Medford mail tribune., December 21, 1939, Page 1, Image 1

The Weather
Forecast: Fair tonight and
Friday but with moraine fogs
and Increasing cloudiness Frt
day; little change In tempera
ture Will Reach Him
The buyer you are looking
fur mny live around the cor
ner. How are you to know?
ReicurilleM of where he lives If
In this community a Mall Tri
bune Adv. will reach him.
Medford
Tribune
Temperature:
Ills hes t yesterday
Lowest this mornings
81
34
Full Associated Press
Full Unitad Press
Thirty-fourth Year
MEDFORD, OREGON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 19' 5
No. 234.
I5)fn,MlcD
MIS)
HEL9CU
Ik
at m I FINNS WIPE OUT
'Nflfflnt' TWO BATTALIONS
'.-(pa INLAND FIGHTING
Washington, D. C, Dec. 21.
Phenomenon of congress se
riously investigating a govern
ment organization, an agency of
its own creation (the current
probe of NLRB), may be re
peated Inasmuch as complaint
of the wage-hour act will create
a demand for an inquiry into
that body at the coming session.
As a rule, a congressional in
vestigation concerns itself with
activities outside of government
1 o b b y i n g, war munitions,
Wall street, holding companies,
pracices of employers in labor
troubles, etc.
Things have to be pretty bad
for congress to decide that
something is wrong with one of
Its own children. But with the
increasing independence of con
gress, the gradual return to con
servatism, the legislative branch
of government is becoming
curious about how some new
deal experiments are operating.
First to be placed under the
microscope was WPA, with spe
cial reference to the theater and
writers' projects. The WPA in
quiry has not been completed,
merely suspended. Now the
NLRB has the center of the
stage with other agencies on the
anxious seat.
WITH the fundamental prin
" ciples of the Wagner labor
act and the wage-hour act little
fault is found. What appears to
be wrong is ths; administration;
too many lawyers (450 In NLRB
organization) and insufficient
practical men. These laws, in
brief, are good require some
amendments but the individu
als appointed to execute the
statutes are the wrong men for
the jobs.
There Is no Intention of scut
tling long-needed . reform legis
lation, but congress appears of
the opinion the laws will be dis-
(Continued on Page 31x.)
All records were broken at
Medford postoffice yesterday
when 48.394 pieces of mail were
cancelled. This is exclusive of
parcel post.
Yesterday's cancellation total
compares with 42.232 on the
same day last year and 40,764
in 1937. Postmaster Frank De-
Souza said.
Eleven extra men and four
extra trucks are now at work
keeping the Christmas mail and
parcels moving.
Lord Shultleworth
London, Dec. 21. (IP) Lord
Shuttleworth, a member of
parliament under 12 prime min
isters, died yesterday, two days
after Mr. 95th birthday. He be
came a member of parliament
70 yea's ago, held his first min
isterial post 53 years and was a
privy
tury.
councilor for half a cen-
SIDE GLANCES
by
TRIBUNE REPORTERS
John Redfield on his first
visit to Medford. being simply
so surprised at the lack of sun
shine, he always being informed
in his home town of Beverly
Hills that fair skies prevailed in
the Rogue valley.
Friends talking about Ed
Leach getting lost in the hall
way of his own home, the for
ester being unable to find his
way about without a compass.
Pert Grim pining for the day
she could see her name In print,
like this.
Navyman Georgie Patterson
steering clear of the fire hall
after going down to another
Ignominious defeat at cribbage,
billiards rummy and every
other battle he engaged the
laddies in
Seven Out of Ten Hospital
Buildings Struck by Rain
Of Bombs on Helsinki.
By Thomas F. Hawkins
Helsinki, Dec. 21. ((Rus
sian fliers today bombed a hos
pital area of Helsinki, attacked
towns and villages for 25 miles
around and machine-gunned two
trains in a day in which Finnish
land forces were officially re
ported to have wiped out two
battalions of Russians.
In the land fighting, an army
communique said, the Finns
either threw back the invaders
with heavy losses or continued
their own advances and cap
tured or destroyed 20 tanks and
a wide variety of arms, ammuni
tion and equipment.
Two Shot Down
In the day's aerial operations,
two Russian planes were report
ed shot down over Helsinki,
where the invaders bombed a
hospital dormitory, heavily
damaged a school for the blind
and struck seven out of 10 other
hospital buildings.
unly two persons were in
jured and none was killed in the
Helsinki hospital area, though
more than 30 bombs rained upon
it, but there were deaths in the
attacks outside the capital. .
Two persons, officials said,
were killed aboard the Turko-
Helsinki Express, one of two
trains machine-gunned, while
several died in one city where
ten bombs were dropped.
Summarizing the war on land
in a communique tonight on
yesterday's operations, the army
said:
On the Karelian isthmu:
The Russians suffered heavy
losses and were stopped in their
tracks in a daylong battle.
Battalion Destroyed
On the eastern front An
"enemy battalion was destroyed
completely" between Lieksa and
Repala. Lieksa is about 125
miles north of Lake Ladoga and
20 miles from the border with
Russia.
On the upper eastern front
Russians were defeated in two
different places; a battalion be
ing "annihilated" in one and1 "a
great loss" being sustained in
the other. In the one, the com
munique said, "the enemy lost
600 killed on the battlefield."
In the Arctic Finnish troops
reached Hoyhenjarvi, across the
Jordan! river, a place near the
Norwegian frontier about 60
miles south of Finland's Arctic
coast.
(A London dispatch from Mos
cow said the Russian war com
munique for the second day in
succession made no claims of
gains in Finland and Norwe
gians reported seeing Russians
moving northward in the far
north from lines they had been
pushing south.)
The air raid on Helsinki, com.
ing on the 60th birthday of Jo-
sepn staiin, the Russian leader,
started four minutes before
noon after attacks on towns in
the vicinity.
Bucharest, Dec. 21. (IP) A
new German-Rumanian trade
agreement, which doubles Ger
many's share of this country's
oil exports, was signed tonight.
Russians Celebrate Birthday
Of Joseph Happy Man' Stalin
By Will Hancock
Moscow, Dec. 21. (IP) Soviet
Russia celebrated on a large
scale today the sixtieth birthday
of her leader, Joseph Stalin,
.who was eulogized by the press
as "the pillar of hope to the
workers of capitalistic states."
As his red army legions fought
in bitter cold in the invasion of
Finland, a new biography of
Stalin was published by Presi
dent Michael Kalinin of the
supreme Soviet, describing him
as "a happy man who led one-
Red War Machine Paralyzed
By Extreme Cold of Arctic
By Alvin J. Steinkopf,
Copenhagen, Deb. 21. (IP) Arctic cold ranging to 25 degrees
below zero is congealing both the oil of Soviet Russia's war ma
chine in the far north and, in part, the 24-hour battle-schedule
ordered apparently as a "birthday present" for Joseph Stalin.
'HELP FINNS' IEIG
New York, Dec. 21. (IP)
Matthew Woll, Vice-president of
the American Federation of La
bor, believes Soviet Russia's at
tack on Finland "reaches a new
high in international affairs for
sheer mendacity, for cynical con
tempt of the good opinion of
mankind."
"To help Finland today is to
help America tomorrow," he as
serted in an address at a "Let's
Help Finland" mass meeting in
Madison Square Garden last
night.
The meeting was led by for
mer President Herbert Hoover,
national chairman of the Fin
nish relief fund, who declared
"every decent person in the
world is praying to God that
these brave people shall yet be
saved."
Appealing to Americans to
"open hearts and hands" to
Finland with contributions to
the fund, Hoover said, "At the
moment, there is. no . actual
shortage of fopd in Finland.
But the thousands of destitute,
need funds to buy it. They need
shelter. They need bedding.
The sea blockade arid the de
struction of their commerce will
bring famine later- on:
MIRY IN FAVOR OF
Washington, Dec. .21. (IP)
Reports Finland is seeking
$50,000,000 loan from the Unit
ed States government brought a
statement from Senator McNary
of Oregon, the Republican lead
er, today that he would favor
a substantial loan "for govern
mental purposes."
"In view of Finland's attitude
in keeping her money conve
nants with this government, 1
think we could afford to lend
that country a "substantial sum
of money for governmental pur
poses, McNary told reporters
While he did not define the
phrase "for governmental pur
poses," McNary indicated that
he doubted the wisdom of mak
ing a loan which could be used
to buy war materials for use
against invading Russian arm
ies.
Representatives of the Fin
nish government were said to
have sounded out congression;
leaders on the proposal after
they were unsuccessful In ob
talning Wall street financing for
such a sum.
Stockholm, Dec. 21. (IP)
The first large contingent of
Swedish volunteers, about 200
men, left Stockholm today for
Finland. A crowd at the sta
tion cheered and sang the Swed
ish and Finnish national an
thems and the Lutheran hymn
"Mighty Fortress
sixth of the globe to socialism
. . . he now is ready to lead
them to communism."
The book was given an initial
printing of 1,000,000 copies.
A flood of newspaper articles
credited ' Stalin with many
achievements of the Soviet
union, including the "libera
tion" of the Ukrainian and white
Russian regions from Poland
and pacts with the Baltic states
but made no mention of Finland
The radio and newspapers
were devoted almost completely
to the anniversary
Finnish circles welcomed the
news from above the Arctic cir
cle that violent storms had set
in. One report from Norwegian
quarters was that more than 200
Russian tanks in northern sec
tors were stalled by tempera
tures almost solidifying the oil
in their crankcases.
The Invaders were said to
have been hardest hit south of
Kirkcnes, Norway, on the ex
treme northern Finnish fron
tier, paralyzed by cold in the
flimsy portable shelters they
brought with them on their
drive to sever Arctic communi
cations. A Kirkcnes dispatch said a
wound sustained in the far
north virtually meant death be
cause the wounded froze before
they could be removed to prop
er shelter.
Advices from Svanvik were
that a number of Spanish and
Italian aviators had taken their
places with the Finns for at
tempts to blast the Murmansk
railway which parallels the
eastern Finnish border and up
on which the red forces in the
far north were largely depend
ent for supplies.
The Svanvik disDatches said
the Russians had been stopped
30 miles south of Salmii nrvi.
in the region of the Finns' "Lao-
iana mannerheim ' line on which
which they counted to defend
northern Finland.
From the more active fronts.
in the Karelian isthmus and in
central Finland, Fiij.iish officers
reported that in dead and pris
oners the Finns were Inflicting
ou limes as much damage on
the Russians as the Finns were
suffering.
MAJOR DEFEAT NEAR
FOR JAPANESE ARMY
IN NANNING SECIOR
Chungking, Dec. 21. MPl A
Chinese army spokesman de
clared today that Jaoanese
forces holding Nanning. stra
tegic South China military cen
ter, had been isolated and that
the Japanese army was on the
eve of a major defeat in the
Nanning area.
The spokesman said Japanese
units attempting to advance
north and northeast of Nanning
had been driven back to within
ten miles of the city and that
communications between Nan
ning and the coast to the south
had been cut.
The Japanese army captured
Nanning, former capital of
Kwangsi province, Nov. 24 in a
drive from the south China
coast intended to cut China's
highway outlets to French Indo
China and British Burma.
GRAF SPEE CREW
Buenos Aires, Dec. 21. (IP)
A thousand sad-faced German
seamen marched Into the Ar
gentine paval arsenal this after
noon to pay final tribute to
their dead commander, Captain
Hans Langsdorff of the scuttled
pocket battleship Admiral Graf
Spee.
Langsdorff shot himself with
a revolver yesterday.
The secrets of Capt. Langs
dorff's thoughts In the hours of
darkness before he died by his
own hand will go with him to
the grave.
The commander, who obeyed
orders of Adolf Hitler in de
stroying the German raider Ad
miral Graf Spee Sunday, rather
than renew a battle with Brit
ish cruisers outside Montevideo,
wrote a farewell letter to the
German embassy just before
committing suicide Tuesday
night.
An Argentine naval commis
sion investigating his death, rec
ommended the letter be Im
pounded and withheld from the
publl'
AMERICAN NATIONS
TO PROTEST WAR r "
IN NEARBY SEAS ! ..
21 Republics Who Signed
Panama Declaration Are
Aroused by Spce Incident.
Rio De Janeiro, Dec. 21. (IP)
The 21 American republics
who signed the declaration of
Panama, including the United
States, will protest jointly to
Europe's belligerent nations to
day or tomorrow against exten
sion of warfare into the Pan
American neutrality "safety
zone," it was authoritatively re
ported here late today.
Informants usually reliable
said the protest probably would
be announced in Washington or
Panama, the seat of the perman
ent organization created at the
Pan-American neutrality confer
ence in October.
The protest, it Was said, would
be based on the running battle
eight days ago off Uruguay's
coast between the German
pocket battleship Admiral Graf
Spee and three British cruisers.
This battle was well within
the "safety zone" limit drawn
by the American republics
around the American continents,
within which the European bel
ligerents were asked not to
carry their warfare.
Berlin, Dec. 21. UP) Ger
many protested today to the Ar
"gentlne government against 'in
ternment of officers and crew
of the scuttled pocket battleship
Admiral Gaf Spee.
A communique by DNB, offi
cial German news agency, said
Germany called Argentina's at
tention to the fact shipwrecked
crews of belligerent states cus
tomarily are released after
reaching neutral ports.
There still was no official
comment on the German liner
Columbus, scuttled by her crew
southeast of New York.
TRANSIENT COUPLE
TAKEN IN CUSTODY
Vivian Davis, 16, was being
held in the woman's ward of
the county jail, and her com
panion, Ralph James Carpenter,
20, was in city police custody
today while authorities Investi
gated their story of having run
away from their homes in Far
rington, Mich., last November
15, in search of work.
They were taken In custody
by city police last night In a
local rooming house. Because
the girl is under-age, police arc
contacting Farrington authori
ties to determine whether she
is wanted back home.
The couple, unmarried, told
police they had been "on the
road" since leaving Farrington.
WALLACE FARM PLAN
Washington, Dec. 21. (IP)
Secretary Morgenthau, saying
he was opposed to further taxes
on consumers, indicated today
he was opposed to the proposed
"certificate plan" to raise farm
parity benefits.
The treasury head added,
however, that the administra
tion had not made a final de
cision on the certificate plan
proposed by Secretary of Agri
culture Wallace. Wallace .has
been asked to attend a second
meeting of the President's fis
cal and monetary committee
this afternoon to talk about the
Idea.
BROKEN WHEEL DERAILS
FREIGHT NEAR DUNSMUIR
San Francisco, Dec. 21. IIP)
A broken wheel flange caused
the derailing of two cars of the
southbound Portland-San Fran
cisco freight train No. 310 at
8:30 a. m. today near Lamoine,
22 miles south of Dunsmuir, the
Southern Pacific company an
nounced. Nobody was injured.
Nazi Luxury
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The German luxury liner Columbus, (lop), third largest
Nail merchant ship, was scuttled by lis crew 300 miles off Cape
Henry io escape capture by a British cruiser. Belowi The Ger
man merchant ship Arauca is shown waiting a pilot to take
it Into Port Everglades, Fla alter it had raced into the three-
mile limit to avoid capture by
Portland, Dec. 21. (IP) The
temperature dropped off a point
or two and fog shrouded many
sections of Oregon today In the
dying hours of the autumn sea
son. The northern hemisphere's
winter begins at 10:06 a. m.,
P.S.T., Friday, the shortest day
of the year. The government
weather bureau said the days
between December 18 and De
cember 24 would average eight
hours and 38 minutes of day
light. Light raljK were possible to
night in- the northwest portion
with fag and increasing cloudi
ness Friday. Generally fair
weather was expected in other
parts of the state tonight and
Friday.
Actor's Chauffeur Diet
Doming, N. M., Dec. 21. IIP)
An automobile accident in
which movie actor Frank Mor
gan was Injured proved fatal to
his chauffeur, William Martin,
in Dcming hospital today.
Rep. Martin 111
Washington, Dec. 21. IP)
Aides of Representative Martin
(D.-Colo.) said today the legis
lator was critically ill in Naval
hospital here and had been
placed in an oxygen tent.
Liner Sunk
a British warship.
L
TO START FRIDAY
Beginning tomorrow, school
bells will be silent for a dozen
days or until January 3 as 2,600
students and 100 teachers of
Mcdford's public school system
enjoy the annual Christmas holi
day vacation.
Yulctide programs were to be
held in all schools today, and
when classes are dismissed this
afternoon the young folks and
their Instructors will forget the
three R's until the Wednesday
morning following New Year's
Day, when studies will be re
sumed.
This is the longest vacation
period of the year except that
during the summer months, and
students and- teachers are ex
pected to take full advantage of
the opportunity for rest, relaxa
tion and fun. Many teachers
will return to their out-of-town
homes for the holidays, while
the young people greet Santa
Claus In their Medford homes.
Astoria Finns Send
$4450 To Homeland
Astoria, Ore., Dec. 21. P)
G. A. Hcllberg, Astoria Finnish
relief campaign director, said to
day $4490 had been cabled di
rect to Helkinki, Finland.
The money was contributed
by the Astoria area residents of
whom nearly 8000 are Finnish.
COMBINED EFFORT
IN NEXTCAWIPA1GN
Secy. Ickes Reveals National
Convention May Be Called
To Organize Support
Washington, Dec. 21. (Pi
Secretary Ickes said today lib
erals among the Democrats and
Republicans might call a na
tional convention some time be
fore the 1940 presidential cam
paign to organize support for
whichever party named a lib
eral to head its ticket.
At his press conference Ickes
said that he had discussed such
a possibility with Senators Nor
ris (Ind.-Neb.) and LaFollette
(Prog.-Wls.).
The decision to call the con
ference might or might not de
pend upon whether President
Roosevelt decided to try for a
third term, Ickes said.
Third Party Not Aim
'It (the liberal conference),"
he explained, "might be called
before or after the president
had announced a decision or it
might be held after both parties
had chosen their candidates."
The convention, he said,
would not be aimed at setting
up a third political party. -
Its primary purpose, he con
tinues, would be to direct sup
port to whichever party went to
the country under a liberal ban
ner. ., . .-.
In event both named "reac
tionary candidates," however,
he said the liberals might be
called upon for a sacrifice hit."
Asked to amplify this remark,
he said the liberals might de
cide, if they had nowhere else
to turn, to launch a third party
ticket, perhaps in New York
state, with almost certain knowl
edge of defeat.-
Politicians Control
"You can't get anywhere with
a third party movement in this
country, he said. ' The polltl-'
(Continued on Pact Three.)
z
New York, Dec. 21. (IP) Be
hind closed doors In a building
on Ellis Island six inspectors to-,
day began questioning the sur
vivors of the scuttled German
liner Columbus to determine -their
status under the Immigra
tion laws.
The examination of the sea
men was expected to require at
least two days. Byron H. Uhl,'
New York district director of
immigration, said the task was
rendered more difficult because
the usual crew list was not
available, it presumably having
gone down with the Columbus.
Agents of the federal bureau
of investigation were sitting in
on the Inquiry to determine
whether any of the survivors
were members of the German
naval or military Intelligence
service.
Uhl explained that "while we
want to make things as pleasant
as possible for the survivors
they will not be permitted to
receive mail or other communi
cations or to have visitors until
their status is determined."
Richland, Neb., Dec. 21. (IP)
The engineer and fireman of
Union Pacific's east bound mall
train No. 6 were killed last
night as the locomotive and
nlhe cars plunged from the
track after striking a stalled
automobile.
The body of Fireman Albert
"Lee" Roberts, Council Bluffs,
la., was found today buried
under the overturned locomo
tive, which sheared off the edge
of grain elevator. Engineer.
David Jones, Omaha,- was found
late last night in a mass of tan
gled wreckage
1