Santa Maria Times from Santa Maria, California • 1

Easter Cruise', a Thrilling, Timely New Serial, Begins Monday WEATHER Fair tonight and Sunday, cooler tonight, warmer Sunday. TEMPERATURES High 67 Low 40 RAINFALL This season 19.GQ Last season 20.94 A NEWSPAPER DEDICATED TO Every Evening Except Sunday SANTA MARIA, CALIFORNIA, SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 1938 Subscription Price $7.20 Per Year I SPIED- J. Ben Wiley offering to vote for Marion B. Rice if he would smoke a cigar. M.

D. Likes, after Marin us Nielsen had treated fellow Kiwanians to buttermilk, wondering if some member didnt have connections with a brewery. Gordon Taylor making a hurried exit from school yesterday because rents became too high in his trousers. A card from Clyde Fridell in Texas reporting the vegetable season near Brownsville about over. Little Milton Shriner serenading neighbors early thi? morning with his yodeling.

A large field of blooming lupins in the 400 block on East Cypress street. Recall Mephistopholes in Faust? Spains orces Mass For Decisive Figh For Ports on Coast PICKUPS and COMMENT A bustling host to Polands foreign minister, Col. Joseph Beek, (right), was Premier Mussolini of Italy, shown in one of his rare grinning moments as he guided the Polish official through Italys City of the Air, Guidonia. Mussolini had Italian pilots demonstrate the latest model planes for his visitor. SHANGHAI, April 9 r.n Chinese troops on the central front have inflicted a serious defeat on the Japanese and, their morale high, are seeking to turn the defeat into a disaster, reports from the battle lines said today.

A United Press staff correspondent with the Chinese army confirmed that the Chinese had retaken Taierhchwang, northeast of Husuchow and that the Japanese were retreating northward, abandoning their motorized equip-i ment. In the rear of the Japanese, as they retreated, Chinese irregulars were ripping through the Japa-! nese communications line and cut-j ting off supplies. I Attack Japanese Base Chinese asserted that a mixed army of guerrillas and irregulars had reached the suburbs of Tsinan, an important city on the Tientsin-Nanking railroad, and i a Japanese base for operations over the entire northeastern front. With 97 wells already on pro-' It, was fed axially at duction in the field and operators fanko todaJ that4 mese room rinrt tnlrnn tkiA had stormed and taken the Four New Wells on Test, Another Is About Ready Volume 20 Refinery To Be Capable Of Handling 50,000 Barrels Crude Monthly BETTERAVIA PLANT NEARS COMPLETION Casmalia Oil For Arizonas Roads; Big Refinery Here Doubted Fifty thousand barrels a month will be the capacity of the Gilmore refinery in Cat Canyon when improvements now under way are completed. Total expenditure, it is said, will run close to $35,000, when the work is finished.

Resumption of operations, halted by the improvements, is expected in a short time. The crew has not been laid' off during the remodeling and rebuilding operations, but has been retained on the work. The refinery is to be operated principally for the sale of road oil. Considerable progress has been made on' the construction of a 2500-barrel refinery at the intersection of Point Sal and Bettera-via roads, by the Elko Oil Co. of Long Beach, and operation of the plant is reported as possible in a few weeks.

Former Congressman Walter F. Lineberger of Losg Beach, at present a resident of Santa Barbara, is interested iq this proposition, among others. Oil To Arizona It is reported that the heavy oil. from the Morganti ranch near Casmalia, is to be shipped to Arizona for road usage; that Capt. Frederick Libbey, head of the Pima company, which drilled the well, has a contract for its sale.

The oil is so heavy, it is said distillate will probably be run into the well to make pumping more successful. Some oil men claim that the Santa Maria crude, when mixed with lighter oils from other fields, is easily reduced to the point where it becomes good fuel oil, and that the mixing pro- (Continued on Page 4, Col. 4) 4 Surveys Near End On Coast Lompoc Road Survey work will be finished by May 1 on the first unit of the Lompoc-Guadalupe road, it was reported today by Supervisor Ronald M. Adams and William Hobbs, highway committee chairman for the Lompoc Chamber of Commerce. Tests are being conducted on the soil where cuts and fills will be necessary, Hobbs stated, but the complete data being com-niled by the county engineering staff will soon be ready for submission to the state.

The state will then check the data and ask for bids for construction by a private construction company. It is anticipated that the work may be under way within six or seven months. Farm Boy, 10 Held as Girl Of 12 Is Shot Storm Dead Totals 48 Over U. S. ST.

LOUIS, April gales swept across a path of desolation in the South and Mid-West today, driving the worst April storm in history northeastward toward the Atlantic seaboard. Forty-eight persons were dead, victims of floods, tornadoes and raging blizzards. Sixty others were missing in six states hit by the storm center as it blasted its way from the Canadian plains to the Gulf of Mexico and back again. It roared from the Northwest Wednesday, laid a paralyzing blanket of snow and ice across North Central states from the Rocky mountains to the Ohio valley then turned and, swinging in a great semi-circle, moved into the South. The Texas Panhandle was stricken by a blizzard; tornadic winds whipped across Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi; floods caused heavy damage in Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, Texas, (Continued on Page 2, Col.

5) Number 300 Nationalists Control Power Sources For All Of Catalonia ATTEMPT TO PREVENT DYNAMITING OF DAMS Loyalists Bent On Destruction of Property to Halt Victors IIENDAYE, France, April 9. (UP) Spanish loyalists formed a new battle line on the Tortosa front today as the Nationalists (rebels) stormed. the Turmell hills and prepared to strike for the Mediterranean coast. Heavy loyalist reinforcements reached a line about eight miles from the sea-coast in the Atalayas de Alcala and Sierra Montsia hill area, and Nationalists, confirming their arrival, said that the definite battle for possession of the coast would be fought within a few days. In the north, the Nationalists took the town of Camarassa, south of Tremp, and with it one of the most important hydro-electric power stations in the entire Tremp region.

Reports disclosed that the Nationalists were driving urgently to consolidate their grip on the Tremp area, whence comes most of Catalonias power supply, fearing that loyalist guerillas would dynamite dams and flood the city of Lerida below. Dynamite Exploded Nationalist airplanes blew up 25 of a convoy of 32 dynamite trucks not far from Tremp, it was revealed, and found dynamite dumps at many Nationalists estimated that they now control 70 per cent of Catalonias power supply. It was intimated that the big drive for the coast might be mad? along the Morelia road to Beni- arjo. 32 miles southeast of Mor-d'a. A secondary road branches off the main road at San Mateo.

12 miles from the coast. It is between San Mateo and Benicarlo that the new battle line has been formed. The Nationalists were only three miles west of San Mateo today, in the hills on both sides of the main road. In their diversional offensive in western Spain, in the Talavera de la Reina area, the loyalists said they took the village of Car-rascalejo, 18 miles south of the highway and railroad. Too Many Pies Get Man Sixty-Day Jail Term John Kenney, itinerant, was sentenced to a 60-day term in the county jail by Judge C.

Douglas Smith when he pleaded guilty in police court this morning to charges of drunkenness and disturbing the peace. Kenney was arrested by city police last night in the alley behind the American Bakery with five pies in his arms. Thirty-day floaters were issued to L. G. Congar, 219 West Park, and Ray McCormack, itinerant, when they pleaded guilty to charges of drunkenness and disturbing the peace.

Junior Community Club Charity DANCE MOOSE HALL Tonight ADMISSION $1 PER COUPLE GREiriRBTORY II Retake Important Town And Send Japanese Retreating to North SUDDEN OFFENSIVE IS ALSO SMASHED Japanese Reported Abandoning Field Equipment As They Fall Back troops eastern suburbs of Tsinan and were attacking the southern suburbs. Further, the Chinese asserted that they had smashed with heavy losses a sudden Japanese offensive on the Lake Tai-Hangchow front west and southwest of Shanghai apparently a Japanese effort to divert attention from the central front. Great Victory All reports from the Chinese side indicated that the Chinese had won a great victory and it was plain that they hoped to make of it not only their greatest of the war but the greatest in the long, troubled history of their nation. The Yellow river, for centuries called Chinas sorrow, had become a symbol for the rebirth of a nation of 400-odd million people. On the Central or Yellow river front, after months of bitter defeat, the Chinese were definitely on the offensive.

Pea-Picker At Nipomo Shoots Self to Death Despondency over ill health was attributed by officials as the cause for the suicide of Lloyd Smith, Oklahoma pea-picker, employed on the Henry Dana estate ranch, a mile east of Nipomo, this morning. Smith had been seriously ill with kidney trouble the past two months and was recently released from the San Luis Obispo hospital. Mrs. Smith, who was working in the pea fields, went to the shack in which the family lived about 10 a.m. to see how her husband was getting along.

She dis covered his absence and also noted that a revolver was missing. A short time later she discovered his body near an oak tree about 50 yards from the shack. Coroner C. W. Palmer of San Luis Obispo county was notified by Justice of the Peace Rocky Dana and was investigating the death this afternoon.

Smith leaves his widow and three young children as well as a son by a former marriage, Floyd Smith, who lives in the east. 1 SMALL BLAZE No damage resulted from a fire in the Kenneth Kibs residence, 321 West El Camino, yesterday evening. The blaze started when By G. A. MARTIN For those who cant go farther from home to see the wild flowers, a drive over Nipomo mesa will reveal quite a good showing.

The fine field of yellow lupins that formerly showed themselves in Spring on the mesa west of Nipomo, have been ploughed up. A large acreage of land in that area formerly in flowers and sagebrush has been turned to cultivation this year. But, if you drive to Nipomo and turn left in the center of town and follow the road that bends north towards Oceano near where the big fields of yellow lupins were found in past years, and continue on towards Oceano, you will pass quite a few of the yellow lupins and a number of small fields of lupins on the shaded sides of small cultivated fields. Then, if you follow the road where it turns to Guadalupe, there is quite a display of sand phlox in blossom, also a number of brodieae and some sand verbenas. On the entire drive, there is also quite a bit of owls clover.

On the whole, however, the wild flower display on the Nipomo mesa is not as good as it was a year ago, and there is no display of yellow flowers on the hillsides east of Nipomo, nor are there any yellow splotches on the moun-. tains to be seen from Santa Maria to the northeast. In some previous years large patches of yellow flowers were shown in distinct contrast against the green. Another oldtimer is one who remembers when a woman who could play the melodeon was looked up to all over the community and a man who could lead singing was called a professor. Phineas T.

Barnum, Americas greatest hokum artist, imported his famous Jumbo, largest elephant in captivity at the time, into the United States, 56 years ago today. Today also marks the anniversary of the end of the Civil war, in 1865, with the surrender of Gen. R. E. Lee to Gen.

U. S. Grant, commander of the Union forces, at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia. Tomorrow will be the birthday anniversary of Geo. Arliss, greatest English character actor of the present, born in 1868.

Eighty-nine years ago tomorrow the old-time womans best friend, the safety-pin, was given to the world by its patentee, Walter Hunt. Tomorrow is also the anniversary of first publication of the New York Tribune, still fighting the battles of all who think American ideals worth fighting for, though now combined with the old New York Herald as the Herald Tribune. Tomorrow is also the anniversary of the passage of the first American patent law, 148 years ago. Dr. B.

U. L. Conner says a New Dealer is one who can still write TV A dam without putting an on the last word. The United States elected six generals as presidents of the United States George Washington, Andrew Jackson, William Henry. Harrison, Zachary Taylor, U.

S. Grant and James A. Garfield. President Benjamin Harrison rose to the post of colonel in Gen. Phil Sheridans army and was bereveted a brigadier general, but never reached the full rank.

President William McKinley reached the grade of major in the Civil war. Scheduled filghts of less than twenty hours to Europe in luxurious 100-ton transoceanic flying boats will be commonplan in thp novt few years. IGOR I. SIKORSKY, chief designing engineer, Sikorsky Aircraft. The end of a perfect day we quit at noon.

NEWARK, N. April 9. Resentment over a fancied trespass led 10-ycar-old Ralph Smith (left), son of a tenant farmer, to shoot and seriously wound Betty Douma, 12 (above) reported Warren county authorities who took the boy into custody. The girl had ridden on a pony to the home of Ralphs parents on land owned by her father and had insisted upon seeing a new toy truck the boy was treasuring. New Charge Is Flung At Neblett LOS ANGELES, April 9.

QJ.R) Peirson M. Hall, former U. S. district attorney, testifying by deposition in Atttorney William H. Nebletts $4,000,000 libel suit against Hall and other prominent Democrats, today described an alleged $25,000 plot to stop indictments against officials of the old Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Co.

The company now is reorganized and being operated under direction of the state insurance commissioner. Officials of the old company are facing trial in Phoenix. on mail fraud charges. Hall and Neblett, former law-partner and political representative of Senator William G. Mc-Adoo, clashed yesterday when Hall was asked to repeat his testimony to the effect that Asa Call, Pacific Mutual official, told him Neblett said he would dismiss a civil suit against the old insurance company if someone offered him $25,000.

Ill repeat it but this will be the last time, Hall said. Maybe well get the truth now," Neblett said. Threat of Truth The truth will sink you, Hal1 replied, shaking a fist at Neblett. Hes already sunk. said S.

Hahn, attorney for Hall and the other defendants. Asa V. Call told me in my office that Neblett said he could stop the Pacific Mutual indictments for a fee of $10,000. Hall testified. Later, Call said Neb- Continued on Page 5, Col.

3) Although both Speaker Bank-head and Democratic Leader Rayburn made dramatic last-minute speeches, the revolt which began brewing ten days ago swept on to a sensational victory when approximately one-third of the members of the presidents own party lined up against the legislation. On the crucial roll call, 88 Republicans, 108 Democrats, six Progressives and two Farmer-Laborites nullified the efforts of 191 Democrats, two Progressive and three Farmer-Laborites who sought to give the chief executive broad power to reshuffle and overhaul the executive machinery. Fine of $50 Is Given Speeder; Truckers Cited Fine of $50 or a 25-day term in the county jail was the sentence imposed on Cameron S. Johnson, Santa Barbara, when he appeared before Justice L. J.

Morris, this morning in response to a traffic citation charging speeding at 80 miles on the Or-cutt road. Five citations were reported today by the Santa Maria division of the California Highway Patrol and four by city police. The patrol cited Jacinto Trujillo, 215-A East Main, to appear befora Justice Moore in Arroyo Grande at 10 a.m. April 11 for alleged passing without sufficient clearance and failure to abide by license restrictions. Overloading of oil trucks resulted in four patrol citations.

Two were issued to Roger S. Davidson, Inglewood, driver for the Thompson Tank Lines, on the double charge of overloading and having no registration on his trailer. He was ordered to appear before Justice William Grisingher in Los Alamos at 10 a.m. April 13. Similar charges brought citations to Arval Addis and Robert Younglove, Los Angeles, to appear before Justice Grisingher April 14.

Cited by city police to appear before Judge C. Douglas Smith at 8:30 a.m. April 18 were Frank Gonzales, Santa Maria; R. E. Wallace of the Santa Maria Inn: Manuel Gianandrea and Cleon Babka, both of Santa Barbara.

All were charged with speeding on the 25-mile zone on North Broadway. from the countys $60,000 annual publicity fund, mhich goes to chambers of commerce and other advertising media. The board chairman made this statement after refusing a peti tion from Santa Barbaras Se-mana Nautica committee to increase the countys annual contribution to the week of nautical sports from $1000 to $1500. Preisker stated that the Semana Nautica could depend upon the usual $1000 appropriation from the county but he gave warning that such contributions would be reduced next year. Monday, May 9, was date set for filing preliminary drafts of proposed budgets by heads of departments in the county governmental system.

This date is, two months later than usual. wondering about a market for the oil, four new wells were on completion tests in the Santa Maria valley field today Union Oils ODonnell 2-1 near the junction of Betteravia lateral and Black road, and E. H. Moores Union Sugar H-l just west across Black road; Unions Silva No. 1, northwest of Betteravia, and Bay Cities No.

1 in the Beacon area. Another was about ready to be brought in. Several new wells were either spudded in or about to spud. Union had started its Bradley lands No. 3, offsetting Hancock-Bush Hopkins 3 in the southeastern field, and was drilling ahead on its Leroy 3, near its Leroy 2 and Silva 1.

Moore was getting his F-l under way, two locations north of his H-l on Black road. Crews were getting ready to spud in Gettys Vicente No. 4, in the western area of the Beacon field today and Union was getting ready for its first well on the McCoy-Cooney tract south of McCoy lane and offsetting Pacific Westerns McCoy Samarin 2 on the north side of the lane. Union planned its first Frank Mallory well on completion of the McCoy-Cooney hole, to offset Samarin 3 on the west. Drilling Ahead Meantime, Ohio Oil was drilling ahead on its Morrison No.

1 on the south side of McCoy lane, offsetting Signals Ramalho No. 2 north of the lane, and Signal was drilling ahead on its Henry Yelkin (Continued on Page 5, Col. 4 3) Mexico Holds Onto Foreign Oil Property MEXICO CITY, April 9ir.P High officials predicted today that under no circumstances would Mexico return some in oil properties expropriated from their British and United States owners. Officials studied a note of protest from Great Britain, making a formal demand for restoration of properties belonging to the Mexican Eagle Oil a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell and one of the largest in Mexico. There was no indication when President Lazaro Cardenas would reply.

The note, described by Owen St. Clair OMalley, British minister, as a preliminary statement, expressed hope that the Mexican government would make restitution of its own violation and negotiate the disputed labor County Tax Rate Cut of Five Cents Is Possible Reduction in basic county taifber of funds, including a cut of Roosevelts Reach for More Power Is Halted rate of an estimated five cent: was indicated by Supervisor Chairman C. L. Preisker. Sizable balances in the county treasury may permit reduction of the $1.25 per $100 assessed valuation of this year to a possible $1.20, or even lower.

Such a rate would be tne lowest in the history of county government affairs with the exception of one year. Cash balances in the county treasury are sufficient to permit the estimated reduction, and several reductions in departmental expenditures are expected in next years budget. Reduction in the basic rate for the 1938-39 fiscal year, Supervisor Preisker stated this week, will be dependent to great ex tent upon the reduction of a num- WASHINGTON, April 9. President Roosevelts plan to reorganize the government to give himself more power w-as buried in a house committee pigeon-hole today, admittedly killed for this session, as a coalition of Republicans and insurgent. Democrats dealt the administration a stinging defeat late yesterday.

The rebellious coalition scuttled the reorganization bill at the end of seven days of raging debate. intensive lobbying and nation-wide controversy. Upon motion of Representative OConnor, Democrat, of New York, the grease boiled over on a stove. The measure was recommitted to the fire department was called to the special reorganization committee house. by a vote of 204 to 196..