THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE
“ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME”
VOL. LXXV., NO. 11,566
JUNEAU, ALASKA, FRIDAY, JULY 28, 1950
MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
PRICE TEN CENTS
Biggest Red Drive Of Korean War Opens
PAVING TO AUK BAY,
THANE, DOUGLAS TO
BEGIN IN SHORT TIME
Road lo Fish Creek, 6'/2
Miles, Will Be Built
on Douglas Island
The first extension of a road in
the Juneau area for 10 years was
promised today as plans were re
vealed for construction of a high
way north of Douglas Island to Fish
Creek.
The six and one-half mile road
will open up a tremendous area for
homesites and give access to town
for those already living in scattered
settlements in the vicinity.
The widening and paving of the
Glacier Highway from the airport
to Auk Bay, plus paving of the
Thane and Douglas roads, both
widened last year, is also planned.
This work may begin this season,
it was believed.
The three big projects will cost
some $2,500,000.
For two years the Bureau of Pub
lic Roads and the Forest Service
have been attempting to obtain a
special appropriation from Congress
for the modernization and extension
of roads around Juneau, Ketchikan
and Sitka, in addition to their reg
ular appropriation granted for for
est highways.
Regional Forester B. Frank Heint
zleman, along with Delegate Bob
Bartlett and Bureau of Public Roads
representatives appeared this spring
before the Senate public works com
mittee to testify on the need for a
$7,252,000 fund to make the wanted
improvements.
runu Auuionica
Their efforts bore fruit last week
when the committee recommended
authorization of the sum. Appro
priation of the money must be
awaited before bids can be let and
the work begin.
The money is for a two-year per
iod beginning this fiscal year,
Heintzleman explained.
The Bureau’s regular appropria
tion of $1,500,000 for roads in forest
areas has been upped this year
$&00,000, as Congress removed the
arbitrary limits set for 10 years on
the amount of money which could
come to Alaska.
Federal highways appropriations
have always been made in a lump
sum for the whole nation, with a
formula for each section applied so
that certain amounts went to each
i.rea. The formula held road money
here to the million and a half sum
for the past three years, but with
this bar removed, Alaska gained
$300,000 this year.
The road to Fish Creek, around
the northeast corner of Douglas
(Continued on Page Two)
The Washington
Merry-Go-Round
By DREW PEARSON
ICoprrlsht. u-sa. up BeU BjndiesU. Inc.)
rfASHINGTON—Our ex-Ambas
sador to Russia, Gen. Bedell Smith,
recently told a closed-door session
of the Senate foreign relations com
mittee how a Soviet propaganda
film backfired.
“The Russians are intensely in
terested in how the man in the
small American town or city lives,”
Gen. Smith told the senators. 'The
great Russian propaganda picture,
‘Rusky Vaprosk,’ which was a ter
rible indictment of American jour
nalism and foreign policy, played
in 500 theatres simultaneously in
the Soviet Union. But it lasted
only two weeks in Moscow.
“We had American observers at
the theatre almost every night.
The audience reaction was interest
ing. In one scene, the producer
had accurately shown a tenement
in the east side of New York—
what we would consider extremely
poor housing.
“To the Muscovite," Smith con
tinued, “It was darn good housing,
housing Russians would compete
for. Between the tenement build
ings were clotheslines, and aud
ience reaction was, ‘My God, how
many clothes they have! Look at
them!’ ”
General Smith smiled at this rec
ollection and went on: “Then the
film showed the little Westchester \
bungalow of the downtrodden re
porter who was losing his job and
his wife because he had written
something good about the Soviet
Union. The audience was not in
(Continued on Page Four)
Tank Assembly Line
General view made inside the Detroit Arsenal where current production of the 25-ton M-24 tank and the
45-ton M-46 tank (General Patton) runs at the rate of around a dozen a day. It was annnounced that
the Army is negotiating with the Cadillac division of General Motors for mass production of tanks.
(/P) Wirephoto.
LAST RITES
FOR LATHROP
ARE PLANNED
Memorial Services in Fair
banks with Burial in
Seattle Later
FAIRBANKS, Alaska, July 28—W
—Final rites were being arranged
today for Austin E. "Cap" Lathrop.
Memorial services for the mil
lionaire businessman and indus
trialist, who was struck down Wed
nesday by a loaded coal car at his
Healy River mine, will be held
here Sunday in the Empress Thea
ter, one of five show houses which
he owned in the Territory.
Burial will be in the Forest Lawn
Cemetery at Seattle Thursday, fol
lowing services at the Bonney Wat
son Funeral Home. As stipulated
in his will, Lathrop will be in
terred alongside his father, mother
and two sisters.
The body will be flown 10 Seattle.
Meanwhile, as telegrams from
friends poured into the local offi
ces of the Lathrop Co., a coroner’s
jury sitting at the scene of Wed
nesday's tragedy returned a ver
dict of accidental death.
The inquest had been called by
U. S. Commissioner Margaret Sulli
van of Nenana.
William E. Martin, timekeeper at
the mine, 112 miles south of here,
said Lathrop either tripped or fell
under the wheels of the loaded car.
The bulk of the car hid the
elderly, but active, man from the
view of the brakeman, Martin said.
The timekeeper said there wiire
no witnesses to the accident but
that the brakeman’s scream when
he saw Lathrop's body on the
tracks brought him running from
the mine office.
Martin said he could find no
pulse and telephoned Fairbanks
for a doctor.
• •••••••••a
■ *
• WEATHER REPORT a
• a
• In Juneau—Maximum; 56; •
• minimum, 48. a
• At Airport—Maximum, 54; •
• minimum, 45. a
• •
• FORECAST •
• (Juneau and Vicinity) •
• Cloudy with intermittent •
• light rain tonight and Satur- •
• day. Lowest temperature to- •
• night about 50 degrees. High- •
a est Saturday near 56. •
• a
• PRECIPITATION •
a (Past 24 hours ending 7:30 a m. today a
• City of Juneau—0.07 inches; a
• since July 1—8.74 inches. a
• At Airport — 0.09 inches; •
• since July 1—6.62 inches. •
aaaaaaaaaaa
■r*
FROM MT. EDGECVMBE
Here from Mt. Edgecumbe are Dr.
and Mrs. F. L. Coddington and baby,
and Mr. and Mrs. Fred R. Geeslin.
Army Plans
Increase of
240,000 Men
i
More than Vk Billion to
Be Spent on Tanks, Guns
and Other 'Hardware'
i —
WASHINGTON, July 2‘ — 3I —
j The Army plans to step up its
strength to 834,000, an increase of
240.000 officers and men over the
594.000 now in uniform, Rep. Vin
son (D-Ga) announced today.
The increase is planned under
President T r u m a n’s additional
( emergency budget request of $10,
| 500,000,000 for fiscal 1951.
Vinson, chairman of the House
Armed Services Committee, said
I Gen. J. Lawton Collins, Army Chief
of Staff, told the committee that
the Army wants $3,059,154,000.
Of this amount, 54 percent or
51.651.000,000 will be spent for tanks,
guns, field artillery and other J
"hardware equipment.”
Vinson declined to give any arms
details but it is understood that ai
considerable amount will be spent |
for tanks and guns, especially the i
new anti-aircraft gun, the Sky
iweeper.
Also appearing before tne com-:
mittee were Maj. Gen. E. L. Ford, |
Chief of Army Ordinance, and Brig, j
Gen. Leslie Simon, Chief of Ord
nance Research.
The session concluded a week
long inquiry by the committee into
preparedness of the military services
ind their immediate plans for ex
pansion.
Asked if he was satisfied with re
ports from the Army, Navy, Ma
rines, and Air Forces, Vinson de
clined immediate comment.
The Army already is slated to get
100,000 draftees by Oct. 30. This may
be followed with at least one more
draft call before the end of the year
to reach the 834,000 man goal.
STOCK QUOTATIONS
NEW YORK, July 28 — Closing
quotation of Alaska Juneau' mine
stock today is 2%? American Can
92%, Anaconda 32%, Curtiss
Wright 10%, International Harves
ter 28%, Kennecott 60, New York
Central 14%, Northern Pacific 17%, i
U.S. Steel 36%, Pound $2.80 Vx.
Sales today were 2,050,000 shares.
Averages today are as follows: in
dustrials 208.21, rails 60.71, utilities
37.80.
1CTH RESCUE PILOT
ENROUTE TO DENVER
- f
1st Lt. John S. Schifferer. a fre- ]
quent visitor here while serving as
pilot with the 10th Rescue Squad
ron, arrived yesterday in his own
Howard aircraft.
Schifferer is on a 44-day leave
before reporting to Lowry Air Force
I Base at Denver, Colo., where he
i has been transferred. He. is stay- J
| ing at the Baranof Hotel, and plans j
to be here until Monday. i
i
"SHOOT FIRST”
RICHARDSON
GUARDS TOLD
Unidentified Trespassers
Flee to Woods when
Challenged at Fort
ANCHORAGE, Alaska, July 28—
I®—Security guards at Fort Rich
ardson have orders to shqot *
necessary to halt trespassers found
wandering in restricted areas, Post
Commander Brig. Gen. Donald R.
Hutchinson said today.
Hutchinson reported several in
stances recently where unidentified
persons have been seen fleeing into
the woods near aircraft dispersal
units when challenged by guards.
The general announced plans to
tighten security throughout Fort
Richardson and the Elmendorf Air
Force Base at a wing staff meeting
yesterday.
He shifted new personnel into
the office of special investigation
and augmented the 57th Air Police
Squadron. Personnel shifts ranged
from gate guards to top intelligence
officers.
iiiiuu ancatcu ua un
authorized visitors at the tort, were
fined a total of $225. Two of them
were women.
The round-the-clock check on
security caught one guard red
faced. An OSI agent casually
asked the guard what tilde it was
and, when the guard glanced away
to see a nearby clock, the agent
planted a wooden "bomb.” Not
until the agent exposed the guard’s
laxity some time later, was the
guard even aware of what hap
pened.
Meanwhile, military leaders said
that next to the security problem,
their biggest fear is of the effect
the strike of the AFL plumbers'
union will have on the region's
military construction.
They described as a “misstate
ment" a union contention that no
military work has been delayed by
the strike. The union went out
on strike Wednesday to enforce a
wage demand of $3.50 an hour, 50
cents fnore than at present, plus
other contract conditions.
STEAMER MOVEMENTS
Princess Kathleen from Van
couver due Saturday afternoon at
3 o’clock.
Freighter Flemish Knot from
Seattle scheduled to arrive Sunday.
Prince George scheduled to sail
from Vancouver tonight.
Aleutian scheduled to sail from
Seattle Saturday.
Princess Norah scheduled to sail
from Vancouver Saturday.
Chilcotin scheduled to sail from
Vancouver Monday.
Princess Louise scheduled to sail
from Vancouver next Wednesday.
Alaska from west scheduled
to arrive at 5:30 this afternoon
southbound.
Baranof scheduled southbound
from west at 5 p.m. Sunday.
SENATE IS
DEBATING
BIG FUNDS
Tentatively Approves Ap
propraition for National
Defense, Other Measures
WASHINGTON, July 28 — «■> —
The Senate today tentatively ap- j
proved a $13,294,581,821 national de- j
tense appropriation for the year
which began July 1.
The action, by a series of voice |
votes, does not cover the additional,
$10,500,000,000 in emergency mili- |
tary funds President Truman asked j
only last Monday. ’
That request will be taken up later i
in a separate bill.
Approval of the regular defense
item came as the Senate Democratic
leadership urged a speed-up in de
bate to permit a final vote early
next week on the $34,088,000,000
"single package” appropriations bill.
The catch-all measure carries
funds for operation of most gov
ernment agencies during the current
fiscal year.
The defense section of the bill
was approved without any major
change in the amount approved by
the Senate Appropriations Commit
tee. The bill as it passed the House
included $12,910,702,300 in defense
money.
Senate debate on the big measure
has dragged along without much
cutting.
That prompted Senator Douglas
(D-Ill) to say today he is “damned
discouraged” at results of his efforts
tii trim non-defense spending.
CANADA MUST KEEP
HER FIGHTER CRAFT,
SAYS KIWANIS HEAD
CHICAGO, July 28—IJ’I—The Can
adian president-elect of Klwanls
International said yesterday "Can
ada fighter planes must be kept
in Canada to guard against any
possible Russian attack via Alaska
and the Northwest territories.”
Don H. Murdock of Winnipeg, in
a talk prepared for the Kiwanis
Club of Chicago, said “It would be
folly” for all free nations to send
troops to Korea. He said he lias
reason to believe this view is shared
jy Lester B. Pearson, Canadian
Foreign Minister.
“We are in the front line if a
surprise attack comes from Russia,'
le said.
"Canada could not send troops to
Sorea and leave herself wide open
'or possible Russian air attacks
across Alaska and the Northwest
territories.”
BllT OFF THEY GO
McCHORD AIR FORCE BASE,
Wash., July 28 — (jB — Royal Can
adian Air Force planes took off
here last night for the Korean
United Nations airlift.
Col. T. Alan Bennett, command
int at McChord Base, would not
disclose the number of planes in
the initial flight, or their destina
tion.
Units of the squadron, containing
250 officers and men, began ar
riving here Wednesday.
SUPERS IN
ACTION ON
FRONT NOW
(By Associated Press)
B-29 Superfortresses rained de
struction for the sixth consecutive
day on North Korean communica
tions behind the lines, although the
bad flying weather hampered other
air operations. The big bombers
were meeting increased anti-air
craft opposition around marshalling
yards, but they hit rail yards be
tween Pyongyang and Wonsan in
North Korea. The Air Force said
U.S. planes Thursday bagged three
tanks, 27 trucks and miscellaneous
other vehicles.
FROM PORTLAND
V. A. Sheetz of Portland, Ore., is
at the Baranof Hotel.
lour Planners Come Here
Aboard the steamer Alaska due here today are Cliff Kaynor, new
National President and Don Eck, Manager of the National Editorial
Association (both pictured above) who are making advance arrange- j
ments for one of the largest convention delegations ever to tour
Alaska. The delegates to the NEA convention plan the tour to the 1
Territory next year and it is a cinch that every editor and publisher
who can find the time will be on the trip. Kaynor, publisher of the
Ellensburg, Wash., Record, and Eck. have been to the interior and
westward making arrangements for the tour party which has chart
ered the Aleutian for the 1951 trip.
RUSS REENTRY INTO
U. N. COUNCIL HAS
'EM ALL GUESSING
Diplomats Sharply Divided
on Regarding Import
ance of Decision
LAKE SUCCESS, July 28—(AP)—
United Nations diplomats were
sharply divided today on the ques
tion: was Russia’s decision to end
her U.N. boycott just another step
in the cold war or an admission that
the boycott was a big mistake?
The question may be answered
Tuesday when the Russians return,
but meantime these lines of specu
lation were heard at U.N. head
quarters:
1— Russia intends to challenge
the legality of the Security Coun
cil's Korean intervention and try
to block any further U.N. action.
2— Russia intends to try a new
approach in her fight to oust Na
tionalist China from the U.N. and
seat the Chinese Reds.
3— Russia is merely coming back
for a propaganda blast and may re
sume her walkout-boycott which
was started last January in protest
against the presence of the Chinese
Nationalists.
4— Russia is getting ready for new
Communist moves either in the
Balkans or against Formosa and
wants to be on hand to veto any
council action.
5— Russia realizes she has made
a mistake and is coming back to
try to find a way to end the Ko
rean conflict.
All this, however, was admittedly
nothing more than speculation.
U.S. Delegate Warren R. Austin
said he would not comment “until
I go to Vermont and consult an
old apple tree.”
In Manila, Gen. Carlos P. Romulo,
President of the General Assembly,
said Rusia’s decision to assume the
council presidency in her regular
turn is proof the U.N. “cannot be
intimidated.”
In Greenville, S.C., former Secre
tary of State James F. Byrnes also
took an optimistic view. He said:
(Continued on Page Five)
• TIDE TABLE
•
• JULY 29
• High tide 1:33 a.m., 18.4 ft.
• Low tide 8:09 a.m., -3.3 ft.
• High tide 14:34 p.m., 16.4 ft.
• Low tide 20:17 p.m., 1.8 ft.
i
WAGE, PRICE
CONTROLS GET
TOP SUPPORT
Baruch Man Gathers Back
ers—Store Sales Zoom
Sugar Supply High
WASHINGTON, July 28 — (A7 —
Considerable support built up in
Congress today for a drive to put
the country under rationing and
wage and price control.
The idea is to substitute full
homefront mobilization for Pres
ident Truman’s limited economic
control bill.
The House banking committee
approved the President’s plan, 20
to 1, late yesterday, but only after
it failed by a one-vote margin to
take instead the all-out economic
control plan proposed by elder
statesman Bernard M. Baruch.
The Baruch plan lost 10 to 9. Six
Republicans and three Democrats
supported it. Nine Democrats and
one Republican opposed it.
Rep. Kunkel (R-Pa.i author of
the all-out substitute, announced
immediately he will lake the light
to the House floor when the bill
comes up there next Tuesday. Kis
measure would roll back prices to
their lowest level between July 24
and 28.
Powerful support gathered be
hind the Baruch plan. One high
placed Democrat said it might pass
the House.
Chairman Vinson (D-Ga.) of the
House armed services committee
said “I am for the Baruch plan.
Otherwise there will be inflation,
absolutely out of control.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve
Board reported that department
store sales last week ran 46 per
cent higher than in the same week
last year. Never before has such
a large increase been recorded.
Week before last the increase over
1949's corresponding week was 25
per cent.
Also, the Agriculture Department
said that sugar sales by primary
distributors jumped 37 per cent in
the first three weeks of July as
compared with the same 1949 per
iod.
The department announced that,
while there is already plenty of
sugar, the government will buy '
remaining Cuban stocks. It said
this will give the U. S. a total
marketable supply of more than
8,450,000 tons—largest ever In any
one calendar year.
90,000 MEN
RIP INTO U. S.
ALONGFRONT
Russ Pose Riddle on Re
entry Into Council-New
Moves Contemplated
(By the Associated Press)
Nine divisions of Communist
troops—possibly 90,000 men—opened
a general offensive all along the
twisting 200-mile Korean front to
day. And while the war entered a
decisive stage, Russia decided to end
her boycott of the United Nations,
raising speculation over new Com
,munist moves in the world-wide
cold war.
The fighting blazed fiercely on
the central sector of the Korean
front, where the Reds, attacking in
the rain under cover of a fearful
artillery barrage, smashed behind
tanks into lines held by the U.S.
First Cavalry Division.
The First Cavalry gave some
ground, Gen. MacArthur's head
quarters announced, and then held
its positions in a “savage fire fight.”
“At least three enemy divisions
are now engaged in a determined
effort to overwhelm locally inferior
United States troops in the west
central sector,” the summary said.
Defenders are reported outnum
bered four to one.
MacArthur’s headquarters said
the Communists had launched what
appeared to be their supreme effort
to smash the -United Nations’ supply
lines and win a quick decision in the
battle to drive U.N. forces from
their beachhead. The nine Red di
visions in the field represented the
largest Red force yet to be com
mitted by the Communists.
A Red force of about 800 men
smashed a wedge between the Sixth
South Korean Division and the
U.S. 25th Infantry Division on the
northwest flank of the U.S. First
Cavalry.
Bl( Guns Open Up
Air reconnaissance reports said
the Reds were moving troops into
position against two U.S. regiments
in the sector northeast of Yongdong,
where the battle is fiercest. There
the Communists took off from the
blackness of down under one of the
heaviest Red artillery barrages of
the war. A U.S. counterattack to
relieve pressure on the advanced
forces got under way, but the action
was reported not to have developed
on as big ^ scale as originally or
dered.
The American counterattack was
thrown at the Reds in the pouring
rain.
Pressure was intensified on the
east coast near .Yongdok, where
Allied Naval forces continued “sat
uration” shelling with what were de
scribed as effective results.
In Washington an Army spokes
man said the Communists now are
in a position "where they want to
make a big effort as long as they
have anything left," and are prob
ably throwing their full strength
along the line and at the front.”
This would be aimed at seeking a
decision before U.S. strength builds
up, but the spokesman said it would
be too optimistic to call the offen
(Continued on Page Two)
NO REASON
NO DESPAIR,
MacARTHUR
WASHINGTON, July 28 — tffl —
An Army spokesman said today
that information from Gen. Mac
Arthur's headquarters indicates
there is no reason to despair—"that
we are not going to be thrown” out
of Korea.
The spokesman told reporters at
a Pentagon briefing:
"I think that In the next week or
two weeks we will know more about
It.”
The officer’s statement was made
in reply to a reporter who said the
people are wondering about the op
timism evidenced at the Pentagon.
The spokesman said this optimism
reflects that of General MacArthur.