IB)
III
ii am
ji
N
Attempt To
Quiet Athens
Buy 'Em, Hold 'Em
War bonds for vlotory how, for
tcourlty In ths future. Shell out
for a knookout. Lay 'em aWay
for a rainy day.
JEtffilE
Established 1873
Saar Battle Taking
Yanks Add to
Bridgeheads
Inside Reich
Germany's Oil Plants,
Railway Yards Get New
Hammering From Air
(By the Associated Press)
U. S. Third army infantry en
tered the outskirts of Saaregue
mines today and threw new
bridgeheads across the Saar in
side Germany as the great battle
of western Europe roared into its
seventh month with huge casual
ties on both sides.
Six months after the allied in
vasion of western Europe seven
allied armies were estimated to
be inflicting up to 9,000 perma
nent casualties a day on the Ger
mans, or at the rate of five divi
sions a week. Five of the allied
armies already are on German
south are battering at the Rhine
sout hare battering at the Rhine
river barrier.
The war of attrition probably
was bringing severe losses to the
allies. American losses in the
present fighting on German soil
probably will exceed anything
known in Normandy or in the
(Continued on page 6)
In the Day's News
By FRANK JENKINS
THE battle of the western front
in Europe might well be
known (for the present, at least)
as the Battle of the Rivers. At its
far northern end, the Germans
are. holding behind the Maas, In
the center behind the Roer and
the Saar and in the south behind
the Rhine itself.
ALL these rivers are swollen
by heavy rains. The Germans
have made flood conditions worse
by breaking dams wherever that
Is strategically useful. (In this
flat country, where the rivers
are canalized and used heavily
for transport, dams are numer
ous). ALONG this 400-mile front,
gains are measured in yards
to fractions of miles. Gains are
important only as they bear upon
the principal objective of the bat
tle, which is DESTRUCTION of
the German armies engaged.
Each artillery emplacement,
each machine gun nest, each
strong point of EVERY KIND is
(Continued on page 2)
Stabbed When He Offers
Another Man Cigaret
BILLINGS, Mont., Dec. 6.
(AP) Manuel Valero is in the
hospital because he offered an
other man a cigaret.
Under treatment for stab
wounds, Valero said he became
angry when a man in a restau
rant refused the proferred smoke.
An argument arose, and the non
smoker whipped out a knife.
Gen. Easley Wounded
MEDFORD, Ore., Dec. 6 (AP)
Brig. Gen. C. M. Easley is re
covering from an arm wound suf
fered in the current fighting on
Leyte, friends here have been ad
vised. Easley is assistant commander
of the 96th infantry division,
which is now battling the Japa
nese on Leyte and which trained
at Camp White.
to Freeze Social
At 1 Pet. Passes House; Republicans
Planning Smash of Expected Veto
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6. (AP) Republicans maneuvered today
to keep congress on hand if the senate passes and the president
vetoes legislation to freeze social security taxes.
With this session's time running short, the senate finance com
mittee is expected to approve, probably tomorrow, a measure passed
by a resounding 262 to 72 house
vote yesterday. The bill would
keep the payroll tax at 1 per
cent each on employer and em
ployee for another year, fore
stalling an otherwise automatic
Increase to 2 percent on January
Because they expert- a presi
dential veto, republicans are
anxious for congress to stay here
on the possibility that the presi
dent's action might be overridden.
Lsbor Opposes Freeze
In a letter sent to all house
Japs Lose 5-Day Battle
To Break Trap at Ormoc
Eight More
Enemy Ships
In Yanks' Bag
(By the Associated Press)
In bitter engagements reported
today from either end of the
storm-swept Philippines battle
front, 1,000 Japanese were killed
in a five-day seesaw battle for
"Shoestring Ridge" and Ameri
can bazookas broke up a'taiik-led
attack by trapped Japanese try
ing to break through a road
block in the Ormoc corridor.
Simultaneously Gen. MacArthur
announced warplanes and PT
boats searching Philippine waters
from Manila to the southern is
lands sank eight more enemy
ships including a destroyer, a
tanker and six small freighters.
Fiercest fighting on Leyte was
on "Shoestring Ridge," 15 miles
south of Ormoc, where 60 Japa
nese were killed for every Amer
ican. For five nights the Japanese
attacked the U. S. 7th division,
once the Yanks were pushed off
the ridge.
Troops were seldom more than
75 yards apart and often engaged
in hand to hand or bayonet fight
ing. Supplies were so scarce that
when the battle ended many
Americans were borrowing rifles
and ammunition from the dead
and wounded.
Jan Convoy Under Fire
Tokyo Droacicasts ciaimea mat
(Continued on page 6)
Says Farm Competition '
Bases Anti-Jap Moves.
SPOKANE, Dec. 6 (AP)
Evidence of resistance with
threats of violence" to the return
of evicted Japanese to the Pacific
coast is, according to Roger in.
Baldwin, New York, director of
the American Civil Liberties Un
ion, "confined to farm competi
tors in the agricultural valleys of
California, Oregon and Washing
ton." "The opposition of some Ameri
can Legion posts reflects only this
farm competition. Everywhere in
the cities, the loyal Japanese
Americans will apparently be ac
cepted as a matter of course, pro
vided their return to homes and
jobs is handled by the govern
ment in an orderly fashion," he
declared after a tour of military
areas from Arizona to Seattle.
Baldwin asserted lhat "every
where on the coast the return of
the evicted population of Japa
nese ancestry is expected short
ly, either by decision of the su
preme court or by army orders,
or both."
Cigaret Sellers Forced
To Pay for Overcharges
PORTLAND, Dec. 6 (API
Accused of overcharges on ciga
ret sales, two Portland concerns
have made settlements to the
OPA, Spencer W. Yates, enforce
ment attorney, said today.
An OPA treble damage claim
for $300 was settled by S. G. Mar
rett, concessionaire at the recent
Portland open golf tournament,
and one for $88.80 was settled by
M. Shipstad, Portland ice arena,
Yates stated.
Marrett was charged with sell
ing 110,000 cigarets at as high as
$2 a carton and 25 cents a pack
age, and Shipstad with selling
packs at four cents above ceiling
price, according to Yates.
Security Tax
members yesterday, President
William Green of the American
Federation of Labor demanded
defeat of the 1 per cent freeze,
saving his organization is defin
itely opposed to the measure.
Both the C. I. O. and the railroad
brotherhoods already have gone
on record against the bill.
"The workers of the nation
want a sound social insurance
program and they are willing
to help meet Its costs through
adequate payroll deductions,"
Green said.
Conquest of Japan Will Cost
U. S. $71 Billion Annually,
General Somervell Predicts
NEW YORK, Dec. 6. (AP) Conquest of the Japanese Will
cost us $71,000,000,000 a year "after Germany is defeated," Lt. Gen.
Brehon Somervell predicted today.
"The war against the Jap alone will be the biggest war this
country or this world ever fought before the present war," asserted
Bigger Sky Giants
To Smash Tokyo
Budgeted in Bill
WASHINGTON, Dec.' 6 (AP)
The 78th congress received its
final appropriation bill today
a $415,324,712 measure supple
menting tunas already provided
for miscellaneous agencies.
If enacted as recommended by
the house appropriations com
mittee it will boost to an esti
mated $68,000,000,000 the new
funds voted by congress this year.
Over half the new bill's total.
$286,626,582, was ear-marked for
the navy, whose high ranking of
ficers disclosed during closed door
hearings mat secret tests are
underway on new sky giants that
may dwarf in size the big B-29
SuDerfortresses now filling Tokyo
with terror.
The committee struck from the
measure, but without preventing
its future consideration, a budget
estimate of $75 000,000 for pre
paring plans for $1,500,000,000 of
construction work in cooperation
with state governments. The com
mittee said it believed contracts
should be made with the states
concerning their plans before an
initial appropriation is made.
For the construction and opera
tion of hospital and domiciliary
facilities for the use of rapidly
returning war veterans, the com
mittee voted the veterans' admin
istration $10,571,000 to augment
funds provided earlier this year
for that purpose.
Sale of Oregon Utility
Given SECs Approval
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 6.
(AP) Oregon Gas and Electric
company's sale of its electric
utility plant to West Oregon
Electric cooperative, Inc., for
$130,000 was approved today by
the Securities and Exchange com
mission. Proceeds from the sale and
other assets will be paid to Con
tinental Bank & Trust company
of New York, trustee for the first
lien and general mortgage bonds
of Washington Gas and Electric
Co., Oregon's parent.
Oregon will then liquidate and
dissolve.
Oregon furnishes electricity in
Columbia, Clatsop and Washing
ton counties as well as Vernonia
and adjacent rural areas. The
company also sells electricity to
Timber (Ore.) Light & Power
company.
Wool Clip Baling to Save
Shipping Space Planned
PORTLAND, Dec. 6 (API
Baling of the northwest wool
clip before shipment compress
ing the wool into half the space
now used was proposed here to
day as a possible method of re
ducing freight costs.
Northwest wool growers met
here with representatives of the
War Food administration and the
state public utilities commission
to discuss current wool rail ship
ment rates.
The National Wool association
and the department of agriculture
have asked the interstate com
merce commission to reopen
hearings on wool freight costs.
Elgin Citizens Plan to
Organize State Bank
ELGIN, Ore., Dec. 6 "(AP)
This thriving lumber community,
without banking facilities since
the sale of Its 46-year-old First
National bank to the United
States National of Portland two
months ago, is planning to organ
ize the First State bank of El
gin. Business men and residents of
the area plan to seek a state
charter with capital stock of $25,
000 and surplus of $12,500.
The U. S. National transferred
all equipment and assets of the
bank lt purchased to Its La
Grande branch, 20 miles distant.
OREGON, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1944.
C -
MeavyJoll qbh BothSidles
the commanding general of the
army service forces.
Somervell d e c 1 ared 300,000
more war workers are needed at
ehce on critical programs as he
appealed for an 'upsurge of pro
duction" in a speech before the
National Association of Manufac
turers. .
. Secret weapons are being pro
duced that "must be ready in
large quantities for the Pacific
pushes," the speaker declared.
The devices are "not yet in use in
Europe."
For the first time munitions
are being used up faster than
they are being produced, said
Somervell, warning that the full
fury of the war in Europe may
not even have been reached and
"we are certainly not yet full put
against Japan."
Nazis Train More Men
Germany "with its undeniable
fiendish skill efficency is right
now training thousands of fresh
troops and turning out millions
of tons of equipment for them,"
the manufacturers were told.
"Within the past 90- days we
(Continued on page 6)
Gen. Truscott Named to
Head U. S. Fifth in Italy
ROME, Dec. 6 (AP) Lt. Gen.
Lucian K. Truscott, Jr., 49, who
commanded allied forces on the
Anzio beachhead and later led as
sault troops in the invasion of
southern France, was appointed
commander of the U. S. Fifth ar
my today.
Truscott succeeds Lt. Gen.
Mark W. Clark, recently named
commander, of the 15th army
group.
British and Polish troops have
smashed across the Lamone river
southwest of Faenza and estab
lished a bridgehead while other
Eighth army units are cleaning
out isolated enemy groups in cap
tured Ravenna with the aid of
Italian patriots, allied headquar
ters announced today.
More Than Billion Bet
On Race Horses in 1944
NEW YORK. Dec. 6 (API-
Horse race betting was a
$1,126,308,645 business In 1944
enough to give every man, wom
an and child In the continental
United States a Christmas pres
ent of $10.
taxes paid to the states and a
few cities aggregated $55,971.-
232,87 for 1944, with new York
again setting the pace by col
lecting $27,664,387.78 in revenue
irom tne wagering Iraternlty.
L" -"7": "" --yi
BELGIAN VICTIMS OF NAZI V-2 BOMB Dead and wounded civilians lie whore they ell on
Belgian city streets after German V-2 bomb screamed from the sky Into e huge (hopping crowd.
Force of the blast ws so terrific that the victims' clothes were blown off. Signal corps radio
telepRoto. ....
'.' i
Reds Only 40
Wiles From
Austrian Line
i (By the Associated Press)
iRussian armored columns rip
ping into the final defense "feone
guarding the southeastern Ger
man frontier plunged to within
40 miles of Austria past the lower
end of Lake Balaton in western
Hungary, where Marshal Tolbuk
hin had massed troops of his
Third Ukrainian army.
A fast moving task force of
Tolbukhin's forces has sliced
deeply into the confused nazl
flank behind Nagykanizsa, rail
junction in Hungary ten miles
from the northern Yugoslav bor
der and 46 miles from Sutria.
Russian heavy guns blocked the
rail line from there to Wiener
Neustadt and Vienna,
Tolbukhin now had a pivotal
base for an encircling movement
to the northwest around besieged
Budapest or to the southwest to
ward Zagreb, Croatian capital;
Beyond the Drava river thou
"sands "of Croatians loyal to Mar-
(Continued on page 6)
North Douglas Power
Will Halt for Repairs
Electric power on the North
Douglas REA system will be shut
off between the hours of 9 and
H a. m. Sunday, Dec. 10, to per
mit repairs and improvements to
the line, George Cordray, mana
ger, announced today. Towns of
Yoncalla, Drain, Elkton, and
Scottsburg will be affected, to
gether with intermediate territory.
Coos Leads Douglas One Pet.
Point in Bond Sales Contest;
Rival Hands Out Breezy "Dig"
Coos county was leading Douglas county by one percentage
point in the "Battle of Bonds," lt was announced today as figures
on sales up-to and including Saturday, Dec. 2, were received today
from the Federal Reserve bank at San Francisco. Coos county's
E bond sales were 25 per cent of quota and Douglas county's record
Dr. Payne Now Medical
Head at Klamath Station
Commander DeWitt Payne, for
mer Douglas county health offi
cer now with the U. S. navy, has
been appointed senior medical of
ficer at the Klamath naval air
station, according to word receiv
ed from Klamath Falls.
Dr. Payne left Roseburg to
serve as resident physician at
Eastern Oregon Tuberculosis hos
pital, and also engaged in private
practice at The Dalles. He enter
ed naval service In 1940 and serv
ed for a time on a combat car
rier. Log Unloading Protested
EUGENE, Ore., Dec. 6 (API
The problem of overweight log
trucks bounced up again today
with the Willamette Valley Log
Tru(pke!rs' association complain
ing of state police's action In for
Ing drivers to unload extra-weight
logs.
Britain Splits With U. S. on
Policy Toward Italy; Press
Chimes in With Caustic Rap
LONDON, Dec. 6. (AP) Foreign Secretary Eden asserted
flatly today that Britain was within her rights in trying to shape
the governments of liberated countries, and thereby split completely
with the American declaration of a "hands-off" policy in Italy."
Eden stood by the British
; ; : r
U. S. Soldier Held in Gun
Death of High Briton
HONINGHAM, England, Deo,
6. (AP) Detective Inspector
Garner announced today the ar
rest of a U. S. soldier in the eulv
shot death of Sir Erie Teichman,
60, former British embassy
counsellor at Chungking. "
The soldier's name was . not
disclosed.
Garner said the soldier was ar
rested at a U. S. camp, and re
mains in American custody, to
appear before an American
court.
Sir Erie was found dead on
the grounds of Honingham hall
Sunday night after he had gone
out in search of a poacher. , .
At the inquest, ' Garnet ' said
Sir Eric had been slain by a 30
calibre bullet similar to those
used by U. S. troops.
Auto Blow Proves Fatal
PORTLAND, Dec. 6 (AP) In
juries - suffered when ne .was
struck by an automobile were
fatal here last night to Pvt
Wayne K. Jones, 30, of the 28th
engineers. His home was in Salt
Lake City.
John J. Freeborn, McMinnville,
driver of the car, told officers
that lights of another auto tempo
rarily blinded him.
stood at 24 per cent, Bruce Elliott,
6th War Loan campaign chair
man, reported.
Sales in Coos county totalled
$157,063 as compared with a
quota of $620,000, while in Doug
las county sales amounted to
$116,400 on a quota of $480,000.
Both counties are lagging behind
the state average of 33 13 per
cent.
In totals of all bond sales Doug
las county was well out in front
with $546,062 as compared with
466,570 in Coos county, but the
contest being waged between the
counties is for quota percentage
of E bond sales and corporation
bonds are not included.
Thrust and Parry
The bond committees of the
two counties hurled Insults
through the air last night in a
two-way broadcast program from
Stations KRNR, Roseburg, and
K.UUB, coos Bay.
Aired to the public was a letter
by C. H. Coe, Coos county chair-
(Continued on page 6)
No. 44-199
government's veto of the proposed
appointment of Carlo Sforza as
Italian foreign minister. Secre
tary of State Stettinlus had an
nounced yesterday the United
States did not oppose Sforza and
felt the Italians should be allow.
ed to form their own government
without outside Interference.
Sforza was minister without
portfolio in the Italian govern.
ment which resigned 10 days ago.
alid Eden said Britain did not
oppose his holding a job other
than that of foreign minister.
Ivanoe Bonomi. who once resign.
ed as Italian premier, still is try
ing to form a new government.
Eden accused Sforza of work
ing agalnsf the Italian govern
ment or premier uonoml, who
was cooperating with Britain.
Bonomi later denied that Sforza
had worked against him and said
he felt Eden meant the Badogllo
government instead.
Asked for a second time whetlv
er the United Stated and Russia
(Continued on page 6)
Auto Crash Near
Drain Injures 2
Mrs. Gladys Mead, 27, of Drain,
and her brother, Private John J.
McDonald, Camp Mackall, N. C,
are being treated at Sacred Heart
hospital in Eugene for critical In
juries suffered Sunday In an au
tomobile collision al mile south of
Drain Sunday night. Prlvate-Mov
Donald, home on furlough for a
visit -with his parents, Mr. and
Mrs. M. M. McDonald, Drain, was
scheduled to leave Sunday on his
return trip to his station,
Both suffered fractured skulls.
Mr. Mead also suffered chest and
internal injuries. Private McDon
ald has a broken leg and severe
cuts and bruises.
Portland Area Shipping
Facing Threat of Strike
PORTLAND, Ore., Dec. 6.
(AP) Shipping In the Columbia
and Willamette rivers was
threatened with partial tie-up to
day as boat operators called a
strike vote to back demands for
a minimum wage boost from
$1.02 to $1.20 an hour.
Officials of the AFL Masters,
Mates and Pilots local union said
the ballot would be taken with
in 10 days under the Smith-Con-nally
act. '
The strike. If approved, would
affect pilot house operators on
some 150 boats and tugs which
work out of Portland. In addi
tion to the minimum wage
boost, the Union asks that Sun
day work be counted as over
time. Gresham Pastors Swat
Anti-Japanese Move
GRESHAM, Ore.. Dec. 6.
(AP) Churchmen in this town
birthplace of Oregon Anti-Japanese
Inc. today condemned the
attempt of fellow-residents to
deprive Japanese-Americans of
citizenship rights.
Meeting here after farmers and
businessmen launched a move to
prevent return of Japanese
Americans, the ministerial asso
ciation declared that citizens
should not be Judged by ancestry.
The ministers endorsed a 1943
statement of President Roosevelt
that "Americanism Is a matter
of the mind and heart . Ameri
canism is not and never was a
matter of race and ancestry."
Corporations Exceed
Sixth War Loan Quota
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 (AP)
Cnrnorntlons already have In
vested $10,038,000,000 in the Sixth
war loan running past tneir
$9 billion goal.
The cornoratlon Investments
brought the total sales figure in
the drive to iv!,i8,uuu,uuu. ser
ies E sales were-$946,000,000, ana
total Individual sales. Including E
bonds, were $2,430,000,000.
The grand quota for the drive
Is $14 billion dollars.
Injured Logger Taken to
Portland for Treatment
Irwin Dnnk of Sutherlln, se
verely ln)ured in a logging ncci
dent In the woods east of Suther
lln Tuesday was taken this morn
ing by the Douglas ambulance to
Portland for medical treatment.
Mrs. Doak and their two children
accompanied him.
Clashes Bring Deaths,
Many Arrests; Relief
Supplies Are Menaced
ATHENS, Dec. 6 (AP) X
British tank and a platoon ot
British soldiers seized headquai
ters of the left-wing; EAM party
by storm today as fighting spread
through wide ares of Athens.
The communist party building
on Constitution square also was
taken. Parachute troopers forced
the main entrance with grenades,,
and seized 42 communists, includ-
ing women. Some were armed.
Fighting witn tanks ana ma
chlneguns broke out after snipers
of the Elas the militia - of tna
EAM, national liberation front'
fired on a truckload ot British!
troops before dawn, killing one)
and wounding another. . i
A tank was sent to patter in tne
door of EAM sheadquarters, and
British troops charged the stairs,
scattering EAM defenders wltn
half a dozen bursts of fire, and
cleaning up floor by floor. '
One British soldier was killecr
by a bullet while searching the
building. A dying ELAS soldier
lay on the roof. Quantities of gre- .
nades, provisions, ammunition
and rifles were strewn about the
building, but most of the defend
ers apparently escaped.
Snipers Still Aotlve
British troops were establish
Insr control- over- the center ot '
Athens by degrees. Sniping con- '
tlnued incessantly throughout the
city, with occasional bigger
thumps from grenades and ma-'
chineguns. -
EAM refusal to disband its mi
litia brought on the crisis, ; in
which Britain has supported , the
shaken government of Premier
Papendreou. .
The point at which the main)
Athens-Piraeus . fcoad enter the
capital was the scene of continu
ous fighting. British troops, an
gered as casualties occur, are fan
ning out around the Acropolis,'
and around the ancient, restored 1
stadium two-thirds of a mile to
the southesat on the opposite side
of the highway. '
The EAM called a strike in the
Peloponnesian town of" Patras,
ana disarmed newlv-recruited na
tional militiamen there. But the
British commander at Patras re
covered the arms without a shot
being fired. . . , : ; . , .
In Salonika, the situation was.
(Continued on page 6)-
Gfendenin Freed
By Jury of Charge
Of Theft of Tools
A verdict of not guilty was re
turned into Circuit rnnrl- Kara
Tuesday afternoon by the jury
which heard the case against C.
K. Glendenin, accused in an in
dictment by the grand jury, of
the theft of logging tools and
equipment from H. A. Beck, Cam
as Valley. Glpndenin successfully
uiunuuu ins ciaim tnat tne ar
ticles had been included I n a mir.
chase of equipment and a truck
from the complaining witness.
A civil suit against Glendenin
was filed with the county clerk
today by the Douglas Creditors
association on an assigned claim
from Beck, . alleging money due
on the sales contract which fig:
ured in the trial of the defendant
on Indictment.
Circuit court todav took un the
trial of Walter L. Wagoner, un
der Indictment on a charge of,
contributing to the delinquency
of a minor. The case, expected to
be the last for the term, is hplno-
heard by Judge Dal M. King, Coos
county, as juage unri wimber
ly is leaving tomorrow for Eu
gene. The jurors selected for the trial
now in progress Include G. C.
Sparks. Ora L. Welker. Ralnh
Weaver, Henry Schattenkerk,
oeorge A. Bonebrake, Henry He
bard. Kenneth Fortln. R. v..
Brown, Ivan Pickens, W. I; Dlx-
on, c. i. fatanton, Lee Davenport.
New Continuance Voted
In Pearl Harbor Case
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6.
(AP) House passage sent to
President Roosevelt today legi
lation extending the statute of
limitations governing the Pearl
Harbor case.
It continues until next June 7
the time during which legal ac
tion or courts martial may be in
stituted as a result of the Ja
panese attack December 7, 1941.
Congress twice previously has
extended the time limit.
Recent army and navy reports
declared the separate investigat
ing boards found no ground for
court martini proceedings against
Mai. Gen. Walter Short or Rear
Admiral Husband E. Kimmel,
commanders In the Hawaiian
area at the time of the attack.
In closing the) door to further
nazl persecution of Greece,
Italy end Belgium, the), allies
seem to have opened a Pan
dora'i box. -
B? L. IS MmMteto