Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 1939)
C apitalMJoBraal Weather First in News Photos With tht Auoclated Prrai Tele Mat Mrrlo tht Capital Journal U enabled to present photoi of world events within a ten nouri of their occurrence. Fair tonight and Friday, but fori and Increasing cloudiness Friday. Little changa In temperature, nor therly wind. Wednesday: Max. 84, mln. 35. Rain .02 in. Riv. 64 ft. Southwest wind, cloudy. 51st Year, No. 303 Entered at second class matter at Salem, Oregon Salem, Oregon Thursday, December 21, 1939 Price Three Cents On Tralni and Nwa Stands PiTf Cents oviet Fliers Raid Helsinki-! rea i l .ITT epical A iJft rtvlggf i .mi i i .irfin .n-wr Quiz Survivors Of Columbus New York, Dec. 31 m Behind closed doors In a building on Ellis Island six Inspectors today began questioning the survivors of the scuttled German liner Columbus to determine their status under the Immigration laws. The examination of the seamen was expected to require at least two days. Byron H. Uhl, New York dis trict director of immigration, said the task wVs rendered more diffi cult because the usual crew list was not available; It presumably having gone down with the Columbus. Agents of the federal bureau of Investigation were sitting in on the Inquiry to determine whether any of the survivors were members of the German naval or military Intel ligence service. Uhl explained that "while we want to make things as pleasant as possible for the survivors they will not be permitted to receive mall or other communications or to have visitors until their status is deter mined." A representative of the German consulate and officials of the Hamburg-American North German Lloyd Line were at Ellis Island conferring with the master of the Columbus and other officers. Woll Appeals For Finnish Aid New York, Dec. 21 (JP) Matthew Woll, vice-president of the Ameri can Federation of Labor, believes Soviet Russia's attack on Finland "reaches a new high in Interna tional affairs for sheer mendacity, for cynical contempt of the good opinion of mankind." "To help Finland today is to help America tomorrow," he asserted in an address at a "Let's Help Fln - land" mass meeting in Madison : Square Garden last night. The meeting was led by former president Herbert Hoover, national . chairman of the Finnish relief fund, who declared "every decent person in the world is praying to God that these brave people shall yet be saved." Appealing to Americans to "open hearts and hands" to Finland with contributions to the fund, Hoover said, "At the moment, there is no t actual shortage of food In Finland ftr But the thousands of destitute need f funds to buy it. They need shelter, They need bedding. The sea blockade and the destruction of their com merce will bring famine later on." Among others who spoke were Senator Robert F. Wagner (D-NY) Senator Burton K. Wheeler D- Mont), and Hjalmar Procope, Fin nish minister to the United States. 2 SHOPPING DAYS LEFT M CHRJSTMAS SEALS mm 7 MM ir v Ir' "vX I Columbus Survivors Greet New York Survivors of the sunken German liner Columbus are shown lining the rail of the rescuing U. S. cruiser Tuscaloosa as the warship steamed up New York har bor. The 579 Germans, with the status of "castaways" were expect ed to be allowed the freedom of the United States for 60 days. Associated Press Photo. Warship Fleet Off Everglades Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Dec. 21 (U.R) Three submarines and at least four warships were reported clustered today in the Atlantic near Port Everglades, where a German freighter sought refuge after escaping a British cruiser Tuesday. The three submarines were visible from shore. M. J. Kennedy, 21 Nations to Protect Zone Washington, Dec. 21 ffl The Am erican republics prepared a strong statement to Europe's belligerents today, to tell them In eflect that further violations of the neutrality belt will bring a stronger reaction than wordy diplomatic protests. The statement, which may be IssU' ed tomorrow, Is to be a general de claration of the 21 nations, Including the United States, which laid down the zone at the Pan-American con ference in Panama last summer. Among the events occurring with in the zone and thus disturbing neu tral nations which want to keep the war off their doorsteps are: The German-British naval battle off Uruguay, the pursuit of the German freighter Arauca by a Brit ish warship Into Port Everglades, the scuttling of the German liner Columbus within gunshot of a Brit ish destroyer, and the halting of the American liner Santa Rosa by tne French cruiser Jeanne D Arc. In London, it was said the British navy felt free to fight anywhere on the high seas but believed at the spjne time that If aims of the zone could be made to work It would be to the advantage of the allies. The American republics Intend to consult after Christmas on how to determine and enforce a common policy in handling belligerent war ships which come Into their harbors. Tills point was emphasized in the case of the Graf Spee. scuttled on the order of Adolf Hitler after Uru guay ordered the Oerman ship to leave Montevideo or be Interned. Inferior Clamors For End of Strike San Francisco. TVr 31 tip, With widely divergent interests through, out northern and central California clamoring for a settlement of San Francisco's waterfront Hf.un an. other move got under way today to oreak tne stalemate which began last Nov. 10. The San Franciwo pmnlrvir. council, with a membership of 1400, caned an emergency meeting today i j. .jo p. m.i ana ail signs pointed to a thoroueh airlnff of rnnfuslnp proposals to re-open the port and resume negotiations between 650 striking ship clerks and employers In addition, a Stockton delega tion was expected to protest vigor ously a threatened "boycott" of Its port by intercoastal steamship com panies. Oregon Finns Send Money Astoria, Dec. 21 tPia. A. Hell berg, Astoria Finnish relief cam paign director, said today 4450 had been rabled direct to Helsinki, Finland. . Amherst college swlmmlnir coach. and a group of other observers sight- cd the underseas craft from the tow er of the municipal bathing casino. Nationality of the submarines could not be determined, Kennedy and the others estimat ed the submarines were about three or four miles from shore. Earlier, Ted Thompson reported after a fight over the gulf stream that he saw two cruisers he thought were British and the two destroyers about 10 miles offshore. Thompson also reported seeing a submarine about 25 miles out. Customs officials meanwhile had the 4353-ton German freighter. which raced into Port Everglades Tuesday after the Orion fired warning snot across her bow, mov ed Into a slip where vessels that are laid up for long periods usually are aoctcea. Finland Seeks Safety Zones Berne, Switzerland, Dec. 21 fP) Finland today announced through its Beme legation that safety zones for children, sick and aged persons to escape the war would be created in Finland if the Soviet government agrees. The anounncement was made in reply to a proposal put forward to both Finland and Russia December 5 by an international zone commit tee at Geneva. Under the plan, zones would be created in both Finland and Russia under control of a neutral commis sion to care for expectant mothers, children, the aged and infirm. Both governments would refrain from aerial or land war In these zones. Contents of Skipper's Letter Not Divulged Buenos Aires, Dec. 21 (VP) The secrets of Capt. Hans Langsdorffs thoughts in the hours of darkness before he died by his own hand will go with him to the grave today. The commander, wno oDeyca orners oi Adolf Hitler In destroying the Ger man raider Admiral Graf Spee Sun day rather than renew a battle with British cruisers outside Montevideo, wrote a farewell letter to the Ger man embassy just before commit ting suicide Tuesday night. An Argentine naval commission investigating his death recommend ed the letter be impounded and with held from the public. It said its re port would show Langsdorff shot himself In his room at the naval ar senal here as reported by the em bassy. The slight body of the 45-year-old commander lay In state at the arse nal today In a cubicle no larger than his cabin aboard the Admiral Graf Spee, which the British chased into Montevideo after a 14-hour battle December 13, . Skirmishes on Saar Sector Paris, Dec. 21 (yp) French military authorities reported today a re newal of scouting skirmishes in the Saar river sector of the western front. There was a 45-minute air raid alarm in western France last night, with anti-aircraft guns In action. An official announcement said seizure by France of 74,000 tons of shipping last week brought to 362,000 the total tonnage seized since the war began. The French' said British seizures of 26,380 tons in the week raised the British total to 509,880. (Giving- similar figures, the Brit ish ministry of economic warfare said that since the start of the war the British had examined the car goes of 303 British and 1228 neutral ships, had seized 68 and released 1039 entire cargoes). This morning's communique of the allied high command said: "Patrol activity on both sides al ong the Saar river." Dutch Planes In Air Battle Amsterdam, Dec. 21 (Nether lands planes fought an air battle with aircraft of unidentified for eign nationality today in full view of hundreds of residents of Utrecht. The engagement started about noon (3:40 a. m. PST). The invaders were reported to have come from the east where the Ne therlands borders Germany. A smoke curtain was dropped by the foreign fighters, who escaped under this protection. Heavy firing was heard from anti-aircraft guns and plumes of smoke from shells were seen. An official of a nearby village reported sighting eight or nine planes, but other reports told of only two or three. A short time earlier three for eign military planes had been sight ed over Veluwe In the border pro vince of Gelderland, which Is north of Essen, Germany. Netherlands anti-aircraft batteries fired on the planes and they were chased by Netherlands air patrols. A burial plot was selected on the "German" cemetery, separated from British graves by a fence erected during the World war. Three hun dred of the Admiral Graf Spee's crew were assigned to participate In funeral services this evening. Otto Langmann, the German min ister to Uruguay, who had conduct ed fruitless negotiations for extend ing the warship's refuge In Monte video, was coming here with other diplomatic officials to pay tribute to the man to whom honor means more than life. The German admiralty issued a statement in Berlin, saying Langs dorff "did not wish to live past the sinking of his ship," and "after bringing his crew to safety, he view ed hLs work as finished and followed hi ihlp." Britain Acts to Curb Attacks on Fishing Vessels 35 Unarmed Vessels Sunk In 3 Days Hunt for U-Boats Intensified London, Dec. 21 (P) Great Britain assembled ships and fighting planes today to pro tect her unarmed North sea fishing fleet as a result of German aerial attacks in which 35 vessels have been bombed, torpedoed or ma chine-gunned in three days. Defensive arming also was considered for the fishermen, on whom insular Britain de pends for an imnortant slid- plement to her meat supply. The crews of trawlers engaged In minesweeping and anti-submarine activities will be given a "hard-lying" bonus, retroactive to the out break of the war, it was disclosed by Geoffrey Shakespeare, parllamen tary secretary of the admiralty. Such bonuses are paid for exceptionally difficult, dangerous and uncomfor table work. The admiralty called the enlist ment of telegraph and wireless op. erators "until the end of the period or the present emergency." Flares Utilized The Evening News said It was Tin. derstood mysterious flares which lighted the sky for miles off the coast and attracted crowds of watch ers were dropped by British planes to aid In a night search for sub' marines. Strict secrecy surrounded a meet' Ing yesterday between Admiral Jean Darlen, supreme commander of French naval forces, and Winston Churchill, Britain's first lord of the admiralty. . But with anxiety growing over the safety of the British fishing in dustry and allied naval operation in. creaslngly vigorous, their discussion was linked with the forays on fish ing trawlers. The admiralty assailed the at tacks as an act of "senseless In humanity" and said only three, all unsuccessful, were on naval vessels. Two others, It said were on neu trals. (The German high command said nazl planes had destroyed 23 British "vanguard vessels.) Mine Sinkings Fewer Mine sinkings decreased, mean while, only one victim in British waters being reported In 24 hours. It was the 1,449-ton Swedish steam er Mars, sunk off the northeast coast yesterday with seven persons missing and six rescued. The German liner Cap Norte, 13,615-ton vessel and one of the fastest In the South American trade, was brought to a British port yester day as & prize. The liner was cap tured October 12 in the Atlantic. British newspapers praised the scuttled Graf Spee's commander, Captain Hans Langsdorff, who took his life yesterday. It is a tragedy," said the London Times "for such men today that they cannot serve their country save in the livery of a master whom in their hearts they must despise." U. S. Health Experts Sent to Finland Washington, Dec. 21 (U.W Presi dent Roosevelt today ordered two United States health service experts to Finland to direct and aid In a fight against typhus there. White House Secretary Stephen T. Early announced that Mr. Roosevelt had directed Senior Burgeon H. A. Spencer, now stationed in Paris, and Senior Surgeon Van B. Murray, now in Berlin, to proceed to Finland, to work with the American Red Cross. Both are expert- in prevention and treatment of typhus, Early said. McKenzie Pass Road Remains Open Bend, Dec. 21 up, The high Mc Kenzie river pass, short route be tween Eugene and central Oregon, remained open today with about a Toot of snow along the Lava Bed divide, The road is normally under deep fnow by mid-December. The highway department said the pass would close as soon as push plows were unable to break through. No rotsrirs will be moved to the AUmmiL Christmas Cheer Time Grows Short Over 300 Needy Children Taken Care of But Several Hundred Are Still to be Provided for Before Christmas Eve Families Yet to be Taken The Christmas cheer campaign of the Capital Journal is rapidly coming to a close and the Journal staff hopes that by Christmas eve every needy lad and lassie will be remembered with some toy or doll and the prospect of a hearty Christmas dinner. Uver-300 children had nal lamuy, wun me assistance oi kind-hearted Salem folk, at noon to day and the Santa Claus editor and her assistants still ha"e several hun dred more children to provide for before Christmas eve. If you'll take a family or Just a child to make happy this Yuletlde Just call the Santa Claus depart ment at the Journal, 3573, and one will be provided for you from the copious list of needy families. If you are too busy to shop send your con tribution to the Christmas Cheer department at the Capital Journal. Needy folk are calling at the Elks' temple each day this week and re ceiving clothing from the long racks arranged there. Clothing will be dis tributed at the temple until Satur day evening and those calling for apparel are asked to use the east entrance. The Capital Journal, Catholic charities, Salvation Army, Red Cross and Elks are actively co-operating and assisting in the Christmas cheer project, as are the churches, service organizations, clubs and many ln- (Concludcd on poxe 15, column 6) Finland Seeks American Loan Washington, Dec. 21 Finland was reported reliably today to be seeking a $50,000,000 loan from the United States government to buy war materials for use against in vading Russian armies. Representatives of the Finnish government were said to have sound ed out congressional leaders on the proposal after they were unsuccess ful In obtaining Wall Street financ ing for such a sum. Although these representatives were described as restrained in their discussions, one member of con gress who was approached said he gained the distinct impression the Finns felt they could not long hold out against Russia's overpowering forces unless they were given more than moral support. The reconstruction finance cor poration recently lent Finland $10, 000,000 for the purchase In thLs country of non-war materials such as agricultural surpluses. This money went to the Finnish-American Trad ing corporation, organized by Hjal mar Procope, Finnish minister to the United States. Nazis Protest Internment Berlin, Dec. 21 Germany pro tested today to the Argentine gov ernment against Internment of of ficers and crew of the scuttled pock et battleship Admiral Graf Spee. A communique by DNB, official German news agency, said Germany called Argentina's attention to the fact shipwrecked crews of belliger ent states customarily are released after reaching neutral ports. It cited as a precedent that the Netherlands government released survivors of the Aboukir, Cressy and Hogue, British ships which were torpedoed in one day In 1014 with loss of more than 1200 lives. Germany contends the Admiral Graf Spee's men similarly should be classed as "shipwrecked." The high command today report ed "somewhat livelier artillery ac tivity" on the western front and the shooting down of a French .scouting plane near Primasens. DNB said when the British prime minister, Neville Chamberlain, visit ed France last week, German fliers crossed the front to drop him an umbrella with a note: "The German air force regrets that Mr. Chamberlain was forced to go around in such bad weather without an umbrella, and dedicates to him this useful Instrument of pro tection." Exeter Rrarhffl Port Buenos Aires, Dec. 21 (F) The British embassy confirmed today that the cruiser Exeter, damaged In a battle December 13 with the Ger man pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee, had arrived safely at Port Stnnley. British base in the Falk land Islands. been taken care of by the Jour - Seek Ousting Of NLRB Heads Washington, Dec. 21 (JP) Rep. Ramspeck (D., Ga.), called today for the resignations of J. Warren Madden and Edwin S. Smith from the national labor relations board and also proposed two major amend ments to the Wagner labor act. Ramspeck, ranking democrat on tne house labor committee, told re. porters if Madden and Smith did not resign, congress should abolish the present three-man board and create a new one. William M. Lets erson la the third member. "Madden and Smith, especially Smith, In my opinion, have not car ried out the will of congress even though they have tried to do an honest Job," Ramspeck said. "They seem to have the opinion down at the board that the act was created so they could help unions organize, rather than so that the right of a man to Join a union could be legally protected." He advocated these changes In the Wagner act: , Protection for small unions "which the board has permitted a larger union to taite over in some lnstan ces." Formal assurances employers will nave tne same right to ask for collective bargaining election ; their workers. Last summer the board changed its regulations to permit employ ers to ask for election, but Rams peck said that permission should be placed In the law itself "so the board won't be able to change its mind again. Reds Retreat In Far North Kirkenes, Norway, (at the Finnish Frontier), Dec. 21 (P) Russian troops were seen moving northward in the Arctic Petsamo sector today, giving rise to reports that their southward drive in Finland's corri dor facing the Arctic ocean had been thrown Into reverse. The blizzard which yeslerdav buf feted the invading red forces and practically Immobilized their motor ized equipment abated during the night. This morning watchers on the Norwegian side of the frontier could see red soldiers marching on the Arctic highway traversing the corridor. This was near NautsI, about 73 miles from the Arctic ocean, where the Norwegian border turns back sharply to the northwest. Puzzling to the watchers, how ever, was the fact that the Russians were marching to the north. Some observers recalled Napoleon's retreat from Moscow and Insisted they could see pursuing Finnish troops through their binoculars. Britain May Place Large Lnm her Orders Seattle, Dec. 21 (fP) Representatives of British interest! have been in the Pacific northwest studying the possibility of placing large lumber orders. Col. W. B. Greeley, secretary- manager of the west Coast Lumber-so men's association said today, but any such deal may still be "a long way off." "We hope very much the deal will be consumnated," Colonel Greeley said. "Britain needs the lumber badly, especially since its Baltic supply has been cut off and Cana dian mills can't keep up with or ders. West coast lumbermen would be very glad to sell the lumber, but we still have our fingers crossed about that Jolly old man with white whiskers. The proposition sounds like Santa Clans." The association's leader said the .sale had been rumored since last May, when Great Britain began making war preparations. At Washington official sources, Score of Cities Bombed, Trains MachineGunned In Land Fighting Finns Capture Two Batallions Of Red Troops Helsinki, Dec. 21 (TP) Rus sian fliers today bombed a hospital area of Helsinki, at tacked towns and villages for 25 miles around and machine gunned two trains in a day in which Finnish land forces were officially reported to have wiped out two battalions of Russians. In the land fighting, an army communique said, the Finns either threw back the invaders with heavy losses or con tinued their own advances and cap tured or destroyed 20 tanks and a wide variety of arms, ammunition and equipment. In the day's aerial operations, two Russian planes were reported shot down over Helsinki, where the Invaders bombed a hospital dormi tory, heavily damaged a school for the blind and struck seven out of 10 other hospital bulllngs. Only Two Injured Only two persons were Injured and none was killed In the Helsinki hospital area, though more than 30 bombs rained upon it, but there were deaths In the attacks outside the capital. Two persons, officials said, were killed aboard the Turko-Helslnkl Express, one of two trains machine gunned, while several died In one city where ten bombs were dropped. Summarizing the war on land In a communique tonight on yester day's operations, the army said: On the Karelian Isthmus the Russians suffered heavy losses and were stopped in their tracks In a day-long battle. On the eastern front an "enemy battalion was destroyed completely' between Lleksa and Repala. Lleksa is about 125 miles north of Lake La doga and 20 miles from the border with Russia. Two Defeats for Iteds On the upper eastern front Rus sians were defeated in two differ ent places; a battalion being "an nihilated" in one and "a great loss" beig sustained in the other. In the one, the communique said, "the en emy last 600 killed on the battle field." In the Arctic Finnish troops reached Hoyhenjarvl, across tht Jordan! river, a place near the Nor weglan frontier about AO miles south of Finland's Arctic coast. (A London dispatch from Moscow said the Russian war communique for the second day In succession made no claims of gains in Finland and Norwegians reported seeing Russians moving northward in the far north from lines they had been pushing south.) The air raid on Helsinki, coming on the 60th birthday of Joseph Sta lin, the Russian leader, started four minutes before noon after attacks on towns in the vicinity. Fifteen bombs fell in the five bloc hospital area. On three war fronts, Finnish de fenders held their snow-sheathed Hues, aided by blizzards and bitter cold, against the red army's massed warplanes and tanks. disclosed Great Britain had offered to buy between 415,000.000 and $30, 000.000 worth of lumber in this coun try if at the same time she can purchase ships In which to trans port it. "Since the neutrality legislation blocked out many Great Britain arras to American shipping, about 90 .ships In this country were shunted from their old runs," Colonel Gree ley commented. "These ships are on the Atlantic coast, most of them idle except for a few going to South America and other neutral ports, and It is these ships Great Britain would buy." Since the war started, ho said, only special Items of American lumber, .such as ship decking, spruce air plane stock and Industrial construc tion, have been shipped to England i
