THE WEATHER HERE
FOGGY TONIGHT and Satur
day morning, becoming fair In
afternoon. Slightly cooler tem
peratures. Lowest tonight, 45;
highest Saturday, 78.
Maximum yrttr4y, U; mIrImnh t
tf. . Total -har artf-lpltalUa: : far
nlht; 1.11 1 iirnil, 1,M. Dmb arl.
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Jownal
HOME
EDITION
61st Year, No. 227
entered fcJ itcond 1uf
nttur l tftltm. Oraiou
Salem, Oregon, Friday, September 23, 1949 9
(16 Pages)
Price 5c
Capital ji
2 of 3 Escapees
At State Prison
Still at Large
Crawled Through Dry
! Flume Under Wall
; One Captured
By CHRIS KOWITZ, Jr.
A man regarded m one of the
aiMt Tkions hi criminals ever
to bt In the Oregon state prison
was free today after escaping
wHh two other convicts by
crawling through a dry flume
nder the south prison wall late
Thursday afternoon.
William John Perkins, 24, of
Silverton, the sex fiend involved
toi the escape, had served only
five and a half months of
forty year sentence for a long
list of torture, rape and sodomy.
Authorities rate him "exceed
Higiy vicious" toward women
and fear that he will begin at
tacking girls again.
Perkins and Leo Gilbert Wil
liams, 22, are the subject of an
intense manhunt which contin
ued without letup all night.
Williams was serving a three
year term for burglary and is
not regarded as dangerous. He
can be identified by a hare lip.
Railsback Captured
The other member of the es
cape trio, Earl Richard Rails
back, was captured by a farmer
in the Four Corners district
about an hour after the escape.
Perkins and Williams were seen
with Railsback at that time, but
the two convicts managed to
elude police by dodging through
a bean yard.
No definite trace of the con
victs has been uncovered since
then.
The escape came less than six
hours after William Benson, a
recaptured escapee, was placed
back behind penitentiary bars.
Perkins, Williams and Rails
back were members of a detail
working on the excacation of the
flume. The three were working
overtime Thursday afternoon,
and had access to several tool
lockers.
Story of Escape
They broke open one of the
lockers, and took a crowbar,
hammer, saw brace and bit,
wrenches and a length of sturdy
wire. These toools were employ
ed to remove a large plank cov
ering the bars which run through
the flume, and to spread the bars
to allow the convicts to squeeze
through them and to the outside
world.
The spot where the convicts
did this work and make their es
cape is situated between two
guard towers, and in sight of
either of them. Both towers were
manned by prison guards at the
time of the escape.
(Concluded on Page 5, Column B)
Scientist Sees
3End of War
Bonn, Germany, Sept. 23 (IP)
Prof. Otto H?.tn, regarded as a
discoverer of nuclear fission, de
clared today "the news that So
viet Russia has the atomic bomb
is good news."
"If both the United States and
Russia have it there will be no
war," Hahn said in an interview
upon being informed of Presi
dent Truman's statement that
there had been an atomic explo
sion in Russia. "It will he the
same as i t was with poison
gas."
Hahn, who won the Nobel
prize in 1944, and Prof. Lise
Mcitner, a German refugee who
helped develop the atomic bomb
in the United States, were Joint
ly awarded the Max Planck
medal for scientific achievement
today. Hahn is a professor of
Goettingen university.
"The news that the Russians
have the bomb astonished me,"
said Hahn. "I never have be
' lieved it. According to my cal
culations, they could not have
It before another two years."
But, he added: "President Tru
man knows more about this than
1 do."
Prof. Mcitner said she also
was astonished by the news.
Lowell Thomas Hurt
In Himalayas Pass
New York, Sept. 23 UP) Low
ell Thomas, 57, author, news
caster and traveler, was seri
ously injured when thrown
from a horse in a steep moun
tain pass in the Himalayas, his
office said today.
The extent of his injuries
could not be immediately learn
ed but his office said the army
airforce had been asked to res
cue him from the tiny mountain
village of GyantM.
Senator Morse
Denounces CVA
Strait-Jacket
Charges Administra
tion with "Political
Blackmail"
Washington, Sept. 23 U.
Sen. Wayne Morse, R Ore.),
today denounced the proposed
Columbia valley administration
as an "administrative straight
Jacket."
In a strongly-worded state-
ment opposing the CVA, Morse
further charged that the admin
istration was trying "political
blackmail" to insure enactment
of its northwest river authority
program.
"I don't like the idea of the
administration saying to us that
the building of these projects is
to be postponed until the admin
istration plan for administering
and controlling the projects is
adopted," Morse said.
Political Blackmail
"That looks to me like a form
of political blackmail and the
people in my section of the coun
tryonce they understand it-
are not going to like it either."
He made his statement to re
porters from a wheel chair yes
terday. He left Bethesda Naval
hospital, where he has been re
cuperating from a fall, to vote
on the arms aid bill.
Morse said he believes republi
cans espousing "constitutional
liberalism" will find generous
public backing. Such a program
he said must include the check.
ing of power concentration in the
executive branch of government.
The tendency toward such con
centration, he said, is well il
lustrated by the CVA proposal.
Check Power Grab
(The Associated Press report
ed Morse as adding: He said he
favored a program which would
check "the serious political tend
ency In this country to place
more and more power in the
hands of fewer and fewer men
in the executive branch of the
government."
(Concluded on Pare S, Column 7)
Deadlock in
Coal Dispute
White Sulphur Springs. W.
Va., Sept. 23 WP) With John
L. Lewis' miners on a "no day
work week," a long coal strike
seemed possible today.
That term was coined by Lew
is himself in describing the walk
out which has kept the nation's
480,000 miners off the job since
Monday. He indicated the no-day
week will stay in force until a
new contract is reached.
The United Mine Workers'
chief bluntly rejected a two-year
extension of the old contract yes
terday. He declared the current
dispute in the steel industry was
blocking a wage settlement for
miners.
Lewis and operators of the
north and west, who have been
meeting at this resort at inter
vals through the summer, re
cessed their talks until Septem
ber 29.
Both sides reported stonewall
opposition, and Lewis reverted
to his old policy of "no contract,
no work," at least for the course
of the bargaining talks.
Union Hill Grange Wins
In North Marion Fair
Woodbilrn. Ore., Sept. 23 Judging of all divisions of the an
nual North Marion County fair
exception of livestock as the exposition got into high gear fol
lowing an opening that attracted around 2500 and addressed by
Governor Douglas McKay.
Booth competition was keen
with the Union Hill Grange tak
ing first place in its division fol
lowed by Silverton Hills, Fair
field and Woodburn. In the
Farmers Union section the
Woodburn local was first with
others in order Central Howell,
Liberty and Brooks locals.
First place In the senior di
vision of the amateur hour last
night went to Nina and Phyllis
Specht, both of Silverton, with
baton twirling. Junior division
winners were Stanley Forrest,
first; Bobbie Christenson second
and Darlenc Christenson, third.
All are from Stayton.
Semi-finals in the FFA trac
tor driving contest were held
late Friday afternoon at the Lin
coln school playgrounds. Finals
are scheduled for 10 o clock Sat
urday morning.
Among the opening day visit
ors were members of the county
fair board, county and state offi
ciali-
: ,$tyj&&d)sdftim
- X--;.
Overseas Arms
Plan Passes
Washington, Sept. 23 (IP) The
administration chalked up an
important victory in foreign pol
icy today on the strength of the
senate's 55 to 24 approval of an
overseas arms program.
The senate reached Its deci
sion late yesterday to rearm the
friendly nations after beating
down two moves to make a
$200,000,000 cut in the $1,314,
010.000 arms bill.
The measure came through
the senate with only two minor
changes. This was in part a
personal triumph for Senator
Connally (D., Tex.), and Senator
Vandenberg (R., Mich.), the two
party leaders in foreign affairs
who led the fight for the aid
program.
Nineteen republicans joined
36 democrats in voting for pas
sage. Ten democrats and 14 re
publicans voted against it.
Connally told reporters: "As
chairman of the senate foreign
relations committee, I am high
ly gratified at passage of the pro
gram and delighted over the de
feat of the crippling and en
feebling amendments."
In the debate, Senator Taft
(R., Ohio), contended that the
program contemplates arming
every nation in the world that
might be opposed to Russia.
This, he said, "Is likely to In
cite Russia to war."
But Vandenberg argued that
the goal is "stopping aggression
before it reaches us." Had the
foreign aid program to date been
less successful than it has been,
he said, "we probably would be
voting billions" to fight a de
fensive war.
was completed Friday with the
Featured tonight at 7 o'clock
will be the corn-on-the-cob eat
ing contest followed by a pro
gram presented by the Paul
Armstrong school of the dance
at the North Marion County Fair
building.
Boys and girls under 13 will
seek three five-inch grain need
lea hidden in a ton of hay for
cash prizes of $10 and $3. The
youngsters will try their luck
Friday afternoon at 4 o'clock
Both adults and youngsters
will compete in the bingle pie
eating contest at 7:30 o'clock
Saturday evening. The after
noon will feature a children's
parade and the Silverton Saddle
club's drill and horse show.
Open house will be held Sat
urday night by Woodburn Post
No. 49 American Legion in the
new $65,000 club house with
free coffee and doughnuts to be
served. A public dance
conclude activities.
will
,r - JEJaajista!
J f I
Recuperating Senator Wayne Morse (R., Ore.), waves
from stretcher as he arrives at his office on Capitol Hill in
Washington in order to cast his vote on the arms aid bill.
The senator is confined to the Naval hospital at Bethesda, Md.,
where he is recuperating from injuries suffered when he fell
from a buggy while driving his prize-winning stallion at the
Oregon State Fair recently. (Acme Telephoto)
Seek State Land for
County Health Unit Site
At a conference Friday between County Judge Grant Murphy
and William Gahlsdorf, business
hospital, it was decided to open negotiations with the state to se
cure a piece of state land on D street for the proposed new county
health unit site.
Tension Eased
In Steel Strike
Pittsburgh, Sept. 23 W
Agreement of big steel and the
CIO United Steelworkers to re
new contract talks today light
ened at least momentarily strike
clouds hovering over the indus
try since July.
Union Chieftain Philip Mur
ray and Vice President John A.
Stephens of U.S. Steel corpora
tion arranged a hotel conference
at 11:30 a.m. (PDT) to resume
negotiations under a third presi
dential strike truce.
Murray had proposed a fore
noon session but shortly before
that hour came announcement
both sides had agreed on the af
ternoon date. Conferences with
other steel companies are being
arranged by the union.
Meantime, about 2400 union
members at two Pittsburgh dis
trict steel mills continued un
authorized walkouts which un
ion and company officials blam
ed on the tension and uncertain
ty of the steel situation. Closed
are the Universal-Cyclops Steel
company plant in Bridgevillo,
and the Superior Steel company
plant in suburban Carnegie.
Contract negotiators have one
week in which to thrash out
pension and insurance difficul
ties that three times have
brought the nation to the brink
of a paralyzing steel strike.
Talks with the United States
Steel are expected to set the pat
tern of the conferences with oth
er steel producers. Bib steel and
the union usually determine the
course taken by the entire in
dustry. Say Woman Placed
Bomb on Plane
Montreal, Sept. 23 4 Defi-
nite proof that a woman placed
explosives aboard a Canadian
Pacific airliner which crashed
September 9 is In the hands of
the Royal Canadian mounted po
lice, they announced today. The
-crash killed 23 persons.
Inspector Rene Belec of the
R.C.M.P. detachment in Quebec
City said:
"We have definite "proof that
explosives were placed aboard
the plane to gpt rid of a woman
and we believe wc can prove
Iwho did M."
manager of the Salem General
The court recently directed a
letter to the hospital board ask
ing what would be required to
secure for the county some land
from the hospital s present hold
ings on D street for use as such
site. Gahlsdorf told the county
court Friday the hospital board
had considered the matter and
has come up with the new pro
posal. The state land connected with
the Oregon State hospital abuts
the Salem hospital land on D
street at the east and makes a
jog back into the hospital hold
ings a little over 85 feet wide
and about 645 feet deep. The
proposal now is to seek from
the state a transfer of this block
of land which would give the
hospital 85 feet more frontage
on D street and square up its
holdings.
If this can be secured the
proposal would be to furnish the
county with this 85 feet front
age on D street to such depth
as it might be deemed would be
required for health unit pur
poses and place the potential
health unit on this site.
Further plans of the hospital
would be to open a new street
from D street to Center street
through its properties along its
present east line. This would
place the health unit on the east
corner of the new street inter
section with D street and furn
ish access both from D and Cen
ter streets. Directly to the west
of this new street, it is proposed
the hospital would provide a
huge parking area with an oiled
surface. Also back of the health
unit on the rest of the land ac
quired from the state, not used
for the health unit, a parking
area would be established.
(Concluded on Pare B, Column 4
4000 Dachau Victims
In New Mass Grave
Dachau, Germany, Sept. 23
'IP) A new unmarked mass
grave Jammed with the ikele
tons of about 4.000 victims of
the notorious Dachau concentra
tion camp have been discovered
here, it was announced today.
The burial pit was found by a
mixed American-German com
mission Investigating the dese
cration of another burial ground
by a buildng contractor.
Dr. Phillip Aucrbach, Bavar
ian government member of the
commission, said the grave was
being sealed off by police and
an investigation would be con
ducted to determine why the
grave was not marked.
Truman States Hussia
Possesses A torn Bomb
Mystery Veils
Pick-up of Atom
Blast in Russia
Washington, Srpt. 23 (IP) The
evidence of an atomic explosion
in Russia probably was picked
up by radiation-detection instru
ments or Just possibly by
earthquake recording devices.
While neither President Tru
man nor the atomic energy com
mission offers an explanation of
how the U.S. got wind of the ex
plosion reported by the White
House, these are known facts:
1. Atomic scientists have in
struments, such as Geiger count
ers, for spotting rays coming
from the ground or in the atmo
sphere. May Be Seismographs
But how far radiation from an
atomic explosion can be detect
ed has never been made public.
There never have been any of
ficial reports as to whether rays
from the Japanese bomb bursts
or the Bikini tests ever were
picked up in this or other coun
tries.
2. Earthquake-recording in
struments called "seismographs"
are able to record disturbances
in the earth's crust. But this
must be remembered: An atomic
bomb explosion doesn't begin to
compare with the energy of an
earthquake.
Thus, if seismographs actually
did record evidence of an explo
sion in Russia, they necessarily
would have had to be quite close
to the scene.
Radiation Spotting
Detection by radiation-spot
ting instruments is by far the
most likely possibility.
Conceivably although there
is no official word to back this
airplanes bearing such devi
ces might have been operating
close to Russian territory. If so,
airborne particles of radioactive
dust might have come within the
range of these instruments,
Mr. Truman used the term
atomic "explosion" which rais
es these questions:
1. Was the explosion that of
an A-bomb or
2. Was it an accidental explo
sion of an atomic device with
which the Russians might have
been experimenting.
The known facts of atomic
energy indicate that it would be
possible for an atomic furnace,
"pile," to explode if proper pre
cautions were not taken to keep
the chain reaction within the
pile under control.
Truman to Fly
Washington, Sept. 23 IIP)
President Truman will fly to
Fort Bragg, N.C., Oct. 4 to re
view troops and witness para
chute maneuvers of the 82nd
airborne division.
Overpass Demanded on
New Silverton Road
Objections raised in connection with the proposed overpass of
the new Silverton highway over the Southern Pacific railroad
branch that only one train a day goes over the road will have
no effect on the federal bureau
highway department right of
Friday.
He said he had made inquiries
of state highway engineers in
this regard and they said the
federal bureau took a long range
view as to railroad overpasses.
He said they have the exper
ience that railroad branch which
may handle one train a day at
the time the road is built might
be handling 10 or 20 a little lat
er, due to some local industry or
population development. Con
sequently they do not consid
er the $75,000 allocated for the
expenditure a waste in view of
the potentialities.
County Judge Grant Murpny
also cited that accidents are of
ten more likely to happen on a
one train a day road than on a
railroad where the public knows
the trains operate frequently
and take precautions according
ly. The Judge cited that a num
ber of fatal accidents have hap
pened at West Stayton and
Aumsville crossings of this iden
tical branch line which indi
cates that because there is only
one train a day Is no assurance
of complete safety at grade
crossing.
The question of the "one train
a day" objection to spending
,$75,000 on an overpast has been
President Asserts Evidence Proves
Atomic Explosion Occured in USSR
Showing Russia Has Bomb Secrets
Washington, Sept. 23 ( President Truman announced today
"we have evidence that within recent weeks an atomic explosion
occurred in the USSR (Russia)."
The White House said the president gave the information to
the cabinet (his morning.
In a statement sent to reporters, Mr. Truman said the develop
ment emphasizes the necessity "for that truly effective enforce
able International control of atomic energy which the government
and the large majority of the
support." '
His statement made it clear that top American officials regard
the development as meaning the
the atomic bomb.
Mr. Truman said the probability that some other nation might
develop an atomic bomb "has always been taken into account
Britain Reveals
Bomb Evidence
London, Sept. 23 UR) The
British government announced
tonight, in a statement parallel
ing President Truman s, that it
had evidence that an atomic ex
plosion occurred in Russia with
in recent weeks.
A statement from No. 10
Downing street, the residence of
the prime minister, said-
'His majesty'i government
has evidence that within recent
weeks an atomic explosion has
occurred in the USSR.
"Ever since atomic energy was
first released by man, the event
ual development of this new
force by other nations has been
expected.
"This probably' has always
been taken into account by us.
"In the three-nation declara
tion of the president of the USA
and the prime ministers of the
United Kingdom and Canada
dated November 15, 1945. it was
emphasized that no single na
tion could. In fact, have a mon
opoly of atomic weapons.
'This recent development em
phasizes once again, if indeed
such emphasis were needed, the
necessity for that truly effective
enforceable international con
trol of atomic energy which his
majesty's government and the
large majority of the members
of the United Nations support.'
Teamsters Win Pay Hike
Portland. Sent. 23 (IP) The
threat of an AFL teamster strike
ended here yesterday with the
union winning a D-ceni-nouriy
wage increase. By a 2-1 mar
gin, the teamsters voted to ac
cept the contract with whole
sale erocers and rjroduce firms.
which mnkpi the increase retro
active to August 1. It also calls
for another 2 '.4 -cent hourly jn
crease next February 1.
of roads, Cecil Gardner, stale
way agent told the county court
raised in letters to members of
congress sent by a proprriy
owner on the newly proposed
Silverton road alignment and
these in turn, it Is understood,
have been referred back to the
bureau of roads.
Gardner Friday also marie a
report to the court that the num
ber of probable condemnation
suits necessary to acquire right
of way for the new road has
been whittled down to three
from the six that existed ear
lier In the week.
He recommended that the
court appoint a board of three
viewers at once to assess the
probable damages on these prop
erties for use in connection with
the condemnation proceedings.
Gardner said that the apprais
als found by the board of view
ers will be entirely independent
from what values he may have
placed on the lands in carrying
on his negotiations. In fact, he
said the viewers should have no
knowledge of what had been of
fered by him as agent tor the
county and that their appraisal
should be entirely with tree and
open minds based strictly on
what they considered proper valuations.
members of the United Nations
Russians have learned to make
by us.'
"I believe the American peo
ple, to the fullest extent consist
ent with a national security, are
entitled to be informed of all
developments in the field of
atomic energy. That is my rea
son for making public the fol
lowing information.
President's Statement
'We have evidence that with
recent weeks an atomic ex
plosion occurred in the USSR.
"Ever since atomic energy was
first released by man, the event
ual development of this new
force by other nations was to be
expected. This probability has
always been taken into account
by us.
'Nearly four years ago I
pointed out that 'scientific opin
ion appears to be practically un
animous that the essential the
oretical knowledge upon which
the discovery is based is already
widely known.
" 'There is also substantial
agreement that foreign research
can come abreast of our present
theoretical knowledge in time'
and, in the three-nation declara
tion of the president of the Unit
ed States and the prime ministers
of the United Kingdom and of
Canada, dated November 15,
1845, it was emphasized that
(Concluded on Pan 5. Column I)
To Speed-up
Air Defense
Washington, Sept. 23 VP)
President Truman's disclosure
that Russia may have an atom
bomb appears likely to speed up
air defense planning without
changing its direction.
This country's military lead
ers have long based their think
ing on the possibility of Russia
having the atom bomb. They
gave 1952 as the date the bomb
probably would be ready for
military use by a foreign power.
Today's announcement i n d i-
cates Russia may be well ahead
of the estimated schedule.
Among defense officials, espe
cially air specialists, this news
was considered likely to hasten
the development of these phases
of atomic air warfare planning:
1. The Urn led States must
push its interceptor fighter pro
gram. 2. It must push the program
for a radar detection screen. This
program is barely under way in
connection wilii the biliion-dol-Inr
15-year plan for an electric
airways and air traffic control
system, now scheduled for com
pletion in 19(S3.
3. It must push development
of ground-to-air interceptor mis
siles to be used in defense
against enemy bombers and mis
siles. 4. Intelligence efforts to de
termine possible enemy progress
nn aircraft and missiles able to
deliver an atom bomb, and on
development of launching bases,
must be stepped up.
5. It may be necessary to
tighten control of international
aircraft crossing the nation's
border.
Only Atom Bomb
Could Cause Blast
Chicago, Sept. 23 M The
editor of the Bulletin of the Ato
mic Scientists said today that if
'there was an atomic explosion
I in the USSR "that explosion was
icaused by an atomic bomb."
Eugene Rabinowitch, Bulletin
editor, said no atomic explosion
can be made on a small scale.
Any explosion would have to be
; of a magnitude of the atomic
bomb the U.S. used on Japan,
I he added.
1