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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
TUESDAY, SEPT. 25, 1951
Release Of Oatis Might Be Possible
Washington—(U.P.)—Czech Ambassador Vladimir Prochazka said today that negotiations looking toward the release of American Newsman William N. Oatis might be possible if the United States abandons its political-economic warfare against Czechoslovakia.
Prochazka told a news conference at the Czech embassy that Oatis is "alive—he is quite well, he is in jail."
Oatis was sentenced on July 4 to 10 years in prison on trumped up spy charges. He was Associated Press correspondent in Prague.
Prochazka said that as a prerequisite to negotiations for Oatis' release it would be "necessary to clean the atmosphere." He said this meant withdrawal of American policies of restricting trade with Czechoslovakia, and elimination of "interference in our internal affairs which we cannot but reject."
Prochazka said that under "such conditions, no successful negotiations on any subject are possible."
"We won't yield to any pressure,' he added.
The news conference lasted nearly two hours and was highlighted by a transcription of Oatis' court trial in which the voice of the American newsman was heard.
Would Avenge Oatis Case
Washington—(U.P.)-Sen. J. Allen Frear, D., Del., called today for revocation of press privileges for Russian newspaper representatives in retaliation for the Czech imprisonment of American newspaperman William N. Oatis.
Failure to refuse such privileges to Soviet newspapermen in this country, Frear said in a statement, "could be construed in some parts of the world as an admission on our part of the guilt of Mr. Otatis."
Frear said such action would not violate the historic tradition of freedom of the press because "it is clearly evident that every recognized representative of the Russian government is in reality carrying out a specific mission, the intention of which is to further the Soviet plan for world domination.
"This applies to Russian reporters whose information is converted to subversive propaganda against us by the Kremlin," he said.
Watershed Funds Asked By Truman
Washington — (U.P.) — President Truman today asked Congress for a supplemental agriculture department appropriation of $1,375,000 for watershed improvement programs in critical areas of Kansas and Nebraska.
Shock Caused By Jet Plane
Las Vegas, Nev.—(U.P.)—Air Force officials said today they were convinced an explosion that shook this gambling resort town was caused by a jet airplane cracking the sonic barrier.
Col. Avelin P. Tacon, Jr., commander of Nellis Air Force base here, said investigation indicated the blast that rattled windows and frightened residents yesterday resulted when air waves created by a jet plane passing through the sonic barrier struck the earth.
Similar blasts have been reported in Los Angeles and elsewhere. The vibrations are started when a jet plane exceeds the speed of sound, usually while in a dive. When the vibration waves strike the earth, they create a blast similar to an explosion.
Jittery residents first believed the explosion came from the Atomic Energy commission's proving ground at Frenchman Flat, where the nation's first atomic war games are scheduled to get under way next month.
A. E.C. officials promptly spiked the rumors, however, denying that the blast was connected with atomic experiments.
U.S. Jet Pilots Get Five Mig's
Eighth Army Headquarters, Korea —(U.P.)United States Air Force jet pilots, fighting odds of more than two to one, destroyed five Russian MIG-15 jets and damaged five more today in the longest, biggest aerial battle of the war.
Thirty-seven American F-86 jets fought a fleet of 80 MIGs for 35 minutes.
The battle started at $35,000 feet and raged from that altitude, more than six miles up, to treetop level.
A dispatch from the bloody Eastern front said that United Nations troops had captured a mountain peak west of "heartbreak hill." Two Communist battalions, possibly up to 2,000 men, were knocked off the hill by the U.N. infantrymen after a $2\frac{1}{2}$ day battle, dispatches said.
Determined American GT's, dispatches said, charged up heartbreaks hill again Tuesday on the 14th day of bloody conflict for that strategic peak north of Yanggu.
King George Gains Strength But Is Still In Danger
London—(U.P.)—King George VI's pulse beat was stronger today but Buckingham Palace officials said his life will be in danger for at least another week.
A bulletin, signed by five doctors, said that the King's blood pressure, pulse, and temperature had improved but of course were far from normal.
It was the second bulletin within 16 hours to indicate that the fail 55-year-old monarch is improving after Sunday's operation.
At the same time, it was disclosed that Labor Prime Minister Clement R. Attlee has summoned a meeting of ministers for tonight at 10 Downing street.
This gave rise to speculation that the Prime Minister might want to discuss the possibility of postponing the general election scheduled for Oct.25.
Despite the apparent turn for the better in the King's condition, he probably will not be able to resume his state duties until some time next year. He is expected to be a semi-invalid for months to come.
There was discussion in some quarters of the possibility of designating 25-year-old Princess Elizabeth, heiress to the throne, as regent to act for her father.
The King's projected tour of Australia and New Zealand early next year seemed certain to be postponed or cancelled, however. Australia already was speculating that Princess Elizabeth and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, might be sent in the sovereign's place.
However, court authorities said a regency could be established only if the King became insane—as did George III—or if he were a minor.
The Princess and the Duke still plan to leave by plane for their tour of Canada probably next week, but no final decision will be made until it is certain that the King is out of danger.
Wichita, KC Beef Packers In Blackmarket
Washington,—(U.P.)—Price enforcement agents decended on 500 slaughter houses across the nation today in the government's drive against black market operations in beef.
The Office of Price Stabilization announced the sudden step in its investigation of slaughter house operations after uncovering beef price violations in at least eight of 14 cities visited in the last month.
Today's action expands the investigation to cover slaughter house operations in a total of about 50 cities. OPS officials estimated.
The drive was started about a month ago by complaints from some slaughterers and packers that they cannot buy cattle at ceiling prices because they are being outbid by others willing to pay more.
They also are reported to be charging customers for more beef than they are selling them in order to cover up the other violations. OPS said it also had reports of side payments and tie-in sales.
The OPS has received information that some slaughterers are upgrading cattle and falsifying weights of cattle and records on beef yields of cattle in attempts to justify illegally high prices paid for them.
The OPS already has discovered violations in slaughter houses at Wichita, Kans., the agency said. Court actions have been started at Wichita.
Today's surprise checks included slaughtering operations in Kansas City and Wichita, Kans., among others.
Two beef operators in Kansas have been charged with selling ungraded and unmarked meat in what OPS described as "one of the first OPS black market meat cases." The case is before the district court at Wichtia
B-25 Crash Kills Crew Of Three
Sabina, O—(U.P.)-A B-25 bomber on a routine training flight crashed three miles from here today killing all three crew members.
The public relations officer at Wright-Patterson Field, Dayton, O. said the plane took off from Patterson Field at 8:53 a.m. today on a routine flight.
Identification of the victims was withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Topeka, Kan.—(U.P.)-Twenty-four new cases of polio were reported to the Kansas State Board of Health yesterday boosting the total for the year to 502. During the last week 59 new cases of the disease were reported.
New cases of the disease were at Topeka, McPherson, Erie, Great Bend, Kansas City, Iola, Wichita, Olmitz, Fort Scott, Cambridge, Pittsburg, Lansing, Pleasanton, Cherryvale, Scranton, Randolph, Bison, Valley Center, and Washington.
Report New Polio Cases
Strike At Oak Ridge
At this time last year there had been only 291 cases of the disease in Kansas.
Oak Ridge, Tenn.—(U.P.)-Wildcat strikers agreed to end a two-day construction walkout which shut down a top-secret atomic project and slowed work on other A-bomb production facilities.
Business Agent A. E. Galyon on the Knoxville Building Trades Council (AFL) said the walkout was "all settled," and that the strikers were returning to work.
Government officials confirmed the settlement, terms of which were not disclosed, but doubted that the back-to-work movement would start before tomorrow.
A spokesman for sheet metal workers who spearheaded the walk-out ordered picket lines removed from our main gates to this atomic city.
The Atomic Energy Commission described the strike as "jurisdictional" and said it approached general strike proportions when 1,500 members of three crafts failed to report this morning.
Topeka Officials Form Flood Cleanup Program
Life Dedicated To Siamese Twins
Topeka, Kan. — (U.P) — A cleanup program for flood-damaged private property was formed today by Topeka city officials.
Cost of the cleaning will be defrayed by a portion of President Truman's $25,000,000 federal fund allocated to the city.
Rock Island, Ill.—(U.P.) The mother of siamese twin boys joined at the top of their heads and "surgically impossible" to separate, say she will dedicate the rest of her life to "love and care for them."
City Attorney Lloyd Hall said private property owners must waive salvage rights and release the city from liability before cleaning crews will go on their land.
Crews will clean any health hazard on the property of private citizens, according to the program.
"I'm going to keep them with me always," she said. "I'm going to love and care for them as well as I can as long as I live.
"I know it's going to be a hard job and a terrible responsibility but I just can't give up my babies."
Mrs. Roy Brodie, 29, of East Moline, Ill., yesterday learned the opinion of doctors who x-rayed the twins and made other tests to determine if the youngsters can be separated.
Dr. S. P. Durr told her it would be "surgically impossible to operate" to separate the boys. They were born Sept. 16.
"The tests proved that the infants have the same circulatory system and a common general nervous system." Durr said. "If an operation were performed, it is doubtful that either would survive."
She and her husband, a truck driver and packhouse worker, live in a 34-foot trailer with their three other children. Brodie's sister, Maxine. 26. also lives with them.
Mrs. Brodie was grief-striken at the news. But she decided against placing them in an institution.
"For the present, we'll have to go on living in the trailer." Mrs. Brodie said. "It'll be overcrowded, but we'll make out somehow."
Checkup For The Duke
London—(U.P.)—King George's elder brother, the Duke of Windsor, who is in London, visited Westminster hospital today for a checkup. A member of his staff said it was a routine, periodic visit.
Aluminum Big 3 Answer Wilson
Washington - (U.P.) - Most alum num producers were expected today to turn a cold shoulder to Defense Mobilizer Charles E. Wilson's proposal that they move some of their plants from the Pacific Northwest.
Wilson asked the big three aluminum companies last Saturday to consider relocation because a Northwest power shortage, caused by a dry spell, threatens temporary plant shutdowns. He asked for replies by today.
West Coast Industrialist Henry J. Kaiser telegraphed Wilson that there are "several alternative solutions" to the aluminum crisis. Kaiser arrives here today with the replies of the Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical corporation.
The Aluminum Company of America was understood to have sent its answer. The views of the Reynolds Metals company ought to reach Wilson well in time for the emergency conference on the subject scheduled for this afternoon with ton defense production officials.
Alcoa, Kaiser and Reynolds were leaving it up to Wilson to make their answers public. Well-informed sources said they believed the industry in general would argue that uprooting plants in the Pacific Northwest is not feasible as a short-term solution, and unsound in the long run.
Kansans Reach Record Number
Topeka, Kan.—(U.P.)The population of Kansas has increased by 37,476 since the 1950 census tabulation, the State Board of Agriculture estimated today.
Roy Freeland, secretary of the board, said the new figure was based on an enumeration taken by county assessors.
Sedgwick County reported the highest total population of 256,860; Wyandotte County was second with 168,908; Shawnee County had 114,573.
He placed the total population at 1,942,060, the highest ever recorded. The 1950 count was 1,904,584, and the 1950 figure was 1,912,445.
Population figures for the three leading cities were: Wichita, 201,246; Kansas City 132,252; and Topeka, 91,058.
The report said the slightly more than 50 per cent of the inhabitants of Kansas are rural.
Report Blacklisting
Los Angeles—(U.P.)—Reports that "friendly" witnesses before the House Un-American activities committee have been blacklisted in the movie industry threatened today to balk plans for ending a probe of Communism in Hollywood with one more session.
Rep. Francis E. Walter, (D.-Pa.), disclosed he had received reports of industry blacklisting and said he intended to investigate them.
Re-election Chances Helped By AFL Blacklisting, Taft Says
Washington—(U.R.)—Sen. Robert A. Taft, (R.-Ohio), said today the A.F.L. helped, instead of hurt, the reelection chances of 19 senators it blacklisted as "Enemies of Labor."
The American Federation of Labor's 70th annual convention at San Francisco yesterday singled out 14 Republican and five Democratic senators as their special targets in the 1952 election because they voted for the Taft-Hartley labor law. The convention also adopted a political action program designed to repeal the act.
"The senators selected are very fortunate indeed," Taft said. "Nothing will contribute more to their re-election."
The 19 senators were not willing to be quoted quite so bluntly, but many agree with Taft. One laughed joyously, but off-the-record, when informed that he had been named. Many pointed to Taft's own reflection last year by a 440,000 majority after labor leaders fought tooth-and-
nail to defeat the man who co-authored the Taft-Hartley act.
Their consensus was: What labor "bosses" say is one thing—what the working man does is another. Several said laborers would not stand for "dictation" from their union leaders.
The senators on the list included:
Brewster, Maine; Flander, Vermont;
Martin, Pennsylvania; Smith, New Jersey; Williams, Delaware; O'Connor, Maryland; Byrd, Virginia; Connally, Texas; Stennis, Mississippi; Holland, Florida; Bricker, Ohio; Butler, Nebraska; Kem, Missouri; Jenner, Indiana; Cain, Washington; Ecton of Montana; Watkins of Utah; Knowland of California, and McCarthy of Wisconsin.