[SK] THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE [SK]
- ‘MLL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” .*
•v\ ■ ■ -,
, VOL. LXXV., NO. 11,591
JUNEAU, ALASKA, SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 1350
MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
PRICE TEN CENT?
CHINESE REDS
w
Storm Lashes Alaska Coast Vessels
. Fishing Vessel Founders, i
i Landing Craft in Danger
As Storm Thrashes Coast
; BIG EARTHQUAKE
•' TAKES PLACE IN
ALEUTIAN ISLES
_ i
CLEVELAND. Aug. 26—<#)—A ma
jor earthquake occurred at 8:45:20
p.m. (Juneau time) yesterday at j
the eastern edge of the Aleutians.
| It was recorded today on the John i
! Carroll University Seismograph.
! » Father Henry F. Birkenhauer, ob
1 , servatory director, said the quake
['* registered about 3,400 miles north
west of Cleveland.
The Aleutians are characterized
by quake) close to the surface of
the earth. The quakes usually are
strong enough to cause tidal waves
if they occur off the coast, he said.
,iv NOME FEELS IT, TOO
NOME, Alaska, Aug. 26—UP)—’Three
* sharp earthquake tremors rattled
i\' windows and shook houses in Nome
yesterday afternoon, but no damage
was reported. The quake was the
first ever felt in the far north com
munity. The tremors occurred at
5:40 p.m., Nome time (8:40 p.m.
Juneau time), 5:42 and 5:55.
JUDGE FOLIA NAMES
' WAITER G. HELLAN
' AS ACTING MARSHAL
Upon request received from the
I Department of Justice, Washing
ton, D. C., and under authority in
vested in the courts by the Act of
June 6, 1900, Judge George W. Polta
appointed Walter G. Hellan as tem
J porary United States Marshal today.
Hellan, who was deputy marshal
« under the late Marshal William T.
Mahoney will serve as Marshal until
a permanent Presidential appoint
ment is made.
HAINES VISITOR
H. L. King of Haines Is registered
at the Baranof Hotel.
r' Hie Washington
Merry-Go-Round
FRED BLUMENTHAL
(Copyright, 1>m. py »u eradicate, Ins.)
Drew Pearson will be back
from his vacation and writing
the Washington Merry-Go-Round
on Monday.
"wwrr --
£ P'f'ASHINGTON — The Russians
‘ abruptly stopped broadcasting wea
ther information this week from
their weather stations north of
Korea. This apparently was done
to hinder U. S. airmen, who had■
been using the Soviet weather
broadcasts to help plan their raids.
These Soviet stations are part of1
an international network which
i exchanges weather information in
peacetime. However, the Russians
r apparently decided to help the
North Koreans and put the weather
stations under a wartime blackout.
Democrats Tangle
I Speaker Sam Rayburn and Sen
ate majority leader Scott Lucas
of Illinois tangled hotly on the
“adjournment" question at the big
four leaders’ meeting with President
i Truman this week.
Rayburn insisted that Congress
* should adjourn "sine die” when all
emergency bills have been passed
early next month. This would
! mean a complete shutdown until
next January 3, barring a recall by
the President.
j “It would be better for the coun
try if we adjourned and let things
settle down,” argued the speaker.
' “Also, the rest of the world would
get the impression that we aren’t
t fearful of a third world war.”
However, Lucas strongly urged
I that Congress remain formally in
.(Continued on Page Four)
BULLETIN—The Coast Guard
cutter Citrus it-joitcd to headquar
ters here 1-tc thi; morning that
the body of the fishing vessel Ver
inay’s master, identified only as
Swanscn, was picked up eff Point
Cornwallis, five miles northwest of
Cape Muzon by the fishing boat
Maxine.
The two survivors of Vermay
sinking were identified in the truss- I
age as Norman Ranquist of Kirk
land, Wash., and Harley Miller ol
Everett, Wash. They were quoted
as saying that the fourth crew
(member, known to them only as I
Arnold, was washed overboard front
the Vermay yesterday.
The survivors are being taken to;
Ilydaburg aboard the fishing vessel
Enos. • j
One fishing vessel was lost and j
a landing barge was in grave dan- j
ger today as the result of a storm j
which thrashed onto the coast of
Alaska yesterday.
The Coast Girard cutter Citrus
reported from Cape Muzon on Dix
on Entrance this morning that two;
survivors of the foundered fishing j
vessel, the 58-foot Vermay, had been j
picked up by another fishing vessel, j
Farther north, at Cape Suckling,
about 80 miles southwest of Cor
dova, a U. S'. Army tug from Whit
tier, Alaska, was standing by a
converted landing barge which
went on the rocks while attempting
to salvage a fishing boat which
met disaster there two months ago
with the loss of two lives.
Meanwhile, tne Alaska Line re
ported the Alaska had been delayed
for one day because of the storm.
(Associated Press dispatches from
Ketchikan said cannery tenders
evacuated several fish trap watch
men yesterday from their wave
lashed posts.)
First indication of danger to the
Vermay came as a distress message
picked up by the Coast Guard radio
station at 9:25 a.m. yesterday and
relayed to Coast Guard headquar
ters here.
Five minutes later another mess
age said the engine had stopped by
the incoming water and the 58
foot Vermay was drifting toward
rocks.
The cutter White Holly, dis
patched from Ketchikan to the
scene was forced to seek shelter
by heavy seas. The Citrus, ordered
to proceed to the scene at 2 p.m.
yesterday, was also forced to make
for sheltered waters to re-stow and
re-lash a deckload of buoys it had
auuoiu.
It reached Cape Muzon at 8 a m.
today and reported that the fishing
vessel Enos had two survivors from
the Vermay aboard. Their names
were not given. They were being
given medical treatment by a Coast
Guard hospitalman, the report from
the Citrus said.
Fate of the other two men aboard
the Vermay was not known, but
the search for them was continu
ing, according to Coast Guard head
quarters here.
The Vermay’s listed owner is
Verne J. Swanson of Ketchikan.
The landing craft, identified as
the Mahina Ho, reported that
it was sinking off Cape Suckling,
about 25 miles East of Cape St.
Elias. A ship was requested to
"remove family and crew."
Two Children Aboard
Two children were reported to
be passengers aboard the craft.
At 5 a.m. today, the Army tug
LT-822 reported it was standing off
Cape Suckling and would attempt
(Continued on Page Eight)
STEAMER MOVEMENTS
Aleutian will sail from Seattle
today and is due to arrive here
Tuesday.
Baranof due southbound Sunday.
Susitna due to sail from Seattle
Tuesday.
Alaska due to sail from Seattle
Thursday and is due to arrive here
Sunday, Sept. 3.
Until further notice there will
be no sailings of Candian vessels.
SALMON PACK
25,000 CASES
OFF FOR 1950
The total Alaska canned salmon
pack to date is 25,234 cases less
than last year at this same time,
it was reported by the fisheries
division of the Fish and Wlldlite
Service today. The Southeastern
district, however is 132,020 cases
behind. The Icy Strait area had
25,154 cases at this time last year
and now has only 7,541. The
Juneau western area has about
half of the previous year—49,064
cases as against 92,833.
Juneau eastern pack is slightly
up with 18,223 cases over 14,019 a
year ago. Wrangell-Petersburg has
a pack of 32,611 compared with
58,117 last year. The west coast
region is more than double with
a current pack of 62,130 as against
30.720 a year ago. Ketchikan is
down with only 114,193 cases com
pared with 197,606 in 1949.
The total Central Alaska dis
trict is 1,377,003 cases to date
which is higher than last year's
pack of 1,252,118. Bristol Bay and
Western area is slightly up over
last year with 618,023 cases as
against 586,654 cases last year.
—
ARMY GETS READY
TO OPERATE RAIL
SYSTEM TOMORROW
WASHINGTON, Aug. 26 — (/PI —
The Army drew up Its plans today
for running the nation’s railroads
until the owners and two disputing
unions can agree on operating
terms.
President Truman directed Sec
retary of the Army Pace to take
over the 131 major railroads criss
crossing the continent at 4 p.m.,
EST, tomorrow. This led the train
men and conductors unions to call
Dff plans for a nationwide walkout
Monday of their 300,000 members.
So the President’s seizure order
yesterday restored peace for the
time being, and assured that the
trains will keep running. The
unions said their members would
“gladly” work for the government.
But the Justice Department was
ready with the necessary legal pa
pers to rush in for a court in
junction Monday in case there is
any hitch in the announced decision
to work.
Pace was expected to turn the
job of operating the lines over to
two generals, Maj. Gen. Prank A
Heilman, Chief of Army Transpor
tation, and Brig. Gen. Andrew P.
McIntyre, Philadelphia, a reserve
Dfficer on leave from the Pennsyl
vania Railroad. Assistant Army
Secretary Karl R. Bendetsen was
iesignated as the overall superviser.
Both sides in the 18-month dis
pute suggested that their differ
ences might now be allowed to
simmer for a while. The unions
called the seizure order a “trem
endous victory” because they had
been urging such action since Aug
ust 4.
NEW WATERFOWL
REGULATIONS TO
BE SIGNED TUES.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 26— tfl —
Sportsmen may have to wait until
next Tuesday to find out when they
can go duck-hunting and how many
birds they may kill.
The Fish and Wildlife Service in
dictated a month ago, in announcing
that the waterfowl hunting regu
lations would be out about a month
later than usual this year, that
the season’s bag limits and other
rules might be announced today.
But an Interior Department spok
esman said there was no likelihood
they would be signed by President
Truman before Tuesday.
FROM CHATHAM
M's.‘John and Clarice Likness of
C^tham are guests at the Baranof
Hotel. _ _., iJl.i HAi
Red Spearhead Nears Taegu
Dark arrows show where North Korean forces are making prooing
attacks against U. S. and South Korean defenders (open arrows).
North of Taegu (1), a Red spearhead is within eight miles of the
citv. North Koreans have massed 'tve divisions in this sector for
what may be all-out drive against Taegu. Communist Naktong
River bridgehead at Hyonpung (2) has been built up to 6,000 men.
U. S. troops beat off two assaults by the enemy in Chungam-Tundok
area (3) in the south. North of Pohang (4) Reds have stiffened
before attacking allied units, iff) Wirephoto Map.
SENATOR BUTLER SAYS
SUNDBORG ATTEMPTED
PRESSURE FOR VOTES
BRIDGES AGAIN
CRITICIZES U. S.
ASIATIC POLICY
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 26tfl—
Harry Bridges freed on bail yester
day. immediately took another slam
at U. S. policy in the Far East.
“If we follow through completely
on the President’s decisions with re
spect to Korea, Formosa, the Phil
ippines and Indochina, it inevitably
means a third World War,” he told
a news conference.
The President of the CIO long
shore union was freed by order of
the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
In a 2-1 decision, the judges ruled
his $25 000 bail should not have
been cancelled August 5 at the re
uest of the government.
Elmer Friend Will
Return on Monday
From Annual Vacation
The Empire's managing editor,
Elmer A. Friend, will be back at
his desk Monday following a two
weeks vacation at his summer home
on the Fritz Cove Road.
For the first time in many, many
years, Elmer had a vacation that
gave him more sunshine than rain
Needless to say, he looks good, feels
fine and is eager to get back tc
work again. He’s been an Empire
fixture for over thirty years and the
niace is never the same without
him.
Friend's granddaughter, Helen
Jane Adams and her companion
Patty Kadow, shared his vacation
with him.
As usual, Bob "Dunking With'
Druxman held the fort at the Em
pire during the Friend vacatior
and he, too, is hoping that he car
soon find time for a vacation
“This two and three and four job;
at a time business gets awfully
tiring,” he said.
Solon Tells Senate that A.
N.B. Consultant Criticiz
ed Alaska Legislature
WASHINGTON, nug. 26— —
Senator Butler (R-Neb) said today
that Alaskans are “not strangers ta
the pernicious practice of having
the promise of extra rewards from
tax funds dangled before their eyes
—to influence their choice of candi
dates at the poll."
His comment came as he present
ed to the Senate a letter which he
said was written by George Sund
borg, a consultant of the Alaska
Development Board, to Arvo Saario
President of the Northwest Alaska
Chamber of Commerce in Nome, Al
aska. It was dated March 14, 1950
In a statement for the Congres
sional Record, Butler said Saaric
had asked the Development board tc
establish a branch office in Nome
to support a program to promote
tourist business.
Butler said that in reply Sund
borg wrote that the Board had not
been able to establish such an of
fice “for budgetary reasons.” Butlei
said Sundborg added in his lettei
that “all four of the Senators from
the Second Division voted in the
1947 Legislative sessions to complet
ely abolish the Alaska Developmenl
Board." Sundborg named the Sen
ators.
Butler said that Sundborg’s let
ter told of other activities by the
four Senators which did not support
; the Board, and then read the con
cluding paragraph of the letter:
"Whether we will be able to pro
ceed toward these objectives next
biennium will depend entirely or
action taken by the 1951 Legislaturt
and, of course, upon the makeup ol
that body.”
Butler told the Senate:
“This is another example, smal
but revealing, of Government bj
pressure. It is activity which ill be
I comes the appointed official of t
government entity now aspiring t<
1 statehood.”
497 Rescued
is Hospital
Ship Sinks
| Eighteen Die When Vessel
Rammed by Freighter
in Golden Gate
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 26— Iff)—
Si liteen persons died as the hos
pital ship Benevolence, with about
15 aboard, was rammed by a
rcighier and overturned last night,
rhe Navy said it believed all others
i were accounted for.
The survivors were scattered
through various hospitals in the
San Francisco Bay area, or had
gone to their homes in nearby
| cities.
The crash occurred south of the
main ship channel entering San
! Francisco Bav, about four miles
I ,rom the Golden Gate bridge.
Visibility was zero as a blinding
white fog drifted in from sea.
The outbound freighter, Mary
Luckenbach, ripped into the white
flank of the hospital ship which
was entering the harbor after a
trial run. The freighter appeared
little damaged. It crept into port
during the night.
As the fog lifted this morning
the 522-foot hospital ship could be
seen lying flat on its side, the life
boat davits exposed and the giant
red crosses shining on the white
hull.
Capt. T. R. Wi.rth, Chief of Staff
of the 12th Naval District, said the
Benevolence keeled over within 15
minutes after the collision.
The Benevolence, until recently
laid up with the reserve fleet at
Mare Island Navy Yard, had been
pulled out for duty in the Korean
war zone. She was on her last
shakedown cruise preparatory to
entering on duty.
She was just off the gate, head
.ng in for her Mare Island dock
when the Mary Luchenbach loomed
up precipitiously out of the thick
fog.
Survivors said the Benevolence
swung sharply to port (left* and
the freighter rammed her star
board side, ripping open her plates
and causing her to sink rapidly.
The hospital ship capsized and
went down in 75 feet of water,
managing to send out one call for
assistance just before sinking.
The Coast Guard sent out 15
cutters, the Army dispatched half
a dozen tugs and fishing craft
converged from all over the area
pulling survivors from the debr s
littered sea so quickly that the
death list was held far below what
might have been expected in those
treacherous waters where the sea
swirls out through the Golden Gate
PASSEYS BACK FROM
FAIRBANKS REUNION;
NEWS OF STIMSONS
Aftear a happy reunion with her
husband in Fairbanks, Mrs. William
Passey returned yesterday, accom
panied by their children—David, 7,
and Marie, 5.
| Mr. Passey, associated with the
| Juneau Spruce Corporation, has
been in the Interior since May, now
with the Independent Lumber Com
ipany (formerly Juneau Spruce)
there. Mr. Passey will remain there
until the end of the season.
The Juneau family drove home
alone on the Alaska Highway, as
their northbound companions decid
ed to extend their visit in the north
They are Miss Sumaya Sahawi ol
Bagdad and her University of Cali
fornia room-mate, Miss Betty Mc
Nalley.
Other members of Che Fairbanks
bound party August 16 had not ex
pected to return. They are Mrs
Maynard Stimson and her 2-year
old son, Eric, who joined Mr. Stim
son and 4 Vi -year-old Clifford. Thes(
former Juneauites were fortunats
in finding a place to live while Mr
. Stimson is associated with the Uni
1 versity of Alaska as assistant pro
cessor in civil engineering.
U. N. FORCES REPEL
ATTACKS BY NORTH
KOREAN COMMUNISTS
STATE DEPT.
CRITICIZES |
NAVY SECY, i
_
Matthews Talk About Pre
ventative War Is Disap
proved by Diplomats
WASHINGTON, Aug. 2G — —
The State Department today ex
pressed sharp disapproval of a
speech by Navy Secretary Matthews
at Boston in which he said the
United States should be willing to
start a war in the interest of peace.
Reporters were told by press offi
cer Roger Tubby that the speech
was not cleared by the Depart
ment of State.” He added:
“Mr. Matthews’ remarks about in
:tltuting a war for peace do not
represent U. S', policy. The United
States Government does not favor
instituting a war of any kind.”
The White House refused com
ment on the speech. White House
officials said in response to a
query that it was not cleared there
In advance.
In his address, at the Boston
Navy Yard last night, the Navy's
civilian chief said this country
should be willing to pay any price
‘even the price of instituting a
war, to compel cooperation for
peace.”
He did not represent this view
to be government policy, though it
was stated by a cabinet officer
with the prestige which he pos
sesses.
State Department officials and
many others in the- administration
have always talked very strongly
against any action by the United
States or the western powers to
undertake what is sometimes called
the “preventive war." They con
tend tlfet only by following a policy
of peace until compelled to fight
to resist aggression—as in Korea—
can the U. S. hope either to
achieve the kind of world it wants
or to maintain its position of
leadership among the peacefully In
clined nations.
ARMY FINDS MORE
EVIDENCE OF RUSS
! HELP TO KO-REDS
WASHINGTON, Aug. 26. — 'iTl —
The Army reported new evidence
today of recent Russian shipments
of fighting equipment to the Korean
Communists.
A briefing officer at defense head
quarters told reporters of the de
velopment. The disclosure came on
the heels of a report from the same
source yesterday that 120 heavy
tanks were shipped to North Korea
In July from the Russian-controlled
Manchurian port of Dairen.
Russian spokesmen have insisted
that the Soviet Union has provided
the Korean Reds with no additional
fighting tools since Russian soldiers
pulled out of North Korea.
Coupled with the report on tanks
[ w as an account of the massing of
! two Chinese Communist armies near
the Korean border.
SEATTLEITES HERE
Seattle visitors registered at the
Baranof Hotel are: E. P. Raymon,
| Alfred Millikan, Larry Hagan of
Standrd Oil, Ed and Nance Critten
i den, Walter Sharpe of the Alaska
1 Salmon Industry, Rev. and Mrs. L.
| H. S’teinhoff, James Houston, Perry
Huff, Meyer Horowitz, E. E. Daven
port of Union Oil. Mr. and Mrs. H.
A. Doudenspeck, O. H. Chamerlain,
Trv Cunz. Walter H. Zobrist and
W. J. Jolly of Libby McNeil and
j Libby. __
l
United States Concerned
Over Possible Threat of
Chinese Entry in War
(By Associated Press)
United Nations troops today forc
ed Invading North Korean forces to
withdraw from the Kumhwa cor
ridor north of Taegu, key Allied
base, and repelled a Red assault on
the south coast aimed toward Pusan,
vital supply port.
Field officers said three North
Korean divisions were so badly
mauled in the Kumhwa "death trap"
that they could not mount another
offensive In this sector for at least
10 days.
But the Reds pushed more omin
ously 23 miles northeast In the sev
enth consecutive day of the bitter
fighting around Taegu. A major
Red push by probably 20,000 men
forced the defending South Koreans
back a mile along the Ulsong-Sinn
yong road In the vicinity of Chong
no. But, Qen, MacArthur’s head
quarters said, the South Koreans
regained the territory In a counter
attack and late reports said their
tines we hi'Ming.
While reports from the South
Korean battlefront showed UN forc
[ es were either holding their own or t
[ advancing slightly, tire V. S. Army
showed concern In Washington ovei
its disclosure that Chinese Commun<
ists have massed two armies in
.vfanchurla near the Korean border.
200,000 Chinese Reds Massed
Tne number of Chinese Reds con
centrated in this section was said
io be 200,000. A U. 8. Army spokes
man said 120 huge tanks have been
sent to the North Korean Com
munists from the Russian-controlled
port of Dairen.
This report came on the heels of
Red China's accusation the Uni
' ied States committed an aggresive
act by giving Naval protection to
Formosa, Nationalist Chinese island
marked for “liberation" by the Com
munists. The Communists directed
their charge to the UN Security
Council. The United States said it
would not object to putting Formosa
on the Council's agenda lot discus
sion next week but will protest if
attempt is made to put it ahead of an
American resolution aimed' at lo
calizing the Korean war.
If the Communist Chinese forces
in Manchuria move southward to
aid the North Koreans, it would
mean a sharp revision of fighting
plans for United Nations forces now
holding the South Korean brldge
! head.
South Koreans Advance
Along the East Coast two South
Korean divisions opened the second
day of a coordinated assault north
i of Pohang. The Third Division push
ed the invaders back in the Hung
hae sector, five miles north of Po
hang, while to the west another di
vision was fighting to regain two
(Continued on Page Five)
• •
• WEATHER REPORT •
| • Temperatures for 24-Hour Period •
• ending 6:20 o'clock this morning •
• In Juneau—Maximum, 60; •
• minimum, 52. •
• At Airport—Maximum. 57; •
• minimum, 52. •
• •
• FORECAST •
• (Juneaa and Vletnltr) •
• Mostly cloudy with occas- •
• ional showers tonight and ••
• Sunday. Little change in tern- •
• perature with the lowest to- •
• night 52 degrees and the •
• highest Sunday 60. •
• •
• PRECIPITATION •
• (Past 24 hours ending 7:30 a m. todar •
• City of Juneau—1.33 inches; • '
• since August 1—3.01 inches •
• since July 1—12.94 inches. •
• At Airport—1.81 inches; •
• since August 1—3.80 inches; •
• since July 1—10.80 inches. •