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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (May 25, 1941)
... . Pu)l 0 8 WMth- Weather Burwu Ituld Foranut! Fmlr Bands y and Monday. Littlt ctuof In tem perature. Tempera an Hlfhett yrdy ,. m Lowest ycrtertay M Car, Home, Farm If you an looking for a bargain In I'eed Cart, a nice noma or farm, tarn to the Want Ada. Ton will rind the ml attrao tle opportnnltlre oCfrrrd on that pure day lilted for action. Medford Tribune Full Associated Press United Press Thirty -sixth Year MEDFORD, OREGON, SUNDAY, MAY 25, 1941. No. 55. larwi taw wm SHK 1 i s . , THE CAPITAL PARADE By JOSEPH ALSOP and ROBERT KINTNER Copyright. 1941. by Haw York Tribuna, Inc. Washington, May 24. The president has invited William L. , Batt to leave the Office of Pro duction Management for a post at the White House as adviser on defense production. He has already added Isador Lubin to nil personal staff as adviser on the defense program's economic aspects. The two steps look like meaningless re-shuffling of existing cards. But a much larg er significance is seen in them by men close to the White House, who forecast a gradual but major administrative shake up. " Both Batt and Lubin are men of ability and prestige and their choice is particularly striking because of their well known be liefs that the defense effort ahould be both speeded and ex panded. If the plan is success fully developed, they will be joined by eight or ten other people of comparable capabili ties, all working under the president's supervision and us ing all of the immense powers of the White House to tighten up the defense program. They will be the president's men, with all the authority and re aponsibility that the term im plies. THE choice of Batt Is particu- larly significant. Formerly the head of the SKF Company of Philadelphia, Batt originally joined the government as a member of Edward L. Stettinius' raw materials division of the old defense commission. When the OPM was organized he went to the production division as deputy chief. In recent months, he has gained a reputation in Washington as one of the abler Industrialists recruited for emergency service. Further more, he has made very clear that he differs from some of his OPM colleagues who are the apostles of caution in defense preparations. Batt, for some time, has been ready to toss the methods of business-as-usual out of the window. If Batt is attached to the White House as an adviser on defense production, he will speak with the president's voice on production problems. And If the plan concludes as it is sup posed to, the new White House group will give a more vigorous tempo to the emergency effort Thus, by a circuitous route, the president will have accomplish ed a transfer of authority, with out the unpleasantness of get ting rid of those officials who are Ineffective. DOSSIBLY the president's In- timates are wrong. Possibly the invitation to Batt and Lu bin mean nothing. But if they are right, however, the result ahould be a de-centralization of responsibility. As advisers the president will have gathered effective subordinates on whom he is expected to confer real authority for specific tasks. (Continued on Page Eight) TIRED STATESMEN ADVISED 10 WALK Wariilngton, May 24. Wl The physician who watches the health of the members of con gress urged all senators and representative! today to "walk for at least an hour every day. and get in nine holes of golf 1 possible." Dr. George W. Calver con gressional physician, pointed out in an interview that the lawmakers had been In almost continuous session for nearly three years and declared that "over-work and over-strain'' were responsible for the current absence of several members. Advising relaxation, he ob served: "I get so mad at that little ball, when I play golf, that I cuss. "But at least that's a di rerslon and mental relaxation." IGELANDJATTLE Nazis' New Bismarck Hit, Pursued by British Fleet Lucky Hit Causes Dis asterOf Grave Historic Import. By the Associated Prais London, May 24. The 42,- 100-ton battle cruiser Hood, largest warship in the world, was blown to bits In the waters between Greenland and Iceland today by the new German bat tleship Bismarck during a bat tle of grave historic import be tween the behemoths of the British and German navies. The admiralty, in announcing this largest single naval loss the British navy has suffered since the war began, attributed it to an unlucky hit in a munitions magazine and expressed fear that more than 1,300 men had been killed. The 35,000-ton Bismarck re ceived damage and tonight is fleeing, pursued by the remain ing British warships, the an nouncement said. The German high command. which first disclosed the de struction oi the rlood in a spe cial communique, placed the scene off Iceland and said the Bismarck and all the other Ger man forces emerged from the battle virtually unscathed and continued their Atlantic opera tions. A British battleship was forced to withdraw, the Ger mans said. Naar Greenland Greenland, protection of which has been assumed by the United States, and Iceland, now under British occupation, are separated by a 250-mile stretch of water, the Strait of Den mark. It was apparently some where near the mouth of this strait, on the edge of the West ern hemisphere, that the battle occurred. The brief British communique shocked the empire during cel ebration of the 122nd anniver sary of Queen Victoria's birth. It said: "British naval forces inter cepted early this morning off the coast of Greenland German naval forces, including the bat tleship Bismarck. "The enemy were attacked, and during the ensuing action H.M.S. Hood (Captain R. Kerr) wearing the flag of Vice Ad miral L. E. Holland, received an unlucky hit in a magazine and blew up. "The Bismarck has received damage and the pursuit of the enemy continues. Feat No Survivors "It is feared there will be few survivors from H.M.S. Hood." Speculation 1mm e d I a t e 1 y arose whether the Tirpitz. sis ter ship of the Bismarck and known to have been completed about the same time this year, also was in the western Atlan tic battle. It was assumed that probably both these battleships and other German vessels two more bat tleships may have been com pleted recently slipped pat the British blockade along the Norwegian coast on a raiding mission. Hint Raldtrs Naar Apparently they went at once to the Greenland-Iceland area, for German authorities claimed today that their submarines had sunk nine British ships near Greenland, and authoritative British quarters hinted yester day that German raiders were near American shores. Built at an original cost of more than o.OOO.ooo pounds (normally $30,000,000), the Hood was heavily reinforced In a two-year overhaul in 1929-30. In trials she turned up 32 knots, compared with an esti mated 30-knot speed for the Bismarck. The 1930 additions to her armor, however, un doubtedly cut the Hood down a few knots. In gun-power. Hood and Bis marck were almost equal, each having eight 15-inch rifles and bristling with smaller arms. It Happened Here Mlddleton, N. Y., May (IP) An individual who on five different occasions mail ed letters which failed to reach destination raised old Ned with postal inspectors. An official investigation was made. They had been deposited In the city's new green rub bish cans. J AT PROPOSAL TO CURBJLSUPPLY Blunt Editorial Comment From Tokyo Papers Says 'Dragon Teeth Sown' Tokyo, Sunday, May 25. (IP) A blunt declaration that "any nation will rise In resentment" if her oil supplies are inter fered with was carried editorial ly today by the foreign office controlled Times Advertiser in commenting on Rep. Weiss' (D., Penn.) recent proposals to con gress. Weiss, the paper said, had presented four-point program designed to block all petroleum and petroleum products from Japan and Japan's possessions. "The oil question is not one solely related to war," the Times Advertiser said, declaring that petroleum products are "part of 'he machinery of peaceui u velopment." Without mentioning by name The Netherlands East Indies, which are Japan's main Pacific source of oil supplies, the edi torial said Weiss and others "also are trying to close other fields." The problem of oil to na tion which has no resources of its own is one of tremendous importance and positive action by the United States is bound to make the present critical sit uation even more so, the edi torial said. Oil Is as essential for Import as is silk for export, the paper declared, and any change in the current situation might well be a decisive factor In the Pacific relations of the United Spates and Japan. "Japan has a more logical right to Pacific regional sup plies than the United States, whose riches in natural re sources are so abundant. If America couples control over its own supplies with attempts to control the essentials of other nations, dragons teeth are sown." ANGELL OPPOSES FEDERAL GAS TAX Washington, May 24. (IP) Rep. Angell (R-, Ore.) asked congress this week in extension of remarks In the congressional record not to levy additional federal taxes on gasoline. The Oregonian said- it was necessary to raise more funds, but argued gasoline already was heavily taxed. He said the Idea of taxing gasoline to provide funds for road construction or iginated in Oregon and had been found to be the ideal tax for that purpose. He said the states now taxed gasoline an average of 4.4 cents while the federal government taxed it 1.3 cents gallon. Angell said In many states the tax on motor fuel was much higher than the average. Ktnimbtt Herf New York, May 24. (JP) Gilda Gray, the dancer who once made the "shimmy" pay dividends, today filed a peti tion for bankruptcy listing lia bilities of $27,304.37. Portland House Survey Portland, May 24. (IP) Port land will launch its housing survey Monday to determine the number of living unit avail able and the number needed for defense workers, William H. Byart, director, laid today. KENNEDY FLOUTS1! U. S. AS OF WORLD PEACE More Facts, Less Slogans Held Need Official Can dor Is Urged. Atlanta. May 24 ( Jo seph P. Kennedy, former U. S. ambassador to Great Britain, urged tonight that the United States "not be deluded by any claim that self-interest should make us guardians of the peace of the rest of the world." In an address prepared for the Oglethorpe university com mencement exercises, Kennedy said "the crusaders' argument for war is the silliest of all," and asserted that "democracy cannot be imposed by force or otherwise." "In our very attempt at this colossal crusade," he said, "we would end in failure and dis grace abroad, In disillusionment and bankruptcy at home. We cannot divert the tides of the mighty revolution now sweeping Asia and Europe. They were not of our making and they will not be subject to our con trol, no matter how courageous ly we strive to subject them. He also urged the nation to beware of slogans and said this country should not become a belligerent "just because we hate Hitler and love Churchill." "Facts are what the country needs,' not slogans," he said "What Is the state of cur own defense? What can we dc if we declare war? Where will we land troops? What about Japan? What will be the result of de claring war in terms of our abil ity to help England? 'The people who must suffer and give up their lives are en titled to know all the facts be fore their judgment can be won to the Interventionist cause. It is a mockery of liberty to with hold from democratic people the essential facts upon which this, the most awful decision of our times, must be based. We must have the completest candor; we must have the fullest disclos ure; we must have the freest debate." Kennedy, said he was "par ticularly unimpressed by the hysteria which I suspect is con sciously stimulated by the idea that we are in danger of military attack." This country Is so situated, he said, that "a direct attack on us would require an armada mightier than the power of man could create." L DISCHARGE KILLS Mrs. Ida May LeeClair, resi dent of the Kane Creek road near Gold Hill, died Saturday about 7:43 p. m. as a result of a bullet wound In the neck resulting from an accidental discharge of a .21 rifle from which her son, Carl Raymond LeeClair, was removing the bullets, according to County Coroner H. W. Conger. The coroner reported that LeeClair was seated on the edge of a bed in one room and his mother, holding her grand daughter, was seated on a bed In the kitchen with an open door between the two rooms. As LeeClair unloaded the .22 rifle the gun accidentally dis charged, the bullet striking his mother in the neck and causing instantaneous death. LeeClair Immediately ran to the neigh bors for help, Coroner H. W. Conger tr.id. Strike Libel Charged Fpokane. May 24. JP, The Spokane milk producers' strike, which so far has failed to bring a bonst In retail prices or atop deliveries, simmered quietly to day but echoed In superior court when one dairy filed suit against competitor, charging libeL War Bulletins London. Sunday, May 25. (JP) The air and home se curity ministries issued this communique todayi Enemy activity last Bight was very slight. Before dark a few bombs dropped near the coast of East Anglla which did some damage and injured a small number of people. After dark bombs dropped at one place In west England. Some damage was done and a small number of casualties was reported. Washington. May 24. (IP) Asserting that "we face the alternative of convoying now or fighting later," Senator Guff ay (D.. Pa.) added tonight, "I say, convoy now." In an address broadcast by CBS, the Pennsylvania sena tor said that the United States could avoid "eventual war with a triumphant, world conquering Hitler in one way and one way only by giving Britain the weapons to de stroy him." M'DONALD BLASTS DOUBLE IN TENTH TO BEAT REDDING Thlrdbaseman Alex McDon ald's screeching double to the right-centerfield boards in the 10th inning scored Shortstop Del Schroer from first base and gave the Medford Craters a 2 to 1 victory over the Redding Tigers of the Northern California lea gue In an exhibition game at the fairgrounds park last night, McDonald's payoff blow came with one out and broke up one of the tightest pitching battles ever seen here; Schroer had reached first on a walk The two clubs battled from the second lnnlng-to the 10th without a score, after the Cra ters tallied once In the first and the Tigers once in the second, Willard Smith, young right hander recently released by Van couver, B. C, of the Western In ternational league, hurled the entire game for the Craters and gave up five blows while fan ning six. Fred Kienle, Redding righthander, did even better he allowed the same number of hits, but struck out 18 Craters with a smoking fireball and a sharp curve. Medford ' soored Its flrst-ln- nlng run on McDonald's single to left, an error by Kienle and two wild pitches. Redding came back In the second to tie the score at 1-1, also on a wild pitch. Wickert reached second when Glenn, Crater rightfielder, dropped his towering fly ball. moved to third on an Infield out, and tallied on Smith's wild pitch Score: R. H. E, Redding 1 S 2 Medford 2 Kienle and Roberts; and Slater. S Smith En Route With the 41st Divi sion, Moder.to, Calif., May 24. (IP) Northern and central Cali fornia liternlly crawled with motorized troops tonight as the greatest military migration In far west history neared a climax. Ending a seven-day drive that sent them sweeping south in two great rivers of olive-drab trucks through southwest Wash ington, Oregon and California, lead vehicles of the 41st and 3rd divisions and IX corps will begin pulling into Jolon tomorrow to set up a camp that will bouse more than 33.000 soldiers from Fort Lewis, Wash. Next month these troops and California divisions will partici pate in the biggest war games the west coast has ever seen. Lady Soloa Named Salem, May 24. (IP) State Sen. Dorothy McCullough Lee, Portland, was appointed by Gov. Charles A. Sprague today as chairman of legislative In tim committee to study Ju dicial procedure. $Lk SEIZURE URGED IF VICHY REIECTS PARLEY Friendly Steps First, Then Force if Necessary, Sen. Mead's Plan. Washington, May 24. (P) Senator Mead (D., N. Y.) urged Secretary Hull today to under take "friendly negotiations with the Vichy government for the establishment of American de fense bases on the island of Martinique and other French possessions In this hemisphere. "Should this effort prove fu tile and should it be the Judg ment of our government that the interests of this hemisphere are In jeopardy," Mead added In a letter to Hull, seizure by force should be accomplished without delay." Acquisition of French island possessions has been advocated by other senators, among them Clark (D., Mo.), and Reynolds (D., N. C), who have been criti cal of present administration foreign policy. Senator Pepper (D., Fla.) who proposed a week ago that the United States seize French is lands In this hemisphere, agreed with Mead that negotiations for bases should be undertaken first. "While we could take Mar tinique and other French posses sions without difficulty," Pepper said, "we should try first to negotiate for bases and then see what happens." Mead expressed belief that friendly Negotiations initiated by this country would "Invite the sympathy and support of a large portion of the French population." "If a proposal to negotiate were rejected by the Vichy government," he told Hull, "such a rejection could hardly be interpreted as anything else than an action taken as a result of extreme pressure from the contemporary continental con queror." AMERICA DEFENSE DRIVE YEAR OLD; AWAIT F.D.R. CHAT Washington, May 24. (IP) America's great defense drive was a year old today, with Wil liam S. Knudsen, the director of production, asserting that air plane deliveries had Increased 400 per cent in that period, 1.623 new industrial projects had been started and $13,200,000,000 worth of orders placed. With the nation's factories now swinging into mass produc tion of planes, tanks and guns it was apparent too that the de fense program was also taking on new directions and objectives And just where It goes from this point may be Indicated by Presl dent Roosevelt In a long-awaited fireside rhat Tuesday night. What he plana to say is, of course, closely guarded secret, but billions will bo at their radios listening intently for any indication of his views on the convoy issue, civilian defense and the question of repealing the neutrality act, a proposal that has had strong support from two members of his cabinet Secre taries Knox and Stimion. Denver Official Indicted Denver, May 24. (JP) Carl P. ' Schwalb, city manager of health and charities and admin istrator of Denver General hos pital was indicted today by special grand Jury investigating the kindling of abortion pa tients at the hospital. BULLETIN Coast Night game: R. H. E. Oakland S 3 1 Seattle 3 9 0 Salveson and Conroy: Barrett and Campbell, Cat No Bottleneck Dallas, Tex., May 24 (IP) 'Those navy planes at your airport are so noisy they are making a nervous wreck out of my cat," a woman com plained via telephone to R. R. Millsap, Hampton airport owner who donated his port as a temporary naval reserve air base. "I'm sorry," replied the man who astounded naval of ficers by refusing single penny's rental, "but your cat is not going to -be a bottle neck in the nation's defense program." AS PACIFIC HIGHWAY State Highway Chairman Addresses Rogue Lodge Meet Assurances Given Ralph E. Koozer. of Ashland, manager of the Bagley Canning company, was elected president of the Oregon Pacific Highway association at a meetiag of that organization Saturday at Rogue River lodge. At this meeting, attended by Henry F. Cabell, chairman of the state highway commission, and other officials of that organization, it was de cked to close the Washington, D. C, office June J 5 and con centrate the association's efforts on the Pacific coast. The highway development program In this state Is expect ed to be somewhat affected by the projected cantonment! In this city and at Eugene. The McDonald report appropriating $250,000,000 for strategic and access highways is now on the President's desk and, according to Chairman Cabell, is expected to be in troduced In congress within a few days. It Is hoped that this defense highway pro gram will relieve the serious bottleneck in highway 99. In his address before the ban quet, Mr. Cabell assured the delegation of representatives from Oregon communities that the Pacific highway has been on all maps of strategic mili tary, roadways and will unques tionably receive federal funds when and if the proposed na tional defense highway program becomes a reality. . A. C. Marsters of Roseburg was selected vice-president for the ensuing year at the Satur day meeting of the Oregon Pa cific highway association. Paul B. Rynning of this city was chosen secretary-treasurer and the directors will be Howard S. Merriam of Goshen, retiring president; F. Eakin of Cottage Grove; C. H. Demaray, Grants Pass, retiring treasurer, and one member from each of the courts of- the counties Identified with the association, Jackson, Jose phine, Douglas and Lane. In the business session pre ceding the banquet recognition was accorded Carl Rynearson. secretary-manager, upon the ex cellent work of his office in be half of the association at the na tion's capital. Glenn Jackson, president of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, spoke briefly at the banquet in behalf of the guest group. SWEPT BY FLOOD Carlsbad, N. H., May 24. (JP) This flood-damage) city count ed its homeless at more than 14U0 tonight, Its dead at no fewer than five, and its lost or wrecked homes in excess of 300. Carlsbad escaped today a rep etition of the destructive flood crests which descended In 13- foot walls of water upon resi dential sections from the rain drenched heights of the Guad alupe mountains Thursday and rriday. Aside from residential losses, flood damage Includes two rail road bridges, unnumbered auto mobiles, lumber yards, railroad track and the like, BATTLE OF CRETE i STILL IN DOUBT; Nazis Rain On Isles at Fear ful Cost British Position Better. By the Associated Press Cairo. EffVDt. SlinHav Mw 4a Long-range RAF fighters and Dig DomDers once again helping Britain's "fight - to the death" army in the bitter struggle for strategic Crete smashed and slashed today at the parade of German parachutists still pour ing upon the bloody island bat- uegrouna despite terrific losses. How the battle would go still could not be determined, as the fighting went Into the sixth day. but unofficial reports hinted at some improvement in ih a- fenders' positions since the RAF re-entered the fray. The main fighting centered at Maleml airdrome, where tho Nazis have been attempting to secure a base to land stronger force. Fourteen Nazi planes were destroyed. . But the situation throughout Crete still was serious for tho British, Australian. New Zealand and Greek troops for the Ger man plane ferry service from the mainland continued ulthnu a sign of letting up. ine British recapture of Can dia and Retimo gave the empire; forces an opportunity to rush reinforcements to men trying to sweep the Germans out of Ma lemi the one place where the have managed to establish a foot, hold. It was at Malaml that tk. most Intense etmo-ffla. vrmm talrl..,. place and the fate of that one engagement might prove the de ciding factor of the Crete-wide) battle. Even as the Germane hM the British at Maleml, their fel lows in Isolated lartlmii n th. island were not so fortunate and were being mopped-up by the, British. Some of the alreralt In th. battle including big bomber fitted out as long-range fighter to augment the fighter forces flew from Egyptian desert air dromes to engage the Germans. New York. May 24. UP). The British radio reported to night that the Germans still were dropping parachute troops widespread over Crete but that the main fighting was centered about the Malemi airdrome. where a "fierce struggle Is tak ing place." The British radio said British troops hold positions east of Malemi airdrome. Detachments of parachutists were landed by air at Candia and at Retimo "but these detach ments met the same fate a those dropped at the same places yesterday (Saturday)" the radio added: "They were decisively dealt with by the allied forces. "Elsewhere on the island, our troops are mopping up Isolated detachments of the enemy." San Francisco, May 24. (flV Officials of local unions except the machinists today mads their first appeal to members of vsrious crafts to return to work Monday at the strike bound shlpysrds. National officials previously had asked their members to re sume work. Local heads of the unions sent telegrams and made telephone and personal calls on many of the 4.000 AFL members on the Oakland side of the bay. Declaring the strike by 1.000 AFL and CIO machinists, which tied up more than $300,000,000 In defense contracts and made 17,000 men Idle, to be "unau thorized." local officials said in a statement: "You should return to your Jobs in order to keep face- with those with, whom we have sign ed contracts. These contract are sacred and It behooves every trade unionist to keep faith not only with our employers but with the federal government" 5
