Stassen Places
Agree to Extend
Rent Controls
For Thirty Days
House, Senate GOP
Leaders Seek Time for
Permanent Bill
Benes Refuses'
Demand of Reds
For Cabinet Jobs
Czech Premier De
mands Reshuffling of
Coalition Cabinet
Name on Oregon
Primaries List
First Presidential Can
didate to Personally
File in Oregon
59th Year, No. 45
Entered weond elui
Salem, Oregon, Saturday, February 21, 1948
Price Five Cents
muter t BUtrn, oreioa
, .aw
.
11 .-fit "b . ...
Harold E. Stassen, ex-governor
of Minnesota, Saturday per
sonally filed a statement of his
candidacy with Dave O'llara, in
charge of elections in the secre
tary of state's office, thus plac
ing his name on the Oregon
preferential presidential ballot.
The appearance of Stassen in
person marked the first time in
at least 33 years that a candi
date for president of the United
States had personally filed his
own petitions, O'Hara said.
In 1940 the late Wendell Wil
kie filed a declaration of candi
dacy, according to O'Hara, but
the declaration was sent to
O'Hara's office by mail.
Flies Here From Eugene
Stassen, after conferring in
Eugene with Robert A. Elliott,
'"naisn. and other Stassen lead
'jhurpBnn manager Tnr ms cam-
ers, decided to fly into Salem in
his chartered plane.
He and members of his en
tourage arrived at the Salem
airport at 9:30 a.m. and the fil
ing was made at 9:45 a.m.
After filing the petitions,
Stassen issued a formal state
ment in which he declared that
an active and constructive cam-,
paign will be carried on in Ore
gon during which time the views
of Stassen on the major issues
before the country will be giv
en to the Oregon voters.
State-wide Organization
He announced that under the
direction of Elliott, a state-wide
volunteer organization - of men
and women would be formed to
aid him In his campaign.
Governor Thomas E. Dewey
of New York will be on the Ore
gon ballots and present indica
tions point to a two-man race
between Dewey and Stassen in
this state for the republican
presidential preference.
Highlights of Stassen's stand
as given in his statement are:
Highlights of Statement
"1. The development of the
resources of the Pacific north
west through reclamation, hydro-electric
power, flood con
trol and reforestation should be
carried forward rapidly and ef
ficiently. , -
14 2. Two members of the next
Ir' republican cabinet should come
rr . - -
from the 11 western' states ana
one of these should be the new
secretary of the interior.
"3. Our American economy
should be kept free, and alert
action should be taken by gov
ernment to avoid high price
booms and depression busts, and
a humanitarian concern for the
welfare of the people should be
fundamental in governmental
policy. .
"4. So long as rulers of Rus
sia follow their present obstruc
tionist tactics, shipments of ma
chine tools and electrical ma
chinery and apparatus to Rus
sia should be stopped. ,
"5. The United Nations should
be strengthened through a char
ter amending convention."
Military Aid
Enroute China
Washington, Feb. 21 (U.PJ
The state department has ad
vised congress that new U. S.
military aid is on its way to the
anti-communist forces in China,
it was learned today.
The department, in a memo
randum to the house foreign af
fairs committee, revealed that
several contracts have been ap
proved to sell Chiang Kai
Shek's government surplus U.
S. war goods at sharply reduc-
f ed prices. Goods include planes
and ammunition.
Disclosure of the contracts
appeared to be the state depart
ment's answer to congressional
critics who have denounced the
new $570,000,000 Chinese aid
program as "inadequate" be
cause it does not provide for
military supplies.
Diplomatic sources said a
Chinese mission also received
assurances recently that the U.
S. army will scour the Pacific
for additional planes which
might be made available to the
nationalist government.
China will get the war male
rials at a small fraction of their
original cost.
, One contract, the house com
mittee was informed, turns over
to China goods originally val
ued at several million dollars.
The Chinese will pay only 12Vi
percent of that.
2 Killed at Grand Ronde
Grand Ronde, Feb. 21 (IP)
Two Grand Ronde lumber
workers were killed yesterday
by a dynamite charge they had
set off to clear stumps. The vic
tims were Lloyd Weaver, 19
and Fred Moore, 49. Investiga
tors said they went to inspect
a charge that appeared not to
be going off. As they approach
ted, it did. .
jJIIIMI ! ! Ill ; IMIMliMpiIHM II II III li III 1 - .m
" V.' . 3 IV VVf U
.
Wheat Prices
Climb Slightly
New York, Feb. 21 (ff) Grain
prices pulled out of a slow de
cline near the close today and
went ahead of the previous day
by one to two cents a bushel.
Cotton and other commodities
were narrow and mixed.
Stocks at New York closed a
little higher but volume was
extremely slim, reflecting in
part the approaching long
week-end. Markets will be clos
ed Monday in observance of
Washington's birthday.
Hogs, cattle and lambs held
nominally steady in Chicago's
big market.
No retail price changes of im
portance came to light as re
tailers tried to appraise the ef
fect of the Feb. 4 crack in prK
mary markets.
Trading in stocks was almost
at a standstill.
The big break In the commo
dity markets has reduced retail
food, prices an average of 3 'A
percent from January highs.
Other cost-of-living items eith
er clung to post-war peaks or
headed upward.
This was the picture presented
by the government's bureau of
labor statistics in its first offi
cial report on the- effect of the
market slump on retail prices.
The government study cover
ed 20 foods in 12 cities. It rep
resented a cross section picture
of grocery and meat prices be
tween the highs of mid-January
and February 17.
The big break in commodity
prices began February 4.
The BLS report stated 13 of
the 20 foods showed declines.
Five showed Increases. Two
bread and navy beans showed
no change.
The government bureau found
the biggest drops in park chops,
lard, bacon, eggs and lettuce.
Prices from fresh fruits and ve
getables rose, the report said.
Extension of Maritime
Commission Law Sought
Washington, Feb. 21 (m
Rep. Jackson (R-Wash) urged a
house committee today to extend
for 16 months the law under
which the maritime commission
can operate, charter and dispose
of war-built vessels.
The law expires February 29.
Jackson asked an extension to
June 30, 1949.
MacArthur Too Busy to
Make Trip to Capital
Washington, Feb. 21 (IP) The house foreign affairs committee
had a touchy political decision lifted right out of its hands today
by Gen. Douglas MacArthur.' '
The general's name got tan-
gled up in the committee's aid-to-China
discussions yesterday
when some members suggested
inviting him to Washington to
testify on far eastern problems.
That started an argument.
Congressmen opposing the move
said it could be used as an at
tempt to boom MacArthur for
the GOP presidential nomina
tion. .
But others insisted that Mac
Arthur should be asked home
from Japan to give valuable ad
vice on how to help China over
come its native communist ar
mies. The general settled the whole
problem himself. He said ht is
too busy to make the trip.
"While I deeply appreciate
the confidence reflected in the
suggestion I return to the United
Stassen Finds Willamette Valley Hospitable At upper left table at Marion hotel luncheon,
left to right, Robert A. Elliott, Oregon manager for Stassen, Gov. Stassen and B. E. (Kelly)
Owens, Marion county republican chairman; next upper, Mayor Clifford Likes of Stayton
welcomes Stassen. Right upper, Stassen on platform at Stayton high school, left to right,
Mayor Likes, Harry Humphrey, reception chairman, Gov. Stassen and State Senator Allan
Carson. Lower lift, Scio's Mayor Carl Warren with Stassen on platform at Bohemian Hall.
Lower center, shows Lebanon high school girls serving strawberry short cake to the presi
dential aspirant. Left to right, Jeannette Baird, Colleen Rappe, Earnestine Field and Stas
sen. Lower right, Stassen greets' crowd at Sweet Home high school, -
Dixie Rebels
Told To Hold Fire
Washington, Feb. 21 (IP)
Senator Byrd of Virginia gave
the democratic party's Dixie
rebels this advice today:
Hold your fire but keep
your powder dry.
Byrd told a reporter he wants
the south to be sure where it is
going before it cuts long-standing
political ties in the argu
ment over President Truman's
civil rights "proposals. ... r'fv:
"We must make a calm, de
liberate decision, on the basis
of events as they happen and
then be prepared to go through
with it to the end," he said.
Byrd told a party gathering
at Richmond, Va., Friday night
that the south won't stand for
laws setting up a fair employ
ment practices (no race or color
line) commission, matting lynch
ing a federal offense and ban
ning poll taxes and race sepa
ration. But he added that It would
be time enough to decide what
to do if southerners should lose
their fight against enactment of
such legislation by congress.
Several house members from
11 southern states have adopted
a resolution condemning the
president's program. They will
confer with five southern gov
ernors here Monday.
Storm Warnings
Flying on Coast
' Seattle, Feb. 21 OT Small
craft warnings were changed to
southeast storm warnings from
Tatoosh to the mouth of the Co
lumbia river at 6 o'clock last
night.
Southeast storm warnings
were hoisted from the Columbia
to Cape Blanco, Ore., for strong
to occasionally gale force south
erly winds.
Small craft warnings were
continued for 24 hours on the
inland waters of Washington.
States to state my views to the
house foreign affairs committee
on the China relief plan," he said
in a Tokyo statement, "I hope
the committee will not further
the idea.
"The present Japanese politi
cal situation involving an immi
nent change of government and
the heavy pressure of my duties
render it impracticable for me
to leave my post here at the
present time."
That seemed to settle the fight
before it really got going.
A MacArthur man, mean
while, announced in Chicago
that he is going to establish a
national headquarters in Wash
ington for backers of the gen
eral. ,
The Chlcagoan Is Warren
Wright, banker and former Illi
nois stats treasurer.
'Grass Roots' Drive
Made by Stassen
By JAMES D. OLSON
Harold E. Stassen did some "grass roots" campaigning in Mar
ion and Linn counties Friday in his quest for support for the re
publican nomination as president.
. in nis unprecedented campaign,
Scio, Lebanon and Sweet Home.
took sufficient time to shake the
hand of virtually every man, wo
man, and . child child who were
In the four auditoriums.
c This, his, associates say, is ah
old habit; During his three suc
cessful campaigns for the go v
ernorship of , Minnesota, Stas
sen always went to every city,
town and hamlet, talking and
shaking hands with everyone in
sight.;
In all of his talks Stassen de
clared that the United States
should stop sending heavy ma
chinery and electrical goods to
Russia.
"Until the leaders in the
Kremlin begin to co-operate with
the rest of the: world," he said,
"we should not send one piece
of machinery or electrical equip
ment that could be made a part
of a Soviet war machine."
In Stayton, Stassen was in
troduced to the student body
of the high school and towns
people by Mayor Clifford Likes.
"I like your country out
here," he said. "Much of your
farming country is similar to
that in northern Minnesota," al
though we do not have the nut
orchards there."
The ex-governor's talk in Scio
was in the Bohemian hall where
he was introduced by Mayor
Carl Warren, who told Stassen
that there were so few repub
licans in the town, they were
forced to put two democrats on
the reception committee.
"I may need those democratic
votes next November," Stassen
said with a broad grin on his
face.
(Concluded on Fate I, Column )
Rain in Valleys,
Snow in Mountains
Heavy rains in the valleys
and snow in mountain passes
were reported by the state high
way department today. -
Nineteen inches of snow fell
at the Santiam highway Junc
tion last night, and motorists
were warned to use chains.
Snow was still' falling in the
area this morning.
The deparment reported mix
ed snow and rain at Govern
ment Camp and 12 inches of
new snow on the Willamette
highway. Snow plows- were
clearing the latter route.
The Weather
(Released bv United States ,
. Weather Bureau)
Forecast for Salem and Vicin
ity: Mostly cloudy with few
showers tonight and Sunday.
Lowest expected temperature to
night, 43 degrees; highest Sun
day, SS. Maximum yesterday 47.
Minimum today 43. Mean tem
perature yesterday 43, which was
1 below normal. Total 24-hour
precipitation to 11:30 am. today
.M. Total precipitation for the
month 4.40, which la .77 of an
Inch above normal. WiUsmette
river height at Salem Saturday
morning, 13 feet, rising.
ne maae snort tains at otayiou,
He did more than just talk, he
3rd Week-end
Storm Raging
Portland, Ore., Feb. 21 .)
The Pacific, northwest's third
consecutive week-end storm to
day piled snow high in Oregon's
Cascade range and dumped
heavy rains in the western rTart
of the state,
Santiam junction between Sa
lem and Bend reported 19 inches
of new snow, Hood River on the
Columbia river highway report
ed 18 inches and The Dalles, 12
inches.
Winds reached 35 miles an
hour on the coast and 25 miles
an hour inland. They moderat
ed later, but the weather bu
reau warned the storm would
intensify late tonight or early
tomorrow.
. Climbing temperatures turn
ed snow to rain at lower eleva
tions. Falls City reported 2.47
inches in the last 24 hours,
Brookings 2.42 inches, Salem
1.02, Eugene .85 and the Port
land airport weather station. 79
inches. i
The Santiam river at Jeffer
son was. expected to go over
flood stage of 13 feet and the
Willamette at Harrisburg to ap
proach flood level of 12 feet to
morrow with negligible dam
age. The weather bureau said
flood stages are not expected
elsewhere.
Assassination Threat
For Mayor Riley
Portland, Feb. 21 (P) An as
sassination threat' against Mayor
Earl- Riley was reported today
by police who said they believed
it was the work of a crank.
The threat was made in a 4
a.m. telephone call to a news
paper. Police were sent to the
mayor's home.
Riley said he wasn't disturb
ed as "this isn't the first time
I've received a threat."
The mayor has been in the
center of a controversy raging
all week since a City club com
mittee reported that vice and
gambling interests operate in
Portland under police protec
tion. The club membership yes
terday approved the report but
directed its committee to amend
it by naming names. The mayor
told the City club the charges
were unfounded.
Rebuilding of Vanport
School Provided in Bill
Washington, Feb. 21 W)
An appropriation of not more
than $130,000 to rebuild the
high school building in Vanport,
Ore., which was damaged by
fire last month, is provided in
a bill introduced by Rep. Angell
(R-Ore.).
Belgians Get
Sheets Back
Hemroulle, Belgium, Feb. 21
(A) The good people of Hem
roulle got their bedsheets back
today from the Americans.
Col. John Hanlon of Win
chester, Mass., presented each
of the 24 Henroulle villagers
with a pair of crisp new bed
sheets in the name of his fel
low townspeople.
It was a day of joy for this
tiny snow-covered hamlet three
miles north of Bastogne. The
church bells pealed, bugles
sounded and the children waved
Belgian and American flags.
They called it "Winchester
Day." This is the story behind
the celebration: ... .", V,,-,
" ' On Christmas, .eye.lrt.lB44-Col.
Hanl0n,"then a major command
ing the first battalion of the
502nd parachute infantry, drop
ped out of the skies with his
men onto the snow-covered
fields surrounding Hemroulle
It was during the critical
Battle of the Bulge.
Hanlon went to the church
and summoned the villagers by
tolling the bell. He explained
the Americans needed camou
flage to hide them from the
Germans.
The villagers went to their
homes and returned with pre
vious snow-white bed sheets.
Hanlon promised the sheets
would be returned.
Today Hanlon fulfilled his
promise. He returned to the
village and again summoned
the villagers to the church by
tolling the bell.
He presented each of the vil
lagers with a pair of crisp new
bedsheets the gift of the peo
ple of Winchester in apprecia
tion for the generosity of the
villagers of Hemroulle.
In addition more than 600
sheets were presented io the
old people's home in Bastogne.
All of the sheets were marked
with the names of the Winches
ter donors.
Vernon Bull Files
For State Senator
Vernon D. Bull, La Grande,
former state representative, fil
ed today for the office of state
senator from the 21st district
Union and Wallowa counties. He
is a democrat.
Truman Tells Puerto Ricans
He Favors Self Government
San Juan, Puerto Rico, Feb. 21 fl") President Truman told the
people of Puerto Rico today that the appointment of an island
born governor was just a step toward an "increasing measure of
self-government."
He greeted Gov. Jesus T.
Pinero, his own appointee, and
others gathered at San Juan's
Island Grande airport In this
fashion:
"Freedom is a word which is
found in every language. Equal
ity means more than mere po
litical emancipation.
"I have said to the congress
several times and I repeat it
here that the Puerto Rican
people should have the right to
determine for themselves Puer
to Rico's political relationship
to the United States."
The president's speech was
made to a committee headed by
Governor Pinero, gathered to
welcome the fourth United
States presidential visitor since
it became an American posses
sion in 1898.
Washington, Feb. 21 W)
A 30-day extension of rent con
trols was agreed on today by
senate and house republican
leaders. The present controls are
due to expire Feb. 29.
Senator Taft (R-Ohio) told re
porters the senate will be asked
to act late next week on a 30
day extension bill the house is
expected to pass Tuesday.
The extension would allow
both chambers time to decide
whether to continue controls,
for how long and in what form.
The senate now is debating a
bill to continue controls 14
months with some changes from
the present law.
14 Months Extension
Chairman Wolcott (R-NJ) said
his house banking committee
will not consider until later the
proposed 14-m o n t h extension
bill. Taft said this may be ap
proved by the senate Tuesday.
Because of this, Taft said it
will be necessary for the senate
to act on the 30-day extension,
proposed by the house.
Taft said, however, that the
senate will go ahead with the
long-range measure in order to
get it out of the way.
Wolcott said the house group
will hold several days of hear
ings on the long-range measure
before it acts.
Senator Cain (R-Wash) said
earlier that he may join oppon
ents of a proposal to jail and
fine rent control violators. Such
a provision is included in the
14-month extension measure the
senate is considering.
Propose Jail Penalty
Senator Cain headed a bank
ing sub-committee which helped
write the new rent bill. He was
appointed to steer it through
the senate. .
I don't want a law without
any enforcement teeth in it," he
told reporters after listening to
the first day of debate.
"But if we are going to drop
anything, I would be for drop
ping the , criminal provision
first."
Steel Leaders
Must Explain
Washington, Feb. 21
.W-
Top leaders of the steel indus
try will be called before a joint
congressional economic commit
tee next Thursday to explain a
general $5 a ton boost in steel
prices.
Senator Taft (R-Ohio) said
this decision was reached "una
nimously" today at a closed ses
sion of the senate-house econo
mic committee of which he is
chairman.
"We voted to invite two or
three typical steel leaders in
here to explain the recent rise
in steel prices," Taft told re
porters. "It will be a prelimina
ry discussion to decide if we
want to go into this further."
Taft said there had been "some
discussion" of the boost in basic
steel prices before the economic
group today.
He said the witnesses proba
bly will be representatives of
"U.S. Steel, little steel and the
independents."
Taft said the steel price in
quiry will be open to the public.
Earlier Senator Ball (R-Minn)
had suggested that Attorney
General Clark should look into
the steel price boost.
Linoleum Strike Settled
Portland, Feb. 21 IP) The
linoleum layers' strike was set
tled today with an agreement
for a 20-cent-an-hour wage
increase. That brings the jour
neymen scale to $1.95. About
115 AFL layers have been off
the job since Jan. 1.
A full schedule was arranged
for President Truman, from the
moment of his arrival here in
the "Sacred Cow" from Key
West, Fla.
Tonight the presidential yacht
Williamsburg is due to carry
him to St. Thomas, in the Vir
gin islands tomorrow for an of
ficial visit with Gov. William H.
Hastie, former Washington Ne
gro law school dean, another of
his appointees, and other high
ranking officials. He will visit
St. Croix Monday.
It was Mr. Truman's sixth
visit away from the United
States mainland since taking of
fice in April, 1945. He attended
a "Big-Three" conference at
Potsdam that year and visited
Bermuda in 1946. He went to
Mexico City, Ottawa and Rio de
Janeiro last year.
' Prague, Ciechoslovakia, Feb.
21 (IP) President Eduard Benes
refused today, for the time be
ing at least, to accept the resig
nations of anti-communist min
isters in the national coalition
government.
The president left Prague for
his country home at Lany with
out announcing any action in
the government crisis. Benes
appeared to be holding fast
against the communists' de
mands that they be permitted
to replace the eight ministers
who sought to resign. The aim
of the resignation is generally
believed here to have been to
force the communists to agree
to an early election.
Coalition Continues
Before the president left, he
conferred with communist Pre
mier Klement Gottwald, who
has demanded a reshuffling of
both national and local govern
ments. Speaking to thousands
at a public rally, Gottwald in
sisted that Benes should let him
name a cabinet without the
ministers of the three parties
represented in the resignations.
The national coalition gov
ernment still exists technically.
Benes' office said he had taken
no action toward dissolving the
constituent national -assembly
or toward the calling of an elec
tion of a new parliament.
Gottwald spoke in the old
town square.
"We are prepared," and other
slogans came from his hearers.
Prepare for Coup
Communist party officials
said more than 200,000 follow
ers massed in the square. For
hours before the meeting began,
men, women and children came
by trolley and on foot. Big
buses brought miners and fac
tory workers from nearby
towns.
The demonstrators jeered the
mention of the three anti-communist
parties that quit the
government over the issue of
communist control of police.
Gottwald called the eight
ministers that resigned "agents
of foreign reaction. He said
they must not be allowed to re
turn to the cabinet.
The cabinet holds power from
a constituent national assembly
elected in May, 1946, when the
communists polled the biggest
vote. The assembly was set up
to serve until a new constitu
tion could be put into effect.
Soviet Protest
Rejected by U.S.
Washington, Feb. 21 W)
The United States today reject
ed a Russian protest against a
forthcoming American - British
French meeting to organize the
economy of western Germany,
and blamed Russian policies for
making the step necessary.
Undersecretary of State Rob
ert Lovett sent a note to Soviet
Ambassador Alexander Pany
ushkin declaring that "the fail
ure of the Soviet government td
observe the principles of econo
mic unity in Germany "impels
the other three powers" to or
ganize the German economy in
the interests of both German and
European recovery.
The note was worded with un
usual bluntness.
Lovett told Panyushkin flatly
that Russia's protest against the
three power meeting which op
ens in London Monday "can on
ly be construed as an effort to
shift the responsibility incurred
by the Soviet government itself
for the present division of Ger
many." Russia has protested that the
three power talks on Germany
would violate the Potsdam
agreement. Russia interprets that
as requiring all German nation
al problems to be handled joint
ly by all four of the occupying
powers.
Russia has said that it would
regard as unacceptable any deci
sions reached by the London
conference.
Californians Warned
Of Food Shortage
San Francisco, Feb. 21 W)
California, outranked only by
Iowa in total farm income, may
not grow enough to feed itself
by 1960, President Ray B. Wis
er of the State Farm Bureau
federation predicts.
The reason, he told the an
nual hop growers convention
yesterday, is that the popula
tion is growing faster than the
crops.
"Our population is increas
ing so rapidly that !n the 1960s
California will become the
number one state," Wiser said.
"With the shortage of water
that has developed in late years
it Is evident that California can
not remain self-sufficient."