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About Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980 | View Entire Issue (March 21, 1946)
i Stimson Diary , Fills in Gaps 'Prior to Dec 7 Roosevelt, Cabinet Agreed We Should Fight Jap Aggression Washington, March 21 (U.R) The late President Roosevelt and his war cabinet agreed 10 days before Pearl Harbor that the United States should fight if Japan invaded southeast Asia, It was revealed today. Trie decision was reached at a White House meeting November 28, 1941. It was described in a sta'.ement filed by former Secre tary of War Henry L. Stimson witn congress' Pearl Harbor in vestigating committee. On November 25 the war cab inet decided that responsibility for conflict if it came should be Japan's. Stimson said it was a matter of how Japan could be maneuvered into firing the first shot without too greatly endan gering the United States. Do-Nothing Ruled Out The cabinet ruled out both a do-nothing attitude or an attack without warning on the southward-advancing Japanese. This country did not know that an other Japanese force was then starting for Pearl Harbor. Stimson said Maj. Gen. Wal ter C. Short, who was deposed as army commander in Haiwaii soon after the Jap attack, "be trayed a misconception of his real duty which is almost be yond belief." The committee recently com pleted three months of public hearings aimed at placing the blame for the disaster to the U S fleet when Japan attacked it at Pearl Harbor on December 7. 1941. Renort Due June 1 Tne committee report is due June 1. Stimson, 78 and ailing, filed his statement and excerpts from his private diary in lieu of testimony before the Joint house-senate committee. He said Short, despite some errors hy his superiors in Wash ington, should have been on full alert against the possibility of hostile Japanese action even wltnout a warning from Wash ington, which he got. Short has told the committee he alerted his command only against sabotage because that course was indicated in his ad vices from Washington. The decision of Mr. Roose velt and his war cabinet to fight Japan if she invaded southeast Asia was based, Stimson said, - on agreement that if a Japanese task force then known to be headed down the China coast got into the Gulf of Siam it would endanger British, Dutch and American interests in the Pacific. Westinghouse Strikers Fight (By th Unlt4 PrtM) Fighting broke out in the Westinghouse Electric corpora tion dispute today and cleanup and maintenance men returned to work at 46 of General Mo tors' 92 strikebound auto plants. Several persons were slightly injured when 2000 strikers closed in on two workers who tried to enter a Westinghouse plant at East Pittsburgh, Pa.' International Harvester com "v pany, meanwhile, announced it had offered the CIO farm equip ment workers an 18-cent hourly pay boost contingent on settle ment of other contract issues after strikers return to their jobs. Company and union officials will meet today to discuss the offer. Thirty thousand Harvester workers have been on strike for 59 days over a 30 per cent wage increase demand. The 121-day-old United Auto Workers (CIO) strike against GM kept 175,000 workers idle, "nd 75,000 Westinghouse work ers stayed away from their jobs for the 66th day. Other strikes across the nation affected more than 160,000 workers. Top UAW officials rejected a General Motors .demand that all locals be ordered to end the strike immediately. GM said that non-union maintenance and cleanup men would return only to those plants where union lo cals have settled plant griev ances. The corporation warned that none of the production workers would be recalled while any of the union locals continued to strike. The Weather (Released by the United States Weather Bureau) Forecast for Salem and Vicin ity: Mostly cloudy tonight and Friday with occasional very light ruins tonight and scattered showers Friday. Lowest tem perature tonight, 42. Max. yes terday 63. Mln. today. 33. Mean emperature yesterday, 46. which ms 1 below normal. Total 24 hour precipitation to 11:30 ajn. tidaji. 0. Total precipitation for the month. 4.11, which is 1.23 lncne- above normal. Wlllam eltt liver height, 6.4 ft. (C apital 58th Year, No. 69 Dads Out by August If Draft is Eisenhower, Patterson Support Pay Hike; Claim It Might End Need for Inductions Washington, March 21 (U.R) army chief of staff, said today that if the draft is extended the army will be able to release all fathers "by August or early September." Eisenhower told the house military affairs com mittee that the draft should be extended indefinitely to help Extension Urge d General Dwight D. Eisenhower urges draft extension as means of re leasing all army fa'hers by Sep tember at latest. He says ex tension would also help U. S. meet its world obligations. Residential Properties Have Doubled in Price By Don Upjohn Residential property prices in Salem have hit such an ascend ing scale from prewar days that even those who live off the proceeds from the sales have varying ideas as to where the chalk mark on the chart has reached. While one of the last reports from the realty board to the national association showed a 42 climb, other real estate men have; ideas up to 100 percent or bet- ter. A cross-section of reported sales in various parts of the city would indicate that the 100 percent figure is more nearly correct. Transactions taken from the records at the courthouse from different residential areas ars illuminating in this regard. A place in Kay's second addi tion which sold for $4000 in 1941 was resold in 1945 for $8500. Another in Rosedale addition which sold for $3900 in 1941 was resold for $8900 in 1945. A resi dence in Nob Hill annex sold in 1941 for $3300 and again in 1945 for $6000. Another in Nob Hill annex which was sold for $3900 in 1941 was resold for $8000 in 1945. On Fairmount hill, where sales have been rather sparse during the war years, a residen tial piece of property bought in 1942 for $3700 sold for $9000 in 1945. (Concluded on Page 9, Column 2) $25,000 Goal For Statues Portland, March 21 VP) A committee authorized by the 1945 legislature has set $25,000 as goal for the financing of two statues which will represent Oregon in Statuary Hall, Wash ington, D. C. Dr. Burt Brown Barker, Uni versity of Oregon vice-president, is chairman for the state-wide financial dive. The statues, of Dr. John McLoughlin, Hudson's Bay company factor, and Jason Lee, pioneer Methodist mission ary, will stand seven to eight feet tall. After receiving sculptors' bids varying from $12,000 for a statue of Lee to $60,000 for both, the committee postponed the decision on who will exe cute the figures. London to Ered Roosevelt Statue London, March 21 (IP) The Pilgrims Society of Great Bri tain announced today appoint ment of a committee to raise funds for erection of a statute of the late President Roosevelt in London. The statute would be the third memorial to a United States president in the British capital. A statue of George Washington stands outside the national gallery and one of Abraham Lincoln is situated near Westminster abbey. Mexico City, March 21 VP) The permanent committee of congress announced today plans for formal observance on April 12 of the first anniversary of President Roosevelt's death. The program will include laying of the cornerstone for a monument in Monterey, where President Roosevelt and President Avila Camacho met. SVWSTo. Salem, Oregon, Tliursday, March Extended General Dwight D. Eisenhower, "thc United States meet its world obligations and to release men wno have been in service for a great length of time. Eisenhower and Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson both urged that, in addition to ex tending the draft, congress ap prove legislation giving the armed forces a 20 percent pay increase. Could Halt Inductions Patterson told the committee that if the pay increase helped the army obtain a sufficient volunteer strength to match re quirements "we would not have to induct any men at all." Eisenhower said that if con gress is willing to extend the draft, the army would be will ing to have certain conditions and restrictions included in the act. He said he would be willing not to induct any more fathers and to set about releasing fath ers now in service. He said it would "be perfectly feasible to say that no man shall serve longer than 18 months." How to Chase Away Hubby's Business Los Angeles, March 21 VP) Kenneth A. Brainard, Severely Hills realty bro ker, ' winning a divorce from his wife. Ruby, com plained that she "harassed my clients by saying she would sue them for aliena tion of attentions." "She made a practice of darning socks in the of fice," he added. Offer 'Joker', Says Bridges San Francisco, March 21 (IP) An hourly pay increase of 23 cents, five cents of which would be in lieu of an annual vacation, has been rejected by Pacific Coast CIO Longshore Leader Harry Bridges. The increase, which would bring hourly pay to $1.38 and overtime to $2.07, was offered by Pacific Coast waterfront em ployers yesterday as a counter offer to demands. by the dock workers for $1.50. Bridges quickly informed em ployes he was "definitely not in terested" and charged that the offer was "double talk." "They offer five cents more provided we give up annual va cations," the longshore leader said. "The employers seek to make their offer look big to the public by means of headlines that say '23 cents.' They bank on the public failing to see the most crude joker ever invented." An employer spokesman ex plained the offer was made be cause "the casual nature of longshore work" makes it "vir tually impossible to include a standard vacation pay provi sion." The present contract with the dock workers contains no va cation provision. Truman Hopeful No New Rationing Washington, March 21 (IP) President Truman today ex pressed the hope that a return to wartime food rationing would not be necessary. But he said he would not object to a return should it become absolutely es sential. He made these observations in response to questions which followed a reference to the plans for famine relief abroad. Bank Messenger Accused Portland, March 21 (U.R) A federal complaint was on file today charging Ralph Waldo Rees, 23 - year - old messenger, with embezzling $136.75 from funds of the United States Na tional bank. FBI officers ac cused Rees of taking the money from depositors' letters. CPA to Allow Price Bulges In Rent, Food Chicago, March 21 U.R OPA Administrator Paul Porter said today that the office of price administration within the next few days would announce some price increase on rents, food and clothing "near the present level." "The consumer will be afford ed maximum protection," Por ter said at a news conference in disclosing that the OPA plan ned to allow the price bulge. Porter also announced that the OPA within 48 hours will announce price increases on au tomobiles ranging from $2 on the low priced cars to a maxi mum of $65 on the most expen sive models. Black Market Target "In a short time we will have a detailed announcement of drastic measures to be taken to control the meat black market, particularly with respect to di version of live cattle," Porter said. "We absolutely will not take controls off meat." "There will be some increases in rent, food and clothing, but we will try to hold them and basic cost of living items at or near the present level," Porter said Porter said the increased auto prices will not affect the con sumer. He said the OPA was considering passing the price increases on to dealers. No Ceiling Removal He emphasized that the OPA has no intention of removing rent ceilings. "If the ceilings were re moved " he said, "it is estimat ed thav rents would go up at least 55 percent. The OPA chief said he be lieves the textile problem is be ing taken care of and predicted that more clothing would reach the market soon. Forter said many building materials are being diverted from housing to certain types of non-essrntial commercial con struction Navy Claims Held Not True Washington, March 21 VP) President Truman told a news conference today that a navy statement on its need for funds was not in line with the facts. The president did not identi fy the statement. But he said there had been a misunder standing that ought to be cleared up and that Budget Director Harold Smith would explain the whole thing. Two days ago Admiral Ches ter W. Nimitz, chief of naval operations, told the house naval committee that a proposed $2,100,000,000 budget cut in navy funds would "jeopardize the influence of our nation in world affairs and the defense of our homeland." Today, Vice Adm. Louis E. Denfeld, chief of the navy bu reau of personnel, told the same committee that the cut would force the placing of many Pacific bases on a "caretaker basis" so they could not be properly defended against at tack. The committee is inquiring into the effects of the budget slash on fleet strength and the nation's security. I'm Forever (Burp) Blowing Bubbles Los Angeles, March 21 (U.R) Eight-month-old George Robert Logan, who gulped a bottle of shampoo, was still blowing bub bles today. Mrs. May Logan said she found the baby yesterday cover ed from head to foot with soap suds and gurgling happily over the bubbles streaming from his nose and mouth. Her other son, William, 2, proudly held an empty shampoo bottle. George, treated with a sto mach pump, was all right to day except for an occasional bubble. Alumina Workers Await Decision No strike will be called at the Salem alumina plant at least until next Tuesday when a deci sion may be reached in Seattle on the wage grievance of the chemical workers union which will be before the 12th regional stabilization board. This was the decision, report ed to have been a stormy one. at the Salem labor temple Wed nesday afternoon. Journal 21, 1946 Parade Interests Young Mac (IP) Arthur MacArthur, son of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, his ears covered, coat buttoned and blanket-wrapped for protection against chill weather, watches wide-eyed as the U. S. 7th regiment parades on the palace grounds in Tokyo. Thats Mrs. MacArthur smiling down at the lad. Only Truman Can Stay Homma Death Sentence loKyo, Marcn zi (if) General firing-squad death for Lt. Gen. Masaharu Homma, his victorious foe in the 1942 battle for Bataan, and disagreed sharply with two U. S. supereme court justice dissenters one of whom had termed the sentence vengeance rather than justice. Date and Astoria Boat Mooring Okeh Washington, March 21 (IP) Construction of a small boat mooring basin at Astoria, Ore., to cost the federal government $1,044,000 plus $10,000 annual maintenance received army en gineers' approval today. Lt. Gen. R. A. Wheeler, chief of eng.'neers, notified Rep. Nor blad (R., Ore.) today that the government will build a steel pile and sand filled breakwater 2,400 feet long and steel pile shore wings 1,460 feet long. There will be a 20-foot roadway the entire length of the break water. Local interests are required to furnish necessary lands, and rights-of-way and necessary dredging. .They also must pro vide mooring facilities and a public landing space. The proposition must be ap proved by Oregon's governor and by congress. Army to Tighten Its Belt Too Washington, March 21 (IP) In line with President Truman's food conservation plan to help feed a hungry world, the army is tightening its belt. The quartermaster corps has revised its master menus to cut by six and one half pounds for each vegetable the amounts of canned asparagus, beans, spin ach and tomatoes served to 100 men. Mess cooks in preparing meal's for 100 men also will fix only 10 pounds of beets instead of 15; 20 pounds of cabbage in stead of 25 and 65 pounds of potatoes instead of 75. Bread has been cut from 15 pounds to 12 for each 100 men at each meal. There" are also smaller portions of breakfast foods. Doolittle Raid Damage Defended Shanghai, March 21 (U.R) Lt. Gen. James Doolittle in a deposition submitted today In the trial of four Japanese of ficers charged with executing three American Tokyo raiders asserted that any civilian dam age caused by the famous raid was "unpremediated." The deposition was presented to counter any defense attempt to contend that the Tokyo resi dential area was intentionally bombed. Doolittle said he was certain that any civilian damage was due merely to normal hazards of warfare. Negotiations Postponed San Francisco, March 21 (U.R) Political negotiations between Dutch and Indonesian represen tatives in Batavia were under postponement today, it was re ported by radio Australia. Price Five Cents MacArthur today decreed a details of the execution, which now could be stayed only by President Truman, will be de termined in Manila. Affirming the Manila court martial conviction of Homma, who ordered the infamous Bat aan death march that cost 17,. 200 lives, MacArthur asserted: "If this defendant does not de serve his judicial fate, none in jurisdictional history ever qid Before announcing his deci sion, MacArthur studied opin ions expressed by supreme court Justices Murphy and Rutledge, who dissented when the court refused to intervene for Hom ma. Murphy had denounced Homma's trial as a descent "to the level of revengeful blood purges." Trial Is Defended MacArthur declared "No trial could have been fairer" and said dissenters "either advocate ar bitrariness of process above fac tual realism, or . . inherently shrink from the stern rigidity of capital punishment." Wataru Narahashi, chief cab inet secretary, said he and the Japanese people agreed as to the justice of MacArthur's decision. "General MacArthur's deci sion teaches the Japanese a grave and important lesson," Narahashi said. "The Japanese now know that a commanding general, even if he himself does not issue orders, must assume responsibility for illegal acts of his subordinates." The supreme allied command er in the Pacific said he could find "no circumstances of exten uation." Russian Submarines Reported Off Java Batavia, March 21 (IP) Re ports circulated here today that Russian submarines were lying off the south coast of Java. The supreme allied command and the command of allied for ces in Batavia made no com ment. (A similar dispatch was trans mitted from Batavia by the of ficial Netherlands news agency Aneta, crediting "apparently reliable reports" and circulated in Great Britain by Reuters). English Teachers Observe: Even Churchill Slips Up New Haven, Conn., March 21 (IP) Winston Churchill, man of action, plans to dictate part of his memoirs while resting in bed. The former British prime minister, who sailed for home this morning aboard the Queen Mary took with him two electronic recording sets equipped with a special lapel microphone to be used alternately at the bedside and while pacing up and down. He also purchased 1,000 plas tic disci, enough to record 250, 000 words of the story of his life. Workers at the Soundscriber Corp. plant here put in overtime to complete the equipment in cluding a loud buzzer to re mind him to change discs in the U. S. Will Press On Iran, Despite For Delay; Gromyko Fears Haste Truman Reports Monday's Meeting Will Not Be Postponed; Britain Also Opposed; Complications May Be Result, Russia's Ambassador Declares Washington, March 21 (IP) Soviet Ambassador Andrei A. Gro myko said today that any hasty action by the United Nations se curity council on the Iranian dispute would merely complicate it. His comment was made shortly Truman that next Monday's UNO Mr. Truman told his news conference today that the United States delegation will press for action in the explosive contro versy despite Moscow's request for a 16-day delay. (According to United Press, the opposed the request by Russia foreign office spokesman said there was "no inclination on tne part of his majesty's government to support the Russian request" for the council postponement.) Gromyko talked with reporters hurriedly-arranged 20-minute Byrnes. The Soviet ambassa- dor, who returned unexpected ly last night from New York, declined to tell newsmen what he said to Byrnes, but he reiter ated that Russia believes the Iranian case unquestionably should be delayed because nego tiations are now under way be tween Iran and Russia. Arked in what way these ne gotiations are taking place he replied they were being carried on through diplomatic channels and that for the security coun cil to take any hasty action now wouid complicate the situation. A Courtesy Call An inquiry put to officials familiar with the nature of Gromyko's talk with Byrnes brought the comment that it had been purely a courtesy call. They said Gromyko actually had not taken up any of the wide range of critical problems in Soviet-American relations, including the Iranian case, Man chiuia. and the possibility of an American loan to Russia. The Soviet ambassador left some doubt on whether he per sonally will attend the United Nations council meeting, despite an embassy statement several days ago that he will be a mem ber of the Russian delegation though not necessarily its chief. The Soviets have asked for a 16-Oay delay on the ground they need time to prepare their an swer. What Will Happen? Reminded of the Russian re quest for a postponement, the president was asked what will hapoen Monday if the Soviets insist on their piea. , Tne president told his ques tioner he had better attend the meeting and find out. Mr. Truman again announced that he was not seeking another meeting of the "Big Three" to deal with differences between Russia and other members of the United Nations. The United Nations organiza tion, he said, is supposed to take over things that formerly were discussed by the Big Three. A three power conference was suggested in the senate yes terday by Senator Pepper (D., Fla.). Mr. Truman told newsmen he would be glad to see any or all members of the UNO at any time. He simply is not asking for a Big Three meeting. The president said Secretary of State Byrnes will carry to Monday's session in New York his own (Mr. Truman's) address of welcome. Korea Sessions More Friendly Seoul, Korea, March 21 (U.R) Delegates to the joint United States-Soviet commission have reached agreement on proce dural details and delegates ex pect to work harmoniously in the task of setting up a pro visional government for Korea, Maj. Gen. A. V. Arnold, Ameri can delegate, said today. Arnold told a press conference that discussions at the initial meeting yesterday appeared to be on a more friendly basis than at a joint preparatory con ference last month that left Rus sians and Americans split on several questions. Arnold pointed out that many members of the commission also served at the conference. Dele gates were optimistic that they would be able to work well with one another In solving the prob lem of Korea, he added. event he was carried away by his words. Cnurchill left a special re cording for the workmen, thanking "those at the factory wno gave up their week-end leisure to help get this finished In lime," and ending with this remarkable for Churchill sentence: "This is me, Winston Church ill, speaking himself to you, and I am so glad to be able to thank you in this remarkable way." for UNO Action Soviet Request after a statement by President meeting will not be postponed. British government today also for a 16-day postponement. A at the state department atter conference with Secretary Iran Calls Up 1 9-Year-0lds Tehran, March 21 (U.R) Iran's 19-year-old were summoned to the colors today in the wake of reports that three Iranian army garrisons were under attack by Kurdish tribesmen in the iso lated region near the border of Iraq. At the same time, leaders of Iran's leftist Tudeh party were called into private session and rightist elements expressed be lief the Tudeh party might lead leftist demonstrations against the government because of its appeal to the United Nations security council against con tinued presence of Russian troops in Iran. (In Baghdad, a former Iraq diplomat declared Tuesday upon returning from Tehran that the Tudeh paryt could stage a coup d'etat at any time. He added: "The great fear in Iran today is that if the Iranians officially announce that they will take the matter to the UNO, theo the communists will be given the word to strike.") Rightist Deputy Said Via Ed din, described by political writ ers as anti-Russian, and gener ally known as a leading oppon ent of Premier Ahmed Qavam es Saltaneh, was taken into cus tody yesterday by two men in the uniform of Iranian army colonels. Via Ed-din told newsmen: "I think they are arresting me be cause I am not liked by the Russians." He said in an inter view Tuesday that "Iran's only hope lies with the UNO." Prince Firouz, director of propaganda and political under secretary of state, said the dep uty was "put under preventice detention pending investiga tion of certain charges" on or ders of Premier Ahmed Qavam. Can't Make a Party Behave Washington, March 21 (IP) Politics figured in the presi dent's news conference today when Mr. Truman was asked whether he agreed with Secre tary Wallace that party mem bers who get out of line should be disciplined. The president laughed and said that he and Wallace never had discussed that. But lt il necessary, he added, to hold the party in power in line to get its program over. There is no set way of doing that, he said, although several plans have been tried none successfully. Broken Propellor Caused Crackup Truckce, Calif,, Mar. 21 (U.R) -A broken propellor blade which set up a vibration that caused the right wing of any army C 47 transport to break off in mid air apparently was responsible for the violent deaths of 23 pas sengers and three crewmen near here Tuesday, army officials disclosed today. Dinners Expensive But Fare Skimpy Washington, Mar. 21 UP) De mocrats at the $100-a-plate Jackson day dinner here Satur day arc going to get the least food for their money that has ever been served "for the price in the United States." That's what Democratic Lead er Barkley (Ky.) told the senate today. A speech by President Truman will be an extra added attraction for the diners here. Russia Demobilizing . More Enlisted Men ; Moscow, Mar. 21 (U.R) Si more classes of red army and air force enlisted men will be demobilized between May and September of this year under a decree of the presidium of the Supreme Soviet published today. -41
