... . 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