psE) THE BAILS' ALASKA EMPIRE 1 ™ 1
L / _ mtALL TUEiSews all the time* _____
VOL. LXXVI . NO. 11,772 JUNEAU, ALASKA, SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 1951 MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS PRICE TEN_ CENTS
U.S. Tank Columns Stab Across 38th Parallel
FLOODS HIT
WIDE AREAS
INSTATES
One Thousand Persons
Already Driven from
Homes as Rivers Rise
By Associated Press
Drenching rains of the past two
days sent swollen rivers in the deep
south over their banks today, with
others approaching the flood stage.
Heavy rains and melting snows also
inundated parts of New York and
New Jersey in the east, and North
Dakota and Illinois in the midwest.
Some 1.200 persons already have
been driven from their homes in
Mississippi, with two deaths re
ported due to high waters. Scores
of families were fleeing their Ala
bama homes, with one man reported
missing.
City Under Water
At Childersburg, Ala., the Coosa
River passed 30 feet early today, i
and was inching up to its highest
flood stage in more than half a
century. With a large section of the
city under water, National Guards
men and Red Cross workers averted
a possible tragic toll of lives. Sim
ple flood stage there is 20 feet.
Melting snow and rains in North
Dakota sent the Knife River over
its banks, forcing a score of fami
lies to evacuate their homes.
The mighty Mississippi River
spread its waters over the levees
outside Quincy, 111. Although a
number of families were forced to
ilee their lowland homes, serious
flood damage was not anticipated.
In upstate New York, the heavy
spring rains threatened to wash
away small dwellings, with many
highways blocked by landslides or
flood water'.
ANCHORAGE FIRM IS
LOW BIDDER, SKAGWAY
FLOOD CONTROL DEAL
The Palmer Construction Co., of
Anchorage was low bidder on the
Skagway emergency flood control
project which involves dikes and
the raising of the 23rd Avenue
bridge. Their bid was $90,270.13. The
U. S. Engineers estimate was $113,
558. Bids were opened in Seattle.
Other bidders were the Munter
■ Constructioh Co. of Seattle and
the M. P. Butler Co., also of Se
attle.
THREE SPEEDERS FINED
Police are cracking down on speed
ers. In municipal court this morning
Louis Bonnett was fined $35 for
speeding op a motorcycle. James
McCormick was fined $35 for speed
ing on a motorcycle and $35 more
for disturbing the peace. George
Hendrickson pleaded guilty to a car
speeding charge and drew a $35
fine.
TO HAWAII
T. P. Newell, former steward at
the Moose Club, left yesterday on
?AA for a vacation in Honolulu.
The Washington
Merry-Go-Round
By DREW PEARSON
(Copyright. 1951. or Bell Syndicate. Inc..
T^ASHINGTON.—There are more
reasons than meet the eye why the!
Kefauver crime probe should be in
definitely continued. One of them
is the general lethargy of U. S.
attorneys.
This lethargy is partly due to
the system under which U .S.
attorneys are appointed—a system
which has developed without the
blessing of the constitution and
which the average layman does not
realize exists.
Today no U. S. District Attorney
in any of the 48 states is appointed
without the personal blessing of the
leading Democratic senator or
Democratic political boss from that
state. As a result the district at
torney's office has become a matter
of patronage—a part of the polit
ical machine which helps pave the
way for re-election.
Naturally the senator who ap
(Continued on Page Four)
Butler Approves Election
Alaska Gov., Lieut. Gov.
R. L. STEWART
RETIRES APRIL 1
FROM MIKE OFFICE
R. L. Stewart, veteran employe
of the Territorial Department of
Mines is retiring from that depart
ment effective tomorrow. April 1.
Stewart came to Alaska, August
15, 192C, from the Seattle station
of the U. S. Bureau of Mines. He
worked under B. D. Stewart who
retired from the same agency a
year ago but who, at the time, was
mine inspector for the Territory. R.
L. Stewart came to Juneau as prin
cipal clerk for the local office and
retires as administrative assistant.
He spent all of his 25 years of serv
ice in the Juneau office.
Application for Stewart’s retire
ment was approved by the retire
ment board at a meeting last Tues
day along with the application of
William W. Maitland, office man
ager of the Employment Service of
the Employment Security Commis
sion of Anchorage.
Stewart said today that he and
Mrs. Stewart will remain in Juneau.
They have two children, a son, Ed
win, who is working for the Bureau
of Reclamation at Palmer, and a
daughter, Mrs. A. M. Ross of Belle
vue. Both childen were raised in
Juneau.
Mrs. Donna Flint will succeed
Stewart as administrative assistant.
She has been on the staff of the
Territorial Department of Mines
for the past year.
ATTORNEY GENERAL
LEAVING TOMORROW
FOR CIRCUIT COURT
Attorney General J. Gerald
Williams is leaving for San Fran
cisco tomorrow on the Baranof to
represent the Territory at the Cir
cuit of Appeals.
The case, which opens April 9.
concerns the property tax law which
was passed by the 1949 Legislature
and challenged by Luther C. Hess
of Fairbanks and the Alaska Juneau
Gold Mining Co. of Juneau. The
case was lost in district court by
the Territory and is now before the
Circuit Court of Appeals.
Attorneys for the appellees are H.
L. Faulkner of Juneau, Medley and
Haugland, and Collins and Closky
of Fairbanks.
Before returning home Williams
plans to consult with Arthur C
Miller, regional attorney for the
Federal Security Agency in San
Francisco relative to Chapter 95
SLA 1951 which is an enabling act
passed by the recent Legislature to
provide coverage of Territorial and
municipal employes under old age
I and survivors insurance.
I ' ■
O'Dwyer
Back to
Mexico
NEW YORK, March 31.—UPI—
Ambassador William O’Dwyer left
New York today for his post at
Mexico City, after running a gamut
of investigations in the city where
he formerly was mayor.
The plane returning him to Mex
ico is a four-engined DC-4 sent
here for him by Mexico’s Presi
dent, Miguel Aleman.
In a brief interview before his
departure, O’Dwyer declared that
he strongly favored investigations
like the Senate Crime Committee'
hearings in New York at which he
was a major witness.
He added, however, that the hear
ings gave a “distortion of my work”
in public service.
"I am not at all worried that
the day will come when it will be
cleared up,” he said. "I know I
really meant to do a really good
job. I was conscientious. .... I
know I did not betray any public
trust, and I never will.” 1
WASHINGTON, March 31 —(A>)—
Senator Butler (R-Neb) says he
would be glad to amend his bill call
ing for election of the Alaska gov
ernor to include the lieutenant gov
ernor or secretary of the Territory.
He made his statement in the Sen
ate when offering for the Con
gressional Record editorial from
Alaska newspapers favoring hi
proposal that Alaskans elect their
governor.
Butler said:
“I understand that the Alaska
Legislature also feels that the gov
ernor’s successor, the lieutenant
governor or secretary, should like
wise be made elective, and I would,
personally be glad to incorporate
that change in my bill.”
GEN.CLAY
RESIGNS
ODM POST
— i
WASHINGTON, March 31—tfl— j
General Lucius D. Clay has left his j
post as special assistant to mobili-1
zation director Charles E. Wilson, j
He is returning to the chairman
ship of Continental Can Co., New !
York.
Clay, one of the two top aides to
the mobilization chief, was a spe
cial target for the criticism of
labor leaders in their walkout from
the Federal Mobilization Agencies.
Wilson said Clay came to Wash
ington with the understanding he
could return to private industry on
completion of the first rush of work
in organizing the office of defense
mobilization.
In a statement, Wilson thanked |
Clay for an "outstanding contribu
tion” to the defense program." He
said Clay had devoted himself “en
ergetically, effectively and unself
ishly” to the task, and will be called
on to give special advice and aid
as a consultant.
The resignation was expected to
improve ODM's relationship with
organized labor. AFL president Wil
liam Green has accused Clay of
having been in favor of compulsory
labor service in World War II.
Green said unionists suspected Clay
still held such views.
LOCAL 'HAMS' HOLD
TRAINING SESSION
FOR CIVIL DEFENSE
Juneau area "hams'' checked in
Thursday night with their net con
trol station KL7IG, continuing their
training in case of an emergency,
according to Charles Gray of Doug
las, owner and operator of that
station.
The local group of radio amateur
operators is holding regular drills
each week, with members taking
turns as net control of the ten
meter Juneau Radio Amateur Em
ergency Net. Those who answered
the roll call last night were.
KL7AFP, Roy Keil, and KL7AR,
Oscar "Ben” Benecke, both of Ju
neau; KL7CZ, Ray Hensley, Thane;
KL7MF, Harold DeVoe, Auk Bay;
and KL7TI, Jim Heay, Glacier
Highway.
s Since the local emergency net
was formed a few weeks ago the
following Juneau “hams” in ad
dition to those already listed, have
participated: KL7AAR, Ken Allen;
KL7GI, Dean Williams, who is
emergency coordinator for the local
net; and KL7GV, Leo Osterman.
Geared to operate in connection
with the civilian emergency defense
set-up, the Juneau group is follow
ing the lead of their brother “hams”
in Fairbanks, where the emergency
net is reported to be outstanding
in its organization. Ketchikan
“hams” are also working to improve
their readiness for emergency work
by regular drills, and other Alaska
communities no doubt are produc
ing similar radio nets, Mr. Gray
stated.
FROM FAIRBANKS
Jack Little of Fairbanks is regis
tered at the Baranof Hotel.
SEATTLE
RACKET
CHARGED
SEATTLE, March 31 — W— One
of five women arrested on vagran
cy charges said in a statement made
public in Justice Court yesterday
that she had made payoffs to a
King County sheriff's deputy to
keep a house of prostitution operat
ing.
The statement, made by Eileen
Avanzino, 26, alias Bunny Scott,
named Elmo Hudgens, suspended
deputy.
Identifying herself as the oper
ator of the house, Mrs. Avanzino
also declared she had paid pro
tection money to Nelson Durham, a
Seattle attorney, and Stewart Jac
obsen, Seattle private detective. All
three issued denials.
PROFITSON
SHIP DEAL
ARE PROBED
WASHINGTON, March 31 —«1—
Joseph E. Casey and his associates,
who made $2,800,000 on a deal in
volving the purchase and sale of
five surplus ships, will take their
own time to answer questions of an
investigating committee, Casey said
today.
The cormriitfc#. led by senator
Fulbright (D-Ark), has not charg
ed that any part of the deal was
illegal. But it wants to know if
political influence' Wits involved.
It is the same committee whidh
recently charged that three di
rectors of the Reconstruction Fi
nance Corporation yielded to out
side influence in granting loans.
The Maritime Administration has
named Admiral William F. (Bull)
Halsey, U. S. Diplomat Julius, C.
Holmes and the late former Secre
tary of State Edward R. Stettinius,
Jr., as being among Casey's 17 asso
ciates. Their investment was only
$100,000, the committee has been
told.
Yesterday 12 silent witnesses were
cited for contempt of Congress by
the Senate. They included big-natne
gambling figures like Frank Cos
tello, Joe Adonis and Frank Erick
son. Conviction carries a maximum
penalty of one year in jail and a
$1,000 fine.
TWO DOZEN FLY VIA
PACIFIC NORTHERN
Pacific Northern Airlines car
ried two dozen passengers yester
day with 11 arriving from the west
ward and 13 flying out.
Prom Anchorage: Linor Menter,
John Bowen, J. G. Williams, Lt,
Col. Palik. T. S. Bachelder, Olaf
Hanson, L. Cavett.
From Cordova: Gordon Nelson,
Dr. Armstrong, Pat Armstrong, Ken
Brittell.
To Anchorage: Mrs. Pat Andrus,
R. P. Rittenhouse, G. Vecchio, Mrs.
Philip Lynch. Col. J. D. Alexander,
Tom Dyer, R. W. Tarte, William
Collingwood, Xlah Parmenter.
To Cordova: Phil Allen, Joyce
Carper.
To Yakutat: Margaret Collins,
Mrs. Severson.
_____
FANNIE HANSON
FUNERAL MONDAY
Funeral services will be held for
Mrs. Fannie Hanson Monday after
noon at 2 o’clock in the Catholic
Church with the Rev. Fr. Robert
Whelan saying the mass.
Interment will be in the Catholic
plot in Evergreen Cemetery. Pall
bearers will be Jimmie Fox, Wil
liam Kunz, John Wise, Joseph Ste
vens, Sr., George Stevens, and J.
King.
The remains will be taken to the
A. N. B. Hall in the Native Village
tomorrow for overnight.
Mrs. Hanson died here last Tues
day.
FROM HOLLYWOOD
Alberta Cole of Hollywood, is reg
istered at the Baranof hotel.
I *
CIVILIAN
SHORTAGES
PREDICTED
WASHINGTON, March 31—Iff)—
Gen. Lucius D. Clay, leaving his
high mobilization job to reenter
private industry, predicted today
that shortages will hit the civilian
economy "hard and heavy" late
this year.
Makers of cars, refrigerators and
other, durables, whose steel supply
will be cut 20 per cent starting to
morrow, probably will be trimmed
"another 10 per cent or more" in
the third or fourth quarters. Clay
told a reporter.
The cutbacks have been cautious
so far, he said, partly because de
fense leaders want to avoid wide
spread layoffs.
Clay forecast a strong showing
through the next three months by
passenger car producers despite
the one-fifth reduction in steel.
The bulk of needed materials al
ready is otr hand, he explained.
Clay’s decision to quit Washing
ton was announced yesterday.
Clay will resume the board
chairmanship of Continental Can
Co., New York.
DENIES RITA
RUNS MOVE,
SEPARATION
CAIRO, March 3i — (^i—Prince
Aly Khan says reports that his wile,'
film star Rita Hayworth, is con
sidering a separation are "coin*
plete nonsense.”
He specifically denied today a
story written by New York Post
columnist Earl Wilson saying that
Rita might deny the separate re
port but soon would decide whether
to end her marriage to the eldest
son and heir of the fabulously
wealthy Aga Khan.
__ __ I
41 FLY WITH PAA
23 IN; 18 DEPART
Porty-one travelers flew with Pan
American World Airways yesterday
with’ 23 arriving from Seattle, 16
to Seattle and two to Annette.
Prom Seattle: Arvid Ackerman,
Roy Avrit, Phillip Allen, Joyce
Carper, Alberta Cole, W. Colling -
wood, Thomas Plugfitad, K. Hil
dum, Elizabeth Hginemann, Dean
Dart, Virginia Johnson, Ruth Lee,
Edward Murphy, S. McAfee, A. E.
•Owens, L. Perry, K. Roach, John
Stewart; Roger Thomas, and George
and Pauline Sharrock with chil
dren Pat and Diane.
To Seattle: Mr. and Mrs. M.
Whittier, Lt. Ellis, Mrs. Bogue, Lee
Alverson, Capt. Haymes, Dorothy
Novatney, Clyde Sherman, T. P
Newell, Mr. and Mrs. Stanley
Putzke, David Ward, Don Bour
land, E>r. P. C. Armstrong, Patrick
Armstrong, Alfred Pilkington.
To Annette: William Middleton,
Gordon Gould.
ARMY TRANSPORT
WILL CONTINUE TO
TRUCKTO ALASKA
WASHINGTON, March 31
The Senate Banking Committee
has received a report that the Army
Transportation Corps “has decided
to make permanent the trucking of
supplies to Alaska from Great Falls,
Mont., due to its economy as com
pared with rail-water costs.’
The committee made this public
in a report recommending Senate
passage of a $1,500,000 Defense
Housing Bill which will be debated
next week.
Information for the report was
obtained from government depart
ments and from news dispatches.
Housing was reported inadequate
at Great Falls, partly due to the
trucking operations.
CORDOVA VISITOR
Gordon Nelson of Cordova is
stopping at the Baranof hotel.
NILE QUEEN — Marguerite Alessendreila (center), 18,
flanked by runners-up Sophie Kouyoudgin (left) Mi
d'Aeeot after winning “Mist Egypt. 1951” beauty contest in Cairo.
HERE IS SOMETHING
IMPORTANT TO THOSE
HANDLING CIGARETTES
The Attorney General J. Gerald
Williams has ruled that the sellers
of tobacco products must make an
Inventory as of April 1 on all cigar
ettes in stock as they must pay the
increased rate on all floor stocks.
Due to the fact that the tax has
been assessed and collected by the
Department of Taxation on the
basis of purchases all tobacconists,
which includes ,all those handling
tobacco products must pay the ad
ditional two cents on all tobacco
stocks on hand as of April 1.
Inventory forms will be sent from
the tax office Monday, April 2. The
tax commissioner advises those
handling tobacco products to dis
regard notices and supplement re
turns mailed from its office last
week, due to the attorney general’s
ruling of March 31.
CAN USE
A-BOMB
ON RUSS
WASHINGTON, March 31 —(>P>—
' Senator McMahon (D-Conn) said
today there won’t be any legal bar
riers to use of the atomic bomb if
Russia starts a war.
! Senator Hiekenlooper (R-Iowa)
posed in the Senate yesterday the
question of whether present law
liars delivery of the bomb to the
North Atlantic Pact force headed
by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Hiekenlooper said if the Presi
dent can assign troops to an inter
national Army under Eisenhower,
he can also assign military equip
ment.
“However, does he have the au
thority to give atomic bombs and
to authorize their use to an inter
national authority which is beyond
the complete control of the United
States?” the Iowa senator asked.
Contending that Eisenhower is
“subject to the discipline and au
thority of an international coun
cil,” Hiekenlooper noted that under
the law atomic weapons must re
main “under and within the juris
diction of the United States."
McMahon said there isn’t any
question that the bomb will be used
in the event of war.
STEAMER MOVEMENTS
I r'
Denali from Seattle due some
time Monday.
Princess Norah scheduled to sail
from Vancouver 8 p.m., ADril 4.
Baranof scheduled to arrive from
westward 9 p. m., Sunday, south
bound.
ROSEMARY THEiLE !
CROWNED QUEEN
OF JUNIOR PROM!
Lovely Rosemary Thelle, daughter j
of Mrs. Karl Thelle of Juneau,!
was crowned Queen of the Junior !
Prom at the annual* spqlal,; event, j
of the year for the jUlra Public ,
High school, imirt uwt ni*):: In
the High school* ^ymnasnm/.
Reigning wit|l‘ .the. Qyeen was-1
King Richard’ tfticki’**■ Kththahii,!
son of Mr. and Mrs. E. L. Kcithahn.
While the naming of a queen from i
the graduating class has been the
highlight of the Junior Prom for j
a number of years past this is the
first year a king for the event has
been elected.
The crowning of the king and 1
queen took place at midnight and I
until that time their identity was ,
kept a secret. The ceremony took
place at the throne on which stood j
the two chairs draped in royal :
purple, against a back drop of i
the royal colors in a huge sea j
shell setting carrying out the dec
orative theme of the wonders of I
the undersea world.
Queen’s Procession
After the traditional grand march
had ended with the guests form
ing an aisle for the processional,
the ceremony of crowning King
Richard took place and he stood
at his throne chair awaiting the
entrance of Queen Rosemary and
her entourage. Crown bearer for
the King was young Dick Hopkins,
son of Mr, and Mrs. Carl Lund
qquist.
The procession for the Queen was
led by the crown bearer, little Miss
Lee Ann Satre, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. John Satre, followed
by the six princesses, who with
Miss Rosemary had been candidates
for the crown. The Queen followed
her princesses. She was beautiful
in a floor length white dress, the
flair at the waistline sparkling
with sequins, a perfect setting for
her dark beauty. She wore long
white arm gloves and carried a
bouquet of white spring flowers.
The Queen was crowned by A1
Carlson, president of the class.
A picture of loveliness was made
by the Six princesses in their
stunning formal dresses of various
beautiful shades and styles. The
senior class girls who attended the
Queen were Ann Henning, Lynn
Bodding, Anne Parsons, Donna
Wood, Dixie Tandy and Mary Whi
taker.
Spectators Watch
Spectators filled the balcony to
watch the crowning of the king
and queen and to participate as
onlookers to one of the most attrac
tive Junior Proms yet given by a
Junior class.
PNA AUDITOR HERE
Dean Hart, PNA auditor, arrived
here yesterday on PAA from Seat
tle and will go on to Cordova today,
later to Anchorage and return here
next Thursday.
RED FORCES
BEATEN OFF
IN ATTACKS
Big Bombing Raid Report*
ed-Russian Jets En
gage B-29s
By Associated Press
Two American tank columns
slabbed across the 38th Parallel to
day, beating oft anti-tank gun,
mortar and grenade attacks as they
probed the Red Chinese offensive
buildup in Korea.
One tank column pushed one
half mile Into Red Territory north
of Uijongbu then retired before
dusk.
The other column thrust Into
Communist territory north of the
Chungpyong Reservoir on the Cen
tral front.
Rods Slash Hack
The Communists slashed back at
the Allied forces on the Central
front, about 40 miles east of where
the tanks crossed the boundary line
between North and South Korea.
The Reds were holding positions
about one mile north of Chunchon—
regarded as a logical jumpoff point
for an offensive by either side.
On the Eastern side of the penin
sula, Republic of Korea <ROK>
troops moved up the coast to a
point eight miles north of the
Parallel. They met with some re
sistance north of the border for the
first time Friday as they moved be
yond Yanayang village.
UN Line Extended
The United Nations tank thmet
on the western end of the line Is
aft extghsion of the gain Allied
troops made a week ago with a drop
of parachute forces that quickly
enveloped Uijongbu and pushed on
tt> the border against stiffening re
sistance.
Under terms laic) down by De
fense Secretary Marshall earlier
this week, the tank thrust must be
a tactical effort and not the start
of a full scale offensive.
Muscle In Air
The Red buildup on the ground
was bolstered Friday with a show
of muscle in the air. About 80
American Sabre Jet fighters and
Russian made mig-15s tangled In
what was described as history’s big
gest Jet battle.
About 40 Russian Jets Jumped the
American force during a B-29 bomb
ing raid Just south of the Yalu River
boundary between North Korea and
Manchuria. One mig was downed
and four damaged. No damage was
reported to the American planes.
For the third successive night.
Allied planes reported large ve
hicular concentrations moving sup
plies to the Red Chinese at the
front. Fighter bombers claimed they
destroyed 100 of 1.800 vehicles seen
moving up Friday night. Thursday
night they estimated 2,100 vehicles
were seen moving up to the Red
front and Wednesday night 2.000
were spotted.
SUPERSONIC ROCKET
PLANE TO FLY SOON,
EXPERIMENTAL TEST
WASHINGTON, March 31 ——
The air force expects to put into
the air sometime this year a new
supersonic rocket plane which will
fly faster and higher than any
man-ridden aircraft in existence.
The X-2—a diminutive little
plane with wings swept sharply
back to help it bore through the
air at speeds far above that of
sound1—has been building for three
years. But only now Is it beginning
to approach the flight test period.
An air force spokesman told a
reporter today the X-2 “is expected
to fly before the end of 1951."
The X-2, like the X-l which ex
ceeded the speed of sound <761 miles
an hour at sea level), is purely an
| experimental aircraft. Too small to
carry anything but a pilot and in
; struments, it contains no arms
' ment or other equipment common
| to combat planes.
--
FROM PELICAN
Arvid Ackerman of the Whi*
| Fish Co.. Pelican, is stopping at the
I Gastineau hotel.