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United Press Full Leased Wire
49th Year 18 Pages
Marines Conduct
Simulated Landing
On 'Enemy Shore'
Las Vegas Dishes,
Windows Rattled
Atop Mt. Charleston, Nev.
(U.R) A "beachhead - buster"
atomic bomb blast rocked the
Nevada desert and Las Vegas
"like an earthquake" today as
2,000 marines conducted a simu
lated landing on "enemy shores."
The predawn explosion, sixth
in the Atomic Energy Commis
sion's 1955 test series, thumped
Las Vegas, 75 miles away, rat
tling dishes and windows and
touching off calls by residents
wondering if it were an earth
tremor.
. Although it was unofficially
rated at less than half the power
ef the weapons that leveled Hiro
shima and Nagasaki, its cannon
like report was heard over a 125
mile radius.
Loudest of Series
. A crack like a bolt of thunder
momentarily stunned the ears of
unofficial observers atop the
8,900- foot peak some 4a airline
miles distant.
It was the "loudest report" of
the series, including that ot me
"granddaddy" device two weeks
ago, unofficially estimated as
packing twice the punch.
The report, which in nuclear
fission bounces erratically off the
atmosphere, was heard 350 miles
away in Beverly Hills, Calif., by
Bob Hill, who said it was "like
a good-sized cannon four or five
miles away."
Marines Near Blast
In six-foot-deep trenches less
than two miles from the blast,
and at concentrations elsewhere
within 10 miles of the detonation
point, some 2,000 Marines
crouched in combat readiness to
move forward in a mock invasion
behind the nuclear destruction
of the theoretical enemy shore
positions.
Poised nearby in readiness to
airlift the combat-ready Marines
into the blasted area as soon as
radiation monitors marked it
"safe" were 30 helicopters.
Practice Invasion
Although the whirly-birds
wore narked on the sand and
rock of Yucca Flat, in theory
they were on the aecK oi a Dig
carrier orjeratine amidst an in
vasion fleet in a practice "ap
proach from the sea" to an enemy
position on iana.
The Marines were taking part
in a 36-hour maneuver, one of
the loneest and most complete
Marine atomic maneuvers but
not the first time Marines have
been indoctrinated in nuclear
warfare. Two years ago, 2000
Marines participated in a small
er-scale maneuver, including hel
iennters.
The blast, set off right on
schedule at 5:05 a.m. (PST), had
a kick estimated unofficially to
be the equivalent of 10,000 tons
of TNT, compared to the Nagasaki-Hiroshima
weapons which
had a yield of 25,000 tons of TNT
each.
Cloud Hangs Together
Within 15 minutes after "shot
time," the familiar mushroom
cloud, signature of nuclear fis
sion, had disintegrated and
spread out to form a layer-cloud
some five miles wide.
Apparently because of unus
ually calm upper atmosphere
conditions, the cloud hung to
gether as it moved toward Ari
zona, forming an extraordinar
ilv massive layer 50 miles lone
instead cf being torn piece-meal
as with previous clouds.
The southern portion of the
cloud passed over Las Vegas'
50.000 noDulation at 6:45 a.m
T.as Vegas radiation monitoring
stations picked up no increase
in radiation beneath the cioua
This 37th atomic detonation
at the Nevada site threw out a
flash of light visible across a
five-state area in California,
Oregon, Nevada, Arizona and
Utah, spanning a diameter of
more than 800 mues.
And its nuclear fireball, deal
ing death and destruction from
Mast-furnace heat and radiation,
boiled out over nearly a two-
mile diameter for five seconds.
enough to wipe out any such
closely concentratea enemy
positions.
Corvallis 0J.R) A record
price of S61 a thousand board
f set for Siuslaw National Forest
timber has been set here by
Valsetz Lumber Co., of vaisetz,
Atom
Ore.
MEDFORD, OREGON, TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 1955
FATAL CRASH SCENE Shown above is
the burned wreckage of the light sports plane
which crashed near Emigrant lake Sunday,
killing its pilot, 25-year-old Harold H. Skin
ner, Medford. The lake is off to the right.
Scene of the crash is well above the lake,
President Opposes
George's Suggestion
For Soviet Conclave
' Washington (U.R) President
Eisenhower -reiterated- to Repub--
lican congressional leaders to
day his opposition to a top level
conference with Russia until the
Soviet Union by its deeds sup
plies evidence of good faith.
Mr. Eisenhower's stand was
reported to newsmen by Senate
GOP Leader William F. Know
land after the weekly White
House meeting between the
President and GOP congres
sional leaders.
The attitude relayed by
Knowland, showing that Mr.
Eisenhower has not changed his
often stated views toward a
chiefs of state meeting with Rus
sia, constituted the administra
tion reply to a proposal by Sen.
Walter F. George (D-Ga.).
Eisenhower Opposed
George, chairman of the Sen
ate Foreign Relations Commit
tee, has urged that Mr. Eisen
hower initiate steps toward a
Big Four meeting this spring or
summer.
Knowland's report to news
men confirmed that the Presi
dent has no immediate intention
of returning to the personal di
plomacy of the last President
Roosevelt.
Knowland told reporters
George's proposal was discussed
at length at the White House
LM. Mafheny Namd
Postmaster at JWille
Jacksonville Leon M. Math-
eny, acting postmaster here since
May 6, 1953, has received a per
manent appointment to that job,
he reported today.
Matheny was advised of his
appointment in a letter from
Postmaster General Arthur E.
Summerfield.
Jacksonville has had no per
manent postmaster in almost
four years. Prior to Matheny's
temporary appointment, Mrs.
Lloyd (Jean) Whitney was acting
postmaster.
Poo Vaccine Program
Discussions Scheduled
Two more meetings with par
ents of first and second graHe
pupils, to explain the plans .'
distribution of the Salk pc.j
vaccine if it is proven effective,
have been set up by the county
health department.
They are: Jacksonville school,
Wednesday, March 23, at 1 p.m.,
and Ruch school, Thursday,
March 24, at 10 a.m.
DOW-JONES AVERAGES
New York (U.R) Dow-Jones
final stock averages: 30 indus
trials 404.47 up 2.07; 20 rail
roads 146.34 up 0.96; 15 utilities
63.77 up 0.39, and 65 stocks
151.02 up 0.86. Sales today were
about 1,910,000 shares compared
with 2,020,000 shares traded
I yesterday.
meeting.- There has been no
change at present in administra
tion policy, the California Re
publican said.
He pointed out that Mr. Eisen
hower had listed previously as
"deeds" requisite to a Big Four
meeting:
1. Russian signature of the
Austrian peace treaty.
2. Agreement on free elections
for unification of Germany.
3. Agreement on a free and
united Korea.
Knowland said there is no
evidence that the Soviet Union
is prepared to go ahead on these
points.
He also pointed out that it is
the firm policy of the govern
ment that any conference prior
to final ratification of the Paris
agreements would be undesir
ably premature.
Gasoline Tax Hike
OK With Humphrey
Washington (U.R) Secretary
of the Treasury George M. Hum
phrey said today he "would, not
object" if congress raises the
federal gasoline tax to help
finance President Eisenhower's
$101,000,000 highway program.
Humphrey told a Senate Pub
lic Roads Subcommittee "there
is no doubt in my mind that this
program should be handled on
as close to a pay as you go
basis as possible."
If not then the borrowing
should be based on specific taxes
against highway users rather
than on the government's gen
eral tax revenues.
The federal gasoline tax is
two cents a gallon. It currently
yields about $915,000.00 a year
in revenue. The gasoline tax is
one of the excise taxes sched
uled to drop to one and one half
cents April 1 unless extended
by Congress.
Forest Protection Not
By A. ROBERT SMITH
Mail Tribune Correspondent
Washington Congress is mov
ing swiftly to open up additional
millions of acres of national for
est land to mining claims, but
has yet to move in the direction
of protecting federal forests from
encroachment by those who
stake claims primarily to cut
timber instead of mining the
earth.
The House last week passed
without debate a bill sponsored
by Rep. Engle (D-Calif.) which
would open up to mining claims
3,500,000 acres of national forest
land and 3,500,000 acres of other
public lands in the West. These
7,000,000 acres have been re
served for years as power sites
and thereby restricted from the
usual mining claim that is al
lowed on most public land. Min
llUBUNE
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No. 1
and the ground slopes more steeply toward
the water than is shown in the picture. The
power line which the plane hit, causing it to
crash, stretched from the top of the hill at left
off to another hill to the right.
(Charles Birchfield photo)
Funeral Arranged
At 2:30 Tomorrow
For Harold Skinner
Funeral services for Harold
H. Skinner, 25, who was killed
in the crash of his light plane
near Emigrant lake Sunday aft
ernoon, will be held at 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday in the Conger-Morris
chapel. The Rev. D. Kirk-
land West, minister of the
First Presbyterian church, will
officiate.
Burial will follow in the Med
ford IOOF cemetery.
Mr. Skinner was a member of
a prominent Medford family,
and was born here Dec. 15, 1929.
He was a member of the Elks
lodge, and Sigma Phi Epsilon.
Two Children
He was married to the former
Constance Stokes on Feb. 9,
1951. Their children are Mike
and Bobby. Also surviving are
his parents, Mr. and Mrs. R. A.
Skinner, and a brother, Lon, all
Medford.
Honorary pall bearers for the
services will be Donald Wright,
Donald Lue, William Singler,
William Wall, Robert Stokes and
Ronald Lamb.
Active pallbearers will be
Charles Sams, Winn Carl, Van
Purdy, Delbert Berg, Richard
Runyard and Lee Niedermeyer.
BuDDetSn
Salem (U.R) The Senate
Judiciary Committee today
passed out favorably a meas
ure to permit 18-year-olds to
vote.
Jennings Outstanding
Salesman at Ashland
Ashland, Ore. U.R) Jerry
Jennings, 26, sales manager for
a motor firm here, last night
was named Ashland's outstand
ing salesman for 1954.
The honor was announced at
the 6th annual Junior Chamber
of Commerce salesmanship ban
quet. ing on power site land has been
allowed only if specifically ap
proved by the Federal Power
Commission.
The Eisenhower administra
tion sent Congress a favorable
report on the bill, and it was
quickly reported favorably by
the House Interior Committee
and approved by the House on
the calendar of minor bills
brought up last week.
No action has been taken,
however, on legislation pending
before the House Agriculture
and Forestry Committee design
ed to protect valuable national
forestland from exploitation by
those who file mining claims to
cut the timber rather than get
any minerals that may be
present. It is sponsored by the
senior members of the commit
tee, Reps. Cooley (D-N.C) and
Weather
FORECAST: Considerable
cloudiness with scattered rain
showers tonight, becoming
partly cloudy Wednesday.
Low tonight 2S-30; high
Wednesday 48-50.
Temp.
Highest Yesterday 54
Lowest this Morning 39
Prec. to 4:30 a.m. Today, Trace
Finnish Tanker
Turns Around for
Return To Romania
Owners Stop Ship
In Indian Ocean
Helsinki, Finland (U.R) The
Finnish tanker Aruba has turned
back from its trip to Red China
with 13,000 tons of jet fuel for
the Communist Air Force, the
Finnish Seaman's Union said
today.
The crew of the big tanker re
belled last week against running
the Chinese Nationalist blockade
and demanded the captain put
into the port of Colombo, Ceylon.
He refused and ordered the ship
to sail eastward as long as the
men would work.
Radio Contact Maintained
The crew members, keeping in
touch with their parent union in
Helsinki by radio, then an
nounced they would sail only as
far as the Nicabar Islands at the
mouth of the Malacca Strait lead
ing to Singapore.
The owners of the ship noti
fied Communist China of the ac
tion and asked for further in
structions should the Aruba
put into a neutral port for trans
shipment of the cargo or could
the Communists load it aboard
another ship on the high seas.
Ordered Back To Romania
Peiping did not answer and the
Aruba's owners stopped the ship
in the Indian Ocean and ordered
it back to Constanza in Red
Romania where the kerosene
was first taken aboard.
The announcement by the Sea
man's Union ended a wave of
speculation throughout the world
as to the shipping company's
next move and Communist
China's next step.
Rogue River Boy
Falls From Auto
Rogue River Jess Harrison
Schefstrom, four-year-old son of
Mrs. Audrey Schefstrom, route
1, box 415, Gold Hill, was in
jured near here Monday morn
ing when he fell from a moving
automobile being driven by his
mother.
The accident happened on
Highway 99, between Rogue
River and Grants Pass, at about
10 a.m. State police at Grants
Pass said Mrs. Schefstrom was
driving toward Grants Pass at
about 30 to 40 miles an hour,
when a rear door of the car
came open and the tot tumbled
out onto the highway.
Two other children, Shelby
John Schefstrom, 2Vi, and Greta
Marie Schefstrom, were passen
gers in the car at the time of
the accident.
The little boy was taken to
Josephine General hospital. At
tendants said late yesterday that
his condition was "satisfactory,"
although they were unable to
report the exact nature of his
injuries.
Fire in Fire Hall
Too Much for Firemen
Eugene (U.R) The faces of
Veneia volunteer fire depart
ment members were as red as
their trucks today. Finding
a blase in their own fire hall
too much for them, they were
forced to call on the Western
Lane fire patrol for help.
Firemen of the two crews
finally doused the fire, which
occurred Sunday, but not un
til it had caused an estimated
$2000 damage to the upstairs
of the building located near
Veneta, some 11 miles west of
Eugene.
The fire was thought to
have started from a defective
chimney.
Yet Included in Mine
Hope (R-Kan.) Action on the
bill has been delayed because
the administration has not yet
disclosed its views on the pro
posal, although the Forest Ser
vice is known to favor such legis
lation. Existing mining laws permit
any mining claimant to get title
to forestland by paying $5 per
acre and showing he has invested
at least $500 per 20-acre claim
for improvements to tap the min
erals in the claim. With title
goes ownership of the timber
which is often worth many times
his investment in the property.
This law was enacted in 1872
when timber values were negli
gible. The Forest Service has
estimated timber worth $100,
000,000 has been tied up by such
claims in the three Pacific Coast
states alone.
California-Bound
Craft Slams Into
Side of Mountain
Radio Trouble Forces
Plane To Turn Back
Honolulu (U.R) A four
engine Military Air Transport
Service plane en route from
Hawaii to California slammed
into the side of a mountain to
day and the Navy said all 66 per
sons aboard perished.
It was the worst aviation dis
aster in the history of Hawaii.
The big Navy DC6, forced to
return to Hickam Field after it
developed radio trouble,
crashed and burned on a ridge
inside the Navy's top secret Lua
lualei Ammunition Depot about
20 miles northwest of here at
about 2:15 a.m. (HST).
The plane carried 57 passen
gers and nine crewmen.
Rescue crews dispatched from
the Air-Sea Rescue Coordination
Center here reported from the
scene of the crash that there
were no survivors.
The 57 passengers included
17 Air Force, four Navy, 12 Ma
rine and 22 Army personnel, in
addition to a civilian woman and
her baby daughter.
The plane, attached to Air
Transport Squadron Three at
Moffett Field, Calif., about 40
miles south of San Francisco,
was enroute to Travis Air Force
Base, Calif., about 50 miles
northeast of San Francisco.
A military spokesman said the
plane took off from Hickam
Field at 7:16 p.m. (HST) yester
day and reported at 10:32 p.m.
that it had developed radio
trouble and would have to re
turn. The plane was expected to
land back at Hickam at 1:40 a.m.
Weather Was Good
Authorities were unable to
offer any explanation for the
crash immediately other than
the pilot apparently wandered
off his approach pattern some
how. The weather in the area was
generally good with occasional
clouds and light rains.
Marine Pfc. Joseph T. Price,
Carlsbad, N.M., who was stand
ing guard at the ammunition
depot, said he saw the plane
come roaring over the depot at
an altitude of 500 to 600 feet. He
said it barely missed hitting a
700 foot radio antenna.
At that point the pilot turned
on the plane's landing lights and
apparently saw the ridge ahead.
The pilot banked a sharp right,
Price said, but it was too late to
avoid smashing into the mountain.
Garage, Automobile
Damaged by Flames
A garage at 612 South Ivy
st., and a car parked inside it
were considerably damaged by
fire this morning, firemen re
ported. The alarm, which was sound
ed at 10:12 a.m., apparently was
given after the fire got a good
start, for flames were coming
out of the roof when firemen
arrived. They managed to pull
the car from the garage, and
the gasoline tank did not ex
plode. Exterior paint was badly
scorched, however, they said.
The garage was extinguished but
was badly charred. Smoke from
roofing was visible in many
parts of town.
Firemen said the car was own
ed by the occupant of the house.
Alfred L. Randies.
Pumpers from the main and
west side stations answered the
alarm. The fire apparently
started in a storage shed next
to the garage.
Rogue River School
Attendance Hit by Flu
Rogue River Rogue River
school attendance has been hit
by a seige of influenza during
the past week, according to
James Hayden, high school prin
cipal. About half of the senior class
at the high school missed classes
for almost a week because of ill
ness, Hayden said.
Under the Cooley-Hope bills,
title for mineral development
would not be affected but tim
ber rights would go to the claim
ant only if he paid the ' going
price of timber in that area as
established by the Forest Ser
vice. Otherwise, it would remain
under federal jurisdiction.
The only timber the miner
could use freely would be that
deemed "necessary in the de
velopment and operation of his
mine" for such uses as shoring
up tunnels and building struc
tures on the property. And even
this timber would have to be
logged "in accordance with
sound principles of forest man
agement as defined by the na
tional forest rules and regula
tions." Indicating the position of the
Forest Service, Edward C
Churchill's Remark
Fails To Quiet Talk
On Retirement Plans
London (U.R) Prime Minister
Winston Churchill jovially told
Parliament today to avoid being
"led away by all the chatter in
the papers" about his rumored
retirement.
Churchill's jocular comment,
however, did not still a widely
held belief that his retirement
is imminent.
The aging Prime Minister's
remark was made in an ex
change with former Socialist
Uranium Mining
Claims Filed in
Evans Creek Area
Four uranium mining claims
in the Evans Creek Mining dis
trict have been filed in the of
fice of the Jackson county
clerk.
Notice of location of quartz
claims "bearing uranium and
valuable metals" were filed by
Dewey L. Bristow and Richard
W. Bristow. Their home address
were not available today.
The claims, called Uranium
King 1, 2, 3, and 4, are believed
to be the first uranium claims
ever filed in Jackson county.
Another uranium "discovery"
has been made in Jackson coun
ty, according to those keeping
in close touch with the mining
situation, and it is expected that
this claim location notice will
be filed in the near future.
Prospecting Heavy
Prospecting activity has been
heavy in Jackson county during
recent weeks, they said, and a
great deal of preliminary work
in the Mt. Ashland area has
been reported.
Local firms dealing in Geiger
counters and Scintillators, de
vices which aid in the discovery
of uranium, report that sales of
the equipment have been much
heavier than expected.
Physician Confesses
To Slaying Family
McAlester, Okla. (U.R) A
handsome 36-year-old physician
admitted today he killed his
wife with a wine bottle, poi
soned their three children and
then attempted to cover up the
murders by setting fire to his
home.
Dr. Ben T. Galbraith, former
president of the local medical
society, told officers he had no
particular motive. "I just woke
up at 1:30 a.m. and felt I had
to go home and kill my wife."
Galbraith was arrested at
Henderson, Tenn., yesterday
after the funeral for his family
at nearby Bells, Tenn.
Galbraith had left his home
last Wednesday to attend a
medical meeting in Oklahoma
City, but instead checked in at
a hotel at Norman, Okla., that
evening.
Public Warned on
Cheap Uranium Stock
Washington (U.R) The
chairman of the Securities and
Exchange commission warned
the public today about buying
cheap uranium stocks.
Ralph H. Demmler, whose
agency watch-dogs the stock
market, said prospective buyers
"run the risk of suffering a loss"
if they don't pay attention to
legally required information
about the uranium stocks that
they buy.
Demmler sounded his warning
in testimony before the Senate
Banking committee, which is
conducting a "friendly" study
of the current stock market
boom.
Measure
Krafts, assistant chief forester,
told the public lands panel of
the American Mining Congress
that the Forest Service is find
ing it practically impossible to
contest invalid mining claims be
cause of inadequate funds and
manpower. He estimated it
would cost $20,000,000 to con
test the 84,000 claims currently
outstanding and $4,000,000 an
nually to examine each of the
16,000 new locations filed each
year.
The Mining Congress in the
past has mustered opposition to
similar bills to help block their
passage. In the last Congress, the
Interior Department also op
posed this legislation, while the
Forest Service favored it. Con
gress failed to write the bill into
law.
Defense Minister Emanual Shin
well. Shinwell intervened dur
ing a question on whether Chur
chill would follow the American
lead and appoint a disarmament
minister.
Yalta Discussion
A moment later Churchill was
serious.
He said he did not thint "it
would be a eood nlan" tn .m.
point a British disarmament
minister as a counterpart to
Harold E. Stassen.
And to Socialist
he said he had hpn infnnn
by Washington on March 11 that
uie united Mates agreed with
the British stand
lishing the Yalta papers.
However, he was informs
four days later that the U. S.
suite Department had changed
its mind because of pressure
which could not be resisted any
longer.
It was in the exchange nwr
appointment of a British disarm.
ament minister that the question
oi tne uu-year-old Churchill's re
tirement came up.
Would Tell Queen
The narrow. Oalr-naneMerl
House Chamber was filled for
Churchill's first appearance
since reports started last week
about his retirement
able replacement by Foreign
secretary Anthony Eden next
month.
Nobodv reallv vnectirf rhim.
chill to break the retirempnt
news in Commons. He must tell
the Queen first of all.
On the other question, wheth
er he would appoint a British
counterpart to Stassen, Chur-
cum saia, " no.
He said he was satisfied Hth
Britain's present arrangement
lor approaching disarmament.
Four Persons Make
Court Appearances
Two men appeared in circuit
court this morning before Cir
cuit Judge H. K. Hanna.
John Lindsay, 22, of 38 North
Front st., received a suspended
two-year sentence on a charge
of obtaining money under false
pretenses. He pleaded guilty to
the charge on March 17.
Darwin Coda Powers, 20.
O'Brien, pleaded guilty to a
charge of larceny in a dwelling
and his case was continued
pending receipt of FBI records.
Power was arrested Saturday by
state and city police.
Two persons aoneared in dis
trict court vesterdav and were
fined by-District Judge Rawles
Moore. They were Rodney Sam
uel Thompson, 22, route 3, box
232, Medford, who was fined
75 and costs after pleading
guilty to a charge of reckless
driving, and Helen Marie Hinks,
49, of 2108 Table Rock road,
Medford, who was fined $10
and costs after pleading guilty
to a charge of petty , larceny.
Thompson's driver's license was
suspended for 30 days.
Ex-Reed Professor
Compiled Yalta Paper
Washinton (U.R) A former
Reed college professor from
Portland was the man chiefly
responsible for compiling for
publication the controversial
documents of the Yalta confer
ence. He is Dr. G. Bernard Noble,
who is now chief of the his
torical division of the depart
ment of state. For 20 years Dr.
Noble was professor of interna
tional politics at the Portland
college.
"I came here to do a pure
research job," the doctor told
The Oregonian, "but instead of
an ivory tower, I found myself
sitting on a volcano."
That was about the only com
ment on the political aspects of
the papers Dr. Noble would
make. ,
Four Men Fined $55
For Dyr.amiting Fish
Four men were fined $55 each
in district court yesterday on
charges of dynamiting steelhead
fish in Evans creek, according
to court records.
The men, who pleaded guilty,
were Henry D. Booth, 32, route
1, box 319, Central Point, ard
Delbert Woodrow Howell, 41,
Homer Hood Howell, 19, and
Royal Herman Howard, 23, all
of route 1, box 71A, Rogue
River.
The fish were confiscated and
turned over to the Salvation
Army.