The Courier News from Blytheville, Arkansas • Page 1

to to BLYTHEVILLE COURIER NEWS THE DOMINANT NEWSPAPER OF NORTHLAST ARKANSAS AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI Blytheville Courler Mississippi Valley Leader Published Daily VOL. L-NO. 56 Blytheville Daily News Blytheville Herald BLYTHEVILLE, ARKANSAS, AT INDUSTRIAL SITE Things were humming at the Blythe- to site from Mathis Street. On-site roadway is being lined out in backville Investment Corporation's industrial site this morning as prepa-. ground.

Footings for the building are to be poured next week, but rations were made to begin construction on the building which will Chamber of Commerce officials are still pressing to get the final house Central States Metal of Kansas City. Workers in fore- $7,000 in the fund drive to pay for the building. (Courler News Photo) ground constitute city crew which is putting in culverts to give access Carrier's Catapult Probed As Possible Cause of Blast Navy Board Meets; Toll Now Set at 91 QUONSET POINT, R. I. (AP) -The word "catapult" bobbed up today in eyewitness accounts of the horrible disaster which killed at least 91 men and injured 201 yesterday on the aircraft carrier Bennington.

And the catapult room of the big ship may come under investigation after the Navy board of inquiry meets for the first time at 1:30 p.m. (EDT) at this naval air base. Last October, 37 men died in an explosion on the carrier Leyte as she was being overhauled at Boston. A naval board of inquiry concluded that the blast happened when someone accidentally ignited oil in catapult tube. In explaining the location of the explosions and fire which shook the Bennington while she was 75 miles offshore, her skipper, Capt.

William F. Raborn of Oklahoma City, said the damaged area was below the third deck damage was done to the No. 1 fire room. the port catapult room and the living quarters of the general service crew. The catapult room holds machinery which power the vessel's catapults which are used to drive planes into the air.

Lt. (JG) John Wallam of Pittsburgh, a gunnery officer aboard Bennington, said the blast. awoke him with such a start it smashed his watch on the head. Heard Pumps "As soon as I was awake," he said. "I heard a funny noise coming from the pumps that operate the catapults.

They usually sound like some sort of vacuum cleaner, but now they sounded like a motor was running hot and out of kilter very much louder than usual." Wallam said he hit the deck just as he heard dull boom echo throughout the ship. When he reached the second deck, headed, the lights were out and there was heavy oil smoke everyplace. Capt. Raborn explained: "We had just completed launching 20 jets and were standing by to launch the 40 propeller planes on the deck when I spotted the puff of smoke coming from the starboard side of the flight deck. This was followed by a minor explosion, the shock of which was felt only in the forward in quarters.

"Then came the major explosion which caused the ship to The 32.000-ton carrier. A proud bearer of numerous battle honors See CATAPULT on Page 2 Weather ARKANSAS-Mostly cloudy with showers, local thunderstorms west and south this afternoon and east tonight; Friday partly cloudy with scattered showers and thundershowers: no important temperature changes. MISSOURI- Considerable cloudiness this afternoon, tonight and Friday with scattered thundershowers northeast and extreme north this afternoon and tonight and over the north and east Friday; little change in temperature. Maximum yesterday-83. Minimum this morning-67.

Sunset Sunrise tomorrow Mean temperature (midway between high and low-75. Precipitation last 24 hours to 7:00 a.m. today- none. Precipitation Jan. 1 to date- This Date Last Teat Maximum venterday-96.

Minimum this morning-72. Precipitation January to date- MAY 27, 1954 EIGHTEEN PAGES Excopt Sunday SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS Cohn Swears Stevens, Adams Tried to Block M'Carthy Probe Army Counselor Quoted: 'Feather In Cap' If Stalled selor John G. Adams tried to block the McCarthy subcommittee's probe for Communists in the Army, and quoted Adams as saying it would be "a feather in his cap" if no hearings were held. Under oath, the 27-year-old chief aide to Sen. McCarthy also said it was "true," 88 the McCarthy camp alleges, that the Army officials tried to "discredit" the subcommittee.

Cohn said that soon after Adams wa employed as Army counselor last Oct. 1 Adams told him it would be a "feather in his cap" and would "solidify his job" if WASHINGTON (AP) Roy M. Cohn swore today Secretary Stevens and Army Coun-1 he could persuade the subcommittee not to hold either public or executive hearings on alleged subversion at Ft. Monmouth. N.

J. He said Adams made no direct request that the subcommittee drop its investigation but made it very clear it would be "welcome news" if the subcommittee would turn the inquiry over to the Army Itself. Cohn said he did not favor doing this. partly because a "thoroughly alarming" security situation at secret radar laboratories at Monmouth had existed for a long time and the Army bad done nothing about it despite repeated FBI warnings over a period of years. Cohn related that at a luncheon in New York Oct.

13 both Stevens and Adams raised the question of "whether or not we had have and asked if there wasn't some way to stop hearings and let them "do this themselves." Stevens and Adams both insisted when they. were witnesses earlier in the McCarthy-Army hearings that they never tried to halt the senator's investigation. Stevens said he was concerned about the "type" of hearings and what be termed the way the Army was being "hAmmered." He said he felt Rn unfair picture of the situation was being given by the McCarthy subcommittee. Cohn was asked whether Stevens and Adam: complained at the luncheon about distortion of the facts. They didn't.

Cohn replied. Cohn, chief counsel for the McCarthy subcommittee, was on the stand in the 22nd day of the ArmyMcCarthy hearings as the first direct witness for the McCarthy side. Special Counsel Ray H. Jenkins reviewed a charge that Stevens and Adams sought to bring about discontinuance" of the subcommittee's investigation of alleged subversion in the Army, particuJarly at the radar laboratories at. Ft.

Monmouth, N. J. is true," Cohn said. The McCarthy camp's allegations were made AS A countercharge to the Army's allegation that Sen. McCarthy and his aides brought improper pressures for favored treatment for Pvt.

G. David Schine, wealthy New Yorker and former consultant to the subcommittee. As the hearings convened for the 22nd day, Sen. Symington (D-Mo) served notice the Democrats will insist on testimony from Francis P. Carr, staff director of the McCarthy subcommittee, despite the Republican majority's decision to drop Carr as a principal in the controversy.

Charges "Whitewash" Symington charged "whitewash" when the Republicans shoved aside Democratic protests and, vote, threw out the allegations that Carr engaged with Cohn and McCarthy in seeking special priv- ilege for Schine. Another 4-3 vote defeated a motion by Sen. McClellan (D-Ark) to call Carr instead of Cohn as the next witness. Today, Symington told the subSee McCARTHY on Page 2 to Any Plan Indochina determined today to oppose any setin partitioning of the territory of the Central America Tension Growing French Freighter Searched for Arms By U.S. Officials PANAMA P- Tensions increased in jittery Central America today customs inspectors at the Atiantic mouth of the Panama Canal ransacked the cargo of 8 French freighter--presumably for contraband arms.

An agent of the French Line Cristobal said a search of its ton freighter Wyoming began last night "in with the business in Guatemala." He obviously referred to U.S. charges that leftist Guatemala recently received large arms shipment from behind the Iron Curtain. Guatemala is one of the Wyoming's ports of call. agent. declared, however, "There are no contraband aboard." He said the ship carried only general cargo.

The Wyoming had been due to clear through the canal today en route to El Salvador, Guatemala, Los Angeles. San Francisco and Vancouver. B.C. But officials indicated she would not be ready to leave on schedule. U.S.

State Department officials said in Washington the ship was being searched to determine whethcustoms regulations have been violated. The officials stressed that no suspicion had arisen with respect to the French Line itself. They said both the line and the French government were cooperating in the inspection. This left the question whether the manifest might have been falsified. The State Department announcement said: "The ship's manifest reflects a miscellaneous cargo comprised principally of machinery.

"Included are five boxes of sporting arms, but it is understood that no question is being raised about these." One Washington source said, however, U.S. authorities had received information indicating there might be more than five boxes of "sporting arms" aboard. Reports reached Washington late last week that two more shipments of Red arms were en route to Guatemala. The Red-tinged Central American nation allegedly had already received a 10-million-doliar cargo from the Polish port of Stettin. 'Little Dien' Battle Due Near Hanoi NARROW No one knows Kirkland had when he became caught fire on Land.

Clyde ESCAPE FOR INSURANCE MAN- him how the fire started, but B. J. car, a narrow escape yesterday afternoon Kirkland unconscious and his car (above) to get a field rond southeast of Promised gaining Quinn of Blytheville, Route 2, saw ba stop and, also secing smoke coming from the went to pull him from near the car. Mr. said be had been feeling ill and stopped some air and must have fainted, not reconsciousness until he reached ChickasawHospital.

(Courier News Photo) Car Burns near Here After Driver Stricken A Blytheville insurance this morning for treatment automobile which caught fire southeast of Promised Land B. J. Kirkland, Reliable Life Insurance WAS unconscious when pulled away from the car by Clyde Quinn of Blytheville, Route 2. Mr. Quinn then called the city police station for an ambulance.

Mr. Kirkland said this morning he had not been feeling well and WAS coming back to Blytheville to see a doctor when the accident occured. He felt ill and stopped his car, he said, after which he opened the door on the right side to get out. No one knows how the car caught fire. Mr.

Kirkland sald he had thrown away a cigarette a few minutes earlier and that it couldn't have started from that. He did not know what happened after that, because he must have fainted, he said. The next thing he rememebred was being in the hospital yesterday afternoon. He said he did not know that the car had burned until told by someone after arriving at the hospital. Mr.

Kirkland said that he had stopped to inquire about a er at Mr. Quinn's residence, a short distance from the scene of the Accident, and had mentioned not feeling well. Saw Smoke Leaving the Quinn residence, he drove a short distance down the road and pulled over to one side and stopped, Mr. Quinn said. Seeing the car stop, Mr.

Quinn told county officers, he went to the car when he saw smoke coming from it a minute or two later. Finding Mr. Kirkland lying by the open door, Mr. Quinn pulled him away from the car and telephoned for help Sheriff William Berryman and Deputy Herman Lane, investigated. His collection record book, a box of papers, and a cashier's check were lost in the fire, Mr.

Kirkland said. The 1951 Hudson also had a new set of tires on it with about, $300 or more worth of fishing equipment, cluding an outboard motor, in the trunk, he said. Mr. Kirkland had another rowing experience March 8 when someone came into his bedroom while he slept and beat him on the head with a brass ash tray and took his collection money. He grappled with the intruder, he said at the time, but failed to stop his getaway.

Kiwanis Teacher Week Banquet To Be Tomorrow White teachers of the Blytheville School District will be guests of Blytheville Kiwanians tomorrow noon at a luncheon to be held the Mirror Room of Hotel Noble which will climax the observance of Teacher Appreciation Week. County Judge Philip Deer will be the principal speaker. C. J. Chaffee of Kansas City.

governor of Kiwanis' Missouri -Arkansas District, will also speak. Teacher Appreciation Week is an annual project of the Kiwanis Club. The Blytheville Club originated the special week three years ago and has won nationwide recognition for the project. Last week, the Kiwanis Club sponsored a similar dinner for Ne-: gro teachers of the district. 263 323.

U.S. Said For GENEVA (AP) The tlement of the Indochina Big Block of NYC StockChallenged Contested 800,000 Shares Forms New Roadblock ALBANY. N. Y. The longcontested 800.000 shares of New York Central Railroad stock owned by the opposition forces of Robert R.

Young formed a new roadblock today as the laborious process of counting the votes got underway to determine the winner in the war for control of the railroad. The first order of business. after preliminaries of the mammoth proxy count were disposed of, was a management challenge of the 800.000 shares the largest outstanding block of Central stock. Young's Texas millionaire friends, Clint W. Murchison and Sid W.

Richardson, own the stock. The challenge came from forces of President William White. Arguments by lawyers for both sides are to be made on the validity of voting this stock. The verdict will be rendered by the three law professors presiding over the count as election inspectors. Yesterday's tumultuous annual meeting was attended by 2,000 stockholders.

After 4 hours and 40 minutes of noise and at times disorder and confusion, the stockholders' meeting was recessed yesterday until noon next Tuesday, when the inspectors will report on the vote. Some sources said it might be only the first of several reports and that the count might last many das or even weeks longer if the vote is close. The management made a crucial challenge of 800,000 shares-largest block of Central -voted by Young's Texas millionaire friends, Clint W. Murchison and See NYC on Page 2 Rites Saturday For H. H.

Walcott, Club Operator Services for Harold Homes Walcott. 46, who died yesterday at Walls Hospital, will be conducted at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Cobb Funeral Home Chapel by the Rev. Amos Enderlin. Burial will be in Eimwood Cemetery.

Since coming to Blytheville three years ago Mr. Walcott had operated, the Highway North 61. He Star was Supper born in Toledo. Ohio. He is survived by his wife, Mrs.

Velma Faught Walcott; a brother, 0. J. Walcott of Washington, D. two sisters, Mrs. Frank Marshall of Philadelphia and Mrs.

Mary Jane Heitzman of Corpus Christi, Tex. Pallbearers will be Holland Aiken. Bob Smith, Percy Wright, Jack Robertson, Jack Owen and Harry Bogan. Honorary pallbearers will be Scott Alley, Sam Johns, Robert Grady, Mason Day, George Green, Tommy Westbrook, P. D.

Foster, Foy Etchieson, E. Pruitt, Dr. F. E. Utley, Bill Stovall, Max Logan, Jimmy Terry, Virgil Shaneyfelt, Rupert Crafton, Jake Holsted, Bill Vincent, Charles Bogan, Bernie Bopp, Wayne Mitchell Jenny Mambry.

Opposed to Partitioning of United States were reported problem which would result This view was reported. by au-4 thoritative quarters as the nineparty Indochina conference prepared to meet again in secret session to consider defining assembly areas into which the military forces Viet regrouped of Nam the after two sources a sides said cease-fire. the would pro- be posals submitted Tuesday by Communist-led Vietminh definitely would result in the partition Viet Nam and would be strongly opposed by the Vietnamese. Informed quarters said the United States had not yet taken definite position on the Vietminh proposals, but that the first rethe U.S. delegation was that the proposals go a great deal of farther than the United States is to prepared to go.

British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden has proposed that military representatives of the commands" meet in Geneva immediately to work out the lines of the proposed assembly areas. An unidentified French general was reported rushing here from Indochina to represent French Union forces if such talks are authorized. He would sit down with an opposite number in the Communist-led Vietminh regime. The urgency of the situation was stressed once more AS' French Foreign Minister Georges Bidault returned from Paris with orders to break off discussions if the Geneva conference fails to produce results soon. A spokesman for the French Cabinet said Bidault had reported the Geneva conference.

"should take a decisive turn in about 8 or 10 days." These figures seemed to have special significance when compared with Eden's statement last Monday that this week or the next would be decisive. The two statements appeared to point to June 5 as the date when the fate of the conference might become known. 'The Eden plan proposed that representatives of the two commands in Indochina undertake as their first task the problem of where troops would be assembled after a cease-fire. The conference. meanwhile, would continue discussion on other military matters, beginning with arrangements for international supervision of the armistice.

There was no definite word as to the Communist position on the Eden proposal. Both the East and West are agreed in principle on establishing regrauping zones in Viet Nam, a large part of which is in Vietminh hands. The Communists, however, have insisted any armistice, provisions must apply also to the other two Associated States of IndochinaLaos and Cambodia. The West takes the position no action is needed in these two kingdoms except the withdrawal. of Vietminh forces.

Eden left this question open, parently in an effort to get around this controversy. Some Western sources viewed the Eden plan as little more than a procedural move to see if there could be any measure of agreement on anything at the conference. These sources pointed out there already is a sharp difference of opinion between the Viet Nam delegation and that of the Vietminh on the whole. approach to regrouping zones. This, they sAy, would throw the military talks into an 0...

en Page 1 man is in Chickasawba Hospital after a narrow escape from his and burned on a field road yesterday afternoon. HANOI, Indochina IP A "little Dien Bien Phu" battle WAS shaping up today in the vital Red River Delta just 30 miles south of this war capital for the French Union forces. The French high command anpounced thousands of Vietminh regular troops were besieging the post. of Yen Phu, guarding the gateway into the big race marketing and road junction town of Phu Ly. As at Dien Bien Phu, the rebels after each heavy barrage of fire burrowed steadily closer in feverishly dug trenches.

The Vietminh. estimated in a strength of 12 battalions, have kept Yen Phu encircled for a fortnight. Like Dien Bien Phu, it is being supplied solely by air. The arc is anchored to the east by the big textile manufacturing center of Thai Binh, 55 miles from Hanoi; to the west by the important road junction center of Phu Ly, 30 miles south of this northern Indochina metropolis. In the center of the arc Is Nam Dinh, Another textile center.

The buildup appears to be aiming toward eventual assault on Phu Ly, which lies on the main highway connecting Hanoi with the Tonkin Gulf port of Haiphong through which passes the bulk of American-supplied weapons and other war material. Nightly assaults with mortars and machinegun fire have hit posts in this section, particularly Yen Phu, which for a while WAS completely encircled by the Communist-led Vietminth until French mobile units from Hanoi drove through to relieve the fort. Draft Board Sends 6 for Induction Six Mississippi County men left today for induction into the armed forces, according to Rosie Saliba, clerk of the county draft board. The call for seven men was filled by volunteers, of which six reported to the board here and one transferred to another board. The next call for induction will 'be for nine men on June 10.

Those leaving today were Cecil D. Brittian and Jimmy J. Jackson, both of Blytheville, Cal B. Gossett of Burdette, Harold L. Newcomb of Manila, William L.

Rowland of Dyess and James R. Mefford Tyronza. U.S., Reds May Discuss Yanks Held in China GENEVA IP Authoritative sources hinted today the United States may be willing to enter direct talks with the Chinese Communists at Geneva for release of about 71 Americans held in China. Sources close to the American delegation at the Geneva conference said they saw no reason to prevent direct negotiations over I prisoners. The United States dealt with the Chinese at Panmunjom on the release of Korean War prisoners.

These sources noted there no apparatus set up for direct ings with the Chinese and that any order to undertake them would be entirely up to the State Departmact. M'Clellan Hits Release of FBI Report WASHINGTON UP Sen. McClellan (D-Ark) publicly suggested today that Sen. McCarthy (R- Wis) and an Army officer who gave him classified information are "gullty of a crime." "You cannot receive classified Information obtained by criminal means without being guilty of McClellan told the Wisconsin senator in an angry exchange at the televised McCarthy-Army hearings. McCarthy retorted that if anyone wants to indict him for getting information "exposing Communists let them go ahead." McCarthy repeated that he would not the name of the Army officer he said gave him a summary of an FBI report dealing with security risks at Ft.

Monmouth, N. J. Earlier in the hearings, McCarthy unsuccessfully attempted to offer the summary in evidence. Refurbished Pool to Open Walker Park Plant Undergoes Changes A refurbished Walker Park swimming pool will be opened Saturday under a new name-Moxley's Clearpool--and new management-Blytheville theater owner W. L.

Moxley. Mr. Moxley has leased the pool from the Mississippi County Fair Association and, he pointed out, has instituted a number of improvements. "A new chlorinator will help keep the pool water much cleaner than in the past and we are pledging ourselves to keep the pool and bath house in a sanitary condition at all times," Mr. Moxley said.

The pool will be open daily from 12:45 until 9 p.m. Bath houses have been painted and redecorated, the pool has been painted and a new refreshment stand has been erected. Russell Mosley will be pool manager, Mr. Moxley said. McClellan Quits River Group Post Revised figures list 35 Ameri-, can civilians imprisoned in Red China.

At least 18 others have asked permission to leave, but have been refused. American officials said. In addition, the Chinese hoid about 18 American fliers shot down in the Korean War, inchiding jet ace Capt. Harold Fischer of Swea City, MIG. Iowa, who had destroyed 10 In addition, the Chinese may be holding some or all of 11 Navy and Coast Guard personnel missing since 1952.

in crash of Navy plane off the South China coast which was followed by the crash of rescue Coast Guard plane. are interested Any American now in Communist China against his will and who wants to get out," a U. S. official said. The United States has not recognized the Peiping regime and up to now has refused to talk directly with Red China's representatives at.

Geneva. The question of the imprisoned Americans came up earlier this week when it WAS learned the United States had asked the British to approach the Chinese Reds on the matter. Yesterday an official Chinese spokesman indicated the best way the United States could arrange for release of the Americans was by direct negotiation. WASHINGTON (AP) Sen. John McClellan (D- stepped down yesterday as president of the National Rivers and Harbors Congress to become chairman of Its board of directors.

Rep. Overton Brooks D-La was elected president of the non-governmental organization to promote conservation and development of water resources. J. G. Burke of Helena, Ark WAS named secretary.

Bing Crosby Sued SAN JOSE, Calif. -Bing Croeby and his son, Gary, 20, have been for $65,000 damages the result of an automobile collision that killed one man and Injured seven. Monday,.