Children Invited to Greet Santa
The Weather
Forecast
Partly cloudy tonight and
Saturday, probably with occa
sional rain, little change In
temperature.
Highest yesterday. .63
Lowest tills moriilng...MW..M...26
Thirty-fourth Year
MM
AT 4THE
Kir
life
Washington, D. C, Nov. 24
Two of President Roosevelt's ap
pointees to the rejuvenated su
preme court are on the way to
arouse resentment of American
veterans and place their patron
in a ticklish predicament. The
t storm will break probably in
January.
So long ago that its existence
has almost been overlooked, a
special committee was appointed
by the president to make a study
and recommendations for im
provement in the civil service.
Mr. Roosevelt did not ask the
civil service commission for the
report, he sought the assistance
of outsiders, in order to have an
unbiased view. Members of the
' committee are Associate Justice
Stanley Reed and Associate Jus
tice Felix Frankfurter, both ap
pointed on the committee before
they were appointed on the
bench.
...
rE report will (unless this
section is deleted as, from
a political viewpoint, it may be),
recommend that the preference
given veterans and their wives
. in civil 'service be abolished.
This recommendation is made
in the interest of improving the
merit system, and thereby im
prove the government service.
It is not intended as a reflec
tion on veterans, but by the
special privilege now enjoyed by
this group it is said to be a hand
icap to the system.
Too often veterans not. compe:
tent for a certain position are
appointed because of their spec
ial standing, whereas the veter
an specially qualified for a posi
tion should not require the pref
erence accorded by law, as he
can make good on his own mer
its. (Continued on Page Seven )
GASOLINE LAMP BLAST
COSTS LIFE OF CHILD
Vancouver,. Wash., Nov. 24.
(fp) Elma Jean Spellman, 13.
y died today of burns received
yesterday in a gasoline .lamp
explosion at her home near
Washougal.
The parents smothered the
child's flaming clothes and took
her to Camas for first aid. The
fire had destroyed their home
by the time they returned.
SIDE GLANCES
by
TRIBUNE REPORTERS
Sim Jarvi, on a three weeks'
trip north, sending a postal from
Grants Pass asking friends to
turn off the oil burner in his
home, a chore he forgot him
self in the excitement of getting
away.
Edward Anthony Schwartz
immensely enjoying his first
Thanksgiving turkey drumstick.
The lovely June Nealon re
porting for work at noon, thus
ruining a perfectly good news
items about her being sick at
home.
Cliff Lord amusing friends
with his usual comedian ways
while enjoying a stay back in
the old home town and advising
friends he had taken on the
new moniker of C. Wallington
Lord or some such ritzy sound
ing name.
Margaret Warner Forsyth
joining the throng of holiday
visitors and frequenting her old
haunts.
Pat Hayes literally causing a
trail of smoke while burning
up the dance floor at the Fire
men's ball.
And Olive Starcher much in
evidence at the same event be
cause of a large but cute flame
red bow on her chapcau.
M
Full Associated Press
F. I SAYS
by
Expenditures May Be In
creased by Five Hundred
Million Next Fiscal Year.
Warm Springs, Ga., Nov. 24.
(iP) President Roosevelt dis
closed today that some consider
ation was being given the idea
of a special tax to finance ex
penditures for national defense,
which may be increased by
$500,000,000 in the next fiscal
year.
These defense expenditures,
the president indicated at a
press conference, will be in ex
cess of $2,000,000,000 but prob
ably not as high as $2,300,000,
000. He differentiated, inciden
tally, between appropriations
and expenditures for defense.
Questions about business and
taxation led the president into
a discussion of defense and its
financing.
To Cut Oiher Spending
Of course, he said, the ob
jective of the administration
was to cut down all expendi
tures which possibly could be
whittled at the present time.
Assuming that reductions can
be made in the budget, that con
gress does not appropriate large
sums beyond the budget esti
mates, and that tax revenues
increase as they are now, the
president said the result would
be a reduction in this year's
deficit.
But undoubtedly because of
the world situation, Mr. Roose
velt continued, a larger sum
must be provided for defense
one about $500,000,000 more
than was available this year.
The factor, he said, raised a
question which he would like to
submit to public discussion,
which he described as always
helpful. The question is:
Should we borrow money to
pay for emergency expenditures
for defense or pay as we go?
Understanding Needed
If the money is borrowed, he
said, it means no additional
taxes. Paying as we go, he said.
(Continued on Pa Pour.)
Warm Springs, Ga., Nov. 24.
(fP) President Roosevelt, in an
offhand statement that might
have a bearing on a third term,
told the citizens of this village
today that "We've got a little
over a year left" to get a new
post office.
"I don't know," he said, "that
the next administration would
give Warm Springs a new post
office."
AUNG BIG
Reciprocal Trade Program
Termed Peace Cornerstone
Washington, Nov. 24. (A1) i
Secretary Hull described the ad
ministration's reciprocal trade
program today as being the
chief cornerstone of world
peace.
. His press conference state
ment added official weight to
indications the administration
wanted to retain the program
as a basis for lasting peace when
the war in Europe was ended.
Hull asserted the program,
scheduled to expire next June,
would be the foundation for any
such real peace.
He was asked whether he
knew of suggestions in congress
that the trade program be al
lowed to lapse, with the idea
of renewing it after the 1940
election. Declining a direct an
swer. Hull said as usual ho
would have a full discussion
with congressional leaders re-
EDFORD
SBUl
SENT 10 BOTTOM;
Steamer Mangalore Latest
Victim of Mines Navy
Struggles To Halt Losses.
London, Nov. 24 (H) The
admiralty announced tonight
the cruiser Belfast was dam
aged "by a torpedo or mine"
in the Firth of Forth Tuesday.
Casualties were 20 wound
ed, the admiralty said.
The ship is being repaired.
(The German high com
mand announced in Berlin
today that a submarine heav
ily damaged the Belfast, a
new 10.000-ton cruiser, in the
Firth of Forth In the second
serious raid on thai base.)
London, Nov. 24. (P) Mines
off England's east coast sank
another British vessel today, the
8,886 to steamer Mangalore, as
British naval experts struggled
to check shipping losses.
German planes flew over the
Shetland Islands again, causing
two air raid warnings, one of 90
minutes and the other of 42.
These islands, off the north
coast of Scotland, were bombed
Wednesday. -
In addition to the Mangalore,
whose crew of 77 was saved, the
sinking of the 5,133-ton Nether
lands tanker Sliedrecht by a
submarine a week ago was dis
closed today when five surviv
ors were landed at a northwest
coast port. Twenty-six crewmen
were missing. ,
(The Mangalore was the 83rd
British vessel, naval and merch
ant, lost since the start of the
war.)
Silent On Belfast
The admiralty maintained si
lence on the German assertion
that the new, 10,000-ton British
cruiser Belfast had been torpe
doed and badly damaged by a
submarine in the Firth of Forth,
Scotland.
The authoritative British
press association said Britain's
order in council calling tor seiz
ure of all German exports,
might be put into effect next
Tuesday.
Britons, apprehensive-
ly watching the list of sunken
ships grow, wondered whether
the secret weapon which Ger
many has hinted she possesses
might have entered the war at
sea.
Within the past six days
about 26 British and neutral
vessels' have been sunk, some by
German submarines but most
by mines.
The British press charges
Germany with sowing magnetic.
high explosive mines in shallow
cast coast shipping lanes with
minelaylng airplanes and small
submarines.
garding all matters of. foreign
policy.
The secretary of state said
also the reciprocal trade treaties
were designed to increase do
mestic employment. He told re
porters they should contrast the
existing system with the Smoot
Hawley tariff act, which, Hull
declared, had thrown 10 to 12
million persons out of work.
Saying there had been much
reckless discussion, Hull told
his press conference all recipro
cal trade Items on which there
had been U. S. tariff reductions
had been microscopically exam
incd.
He asserted most of the items
imported were not competitive
with the products of domestic
producers. He mentioned specif
ically coffee, rubber, tin, and
tea, and said all of these either
were not produced or were pro
duced in insufficient quanties In
the United States.
jpw '( vVy Viyl
MEDF0RD, OREGON, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 193r
Britain Claims Agents Held by Gestapo Were
Endeavoring To See if Peace Offer Bonafide
EFFORT TO END WAR
London, Nov. 24. () Author
itative British sources said today
the two Britons seized Nov. 9 by
the German Gestapo on the
German - Netherlands border
were endeavoring to see if a
German "peace offer was bona
fide." These sources said Captain
Richard Henry Stevens and Sig
ismund Payne Best were acting
with the knowledge of the Brit
ish government when they were
"kidnaped."
The "peace proposals" came
from "some German sources," a
British spokesman said. Every
thing Stevens and Best learned
"was transmitted to their own
government and it was in the
course of the endeavors to see if
the peace offer was bonafide
that they were kidnaped," he as
serted. The spokesman confirmed re
ports from Amsterdam a Nether
lands observer was accompany
ing Best and Stevens when they
were taken by the Gestapo.
- . Answer Plot Charges "
Replying to German charges
the British inspired the Munich
explosion Nov. 8 in which Adolf
Hitler escaped death or injury
by a few minutes, the British
spokesman said the Gestapo
must either have known the
bomb was in the cellar long be
fore it exploded or admit to
"gross inefficiency."
; In case they knew, the spokes
man continued, the explosion
was "either to inflame hatred
against the British or whip up
the German people's waning
enthusiasm for Hitler."
The spokesman did not reveal
the nature of the purported
peace proposal or from what
German faction it was supposed
to have come. He said the Brit
ish believe Stevens and Best,
from German reports, are now
in Berlin.
$2,500,000 DEBT
IS
New York, Nov. 24. (VP) He
was a $30-a-week clerk for the
New York Title and Mortgage
company and when this or that
official said, "Willie, sign here,"
Willie did. But he never looked
at the documents.
So today William Cooper, 60,
now head porter at a west side
apartment house, learned In
federal court that he yes, Wil
lie himself owes the company
$2,500,000.
The concern collapsed in
1933 with mortgages and cer
tificates totaling $720,000,000
outstanding. Willie's signature,
it was brought out at the trial
of the company and four of Its
former executives charged with
mail fraud and conspiracy, was
affixed to a bond covering a
Park avenue apartment house.
Was Willie surprised!
JEWS IN POLAND
TO
Kattowitz, Germany, Nov. 24
A') About 5,000 Jewish wom
en, children and infirm men
must leave the Kattowitz (for-'
t merly Kattowice, Poland) and
Rcschen areas of German-occupied
Poland for a Jewish reser
vation east of Lublin by Decem
ber 15, it was disclosed today.
According to orders issued by
local authorities, these two dis
tricts must be "Jew-free" by the
middle of December. The Jews
j may take only the scantiest be
I longings.
Claus at Downtown Yule Fete
l: Afk ! I, - 1,- . r sLl
George Elser (left) was accused by German secret police as the man who set the bomb
in the Munich beer hall Nov, 8 which took eight lives and which exploded Juit II minutes
after Adolf Hitler left. Also accused were two British secret service agents, Capt. Richard
Henry Stevens (center) and Sigismund Payne Best (right), seised by Naiii on the German
Dutch frontier.
WILLING TO MEET
TITLE CHALLENGE
Unless spine team wants to
challenge Medford's claim to the
mythical Oregon state high
school football championship,
the Black Tornado's 1939 season
was completed with the 6 to 0
victory over Coquille here yes
terday. This was decided at a noon
meeting today of all members of
the varsity squad and Coaches
Bill Bowerman, Ed Kirtley and
Russ Acheson.
"It "was the opinion of the
players," Coach Bowerman stat
ed, "that Medford had played a
highly representative schedule
and had a bonafide claim to the
championship. It was brought
out that we had issued chal
lenges to every other team in the
state with any claim to the
crown, including Milwaukle and
LaGrande, and that Milwaukle
had failed to show interest in a
game, La Grande had cancelled
their date with us and Portland
had ignored us."
However, Coach Bowerman
said, it was the unanimous de
sire of all players that if any
other team in Oregon wanted to
deny that Medford had the best
team, and play a game to prove
it, that the Black Tornado would
be only too glad to accommo
date. In short, the coach ex
plained, Medford would stand
pat on its claim until it was
challenged. He added that the
players felt their team was the
best in the state.
In commenting on a rumor
that a top-ranking Oregon team
was to Be named to travel to
Honolulu for a game late in De
cember, at the expense of the
A.A.U., Coach Bowerman said
that if such were true the Black
Tornado would be willing to
play any team, any time and any
place for that honor. He said
that he felt the game, if forth
coming, should be arranged on
a basis of which team could
make the best financial offer to
the other, and that Medford
would bid against any other Ore
gon aggregation for the role of
host.
AIR LINE WILL BUILD
BIG PORTLAND DEPOT
Portland, Nov. 24. (JP) North
west Air Lines will erect a
$60,000 structure to accommo
date its operations at the Portland-Columbia
Super Airport,
Guy W. Talbot, Jr., district traf
fic manager, revealed today.
United Air Lines recently an
nounced plans for a $200,000
building program for the new
field.
London, Nov. 24. iA') Great
Britain today called for 5,000
volunteers from 22 to 35 years
old for overseas duty with the
army service corps (service of
supply)
Tribune
Full United
Nazis Charge British Agent
Directed Pre
Berlin, Nov. 24. (P) Captain Richard Henry Stevens,
held as a British spy chieftain on charges of direct connection
with an attempt on Adolf Hitler's
today as a director of British pre
Italian and Japanese shipping,
Hitler's own newspaper, the
Voelkischer Beobachter, quoted
Stevens, who has been Identified
by the Gestapo as chief of Brit
ish intelligence for western Eur
ope, as confessing he used an
emigrant German, Waldemar
Poetzsch, in plots to wreck ships
of the three totalitarian powers.
Planned In London
Stevens was declared to have
told Gestapo questioners the
sabotage campaign was planned
In a secret service office in Lon
don, on the ground floor of the
"Broadway building."
An official statement charged
that from November, s1937, to
Huvcmocr, iu,itj, Poetzsch car
ried out acts of sabotage on "a
number of ships which resulted
partly in their destruction, in
cluding that of the crew."
The statement did not list the
ships in question, saying merely
"German, Italian and Japanese
ships" were affected.
Moreover, the Voelkischer Be
obachter specified three German
ships, the 1,110-ton naval oiler
Norderney, the 2,883-ton Hestia
and the 651-ton Feronia and one
Italian ship, the 5,639-ton Fclce,
as included among the sabotaged
vessels.
In Danish Prison
In September, 1938, the state
ment said, Poetzsch was arrested
in a "neutral country" at the
insistence of German police but
released when "British quar
ters" interfered. Last June 29,
however, the man was sentenced
by a Copenhagen municipal
court "on a charge of espionage
for England," the statement de
clared. (In Copenhagen It was reliably
reported Poetzsch is serving out
a sentence in a Danish prison on
mantes or espionage. He was
sentenced to six months in iail
June 30, but on appeal a higher
court sentenced him to eight
months with 73 days deduct
ablc). hexiMto
Mexico City, Nov. 24. (P)
Usually reliable sources today
reported that the government-
controlled o 1 1 administration
had contracted to sell Mexico's
entire oil output to an inde
pendent American concern.
These sources said the sale
was made despite existing con
tracts with Italy, Germany and
South American buyers because
the war made it Impossible to
transport oil to those countries.
Because of the immediate
benefits of an agreement with
a United States concern, Mexico
was reported willing to risk the
invalidating of previous con
tract
Preaa
HE
- War Sabotage
life, was represented officially '
- war sabotage against German,
CHRISTMAS DISPLAYS
IN STORE WINDOWS TO
BE REVEALED AT 7 P.M.
Thousands of children and
their parents are expected to get
their first 1939 glimpse of Santa
Claus in the downtown Medford
district as stores unveil their
Yulctide windows at 7 o'clock
tonight.
Exactly at the stroke of 7,
the jovial Santa Claus will ar
rive at the Jackson County
Chamber of Commerce from his
snow-house abode at the North
Pole. At the same moment, cur
tains will be drawn on the 1939
presentation of Christmas scenes
and merchandise In Medford
stores. The window displays will
disclose what is considered
smart and economical for Christ
mas giving this year.
. The senior high school band
and Mrs. Harry Prentice's com
bined Medford and Grants
Pass accordion bands will also
assemble at the chamber of
commerce at 7 o'clock. The high
school band will play Christmas
music at various downtown
spots. The accordion band will
play cither at the chamber of
commerce or In a truck that will
make a tour of the business
area. After appearing at the
chamber of commerce, Santa
Claus will circulate In the shop
ping district where he expects
to see all the children of the
city and county.
Everyone is invited to take
part in the Christmas opening
celebration. People coming to
town by motorcar were re
minded of the free parking lot
opposite the Mail Tribune of
fice. The combined accordion band
will also give a recital at 7:30
tonight in the Baldwin Piano
Shoppe auditorium, 123 West
Main street.
By the Associated Press
At least 84 persons in 25
states were killed in accidents
Thursday as the nation observed
the first of its two Thanksgiv
ings. Most of the dead lost their
lives In highway disasters. Five
were killed while hunting.
There were four fire victims and
one died by drowning.
A Reminder
F.iery Itlday this same re
minder Is given to you. Time
to prepare that Classified Adr.
for the Sunday morning edi
tion. More people use and read
Sunday Classified and always
are well repaid.
No. 211.
AT PUBLIC MEET
Resolution Commends Draft-.
ers For Efforts Few
Ask Questions at Hearing.
Jackson county's budget was
adopted as previously published
and a resolution was adopted ex
pressing thanks and apprecia
tion to the budget committee for
their work, at a public hearing
in the courthouse this morning.
The resolution of appreciation
was introduced by Bert Harr,
stockman of the upper Apple-
gate, and seconded by George
Iverson of Medford.
The budget calls for the rais
ing of $370,715.13 for the gener
al county fund, within the six
per cent limitation, and $12,000
for road bond principal and in
terest, outside the six per cent
limitation, making a total of
$382,715.13.
The amounts budgeted for the
various departments and agen
cies are practically the same as
last year.
' Iverson Inquires
George Iverson appeared in
the role of chief question asker,
and wondered why the. Old Age
Pension fund had been reduced.
It is posted at $42,000, last year
it was $44,100. Iverson said he
had received reports from old
people, complaining their allow
ances had been cut.
Commissioner Ralph Billingi
explained the cut was due to the
county's share of the old age as
sistance fund being reduced
from 25 to 20 per cent, with the
state furnishing 30 per cent, and
the government the balance.
Commisioner Billings asked Mr.
Iverson if any one had come and
told him about the increase
they had received. Mr, Iverson
replied: "They didn't mention It
to me."
Aged Treated Fairly
Commissioner Billings then
declared, "the records of the
state welfare board shows, Jack
son county is treating its old
folks very fair."
Mr. Iverson arose more than
a dozen times during the course
of the meeting, and inquired
about various items. He compli
mented county officials who had
reduced their budget demands,
and explained, "he came to the
meeting in no spirit of animos
ity". David Hood of the Oak Grove
district, in mentioning the $4,
000 allotment for Pacific High
way advertising and publicity'
(ContlnuxJ on Page Tarae.)
FRENCH REPULSE '
Paris,- Nov. 24. (P) The
French high command reported
a German raid was repulsed to
day east of the Moselle river on
the western front.
"An enemy raid east of the
Moselle failed," the night com
munique said. "We took a few
prisoners.
"There were local artillery ac
tions and reduced activity In the
air during the day."
Radio Highlights
Radio station KMED of Med
ford will not broadcast any foot
ball games Saturday.
By Associated Press
(Time Is Pacific Standard)
Tonight: Europe -WABC-CBS
5:55. 8; MBS 6, 7:20.
WJZ-NBC 7:30 Harvard
Yale football rally.
Saturday: football WJZ
NBC 10:30 a.m. Yale-Harvard;
WEAF-NBC, WABC-CBS 11:18
Notre Dame-Southern Califor
nia: MBS 11:48 Nebraska-Oklahoma,
ft