The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, February 20, 1946, Page 1

THE LIBRARY 04 THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE “ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” VOL. LXVL, NO. 10,199 JUNEAU, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1946 MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRE SS TO REVEAL CANADIAN ESPIONAGE PLOT JURYPICKING | STILL DELAYS MEEKS TRIAL Defense Denied Authority | to Question Witnesses | for Prosecution The process of selecting a trial jury to hear the first degree murder rge against George Harrison | Meeks is fulfilling all forecasts of being a long drawn-out affair. i Thirty-four ~ prospective jurors | have so far tenanted the twelve, chairs in the jury box, in a parade) that commenced Monday afternoon, continued through all of Tuesdnyi and this morning. The end of the | parade was still not in sight at noon | today. Up to that time, the de-| fense had exercised seven of its 20| peremptory challenges and had| waived one. The prosecution had used up five of its 10 peremptories. | Ten jurors had been excused by the Court for cause. However, it did appear likely to- day that a trial jury can be named | from the present venire of 63 names. At one time yesterday afternoon, it appeared that selection of a jury might be close at hand. At that| time, the defense waived its sixth peremptory, accepting the trial jury | as then constituted. However, the ‘prosecution was not satisfied. The Government still retains the right to challenge any of the 12 jurors now in the box and, to noon to- day, had re-opened, two chairs to defense challenge. “Jurors then in the box were: Val A. Poor, Liv Husvik, Ruth Ward Thomas, Joan Talkington, William D. Burfield, C. L. Skuse, Isabel Cashen, Fran- ces Worobec, Esther Erbland, Rex G. Hermann, Paul Ecklund and Mrs. J. W. McKinley. Next challenge lay with the de- fense, their ninth peremptory, as to. jurors Hermann and Thomas, both of whom have been qualified for cause. | Hermann Quizzed Examination of Mr. Hermann oc- cupied the major part of the Court séssion this morning. He had evi- | enced inclination to give extra | value to the creditability of Drs.‘ W. M. Whitehead and W. P. Blan- ton, whom, it is presumed, will! be called as Government witnesses. | J, P. O'Leary, assoclate counsel for | , the defense, repeatedly rephrased questions aimed at establishing the Juror as prejudiced in that re-' gard and twice he moved to chal- lenge the juror for'cause based on that inclination. His questions were just as repeatedly thrown out | | WAC MANNEQUINS_Three Canadian WACS, have been entertaining troops, prepare for an auditio; quins in London. L. to r. are: Pvt. Heather Forgre, Helen Stewart. Toronte, and $gt. Ruth Wilkinson, Saskatoon. YUKON WRECK BULLETINS HEARING ON FOURTH DAY SEATTLE, Feb. 20.—Officials conducting the secret investigation into the wreck the steamship Yukon in Johnstone Bay, Alaska, of days will be required to complete the list of witnesses called before the hearing. ‘The probe, conducted by the Merchant Marine Inspection Board, at Coast Guard headquarters, now is in its fourth day. Eleven addi- ticnal survive of the Yukon are to arrive here day on the steamship Baranof. e CITY COUNCIL TO HEAR JWC LADIES AGAIN THIS EVE + Juneau's City Council is to meet briefly this evening to act on ap- plication to the Federal Works Agency for an advance planning loan for the proposed Civic Re- creation Center. The special meet- ing is called for 7:3 o'clock in or- der to get the business over with — e ———lso that the Councilmen may go (Gontinmed. on Page Tia) linto a “committee of the whole” —————— & l’mis'i:::c s.chcdulcd to commence at The Washington/, i Merry - Go- Round glon! Representatives of the Juneau By DREW PEARSON Woman’s Club, chief sponsors of {the recreation center project, are to be on hand with a concrete out- WASHINGTON — Lumber price || ceilings topped the agenda of the| President’s conference the other fday with his old friend Governor Mon Wallgren of Washington. ‘However, Wallgren also took oc- casion to invite Truman to spend a vacation this summer in the northwest aboard the Presidential| ponday evening's informal civie yacht. . Umeeting, primarily concerned with “The people of my State would|gying Juneau’s housing crisis, de- Le delighted to have you as o yeloped information indicating that guest, and you can also take & trip | juneau may obtain use of Quonset to Alaska on the Williamsburg,” igyts at the Subport dufing the Wallgren told him. |emergency. A committee was nam- Truman accepted tentatively, say- jeq to determine what will be nec- ing he would go if he could possibly |essary to convert them for family make it. use. Wallgren's main business, how- eyer, was to strongly urge an in- crease in the price ceilings on lum- ber. -He maintained that this was necessary in order to increase lum- LIi'e,r output for the housing pro- gram. “We are facing a serious job crisis in our lumber mills, Harry,” said the Washington Clovernor. “We have a model unemployment. compensation law in my State, but many unemployed workmen are ewiftly using up the 26 weeks they are entitled to draw as compensa- tion. Both from the labor stand- point gnd the housing shortage, in- venteries in our mills must be built up as quickly, as possible.” IDLE WAR PLANTS Governor Wi n also urged the (Continued on Page Four) ing must necessarily contain and its estimated cost. quirements that the Council {fused action in regular meeting last Friday. Last Monday's meeting also failed to set details, but the women have since agreed on what they want and are ready to reveal their wants tonight. ———— STEAMER MOVEMENTS North Sea schedule: Seattle tomorrow. Denali scheduled to | Seattle Saturday. | ! princess Norah scheduled to sail from Vancouver Feb. 26. Baranof scheduled to sail Seattle Feb. 28. Columbia, from the west, schedul- ed southbound Saturday. — . LONDON—The Exchange Tele- graeph Agency reporfed from Paris tonight that the wife of a public house proprietor had given birth to ! septuplets, four girls and three boys, all alive. The agency said the mul- tiple birth occurred iri Rue Gallande, Paris. sail i 1 i it St ik S SRS return- to their ships or shore. in- | | ne Thursday or Fri-| | that OPA is nearly ready for action line of what they believe the build- | | i i | from 90 » & 3 MARINES INTROUBLE IN HAWAII ‘Circulated Demobilization Pefition Profest Against Navy Regulations HONOLULU, Feb. Marines are confined today, today, for circulating a demobili- zation petition dnd recommended by duals not connected with the U. S Marine Corps.” %Jx'.. the Army's mid-Pacific col {mander, immediately who banned all Army n for manne- Ontario; Pvi. ward Truman of Des Moines, help- ed to draft the Marine protest let- { ter. | No disciplinary action will taken against either Banks or Tru- man “unless they violate this direc- KETGHIKAN. Alaska—Paul Mec- | tive henceforth,” the spokesman Curdy, 52, Port Townsend, Wash, said. The Army was not involved fisherman, was found dead aboard !in the demonstration except his troller by a watchman Sunday, |throug the three men, he added. victim of a heart attack. The body | General Geiger, in a long form- will be sent to Port Townsend under {8l statement, said that the three Masonic auspices, He was a member | Marines “violated lawful orders” of the American Legion and the Al-|8nd are now confined pending “an aska Trollers Association. tinvestigation currently being con- I {ducted.” i ! The petition, circulated Feb, 19, EOMBAY - -Indian naval author-| H g ities have ordered all personnel to :Gelger_smd. pestentad.» lsck gk o+ formation on Marine Corps demo- i o _ (bilization policy. stammtions: folloWIng-yestarday’s als Meanwhile, the Hawaii chapter of turbances when an American flag L was burned by sallors. A Brmshime American Veterans Committee ed today to the defense i { (AVC) rushe agency (Reuters) dispatch | ; > of the three disciplined Marines de- said, however, that a strike among® . : s S e o (spite the virtual “hands off” warn- naval personnel is spreading. Ar-|. 5 rests are being made of sailors dis- ;:;“inf;?:“ Mid-Pacific Army head- Rpesiap.rieis. | The AVC appointed a committee jot thiee civilians to meet today © with Vice Adm. Sherwoode A. Taffinder, Commandant of the 14th Naal District to protest the Ma- rines’ confinement. Far North Amateur Radio Operator Gets Disiress Call KOTZEBUE, Alaska, WASHINGTON--Chester Bowles, new Economic Stabilizer, told the House Banking Committee today to increase the supply of low cost i clothing by about 50 per cent. “We | are working on a plan to make profitable the production of low cost garments, such as shirts, shorts and { pajamas,” he said. ' CAIRO, Egypt—A general strike, in the principai cities of Egypt has | been set fer tomorrow by student; and labor union leaders. The strike | has been called to demonstrate the nation’s backing of demands for thei | Peb. 20— below zero, Eskimos sit around L. 8. Vincent’s radio receiver and learn direct from Hawaii that it's 80 above in Hula Land — but they don’t have to believe it. fmoftheoSLon-isgkV|—55diS evacuation of British forces from the entire Nile Valley. MEMPHIS, Tennessee—The Na | 20.—Three| NEW YORK, Feb. 20.—The United the Nations organization Pacific Fleet Marine Command said greater Lt. Gen. Robert C. Richardson, m- afterward ton, Steitinius said: “interference” ywith any other service. An Army |spokesman said that two Army men, |Lt. Seymour Bauks and Sgt. Ed-|ection of be meet it.” With the temperature at 40 degrees! UNO FACING GREAT TEST IN FUTURE Steftinius, Back from Ses- {sion in London, Gives His Impressions faces even tests in the future thanj Ithose it met at the recent London protest “suggested conference, said Edward R. Stettin- two indivi- fus, Jr, head of the . delegation to the UNO. In a statement upon his arrival !by plane from London with other| members of the American delega= American “London was the first test of the United Nations. What happens| in the immediate future in the dir-| effective international | economic action will be a greater| |test, both for the United Nations | |and ourselves. We cannot fail to, TRADING He declared that UNO at the London meeting not only demons-' trated the strength to deal with such disputes as those involving Iran, Greece, Indonesia, Lebanon |and Syria but actually “gained strength by doing so.” | Among those arriving with Stett- infus were Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, Sen. Arthur Vandenberg (R-Mich), John Foster Dulles, and former 'Sen. John G. Townsend, Jr., of Delaware. ‘Alomic Bomb Test - Precautions Taken - For Men Involved i # WASHINGTON, Feb. 20—"Oper- ation Crossroads” is giving top priority to safety precautions for the 25,000 men who will take part lin the atom bomb test at Bikini | Atoll. { Medical cfficers assigned to the project disclosed today that a steff of approximately 150 service doctors and scientists had been detailed to the task of safeguarding the small army of men who will be in the |vicinity of the mid-Pacific A-bomb experiments this spring. Of paramount importance is pre- vention of accidents from radio ac- tivity, produced by the nuclear ex- plosion. Unlike poison gas, a man can’t see or smell this lethal pro- duct. of the atom bomb—but he can “hear” it. E | | | ] | JOIN an Wells, 18, daughter of Alexander Woif, assistant attorney general of i“ew York state, lias signed an . agreement “and she is not bound : cint ticnal Federation of Telephone Workers has called on the govern- ment to intervene in the wage dis- pute with the utility. The federation said that a strike seems inevitable, but that it would not be called until after conferences with President Truman’s labor advisers. SEATTLE — Men searching for driftwood today found the body of It was on the matter of hazy garl J. Monsen, 43, captain of the nowledge of recreation center re- gs.ton motorship Kasilof, who had Te- heen missing since January 12, inj the water near the Government Locks. The Kasilof returned here i November 30 from Cook Inlet, Al- aska, where it opérated in the freight and towing service. He was unmarried and Jived on his ship. Expori-Import Bank Bill Is Infroduced By Delegale Barllet WASHINGTON, Feb. 20.— Dele- gate Bartlett (D-Alaska) has intro- duced legislation to authorize the Export-Import bank to help fi- d to sail from hance the exchange of commodities between the United States and from Alaska and other Territories and insular possessions, Mile Wind His War Wracked Vienna VIENNA, Feb. 20.— A 50-mile wind ripped war-wracked | Vienna 1ast night, knocking down weakened biuldings, tearing out ‘trees and killing at least four persons. About 200 were injured. The fire depart- ment was called out 150 times for rescue work and -oflm' operations. acting contract with a movie Vincent is operating Station K7- firm. 1UN, which he believes is the “far- thest north” American amateur sta- tion. Recently he intercepted an emer- gency call from the Eskimo village of Noorvik. A pilot hurried aloft into the frigid air and soon return- ed with an Eskimo man suffering from acute appendicitis.. The man's life was saved. RUSSIA DELAYS BORDER DISPUTE INVESTIGATION LONDON, Feb. 20—A British- American argument with Russia has delayed departure of a four- power commission to investigate on the spot the Italian-Yugoslav boundary dispute in Venezia, it was said authoritatively today. The Russians want the commis- sion’s investigation restricted to Trieste and the Italian side of the 1 | i | i | \ I 1 | | <> SHARPLES ENROUTE SOUTH ‘ Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Sharples, for- mer residents of Juneau who have resided in Seward the past three years, visited with friends here| while the steamer Baranof was in| Geiger counter and on the know- a delicate device which, by a ser: ¥ & e That Don't Appear CHURCHILL, Man., Feb. 20-—This “musk ox” expedition now pushing Anmo’age Bound | winter tourist last night. |Three planes, which crashed in from Cleveland, Ohio — identity Alaska for the Peterson Flying Ser-| ‘“She said she came to see the night. |train last night and left when it came separated from the others From Churchill to Winnipeg is a boundary. The British and Ameri- One Pilot was killed, but the other gers to sleep in hotel beds. RS the area claimed by Yugoslavia. |POUSe: | | | ago. ‘ | I & . | . el IN UNITED NATIONS The safety corps is relying on the ledge gained from pervious A-bomb |explosions. The Geiger county 15 Trayels Far fo . ies of tell-tale clicking sounds, T See No"hem lmms ports the presence of radio activity. | | . | '3 Planes in Crash | {village of 123 population, point of |n Mon'ana Were ceparture for the Canadian Army's into the uncharted wastes of Arc- tic Canada, entertained its first | 5 ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Feb, 20— She was a middle-aged ‘matron v in Montana while enroute here from Wnknown who remained | Tennessee, were heing flown toChurchill about 13 hours. vice to be scrapped for the en- Northern Lights,” gaid the raflway gines, the Service reported last agent. “She got in on the last Five planes of six purchased were went back to Winnipeg this morn- |making the flight when three be- ing.” during a Montana blizzard and five-day trip, with nightly stops in crashed in the Highwood Mountains. small villages to permit passen- cans believe the commission should 'hreé men from the two other, P. 8—~The Northern Lights were be allowed to go farther east, into planes hiked 10 miles to a ranch not on last night. ‘The commission was to have left’ for the disputed area several days Ob swEDEN To Applv Objedis fo Cold Sunny California | STOCKHOLM, Feb. 20—Forcig: LOS ANGELES, Feb. 20.—Even in | Minister Oesten Unden said today {to make their home. list Jose Iturbi, it's too chilly for a Parliament within two or three Mrs. Sharples will be remember- ‘steady diet of cold showers. weeks for consent to join the Unit- jed for her books and articles on| He has filed suit for $5,000 dam- ed Nations. An application for wild flowers of Alaska, a subject on ages against his plumber, accusing membership will be made in the which she is an acknowledged au- him of failing to return a water autumn, he told the newspaper At~ thority. heater removed for repairs. tonbladet. port. They are enroute to the states Sunny California, complains pian- that the government would ask SIGNATURES_Fleet Adm. Chester W. Nimitz and film star Margaret O'Brien swap autographs while attending a Roosevelt birthday dinner at a hofel in Washington, n 'En ighting Is Renewedin Manchuria Government Spokesman Says China Not Party to Yalta Agreement By Spencer Moosa CHUNGKING, Feb. 20.—Reports | of renewed fighting in Manchuria ; circulated here today as a govern- | ment spokesman asserted that Chi- | na was not a party to the Yalta| ( | | i | by it.” The “Yalta Agreement gave Rus- { c1a control of the important Port! Arthur in Manchuria, declared Dai- ren'a free port and gave the Soviet | administration with China | of specified Manchurian railroads., “In this (Manchurian) connec- tion, nothing but the Sino-Soviet ; treaty is binding upon both China | and Russia,” the spokesman, Ho' Peng-shan, Director of the Infor- | mation Section of the Foreign Of- | fice, told a press conference, | Ho, said “no definite reply” has! been received from Russia to Chi- na's inguiry about the Soviet plan ‘or withdrawal from Manchuria. last scheduled for Feb. 1 but now uncificially reported for about June I | | Ho passed’ the question of whe- | ther China intended to place the Manchuria situation before the ' United Nations organization. Asked" why, he said he had not been au- thorized to reply to it. Meantime, the China Times ac- cused Premier T. V. Soong of hav- ing “sacrificed Manchuria” in con- | cluding the Sino-Soviet treaty at a time, it charged, that it was ob-[ vious the war against Japan could be won without Russian aid. 4l | RAF Radar Siafion Blown Up in Haifa JERUSALEM, Feb. 20.—Two Bri- tish Royal Air Force nom-commis-/ oned officers were seriously in- vred and six other aircraftsmen suffered minor injuries early today | when a group of armed men blew ' up an RAF radar station on Mount Carmel in Haifa. STOCK QUOTATIONS NEW YORK, Feb. 20. — Closing quotation of Alaska Juneau mine stock today is 9%, American Can 43%, Anaconda 46%, Curtiss Wright 97 International Harvester 91%, Jones, Laughlin Steel 48, Kenne- , New York Central 29%, Northern Pacific 30%, United Cor- poration 5%, U. S. Steel 87%, Pound $4.03%. Sales today were 2,150,000 shares. Dow, Jones averages today are as follows: industrials 19238, rails 61.86, utilities 38.43. Stocks lost 50 cents to $3 a share as pivotals continued their retreat for the third consecutive session in . today's market. { which {ernment, however, DETAILS OF - 'LEAK’ CASE COMINGUP ¥ \New Disclosures Eagerly Awaited - Soviet Em- ! bassy Involved OTTAWA, Feb, 20.—The Canad- { lian government is expected to re- lease its first official report tomors row on an espionage plot which Prime Minister Mackenzie King de« jclared had resulted in the. disclos- jure of highly secret infurmation to a foreign mission in Ottawa, since authoritatively identified as the Soviet embassy, Canadians eagerly awaited new disclosures concerning the case, several strategically-placed government officials are reported in- volved. Sources close to the Gov- said, that the foreign mission to which King re- ferred to last Friday probably would not be ‘officially identified until a Royal commission completes its identification — perhaps a week or two hence. Ray Atherson, U. S. Ambnssador ed in Washington, where it i§ pre~ sumed he is reporting to the U. § government on the case as it has 'developed here and on any Ameri- can angles there may be Noticeable Tension There was a noticeable tenslon on the diplomatic front as the iwo- man Royal commission here con- tinued hearin which afomile secrets allegedly were handed over to Soviet agents. It is yet to be shown how high in the Soviet embassy here the probe has reached. Some govern- ment sources have given the fm- pression that Soviet employees in- volved were mostly among the low- er ranks of the huge staff empioy- ed in Ottawa. The Soviet embassy has cancelled plans for a diplomatic party whici it was understood to ‘have Deen planning for Saturday, the anni- versary of the founding of the Red Army. This date has always boen observed by such a funetion n past years. . Ore embassy attache, questioned about the cancellation, laughed and said, apparently half seriously and half jokingly, “Perhaps nobody would come.” ALASKA RAILROAD IS BLOCKED; COLUMBIA PASSENGERS FLYING ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Peb, 20— Two more snowslides 'buried 900 feet of track on the Alaska rail- road between here and Seward yes- terday, blocking trains until Firday at least, and all avallable planes were ordered to Seward to meet passengers arriving on the lner Columbia. The 112 passengers will be flown here. Heavy snow has closed the line before this winter. REGRET EXPRESSED IN BURNING OF FLAG OF U. 5. IN BOMBAY BOMBAY, Feb. 20—U. 8. Con- sul General Howard Donovan an- rounced receipt today of a note from Rear Adm. A. R. Rnth:s’, Royal Indian Naval Commander in Bombay, expressing ‘sincere = re- gret” over the burning of an Ameri- can flag during a demonstration by Indian Naval seamen yesterday. Donovan said - Rattray . advised him he was having a new flag made to replace the one which the demonstrators hauled down from its place over the U. S. information office. Uniformed members of the Roval Indian Navy paraded through the sireets again today in demonstra- tions which an Indian leader said were intended as a protest against alleged racial and color diserimin- ation in the Naval service. e H. WILLIAMS ARRIVES H. Willlams arrived here [rom Ketchikan yesterday. Me is reglst~ ered at the Baranof, to Canada, meanwhile, has arrive G