The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, April 16, 1947, Page 1

‘4 this summer. Truman, himself, has | THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIR VOL. LXVIIL, NO. 10,555 “ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS PRICE TEN CENTS JUNEAU, ALASKA, WEDNESD.»\_}' APRIL 16, HUNDREDS KILLED IN TEXAS EXPLOSION Quickest World F light Is Plane Makes World Flight T8 HOURS, 55 MINUTES FOR WORLD TRIP FEan | Sixteen Hours, Nine Min-. utes Lost in Nine Stops —Record Broken NEW YORK, April IG—W"AH-\ port crowds broke through p()llce‘ lines early today to welcome, with kisses and congratulations, three men whose trip around the world was the quickest ever made. i Milton Reynolds, Chicagtd—71h! manufacturer; his pilot, Willlam Odom, and his flight engineer, T. Carroll Sallee, brought their con- verted A-26 bomber—the "Bomb-{ shell”—over LaGuardia Field 12:06:30 a.m. (EST), just 78 hours! and 55 minutes after their takeoff | last Saturday. Their unofficial re- cord cut 12 hours and 19 minutes « from the previous unoificial record. | Reynolds admitted the trip was! tiring, sometimes dangerous, and “I would not make the trip again for ! $100,000,000.” But he added jubi- lantly to reporters: ! “We made the fastest crossing of + the Atlantic ever made, in five; hours and 17 minutes; we also. made a record trip to Paris.and | Gander (Newfoundland) and muvbe some other records.” The previous unofficial roun (Continued on Page Threz) —_—— e .. The Washingtonf Merry - Go- Round! By DREW PEARSON i WASHINGTON — To those who | + sat backstage in the telephone ne-: . . . + gotiations, the strike—grim as it! was—had interludes of comedy Early one morning, while assist- ant Secretary of Labor John Gib-i son was closeted with the manage- ment moguls in the Labor Depart- ment, the phone jangled in an anteroom, and a voice demanded:' “Is Jack there?” “Jack who?” asked Gibson, think- \ ing the call might be for himself. “I want to talk to Jack,” persist-' ed the caller. “Tell him the big; apple is calling.” The Assistant Labor Secretary turned to the negotiators and in- quired if anyone named “Jack” w: present. i “That's me,” responded George S.! Dring, Assistant Vice President of | the telephone company. “I mean | it's my code name. We have code | names for most everybody here. | A. T. and T. negotiator). We even have a name for your Mr. Warren. He's the ‘Eager Beaver. TRUMAN ON S‘I‘UMP White House advisers are now ! convinced that the President should | make a series of public appear- ances west of the Mississippi river agreed to the plan. Soon after Congress adjourns,! therefore, he will Lit the trail—) probably by train rather than by | plane—and touch every state in the northwest before he’s through. This important political decision | is the result of a candid survey' of Democratic prospects now be-! ing completed by close political ad- visers. While pleased with Truman’s current national popularity, they are not so certain about how many | voters are actually pro-Truman.| They wonder how many of those‘ who tell the polisters they like the | way Truman is handling himself, will finally vote for him. { Democrat leaders also admit in | private that Truman’s prospects in the big eastern states are, dim.| They see little hope of capturing| such potent states as New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio and | Michigan. Without these big five, Truman will have to score a clean | sweep west of the Mississippi. That's why plans are being laid for | (Continued on Page Four) ! prevent jor Irgun Zvai Leumi, iner at, § This is the converted A-26 bomber which Milton Reynolds used in his round-the-world flight. Reynolds was navigator and had a two-man crew. FOUR HUNG ONGALLOWS, JE R u S A |_ E M Pacific Northwest Trade ‘Go fo Death Following: Conviction of Anti- British Violence JERUSALEM, April {Bela Gruner and three other 16.—(P— died on the gallows in Acre on at dawn today shortly government authorities iron security measures intended bloodly retaliation. Gruner, ian veteran of the British the Jewish underground organization claims to have been in recent months. Gruner was Dov Jews | ‘COnVlL!L"! of anti-British violence Pris- after initiated | 1 to a 33-year-old Hungar- army, tand the other three were members which responsible \tor most of Palestine’s bloodletting sentenced January 1 by a British military court which | found him guilty of participating in a raid on the Ramat Gan police station 'last April 23, in which two| policemen were Kkilled and wounded. The otker iman Rosenbaum, 24; Elieser Kashani, 23; and Mordecai Abraham Alkachi, demned Feb. 21 by another tary court which convicta ed on December 23, the night British major Gru-, equality with three—Dov Ben Sal-! Ben | Ben | al and three sergeants| were flogged by the underground port of Xree trade zones, }PROPOSA[S MADE {3 PERSONS "oF waws o CONVICTED, PLOTTING Three Found Guilty Sen- tenced to Death by Strangulation ] Association at Seattle | Takes Action | | SEATTLE, April 16.—#—A seven- | ! | point program, includin i to the Ottawa Government for {opening and maintenance of the Haines Cutoff, was adopted by| BUDAPEST, April 16. — @ — A members of the Pacific Northwest | Peoples Court convicted 13 persons Trade Association at yesterday's|today of plotting against the Hun- closing session of the two-day!garian Republic in an efiort to re- meeting. i establish the regime of Admiral The Haines proposal called for a|Nicholas Horthy by armed revolt meeting of U. S. and Canadian|and sentenced three of them to die | Governments to work out a joini, by strangulation. maintenance plan. The Haines Cut-| Those condemned to die were Dr. ofi connects the Alaska port with|Gyorgy Donath, a former member the military highway in the uun-‘m Parliament who was accused of ity of Champagne Y wbv ing the “brains” behind the al- The proposals also urged con-leged conspiracy against the Hun- struction of comfort facilities at earian Government; aging former the, international border for use of |Gen. Lajos Dalniki Veress, at whose travelers; home the state charged an “under- Asked enlargement of facilitics ground chief command” was estab- and expansion of the c‘,“mdmn‘hahcd on Oct. 31, 1946; and Sandor customs statf at Douglas, B. C.; |Andras. Requested Canada to grant in| Anti-Communists declared the bond privileges to trucks on an|accusations were 173”- of a Com- privileges now en-, munist “irame-up,” intended to [joyed by rail and air; eliminate the dominant Small Affirmed the group's long-term‘Holders Party from the Govern- stand for modification of border ment. restrictions to permit freer flow ol‘ : Bomb Threal - Made, London an appeal | re- ] 21—were con- travel; mili- | 7 X d them of | office at Dawson Creek, B. C., The ‘Big Apple’ is our boss, C. F.Ihaving arms and whips in their| supervise transter of in bond Al Craig (Vice President and leading |possession when they were arrest- aska-bound freight: from railroad | Seek establishment of a customs cars to trucks; Reaffirm the Association’s sup- in retaliation for the whipping or‘ an Irgun member. Irgun repeatedly has ihreatened against the British were hanged reprisals their “soldiers” British Colonial Creech Jones declared ary that Gruner’s death almost tainly would signal bath in the Holy Land R an and Secretary Arthur in Febru- cer- a new blood| STEAMER MOVEMENIS Tongass, “Thursday. from Seattle, due on Alaska scheduled to sail from! +ikan, neau, Eeward. Sailor’s Splice scheduled to from Seattle April 18. Princess Louise, scheduled sail from Vancouver April 19. Northern Voyager scheduled sail from Seattle April 24. Aleutian scheduled to arive f westward at 8 p. m. April 19. - eee HERE FROM SEATTLE ‘Wrangc!l, Petersburg, sail to to rom Dan and Frank Krsul and Stan- ley *P. Seegars, all from Seal registered yesterday as guests .the Gastineau Hotel. ttle, ! of | BU(HANEN NAMED | . NEW PASS. AGENT LONDON, April 16.—(P—Scotland Yard officers rushed to the War| Office late today following a tele-! |phone threat that the building |was to be blown up—a threat that {came a few hours after a home- ‘made ktomb, timed to explode this FOR (AN' pA(IFI( jmorning, was found in a branch | SEATTLE, Apr. 16—P—AD-iof the Golonial Office. melmem of W. D. Buchanen as| Nothing suspicious was found at ! General Passenger Agent of the the War Qffice, however, and the 'Bnush Columbia District for the police were unable immediately to | Canadian Pacific Railway was an-|link the telephoned threat with {nounced today. It is effective to- the actual leaving of explosives at | morrow. “the Colonial Office, possibly in re- The district includes all of the taliation for the hanging of con- iSeattle April i7, calling at Ketch-‘P“C’nC coast from Mexico north,|victed underground agent Dov Bela, Ju-| Sitka, Cordova, Valdez and including Alaska and the Yukon Gruner at dawn today in Pales- ‘erritory. Coastal ferry services and tine. | steamship traffic from the Orient| A Colonial Office spokesman said |also come under his supervision, ‘lhe blast attempt was “part of the officials said. ‘Jemsh terrorist activities against Buchanan has been with the| |this country.” | company 33 years, the past seven\ Police said that the bomb w: ias Assistant General Passenger composed of 24 sticks of a French Agent at Vancouver, B. C. explosive resembling gelignite—not FIASIS A s powerful as they believed at | AT THE GASTINEAU ifirst when they reported the bomb | |could have wrecked the entire| Guests at the Gastineau Hotel four-story building. irom other Alaskan towns are l‘ ——————e Klitza from Haines; Myron A.| ROYAL OREILLY HERE Dean, from Cordova; Donald Mc-| Royal O'Reilly, who with his wife, Cune from Fort Richardson at An-are the owners of Taku Lodge, has chorage, and Hennie Johnson from arrived in Juneau fromthe south | Pelican, Jvia PAA, | ‘ | first 1of s | considerable ONTRIALIN, MURDER CASE Jury Is Secured, Witnesses Begin Teslifying on Jim Ellen’s Death —Dollie Silver told a packed courthoom this after- noon she saw Austin Nelson in the J Ellen grocery store, and leaving the store at ap- proximately the time of the murder, a little before 3 o'clock Sunday morning, Dec. 2 She testified she saw Nelson enter the store and talking to Ellen er saw him leave by the ar door after the lights were turned out. At press time the tion was to call the witnesses, two FBI laboratory experts frem Washington, C. who were to give testimony re- garding hair and blood found at the scene of the crime, and would probably rest its case and the defense take over. prosecu- last two The trial the alleged is’ under: ay in U. folluwing late of Austin Nelson for murder of Jim Ellen S. District Court start terday. Nelson is charged with cutting the |€ral the | velopment late Juneau . groceryman in throat with a razor December 1946 at Ellen’s store on Willoughby Avenue. Nelson is being tried degree murder following indictment by the Federal Jury here two weeks ago. The first witness, Miss Gerry Fitzgerald, was called to the stand at 4:30 p.m. yesterday. She told of | discovering Ellen's body on morning of Décember 22, his grocery store. had come into the store to make a purchase and, not seeing Ellen, had wandered around the store until 22, an she came across his body laying in g that its close to 100,000 inhab-' a pool of blood behind one of the 'jtants can counters. The next witness, Mark Jensen, truck driver, told of Miss Fll‘.:uc‘x‘-i ald'’s running out into the street, and flagging him down as he was' driving by. He said that he went back into the store with her and then galled the police George R. Fletcher, special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investiga- He identi- ! tion, was next to testify. fied photographs which he said that he had taken of the body at the scene of the crime and at the morgue, later. U. S. District Attor- ney P. J. Gilmore, Jr. then intro- duced the photographs as Govern- ment Exhibits No. 1 and No. 2. Police Witnesses Milo G. Clouse, then Assistant Chief of Police, and Patrolman Solon Dore were the last two wit- nesses yesterday. Both testified as to the discovery of a check on the prem®ses containing Nelson's name. | went, ! They said that they then with Deputy U. S. Marshal Walter | G. Hellan, to the Ismail Rooms and sted Nelson. They identified a pair of rubbers which were intro- duced as Government Exhibits Ni 3-A and 3-B. They said that they | had picked up the rubbers in Nel- son’s room at the time of his ar- rest. n of Body Hellan Pos Deputy Marshal {sent |its | 1 House | new i cently led iness Alaskan | testify | Angell (R-Ore), | Republican | committee {visited Alaska ‘gate 'Ralph Rivers, | Anchorage Daily for | ithe Granda | the iorage the | 0o 1946 ‘“i?;u‘-;m s She said that sheé i i Secretary of Interior |statehood for Alas onm S8an Francisco was the| Made By Reynolds fNflSON GOES | Witnesses for Statehood For Alaska Are Lined-up Before Commitiee Today BREAK OUT WASHINGTON, April 16— purchased from Russia 80 for $7,200,000, will pre- a score of witnesses today in bid for statehood. The Alaskans are hopsful that the House Public Lands subcom- mittee will promptly recommend approval of Alaska as a state. The committee re- recommended staterhood for Hawaii after a heating that last- eight days. The Alaska hear- s expected to be much short-| Al years ago tke Interior to be the first has frequently ehood. Eight members of the House have k:d that they be permitted to! in lu\nl of statehood for Territory.” They include Rep. who, ranking of the Territories of the last Congress, téo0 years ago. Other witnesses will include Emil Hurja, Washington; Dele- E. L. Bartlett of Alas| Fed- eral Judge Anthony J. Dimond of Alaska’s Third Judicidl Attorney General of Sundborg, Gen- Manager of the Alaska De- Board; Robert B. At- editor and publisher of the Times; William L. Baker, editor and publisher of Ketchikan, Alaska, Chronicle; Governor of Alaska; John H. Dimond, of Washington and Al- aska; Hugh Dougherty, of Anch- Lee C. Bettinger, Fusin man and mayor of Kodiak, Alaska ns, at an election last voted, 3 to 2 for state- and Delegate Bartlett said !in a statement today: A should be admitted to the union with the least possible delay “Alaska should ke made a state Krug W urged Secretary expected He of the as Alaska; George wood, enjoy the advantages of statehood.” KRUG MAK STATEME WASHINGTON, April 16— J. A. Krug subcommittee that is the told a House to the States. He asked a House subcommittee to give same consideration Hawaii.” The committee ago approved an hood bill. It is similar legislation Krug was the f the committe2 began ing cn the Alaska Bill fied: “1 keliev that admission Alaska as a state is essent the welfare and security of”e one of us in the states. “Alaska’s national defense posi- tion is plain to all Wz must develop its industry, agriculture, sexnce trades and professions to back up the defense plans of the Army apd Navy.” Krug declared Alaska is becom- ing a vital center for future trads \vnh Asia. He added “The Great Circle security of United Territories Alaska “the it gave to several weeks Hawaiian state- now considering as to ska st witness as its hear- He tecti- to ery- route by is air Japan Islands to way of the Aleutian first witness to be called this morn- labout 1,700 miles shorter than the ing and was on the stand for more than an hour. was called into the case at the re- answer the call. A detailed drawing Ellen’s store made by Hellan He stated that he|Islands. jthe quest of Resident FBI Agent JmmE B. Hayes who was ill and unable to | was introduced as Government Ex- hibit No. 4. Hellan described the [in 1872. position of the body when he ar-!Congress by a old route by way of the It will probably principal air route to and China.” . Krug reealled that Alaska was purchased by the United States from Russia 80 years ago, and first petitioned for active participation It now is represented in delegate who sits Hawaiian become Japan rived at the scene, telling of the|with the House, but has no vote. amount of blood on 1d around it. Hellan testified that he had di .covered the cash register open ang, | upon inspection, empty of currency and checks. only silver. Then, he said, he and the City Police found a check made ( {out to and endorsed by Nelson and, !providing Alaska The Secretary said statehood, in with two Sena- tors and at least one Representa- tive, would give its citizens for the first time an active voice in legis- He said it -contained 'lation by which they are govern- ed. ) Alaska would be the ‘largest state, twice the size of Texas, Krug| purported to be signed by W. D.|said, adding: Gross. (Ctmlmucd vn }nqe L‘mht) Upon identification, the; “One of the frequently ddvlmc-_ arguments against statehood tor Alaska is that the population 1 Dimond Division; | essential is too spars 90,000 people. Twelve present-day es had a smaller population at the time of their admission.” Federal Judge Anthony mond of Anchorage, t former ate Cony Larcade and Rep. (R-Ore) urged the commit approve statehood for Alaska said it is the experience of United States that population | creases after a Territory becomes a state. They said Missouri, Ore- ‘L,()H Nebraska, Minnesota, | Arkansas, North Dakota and Mc {tana are among the states which “|had fewer than Alaska's 90,000 in- |habitants at the time of their |admission to the union. | All of the witnes E is ready to take over the task of ving for a state government tatehood, they contended, would increase business, industry ag- riculture there. said the present government i without “consent of the ment” and is “taxation 12presentation.” | “We in Alaska believe fitted for statehood on and political grounds,” d. “We Lelieve Congress should grant us statehood without delay. Statehood will make Alaska.” | Secretary Krug said nego- tiations for establishment of newsprint mill in southe Alas are nearing completion with arge firm. “The paper Alaska,” he Aiaska has about to Angell to They the id Alaska and and i Terri- torial govern- without we a conomic Dimond also and pulp industr; in said, “may come = sooner than we have anticipated.” Krug said the Forest Service has solved many of the problems that have prevented establishment of pul)) mills in Alaska, and that his Department believed it had disposed of the problem of Indian |rights to the lands In answer to a question by Rep. Crawford (R-Mich), chair- man of the subcommittee, Krug said the six mills that can b2 sup- ported by Alaska timber resources could each produce 600 tons of newsprint daily and the supply would never be exhausted. Each mill would employ about 2,000 per-' s0nS. Krug said the transportation protlem confronts prospective vestors in Alaskan paper that he hopes the problem can be solved. Present rates for shipping paper to the United States machinery and other equipment to Alaska are prohibitive, he said. He estimated that it would take three ye tion of a paper miil there would have to ke imported, he add- ed. - WALLACE IS NOW GOING TO TACKLE PALESTINE ISSUE LONDON, April 16.—(#-—Henry A Wallace said today he would tacklc the troublesome Palestine issue to- morrow in a private conference with a group of British Parliament members. After the meeting with the Par- hament members, he will fly to Stockholm, Denmark and France. Wallace declined comment on cfi- ticlsm in Washington of his anti- Truman doctrine campaign by At- torney Tom Clark A high British official, mean- while, said the British Government accepted no responsibility for any- thing Wallace has said or may y here. - " ST0CK QUOTATIONS | NEW YORK, April quotation of Alaska stock today is 4'i, American Can 91%, Anaconda 36%, Curtiss-Wright 5, International Harveste 80z, Kennecott 43%, New York Central 15%, Northern Pacific 16':, U. S. Steel 67%, Pound $4.02'< Sales today were 900,000 shares. Merrill-Lynch averages today are as follows: industrials 168.22, rails 144.73, utilities 33.99. Juneau mine in-| Nevada, ! operated, in-} mills and | and ! to complete construc-! Labor | 16.—Closing | SHIP BLOWS UP; FLAMES Hundreds Meet Death with Over Thousand Injured ~Poison Gas Spreads BULLETIN—Texas April 16— INT explosion 1:30 o'clock this afternoon, the police of this stricken city ord- ered all disaster relief workers out of the explosion and fire wreeked waterfront district. developed at TEXAS CITY, Tex., April 16. —An estimated 350 persons w killed here today in the wor plosion in Texas Gulf coast history, A chain of explosions rocked a hundred mile ar and virtually razed this city of 00. The Texas department of public safety announced shortly after noon reports indicated an estimated 350 dead. The injured toll is re- ported to be aver 1,000. i Poisonous gas was reported to be | infiltrating the still-burning 4 city at noon. The National Guard was cailed out in the area. Doctors, nurses, police, and fire- men from Galveston, Houston and [ other nearby cities were rushed here. Explosions—Fire The chain of explosions began on the Grand, Camp, a French ship loaded with nitrate. It spread to ‘the multi-million dollar Monsanto Chemical Corp. plant, now reported a complete ruin following the ex- plosion and fire, The Grand Camp, destroyed with all men aboard by the explosion, according to the Tribune, caught fire early today. Several hundred curious gathered at the docks to watch the fire When the explosion followed, many on' the docks were Killed. ! Steel beams were hurled over the city, some as 1ar as 15 miles away. Many of the dead were Monsanto workers. Port Arthur and Orange, about 100 miles distant, said the blast was audible there, and buildings rocked. | At Pelly, 27 miles distant, a man said the sound “hurt my eardrum Palest 160 miles from here, | claimed have hes the sound | also. ! Hespitals Filled Hospitals in veston are over- flowin; with dead and injured. | Highways into Houston, 38 airline miles away ,are clogged with am- bulances and hearses, The gas fumes were believed fo be from the burning chemical plant and from nitrogen stocks piled on {the docks. One report said half of | the plant was in shambles and the | rest was burning. | The Texas City police department | said 300 small homes occupied by dock and refinery workers were near the ship which exploded and were hardest hit. Dr. V. H. Lane, a Monsanto Chemical Company ofiicial, said up to 500 Texas City. residents had lined the dock to watch the ship | burn when the, explosion hit. “The ship disintegrated,” he said “I am told that two other ships lcading nitrate bléw up too. Red- dish brown fumes of nitrogen diox- |ide began pouring out at once.” Hampton Ellis of Houston, wha | was sitting in a 10th floor room of the Buccaneer Hotel in Galveston— 12 miles from the blast scene—said it felt like an earthquake had hit. He said the bh\\' “almost knocked me off the bed.” Gov. Beauford H. Jester said in Austin two battalions of the Texas | State Guard at Houston had been lalerted for duty at Texas City. Some 150 state guardsmen from La Pdrte already were on the scene, All available highway patrcl and police cars converged on the scene, aleng with fire departments from all over the populous, industrialized Gulf Coast Doctors and nurses were being |rushed into the area along with every available highway department truck and every ambulance in a . 1100 mile range. to d