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83th YEAR 14 PAGES The. Oregon Statesman, Salem, Orecjon. Wednesday, January 18. 1950 PRICE 5c No. 314
Ice Jam Adds Flood Threat in North Oregon
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Thousands Flee Path of Raging Mississippi
Battleship Missouri
Kuns Aground; Tugs
Fail to Release Ship
. NORFOLK, Va., Jan. 17-0T")-The nation's only active service bat
tleship the 45,000-ton Missouri, drove hard aground today on a Chesa
peake bay mudbank.
Twice she resisted attempts by more than a dozen tugs to pull
herfree. Tonight she remained fast in the mud a mile and a half east-
northeast of old Point Comlort
mum
At last Senator Wayne Morse
has an opponent for the rtpubli
can primaries. He is Fred E. Rob
inson, partner in a men's clothing
tore in Medford, Evidently tired
of waiting on the big-wigs of the
party to hatch a hard-boiled egg
for the primary contest, Robinson
tossed his own name in the pot.
He's against deficit spending and
uses as a slogan: "Elect man who
will vote with the rest of Oregon's
congressional delegation". Consid
ering the pedestrian record of the
rest of the Oregon delegation"
that would hardly appear as a
winning slogan for the general
election, no matter how strong its
appeal may be in the primaries.
Republicans who have been run
ning around the circle dropping
the handkerchief behind some
gtrong and conservative alternate
to Morse will probably regard
Robinson as a nuisance entry in
the race.
Meantime Richard I Neuberger
picks out a prominent opponent to
Morse Morse himself. He does
this in a piece for The Nation en
titled "Morse vs Morse". He tries
and convicts Republican Morse of
seducing Liberal Morse. It was the
former of this split political per
sonality, says Neuberger, who
" campaigned for Harry Cain for
senator from Washington In 1946,
who supported Guy Cordon in
Oregon in 1948 and who now en
dorses Governor McKay zor re
election. He chides 'Morse for in
' consistency in supporting TVA but
gagging on CVA.
Neuberger says "That Morse Is
basically a liberal there can be no
doubt": and he cites his vote to
confirm Leland Olds as member
of the federal power commission
as one bit of evidence Morse's con
cessions to
(Continued on editorial page 4)
Max.
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Mia. Precis.
11 M
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tern
orUand
San fnncifco
Chicago
Krw York
40
30 M
. Willamette nvn 1.S sect. .
- FORECAST (from U. S. weather
bureau, McNary field, Salem) : Cloudy
today and tonight with occasional
now xiumes posuDir:
iow flurries poadbly: mixed with rain
his afternoon. Cloudy tonight and not
auite i
suite to cold. High today U to S4; low
fenlfht tS to 25
SALEM PRECIPITATION
. fhl Year La it Year Normal
11.W UM 20.13
Animal Crackers
By WARREN GOODRICH
Tm afrtid, as a blood hound,
you're i krough what ese can
you do?" -
6 I PS
After two attempts to float the
big battlewagon, the first shortly
after she grounded and the second
at tonight's high ' tide, the navy
called off the operation until to
morrow. The army engineers
dredge, Comber, will arrive early
tomorrow morning to assist
To lighten the Missouri for to
night's attempt to float her, two
fleet tankers this afternoon began
removing her two million gallons
of fuel oil.
Navy spokesmen said they had
no explanation as to how the ship
wandered astray. A board of in
vestigation will be appointed,
probably tomorrow.
An unofficial but informed
source said tonight the Missouri
may have run aground as a result
of following orders to pass over an
experimental recording device
which, he said, was installed last
Friday on the bottom of Chesa
peake bay about 50 yards to the
left of the main shin channel.
Purpose of the device, this source
explained, is to record the pres
ence of ships.
- He added that the recording de
vice is classified, which means the
navy will permit no Information
concerning it to be published.
When the mighty Mo went
aground, the sea and wind were
moderate and visibility was good,
naval spokesmen reported.
S. Commercial
Business Zone
Addition Asked
t
Business zoning may be consid
ered for a strip astride South Com
mercial street between Bellevue
and Mission streets, it developed
Tuesday night at a Salem plan
ning ana zoning commission meet
lng at city hall.
The commissioners deferred ac
tion on a proposed business zone
for a small property in the 600
block of South Commercial, in the
face of a remonstrance by owners
or 90 per cent of the nearby prop
erty. Roy Ferris requested the
change from apartment zoning in
order to erect a dental office build
ing there.
But several property owners who
Objected to the change as "spot
zoning" gave Indication they might
favor a move to convert to busi
ness zone all the remaining apart
ment zone lying between the down.
own area ana a business zone
farther south. One of them. Keith
Brown, Indicated he might initiate
such a general zone change when
he returns to the city.
In other action the zoners rec
ommended that the city council re
zone for apartment use a lot on
15th street between Ferry and
State streets where Robert Seam-
ster seeks to convert a residence
to an apartment house.
GUILTY OF EMBEZZLEMENT
PORTLAND, Jan. 17-iffVA cir
cuit court Jury tonight found Ar
nold . Johnson, Portland invest
ment broker, guilty of embezzle
ment. He had been accused of mis
using over $300,000 of clients'
funds in the business operated
with his late brother.
State-Employed Doctors
Granted Pay Increase
Pay increases Tuesday were au
thorized by the state board of con
trol for all doctors employed bjg
Oregon. 1
The board expressed hope this
action would relieve a critical doc
tor shortage at state institutions.
The increases, $50 monthly for
doctors working at institutions
and $100 for state board of health
medics, must be approved by the
civil service commission.
William C. Ryan, director of in
stitutions, and Harry Dorman,
state budget director, told the
board the increases had. been
agreed upon at a recent confer
ence of institution superintend
ents with health bureau represen
tatives. Ryan said the state now if short
Soldiers
May Pull
Dike Plug
By The Associated Press
The first of some 12,000 Miss
ourians Tuesday began leaving
lowland homes and farms which
army engineers may flood delib
erately to combat the mighty Mis
sissippi river's worst rampage in
13 years. S ' '
Flood swollen rivers and streams
continued to rise at several en
dangered points! in the midwest
and south. More rain was forecast
for the vital Ohio river valley
key to the current flood threat.
Ready to Dynamite
The U.S. army engineer's of
fice at Memphis was readyf to
order dynamiting of a "plug"' on
the Birds Point-New Madrid, Mo.,
floodway, if necesary. This would
send the Mississippi spilling over
200 square miles of farm and resi
dential lowlands in southeastern
Missouri where 12,000 persons
dwelL It would relieve pressure on
other levees along the river.
Son after the army warned the
floodway residents to be ready to
evacuate on short notice, the exo
dus started.
The Missouri; highway patrol
said more than 100 trucks were
pressed into service to exacuate
hundreds of residents from the
northern end of the floodway
about 90 miles i southeast of St.
Louis. School buses also were Of
fered to transport refugees to the
Maiden air force base.
Equipment Sent;
Fifth army headquarters in Chi
cago sent 1,000 cots, 1,500 blankets
and a kitchen with a 24 hour food
supply for 1,000 to the Maiden
base, where a refugee camp has
been -set up. Additional supplies
readied for possible shipment In
cluded 2,000 cots, 6,000 blankets
and two similar! kitchens.
Only once in 1937 was the
levee dynamited to relieve water
pressure in more vital areas along
that stretch of the Mississippi,
Wild Pucks
Frozen to Ice
In Polk County
Statesman News Berries
INDEPE NDENCE, Jan. 17
More than 100 wild ducks were
stranded In a (Willamette river
bayou -two miles: south of here to
day when freezing weather froze
their feet In an Ice sheet.
Ray Howard, Independence po
lice chief, said the weather tragedy
was reported by' Arthur Waldron,
whose farm is located near the
bayou three miles south of hers.
Waldron told Howard he noticed
the ducks frantically flapping their
wings In the early afternoon, vain
ly attempting to free themselves.
Thousands of other wild fowl In
the area were swimming uncon
cerned in icy ponds, streams and
feeding area where the water was
not completely frozen.
Howard said he notified state
police of the, ducks predicament.
TO GIVE AWAY POTATOES
WASHINGTON, Jan. 17
The government announced today
it win give away some of the vast
pile of potatoes it has bought ajnd
is buying to keep market prices
up. ine commodity Credit cor
poration tagged 1949-croD oota
toes as the first commodity on its
"give away" program.
eight doctors including three at
both the state hospital in Salem
and the eastern Oregon hospital
at Pendleton and one each at Fair
view home and the tuberculosis
hospital.
Pay scales for physicians now
run from a low of $480 a month to
a high of $750.
In other action, the board de
cided to use only the first floor
and basement of the blind school,
closing up the second and third
floors.
The building has been condemn
ed as a fire hazard by the state
fire marshalL The state emergen
cy board last week approved i
$300,000 appropriation zor re
placing the building with a fire
proof structure.
Winter Decorates Waterfalls
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FALLS CITY, Jan. 17 For motorists who braved the trek to snow-
covered Falls City this week end a rare scene of turbulent water in
serene winter setting was the reward. The falls from which this
city was named form a sharp step for the Little Luckiamute rh-s
at a point Just west of the downtown section. Snow covered the
banks to a depth of 20 inches and more. (Abel photo).
Fire Destroys Section of
Camp Carson, Colorado
COLORADO SPRINGS. Cole
fire flashed across the army's Camp
seriously burned 27 others and destroyed 39 buildings.
The flames, fought throughout the day by 7,000 civilian volunteers
and soldiers, were reported under
north of Fountain, a town of 300
of civilians suffered minor burns,
More than 60 square miles of
timber and brush land were devas
tated.; Most of the destroyed buildings
were in the warehouse area of the
vast reservation, which housed
30.00a troops in wartime. There
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are more man i.juv Dunaing
within the sprawling camp, six
miles to the south.
A nublic information officer, in
announcing the casualty list, said
the flames were under control
within! the camp. There t were
many fspot" fires in the brush but
patrols were quickly extinguish
ing them.
Winds, which had ripped up to
75 miles an hour today, died down
tonight A breeze of about five
miles an hour was fanning the
fire but was blowing northward.
That would send the fire back
across the burned area and should
cause it to soon die out.
The soldier, whose name was
withheld, was fatally burned
fighting the fire He was dead
when received at the camp hos
pital. Six of the burned soldiers
were reported on tne danger
list The other 21 were hospital
ized. The Fifth army headquarters at
Chicago reported 39 buildings
were gutted by the fire. Fire Chief
Fred Lausch said a number of
mountain cabins and summer
homes in the foothills section
southwest of Colorado Springs
were destroyed. The fire started
there early this morning and swept
into Camp Carson after first
threatening palatial residences in
the swank Broadmoor suburb of
Colorado Springs.
Willamina Phone
Rate Hearinc Set
SUtesmaa Newt Senrlc
WILLAMINA, Jan. 17 The
public 1 utilities commission will
conduct a hearing Monday, Janu
ary 30; at the city hall on a pro
posal by the Northwest -Telephone
company to boost rates in this area.
: The 1 application, if approved,
would raise rates about 75 cents a
month per customer in Willamina,
Sheridan and Grande Ronde.
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Jan. 11-(X)-A wind whipped brush
Carson today, killing one soldier.
control tonight on a line a half mile
about 10 miles south of here. Scores
Punch Bowl
Blast Burns 6
DETROIT, Jan. 17-()-An ex
plosion and fire at a banquet table
injured at least six men tonight
A punch bowl of "Cafe Diablo"
--so-called -devil's coffee"--blew
up as lighted brandy was be
ing poured into it
The glass shattered. Flames and
broken glass sprayed over the
table. .
Some of the victims, who in
cluded prominent Detroiters, were
reported seriously hurt
The injured included two court
judges and Malcolm W. Bingay,
editorial director of the Detroit
Free Press.
Alcohol fumes apparently col
lected when the air became char
ged, causing the explosion.
Salem Contractor Submits Low
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Bids on Airport, Gty Hall Work
H. G. CarL Salem contractor,
submitted low bids on two city
construction projects Tuesday.
The bids were for an annex to
the city haU and the first unit of
an administration building at Sa
lem's McNary field.
Carl - underbid nine other local
contractors on the airport build
ing with a base bid of $37,398, said
City Manager J. L. Franzen. The
bids were opened in Franzen's of
fice. Carl's bid of $94(31 was low
among six for the addition to the
south front of the city hall.
The city council will act on the
bids Monday night
Cost of the airport structure had
been estimated at $45,000. Eight
contractors submitted prices be
low that figure.
Bidders submitted three, alter
nate bids on ' the project which
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Easing
Of Cold
Forecast
THE DALLES. Jan. 17-(A)-Na-
tional guardsmen prepared to
evacuate the town of Tygh Valley
tonlcht when White river waters
dammed behind an ice Jam poured
into the Village streets.
The homes of about 30 families
were enaangerea by ine rising
water.
Police planned to dynamite the
ice in a move to save the homes
and the town's lumber mill, the
only industry there.
The town is 30 miles south of
here along The Dalles-California
hichway route 97.
The ice jam is below a highway
bridge. The houses in possible
danger are on the south bank of
the river.
The army engineers corps would
be asked to dynamite the ice to
morrow morning.
Teeth - chattering temperatures
of 13 to 20 degrees chilled Salem
all day Tuesday.
Some relief from the sub-freezing
temperatures which have
numbed the valley since Monday
morning is forecast today. Ther
mometers here may edge past the
freezing mark and possibly reach
34 degrees, said the weatherman.
Snow, or snow and rain mixed,
will accompany.
Blizzard in Gorge
A blizzard In the Columbia river
gorge forced state highway crews
to abandon efforts to keep U.S.
highway 30 open there. State
police erected barriers at Trout
dale and Cascade Locks.
All Columbia river ferries east
of Portland were idled by drift
ing ice.
Unemployment figures jumped
in the Marion-Polk county district
due to weather shutdowns. (Story
on page 2.)
"Not quite so cold" was fore
cast for eastern Oregon and Wash
ington, also. Residents there could
expect reading near zero tonight,
instead of 20-below again.
More Chilly Days
Three more days of readings
constantly below 40 degrees are
predicted here. It was 16 degrees
at McNary field at 1 ajn. this
morning. For tonight, a low of
23 to 25 is forecast
Snow that started about noon
Tuesday added another inch to
this area's monthly totaL The
measured fall of 21.4 inches is
nearly three times the combined
fall of the past six years in Salem,
according to weather bureau re
cords. Salem's public schools will be
open this morning. Many others
in the valley will be closed. (De
tails and more weather news on
page 2.)
Six Fringe Areas
Annexed, Mill Gty
lUUnua News Scrrtco
MILL CITY. Jan. 17 Six fringe
areas comprising about two square
miles were annexed to Mill city
by 108 to 42 majority yesterday
in a special election.
In a race for two council seats.
Albert P. Toman was re-elected
and Wesley Green, a new candi
date, nosed out incumbent R. T.
Veness, 50 to 41. Toman received
58 votes. Another new candidate.
Byron Davis, ran third with 48
votes.
would have reduced the cost
about $2,000 if necessary. Franzen
said that in lieu of the bids sub
mitted the alternates would not
be exercised.
Work on the building is expect
d to start this spring, said Fran
zen. It is a federal aid project and
will be located on the west side
of the airport The city will fur
nish less than half the funds.
Construction on the enlarge
ment of the city hall probably
will start next month, said Fran
zen. It will provide more space
for the police department
Other low basic bids on the air
port building were 139,476 by
Smith and Nelson, and $39,872 by
Cecil A. Lantz.
On the city haU project X. X.
Batterman bid $9,465 for second
low. Cecil A. Lantz was next with
$10,630.
7 Masked Gunmen
Rob Armored Gar
Company of Cash
Exact Sum of Currency Unknown;
Leave Another $1,000,000 Behind
BOSTON, Jan. 18-( Wednesday )-(AP)-Seven pre
cise masked gunmen pulled off one of the nation's
biggest robberies last night, stealing more than $1,500,
000 cash at gunpoint and leaving behind another
million because they couldn't carry it.
At 2:30 a.m. (EST) this morning, Police Commis
sioner Thomas F. Sullivan said that Brink's Inc., victim
of the sensational stickup, estimated its loss at a million
and a half "and I'll go along with that figure."
Sullivan's announcement revised upward an earlier
figure announced by Foiice Super-1
intendent Edward W. Fallon. Fal
lon put the loss earlier at "more
thapl.OOO.OOO."
The crime set off a nationwide
manhunt for the squad of gunmen
who marched into the money
transportation firm's office in the
North End's waterfront area.
Within six hours, police picked
up 10 men for questioning includ
ing six ex-convicts. No charges
had been placed by 2 ajn. (EST).
Hottest clue to the swiftly mov
ing, well-rehearsed bandit gang
was a five passenger black Cad
illac sedan. Police unsuccessfully
chased it through the west Rox
bury section of Boston shortly af
ter the robbery.
Included in the cash loot was
$400,000 from the Federal Reserve
Bank of Boston. The serial num
bers, police said, are on record.
The robbers hid their features
behind Halloween masks and
wore rubbers to avoid leaving
footprints. All wore gloves.
Precision Work
The robbers struck with pre
cision of a well -drilled squad at
Brink's Inc., a money transporta
tion firm, on the waterfront
Obviously following a well-re
hearsed plan, seven of the group
walked into the second floor of
fice at 7:10 p.m. To reach there,
they had to open six locked doors.
Police said they opened the
doors "probably with a passkey.
While the seven men, wearing
Halloween masks on their faces.
operated in the office, two more
sat behind the steering wheels of
automobiles at the curb.
Boston police broadoast a 14-
state alarm for two men described
as former Brink's employes. It
asked police to pick up for ques
tioning Stanley Kobak of Boston,
and Edwin Bradshaw of Somer-
ville. No other identifying de-f
tails were given. '
Bradshaw later went voluntar
ily to police headquarters and
answered questions. He was not
held.
"Cream of Crime World
"The robbery was so neatly ex
ecuted," Capt John D. Ahearn of
the police special service squad
said, "that it must have been en
gineered by the cream of Boston's
crime world,"
Fallon, after Inspecting the rob
bery scene, sharply criticized the
firm for "the poor security meas
ures it takes to protect such huge
sums of money.
Shortly before Fallon's announ
cement, Herbert Humphrey,
Brink's manager, said "No accu
rate picture of the actual loss can
be made before tomorrow."
Left behind by the robbers was
"about $1,000,000" In a brown
leather bag which represented the
payroll of the General Electric
company and receipts of Fllene's
department store, police said.
A company spokesman said sev
eral employes have pass keys and
"possibly some former employes
still have them."
The money, all In paper bills,
was scooped from an open Vault
into two laundry bags brought by
the robbers. .They left behind
nearly 50 bags of silver lying in
the vault
Witnesses told police the men
raced out of the Brink building
into two waiting automobiles.
John Morley, representative of
the National Surety corporation,
said the loss is "fully covered" by
Insurance. He said a syndicate of
underwriters Insures Brink's
aeainst theft fire, burglary and
other risks.
Tied with Cord
Thomas B. Lloyd, head cashier,
said he and four other workers
were trussed with heavy wrapping
cord carried by the gunmen.
Before that one of the holdup
men, Lloyd said, pushed a gun
through a wire cage enclosing the
vault and ordered Charles S. Greu,
another employe, to "open up,
That was the first sign of a
holdup. Lloyd said. After GreU
opened the door, the men rushed
in and tied ud the workers.
He said that was the first alarm
that a holdup was in progress.
As soon as the door was open
ed, Lloyd said, seven men rushed
in and tied up aU five employes
with rope they had brought with
them.
Lloyd said they took "four or
five" guns from holsters hanging
near the vault entrance before'
they made their getaway. ,
Sherman D. Smith, one of the
bound employes, said 'he worked
himself free and then cut the
roDes binding the other four.
Company employes said the
stolen money had been collected
from business establishments dur
ing the day for deposit In banks
today.
88,000 Coal
Miners 'Work
No-Day Week'
PITTSBURGH, Jan. 17 -AV
More than 88,000 of the nation's
400,000 soft coal miners are on
strike tonight.
In Washington there are indica
tions the government may soon
seek a count order against John L.
Lewis. '
In Flushing, Ohia, a truck carry
ing union-mined coal struck and
killed a picket at a road blockade
set up by striking miners.
In Pittsburgh strike-caused coal
shortages threatened the steel cap
ital with a cut in electric power
and 300 big Industrial plants may
have to shut down. Railroad serv
ivcis already curtailed.
General Counsel Robert TVnhara
of the National Labor Relations
board indicated he may ask to
morrow or Thursday for a court
order against the three-day week
which Lewis fixed for miners last
July 1.
James Beard
Re-Elected by
Trade Bureau ;
I James R. Beard was reelected
president of the Salem Retail Trade
bureau Tuesday and caUed
bureau membershio to studr clan
for a paid membership' basis and
a full time secretary.
) Beard, department manager at
the Salem Montgomery Ward store.
has led the bureau during the past
year. Other officers elected at a
Marion hotel luncheon Tuesday are
Reynolds Allen, vice president
Kenneth C Perry, secretary, and
Fred McKinney, treasurer. New di
rectors are Harold Buslck, Richard
Cooley,- Leonard Kremen and M.
B. Rudd.
Some 30 bureau members dis
cussed possible functions of a
strengthened organization, ranging
from combined sales promotions to
store detective service, salesman
ship studies or investigation of soil
citation schemes. Members agreed
such an organization should be
city wide in scope.
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Vetsr Groups
to Ffle Bonus
Petition Today
PORTLAND. Jan. 17 -WV The
American Legion and Veterans of
Foreign Wars plan to file an ini
tiative petition at Salem tomorrow
to get a veterans bonus measure
on the November ballot
World war II veterans of Ore-
go would receive sia lor eacn
month of overseas service and $10
for domestic service if a resident
of Oregon for one year prior to
entering service. Veterans serving
between Sept 16, 1940 and Lee.
31, 1946 would be eligible. ,
The maximum payment would
be $900.
Clycs Dickey, vice commander
of the Oregon American Legion,
will file the petition at the state
house. Gov. Douglas McKay plans
to be present for the filing.
Dickey estimated 23.000 to 26,
000 signatures would be needed to
get the measure on tne bauot tie
said "this is being presented as an
initiative petition rather than ask
ing for legislative action because
the veterans feel that the voters
should be given an opportunity te
express their pinions.
Storm-Starved
Bobcat Slain
Nws Scrrle
DETROIT, Ore, Jan. 17 A
storm-starved bobcat was slain
here today after killing IS chick
ens at the Raymond Sophy farm.
The skinny cat, weighing only
7 pounds, was shot about 20$
yards from the chicken house
where It was tracked by Waltef
Ball and his hounds.
Sophy said the cat had appar
ently staged the daring daylight
raid after being starved into civil
lzation by heavy snows In the
nearby bills.
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