o9
THE EEND BULLETINBEND, OREGON, TUESDAY, JAN. 2, 1945
PAGE THREE
U.S. Takes Oyer
More Properties
Of Ward Firm
Chicago, Jan. 2 dpi The govern'
ment took over two additional
warehouses of Montgomery Ward
and company in Detroit today as
Maj. Gen. Joseph W. Byron, army
officer assigned to run the seized
Wards properties, announced un
cooperative company personnel
would be removed to facilitate his
assignment.
Byron announced at the head
quarters he has set up in the
Montgomery Ward executive of
fices that officers he had sent to
Detroit to survey the Wards' sit
uation there had recommended
the government take possession
of the additional warehouses to
make the government's operation
effective in that area.
Byron said the additional Ward
properties were taken over by the
army at 9:40 a. m., CWT.
Second In Week
The government seizure of
Ward facilities was the second
within a week. The army last
Thursday seized properties of the
mail order and retail store firm
In seven cities, including Detroit,
for failure to comply with a war
labor board order covering wages
and maintenance of membership.
The seizure last week met pas
sive resistance from Ward of
ficials in Chicago and elsewhere.
In a statement released by the
war department, Byron said a re
port on the Wards case had been
made to the department, of jus
tice "with the request that ap
propriate steps be taken, including
investigation by representatives of
the federal burean of investiga
tion." Byron noted that Sewell Avery,
Montgomery Ward chairman, and
other company representatives
had declined to conduct the compa
ny's business under his direction.
He said this made it necessary
for him to place operating per
sonnel at each of the seized prop
erties. "This personnel will' include of
ficers with long experience in the
merchandising field," Byron said.
Get Instructions
These officers were instructed
to replace all personnel refusing
to carry out their instructions,
arrange to handle receipts and ex
penditures, examine books and
records, examine payrolls in order
to carry out their instructions,
arrange to handle receipts and ex
penditures, examine books and
records, examine payrolls in order
to effect the wage Increases di
rected by the war labor board
including retroactive pay, and
deal with labor unions for the
purpose of making WLB direc
tives effective.
"Instructions have been given
looking toward the reclassifica
tion under selective service of
such personnel of the company as
may be replaced because of their
refusal to carry out my instruc
tions Byron said."
Move Explained
Byron explained in order to take
over specified stores and ware
houses in six other cities, it was
necessary for him to take posses
sion of the main offices at Chi
cago. "This was done because part of
the operation of the properties,
enumerated in the executive or
der, at which labor disputes ex
isted, are conducted from these
offices," Byron said.
"Since the business of the more
than 850 other' stores and mail
order houses and plants of Mont
gomery Ward & Co., Inc., are
also conducted from the main of
fice, I have not interfered with the
access of the company's officials
there and have permitted them
to utilize these facilities for the
operation of the other business of
the company.
May Take Over
"Should the occasion arise I will
also assume possession of such
other plants and facilities that
may be needed In connection with
my operation, as provided in the
executive order."
It was explained at the war de
partment the latter assertion ap
plied to various installations at
the seven cities named in the ex
ecutive order which as yet have
not been taken over, but would
not apply to other Montgomery
ward properties in other localities.
Utah Train Wreck Kills 48
' 141 S It M I M i -Hiti Wlf r J AM -
n i-tzs&tp5&" -jC
Holiday Deaths'
Reach 241 Mark '
(Hy Unit! I'rnu)
Deaths caused by accidents dur
ing the three-day holiduv weekend
leached 2-11 today, Willi the col. i
lision of two sections of a South
ern Pacific passenger train claim
ing -IS lives.
Aside from the train wreck,
which occured near Ogden, Utah,
California led the stales with 22
deal lis. Pennsylvania was second
with 18 and Michigan third with
Through the nation, traffic
accidents took more than 115
lives.
On the whole, however, It ap
peared unlikely that final reports
would lioost the traffic toll to the
350 figure predicted for the week
end by ihe National Safety coun
cil. The Safety council estimate,
based on previous holiday acci
dents, included all persons who
will die of injuries received dur
ing the three-day period.
Over 100 factories in Brazil are
now making chemical products.
Pacific Veteran
Is Bend Visitor
Elvin York, seaman 1c, is vis
iting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. S.
E. York, 2188 Awbrey road, after
active duty in the Pacific. Elvin
said today that a Jap dive nomher
gave him a bad scare in the Philip
pine area last fall when it cir
cled his ship, coming lower and
lower but finally decided to at
tack a destroyer in the convoy.
It was driven off by anti-aircraft
fire before Inflicting much
damage.
Elvin, who attended Bend high
school, entered the navy last Jan
uary. Ills brother, Pvt. Harold L. York,
with the air force at Norfolk, Va.,
visited Bend in early December.
Harold entered the army two
years ago.
A mosquito survey now under
way In Connecticut will not try to
take a mosquito census but will
endeavor to locate the mosquito
breeding places and to decide
upon the necessary steps to re
move them.
Between 50 and 65 persons were killed, more than 100 were injured in this wreckage of two sec-:
tions of the Southern Pacific's crack westbound Pacific Limited passenger train near the shore of
Great Salt Lake, 14 miles west of Ogdon, Utah, shown hero telescoped after the 12-cnr second sec
tion plowed into it. !
Colonel F. S. Besson, Veteran
Of Two Wars, Soon fo Retire
(Colonel Frank S, Benton, who com
manded Camp Abbot during the entire
period it was in use as an engineers'
replacement training center, is soon to
retire, it was announced last week in a
new release from Port Lewis. Recause
of interest locally, and because the origi
nal news release only partly covered Col
onel Besson's varied services in two wars,
the announcemen of the officer's retire
ment is being- used in full today.)
G. I. ORDERS TROUSSEAU
Carrier Mills, 111. iu Fred
Wasson, Carrier Mills merchant
Mills, who is stationed in Italy,
James Finis Holmes of Carrier
has received on order from Pvt.
which asked him to send a trous
seau for his bride-to-be, an Italian
girl. The only indication given of
the fiancee's size was that it was
about the same as one of the
clerks In the store.
Fort Lewis, Wash., Jan. 2
After 39 years of distinguished
service with the corps of engi
neers, Col. Frank S. Besson, com
manding officer of the engineer
section of this army service forces
training center, has announced his
intention to retire from active
service.
Col. Charles F. Baish, deputy
commander of the engineer sec
tion, assumed command of the
section last week when Colonel
Besson was admitted to Madlgan
general hospital for a physical
examination preparatory to re
tirement.
Colonel Besson s notable career
began at West Point in the United
States Military academy from
which he graduated ill 1909 with
high honors which brought his
assignment to the corps of engi
neers. While at West Point, the
engineer commander won the
coveted "Saber," emblematic of
the year's outstanding athlete at
the academy.
Toul, Cantigny, Soissons bat
tles of world war I, were mile
stones in the service of Colonel
Besson when he was in command
of the First Engineers of the
Firs't Division along the scarred
Western front when allied of
fenses raged through the Hun
lines until November 11, 1918. For
thia service, Colonel Besson was
decorated with the French Four
ragere for outstanding exploits by
the organization he commanded.
Since the battles of the first
war. Colonel Besson enjoyed dis
tinction as a graduate of the
Command and General Staff
school at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.,
and from the Army War college.
He was later an instructor at the
Fort Leavenworth army school.
After serving as division engi
neer of the Missouri river divi
sion, Colonel Besson entered upon
a series of training commands.
In 1942, he assumed command
of the engineer replacement train
ing center at Fort Leonard Wood,
Mo., and a year later was named
commander at Camp Abbot, Ore.,
where he built, opened and de
veloped an" outstanding training
center which was soon rated with
the best in the country. .
In 1944 the ASFTC at Camp
Abbot was moved to Fort Lewis,
Wash., and became the present
engineer training section with
Colonel Besson in command.
After his graduation from West
Point in 1909, he was promoted
to first lieutenant on March 2,
1912, and to captain on June 31,
1916, and then rose to temporary
ranks of major, lieutenant colonel,
grets after Colonel Besson's de
cision to leave his command was
announced. The colonel won re
spect and affection through his
untiring efforts, his presence in
the field where his men worked
and trained, and for his interest
in the welfare of those who served
under him. Colonel Besson will
leave many things behind him
when he goes the Institution of
the "Besson rod," a 40-inCh stick
painted red and black which his
trainers carry to check the dis
tance between ranks, and inspira
tion to hard work and practical
application of the engineer motto
"Essayons" ("Let us Try").
Tanker Captain
And Funds Gone
Portland, Ore., Jan. 1 dl') FBI
agents, who previously refused
to conduct an investigation into
the disappearance of Capt. Ed
ward Crabtree, master of an oil
tanker docked in the Portland
harbor, entered the case today
when they determined that part
of a missing $4,000 fund was gov
ernment money.
Capt. Crabtree was last seen on
Wednesday, the day before he
wa,s to appear at a hearing before
a coast guard board. Missing, too,
was the $-1,000 entrusted to him
by a representative of a Portland
transportation company for pay
ing off crew members.
A woman, whom the FBI re
fused
Murder Charge
Faces Bud Harris
Salem, Ore., Jan. 2 (IPi A
charge of second degree murder
was lodged late yesterday against
George E. (Bud) Harris, 33,
Brooks, who was arrested Sun
day after the fatal shooting of
Charles Batchelor, 35.
Batchelor was shot, Harris told
police, in a scuffle when Harris
returned home early Sunday
morning to find the other man
there with his wife. The accused
man said he fired intentionally
at Batchelor's legs once, and that
the fatal bullet was discharged
while the two men were fighting.
Harris had returned from a trip
with some Boy Scouts to get his
hunting clothes for a Sunday
hunting jaunt. He called the po
lice after the fatal shooting and
made no attempt to resist arrest.
No inquest will be held, accord
ing to Coroner L. E. Barrick, who
said that the facts of the case are
known.
Mrs. Harris was quoted by state
police as saying that she did not
"know there was a man in the
house" until her husband re
turned. Batchelor is survived by his
wife, Mrs. Frances Batchelor of
Salem, three children and' his
mot her.
War Briefs -
(By United Tress)
Western Front Germans re
ported withdrawing from western
to identify, said she had ! half of Ardennes salient as Amcii-
seen the captain in a downtown can Third army crushes nazi
Portland establishment Saturday counterattack on Bastogne and
evening, and this fact gave the I wheels north into western flank
investigators a new lead to fol- of enemy on 15 mile front.
low- , I Eastern Front Massed Russian
Before Crabtree disappeared, he , RUns begin levelling Budapest as
evidently had written a suicide Hcd army. Inflamed by murder
note and set afire his quarters in 'of two emissaries, declares no
a cabin aboard the tanker. The i.,,.i,. r.,,. r--., i :
suicide note was addressed to his
wife.
John A. Gauder
Back in States
Santa Barbara, Calif., Jan. 2
Technician Fifth Grade John A.
Gauder, 27, of 571 Seward Ave.,
Bend, Oregon, is vacationing at
the spacious Biltmore hotel sec
tion of tlie army ground and serv
ice forces redistribution station,
Santa Barbara, following his re
cent return from 30 months duty
overseas.
The Oregon veteran served as a
tank mechanic with an armored
division in the European theater.
Under direction of the Ninth
Service command, the redistribu
tion station, one of five establish
ed by the army to receive service
men and women returned from
overseas, offers a comprehensive
program of athletics, recreation,
and entertainment to returnees
while they take part in reorienta
tion discussions, receive physical
city.
Air War American heavy
bombers and fighters roar over
Germany for lltb straight day
as Allied fliers count toll of at
least 200 enemy planes in New
Year's day combats.
Pacific American land-based
planes extended offensive against
Luzon to almost 150 miles north
of Manila.
Italy -Patrols active on Fifth
and Eighth army fronts while bad
weather restricts air operations.
Quich(letiet
ROM SNmV, STUFFY 0 STRESS Of
Head Colds!
f sptctn, "TxK
CooMt-OatT Now Oron
V WortaFaimiiMWh.nl Ni Sv
InuM.UI SlZJtSi
Instantly, relief from SnUBy, sneezy
distress of head colds starts to come
when you put a little Va-tro-nol up
each nostril. Also helps prevent many
colds from developing if used in tune.
Just try it I Follow directions in folder.
VKatSYATROriOL
and colonel during his world war j examin;itions, and al.p ass'i(;n7,d n
I service. On February 2, 1920, he, nPW dulips on thp basis 0 ,.xpor,.
attained the permanent rank of , ence antl skill
major. Colonel Besson was pro- Cpl rjaude'r is a Eraduate of
moted to his present, and per-. BUrns high school. Burns .Oregon,
manent rank on June 1, 1938. ian, was formerly emploved in
Behind the erect, iron-grey en- cVn service, prior'to his entrance
gineer commander stands a mili- jn the armed forces.
tary family active on many fronts I
in the current fight. One son, Col. ; Ruv National War Rnnds Vnwi
I Frank S. Besson, Jr., is commann-i
er of the Iranian military rail
road; another, Maj. Robert Bes
son, is a prisoner of the Japanese:
his- son-in-law, Lt. Col.. Milton B.
Adams, is with a fighter squadron
in the southwest Pacific; and his
daughter, Mrs. Jean Besson Ad
ams, is a service club hostess and
a former Wac captain. !
To the colonel Is credited much
of the development In training
practices and in the use of train
ing aids for his work at the three
engineer training installations
which he had commanded during
the present war. His rigid insis
tence upon perfection in training
has shown results as thousands of
well trained engineer soldiers
have gone out from his camps to
perform distinguished exploits on
battlegrounds in many theaters of'
the war.
Officers and men of the engi
neer section were expressing re-1
Barry (The Little Priest) Fitiger
gorald who made you laugh,
cry and cheer ... in ' Going My
Way" ... is on his way again,
with Paulette Goddard and
Sonny Tufts ... in
"I LOVE A SOLDIER" !
CAPITOL
Wed..-Thurs..-Fri..-Sat.
Check Their Eyes
Don't send your girl or Iwiy to
school handicapped with faulty
vision.
Dr. M. B. McKenney
OPTOMETRIST
Offices: Foot of Oregon Ave.
Phone 465-W
FLOWERS
and PLANTS
FOR ALL OCCASIONS
Yon are always assured of
lovely fresh blooms when you
Phone 530
PICKETT
Flower Shop & Gardens
Phone 530 629 Quimby
MONTGOMERY WARDS
ANSWER TO THE ORDER
OF SEIZURE BY THE
PRESIDENT
The order of the president to effect the seizure of
the property arid business of Montgomery Ward is a vio
lation of the constitution of the United States, which the
president has sworn to uphold and defend. The Congress,
which is the sole law-making authority under the constitu
tion, has given the president no power to seize the non-war
business of Montgomery Ward.
The purpose of the president's order is to enforce, by
an exercise of arbitrary power, orders of the War Labor
Board which the courts have declared to be merely ad
visory and legally unenforceable. The courts have held
that anyone who refuses to comply with orders of the War
Labor Board is not defying a command of the government
and that, since the orders are merely advisory, no govern
ment official has the right to impose punishments on those
who do not comply.
The president's order does not arise from any failure on
Wards part to pay fair wage rates. Wards policy is, and has
been, to pay wages as high as or higher than those paid by
other employers in the community for similar employment.
Wards only objection to any of the War Labor Boards
wage recommendations has been in those instances where
the board has arbitrarily demanded that Wards substan
tially increase its rates above those of its competitors in
the highly competitive retail field.
The president has ordered the army to restrict the lib
erties of Wards employees by imposing upon them the
closed shop in the form of union maintenance. This is the
final step in the coercion used by the administrative
agencies of the government to force the closed shop upon
employers and employees throughout the nation. Wards
has long believed that when the public awakens to the ex
tent of this coercion, it will rise in indignation.
Wards defense of the freedom of its employees has
not been prompted by any f e eling of anti-unionism. All em
ployees at Wards are free to join or not to join a union, as
they wish. Wards fully recognizes this privilege and has
assured all employees that their opportunity with the
company will be the same whether they are union mem
bers or not.
Wards cannot in good citizenship accept or obey the
commands of those who have no legal power to give them
and who are seeking to deprive Wards of its constitutional
riqhts and liberties. Wards takes this position in defense
of the constitutional rights and liberties of every citizen
of the United States.
The issues are now before the courts, where Wards
has sought for two years to have them decided. Wards
welcomes the opportunity to present its case to the courts.
MONTGOMERY WARD & CO.
SKWEL A VERY
Chairman