M
LTQ
V:
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CSed Chiiinia Asked To
Discuss GMeDrtiomi
f Amerocaen FDSeirs
Tokyo (U.R) Radio Peiping broadcast today that Red China
had sentenced three Chinese "U. S. airdropped spies" to death
and sentenced a fourth to 10 years imprisonment.
The broadcast, monitored by United Press in Tokyo, said the
sentences followed a recent "public trial" by a Hunan Province
Peoples Court.
Peiping said that all four were sent to Red China under the
direction of "American espionage agencies." The broadcast said
the four "confessed" during their trial that they joined American
espionage agencies in Hong Kong in 1950.
Washington (U.R) The
United States has asked Red
China for a new meeting at Ge
neva to discuss the "unwarrant
ed detention" of Americans in
'Chinese jails, official sources
said today.
U. N. Secretary-general - Dag
Hammarskjold is understood to
was reported hopeful that Red
China would release some, if
not all, of the 15 American air
men the Communists hold.
Release of Four Hoped
Hammarsjold is understood to
believe that at least four of the
15 American airmen might be
released in advance of the June
20 meeting of the United Nations
in San Francisco.
Official sources said the Amer
ican request for a new meeting
on the prisoner problem was de
livered recently at Geneva by
U. S. Consul General Franklin
C. Gowen. He and other consular
officials have held about a dozen
meetings at Geneva, primarily
on the American civilians held in
Red China, with Red Chinese
officials stationed in the Swiss
city. The Chinese replied, it was
said, that they would have to
get further instructions from
Peiping before a conference
could be set up.
Stale Department Silent
The State Department would
Last Frost Warning
Broadcast Made;
Danger Not Over
The last regular frost warning
broadcast of the year was made
last night by Roy Rogers, federal
meteorologist, according to Don
Berry, county agent for horticul
ture. The broadcasts have been car
ried every day since start of the
frost season by radio stations
KYJC and KMED.
Rogers will remain in Jack
son county until the first of
June, and will make spot an
nouncements in the event or
' chard heating is necessary. Berry
pointed out that in the past or
chard heating has been necessary
only once after Rogers had left
this area.
Should Maintain Healers
Rogers and Berry are advising
orchardists to leave heaters in
their orchards for the time being.
Frost damage to the valley's
pear crop has been minor so far,
Berry said, and he added that on
the basis of present conditions,
this years' pear crop will be
among the valley's largest.
Reduction of the crop has been
less than average, and "ringing"
of fruit by frost has been about
average, according to the county
agent
'Polio Shot Rate Here
Still 50 Per Cent
The number of Jackson county
youngsters receiving Salk anti-
polio vaccinations is still running
at about 50 per cent of those first
and second graders originally
signed up for the program, coun
ty health department officials
said this morning.
Inoculations were given this
morning at Washington school in
Mediord.
No date has been set for the
second in the series of shots,
health department officials said.
Boxcar Shortage, Trucker Strike Puts
Crimp in Movement of Oregon Products
Portland (U.R) A 10 per
cent shortage of common box
cars, coupled with a strike
against three major truck lines
on the west coast, today was re
ported putting a crimp in move
ments of Oregon products to
market areas.
Other Roads Less Hard Hit
Southern Pacific lines re
ported it would have only 80
per cent of required box cars
available for shippers but other
roads were reported less hard
hit by the national shortage of
serviceable rolling stock for the
peaking summer demand. South
ern Pacific officials announced
they would issue an equalizing
not comment officially on the re
quest for a meeting or Ham
marskjold's reported optimism
that some of the jailed American
airmen might be freed in less
than a month.
The Red Chinese hold 25
American civilians in jails, three
are under confinement in homes
and about 12 more have not been
able to get permission to leave
Red China.
Eleven of the 15 American
airmen were sentenced to prison
terms last November by the
Chinese Reds. The four who are
believed most likely to be re
leased first have not been sen
tenced. Sen. Wayne Morse
Appeals for Funds
For Talenl Project
Sen. Wayne Morse (D-Ore.),
was to appear before the Senate
appropriations subcommit
tee this morning to request the
appropriation of $2,500,000 for
the start of work on the Talent
reclamation irrigation project.
In a telegram to The Mail
Tribune, he pointed out that this
is the same amount that he re
quested recently in an appear
ance before the House appropri
ations subcommittee. He is ask
ing that the funds be made av
ailable for the fiscal year 1956,
which starts July 1.
He added:
Asks Rehabilitation Money j
"I am also asking the Senate
subcommittee to approve a
$350,000 item for fiscal 1956
for Medford-Rogue River Val
ley Irrigation district rehabili
tation project. I appreciate the
great importance of both of these
projects, and will do everything
possible in support of them."
The $22,000,000 Talent pron
ject, which would provide sup
plemental irrigation water for
the Talent and Medford Irriga
tion districts, was authorized by
Congress last year, but was not
included in the budget for 1956.
Senators Morse and Richard Neu
berger and Congressman Harris
Ellsworth of this district all have
expressed their strong support
of the proposal.
Baseball
NATIONAL
Brooklyn 6 13 1
Pittsburgh 2....6 1
Newcombe and Campanella;
Kline, Face (9) and Shepard.
St. Louis . 0 6 0
Chicago 3 6 0
G. Jones, Lawrence (6),
Smith (8) and Sarni; Pollet and
Chiti.
AMERICAN
(First Game)
Washington 4 7 0
New York 8 11 0
Schmidts, Ramos (3), Steart
(5), Shea (7) and Fitzgerald;
Kucks and Berra.
(First Game)
Chicago 3 8 0
Cleveland '. 15 0
Harshman and Courtney;
Lemon, Mossi (6), Narleski (9)
and Hegan.
Boston 0 4 0
Baltimore 2 9 0
Kiely. Kinder (8) and White;
Wilson and Smith.
order between its eight operat
ing divisions to ease the short
age in the Portland area at least.
Heavy demands for rail ship
ping space were created by a
tieup of truck freight outlets in
a coast-wide labor dispute.
Emergency Order Planned
Public Utilities Commissioner
Charles H. Heltzel said an em
ergency order, similar to one is
sued in 1950, would be written
to enforce equitable distribution
of available freight cars. He
added, however, that the order
would be held back until next
week to observe the effects of
the SP steps to alleviate the
shortage.
Medford
United Press full Lued Wire
50th Year 28 Paget
Special Election
Possibility Seen
On Revenue Plan
Tobacco Industry
May Seek Signatures
Salem U.R) Gov. Paul Pat
terson today signed House bill
539 to put a tax of three cents
a pack on cigarettes, one of the
main revenue-raising measures
passed by the 1955 session to
meet an anticipated deficit of
more than $60,000,000 in the
next biennium.
The main revenue -raising
measure, putting a 45 per cent
surtax on personal income taxes,
was signed by thegovernor May
18.
It is estimated to raise $50,
000,000 if it is not referred.
The cigarette tax, which the
tobacco industry has already in
dicated will be referred if it can
get the needed signatures on
petitions, is estimated to bring
in anqther $10,000,000 for the
biennium.
November Vote Possible
Should the surtax on personal
income tax be referred, the legis
lature has provided that a spe
cial election be held next Nov. 8.
If the cigarette tax should also
be referred, it will appear on
the same ballot. But if only the
cigarette tax is referred, it will
not be voted on until the next
general election, in November,
1956. . ,
For either measure to be re
ferred, petitions bearing the sig
natures of 20,047 registered vot
ers must be filed with the secre
tary of state's election bureau by
Aug. 2.
Should both the surtax on in
come tax and the cigarette tax
be "referred, " several legislators
here speculated before the close
of the 1955 session May 4 that a
special session of the Legisla
ture would be a virtual necessity,
to try once more to work out a
method of financing the state's
affairs without recourse to a
real property tax at the state
level.
Governor Works Late
For several years the state has
used its personal income tax as
an offset against property tax,
thus leaving that source of reve
nue to local and county govern
ments. In a last-hour flurry to act on
all bills before him by noon, Gov.
Patterson worked with his legis
lative counsel Hugh Barzee of
Portland late last night and all
this morning, and had signed
some 80 bills by 10 a.m.
Ashland Market
Destroyed by Fire
Asjiland (U.R) Fire today
destroyed all but the concrete
block walls of Sweem's market
and variety store on Highway 66
at the east side of Ashland.
Mrs. Don Sweem said the loss
would run into thousands of dol
lars but she could give no accu
rate estimate. Only the building
itself and furnishings of a three
room apartment were covered
by insurance.
Intense heat melted or burned
all the stock in the store itself,
although firemen kept the flames
away. The blaze started in a
closet of the apartment at the
rear of the store, firemen said.
The West Coast Lumbermen's
association announced it had in
voked a long-prepared plan to
ease the shortage by urging all
shippers to load every available
car to its maximum capacity and
to speed loading' and turn
around. Wasteful Practice
B. L. Nutting, Medford, chair
man of the association's special
car supply committee, said rail
roads had been asked to cut
down the wasteful practice of
delayed routings of transit cars
of lumber.
Nutting declared that the
shortage would last all summer.
Patter
MEDFORD, OREGON,
CP
qd wagons
RETURNING TO WASHINGTON after eight months absence due
to surgical treatment of war injury, Senator John F. Kennedy
(D). Mass., walks in sun with wife outside Capitol (International)
B-36 Crashes in Texas
With 14 Men Aboard
Sterling City, Tex. (U.R) A
B36 atomic superbomber appar
ently ran into a tornado and
crashed in flames 35 miles south
of here today. Fourteen men
were believed killed.
"There weren't any survi
vors," said Collin Brennan, on
whose ranch the plane fell. "The
left wing was on fire when It
fell."
From Walker Air Base
The plane was from Walker
Air Force Base at Roswell, N.M.
Maj. A. K. Barnes of Roswell
said "we have an aircraft over
due in that vicinity." He said it
bad 14 men aboard.
"There was an awful noise,"
Brennon said.
He said few of the bodies were
burned, since the high winds
that were blowing blew the
flames away from the fuselage
and it did not burn. The wreck
age fell over some 25 acres and
burned for about an hour, he
said.
Maj. Robert Nelson, public
information officer at Biggs Air
Force Base, El Paso, Tex., said
the $3,500,000 plane spun to the
ground in a pasture.
Barnes said Walker AFB was
sending another aircraft to
Sterling City to make definite
identification of the crashed
aircraft.
The B36 from Walker, attach-
Hobby Resignation
Report Brings Denial
Washington(U.R) The White
House denied categorically to
day published, reports that Mrs.
Oveta Culp Hobby has submitted
her resignation as secretary of
Health, Education and Welfare.
Press Secretary James C. Hag
erty issued the denial after talk
ing with President Eisenhower
and with Mrs. Hobby, who is
in Texas with her ailing hus
band. "We have had no resignation
submitted but his (Hobby's) con
dition is critical and I can't tell
you at this time whether that
illness will force Mrs. Hobby
to leave the government," Hag-
Jury Trial Under Way
On Dentistry Charge
A jury trial for Lee Poirier,
Jacksonville, got under way in
district court this morning be
fore Judge Rawles Moore. Poir
ier is charged with practicing
dentistry without a license.
The first complaint in the
case was filed July 14, 1954. It
later was dismissed and a new
complaint was filed Jan. 24 of
this year.
Medford Attorney O. H. Beng
tson is representing Poirier, and
District Attorney Walter Nun
ley is representing the state.
THURSDAY, MAY 26,
ed to the Sixth Bomb Wing, of
the 15th Air Forcei took off from
Roswell yesterday afternoon on
a training mission.
Nelson said he understood the
B36 which crashed flew into a
tornado. There were several in
the West Texas area during the
night.
Lt. Steven P. Meyers, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Meyers, 181
Black Oak dr., was the regular
pilot of the plane which crashed
in Texas last night. His father
said this morning that he was re
moved from yesterday's flight at
the last minute to prepare for
special schooling. The plane
was manned by the crew with
which Lt. Meyers regularly flew.
School Patrol Dinner
Slated Friday Evening
The annual Medford school
safety patrol dinner, when indi
vidual awards will be presented
members of the school safety pa
trols will be held at 6:30 p.m.
tomorrow in the Jackson hotel
Pioneer room.
James Byerly, state super
visor of school patrols from the
office of Earl Newbry, secretary
of state, will be principal speak
er. Mayor Earl Miller will make
the awards.
Bud Palmer, vice-chairman of
the Medford Safety council, will
preside. Entertainment will be
furnshed by the St. Mary's High
school boys glee club. Approxi
mately 100 students from the
four Medford elementary
schools, St. Mary's school and
Oak Grove school will partici
pate. Damage Suit To Start
In Court Tomorrow
A $21,500 damage suit, pend
ing since Jan. 29, 1951, has been
set for trial on Friday and Satur
day in circuit court, according to
the court docket.
The suit, , charging slander,
was instituted by, Mrs. Barbara
Helms Phelan, Ashland, against
Lottie and Sarah Beswick, sis
ters, of Valley View.
The original complaint in the
suit was filed on June 29, 1951,
and amended complaints were
filed Aug. 21) 1951, and Dec. 17,
1951.
William Briggs, Ashland, is
attorney for the plaintiff, and
the Medford law firm of Rob
erts, Kellington and Branchfield
is counsel for the defendants.
Brattleboro, Vt. (U.R)
Federal Judge Ernest W. Gibson
has reserved decision on a mo
tion to dimiss charges against
Manuel Miller, charged with as
saulting federal officers who
sought to take his wife to a men
tal hospitaL
Leased Wire
No. 57
jjireftfte Ton
r eminent Lumberman
Floyd H. Hart, Dies
Floyd Hart, one of Oregon's
best known lumbermen, a pio
need flier ana a decorated vet
eran of two World Wars, died
unexpectedly last night. He
was 57.
Mr. Hart was president and
general manager of Timber
Products company in Medford,
and in addition was also associ
ated with a number of other log
ging and lumber operations. He
was a member of the state ad
visory committee to the bureau
of land management, and only
last year headed a committee,
under appointment of Interior
Secretary Douglas McKay, to re
view operations of the BLM and
to make recommendations for its
regulations.
Mr. Hart and his wife, the
former Leah Charity Walther,
made their home at route 1, box
213, Central Point.
Two Daughters, Son
Besides Mrs. Hart, survivors
include two daughters, Mrs.
James Keeble, 106 Black Oak
dr., Medford, and Mrs. Jack
Bergstrom, Hermosa Beach,
Calif., and a son, Floyd H. Hart
Jr., 2191 Canal st., Medford, who
recently completed a tour of
military duty. There are five
grandchildren. Mrs. Jean Hart,
a sister-in-law, also survives.
Mr. Hart served in both World
War I and II, as a flier. During
World War II he was awarded
the Bronze and Silver Star dec
orations for his service in the
Air Corps.
A native of Quincy, 111., he
was born Jan. 17, 1898, and
moved to Oregon as a youth. He
attended Harvard school in Los
Angeles, and the Universities of
Oregon and Illinois, between
1916 and 1920, leaving school for
a period of service in the first
war.
Began As Pilot
His career in Medford began
as a commercial pilot, but he
later became an officer in the
First National bank here, later
entering the lumber business,
Eden 5-1 Choice
To Win Election
London (U.R) Britain vot
ed today in a general election
that was expected to anchor
Prime Minister Anthony Eden
firmly in the leadership he wait
ed so long to inherit from the
indestructible Winston Church
ill. Eden, foremost exponent of
friendship and cooperation with
the United States, was a solid
5-1 favorite to remain in office
as Britain chose between the cap
italism of his Conservative party
and the socialism of the Labor
ites. The voting began at 7 a.m. (10
p.m.. PST) under partly cloudy
skies with a light drizzle falling
in the south of England. It will
end at 9 p.m. (12 a.m. PST) and
the results should be known by
Friday afternoon.
The contest was for 630 seats
in the House of Commons where
the Conservatives have been op
erating with a slim, 18-seat ma
jority. The winner of the election
is the party that wins a major
ity of Commons seats. The Queen
appoints the winning party's
leader to be prime minister.
7th Annual Phoenix May
Festival Program Is Listed
Phoenix The program for
the seventh annual Phoenix May
Festival this Saturday has been
announced.
Activities will start at 10:30
a.m. at the Community Hall
grounds with Mrs. Mabel Bourne
president of the Community club
introducing the master of cere
monies, Curt Fisher.
. Following presentation of col
ors by Boy Scouts, the flag salute
and the Star Spangled Banner,
Mayor Dan Adams will introduce
visiting mayors, and Georgia
Cook, queen chairman, will in
troduce last year's queen, Betty
Harris.
Miss Harris will introduce this
Weather
FORECAST: Generally cloudy
with occasional light rain
through Friday. Mild tem
peratures. Low tonight 48.
High Friday 70.
Temp.
Highest Yesterday 62
Lowest this Morning 48
Prec. to 4:30 a.m. Today 01
FLOYD HART
Prominent Lumberman Dies
with which he has been actively
identified since.
Mr. Hart suffered a heart at
tack some months ago, but ap
parently had recovered and
appeared in vigorous health.
Always active in civic, service
and political affairs, Mr. Hart
was a member of the Elks, Uni
versity and Golf clubs, and the
Episcopal church here, as well
as a number of professional
organizations.
Funeral arrangements are
pending. Conger-Morris funeral
home will be in charge. " '
Poppy Days Slated
Friday, Saturday
Two veterans organizations,
the American Legion auxiliary
and the Veterans of Foreign
Wars, will join Friday and
Saturday in selling memorial
poppies.
Mayor Earl Miller has issued
two proclamations, one for each
organization, setting aside the
days as poppy days in Medford,
and calling attention to the fact
that the poppies honor our war
dead, and that all funds for the
welfare of the disabled men and
needy children of veterans.
The organizations are asking
that each resident of the city buy
and wear a poppy Friday and
Saturday, not only in honor of
those veterans who gave their
lives, but to assist the living.
End of Trucking
Strike Not in Sight
Los Angeles (U.R) -The sec
ond federal mediation session
between AFL Teamsters and
long-haul trucking firm employ
ers ended at noon today with
no settlement of an eight-day
old Western trucking strike in
sight.
"We're still exploring the situ
ation," Conciliation Commission
er John Fenton said. "There is
nothing new to report at this
time toward a settlement. We'll
meet again later this afternoon."
The tie-up forced the Stude
baker - Packard assembly plant
here, which employs 650 work
ers, to shut down yesterday. A
spokesman for Chrysler Corpor
ation's assembly facilities said
they also would be forced to
shut down Monday if the strike
is not settled.
year s queen.
The festival parade will start
at the club grounds at 11 a.m.,
and awards for parade winners
will be presented at noon, when
special musical program will be
presented by Bliss Heine's jun
iors and Eve Prentice's accordion
band.
Scheduled for afternoon and
night activities are prizes, Helen
Briley's Western band, a men's
quartet, "All Done Four," an
Hawaiian band and modern and
square dances.
Modern dances will be held in
the community hall, and square
dances will be in the Phoenix
grade school gymnasium.
?: : N VV j
Kansas, Oklahoma,
Texas Count Dead
In Wake of Storm
Hundreds Injured
On 200-Mile Path
Udall, Kan. (U.R) Killer
tornadoes left a trail of death
and ruin today in Kansas, Okla
homa and Texas.
Shattered communications
made an accurate count of the
dead impossible, but it appeared
that about 90 were killed in the
three - state area. Hundreds were
injured.
The tornadoes, spawned by a
violent storm front, struck last
night along a 200-mile path from
the Texas' Panhandle to South
eastern Kansas.
One twister turned this vil
lage of 610 persons into a giant
scrap heap within 60 seconds.
Not a building was left undam
aged and the mounting death
toll already was the worst in
Kansas history.
Estimates of Deaths
This was the best estimate of
the dead:
Udall and vicinity: 53 or 54
dead, 200 injured.
Blackwell. Okla.: 16 to 21
dead, at least 150 injured.
Cheyenne, Okla.; 2 dead.
Sterling City. Tex.: 14 dead In
the crash of a bomber believed
struck by a tornado.
The destruction here was all
but undescribable. Torn frag
ments of roofing were found a
mile from town. In the center of
town, a two - story frame build
ing was twisted completely
around on its foundation and its
roof was torn off.
Twenty-five or 30 automobiles
were demolished along the main
street.
The Red Cross set un head
quarters in a battered bank
building. Four companies of na
tional guardsmen totaling 270
men moved into town.
Uprooted trees blocked the
streets. Some still standing on
the outskirts were sheared at the
top as if by a giant pair of scis
sors. At Blackwell, Okla., United
Press Staff Correspondent Le
roy A. Hammann reported a
similar scene.
The body of one elderlv man
was found lying against a fence,
where he had been blown 250
feet from his demolished house.
Weather Bureau exnerts said
reports indicated that at least
10 tornadoes struck during the
night in Oklahoma alonir a nath
nearly 200 miles long.
The storm line extended in al
most a straight line from Sham
rock, Tex., where the first storm .
hit, on through Cheyenne, Cam
argo and Blackwell, Okla., and
on to Udall, Rock, Derby and
Gueda Springs, Kan.
The Udall twister struck
about 10:30 p.m.
"I had just gotten up," said
Mayor Rowe. "I'm a night work
er. I was standing at the front
door in my boots. There was
a little rain. Then it hit.
"My house just floated away.
I don't know where it is."
Rowe's wife and three child
ren survived, but one of the
children was hurt.
Henry Harvey, news editor of
radio station KFBI at Wichita,
Kan., hastened to the scene and
reported destruction beyond
description. Clocks had stopped
at 10:30 p.m., but communica
tions were shattered and it was
after midnight before word got
out that the town had been
leveled.
Hospitals Overflow
Residents had no time to
think or calling for help, any
way, Harvey reported. They
were busy freeing themselves
from the debris, rescuing the
wounded and searching for their
scattered families.
Later, when communications
were set up and rescuers moved
in, some surrounding hospitals
were forced to turn away ambu- -lances
loaded with the injured
because they were filled to over
flowing. The twister hit Blackwell a
short time earlier. One resident
said it "sounded like a freight
train coming by my house."
The eastern half of the town,
about two and a half square
miles, was flattened, and the
Riverside Osteopathic Hospital
and the Hazel Atlas Glass Co.
were demolished.
Two Men Bound Over
To Grand Jury Hearing
Two men were bound over to
the Jackson county grand jury
yesterday following appearances
in district court.
Clifford Quentin Gee, 29, Har
lan, Ore., received a preliminary
hearing on a charge of conceal
ing stolen property. He is ex
pected to appear in circuit court
tomorrow.
Wayne Harding, 19, of 229 V
Chestnut st., was arraigned on
a charge of forgery, according
to records in the sheriff's office.