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Friday with -occasional rain
little change In temperature.
Highest yesterday 44
Lowest this mornhtff 87
Precipitation
To 5 p. m. yesterday , .08
To 5 a. m. today - T
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Medford
Tribune
J?
Full Associated Press
Full Unliad Pras
Thirty-fourth Year
MEDFORD, OREGON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1939.
No. 228.
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Washington, D. C, Dec. 14.
What President Roosevelt is do
ing to the budget estimates of
government agencies will be
come public when, either Jan
uary 3 or 4, the document will
be presented to congress. The
budget is the size of a metropoli
tan telephone directory and two
inches thick. No one takes the
trouble to examine more than
the particular items in which
he is interested. Leaks from the
White House say Mr. Roosevelt
is slashing right and left with
his blue pencil.
Reported as having been deep
ly cut under the current year ap
propriation are CCC, National
Youth Administration, Farm Se
curity Administration, WPA and
reduced aid to states. These par
ticular agencies, if will be noted,
have to do in one way or an
other, furnishing relief for
young men, young women
share-croppers and tenant farm
ers, wopk for needy employ
ables, and the federal assistance
fo? aged, sightless, dependant
children. This does not mean
that Mr. Roosevelt is less sym
pathetic than formerly, but he
wishes to divert as much money
as possible to national defense.
OOFT pedal has been placed
on WPA .re!ief. .There, was
great indignation last spring
when thousands were laid off
for being more than 18 months
on the rolls (thousands had been
reliefing for 4 and 5 years); for
not paying union wages; for
eliminating communist-controlled
theatre project and blame
was laid at the doors of congress.
As a matter of record, Mr.
Roosevelt proposed WPA re
forms and now will request far
less for fiscal 1941 than he did
for 1940 (we are now in fiscal
1940).
In other sessions congress has
been asked for a few hundred
millions to carry on WPA re
lief for the last four or five
monchs of a fiscal year as the
initial appropriation was ex
hausted. Instructions have' been
given now that in the session
(Continued on Page Two)
T
Tillamook, Ore., Dec. 14. (IP)
The Oregon coast highway
showed a greater travel increase
this year than any highway in
the state, Arch B. Sanders said
yesterday.
Sanders, executive secretary
of the Oregon coast highway as
sociation, told a civic group that
68.2 per cent of the north-bound
Redwoods highway travel con
tinued along the coast route
from Crescent City, Calif.
More than 185,000 out-of-state
motorists spent $3,400,000 on
the coast during the year, he
said.
SIDE GLANCES
by
TRIBUNE REPORTERS
Oma Parrett going Christmas
shopping with' a couple of pals
and becoming separated from
them in a store, one of the pals.
Dean DeVore, contending that
perhaps Oma was mixed in
among the Christmas tree trim
mings. Bonnie Kittle taking a whack
at fon Keith, Jr., because he
Insisted on swinging on mama's
callers with a man-sized stick.
The Doc A. F. W. Kresse fam
ily really going to town in cap
turing bridge tournament lau
rels as the Doc. Walt Jr.. and
mania Grace brought home the
bacon.'
Pocket Battleship
Severely Battered
By British Cruisers
i
London, Dec. 14. (IP) The admiralty announced tonight
naval forces watching for the German pocket battleship Ad
miral Graf Spee "have been strongly reinforced."
No details were given, however, of the additions to the
cruisers Ajax and Achilles which mounted guard outside Mon
tevideo in an effort to prevent escape of the nazi warship
from the neutral port.
Montevideo,' Uruguay, Dec.
14. (fl) The German pocket
battleship Admiral Graf Spee,
her steel rent by British guns
and 36 of her crew dead, clung
to her refuge today in this neu
tral port while two of the three
British cruisers which engaged
her in a 14-hour running battle
yesterday mounted guard out at
sea.
The third cruiser, the crippled
Exeter, which was knocked out
of the fight after four hours of
cannonading, limped into the
Rio De La Plata to a position
12 miles off Montevideo. ,
Believe Many Killed
As British legation officials
sailed' out to board her, reports
were current there were many
dead and, wounded aboard the
cruiser but nothing official had
been issued on casualties either
among the crews of the Exeter
or her fellow fighters, the
Achilles and the Ajax, all of
which were damaged.
Internment for the duration of
the European war seemed the
only prospect for the warship
which Germany in the days of
naval limitation built to out-
run or outgun any other war
ship afloat, - Her -other-r-choice
would be a desperate gamble at
escape after repairs.
Besides the 36 Germans
killed, the casualties included
60 wounded in the crew which
normally totals 926.
Gas ' Use Claimed
Otto Langmann, German min
ister to Uruguay, visited the
vessel and renewed charges
crewmen were suffering from
lung and eye injuries resulting
from gas shells fired by the
British.
(The admiralty in London and
Prime Minister Chamberlain be
fore the house of commons de
nied as "entirely without foun
dation" German allegations that
mustard gas grenades or shells
had been used.)
Langmann said six British
masters of merchantmen which
were sunk by the warship were
aboard her, but he gave no
names.
(In London there was specu
lation over the possibility the
six were Patrick G. Dove of
the Africa Shell, sunk off Por
tuguese East Africa, Nov. 15; J.
N. Edwards of the Trevanion,
missing and long overdue; the
master of the Newton Beech, un
heard of since the end of Sep
tember; A. H. Brown of the
Buntsman, long overdue; Wil
liam Stubbs of the Doris Star,
reported sunk by a raider Dec,
4 in the south Atlantic: and
Charles Pottinger of the Ashlea,
unreported since Sept. 28.)
Neutrals Barred
Neutral inspectors were not
permitted aboard the pocket
battleship.
One of two gravely injured
crewmen disembarked appeared
to have lost his sight from
wounds. The commander of the
Graf Spee had a minor arm-
wound
It was believed the Exeter
was preparing to enter the har
bor to disembark wounded, but
the Ajax and Achilles and pos
sibly other British warcraft
hovered offshore, waiting to re
sume the battle should the Ger
man venture out.
The Admiral Graf Spee had
until midnight (10:30 p.m. EST)
to leave Montevideo or apply
for an extension of her stay.
Langmann this morning pre
pared to request permission the
battle-scarred warship be al
lowed to remain in Montevideo
long enough to make repairs
without risking interment.
French Ship Safe
The diplomat, supported by
the German naval attache,
planned to base the request on
Uruguayan neutrality legisla
tion. While these steps were con
templated the French merchant
man Formosa, a prize the Nazi
(Conttnded on Page rour.j
HIT-RUN TACTICS
USED BY BRITISH
IN NAVAL BATTLE
Montevideo, Dec. 14. (IP)
How three British cruisers, like
well-trained hounds worrying a
huge bear, slashed at the Ger
man pocket battleship Admiral
Graf Spee until the badly dam
aged warship was forced to take
refuge in the neutral harbor of
Montevideo, was described by
eyewitnesses and .authorities to
day. From their accounts was
pieced together a picture of the
day-long battle. It showed the
British cruisers Exeter, ' Achil
les and Ajax, their guns out
ranged at least 3,000 yards by
the 11-inch German guns, used
every trick known to naval war
fare to beat down their larger
opponent's, defenses.
Smoke Screen Used
The British made "magnifi
cent" use of smoke screens, wit
nesses said, to avoid exposing
themselves disastrously to the
Admiral Graf Spee's heavier
gunfire. The cruisers were said
to have darted from behind
these sheltering smokescreens to
fire their own salvos, then re
treated swiftly from sight, con
stantly shifting their positions.
Although out-ranged and lack
ing their opponent's heavier ar
mor, a British official said the
lighter cruisers had to close in
despite the 850-pound projectiles
the pocket battleship was hurl
ing. To avoid these shells, one of
which almost ripped a turret
from the Exeter early in the
battle yesterday, the British
resorted to hit-and-run tactics
maneuvering at high speed be
hind their dense smoke screens
to throw the German gun layers
off the target.
By these tactics, they worked
in close enough for the Exeter
to train its eight-inch guns, fir
ing 256-pound shells; and the
Achilles and Ajax to use their
six-inch guns, throwing 100
pound projectiles.
T
Police Chief Clatous McCre
die announced today the ep
pointmcnt of William (Bill)
O'Brien, 29, to the city police
force to take the place of Offi
cer .Walter Reinklng, who has
been transferred from night
duty to a day beat made tem
porarily vacant by the illness of
Officer Ray Sloneker.
The new night patrolman, a
former resident of Ashland, has
resided here for about three
years. He was formerly em
ployed at the First National
Bank of Portland, Medford
branch, and was more recently
engaged in a mining enterprise
near the Canadian border. He is
unmarried.
Officer Ray Sloneker, con
fined in a local hospital with a
heart ailment, was said to be
progressing fairly well, but it
was not known when he would
be able to return to his position
as day patrolman.
GARB0 GIVES $5,000
FOR FINNISH RELIEF
New York, Dec. U.UP,
Herbert Hoover disclosed todBy
Greta Garbo, Swedish film act-
rnss, had contributed S.000 to
the Finnish relief fund.
Beaten to Death
Warner Bleweit, 17, president
of the senior class of Colwell,
Iowa, high school, is charged
with beating Dorothy Carter
(above). 14, to death with a
shotgun stock. Miss Carter was
president of the freshman class
of the same school.
Merced, Calif., Dec. 14. (IP)
Defense witnesses in the insan
ity hearing of Merrill Busby,
San Francisco, convicted of ab
ducting a young girl, testified
today that he had suffered hal
lucinations and done unusual
things since the death of his,
mother three years ago.
They also said his actions had
been even more strange since
his wife, Rachael, left him near
ly two years ago,
Arthur Busby, San Francisco,
a brother of the convicted man,
testified that since their mother
died Merrill had "gone to
pieces.
Asked if he thought Merrill
insane, Arthur Busby replied:
"In my opinion to do the
thing that he did on September
13 any person must have been
insane."
Busby was convicted of lur
ing 14-year-old Dorothy Evelyn
Thompson from her Livingston
homeeion that date and taking
her to San Francisco to place
her in a house of prostitution.
He later fled with her into Ore
gon, where they were appre
hended.
His sister, Sally Stanford
and Dorothy Heber, both of San
Francisco, were freed of con
spiracy charges after Busby was
acquitted on such a charge. The
defense and prosecution made
a joint motion for dismissal of
the charges.
TO BEJpUTED
London, Dec. 14. ()P) Two
men, convicted of complicity in
an explosion at Coventry last
August 25, in which five per
sons were killed, and for which
the outlawed Irish republican
army was blamed, were sen
tenced to death today.
One of the convicted men.
James Richards, 29, cried "God
bless Ireland and God bless the
men who fought and died for
her!" as sentence was passed.
The other, Peter Barnes, 32,
declared he was' innocent be
fore the court decreed the death
penalty.
A Jury found that three other
persons. Joseph Hewitt, his
wife, Mrs. Mary Hewitt, and
Brigid O'Hara, were innocent
of murder charges.
Form McNary Club
For Josephine Co.
Grants Pass, Dec. 14. (IP)
A Josephine county "McNary
for President" club was formed
here today. Sam H. Baker is
president and James W. Pinnl
ger, secretary.
Smelt Run.
Astoria, Ore., Dec. 14. (IP)
Fishermen brought in the larg
est smelt catches of the season
todav and nrcdlcted the main
I run would .oon approach the
Columbia river.
League
Calls on
F.R.
ON. F RELIEF
President Says Hoover Has
Declined Managership Of
Relief For Europeans.
Washington, Dec. 14. W)
The White Hquse disclosed to
day President Roosevelt,
through Chairman Norman
Davis of the Red Cross, had
sought to have former Presi
dent Hoover become a "sort of
general manager" of relief for
European war sufferers.
Apparently, Hoover had de
clined, the White House re
ported. Stephen Early, a presidential
secretary, said that about the
time Germany was moving into
Poland, Mr. Roosevelt and his
advisors were doing what they
could to prepare for what they
believed would be an emerg
ency.
The former president recent
ly assumed leadership in raising
a fund for relief in Finland.
anrt in Jhat capacity Is -cooperate
ing with the Red Cross.
New York, Dec. 14. (IP)
Herbert Hoover today respond
ed, through a secretary, to a
White House statement that he
had been offered the post as a
"sort of general manager" of Eu
ropean war relief. v
Hoover's secretary, Lawrence
Richey, issued this statement:
"Mr. Early's (the White
House) statement today seemed
to relate to different questions.
There were no discussions of
Red Cross organization before
the war, as he implies."
Hoover declared in response
to questions regarding reported
friction between the Finnish
fund and other groups that "It
is a great pity that people will
start out to poison the wells
of human charity.
"It is an Injury to the Fin
nish people and to the American
Red Cross," Hoover said. "It
doesn't bother me."
NAZI LINER TRIES
E
Vera Cruz, Mexico, Dec. 14,
IP) The 32,581-ton German
liner Columbus slipped out of
Vera Cruz in the darkness early
today on what was an apparent
attempt to run the Atlantic and
reach a German port throuqh
the allied naval blockade.
Also at sea was the German
freighter Arauca, which cleared
Vera Cruz harbor with a mixed
cargo of fiber, nitrates and
other consignments for New Or
leans, La.
The Columbus, a rich war
prize if It falls into the hands
of allied warships, obtained
papers for a trans-Atlantic cross
ing. Both the Columbus and the
Arauca have been In this port
since early in the European war.
New License Tags
In Use Tomorrow
Salem, Dec. 14. (IP) The
new 1940 license plates, blue on
white background, may be at
tached to cars beginning tomor
row, Secretary of State Earl
Snell said today.
About 59,000 plates already
have been issued. Sncll said he
is sending out plates earlier
than usual this year to avoid the
Christmas mailing rush.
Alaska Census
Juneau, Alaska, Dec. i4. (IP)
The first territorial census fig
ures released today gave Juneau
a population of 8.748. The neigh
boring community of Douglas
has 521
'Nations Expels Russia;
Members to Aid Finland
E
EXTENSIVE AREA
E
Russian Invaders Forced To
Retreat Is Claim; Defend
ers Take More Tanks.
Helsinki, Dec. 14. (P) The
Finnish army communique as
serted tonight that an extensive
area had been recaptured by
the Finns in the vicinity of Tol
vajarvi and the Russian invaders
been forced to retreat.
(Tolvajarvl is approximately
40 miles west of Finland's east
ern frontier and the same dis
tance north of Lake Ladoga).
The communique declared
more Russian tanks had been
captured.
It accused the invaders of
using gas in fighting at Suomus
salmi, 20 miles inside Finland
at almost the midpoint of the
eastern frontier, but added the
gas was largely ineffective.
Kirkenes, Norway (at the
Finnish frontier), Dec. 14. (P)
Russian troops neared. flaming
Salmljarvi tonight as Finnish
forces retreated southward ex
cept for a rear guard detach
ment left to explode dynamite
charges in valuable nickel
mines.
As far as could be seen from
the Norwegian frontier town of
Pasvik, all villages and habita
tions on the Finnish side were
aflame. The Russians were ex
pected to reach Salmljarvi some
time tonight.
80 KILLED IN BLAST
AT MUNITIONS PLANT
Bucharest, Dec. 14. (IP)
Eighty persons were killed and
200 others gravely Injured to
day in an explosion at a cellu
lose plant under military con
trol at Zarnesti.
Many of the Injured were
feared to be dying. Whole fam
Hies were wiped out in their
sleep by the early morning
blast of an overheated 1,000
gallon kettle of chemical.
A high , wind spread the
flames and carried chlorine
fumes over the village.
Stockholm, Dec. 14. UP)
The Swedish National bank to
day raised the discount rate
from two and one-half to three
per cent.
New Trans - Cascade Route
Expected to Sap Medford
Pacific Highway Traffic
'f By Richard Applegat
United Press Staff Correspondent
Salem, Ore., Dec. 14. (U.R) A new, fast trans-Cascade
highway, which will shorten the time from Eugene to San
Francisco from three to four hours, is expected to boom traf
fic through Klamath Falls.
Cities along the present route,
which may find travel shaved
off to some extent when the
Willamette road is completed,
are expected to push for com
pletion of their new Pacific
highway in order to recapture
their fair share of tourists.
The towns of Roseburg,
Grants Pass, Medford and Ash
land will be eliminated from the
Willamette highway, which
would part from the Pacific
route Just south of Eugene and
head east through Goshen and
Oakridge, then over the Cas
cades to Chcmult where It
would join the fast and straight
The Dalles-California road Into
Klamath Falls.
Ready In Summer
The new Willamette route Is
expected to be completed next
July or August, or as soon as
a 16-mlle link, now dangling at
the summit of the Cascades is
finished. Already detour over
War Bulletins
London, Dec. 14. (P) The
air ministry announced to
night four German Meiier
schmidt fighting planes and
three British fighters had
been shot down in fierce air
battles over Helgoland Bight
"during the past 24 hours."
Paris, Dec. 14. (IP) The
French high commands' com
munique tonight reported
"rather sharp engagements
between reconnaissance units
in the Vosges and along the
Biles."
BRITAIN SURVEYS
IN NAVAL EFFORTS
London, Dec. 14. (IP) Dis-
aster moved hand in hand with
success today in Great Britain's
fight to remain mistress of the
seas and to break Germany.
Even as the nation exulted
that the Admiral Graf Spee,
swift nazi pocket battleship, had
been driven into the neutral
harbor, of Montevideo, these
blows against the British navy
weie, announced:
The 1.375-ton destroyer Duch
ess sank yesterday after collid
ing with another warship with
an Indicated loss of 120 lives.
Only one officer and 22 men
were known to be safe.
The 202-ton mine-sweeping
trawler William Hallett struck
a mine today and sank with
loss of eight lives. Only one
crewman survived.
Against these losses were the
admiralty's announcement the
same submarine which had al
lowed the German liner Bre
men to steam unscathed to Ger
many had sunk a nazi submar
ine and torpedoed a cruiser.
Prime Minister Chamberlain
declared "the gallant action" of
"three comparatively small Bri
tish ships against a much more
heavily armed adversary" prob
ably would free the south At
lantic scalane? of the raider's
depredations.
Chamberlain honored the
navy in his statement betore
the house of commons, acknow
ledging "the bulk of the burden
of war at present is falling on
the navy."
McMinnville, Dec. 14. (IP)
The chamber of commerce se
lected Eugene E. Marsh, state
representative, president today,
that part Is letting traffic get
through almost as fast as the
Pacific highway.
At the present time the Pa
cific highway is the main artery,
but state highway commission
experts believe it will get stiff
competition the day the new
route is opened until it in turn,
Is revamped under the present
program.
The Pacific highway has long
been known as the scenic route.
In northern California where
most traffic to Oregon origin
ates, the scenic points are Mt,
Shasta, the Siskiyou mountains,
the Rogue River valley, Sex
ton mountain, Canyon Creek
and the Umpqua valley. '
Has Scenic Attractions
The new Willamette highway
will otter the following attrac
tions, including Mt. Shasta,
(Continued on Pace flues
REDS' EXPULSION
FIRST IN HISTORY
OF WORLD GROUP
Non-League Nations Also
Invited To Help Little Re
public 3 Fail to Vote.
Geneva, Dec. 14. (IP) A
telegram Informing Soviet
Russia of jier expulsion from
the Leage of Nations was dis
patched to Moscow tonight by -Joseph
A. C. Avenol, secretary-general
of the league.
Geneva, Dec. 14. (IP) The
League of Nations, by unani
mous vote of its council, today
expelled Soviet Russia because
of her invasion of Finland.
Four members of the council.
including Finland, abstained
from voting on the expulsion
motion. The others were China,
Yugoslavia and Greece.
The vote was on a resolution
which declared that as a
result of Russia's actions toward
Finland "the U.S.S.R. no longer
la a member of the league." -,
Unanimous vote of the coun- -ell
is necessary to expel a mem
ber. Abstentions do not affect
unanimity.
First In History
This was the first time in
league history that a nation had
been expelled.
The council acted after the
assembly had condemned Rus
sia as an aggressor, called on its
members to aid Finland and ap
proved an invitation to non
league nations, such as the Uni
ted States to help the little re
public. The council and assembly
both adjourned after taking ac
tion on the Russian-Finnish is-
e. . , .
Joseph Paul Boncour, the
Flench delegate, just before the
council vote declared although
France would give Finland all
possible help and would vote
for Russian expulsion, she
could not do so without recal
ling past aggressions.
Paul-Boncour told the council
that aggressions which pre
ceded "this one made it dos-
sible." i
League Wakes Late !
He declared the league "per
haps is waking a little late" arid
referred to former Russian for
eign minister Maxim Litvlnoff's
frequent condemnations of ag
gression before the council. He
broke away from his prepared
text to say "Russia's violation is
connected with all past aggres
sion." Paul-Boncour was followed by
British undersecretary R. A.
Butler, who also made slight
changes in his prepared speech
to meet his ally's stand. He em
phasized nothing was as impor
tant to the allies as the war with
Germany.
The council move to expel Russia,
followed action by the assembly con
demning Russian aggression and ask
ing members to aid Finland. .
(Continued on Page Seven)
Radio Highlights j
By Associated Press.
(Time is Pacific Standard.)
Address of Gov. John W.
Bricker of Ohio before the Ohio 1
State society of New -York Sat
urday on the Ohio relief pro
gram and its relation to the
national relief program, will be
heard via WEAF-NBC network
at 8 p. m.
Tonight: Europe WABC
CBS 5:55, B; MBS 6, 7:30;
WEAF-NBC-East 8.
WJZ NBC 6:30, America!
Town Meeting, "America and
Japan Embargo or New
Treaty."
Friday; Europe NBC 5 a.
m.: WABC-CBS 5 a. m 3:30
p. m.