The Courier News from Blytheville, Arkansas • Page 1

BLYTHEVILLE COURIER NEWS THE DOMINANT NEWSPAPER' OF NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI Blythevilte Courier Mississippi Valley Letder VOL. 263 Blytheville Daily News Blythevllle Herald BLYTHEVILLE, ARKANSAS, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1955 Published Daily TWELVE PAGES Except Sunday SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS U.S. Position Clear, Says President Will Not Let- Formosa Fall To Red China WASHINGTON President Eisenhower said today the United States has made it Tornado Deaths Reach 31; Over 100 Injured Winds Batter Three-State Area MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) furious clouds of a squall line, unidentified young girl who died Deadly tornadoes ripped ln Arkansas and Aiabama- fh 01 (h pp ctalp? a ootl Jackpot in Mlssissip- lnrou mree ivucisouin SIBILS Extensive property damage was crystal clear it does not intend yesterday, leaving 31 dead and reported. AFTERMATH OF FIRE Remains of Ellis Implement in the 100 block of West Walnut here were still smoking today following; a fire which destroyed the structure early this morning.

In all, 11 firms felt some damage from the blaze, worst of recent years in Blythevllle. (Courier News Photo) 11 Blytheville Firms Hit By Early-Morning Fire to let Formosa fall to international communism. He said at a news conference he believes this country's defend-For- iriosa declaration, voted by Con-! gress last week, insures against any miscalculation by the Chinese Communists about American de-1 termination. i The President said there has been no commitment to use Amer- an ground forces in defense of; Formosa. But he declined to go nto any details as to how this country intends to protect that main Chinese Nationalist and the Pescadores.

about 100 injured along their Twenty-eight were killed near haphazard path. i 1 he storms, probing from Commerce Landing. about 30 the miles south of here, including an today in a Memphis hospital. Three perished in another twister at Olive Branch, 18 miles south of Memphis. Hop scotching tornadoes also caused considerable damage near Marianna, and Huntsville, but no one was seriously Injured.

Many Were in School Many of the Mississippi dead and injured were schoolchildren. Each twister had an elementary school dead center in its path. National Guardsmen patrolled the Commerce Landing area today and survivors searched the TI 1-1 r-i i erman plantation's splintered ten- LITTLE ROCK (AP) Rep. Eugene C. Fleeman of ant hmj es for possi le additional Fieeman Proposes Bill to Hike 3 Taxes island i nila yesterday introduced in the House an omnibus tax bill i victims.

to increase state sales and income taxes 50 per cent and to The highway patrol blocked off Elsenhower "specifically refused add another half-cent levy to the present six cents a gallon leading into the sector and to whether the Nationalists' 1 flsn linp lax reported the situation "under trot." Work crews were clearing Officials of 11 Blytheville business firms and offices today began the task of figuring their damages from one of the largest fires in the city in recent years. The fire, of unknown origin, swept through three business and office buildings on Walnut and Main Streets in the heart of the cltys' business district early today causing damage that Fire Chief Roy Head said should exceed Completely destroyed in the Tire was the J. C. Ellis Building in the 100 block on West Walnut Street. The building housed the J.

C. Ellis Implement Company, Whit ley Office Supply Company, Goodman- Crcwel.I Cotton and the Mc- Calla-McMtuius Cotton Co. The fire, which was fanned by a north wind, skipped across the al- Swearengen Building which adjoin- ley and caused heavy damage to building owned by Buford Martin in the 100 block on West Main Street which houses Thompson's Credit Jewelers, Martin's Cafe Martin's Liquor Store, the Shoe Box and eight apartments located on the second floor. More Damage At least one office, the Swearengen Cotton located in the 1954 Accidents Took 91,000 Lives In U.S.; Property Loss: $10 Billion CHICAGO (AP) Accidents in the United States last year took a staggering toll, killing caused about nonfatai m- 91,000 persons and injuring juries. 9,200,000.

The estimated eco- The 1954 over-all accident death nomic loss was nearly 10 bil- toll compared to 95.000 in 1953, a lion dollars decrease of 4 per cent. The 1954 The nation's No. 1 accident killer, as in the last several years, was the motor vehicle. The National Safety Council, which today reported the various mishaps in 1954, said 36.300 lost out of every persons in the their lives in traffic. That was United States suffered a disabling reduction of 5 per cent from the injury last year.

The estimated economic loss of $8,700,000.000 from mishaps in 1954 denth rate for accidents of all types was 56.5 per 100,000 population. That was the lowest rate record nnd 26 per cent under the 1941 rate. However, the council said one 38,300 motor fatalities in 1953 and the lowest total since 1950. The all-time record high was 39,969 in covered both fatal and nonfatai ac- Ceasa-fireAAayCost Islancls-Sparkman WASHINGTON (AP) Sen. Sparkman (D-Ala) said today the United States will have to consider the possibility of yielding some small Nationalist-held islands to Red China if this country follows through on United Nations' efforts to work out a cease-fire in the Formosa area.

Sparkman, chairman of the Sen- blood over them." ate Foreign Relations Par Eastern subcommittee, said in an interview he has no doubt that it the Chinese Communists accept a U.N. Security Council Invitation to talk about a truce, "the least of their demands will be that the Chinese Nationalists give up Quemoy, Matsu and the Tachens." Attitude "Fogey" These islands close to the Chinese mainland are regarded as covered by the dcfend-Pormosa resolution passed by Congress last week, but Sparkman said the administration's attitude toward defending them remains "The Communists have made it very clear that they will Insist on getting these Islands." he said. "If the Islands are necessnry for the adequate defense of Formosa, then we ought to tell the world that we are going to fight for them If they arc not essential, 1 don't think we ought to spill American Today's Courier Newt Chlckasaws Trounce Bay 97-M for 17th Victory County Junior Tournament in Quar- Ifrflnals l.cachvtlle BenU Jonwboro Third Time Automation Is Changing Your Life Fl'rt of a Three- purt Series nn Cybernetics: Automatic Llvlnt pane 12... of Men In the Serr- 5... Intercontinental Kdltorlali pate Some of those who attended a conference of Republican congressional leaders with President Eisenhower yesterday said they came away with the impression that any Red Chinese attack on the offshore islands will be met with.Immediate American countermoves.

Sen. Knowland of California, the Republican lender, has said he would fight any move to give these any other Nationalist- held the CommunlsUs to gain a cease-fire. Consideration Delayed Knowland said an amendment of this nature would be proposed if Sen. Humphrey (D-MInn) renews attempts to get Foreign Relations Committee approval for a resolution that would put the Senate on record as backing administration moves to seek a cease-fire through the U.N. The committee yesterday delayed consideration of the resolution for a week on the insistence of Knowland and others.

But Humphrey said in an Interview he will bring it up again next Tuesday. He said he would fight against amendments "because they, might Include some reservations that the administration would not want Included." "The President has proposed the cense-flre action and we have been led to believe that he would not favor appeasing Red China," Humphrey said. "Personally, I nm willing to trust the President to work out an honorable cense-flre, but It appears I Republican! an that some of not." the cidents. The total included wage losses, medical expenses and overhead cosLi of insurance, production delays, damage to equipment In work mishaps and property damage from traffic accidents and fires. The value of property destroyed and damaged by 1954 motor vehicle crashes was estimated at 600,000,000.

All costs, including medical expense, overhead cosLs of insurance and motor vehicle property damage, were S4.350,000,- 000. Home Accidents Second Accidents In the home claimed the second largest number of lives, 28,000, a decrease of 1,000 over 1953. The council, which sSid ail figures are estimates, said another 16,000 persons lost their lives in public (not motor vehicles) accidents, the same number as in 1953, and 14.000 were killed in mishaps at work, a decrease of 1,000 over 1953. In a breakdown of the mishaps, the council said there were 19,800 persons killed in a heavy killer; 6.500 died from burns; 6,600 drowned, and firearms deaths decreased 8 per cent to 2 300. Two catastrophes caused more than 50 deaths each in tornadoes on the Atlantic Coast and in the New England states.

But, the council said, us in past years the bulk of the accident total was made up of one or two- death mishaps. In traffic, 1854 was marked by the first continuous downward trend in deaths since World War II. In every month except November there were fewer deaths than the corresponding month of 1953. The December 1954 traffic death toll was 3,730, a decrease of 5 per cent from December 1953. i 118 Na( nall5ls I gasoline tax.

offshore outpost islands of Quemoy and Matsu would be defended by I the United No Blueprint He said he was not going to provide any blueprint for the Reds. The news conference, filmed for possible later use on television and in theaters, covered a wide range of topics. They included: Army President said that at this moment he sees no reason to alter plans for a cut in Army strength. He made that in response to a request ed the Ellis Building to the east, or comment on the statement by suffered fire damage and several I en. Matthew Ridgway, Army others suffered water and smoke cnief of sla fp that the planned damage.

Wade Furniture Company, located immediately east, of the Martin Building on West Main Street, also suffered smoke and water damage. chief of staff, cut of 140,000 men might jeopardize national security "to a de- The President said Ridgway's special interest is the Army, and The fire was discovered by J. C. tha mj ht be cal ed a parocnlal Byrd, a morning paper carrier who interest He sald Ridgway natar ally had to express his convictions before the House Armed Services Committee, but that the decision to reduce Army strength has not been altered and he sees no chance at this time of its being turned In the alarm. Four-Hour Battle The fire is believed to have started around 1:33 a.m.

and firemen trom Biythsville, Osceoia and the Air Base battled the blaze for more than four hours before bringing it If More thaa half the estimated 25 i million dollars additional revenue a ae rf IS year based on current collec- Mos of the damage at would go to the public! Branch centered at Wiggins Negro 'school fund i elementary school. Twenty-three The estimated 13 million dollars students were at their desks when more to the schools, which would the twister struck. A teacher and come from the projected sales tax two children were killed, increase, would meet the demand Spring's Early this ye altered. Supreme Court Eisenhower under control. Five fire trucks, three of Blytheville's, one from Osceoia and 'onej sa is unfortunate the Senate from the Air Base, were needed to has delayed action on his nomination of John Marshall Harlan to stated that be an associate justice.

The delay is too bad, the President added, but he is not going to stand up and criticize congress because of battle the blaze. Fire Chief Head sparks trom the burning buildings fell on houses as far as four blocks away causing additional alarms but no damage was reported from these. The fire is believed to have started in the rear of the implement company which has been closed since going out of business several months ago. Equipment Damaged J. Ellis of Barfield, owner of the Ellis Building and the implement firm, stated that a considerable amount of new and used farm equipment was in his building at the time of the fire.

Included among these were six tractors and an automobile. Mr. Ellis placed his damage in the vicinity of $30,000. Another automobile, a 1E50 Ford, owned by the S. Department ot Agriculture and assigned the government Cotton Classing office located in the Swearengen Building, was destroyed.

This car was parked in rage at the rear of the Cotton Classing office. The Cotton Classing Office itself See FIRE on Paye 2 Manila and Dell Okay Gas Plans Leachville Votes Monday; Service May Start Next Fall Citizens of Dell and Manila yes-! of school forces, which have been asking for another 2 million dollars to supplement the present budget of about 30 million dollars yearly. Public welfare also would receive about one and one half dollars from the proposed increase in sales tax. More for Highways And 4 -2 million dollars from the gasoline tax boost would mean 52,225,000 for the highway construction fund and an equal amount for Ambulances from towns in the surrounding delta area moved the injured to hospitals in Memphis and Tunica, Miss. The 25-bed hospital at Tunica, about 15 miles south of Commerca Landing, was soon jammed.

Volunteers, some of them pretty girls in party dresses, were organized to help the staff. A school was converted into a makeshift dormitory for the homeless. The Commerce Landing tornado cut a swath 200 feet wide through the Leatherman planta- municipal street aid tion. "destroying a row of "tenant A loan funa for the fa church school newly-created Arkansas Industrial Development Commission would. a said the school Ir eas ed 20 mcome a In SiSS would be urnedl- a back to he individual counties for wreckage and bodies into the boiling clouds.

Two Boys Escaped general use. Remainder would go to the state general funds, which now supports most state agencies, including schools, colleges and welfare. Fleeman said he feared the measure would mean "political suicide" for him but that he had decided to go ahead with the measure. Dixon-Yates Eisenhower said crisply response to a question tcr( a gave firm verdicts in fav-i that he does not intend to with or of tne an wn cn will bring 1 draw the controversial Dixon-Yates tnem natural gas. power contract as a result of Dem il voted 78-0 in favor of the: ocratic opposition to it in Congress, municipally-sponsored bond issue As for the resolution adopted by to build mains and lateral while 1 the tjn Democrats the Senate- Manila voters approved by 113-6.

House Atomic Energy Committee Under the plan. Arkansas-Mis-; calling for cancellation of the con-, souri Power. will operate the tract, the President said he had systems on a lease agreement from no comment other than to say the the cities. Seato Pact Ratified By Senate Red Cross Nurse Course Continues Final session of a two-night disaster nursing course sponsored by Chickasawba Chapter of American Red Cross will be lield at 7 p.m. tonight at the Red Cross office.

Twenty-one nurses attended last night's opening session. The course is being conducted by Mrs. Corliss Williams of Little Rook, Red Cross nursing representative for Arkansas. Dr. Weldon Rainwater and Mrs.

Harold Sudbury and co-chairmen of disaster nursing program. House Defeats Bill to Prohibit Sale of Appliances by Utilities LITTLE ROCK Wl The House today defeated 41-33 a bill which would have prohibited utilities. Including rural electric cooperatives, from selling equipment such as refrigerators, air conditioners, fans and the like. I The bill was Introduced by Rep. I Joel Lcdbetter of Pulaski County, The bill, which eventually failed 55-14, was introduced by Rep.

Paul Jones of Searcy County, the House's only independent. Jones spoke for his bill and Rep. J. A. Rodman of Izard County, a former county judge, spoke against it.

Rodman said the bill would cost who said It was drawn at the re-, the state's counties around a quaiv quest of furniture and equipment ter of a million dollars a year In dealers' groups. payments on Uie Judges' bonds. He said he did not believe the Rodman said that currently no utilities should be permitted to bond is required of a county Judge. compete with merchandisers. Rep.

Dcwcy Stiles of Hot Spring lotmty spoke against the bill. Lnineie Heat Lopfureo He said It would prevent per- TAIPEH, Formosa The son from buying a gas refrigerator Nationalist Defense Ministry re- of a type which he said Is sold ported tonight 15 Chinese Commu- only by gas companies. nlst prisoners were aboard the Two first term legislators made transport that brought refugees first appearances on the Jiom the Tachen Islandt today. House floor during debate on a bill They had been captured near Nan- which would have required county klshan, 80 miles south of the Ta- judgei to bt bonded. I resolution was drawn along party No incre-ises in taxes will result lines.

from the bond issues and Ark-Mo guraniees payment of principal Censorship The President said and interest. he d'dn't see how anvone could! Actually, payment will be made disssming vote, saying he thinks Then another raise the crv of'censorship revenues derived from opera- this country "ought to mind its own Springs WASHINGTON The Senate ratified by an 89-1 vote late yesterday the Southeast Asia Defen.se Treaty designed to combat either open aseression or subversion in the Far East. Sen. Lander iR-NDi cast the lone "Afterward me and women came to the spot," he said. "They would find a child and come crying up the road with it in their arms.

It doesn't seem possible anybody got out, but they say two little boys, did." The school had an enrollment of 45. No one knew how many of the children were in the school when the tornado struck. The teacher was amon? the muddy, battered dead. Her car, crushed into a ball, was found 200 yeards away. There was no accurate estimate of the number left homeless by the storm.

The highway patrol reported about 50 homes destroyed or damaged. The tornado cluster first struck the small Arkansas communities of Bruins and Feiton. damaging farm buildmss and tenant houses. Then the midafternoon squall line crossed the Mississippi river. A roaring funnel dipped onto the Leatherman and adjoining Abby plantations at Commerce Landing, struck near Holly with respect to the filming and subsequent release of portions of his news conferences for use on TV and in the theaters.

He said he understood that about 28 minutes of the first Presidential news conference to be filmed, that of Jan. 19, released for public viewing. Eisenhower added that he had received no protests from any broadcasting company contending there was censorship. Bipartisan consultation Responding to a question, Eisenhower said there had been consultation, so far as he knows, with the Democrats in Congress with respect to both the administration's highway construction program and the projected cut in Army strength. Secretary of Defense Wilson, the President added, conferred with See IKE on Page 2 tional income.

business and keep out of foreicn The line spent its waning GoaJ: FaIJ of '55 all over Europe and near Hur.tsvjlle, last Tentative plans laid out today where a last-gasp twister by Ark-Mo call for petting natural'' Parties to the treaty, negotiated skipped along the farmlands and gas to these towns by the next. at Manila last fall, are the United brushed small communities, heatinc season of this year. 'States, Great Brita'in. France, Aus-i Missed School Ark-Mo's chief gas raliai Ptt Zealand, the Philip-' The Alabama twister ripped the Jack Cuadra. pointed out the plans; Pakistan and Thailand.

The roof from several houe close by are subject to and federal' lrealy area specifically embraces Alabama college, near Hunts- approval and are contingent on ncms Cners Viet Nam Laos ville. hut didn't hit the school, such factors KS weather and iron- Qnrf Ten-Year-old Ruthie Lee Clark ins out final details of the bond is- Among the ig ne rs, only the said she was at the landing school sue Philippines has not yet ratified the treaty. Mightiest Turbojet Shown BRISTOL. England A new turbojet cnpine for airplanes, billed as the world's mightiest, went, through us first public paces here processes the ciant twicer struck. -The teached told us we could Terms of the treaty say that any So home before the storm got too military action to be taken in the bad." saiti.

"About five of us event of aggression wiU be in accordance with the constitutional of each nation. In yesterday. Capable of 11.030 pounds event of threats to security by sub- thrust, it is more powerful than version, they are pledged to con- seven locomotives. suit on what counteraction to take. County Ginning Figure 209,006 Mississippi County glnnings as of Jan.

16 stood at 209.006 bales, Congressman E. C. (Took) Gain- ings said the U. S. Department of Agriculture reported today.

Final report on the 1954 cotton crop won't be forthcoming until March 21. Last year's final tally was 231,453 bales. The Dec. 1 ginning flgurr ecleased by the USD A was 202,229. Jury Awards $3,000 Damages A Circuit Jury yesterday a warded damages of $3,400 to Qene Henderson in his suit against the Lmngston McWalers Bulck which charged misrepresentation of the facts In the sale of nn automobile.

Ths court this morning was hear- ng the case of the Sweat Taxi Co. vs. Willie nnd Hollis White in suit 'or rinmnrtcit resulting from a traf- ic accident last October. Soviet Warns of A-War Result to W. Germany MOSCOW (AP) The Soviet press, in its continuing campaign to block ratification of the Paris agreements for rearming West Germany, is saying an atomic war would hit densely populated West Europe first and hardest, and also seriously wound the United States.

started up the road when the wind bp an to blow real hard. the went lnto a house and ifc 'just came apart. I landed about 10 feet away." The child suffered facial cuts. Mrs. Matilda McCoy was at her ten; ant farm home with her seven ren when her Fred, and her father.

Cliff, came In out of I the fielrl and said: "There's a storm coming." "Fred told me to put out the See DEATHS on Page 2 The latest to issue such a warning Is Maj. Gen. Talensky, writing in the magazine Interna' tional Life. But, while claiming that the United States will "suffer also" in atomic war, Talensky doesn't hide the fact that the Soviet Union would suffer in addition to a "great part of the globe." This admission that the Soviet. Union would be hit along with the rest of the world emphasizes what Premier Georgi Malrmkov said in a speech in Moscow last March during an election campaign for the Supreme Soviet.

Malenkov accused "Western imperialists" of "preparing a fresh world carnage" and added that a new war "with modern weapons would mean the ruin of world civilization," onsemipntly for nearly year, Red Star and other have been publishing articles advising Weather NORTHEAST ARKANSAS: Partly cloudy and cool this afternoon, tonight and Thursday with scatter- clvilians and the military on pre- ed thundershowers Thursday. cautlons to take in the event of day cloudy and cool with possibility of snow flurries. High this afternoon mid Ws. Lowest tonight upper 20 atomic war. Talensky based his discussion of atomic weapons on reports that the North Atlantic Treaty Council and American strategists bank more on the newest weapons than massed armed rorces.

He disputed claims that atomic guns can easily be used by field armies and asserted that atomic warfare will spread the zones of lighting. A third world War, he said, "will Inevitably extend the sphere of military action and cover a large part of the globe, Including the territory of the United States." Talcnsky said America's West European allies who provide buses for American planes endanger own MISSOURI Cloudy through Thursday with snow or freezing rain north and freezing rain south beginning tonlsht and continuing through Thursday with freezing rain changing to rain south no decided change In temperature. Minimum thin morning Maximum yoalerdRy 38 tomorrow Bunnct Meftn temperature 5 Precipitation list 24 to 7 p.m. .43 Precaution 1 to I.U trili Date Lftit Year MuKlrmim yesterday Minimum trilji morning .17 Precipitation January 1 to 1.11.