THE WEATHER HERE
PARTLY CLOUDY TONIGHT
with increasing cloudiness
Tuesday. Continued cold. Low
est tonight, near 12; highest
Tuesday, near 28.
Maximum jeiterday, 25; minimum to
day, U. Total 24-hour precipitation: .8fij
lor month: 11.72t normal, fl.lfl. Season
precipitation, Sfl.71j normal, HAS, R1t
er height, 8.2 feet. (Report by U.S. Wea
ther, Bureau.)
Capital jJmal
HO
EDITION
62nd Year, No. 25 S&ffm
Salem, Oregon, Monday, January 30, 1950
(76 Pages)
Price 5c
Two-Nation Air
Truman to Get
Go-Ahead to
Haste Urged by
Armada Hunts
Missing (-54
American and Cana
dian Plane Search in
Sub-Zero Weather
Whitehorse, Y.T., Jan. 30 (U.R)
FHA on Coales
Building Plan
New Snowfall
Followed by
Bitterest Cold
Season's New Low of
10 Degrees Brought by
Freezing North Wind
By MARIAN LOWRY FISCHER
It's a case of adding insult to
injury following nearly a solid
month of snow and ice, the most
bitter cold of the winter to date
moved in over Salem and val
ley regions during the week-end,
sending thermometers skidding
to new seasonal lows and bring
ing quantities of new snow,
t. More of the intense cold is due
tonight and Tuesday with no in
dication of when the break is
due, although the weather bu
reau does predict increasing
cloudiness for Tuesday.
Scenery Beautiful
Blue skies and bright sunshine
made the pile-up of dry, powdery
snow sparkle and glisten for
beautiful scenery, Monday, but
an icy wind prevailed.
Monday morning's minimum
in Salem dipped to 12 degrees
and the mercury is due to hit
that mark or go possibly lower
tonight.
The minimum Sunday went
down to 10 degrees, the lowest
mark here since in January of
1943. In that year the minimum
dropped to 5 degrees on Janu
ary 24 and was at 10 on Janu
ary 18.
6.4 Inches New Snow
With 6.4 inches more of new
snow piling up over the week
end, 9 inches covered the ground
In Salem Monday morning, the
weather bureau reported, and in
higher elevations about the city
the measurements were even
deeper.
The all-time record for snow
fall in one month was broken
for here Saturday, and the week
end but continued to increase the
record. To 10:30 a.m. Mon
day, a total of 35.8 inches has
been measured for January here,
the greatest amount tj, be re
corded in any one month here
as far as records show.
(Concluded on Page 5, Column. 6)
Local Schools
Remain Closed
Faced with the almost impos
sible task of transporting some
1600 pupils, including not a few
from the higher elevations
south of the city and from the
Eola hills across the river, the
Salem school administration
early Monday decided not to
conduct classes.
Snow ranging in depth up to
12 inches, coupled with the fact
that the roads had not been
broken, was the deciding factor
in the decision not to open, said
Superintendent Frank B. Ben
nett. The superintendent was
out long before dawn testing
conditions first hand.
Unless conditions grow worse
in the meantime, all schools
will reopen Tuesday morning.
Train Backs
Down 3 Miles
Spokane, Wash., Jan. 30 P)
More than 200 frightened but
. orderly passengers sat quietly in
a disabled streamliner train last
night as it rolled backward down
a hill in central Washington.
A fire in the electric engine
of the Milwaukee railroad's
crack Hiawatha streamliner
stalled the train on a hill east of
Kittitas.
The swiftly rolling train was
brought to a halt by crew mem
bers and passengers who helped
apply manual brakes on each
car after the air brake failed.
The only injuries were receiv
ed by the engineer and fireman.
Both were slightly affected by
gas fumes as they fought the
fire.
Engineer Edward Maxwell,
67, of Spokane, estimated the
train rolled about three miles
dragging its dead engine. He and
Fireman Dick Liberty. 30, of
Spokane, were driven from the
cab by gas fumes as it glided
slowly away. Maxwell estimated
the train reached a speed of
slightly more than 15 miles an
hour on the downhill run.
Naval Attache to Karachi
Karachi, Pakistan, Jan. 30 VP)
The United States government
has decided to send a naval at
tache to Karachi, the American
embassy disclosed today. It is
the first nation to do so.
A two-nation air armada
spurred on by a determined
RCAF officer's "we will find
them today" fanned out over
frozen sub-Arctic terrain in
search of a missing C-54 trans
port today despite plunging
temperatures and darkening
skies.
The missing airforce trans
port carrying 44 persons, in
cluding a woman and baby son,
disappeared Thursday.
Royal Canadian Air Force
Commodore M. Costello's optim
istic forecast was based on the
increasing number of planes in
the air and the narrowing of
the search to two "priority
areas."
More Planes Join Search
RCAF search squadrons be
gan taking off at 7 a.m. (pst).
More U. S. pianos joined the
RCAF ships every hour as the
search was intensified.
The priority areas were set
up after residents sent persis
tent reports of explosions, flares
and lights.
One very dangerous area in
the immediate vicinity of White
horse remained unchecked be
cause of dangerous weather
conditions. Lt.Col. E. R. Strause
directing search operations for
the U. S. air force, said this
area would be checked later
today.
The area from Northway, Al
aska, to Edmonton, Alta., was
being blocked off in 30 square
mile grids with planes assign
ed to each grid.
(Concluded on Page 5, Column 8)
Dallas Schools
Open Tuesday
Dallas, Ore., Jan. 30 While
school was dismissed Monday,
every effort will be made to
keep the buildings open in the
future and school will be held
Tuesday if the buses are able
to operate over the main or
state highways, picking up stu
dents wherever possible, S. E.
Whitworth, superintendent, an
nounced today.
More than six Inches of new
snow fell Sunday night with a
14 degree temperature and wind
causing some driftage, sufficient
to prevent the school buses from
making their usual runs Mon
day.
Superint e n d e n t Whitworth
says that the city school sys
tern loses between $400 and $500
a day from the state school sup
port fund each day that the
schools are closed.
Firemen were called to the E.
A. DeHut home, 805 Jefferson,
around 8 o'clock Sunday morn
ing where an automobile and
part of a garage were burned.
The fire is believed to have
started from a cigarette. The
fire department was also called
at the same hour Monday by a
flue fire.
Operations are still being con
tinued by the Willamette Valley
Lumber company though con
tinued cold and additional snow
are expected to result in heavy
curtailment or a complete stoppage.
Master Criminals Loot
$575,000
New York, Jan. 30 (U.R) Two
Raffles" and the other a "Jimmy Valentine,'' hid out with
their gangs today from police
netted $575,500 in 48 hours.
The "Raffles" thief master-minded the Saturday night burglary
of $428,000 in jewels and $500;
in cash from Maxine Moore
Sanson, 32, former model and
wife of millionaire hosiery
company president Stanton D.
Sanson. This was the biggest
jewel robbery in New York's
criminal history.
"Raffles" also may have been
the leader of the three man
gang which looted half-pint
showman Billy Rose's home of
$100,000 in jewels and furs
Thursday night, police said.
But it was a "Jimmy Valen
tine" police and FBI agents
sought for the burglary in sub
urban Babylon on Long Island
of $47,000 in cash and travel
er's checks the Suffolk County
; . ;; '
s H J?- lir,' , - . , J
1 1 1 1 ' w
Russians Ease
Berlin Blockade
Berlin, Jan. 30 (U.R) Truck
traffic in and out of Berlin
speeded up to near normal to
day as the Russians relaxed their
10-day-old baby blockade.
Eight to 10 trucks an hour
passed through the Soviet check
point near Helmstedt during the
night and western officials
thought the rate might go up to
15 or 20 during the day.
During the peak of the baby
blockade last week Berlin-bound
trucks were slowed down to as
few as twq an hour!
End of the baby blockade was
signaled during the week-end
when East German police an
nounced the ending of what they
called "document orientation
week."
During the slowdown Russian
border guards spent between 15
and 30 minutes in a minute in
spection of all documents car
ried by German truckers. If
documents were not in order
trucks were turned back until
they were corrected.
The Russians, with their usual
secrecy, refused however to give
any guarantees that the slow
down would not be reimposed
any time the fancy seized them.
Maj. Gen. Maxwell D. Tay
lor, American commander in
Berlin, said the Russian slow
down was intended to harass the
economy of Western Berlin,
Earthquakes in Iran
Cause Loss of Life
Teheran, Iran, Jan. 30 P)
Government officials rushed re
lief supplies today to the Per
sian gulf area of Bushire, struck
by a recent series of sharp earth
quakes.
First unofficial reports on the
toll had said that more than
1,500 persons were killed but
the government said it believed
these figures were greatly ex
aggerated. The government,
however, gave no figure of its
own on the possible total of
dead. Rescue and relief work
ers in Bushire thus far have re
covered only 30 bodies.
Gems in NY
master-criminals, one a real-life
and FBI agents after three thefts
Federal Savings & Loan as
ciation Saturday night.
That all three of the recent
robberies here had been plan
ned by master criminals was
apparent in the fact the law of
ficers had virtually no clues to
work with.
And it was a safecracker with
the "Jimmy Valentine" touch
who slipped into the Babylon
bank through a back window
opened the vault either by
knowing the combination or
listening to the tumblers fall,
and slipped back out without
leaving a fingerprint. He took
$35,000 in cash and $12,000 in
traveler's checks. The bank is
diagonally cross the street from
police headquarters.
silver Creek, Fairyland of Ice and Snow Snow to a depth
of eight to 20 inches covered the Silver Creek falls area
Sunday and a festoon of icicles formed at the brink of the
falls. Right: Canyons of snow are open to the motorist who
visits this recreational area but chains are necessary for an
easy, safe trip.
County Court Numes
Airport Zoning Board
Donald Cannon and Hedda Swart were named by the Marion
county court Monday to serve as members of the five-man joint
airport zoning board. Two other members will be appointed
by the City of Salem, probably at the next council meeting
February 13. The fifth member will be named by the four ap
pointed men.
Truman Eying
Strike Action
Washington, Jan. 30 VP) The
White House checked today on
the number of coal miners at
work and there were reports
President Truman was ready to
act quickly if strikers do not go
back to the pits.
.4t a forenoon news confer
ence, Charles Ross, presidential
press secretary, said, "I can't an
swer anything at the momnt."
He said Mr. Truman had noth
ing to add to what he has al
ready said he would step in if
the situation required action
from him.
It was learned the White House
is getting reports on the response
of the miners to week-end hints
that presidential action could be
expected unless they got back
to the three-day work week or
dered by John L. Lewis, their
union leader.
They apparently were not in
clined to abandon the strike.
The Associated Press bureau
at Pittsburgh, compiling reports
from over the country, figured
at least 88,500 miners stayed at
home this morning when work
whistles blew. This compares
with 88,000 last week.
Snow Too Lioht
For Removal
The city will not attempt any
removal from the streets, either
downtown or farther out, for
another 24 hours, dating from
noon Monday.
This was decided at a confer
ence between City Manager j.
L. Franzen and City Enginer J,
H. Davis shortly before noon.
They were also in conference
around 10 o'clock Sunday night.
The reason for it is mainly one
of economy. The snow is very
light and fluffy, it is explained
by the engineer, and a truck
load of snow wouldn't weigh
over 150 pounds. So it wouldn't
pay to haul it away until it is
more solidly packed.
Besides that the city officials
think there is a possibility of
more snow late today or tonight.
Some sanding of intersections
has been done.
Aside from the shutting down
of construction on city projects
little damage has been caused by
the snow.
Utilities have little damage or
inconvenience to report. The
Portland General Electric com
pany said a little trouble had oc
curred in the Silvcrton hills be-
caus of snow-laden limbs falling
bora trees.
Cannon is president of the
Salem Gun club, located within
a mile of the northwest corner
of McNary field. The court chose
him for the zoning board be
cause of his familiarity with the
area surrounding the airport.
Swart, Marion county engi
neer, was named to the position
for his ability to survey the ter
ritory and his knowledge of the
roads and tracts in that vicinity.
The airport zoning board is
being formed by the county and
city to conform to a requirement
issued by the Civil Aeronautics
commission. The purpose of the
board will be to regulate the
height of buildings, power poles,
etc., in the vicinity of the air
port as a safety measure.
The board will establish vari
ous zones around the airport.
The closer each zone is to the
airport, the lesser height will be
allowed on buildings.
Trees which are above the
height established by the board
will be cut.
The aim of the project is to
lessen the likelihood of hazard
the event a plane comes in
low.
Plan to Increase
Pacific Fleet
Washington, Jan. 30 VP) The
navy is considering adding a
half dozen destroyers and an
aircraft carrier to its Pacific
fleet.
The trend toward rebuilding
naval power in the Pacific,
which started with the arrival
of the new chief of naval oper
ations, Admiral Forrest P Sher
man, has shown signs of being
accelerated by communist suc
cesses in China.
Presumably the carrier would
be transferred from the Atlantic.
It is not clear whether all or part
of the six-ship destroyer divi
sion would be transfers or some
of them new additions to the
overall destroyer force of the
navy.
Naval strength planned for
under the new budget provides
for operating only six first line
carriers. Eight have been in op
eration recently, of which two
are in the Pacific. It is expected
the navy will keep its three 45,-000-ton
Midway class carriers in
operation, laying up some of the
27,000-ton Essex class flattops
to bring the total down to bud
getary limits.
Destroyer strength in the Fa-
fic currently, totals 46, as against
97 in the Atlantic.
The escorting force that ac
companies a carrier varies from
one to two cruisers and from
four to six destroyers.
As part of its program to re
build some of the Pacific
strength, the navy announced
last month its intention to shift
two cruisers from the Atlantic
Build H-Bomb
Congress Willing to
Grant Funds at
President's Request.
Washington, Jan. 30 (U.R) A
willing congress appeared ready
today to grant President Truman
any money needed to build the
hydrogen bomb.
Legislators of both houses and
both parties seemed agreed that
Mr. Truman should give the go
ahead for building the super
weapon. Some came to the con
elusion willingly, others reluc
tantly. But very few voices
were heard in dissent.
The decision on building the
dreaded weapon is Mr. Truman's
alone. He told his news confer
ence last week that he soon will
rule one way or the other.
Answer Likely Yes
Most of the legislators none
of whom claimed any "inside
information" thought his an
swer would be yes.
One rumor current here was
that the president may order the
weapon built in an announce
ment this week. The report was
that he would accompany it with
an urgent plea for world-wide
agreement to control the H-bomb
as well as the atomic bomb.
The "reluctant" opinion in
congress was summed up by Rep.
Karl Stefan( R., Neb.), an in
fluential member of the house
appropriations committee. Asked
whether he would vote for any
money asked by the president,
he replied:
Little Objection
"Yes, I would have to. He is
the commander-in-chief and re
sponsible for the defense of the
nation and our people. He is the
only one that has the real infor
mation as to the necessity for it.
"But I think there should be
more emphasis on the need for
working for peace through the
United Nations. I think we would
be a lot better off that way than
developing weapons of super de
struction."
Seek to Avert
Phone Strike
Washington, Jan. 30 (U.R) Gov
ernment mediators dug in today
for a threatened strike "at any
time" by 100,000 telephone
workers.
President Joseph A. Bierne
of the Communications Workers
of America (CIO) readied an
"important" afternoon state
ment on strike strategy.
William N. Margolis and Peter
Seitz, top aides of federal media
tion director Cyrus S. Ching,
planned a meeting with Bierne
before his news conference.
Negotiations with five Bell
system units employing the 100,-
000 workers have been stalled
for weeks in some cases, for
months.
Union divisions representing
another 150,000 telephone work
ers are scheduled to open ne
gotiations with 16 other Bell
companies on Wednesday. They
speeded up strike authorization
votes to back up their demands
The union is asking for more
pay a shorter work week, short
er apprentice periods and im
proved pension benefits.
Margolis described the situa
tion as "serious" after a meet
ing with Bierne in Cincinnati
last week. CWA officers had
held a top-level strategy con
ference there.
Some sources indicated a nation-wide
strike seemed inevita
ble unless the new talks get
farther than the earlier negotiations.
m;' ....
Deeply Nestled in Drifts of Snow Silver Creek recreational
center, now closed and snowbound, presented this appearance
on Sunday.
Pilot of Missing C-54 Ma
jor Gerald F. Brittain, 36,
Akron, O., is pilot aboard the
C-54 missing in Alaska since
Jan. 20. The plane, on a
round trip from Texas to
Alaska was reported lost on
the return trip. (AP Wire
photo) LHienthal Says
'Hydro' Bomb
'Not the Issue'
Washington, Jan. 30 (U.R)
David E. Lilienthal said today
he is not opposed to making the
hydrogen bomb or any other
weapon "as such."
But the atomic energy com
mission chairman added prompt
ly that "the question of wheth
er to build or not to build (the
H-bomb) is not the issue."
Lilienthal refused to tell re
porters of a news conference
what the issue is. But he recall
ed that during the war the ques
tion frequently arose as to where
the country s resources, brains
and money could best be used..
Lilienthal refused to amplify
further his declaration that "the
naked question" of building the
H-bomb is not the real issue in
the secret discussions now going
on between President Truman
and his top advisers.
The inference is plain, how
ever, that high on the list of
problems involved is the best use
of the nation's resources, scien
tific skills and money.
Blasts Loosen
'Mighty Mo'
Norfolk, Va., Jan. 30 (U.R) The
navy promised today to get the
mighty battleship Missouri off
its Hampton Roads mudbank
within 72 hours or bust trying.
That was the optimistic word
here following yesterday's suc
cessful experiement with two un
derwater TNT charges. They
jarred loose the sand-suction
which has held the mighty Mo
fast since it ran aground January
17.
Navy salvage experts, who
have been shy up to now in fore
casting when operation "Float
Her" would succeed, said that
with luck it might end Tusday.
They added that It looked like
a dead sure thing Thursday when
the next flood tide comes in.
It started working loose yes
terday when the two 75-pound
packets of TNT exploded in the
muddy harbor bottom on either
side of her hull. Immediately
after the second burst, she set
tled a half-inch deeper into the
water. But instead of burying
her broad bottom further, the
ship's massive weight squashed
and scattered the sand, unlock
ing the suction and leaving her
ready to be hauled away as soon
as the tide is right.
No Definite Deadline
But Housing Law
Expires March 1
By JAMES D. OLSON
There is no deadline date on
the federal housing administra
tion commitment given Robert
T. Coates for his proposed apart
ment house on Summer street,
immediately in the path of the
proposed extended capitol zone
This word was received Mon
day by Governor Douglas Mc
Kay from Senator Guy Cordon,
who had contacted FHA officials
in Washington at the telegraphic
request of the governor.
Robert Parkman, the senator's
secretary, said in a telephone
message that there "must have
been some misunderstanding"
over the supposed midnight hour.
Stresses Need for Haste
"There is no definite deadline
of today," Parkman said.
He added, however, the need
for haste in solving the dilemma,
Parkman pointed out that tha
congressional act under which
Coates applied for his FHA com
mitment will expire March 1 and
that the FHA will no longer have
authority to act in the matter
after that date.
However, Folger Johnson,
Oregon FHA administrator, said
that while there was no deadline
it would be virtually impossible
to process a commitment on new
plans prior to the March 1 ex
piration date of the law and
would take 20 days to process
new plans on a lot comparable
to the one already approved,
(Concluded on Page 5, Column 7)
Council Acts
Tuesday Night
An emergency meeting of the
city council probably will be
called at 5:15 o'clock Tuesday
afternoon to consider another
lot for the Coates apartment
house project.
If the meeting is called, which
now seems probable, it will have
only one thing to consider. That
will be a waiver of set-back line
requirements so the project can
be transferred without change
in the building plans. The loca
tion, which hasn't yet been re
vealed, is in a zone permitting
apartment houses.
In all ways, except the matter
of set-back lines, the location is
said to be suitable to the project
which would be transferred
from 555 North Summer street
where it stands in the way of the
proposed capitol zone extension.
The Summer street plan has
FHA approval, and, for that ap
proval to continue in another
location, the general plan must
stand.
The emergency council meet
ing could not be called before
Tuesday afternoon. Notice of
24 hours is necessary, and the
meeting has to be called on peti
tion of not less than five alder
men addressed to the mayor. In
the absence of Mayor Robert L.
Elfstrom, it will be called by
Alderman David O'Hara as act
ing mayor.
Before the council meets it
will be necessary to draw up an
ordinance bill, and it will have
to be put through three readings
and put on final passage at the
Tuesday meeting.
Acheson Pleads
Aid to Korea
Washington. Jan. 30 UP) Sec
retary of State Acheson told
congress today that to stop eco
nomic aid to Korea now would
be "most unfortunate." He said
it would affect not only that
young postwar republic but all
of southeast Asia.
It is a "safe bet," the secreta
ry added, the democratic south
Korea can resist anything short
of a "major attack" from the
Russian-dominated northern
half of the Korean peninsula.
Acheson outlined American
responsibilities in Korea at an
amicable session of the house
foreign affairs committee.
After that, Chairman Kee
(D-W Va) ordered the commit
tee into executive session for a
closed-door discussion of the
more touchy questions of U.S.
foreign policy throughout all of
Asia. This policy is now under
fire from Acheson's republican
critics.
Acheson's brief public testi
mony failed to produce anything
but the mildest questioning by
committee members.