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United States To Seek
True Meaning in Chou's
Proposal To Negotiate
Washington U.R) Secretary of State John Foster Dulles opened
the way today for possible U.S. talks with Red China on Far East
problems, including a Formosa cease fire. -
Dulles told a news conference that the United States intends to
"try to find out" if Communist Chinese Premier Chou En-lai's of
fer to negotiate a peaceful settlement in the Far East is sincere or
"a propaganda game.
He said he does not rule out the possibility of direct talks with
Red China so long as they do not infringe on the interests of
Nationalist China. He also said that release of imprisoned Ameri
can airmen and an immediate cease fire in the Formosa area were
not reaured before talks could be held with the Chinese Com
munists.
George
Prods State
Department To Seek
Far East Meeting
. Washington U.R) Sen,
Walter F. George (D-Ga.) prod
ded the State Department today
to seek a Far East conference
with Red China without insisting
that Nationalist China be pres
ent.
But he added that a "de facto
cease fire" that is, an informal
halt to the shooting in the For
mosa Straits should be an ad
vance condition to any such
negotiations.
' George. Chairman of the Sen
ate Foreign Relations Commit
tee, also urged, the administra
tion to discuss the Formosa crisis
with "our friends" in Europe and
Southeast Asia. He told reporters
agreement among these nations
might help the United States
deal with Nationalist generalis
simo Chiang Kai-shek "who may
be stubborn."
U.S. Has Obligations :
George insisted .that neither
the Nationalists nor Communists
would be waiving any rights or
claims if such a conference were
held. In addition he pointed out
that the United States has obliga
tions to Chiang, in the mutual
defense treaty. with the Nationpl-
ists, and "we couldn't think ofj
violating it." i .
George first proposed in a
Saturday night speech that the
United States accept the bid of
Chinese Communist Premier
Chou En-lai to negotiate.
Chou made the offer earlier
at the bandung conference. The
State Department responded that
the United States could enter
such a conference only if the
Formosa-based Nationalists were
represented. Chou in turn said
Monday that his proposal did not
affect the Communists' demand
to "exercise their sovereign
rights in liberating" Formosa.
Ridgway Says Russia
Ready for Combat
Washington JflJ.R) Gen. Mat
thew B. Ridgway told a congres
sional subcommittee in secret
testimony Feb. 7 that the Rus
sian army is "equipped and dis
posed to undertake a major war
with little warning."
He called the Soviet Army
"the most powerful land combat
' force in being today" and said
it "is kept in an excellent over
all state of combat readiness."
He also warned that other
Communist bloc armies in Eu
rope and Asia "are undergoing
modernization programs" and
gradually being molded into ef
fective modern forces."
Ridgeway's testimony before
a House Appropriations Subcom
mittee was made public last
night
Portland (U.RJ The gover
nor's Red Hat Day committee has
set Sept. 23 at Red Hat day for
Oregon's 300,000 nimrods.
Man of Many Names Admits Faking Hurts
In String of Attempts to Get Damages
A faked injury racket that has
bilked bus line and theater ope
rators out of almost $2,000 dur
ing the past three years came to
an end here this morning when
Parnell Belmont, 34, Princeton,
Ind., pleaded guilty in circuit
court to a charge of obtaining
money under false pretenses.
Belmont is charged with ob
taining $184 from an insurance
company for an accident he
faked while on a Greyhound bus
going through southern Oregon
to San Francisco. The complaint
was brought by J. P. Tobin, of
J. P- Tobin and Company, Med
f ord.
Police Gat Tip
Belmont was arrested in
Evansville, Ind., and was return
ed here through extradition by
' sheriffs deputies. The arrest fol
lowed a tip given Evansville po
lice by an insurance company
investigator.
Hard and Fast Stand
of Saturday Modified
This represented a modifica
tion of the State Department'3
hard and fast stand of last Sat
urday that the United States
would "insist" Nationalist China
be included in any talks about
Formosa and that the Reds could
demonstrate good faith by free
ing -the American fliers and ar
ranging an immediate ceasefire.
Red China had rejected the
condition that Nationalist China
be represented.
Dulles' views indicated a more
con ciliatory approach. They
seemed to fit a suggestion by
Chairman , Walter F. George of
the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee that this government
seek a Far East conferhce with
Red China without insisting that
Nationalist China be repre
sented. George also had pro
posed that a ceasefire be a pre
requisite to such negotiations.
In a prepared statement,
Dulles did not repeat that the
United States would "insist"-on
Nationalist China's presence. He
simply said "we shall not, of
course, depart from the path of
fidelity and honor toward" Na
tionalist China.
Dulles also said that recent
developments in the Far East
and Russia's apparent willing
ness to sign an Austrian peace
treaty "seem to give new ground
for hope" for peace,
The general impact of his
new? conference remarks was
to encourage the prospect of
talks with Red China on Far
Eastern'problems; including For
mosa. ; - , . .: y .
Klamath Indian
Election Ordered
Portland (U.R) Secretary
of Interior Douglas McKay has
ordered an -election among some
900 adult members of the Kla
math Indian tribe to select a
tribal committee of three to deal
with three men appointed to
help in terminating federal sup
ervision over the tribe's assets,
the local Indian Bureau office
said today.
. There has been dispute among
the Indians as to how' . this
should be accomplished. There
also has been opposition to re
moval of federal jurisdiction.
McKay previously named
three management specialists to
carry out release of Klamath
tribal assets from federal con
trol. The election wiil be .by mail
with ballots due at the Klamath
post office May 23. Ballots will
be sent out by registered mail
Friday. If no three candidates
receive a clear majority, a sec
ond election will be held with
the top five candidates on the
second ballot.
Administration Gives Up
On UMT Draft Authority
Washington (U.R) The ad
ministration, in effect, threw in
the towel today on its contro
versial requets for authority to
draft youths into a modified
Universal Military Training pro
gram. Details of the racket worked
by Belmont under seven or more
phony names were revealed here
this morning by District Attor
ney Walter Nunley.
Admits Charges
In signed statements, Belmont
has admitted using fake injuries
to collect settlements from bus
lines and theaters in a dozen or
more west coast, southwest and
midwest states.
In the local charge, Belmont
claimed he tripped and fell on
a bottle in a bus. He was examin
ed by a Medford doctor and re
ceived $184. In a signed state
ment given here, he admitted
that he. received no such injury.
The .local statement said Bel
mont was using the racket to col
lect enough money to marry a
girl in San Francisco. But the
statement given in Evansville
said he was living with his wife
in Indiana.
MEDFORD
u ruled fre
-uU Leued wire
50th Year 22 Pages
Bill Providing for
Income Tax Boost
Returned To House
Lowry Votes 'No'.
In Senate Debate
Salem (U.R) A bill to bring
in an added $45,000,000 in state
income, taxes, most important to
come , before the 1955 Legisla
ture, was back in the House to
day after a stormy passage
through the Senate.
The measure, putting a 45 per
cent surtax on state income
taxes, passed the Senate yester
day with only six dissenting
votes but only after a heated de
bate waged for nearly , three
hours.
The measure would decrease
personal exemptions from $600
to $500 and would bring in near
ly 60 per cent more income to
the state.
Only no votes were recorded
by Sens. Steen, Lowry, Ulett,
Hounsell, Brown and Johnson.
Two Motions Beaten
Because of Senate amend
ments, the bill went back to the
House, where the tax committee
headed by Rep. Loran L. Stewart
(R-Cottage Grove) will study the
Senate version. Should the
House refuse to concur, a con
ference committee would be ap
pointed with two' members from
each chamber.
The vote came in the Senate
yesterday only after defeat of
two motions to send the bill b?.ck
to the Senate Tax Committee.
Wants Sales Tax Vote
Sen. Lowell Steen (R-Milton-
Freewater) first moved to send
it ; back with instructions . to
amend it to provide that it would
not go into effect until the peo
ple had had a. chance to vote on
a sales tax."."'"'. ' "
When that move failed, Sen.
Jonn P. Hounsell (R-Hood River)
moved to send it back to com
mittee without specific instruc
tions, but with a suggestion that
the: committee adopt the pro
posal Gov. Paul L. Patterson
made in his inaugural address
last January that the state elim
inate the federal income tax off
set when computing state income
taxes. ' , i . : ' -Opinions'
Given
Sen. Lee Ohmart (R-Salem)
voted against re-referral and for
the measure, House bill 576. He
said he favors a sales tax as a
"good third leg" to the state's tax
system, but the Legislature must
balance the budget and it must
adopt a program least likely to
be referred to the voters. He said
a sales tax was most likely to be
referred. .' - . . .
Sen. Robert D. Holmes (D
Gearhart) said the income tax
has done a good job of financing
the state . government and - he
would be opposed to a sales tax.
. Sen. Philip Lowry (R-Medf ord)
who joined ..with Sen. Steen in
bringing in a minority report
from the Senate Tax Committee,
said he thought the people were
ready to accept a sales tax rather
than an increased income or state
property tax and they should
have a. chance to vote on it.
The minority report lost by
the same vote that finally passed
the bill 24 to 6.
Arizona Designated '
As Disaster Area
Washington U.R) President
Eisenhower designated drought
stricken Arizona today as a ma
jor disaster area eligible for
emergency feed benefits.
rwenty faked injuries were
listed in the Evansville state
ment, and Belmont indicated
there may be more that he can't
remember. On six of the faked
claims, he received no settle
ment, but on the others, he -received
payments ranging from
$50 for an alleged fall in a thea
ter at Long Beach, Calif., to $353
for a faked fall in a bus at El
Centro, Calif.
Uses Aliases
Belmont was arrested and re
turned here under the alias Tony
C. Rodriguez. Other aliases
which he used in the faked acci
dent reports were Frank John
son, William A. Sanderson, Wal
ter Lee George, Mark Stevens,
William A. Sanders, and James
D. Lydick.
' The case in circuit court here
was continued pending receipt
of a pre-sentence report.
MEDFORD, OREGON,
Coming of Television
Does Not Decrease
Reading by Students
Tha coming of television
hasn't affected teen-age ' read
ing habits in Medford, accord
ing to figures released by tha
Medford High school librarian,
Mrs. Jonn Paiton.
In tha school year 195243,
a total of 10,887 books were
checked out to tha 878 students .
in school,- an average of 12.5
books oer student. Sixty-one
books per day were checked
out of the library.
In August, 1953, KBES-TV
began operations, giving tha
valley a new medium of en
tertainment, prophesied by
some to bttithe ruin of young
people's interest in the printed
page.
Figures for the school year
1953-54 show, not a decline,
but an increase in student
reading. Books checked out to
talled 12,531 in a year when
senior high population reach
ad 907. An average of 13.9
books cer person were bor
rowed, 69.6 books per day
leaving the library.
Assemblies of God
Opening District
Convention in City
: . Christ's Ambassadors, the
youth organization of the As
semblies of God, will hold a
rally; tonight at 7:30 o'clock to
open the . 19th annual . district
council of the Oregon Assem
blies ' of God at the Medford
Assembly of God, 1108 West
Main st.-
The rally will emphasize the
missionary program of the
youth group.- MusacWillise. fur
nished by the Canydnville Bible
Academy choir, Canyonville.'
The Rev. Ralph M. Riggs,
general superintendent of the
Assemblies of God, will be the
speaker.
All of the morning and eve
ning services of the convention
are open to the public, accord
ing' to the Rev, F. Wildon Col
baugh, host pastor.
The morning devotional pe
riods will begin at 10 ajn. The
Rev. Levi Larson, of Evangelis
tic Temple, Salem, will be the
morning speaker Wednesday.
The Rev. James Baker, mission
ary to Formosa, will be the
Thursday speaker, and the Rev.
C. K: Barnes, of Pendleton, will
speak on Friday morning. Mr.
Riggs will be the speaker at
each evening service.
The Women's Missionary coun
cil met at 2 p.m. today.
Some 400 or more persons
from throughout Oregon are ex
pected at the sessions xhere this
week. ,v : '
High School Senior
Gels Navy Scholarship
Macy Overstreet, a senior , at
Medford High school and son of
Mr. and Mrs. M. M. Overstreet,
300 Mae st., has been chosen as
one of 21 Oregon boys who will
receive Navy scholarships for
four years of college, it was an
nounced in Portland today.
The award, will provide them
with tuition expenses, plus $50
per month expense money. They
will take Navy reserve officer
training corps courses during col
lege, and on graduation will
serve for a period as Navy offi
cers. The announcement was made
by Lt. Cmdr. Paul O. Parris, offi
cer in charge of the Portland
Navy recruiting station.
Several other Medford High
boys have received the Navy
scholarships in recent years.
Accomodations Needed
For DeMoiay Delegates
Some 400 to 500 high school
age boys are expected here dur
ing the state DeMoiay state con
clave to be held in Medford
May 6, 7 and 8, it wasannounced
today. 1
Those in charge reported that
housing for the delegates will be
needed, and they requested that
those having extra sleeping ac
comodations which could be used
by the boys get in touch with
Ken Piland, master councilor,
telephone 2-8953; Earr Knight, at
2-2932, or Frank Little, 2-4225.
Salem U.R) A proposal to
set- un an interim committee to
study administration of the work
men's conroensation ' law was
turned down yesterday by the
Houst.
TUESDAY, APRIL 26,
Local Water SuppDy
Outlook for Summer
Considerably (Better
Precipitation and below
average temperatures in April
have considerably improved the
irrigation water picture in south
ern Oregon,' reports indicated to
day. .
Jack Hoffbuhr, manager of
the Medford Irrigation district,
said that at Fish lake low tem
peratures have averaged 17.6 de
grees in April, compared to
average lows of 28. These colder
nighttime temperatures have
aided in keeping snow on the
ground for later runoff, he said.
Precipitation at the lake for
the season is almost 5 inches be
low normal, he said, but there is
still snow on the ground, where
as it was all gone at this time
last year.
Storms Drop Moistures
Storms in southern Oregon
last night dropped considerable
amounts of snow in the hills.
Sixteen inches, with a water con
tent of 1.44 inches, fell at Fish
lake. Crater lake had .82 of an
inches of precipitation, and now
has a total snow pack of 142
inches,' compared with 147
inches on April 30 last year, ac
cording to park headquarters.
The same . storm brought 11
inches of new snow to the Green
springs area and eight inches to
the Siskiyou summit.
Only .06 of an inches of rain
fall was measured at the Med
ford weather bureau, and .11 of
an inch fell in Grants Pass. But
precipitation elsewhere was con
siderably heavier. Snow covered
hills surrounding the valley this
morning.
May Need Heating
-Ehe "forecast is- f prceontimied
cloudiness arid precipitation, al
though in Medford it is expected
to clear this evening, with tem
peratures dropping below freez
ing. This may necessitate heat
ing in the valley's orchards.
Fish lake reservoir has about
5,551 acre feet in storage, com
pared to a capacity of 8,000 and
7,527 last year at this time. Four
mile lake has storage of 9,927
acre feet, compared to last year's
capacity storage of 16,123 acre
feet. ' .
Emigrant reservoir is a little
better than half full, with 4,486
acre feet in storage compared to
a capacity of about 8,300 acre
feet. K rainfall continues, it may
fill, according to Robert Kent,
manager of the Talent Irrigation
-district, although it would take
well-above-average precipitation
to do it.
Hyatt reservoir has stored
Sherry Fong Tells
Of Girl's Last Night
Portland -r-OJ-R) Sherry Fong
testified in her own defense to
day that she last saw Diane Hank
alive shortly before 8 a.m. on
Jan. 7, 1954, as the 16-year-old
girl was preparing to leave the
Fong house for school. .
I No one is known to have seen
the girl alive after that day. Her
boy was found more than a
month later near Washougal,
Wash. -
Mrs. Fong testified that on the
previous evening her husband
went to work after dinner and
that she and Diane talked in the
kitchen and then the living
room. About 11 p.m., she said,
Diane telephoned her mother and
received permission to spend the
night.
Mrs. Fong said that not long
afterward, she and Diane went to.
bed in separate bedrooms.
- She said Diane had complain
ed of feeling run down and that
about 7 p.m. she gave her a bot
tle ef vitamin pills and told her
to take one each day.
Baseball
AMERICAN
Washington " ..2 . 9 0
Cleveland ....... 3 5 1
McDermott and Fiisgerald;
Lemon and Hagan.
: New York .5 9 1
Chicago . 0 1 1
Bob Turley (3-0) and Berra;
Forcieles. Consegra (3), Cha
kales (9) and Lollar. ,
Detroit ..: ..3 - 5 0
Baltimore 2 10 1
Palica (12) and Smith; Gar
var (2-2) and House, Wilson (3).
IBUNE
reus full Leased Wire
Price 5c
No. 31
water about 11,031 acre feet,
with a capacity of 16,100 acre
feet. ,
Rainfall through April, while
below normal, has - been scat
tered, and with the low temper
atures has kept soils fairly
damp, lessening the requirement
of using stored water. .
These factors combined mean
the outlook for irrigation water
during the summer is consider
ably better, than the rather
gloomy forecast of April 1.
Breeder House
At Oregon State
Destroyed by Fire
Corvallis (U.R) Fire early
today destroyed a turkey breeder
house at Oregon State College,
killing 1400 one and three-week
old turkey poults.
College officials placed the
loss at $60,000. In addition to the
$40,000 building and the poults
some $20,000 in feed and equip
ment was lost.
Also destroyed were three tur
key research projects.
Outside City Limits
The fire was. discovered about
3:30 a.m. by Mrs. Walter R.
Hodges, wife of the college farm
foreman. The Hodges live on the
college farm about a mile west
of the main campus. Mrs. "Hod
ges called the Coryallis firede?
partment outTine firemen man t
respond because the turkey farm
is outside the city limits. -
A trailer house occupied by
Billie Forrest, a sopromore ,in
agriculture from Sal em,, was
moved to safety. Also saved were
900 nine-week old poults.
The breeder house was built in
1947 with two sections added in
1948. " '
College officials said cause of
the blaze was not determined. -
Final Classification
Of Land Announced
The Jackson County Land
Classification committee has
made the final classification for
1955, it was announced this
morning. Final classification
was made at a meeting held
Monday. , -
It leaves the area classified as
grazing lands exactly as it was
advertised in the original an
nouncement. All undeveloped
and unimproved land within the
"non-patrol" boundaries in the
Ashland, Medford and Sams
Valley areas has been classified
as grazing land, and will be giv
en fire protection by the state
forest patrol starting July 1.
Changes in classification re
quested by individuals at a pub
lic hearing will be considered
after a survey of the area has
been completed this summer.
Changes cannot be made in time
to change the 1955 tax rolls.
Official forms for requesting
reclassification of land will be
available at State Forest patrol
headquarters and the county
agent's office after July 15. The
committee requests that the
forms be filed with the Forest
Patrol office prior to Nov. 15.
The committee will consider
them before Jan. 31, 1956.
County Sanitation
Authority Approved
Salem (U.R) The Senate to
day passed with little 'debate
Senate bill 434 permitting estab
lishment of county , sanitary au
thorities. . ; , ' . ' . '
The measure, which now goes
to the House; provides that such
an authority may be set up in
one county or in , contiguous
counties. .
Petitions for a sanitary author
ity are solemnly charged - with
responsibility for their signa
tures. The act provides "it is a
felony for anyone to sigh" a san
itary, authority , petition , "with
any name other his own, or
knowingly . to ,. sign his '- name
more than once" to the petition
or sign it when he is not a quali
fied elector and a resident of the
territory described in the peti
tion. -r - j -
$50 PRIZE FLOAT The float shown above, prepared by the
Royal Neighbors of America' Juveniles, won a $50 sweepstakes
award for originality and theme portrayal last Saturday in the
annual Pear Blossom Festival parade. The float represented pear
blossom time in the valley,, with accompanying orchard heat
ing, and was drawn by two youngsters dressed in black and
labeled "smudge pots." The little girl on the float is seated under
a blossoming tree which has a birdhouse and a sign which said, ,
"I like making my home in the Rogue Valley."
fete1
BEST IN DESIGN The Medford Lady Lions float, shown above,
won $50 for the best Resign In the festival parade last week-.
t Iff II I 11
fit
BEST COMIC FLOAT The clowns and animal cage float, en
tered by the Medford Junior Chamber of Commerce, won the
third sweepstakes award of $50 for the best comic portrayal. ,
-(Photos by Brainerd). . . . ..' . .' t-, : '
Grants Pass
Schools Get Bomb Threats
Portland (U.R) Washing
ton high school .was evacuated
in a fire drill basis today after
another in a series of bomb '
telephone threats was made
about 11 a.m. i
Portland lT.R) Jefferson
high school today was the sub
ject of the second bomb threat
in two days.' The school was
evacuated after an anonymous
threat before 9 a.m. but classes
were resumed later. .
House Agrees To Send
Sales Tax To Floor
Salem U.R) The House Tax
Committee, abandoning its tenta
tive policy of keeping the sales
lax package in committee, agreed
today to send the . proposals to
the floor for action! -,
Rep. Loran L. Stewart (R-Cot-
tage Grove), committee cnair
man announced that he would
hold a meeting at 1 p.m. before
the afternoon session today to ex
plain the full plan to members
of the House. r , .. . ..
At 2:30 p.m. the committee
planned to submit its divided re
port on the sales tax bill itself.
A minority .led , by Rep. , Pat
Dooley (D-Portland) " voted
against the one bill 'in the. pack
age that would establish a three
per cent sales tax in Oregon
with food-exempt. ( :
, Salem OJ.RJ-r-The State High
way? Ccmmiission'. has; awarded
a Klamath and Lake counties
bridge contract to Hamilton and
Thorns of 'Eugene on low bid of
$120,310. ,: . , , , ,
Eugene (U.R) Circuit Judge
William G. East has ordered a
presentence investigation before
sentencing Marrill E. Parke on
charges of converting police de
, partment fundi to his own use. -
?k
3
rne latest inreai zouowea
warning that persons convicted
of extortion bomb threats could
receive up to five years in
prison. Grants Pass high school
reported a threat yesterday
afternoon. ' ;
' Two telephone calls were re
ceived, at efferson today with
in 25 minutes.
; Vice Principal Roy C. Malo
said the threats probably were
the work of a trickster, but po
lice were ordered to conduct a
thorough searcli. ;
The first call came at 7:54
a.m. It was received by. Rosa Lee
Lloyd, student secretary work
ing at the switchboard.
"I'm not fooling this time,"
the called said. "There's going
to be a bomb go off today." A
second call was received minutes
later.. , ? ',
Classes were suspended yes
terday shortly after 1 p.m.
after the caller said "there's a
bomb in the . cafeteria and I
want $75.
Mcrreftood Biff
Cleared for Debate
- Washington (U.R) The House
Jioules Committee today cleared
for floor debate a bill to grant
statehood to Hawaii and Alaska.
; It sent the; bill to , the floor
un d e r a procedure barring
- ' - m . .
amendments.
House. Democratic leaders
have not announced yet when
the bill will be called up for
House action.
LI
FORECAST:' Partly cloudy
throafh Wednesday.- Consid
erable clearing with freezing
- temperatures tonight. Low 2$;
- high Wednesday 55.
Temp.
Highest Yesterday " 51
Lowest this Morning .. 3S
Free, to IS a-m. Today .0