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MEDFORD ML TRIBUNE, MEDFORD, OHEdfeR
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, mi
A 3
me Fields and Barbed I'Jire ale Iron Curtain An Ugly Reality Today
Vienna - iUPD - The "Iron
Curtain" seen close up is more
than a politician's phrase -It
is an ugly reality.
The "Curtain" over much
of its length consists of two
lines of wire entanglement,
mine fields, control strips, sig
nal wires, defense ditches and
watch towers. Its average
width is 550-650 yards. It is
found on all boundaries where
the eastern Communist satel
lites touch the West.
The wire entanglement con
sists of stretched out barbed
wire. The 4-foot-tall posts are
set in concrete in the earth
6-8 feet east of the border. A
second row of barbed wire is
seven feet from the first. Be
tween the border marking
stones and the wire fence is
a path which the Communist
border patrols use for their
"control" walks.
Many of the mine fields
were newly sown In 1957 with
tread mines which explode
with the slightest movement.
They are very had to locate,
as they are camouflaged with
clumps of earth.. Any one of
them will explode when dis
turbed by a weight as little
as six pounds. Where the bor
der crosses a lake, the barbed
wire continues into, the water.
Mines are attached to the
permanent buoys.
Objective Patterns
The mines are planted in
the earth in so-called "objec
tive patterns." Sometimes
they are in three row mosiacs,
sometimes in lopsided rows,
and sometimes in no discern
ible pattern. Every mine field
belongs exclusively to the
plan of a mile-long border
strip. The end of each mine
field is marked with white
or red flags.
Every so often there is a
small space of three or four
yards between the flags leav
ing a narrow exit across the
minefield. A taut wire three
yards behind the barbed wire
marks the limit of the mine
field and touching it sets off
signal rockets.
Next is a narrow field call
ed the "silent field" into
which only officers are allow
ed to enter, and then only in
special cases. Patrols enter
only when a man has been
discovered attempting to flee.
East of the "silent field"
run the control strips, a part
of the Iron Curtain which is
kept unsown and carefully
raked. Specially trained offi
cers are concerned only with
reading the traces left in this
soft strip of earth.
The line of watch towers is
the next part of the death
strip. Sometimes they are
built touching the border of
the control strips and other
times they are from 50-250
yards away. The distance de
pends on the visibility and the
contour of the land. The
watch tower is eight to ten
yards tall-a simple wooden
cabin perched on a rickety
wooden scaffolding. The
watch cabin is outfitted with
four small rectangular peep
holes, and is surrounded by a
narrow balcony. The struc
ture, when viewed from afar,
looks like a factory whistle
stuck in the middle of no
where. The border soldier, a mem
ber of the state security serv
ice, is taught that his enemies
-i.e. the "imperialists," "fas
cists" and "capitalists" - may
approach under the earth and
along secret ways in order to
snuff out his life and that of
his country.
Secret Infiltration
He learns that although
there are no watch towers, no
mine fields and no barbed
wire on the other side, the
"neooles democracies" must
be protected from secret infil
tration. Thus he iaces ms
western neighbor with a real
hate and is ready to fire at
anyone who comes from there.
To protect the actual Iron
Curtain from infiltration from
'Sleeping Beauty'
Mother Sentenced
Cleveland, Ohio - (WD - A
judge Tuesday told the mother
of the "sleeping beauty" sis
ters she was lucky she was
not on trial for murder and
gave her the maximum sen
tence of one year in jail for
drugging her daughters into
mysterious comas.
Juvenile Court Judge Al
bert A. Woldman told Mrs.
Lillian Fratantonio, 29, one of
her daughters almost died in
a New- York hospital from
drugs she gave the children.
Emergency mouth - to - mouth
resusitation saver Bernadette,
3, from dying.
Woldman said there was no
evidence that she was mental
ly ill. He accused her of con
tinuing to drug the children
because she enjoyed the na
tionwide publicity surround
ing the case.
Woldman said Mrs. Fratan
tonio, after she began drug
ging the girls, Bernadette and
Venitc, 8, knew they were
undergoing great pain in
medical tests such as spine
and brain taps but continued
giving drugs because of the
publicity Q surrounding the
either direction, there are
Communist patrols of two or
three men each.
They move along two lines
- one next to the cleared con
trol strips, the other between
the numerous watch towers.
Their duty hours are so ar
ranged that patrols along the
same line meet one another
once an hour. If any sort of
border violation is discovered,
the patrol remains standing
and one of the soldiers reports
to the watch tower, which
contains a telephone with a
direct line to the next post.
This post can, in turn, call
the defense department.
The defense department
will be notified if as lew as 10
men have been discovered.
When the band consists of
only two or three it is cause
enough to seal the six to 12
mile wide military border.
This is done by doubling
the patrols, controlling all
roads with soldiers and noti
fying civil agents and inform
ers. Blood hounds are brought
into the trouble area and the
Iron Curtain becomes an iron
belt, completely under mili
tary control.
Little Chance
The intruder (or, as one
says in the "peoples democra
cies," the "enemy") has little
chance of success. His traces,
which are impossible to con
ceal in the carefully smooth
ed control strip, usually will
be found by the patrols within
the hour.
It is hard to find refuge
anywhere because nobody
knows who is an agent of the
secret police. A person feels
he is so closely guarded that
he wouldn't even risk hiding
members of his own family.
If the mtrudei escapes the
border patrols and astonish
ingly many do - he probably
will be discovered before get
ting too far. Everyone who
lives inside the 12 mile border
area is given a so-called "border-area
pass" which must he
renewed every three months
and presented for inspection
to the local police chief once
a month.
Grange Notes
Central Point Grange
The Central Point Grange
and friends watched a demon
stration of judo before the
meeting Friday, Jan. 20.
Tom Ball, instructor of
Medford, and his team,' which
included Lee Garrett, Edwin
Stuart, Mike Byrne, and Larry
None, presented various types
of throws. Ball gave a brief
history of judo, and empha
sized the point that judo is a
safe, relaxing sport for any
one of any age.
Preceding the demonstra
tion, Mr, and Mrs. Arnold
Bohnert presented a short
skit. Lecturer Dee Hendrick
son plans to have other
Grange members give skits
at each meeting.
During the business session,
committee reports were dis
cussed. One resolution was
referred to the resolutions
committee for further study,
and will be considered at the
Feb. 3 meeting.
Reports of bills in the state
legislature is of importance
to Grangers.
Mr. and Mrs. Omar Culy
of Upper Applegate Grange
were visitors.
The charter was draped in
memory of Fred Sanders, who
was a lifetime member of the
Central Point Grange,
Serving committee for the
evening included Mr. and Mrs.
Lester Gorden, Mr. and Mrs.
Gaston Floux, and Mr. and
Mrs. Cecil Keenan.
These facts would make it
appear that the Iron Curtain
is impenetrable. But, as law
statutes have holes, so has this
system. For example, in a few
places, as in Deutschkreute,
Austria, the Iron Curtain runs
between the houses of the vil
lage, turning neighbors into
citizens of hostile countries.
In Eisenstadt, Austria, the cur
tain divides the town grave
yard into East and West.
There also is a part of the
military area which is not
mined. This Is a "hole" where
trains cross the border into
the West, The control here,
however, is most careful. At
night the trains are lit with
floodlights from below, so that
nobody can hide between the
axles. Every inch of the train
is then searched before it
crosses the border.
There are, however, numer
ous cases where flight into the
West has been successful. But
excepting the cases where the
border officers can be bribed
(at prices ranging from $1,000
to $5,000), taking a chance on
crossing the mine fields safe
ly is like playing a game of
roulette.
And the stakes can go no
higher - freedom or death.
Memorial Urges
Uniform Time
Salem - (UPS - Rep. Carl
Fisher (R-Eugene) says he is
introducing a House joint
memorial urrjing Congress to
pass legislation for uniform
time applicable to all states
in their respective time zones.
Fisher said all or part of 28
states observe daylight saving
time five months out of the
year and this disrupts orderly
travel, communications and
commerce.
He said the memerial's pur
pose is not to create daylight
saving time in Oregon or any
other state.
"I am merely seeking a
means to end what amounts
to a national inconvenience
for airlines, railroads, travel
ers, shippers and any business
engaged in interstate com
merce, whose livelihood and
daily routine is directly af
fected by the present lack of
u n i formity in designating
time."
Field Review Set
ByBLMon Monday
A field review for prospec
tive bidders on the west
branch of the Elk creek access
road project, has been sched
uled by the Medford district
of the bureau of land man
agement for Tuesday, Jan. 31.
Persons planning to review
the project should be at the
Medford office at 7:30 a.m.,
Tuesday. Invitation for bids
on construction of the road
are now being accepted by the
Portland office of the bureau
of public roads. .
The road will be 5.33 miles
long and will be constructed
on a lump-sum basis. An esti
mated volume of 1,363,000
board feet of timber ap
praised at $33,528 is located
on the right of way across
BLM lands. An estimated
volume of 366,000 board feet
of timber appraised at $13,397
is located on the right of way
on controverted O and C lands
administered by the Rogue
River National forest.
BOYS CLUB HEAD DIES
Palm Beach, Fla.-fflPO-Wii-liam
Edwin Hall, 82, New
York and Connecticut lawyer
and industrialist famed as
president of the Boys Club of
America, died Monday.
TAX RETURNS
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Quotes From the News
BY UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL
Stillwater, Okla, A London telephone operator, after
she was connected with a home here instead of one with the
same number in Monteal:
"Blimey, I've got me the wrong stale,"
Washington Russian born choreographer George Balan
chlne, after having tea with Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy:
"She's like a fairy queen . , the beginning of a new
inspiration lot the United Stales,"
Hollywood Eleanor Powell, in announcing her plans for
a comeback as a dancer:
"My 14-year-old son Peter bet me I couldn't do H, He
lhinks I'm still from the horse and buggy era,"
Chappaqua, N.Y. Tommy Manviile, on learning that his
ninth wife is suing him for $1 million:
"1 am very discouraged thai she didn't sue me for $5
million,"
Portland Man To Talk For Senior Citizens
J. M. Burk, regional direct
or of the National League of
Senior Citizens, Portland; will
be guest speaker at a meet
ing of the league in the old
Grants Pass library, Wednes
day, Feb. 8, at 2 p.m.
The Senior Citizens club,
the 4Sers and all other inter
ested persons have been in
vited to attend.
Wall Street Chatter
New York-iTO-Many of the
technical factors which are
sii-'nais for an approaching
buying climax have been evi
dent for the past week and a
correction of sorts would come
as no surprise, particularly
with the historically bearish
month of February close at
hand, according to R. E.
Buschbaum of W. E. Hutton
& Co.
He notes that low-priced
speculations are now attract
ing more attention and are fol
lowing in the wake of the so
called quality cyclical issues
which have dominated the up
side since the first of the year.
The revived enthusiasm
could naturally reach danger
ous proportions, Buschbaum
says, but for the moment it
does not appear to have gotten
out of hand.
Moody's stock survey sug
gests sale of Caterpillar Trac
tor, Great Northern Railway,
and Joisiis-ManvHle. It also
would switch U, S. Pipe &
Foundry into Sunray Mid-Continent
Oil.
Martin Gilbert of Van Aiys
iyne, Noel & Co., says he
would expect an eventual test
of the all-time highs of a year
ago, but on the way up, how
ever, not only must the 645
area of the Dow-Jones indus
trials be penetrated but also
the 863 area of that index.
These prior tops will provide
a strong hurdle to overcome,
he says.
Tlie weaving of rugs, car
pets and tapestry was a sub
stantial industry in Egypt as
long ago as 1300 B.C.
Independent Liechtenstein,
a principality between Swit
zerland and Austria of 15,000
inhabitants, is mostly agricultural.
Missionary To Conduct Services in Phoenix
Dick Cochran, missionary
from the Near East will con
duct a series of evening serv
ices at 7:35 p.m. today and
tomorrow in the Phoenix First
Presbyterian church, the Rev.
William A, Saladin has
nounced.
A potiuck dinner will ha
held at 6:15 p.m. Thursday a
which Cochran will show
films cf the Near East.
Ik
"liobilheat"
America's Largest Selling
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MEDFORD FUEL 00.
Court & MeAndrewt
Tel. SP 2-2111
JUST
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OUR 69th ANNIVERSARY SALE
POSITIVELY ENDS SATURDAY at 5:30
HURRY! OUR ONLY STORE-WIDE SALE THIS YEAR!
Good
Selection
Sectional
REDUCED
UP TO
AH Item Cut
At Least
10
Except Beauty Rest, Perfect
Sleepr and Tentlon Eat
Marrrew art if Springs?
SALE $
PRICED
199
95
MORE BIG
VALUES
IN OUR
1
V
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2 JM WINDOW!
JUST ARRIVED!
Large Shipment of Sturdy
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Many Sizes Chests Desks
BookSheiyes Night Stands
PRICED LOW!
EXTRA SPECIAL!
8-Pe. Living Rm. Group
Daveno Matching Chair
2 Step Ind Tables 1 Coffee Table
3 pc. Matched Set of Lamps
2iaife, 1 floor)
2 Sets Only
1 Red
1 Browfl
See these!
BEDROOM SETS!
SALE
fRiCEO
8995429S0
OPEN STOCK EASTERN
MAPLE
By Kemp Co.
Sunk Beds Beds
Canopy Beds
Chests Dressers
Over 30 Pieces to Select From
ALL SALE PRICED!
Mattress Clean-up
TWIN BED SET
With 6 Drawer Dresser
Twin and
Full Size!
Only
Piastre no-mar
tops on aif
pieces, 28x40
plate mirror,
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$
107
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look These Overi
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We carry our own contracts There
is no extra charge added to year
payments. Shop at Southern Ore
gon's oldest established Furniture
Store where you find fine quality
at lowest prices!
WIEIEIKS & . (OMR
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Phone SP 2-9351
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This Sale
Ends Sat,
at 5:30
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