Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (April 21, 1949)
Weather Max. Salria , j Portland 62 San FrancUco .. .. 63 Chic (To 3 Min. Us .11 .08 (10 JJO Baseball Time! Sports Editor Al Lightner tells 11 about the Salem Senators in The Statesman's new 16 - page comic-feature section Sunday. 89th YEAH Cherryland Fete Soviet Otter to End Blockade Rumored By Thomas A. Reedy BERLIN, April 20-iJPy-A high German official declared today Soviet Russia is ready to propose a German settlement, including lifting of the Berlin blockade, if the West will bar Gerrhany from the North Atlantic Alliance. f Confirmation was lacking from allied authorities. Gen. Lucius D. Clay, the American military governor, said he knew of no new DIP 0JXDO0 jjuutq hps fuQD A Wood burn subscriber sends In two cuppings about the Port . land General Electric company. One reports that gross income for 1948 exceeded that of 1947 by 12.6-per-cent and net income was slightly above" that of the prev ious year. The other reports the filing of PGE's new schedule of rates with increases of about t per cent The subscriber, noting the request for a rate increase when earnings are increasing asks or comment in this column, ana himself observes that "these seem ingly greedy policies of big busi ness tend to turn people towards socialism." The hearing on the proposed Increased rates is now being held by Commissioner George H. Flagf in Portland. The company Is presenting its case. Attorneys representing the state and the city of Portland are in attendance to represent the public interest. If Flagg takes the same attitude he has in the telephone rate cases the electric company will have to rove its need for higher rates efore it gets them. 1 certainly will not attempt to gay whether the electric company Is entitled to higher rates: but I can see how it may justify its application even though its net earnings are increasing. The theory of rate regulation ts that the company is entitled to "fair return" on its investment. What that investment or rate base Is, often is a subject of bitter controversy. In the PGE case how ever values were determined at the time of the reorganization; so there is a tangible figure to tart from. The company, as have all utility companies, has been making heavy additional invest ment . (Continued on editorial page) Flax Festival Dates Revised MT. ANGEL, April 20-(Special) Dates for the 1949 Oregon Flax festival, sponsored by Mt. Angel Business Men's club, have been changed from the first week end In August to July 29-31. The change was made. Festival Chair man Harold Brenden stated, at the request of the American Le- fion, whose state convention is in alem the first week of August. ' Besides the complications re sulting from having the two cele brations running parallel, it would have worked a handicap on local Legionnaires who wished to attend the convention and are on festival committees. Gene Barrett has been hired as manager for the show. He is coach t Mt. Angel Preparatory school. . It was agreed to have a festival queen and court. Animal Crackers By WARREN GOODRICH - 'Of course as fme goes on you can dd mort bunks," St 18 PAGES Russian overtures. 3 The Russians kept a tight silence.f A small power consular official, however, said he had heard the report and believed it. l-i The German sou re, who may not be identified byf name, is about as well informed as any German in this divided icity, which is seething with runiors of an im pending break in the situation. He said the Russian plan would provide for lifting the Soviet blockade of western Berlin, with drawal of both Russian and West ern allied armies -from Germany and formation of a Central Ger man government at a parley of the United States, British, French and Russian foreign ministers. He said the plan would be advanced by Russia herself, and not through a satellite. The Russian aim. according to this source, is twofold: 1. To establish! a "vacuum" Germany between; the Rhine and Oder rivers, unlikely to repre sent a threat to the Soviet Union. 2. To retire froman untenable position and yet save face. Evangelistic Drive Slated by U.S. Churches NEW YORK, April 20-OP)-The. biggest evangelistic; campaign ever undertaken by the protestant churches of America will begin next October. f Plans for the campaign, to be known as the Nationwide Chris tian Crusade, werej announced to day. Sponsors are the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America and 15 non-member denominations with a total of 35, 000,000 members. The plans, two years in the mak ing, envisage participation of more than 150.000 local churches and more than 50 colleges. The crusade will coninue for 15 months through 1950. I A federal council spokesman. Dr. Edwin T. Da hi berg, pastor of-the First Baptist church, Syracuse, N.Y., said this is one of the basic ideas behind the campaign: "We will not hav a better Am erica until we have better Ameri cans." The crusade, he laid, grows out of. th need of the church itself as well as America s need, adding : "The churches must evangelize or perish. Existence of the churches in America now is no guarantee that the will be here a century from fnow. If the churches are to become strong spiritually and numerically they must be about theit primary busi ness of evangelism" Pilot Slicked Through Door of Plane into Space FAIRBANKS, Alaska, April 20-(JPi-An air transport co-pilot who tried to stuff a blanket around the plane's drafty door was Jerked out to an almost certain death over Alaska waters lasti night. He fell an estimated S.500ffeet. The vic tim was Dave Huycke of Dos An- j geles. a crew member of a Sour- dough Air Transport company ; C-47. i Robeson Tells Pro-Red 'Peace' Meet 'U.S. Negroes Will Never Fight Russ' By Joseph Ei Dynan PARIS, April 20-ip)-Paul Robe son, American negfro sjnger, told the communist-i njpired world peace congress today that Amer ican negroes would never fight the soviet union. His resonant voic injected the first fire into an otherwise mono tonous opening session that heard repeated attacks on the Atlantic pact, the U. S. atomic policv, the i Marshall pljn and fAng!o-Amer-j ican capitalist imoerialism" from a series of speakers. Robeson brought the 2,000 dele gates from 52 or more countries to their feet in cheering applause with his call for a "fight for friend ship" with RussiaJ the "Eastern Court Selection 16 Girls To Vie in Judging I Salem Cherryland festival's court I of five princesses will be chosen ' tonight at ceremonies in Salem 1 high school auditorium. ' Sixteen senior girls from as many high schools throughout Marion j and Polk counties will appefcr dur ing the public program for judging as to appearance, poise and speech by a committee of three persons from outside the two counties. I Other entertainment on the eve i ning's program will be a dance revue by 200 young pupils of the . Paul Armstrong dancing studio, j Salem Cherrians will conduct the program, with Charles Claggett as i master of ceremonies. Other prin , cipals will be Deryl Myers, King j Bing of the Cherrians: Sidney L. I Stevens, president of the Cherry ; land Festival association; Cedric Reaney, program chairman; Mrs. Arthur Weddle, princess' chaper one for the festival association, and Lois Eggers of Brooks, last year's Cherryland queen. Tickets for the program will be available at the high cchool. For her appearance, each candi date will be escorted to the stage by a representative of her student body and greeted by a member of the Cherrians, before making brief talk. Later this spring the festival aueen will be selected from among i five princesses. The candidates for princess and their schools are: Suzanne Barnes, Salem high; Jeannine Bentley, Stayton; Lela Collins, Aumsville; Louise Colyer, Gervais; Dixie Davenport, Turner; Shirley Hammer, Detroit; Grace Kirk. St. Paul; Margaret Mix, In dependence; Dorothy Neufeld, Dal las; Patricia O'Connor, Sacred Heart; Jeaiinie Ruef, St. Boniface at Sublimity; Marlene Rutherford, Silverton: Calene Sawtelle, Mon mouth; Katherine Specht. Jeffer son; Geraldine Traeger, Mt. Angel academy; Colleen Walter, Wood burn. Special Tax Election Slated At Silverton SILVERTON, April 20-f Special) -Lloyd Larsen. chairman of the Silverton district 4 school board, said Wednesday it will be neces sary to ask voters for a special tax levy of $34,275.84. in excess of the 6 per cent limitation, in order to balance the budget far 1949-50. The special school election has been set for May 14. Total budget estimated for the coming year is $228,516.48, ap proximately $25,000 over last year"s budget of $202,793.06. Lar sen said the increase is largely due to maintenance and repairs, neglected, during the war and postwar period because of lack of materials and laborers. New light ing, to standardize the school, is being instaleld. This year the bud get called for $1,500 for installa tion. Next year's budget is asking for $3,500. Sitting on the budget commit tee" this year are R. B. Duncan, chairman; Rholin Cooley, secre tary; Harold Bartsch, H. B. Jor genson and Carl Hande, while on the school board are Larsen, Ar thur Dahl, Felix Wright, Norman Naegli and Dr. E. L. Henkel. Dahl's term will expire in June. SM.FM PRECIPITATION (Sept. 1 to April 21) 37 60 40.U7 33.11 ' Democracies and a free China." He ended his appearance by sign ing a re-write of "Ole Man River" which substituted the words "show a little grit" for "git a little drunk." "I bring you a message from the negro people of America that they do not want a war which would send them back into a new kind i of slavery," Robeson told the con 1 gress. I "It is unthinkable," said Robe son, that American negroes "would go to war on behalf of those who have oppressed us for generations" against a country "which in one generation has raised our people to the full dignity of mankind." American wealth, he Said, was built by millions of immigrant POUNDDD 1651 Tho Oregon Statesman, Salem, Diplomat WASHINGTON. April 20 Vice Admiral Alan G. Kirk, 60. re tired naval officer, was nomin ated today by President Truman as ambassador to Russia. Adm. Alan Kirk Nominated as Envoy to Soviet By Francis J. Kelly WASHINGTON, April 20 -JP)-Vice Admiral Alan G. Kirk, poker-faced sailor-diplomat, was named ambassador to Russia to day as the United States held the door open for any real peace move by Moscow. The assignment came In the midst of unconfirmed reports that the Russians are considering a deal which might lift the Berlin blockade. Secretary Acheson declined to comment at his news conference today on the rumors of such Rus sian feelers. He called attention, however, to his comment of a week ago that all official avenues of communication are open to Rus sia for any oppropriate discussions. Kirk, 60-year-old retired naval officer, has been serving as am bassador to Belgium and minister to Luxembourg. He succeeds Lt. Gen. Walter Bedell Smith, who asked to be relieved from the Mos cow post and who now commands the First army In New York. In sending Kirk's nomination to the senate. President Truman con firmed perdictions, current for two weeks or more, that the tick lish job of maintaining contact with the Soviets would go to the man who commanded naval units in the invasion of Sicily and who helped map out the cross-channel invasion of Normandy. Attpscow, Kirk will not only have the advantage of more than three years diplomatic experience at Brussels, but also a record not identified with the touchiest phases of the cold war between the Soviets and the West. This lat ter element was believed to have been an important consideration in his appointment to a position where he may be called upon to handle delicate and lengthy nego tiations. Stayton Telephones Extended to Cutoff STAYTON. April 20 The crew of the Stayton Telephone com pany Is building a new line which is being called the Cutoff Tele phone company. It is to furnish telephone serv ice to people living along the cut off road between Shaft and the Aumsville roads workers from eastern Europe and on "the backs of millions of neg roes" and "we are determined to share this wealth." Frederic Jolio-Curie, communist head of the French atomic com mission, was named president of the congress. He opened the con gress with a call for the formation of peace committees in every coun try to carry out the aims of the congress. ' "We will show the war mongers that they have to reckon with us," he said. . His proposal fitted into forecasts that the congress would set up a "rally of peace partisans to per- j for countries engaged in any war with the soviet union. 1 Oregon, Thursday, April 21, 1949 Tonight Job Rolls, Earnings Decline WASHINGTON. April 20-(vP)-The nation's economic barometer continued to show falling tenden cies today as government reports noted drops last month in factory employment as well as in work ers earnings. At the same time a federal ec onomist warned that the country faces an eventual depression un less businessmen change present plans for cutting down on indus trial expansion. But in the face of this. Secre tary of the Treasury Snyder main tained "We don't have the ele ments that brought on depression and depression crises in the past." These were highlight develop ments oh the economic front: 1. The labor department report ed that factory earnings and work ing hours, as well as non-farm employment slumped significantly last month below February levels. The gross weekly factory earnings dropped about $1 to $53.37, while the average factory work week declined from 39.4 hours in Febru ary to 38.9 in March. Ewan Claguc, commissioner of labor statistics, said these decrea ses mean a cut In the public's purchasing power at a time when a spring upturn in business in ac tivity is normally expected. 2. The federal reserve board said that business loans fell off $84,000,000 in the week ended April 13 to mark the 13th consec utive drop in this phase of business activity. 3. The agriculture department estimated that farmers' cash re ceipts from crops, livestock and livestock products may be 10 par cent less this year than the 1948 record total of $31,019,000,000. It said the drop would result large ly from lower farm prices. Clague reported that non-farm employment w h i c h comprises about three-fourths of the nation's workers - - fell off 150,000 dur ing March to a total of 43,848,000. This compares with an Increase of 300,000 for March, 1948. Phone Company to Seek 8395 Million To Aid Expansion NEW YORK, April 20-UP-Amer-ican Telephone & Telegraph Co. stockholders today authorized di rectors to raise $395,000 in new capital to finance further expan sion ofLthe Bell system. Theriew financing, to be in the form of 10-year, 3n per cent con vertible debentures, will be the largest of its kind in the history of the company or all private in dustry. It will 'bring to well over $3, 000,000,000, the amount of new capital raised since the war by the Bell system A.T. and T. and its telephone subsidiaries to take care of an unprecedented demand for new, telephones. man Sets Pace The Oregon Statesman, keep ing well abreast of the rapidly growing area it is proud to serve, will place Salem and our neighbors in their rightful metropolitan status so far as newspaper service is concerned. The Statesman, effective May 2, will become a seven day paper, publishing every morning of the week the year around. The develop ment, which closes the present Monday morning gap in well-rounded news coverage, follows closely the introduction of The States man's new 10-page tabloid comic-feature section now a regular part of the Sunday edition. Even with Its expanded operation and new section. The Statesman will be the lowe st-prlced seven-day newspaper In Oregon. Subscriptions will.be $1.20 a month by carrier (effective with collections at the end of May) and $9 a year by mail in Oregon. The first regular Monday morning paper in Sa lem's history will appear May 2. For a COMPLETE service, it's C$ QjjTf 0 u VMMulf 3I3ull 21 ODD ----- '1KriiV 'rk.L : -,. -Z"--"rr. , -Tfiarrit- Slielled hv Reds SHANGHAI, April XO The BriUh naval sloop Amethyst above) was . shelled and grounded by Chinese guns as It moved through the YangU river between Nanking and Shanghai today. (AP YVIrephoto via radio from London to The? Statesman). China Reds Drive on 400-Rilile Front; 3rd Ship Said Under iFire 1 NANKING. Thursday. April 21 (JP-Thm eommunbti orossed the Yangtze today. A spokesman for the National ist government's defense ministry said the reds surged across the great river at Tlkang about 80 miles southwest of Nanking, the capital. The ministry spokesman said he did not yet have complete details nor did he know in what strength the communists had carried their first thrust into south China. Foreign military quarters said, however, they believed the reds had landed a total of 30,000 men in the Tikang areas. Top level Nationalist military quarters said also that incomplete reports indicated the reds had made several crossings In the area of Wahu, 60 miles southwest of Nanking. Nationalist artillery were firing steadily across the river n the Nanking area. The sound of guns could be plainly heard in this gloomy capital. Government gun boa ti were hammering at the communist side of the river. The reds reopened the civil war yesterday with an offensive along more than 400 miles of the vital Yangtze valley. The bubble of peace, afloat for three months, had burst. The reds struck after the government re jected their latest peace offer. This "peace offer" amounted to total surrender. Nanking, the capital, and Han kow, major supporting base 375 miles to the southwest, seemed the first objectives of red armies 1,000,000 strong. To meet shock the Nationalists had possibly 500,000 men. Nanking shook to artillery at tacks from three points across the river. Communist veterans from the conquest ol Manchuria were attacking on the plains before Hankow. The first onset is designed to wipe out Nationalist bridgeheads on the north bank of the Yangtze. This great river divides the, com munist north from the National ist south. HENS WORKING HARDER PORTLANDS April 20 -Pj- An increase in Oregon's egg produc tion last month was reported to day by the U. S. department of agriculture. Hens, numbering 3 per cent more than a year ago at this time, laid 9 per cent more eggs. The total: 50,000,000 eggs. Silverton to Play Host to County 4-H Spring Show Next Week By Lillle L. Madsen Farm Editor. Th Stateinn SILVERTON. April 21 More than 1.000 youngsters, their fami lies and friends will be welcomed in Silverton April 25 to 29 when the big four-day Marion County 4-H Spring show will be held here. This is the first time the show has been held out of Salem. Washington Irving building, a former school buildihg now city owned, will be headquarters for the show and all exhibits Will be displayed in the chamber of com merce rooms on the second ; floor. Because water and cooking fa cilities are not yet available in the building, the cooking demon strations wUl be held In the First Christian church, just across the street from the Washington Irving. Anthol Riney, Marion county extension agent for 4-H cluo work has been -at Silverton much! lie Tuesday and Wednesday nights of this week making arrange- from 6 to 9 o'clock, on Thursday ments for the show. He is being f from 9 a m. to 9 p.m., and on assisted by Anne Bergholz, new Friday from 8:30 a m. to 3 p.m. county home extension agent. 4-H! The home demonstrations will clubs Miss Bergholz comes here be open from 9 a m. to 5 p.m. front Walla Walla, Wash., where Tuesday, Wednesday and Thurs sha has been employed. She ia.lday. (Details on larm page). PRICE 5c (SMsIhi Stoops Congressman Dies In Crash of Jet Plane ALBUQUERQUE. N. M., April 20-;p)-Rep. Robert Lewis Coffey, jr., of Pennsylvania, decorated wartime fighter pilot, was killed instantly at 4:30 p. m. today when his jet fighter crashed here. His P-80 Shooting Star crashed on the takeoff after a refueling stop at Kirtland air force base. Crash crews worked more than 30 minutes pulling the body of the 30-year-old first term democratic congressman from Johnstown, Pa., from the twisted wreckage. Cof fey was on a cross country profi ciency flight. Coffey, former air force colonel, was enroute to Riverside, Calif., from Maryland. The plane did not burn. During the war he flew 97 com bat missions over Italy, Yugosla via, France and Germany and was shot down over a German airfield. After evading capture, he re turned through the German lines to Join U. S. forces. Bankers Demand Controversy Over Treasurer Joh End PORTLAND. April 20 - (JV) - Multnomah county's muddled treasurer situation was still un settled today as a committee of bankers warned they soon will re fuse to honor county warrants. A clearing house delegation ask ed Commission Chairman Frank L. Shull today how much longer the office would be without a treasurer. The bankers said they could not continue cashing war rants much longer. Shull reported he hoped he and democratic Commissioner M. James Gleason could agree within 24 hours. Shull. who yesterday said he was considering taking the treas urer job himself, indicated today he had changed his mind. however, a graduate of Oregon State college. The county's healthiest boy and girl will be selected Monday from the 70 who are competing for the honor. There are 1,700 boys and girls enrolled in the county health clubs. This group is the largest of any one 4-H project in the county where 2.200 are the total number enrolled. The annual style review will be held Thursday night, April 28, at 8 o'clock at the Eugene Field auditorium. The show will close on Friday, April 29, with a big downtown parade at noon and a program at the Silverton armory at 1 p.m. when announcements of spring show winners and pre sentation of awards will be made. Exhibits will be placed at the Washington Irving building Mon day and will be open to the pub em WUlamett river 4 3 fM-ti Forecast (from U.S. leather bureau. McNary field. Salem t: qioudy with few ahowen today and tohleht. Misti est temperature loiy near 62 de gree and loweit tonight riear 42. Con dition, generally fitr fori mott farm -tivitie today. Wind, rrioderate. s No. 32 By Fred Hampson SHANGHAI, Thursday. April 21 - (P - Foreign naval sources said a third British warship was shelled today on the Yangtze by communist ar tillery. There was ho confirm ation the craft had been hit. First radio reports said tha sloop Black Swan had been dam aged and that she had suffered 19 or more casualties, j Later,: how ever, British naval sources hero said they had not been informed of either damage pr casualties aboard the ship. j The report had stemmed from a radio message heard by U. S. navy quarters in Shanghai. This i mess age told of casualties aboard the sloop, steaming uprjver between Shanghai and Nanking to the point where the British sloop Amethyft and the destroyer Consort wt-ra hit yesterday. j j Z Wounded The toll in the attacks on the Amethyst and the Con-sort was 27 dead and at least 23 wounded. 1 A British naval attache source hn Shanghai said 17 were known dead on the Amethyst and 20 wounded. The Consort docked in Shanghai today and 10 bodies were removed. She carried 16 wounded, some of (which my have been picked up from trie Amethyst. i - The destroyer showed evldenca of her engagement with the red shore batteries but fthe ide of her hull facing the dockyard was not punctured. j ! The destroyer carried on a run ning duel with the j shore-bared guns along a 50-mile stretch of the river. It is possible the red runners may have mistaken the. British warships for IChinest ra tionalist gunboats. j Amethyst Refloated ! A report received! from tho Amethyst early this morning rid she was refloated last night by her own efforts. The British issued a press state ment giving this official version of the international incident; i The Consort was dispatched at full speed from Nanking at 11 a m. local time, yesterday, to aid the stricken 1,375-ton Amethyst. The Consort encountered "ser ious resistance" when I she came in sight of the sloop. The Amethyst signalled the Consort to turn back up-river because of the. heavy fire from shore. j j Sought to Tow Ship j The Consort, however, contin ued. When the firing died down, she turned back from a position two miles below the Amethyst and closed to take the sloop in tow. On approaching the Amethyst the second time," the statement said, "she again came Under heavy -fire and was forced Xp withdraw. Steaming downriver, she en countered brisk fire as the result of which she sustained the m;ik r- ity of her casualties Her coxswain was killed and the steering gear temporarily disabled.', '. The Consort returned the red fire "with her entire j armament. The communist shelled tho Amethyst with medium artillery from 9:30 a.m. until noon yester day, the British statement ! said. ' and "sniping continued during the afternoon." I Casualties were about 17 killed and 20 wounded." Make Way to Town A message received by tho British naval attache! said about 60 of the Amethyst's prew in cluding four wounded weia making their way to I the neatest large town. This message said the crewmen could not return through I land mine fields" to their ship. The Shanghai spokesman j said this indicated most of the .ship's complement of about ISO men hbd been forced to evacuatethe Hoop temporarily to avoid jras,ualtie. The spokesman said all ! who could returned to the hip yt teroay evening.