The Times from San Mateo, California • Page 1

29 Children Feared Lost on Norse Plane ALL THE NEWS Six Days a Week for only month delivered 5 per Single Copy I A DEVOTED TO THE I A HOME OWNED NEWSPAPER A I A VOL. 49, No. 277 OF SAN A UNITED AND ASSOCIATED PRESS DIRECT WIRES TWENTY-FOUR PAGES SAN MATEO, CALIFORNIA, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1949" THE WEATHER Fair tonight and Tuesday, with nigh morning log. Little change in temperature. Low tonight 41 high Tuesday 5c PER PER MONTH Sea Rescue Brings S.

M. Families Jo R.C. Mother, Mrs. Culberson Get Good News Three days of worry ended yesterday for two San Mateo county women with- news of the Atlantic rescue of 18 men, lost in a B-29 crash near Bermuda Wednesday. Pert, 28-year-old Mrs Peggy Culberson today headed for Riverside and probably the first Christmas in four years that she has spent with her hero husbai.d, First Lieut.

Leonard D. Culbersui, bombardier on the "ditched" plane. Yuletide Reunion And a Christmas reunion is also planned by Mrs. T. A.

Fackler of Redwood City with her son, Technical Sorgt. William W. Johnson, crew chief on the lost plane. "It's nothing less than a miracle," Mrs. Fackler said today, as both women expressed elation over the dramatic rescue of 18 of the 20 men who "ditched" their plane Wednesday after the radio failed and gasoline ran out.

Talks to Husband First word that her husband was among the rescued reached Mrs. Culberson at 3:30 a. m. Sunday via an official call from March field, Riverside. Twelve hours later Mrs.

Culberson talked on the phone with her husband in Bermuda. He laughed, she said, and told of suffering only minor bruises from the 70-hour ordeal on a life rafl at sea. Culberson said he would probably be back in California in three or four days. They talked for about five minutes, Mrs. Culberson said.

His voice was not clear, but his cheerfulness dispelled the apprehension which shrouded her life since she arrived in South San Francisco Thursday and learned hat her husband was lost. Plant Reunion Mrs. Fackler first learned of her son's safety at 11 p. m. Saturday, when his wife, Lora Dean, phoned from Riverside.

Today Mrs. Fackler is planning to leave for a Riverside reunion with her son as soon as she receives word of his arrival in California. Meanwhile, she said that a Christmas reunion at the Fackler home, 3 Sky line drive, Redwood City, was already set by a hasty arrangement with Mrs. Johnson. Mrs Culberson departed from 208 Village way in South San Francisco today in company of Sergl.

Donald Heath and his wife, who drove up yesterday after word of the rescue. Her car had not even been unpacked, Mrs. Culberson said. Heard Radio News News of the sea rescue was first related to Mrs. Culberson Saturday by her mother, Mrs.

John Griffin, 396 street, who heard it on the radio. "I was still worried, because they didn't know who had been rescued," Mrs. Culberson said. She related that she phoned the March field base, but they reported having no (Turn to Page 2, Column I) "OK" USED CAfcS are BETTER and here's The fallowing 7-SUp recowil- Umiiig procedure li each ear after thorough road-ted. 1.

Steaan Wath J. Motor Repoln J. Steering 4. Electrical Sytteai 5. Metal ud Palit i.

UpfcotetenrandTrim 7. Interior Emitted Exterior Thm hi MtMIMU SMALLCOM8 CHEVROLET Twt i CkmnM n4 SAN MATEO Above, tome of the 18 airmen Matched death in the sea off BerMttda. They five a luity cheer as they arrived safely yesterday in St George's harbor, Hamilton, Bermuda. At right, Leonard D. Culbenon, Wife of Bombardier Culberson, one of the rescued, prepares to leave South San Fran- claco thia morning for Rivenlde.

where the expects to meet her husband In a few days. Rescued Men Tell of Ordeal On Stormy Sea HAMILTON, Bermuda, Nov. 20. (IP) --All 18 American airmen whi spent three nightmarish days and nights on two storm-tossed rubber life rafts after their B-29 super- fortress came down in the Atlantic off Bermuda, probably will be out of the hospital in a week, theit doctor said today. Col.

Dan R. Sewell, Kindley field surgeon, said none of the survivors suffered any serious in- iuncs. But all need time to recover from exhaustion, shock, salt water sores, swollen limbs, bruises and cuts, he said. In Bermuda Hospital The 18 survivors were landed in Bermuda and taken to St. George's hospital yesterday after their rescue Saturday afternoon by a Canadian destroyer which battled 60- foot waves to reach them.

Bearded, haggard and salt-burned the men told of their ordeal as they lay in a row of white beds in the hospital. Their voices weak and shaky, (Turn to Page 3, Column 3) Q. Nations Asked To Aid Ward WASHINGTON, Nov. United States has appealed to 30 nations, including Russia, to intervene with the Chinese Communists in behalf of the imprisoned American consul general, Angus Ward. Matter of Urgency The it ate department announced that Secretary Acheton sent out messages Friday night asking the other governments a matter of urgency" to esprets to the Communist authorities at Peiping their "concern" over the jailing of Ward and four members of his staff.

Ward and the others were jailed October 24. The state department said that even today other American staff (Tin to rage Coliam 4) Late Race Results TANFORAN Ntwport i I 7 1 A MA Iron 7.4« 1.74 pldlMoot 1.7* SIXTH-M 11.11 MA Arrtvii I. It.l* Trltk l.t» Norse Tragedy Raises Air Toll Bj Unlltd 'The toll of dead and missing in airliner and military plane crashes rose today to 201 in four weeks with the loss of a Dutch twin-engine airliner near Oslo, Norway, and the crash of a Royal air force flying boat at Singapore. The Dutch airliner carried 29 children and six adults. The RAF flying boat crashed while taking off from Seletar naval base at Singapore last night, killing five of the 14 air force men aboard.

The Dutch plane, believed to have crashed in a heavy fog, was carrying Jewish refugee children to a Norwegian rehabilitation camp. It was last heard from at 5:50 p. m. (11:50 a. m.

EST) yesterday, just 10 minutes before farmers 15 miles south of Oslo said they heard the plane'a engines, then an explosion. Rescue parties searched the heav- (Turn Page 11, Col. 4) COUNTY SOUNDS KNELL COYOTE HOUSING Fresno Girl Fiend Victim Witness in Bridges Case Under Fire Mystery Man Due to Be Put on Stand This Afternoon 17-Month-oid P. TELLS HEARING ChUdKidnapedCOMMUTER LOSS NOW $1,000,000 PER YEAR M. And Murdered Baby a Fjom Car While Parents Are Times Redwood City Bureau at Party REDWOOD CITY, Nov.

Pacific executives av VRAMTMTM an, PDPCKM x- '01 told lhe state public utilities commission here today that in- SAN JRANCISCO, Nov. 21 RLSNO, Nov. creases in Peninsula commuter rates are justified, in order to The body of a 17-month-old girl partially offset an annual "oui-of-pocket" loss approximating was found in a muddy field $1,000,000 in operation of the company's commuter trains near Huron last night, her head I The average over-all increase in fares sought by the SP is iner Lloyd Garner today as the second week of the trisl of Harry Bridges and two other CIO long- jammed into the mud. Deputy Coroner L. R.

Webb fore Judjje George B. Harris. Garner was expected to fol lowed on thc witness stand by a "mystery witness" described by Prosecutor F. Joseph Donohue ss a former "local labor leader and ex Communist. ianfUll the mudTflrere were teeth- marks on her body.

The baby as thc daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Yanez of Huron. She was kidnaped from her parents" car 24 per cent. Hearing of thc SP's case, being conducted before Commis- isioner Ira H.

Rowel! and Examiner Henry Jacobi in the board supervisors' chambers, was expected to take all day. Scores 'of commuters and batteries of at lor representing thc railroad, thc I in front of a dance hall at Huron, 40 I room newly formed Peninsula Protective association, and numerous municipalities filled the sula service, all from prepared statements. Attorney Handler of the protec- live association objected, as Peter Because of the rmss southwest of here, early Delay Seen son began to testimony from state because ot the prolonged cross a A a oj mcnts i he charged were "pure- Vicious Murder a decision appeared likely self serving and no place in this hearing lie was overruled Later, Benham attempted to examination ot Garner, the culion said it would not call its "mjstery witness'' i the aftci- noon session of thc trial. James Maclnnis, attorney for .1. R.

and Henry Schmidt, accused of conspiracy to defraud the government by backing up Bridges' sworn testimony at his 1945 naturalization hearing a he was not and never had been a Communist, sought to trip up Garner on his earlier testimony. Garner testified last week that Bridges had told him IIP had never been arrested. Todaj, Maclnnis sue reeded in getting Garner to admit he erred and that Bridges had said at his naturalization hearing he had been arrested three times, once in New Orleans for picketing, again in Los Angeles after an auto accident and in San Francisco by immi gration authorities. The government's case against Robertson suffered a minor setback when Garner testified that Paul Schnur, another CIO Lmgshore union officer, first appeared with Schmidt to testify for Bridges. Schnur subsequently could not pro duce proof of his father's naturalization and was replaced by Robertson.

Defense attorneys hoped Garner's testimony would tend to prove to the jury that Robertson had no part in a pre-conceived conspiracy to get citizenship for Bridges. Ed a i hca( of lhc Attorney Marvin Handler, counscd i i 4 4 i i i i i a i i i i i i i i i i cou.it sheriff's office criminal I for J' le1lf a uc sald would ask to 60 days lime to digest lhe SP New Santa Clara Charter Invalid SAN JOSE. Nov. Clara county's new charter, adopted last year, was declared invalid today. The ruling was made in a 27-page decision by Superior Judge James L.

Atteridge of Santa Cruz county. There were errors, he said, in legal notices during five of the 10 dayt of legal advertising of the charter before the election. Howard W. Cam pen, county attorney, said he. would appeal immediately to the state supreme court.

i i i a i bureau, said her kill ing was most murder ever committed in Fresno county Constable Jeanne Peterson and Deputr Sheriff Gene Prcdmore said the girl was abducted i her parents were absent from the car for a few minutes A 21 year-old laborer was being hold for questioning. District Attorney M. Tucsen said his story of his whereabouts Saturday night "was of discrepancies ever, Undcrshenff Harold Km mick said the lead did not "look very promising." Found in Field Six sheriff's officers and representatives of the district attorneys office were at the scene Angered townspeople gathered there last night alter the baby's body was found and had to be kept away by officers so that clues would not be destroyed Pete Varela, member of the search party organized by Mrs. Peterson and Predmore, found the girl's body after discovering bits (Turn to Page 11, Column 1) Daylight Hits Truck.2 Burned MOUNTAIN VIEW, Nov. 1 persons were severely burned today as a southbound Southern Pacific passenger train crashed into a semi-truck and trailer at a crossing just south of here.

No one aboard the train--South crn Pacific's Daylight--was injured although passengers were shaken. The tram did not leave the track but its engine was disabled and a new one had to come from San Francisco. Traffic Delayed Northbound and southbound traffic was delayed for more than two hours. Most seriously injured was Lewis Camara, 44, of Oakland, driver of (Turn to Page 3. Column 3) testimony before beginning a cross- examination of witnesses.

Then, he said, he would require another month or longer before presenting I ho commuters' case against fare hikes. The i i i a hearing got off to a stormy start, and Commissioner Rowcll at one point threatened to adjourn to San Francisco if inter ruption of witnesses continued. At outset, R. V. i i San Francisco altorney and Menlo J'aik resident who said he was representing himself and a small group of commuters.

to disqualify the hearing officers on the grounds the case should be leard by other than question the witness, Commissioner Rowcll threatened to adjourn "if we can'l have an orderly meeting." Third Increase Peterson testified that this is onl third increase in commuter fares sought by the P. in 29 years He declared a while every effort has been made to operate the local sen ice economically and efficiently i impairing its quality, increasing losses have placed an unreasonable financial burden on other passenger and Ireighl operations. "Costs have increased so a we are now losing, out of pocket, approximately $1,000.000 a year." asserted. Asking a fares be the PUC because a body "might incrcascd lo a a sprv biased and prejudiced." The request was denied. Rex Benham, Redwood City, self- styled chairman of a "Committee for Protection of Commuters' Pay Rolls from Raids by the Friendly Southern Pacific," asked if it were "true you have an annual pass on the SP, and so do other members of the commission?" He was told he was out of order.

SP Executives Three SP executives--Claude E. Peterson, vice-president and gcner al manager; Vail S. Andrus, assist ant to the president: and Howard R. Hughes, assistant general manager --testified during the morning in behalf of the company's application ice as nearly self supporting as possible," he added. "Continuing losses in any branch of our service create an unhealthy condition not only for ourselves but for patrons of passenger and freight services and the communities we serve." He pointed out the San Francisco municipal railway earlier this year abandoned its street car service to San Mateo because it was a finan cial drain on the system as a whole The traffic executive emphasized.

however, that while the S. P. had to withdraw from commutation elsewhere, the company has no thought of such action on thc Peninsula if the service can be made anywhere near self-support- Joins in Urging Units Be Razed I Officials Fear Catastrophe in Buildings; Recent Fire Cited Tlmt lil- REDWOOD CITY, Nov. 21. --Unofficially hut nevertheless unmistakably, members of the I San Mateo county board of supervisors today sounded the I death knell for the veterans' emergency housing project at Coyote Point in San Mateo.

I Col. Henry W. Edmonds, chairman of the board, nounced at thr conclusion of a studv meeting with representatives of the San Mjtoo cily council, state and the San Mateo county I housing that the boird would, in the near future, meet officially and decide a it woulu do i the project operating under a contract between the federal government and the board of super- within the limits of the city 1 of San Matro. federal Grant A plea from Mrs. Ruth Bradley, I of the federal housing commission, that application be made lor federal grants to work on low tost housing as a remedy for the Coyote Point project, failed to get much response from the supervisors.

It was revealed that recently enacted congressional laws enable continuation of the project, until January 1, 1951. If the project is to be continued by the supervisors an application must be on file by December 22, 1949. declaration bv Daniel J. Creedon, mayor of San Mateo, that abatement proceedings could be in- stitutcd at any time and that members of the San Mateo council favored such a course due to the menace of fire, acted as a spur. Crcedon said that he personally was in favor of condemnation tomorrow as every building code, fire safety and many health laws were beinf violated.

Opposed to Project After hearing several suggestions, including a contract which would eliminate any federal control and (Turn to Page 2. Column S) for more revenue from its Penin- (Turn to Page 2, Column 5) FOG CLOSES AIRPORT; SLOWS AUTO TRAFFIC Air operations stopped at Mills field soon after midnight today due to thick fog. Planes stacked above the area were landed about 1:35 when the fog lifted momentarily. Then there was a mad rush by pilots to get on the ground. Five of the big planes landed within a nine minute period.

COZY ATOM SHELTER TOO COSTLY, SAYS BOH ANNON CHICAGO, Nov. 21. (IP) A snug atomic shelter buried in the yard of every home just isn't in the cards, a real estate and construction expert uid today. "The cost of building an effective structure would be prohibitive other than for the very wealthy or the military," said DarM 0. Be- haism, San Mateo, one of the nation's largest builders of private homes.

Hole To illustrate, Bohannon esti- asaled the bare cost of building a comfortable private family shelter of concrete 15 by 40 feet--small enough to fit any standard lot-with lead-sheathed walls one foot thick and sunk 14 feet into the ground. "With modern earth-moving machinery," he said, "it would cost about (1200 to dig the hole, assum ing of course that you had no rock excavation problems. "And a concrete structure with walls one foot thick would run to about 14200. And that's just the shell. "You'd have to make adequate provisions for proper domestic water and sewage disposal.

And naturally, the place would have to have its own light plant with sufficient fuel to supply the generator in case power lines were cut. "Now our highly mechanized little plant would have to have some sort of cold storage facilities for food--how much would depend on how long you had to stay in it-and nobody, not even the atomic energy commission, is prepared to tell us that. "Some steel reinforcing around the structure would help. But from what we learned at Nagasaki, we know that an atomic blast Mows jteel away like dust. "In the case of lead sheathing, you would have to draw on a subsidy from the United States treasury.

We can't even afford lead for drainpipes. "American builders are prepared to build anything. But I don't think we're quite ready to produce these units for the 'economy house Although the fog lifted enough by 10 o'clock this morning, landings had to be made by instruments until late this afternoon. The field was closed down tight from about 2:45 a. m.

to just before 10 today. A Pan American flight scheduled to leave at 9:30 o'clock was delayed an hour on its takeoff. Nine transcontinental and coastal flights were stacked until just before 10 o'clock over Belmont. Automobile traffic on the Bayshore and El Camino Real was slowed to a creep for several hours. No serious accidents were reported, however.

Rail traffic was delayed for a few minutes when the fog became so thick between Redwood City and Menlo Park that it was impossible for the engineers to see the block ignals. In most valley points, forecasters at Mills field reported, visibility was zero most of the night. When the sun breaks through the tTw to Page Coliaai I) Where Should I Baik? To the young man making hjj start in the world, the choice of a banking connnection may be vital. 7 For his bank can be a friend and advisor through life. Itl professional experience is his to draw on.

It will encourage him to handle money wisely; and at sist him to prepare for financial emergencies and Chooie your bank for its helpful interest, and for its good Choose it with care. An lodependeit Home mm HMiit Mtiuati.