Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 26, 1939)
TVfc The Weather FurrcaM: Cloudy tonlhtand Wednesday, with log In the morning; little change In tem perature. Highest yesterday 32 Lonreit this morning. Z6 Room For All 00 many people depend upon the Claullled pace of tbli newspaper to take care ol their wants that It Is urprlslnf that everyone does not (to likewise. There Is room for ALL you know. Medford Tribune Full Associated Preu Full United Prtsi Thirty-fourth Year MEDFORD, OREGON, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1939. No. 237. phi fid KB 111 Washington, D. C, Dec. 26. Oregon's presidential primary law is what the people of the United States need to prevent control of nominating conven tions by politicos, according to Harold Ickes. secretary of the Interior. However, when the late Frederick Steiwer, Oregon sen ator, offered a constitutional amendment to accomplish this purpose, neither Ickes nor any of the self-styled "liberals" the new deal had one kind word to say about it. With a little sup port from the administration Steiwer's measure could have passed the congress and now be up for consideration by the leg islatures of the various slates, The weekly press conference of this cabineteer has bepome political. In the past Secretary Ickes discussed rvA projects, "hot" oil, gave views on low h6using. Now Ickes is regarded as spokesman for the left-wingers who compose the inner circle of the White House. Poli tical writers make it a point of being present just as they form erly did at Jim Farley's con ferences, which were never any thing but political. Mr. Ickes thoroughly enjoys his role as Sir Oracle. llIR. ROOSEVELT is not quite 1V1 cear on the Oregon presi dential primary law. He wants a delegation elected to the con vention on "Roosevelt policies" (same suggestion made in Wash ington and other states), appar ently under the impression that if he should not be a candidate for the nomination he can order these delegates to vote for any one he favors as a successor. But by the Oregon law dele gates must vote for the choice their party has made and they are not free agents and can not be delivered like so many pawns. Only way Mr. Roose velt can have the Oregon dele gates is for the democrats of that state to vote for him in preference to some other demo crat such as John N. Garner. I JNLESS Mr. Roosevelt gives explicit orders to the con trary, the Commonwealth Fed eration will place his name on (Continued on Page Six.) Redding, Calif., Dec. 26. (IP) the bacramento river was dragged by police today in the belief it contained the body of Mrs. Nora McCartney, 23, form erly of Klamath Falls, Ore., She disappeared from a party Sat urday night. A truck driver reported see ing a woman believed to be Mrs. McCartney plunge from a bridge railing. District Attorney L. W. Carr said. She moved here about six months ago from Klamath Falls with her hus band, Robert, a hotel clerk. SIDE GLANCES by TRIBUNE REPORTERS Half a dozen friends agreeing with Nell Littrell that hubby Al had simply done wonders In picking her out a Christmas chapeau a cute tiny red feath er affair. Lootcnant Bob Emmens spend ing the holidays in his old home town and greeting an abundance of friends with an abundance of giggles and what not. Dorothy Paley sporting a huge corsage of violets a remem brance from an awfully nice Santa Claus. Bill Roberts and Muriel Yale having a gay time making the Christmas eve rounds all with the permission and good-will of their respective spouses of course. 700 SHOT DOWN IN ATTEMPT TO CROSS LAKE ICE Fifty Taken Prisoners, Quan tities .of Arms Taken Two Tanks Disabled, Helsinki, Dec. 26. OT Fin land tonight announced 700 Russian dead were left on frozen Lake Suvanto after a Soviet attack, supported by planes and artillery, was re pulsed on the eastern side of the Karelian isthmus. Fighting in bitter cold against the Russian invasion, Finland reported in a communique that red forces had attacked in force along the isthmus, only to suffer heavy losses of men and ma terial. The Finns told of the cap ture of 50 Russian prisoners, quantities of arms, and the dis abling of two tanks. Eleven Soviet planes were said to have been shot down with only "small" losses to Fin land's air force. Helsinki Raided. Helsinki had a 30-minute air raid alarm today when four planes were sighted, but no bombs were dropped inside the city. Distant detonations indi cated some may have been drop ped in the suburbs. The communique follows: "Land forces: On the (Kare lian) isthmus the enemy attack ed at various points, supported by tanks, cannon and airplanes. The main attack was launched against Lake Suvanto, which they attempted to cross at Hai termaa, Sakkola, Krelja and Vo lossula. All the attacks were repulsed, the enemy losing large numbers of men. "During the day we captured five Infantry guns, 16 machine guns, five quick-firing guns and took 50 prisoners besides im mobilizing two tanks." The communique reported 23 Russian airplanes had been shot down Christmas Day by Finnish fighting planes and anti-aircraft fire. Viipuri, Finland, Dec. 26. (IP) Long-range artillery shells burst throughout the night on this seacoast city previously aban doned by most of its citizens. Numerous fires were started and homes in the southeast sec tion were destroyed, but the damage was comparatively slight. The Soviet Russian forces appeared to be concentrating in this area by long-range ham mering and air raids as the Finns took the war into Soviet territory In another sector, driv ing toward the Murmansk rail road, the Russians' main supply line to the far north. Hillsboro, Ore., Dec. 26. (IP) George R. Bagley, Washington county circuit judge from 1915 to 1935, died here today follow ing a long illness. He was ap pointed judge of the 19th dis trict in 1915 by Governor Withycombe and served until 135 when he resigned to prac tice law privately. Heavy Christmas Spending Noted in Western States By Walter Warren San Francisco, Dec. 26. (P) It looks like the Pacific slope spent about a billion dollars in the last week before Christmas. Thirty cities accounted for $796,057,000 in bank checks alone. Considering the great amount of currency Santa Claus cus tomarily spends, and the vol ume of late buying in the hun dreds of communities from which no reports were obtained, the estimate of a billion for the seven western states would ap pear conservative. Spending, on the basis of act ual records, was the heaviest for the week since 1936. It was about 25 percent higher than the average for preceding weeks this year. Here is the trend of spending by check writing In the last full banking week before Christmas i in recent years: Hitler Stalks Legs OK; Checks NG Eve Carlton (above), who told Beverly Hills, Cal., officers that she was acclaimed "Miss Mil lion Dollar Legs" In a Palm Springs contest last year, was. being held in a Beverly Hills jail on bad check charges. Offi cers quoted her as saying "We were doing our Christmas shop ping with bum checks. Held with her was Jack Melvin, who said he was her former husband and a publicity agent. PLEA BY ENRIGHTS SCHEDULED TODAY T. J. Enright, attorney, charg ed in an indictment returned by the last grand jury, with alleged obtaining of money un der false pretenses, was sched uled to appear today to enter a plea and post a bond. Sheriff Syd I. Brown said Enright had phoned that he would appear, John Enright, a brother, in dicted for the same alleged of fense, voluntarily surrendered last Thursday and has been in the county jail since. He will also enter a plea today. According to the district at torney, the two are alleged to have induced a disabled war veteran, residing in the Eagle Point district, to sign checks, which they assertedly cashed. The defendants claim the checks were in payment of legal services by T. J. Enright. The disabled veteran claims he did not retain Enright as counsel. It is expected the case will be tried when the petit jury Is called, some time in January. 1939 ......J $796,057,000 1938 781,359,000 1937 748,480,000 1936 822,709,000 Although the check total for the 30 cities was virtually 15 million dollars higher than last year, the. west's two largest money centers failed to keep abreast." Had they kept to the general trend, the west's gain not only would have been much greater, but the week's spend ing miRht have been the largest since 1929. The northwest ap peared to have achieved that in spots. Los Angeles checks totaled $246,871,000, which compared with $253,375,000 last year, and San Francisco $231,290,000 against $238,140,000. Portland's $44,446,000 was well ahead of last year's $40, 604.000, and Eugene and Salem chalked up good gains ACCIDENTS HERE IN HOLIDAYJRAFFIC Auto Plows Through Guard Rail on Tolo Overpass Driver In Lucky Escape. Many minor auto accidents and a couple of lucky escapes from serious Injury comprised the traffic record here over the Christmas week-end. Most seriously injured wns Delbert A. Coffin, 40, of 213 Portland avenue, whose fore head was lacerated in a col lision between his car and one operated by William Reinhart, 68, of 203 Elm street at 1 a. m. Sunday at West Main and Fir streets. Reinhart was thrown from his car and stun ned but he refused to be taken to a hospital and left the scene later in his own car, a report on file at city police station said. Driver's Head Gashed Coffin was taken to Commun ity hospital" in the Perl ambu lance and his gashed forehead was stitched. He was then taken to the city police station where he was given an arrest ticket for- failure to yield tho right' of-way. He was arraigned this morning before City Judge Al len D. Curry and the case was continued until tomorrow morn ing in order to procure more evidence. Like Mr. Reinhart, Glenn Ledley, 31, an airplane Inspec tor of Seattle, Wash., had a for tunate escape about 1 a. m. Sun day when his car, traveling north, plowed through the guard rail of the Tolo overpass and dropped about 10 feet. The car was badly damaged. In his report Ledley said that the pavement was icy and unsanded and that there was no sign to indicate a turn in the highway at the bridge. Boy Knocked Down Charles Wing reported to city police Saturday afternoon that a boy had been knocked down by a pickup at Eighth street and Riverside avenue and that the driver had not stopped; Mr. Wing had the license number. The boy was Kenneth L. Tay lor, six, son of Edward G. Tay lor of Ashland. The pickup driver, the police reports show ed, turned out to be Samuel A. Milhoan, 50, of Ashland, fore man of the Suncrest orchards. Milhoan said he did not know his car had hit anyone, and after being apprised of the as serted facts, he filed a report coverirtg the Incident. Witnesses said that the boy had stepped out from a row of parked cars just as the pickup passed. The child was not seriously hurt, the police report quoted a doctor. Ralph C. Dunn, 35, of 220 1 North Bartlett street reported that at 10:30 p. rh. Sunday his car was struck by an auto oper ated on the wrong side of the highway by A. F. W. Kresse, a mile north of Medford on the Pacific highway. According to his report, Dunn pulled his car off on the shoulder when he saw lights of a car approaching him on the wrong side. As the other car neared the Dunn ma chine, it turned left, striking the fenders of the Dunn auto (Continued on Page rvo I DAVES WILL ASSIS1 SECRETARY OF.SIATE Washington, Dec. 26. IIP) Joseph E. Davles, American am bassador to Belgium, was desig nated by President Roosevelt to day as a special assistant to the secretary of state, to deal with war emergency problems and international trade negotintiony. Davles recently returned from Brussels to report at the state department and White House. French British Aircraft Carrier Fuels at Rio I i I : 1 ' - ' . " - . . . i - ' ." -. ' I f NMMa. s IIV J lit? The Briluh circraft carrier. Ark Royal, is shown as it loaded fuel and provisions at a Rio de Janerio dock. Ark Royal is in foreground, while at left rear It battl. cruit.r Renown and at right center the light cruiser Nopluna. The plan, carrier sailed shortly before th. nasi pocket battleship, then at Montevideo, was scuttled. Th. R.nown and th. Neptune departed December 18. SOCIAL SECURITY AGE INSURANCE TO START IN JANUARY By T. F. Coman Washington, Dec. 26. (IP) The federal government puts in to operation next month Its far reaching plan to provide mass security in the form of monthly retirement pensions for older workers and their dependents. It will be the beginning of the monthly pay-off of old age insurance benefits under the so cial security law, and estimates indicate that during 1940 more than $100,000,000 will be dis tributed to approximately 1,000, 000 persons. Under WPA Average The social security pay-off will not approach the goals of various proposals advocated by old-age pensions groups. For the most part it may fall short of the $55 a month average secur ity wage paid WPA workers. Government statisticians have estimated payments -for life. The estimated average for a married man who receives a supplemcn tal benefit for his wife will be about $39. The tops in government old age benefits is $85 a month, but to get it, a married man would need to be covered by the social security system for 40 years and be able to show an average of $250 a month in earnings throughout that period. Checks About Feb. 1 The start of payments for January for which checks will reach beneficiaries about Feb. 1 will put into operation the final phase of the social security act approved by congress in 1935 as one of the key features of the new deal program to pro vide systematic security. Other parts of the law al ready are in operation provid ing federal financing for the administration of state unem ployment compensation plans, (Continued on Pace Pour.) ONLY THREE BRITISH LOST ON WEST FRONT Paris, Dec. 26. (IP) Military sources today said that official figures, approved by the British, disclosed only three British sol diers had been killed - on the western front since the war be gan, with 2,070 killed in naval service and 438 In the air force. The total of 2,511 compared with a French total of 1,434. Soil in Ruby Keeler, Given Divorce On Recital of APs Actions Los Angeles, Dec. 26. (IP) The private lives of the Al Jolsons were not so melodious as Keeler testified in effect when Nervously twisting a twisting a hand-, kerchief, the dark-eyed Ruby told Superior Judge Thomas C. Gould that her husband ridi culed and embarrassed her un til she could no longer stand to live with him. "He called me stupid," she said. , . "Whenever I expressed an opinion, he would say, 'That is wonderful do you know about that, too? You are too smart.' " "Did he do this In front of your friends?" the Judge In quired. "Oh, yes," Miss Keeler re plied, a little breathlessly. "He would sit at the table and refuse to talk, and make me keep up the conversations. Then he would go upstairs and leave me to entertain our friends. "He would never agree with me on anything. When I said anything he would fly into a rage. Sometimes he would keep me up all night calling me names and telling me " The actress shrugged her shoulders and said, "Oh, well!" ATTEND CLASSES A. Moore Hamilton, assistant area manager for the census, opened a four-day school of In struction here today for enum erators who will make the In dustrial and business count In this section. Attending the classes on rules, schedules, etc., In the council chambers at the city hall, are H. F. Young, of Grants Pass, representing Josephine county; John A. Penny and Mrs, E. Babbctte Bcath, of Klamath Falls, and John H. Copcland, of Klamath Agency, representing Klamath county, and P. D. Mc- Dougal, Ashland, and Mrs. Alice Coppin, of Medford, represent ing Jackson county. Actual taking of the indus trial Census will start January 2, according to Mr, Hamilton. Fourteen Children Born On Christmas Portland, Dec. 26. VP) Fourteen Portland youngsters henceforth will be wished merry Christmas and a happy birthday on the same day. Nine boys and five girls were born here Christmas day Front Line Visit .rj i some of Al s songs. Ruby she obtained a divorce today. WELCOME PRESENT OF By th. Associated Pr.ss A generous snow fall, which started as a Christmas day gift to many parts of the drought pinched territory between the Rocky mountains and the Mis sissippi river, revived hopes for a winter wheat crop In tho southwest today. ' The fall ranged as deep as 14 inches and was heaviest where most sorely needed In the old dustbowl and adjacent areas of Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico. The maximum fall occurred at Clavton. N. M.. where 14 inches were recorded. The pre clpitatlon was regarded as re moving the immediate threat of a lack of Irrigation water for the spring and summer. In the Oklahoma panhandle where crop prospects had sunk to almost nothing after three seriously dry fall months, 12 inches of snow covered the ground around Boise City and there was 10 inches at uuymon virtually the center of the dust bowl. HUGE YULE MAIL ALL DELIVERED Carriers today delivered the last quantity of Christmas pack ages, about 600 parcels. It was parcel mall that had arrived af ter yesterday's deliveries. Only stray packages would continue to arrive alter today, it was said. Employes worked yesterday to deliver about 1800 packages that had arrived after Satur day's regular deliveries, Post master Frank DcSouza said. This year there were no pack ages that could not be delivered because of Insecure wrapping or lack of address, the postmas ter said. He highly praised Hugo Guenther, superintendent of mails, for efficient dispatching of the huge volume of Christ mas malL CHRISTMAS GIFTS AT BATTLE FRONT Word of Visit Not Given Out Until Dictator Departs Guide Is Made Major. Berlin, Dec. 26. UP) Au thoritative sources reported to day Adolf Hitler had walked across the frontier into France while he was spending Christ mas with German forces in the west-wall fortifications. It was the first time since 1918 the fuehrer had set foot on French' soil, these inform ants said. Then he was a corporal with tho 16th Bavarian reserve. The authoritative account said that on Christmas eve, with orderlies carrying gift packages. Hitler crossed the frontier which now is a no-mans-land but until a few weeks ago was occupied by the French. visits Dugouts He spent "some time" in the vicinity of Splcheren Heights, between Saarbruecken and For- bach. Led by the captain command ing that sector, he visited French-constructed concrete, dugouts now in German hands and then walked to the front line. The informants said he would have made an easy tar get for French guns. During his visit Hitler pro moted the captain, his guide, to the rank of major. About dusk the fuehrer de parted. He distributed guts to sold iers on watch. Word of his front line visit was not disclosed until he pre sumably had left that sector. HEAVY SLAUGHTER OF BY Shanghai, Dec. 26. UP) Jap anese dispatches said today that 15,000 Chinese were killed In recent fighting north and south of Hankow, in central China, at present the most active sec tors In the conflict. The Japanese reported heavy fighting in north, central and south China and said their counter-attacks In six provinces had forestalled a winter offen sive by the Chinese. It was admitted the Chinese had made a number of bombing attacks last week In the south ern war zone, but, the Japanese said, all Chinese air bases in Kwangsl province were bombed and destroyed In retaliatory raids. . Chinese reports said fighting still was in progress around Paotouchen, terminus of ' the Peiping-Suiyuan railroad In Sul yuan province in the far north west. Chinese troops were said to have entered Chlangchih In southeastern Shansi province, one of the active North China sectors. Japanese also reported their troops engaged in mopping up operations in Kwantgtung pro vince, near Canton, against trie Chinese 19th route army. Previous Japanese dispatches had said the Chinese winter of fensive had been crushed on all fronts with losses running Into thousands of men. No mention was made of Japanese casual tics. Clyde Engel Of Red Sox Passes Boston, Dec. 26. (IP) Clyde Engel, 56, third baseman of the 1912 world champion Boston Red Sox baseball team, died suddenly today at his hotel. Since hli retirement as player, Engel had served 18 years ai coach of the Yalt frettunu baseball aquad. v
