The Courier News from Blytheville, Arkansas • Page 1

BLYTHEVILLE COURIER NEWS THE DOMINANT NEWSPAPER OF NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI VOL. 48 Blytheville Courier Blytheville Daily News Mississippi Valley Leader Blytheville Herald BLYTHEVILLE, ARKANSAS, TUESDAY, MAY 18, 1954 TWELVE PAGES Published Daily Except Sunday SINGLE COPY FIVE CENT! Little Chance Ike Will Alter Secrecy Order McCarthy-Army Inquiry Recess May Be Permanent WASHINGTON (AP) The White House indicated today there, is little or no prospect President Eisenhower will change his order which led Senate investigators to suspend the McCarthy-Army hearings. From Democratic senators there were predictions the hearings never will be -resumed unless Eisenhower does alter it, but Republicans disputed that. The order bans testimony by government officials about talks within the administration concerning the controversy between Sen. McCarthy and Pentagon officials.

The Senate investigations subcommittee voted yesterday to suspend hearings until next Monday while Chairman Mundt (R-SD) explores meantime whether Eisenhower might modify bjs order, de- OleoHeir Granted NewTrial Mickey Jelke Conviction Is Disallowed NEW YORE (AP) Oleomargarine heir Minot F. (Mickey) Jejke's conviction on compulsory prostitution charges was thrown out today because and public were exclud- from parts of sensational trial here last year. Jelke was granted a new trial. The "Appellate Division of the State Supreme Court, in a 3-2 ruling, held that the exclusion of press and public deprived Jelke of a "fair and impartial trial." District Attorney Frank S. Hogan announced he would appeal the ruling higher, if.possible.

He declined any comment cncerning a retrial. District Attorney Prank S. Hogan announced he would appeal the ruling higher, if possible. He declined any comment concerning a retrial. The trial of the 24-year-old heir was one of trie most sensational in New Yorfc in many years, and featured testimony by call girls whose prices ranged up to $500 a night.

However, their testimony was given behind closed courtroom doors because the trial judge felt it would endanger public morals. Press coverage was limited to what reporters could pick up from witnesses, attorneys and others in the courthouse corridors. Two Counts Jelke eventually was convicted on two counts of compulsory prostitution and was sentenced to three to six years on each. His trial in New York General Sessions Court was closed to press and public during presentation of the state's case. Judge Francis L.

Valente at the time said he felt that lurid testimony of admitted call girls might endanger public morals, and declared he felt that he had the legal authority to order this step. New York newspapers and press services protested vigorously. In reversing Jelke's conviction, the majority of the Appellate Court ruled: "It becomes apparent that to place in the hands of any court the power in a criminal trial to close the doors of a court room during the presentation of the case of one party and open it when the other party undertakes to present his case creates a situation that should not be tolerated." The 27-page majority view added: "The ruling of the court in effect was that if one testified for the people the witness would be shielded from publicity but if one testified for the defense it would be in the pitiless glare of press and public. "We are unwilling to place the stamp of approval upon any such unorthodox and in this case unwarranted procedure." Renew Treaty MANILA Philippine Senate and House of Representatives last night passed an administration bill to extend the II. Free Trade Agreement of 1946 to Dec.

31, 1955. A similar measure is pending in the U. S. Congress. nounced by McCarthy as an "iron curiain" some one must have "foisted" on the President.

McCarthy contended it made it impossible to get at the truth. Conference Today Mundt was to begin his efforts with a conference this afternoon with Atty. Gen. Brownell who prepared a memorandum of precedents which Eisenhower sent to the senators yesterday along with a copy of his order. The order took the form of a letter to the secretary of defense.

It may be two or three days before the question of altering the order formally reaches Eisenhower. But reporters at the White House were given to understand there is scant prospect the President will shift his stand in any way. Asked whether he thought the President might modify or rescind his letter. Press Secretary James C. Hagerty replied: "As far as" I know, the President issued his letter yesterday." reporter then asked, "Was the letter intended to bring the hearings to a stop?" Hagerty: "I can think of nothing that would be a more silly question!" Stevens Accompanies Ike Hagerty announced that Secretary of the Army Robert T.

Stevens would accompany the President to Charlotte, N. today for ceremonies attending the observance there of an declaration of independence by colonial residents of the area. Hagerty said the President asked Stevens to 'go along because the ceremonies also mark Armed Forces Week. At the Capitol, meantime, Sen. Ferguson (R-Mich) said he sees no reason why the investigations subcommittee cannot continue its McCarthy-Army inquiry despite the presidential order.

Ferguson said the Senate Republican Policy Committee, which he heads, probably will discuss later in the day tiie impact of the presidential order. Negro Teachers To Be Honored Kiwanis Club Here To Launch Its Appreciation Week Blythevilie's Kiwanians, backed by possibility of nationwide cooperation this year, kick off Teacher Appreciation Week tomorrow night when they pay tribute to the Negro teachers of the Blytheville Schools District at Harrison High School. The dinner, which is set for 6 p.m. will be the first of two the club will sponsor for teachers of the Blytheville district. On May 28, the Kiwanians will honor white teachers with a noon luncheon at Hotel Noble.

For the first time since Teacher Appreciation Week was inaugurated three years ago. the Blytheville Kiwanis Club, originators of the special week, feel fairly confident of nationwide backing this year. At the Kiwanis International convention in Miami, last week, a resolution urging all Kiwanis Clubs of both the United States and Canada to sponsor teacher appreciation programs, was adopted. Although the Blytheville club received no official credit at the convention for having originated the idea, it was the first Kiwanis Club known to have sponsored such a program and it was instrumental in getting the resolution before the convention. A.

C. Caldwell, superintendent of schools at Dell and lieutenant governor of the 12th Division of Kiwanis' Missouri-Arkansas District will be principal speaker at the Negro dinner. Actually, the dinner for Negro teachers does not fall within Teacher Apreciation Week. The Kiwanians proclaimed May 23-28 as Teacher Appreciation Week but decided to hold the Negro dinner five days early at the request of Negro school officials. Kiwanian Jimmy Sanders is in charge of arrangements for the Negro dinner and Kiwanian p.

E. Knudsen will be in charge of the luncheon for white teachers. George Clark is general chairman of the club's Teachers Appreciation Week FREE PARKING Flood waters roll past nearly submerged parking meters in the downtown section of Peabody, after a dam burst west of the city. The dam gave way following nearly weeks of rain, topped by a record 5Vi inch fall early on May 16. About a mile of the center section of the leather-making city of 23,000 population was flooded.

Damage was expected to be in the millions. (AP Wircphoto) Vietminh Releases 18 More Dien Wounded; French. Resume Attack By LARRY ALLEN HANOI, Indochina (AP) The Vietminh conquerors of Dien Bien Phu have released 18 more French Union wounded from the fallen fortress, the French high command announced tonight. The news came after French planes resumed attacks on rebel troops streaming eastward toward the vital Red River delta. Handbills Enliven Sewer Vote Here Some llth-hour sniping enlivened Blytheville's sewer proposal which voters found on their special election ballots today.

The sniping centered around Farris Simon and Mayor E. R. Jackson. Mr. Simon, who has been boom- ing a plan to run the city's sewage into the Mississippi River, used Mayor name in a tributed" yesterday Hardly had this handbill hit the streets until it was followed by a hot denial from the mayor, who quickly mimeographed several thousand copies and had them distributed over town.

Mayor Jackson was emphatic in that the use of his name in the Simon propaganda piece was "absolutely unauthorized." The Simon Plan was bombed by a Little Rock engineer last week who said it would cost an additional $300,000 to above the plan on which Blytheville citizens voted today. "Save your Homes" was the title on the Simon handbill distributed yesterday. It went oa to ask the voter to let Mayor Jackson and his administration come forth with another better and cheaper sewer plan. To do this, the handbill urged, it would be necessary to defeat today's measure. Firmly Denied In his firm denial, Mayor Jackson said "the use of my name was absolutely unauthorized and the handbill does not speak my thoughts about the sewer question in any manner or to any extent whatever.

'Your city administration has adopted the proposed sewer plan because it not only is the most economical but it is the only feasible method that has been proposed; and that has been the conclusion of practically every person who has made a close study of the matter "Your city administration desires as much as any body that you save your home and money, and along with the others, am firmly convinced that the best, cheapest way to do that is to vote 'yes' in the sewer election." Junior Chamber of Commerce President Billy Boone brought Mr. Simon before the Jaycees last night i- one of the latter's last appeals prier to today's voting. Appearing with Blytheville Architect Wendell Phillips, Mr. Simon told the JayceQg his sewer system will cost only $700,000 as compared to the 1,021,000 plan which is being con- Hayti Resident Is Acquitted CARUTHERSVTLLE. Circuit Court jury Saturday found Tommy Pate, 33, of Hayti, Route 2, not guilty of a charge of murder in connection with the shooting of Elmer Riggs, 34, of Hayti, Route 2.

Judge Joseph H. Allen recessed court until next Friday. Mr. Riggs was shot at a Hayti service station last August while he was having a flat fixed. Ike Flits to Charlotte WASHINGTON Eisenhower took off at 11:30 a.m., today on a one-day flying trip to N.

to take part in I Freedom Day ceremonies. 529 Vbtes Cast Here By Noon A total of 529 voters had gone to the polls by noon today in the special electipn on a proposal for a citywide sewer system for Blytheville. This was a somewhat better morning turnout than the 301 votes cast by noon on June 10, 1952, when a proposal to buy the water company to finance a sewer system was defeated. Only about 1,250 votes were cast in that election. While this noon's total was above average compared to many elections held here was still below the turnout recorded for others, such as the 1,400 noontime total for the general election in November, 1952.

Most voting, however, is generally done here in the afternoon. The polls opened at 8 this morning and will remain open until 6:30 tonight. By noon, 202 votes had been cast in the First Ward polling place in City Hall and another 202 had been cast at Blytheville Water polling place for Ward Two. In Ward Three, 93 votes had been cast at No. 2 Fire Station while 32 ballots had been cast at Moore Bros.

Store in the Fourth Ward. 1 The high command announcement did not indicate whether the casualties had been turned over before the heavy air assault, centering on a highway neutralized since Friday as a hpspital route for the Communist led rebel wounded. It also did not specify Whether the wounded actually had reached French-held territory or whether they had been turned over to French representatives at the northwest Indochina fortress which held out 56 days against the Vietminh. Only 1 of the 753 reported subject to evacuation had brought out previously. Sabotage Charged (in Geneva, a Vietminh spokesman charged the French had sab- oatged the agreement for evacuation of the wounded.

The spokesman, Hoang Van Hoan, Vietminh ambassador to Red China, told a news conference also that the new highway bombardment had killed 15 French prisoners of war.) As the American-supplied warplanes roared out once more against the road leading from Dien Bien Phu toward the vital Red River Delta, a three-man French mission flew by helicopter to Dien Bien Phu this morning to press for rebel acceptance of a six-point evacuation plan, including a French offer to treat and return gravely wounded Vietminh troops. No Answer French broadcasts had told the Vietminh the air attack on the 70- mile highway between Dien Bien Phu and Son route toward the start again unless the rebels agreed to the French plan by midnight last night. The high command said no answer was received. At 11 a.m. today bombing of the highway was resumed, a massive assault by B26 and Privateer bombers, and fitht- ers from land and carrier bases.

Son La is 80 miles from the westernmost perimeter of the French delta defenses. These are expected to be th nxt targt of th four Vietminh divisions which crushed the fortress of Dien Bien Phu. The French had stopped bombing this highway last Friday after the rebels had agreed to permit evacuation of 753 of the 1,300 to 2,000 French Union wounded See INDOCHINA on Page 12 South's Leaders Begin Work on New Problem Court Decision Received Calmly In Most States ATLANTA (AP) Southern education and political leaders stajrted work today on problems arising from the U. S. Supreme Court decision which outlaws segregation in public schools.

Yesterday's decision was generally received calmly throughout the South. Negro leaders praised it. Reaction among white educators and politicians varied. Governors of nearly every state involved reported they would call special committees into session immediately to study the problem. Most outspoken was Gov.

Herman Talmadge of Georgia, a longtime advocate of segregation in Southern schools. He announced he would call the State Commission on Education into immediate session "to map a program to insure continued and permanent segregation of the races." Talrnadffc Rebels A Talmadge-sponsored constitutional amendment to do away with Georgia's public school system will be voted on this fall. Talmadge is the only governor who declared after the high court's decision was announced that his state will not abide by the decision. He said in a prepared statement: "The court has thrown down the gauntlet before those who believe the Constitution means wfcat it says when it reserves to the individual states the right to regulate their own internal affairs. Georgians accept the challenge and will not tolerate the mixing of the races in the public schools or any of its public tax-supported institutions.

The fact that the high tribunal has seen fit to its views on sociology as law will not make any difference." Officials of the National Assn for the Advancement of Colored People hailed the decision as "vindication" of a 45-year fight, and a move which "gives the lis to the Communist propaganda that American democracy is decadent." Thurgood Marshall, chief counsel for the NAACP, said at his office in New York that compliance with the ruling may not be completed- until about 1960, Clear-Cut Interpretation But he said he does not believe Georgia can carry out its proposal to turn the schools over to private management. "If they put any plan into effect in the morning we will have them in court by the next afternoon," he said. "There is no possibility of getting around this clear-cut interpretation of the Constitution." Lt. Gov. Marvin Griffin, a candidate to succeed Talmadge as governor of Georgia, quickly announced that "the races will not be mixed, come hell or high water." Representatives E.

W. Gravolet and Gilbert Faulk of the Louisiana Legislature urged that body to "take immediate steps to counteract such a decision." Rep. Sam Engelhardt of Alabama, home of Tuskegee Institute, famed Negro college, asserted: "We are going to keep every brick in our segregation wall intact." See REACTION on Page 12 State's School Officials Comment on. Decision By THE ASSOCIATED PRKSS County officials, who must carry out the mandates of the U. S.

Supreme Court in abolishing segregation in schools, indicated no major upheaval resulting from the high court's decision yesterday. Gov. Cherry had nothing to say Immediately on the decision, but plenty of county educational offi- icials spoke their piece. Much of the reaction from county officials followed the general theme of Dr. S.

Blackburn, superintendent of schools at North Little Rock. "Most of us have felt it (the anti- segregation decision 1 was only a matter of time," said Dr. Blackburn. School Supervisor John Maycs of Mississippi County said "1 don't think the decision will have any immediate effect on our plans in this county." He didn't elaborate. Unprepared Supt.

of DeQueen Scbools, Melbert Knod. said, "We were unprepared for the ruling although we frankly expected just such a decision," adding: "We had hoped that we providing equal facilities for Negro children here. However. If this doe.s not suffice, we do not know what our next step, if any, will be." Dr. Edwin Barron, a member of the Little Rock School Board, said, "I don't know what position we take on the matter.

W. M. Lock, superintendent of schools at Texarkana, said "We are doing everything we can to equalize our program, but this something that cannot be worked out overnight." Mark Townsend, a member of the Stuttgart school board, said "I see no emergency in the offing and I believe that this is something- we'll just have to work out together." Dr. H. L.

Minton. chakman of See SEGREGATION on Page IS Wait and See' Seems Official Attitude Here Reaction of school officials available for comment here on the Supreme Court's segregation ruling appeared to be of a predominantly "wait and see" nature. Most said they had no specific comment to make at this time and indicated they preferred to observe results of the ruling before speaking. Indochina Reds Charge French Sabotaged Evacuation Agreement By EDDY GILMORE GENEVA (AP) Vietminh rebels charged today the French sabotaged an agreement to get French Union wounded troops out of fallen Dien Bien Phu. They said French bombers killed 15 French prisoners of war the rebels were leading away from the fortress.

The charges were made at a news conference by Hoang Van Hoan, Vietminh ambassador to Red China. He said the French alone were responsible for the breakdown of the plan to evacuate the seriously wounded from the northwest Indochina bastion which fell to the Communist-led rebels May 7. (Dispatches from Hanoi said, however, the Vietminh released 18 more wounded from Dien Bien Phu today. At the same time, the dispatches said American-supplied bombers had resumed powerful attacks on rebel troops streaming along a main highway from the fortress toward the French-dominated Red River delta surrounding Hanoi. The highway had been neu- tralised to permit the Vietminh to remove their own wounded, but the French charged the rebels also were moving heavy military equip- ment for a possible attack on Hanoi.) Hoang said the bombardment of the main road out of Dien Bien which he said the 15 prisoners were in violation of the wounded evacuation agreement.

He said resumption of the evacuation hinged on whether the French would again makd the way immune from bombing attacks. Hoang rejected the French demand for neutral supervision of the highway as "not realistic." He denied an earlier French charge that the Vietminh had discriminated against Vietnamese soldiers and planned only to evacuate the French wounded soldiers they had captured in the fortress. The rebel spokesman said the Vietminh had agreed to permit the evacuation of all soldiers under French command who were serious ly wounded regardless of race or nationality. But he claimed very few Indochinese were among the wounded. He claimed only one- eighth of the defenders of Dien Bien Phu were of Indochinese origin and most of these deserted to the Vietminh during the battle.

By French announcements, more than a third of the garrison's 14,000 troops were Vietnamese. Hoang said a group of prisoners taken at Dien Bien Phu, including nurse Genevieve de Oalard lone woman stranded in the fortress during the written to rebel leader Ho Chi Minn to express gratitude for thetr "humanitarian treatment." The new Vietminh charges were made as the second day of secret East-West negotiations on an Indochina peace got started. Romeo E. Short Romeo Short Dies Oi Heart Attack Former Assistant In USDA Succumbs At Wheel of Car Two Superintendent' XV. B.

Mcnofcon and School Board President W. Paul Pryor, were out of town today. About the only actual statement made here came from L. H. Autey, superintendent of Burdette and one of Mississippi County's representatives to the Arkansas General Assembly.

He had this to- say; "The Supreme Court decision against segregation in the public schools certainly presents a problem. "But since the decision does not call for a sudden end to segregation, the solution to the problem should be approached in a levelheaded and cautious manner by all individuals and groups concerned. "For the present, we should adopt a wait and see policy." John Mayes of Blytheville, County supervisor of schools, said he did not think the ruling would result in any changes in plans here. He declined further comment. Chris F.

Tompkins of Burdette, chairman of the County Board ol Education, said he had no comment at this time. BRINKLEY, Ark. (ffh- Romeo E. Short, 60. who rose from an Iowa farm and the wheat fields of Canada to become an assistant secretary of agriculture, died here yesterday of a heart attack.

The cattleman, cotton and rice planter died at the wheel of his car while en route to a speaking engagement at Biloxi, Miss. Secretary of Agriculture Benson appointed Short as an assistant in charge of farm credit, a field in which he had a national reputation. He held the job from January to-September, 1953, when illness forced him to resign. Prior to inauguration of the Republican Administration, President Eisenhower appointed Short to a 4-man advisory committee to help set up the administration's farm program. Short, who served at various times as vice president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, president of the Arkansas Farm Bureau and president of the Arkansas Rice Growers' Cooperative Association, has long championed unity among the nation's farmers.

Born in Illinois, Short was reared in Iowa and was a wheat farmer In Canada before coming to Arkansas after service in World War I. He farmed a tract near Wheatley, and pioneered cotton irrigation and mechanized harvesting of rice. The widow and a son, R. E. Short of Wheatley survive.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete. Final Drive For Industry Funds Starts Workers went out late yesterday afternoon in an effort to bring to an end the Chamber of Commerce's $150.000 fund drive to erect a building for an industry here. The drive today stands at $135,485 and some Chamber officials pointed out that more than $150,000 may be needed to meet the expenses connected with bringing Central Metal Products, to the city. It is hoped that the campaign will be concluded this week. Weather ARKANSAS Partly cloudy this afternoon, tonight and Wednesday; scattered showers and thundershowers extreme south; no important temperature changes.

MISSOURI Considerable cloudiness extreme south, elsewhere partly cloudy this afternoon and Saturday; Wednesday partly cldudy; not much change in temperature. Maximum Minimum this Sunset Sunrise Mean temperature (midway high and Precipitation last 24 hours to I'M a.m. Precipitation Jan. 1 to This Date Lut Year Maximum Minimum this Precipitation January 1 to 37.79. You Can Cast Your Ballot in tl.a Sawer Election Until 6:30 Tonight-Vote 'Yes'.