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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 22, 1939)
The Weather Forecast Fair tonight and Thursday with fog In the morning, not much chunpe In temperature. Temperature Highest yesterday JU Lowest tills innmlng tQ Do Big Things Tliert are to many people who kwear by Classified Ada. In this newspaper, It la really surpris ing that everyone does not use them. They are Inexpensive, yet they do big things promptly and efficiently. Tpibune EDFORD Full Associated Press Full United Presj Thirty-fourth Year MEDFORD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1939. No. 209. M ISfnlMlo) IN mi M NAB , AT ftTHE Washington, D. C, Nov. 22. David E. Lilionthal, director of TVA, told a meeting of farm ers at Lafayette, Ala., last week that they and their fellow farm ers in Oregon are bringing elec tricity for the first time to the farms and into the homes of the farmers. Promptly a private util ity of the region declared it had built 7000 miles of line to serve farmers before Director Lilien thal knew anything about pow er. - As for Oregon, farms in the thickly settled sections were be ing serviced with electricity years before Rural Electrifica tion Administration was created. DUBLIC ownership advocates in the new deal make care less statements. Last week Har old Ickes, secretary of the in terior, who is over-lord of Grand Coulee and Bonneville, in a prepared address defending his charge of fees, such as tolls and admission to national shrines, observed that "it would not be fair" for the government to compete with the concession aires in the national parks. . However, Secretary Ickes is pursuing a policy of competition with private power companies has financed many municipal projects with PWA funds to compete with private utilities. ACROSS Potomac river, out side the District of Colum bia, thousands of government workers are buying homes. The government ownership advo cates launched a campaign to bond the county where these clerks dwell for $1,450,000 to (Continued on Page Pour.) MUNICH BOMB PLOT WORK OF AVERS NAZI EXILE Paris, Nov. 22. IP) Otto Strasser, erstwhile lieutenant of Adolf Hitler accused as the Insti gator of the Munich bomb plot against the German fuehrer wSharged in an interview today that the Munich explosion was "organized" by his accuser Heinrich Himmler, head of all German police. "I have just received formal proof from a devoted member that the project emanated with Himmler, himself" said Strasser, an exile from Germany, in an interview with Havas, French news agency. "He declared to Rudolf Hess (deputy leader of the Nazi party and second in line of succession to Hitler) that he needed the at tack in order to unleash a 'hate offensive' against England and in order to have a pretext which would permit him to deal with domestic adversaries, notably the Black Front." (The "Black Front" is the name given to an anti-Nazi or ganization understood to be active within Germany). SIDE GLANCES by TRIBUNE REPORTERS .Jim Murray fearing he wasn't going to win a Thanksgiving turk by his bowling prowess, and then winning two, though he won't be able to enjoy them this Thanksgiving, what with being in the hospital. Judge Earl Day laughingly referring to his demotion by the AP from president to vice president of the Association of Oregon Counties. Grace Kresse directing the first winter bridge tournament in her usual efficient manner. Sarah' Hammond anticipating children Virginia and Bruce's arrival home for the turkey holiday with the zest of the Vrovcrbial fond mania. IN ATTEMPT TO BLAS1SHIPP1NG Royal Air Force Seaplane Set Afire By Invaders No British Casualties. London, Nov. 22. (IP) Ger man air raiders bombed the Shetland islands and set fire to a Royal Air Force seaplane to day in two sharp thrusts at Britain. A communique said the Nazi raiders first made an attack on shipping but were driven off and then attacked a seaplane at a mooring and set it afire. The air ministry also an nounced the Royal Air Force made "successful flights'' on Monday and Tuesday over Stutt gart, Frankfort, Hamburg and Bremen. Six planes took part in the raid, but failed to score any hits, British sources announced. Essex Sounds Alarm. Anti-aircraft guns also roar ed in South Essex during the afternoon, but villagers said no planes were visible. An east coast anti-aircraft battery fired a dozen rounds at a German bomber flying out to sea. British planes followed the Nazi aircraft. The warfare entered an in tensified phase today as Britain planned an unrestricted block ade of German export trade in repsisal for recent shipping losses. The admiralty announced a British warship had intercepted the 4,110-ton German freighter Bertah Fisser off Iceland's coast, stating the crew started to sink the ship, took to their boats. and were then picked up by the warship. (A dispatch from Reyk javik .Iceland, Indicated the German ship may have been shelled.) The 6,660-ton Italian freighter Fianona was added to the list of mine victims off England's south east coast. Although she was badly damaged by an explosion last night, she was still afloat today. She was the 16th vic tim of mine and torpedo war fare off the British isles in the last five days. IN ROW OVER $4 Aberdeen, Wash., Nov. 22. IP) A quarrel over the disap pearance of $4 leu two men dead today, a woman slightly wounded and a dwelling charred by flames. Frank Fcrgestrom, about 45, a south Aberdeen service sta tion operator, was shot and killed, Police Chief George Dean said, by William Gessner. about 47, a 225-pound mill worker, last night when Fergcstrom attempted to protect Mrs. Gle nice Ostrich, Gessner's land lady, from her tenant's wrath. Gessner was shot and wound ed by Mrs. Ostrich's 15-year-old son, Joe, a few minutes later. The husky mill worker then staggered to the Ostrich home and was badly burned when he set fire to the dwelling. Dean said. Gessner died In the hospital a short time later. TROUBLE PREDICTED OVER SHIP TRANSFERS Timtni Nnv 22. (IP) Con gressman John M. Coffee of Ta- coma predicted loaay mat ine lihoral hloe will "raise hell" next session over transference of American vessels to foreign registry to circumvent the new neutrality law. "It was a slicker stunt." the liberal democrat said. "We're going to raise hell about that at the regular session. Portland, Nov. 22 'Tl Dr. George Bernard Noble of Reed college said today no Rhodes scholars would be selected for Oxford this year because of war conditions. Scholars in England now have been recalled. Accuses Nazis Erich RiX, 38. anti-Hitler na tive of Germany, said Nazis in this country "put the linger" on him, causing his arrest in San Francisco on charges he con cealed a criminal record when he applied for American citizen ship papers. He faces a deporta tion hearing. This picture of Rix was made just after his release from a German concentration camp in 1935. 600 TOUGH GUYS OF Folsom Prison, Calif., Nov. 22. UP) Six hundred of Folsom prison's "tough men from the lower yard" today refused food for the second day and were returned to their cells. Warden Clyde I. Plummer, facing his first major incident in his two years as warden, an incident that occurred almost on the anniversary of the bloody 1927 riot, had 11 arrested strike leaders placed in solitary con finement and said, "We'll just sit around and talk to a few of the boys." Approximately 2,300 other convicts at the state's prison for two-time losers were not involved in the incident which started yesterday when the men were served sour mush for breakfast. Prison Director A. R. O'Brien, who went to the prison last night, reiterated his belief the trouble was caused "by unrest and the belief of the convicts that the present prison board can be harassed." LA. STREET CARS HIT AT CROSSING Los Angeles, Nov. 22. (P) Thirty persons were injured, two of them seriously, when two street cars collided at a down town street intersection during the heavy traffic hour today, A crowded Los Angeles rail way car coasted through a traf fic signal as its brakes failed on the Fifth street hill, and crashed into the side of a Pacific Electric car on Figueroa street. Traffic was snarled for half an hour as four receiving hospi tal ambulances removed the injured, most of whom were women. All were Los Angeles residents except C. H. Franklin, 40, a government accountant from Seattle temporarily cm ployed here. He suffered cuts on his lip and eye and a broken tooth. CACTUS JACK HUNTS FOR BIRTHDAY MEAT Uvalde, Tex., Nov. 22. (IP) Vice President John Garner went hunting today for half his birthday dinner. His wife al ready has supplied him with a cocoanut cake but he's got to kill a deer before sundown if he has venison steak on his 71st birth day. It's Okay Now Omaha, Neb. An Omaha cleaning concern received a let- jler and $12.15. It read: "Several years ago I collected from you the enclosed $12.15 for what I then considered a damaged rug. I no longer feel that way about ) it, to am returning the same." AS LOVE LETTER TO Revelation of Kuhn's Note Follows Close on Denial Of Marriage Proposal. New York, Nov. 22. (A) Fritz Kuhn, red-faced and confused among the reading of a series of torrid love letters addressed to Mrs. Florence Camp, his "golden angel," acknowledged late today he had lied earlier on the wit ness stand. The portly bundsfuchrer, on trial for grand larceny in the theft of funds from his German- American bund, said reluctantly that he told Mrs. Camp in 19.18 that he had divorced his wife four years earlier. New York, Nov. 22. i.-P) Fritz Kuhn, bespectacled fueh rer of the German - American bund, blushed scarlet today when the prosecution depicted him as a shipboard Romeo and read a billet doux he wrote to his "heaven sent" woman friend, Mrs. Florence Camp. Spectators tittered, while Kuhn's cheeks reddened and his eyes blazed with anger, as Pros ecutor Herman J. McCarthy read the letter at the bund leader's trial on larceny charges. "Florence," it said, "1 am ter rible In love with you 1 beg you to become my beloved wife I will always be real true to you and will love you forever can't be without you any more because I realize heaven did send you and I never will forget that. (Signed) Fritz." Kuhn, who already has a wife, had denied just a few seconds earlier he proposed marriage to Mrs. Camp during an ocean cruise on the steamship Wcst ernland. v All in Fun. "Mrs. Camp was too much of a lady to listen to proposals of marriage within four days on board," he said. McCarthy then produced the note, which brought a protest from Kuhn that it was "all In fun." "It was done the night of a ship party," Kuhn said. "Every body does that sort of thing." McCarthy's continued delving into the bundesfuehrer's roman tic life finally impelled Judge James G. Wallace to question Kuhn himself In bald terms. "Did you ever have a love affair with Mrs. Camp?" the court asked. Kuhn pulled back as though horrified. "No, I did not," he said. "Mrs. Camp is very much a lady. I am still on very friendly terms with her." Earlier, the prosecution elicit ed testimony Kuhn was a man of many aliases. Kuhn acknowl edged that at various times he had been known as Fred Costan, Fred Kellar, Henry Larson and Frank Carson. The reason for the aliases was not gone into. Cartoonist Dies New York, Nov. 22. IP) Walter C. Hoban, 49, widely- known comic artist and cartoon ist, died last night after a two months illness. He was with King Feature Syndicate for more than 20 years. He was best known, perhaps for his comic strip "Jerry on the Job." Legion Commander Made Caveman By Oregon C hie f tain Indianapolis, Nov. 22. (A') Oregon war veterans officiat ed last night at the pledging of Ray Kelly, national Ameri can Legion commander, as honorary member of the Grants Pass Cavemen. State Commander Nicl R. Allen of Grants Pass, garbed in sabre-toothed tiger skins, inducted the national leader into the western order with the assistance of Carl R. Moser, Oregon adjutant, Ben F. Dorris of Eugene, Vic Mac Kenzie and J. Valient, former Oregon legionnaires. Next Mrs. Coogan? r vxVv" 4 I; V i MK 0 " i W V 'A " x ft ' Harriet Haddon (above), now playing In a New York Ice Revue, will be Jackie Coogan's next wife, he said at Fort Wayne. Ind., after his divorce from Betty Grable becomes final in 10 months. ENTRY OF U. S. IN WILL IS HINT BY EX-I Tokyo, Nov. 22. (P) Toshlo Shiratori, ex-ambassador to Italy today declared If the European war should spread into a world conflict "too many Japanese re member the bitter lesson of the Washington conference to feel inclined to fight again for Bri tain and America." (Many Japanese feel that In the Washington conference of 1921-22 their country was com pelled to accept a position of naval inferiority to Britain and the United States.) Shiratori, who was recalled after his attempts to forge a mili tary alliance with Italy, Ger many and Japan failed, praised Germany and Italy in an inter view. He said Japanese relations with those powers were still close despite the Russian-German agreement. "If the United States enters the war it will be a world war in a literal sense," he asserted, "because then it would be ex tremely difficult for Japan to remain neutral." "The totalitarian nations work to establish a new order thruout the world," he added, "Japan ts doing its job in the Orient. Ger many and Italy are doing theirs i in Europe. ! marketTwill CLOSE I FOR thanksgiving day ' New York, Nov. 22. (.V) j Thanksgiving Day, a week I earlier than the traditional last I Thursday in November, will be widely observed tomorrow by 1 the country's principal financial and commodity exchanges. The New York slock and curb exchanges, banks and commod ity futures markets will close. ! Hot Aftermath Eugene, Ore., Nov. 22. (IP) It was much hotter after than during the "fire" toduy for a son of a local "flame chaser." An 11 year-old youth wanted to show "dad at work" to his pal. So he 1 turned in a false alarm. E SEEPAGE 1 AT HOTEL REMAINS UNSOLVEDPUZZLE Search For Source of Leak Fruitless, Plea for Water Refund Brings Out. The city council last was asked by Mrs. M. F. enson, manager of the night Clem Hotel Jackson, for a rebate of $20 for each of two months for water used in operating a siphon to keep the hotel basement free of water in which gasoline or some other inflammable liquid has become mixed. Mrs. Clemenson said she had been advised by city department heads to install the siphon to replace an electric pump to eliminate the danger of fire caused by electric sparks ignit ing fumes from the inflammable liquid. City Attorney Frank P. Far roll informed Mrs. Clemenson and her "counsel, Porter J. Ncff, that the council had no Jurisdic tion over the water commission and therefore could not order the rebate. Mrs. Clemenson re plied that she had taken the matter up with Robert A. Duff, water superintendent, and had been advised to go before the council. Mr. Farrell said the only thing the council could do would be to recommend to the water commission that the $20 for each of the two months be cancelled. Mrs. Clemenson ex plained that the siphon had caused an increase of $20 a month over the hotel's average water bill of $28 a month. The council voted to instruct the public safety committe to rec ommend to the water commis sion that the $20 be cancelled for the two months. Trouble Sine. August Request for the rebate or can cellation disclosed that the prob lem that originated early last August had not yet been solved although city departments, the hotel management and neigh boring concerns have been working on it steadily ever since. Seepage of gasoline or other inflammable liquid into the hotel basement was discovered (Continued on Page Bight. 1 eastern star leader takes life with gun Salem, Nov. 22, (P) Coro ner L. E. Barrlck said that Mrs. Charles E. Colvin, 51, active in Eastern Star affairs and a past grand officer of the order, com mitted suicide early today at her home near Aumsville by shoot ing herself in the head with a revolver. OFFICES AND STORES WILL CLOSE THURSDAY Thanksgiving day (Thursday) will be generally observed in Medford with city and county offices, banks and business houses closed for the day. Christmas Giving This Year On Scale of 'Good Old Days' New York, Nov. 22. (IP) An old-fashioned Christmas, with gifts exchanged In greater quan tity and variety than any year in the last decade," was forecast today by the National Retail Dry Goods association on basis of a rising business trend. The association pointed out the shopping period would get off to a week's earlier start in 25 states and the District of Columbia observing tomorrow as Thanksgiving. In states clinging to the old Thanksgiving date Nov. 30 this year merchants are preparing to push "shop early" programs In expectation of the biggest gift-giving Christmas since 1929. the announcement added. Anticipating a 10 per cent trade gain, the association cal culated sales In the traditional Thanksgiving Christmas shop ping splurge by department, dry goods, general merchandise and War Bulletins With the British Air Force in! France, Nov. 22 (IP) British and French fighter planes were reported to have swept the skies clear of Nazi reconnaissance planes today, shooting down oven. An eighth enemy plane was destroyed by anti-aircraft fir. irom th ground. London. Nov. 22 (iP) The ftdmiralty announced tonight the destroyer Gipsy struck a mine off the east coast yester day, and was subsequently beached. Paris. Nov. 22. (JP) The French announced tonight two German submarines had been sunk by the same torpedo boat within three days. On. of th. undersea craft was said to have been sent to the bottom by the torpedo boat after it was lo cated by French aircraft. EOR KLAMATH LAD 72 Klamath Falls, Nov. 22. (IP) Authorities admitted today they were baffled In the search for Irwin Jack (Sonny) Maxwell, 3, who has been missing more than 72 hours without a clue to his fate turning up. While hundreds of men con tinued to comb the area east of here in ever widening circles, city police dropped powerful lights into two abandoned deep wells near the boy's home and declared them empty. Search leaders regarded the rugged country and three succes sive nights of sub-freezing weather as too much for a child of three and declared that U the lad is really lost in the hills there is almost no chance of his still being alive. The boy's mother, Mrs. Wayne Maxwell, remained hopeful and his stepfather, a storage com pany truck driver, had been with the searchers steadily. Also In the posse was the lad's own father, Elmer Becbe, former husband of Mrs. Maxwell. The child took the name of Maxwell when his mother remarried. TOTS ATTACKED The Dalles, Ore., Nov. 22. (IP) A vicious sow attacked two little brothers today and the recovery of one was doubtful. The animal, bent on protect ing its litter, inflicted numer ous tusk wounds on four-year- old Gerald Malcomb's body and broke his wrist. It had Larry, 3, by the throat when the father, Merton Malcomb, truck driver for the Foley Lakes dairy, in tervencd. Physicians said Gerald had a "chance to recover. apparel stores would approxi mate $1,320,000,000 an in crease of $120,000,000 over the comparable 1938 figure. "More than a million Jobs have been opened up In Indus try and part-time employment extended to full-time for many millions more," It noted. "Profit-sharing with em ployees, In form of holiday bonuses, Is considered likely to prove the largest since the Christmas season of 1938. When the Christmas rush reaches its peak, regular store forces throughout the country are ex pected to be augmented by 500,000 extra workers to help handle the busy trade." Retail prices were figured as likely to average about three per cent above last year's Christ mas levels. The association said 90,000, 000 persons would come within scope of the lengthened Thanks giving Christmas season. OF GENERAL ARE LIQUIDATED Debt Erased For First Time Since 1927 Excellent Fiscal Condition Shown. For the first time In more than 12 years, Jackson county was on a cash basis today. A call was issued by Countv Treasurer Ralph E. Sweeney to day for the remaining outstand ing general fund warrants which total $5,031.30. Calling of the warrants liquidates the entire general fund debt, first time the county has been free of general fund indebtedness since April, 1927. A dally balance sheet issued by Mr. Sweeney showed that the county has enough cash and credits on hand to pay off all of the other warrant indebtedness and to liquidate, lacking only $22,539.94, all bonded dett which embraces permanent road bonds which are not callable and therefore must be bought in the open market if they are to bo acquired. Large Debt Cut Today's call for the remaining outstanding general fund war rants centered attention on what is conceded to be the excellent financial condition of the county. To attain the present status. however, has involved the liqui dation of a large volume of debt. After liquidation of all gen eral fund warrants In April, 1827, the debt gradually in creased again until it reached $79,098.91 in May of 1931. From then on it rose rapidly to a peak of $307,843.41 on December 31, IV6Q, records show. Several fac tors were involved in this tre mendous rise in debt, County Judge Earl B. Day explained. These included the Banks-Fehl debacle which increased county expenses and mounting tax de- (Continued od Page Ten) L BASE, IS New York, Nov. 22. (IP) The New York Times said to day that "for the second time since the outbreak of the war a German submarine has slip ped through the defenses of , British naval base and launched an attack on a British warship, according to private advices re ceived In New York last night." "The ship, it was stated, was the cruiser Belfast, lying in the Firth of Forth. The extent of the damage was not disclosed, but the submarine was reported to have escaped." (Private information reaching the Associated Press in New York indicated the Belfast had suffered damage but that this may have been caused by a mine and not by a submarine's tor pedo.) WELL LIKED IN EAST Portland, Nov. 22. IP) Sen ator Charles L. McNary, Ore gon's favorite son candidate for the Republican presidential nom ination, stands high in the es teem of eastern party leaders. Former Governor Charles H. Martin said today. General Martin, who recently completed speaking engage ments in the Chicago area, also said there was growing senti ment among Illinois Democrats for Vice-President John Nance Garner as the Democratic party nominee. Early Thursday Paper. In order to permit employes to enjoy Thanksgiving activ ities, the Mall Tribune will go to press at noon Thursday. 1
