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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (March 23, 1944)
OH' Tht military is beinf 'used to 'pull Somebody's Ichestnuts out of the fire The arguments which the army and navy are advancinf In support . of the;! Ickes pipeline across Arabia have nothing to do , W1U1 U1C WC. UUt VXBllU 1 wis delay might cost! ! American com- panics uicxr uu i uuk other - companies could develop them any faster! The companies are financially strong and have been developing I the lands on a practical, economic basis. It is not they but Ickes who is driving the pipeline project through, The. second argument advanced by the army and navy is that un less the pipeline j is started soon it would not be ready to deliver oil when the postwar European market opens ui. What possible concern can that; be of the army and navy? They fare supposed to be fighting a war, not scheming ' for' postwar markets. A further contention is that King Ibn Saud -of Saudi 'Arabia has suffered a decline in royal revenues because of the falling off of pilgrimages toil Mecca. But we lend-leased him ja lot of silver coins stamped at; our own mint, as well as other supplies, and Great Britain has made direct ad vances to the king. He probably can cet along. And what com panies could do than the Amer better for him can companies, when you get down to ability to pay? i .. " The whole pipeune scheme doesn't look good to' John Citizen It doesn't make sense so far as providing supplies1 for America is concerned. For us to make it a chip in a diplomatic poker game In the middle . east is to invite trouble. It involves the companies in the morass of diplomacy while they seem to (Continued on edi torial page) I Allied Bombers Sink Jap Ships At New Guinea By MURUN SPENCER ALLIED HEADQU ARTERS, Southwest Pacific, Thursday, "March -29 --"'.X-Japaneso ,,:.de stroyer and two sJfialT merchant men have been sunk by allied bombers off Altape, New Guinea, northwest ow Wejwak, headquar ters announced today. Aitape is in a sector where con siderable enemy shipping has been noted ; recently, indicating efforts to supply wavering, garrisons. Headquarters also reported an other unopposed raid on isolated Rabaul, New Britain, during which 133 tons of explosives were drop .ped. .! i' ; In the St Matthias islands, whose invasion Monday completed the isolation of Rabaul, marines have' strengthened their positions at Emirau without encountering any Japanese opposition. 1 Light enemy resistance was overcome in the initial landings. On the ground front below the Japanese New Guinea coastal base of Madang, headquarters said -that Australians in the interior have sent patrols to within seven miles of. Bogadjim. Bogadjim is an outpost for the defense of Madang and is located about 20 miles to the soutlrof that j base. - To the northwest of Madang large forces of bombers blasted enemy personnel, supplies, barges and guns at Wewak, at Hansa bay (Turn Us Page 2 Story A) , Military Insists Draft Fill Quota of Ybung Men WASHINGTON, March 22 mediate requirements. It was an Con fronted with j unfilled draft I nounced, however, that air force quotas and a general shortage of ground forces, the army announc ed today- the' transfer to ground duty of 38,000 young men who had been earmarked for: air train ing...'1 ! Meantime, a nigh military offi cial reported draft boards had been failing for 13 months to meet the calls of the armed forces, and asserted "the, time has arriv ed when wo must have the fight- ' ing .men we need. , j""'-- --'V' This statement Was the ; latest development in a tug of war be tween the armed forces and in dustry and. agriculture for the ser-J Vices 'of thousands of young menj IUHICT, An imuuu uiuvuu official , countered with' a .claim - that blanket .cancellations of draft v;: def ermenta ;granted the " young inen would cripple war-hecessary . airlines"";.-'.: ji'-i-1 c, Plans for congressional inquiries into charges that the draft has been, used as a leve to force farm ers Into the government . agricul ture program gave the situation : new. twist. : .-." ' y - -.':. - ' , The army air forces f also an nounced the suspension of enlistments- of 17-year-olds la its en listed reserve,' saying that under tie circumstances It is I inadvls l able to hold a reserve beyond 1m- NINETY-THIRD TEAS oviet Army Mol: Cassino Infantry Slugs On Allies Using Bush Knives, Flame Throwers By RICHARD G. MASSOCK ALLIED HEADQUARTERS, Naples, March 22-jip)-Allied in fantrymen, fighting with every thing (from flame throwers-to bush knives, advanced slowly tonight against bitter German resistance and severe terrain handicaps in the battle for Cas sino and the eastern slopes of Monastery hill. Field gvns supported the foot troops from close range. The Germans were ejected from several more of the fortified build ings at the southwestern corner of the ruined town and fifth army troops wired and mined the new ly captured areas to prevent ene my infiltration. (North of Cassino, German troops made a sustained, five-hour attack Wednesday morning against allied troops on Castle hill, but were repulsed, the British an nounced in a broadcast recorded by CBS. ("As the German troops made desperate efforts to climb the hill," it said, "allied rifle and machine gun fire held them back. At the same time about 20 German fight er planes were sept over to strafe allied rear areas. ) (Turn to Page 2 Story C) Postal Rates Go Up Sunday Increased postal rates affecting almost every branch of the postal service will go into effect Sunday, March 26. The change which will probably affect the largest num ber of persons is that which in creases local letter postage to 3 cents for one ounce, making it the same as for letters other than local. Domestic air mail rates for one ounce will be increased from six to eight cents. Airmail rates for members of the armed ser vice over seas will remain the same, six cents for every half ounce. Fees on money orders, insured mail, COD shipments, registered mail, and book postage will also be increased. Return receipts for registered mail will also cost more as will fees for restricted delivery of registered, insured and COD mail. In announcing the change in postal rates, Henry Crawford, Sa lem postmaster, suggests that con tinued separation of local and out of town will speed up deliveries, even though the same rate of pos tage will prevail. applications from youths of 17 still will be accepted and training will not stop. Cumulative shortages since Ju ly, the war department said, have made it necessary to use every available man for pending opera tions. The military official, who declined to permit use of his name, put the draft shortage even fur ther back, saying it had run for 13 months. ' t General H. H. Arnold, chief of the army airforces, testifying be fore the house military committee on a bill to give army status to the women's airforce service pilots (WASPS), set . the induction ? de ficit at -over 200,000." ; , : ; .'- The 38,000 released by ';thV air forces are men 'who have complet ed basic training ta"theanay"and have been accepted for instruction as pilots, navigators and bombardiers.:;;- v; ,: . General George C Marshall, ar my chief of staff, explained an other factor in the airforce cut back was the fact that American forces are "approaching complete air supremacy in practically, ev ery theater in which they are in operation at a much faster pace than the army had dared to hope." He agreed that airforce casual ties had been lower than expected. 12 PAGES 600 US Bombers Again Strike Berlin in Strong Flak: 22 Planes Missing LONDON, Thursday, March through heavy flak yesterday, losing 13 bombers and nine fight- ers, and the RAF followed up with a strong smash at Frankfurt find other German! targets in the night. 1 1 s The Berlin station said in a broadcast shortly after midnight that "strong British bomber formations tonight bombed places n the "Rhineland." This enemy report was promptly confirmed In. London, with identification of Frankfurt as the major ob jectiveAmerican heavy bombers had attacked the Frankfurt area Monday. . The American daylight attack yesterday on Berlin was the fifth Bombers 3 s i Warn Raid Berlin of I LONDON, Mrh M.-(ff)-The American bomber fleet which hit Berlin today flashed a radio warning while en route that the attack waS coming and urgently advised citizens of two districts to evacuate Immediate ly, the Daily Herald said In a dispatch from Stockholm. Sixty minutes before the bombers -and their fighter es corts reached Berlin,1 it said, this warning was sent out: ! "We are coming. Our tar gets will be In the northernand Wedding ' (northwestern) dis tricts of Berlin. Evacuate those districts at oneeJ j.'K ; Every few minutes the warn ing was repeated, the dispatch said. ) 1 It was an invitation too for nasi fighters to come up and jEtght, but they stayed on the ground. ! ', ! -1 Traill Kills Gordon Kjarr, 17, in Albany l ALBANY, March 22 Gordon Kjarr, five, weeks, short of 17 years old, was instantly killed when his old car, driven by George Rhodes, jr., 16, was hit by a southbound Southern Pacific passenger train at 5 o'clock Wednesday night. The accident happened in East Albany at ,the MainJ street cross ing, very dose to the Kjarr fam ily home. The completely demol ished car was i thrown ; onto the family lot while the boy's body was picked up in pieces. With Kjarr and Rhodes in the car was Bobby Phelps, 13. Neither Rhodes nor Phelps was seriously injured, althougli both were taken tq the hospital. Rhodes was to re turn to his home Wednesday night an- Phelps Thursday morning. Gordon Kjarr . was born . April 27, 1927, at Wessington Springs, SD, and came with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Peder Kjarr, to Albany in 1936. Besides his parents a sis ter, Phoebe, survives. The father is; employed in the Portland ship yards. The boy attended Albany schools and was M member of the Lutheran church. '. i . I This is the third fatal accident at the. Albany crossing this year. A- man and woman were killed in collision of a car with the south bound Southern Pacific passenger train at 11:40 Saturday morning, January 1.' The: woman and her mother had picked up a soldier to give him a ride.;The collision oc curred when the women turned the car off the highway to go into town to the bus depot to let the soldier out.; I -1 , . -. Nazis Arrest Petiot For Deaths in Paris H 'P.-: -! !;X:''i",jt. . 'i- v-". -. ' MADRID, , March 22 -P)- A German dispatch-from Paris said today that Dr. Marcel Petiot had been, arrested by French police ina Paris ; subway station in con nection' with the. death of from nine to SO persons at his Paris vilLi. Police have not' yet officially announced the arrest. -the' dispatch said. ... .. .-J. r.-s.L' - FDR's Cold Better ! WASHINGTON, March 22.-P) -President Roosevelt, who has been confined to the living quar ters of the White House all week with, a head cold, was described by aides tonight Us showing con tinued improvement, f -- J i The president, for a third day In) a row, however, had no en gagements and worked quietly in his study. :, Scdonv Oregon, Thursday Morning; March 23, 1944 By W. W.HERCHER t I 23-(P)-American heavy bomb- powerful fighter! formations, struck Berlin -Oin 119 days and the heavy bombers were estimated to have dropped 1500 tons of explosives. They encountered no fighter op position, but the flak was extreme ly heavy. if Six hundred Fortresses and Liberators participated in yes terday's assault on Berlin. A communique said they were ac companied by "very strong' fighter formations indicating the escort was equal In number to the heavy bombers, or larg er, and were estimated at be tween 750 and 1000. The RAF night attack on Frankfurt was the 48th raid of the war ion the nazi chemical and en gineering center. A report early ; today from Stockholm said telephone com- A US BOMBER BASE IN BRITAIN, March 2-(P-MaJ. James Stewart, film star turned airman, first visited Berlin to day, commanding ! a liberator eombat wing. . - ; ' -t-'.i After completing; bis 11th raid? since arriving In the European 'theatre, Stewart said: "The flak was heavy and fighter support swell. I saw a few enemy planes, but; they kept their distance." , munication between the Swedish city and Berlin had been broken since the American attack on the nazi ;capital. The assault was by "strong di visions" of Fortresses and- Libera' tors,! a communique from US army headquarters announced,! adding that the planes "met no opposition from German fighters, although anit-aircraft fire over Berlin was intense." I The lack of aerial resistance was reflected in the announce ment which. Instead of telling of the shooting down of dosens of nazi fighters, said only that "one heaty bomber taking off from an airfield was destroyed by our fighters." I Military targets still standing in Berlin as well as factories and transportation facilities In the sur rounding area were pounded by the big bombers, although some of the formations were forced to dropj their explosives byUinstru ment through thick clouds and could not observe results. 'The communique said "very, a t re n g forces" of Mustang, Lightning and Thunderbolt fighters of both the! eighth and ninth air forces took part in the raldi :,: .uv.:: , ; These circled over Berlin for a considerable period , the an nouncement said, and later left the bombers to search for action r (Turn to Page 2 Story E) Sgt. Weldeh Martin's Death ; : Announced War Department r The death of Sgt Welden G. Martin was officially . announced in telegram to his mother, Mrs. j Elva G. Martin, from the adjutant general. Martin : was listed as missing In action over Germany in a previous communication to the mother. The action in which he died, was on the night of January 29. 1 -i ; Sgt Martin, born in Browns ville, January; 23, 1912,' came to Salem with ids parents . two yeairs later.j His father was B."SrMar tin, a Salem attorney.' : J 2 Sgt Martin .' attended .jt Salem schools and enlisted in f the' "air, forces; in May, 1842. He graduated from Harlingen gunnery school in August of that year and has since trained in various air fields here. He went overseas in iDecember of 1943. He was at home to 1 fur lough last 'April. K -:."..',"' ''i. 't.-1 'i - ; -Martin was an aerial gunner on it heavy bomber. '!-;"! t Survivors besides his mother. Mrs. I Elvarv M, Martin Include brothers and sisters,5 Mrs. Verna fHvn inH Un Theda Wells of Salem, Halford Martin, f Deuel Nazi Grip Ixtends In Balkan Germans Rush Defense Against Russian Surge By RICHARD R. KASISCHKE LONDON, March 22 -4Jfy-With Hungary occupied and a puppet government established, Germany was reported tonight extending a stranglehold oyer neighboring satellites in a fev erish rush to construct a fort ress - within - a - fortress against the Russians' westward surge ! and other allied threats, j ;."A general mobilization of all southeastern Europe" was the an nounced aim. The Germans fol lowed up their plunge into Hun garyj where nazi bayonets erec ted a Quisling premier to direct a fuller Hungarian part in the German war effort, by penetrating into Bulgaria, Rumania and Slo-, vakia, said dispatches from neu tral capitals. Germany's seizure of once-favored, but often recalcitrant Hun gary was officially . told by the Berlin radio today, and tonight it declared "German troops are still arriving." The first announcement said ( the - Hungarian government had resigned and that the nazi forces "arrived in Hungary as the result of a mutual understanding." This rado tonight said there was nofresistance to the occupation, but castigated a "small group bf anti-German politicians who pro voked a war of nerves." Neuner Rules Federal Vote Ballot Illegal The federal soldier ballot, pro vided! in a recent congressional act, is illegal in Oregon because it does not conform to Oregon's election laws, Attorney Gen. George Neuner declared here Wednesday. ! NeUner said he, would not have a written opinion on the subject. Gov. Earl Snell, in a telegram to President Roosevelt, Tuesday said - the state's existing election laws jare sufficient to permit all Oregon soldiers to vote but that the federal ballot was being given further study by the attorney gen eral and state election officials, i ! . -.,1 In event the state election laws are used for soldier voting it will be necessary for the federal gov ernment to deliver and return the ballots by airplane. ; Officials said county clerks could! mail the state ballots 45 days before the election. Some officials suggested a spe cial legislative session to extend the time to 53 days. Gov. Snell said he would call a special ses sion provided v such action is ne cessary to permit Oregon service men to vote. ! Martin and Mrs. Irma King all of Portland. Mrs. Susan Bartlett of Pendleton, Zenaa Martin! of S. Paul, Linden Martin of Dayton, Wash, and Miss Genevieve Rudin Forward '. ..- ?- , . . ; -. , . it i : ' Hungary's Place In Balkans German and Romanian forces (shaded arrows) were reported occupy ing Hungary, sparred by threatening Rassian drives (black arrows) along the battlefront (black line) to the! northeast Shaded border outlines pre-war Hungary,1' jwhOe broken' line indicates expanded wartime border? Rail routes make Hungary an important communi cations key to the Balkan states. (AP Wlrephoto) Churchill Indicates New Atlantic Charter Parley f. j. 1 By JAMES M. LONG LONDON, March 22-i-Prime Minister Churchill, under in creasing fire over the Atlantic charter, said today that there must be new' consultations on the subject among the big powers. Although the prime minister did not say whot form these new consultations might take; his carefully chosen words left open the possibility of a second Rposevelt-Churchill-Stalin meeting. The statement was made in the house of commons, where some members tried for the second time In two Weeks to put the ! whole question of the Atlantic charter into open debate and to raise the issues of postwar borders. ;' Churchill made it clear that he regards the charter as a living doctrine which must be adapted and expanded. "It is evident" Churchill said, "that as; the changing phases of the war succeed one another, some further clarifications will be re quired of the position under the document which has become hon orably known - as the Atlantic charter, and. that this must be a subject for renewed consultation between . the principal allies, i "I am- not prepared to embark on this subject at question time today further than to state that the Atlantic charter stands as a declaration of the spirit and pur pose in which its signatories are waging this : war not without success and that it implies no pact or bargain with our enemies." Churchill's statement left :no doubt that Russia- would be in the discussions. - 1 on London Again Oets tfombing By WILLIAM SMITH WHTTfi LONDON, ! March 22-iPfGer- man raiders s returned to London tonight while the sprawling Brit ish capital still was cleaning !up the damage caused by the attack of more than 100 nazi planes early today 1 i . The return visit however, was of minor consequence and the alert, early in the night, tasted only half an hour. " i j - Flares were dropped in one dis trict of the capital and in south ern England, indicating the small scale . effort may T have J been j an armed reconnaissance' mission, since the nazis seldom brave- day light for Cspying" on the island . Only a few f the planes reached the metropolitan section and one was destroyed. ; :.-k j i : The early morning assault, caus ing many casualties and fires; was delivered in greater strength' than the nazis had employed last week, but the enemy lost at least ten planes. " , ! t London's people dug with quiet urgency , into the wreckage for their dead. '.' - - Nazis Seize i Soviet ' -y. Embassy in! Bulgaria' ' LONDON, Tharsday, March zl-iThe London Daily Mall said In Madrid dispatch today . that German- airborne troop had ccepled the Soviet embassy, in the Eolgariaa capital of Sa ris and had detained the Ras Kiaa di?!oma,tie staffr" 4 s ' i p (Al.r;a Eclgaria'ls at 'war with Eritali and the United Slates, she la not at war-wli Seviet . Ecssla and has cu!a talned d'plomatie relations with 'Moscow.) i- J . Pries So IB Churchill Talk On Air Sunday LONDON, March tt-iJP) Prime Minister Churchill will deliver ; a ; broadcast to Britain .Sondayj March 25, at 9 pjn, (1 pjni Pacific war time). It was announced tonight Churchill's talk also will be beamed to America, BBC said. Jap Columns Penetrate India For list Time By CHARLES A. GRUMICH NEW DELHI, March 22 -() Japanese; columns have made their first penetration of India and are pushing on westward through the Manipur .mountain country in the direction of the key road junction of Imphal, 30 miles away. The Japanese drive into India was announced by allied head quarters today in a communique which stated little except that the enemy "continued to move to the West" : . '. ? , , Imphal is the southern terminus of an all-weather road that winds 175 miles north through the Naga hill coupntry to a junction with the India i- Assam?- China supply (Turn to Page 2 Story B) Roosevelt Begins Study Of Poll on Service Vote WASHINGTON, March 22-ff) President; Roosevelt today began study of the service vote bill in the light j o a poll' of governors which turned up a 19-19 tie of "ayes" and "nays" on the question of approval or probable of use of federal ballots as provided in the measure., y:', :;: t ; t ; , : i,- Executives of nino states were non-committal ' and j the White House had.'yet to. receive a reply from Gov. Olin D. Johnston of South CarolUW 7 . . j Mr. Roosevelt conducted the! poll' to- help, him jdedde whether to approve or veto the biU which gives ''priority - and preference to' state ballots instead of the feder al ballots which he recommended to congress. He 'indicated be would -make up his mind on the basis of whether the new legisla tion would mean more or less vot ing by those in uniform.- . , . The bill - would permit i use . of federal b&llpts only (r by service men. and women overseas and only in cases where they apply for a state ballot by September J and do not receive one by October 1. Texas and Vermont gave the 7eadier- - Wednesday maximum tern peratare 59, awlnimamVlS. Precipitation .94 ef aa taeh, Siver J ft. -w ij;r-- Showers Thursday - aad Friday with snow la moust tains. Colder Thursday and Tbarsday night Fresh winds north - and . west portions Thursday. No. 310 ' TOM Foe Yields To Flank Moscow Silent , On Red Drive Told by Nazis '. By TOM YABBROUGH LONDON, ThursdayJ Marcr 22-ff-The red armyj hurled back the Germans at the south eastern end bf the Ukrainian ' battleline j the nazis east ernmost extension in Russia yesterday by capturing the im portant fortified railway junc tion of Pervomaisk, driving to the approaches of Voznesensk to the southeast and reaching a point eight miles from Nikolaev on the Bug estuary, Moscow announced today. I On the northwestern f end of the 500-mile line a fierce! pitched battle With fresh German re serves flung in for a counter attack resetted in the liquida tion of detachments of two Ger man guards divisions, the mid night communique said. -More than 1000 men were killed and many prisoners and much booty captured in the battle, which the Russians located as near Pod zamchye. .Podzamchye, 13 miles east of Brody in old Poland, was reported captured last Sunday. The late bulletin, recorded by the Soviet Monitor, said hundreds -of Germans were drowned in the Bug river when the. Russians,' in a two-day battle, cracked careful ly erected German -d e f e n s e s around Pervomaisk. Moving fin from the east and the south the Russians pinned the German gar rison against the river and wiped out those who tried to hold on. Much war material and many prisoners were reported taken. ' Pervomaisk is an important for tified railway junction which has been protecting the German with drawal from the southern Ukraine. To the southeast the1 Russians "engaged the enemy on the ap proaches of Voznesensk," a station on the Odessa -Cherkasy railway, 85 miles northeast of Odessa. One of the hamlets reported capture was Alexandrovka, nine miles north of Voznesensk. ; : The Russians closed in on Nik olaev from the north, east'and south and had the nazi defenders pinned back against the wide es tuary of the Bug river, i Soviet troops pushing up- from the south captured the town of Balabanov ka, eight miles from Nikolaev a outskirts, it was announced in the Moecow daily communique, re Corded by the Soviet Monitor. ' - The Germans, meanwhile, aa- -, nonnced that the RimIim had launched a big flanking offen ; sive in the strategic Proskurov- i Tamopol hinge position in the , ' western . Ukraine and Poland - and had forced the nazis to fall I back before strong Infantry and tank blows. ; The fall of Pervomaisk was an- ' nounced by Premier Stalin in an order of the day in which he de- (Turn to Page 2 Story D) ". president assurance today they Will allow use of the supplemen tary ballots, raising to seven the number of states where no doubt remains-that such ballots can be used. The others are California, Maryland, North Carolina, Flor ida and' Kansas. :i1;vv:5.j ;;.;-: The governor of Alabama said, federal ballots would be accept able if the service vote bill is con- stitutional, ' and governors "of . the -following states' said : they either expected or would recommend ail- . thorlzation to approve the federal blanks: Utah, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Indiana, New Hampshire, ' Rhode Island, -New Jersey, Ne braska, Maine, Oklahoma and Connecticut f vfs ?l-:'x::': On; the other aide of the ledger were advices that no action has been taken or. is planned to au thorize them . in Nevada, Iowa, Idaho, . Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, West Virginia, Arizona, Wisconsin, v Colorado, Minnesota, Ohio, Mon tana and Mississippi .Governors of North Dakota,. Tennessee, Wyonw ing, Michigan: and Oregon Indi cated there is little likelihood of validation of federal ballots. -- - Offensive SGT. WELDEN G. MARTEI - . 1 , .