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About Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 1942)
cm Capital! raai 'Buy Defense Bonds' Em Flying' Uth Yonr Nn 45 "nfod u second class jtrn i ear, 10. f j matter t eiem, cwgon Salem, Oregon Saturday, February 21, 1942 Pm Tkua ii On Train and Newi iiicb wcilia BUnds Flv. Cent. -Dutch Fleets F ava 1 1 te 11 PI llL'KSa 1 11 B U.S. ightiog Battle of J " ' . 20 Lose Lives When U-Boat 0 Sinks Tanker 'Torpedoed Ship Becomes Inferno of of Burning Oil Off Florida Coast Jacksonville, Fla., Feb. 21 (P)The sinking of the tank er Pan Massachusetts off the Atlantic coast Thursday aft ernoon by an enemy submar ine was announced by the navy today after the landing here of 18 survivors. They told a harrowing story of their escape and the death of 20 fellow crewmen in an in- tferno of burning oil. Torpedoed Twice Capt. Robert E. Christie, 52-year-old sea veteran who lost the first ship .of his career, said two torpedoes exploding In quick sue' cession turned the ship into ft mass of flames and "the sea -soon was afire for half a mile around us as the gasoline and oil spread." -Christie, of 1308. Mesqulte St., Corpus Christ!, Tex,, said "three or four shells also exploded on us af ter we were ablaze," but the sub- marine "was not seen by any of us the two lookouts died In the fire . aboard ship, and they are the only men who might have seen it." 18 Survivors Picked Ud The survivors were picked up by a ship which Captain Christie said was about five miles back when the Pan Massachusetts was torpedoed, He declared the men on the rescue ship came to their assistance despite the danger of also being torpedoed, "launched "boats and saved all who were allvethat..ia .bravery." 1 The survivors 1 were landed, here yesterday afternoon but the navy withheld news of their arrival and of the sinking until todayi presum ably as a precaution for the safety of 'the rescue vessel. The vessel Is owned by the Na tional Bulk Carries, Inc. - The Pan Massachusetts was the 31st ship officially announced at tacked In the current series of sink ings In North Atlantic coastal wa ters, i Burned to Death . Others of the survivors told how Bome of the crew were burned to death on board before they could leap into' the soa. Some died in the flaming oil that covered - the water around the ship. . . 1 The first nine to come ashore looked as if they had been through a furnace. Their faces were seared, some were heavily bandaged and all had blankets wrapped around their shoulders. Every man walked up the landing ramp without assistance and climbed Into the ambulances that took them to a hospital. - The other nine, including Capt. Christie, First Officer Alfred Carini, 69, of Long Island City, N. Y., and Third orflcers H. L. Dodge, SB, Bal timore, Md., were taken to a down town hotel, Portugal Files Timor Protest Lisbon, Portugal, Feb. 31 m- Premler Antonio Olivelra De Sala zar told the national assembly today k that Portugal already had entered t an "energetic protest" to Tokyo against Japanese occupation of the southwest Pacific island of Timor, jointly the territory of Portugal and the Netherlands. Salazar said that the Japanese knew that Portuguese troops were on the way to take over the protec tion of the Portuguese portion from Dutch and Australian troops, who occupied it last December. "We have remained faithful to the thesis that there can be no strategic reasons for the violation of the sov ereignty of states," Salazar said. The Portuguese press already was protesting the "new violation" of Portuguese territory when the na tlonal assembly was assembled in extraordinary session to hear the premier. Men in Service May Sell 1942 Vehicles Portland, Ore., Feb. 31 (U.I!) The . State Rationing Administrator's of J flee Friday received instructions from Washington put into effect , Immediately an order permitting men in military service to sett 1942 model ears. Swastikas Seen On Bombers in Darwin Raid Civilians Evacuated from Australian Port But ' , City Still Held Sydney, Australia, Feb. 21 (U.R) German swastikas were observed on enemy planes at tacking Bathurst island, 50 miles north of Darwin, an Australian royal air force communique revealed todav as the Darwin defense zone girded for new aerial assaults, if not an invasion attempt. . ine government announc ed all civilians except men re quired for defense and a few nurses had been evacuated from the Darwin area, but Prime Minister John Curtin denied that the North Australian coastal city had been placed under martial law, No Martial Law Curtln's statement, issued at Can berra, conflicted with a previous announcement by Interior Minister J. C. Colllngs that martial law had been ordered In the Darwin area. "Both Darwin and London have been bombed, but neither has been conquered and there Is no martial law at either place. Nor Is the ene my at either place," Curtin said, , Colllngs announcement perplexed government officials. The Interior minister also said that a train crowd ed with refugees had left Darwin Thursday night, a few moments af ter the completion of repairs to the railroad which the Japanese dam aged in their first raids on Darwin Thursday morning. . v.i, 19 Persons Killed - A revised government list showed 19 persons instead of 15 were killed in Thursday's raids on Darwin. Only eight were service men; at least nine were women. Army Minister F. M. Forde ad mltted the government had received no news from Australian troops, In eluding air force crews at Timor island on which Japanese invasion forces landed yesterday. He said it muBt be assumed communications had been cut. Australian reconnaissance planes had seen a Japanese convoy off Ti mor yesterday, and afterward Jap liese planes attacked Koepang, in the Netherlands part of the island, where'Austr&lian planes were based There had been no communication with Timor since that raid, the air force said. Worker's Wife to Christen Ship Portland, Feb. 31 (U.fi Worker sponsored liberty ship launchlngs will be Inaugurated tomorrow at the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation when Mrs. John J, Spady wife of a steamfltter christens the S. S, James Wilson. Wives of corporation officials and public officials have officiated at launchlngs In the past. Hanged Russian Girl Heroine of Soviet Moscow, Feb. 21 (U.R) Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, 18, tall, shapely, dark-eyede guerilla who stood on a German gallows and exhorted her countrymen to smite and burn the nasi until they were exterminated, was acclaimed a hero of the Soviet union posthumously today. The Tass news agency said she left school when war broke out and Joined a guerilla detachment. It operated In a woods for two weeks, harrying and killing Ger mans, Tass said. Others In the band wanted to, move on but Zoya decided to steal once more Into the town of Petrischevo, which was swarming with Oermans. "I may perish, but first I'll an nihilate at least 10 Germans," she swore to her comrades. She crept up an an Important objective and was about to set it on fire when German sentries seised her. They took her to a house where German officers were living. The officers brusquely or dered the Russian owners of the house to the kitchen, but they heard the Germans questioning her and Zoya saying: "No! Nol I will not telll" to one Norwegian Tanker Sunk Off Curacao WiUemstad. Curacao Dutch West Indies, Feb, 31 (U.R) The Norwegian tanker Kongsggard was torpedoed today off Curacao. The 9,000-ton tanker caught fire amidships, but was brought ashore, according to the Dutch Aneta News agency. The attack occurred this morn ing and was the second close to Curacao, other allied tankers had been torpedoed this week off Aruba, Port of Spain and In other nearby waters. 7 Ships Flash SOS Signals lllo de Janeiro, Feb. 21 (U.R) Chil ean naval radio stations reported today they had heard distress calls from seven ships, three of them American, within the last 34 hours, apparently appealing for aid against German submarine attacks. y The Antofagasta naval station re ported it had heard SOS calls from two American freighters, apparent ly in the Caribbean, at 5:60 a. m, yesterday. Position of the ships was not determined. The Chilean Valparaiso naval sta tion radio had heard distress calls from five ships yesterday, appar ently as they were under submarine attack. It was reported unofficially the ships were In the Pacific. An SOS from one of the ships, an American steamship, said the crew was abandoning the vessel. The government here ordered a police guard stationed at German business premises and homes in fear of mob violence as result -of the submarine sinking of a second Bra zilian steamship, the 4,053-ton Olln da, off the east coast- of the- United States. -.V. Martial Law In Uruguay Montevideo, Feb. 21 VP) Presi dent Alfredo Baldomlr kept a firm grip on the Uruguayan government today In an Interior political squab ble which resulted In dissolution of congress, cancellation, of scheduled national elections March 29 . and placed an army of 17,000 men In control of the country. By an unexpected executive de cree, he blocked Uruguay's leading opponent of Pan-American, coopera tion, Luis Alberto de Herrera, from forcing his hand on a technical vot ing dispute by which members of De Herrera 's opposition party might hold cabinet posts and at the same time combat the government In congressional debates. De Herrera has long opposed Baldomlr's foreign policy and has been an outspoken critic of the ad ministration's plan to build naval and air bases from United States funds. Under Baldomlr's dawn decree to day, police Immediately occupied the congressional building and for bade anyone to enter or leave. The offices of the , national electoral court also were occupied. demand after another. Then a leather belt cracked across her body. The Russians in the kitchen counted 200 lashes, but didn't hear her utter a sound. When the flogging stopped, she repeated: "Nol I will not tell-" The next day she was taken to the village square where the Germans had erected a gallows. Local resi dents had been ordered to attend. The hangman put her on a box and threw a noose around her neck. "Comrades," she shouted to the villagers and farmers. "Cheer up, flghtl Smite the Germans! Burn them I" A German raised his hand to strike her, but she pushed it aside and went on: "I'm 'not afraid to die. It makes me happy to die for my country." The hangman kicked the box from under her and as the crowd In the square wept, she strangled. Red Army Drives Ahead on All Battle Fronts Tremendous Nazi Losses Claimed Berlin Claims Russians Defeated . 'Moscow, Feb. 21 (IP) The red army reported today re lentless advances on the northwestern, western and southwestern fronts with the liberation of further towns and villages and "extermina tion" of thousands of Ger mans. The reports, however,, adhered to the policy of not mentioning specific places, pending the issuance of a spe cial roundup communique, one of these is expected soon. Meantime, Adolf Hitler's plans for a spring drive were' challenged by the army newspaper Red Stap with, the declaration, "We shall yet ad vance far westward, before spring and when it comes we shall develop our offensive on a still larger scale." Stubborn Struggle Conceding that a "stubborn, san guinary struggle is ahead," Red Star reiterated that the Russians are fighting to "put an end to nazi Germany in 1942." The Moscow radio reported fierce fighting, with tremendous German losses, on a southwestern sector "where units under command of Kozlov and Minotnov are operat ing." "Our troops occupied the inhabit ed locality of 'M' and killed 400 en emy officers and men," the radio said. ... ,fx.v " . (The, reference-to Kdilov -suggests that the southwestern sector to which the broadcaster referred was the Crimea. Lieut. Gen. D. T.. Koz lov, Caucasian front commander, was congratulated by Joseph Stalin New Year's day on landings for a counter-invasion of that Black sea peninsula.) On Leningrad Front The Leningrad radio said Soviet forces had penetrated the first and second German lines before that second city of Russia and that Ger man counter-attacks were unsuc cessful. ' . Reporting continued operations against the Germans over night,' the bureau said Soviet forces on the Leningrad front had destroyed ' 49 German blockhouses, 50 bridges and dugouts and many German gun po sitions and killed 1,200 men during the past few days. German Claims Berlin, Feb. 21 (P) Adolf Hitler's high command asserted today that German tank forces had killed 27,- 600 Russians and captured 5,000 prisoners In a four-week battle of encirclement near Rzhev, key nazi Invasion base 125 miles northeast of Moscow, while the London radio reported , that fresh Soviet troops had landed In the Crimea, Russian front-line dispatches had previously declared that the Ger man hold-out garrison at Rzhev, guarding the north flank of the nazi retreat from Moscow, had been sur rounded. In the Crimea, a BBC broadcast said Russian troops were advanc ing upon the port of Feodosiya, at the neck of the Kerch peninsula, Soviet warplanes aiding in the de fense of Sevastopol, Crimean naval base, were declared to have killed nearly 30,000 Germans in a series of 300 offensive ' thrusts. On the Moscow front, Hitler's headquarters said German troops, fighting in bitter sub-zero cold, had "destroyed the bulk of an enemy army and beaten a large part of a further enemy army" presumably in the Rzhev sector. Rationing Boosts Motor Traffic Who said tire and auto ration lng had cut motor traffic In Ore gon? These facts dispute such an as sertion: Oasollne tax collections last month slightly exceeded those for January, 1941, incomplete returns at the secrctaray of state's office in dicatcd today. The same oflkc reported that motor vehicle registrations todsy were 11,783 higher than a year ago, AT. To Cantonment Would Extend South River-Kings Valley Highway Want Salem District Declared Defense Area Bus Line Asks Franchise to Operate Extensive plans for road construction and transporta tion between Salem and the Corvallis cantonment, and the possibility of having the Salem district declared a defense area so that priorities on required construction materials can be obtained, are being discussed here today by a special joint Bilin River Line Held by British London, Feb. 21 (U.R) Imperial troops on the Bilin river front in Burma kept their main positions in tact by constantly counter-attacking and repulsed Japanese attempts to cross mouth of the river, a head quarters communique from Rangoon said today. righting has been extremely fierce and both sides have suffered heavy casualties," the communique from Rangoon said today. "Fighting has been extremely fierce and both sides have suffered heavy casualties," the communique added. Length of the battle front was not defined, but reports Indicated the Imperial defenders were making determined stand 110 miles by rail from Rangoon. Washington Defense Area Qlympla, Feb. 21.. ff) Washing'1 ton state was declared a protective defense area today by Governor Langlle who ordered all Japanese to immediately surrender to the state patrol all firearms, ammuni tion, explosives or other Instruments which might be used to destroy property or life.- . . The order was Issued by proclama tion after conferences with the mil itary, at which the necessity was stressed for immediate action to keep articles of destruction from persons "who might use them in a campaign of sabotage, conducted at a given time or timed simultan eously with an aerial bombing or possible attempted Invasion." The state patrol was authorized to regulate the sale, storage and use of explosives and firearms in the hands of everyone In the Btate, in cluding white American citizens. There will be no Interference with ordinary firearm sales to sportsmen for hunting purposes. Regulations for explosives will be drafted with a view to disrupting industrial operations as little as pos sible. All Japanese, however, must Im mediately surrender their firearms and explosives to the patrol by next Thursday, February 26, and any vio lation is punishable by line and im prisonment. Homes of Many Aliens Raided Portland, Feb. 21 (U.R) The FBI today announced a scries of raids against axis aliens In widely scat tered sections of Oregon, with four squads of federal agents augmented by state and city police and sheriff's officers. J, D. Swcnson, special agent In charge of the Portland FBI office, said two German aliens at New port were among the first arrested He said agents reported guns and radios In possession o( the two Oer mans. Other squads, Swenson explain ed, are raiding homes of Japanese, Germans and Italian aliens In the vicinity of Salem, Marshfield, Port land, Gaston and Banks. The FBI agent estimated that 70 locations are on the "visiting list' for the raiders in their hunt for contraband. Mo.it of the locations, he added, are close to Oregon's pro hibited areas. Jans Bomb Own Ship New York, Dec. 21 (in The Brl tlsh radio said today that Japanese planes scored a direct hit on one of their own ships at Koepang, capl tal of Dutch Timor.. The radio added that 700 Japanese bomber tnd fighter planes had been de stroyed In the southwest Pacific war eu iai, una ucam lira viubwmv. away! committee of the Salem Realty board and the Retail Trade Bureau. Sitting in with the committee is Senator Dean Walker of Indepen dence. He and Ernest Miller rep resented the Salem-Independence- Kings Valley Highway association. the latter also being a member of the joint committee. The committee is giving 1U sup port to bus lines seeking to operate between Salem and the canton ment, yesterday, In the same con nection, Oregon Motor Stages, Inc., filed with the state utilities com mission an . application for fran chise to operate between Salem and the cantonment via Albany and Grainger. Utilities Commissioner Ormond R. Bean is expected to re port Tuesday. In highway development Is the possibility that the projected Sa- lem-Independence-K i n g s Valley highway may be declared by the government to be an access high way, thereby qualifying for govern ment Improvement of the highway to Independence and construction of a- bridge over the Willamette riv er to replace the ferry. Making the Salem district a de fense area would be beneficial both in transportation and housing im provement. Members of the Joint committee of the realty board and the-trade bureau are Earl Vernon, Oscar D. Olson, Leonard Judson, Ed Majek, Arthur Knox, J. F. TJlrlch, George Alderln, William G. Hardy and Er nest Miller. President Carl Hogg and Manager Fred Thlelsen of the Chamber of Commerce met with the committee. Press, Radio Escape Draff Washington, Feb. 21 (Pi Briga dier General Lewis B. Hershey, said today national selective service headquarters would soon advise lo cal draft boards that the press and radio were viewed officially as In dustries essential to the "national interest. The selective service director not ed that similar opinions already had been given as to motion pictures and organized labor. Hershey stressed, however, that only local boards can decide whe ther any individual is a key man and therefore eligible to draft de ferment as indispensable to an In dustry considered essential, Forty one directors have been sent thus far to the local boards to advise them on classifications, he told a press conference, with the prediction that many others were likely. "But neither the director nor any one else In the selective service system, except a local board," he added, "can grant deferment even to an Individual and no group or class exemptions can be made ex cept by congress." Dutch Used Fists On Jap Parachutists Batavin, Fob. 21 (U.R) The Dutch savagely battled the invaders with their bare fists, witnesses who have just ar rived from Sumatra said. Tho British found parachutists with anti-aircraft guns. A British colonel who fought on February 10 when parachutists first landed, said a detachment was Isolated and forc ed to fight a land battle with anti aircraft guns. "My boys did a wonderful Job of firing timed fuses at almost point blank range, blasting the monkey like parachute troops," he said. "I don't suppose anything like that happened before." The colonel said his men were part of an Engllt:i regiment, most of whom wero from Birmingham, who were diverted to Malaya while en route to the Caucascs. "We spent a short time in Malaya, then a section ot Us went to Su matra," he said. "We were about 300 strong at Palembang and were Dive Bombers Participate in Baffle of Bali 16 Fighting Planes Serve As Escort Artillery Battle at Bataan Washington, Feb. 21 UP) The war department announc ed today that American bombers in a series of attacks on Japanese warships and transports off the Nether lands Indies island of Bali shot down four Japanese planes and scored direct hits on three enemy cruisers and four transports. Four American planes were lost, a communique said, de tailing American participation In the continuing action which already had been partially reported from Batavia. Battle of Bataan Meanwhile in the Philippines, there was heavy artillery firing in the Bataan peninsula and Japanese siege guns resumed fire on the Ma nila bay fortifications, concentrat ing on the exposed island outpost of Fort Frank. Enemy planes made frequent flights over the Bataan lines, drop ping incendiary bombs, the com munique said. At least 10 heavy American bomb ers took part in the air and sea fighting off Bali, from which, the communique made clear, complete reports were still lacking. Dive Bombers The American planes involved in the action oft Ball, represented the largest number, specifically men tioned in a war department com munique thus far. Two days ago 16 army P-40 fighter planes were mentioned in a fight over. Socrabaja,, Java, and they were credited with destroying six enemy planes. . In the continu ing fighting off Ball another for mation of 16 fighters served as an escort for seven army dive bomb ers. The dive bombers were re ported in action for the first time. Today's Communique The communique, number 117, based on reports received until 6:30 a. m.,- PWT.-sald: "1. Philippine theatre: "Heavy artillery firing by both sides characterized the action in Bataan during tho past 24 hours. Infantry patrols were active, result ing In numerous skirmishes. In the air, enemy aircraft made frequent flights over our lines, dropping In cendiary bombs. "Hostile artillery fire on all our fortifications was resumed, with Fort Frank bearing the brunt of the attack. Our harbor defense batter ies returned the fire. In Dutch Indies . "Netherlands Indies: "American aircraft participated in continuing attacks on Japanese shipping off the coast of Ball. "An enemy fleet consisting of two cruisers, four or five destroyers, and four transports appeared off the southeast coast of Ball and was at tacked by a formation of heavy American army bombers, accom panied by two American army A-24 dive bombers. "The heavy bombers mado three direct lilts on one or more cruisers, (f'umrliiflril on imce 10, nrlutnn A) right on the spot when the para troops came. I'm afraid we all didn't get out. Witnesses said the aircraft main tenance men fought Japanese sol dlcrs with their fists. An Indonesian air station crew stuck to its post until the Inst min ute. I was told that the foreman actually radioed the head office to ask whether It was all right for con trol tower watchmen to leave, The foreman said the watchmen were "choking with smoke," appar ently from burning oil tanks about the air field. He said air field crews salvaged much of their equipment and set fire to the buildings before leaving. It was the old, old story of too many Japanese. 18 Jap Ships Sunk in Great Sea-Air Battle First Allied Naval Offen sives in Dutch Indies in Progress 3 Days Washington. Feb. 21 UP) The navy announced today six destroyers accompanied by Dutch warships sank two en emy destroyers off the island of Bali with only slight dam age to the United States ves sels and minor loss of person nel. By John R. Morris Batavia, Feb. 21 (U.R) Eighteen Japanese ships in cluding five cruisers and four destroyers have been sunk or damaged in a great three day naval battle in defense of Java, it was officially re ported today. The battle continues to night as American and Dutch warships and planes are strik ing back hard at the Japanese assault toward the United Nations headquarters. The fighting In defense of east ern Java and the big Soerabaja na val base was raging all around Ball. Warships Hit . Crack Japanese navy "O" tighter planes attempted to protect their naval and transport units from al lied bomber attack but were driven off during the action -off the south Ball coast when two enemy cruis ers and two -destroyers were dam aged. -. - - , -. American dive bombers attacked Japanese, ships landing troops Thursday near Den Pasar on the south coast of Ball, where the main Boll airport Is located, and hits were observed there on four enemy vessels. Three Japanese and two allied planes were shot down. To the west of Java, allied bomb ers attacked Japanese ships In the Musi river, near Palembang In Su matra which the enemy holds. The allied communique reported direct hits on an 8,000-ton ship, a hit on the bridge of a 5 ,000-ton vessel and several near misses that damaged a third ship of 8,000 tons. All at tacks, the Aneta news agency said, wero from low altitudes, (Concliiilcil on imge 9, column 4) Arms Sent to Latin America Washington, Feb. 21 (U.R) The United States, following up the agreement at the recent Rio de Janeiro conference of 21 American republics, Is pouring arms and dol lars into Latin America today to bulwark the hemispheric front against the axis. Military and naval equipment in cluding planes and guns, slratcgio materials and millions of dollars In lend-lease credits aro going to tho 18 nations which rallied to the side of tho United States at Rio and broke off relations with the axis. Still on the outside are Argen tina and Chile but thero aro Indi cations that the Chileans, with a new pro-democratic president, may soon Join in tho break and that President Raymon Castillo of Ar gentina ultimately may be forced by the economic hardships of his country's Isolation to f nil Into line. Brazil Protests Sinking of Ships Rio do Janeiro, Feb. 21 P Bra zil hns protested to Germany over tho sinking of two Brazilian ships by nazi U-boats, It was learned to day, and tho cabinet has been call ed to meet tonight to consider what action will be taken If Germany falls to reply or answers "unsatis factorily." Tho protest was forwarded by way of tho Portuguese government which has represented Brazil's in terests with tho axis powers since diplomatic relations wero broken off in accord with the Rio de Janeiro American conference. It was understood the measures, which Brazil might consider Include tho arming ot merchant thlpa, con voying of merchant ships and ex- tension ot Brazilian air and naval 'patrols along the coast. "A Y
