Medford mail tribune., October 20, 1939, Page 1, Image 1

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Thirty-fourth Year
MEDFORD, OREGON, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1939.
No. 181.
Ml
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'Hll SAVES
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WASHINGTON, D. C Oct. 20
Affidavit of a former resident
of Oregon is causing officials of
the department of state to
scratch their heads and may
throw 'some light on the failure
of the British government to
Join the department with more
active co-operation than hereto
fore evinced, in the investigation
of the so-called submarine sink
ing of the Athenia. The state
department is seeking facts of
that disaster because American
lives were lost.
Gus Anderson, for several
years a resident of Salem, Ore.,
and student of the Willamette
university, is author of the affi
davit. Anderson says the Athe
nia "may have been" attacked
by a submarine, but no one saw
a U-boat, despite statements of
.excited survivors.
yHE Athenia was a British
passenger liner which de
parted from England with a
passenger, list of Americans,
Canadians and Europeans a few
hours before war was declared.
Two hundred miles off the Irish
coast there was an explosion
and the Athenia was wounded,
the first casualty of the war.
Germans have denied sinking
the ship; suggested it may have
hit a British mine, or was pur
posely attacked by a British sub
mersible to bring the U. S. into
the war. '
According to Anderson, the
Athenia carried arms. He says
he saw them in the hold and the
Athenia was to be equipped as a
commerce raider after it arrived
at Halifax. This statement is sen
sational because all other re
ports declared the Athenia was
wantonly attacked when it was
leaving the war zone with refu
gees and was not carrying am
munition. Anderson sticks to his
story, insists that with his own
eyes he saw the guns and he
had the run of the ship on which
he had made many crossings and
knew the officers and crew inti
mately. (Continued on Page Ten
BY GREAT BRITAIN OF
U. S. MAIL FOR BERLIN
Washington. Oct. 20. (API
Secretary Hull said today the
state department was consider
ing whether to make representa
tions to Great Britain over the
seizure of American mail en
route to Germany.
Hull said the department had
just received reports that in
some instances ships carrying
American mail addressed to Ger
many had been stopped by the
British, the mail censored and
returned to this country.
Earlier, postoffice officials
said they were routing all mail
to Germany by way of Italy in
the hope of escaping the British
blockade. Returned mail also
will be sent to Italy for reship
ment. The department said it
hoped that the change would
permit letters to reach Germany
SIDE GLANCES
by
TRIBUNE REPORTERS
Justin Smith enumerating
several very logical reasons why
a humorous incident should not
be publicized, he simply splitting
with laughter in between the
logical reasoning.
Charlie Clay being too bash
ful to call a friend he has known
for a quarter of a century by the
friend's first name.
Don McKenzie slamming shut
a door in a friend's face, it being
a case of mistaken identity, how
ever, and the surprised friend
readily accepting Don's apologies
later.
FLIER BAILS OUT
OF ARMY PLANE
AS
Lieut. James 0. Reed, Ore
gon University Graduate,
Lands Near McKenzie
Eugene, Oct. 20. (AP) Sec
ond Lieutenant James O. Reed,
a U. S. army flier, parachuted
to safety this morning after he
quit his plane 40 miles east of
here. He was alone in the ship
An unidentified passenger had
been left at Bend. It was at first
rumored the pilot had a passen
ger. The flier, a June graduate of
the University of Oregon, left
his ship when the engine went
dead at about 3,000 feet and
slithered to the ground between
tall fir trees about a half mile
south of the McKenzie river
The plane was believed to have
crashed about a half mile on to
the south of where the pilot
landed with his chute.
' Flier Uninjured
Reed was uninjured. He walk
ed the short distance to the
north and met one of his search
ers, A. C. Parkhurst, in an open
field.
The pilot began having motor
trouble when over the Three
Sisters area when his oil pumps
froze. The machine sputtered
along until the motor finally
went completely-dead. .- Jt was
then he wirelessed the Eugene
airport that he was parachuting
from the ship. The message was
picked up by Operator Ralph
Hazelton.
The wreckage of the plane
has not yet been reached. It
was thought, however, that it
did not burn, as no smoke could
be seen. Reed accompanied a
group of officers and searchers
to the scene of the crash.
Ex-Vanity Swimmer
The flier, formerly a varsity
swimmer for the university, was
on his way from Denver to
Eugene. He had made previous
stops at Boise and Bend.
He will be driven to Eugene
this afternoon after he removes
the instruments from the shat
tered plane.
PROSPECT MILL WINS
NAVY LUMBER ORDER
Washington, Oct. 20. (AP)
Navy contracts today included:
Herman Brothers Lumber
company, Prospect, Ore., pin?
lumber. $15,541.
Few Care to Give Views
On Proposed Bond Issue
"While it seems apparent that
Medford taxpayers have positive
opinions on the proposed bond
issue of $30,000 to provide funds
for the purchase of land and
development of the property
into a park, more than half of
the number of citizens contacted
today by the Mail Tribune de
clined to express their views for
publication.
The proposed bond issue will
be voted upon at a special elec
tion Tuesday, October 31, the
balloting to be done from 1 to 8
p. m. in each of the four wards
of the city. It is proposed to use
$20,000 of the bond issue for the
purchase of the land and $10,000
for development, WPA aid also
being expected for the develop
ment program. The land for
the proposed park, a 17-acre
tract, is situated on the east side
of Bear creek between Main and
Jackson streets.
14 Queried
Of 14 persons called at ran
dom for an expression of their
views on the proposed bond
issue and park development, six
said they did not care to state
their attitude for publication.
One was in favor of the project
without qualification, one was
in favor of it conditionally and
one had formulated no concrete
opinion one way or the other.
Two said they would ponder the
matter and decide later whether
Nazi Planes Attempt Raid on
Crashes Jail
. V!
Writing on his chesi wiih
raior blades "stars are nuts,"
pulling out three fingernails
and hitting himself on the head
was the, method used by Henry
Llnford Davis, 21 (above), to
crash the movies. He mutilated
himself at the door of Lionel
Barrymore, whose sympathy he
hoped to arouse. He was ar
rested for vagrancy.
Barbara In Hurry
To Marry Golfer
New York, Oct. 20. (AP)
The Daily Mirror says Countess
Barbara Hutton Mdivani Haug-witz-Reventlow,
heiress to 5-and-10
cent store millions, will seek
a hurry-up divorce either at
Reno or in Florida within a few
months and then marry Robert
Sweeney, 28, amateur golfer.
The countess is scheduled to
arrive tomorrow on the Italian
liner Conte dl Savoia wilh her
young son, Lance.
Dollar Skipper Dies
Alameda, Calif., Oct. 20.
(AP) Captain Fred E. Ander
son, 83, retired commodore of
the Dollar Lines Steamship com
pany, who sailed the seas for
many years without an accident
to a ship or passenger, died at
his home here today after a
heart attack.
they would express their views
for publication. Three were out
of town.
Porter J. Neff, attorney resid
ing in Highcroft addition, said:
"I favor the proposed park. I
believe in such an addition to
the city. We need such an
asset."
Circuit Judge H. D. Norton,
408 South Oakdale avenue, said
he had formulated no ideas on
the project. . .
Mrs. Mattie E. Pickel, widow
of Dr. E. Barton Pickel, of 54
Summit avenue said she favored
the park provided the cost was
not too great
Park Need Seen
"It would be fine to have a
nice park," Mrs. Pickel said.
"We really need a park if it is
not too expensive. I'm in favor
of this proposal provided the
park can be developed success
fully and without too great an
expense to the taxpayers. The
cost of maintenance should be
very carefully considered."
Polling places for the special
election are: First ward, Hotel
Jackson, South Central avenue
and 8th street; second ward,
county courthouse, West' Main
street and South Oakdale av
enue; third ward, Fichtner's
Garage, Sixth and Fir streets;
and fourth ward, city hall.
North Central avenue and Fifth
street.
Sen. Brown Raps Lone Eagle
in Neutrality Debate In
sult to Canada Claimed
Washington, Oct. 20. (AP)
Senator Brown (D-Mich.) accused
Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh
today of having encouraged "the
spirit of nationalistic imperialism
that has cursed the world fer
censuries and which is the po
tent poison that has. killed
peace."
During debate on the adminis
tration's neutrality bill, which
he supports, Brown brought up
for discussion a radio address in
which Col. Lindbergh said that
"sooner or later we must de
mand the freedom of this conti
nent and its surrounding islands
from the dictates of European
power."
Statements Challenged
Lindbergh also opposed out
right repeal of the arms em
bargo provided in the neutrality
measure.
"I challenge the statements of
Colonel Lindbergh," Brown said
"He speaks with no authority
whatsoever but his own. He dderj-
not represent the views of Shy
considerable part of the Amer
ican people.
"His argument as to the right
of the 'United ' States' to' deny
Canada control of its affairs . . .
and his unasked advice that the
connection with Great Britain be
cut is not only a gratuitous in
sult to a sister nation: It is based
on a wholly erroneous concept
(Contluued on.
Pago Five.)
OF STRIKE PICKETS
Klamath Falls, Ore., Oct. 29
The International Woodwork
ers of America today accepted a
peace proposal offered by Har
old Pritchett to end a leadership
dispute with the opposition bloc.
The measure, called by opposi
tion debaters a "Hitler peace,"
was brought to the floor for a
roll call after a short but furious
debate. The vote was 123 to 107.
The convention also gave a
vote . of confidence to Harry
Bridges, California CIO director,
and Morris Muster, head of the
CIO furniture workers, who was
attacked yesterday in speeches
by the opposition bloc.
Bridges addressed a mass
meeting here last night, attack
ing the Oregon anti-picketing
law.
"It's time Oregon gets back
into the United States," he said.
He attacked the Associated
Farmers as sponsor of the law
and asserted this group docs not
rn rnt "working farmers."
f
Confession Clears
16-Year-Old Murder
Salt Lake City, Oct. 20. (UP)
The murder of a Billings
Mont., tailor in a Salt Lake City
hotel room in 1923 18 years
ago was believed solved today
with receipt of a "confession"
from a man serving a life sen
tence In an Illinois prison.
Detective Captain E. A. Hed-
man said he had received a long,
witnessed letter from Joseph
Daly, inmate In the Menard, III
nrlson. detailing how he killed
Julius Seidl, 51 year-old Billings
tailor following an argument on
August 28, 1923.
To Veterinary Board
Salem, Oct. 20, (AP) :Dr. E.
W. Cantrall of Grants Pass was
appointed to the state veterinary
medical examining board today
by Governor Sprague. He will
succeed Dr. H. W. Riley of La
I Grande, resigned
'Sieg Heil' for
--.-.HL2Q - trs. M
i i VJTJ v"-s - f t
Commander Prien (standing In car), skipper of the submarine credited with sinking the
British battleship Royal Oak. is shown in the radiophoto acknowledging cheers and salutes
on his arrival in Berlin at the Hotel Kaiserhof. He and his crew were received by Adolf
Hitler, and Prien was decorated. Loss of life on the Royal Oak was officially announced
as 810, with 424 saved.
-IS GERMAN VIEW
By Louis P. Lochner
Berlin, Oct. 20. (AP) Adolf
Hitler heard a report on the
French-British-Turkish pact to
night from the lips of his ace
diplomatic trouble shooter, Franz
von Papen, while leading Nazis
insisted Turkey no longer could
be considered neutral.
Von Papen, German ambas
sador sent to Turkey last spring
to further Nazi relations with
Germany's World war ally, arrived-
today from Ankara where
the treaty was signed yesterday.
Loophole Seen
Meanwhile, Nazi officials pro
fessed to see a loophole in the
pact Turkey's reservation
against being drawn into a war
with Russia but asserted the
Turks had "chosen a dangerous
route."
No Berlin morning newspaper
mentioned signature of the
Anglo-Turkish mutual assistance
pact, but authoritative quarters
said Germany viewed the agree
ment with "critical eyes" In the
fear it might hold the spark for
a general war.
On a whole, the Nazi political
world appeared stunned by the
treaty which last night made
Turkey, Germany's World war
ally, a partner of Britain and
France.
Little War Activity
Other war news was over
shadowed by the allies' diplo
matic maneuvering.
A high command communique
reported only "local artillery and
scouting troops activity" on the
western front.
Correspondents were Informed
"all matters in Poland are in a
state of flux despite the crea
tion of West Prussia and Posen,"
and therefore no delineation of
boundaries could be announced.
Some officials looked for re
percussions of the Anglo-Turkish
pact in the Balkan countries.
PORTLAND RUM STORES
WILL CLOSE EARLIER
Portland, Oct. 20. (AP)
Hard times hit the hard liquor
stores today and State Adminis
trator J. J. Hague ordered all
but two Portland establishments
closed at 11 p. m. instead of
midnight beginning November 1.
He said trade at most Port
land stores was insufficient to
Justify the late hour.
Emnlovps
will be concentrated to handle
the rush period between 8 end
10 p. m.
Shanghai. Oct. 20. (AP) A
Chinese policeman of the Shang
hai International Settlement
force was killed and a colleague,
an Indian Sikh, was wounded
tonight by a group of men In
Chinese civilian clothes.
Man Who Sank Royal Oak
Comment by Mrs. Roosevelt
Criticized by Gen. Johnson
- Newark, N. J., Oct. 20.
(AP) A comment by Mrs. Elea
nor Roosevelt in her broadcast
column on Col, Charles Lind
bergh's recent neutrality broad
cast was described last night by
General Hugh S. Johnson as
"exactly the kind of stuff that
got us into the war in 1917."
Departing from his prepared
speech before the Newark- Ad
vertising club, Johnson declared
Lindbergh "for speaking his pro
American opinion against other
policies has been called pro-Nazi
by such emotionally biased pro
war pundits as Walter Lippinan
and Dorothy Thompson and
now today by the first lady
of the land herself."
(In her syndicated column
"My Day" Mrs. Roosevelt said
Dorothy Thompson, another col
umnist, "sensed In Col. Lind
bergh's speech a sympathy with
TO SOVIET DEMANDS
Helsinki, Oct. 20. (AP) For
mer Premier Dr. Juho Kustl
Kaaslkivi will leave for Moscow
late tomorrow night with Fin
land's counter-proposals to the
Soviet government. '
These were expected in diplo
matic circles to reflect the decis
ions reached at this week's
Stockholm conference of neutral
Nordic countries to avoid en
tangling alliances and protect
thetr neutrality and indepen
dence.
The cabinet went Into session
within an hour after Foreign
Minister Eldas Erkko arrived
from Stockholm, where he at
tended the neutral Nordic coun
tries' conference.
Even as the cabinet convened,
the Finns continued to push
their military preparations. '
Newspapers generally voiced
satisfaction with the outcome of
the Stockholm meeting which
expressed the unity of the north
ern countries and their desire to
remain neutral in the European
war.
Farmer Fined For
Burning Bull's Tail
LaClede, Mo.,- Oct. 20. (AP)
Marin Woods, a Negro farmer,
was fined $19 by Judno Libby
for setting fire to a bull's tail
to get him out of a field.
Woods was charged with
cruelty to animals after Elmer
Kling, owner of the bull, com
plained to authorities. Kling
said the bull never recovered
from the injury.
Firth of Forth
Nazi Ideals which 1 thought ex
isted but could not bring myself
to oeneve was reany mere.;
' He said his "columnist col
leagues" were urging lifting of
the arms, embargo to permit
England and France to buy arms
in this country because "we
must keep the British navy be
tween us and the dictatorships,"
Johnson- offered three reasons
why he favored discarding the
arms embargo from the neutral
ity act, saying he thought there
WaS ""little' practical difference
between arms and the ingredient
of arms" and "I think it is equal
ly natural to sell or to refuse to
sell to all nations as long as you
treat all alike and, finally,
except for airplanes, we have no
arms to sell.
This country needs all the
arms it can manufacture for it'
self, he said.
MOIST TALKS SELF
INTO COUNTY JAIL OK
CONTEMPT OF COURT
James Uriah Booth, a resi
dent of the Central Point dis
trict, charged with non-possession
of an operator's license
talked himself Into an overnight
stay in the county Jail, when he
appeared before Justice of the
Peace W, R. Coleman,
Booth "sassed" the. court, re
fused to stop talking while the
complaint was read, and declar
ed he would as soon be in jail
as any place. The court then
ordered Booth taken to the jail.
The court said Booth would
be returned for a hearing some
lime today "if he has cooled
down."
Clyde R. Harrison of Talent
was assessed $2.50 and costs for
non-possession of an operator's
license.
Mary E. Burke was fined $S
and costs for having ho tail
light on her auto.
Frank Rossi, charged with
failure to bring his car to a full
stop at a highway Intersection,
was fined $5 and costs.
Ira N. King was fined $3 and
costs for overloading a truck,
and Chester W. Fisher was as
sessed $10 and costs for having
no PUC license.
Portland. Oct. 20. (AP) Vir
tually all the major European
nations were represented yester
day among the 1 98 persons Fed
eral Judge Claude McColloeh
accepted for United States citi
zenship. For the first time can
didates were not required to re
nounce foreign countries by
name but took a general oath of
renunciation instead.
FLEE
BEFORE BRITISH
PURSulHLANES
No Bombs Dropped Says
Official Communique
Scots Take Raid Calmly
Edinburgh, Scotland, Oct. 20.
(AP) Two air raid warnings
were sounded and "precaution
ary measures" were taken
against the threat of nazl bomb
ing planes over the Important
Firth of Forth today, but the
air ministry said no bombs were
reported dropped.
An air raid warning also was
given in the south of England
later In the day. The press as
sociation said it was believed
the south of England warning
was given in error as no air
craft were seen.
Warnings Sounded
The communique for the sec
ond bombing menace in the
Edinburgh area in five days.
and the fourth menace to Scot
land, including two at Scapa
Flow, said:
"Precautionary measures
were taken when unidentified
aircraft appeared over the Firth
of Forth tills morning and air
raid warnings were sounded at
about 11 a. m. over the district.
No bombs were reported to hav.
been dropped and the all clear
(signal) was given within an
hour."
Invaders Flee
The planes disappeared before
contact by royal air force fight
ers which took off to intercept
them, the communique said,
adding the first alarm was ex
tended to Dundee, about 40
miles north of Edinburgh.
German bombers on Monday
at the Firth of Forth scored
their first admitted aerial hit
of the war on a British war
ship, slightly damaging the
cruiser Southampton.
The warnings were fairly gen
eral over a broad area of south
eastern Scotland. Four rapid
bursts of anti-aircraft fire were
heard in Edinburgh before the
air raid sirens were sounded.
Edinburgh people took the
alarm calmly despite their ex
perience of Monday, and de
fending aircraft stood by over
the fl5,000,000 Firth of Forth
bridge.
Daytona Beach, Fla., Oct. 20.
(AP) George Messer, an em
ploye of the Ocean pier here,
reported he had sighted a sub
marine several miles at sea off
the pier today.
Radio Highlights
A play-by-play description of
the Medford-KIamath Falls high
school football game In Klamath
Falls tonight will be broadcast
direct from the Modoc field
press box by Medford radio sta
tion KMED. Russ Acheson, as
sistant football coach at Med
ford high, will give the play-by-play
account of the game.
. Saturday afternoon. KMED
will broadcast the California
Washington State game unless
arrangements are completed to
morrow morning to carry th.
Oregon-Gonzaga struggle.
By Associated Press Radio Editor
(Time Is Pacific Standard.)
New York, Oct. 20. (AP)
A second broadcast in the radio
debate In the neutrality ques
tion has been scheduled for Sen
ator William E Borah on Sun
day night via WEAF-NBC. He
will speak for a half hour at
7:30.
Tonight: Neutrality WJZ
NBC, 7 p. m., Herbert Hoover.
WJZ-NBC, 8:15, Sen. Thomas
Stewart
Europe W ABC-CBS, 5:55, 11;
MBS, 6, 7:15.
Saturday: Football WEAF
10:45 a. m.. Harvard vs. Penn
sylvania; MBS, 11:15 a. m Navy
vs. Notre Dame; WABC-CBS
and WJZ-NBC, 11:45 a. m., Ala
bama vs. Tennessee,
;1