Medford mail tribune., December 25, 1955, Image 1

ATT
Recommended
'Yeafher
ORECAST: Cloudy with gusty
urface winds, snow in the val
eys. Showers Monday. Low to
lay, 40. high this afternoon, 50.
l.ow Monday, 3S.
. TEMPERATURE
Highest Vest 51
Lowest Test. Morn. 2'
Pictures of the Rogue valley
flood appear today on Page of
today's MrgJ Tribune.
O
t3 O
United Press Full Leased Wire
United Press Full U
5:
50th Year
22 Pages
MEDFORD, OREGON, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1955
Price 5
No. 236
R
BUN
Q
Pope's Christmas Message
For Ban On Nuclear Tests
Vatican City CU.R) Pope Pius XII Saturday proposed a
ban on all nuclear tests and an international agreement on
disarmament to save the world from a man-made "catas
trophe." In his annual Christmas message broadcast to the world,
the Pontiff called upon nations to solve their disputes by
"preventative pacification" peaceful negotiation to prevent
their quarrels from blossoming into wars.
The Human Race at Slake
Warning of the' danger of further nuclear explosions, he
said the fate of "the whole human race" is at stake.
Without mentioning it by name, the Pope supported
President Eisenhower's proposal for mutual aerial inspection
of military installations and the plan to set up listening posts
and similar controls around the globe.
The Pope delivered his 45-minute Christmas message from
a golden throne in the Consistorial hall of the Apostolic Palace
of the Vatican. His words were spoken to 16 purple-clad card
inals and ot!r high officials, and broadcast in 29 languages
around the world.
In his message, the 79-year-old pontiff warned:
"This is the spectacle offered to the terrified gaze as a
result of such use (of nuclear .weapons in war): entire cities,
even the largest and the richest in art and history, wiped
out; a pall of death over the pulverized ruins, covering count
less victims' with limbs burnt, twisted and scattered, while
others groan in their death agony.
"Radioactive Cloud Hinders Help" ,
"Meanwhile, the spectre of the radioactive cloud hinders
the survivors from giving any help, and inexorably advances
to snuff out any remaining life.
"There will be no song of victory?' the Pope said. "Only
the inconsolable weeping of humanity which in desolation will
gaze upon the castrophe brought on by its own folly."
The Pope said that further nuclear explosions "would
generate conditions very dangerous for many living beings."
1 89:560
Chicago U.P.) Holiday
q traffic deaths headed for a new
record gt a rate of more than six
an hour Saturday as the death
count in the western floods
mounted well.
.Deaths climbed sharply late
yesterday bearing out National
Safety council warnings that
Christmas Eve is the most dang
erous traffic day of the year.
A United Press survey 'show
ed that traffic accidents took
156 lives in the first 24 hours
of the holiday. Fires killed IS,
17 died in miscellaneous mishaps
and one person was killed in a
plane crash for a total of 189.
Illinois Leads
Illinois led the nation in traf
fic deaths with Q19. Michigan
followed with 16 and Calif oria
with 14.
The record for a three-day
"Christmas holiday was set in
1950 when 520 deaths were re
corded. The Saftey Council pre
dieted that 560 would die this
year.
Ned ft. Dearborn, council pres
ident, issued a new plea for cau
tion. "We beseech every driver
to end this senseless slaughter,"
he said.
Tlgree persons were killed and
a fourth critically injured near
Haviland, Kan., in the crash of
an auto taking a family to a
Christmas visit.
C&e person was killed and
21 others injured when a gas
explosion ripped through a two-
story building at Oklahoma City
where workers were preparing
eggs and turkeys for last-minute
Christmas delivery.
Whileoaccidents mounted, the.
Weather Bureau said Santa
Claus has left on his annual trip
well bundled up. A weather
station just 240 miles south of
the North Pole reported a tem
perature of 4 degrees below
l8ro'. But the bureau forecast
MF Plane Makes
Golcf Beach Trip
A Mercy Flights plane from
Medford made a flight to isolat
ed Gold Bch Friday to take
i ; a desperately sick girl to Eu-
eene for emergency surgery.
The Diane, one of the new
twin-engine 0Beechcraft air am
bulances operated by Mercy
V. Fliehts. Inc.. was summoned by
amateur radio operators from
the Curry county community,
which was cut off from ihejout-
' side world by flooded highways
i The girl, 11-day-old Kelly
i Johnson, is the daughter' of Mr
and Mrs. William E. Johnson,
and was in Sacred Heart hospital
(?) i& Eueene a little more than an
; hour after the plane took off
from the soggy, silt-laden air
i field at Gold Bech. The baby's
mother accompanied her. She
was the 430th patient carried by
planes of the non-profit air
ambulance service since it dk
! gan operations just six years
nrrn TlPvt TTlOnth.
Pilot George Milligan said the
flight was uneventful except
' that the muddy airstrip was
I ' slippery, and the plane skidded
f to a stop just 100 feet short of
I f the end on landing because there
i i r,n traction on the slick
! i " mud The takeoff was made
without incident.
eaths To
Predicted
light winds and good visibility
for St. Nick on his trip south.
Meanwhile, the rising toll of
known dead in floods in Calif
ornia, Oregon, and Nevada rose
to at least 28. Scores were miss
ing or unaccounted for by early
checks and an estimated 35,000
persons were made homeless by
rising waters.
R. J. Reinning Dies
Of Heart Attack
Ralph J. Reinning died at
his home in Shady Cove, Friday,
apparently of a heart attack.
Mr. Reinning, who built the
Riifles on the Rogue resort and
neighbors were cleaning up
debris left by the flood when
he suffered the attack.
The body will be taken to
Seattle by Conger-Morris funeral
home for services and interment.
The body will remain here until
9 p.m. Sunday.
Mr. Reinning was born in
Stewardson, 111., March 28, 1902.
In Seattle on April 27, 1929,
he was married to Thelma
Townsend, who survives. He had
made his home in Shady Cove
for the past 13 years where he
owned and operated a radio and
television repair shop.
Also surviving are his parents,
Mr. and. Mrs. Ed Reinning, and
a brother, Seth Reinning, all of
Seattle.
The family wishes flowers be
ommitted.
Resolution Mailed To
Sponsor Of TV Show
Medford city council mem
bers expressed their admira
tion of the Phil Silvers televis
ion show by passing a reslu
tion asking the show's spon
sors to scheduled the show on
another night other than Tues
day. "It conflicts with regularly
scheduled meetings of the
common council of the City
of Medford." the resolution
states, "to the great inconven
ience of the nine members
thereof."
Mayor Earl M. Miller sign
ed the document, which has
been forwarded to the sponsors.
Troops Ring Manger At Bethlehem To Enforce Peace
As Hundreds
Bethlehem, Sunday (U.R)
Troops ringed the Manger
Square today to enforce the
peace on the birthday of the
Prince of Peace.
As Christmas Day arrived,
hundreds of pilgrims knelt in
prayer in the shrine that was a
stable in Mary's time. There
was peace for the moment whei;e
rioting had raged only a few
days ago.
But the suspicion and fear
and bitterness that now mark
this land kept 32 German pil
grims from completing their
pilgrimage to the manger..
At the rifle-guarded gate be
tween the sectors of Jerusalem
held by Israel and Jordan, Jor
danian guards barred the way
and refused to let the 32 pil
grims pass. ,
Their chartered plane, which
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NATIVITY SCENE This Nativity scene on the lawn of the
Dutch Farfan residence, 723 South Newtown st., Medford,
depicts the original scene which is being observed throughout
the world today the Birth of Jesus Christ. Decorations erected
Road Conditions
Highway 99 Open and
clear to the north; icy and
chains required over the Siski
yous. Highway 99 West in
California open to the' Bay
area; Highway 99 East closed
at Yuba city; at Stockton
subject to flooding conditions.
Travel to south through San
Joaquin valley discouraged.
. Highway 66 (Green Springs)
Icy, should carry chains.
Highway 97 north and south
of Klamath Falls Icy.
Highway 101 Closed in
several spots in Oregon and
California by high water.
Highway 199 Travel dis
couraged west from Grants
Pass. Detour around Apple
gate . river bridgsv Crescent
City overcrowded by stranded
travellers.
Highway 62 One-way
traffic seven miles south of
Prospect caused by slide.
Highway 238 Closed one
mile west of Ruch.
Highway 234 Open be
tween Gold Hill and Sams
Valley; Dodge bridge still
closed.
Highway 42 Myrtle Point
to Coquille, one-way traffic
being convoyed.
Highway 38 Drain to
Reedsport, open partly one
way. Highway 395 Susanville
to Reno, closed.
Church Plans New
ildinq In Medford
Plans for an Evangelical Lu
theran church in east Medford
were announced this week by
the church public relations of
fice in Minneapolis, Minn. "
The proposed church is one
of 49 new congregations which
are scheduled to receive loans
totalling S2,300,000 from the
ELC's church extension fund, ac
cording to the office.
Loans to new congregations
are ordinarily repaid to the
church body between one- and
five years, according to Dr. Phil
lip S. Dybvig, executive direc
tor of the 1,000,000-member de
nominations home missions de
partment.
Each new congregation is es
tablished under direction of the
district president and planning
committee involved, in coopera
tion with the home missions de
partment. Dr. H. L. Foss is pres
ident of the Pacific district, with
offices in Seattle.
Of Pilgrims Kneel In Prayer
was supposed to land at an air
port in Jordan, developed en
gine trouble and was forced to
land at Lydda, Israel. They
boarded a bus to cross to Beth
lehem but were stopped at the
ancient Mandelbaum gate.
Jordanian guards said they
did not believe the pilgrims'
plane was forced down-in Israel
and refused to let them pass.
The Germans waited in hopes of
getting through but finally gave
up and went to midnight mass at
a church in Israeli-held Jeru
salem. Earlier yesterday, barbed wire
was rolled back to allow other
pilgrims to pass.
The spirit of Christ m'a s
brought chanted anthems to the
hills of Judea and the guns were
still.
Three Nuns Die In
Fire Which Levels
Four Structures
Guilford, Conn. Three
nuns burned to death and an
other was injured Friday night
in a fire that levelled the four
buildings of a Roman Catholic
convert. Another 41 nuns and a
priest were able to escape the
flames.
The tragedy struck as the
members of Our Lady of Grace
Monastary were preparing for
their, deeply religions, -celebra
tion of Christmas, one of the
most joyous days in the convents
year.
The nuns who were killed
were identified as Sister Mary
Delores, Sister Mary Regina and
Sister Mary Constance. Their
baptismal names were, not im
mediately available.
Injured- Nun
The injured nun, identified as
Sister Mary Pierre, was taken
to St. Raphael's hospital in New
Haven, Conn., where she was in
good condition with a broken
foot. She received the injury in
jumping ' from a second floor
window of the burning convent.
Possible tragedy was averted
in a convent fire in Elizabeth,
N.J., Friday because of the
timely action of a . nun. Sister
Frances Anthony, of the Im
maculate Conception Church
Convent, smelled smoke coming
from the basement of the build
ing and rang the prayer bell. The
warning enabled four nuns and
their housekeeper to escape in
time. Flames severely damaged
the building.
41 Survivors
Forty-one survivors of the
Guilford fire were taken to Al
bertus Magnus College in New
Haven.
The fire, believed to have been
started by a short circuit, spread
rapidly through the main build
ing, which included the dormi
tory, and three other buildings.
Ail four buildings were level
led. The bodies of two of the dead
were found huddled in one cor
ner of a room in the main build
ing. The third body, also badly
burned, was found on the ground
outside the room's window. Ap
parently the third nun had jump
ed from the building, her cloth
ing aflame.
The Arab-Israeli barbed wire
parted and the route of the Wise
Men opened wide for the official
pilgrimage of diplomats and
United Nations officers travel
ing the 11 miles from Jerusalem.
His Beatitude, Alberto Gori,
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem,
made his way through the olive
groves in a motorcade preceded
and followed by precautionary
police cars.
The patriarch walked in scar
let robes to the place of the Na
tivity, chanting prayers, between
two lines of Jordanian soldiers
wearing the red headguard . of
the Arab Legion. Ahead of him
were four mounted constables
But there were no incidents
to mar the peace in Bethlehem
where the streets were still lit
tered by stone thrown .in anti
western rioting.
by Farfan also included a Santa Claus, complete with a bag full
of toys. Christmas Eve services were held in several Rogue
valley churches last night, and Christmas Day services will be
held today in all churches. (Brainerd Photo.)
Oregon Rivers In
Banks; Prospects
Are Wet Christmas
Portland, Ore. (U.R) Most
flooded Western Oregon streams
Lwere returning to their banks
Saturday, but the state faced
prospectsof a wet Christmas.
The rain, however, was not
expected to reach the torrential
proportions of earlier this week
when heavy downpours melted
ice and snow to flood large areas
of western and southern Oregon,
force evacuation of several
hundred persons from their
homes and disrupt rail and high
way travel.
Mopping Up Starts
As mopping up began yester
day, five persons were counted
dead, and two more were mis
sing, as a result of the flood
conditions. Many families in the
Rogue river area of southern
Oregon still were not able to
return to their flooded homes
and will spend Christmas at
the homes of friends or in emerg
ency shelters.
Much of the Willamette and
Tualatin basins still were under
muddy water, but no further
encroachment by the surging
waters was expected. The Tual
atin forced evacuation of more
than 60 persons from the town
of Tualatin, south of Portland,
Friday night. Water was three
to four feet deep over the town's
streets and only Highway 99
into town was open to traffic.
Travelers continued to have
some trouble moving south, but
state police reported all major
routes were open, except High
way 101 which was closed south
of Coquille.
Telephone and teletype ser
vice also continued disrupted
to many points.
Los Angeles (U.R) A giant
spouting fountain spewed bub
bles instead of water Friday.
Pranksters poured bubble bath
into the fountain.
At Shrine
Thousands of pilgrims ano
nearly all the faiths of Christen
dom were drawn here tonight.
Protestant carolers sang at
the Basilica above the Manger.
Roman Catholic services were
held in the new Cathedral of
Saint Catherine at the Basilica
of the Nativity off Manger
Square.
There were also services of
Christmas worship by Presbyter
ian, Anglicans, Lutherans and
many other Protestant faiths.
Prayers went up from the
altar above the underground
cave where the stable was lo
cated. Ancient stairs led down
to the Holy Grotto hewn from
rock in the time of Mary and
encased for the ages in marble
and masonry.
MM
reams Mormal
ed Cross
inners. Gifts For
oca! Flood Victims
Christmas dinners and toys
for the children, were the aims
of Red Cross workers over the
weekend in assisting homeless
victims of last week's floods.-
Serious rehabilitation work
was expected to begin early
this week, following reports
from a complete survey yester
day and today of actual flood
damage, Red Cross officials said.
Some families were digging
out of the mud and muck in at
tempts to make homes liveable
again.
The national organization is
Military Reserve
Program Behind
Washington U.R) Congress
will summon defense officials
next month to find out why the
big new military reserve pro
gram has been a failure so far.
The program, which President
Eisenhower termed vital to the
nation's security, is supposed to
build a 2,900,000-man ready re
serve by 1960.
Plans called for 100,000 pre
draft age youths to volunteer
each year for six months active
duty training, followed by IVz
months in the ready reserve.
Such volunteers are exempt
from the two-year draft.
In the first three months of
the program, however, only
1,224 youths have started train
ing. Another 2,342 have volun
teered but their training has
been postponed to let them fin
ish school or for other reasons.
Sources within the House
Armed Services Committee said
defense officials will be called
early next year, probably next
month, to find out whether they
are making a strong enough ef
fort to promote enlistments or
whether they are deliberately
dragging their feet.
Committee members have ac
cused the Pentagon of scuttling
reserve programs in the past.
Failure of youths to volunteer
for the new six months plan
would increase the pressure on
Congress to give the Pentagon
authority to draft them into the
reserve.
Report Soviets May
Release More Prisoners
Bonn, Germany (U.R) A
government spokesman said Sat
urday the Soviets have informed
West Germany that more Germ
an war prisoners will be re
leased early in January.
The information was sent by
the Russians through the Soviet
and West German embassies in
Paris. The exact date and the
number of prisoners invovled
was not disclosed.
3
Washin
to the White House isawu.
First I
Whit
across the nation.
In the tinsled rooms of the stately mansion, President
and Mrs. Eisenhower gathered with their son and grand
children to sing carols, exchange gifts,, play with toys and,
for a fleeting moment, to forget the cares of state.
First Christmas in White House
This was the first family's first Christmas in the White
House. They spent their yuletide in Augusta, Ga., in 1953
and 1954 and might have been there again except for some
thing very special.
They couldn't leave town with their brand new grand
daughter still in the hospital. Barbara Eisenhower, the happy
mother, is going to leave the hospital long enough today to
join the first family in a big Christmas dinner. But three-day-old
Mary Jean has to stay behind. .
The other grandchildren David, 7, Barbara Anne, 6,
and Susan, 3 romped into the White House yesterday after
noon bubbling with excitement and anticipation. They.cam
with their father, Maj. John S. Eisenhower, from their hom
, in nearby Ft. Belvoir, Va. .
Their arrival was the signal for the President to quit
working in his office and join in the happy holiday festivities
He beamed from ear to ear when he greeted his favorit
young people. O
Last night, the Eisenhowers gathered around a smf 11
Christmas tree on the second floor of the White House to
observe an old family tradition the singing of carols on
Christmas Eve.
Mrs. Eisenhower played the organ while the President,
Mrs. Eisenhower's mother, Major John, and the grandchildren
let go with full-throated renditions of old favorites.
This morning, the President will perform his happiest
function. He will play Santa and distribute gifts to the three
grandchildren and show them how to operate some of the toys.
Furnishes
offering its - full facilities - to
alleviate the flood disaster in
southern Oregon as well as in
harder-hit communities of north
ern California, it was reported.
Sen. Wayne Morse, in Wash
intong, received word from Ells
worth Bunker, Red Cross presid
ent, that the organization would
do all in its power "to help.
Bunker's wire to the senator
said in part:
"Am greatly distressed over
reports of human suffering and
property destruction from floods
in your state. Please assure
those affected that total Red
Cross resources are being made
available to provide immediate
emergency care and for neces
sary long-term assistance in re
building and repairing homes,
giving medical assistance, in pro
viding furniture and other nec
essary items. We are moving in
necessary trained disaster staff
to assist Red Cross chapters in
giving prompt aid to flood vic
tims. Continued assistance will
be given until the job is finish
ed." Thanks President
Senator Morse also has wired
President Eisenhower to "thank
him in advance" for everything
he and his assoicates in the
administration would do to pro
vide emergency assistance out
of the President's emergency
fund to alleviate suffering.
Christmas dinner, for flood
victims in the Shandy Cove, Elk
Creek, Trail and Rogue River
areas was being provided by
Red Cross through cooperation of
local restaurants.
Those who lost their homes
or their cooking facilities, or
who otherwise were unable to
provide a Christmas dinner be
cause of the flood, were invited
to get in touch with Red Cross
representatives in the area.
Contacts - Listed
In the Rogue River area vic
tims should contact Mrs. Char
les Babcock at Shangri-la auto
court or Mrs. A. P. Klomhaus,
West Evans creek road.
In Shady Cove, Mrs. Strother
is in charge.
A total of S200 was turned
over by Junior Red Cross yester
day to community volunteers for
purchase of toys. Shandy Cove
was to receive $50 and harder
hit Rogue River $150.
Predicts Red Invasion
Of Nationalist China
Taipei, Formosa (U.R) Vice
President Chen Cheng of Na
tionalist China predicted Satur
day the Chinese Communists
would review their forays
against Formosa early next year.
Chen said the Reds might even
launch a surprise military at
tack " on Formosa itself next
spring.
iathers In
For Holiday
siting magic of Christmas cane
as it did to millions of homes
River Levees Ireak
Shortly Alter
10,000 Evacuated
San Francisco ftJ.R) Breaks
in the levees along th Feather
and Yuba rivers Saturdf y sub
merged Yuba under four to 15
feet of water only ssfew hours
after the tovn had been evacuat
ed, adding 10,000 more persons
to the Christmas eve list of home
less refugees. 0
Some 35,000 person were
homeless at least for the holiday
as thunderous floods sent river
after river in three states boil
ing over in a disaster labeled
"major" by - President Eisen
hower.
The ever-rising toll of the
known dead reached 28 Satur
day and scores were missing or
unaccounted for by early checks.
Saves Marysville
Ironically the very levee
breaks that flooded Yuba City
saved its twin city of Marysville,
just across the Feather river.
The waters, as they rushed into
Yuba City took the pressure off
levees , surrounding Marysville
and allowed the water level to
descend to a safe mark.
Yuba City, also surrounded by
levees, was ordered evacuated
shortly after midnight after one
levee break south of the city.
A few hours later, after all ex
cept volunteer emergency work
ers had. left the town, another
levee broke and the swollen
river took over. So'sudden was
the uprise of water that those
left behind were trapped in trees
and atop houses.
Reports from rescue parties
and the rescued from Yubaity
said that some houses were
afloat as the entire Sacramento
valley city was awash. Thfte was
no estimate .of the damage but
it was certain to go into the
billions.
A sketch of conditions in other
major disaster areas:
Eureka Area
Eureka Six small towns of
Humboldt county, near Eureka,
'were completely smashed by the
floods of the Eel river and six
persons were known to be dead.
The flood began subsiding Fri-g
day but Eureka still remained
isolated. Highways were flooded
and bridges washed away and
communications still out.
Sacramento river valley -
Three persons were drowned at
Auburn earlier in the week but
the worst danger on the upper
Sacramento has passed with re
cession of the floods. The points
downstream still were threaten
ed or flooded. The crest of the
upper river was at Colusa with
a stage of 66.5 feet, 1.5 feet be
low the danger level..
Reno Flooded
Reno, Nev. Heavy snowfall
Saturday ended the deluge
caused by 48 hours of steady rain
which sent the Truckee river
over its banks into the down
town business area. The river
was back in its normal channel
and a good eight feet below
flood stage. There was six inches
of snow on the ground.