Medford mail tribune., October 16, 1939, Page 1, Image 1

The Weather
Forecast
rioudr tonight and Tuesday,
probably with rain Tuesday,
little chanp In temperature.
Temperature
Htchest yesterday 78
Lowest thii mornlnfj.... ..86
Worth Trying
Had It occurred to you that
you mliwd reading the ftunilav
l'lalfltr1 Page? It might not
be amlM to refer to these Ad
rtpht now. If you hurry you
may he In time to pick up a
bargain. Worth trying.
Tribune
EDFORD
Full Associated Press
Full United Press
Thirty-fourth Year
M EDFORD, OREGON, MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 10:
No. 177.
IMlflll onra)
mm
IN
M
1M
ATTACK
AT AtHE
IgL
Washington, D. C, Oct. 16.
There are senators and some
speculators who are expecting
an armistice in Europe very
soon. They would not be sur
prised if peace was declared
before the senate is through de
bating the so-called neutrality
legislation. They sincerely be
lieve that they have inside in
formation on the European sit
uation. A Britisher came to the
United States, looked around
and wrote a book predicting a
great American boom, the busi
ness recovery which has been
growing in recent months. The
author established a "service"
furnishing "confidential" infor
mation. Last summer he noti
fied his clients there would be
a war and told them to start
buying "war babies," which
they did at a low figure. A few
days ago he predicted an armis
tice, advised clients to unload
and cash in. Stocks were
dumped on the market.
So accurate have the predic
tions been heretofore that
clients accept them implicitly.
A few senators who receive the
tip service are also believers
and they, in turn, are posing
as prophets in the cloakrooms.
UERE are the high spots of
the peace rumor as cireu
lated in official quarters in the
national capital:
- Lloyd George is quietly un
dertaking to bring peace, but
not on the terms proposed by
Herr Hitler. Neither Chamber
lain nor Daladier want the Hit
ler terms, but both leaders are
worried about public reaction
in their respective countries if,
after some serious reverses
when the war gets down to busi
ness, they reject peace over
tures. The people might blame
the two leaders for continuing
the conflict when there could
be an end of killing, and throw
out both cabinets.
A wealthy, responsible class
in Germany, including the pro
fessional soldiers, is fed-up with
Hitler, continues the rumor.
This resentment has become ac
tive since the invasion and de
struction of Poland and the
agreement with Stalin. Field
(Continued on Page Pour.)
Held As Spies
BELGRADE, Oct. 16. (AP)
Two German customs officers
stationed on the Yugoslav side
of the border with Germany
were arrested today on a charge
of spying on Yugoslavia's fron
tier military establishments.
Washington, Oct. 16. (AP)
Among 49 additional schools ap
proved for the civil aeronautics
authority's civilian pilot train
ing program yesterday was Reed
college, Portland, Ore.
SIDE GLANCES
by
TRIBUNE REPORTER8
Jimmy Valentine noticing
that a knife he received for a
birthday present was manufac
tured 1 n Gladstone, Mich.,
which happened to be his birth
place, all of this being a coin
cidence. Charley ( C h u c k y ) Ward
proudly exhibiting his new su
per deluxe jalopy for admira
tion, he polishing and otherwise
grooming the bus half a dozen
times a day.
Bandmaster Wilson Wait hav
ing his hands full in directing
the school band and trying to
keep a section of football bleach
ers reserved for the gals of the
fife and drum corps.
Pat Thompson presenting an
interesting resume of her year
old tonsilectomy to a group of
interested listeners, they being
particularly impressed with her
account of not waking up for
a couple of days after taking
ether.
Isobel Miller looking queenly
in a gorgeous gown of royal
purple velvet.
NORTHERN FLANK
!
Germans Force French Back
Into France Before Re-
pulsed by Counter Attack.
PARIS, Oct. 16. (AP) Ger
man troops were reported to
have launched an attack in force
today against the northern flank
of the French western front,
driving the French out of Ger
man territory back into France
before the Nazis were repulsed
by a French counter-attack.
A French official communique
said the Germans were attack
ing up the Moselle river valley
just east of the Luxembourg
frontier along a four mile sector
The French said they finally
halted the Germans north of the
French frontier post of Apach
into which the Germans pene
trated during the first shock
which rolled the French back.
Paris, Oct. 16 (AP) French
heavy artillery was reported to
day to have opened fire on Ger
man forces massing behind the
western front in apparent pre
paration for a general offensive.
Military dispatches said the
French guns were dropping a
heavy barrage on German com
munication lines and trr.op con
centration points along a 100
mile front extending from the
Moselle river to the Haardt for
est. The sector, on the French ex
treme left flank, had been re
united earlier in the day in a
general staff communique as the
center of "great activity within
the German lines, supplement
ary military advices said a Nazi
attack appeared imminent.
Franch sources said recent re
inlorcements had increased the
Ger-nan strength opposite the
vital northern sector of the Ma
ginot line to between 700,000
and 800,000 men.
The French said scouting par
ties, sent into no-man's land,
had reported lights gleamed be
hind the German front through
out the night, apparently indi-
catirg troops, tanks, and trucks
were moving up to "jump off
points.
German artillery, which pre
viously had been battering the
French rear, was reported silent
all day yesterday. This, French
military men said, was custo
mary before a general offensive
in order to keep secret the posi
tion of new gun emplacements.
Guns of all calibres were said
to be participating in the French
bombardment. German troop
concentrations were rcporte-1
observed in an area extending
back from the front to a depth
of 10 miles.
Meanwhile, further to the
south, automobiles equipped
with loudspeakers raced up and
down the German side of the
Rhine broadcasting Germany's
desire for peace. The broadcasts
included sections of Fuehrer
Hitler's recent Reichstag speech,
particularly those portions as
serting Germany had no quarrel
with France.
In various sections of the
front, German troops unfurled
over their lines banners bear
ing slogans such as "bad luck
for those who refuse to accept
Hitler s peace.
'Cluster' Torpedo Technique
Is Believed Used by Germans
London, Oct. 16. (AP) Pri
vate naval students today of
fered a theory that the heavy
casualties in the sinking of the
battleship Royal Oak resulted
from perfection of a "cluster"
torpedo technique by nazi stra
tegists. Observers further suggested
the loss of 786 men (latest of
ficial estimates) was influenced
by darkness with nearly two
thirds of the crew below In
sleeping hammocks.
A system of firing torpedoes
in clusters like slugs from a
shotgun is entirely plausible
from a naval viewpoint, experts
said. Manv Dresent-day submar-
ines are capable of simultaneous
; discharges which would send
1 three or four torpedoes streak-
A
trial
Senate Sentiment
For Early Windup
Washington, Oct. 16. (AP)
Sentiment was strong in the
senate today for winding up
the special session as soon as
action has been completed on
neutrality legislation.
An Associated Press survey
showed 46 senators contend
ing it would be unnecessary
for congress to remain in
session until the regular
meeting on January 3. These
included Senators McNary
and Holman of Oregon and
Schwcllenbach of Washing
ton. Only 24 senators said that
they believed congress should
remain in Washington "for
the duration of the emer
gency," "as long as the war
lasts", or until the regular
session convenes. Twenty-one
said that they were undecid
ed, declined to express their
views, or could not be reach
ed for comment.
ELDERLY COUPLE
INJURED BY AUTO
AT
Struck by an automobile as
they started to cross West Main
street near the Orange street
intersection at 6:45 p.m. Sunday,
Mr, and Mrs. Dan Miller, elderly
couple residing at 1025 West
10th street, were confined in
Sacred Heart hospital today
with injuries which may prove
fatal to Mrs. Miller.
The car, investigating city
police officers stated, was driven
by Elvin Edwin Cook of 426
Benson street, an auto salesman.
Cook was not being held, as
police said the accident seemed
unavoidable.
Severely Injured
Mrs. Miller, 60 years old, suf
fered a fractured skull, a broken
left leg both above and bejow
the knee and severe cuts and
bruises. Mr. Miller, 59 sustain
ed a badly shattered left leg and
serious bruises and abrasions.
The couple's attending physi
cian said this afternoon that
Mrs. Miller wasn't expected to
recover. Mr. Miller, an employe
of the California-Pacific Utilities
company, "will probably . get
well," the doctor stated.
Mr. and Mrs. Miller were hit
by the automobile after they
stepped off the curb and started
to cross Main street from north
to south, police said. The auto
mobile, a 1936 Dodge sedan with
Cook the only- passenger, was
traveling west on Main street,
and struck the couple, walking
side by side, at a point 15 feet
west of the Orange street corner
and 14 feet from the curb Mr.
and Mrs. Miller had just left,
police explained.
Knocked to Pavemeni
Mrs. Miller, walking to the
left of her husband, received the
brunt of the blow. She was
struck by the car's left front
fender and knocked to the pave-
(Continued on Page Eight )
ing into a warship at vital spots.
(The official British announce
ment on Saturday of the sink
ing of the Royal Oaki merely
said It was believed she was the
victim of "U-boat action." Ger
man reports said the battleship
was torpedoed, but gave no
further details. Announcements
also have failed to state the
time of the sinking).
The "cluster" reasoning
further was pointed to as ac
counting for the speed with
which the Royal Oak apparently
sank. On New Year's day 1915
when the relatively old British
battleship Formidable was sunk
by a German submarine under
cover of darkness she took two
and one-half hours before going
down.
Raid on
PREPARATION TO
E
Soviet Reported Massing
Troops in Caucasus
Turks Refuse Demands.
Istanbul, Oct. 16. (AP) Tur
key made "feverish" military
preparations today on the
strength of reports that Soviet
Russia was massing troops in
the Caucasus on the borders of
Turkey and Iran (Persia).
It was learned on good au
thority Foreign Minister Sukru
Saracoglu, now engaged in dip
lomatic discussions in Moscow,
had refused three major Russian
demands recognition of the
partition of Poland, formation of
a neutral Balkan block under
the aegis of Russia and Germany
and territorial expansion of Rus
sia and Bulgaria at the expense
of Rumania.
Saracoglu was said to have
pointed out to the Soviet leaders
Turkey could mobilize nearly
2,000,000 men, and to have
agreed to maintain Turkish neu
trality only if Great Britain and
France should fight Russia. If
Italy should join Germany
against the allies, Turkey would
side with Britain and France,
Saracoglu was said to have told
the Russians.
Moscow, Oct. 16. (AP) Soviet
Russia's negotiations for streng
thening her hand in eastern
Europe struck a slower pace to
day, with foreign circles antici
pating merely compromise
agreements with Finland and
Turkey and speculating on pos
sible future Russian moves in
the Balkans.
The Finnish envoy, Dr. Juho
Kusti Paasikivi, returned to
Helsinki last night by special
train. He was expected back
here within five days, but pos
sibly not until after the meeting
of Scandinavian kings and the
Finnish president Wednesday
in Stockholm.
Unofficial reports said Fin
land, refusing to be drawn into
the Russian orbit as have Esto
nia, Latvia and Lithunia, would
concede certain Baltic islands
for Russian naval bases, but
would balk at a military alliance
or concessions on the strategic
Aaland islands.
While a Hungarian diplomatic
delegation came to Moscow for
an undisclosed purpose, a Turk
ish mission was believed prepar
ing to depart shortly, possibly
after signing some cautious
agreement respecting Russian
safeguards on the passage of
warships through the Darda
nelles into the Black sea.
139,0JlfSllPE0E
TO
San Francisco, Oct. 18. (AP)
A rush of Californians to see
the Golden Gate exposition be
fore it closes boosted attendance
yesterday to 139,076.
It was considerably under last
Sunday's all-time record for the
exposition of 187,730, but bet
tered the opening day attend
ance of 128,697, set February 18.
1
Radio Highlights
Bv AMocla(d PrMfl
(Paclflo standard time)
New york, oct. 16. (The Mutual
Broadcaatlng syt?m will carry a 15
mlnute description of the alraoat
total acllpm of the moon from an
alrplana October 38, beginning it
10:30 p. m.
Tonight: Surop WABC-CBS, :66,
8; MBS, : N3C-chalna, 8.30. Neu
trality WJZ-NBC. 8:30, Senator Ruh
Holt: WJZ-NBC. 7:30. Radio Forum,
Senator Warren R. Auatln: alao MBS
7:18, Col. Theodore Roosevelt.
Tueaday: Europe WEAP-NBC 5 a.
m : WABC-CBS 8 a. m., 3:30 p. ov,
WJZ-NBC, a. m
Scotland Repulsed by
AGREE TO AMEND
EMBARGO REPEAL
TO
Ninety-Day Credit Pro
vision Of Administration
Bill Would Be Erased.
Washington, Oct. 16 (AP)
The administration leadership in
the senate agreed today to
amend the arms embargo repeal
bill to prohibit all credit to war
ring governments.
Senator Pitlman (D-Ncv) chair
man of the senate foreign rela
tions committee, proposed the
amendments. It would wipe out
the present bills' provision al
lowing credits of not more than
90 days. This provision had been
criticized by many senators on
both sides of the arms embargo
controversy, who contended 90
day credits would provide an
entering wedge for longer cred
its that might drag this country
into war.
To Seek Agreement
Among Democratic senators it
was reported those members of
the foreign relations committee
who are interested in relaxing
the bill's prohibition against
American ships visiting warring
nations would meet early this
week, probably tomorrow, to
work out an agreemejit on this
subject. '
The provision to be removed
gave the president discretion to
allow the 90-day credits. His
committee had considered, Pitt
man said, that the presidential
discretion would be governed by
an opinion of the attorney gen
eral in construing the Johnson
act. The Johnson act, which
forbids credits to nations which
have defaulted on their war
debts to this country, contains
no such 90-day credit exception
as that now being stricken out
of the embargo bill, the senator
added..
Meanwhile, Speaker Bank
head told his press conference
that he was confident the neu
trality bill would pass the house.
He made that statement in
response to a request for com
ment on statements of some sen
ators there was a house majority
of from 20 to 30 for repeal of
the embargo.
Berlin, Oct. 18 (AP) The
Supreme Army Command said
today that the same submarine
which sank (he British battle
ship Royal Oak also scored a
torpedo hit on the battle cruis
er Repulse.
(The British Admiralty de
clined to comment on the state
ment, a spokesman holding the
admiralty could not go to the
trouble of "denying all these
reports.")
The submarine was said to
have reached the safety of Ger
man waters, and a report from
her commander was expected
soon. .
(The Repulse, commissioned
In 1916 and reconstructed in
1936 at a cost of about $5,500,.-
000, displaces 32 000 tons and
has a complement of 1,181 to
1,205 men).
(Heavier than the 29,150-ton
Royal Oak which was sunk Sat
urday, the Repulse carries fix
i5-inch guns. 21 four-inch guns,
including eight for anti-aircralt,
and eight torpedo tubes among
lesser armaments. She carries
four aircrafts with catapults.
Dies At Bus Stop
Woodland, Cal., Oct. IB.
(AP) George Chandler Bent,
79, a, bus passenger en route
from Whitla, Alberta, Canada
to San Jose, Cal., died at
lunch stand at nearby Davis
early today. He had entered the
lunch stand during a bus stop
and apparently succumbed to a
heart ailment.
German Submarine's Victim
Wte""t't
j -s i V-j-JL SKI
mt zs.isu-ion Brinin battleship Hoyal Oak' (above), was
sunk, the British admiralty announced, - and it , wji reported
830 of her crew were killed. ' Some 370 survivors were
listed. She was the second British battleship to go down, and
her sinking was believed caused by a nasi U-boat.
German Submarine Activity
Increased During Week-End
By the Associated Press
The sinking of the Norwegian freighter Grcssholm, which
struck a mine Friday, and the disclosure Sunday of the de
struction of three more allied ships marked a sharp Increase
in sea hostilities as the war entered Its seventh week.
Eight survivors of the Gress-
holm, a 621-ton wooden ship,
arrived at Ymuiden, The Neth
erlands, today. Three crewmen
were missing. ' ' .
German submarine raiders
sank over the week-end the Bri
tish Royal Mail nine steamer
Lochavon and the French liners
Louisiane and Bretagne. British
warships rescued six passengers
and the crew of 56 of the Loch
avon and approximately 350
passengers and sailors from the
French liners.
At least 15 were believed to
have perished when the French
ships went down. Of 30 injured
who were brought ashore, 10
were women.
The Bretagne, 10,108-ton pas
senger ship, the 6,903-ton Lou
isiane and the 9,250-ton Loch
avon, totaling 26,261 tons,
brought -the aggregate sunken
tonnage of the war to 342,438
Of 73 lost ships, 36 were Bri
tlsh, 9 German, 6 French and
22 neutral. Sixteen of the neu
tral vessels were Scandinavian.
The number of sea dead In
cluding 786 killed when the Bri
tish battleship Royal Oak sank
last Friday Is approximately
1,578.
Survivors of all three ships
told virtually the same story:
A sudden attack without warn
ing, Immediate shelling of the
wireless rooms and decks.
4
Nab German Trawler
Bergen, Norway, Oct. 16.
(AP) The German trawler
Nprdland of Cuxhaven was
brought into this southwestern
Norway port today by a Nor
wegian patrol seaplane. Author
ities said the trawler had
altered her name and was sail
ing under the Danish flag.
Shanghai Oct! lj-(AP
Authorities estimated 450 Chi
nese men and women laborers
drowned today when the over
loaded 180-ton river vessel Hsin
Talku Maru capsized in the
storrn-swept Yangtze estuary 12
miles from Woosung.
Buenos Aires, Oct. 18. (AP)
British and French military
missions arrived today to sur
vey the possibility of purchas
ing war supplies in Argentina.
"t -It
h4
TRESPASS SIGNS
BY
TE!
Complaints poured Into the
sheriff's office yesterday and to
day against Chinese pheasant
hunters, and Sheriff Syd I.
Brown warned that prosecutions
would be filed unless tactics
were changed. The sheriff said
the protests were from suburban
and rural residents who were
reluctant to file complaints, but
"will do so if forced to it."
Main complaint registered
said bird hunters paid no at
tention to trespass notices, shot
at bands of pet quail and in
vaded backyards. An instance
was reported where two hunters
were asked by the farm owner
to respect the trespass signs and
was met with the retort: "What
are you going to do about It?"
Another report said hunters
In the Talent district, mounted
on the running board of a slow
moving auto shot birds from
the road.
"From all I have heard some
of the boys were overzealous,"
Sheriff Erown said. "I hope they
calm down."
The sheriff said one of his
deputies went to a posted farm
where pheasants were plentiful
and "found 50 hunters blazing
away."
Invasion of backyards occur
red in the Old Stage Road dis
trict where several residents
have been feeding quail for a
year, as pets.
The auto license numbers of
several of the erring nlmrods
were reported.
Open Chest Drive
Portland, Oct. 16. (AP) A
Portland Community Chest
drive started today for funds
to support 45 welfare agencies
providing care for Indigent.
The goal was ret at $507,000.
British
THREE WARPIANES
T
Shipbuilding Docks Believed
Objective Of Nazi Sortie
Hitler Threat Recalled.
London, Oct. 16. (AP) Ger
man airplanes "attempted to at
tack coastal objectives In Scot
land this afternoon, the Bri
tish air ministry reported, and
the royal air force "inflicted
casualties on them."
Three German bombers were
reported shot down In the Edin
burgh area, one In the Firth
of Forth and two on land.
No word of any damage was
received in London although
several bombs were said to have
been dropped in the vicinity of
the Forth bridge.
No Civil Casualties
A bulletin issued by the min
istry of home security said "Re
ports received to date Indicate
there were no civilian casual
ties and no damage to property
as a result of the enemy action."
The nazi air raid quickly fol
lowed British reports of a suc
cessful reconnaissance flight
over northern and central Ger
many last night.
A report from Edinburgh said
British anti-aircraft guns went
Into action just after two p. m, '
(5 .a. on., P.S.T.)-.today
'' The attack stirred speculation
that its objective might have
been docks where Britain Is
hastening shipbuilding to
strengthen her command of the
seas and counter the German
naval offensive which already
has destroyed the aircraft car
rier Courageous and the battle-,
ship Royal Oak.'
Recall Hitler Threat
Observers also pointed out
today's attack came within three
days of the reports of the sink
ing of the Royal Oak, bringing
to mind Hitler's threats In his
reichstag speech of a smashing
offensive against the allies un
less his peace proposals were
accepted.
The Daily Mirror sharply at
tacked World war Prime Min
ister David Lloyd George who
has been attempting to sound
out sentiment for a peace con
ference. The Mirror said "It must be
jolly for the families and friends
of the fine men who were lost
on the Royal Oak to hear that
this is only a 'pause,' to hear
in Mr. Lloyd George's skittish
phrase that this is 'a sputtering
war in which nobody means
business as the business of
slaughtering was understood
when Mr. Lloyd George directed
it in the last war."
Lindbergh Assailed
Sections of the British press
assailed Col. Charles A. Lind
bergh for statements he made
in a speech Friday night. The
attacks were focused on his as
sertion that "sooner or later w
(in the United States) must de
mand the freedom of this con
tinent and its ' surrounding
islands from the dictates of
European power."
The Sunday Express, said that
Lindbergh "apparently is devel
oping the Hitler mind."
"He declares," the Sunday
Express said, "that Canada has
no right to go to war unless
with the permission of the
United States."
Peter Wilson, columnist of
the Sunday Pictorial, prefaced
a critical review of Lindbergh's
career with the comment:
"Amerlc a's trouble-maker
number one has been shooting
off his mouth again."
The Evening Star today said
Lindbergh "is likely to be the
lone politician as he once was
the lone flier."
SLASH FIRE PERILS
SUGAR MOUNTS TREES
Klamath Falls, Ore., Oct. 18.
(AP) An October forest fire,
starting from slash cuttings,
burned Into merchantable tim
ber on Sugar Pine mountain,
northern Klamath county, Sun
day. It covered 1000 acres before ,
controlled.
t