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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (March 27, 1959)
Thousands Purged as Hied Takeover off Iraq Wears Woundup Editor's note: VPI Middle East correspondent Larry Collins was expelled Thursday from Baghdad with two other American newsmen In a move that draws further an iron curtain . around Iraq. In the following dispatch he describes the present conditions in Iraq. The Communist takeover .appears al most complete. tion. There is almost open an archy among student groups who howl through the streets in violent demonstrations against the West and Arab nationalism. Workers demand ing inordinate wages drop their tools and join any pass ing mob. Iraqis live in a world totally isolated from their Arab neighbors and from any vestige of non - Communist thought. The press and radio are completely controlled by the Communists who publish only what the Reds want the efforts to defy the personage of Premier Abdel Karim any possible revolt and left of no return?" set the minimum number of arrests at five or six thous and. Other sources place the number as high as 15,000. Those arrested are known to include at least 150 and probably more army officers, two and possibly three former ministers and four Iraqi em ployees of the U.S. Embassy. The arrested persons are from all walks of life. One de nominator common to all is their potential opposition to the increasingly Communist dominated regime. Foreigners, p a r t i c ularly Americans, are subjected to a stream of continual harass ments. Most Egyptians already have left the country. Pales tinians, suspected of pro-Nasser sympathies, are struggling to get out as best they can. The nation's leaders have launched a systematic cam pagin to destroy the image of Nasser in the eyes of the pop ulace. The biggest riddle in Iraq is Premier Kassem himself. Publicly he takes a soothing, moderate line. But he appears unwilling or unable to con trol those around him. In another move to ring down the curtain around Iraq, this correspondent was expelled Thursday with Win ston Burdett, Middle East and Rome correspondent of CBS, and William McHale, Mideast correspondent for Time-Life. We were given no reason for expulsion. Inquiries only got us the curt explanation: "You have been here long enough." people to know. Editorials are spoon-fed to the local press by Col. Outfi Taher, a one-time horse doctor who is now the Reds' chief of press. The four; papers which occasionally dared to publish Nationalist sentiments were burned and ripped apart by organized mobs. Baghdad radio blares an around-the-clock s t r e a m of Red propaganda and savage attacks against President Gamal Abdel Nasser of the U.A.R. and makes unceasing the strings of power in the hands of Kassem's openly pro Communist palace guard. Those diplomats no longer ask themselves is Iraq going Communist but "has the na tion already passed the point The purge started after the Mosul uprising-the unsuccess ful rebellion in Northern Iraq early this month that was crushed by the leftist re gime. Reliable diplomatic sources Kassem. The consensus of both west ern and neutral diplomats in the capital is that the purge of thousands of anti-Communists has broken the back of Br LARRY COLLINS UPI Correipondenl Beirut, Lebanon -4EPD- Com munists have seized control of mucli of the Iraq government and jailed thousands of per sons in the greatest purge ever seen in the Middle East. The Communists appear ready to take over the oil-rich na Price 10 Cents Medford 53rd Year Tribune 24 PAGES MEDFORD, OREGON, FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 1959 No. 216 "What Makes You To Conceal Deadline for Filing For School Board Posts is April 3 All nominating petitions for ichool board members in all districts must be fiiea witn the district clerk by Friday Anril 3. according to Alf B Mekvold, Jackson county school superintendent today. "This also applies to those districts voting on consolida tion on April 6 since insuffic ient time remains after April 6, the date of the consolida tion election, to present these petitions in case the consoli- Pinehurst Favors Remaining As Is Ashland-No action can be started on bringing the Pine hurst school district into Ash land until after the election on the new junior high school bond issue, Ashland Superin tendent Stanley Jobe said to day. Jobe, Alf B. Mekvold, coun ty school superintendent, and R. E. Lawrence, of the county schools office, attended a meeting in the Pinehurst school district Wednesday night. They learned that the majority of school patrons are against joining Ashland and favor the present boundaries. However, Jobe said it may make some difference to the patrons 'if Pinehurst keeps grades 1 through 6, and only sends its junior high school and high school students to Ashland. He said this may be worked out. Pinehurst residents said that, with the millage charged for their fire district, they are now paying a total of 58 mills which is almost equal to Ash land city residents' 58.9 mills The bond issue election is scheduled April 22 in Ash land. The $1,275,000 issue would finance furnishings and equiping the new junior high, purchase of property, land de velopment, architect's fees, and any contingencies mvolv ing non-contracted items, Jobe explained. Estimated construc tion costs of the new junior high school would be $978;- 496. The new junior high would be completed by Sep tember, 1960, if the bond issue passes, Jobe said. Atomic Submarine Skate Second Journey Beneath Washington-UPD-The Navy announced today that the atomic submarine Skate has made its second trip beneath the North Pole and broken all previous records for time and distance in polar opera tions under the ice. Wishes Carried Out The Skate's crew carried out the wishes of the late Polar explorer Sir Hubert Wilkins by scattering his ashes into the blowing snow during the 12 days the sub marine spent in the ice area. The Skate completed its sec nder the Arctic VUU - i ice to the North Pole at 7: ' Think We're Trying Anything?" dation vote in unfavorable," the county school superinten dent said. The annual school meeting is May 4 and the law specifies that all candidates must have petitions filed 30 days before the election date. Nominating Petitions Nominating petitions must contain at least 3 per cent of the number of qualified elect ors voting for school director at the last annual election in the district and not less than 10, Mekvold said. Petition forms are available in each district clerk's office and in the county school superinten dent's office. Acceptance of nomination must be filed at least 30 days prior to the annual election. Each district must publish notices of the annual election. First publication must not be more than 25 days or less than 15 days prior to the meeting or election. The sec ond notice must be published not more than 15 days or less than eight days prior to the1 meeting or election. The annual school meeting and election will be held from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Each school board provides the" ballots, Mekvold said. Two positions on the Ash land school board will be voted on,, according to Stan ley Jobe, Ashland school sup erintendent. They are the five-year term of Howard Wiley and the four-year term of Dave Fort miller. Both have been filed for reelection, Jobe said. Other present members of the school board are Mrs. Mabel Stemple, vice chair man; Carrol W. Smith and Archie C. Fries Jr. . No Rain Forecast For Easter Sunday No rain is forecast for Easter Sunday in the Medford area, the Medford. office of the weather bureau reported today. However, clouds are expected in the area early Sunday and later in the after noon, the bureau reported. Information regarding relig ious services scheduled in the county for the Easter week end are on pages 2A, 3A, and 4A of today's Mail Tribune. p.m. (p.s.t.) Thursday, the Navy said. , During its first polar cruise last year, the . Skate was in the permanent ice area 10 days and 14 hours during which it surfaced nine times in ice "leads." Logged 3.090 Miles Skippered by Cmdr. James F. Calvert, the submarine log ged 3,090 miles in 12 days in the permanent ice area. It surfaced 10 times, "once exactly at the North Pole." The Skate carried a crew of 196. The Skate, which made its Quick ICC on1 Foreign iiistas Mooting Soon Fugitive's Asks for Surrender Portland, Ore. - (UPD - Rela tives of Richard Hunt, 27, an ex-convict wanted here for shooting the police chief of a small Willamette valley town and kidnaping the police chief of another, have issued ap peals for the young man to surrender. "I'll forgive him, no matter what, if he'll just come in be fore this gets any worse," the fugitive's father, Clarence Hunt, 52, of Salem, said. Uncle Adds Plea Police Sergeant Roy Hunt, commander of the state police sub-district at Albany and an uncle of Hunt's, also pleaded for his nephew to give him self up. "The boy is no cop hater," the officer said. Hunt, wanted in four states for a variety of offenses, was last seen Wednesday when he was believed to have kidnaped a motorist at Amity, Ore., and forced the driver to bring him here. He escaped a cordon of officers in the downtown sec tion of the city. The widespread search began Tuesday when Hunt shot Brownsville Police Chief Robert Kemnow in a gun bat tle with a posse. Earlier, he had kidnaped Harrisburg Po lice Chief E. G, McPhee after being stopped for question ing. Mother in California Hunt's father said the boy's mother is living somewhere in California, but discounted the possibility that he had fled there. "He hasn't had any use for her since she left us," he said. The uncle said Hunt's chances of being taken alive by most policemen are "pretty slim" after the Kemnow shooting. Annual Easter Egg Hunt Set Saturday Approximately 10,000 can dy eggs will be scattered at Hawthorne park for the an nual Medford Kiwanis club Easter egg hunt. The event is scheduled for Saturday morning with the starting gun to fire at 9 a.m. The eggs will be in cello phane wrappers and a number will be marked for prizes. Youngsters will hunt in three sections of the park, accord ing to their ages. The groups are 3 and 4 years, 5 and 6 and 7 to 9. The Kiwanis Easter egg hunt for children of the Med ford vicinity is a traditional event. " Grants Pass Man Forfeits $200 Bail Donald C. . Hood., 29, of Grants Pass, forfeited $200 bail on two reckless driving charges by failing to appear in Medford municipal court this morning, city police re ported. The charges were filed in connection with his leading local police on a high-speed chase early in the morning of Feb. 8, in the course of which he drove through Medford twice. Prior to today's forfei tures, Hood served 30 days in Jackson county jail and paid $250 in fines plus $5 court costs following court action on the incident. Completes North Pole first trip to the pole last Au gust, left New London, Conn., March 4. It went under the ice March 14. It is due back at New London April 6. The 1958 cruise put 2,405 miles under the ice in the Skate's log book. Nautilus Was First The first' submarine to cross the North Pole was the nuclear-p owered Nautilus, but it did not surface there. The Nautilus traversed the Arctic Ocean from the Pacific to the Atlantic last August and was at the pole under the ice on Aug. 3. Father Sfe - ' - RICHARD HUNT 'Boy Is No Cop Hater' Rural School Fund Levy Estimated Jackson county's rural school district fund for equali zation this year is estimated at $2,080,844.27 which will require an estimated 24.3 mill levy. This is an increase from last year's $1,977,421.73 total which required a 23.1 mill levy. "The assessed valuation has not been figured yet," a coun ty school official said. "The jump is caused by local dis trict budgets being higher through increased costs and the school population gain." The fund estimate is based on 50 per cent of the prior year's levy, excluding capital outlay, sites acquisition, build ings and bonded indebtedness, and figuring the school popu lation increase or decrease. The total is redistributed to school districts as a tax offset and based on an average daily attendance. ; Medford school district will receive the most tax offset fund as it has contributed the largest sum. Capsule From Thor Missile Recovered Cape Canaveral, Fla.-IUPD-The Air Force announced to day it recovered a data cap sule from the nose cone of an intermediate range Thor mis sile which made a successful flight of about 1,600 miles Thursday night. It was only the third time a capsule had been recovered in 26 flights of a standard Thor. The capsule contained a device to record the effects of the extremely high atmos pheric friction encountered by the blunt nose cone on its 15,000-mile an hour plunge back to earth from space. Officials said the stubby Thor, fired at 8 p.m. (PST) Thursday, "accomplished its reliability and accuracy test objectives." Eisenhowers Attend Good Friday Rites Gettysburg, Pa.-OIPB-Presi-dent and Mrs. Eisenhower at tended Good Friday services today at a combined observ ance by Protestant churches. They heard the story of the crucifixion told by the Rev. Edwin Elliott, pastor of the Marsh Creek Presbyterian church and one of eight min isters participating in the service at the First Method ist church. They plan to attend church again Easter Sunday. Mrs. Everett Hughes of Washington, widow of an Air Force general and a personal friend, accompanied the Eis enhowers at the services. She is their house guest' this week end. White House Press Secre tary James C. Hagerty told newsmen that the President planed "a very quite week end" at his farm on the out skirts of town. Bill To Set Up Sfafe Power Body Receives Hearing Salem-(UPD-A bill that would put Oregon in the power, busi ness received a two-hour hear ing before the House Judiciary Committee Thursday. The measure would estab lish a power development commission of three elected members to construct and op erate hydro-electric projects and to buy, sell and transmit power. Testifying in favor of the bill were representatives of the Oregon AFL-CIO, the Grange, the Farmers Union and the Oregon Electric Co operative association. In opposition were repre sentatives of Portland Gen eral Electric Company, Pacific' Power and Light, California Pacific Utilities Company and the Portland Chamber of Com merce. Rep. Al Flegel (D-Rose-burg), a chief sponsor of the power commission bill, ' said private power companies would have to realize that times were changing. James Marr, executive sec retary of the AFL-CIO, said most of organized labor was "strongly behind" the bill. He said the chief interest of union labor in the bill was that it would enable Oregon to take advantage of the "preference clause" in the Bonneville pow er administration act. This clause provides that public agencies receive prefer ence in the allocation of fed eral power. Norman Stoll, Portland at torney and former chief coun sel for Bonneville, said the power development commis sion would qualify under the preference clause even though its power might be sold to pri vate utilities and private in dustry. O. E. Walsh, former North Pacific division engineer and a vice president of Portland General. Electric Company, testified in opposition to the bill that there were no major power sites remaining in Ore gon for development by a state commission except a few on coastal streams which would conflict with valued recreational interests. Meanwhile the House High way Committee tabled the 1 cent a gallon gas tax increase bill with Flegel, chairman, commenting that the state had enough money to match fed eral highway funds without the increase. Action was de layed on a bond issue for the Astoria bridge across the Co lumbia, improvement of High way 42 and the Winnemucca-to-the-Sea route in southern Oregon. U.S. Resumes Ties With Bulgarians Washington -(UPD The Unit ed States announced today an agreement for resumption of diplomatic relations with Communist Bulgaria. Relations were broken off in 1950 after Donald Heath, U. S. minister in Sofia, was charged with espionage and accused of being involved in a plot to overthrow the Red government. Bulgaria has withdrawn the charges as groundless. The Bulgarian government made the first move for pre liminary talks in December, 1957. Final negotiations were started March 4. WEATHER FORECAST: Increasing cloudi ness late tonight. Cloudy with a few light showers Saturday. Clearing partially late Satur day. Low tonight 34. High Sat urday 55. Outlook Sunday, no rain. Cloudy early Sunday, be coming partly cloudy during afternoon. Temp. Highest Yesterday 51 Lowest this Morning 33 Prec. to 10 a.m. Today 10 Our Skies Tonight Sunset today 6:30 p.m. Sunrise tomorrow 6:03 a.m. Moonrise tonight 10:23 p.m. Last Quarter March 31 Appearing to follow the Moon through the- sky tonight is Jupiter, the largest planet. Jupiter, moving at a speed of 8 miles per second, takes near ly 12 years to circle the Sun. VAN ARRIVES The Van of History, which., has been touring tB,e state since last Sep tember in connection with the Oregon Cen tennial arrived in Jacksonville this morn ing. Parked in the street beside the historic Jacksonville museum, classes of students as well as the general public had the opportu nity to view displays of charts, relics and documents that played a part in Oregon's Former Mental Patient Suspect In Girl's Death Sacramento, Calif. (UPD - A former mental patient jailed here on suspicion of kidnaping was "definitely" in the Spo kane, Wash., area early this month, Sheriff's Sgt. Oren Baker said today. William E. Beckwith,, 26, Modesto, Calif., was held while officers completed their investigation into his joyride with Lois Marbut, 12, of Gardenland near Sacramento. Baker said Beckwith was a "definite suspect" in the rape- murder of Candice (Candy) Rogers at Spokane, March 6, "We have some informa tion now that indicates he was in Washington before March 17," Baker said. "He has told a number of persons that he was in the area and he wrote a letter saying he was near Spokane." Admits Farm Work The former patient at the Stockton and Napa, Calif., state mental hospitals at first admitted and then denied he was near Spokane. But sher iff's officers said he admitted recently working on a farm. Baker, the chief investi gator on the case, said he worked on the Spokane angle of Beckwith's activities late Thursday night but had not conducted intensive question ing yet. Meanwhile, Baker met with Sacramento county district at torney deputies to discuss what charges, if any, would be filed against Beckwith for his joyride with Lois. Beckwith and the girl were found near Marysville, Calif,, Thursday morning asleep in the suspect's car. Officers said the girl had not been sexually molested. ' Softening Noted In Lumber Prices Portland W h i 1 e lumber prices remain at healthy lev els, there has been some soft ening this week in standard and better grade green fir di mension, according to Crow's Lumber Market News Service. Utility and economy grades, however, have held their own. Plank, small squares and tim bers have changed very little in price. The market on lum ber for water shipment has exhibited firmer tendencies than the rail market. Guard Headquarters Slates Salem Move Portland (UPD The head quarters detachment of the Oregon National Guard will move to Salem from Portland within the next several weeks, Col. Robert Irving, acting ad jutant general, said today. Closing Arguments Given in Trial of Mrs. Maxine Click Closing arguments by the prosecution and defense were presented in circuit court this morning in the first degree murder trial of Mrs. Maxine A. Click, 46, Ashland. One final argument by Dis trict Attorney Thomas Reeder remained following a lunch recess. Judge Edward Kelly held the court past the usual noon recess time to allow De fense Attorney Otto Frohn mayer to complete his final argument. Mrs. Click, mother of nine children, is charged with shooting her husband, Hous ton, Jan. 6 in the family home in Ashland. Arguments today by Dep uty District Attorney Gerald T. Scannell and Frohnmayer centered chiefly around testi mony by witnesses who 'de scribed Click's allegedly un pleasant personality and by local physicians who declared that Mrs. Click suffers from psychomotor epilepsy and that her husband was neurotic. ' Witnesses Called Three witnesses were called by the prosecution in rebuttal arguments opening . today's hearing, although one, Mrs. Patricia Elliott, police matron for the sheriff's office, was unable to testify after Judge Kelly ruled her, evidence un admissible. The other two, Mrs. Marie Clark, welfare caseworker, and Miss Marion Ady, South ern Oregon college professor, testified that on the day be fore the Jan. 6 shooting they both were of the opinion that Mrs. Click was perfectly nor mal. A deposition taken from Dr. A. Erin Merkel, county health officer, which declared she appeared sane following her arrest, was read by Reeder. Scannell, in his rebuttal of the "long emotion - packed trial," said "the state is not looking for the death pen alty." He declared, however, that that did not mean "we do not feel this is a cold blooded killing."' Question Conditions He questioned whether con ditions in the home prior to the' shooting were sufficient to produce an epileptic' at tack such as Dr. James C. Luce, local neuro - surgeon, said he induced in his electro encephalograph examination. The wood fire, which Mrs. Click said she watched just before the crime, would be "pleasant to look at" and "restful," Scannel said. He declared that it was the state's strong feeling that the defense rested its case on the testimony of Dr. Luce and the ruination of the dead man's character. The deputy follow ed with hii "impressions" development. Above, members of Jackson ville High school senior English class wait to enter. It will be in Jacksonville until 5 o'clock this afternon. The Van will be in Medford Monday, Tuesday 'and Wednesday of next week, according to Sam Galloway, captain of the unit. The 100,000th person is expected to view the display while the Van is in Jackson county. concerning testimony of the many witnesses. While Mrs. Click sat sob bing, for the first time no ticeably during the week-long trial, Scannel repeated state ments she made to investi gators and which he declared indicated premeditation. He called the second shot she fired at her husband "insur ance," adding that "if every jealous, drinking man in Jackson county were shot by his wife, we just wouldn't have much male population." 'Common Law' Frohnmayer's argument stressed to the jury the "com mon law" that "a person is presumed innocent until found guilty beyond a reason able doubt." To substantiate the doubt, he referred to the confessions taken from Mrs. Click by in vestigating officers, ; which differed in detail, and which he said were made when she was without the aid of coun sel. "Put yourself in Mrs. Click's mind," he told the jury. "How, in that frame of mind, could she tell all the facts?" Frohnmayer said he knew that Houston Click was not on trial, that it was a "naive" question, but that it was neces sary to know the "main char acter" of the case. "Never have I had a civil or criminal case where people came so freely," he said, re ferring to acquaintances of the family who appeared as de fense witnesses. Recounts Statements The attorney recounted the many times Mrs. Click said "I guess" in her statement to police, which he said indicated she was not sure of the con fession. Frohnmayer also explained that the fact that she was beaten repeatedly a short time before substantiated her shoot ing in self defense. Concerning his defense arguments based on Mrs. Click's insanity, the attorney declared the brain-wave test made by Dr. Luce was "as positive as can be given" and definitely showed brain in jury and psychomotor epi lepsy. The case was expected to go to the jury later this after noon. (See story on page 12) Vernon Thorpe Taken To Medford Hospital Vernon Thorpe, Medford public works director, was "under observation" at Sacred Heart hospital today for an undisclosed condition, his phy sician reported. i Russia Expected To Snap Up Offer Of May 11 Session Moscow-(UPD-Western diplo matic circles predicted today the Soviet Union would quick ly snap up the Western offer ' to hold a pre-summit foreign ministers conference in Gene va May 11. The Russians apparently are far more eager than any one to get out of the way what they regard as a rubber stamp conference and proceed to global problems at a meet ing of heads of state. Premier Nikita Khrushchev. for all practical purposes, agreed at his March 19 press conference on the time and place. He also made it clear he was not interested in an agenda covering more than the German problem Notes Were Brief The Soviet note of March 2 did propose that the summit meeting take up the general problem of European security, disarmament and the "denu clearization" of Central Eu rope in addition to Germany. Observers said the Western notes were so remarkably brief and free of diplomatic gobbledegook that they made Soviet acceptance almost in escapable. The Soviet government also was not expected to quibble over either the agenda or the Western formula for inviting Polish and Czechoslovakia! representatives at "certain stages" of the negotions. The Russians formerly in sisted on mathematical Daritv with the Western Big Three, but m view of the almost cer tain summit meeting they will forego this nrinciDle. Remain Poles Apart Western observers here said the truth of the matter is that a foreign ministers conference has been downgraded to what one neutral diplomat called "a procedural subcommittee for a summit, meeting." The same idea has been reflected in dispatches from Western capitals. On basic matters of sub stance, East and West re mained poles apart although the Soviet press in recent days has been reporting a "more realistic aDDroach hv Western governments includ ing the United States. No End Seen To Pile Driver Strike Portland-OIPD-There was no early end in sight todav to a strike of Pile Drivers TIninn members which halted some construction work in Oregon ana southwest Washington. Leo Neal, negotiator for the union, said after a Thursday night meeting that "the situa tion hasn't changed." The Pile Drivers, who have about 600 members, were called out on strike Thursday morning after long negotiations in the gov ernor's office failed to break a deadlock. Work on the John Day dam, the old Interstate bridge be tween here and Vancouver, Wash., and a highway over pass here was affected. Ashland Officer Has Bad Moment; Finds Lost Driver Ashland - (UPD - Police man Gerry Randies had a bad moment here Thursday when called to the scene of a two-car collision. He found one car lying on its side - no driver and no other vehicle. It was disclosed that the driver of the overturned auto, James Harper. 20, of 435 Granite st, was speed ing to obtain aid for his mother who was quite ill and in a slate of shock. Driver of the other car. Dale Walls, 18, Talent, left the scene of the accident to lake Harper to call a doctor. No citation was issued.
