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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 1939)
The Weather Forecast: Unsettled tonight and Tuesday with occaj tonal rain;" little rhangc in temper ature. Temperature Highest vesterdaT , , M Lowest this morning 30 Find A Surprise You are Invited to turn to the. Classified page ihlt evening. Begunlless ot your wants you are likely to rind a surprise. At Irast you can post yourself on the many good offers now obtainable. Tptbune it FORD Full Associated Press XI United Presa Thirty-fourth Year MEDFORD, OREGON, MONDAY NOVEMBER 13, 1939. Io.ln. MfiTPY 0 nS P uuu MED j No. 201. ABI AREA DIME d&tlS t i . ATTHE jo, Washington, D. C, Nov. 13. American sailors on the Pa cific and Atlantic coasts are in sisting on a congressional invest igation of the federal maritime commission, accusing the agency of "cooperation, connivance and collusion" with ship owners. By coincidence, the investigation was requested a few days before the fact leaked out that the com mission was ready to sanction the legal subterfuge of the United States Lines in trans ferring eight ships to the Pan ama flag to chisel on the neu trality law. Two rival unions on the Pa cific have a common grievance (.gainst the commission, one be ing the commission's denial of collective bargaining rights and Its attempt to ignore the union hiring halls. When union mem bers picketed a ship operated by the- commission in Pugct Sound, the government agency extricated itself from a tight Bpot by leasing the vessel to a private operator who promptly obtained a crew from the hiring hall. Incidents like that have caused seagoing union men to distrust the commission. Notwithstanding the Pacific coast is an important shoreline; that its harbors are visited by the ships of the seven seas, and that the vast commerce between the United States and the orient flows through its ports, the Pa cific coast is not represented on the maritime commission, but Kentucky is. COMMISSIONER Max O'Rell Truitt is son-in-law of "Dear Alben" Barkley, of Kentucky, Democratic leader of the senate. While father-in-law Barkley was urging passage of the neutrality bill to keep American ships out of the war zone, son-in-law Truitt was favoring circumvent ing the law by the ruse of using the Panama flag. J7AR-sighted President Roose- velt predicted chiselers three years ago in a speech at Chatau- (Continued od Page Pour. U. S. WILL KEEP Washington, Nov. 13. (IP) A state department official said today the United States did not contemplate following the ex ample of Great Britain in with drawing troops from North China. Officials pointed out that Britain already had diminished her military establishments in China since the present war broke out without influencing the United States' position. New York Has Snow. New York, Nov. 13 Pi Light snow, driven by a stiff wind, fell today the first of the season here. SIDE GLANCES by TRIBUNE REPORTERS Iva McHcnry thinking some one had pushed her into the Chetco river until she noticed that the bottom of the boat was covered with salmon eggs. Notice of the arrival of rail way expressed dog intended for Morris Fox being delivered to the wrong guy, Morry, however, (jetting the dog all right. Enid Funk and the othci gals of the forest service installing vn extra heater to boo5t the of fice tempe rature to "2.5 degrees ir thereabouts. Wcbfoot Grad Frank Reinhart, unable to attend the home-coming game, doing the next best thine by Hissing a portable radir. into the grandstand at the Med fnrri-Ahland fracas and thus en joying bull- ILLS CRACKED, Sharpest Tremor in 15 Years Centers in Grays Harbor Region None Injured Seattle, Nov. 13. (Pi An earthquake, sharpest In 15 years scismographic records here, was believed by University of Wash ington geologists today to have centered 50 to 30 miles east or west of Seattle, probably in the Grays Harbor area, on the south west coast. Prof. George E. Goodspeed said the most severe shock came 10 seconds after the quivering earth jarred the seismograph needles into action at 11:47 p. m. It lasted 30 to 40 seconds and was followed by lesser trem ors until 12:08 a. m. He laid it to slippage in one of the state's several active faul lines. He said after-shocks were ex tremely unlikely. Today officials and business men in Portland, Tacoma. Se attle, Vancouver, B. C, and other cities surveyed damage caused by the shock that lasted for approximately one minute. The damage, however, is not expected to be high, consisting mostly of cracked walls in some buildings, broken water mains and broken power lines. None Injured. A check by state and other officials indicated no one .was injured. In Seattle a near panic was averted in one theater' when patrons, alarmed as a heavy glass chandalier in the center of the ceiling began to sway, rush ed toward the exits. Calm headed patrons and others quiet ed the throng and they filed from the theater in orderly fashion. Other Seattle theaters report ed their patrons left the build ings quietly. In all parts of Seattle resi dents rushed to the streets in their night attire and some spent the remainder of the night auto camps. Bank Corner Falls. A corner section of the Na tional Bank of Washington in Tacoma, weighing approximate ly 150 pounds, crashed six floors into an alley at the rear of the bank. Some plaster damage was reported in the state capitol at Olympia. The epicenter covered an area from the Portland district north through Longview, Cen tralia, the Grays Harbor cities, Olympia, Everett, Bcllingham, Victoria and as far north as (Continued on Page rwo ) 43 Die In Train Crash Oppeln, Germany, Nov. 13. ((IP)) Forty-three persons were known today to have been killed and 60 injured in a collision be tween two passenger trains last night between Langlicben and Rosengrund. The accident was believed to have been caused by negligence of a switchman who ran the two trains onto the same track. Saw 17 Murdered in Asylum Is Claim of Former Inmate Sacramento, Nov. 13. (IP) A letter from a former inmate of the Stockton state hospital for the insane, who was recently judged sane and released, ad vised the governor's office to day that the writer had seen 17 persons murdered In the in stitution. The letter was signed Eugene Higgenbotham, 301 Channel street, Stockton, and copies were sent to District Attorney F. G. Clowdsley of Stockton and Dr. Aaron Rosanoff. director of state institutions. Clowdsley wrote the governor that while the story was wierd and unbelievable, yet he could not take the responsibility for pigeonholing it, and suggested the matter by Inquired into with out necessarily conducting a formal investigation. Iliggcnbotham's letter Ha id Portlanders Think Jarring Caused by Burglars In Home Portland, Nov. 13. (IP) Thousands of Portland resi dents have been wondering for years what it would be like to experience an earth quake, but when it came, many ow the mdidn't know what it was. Scores of persons, roused from deep sleep, telephoned the police bureau that "burg lears were in the house." Police radio and prowl car operators didn't know much about quakes either and for a frantic few minutes sirens screamed all over the city as the bluecoats chased down "burglar" alarms. Sacramento, Calif., Nov. 13. (IP) A proposal to pay $50 a month or more to citizens over 60 years was Governor Culbert L. Olson's direct reply today to the clamor in California for in creased old age pensions. Olson, threatened with recall action by supporters of the twice. rejected "ham and eggs scrip pension plan, declared California must "take the lead" in efforts to persuade the national govern ment to lower the pension age from 65 to 60 and raise the pay ments to $60 a month. To Offer Plan Soon In the meantime, the governor announced in a radio address last night, he will submit the $50-at-60 pension program to a special session of the state legis lature expected to meet shortly. California now pays a maximum of $35 monthly to needy aged past 65. Olson's proposal immediately was denounced by Dr. Francis E. Townscnd, the California pro moter of the $200-a-month Town- send old age plan. Interviewers in Nashville, Tenn., the elderly pension leader termed it "fu tile," "unfair," "just a waste of public money. U. S. Senator Sheridan Downey of California, speaking in Los Angeles, urged sponsors of an Olson recall movement to "forget" their grievances against the governor for opposing the "ham and eggs" proposition. Italy Calls Second Draft Within Week Rome, Nov. 13. (IP) Italy began calling 5000 non-commissioned career officers and 18,000 volunteer specialists today to strengthen her already large standing army. The expansion, ordered by Premier Mussolini, was the sec ond decreed within a week. Last Monday II Duce directed 1500 officers and a similar number of non-commissioned officers be added to the army. (The Italian army has been estimated at about 1,300,000 men.) he expected to be sentenced to San Quentin soon and having been released from the hospital he felt free to divulge the facts concerning "one of the greatest wholesale murder scandals in history of this state.'V He said one of the custodians would place the mouth of a large bottle down the throats of patients. "At first I though! it was just an aid to old men who were dying." Later, he said, he observed the patients would be dead the following day and "the boys in the yard" would remark. "Well, anothei man got the black bottle." "I saw seventeen men mur dered." he wrote. The governor's office discount ed the man's narrative, but In view of the fact he was recently dismissed as sane, said that the letter would iC referred to the director of institutions. Finns Break Off Moscow Negotiations; Reds Open Tress Pressure' Campaign L Helsinki, Nov. 13. (IP) The Finnish foreign office announced today that its delegation in Mos cow would leave for home to night, suspending the lengthy negotiations by which Russia has been seeking concessions . from Finland. Previously Foreign Minister Eljas Erkko had said that only "last minute" modification of soviet demands for territorial concessions could prevent recall of the Finns from Moscow. The negotiations were ini tiated October 7 after Russia had won concessions from Latvia, Es tonia and Lithuania, strengthen ing her military position in the west and north. Finance Minister Vaino Tan ner early this afternoon advised the foreign office of the decision to return. Liltlo Hope "There are no indications that further progress through nego tiations is possible." Erkko said in an interview. "There is a last minute chance, but we have come so far it is difficult." i - - The foreign minister did not specify the points on which the negotiations were stalled. Ob servers expressed belief, how ever, stumbling blocks were Rus sia's demands for a naval base on Finnish territory at the en trance to the Gulf of Finland and revision of the southern bor der between the two countries on the Karelian Isthmus. Erkko hinted at this interpre tation when he said to an Amer ican newspaperman: "I believe there is a place called Sandy Hook outside New York harbor. How would you like to hand that over to some one?" E SPEAKS 10 U. S. IN BROADCAST Vatican City. Nov. 13. (AP via "Radio) Pope Pius XII,, speaking today by radio to the people of the United States, said "the Christian education" of youth was never "more vital or important than it is today." The pontiff spoke on the occa sion of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Catholic Uni versity of America, Washington, D. C, from his private studio. He talked approximately seven minutes. His address was directed par ticularly to the gathering of pre lates, priests and distinguished laymen at the university, and he told them of his "pride in the great work you have accom plished for the glory of God and the welfare of your country." FOOTBALL INJURY IS FATAL FOR FRESHMAN Niagara Falls, N. Y., Nov. 13. (U.R) John M. Korcak. 21. St. Bonaventure freshman football player, died today from an in jury suffered In a game with Niagara college freshmen Satur day. Dr. Harry R. Ehmes, Niagara county coroner, said death was due to shock and a ruptured kidney. What to Do Seattle, Nov. 13. IIP) Right at the height of the near - panic following 1 a r I night's earthquake one val ron yelled above the hubbub in the Olympic hotel's jam med lobby: "I'm from Los Angeles! Everybody stand in the door ways!" Shouted another: "I'm from Chicaeo. What the dvil should I do?" Netherlands Premier Denies Nation's Neutrality Periled The Hague, The Netherlands, Nov. 13. (A') Premier Dirk Jan de Gcer told The Netherlands today "there is not a single ground for uneasiness" in the nation or empire despite "many rumors causing aiarm" in the past Making his first radio speech since he became minister last summer, de Geer said the fear of imminent dangers for The Neth erlands was caused by reports. circulated abroad and by "cer tain measures of our govern ment." He urged Holland not, to court danger by nervousness and thus risk losing "the blessings which God has given us the vocation of stimulating peace and thus serving others." It was this vocation, de Gcer declared, which led Queen Wil helmina and King Leopold of Belgium to make their peace mediation offer. (Britain and France answered the offer yes terday by saying the issue was up to Germany.) "Should these endeavors again fail," he added, "we and the gov ernments of other countries for which peace is preserved, will at a later date be able to take new steps in the same direction." KUHN'S LOVE WIRES READ 10 JURORS FUND THEFT HEARING New York, Nov. 13. (IP) A note of romance entered the trial of Fritz Kuhn, German-American bund fuehrer, today when the Jury heard several telegrams sending "love and kisses to woman friend. Telegraph company employes identified the messages as hav ing been charged to the account of the bund newspaper. The heavily built leader who is charged with stealing $5,641 I from his own organization, I smiled and blushed as he was i pictured as the writer of the messages to Mrs. Florence Camp, whom Kuhn has termed a "cas ual friend." The slate charges that of the funds allegedly misappropriated, Kuhn used $716 to pay for the transportation of Mrs. Camp's furniture from New York to California and thence to Cleve land. Assistant District Attorney Herman J. McCarthy did not read the signature on the tele grams but earlier, through the testimony of telegraph company employes and an officer of the bund newspaper, he attempted to establish they were sent by Kuhn. HELD IN SLAYING Klamath Falls, Nov. 13. (A') Earl Williams, 44, colored, was held In the county jail today after the gunshot death of his wife, Zeola, Saturday at their roadside hovel near here. No charge had been filed. According to officers, Wil liams said the Woman was fatal ly injured as she dragged a shot gun from the dwelling which had caught fire. He hailed a passing car to take her to a hos pital where she died. The couple's home, a timber lined cave dug in a dirt bank. was burning when investigators arrived, but Dr. George Adler coroner, said an autopsy indlcat ed the charge that killed Mrs. Williams had been fired from a distance of several yards. Emign Brantley. Washington, Nov. 13. (AP) The navy announced selection today of 42 officers for flight training In a school beginning about March 31. 1940. Among them was Ensign William E. Brantley of A?hland, Ore. nov. Rssigncd to the U.S.S. Salt Lake ' City few days. L INSIST UPON REPARATION FOR S London, Nov. 13. (IP) Au thoritative British quarters as serted today King George's re ply to The Netherlands-Belgian peace move meant Britain would "insist on full reparation of wrongs done by Germany to her small neighbors." It was also reported British Russian trade negotiations have reached the point of exchange of lisW of commodities to be sold under any agreement reached. Britain showed no sign of hope a peace-making Germany would step through the door technically left ajar by the king's response. A caustic speech by Winston Churchill, first lord of the ad miralty;- just a few hours after the king replied, showed how slender the present chances for peace were considered. The press again recited Britain's broadly stated aims and called attention to a more specific proviso in French President Albert Le bru'n's answer to Queen Wilhel mlna and King Leopold that Germany should repair "the in justices which force has Imposed on Austria, Czecho-Slovakia and Poland." Their answers to the proposal of King Leopold and Queen Wll helmina just one week ago that they help the embattled powers find a way to peace were made yesterday by King George and President Lebrun. Berlin, Nov. 13 (IP) Author ized sources said today the Brit ish and French replies to the Belgian-Netherlands offer to me diate in the European war were In line with recent public utter ances in London and Paris and have caused no surprise here. Inspired press comment In both Britain and France during the past two days forecast clearly, these sources said, what the reply would be namely a further indication of the will to war. $1 Watch Killer Chief of Police Floyd M. Crichton of Lincoln Parte. Mich. announced George McClelland (above), confetied stabbing How ard Rucker. a chum, to death In an argument over a dollar watch and then fixed the crime to ap oear at if Rucker had been killed by a robber (AP Photo). E i SAYS NEWSPAPER Moscow, Nov. 13. (IP) Rus sia wagea a campaign of "press pressure" upon Finland today after disclosure of widespread Russian naval demands upon the Finns. The newspaper Trud, organ of the soviet trade unions, warned Finland she was playing a "dan gerous game" which may have grave results. Soviet newspapers printed a long official news agency dis patch from Helsinki painting a gloomy picture of conditions there and predicting that the iinnlsn government would re ject Russian "offers." The dispatch alleged there had been frequent conflict between the men of the regular Finnish army and reservists because the reservists favored agreement with Moscow. Can't Stand Long The news agency, Tass, pre dicted the Finns could not stand the economic and financial strain of the present situation "longer than from four to seven months." The newspaper Red Fleet, or gan of the soviet nnvy, disclosed yesieraay lor me iirsi lime kus- sin s sweeping naval demands. Red Fleet said Russia must gain control of the Finnish areas west of Nurmansk In order to protect this Arctic ocean port, Russia's northernmost ice-free harbor. Finland now has access to the Arctic through a narrow strip of land between Norway and Russia. The navy organ also said Le ningrad, soviet port at the head of the Gulf of Finland, could not be safe unless Russia con trolled both sides of the gulf. The northern side is Finnish. -t FLY OVER PARIS Paris, Nov. 13 (IP) Shrilling air raid sirens sent the civilian population of Paris to cover early today for the seventh time since the war started and mili tary sources announced later German reconnaissance planes had flown over the area. The announcement said the planes had been driven off by anti-aircraft fire but did not specify the number Involved. Following the warning, sound ed at 4:20 a. m., (10:20 p. m., Sunday, E.S.T.) and In effect for an hour, there was anti-aircraft gunfire this afternoon, begin ning at 3:20 p. m. (9:20 a. m., E. S. T.) The guns, which ring Paris, fired Intermittently for 20 min utes, but no alarm was sounded in Paris. London, Nov. 13. (IP) The admiralty announced tonight German aircraft made two at tacks on the Shetland islands to day but "were driven off by anti-aircraft gunfire." "The bombs dropped did no damage," the communique said. COUNTY WARRANT DEBT AT RECORD LOW MARK General county warrants un called up to November 10 amount to $4,346.38, according to County Treasurer Ralph Sweeney. This is the lowest mark In many years. Total net debt of the county, Including bonds, warrants and all other purposes, is $48,772.54, as of November 10. S. Ft Turkey Prices San Francisco, Nov. 13. (IP) Net prices paid producers for live poultry delivered San Fran cisco. Turkeys, young toms, under 18 lbs., 1717V4; 18 lbs. and over. 17-17 Vi: young hens 21-22. YOUTH IS MAULED NEAR BLUE LEDGE John Wall of Medford Has Narrow Escape While Cut ting Yule .Tree in Wilds Attacked by an enraged black bear which he thought he had killed with a bullet from his 25 35 calibre rifle, John Wall, 21-ycar-old son of Mrs. A. M. Wall of McAndrews road, miraculous ly escaped serious injury yester day afternoon. John, with his brother, Albert and a friend, Bill Milhoan of the Four Corners road, were cut ting Christmas trees at the Blue Ledge mine in the upper Apple- gate country, about 40 miles from Medford, when John spot ted the bear on a ledge about 75 yards distant. Hoisting his gun to his shoul der and taking careful aim, John fired. The bear, a medium-sized brute, dropped to the ground, apparently struck in a vital spot. Thought Bear Dead "I thought sure I had killed him," John related today. "It appeared the bullet had hit him squarely in the head, and after I saw him drop I ran to the spot. "He was lying on his sido when I reached him, and just as I got there he raised up on his hind legs and whacked ma across the face with one of his. big paws. The bullet had only creased his skull, and he was' fighting mad." The terrific blow knocked John unconscious, Inflicted num erous long, deep gashes on his face and gave him a black eye. The impact of the blow turned the youth over in a complete flip-flop and he landed on his right side on a sharp rock, bruis ing his ribs. Yells Frighten Bruin "Just before the bear socked me I yelled," John explained, "and Al and BUI wasted no time in getting there, they told me afterward. "Al threw his axe at the bear but missed and the axe was broken against a rock. They yeljed at the top of their lungs and the bear ran off through the brush." Today, John's only reminders of his narrow escape are some sore ribs, a well-sliced face and the black eye. He is mighty thankful Al and Bill were on hand for the occasion, for they told him that the bear was pre paring for another attack Just before it took off through the brush. Boston, Nov. 13. (IP) Ad miral Richard E. Byrd decided today to start the U. S. Antarctic expedition's ship, North Star, on the first leg of her voyage at noon tomorrow, shortly after the expedition's gigantic snow cruis er rolled into Boston after its mishap - interrupted cross-country trek from Chicago. An attempt to place the cruis er aboard the vessel will be made early tomorrow when the tide brings the deck of the North Star level with the army base dock. EIGHTY ALLIED PLANES DOWNED IS NAZI CLAIM Berlin, Nov. . 13. (At Ger man army statisticians asserted today that 80 British and French planes had been destroyed from the beginning of the war to No vember 10, a period during which the Germans said they lost only 17. The Germans said the French had lost 84 planes and the British 16. Radio Highlights By the Associated Press. Tonight: Europe W ABC-CBS S:33, 8; MBS 6, 6:13; WEAF-NBC-East 8. Tuesday: Europe NBC-Chains 3 a. m.; W ABC-CBS 3 a. m., 3:30 p. m. .
