The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 33

LOCAL NEWS EDITORIALS OPINIONS PART 2 CC VOL LXIX Time Office 202 West First Street, Lot Angeles 53, Calif. MAdison 2341 THURSDAY MORNING, MARCH 23, 1950 I I 4 ''f A --in i FIRST IN LINE Charlie McCarthy had his chest photographed by Edgar Bergen at a portable unit in Pershing Square yesterday the first "person" to be X-rayed in a program which proposes to make checkup on 3,000,000 persons in county. Time photo TESTIFIES Mrs. Helen McNaughton testified at trial that she fed 9-year-old Actress Lora Lee Michel "two or three times a week" when she asked for food. HEARD SCREAMING Mrs.

Fan Davidson, a neighbor, testified she. heard "screaming" in Lora Lee Michel' apartment and later heard child crying and moaning. Timet photos MOVIE CHILD LOST 4 BY THE with BILL HENRY I 1 A 1 I ill" 1- '4 WEIGHT, JURY TOLD Records Shown in Michel Case He6ring; Lawyer to Seek Complaint Against Agent Records of a two-year period showing that 9-year-old Child Film Actress Lora Lee Michel lost a pound in weight while growing in height three inches were introduced yesterday in the trial of the child's foster mother, Mrs. Lor raine Michel, 55, on charges of child neglect in Beverly Hills i Mass X-Ray Project Gets Under Way Downtown Ceremony Starts Drive for Tuberculosis Testi Medical history was made here yesterday when the largest mass X-ray project on record began with 14 units taking chest pictures in various parts of the city. Within four weeks the plan is to have 40 mobile and portable ray machines taking chest filmi of the general public to check for tuberculosis.

It is hoped that 3,000,000 persons in this county 15 years of age or older will have been checked before the program ends at the close of the year. Official Start The project started officially at Pershing Square, where an especially equipped van was stationed at the east side of the park. Several thousand persons gathered for the ceremonies which included a band concert by the Lafayette Center Municipal Band and an appearance by Comedian Edgar Bergen and his dummy, Charlie McCarthy. Charlie had his "chest" photographed as the first "person" to be X-rayed, the official verdict being that he was free both of tuberculosis and of termites. "Tuberculosis," saidL-Dr.

Raymond S. Carey, president of the Los Angeles X-Ray Survey Foundation which is sponsoring the campaign, "still is a serious problem." Ranks First "It ranks first among the death-causing communicable disease in Los Angeles County and seventh among all causes of death here." He said that 926 residents of this county died of tuberculosis last year, compared with 731 killed by traffic. He estimated that more than $12,500,000 was spent on tuberculosis control and patient care. He called attention to the fact that the X-ray pictures are free to the public and that it only requires about 30 seconds to have one taken. He said a unit can take an average of 800 chest photographs in an 8-hour day.

Notification by Mall The photographs are being taken on 70-mm: film, and notifications of the results are to be mailed within two weeks. The U.S. Public Health Service is paying most of the expense of the campaign, to cost about $1,000,000. The Los Angeles County X-Ray Survey Foundation is comprised of practically every city, county and State medical and health group here. The 14 X-ray units which went into operation yesterday were scattered throughout the downtown area and at other strategic points.

On College Campos Four were set up on the Los Angeles City College campus. Others were at the downtown YMCA, 715 Hope the Board of Education Building, 207 Broadway; the California State Unemployment Insurance office, 1100 Flower the Subway Terminal Building; Sears, Roebuck's Olympic Blvd. and Soto St. headquarters; Eastern-Columbia, Broadway at 9th at the Broadway-Spring Arcade, between 5th and 6th Sts. Most of them will operate from 9:30 a.m.

to 5:30 p.m., Sundays excepted, but those at City College will be open until 9:30 p.m. Eventually every high school and college, every major industrial plant and most areas of heavy pedestrian traffic in the county will be covered by the X-ray units. VISIBILITY RECORD; TODAY'S FORECAST Following are the forecast of visibility today and the range of visibility yesterday for Los Angeles Civic Center as compiled by the U.S. Weather Bureau: Forecast Sunrise to sunset. Excellent tfesterday's Range 8 a.m..

2 miles (Fog and Smoke) 9 a.m.... miles (Haze and smoke) 10 a.m. .1 miles (Haze and smoke) 11 a.m.. .2 miles (Haze and smoke) Noon 2 miles (Haze and smoke) 1 p.m. ..10 miles 2 and 3 p.m 15 miles 4 p.m.

............20 miles 1, and had told her she had whipped the child and she had left some marks on her. Mrs. Wargin then related that Mrs. Michel had asked her if it would be possible to leave th child's clothes on so the bruiseg would not show during modelling. That Little Hnssy Then the question was askedc Why was the child beaten? Sh replied that Mrs.

Michel said, "That little hussy has stolen more food and gained a pound and I'm determined to conquer her gluttonous appetite." It was during the crossex amination, frequently Interrupted by objections from the prose cution and the judge admonish ing the witness to answer only the questions asked, that Mrs. Wargin denied ever having coached the child in what to testify before Judge Scott Once she indignantly accused Cummins of attempting to persecute her. Then Cummins asked. "via you tea Lora Lee what testify to before Judge Scott?" Tne answer was: "No." Question on Stealing "Did you make any kind of statement telling the child what to do?" "No." Then to the question that shm instructed the child to steal millc and cheese she replied angrily, "I would never instruct anyon to steal." Mrs. Helen M.

McNauehton. neighbor of the Michels, was questioned by Dep. Dist Atty. A. H.

McCurdy about whether sh naa tea the child at anv time between February, 1949, and Dec io, ly ia. "Yes," she replied. Q. "How often?" A. "Two or three timei a week." Appeared Hungry She then testified she had given the child milk, cereal, eggs, bacon only when the child asked for food.

"She appeared very hungry, Turn to Page 2, Column I AWARD Actress Junt Havoc will receive honorary life membership in SPCA A ANGRY DENIAL Mrs. Ona Wargin, theatrical agent, denies angrily in Beverly Hills Justice Court that she instructed Child Actress Lora Lee Michel to steal food or getting on a bus in Beverly Hills to. go downtown, though it is slightly more expensive. And Key West is a base for Aerovia3 a Cuban air line with a phenomenal safety record, which makes as many as half a dozen flights a day to Havana. Of course, there is a-slight tussle with the customs and immigration at either end of the line, but that's one of the hazards of international travel that makes you a little more grateful at being able to travel 3000 miles inside the United States without anybody demanding a passport or rummaging, through your baggage.

INDUSTRY There is more than passenger traffic at Miami. Both Eastern Air Lines and Pan American make this their overhaul center. Big planes just back from Europe or Japan or round the world are pulling in every few hours for. a checkup and turn-around. The clean little Airways Hotel just across from the airport is swarming with pilots, passengers, hostesses, magnates speaking a babel of accents and languages.

One batch of 20 Italians came in they could speak just two words of English between them, eggs and coffee to take over some planes that had been sold to one of their air lines. The hotel management had a chef, fortunately, who was of Italian extraction and he rescued them before they got tired of their two-item diet RIVALRY The rival air lines really go after passengers. You're likely to be kidnaped if they see you standing around. The National Star Flights, in DC-6s nonstop here and there, actually do roll out the red carpet three snappily dressed colored boys roll out a red strip, stand by at attention as if about to burst into song, and then wheel into position and roll the carpet up just as the plane gets ready to take off. Lots of color arid excitement at an international airport Thumbnail drama a woman screams as the plane engines roar, preparatory to taxiing out for the take-off.

Officials flag it down, the big movable steps are pushed out alongside the door and a uniformed attendant rushes inside. You hold your breath. Finally he emerges and, as the plane taxies away, hands the almost hysterical woman the keys to her automobile which her husband was about to carry off to New York! Hear Bill Henry. Monday through Friday, KHI, p.m. MIAMI The big engines of your Constellation or DC-6 seem to grab you by the seat of your pants as "you take off- from Washington's National Airport and from that moment until you return, your motorized magic carpet keeps your thinking up in the skies, in short you're air-minded.

i INTERNATIONAL- Dojvn here they'll give you quite an argument about the amount of traffic that goes through the International Airport. You sit in the big, comfortable waiting room and hear the announcers' voices as they call "Pan American Airways flight for Nassau now loading at gate so-and-so." A moment later they're announcing a National Airlines flight to Havana, then a Pan American flight to Puerto Rico, then a KLM trip to Curacao a little bit of Holland transplanted to the Caribbean. You look in the customs and immigration room and dozens of passengers just in from some point overseas are being checked through. A Resort Airlines plane is dropping a batch of vacationers from Billy Butlin's new work-ingman's heaven in Grand Bahamas. It's the sort of thing iome of us dreamed about in the 20s we were just one war too soon.

PASSENGERS You hear babble in all sorts of languages. Somehow or other it is a never-ending wonder to me to hear colored men from the British West Indies speaking in cultured Oxford accents and other colored men from Haiti speaking French. I've never quite become accustomed to that. The statisticians here claim that only the combined LaGuardia and Idylwild Airports in New York handle more passengers than Miami's International Airport. One chap told me that more than one-third of all the overseas passengers who come to this country or leave it by air or steamer pass through Miami.

It certainly seems possible. They're swarming in and out of here at all hours of the day or night. THE TOE The Little White House at Key West is only three-quarters of an hour from Jiere by Lockheed and your plane swings down across the Florida keys so effortlessly that you think" no more of flying back and, forth it's only $15 round trip than you do of i I (IP) photo Jorgensen immediately relayed the bulletin message to campaign leadership throughout the Los Angeles chapter territory. From fund campaign headquarters came the latest "box-score" standings on house-to-house canvassers making calls toward the $2,193,000 goal. The standings late yesterday afternoon were as follows: Districts Mar Vista," 63 of its assigned goal; Harbor, 42, and Ocean-Airport, moving into third spot with 41.

Areas Sil-verlake-Los Feliz, 44; West Wilshire, 42; Hollywood, 40. Branches Beverly Hills, 43; Palos Verdes, 35, and Torrance, making one of the big gains of the week, 33. vided entertainment for the banquet The club's drive for funds and the banquet were in charge of Samuel J. Rothman and Samuel Firks. Rose Bowl Easter Services Planned The program for the Rose Bowl Easter sunrise service was announced yesterday by the Pasadena committee in charge, Present plans include radio broadcast of the rites in the Rose Bowl, conducted by Dr.

Charles E. Fuller and Miss Colleen Town-send, former actress who recent ly abandoned the screen for a re ligious career. The hour-long program will be gin at 5:30 a.m. with a trumpet call at dawn. Miss Townsend will read the Scripture portion of the service, and a group of more than 50 persons will appear during the rites.

V. that she coached child on testimony for custody hearing. Red Cross Drive Ordered to 'Wind It Up in March7 Man Fined $50 for Beating His Dog to Death John Andrelli, 68-year-old milker of 15914 Woodruff Bellflower, pleaded guilty to a charge of beating his pet Dober-man pinscher to death and was fined $50 yesterday by Justice of the Peace A. D. Boone of Downey.

A neighbor, George A. Fol-lette, 16102 Woodruff said he heard the dog howling in pain last March 5 and saw Andrelli striking it over the head with a shovel while it was tied to a tree. He said he ordered Andrelli to stop but the man refused. Follette called deputy sheriffs but when they arrived the dog wa3 dead. Says Dog Bit Him Andrelli explained that' he and his wife Felice had been sitting on the bed when the dog suddenly jumped on him, biting him twice on the arm and once on the face.

He said he beat the dog and then cut its throat to end its suffering. Judge Boone first fined Andrelli $250 with an alternative sentence of 150 days in jail but then suspended that sentence and placed him on probation with the stipulation that he pay the $50 fine and refrain from being cruel to any other animals. Private Plane Disappears From Airport Missing, and believed stolen one airplane. The Sheriff's Aero Detail yesterday listed a four-place Cessna 195, silver with blue trim, as having disappeared from Santa Monica Municipal Airport sometime between March 14 and yes terday when Al Reno, owner of the ship, returned to the field. Reno, a Caspar Wyo.) oil man, reported the plane missing from the tie-down area and set its value at $20,000.

It had about 40 gallons of fuel aboard at the time he left it at the field, he said. Number of the vanished craft is N9308A. Gunshot Death Inquiry Begun nVTiy did he do it? Why did he shoot me?" These words, uttered by Wil liam C. Ackerly, 63-year-old railway engineer, before his death yesterday in Santa Fe Hospital changed a routine gunshot acci dent case into a possible murder investigation. Ackerlv.

who lived in Needles. was brought to the hospital March 15 with a gunshot wound the cnest supposecuy lnmciea accidentally while he was cleaning a gun at home. Two davs after he underwent an operation, Amanda V. Enan- der, a registered nurse, neara him ask the questions, detectives said. The information was turned over to the homicide squad and forwarded to Police Chief ranK Banks of Needles.

"Wind it up in March!" This was the campaign order received here yesterday from GeiT George C. Marshall, presi dent of the American National Red Cross. In an all-points bulletin to Earle 'M. Jorgensen, Red Cross drive chairman here, and to fund-raising leaders throughout' the nation, Gen. Marshall said: "The success of the annual Red Cross fund campaign depends upon the individual success of all chapters.

I urge that all campaign workers intensify their efforts to insure completion in March of the 1950 fund appeal. This Is a task vitally important to your community and to the nation." Justice Court. Later in the hearing, Mrs. Ona Wargin, theatrical agent, who the child had testified had told her what to say before Superior Judge A. A.

Scott in a prior custody hearing, vigorously denjed ever coaching Lora Lee. To Seek Complaint She also angrily denied in a cross-examination ever instructing the girl to steal milk or cottage cheese from the apartments where she lived. Nevertheless, Defense Atty. Oscar Cummins said he will go to the county grand jury seeking a complaint for subornation of perjury against Mrs. Wargin.

"I intend to ask the foreman of the criminal complaints com mittee of the grand jury," he declared, "to investigate circum-j stances surrounding Lora Lee's statement in court Tuesday on the basis the child was told by Ona Wargin to testify falsely and to steal milk and cheese. Plans for Move "I will make a request that Mrs. Wargin be charged with subornation of perjury." Cummins said he will make 'this move at the conclusion of the prosecution's case. Testimony that the child star had lost a pound between Sept 12, 1947, and Dec. 27, 1949, was elicited from James H.

Thomas, supervisor of the court permit section of the Board of Education. He said on the stand in Judge Henry H. Draeger's court that the records show the child weighed 51 pounds on the first date and only 50 pounds on the December date while growing from 44 to 47 inches in height Board's Records Thomas said such records are kept by the board of all children engaged in the motion-picture industry insofar as their health and school progress are con cerned. In direct questioning. Mrs.

Wargin, once Lora Lee's drama coach, testified that Mrs. Michel had called her on the telephone June Havoc Will Receive SPCA Honor An honorary life membership in the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal3 will be conferred on Artross Havoc Saturday afternoon at a public "Circus and Camera" nar. tv at the RPPA miartor. cnoa vl bV.1 9 Gib VUU Jefferson lvd. Appearing with Miss Havoc will be Pierre, a Hermosa Beach sea lion who participated in a sxuni last year ov swimmm ti English Channel in th vat nearly a score of human swim mers.

Miss Havoc's membership -will ue presented 10 ner by virtue of "her unstinted' work with and for the SPCA," according to Alex Tilley, local director of the organization. CLUB GIVES $100,000 TO MT. SINAI HOSPITAL Julia Asks the Court A check for $100,000 was presented to the Mt. Sinai Hospital and Clinic by the Mt. Sinai Men's Club at a banquet in the Bilt-more Bowl last night attended by approximately 1000 persons.

The occasion was a testimonial dinner to George Jessel at which he was presented the club's Heart of Gold Award for his work in behalf of underprivileged In making the award to Jessel, Dore Schary, motion picture producer, referred to him as "toastmaster a 1 of the United States." Harold.B. Garfield, club president, presented the check to Robert J. Gans, president of the hospital and clinic, for maintenance of the work at both places. Mt. Sinai Hospital is located 831 Bonnie Beach Place, the clinic at 207 Breed St A group of actors and singers from stage, screen and radio pro to Pronounce Film Actress Lana Turner, tired of the confusion arising from the use of two names, yesterday asked the Superior Court for authority to drop one.

The actress informed the court that she was born in Wallace, Ida, 29 years ago and was baptized Julia Jean Turner. She, added, however, that she has become so widely known by her professional name that considerable confusion occurs when she has to use her true name for legal matters. Miss Turner requested that the court legalize her name as Lana Turner Topping. She re It Lana sides with her third husband, Bob Topping, tin-plate heir, at 120 Mapleton Drive, West Los Angeles. Elks Band Will Give Spring Concert Sunday The Elks 99 Symphonic Band will give its annual spring concert at 8 p.m.

Sunday in Elks Temple, 607 Parkview it was announced yesterday. The 99-man band, a 1 1 members of Elks Lodge 99, will be conducted by Col. Vesey Walker, assisted by William H. Wallis. The concert will be open to the public..