The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, December 24, 1948, Page 1

ALASKA EMPIRE “ALL THE 1 P.M. Edition NEW'S ILL THE TIME" = PRICE TEN CENTS VOL. LXXIL, NO. 11,076 FIRST SECTION—PAGES | TO 824 PAGES JUNEAU, ALASKA, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1948 MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS TRUMANTO GIVE OUT GREETINGS By ERNEST B. VACCARO INDEPENDENCE, Mo., Dec. 24— (P—President Truman had a “Mer- ry Christmas” wish for every friend and neighbor today as preparations for tomorrow’s celebration reached a climax in his Missouri home. He'll extend his greetings to the entire nation in a radio address from his old-fashioned living room in which a 10-foot Christmas tree sparkles with light bulbs and spreads its shadows over colorful Christmas packages. His talk, at 2:16 p.m. (PST) will give the signal for the lighting of another Christmas tree, a giant living tree on the south lawn of the White House, where hundreds will gather for Washington’s tra- ditional Christmas Eve ceremony. -—.—— Thousands Flee Christmas Heal; Off fo Resorls SYDNEY, Australia, Dec. 24.— —Hundreds of thousands of “Aus- tralians are leaving their cities to- day for holiday spots—trying to beat the Christmas heat. An estimated 300,000 persons will leave Sydney during the day for| seaside resorts. The temperature is around 80 today and inland, temperatures of 100 degrees and above haye been re- mountain or ————————— STEAMER ALASKA T0 WEST IS RE-ROUTED SEATTLE, Dec. 24.—(®—Steamer Alaska, en route north, has been re- routed to call at Seward north- bound before visiting Cordova and Valdez, the Alaska Steamship Com- pany announced today. The Seward agent messaged that longshoremen there did not plan to work between the hours of 7 p.m. Friday and 7 am. Sunday, which would have caused a 36-hour delay for the vessel. e, NEW FREIGHTER ON ALASKA RUN SEATTLE, Dec. 24. (®—There'll be a newcomer in the Seattle-Alas- ka freighter fleet when the current waterfront trouble is settled. The ship is the SS. Abigail Adams, a Liberty ship formerly operated by Bhephard Steamship Company. Alaska Steamship Company an- | nounced yesterday that it has char- tered the Adams from the Maritime Commission for service in the Alas- ka trade. She is scheduled to start loading January 3 for Sewsrd <nd Whittier. c e The Washington Merry - Go - Round Bv DREW PEARSON (Copyright, 1948, by The Bell Syndicate, Ine.) ASHINGTON— President Tru- man would like to reform Cali- fornia’s confusing cross-filing sys- tem which permits a candidate to run on both the Republican and Democratic tickets—which was how Gov. Earl Warren swept the state in his race for the governorship. Chatting privately with Oak- land’s live-wire Mayor Joe Smith, the President left Warren's name out of it, but he called for a “stronger two-party system” in California. “A strong two-party system is essential to democratic govern- ment,” the President lectured. Mayor Smith called at the White House to air some local problems. For one thing, he wanted the Pres- ident to know that the Oakland side of Sen Francisco Bay favor- ed building a new bridge parallel with the present Bay Bridge. al- (Cunflnue‘d on Page Four) | entwined colored lights throughout GROWING TREES, - LIGHTS, ADD T0 CHRISTMAS SCENE It's a picture-postcard Christmas, this Yule season of 1948 in Juneau. Nature started it, with feathery snow to enhance her original handi- work. Improving on Nature, storm or | no storm, Juneauites braved flur- | ries, domestic hazards et al, to | ornament the outdoors, besides the cozy indoor trees and window “candles” (modern style). | Last night two Empire report- | ers made the rounds, sparks fly- | ing as auto wheels spun on some | difficult hills. | The Chamber of Commerce, on |its judging rounds tonight, will| | find several outstanding entries, | designed and wired in dramatic de- tail, besides the many homes which have Christmas trees glowing behind shining windows, many of them with outlined doorways, and | marquee decorations. i . Most elaborate displays are these: | On the low, rambling home of | Walter J. Stutte, at Ninth and { C Streets, Santa Claus, in almost | life-size cutout, rides the ridge-| ‘pole. complete with present-filled | sacks, chimneys and reindeer. A| i-fcot growing tree is brilliantly illuminated, an< {ive-foot red candles burn at opposite sides of the yard. | | | | z’ z At the home on Eleventh Slrcel’ (712, to be exact) where the door knockser says ‘“The Blackwells,” Vance Blackwell admitted to trim- ming the doorway (spruce and fir boughs and vari-colored lights on a chickenwire base); to installing the five-foot red candles—really construction lights—and decorating the backyard tree (illuminated). But Mrs. Blackwell seemed to know all about the decoiatious, (wo. Along the hill, overlooking Gas- tineau Channel, a tree some 30 feet high is a glowing multi-colored beacon for miles around. It is in the yard of the home on West Eighth Avenue, shared by Mrs. James Monagle and her son-in- law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Olav Lillegraven. In the Waynor Tract district, the Dick Garrison residence is bright with strings of colored lights out- lining the doorway and windows. Small trees flank each side of the doorway of the Carson Lawrence home, and Milton Furness has a smatl tree on top of his porch. Shining on the Seatter Tract hill, is a large tree in the yard of the L.'L. Winter home, and a large lighted tree glows from the top of the Seventh Street hill in Elton Engstrom’s yard. Among the many homes that have colored lights festooning their doorways are: Mrs. Gertrude Bog- gan, James Orme, Leroy West, Rev. Ralph Baker and J. Knutsen. Mr. and Mrs. Carl Seegert, who reside on Willoughby Avenue, have a lighted display showing angels bending over the Infant Jesus. Decorated trees are placed in the yards of many Juneau homes. Among the residences displaying Christmas trees are J. F. Mullen, Dr. Joseph Rude, Robert Rice, John Klingbeil, Mrs. Mildred R. Hermann, Leonard Holmquist, T. J. Jacobson. Hugh Wade, on Basin Road, has his hedge, Dr. William Whitehead hag strung lights on the balcony of his home. Arnot Hendrick- son has colored lights on his house, and Oscar Lundquist an attractive- ly decorated tree in his yard. J. P. Christensen has a lighted star on his house near the Small Boat Harbor, and at the home of George Shaw a blue-colored cross is displayed. One of the most outstanding dec- orations is a giant Santa Claus which decorates the front door of the Eugene Wood residence on Kennedy Street. The Santa Claus is painted on oilcloth and has a gay red suit and long cotton whisk- ers. Strings of colored lights around the porch light up St. Nick. ———.——— STEAMER MOVEMENTS Baranof’s scheduled sailing to- day is cancelled because of the Seattle port strike. Princess Norah scheduled to sail from Vancouver December 30. Alaska, from west, due south- bound Sunday afternoon e ABOARD LST Stanley G. Roberson of the craft LST 545 out of Anchorage is at | the Baranof Hotel. | mobster. Air Force Says Object, Maybe Sanfa, Heading South WASHINGTON, - Dec. 24—(P— Air Force seasonal communique: “Our \} arning radar net| to the north gives fi ing spot position report of obfeét heading | southerly direction: “One unidentified ered by eight reindeer, at 14,000 feet; heading, 180 degrees. Inter- ceptors alerted and vectored in bur‘ unable contact. Estimated time of arrival over target 2400 hours 24 December 48.” sleigh, pow- ->oo BULLETINS WASHINGTON. — The United | States proposed today that Britain, | France, Russia and this country re-| sume negotiations for an Austrian | Peace Treaty about February 7 in London. 1 | | ALBUQUERQUE, N. M. — The" FBI held Leonard Calamia, 37, un- | der $50,000 bond today to face a| murder charge in a San Francisco | zang slaying of a former Al Capone | { | The FBI soid he 1s unaer indict- | ment as the fingerman in the 1947 killing of Nick De John, alias John Rossi. SAN FRANCISCO.—The Chinese Communist radio said today Red Troops had captured Kalgan, 100; miles northwest of Peiping. | OTTAWA. — Canada’ recognized | the State of Israel and its pro-| visional government today. The 1ecognition was of ~the de facto type—the same previously given by | the United States and the Union of South Africa. This means that a, new government is recognized as | existing in fact. S | McNARY DAM, Wash—The gi-| gantic McNary dam construction project entered its third phase to- | day. The first concrete was poured yesterday into forms of what will} become the world’s largest single lift | navigation lock. VATICAN CITY.—Pope Pius XII —drawing a sorrowful balance for 1948—deciared today that once again the world is menaced by war. The pontiff said in a Christmas message to the world that the past year, which at first had appeared | to be the start of a surge toward | true peace, today ‘“seems instead opening upon the edge of a preci- | pice.” WASHINGTON.—Justice Douglas of the Supreme Court today granted a stay of execution to Jake Bird, of Tacoma, Wash., who was scheduled | to be hanged next January 14. Bird, | a Negro, was sentenced to death in| the ax-slaying of Mrs. Bertha Kludt, of Tacoma. The stay was granted pending the filing of a pe- tition asking the Supreme Court to review Bird’s trial. His counsel con- tends Bird did not have a fair trial. DAMASCUS.—The Syrian gov- ernment has banned the American magazines Life and Newsweek be- cause of what it termed “increased Zionist propaganda.” GUAM.—The Assembly, the lower house of Guam, voted today to pe- tition the U. S. Congress for citi- zenship for Guamanians. e, FROM ANCHORAGE Mr. and Mrs. R, Cutrerp of An- chorage are registered at the Baranof. ...and all through the house Elizabeth with Infant Prince |CALIFORNIA Christmas AL Princess Flizabeth of England, Leir apparent to the throne, holds in her arms her month-old son, in Buckingham Palace, (Dec. 15). Charles child was christened Prince Edinburgh at christening ceremonies ? Wirephoto via radie from London. of Canterbury [HURSDAY FLIGHTS BY ALASKA COASTAL | a1 Alaska Coastal took 39 p | gers on Thursday flights with 15-‘ in and 15 out of Juneau. Passengers | included: From Pelican: Grace Mr. and Mrs. Roscoe Max, Max. From Sitka: Mrs. N. Lott, Lom Harriss C. Lovitch, Glen Thornton, M. Leatte, Lucretia Eldemar, J. G Osborne, M. Garcia. From Gustavus: Donald Bogi. From Skagway: G. Lundy, Den- ny Lundy, M. D. Parks. | From Haines: Walter Neumeyer. To Pelican: Mrs. Bresenan, D, McCadden, Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Raat- | ikainen. To Sitka: Max Rogers, R. T. Rob- erts, Mr. and Mrs. D. Moore, M S. Foston, Helen Yaw. | To Haines: Leonard King, S. Hak- kinen. SHOTY a Rodgers, | C Arthur 1 di; be i te W [ be sk ———-—ao AGE CLUB PARTY ON CHRISTMAS NIGHT TEEN | Juneau and | that there | Teen Age It will| All teen-age:s of Douglas are reminded will be a party at the Club on Christmas night. begin at 9 o'clock. The extensive job of re-decorat- ing the clubhouse is not yet nearly | complete, However, it has pro- gressed far enough to permit the| ar | nc W a building to be used throughout the| no ME rest of the vacation period. So the | club’s officers have announced that | o it will be open each afternoon and | pj, each night, beginning Saturday. | In order to help defray the ex- penses of the improvements to the | re through it. new liquor i be heard b2fore The Philip Arthur. George of conducted by the Archbishop BURNING MATTRE! ast night, about 8 o'clock, William Niederhauser, fire chief, and George O'Brien, re truck operator, returned from vestigating a burning mattress meone had tossed into the bay fire alarm was turned in for the olumbia Lumber Company. Fire-fighting equipment ushed to the spot, where it scovered that the burning mat- ss had drifted under the Lum- Company, sending smcke up There was no further re, and no Gamage. -ee assis! was o NO WORD FROM STORIS No further word was called to search for shing vessel Early reports stated the Cutter ent to the aid of the Lois Ander- out Wednesday af- 1001 son, 98-foot craft owned by Jack Anderson and son of Seldovia, seved to have a broken crank- ft about 129 2s west of Ju- eau. - LIQUOR LYO J. W. Leivers, Clerk of the Court, nnounces that zil applications for nses, any which are and any against are objections will the court at 10 order there ot in hich m. Tue: sday. LA, 5 CHOR! MEETING Men's Chorus will not meet as originally The n Mcnday night anned. FROM CORDOVA: Robert Cunningham Mrs. and clubhouse, the teen agers have de-|mpane Cunningham of Cordova are cided to charge themselves an ad-| .4 the Baranof. miission fee of 25 cents for the| Christmas party. 0“-. AT BARANOF 40 at! ‘K. Sadiier of Redmond, Wash,|all-star charity nignt in the Orange Bowl. is at the Baranof Hotel. % Not a creature was sfir- % ring, not even a mouse; ettt MIALiI, Fla.—Between 35,000 and ,000 football fans are expected to tend the Shrine’s North-South game ' tomorrow The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, was| reported y from the Coast Guard Cutter Storis, a disabled ~ HAS WHITE CHRISTMAS SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 24.- ~-A wh Christmas is in pros | pect for sections of Calilornia where snow hasn't been seen in It snowed in coast yesterday the way today ‘ The Weather Bureau forecast | showers for Christmas in the low- ix. nds and snow in the Sierra Ne- | patches along the and more was on vadas. But the sagging tempera- | tures of the last two | bring snow generally if they per- sist San Francisco remained officially snowless yesterday but there were « few flakes in Golden Gsate Park | and a fleeting fall at San Fran- isco airport The first pre-Christmas snow in years fell at Beaumont, near Angeles. in the interior San Joa- had its first snow and shivered 32- Los Fresno, Juin valley, n 11 year degree cold «n Southern California, | hailstorms whitened 1 Coemptoen, Santa | Beach. Los Angeles had its chilliest / in a year with a low of 38 in heavy streets in Monica and Long la -+ e o v w8 0 0t 0 0 0 | | WEATHER REPORT (U 8 WEATHER BUREAU) This data is ¢°r 24-hour per- iod endipg 6:37 am. PST. In Juneau-— Maximum, 35; minimum, 28. At Alrport— Maximum, 34; minimum, 27. FORECAST (Juneau and Vieinity) Partly cloudy tonight. Low- est temperature near 20 de- grees. increasing cloudiness on Saturday with snow by Saturday night PRECIPITATION (F st 24 hous ending 7:30 a.m. today in Junesa 06 inch since Dec. 1, 449 inches; since July 1, 71 inches. At Airport — .06 inches Since Dec. 1, 238 inch since July 1, 48.24 inches. e o e 0 00 00 00 e “Dogs’ Best Friend” Gives Holiday Gitis LOS ANGELES, Dec. Twenty-five children 2000000000000 990000600008 got the shape of 25 lively dogs. Radio comic Alan Young, in Santa yesterday at the animal shel- ter, ! to unitz homeless dogs and dogless | younzsters. e MISS COULTER LEA After three days’ wait, Miss Etol- in Coulter left this morning for her home in Wrangell to spend the holidays and prepare for her marriage January 22 to Mr. James McAcen of Annette Island. Miss Coulter has been in the office for 14 years. i | Governor's In hopes that Saint Nich- olas soon would be there. days could 24, —(P— their Christmas presents ahead of time self- styled “Dog’s best friend,” played paying pound and license fees Observed | InNation (By The Associated Press) Many American communities have 10 AREDEAD, PLANECRASH, IN INTERLOR their own, individual ideas akout | how to muke this a merry Christ | mas. At least one even has a date—instead of December the festivitles. But whatever the variauons, it's all in the name of good will Cut west in Bolse, Idaho, one jrcun observes the Yuletide season | with a *“Sheep-herders Ball" At the event, held by the Idaho Basque | Colony, everybody must wear over- alls and gingham. In Nasaville, Tern radition calls for carols outside every home that has 1 candle burning in the window Volunteer carolers make the rounds ~with proceeds going to a home for children working mothers. Christmas doesn’'t come until Jan 3 in the fishing village of Rodan- the, N. C. There, according to a | custom followed for generations, they celebrate OLD Christmas, or 12th night, an adaptation of the Feast of the Ephiphany commemor- ating the manifestation of Christ to the Magi An international flavor will be added to the festivities in three tate New York communities, 51 persons, from 22 foreign nations, will be guests over the nolicay weekend ' The gues clerical workers and otherd from the United Nations quarters at Lake Success, N Y.—will stay in the homes of 31 families in Binghampton, Johnson City and Endicott. The plan was worked out by Rotary Clubs. In Boston, the golden dome of the Massachusetts Etate House is aglow for the first time since the war. Tonight carolers and bell ring- ers will roam staid old Beacon Hill, with open house prevafling at many of the old mansions. In Atlantic City, N.J-—which spe- vializes in spectacles the long Boardwalk is aglow with a row of 28 lighted Christmas trees down its center. Santa Claus appeared last nizht akoard a 40-foot crane, which lcwered him into a lighted area where he stepped out and distribut- ed candy to youngsters. e+ PILGRIMAGE TO BETHLEKEM WILL BE SMALL, REPORT By JAMES M. LONG | JERUSALEM, Dec. 24.—(®— The strangest Ctiistmas Eve and the smallest Christian Pilgrimage since |the Crusades, were in prospect to- day for Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ. War and the weather were blame. Sand-bagged gun posts, barbed wire and mine zones laid out dur- ing Arab-Jewish battles barred the Judean Hill road that Joseph and Mary traveled on their way to Bethlehem 1949 years ago. The Holy Land, in uneasy truce, was still without hope of real peace so0n. Rain, hail, cold winds and fog bave swept this area for the past 24 hours. It was dreary weather for travel. Thousands have made the trip |in prey years. About 130 Chris- | tians in Jewish-held New Jerusalem, {planned to go today. When the stars shine again to- night over the Shrine of the Man- ger and the bells of Bethlehem peal for prayer at midnight most of the worshippers will be Christian Ara of Bethlehem. They make up 9,000 |of the town’s population of 11,000 Gone will be the British troops who last year went to Bethlehem in |armored cars and bearing arms for their 30th and final observance of Christmas Eve at the Shrine in the | Churcl of the Nativity. -oe FROM SITKA special 25—for | a 30-y the s'nzing of of to | | HERE Registered at the Baranof Hotel from Sitka are John G. Osborn | and Glenn Thornton. el & s HOSPITAL NOTES Charles Robitch was admitted to | 8t. Ann’'s Hospital for medical at- tention. Mrs. Kenneth Lea and r-old Burned Wr;(kége of Air Force’s New B-50 Bomber Found Near Fairbanks FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Deec, 24.— Ten men. who would have flown to the States for Christmas, were found dead yesterday—victims of the first crash involving the Air Force's new B-50 bomber. The four-engined craft, a radical- ly improved version of the B-29 superforts, which carried atomic bj)mbs to Japan, had teen missing since Wednesday night on a flight from the Elison Force P Alr tase, BURNED WRECKAGE The burned wreckage of the piane was located by another Air Force plane yesterday in a t mbered area 10 miles south of the Lase. The 60-ton ship was one of tive B-50s from the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base at Tucson, which had flown north for rigid testing under Arctic conditions. All five were to have flown to the home base in Arlzona today so that the crews could spend Christ- mas there. Ground parties were scheduled to reach the crashed plane some time today. Helicopters flew to the scene yesterday and confirmed that all aboard the ship had died. The ground crews were unable to cross the Tanana River yesterday to reach the area. The B-50 varies liftle in dest {rom the B-303 which flattened Jaf: anese industry, but can carry a heavier load of bombs faster than the clder mcdel. The Air Force ordered a ‘‘sub- stantial number” of the craft two months ago from Boeing Airplane Company and announced its plans to make the B-50 the backtone of its heavy tombardment fleet, The plane, which has a normal gross weight of 60 tons compared to 53 for the B-29, can carry 10,000 pounds of bombs, Its engines each are rated at 3,500 horsepower, com- ;)::tcd to 2,000 for the original super- At Tucson, Davis-Monthan Base officials issued the following casual- ty list: Dead : William J. Valentine, airplane commander, Austin, Minn. 1st Lt. Joseph E. Tatum, radar operator, Charlotte, N. C. Missing: Capt. Charles C. Cromie, Tucson. 2nd Lt. Edward R. Kub, co-pilot, Weleetka, Okla. Capt. James W. Evans, nav'gator, Tucson. Tech. Sgt. William J. Lusk, radio operator, Monterey, Tenn. Master Sgt. Norman L. Davignon, flight engineer, Tucson. Staff Sgt. George R. Hreha, gun~ ner, Plains,, Pa. Master Sgt. Gerald N. Hamry, gunner, Kindred, N. D. Ist Lt. Benjamin F. Hodges, bom= bardier, Tucson. > Wrong Chrisimas ' Greelinlgi Sent Cuf SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 24 —(H— | A large department store here sent | out Christmas greeting letters to | its personnel, one for regular em- ployees and the other for tem- porary holiday workers, The latter letter expressed ap- preciation for “your- help during the rush” and wound up with “maybe we’ll need you next year.” The oldtimers go the wrong let- ters. pilot, >-eo— — HANK COWEN WILL ENTERTAIN LEGION CHRISTMAS PARTY A gala Christmas party will be given by the American Legion and their Auxiliary on Monday eve- ning at 8 o'clock in the Dugout. Santa Claus will be on hand and gilts will be exchanged. Star of the party will be Hank Cowen, ventriloquist and imper- sonator, who is appearing at the son were discharged, Salmon Creek Country Club dur- ing the holiday season,