THE WEATHER HERE
MOSTLY CLOUDY with occa
sional showers tonight, Friday.
Little change In temperature.
Lowest tonight, 32; highest Fri
day, 40.
Maximum yeiterdy, 86; minimum in
day, S3. Total 24-hour precipitation: ,M(
for month: 1A.45I normal, 4.4S. Sraion
prerlpltatlon, 2fl.4I; normal, 21.75. River
height, 1S.6 feat, falling. (Report by U.S.
Weather Bureau.)
Capital
Journal
HOME
EDITION
62nd Year, No. 22
Entered u lecood elus
mttr at 6a,lm, Oregon
Salem, Oregon, Thursday, January 26, 1950 a3 y M (24 Pages)
Price 5c
7
Snow Turns fo
Slush But Cold
Wave Forecast
More Chilly Showers
((And Freezing Rain
Tonight and Friday
More chilly showers with
possibility of some freezing rain
and continued low tempera
tures loom as the weather pros
pect in Salem tonight and Fri
day.
The local weather bureau's
forecast is for cloudiness with
occasional showers tonight and
( tomorrow, and a minimum of 32
degrees tonight, freezing point
A noontime forecast from the
Portland weather bureau, how
ever, warned western Oregon
may have more snow through
tomorrow with a chance some of
the precipitation may be freez
ing rain, at least around the
Portland area.
Snow Turns to Rain
In Salem for Thursday, how
ever, the situation had "eased"
from the biting cold earlier in
the week. The morning mini
mum was up to 33 degrees here
and snow and rain fell during
the night and early morning to
turn an earlier snowfall into
slush.
Wind, snow and rain brought
on a varying storm for the Sa
lem area Wednesday night. The
wind reached 40 miles an hour
velocity in minute averages and
was even higher m some gusts.
At times it was accompanied by
a flurry of "dry" snowflakes,
but temperatures eased and rain
came.
Half-Inch Precipitation
Precipitation in the 24-hour
period -ending at 10:30 a.m.
Thursday was exactly one-half
inch, bringing the month's to
tal to date to 10.42 inches.
To the north, Portland was
struggling with continued cold
and snow last night, although the
morning temperatures were
higher. Portland's temperature
dropped to 22 degrees during
the night, but was up to 34 be
fore dawn. Winds and heavy
rains caused numerous power
failures in Portland during the
night.
Heavy Snows
Over Northwest
(By the Associated Press)
Heavy snow fell over most of
western Washington overnight as
till - freezing temperatures
climbed upward in most parts
of the Pacific northwest.
Sub-zero cold continued in
the northern sector of eastern
Washington, but the mercury
did not get to the extreme lows
of the previous night.
The coldest report came from
rOmak. It was 9 below zero there
and 8 below at Wenatchee.
Many schools closed in Wash
ington cities and rural- areas
because of transportation trou
bles in the new snow.
Moderating weather brought
lush conditions in some west
ern Oregon areas.
The forecast was for snow
flurries or rain and snow in
western Washington, rain or
now in western Oregon and in
termittent snow east of the Cas
cades. Chains Needed
In Mountains
Motorists need chains on all
mountain roads in Oregon, as
well as in several sections of
eastern Oregon, the state high
way commission said today.
Roads still closed today were:
The Columbia river highway
by snowslides between Hood
River and Cascade Locks, the
Oregon coast highway by a slide
13 miles south of Port Orford,
nd the Siuslaw highway by a
cave-in near Florence.
The Corvallis-Eastside high
way was reopened today after
being closed by high water.
The road report:
Government Camp Snowing
hard, packed snow, plowing,
chains required. 11 inches new
now, 124 inches roadside snow.
Columbia River highway
Closed by slide at Shell Rock.
Sunset and Wilson River high
ways Packed snow. 10 inches
new snow.
Salem Slush.
Corvallis Slush.
Eugene Showers.
Santiam Pass High wind,
packed snow, plowing, chain;
required. 8 inches new snow.
Detroit Dam
1949 Progress
On Schedule
Access Roads, River
Diversion, and Exca
vation as Expected
By JAMES D. OLSON
Progress on development of
the Detroit dam project in 1949
came up to expectations, accord'
ing to Lt. Col. J. W. Miles, resi
dent engineer on the job.
Construction on the main dam
is ten percent over all, he said.
Accomplishments to date include
construction of access roads,
completion of river diversion
and excavation of about one-
third of the dam foundation.
Expected to be accomplished
during the present year includes
completion of the foundation ex
cavation, erection of a construc
tion plant, including high line
cableways, quarry, aggregate
processings, concrete mixing
plants and cement handling fa
cilities. Pouring of mass con
crete in the dam structure is ex
pected to commence in June.
Salmon Hatchery
The salmon hatchery under
construction at Marion Forks is
about 60 percent complete and
will be ready for use early this
spring.
Contracts for clearing 800
acres within the reservoir area
were awarded during the sum
mer. These contracts and future
similar contracts, in addition to
reservoir clearing, provide for
salvage of merchantable timber
cut in the area. Four hundred
acres of the 800 under contract
are completely cleared and the
emainder will be finished in
May 1950. All reservoir clearing
must be accomplished by the
fall of 1951, Col. Miles said.
Concluded on Page 5, Column 6)
Weather on
Climatic Binge
By the Associated Press)
The nation's weather was on a
climactic binge today.
Most of nature's elements ap
peared on the loose, fashioning
a crazy-quilt of contrasts across
the country.
The late January weather pic
ture:
There was bitter cold and
mountainious snow over the
northern plains.
Cotton was blooming in Or
angeburg county, S. C, five
months ahead of schedule. At
East Point, Ga., an Atlanta su
burb, a quince tree was abloom.
In Virginia, trees were bud
ding and flowers were blooming
as January heat records toppled
in many communities. The mer
cury climbed to 78 at Richmond
and 78.3 at Norfolk yesterday,
all-time top marks for the date.
Rain pelted wide areas. Freez
ing rain splashed many sections
and travel skidded to a crawl.
Fog blanketed the area of New
York City and New Jersey. Air
travel and shipping was at a
virtual standstill. The big liner
Queen Mary was halted at Am
brose light, unable to reach in
ner New York harbor because of
fog. Three big airports, La
Guardia, Idlewild and Newark
were blanketed by the fog and
the ceiling was 100 feet and vis
ibility l16th of a mile.
Salem's Total Fire loss
In 1949 Over $105,845
Salem's total adjusted fire loss in 1949 was $105,845.67, with
figures not quite complete, says tne annual report of Fire Chief
W. P. Roble, made to City Manager J. L. Franzen. Thursday.
This loss was, in buildings, $66,021.89, and in contents $39.-
823.78.
The sound or actual value of
buildings and contents involved
in fires was $2,258,274.34, and
the insurance carried on them
was $1,776,505.
An interesting item in the re
port is 128 building fires occur
red in which the fire department
was not called, with losses total
ing $7,720.28. These became
known through insurance ad
justments. There may have been
more unreported fires
The total number of alarms
during the year was 569. Out
side the city limits 46 alarms
were answered. Eight false
alarms were recorded and 31
unnecessary alarms.
The total number of building
fires was 356, grass and brush
fires 71, all other outdoor fires
except autoi 51, and automo
bile fires were 52. The auto loss
was $1,440.50.
The use and occupancy of
e
Myers' Profits
10 Percent Gross
Washington. Jan. 26 VP) A
New York banker testified to
day that Guy C. Myers, New
York investment broker, will get
10 percent of any gross profit
a bankers group may make from
its proposed purchase of 500,000
shares of the common stock of
the Pacific Power and Light
company.
American Power and Light
company, owner of the stock, is
seeking security and exchange
commission permission to sell
the stock to a group of New
York bankers for $18,500,000.
The stock purchase would give
the bankers control of Pacific.
B. J. Van Ingen, president of
the B. J. Van Ingen & Co., man
ager of the proposed deal, tes
tified at an SEC hearing today
that a revised contract with My
ers gives him 10 percent of the
gross profits of the group. He
said if no profits are realized
Myers will get nothing. He
added that if the stock is re-sold
Myers gets no commission from
those sales.
Van Ingen estimated that per
haps the New York group could
re-sell the entire facilities of
Pacific and its stock for $80,-
000,000 to $85,000,000. George
L. Rogers. Jr., SEC counsel, es
timated this would give a gross
profit to the bankers of about
53,800,000 from which Myers
would get his 10 percent.
Rogers said the contract made
by Van Ingen called for Myers
to receive 10 percent on gross
profits up to $3,600,000, 19 per
cent on the next $3,900,000 of
gross profits and 10 percent for
any amount above that.
Van Ingen said he had been
advised that the $80,000,000 to
$85,000,000 was all he could get
for the property located in a pub
lic power area of the Pacific
Northwest. He said he was ad
vised it would bring more if it
were a non-public power area
Explosion Is Thunder
Portland, Jan. 26 (IP) Police
got a number of telephone calls
today from people who thought
they heard an explosion at 2:35
a. m.
The weather bureau said it
was a loud clap of thunder.
buildings involved in fires was:
residential, including hotels and
private garages. 282; non-resi
dential, 23; mercantile and bus!
ness, 28; manufacturing, 13
storage, 2; miscellaneous, 8.
Classes 01 buildings were:
Frame. 311; brick, 28, concrete,
15; stucco, 1; marble, 1.
Among causes of fires defec
tive chimneys led with 162 The
next main cause was careless
smoking, 62. Boys and matches
caused 20, electric motors 12
electric wiring 24, fire crack
ers 13, grass and brush 22,
grease 10, oil furnace backfire
and explosions 11, oil stoves
flooded or defective 23, rubbish
23, unknown causes were 13
and unnecessary causes 23. Nu
merous other causes are listed
in smaller numbers.
Calls made by the first-aid
crew during the year totaled
1581.
Camera-Shy Prisoners The trio above, accused of burg
laries and forgeries in a series of Salem and mid-Willamette
valley crimes, is shown above waiting to appear before
Judge Joseph B. Felton in district court. The Capital
Journal cameraman tried all the tricks of his trade to snap
a photo showing the faces of the three Harold B. Lancelle,
David R. Cook, and his wife, Jean. A false flash, shuffling
feet and other techniques failed to cause Lancelle to look up
or the Cooks to break their huddle. The trio has served time
in Wisconsin penal institutions.
One of Burglary Trio
Waives Examination
By DOUGLAS THOMAS
The mid-west trio, admittedly implicated in a scries of burg
Iaries conducted in a three-county area, split forces Thursday
in district court where they were
David R. Cook, speaking for
Judge Joseph B. Felton for a
A-Bomb Request
Cut $41 Millions
Washington, Jan. 26 u.R An
allusion by President Truman
to new developments in U. S.
A-bomb production went un
explained today;
Whatever they are, they save
the taxpayers $41,090,000.
Mr. Truman asked congress
late yesterday for $87,650,000
additional contract author
ity for the atomic energy com
mission to use in the fiscal year
ending June 30.
It is part of a previously an
nounced "expansion of produc
tive capacity for the atomic en
ergy program." But the sum
is $41,090,000 below previous
estimates.
Mr. Truman attributed the cut
to "recent technological develop
ments" which have made it "un
necessary to proceed with a pre
viously scheduled construction
project."
Asked what the new develop
ments are, the AEC said they
are "Classified." Asked what the
project was that is not needed,
the commission said that was a
secret, too.
It appeared certain, however,
that the president's request has
nothing to do with the "hydro
gen" bomb," construction of
which is now being debated by
Mr. Truman and his advisers.
Clamp on Oil
Imports Asked
Washington, Jan. 26 (IP) Pre
sident Truman today received a
congressional request to clamp a
quota limitation on imports of
foreign oil.
Sponsors of the plan said the
move is needed to prevent "seri
ous consequences" for indepen
dent American producers.
Rep. Wright Patman (D-Tex)
presented to Mr. Truman a re
port drafted after hearings by
an oil subcommittee of the house
small business committee head
ed by Patman.
It urged that Mr. Truman im
mediately invoke the "escape
clause" in reciprocal trade
agreements. It declared those
agreements permit foreign oil to
"invade" the home market.
Patman told reporters on leav
ing the White House that im
ports should be cut to an ap
proximate balance with Ameri
can exports. The latter now ap
proximate 340,000 barrels daily,
he said.
By contrast, the report showed
that in the last half of 1949 im
ports from Arabia, Latin-America
and elsewhere average 700.-
1800 barrels daily.
arraigned.
himself and his wife, .asked
continuance to enable them to
secure an attorney. Cook is
faced with two separate burg-
lary charges as well as a forgery
charge while his wife, Jean L.
Cook, is accused of one burglary
and a forgery.
Harold B. Lancelle, the third
member of the trio, spoke out in
a cold clear voice:
"I want to waive preliminary
examination and the grand
jury," he said, obviously know
ing that his action would hasten
his appearance before circuit
court for final action.
The group, all said by police
to be former inmates of Wiscon
sin penal institutions, made their
appearance In court in the morn
ing. At the same time, new
warrants for their arrests ar-
rived from Washington county.
Those warrants accused the two
men of burglary.
The two men showed little
emotion in court, but Cook was
obviously concerned about his
wife. She was arrested Wednes
day noon and signed a statement
admitting the crimes of which
she was accused.
After that ordeal, and before
she was taken to the county jail
for the night, she was permitted
to spend a few moments with
her husband in an interrogation
room at police headquarters.
They conversed in whispers, but
Mrs. Cook was frequently
shaken by quiet but racking
sobs.
They are the parents of three
children all boys aged, five,
four, and the youngest six
months.
Her confession pointed to her
concern for the children by stat
ing that she and her husband
had "both worked hard trying
to make up to our children for
the time we were away from
them."
The Cooks arrived In Salem
in 1948, and presumably lived
a circumspect life until the ar
rival of Lancelle from Wiscon
sin early this month.
All three lived at 635 South
Liberty street.
'Cougar' Screams
Lead fo Man's Body
Canyon City, Ore , Jan. 26 (U.R)
Reports of neighbors that they
had heard cougars screaming led
to discovery of the body of John
Peter Claus, 84, in a clump of
brush along Canyon creek south
of here, state police said today.
Police said Claus body was
found Tuesday night in the brush
a short distance from his cabin
where he had lived alone for
16 years. They said he died of
exposure.
Neighbors told officers they
had not seen the elderly man all
day Tuesday and had noted his
cabin was locked from the out
side. They said that later they
heard cougars screaming In the
area near where Claus body was
found.
Wallace Says
No Connection
With Uranium
Testifies Did Not
Even Know Russia
Asked Shipment
Washington, Jan. 26 VP) Hen
ry A. Wallace said today he had
'absolutely nothing to do with"
wartime uranium shipments to
Russia.
Wallace, wartime vice pres
ident, testified before the house
un-American activities commit
tee. He asked to be heard after
radio commentator Fulton Lew
is, Jr., said in a broadcast last
month that Wallace helned the
Russians get supplies of atomic
materials. Uranium is used in
making the A-bomb.
In a statement, Wallace told
the committee he did not even
know the Russians were asking
licenses for the shipments. He
added:
I did know that lend-lease
recommended, after consulting
with the Manhattan district,
that they be issued, and the
agency which I headed, the bur
eau of economic warfare, had
no discretionary authority with
respect to them."
Two Basic Questions
The Manhattan district was
the army's name for the war
time atomic bomb project. The
board of economic warfare
(BEW), which Wallace headed,
had control over exports and
imports of war-vital materials.
The house committee has re
ceived testimony that several
shipments of uranium com
pounds were sent from the
United States to Russia during
the war.
Wallace said the testimony
before the committee had rais
ed two basic questions concern
ing him:
(Concluded on Page 5, Column 8)
Red Blockade
Seen in Move
New York, Jan. 26 VP) John
J. McCloy, American high com
missioner for Germany, is report
ed today to believe that the in
creasing Russian restrictions on
Berlin traffic mark the begin
ning of a creeping blockade.
A source familiar with Mc
Cloy's view said the high com
missioner believes the new re
strictions are a form of continu
ous aim-twisting designed to try
to keep the western sector from
becoming too prosperous.
It was said that McCloy did
not believe the Russians would
rcimpose the Berlin blockade in
the same form as last year but
that they would try some new
tactics along the same line.
McCloy has been in the U. S.
for consultation with the Amer
ican government.
McCloy was understood to feel
that the concept of a unified
western Europe had the firm
support of Chancellor Adeneaur
and most of the people in the
western zones.
He was reported also to feel
that the great body of German
opinion would support some
transfer of sovereignty in order
to make the idea of western Eur
ope work.
Storm Warnings Continued
Seattle, Jan.. 26 VP) Storm
warnings were continued this
forenoon along the Washintgon
coast and south to Cape Blanco,
Ore. The weather bureau fore
cast was for winds from 30 to 40
miles an hour.
CAB To Hold One Hearing
On UAL Removal in City
One session of the civil aeronautics board hearing in the pro
postal to discontinue United Air Lines service to Salem and sub
stitute that of West Coast Airlines, a feeder line, will be held in
Salem.
That was the word telegraphed to the Capital Journal Thurs
day morning by Rep. Walter
Norblad
Norblad further slated that,
the civil aeronautics board had
informed him that ' several phas
es of the West Coast case would
require attendance of several
members of the CAB staff at
the hearing" but budget limita
tions would not permit all mem
bers to go to Salem.
Because of this, the CAB stat
ed, it would be impossible to
hold the entire hearing In Sa
lem, but to accomodate the In
terested communities agreed to
hold one session here.
Th session in Salem will be
Explosion on
Planet Mars
To Be Watched
Albuquerque, N.M., Jan. 26
(IP) A worldwide watch of the
planet Mars has been ordered by
scientists following reports of a
terrific explosion 1 there Jan.
16.
World Director Walter Haas
of the Association of Lunar and
Planetary Observers, said the
work is being concentrated in
western Germany, where the
planet can be observed better.
Haas, University of New Mex
ico mathematics instructor, said
he had received a report on the
explosion from a Japanese mem
ber of the association.
The reported explosion pushed
a greyish cloud 60 miles in the
air and the explosion diameter
was measured at approximately
900 miles, the scientist said.
He described height and color
of the cloud as "remarkable."
Trial Opens of
Coplon Spy Case
New York, Jan. 26 VP) The
government opened its case
against Judith Coplon and Val
entin A. Gubitchcv today.
Raymond P. Whcarty, special
assistant to the U. S. attorney
general, told a federal court jury
he would prove that the former
government girl and the Russian
engineer plotted to steal U. S.
defense secrets for the Soviet
Union.
Lawyers for the defendants
were to make their opening re
marks after Whearty finished
They held a brief conference be
fore today's trial session opened
in an effort to iron out differ
ences over how the defense
should be conducted.
Whearty spoke quietly and un-
dramatically. Most of the time
he addressed the jurors, six men
and six women, but occasionally
he spoke directly to the petite,
28-year-old Miss Coplon and the
stubby, 33-ycar-old Gubitchev.
A courtroom argument
brought into the open yesterday
the differences between Miss
Coplon's counsel, Archibald Pal
mer, and Gubitchev's counsel,
Abraham L. Pomerantz.
The lawyers were about as far
apart as the two defendants have
been lately. Miss Coplon, a lit
tle brunette, says she loved Gu
bitchcv until she learned he was
married. In court, they have
avoided each other.
Mac Works on
70th Birthday
Tokyo, Jan. 26 (P) General
MacArthur, the man who has
ruled Japan since the rising sun
set more than four years ago,
was 70 years old today.
Physically well and menially
tough, the supreme allied occu
pation commander talked a lit
tle about his increasingly diffi
cult job but not for publica
tion. It is also known he does not
think war is imminent. He is
known to regard modern war as
so nearly all-destructive that any
future conflict might prostrate
the participants.
But today you would hardly
have known ho had anything on
his mind but a birthday.
There was little ceremony or
fanfare.
The general, tall and thin
and working as every other day,
briskly stepped from behind his
huge uncluttered desk to greet
a long line of wcllwishers.
devoted to testimony of city rep
resentatives. Cities besides Sa
lem affected by the hearing
stretch from Medford to Belling
ham, Wash.
The telegram also slated that
no definite date for the hearing
had yet been set. The date of
the hearing has twice been
changed. Most recent news on
the date was that it would be
late in February or In March.
Exhibits for the case were to
be in the hands of the CAB by
January 16 and date for the re
hutnls on the exhibits is Janu-
ary 30.
Truman Says
Working Hard
On Coal Strike
No Action Expected
Before Next Week as
Emergency Grows
Washington, Jan. 26 (IP) A
White House visitor reported to
day that President Truman said
he Is "working as hard as he
can" on the soft coal strike and
"hopes for results."
The visitor was Senator Kil
gore (D-W Va) . He told report
ers he had advised Mr. Truman
that his own state, at least, is
suffering an emergency.
I don't know whether there
is a national emergency or not,"
Kilgore said, "but as far as West
Virginia is concerned it is defi
nitely an emergency."
The senator said he had made
no recommendations as to use of
the "national emergency" pro
visions of the Taft-Hartley act
or other proposals for bringing
peace to the coal lields, but
merely had described conditions.
He went on:
Action Next Week
The president said he Is
working as hard as he can and
hopes for results."
Earlier, White House sources
indicated no action could be ex
pected before next week in the
spreading coal walkout.
A direct signal from John L.
Lewis appeared to be the only
thing that would head off (1)
further spread of the coal stop
page and (2) intervention by Mr.
Truman.
More and more soft coal min
ers dropped their tools this
week, and Director James Boyd
of the bureau of mines told the
senate labor committee yestcr-
.day that unless coal production
increases at once, ' the national
economy, health and welfare of
the nation is now or soon will
be imperiled."
(Concluded on Page 5, Column 5
106,000 Idle
Chrysler Strike
Detroit, Jan. 26 (IP) The CIO
United Auto Workers faced up to
possibly long strike today for
the kind of pension plan they
want from Chrysler.
Some union sources said the
strike, which started at 10 a.m.
(EST) yesterday, might last at
least a month. It immediately
idled 106,000 workers.
State and federal labor medi
ators, however, expressed hope
that bargaining talks could be
resumed this week.
Both company and union rep
resentatives said they were will
ing to return any time the me
diators arranged a meeting.
At a dead stop was the daily
production of 7,000 automobiles
by Chrysler, one of the indus
try's three top producers. Chrys
ler's major rivals are Ford and
General Motors.
Basically, the company-union
fight was over the form and ad
ministration of $100 monthly
pensions.
After negotiations covering
half a year's time, Chrysler of
fered the pensions. But the un
ion objected to the conditions.
The walkout affected 85,000
Chrysler production workers,
most of them in Michigan. The
company makes Chrysler, Do So
to, Plymouth and Dodge cars.
The Briggs Manufacturing Co.,
Chryler's biggest supplier, an
nounced it was laying of 21,000
employes. The firm makes auto
bodies.
Ching Lauds Labor
Peace in Northwest
Seattle, Jan. 26 VP) One of
the nation's best records of in
dustrial peace is found in the
Pacific northwest, Cyrus Clunii,
director of the federal media
tion and conciliation service,
said here last night.
The four northwest states-
Washington, Oregon, Idaho and
Montana had but 37 strikes
last year, he said.
Chine also came out strong
ly for preservation of labor's
most effective weapon the
strike which he described as
'like a pistol in a policeman's
holster effective as long as it's
there and seldom has to be
used."
Chief Hits Pole
Oregon City, Jan. 26 (IP) The
urora chief of Police. Tom
Miller, crashed into a power
pole here today as he was chas
ing a speeding car.
Miller said his car skidded on
ice. He escaped injury.