THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE
"ALLTHB NBTS 'AUTHSfUHP
VOL,. LXXVIII., NO. 11,818_
JUNEAU, ALASKA, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 1951
MEMB SSOCIATED PRESS.
PRICE TEN CENTS
Allied Tank-Task Force Makes^Fold Move
PALMER
AIRPORT
DEAL UP
Transaction Denounced by
Senator Hoey in Sub- j
mitting Report
WASHINGTON, May 24 — —
Senator Hoey (D-N.C.) denounced
in the Senate today the Alaska
transaction aimed at obtaining add
ed Federal financing of the Palmer
Airport.
"As a direct result of our in- ;
vestigation, the $145,000 authoriza- I
tion in Federal aid for the airport |
has not been paid to the Territory j
. . . nor will any part of this sum ;
be paid out of the Federal treasury
until the comptroller general has
had an opportunity to make a thor
ough study and review all the facts,” :
the North Carolinan told the Senate. j
He made his statement in submit- '
ting a report of last year’s Senate i
subcommittee inquiry into the trans- ,
action. He was chairman of the
group.
“Deceit - Subterfuge”
He told the Senate “deceit and
subterfuge” were used in an at
tempt to obtain increased Federal
matching funds.
In the Senate hearing in Wash
ington, Alaskan Aeronautics Com
mission officials and Palmer Airport
officials denied such allegations.
They testified that the whole pro
cedure was in good faith and with
approval of Civil Aeronautics Ad
ministration officials.
Senator Hoey declared:
"We found that officials of the
CAA and Territory of Alaska at
tempted by deceit and subterfuge
to obtain indirectly Federal match
ing funds which could not have
been obtained directly under exist
ing law.
Shi/» Entire Cost
"It is the conclusion of the sub- j
committee that officials attempted i
to shift the entire cost of new im- j
provements on the Palmer Airport1,
to the Federal Government." j
The Senate investigation was
asked last summer by Sen. Hugh
Butler (R-Neb). The Palmer deal
was a controversial issue in the
1950 political campaigns in the Ter
ritory.
The subcommittee asserted it ieeis
Edward G. Fisher, Chris Lample
“and possibly other CAA officials
in the Alaska Regional office were
aware of devious methods . . . (and'
failed in their duty to disclose fully
these facts to CAA officials in
Washington who were handling the
case.”
Second Application
A second project application, the
committee report continued, "was
handled in a slipshod, careless and
incompetent manner by the CAA in
Washington.” #
The committee report said it was
ascertained that the Territory had
arranged to receive matching funds,
to reimburse it for some $53,000 "al
legedly expended” on the Palmer
field prior to March 31, 1950, when
it entered into a grant agreement
with the CAA. It said these funds
(Continued on Page Two)
The Washington
Merry-Go-Round
By DREW PEARSON
ICoprrMht. 1851. oy Bell Syndicate. Inc..
TFaSHINGTON. — one result of
the MacArthur controversy is a
field day for the lobbyists. With the
country absorbed with the MacAr
thur dispute, the lobbyists are able
to put across all sorts of fancy
deals without the public realizing
it. One of the latest is a move to
reverse the Supreme Court in re
gard to tidelands oil. .
In 1936, when President Roose
velt tried to reverse the Supreme
Court by an act of Congress, it
made headlines for weeks. But
without benefit of headlines, the
big oil lobbyists are now trying to
reverse the Supreme Court ruling
that the submerged oil lands off
the coast of the United States be
long to all the 48 states, not mere
. ly to California, Texas and Louis
iana.
Last week the lobbyists quietly
won out in their initial move. They
finagled the Senate Interior Com
(Continued on Page Four)
200 Homeless in Fire
This spectacular blaze in a negro area of Fairfield, Ala., destroyed twenty duplex houses leaving 200
homeles. Mayor J. T. McLaughlin of Fairfield said Birmingham, Ala., firemen “just stood by for
thirty minutes" at houses, one block outside Birmi ngham city limits were destroyed. The Red Cross was
caring for the homeless. HP) Wirephoto,
FERRY SERVICE
HAS PROBLEMS
CHAMBER TOLD
The Juneau Chamber of Com
merce considered four important
matters at its regular luncheon
meeting at the Baranof hotel
Thursday noon: (1) continuation
of Juneau-Haines ferry service: (2)
protest errors in U. S. Engineers
report on Douglas and Juneau small
boat harJors; (3) protest cut in
cost of living allowance for Federal
employes hired in the Territory,
and (4) the resignation of Secretary
Fred Eastaugh.
Ferry Service
Steve Homer of the motor vessel
Chilkoot reported that the present
situation for the Juneau-Haines
ferry service appeared black and it
was doubtful if it could operate un
less something could be done to
clarify the present interpretation of
Southeast Alaskan waters by the U.
S, Coast Guard.
Homer traced the efforts to main
tain the service and the continued
obstacles tending to prevent it. He
pointed out that transportation
companies. With exception of air
lines, were tending to move away
from this area and said that one
company was considering limiting
its service drastically. Even the
small boats that serve communities
adjacent to Juneau were discour
aged, he said, although there was
a definite need for their operations.
Outlook Gloomy
‘After three years operation of
the Chilkoot barge between Juneau
and Haines, we felt last year the
company would have to be liquidat
ed,” Homer told the chamber, "how
ever, R. J. Sommers came in and
we decided to carry on. Changes
were made and the barge made
ready. It was inspected, passed and
certificated in Seattle. We left May
15. Interpretation of Coast Guard
regulations and classification of
these waters, and the addition of an
extra crewman, together with re
striction of our operation to only
Haines, Skagway and Juneau makes
i the outlook appear anything but
' profitable.”
An attempt will be made to oper
ate, he said, and the first trip will
be made tomorrow.
Homer discussed an old law which
was passed in the early 1900s re
quiring that when a vessel hits a
beach it must be hauled out for
inspection. The law was passed long
before such craft as the Chilkoot
which was designed by the Navy
during the last war for just such
beach landings.
In the past the ship has oper
ated with a crew of five men and
a payroll of $2,000 a month which
is a good deal for the small oper
ation. The addition of another crew
member will necessitate added in
come.
S.E. Alaska Justifications
He pointed out that different
classifications had been made for
other waters but that none had ever
Saved from Sea
Sally Reese, 7-years-old, smiles with relief as her rescue from surf
is completed at top of 50-foot cliff near the Point Loma section of
San Diego. She was trapped at foot of cliff by rising tide. Life
guards' lowered one of their number in bos’uns chair and, as he
held Sally in his lap, raised them both over the face of the cliff.
OP) Wirephoto.
been definitely set up for Southeast
Alaska and other regulations do not
fit the situation here. In a treaty
with Canada the waters are desig
nated as “sheltered waters” but that
the Coast Guard regards them as
“limited coastwise waters” when
“inland waters” would more proper
ly fit the area.
There was some -discussion and
the matter was referred to the
transportation committee. It was
decided to wire Delegate E. L. Bart
lett for his aid.
Sommers was present and he
pointed out that the 30 per cent in
creased cost in operation was un
foreseen. He felt the ferry service
was a big asset to the community
and he had put in $17,000 because
of his interest in seeing it continue
but there would be no sense ir
operating at a loss. "I do not feel
i th^t we’re asking for anything un
reasonable,” he concluded.
E.nployees Pay Cut
Alva Blackerby spoke on the be
half of federal employees in Al
aska regarding the elimination of
the 25 per cent cost of living al
lowance from Department of Ag
riculture employees who are hired
in Alaska but allows it to those
hired in the states to work in Al
aska. He said it would be chaotic
for employees working side by side,
j doing the same work and paying
I the same cost of living to have that
differential in their pay checks.
The present federal payroll in
j Juneau amounted to about $3,000,
; 000 in 1950. This slash would cut
| that by $600,000, he said. He re
quested that the Chamber protest
this cut which has already passed
the House and Is now in the Sen
ate. President Herbert Rowland
suggested that letters be written to
each member of the Senate appro
priations committee and that indi
vidual members write to any sen
ators they know in an effort to
stop it.
Engineer Report in Error
Secretary Fred Eastaugh read a
letter sent to the Board of Engin
eers for Rivers and Harbors in
Washington, D. C. regarding er
ors in a report on the improve
nent of Juneau and Douglas har
;ors. It was signed by R. W. Cow
ing chairman of the maritime de
velopment committee.
A copy of the report was reques
ted for detail study together with
30 days for examination and reply.
It was stated that “possibly the
greatest error was in taking a five
minute sustained wind velocity of
14 miles per hour as an indication
of the greatest winds encountered
at the Douglas site." Cowling then
pointed out that the Taku wind
reaches gusts over 80 miles an hour
and that while possibly not sus
tained for as long as five minutes
are sufficient to raise and direct
swells of at least 2V4 feet directly
into the proposed Douglas boat
basin.
Another error, the letter said, was
the assumption that the proposed
Juneau boat' basin 'requires pro
tection by a costly rock breakwater.
It pointed out that members of the
(Continued on Page Eight)
1
PRESIDENT
DISCUSSES
2 ISSUES
Believes Peace Program
Will Avert War-Poli
tical Intentions
WASHINGTON, May 24 — (^>) —
President Truman said today he,is
confident hts program for peace
will avert a new World War.
He told a news conference that
another global war would mean a
return to the dark ages.
And. he said, he objected to the
use of the term cocky in describing
his attitude that his program would
succeed. He said some columnists
have so described him and he thinks
it is the wrong word. His attitude,
Mr. Truman declared, is one of con
fidence that the people of the Unit
ed States and of the world believe
his domestic and foreign program
both are right.
Open Season—Politics
The President, asked whether he
would run for the presidency again
next year, said the season is still
open.
As he has before, he told his news
(Continued on Page Two)
NEW ANGLE
FIRING OF
MacARTHUR
Bradley Says Method Could
Have Been Better
Handled-Beliefs
i
WASHINGTON, May 24 — lift —
Gen. Omar Bradley told senators
today he thinks President Truman
was right in firing Douglas Mac
Arthur but the "method" of doing
it “probably could have been
handled better.”
This implied criticism of the sum
mary fashion in which MacArthur
was dismissed came at a meeting
with Senate investigators in which
Bradley also:
U. S. Casualties
1. Disclosed that total U. S. cas
ualties in Korea — both battle and
non-battle — total 141,955. This
includes 72,679 non-battle casual
ties, and 69,276 combat casualties,
with 10,680 listed as killed in action
and 812 dead of non-combat causes.
No-battle casualties are those re
sulting from such things as acci
dents and illness. In this case, it
includes also the frost-bite victims
of last winter’s cold.
2. Testified' the North Atlantic
Treaty nations “do not have the
capability, right now, of stopping
an aggression by Russia.”
Iran Danger Spot
3. Said that while Iran is a
danger point he is “not too sure the
Russians are going to start some
thing in Iran before they start it
somewhere else.”
4. Declared that in his opinion
the Issue of whether to admit Red
China to the UN should have no
place in negotiating a settlement of
: the Korean war.
MacArtliur’s Firing
Senator Wiley asked Bradley:
“Do you think that General Mac
Arthur was treated in the way he
should have been treated in hand
ling this matter?”
Bradley replied: "From a military
point of view, I agree that he should
have been relieved.
"As to the method of relief. I
agree that it probably could have
been handled better.”
MacArthur, when testifying at
the beginning of the Senate inquiry
into his dismissal, indicated some
bitterness over the way he was dis
missed. He noted he was relieved
on receipt of his orders and so could
not make a farewell statement tc
his troops.
MacArthur also declared he felt
the national interest was Jeopardiz
ed by his having to turn over hi;
! command immediately to Lt. Gen
i Matthew Ridgway who was at tha
, time several hundred miles away.
Where There's Smoke—
Heavy palls of smoke blanket an area in the Communist marshalling
yards at Masan, North Korea, after B-26 light bombers of-the D. S.
Air Force unleashed batteries of rockets during in attack. After
the rockets had delivered this punch, the area was thoroughly worked
over with ntamerous strafing passe,'and napalm fire bombs which
set high stockpiles of Red supplies ablaie. V. 8. Air Force photo
via (JPI Wirephoto.
Girl's Body
Is Found in
California
SANTA ANA, Calif., May 24, —iff)
—In a shallow grave, barely cover
ed with dirt and leaf mold, search
ers today found the body of 10
year-old Patricia Jean Hull.
The pig-tailed girl vanished from
a movie matinee last Saturday.
Near the body was a bloodstained
yellow bedspread. A yellow bed
spread was missing, Sheriff’s offi- j
cers said, from the motel cabin of
Henry Ford McCracken, who is
held on suspicion of kidnaping in
the case.
Undersheriff Steve Duhart stfld
two forest rangers found the girl,
buried beneath a barbed wire fence,
after following footprints from the !
highway. i
Deputies said they will intensify >
questioning of McCracken 34-year- 1
I old guitar player with a record of :
sex offenses. He has steadily de-}
nied any knowledge of Patricia1
Jean’s disappearance but has ac-1
knowledged attending the movie j
from which she vanished.
16 ARRIVE ON
ELLIS AIRLINES
i
- i
Sixteen passengers arrived on El*
lis Airlines flights Thursday.
Arriving from Ketchikan: R. E
Hawkes, J. Johnson, D. F. Chis
holm, G. Chisholm, C. Madeire, L.
Morrison, L. C. Alcala, H. Wingen,
F. C. Guylett, R. McPhetrick, J.
Hoper, K. Scofield.
From Petersburg: Camille Tor
wick, Roy Torwick, Lt. Taylor, C.
Hirschy.
• •■•••••••••
• •
• WEATHER REPORT •
• Temperature for 24-Hour Period •
• ending 8:20 o'clock this morning •
• In Juneau — Maximum, •
• 54; minimum, 38. •
• At Airport — Maximum, •
• 54; minimum, 36. •
• •
• FORECAST •
• Partly cloudy tonight and •
• Friday with a few scattered •
• rain showers. Low tonight •
• about 40, high Friday, near •
• 55.
• PRECIPITATION •
• (Past.24 hours ending 1:30 a m. today •
• City of Juneau — .17 inches; •
• Sine eMay 1—3.69 inches; •
• Since July 1 — 71.74 inches. •
• At Airport — .05 inches; •
• Since May 1 — 2.11 inches; •
• Since July 1 — 41.38 inches. •
«•••••••••*
•' ; i
CONNORS
RESIGNS
JUNE 30
WASHINGTON, May 24 — IJPI —
rhe White House announced yes
terday President Truman's accept
ince of the resignation of James J.
Connors as collector of customs for
Alaska, effective June 30.
Connors, who has held the office
since July 12, 1933, is retiring be
cause of ill health.
Connors came to Alaska in 1902
and served on the Juneau city coun
cil in 1918 and three terms there
after. He was elected mayor of Jun
eau in 1925 and 1926 and was ap
pointed U. S. Collector of Customs
of the 31st District in 1933 by Pres
ident Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was
re-appointed in 1937, 1941 and 1945.
For the past several years he has
been in ill health, the latter sev
eral months being confined to St.
Ann's hospital.
Mrs. Connofs is in Juneau and a
son, James J., Jr., resides in the
states.
For many years, in the '20s, when
the Territory was overwhelmingly
Republican in politics, Connors and
the late John W. Troy were cred
ited with keeping the Democratic
party alive in Alaska.
RANGER TO SITKA
FOR ROAD WORK
U. S. Forest Service vessel Ran
ger 10, with William Fromholz in
charge, has gone to Sitka, towing
a scow, which is carrying material
for improvement work on the lower
portion of the Harbor Mountain
road. Chief work will involve im
provement of culverts and putting
in drains, according to Alva Black
erby, Administrative Assistant.
B. Martinsen of Seattle Is reg
istered at the Baranof hotel.
STOCK OUOTATIWIJ
NEW YORK, May 24 — Closing
quotation 'of Alaska Juneau mine
stock today is 2%, American Can
106%, American Tel. and Tel. 153%,
Anaconda 40%, Douglas Aircraft 94,
General Electric 51%, Oeneral Mot
tors 48, Goodyear 78, Kennecott
72%, Libby. McNeill and Libby 8%,
Northern Pacific 37%, Standard Oil
of California 45, Twentieth Century
Fox 19, U. S. Steel 40%, Pound
$2.80%, Canadian Exchange 93.81 Vi.
Sales today were 2,580,000 shares.
Averages today were as follows:
Industrials 245.78, rails 76.86. utilities
41.73.
ALLIES IN
BIG DRIVE,
NO. KOREA
Cut Escape Route in Red
Killing UN Counter
Offensive
By Associated Press
An Allied tank-task force smashed
across Korea’s 38th Parallel today
in a daring 13-mlle drive that split
the retreating Chinese armies.
This bold move in a Red-killing
UN counter offensive cut the escape
route for the Communists still south
of the Parallel on the East-Central
front.
The task force, a self-sustaining
column of tanks, artillery, infan
trymen and engineers, battled thru
Red screening troops and seized
Choyang river crossings in North
Korea. It had air support.
The operation was planned and
directed by Lt. Qen Edward M.
Almond, who said the enemy is
like “a boxer reeling to the edge of
the ring, and we want to clip him
before he bounces dff the ropes.”
“We expect great things of this
effort,” he said.
Chunghon Recaptured
Smaller American forces recapt
ured Chunghon, most Important rail
and road hub In Central Korea, 50
miles northeast of Seoul. The Amer
icans lunged within five miles of
the border In the west.
Lt. CJen. James A. Van Fleet said
his forces were attacking all along
the 135-mile front and there "is no
limitation” on objectives. He said
his 8th Army severly defeated five
Chinese armies and three North
Korean corps, transforming the
Reds’ May 16 offensive into a com
plete failure.
No Buffer Zone
Van Fleet'* statement indicated
that the UN forces would not re
frain from any general advance
across the border In order to hurt
the enemy as much as possible.
There has been talk of trying to
establish a 20-mile buffer zone north
of the Parallel as part of the at
tempts to end the shooting in Korea.
Red* Have Power
Van Fleet warned, however, that
the Communists have the power to
strike again. Today the enemy
mounted only small delaying actions
against the advancing UN troops.
On the Western front, where the
UN counter offensive started, South
Korean tanks clanked to within a
mile and a half of the 38th Parallel.
Reds Pull Back
On the Eastern sector Red units
which had swept 25 miles below
the border around Socsa had pulled
back before attacking the Amer
icans.
In the air war, American cargo
planes supplying ground forces in
the mountains encountered heavy
anti-aircraft fire. Three planes were
hit, but the crews escaped injury,
the Air Force said. The Red radio at
Pyongyang claimed 23 U. S. planes
had been shot down in Eastern
Korea in four days. The Far East
Air Forces had no such report.
In the naval warfare, U. S. rocket
ships opened up again on blockaded
Wonsan In what was described as a
"deadly display of fire-power."
L. R. WAGNERS ARE HERE
ENROUTE TO FAIRBANKS
Back In Alaska for the first time
In nearty ten years are Mr. and
Mrs. L. R. Wagner, in Juneau on
their way to Fairbanks.
Mrs. Wagner, the former Ebba
Erickson, lived in Juneau for sev
eral years prior to 1940 and has
many friends In town. She was
housekeeper at the Governor's
House and later was housekeeper
for Col. Otto F. Ohlsen in Anchor
age.
The Wagners now have a home
in Sacramento. Mrs. Wagner came
north by Pan American and Mr.
Wagner brought the family car
north and traveled by steamer.
They will take the first ferry from
Tee Harbor to Haines and drive
over the highway to Fairbanks.
STEAMER MOVEMENTS
Denali scheduled to sail from
Seattle Friday.
Princess Louise scheduled to sail
from Vancouver 8 p.m. Saturday.
Baranof from westward scheduled
southbound Sunday.