The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, April 22, 1949, Page 1

THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE “ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” VOL. LXXIIL, NO. 11,177 China Cities RUSSIAN INVASION TESTIFIED Witness in Communist Conspiracy Trial Gives | Out Inside Information NEW YORK, April 22—/—A Commu list official told party mem- bers in 1945 that the Soviet army could invade Alaska and reach the United States itself through Canada, a government witness testified today. The witness told the Communist conspiracy trial jury the statement was made by Albert Lannon, a di- rector of the Maryland-District of Columbia Communist party and membLer of the party’s national committee. Charles W. Nicodemus, the wit- ness, said he asked Lannon at the Cumberland, Md.,, meeting how Russia could invade the TUnited States without a navy. RED ARMY IN S5i3ERIA \ JUNEAU, ALASKA, FR — IDAY, APRIL 22, 1949 MEMBER A SSOCIATED PRESS PRICE TEN CENTS Divorcee Seeks Father for Children Mrs. Elena Le Baron, 30, a divorcee, told newsmen in Salt Lake City, she is “in the market for a new hus- band.” Her eight children, now supported by relief funds, needs a father to provide for them, she said. i Ross, 6; Jennie Lou, 2; Charles, 5; LeGrand, | ) ! tation (ABRULING | IS SUBJECT ~ OFINQUIRY Explanation Is Sought in| ‘Death Senfence’ on Irregular Air Lines WASHINGTON, April 22.—P— Senator Morse (R-Ore) called to- day for an explanation of a Civil Aeronautics Board - action cancell- ing privileges for larger irregular| air carriers effective May 20. The committee is inquiring into airline finances. Chairman Edwin| C. Johnson (D-Colo) has said he| wants to know why some airlines | jare operating in the red during a'! prospercus area. | “It is noteworthy that while this | committee is considering the poor financial condition of scheduled airlines, the CAB is about to put | out of business by regulation and individual proceedings the only pro- | fitable segment of the air transpor- system—the non-scheduled Communiist attacks aleng the Y civil war anew in China. Cities are underlined. Sixty miles northeast of Nanking (A), Communist shore guns crippled the British sloop Amethyst. Consort reached Kiangyin (B) after a 50-mile duel with Communist | Black area is Communist controlled. (# Wire- | manned shore batteries. 50 STATUTE WILES East China Sea | Hangchow Bay | alling Before Red Onslaught Fighting Explodes in China COMMIES DRIVE UP YANGTZE Little Resistance Seems Made-Wholesale Deser- tions of Nats Feared By SEMOUR TOPPING NANKING, April 22—(»—South Yangtze valley ports, cities and towns fell like elay pigeons today before a mounting Red onslaught. So weak was government opposi~ |tion that wholesale desertions to the | Communists were feared. Foreign | military observers saild a general |troop withdrawal may have becn | ordered. Nanking was 1ast emptying of officialdom. High level Chinese, | wearing white helmets for the trop- jics and many swinging tennis rack- ets, bolted for departing planes. < angtze River (arrows)) began the specifically reported under attack The British destroyer Officials Fly Acting President Li Tsung-jen, carriers,” Morse said. i d May Blossom, 10. ® Wirephoto. | Generally speaking, non-scheduled lor irregular carriers are passeng- | The slim mother is shown reading to her family. Top (1 3. Belew (1-r): Elena, 12, holding David, 4 months; Rosalinda, 8, an | Premier Ho Ying-chin and Gen. Pai Chung-hsi, commander of the Lannon replied, he said, that| “the Red Army in Siberia had photo map) 500,000 troops, that Russia had a| good air force and that when the time came for a revolution in this country, Russia could invade| Alaska, come down through Canada | and could even destroy Detroit.” | Nicodemus said Lannon also told ! the party members at the meeting that . U. 8. Communists should sabotage industry and demoralize the population if this country and Russia went to war. SOVIET INVASION Most of the 11 party leaders who are defenders in the trial smiled as | Nicodemus, a former party mem- ber, testified acout the possibility of a Soviet invasion of America. | Federal Judge Harold R. Medina commented that.“all the defendants are smiling broadly” and asserted “there’s not going to be any| country club atmosphere in this court.” Defense attorney: Richard F. Gladstein arose to say the testi-| mony about a possible invasion was “ludicrous.” He declared the| defendants “were entitled to smile their contempt.” John W. Gates, editor of the Daily Worker, Communist paper, | and a defendant, said audibly “of course we're smiling.” Medina said “I've seen that in criminal cases, before, an attempt | to laugh it off.” Defense counsel objected vigor-| ously to the remark. STOCK QUOTATIONS | NEW YORK, April 22.—(®—Clos- ing quotation of Alaska Juneau mine stock today is 3%, American can 92, Anaconda 30', Curtiss- Wright 9%, International Harvest- er 24%, Kennecott 43%, New York Central 10%, Northern Pacific 14%, U. 8. Steel 70%, Pound $4.03%. Sales today were 890,000 shares. Averages today are as follows: industrials 173.42, rails 47.15, util- ities 35.55. [ The Washington| Merry-Go-Round ; By DREW PEARSON . (©goyright, 149, by Bell Syndicate. Inc.) ASHINGTON— The more you probe 'into ‘the record of the late {QGeorge Berry, president of the Pressman’s Union, the smellier the mess becomes. Also, the more diffi- cult becomes the job of union locals to clean up the mess. Five locals have now asked for a thorough investigation of Berry’s will and the manner in which he robbed his own union. They ar, San Francisco, Seattle, Indianapol- is, Washington and the chapel of the New York World-Telegram. However, the union’s executives, who long let Berry get away with almost anything he wanted from the union’s treasury, want to con- duct the probe in their own way. They don't appear happy about outside interest. However, for the sake of all oth- er honest labor unions in the USA, the case of the Pressman’s Union appears to be one where President . (Continued on Page Four) Buddy President Truman holds hi apel Porppy for President NEW ANGLE IN and steadies the arm of Keitha Smith, 5, as she pins the first Buddy Poppy on his coat at the White Heuse. born in Grand Junction, Cclo. two sisters at the Eaton Rapids, orphans of veterans. Veterans of rehabilitation work. P Wirephoto. Daughter of a dec She lives with three brothers and cased ex-service, man, Keitha was Mich., VFW home for widows and Foreign Wars sell the poppies for BRIT. SHIP SHELLING DENOUNCED LONDON, April 22—(P—Britain’s} First Lord of the Admiralty today:new mayor and city council took The offi- denounced the Chinese Communist shelling of British warships in the Yangtze river as “an unprovoked attack deliberately carried out for what purpose . we have yet to learn.” The First Sea Lord, Viscount Hall, addressed an audience at Car- diff, Wales. He said Britain has kept a naval vessel in the Yangtze at Nanking for some time “for the purpose of giving some security to British pepple and for the pur- pose of communication.” Viscount Hall said he had no in- formation on the shelling of the British ships beyond what already seen made public. The conservative Evening Stan- dard denounced the attack and said heavy reparations should be demanded from the Conimunists. | STEAMER MOVEMENTS Princess Louise from: Vancouver is due to arrive Saturday after- aoon or evening. Alaska scheduled to sail from Se- attle Saturday. Baranof scheduled southbound Monday. New City Officials For Nome office here Wednesday. cials were elected April 5. son, manager of Commercial Department. Dunbar. Members of the new council are | Albert Anderson of the Water De- | {livery Service, who was re-elected. | Holdover members are Fred Cavota, lumber merchant; Gordon Oshorne, shoe store operator; and T. A. Mc- Callister, taxi owner. Mrs. Carrie | McLain remains as city clerk, mag- istrate and assessor. JURY FINDS FOR ELMER PETERSENS IN SUIT FOR LAND In a verdict brought in early this afternoon, the jury found for the plaintiff in the case of Elmer J and Vivian Petersen vs. Jacob Jackson. Robert Thibodeau, as fore- man, signed ‘the verdict. The suit asked for restitution and possession of a parcel of land in the Casey-Shattuck Additon. NOME, Audssa, April 22—(A— A The new mayor is Steve Ander- the Northern Company Caterpillar He succeeds Luther PLANE CRASH DAMAGE CASE | Ceiling at Time of Accident | Important Testimony Given Seaffle Trial | | SEATTLE, April 22—/P—A CAA.| | employee reported there was a 900~ foot ceiling when an _ill-fated Alaska Airlines plane entered the | Seattle area the night of Nov. 30, | 1847, but the ceiling was lowering | steadily. ‘The repcrt was made yesterday |at the federal court trial of a. $64,- | 1000 suit against the airline. The| |suit was filed by families of some io! the crash victims. Nine people were injured fatally when the plane rolleq off the end of the Seattle-Tacoma airport runway and crashed into a car on a highwy. Paul F. Anderson, a C.A.A. air-| craft controller at the Boeing Field tower the night of the crash, said| the ceiling lowered to 600 feet while the airliner tried to land at Boeing field. The plane then proceeded | for a landing at the Seattle- Tacoma airport at Bow Lake. i | A special weather observation taken at the Bow Lake field at the time of the crash showed the ‘ceil- ing had lowered to 400 feet. Capt. James Evan Farris, pllot of the ill-| fated aircraft, pulled up from a landing attempt at Boeing because of a 500-foot solid overcast, Ander- son said The Boeing tower, which main- tains contact with planes over both fields, informed Farris of higher ceilings at Everett and Eugene, Ore., Anderson said. The C.AA. employee said Farris de- cided not to attempt an approach at Everett because visibility was down to one mile, one-quarter nli a mile less than that reported at Bow Lake. Earlier yesterday, Farris had testified he did not fly on to Eugene, although his gasoline supply would have been adequate, pecause of extremely engines. The defense opened shortly befare the noon recess in United States [bnmct John C. Bowen's court. ! counsel for Raymond J. Smith,| one of the plaintiff’s, rested msl case after Smith An® his wite had testified. Smith, administrator of the es- tate of his son, Fred, who was one of the nine killed in the crash of one of the company’s planes on November 30, 1947 at Seattle~ Tacoma Airport, is asking $29,000 |of the total. ——————— ALASKA STANDARD SAILS The Standard Oil Co. tanker, Als |aska Standard, docked early yes- | terday morning and sailed early {this morning on h routine trip. | conception of flight frequency. , “rough” | er carrying lines operating inter- | mittently and without air mail pay or the responsibilities of maintain- ing regular schedules. James Fischgrund, chaiiman of the National Independent Air Car- riers, charged the CAB ruling is a “death sentence” for non-scheduled operators. i Under the CAB ruling, some 60| non-scheduled operators will be li-| censed to fly only on the basis of individual conditions which will be inquired into closely. During the examination period, the ears riers may continue to operate, pend- | ing CAB action on their case. Fischgrund said it is physically impossible for a non-scheduled air- line to comply with the board's Senator Edwin C. Johnson (D- Colo) hinted broadly\ ‘today that he may intervene to prevent Civil Aeronautics Board action against the so-called irregular air carriers. Johnson brought up the plight of the non-scheduled carriers today as the Senate Commerce Committee took @additional testimony from James Landis, former CAB chair- man and now a Washington, attor- ney. 4 Johnson said the irregulars have “done a good job” and made a suc- cess without the subsidy which the government pays scheduled carriers in the form of air mail rates. “They have ‘been allowed a grow up,” Johnson said, and now they are going to get their head chop- ped off. That's a painful opera- tion.” - FastDriving Brings New Truck Rules Recording Speedometers fo Be Installed on Ve- hicles, Alaska Roads | i ANCHORAGE, April 22—®—In-| stallation of recording speedometers will be required in the future on |all trucks operating on Alaska | |highways, Frank Metcalf, Terri- torial Engineer, said today. In answer to a query by Herman |Ross, Anchorage attorney, Metcalf |said the Board of Road Commis- sioners is considering problems trought about by the operation of trucks on Territorial roads. Ross had written Metcalf urging that a series of registration sta- tions be established on highways. The attorney declared his own car had been involved in a colli- sion which he blamed on the lack of proper traffic controls. “We have contacl several trucking firms,” said Metcalf, “and asked their cooperation to the ex- tent of installing the recording speedometers in through' freight trucks.” He declared the matter of “fast reckless driving all over the Terri- tory is receiving our concentrated consideration.” | utting building costs. Truman Asks Congress To Vote for Compulsory Medical Insurance Now HOUSING " MEASURE BOOSTED Bill Passes Senate with ~ Amendments Beafen Down-To House By Marvin L. Arrowsmith WASHINGTON, April 22—@— The long range housing bill landed in the House today after Senate approval at a stormy session. The bill authorizing a vast slum clearance program and construc- tion of 810,000 public housing units during the next six years was pass- ed by the Senate a few minutes | before last midnight. The vote was |57 to 13, ‘The measure also privides for a $275,000,000 farm housing program and for a research program design- 2d to spur home construction by The fate of the bill in the House—which is in recess until Monday—is uncertain. Somewhat similar bills passed by the Senate last year and in 1946 died In the other branch of Congress. House - Opposition House opposition in the past was | directed against the public.housing feature. Some influential House members still are contending that it would lead to socialization of the | building industry. That argument was raised during the five days of Senate debate on the bill, but it was overridden. On final passage, 33 Democrats joined 24 Republicans in voting for ‘he bill. Agaist it were two Dem- ocrats and 11 Republicans. Sponsors of the Bill, 11 Demo- crats and an equal number of Republicans—were able to bring about the defeat of practically all major moves to amend it Segregation Fight Among the amendments battef down was one by Senators Bricker (R-Ohio) and Cain (R-Wash) which would have prohibited segre- gation on the basis of race, creed or color In the renting of public housing. The proposal was beaten 49 to 31, with supporters of President Tru- man’s civil rights program leading the fight against it. v Noisy Amendment But the amendment which touch- ed off the nolsiest fireworks was (ContinueG on Page Three) WASHINGTON, April 22--M—| President Truman asked Congress again today to vote compulsory medical insurance as part of a| national health progrm. In a special .message to the| legislators, Mr. Truman said the' ‘traditional method” of paying for medical care ‘“cannot meet the health needs of today.” He recommended that Congress| provide for a system of government payments of medical bills from a; ifund to be collected by special taxes. Mr. Truman aiso asked: 1. Government financial aid for the expansion of medical schools. 2. Federal aid for “construction, of hospitals and other medical fa- jcilities in communities where they | are needed.” 3. Increased federal grants to help® state and local governments| in “controlling certain diseases” | and promoting “maternal and| child health services, services for| crippled children and general pub- ic health activities.” Mr. Truman sent a 3,000-word message to' Capitol Hill. His pro-| posals, because of past advocacy,| nad - beem arnticipated and lines already were forming for a battle| over the recommendations. | Some administration backers say | chey see practically no chance that| the program will be enacted in this session of Congress. The Americin Medical Associa- | {ion has already begun a campaign against it ' Labor organizations ave accused the AMA of setting up a $3,500,000 fung to fight the pro-| (ram. ; central tront, flew to Hang:how for an important meeting with retirsd | President Chiank Kai-shek, Chiang | may be asked to take over the gov- ernment again. Most important cities below the Yangtze in Red hands were Kiang- |yln, 85 ‘miles east of here, Kweich- ih, 130 miles southwest, and dozens of lesser places between Wuhu, 60 miles southwest of here and Anking, 150 miles southwest. From Kweichih the Communists could march straight to the sea at Hangchow, ' less than 200 miles away. Such a move would isolate Shanghai and Nanking to the north, Communist Strength There was no way of estimating the Communist strength across the river. The Red radio said 300,000 | troops had swarmed over the river in small wooden boats between Wu- hu and Anking alone. ‘The foreign office urged foreigh embassies to follow it to Shanghai or Canton. U. S. Ambassador J. i!..elchton Stuart had made no plans to leave Nanking. With Communists to the east threatening to cut off all roads to Shangha, the U. 8. Embassy warn- ed Americans to get out now. (The State Department in Wash- ington reported approximately 200 Americans were attached to the Embassy. Eighty-seven more U. 8. (citizens still were in the capital.) A Chinese communique late to- night said Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and Acting President Li Tsung-jen had jointly decided the government “must fight for the people’s freedom and national inde- pendence to the end.” The statement on,results of a conference of the two leaders at * Hangchow during the day, came as Communist armies were stream- ing almost at will on broad fronts south of the Yangstze River on both sides of this capital. It announced that Premier Ho Ying-chin, who also attended the meeting, was. given full command of all Nationalist forces. EARLY MORNING FIRE IN PORTLAND (RIDPLED BRIT. SHIP HIT AGAIN SHANGHAI, April 22—(»— The | | | | | DOWNTOWN AREA PORTLAND, April 22—(P—Fire | swept through a downtown office| ind apartment building early to- day, routing 60 tenants | Eleven persons were overcome by smoke. Piremen went up fire escapes and aerial ladders to rescue panic- stricken persons on the iloors of the five-story Morrison- Park apartments on S. W. Morri~ son street just off Broadway. Two aged tenants, Clara Jones, 13, and Cora Wilson, 74, and two liremen, were hospitalized for treatment after teing overcome by smoke. —_—— o ——— YAKOBI SAILS The Yakobi, mail boat on the Petersburg-Port Alexander run, left this morning. Aboard are two pas- sengers for Petersburg. Walt Sperl, skipper, expects to be back Mon- day. - This week’s trip was delayed because of an engine overhaul. upper | crippled British sloop Amethyst was hit again today by Communist ar- tillery when she tried to move up the Yangtze to Nanking, it was re- | liably reported tonight. | It is not known if there were |any new casualties. | In all, 44 British seamen have | been killed and at least 82 wound- jed by Communist gunners in. at- tacks on four British warships, begining Wednesday. Nineteen of the dead were among the Amethyst's crew. and included the Captain, Lt. Comdr. B. M. Skin- ner. His body and one other, and the remainder of the Amethyst's wounded reached Shanghai by train tonight. Several of the wounded suffered loss of limbes. -