THE WEATHER HERE
MOSTLY CLOUDY tonight and
Thursday. Little change in tem
perature. Lowest tonight, 36;
highest Thursday, 48.
Maiimutn reiterdar Mi minimum t
Uy, 89. Total 24-hour precipitation: .01 1
for month: 2.85; normal, 4.X7. Season pre
cipitation, 1Z.49; normal. 15.0S. Hirer
height, 8.8 feet. (Report bj U.S. Weathers
Capital A JOTrmal
61st Year, No. 303 Salem, Oregon, Wednesday, Decembi .. ).?49 (24 Pages) Price 5c
HOME
EDITION
61st Year, No. 303 SSffSJgftSS Salem, Oregon, Wednesday, DecembiN ).?49
Sherman Sees
Russ Ambition
To Rule Seas
Admiral Says Ship
building Facilities
Doubled Since 1940
Boston, Dec. 21 VP) Admiral
Forrest F. Sherman, chief of U.
S. naval operations, said today
there is "ample evidence" of a
reawakening of Russian "marl
time ambition."
He added, pointedly, that
America's superior force of air
craft carriers must be maintain
ed to keep open vital sea lanes.
In a speech prepared for de
livery to the Boston Chamber of
Commerce, Sherman said that
Russia has more cruisers in ac
tive service than this country,
and that Soviet shipbuilding ca
pacity reportedly is double its
1940 level.
"Although Russia is predom
inately a land power and air
power, there is ample evidence
of a reawakening of maritime
ambition," declared the top-
ranking U. S. naval officer.
"Since 1935, heavy surface ship
construction has been in pro
gress and within the past year,
the number of cruisers and new
destroyers in the Russian fleets
has increased."
Ships Described
Sherman said the modern
cruisers built in Soviet ship
yards are heavy ships of high
speeds armed with a standard
ized rapid firing high velocity
7.1 inch triple turret battery.
He placed the total number of
Soviet cruisers at 14. The' Unit
ed States now has 13 cruisers
in active service and 60 more
in its "mothball" fleet. Of the
laid-up U. S. vessels, 32 are light
cruisers.
(Concluded on Page S, Column 5)
ish Samish
From Capitol
Sacramento, Calif., Dec. 21
(IP) Big Arthur H. Samish was
banished today from the halls of
the legislature where he earned
the reputation as the kingpin of
lobbyists and the ."secret boss of
California."
Both houses voted the ban,
slapping back at published
boasts of Samish's supposedly
vast power. Then they got ready
to wind up the ten day old spe
cial session.
The legislature acted sudden
ly against the 300-pound, pink
cheeked liquor lobbyist in the
midst of tumultuous debate over
Governor Earl Warren's demand
for strict statutes against cor
rupt lobbying practices.
Fate of the lobby proposal
was in doubt. Briefly, the situ
ation was this:
The senate passed the gover
nor's bill yesterday. The assem
bly first decided to submit the
problem of lobbying curbs to an
interim committee. A few hours
later, however, it approved four
of its own lobbying measures. It
revamped the administration's
senate bill, holding up. a vote on
passage until today.
Gable, Fairbanks ' Wido w
Elope to Surprise of All
By VIRGINIA MacPHERSON
Hollywood, Dec. 21 0J.R Clark Gable's dashing elopment with
Douglas Fairbanks' widow, Lady Sylvia Stanley, had the film
colony still catching its breath today.
The great screen lover, now 48 and gray haired, married his
fourth wife at a dude ranch yesterday while a phonograph
ground out the wedding march-
Then he whisked her off for
secret honeymoon.
Gable's studio said they re
turned to his home at Encino in
the San Fernando valley late
last night and would stay there
until they leave for Honolulu
on the Lurline tomorrow. It
said reservations for the boat
trip have been made.
Catching the whole town off
guard, he rushed the willowy
blond Lady Sylvia to San Luis
Obispo, picked up a marriage
license from a giggling girl clerk
and was saving his "I dos" at
the Alisal guest ranch in Sol-
vang before anybody knew what
was happening,
His housekeeper thought he
was "out to lunch"; his studio
didn't know where he was, and
a lot of beautiful glamour girls
were wondering if he'd call for a
date tonight.
"I've had this in mind for
ome time," the beaming groom
I said after the ceremony in the li
brary of the guest ranch. "But
I just suddenly decided to pop
Sharp Cut in
Aid to Europe
Held Necessary
Vandenberg Would
Continue Help, But
On Reduced Scale
Washington, Dec. 21 VP) Sen
ator Vandenberg (R., Mich.)
called today for continued eco
nomic and military aid to west
ern Europe, but said it should
be on a "sharply reduced
scale.
Vandenberg, who wields great
influence on republican foreign
policy stands, also told a news
conference that: "
1. The communist regime in
China should be recognized by
this country only when it dem
onstrated it has control of that
country and will carry out the
basic obligations of internation
al law. He said communist
China does not now meet these
requirements.
2. Full diplomatic recognition
should be granted to the Franco
government in Spain.
3. The bipartisan foreign pol
icy involves no "me-tooism" on
the part of the republicans since
it is open to vigorous debate
while decisions are in the proc
ess of being made.
Newsmen Called -
4. The objective of the repub
lican party should be "to re
store the American system to
safe foundations before it is too
late, to gear dependable prog
ress with national solvency and
individual freedom."
The Michigan senator flew
back to Washington yesterday
for a briefing on international
developments before congress
opens. He called on 11 a.m.
(EST) news conference.
Friends said he had two or
three points on which he wants
to make his position clear be
fore the firing begins.
As they summed up his views,
Vandenberg stands behind con
tinued Marshall plan aid and for
eign arms program for Europe
although on reduced scales but
believes his colleagues have am
ple grounds for criticizing the
administration's handling of' the
China problem and other issues.
(Concluded on Page 5, Column 6)
DuPonts Invite
600 Reunion Guests
Wilmington, Del., Dec. 21 VP)
The duPonts are going to hold
their usual family reunion on
New Year's day but this time
with a guest list totaling 600.
Every New Year's day since
Pierre Samuel duPont landed at
Newport, R.I., January 1, 1800,
members of the family have held
a gathering of the clan in the
French tradition.
The 1950 reunion is to be very
private. The family is not even
disclosing the guest list or the
gathering place.
About 30 descendants of
Pierre Samuel duPont will be
there from France, England,
Switzerland and Italy. Others
will come from widely scattered
points in the United States.
the question.
"I asked her yesterday if she'd
marry me. And she said 'Yes.' '
His English bride, who gave
her age as 39, said the glamou
ous Gable swept her off her feet.
I answered 'Yes as fast as
I possibly could," she gasped.
This was Gables fourth trek
to the altar and the one his
friends said he'd never take.
They said nobody would ever
make him forget his third wife,
Carole Lombard, whose death
in h plane crash eight years ago
sent him, crushed and bereaved,
into semi-retirement for a while.
It was the fourth marriage
for Lady Sylvia, too, and she
was radiant in a navy blue wool
dress with white collar and cuffs.
Gable wore a dark-blue busi
ness suit.
Mrs. Vera Bleck, sister of the
bride, was matron-of-honor. Her
husband, Basil Bleck. gave the
bride away. Gables best man
was Howard Strickling, press
agent for MGM, and the man
who staged L. B. Mayer's elope
ment a year ago.
s uiow on
Salem's Tree
Oldsters and youngsters, alike,
turned out Tuesday night to
watch the lights glow on the
tallest living lighted Christmas
tree in the world.
County Judge Grant Murphy
threw the switch that started
the more than 1500 lights twin
kling on the large tree, which
was first lighted in 1913 by the
Salem Cherrians and was the
first living lighted Christmas
tree in the world. Over 100
lights are in the star on the top
of the tree, alone.
May it radiate peace and
good will on this community
throughout the holiday season,"
were the words of Judge Mur
phy as he lighted the tree.
A history of the lighting of
the tree through the years by
the Cherrians was given by
Judge Rex Kimmell. Master of
ceremonies for the program,
which also included music by
the Salem high school carolers
directed by Howard Miller, and
the Elks club quartet, was King
Bing Deryl Meyers of the Cher
rians.
Members of the Elks quartet
are Max G. Scriber, Boyd A.
Babbitt, Sterling B. McAlpine
and George Baker. They were
accompanied by Alvin L. Finn
on the accordion.
At the conclusion of the pro
gram candy canes were present
ed by the Cherrians to all of the
children in attendance.
Rail Workers Quit
Tokyo, Dec. 21 (ff) Some
43,000 railroad workers today,
began a 24 hour 'work stoppage
a wage dispute.
until
u
Clark Gable Weds Screen Actor Clark Gable, who abdi
cated the "eligibility" throne, prepares to cut the wedding
cake with his bride, the former Lady Sylvia Ashley, widow
of Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., after their marriage December
20 on a ranch at Solvang, Calif., 30 miles north of Santa
Barbara, with only a few close friends in attendance. (AP
Wirephoto)
Cherrians Distribute Candy Canes to Youngsters Young
sters present when the outdoor Christmas tree on the court
house lawn was illuminated Tuesday evening received free
candy canes from the Cherrians. About 300 persons were
present for the tree illumination ceremony.
Gates and Idanha Men,
Woman Die, Gas Fumes
Klamath Falls, Dec. 21 (IP) Two men and a woman died of
carbon monoxide poisoning late last night, sitting in their car
in a snowbank on the Dalles-California highway seven miles be
low Gilchrist.
State police identified the men
Bomb Planted in
UAW's Office
Detroit, Dec. 21 VP) Dynami
ters made an attempt to blow
up . the CIO United Auto Work
ers' headquarters last night.
They failed,' but only by ' :
hair's breadth. . .
A stack of 39 sticks of dyna
mite, wrapped in tape and col
ored Christmas gift paper, was
found at a side stairway of the
union building.
Two fuses had burned to
within an inch or less of the ex
plosives before they sputtered
out, harmlessly.
Except for two night workers,
the union building was empty.
However, lives were imperiled
in a neighboring General Motors
building.
As a result, authorities were
confronted today with a new
task in solving mysterious acts
of violence against the big auto
union and its leadership.
1
as Virgil Lee Johnson, 40, of
sGates, Ore., and Jack Virgil
Friedley, 38, of Idanha, Ore.
The woman has been tenta
tively identified as Drucilla
Friedley, wife of Jack Friedley.
She is about 30 years old and
worked as a waitress in the Bend
area. They had been residing at
the Owl motel in Bend
Johnson, who has been work
ing at a logging camp near Dia
mond lake, was the driver.
Friedley is believed to have
been employed as a cook at the
Star cafe in Bend.
State police said the car ap
parently was traveling south
from Lend when it skidded on
the icy pavement and came to
rest with the rear end in a
snowbank. .
Snow partially stopped up the
exhaust .pipe and the muffler
on the 1940 sedan was cracked
around the base.
The trio, all in the front seat,
apparently sat with the motor
running and heater on, waiting
for help. As near as state po
lice could determine, the car
went into the bank about 10:45.
At 11:15 a passing motorist
observed the three persons in
the car, stopped and was unable
to arouse them.
He telephoned the state po
lice office here from Chemult
and a few minutes later a pa
trolman from Crescent arrived
at the scene.
All three were dead when he
arrived, Patrolman Jim Ayres
said.
The men were identified from
personal papers but there was
no ready identification for the
woman. The bodies are being
brought to Klamath Falls.
Slot Machine
Test in Court
Baker, Dec. 21 (IP) A case
testing the constitutionality of
the law permitting confiscation
or destruction of slot machines
is expected here following the
filing of a complaint in circuit
court by E. E. Shannon, pro
prietor of the Geiser Grand ho
tel, against Sheriff Fred Thorn
Shannon is seeking $750 or
recovery of four coin-in-the-slot
machines confiscated by the
sheriff's office June 18. He also
asks $500 damages for the tak
ing and keeping of the machines.
They were taken from the Clip
per club, in the hotel, by a state
police officer.
Shortly after the confiscation
Shannon was fined $100 for each
of the machines by Justice of
the Peace Will Nordean. Now
Shannon's attorneys claim that
the sheriff wrongfully and with
out the plaintiff's consent took
and kept the machines. Yester
day Circuit Court Judge Forrest
Hubbard ordered the sheriff to
hold the machines but not to
destroy them.
Ships Collide
New York, Dec. 21 VP) Two
ships collided at the entrance of
New York harbor last night,
but both pulled away from the
accident under their own power.
Birthday of
Stalin Hailed
With Acclaim
Note of Peace Sound
ed United States
Sends Greetings
Moscow, Dec. 21 VP) The
United States sent birthday
greetings to Prime Minister Jo
seph Stalin today.
Ambassador Alan G. Kirk
sent the following message to
Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei
Y. Vishinsky:
"I have the honor on behalf
of the government of the United
States of America to request you
to transmit to Generalissimo
Stalin, chairman of the council
of ministers of the USSR, best
wishes on the occasion of his
70th birthday."
By EDDY GILMORE
Moscow, Def. 21 (IP) Russian
leaders hailed Joseph Stalin on
his 70th birthday today with a
massive celebration, and the So
viet leadership took the occasion
to renew Russian claims that
communism and capitalism can
exist together in peace.
Georgi Malenkov, deputy
prime minister and considered
close to Stalin, sounded the
peace keynote in Pravda, the
official newspaper of the com
munist party, by laying heavy
stress on previous statements by
the prime minister that peace
was possible between the two
ways of life.
Peace Prize Set Up
At the same time the peace
theme was underscored by the
announcement of the presidium
of the supreme Soviet that it
had established, in the prime
minister s honor, an internation
al Stalin peace prize to be
awarded each year on his birth
day, beginning next December,
The special 12-page edition of
Pravda honoring Stalin today
also carried an article by Vyach-
eslav M. Molotov, former for
eign minister, who relinquished
that post to devote himself to
duties as deputy prime minister.
While Malenkov spoke of
peace, Molotov lashed out
against the United States and
Britain, charging them with pre
paring for a new war, and with
planning world domination
"with the help of any aggres
sive means, including the atom
bomb.
(Concluded on Page 5, Column 4)
Dictator Takes
Life Little Easier
Washington, Dec. 21 VP)
Western authorities hear that
Joseph V. Stalin, 70 years old
today, is taking life a little easi
He is also said to be in good
health and presumably able to
carry on as the big boss of the
communist world for several
years more.
But his anniversary inevitably
brings up the question of a suc
cessor, and also what effect s
change might have on the cold
war policies of the Soviet union
Since no one outside the Krem
lin has any facts on these points,
the answers to these and similnr
questions have about the weight
of informed guesses but
guesses made by officials who
are long-time students of Sov
iet politics.
The current belief among these
officials is that when Stalin
passes out of the picture his of
ficial position of leadership may
be occupied by V. M. Molotov,
the former premier and foreign
minister. They think that his
real power may be shared by
Molotov with at least two other
members of the politburo.
When that time comes, the be
lief here is that Russian policy,
both internal and external, will
remain unchanged while a strug
gle for absolute personal power
goes on among the men who in
itially divide Stalin's authority.
The two men mentioned most
frequently as likely to share it
with Molotov are Georgi M.
Malenkov, 47, who now controls
the communist party machinery
under Stalin, and Lavrenti Be
ria, 50, another full member of
the politburo, who is believed to
be a kind of super-chief of the
Russian police.
Small, Sharp Quake
Near Seattle Felt
Seattle, Dec. 21 (IP) A "weak
but sharp earthquake 30 miles
from Seattle" was recorded on
the University of Washington
seismograph from 5:56 a.m. to
5:59 a.m. today.
Prof. G. E. Goodspced said the
direction from Seattle was not
determined.
It's True, Winter
Not Here Until 8:24
Wednesday Eve
Winter makes its official
appearance at 8:24 p.m. Wed
nesday. Some may wonder who's
crazy now with such a state
ment following the frigid
blasts of the early week. Nev
ertheless, the weather bureau
says winter officially comes in
tonight.
Warmer temperatures were
noted however to mark the
approach of the new season,
western Oregon warming up
considerably in comparison to
temperatures of Sunday and
Monday.
Wednesday morning's mini
mum in Salem was 39 degrees,
following a maximum of 40
degrees for Tuesday. That
was practically summer
weather compared to some of
the listings for eastern Oregon
it was 7 below zero at
Burns, zero at Lakeview, 5
degrees above at Klamath
Falls and 13 above at Baker.
Cloudiness and little change
in temperature are the fore
cast for the Salem area's
weather tonight and Thursday.
Warmer Air
In Northwest
(Hy ths Associated Press)
Warm air moved into the Pa
cific northwest during the night,
but by - passed northeastern
Washington where sub-zero tern
peratures were recorded early to
day (Wednesday).
The weather bureau at Spo
kanc said its observers at Omak
and Colville both reported tem
peratures of five degrees below
zero early this morning.
Those were the only official
sub-zero temperatures recorded
by the weather bureau in Ore
gon, Washington and northern
Idaho.
The demand for electric power
in the Pacific northwest reached
a record peak for the second
time this week. A spokesman
for the Northwest Power Pool
said the demand for 3,460,000
kilowatt hours between 5 and 6
p.m. was met without difficulty
Monday the peak was 3,439,000
kuowatts.
Coast cities were five to 15
degrees warmer than the previ
ous day, the weather bureau
said. Freezing temperatures
west of the Cascade mountains
were found only in isolated in
stances. The prediction for tonight was
"not quite so cold." The wea
ther bureau said a warm air mass
moving in from the Pacific
would continue the moderating
trend.
Russian Atomic Bomb
Doubted by Standley
Los Angeles, Dec. 21 VP) Re
tired Adm. William H. Stand
ley, former ambassador to Rus
sia, doubts the Soviets have
cither the atom bomb or a large
submarine fleet.
"President Truman's report
concerned their possession of the
secret of atomic energy," he said
at a press conference yesterday.
"From what I know of the in
dustrial potential, I don't be
lieve they have the bomb at all."
He also scoffed at the report
by Janes fighting ships that Rus
sia has more than 300 submarines
Citadel Program to
Benefit 1000 Persons
Christmas will be a day of remembrance for the estimated
1000 persons in over 300 families in the Salem area who will re
ceive food and gifts under the relief program of the Salvation
Army.
More than 1500 toys arc available for distribution through the
efforts of the Salem Exchange
club and these will be given out
between 10:30 and 3 o'clock
Thursday.
General contributions are
around $2300 to date and the
next few days will add to this
fund. The money comes from
various sources including col
lections by the familiar "kettles"
in the business district. The re
ceipts arc estimated around 15
per cent higher than last year.
More than half a ton of candy
and fruit will be distributed
Thursday as Christmas treats
with Santa Claus making the
presentation. The Salvation
Army program for children will
be given at the Citadel Thurs
day night at 7:30 o'clock. The
program arranged by Capt. and
Mrs; R. B. Lcsher Includes the
following:
Opening song and prayer by
Captain Leshcr, followed by Bi
ble readings by Leslie Walker.
Recitations will be given by Gail
War Opposed,
But Must Stand
Ready to Fight
People Sick of Blood
Letting, Truman
Says at Arlington
By D. HAROLD OLIVER
Washington, Dec. 21 VP)
President Truman said today
there would never be another
war if the people of the world,
"sick of blood-letting," could
have their way.
But while captive peoples
are made to respond to our
handclasp with a mailed fist, we
have no choice but to stand
ready In self defense, he de
clared. The president spoke at Ar
lington National cemetery, ac
cepting a carillon memorial to
the war dead from the Ameri
can veterans of World War II.
Allied diplomats from many na
tions, and high ranking military
and civilian officials were in the
audience.
It was only coincidence that
Mr. Truman spoke on the birth
day of Soviet Russia's Premier
Stalin and he did not mention
Russia by name.
Norwegian Speaks Out
But allusions to the Russian
threat to peace were plain and
repeated. They were clear, too,
in a brief address from Norwe
gian Ambassador Wilhelm Mun
the de Morgenstierne, the dean
of the diplomatic corps.
The ambassador said those
who died in the war should know
that "without their fight the
entire world might today be in
a state of abject slavery." He
added:
(Concluded on Page S, Column 8)
Russia Angrily
Leaves Council
Tokyo, Dec. 21 VP) Russia
angrily stalked out of the allied
four-power council for Japan to
day rather than discuss Soviet
failure to complete repatriation
of Japanese war prisoners.
By the walkout, the eight
man Russian delegation avoided
hearing General MacArthur's
conclusion that 374,041 Japanese
have died in Soviet prison camps
from brutal treatment in "disre
gard for humanity."
The dramatic Russian exit cli
maxed a bitter argument over,
council procedure.
Russia's Lt. Gen. Kumza Der-
evyanko argued the four-power
group the United States, Brit
ain, Russia and China had no
business discussing repatriation.
American Chairman William J.
Scbald overruled him.
White with anger, the stocky-bull-neckcd
Russian general
stalked out. His delegation fol
lowed him.
"I don't deem it possible to
discuss the question," Dereyvan
ko said.
Repatriation has long been a
sore point of the occupation.
Russia has returned some 1,
300,000 Japanese prisoners in
four years. American and Jap
anese authorities have been
pressing for the return of more
than 300,000 others. As supreme
commander, MacArlhur himself
has roundly scored the Soviet
attitude.
Martell, Ruth Culver, Nita
Thompson, Larry Totten, David
George, Glen Hunt, Woodrow
Gwyn, Norma Hunt, and Carol
Hunt.
Musical numbers will be a
song by the primary children;
Toy Fac and a coronet solo by
Bob Lesher. An exercise will
be presented by Joe Ellen, Peg
gy Thura Lu and Anna Mae and
another by Is-a and Sue Gwyn,
Gay Marie Brand, I'cggy Hughes
and Norma Jean Totten. Ten
intermediate girls will offer a
wand drill.
The program concludes with
a play "No Room in the Inn" by
the senior group. Taking part
will be Howard Osborne, Joan
Lasher, Jack Martell, George
Stuart, Mickey Martell, Don
Stuart, Kenneth Brand, Bob
Lesher, Harold Evenden, Allen
Haggcrty, Richard Lucens, Jim
Bowman and Ronald Kcls.