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KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON. THURSDAY, JANUARY 17. 1948
WEATHER NEWS
-jr 17, 1846
Max. ' 43 Min 14
Precl Jit 24 hours .00
Sir' a'o .b data 8.38
N' V 8.84 Last year 4.67
fyg oraeaiti Fait Friday.
jfVA? ,
.."7 .V
Number 10721
InTfi
lay's Rlews
By FRANK JENKINS
TODAY'S Jitter news:
IUibhIii uppcurs to bo moving
Into Iho Kuilles apparently to
slay, us Kile tint already noiit In
iron pi ACtUMi'AniKU ux
TIIKIH FAMILIES. (Sending
fiimlllcg ill with troops usually
means a long, iwrlmps perm
liiivnt, occnpallon.)
(Thin Information comes from
.Washington officials who ars in
n position to know, but who can
not bo Identified by numo, oh
that -would put them on tho hot
.pot.) . . ,
pOMING with a Jolt of sur-
nrlm this news sounds bnd.
But wo lonrn from the name
dlxputch thnt mi agreement upon
Hussion occupntlon of these
Islands win reached nt tho POTS
DAM CONFERENCE. Hence
whiitcvor notion Ittimln la tukliiK
Is QUITE IN ORDER merely
carrying out the terms of a policy
alrcndy agreed uHin by the
bends of the governments of Itiin
iilii, Drllntn and tho United
iitiito.
We Just weren't told about it
at tho time.
AFTER all, It iim't. surprising
thnt Russia nhoulil domiind
control of the Kuilles, which
MAR Russia's Siberian port
from access to tho Pacific. If a
Imllar inland screen barred
Seattle, Portland. San Francisco
and Los Angeles from tho Pa
cific ocean, WE would demand
control of them,
We'd FIGHT for it, if we had
- ...
IF we had been told about this
agreement at Uio time of the
Potsdam conference, we would
have accepted it as a perfectly
reasonable arrangement The
reason we weren't told about It
Is thnt tradltlonoUllplomacy Just
doesn't operate that way.
" B
OTHK campaign now being
A wnffrrf for INTERNATIONAL
freedom of the press is intended
to prevent Just such things as
this secret Potsdam agreement
on the Kurllcs. If reporters had
been present at Potsdam, telling
us all about it as it happened, it
would have sccemd quite reason
able to us as It really Is. -But,
coming with a Jolt, as a
DISCLOSED SECRET, It upsets
us.
...
THAT Is what honest news-
papers mean when they talk
about freedom of the press.
Freedom of tho press Isn't just
a racket for newspapers. It is a
guarantee of the basic right of
the people to know whnt Is going
on BEFORE THEY ARE COM
MITTED TO IT.
THERE are still Jitters In the
Chlnn news, where both
factions (tho Chunking govern
ment and the communists) arc
accuning each other of bad faith
In tho keeping of tho stop-shooting
truce.
As nearly as can be guessed
from hints in tho news, wo have
amiarcntly COMMITTED our.
selves to a policy In China that
involves the use or the threat of
FORCE if necessary to bring
about ccrtnln objectives. If we
can rehabilitate and reconstruct
China into a good customer, the
policy will have been amply
justified and we and the Chinese
will benefit greatly.
It is obvious that In carrying
such a nollcy through to accom
plishmcnt wo SIMPLY MUST
have at 'our command the
POWER to mako It work. Other
wise It will fizzle Just os
domestic law enforcement would
fizzle without a police force to
back it up.
nUT again, following the tradi
" tlonal methods of diplomacy,
wo kept at least the details of
the commitment secret.
As a result, hundreds of
thousands of American GI's
NOT UNDERSTANDING the
situation, not knowing whnt It
was all nbout, feeling that their
job was DONE, kept In Ignorance
of their country's commitments
have become restive almost to
the point of Insubordlnntlon.
Now that the harm has been
done, there Is a lot of explaining.
The harm could have been
avoided by greater frankness nt
the beginning by telling the
people, Including those still In
the armed forces, whnt our com
mitments are and WHY wc shall
continue to need a large military
force.
.
COMPLETE Intcrnallonnl free
dom of tho press, with re
porters present nl all these con
' lorences and free to tell the pub
lic all thnt wns going on, would
liave avoided this situation by
making it plain from the start
what our obligations and our
commitments are and WHY we
must have tho power to carry
them through.
Situntlons such as these help
to explain why complete Inter
national freedom of the press is
an important step in making
wars less likely.
Board Will
Meet Today
With Unions
Fact-Finders Named
By Secretary
Of Labor
WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 Ml
Secretary of Labor Schwollcn
bnch today appointed a fact
finding board to Investigate the
wage disputo in tho meat pack
ing industry.
Schwellenbach said the panel
would meet later today with rep
resentative of tho CIO and AFL
unions and meat packing com
panies who are Involved in the
dispute. '
Tho new puncl Is headed by
Edwin E. Wltto, former public
member of tho national war la
bor board. Other members arc
Clark Kerr, chairman of the now
defunct war labor board's meat
packing commission, and Chief
Jiustleo Raymond W. Starr of
the Michigan supreme court.
Schwellenbach will take part
in tills afternoon's meeting.
Kerr Is an impartial umpire
In tho meat packing field and
now is on tho University of
California faculty. Judgo Starr
Is from Grand Rapids, Mich,
Wltte, who has served at va
rious times as a member of fed
eral boards dealing with Indus
trial relations, Is a professor of
economics at tho University of
Wisconsin.
Yeird Murder
Still Mystery
BAD TOLEZ, Germany, Jan.
17 U. S. third army Intelli
gence headquarters sold tonight
that no American officers were
Implicated in the mystery mur
der of three American mllltury
government officers at Passau.
Col. E. M. Flckctt, Intelligence
chief of the third army, said
also that the murder weapon
still was missing.
A Hungarian girl employed In
the office of one of tho victims
has been questioned in an at
tempt to shed light on a pos
sible motlvo for the Killings, an
unofficial source said,
U. S. army Intelligence agents
admitted officially for the first
time that the three officers,
found battered and burned to
death In a house on tho Danube
11 days ago, had been slain.
A spokesman for the intclll
genco section of the third army
made this statement, but the
case otherwise remained classl.
fled as "top secret."
Two Above Zero
At Sun Mountain
Near zero temperatures were
reported to the state highway de
partment from patrols on Sun
mountain of The Dalles-California
highway and on Quartz
mountain of the Lakcview
stretch. Sun mountain advised
2 degrees above zero and Quartz.
4 above. It was 12 above on the
brconsprings where tho patrol
snid there wns quite n bit of fog.
Minimum rending here, as re
ported by CAA, was 14 above
but the stato highway shops said
their thermometer read 13. Fore
cast for the next 24 hours was
"fair."
Crawford's Reach Fails To Block Medford Score
1
m
Bill Crawford (6) oi the Pelicans and Bob Watson (4) of Medford ham in mid-air waitina tor the rebound of this shot
looped in by Dorr ell Riggs of the Tornado, shown standing just behind Jerry Thome (11). The shot was good,, one of the
many hit by Tornado marksmen during last night's 38-22 rout of the Pelicans on the KUHS maple. Also in the picture are
Ray Craig (10) and John Linman (14). for Klamath, and Referee Joe LaClair. The game, played before a packed house at
the gym, broke the Pelican win streak at eight straight and put damper on Klamath's hopes for state prep basketball
laurels.
Army Clamps
Lid On Gaming
HONOLULU, Jan. 17 (P) A
story in the army newspaper
Stnrs and Stripes that a small
group of soldiers was "making
a small fortune" at dice from
homeward-bound GI's at the
Oahu army personnel center has
brought an official army ban
on all forms of gambling there.
Lt. Gen. Robert C. Richard
son Jr., mid-Pacific army com
mander, issued tho ban lato yes
terday after Stars and Stripes
reported "organized gambling
goes on nightly. with thousands
of dollars changing hands."
"Now the men can't even play
pinochle," said Col. William Saf
farrnns, commandant of the cen
ter. "I authorized controlled gam
bling In order to give the men
a decent place where they could
meet," he told Interviewers.
He asserted they formerly
gambled in latrines, in barracks
and in other places, and:
"They are going to gamble re
gardless of what anyone says
and I provided a plape where
they never had the slightest
trouble. Everything was open
and above board."
Morse Secures Electrical
Union Arbitration Offer
WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 (P) A senator who strayed from
the subject of a committee hearing today obtained a union
offer to arbitrate in the three-day-old strike of 200,000 elec
trical workers.
Senator Morse (R-Ore,), himself a former labor department
arbitrator and former public member of the war labor board,
seised the opportunity as the senate labor committee was
hearing Albort J, Fitsgerald, president of the CIO United
Electrical Workers union. Fitzgerald was testifying in opposi
tion to the president's fact-finding bill.
In reply to questions from Morse, the union chief said
he Is willing for the electrical wage dispute to be arbitrated
from scratch, and Without rogard to any settlements which
may be mado in steel and other industries. The union seeks
a $2 a day wage increase.
There was no immediate reply to the arbitration pro
posal from the throe companies General Electric Westing
house and General Motors electrical division, which make
most of the nation's electrical appliances.
Court-Martial Ordered
For Discharge Agitators;
3 Enlisted Men Confined
HONOLULU, Jan. 17 (&) Lt.
Gen. Robert C. Richardson Jr.,
today ordered court-martial for
any soldier or officer in his mid
Pacific command who continues
agitation on the demobilization
program.
Three enlisted men were con
fined to quarters pending inves
tigation. Col, Wilson Gaddis, 'public re
lations officer, said no charges
have, been placed against the
trio but their actions since Gen
eral Eisenhower explained de
mobilization policy Tuesday are
under investigation.
Gaddis named the three as
Sgt. Joseph Nahem, Brooklyn;
Sgt. David. Livingston, New
York, and Cpl. Herbert Free
man, whose home address was
not immediately available. He
said Nahem and Livingston had
been principal leaders in rallies
protesting the demobilization
slowdown.
A directive which Richardson
sent to commanders in the mid
Pacific theater stated:
"It has come to my attention
that there are certain leaders of
enlisted men in this command
that are continuing agitation on
the demobilization program de
spite the announcement by Gen
eral Eisenhower, chief of staff
of the army.
"It is directed that you take
full and complete measures to
instruct these leaders, both offi
cers and enlisted men, and all
under your command that fur
ther agitation will not be toler
ated. "Enlisted men have had an
opportunity to present, their
grievances which have been met
by Elsenhower's announcement
and no further mass meetings,
agitations or like actions will
be permitted. Commanding of
ficers will be held responsible
for enforcement of this directive
and will court-martial offenders
for disobedience of orders."
Copies were sent to Generals
Eisenhower and MacArthur.
A . headquarters spokesman
said the three confined to quar
ters were restricted "pending
investigation of remarks and ac
tions" at a Tuesday night meet
ing of demobilization protest
committee members at the Hono
lulu labor canteen. He said
Eisenhower's speech to congress
was assailed bitterly and plans
tentatively were made for a
mass meeting to signify dissatis
faction. Committee To Act
On Fact-Finding
WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 (P)
The house labor committee
agreed today to act before next
Tuesday on legislation requested
by President Truman for - fact
finding boards to settle major
industrial disputes.'
The agreement was announc
ed to the house by Acting Chair
man Randolph (D-W.Va.) after
the committee had refused by a
7 to 7 tie vote to approve a
modified version of such legis
lation. The modified proposal was of
fered by Rep. Landis (R-Ind.),
who told the committee "the
heat is on" from voters through
out the country for legislative
action to help prevent strikes.
Randolph told the house com
mittee members that "it is our
individual and collective respon
sibility to act courageously on
these problems."
He added:
"The committee will act eith
er next Monday or Tuesday to
vote up or down on the presi
dent's fact-finding plan or a sub
stitute or enlargement of lt."
Arriving In
United States
By Associated Presi
Francis T. Flocchini, MSgt.,
Klamath Falls, arrived on
President Johnson due in San
Francisco January 15. ,
Boy Drowns
In Lost River
, MERRILL Edward Lee Tay
lor, 15, eighth grade student at
the Merrill school, fell through
the thin ice of Lost river back
of the Dan Barry ranch late yes
terday afternoon and was
drowned. . His body was recov
ered about 4:30 this morning.
The boy had been sent to the
river, about a mile east of Mer
rill, by his mother, Mrs. Vera G.
Taylor, to look for an older
brother, Bill, who had not re-
(Contlnned on Pag. S, Column 1) . .
Trumcflm To
Meet1 Fails
By HAROLD W. WARD
WASHINGTON, Jon. 17 (AP) President Truman gov
the two principals in the threatened steel strike their last
chance today to work out an agreement together before he
proposes a way to end the deadlock.
The president gave CIO President Philip Murray and
Benjamin Fairless, U. S. Steel head, until this afternoon to
settle their wage dispute.
Should they fail, he said, he will step Tn with "a proposal
in the public interest."
w,LMr-.Truman urged ,he two men' lust before they left the
White House last night after a day of fruitless talks, to
sleep over it and pray over it and do their utmost to get
together and come back again at 2 o'clock tomorrow after
noon. Both said they would.
Presidential Press Secretary Charles C. Ross described the
leave-taking.
This sharp focusing of the spotlight on the crucial Whit
xsuov ujcbiug leuuca wi aiverc
top attention from new admin
istration enorts nere to lind a
solution ior the meat packing
strike, already hitting the na
tion's meat markets. Secretary
of Labor Schwellenbach invit
ed management and labor rep
resentatives to an afternoon
meeting Jn his office.
Own Secret
The steel proposal Mr. Tru
man has in mind is his own se
cret, but there was some specu
lation it might involve his per
sonal judgment on what would
be a reasonable adjustment of
the rival wage stands.
Ross told reporters this morn
ing that 'the fact-finding board
members named by the presi
dent to inquire into the steel
WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 (P)
Steel wage negotiations be
tween CIO President Murray
and Benjamin F. Fairless.
president of U. S. Steel cor.
poration, collansed today at
the White House.
President Truman promptly
offered a compromise proposal
which Murray and Fairless
took under advisement for
decision br tomorrow noon.
The president called the two
into his office at 4 p. m
(EST), Press Secretary Charles
G. Rot told reoorters, and
Mqrrai- nd Fair lets .reported
they .were "still In disagreement"-
wage dispute would call on Mr.
Truman this afternoon to dis
cuss the whole situation.
The board has held- no hear
ings but it was at its request
that wage discussions were first
resumed in New York 10 days
ago. After - the breakdown of
negotiations in New York, the
president requested Fairless
and Murray to come here for
renewed discussions.
No Report
The secretary said the board
was not bringing in a report
but that doubtless the members
had accumulated a lot of infor
mation on the situation.
Ross said government seizure
"has not entered into the dis
cussions" through last night's
talks. He also reported that, of
course, Fairless and Murray
could accept or reject the pres
idential proposal.
Fairless has offered to pay
15 cents more an hour but
Murray is adamant on nothing
less than 19V4 cents for his
800,000 ClO-steel workers who
are due to strike next. Monday.
TO SPEAK .
WASHINGTON. Jan. 17 (&)
General Eisenhower has sched
uled a radio address to the na
tion at 6 p. m., (PST) Friday, on
demobilisation.
Czech Asks
UNO Control
Of All Arms
LONDON, Jan. 17 (jP) Unit
ed Nations control of the en
tire world armament Industry,
including atomic bomb factories,
was proposed to the UNO gen
eral assembly today by Foreign
Minister Jan G. Masaryk of
Czechoslovakia.
Jobs and problems piled up
for the assembly as it began the
second week of its existence
with a sobering speech by For
eign Minister Ernest Bevin of
Great Britain.
Bevin said Britain was al
ready negotiating to place three
of her five old mandates from,
the League of Nations under
the projected new United Na
tions trusteeship system. Bel
gian officials said they would
announce similar intentions for
their two mandates, Ruanda apd
Urandi, in East Africa. . .. -
Belgium Position
Belgium's position is expect
ed to be stated in a declaration
to be read Friday or Saturday
by M. F. Van Langehove. Ruan
di and Urandi were assigned to
Belgium from German East Af
rica after first World war.
Masaryk told . the assembly
that, in order to safeguard hu
manity against the "latest scien
tific inventions," the world arms
industry, "together with the
latest devastating inventions,
should be put under the control
of the United Nations."
Delegates applauded Masaryk
loudly several times, especially
when he said he hoped that "not
one particle of uranium pro
duced in Czechoslovakia will
ever be used for wholesale de
struction and annihilation."
Uranium is a source of material
for atomic energy and the atom
ic bomb.
At another point, Masaryk de
plored anti-semitism.
"After what has happened to
the Jews," he said, "solution of
their problem is undeniably the
duty of all decent people.
Nasrullah Entezam, Iranian
delegate, said Iran's appeal for
help in settling her dispute with
Soviet Russia over political con
ditions in northern Iran might
be formally presented the 11
nation security council tomorrow.
Gf( Condemned To Death For Slaying 2
Jap Civilians. Writes He Had No Knife
WALLINGTON, N. J., Jan. 17
(fl) PFC Joseph E. Hicswa of
Wallinton wrote to a girl friend
from his stockade in Osaka, Ja
pan, that he was "in a fight with
a few Japs" but that he could
not have murdered any because
he did not have a knife.
The 20-year-old youth was
condemned to death by an army
court-martial on conviction of
killing two Japanese civilians
November 24, the night before
he was to have started process
ing for his return home on re
enlistment furlough.
The death sentence has raised
a storm of protests among civic
and official bodies in New Jer
sey and other states.
The letter, disclosed today by
Miss Sonia Andreyk of nearby
Clifton, with whom he had been
corresponding since he went into
the army in June, 1943, was
written December 15. evidently
before the court-martial.
The 18-year-old girl said she
had received it on Christmas,
but did not release it until now
because she did not want to up
set the family.
The letter follows:
"I am in the stockade. They
think I murdered a couple of
Japs. I had a fight with a few
of them the night of the murder,
so they got .the Impression that
I murdered them. They were
stabbed to death. That leaves me
out right there, for I didn't have
1 any knife. When they told me
I murdered the Jap, I got ex
cited. "I didn't think I hit him that
hard. They were still moaning
and moving when I left them. I
guess they, have to blame some-
PFC JOSEPH E. HICSWA
body, so I guess I'm the loser.
They say that if they don't find
a rope strong enough to hang the
person, they 11 shoot him. I be
lieve that is just a rumor.
"Today, they had me on the
rockpile from 7:30 this morning
until 5 this afternoon. They get
me up at 4:45 in the morning
and we're busy until we go to
bed, usually about 7 or 8.
"Well, how are you. I hope
you're fine. As for me, I'm a
little sore. Boy, does it get cold
here at night. We wake up in
the morning and we just hate to
get out of our sacks. Later,
when the sun comes up, you can
see the frost on the trectops on
the mountainside. We had a lit
tle snow already.
"I was planning on being home
for Christmas and surprising
you. But I guess I'll have to
wait for about 20 or 30 years.
Well, so long for a while. Keep
your chin up and fingers
crossed. Love. (Signed) "Joe."
. Sonia said she had received no
mail after this letter. She said
she was shocked when she read
it, but now that the story has
been in the newspopers and over
the radio she thought it best to
tell the family.
An uncle of the youth, Adam ;
Hicswa, released the letter to the
girl. -
Only this morning the parents
had been re-reading recent let
ters mailed after December 15
by their son, In which he made
no mention of his plight,