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