THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE
, UALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME"
VOL. LXXVI., NO. 11,726
JUNEAU, ALASKA, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1951
MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
PRICE TEN CENTS
Killer Raids Maul Reds 45 Mile Koi
HOUSE HOLDS
LONG HEARING
ON TWO SILLS
(By Bob DeArmond)
Two unemployment compensation
bills—H.B. 9, to lengthen the time
during which dependency allowanc
es could be received to a full 25
weeks, ar.d H.B. 10 to increase maxi
mum weekly benefits to $30—occu
pide the attention of the House of
Representatives during most of its
Saturday session, forenoon and af
ternoon.
Sitting as a Committee of the
Whole with Rep. Andrew Hope in
the chair, the members h°ard John
T. McLaughlin, director of the un
employment insurance division;
George F. Crisman, coordinator for
the Employment Security Commis
sion, and Cleda Mae Cammock. exe
cutive secretary of the Alaska Ter
ritorial Federation of Labor, on var -
ious aspects of the bills and their
probable effect upon the compensa
tion fund.
The fund at the end of 1951
amounted to $9,094,594.64 and had
dropped more than two million dol
lars since the end of 1949.
Various explanations were advanc
ed for this drop.
John McLaughlin attributed the
decrease to a business recession late
in 1949 and early in 1950. "Without
unemployment insurance,” he said,
"we might have had a major de
pression.”
Now On 1 ngrade
McLaughlin said, in answer io a
question, that tlv.e will be more
employment in Alaska in 1951 than
In 1950 and added that benefit pay
ments in January, 1951, were 50
percent lower than in January.
1950.
George F. Crisman also looked for
more employment this year and pre
dicted the fund will reach ten mil
lion dollars again by the end of
July.
Representatives Miscovich and
Franklin, both mining men, blamed
the fund depletion on the large
construction jobs cf the past couple
of years.
These jobs, they pointed out, lay
off large numbers of men for the
winter months and since they are
not classified as seasonal workers, it
is possible for them to collect bene
fits.
Mining Is Seasonal
The mining industry. Rep. Frank
lin said, largely shuts down during
the winter for the same reason that
construction stops—because of wea
ther conditions. The mining indus
try, he said, is classified as seasonal
and miners cannot draw benefits
during the winter months.
Both Franklin and Miscovitch felt
the miners are discriminated
against under the present arrange
ment. Both men advocated classify
ing contract construction workers
in Alaska as seasonal emnloyees.
Question'd by Rep. Miscovich, Mc
Laughlin said he knew of no action
now being taken to so classify con
struction workers.
Rep. Stanley McCutcheon, the old
foe of employers’ experience rating
credits, repeatedly pointed to these
The Washington
Merry-Go-Round
Ry DREW PEARSON
(Copyright, 1951, Dy Bell Syndicate, Inc.)
T'J'ASHINGTON It’s still an of
ficial secret but the United States
will soon be independent of the
rest of the world when it comes
to opium
This independence will be ob
tained by planting about 30,000
acres of poppies in California and
the far west; second, by using a
new substitute lor morphine —
methodine.
Most people don’t realize it, but
the hospitals of the United States
could hardly function without op
ium. In addition, opium and its
derivatives—morphine and codeine
—would be indispensable in an
atomic-bomb disaster. Yet our chief
sources of opium are either under
or near Communist domination.
One opium area, China, is now com
pletely Communist, while another,
Iran, could be taken over by Russia
in a few days. A third source, Mace
donia, is on the precarious edge
of the Iron Curtain.
Therefore, having learned a les
son in World War II, when we let
(Continued on Page Four)
i..
credits as responsible for the declin
ing fund.
Ceiling On Fund
He insisted that experience rat
ing credits in effect place a ceil
ing on the compensation fund. In
answer, Rep. Doris Barnes pointed
out that there is also a floor to
the fund and that when it drops to
a certain point, experience rating
credits cease.
Both Employment Security offi
I cials doubted that the proposed
bills would damage the fund. Cris
man estimated that piolonged de
pendency benefits will cost the fund
about $90,000 a year and the $5 a
week benefit increase will cost $290,
000 Oto $300,000.
Passage of the latter bill only
would increase the maximum pay
ments H an unemployed indi
vidual from $325 to $750, McLaugh
lin stated. Passage of both bills
would increase potential benefits to
$1200 for an individual with the
maximum number of dependents.
Eighteen thousand individuals ap
plied for benefits during the past
year. Crisinan told the ccmmitee.
Of these, 12,226 were eligible vo re
ceive benefits and 10,815 received at
least one ben,Sit chcbh. There
were 2,308 claimants for dependency
allowances.
Crisman said that both Oregon
and Washington are considering
bills to increase benefits to $30 a
j week.
Higher Cost of Living
McLaughlin pointed out the high
er cost of living In Alaska, noted
that the last increase in Alaska
benefit rates had been in !94G, and
said he believes it is time to bring
the schedules in -line with the times.
It was brought out during the
hearing that last year 47 percent
Of tctal benefit payments were made
to people in the states, under the
reciprocal agreement between states.
In order to receive benefits, he
! pointed out, these people must be
unemloyed through no fault of their
own and must be registered and
available for work.
Getting back to construction
workers, Rep. Miscovich asserted
that some of them earn from $5,000
to $3,000 during the season, that the
employer pays a maximum of about
$80 into the fund that these workers
can go outside at the end of the
season and draw up to $625 in bene
fits.
“It’s no wonder the fund is being
depleted,’" Miscovich commented.
“They can draw the benefits even
though they have a million dollar;
in the bank, it they are out of
work and are seeking jobs,” Mc
Laughlin said.
Benefits a Right
Cleda Mae Cammock, making a
plea for the passage of both the
bills, asserted that compensation
benefits are a right, not a privilege
or charity.
Employer contributions to the
fund do not come from their pock
ets and cost them nothing, since
they merely pass it on as a cost of
doing business, she said.
Rep. Franklin challenged this
statement insofar as gold mining
is concerned. "Passing it on” is
impossible with a fisted price of
gold, he said.
The original formula for benefits
called for payments amounting to
50 percent of weekly earnings, the
union representatives told the com
mittee. She said present benefits
have fallen far below the 50 per-,
cent mark and that there is a sur
plus in the fund to care for increas
ed payments.
The two bills were to come before
the House for further consideration
today.
Before adjourning on Saturday
the House unanimously passed H.B.
14, to adopt the 1949 compilation
of Alaska laws as the Code of Al
aska.
SUNDAY FIUE CALL
The 3-9 fire call Sunday morn
ing at 8:30 was to the residence of
Mrs. Tom Hughes, 530 Park, for an
overheated stove. No damage other
than to the stove was reported.
STEAMER MOVEMENTS
Denali from Seattle scheduled to
arrive at 5 p.m. today.
Barnnof scheduled to sail from
Seattle at 4 p.m. Friday.
Princess Norah scheduled to ar
rive at 7 o’clock tomorrow morning
and sails south one hour later at
8 o’clock.
A bed of hydrangeas at Oriental
Gardens, Jacksonville, P'lorida, turns
color when it rains. Acid-sensitive
hydrangeas respond to chemicals
washed from an alkaline shell road
way during rams.
ANTI-JAP FISHING
BILL IS SPEEDED
THROUGH SENATE
By JIM HUTCHESON
The territorial senate whipped
through an anti-Japanese fishing
resolution in record time this morn
mg.
Within 10 minutes after Sen. El
ton Engstrom (R-Juneau) had in
troduced it, the Senate had sped it
through three readings and had
given it a unanimous vote.
It is a Senate joint resolution,
which also requires House action
before it is forwarded to President
Truman, the secretary of state and
leaders of Congress.
By coincidence, the House had
before it a similar measure—a joint
memorial by Rep. C. C. Carlson.
Action on it was delayed by the !
House until this afternoon, how
ever, after Rep. James S. MacKin
non (R-Juneau) said the Juneau
Chamber of Commerce wished to
submit a paragraph to add to the
memorial.
Both measures ask that any
treaty with Japan shall include
safeguards against Japanese ever
again encroaching o n fishing
grounds off North America. They
ask the Senate to refuse to ratify
any treaty that does not include
the safeguard.
The Engstrom resolution cites
both the fishing grounds of Alas- i
kans and Canadians, cites the tre
mendous investment in the indus
tries and recalls the Japanese fish
ing fleets were a “deadly menace”
to them before World War II. It
says that reciprocally American
fishermen should stay out of Jap
anese waters.
It cites conservation efforts by
United Statas and Canadian agen
cies and adds: “On the other hand,
Japan has never considered the con
servation of fisheries even within
its own waters and has fished with
out restriction and without regard
to future supply.”
The Senate motion to whip thru
the Engstrom resolution was made
by Steve McCutcheon (D-Anchor
age). He moved for suspension of
the rules for speedy action “be
cause every Senator here knows
the background of the Japanese
fishing problem.”
The Senate also passed a bill by
Sen. Frank Barr (D-Fairbanks) to
modify the penalty for youths un
der 19 in certain rape cases.
The vote was 15 to 1, with Sen.
Percy Ipalook (R-Wales), an Eski
mo missionary, against it.
The present law provides life
imprisonment for any person con
victed of incestuous rape or of a
similar crime against a girl under
12. The Barr bill provides that if
the offender is under 19 the court
can reduce the sentence to from
3 to 20 years. That is the same pen
alty that applies now for most rape
cases.
PAH AM HANDLES
71 PASSENGERS
OVER WEEKEND
Thirty-five passengers arrived1
here via Pan American World Air
ways over the weekend and 36 de
parted.
Arrivirf from Seattle: Mr. and
Mrs. Norman Banfield, Eugene and
June Cerino, Frank and Leona
Chapados, Stephen Erickson, Gert-1
rude Fletcher, Jack Foster, H. Har
stad, Byron Mannery, John Man
deis, Charles Mountjoy, Frank Rut
lege, Joe Tassell, Peter Warner, H
L. Whiting, R. S'tevens, Priscilla
Parker, Brendell Canoles, Paul Cox.
William Frisby, Robert Purst, Rogej
Guenard, L. A. Hudson, C. E. Kor
Kalo, narold Margesson, Seldon and
Phyllis Martin, Garte Neredin, Ed
cror Sheele. John Thewlis, Clifford
Thurston, Doug West and William
Olson.
To Annette: Ray Dexter.
To Fairbanks: J. D. Martin, Min
nie Monroe and T. H. Dennison
To Seattle: James Monely, J. M.
Leisner, C. M. Latimer, Jack Guck.
er, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Smith, with
Gail, Chris and Sharon, Mr. and
Mrs. Shelley Reed, Milton Lawren
son, William Waldo, Walter Mitch
ell, Harold Foss, M. E. Bridston, Lt.
Lewis Tibbits, Comdr. Don Mor
rison. Comdr. Schleiter, Elroy Nin
nis, Ben Crawford, Marcus Russell,
Roland Edwards, Leonard Evans, N.
S. Penrose, Lloyd Wiseman, Mrs.
J. Heineman, Mrs. J. A. Thibo
deau, G. Q. Steven: Ni:k Rousch,
John Hales, Lee Albin.
SENATE PRESIDENT
NOW WILL SUPPORT
SCHOOL BOND ISSUE
By JIM HUTCHESON
A proposal for a territorial bond
issue to finance school construction
is likely to come before the Legis
lature that is starting its third week
today.
Senate President Gunnard Enge
breth (R-Anchorage), who voted
against a similar measure in the
1949 session, says he intends to
introduce a $15,000,000 bond issue
resolution in this session. He said
changing times have changed his
mind.
It has to be in the form of a
resolution to Congress, asking per
mission for a bond issue. Under the
organic act, the Legislature can't
actually vote a bond issue without
Congressional sanction. That’s one
of the numerous Congressional
apron strings to which the territor
ial legislature is tied.
“Pay As We Go”
Whether such a bond issue could
win the Legislature’s approval, even
if Congress were willing, is a moot
question. While Engebreth has
changed his mind on the issue,
many of the senators arc talking
firmly of sticking to a “pay as we
go” basis.
If the bonding proposal should
not win the approval of the Legis
lature and Congress, said the Sen
ate President, “then I see NO school
construction program for the next
biennium unless we do either of
two things: 1. Increase taxes or, 2.
Reduce other government expendi
tures.”
Children Won’t Wait
“In the cities we bond for sewers,:
street improvements and light fa
cilities, and I see no reason why we
shouldn’t do it to solve the crying
need for school facilities,” he de
clared. “Some may argue we should
wait and build schools later, but
children don’t wait. They grow.”
(In that field, the Anchorage busi
nessman and ex-teacher is recogniz
ed as a top authority; he has six
of them).
Explaining his changed view from
two years ago, Engebreth com
mented :
Change of Views
“Circumstances are different now.
Then we had just passed three
fundamental tax measures and some
minor ones. It appeared unwise to
request bonding authority since we
didn’t know what the revenue bills I
would produce and whether they |
would be held constitutional. Maj- •
or tax bills now have been upheld
in court and it is proper to con
sider further the problem of ade
quate school buildings,’ especially
outside incorporated districts. That
is where the need is most acute.
“Also two years ago, it appeared
that impending statehood action
might be affected adversely by a
bond issue request.”
Engebreth says about half the an
nual financing of such a bond issue
could be handled by earmarking the
3-cent cigaret tax for that purpose
and “certainly another half mil
lion could be made available an
nually from the treasury for such a
worthwhile project.”
ELKS PLAN BS5 PER
mm WEDNESDAY
Another big event will be observ- (
ed by the Juneau Elks on Wednes
day night. It is Past Exalted Rulers'
night. There will be initiation, spec
ial entertainment by the popular
Baranof Bubble Room boys, and a
big feed including fried chicken,
shrimp salad and what Igoes with
it.
FAIRBANKS VISITOR
Glenn Willacy of Fairbanks is at
the Baranof Hotel.
STOCK QUOTATIONS
NEW YORK, Feb. 5 — Closing
quotation of Alaska Juneau mine
stock today is 3%, American Can
108%, American Tel. & Tel. 154%,
Anaconda 41%, Douglas Aircraft
102%, General Electric 54%, Gen
eral Motors 51%, Goodyear 72%,
Kennecott 76%, Libby, McNeil &
Libby 9%, Northern Pacific 36,
Standard Oil of California 98%,
Twentieth Century Fox 22, U. S.
Steel 47%, Pound 2.80'%, Canadian
Exchange 95.06%.
Sales today were 2,680,000 shares.
Averages today were as follows:
Industrials 255.17, rails 90.08, util
ities 42.41.
RAIL STRIKE
MAY STOP ALL
AUTO MAKING
(By Associated Tress)
A bill to ctratt into military serv
ice railroad strikers holding occu
pational deferments was introduced
in Congress today.
Rep. Andrews (D-Ala) presented
the bill in the House as the strike,
completing its first week, tied new'
knots in the nation’s transporta
tion system.
More trains were cancelled, hun
dreds of plants shut down today
for lack of materials or shipping
facilities and new thousands were
thrown into idleness. The auto in
dustry says car-making will have
to stop if the walkout continues an
other week.
A “total deadlock" in negotia
tions in Washington aimed at set
tling wage-hour issues behind the
walkout was reported by a member
of the National (Railway) Media
tion Board.
Thoma: Bickers, board secretary,
said: “I’ve been in the business 32
years and I’ve never seen any more
stubborn case. We're still trying to
break the ice.”
Earlier, a railroad spokesman
said there was no truth of rumors
of an impending settlement.
Representatives of four railroad
unions and the carriers met in sep
arate sessions with the Mediation
Board in Washington.
GRADUATE REGENTS
9F MOOSE WOMEN
HONORED AT MEET
Women of the Moose, Chapter 439,
met Thursday evening for the re
gular business meeting and to honor
old members with Graduate Re
gents in the Officers chairs. !
The Graduate Regents were es
corted to the chapter room by the
snappy escort team and seated in
the following order:
Odelia Light, Jr. Graduate Regent;
Treva Reischl, Jr. Regent; Jo Jen
sen, Chaplain; May McKinnon, Re
corder; Anna Rodenberg, Treasurer;
Iva Hcrmansen, Guide; Elizabeth
Casperson, Assistant Guide; May
Larson, Sentinel; Edna Card, Argus,
and Else Sofculis. Tire Graduate
Regents conducted the meeting by
the old rituals, including a mock
initiation.
Committee chairman Anna Bod
ding, gave a very interesting talk
on the history of the charter which
was granted in August 1920. with
twenty-eight members oil the roll.
There were four charter members
present and they were Anna Rod
enberg, Anna Budding, Mis. Torvin
en, and Mrs. Kircbofer.
Graduate Regent Berggren called
on each Graduate Regent to give
a brief account of her year in of
fice.
The ways and means committee
will have a rummage sale on March
14 and all co-workers are asked to
remember the date.
Senior Regent Beatrice Albegof!
announced the next meeting will
be held on February 15, and will
be Ritual chapter night with Clara
bel Messerschmidt, chairman. The
refreshment committee will be Treva
Reischl, Cheri Bryant, Yvonne Hill.
WEATHER REPORT
Temperatures tor 24-TIcur Period
ending 6:20 o'clock this morning
In Juneau — Maximum
13; minimum, 11.
At Airport — Maximum,
17; minimum, -2.
FORECAST
Clear and cold again to
night with occasional gusty
northeasterly winds. Low
temperature around 10 in
town and as low as zero in
outlying areas. Fair tomor
row with occasional gusty
northeasterly winds contin
uing. High afternoon tem
perature about 20 degrees.
PRECIPITATION
(Past 24 hours ending 7*30 am. today
City of Juneau — None;
since Jan. 1 — 3.95 inches;
since July 1—41.94 inches.
At Airport — None;
since Jan. 1 — 2.25 inches;
since July 1—3025 inches.
Drafting of
Married Men
In Making
WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 —</P>.... Se
lective Service Director Lewis B.
Hershey said today new regulations
are “in the works” for a draft of
married men aged 19 to 26 who
have no children.
Hershey said on order has been
drafted for the approval of Presi
dent Truman and Defense Man
power Agencies which would cancel
present deferments for men with
one dependent.
Hershey told the House Armed
Services committee of the proposed
order during hearings on a bill for
universal military service and train
ing.
The bill would make 18-year olds
subject to the draft. Some Congress
members have been insisting that
young married men ought to be
drafted ahead of 18-year olds.
Extending the draft to married
men in the 19-26 age bracket can
be done without legislation. All
that is required is an executive or
der from the President.
Hershey told the committee the
proposed order would limit depend
ency deferments to:
1. Men with one or more chil
dren,
2. Men with a wife and children,
and
3. Men with more than one de
pendent. This could be, for instance,
an aged parent and an invalid
sister.
Hershey said he was virtually
certain the interested manpower
agencies would approve the order.
ALASKA BANKERS
PLAN PROPOSAL
10 LEGISLATURE!
The Alaska Bankers Association!
decided Saturday to recommend to
the Legislature that all new banks
be required to qualify for Federal
deposit insurance before obtaining
charters.
The full membership will be poll
ed telegraphically on whether to
recommend that existing banks be
required to qualify for insurance
within five years.
It was recommended that the
Territorial Banking Board’s issu
ance of charters be made discre
tionary, as provided under the model
American Banking code. Present
Alaska legal procedure is that the
issuance of a charter is mandatory
when paid-in capital qualifies.
The association also recommend
ed that capital requirements for
new banks be set at least at $50,000,
and existing banks be required to
raise their capitalization to that
figure within five years.
With business sessions winding
up during the day, the bankers
gathered Saturday to hear Governor
Omening address their banquet.
The convention drew a dozen
banking executives from states as
far distant as New York.
Other recommended legislation
will be to set up central registra
tion for motor vehicle titles; accept
microfilm records as evidence in
courts; increase charges on small
loans to cover service overhead
costs; increase membership of bank
ing board from three to five mem
bers, one to be a banker and the
1 other to be a non-banker business
man ; and to memorialize Congress
to reinstate the War Damages In
surance Corporation.
Bankers regarded the Juneau
convention as highly constructive
and will meet next in April, 1952,
in Fairbanks.
Earle Hunter of the First National
Bank of Juneau was named secre
tary. Other officers are Phillip A
Johnson, Bank of Fairbanks, presi
dent; Harvey G. Brown of the First
Bank of Sitka, first vice president;
Marshall Crutcher, of the Bank of
Kodiak, second vice president. Con
tinuing directors for the coming
year are Johnson, E. E. Rasmuson
of Anchorage and J. F. Mullen of
Juneau; Robert Baker of Anchor-:
age and Ed Locken of Petersburg.!
two years; and Brown and Crutcher
for three years.
Bremen, Germany, was known in
ancient times as the “Rome of the
North" because it was a Catholic
^religious center.
TERRIFIC !
TAI BOOST I
I
Pocketbooks of Millions io
Be Hif by Plans Made
by Administration
WASHINGTON, Fnb. 5 —<01 The
Truman administration asked Con
gress today to add 4 per cent to
Federal income tax rates, double
the tax on gasoline and sharply
boost levies on cigarettes, automo
biles, appliances and other items.
The program, whicli would hit
the pocketbooks of millions of tax
payers, would nearly triple the ex
cise tax on automobiles and more
than double the tax on television
and radio sets, refrigerators and
othe appliances.
Three cents a pack would be.
added to the excise tax on cigar
ettes,. making the total 10 cents a
pack. The excise whiskey would go
up about 60 cents a fifth and the
tax on an ordinary bottle of beer
would be raised 1.3 cents.
Proposed Boost
The proposed Increases would
mean a boost of 13 per cent — from
7 to 20 per cent — on auto levies
and 15 per cent — from 10 to 25
per cent — on television and radio
sets. The tax would be imposed on
the manufacturers price.
The present $9 a gallon liquor
tax would be hiked to $12, the $8
a barrel beer tax would jump to
$12, the seven cent a pack cigarette |
tax would go up to 10 cents and the '
gasoline tax would be doubled, go- I
ing from one and one-half cents!
a gallon to three cents.
Proposals Outlined
Secretary of Treasury Snyder out
lined these proposals to the House
Ways and Means Committee as
part of the administration’s first-1
installment $10,000,000,000 tax boost, i
The plan calls for a $4,000,000,000 |
increase in individual income ttaxes,
a $3,000,000,000 hike in corporation
income taxes and a $3,000,000,000
raise in excise (sales) taxes.
President Truman told Congress
last Friday the first round hike will
be followed by another request for
an increase of about $6,500,000,000
later this year.
Basic Proposals j
Other basic proposals laid before!
the committee by Snyder:
1. A boost in the capital gains
tax from a flat 25 per cent to 37'<.
per cent. The present tax applies to
profits from sale of property held
six months or more. The proposal
would require a minimum holding
period of one year to qualify for
the capital gains tax in place of
straight income tax.
2. Corporation income taxes —
An increase of 8 per rentage points
in normal Income tax for corpora
tions, adding $8 in tax to each $100
of profit.
Corporations Uppin^s
Thi; would lift the rate from 25
to 33 per cent on corporations with
profits below $25,000. and from 47
to 55 per cent on those with higher
profits.
3. Excise taxes — On autos, lift
the rate from 7 to 20 per cent of
the manufacturer’s price to raise
$685,000,000 a year in revenue.
Other Articles Hit
On refrigerators, television sets,
radios, phonographs, electric, gas
and oil appliances, “and other con
sumer durables’’ — raise the tax
from 10 per cent to 25 per cent of
the manufacturer’s price, to raise j
$425,000,000 in revenue.
On distilled spirits — Raise the
rate from $9 to $12 a gallon (from
$1.80 to $2.40 on a standard fifth
of-a-gallon bottle of 100 proof
whiskey).
On beer — Raise the tax from $8
to $12 a barrel <31 gallons). That
would raise the tax from about 2.5
to 3-8 cents on a 12-ounce bottle.
Snyder also called for an exten
sive plugging of tax ‘‘loopholes.’’
This would add an unspecified sum,
certainly “hundreds of millions of
dollars each year" and perhaps bil
lions. to the $10,000,000,000 extra
sought from the other tax proposals.
Dogs’ vision is less sharp than
that of men.
Salts of lead and copper some
times form crystals 20 inches across
and brilliant as gems but too soft
for Jewelry use.
I
"HELL OF
A BATTLE"
REPOSTED
Hunt-and-Punch Attacks,
Heaviest if Allied Of
fensive, Are Made
(By Associated Press)
Paced by the most powerful Al
lied tank concentration of the Kor
ean war, three United Nations task
forces today mauled Chinese Com
munists in killer raids along a 45
mile front.
It was possible the hunt-and
punch a!lacks, heaviest of the Al
lied 12 day limited offensive, might
have upset Chinese plans for a re
newed push south timed for Tues
day. the Chinese Lunar New Year
'Way up front, T,t. Gen. Matthew
B. Ridgway, Eighth Army command
er, watched the t » tanks snnsh to
within five air miles of blackened
Seoul, near the west coast. Heralded
by a shuddering air and artillery
bombardment, the main task force
crunched almost unopposed through
Anyang, nine miles below Seoul but
then stalled and withdrew before
heavy enemy counter-pressure four
miles beyond.
There was a “hell of a battle" and
“we killed a hell of a lot of them,"
a staff officer was quoted by A.P.
Correspondent Jim Becker.
Crush In “Bear Hug”
Simultaneously, two other tank
infantry columns slugged northward
in what was described as a maneu
ver to “catch the Chinese and crush
them in a huge bear hug.”
Unjung, a village 9H miles south
east of Seoul, where the Reds have
been massing, was left aflame, al
though it was but one of the pyre:
along the front stretching inland
from the Yellow Sea.
A briefing officer at Eighth Army
headquarters said the Chinese had
managed to infiltrate between 10,
000 and 15,000 men into the area
south of Seoul.
Triple Play
Today's triple play came a few
hours after Turkish and American
units threw back three Chinese
counterattacks eight to twelve miles
northwest of Suwon, 17 air miles
south of Seoul.
Along with the ground action,
American and British warships con
tinued their bombardment of Inch
on on the west coast, while a vari
ety of UN fleet units ranged up and
down the east coast with gunfire.
Minesweeper Down
The fift' Allied minesweeper to
be lost in Korean waters went down
Friday, the Navy announced iii
Washington. She was the 136-foot
wooden hulled Partridge, which hit
a mine, with four men reported
deed, four missing, and seven
wounded.
DOROTHY DURGIN IS
FOOT’D DEAD IN ROOM
The body of Miss Dorothy Durgin.
35, was found lying beside the be<
in. her room at the Imperial Hotel
at 1:15 this afternoon by Mrs. Diane
Beach when she went into the room
to make it up for the day.
Called to the scene. Dr. W. M
Whitehead said Miss Durain had
been dead at least 1? hours. Cause
of dr h was not dt rmined. She
had last been seen Sunday after
noon in the Imperial Cafe, accord
ing to U. S. Acting Marshal Walter
G. Hellan. who was called to tfu
Imperial when the physician v
summoned.
Marshal Hellan . id there wa
indication that any visitors had
been in Miss Durgin's apartment
and no sign of any struggle. He
said it is believed Miss Durgin was
either sitting on the bed or lying
near its edge when she was stricken
and slid to the floor. She was lying
on her side and was fully clothed
except her shoes and was still wear
ing her glasses.
Miss Durgin had resided in Jun
eau for some time. She had worked
in the dental office of Dr. Joyce
D. Smith and had been employed
evenings at the Butler-Mauro Drug
Company store and had worked Sat
urday evening.
Miss Durgin’s mother resides at
Everett, Wash, and has been noti
fied of her daughter’s death.