Some Relief In Sight For Shivering Pacific Northwest Region
Medford
United Press Full Lent Wir
44th Year
18
YEAR OF THE BIG SNOW Drifting snow almost engulfs
scene on the outskirts of Portland, Ore., after a frigid wind
blocked over 300 miles of roads in and about Portland.
Russian Submarines
Believed In Pacific
Tokyo, Feb. 2 (U.R) Russia
has 60 to 70 submarines operat
ing at present in the western Pa
cific, Adm. Forrest P. Sherman,
U. S. chief of naval operations,
said today, shortly after disclos
ing the United States plans to
build up its naval strength in
that area.
"Russia has 270 to 280 sub
marines, and about one fourth of
them are in the Pacific, we be
lieve," Sherman told a navy
press conference.
Building Fleet
(The Russians recently have
been reported building up a Far
East submarine fleet. Japanese
prisoners of war being repatriat
ed from Soviet areas have plac
ed the number of subs at about
18.)
Asked to comment on reports
the Russians were shipping parts
overland and assembling the
subs at Vladivostok, Sherman
replied, "It is possible."
Earlier, at a press conference
held by all four members of the
U. S. joint chiefs of staff, Sher
man said the history of two
world wars shows the submarine
threat is "very real."
U. S. Plans Increase
At this conference, Sherman
said the United States planned
to increase the number of car
riers in the western Pacific to
two and to divert a "half dozen"
destroyers from the Atlantic.
At present, the carrier Boxer
is the only carrier in that area.
Commie 'Flip-Flops'
Discussed At Hearing
San Francisco, Feb. 2 (U.R)
Government attorneys dwelt at
length on "flip-flops" in the
communist party line today in an
effort to break down a Catholic
priest's testimony that Harry
Bridge's is a truthful, honest and
upright man who never has been
a communist.
The Rev. Paul Meinecke, who
has a small parish in Eureka.
Nev., admitted under cross-examination
that he had never dis
cussed "flip-flops" in communist
party policy with the CIO long
shore leader.
He was questioned at length
about the change in communist
policy in 1939 when the Soviet
nazi non-aggression pact was
signed and asked if Bridges did
n't alter his own beliefs to match
the communist poiicy change
"It was a pretty big bundle."
he replied, "and I can't recall
his being for or against these
matters."
Portland Clock Change
Scheduled April 30
Portland, Ore.. Feb. 2 (U.R)
Daylight saving time will begin
in Portland at 2:01 a.m. April 30
and end at 1:59 a.m. September
24.
The city council made the
clock shifting time official yes
terday, confirming with time
changes in the east to end con
fusion involving airline, radio
and train schedules.
STYLES APPOINTED
Washington, Feb. 2 (U.R)
President Truman today an
nounced the appointment of Paul
L. Styles as a member of the
national labor relations board.
Pages
It is lying at anchor off Yoko
suka, the giant Japanese naval
base.
Also attending the press con
ference were the other chiefs of
stci, Gen. Omar N, Bradley,
chairman; Gen. J. Lawton Col
lins, army; and Gen. Hoyt S.
Vadenberg.
Bradley said Formosa has
"some strategic value, especially
if held by someone hostile to us."
He said Gen. Douglas MacAr
thur's headquarters made an "ex
cellent presentation" of Ameri
can military problems in the Far
East. He said he knew of no plan
to increase military forces in
Japan.
Telephone Strike
Plans Pushed Ahead
Washington, Feb. 2 (U.R)
While government mediators be
gan intensive efforts today to
forestall a threatened nation
wide telephone strike, union of
ficials pushed ahead with plans
for crippling service.
The strike, by 100,000 CIO
communica tion workers, is
scheduled for next Wednesday.
The union wants shorter hours
and higher wages.
Union President Joseph A.
Beirne said the strikers will have
picket lines at nearly every tele
phone exchange in the country.
He believed the picket lines
would keep about 200,000 addi
tional telephone workers from
reporting to their jobs.
Federal Mediation Director
Cyrus S. Ching met for several
hours yesterday with Beirne in
what he called a "general dis
cussion" of the dispute.
Governor Asks Early
Emergency Board Meet
Salem, Ore., Feb. 2 (U.R)
Gov. Douglas McKav todav ask
ed for an early meeting of the
state emergency board to act on
state purchase of a Summer
street property that is in the
capitol zone.
The property is owned by
Robert T. Coates of Portland,
who had proposed to build a
S350.000 seven-story apartment
building on the site.
Six Military Hospitals to
Close; Others Curtailed
Washington, Feb. 2 (UJii
Defense Secretary Louis John
son has ordered six military hos
pitals closed down and activities
at 10 others curtailed as part of
his economy program.
In announcing the order yes
terday, Johnson estimated that
the move would save about
S25.000.000 annually. The cut
back will reduce the number of
hospital beds by 8.000 and will
permit reassignment of 400 doc
tors. Cloture Planned
Scheduled to be closed during
the next five months are four
army and two navy hospitals.
They are:
Army Murphy General hos
pital, Waltham, Mass.: Valley
Forge General hospital, Phoenix
villc. Pa.; Oliver General hos
pital, Augusta. Ga.; and Percy
Jones General hospital, Battle
Creek, Mich.
MEDFORD, OREGON, THURSDAY,' FEBRUARY 2,
Id)
(Acmt Ttleplwto)
a house and creates a Sahara like
whipped the area. Drifting snow
Oleomargarine Tax
Repealer Bill Due
For Closing Round
Washington, Feb. 2 (U.R)
The long battle over repealing
federal taxes on oleomargarine
moved into the next to last
round in the house today.
With dairy state members
scrapping all the way, the house
was scheduled to vote on send
ing the bill to a joint conference
committee which will put it in
final form.
Both houses have passed the
repealer, but in slightly differ
ent forms. After these differ
ences are ironed out, another
vote is necssary to put the meas
ure on the president's desk.
Consent Blocked
Rep. August H. Andresen, (R.
Minn.) blocked the usually rou
tine house consent to send the
bill to conference. He then asked
the rules committee to bottle it
up because, he said, it would
"help liquidate the dairy indus
try." But the rules group, acting at
the request of administration
leaders, sent it out for action
today.
Approval seemed certain, but
the dairy state congressmen arc
expected to use every weapon
they have against the proposal.
Meat Packing Firms
Deny Monopoly
Chicago, Feb. 2tUB Three
major meat packing firms con
tended today that the industry
operates in an atmosphere of
"aggressive competition" for
small profits.
Swift and company, Armour
and company, and Cudahy Pack
ing company yesterday filed
answers in federal district court
denying charges of monopoly
and restraint of trade.
The charges were contained
in an anti-trust suit filed by the
justice department in 1948.
The suit charged that the pack
ers had engaged in a continuous
conspiracy since 1893. It asked
that Swift and Armour each be
split into five separate com
panies and Cudahy and Wilson
into two each.
Navy Mare Island, Cal., nav
al hospital and Long Beach, Cal.
general hospital.
Hospitals to operate at a re
duced scale include Madigan
General hospital, Ft. Lewis,
Wash., first to be reduced to
850 beds and eventually to 500.
Navy Portsmouth, New
Hampshire naval hospital, to be
reduced to 35 beds; Jacksonville
Fla., naval hospital to be reduced
to 180 beds; Memphis. Tenn.,
naval hospital to be reduced to
150 beds; Corpus Christi, Tex.,
naval hospital to be reduced to
100 beds.
Air force Lowry hospital,
Denver, Colo., to be reduced to
a disDensary.
Additional Beds
In connection with the clos
ing of the Mare Island hospital
the navy was allocated 50 ad
ditional beds at the Mare Island
shipyard medical facility.
mm
Weak Radio Signal
Twice Intercepted
By Search Plane
Beam Picked Up Near
Wrangell Mountains
Anchorage, Alaska, Feb. 2
(U.R) A "weak but clear keyed
radio signal" on the distress fre
quency was intercepted twice in
the same place near the Wrang
el mountains by a U. S. air force
B-17 radio operator this week, a
10th air force rescue squadron
officer reported today.
Officers here said the report
was "encouraging and could
very well be" from a transport
missing in the area since last
Thu rsday with 44 persons
aboard.
From Sam Place
Both signals "apparently came
from some place in the Wrangell
mountains south of Snag on the
western border of the Yukon
Territory," said Capt. Sam Sloan,
public information officer at
Elmendorf field.
The last position reported by
the missing C-54 was over Snag.
The pilot of the B-17, 1st Lt.
Lloyd Castro, said the first time
the signal was intercepted was at
9:30 a.m. (PST) Monday. At that
time. Castro was en route to
Whitehorse, Y. T., to partici
pate in the two-nation search for
the lost transport.
The second time the signal
was intercepted was at 5:30 p.m.,
yesterday while Castro was re
turning to Elmendorf field here.
Took Beam
' VWe were in the same posi
tion both times we picked up
the signals," Castro said, "and
each time we took a beam. Mon
day's and Wednesday's signal
appeared to be coming from the
Wrangell mountains."
Castor said "both signals were
weak but clear and sounded like
they were coming from an emer
gency automatic Gibson girl type
transmitter."
Captain Sloan thought the like
lihood of the signals coming from
a vessel in the Gulf of Alaska
was slim "because the signal
would have had to clear the
Wrangell mountains.
Truman Seeks Vole
On FEP Legislation
Washington, Feb. 2 (U.R)
President Truman said today
that he has been prodding Speak
er Sam Rayburn- for weeks to
get a house vote on fair employ
ment practices legislation.
Mr. Truman said at his news
conference that he has been
urging Rayburn for FEPC action
regularly every Monday. The
president holds White House leg
islative conferences with con
gressional leaders each Monday.
The FEPC measure is . the
most controversial bill in the
administration's civil rights pro
gram. Southern democratic op
ponents of the program have
succeeded so far in blocking a
house vote on the fair employ
ment bill.
Salem Family Escapes
Path Of Espee Train
Salem, Ore., Feb. 2 U.R)
Five members of a Salem fam
ily scrambled to safety Wednes
day night just before their stalled
auto was demolished by a south
bound Southern Pacific passen
ger train at Chemawa crossing
five miles north of here.
Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy Van
Cleave and their three children
were in their car. It slowed
down as it approached the rail
crossing and the engine stalled as
the tires touched the first track.
While Van Cleave was trying
to start the car his 11-year-old
daughter said: "Daddy, the
train's coming."
Mr. and Mrs. Van Cleave
kicked open the doors, which
stuck for an instant from ice
formed on the outside. Lois and
Nancy. 8, and Mrs. Van Cleave
hurried from the car. Van Cleave
snatched 3-year-old Lorrtta from
the car just before the train
struck.
WEATHER
forecast. rlr and thihtiy
warmer tonight. Cloudy Fri
day. Occasional suaty aouth
winds thta evening.
Temp.
HlgKeit Yesterday It
Lowett this Morning - t
Tribune
1950
Medford' s Shivering
Groundhog Confused By
Cold, Sun and Moon
Medford's groundhog was a
shivering and confused little
rodent this morning Febru
ary 2,
Ho poked his head through
th two inches of Icy snow
crystals, miffed the 7-degra
air, ihuddered briefly and
looked around. The sun was
just climbing over the slop
of Roxy Ann as in groundhog
stood up. In th western s ky a
bright full moon was fading
rapidly.
As a rime of frost formed
on hii whiskers, th groundhog
looked lo his left and taw a
faint moon-shadow. H wrig
gled. Then ho looked lo his
right. There was a strong
shadow cast by the sun, climb
ing into th cloudless sky.
The groundhog snorted. And
dov for his burrow.
Th old wives say a ground
hog's shadow on February 2
means six mora waeks of win
tar. Wonder what two shadows
moan?
Bill Introduced To
Protect Tenants In
Housing Projects
Washington, Feb. 2 (U.R)
Rep. Brooks Hays (D., Ark.), has
introduced a bill to protect ten
ants of government-owned veter
ans housing projects from evic
tion under provisions of the Lan
ham act.
The act, under which most
veterans housing projects were
built, provides that "all tempor
ary Mousing shall be removed by
Jan. 1, 1951."
Hays said, however, that prac
tically all the projects are .now
"100 per cent occupied" and
added that in many places there
is no other housing available
into which tenants can move.
Orderly Disposition
He said his bill would provide
for "orderly disposition" of such
government-owned housing pro
jects to fit in with "new con
struction and population shifts
in a community."
"Congress cannot Insist upon
any action which would cause
these moderate income families
to be put into the street with
out other places to live." he said.
Under his bill, the housing ad
ministrator would be permitted
to transfer temporary housing
units to cities and other local
bodies. Permanent housing pro
jects could be transferred to
local public housing agencies to
meet the needs of low income
families.
Royal Dutch Plane
Crashes In Flames
Amsterdam, Netherlands, Feb.
2 (U.R) A Royal Dutch airlines
(KLM) mail-freight plane crash
ed in flames early today in the
North Sea. Company officials
said it was certain that all sev
en crew members aboard were
killed.
The plane, a twin-engined C
47 Dakota, was on a routine
nightly run between Amsterdam
and London. The crew of five
was supplemented by two extra
co-pilots being ferried to London
for instruction in the landing
system at London airport.
Six of those aboard were
Dutch and the seventh, a co
pilot, was an Englishman. Among
the crew was one woman,
Kathleen Lamers, 26-year-old
stewardess.
COLDEST SPOT
Portland, Ore., Feb. 2 (U.R)
The state highway department
said today that Seneca, in south
ern Grant county, recorded a
low of 40 degrees below zero
this morning and probably was
the coldest spot In Oregon.
Truman Opposed to Vandenberq Proposal
To Discontinue Work On Hydrogen Bomb
Washington, Feb. 2 (U.R)
Preidcnt Truman said today it
isn't necessary or advisable for
this country to promise it will
slop work on the hydrogen bomb
if atomic weapons are depend
ably outlawed because it has
been urging international atomic
control all along.
In effect, Mr. Truman reject
ed a proposal by Sen. Arthur H.
Vandenbcrg (R., Mich.), that the
president notify the United Na
tions that this country would
suspend work on the superbomb
the moment atomic weapons can
be "dependably outlawed."
The president told a news
eill Least Wire
J. 265
o
n
P
Operators Accept
Truman Proposal
For 70-Day Truce
Lewis Acceptance
Claimed Necessary
Washington, Feb. 2 (U.R)
Northern and western soft coal
operators broke off contract
talks with John L. Lewis today,
but accepted President Tru
man's proposal for a 70-day min
ing truce beginning Monday.
There will be no truce, how
ever, unless Lewis also accepts.
If he doesn't, Mr. Truman ap
parently will be forced to seek
a Taft-Hartley 80-riny injunction.
Has Until Saturday
Lewis has until 5 p.m., (EST),
Saturday to reply to Mr. Tru
man's proposal that "normal
production" a five-day week
be resumed Monday for 70 days
while a special presidential board
studies the dispute and makes
recommendations.
Lewis gave no hint of his
next move. But he angrily ac
cused the mine owners of'wreck-
ing" the contract talks in the
hope that "the government may
now move in through the courts
and the Taft-Hartley slave law
to beat the mine workers to a
condition of servility.
The operators walked out on
Lewis less than an hour after
Mr. Truman told a news confer
ence he will invoke the Taft
Hartley law in the coal situation
when an emergency develops.
But he still didn't say that there
is an emergency now.
Each Blames Othtr
Each side blamed the other
for today's breakdown in the
new negotiations which began
yesterday.
George H. Love, spokesman
for the northern and western
operators, said the owners broke
off negotiations because the un
ion "still clings to its desire to
control production and to de
cree now many days mines may
work regardles of market de
mands. Lewis charged the operators
with bad faith bargaining. He
said they refused to negotiate
unless the union agreed in ad
vance to drop several of its con
tract demands.
President Aproves
Electoral Changes
Washington, Feb. 2 (U.R)
President Truman today describ
ed the senate's approval of a new
method of counting the electoral
vote to elect a president as a step
in the right direction.
Asked whether he thought the
proposed change In the electoral
college system might affect his
chances for reelection, the presi
dent told a news conference
that the proposed constitutional
amendment could not possibly
be in operation in luaz.
The house still must approve
the proposed constitutional
amendment by a two-thirds vote
and it must be ratified by three
fourths of the states.
Rep. Ed Gossntt, (D., Tex.),
predicted "substantial" house
approval for it.
Justice Of Peace To
Stand For Reelection
Ashland, Feb. 2 Nelle Burns,
justice of the peace for the Ash
land district, yesterday announc
ed her intention to file for the
republican re-nomination to that
office. She has been Ashland's
justice of the peace for the past
eight years two years of the un
expired term of her late hus
band. M. T. Burns, and a six
year term of her own.
No opposition candidate has
yet filed for the post.
conference that the American
delegation to the UN has been
urging international control of
atomic weapons almost every
week. It has been doing so, he
said, at his direction.
Without replying directly to
the Vandenbcrg proposal, Mr.
Truman said he . therefore saw
no necessity for notifying the
UN.
Vandenbcrg's proposal has
been endorsed by 14 members of
the congressional atomic energy
committee, including at least
five democrats.
Meanwhile, Chairman Tom
Connally (D., Tex.), of the sen
ate foreign rclationi committee
United Pr
3 Degrees
Breaks Portland Mark
By UniUd Prcis
Weather forecasters said todav that mm rtt
from the Pacific northwest's severe cold, but there was little notice
able difference immediately for residents suffering from all-time
luw itriupt-iuiui us.
Portland had a record-breaking three degrees below zero early
today, one degree below Tuesday's mark which tied a 62-year-old
temperature set in 1888. The new low was recorded at the Port
land airport, official weather bureau station, while the mercury
downtown dipped to seven degrees above zero.
Salem, Oregon's capital city, recorded three degrees below,
making it the coldest February day there since 1899
uincr dciow zero temperatures
in Oregon included minus 24 at
Baker, 20 at The Dalles, 19 at
Bend and Ontario, 18 at Pendle
ton and La Grande and 12 at
Burns.
Spokane, Wash., had 19 below
and Seattle 9 above. '
Slorm Moving In .
The relief was forecast in a
storm moving in from the Gulf
of Alaska and was expected to
bring higher temperatures and
more snow. Forecasters declined
to predict whether the snowfall
would be light or heavy.
Multnomah county roads in
Northwestern Oregon again were
plugged with snowdrifts Wed
nesday night and early today by
strong easterly winds out of the
Columbia gorge. The towns of
Springdale and Corbctt were iso
lated by road closures and Paul
C. Northrop, assistant county
roadmastrr, said all north-south
routes cast of Portland's 122nd
avenue were blocked.
Portland Doctor
Defense Witness
Portland, Ore., Feb, 2 (U.R)
Dr. John H. Besson of Portland
testified today that he quit the
industrial hospital association
because he felt he owed greater
allegiance to the Multnomah
county medical society.
Dr. Besson testified as a de
fense witness in the federal gov
ernment's anti-trust suit against
eight Oregon doctors, eight
medical societies and the Oregon
State Medical society.
The Portland doctor said he
was called before the Multno
mah county medical society
board of censors to explain his
work with the industrial hospital
association, a lay medical group.
"I felt and agreed with the
board of censors that my alle-
eiance to the medical society was
more important man continuing
with the association and I volun
teered to sever by connections
with them, which I did," Dr. Bes
son said on direct examination
by Philip Marcus, head counsel
for the government.
Carol Ann Paight
Fails To Remember
Bridgeport, Conn., Feb. 2
(U.R) Her voice shaking with
sobs, "mercy-killer" Carol Ann
Paight testified at her murder
trial today that she remembered
nothing aflcr a doctor told her
"my daddy was riddled with
cancer."
The 21-year-old blonde col
lege senior, who killed her
father. Stamford Police Sgt.
Carl W. Paight, 52, less than two
hours after the family doctor
gave her the tragic news that he
was doomed to a slow death of
pain, sat red-faced and tense, her
own star witness.
She broke down after answer
ing only two questions when she
took the stand, but after a short
recess she was composed enough
to continue.
Her attorney, David Goldstein,
asked her what happened after
the doctor told her last Septem
ber 23 that her father had can
cer and would die in a few
months.
"That's all I remember," she
replied.
Road Conditions
Stat polic reported roads
over Greensprings and Siski
yous. Redwood highway and
Sexton mountain wr opn
with pack snow sanded. Cars
wr having no troubl on
lihor.
Rossburg reported spots of
lc as did Grants Pais, accord
ing to United Press. Klamath
Falls and Kono had bar ox
posed areas on ihoir roads
while Willamette pass report
ed packed snow sanded.
Los Angeles, Feb. 2 (U.R)
Cafe Man Peter Insull reported
today that a housebreaker stole
his piggy bank containing $300
said he favors an attempt at
new negotiations with Russia
through the UN for effective
international atomic control,
But he called for a "clear ex
pression of willingness" by Rus
sia to embark on such negotia
tions In "good faith." Connally
said this government should
take care not to appear to be
"running after the Russians'
who thus far have blocked the
United States control plan
The United States decision to
build the hydrogen bomb. Con
nally said, might encourage i
shift In Soviet "obstructionism.'
and enhance the chances for
world controls.
Below Zero
Flooded Streams
Isolate Towns
In West Virginia
Charleston. W. Va.. Foh
(U.R) Flooded streams burst their
nanus today in West Virginia
and Kentucky, driving hundreds
of families from their hnmu
Three persons drowned.
Small towns were tanlotoH
their business districts flooded.
As the rampaging flood wa
ters covered thousands of acres,
property damage began to
mount.
Heavy Rains
Heavy rains have fallen for
five days. More rain wii fni-i-act
today.
The business districts of Bar
boursvllle and Catlcttsbure in
Kentucky were under wntr
State police said the rains had
caused several mountalnslides
around Middlesboro, Ky., block
ing two roads.
lhe state highway denartment
was trying to get trucks through
to Middlesboro to move out fam
ilies from there and from nearby
towns In Campbell county.
Town Isolated
Hamlin. W. Va.. was isolated
by waters which covered all
roads leading into the town.
Plans were made to brina in un-
plies by boat.
A state of emergency was de
clared in Paintsville, Ky., on the
Big Sandy river.'
"If the rain doesn't stop soon
we'll have the worst flood in our
history." Paintsville Mavor John
B. Wells Jr. said.
"The water station Dumps ar
under 14 feet of water and we'll
have to start rationing water at
noon today, ne said, ine river
stood at 38 feet, rising early to
day. Flood stage was 29 feet.
Cold, ic7Choke 01!
Fishing In Columbia
Astoria, Ore., Feb. 2-4U.R)
For the second straight year win
ter cold and ice have choked off
the livelihood of thousands of
Columbia river fisherman.
Only a handful of boats have
attempted to fish since the sal
mon and steelhead commercial
seasons opened last Sunday, and
most of these have returned
either with frozen nets or nets
not laid out. Packers say that
fishing will have to wait until
the Ice Is gone from the river.
The Smelt Fishermen's asso
ciation said that smelt fishermen
had been immobilized from Clif
ton and Puget Sound to Rainier.
The smelt are "there'.' but the
cold has driven them too deep
to be reached.
Ohio Printers Out;
Union Head Resigns .
Lorain. O., Feb. 2 (U.R)
Printers on the Lorain Journal
went on strike todav. but with
out the leadership of their local
president who resigned in pro
test over the walkout.
Frank Render, president of
the International Typographical
union, local 409, submitted his
resignation today, almost at the
time the strike began. In a state
ment. Render blamed Interna
tional Representative E. A. Sin-
nig for enforcing tne struce
"aeainst the wishes of the mem
bers under the threat of lifting
the charter of the local union.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for
the paper Indicated a 24-page
edition would be published to
dav with a small force of
printers.
BULLETINS
Rom, Feb. 2 (U.R) Actress
Ingrid Bergman gav birth to
a son her tonight.
Th baby was born In a
Rom elinic at 7 p.m., (10 a.m.
PST).
Nw York. Fb. 2 (U.R)
Radio and television directors
who threatened to go on sttike
against four major networks
for pay increases ranging from
$70 to SI 70 a week settled to
day for a $15 a week pay
boost.
Ottawa, Fab. 2 (U.R) Can
ada today ordered th expul
sion of two members of the
Ciechoslovakian legation in
Ottawa.
Th more was in retaliation
against th expulsion of twe
Canadian airmen of th Cana
dian legation in Pragu Janu
ary 19,
Salem, Ore., Feb. 2 (U.R)
Donald Verne McCallum, repub
lican, today filed his candidacy
for state representative from
Baker county.
Washington, Feb. 2 (U.R)
Karl R. Bendetsen was sworn in
today aa assistant secretary of
army.