OtP eootras m oops Yankees 1 Advance 'V I I . VV 7-9 Miles There Is Sji old saying, uncer tain of origin, that is frequently quoted:, "Let me but write the songs of a people and I care hot who writes its laws." The aphor ism bears' eloquent testimony to "the power of song. - .It remains a mystery, though, Why some songs live and others ' die. Why, for example, does the Star Spangled Banner with its in appropriate words and its almost impossible music survive as our national anthem? From Tinpan Alley comes continuous stream of . music, and from more sedate music publish - ers a - steady flow of music of . higher graded As with books, the fates deal variously with this out put of song. Songs live or die as public favor "is given or withheld. very few have lived through the centuries and become part of the musical lore, of the people. ; The immediate popularity of a song doesn't determine its length ' of life. I remember a snatch of a song of 1898, about the sinking tot. the Maine, perhaps because our hired girl sang it with such feeling while she washed the dishes: - Then came the death-dealing crash, . ' Rending the vessel in twain, Down went my sweetheart to death, Down went the crew of the Maine. r Well, that song didn't last any longer than the Spanish war. Er nest Ball's "After the Ball Is Over had a much longer vogue r and (continued on editorial page) Scobie Rejects EAM Proposal For War End By Stephen Barber ATHENS, Dee. le-iLt. Gen. Ronald M. Scobie rejected neace proposals of the Earn left-wing uaumwiuuuauuu iiuui (Mtrijr; 10- i day because the leftists' offer failed to provide immediate cessa tion of resistance and fighting con tinued in the capital. , A British headquarters state ment said, "General Scobie must continue to insist upon satisfac tory fulfillment of this condition." Scobie- the British commander In Greece, has demanded that all Has (fighting branch of the Earn) supporters in Athens and its port, Piraeus, stop fighting against Brit ish and Greek government troops and surrender their arms, The tone of his reply to the Earn peace offer today, however, was regarded as hopeful. Allies Occupy Ridge in Italy 'i ROME, Dec. lS.-WPBritish and Polish troops and tanks, closing a ring around strategic Faenza on -the edge of the Po plain, gouged out a foothold today on a dominat ing ridge two miles west of the city as heavy fighting flared ab ruptly along nearly half of the Italian front. . . -. The ridge runs between Ceile, a mile and half west of Faenza, to Pideura, four miles southwest, uiu uic vtermans uieu vainiy w blast the British Eighth army fore to from it with an artillery bar rage. i As the barrage lifted, four Tiger tanks and infantry, sprang to the attack, but they were hurled back and the allied forces took more than 200 prisoners Senate Okehs Hurley r Heller WASHINGTON, Dec. J The senate confirmed tyt mem bers of the surplus property dis posal board , late today and by doing so cleared the way for de bate next week on six disputed State .department nominations. r -Former ; Governor Jtobert A. Hurley of Connecticut and Lt CoL Edward hT Heller, an army finance officer from San Fran ' ctsco, were approved as members " f the surplus property - board which will handle the sale of an "etsimated $100,000,000,000 worth of government-held commodities. machines, factories and land.-The president har designated tiuriey as chairmaiu i:- - s 2 f .The votes of ,approval--4I to 28 for Hurley, 43 to 28 for Heller adhered very closely to party lines. Both men are democrats. : Weather ! lliximam temperature Satur day 17 degrees, mlalmnn 23,, ne nia. river -2 ft la Clar Snnday and Monday, ex- nt for local Taller legs; little tmiETY FOURTH YEAR r(i Seventh Pushes Nazi Blow Made At Dozen Points On First Front : By Austin Bealmear SUPREME HEADQUARTERS ALLEID EXPEDITIONARY FORCES, Paris, Dec. 16-()-Ger-man counterattacks were opened today at a . dozen points on the 70-mile First U. S. army front between Duren and Trier, the heaviest fighting occurring in the Ardennes forest. The counter thrust were an ap parent effort to draw off pressure against the Duren sector. Although the full extent of the assault can not yet be determin ed, it included attacks at widely separated points including the area of Monschau, the neighbor hood of KrewinkeL eight miles north faf Prum, at Peterskirche, 14 miles southwest of Prum, and Echternaeh, 10 miles northwest of Trier. The -drive was pointed at the Ardennes region or mountain forest through which the German army passed in 1940. Mere Men Sent In The Germanf drew an armored division from another front and nuriea n xoaay ai loe.uu.a. oev enthvarmy, which poured, more teoopi into the reich's Palantinate after smashing the enemy stand in the French frontier city of Lauterbourg. All along a front of more than 200 miles, ' where four American armies .have invaded Germany. the enemy loosed artillery bar rages which reached an intensity of 100 shells an hour on some tjs. First army sectors, and up to 250 an hour on the U. S. Third army front in the Saar basin. Destroy Bridget The thunder of explosions set off by the Germans' destroying the last bridges across the Roer river indicated that they had 'given up hope of holding back the First army on the west bank of that stream. The - Germans! counterattacked for the first tone in two weeks . against the U. S. Ninth army north of Lindern, but were thrown back. . , ; '. .:. (A German broadcast said the U. S. Ninth army had turned on giant loudspeakers which blared out "advertising" of an impend ing offensive.) Jrp e T? 1 TailSler firm, Ca-.li l-y 17' J SirUCK Dj , T 1T69 l Ml T ,D.iV21- I 11 111 JUC 11C11U1II The Capital City Transfer, the interior of which was destroyed in a $100,000 fire Wednesday, will be rebuilt as soon as material can be procured under current war time regulations, Loren Loose, co- owner, and operator, said Satur day-i - -A-.'. In- the meantime the transfer business is being operated from an office at 246 State, two doors east of the company's former lo cation. No trucks were burned tn the conflagration, which destroy ed a good share of the stored nousenoid effects of more than 100" families. : 7 " - :;i.Ai 4 L Forward 22 PAGES 11 Curb Worker mover No New Civilian Goods Output Will Be Allowed By Sterling F. Green WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 - (JP) The war production board today threw its weight ' into , the drive i f ii . , u Keep worxers on uie muni tions lines by freezing its pro grams for civilian goods produc tion at current levels. I A spokesman for the office of civilian requirements, however. gave this assurance: "Civilian pro- tion necessary to meet essential requirements will be fully pro tected," , . V At High Level He noted also i that ' authorized production in the present (quarter, the yardstick for future civilian output, is at the highest level since the conversion of Industry to war production- . :' The ceiling will stand until fur- ther notice which probably means until German collapse is at hand or imminent and is de signed, an official announcement said, "to prevent reconversion from interfering with production for military needs. ' Blocks Early Plans The order, a policy guide to the WPB's staff signed December " 7 but only now made public, blocks earlier plans for expansion in 1943 in a number of durable goods programs. , ' .- 7. t- "J . It applies less to clothing, tex tiles, and other "soft" goods and to parts and raw materials, ,WPB said, than to Hard goods. The ruling is expected to exert stabilizing influence on man power. - , Oregon Lags In Purchase O f E Bonds ; PORTLAND, Dec. 16 -(iP)- The curtain falls tonight, on the actual selling . campaign for the sixth war loan drive, and Oregon is still poking behind toward a $34, 000,000 E bond goal. Although bond sales of $23, 085,757 . reached today were 12 per cent behind the ratio of the fifth war loan drive, sales up, to January-1 will count toward the quota. . ?: -: i The state's all-over total climb ed still further past the. $107, 000,000 goal today, reaching $121,- 942,792. One of the drive's largest single, investments was $3,200,000 In bonds purchased by the city of Portland. Governor Snell made a state wide appeal today for increased E bond purchases iL Tu Salem, Oregon. Sunday Morntag rns hi a Morgenthau Says 6th Loan Will Go Above 19 Billion WASHINGTON, Dec 16 -JPy- Treasury secretary Morgenthau predicted tonight the sixth war oan will go above $19,000,000,000 when all returns are in. He said he was "thrilled" to report that it , now seems clear the crucial quota of $5,000,000,000 for individual bond-buyers will be fully achieved. Soviets Smash On Westward --'.;' ...... ; i Toward Vienna JLONDON, Sunday, Dec. 17 (jfP) The Red army salient 100 miles northeast of Budapest was ex tended virtually to the Slovak bor der at a new point yesterday while other Russian tanks and infantry smashed westward towards Vien na from the newly-won bridge heads at Ipolysag in western "Slo vakia northwest of the Hungarian capital. ; " . ; " t" Moscow's - broadcast communi que last night restricted; Itself to gains some 27 to 30 miles north and : northeast of Miskolc, which is 8.5 miles north and northeast of Miskolc, which is 85 miles north east of Budapest, but the .Germans announced withdrawals to new positions north and west of Ipoly sag in the face of continual Rus sian assaults.. Unofficial Moscow dispatches also said the Russians were strengthening - their i bridgehead over - the . Ipoly ' ; river at Ipolysag and thrusting toward the Slovak capital of Bratislava, 87 miles to the west, and towards Vienna, 115 miles in the same direction. U. S. Bombers Hit Rail Yards LONDON, Dec. 1 t.-iP) A force of 100 U. S. heavy bombers dump ed explosives ' on railroad yards north of Stuttgart today, blasting the enemy transportation hub for the second time in eight days in support of Seventh army columns invading Germany north of Stras bourg. '-. ; '- ',!'." Pilots of 100 Mustangs which es corted the Flying. Fortresses re ported the; Germans failed to in tercept the attack concentrated on freight yards at Kornwestheim, northern 1 Stuttgart suburb. One group of heavies bombed Visually. Others used the "magic eye" in the overcast. - S .. British Experts Arrive For Supply Discussion' WASHINGTON, Dec.. 18 -JP)- Bntish minister of state Richard Law and a party of "experts ar rived" in Washington . by ' Royal air force transport plane this afternoon. They are here for dis cussions with American authorities of supply 'problems In .liberated European territories. - ' i December 17, 1944 mi Marion Gets Just Over Line E Goal Reached; Final Report Not Ready for eek In a photo finish that kept workers on the anxious seat right up to ' the last minute, Marion county topped its sixth war loan quota of $5,000,000 shortly before 8 o'clock Saturday night-j-last day of the drive. Bulletins from Salem's issuing agencies and outside communities streamed in all day Saturday, but final reports will not be available until next week, according to Chairman Douglas Yeater. Bond headquarters with Lawrence Fish- i i 1 I . er in cnarge wuu De open' ai leasx two days and possibly three days of next week to check up reports, receive stubs of sales and clean npi'other odds and ends , of the successful campaign. ; I ' ' Yeater Happy i.!.v; v . ;:-:; "Of course I'm very happy about going over the top," de clared Chairman Yeater last night, "but1 the most gratifying aspect of the entire . campaign was the cooperation of all workers and the fact that Marion county went over the top on its K series bond quota - of $1,500,000 even if we did have, to wait until the last day for that tod." - Final check on E bond sales by Accountant Fisher revealed that $l,502,Q0O actually, was on the books and that probably another hundred t thousand or two would be reported during the coming week and certainly before the official ending of the! campaign December SI. All purchases of E, F, G, and C bonds bis month 11 A - J . a . - ww count in we anve Due only the $4000 Victory dream house bond sales ended last night The house will be . given way at a public program during the 'com ing week. Large Buyers Short Corporate purchases also went overtheir two-million-dollar quo ta, but large individual buyers still were, somewhat short of the $1,500,000 expected ofj them. Late reports also may put them over the quota, officials hoped All But 2 Lost As Ship Sinlts WASHINGTON, Def 19.-tf)-A giant American tanker i carrying supplies to the European theater went down in the Atlantic several weeks , ago following a -terrific explosion," it was announced to day. There were, only j two surviv ors. ". r '.: ... ;: ; :; y. ' In announcing the loss today the war shipping administration said the ship was believed a have been torpedoed. N , The survivors, were a merchant seaman and" a navy gunner who escaped the flame-covered waters that Quickly surrounded the' ves sel. No announcement was made by WSA al to the number "of casual ties. ?,;; - W: Elliott Rooseyelu ' Visit BrideV BlcttherJ FORT WORTH, Tex, Dec. 16- UPhA change in plans sent CoL and Mrs. Elliott ' Roosevelt on to Beaumont: today, for a visit with the bride's motherA Mrs.'' Jean Young,' after the couple had. spent a few hours in Fort Worth. v After arriving here by private plane early .today they said they planned to spend the weekend in Fort Worth. i : . Red Cross Coal Set . WASHINGTON, Eec. 16 (M -The minimum goal for the 1945 Red 'Cross; fund will be $180,- Philippine Casualties Removed I- J?X Jl These two Yanks, who paid with their lives at Leyte for the foothol which gave their comrades a chance to posh on se Mindinoro. are being removed In preparation for burial at sea tn the traditional navy manner. They were killed r Navy gunners shot don 13 of swooped in for the assault. (Associated Press wirephoto) , Historic Portland Hotel, 61 Years in -Operation Is Sold PORTLAND, Ore, Dec. 16 -P)-The historic Hotel Portland, 61-year-old city landmark, has been purchased - by Meier and Frank company, officials of the depart ment store announced today. : Meier and Frank, located on the adjoining block, will operate the 280-room building as a hoted for the present. The hotel was sold at an undisclosed price byfthe stock holders, headed by Henry L. Day, Wallace, Idaho president and Mrs. Eleanor Day Boyce, Wallace, secretary-treasurer. . FDR Election To 4th Term Due Monday By the Associated Press . WASHINGTON, Dee. ii Presi dent Roosevelt gets elected to a fourth . term Monday. ;The vote won't be counted for -nearly -three weeks, but it will be 432 for him to 99 for Governor Thomas E. Dewey of New York, r If you think that's a' combina tion of stale news and rash pre diction, hunt up your copy of the constitution 'and it will remind you mat it wasn't a president you voted for on November 7 but a set of electors. Those electors get together in each state December 18 for the voting ; which technically r determ ines who will run th pountry in the next four years. Congress does the counting on January , at a ioint senate-house session. And that makes" the result of the elec tion official.. ' it -:"Z- Oregon Reclamation Congress Slates Meet Here This ' Week The meeting of the Oregon Rec lamation congress her Tuesday end Wednesday coincides- with the revival of the Willamette Val ley Project committee, which has remained a dormant organization during, war years." ; Called for 1:30 -pm. Tuesday in Salem Chamber - of Commerce rooms, 'the committee brings to gether the men "from; over the valley who a few yearsagowere active in pushing to congressional f acceptance a plan for flood "con trol, navigation i m p r o v e ment, water storage , and jirrigatioarf speakeiv Dr W L. Powers will Their new assignment lis to de termine the' value of irrigation to land of this area and the interest of landowners in it. ' " First of the two-day series of reclamation , meetings has been called lor the School Office (old high school) building at 9:30 ajn. Tuesday. It win deal with "recla- natica today - krinr'xx -iicss How 233 In aa serial attack en fleet units. the 25 Japanese bombers ' which '" i . V -' -.. - ri., - I 'Memory Lapse Over Charter - LONDON, Dec. lMPrime Minister Churchill had "a lapse of memory" when he erroneously told the house of commons thai; an insertion in the" Atlantic char-i ter permitted "mutuallyi agreed-i territorial changes prior to the, peace, it was acknowledged today.; It was announced incidentally thai- he might "quite possibly broadcast to the world Sunday night a review of the war and the, political situation. He iwas pe- lieved working on this tentativei address at his official residence,' No. 10 Downing street j ; :1 r One of the prime minister's! private secretaries explained to; the 'Associated Press that Church-! ill., while dealing with Polish ter-i ritorial chanaes in his address to; the house of commons,! had coh-i fused the wordmg of the Atlantic; charter with the British govern ment's statement of foreign poli-j cy drafted in September, 1940. j While both sides of jlhe Atlan j tic -r were considering e r portent of Churchill's statement that an insertion had been made in th4 Atlantic charter, and mutually agreed on by the three great al- Kied powers , v that territorial changes could be settled before the peace conferences, the aecre'r tary gave his explanation. ' LumbeSd'. lute in Excess Quarter Million EUGENE, Dec 1MP-The lajte Robert A. Booth, pioneer north' west lumberman; left! an .estate valued at $263,75 1X8,1 an. inveii tory filed In probate court showed. from persona who by! experience have learned how to make sys tems work despite lack of 'ma terials and sufficient labor. ,.; ! . The first session of the congress prober is to be held at 3:30 pin. Tuesday at " the- School Office building. Reports of standing com mittees .are scheduled. eU-: ' j .'A' banquet at 630 pjn. at the chamber , of commerce will fea ture, Robert ; W 'I Sawyer, K Bend, president of the" National : Recla mation association, as 'principal show colored pictures illustrating reclamation: Venezuela. . Wednesday morning's session. called f or . 930 in chamber ;of commerce' rooms, .will ' deal with "reclamatioa tomorrow.V Maor consideration will be "given th Willamette valley project, Frank T. Morgan, president of the con rrc:s.- tss annouaced.' ,: Y Pric5c mm I Churchill Had Carrier Planes I Destroy 235 Nip Crafty 17 Ships GENERAL Mac ARTHUR'S HEAD QUARTERS, Philippines, Sunday, Dec. 17-()-Yank invad ers of,Mindoro on the China sea side of the - Philippines captured the town of San Jose, seized "ad jacent airfields" and pushed seven to nine miles inland, headquarters reported today. ; , t Engineers quickly began getting the airfields, within easy range of Manila, 155 miles to the north, in US PACIFIC FLEET HEAD QUARTERS, Pearl Harbor, Dee. 1 (MP) American ' carrier planes In three nights of constant aer ial blanketing of Luzon, Philip pines, sank or damaged 17 j Jap anese ships, destroyed 235 air craft and damaged 138 more planes, Adm. Chester W. Kim Its announced today. ' " ' operation as the inland - pushing Yanks still encountered only neg- . ligible resistance. ' J (The communique reference ia "airfields live miles inland from the coast on the Busunga river" apparently referred to more than ; one airstrip near San Jose. There 1 is a second airfield bordering the river but it is more than five miles inland. A third airfield is at Man garin bay southeast of San Jose ; in the beachhead sector.) ; Twenty-four . Japanese planes ; were shot down over the beach- i head and the protecting American warships, ; ) today's communiqu said.' ;lJr '; Destroyer Sank ; -"An enemy destroyer, crippled; and seeking refuge' in Pandaro- chan bay, was destroyed by US. naval units- ?y f; ' " ; ! The invaders, put ashore on : southwest Mindoro by a convoy ! whichjnoved 600 miles by a cir- ' cuitous route from Leyte, advanc ed on a broad front' --- i j;- The communique said the seized airfields were, "on excellent sites. with favorable terrain." -r 17th Advaneev : : On embattled west Leyte, the 77th I division which captured Or moc itown a week ago pushed north and seized the town of Co gon as well as the road junction to the north, thus securing com manding ground for a further ad vance. :. '.;:-: . - . ,-' .; In the corridor extending north from; the 77th position to the posi tions of. the 22nd infantry division and the ' first : cavalry division crunching south from Carigar bay trapped Japanese are making their last stand on Leyte. I 3352 Nips Killed j . MacArthur announced today that 3353 more Nipponese have been ' "killed in the last two days along the crumbling Yamashita line." A Japanese counterattack, employing tanks, was repulsed. In the corridor trap, Yank fighter planes : attacked : the Nipponese strohgpoint of Valencia..- , I. South and: east of Ormoc, the Seventh - division "is completing the destruction of isolated enemy forces of the trapped 26th Jap di vision,, headquarters said. FDR Signs Tax Freezing Bill WASHINGTON, Dec 16.-jP)- President Roosevelt's Jreluctant signature on legislation freezing social security taxes started a gen eral congressional . exodus from fWashington todays ' v. Except for some state depart ment and surplus 'property board nominations under fire in the sen ate, -the social security legisla tion - blocking a scheduled in crease from one to two percent in- payroll and paycheck taxes on' January ' 1 was the last , major hurdle between the 78th congress ana its nnai aajournment. - , Announcement of the president's action, drew i. burst of applause when speaker Rayburn made.it in the house, : where members gen orally had expected a veto. Ward's Seek, Injunction DETROIT, Dec IB -VP)- Mont- . gomery Ward & Co- confronted by picket lines of striking CIO unionists at its four Detroit area stores,' sought a second injunction today against violence and inter-. terence with its non-striking em ployes. i ; : ; " ; "-'X-v ' ' K'? ' SHOPPING-,