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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 25, 1962)
Noon Edition i 57th Year Price 10 Cents Light Aircraft1 Medford Wreck Found In Ashland Area United Press International Full Leased Wire 28 Pages Two Sections gm fwn-erJ ! . I t'XJ" " - T mSrm BTRTTNl? United ivrn International Full Leaned Wirt MEDFORD, OREGON, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1962 " No. 238 I "----"""- 'jM,1 j Return of Prisoners Of Hard Washington-ll'PD-It took 14 months of frustration, hard work and persuasion to make this a merry Christmas for 1,113 survivors of the 1961 invasion of Cuba. It began last year when the Treasury Department handed down a routine ruling that tie Cuban Families Committee for the Liberation of Prison ers of War, Inc., was a chari table group and tax-exempt. It ended Monday night, when the last of Fidel Cas tro's prisoners landed on American soil, ransomed for Prisoners Vow Return; Others To Be Released Miami-flJPIl-The 1,113 hag Rard men airlifted lo freedom from 20 months of agony in Cuban prisons entered a joy ous Christmas reunion today with impassioned vows to re storm Fidel Castro's island. Manuel Artime, who once carried a $500,000 ransom price, told a meeting here last night of the men and their families, "we have come to tell you with voices of the number of our dead that we are calling you to the war again in the names of the mothers who gave their pons.'' Relalvies To Be Freed As the last of the prisoners were checked in from the two-day airlift, Cuban au thorities announced in Ha vana that about 1,000 relatives of the men would be freed at dawn Wednesday as a "Christ mas bonus to the ransom deal." The relatives were to leave aboard the freighter African i Pilot, which delivered to Ha vana 1,800 tons of the food and medical supplies demand ed by Castro as a $53 million ransom price for the release of the captives. - James B. Donovan, the New York lawyer who nego tiated the release, flew in to Miami with the la?t contin gent of prisoners and declared he had a "firm pledge" from Fidel Castro for the early re lease of 23 Americans still imprisoned in Cuba. Saved From Slow Death In Palm Beach. President Kennedy hailed the freeing of the prisoners as "saving Ihem from a slow death" in Cuban jails. "I know the American people are proud to welcome these brave men, who have endured so much in the cause of freedom, to our shores," Kennedy said. . Miami's vast Dinner Key auditorium was the scene last night of a tearful and stirring reunion, as the last of the freed prisoners were driven hy bus from Homestead Air Force Base to meet their relatives and friends. Two Persons Hurt In Head-On Crash Two Medford men were hurt in a two car head-on col lision last night in front of 1170 West McAndrews rd., stale police said this morning. Kenneth G. Hill. 27. of 1103 Reddy ave.. Medford, is being treated for a broken hip at Sacred Heart hospital where' both men were taken hy Medford Ambulance Serv ice. Don P. Slanley, 67. Han ley ranch, is being treated for a broken leg. Both men were reported in good condition. Police said the Slanley car was eastbnund and the Hill car was wesl bound on Mc Andrews rd. when the acci dent happened. MS( BRIEFS ITIMS FROM Jjt AOUNO THI 01OM CHRISTIANS OBSERVE BIRTH OF LORD Jerusalem, Israel-'IPI The church bells of peace peeled today across the angry border dividing the Holy Land, uniting Christian with Chriitian in celebration of the birth of their Lord. Midnight celebrations in Jeruialem and Natareth were the focal point ol Chriitian observances in Israel. Both Catholic and Protestant services were held in the two cities. . RUSSIA SETS OFF NUCLEAR EXPOSIONS Uppsala. Swedn-lrr-The Soviet Union detonated two nuclear devices Christmas Eve and one today, the teiimo logieal inititute of Upptala University reported. Cuban Result Work $53 million worth drugs and medical of food, supplies. Working Behind Scenes It took the efforts of untold numbers of private citizens, American industry and gov ernment officials of every rank, working behind the scenes. The fact that the govern ment, and particularly Atty. Gen. Robert F. Kennedy, played a leading role In the campaign to free the prison ers for Christmas was not dis closed until most of them were already released. It was feared that if the government stepped into the plan offic ially, Castro would stall even more or back out of the deal altogether. The Treasury ruling for the Cuban Families Committee, made in September, 1961, was handed down after a State Department official told the relatives of the prisoners that a tax-exempt status would help them in their effort to raise Castro's ransom - then 500 tractors. Stuck With Effort That official, Robert A. Hurwitch, special assistant for inter-American affairs, stuck with the effort throughout. But the tractor deal fell through and the families start ed trying to raise their cash value - $28 million. The ante was almost doub led after a Cuban court set fines totaling $62 million on j the prisoners. President Kennedy had per sonally helped set up the com mittee to trade tractors for the prisoners. "The President took personal responsibility for the failure of invasion," a Justice Department said Monday, "so ne telt a personal responsi bility for the safety of these men. In June of 1962, the Prcsi dont.s special adviser Gen l.ucius i-lay, neaaed a com mittee of 51 persons to help the families try to raise the money. He prompted Ken nedy to make another state ment of the government's sympathy for the private ef forts. More Objective Person In August, Atty. Gen. Ken nedy, who had been keeping close watch on the effort, sug gested lo the Cuban Families committee they needed a more objective person to ne gotiate with Castro a nego tiator Without relatives at stake. He suggested James B. Donvan. He had not yet met Don ovan, but Donovan was the man who negotiated the re lease of U2 pilot Gary Powers from Russia. Donovan promptly deter mined that Castro would lake goods instead of cash, and ncgotialed the figure down to $53 million. He told Castro's aides to send a list of what was wanted. When it came, It contained more than 10,000 items, all of them in Spanish. Two days later, the United States threw a blockade around Cuba and negotiations collapsed. (Continued on Page 2A) American Army Units Plan Parties in Korea Seoul - (ITU - Church serv-1 ices, parties, shows and the i traditional turkey dinner highlighted the U.S. Army's 18th observance of Christmas in Korea, but for most Gls the gaiety didn't compensate for ! the loneliness of a Christmas spent far from home. Just about every American Army unit in Korea planned a party tor Korean children. Francis Cardinal Spellman visited Korea last week, and Bob Hope is here now with a Hollywood troupe which will give six Yuietide shows. IL . I vV-' - . , 1 s A ivy I MW ' t jf I I 1 I vr. . a 14 r'm ' m 1. 1 a JL mx Jw 1 ' CHRISTMAS GREETINGS This is the scene at the Pageant of Peace on (he Ellipse across the street from the White House in Washington, D.C. The lights on the national Christmas tree, the large tree in the back Traffic Deaths Pass 500 Mark Across Nation By United Press International The Christmas holiday death toll on the nation's highways increased sharply and passed the 500 mark to day with the bulk of the homeward-bound traffic flow yet to come. Snow and freezing rain brought hazardous driving conditions to much of the na tion this Christmas day. Safe ty officials hoped the obvious danger of slippery highways and poor visibility would force drivers to slow down and be alert, and thereby hold down the expected final surge of fatalities. The four-day 1962 holiday for a time appeared likely to go into the record books as the safest on record for mo torists. The death count pro ceeded more slowly than ex pected during the first half of the holiday. Speedup in Rale But a marked speedup in the traffic death rate on Christmas Eve threatened to dash the National Safety coun cil's hopes that the final toll would fall short of its esti mate by as much as 200 lives. Before the 102-hour holi day began, the council esti mated that 750 persons would die before the count ends at midnight tonight. The weather bureau warn ed of critical driving condi tions from the Ohio valley and Great Lakes westward lo Kansas. Heavy snow blew into West Virginia and Tennessee, and also whipped into Iowa, Missouri and Kansas, Freezing rain glazed streets i and highways in the middle ( Atlantic stales and the central i Mississippi valley. Breakdown of Deathi i At 8:30 a.m. (PST) the j United Press International i count showed 51 1 persons had i died in traffic accidenls since 'the 102-hour holiday period began at 6 p.m. local lime Friday. The breakdown shows traffic accounted for 511 deaths, fires 81, planes 11 and miscellaneous 64 for a total of 667. California led the nation , with tra(fic deaths, follow cd by Texas with 41. Illinois with :tfi, and New York, Geor gia and North Carolina with 20 each. Christmas Another Work-Day in Russia ! Moscow -HW-Western diplo- mats and newsmen celebrat ed Christmas today, but for Russians it was Just another working day. The Rev. Donald Roberts officiated at a Christmas serv ice for Protestants at the Brit ish embassay, across the river from the Kremlin, and Father Joseph Richard held several Christmas Masses for Roman Catholics in the Welcin col ony, Moscow was covered with a light la.wr of snow. During I Hie day the temperature was 24 degrees. ! The Soviet Union, which Is nffirtally atheistic, does not .celebrate Chri.tma. Russians t do observe New Year's. Oregon Death Toll 11 With Christmas By United Press International j An airplane crash and three i tnrisimas morning trailic deaths today raised Oregon's accidental death toll for the holiday week end to 11. Three were believed dead in the wreckage of the plane that was found today. Six died in traffic since the holi day week end started Friday and two in other accidents. Lake Creek Family Involved Presumed dead in the char-j -red wreckage of their Cessna near Ashland were Reg Im peratrice, his wife and small daughter, of Lake Creek, near Eagle Point. The plane be came missing Sunday on a flight from Ashland to Reno, Nev., in foggy weather. Cuban Relatives To Sail Wednesday Miami - (UPI) - A freighter which will be used to trans port about 1,000 close rela tives of the ransomed invasion prisoners from Cuba lo the United States will leave Ha vana Wednesday afternoon for Port Everglades, Ft. Lauder dale, Fla., a spokesman for the American Committee of Steamship Lines said today. Peter McChesney, here en route to Havana to work out final details of the move, said earlier plans had called for the boat to leave Havana early Wednesday for Key West. "But we decided to delay the departure and go to Port Everglades so the refugees can j arrive during daylight hours," McChesney said. ! He said the refugees would be processed and given a hot meai at ine fori, men turned over to their relatives. i McChesney said the refu 1 gees probably would arrive at i Port Everglades "early Thurs day morning." i Authorization for the refu 1 gees' departure was granted j by Premier Fidel Castro, an j Inferior Ministry spokesman said Monday. Ex-Communisf Leader Released Washington Wli President Kennedy Monday freed Juni-1 us Irving Scales, former Com- j munist party lender In the I C a r o I i n a s and Tennessee, : from the Lewisburg federal prison in Pennsylvania. The President commuted Scales' sentence tn the 15! months he already has served on a six-year term. Scales, who filed a clem ency petition with the attor ney general ? office last June, would have been eligible for parole next October. Scales served as Commu nisi party chairman in the : Carolina from 194H to 1937. : IMPORTS LIMITED He broke with the parly fol-; Washington llJPli The Inlerl lowing the Hungarian revolu-; or department has limited the lion Claiming to have totally i licensed imports of crude and renounced his Communist af filiations. Scales said in his pelition ' I do not believe my self to he a danger lo my country." ground, and represents a John Collier Fager, 23, of Salem and Lynne Ellen Kof- ford, 25, of Portland were killed when their ear smashed Into a tree east of La Grande early today. At Klamath Falls, Mary Sekack of Klamath Falls died this morning of injuries re ceived in a Christmas Eve ac cident. Airman 1C. Gerald Ken dall, 23, of Yelm, Wash., died in the same accident when the Most of Nation Covered by Snow By United Press International Most of the nation got a white Christmas today, so much so, that a sleigh of old might have provided the fast est and safest way to grand ma's house for dinner. The weather bureau issued snow and hazardous driving warnings for a wide area of the nation. A sharp cold snap was predicted for the Mid west. Heavy snow warnings were issued for Tennessee and West Virginia. Four to eight inches of snow were expected. Two to six inches of snow were forecast for Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. The weather bureau said critical weather was oc curring from Kansas to the upper Great Lakes. Up to three inches of new snow already was on the ground today from Kansas to Wisconsin. The Chicago weather bureau issued a cau tion lo drivers and said snow would pile up to six inches ! nightfall Tunisia Presses Hunt for Plotters Tunis aiPD The government pressed a manhunt today for about 20 soldiers and civilians wanted in connection with a "plot against the state." The government announced Monday night It had "un masked" a plot "directed from abroad" against the pro Western regime of strongman President Hablb Bourgulba, who has been in power since July 25, 1937. The announcement said a score of persons, including isome military men, were be ing hunted, informed sources said 30 tn 100 persons were already held. According to unofficial sources the plotters had planned the assassination of President Bourguiba, who lelt here Monday with his wife to spend his year-end holidays in Kef In the mountainous area of northeastern Tunisia. unfinished oil and finished petroleum products in the United Stales and Puerto Rico during the first half of 1063 lo 1,146,230 barrels daily. i the Washington Monument are state of the Union. (UPI) Soars To Crashes car he was driving went off a Klamath county road and flipped over. He was station ed at Kingsley Air Force Base. Another Christmas Eve acci dent in Klamath county claim ed the life of Rosemary Wil liams, lfl, of Seattle. Mrs. Williams, on expectant mother, drowned when a car driven by her husband plunged into a water-filled irrigation canal oft U.S. high way 97 12 miles south of Klamath Falls. Husband Escapes The car plunged into 13 feet of water. The victim's husband, 22, escaped. The cou ple was visiting at Klamath Falls. William Kneale, 37, Ger vais, was struck and killed by a Southern Pacific switch train one-half mile north of Gervais Monday. Slate police said Kneale was sitting on the railroad tracks. At Dorena in Lane county, Clarence Tye,, 20, Cottage Grove, accidentally shot and killed himself when he drop ped his rifle. Tye had been target shooting. Alice Thompson, 26, a Eu gene school teacher, was kill-J ed in a one-car accident on U.S. Highway 20 14 miles west of Burns Friday night. Red Chinese Boss Attacks Russians London IUPD Communist Chinese Premier Chou En-lal used a dinner for visiting Mongolian leaders today to launch new attacks on Soviet leadership of International j communism. I The New China News Agency reported in a hroad Icasl monitored here that he repeated the Chinese attack on Soviet fremier jnikiih Khrushchev for airing Com munist problems In the open. He said Mongolian and Chi nese leaders must work to gether to build a spirit of peaceful coexistence between nations with 'different social systems. He spoke to the dinner honoring Mongolian chief Y. TsendenbHl and his aides who arrived In Peking tn sign a new boundary accord with China. Mongolia Is now one of Ihc major test fields for Soviet and Chinese leadership with in the Communist bloc. County Prisoners Get Holiday Dinner Prisoners in the Jackson county jail were scheduled lo I have a big Christmas dinner! (his afternoon. ' The menu consists of turkey with dressing, mashed pota toes with glblet gravy, can dled yams, fruit salad, green peas, hot rolls and butter, bread, hard randy, oranges and nuts. The prisoners will be fed in their cells since they seem (o prefer It that way, the act ing jailer said. A prisoner. Odis Taylor, , Medford. had finished roasting (the turkeys Im mornrn. visible. Each small tree Young Father Is Held on Charge Of Beating Son A three-year-old Medford boy is spending Christmas In Rogue Valley hospital today where he Is recovering from a beating his father gave him for opening some presents too soon. The boy's ' father, Robert Joseph Garcia, 24, ot 113 Tripp st., an employee of a local radio station, has been lodged in the Jackson county jail on a charge of assault by means of force likely to pro duce great. bodily harm. Medford police were called lo the Garcia residence about 5 p.m. yesterday by the youngster's mother. Julie Ann Garcia. She told officers over the telephone she was afraid her husband was going to kill the boy. When police arrived they found Garcia standing over the boy, Jeffrey Norman, In a bedroom, beating him with a doubled-up leather belt. Mrs. Garcia told police her husband had been abusing the boy intcrmittantly since last Thursday when he discovered the youngster had opened some Christmas gifts without permission. , A similar incident occurred Dec. 10, according to police reports, when Mrs. Garcia called officers for help after her husband spanked the couple's 1 Vi-year-old daugh ter, and drove the wife and boy from (he house. Hospital spokesmen said boy Is In fair condition today. He Is being treated for mul tiple abrasions and contusions. Proud Owners of New Bicycles Purchase Licenses First Thing Two proud owners of shiny new Christmas bi cycles showed up bright and early this morning at the Medford police department lo obtain licenses permits, Desk Officer Gerald But ler typed out the forms for the two boys, Robert James, 12. of 910 West 11th St., and Dan Lee Cuddle, 14, of 415 Western ave, James is a student at Lin coln school, and Cuddie at tends McLoughlln Junior High school. ' As he affixed the license to his new blue and white bicycle, Cuddie looked up and beamed. "Gee, it's Just what I've always wanted," he seid. WEATHER KIIIKIAKT: Vlllltll hllh rlnudlnri nrf rold tnnlxhl. I'ah'hv fol ntar liltirhr. I'ltn- Iftrrahl high rUgdln. M W.dnr.iliy, Inrm.lnr Wnl dny nliht. Low Innlnfht IS ?. High Wrdnclday nrar it. Trmp. HlrhMt Vflerd 42 Lownt Th!i Mtirnlng IS Our Skies Toniqht Stint'! Ihdav iinri Inmnrrnw Mntnrli tomorrow st Mono I'KOMINKST STAR Rrflllllt rlvrl VIMHI.P. I'I.NKT ( 41 p m. MS a m. 1:11 am . It. 21 1:11 p.m. Man. right hov Rpgitlnl. Saturn, low In aonlh- wpl S:41 pm iiipltpr. In tmiithwrit 1:11 p.m. Vaniu, In th tnntn- raul I l m State police reported this noon that a party, including a ttate police officer, had reached the ecene of the airplane accident, and that the pilot had been Identi fied ai Reginald lmperat rice. Police laid positive Ident ification had not yet been made ol the plane's pai sengers. ' Ashland A light aircraft believed piloted by Reginald Impcratnce and carrying his wife and child, all of Lake Creek, was found crashed near Ashland early this morning above the Ashland Mine rd. Troops in Congo Spending Day on Special Alert Leopoldville-(UPD - A brief but savage battle in Katanga revived tension In the Congo and the 17,000 UN troops in the troubled nation spent Christmas Day on a special alert. Katanga gendarmes ex changed heavy fire with Ethi opian UN troops and shot down a UN helicopter carry ing a number of Indian UN troops near the big Belgian owned copper smelter In Ellsabethville Monday. An Indian officer was kill ed, .an Ethiopian soldier and five Indian soldiers - were wounded and eight men aboard the helicopter were captured but later released Four of the Injured Indians were beaten by gendarmes and the fifth was reported "wounded on the ground" resumably shot. Despite the alert, the UN troops found time to celebrate Christmas. Trees had been down in from Sweden, and Yuietide dinners -were pre pared according to the various tastes of the national contin gents. U. S. Ambassador Edmund Gulllon was to Join large crowd Journeying across the Congo river to Brazzaville, In the former French. Congo, to attend the annual tom-tom Mass In the Church ot St. Anne de Congo. Other Leopoldville resi dents went to Brazzaville to sample the more luxurious and expensive fare In that city's fine restaurants. Shops here were almost bare of Christmas gifts. Such holiday fare as whisky, cham pagne and cheese have not been seen here for months except In UN canteens. Pope John Pays Visit to Hospital Vatican Clly-MPD-Pope John XXIII paid a Christmas visit to a children's hospital today and assured the young pa tients that his own health Is fine. The 81-year-old pontiff left the Vatican by car for a visit to the Hospital of the Infant Jesus. He spent about 45 min utes walking through wards and chatting with excited boys and girls. "We are In an atmosphere of doctors here," he said In a brief speech, "You may have heard that the Pope was 111. But now he is well, in head, eyes and ears but above all in his heart and this Is his greatest de sire." The trip was the Pope's first venture outside the Vati can since he was reported ill on Nov. 27. Pope John Is suf fering from anemia and stom ach trouble, believed to be a bleeding ulcer. Kennedy, Family Spend Traditional Christmas Palm Beach, Fla. - (UPO -President Kennedy and his family are spending a quiet Christmas day In all the privacy the White House staff and security personnel can provide. Their holiday schedule In cluded opening presents around a big tree in the living room of Ihe-C. Michael Paul residence, a spacious tropical mansion which the Kennedy's also borrowed for the Yuietide last year. Then the President and his wife, with possibly other members of the family, planned to attend a special Christmas mass. Traditional Dinner A traditional Christmas din ner was set for early after noon at the nearby home nf the President's father, Former Ambassador Jnseph P. Ken nedy, and mother, Rose. The chief executive, i two children, The airplane was spotted by two Ashland men from the air. Ashland City Councilman George Ward and J. H. von Kuhlmann searched for the plane early this morning when they heard the plane had been missing since Sunday after leaving the Ashland airport. They reported the plane had crashed and burned on a tim bered ridge. State police were en rout to the accident scene this morning while the two Ash land men circled overhead in their plane to mark the crash scene. Ward reported the plane apparently took off in zero visibility, and would have cleared the ridge if it had been 200 yards higher. The airplane was described as a blue and brown Cessna 182 model. No flight plan had been filed, state police said. Police have been making a routine check of nearby air fields to see if the plane could have landed unannounced. Positive identification of the pilot and passengers in the plane has yet to be made. Western Europe In Grip of Cold London -(UPI)- A chill wind from Russia brought a white Christmas and record Yule tide misery to Western Eu rope today. From Glasgow, where snow fell on Christmas for the first time in 24 years, to the snow bound mountain towns of cen tral Italy, a midwinter cold wave gripped the continent. The snow stranded 200 Swiss trains, blocked key passes and tunnels and cut off skt resorts from the out side world. Villagers In Ober matt, Switzerland, abandoned their homes when avalanches threatened the village. I Marseille. France, reported Its heaviest Christmas snows since 1866. Temperatures dip ping to 11 degrees below zero brought Austria ..its coldest , Yule since 1940. Winds up to 75 miles an hour lashed Trieste. Weather forecasters said icy blasts from Russia and Scandinavia would drive thermometers to new Christinas season lows across the continent. Heavy snow In southern France grounded airplanes and halted trains and autos. Firemen were called out to dig stranded motorists from their cars. Three-foot snows driven by fiO-milc-per-hour winds blan- ; keted Yugoslavia. In the northern Adriatic, BO-mile gales tied up shipping. International trains ran hours behind schedule. Ice and snow also slowed road traffic and trains in Ger many, Retired Senator On Danger List Providence, R.I.-ai?D - The condition of retired U.S. Sen. Theodore Francis Green (D R.I.), remained serious and unchanged today at Jane Brown hospital. A hospital spokesman said the name of the 95-year-old millionaire remained on the danger list because he la "a very sick man." Green, a bachelor, entered the hospital Wednesday after what doctors described as a series of slight cerebral shocks. He was In a coma for two days but has regained consciousness. Caroline and John Jr., will be among those at the festive meal. Mrs. Kennedy's sister. Prin cess Lee Radziwlll from Lon don, also was here for the holidays as the house guest of the President and his wife. If olher members of the fam ily from out of town were present, their Identities were being kept out of print as far as the White House staff was concerned. Sets Conference The President planned lit- . tie or no work today but Wednesday he will start three days of budgetary confer ences. On his appointment list for Wednesday here were Secretary of Treasury Doug las Dillon, chairman Walter Heller of the Council nf Eco nomic Advisers and other pro nnmle experts to discuss the administration's 1963 tax re duction program. J