8-(Sec. I) Statesman, Salem, Ore., Sun., June 22, '58
2 Freed Priests Differ Over Red Charges
By JAMES WILDE
HONG,KONG (AP) They came
down the gangway of the' ship
fiom Shanghai Saturday.
The older one, the Rev. Joseph
P. McCormack, 65, seemed alert
and called out,' "Hello." The
younger one, the Rev. Cyril P.
Wagner, 51, of Pittsburgh, needed
help. He trembled: he looked hag
gard and white. But he smiled
wanly.
After five years in Red Chinese
prisons, the two U.S. Roman Cath
olic priests were going home. For
the first time since their release
last Saturday they were setting
foot on friendly soil. It moved
them almost to tears.
Then they came to a news con
ference. Father Wagner wore a
white shirt and dark trousers.
Father McCormack, born in Ire
land but assigned to the Mary
knoll Seminary in Ossining, N.Y.,
wore a black suit.
'Don't Deny Charges'
Father Waener. chareed bv
the Communists with "sabotaging
China's financial ordinance," was
the first to speak. He startled
everyone.
"I do not deny the charges,"
he said, his face ashen. "I feel my
sentence was a little long. I be
lieve 2V4 years would have been
a more fair sentence. I did deal
In black market currency."
Father McCormack stopped
him. He put his arm around the
younger priest's shoulders, turned
to the newsmen, and said:
"This man has been sick for
five years. I deny the charges.
My trial and the trial of Father
Wagner were ridiculous."
Then Father McCormack turned
to the Hong Kong priest sitting
next to them.
"Father, this man is tired. He
is ill. He should not have to talk
any more."
But Father Wagner said again,
when the newsmen asked, that he
was not contesting the validity of
the Communist trial and the sen
tence. Father McCormack spoke then.
The Reds told him the charges
were unimportant, he said. He
was charged with collecting polit
ical and economic information
"under the cover of being a
priest."
"All they wanted me to do was
confess, and they said it would go
easy with me," he said. "I re
fused. The whole thing was a
mockery and an insult to justice."
He had raised his voice, but
then he smiled.
"Sorry to get excited I'm just
out of prison." i
Now calmer. Father McCor
mack said the Reds had been out
to get him ever since he had re
turned to China in 1947. He added:
"They told me so. They were
out to get all of us (priests).
Twelve of us were arrested at
the same time (June, 1953) on
trumped up charges."
Seventy - two times he was
hauled before a Chinese court, he
said, and every time he denied
the charges against him.
"My trial and that of Father
Wagner lasted over S'i years," he
said. -"Frequently we were ques
tioned six hours at a time, and
all varieties of methods were used
to try to make us talk. We were
accused of everything. I - received
every kind of bad treatment imaginable."
Auto Workers Delay Contract Showdown
Banker Terms
Financial Tax
In State Illegal
PORTLAND (AP) - A banker
Saturday suggested that the nine
per cent state tax on net income
of Oregon financial institutions is
illegal.
John R. Hay, a representative
of the Oregon Bankers Assn., said
the 1957 Legislature erred in
boosting the tax from eight per
cent.
Hay said the tax is illegal be
cause federal statutes say the
tate levy can be no more than
that applied to business and man
ufacturing corporations.
That tax, he told the Legislative
Interim Tax Committee, is six
per cent.
Banks which are members have
been advised by the association
to pay a six per cent tax and no
more Hay said. All but six have
complied, he said.
Scant Encouragement
Hay got scant encouragement
from the commntee.
Rep. Monroe Sweetland (D-Mil
waukie) termed the action of the
banks a taxation revolt.
The committee chairman. Sen
Walter Pearson (D Portland),
caid that the nine per cent tax
. "was no error. It was done with
full intent . and with the 'idvtee
of competent legal counsel."
Pearson said he would oppose
any tampering with the tax rate.
Tax Commission Chairman John
Horn said, however, that his staff
is investigating the nine per cent
rate.
The commission also announced
Saturday that tax receipts now are
$106,900,000 compared with the
estimate of $107,400,000.
Below Estimate
Corporation receipts are 4tt mil
lion dollars below the estimate
but personal income tax receipts
exceeded estimates by about that
mount.
Randall Kester. a Knlirttnr far
the Union Pacific Railroad, later
asked the interim committee to
help revise taxes on railroads.
Kestei said that because rail
roads are defined ax nnhlir ntil
ities, they pay a seven per cent
corporate excise tax.
Truck lines, thnuoh tuuu.
they art classified as business
iirms, pay out six per cent, he
aid.
Pearson said that "I have long
thoueht railroad hav hMn im
properly classified as utilities for
tax porposes.
Arson Suspected
In Two Portland
Automobile Fires
PORTLAND (AP) Tun. oi.tn.
mobiles burst into flame in a
outneast Portland district Satur
day, and police say they suspect
arson.
Police said it was similar to the
outbreak of 1952, when at least
15 cars were set afire by an ar
onist who never was caught.
One of the can damaged Satur
day suffered $1,000 loss at 5548
EE Franklin St., and the other
$200 damage at 3404 SE 55th Ave.
DETROIT. Mich. UV-The United
Auto Workers Union is preparing
for a late summertime showdown
with the car makers on labor contracts.
Bargaining talks were in recess
until Monday, when summer will
be in its third day. But union lead
ers planned a busy week end.
They moved out among rank and
file members to drum up support
for strike votes.
Walter P. Reuthpr. nresiHont nf
the UAW. savs he has no intention
of striking the auto plants now.
Apparently he is keeping a
sharp eye on the number of unsold
1958 models.-New Car stocks have
been whittled down' from more
than 850,000 to fewer than 700.000.
Indications are the auto makers
may start the 1959 model runs
with comparatively few 1958 mod
els unsold in September.
UAW officials said Saturday
that a strike vote in progress at
General Motors and Ford ' plants
was running more than 13-1 in fa
vor of a walkout if necessary to
back up union demands in the cur
rent bargaining. The officials said
that returns from 83 UAW locals
at GM plants and 13 at Ford
plants totaled 58,669 for and 4,397
against any strike action.
Reuther told a news conference
in New York earlier last week he
would have new contracts with
General Motors,' Ford, and Chry
sler before the 1959 models roll
off the assembly lines. He said he
did not believe a strike would be
necessary. v
But just in case a strike is con
sidered necessary, Reuther has as
signed his assistant to. build up
an impresive strike authorization
vote among UAW members now
working without contracts at Big
Three plants.
The union appeared to be in no
big hurry about scheduling strike
votes among other "locals repre
senting workers at 275 Big Three
plants. , They are being scheduled
for next week and will continue
into July.
Kennedy Urges
No U.S. Troops
In Lebanon
WASHINGTON (AP)-Sen. John
F. Kennedy (D-Mass) said Satur
day night "I think we're hanging
on a brink again" over the crisis
in Lebanon.
He and Sen. Russell B. Long
(D-La), both members of the
Foreign Relations Committee,
agreed that President Eisenhower
should not send U. S. troops into
that rebellion-torn country with
out congressional, sanction. .
They gave their views on a TV
program filmed for sation WDSU
in New Orleans.
Kennedy said the situation in
Lebanon . poses . two problems:
"First, we don't want Lebanon to
go down because the whole area
may fall. Secondly, there is no
sense in trying to intervene unless
there's some real assurance of
support by " the Lebanese army
and the Lebanese people.
"If we are going to be regarded
as invaders ourselves, we can't
just begin a beachhead action on
Six Youths A'dmit Killing
Man, 74, in $13 Robbery
NEWARK, N. J.. (AP) Acting
Police Chief Paul Caffrey an
nounced Saturday that six teen
agers had ' confessed killing an
elderly man in a $13 robbery two
weeks ago.
The youths, Negroes ranging in
ages from 15 to 18, were picked
up Friday night as part of an in
tensive police drive after three
fatal muggings in the City within
two weeks. All the victims were
white.
The victim of a street robbery
and slaying was Ludwig Lauther,
74, of Newark, mechanical en
gineering consultant. His body
was found on a sidewalk June 7.
Police said he was knocked to
the ground by a single punch from
a, 17-year-old boy. One of the oth-
the whole continent of Asia."
Asserting that . Eisenhower
should not use troops without com
ing to Congress first. Long said:,
"rfear that it's going to be a
very, unpopular thing if our -troops
are sent to ' fight over there in
Lebanon. The Korean War wasn't
a, popular war, but my guess is
that a war in Lebanon would be
even less popular."
era grabbed his wallet, and the
attackers ran.
Two of the older boys got $2.50
each, while the others got $2 each.
Then they threw away the wallet
and scattered.
Caffrey said murder charges
would be filed against the older
hoys in the group. He added the
arrest was the result of a round-the-clock
investigation in which
police had canvassed homes and
youth hangouts in a four-square-mile
area.
Police said at least two of the
youths are believed to be 18 and
that their names would be dis
closed as soon as their ages are
verified.
Expensive Privilege
ST. CATHERINE'S, Ont. (AP)
Magistrate Harley Hallet con
curred in defendant Samuel S.
Porter's claim that he had a right
to abuse a constable who had or
dered his car out of a no-parking
zone. It syour nrivilefie." the
magistrate said, "but it's eoine
to be an expensive one $105.50,
including costs." ,
Woman Dies In Pond
CALDWELL, Idaho (APN) -Mrs.
Edna Maria Goudie, 40, Caldwell,
was found dead in a pond near
here Friday night. She apparently
stepped into a bole while bathing
at the pond with her daughter.
- Tnt Samuel Casey farm, which
dates from. 140-50, is a historic
place for sightseers in Saunders
town, R.I. The will of its last own
er stipulates that it must continue
to operate as a farm, as well as
being a choice, haven for sight
seers. . ' .
4t,4 is a meariingwthat affects
yoiir job, your, Jvome, ' your
purchases ytf future. '
That's the story which
SYLVIA PORTER
brings to you in her column
" , . t.
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