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
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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
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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