Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, February 20, 1950, Page 1, Image 1

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    C aptal
HOME
EDITION
62nd Year, No. 43 SSSJTmSSSS Salem, Oregon, Monday, February 20, 1950
(18 Pages)
Price 5c
McKay Seeking Search Without
3 Survivors of
THE WEATHER HERE
CLOUDY WITH RAIN tonight,
early Tuesday; becoming show
ery Tuesday afternoon. Little
change in temperature. Low to
night, 36; high Tuesday, 50.
Maximum yesterday, SI t minimum to
day, 31. Total 34-hour precipitation:
trace; for month: 4.19f normal, 3.49. Sea
son precipitation) 80.SS) normal, 58.20.
River hctfht, 9.9 feet. (Report by U.S.
Weather Bureau.)
Warrant Legal
Says High Court
Right of Federal Offi
cers Upheld as Part of
Lawful Arrest
B-36 Back to
Hunt Lost Five
Rescued Companions
Of Missing Men Join
In New Search
Uniformity for
Air Raid Corps
California and Wash
ington Asked to Send
Chiefs for Session
By JAMES D. OLSON
Governor Douglas McKay
Monday invited Governors Ar
thur B. Langlie of Washington
and Earl Warren nf California
to send their air raid chiefs to
,a meeting of the Pacific coast
' .ntergovernmental agency sched
uled in Portland March 3.
The governor told the two
9. western governors that he felt
there should be a discussion be
tween the men selected to oper
ate the ground warning system
ordered into effect in the west
ern states by Secretary of De
fense Louis Jchnson
McKay said Monday that at
least 6,000 volunteers would be
required in Oregon to man the
air raid observation posts and
stressed that speedy organiza
tion would be required because
the secretary of defense had re
quested that tht air raid corps
be completely recruited by April
6
Radar for Jet Planes
He said that Johnson had in
formed him that all high flying
aircraft and jet planes would be
picked up in the radar net so
that observers would not be re
quired' to attempt to identify
any but low flying planes.
Louis E. Starr, head of the ci
vilian defense organization in
Oregon, is now in Wasington,
D. C, attending conferences
with the secretary of defense
and his aides. In the meantime
Jack A. Hayes, assistant civil
defense director, is setting up
the air raid observation plan.
Active Organization
Verne B. McKinney of the
Pacific Telephone and Tele
graph company in Portland, has
been chosen -chief communica-
tions officer and Ed H Tolan.
chief of the air raid warning
system.,-- y-j-. .. ,:.
Governor McKay emphasized
that the new air raid warning
organization would be an active
one and not just a ' paper or
ganization." As he explained at the Eu
gene meeting of newspaper pub
lishers . Saturday McKay said
that he had no alternative but
to call for the air raid warning
organization i after being" re
quested to do so by the secre
tary of defense. '
- "He must know, what he is
doing," the governor said, "and
I am in no position to question
his judgment or his order."
Seeks to Avert
TelephoneStrike
Washington, Feb. 20 P) The
government today arranged a
bargaining session tomorrow
with part of the workers threat
ening a nationwide telephone
strike on Friday.
Cyrus S. Ching, federal medi
ation and conciliation chief, in
vited company officials and rep
resentatives of unions which
Jjargain for the installation and
sales divisions of Western Elec
tric company, to a meeting to
morrow at 11 a.m. (EST)
The Western Electric installa
tion and sales division 'employes!
are part of the 100.000 members
of the CIO's Communications
Workers of America threatening
a Friday walkout.
' Ching's message said he was
arranging the meeting here "in
view of the urgency of the Feb
ruary 24 deadline in the tele
phone disputes and pressure of
other official duties which hold
me in Washington."
Ching is also trying to help
ettle the coal strike.
The CWA says an additional
mn nnfl fplpnhnnp wnrlrprc will
be ready to strike after March 1,
joining the original 100 000.
Both representatives of the
, Bell system and the CWA were
to report to Ching today on the
status of their negotiations.
Ching asked for trfese reports
when he arranged a postpone
ment of the walkout originally
set for Feb. 8.
The CIO's Commications Wor
kers of America is asking for a
13-cent an hour "package" in
crease for more than 300,000
phone workers. A union spokes
man said the CWA will report
to Ching "no progress" in the
contract talks.
Yacht Search Ends
Manila, Feb. 20 W The U.S.
13th airforce today abandoned
search of the South China Sea
for the missing yacht Volador
with 11 Americans and four
Filipinos aboard.
Washington, Feb. 20 (IP)
Splitting S to 3, the supreme
court tndav unheld the rieht of
'federal officers to search and
seize without a warrant so long
as the action is part of a lawful
arrest.
The major opinion by Justice
Minton, newest member of the
tribunal, described the search of
a New York stamp dealer's of
fice as "reasonable" and in line
with past decisions.
But Justice Frankfurter dis
sented sharply and aimed an in
direct slap at both Minton and
Justice Clark, another compa
rative newcomer to the bench.
Frankfurter Dissents
Declaring the decision runs
counter to the fourth amend
ment to the constitution, which
forbids unreasonable search and
seizure, Frankfurter wrote:
Especially ought this court
not to reenforce the instabilities
of our day by giving fair ground
for the belief that law is the
expression of chance for in
stance, of unexpected changes
in the court's composition and
the contingencies in the choice
of successors."
Minton and Clark were nam
ed to the tribunal last year by
President Truman to succeed
late Justices Rutledge and Mur
phy, both long classed as mem
bers of the court's so-called "li
beral wing."
Jackson and Black Oppose
Frankfurter did not say so in
so many words, but he left no
doubt he thought Rutledge and
Murphy would have voted for a
different finding if they had
been on the bench, '
(Concluded on Page 5. Column 6)
Russians Seize
Berlin Trucks
Berlin, Feb. 20 VP) The Rus
sians seized 30 German trucks in
the last 24 hours in stepped up
raids on metal shipments to and
from western Berlin, U. S. sec
tor police reported today.
Western allied officials in
dicated their fifth protest in a
month is being prepared. Four
western protests already have
been delivered against these and
other Soviet actions, which have
been crippling Berlin's traffic
with western Germany.
Every truckload of scrap steel
and non-ferrous metals reaching
west Berlin's outskirts since
yesterday morning was im
pounded by Soviet zone authori
ties.. The East German republic
se up under communist domi
nation in the Soviet occupation
zone badly needs metals for its
industries.
About 20 of the confiscated
trucks were bound from west
Germany to Berlin. The others
had been leaving West Berlin
foi west Germany.
British officials said later that
the Russians released nine of
the 30 trucks along with the
cargoes of metals.
Prosecution Asks For
Top Penalty for Vogler
Budapest, Hungary, Feb. 20 UP) The trial of U. S. business
man Robert A. Vogeler and six
day, with the prosecution demanding "the most severe punish
ment." Court was adjourned until tomorrow, when the verdict
will be read.
Vogeler, in an abject "last
word statement" to the people s
court, declared he had confessed
to the charges without any
pressure or insults."
"I know I have to suffer pun
ishment," the assistant vice pres
ident of the International Tele
phone and Telegraph Co. said,
'but hope that the court will
consider my request for a mild
sentence and also the argumen
tation of my lawyer.' .
The attorney for the 38-year-
old businessman admitted to the
court that Vogeler't activities
"caused tears and blood," but
he said Vogeler's deeds cannot
be considered from the same
standpoint as similar deeds by
Hungarian citizens.
Prosecutor Gyula Alapi, the
same man who prosecuted Josef
Cardinal Mindszenty . and for
mer Vice Premier Laszlo Rajk,
called Vogeler a great spy whose
punishment should be commen
surate with hii deeds.
Wreck Blamed
On Motorman
Rockville Centre, N. Y., Feb.
20 VP) A dazed and grief
stricken motorman, blamed for
a railroad collision in which 29
persons were killed and 105
others injured, was ordered into
court today on a manslaughter
charge.
Authorities said, however, that
injuries suffered by the motor
man, Jacob Kiefer, .55, might
force postponement of the ar
raignment (10 a.m., EST).
Kiefer was placed under ar
rest at his home after Friday
night's crackup on the Long Is
land railroad the worst rail
road' wreck in the nation since
1946.
Nassau County District Attor
ney Frank A. Gulotta said Kiefer
drove his train through one red
light, and possibly two, before
two electric commuter trains
crashed on a temporary siding.
ThirtV-eight'of the injured re
mained in hospitals today, 17 of
them in critical conditon,
Kefer's son, Donald, said last
night his father still was unable
to think clearly but was "over
whelmed by grief."
The motorman, his son said,
"has had but a few minutes of
clear thinking since the realiza
tion of what happened Friday
night struck him."
"When his mind does clear
momentarily so he can speak to
us in a lucid manner, he is soon
again overwhelmed by grief and
lapses into a distraught condi
tion," the son added.
Butter Prices Up
Cent All Along Line
Butter and butterfat were
boosted one cent all along the
line here Monday, the first
change in these prices for
months. The advance here fol
lowed one in Portland.
New quotations on butterfat.
buying prices, are: Premium,. 67
cents; No. 1, 65 cents; No 2, 59
61 cents.
Butter is now listed generally
at 69 cents, wholesale, 74 cents,
retail. - -
Eggs, which have skidded
about considerably lately were
unchanged in the Monday list
ings, and other produce here re
mained unchanged Monday.
others on spy charges ended to
Alapi told the people's court
that Vogeler, 38-yea,--oId assist
ant vice president of the Inter
national Telephone and Tele
graph company, "is a spy who
lost and was unmasked."
Alapi made the charge after
nine witnesses had paraded to
the stand to testify that Vogeler
and his co-defendants were
guilty of sabotage and spying
i'or the United States intelli
gence services.
It could not be learned' imme
diately what possible penalties
the defendants face.
Vogeler, who has pleaded
guilty, was described as "a great
spy"
"The sentence should - bring
him the fate of such persons,"
said Alapi, who also prosecuted
Josef Cardinal Mindszenty and
Laszlo Rajk, former Hungarian
interior minister, last year. Car
dinal Mindszenty was sentenced
to life imprisonment and Rajk
was executed.
Commuter Trains Collide Head-On Railroad wrecking
crane in background helps clear the tracks of the Long Island
railroad at Rockville Center, N. Y., where two commuter
trains collided head-on when one train sped through a red
warning signal light onto a single track. At least 29 persons
were killed and 116 injured in the disaster. Motorman of the
one train has been charged with manslaughter, (Acme Tele-photo.)
Bitter Cold Wave Hits
East With Fuel Short
(By the Associated Pre)
Bitter cold and howling gales descended on coal-short north
eastern states Monday. Some areas, including Newark and Phila
delphia, had the coldest day of
The weather man in Washington, D C, said it looks like below
normal temperatures are in sight for the next thre weeks for
Mass Red Troops
Near Hong Kong
Hong Kong, Feb 20 (P) In
formed foreign sources said to
day tne untnese communists
have massed more than 25,000
troops on the Hong Kong-China
border during the , past three
weeks. . .
They said the 41st and 42nd
communist armies under gener
als Wu Yuan-Mau and Sung Chi
Hung were concerntrated less
than five miles from the border.
Maj. W. Billett, British army
spokesman, said "the situation
on the border is the same as it
was two weeks ago. We have no
further comment."
Other sources said "some sig
nificance might be attached to
such troop massing since the
Reds never before had more
than a few hundred uniformed
guards along the frontier "
There has been much specula
tion whether the Reds would try
to take British Hong Kong.
The British have about 40,000
crack troops in the territory
along and below the border. It
is said to be heavily fortified.
In addition the British have a
fair amount of land based planes
in the colony and several war
ships in the harbor, including
one aircraft carrier.
Flood Waters
Creeping Higher
Chicago, Feb. 20 0J.R1 Flood
waters crept higher and wider in
the lower Mississippi valley to
day, but tributaries of the big
river were falling farther north.
The Red, Black and Ouachita
rivers in Louisiana rose slowly
toward predicted crests, and
Brig. Gen. Raymond Hufft, state
disaster relief co-ordinator, said
the situation was "critical" at
Marksville, Jonesville and Ferri
day, La.
"A levee break anywhere in
those regions could hurt and hurt
badly," Hufft said..
More than 9,000 lowland resi
dents were hdmeless in Louisiana
and an estimated 20,000 were
still refugees from the St. Fran
cis and other streams in Arkan
sas. In Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio
and Indiana, rivers were falling
and most refugees had returned
to their homes.
National Guardsmen manning
10 Coast Guard assault boats re
moved. 180 head of cattle from
Racciourici island in the old Mis
sissippi river north of Morganza
La. They reported that some of
the cattle were "up to their bel
lies ' in the swirling water.
The Mississippi appeared un
der control, and river observers
said continued dry weather over
the weekend aided the runoff of
floodwaters from its tributaries.
the winter.
slower New York state to New
Orleans. Rain or snow also was
forecast.
All this makes the coal short
age more critical. New York
state has started rationing coal.
It was 17 below zero Monday
at Massena and Canton, N. Y.,
and generally below zero in up
state New York, - New York
City had nine above at 9 a.m.
(EST). In Chicago it was 16
above. ;
Philedelphia s 13 above was
the coldest since March 5, 1948.
Western Pennsylvania had up to
five inches of snow.
The cold air fanned out from
the northeast across the eastern
half of the nation to the Gulf
states.
With many coal yards empty
or rationing fuel for home heat
ing, the mercury skidded to
subfreezing levels as far south
as Birmingham, Ala., which had
an early morning low of 27 de
grees.
Nashville, Tenn., had a chill
ing 25, Memphis 27, Meridian,
Miss., 32, Mobile, Ala., 39, and
Atlanta 32.
The coldest spot was in the
northern Great Lakes region.
Pellston, Mich., reported a frigid
20 below zero and Land o' Lakes,
Wis., -17.
Other temperatures today in
cluded: St. Louis 32, Indiana
polis 18, Detroit 5 and Minnea
polis 11.
Thousands of acres of Florida
truck crops were wiped out or
badly damaged by week-end
cold and frosts. Beans, corn.
potatoes, lettuce and cabbage
were affected.
Previously, 53 days had been
free from frost. Among the low
marks was 21 at Gainesville
Northern West Virginia had
eight inches of snow. Western
Maryland had three inches.
Atomic Powered
Sub Proposed
Washington, Feb. 20 VP) An
informed source disclosed to
day that the United States is
pushing plans to start construe
tion of what it hopes will be
the world's first atomic-power
ed submarine.
This source said that discus
sions are underway between
the navy and the Electric Boat
Corporation at Groton, Conn., in
regard to construction of a sub
marine hull in which could be
installed an atomic energy re
actor that may be developed by
the atomic energy commission.
The company built many of the
navy's submarines in World
War II.
The discussions were describ
ed as so far advanced that quite
likely congress will be asked to
add an appropriation for the
work to the 1951 navy budget
for the year beginning July 1
Some lawmakers said a week
ago that a race between the U
S., and Russia to be first to de
velop an atomic-powered sub
was a possible complication in
efforts to produce a hydrogen
bomb.
Vancouver, B.C., Feb. 20 IP)
Three men who jumped blindly
from a blazing, ice-coated B-36
bomber last Monday night and
were later rescued, were back
today to aid in the search for five
of their comrades.
Search headquarters announc
ed that 150 Canadian sailors and
U.S. coast guardsmen were put
ashore during the morning on
Princess Royal and Ashdown
islands.
The Canadian destroyer Sioux
sailed from her Esquimalt base
this afternoon with essential
equipment requested by the de
stroyer Cayuga, which has sev
eral land parties ashore.
The auxiliary naval tanker
Dundurn is also enroute to
Princess Royal island, carrying
supplies and fuel.
Arrive from Fort Worth
The three survivors who re
turned here last night from Fort
Worth, Tex., were Capt. Harold
L. Barry, pilot of the ill-fated
craft; Lt. Paul Gerhart, radar ob
server; and Tech. Sgt. Martin B.
Stephens, a gunner.
Royal Canadian air force offi
cials said the trio, still tired from
their experiences, would remain
here to study photographs of the
area over which they jumped.
Knowing the order in which
the men left the plane, it was
hoped that Barry and his two fel
low crew members might be able
to pinpoint the spots where their
lost comrades landed.
(Concluded on Page 5, Column 1)
Reclamation Is
Paying Profits
Washington ,Feb. 20 (P)
Western reclamation is in "the
high tide of its greatest program1
and is pouring hundreds of mil
lions of dollars yearly back into
the nation's economy, Reclama
tion Commissioner Michael
Straus told the house appropria
tions committee.
The - annual crop revenues
from federal irrigated lands has
exceeded $500,000,000 a year,
and up to 1948 had a cumulative
value of $6,000,000,000, he stated
in testimony made public today,
Direct repayments to the fed
eral treasury from reclamation,
Straus said, are "astonishing."
"Direct revenues to the gov
ernment from the sale of power,
repayment of irrigation costs,
and other sources today approx
imate $44,000,000 annually, and
are still climbing," he informed
the committee.
He said the increase will con
tinue as new works are complet
ed.
Straus supported an appropri
ation request of $354,000,000 for
the reclamation bureau for the
fiscal year beginning next July
an amount which he called a
"sensible minimum budget."
' First Crocus of Spring La Juan Lingo, first grader of
Bush school, finds the first crocus of spring. La Juan is from
Texas and lives at 1540 State street. After the big snow we
know spring is just around the corner when the crocus and
daffodils begin to stick their golden heads above the ground.
It won't be long now.
Dr. Hermann N. Sander,
whose trial for committing
murder by. "an act of mery,"
hastening the death of cancer
patient, opened today in Man
chester, N. H
Mercy Killing
Trial Underway
Manchester, N.H., Feb. 20 (ff)
Dr. Hermann N. Sander today
went on trial for murder in the
"mercy killing" of a woman
cancer patient he could not heal.
The 41 -year-old country doc
tor - wearing a faint smile of
confidence quietly took his
seat in the tiny courtroom as the
selection of a jury began.
The first juror was chosen in
less than an hour.
With the doctor was his wife,
who left a sick bed to be by her
husband's side in a trial that has
stirred international feeling.
Dr. Sander is charged speci
fically with giving air injections
to Mrs. Abbie Borroto, 59-year-old
Manchester housewife dying
of cancer, to cut short her suf
fering.
Superior Court Judge Harold
E. Wescott solemnly explained
to the prospective jurors why
they were called and told them
Dr. Sander had pleaded "not
guilty" to a charge of murder.
' "I, am confident," the judge
said, "you will do your duty as
American citizens . . .
"We seek to draw an impar
tial jury." .
Then Judge Wescott gave an
indication of the type of ques
tions they would be asked but
he made no mention of "mercy
killing."
Resume Operations
At Doernbecher's
Portland, Ore., Feb. 20 (U.R)
Normal operations resumed to
day at the Doernbecher Manu
facturing company, with a full
crew reporting for work at the
furniture plant whose longtime
president announced he would
continue to run its affairs un
less stockholders or courts re
moved him.
The company's Coalco mill,
near Oregon City, also reopened.
Employes arriving at the plant
found the gates open and time
cards ready to be punched.
Harry Green, who has headed
Doernbecher's Furniture Manu
facturing for many years, an
nounced yesterday he would
fight to retain the post.
Court Extends
No Strike Order
In Coal Mines
New Order Runs to
March 3 Union Re
fused First Order
Washington, Feb. 20 W Fed
eral Judge Richmond B, Keech
today issued a new no-strike or
der against J. L, Lewis and the
United Mine Workers. It runs
until March 3.
Keech has had a "stop strike"
order out since Feb. 11, but the
372,000 miners have ignored it.
Lewis himself has observed it
to the extent of twice sending
instructions to the miners that
they should go back to work.
The miners' refusal to obey
the order has the government
casting about for possible new
action to get coal mined. One
move that is a possibility is con
tempt action against the United
Mine Workers. That could re
sult in big fines on the union.
No Seizure Plans
There has also been talk in
congress of legislation to let the
government seize the mines. But
democratic leaders are not tak
ing to that idea.
House Speaker Rayburn (D
Tex.) said after a conference of
legislative leaders with President
Truman today that the president
has no plans to ask such author
ity. Mr. Truman said he does not
want it. .
Senate Democratic Leader Lu
cas (111.) said he had not heard
any talk of seizure legislation by
the administration.
(Concluded on Fage 5, Column 6)-
372,000 Miners
Refuse Return
Pittsburgh, Feb. 20 P)
Striking coal miners balked at
working today, pushing their
"no contract no work" walkout ;
into its seventh week. They put
the next step up to federal of
ficials. Come-to-work whistles blew
in vain throughout the coal.
fields. .
The government is reported
debating action looking to a
possible contempt of court
charge against the United Mine
Workers for disobeying a fed
eral court's stop-strike order.
About 372,000 idle diggers in
more than a score of states are
defying both court and John L,
Lewis by refusing to work with
out a contract.
No UMW mines are operating
in Pennsylvania.
All pits in eastern Ohio failed
to reopen'. Near Bellaire, about a
dozen diggers reported at one
time but promptly turned and
went home.
Overnight crews which did not
show up for work in West Vir
ginia and Pennsylvania set the
national pattern. Those states
employ more than half the na
tion's 400,000 soft coal miners.
Another 2,600 UMW diggers
wore idle In the Canton and
Danville, 111., area. Canton
strikers were receiving food that
rolled into town on a truck bear
ing this sign:
Gasoline Price
War Under Way
Los Angeles, Feb 20 (U.R) A
budding gasoline price war
spread slowly across the nation
today and gleeful motorists in
the west and middle west were
getting the benefit of savings up
to five cents a gallon f
A spokesman for one major
oil company said competitive
price cutting at California gaso
line stations resulted from a lo
cal surplus. He predicted it was
part of a trend that gradually
will affect the entire product."
A United Press survey shows
that price cutting began at some
cities four months ago.
In the Indianapolis area, one
company has cut 5.4 cents from
the price of regular grade. In
most affected areas, reductions
of one to two cents on both re
gular and premium grades pre
vailed. The "price war" is confined in
most instances to the big cities
and surrounding areas, and oil
company spokesmen say that
even there it is on a "block-to-block"
basis "to meet local com
petitive conditions."
Metropolitan areas reporting
signs of the price war include
Los Angeles, San Francisco,
Salt Lake City, San Diego, Calif.;
Milwaukee, Wis.; Miami, Fla.;
Phoenix and Tucson Ariz.; Min
neapolis and St. Paul, Minn.;
Indianapolis and Seattle.