THE WEATHER HERE
MOSTLY CLOUDY with rain to
night; s h o w e r s , Wednesday.
Slightly warmer. Lowest tem
perature tonight, 38; highest
Wednesday, 50.
M&iitnum yeiterday, 45; minimum to
day, 40. Total 24 -hour precipitation: .01 J
for month: 1.88; normal, 2.64. Season pre
cipltatlon, 10.93; norma!, 13.40. River
height, .8 of a fool. (Report by U.S. We a
ther Bureau.)
al
HOME
EDITION
1
6 1st Year, No. 296 SSffftiZftSS Salem, Oregon, Tuesday, December 13, 1949
(22 Pages)
Price 5c
chtnvfiil'Ch tl ill , ILnvn
Control Board
Lets Contracts
For Auto Tires
Low Bidders Vin Des
pite State Agents Pro
test on Poor Quality
By JAMES D. OLSON
Truman Centers
On Civil Rights
Battle for 1950
After a two-hour argument
over bids for furnishing the
state with tires and tubes in
1950, the state board of control
overruled the purchasing depart-
in e n t ' s recommendations and
awarded the contract to two low
bidders for the major portion of
the business.
Mike DeCicco & Sons were
low bidders with Peck Brothers
of Portland second low. Both of
these concerns, had the contract
for furnishing tires to the state
during the past year.
Remington Protests
H. W. Remington, assistant
state purchasing agent, told the
board that the state had poor
experience with tires furnished
by the low bidder during the
year past and had recommend
ed the business be given the ma
jor tire companies.
Further he told the board that
the DeCicco firm had failed to
list tire outlets throughout the
state, as required by the specifi
cations and had also failed to in
clude an offer for 2 percent for
cash payment in the bid, al
though the bidder offered to
grant this discount.
State Treasurer Pearson con
tended that DeCicco's bid was
low without the discount and
therefore he favored giving the
major portion of the business .to
the low bidder.
"What is the use of calling for
bids," he said, "if we can't give
the business to the low bidder?"
Service and Quality
Remington said that the pur
chasing department's recommen
dation of giving the business to
the major companies and reject
ing the other bids was made on
the basis of service and quality
of product.
DeCicco's bid on 600-16 four
ply tires, the size bought in the
greatest volume was $7.93; Peck
Brothers, $8.10 and the major
companies all bid $8.63. - .
Pearson moved to award the
contract to DeCicco, but an
amendment to this motion by
Earl T. Newbry, secretary of
state, providing for giving the
major portion of the business to
the two low bidders and the re
mainder of the business to the
major companies, carried.
(Concluded on Page 5, Column 5)
Paving Bids
Below Estimates
Bids opened Tuesday morning
by the county court on proposed
paving improvements of Jelden
and Brenna avenues and 34th
street outside the northeast city
limits came as a pleasant sur
prise when it was shown the
total low bids on the three proj
ects was $3513.50 lower than the
engineer's estimates ' of costs.
The total low bid by E-Ar-Co of
Salem was $8188.25 as com
pared with a total of $11,700.76
as estimated by the engineer.
The E-Ar-Co bids were
$2428.50 for Jelden avenue as
compared with a $3540.54 esti
mate, for 34th street $2876.75 as
compared with a $4040.18 esti
mate and $2883 for Brenna as
compared with a $4120.04 esti
mate. The only other group of
-bids was submitted by Warren
Northwest, Inc., which totaled
$10,881.75 for the job or $819.01
under the total estimates.
County Judge Grant Murphy
announced that the bids would
be laid on the table to December
20 and be open for inspection
by those interested.
On December 20 property
owners will be given a chance
to express themselves as to
whether or not they desire to
have .the bids accepted.
Britons Eating More
Than Before Late War
London, Dec. 13 (P) Britons
are eating more now than two
years ago, the ministery of food
announced today.
Consumption of some food
stuffs is even higher than be
fore the war, it said.
The annual average consump
tion of meat, however, fell from
90 pounds in 1946 to just under
70 pounds in 1948-49.
Britons are getting n o w 55
percent more milk, 30 percent
more dairy products and 25 per
cent more fish than before the
war. It added that the per
capita daily calorie level now
averages 2,980.
FEPC Bill Picked As
First Order of Business
In Congress
Key West, Fla., Dec. 13 VP)
Key presidential advisers said to
day that the administration's civ
il rights battle in the election'
year congress will be centered
behind the FEPC bill.
This measure, designed to pre
vent discrimination against Ne
groes and other minority groups
in employment practices, is one
of several anti-discrimination
measures President Truman will
again propose to congress
January.
They say it probably will face
tougher opposition in congress
than any of the civil rights meas
ures but that organizations op
posing discriminations insist
upon fighting it out on this line.
This, and other measures, like
the anti-lynching, anti-poll tax
and similar proposals cost Pres
ident Truman four southern
democratic states in last year's
election.
May Cause Filibuster
Senate Majority Leader Lucas
has said he will make the FEPC
bill the first order of business
in the senate after congress re
convenes in January.
Advisers here concede the
move will lead to a filibuster and
the chances for passage are not
bright. At the same time, they
argue that the very fight will
help democratic congresssional
candidates in closely-contested
districts.
(Concluded on Page 5, Column 6)
Chengtu Left
To Red Forces
Hong Kong, Dec. 13 VP)
Chengtu, short lived capital of
China was reported abandoned
to the Reds today by the na
tionalists. Arrival of Red forces in the
far inland city of 750,000 was
expected momentarily.
Dispatches received here -said
Gen. Pai Chung-Hsi, nationalist
commander in central China,
was in Hanoi trying to negotiate
the passage of 30,000 troops
through French Indo China to
Hainan island. The troops have
been trapped on the border by
the communists.
The Chinese language New
Life Evening News said commu
nist Chairman Mao Tze-Tung in
Peiping had ordered Gen. Lu
Han, turncoat governor of Yun
nan province, to take orders
from Red Gen. Liu Po Cheng.
Both Mao and Cou En-Lai,
Red foreign minister, replied to
Lu's proclamation of the "lib
eration" of Yunnan. The reply
set forth five main points indi
cating a cold attitude toward Lu.
The five points were:
1. Lu must obey Liu.
2. Lu must prepare immedi
ately to welcome communist ar
mies in Yunnan.
3. All "reactionaries" must
be prevented from escaping Yun
nan. 4. The independent gendarme
division in Yunnan must be or
dered north to attack nation
alist guerrillas
5. All property and assets of
reactionaries" must be protect
ed and kept intact pending or
ders for their disposal.
Taxi Operators Case
Tabled by Councilmen
By STEPHEN A. STONE
The Salem city council Monday night put on the table reso
lutions that would have revoked the licenses of three persons head
ing taxicab operating companies, but adopted a resolution that
revoked the licenses of nine drivers implicated in the recent
morals case involving an under -
luiiuii Mil iwu uuier vi ine iir
drivers involved awaits dispo
sal of their cases in court. The
two, Don Clark and Troy Crab
tree, pleaded innocent, and trials
have not yet been held. "
Relative to the other nine the
council could do little else than
revoke their licenses because
upon their pleas of guilty the
court had made as a condition
of parole that they not drive ve
hicles for hire for the period
of probation, which is three
years.
The nine are James T. Con
way, John G. Hoffert, Maurice
Murdock, E. E. Halterman,
Monte Burkhart, Richard Tay
lor. Leslie William Hamrick,
Myer Rogow and Carl A, Coul-son.
Th company operators, who
Elks Plan for
Christmas Cheer
J. E. Krauger again heads a
committee of the Elks that will
put on the Christmas cheer party
for 1000 or more Salem kiddies.
For many years the annual
holiday event has been sponsor
ed by the Elks. As in the past
it will include the distribution
of clothing, motion pictures at
the Capitol theater and presen
tation of candies and fruits.
The clothing will be made
available from 10 a.m. to noon
and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on
December 16, 17, and 19.
The picture program is sched
uled for 10:30 a.m. Saturday,
Dec. 24. And after the movie
show the children will be taken
to the Elks temple where the
Christmas treats will be dis
tributed. .
Teachers of the Salem schools
and those of nearby communities
are assisting; ii-selection of the
chUdreiiV''1 :J
The Elks committee assistin'gnight.
Mr. and Mrs. Krauger is: Lloyd
Thomas, - John Gilmer, Cecil
Frame, and A. C. (Jack) Baker,
all of Salem; B. N. Speer, Aums-
ville; Sam Ramp, Brooks; C. W.
Cutsforth, Gervais; D. P. Mc
Carthy, Independence; W. J.
Kloft, Mt. Angel; Walter Gerth,
West Salem; Lee Haskins, Sil-
verton; Grant Murphy, Stayton;
Adolph Heater, Sublimity; E. E.
Ball, Turner; and E. J. Allen,
Woodburn.
All Passengers
Killed in Crash
Karachi, Pakistan, Dec. 13 (IP)
All 21 passengers and a crew of
four were reported killed in a
Pakistan transport plane crash
last night 45 miles north of here.
The list of casualties was not
yet confirmed but it was report
ed that two Pakistan army gen
erals were among the passengers.
The two generals, according to
officials of the Pak Air compa
ny which operated the plane,
were believed to be Maj. Gen.
Sher Khan and Maj. Gen. Ifti
khar. . ,
The plane, a twin-engined
DC-3, crashed in desert country.
It was first spotted by aerial
searchers early this morning and
rescue parties were sent to the
scene of the crash.
age girl.
. ,;,,. . i ,
a. uic ma, ui .lie wit. uavc
to apply for new licenses any-
way, and who will then be of
ficially "screened," are Robert
Lynn Clark, head of Yellow Cab
company; Don Clark, head of
Capitol Cab company; and Mrs.
Eleanor Staab, head of Shorty's
Cabs, managed by her husband,
Leo Staab.
1 The council had called hear
ings last night for both the
drivers and the operators. Since
they had little to gain by a hear
ing because of the action the
court had taken all the drivers
but one chose not to appear, and
the council took the stand that
the court action and the terms
of parole were sufficient grounds
for adopting the revoking reso
lution
(Concluded Fac S. Column I)
Tornado Toll Heavy Men dig through the rubble of a
building in Hannibal, Mo., looking for their belongings
after a tornado struck the community. No one was killed,
but 11 persons were injured. Property damage in Arkansas,
Oklahoma, Illinois and Missouri was high, with Arkansas
alone estimating more than $100,000 damage caused by
the twister. (Acme Telephoto)
Plane Crashes in Potomac
Killing 4 of 23 Aboard
Washington, Dec. 13 VP) A Capital airliner wandered off a
radar path leading into fogbound National airport last night and
crashed in the mud of the Potomac river, carrying four of the
23 persons on board to their death.
The 19 survivors an amazingly high number for a plane
Alder Street
To Be Vacated
After many months of discus
sion in the city council, and of
negotiation among city, Salem
school board, and property own
ers, the Alder street vacation
matter Bt.; Leslie . junior high
school ' was settled ; Monday
City Attorney Chris J. Kowitz
and Elmer M. Amundson, attor
ney representing the property
owners, pronounced the agree
ment equitable and the school
board had agreed.
The school board has asked
for the vacation of Alder, some
times called Raynor street,, be
tween Oxford and Rural, be
cause the athletic field overlap
ped into it. Also the vacation
of Oxford to the west line of
Alder was requested by the
board. The Oxford vacation
wasn't protested and was grant
ed several months ago.
Property owners on Oxford
and South Capitol, however led
by Myrl G. Clark, who lives on
Oxford, remonstrated against
the Alder street vacation on
grounds that it would leave no
openings through the area.
The agreement is that the city
buy two lots from Clark be
tween Oxford and Rural, and
about a block east of Alder, for
$800 each. The school board
will share half the cost probably
by benefits assessed against it
by the city for the Alder street
vacation.
A street will go through the
two lots, connecting up with ex
isting streets on either side of
the area, thereby opening up the
area.
Pravda Opens
Fire on Finland
Moscow, Dec. 13 VP) The com
munist newspaper Pravda accus
ed Finland s Prime Minister
Karl A. Fagerholm today of vio
lating the Soviet-Finnish friend
ship treaty and trying to stir
up trouble with Russia.
Fagerholm, the paper said in
an important editorial, "is once
again dragging (Finland) into
bloody senseless adventures"
like the two Finnish-Soviet wars
in the last decade.
(The editorial attack on Fin
land's anti-communist govern
ment was the sharpest official
Soviet action since Fagerholm
crushed a series of communist
strikes last September. Finland
and Norway are the only coun
tries on Russia's European bor
der that are not communist-
dominated.,
Pravda centered its fire on a
proposal made by Fagerholm
last week to change the date of
Finland's national independence
day to commemorate the begin
ning of the 1939 Soviet-Finnish
war. Finland now celebrates In
dependence day on December 6
the anniversary of the date in
1917 when Finland broke away
from czarist Russia during the
Red revolution.
""crash were taken to the hos
pital at Boiling air force base,
located nearby. Many were bad
ly hurt.
Government officials laid
plans for a prompt inquiry into
the cause of the crash,
The dead were Mrs. William
Chertow, of Brooklyn, N. Y.
Neville Lassiter, a government
employe who lived in Arlington,
Va; and the pilot and co-pilot.
w. J. Davis, 45, and Lloyd L,
Porter, 28, both of Alexandria,
va.
The bodies of Davis and Por
ter were recovered from the
partly submerged wreckage
hours after the crash. Workers
hacked away at the fuselage
through the night to get at the
two bodies, which were visible
m the water-covered cockpit
oy tne light of rescue lamps.
Navy and air force men who
sped to the scene in crash boats
credited a number of factors for
the high rescue rate. High on
the list were luck and the rela
tive calm of the survivors most
of them servicemen going home
to spend Christmas.
In addition, there were reports
that the plane's wheels were not
in landing position, but were re
tracted into the fuselage. If
true, this would indicate that
the pilot had changed his mind
about landing. It may have kept
the death toll down by prevent
ing the plane from turning com
pletely over in the river's mud.
With the wheels up, a compara
tively smooth water landing was
possible.
Bulgars on Trial
Ask Court's Mercy
Sofia, Bulgaria, Dec. 13 VP)
Ten defendants in Bulgaria's spy
trial asked the court for mercy
today, but the principal defend
ant, former Vice Premier Trai-
cho Kostov, repeated his denial
of some of the charges.
A murmur ran through the
spectators as Kostov spoke,
drowning out much of what he
said. He spoke after his own
defense attorney conceder Ros
tov s guilt and praised Bulgarian
authorities as having broken
the hands of the traitors."
Elks Provide Apparel for Needy Clothing; shoes and wearing apparel for needy Salem
families is now being collected and will be distributed this week by the Salem Elks lodge.
Shown (from left) sorting donated apparel are: Miss Elnora J. Pedcrscn, H. J. Wiedmer, Mrs.
Alma Gilchrist, Mri. J. E. Krauger, Mrs. Pearl Grote, Mrs. Mary Nash and J. E. Krauger.
United States
Likely to Break
With Bulgaria
Sharp New Denuncia
tion Over Treatment
Accorded Envoys
Washington, Dec. 13 VP) The
United States today backed up
a sharp new denunciation of
implied threat to break off dip
lomatic relations entirely.
Protesting against attacks on
U.S. Minister Donald R. Heath,
the state department declared
the legation at Sofia is being
subjected to such restrictions
and indignities that it has vir
tually ceased to function.
Undersecretary James E.
Webb called into question "the
Bulgarian government's inten
tions with respect to the main
tenance of normal relations be
tween the two countries."
Voutov Summoned
The prospect of a possible
first open break between the
United States and one of the So
viet bloc governments flared
last night. Webb then sum
moned Dr. Peter Voutov, top
Bulgarian representative lr
Washington, to the state depart
ment for a stnf and forceful
lecture.
The occasion was the publica
tion of charges in the govern
ment controlled communist
press in Sofia. The articles said
that both the state department
and Heath deliberately lied, in
denying the minister had ever
seen Traicho Kostov, former
vice premier who is the No. 1
defendant in the current Sofia
purge" trial. One article,
signed by the director of the
political department of the Bul
garian foreign office, accused
the U.S. government of engag
ing in spying and subversive ac
tivity through official represen
tatives. (Concluded on Page 5, Column 7)
Quirino Held
P. I. President
Manila, Dec. 13 (IP) A joint
session of congress today declar
ed Elpidio Quirino, president
and winner of the November 8
election.
A heavy guard stood outside
the chamber during debate. The
congressional action was taken
after Senator Vicente Sotto
warned if the election results
were not set aside a revolution
might break out in the islands.
Sotto is a supporter of Jose
Avelino, third man in the race
for president. Dr. Jose P. Lau
rel, puppet president under the
Japanese, ran second.
The joint session heard Sotto
say if the election was not void
ed the armed rebellion in Ba
tangas province "may spread
throughout the country for the
purpose of obtaining a change of
administration through bullets
and not ballots."
Batangas supporters of Laurel
took up arms on November 19
and said they were a revolution
ary force.
Nationalista party speakers
charged the liberal administra
tion with fraud, intimidation and
terrorism in 17 of the 50 prov
inces during the campaign.
Quirino s supporters denied
any fraud was perpetrated. They
called for specific complaints
Timber Cut High
Reports compiled by the state
forestry department showed that
a total of 8,395,378,000 board
feet of timber was cut In Ore
gon forests during 1948. A to
tal of 6,515,722,000 board feet
was cut from western Oregon
forests. The ponderosa pine re
gion accounted for 349,828,000.
New Australian Leader
Robert Gordon M e n z i e s
(above), Australian liberal
leader, is slated to be restored
to the prime ministry he held
from 1939 to 1941. Australia's
labor government, after an
eight-year-rule, has been oust
ed in the national election.
Now that Australia and New
Zealand have ousted their
labor governments, Britain is
the only country within the
commonwealth with a social
istic 1 a b or i t e government.
(Acme Telephoto)
Socialist Quits
In Australia
Sydney, Australia, Dec. 13 (IP)
Prime Minister Joseph B
Chifley, whose eight-year-old la
bor government was defeated by
a free enterprise coalition in Sat
urday's balloting, tendered his
resignation today.
Chifley was asked by Gover
nor-General William J. McKell
to carry on for a short time un
til the government is officially
taken over by Robert Gordon
Menzies, leader of the triumph
ant coalition.
Menzies" new cabinet, which
will contain members of his own
party and the cooperating coun
try party, -will be sworn in Mon
day.
Late election returns showed
the liberal-country coalition will
have a majority of 29 seats in
the house of representatives. The
count was liberals, 57; country
party, 18; labor, 46.
New Zealand's new national
party government of Prime Min
ister Sidney G. Holland was
sworn in at Wellington today.
It took over from the labor gov
ernment of Peter Fraser which
was defeated November 20 after
14 years in office.
Fraser, now opposition leader,
declined an invitation of Hol
land to join the New Zealand
delegation to the British com
monwealth ministers' confer
ence in Ceylon next month.
'There's not going to be any
more socialism in New Zea
land" Holland said today after
his government took office,
Prelate Bans
Sex Education
St. Paul, Minn., Dec. 13 VP)
Archbishop John Gregory Mur
ray has banned Catholic chil
dren from school classrooms
where sex education is taught.
Denouncing sex lessons in
public or private schools,- the
archbishop said in his pastoral
letter sex is a subject "for per
sonal discussion between parent
and child, physician and pa
tients, or confessor and peni
tent."
The letter affects 337,200 Ca
tholics in 27 south central Min
nesota counties.
Israeli Plans
To Shift Capital
To Jerusalem
Proposal Poses New
Problems for
Trusteeship Council
Lake Success, Dec. 13 VP) V.
N. officials said today that
transfer of Israeli government
offices and parliament to Jeru
salem complicates the already
complex task of placing the
holy city under international
rule.
They said such moves seemed
certain to pose new problems for
the 12-nation trusteeship coun
cil in its efforts to impose a
U. N. regime in the face of op
position by the occupying pow
ers, Israel and Hashemite Jor
dan. Carlos P.' Romulo, president of
the 1948 general assembly which
voted to internationalize Jeru
salem, said:
If it is true that Israel will
make Jerusalem her official
capital, it complicates an already
complicated situation." Tel Aviv
dispatches reported an Israel
spokesman said the movei do
not mean Jerusalem is to be
considered the political capital
of Israel immediately.
Now in Two Sections
As a result of the Jewish-
Arab fighting last year Jeru
salem is now divided into two
parts. Israel holds the modern
section of the city, while Jor
dan legionnaires occupy the so
called "old city" which con
tains most of the shrines sacred
to Christians, Moslems and
Jews.
Informants said the trustee
ship council first will draft a
statute for Jerusalem and su
burban areas such as Bethlehem
which would be Included in the
international area.
(Concluded on Page 5, Column I)
Israel Advised
To Avoid Trouble
Tel Aviv. Israel. Dee. 13 W)
The United States has advised
the Israeli government to avoid
any inflammatory measures to
resist the United Nations deci
sion to internationalize Jerusa
lem, reliable sources said today.
The knesset (parliament)
meets this afternoon. Prim
Minister David Ben Gurion is ex
pected to reject the U. N. As
sembly's resolution calling for an
international regime to rule the
Holy City now divided into Jew
ish and Arab armed camps.
Informed sources said the Is
raeli government will continue
to move some government offices
to the Jewish section of Jerusa
lem but will avoid an outright
proclamation of the Holy City as
Israel's capital at this time.
Some knesset delegates nave
demanded immediate proclama
tion of Jerusalem as the capital
city, in defiance of the U. N. re
solution. But reliable sources
said a more moderate policy had
been adopted by Ben Gurion's
government after U. S. Ambassa
dor James MacDonald had advis
ed against any inflammatory
measure likely to build up ten
sion over Jerusalem's future.
Ben Gurion, however, is ex
pected to repeat his government's
stand that Jerusalem "always
was and always will be" the
capital of the Jewish nation.
Find Tracks of
Lost Kelso Girl
Kelso, Wash., Dec. IS VP)
Fresh, faltering tracks today
spurred 500 searchers in the
hunt for Ruth Aberle, 16-year-old
Girl Scout, missing two days.
Sheriff's Deputy Costa Watts
reported this morning on his re
turn from the rugged, rain-sod
den search area six miles north
east of here that three men had
found comparatively fresh tracks
about midnight. They appeared
to be only four to six hours old,
he said.
Sheriff C. W. Reynolds re
cruited fresh hunting parties at
dawn to speed the tracing of the
tracks found by Fred Binkley
and Dick Tabor of Longview and
Dave Keller of Kelso. Blood
hounds, withdrawn during the
night, went back on the job.
Watts said the fresh tracks
were picked up only a mile and
a half from where the girl dis
appeared Sunday. "Whoever
made them was faltering," h
said, "as there were spots where
the person stumbled and fell in
crossing over logs and through
the heavy underbrush."