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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 11, 1939)
4ii I The Weather Forecast : Partly cloudy to night and Tuesday, not much I change In temperature. Temperature Highest yesterday &l Lowest this morning -. IS So Don't Be Late When you find some thing you want adfertlsed on the Clasil fled page, better get tn touch with the advertiser at once. Remember hundreds of people are reading these Ads too. so don't be late. MEDFORD Tribune Full Associated Press Full United Press Thirty-fourth Year MEDFORD, OREGON, MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1939. No. 225. am i i i at Athe action follows Washington, D. C, Dec. 11. This investigation- of the Associ ated Farmers o California and their contacts in Oregon and Washington by the senate civil liberties committee is the in spiration of Utah's Senator Thomas and not of Wisconsin's Bob LaFollette, chairman of this much publicized committee. Learning LaFollette was not planning to pursue the subject, Thomas decided to crusade on his own account but at govern ment expense. The senate civil liberties com mittee is not in particularly good standing in the senate chamber because it is considered too lop-sided; biased against em ployers. It made a big hit with labor when it investigated the sit-down strikes, exposed espi onage in industrial plants and at the same time ignored viol ence perpetrated by labor rack eteers. Since then, via the Dies committee, it is revealed that star witnesses before the LaFol lette committee were agents of Moscow. Approximately $300,000 has been given the civil liberties committee out of the contingent fund of the senate. THIS special committee has consisted of two individuals LaFollette and Thomas, A few months ago, because of criticism a third member was added; David Walsh, Massachusetts. There is a rumor in the na tional capital that certain new deal insiders have been urging that the committee investigate the Associated Farmers, hoping that hearings might someway encompass the defeat of Califor nia's Hiram Johnson for re-elec tion next year. This is supposed to be the reason Thomas dashed off to the Pacific Coast. Historical back ground: Young LaFollette's fath er and Hiram Johnson were pro gressive republicans in the sen ate for years. Young Bob grew up with great respect for John son; certainly would do nothing to hurt him personally or poli tically. There Is a tremendous amount of human nature under the dig nified exterior of the United (Continued on Page Pour.) GIVEN REPRIEVE San Francisco, Dec. 11. (U.R) The San Francisco 'World's fair, once believed doomed to a wrecking crew, apparently has been reprieved for another showing on Treasure island in 1940 barring new legal compli cations, it appeared today. A group of San Francisco pro moters who originally under wrote the 1939 Golden Gate in ternational exposition an nounced they had collected "more than enough money" to re-open the fair for a four and t one-half months' stand during ine spring ana summer oi 1940. SIDE GLANCES by TRIBUNE REPORTERS Mildred L i t t e r wondering why Sardine creek cannot be converted into the beautiful snow bower it was the one winter she was away. Buster Chamberlain doing an artistic job of decorating for the ritzy Spatzy Brothers. Hylda Zundel looking simply startling in an enormous black hat n' all. Father Augustine Meyer con suming with ease a large slab of good-looking pie after doing much damage to a full turkey dinner LAND'S PLEA AT GENEVA MEET Little Hope Held For Accep tance By Soviet Finn Delegate in Stirring Plea. Geneva, Dec. 11. (IP) The League of Nations assembly to day asked Soviet Russia to ac cept league mediation in the Russian-Finnish conflict. It requested a reply within 24 hours. The request was telegraphed to Moscow after an appeal from Finland's, delegate, Rudolf Hol sti, for "all practical support possible" against Russia. The committee considering the Finnish appeal unanimously adopted a proposal by Sweden that Russia be asked to accept mediation. British under - secretary for foreign affairs, R. A. Butler said the time limit of 24 hours should be set for reply. Liitle Hope. "We must have no illusions on the outcome," Butler told the committee which continued its work in belief that Russia would refuse. A Soviet spokesman at Ge neva said, however, there was a 50-50 chance Moscow would accept. If such acceptance were forth coming, Jakob Surlts, Russian ambassador to- Paris, could act as Russia's representative with out delay, since he already is in Geneva to watch league pro ceedings in which Russia is not participating. Finland's appeal was referred to committee after a dramatic speech by Holsti. "We cannot protect the Fin nish people against aggression, bullets, hand grenades and gas with international resolutions," he declared. Finnish charges Russians have used gas in the invasion of Finland have been denied officially in Moscow.) Wins Applause. The white-haired Holsti, for mer Finnish foreign minister and former Stanford university professor, was applauded by al most all the delegates of 40 na- (Continued on Page Three ) FREIGHT BUREAU EYES Chicago, Dec. 11. (IP) The Transcontinental Freight bureau considered today requests of Pacific and Northwestern fruit growers for reduction in trans continental freight rates on ap ples and pears. J. G. Stubbs, chairman, -said written requests from Washing ton, Oregon and California were being considered. He was unable to say when a decision might be available. Russia Blockading Finland. Protests Blockade of Nazis Moscow, Dec. 11. (IP) Sov iet Russia, herself blockading Finland, protested today against Great Britain's attempt to strangle Germany by cutting off her exports. Contending Britain's action was "without precedent In his tory," the Soviet note as repre sented in a Moscow broadcast said Russia would reserve the right to demand compensation for losses. On the military front, the Russian army reported troops had penetrated 35 miles Into northern Finland to the town of Kuolajarvi. The advance on all fronts was reported from three to five miles. The broadcast announcing the protest against the blockade said the government considered Bri tain's action as a "completely ar bitrary act." The note was said to have been drawn up along the lines of the United States protest to Britain but was de Found Unharmed Betty Lawrence (upper pic ture), 7. of Parsons, Kas., was found unharmed in the room of 27-year-old Claude Payne (lower picture), after her ab duction. She is shown in bed at her home. More than 1,000 possemen hunted for several hours for' the child. Officers said the abductor was mentally deranged. HIGH SCHOOL LOVE Charles City, la., Dec. 11. (IP) A love affair involvingthe presidents of two Colwell, la., high school classes ended in tragedy here early today when the body of Dorothy Carter, 14, was found in an automobile parked in a corn-crib near her sweetheart's home. She had been shot and beaten. Warren Blewett, 17, senior class president, who had been keeping company with Dorothy for some time, was found in bed at home, suffering from the effects of poison. Sheriff B. F. Atherton of Floyd county issued a warrant charging Blewett with murder. Dorothy was president of the Colwell high school freshman class. The sheriff said the youth probably will recover. Ather ton asserted the poison was self administered. Investigators could find no definite motive. scribed as "much stronger" "The government of the U. S. S. R. reserves the right to de mand compensation for losses If a state merchant ship of the U. S. S. R. is forcibly escorted to a British or French port, or if application of the order of Nov. 28 causes some other loss to the foreign trade of the U. S. S. R.," the radio announcement said. Unfavorable weather restric ted reconnoitering activity of the air force. Russian newspapers de nounced Britain and France for "systematically violating Inter national law" in their blockade of Germany. An article in the government paper, Izvcstia, which failed to mention the Soviet blockade of Finland, said the British and French contraband lists were illegal and the two- countries were unlawfully detaining neu tral ships. FINN SKI TROOPS SLIP TO REAR OF INVADINGFORCES Defenders Harass Russians In Guerilla Warfare On Karelian Frontier. Helsinki, Dec. 11 (IP) Finnish ski scouts were reported to have slipped through Russian lines to day on the Karelian isthmus al most to the Russian occupied cities of Rautu and Valkjarvi, about 18 miles from the border. At the same time, reports were received of frequent artillery duels between the Russian fleet and coast batteries in the Gulf of Finland. Invaders Harassed Large scale guerilla warfare on the Karelian front continued with the Finns counterattacking to harass the invaders. The two cities which the scouts are reported to have reached are quite a distance behind advance lines set by Russian commu niques. The heaviest fighting was re ported from the Kuolajarvi sec tor, just above the Arctic circle, where it appeared red forces were intent on knifing through Finland to the Swedish border and the Gulf of Bothnia. On the southern front, on the eastern side of the Karelian Isthmus, three red brigades which tried to smash through to the Mannerhelm line behind a tank corps were reported I checked short of their -objective. Russ Train Bombed (It may be that the report of success against this tank-pointed attack is to be linked with a Finnish broadcast received in Copenhagen which said Finnish planes bombed and destroyed a Russian armored train yester day on the isthmus. (As reported to London by Reuters, British news agency, the Finnish airmen cooperated, with field artillery to wipe out a column of tanks and armored cars. (The Copenhagen newspaper National Tidcnde said the Fin nish air force also bombed the Kussian railway connecting Leningrad and Musmansk, prin cipal bases for the reds' Finnish campaign. (Another Copenhagen news paper, Politikens, said Russian lefcses in the Karelian isthmus alone since the war started Nov. 30 totaled 25,000.) Meanwhile, Russian warships bombarded various unspecified coastal objectives. ER New York, Dec. 11. (IP) Harry Gannes, foreign news writer for the Daily Worker, communist party organ, today was added to the list of defend ants charged by the government with trafficking In fraudulent passports. Gannes' indictment became known when a scaled true bill returned by the federal grand Jury on Saturday was opened before District Judge Murray Hulbert. Earl Browder, secretary of the communist party In the United States; Robert William Wiener, financial secretary of the party, and Nicholas Dozcnberg, al leged Soviet secret agent, al ready have been indicted. Dozcnberg, arrested at Bend, Ore., after a cross country chase, was being returned to New York. SEWER BREAK FLOODS NEW DISPOSAL PLANT Roseburg, Ore., Dec. 9. (IP) Damage amounting to several hundreds of dollars was caused here last night when a sewer line, weakened by nearby exca vations, broke and flooded, pits at the site of the city sewage disposal plant being constructed In the northwest part of town. One of the pits dug to accomo date a clarifying tank was part ially raved in dnraging forms and reinforcing material. Nazi Flying "Sieve" Brought Down 1 This German plane, filled French soldiers who witnessed plane was brought down by anti BY LUMBER PILE AT BOX FACTORY Charles T. Bingman, 52, car rier driver for Timber Products company, was seriously injured about 9:39 . this morning when a pile V- lumber fell" on" him while he was operating a lum ber unstacker In the company's yard. Rushed to Community hos pital in the Perl ambulance, Bingman was discovered to be suffering from profound shock, possible Internal injuries and probably a crushed chest. His attending physician said this afternoon that Bingman "was seriously injured," but that if unforseen complications didn't develop or further Injuries be found, he would "probably re cover." He was conscious, the doctor stated, but "pretty badly mangled." X-ray pictures were to be taken this afternoon to determine the full extent of his injuries. A Timber Products company official explpined that the acci dent occurred while Bingman, driving the unstacker, was tak ing lumber down In unit piles off a stack about 20 feet high. One of the units off the top of the stack slipped and fell on him, the official stated; and some of the boards crushed him against the steering wheel of the vehicle. Frank Barber, yard foreman. was nearby when the accident occurred, and immediately noti fied the office, from where the ambulance was summoned. Bingman, who resides at box 256, Thomas road, has been em ployed by the Timber Products company for the past 10 or 12 years. Benefactor Slain By Negro Worker Olcn, N. Y., Dec. II. (U.R) A confession by Oliver R. Ald ridgc, 43, Negro caretaker, that he murdered his elderly em ployer and benefactor, Doml nick (Gregory, was announced by police today. Gregory, 86-year-old retired contractor who recently willed his home and savings to Ald ridge In recognition of the let ter's) "faithfulness," was found shot to death In his home last night. Escaped Rapist Again in Custody El Paso, Tex., Dec. 11. (U.R) Brino Len Hanks, 27-ycar-old escaped rapist from the Ari zona state hospital for the In sane, considered the most dan gerous male inmate of the in stitution, was captured in the railroad yards here Sunday by special officers, without any trouble. Berlin, Dec. 11. (Eigh teen persons were killed yester day when a passenger train struck a bus near Llnz. Twenty others were Injured with as many holes as a colander, is shown being inspected by its fall on the western front. It was not revealed whether the - aircraft guns or in a sky fight. War Bulletins London, Dec. 11. (IP) A Reuters (British news agency) dispatch from Oslo said today the Greek steamer Garou falia, 4,708 tons - had been torpedoed and sunk by a sub marine off the Norwegian coast. Four persons were killed. Helsinki, Dec. 11 (IP) The Rusians today battered their , way to SallaturlurL 40 miles from the frontier and just above the Arctic Circle. The Finns abandoned the city and the Russians promptly burned it. Washington. Dec. lL (IP)- The supreme court outlawed to day the use in federal criminal trials ' of all evidence obtained by wire-tapping. Justice Roberts delivered the decision that reversed the con viction of three New Yorkers on a charge of using the mails to defraud. In a 1937 decision, the su preme court held the 1934 Fed eral Communications Act pro hibited use of wire-tapping evi dence obtained from interstate communications. ' In today's opinion it held the communications act also prohi bited use of evidence obtained from intrastate communications. The three men involved In the decision by Frankfurter were convicted of smuggling alcohol into New York. The men were Frank Carmine Nardone, Nathan W. Hoffman and Robert Gottfried. ' . . NATIONAL DEBT IN T JUMP Washington, Dec, 11. VP) An overnight Jump of $523,523, 822 In the federal debt brought it today to the unprecedented total of $41,902,742,768. The sharp Increase was caused by the formal issuance of a half billion dollars worth of new treasury bonds sold re cently. The new debt figure, little more than $3,000,000,000 away from the statutory limit, aver ages about $315 per person in the United States and is now about $3,200,000,000 more than a year ago. SNOWSTORM PUTS END TO WYOMING SUMMER Evanston, Wyo Dec. 11. (IP) Wintry weather came to western Wyoming today, A snowstorm broke a long warm, dry spell. H. E. Williams, weather ob server, said the snowfall I amounted to an inch and a half between 8 a. m, and 10 a. m. INTERNAL DISSENSION' BY GLIMPSE AT FILES Washington, Dec. 11. House investigators of the national la bor relations -board opened that agency's own files today to dis close internal dissension. .which included one "complaint of "in decent, destructive, a n d un American" board procedure. The bitterest protest was In a telegram from Mrs. Elinore Herrick, N.L.R.B. director at New York, who complained to Board Chairman J. Warren Mad den against Investigators from Washington who she said re fused to discuss with her a case in her own jurisdiction. Mrs. Herrick said she was subrnitting "under protest to this indecent destructive and un-American procedure." She added: "It is the procedure one might expect from the O.G.P.U. (Rus sian secret police) but not from fellow administrators of an agency of the American gov ernment, y Other charges were contained In letters, telegrams and mem oranda which the house com mittee had read Into the record of the opening hearing during testimony of William M. Lester son, newest of the board's three members. - 6 TRAFFjCJEATHS Portland, Ore., Dec. 11. (IP) The week end storm spread a driving hazard . over Oregon streets and highways which re sulted in six traffic deaths. In Portland two pedestrians, Mrs. Emma Stanley, 79, and Fred Hoerner, age unknown, were killed Saturday night and Mrs. Glen Coleman, 30, died when her automobile crashed into a streetcar on a Broadway bridge approach Sunday. Alvln Finn, 23, and Dorothy Cron, 23, both of Salem, were killed when the car Finn vas driving caromed off a bridge guard rail near Aurora and struck a Greyhound bus. Herbert Treischel, 35, Milton cannery worker, was struck and killed early Sunday morning east of Freewater, At Ashland Mrs. W. F. Knox, struck by a bicycle Friday, died Saturday night. Two Army Fliers Killed . in Smashup Los Angeles, Dec. 11. (U.R)- Two army reserve fliers were killed Sunday when an army training monoplane crashed near La Crcsccnta. Lieut, -Col. Kenneth Decker of Los Angeles, the pilot, and Lieut. Joseph Stelncr of Lawn- dale were the victims. They were crushed as the plane plung ed Into the ground in the rear of t house. HEAVY DOWNPOUR FARMINGJN AREA Week-End Storm Puts Pre cipitation 1.82 Inches Above Seasonal Normal. Counted today as a blessing to agriculture and mining was the week-end storm that depos ited 4.91 inches of rain before it abated this morning. The heavy rainfall turned a substantial precipitation defic iency into a comfortable excess margin. The excess above nor- , mal for the month today stood at 3.73 inches and for the season at 1.82 Inches. Damage In this area was slight. Five local telephone cables were put out of commis sion by rain yesterday but all excepting one were back in serv ice today. Full service would be resumed by 5 p. m., the com pany said. There was a short interruption yesterday in the long distance service between Medford and Ashland. Minor trouble, always expected in such storms, was reported by the Cal ifornia Oregon Power company. Air Liners Halted The storm kept United Air Lines planes grounded on the Portland-Medford-Oakland run from Friday night to this morn ing. Service was resumed this morning but the early morning northbound plane flew over Medford because of fog here. The forenoon plane arrived on time. While snow fell in the higher altitudes, all through highways were open today though they were somewhat slippery,, the AAA office said. The Diamond Lake highway Is closed, prob ably for the winter. Two inches of new snow fell in Crater Lake national park last night after a heavy week end fall. Snow on the ground was 29 inches deep at park head quarters this morning. West and south entrance roads were open to headquarters, the road to the lake rim was to be plowed open tnrinv Prpftnitntlnn nt th lnltn since December 1 was measured at 8.26 inches. This compared with .14 inch for November. Snow At Caves Two Inches of snow fell dur ing the night at both Oregon Caves and Lava Beds national monuments. Overtaxed by the heavy downpour, some storm drains In and resort was made to by passing' around the sewage dis posal plant. Aside from a lew flooded basements, however, drains were successful in carry ing off the rain, city officials said. The Stewart avenue drainage system, undergoing its first ma jor test, performed perfectly, it was stated. Hansen creek chan nel, however, overflowed, the water advancing around the Southern Oregon Sales, Inc., plant where it was finally ab sorbed by th Stewart avenue drainage system. December seems to be a na tural month for heavy precipi tation periodically. Ten years ago 3.83 inches fell in the De cember 12 week, Twenty years ago today Medford experienced its "worst" storm, the mercury dropping to 9.5 degrees, a foot of snow falling in the city. -Big Water Volume Emphasizing the huge volume of water that fell here over the week-end, W. A. Gates pointed out these statistics: An inch of water over an acre equals 3630 cubic feet; a cubic foot of water weighs 62.4 pounds; an inch of water over one acre weighs 11314 tons or 603 barrels of wa ter of 45 gallons each. Wlt'a al most five Inches of rain t. figure on for the week-end storm here, Mr. Gates suggested someone try to calculate the total weight or volume of the water brought by the precipitation to Jackson county. Dies In Capitol Salem, Dec. 11. (IP) Alvln Gates Shepard, 77, Dayton ser vice station operator, dropped dead in the capitol today while applying for an automobile li cense at the secretary of state's fiic . r:
