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Opposes
'Special
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Controversial
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Detroit
uss Send Troops
To MooTay Bordeir
HELSINKI, Finland, Feb. 2i-P)-A well-informed Finnish source
aid tonight Russia has strengthened her garrisons along the Soviet
Norwegian border.
The informant said the Soviet troops had come from the Mur
mansk area. While giving no estimate of the number involved, he
said the troop movements were observed last week and apparently
CRT'
TTCDCDDCg
Not since appropriations for
WPA has the administration hung
out the "Come and Get iv Dan
cer with such abandon as in the
bill sent up to congress this week
for expansion ox social security
While President Truman forward
ed the bill which had been
prepared by Oscar Swing's fed
eral security agency it is doubt
ful if he knew Just how much of
a Santa Oaus it would make of
Uncle Sam, at the expense oi
wage-earners and employers. The
bill is a leap toward the welfare
state with the "life of Riley" as
sured the idle and impecunious.
Not all of the bill is bad, but
the "Home Relief feature makes
the government the universal
almoner. It puts the federal treas
ury into what we call in Oregon
"general assistance," and in a big
way too. Under this feature the
government would contribute $50
a month for-one-needy person;
another $50 a month for an addi
tional person in a home and $20
a month for each additional per
son. The state contribution would
be in addition, ranging from 40
to 75 per cent of the cost, the
government contributing in in
verse ratio to the states, in order
to equalize benefits over the coun
try. With that income one won
ders just what would get a man
off the relief rolls, once he got on.
One provision in the proposed
legislation has merit, that is to
increase the annuity paid out un
der the social security law. Now
it amounts to only $36.75 a month
where a person has earned $200
a month. The general average
under state old age assistance pro
grams runs to about $46 in the
16 highest states. Oregon is pre
paring to pay $50 a month. That
goes to needy aged who have made
no direct "
(Continued on editorial page)
Fourth Month
Of Price Drop
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 -()-The
labor department reported
tonight a fourth straight month's
drop in living costs.
The department's bureau of la
bor statistics consumers price in
dex declined JS per cent between
mid-December and mid-January.
This continued a downtrend from
the August-September a 11 time
peak.
The new index for mid-January
is 1J2 per cent above a year ago.
It is 282 per cent over June 1946
when major price controls were
abandoned and 73.3 per cent above
the August 1939 leveL
The drop from the August-September
high is 2.1 per cent.
Animal Crackers
By WARREN GOODRICH
"Isn't that cute? I wish we
hd s camera."
18 PAGES
Th
Dam Bids Opened; Under Army Estimate
I were in connection wun tne stana
taken by Norway on the projected
North Atlantic defense treaty.
(There have been no previous
reports of Russian movements in
this area.)
The informant, who was not
quotable by name, said there was
no indication of any similar troop
movements against the Finnish
border.
Common Frontier
Norway and Russia now have a
short common frontier in the far
north. The frontier was establish
ed when the Petsamo region of
Finland was ceded to the Soviet
Union under terms of the Russo
Finnish peace treaty.
(Associated Press correspondent
Daniel De Luce, who is now tour
ing Norway, said in a recent dis
patch that her defenses in the
north are weak and presumably an
open book to Soviet military in
telligence. Also Finnish Border
(He pointed out that in addition
to the common frontier of 122
miles that Norway has with Rus
sia there is another 450 miles with
Finland, which is now in a tight
Soviet military grip.
(He said that the famous North
Cape the region adjacent to the
Norway-Russian frontier - is a
military pushover and that a bat
talion of Soviet troops could seize
it any time the Kremlin ordered.)
The Soviet Union recently pro
posed to Norway that both nations
sign a non-aggression pact. Nor
way has made clear she will not
enter into such a treaty. Instead,
Norway is prepared to cast her
fortunes with countries in the pro
posed North Atlantic treaty.
Public Housing
Bill Approved
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 -JPf-A
vast new home building pro
gram calling for construction of
810,000 low rent public housing
units in six, years was approved
today by the senate banking com
mittee. The multi - billion dollar mea
sure was endorsed by a 9 to S
vote after the committee had re
jected an amendment by Senator
Bricker (R-Obio) to bar segre
gation or discrimination in the
federally financed projects.
Although this civil rights dis
pute was settled momentarily it
probably will be revived tomor
row when the housing bill is
thrown open to senate debate.
MacArthur to
Stay in Japan
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24
The senate armed services com
mittee decided today not to call
General MacArthur from his work
in Japan to testify on conditions
in the far east.
Senator Knowland (R -Calif.)
had asked that he be summoned
as a witness.
MacArthur noted the report of
Knowland's request in press dis
patches. The general thereupon
wrote Senator Ty dings (D-Md.)
chairman of the committee, ex
pressing the hope it would not call
him to testify on conditions in
Japanand other far eastern areas.
He said his work in Japan was
pressing, nd he was unable to
leave.
More FHA Loans for Fanners
Asked by State Farmers Union
AURORA, Ore., Feb. 24-OSV
More FHA loans for farmers were
asked today by the Oregon Farm
ers union at the close of its 39th
annual convention.
Delegates to the three-day con
vention also called for elimination
of the credit restrictions which re
quire a large down payment on
automobiles and farm machinery.
. The convention reelected Ron
ald E. Jones, Brooks, as president,
and J. G. Matzke, Clackamas
county, as vice-president. Frank
Sehulmerich, Washington county,
was elected a director. Two other
directors - - El don Emerson, Was
co county, and William Jensen,
Linn county --were reelected.
The convention approved com
mittee recommendations for chan
Oregon Statesman, Salem, Oroacm, Friday. February 25, 1849
Decision
On Bids
Pending
PORTLAND, Feb. 24 -A)- The
army engineers opened bids on
construction of ' the Detroit dam
on the North Santiam river today
a major flood control and pow
er project which will cost, in all,
some $65,000,000.
Low bid on the dam itself was
$28,230,509, submitted by Consoli
dated Builders, Inc., Portland. It
was well below the government
estimate. Three other firms en
tered bids, and all were referred
to the North Pacific division army
engineer for study.
The job covers a concrete grav
ity dam with outlet gates and
valves, penstocks, trash racks.
stilling basin, control bouse, and
other structures. The dam lies 12
miles east of Mill City.
The successful bidder will be
gin work 10 days after notice to
proceed, and must complete the
dam in slightly more than 31a
years. The project is scheduled to
begin delivering power before
1955.
The government had estimated
$31,541,856 for the job. Other bid
ders were Guy F. Atkinson Co.,
a joint venture of six firms, $32,
722,282; Santiam Constructors, a
group of Los Angeles firms, $34,
798,775; Morrison-Knudsen Co.,
$32,889,995.
Yugoslavs Ask
South Austrian
Slovene State
LONDON, Feb. 23 -0P-Yugoslavia
asked the Big Four today to
set up a self-governing Slovene
province in southern Austria as -a
compromise move to break the
Austrian treaty deadlock.
A Yugoslav spokesman hinted
that Premier Marshal Tito's gov
ernment would cut its territorial
and reparations demands on Aus
tria if some 80,000 Austrian Slov
enes are granted autonomy.
The compromise proposal was
presented by Yugoslav deputy for
eign Minister Ales Bebler to depu
ty foreign ministers of the United
States, Britain, France and Rus
sia, who have been deadlocked
more than two years In trying to
write an Austrian independence
treaty.
The long-standing Yugoslav
claim for 800 square miles of sou
thern Austria and $150,000,000 in
reparations has been the main
stumbling block to East -West
agreement.
Hammond to Keep
Liquor Control
Administrator Post
PORTLAND, Feb. 24-GiP-Wil-liam
H. Hammond, who resigned
as liquor control administrator
when the new liquor commission
took office, was reappointed to
day. Carl W. Hogg, Salem, commis
sion chairman, said the new com
missioners "feel that Hammond is
a capable administrator, and the
best interests of the commission
and the state will be served in
asking him to remain."
The commission had tentatively
accepted Hammond's resignation at
first. Hogg said the decision was
changed after a study.
ges in the 1949 program, and ad
opted the following resolutions:
1. Opposed daylight saving.
2. Opposed increases in fishing
or hunting license fees.
3. Recommended repeal of the
state withholding tax.
4. Opposed changes in initiative
and referendum laws.
5. Called for plainer language
on ballot measures.
6. Asked that precinct commit
teemen again be elected in May,
rather than in November.
7. Asked Governor Douglas Mc
Kay to investigate the manage
ment and costs of dormitories at
Oregon State college.
8. Urged logging concerns to
build their own roads where pos
sible to prevent damage to public
routes.
Sunny Skies Lift Temperature to 62
State Civilian Defense Agency Urged
School Fund Hike
Wins House Vote
By Wendell Webb
Managing Editor, Tb Stat man
A demand for a $100,000 civilian
defense agency to combat atomic
war vied for top legislative bill
ing Thursday with a narrow and
tentative victory for the new $15,-
000,000 school support fund.
And repeal of the milk control
act got its second and probably
final setback of the session.
It was a busy legislative day.
The school support fund was
kept alive when the house voted
A public hearing en the bill U
prohibit erection of signs along
highways and county roads will
be conducted by the senate roads
and ' highways committee today
at 1 o'clock in room 309 at the
state capitoL
33 to 27 against accepting a minor-
itv reDort of its education com
mittee recommending that the bill
be killed. The favorable majority
report was accepted instead, and
unless ODDonents can muster an
other three votes the measure prob
ably will be passed and sent to
the senate sometime today. .
Milk control survived when the
senate voted 22 to 8 against a bill
to repeal the act. A similar bill
was killed in the house Tuesday.
Would Create Council
The proposal for a civilian de
fense setuD came from the house
military affairs committee. It
would create a new state depart
ment under a council of five per
sons to be named by the gover
nor, with a $3,600-a-year director,
and includes provisions for "met
ropolitan area directors' and "mo
bile reserve battalions" whose
members would get $5 a day while
on duty and would swear they
were not communists.
The measure mentioned "the ex
isting and increasing possibility of
the occurence of a disaster of un
precedented size and destructive
ness resulting from enemy attack,
sabotage or other hostile action."
A companion bill calls for a na
tional guard reserve.
Doable Mileage Allotment
The house Thursday passed and
sent to the senate bills to allow
union high school districts to oper
ate junior highs; extend for two
years permission to use recreation
al parks for temporary housing,
and double the mileage allotments
in sparsely-populated school dis
tricts. The senate' passed and sent to
the governor the house-approved
bill allowing blind persons to
choose their own assistant in mark
ing ballots, instead of relying on
the polling clerks.
In addition to bills for civilian
defense, new introductions in the
house included measures to in
crease salaries of Linn county of
ficers: bar sale of fireworks except
between June 20 and July 5, and
make party national committee
men elective by state committees
rather than by the state at large.
Enlarge Committees
The latter bill, introduced by
Reps. Francis Zieglex and Giles
French, also would add state com
mitteemen and state committee
women to the county chairman and
vice chairmen who now make up
the state committees.
Seventeen measures wiU be up
for final action in the senate to
day, including those to repeal the
community property law, let high
schools offer university extension
courses, and increases industrial
accident benefits.
Fourteen measures will be up
for final passage in the house, in
cluding the basic school support
bill, another allowing teachers to
earn increased pensions, and a
memorial urging maintenance of
airports constructed by the feder
al government during World War
II.
Both the senate and house will
resume at 10 a.m. 1
(Additional details pages 6 and 7.)
Max.
- C2
2
Si
Mln. Frccip.
39
3T .00
M .M
Salem
Portland .
San Francisco
Chicago
3 M
M j00
New York 4
Willamette rtrer 1S.1 feet.
FORECAST (from US. weather bu
reau. McNary fieM. Salem): ratr dur
ing the morning hour, becoming in
creasingly cloudy in afternoon and
evening with possible rain during
night. High today near SO. Low tonight
near 40.
SALEM PKBCIPITATIOH
(SepC 1 to reb. IS)
This Year
S4.44
Last Year
aa-Oz
Average
JS.7S
Pric 8c
Sheds Coat
Mailman t Clifford Stephens. 1X68
N. u sw roand Salem's wea
ther too warm for a Jacket on
Thursday, so he strapped it to
the front of his mallbag, adding
another note of spring to Salem's
warmest day of the year.
(Statesman photo.)
Robins Head
For Northtvest
SANTA MONICA, Calif- Feb.
24 -OP)- Take heart, you chill
bitten northerners: If the robins
are right, your winter's about
over. ;
Thousands of them, migrating
northward, spent a noisy night in
Santa Monica canyon, and took
off again today.
Many robins usually winter In
southern California, but with their
unerring instinct headed for Mex
ico this season in advance of
this section's record-breaking Jan
uary cold.
Dr. W. E. Martin of USC said
the feathered flight probably is
bound for its normal summering
near the Canadian border.
Rodeo Faces
Union Trouble
PENDLETON, Feb. 24 -VPf-
The cowboys and the rodeo own
ers were wrestling today over un
ion rules.
The International Rodeo asso
ciation declared that the Rodeo
Cowboys association were mak
ing demands which "violated open-show
agreements.' It turned
down the demands.
The cowboy group had asked
that only contestants holding RCA
cards be allowed to compete, and
that RCA members who halt pay
ing dues be blacklisted. The cow
boys also asked that arena man
agement secretaries collect fines
and dues.
Morse May Write
Own Substitute for
Truman Labor Bill
WASHINGTON. Feb. 24-PY-
Senator Morse (R-Dre) said today
he will introduce a substitute for
the Truman labor bill next week
if senate labor committee demo
crats block revision of the admin
istration measure.
In that event, Morse said, he is
hopeful that Senator Ives (R-NY)
and Senator Taft (R-Ohio) will
join him. He made the announce
ment after a long conference with
Ives.
"I am sure." said Morse, "that
any bill backed by Ives, Taft and
Morse will pass the senate.'
Also, he said, any labor bill they
Jointly oppose will be defeated.
If the democrats refuse to modi
fy the administration bill, he will
Introduce a susbtitute next Wed
nesday, he said, along with Ives
and Taft if they can get together
on terms, but alone if they can't.
1
A
I
No. 298
Willamette Near
Flood Stage Here
Spring weather came to Salem
Thursday with the mercury climb
ing to a heart and soul warming
62 degrees. And the weatherman
forecast more of same for today,
though skies will become cloudy
again In the late afternoon.
The sharp rise of temperature
accompanied by bright sunshine
Thursday didn't worsen the val
ley's flood situation. The Willa
mette was climbing near flood
stage Thursday night but was not
expected to go above the mark at
Salem. The river reading was 18.1
feet at midnight Thursday.
Springlike weather blessed the
whole state Thursday with Med
ford copping the high mercury
reading of 66 degrees. Eugene' and
Portland joined Salem in a warm
62, Roseburg had 61, Redmond 59,
Brookings 58, Klamath Falls 56
and La Grande 51.
Salem's 62 was the highest
reading recorded 'here since last
October 19 when the mercury
rose to 64. It brought hibernating
residents from the long winter
cold to scan flower beds and gar
den plots.
Umatilla county meanwhile
struggled with problems left by
Monday's floods. Trucks and scra
pers were trying to clear deep
layers of silt from mud-marooned
Helix. County officers surveyed
several bridge washouts and some
farmers gazed at wheat fields
where floods had left as much as
four feet of silt.
Bulgars Reveal
Long List of
'Confessions'
SOFIA, Bulgaria, Feb. 24
The Bulgarian justice ministry
made public tonight voluminous
documents represented as mass
pleas of guilt and repentance by
15 Protestant churchmen going on
trial tomorrow on charges of spy
ing for the United States and
Britain.
Through the 2,266
pages ran
such phrases as:
I admit my guilt
"I repent.
"I beg clemency.
"I want to be given a new
chance to work for the mother
land." Ilia Timev. deputy minister of
Justice, produced 144 pages which
he said were In the handwriting
of the Rev. Vassil Georgiev Ziap
kov, 48, head of the Congrega
tional church in Bulgaria and re
ligious representative of the Unit
ed Evangelical churches Con
gregational. Baptist. Methodist
and Pentecost.
Ziapkov is accused of being the
main figure in plots to send Amer
ican and British observers infor
mation about the Bulgarian army.
Marion County Sheriff
Deputies Don New Garb
Deputies in the Marion county
sheriffs office donned new tan and
brown uniforms Thursday replac
ing the old green garb. The new
uniforms include brown shirt with
tan trousers, jacket, hat and tie.
Truman 'Well Satisfied'
With Reaction to Cussin'
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 -W-President
Truman is very well
satisfied at the reaction to his use
of the term "S. O. B." in a speech
Tuesday night. He told a news
conference so today.
Laughingly, he answered re
porters' questions about his use of
the derogatory initials. The inci
dent occurred in the course of n
impromptu speech by the presi
dent defending his military aide,
Maj. Gen. Harry H. Vaughan.
Vaughan has been under attack
by Radio Commentator Drew
Pearson for accepting a decora
tion from Argentina.
In his speech at the Army-Navy
Country club, Mr. Truman said
no "S. O. B." was going to tell him
whom to hire or fire.
A reporter asked what reaction
he had received to the remark.
Mr. Truman said the. reaction was
rery satisfactory to him.
And, at another point in the
'J
f ;
WASHINGTON. Feb. 24 Mon &
Wallgren, President Truman's
nominee for- chairman of the
National Security Resources
board, shakes bis glasses today
as he denies before the senate
armed services committee that
he was "soft with communists'
while governor of Washington
state. (AP Wlrephoto to the
Statesman.)
Wallgren Tells
Senators 'Cain
Mudslinging'
WASHINGTON. Feb. 24 -(JP-
Mon C. Wallgren confronted Sen
ator Cain (D-Wash) in a spirited
face - to - face session today and
heatedly denied that he was ever
soft with communists.
Testifying before the senate
armed service committee, the for
mer Washington state governor and
President Truman's fishing com
panion, charged Cain is "trying to
put me in bed with my enemies.'
Cain has been Wallgren's chief
opponent in senate hearings on
Mr. Truman's nomination of Wall
gren as 114,000-a-year chairman
of the national security resources
board. Cain has accused the ex-
governor of being unfit to hold the
top-level defense job.
Cain took over the examination
of Wallgren after chairman Tyd-
ings (D-Md) demanded more
"facts" and "a little less innuendo"
in the testimony against Wallgren.
Cain retorted that such testimo
ny would be forthcoming "in due
time. During the noon recess, he
told reporters: "This thing Is just
beginning." ,
Earlier, Sen. Knowland (R
Calif) drew an acknowledgement
from Wallgren that he had sup
ported former Rep. Hugh de Dacy
(D-Wash) for congress In 1944.
Knowland said de Lacy had been
identified as a member of the com
munist party In tostimony before
the Washington state un-American
activities committee last year.
Knowland then turned to thinly-
veiled hints by a former democra
tic official that political plums
wore available to party lawyers
and bankers during Wallgren's re
gime as governor.
Wallgren said he had nothing to
do with such favors and said he
had-the official fired from his post.
Umpqua River
Gaims 3 Men
SCOTTSBURG, Feb. 24 -W5)-
The flood-swollen Umpqua river
was dragged today for the bodies
of three men, thrown out by a
capsized tug boat yesterday.
The three victims were Alden
Leach, 51, pilot, Reediport: Clar
ence Andruss, 40, Reeds port; and
Vernon Thornton, 25, Scottsburg.
All three were seen swimming
through the swift current, but ap
parently failed to make shore.
A boom operator who saw the
accident said the tug Adel was
pulling a log raft when one log
caught on piling. The tow line
tightened, and pulled the tug
stern under water.
By the time the boom operator
could get a boat to the scene, the
three men had vanished.
conference, the president suggest
ed that Pearson and Argentina's
President Juan Perbn may have
nominated themselves for the No
bel peace prize. He told a ques
tioner they certainly weren't nom
inated by U. S. government, and
he added probably they were nom
inated by themselves.
The case of the naughty initials
got official attention in the house
of representatives.
Rep. Hoffman (R-Mich) told
his colleagues he believes that "a
man who feels impelled to resort
to such language as that used by
President Truman is not the kind
of a man who should hold the of
fice honored by Washington and
Lincoln. Hoffman said, however,
that he sympathized with the pres
ident's feelings toward Pearson.
Rep. Cox (D-Ga) jumped up to
praise "the unmistakable candor"
of the president's remarks.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 -iV
President Truman said tonight he
may tour the country in a nation
wide fight against "pressure
Kroups and "die-hard reaction-
I?f!!,wJ,0i he ,aId ,re trving to '
Mill his legislative program.
r. Truman lashed out against
"special interests" in a strongly
worded address prepared for de
livery before a packed Jefferson- "
Jackson day dinner, the demo
event Pa nnual fund-raising
Opponents Acilv
,n?fd opponents are us-
RL? biM' dvertising space, edi
torial pages and columnf.-
commentators whom "thev con-
trol"
to "twist and ml.r.n .
ie measures th Z
tor." voiea
m "Special Interests," he said.
,aaJ trying to frighten the
?hW Ith "i,?1 nT-out bug!
aboo that socialism Is taking over
in Washington." OV
n,,?1?., Truman Ml found
v!r tu h'.mpaln travels last
ff-L ..J fhe PeP1 vitally
lZ , n wht thlr vern
ment is doing.
Concern Is Fine Thing
41,1 cem on the part of
the people Is a fine thing tor the
growth of democracy and respon-
f iii fovernment,- Mr. Truman
said, adding:
ul Rro?oa9 Jo do all Ican to
help it along. in fact I may even
get out and tell the people how
their government is getting on.
If we keep the people fully in
formed." he said. "I am Mrw.4
that they will support the con
gress and the president in our
fight against the special Interests."
He said his administration vuui
not be deceived by the propagan
da of those who cry "superstate.
WASHINGTON. Vh 41
President Truman today reaffirm
ed his stand that America should
stick by the Marshall plan until
European recovery is won. But,
taking note of British optimum,
he said the task might not take
rour years, as originally contem
plated. Disclaims Suggestion
Mr. Truman gave no support
to suggestions, arising on Capitol
HM and elsewhere, that recovery
aid might be throttled down now
in view of optimistic reports on
British recovery. ,
If it takes four years, that's all
right, the president said. Perhaps
it will take less if the British re
ports sre correct, he said, but the
plan should be continued until re
covery is assured.
Waves Batter
Redondo Beach,
High Tide Due
REDONDO BEACH. Calif- Feb.
24-W)-Forty-foot ground swells
ripped homes on the Strand Toe- ';
tweed Redondo and llermosa
Beaches today, causing the evacu-v
ation of several families and $100,-
000 property damage.
Boulders from the huge seawall
were tossed like marbles by the
storm. Foundations were under
mined, sections of "sidewalk de
stroyed, paving caved In, and
streets were flooded.
Electricity was cut off as the
storm knocked down power poles.
The coast highway was blocked by
boulders and debris swept in by
the angry waves.
At full tide some persons had to
be taken from second story win
dows. Water was rushing four feet
deep along the Strand.
Nearly all barricades erected on
private property fronting the
ocean were battered down.
The granite seawall which pro
tects an area eight blocks long
sank from one to four feet.
Six-foot tides are scheduled
early tomorrow,
After waves receded, authori
ties reported some 25 homes had '
been damaged and nearly 600 au
tomobiles stranded in high water.
In some places, officers said, 30
pound stones had been hurled over
beach-front buildings by the ram
paging surf.
Israel Makes
New U N. Bid
LAKE SUCCESS. Feb. 24-6TV-
Israel made a new bid tonight for
membership in the United Na
tions. Israeli spokesmen said their
country expected to be admitted
soon since Israel has been recog
nized now by 39 members, or more
than a two-thirds majority of the
58 united nations.
Israel's previous bid for U.N.
membership failed in the security
council last December 17.
NEW RIOTS AT DURBAN
FRETORIA, South Africa. Feb.
24--Two hundred police are
being sent today to Durban where
renewed rioting between Indiana
and Zulus is threatened. Scores of
persons, mainly Indians, were
killed In riots several weeks age
at Durban and there was another
flare-up last Saturday.
r