1
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M M---
KniETTFOUBTH YEAR
SdecC Orecjoa Sunday Morning, December 31 1314
Prica 5c
No. 24S
M; A"
S) n
u
7'-
V - . . . h- - J-
OTP
SMDQS
i
me onjy prediction It seems
ate to mapce for 1945 is that there
will be to eclipses of the! sun
and two of the moon, and I bor
row this from ' the astronomers.
Ail else Is vague, the crystal: ball
rlniiilv SI '"
cloudy.
i . Astronomers can chart
the
course of the stars and date the
w-rising of the sun or the coming
of an eclipse to a second. Perhaps
among celestial ' bodies which
made ancients seek in the stars
clue to the course of human
events. In fact, astrology became
a misbegotten child of astronomy.
trology, man is less constant than
J upiter or Saturn. Homer called
him "the fool of fate." His natural
endowment of ability to think and
xreeaom ox conduct roaxes man
himself a Variable. That is why
prophecy in the "field of human af
fairs is so risky; and the outlook
lor 1945 is so uncertain that a
prophet must hedge his forecasts
.with 4he double talk of a Greek
oracle. Nevertheless, I make bold
to set: down what seems in pros-
1 Pct as the new year drives the
3944 greybeard off the stage.
far: Instead of speculating on
date the war will end the
American people . are going toj
. . , a i n - I
piunge in seriously w win me war,
The "fright', stage which followed
Pearl Harbor Is over; the "soft"
stage of easy going is ended; the
tough stage is at hand, :
V (Continued on editorial page)
Watch Night
Parlies5 Set
J Many Salem people will observe
the old year out and the new year
in at Watch Night parties sched-r
tiled In a score of Salem churches!
Most of the other churches are
narking the endof 1944 with
yearend sermons scheduled "for
the morning services.
. Among the j churches which
have scheduled watch night ser
vices from 8 or 9 o'clock until
rnidnight are Bethel Baptist, Cal
vary Baptist, First Baptist, First
Christian church. South Salem
Friends, St. John's Lutheran;
iUennonite Brethren in West Sa
lem, First Church of God, Engle
.wood Church of United Brethren,
Salvation Army, and the Christian
'and Missionary Alliance,
Marion's Tin Goal
ll5 Tons Per Month
- . r,
' A monthly quota of 15 tons of
salvaged tin has been set for Mar
lon county for the first quarter
Df ; 1945, . Claud Seranous, state
alvage committee chairman,! Sat
urday j notified Gardner Knapp,
Marion' committee head. The set
Ling of ' quotas in tin salvage, a
new system "designed to effect
necessary increases," was decided
upon because "America's shortage
of tin is a real, not an imaginative
rendition," Seranous declared.
feather 1 - ; ,
I . Maximami temperature Sat
' tirday 47 derrees, mlnlmnm 32
degrees; ne rain; river -.14 ft.
Cloudy Sunday and Monday
with liaht rain an coast and
llrht snow north portion. IJttle
csre in temperature.
mD
era
Fall of Budapest
Ne;ar; Red Term !
Shoe -Leather Steak
Royal Welcome
Frorii Silverton Man
SILyERTON,
Dec. SO-(Speclal)
Pfc. Arlo
.Bolme has written bis
father
Oluf Bolme, that he re
tasted beefsteak for the
cently
first t
me in many months. ; He
added
that it was; as tough as shoe
leather,
, but none of the men mind
ed-so
Song as it was meat." Pri
vato
East
Bolme
has been in the Dutch
indies
for some time. . He has
been
Overseas for It months, k
Marion Share J
In Red Gross
Set at $73,500
Marion county's share of the
national ' Red Cross coal in the
annual fund raising campaign set
for next , March is to be $73,500,
F. C. Leserer. chaDter war fund
chairman, was notified Saturday.
or Marion's quota, $33,500. will
Co to extensive Red Ctas mwa.
tiona carried on at home, and the
remainder will go to the national
Red -Cross so that Red Cross over
seas and national program may be
inanced and expended. Verne
iSimmons, manager of Pacific area
neaaquaners, nas written to Les
erer.'- . ...
The i important i thine to" re
member in regard jto the coming
appeal for funds," j declares Jus
.tice George Rossman, Marion
chapter chairman.! "is that the
money you give td the American
ttea cross is returned to the peo
ple in the form of Red Cross serv
ices: . Blood plasma to wounded
soldiers, food packages to prison
ers of war, advice and friendli
ness by specialized persons to
servicemen away from home, pa
tients in hospitals and persons af
flicted by sudden disaster.
Panama Head
Won't Resign
! BALBOA, Panama Canal Zone,
Dec. 30.-(if)-President Richardo
Adolfo de la Guardia of Panama
declined tonight to resign as de
manded by a groupbf political
leaders, lawyers and business men
known as the "jula de notables."
Earlier the president's brother-in-law,
Augusto - Boyd, had said
that del la Guardia was readv to
resign if that were the only means
of returning the .'country to nor-
malcy, I -o:.:
' However, de la Guardia told the
Junta de notables that unless all
political parties ibacking his ad
ministration r demanded - that he
quit, he intended to remain in of
fice until June 15. ? vi K
Labor Asked to Slay
On Job New Year's Day
f WASHINGTON, Dec. 20-JPf-
Tbe leaders of the AFL and the
CIO today asked organized labor
to stay on the job in the nation's
war plants New Year's day, '
William Green, president of
the American Federation of La
bor, and. Philip Murray, president
of the Congress of Industrial Or
ganizations, urged all members of
their organization to forego the
customary holiday observance..
earfers Killed
Annihilation of
Budapest Enemy
Near Final Stage
By Richard Kasischke
LONDON, Sunday, Dec. 31 -(
The hopelessly outnumbered and
surrounded German garrison in
Budapest's battle-torn streets has
refused a Russian surrender ulti
matum, killing two red army
emissaries carrying a white flag,
and . the, annihilation of a . group
originally estimated at " nearly
100,000 men now is in its final
stage, Moscow announced last
night. ; (. , ,
Smash From East '
The German refusal occurred
Friday arid Moscow announced
that soviet! troops yesterday had
smashed into the eastern side of
the city for the first time. Soviet
dispatches said they, had linked
up with the western invasion
wing on Danube islands in the
heart of the burning Hungarian
capital. :....;.:;.'.:'.
.. Moscow also announced that
the new soviet-sponsored Hungar
ian government headed by Pre
mier General Bela Miklos had
declared war on tJermany, The
declaration, issued by a regime
set up In Debrechen in eastern
Hungary and dated Thursday,
said .that Germany , forced Hun
gary into the war against Russia
and "attacked and occupied" Hun
gary March 19, 1944, imposing a
nazi regime on the country.
Vinson Okehs
Pay Increase
For Steel Men
WASHINGTON, Dec. 30- -Steelworkers
received an okay
from Stabilization Director Fred
Vinson tonight for war f labor
board-approved wage , increases
estimated to average 5 to 7 cents
an hqur. t
Announcing his decision, Vin
son said the office of price admin
istration had advised that this
boost ; for the more than 400,000
workersin the iron and steel In
dustry, would not necessitate gen
eral increases in prices of steel
products.
OPA did advise,- Vinson said.
that an increase in price of some
steel products was overdue and
would have to be made.
Salem Restaurants Will
Be Open New Year's Day
Capital, city hotel patrons who
ate apples In lieu of Christmas
dinner need not suffer from lack
of Nejr Year's day dinners! Most
restaurants in 2aiem will be open
and will serve holiday fare both
today 'and tomorrow, a survey re
veals. Last week's long weekend
left employesilling and ready to
work, one restaurateur declared.
Bus Ends Up in Train ' -
Depot Full of Candy
ALBANY, Dec. 30 P)- Police
are still trying to figure out why
a missing 25-passenger bus, found
parked in a train depot, had candy
all over the floor.
They looked for the bus twea
hours after it had disappeared
from a garejt here.
Corridor
Hit'From
All Sides
f Americans Harii
; mer Heavily on
; Enemy 'Bulge'
-i -' : i ;" " "!' ' '. -. '-
By Edward Kennedy
PARIS, Snnday, Dee. J1.-V
Three German divisions have been
hurled by Field Marshal Karl Von
Itundstedt at both aides of the
Bastorne corridor held by Lt Gen.
George S. Patton's US Third army,
a field dispatch reported last night
as American troops hammered
heavily all along the shrinking
perimeter of the German bodge.
The hard-wen corridor supply
ing Bastorne Was hit' by two of
Von Rundstedt's divisions from the
west ind by a third from1 thef east
w hile! In Bastorne Itself US artil
lerymen poured withering shell
fire Into the 16-mile-wide escape
gap if the : Germans honr-rlass
shaped front and blasted areas
where the Germans, haye been
gathering for new thrusts?
The renewed attaeks--4reaking
a four-day lall came as'tLt Gen.
George 8. Patton's hard-driving
forces broadened their front along
the south of the German balge to
nearly 51 miles, struck west of
Bastorne, sheared supply roads
and threatened to eat off an en
emy armor thrust U within 23
milef of Sedan at Ubramont.
i American counterblows had re
won nearly" one-third of the ter
ritory ; overrun; in , the Germans'
surprise counteroffensive, badly
narrowing the maneuvering
ground for Von Rundstedt's three
armies. Progress of the new bat
tle was not at once disclosed, nor
was the time at which it broke. -Drive
Into Moirey '
Previously, supreme headquar
ters had reported under the 36
hour security blackout that by
yesterday morning one Third ar
my force drove into Moirey, 11
miles east of Bastogne and but
four and, a half miles southeast of
St Hubert, where another Amer
ican garrison has been making a
small-scale Bastogne -like stand
and holding off far large? forces.
Von ; Rundstedt's westernmost
positions were being assailed by
Lt Gen. Courtney H. Hodges' re
surgent First army, which fought
in the streets of Rochefort, 24
miles northwest of Bastogne, and
plastered - the German lines with
shells.. ....
Enemy Fights Back
As the battle rose in- fury the
enemy fought back with mortars
and artillery, bent on holding the
town to the last. ' ' . -
Necessity for action was multi
plied by the American artillery
commanding his east-west routes
of supply or retreat j
High British Source Says Hess9 Flight Was
Entirely Without Knowledge of Nazi Fuehrer
1 '" ' m. . V - U3T
(When Ruaoa Hess mad his sensa
tional flight from Germany to Britain
in 1941, Louis Lochner was chief of
the Associated Press bureau in Ber
lin. Now In London. Lochner has
assayed the story anew, ajainit the
background of Information h had at
th time but was prevented from re
porting by German censorship.)
HBy Leois P. Lochner
LONDON, Dee. 30 Rudolf
Hess came to Britain on a self
style ' "mission . of humanity' on
May 10, 1941 without the know
ledge or approval of Adolf Hitler
: This came categorically and un
equivocally, from a high British
government source.
A comparison
of data avail
able further es
tablished that
Hitler's long
time secretary
and Jater dep
uty fuehrer was
Inspired :; and
backed by Prof.
Karl Von Hau
shofer, an ex
pert on . geo
politics and
r
1
'1
L
! f. UOtnef
Willy Meser
schmitt, builder of Germany's best
fighter planes.
The ministry . cf informticn
Salem Residents
Experience Driest
Year in 7 Years r
Salem residents in 1944 exper
ienced the driest year for the past
seven years, with only 25.13 inches
rainfall registered, at the airport
weathef bureau. However, 5 27
inches fell in January and. 4 JO
inches in November. This com
parj ith an all time average
precipitation for Salem and vi-i
cinity of 36.13 inches-per! year, n I
Coldest days in 1944 were Jan
uary 9 and December 14 land 15
when . minimum temperatures of
20 degrees were registered. : j
Warmest day was on Septem
ber 5, with a maximum reading
of 103 degrees. This was the high
est maximum temperature in the
past two years. . i i
Manchuria Nips
Used in Effort
To Hlt Yanks
' - - !
GEN. MacARTHUR'S HEAD
QUARTERS, Philippines, Sunday
Dec.5 Sl-iJfy-Gen, Douglas Mac
Arthur disclosed today, While a
n e w Mindoro - bound eon voy
pressed on under Japanese attack
to reinforce his conquering forces,
that the enemy had drawn troops
from. Manchuria in an effort to
slop him on Leyte island.fci.
The American commander's
communique said Gen. Tomoyuki
Yamashita had lost in the futile
defense of Leyte four army divi
sions and the elements of two
more, besides . a naval brigade
and other special forces.
Total Japanese losses, including
601 more killed in recent mop
ping up operations, reached 116,
770, the communique said. I .
' In a "historical resume" of the
J apanese forces of ,v Yamashita's,
35th army, destroyed on Leyte
MacArthur said One division, the
16th, had participated in the battle
of Bataan against 'him early Jn
the war. ' :
War Year 1944
Takes Big Toll
Service Men
The stepped-uo temDO of War
was reflected in a recapitulation
of deaths of men from the mid
Willamette valley area today. I
For 1941, the Oregon States
man's rbll of i honor holds T 10
names: for 1942. 19: for 1943. 3S.
And for "me year ending tonight
135 service men already have been
reported dead from illness,7 acci
dents or combat action and the
figures since the recent upsurge! of
European fighting have not yet
arrived. : ' ' f "
The total now is 219 from a Ira.
dius of 25 to 35 miles of Salem.
first met my request to clarify
whether or not Hess came as Hit
ler's agent with, 'what difference
does it make?". i . -
I pointed out that everyone who
was in Germany at the time of
Hess flight is asked "what about
Hess? Was lie sent by Hitler?" -
4 also pointed out that when we
presented our circumstantial evi
dence of Hitler's lack of knowledge
of his deputy's plan, most persons
were not convinced. The MOt of
ficial now grew interested.
What was , that evidence? -Since
German censorship at the
time prevented my reporting that
evidence, I ' incorporate it here.
The belief that Hitler had nothing
to do with Hess flight rested
on these considerations:
First, Hitler placed, a high yaiue
on the lives of his most intimate
followers and would not have per
mitted Hess to go on a solo
flight. . -.jj-jji
Second, if Hitler had not been
caught off guard, he would not
have issued the silly story!, that
Hess was subject to mental abre
rations. -.- '- f -
Third, HiUer's treatment of the
Hess case from the party stand
pointindicated' that his deputy
had acted without Us approval
George II
Finally ,
Gives-Up!
Monarch Won't
Return to Athens
Unless. Called h
. By John A. Parris, Jr. i'.
v LONDON, Dec. 30 VP) -King
ueorge 11 01 ureece tonight an
nounced1 appointment of Arch
bishop Damaskinos of Athens as
regent of his strife-torn country,
taking a step ( generally regarded
nere as tanumount to relinquish
ment of his throne.
The 54-year-old monarch's road
has been rocky for years and most
observers in London's diplomatic
Quarters believe the Greek people,
who are swinging to the! left would
vote against a monarchy In a plett
iscite which is expected to be held.
Royal Proclamation - j j "
-; Appointment of the regent was
tion issued after a statement in
Athens that the archbishop prob-;
anty wouia assume his duties as
regent tomorrow. '5s ' 1 -1 . - -.
The proclamation, stating that
the king had deeply considered
the terrible situation" into which
Greece had fallen, said he had re
solved not to return to the country
"unless summoned by a free and
fair expression of. national will"
and authorized . Damaskinos.. to
"take all steps necessary to re
store order and tranquility .n .. .
ChurchiU Covincea
The kinc reDorted to have on-
posed the regency, was believed to
have been convinced of the neces
sity of the measure bv Prime Min
ister ChurchiU, who had just re
turned from Athens. Reliable
sources said Churchill told the
Greek king that a regency would
be established by the government
In Athens regardless of his con
sent. -v-: : K v. ,-.. ....
Establishment of a regency had
been unanimously agreed upon by
the all-party conference convened
by ChurchiU and Foreign Secre
taryAnthony Eden last Tuesday
In an effort to restore peace In
Greece.
Australia Will Play Vital
Role in Philippine War
CANBERRA, Australia, Dec 30
-(V-Acting Prime Minister Fran
cis Forde in a New Year's state
ment today said Australian fight
ing forces in 1945 would "play a
vital part in the Philippines oper
ations. I Australia must plan for
at "least two more years of ardu
ous 'warfare against Japan," he
said.
Hitler ordered Hess' name wiped
out from, the party records.
At that point, the ministry of in
formation officer now changed
tact
"Your, deductions are absolutely
right," he told me, "from an Hess
said and revealed our government
is firmly convinced that the deputy
fuehrer came without Hitler's
knowledge and approvaL,
It was known that Hess had a
deep affection for, and faith . in
Von Haushofer who in talks with
friendahad opined that Germany
could Snot afford , 4 twtf-front
major conflict. ; - , k v l;-H
Through vHesa, be? must have
known the attack on Russia was
only five weeks offfor even we
correspondents knew it,
Another, man "in the. know! was
Meserschmitt, a crony of both Von
Haushofer ;- and Hess. Messer
schmitt, wh6 at the time was re
ported reliably as warning that
uermany had not sufficient air
potentialty to fight east, west and
south, could have notified all anti
aircraft posts and air patrols that
a test pilotmeaning Hess-- was
about " to ' Dy . over the Reich's
boundaries. .This would explain
wny juess could leave Germany
Blue Lake Plant
Razed in Hoiir:
Cause Not Known
Midnight Blaze Threatens Rluch j
Of Town as Embers, Shower on ;
Homes; Canned Goods Explode !
More than a half 'million dollars went op in flanjes
wnicn razed the frame buildings' of Blue Lake. Producers
canning plant in West Salem in 60 short minutes this morn
ing. Great emjbers dropped on frame residences over an area
of sereral blocks and threatened the entire northeast section
of West Salem. I
Oririn of the blaze was
as! last the jgrjeat timber
Regent
i.
...
Archbishop Damaskinos
High Command
Shake-up
Due
Report
ers
LONDON, Dec 30 -m- Reports
that a shake-up in the allied com
mand on "the western front was
imminent were displayed promi
nently today by the London after
noon press. j
One military commentator de
clared that an official statement
covering some aspects of the re
grouping of the allied commands
and armies was expected shortly.
The reports, the publication of
which coincided "with a definite
improvement of the allied posi
tion on. the western front were
without any official confirmation.
The London Evening News de
clared - flatly that "important
changes in the organization of the
allied 'supreme command on the
western front are j imminent." If
listed the present commanders
without speculating what the
changes might be
HoJidayCalm
Over Ward's
!
CHICAGO. Decj S0. T-(ffv- A
New Year's holiday calm settled
over Montgomery Ward and com
pany today, k : : .
The; army which seized com
pany properties in seven cities
Thursday under presidential order
consolidated its position by raving
office facilities installed. The com
pany stood on its refusal to recog
nize validity of the seizure, ap
parently ; awaiting! federal court
determination of the issues. ' '
f The union Involved In the labor
dispute awaited armr action tn.
Belgian- Army Battalions
Join Allies on Front
LONDON. Dee. 30-4n-The
Luxembourg radio a a 1 d tonight
that the first battalions oK the
newly-formed Belgian army has
joined . the allied 'armies on the
western front. The broadcast was
recorded by the Associated Press.
-j
M
V
ran
' ,. , ; 1 1 .
still undetermined at 1 -fin m'
was falling into the artillery bf
expioaing canned goodsJ,.Butl a
night watchman who discovered:
the first smoke at 12:30 said it
was rolling over the office, cop-j
ug apparently from the boiler
room. ,' ' : . ;. lit
Idle Friday and Saturday, ex
cept for a labeling crew, the group
of buildings mushrooming over; a
territory larger than an average
city block were pra :tically with
out heat, plant executives de
dared. . : Ji j j .
Third Big Fire jj '
. Third fire in West Salem' within
a three-weeks' period, second can
nery blaze in the Salem district
and third industrial loss of mora f
than $100,000 in recent months,
the ' blaze brough siiggesHons ;6f
incendiarism from Towds who '
lined streets of We t Salem and
downtown' Salem to 'view the
spectacle. :;(,; .fi;:r, ...
Owned by a producers coopera
tive association since 1938. the)
cannery from 1932 to 1938 was
owned and operated by the Hill
man Packing company, of which
G rover Hillman, Salem, was pres
ident Expansion Planned
Extensive plans for expansion
of operations had been made, a
plant executiver'said, and consid
erable new equipment secured
even in wartime, under war food
prioriUes. . -Vi.rv-v .'; ;,-v: -
The two-year-old brick, and tflav
dehydration plant at " the' south
end of the cannery, though an
oven early today, could not be
greatly damaged byf fire, Charle -Martin,
president of the Blue
m a . - . 1," ,. . " i . -. .
uie associauon, said. . '
Salem fire department Joined
West Salem fire fighters in what
onlookers maintained t to be - a,
hopeless task even before tha
hoses had been laid. In the almost
windless night, the glow amok
spired high over the fire befora
the flames had leapt above sur
rounding rooftops. -T":
Directly east of the, plant, the
old and now idle Portland Gen- '
eral Electric substation loomed,
still comparatively undamaged at
2 ajn. .1 .-. r-s-'v--
In Salem, where a half dozen
large dancing parties were giving ,
an early welcome to the new year,
formally-clad merrymakers left '
ballrooms to watch the fire.
Yank Planes
Pound Eneirijt
LONDON. Dec . 3C
than 2000 British-based American
uviuucia a u u ugnungj pianes
pierced through fog today and
pounded German supply'" lines to 1
the western front for theieighth
consecutive day. . ; I ; ; '
- Eight bombers and thre fight
rs were reported mlssirig "from."
these operations. ' , 5 .
WhUe the German- irforca
stuck to Jts bases for a third day,
more than, 1300 Flying Fortresses
and Liberators of the U.S. eighth
airforce, escorted by approxi
mately - 700 Thunderbolts r and
Mustangs, struck - unmolested at
railroad bridges on lines leading;
directly from Berlin and at freight
yards at Mannheim, Kaiserlautern
and KasseL ' '
M Freight Car. Bum
Following Derailment
i GUYMON, Okla;-Dec. 30.-P)-.
Sheriff W. T. Bratton said tha
Rock Island railway was blocked
about five miles northeast of here
tonight following derailment and
burning" of 23 freight cars. .
Bratton said fire from a ship
ment of gasoline spread over tha
remaining - cars involved and de
bris wax piled up for about SOO
feet alor.2 the lice.-