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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 25, 1940)
. If Complete Watch yocr Oregon States- See bow It covers Uw news completely, . presents It interestingly tacb 47. with due attention to local happenings. iniirnETn yeah TTTTv Hope Is Theme Of Roosevelt's -j - . Yuletide Talk Christmas Is Not Merry This Year, but Happy One Is His Wish Voices Plea That World May Have Peace and Resnme Progress WASHINGTON. Dec. ii-(P-Presldsnt Roosevelt sent forth a "Happy Christmas" greeting to the nation tonight In an address warning against eynleism and de featism and praying for a "peace ful chance" for humanity to strive for world betterment. Lighting a 30-foot cedar Christ mas tree at. dusk near the White House, he observed sadly that ex cept for little children, Christmas, 1940, could not he "merry." "But for most of us it can he a happy Christmas," he continued. "If by happiness we mean that we have done with doubts, that we have set oar hearts against fear, that we still believe in the golden rule of all mankind, that we in tend to live more purely In the spirit of Christ, and that by our works, as well as our words, we will strive forward in faith and in hope" and In love." The thought of conditions In other lands where the Christmas spirit burns. less brightly obvious ly hang heavily on the president's heart. This was apparent In his address to the throng of some 8000 and to those who listened to the "nttlfllnrlde broadeaat, and In some extemporaneous remarks preceding his speech. -If Wo Are An Here" Omlaoaa Phrase In these Mr. Roosevelt proposed to have the tree and the specta tors - Inside the White House grounds next year and to deliver his address from the White House 'porch, "If we are all here. The qualification recalled his remark npon leaving Warm Springs re cently, when he expressed a hope to return In March "If the world survives. - ; The ceremony this year took place, as usuaj, in a park known as tho Ellipse between the White hause and the Washington mon ument, where, a living cedar had been decked with ornaments and lights which sprang to varl-col-ored life when the president pressed a button. Declaring It "unintelligent" to be defeatist, Mr. Roosevelt said: "Crisis may beget crisis, but the progress underneath does not wholly halt it does go forward. He saw "a definite betterment" for the human race compared with the days when Charles Dickens wrote the "Christmas Carol," which Mr. Roosevelt reads to his family every Christmas eve, but he said there still was "much oh so much -to do." "Most of all we ask a chance to do It yes, a peaceful chance to do It. ho continued. Do It Voluntary Way, not Enforced "Wo want to do it the voluntary way and most human beings In all tho world want to do It the voluntary way, we do not want to have the way Imposed on the world by the conquest of the world by the sword." Ho Intimated there was no Iso lation for anyone from wars, re marking: "Mankind Is all one and what happens In distant lands tomorrow will Itave Its mark on tho happT cess of cur Chrlstmases to come." Tho president drove to the cere mony with, his wife and mother; his sister-in-law, Mrs. J. R. Roose velt; Mr. and Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr.: Harry L. Hopkins, former commerce secretary, and tho tatter's eight-year-old daugh ter, Diana. Greek Relief Aid Here Appreciated George Paulns, proprietor of tho Rex Shine parlor on State street and chairman of tho local committee for Greek relief, yes terday took occasion to thank peo ple for their contributions to wounded and orphans of the It-alo-Greek war. X total of approximately $210 has been contributed to the local committee he reported,, and will bo added to national donations for tho relief of suffering which has resulted from the war. Paulas expressed tho belief that Victory wonld eventually fall to tho arms of his countrymen now fighting In Albania. Ho himself Is a native of Olympla, north of Athens, where tho Olympic games were, instituted in the sixth cen iiry before Christ,' . - : . .Me Th Jmer. T I '( .. v'x-:.: t. . t 1 - -J r Lf i - - I I v i , 1 j -", , v x . v VV ti; -: n e r -- -sv-- f ."C A rfl'V '; JT , :: . - ---- 4 V :J t ) - i j ; jti - v :A , - ' , ?'"' - v , - , & v , , , Everybody Remembered; Christmas Cheer Baskets Go to 350 Families fa tee Hair.., 'Paul Bauser's Column j On a low hill overlooking s. cluster of darkened tenta raised against the sand and the wind In the depression Bfj oetween me mm- and another low K ana rocay rise, stood a soldier.! He was a sentry.! His name was Amon Poole. The 1811UU Ul ii W , 1 Zealand was hlsA home, but he 5 far r r a m r there. The hill upon which he stood and kept lonely guard over the tents of Psal K. Haasar, Js. a detachment of His Majesty'a troops was in Palestine. Not far away across tne peoniy, roc icy ground was Bethlehem. Amon Poole walked fifty pace north, fifty paces south. At each alternate pace he cursed th luck that assigned him to march a lonely post on Christmas eve. On the other paces he cursed the luck that had assigned him anil his comrades to a quiet watch in Palestine while some .hundreds of miles away across Sues and across Egypt other New Zealanders were fighting Italians. It was bitter cold. Occasionally as Amon Poole kicked stones from under his feet - and swung his arms to warm them he longed for the warmth and lights and laughter of a friendly pub. As he thought of this his paces grew shorter and shorter, slower and slower.. Amon Poole was almost drowsy when he heard what seemed to be a faint flutter of wings. He looked about, searching as far as (Turn to page z, column 8) - - J I I Holiday Buying Is Greatest In Decade; Hopes Exceeded (By The Associated Press) Christmas shoppers throughout the nation rang down tho curtain on Yuletide buying in tho first year of the "fateful forties' Tues day night la a surge of spending unequaled In a decade or longer. From across the nation cams re ports that were almost monot onous In their uniformity: "Beat in my memory"; "the biggest since 1IM"; "Never saw anything Uke it." They were issued by some of the country's largest merchants; by heads of chambers of commerce and trade associations and by in dividual corporations engaged In tho manufacture of Christmas goods. Economic analysts and psychol ogists alike took a hand In telling why. r: Economists attributed It to the tremendous sweep and magnitude of tho government's armament program that Is making Itself felt in almost every phase of American life. : . But', psychological interpreta tions said it was the war that e Merriest a of Ghristmases 1 to You, Statesman : Readers !: That Is Our Sincerest Wish for You Today. The OregbirStatesm .Blacked. O 1V1VI V JTXla ST 1 Jj L312 Dozens of Agencies Provide Cheer in SomeFdrni With Program Well Coordinated; Salvation Array-Statesman Fund Exceeds $450 Whether or not this Is going to bo a Merry Christmas is up to each individual from now on but the Christmas Cheer agencies, with the cooperation of thousands of generous cit izens, have done their part. Every family or individual known to be in need has been provided for. And that, in brief, is the story of a well-coordinated program engaged in by a score or more of separate organizations accounting for the distribution of Christmas Cheer baskets' to some SS0 families. The exchange set up by the Community Chest council of so cial agencies and superintended by Mrs. Helen Foley did the co ordinating and the major burden of basket-providing was handled by The Salvation Army, the Ca tholic Charities and the Red Cross. But their work was made easier this Christmas season by the large number of other agen cies and individuals volunteering to provide for one or more fam ilies. As for The Salvation Army Oregon Statesman Christmas Cheer fund, final figures were not available on Christmas eve but the total had exceeded $460, much the greater part of which was collected In the street ket tles; and that doesn't measure even the full monetary value of the Army's baskets and other Christmas aid, for the food dona tions through the Warner Brothers-Statesman canned food mat inee and direet to the Army would swell that total by well over $100. The fact that the greater por tion of the fund came in small sums in the kettles means that the contributions were spread among thousands of people. Like wise a number of those who con tributed through The Statesman (Turn to page 10, column S) ragea over much of the earth's sur face and affects a majority of tho people of the world that was re sponsible for this extraordinary outpouring of buying and giving. There waa a multitude of proofs that something unusual really had taken place. Christmas card sellers said never before had they exper ienced such a rush: people who had not heard from friends or ac quaintances la years were pleas antly surprised to get tho little greeting; postmen throughout the country struggled with the big gest loads of Yuletide mail In years; railroads and other forms of transportation had tho biggest volume of hqllday tratficaince tho S0a and in Individual instances passenger travel set records. ' Dun- Bradatreet, nation-wide mercantile agency said: Reports indicate shoppers fin ished uP Christmas buying -in a splurge of activity which in many cities is above the most optimistic expectations of merchants. "Holiday trade volume- la re ported to have exceeded all years ; (Turn to page ie, column j POUNODO Salem. Oregon, Wednesday Morning. Docombor 25. 1940 JZITl HfVLLJ From the painting by Henri Lerollo Santa Is Greeted By Mild Weather Except in PlaygroundsW Florida, California Which Have Flood (By The Associated Press) The usually delightful winter playgrounds, Florida and Califor nia, are experiencing a mesa of "unusual" Christmas weather. Forecaster A. J. Knarr of Chi cago said those states easily cap tured the dubious honors for "the worst weather In the nation' yes terday. Drenching rains soaked Flor ida and spread into Georgia and Alabama. California, too, had tor rential rain as well as an S 2-mile wind near San Francisco. Virtually all tho rest of the country had mild and mostly fair weather, meantime, Knarr said. Knarr outlined the Christmas day prospects this way: Rain continuing along tho Pa cific coast, in most of tho terri tory west of the Rocky mountains. In northern Florida and spread ing through the South - Atlantis states. Generally fair in tho rest of tho southern and the midwest states, cloudy In the eastern state with rain beginning there tonight.' Tho Rio Grands valley in Tex as having probably tho finest weather In tho country, bright with the mercury In the CO a. Ught snow had fallen or waa forecast along tho west slope of tho Rockies but la tho northern extremity of that area It has al ready turned to rain. Chicago enjoyed ll-degreo wea ther yesterday and was duo for similarly mild conditions today. Minneapolis, Minn had its warm eat Christmas eve since 1S1 whea the mercury roe to 44 yesterday. In northern states old snow la TaryiBX automata remained en the ground la th Dakotaa. Minneso ta, northern lows, northers Wls (Tnra to Pago S. CoU T) McNary to Enjoy Christmas Dinner Senator Charles I. MeNary, resting at his home here after bat tling with pneumonia for several weeks, will be able to join bis family at Christmas dinner, his physician announced Tuesday. .Reports from the McNary homo Indicated that ' tho senator is re covering his strength satisfactor ily and probably will leave for Washington shortly after January l.-The definite date of his depar ture has not yet been determined.- 1651 r : : : 1 ' ' - ' Greeks Harry Foe as Bardia Siege Goes on New Triumphs Reported in Mountains After Chimara Capture British Could Take City but Delay to Prevent Needless Losses ATHENS, Dec. 24.-(jp)-Greek troops carrying out bayonet at tacks on the Italians despite heavy snows have captured pris oners, taken "large quantities of material," and won new "appreci able victories," it was reported tonight. Tho Greek high command re ported eight guns were aeized by its troops along with the Italian prisoners and war material in lo cal engagements. The new triumphs were said by government sources to have been won in the mountains north east of Chimara, the Adriatic coastal port already wrested from the Italians. A government apokesman aaid fascist positions north and east of Premet In tho central sector also were stormed and captured in widespread Christmas eve battles. "After the victory of Chimara, the Italians withdrew northwest ward," he said. "They Intend to offer resistance from strong nat ural positions at Logapa pass, sooth J.'Valona. OXAT909 fighting away from the coast in tho mountains northeast of Chimara continued to advance and dislodged the en emy from new positions. "These positions were protected by barbed wire. Farther to the east where the snow is fairly deep and It Is bitterly cold, the Greeks are still on the offensive with sat isfactory results. By EDWARD KENNEDY WITH BRITISH FORCES OUT SIDE BARDIA, Libya, Dec 24.-(P)-Tho battle for Bardia warmed Into a great artillery duel this Christmas eve with guns booming on both sides and tho British units drawing slowly nearer the ring of fortresses encircling tho town. The steady flow of reinforce ments. Including tanks and much artillery crossing Into Libya, leaves no donbt that the British are determined to break this strong outpost of Italy's North African possessions and possibly plan to go beyond It In a sweep ing operation. "We could go In and take Bar die, the Australian captain In command of one unit told me on the battlefield. "But it would probably cost a good many lives, so it'a better to keep hammer ing at them. Then when we get (Turn to page 10, column 1) American Woman Released by Nazi SYRACUSE, NT, Dee. A Christmas sto message from tho state department at Washing ton tonight notified Chester A. Kahn, Syraensev that his sister, Mrs. Etta Kahn Shiber, had been released by German , authorities after her arrest la Paris, Franco, There was no farther word of when tho release took place nor any indication of why Mrs. Shi ber had been la custody. lire. Shiber, widow of William N. Shiber, former telegraph edi tor of the New York Journal, had made her home with friends la Paris sineo the death of her hus band throe years ago. Kahn received word December It Mrs. Shiber had been taken Into custody la German-held Parts. All SUA Institution . Have Christmas Tree Christmas trees were held st virtually all of tho state lnsUtn Uons in tho Salem ares Tuesday night, and - will bo : followed by special dinners Christmas day. - Governor , Charles A. Spragvo and . Mrs.- Spragno, are scheduled to visit a number of the institu tions Wednesday. .. Baker Continues Fight . Against Severe Cold PORTLAND. Dec" S4pr-At-tendants said today that ex-Mayor George L. Baker of Portland con tinued to improve t in his fight against 'a- heavy cold with which he entered a hospital here y ester- day. 1 1 ii i ii 11 i n ii i i i i Nazi Army Chief Hints ; Invasion.Flanned Soon Sea Protection Slight Says von Brauchitsch Merely Waiting Fuehrers Command, Statement; Hitler Visits Troops; Italians Reject . Churchill Plea; Resent Eden Choice BERLIN, Dec. 24. (AP) Amid the big guns which point at England from the German-occupied French coast, Field Marshal General Walther Von Brauchitsch, commander-in-chief of Adolf Hitler's army, declared today: "The ocean can protect England only so long as it suits us." The commander-in-chief made what German sources said was a surprise visit to a long-range batteryn the channel coast (one is situated at Cap Gris Nes) and, from there, spoke over a Germany-wide radio hookup to the German army. His words Indicated that Ger man plans for invasion of Eng land are In no sense obsolete. "I k n o w," Von Brauchitsch told the troops, "that you are all just burning with desire st last to meet the English, and that you are merely awaiting the fuehrer's command to do so." Just one task lies ahead of the army, ho said, and that Is to "knock to the ground this last embittered , adversary" England "and thereby compel peace to issue forth. It's a question of breaking England's one-s i d e d hegemony." Of the German war dead, he said: "Nothing so binds people toge ther as blood spent." With Von Brauchitsch on the "Invasion coast," Adolf Hitler left Berlin for an undisclosed destina tion. Hitler is observing Christmas with the war workers and soldiers (Turn to Page 2, Col. 3) Holiday Fatality List Grows Fast 109 Dead From Accidents Few Hours After Start of Yuletide Period (By Tho Associated Press) With tho Christmas holiday season but a few hours old, the nation's toll of fatalities mounted to 109, due mainly to traffic' ac cidents. Automobile accidents account ed for 78 deaths during the first few hours of the holiday period, while 31 other deaths were due to various causes. A woman and five children were burned to death in their Maryland home. Ohio led the traffic count with 14 victims. Two others died from other causes. Other violent deaths Included two suicides in Nebraska and one in Missouri and a drowning in tho New York metropolitan area. A man, kicked by a horse, died In Texas. Deaths by states: California, 4 traffic; Colorado, 2 traffic; Con necticut, 2 traffic. 2 other; Del aware, 1 traffic; Florida. 2 traf fic; Georgia, 7 traffic, 1 other; Illinois, 1 traffic 1 other; Indi ana, 4 traffic, 4 other; Iowa. 1 traffic, S other; Maryland, 2 traf (Turn to page 10, column 1) "Might Makes Assailed in VATICAN CITY, Dee. ti-ifif-Popo Piss declared today that In tho search for tho new order of tho future men and nation must triumph ever hatred, over mis trust, over the notion that might makes right, over economic nal adjastment and "cold egoism." In a Christmas eve message to the College of Cardinals he said that while the war goes on there Is little hope for such a restora tion. . Nevertheless, ho expressed a "heartfelt wish that when tho guns shall hare fallen silent at last humanity and its leaders "will bo sufficiently matured Intellec tually and capable in action to prepare the ground of the future tor a new order that will bo solid, true and Just " "Wo pray God," ho added, "that It may so happen." Tho church herself could not bo called upon to favor one ever another of "the contrasting sys tems which are part of our times and dependent upon. . them, be said, since her. "solo longing was to provide to all the world's peo ples rthexltar waters of the foun Price) 3a Newsstands '5c Lumber Freighter Reported Sinking Stan wood, Which Assisted in Rescuing Davenport, Has Difficulties SAN FRANCISCO. Dec. 28. ( Wednesday )-(JP)-C oast guard and other craft sped to the as sistance early today of tho coastal lumber freighter Stanwood, which reported herself in a "sinking condition" in heavy seas IS miles off ort'Braggij'. . The -127-ton ship, laden with a heavy lumber load, left Port land December 21 for San Fran cisco. Shipping men here said she carried a crew of about 19 in command of Captain Clemeneen. Coaat guard headquarters here said the freighters Arkansas and Hegira. which were In tho vicin ity of the Stanwood, started for her position as soon as she asked help. The coast guard lifeboat crew from Point Arena also started, but was having difficulties be cause of heavy seas, and the cut ter Shawnee prepared to leave from Eureka. Exact nature of the trouble was not reported by the Stan wood, which Is operated by tho W. R. Chamberlin Co. (Turn to page 10, column f ) All Records Fall, Salem Postof f ice All records have gone by the boards at the Salem postoffice, Postmaster Henry R. Crawford said yesterday. An estimated fi gure of better than 400,000 let ters have been posted and canceled in tho local office during tho Christmas rush, which figure win exceed by better than 100,000 the total posted during the holiday rush of 1939. Package delivery will be made during the forenoon today for tho convenience of patrons of 'the. Sa lem office. Crawford said that tho postal force was "up" on package delivery and that every package posted last night would be deliv ered today, providing it was ad dressed correctly. . Trains that are running behind schedule will be accommodated by tho Christmas day delivery, Craw ford said. Right" Theory Pope's Message tains of our patrimony and values of Christian life ... ." But for a society that "would be humanly praiseworthy and spiritually elevated and a source of genuine good.' he went e there were these "indispensable prerequisites." "One. triumph over hate, wblcn is today a cause of dlvlaloa among peoples; renunciation, therefore, of the systems and practices from which ' hate constantly receives added nourishment. "Two. triumph over mistrust, which bears down ss a depressing weight oa international law and renders impossible tho realization of any sincere agreement. "Three, triumph over the dis tressing principle that utility is a basis of law and right and that might snakes right . v - "Four, triumph over those germs of conflict wnlcb consist la two-sided differences in the field of world economy; hence progres sive action, balanced by corres pondent degrees io arrive at ar rangements which would give to every state the medium necessary (Turn to page 10, column S) Weather. : Clewdy- with ' showers to day; geaeral rains Than Uy; Max. temp. Tuesday SS, -mIb; ' 45. " Southwest wind. Sovdy. fUla .18 inch. lUver S. feet. .V . - No. 234 Bombers Stay Away; Reasons Not Indicated Weather Ii Bad Anyhow; Yuletide Parties Are Held in Britain - "v , - f '"'V But Lancashire's Rescue Crews Still Seeking - ; Victims of Raid BETHLEHEM. Palestine, Dee 25.- ( Wednesday )HP)-Thls little, Judean city was shrouded la its first blackout in history while tho ageless drama of Christ's birth was re-enacted early today at tho Church of the Nativity In bomb proofed gloom Instead of the tra ditional blase of Christmas tight. Even the bonfires In shepherds fields about the city were put out early lest they guide Italian air raiders to tho little Uy. And thus tho line of pUgrlate moved slowly and. carefully into the town by starlight for the ob eerrane) Just as tho three wisemea came centuries" atn-tiirMrfct f ta 4tar. of Betblckcnao worrbip. the Christ chUd.- : ? v All other holy places In this shrine of Christendom w o r o blacked out too and fiUed with the gloom of wartime. But no feeling of futility waa apparent among tho hundreds f pilgrims at tho Church of the Na tivity. Instead, peace waa their mes sage, peace on earth and good will to all men. LONDON. Dee. lE.-(WtdBM. day)-(jrp)-Chrlstmss came peace- miiy io oomDscarrea Britain to day. No bursting bombs, crackling gunfire not even the ominous drone of hostile planes which have disturbed the United Kingdom for months on end bothered Britons in their subdued Christmas obeerr-y- j ances and celebrations. The quiet of blacked-out Lon don was duplicated In the king dom's countryside and towns. In dustrial centers and seaports. Not since yesterday's daylight hours were any reports made of aerfd . conflict. Whether it was an unofficial Christmas truce was not known early today. There was a possibility that the weather might have caused the dearth of aerial activity. A low celling of dense clouds hung over Dover strait raiders' pathway from , Europe with a light mist in tho channel and the sea choppy. There waa an oast wind. Britons held their parties and observances with one ear cocked ' for the sound they hoped they wonld not hear the eerlo wail of tho air raid siren. No CelebraUom in Lsuscasaire Are But there was little time for celebrating la the Lancashire area of England's industrial northwest where rescue workers still were probing tho ruins tor victims of a massive German mauling Monday many killed, and widespread lass age were inflicted In this hours long attack. " (Tho Germans identified tho wwb m nucBBur. ana or iu world's largest cotton textile cen ters, which they said was heavily attacked for the second successive night.) A "considerable number -of heavy caliber high explosive semes , ana incendiaries were showered on this town, and. the Brttlah announced, three aospit ' ale, two air raid shelters, numer ous, houses, shops and a church either were damaged or de stroyed. " . - ':.- : Thirteen persons were believed killed by a bomb which hit tho administration bunding of one hospital, at least seven were killed in a demolished tavern and a group of firemen were killed while fighting a fire started by the raiders. Many persons were left homeless and were being fed at communal kitchens. . i ; But despite these scars of war, everywhere Britons tried to make tho best of this Christmas. - "-Dimly-llslited .trains ered through the night, well-filled vita late shoppers laden with Christ" mas packages. The streets were home or pleasure-beat to Chrl ir . 1 mas eve jartles. . :e0 ,'' rvr.".'