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About Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980 | View Entire Issue (April 5, 1947)
'A . Big 3 Making Headway on German Issue Agree for Creation of 7 Central Administration Agencies for Reich Moscow, April 5 The council of foreign ministers freed tentatively today on a plan for creation of central Ger man administrative agencies. The plan, if adopted finally, would constitute a first step to ward creation of a certain pro visional German government. The four powers agreed also that a German advisory council should be set up within three months after the central agen cies were created. The time ele ment was a British compromise proposal. If and when the central agen cies are created, the advisory council would be set up, and $ nine months later, a provisional i government would be created. 4Thus, 12 months after cstablish V ing central agencies, Germany would have a provisional gov ernment. However, the French linked their acceptance of the agency plan to two conditions which were not accepted by the other powers, and the substance of the issue still, in effect, was up in the air. French Conditions The French conditions: 1. That the agencies should be under the administration of a committee made up of Laender (state s) representatives. 2. That the Saar be excluded from the agencies' authority. The agencies envisioned in the plan would administer national ly German food, transport, com munications, industry, finance, and foreign trade. The previous deadlock persist ed at another point the Soviet proposal that each zone com mander in Germany should have power to veto in his zone any directive from one of the agen cies when he considered it in conflict with allied control coun cil policy. Vishinsky Apologizes In the deputies' session, the Soviet deputy foreign minister in a brief, quickly ended ex change, accused the U. S. deputy Robert Murphy of distoring the Soviet position by saying the Russians sought to create strong central government in Germany such as existed under Hitler. The chargS was made by the Soviet deputy, Andrei Y. Vishin sky, in a committee session of the council of foreign ministers. (Concluded on Pate 9, Column 6) Chinese Reds Attack Marines Peiping, April 5 VP) Chinese communists, sweeping suddenly out of the early morning dark ness, today attacked a U. S. ma rine artillery supply depot near Tangku, killing five marines and wounding 16 others, six of whom were not expected to live. Papers found on the bodies of slain attackers verified they were communists, an official ma rine statement said. The statement did not men i tion the number of casualties suffered by the attackers, but H Chinese military officers report ed 100 of the band killed or wounded. These officers announced that 600 government troops from Chiang Kai-Shek's second army had been dispatched from Tient sin to aid marines in tracking down the attackers, whose num bers were not known. Even as the attackers faded into the darkness from which they had struck at a marine am munition dump, a heavily-armed marine convoy was made ready -4at. Tientsin, 25 miles to the west, to set out in pursuit. Stung by the biggest casualty toll in a long scries of clashes with north China irregulars. Col. Julian N. Frisbie, command er of the Fifth marines at Peip ing,' was flying to Tientsin to take personal command. Four-hour Battle A brief marine announcement confirmed that the fighting, at Hsinho, five miles west of Tang ku, raged for four hours and 15 minutes beginning at 1:15 a.m. The reports of the fighting were fragmentary, saying that one marine tank was disabled by a land mine, and that several explosions of stored ammunition rocked the dump. Marine fighter planes were called out but the Chinese had vanished before the airmen could get into action. This same dump was raided last October 3 by an estimated 200 Chinese who wounded a ma rine slightly but left several of their own dead behind. They succeeded in carrying off some ammunition. That may have been their mo tive this time, but they found the dump manned by about a company of marines from the First battalion of the First ma rine division. . Capital 58th Year, No. 82 StrSSS Salem, Proposed Labor Control Laws Being Drafted Washington, April 5 UP) A proposal designed to block "na tional paralysis" strikes was of fered to the senate labor com mittee today as part of the pre liminary draft of a general labor bill. Senators said this tentative version which the committee plans to discuss next week pro vides, among other things, for a ban on the closed shop and for the outlawing of jurisdictional strikes and secondary boycotts. It would make it an unfair labor practice for a national un ion to dictate contract terms to its locals, but would impose no outright ban on industry-wide bargaining. Restore Injunctions A committee member who helped draw up the plan to avert "national paralysis" strikes told a reporter it provides for these steps when collective bar gaining and mediation efforts break down in the case of a threatened strike which would seriously affect the public wel fare: 1. The government could ob tain a temporary injunction to avert the strike. 2. The disputing parties would be required to renew and con tinue mediation efforts while the injunction was in effect. 3. If no settlement was reach ed, the president could declare an emergency and call on con gress at a special session if necessary to deal with the sit uation. 4. Any action congress might take would apply only to the particular emergency at hand. It could pass a bill authorizing government seizure or handle the case in any other way it saw fit. (Concluded on Pare 9, Column 6) Asks New Vote By Greek People , Washington, April 5 (VP) Sen ator Russell (D., Ga.) proposed today that congress require a new vote by the Greek people on their form of government as a condition to American aid, de spite a senate foreign relations committee report that such a move would violate the spirit of the Greek-Turkey assistance program. Russell told a reporter he does not believe either Greece or Tur key has a democratic govern ment. He added that the aid pro gram should be recognized for what it is a move to stop Rus sian expansion. I m being realistic about this," Russell said. "I'm not saying that I want to help de mocracy in Greece and Turkey, because I don't believe the peo ple have it there. But I'm for helping democracy in the United States. To do that I'm willing to help arm the Turks against our only possible enemy Rus sia. Russell's plea for a new Greek plcbescite collided with commit tee recommendations in its re port on the $400,000,000 assist ance bill, approved previously by a 13 to 0 vote. The report observed that the committee is convinced the Unit ed States does not intend to in terfere in internal affairs of Greece or Turkey. It said furth er that if the people of those countries once feel secure politi cally and economically, they will decide to "continue along the road to democracy." Gromyko's Reply to Austria Still Among UN Uncertainties Lake Success, N.Y., April 5 UP) The United Nations today was in the unusual position of having a sellout on its hands without knowing whether the "star" of the show Andrei A. Gromyko would speak his lines. More- than 5,000 overflow applications for seats to Monday's security council meeting already have been rejected, the U.N. press di vision reported. The council chamber seats only 514 specta tors and all tickets were ex hausted last Wednesday. The U.N. added that nearly all written and telephone re quests were accompanied by the comment that the applicants "wanted to hear Gromyko's an swer." Included in those holding seats were at least one congress man, Rep. Gary (D Va.) and 100 West Point cadets who are students in international rela tions. Meanwhile the usual secrecy surrounded Russian plans and Gromyko, deputy foreign min ister and council delegate, turn- Lewis Asks All But 2 Mines Remain Closed Washington, April 6 UPt John L. Lewis today asked the government to close all but two bituminous coal mines in the United States. In a letter to Coal Mines Administrator N. H. Collisson, Lewis asked that the mines stay closed until re-examination has been made by a federal mine inspector and the inspector has certified the mines conform with the federal mine safety code. Thursday the coal mines ad ministrator ordered that 518 coal mines remain closed as un safe. This left uncertain the num ber of miners who will return to work Monday at the close of a six-day mourning period or dered by Lewis, president of the United Mine Workers (AFL). Few Yet Certified Lewis testified before a con gressional committee the same day that he had recommended a return to work Monday in all miles that are regarded as safe. Only a scattered handful of the 518 soft coal mines ordered closed by the government for safety reasons were certified to day as eady to resume opera tion Monday but a coal mines administration spokesman in the Pittsburgh district predicted "a flood of last minute certifica tions." Another federal official pre dicted 25 percent of the mines deemed unsafe would be ready to reopen at the end of the AFL United Mine Workers' six-day mourning period, for the vic tims of the Centralia, 111., mine disaster. The 518 mines in 19 states normally produce 616,000 tons daily, or about one quar ter of the nation's total. Can Be Reopened Some UMW leaders called for caution in agreeing with mine operators in certification of mine safety but the department of interior said at Washington that pits could be reopened regardless of the union's am tude- if Secretary Krug so or dered after receiving reports of a federal re-inspection. (Concluded on Pate 9, Column 1) Flood Threats In Midwest (By the Asaoel&led Press) Floors, tornados, heavy rain fall, wind storms and snow join ed today to spoil prospects for a pleasant Easter weather for much of the nation. Southern Michigan faced its worst flood threat in history as a two to three-inch downpour swelled rising streams and rivers and scores of families fled from their homes in many com munities. In Mt? Clemens, near Detroit, 50 families were ordered to abandon their homes as the Clinton river continued rising at the rate of eight inches an hour. H. M. Wills, U.S. meteor ologist, ' at Detroit warned the state to prepare for "the worst flood in history" and said crests might not develop for two days. In Ottumwa, la., three rail roadmen narrowly escaped drowning when their switch en gine and one car fell into the flooded Dcs Moines river when a bridge gave away. Two tornados, 150 miles apart in Missouri, caused considerable damage but there were no injur ies reported. ed aside queries as to whether he would speak with: No com ment." The thousands seeking seats apparently were banking on Gromyko's statement in re sponse to American Delegate Warren R. Austin, who last week laid before the council President Truman's proposal for a $400,000,000 program of uni lateral aid to Greece and Tur key. At that time the Russian delegate said he would "touch upon these questions" at the next council meeting. There also was a possibility that Gromyko would offer Rus sia's proposals on arms, reduc tion at a morning meeting of the commission on conventional armaments. Persons topping the list of rejections for council seats were given tickets for this session. ti h Oregon, Saturday, April ' 1 u Mwii-i Camp Adair Wrecked for Salvage Hundreds of post buildings including mess halls (upper left) are being systematically wrecked and their materials efficiently bombed city are these stark chimneys left standing with furnaces attached ready for the next operation in salvage. An unkempt bed of azaeas grouped around a flowering cherry once were landscaping in a planting for admiration by visiting generals. Larger structures (lower right) are panelized and reassembled to relieve congestion at Oregon's schools now training veterans. Adair Buildings Razed, Big Camp Disintegrates By Ben Maxwell Wreckage of Camp Adair and salvage of building materials is now under way. On February 26, 1942, Major R. E. M. Dcs Islets, army engineer in charge of cantonment construction told the Sa lem Chamber of Commerce that "speed is the order and costs f I are forgotten." During the summer of 1942 nearly 8U0U men were engaged in erecting about 1800 building at a cost of around $32,000,000. Today some 300 workmen are just as industriously pulling nails driv en in barracks, mess halls, store houses, administration and rec reation building by builders of five years ago. Oregon's largest cantonment, declared surplus by the army on December 18, 1945, trained the 104th, 96th, 70th and 91st divisions. The first soldier who arrived In July of 1942 was bedded down in a fire sta tion because no barracks were then completed. The last man packed his barracks bag and marched away months ago Camp Adair training area con sisted of 55,498 acres of farm and forest lands now assigned to the Federal Land bank at Spokane for liquidation. Come One, Come All. War assets administration, on February 13, 1947, advertised 800 Camp Adair buildings as up for sale on bid. During Jan uary 195 were sold for $95,278 Veterans had a first chance. Then priorities were revoked and the sale was conducted on a come one, come all basis. Elev- en surplus chapels were allo cated for use by Oregon, four as memorials to World War II dead. (Concluded on Page 12, Column 8) Umbrellas Needed On Easier Sunday Portland, April 5 P) The weather bureau today advised Oregonians who live west of the Cascade mountains to wear an umbrella in the Easter pa rade. As for eastern Oregonians. they may leave the raincoat at home but they shouldn't count on much blue sky to match their Easter bonnets. The weatherman's rather dis mal forecast was "mostly cloudy east of the Cascades; occasional light rain west of them." Only Easter concession the weatherman would make was a promise to refrain from turning out any more of that artificial rain and snow he. made in an experiment yesterday near Portland. Falling Tree Kills Man Oregon City, April 5 iPi Zere Robert Warner, 49, Lake Grove, was killed by a falling tree yesterday at the Weyer haeuser operations on Copper Creek, 40 miles southeast of Molalla. The widow and a son survive. The Weather (Released by United State Weather Bureau) Forecast for Salem and Vicin ity: Mostly cloudy tonight and Sunday with light rain tonight becoming occasional showers to morrow. Wind and rain will prevent spraying and dusting operations during next 24 hours. Lowest temperature expected to night 42. Maximum yesterday 51. Minimum today 44. Mean temperature yesterday 46 which was 4 below normal. Total 24 hour precipitation to 11:30 a.m. today 0.19. Total precipitation for the month 1.01 which is .58 Inch above normal. Willamette river height 6.8. Journal 5, 1947 Mm 3eeKing To Avert Strike Washington, April 5 Wi Jo seph Abcirnc, president of the National Federation of Tele phone workers, declared in mid afternoon today that a telephone strike Monday "still seems evitable." Washington, April 5 UP La bor department officials, con ceding the situation looked "grave." began continuous meet ings with top industry and union officials today in a last minute drive to head off a nation-wide telephone strike Monday. Government officials still hoped to bring about a settle ment of the dispute without re sort to possible government seizure of the industry. William Margolis, U.S. con ciliator working on the long distance service phase of the negotiations, told newsmen both sides will be kept in almost con tinuous session from now on with the strike deadline less than 40 miles away. "The only thing that could stop continuous meetings now would be a settlement," Mar golis said. He added that scores of differences need to be re solved, but indicated the com panies and unions are near agreement only a few minor is sues. John W. Gibson, assistant secretary of labor, told report ers he had arranged to meet separately with key men in the Bell system and the unions.. These include Joseph A. Bcirnc, president of the National Fed eration of Telephone Workers (independent), and C. F. Craig, vice president of the American Telephone and Telegraph com pany. Attorney General Tom Clark gave President Truman an opinion yesterday that the in dustry could be seized under the federal communications act but an official close to the situation said flatly that seizure has so ifar received no serious consid eration. Picketing Planned By Phone Strikers Seattle, April 5 UP) Between 900 and 1100 workers will picket 38 buildings here, maintaining a 24-hour line at some places, at the calling of the nationwide telephone strike Monday, Arne Gravem, field organizer for the National Federation of Tele phone Workers, said today. About 250 pickets will be used at eight buildings in Ta- coma. Where business other than :that of the telephone company lis conducted, the union has ask ed to picket inside in front of theh telephone offices so as not to close down the whole build ing, he said. W. J. Billings, western divi sion manager of the Pacific Tel- jephone & Telegraph Co., said service would be affected in varying degrees in the norlh Jwest if all telephone workers istay away from their jobs. Su pervisory personnel will handle j all possible work. Price Five Cents i J 1 I salvaged. Suggestive ot some Red Cross Drive Over the Top The Marion county chapter of the American Red Cross an nounced Saturday completion of its 1947 fund campaign with the amount of contributions ap proximately $49,000, the goal established at the outset of the drive. Reports from a number of districts are expected to boost the total well above the objec tive. Several outside communities, including Mt. Angel, Aumsville, Hubbard, St. Paul, Sidney, Mc hama, Monitor and Sublimity have completed their allot ments. Virtually all of the Sa lem divisions have also attained their objectives. Those com pleted and the leaders in charge include: automotive, John Stark; general gifts, George Kingan; governmental, Carl Gabrielson; industrial, H. D. Robertson; mercantile, Jim Beard: utilities, J. M. Clough; residential, Mrs. Custer Ross; professional, E. O. Stadter. Incomplete returns in clude rural, P. H. Schnell; con tractors, R. B. Hynd and educa tional, E. A. Carlton. "Our chapter is very grateful to Fred Starrett, chairman of the 1947 fund campaign," said Judge George Rossman, chairman of the Marion county chapter the drive. "We are likewise grateful to all those who served under Mr. Starrett and to every one who contributed to our fund. The fact that we have raised not only our quota, but have exceed ed it, is a splendid tribute to Mr Starrctl's capacity for leader ship." Hood River Fire Loss Over $100,000 Hood River, Ore., April 5 (U.R) Damage caused by yester day's fire in downtown Hood River was estimated today at more than $100,000, largely covered by insurance. Sparks from an acetylene torch ignited a paint barrel and the flames destroyed the Gar rabrant Brothers' garage. A second-story wall o the adja cent Wirrick building was burn out, but occupants of apartments in the buildings escaped unhurt. A variety store on the first floor of the Wirrick building, a Fire stone store in the Edington building and Western stores in the Moore building suffered smoke and water damage. Truman to Speak at Jefferson Day Dinner at Washington Washington, April 5 (UP) At Jefferson dny dinners around the country tonight, democrats will eat lavish food, raise money for the party and hear President Truman expound the administration principles which arc taking rough treatment from the repub lican-conlrollcd congress. Mr. Truman, the titular head of the party, will speak at 9:30 p.m. (CST) at a plush $100-a-plate dinner at the Mayflower hotel here. His speech, expect ed to run between 15 and 20 minutes, will be carried by all networks except CBS. The president scheduled no appointments today, devoting his time to putting the finishing touches on his speech. The dinner at the Mayflower will be the party's show-win- dow. Henry A. Wallace, former secretary of commerce who was fired by Mr. Truman for public - ly bucking administration pol - i icy, will be among the guests. October 7 Set As Election Date On Sales Tax Choice Is Between Sales Levy or High Income And Property Taxes By James D. Olson Voters of Oregon will be given an opportunity on ucioocr i, 1947, to choose between a gen eral retail sales tax or higher in come taxes and a further in crease on property taxes. This was the statement made today by Sen. E. R. Fatland. who served as chairman of the conference committee, which for hours argued over provisions of the sales tax and companion bills, finally composing differ ences early today. Sen. Fatland pointed out that under the conference committee agreement, yet to be ratified by the house and senate, income tax exemptions will be increased in the event a sales tax is en acted and these exemptions will be lowered if the sales tax is voted down. Details of Measure The bill provides for increased exemptions to income tax pay ers, if the sales tax is approved, from $750 to $900 for single per sons; $1500 to $1800 for mar ried couples and $300 to $400 for dependents. If the sales tax fails the in come tax exemptions will be lowered from $750 to $500 and from $1500 to $1000 for mar ried persons. The exemption for dependents would remain at $300, as at present. Should the income tax ex emptions be increased, as a re sult of enactment of the sales tax, a withholding tax on all salaries and wages paid to em ployees in the stale, would not become effective. If the sales tax fails, Sen. Fatland said, this tax would bring in an estimated $2,000,000 additional revenue for the biennium. Will Apply on '47 Taxes Under the agreement reached by the conferees the changes in exemptions for income tax pay ers will apply on 1947 stale in come taxes, payments of which are due and payable on April 15, 1948. "The senate members of the conference committee insisted that some provision be made in the sales tax legislation lo pre vent any possible increase in property taxes," said Sen. Fat land. "It was for this reason that we look so much time reaching an agreement. The house conferees were of the same mind but desired to reach the goal by different methods Both sides gave and took, but in the end we feel that we have the real property owners protected.'1 Sen. Fatland said that in the distribution of sales tax receipts, if approved, $22,000,000 would be diverted to counties, cities and school districts, and all above that would go into a rc serve fund to be built up to $12 000,000. Reserve Fund This reserve fund would serve as a cushion lo be used in the event that either liquor receipts would fall to an extent that ad ditional property taxes were re quired to care for the welfare program or income tax pay ments shrank to a degree that they would not be sufficient lo prevent the application of a state tax levy. A cigarette lax, passed by the legislature, estimated to raise $4,000,000 for the bien nium, would not be applicable if a sales tax is enacted. If the voters reject the sales tax in Oregon for the sixth lime, Sen. Fatland points out that the inevitable result will be increas ed taxes for cities, counties, and schools, all of which must be levied on property and in creased schedules for slate in come taxpayers. Umpqua Bill Signed Governor Earl Snell sinned into law today the bill closing the Umqua river and its tribu taries to commercial fishing. Wallace will not be seated at the star-spangled head table, but down on the main floor to the president's left. At another table and sitting together will be Paul E. Filz patrick, democratic state chair man for New York; Mayor Wil liam O'Dwycr of New York City; Frank J. Sampson, head of Tammany hall, and Frank Cash- more, the boss of the democratic organization in Brooklyn. These men, politicians say, have not been seeing eye-to-cye. There were several prominent absentees. Among them Robert IE. Hanncgan, national chairman of the party, and Cordell Hull J recuperating from illness. Legislature to Adjourn Today AtS0Xlock Conferees End Deadlock On Sales Tax and Other Bills By Paul W. Harvey, Jr. I Adjournment of the 83-day- old legislature before nightfall was virtually assured today when the senate-house confer ence committee on taxes agreed to hold the special election on the 3 percent retail sales tax on October 7. The hour for adjournment was tentatively fixed at 5 p.m. today by senate leaders. The house is ready lo quit at any time, as it spent most of the day in recess while the senate acted on its calendar. The house had voted to hold the election June 24, and the senate wanted November 4. 24-Hour Stalemate The agreement came after the four-man committee had argued for 24 hours over the tax ques tions. The committee, shortly before coming to an agreement this morning, was almost at the point ot giving up and asking to be discharged, with a new committee lo be appointed. The committee also agreed on the other bills including the sales tax measure itself, the bill to raise income taxes if the people defeat the sales tax, and to low er income taxes if the people approve the sales tax; and to levy a 1 percent withholding tax on incomes if the sales tax is defeated. Report to Be Accepted Both houses were virtually finished with their work by noon, and acceptance of the con ference committee report by both houses was expected. Members of the conference committee were Sen. Ernest R. Fatland, Condon, chairman of the senate tax committee; " Sen. Eugene E. Marsh, McMinnville; Rep. Earl W. Hill, Cushman, Lane county, father of the sales tax bill, and Rep. Frank J. Van Dyke, Ashland. If the session ends today as is almost certain, it will have been two weeks longer than the second 69-day session of 1945. Jobless Pay Bill The bill to increase unem ployment compensation benefits to a maximum of $20 a week for 20 weeks in any one year, compared with the current scale of $18 for 20 weeks, finally went to the governor today after the house accepted the senate's version of the bill. The house originally had voted for $20 for 22 weeks. Labor asked for $25 for 26 weeks. The senate, after almost an hour's debate, killed the house bill to permit state prison con victs to make the stale's motor vehicle license plates and state highway signs, the measure fail ing by only one vote of getting a constitutional majority. There were 15 votes for the bill and 12 against it. Sponsors of the bill argued it would give idle prisoners something to work at, but the opponents objected to taking the business away from private in dustry. Chicago Areas Under Water Chicago. April 5 (U.R) Row boats and canoes sailed the streets of Chicago's southwest ern suburbs today as rescuers took 500 persons from their flooded homes. The high water was caused by the heaviest spring rain in years. In addition to ChicaRO suburbs, several northern Illinois towns were flooded. Property dam age was widespread, and rail and highway traffic was disrupt ed in many sections. 1 In the suburban Chicago area, i Ihe Red Cross reported thai 100 famines naa Deen rescued. n ditional rescues were reported by the U.S. coast guard and the state police. Flood waters reached to the second story of many homes. Some of the stranded inhabi tants had sought refuge on roof lops. Of the 500 persons remov ed from their homes, state police said at least 200 were rescued from "dire conditions." The flood in suburban Chi cago was caused by the failure of conduit systems to handle the near-record rainfall of 3.66 , inches. The condition was ag- I gravated by the winter accu- mulation of dirt and debris which clogged underpasses. Red Cross crews manned 20 boats, volunteers enlisted by the state police patrolled the in undated area in 17 boats, and the coast guard had six units in operation. Jobless Aid Decreases Unemployment compensation payments in Oregon during March totaled $987,184. or 65.4 percent less than in March, 1946, the unemployment com pensation commission said today.
