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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 25, 1942)
Garden Timo Victory gardener, or flow er gardener, youll be pay ing increasing attention to (hat little plot of ground in coming weeks. Read Lillie Madsen'i advice to garden era, in The Sunday States- Rolaxl ; Sports hot yotf relax front the worries of war. Follow the event daily on the Statesman . s port pare with comments by Al IJght ner. POUNDDff 16&1 JCL NINETY-FIRST YEAR Salem, Oregon, Wednesday Morning, February 25, 1S42 Price) 3cj Newstande 5e No. 23? .ess z? lllfc ft rVw 0O. out wu n to mus m r ra m Germain Killed: Rout Told Of 45,000 In Battle Vital Northern Sector Won by Great Victory MOSCOW, Feb. 25 (Wed nesday (AP) An entire German army of 45,000 men has been shattered and 12,000 the enemy killed in a mashing, 10-day red army ictory below Leningrad, the Russians announced early to lay in a special communique. - This nazi army the 16th was encircled in the vital Staraya Russia district, 140 miles south of Leningrad and 270 miles north west of Moscow, and suffered one of the most crushing defeats ;et inflicted upon Adolf Hitler's legions. So complete was the rout of the Germans that they left be hind vast and still uncounted stores of booty. Guns by the thousands, more than 1000 motor vehicles, railroad rolling stock, tanks, munitions and horses by the hundreds fell into soviet hands. Listed officially as smashed were the 290th infantry division of the second German army corps, the 13th infantry division of the 10th army and a division of Hit ler's picked blackshirt SS elite guards. Besides the enormous losses in men and materiel, the defeat cost Hitler vital positions he needed to protect his imperilled forces holding the town of Sta raya Russia Itself, keystone of all his positions on the north western front. The town lies some 12 miles south of Lake Ilmen, and is a communications center on an east west railroad connecting the main Moscow-Leningrad line and an other running south from Lenin grad farther west and a third which skirts the west shores of Ilmen and is linked directly to the long line to Murmansk. Russians who' had anticipated a big victory announcement dur ing the celebration of the red army's 24th anniversary Monday got it today. There was an anniversary an nouncement of a drive to within 5 miles of Smolensk, strongest " nazi position remaining on the central front, but that was not as impressive as the triumph they, learned about 24 hours later , (Turn to Page 2, Col. 1) Top Honor to Dr. MUlikan SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 24-f) The American education award, one of the topmost honors of its kind, was conferred Tuesday upon Dr. Robert A. Millikan, noted cosmic ray researcher and president of the California Insti tute of Technology. - The award is presented an nually by the American Associa tion of School Administrators, the National Education associa tion and affiliated bodies. Previ ous recipients have included Jane Addams, noted social work . er; Dr. William Lyon Phelps, former president of Yale univer sity; Lorado Taft, sculptor, and Walter J. Damrosch, noted musi cian. PRESS TIME! By its latest press time In the state, your Oregon Statesman dally gives you: ' Latest sports - Latest world news. 2Yo increase in price, ; 60c per mo By carrier.- Don't Need Pants to Fight i ' i ' ' t 41 k t . i ? i :';S"SS;:- t vy' I ? - !X ; , ... ;-f Jii v " , - , - - - : J ' f - L Jj r J : f . ' - : - - I f t ;: t ! : Looking like truly primitive warriors, the head-hunting Igorots of the Philippines are seeing action with MacArthur's troops. Igorots ride the tanks, MacArthur reports, directing tank movements through heavy jungle country. One report said Igorot warriors didn't mind wearing uniforms if they could Salem Building Firm Gets Bis House Deal Keith Brown Takes Defense Order of 2000 Prefabricated Units; Will Employ 80 Men On Three-Shift Basis for Four Months By STEPHEN C. MERGLER What might well prove Salem's largest single defense con tract to date, an order for 2000 ed Tuesday ta the Keith Brown Keith Brown, reported from Portland, "We will start up our plant inj Salem immediately and employ probably 80 men," Brown an nounced. The firm took its first order for prefabricated housing wall sections last July, set up a semi-open-air plant on the site of the old Salem Brick ii Tile company and turned out 345 units in ten weeks during the late summer and the fall for a Vallejo, Calif., defense housing project. The latest contract is for sim ilar wall sections for 2000 houses to go up in the Ogden, Utah, de fense area. It was obtained as a subcontract from B e 1 1 e r-Built Homes & Associates, holders of the prime contract, of Beverly Hills, Calif. Whereas Brown's plant employ ed 35 men in two shifts on the Vallejo contract, it will retain at least 80 on a three-shift basis for four months on the new order, Brown estimated. Indicating that his crew was arranged for, Brown empha sized that "no labor will be en gaged at the present time." If each housing unit cost $500, value of the new contract in pay roll and materials would be $1, 000,000. Brown, however, did not disclose the amount of his bid. The contract calls for produc tion of wall sections built-up from plywood for houses 24 by 28 feetin dimension, with four rooms and dining space Floors, ceilings and roofs will be pro duced by another contractor. Brown's housing plant, which has 14,400 square feet of unob structed floorspace under one roof, will get into full production on the new order within two to three weeks. Gty Recorder Not Candidate List of possible candidates for the office of - city t recorder was reduced by one Tuesday with the announcement of Mrs. Hannah Martin Hanzen she would hot be a - candidate to succeed herself. She took office in January, 1941. 'AlderinanIi':.IV leGarie, how ever, filed lu candidacy for the recordership, putting the race so far between two councilmen. The other is A. O. Davison, who filed last week. LeGarie, from ward two, gave as his campaign slogan, "My de sire is to serve Salem efficiently, leave off the pants. prefabricated houses, was award Building Supply, the proprietor, Play Methods Taught at CC Party'Climaxes Day of Recreation Lessons For County Groups Eighty five persons, ages 6-60 frolicked together in Salem cham ber of commerce rooms Tuesday night, learning first-hand the rudiments of recreation from Miss Ella Gardner, federal de partment of agriculture specialist, More than a dozen types of organizations and a number of Marion county communities were represented at the session which was arranged to climax a day spent with club leaders in the study of healthful play. Leaders and officers of 411 clubs met with Miss Gardner during afternoon hours at the chamber of commerce and the night meeting, in "party" form was thrown open to all ages and representatives of any interested -organization. variety ' featured the evening program in which most of those attending participated, with en tertainment ranging from that suitable "for family evenings at home to games for large groups in recreation halls. Among those 'registering were delegates from 4H clubs, granges, Parent-Teacher asso ciations, churches. Farmers Un ions, schools, junior and sen ior women's clubs, YMCA; TWCA, home demonstration units and teachers of vhvsical education from several schools. Salem and surrounding com-, munltles with -ural route ad dresses. Brooks, Chemawa, Sublimity. Jefferson, W d burn, Silverton and Gcrvals were represented, Miss Gardner, whose head quarters are Washington, DC. 1 in this are a on special assign rfient, working in Marion county through the office of Miss Fran ces Clinton, home demonstration agent Monday's Weather - : Weather forecasts withheld and temperature data delayed by army reauesL River Tom. day lJt feet. Max. temperature Monday; 48, mia IS. 11 TA la mvv Men Saved In Disaster Villagers Rescue 43 Survivors of Truxton, Pollux ST. JOHN'S, Newfound- and, Feb. 24 (AP) On a swaying bosun's chair slung over a 200-foot cliff, 43 men rom the United States de stroyer Trnxtnn and the US naval supply ship Pollux were rescued after their vessels were smashed to bits against he Newfoundland coast in a raging storm. While at least 189 other sea men perished in the pounding seas at the foot of the tall bluffs, residents of the shore village of Lawrence dragged the 43 to safe ty from a ledge just above the water, to which the survivors were clinging. As the story of the rescue reached here, it was learned a third US ship had struqk shore in the same blinding storm that ran the doomed two off their course. But the third craft floated clear and managed to make har bor safely. Her ultimate destina tion was not disclosed. The news that 43 had been saved from the lost ships was the first word of the number rescued. Tuesday's announce ment of the wrecks from Wash ington told only of the estimated number of casualties. When word reached the villag ers of St Lawrence that thetwo ships were in distress, 'menXfro- men and children set out across three miles of snow-covered, windswept hills to the scene. Reaching the edge of a cliff above one of the ships they found cluster of men clinging to its precipitous face. Using the bosun's chair, a rough wooden seat slung from a rope, they began hauling the men to safety. Fishermen tried to rescue others in the surf by means of a dory lowered from the top of the cliff. But the little boat was swamped as soon as it hit the breakers, though its crew was saved. The rescued American seamen, suffering from exposure and bat tering against the rocks, were dis tributed among the settler's homes where they were supplied with clothing and food. (Turn to Page 2, Col. 5) US to Alaska Route to Be Tallied Today WASHINGTON, Feb. 24-) The American-Canadian joint defense board will meet in New York Wednesday to discuss pos sible routes for a United States to Alaska highway, informed sources said today. These same sources said the discussions would center on a so- called "Prairie Route" extending north from Edmonton, Alberta, through the Peace PJver county to Whitehorse in the Yukon and thence into Alaska. It was em phasized, however, that no route has been selected and probably none would be until the joint board acts and US army engi neers complete their preliminary investigations. Army to Revamp 41st as New East Triangular Division The Pacific northwest's 41st divisions to be reorganized soon into powerful, fast-striking tri angular divisions, according to off icial announcement of the war department, received Tuesday The 41st division, of . which Salem's 162nd , Infantry Com . pany B is a: member, was com . raided by the late Maj. Gen. George A. White, who also was adjutant general of Oregon. . Decision to revamp the ' guard division marks the passing of the larger, less compact division from the American armed forces, the war department said. Surplus units of the national guard divi sions after the reorganization will be assigned to general headquar ters reserve and as army and army corps troops but will retain their state identities and at the conclu British As Jap w Japs Hit Rat In Attack on NEI Army HQ Cars Machinegunned In Bandoeng Streets; Invasion Is Awaited BANDOENG, Java, Feb. 24-;p) Japanese bombers machine- gunned automobiles in the streets and fired oil drums in this army headquarters area Tuesday as civil and military leaders of the East Indies declared the moment of mass assault on Java was ap proaching, pledged their people to fight "with faith and an iron will" and urged reinforced coun ter-assaults by United Nations' naval forces. It was the third attack ' on 1 Bandoeng, inland site of the NEI army headquarters and important military installations. Ten bombers dropped from the clouds in two waves of five, glid ing silently toward their object ives without apparent fighter sup port They dropped very light bombs which caused only small craters. Some oil drums caught fire at one point causing enor mous smoke clouds which made the damage seem greater than it actually was. A communique de scribed the damage as "very slight" Despite the machine-gunning of motor cars and the bombing, the only known fatality in the raid was a rat, found near a bomb crater. Some houses, how ever, were hit Anti-aircraft guns crashed into voice soon after the alert sound ed and United Nations' fighters took to the air. At least one ene my bomber was shot down and several others were damaged. Communiques preserved silence about the situation of invader and defender on Bali to the east and Sumatra to the west, both of which are in part overrun by -the enemy, despite the crippling blows by naval and air forces of the United Nations and staunch re sistance by out-numbered land forces. The Dutch were urging that stronger allied naval forces be concentrated in the southwest Pacific for even wider counter offensive action than that which destroyer, damaged or put to flight the Japanese sea units which attacked Ball last week. Writing in the Batavia news paper Java Bode, H. V. Quispel, head of the information section of the NEI navy department, ex pressed belief that the allies could hold out in Java but only if United Nations' sea forces are quickly and strongly reinforced in order to relieve pressure on this island and avoid strangulation of allied posiltions in the area. Dance at Fairgrounds Draws Large Crowd More than 600 Salem . girls danced at the state fairgrounds pa vilion Tuesday night under United Hospitality association auspices to the music of an army orchestra and with army mas partners. First of the series of UHA dances held outsidf the armory, the party was a cooperative ven ture, with the army providing transportation for the young wo men. .is one of 18 national guard army by The Statesman. sion of the war' revert to the states from which they came. Reorganization of a division from square to triangular type entails changes from two Infan try brigades of two regimenta each to three regiments, from a field artillery brigade of three regiments to f oar battalions, and revisions In supporting units, " ".' The triangular division operates directly under the division com mander instead of through brigade commanders. ' " -j . Abandoning Rangoon Drive Menaces Burma As Japan Strikes in Burma 6WS!0K jm i 'turn r it vv j i rji 11 This map of British Burma will help you follow the war news in that area as Japan, flushed with victory in Malaya and Singapore, pushes a major attack aiming at Rangoon and the Tutting of the supply line that feeds the Chinese.' As the Japs passed Pegu, (A) on map, the British were hurriedly evacuating Rangoon. Latest reports indicate the defenders have given up hope of saving Burma's capital city. Shaded area indicates the extent Hitler Blames Weather In Message Tells Nazi Chiefs on Anniversary of Party Preparations for Final Fight With Russians Keep Him on Front Editor's Note: On October 4, 1S41, lest than four months after Hitlrr invaded Russia, he told his people: "Now it can be declared that the enemy alieady is broken and will sever rise again." Now ... MUNICH (FROM GERMAN BROADCASTS) Feb. 24 ()-Adolf Hitler, in a message Tuesday night from his Russian front headquarters to nazi chiefs observing the 22nd anniversary of the party platform here, declared that the red army's hope of inflicting "a Napoleonic retreat" on the German army "has col lapsed miserably." Again, the German leader blamed the winter weather, "which took us by surprise," and world Jewry for his trou bles in Russia, but he said the snow now was melting in Rus sia and "it is impossible for me to leave my place where prepa rations have been made for the final struggle." District Leader Adolf Wagner read Hitler's message. "Now that the worst of the cold is over and in the south of Rus sia and in the Crimea the snow is beginning to melt," his message said, "it is impossible for me to leave my place where the prepa rations have been made for the final struggle. ..." Hitler asserted that the Russian hopes of smashing the German military machine "has collapsed miserably." "It collapsed," he went on, "above all before the bravery and self-sacrifice of our unique men who side by side with our allies weathered Icy storms of December, January and Febru ary Just as they had previous ly won Imperishable victories in the glowing heat of June, July, August and September." The impending spring struggle. he said, will be "a settling up with that conspiracy which has (Turn to Page 2, CoL 7) Observation ? Plane Lost . SEATTLE, Feb. 24-5p)-Four coast guard cutters and a fleet of planes, both naval and Royal Canadian - air force, searched Tuesday night for a scout obser vation plane from the Sand Point naval air station, which has "been missing since 8:20 pjn. Monday night. The ship was believed to have carried two men. . Thirteenth naval, district head quarters said it disappeared dur ing poor visibility on a routine of the Jan advance. - - to Munidk No Bombers For Bataan FDR Sayg Impossible To Get Aircraft to MacArthur's Army WASHINGTON, Feb. 24(P Supplementing his speech of Monday night President Roose velt said in effect Tuesday that it was impossible to get aircraft reinforcements to General Doug las MacArthur's army on Bataan peninsula. At a press conference, a re porter called to his attention a dispatch from Clark Lee, As sociated Press correspondent on Bataan, saying MacArthur's men were getting up s fund with which to buy a bomber. The president replied that if anyone could tell him how a bomber was to be gotten in there, they would certainly have it. Someone suggested it could be flown in, and the president asked on what it was to be landed. An other correspondent Inquired whether a navy bomber could not alight on the water and the president questioned whether, If so, it could last for very long. The president also was asked whether In view of the fact that dispatches from Bataan were subject to censorship at the source, there was room for interpretation that MacArthur and army heads here were to disagreement on the question of reinforcements. In reply, Mr. Roosevelt said he was .taking a leaf for his own note book and, knowing nothing about it, was not endeavoring to speculate. ' . -..-.-. An army communique earlier in the day reported a lull in the fighting on Bataan with no ground troop activity on either side . for 24 hours. Meanwhile Japanese planes dropped a con siderable - number of incendiary bombs behind the American-Fili pino lines. : Yank Officials Speed Tons of China Supplies Outlook Hopeless as Invaders Attempt to Bridge India Gap ' By WILLIAM SMITH WHITE Associated Press War Editor The allied position was im minently menaced last Tues day night in the whole of southern Burma and Rangoon itself, the capital of that crown colony and bridge be tween China and India, was in effect already gone as a British stronghold. Sharp and immediate was the crisis so much so that the Japa nese enemy's stealthy maneuvers far to the southeast in his slowly developing invasion of the key allied south Pacific bastion of Dutch Java were all but over shadowed and it was officially recognized that the battle for Bur ma had now become actually the battle for the outer defenses of India itself. This was signalled by the fact that the British commander-in-chief for India, General Sir Alan Fleming Hartley, was made re sponsible as well for Burma oper ations a step that was under stood to have pleased the Chi nese, who must be depended upon in great measure to help hold northern Burma at least as a link between the two greatest peoples of the Asiatic world. Rangoon the sea head of the Burma supply road to China was being abandoned, and while the American military mission sweated to get out one last ship ment of thousands of tons of supplies for the Chinese the British themselves were report ed burning all unmovable mili tary stores. In an offensive strengthened by the arrival of more and more re inforcements the Japanese had beaten forward to and over the last natural defense line east of Rangoon, the Sittang river, and in apparently overwhelming force were smashing at the British im perial forces for 100 miles up and down the Sittang. The invader stood within 60 miles of Rangoon itself and within 20 miles of the Rangoon-Mandalay-Lashio rail leg of the Burma icadrand the 'intervening terrain was less dirfkult4han that he had already traversed. " V The Japanese casualties were and had been enormous but still they came on. All of 1 southern Burma, it ap peared, could be saved only with material help, and of this mere was no real prospect, so poor are communications from India. There was nothing to indicate that Chi nese troops standing in northern Burma would be able to come down in time.- Refueee Shin Sunk by Mine VICHY, Feb. 24-;P)-The small steamer Struma with 750 Jewish refugees from Rumania and Bul garia was blown to pieces in the Black Sea about five miles north of the Bosporus, apparently by a stray mine, an Instabul dispatch to the Vichy news agency said. There have been no reports of survivors, but a search was begun immediately. ? J The vessel, of less than 400 tons, was flying the Panama flag and at the time of the explosion was being towed by a Turkish tug. The Struma sank immediately, it was said. Precautionary Alert Ordered LOS ANGELES. Feb. 24-W) The fourth interceptor command Tuesday ordered a. precautionary alert in southern California, ex tending from San Luis Obispo to the Mexican border. - , .r A spokesman at the air raid warning service said a "state cf readiness" had been , established put there had been no specific re ports of enemy activities. ., z