The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980, December 22, 1944, Page 1, Image 1

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    0 1! '
TOM
7eallierO
II a xl mam temperature
Tbarsday 44 degrees, mini
mom 19 --degrees, .(3 inch
rain, river -4 t.' ta.
UesUy eledy Friday and
partly elosdy Saturday: Ut
tle tempera tara change : .
ft
1
V
- s
l According to an article in the
Wall Street Journal, the Amer
lean Power St Light company, one
of the big holding company groups
In the Electric Bond it Share sys
tern, in complying with the terms
t of the public utility act, plans to
' confine its holdings to Texas. .It
has three utility organizations
' there nowf and wants to take over
- the Dallas Power & Light and
'; perhaps the Dallas Railway it
Terminal company from its close
relative in the Ebasco system,
Electric Power St Light Under
this plan,'' American Power St
..Light would dispose of its other
utility interests. j
This last point is of interest in
the northwest, because it means
such companies as Pacific Power
' & Light, Washington Water Pow
er, Montana Power, Northwestern
Electric and Portland , Gas and
Coke woud be put on the sales
.-counter, What, then, is to become
, of them? Three of hese compan-
. ies operate in Oregon and Wash-
ington: Pacific Power and Light,
Korthwestern Electric and Port
land Gas & Coke. So there will be
-real interest in what happens to
these operating companies.
It might be possible to organ-
' lie some holding company that
would take over these companies
" ' a srouD. but .unless it was
- cleared with the SEC, such a com
pany might not qualify as an "jn?
' tea-rated company .within the
- . tneaning of the holding company
net American might distribute its
stock in these "companies to Its
own security holders, to partial li
- m ijuidation. In that event the stock
,.' 'would be on the market until it
accumulated ' in strong hands.
American -might sell the compan
ies off as individual units, but it is
not easy to attract capital to buy
I the equities in electric utilities. '
(Continued on Editorial Page)
h Launch
Heavy
On ELAS Force
. ATHENS, Dec. 21 -iT)- British
tanks' and rocket-firing fighter
planes shelled and strafed ELAS
concentrations north of Athens to
day upon expiration o( .the, i ajaa.
nimatum in which LL- GencrKC-
ld M. Scobie warned the Greek
leftists he would use every avail-
eJble weapon in an effort to re-
' store order; .-, . - ; i--ssi--
j 1 Sherman tanks climbed the
high, monastery-topped Llkabet
tus mountain, their 75-mm guns
belling , and scattering ELAS
. groups around A verof prison and
the military academy
RAE fighters ' pin-pointed other
troublesome - positions, .. and at
Omonia , square tank-supported
parachute is troop , patrols" made'
aeries of sorties. " "
A billet of the US AAF trans
port command rocked with the
concussing f of shell blasts as the
troops demolished a snipers' nest
in the square, whose buildings are
Just behind the Cosmopolite ho
tel quarters of the American air
men. "
Everett Eof f
Assault
C Dies
in Action
In Germany
Pvt. EVerett C. Eoff, son oi
Mrs. Myrtle Eoff of the Salem
General hospital staff, , was kill
ed In actijon December .1 in Ger
; many, hit I mother was notified
this weeklby the war department
l Born at independence on Aug,
23. 1924, he was a sophomore at
North Cartolina State college when
enlisted in 141. In 1842 he
enrolled bj the intelligence divi
aion of the infantry and was sent
to school In "Virginia for one year,
He went overseas in August and
received further. training In Eng
land., .,f:
.1 Survivors in" addition to his
mother include an uncle and aunt.
Mr .and Mrs. Frank Robinson, In
dependence; anbther uncle, C
Robinson, Salem,' now overseas,
and an tmnt,:Mrs. L H. Powell,
Canton. H C- with whom he made
bis home hile he was in college.
Tribune Issues Again
: PARIS, ' Friday, Dec. . 22-(Ph
The European edition of the New
York Herald Tribune resumed
publication today after a lapse of
four and a, hall years. v
;hoppin&
TirAE
If H
itEiETY-roDani teas
U; S.' Uses
indoro
Main Objective
Of ' Isle Landing
Is Accomplished
By Marlitt) Spencer ' .
GENERAL MacARTHU R'S
HEADQUARTERS, Philippines,
Friday, Dec. . 22 - VP) - Deadly
American fighter planes are fly
ing against the Japanese from a
newly - constructed airdrome "on
Mindoro island, less than ISO miles
from Manila, Gen. Douglas Mac
Arthur reported today. .
The announcement that the new
field hacked out on ' Mindoro's
southwest coast is in use marked
attainment of the primary object
ive in the' landing on the island
a week ago today.
11 Japes Downed '
Its importance, both to the
Americans and the Japanese, ; was
demonstrated as the enemy sent
29 planes against installations'
there Wednesday. Eleven of the
raiders were downed in fierce
e r i a 1 c ombat with American
Lightnings and .Thunderbolts. One
American fighter plane was lost
The communique also- an
nounced that the 10th and 24th
army corps in a nutcracker move
have , formed . a junction In the
Ormoc corridor.
US Groups Join
Closing of a so-called "pincers"
in the Ormoc corridor, on Leyte
sland's northwest' coast, means
that the First American cavalry
.1 1 41 !TiU t
from the north and the 77th In
fantry division from . the south
have joined, their advance units
alonrth1l T3rmoc 'road. The Japa
nese, particularly on the east side
of the road, were striving desper
ately, to keep' a gap open so they
could slip through to the west in
the direction of Palompon, their
remaining, escape port.
But the , Nipponese were well
scattered While there is still stiff
fighting ahead by isolated, pockets.
their destruction continues. An
additional 2032 enemy dead were
counted in the
Ormoc corridor
Wednesday.'
V
Meuse Valley
Nazi Objective
Claims Berlin
LONDON, Dec. 2H)-German
broadcasts declared tonight that
Field Marshal von Rundstedt's
"steamroller offensive" had cut
the vital Liege'Bastogne highway
on a broad front" and was driv
ing the "enemy to the Meuse val
ley" some 33 miles farther west.
One Berlin commentator assert
ed the US Third army had rushed
north into southern Luxembourg
In an attempt to stem a second
drive pointed toward Sedan, but
said , "none, of these movements
carried out by the enemy have
thus . far . led to any. noteworthy ;
success." -.'.;-.',.; w.
; An analyst for DNB said the
"offensive rolls on tonight" and
"all our assault divisions have not
yet been thrown in. . -
; The-. German command, , he
added, "awaits the expected cli
max of the battle with quiet con
fidence." ' .
BirdBuyers
Storm Market
PHILADELPHIA, Dec 21.-
Turkey-hungry thousands stormed
Philadelphia markets today, buy-1
lng white and dark meat of the
initial shipment of holiday birds
at a 1000-pound-a-minute clip. 4 'r-..
Firemen, called with police to
help maintain a semblance of or
der, manned cash registers , to
speed sales. Women fainted out
rejoined the tumult as soon. -as
they were revived by police. , 1
One meat store proprietor said
"there never was a shopping day
like this."
Miners Asked to Take
One Christmas Holiday
' WASHINGTON, Dec ll-jp)-Secretary
Ickes today asked coal
miners and operators to limit
their observance of . the Christmas-New
Year's holiday : to
Christinas ' day ' only, "thereby
maintaining production to meet
the needs of war Industries and
household consumers." '
H
Airfield
14PAGZ3
American Airpower Extended
Jv&j&z IS52?rL:'
Ap'' UTrt4i' PHtUPPINts
rLkaSwoHa . - -s4 : 1
, a .... V' sa 'JTrS.-x
........ jAj;., f 3 . v
Distance ares ef 500 and 1000 miles
has been extended ever vital Japanese communications and terri
tory by completion, of an air base en ' newly-invaded Mlndore
Island In the Philippines. Shaded areas in China are Japanese-
dominated. (AP wirephoto map)
Russia Tells Allies Strong
Winter Offensive Coming
By Henry
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2mflJ-Russia
a powerful Red army, winter offensive is' coming up.
' fjWhen.it corned informed sources said tonight, it will disclose
a new alignment of Red army
lean,! uermany. . i r'K
.While it probably wilt not havrytrnrtediate effect on the
distant western front, where the
US First army is the main target
of a Wehrmacht counter-offensive,
the Red army drive on the eastern
front ' is calculated to hasten the
eventual collapse of Hitler's for-
Soviet sources ,
said the Red
I army high command had-sone so
far , M to commurlicate 4o the
Americans and British the date
for the start of its offensive. This
could not be confirmed in Ameri
can military quarters, but there is
strong evidence that the Allies
know of and are counting on the
new Russian push. . . . j
Newsman's Daughter
Suffers Skull Fracture
(.;"-'
SCIO, Dec 21.-Shirley Hay
ward, 10, is recovering at her
home here from a skull fracture
suffered Monday while at play on
the school grounds. She is the
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. H.
Hayward of the Scio Tribune.
High School Boys Help Postofi 'ice
r
timm huh uhoal (Mm are asslstinf In the oostof flee Christmas
nutfr nenrr Crawford. Bob
' Dick Close. Marvin Tooker, Bob Thompson, Everett Shenuan,
mj and Frank Deckebaarb. Other bovs net in the uicture are
w vey Gray, Bob Fierce, Alan
Sherman and Marvin Tooker
High school boys are putting the
Salem post office over the hump
in the biggest Christmas in its his
tory, Henry R. Crawford, Salem
postmaster, said Thursday night
as he neared the end of his 11th
holiday- season in office.
4 The 1944 mailing season has
been spread over more than three
months, overseas mailing starting
September 15-This spfead of in
coming mail took cart of much
Salem, Oregon, Friday
Indicate how American airpower
v; -
C Cassidy
has assured the Allies that
forces, spearheaded toward, the
Canucks Toss
Germans Back
- ROME, Dec 21-(ff)-Two crack
Canadian regiments have thrown
back 13 , fierce J German counter
attacks within nine hours against
their bridgehead across the Navi
glio canal, Just north of Bagnaca-
vallo and some IS , miles : inland
from the Adriatic coast, it was an
nounced today.
The two units the Carleton
and York regiment and the Hast
ings and-Prince Edward regiment
were personally1, congratulated
by Lt Gen. Sir Richard L. Mc
Creery, commander of the Eighth
army. 'I V I ' ).
"The fierceness of enemy re
sistance clearly shows the impor
tance of the ground to the enemy,1
he said..', v
v
t
Schwartz. Allen Schwartz. Don
GenuneU. John - Malntin, Alton Chamberiala and Daa Semb. Everett
are high school graduates not in
of , the manpower i problem, the
high school boys carried the rest
.In the greatest manpower short
age ever experienced, ; the - post
master appealed to Harry John-
son, Salem high school principal
and Frank Neer, dean of boys, for
help. "We are glad to help" was
the response of the Salem high
school officials. - ;.
A group of 19 students w
rat
Morning. December 22. 1344
is
Baa ' kaM
Russians
Open New
Offense
v "
Soviet Forces ,
Aim at Taking
City From Rear
By W. W. Hercher
LONDON, Friday, Dec. 22 -Wi
Russian forces yesterday drove to
within 14 miles of the big' Slovak
ran city .of Losone (Lucenec) as
Berlin announced that 100,000 so-,
viet - troops had -hacked - out. gains
southwest of Budapest in a . new
offensive aimed at taking that be
sieged capital : from jthe rear, and
opening the .most direct invasion
route to Vienna. V- v'-V. -k
Keds Dont . Confirm
I .Moscow did . not '.confirm the
hew drive which Berlin said was
launced by 10 rifle divisions of
Marshal F.eodor L Tolbukhin's
Third Ukraine army on a 40-mile
front between Lake Balaton and
the west bank of the Danube
after nearly two weeks of intense
red army preparation.
Tolbukhin's forces, already link
ed with Marshal Rodlon Y. Ma
linovsky's . Second Ukraine army
elements within 14 miles of Buda
pest's southwestern outskirts, were
threatening the big junction' city
of Szekesfehervar, Berlin disclos
ed. They last were reported with
in six miles ' of that - bastion
guarding the invasion highway
through the Bakony mountains.
Many Prisoners ' -;"v: .
i In southern Czechoslovakia, Ma-
linovsky's northern wing, captur
ing nrisoners at the rate of more
than 1000 .daily! seized SO more
localities,' Including the eight-way
roadT and ! rail , center of Rimas-
zombat (Rimavska .. Sobota), on
the . Kassa-Losonc highway 18
miles northeast of Losonc.
Wnen You Waiit
Fags Just Stroll
Over to Calcutta
i NEW YORK- Dec. ; 21-0P)-The
next time you want your favorite
brand of cigarettes Just run over
to Calcutta, India, stroll into any
likely-looking store and buy.
carton or so. "
Abdur Rahman Siddiqf, editor
of the Morning News of Calcutta
and former mayor of ; that City,
told the press here today that in
India "we have all the popular
American brands and we don't
seem to have any trouble buying
V SiddiqL here to 81 confer .with
Mayor F. H. La Guardia, said he'd
had r a' terrible "time" finding
smokes in this country. -
rash. Left ta' lirht they are: rest
BaaL Brace Rodrers, Leon Andrews,
Don Farnum, Bill Howard. Max
Gene Anderson. Leland Hoar. Car-
scnooi new. uuusman paoiej
made available. -They took over
last Monday morning as assistants
to the carriers .and the glut of
mall melted out of the post office
and into the Salem homes.
TnEoym. made available .were
J certified by their teachers as hav-
lng .their work In such condition
that taking tiire out for work
would Ect hinder their school
standing, Neer said. . "7
JJt7U u
DasDn
!
Hard Fighting
Will Increase
Requirements
- By the Associated Preas
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 r UPi -
Germany's powerful counter-of
fensive led. government 1 officials
tonight to survey arms production
plans on the basis that heavy
fighting may continue in Europe
for a year or longer. . i U ?.
I Against : this dark' possibility,
however, Secretary of War Stim-
son set : another the possibility
that the war may be definitely
shortened if the Nazi effort can
be crushed. - : ' 1 I
But even if 'the. Stimson-f ore-
seen possibility should prove true,
it appeared certain that the pres
b.unPro?.nr-
mous losses of material in the cur-1
rent heavy fighting... This would
;"Ta5ID8
" rww
wpb chairman J. A. Krug told
a news conference that ."greatly
increasea oniuu w production
would result from the Nazi coun-
ter-thrust.
Big Forts Bomb
Aircraft Plant
In Manchuria,
1 , . . , ... - . -.j-ajf--. i
WASHINGTON, Dee; 31 -()-B-29
Superfortresses, fighting
through "moderate to strong" air
opposition, today, bombed a Japa-
nese aircraft plant at ; Mukden,
Manchuria the third enemy air-
plane factory to be ; blasted this
week, r , i.-. I-
. XI. - f 4 ill . - A A
in . me air oaiue, wo- pi ... we
force of about BO jp-Z9'M were lost
' ' WASHINGTON, Dec tl -(ff)
Snperf rtreases resamed ; their
attacks en Japan's heme prodne-
tion centers , today, . attacking''
Industrial targets en the Island
f Hensha. . . - f ;
, The aerial task force was In
sizeable force, indicating that
ap U 101 ef the big planes par
ticipated. . V j
-. The attack was carried eat by
B-St's ef Brig. GeaCIL g. Han
sell's gist h bomber command
based an Saipan, a war depart
ment eommnniqne said."
and 33 enemy, fighters were tut
B-29 crewmen reported on their
return to China bases thai 15 en
emy planes certainly were de
stroyed, seven probably destroyed
and 11 others damaged.
A war department communique
reported -the Superfortresses used
visual bombing . methods and
"atruck the target with good re-
miUi" .- . 4
The weather, was clear,' but
haze and smoke obscured part of
the bombing results from the B-29
crews," it was added. "The en
emy's anti-aircraft firtCwas mea
British Bombs
Drop on Rhine
LONDON, friday, Dec21-H
RAF heavy bombers ' struck into
Germany last night in a twin blow
against .freightyards at Cologne
and Bonn, on the Rhine 20 miles
south, after other British Lancas
ter had made a daylight attack on
the. German railway town'' of
Trier.
wthir continued bad and ev-
1 the AavHrflt" rairir which
en . the daylight' raiders, which
dropped an estimated
"15
a to : reach
bombs, , were forced
bombing instruments
their- targets through the heavy
fog.
gt - t J ' 'C
UlUnms ItedlO' bays
Chinese Ednmtnr Dii
. . i f , ...
NEW YORK. Dec. 21-(V-Wans
Fo-chun, 50, Chinese state; coun-
cillor and president of Great Chi
na university,' died yesterday in
Chungking, the, Chungking radio
reported today In a broadcast re-1 have to resort to some sort of "in
corded by the FCC Wang, bom terallied action" to settle "the
in Hsingyu, Kweichow, and edu
cated in Japan, was Chinese min-
ister of communications from 1S28
to 123L , . . - , ;
..- , . v -. .... v. ..-i. . --jj -' . ..- . . ) ., t- .
Nazi Offense Rolls
32 Milesj Through
Belgian Territory
Second Enemy Drive Rumbles
Across Luxembourg Towards f j
Sedan; Doughboys Fight Well
: By NED NORDNESS :
PARIS, Dec. 21 (APJjLrhe nnchecked German win;
ter offensive roUed 32 mUe through Belgium arid slashed -a
vital allied highway 18 miles south of the Belgian fortress
of Liege in what was described
American or British
A second and equally' menacing drive swung soutn west-
ward and rumbled three-fourths of the way across the tiny
Mchy of Luxembourg to a
l.a - '" .'' ' af " IT
me rrencn ironiier. ; vangnaros were iu mues irom tno
Belgian road center of Bastogne.
I ; KjnlJ on tne IianKS m lUXem
boug on the south and in the Mai
medy-Stavelot sector on the north
had the . German advance been
halted. One enemy armored spear
head, the bulk of a panzer divi
sion, was being ground to bits in
a trap of steel near Stavelot
Nazis Bold Initiative
The initiative remained defini
i nitely in the hands of the enemy,
Supreme headquarters, reporting
German advanced ' positions as of
noon Tuesday, gave no hint that
the drives had spent their momeh-
turn.
" Many American formations had
been badly mauled, supplies have
been consumed and lost, and te
doughboys in the' trenches see in
I the German drive a reverse which
I . ' - a -- ;i
i may. prolong tne war many
I months. -5 ; - ;
Boise Narrowed
One American counterblow on
the north narrowed by nine miles
the 55-mile wide neck of the Ger
man bulge into Belgium and Lux
embourg. 4 ':. " 'x '
The valiant fight of the' dough
boys, a US First army staff offi
cer declared, had bought time in
which countermeasures to chec
the German rush could be pi
pared. 7 , ;; i--;:;.,: . v'
(A German broadcast, declar
Ing five allied divisions had bee
completely smashed and that sev-j
en others were in retreat asserts
ed the "steamroller offensive' was
I driving toward the Meuse valley;
j which is some 35 miles west of
advanced enemy positions report
ed today.)
Uses 150,100 Men
Field Marshal Karl Rud61f Gerd
Von Runstedt had hurled up to 15
divisions probably more ' than
'T. ! . . 7a
I armored divisions, , Into. this. des-i
1 Kn aaa : t. . ji .
perate offensive which was badly
upsetting the allied time-table for
the conquest of Germany.
V-bombs rained down on allied
positions and rear base areas, a
slackening bf the main drives was
interpreted in late dispatches as
only pauses for regrouping and
fresh blows, . and uneasiness had
spread among civilians all the way
back to the Belgian capital
Feg Shrouds Front - ,
Fog shrouded the front, keep
ing allied air might aground. Only
one sortie was attempted. RAF
Lancasters blasted the German
west front . garrison and railway
town of Trier back of the Luxem
bourg front'
Britaui May Ask American
I , - , -. .-a ' -
Aid in Settling
" '
LONDON, Dec 21 - (ff) T h e
Chance that Britain may ask Ame
rican - Russian aid in settling
'lureu pouucai woes ne luuaj
along with a demand m commons
that- the British government rin
s j vi rung ueorge 01 ureece to re
main here until his erstwhile subi
jiects decide whether or not to take
- 1 him back Into the fold.
I Lord Samuel told the house Of
lords Britain - probably , would
- 1 Greek situation. - He contended
"there is no reason why . Great
(Britain should be called upon to
I bear this burden alone."
today as the greatest baitiof
troops in this war.
point 48 mUes from Sedan at
m v4 . - k ' a aS
Load Limits
f
For Logs Will
Be
The load 1 i m i t for log will
continue to be enforced. dele
gation of Lane county logging op,
erators was told Thursday by T. -H.
Banf ield, chairman . of tb
state highway commission. "
Banf ield. told the group how
ever, that the commission wished
to cooperate, with the logging ln-:
dustry as much as possible, and
CapOWalter Lansing of the state.
police said the large majority ot
operators in, the Lane county area
were abiding by regulations.
Some .of the delegates were in
Salem to protest action of the
state police in compelling them to ;
dump , logs from overloads at
scales. ' ' 1 i
Banfield asked the loggers to.
suggest a t plan that would en
able them to estimate the weight,
of their loads more closely so that
ho trouble would be encountered
at weighrins. I . . 1
Captain Lansing said there; ap
peared to be no basis for reports
there had been a strike of log
haulers. i '-'.r -
rt supplies
Hurt U.S. Push
WASH INGTON, Dec 21 -(ff
Plentiful, .' fast-flowing I , supplies
from the home front to Americans'
fighting in Europe might have
prevented .the powerful German
counteroffensive, Rep. Brooks (D-
La), member of the touring house
military affairs i committee, said
If supplies had kept up with
them, American - troops might
have reached Berlin in their first,"
crucial thrust into Germany, de
clared the Loufsianian,' who re
turned with his : colleagues yes
terday from i month's trip to
European battlefronta. ' -; t
. Lack of munitions in allied,
hands; it the1 front, Brooks said,!
allowed the Germans a respite in
which to build up their current
counter blow, : . ' ' - - :
GieeU Woes
' . . '.
The liberal leader's assertion,
came after a member of his party, '
Lord Faringdon, sharply assailing
Britain's armed intervention, can-'
tioned mat "4mutiny-may arise
among British. Tommies detailed
to quell ! civil strife in Greece. :
1 The 'Eton-educated lord's con
tention, plus his claimvthat the
British terms for peace in .Greece
were conditions of surrender
rather than of armistice, drew a
stern rebuke from' Lord Samuel
and cries of "monstrous from his
colleagues' In the usually sedate
and placid chamber.
Enforced