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About Roseburg news-review. (Roseburg, Or.) 1920-1948 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 23, 1943)
mmM m fsTl mi. m in VOL. XLVII NO. 247 OF ROSEBURG REVIEW n n fr n n nv n i "ipimaita nrv i nvnnvmn Ann n n nmrrv ml m TOW 111 ftfW SHHSHIJI i : : ; Allies Gain Heavy Booty At Sanananda One-Time Nippon Army Of 15,000 Reduced to Few Jungle Stragglers SOMEWHERE IN NEW GUI NEA, Jan. 23. AP Organiz rd Japanese resistance in Papua ended yesterday when the last remaining pockets of an on Jmy which once numbered 15,- 000 were wiped out by victorious American and Australian forces. The last fall was a group of Japs on the coast northwest of .Sanananda. Attacked in the early morning by Australians, the enemy resisted bitterly but withdrew a short distance. Ar tillery and mortars softened the new defense and an afternoon attack crumpled the enemy. Two days ago the Americans cleaned out the rrfain Japanese pocket two miles from the roast along Soputa track, using hci artillery and mortar fire. A small nnil was lert on ths north side of the track. A tolal of -I7G dead were count ed in that area. Yesterday. 33 Japanese mem bers of this unit attempted to es rape, and Americans killed 32 of 1 hem and imprisoned Ihe remain- O.ng one. The Americans subjected the few remaining Japs to well-organized mortar and artillery bat tering starting at mid-morning. Shortly after midday, the Ameri cans reported the Japs cleaned nut. Stragglers Hinted. Fourteen Jap stragglers were killed south of Gona. As far as is known, the only remaining Ja panese in Papua are isolated sol diers wandering hopelessly in the (Continued on page 6.) In the Day's News By PRANK JENKINS THE news from all ,the war , fronts is good. Thrillingly Qioil. SHARPLY in contrast with IV year ago. THE Russians are advancing on all fronts. North of Rostov, they've cross ed the Donets in TWO places and have comparatively clear sailing for the 85 miles that lie ahead of them. East of Rostov, they've crossed the Manych, the last natural defense barrier in that direction. They're only 79 miles from Kharkov. Around Leningrad, they're blasting the Germans out of re maining strong points. Germany, Hitler's own news I pa paper (quoted in a dispatch from Switzerland grumbles that jyhe German people "should see W;ti' difficult the fighting on the eastern front is." It adds mm plainingly that the Russians "have more soldiers, more tanks, more guns than a year ago." Some 15 months ago Hitler was noasting mat Russia was BKO - Jst and would NLLR RISL,soa an(1 l0(Iay fol. sif,n of ., again. ! naval tiansport plane w itn 1!) MONTGOMERY'S Sth army, chasing Rommel's once-famed African force, has topped the crest of the Nefusa ridge and has a downhill pull to bombed and burning Tripoli, 50 miles away in the saucer-like Jafara plain. There are strong hints in the dispatches that units of Rommel's army are pushing on to the WEST, instead of turning north 'o take refuge in Tripoli. These hints, if confirmed later, mean that he intends to abandon Tri poli and flee onward to the Tunis- (Continued on page 2) W Woman Slain WAVES Chief Ex ft 4 News-lti-vif w KucnivitiK Ensign Alice Applegate, pictured above, is commanding officer of the WAVES at Pasco, Wash. Formerly a resident of Roseburg, she is a direct descendent of Mrs. Virginia Estes Applegate, pioneer Roseburg resident, who celebrates her 98th birthday here January 28. At the time of her enlistment in the Women's naval reserve, Ensign Applegate was teaching school at Venice, Calif. She now is stationed at the naval air station at Pasco. Coast Guard Cutter ; Natsek, 30 Aboard, Lost WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 - (API Tlie presumed loss of the coast guard cutter Natsek, which has been overdue in the north Atlantic for several weeks, wilh an estimated crew of 30 aboard was announced today by the navy. The 225-ton Natsek, which went into service only last June, was commanded by Lieut. Thomas Sargeant LaFarge, 38, who was well known for his murals, stain ed glasses and mosaics. His works included frescos in the New York hospital and in the New York world's fair, and murals in the New London, Conn., post office. He likewise had frescoes and mosaics in St. Matthew's cathe dral at Washington and mosaics at Trinity college, Washington. His wile. Mrs. Marie I. Faige. lives al Cornwall, Conn. 1 Two Navy Planes, With j 25 Persons Aboard, Lost j p,N FRANCISCO, Jan. 21 i(Ar, Wide search was made 1-y I persons aboard which vn.iMien in fog and storm near San FranciM-o on a flight fi'i. i iv.ttl Harbor. The plane already wns rn ,) : than 21 hours overdue when the navy announced yesterday .hat it was missing. Another navy plane also was overdue on a flight from Vins low, Ariz., to San Pedro, Calif. The navy suid the twin-engined cargo tiansiK.rt l.jnd-type plane left Winslow at 5.-10 p. in, :md had not reached its destination late last night. The plane carried three offic ers and three enlisted men, to gether with cargo and mail. THtTDOU THrDOUGLASTCOUMTY DAILY ROSEBURG, OREGON, - Local Girl OPA Chief Of Oregon to Speak AtC. of C. Banquet Richard G. Montgomery, state director of the office of price ad ministration, will be the speaker before the annual membership meeting of the Roseburg cham ber of commerce at the Umpqua hotel Tuesday, January 26, It was announced today by Harry Pin niger, secretary. Mr. Pinniger returned last night from Port land, where he personally con tacted Mr. Monutgomery and made arrangements for his at tendance at the banquet meeting here. In view of Ihe forthcoming ex pansion of the rationing pro gram, the talk by Mr. Montgom ery will be particularly timely, Mr. Pinniger slates. The annual banquet meeting of the chamber of commerce is open to all members and friends. The advance ticket sale will be conducted Monday anrl Tuesday. Purchase of tickets in advance of the meeting is not required, but it is requested that reserva tions be made in advance either at the chamber of commerce of fice or the hotel. Reservations may be made by telephone. Highway Traffic, Wire Service Are Restored Traffic and communications were being restored to normal today following the interruptions occasioned by storm conditions. Telephone circuits were opened to principal points throughout the state by mid afternoon Thurs day, lines carrying radio pro frams were set up and the Asso ciated Press leased wire circuit i w as restored on the Oregon loop. j During the storm, the telephone' ; eompany managed to keep com- i ! munlcation lines open for army i uses with but few interruptions. Highway traffic was back on I near normal schedule todav. SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, in S. P. R. R. Air Base At Salsk Gained By Russians Fresh German Forces Routed as Reds Surge Nearer Rostov Goal MOSCOW, Jan. 23 (API Soviet troops, smashing through the German defense lines along the Manych waterway, have cap tured the railroad center and air base at Salsk, 100 miles southeast ot Rostov, and dispersed fresh German forces which for a time threatened to slow the Russian advance in southwestern sectors, dispatches from the front said to day. (The German high command said that lis "disengagement movement in the northern Cau casus is proceeding according to plan." The high command com munique, broadcast from Berlin, declared that a nazi counter at tack had driven the Russians eastward within the Don area. The Invasion-group trapped bp fore Stalingrad was said to have halted the "deep enemy breach" in its western line). The German defenses before Salsk failed to halt the red army any more than the rear guard aclions of axis units in the central Caucasus, it was reported, and the Russian advance now was said to be proceeding in both of those major sectors at a breath taking pace. Reds. Advance Elsewhere Red army drives have carried to within 10 miles of the impor tant Ukrainian city of Voroshilov grad, drives aimed at reducing its worth as a transportation center and also at flanking Kharkov to the north. The red army also reported that it took Konstantinovskaya, on Ihe north bank of the Don river 75 miles northeast of Rostov and only a short distance east of where the Donets river flows into the Don. Campaign lines developing along those rivers, however, fast are being outflanked by pushes along the Sal river valley, south of the Don's course, and down from Kamensky, west of the northern Donets valley. During last night's fighting, the Russian midday war bulletin recorded by the soviet radio moni tor in London said, the same arm ies that took Salsk and Novy Yegorlik pushed Into several more towns in the region, while south of there the trans-Caucasian army was credited with the cap- (Continued on page 6.) Columbia River at The Dalles in Grip of Ice While Snow Blocks Parallel Highway PORTLAND, Jan. 23 ( AP) The Columbia river still was fro zen over at The Dalles today as Oregon dug out from one of Its worst snowstorms in years. The river ice pack extended from Crate's point about a mile west of The Dalles to Big Eddy, about two miles east. The Columbia river highway was reported closed again by snow at Corbett. Snow which fell throughout the night at Baker had ceased this morning and temperature was moderate. Grants Pass reported light snow that fell during the night was turning to slush today and all highways were open. The Rogue river continued falling. Salem and Roseburg reported clear and colder. Milk and mail deliveries still were handicapped at Salem. The night brought a heavy snowfall at Klamath Falls but the flakes stopped this morning. VOL. XXXI NO. Fisher Hits Move to Cut Income Tax Oregon Commissioner Says "Prosperity," Not Property, Should Pay By PAUL W. HARVEY, Jr. SALEM, Ore., Jan. 23. (API State Tax Commissioner Earl Fisher, answering demands that Income taxes he reduced, advis ed the legislature today that Ore gon's property tax is "highly bur densome, too often confiscatory." Fisher, in a letter to Senator W. E. Burke, Sherwood, said that only half of Oregon's families earned enough in 1941 to pay in come taxes, and yet many of these families "paid property taxes on homes or low-income properties old of meager earn ings." "The property tax," said Fish er, "has no regard for taxpaying capacity. Its impact on heavily burdened property, or property with little or not income, is high: ly burdensome, too often confis catory. Fundamentally, the in come tax Is a charge on pros perity. Oregon's increase In in come (ax collections of 130 per cent during Ihe past two years. heading all other income taxed stales, is a reliable index of indus trial and business improvement in this state." As a further argument against reducing income taxes now, Fish er showed how federal taxes, (Continued on pago, 6.) J. A. Krug Appointed U. S. Power Director WASHINGTON. Jan. 23 -(AP) The nation's new power direc tor, taking over today the job of directing the war production board's projected expansion of utilities, may get his first major test in trying to obtain pipe lines and oilier facilities lo avert a natural gas shortage next winter. Following the appointment of J. A. Krug to the newly crealed post, WPB officials expressed the opin ion that unless he is successful the gas shortage in some sections might equal the east's current fuel crisis. In naming Krug. WPB Chair man Donald Nelson said the for mer TVA official would have re sponsibility for electricity, gas, water and communications and that his post would be comparable to those of Harold L. I ekes and William Jeffers as petroleum anil rubber administrators, resiH'ctive- ly- Tillamook reported a snow record set 15 years ago was equal led last night but traffic was moving. Lumber Operations Halt I Lumber operations remained i paralyzed throughout the state. War industries continued to op 1 erate with reduced crews, but I more workers were returning to i their jobs hourly. In Portland, streetcar and bus service improved today and most stores that suspended operations yesterday reopened. The snow ! storm was described as Ihe cily's ; worst since Feb. 1, 11137. j Resumption of power service ; to the Fort Klamath area, with- out electricity since Wednesday ! night, was predicted for noon to 1 d?y by officials of the California ' Oregon Power company. I Eighteen power poles were bro ! ken off 10 to 20 feet above ground ! In a frpak dusty windstorm Wed I nesday night and repairs were 1943. 227 OF THE EVENING NEWS . Sleeper Body Found Near Eugene; Throat Cut Victim, 21, Wife of Navy Ensign; No Money Taken; Clue to Suspect Given EUGENE, Ore., Jan. 23 State Police were attempting to locate a man In a pin striped suit, believed to be the slayer of attractive Martha Virginia Brinson James, 21-year-old wife or a naval en sign stationed in Seattle, Wash., who was found this morning dead in the aisle of a tourist sleeper of Southern Pacific's southbound west const train between Tangent and Eugene. The young woman's body was found by trainmen In front of the lower 13 berth which she had occupied. Her throat had been cut by a blunt knife, which severed the Jugular vein, according to Lane County Coroner Poole, . who took the body off the train here. Mrs. James was en route from Seattle (o Los Angeles, according to her ticket. Police said she was the wife of Naval Ensign Rob ert F. James, stationed at. the yard boatswain's office, U. S. naval station, Seattle, Wash. She was Identified through a birth certificate in her luggage. The young woman was cled In nightdress, and had been slabbed while lying in her berth, the cor oner's investigation showed. Dr. Jos. lieeman, state police crime detection expert, was ex pected here this morning to check on w hether or not she had been attacked. Robbery was ruled out as a mo tive, when investigating offi cers found $112 in currency In her purse in the berth. The suspect was tentatively identified by a marine who oc cupied upper 13. He told offi cers he was awakened by hear ing a scream, and saw the man in a pin-strlpcd suit leaving the car. Negro Under Suspicion. The marine who furnished Ihe clue to Ihe slayer suspect was Pvt. Harold R. Wilson, San Die go, Calif. He told Sgt. Harold Skipworth of the Eugene polio force that when awakened by a woman's scream about 4 a. m., he looked out of his berth and saw a man jump from lower 13 and run toward Ihe rear ot the car. Wilson said Ihe young woman fell from her berth to the floor (Continued on page 6.) slowed by deep snow that block ed mechanical equipment. The storm toppled a chimney from a store building at Merrill, collapsed a farm building in the Tule lake lease area and damaged potato cellars around Merrill, Malin and Tule lake. The storm disrupted Portland medical services for a while. Few dentists, physlc:'ns or nurses were able to get to their offices yester day. Portlanders couldn't use their cars to take ailing aunts nnd expectant mothers to the hos pitals and called on ambulances. One ambulance driver took a maternity patient to a hospital, then found there was no doctor to take care of her. Out rushed the ambulance again, returning with a doctor in the nick of time. The weather bureau also dis closed that the barometer drop ped to Its third lowest reading in history here Thursday. Only the snow and cold prevented high winds, the weather bureau said. Fires Ravage Last Outpost Of Italy's African Empire After Heavy Bombardment Rommel Flees With Remnants of His Shattered Army Into Tunisia to Join Other Forces of Axis; I British Planes Again Blast (By the Associated Press) Fire-blackened Tripoli, the last outpost of Premier Musso lini's vanquished African empire, fell to the assault of British' shock troops today and vanguards of the triumphant British eighth army lunged on in pursuit of Marshal Rommel's columns re treating into Tunisia. At least part of Rommel's battered forces, estimated att approximately 63,000 troops, had already fled across the Libyan frontier and were reported in contact with Col. -Gen. Von Arnim'f axis army behind the Mareth line, 65 miles inside Tunisia. Dispatches said British troops storming into Tripoli at'dawnl found he city, once the stronghold of Barbery pirates, in flames. Axis demolition squads were reported to have added to the. havoc wrought by allied bombs and shells, destroying aban doned supplies. The fall of the axis citadel climaxed a 1,300-mile sweep across the desert from El Alamein, Egypt, the farthest point of Kommel s offensive toward the bottled up in a 300-mile strip north coast. Takes Command At Guadalcanal The army has taken over on Guadalcanal and Maj. Gen. Alexander M, Patch, above, Is in charge of the American forces, the navy has announced. The marines, commanded by Maj. Gen. Alexander A. Van dergrift, have been operating jointly with army troops In the Solomons but for the most part have now been replaced by army personnel. Milk Delivery Minimum Upped To Quart Size WASHINGTON. Jan. 23(AP) A sweeping series of economies in Ihe marketing of fluid milk was ordered Friday by Secretary of Agriculture Wickanl, who de creed that deposits must be col lected on bottles and other con tainers and that no more pints or half pints shall he delivered to homes or sold In retail stores. The order, he explained, will conserve bottles and other mate rials, manpower, delivery equip ment, gasoline and rubber tires. The aim, Wickard stated, is to enable milk distributors ,to pay dairy farmers more for their milk, where necessary, while at the same lime holding consumer price increases to a minimum. The deposit must not be less than 1 cent for each glass con tainer of 4 quails or less used In the sale of milk or cream for consumption off the premises of Ihe handler. The deposit on milk cans and cases must not he less than 2! cents each. Ersatz Coffee Coming Krsatz coffee is headed for gro eery store shelves. The office of price adminis t rat Ion announced celling prices for coffee substitutes and coffee compounds Friday ranging from 1T to 31 cents a pound. Housewives were warned that purchase of a pound of coffee compound which contains any coffee in the blend will require the surrender of a ration coupon. Ihe coffee substitutes - contain ing no coffee-can be purchased without coupons. Alcoholic Cut in Beer For Kansas Demanded TOI'KK'A. Kas., Jan. 23-(APt Dry Kansas may become even more arid. A stack of 130 petitions, con taining 7,000 names, has reached the Kansas house of representa tives. The petitions urge that the alcoholic content of beer, strong est beverage sold legally In Kan sas, be reduced from 3.2 per cent to one half of 1 per rent. ......... Industrial Ruhr Area buei canal, and left the axis i of territory along the African Military experts said It was ex pected that Rommel, despite tho exhaustion of his troops, would attempt a new delaying action behind the French-built Mareth fortifications, a triple-line sys tem of concrete emplacements and pillboxes extending 60 miles Inland from Zarzls, on the Tuni sian const, to the Matmatas mountains. United nations headquarters In north Africa said German para chute troops were dropped be hind the allied lines in Tunisia in a fruitless attempt to break: up resistance to the axis tank thrust down the Kebir'rlver and the Ousseltia valley. Most of the nazl sky troops were quickly rounded up, It was announced. German and allied ground forces continued to fight in tho Ousseltia valley, below Pont dii Fahs, while American and Brit Ish planes bombed and shot up the nazl columns. Inferno for Axis. While Rommel was apparent ly making good his escape into Tunisia,, leaving only rearguards to delay the onrushing British, allied wnrplnnes were reported blasting tho tattered axis columns from east and west. Front-line accounts pictured Ihe 100-mlle coastal road as lit tered with tho wreckage of bomb ed and machine-gunned trucks and other vehicles a veritable "ribbon of hell." Once tho lair of pirates who waged a losing war with the U. (Continued on page 6.) U.S.-Held Wheat Put on Market to Block Price Boost WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (AP) The government tossed its 235 -000,000-bushel stock of wheat on the market today In a move to keep prices from advancing above the parity level. The wheat was offered at prices equivalent to parity at the point of storage. Parity prices vary according to point of storage and quality of the grain, but the national average Dec. 15 was $1.37 a bushel. Officials said that the bread grain had been advancing and that today's action was expected to keep market prices from going above parity as long as govern ment stocks were available at that price. To Protect Millers The selling order followed re ports that the government was considering placing a ceiling on wheat, similar to that established on corn recently, to prevent tho development of a new price squeeze on millers. Prices millers receive for flour are controlled by price ceilings. Those ceilings were raised recently after ad vancing wheat prices cut tho mil lers' margins to a point where many claimed they were being forced to operate at a loss. The government wheat was ac quired through liquidation of luans to growers. In determining the sales price, Ihe government will add 23 cents a bushel to the lf)42 grower wheat loan rate at the point of storage. The loan rate was 85 per cent ot parity. The government has been sell ing lower grades of wheat to farmers for livestock feed at prices equivalent to 85 per cent of the parity price ol corn to en courage greater production ot meat, dairy and poultry products for the war food program. This wheat feed sales program will be continued. Sales for feed pur poses are limited by law to 125, 000,000 bushels during the fiscal year ending June 30.