The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, April 13, 1951, Page 1

HE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE ¥ YALL-TIIE NEWS ALL THE TIME” VOL. LXXVI, NO. 11,783 JUNEAU, ALASKA, FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 1951 MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS PRICE TEN CENTS MacArthur Will Discuss Far East Problems NPA MAY PUT U.S.SAYSNO SKIDS ON NEW RED CHINAIN TERR. BLDG. NPA MAY PUT . baz Alaska’s new Territorial building, which was authorized and appro- priated for by the 1949 Legislature, was in jeopardy today by National Production Authority. Robert L. Hosmer, field liaison officer from « the Seattle office of NPA, yesterday ordered construction of the Sturm locker building on 9th and E streets suspended indefinitely. The Territorial building gets into the controversy because of the nec- essity for Sturm to find quarters before he vacates his present loca- tion which is to be demolished to make the site available for the new Territorial building. In an said the matter was now “out of my hands and is up to higher au- thority.” Hosmer's trip through the Terri- tory was for the purpose of ac- quainting the people of Alaska with regulations governing civilian con- struction in the Territory. The mix-up in Juneau started 10 days ago when he was through Jun- eau and informed Sturm, of Sturm’s lockers, that a permit was necessary before construction. on his new building at 9th and E ceuld be con- tinued. Sturm was using materials he already had on hand. On Hosmer's return from the in- terior yesterday he said he found Sturm had not obeyed his cease- work order and immediately shut | the project down indefinitely. In! the Seattle office for a permit to build and in a telephone conversa- the meantime, Sturm had contacted \TREASON SAYS tion last night. with Phil M. Craw- | ford, regional director for the Seat- tle NPA office, was told that he would hear from that office Satur- day or Monday. Gov'’s Office In It The governor’s office entered the picture when Hosmer told them of the cease-work order he had giver Sturm. Acting Governor Lew M Williams expressed concern due to the delay entailed in starting con- | struction of the Territorial building. “The governor’s office has never received information of any sort on specific requirements under NPA,” he said. “It seems now that the method of informing us is to stop construction.” Several Juneau contractors con- tacted by The Empire also said they had never heard of the NPA regu- lations, At a chamber of commerce meet- ing in Fairbanks last Tuesday Hos- mer outlined the NPA’s military order. He pointed out that it pro- hitbits construction of buildings or structures to be used in connection, or for, recreational, amusement, or entertainment purposes. He also noted that the order makes it nec- essary to obtain NPA authorization before commencing construction of | most types of commercial buildings such as, personal services, barber shops, laundries, buildings for dis- tribution, display or sale of con- sumer goods, retail stores, shopping centers and wholesale establish- ments. Exemptions Exempted under the order, he said, are certain types of ware- houses. and wholesale establish- ments, such as “those forming a part of manufacturing or processing plants; wholesale food establish- ments; wholesale supply facilities for fuel oil, gasoline, coal, gas dis: tribution systems and pipelines, edu- cational institutions, religious build- ings and hospitals.” He further pointed out in Fair- banks that the regulation on recre- ational, amusement and entertain- ment purposes went into effect Oct. 26, 1950, and the permit require- ments on most commercial building went into effect January 13, 1951. At mention of the Territorial build- ing, Hosmer said he had no knowl- interview today Hosmer | JAP TREATY| WASHINGTON, April 13 —(P— The United States today turned down a proposal by Britain to bring Chinese Communists inta the prep- arations for a Japanese peace treaty. At the same time the State De- partment said that the U. S. posi- tioh on Formosa remains unchang- | ed, This is to keep the island neutra- | lized during the Korean fighting and | leave its final status for future | determination. Britain proposed 10 days ago that | Red China be brought into the | treaty negotiations. In a memoran- | dum the British proposed also that | the treaty provide for the return | of Formosa to China. This was interpreted by officials | here as meaning the Peiping Com- | munist regime which Britain recog- nizes and the U. S. does not. The American rejection was an- | nounced by State Department Press | Officer Michael J. McDermott. Previously it has been announced | that Ambassador John Foster Dulles | was to leave by plane today for | Tokyo to confer with Lt. Gen. Mat- | thew B. Ridgway and Japanese leaders on the proposed treaty. Flying by the North Pacific route, his plane will stop at the McChord | Air Force Base, Wash.,, to refuel. LIQUOR CAUSE 'WIS. SENATOR MILWAUKEE, April 13, —#— The Milwaukee Journal quotes Sen. |McCarthy (R-Wis) as saying that | “Treason in the White House” has been accomplished by “Bourbon (and Benedictine.” McCarthy asserted, according to | the Journal, that the “treason” was accomplished by men who knewl how “to get the President cheerful,” and continued that the dismissal of Gen. MacArthur by the Presi- dent is “A Communist victory won with the aid of Bourbon and Bene- | dictine.” { In Washington, Presidential ¢ | Press Secretary Joseph H. Short fread a copy of this dispatch and !said “no comment.” McCarthy vvansI !enroute back to the Capital by plane from Milwaukee. The Wisconsin Senator accord- ing to Journal reporter Robert Fleming, made the statements Wednesday night in a speech be- | fore nearly 600 members of the | Wisconsin Retail Furniture Deal- |ers Association. Fleming said that in an inter- ‘view before the speech he asked McCarthy whether he believed that President Truman should be im- | peached. Fleming said McCarthy answered he should be impeached. | But on the other hand he’s not im- portant. It’s the crowd around him | that causes the trouble. | The Journal quoted McCarthy’s i reference in his speech to “Bour- I'bon and Benedictine” as follows: “This is a black day, one of the | blackest in the history of this coun- jtry. A day in which America and | all western civilization sufferéd a tremendous defeat and the Com- ‘)munlst,s, home made and foreign | made suffered a great victory, a | victory achieved on Bourbon and ! Benedictine.” 5 McCarthy said the record showed that “the pals of Alger Hiss are Istill running the State Depart- | ment.” | STOCK OUGHATIONS NEW YORK, April 13 — Closing | edge of any Territorial building to | gyotation of Alaska Juneau mine be built. He said no permit had been | stock today is 3, American Can 111%, filed with NPA for such a building. | American Tel, ang Tel. 153%, Ana- Hosmer is scheduled to Ieave this | conda 41%, Douglas Aircraft 101%, afternoon [qr Ketchikan and then | Genetal Electric 55%, General Mot- will go to his Seattle headquarters. | ors 531, Goodyear 75%, Kennecott Asked by a reporter if it was his | 743, Libby, McNeill and Libby 10, duty to recommend construction or | Northern Pacific 7%, Standard Oil non-construction on various jobs in | of California 47%, Twentieth Cen-1 Alaska, Hosmer said it was not. He | tury Fox 20%, (} S. Steel 43%, said that he simply turned in his pound $280, Canadian Exchangej report and it was up to higher au- | 9443, . thority to be guided by his report. | Sales today were 2,120,000 shares. | ® Averages today were as follows:| e Z. A. Neal of Seattle is at the | Industrials 254.78, rails 83.44, utili- | @ The Old Passing Game Stones pass from hand to hand as Korean laborers help First Cavalry engineers build an emergency span over a rain-swollen stream on Korean’s central front. Heavy seasonal downpours had caused a road washout. (7 Wirephoto. HOUSE SAYS - 26 MONTHS MIL. DUTY WASHINGTON, April 13 —#— The House stood firm today on a proposal to extend the length of military service for draftges from the present 21 months to 26. By a vote of 126 to 60, it defeated a move by Rep. Shafer (R-Mich) to change the pending draft bill to make the proposed extension 24 months, This would have made the length of service the same as pro- posed in the Senate-approved draft bill. Earlier, the House beat down an attempt by Shafer to bar the as- signment of American troops to any war theater unless the commander there has full right to bomb enemy sources' of supply. Shafer said such a provision would prevent a repetition of the “MarArthur situation.” Gen. Douglas MacArthur, just re- lieved of his Far East command, has provoked hot controversy over his contention that he should have au- thority to bomb Red Chinese bases in Manchuria. GSTROM LEAVES SEATTLE ELTON ON TRIP TO Seattle-bound on a week’s busi- ness trip, Senator Elton Engstrom was a passenger from Juneau on Pan American Airways today. Senator Engstrom is president cf Engstrom Brothers, fish-buyers, of Juneau, Wrangell and Pelican. MISS TILSON HERE Miss Norma Tilson, with the Alaska Native Service at Sitka, is in Juneau for a week. She is stop- ping at Hotel Juneau. ® & o o 0o 0 & 0 o WEATHER REPORT Temperature for 24-Hour Period ending 6:20 o'clock this morning In Juneay — Maximum, 47;. minimum, 33, At Airport — Maximum, 45; minimum, 32. FORECAST Fair tonight. Lowest tem- perature near 33 degrees. Variable cloudiness Saturday with highest temperature about 46, PRECIPITATION (Past 24 hours ending 7:30 a.m. today City of Juneau—.04 inches; Since April 1 — 7.27 incres; Since July 1 — 65.20 inches. At Airport — Trace; Since April 1 — 2.54 inches. Since July 1 — 38.39 inches. ”_Enemy;' Was Over Juneau- WERE SET, | On Wednesday HEADQUARTERS, Alaskan Com- mand, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Anchorage, Alaska, April 13 —Jun- eau, capital city of Alaska, was for the first time theoretically bombed Wednesday night during exercise “Firestep.” Four “aggressor” night intruders, which conducted a mock bombing in the Anchorage area re- sulting in a blackout at Elmendorf{ Air Force Base, proceeded to thelpnine jndividual cab owners, but no details {iaxi companies and two cab as- Southeast capital, have been received concerning the results of their action there. Civil Defense officials did, however, or- der a test blackout in Juneau, and other passive measures were taken The past 24 hours have seen €x- tensive enemy activity throughout Alaska, with simulated bombing: and strafings in the Fairbanks and Anchorage areas, as well as straf- ing at bases in Southwest Alaska. The Fairbanks area took the brunt of the “enemy's” fury, with considerable simulated damage to installations. Forty-eight enemy fighter aircraft were engaged there by friendly fighters at 1 p.m., Wed- nesday, after having been picked up by. ground observers. .The “ene- my” sustained extensive damage to their aircraft, but. four intruders were back again at 10:50 last night. No indication has been received as to the results of that raid. Damage, traffic and fire control were said to have been effective throughout. In the Anchorage area, bombing and strafing sorties by the “aggres- sors” were made at 8:30 Wednesday night and 10 a.m. Thursday. Mili- tary officers announced Wednesday morning’s raid, friendly fighters claimed three of twelve enemy bombers destroyed. Out in Western Alaska has come the news that an Eskimo National Guard scout observed a number of Eskimos migrating to avoid con- tact with “enemy” forces entrenched there, There were indications that the pretended “enemy” in that por- tion of the Territory are building up their strength, and that there is the possibility of an airborne at- tack in the near future. “ENEMY” PROPAGANDA ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Aprii 13— (#— Aggressor forces opened a pro- paganda attack over the Armed Forces radio station yesterday as a new phase of “Operation Firestep,” war maneuvers testing Alaska’s mil- itary defense. Uncheduled broadcasts warned the defenders of an “inevitable” at- tack on Elmendorf Air Force Base and invited them to surrender im- | that in! | | CAB RATES MILITARY ANCHORAGE, Alaska, April 13, —M—A taxicab owner described in Federal District Court yesterday the strong hold he said military officials have over cab operators whose cars haul passengers to and from nearby Fort Richardson and Elmendorf Air Force base. The witness was Harry N. Ba- ker, one of the defendants among two soclations who are accused by the zovernment of illegally fixing pri- ces and eliminating competition. Provost Marshal Boss “Every provost Marshal who has ever been out there (Fort Richard- son) has called a meeting of some <ind to set rates for us” Baker declared. He recalled five or six meetings on the post and three or four in town. : “The provost Marshal has the power at the snap of a finger to stop us from going on the post,” Baker testified. “ We have about 35 men dependent on us for their livelihood. So when he calls us on the phone and tells us to do some- thing, we ask no question. Military Is Boss Baker said at one meeting held at the Post in -the spring of 1949 ‘I received the worst verbal shel- lacking of my life” because prior ‘0 that time he had installed me- ters in eabs without consulting the Military. Similarly, Baker testified, “You done as Yyou were told and liked it” when city police or the city manager gave instructions. The witness said otherwise they might find themselves out of the cab business. City Council Acts Baker said he remembered sub- mitting rates to the city council for approval. Although the only ones approved were in-city rates, he said he was certain the council had ' approved some rates some time during 1946. One of the main defense points throughout the trial has been that the council and the military set rates for local cab firms. ‘The only other witness yester- day was Winfield Arvin, former city councilman, who said he re- called the council approving cab rates. “There was no argument about them,” he said. HOONAH VISITORS Mr. and Mrs. Charles Gamble of T0 STRIKE FROM AIR Belief Expr;s—s;d Commun- i ists Preparing for Air Attack - Warning By Associated Press Red Chinese withdrawals in North Korea Friday coincided with a warning that they might be pre- paring the way for heavy air strikes at the advancing Allied ground forces. In the wake of history’s greatest jet air battle, Lt..Gen. George E. | Stratemeyer, commander of the U. S. Far East Air Jprces, said the growing Communist air arm might soon start ground attacks. In nine and one-half months of war, such Red raids have been lim- jted to minor nuisance bombings by one or two planes, Allied airmen are forbidden to strike at the Manchurian bases of the Red air force, General Strate- { meyer noted in an interview. “our only recourse is to blunt the attack lonce it is launched,” he said. . Warning Given Stratemeyer’s warning came in the wake of the jet battle. Deposed Supreme Commander ! Gen. MacArthur will fly home to the United States Monday at the height of a boiling controversy REDSREADY |5 Bombers |GENERAL Shot Down " In Battle Several Others Are Report- ed fo Have Been Dam- aged in Air Fights WASHINGTON, April 13 —(P— The Air Force announced today that five U. S. B-20 Superfortress. bombers have been shot down. ib Korea. The announcement was, made, afier an Air Force briefing officer disclosed the loss of two of the big bombers in an air battle with Red jets near the Yalu River yesterday. Three additional B-29s have been lost to enemy air action in prior engagements, it was announced. None of the three earlier losses, the Air Force said, was from ground fire. No dates were given, but pre- sumably they were recent losses, In yesterday's air battle several other U. S. bombers were damaged but they were able to land at friend- ly bases. An Alr Force spokesman said none of the 100 U. S. jet fighters en- gaged in the largest air battle of the Korean war was eiiner dam- aged or destroyed. He said final reports on the suc- cession of air flights yesterday were that eight Red MIG-15 jets were definitely shot down, three more swirling around his dismissal for | were probably destroyed and 11 veering from administration foreign | were damaged by U. 8. fighters and policies. bombers. Tokyo dispatches said the Pacific ! - war hero was in a fighting mood and ready to challenge President Truman on the explosive issue of | meeting Communist aggression in | Asta. MacArthur's Policy | His close aide, Maj. Gen. Court- | ney B. Whitney, said MacArthur has.never advocated or even con- ‘sidered extension of the war except to the limited degree necessary . . . to bing the (Korean) campaign to 1an honorable end with the mini- mum loss of human life.” | Whitney, in a statement of Mac- | Arthur views, declared: “He believes that appeasement would mean mnot less but infinitely more ultimate bloodshed and, fol- lowing historical precedent, might !well carry within the seeds of a new World War." This fresh exposition of the 71- year-old general's position came as his successor, Lt. Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway, issued his first general orders taking over MacArthur's commands. REPAIRS T0 GOV. HOUSE HERE ARGUED WASHINGTON, April 13 —(®— At least one member of a House Appropriations subcommittee isn't impressed by the stuccoed exterior | of the governor's mansion in Alaska. “The fellow who recommended | that the house be stuccoed in that Alaska climate sure was silly,” commented Rep. Jensen (R-lowa) at a hearing on Interior DeDpart- ment funds. Jonsen made his observation dur- ing testimony concerning a $5,000 budget request for repairs to the governor’s house, The record of the hearing was made public today. D. H. Nucker, executive officer, | said “the ceilings are rotting, plas- ter is falling. The floors in places | are sagging. The house is in a state of utter disrepair both inside and out.” Jensen, however, said he visited the house five years ago and thought ft “well-constructed” ex- cept for the stucco. “It’s going to be one expense after another as long as that stucco is there,” he said, STEAMER MOVEMENTS Denali scheduled to sail from Seattle late today. Princess Louise scheduled to sail from Vancouver 8 p.m. Saturday. Baranof from west scheduled PARATROOPS ENTER TERR.. | WAR _!iAMES J LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va,, April 13, —P—A paratroop battalion combat team took off from North Carolina for Alaska yesterday to engage a theoretical invading. enemy force. Lt. Gen. John K. Cannon, com- manding General of the tactical air command, said 31 troop carrier aircraft left Pope Air Force base with paratroops to take part in the mock Alaskan war operation labeled “Firestep.” The force is ex- pected to arrive at Elmendorf, Al- ‘aska, in three days. Despite adverse weather condl- rier planes shoved off on schedule. The aerial armada was to refuel at Tinker Air Force base, Oklahoma City, Okla, and continue to an overnight stop at Rapid City, S. D. From there it will proceed to Great Falls, Mont., and to Edmonton and Whitehorse, before touching down at dlmendorf. TOKYO PRESS HAS NO JUDGMENT ON LOSING MacARTHUR | TOKYO, April 13 —(#— The To- kyo press today avoided judgment on the firing of General MacAr- thur. Instead, editorials unanimously praised MacArthur’s occupation po- licles and = expressed regret and sorrow that he would no longer head the U. 8. forces’' in Japan. The newspaper Mainchi said the reasons for MacArthur's dismissal were “outside of ‘our sphere of comment.” The editorial praised the General for glving to Japan “a thing en- tirely new to. the Japanese—free- dom and respect for the individual.” Like most other papets, Mainchi said U. 8. occupation policies would probably change little since “the reason for the dismissal of the Gen- eral is not related to the Japan- Ieu issue.” FROM SITKA Anna Jackson, Sitka, is registered at the Baranof Hotel. FROM ANGOON Mr. and Mrs. Ronald John of An- goon are at the Baranof Hotel. LEAVING FOR U. S. Is Wilking fo Appear Be- fore Joint Session Con- gress or Committee WASHINGTON, April 13 —P— The House Democratic leadership today approved Inviting General Douglas MacArthur to address a Joint meeting of Congress. Speaker Rayburn told newsmen the House Rules Committee will meet next Tuesday to consider a Republican-sponsored resolution of invitation,” He predicted its ap- proval. WASHINGTON, April 13 —{®— Gen. Douglas MacArthur today was invited to appear before the Senate [Armed Services Committee to dis- ) cuss American policies in the Far East. . Chairman Russell (D-Ga) an- nounced the invitation in a state- ment saying: “The American people are en- titled to know all of the facts in- volved — except those which cannot be released for reasons of security—r, about the clash in policies advo- cated by President Truman and MacArthur in Asia.” MacArthur, relieved of his Pacific commands by the President, is ready to fly to the United States, and is expécted early next week. He has indicated through an aide his wil- lingness to appear before Congres- The move by the Armed Services Committee assured thiit the general will have at least a limited Congres= sfonal forum for his views. Jomt Session Wanted Republican leaders in Congress have been insisting that MacArthur should be asked to address a joint Senate-House session. Meantime, MacArthur-for-Presi- dent sentiment was reportedly be- ing renewed and the president of Remington-Rand, Inc., confirmed reports that the ousted general will become an executive with his firm. Senator McFarland of Arizona, the Democratic leader, said no final decision on giving MacArthur a Congressional hearing has been made. He said he had talked to House Speaker Rayburn of Texas about the matter and would come fer with him again. Unofficial Action Others predicted the adminigtga- tion would bow to the inevitable but would like to keep MuAnhur'l;z- pearance on an unofficial plane ilar to that on which Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower recently reported to lawmakers at a meeting in the Li- brary of Congress. Although Eisenhower addressed an official joint session at the close of World War II, it was pointed out that MacArthur is coming home in the role of a commander fired by the President because he per- sisted in expressing views contrary to presidentigl policies. - Leave Tokyo Monday MacArthur ana nis family plan to leave Tokyo Monday by plane for San Francisco. They will“stop overnight in Hawali. A top aide of the general has said MacArthur is willing to appear before Congress. Senate Republicans apparently were lined up almost solidly behind a resolution by Senator Wherry of Nebraska, the GOP floor leader; for a joint meeting. The resolution had the public support of Democratic Senators Eastland of Mississippi and MeCar- ran of Nevada. It also had the baek- ing of some other DeDmocrats who didn't want to be quoted by name. Unity Knocked Out One of these told a reporter. he thinks the split over Far Eastern policies dramatized by the Presi- dent’s firing of MacArthur has cut 50 deep that there can be no hope of unity until President Truman replaces Secretary of State Ache- son. The senator added that he doesn’t expect the President to take any such action. The national headquarters of the “MacArthur for President” commit- tee here decl that the furore over MacArthur had generated re- newed demand for him as presi- dent. tions ahead, seven Douglas C-54's and 24 PFalrchild C-119 troop car- Barano! L f Hotel. ties 4242, ‘..l.l'..'l. (Continued on Page Two) ]kur are at the Hotel Juneau.|southbound Sunday morning.