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About Roseburg news-review. (Roseburg, Or.) 1920-1948 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 1942)
Escape of the Nazi Warships Throughthe English Channel Stresses the Need of Alarm Clocks and Sleeping Sic kness Antidotes in Those Bundles-for-Britain. Ad-American Call HARDER JOB Faces Britain now, Willi tho prospect of increased nazl sea ' raiding in the Atlantic. How will . she meet the task? The answer will make tup war news. Watch for it in the NEWS-REVIEW. . . "Uncle sam keeps, XOVQ$0Pf&r TO HELP O' Hold the FOf?r r ' .. ' ........ 3 7 ...... VOUXLVI NO. 265 OF RCSFBU -tVIEW ROSEBURG, OREGON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1942. VOL. XXX NO. 15S OF THE EVENING NEWS rn UVJ Mm AiJLIUlPZ.il J QlVlLILMILIL lUlM OUNT DAILY 1 -i . Battle Rages 2 Miles From City's Heart Defenders Making Last Stand Under Terrific Air And Artillery Attacks (By the Associated Press) A terse, dramatic message from Lieut-Gen. Percival disclosed that British defenders of Singapore ! still were putting up "stout re sistance against great odds" to- alay as Japan's siege armies pros ed within two miles of the city's heart. , A Singapore communique tim ed 5 p. m. (3 a. m. PWT) indi cated the union jack continued to - wave over the island metropolis. Japanese shock troops were now fighting in the city's sub urbs. Even the Tokyo radio spoke of "firm resistance" at Singapore. Domei, official Japanese news agency, conceded that the invad ers were still two miles from downtown Singapore, but while the British fought a delaying ac tion it was apparent that the net was steadily drawing tighter. '" Japs Claims Premature'" In the 14-day-old siege, latest ' dispatches said Japan's Invasion hordes were pressing violent air and artillery attacks on the last toehold of British defense, with .heavy fighting raging about the MacRithie reservior in the cent er of the island. O "Shelling has been frequent on forward areas and on Singapore town," a British communique said, belying a Rome radio broad- (Continued on page 6) In the Day's News BY FRANK JENKINS "TIJUANA the town with a bad, f wicked past. Because its past was bad and wicked is about the only reason one goes there now. Its present is certainly as mild as milk toast. aT works the same way with people. The old rake who was a hellion in his younger days is pointed out as one of the town sights whereas the upright but never very thrilling citizen goes "on his virtuous way unnoted.) IN its lusty B. C. (before Carde O nas) days, Tijuana boasted the longest bar in the world. How long this bar may have been this writer doesn't know, never hav ing measured it, but it was long enough, goodness knows, and be fore it swayed and tottered and whooped and yipped an up roarious crowd. Now a large part of the rough board structure that housed It is given over to merchandise stalls Oand on much of the remainder appear signs reading: "This sec tion of the bar closed." Before the small section still open for 1 business a few bored customers sip mild Mexicali beer and down at the far end a Mexican male trio, furnishing their own ac companiment on guitars, sings "South of the Border" In a dis couraged manner. (You'd be discouraged too, if you got your pay in nickels, few and far between. People who are cold sober don't shower down folding money on strolling musi cians.) TIJUANA ekes out a more or less precarious existence these days as a tariff-free mer Q chandlse mart. It has some love ly stores, at that, selling some really handsome foreign goods, (Continued on page 2) Five Japanese Warships, at least 41 Planes Destroyed by U. S. Navy's Raid On Gilbert and Marshall Island Bases WASHINGTON, Feb. 13. (API The navy' surprise raids on Japanese bases in the Marshall and Gilbert islands proved to day to have inflicted even heavier punishment on the enemy than first reports hinted. ' The batteries and bombers of Pacific fleet units got these results Jan. 31 in a lightning offensive sweep: They sunk five Japanese warships one a 17,000-ton con verted aircraft carrier. They sent eleven Japanese auxiliary vessels to the bottom. They destroyed at least 41 enemy warplanes, either in aerial, dogfights or on the ground. " ' " And they plastered destruction all over the important naval and air bases which the Japanese had prepared to threaten the flank of the U. S. supply route to Australia and the southwest Pacific. . Registration Of Douglas Women To Start Feb. 16 Registration of women of Doug las county in connection with the state-wide mobilization of women, will start here Monday, Feb. 16, it was- announced today by Mrs. Christina Micclli, chairman for Douglas County.- Mrs. MiwlH an- nounced that the work in Rose burg will be conducted by city wards. Mrs. Oliver Johnson is in charge of registration Jn Ward No. 1; Mrs. Flossie Virden, Ward No. 2; Mrs. G. M. Krell, Ward No. 3, and Mrs. Velle Broadway, Ward No. 4. . .. Women will be questioned re garding vocational experience, skills and potential abilities. The survey will include women from 18 years of age upward. The registration is for the pur pose of determining the potential ability of women to fill places in defense Industries and in various occupations vacated by men ac cepted into militry forces. At the present time, it is stated, the mobilization board is not in a position to offer employment to any Oregon women. However, after data Is accumulated, tabu lated and filed, the statistics will be available for the placement of women in work where they may add to the national defense ef fort. At the same time there will be available a vast reservior of substitute labor for use when large numbers of men are drawn into military service and heavy defense industries. Already plans are being made by large numbers oi young, un. married women to form crews for farm labor, it is reported, and the mobiiization will serve to organ ize this and other activities on a planned and efficient basis. Roseburg Included in Alien Evacuation Areas SALEM, Feb. 13. (AP) The U. S. employment service an nounced today it would help find lobs, new homes and other assist ance to the enemy aliens who are being evacuated from the 30 pro hibited areas in Oregon. The aliens must be moved by midnight Sunday from certain areas in and around balem, fort- land, Eugene, ' Corvallls, Rose burg, Grants Pass, Medford, Umatilla, Pendleton, LaGrande and the Bonneville dam area. Roosevelt Signs Bill to Lend China Half Billion WASHINGTON, Feb. 13. (AP) A bill appropriating $500,000, 000 for aid to China was signed today by Presdent Roosevelt. The measure makes available the money which was authorized to be loaned in another bill en acted last week. The president had requested the half billion dol lars for China to bolster her In ternal economy and help her war effort. The news that five warships had been bagged was a gratifying surprise to the capital, .for the in itial reports ' the day after the raid indicated that the only vic tims of the U. S. fleet task force had been Japanese- auxiliary ves sels. -.' '." , , -:'.,, . 'Besides the 17,000-ton convert ed carrier, the Japanese lost a light cruiser, a destroyer and two submarines. The carrier was be lieved to have a capacity of 25 or more warplanes, and it appeared probable .that some of these were lost when- the ship.was destfCiyed, although the navy navy made no spe cific claims in that regard Flying Admiral Leads . Another gratifying 'disclosure about the vigorous raid was that a flying admiral directed the op eration. Vice-Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr., commander of car rier division one in the aircraft battle force, commanded the well balanced force of aircraft car riers, cruisers - and destroyers which carried out the attacks. To the capital this was an in. dication that officers of the air arm were being entrusted with responsibility in Important mis sions requiring synchronized air and surface operations. The navy department issued a lengthy communique last night on the results of the raids which hit Japanese strongholds on.Roi, Kwajalein, Wotle, Taroa and Ja- luit islands in the Marshall group and Makin in the Gilberts, - The report listed American losses as five planes for the en. tire operation, and one cruiser damaged by a small bomb. The original report placed the plane losses at 11, but the navy said this apparent discrepancy would be cleared up later. SUPERIORITY OVER JAPS FULLY DEMONSTRATED PEARL HARBOR, T. H., Feb. 13. (AP) Naval officers here (Continued on page 6) - Radio Plants Get Conversion Order WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 (AP) The war production board an nounced today it had ordered the $200,000,000 radio manufacturing industry to convert its entire fa cilitles to arms production within the next four months. If the conversion is not accomp lished within that period, the board declared in a virtual ulti matum, the government will take over unconverted plants, break up their organization, and shift their equipment and labor "to other parts of the economy where they could be mobilized fpr War pro duction." The civilian output of the in dustry was ordered cut 40 per cent under 1941 production, as a preliminary to the award of some $2,000,000,000 in arms contracts to radio manufacturers. Officials said it was expected that the major portion of the con version could be completed with in three months. Radio officials said the industry employs more than 50.000 work ers. During the first nine months of 1941 it produced about 10,000, 000 radio sets. ; ' , ' , : t- - - 1 Attack Hits Picket Line Of Welders Men at Shipyards at Tacoma Beaten, Chased By Workers of AFL TACOMA, Feb. 13 (AP) A group of between 40 and 50 pick ets of welders seeking an inde pendent union at the big Seattle- Tacoma shipyards was beaten, manhandled, picketing signs torn from them and then chased over the tideflats in a clash with AFL welders coming off duty at 7 a. m. today. , About a dozen policemen on duty at the yards were unable to stop the fighting. : Some pickets took refuge, in nearby coal cars and freight cars and some were chased blocks. One of the AFL welders, arrested and placed in a patrol wagon, was freed by his fellow-workmen. The fighting started when the shift left the yards about 10 min utes after the day shifts of hund reds of men went through the picket lines to work. ' . Shouts dOf .!!cloarT .out?, make an. honest living," and "never come back" were hurled at the pickets. Leader Among Victims Charles L. Brinkerhoff, leader of the welders, was knocked to the ground and beaten. He suf fered various body bruises and a bad cut above an eye. A fellow picket, in trying to protect Brink erhoff, was knocked down on top of Brinkerhoff and kicked in the head . .. Brinkerhoff was. taken home for medical aid but later was able to return to his office. The picketing welders, assembl ing 200 or 300 feet outside the yarus.-gtuus ui o;ou a. m. eieciuu a big banner -and carried numer ous signs. The signs said: "Don't pay tribute to the AFL," "We want to work for our country but not for the AFL," and Pay dues to Uncle Sam ana not to the AFL." . 800 Said Still Out -American Federation of Labor (Continued on page .6) Give MacArthur Top Command, Is Willkie's Urge .BOSTON, Feb. 13 (AP) Pro motion of General Douglas Mac Arthur to a post as supreme com mander of the nation's entire armed forces, responsible only io the president, .is advocated by Wendell Willkle as a move to wipe 1 out "deadwood and red tape" in the army anS navy. A throng of 1,500 diners rose to their feet, cheering, as the 1940 G. O. P.- presidential nomi nee presented the' Philippine he ro's name last night while addres sing the Middlesex Republican club. "Keep bureaucratic and bolltlc- al hands off him," said Willkle. "Give him responsibility and the power of coordinating all the armed forces of the nation to their most effective use." "Then," he said, "the people of the United States will have rea son to hope that skill, not bungl ing and confusion, directs their efforts." Willkie declared it was obvious "that there Is unnecessary waste effort, lack of mutual confidence and central 'direction' among our various fighting forces." He quoted unidentified air force men ts saying they had "come up against stone walls of preju dice and ignorance in the war de partment;" that "the man who offers constructive criticism risks court martial," and that "the navy still believes that an air bomber cannot sink a battleship." Heads Far East 1 Allied Fleets if i Head of the allied naval forces In the Far East Is a Netherlands naval chieftain, Amdr. C. E. L. Helfrlch, above, of the Royal Netherlands navy. We replaoee -American1 Admiral Thomas C. Hart, -who, at his own request, was relieved be cause of poor health. Helfrlch is 55 years old,, a native of Java, and a graduate of the na val college of Den Helder, the Netherlands. Civil Air Patrol Here Asks Further Enrollments , All Douglas county residents who have had flying experience are asked to register immediate ly for service In tjie Civil Air Pa trol, according to Walt Edmonds, recently appointed to the position of group commander. Although all private planes In this area are grounded at the present time by order of the Second Interceptor command, it Is expected that or ders soon will be given for the re lease of planes attached to the air patrol, Mr. Edmonds states. It is desired to have the patrol completely organized before flight programs are started. Applications for enlistment al ready have been received from Lawrence Womack, Carol Carnes, Edgar Slack, Francis Garner, Stewart Cooper, James Hartley, Ralph Clark, Clyde Hammond, Dr. Charles B. Wade, Leslie Cum- mlngs, James Roberts, Ronald Loffer, Thelma Carter, Louise Virden, Fred Kuck, Helen Gor tell, Helen Blodgett, Mary Blod- gett and Margaret Ambler. At least 12 pilots are needed for the patrol, as well as the services of a large number of persons to serve In various clerical, me chanical and service Jobs. As soon as the patrol has reached enlistment - strength, squailron commanders will be named and final organization completed, Commander Edmonds reports. Persons interested may obtain application blanks at the office of the Roseburg chamber of com merce. Bullet Fells Youth in Lincoln "Murder" Play MOLSON, Wash., 13. (AP) The gun used In the re-enactment of Lincoln's assassination In a high school play here yes terday was loaded and Ralph Sterling, 17, who played the part of Lincoln, is near death in a hospital from a gunshot wound In the abdomen. The 'usussln' fired the gun, supposedly loaded only with blanks, and young Sterling crumpled to the stage as par ents and students looked on. Defense Plan Frills Hit By Sen. Morris Public Faith Weakened, Senator Says; Congress Pension Act Criticized WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 (AP) Senator Norris of Nebraska proposed today that the senate take Immediate steps to elimi nate "frills" from the civilian de fense effort and to repeal con gressional pension legislation twq points of controversy he said which were undermining the faith of the American people . in their government in a critical time. Norris, who is tho dean of con gress by virtue of his 29 years In the senate and 10 years in the house, said he was amazed at the nubile Indignation which had been aroused by the controversy over the employment of enter tainers to direct certain activities of the office for civilian defense. Likewise, he said he seldom had received Buch violent and sustain ed protests as had been occasion ed by congress action an voting to onengovernmen -iJiuiMoir rolls to its members. Norris, who voted against such retirement payments, said he never would ac cept a pension from the govern, ment. ' -' Publlo Faith Shaken. ' These two things hav6 gone a long way to destroy the fulth of the American people in their gov ernment," Norris told reporters. "There never was a time when we needed unity.; more,, hut the people are angry and they are be ginning to lose faith in the execu tlve nnd legislative brancnes ot (Continued on page 6) Reedsport Bridge Guard Found Dead Of Bullet Wound The body of Samuel Fred Wil son, 27, employed as a guard at the Southern Pacific railroad bridge at Reedsport, was found last night about 8 o'clock under the north end of the bridge, ac cording to a report by Coroner H. C. Stearns. Wilson apparent ly died from a self-inflicted bullet wound in the. head, the coroner stated. Stearnes reported he had been informed that Wilson had been in a very despondent frame of mind and his condition was recently aggravated by a call to report for selective service in the near fu ture. He was last seen about 3 p. m when he was in conversation with T. R. Godley, S. P. foreman at Reedsport. His death Is believed to have occured shortly after that time. Surviving are his parents, who reside at Boulder Dam, Colo., and several brothers and sisters. The Investigation was conduct ed by Coroner Stearnes, assisted by State Policeman Dick Miles and Deputy Sheriff Harry M. McCabe. The body was removed to Un ger's Funeral home at Reedsport. Hal Turpin Signs 1942 Contract With Seattle SEATTLE, Feb. 13. (AP) Hal Turpin, the Pacific coast league's leading pitcher, has sign ed for the 1942 season with the Seattle baseball club, the club management announced last night. The Yoncalla, Ore., farmer had previously rejected the Ralnters' offers and demanded better terms. Two Battleships, Cruiser Dash From France Through Channel In Defiance of Blockade Guns British Lose 42 Planes in Futile Attempt to Destroy Fleeing Craft, Which Apparently Reached Safety at Helgoland Base; Feat Creates Storm of Censure. LONDON. Feb. 13. (API Three of Germany' mighfie$t warships, In daring defiance of i r . i mags a tensarionai eicaps rrom ineir nviibii uiyuubK pnawn, ink ing to freedom through the English channel under the fire of Brit ish planes, ships and shore guns. " - ; It was a gamble that risked freedom for the 26,000-ton bat- I tleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the 10,000-ton cruiser Prinz Eugen, to rove the seas again as lethal raiders of Britain's commerce, against their loss as the price of failure. And the British ruefully acknowledged this Black Friday that, so far at least, the Germans had engineered a shrewd and skillful coup under the muzzles of Britain's home defenders. Jap Planes Downed Fighting Own Men WASHINGTON, Feb. 13. (AP) Destruction of two Japan ese dive Bombers oy American antl-alroraft guns during Increas ing fighting in the Philippines was reported today by the war department. The dive bombers, actively sup porting aggressive enemy patrol aotion, mistakenly bombed and machine gunned their own Infan try, with heavy casualties, a com munique said. Planned Aerial ffunFfdrWalBert Plane Cancelled Sheriff Cliff Thornton reported today he had been advised by Leo G. Dcvaney, state director of aeronautics, that It has been necessary to cancel plans for an aerial search for Mr. and Mi's. C. E. 'Walbert, Medford residents, who disappeared Nov. 29, 1940, while on a flight from Medford to Portland. The sheriff recently submitted information to Do- vaney which renewed Interest in the case. Thornton said he was advised that the army had re fused consent for a flight of ci vilian planes within the defense area. Devaney Informed the sheriff, the latter said, that he has writ ten relatives of the missing cou ple, suggesting that a ground search -be instituted In the Eden ridge area on the divide between Cow creek and the Rogue river. Oregon Will Register 75,000 in Next Draft SALEM, Feb. 13. (AP) Ap proximately 75,000 men will be registered for selective service In Oregon during the three days be ginning tomorrow, Colonel Elmer V. Wooton, state selective service director, estimated today. There will be 12,000 men regis tered in the 20 and 21 year-old age groups, while the other 63,000 will be in the 36-44 age group. Men in the 22-36 age group al readv are registered. Tho official registration day Is next Monday, but local draft boards also may register men on Saturday and Sunday. The regis tration places are determined by local boards. , Silverton Fire Kills Child; Three Kin Hurt SILVERTON, Feb. 13. (AP) Three persons were in a hos pital today with burns suffered In a fire that was fatal to Nettle Algcrs, 8, and destroyed the home of Mr. and Mrs. Leo Algers last night. Mr. and Mrs. Algcrs and daugh ter Nora, 3, suffered added in juries In the overturning of the car that was rushing them to the hospital. Algers was severely cut and the others had minor cuts. Charles Baker, 22, a neighbor, carried Nettle from the flaming house but her burns were fatal. Three other children escaped Injury. Britain's air and sea power, have c l L .: rno uerman oaiciesnips racea through the narrow strait of Do ver at 28 to 30 knots, their top . speed, an authoritative source said today. Later this was lowered to.. 10 to 20 knots, fast enough to bring them to Helgoland before -noon today. i . This authority said no British- surface ships were lost, thus con tradicting the Berlin communi-.' que's claim that one British de-.' stroyer was sunk a'nd another set afire. However, 42 British planes. were knocked out of the sky. Ho said the action was com- , . plotely over and in all probability . . the three big German ships wero safely at their destination. From Brest to Helgoland is ap . proximately 700 miles. Apparent-, ly the Bhips had negotiated near-". ly half this distance when they first were engaged at 11 a.m. yes- lerday-.tQt JUvehoura pianea., were in constant action over the ' enemy armada, Planes, Storm Aid Nazis. It was from the sky that the' German warships' greatest pro tection came, not only from con cealing snow and fog, but per haps even more, from swarms of nazl fighter planes, shuttling out In relays from the French coast to keep protection constant ly over them. Britons' dismay that their rule- of home waters could bo so dar ingly and successfully challenged .; was voiced swiftly In demands for explanations which may cause new difficulties for Prime Minis ter Churchill's government on top of the bad news from the Pa cific and Mediterranean. The first word of the German warships' dash camo from two spitfires on reconnaissance. They eluded 12 Messerschmitts to race home and spread the alarm. Quickly, a flight of . torpedo (Continued on page 6) Red Drive Sweeps To Polish Border (By the Associated Press) Russia's triumphant armies reached white Russia today, strik ing into the German-held repub lic bordering old Poland. Sovltc front-line dltpatches said that Russian ski troops, dashing across heavy snow, had penetrat ed German lines Into white Rus sia. The locale of the penetration was not given, but Russian forces sweeping down from the Valdai hills northwest of Moscow were known to have reached Toropets, about 65 miles from the white Russian border, more than two weeks ago. White Russia lies west of Smo lensk, key German base on tho Dnieper river 230 miles west of, -Moscow. The great soviet break-through might easily Jeopardize the1 whole German north flank around Len ingrad. West Coast Ouster of Enemy Aliens Urged WASHINGTON, Feb. 13. (AP) The Pacific coast congres sional committee recommended to tho government today the Im mediate evacuation of all persons of Japanese lineage and all oth ers, aliens and citizens alike, from strategic areas along the west coast, if their presence was deemed dangerous or Inimical to the defense of the United States,