The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, August 10, 1949, Page 1

THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE “ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” VOL. LXXIIL, NO. 11,269 Bodies Of Missi n Blockade. MadeB-36 ‘Necessary WASHINGTON, Aug. 10—/—An Air Force General said today that Russia’s sudden blockade of Ber-| lin last summer had a strong in-| fluence on decisions to carry out| the B-36 bomber program. Maj. Gen. Frederick H. Smith, | Air Force Requirements Chief, re- | turned to the witness stand for his second day before the House Armed Services Committee, It is investi- gating the history of the giant six- engined bomber. 4 Smith told this story: In April, 1948, there was “con- siderable difference of opinion” in the Air Staff as to the value of the B-36. Gen. George C. Kenney, then| chief of the Strategic Air Com- mand, preferred refueling medium bomiers for long range missions,, and had proposed using the B-36 as a tanker instead of a bomber. During that month, however, an early model B-36 made a 6,900 mile flight carrying a simulated 10,000-pound bomb load. In May, it flew another long mission with | the heavy load, covering 8062 miles in 36 hours. Smith said the major of potential enemy targets would have been| within this range, “The perform- ance was encouraging,” he said. | In June, he continued, Air Sec-| retary Symington called a meeting of Air Force Commanders and| Technicians to review the entire B-36 program. Heat Wave Continues . To Sear Most of i Confinental U. §. (By the Associated Press) | The searing heat wave appears| to have settled down over the! Eastern half of the nation for an indefinite stand. Federal forecasters said today| there is nothing shaping up any-| where on the weather map which promises any relief. | Only extreme Northern * New England had a taste of cool air as a Canadian cold front shoved early| morning temperatures to 48 de- grees at Caribou and Houlton, Me. From the Great Plains to the Eastern Seaboard, the mercury was soaring again into the high 90's. Many New York City stores closed yesterday when the mercury climbed to 97.6 degrees in thei1 downtown section. Buenos Aires Has Coldest Day of Year af 26 Degrees BUENOS AIRES, Aug. 10—A— Weather Note: Buenos Aires had its coldest day of the year today with a temperature of 26.24 degrees Fahrenheit. Ice, uncommon in the winter season here, glazed the streets. It snowed for the first time in 15 years at Mar Del Plata, fashion- able resort 200 miles south of Buenos Aires. The Washington Merry - Go- Round By DREW PEARSON (Copyright, 1949, by Bell Syndicate, Inc.) ASHINGTON—Maybe I should not admit it, but I've been having increasing trouble with my wife lately. Usually-she is the easiest person in the world to get along with—but not in August. Every summer she labors under the delusion that Washington is not cool in August and that I can write a column just as well from some other part of the U.S.A. She even jolts my self-esteem by in- sinuting that the world could get along just as well if no column was written at all, for a while. In vain do I argue that some- one has to keep an eye on the lobbyists and the legislators. Tt| does no good. Thefive-percenters | could run off with the U. 8. Treas- | ury and Mrs. P. wouldn't worry about it if the thermometer was above 80. ’ In vain, also, do I scan the weather reports and gloat over the fact that it’s been 87 to New plc e e b SR o O el (Continued on Page Four) |gion for 400 years. EUCADOR TREMORS CONTINUE Official Death Esfimate Is Now 6,000 - Troops Fight Pillaging QUITO, Ecuador, Aug. 10.—(P— New earth tremors and pillaging by unruly Indians spread fear and panic today among the thousands of survivors left homeless by Ecua- dor's destructive earthquafe. Official government estimates of the death toll in Friday's quake rose to 6,000. But the truth is no one knows for sure how many per- ished in the great piles of rubble that litter some 50 demolished towns in the populous Andes Moun- tain region south of here. Fresh tremors yesterday tumb- led weakened walls in Ambato and other cities, adding to the terror! of some 150,000 homeless. H Groups of workers attempting to dig their way through the block- | ed highway to Pelileo, 100 miles; south of Quito, were reported bur-| ied under a landslide loosened by the new tremors. Shoot-to-kill orders were issued to troops guarding Pelileo against looting by the wild tribe of Salas- aca Indians. Defense Minister manuel Diaz Ganados said one band of Salasacas had been driven off when caught ransacking the ruins. The Salasacas have been the fiercest warriors in the Andes re- Driven out of Bolivia by the Incas centuries ago, they have harassed Ecuadoran set- tlements even in modern times. Continuing landslides and sulph- urous fumes oozing from jagged crevices have terrorized the coun- tryfolk who escaped the worst ef- fects of the shocks. J INVADED! ALBANIA CLAIM LONDON, Aug. 10—(P—Albania said today she'is being invaded by Greece and that fighting is in progress along a 30-mile front. A broadcast by the official Tirana radio said bloody clashes with Athens government troops began four days ago. non-Communist China. Senafors " Ask Advice, . MacArthur | WASHINGTON, Aug. 10—(®— A group of 10 Senators today “‘ur gently requested” Secretary of De- | lense Johnson to recall General Douglas MacArthur from Japan. Nine Republicans and one Demo- crat—Senator Byrd of Virginia— | ysaid in a letter to Johnson that, jthe pending $1450,000,000 foreign | arms aid bills deals with “a prob- | lep which is global in character.” | ? Noting that the chiefs of statt have visted European countries but are not likely to have time to go to the far Pacific, the Senators said they wanted the views of MacAr- | thur and Vice Adm. Oscar C. Bad- | ger, naval commander in that area, before voting on the arms measure. Senator Knowland (R-Calif) and | 12 other Senators have proposed | that $175,000,000 of the bill's funds | ke earmarked for military aid to| | [ UNEAU WOMAN GOES ON TRIAL | AT PETERSBURG :Miss Florence Theel Is Ac- | cused by Pefersburg | | Hoel Owner | \ i PETERSBURG, Aug. 10—(#—The (city’s first criminal trial by jury tin nine years was to open here to- {day before U. 8. Commissioner Dale Hirts. : The trial was asked yesterday by | Florence Theel of Juneau. She is charged with defrauding Eddi | Hagerman, operator of the Arcti . Hotel. Miss Theel pleaded innocent faL a preliminary hearing yesterday jand said she would defend herself | 1at today’s action. A request for dis- \missal of the action was denied. | i The complaint said Miss Theel |left the hotel without nouiymg} | Hagerman of damage done to a rug iand to the floor of the room she occupied. | | A sales representative for several {apparel manufacturers, Miss Theel {was arrested in Wrangell Aug. 5 by | {Marshall John E. Krepps and re- tleased on $250 bail. l | stanley Baskin, Assistant U. S.| | Attorney for the First Judicial Di- | vision, will handle the prosecu- tion. i Miss Theel, a resident of Juneau| for the last year and a half, said | special JUNEAU, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1949 SHOWDOWN IMMINENT Governor Eers Taking Over of Docks and Sign- ing of Stevedores HONOLULU, Aug. 10—(M—Seizure of Honolulu's two strikebound stevedoring firms carried Hawail's 102-day waterfront tieup to the showdown state today. Gov. Ingram Stainback signed orders late yesterday for the Ter- ritorial government's takeover of two of the islands’ seven struck dock companies. The five others in the outer islands were not affected. The striking CIO International Longshoremen’s and Warehouse- men’s Union awaited the start of government stevedoring operations to defy the Territory. ILWU leader Jack Hall said the union would start a court challenge to the Territory’s new dock seizure law within hours after tue gov- ernment puts its longshoremen to work. The government began sign- ing up 1,500 stevedores yesterday. Hall also said the CIO Marine Engineers’ executive board in Washington ordered its members Inot to sail ships from behind ILWU picket lines. John Perry, Honolulu representative of the Engineers, confirmed receipt of the order from Washington headquarters. The emergency law passed by a session of the Hawaiian Legislature bans a strike “or any other concerted activity” threaten- ing to interfere with government dock operations. Stainback said the law clearly gives his government authority to act against any engineers refusing |to sail ships. HOUSE NOW COMMITTED ON WAGES WASHINGTON, Aug. 10—(®—The House definitely committed itself today to a 75-cent-an-hour na- tional minimum wage. It tentatively accepted, by a 186- 116 vote, an amendment offered by Rep. Redden (D-NC) to a substi- tute wage-hour bill sponsored by Rep. Lucas (D-Tex). Lucas’ bill is backed by many Republicans and It added that hundreds of Greek|she formerly resided in Los An-|g,uthern Democrats. soldiers have been Kkilled or taken prisoner. A spokesman for the Greek In- formation Service in London saidl “there is certainly no invasion.” He said the Albanian report prob- ably referred to the new offensive launched by the Greek Army against the Communist-led guer- rillas in the Grammos mountain area not far from the Albanian torder. The Albanian invasion charge, | which coincides with an all-out of- fensive by the Greek government against Communist-led rebels, was made by the Albanian Ministry of Armeq Forces. The official broadcast monitored in London also quoted the Com- munist newspaper Zeri I Porullit (Voice of the People) ondetails of the fighting. The Greek government has asserted repeatedly that Albania is used by the rebels as a haven when hard pressed and as a jumping. oft place for fresh forays into Greece Zeri I Popullit said hundreds of Greek “Royalist Fascist” troops have been killeq and captured by Albanian soldiers in the border out- break. STEAMER MOVEMENTS Prince George scheduled to arrive from Vancouver Friday. Princess Norah scheduled to sail teday from Vancouver. Denali scheduled to sail Thursday from Seattle. . Aleutian scheduled to sail from Seattle Saturday. Baranof due tg arrive southbound Sunday. Princess Louise sails from Van- couver Saturday. Diamond Cement scheduled sail from Seattle August 17. to ! geles. {Chinese Nationalist Gunboats Destroy 13 iForeign Vessels HONGKONG, Aug. 10—(P—Offi-| cial reports from Formosa today | said Nationalist gunboats last night intercepted and detained or destroyed 13 vessels and lighters of foreign firms off Oaku Bar, gateway to Tientsin. The official Chinese Central Press Agency reported from Kao- sheung, Nationalist Naval base on| Formosa, that the action will close the Communist ports of Tientsin and Tangku to shipping since deep draft ships can not sail up the | narrow and shallow Hai river. | WEATHER REPORT (U. 8. WEATHER BUREAU) (This data is for 24-hour pe- riod ending 7:30 am. PST.) In Juneau—Maximum, 53; minimum, 44. At Airport—Maximum, 56; minimum, 43. FORECAST (Juneau and Vicinity) Fair tonight and Thursday. Lowest temperature near 46 degrees. Highest Thursday about 65 degrees. PRECIPITATION (Past 24 hours ending 7:30 a.m. today In Juneau 45 inches; since \Aug. 1, 3.74 inches; since July 1, 9.03 inches. At Airport — .17 inches; since Aug. 1, 185 inches; since July 1, 587 inches. | 1 | . [ . L] ° . . . . [ . 3 3 s | . . . ° 3 ® 00 00 v 00 0 0 SENATE OKAYS PUBLICWORKS, ALASKA TOWNS AP Special Washington Service WASHINGTON, Aug. 10—(#—The Senate approved a bill yesterday authorizing a $70,000,000 public works program to aid in settlement of Alaska. ‘The bill now goes to the House. The program would e developed by the Administrator of General Services on the basis of applications from public bodies in the Territory. The committee said it was ex- pected that the Federal government would be reimbursed from 25 to 75 percent of the cost of each pro- Ject. HEA MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS PRICE TEN CENTS More Talk On Statehood by (ongressmen Washington—SIaie Demo- cratic Leaders Also Urge Alaska Legislation WASHINGTON, Aug. 10.—®— Another Congressman spoke up for early Alaska and Hawaii state- hood in the House yesterday. Rep. Gordon McDonough (R- Calif.) was the fifth of a series of House speakers since the statehood advocates launched the speaking campaign 4 week ago. He demand- ed that the House leaders order the bills out of the Rules committee McDonough argued that lack of statehood allowed Communists 10 engineer the crippling Hawaii dock strike. Were Hawaii a state, he contend- ed, the Taft-Hartley act terms could have been utilized. Chairman Peterson (D-Fla) of the House Public Lands.commit- tee expressed new optimism over the prospects for the statehood bills. Noting that Congress might stay in session until October, he commented to a reporter that for the first time he now believes the measures can be enacted this year “That gives us time,” he said. Seattleites Give Support Strong support for the Alaska statehood movement was expressed in Seattle yesterday by Democratic party leaders, concerned over Con- gressional delay in granting home rule to the Territory. “Alaskans and Hawailans too, have a right to their own govern- ment,” said Dr. J. R. Binyon, prom- inent optometrist and Democratic National committeeman. “Alaskans and Hawailans are en- titled to statehood,” Dr. Binyon continued, “Senator Warren G Magnuson has gone into the mat- ter thoroughly, He is working fo the best interests of Alaska and the United States as a whole in urging the granting of statehood. Dr. Binyon is convinced that Al- askan statehood will strengthen America's defense against a pos- sible trans-Polar invagion. “We are vitally in need of ¢ strong Alaskan defense. statehood will help it,” Dr. Binyon said. “Those people up there wil go to bat. They want to be pro- tected. “Alaska is just an open front now where Russia can come in.” George Ryan, vetera president of the King County Democratic Club, joined Dr. Binyon in the pro-statehood declaration. “I am in thorough sympathy with Senator Magnuson and Congress- men Mitchell and Jackson in ad- vocating Alaskan statehood,” Ryan said. “I feel that Democrats gen- erally assume the same attitude. Jerry Martin, president of the King County Young Democrats, likewise voiced approval of the pro- posal for Alaskan statehood. He indicated that a pro-statehood res- olution will ke presented to club members for action at their lunch- €on Thursday. MAX ROGERS HERE WITH PRISONER Deputy U. S. Marshal Max Rog- ers of Sitka came in yesterday bringing a prisoner for the federal Jail here, He is John R. Bruce, who was arrested in Sitka for issuing checks without suificient funds. Bruce pleaded guilty in U. S. Commis- sioner’s Court, and was sentenced to seven months in jail. LTH DEPARTMENT TO SURVEY QUALITY OF JUNE A survey to determine the qual- ity of Juneau housing will begin this week as a program of the Al- aska Department of Health. William L. Deering, Sanitarian of the Department of Health, will conduct the survey to gather basic information on what type of hous- ing is available and the amount of required construction. Informa- will take two weeks to canvfls.‘i‘ tion desired will include. number NG AU HoU| Iol occupants per housing unit, type of rooms, available sanitary facil- ities and general building condi- tion, Deering said today that all sur- vey information concerning indiv- idual families will be confidential and that cooperation is needed from all citizens to insure results. It | the sample area. I think | U.S. WORKS ON POLICY FOR CHINA SUMMARY OF TODAY'S INTER- NATIONAL NEWS EVENTS (By The Associated Press) The United States government tackled anew today the problem o! working out a new policy for the Far East. Ambassador to China J. Leigh- ton Stuart was reporting to Presi- dent Truman and Secretary of State Dean Acheson on the com- plex situation resulting from the Communist rout of Chinese Na- tionalist armies. His report coincided with Can- ton dispatches which said the Com- munists were throwing fresh forces into drives toward the Nationalis provisional capital, National'sts led Kanhshien, Kiangsi province capital only 215 miles from Canton Secert Session Acheson went before a secret session of the House Foreign Af- fairs committee to discuss his pro- gram for working out a new ap- proach. His department in a whitc saper last week wrote off aid tc Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists as a costly failure. A new policy planning group headed by Ambassador-at-large Philip C. Jessup, was reported al- most ready to start a broad sur- vey of the problems facing the U. S. in China and elsewhere in the Far East. No Comment on Pact Acheson and his aides withhelc official comment on the appearance before Congress yesterday of Elpidi Quirino, President of the Philip- pines. The Island leader appealed for at least moral support from the U. 8. for a new Pacific anti- Communist pact proposed recently by Quirino and Chiang. Australian Defense Minister John Dedman commented in Canberra that Australia would welcome cre- ation of a Far East alllance simi- lar to the Atlantic Pact. U. S. Planes To Greece Lt. Gen. James Van Fleet, chief of the U. S, Military Mission in Greece, announced in Athens that 49 American Navy dive bombert will be delivered in a few days tc the Greek Air Force. i Czechs Attack Vatican Newspapers in Communist-led Czechoslovakia returned to bitter attacks on the Vatican. Rudc Provo, Prague Communist organ, said the Eastern European “Peo- ple’s Democracies” would defeat the Pope's recent decree excummuni- cating militant Communists, BARKLEY DENIES WEDDING RUMORS ST. LOUIS, Aug. 10.—®— Vice President Barkley and Mrs. Carle- ton S. Hadley have denied reports they will be married in Paducah Ky., this weekend. Mrs, Hadley also said last night there was nothing to another ru- mor that they planned to be mar- ried in St. Louis the followin? Sunday. Barkley Washington. The Vice President has stopped here twice in two weeks to see Mrs. Hadley. Mrs. Hadley’s husband, a rail- road attorney, died four years ago. STOCK QUOTATIONS NEW YORK, Aug. 10.—(#—Clos- ing quotation on Alaska Juneau mine stock today is 3%, American Can 92%, Anaconda 29%, Curtiss- Wright 8%, International Harvest- er 26%, Kennecott 50; New York Central 11, Northern Pacific 14% U. S. Steel 23%, Pound $4.02 13 /16 Sales today were 1,280,000 shares. Averages today were as follows: | industrials 170.60, rails 47.72, util- ‘mes 36.78. made his denial in ATHER AIDS | | FAIR WE. | PAVEMENT PROGRESS | Sunshine, by which the weather made news in Juneau today, also gave promiseé of good news about paving, according to Chris Wyller, | District Engineer of the U. 8. Bur- |eau of Public Roads. . “Just give us one good Working day (16 hours),” said Wyller this | merning, “and the paving should “be completed between the Glacier Highway and the entrance to the Municipal Bullding at the Juneau Airport.” o K 1 Truman Signs Unification Legislation WASHINGTON, Aug. 10—(P— President Truman today signed the new Armed Services Unification bill. He said that this will permit the Uniteq States to progress to- ward “a balanced and effective national defense.” Mr. in a ceremony in his oval room office. Senators and Representa- tives who handled the legislation, the heads of the defense establish- ment and top ranking Army, Navy and Air Force “brass” looked on. The legislation, which strength- °ns Secretary of Defense Johnson's control over the entire military setup, drew one criticism from Mr. Truman, “It is unfortunate that in this renerally progressive legislation, at east one provision represents a Lackward step,” the President said in a brief statement. FRANCE 1S DEFENSE BULWARK Bradley Ta@o Congress ~Johnson Would Accept 60 Per Cent Cash Aid WASHINGTON, Aug. 10—®— General Omar N. Bradley made slear today that the French Army ¥ill be the backbone of the North Atlantic defenses. The Army Chief of Staff told a joint meeting of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Com- mittees that the bulk of Ameri- :an military aid proposed for Turope will go to the French. Bradley urged quick approval o President Truman's $1,450,000,000 arms program. But at the same ime he wrote off any prospect of i effective military program for China. “This (the arms program) is an >ffective way to give aid to Europe,’ 3radley said, “but there is no im- mediate effective way to give aid o Asia.” Bradley, speaking for the threc Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified after 3ecretary of Defense Johnson told ’he committees he is willing to ac- ept 60 percent cash and 40 percent n contract authority to launch the arms program, Senator Vandenberg (R-Mich) sesterday proposed a 50-50 split in the cash and contract authority to ;arry out the re-arming of the Jorth Atlantic Pact nations. But Johnson sald his staff has wdvised him that 60 percent of the $1,160,000,000 for Western Europe must be in cash. The remainder :an be in authority to make con- tracts which will be paid for in :ash later, he said. TOM CLARK UNQUALIFIED SAYS ASST. WASHINGTON, Aug. 10—(#— John Rogge, a former Assistant At- torney General under Tom Clark, said today his former boss ‘“has neither the stature, integrity nor ability” demanded of a Supreme Court Justice. Rogge, whose legal activities since he left the government led to sharp questioning, appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on be- half of Henry Wallace's Progressive Party. The committee is considering President Truman's, nomination of Clark to the high tribunal. Rogge had been allotted 20 min- utes to testify. But he remained on the stand for more than an hour after launching a bitter attack on Clark’s part in carrying out the administration's loyalty program. | Truman sizned the measure oys Found Under Logs HAWAIIAN DiSCOVERED WHERE LAST SEEN MONDAY Twenty-four Hour Search Ends with Tragic Finding of Drowned Children The intensive 24-hour search for two missing Douglas Island boys came to a tragic end at 8 o'clock last night, when the bodies of 8- year-old Ronald Ellers and 12-year- old Oscar “Chum” Niemi, Jr, were found pinned under the log raft where they had been playing Mon- day morning, Although searchers had worked over the log boom all day, Gene Hulk decided to take his dogs down for one more look last night. The two black spaniels, Teddy and Thumb, located the bodies where the force of the tides had jammed them under the logs. “It looks as though the little fellow fell in, and Chum was trying to rescue him,” said Hulk a few minutes after making the grim discovery. “The smaller boy had his arms around Chum’s shoulders. They had' evidently been there quite a while.” Hulk signalled to the Coast Guard cutter Storis across the bay, and was answered by blinkers, The 3toris put out a boat, and brought ‘he bodies to Juneau, after finding shat more practicable than taking them wp to the road. Bert Ruotsala, who lives just about the path to the Juneau ipruce Company log raft, put in the calls to the Police and to the Charles W. Carter Mor- tuary. All Clear at 8:25 P. M. Receiving the report from Acting Police Chief Frank D. Cavanaugh, Fireman George O'Brien sounded the Fire Hall signal at 8:25 p.m., ;ompleting the emeygency call of Monday at 11:15 pm. He added four blasts to the usual “Two— All Clear” so that searchers in re- mote places would te certain to rear it, ' Two skilled Forest Service moun- taineers had returned about 6:30 irom a futile search of Mount Ju- neau. They had gone on a slim clue shat four boys, one of them quite small, were to make the climb Mon- lay. Other volunteers scouring the >eaches as far as Auk Bay, and the length of Douglas Island, ibandoned the search which had kept them out in bitter wind and rain Monday night and yesterday. Chum’s mother had notified the Juneau Police Department about 7 Y'clock Monday, after the boy failed o show up for dinner. Volunteers from both Juneau and Douglas Fire Departments organ- ized search parties, as did the Po- lice Department, Highway Patrol «nd Coast Guard. Last Seem 11 A. M. Monday ‘The boys last were seen shortly after 11 o'clock Monday morning, when Ole Olsen, caretaker, chased them away from the log boom where they were playing. It is pre- sumed that the boys returned after Jlsen went to lunch. Chum’s father, Oscar Niemi, fish- ’rman, returned yesterday from a fishing trip. Chum is survived by his par- :nts, Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Niemi, and two older sisters, Nancy and Zlsie. Surviving Ronnie are his par- :nts, Mr. and Mrs. Roman Ellers, and their two other children, Michael, 5, and Sally, two months. Ellers is employed by the Juneau Cold Storage Company. Both families live in West Ju- neau. The Niemis are long-time residents of the Island. The Ellers family, formerly of Juneau, re- cently moved there. Double funeral services will be held for the two boys Friday at 2 pm. in the Charles W. Carter Mortuary Chapel. Rev. G. Herbert Hillerman will officiate. HOME FROM VACATION Mrs. John Hagmeier and her twin sons, John Jr, and Lee, re- turned last evening on the Baran- of following a summer’s vacation in the States. They visited with Mrs. Hagmeler's mother, Mrs, C. A. Wintermeier in Eugene, Ore, and with Mr. Hagmeier's parents, Dr. and Mrs. O. C. Hagmeier at Sea- side.