51.250.000
IT
Stern Policy to
Be Followed
At Big 4 Meet
-' '
f Salem Bridge
I Authorized
-o wr-
No. 119 .."..r.rV.'.'Sa Salem, Oregon, Thursday, May 19, 1949 (24 Pages)
61st Year, No. 119
Price
Russ Modify
Restrictions on
Berlin Traffic
Halted Trucks Per
mitted to Pass but Per
mits Needed in Future
I
V
1
Commission to Follow
With $1,080,000
For More Work
Af the first step in placing
the Baldock traffic relief plan
for the Salem area into effect
the state highway commission
allocated $1,250,000 for a sec
ond bridge over the Willamette
river to connect Salem and
West Salem.
The new bridge will enter Sa
lem at Marion street. Right of
way acquisition is estimated to
take $50,000. Completion of the
bridge is expected within a two
year period.
The commission also instruct
ed R. H. Baldock, highway en
gineer, and Attorney J. R. Dev
ers to negotiate with the Salem
city council for a $1,080,000
improvement plan to include
some of the proposals contained
in the Baldock report.
The work contemplated will
probably provide for the recon
ditioning of the present center
street bridge and construction
of one-way roads leading from
the bridge through West Salem
This work was not included
in the 1950-51 road program
but the commission said it was
contemplated for soon afterward.
Three projects on secondary
highways in Marion county
were authorized. These include
the Salem-Silverton road, Pud
ding river - Silverton grading
surfacing and asphaltic con
crete, $290,000; Pudding river
bridge, $60,000; overpass, on Salem-Silverton
road, $75,000.
The Salem bridge was one of
the largest projects authorized
by the commission, the other be
ing the water level road through
the Columbia river gorge esti
mated to cost $2,110,000.
A total of 57 projects through
out every section of the state,
estimated to cost $23,500,000,
were authorized by the commis
sion for the 1950-51 period.
Federal aid projects on sec
ondary routes in the Willamette
valley included: '
- Benton Kings Valley, t
miles resurfacing, $100,000.
Linn Halsey-Sweet Home-Brownsville-east,
5.7 miles as
phaltic concrete. $125,000.
Polk Kings Valley, Little
Luckiamute bridge, $60,000.
Marion Salem - Silverton
Toad, Pudding river - Silverton
grading, surfacing and asphaltic
concrete, $290,000; Pudding riv
er bridge, $60,000; overpass,
$75,000.
Yamhill Three-mile lane
from McMinnville east, bridge,
grade, bituminous macadam,
$320,000.
Reserve for division No. 2
$655,000.
McKay Backs
Army Engineers
- Washington, May 19 W
Governor Douglas McKay of
Oregon said today his state hea
vily favors the army engineers'
recommendation for a $3,000,-
000,000 development of the Co
lumbia river and its tributaries,
He is here to testify tomorrow
before a house public work sub
committee in favor of the pro
gram.
"We want to see adopted an
orderly program for the devel
opment of the Pacific northwest
where our great resource is hydro-electric
power," the gover
nor told a reporter. "We need
more power and flood control in
the Willamette river valley
where floods have caused $50,
000.000 in damages since 1943.
"We need the power and wi
, ter 1 1 o r a g e for irrigation be-
") cause the tremendous increase
! in our population makes it im-
perative that we be able to take
care of the additional people."
McKay will be joined by Gov
ernor Arthur Langlie of Wash
ington state, and Elmo Chase of
Eugene, Ore. in testifying favor
ably for the Columbia basin de
velopment
Boy Drowns in Pool
Newberg. May It in
Twelve-year-old Peter John
Groat drowned in a private
swimming pool yesterday at
nearby Dundee.
The boy was recovered by
companions who had left the
pool momentarily. It is located
at the Dan Harmon home. The
victim was a son of Mr. and
Mrs. Peter Groat, Dundee.
olumbia Flood
Crest Reaches
Portland Area
THE WEATHER
(Released by United States
Weather Bureau)
Forecast for 8alem and Vlctn
ity: Rain tonight and Friday
Little change in temperature.
Lowest temperature expected to
night, 49 degrees; highest Prt
day. M. Conditions will be most
ly unfavorable (or (arm work,
Friday. Maxlmun- yesterday 77.
Minimum today 50. Mran tem
perature yeoterday 91 which was
4 above normal. Total 24-hour
precipitation to 11:30 ajn. to
day. .01 of an Inch. Total pre
cipitation for the month 1st
Inches which Is 2 of an inch
above normal. Willamette river
height at Salem Thursday mora
in. 3 feet.
CIO Ultimatum
Orders Purge of
Left Wingers
(By th Auoclatcd Preu)
The Columbia river's first
spring-flood crest reached the
Portland-Vancouver area today
(Thursday) nearly a foot below
the level forecast last week
end.
Water edged over a dozen
low-lying roads, closed a hand
ful of mills and threatened
homes and industries with a
wetting.
But with all dikes holding,
there was no fear of major dam
age from this crest. Whether a
later crest would follow was cer
tain weather bureau river
forecasters at Portland said the
answer lay in future weather.
Still Rising at Pasco
The Columbia above Pasco
continued to rise and was ex
pected to do so for at least two
more days. Some of the head
water streams were falling, but
more were moving up. However,
this rise was more than offset on
the middle and lower river by
a steady fall in the Snake.
The Kootenai, which had
menaced Bonners Ferry, Ida.,
was down today to 28 feet and
was continuing its drop from a
peak of 30.6 reached Tuesday.
The Okanogan, which had
flooded out over north central
Washington areas, receded
slightly yesterday. The Port
land weather bureau said it had
no report today, but indications
suggested the fall was continu
ing there.
Recession Forecast
Vancouver had a 22.5-foot
reading for the Columbia today.
The level was expected to re
main steady with a slight fall
by morning to 22.4. Earlier a
crest of 23.2 had been forecast.
By Saturday a Vancouver
level of 22 feet is expected and
by Monday recession of one foot
to 21 is forecast.
Despite the imminent start of
the river's drop, sandbagging
operations were going on at a
low-level points as household
ers and industries sought the
added protection.
Jet Bomber
Duel Opposed
Washington, May 19 W)
Two congressmen objected to
day to a high altitude cops-and-
robbers duel between the navy's
Banshee fighter and the air
force's B-26 bomber.
They don't like the idea, they
said, because it could let loose
some information that neither
the navy nor air force would
like to see disclosed.
Reps. Johnson and Hinshaw,
California republicans, sugges
ted dropping the whole idea.
The argument between navy
and air force over the vulner
ability of the giant B-3S was
pushed to the fight-it-out stage
yesterday by the house armed
services committee. It sugges
ted that now would be a good
time to settle the dispute, eight
miles up in the air.
The question is whether the
B-38, operating ordinarily at
40,000 feet and above, could be
intercepted by any fighter plane
now in existence. The air force
says no. The navy says sure,
and we are the ones who can
do it.
This argument started a long
time ago. It reached the boiling
point over a navy proposal to
build a super aircraft carrier
capable of carrying large bomb
ers.
Washington, May 19 W CIO
left wingers have been given five
months to break all ties with the
Russian-dominated World Feder
ation of Trade Unions and quit
defying the CIO leadership.
With that ultimatum the or
ganizations 52-man executive
board prepared today to end a
fiery three-day meeting, which
ran a day over schedule because
the arguments last so long.
If the left-wing unions don t
leave the WFTU? they may be
kicked out of the CIO.
President Philip Murray said
the board would declare Itself
on wages today. Big CIO un
ions already have demanded a
fourth round of postwar wage
raises, without naming a precise
figure.
Denounces Harry Bridges
Murray announced last night
that:
1. He had denounced Harry
Bridges, left-wing president of
the CIO longshoremen, for "mis
representation" and other offens
es, and had told him his conduct
would be brought to the atten
tion of the Cleveland conven
tion.
2. The board by a 38-9 vote
formally withdrew the CIO from
the World Federation of Trade
Unions. The CIO and the AFL
have agreed to take part in
building a new international un
ion movement.
3. Any CIO union or member
of the CIO executive board that
continues an "organizational re
lationship" with the WFTU or
any of its agencies will be act
ing "contrary to CIO policy" and
will "undoubtedly be brought to
the attention of the convention
To Revoke Chater
4. The board recommended
that the Cleveland convention
revoke the charter of the left
wing Farm Equipment Workers
union. This was the first time
in the history of the CIO that
the board had recommended ex
pulsion of a union. CIO Sec
retary-Treasurer James Carey
said the vote was 35-9.
Reason for .the action was the
refusal of the union to merge
with the United Auto Workers,
as ordered by the executive
board.
5. The board unanimously
passed a resolution stating that
the CIO always has supported
the Truman administration's
Thomas-Lesinski labor bill, still
supports it, and will not accept
any amendment for injunctions
in labor disputes. But it also
said the CIO "is not maintaining
an unrealistic attitude of Utop
ian perfectionism" and there is
room for some alteration of any
bill.
6. The board unanimously ap
proved resolutions calling on
congress to pass the Truman
"fair deal" program; "condemn
ing" Bell Telephone companies
for their attitude toward the re
cent entry of the Communica
tions Workers America into the
CIO; and congratulating Frank
lin D. Roosevelt, Jr., on his elec
tion to congress.
Clay Retirement OK'd
Washington, May 19 Wi The
senate today approved placing
Gen. Lucius D. Clay on the ar
my s retirement list wtih the
rank of full general. Clay re
signed this week as military gov
ernor of Germany.
Corvallis School
Budget Approved
Corvallis, May 19 () Cor
vallis school district voters yes
terday approved a 1949-50
school budget of $582,000 which
carried a tax levy of $125,995
outside the six per cent llmlta
tion.
Voting was light. Out of about
8000 eligible only 521 voted.
There were 395 favorable votes
and 116 unfavorable.
The election was one of four
special elections which face the
people of Corvallis between now
and June 7. The others are on a
special bond issue for the city,
expansion of the city limits and
on a special county road tax.
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Acheson Tells of Plans
For East-West Talks
On Germany
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Spectacular Fire Destroys Fairview Hospital No lives were
lost among 25 mental patients safely evacuated from this
burning hospital at Fairview home but the state suffered a
loss estimated at near $300,000 when the building was destroy
ed late Wednesday afternoon. Lower, left: Oblivious to
heavy, blazing cornice shattering down among them these
fireman remained at their station and kept their hoses
playing. Lower, right: Choked from a sudden burst of smoke
a gasping fireman is relieved by another and makes his way
to the entrance for a breath of fresh air.
Hospital Here Gutted,
Patients Barely Saved
Br STEPHEN A. STONE
Fairview hospital attendants, department heads, and the more
capable of the state wards worked in haste, but orderly late
yesterday to save lives when lire destroyed we interior 01 me
building.
All of the 25 patients in the 40-bed hospital, on the grounds
of Fairview home, institution for
mental defectives, were saved.
But it was a tough job," said
Salem Fire Department
To Be 3 Battalion Group
The Salem fire department will become a three-battalion or
ganization after July 1, and the three battalion chiefs will be
Robert Mills, Ellsworth Smith, and Walter Eberhard.
These assignments will result from their ratings in the civil
service examinations given April 19 for the position of battalion
chief. ,
At present the department has
two battalions and the chiefs are
Mills and Eberhard. In the
April 19 examinations Mills
graded highest among six appli
cants. Smith second highest and
Eberhard third. On that basis
if appointments were made now
Smith would replace Eberhard,
according to civil service rules.
Smith is off duty, however.
and will not return until June
20, so Eberhard will continue
until that time, and then resume
the post of chief after July L
when the force is to be increased
Gas Tax Hits
All Fuel Sold
Attorney Gen e r a 1 George
Neuner said today that the in
creased tax on gasoline imposed
by the 1949 legislature will ap
ply to all of the fuel "sold, used,
distributed or withdrawn on
and after Jiny J"
In an opinion wrrtxPR tor Sec
retary of State Earl T. Newbry,
Neuner said the increase in the
tax on diesel oils, also imposed
at the recent legislative session,
will not become effective until
July 16.
Neuner said the diesel oil tax
is an excise tax paid by the user
and as such cannot be made re
troactive. The law goes into ef
fect July 16.
The gasoline tax is a tax on
the dealer, Neuner said, and Is
not required to be paid until the
15th of the following month.
Neuner cited a U.S. supreme
court opinion in a similar case
that such a tax can take effect
retroactively. The law Imposing
the new gas tax of one cent a
gallon above the current five
cent tax provides that it become
effective after July 1 of this
year.
Said' Neuner: "Based on the
decision referred to, it is the
opinion of this office that the
increased motor vehicle fuel
tax . . . should be measured by
motor vehicle fuel sold, used,
distributed or withdrawn on and
after July 2, 1949."
by the addition of 19 men.
In the examinations Mills1
graded 98 in the examination
had an allowance of 6.2 for time
of service, making total of
104 2.
Smith graded 98 4. had 4.8
for time, and a total of 103.2.
Also qualifying as eligible for
chief were Glenn Shedeck with
a total of 97.1 and William Hunt
with total of 89.S.
Mills and Eberhard were made
battalion chiefs when the de
partment was reorganized in
1947.
Only 10 Percent of
Czechs Commies
New York, May IS Miss
Vlasta Adele Vraz, American
relief worker, who was jailed in
Prague last month on espionage
charges, say "not more than
ten percent of the people in
Czechoslovakia are commun
ists."
"About 90 percent are be
coming more and more opposed
to the government and more and
more unhappy," she said on her
arrival here yesterday aboard
(the liner Queen Mary.
Dr. I. B. Hill, superintendent,
we were barely in time.
Among the patients were tu-
berculars, surgical cases, and
persons with limbs or bodies in
casts. Those who were able were
carried to the escape chutes, and
slipped down the inclines to
waiting helpers on the ground
The more serious cases were car
ried to the first floor of the
three-story building and re
moved by doors or windows.
They were carried to other
buildings.
Dr. Hill praised the rescue
work of his staff and the pa
tients, and the quick applies
tion of the institution fire equip
ment as well as the city fire
department. It would be hard
to name any certain person who
did especially effective work
but often mentioned was Mrs
Marian Welty, nurse In charge
at the time, who carried out
several patients and directed
much of the rescue work.
M. Evenson, attendant, and
his wife said they first saw
smoke pour from the building
about 5:10 p.m., and called the
fire department. Evenson said
he ran Into the building and
saw three patients in the corri
dor.
"I grabbed one with each
arm," he said, "and booted the
third before me with my foot."
Casualties were not serious
One 15-year-old girl inmate al
most lost her life when, after
being rescued, she returned to
the building and slipped inside
to return to her bed. She was
taken to a city hospital by first
aid. Ted Cupp, a fireman, was
overcome by smoke and taken to
a hospital. Gilbert Noffsinger,
another fireman, was slightly
Injured In a 12-foot leap from
a ladder to the ground to escape
a falling and flaming timber.
Damage financially Is esti
mated as high as $300,000. but
Col. William Ryan, state direc
tor of Institutions, said he be
lieved salvage would be more
than first estimated.
The hospital, one of 14 build
ings on the grounds, was built
in 1933 at a cost of $65,116. To
duplicate it at present costs
would run, It Is estimated, about
$200,000, counting equipment
(Concluded m Page (, Column I)
$700,000 School
Election Friday
Voters who cast their ballots
during Friday afternoon' special
school election will be required
to visit the polling place which
will be located in their respec
tive districts. The election has
been called to pass upon a bud
get that is approximately $700,
000 above the six percent limi
tation, and to determine wheth
er the Salem Heights and Pleas
ant Point districts will be incor
porated within the Salem dis
trict The latter is located south
east of the city.
The four polling places that
will be open from 2 to 8 p.m.
(daylight time) and the terri
tory which they will serve:
C & K Lumber company of
fice, 650 North Lancaster ave
nue, all territory east of the city
limits and including Middle
Grove, Auburn and Rickey.
Leslie junior high school: All
territory south of Mission street
between the east and west city
limits, including Liberty and
Pringle.
S c h o 6 1 Office building, 460
North High street; all territory
north of Mission street.
west Salem school building:
All of district west of the Wil
lamette river.
Washington, May 19 UP) Sec
retary of State Acheson goes
before the senate foreign .ela-
tions committee today (2:30 p.m
EST) to review the stern policy
he expects to follow at Paris
in negotiating with Russia on
the future of Germany.
He will leave tomorrow for
the big four foreign ministers
conference,
Acheson also scheduled i
brief session with a subcommit
tee of the senate appropriations
committee where members pre
dicted he would be qustioned
about American relations with
Franco Spain and with China.
His discussion of the renewal
of east-west talks on Germany,
opening at Paris next Monday
was expected to follow the line
he laid down at a news confer
ence last week.
Depends upon Russia
He declared flatly then that
the possibility of reaching
agreement on Germany depends
on the willingness of Soviet
Minister Vishinsky to go along
with the American - British
French program for creation of
a democratic western German
government.
Whether the Russians will be
in any sense willing to make
concessions in their German
policy is a question on which
American officials shy at predictions.
Considerable specula tion
about Russia's moves in the con
ference has been stirred up
here, however, by two events of
the past few days.
The first of these was the
strong opposition to Soviet poli
cies in the Russan controlled
eastern zone of Germany, which
was revealed by the elections
there last week-end.
Election Changes Policy
Diplomatic officials here be
lieve that the Soviet government
had expected this election to
give resounding approval to
their proposals for the future
of Germany. The fact that they
did not get such an approval,
some experts say, may make lin Tuesday from west Germany
them less willing now to reach after crossing the intervening
agreements with the western mlles 01 o v ' e 1 territory.
xesieraay omy iv trucKS arriv
ed. Only six were known to
Nash Kelvinator
Slashes Prices $10
Detroit. May 19 (UP) Nash
Kelvinator followed the lead of
other refrigerator makers today
by cutting praces $10 on all but
two of Its eight 1949 models,
The reduction was made pos
sible by "stabilized" manufac
turing costs, C. T. Lawson. Kel
vinator sales manager, said.
Berlin, May 19 W) MaJ. Gen.
George P. Hays, deputy U.S.
military governor, announced
today the Russians are modify
ing their new restrictions on
truck traffic from west Germa
ny to Berlin.
He said the Soviet military
administration informed him
freight-laden trucks from west
Germany now halted by the
Russians at Helmstedt on the inter-zonal
frontier will be allow
ed to proceed to Berlin without
written permits from the Soviet
zone economic commission.
But, he added, the Russians
will demand that any other
trucks crossing the frontier bear
such permits.
Violation Claimed
Gen. Hays said the western
allies would try to get the Rus
sians to drop that demand in
further negotiations. He called
it "a new restriction and there
fore a violation of the four-power
agreement in New York for
lifting all blockades."
"If we can't settle this differ
ence, then I will send a protest
to the Russian military gover
nor. Gen. Vassily Chuikov,
Hays said.
"But I don t take a pessimis
tic view. I think the Russians
issued the restriction to im
prove their bargaining position
in the talks we have been hav
ing with them about an interim
agreement between eastern and
western Germany."
Not in Bad Faith
Hays expressed the opinion
that "the Russians did not act
in bad faith."
Western German officials
contended the new restrictions
were clamped down because the
Soviet zone mark lost value af
ter the lifting of the Russian
blockade. When the blockade
ended one western mark, offi
cially valued at 30 cents, would
buy 3.20 Soviet zone marks. One
west mark now will buy 4.50 of
them.
Only 250 trucks reached Ber-
powers
The second development
which .caused speculation about
the future of the Paris meeting
was yesterday's imposition of
restrictions on truck traffic
from the western zone to Berlin.
Chinese Planes
Half Crossing
Shanghai, May 19 (UP) Na
tionalist warplanes have smash
ed a communist attempt to cross
the Whangpoo river and attack
Lunghwa airport on the south
ern city limits of Shanghai prop
er, an air force announcement
said today.
The announcement said the at
tack, one of the first communist
thrusts against Shanghai proper.
was turned back by a heavy
bombing raid against a flotilla
of communist boats in the quarter-mile-wide
river.
Lunghwa airfield, one of the
last two remaining outlets to the
world for beleaguered Shanghai
has been heavily reinforced
since the communists wheeled
south around the city and cap
tured Choupu, eight miles south
east of the airport.
Despite the communist threat,
Lunghwa airport continued op
erating. More than a half dozen
planes were scheduled to leave
today for the south and an equal
number were expected to arrive,
mostly empty.
However, Northwest Airlines,
which had planned to bring in
an emergency flight Friday noon
from Manila for a return trip to
the United States by way of To
kyo said that the plan had been
cancelled.
4 Gl Students Disappear
From OCE at Monmouth
Police authorities of the Willamette valley are attempting to
solve the disappearance of four young married men, all students
at the Oregon College of Education at Monmouth, who have not
been seen or heard from since they left home about 6 o'clock
Wednesday evening with the announced intention of attending a
baseball game here.
Missing are Wayne A. Hub
bard, 25, freshman from Pow
ers who was driving his 1946
sedan; Bert McConnell, 26. a
freshman from Marcola; Sam
Ramey, 26, of Ashland and Bob
MrKeever, 29, Junior from Long
Beach, Calif.
McConnell's wife is an ex
pectant mother while Ramey's
wife is teaching school at Dal
las. All four men have an excel
lent reputation on the campus
are are not inclined to "parties,
authorities at Monmouth state
They were expected home after
the ball game, some time be
tween 10 o clock and midnight
and police wera notified when
they failed to show up this morn
ing.
Ramey, McConnell and Mc-
Keever are all active In OCE
athletics with Ramey playing
football at the University of
Oregon in 1946 before trans
ferring. Hubbard has also taken
part in some sports.
All four men are war veterans.
Police have been handicapped
in search for the missing auto
mobile because the license num
ber was not immediately avail
able at the office of secretary
of state.
There have not been any re
ports of automobile accidents In
the district and they have not
been received at any hospital.
have come in this morning up
to 10 a.m. The drivers of these
said they traveled over country
roads in the Soviet zone.
No Russ Locomotives
Meanwhile freight destined
for rail movement from west
Berlin to western Germany pil
ed up in railroad yards, with no
Soviet-operated locomotives on
hand so it could move. The Rus
sians insist that their locomo
tives draw trains between west
Berlin and western Germany.
Despite the new restrictions
west Berlin Jubilantly saw fresh
fish and potatoes come off the
ration list today.
Eisler Hearing
Shelved by UN
New York, May 19 W Unit
ed Nations delegates ended the
general assembly's spring ses
sion last night by rejecting a sur
prise Polish move to debate the
case of Gerhart Eisler, commun
ist fugitive.
Poland unsuccessfully rais
ed the Eisler controversy at the
end of the six-week spring ses
sion marked by two positive
achievements admission of Is
rael as the 59th U. N. member
and approval of the first world
treaty to safeguard unhamper
ed international transmission of
news.
Sharp disagreements blocked
action on disposal of Italy's pre
war colonics and on a Latin Am
erican move to lift the U. N. ban
on top level diplomatic repre
sentation In Spain. The colonies
question was put over until the
assembly's fall session here.
Polish Delegate Juliusz Katy
Suchy delayed the scheduled
adjournment of the third gen
eral assembly when he suddenly
brought up the case of Eisler,
now held In England after Jump
ing bail in the United States
and stowing away aboard the
Polish liner Bitory.
Katz-Suchy said his govern
ment wanted the Easier case dis
cussed by the U. N. Immediately.
The Pole argued bitterly when
assembly President Herbert V.
Evatt of Australia ruled Poland
had not given sufficient notice
before presenting the Eisler case
and that adjournment plans
would not be changed.
American Father for 1949
Lock Haven, Pa., May 19
A 78-year-old farmer who splits
logs to "blow off steam" today
becomes the "American father
of 1949." William Casper Peter
of nearby Beech Creek, who has
18 children and 80 grandchil
dren, was selected for that hon
or by the national Father's day
committee.