- a i. ...!"'.. . '
I it .
!
:;):::,;;
Today
Interpreting
The War News
(Turn to Page 4)
Dimout . j '
Tues. sunset 7:36
Wedi sunrise 6 :53
Weather on Page 5)
1V
y NINETY-SECOND YEAH
' :
Salem. Oregon, Tuesday Marnincj. March 30. 1943
17a 273
- '
Chiaii
FdriWjne Walls
Couldn't Go Mitch Nearer
Smolensk
f -1
' - ' ' '-
l-'h. .";:";:.V!v.::;.: " 7 : ) ; " ......
! ' : 1 ' : :f v.,
! I 3 1 - ' I . i . , ,
'5A1
ied
i ; , 4 ,
A ' ' j
Ourtput
i v JL
Monday Meat Supplies
Vary; Dealers Expect
Restocking This Week
Pre-Ration Rush
Depletes Many
Salem Markets
"A pound of beefsteak please."
That order evoked ready accept
ance at some Salem markets
Monday, a suggestion elsewhere
that a chicken, a slice pf ham or a
pound of bacon be substituted, and
at others, just a blank stare.
The blank stare may have
been that of the meat dealer
whv saw his entire stock deplet
ed by last week's pre-rationlng
buy in; rush; maybe still dazed,
would be a better word for it.
. At any rate, a . survey of the
community's markets indicated
that, while it might take some
shopping around, the man who
didn't have an ice-box' full of meat
e home wouldn't have to become
e vegetarian pending restocking
of butchers' showcases later this
week.
Several of the markets that still
had meat for sale Monday had
maintained their working stock
only by closing early several days
last week or by setting a beef or
two aside in, the cooler and refus
ing to sell it. '- "-TT;7-At
least one; large retail meat
department remained closed Mon
day; several others were open but
tparsely-stocked. There were
markets ,to. be found, however,
that offered a fairly wide assort
ment of meats from which to
choose for Monday night dinner.
The meat retailers who had
nothing left to sell reported gen
erally that they would receive
fresh stocks of beef and pork
not later than Thursday.
Adequacy of the new supplies
was subject to some doubt, pack
ers said: Not so much because of
last week's near-panic buying, but
rather because of the pinch be
tween purchase" and sale ceiling
prices. .
One packer said Monday that
his firm was buying everything
offered by the farmers but the!
latter weren't offering many ani
mals for sale. Another said meat
on the hoof was available but be
cause it cost him 21 to 22 cents a
pound dressed to prepare it for
sale to th retailer and his whole
sale ceiling price ran only from
17,i to 18 W cents he couldn't do
business. This latter packer com-
nlained that there was too great a
sDread in his ceilinsr prices as be
tween the various grades of beef,
s well as a lack of uniformity in
grading.
Jap Bombers'
Attack Does
Slight Damage
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
AUSTRALIA, Tuesday, March 30
(ff)-Six Japanese bombers slashed
at the allied base of Oro bay on
New Guinea Monday, the allied
high command . reported Tuesday,
staging t their second successive
attack In two "days, and giving
more point to recent warnings of
increased enemy aerial strength.
The bombers attacked at night,
causing "slight damage and no
casualties. said the noon communique.-
1 "
In the Sunday attack, th 'Jap
anese sent 40 planes at the port,
. losing 13 and perhaps 25 to allied
defenders. : ' ?;
In the Kai islands, 500 i miles
north of Darwin, allied bombers
pounded " the Japanese occupied
town of Toeal. ;
"Our medium units executed a
low-level bombing "and strafing
attack, starting fires that were
visible ' for 15 miles," the! noon
communique said. '
"Returning to base, our planes
strafed the enemy-occupied vil
lages of Langgoer and Wabsek. ;
The Japanese airdromes at Gas
. jnata and Cape Gloucester-again
'were subjected to raids by allied
bombers, while other warplanes
bombed the harbor .at Madang, 300
trJIcs U9 the coast from Buna.;
Rationed Buying
Found Slower:
Allocation Waits
By the Associated Press
Shoppers found many (of the na
tion's butcher shops bate as meat
rationing began Monday!
but there
were promises of adequate sup
plies by mid-week .to meet de
mands that tapered off after a
weekend of frantic buying.
Housewives were slow to part
with red coupons from their No.
2 ration books. Those who did dis
covered that shopping iook con
siderably longer than liist week,
with clerks required
to collect
meat coupons
themselves with
and
familiarize
the plevr point
values on canned goods which
went into effect! simultaneously.
One shopper reported I it took 1 1
minutes to check through a $5
order of groceries and meat
In Washington,; Price j Adminis
trator Prentiss M.j Brown express
ed belief that there were adequate
supplies of meat! to take care of
demands under the rationing pro
gram, but that it would require
several ' days fori distribution of
sufficient varieties and aimounts to
all sctions,.i44H-:S":;
' To help wholesalers I and re
tailers build up their inventor
ies, the agriculture department
suspended for two weeks an or
der "requiring livestock slaught
erers to allocate certain percen
tages of their output: for direct
(Tunj to Page; 2 Story A)
Ruml Proposal
Voting May
Begin Today
"WASHINGTON, Mach 29-(JP)
The pay-as-you-go issue moved
Monday toward a climactic vote in
the house, with republicans and
democrats striving desperately to
hold their lines ;respectively for
and against the Ruml plan.
Voting on the hot tax issue is
expected to begin Tuesday, but
the actual decision may not come
until later in the week; because of
the necessity of disposing of vari
ous amendments. - j
' On the democratic side, Rep.
Disney of Oklahoma declared "the
little , fellows' back home would
resent being forgiyen a' tax liabili
ty of $8.60 or thereabouts while,
he asserted. Beards ey : Ruml him
self was being relieved of a li
ability of approximately $800,000.
On the republican j side Rep.
Jenkins ; of - Ohio, : lik Disney a
member of the tax-framing ways
and means "j committee, asserted
"90 per cent of the American peo
ple'; want the Ruml plan to by
pass a tax year, as modified and
embraced in a bill by Rep. Carlson
(R-Kas). ;
If neither the- Ruml plan nor
the "no abatement" jaiil drawn by
the ways and means committee
musters: a majority1, -one demo
cratic leader predicted, the whole
pay-as-you-go issue
may be tossed
back to committee.
resulting in
long delay in final disposition.
Due for Boost
The state board of control at
Wednesday's meeting: is expected
to give salary increases to atten
dants at the state hospital, Fair
view home, and the Eastern Ore
gon state hospital at Pendleton.
Board members indicated that
the increases would ibe effective
April 1. B:: :Vh i: r '."
The employes i at jtlfie Pendleton
institution will get $5 a month
more, while those of the other two
institutions will ge $7.50 more,
bringing the male
all the institutions
attendants of
tA an average
of about $72.50 a month plus full
maintenance. The wkanen atten
dants get $2.50 a motith less.
The heads of the institutions
told the , board the action would
help to relieve the Critical hort
age of attendants.
Hosbital Iwa sre
Increase
sit
TOT p ivr " i .1
winning oi: war i
First Job for
Labor Mass Meeting
Hears 'Missimo Say
'Unity Is Strength
iBy EDITH GAYLORD
SAN rRANCISCO, March 29
("HPassionately and dynami
cally, Madame Chiang Ka i
Shek called upon labor at ma$s
meeting Monday night to c -operate
within its own group
and increase production to w n
the war.
Speaking' at a suddenly-scheduled
mass meeting of ; the AFL,
CIO, Maritime union and tie
Railroad brotherhoods,' the first
lady of China declared her mes
sage for American labor was "uii
ity is strength," and added:
"You must first win this war
and that at the earliest posj
sible moment. Your task Is not
one whit less Important than
that ef the fighting man at the
front."
She spoke in impassioned tones,
her voice rising at times. j
Calling the union men assem
bled her "fellow workers" be
cause their production was help
ing China, the elegantly-dressed
wife of the Chinese generalissi
mo shouted: "' v : -'
Do you want to lose this war?"
As a voice the answer came:
No!"
'Do you want to increase pto
duction?" she asked.
"Yes! Yes! Yes!"
"Then," she cried, "let all a
bor cooperate and increase pro
duction!" "Production must increase,"
she yelled. "There must be jno
dissention, no differences of opin
ion among us. j
"I wish to stress to you that
it Is necessary' it Is vital -j
that every one of yon and ev
ery working man and woman
exert his best for the eountryl"
China has no heavy industry,
she said. "We fight with our flfsh
and blood. j :
"But you can provide muni
tions," Madame Chiang shouted.
Deafening cries met! her worjds.
The crowd of about 2000 -jammed
the small auditorium of the CIO
hall to the doors.
;The unprecedented appearance
of Madame Chiang was her first
before a labor group since her
arrival in this country in mjki-
February to plead for j further
hid
to her embattled country and
to
assure Americans that China
would fight Japan to 'the endJ
Madame Chiang, educated
in
i (Turn to Page 2 Story Cp
Civil Defense
: - i
Leaders Confer
1 Methods of combatting poss ble
enemy attacks during, the spring
and summer will be discussed to
day when all of Oregon's county
civilian defense coordinators meet
with state and federal defense
officials.! , -1 -
All phases of defense will! be
considered at the all-ay meeting.
A Subjects to be discuised include
dimout enforcement, j how : cities
can assist each other in fighting
fires, blackout regulations, war
emergency radio service, aircraft
warning service, the j April cam
paign to prepare all homes against
air attack, evacuation of civilians,
forest fire; fighting, emergency
medical ' services, methods J of
fighting gas attacks, water sup
ply protection, and new methods
of fighting incendiarjr bombs.
I state cmnan uextnse aq
istrator : Jerrold Owen will
side, while Gov. Earl! SnelL
ing his first appearand before the
coordinators, will make the open
ing address. ' ' . j . -
Java Volcano Active
MELBOURNE, Australia, March
2S-0F)-Mt. Merapi, the central
Java volcano which! erupted ; In
1930 with a toll of i!300 persons
killed and 1100 hous destroyed,
is showing signs of Jiew activity,
the Japanese-controlled - Batavia
radio reported Mondiiy, '
Fellow Workers
min-
bre-mak-
-i v J
' 4 i "
4 ' A' .
: j . 4 . I J
Even If the order had been to fire only when he saw the white of
their eyes, the pilot ef the allied plane from which this photo was
snapped could have opened j up at any time with all his guns. This
official US army lair forces photo was taken during the battle of
the Bismarck sea J as an allied plane swooped in at mast level to
strafe a Jap destroyer. A couple of Jap seamen can be seen run
ning. This ship was one of the 22; sunk la complete annihilation
ef the convoy. International Phetei
RAEBlast4
Ruhr Valley Again
LONDON, March SO-OThe RAF bombed Berlin Monday
night for the second time in three nights and also attacked
targets in the Ruhr valley, the British announced Tuesday.
The raid on tne denjian capital, which was subjected Sat
urday night to an! assault
more
dergone before, followed
a series
Goss Urges
Meat Limits
Below Supply
WASHINGTON, March j 29-
Restriction of meat j rations,' to less
than the available supply and
elimination of all j price ceilings
were urged Monday night by Al
bert S. Goss, master; of the) nation
al grange and one of fovir farm
organization leaders expected to
urge President Roosevelt Tuesday
to give Food Administrator Ches
ter C. Davis greater authority over
farm prices. j j
"It is evident from reports pour
ing in from all parts of the coun
try that rationing! of meat is in
a chaotic condition," Goss said.
"If the office of price adminis
tration will limit the total ration
allowance of meat to the public
to an amount slightly less; than the
available 'supply, thus permitting
stocks to be built up all the way
along the line from the packer to
the refrigerators of ! the corner
meat markets, and eliminate all
price ceilings, the basic law of
supply and demand will quickly
take care of what is rapidly be
coming an intolerable situation."
' Besides Goss, President Roose
velt invited to the. White House
conference Edward A. O'Neal,
president of the American Farm
Bureau Federation: James G. Pat
ton. president o f the! National
Farmers Union,' and Ezra T. Ben
son, president of the
National
Council of Farmer; Cooperatives.
It was indicated the
would consider all food
meeting
produc-
tion problems with particular em
phasis on ways of meeting the
shortages of farm labor and ma
chinery. Mrs. McGrath Heads
Woodburn Leaders
Mrs. Kenneth McGraOl' has
been named captain of the block
leaders for the Woodburn area,
Miss Hazel Harper, county block
leaders chairman, announced
Monday night. The organization,
designed to cover every communi
ty of the county and to do for
metropolitan areas what $he com-;
munity and neighborhood leaders
are doing in rural districts, is part
of the new citizens' service corps
of civilian defense, ! ,
M
Berlin,
devastating than any it had un-
of daylight attacks by British
airmen on targets in France and
The Netherlands.
:The German radio reported
Tuesday morning that 22 of the
British raiders had been shot
down a 'claim that was taken
here as an indication that the
raid was carried out in heavy
force.
: Sunday night, in the interlude
between the raids on Berlin, the
RAF blasted the great German
submarine base at St. Nazaire,
leaving fires from which smoke
still was coiling 15,000 feet into
the air Monday afternoon.
The air ministry, in describ
ing Sunday night's 48th raid on
St. Nazaire as "heavy and con
centrated," indicated that the
attack probably was as destruc
tive as that of February 28,
when ltet tons of Britain's
heaviest bombs shattered and
burned the same target.
IlTwo British bombers failed to
return from Sunday night's raid,
bringing to 16 the number of air
lied planes lost during a busy
weekend in which Berlin was
dealt probably its heaviest blow
of the war and Duisberg, Rotter
dam and Rouen were raked by ex
plosives. II (Monday's German high com
mand communique, recorded by
the Associated Press from a Ber
lin broadcast, said allied air at
(acks in western occupied terri
tory had caused "heavy losses'
among the population. The Ger
man-controlled Paris radio re
ported "considerable damage to
homes in Sunday's raid by United
States planes on Rouen.)
(Turn to Page 2 Story B)
Army of 8 Million
Called Minimum .
j! NEW "YORK, March, 29-()
Maj.' Gen. James A. Ulio, adjutant
general of the US army, said Mon
day that the 8,200,000 men plan
ned for the army by the end of
4943 "should be regarded from the
present outlook as a minimum.
f He cited tne possible luture need
of a larger army to reporters fol
lowing an address before adver
tising mens post No. 209 of the
American Legion.
i. In. his address Gen.v Ulio ex
pressed concern at the controversy
overthe projected size of the army
awl asserted, "there are many
Americans who need to be sold on
this war.1
Eignting
Violent
Reds Gain Fortified
Points, Hold Back
; 3 Donets Smashes
LONDON, Tuesday, March 30
(ffVViolent fighting rages "on
the muddy approaches to Smo
lensk, with the Russians mak
ing slow but stubborn new ad
vances toward .t hat, powerful
German stronghold, while sov
iet lines .along' the Donets to
the south are holding firm under
minor German attack, Moscow re
ported early Tuesday.
The red army thrusts on the
western front burst into a number
of nazi- strongpoints. with par
ticularly ferocious fighting at a
strongly-fortified German center
of resistance south of Bely on One
of the main directional roads to
Smolensk, the midnight communi
que as recorded by the soviet mon
itor declared.
Meanwhile on the southern
front, another German plunge
to cross the Donets river below
Kharkov was smashed back,
with 208 Germans killed by
"fire from all types of arms,"
the war bulletin said.
This was the third unsuccess
ful nazi assault reported in 24
hours in this sector of the middle
reaches of the Donets, where Rus
sian lines apparently have stiffen
ed against the German counter
offensive. The communique described the
fighting in the Smolensk area as
largely operations of local signifi
cance, and "gave this account of the
stubbornness of the battle:
Red army troops attacking one
strongpoint south of Bely, about
85 miles northeast of Smolensk,
drove a wedge into the German
defenses, and another soviet de
tachment, swinging around behind
the nazis, made a surprise at
tack.
"Alter a brief engagement a
considerable part of the German
garrison was wiped out. In an at
tempt to restore the position, the
Germans counter-attacked but
were flung back with heavy
losses to them. Having exhausted
the enemy, our detachments ad
vanced and captured three popu
lated places."
In the Belgorod area, between
Kharkov and Kursk, Russian
automatic riflemen In a sur
prise attack routed a battalion of
enemy infantry, killing about
108 Germans, the Russians said.
In the Black sea, an axis trans
port of 4000 tons was sunk by air
attack.
Soldier Hurt
In Car Lunge f
A soldier, unidentified earlf
this morning, was seriously injurif
ed When he drove his car int
a ditcn opposite tne aaiem air
port at about 12:15 a. m. He was
discovered by a passing group dt
soldiers, taken from his car wher
he had been hanging head dowii
in water, and given artificial re$
piration before being taken to Saf
lem Deaconess hospital. j
Block Leadhrs to Survey
for War Wprk Training
'To swell enrollment of Saleni?i
war production training classA,
members of community leadeai'
and block leaders' associations 01
Marion county . have undertakiji
to survey the county and to oi&r
C A. Guderian, director of tfje
training program, a possible ref-J
ervoir from which pupils may e
drawn.. - ' ' ' -:'
; The . recent addition . of a paTd
work, program to the vocational
training classes should prove adir
ed ;, incentive to those interest!
in. preparing , for : some kilMl
branch of war production, dvilijh
defense and training prograrj,
authorities greevii--:-'',v-'
Announcing the work vndeipf
taken over the county, Georg
Mud" Davis, commander of U
county's new citizens' vluntee?
eorps, pointed out that bled
' and community leaders will b-
dolus big Job by snerebjc
spreading work .ef the typo ?
training ayaBable In nuchln
welding and carpentry sheri
tellinr other wise-unlnfarm
persons that there la n eharg
. w ., .. . - ; -
Wait
America
ns
Flanks if Germans Flee
To NOThejpi Tunisia
.1 ' : I By EDWARD KENNEDY
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS
2MA3)-!tMarshal Rommel and his
tured Retreat-Monday night from
shells and bombs urned
gantlet, allied warships
slipped
bombarded the Gabes area 20 miles north of the pulverized forti
High Pacific
Allied Strategists
Confer on rplan9
For Jap Defeat
By WILLIAM FRYE
WASHINGTON ilarch 29 HP)
The plans of allied: strategists for
ultimate, destruction of Japanese
military power have been dis
cussed in detail jaft an extraor
dinary ' conference ?of the army
navy command witi 15 high rank
ing officers froij Pacific war
zones.. .'
The war department disclosed
Uondav the meetine. which was
held in Washington, begajn three
weeks ago at the call of j the US
Joint chiefs of staff, it was caiiea
to "acquaint commandersj In the
Pacific with lhej policies and
plans decided upon at the re
cent Casablanca conference which
concern the future actions in
which their treaties will be in
volved." . If -
Lt. Gen." George C. Kenneyj
author of the smashing air vic
tory which sank all 22 ships
f a Japanese ionvoy jln the
(Turn to Page2 Story D)
PGE Siik
For Contract
PORTLAND, Qre., March 29
The Portland . General Electric
company filed suit in federal dis
trict court Monday to conpel the
Bonneville administration to sign
a long-term powelr contract with
the firm. -!
The company alked a restt'1--
er to keep BonnvUanity to
miif-inff "that thdi rn. - ' .-.
quiring "that the co.
tor
or Pilot
to sell anv nart of its
perty as a condition of OMr, AJx?A
Ing of a power cpntracv :
The complaint ; said Bonneville
ofered a satisfactory contract in
February exceptfor clauses that
provided the conrpany wild aell
properties in Clark count, Washn
and Woodburn, Ore., or, tin other
areas where voters form people's
utility districts. J j
The complaint, said .lack of a
long-term contract 'works irre
parable injury to. the company."
for the schooling, available at
night, and expmlng the plan
under which they inay expect
to earn 95 eentp an bettr whfle
.sttU learning., v I - ' r. 1 '
The 95-cent pay rate ia usually
available after ajpproximtely f our
weeks of training, Guderian Tim
said. Trainees are paid when they
have acquired suffieient skill to
produce at a fair rate of speed
and have thus earned the right
to a place on the payroll of the
company supplying training Jobs
for the school. : :
Machinists who can d average
work are needed? in Salem, Guder
ian has pointed put, and such em
ployment is offered bj defense
contractors. . '-J ;
The canvassers -from the block
and commuity leaders- organiza
tions go out into their neighbor
hoods armed wth questionnaires
which will help? those questioned
as well as the; production train
ing class Instructors to determine
whether or not? they should reg
ister "for the wartime training,
Davis pointed out Monday. ' '
to Strike
IT NORTH AFRICA, March
su living troops were in tor
the fallen! Mareth line, and as
jhis coastal! retreat path into a perilous
close into shore and heavily
L m. . .!' Ai
fications. ( . j .
X Extreme pressure from a flank-
ing
column of the British Eighth
army which cut around to the
axis rear forced; the nazi marshal
tne j troops he had left Of the
original 80,000 to leave the devil's
caudron which; was the Mareth
linel The victory came after eight
days of the most grueling battle
this continent has ever known.
! Gabes, an j Important east
eofst supply port, was in im
minent peril not only from the
victorious! Eighth army troops
that had! fought their way
through the thick defenses, but
from a column that had flanked
thej Mareth line and reached El
namma and a position 15 miles t
1 west of I Gabes; The frontal con- '
quitrora of the! Mareth line were
but, 28 miles south of Gabes.
Farther north, the eager Amer
ican divisions of Lt. Gen. George
S.: Patton, jr j advanced through
difl icult country oast of El .Gue
tar and :tood on- high-ground
ready to yent jtheir offensive fury
on Rommel's flanks should he try
to flee the 200 miles -north-for
a. junction with. Col. Gen. Jurgen
von Arnim in the north around
Tunis and Biierte. . f
-At least two other American
columns menacing Mezzouna and
Kairouan farther north .likewis
gravely imperiled the ; Germana
and Italians with entrapment and
consequent slaughter. . :
Frontline dispatches said enemy
landing fields! west of Gabes had
been plowed tip, a sure indication
of flight! : I .
The allied j offensive In Tun
isia became general as the Bri
tish First army in the north
opened an assault from DJebol
5 bold sector, smashing against
erman" positions straddling the
T:arbaca-Mater road. . The al
lied communique said "success
ful local advances were made
and a considerable number of
prisoners were, taken.
h final assault that cracked
bccofw line started during the
I . ' ' f i
one of 'S ?"!
.xn credited the flank-
column which had swept
arpund the line with generating
the pressure .that caused its f?U. -Tlie
communique said:
, f'On the Eighth army front the'
attack which was launched on the
afternoon of March 26 on the ene
my's strong position south of Q
Hamma has. forced the enemy to
wthdraw from the Mareth area.
This attack, with the powerful and
very effective1 support of our air
fojrces, caused the enemy heavy
losses in tanks, guns, motor trans
port and men. Many Germans
were taken prisoner.
I ("Fierce fighting continued in
this area during March 27,' with
our troops making good progress.
The whole of the strong organized
defenses of the Mareth position are
now in our hands and, our troops
oii . March 28 occupied Mareth,
Toujane and Matmata. Prisoners .
taken by the Eighth army since
March 20 now total of 6000."
Thus the superb British team of
generals,! Sir: Bernard ' L. Mont- -gpmery
and Sir Harold Alexander,
again had proved to be the neme
sis of the touted Marshal Rommel '
Whom, they had chased over 1600
miles of desert from FJ Alamein '
14 Egypt But now, they are op
erating under the supreme com
mand of an American, Gen JDwight
'. Eisenhower. -!
Rommel, as In previous re- '
treats, left many pockets of re- '
istanee te delay the advance
land the British methodically
Were wiping them out. lie
strewed mines and booby traps - '
which the practiced tappers
mopped up.
On the basis of latest official re
ports, the .Germans still clung to
Gabes Monday night, but the Brit
ikh were pushing in on two sides
and the'port was considered ex
tremely vulnerable.
1-.'
t