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About Roseburg news-review. (Roseburg, Or.) 1920-1948 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 18, 1941)
The Tragic Plot Hatched by the Arch Assassins at Brenner Pass is Now Being Scrambled. Japanese Hara-Kiri W ould be a Good Way out for Adolf and Benito For Christmas Give TIDE TURNS I Collapse of the axis forces In) Russia and Africa appears Im minent from today's dispatches. Such an eventuality would free allied troops : for action against Japan. Watch for the big news In the NEWS-REVIEW. U.S. Defense Savings BONDS and STAMPS ' t STORES' BANKS fHt D0UGLASXOUNIY DAILY POST OFFICES VOL. XLVI NO. 217 OF ROSEBURG - ROSEBURG, OREGON, THURSDAY. DECEMBER 18, I94I. VOL. XXX NO. 106 OF THE EVENING NEWS f0 mm V IfflSE is. DBS Hitler Army Units Fight Each Other Napoleonic Retreat Turns O Into Chaos; Libyan Front Broken, Rout Follows (By the Associated Press) A great, perhaps decisive turning-point marked Europe's war on two fronts today as Britain an nounced officially that the axis ront in north Africa has been lompletely shattered and Russia declared that Adolph Hitler's in vasion armies were fleeing in chaos. A soviet broadcast reported bit ter hatred flaring among the axis forces, asserting that Russian cav alry in the Donets basin had cap tured retreating German, Italian and Rumanian troops when they fell to fighting one another. The broadcast said Rumanian soldiers joined with the Italians against the Germans. ' Exactly one month to the day after Britain's desert armies struck back into Libya In their second north African offensive, British middle east headquarters announced: "Axis forces in eastern Cire naiea (Libya) are now in full re treat . . . the enemy front has everywhere been broken . . .yes terday our troops relentlessly pursued the enemy for a distance of nearly 30 miles ..." Thus in staccato sentences, the British comand foretold the ap parent beginning of the end of the African campaign, while on the Russian front, the story of axis disaster was even greater. History Repeating Premier Joseph Stalin was quot- ) ed as describing the ill-clad, fleet ing Germans as "resembling the forces of Napoleon" in the bloody (Continued on page 6) In the Day's News By FRANK JENKINS FN ROUTE to Portland. " At all the railroad bridges, and at the important highway bridges as well, there are soldier guards, carrying rifles. One feels certain there are armed guards at the railroad tunnels as well. We are at war. ""THEY are good-looking, alert, typically American. It takes only a glance to see that anyone fooling around these guarded bridges would get into plenty of trouble, plenty quid-.. THESE are the same boys who a few weeks ago as a matter of fact, only a few days ago were resentful at the fact that they had to be taken away from their schooling, or their jobs. All that is gone. One look at them and you know there is no longer resentment. They are where they are now. to DO A JOB. There is no complaining. IN recent years, heads have been shaken over American youth. Many and many an oldster has said: "I can't understand them." Age NEVER HAS understood youth. It is likely that in the Neanderthal age the Old Man of the tribe, gazing at the crop of youngsters coming on shook his head and gloomed: "I don't know what the world Mm FRONTS Langer Ouster As U. S. Senator Recommended William Langer WASHINGTON, Dec. 18. (API Chairman Hatch (D.-N. M.) announced today the senate elections committee voted 13 to 3 in favor of a resolution recom mending that Senator William Langer (R.-N. D.) be denied a seat in the senate. The action climaxed a year's consideration of charges Involv ing moral turpitude which grew out of Langer's actions as an at torney and former governor of North Dakota. Langer has been serving in his post since last January 3, pend ing final outcome of the proceed ings. The senate membership must finally decide whether he shall be unseated. Hatch said the committee's re port would be made to the sen ate as soon as possible but de clared It was his understanding the case would not be taken up by the senate until after the holiday season. . In the hearing before the com mittee on the charge of unfitness to hold office, Langer denied that money he admitted receiv ing for the sale of North Dakota land had any connection with the profits made by a Minneapo lis firm on the sale of bonds to North Dakota agencies. Prosecution attorneys asserted that $58,800 Langer received in 1937, 1938 and 1939 equalled 25 per cent of the profit on county bonds and 10 per cent of the profit on state bonds sold to the agencies by the Minenapolis firm, the V. M. Brewer Co., while the accused senator was governor of North Dakota. U.S.-Based Plane Attacks Sub-Boat SPOKANE, Wash, Dee. 18 (AP) A submarine has been at tacked by an airplane based on the continental United States, Maj.-Gen. Millard F. Harmon, commander of the second air force, reported today. The time and place of the at tack and the nationality of the enr my vessel were not disclosed by the General, who told of the attack by a Second Air force I plane in a letter of commendation to the officers of his command, Ho said the action took place '"after the Japanese attack on 'Hawaii Sunday, Dec. 7. "Combat units performed with high efficiency and special com mendation must be paid to the, altertness and promptness of the airplane commander and crew of a squadron in this air force in spying and attacking a submar ine, the general said in nis let ter. , TRIE MIS on U.S:ArmyTo Be Expanded To Maximum Draft System Will Be Used, Stimson States; Age Limit Unsettled WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (AP) -Secretary Stimson announced today the war department was planning to expand the army to the greatest strength needed and would depend for the increase en tirely on the selective service system. , All voluntary enlistments are to be halted as soon as "the pres ent rush subsides," Stimson told press conference. An Immediate Increase of more than 150,000 men already has been recommended In a bill which Stimson said waa on Presi dent Roosevelt's desk. Meanwhile administration lead ers were conlldentiy predicting senate approval of the legisla tion making men of 19 and 20 liable for military service, though the house yesterday refus ed to lower the induction age from 21, as President Roosevelt and the war department had re quested. The house passed unanimously bill raising the maximum age from 35 to 44, inclusive, and re quiring all men from 18 through 64 to register witn tne govern ment. For Larger Army. In the army expansion plans, Secretary Stimson today an nounced: All reserve officers not yet called to active duty have been ordered to take physical exami nations, but he said this step am not mean they necessarily would be called out Immediately. After January 1 all graduates of officer candidate schools will be ordered to duty Immediately. Previously those so desiring have been awarded certmcates oi ca Dacitv and permitted to return to their former enlisted ranks. Commanders of the four air (Continued on page 6) Five Plead Guilty To Charges Here Five men held In the Douelas tnnntv inil nn various charees nlinh nntnrorl nlofiQ nf oililtV when ! l7Ut.lt Llltv.ll-U ffi.uu w.. o" J arraigned in circuit: cuuri iuie Wednesday on district attorney's informations, in eacn case sen tence was postponed to permit further investigations .into the records of defendants. Those arraigned were: Harold E. White, charged with contributing to the delinquency of a; minor. Orvel Carter, accused oi lar ceny of a gun and personal prop erty from a home in Drain. Car ter was recently returned from Califonia. John J. Conners, accused of taking an automobile from Myr tle Creek and abandoning the ma chine in Albany. He recently was arrested in eastern Oregon. Robert Lee Bays, alleged to have forced entrance into the locked cab of a locomotive at Drain and stealing suitcases con taining personal property. Charge was burglary not in a dwelling. Ronald Veach, charged with the theft of an automobile belonging to J. J. Fox of Roseburg. The automobile was recovered at Rogue River, where Veach was arrested.' Oregon's VFW Head Dated Here Patrick W. Kclley post, Vet erans of Foreign Wars, Rose burg, will receive an official visit at its meeting tonight jfrom the- state -commander, Louis E. Starr, above, of Port land. On the program are an address by Mr. Starr, a show Ing by him of motion pictures of the organization's recent na tional convention in Philadel phia and refreshments. German Warships Bombed by RAF LONDON, Dec. 18 (AP) The RAF bombed the Ger man battleships Scharnhorst and Gnelsenau in daylight to day with a powerful force of Its heaviest bombers, the Brit ish announced. . An air ministry communi que said "the ships are be lieved to have been hit." Bombers and their fighter escort shot down eight Ger man planes with a toss of six RAF craft In the attack, the ministry said. The ships were at the har bor of Brest In occupied France, where they have fre quently been attacked by Brit ish planes. ill jrT West Point Appointment of Son of Hero Who Sank Jap Warship Asked by Roosevelt of U. S. WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (AP) In an unusual token of appreci ation of a deed of heroism, Presi dent Roosevelt has addressed a letter to the President of the Unit ed States whoever he may be In 1956 requesting the appoint ment as a West Point cadet of Colin P. Kelly, III. Now less than two years old, Colin P. Kelly, III, is the son of 26-year-old Captain Colin P. Kelly, Jr., who scored three bomb hits and sank the Japanese battleship Haruna off Luzon Dec. 9. Captain Kelly, of Madison, Fla., lost his life in the action which destroyed the first Japanese war ship In the war which began Dec. 7 with the Japanese surprise at tack on Pearl harbor. The president's letter, dated yes terday, follows: "To the President of the United States in. 1956: "I am writing this letter as an act of faith in the destiny of our country. I desire to make a re quest which I make in full confi dence that we shall achieve a glorious victory In the war we are now waging to preserve our democratic way of life. "My request Is that you con sider the merits of a young Ameri can youth of goodly heritage Colin P. Kelly, III, for appoint ment as a cadet in the United Three Ousted For Raid On Pearl Harbor Adm. Kimmel, Generals Short, Martin Replaced For Lack of Alert 1 WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (AP) -The United States entrusted su premo command of its Pacific fleet today to. Admiral Chester W. Nlmitz, one of the highest of ficers in the navy's top councils. Nlmitz, a forceful Texan and proud of it, was ordered to sea from his post as chief of the bu reau of navigation, where he was rated in service circles as second only to Admiral Harold R. Stark, chief of naval operations. ! By reputation a man able and sure in action, Nimltz succeeds Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, commander-in-chief of the Paci fic, fleet, who, with two other top ranking officers of the Hawaiian area, was relieved of command, pending the outcome of the inves tigation which President Roose velt ordered on the Pearl Harbor sneak attack. . The navy and war departments acted simultaneously last night in removing the officers whose re sponsibility for the lack of alert preparedness will be subject to examination by the president's Investigating board. Army Relieves Two. Kimmel was the only navy man affected. The army reliev ed Lieutenant General Walter C. Short of command of the Ha waiian military department, and Major General Frederick L,. Mar tin of command of the air forces in Hawaii. Lieutenant General Delos C. Emmons of the air combat force already has reached Honolulu and replaced Short. General C. L. Tinker, of the air corps, is en route to take over the air com mand. The appointment of Emmons marks the second time the army (Continued on page 6) Referendum on Cigaret Tax Hit by Ruling SALEM, Ore., Dec. 18 (AP) Attorney General Van Winkle held yesterday that referendum petitions against the two-cent per package cigaret tax, passed by the 1911 legislature, were Insuf ficient because the State Retail Grocers' association, sponsors of the referendum movement, failed to detail its expenditures in its campaign against the tax. If Secretary of State Snell ac cents the ruling, the tax would become effective. However, court fight Is expected. President in 1956 States military academy at West Point. I make this appeal In be half of this youth as a token of the nation's appreciation of the heroic services of his father who met death In line of duty at the very outset of the struggle which was thrust upon us by the? perfidy or a professed friend. "In the conviction that the ser vice and example of Captain Colin P. Kelly, Jr., will be long rcmom bered, I ask for this consideration In behalf of Colin P. Kelly, III "Must" Mandate Cited It was the second time In as many days that the president has cited the heroism of the army aviator. Addressing the labor-industry conference to curb war time strik es yesterday, he applied the word "must" to them as Individuals In urging a quick agreement, and added: "A boy, the other'day, was out In a plane. The government did not tell him he had to dive on a battleship and lose his life. That was his 'must;' his own personal 'must." There was nothing in his orders that told he had to dive his plane into a Japanese battle ship. That was young Kelly's own personal 'must. "And each one of you, and I too, we have our personal 'musts'." Jungle Unit Hurls Back in North Luzon Battle Hongkong Garrison w nnamnuoT .-vi irrr 17 1 " J - -p Canton .Vfrf (Pearl) er .iv j . - - iChungthtn ScoUof Mill 3 Above map shows the location of Hongkong Island, where British forces continue to resist the siege of the Japanese, operat ing from Kowloon, channel terminal of a railway line from Can ton. Chinese land forces are attempting to relieve the British by attacking the Japanese In the rear. For the second time yesterday, the British garrison rejected the Japanese demand for surrender, Commander 8lr Mark Young telling the Japanese leaders he was "not prepared to receive any further communications from thern on the subject." Oregon Third In Per Capita Buy Of Defense Bonds State Sets National Lead as Goal, Meeting Told; Speed-Up In Douglas County Planned The state of Oregon, already third in the nation in per capita sales of defense bonds, will make every possible effort to gain lead ership In this Important defense activity, it was declared here last night. Ray Conway, associate state administrator of defense bond sales, told a meeting of county committeemen at the blue room of the Umpqua hotel, that only Washington, D. C, and New York state are ahead of Oregon in per capita sales of stamps and bonds. Douglas county, it was stated, is high in the standing of Oregon counties, and the order placed by the Douglas county court for $100,000 worth of bonds to be de livered In December and Janu ary is the largest individual pur chase so far made in the state and the largest known by any govern mental department In the nation. Speed-Up Planned. The meeting last night was at tended by chairmen and represen tatives from each of the 20 sub committees of the county organi zation. H. O. Pargcter, county chairman, reported that plans are being worked out to provide a general speed-up of the local sales campaign. The payroll com mittee, it was stated, is working out a plan whereby employes may arrange with cmployera for a payroll allotment to be convert ed into bonds. Emphasis also is to be placed upon the presenta tion ol stamps and bonds as Christmas gifts. The meeting was attended by representatives from all parts of the county. Glen Jackson, region al associate administrator, from Medford, was In attendance for a short time, but was compelled to leave early to attend a meeting at Klamath Falls today. Sutherlin Parents of Crash Victim Get $5,000 WASHINGTON, Dec. 18-(AP) President Roosevelt has signed a bill for the payment of $5000 to Ivan and Nellie Witcher, Douglas county, Ore., in settlement of claims arising out of an accident In which their son, William Dale Witcher, 16, was killed. The accident occured July 31, 1940, near Sutherlin, Ore., when a trailer loaded with logs, on which the son was riding, collid ed with an army truck. Defies Japanese itwung Kowloon . : 0 V' Xlingting - Self-Supporting Husbands in Army Hard-Boiled Draft Policy to Be Followed, Senate Told by Military Leaders WASHINGTON, Dec. 18-(AP) The government will become hard-boiled about drafting hus bands whose wives are self-supporting, the senate was told to day as military leaders made known their view that this coun try must have an army much larger than 4,000,000 men. "Four million men Isn't an army today," Urlg.-Gcn. Wade II. Halsllp, assistant chief of staff for personnel, declared to the senate military committee. The army will be expanded as rapidly as equipment can be obtained, he said, "without any set number in view." A system of allowances for the families of married men induct ed into service was advocated by Brig.-Gcn. Lewis B. Hershcy, di rector of the selective service sys tem. He said the altitude of draft boards toward dependency and hardship cases must "Inevitably" become tighter. However, about 1,000 farm boys inducted into the army will be returned to the farm this spring, he announced, adding that induction of many farm youths would threaten vital agricultrual production. Allowance Plan Proposed Hershey's proposed system of allowances would bo modeled, he explained, on the World war prac tice of requiring a selectee with dependents to make an allotment from his pay to support his fami ly, which the government matcn ed with an allowance. "I think in (reference to) late marriages," he said, "they will not be a problem any more, be cause we are going to take them In I don't think we can do any thing else. "And I submit the congress will have to be asked to pass an al lowance and allotment law dis cipline him, K. you will so that there is some means of supporting that wife who may in fact be come dependent upon him." He predicted that local boards would call for service the hus bands of "marriages of con venience" whose wives earn enough to support themselves. But the allowance system will be necessary, he added, because "these boys are going to marry, and a lot of them are not marry ing to evade." Invaders Foe Making Ho Progress Manila Says -J Hongkong Still Holds On, But Situation Becomes Perilous at Singapore (By the Associated Press) Z Filipino jungle fighters were- today officially credited with a. slashing victory over Japanese troops in the 12-day old battle of Luzon Island. A bulletin from Manila tmd-, quarters of Lieut.-Gen. MacAr-; thur said Filipino troops clashed' with Japanese Invaders in, the Vigan area, 200 miles northwest; of Manila, Monday and threw them back many miles before; darkness halted the fighting. Army headquarters also . an nounced that the entire Phllip-J pine army is being inducted Into the United States army of the. far east "In order to amalgomate. all defense forces and effectuate the maximum cohesion and co ordination. " A Manila dispatch timed 4:40 p. m. Thursday, Manila time (2:40 a. m. eastern standard time) said Japanese aerial squaarons had renewed raids on Nichols and Zablan fields but had inflicted lit tle damage. . 'ttamcr, an army cuimuuimiuta . said the situation in the Philip pine theater "remains unchang ed" Indicating that the Japan-, (Continued on page 6) One Army Plane Crashes. 2nd Lost; 6 Dead, 8 Missing WASHINGTON, Dec. 18. (AP) The war department an nounced today an army plane carrying Major General Herbert A Dargue, commander of the 1st air force, had been missing since December 12 on a transcontinen tal flight. , There were seven other passen gers In the plane, five of them officers and two enlisted men. ' Secretary of War Stimson said the ship was last reported near Palmdale, Calif., and It was be lieved that it had crashed or been forced down In that vicinity. General Dargue Is a veteran flying officer, and usually pilots his own plane. Those listed as missing with him were: Col. Charles W. Bundy and Lieut. Col. George W. Rlcker, both of the war department gen eral staff. Major Hugh F. McCaffery, Mitchell field. Captain J. G. Lcavltt, First Lieutenant Homer C. Burns; Staff Sergeant Stephen Hoffman and Private Samuel J. Van Humm, Jr., all of March field, Calif. BAKERSFIELD, Calif., Dee. 18. (AP) Six men were killed today In the crash this morning of an army bomber at Muroe dry lake, In the MojavC desert, 70 miles southeast of here, the coroner's office reported. Coroner Houze was en route to Muroc, an army bombing field. Names of the victims were not learned. . mm piyst&r DID YOU Gr THAT SufPfife Buy Christmas Seals .(Continued on page 21