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About Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 1941)
G aipital Weather Partly cloudy tonight and Satur day, occasional light rain, little change In temperature, east to north t wind. . Thursday max. 60, mln. 29 (last 13 hours). Rain 0. River -.4 ft. N.W. wind, clear. 2 p. m. in Salem Ij 11 p. m. In Vienna and Athens; 10 p. m. In London. Paris and Ber lin; 13 a. m In Cairo. That's why you get European war news first In the Capital Journal hours ahead. 53rd Year, No. 45 SSTVSSA Two Sections-18 pages Salem, Oregon Friday, February 21, 1941 11 Price Three Cents On Trains and News stands pit Onu Nazi Army Crossing Daoy be olb Ill III TvTITI rVO & n : ii wmEsa .1 11 B Bulgaria House Passes ,BiII to Curb Auto Accidents Compels Drivers Involved In Crashes to Carry In surance or Lose License The house passed and sent to the senate today, by a 51 to 8 vote, a bill to provide that owners and drivers of auto mobiles involved in automo bile accidents should have their drivers' licenses and 11 cense plates suspendid until they prove their nnancial re sponsibility. The bill would affect all per sons involved in accidents, re gardless of whether they are In hlnnta nn. 1.1 tns4tiar1 V,,, ,hn house Insurance committee. The effect of the bill, opponents charged, would be to force every car owner to carry liability insurance. Rep. E. C. Frlsbie (R., Baker) chairman of the committee, said the bill would reduce the number of ac cidents and reduce insurance rates. He said that in New Hampshire, which has a similar law, the number of traffic fatalities has been reduced by 50 percent In three years, insur ance rates have dropped 30 percent, and that 80 percent of the car own ers now are protected by liability Insurance. Frlsbie said that in Oregon, own ers have one chance in six each year of being involved In accidents, 74,000 of Oregon's 477,000 licensed drivers having been Involved last year. No Penalty Now "Today, If the reckless driver is caught, we fine him and let him go on his reckless way," Frlsbie said. "If this hill Is nnnspri it. wnnlrt ririvi snme of them off the highways and give the public protection against the rest." Rep. George R. Duncan (R., Mar lon) said the bill would drive many cars off the road and work a hard ship against indigent car owners who could not afford insurance. He sug gested an outright compulsory in surance law. Rep. Phil Brady (R., Mult.) said 150,000 Portland laboring men who drive to work each day would be (Concluded on paee 11, column 8) Swansea Again Bombers' Target London, Feb. 21 VP) Swansea bore the brunt of German air at tacks last night for the second night In succession. by high explosive bombs and casu alties. London Itself had three raid al arms before dawn today. Belatedly the admiralty reported destruction by the minesweeper Bramble of one of two German warplanes which attacked her sim ultaneously yesterday. ' The plane, It said, was . seen to dive Into the sea and exploded un der water. There were no surviv ors and the Bramble suffered no casualties. The press association reported that there was "extensive" damage In Swansea among commercial build lngs and business premises. "A big crater in one street was caused by a high explosive bomb which wrecked fronts of buildings containing shops below and offices above and the Ghops on the oppo site side of the street suffered badly,' the agency said. "In another part of the town a whole row of workmen's dwellings were set alight by Incendiary bombs but the flreflghting services extin guished most of the outbreaks be fore the fires got complete control." U-Boafs Preparing For Big Offensive Berlin, Feb. 21 (Ft Dienst Aus Deutschland. a source close to Ger man officialdom, said today that nazl submarines were sinking com paratively few British ships because "many of the (U-boat) crews now are engaged In preparation for the big offensive which Hitler proclaim, ed." (The commentary's reference ap parently was to the fuehrer's Janu ary 30 speech on the eighth annl- VAna r-o tit hi Hea In nnrr UIHal said: ("At sea, U-boat warfare will be gin this spring, and our opponent will realize there also that we haven't slept." 1 Bill to Place 'Private Clubs' Under Control Boivin Measure Puts Speakeasies Under State Liquor Board License By Harry Craln The way of the speakeasies disguised as "private clubs," such as the recently deceased Webfoot club of Salem, which survived three successful raids by state liquor agents only to succumb to a fourth, would be made difficult by a bill Rep. Harry Boivin, chair man of the house alcoholic control committee, today an nounced he would offer for introduction. Coupled with Rep. John Steelham mer's pending bill to abolish the present system of liquor deliveries by messenger by state stores, Boi vln's proposed bill would make it hazardous if not impossible for "clubs" serving liquor and mixed drinks to "members" from their "own bottles" to operate very long. Special Licenses Boivin would require these places to secure special club licenses from the liquor control commission, which could be suspended or revoked by the commission at will, thus pro viding the commission with a much less cumbersome method of dealing with club law violators than raid ing, - prosecuting and convicting those who violate the laws relative to the sale of hard liquors. Rep. Steelhammer's bill, which has been slumbering in committee for several weeks, would prevent pseudo clubs from so readily secur ing hard liquor for their "mem bers" from state liquor stores by messenger. Emergency Clause Boivin's bill is similar in prlnci-. pie to the club license bill passed by the last legislature, against which a successful referendum was Invoked by Common Sense, Inc., which also for the very important purpose of confusing the voters sponsored an initiative measure to repeal the Knox liquor control law. Both ap peared on the ballot at the last gen eral election with the result that the cautious and uninformed voters gave "no" majorities to both bills. Boivin would guard against an other such mix-up to defeat the will of the legislature by attaching the emergency clause to his bill, ele vating it beyond the reach of those who would protect the unlawful clubs through another referendum attack. The bill has the endorsement of the liquor control commission, In principle. Barbers' Bill Fought Boivin said that he would seek to have the measure Introduced as a committee bill, and that he and the liquor commission were not en tirely agreed as to details of the licensing system to be set up. He said he favors adequate protection for those clubs which operate legi timately in providing mixers and service for bona fide club members who provide their own liquor, and that his plan is aimed at the boot leggers and speakeasies. Braving the threat of stiff fines for violating the by-laws of the Barbers' International union, which forbids lobbying against a bill spon sored by a local union, independent barbers of the state are neverthe less making known their opposition (Concluded nn page 11, column fl) ' Nazi Troops in Spain To Aid Relief Work Madrid, Feb. 21 (U.R) German troops reported to be only five small detachments marched into Spain today. The German troops were said to be on a completely peaceful mis sion lor tne purpose or aiding Span ish reconstruction as a result of the devastation of last week's hurri cane. It was said here that the troops constituted only five small detach ment from the German occupa tional army in France. It was said here that the troops would proceed to Santander to aid In the reconstruction of that city which was damaged by the hurri cane and a fire which followed. It was said that the troops were sent across the border after Foreign Minister Ramon Serrano Suner ac cepted the offer of Germany for aid in reconstruction work. The units which crossed the bor Maxim M. Lltvlnoff Stalin Purges Max Litvinoff Moscow, Feb. 21 () The com munist party removed Former For eign Commissar Maxim Litvinoff and three others from the party's central committee today for "fail ing their duties" and warned the heads of seven commissariats that similar action would be taken against them unless their work "Improves." Paulina Karpovskaya Zhemchuz hina, wife of Premier-Foreign Com missar Vyacheslaff Molotoff, was dropped as a candidate for the cen tral committee. She formerly was commissar of ie fish Industry and vice-uuHumasar oi ;uie iuuu uiuua- try. f (Litvinoff, a supporter of the lea gue of nations and collective secur ity, was supplanted on May 3, 1939, by premier Vyacheslaff Molo toff, who subsequently negotiated the Russian non-aggression pact with Germany.) . 'The party congress; now -In -session here, served notice on M. M. Kaganovich, former head of the aviation industry, that "unless his work improves In his new post and he fulfills the tasks entrusted to him by the party government, he will be removed from membership in the central committee and from re sponsible posts." Similar warning was given to M. F. Denlsoff, commissar of the che mistry Industry; I. P. Sergueyeff, munitions; S. S. Dukelsky, sea trans port; Z. A. Shashkoff, river trans port; A. A. Ishkoff, fisheries, and V. V. Bogatlreff, electrical Indus tries. Fly Bombers Coast to Orient Washington, Feb. 21 IF) The British embassy announced today that "aircraft are being flown" to its forces In the far east from the west coast of the United States. Although indicating that power ful bomber reinforcements were be ing sent to the British at Singa pore, the embassy declined to give any further details. "We can say nothing about the numbers, types, or routes of these aircraft," an official said. The embassy statement followed reports that Consolidated and Lock heed bombers were being flown from San Diego to Singapore via Hawaii. Some officials indicated the flight of Consolidated bombers was likely because they are large, long range ships, but Lockheed spokesmen doubted whether their ships had enough for the long over-water hops. The British long ago disclosed they were buying four-motored Consoli dated ships for long range bomb ing duty. der were said to comprise members of a field hospital detachment, a company of -ambulance troops, a company of technicians, a company of sappers and a motorized column. The motorized column, it was said, was brought In to aid in Span ish transport work. It was said to be equipped with a field kitchen with which to distribute 30,000 ra tions dally. These rations, It was emphasized, were for distribution to Spaniards in need, rather than to Oerman troops. The offer to send German troops to aid in hurricane reconstruction work was made by German ambas sador Eberhard von Stohrer. Roosevelt Raps Publication of Defense News Question of Ethics, Mor als, Patriotism Raised by Printing Testimony Washington, Feb. 21 (VP) President Roosevelt said to day he considered the disclo sure of what was intended to be secret testimony before a senate committee yesterday by General George C. Mar shal, army chief of staff, as hurtful to national defense. The president told a press conference that it raised a question of ethics, morals and patriotism on the part of committee members ana eauors. publishers, and broadcasters who printed reports of Marshall's test! mony. The chief executive said it was a question for the American people to consider. At the conclusion of lengthy questioning on the subject he said it was purely a voluntary matter, that he was not thinking about censorship, but that he was merely putting it up to the people as a nice question to think about. Senators Talked (Information about General Mar shall's testimony jlesterday was giv en to the Associated Press by mem bers of the senate military commit tee before whom he testified.) Marshall was reported by some members of the committee as having said that the Pacific fleet was be ing .bolstered -with, .an, lunspeelfied number of army and navy planes and as having described the Pacific situation as serious Asked to clarify the accounts on Marshall's testimony, the president said he read them in the newspapers at breakfast this morning. Question of Ethics Then, with a warning to reporters not to say that he was angry or that a raised eyebrow Indicated re sentment, Mr, Roosevelt said he was Interested In the problem of ethics and he thought that the American people should be interested for the same reason. In times of world upheaval, he added, there were certain things re garding the defense of the United States that it was advisable to keep secret. He emphasized it was only occa sionally that It became necessary for defense officials, in the Interest of national safety, to appear In a confidential capacity before con gressional committees. Held Confidential He said there was not much new in such appearances, as the prac tice had been going on since 1776, but that4he problem of keeping this testimony from the public still lived. The president said that there were various stories on what Marshall was supposed to have said, but that they all differed from a memoran dum he had on his desk from the chief of staff as to what actually was told the committee. Mr. Roosevelt refused, In response to further questions, to disclose the actual testimony saying with a smile that would be compounding a felony. Asserting he was not criticizing reporters for trying to get the Btory because that was part of their Job, the president did say that he ques tioned the ethics of editors and pub lishers in printing such Information. Broadcasters Added He added broadcasters to the list, in answer to a query. The whole matter, Mr. Roosevelt said, Involved the question whether committee members ought to dis close to anybody what is said in a secret session. If they do disclose It, either under the sail of secrecy or not, Mr. Roosevelt said it was per fectly all right for a reporter to take his Information to his office. But printing the story presented a diffi cult problem, he added. He asked whether an owner, man ager, managing editor, or head of a Washington press association office was not under the same moral, eth ical, or patriotic duty not to print such a story, as committee members are. NLRB Orders Ford To Reinstate 142 Washington. Feb. 21 (U.R) The national labor relations board today ordered the Ford Motor company to reinstate 142 employes at its Richmond, Calif., plant and to award them back pay for the period of their alleged discriminatory discharges. 4 ulM s , ...V. ''-Sg " 1 1 i - - Cutter Collects Heavy Ice Coat Members of the Coast Guard cut ter Escanaba began removal of a heavy coating of Ice the vessel collected during a Lake Michigan crossing from Grand Haven, Mich., in a gale and subzero temperatures, to Chicago. Associ ated Press Photo. Senators Attack British Aid Bill . Washington, Feb.. 21 (P) Carrying on the fight against the British aid. bilL-Senator Brooks (R.-I1U declared todeV that it yepresentfidleap ,toward.dictfttorship". which would "involve us in active, personal, lighting participation in war" Brooks, in an address prepared for senate delivery, said that senators could not snirK ineir re- sponsibilitles by giving President Roosevelt the powers contained In the legislation. "The blood of American boys will be on your hands," he asserted, i "The blood of America belongs to America, and to her defense to the last drop." Senator Gillette (D la.), also opposing the bill, told the senar that United States defenses now are "so inadequate that only by the tit most exertion and use of all our resources and ingenuity can . we prepare for the future." The British aid bill, he contended, would "further deplete" these de fenses by permitting the transfer of existing war equipment and by channeling new production toward Britain and her allies. Brooks, making his first formal speech in the senate, said he fa vored helping Britain "by giving them whatever we can spare out of our present production from now on short of war." He said he would not "dissipate another ounce of the present inadequate defense of America.' RAF Bombs Albanian Bases Athens, Feb. 21 (P) Seven axis fighting planes were reported by the RAP today to have been shot down by the fighter escorts of Brit ish bombers which raided Berati and Tepelenl, in Italian-held Al bania yesterday. The British said they lost none. Severe damage resulted from the raids, the dally communique said. "A particularly heavy raid was made on Berati where barracks were badly damaged and a number of fires started, followed by explosions," it said. "At Tepelenl enemy stores and troop concentrations were suc cessfully attacked and much dam age and confusion was caused. "Our bombers were escorted by fighters on these raids and In en gagements with the enemy seven of their fighters were shot down with out loss to our aircraft and other enemy aircraft were severely dam aged." Alfonso's Condition Growing Worse Rome, Feb. 21 MP) Doctors de scribed the condition of Former King Alfonso XIII of Spain as grave today. They said he spent a restless night during which he suffered an other heart attack. The doctors' bulletin said: "yesterday evening serious at tacks of failure In heart and res piratory system arose, which became more marked during the night." The former king was reported to have been stricken Feb. 13. Matsuoka Warns Americans Tokyo, Feb. 21 (IP) Foreign Min ister Yosuke Matsuoka told Japan ese newspapermen today that con tinued defense preparations by Bri tain and the United States in the south Pacific would produce a situ ation "attended by considerable danger." Domel. Japanese news agency, quoted the foreign minister as ex pressing hope in a lengthy Inter view that "the Anglo-Saxons" would refrain from "taking any measures tending to excite Japanese public opinion." Simultaneously he reiterated denial that he had sent an offer of European mediation to London, He said he merely dispatched a com munication to British Foreign Sec retary Anthony Eden In which he gave a "very frank reply" to ques tions Eden had asked through the Japanese ambassador to London, Mamoru Shlgemitsu. "There Is no need of Anglo American defense preparations in the south seas because Japan has taken no action which should cause Britain or the United States to feel uneasiness," Matsuoka said. "I consider it not only unneces sary but regrettable that there should be any such action on the part of Britain which would en dorse the British propaganda cry of Wolf, when no wolf Is at the door.' Australia Ready To Defend Singapore London, Feb. 21 (VP) Prime Minister Robert G. Menzics of Australia warned Britain today of "elements of danger" in the Pacific and declared no nation must think that Australia is "unwilling or Incapable of de- fending herself. Japan now has "obligations to those who are at present our en emies," declared Menzles, who ar rived here from Lisbon yesterday after inspecting Australian troops In Africa. He asserted that Australia had 'accepted specific responsibilities for a share in the defense of Sin gapore." "Whether In relation to troops, aircraft or ships we pursue a policy of defending ourselves In an area where there are elements of danger in 1(41," the' prime minister said with emphasis. Making what he called "a report on Australia." Menzles disclosed the magnitude of the commonwealth's war effort. This year, he said, 51 warships will be built there, 24.000 pilots and gun ners will be trained and the Aus British Drives Extended Far In East Africa Military Council Held at Cairo to Plan Middle East Campaign Cairo, Egypt, Feb. 21 () British general headquarters announced today its forces in vading Italian Somaliland had forced a new crossing of the Juba river north of the orig inal bridgehead. The Juba river had been the chief line of Italian resistance to the British offensive into this southernmost of Italy's east African holdings. The communique also an nounced capture of 5,576 Italian co lonial troops and 745 Italian regu lars on the Erltrean front In the last month. Prisoners Taken "In addition many prisoners have been taken In the areas of the Blue Nile, the Upper Mile and in the Gojjam," the communique said. These areas are in Ethiopia. One hundred and seven medium Italian tanks were reported cap tured or destroyed in the recent bat tle south of Bengasi, in Libya hun dreds of miles northwest of the east African front. Little activity has been reported lately from Libya. The inventory of captured mater ial still is unfinished. -. "Our troops have again success fully forced the river Juba north of the ; original grossing," the com munlqtie said of the Somaliland of fensive: .-v v : War Policies Planned The river traverses the westorn end of Italian Somaliland from north to south, the mouth at Chlsi mald which now Is in British hands. The first crossing took place near Oelib, north of Chlsimaio. Far reaching decisions on British war policy were forecast as Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden and Gen eral Sir John DU1, chief of the im perial general staff, began a first hand survey of the situation In the middle east. Informed sources attached the greatest significance to the arrival of the two British leaders here yes terday when developments In both the Balkans and Africa appear to be nearlng a crucial stage. The presence of the British offi cials all but pvershadowed reports of current activities on the African war fronts. Nazis Claim Blasting Of British Shipping Berlin, Feb. 21 (IP) About 45,000 tons of British shipping were blasted by Oerman air raiders yesterday, In formed nazls reported today. Ten ships were said to have been affected, three of which the high command reported sunk. These, the daily communique said, totalled 11, 500 tons. DNB, official German news ag ency, added a fourth vessel to this toll, saying a merchantman of 3000 to 4000 tons was hit off the British east coast by a plane whose crew watched the vessel sink. tralian Imperial force will be In creased to a full army corps of four infantry divisions plus one armored division. "We are not doing this out of be nevolence nor because of a detached feeling of Judgment in the Justice of our cause," Menzles commented. "We are one family of Brltlsh peaklng people and when the fam ily fights everyone chips In." "Everything Australia has, we venture in this fight." He cited a defense budget of 188, 000.000 pounds (about $744,000,000) which he said had brought rising taxes. "But we are all agreed It is better to come out of this shooting match broke than conquered," he said. Menzles said he probably would return to Australia via the United States and reiterated an invitation to Wendell Wtllkle to visit the commonwealth. Motorized Corps Moving South From Rumania Danube, Free from Ice,' Crossed at 17 Points by German Forces Budapest, Feb. 21 (U.R) Unconfirmed reports- reach ing here from Belgrade today said that German troops had been crossing the Danube from Rumania into Bulgaria at 17 points since noon. These troops were reported concen trating on the Bulgarian side of the river. It was reported, also with out confirmation, that Bul garia had called an additional 100,000 troops to the colors. Belgrade, Yugoslavia, Feb. 21(P) Nazi pontoon bridges in considerable number al ready span the Danube be tween Rumania and Bulgaria, a leading Balkan diplomat said today, and the passage of troops and equipment south "is a matter of days, if not ; hours." The river was virtually ice free and the nazi motorized ' expeditionary force on the Ru- manlan side showed every evidence, of getting ready for a move intor Bulgaria. ;' Columns of these troops are mov-y ,- ing south through Rumania toward' -; the river border, military dispatches' -said, ... ... : Foreign legations In Sofia heard reports tonight that Soviet Russia was making a last minute effort to forestall a German entry into Bul garia, but there was no confirma tion in official quarters of the countries chiefly concerned. Legation Prepares The United States legation In So fia had a number of placards print ed in English, Bulgarian and Ger man, saying "Tills building is prop erty of the United States" and dis playing the American flag and seal. Simultaneously, the general staff of Germany's Balkan army was said to have moved from Bucharest to (Concluded nn pnse 11, column 4) Britain Moving Air Force Units London, Feb. 21 (P) Britain was reported today to be moving addi tional air force units to Africa, Greece and the far east to counter Oerman aerial assistance to Italy and asserted Japanese threats In the Pacific. New contingents of pilots from empire training centers and new reserves of bombers and fighters coming from the United States were said to be making this diversion of a portion of Britain's air strength possible. There was speculation that this re-shuffling of the air force was made possible by continued bad weather over the continent which had kept British bomber commands Idle recently. The British air force Is known to be slightly overmanned with fighter as compared with bomber pilots, due to the rush last summer and fall to get defensive planes In the air to counter Intensive Oerman air at tacks on the island. Lately the em phasis has been on increasing the bomber force. Russia Continues Aid to Chungking Chungking. Feb. 21 U.R China's foreign minister Wang Chung Hill declared today that Russia's aid U General Chiang Kai-Shek Is ex pected to continue at full strength, and expressed doubt that Russia and Japan will sign any non- ag gression agreement in the near fu ture. Russia, he said, prefers to main tain her present "favorable posi tion" In the far oast and henco an agreement with Japan which would modify the soviet relations with China docs not seem likely. Wang reiterated Chinese denials that the soviet has presented any demands to the government of Gen eral Chiang Kai-Shek concerning the relations between the central government and Chinese commu nist groups. )
