prop-r erty tax qualification is pretty much of an anachronism. In this state heavy taxes are raised from incomes, a large share of which goes for education. Liquor reve nues which support public wel fare are derived from many who own no real property. Gasoline taxes hit everyone who operates j a motor vehicle, and sales and cigarette taxes (Continued on editorial page) Salem Council Studies Youth With the approval Friday of questionnaire forms the Salem council of social agencies launched a survey designed to as certain the adequacy of youth recreational facilities and pro grams in this area. Conducted by members of the council, the survey will convass churches, schools, clubs and other agencies. Aim is to determine if enough leisure-hours youth facili ties and programs exist here and to find out which of these facili ties are being used at maximum capacity and efficiency. Dr. Law rence Riggs, council president, said. Central office of the survey is at the community chest office. Coun cil members hope to complete the survey in two weeks. H. L. Bra den. CommunityChest represent ative, is in charge of details for the survey. Richard Alverson. Cherry City district boy scout commissioner, is chairman of the committee which drew up the forms. Warmer Weather, Clouds Predicted Slightly warmer weather with partly cloudy skies were in pros pect for Salem and most of west ern Oregon this weekend, accord ing - to the Associated Press and the IcNary field weather bureau. R. H. Baldock. in his state high way road report, said yesterday that virtually all highways in the state are normal, and he an nounced the removal of load re strictions on the McKenzie and Richardson-Eugene highways. Animal Crackers By WARREN GOO0CICH CLEARANCE QALQ -rmP 7 L rm half oft.' I IK I II JjC v mm - w - President Truman declined four times at his news confer ence today to say anything about the reports of possible American shouldering of Britain's commit ments in Greece. However, the president and Secretary of State Marshall were said to have told a bipartisan group of congressional leaders at the White House yesterday that the alternative to American, ac tion may be eventual communis tic control of Greece. Republicans and democrats who listened to the discussion of what was described as a critical situation in one of the world's trtuble spots were represented by colleagues as having indica ted they will go along if the president decides the United P-82 Pilot's Betty Jo in Person -V ' V J2L 0 NEW YORK CITY. Feb. tt-UP)-A. Cel. Rebert E. Thaeker (left) f El Centre. Calif., and his ee-pilet. LI John Arm (right) mi Ingle wood. Calif- are happy as they are greeted by their wives after lasting at LaGaardia field here after a sen-step flight fre-m Hono lulu In their fighter plane. Betty Je. named far Thaeker's wife. (AP WlrepheU) V 142-Hour Hop From Hawaii Sets Record NEW YORK, Feb. 2S-HP)-Betty Jo. the army's sleek twin-engined P-82 fighter plane, swooped into La Guardia field non-stop from Honolulu in 14 hours and 33 min utes 'today, streaking nearly 5000 miles over land and sea. Lt. Col. Robert E. Thaeker of El Centro, Calif., the pilot, min imized the 4978-mile flight, long est distance ever flown by a fighter plane, but said it had proved that fighters could make long distance escort trips. "There was nothing heroic about it," he told newsmen as he rubbed his tired eyes. "There was noth ing to it. Please don't make a hero out of me." Nevertheless, the long-postponed flight aroused widespread interest as the Betty Jo zoomed across the country this morning, her New York goal jeopardized because of a mechanical failure which made it impossible to drop three of her four auxiliary gas tanks. With 60 gallons of gasoline left of the 2215 loaded into the P-82 at Honolulu, the fighter hurtled over the airport here at 8:06 a. m. (PST. Thaeker brought her in to a perfect landing at 8:08:44. P-51 Speeds To New Mark NEW YORK, Feb. 28-(-Paul Mantz. veteran speed flyer, sped across the country in a P-51 Mus tang today to set a new non-stop transcontinental mark of six hours, seven minutes and five sec onds for a single-engined, propel ler type plane. The 43-year-old pilot said he could have set a much faster rec ord if his radio had not failed shortly before he reached La Guardia field. Salem Taxi Finn To Install Radios Ten two-way ultra-nigh fre quency radios are to be installed in the Salem Taxi company's taxicabs when the sets are re ceived in May, Robert Lynn Clark, company owner, announc ed yesterday. Clark said the antenna and transmitter will be installed at the top of the First National bank building. He said applica tion had been made to the fed eral communications commission for a frequency assignment in the 152 to 162 megacycle band. Oregon Gvil War Vet Returns from Midwest PORTLAND, Feb. 28 -GP-Theodore A. Penland, 98, found the midwest too cold and now is back in Portland for the rest of his life. That's what Oregon's only surviving veteran of the civil war told a reporter today. He left the state last fall, intending to live in Michigan. FOXEST VISITS COUNTED PORTLAND, Feb. 28-4VSome 2.750 000 travelers went through the 19 national forests of Oregxi and Washington last year, the UJS. Forest service reported today. States must step id in order to preserve European stability. So m e republicans, however, were said to believe that a full explanation of the program must be made to congress and to the people before any final decision is made. It is highly possible that the final attitude of con gress will be determined by the public's reaction. There are these possible alternatives for the. United States, a number of legis lators said: 1. Substantial economic as sistance for Greece itself and for Britain in maintaining the police job there, or 2. Adoption of a hands-off policy in an srea where interests of Russia and the western pow ers conflict. - Nine Salem High Musicians to Play In Festival Band Nine local high school musi cians were chosen from among hundreds to be be members of the festival band and orchestra which will play in Seattle during the northwest conference of mu sic directors and educators March i 19-22. The Salem high students, chos en from applications made to the committee, are Donna Jane Mack lin, Freda Carlson and Phillip Blankenship, violin, and Donna Wiederkehr, oboe and English horn, all of the orchestra; Lowell Fox., clarinet. Roger Middleton, cornet. Rodney Beals, flute. Glen Garrett. French horn, and Rob ; ert Miller, oboe, all of the band. ' Instructor Victor Pal mason has , been asked to assist with the ' string section of the orchestra ! and Vernon Wiscarson with the band during the festival. 50-Year Pact To be Signed j LONDON. Feb. 28 - JP) -The ! foreign ministers of Britain and France announced to their ap ; proving parliaments today that a ( I 50-vear treaty of alliance between , the two countries would be signed ! on Tuesday at the historic French : channel port of Dunkerque. i France and Britain already have treaties of mutual assistance with Russia. Both documents are aimed especially at Germany, but express agreement also on coop eration for. the security and eco nomic betterment of Europe. Announcement of a third pact, completing a ring around Ger many, was greeted with cheers in i both the house of commons and the French national assembly. Oregon Accident Toll 39 in Month Thirty-nine persons were killed in motor vehicle accidents during January of this year as compared , with 27 in January, 1946. Sec re- i tary of State Robert S. Farrell, jr., reported Friday. i More than half of the fatalities j resulted from non-collision acci-, dents. Twelve of the 39 fatalities occurred within cities or towns. Skidding cars caused IS deaths. New Lumber Plant' Expected in Willamina WILLAMINA. Feb. 28. -JP)-Mayor H. A. Parrett said today that a new lumber manufacturing plant would be established here soon. He said the company, to be owned locally, would make an announcement probably next week. SOCIETY NOT ALARMED PORTLAND, Feb. 28-CP)-The Multnomah County Medical socie ty's public health committee re ported today that epidemic diar rhea had not reached alarming proportions here. COMMUNISTS EXPELLED NANKING, Saturday, March 1 UP) - The government, charging Chinese communists with jpen re bellion, today gave red delegates until Wednesday to clear out of government territory. The - com munists immediately asked for a j 15-day stay. 1 ItStETT-SIXTB TEAR 10 Hospital a Annex Approved By Westell Webb Managing Editor. The Statesman Final legislative approval was given Friday to a measure pro viding for the state acquisition of facilities at Camp White near Medford for possible use as a state hospital annex to relieve crowded conditions at the insti tution in Salem. House passage of the senate bill so providing came near the end of a comparatively busy day dur ing which the house assessment and taxation committee voted to introduce a measure to raise $2. 000.000 annually by levying a 2 cent tax on each package of ciga rets a proposal which was de feated by referendum vote 87,542 to 60,321 two years ago. Referendum Probable The bill providing for the no cost acceptance of the $6,000,000 Camp White facilities from the war assets administration provid ed only that title would rest with Oregon. Establishing a state hos pital there will require a refer endum, under statutes prohibiting such institutions from being out side of Marion county except by popular vote. The house also passed without dissenting vote its memorial ask- j mended a grant of $17,991,815 as ing the government to give Che-; OPA windup expenses, mawa Indian school to the state, J "The committee was informed after Rep. O. H. Bengston of Med- that a rent control bill is ready ford said there was "a rumor that! for early senate consideration," some thought is being given, on Chairman Bridges .,(R.-N. H.) told the part of the federal govern- reporters, adding, "there is a move ment, to abandoning the Indian afoot to transfer sugar and rice school which is not now operating controls to the department of ag at capacity." i riculture. In another major action Friday, j Bridges read into the record a the house voted 44 to 15 against j letter from Chairman Taber (R. a bill to allow any registered j N. Y.) of the house appropriations elector to vote in school elections, J committee that OPA had "failed heretofore limited to property I to keep faith with the govern owners. Opponents objected to , ment" in reducing jts payroll, letting non-property holders sad-1 Taber said 1000 OPA field die districts with debt Proponents j workers could handle sugar con said nearly everyone paid cchool trols and "3000, rents. Instead, -he taxes anvwav through the prop- erty-offset pha.e of income taxes Fifteen "Yes" 'Votes The 15 "yes" votes (with only J. O. Johnson absent) were cast by Reps. Barry, R- H. C. Bennett, R. A. Bennett, Condit, Dammasch, J an ten be in, Harvey, Hendricks, Lonergan, Niskanen, Pier, Thom as, Wilhelm. J, Wilson, Hall. Introduced in the house were seven measures including those calling for a $970,076 deficiency appropriation for state depart ments and institutions, and re quiring probate courts to have petitions stating facts and reasons before ordering hearings on pos sible committals to state hospitals. House bills passed by the sen ate included those providing for a state commission to buy federal surplus materials and permitting the governor to commandeer fire fighting equipment in emergen cies. The senate sent to the houe a bill to let school boards exclude mentally unfit children from schools. Eirht Bills in Senate Eight new bills introduced in the senate included measures to allow divorced persons to remar- ry after 60 days instead of six . months; continue a wartime per- mit for the use of oleomarganne mstatemiWuUoDijpetinitaone mill "County Historical Fund" tax; authorize Purchase or con-; strucuon of a $60,000 governor s ; home in Salem, and provide i means for withdrawal or an area from a rural, fire protection dis trict. " Additional tax proposals also were being considered Friday, and the legislature's major revenue-producing program was un derstood to be nearing completion in the house assessment and taxa tion committee. A sub-committee of that group suggested an extra--one-cent gasoline tax to enable increasing the cities' and counties' share of highway revenue to 12.5 and 20 per cent, respectively. Present share is 5 and 15.7 per cent. The house alcoholic control committee Friday tabled a bill to permit sale of mixed drinks via scrip in clubs, but said it would consider a new measure to allow Sale of liquor by the drink in ho tels, restaurants and clubs. Bills Up in Heose Among 19 bills up for final ac tion in the house today is its own measure requiring inspections of school buses every 90 days. Up fos final action in the sen ate are a house bill to exempt gifts to charitable associations from "the corporation excise tax, and a senate measure to require board of health approval for small community water systems. The house will resume at 9:30 a.m. today, the senate an hour later. (Legislative actions on page 2.) PUBLIC HEARINGS LjUMr iitoa srettos km (SB 314. 323. 324. 347. 363) Monday. March 3. following afternoon adjournment, room 401. statehouse, before senate labor and industries committee. Pakilc aUlity bills (HB 277, 290. 29C. 311) Monday. March 3. 7:30 p. ro.. room 321. statetaouse, before bouse utilities committee. fireworks, BaeaHeal m4 eeaseterT bills (HB 12C; SB 342.: 354 Tuesday. March 4. following afternoon adjourn ment, room 300. statehouse, before senate judiciary committee. FWe-amaa bi(Bway eoaaanlssioa (HB 133 Tuesday. March 4. 1:30 p. m room 401. statehouse. before senate state affairs committee. PAGES Furniture Fire World Scorcher, Hamilton Avers Ralph Hamilton, of the Hamil ton Furniture company, last night found his world scorched from pole to pole and meridian to me ridian. A fir which started at the store about 6 pjn. of supposedly elec trical origin, destroyed two daven ports and chairs and badly scorched five floor lamps and two world globes. "The one world that was scorched the worst," explained Hamilton after the fire, -was the deluxe model, while the standard world was only scorched from the Mississippi river to the Indian ocean." The davenports and chairs were moved into the street by city fire men and the flames extinguished. Committee of Senate Votes To Bury 0PA WASHINGTON, Feb. 26-UP)-The senate appropriations commit tee today voted 11 to 2 to bury OPA by June 30 but members said" controls over rent, sugar and I rice will continue under other i agencies. The committee recom- saia, vjfA shti dm iz.ouu worn- ers in the field. The house, in a recent vote, aimed a much harder blow at OPA. It voted to cut $9,000,000 from its current year's appropria tion, a move which OPA officials said would put the agency out of business immediately. The final decision may be made in a senate house conference committee. Bomb Explodes In Haifa Bank HAIFA. Palestine, Feb. 26-4 fP) One person was killed and six in jured in a bomb explosion on an upper floor of Barclay's bank here today during mounting tension over arrival of a refugee ship car rying 1,350 uncertified Jewish immigrants to Palestine. Crowds surged through Haifa's main street during the day and a maze of road blocks was hastily manned by British troops to pre vent their storming . the suburb of Bat Galim as urged by curb- f ubsiding despi depar1ure of a Bitish traPns rt deporli som? of , ived refugees to Cyprus. exploaion kiiied , Jewish ernploye of the Britin offl and jajured an n J employe, four other Palestinian .w-w mv , .w. -j a British soldier, who discovered the bomb and attempted to defuse it. Funds Released For McNary Dam PORTLAND, Feb. 28 -(JP)- The way was opened today to begin McNary dam on the Columbia river this' spring. The chief of engineers at Wash ington announced release of $1,440,500 to begin the work, and the Portland office immediately made plans to call for bids about March 0. A suni of $1,162,803 was also released for work on the Colum bia river channel, Bonneville dam, and other northwest projects. Agriculture Officials See Drop In Food Prices if Crops Good WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 -UP) Barring a poor crop year, house wives and family breadwinners can look forward to a reduction this year in their grocery bills, agriculture department officials predicted today. They said also that prices of many non-food items in the fam ily budget must come down if the big volume of the nation's 1947 industrial and agricultural pro duction is to move into consump tion and use. An official department report issued today showed that farm prices on Feb. 15 were at sub stantially the same level as a month earlier. This Is the way food officials size up the price outlook: - The nation now has as large a supply of food as it has bad in POUNDBD 1651 Saturday Morning. Marh 1, 1947 Truman Selection Rejected WASHINGTON, Feb. 28-(AV A senate committee wrote "no" today across Gordon R. Clapp's nomination to head the Tennessee Valley Authority but President Truman signalled for a fight to the finish, on the senate floor. The president told a news con ference after the committee acted that he is staying behind Clapp to the finish just as he is beside David E. Lilienthal. nominated for chairman of the atomic energy commission. Clapp, long-time as sociate of Lilienthal, was named to the latter's TV A directorship. Mr. Truman praised Clapp warmly as a career public servant. He recalled that during his own senate service he several times saw nominees confirmed after ad verse committee reports. The public works committee recommended Clapp's rejection after hearing criticisms similar to those raised against Lilienthal himself before the atomic commit tee where his nomination as chair man of : the atomic energy com mission is pending. They included accusations that Clapp tolerated Communists in the TV A and characterizations of him as a "New Dealer." The committee's vote was 7 to 5 two Democrats and three Re- . ana Democrats and four Republicans, l? cut otJ' . . , including Cain of WashingLa Th wre5k purred a mile and against "ot quarter from Bennington curve Sen. McKellar (D.-Tenn ). swhere the railroad s -Red Arrow" leader of the fight against CUp ? "?5I?T ."ISS expressed himself as "delightedt' and said "he ought to have bee rejected." Budget Saving Earmarked for Debt Reduction WASHINGTON, Feb. 28-4) The senate voted today to .take a one per cent nibble out of the public debt with part of the -money it figures on saving in trim ming President Truman's $37,500, 000,000 budget. Sen. Knowland (R-Califl said the one -per cent payment $2,600,000.000 sets up a goal of paying off the whole $260,000, 0O0.0O0 in 100 years. Knowland had wanted to set aside $3,000.00,000 toward debt reduction. Sen. Taft (R-Ohio) wanted to hold the figure to $1,000,000,000 so as to leave more leeway for translating budget cuts into income tax cuts. The compromise on $2,600,000. 000, advanced by Sen. Millikin (R-Colo), prevailed, 82 to 0. Eighth Vessel Gills for Help antic ocean tales which have plagued shipping for a week were abating today but at least eight vessels still were 'reported in need of help In . the wind-whipped waters. The fishing motor vessel Prin cess Pay, eighth to falter, lost her rudder 220 miles south of Halifax, .. Nova Scotia, the coast guard said, but the Norwegian tanker Sommerstad was standing by and a Royal Canadian mount ed police vessel was scheduled to go to her aid. President Opens Red Cross Drive WASHINGTON, Feb. 2&-VPy-Prestdent Truman called on the American people tonight to "re spond proudly" with donations to the Red Cross which opens its an nual drive tomorrow to raise $60,000,000. "Let us remind ourselves," he said in a broadcast from the White House, "that many times a year the people turn to the Red Cross once a year the Red Cross turns to the people. That time is now at hand." any February in history and slightly more than at this time last year. On the other hand, retail out lets are offering more non-food items such as automobiles, re frigerators, household furnishings, etc., than a year ago. These items are competing with food for about the same number of con sumer dollars that 'were available a year ago. "In other words," these offi cials said, "there is tendency for consumers to divert dollars from food to other goods they could not get earlier. Under such conditions there is nothing in the economic picture to push food prices upward. Instead, they will tend to decline because of a weakening demand." IHloaas VdDftes to Pay LMg8Mm WASHINGTON, Feb. 28-6P)-LegifUtion virtually outlawing portal-to-portal pay suits received overwhelming house approval today in the first formal test of sentiment on labor measures since the republicans seized control of congress. By a roll call vote of 345 to 56. the house sent the bill to the senate after first crushing attempts to modify clauses giving em Sleeper Car Breaks Loose On Mountain GAIXITZIN, Pa., Feb. 28-(P)- runaway sleeper on the Pennsyl vania railroad's New York to Tex as "Sunshine Special" raced crazily down mountainside tracks in the pre-dawn darkness today, killing a Pullman porter as he tugged fu tilely at the emergency brakes, and injuring 11 others. Its sleepy passengers flattened themselves in the aisles to avoid i nying glass uuiiiig me dguimms . . . t i n,.ir...ni lliree allU one lldll lim: uavnnaiu run, which started after the car broke loose from the train at the crest of the Allegheny mountains while one of its two engines was wee-it, iv 1 1 1 1 . than 150. Railroad officials began an in vestigation. The car had finally halted when the rear wheels left the rails and plowed into an em- bankment. TFarm Month Above Average TP ALrW 1934 was proclaimed by the Salem weather bureau in its month-end nnrt last nieht. The mean temperature for last month was 2.8 degrees above the normal, naving registered at 45.5 degrees. The mean maximum tem perature for February was 55.7 degrees, or 6.9 degrees above nor mal, and the mean minimum was just average at 35,3 degrees, the weather bureau said. High temperatures of the month were recorded on the 7th, 22nd and 25th at 62 degrees and the lowest on the 27th at 24. The 62-degree 1 temperature was the warmest ! since October 24, 1946. Rainfall was a little over one inch below normal for February at 3 43 inches, total rainfall for the year is now recorded at 6.66 inches and the wettest day of the . : . l , 'month was on the first with 1.0 inches. Slot Machines in Idaho Legalized BOISE, Idaho. Feb. 28 VThe THahn pnitp after . two hours of impassioned debate adopted 27 to 12 the house-approvea legisiauon to revive the legal operation of slot machines which proponents said would help finance a $l.p- 000,000-a-year minimum educa- tional program passed earlier to- day in the house of representa- tives. The slot machine legislation was returned to the representatives who concurred in a senate .amend ment restricting the devices to in corporated cities and towns. Lumber Controls To End Mareh 31 WASHINGTON, Feb. 2&-JP) The office of temporary controls said today that most government controls over production of lum ber, soft wood, ply wood, hard wood flooring and mill work will be lifted March 31. The civilian production branch of OTC said, however, that be cause of the mill work, shortages it will continue to require chan neling of specified sizes of west ern pine and Douglas fir shop lumber to mi 11 work or cut-stock manufacturers, j Britain Asks Economic Commission in Europe LAKEN SUCCESS, N. Feb. 28.-yP)-Great Britain called upon the United Nations economic and social council today to give top priority to the creation of a per manent ; economic commission which would help the war-ravaged nations of Europe, get back on their feet. The jcouncil opened its fourth session with moce than 30 Items, on it agenda. WOOL. PRICE INCREASED WASHINGTON, Feb. 28-CP) The agriculture department today increased selling prices of government-owned wools an average of between 2 and 3 cents a pound, clean basis. No. 28$ ployers new defensive weapons in any suits brought under minimum wage and hoars laws. - Senate sentiment apparently is strong for enactment of some kind ' ui oh-jvi ii vj mcurc. now- ever, leaders tentatively planned to pigeonhole the house measure temporarily, and take up instead perhaps next week a bill which they say is more moderate but has the same general aim: Termination ofportal pay suits now amount- ing to $5,785,000,000. Past ruiUm CamiflrrMl The main features of the house , measure wotrki: 1. Close the coauU. to suits for portal pay unless the claim was based on worker a?tivities for which the employer by pait cus tom or agreement usually paia. ; ' 2. Give employers the right to claim "good faith" ai a defense against suits brought under the minimum wage statutes. "Good faith" is in effect a cljim of rtm pliance with the law an the em ployer understood it. 3. Allow employer to cite past custom court order arut admin istrative rulings to back up the claim of acting in g xi faith.' One-Year Time Limit 4rSet one year as the time limit. after the work is done, during which a suit could be brought for any pay alltgedly due under the three minimum wage statutes. such s-uil are successful. The following Oregon republi cans voted to pass the legislation virtually outlawing portal to por tal pay suits: Angel!, Ellswcith and Norbiad. The ro" call did not list Rep. Stockman (R-Ore). ' T "1 llQrin f JLCaU ; In Tournament from 33 western colleges, Willam ette university forer.sics students last night shared with Peppeidihe college students from Los Ange ' les, high scoring honor? as the semi-finals drew near a close in the all-western speech tourna ment at Linfield college, McMir.n ville. Willamette students to continue today after placing in the semi finals yesterday are: Bob Say re ( and Chuck Mills and Ira Jones and ' Ed Ladendorff, junior men's de- bate team; impromptu contest. II . .1. . .. . . TT 1 1 Bob Sayie, Corinne Engijhl and- Kathleen Secord; interpretation. . Betty Ferguson; oratory. Miss Ferguson and Tom Courtney; speech of occasion, Kathleen Se cord. Dr. Herbert E. Rahe. Willam ette university speech professor, in announcing the outcome last' night, said that final winners would be announced tonight i . . f KPAmiai ViiillCl i JL dlllfJI. I -t -w-k sfimi F KpclffllC j -lAC-SlIIO, j ! NANKING, Saturday, March . 1 1 --Premier Soong resigned to- day and, in a farewell appearance Derore the legislative - - Yuan (council), blamed China's eco'nom--ic woes on the Communists. Soong had been culled to ex plain "China's muddled! economic situation." Speculation in Nanking was that Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek would assume the premiership. Soong said the generalissimo had accepted his resignation. Boy Hit by Car; Driver Arrested Robert A. Knuth. route 9, Saw lem, was arrested on a charge of "an improper left turn involving; an- auto-pedestrian accident" by city police last night after th truck he was driving allegedly struck William Welch, age about 9. at the intersection ' of Duncan avenue and the SUverton road, in vestigating city police Said. The Welch boy, son, of Mrs. Sybil Teausaw, 420 Evergreen' ave.r-i was treated by the Salem first aid squad for a fractured right leg and taken to the Salem General, hofpital,' where his condi tion was- reported as "fairly good' last night. Weather Max. .... Si 57 1 Mm. z 23 44 Prctp" .44) UO .00 .03 Salem Portland . .. ... San Francisco Chicago 22 12 Willamette river: .4 feet. FORECAST (from U. S. weather bu- . reau. McNary field. Salem I: Partly cloudy today and tonight. High tern- perature today, SO; low tonitfht. 30. PricV 5c