THE WEATHER HERE
FAIR, SLIGHTLY cooler to
night. Increasing cloudiness
Sunday. Lowest temperature to
night, 30; highest Sunday, 45.
Maximum reitRrday, 4: minimum la
da j, 37. Total 34-hour precipitation, ..);
for month, 4. lot normal, 4.g. geaaon
prrrlpltallon, 13.M; norma!, IA.M. Rlmr
hrlahl. .7 (eel. (Report br B. I. Weather
Bureau.)
Capital
Journal i
61st Year, No. 306 T.r.Z'X: Salem, Oregon, Saturday, December 24, r ' ,ao6
Price 5c
Yulefide Being
Celebrated Al!
Over World
Europe Enjoys Finest
Christmas Since Last
Pre-war Year of '38
(By the Associated PreiuO
A world still seeking the path
of true peace four years after
the end of its greatest war turn
ed again today (Sat.) to the
old and ever new Christmas
lory.
President Truman, home for
u the holidays in Independence,
Mo., planned his traditional
Christmas eve greeting to the
.nation a speech to be broadcast
CLVver the major networks (5:15
f p.m. EST.)
The president will throw a
witch lighting a big tree on
the White House lawn in Wash
ington at just about the time
the tree lights begin to go or.
in millions of American homes.
Catholic Holy Year Opens
For the world's 400,000,000
Roman Catholics, Christmas eve
marked the formal opening of
the 25th Holy Year of the
church.
Pope Pius XII inaugurated
the jubilee year in Rome with
three strokes of a silver hammer
opening the holy doors of St.
Peter's basilica.
Europe, despite a shortage of
now, was ready to celebrate its
finest Yuletide since the last
pre-war year of 1938.
There was more food, more
toys, more warmth More of al
most everything in European
countries.
Britons went on a shopping
spree for this Christmas season.
Even Germany, with gaunt ruins
standing in nearly every city
had reason for rejoicing over
well-stocked gift stores and
food shops.
In the Holy Land
In Bethlehem, where the
Prince of Peace was born, only
a few were able to make the
V Christmas eve pilgrimage in
. contrast to the thousands who
F used to go in happier times.
As a grim reminder of the dis
cords which still plague the
world, there were two routes to
the ancient town one from
the Arab-held section of Jeru
salem, the other from the new
part of Jerusalem occupied by
the Jews.
Bethlehem, Pa., which calls
Itself America's Christmas city,
added a modern touch to its an
nual observance. The traditional
Moravian candlelight procession
tonight will be televised.
K)nehoeUd on Fare ft. Column 6)
Wef Christmas
Looms in East ,
Washington, Dec. 14 (JP) The
weather bureau turned bearish
today en prospects for a white
Christmas. .
Instead of the mow expected
lor much of the central part of
the nation, it now looks like
rain. Only in the northwest
were there good prospects for
new (now.
Revising an earlier Christmas
day forecast, the bureau at 8:30
a.m. (EST) showed the weather
picture shaping up something
like this:
Northwest Snow and colder,
y. Central part of the nation
Rain and warmer.
Gulf states to California Fair
and moderate.
Pacific Northwest Rain.
"A white Christmas is assur
ed for the northern states from
the Rockies to the upper Great
Lakes region due mainly to
snow already on the ground,"
the bureau reported without
equivocation.
Rising temperatures in the
central part of the country will
bring rain instead of the snow
fall predicted earlier for the
central Mississippi and lower
Missouri valleys.
And the rain will spread east
ward on Christmas day as far
as the eastern Great Lakes.
New snow is forecast only in
Minnesota, northern Wisconsin
and portions of the northern
plains and Michigan.
It will be a mighty cold
Christmas day for some parts of
the nation.
Child Burned to Death
Ennis, Tex., Dec. 24 VP J. E.
Minton, Jr., five, burned to
death yesterday when his play-house
of flimsy boxes caught
f fire. The lad had taken a candle
into the playhouse to light some
firecrackers.
Russia Charges
Japan Waged
Germ Warfare
12 Former Army Men
Indicted With Using
Airborne Fleas
Moscow, Dec. 24 (IP) Russia
accused the Japanese today of
actually waging bacteriological
warfare in China in 1940 with
airborne f'eas. They also charg
ed the Japanese had prepared to
direct the germ assault against
the Soviet union.
The charges were published
and broadcast as an indictment
naming 12 former Japanese army
men as leaders in the alleged
germ warfare. They included
accusations that prisoners were
used as human guinea pigs to
test germ warfare theories.
The indictment said Lt. Gen.
Shiro Ishii of the medical serv
ice in the summer of 1940, in
fected areas of central China
with parachuted germ-laden
fleas, starting a bubonic plague
epidemic.
'.Concluded on Pace 5, Column 51
Storm Causes .
Traffic Crashes
Porll.ind, Dec. 24 (IP) The
worst wave o pre-holiday traf
fic accidents on record ushered
in the Christmas week-end here
today.
Three lives were lost in the
Portland area. John Roger
bmitn, bo, Portland, was fatal
ly injured when he drove into
the rear of a bus that was dis
charging passengers at Gresham.
Daniel Aaron Lake, 67, Port
land, drove into a railroad box
car on a siding in the city and
was killed. An early morning
collision took the life of Mrs.
Nancy J. Werner, 26, Oswego,
and critically injured her hus
band, John, 30.
Within Portland, there were
96 accidents bad enough to sum
mon police by 7 a.m., today. And
there were other scores unre
ported collisions.
The accident wave started
with drivers leaving office par
ties to head home through hea
vy rain It was the wettest pre
holiday driving in recent years
and results were spectacular.
One driver sideswiped six
cars on one street, cracked head
on into another on a second
street, then bounced over a va
cant lot to a third street and
rammed two more vehicles. Two
persons were injured.
Another car sheared off a
fire plug, two utility poles and
knocked a traffic sign 80 feet.
The driver was unhurt.
In still another, three persons
were dumped from their car,
which then ran on 174 feet far
ther before hitting a parked au
to. The three, who escaped seri-o-is
injury, were Earl W. Shreve,
-7, Salem, is wife and daughter.
Accuse Truman 'Friend'
Of 10 Percent! ng Fair
wasnington, uec. 24 im The
siyiea Doynood chum" of President Truman had offered
sirucuon contracts on the Sesquicentennial fair here for
per cent cut ot the profits."
A copyrighted article said Paul
home town of Independence.
Mo., had made the proposal to
George M. Parker, a contractor
of Derwood, Md. The paper said
Parker turned down the offer.
Alexander, the Times-Herald
added, is a stockholder in the
National Capital Sesquicenten
nial Leasing corporation, which
holds exclusive leasing rights on
exhibit space in the Freedom
Fair a Sesquicentennial fea
ture. At Kansas City, where Presi
dent Truman is spending the
holidays, Charles G. Ross, pres
idential secretary, said he had
not heard of the story and de
clined to comment.
Mayor Roger Sherman of In
dependence, Mo., a close friend
of the president, said he never
had heard of a Paul Alexander
of Independence.
Advised of the newspaper ac
count, Alexander denied to re
porters that the construction
proposal had anything to do
with his official Sesquicenten
nial work which he pointed out
applied only to space rentals.
He said the proposal to Par
ker specifically mentioned a
contract "on one or more of
the independent buildings."
These buildings, he said, are
not connected with the fair itself.
Mrs. Hawser
Prize Winner
"Tag, You're Mrs. Santa
Claus."
Shortly after 7:30 o'clock Fri
day evening Mrs. Janet Hawser
of lo99 State street tapped Mrs.
Santa Claus on the shoulder and
uttered this identification.
Because she was the first
person to guess the identity of
the Mrs. Santa Claus for the
evening, who was Mrs. B. O.
Schucking, Eola Acres florist,
Mrs. Hawser was the winner of
$100 in cash. In addition to this
she was presened an orchid cor
sage by Mrs. Schucking. Mrs.
Hawser aid she would give part
of the money to the Community
Chest.
Presentation of the prize to
Mrs. Hawser was made by James
Beard, president of the Salem
Retail Trade bureau.
Despite bad weather and the
fact that the majority of the peo
ple have completed their Christ
mas shopping there was a con
siderable number out to par
ticipate in the final "Friday
night" feature offered by the
merchants, and to purchase their
last Christmas gifts.
This afternoon business plac
es will begin closing their doors
at 4:50 o'clock to permit their
employes to start their Christ
mas holiday and the majority of
them will be closed by 5:30
o'clock.
Portland Plywood Sold
Portland, Dec. 24 UP) Nego
tiations to sell the nearly-finished
Portland Plywood corpora
tion plant to the Multnomah
Plywood corporation for $1,
043,000 were completed today.
F. A. Johnson, general mana
ger of Multnomah Plywood, said
the plant would begin operat
ing m about two months. The
plant construction on which
was halted when plywood
slumped last year.
Times - Herald M inrtav .-if.
con-
a "10
Ale
The Times-Herald reproduc
ed what it said was a letter to
Parker from Alexander outlin
ing terms of the deal. In it Alex
ander noted he had been named
"exclusive space rental agent"
to sell space at a 5 percent com
mission or a maximum of
$600,000 on gross rentals.
Alexander said he proposed
the jobs to Parker. But he said
one project was a building near
tne lair grounds where indus
tries could sell products which
they would be barred from sell
ing within the fair. The other,
he said, was for erection of
buildings to house visitors. The
first project fell through but
the latter still is under construc
tion, he added.
The celebration next year is
to mark the 150th anniversary
of the founding of the federal
government here. Congress au
thorized creation of a Sesqui
centennial commission and ap
propriated funds for the project.
The Washington Post said re
ports of "ten percenter" activity
have prompted the commission
to "re-examine its relationship"
with Alexander's corporation,
which has exclusive leasing
rights on $12,000,000 worth of
exhibit space.
Shares Prize With Community Chest Mrs. Janet Hawser,
widow, 1599 Slate street, is shown here receiving a $100 bill
as a prize for being the first to tag Mrs. Santa Claus Friday
night. Mrs. Agnes Schucking, florist, at right, was Mrs.
Santa, and 8lso presented the winner with an orchid. The
presentation in. front of the Chamber of Commerce was made
by Jim Beard, left, president of the Retail Trade bureau.
Blizzard Blocks Roads
In Cascade Areas
(By United Press)
Highway crews today were clearing the roads in the Mt. Hood
area after a blizzard with winds up to 50 miles an hour felled
trees, blocked highways,' cut off
caused considerable other damage..
The storm hit Government
PLlll.. L..1
tinny uui hui
White Christmas
It is expected to be a chilly
Christmas morning, tomorrow,
but apparently without the
winds and rains of the past two
days, says the weather bureau.
Below freezing temperatures
are due tonight, a low of 30 be
ing predicted here. The weath-
er is expected to be fair tonight
.-; :
with increasing cloudiness Sun
day, the report states.
Some patches of blue sky and
some sunshine greeted Salemites
during Saturday morning, mak
ing it all a bit more pleasant for
tne last minute shopping pre
ceding Christmas eve.
The Willamette river was
higher here Saturday with the
intake of new storm waters from
upstream. The local gauge meas
ured 5.5 feet here. High for the
season to date was 9.7 feet, re
corded in late November.
Elks Play Santa
To 1300 Kiddies
Salem lodge No. 336, Benevo
lent, Protective Order of Elks
put its principles into opera
tion Saturday when it played
Santa Claus to some 1300 young
sters of the community.
The kids were guests for a mo
tion picture program at the
Capitol theatre at 10 o'clock and
following the matinee they
marched up State street to the
Elks temple where each was pre
sented with gifts. Sackfuls of
candy, nuts and fruit were dis
tributed as the youngsters filed
past counters loaded with toys
of a wide variety. There was
something for everybody from
the huge piles of brand new mer
chandise. The boys and girls, although
eager for gifts from Saint Nicho
las, were an orderly group.
While evidently from homes
where prosperity had not turn
ed the fabled corner, the recip
ients of the Elks hospitality and
Christmas cheer were for the
most part neatly attired.
The Elks did not forget sev
eral score shut ins and gifts were
taken to their homes.
Seek to Operate
Cleveland Buses Tues.
Cleveland, Dec. 24 (IP) Mavor
Thomas A. Burke declared the
Cleveland transit system will be
operating Tuesday "I hope
with our own employes." His
statement came shortly after
2,000 AFL Transit union men
voted today to continue their
three-day strike against Cleve
land's main means of mass pub
lic transportation.
Burke explained he didn't
mean the service will be nor
mal.
c Crt i
v
telephone communications and
Camp about 7 p.m. Friday and
increased in intensity riiirinc thp
I night. : Highway crews were
kept busy all night removing
fallen trees and debris from
roads.
One falling tree demolished
the late model car of Robert
Hughes of Portland. Mrs.
Hughes, who was in the car, suf
fered undetermined injuries. She
was taken to a Portland hos
pital. All telephone connections at
Government Camp were severed
last night. The forest service
V " "' 1 " communications,
1 however, by radio.
Eight inches of snow fell dur-
ing the night. The temperature
dropped to 26 degrees. Strong
gusts of wind piled huge drifts
on tne Mt. Hood highway. Pow
er was cut off at Rhododendron.
State police found an uniden
tified motorist dead under his
car on the highway near Gov
ernment Camp. Police said ho
apparently had suffered a heart
attack while putting chains on
his car. His body was taken to
Oregon City.
The highway to Timberline
lodge -was closed this morning,
but forest service officials ex
pected to have it opened later
loaay.
Meantime, winds and rain
washed out hopes of a white
Christmas for western Oregon.
(Concluded on Pane 5. Column 3)
Holiday Death
Toll Mounting
'By !he Afnoclated PreHBl
Death cut short the holida
season for at least 127 accident
victims this week-end even be
fore Christmas came.
Ninety-two persons were kill
ed in traffic between 8 o.m
(local time Friday and Saturdav
afternoon. Twenty-nine died in
fires, and six in miscellaneous
accidents during the same
period. The death toll by states
with traffic listed first, fire sec
ond, miscellaneous third:
Alabama 3-1-0: California
H-0-0; Colorado, 1-0-0; Connecti
cut, 0-4-0; Florida, 1-0-1; Illi
nois, 4-0-2; Iowa, 3-0-0; Kansas
0-1-0; Kentucky, 2-0-0; Louisi
ana, 1-0-0; Maryland, 1-0-0; Mas
sachusetts, 1-1-1; Michigan,
4-0-0; Minnesota, 5-1-0; Missis
sippi, 3-1-0; Missouri, 2-1-0; New
Jersey, 1-4-0; New Mexico,
1-0-0; New York, 10-1-1; North
Carolina, 3-2-0; Ohio. 10-0-1:
Oklahoma, 1-0-0; Oregon, 3-0-0;
Pennsylvania, 6-2-0; South Car
olina, 1-0-0; Tennessee, 2-3-0;
Texas, 8-7-0; Virginia, 3-0-0:
West Virginia, 1-1-0; Wisconsin,
1-0-0; District of Columbia,
1-0-0.
Lllienthal Gets Award
Washington, Dec. 24 (IP)
David E. Lilienthal, retiring
chairman of the atomic energy
commission, is to receive the
Phi Delta Epsilon merit award
for contributions to medicine
and humanity.
rope Opens
Holy Year Amid
Church Chimes
Communist Disorders
Mingle With Church
Ceremonies
Vatican City, Dec. 24 (M
Pope Pius XII opened the 19.50
Holy year of the Roman Catholic
church today amid the joyous
ringing of church bells and the
angry clatter of communist-led
disorders.
Scarcely had the pontiff un
sealed the Holy door at St.
Peter's basilica with three sym
bolic strokes of a silver ham
mer when communists ordered
and then cancelled a general
strike in Rome province.
Spanish Embassy Stoned
And in the heart of ancient
Rome, as the 25th jubilee year
of the Catholic church began, a
communist-led crowd stoned the
Spanish embassy, crying "Death
to Franco."
Tens of thousands thronged
the Vatican basilica for the sol
elmn pageantry of the opening.
Hundreds took part in the com
munist demonstrations. The
short-lived strike was called
to protest strong police precau
tions against possible incidents
between pilgrims and commu
nists meeting near the basilica
of Santa Maria Maggiore, where
cardinal opened another Holy
door.
(Concluded on Page B, Column T)
Unify Plea Gets
Slight Response
(By the A.v)oclAted Pri.ul
Pope Pius XII's plea for all
faiths to unite under the Roman
Catholic church has met with
either disapproval or silence
from leading Jewish and Pro
testant spokesmen.
Some said they agreed with
the pope that there is a need for
reinvigorated religion in the
world, but were averse to his
idea of joining under the church
at Rome.
The pope, in his Christmas
message yesterday, urged all be
lievers to return to "the one true
church" to combat militant
atheism.
The Federal Council of
Churches of Christ in America,
the nation s largest, representa
tive federation of various Pro
testant denominations, declined
to comment.
Dr. Julius Mark, .senior rabbi
of the country's largest Jewish
congregation, the Temple Eman-u-el,
endorsel the pope's call for
a "religious renewal" but he said
this will not "be achieved by
everyone joining the Roman
Catholic or any other one
church."
We do not regard our own or
any religious communion as 'the
one truj2 church,' " he said.
Every Church dedicated to the
service of God and man is a true
church."
Dr. John W. Bchnken, presi
dent of the Lutheran church
Missouri synod, largest body in
American Luthcrism, said "there
can be no return to a church
which claims to take the place
of Christ, and whose leader
claims to be the vicar of Christ.".
IIJillHlllHIHIIIll I llll II. lUMPH)y
w mm
Picas for Peace Heading his annual Christmas message
before the Sacred College of Cardinals at Vatican City, Pope
Pius XII (center) urged the world to make 'the-1050 Holy
year a turning point towards peace. (Acme Radio-Telophoto)
f t -at rv '
New Duties Charles S.
Murphy (above) will succeed
Clark Clifford as President
Truman's counsel, it was an
nounced at the White House
press conference. Murphy,
who has been a White House
administrative assistant since
1947, will take over his new
duties about February. (Story
on page 9). (Acme Telephoto)
Airplane Pad
With Yugoslavia
Belgrade, Dec. 24 (P) The
United States and Yugoslavia
reached a provisional civil avi
ation agreement today allowing
American civil planes to fly
over this country's territory and
land at its airports.
Simultaneously, it will allow
Yugoslav planes to operate over
American zones of occupation in
Austria and Germany and land
at airports there.
Although it was not specified
in the agreement, it was under
stood here that Pan American
World Airways will use a stop
here on its New York to Cal
cutta run. This will cut about
800 miles off its present route.
The agreement marked the
greatest improvement in Yugoslav-American
aerial relations
since the crisis provoked in 1946
when the Yugoslavs shot down
an American military plane cut
ting across a corner of its coun
try.
The negotiations have been
going on since early November.
Under the terms of the agree
ment, effective immediately, a
United States airline "to be des
ignated by the government,"
will be permitted to pick up and
discharge international passen
gers, traffic and mail at Bel
grade going in either direction.
The Yugoslav planes will have
the same privilege at the occu
pation zone airports.
Symington, Hope
Find Alaska Cold
Anchorage, Alaska, Dec. 24
(U.R Comedian Bob Hope and
Air Secretary Stuart W. Sym
ington arrived in Anchorage
yesterday.
"Holy smoke, it's cold," said
Hope as he stepped off the
plane from Seattle. "Either I
will have to buy a new hat or
I'll have to get a new set of
ears.
Hope is in Alaska to enter
tain servicemen during the
Christmas holidays. He said he
had visited Anchorage before,
and remembered it well.
Ex-Wife Shoots
John Drewry
And Secretary
Five Bullets Put Into
Couple by Former
Spouse After Reunion
Athens, Cia., Dec. 24 (IP) The
ex-wife of University of Georgia
Journalism Dean John E. Drew
ry shot five bullets into her di
vorced husband and his slim,
brunette secretary last night.
The 47-year-old dean was
struck twice. The 28-year-old
secretary. Miss Miriam Thur
mond, received three wounds
from the .32 caliber slubs. Both
wore in satisfactory condition at
Athens general hospital today.
Mrs. Kathleen Drewry, short,
plump and 45, told Athens Banner-Herald
Reporter Ed Thilen
ius that she, the dean and their
17-ycar-old son, Milton, had din
ner together last night. Mrs.
Drewry said she and the dean
agreed on a reconciliation.
Mrs. Drewry's Story
"We were going to be married
again soon," she said.
Mrs. Drewry said the dean
bade her goodnight, wished her
a good night's sleep, and then
left for his apartment.
"Before going to bed, I called
John to tell him how happy I
was and I was sure of a good
night's sleep," she continued.
"But the phone did not answer.
I knew where he was."
Mrs. Drewry said she followed
him to the Thurmond home,
walked into the living room and
fired at Drewry first, then turn
ed the gun on Miss Thurmond.
Mrs. Drewry is being held un
der guard at St. Mary's hospital
on open charges. Sheriff Tommy
Huff said charges of assault with
intent to murder probably will
be filed against her later today.
Drewry Widely Known
The widely known journal
ism dean, the University's ad
ministrator of the Peabody
awards (radio's Pulitzer prizes)
was conscious when taken to th
hospital. He was able io walk
from the Thurmond home to an
ambulance.
Police Chief Clarence Roberta
said Drewry told officers:
"My divorced wife walked in
fo the room where I was sitting;
talking to Miss Thurmond and
abruptly began shooting at us.
She called us horrible names."
ICnnchidfd on rage a, Column 6)
B-50 Wreckage
Bodies Sought
Savannah, Ga., Dec. 14 (IP) A
swamp buggy crew today drew
the task of seaching the wreck
age of a B-S0 alrforce bomber
for the bodies of six missing air
men.
Five bodies already have been
removed from the debris deep in
marsh bordering the Savannah
river.
The 11 men met their deaths
when the huge, four engine
bomber, an improved version of
the B-29, crashed Thursday
night, five minutes after taking
off from Chatham field near
here.
Among those killed were Lt.
Rogers Hornsby, Jr., 29-year-
oid son of baseball's famed Rog
ers Hornsby, and veteran of 50
bombing missions during World
War II. Hornsby was a native
of Denison, Tex.
In Chicago, the elder Hornsby
said he and Mrs. Hornsby had
been divorced for many years
and that he had last seen his son
in 194B. His visits with the
young lieutenant were infre
quent, the veteran player-mana
ger said.
Another hero In die in the
flaming craft was Capt. Andrew
O. Walker of Norfolk. Va.. who
took part in SI bomber tasks
over Europe.
Twice Capt. Andrews brought
his riddled plane back home.
once after two engines had been
knocked out. He held the Dis
tinguished Flying Cross with
three oak leaf clusters.
I
? Merry Christmas
Is the Capital Journal's
wish to one and all I
In observance of the hol
iday, there will be no pa
pr published Monday, De
cember 2lith.
The office will be closed
throughout the entire day,
one of tile two holidays ob
served by this newspaper
during the year, a custom
of HO years' standing.
tyy Merry Christmas lj