Roseburg news-review. (Roseburg, Or.) 1920-1948, February 21, 1942, Image 1

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Roseburg news-review., February 21, 1942, Page 1, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextEast Indies' Lieutenant Governor Urges the Allies to Take the Offensive, Signifying That Instead of a Re-treat, He Would Save Java for a Dutch Treat. All-American Call FIRST ROUND WON Can the allies keep up their smashes nt the .lap fleet In tho Java sea and thereby save the East Indies from conquest? Tho battle still In progress may fur nish the answer. Follow NEWS. 11EV1EW news. .;. fve ssr fHtDOQGL COUNTY DAIS VOL. XLVI NO. 272 OF ROSEBURG REVI 2. 3 ROSEBURG, OREGON, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1942. VOL. XXX NO. 162 OF THE EVENING NEWS u w i 7 ; 9 mm nr n n Ttn Another Tanker Torpedoed OffU. S. Coast All But Two Aboard Saved From Inferno 1 8 Survivors Landed in Florida; Boat 31st to Be Sunk in North Atlantic JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Feb. 21. (AP) The sinking of the tank er Pan Massachusetts off the At lantic coast Thursday afternoon by an enemy submarine was an nounced by the navy today after the landing here of 18 survivors. They told a harrowing story of their escape and the death' of 20 felloSv crewmen in an inferno of burning, oil. - - Capt. Robert E. Christie, 52-year-old sea veteran who lost tho first ship of his career, said two torpedoes exploding in quick suc cession turned the ship into a mass of flames and "the sea soon was afire for half a mile around us as the gasoline and oil spread." Both Lookouts Killed. Christie, of Corpus Christi, Tex., said "three or four shells also ex ploded on us after we were ablaze" but the submarine "was not seen by any of us. the two lookouts died in the fire aboard ship, and they are the only, men who" might have seerf It." ' - The survivors were picked up by a ship which Captain Christie said was about five miles back when the Pan Massachusetts was torpedoed. He declared the men on the rescue ship came to their assistance despite the danger of also being torpedoed, "launched boats and saved all who were alive that is' bravery." The' vessel is owned by the Na tional Bulk Carriers, Inc. The Pan Massachusetts was the 31st ship attacked in the current (Continued on page 6) In the Day's News By FRANK JENKINS IAP bombers, coming over in waves, attacked Darwin, at the far northern tip of the Australian mainland, Thursday. There are said to have been 72 in the first wave and 21 in the second. Details were scanty when these words were written. Generally speaking, bombing attacks in force are a sign of something coming. PROM Rangoon comes word of further Jap advances into Burma not startling, but steady. And from China comes word that the Rangoon end of the Bur ma road is to be abandoned and supplies from India brought here after into China by another route. (This route isn't described, but is supposed to Intersect the present Burma route far to the north of Rangoon.) There are sketchy reports also of Chinese flank attacks in Thai landintended (or at least hop ed) to relieve Jap pressure on Burma. THE Japs are driving hard at Java, their next main objec tive. In adjoining Sumatra the grim ly resisting Dutch have so far de stroyed half a billion dollars worth of oil, rubber and other properties to prevent them from falling into Jap hands. (That is roughly half the assessed value of all property in Oregon.) It takes fortitude to destroy property on such a scale as that. The Dutch have it. PROM Java come reports of ar- riving foreign reinforcements especially American. These re ports indicate that American fighter planes are Included. Fighter planes to beat off the (Continued on page 2) Japanese Said They Sank Her, But Here She Is The United States -destroyer Shaw, which the Japs said they had sunk In the Dec. 7 attack on Pearl harbor, (s shown after arrival ."as big as life", at-a west coast port for repairs to her bow and bridge, which were blasted and later temporarily repaired at Honolulu. Army Planes Crash; 4 Men Die, 3 Hurt TACOMA, Feb. 21 (AP), Four men' were killed and three Jnjured, yesterday-..in. two army airplane crashes in western Wash ington. . At Fort Lewis, 15 miles south of here, a bomber crashed, carry ing Sgt. Kenneth W. Holmstrom, Thief River falls, Minn., and Corp. Forrest W. Barlow, Topeka Kans., to . their deaths. Second Lieutenant Charles W. Solberg, South Fargo, N. D.; Second Lie tenant Vincent D. Duffy, Butler, Penn., and Cpr.- Arnold R. Bell, Fort Dodge, la. were injured. The second plane, a two-seated ship which army officers said was making a routine flight, plunged to a sand spit in the ocean near Grays Harbor. Sec ond Iieut. Charles P. UlarK, Tempo, Ariz., the pilot, and First Lieut. Rudy J. Binder, LI Sequin do, Calif., the observer, were kill ed. The plane, on its back, was partially submerged but plainly visible when low tide uncovered the sand spit. . TOPEKA, Kas., Feb. 21 (AP) Miss Marie Bradley failed to re ceive a token from her sweet heart on Valentine's day. But Corp. Forrest W. Barlow didn't forget. Two belated valentines came yesterday one for Miss Bradley, the other fgr Barlow's mother, Mrs. W. E. Barlow. A few hours later Mrs. Barlow was notified her son had died in an army bomber crash near Ta coma. Wash. Miss Bradley and Barlow had planned to marry within three months. Jobless Pay Proposed For Military Veterans PORTLAND, Feb. 21 (API Unemployment compensation for men discharged from the armed forces is proposed In initiative pe titions circulating here today. Fifteen dollars a week would be provided, less any amount earned from labor or income. The payments would be made for a maximum of 26 weeks a year within two years after discharge. Sponsored by E. C. Allen, demo Tat, state representative from Multnomah county, the initiative would raise funds by levying a 5 per cent tax on dividends paid from business and property. A similar levy Is in effect in Wis consin. The measure will appear on the November ballot If 25.383 signa tures are obtained. Auto Skid Kills Woman Near Klamath Falls KLAMATH FALLS, Ore.. Feb. 21 (API An automobile skidded off a highway near Modoc point yesterday, killing a woman identi fied as Clare Elizabeth Leonard, about 45, of San Francisco, lone occupant. Seven Injured !n ; Bus-Auto Crash TACOMA, Feb.' 21. (API Seven persons were treated at a hospital last night after the north coast bus in Which they were passengers veered across tho highway and struck an automo bile head-on about one mile north of the King-Pierce county line. The driver of the automobile, 27-year-old William Cartwright, Tacoma, who escaped with minor injuries, was reported "improv ing" early today. Most seriously hurt when the bus, traveling toward Tacoma from Seattle, rode across the highway and down an embank ment, was Miss Mary Monroe, Ta coma, with head and possible in ternal Injuries. State Patrolman Michael Way no said the driver of the bus, D. H. Partridge, Tacoma, told him his wheels apparently locked, sending the vehicle out of con trol into the oncoming traffic lane. The other 25 bus passengers were unhurt. RAF Reservist Says Australia Will Fall OMAHA, Feb. 2r: (AP) Dr. Mew Roberts, Australian member of the RAF reserve, predicted here that Australia will fall in two months and that an invasion of the United States may be at tempted this summer. "The great difficulty of the midwest American is to get over the feeling of complacency which results from an inadequate knowledge of economic geog raphy," Dr. Roberts told an American Association of Univer sity women's group. Pointing to Gen. Douglas Mac Arthur, ne declared the Ameri can government seems to be making the same mistake of the English in not delegating military authority to the most vigorous soldier. He advocated a bigger job for MacArthur than defend ing a fortress "which must in evitably fall if assistance from the outside cannot reach it. ' Ex-Democratic Leader Convicted of Assault WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (AP) A federal court Jury today con victed Orman W. Ewing, former Utah democratic national com mitteeman, of criminally assault ing a 20-year-old government ste nographer last October 26. The government announced at the start of the trial that it would ask the death penalty If Ewing were convicted. Ewing declared he was Innocent. Five members of Ewing's fam ily. Including three daughters, were in the courtroom. Cargo Ships Vital Need of America ' WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (AP) Crated war materials were re ported today to be piling up" on' American wharves awaiting ur gently ' needed cargo ships to carry them to the far Pacific front.. ; ' . ' : , ' Lack of sufficient shipping, rather than inadequate produc tion, was described authoritative ly as the most serious obstacle in the way of bolstering distant lines. However, there was a con viction in the capital that ship ping would be only a temporary bottleneck. A senate appropriations sub- committe was assured by Under- Secretary of War Robert P. Pat terson yesterday that manufac ture of planes, tanks and guns was going forward rapidly. From Rear Admiral Emory S. Land, chairman of the maritime com mission, members received a less encouraging description of the difficulties in turning out cargo vessels. ' The committee is to act Mon day on the $32,070,901,900 army navy appropriations bill, carry ing 53,852,000,000 in direct appro priations and contract authoriza tions for construction of 1,476 merchant ships. The bill contem plates speeding up production to a rate of two ships a day. Land was said to have told the committee that every effort was being made to alleviate shortages in materials, particularly steel, and to holdxlown labor disputes which have Interrupted construc tion. He told reporters later that "the rale of construction is not enough." Circuit Judge Dal King Files for Reelection SALEM. Feb. 21 (AP) Cir cuit Judge Dal M. King, Myrtle Point, one of the three circuit judges for the district embracing Coos, Curry, Douglas, Lane and Lincoln counties, has filed a dec laration of candidacy yesterday for reelection. The terms of the other two judges, G. F. Skipworth of Eu gene and Carl E. Wimberly of Roseburg, do not expire until 1947. King was appointed by Govern or Spraguo to succeed Judge James T. Brand, appointed to the state supreme court. Rear Admiral Schofield, Ex-Head off Fleet, Dies WASHINGTON. Feb. 21 (AP) Rear Admiral Frank II. Scho field, retired, former commander-in-chief of the United States fleet, died yesterday at naval hospital, his son, Lieutenant F. P. Scho field, announced today. He was 73. t Jap Aliens In Northwest Are Problem i Presence Stirs Protests ! Of Communities: Inquiry Opens at San Francisco OLYMPIA, Feb. 21. ( AP) Washington State was de clared a protective defense area today by Governor Lang He, who ordered all Japanese to immediately surrendered to the state patrol all fire arms, ammunition, explo sives or other instruments which might be used to men ace property or life. (By tho Associated Press) . The problem of Japanese aliens and their activities In the north west continued to agitate officials and private citizens last night, j In Tacoma, six Japanese were arrested in the waterfront area, an F. B. I. announcement said, but five were released. Special 'agent Howard Fletcher said one ftian was kept in custody because of his connections with Japanese organizations. j At Wenatchee, L. O. Melton, spokesman for certain employes W . the Great ..Northern railway terminal, said 85 workers at a mass meeting had demanded Im mediate removal of i Japanese workmen now In railroad employ. Melton said 10 Japanese in this area had been laid off by the Great Northern Dec. 8 but later had been rehired. The Klickitat county civilian de fense council at Goldendale pass ed a resolution urging .removal of all enemy aliens from the state. Copies of the resolution were sent to Governor Langlie and members of the congression al delegation. Aroused by reports that Japan ese from British Columbia coast al areas were arriving ut Kam loops in the interior and attempt ing to buy land there, the council of the Kamloops board of trade wired Prime Minister King ex pressing opposition to "infiltra tion of any person of Japanese origin or enemy alien except un der strict government supervi sion." Earlier, the Kamloops branch of the Canadian legion had passed a resolution calling for internment of all male Japanese of military age. COAST INVESTIGATION OF ALIEN SITUATION OPENS SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 21 (AP) Mayor Angelo J. Rossi, of San Francisco, was scheduled as the first witness today before a congressional committee opening its hearing here Into the alien (Continued on page 6) I SAW By Paul A WESTERN EDITOR now in Washington, D. C. who wonders at the lack of apparent concern being displayed by the American people In the progress of our war against the axis. Likening said American people to a football team, my answer to the esteemed editor's puzzlement is this: If a football team had 45 quarterbacks, each one of them insisting on giving different sig nals in the same huddle, what the h 1 would the rest of the team be likely to think? That's what I think. For that matter, it hasn't been my observation that the people of Douglas county, at least, are either complacent or unconcern ed in their attitude towards the war. They merely have a feeling of frustration- never having been told anything about Its conduct, or misconduct, which even a ten year-old child could swallow as the whoie truth or even any ma jor part of it, they don't know what to make of It. Further, evi dence of bungling and Incompe- Reds Report Further Toll Of Nazi Army End of Germany by 1 942 Avowed Aim; Each Side Claims Costly Blows MOSCOW, Feb. 21 (AP) The Red army reported today relent less advances in the northwest ern, western and southwestern fronts with the liberation of fur ther towns and villages and '"ex termination" of thousands of Ger mans. - ' The reports, however, adhered to the policy of not mentioning specific places, pending the issu ance of a special roundup com munique. One of these is ex pected soon. Meantime, Adolph Hitler's plans for a spring drive were challenged by the army news paper Red Star 'with the declara tion, "we shall yet advance far westward before spring and when it comes we shall develop our of fensive on a sllll larger scale." Conceding that a "stubborn, sanguinary struggle ' Is ahead," Red Star reiterated tnat me kus slans are fighting to "put an end to nazi Germany in 194,!.' . ITheL Moscow .. radio.. , reported fierce fighting,; with tremendous German losses, on a southwest ern sector. 'Our troons occupied the' In habited locality of 'M' and killed 400 enemy officers and men," the radio said. , The Leningrad radio said soviet 'orces had penetrated the first and second German lines before that second city of Russia and that German counter altacKs were unsuccessful. Reporting continued operations against the Germans overnight, the bureau said soviet forces on the Leningrad front had destroy ed 49 German blockhouses, mi bridges and dugouts and many German gun positions and killed 1,200 men during the past few days. NAZIS COUNTER WITH CLAIMS OF SUCCESSES inv Hip Associated Press) AHnif T-ililnt-'a hiph command asserted today that German tank forces had killed 27,000 Russians and captured 5,000 prisoners in n ffinr.wpplc hattle of encircle ment near Rzhev, key nazi in vasion base 123 miles normeasi of Moscow, while the London ra dio reported that fresh soviet irnnns hrl landed in the Crimea. Russian frontline dispatches had previously declared that the German holdout garrison at Rzhev, guarding the north flank of the nazi retreat from Moscow, (Continued on page 6) Jenkins tency in our leadership, both mili tary and civil, obtrudes itself at every turn, and this proves dis concerting to us. To Inquiries as to why we don't reinforce MacArthur, we are told that wouldn't be strategic, that the real war Is in Europe; when we wonder why we don't send more help to the Netherlands East Indies, we are told that wouldn't be strategic, etc.; when It is suggested we might aid the West Indies, we are told that wouldn't be strategic, etc. etc. etc. We are beginning to wonder If anything ever will be considered strategic. If the big shots In Washington ever settle down to a whole-hearted, coordinated effort to prose cute the war and I don't mean maybe and decide to chase the enemy belligerently wherever he may be found Instead of waiting timorously (and confusedly) to be attacked, my guess is that Mr. Average Citizen will follow through with an enthusiasm which will leave nothing to be desired. Jap Cruiser Blown Up, Four Other Warships, 4 Transports Damaged in Battle Off Bali Four American Planes, Like Number of Invading Air ':' Craft Reported Lost, With Combat Still Going On; Japs Continue Attack in Bataan Against MacArthur '. (By the Associated Press I United States and Dutch warships, aided bv dive bombers and fighting planes, smashed back at Japan's invasion hordes in a flaming sea battle off the island of Bali today, and by latest accounts had already blown up a Japanese cruiser and inflicted damaging blows on two other cruisers, two destroyers and four transports. ' As the battle raged into its second day in the shark-in-' tested Java sea, dispatches from Batavia said it was potentially greater than the fight for Macassar strait, the scene of Japan's worst naval disaster of the war. Four Japanese planes were shot down and an equal number of American planes were acknowledged lost. United tates cruisers and heavy bombers, combined with Dutch cruisers and destroyers under the aggressive command of Dutch Vice-Admiral C. . L. Helfrich. was reDorted blastina furl. ousiy er ins inveaers. Flying Tiger Of Burma Cousin Of Myrtle Creek Trio Three ladies, all residents of Myrtle Creek, ai6 strong boosters for the Flying Tigers, the -Amort-, can volunteer pilots fighting In defense of Burma. They are Mrs. Frank West, Mrs., Myles Jones and Mrs. Rollo Skinner, cousins of Robert Keeton pf Manzaijola, Colo., who, on Feb. 9, was credit ed wllh knocking down the 101st victim of the brilliant American squadron. , . Keeton, who previously had been assigned to furry service, went aloft in a Tomahawk fight er to save the plane . from de struction on the ground during a Japanese raid. He did not have time to secure oxygen equip ment and he nearly lost con sciousness after reaching a high altitude. When he started to de scend, he spotted u Japanese bomber fleeing from tho battle in which companion planes had been blasted by the Americans, and, although still groggy from the lack of oxygen, Keeton at tacked the bomber but was not sure that he had scored a hit. A week later the smashed Japanese plane was found and It was learned that Kccton's attack had been successful. Naturally, the Myrtle Creek women are closely scanning the news reports dally for further exploits by their valiant cousin. F. R. Orders Employes' Transfer to War Jobs WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (AP) President Roosevelt, by execu tive order, called today for trans fer of competent federal em ployes from agencies less essen tial in the war effort to agencies where their work will count for more. . The order established a prior ity class! f leal Ion of federal de partments and agencies with re spect to their importance to the war program. The budget bureau will deter mine the priority ratings and the civil service commission will make the transfers of workers. An official statement said con sent of employes would be re quired before transfer. Recruits Permitted to Sell Their 1942 Autos PORTLAND, Feb. 21 'AP) The Oregon rationing administra tion said today men entering the armed forces could sell their 1942 automobiles. An order from Price Adminis trator Leon Henderson partially lifted a ban on sale of new cars. Dealers and others, however, may not sell. The same order extended from Feb. 26 to March 2 the time In which new cars, sold prior to Jan. 1, could be delivered. Dealers were told to file by Feb. 25 Inventories of cars In their possession as of Feb. 11. The ten American planes re-; ported involved In the action oft ; Hall represented the largest num ber specifically mentioned In a war department communlauo' th,,. r,, . Two days ago 16 ai'roy.tffghtcr' planes were mentioned In a fight , over Socrabajai Java, and they were credited with destroying six enemy planes. In the continuing fighting off Ball another forma tion of 16 fighters served as an escort, ior seven army aivo Domo- crs. ihe dive bombers were re ported In action for the first time. Japanese Claim Belled ., :.'Thft.N.... J, warships steaming out to battle must have seemed like a ghostly return of the legr endary "flying Dutchman;" for Imperial Tokyo headquarters pro claimed on Feb. 6 that "the Dutch navy was practically entirely wlpi ed out," . ; ; .. , . , 1 ' . On that date, a Tokyo com munique asserted that two Dutch cruisers were sunk , and a third' nntnh nrnlcni- mmnHulnr, "flirt main N. E. I. fleet" and a United States cruiser were damaged In1 d fight in the Java sea. This fol lowed the bloody battle of Macas- Dni. tv-lr In Kihlnh nnli. o.ll. mates listed Japanese losses as high as . 46 .warhlps. and trans ports. Dispatches from ' Batavia said' the fighting began shortly after midnight yesterday in Lombok strait, east of Bali, and continued on a major scale today as the struggle for the last United Na tions stronghold in the Indies thundered toward a climax. Allied submarines and treacher ous coral reefs were reported playing havoc with Japanese land ing forces. Ball, already Invested by Jap an's sea-borne Invasion hordes. (Continued on page 6) Oaks Restaurant At Oakland Burns OAKLAND, Ore., Feb. 21. The Oaks restaurant, operated here by Mrs. Betty Henshaw and son, Ted, was completely destroy ed by fire last night, the blazo causing considerable damage to the building in which the busi ness was situated. The building is owned by Ed Settle, who re ported that the loss is partially covered by insurance. The fire, which was ot un known origin, was discovered about 11:30 p. m. and had already gained considerable headway. The fire department succeeded In keeping the flames confined to the front part of the building, and away from the garage which occupies the rear half of the structure. The roof of the front section was destroyed and all furniture and fixtures of the restaurant, together with a large supply ot merchandise and accessories maintained by the garage man agement, were destroyed or bad ly daT.r.ged.' The Common Cause Hand me down my walking cane; Let me don my walking shoes. If the country stands to gain, What, I ask, have I to lose? , M. H. P.