Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, March 30, 1956, Image 1

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Medford mail tribune., March 30, 1956, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextBy PETER WEBB United Press Correspondent On the Gaza Strip Border, Israel U.P.) This is the no man's land of an undeclared war. Hundreds of young Israeli pio neer settlers here are celebrat ing the Biblical feast of Pass over, marking the Jews' libera tion from Egyptian captivity. They observe it while literally looking down Egyptian gun bar rels. On these frontline farms, where children use reinforced concrete dugouts as sandboxes, there is a strange irony in the ancient Hebrew rites which re tell the Jewish exodus from Egypt and the swallowing up of Pharaoh's armies in the Red Sea. Today Egypt's forces, armed with 600-mph MIG-15 jets and Stalin tanks supplied by Russia, are less than 800 yards away and there's no Red Sea between them. Typical is the settlement of J a h a 1 o r. Overlooking it are Egyptian machine gun posts cording to legend, Samson halted carrying Gaza's gates on his back. Here live some 100 young pio neer settlers, women and chil dren, cultivating the sunparched border farmlands and doubling as frontier guards. Average age of the adults is 20. In event of war they will be Israel's first line of defense. There will be no retreating. Their ' orders are to stand and fight. In the sparkling spring sun shine which brightens even the drab communal buildings and severely functional layout of the farm, it is hard to believe war is near. Then you notice the barbed wire perimeter and the high wooden guard towers. At night, floodlights sweep the area outside the perimeter, prob ing for infiltrating Arab guer rilla bands alleged responsible for scores of hit and run attacks. Their latest tactic, according to the Jews, is to creep across at night and destroy crops now al most ready for spring harvest. A young settlement "leader grinned ruefully as he talked "But we shall have more than enough for our Passover dinner," he said. "And our parents are coming down to join us." "We were talking in their new recreation room, boasting an an cient radio set, brightly covered chairs and a handful of modern paintings. Beside the radio stood a twisted piece of metal, the tail fin of a 120-millimeter mortar bomb which fell on the settle ment a few months ago. Jahaloz forms part of a string of frontier farms which are be ing fortified against attack. Is rael Premier David Ben-Gurion and members of the army high command recently visited the settlement. There are reports of strong Egyptian troop concentrations in the Gaza strip area. But it is im possible to see any of them as one gazes, across the rolling green hills toward red-roofed Gaza with the blue Mediterra nean in the background. "We know they have moved troops up and we are ready for anything," said one young Kib- butznik (the name given mem bers of the collective farms). A few yards away girls in work-soiled blue jeans and loose fitting : sweaters that would do nothing for Marilyn Monroe were turning a tin-roofed barn into a dining room for Passover Eve supper. Rough wooden ta bles and benches were being hauled into position. Others in the kitchen prepared unleaven ed bread, bitter herbs, symbolic' of the days spent in the wilder ness, and apples dipped in honey to represent Israel's return to the promised land. This week there will be danc ing in the fields as the first ears of corn are cut in traditional Passover ceremonies. But it will be dancing behind barbed wire with guards, hands on guns, scanning the countryside. On quiet days, nothing seems more remote than war along this lush green borderland, now dap pled with spring flowers. Yet nearly 1000 persons have been ' killed or wounded along Israel's frontiers in the last few years of "peace." I perched on the hill where, ac celand Proposal To K larms Officials Washington (U.R With drawal of American forces from Iceland would seriously damage Free World defense strategy and hand Moscow at least a whopping propaganda triumph if not more, officials said today. For this reason, the State and Defense departments are alarmed over the recommenda tion by Iceland's Parliament that U.S. troops be pulled out The United States will seek through diplomatic channels to dissuade the Icelanders from carrying through the Parlia ment's suggestion. Said No Longer Needed The Iceland lawmakers con tend American forces are no longer needed on their island because East-West tensions have eased. This was diputed Thurs day by Secretary of State John Foster Dulles in talking to a group of foreign service officers. He said the cold war is still on and "is worldwide in scope." "The danger constantly exists that that struggle could break from the so-called cold war into a hot war," Dulles said. In the view of American strategists, withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iceland would: Dangerous Opening 1. Leave a dangerous opening in the North Atlantic Treaty Or ganization's Atlantic defense Bank Debits Show Increase Over '55 Eugens The southern Oregon banking area during February reported an increase of 10.6 per cent over the same period a year ago, but showed a decrease of 11.4 per cent from the January, 1956, total. Bank debjts, regarded as in dicators of current business ac tivity, are complied by the bureau of business research at the University of Oregon. Bank debits for the state last month showed a 6.3 per cent in crease over a year ago. Southern Oregon, which in cludes Medford, Ashland and Grants Pass, totaled $54,968,216 last month, compared to $62,051, 120 during January. Feburary debits for the state totaled Sl, 325,094,427, compared to Jan uary's $1,472,609,612, a decrease of 10 per cent. Bank debits represent the dol lar value of checks drawn against the deposit accounts of individuals and business firms. Payment of Surplus Processing Cost QK'd Washington (U.R) House Senate conferees today approved the government paying the cost of processing surplus food crops given to needy persons in this country and abroad. The conferees voted to leave 'such a provision in a new farm bill. It would cover such pro cessing as manufacture of flour from wheat and packaging of butter. Last night, the conferees dealt the administration another blow by approving a provision that would give dairy farmers an extra $120 million in income this year. The support price of manufacturing milk would be increased to $3.25 per handred weight, a hike of 10 cents. The butterfat support price would be increased by between two and three cents per pound. City Offices Close In Honor of D. L. Flynn Offices in the Medford city hall closed from 1 to 2:30 p.m. today, during funeral services for Diamond L. Flynn, 59, for mer Medford mayor, who , died unexpectedly Wednesday morn ing. City; departments and em ployees are among those making contributions to the heart fund in memory of the former mayor. Corvallis (U.R) Selection cf Miss Jan Markstaller, queen of the 1954 Portland Rose Festi val, to be National Moonlight Girl of Phi Sigma Kappa fra ternity has been announced here. amove Trooos strategy. Iceland is a NATO member. 2. Tempt other nations to ask American-allied forces to get out of defense bases spotted else where around Russia's peri meter. 3. Spread the idea that the "cold war" is over and the need for collective defense systems likewise has passed. This is Mos cow's propaganda line. Voter Registration In County 25,808; Deadline April 17 A total of 25,808 people have registered in Jackson county to vote in the May primary, the county clerk's office reported to day. This represents a total gain in registrations of 368 since the last tally was made March 22. Republican registrations total 14,272, Democrats 11,011 and miscellaneous 525. A total of 199 Democrats, 165 Republicans and 4 Independents have registered since March 22. Deadline for voter registrations for the May 18 primary election is April 17. Confusion Develops Officials said that consider able confusion has developed over cancellation of outdated voter registrations. A number of people are under the erroneous impression that they do not have to reregister this year if they voted in the 1952 presidential election. Officials pointed out, however, that any citizen who has not voted in a primary or general election during the past two years must file a new regis tration. Others who must reregister in order to be eligible to vote in the May primary are those who have moved within their precincts or into other precincts or to other counties in the state since the last election; those whose ad dresses have been changed by order of the post office; those whose names have been changed by marriage; and those who de sire to change from one political party to another. Chamber Directors Adopt Tax Report The board of directors of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce yesterday unani mously adopted the tax report prepared by the chamber's legis lative committee. It authorized Committee Chairman Frank J. Van Dyke to present the report to the state legislative interim committee on taxation at a meeting in Salem tomorrow. The chamber, will also be represented the week fol lowing at a statewide chamber tax forum in Salem, at which time this chamber's view on taxation will be presented by Van Dyke and LeRoy Spangler, who helped prepare the report. The board unanimously au thorized the preparation of a resolution honoring the late Diamond L. Flynn, former may or of Medford and a longtime member of and worker in the chamber. The chamber office, now lo cated at 5 South Riverside ave., will move tiv new quarters in the new D'Anjou building on South Central ave., on April 13, the board was informed. It au thorized the move at a previous meeting. Ike Asked To Address Linfield Commencement Washington (U.R) Rep. Walter Norblad (R-Ore.) today renewed an invitation to Presi dent Eisenhower to deliver the commencement address this year at Linfield College at McMinn ville, Ore. The college is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Nor blad issued the invitation last year but was told he was too early for 1956 commitments. Norblad said Linfield would set it's commencement at the eon viencft of the President State Legislators Declared Plotters On Morse Defeat Sweetland Says Laws Amendment Was Plan Portland (U.R) State Sen. Monroe Sweetland charged yes terday that the Republican ma jority of the 1955 Legislature planned the defeat of Sen. Wayne Morse (D-Ore.), when it amend ed the election laws. Sweetland, candidate for Democratic nomination as secre tary of state, attacked the amend ments in a speech before the Willamette Democratic Society here yesterday. He particularly criticized the requirement that each voter sign the poll book twice. He said this resulted in great delay in a Eugene water board election this week. Party Line Split Sweetland claimed the double signing requirement and others were in bills that saw a party line split. Democrats opposed the legislation, he said. "These election amendments constitute a deliberate . attempt on the part of schemers in back of Republican strategy to defeat Wayne Morse. I've weighed my words carefully, and that is what I mean. It was a calculated at tempt to throw the election to Republicans on Nov. 6." He said proponents of the amendments were seeking to cur tail voting by "certain blocks" of voters "who work for a liv ing, who don't control their own time, and who crowd the polls the last few hours." Second Decisions Discussion Slated The second topic in the Great Decisions series, "What Should the U.S. do about Germany in Europe?" will be discussed in radio and TV programs this week and next, and in Sunday's issue of the Medford Mail Tribune. Broadcast times for programs on local stations encouraging and explaining the weekly topic will remain the same as last week, with Dr. Clifford Miller, Southern Oregon college social scientist, speaking on KBES-TV Tuesday from 2:30 to 2:45 p.m., and a SOC panel speaking on KYJC from 6 to 6:30 Saturday; KMED, 9 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday; and KWIN (Ashland) from 8 to 8:30 p.m. Monday. The Great Decisions program, conducted with great success in Portland, Corvallis, Eugene, Springfield and elsewhere in Oregon last year, began in Med ford last week. It brings infor mation on foreign affairs, dis seminated through press, radio, television and brochures, for use in informal discussion groups. Medford Attorney Don Han sen is chairman of a temporary committee organized to present the program. West Europe Red Leaders in Meeting London (U.R) West Eu rope's top Communist leaders were meeting here and in Rome today to puzzle out the Kremlin's new anti-Stalin line that has thrown the Communist party into convulsions of confusion. In London, British Communist leader Harry Pollitt ignored Moscow's new anti-Stalin line as he opened a national party con gress, the first held outside the Iron Curtain since the Soviet switch. There were rumors he may be fired. Maurice Thorez, leader of the big French Communist party, turned up in Rome and was ex pected to meet secretly today with Italian Communist party boss Palmiro Togliatti to try to prevent wholesale defections from the ranks. Clear, Cold Weather Forecast Easter Sunday The Medford weather bu reau today predicted clear, cold weather for Easter wor shippers Sunday morning, with increasing cloudiness Sunday afternoon. It is possible that there may be a low overcast over the val ley early Easter morning, weathermen said, but no rain is expected. Weather FORECAST: Showers tonight and Saturday morning. Par tial clearing Saturday after noon. Low tonight 35 to 38; High Saturday 58. Highest Yesterday ... Lowest this Morning 6 41 jl IHlUJUiIJUIJJ'I II "IIUJ"! i ' 1 -'I II 1 1 L Jl i i rirrrriXTr' Tl TMT'CU' "Pill-tr DllllflU tXi. JJi"jr ""-" " - awaits arrival of Treasury agents with seizure notice that will close his otfice m spectacular move against the party for non-payment of taxes. (International Soundphoto) Texa ns Frightened Baytown, Tex. (U.R) An ex plosion ripped open the side of an oil tanker docked at Baytown Thursday night, injuring only two crewmen but triggering short-lived fears among residents of this port city of a repitition of the 1947 Texas City disaster. Baytown is only 25 miles from Texas City, where 512 persons were killed in a series of explo sions :aboard a French vessel, and property damage was esti mated between $40,000,000 and $70,000,000. Kerosene Being Loaded The Baytown explosion came as kerosene was being loaded into a 3,0C0-barrel compartment of the "Esso Peterson," a 10,000 ton vessel operated by Humble Oil and Refining Co. and moored to a Humble dock. Two seamen were blown into the water and two others hurt. One of those soaked but unin jured, Donald Ayres, 22, of Hills ville, Va., said, " I saw a flash and I was gone." Early today the firm issued a statement saying, "We're back in business. The crew has re turned to the ship." "We have not determined the More French Troops Pour Into Algeria Algiers (U.R) Another 1300 NATO-trained French troops poured ashore in Algeria today and the 17-month-old rebellion showed no sogns of lessening. ' French military authorities said 240 persons had died in the last 72 hours of fighting 202 rebels, 28 French soldiers and 10 Algerian civilians. The Arab League pledged its full support yesterday to the Arab insurrection against the French and French sources ex pressed fear it would flame 'the revolt to even greater propor tions. - ' The 1300 French troops land ed where the vanguard of 30,000 NATO troops France is pulling out of former German barracks to fight in Algeria. ' German Woman Bearing Wounds of Christ Turns Back Estimated 6,000 Visitors Konnersrek, Germany '(U.R) Therese Neumann, a simple pea sant woman who bleeds each Good Friday from wounds simi lar to those of Christ on the Cross, refused to permit visitors to see her ordeal today. It was the second time the 58-year-old daughter of a Bavarian tailor had turned back pilgrims who make the arduous trip to this tiny mountain village every Good Friday. Visitors Wait Outside An estimated 6000 visitors, in cluding German and American servicemen and . their families, waited outside the little house to see Miss Neumann's suffer ing. Some have been admitted in the past. But this year she refused to allow them to file through her room. . However, members of her family reported that Miss IJeu- mann suffered today as she has Medford 51st Year 26 Pages I.. HWUMii I I 1 1 ' A lion oHitnr nf New York's actual cause of the explosion," the statement went on. "We had just,started loading kerosene and she went up and ruptured the side of the vessel." Dock Near Tank Farm The dock area is only a short distance from a 3,000-acre "tank farm" on which vast quantities of gasoline and other inflam mable fuels are stored. The blast was felt in Galves ton, .Tex.,... more- than 30 miles away. A flash fire which burned more than an hour after the blast could be seen throughout Baytown, a city of 25,000 per sons. Police said about 100 patrol men, some from other cities, were called out to direct traffic as hundreds of persons living near the waterfront left their homes. Censuses of Towns Hears Completion Censuses in two Jackson county towns neared final tabu lation today. A third count showed an increase since the last census. ; Talent, which completed a house-to-house census yesterday, counted 895 residents, an in crease of 156 more than the 739 in the 1950 federal census. Final tabulation of a new Ash land census is expected to be completed by early next week, City Superintendent Elmer Bie gel said today. The census, which Biegel said is in the "mopping-up" stage, is being taken to determine accur ate population figures in order to provide a basis for possible increase in pro rata shares of Certain state funds. Biegel said the count has al ready passed the 8,000 mark, compared to 7,739 in the 1950 federal census. Everett Ravenor, director of the census at Jacksonville, said the house-to-house count there should be tabulated late today. The census there in 1950 was 1,190. for the past 30 years on nearly every Good Friday and on a number of other occasions dur ing the year. She is one of the most famous of the more than 300 persons throughout history who have borne the stigmata, which are wounds resembling those of Christ. They appear on the hands, feet, side and forehead. Blood flows from the wounds. Few Drops of Blood Appear Father Franz Naber, 84, par ish priest here, said that a few drops of blood appeared from a wound below Miss Neumann's heart during today's ordeal. It was in the same place as the spot where a centurion's lance pierced Christ's body. The first person to bear the stigmata was St. Francis of As sisi in 1224. The" wounds ap peared in the same place where Christ was crowned with thorns, MEDFORD, OREGON, FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 1956 .;..K.-.,V,.,,.V..V..V.....-..W.- , Communist Dailv Worker. Hitchcock Takes Stand Opposing Deschutes Dam Portland '(U.R) Phil Hitch cock, Republican candidate for United States Senator, today took a stand in opposition to construction of Pelton dam on the Deschutes river. Speaking before a conserva tionist audience of Izaak Walton leaguers here, Hitchcock said "this is a question of the federal government, stepping in and ig noring the state's right to deter mine the use of its own water." He declared that he " was "firmly opposed to any proce dure of this type that attempts to go around the state's laws." The former state senator said "conservation with multiple use is one of the biggest uses facing Oregon voters this year." Hitchcock said that "there are good reasons to believe that rec reation may be the biggest use for our state's natural beauty by 1960." But he said that even if the recreation irdustry brings in more dollars, "we must re member that it is not the basic industry of our state. The basic industries are agriculture and lumber; people still have to have food to eat and houses to live in." , The conservation problem, he said "hinges largely on access both roads into forest areas and boat landings on streams and lakes." Police Hold Man For Threat To Ike Denver (U.R) The Secret Service office here said today it has arrested a 35-year-old Kentuckian who threatened to kill President Eisenhower. The man was identified as Sam Stepp, a transient ,from Inez, Ky. The Secret Service said Stepp declared in a hotel bar in Buena Vista, colo., Monday night that "President Eisenhower is a German s.o.b. and if I ever get close enough to kill him, I'll kill him." "I have a 30-30 bullet for him," he was quoted as saying. nailed to the cross and lanced in the side by a soldier's spear on Calvary. The Roman Catholic church considers the stigmata to be a "gratuitous gift of divine grace." It is extremely stringent in ex amining cases of stigmata be fore recognizing them officially as being of supernatural origin. There is no known case of , the church officially recognizing the supernatural origin of stigmata during the lifetime of the person bearing them. Church Takes No Stand In the case of Miss Neumann, a deeply religious person whose wounds have been observed by many, the church has taken no stand. Vatican sources have said the church's attitude in her case is "benevolent." They said noth ing objectionable has been found so far. - - AgIDcod Hops ; San Francisco (U.R) Adlai E. Stevenson, after attacking Re publican proposals to cut down the duties of the presidency, flew to Chicago today to spend Easter with his son, John. Stevenson wound up a two day visit to Los Angeles and San Francisco with a promise to re turn in May to wage an intensive battle for California's 68 votes to the Democratic National Con vention. He is battling Sen. Estes Ke fauver (D-Tenn.) in the June 5 primary, one that may decide Stevenson's fate as a Democratic candidate. Series of Conferences Arriving in San Francisco yes terday afternoon from Los An geles, Stevenson plunged im mediately into a series of con ferences with Democratic' lead ers supporting him. Last night, he made a 15-minute local TV and radio talk, met union lead ers at the AFL Labor Temple and spoke to campaign workers. . In his. TV-radio talk,. Steven son scored the Republicans for proposing that the duties of the presidency - be lessened. Declar ing it is "imperative" for the Democrats to elect a President this year, he said: "... I think we must arrest this new and serious proposal to revise the role of the presidency by cutting down, by diminishing that great office to meet the present unfortunate circum stances." Stevenson also said Demo crats must elect their own candi date to arrest "this domination of our government by a single economic interest while the big get bigger and small business disappears." Small Businesses Fail "Did you know that right here in California, 19 times as many small businesses failed last year as 10 years ago? Small business men are being squeezed just as the farmers are, and they both need help and they need it now." Stevenson opened his talk with an attack on Kefauver and his supporters for claiming that Stevenson's campaign in Cali fornia was run by "bosses" and a "machine." "Political bosses are unknown in California and there are mighty few of them any more, anywhere," he said. ". . . The Woodbury -lorenz To Liquidate KF Operation Klamath Falls (U.R) J. C. Strong, Klamath Falls manager of Woodbury-Lorenz Industrial Supply Co. and Woodbury-Lorenz Hardware, confirmed today that the Klamath Falls operation of the firm will be liquidated. Strong said the Medford branch o f Woodbury-Lorenz would continue in operation. Eisenhower Attends Good Friday Service Washington U.R) President and Mrs. Eisenhower today at tended crowded Good Friday services at the National Presby terian church. The first family took their regular seats up toward the front of the overflowing church and remained during a 20-min-ute part of the service. Roxy Ann Butte Road Graded by City Crews The 3V4 mile road up and around Roxy Ann butte was graded by city crews this week, making it passable to the picnic grounds in lime for Easter Sunday. Rain might again make the road hard to travel. City Man ager . Robert Duff said, be cause winter weather re moved a large quantity of gravL .' Tribune Price 5c No. 8 only boss out here is the sovereign people." Stevenson also pointed out that his slate of delegates in cluded 15 members of Kefauver's 1952 delegation. "Were they bosses when they supported him in 1952?" he asked. Valley Telephones Due to Get Letter Prefixes in Year ' Telephone numbers in Med ford, Gold Hill, Jacksonville, Ashland, Phoenix and Talent are scheduled to get prefixes and become seven-digit numbers about February or March, 1957. Jack Creager, manager of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph company here, said the new numbers are part of a number ing, plan now being established throughout the United States and Canada for a uniform sys tem to permit long-distance call ing, first by operators, and even tually by customers. Similar Numbers The numbers will be similar to present Central Point numbers, which are prefixed NOrmandy 4. The numbers will have three digit prefixes, two letters and a numeral, and four other num erals. Medford numbers will be pre fixed SPring 2 and SPring 3, with four other numerals; Gold Hill numbers will be prefixed ULrich 5; Phoenix-Talent pre fixes will be KEystone 5; and Ashland prefixes will be MUr dock 2,-MUrdock 5, and MUr dock 9. A new Phoenix-Talent ex change will be established when prefixed numbers go into effect, Creager said. The company was recently au thorized to provide expanded toll-free dialing service in Rogue valley. Talent Council to Consider Marshal Talent The Talent city coun cil will meet at 8 p.m. today to hear citizens' complaints about the discharge of City Marshal John Baldwin and to consider hiring a new marshal. The marshal was fired by the council in a special meeting at the home of Mayor Keith Thore son March 19. At the same meet ing, the council asked ' that Baldwin submit his resignation effective April 1. A petition asking that Bald win be reinstated has since been signed by about 170 Talent citi zens. It will be presented to the council tonight. About 60 citizens met Wed nesday in the city hall to protest the action taken by the council against Baldwin. The mayor and council charg ed that a number of complaints had been received about Bald win, who was hired two years ago, and that he had demonstrat ed he didn't know how to hook up city fire equipment. Egypt Premier Bldmes U. S. for Controversy ' New York (U.R) Premier Ga- mal Nasser of Egypt, in an inter view with the foreign editor of the Scripps-Howard Newspaper Alliance, said today tht the United States was to "blame for the present Israeli-Arab contro versy. In the interview, Nasser also accused the United States of sup porting British and French colo- nialism and of forcing Egypt to purchase arms from the Soviet Union. "" " - v . .