The Key West citizen. [volume], January 28, 1954, Image 1

About The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current

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Turn On Your Porch Light Tonight And Help Fight Polio
Warmest City In Nation
Today Was
KEY WEST
69*
VOL. LXXV No. 24
Motel And Hotel Men
Here Vary In Views
On Success Of Season
Business Is Off
From Last Year;
Better Than In
Other Fla . Towns
By DKNIS SNEIGR
How's business this sea*
ton?
It’s good.
It’s bad.
Depends with whom you
are talking, so take your
choice.
Representatives of three
top hotels here think it is
bad, or that -it could be
better.
On the other hand, another motel
man thinks the season is as "good
as last year and that was a good
year." .
And the Chamber off Commerce
thinks it is pretty teed off
about 10 per cent from last year
but better than elsewhere in
Bier Ida.
The trio of hotel men are flying
to Miami this afternoon to meet
tomorrow with National Airlines
executives. They hope to <k> some
thing about helping settle the 28-
day-old dispute between NAL and
county commissioners.
They feel tourist business here
has been hurt by NAL cutting
three of its four daily flights on
the Miami-Key West run.
The three flights jyere dropped
Jan. 1 when anew rate structure
went into effect at Meacham Field.
Malting the flight today to Mi*
ami are Archer G. Hunt, of the
Key Ambassador; Carl V. Meeks
of the Key Wester; and Max Mar
morstein, of the Casa Marina.
Hunt, said they had no trouble
(‘starving space for today's flight
to Miami but thoy aro on tho
waiting list to rotum tomorrow
He said the Key Ambassador
was 56 per cent filled last January
So far this mooth, the bouse has
been 46 per eent full, be added.
Meeks said business at the Key
Wester has been bad so far this
month. January of 1954 was the
first January that the motel was
open.
Because it was anew motel then,
he added, business was bad.
Meeks said it atill was bad
this January and he felt it should
"be at least S8 per cent better."
The Key Wester opened in April,
1952.
The Key Waster, Mheks said, de
pends on reservations, V
- “There have been a VM of can
cellations and delays,” he said.
*‘No doubt quite a bit of our busi
ness has stayed in Miami.
Marmorstien, of the Casa Ma
rina, could not be reached.
Marmorstoki said "wo would
liko to sottio H somehow. Wo'll
ask thorn to go back to four
(Continueo On Pago Two)
Marti Birthday
To Be Observed
Key Westers of Cuban descent
will mark the 101st birthday ct
Jose Marti, Cuba's most revered
patriot with two ceremonies to
night
At the San Carlos Institute, mem
bers of that organization will didi
cate a shrine to his honor, at 9
p. m. The "Rincon Martiano,” as
It is called, will have a bust of
Marti and a white rose will be
placed there daily. Children of the
San Carlos School will be entrust
•d with the care of the shrine, ac
cording to Julio Cabanas, Jr., pre
sident of the Institute.
And at Benny’* Cafeteria, mem
bew of the Caballeros de Marti
will hold their annual dinner mark
ing his birthday. The dinner will
•tart at 9 p. m.
RAUL'S
Futures Nightly
PIERRE DUVA
Res HJeSI Cilifen
Smothers Repeats
Promise To Aid
In Air Problem
Sen. George Smathers today
told Louis Carbenell, city com*
missiener, that he would da
everything possible to see that
full air service is restored as
seen as possible.
Carbenell said he talked with
Smathers by phene this mem*
ing and received Smathers' as*
surence that he was trying to
have Motional Airlines restore
three daily flights that were
dropped Jan. 1
Carbenell added that he is
going to Miami tamer raw to
attend the meeting between
HAL executives and Key West
firatml man
i mviVl ftlwfl*
State Plans
Campaign To
Draw Tourists
Advertising Group
Will Loose Its
Reserve. Funds To
Back Program
TALLAHASSEE Tho State
Advertising Commission la going
to turn loose Us reserve funds in
an immediate and intensive cam
paign to lure psora visitors to Flor*
Ida.
Richard D. Pope, vice chairman
of the commission, made the an
nouncement following a confer
ence with Acting Gov. Charley E.
Johns and Hotel Commissioner
Joe Adams.
Pope didn’t come right out and
say so but there were implications
in his words that the hotel, motel
and apartment house operators in
the southeast .winter resort area
are disappointed with current bus
iness.
"The State Advertising Com
mission holds back funds to use
as we see fit," Pope said "We’re
going to use these funds on an
immediate program in papers and
on radio that go into the areas
from which people are drawn to
the southeast coast—and Sarasota
and St. Petersburg.
"People don’t realize there has
been a change in the Florida win
ter season. Instead of 35 days, in
which the hotels and motels have
to make money, the season now
is about 120 days and visitors can
secure the same good facilities at
reasonable prices.
"You know, Christmas came on
a Friday this season. That pushed
vacations down a week later. And
the weather has been quite mild
in the North until recently—you
know, bad weather up North is
still our best tourist lure.
“Central Florida and north Flor
ida draw people from the Midwest
and Southwest, people who are
primarily interested in agriculture
and come down here anyway. So {
we’re starting right away a big
advertising program in the metro
politan centers to get people to
the southeast coast—and Sarasota!
and St. Petersburg.”
Thirsty Thief
Swipes Potables
A thirsty thief who broke into a
liquor warehouse here list night
is apparently going to have a bail.
His loot, police said, included 38
cases of beer, 12 cases of wine
and one gallon jug of wine.
Police said the potables were
stolen from the State Beverage
Company warehouse at the Clyde
Mallory Docks. Proprietor William
Curry called police after be dis
covered a side door jimmied when
ht watt to work this naming
THE SOUTHERNMOST NEWSPAPER IN THE U.S.A.
This Is Their Identification
SISS march ° f
March
(flmiT'ofl Polio
ffllwW FIGHT POLIO
mI 111
THIS IDENTIFYING LABEL will be on the milk bottles carried by all the mothers tonight in
their march against polio. The label is printed in red and white. The marchers will stop at
every house which has its porch light or some other beacon light burning between the hours
of 7 and 8 o’clock. A white handkerchief fastened on the door will also indicate a potential
donor.
Tonight The Mothers Of Key West
Go On The March Against Polio
Between 7 p. m. and S p. m. today Mother* will march on polio.
A youpg army of volunteers will hit the streets et 7 p. m., calling
at every home where a lighted porch light signifies that the home
has a contribution for the March of Dimes.
Mrs. Jee Lopes, chairman of tho Mother's March, ouggoctod
that ''if you do not have a porch light, tie a white handkerchief to
tho door knob."
She added that each of die volunteer* tonight will carry a col
lection jar and that a label on the jar will identify the worker as a
collector for the March of Dimes.
The label is reproduced above.
Balky POWs Will Begin Life
Behind The Bamboo Curtain
UJf. Command
Least ;
9 Americans Veve
Stool Pigeons
•y GEORGR MCARTHUR
PANMUNJOM Ufl—Twenty-one
singing, chanting Americans and
one Briton who renounced their
homelands to stay with the Com
munists today rolled northward in
flag-bedecked trucks toward a life
behind the Bamboo Curtain.
And in Tokyo, the U.N. Com
mand aaid officially that at least
9 of die 21 were accused as stool
pigeons who betrayed fellow POWs
to the Communists.
The former Allied soldiers, along
with 325 South Koreans, carried
Red “peace dove” banners as they
marched from their barbed wire
compound in Korea’s bleak neutral
zone.
They sang, cheered and shouted
charges of imperialism and germ
warfare at the Western world as
they boarded big green trucks for
the trip north.
Five Allied newsmen taw them
*o.
An Indian escort took the five
of us to the pro-Red North Camp
for the last frenzied propaganda
show of the men who chose com
munism.
Communist correspondents Allan
Winnington and Wilfred Burchett
arranged for a few newsmen to
witness the unusual spectacle.
We were allowed to move freely
in the compound that has held the
pro-Red captives since they were
turned over to Indian custody
Sept 24.
The prisoners, in individual and
group interviews, said almost ex
actly what they told a handful of
other Allied correspondents who
interviewed them, at Panmunjom
Monday.
They said they wanted to be
I l “Peace fighters’* and cannot do so
'in the United States.
The Indians bad planned to turn
over the prisoners’ records to Chi
nese and Wean Red Cross rep
resentative* at 9 a.m. and the
Prisoner* Were packed and ready
to move, out Their banners and
streamers were unfurled.
Up Indian Red Cross officials
wane delayed, and the men chatted
to 45 minutes with newsmen while
they waited.
A biting cold wind whipped
across the barren neutral zone and
temperatures were below freezing.
But most of the prisoners were
bareheaded as they marched from
the compound singing lustily.
British Marine Andrew Condroo
stood erect in the lead truck as
the convoy rolled out. He called
;“good luck*' to newsmen standing
nearby.
The prisoners laughed and joked!
(Continued On Page Two)
KtY WIST, FLORIDA, THURSDAY, JANUARY It. IM4
iwo LoiiVlPtßl
In Rape-Slaying
Hanged In Guam
GUAM (A—Two Air Fere* en
isted men, calmly declaring their
innocence, were hanged today for
the vicious rape-slaying of 27-year
old Ruth Farnsworth five years
ago in a Guam jungle.
The two-Pvt. Herman T. Den
nis, 25, of Indianapolis, and Sgt.
Robert W. Burns, 36, of Spokane,
Wash.— went to their deaths on the
10-foot-high gallows.
As n Army chaplain recited
psalms, Dennis said, "I pray for
those making this mistake.”
“They are not accomplishing any
thing by executing me.”
Burns followed Demiis un the 17
steps to the gallows.
“You are just complying with an
Air Force guards.
You haven’t solved the crime.”
Miss Farnsworth, a former WAC
from San Francisco, was e Navy
civilian employe at a curio shop.
She was found badly beaten and
near death in dense jungle Dec
(Continued On Page Two)
Street Show
Set Tonight
Singer Don AJbm and organist
Jack Hendrix will be featured to
** March of Dimes Street
Show, Southard and Duval Streets.
Tiie show will start at 8 p. m
Also appearing tonight are Lana
Allen, baton-twirler and Donnie
Williams, impressionist,
j public is invited to attend
the free shows.
A LA COLONIA CUB ANA Y
EL PUEBLO DE KEY WEST EL
CLUB SAN CARLOS INAUGU
RARA EL RINCON MARTIANO
EN SU SALON DE RECEPCION
EL JUEVEZ 28 DE ENERO 1954,
A LAS 9:00 P.M. QUEDAN TODOS
CORDIALMENTE INVITADO.
1 %
LA DQKECTIVA.
President Sees
Recovery From
Business Dip
Economic Message
Pledges To Combat
Any Depression
By STERLjNG F. GRSEN
WASHINGTON Ufl - President
Eisenhower today termed the na
tion "marvelously prosperous,”
predicted recovery this year from
a "brief and self-correcting” busi
ness dip and pledged to use the
government’s vast powers to com
bat a depression if one should
develop.
wHe proclaimed readiness—when
ever necessary to avert a depres
sion—to cut taxes, liberalize cred
it and launch large-scale public
works even at the cost of new
deficit financing.
And he gave forceful notice, in
his economic report to Congress,
that it should take "bold steps”
requested in bis 1954 legislative
program to "protect and promote
economic stability.”
Tha program, he said, includes
the protection of millions more
workers under unemployment and
old-age insurance, and bigger bene
fit payments; federal aid for pub
lic works planning; stimulants to
housing; tax revision; highway
improvement; anew farm pro
gram; and a tariff program to
encourage foreign trade.
All this is "immediately advis
able action,” Eisenhower said,
adding that if he finds more power
is needed, he will ask for it
promptly.
Missing was an expected request
for an increase in the 75-cent
hourly minimum wage. Secretary
of Labor Mitchell recently report
ed that the administration was
exploring means to raise it to "a
more realistic level.” But Eisen
hower told Congress the time is
not ripe.
Of his economic program, out
lined in a 35,000-word message,
Eisenhower said;
"It is not a legislative program
of emergency measures, for the
current situation clearly does not
require one.
"Instead, it is a program for
stimulating economic growth and
minimizing any chance there may
be of serious economic difficulty
in the future.”
He set this goal for the economy:
"an increasing national income,
shared equitably among those who
contribute to its growth, and
(Continued on Pago Two)
Rape Suspect Jailed After
Alleged Assault On Young
Baby Sitter In Poinciana
Barbara Gibson Presents Well
Received Concert Program Here
Young Soprano
Gains Acclaim
In Community
Concert Program
By JIM COBB
If local music lovers were to
vote on their Community Concert
favorite, it is reasonably safe to
assume that they would choose
Miss Barbara Gibson, charming
and talented young coloratura sop
amo who appeared last night in
the second of this season’s concert
at the Convent Auditorium.
The usual capacity audience was
generous with their applause and
lyrical in their praise of the bril
liant young star.
The graciousness of her presen
tation —and her near-perfect vo
cal technique filled the auditorium
with a warm glow.
Miss Gibson's program, who*
thor sho was doing standard con
cart favoritas, simpia Amarican
folk songs or difficult French
opera, pleasad the audienca.
Although Licia Albanese was or
ginally scheduled to appear last
night, we wonder if it were not
a fortunate stroke of fate that
brought Miss Gibson here.
Miss Gibson has a great voice
and magnificent control over it
a voice that will be heard for a
long time on our conceit stages.
In last night's program, for
oxamplo, sho skipped through tho
painfully difficult passages of
tho Fire Aria from Ravel's little
known opera-ballot L'Enfant et
los Sortileges with ease and pre
served admirably the etheral
quality of the music.
She opened her program with the
well known aria “Un voce poco
fa” from Rossini’s Barber of Se
ville performed with consum
mate artistry.
And then came three beautiful
songs, Pastorale by Carey, Mun
ro’s “Celia” and Lo, Here The
Gentle Lark.
Obrador’s Dos Cantares Popu
lares, were competently perform
ed by Miss Gibson and drew forth
great applause.
But Miss Gibson really illustrat
ed her dramatic ability and the
most colorful facet of her artistry
in the passionate Granadma by
Joaquin Nin. Here the full emo
tional quality of her presentation
was brought out and the audience
rewarded her warmly.
Ravel’s saucy Habanera follow
ed —a complete turnabout that
proved her versatility. A fine sense
of the comic was evidenced at
points by the artist.
She took time out to tell an ance
(Continued On Page Two)
Roberts’ Fine
Reduced Wed.
Municipal Judge Enrique Es
qmnaldo, Jr., heeded a plea for
clemency Wednesday by Walter
H. Roberts and bis wife Jeanette
and reduced their total fines to
8200.
The Roberts were found guilty
Tuesday on four charges each and
fined 8400.
Through their attorney yester
day. they agreed to drop an appeal
on the case and accepted the low-'
er fines.
But Roberts still faces a charge
that he failed to register here with
the Sheriff’s Department aa a fel-;
on. He is free on 8500 bond on that
charge.
Metal Shingles and
Roof Sheets at
Strunk Lumber
120 SIMONTOH. near Coca-Cola
Don't Let That
Expiration Date
Throw You Off
Notice a diffarance in tha ex
piration date on this year's
Overseas Highway stickers?
Last year's stickers expire
Fob. 20, 1954.
The 1954 stickers expire Dec.
31, 1954.
But the dates don't mean a
thing. The Overseas Read and
Toil Bridge District at Pigeon
Key today said the stickers for
1954 will be good as long as
the 1954 license plates are good.
The office hod no explanation
for the change in dates.
Molotov Holds
Peace Hopes—
On His Terms
Trie To Entice
Western Nations
To Agree On
Big 5 Parley
By JOHN M. HIGHTOWER
BERLIN W)—Soviet Foreign Min
ister V. M. Molotov held out glit
tering hopes o' peace and prosper
ity to the United States; Britain
and France today—if only they
will meet Communist China as a
great power .at the conference
table.
His lures to entice the Western
nations into a Big Fivs confer
ence seemed designed, moreover,
to appeal not so much to their
foreign ministers here as to the
millions of people they represent.
The fourth session of the Berlin
conference today was destined to
hear still more argument on the
China issue, which already had
tied up three sessions even though
the Western minister's repeatedly
told Molotov they would not accept
his proposition.
Molotov was today’s chairman.
He ignored demands yesterday
by U.S. Secretary of State Dulles,
British Foreign Secretory Eden
and French Foreign Minister Bi
dault that the conference get on
to the problems of Germany and
Austria.
There was no indication the
Russian would change his position
today while running the meeting.
Western diplomats conceded he
could tie up the conference indef
initely if he chose. They did not
know how soon they would be able
to get to the German and Austrian
problems, which they claim are
the main business at Berlin.
In his speech yesterday, the Sov
iet spokesman did make a bid in;
support of East Germany’s Com-i
munist regime.
He formally presented a letter l
from East German Premier Otto
Grotewohl asking that East and
West German representatives join
the conference when German un
ification is discussed. The Western
Powers already have made known
their refusal to deal in any way
with the German Red regime.
But Molotov’s main purpose was
to set forth what, in his view, a 1
meeting with Red China next
spring could accomplish.
He listed three broad categories
of issues whieh could be taken up
—reduction of armaments, im
provement in political relations
among nations and measures toj
increase international trade. And
be said such a parley could also
consider the “situation in Asia,” an
(Continued os Page Two>
Far Quick Communication.
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mach buyer* and seller*—
tenants or workers . . Just
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PRICB FIVI CENTS
Navy Man Is
Suspected Of
Other Crimes
By JIM COBB
A local Navy man, th%
father of a nine-month-old
boy, is being held in the
County Jail for investiga
tion of the rape of a 17-year
old girl and assault on at
least three other girls.
The suspect is a Navy man
stationed here.
He was arrested at his
home by police officer Ed
ward Ramirez last night af
ter a 14-year-old girl com
plained that he had assault
ed her.
The name of the Navy
man involved is being with
held since, although he is in
custody for investigation, at
the time The Citizen went
to press no formal warrant
had been filed against him.
Police said that after questioning
at police- headquarters the sailor
broke down and admitted to i car
nal assault on another girl, whom
he lured into hiz home two weeks
before Christmas. According to the
statement of the girl, he forced her
at knife point to submit to his ad
vances.
Ha than allagadly forcad har
♦a write a not# saying that sha
had submittad voluntarily. Tha
nota was found in a sac rat com
partmant at his billfold aftar his
arrast last night, polica said.
The girl, who later told a friend
at the incident, but did not report
the incident to police because of
“shame,” related this story of the
crime:
The Navy man asked her
to go to his home and baby
sit. While she was in the bed
room putting the baby in his
crib, she saw him lock the front
door. He entered the bedroom and
the girl saw him slip a paring
knife beneath the aheets on the
bed. He then made advances and
when the girl started to cry, kept
saying “I’m not going to hurt you.”
He then pushed her on to tha bed
and threatened to kill her, she said.
After, police said, he made her
write tiie following note: "I thee
below named do hereby swear that
I (name withheld), did have inter
course with (name withheld) with
permission.**
That note, signed by the victim,
was found in the man’s wallet,
police said.
Last night’s Incident, Involving a
14-year old girl, occurred this way,
police say:
The girl was walking home In
the Poinciana area when the sus
pect asked her to baby sit for him
for about five minutes. She agreed
he left her in the house alone
for five minutes while be went to
the drug store.
When he returned, he shewed
her e Sears mail order catalogue
end then made advances. During
1 • struggle, the girl fell to the flew
j and observed that the man wee
holding a knife. She said the ask*
•and him to allow her to leave end
he pleaded with her to stay long
•r, but finally ralentad with an
admonishment "not to tell any
one what had happened.**
The girl phoned police and the
, suspect was taken into custody.
1 Another Poinciana woman told po
lice of an Incident last Tuesday
in which the same man had at
(Continued O** Page fwo)
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