The Courier News from Blytheville, Arkansas • Page 1

BLYTHEVILLE COURIER NEWS THE DOMINANT NKWSPAPER OF NORTHKABT ARKANSAS AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI VOL. XL1X-NO. 247 Blythevllle Courier BlythevlUe' Dally Newt Mississippi Valley Leader BlytheviUe Herald BLYTHEVILLE, ARKANSAS, SATURDAY, JANUARY 9,1954 EIGHT PAGES Ike May Lose Third of Plan But Solons Feel Program Smart Political Approach By JACK BELL WASHINGTON (AP) President Eisenhower faces possible defeat on about one-third of the broad legislative program he has outlined to Congress. Few who commented on It would predict that substan tlally all of it would become law but they generally seemed to fee that Eisenhower had adopted, a smart political approach by Bug gesting 36 topics ror legislative ac tlon and mentioning others for la ter reference. They found some 80-Mile Fuel Pipeline to Nowhere' Senator Cites More Waste of N.

Africa Base By EDWIN B. HAAKINSON WASHINGTON (AP) One of the senators who checked on the U. S. air base building program in North Africa said today they found an 80-mile fuel pipeline leading nowhere and two million dollars worth of surplus lumber baking in the sun. This was reported by Sen.

Case (R-SD), chairman of a Senate Armed Services subcommittee that thing for almost everybody in the state of the union message. Sen. Hickenlooper (R-Iowa) said in an interview he thinks this overall appeal will help the Republi. cans retain control of Congress in the November elections, even if Congress ignores or defeats part of the program. But Sen.

Monroney (D-Okla) remarked in a separate interview he doesn't "believe a negative record will recommend the Republicans to voters in November." Says Reaction Favorable Presidential Press Secretary James C. Hagerty meanwhile said message, as measured by telegrams received at the White House through yesterday afternoon, was overwhelmingly favorable 300 praising it and four criticizing It. While much of the Eisenhower program remains to be filled out by subsequent messages, there already are strong indications that dozen or more of his proposals may either be shelved or radically revised by the lawmakers. And Sen. Capehart (R-Ind) demonstrated that members of Congress are going to have suggestions of their own.

Capehart, who heads the Senate Banking Committee, suggested to he CIO Housing Conference yes- erday a billion dollar government to help people buy homes vith little or no down payment, on 0 to 60-year mortgages. Eisen- said he would have recommendations Jan. 25 including In- urance of longterm loans with mall down payments, but forecast no such sweeping program as on military construc- kceps tabs tion. "Apparently they put down a pipeline before they got clearance for an air base that later was not built," he explained. Case said hopes this pipeline and millions of dollars worth of other American-purchased surplus materials in North Africa cart be salvaged for use in construction of new U.S.

bases in Spain. The Military Construction subcommittee yesterday released 50 million dollars to. permit an immediate start on the Spanish projects. Congress maintains a double check on military construction. First, it Votes money to do the work.

But before the money actually is spent, military construction subcommittees in both houses must give their specific approval. They do so only after questioning military officials behind closed doors. The Case subcommittee also agreed to a new departure in base construction. It approved a Defense Department decision to let the Navy Bureau of Yards and Docks supervise the job, instead of the Army Engineers which traditionally has directed all major Air Force construction here and abroad. The Corps of Engineers was criticized in Congress for its handling of the multimillion dollar North Africa air base program, begun soon after start of the Korean War in 1950.

Council Session Shifted to Monday City officials announced late this morning that the regular January session of the City Council will be combined with the Council-Chamber of Commerce Sewer Committee meeting at 8 p.m. Monday. The regular Council meeting was to have been held Tuesday night. Preliminary reports on the recent sewer survey will be heard Monday night. Expert Fixed Price Supports Congressional lieutenants fully ixpect Eisenhower's farm pro- ram, to be submitted in detail Monday, to be rewritten on the rinciple of fixed high level price upports instead of the sliding cale Eisenhower "is Meanwhile Chairman Aiken (R- of the Senate Agriculture Com- nittee.

appointed a special sub- ommittee to investigate the rea- ons for the difference between arm prices and retail prices of gricultural products. He said icre "may have been manipula- on." The controversy over law amendments, which Eisen- ower will outline in another mes- age Monday, Is likely to be such hat enactment of any of them is doubtful. The administration faces a SINGLE COPY FIVB CENTg DECLINES COMMENT Walter p. Reuther (center), CIO president, said in Atlantic City, N. that any comment on the investigation in connection with the attempt on his life in 1948 must come from "the law enforcement agencies." Shown With Reuther are James B.

Carey (left), CIO secretary-treasurer, and John V. Riffe, CIO executive vice president. They were attending a CIO political action committee meeting. (AP Wirephoto) Key Witness to Solving Reuther Case Escapes DETROIT (AP) The missing witness in the Reuther shooting MSB was identified today by the Detroit News as Don Ritchie, 33, released from the Essex County jail in Windsor, Ont. DETROIT (AP) Prosecutor Gerald K.

O'Brien said oday "the key witness to the solution" of the five-year-old attempted assassination of CIO President Walter Reuther has reaped a protective police guard and fled to Canada. O'Brien said the witness saw the hooting and was one of three assigned to the job," although he idn't fire the shotgun blast that tiaimed the labor leader's right Sen. Potter Asks ixplanation of Atrocity films arm and all but killed him. It was mainly on the witness's statement, O'Brien said, that a warrant was issued earlier this week charging four men with assault to murder and conspiracy tc assault with intent to murder Reuther on April 20, 1948. The prosecutor said he had corroborating evidence, but none from the shooting scene.

Two of the four naihed are in jail, one is under $25,000 bond, and Gen. Taylor Says War Likely If PW Release Is Hampered the fourth sougbt, The wauaji PANMUNJOM (AP) Communist China's Premier Chou En-lai today called for speedy convening of the Ko rean peace conference am jffered three proposals to ge the long delayed talks started Chou suggested in a Peiping radio broadcast heard in Tokyo: 1. Resumption of the ruptured preliminary negotiations aimed at setting up the conference, using as a starting point Red demands that Russia attend the full-scale talks as a neutral. This proposal was turned down by U. S.

Envoy Arthur Dean before he broke off the negotiations last month. 2. That the U. N. General Assembly consider the problem attached a string: that Bed China and North non-U.

N. "entitled" to send delegates. 3. That the forthcoming Big Foui conference in Berlin "lead to a conference of the five great pow. to promote the settlement of pressing international prob- ems." The fifth power would be Red China.

Unored Earlier Denial The broadcast, billed as a stata menton Korean issues by Chou, did not touch on North Korea's denial a few hours earlier of an U.S. announcement that is is negotiating informally to reopen the stalled preliminary talks. Much of Chou's long statement repeated blasts that the United States had wrecked the explanation program and was to blame for the break-off in the preliminary Korean Movies To Have Been On Television strong fight on increasing the debt limit, boosting postal rates and Hawaiian statehood, all old issues before Congress. It probably will have serious trouble getting approval for wire-tapping and witnesses immunity legislation. Despite approval of the idea, many lawmakers apparently think there is little profit in attempting to write into law a presidential suggestion that those convicted of conspiring in the future to overthrow the government be stripped of citizenship.

The President's proposal to give voting privileges nationwide to 18- year-olds and to District of Columbia citizens also have aroused mixed reaction in Congress. May Change Atom Act Eisenhower's move to revise the Atomic Energy Act to give U.S. al- les more information, and possibly to authorize the sharing of materials and know-how for an International pool for peacetime developments, face searching analysis and possible recruiting. Lawmakers don't yet know enough about proposed social security changes, medical research aids and other suggestions for public services to make up their minds. But there is likely to be opposition to his idea for govern- See EISENHOWER on Page 8 WASHINGTON Potte (R-Mich) said today he will as State and Defense Department ficials to explain why they halte release of an Army film of Com munist atrocities in Korea, sclied uled for television this weekend.

"I know that our serviceine who survived these Communis brutalities want the full story tol to the American people," Potte who lost both legs In combat dur ing World War II, said in an inter view. Although the State and Defens Departments gave no detailed rea son for their action, Potter sal. apparently the film was held because of forthcoming develop ments affecting U.S. foreign po icy. These include the opening preliminary talks with RussU Monday on President Eisenhower' atoms-for-peace plan, schedulei release in Korea Jan.

22 of prison ers who chose not to be repatriate! and the Big Pour foreign minister conference in Berlin Jan. 25. Potter said he would go ahead with release Sunday of a report on Communist atrocities in Korea based on Army files and public testimony here last month by 2S survivors or eye witnesses of the Communist atrocities, As a one nan Senate subcommittee, Potter these hearings. Potter had timed release of his report with that of the Army film on television. He said: "I'm getting damn tired of our policies being based upon what the -Communists might think of us." Ike Rules Out Any UMT Request Pending New Study of Reserves By STERLING F.

GREEN WASHINGTON If, President Elsenhower today ruled out any I administration request for universal military training legislation pending a new perhaps a drastic the nation's military reserve system. His decision seemed to eliminate the chance that Congress would get an administration UMT bill this despite last month'i rec- presidential ing" of 100,000 men" be started 'next Ja'n. 1 or earlier. Elsenhower disclosed his stand In a letter to Arthur a. Flemmlnir director of the Office defend ommendatlon of a commission that the Mobilization.

"In general 1 He said he agreed with ttons made by nnd by tpecldl ODM committee calling'for UUT DM- slble reorganization of the reserves. The ODM report was based on a Defense Department estimate, previously unannounced, that the armed forces will need an average of three million men In uniform from now through. 1960. About 3,300,000 now are In the military establishment. Under this estimate, Selective Service needs could be filled while enough young men would be left to start a token UMT.

But the ODM report held that another emergency of the scope of Korea would upset the calculation, hence no training program should now be launched that might Interfere with the draft. Ftsmmtnt! suggested a realign- ncnl of Into two broad groups as follows: 1. Al "ttuntdlaMr N- serve" of well-trained men who could be mustered Into service directly by' the armed forces upon authorization by the President or Congress. 2. A "selectively callable reserve" whose members would be subject to cavl or deferment individually on the basis of occupation, special skills, age, marital and parental status, equity, and other factors.

Reservists now are divided, largely on the basis of previous service, Into one group which could be called If the President declared an emergency and another calabe In case of war or emergency decared by Congress. One Important rest of the reorganization, might be a consider, ibe Increase In the forces ready for quick action In a I moblliav Without the missing witness O'Brien doubted he could convlr any of the four named. Hired as "Slugger" O'Brien identified the key wi ness as a Canadian, but wouldn reveal his name. He did say, how ever, the witness had been em ployed as "a slugger" by one the four accused and was an ex convict. Police Commissioner Donald Leonard said the witness shook hi two policemen-guards at e.

down town Detroit hotel around 10:4 a.m. yesterday. He left the water running In shower and presumably slipped ou through a reception room int which both his living and bedroo; opened. His guards were in th living room. O'Brien said the witness hai come from Canada voluntary New Year's Eve and had beei shifted from hotel to hotel sine: as a safety measure.

The man's attorney called thi prosecutor at 4:40 p.m. to repor the witness had fled to Canada O'Brien asked Ontario police ti begin a search for him. The lawyer Informed the prose cutor that the witness promised to contact him again today. O'Brien said the witness con tacted him through an Interme liary weeks ago and voluntaril told his story. The prosecutor said did not know what motivated he "confession," but said he ha leard "one of the bunch" broke his jaw a short time before.

He also pointed out that rewards otal $204.000. Ex-Con Named Clarence Jacobs, 48-year-old Canadian ex-convict, was named by he witness as the man who fired he shotgun through a window of Reuther's kitchen, O'Brien said "acobs was one of those named the warrant and is fighting xtraditlon from nearby Windsor, Ontario. The witness, O'Brien said, told Im that he, Jacobs and peter jombardo, 51, were picked for the ob by Santo (Sam) Perrone, 66- ear-old union-busting racketeer, icmbard currently is serving a ve-year term in Leavenworth ederal prison for possessing coun- erfeit money Perrone Is sought, aving vanished shortly before 'Brlen cracked the case Wednes- ay. Carl Renda, 35-year-old son-In- inv of Perrone, wns named by the ilncss, O'Brien said, as having aid him $5,000 for his partlcipa- on In the shooting and getaway, cnda was arrested Wednesday nd is under $25,000 bond awaiting examination next Thursday, acobs' extradition hearing is set same day In Windsor. The attempted assassination of euther was laid by O'Brien ycs- rday to attempt by gangsters seize control of the big United utomobile Workers Union, of hlch Reuther recently had been ccted president, and to their to keep a multimillion-dollar gambling ring operating, euther fought gambling from UM North Korean broadcast denied Washington announcement that the United States was negotiating through Intermediaries to resume the preliminary talks at Panmunjom.

The denial of a V. S. State Department announcement came amid these other developments on no. Calls for New nee on Korea the Korean scene: 1. South Korea's foreign minister rebuffed a blunt U.N.

Command warning and refused to retract threats this government might use armed force against' Indian troops guarding anti-Communist prisoners in neutral zone compounds. 2. Four pro-Communist South Korean prisoners who refuse to return home turned themselves over to Indian guards and asked to be sent to Communist Poland or Czechoslovakia. The Neutral Na- tions Repatriation Commission, of which Poland and Czechoslovakia are members, will act on the request. Elaborate Plans 3.

Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor, commander of the 8th Army, said his forces are fully prepared to handle 22,000 Korean and Chinese prisoners who are expected to leave their neutral zone compounds Jan, 23 with or without approval See KOREA on Page 8 NATO to Put Stress On Linking Bases PARIS (AP) Reliable informants said today that NATO, within sight of its goal of 160 jet airfields, will concentrate this year on laying a communications network to link the bases and a web of pipelines to supply them fuel. The sources said the December ministerial meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization voted approximately 224 million dollars for its 1954 Infrastructure program building of permanent Instal- atlons needed to support NATO armed forces. The bulk of the cum will be used for the communica- ions and fuel supply systems.

The airfields are almost all com- ileted, nnd 120 are in operation. The United States will chip In ibout 38 per cent of the total imount spent on NATO Installa- ions, according to a U.S. Defense Department report to Congress Details of the building program or 1954 have not yet been punished but it authoritatively re- wrted to include two big 10-inch uel linos in France. One Would tart at the Mediterranean port Marseille and follow the Rhone iiver valley about 350 miles north to the Dijon area, where It would serve a group of NATO airfields. The other, would start at the Atlantic coast port of Le Havre.

Its terminus has not been revealed. NATO said last September that it was starting then to build 1,875 miles of pipeline over nine Western Allied nations system would be for the use of all 14 NATO members. This network would be linked to the 400-mile line the United States plans to build across France to West Germany. The North Atlantic nations decided upon the pipeline project in hopes of svlng millions of dollars that otherwise would have to be spent in transporting oil, gasoline and lubricants by rail and road. The lines will not serve individual airfields.

Instead, they will feed big storage areas close to clusters of airfields. From these points the fuel will be moved by iruck. 8th Army Chief Warns Reds of Interference By WILLIAM C. BARNARD SEOUL (AP) Gen. Maxwell D.

Taylor, 8th Army commander, said today that if the Communists attempt to halt the release of anti-Red war prisoners Jan. 23 it would "most likely start the Korean War over again." The Reds have not threatened force, but Taylor warned in a press conference the 8th Army "will be alerted for any contingency. He said his troops are fully prepared for "orderly or emergency situations" that may arise from the release of 22,500 anti-Red North Korean and Chinese POWs in compounds in the neutral zone near Panmunjom. The u. N.

Command insists that the prisoners go free as civilians as 12:01 a.m. Jan. 23. The Com munists maintain the POWs should held until a Korean peace con- 'erence decides their disposition A newsman asked the 8th Army briefing officer whether the prisoners are "coming through the barbed wire or out of the gate" when the zero hour comes. "Don't Know" "We don't know," he The matter of the prisoners' dis- joslllon has not been decided yet the Neutral Nations Repatria- ion Commission.

But Indian custodial troops, it believed, would make no at- empt to stop the prisoners from leelng, taking the view that If It pened fire, terrible casualties would result. Taylor said the Indian command vill be asked to "fully inform" he prisoners of the 8th Army'i' lans for These plans Include shipping the) 5.000 Chinese captives to the Ha- onallst Chinese island of Fornosa from Inchon Port near Seoul. The 7,500 North Koreans will be oaded on trains at the edge of he demilitarized zone and taken- Army Induction centers far to south. US ay Unleash History's ost Powerful last By FRED S. HOFFMAN WASHINGTON (AP) The United States may be about to rock the peaceful mid-Pacific with the most thunderous manmade explosion in world history.

An Atomic nergy Commission announcement last night roused speculation that government scientists may be planning to detonate a hydrogen bomb with a blast power mightier than the combined 'orce of all the conventional bombs dropped by U.S. war planes in World War n. The AEC said men and equipment will begin moving this month ot its Pacific proving grounds in the Marshall Islands for "a further phase of a continuing scries of veapons tests." No Types Named The three-paragraph announcement characteristically made no mention of specific types to be ested, but a reference to "all categories" of weapons touched iff the H-bomb speculation. It has been estimated that the American Air Force In World War II unloaded the bomb equivalent of slightly more than two million tons of TNT. A super-atomic bomb dropped over the Nevada desert last June was a popgun by comparison.

It was believed to contain a powes equivalent of 50,000 tons of TNT and Us flash could be seen 500 miles away. This bomb, In turn, was about 2 times as powerful as-the one that all but wiped out the Japanese city of Hiroshima. There was one other isgnlficant sentence In the AEC announcement: "There will be no observers other than U.S. officials concerned." Important Developments This was regarded as additional evidence that the Marshall Islands be held at some unan- lounced Involve highly important developments In the atomic weapons field that this country is not yet ready to show even to Its allies. First Indications that the new tests were on the way came in the AEC's semiannual report last July.

The commission said then that It was pleased with its spring series of Nevada tests, which it Bald had opened some "very profitable avenues to new and Improved weapons." Testing of standard atomic fission explosions needed to trigger an H-bomb presumably were Included In those tests. It also was reported unofficially at that time that AEC had begun large-scale production of materials for H-bombs. And the July AEC report noted that its Pacific proving grounds were being enlarged with the re- the Bikini Atoll, 180 of Eniwetok, where opening of miles east most recent A-homb tests in that area have been held. The Bikini Island cluster was used last for the 1946 experiments with naval vessels. Site Not Named AEC's announcement last night did not say whether the upcoming would Involve Eniwetok, Bl- both.

There have been reports that an entire Island vanished at Eniwe- tok during a 1952 test detonation of a relatively small hydrogen device. These reports have gone unchallenged by AEC. What may happen If a force equivalent to two million tons of TNT is unleashed? Some experts think It possible that several islands fringing the 20-milc-wlde Bikini lagoon could be atomized. The results of such a blast would probably have to be recorded on intricate measuring instruments, many of them of automatic radio sending design, while observers stayed far away. Test structures, such as those used during the 1946 blasts of two A-bombs at Bikini, probably would be unable to survive an H-bomb explosion.

The AEC's latest announcement came just three days before preliminary talks between Secretary of State Dulles and Soviet Ambassador GeorgI N. Zarubin on President Eisenhower's proposal to pool some of the world's atomic materials and information for peaceful purposes. French Hurl Counter-Blow At Vietminh HANOI, Indochina French Jnion forces with massive air sup- sort have launched a counter at. ack from Seno In an effort to dls- rganlze Communist-led Vietminh roops regrouping for another at- ick on that central Indochincse a French army -spokes- lan said tonight. Hard fighting continued for a econd day and Into the night In the ungle between French Union and letmlnh troops north of Doug Hcne, 1 miles northeast of Seno.

Earlier iday the French disclosed that ew Red rebel forces had been ent.lnto this area of central Laos 5 bolster the Vietminh troops who ecently cut Indochina across Its arrow waists. In fighting north of Doug Hcne le French spokesman said Viet- Inh troops had launched several olent without denting the French defense petitions. The described the co- from Seno (is aimed nt crlnc the regrouping of Viet- Inn unlti preparing another tut- New Wave of Layoffs Hits Heavy Industry By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Important segments of the nation's heavy Industry were hit by a new wave of layoffs this week. Made idle by the layoffs were workers In automobile plants, steel mills, railroads and electrical manufacturing plants. The textile, farm equipment and rubber Industries also have been affected.

Railroads In recent weeks have laid off about 18,000 employes. Most company spokesmen, In an- Bouncing the layoffs, blamed- "ad- lusted production schedules" of "a lack of Immediate business." In Washington, a report from Bureau of Employment Secu- which Is part of the Labor Department, Indicated the number of Jobless now may exceed two million. The. bureau said. 413,300 Initial claims for unemployment compensation were received In state of- Ices during the week ended Jan.

2. This la nearly 20 per cent higher han the previous week and rep- esents the largest weekly volume of such claims since January 1950. HirdMt HII Michigan appeared UM UrdMt hit by the layoffs with the Jobless listed at 142,000. At the Plymouth division of Chrysler Corp. and the automotive body (Briggs) division, 7,650 workers were taken off the payrolls yesterday.

Hudson Motor Co. laid off 4,500. Studebaker Corp. said In South Bend, it would lay off 3,000 to 3,500 because It plans to cut production. In the steel industry.

Lukens Steel Co. In Pennsylvania laid off about 200 because of cutbacks in Its open hearth and plate mill production. The company expressed the hope the layoffs would be temporary. Bethlehem Steel in Buffalo, N. took additional hearth furnaces out of production.

The Buffalo Evening News said that steel production In the tret was at 70.6 per cent compared ot to months ago. practical 104 per capacity, cent two The Bureau of Employment Security attributed the latest weekly LAME Increase in Farm Sales Anticipated WASHINGTON The National Assn. of Real Estate Boards said today farm brokers anticipate an increase in the sale of farms this year. The association said about half the 259 real estate boards it checker 1 a surv ey felt prices for farms would be stable during the six months, while most of the remainder looked for some price drops. Weather and colder this afternoon, tonight and Sunday, occasional rain this afternoon and in southeast early tonight, lowest 1825 In northwest and extreme north and 22-32 elsewhere tonight.

this afternoon and tonight except partly cloudy southeast this afternoon; colder southeast this afternoon. Maximum Minimum this SunttM sunut Precipitation list 34 bevin 1:00 w. temperitturn (mMwar lgh and lovl-MJ. Precipitation Jan. 1 to hate l.a*t Ytir Maximum 44.

Minimum.