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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 17, 1941)
Extra Dollar Ban yoo checked ap the ma Deed article found the heme that Kill hare mine Now M the time to erll them and thereby add a few extra dol. are to your Chrtttmaa rnad. Let the Want Ads help yoa. Weather Medford TRIBUNE Report and forecast "stacked at" by order of military authorities as flrtnc possibly TllJ Informal Ion to the enemy. FuU Associated Ptms o ;ed Proa Thirty-sixth Year MEDFORD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1941. NO. 231. M to lj T- - fejMfcafc- ! 1 II Fd h b. ms j i - I s ' ' .1 I Kelly's Comment Frem Washington Northwst Found Lacking Defense Honolulu Debacle Dispel Trust Aluminum Plants May Be Changed , Br John W. Kelly Washington. D. C, Dec. 17. In the past few dayi observers in the national capital have come to the conclusion that the Pacific northwest is open to an attack by Japanese. By "ob aervers" is meant senators and representatives, army and navy officers and a certain percent age of the administration and the various agencies, such as Office of Production Manage ment, SPAB and Reconstruction Finance corporation. It so happens that the Pa cific coast from northern Cali fornia to the straits of Juan de Fuca is defenseless. Puget sound Is partly protected, but for hun dreds of miles there is no naval defense. Section bases are being established by the navy at Coos bay and on the Washington coast, but these are neither completed nor equipped. Tongue Point Is building houses, com pleting its camouflaged maga zines, but repeated application to head men in Washington has failed to have a single amphib ian assigned to Tongue Point for scouting and patrol pur poses. Millions of dollars have, been appropriate for defense of the northwest but the process is in the making; some contracts have been awarded; In other Instances only the ground for a site has been optioned. War with Japan came a year too soon. December. 1942, would have found the coast defense in good shape. o o o THE debacle at Honolulu has shocked the national capital and shaken the long held belief that the navy could prevent any en- amy from breaking through and attacking the northwest. There is a very lively Impression that (Continued on Pag 61) 18 TO 64 DRAFT Washington, Dec. 17. The house approved tentatively today the registration of all men from 18 to 64, inclusive, then began sharp debate on whether the minimum age for active military service should be 19, 20, or 21. The military committee rec ommended the 21 figure while Rep Andrews (R., N. Y.) pro posed that the service age brackets be put at 19 to 44, in elusive, in conformity with re auests of President Roosevelt and the war depa.tment. Employers have paid more than $16,000,000 in wage resti tution to about 800,000 em ployees working under tha Fed' eral Wage and Hour Law. Radio Highlights (Tune Is Pacific standard) Tonight: CBS 7:15 John T. Tlynn on the International asso ciation. Thursday: CBS 1 Christmas carols; 3:30 discussion "What we are fighting for"; NBC-Blue 8:13 a. m. What can I do? SIDE GLANCES BY TRIBUNE REPORTERS Margaret Gardner venturing out in the rain, and although well soaked by the downpour looking perky in a white turban. Maury Spatz, George Field and George Robertson climbing to the top of a hotel to spot enemy raiders, their friends fearing they would topple off in their teal EXECUTIVE U RGESH AGREEMENT FOR War To Go On For Long Time- Labor-Industry Conference Is Advised. Washington, Dec. 17. yP) President Roosevelt told a la bor-Industry conference to curb wartime strikes today that the war was "going to go on for a long time" and appealed for unanimous agreement by Friday night on a plan to speed up defense production without hindrance. 'I want speed," the chief ex ecutive said in an informal ad dress to the conferees. "Speed now is of the essence, just as much in turning out things in plants as it Is among the fighting forces. It is Just as necessary to turn out equip ment as it is to drill an army, or build up a navy after the equipment is turned out. Speed is very, very 'much ol the es sence. No Early Mop-Up Warning against any feeling that we could "mop up and bring a quick end to the war in the Pacific, the president told the group there was "a very real danger to the world" because of what he called a new philisophy which would end for all time private indus try and trade unionism. "It is a real danger," ne as serted, "we haven't won the war by a long shot It is going to go on for a long time." William H. Davis, chairman of the defense mediation board and named by the president as moderator for today's confer ence, told the group that it would not get down to business until after tha White House meeting. Some government quarters forecast creation of a new med iation agency, patterned on the 1918 war labor Doara. AIRPORT VISITS Anyone having business transact will be admitted Medford municipal airport with out a oass but everyone musi identify himself and state the nature of his business at the gate, it was announced today by Thomas A. Culbertson, Jr., air port superintendent. All employes at the airport and others who regularly have business at the airport must have passes to get in, Mr. Cul bertson said. Tne passes are is sued at his office at the airport. Everyone without a pass must stop at the gate, give his name and address and state the nature of his business to the guard on duty, Mr. Culbertson said. This Information Is relayed over an inter-communications system to Mr. Culbertson's office whence permission to enter the airport It Issued. There Is no Interference with persons who have business with any of the offices at the airport, Mr. Culbertson emphasised, pointing out, for instance, that United Air Lines passengers come and go upon Identifying themselves at the gate. The airport is under 24-hour guard and Mr. Culbertson asked the cooperation of the public in abiding by the simple precau tionary rules thus far adopted. He discouraged motoring to the airport out of idle curiosity. Installment Houses Ordered to Register Washington, Dec. 17. UP) The federal reserve board today warned all businessmen giving installment credit to customers to register by January 1. Failure to file a registration will make it Illegal for them to NOW RESTRICTED; GUARDS ON DUTY extend installment credit after 1 43 miles southwest ot nong that date. The filing may beikonx. made at the nearest federal re- WhlW London quarters ap aerve bank or branch. 'peared gloomy over tha pros Two-Man Japanese Submarine Captured eta. 8""Sa. Tha United Statoe hae submarine, one that didn't picture, taken after the tiny vessel's capture, was made bv the navr department. The submarines. 41 feet lona and wide, apparently operate to have a cruising range of were destroyed at Pearl Mall Tribune.) - U. S. Submarines Score Against Japs By the Associated Press ' Japan took alarm today at the reported presence of 20 U. S. submarines operating In Japanese waters even as Admiral Thomas C. Hart, commander of the Asiatic fleet, announced that American submarines had gone into action for the first time in the 11-day-old conflict and scored success in two out of three attacks. U. S. army headquarters In Manila reported also that at least 26 Japanese planes had been destroyed yesterday at VI gan, 200 miles northwest pf Ma nila, where the Japanese still maintained one of their three toeholds on Luzon island. Admiral Hart's cryptical state ment did not identify the vic tims of the American counter blows whether Japanese war ships or merchant craft or the locale of the sinkings. It seemed plausible, however, that the United States was tightening a blockade around the Mikado's densely-populated island empire. Meanwhile, British headquar ters in Singapore acknowledged that Japanese troops had landed In Sarawak on the northwest coast of Borneo, British-protected domain of the famous "White Rajah", Sir Charles Vyner Brooke, within 300 miles bomb ing range of Singapore Itself end 600 miles from Manila. A Batavia communique said a Dutch bomber scored a direct hit on a Japanese destroyer cov ering hostile landing operations at Miri, Sarawak, close to the frontier between Sarawak and British North Borneo. The south em part of Borneo is Dutch. With the Japanese throwing their land, sea and air forces in to a spreading offensive around the south China sea, military ex perts said Tokyo war strategy evidently aimed at a quick knockout of British and Dutch strongholds, seizure of vital re sources and control of the sea lanes by which reinforcements could reach the allies. In London, a government spokesman told parliament that all steps had now been taken to coordinate British. United States and allied war plans In accord with President Roosevelt's call for "world-scale strategy", but that Britain has not yet asked Russia to declare war on Japan. Japanese warships, bombers and land batteries also were re ported violently pounding siege bound Hongkong. Britain's sec ond-greatest stronghold in the Far East, and a Reuters dispatch said Japanese forces had seized i the Portuguese island of Macao, I I tl - r 55 In euatod fhle teo.min Jinineu get away from Pearl Harbor. from a mother ship. They are reportec t 200 miles. Two other Japanese Harbor. (AP Wlrephoto by airmail pect of Hongkong holding out, latest dispatches from the island Itself reported that Americans there were "all right" and that the colony's fortifications were "strong enough to resist all at tempts at Invasion." TIRE TlDfBAN TO BE EXTENDED Washington. Dec. 17 TAV Price Administrator Leon Henderson announced today that government rationing of automobile tires would begin January 4. Washington, Dec. 17. (P) OPM officials said today that the prohibition on manufacture and sale of automobile tires and tubes, except to fill top defense orders, would be extended until the first week In January. The original order, effective December 11, was to hava ex pired December 22 and was de scribed as preliminary to direct rationing of tires to civilian consumers. Although no reason was of ficially announced for the exten sion of the ban, it was reported that OPM had not yet decided on details of tha rationing sys tem. OIL CONSERVATION PLAN APPROVED IN CALIFORNIA Washington. Dec. 17. UP Secretary of Interior Ickes, the defense petroleum coordinator, today approved a far-reaching oil conservation program for California which he said was de signed to assure an adequate fuel supply for American and allied forces fighting Japan in the Pacific. The program was drawn by the Industry production commit tee for district 3 (California, Washington, Nevada and Ari zona) at Ickes' request. AMBASSADOR TO CUBA Washington, Dec. 17. OP Spruille Braden, now ambassa dor to Colombia, was nomina ted by President Roosevelt to day to be ambassador to Cuba. ah" 1 -.s:' " I ThL- publl - S fee' (" sub- f" i "r- ti Six Months' Pay and Pension for Life to Pearl Harbor Widows Washington, Dee. 17. VP) Widows ot the fighting men who died at Pearl Harbor will receive- six months' pay and a pension for life. Awaiting signature on the president's desk is a measure to increase tha pensions from the peacetime range of $22-356 monthly to wartime levels of 330 to $83. Uncle Sam's guarantees that wife and children will be cared for If death should strike are matched by other government protection which shields soldiers and sailors, while they live and serve the country, from finan cial worry. This is embodied In the soldiers' and sailors' civil relief act of last year which suspends enforcement of civil liabilities -and that includes taxes. In stallment payments and insur ance premiums In certain cases to permit service men "to de vote their entire energy to the defense needs of the nation.'' Ban fr'ranelero Bolter Baa Francisco, Dee. 17 V)-(TI8DA) Butter, 93 score 16Vi; St-iSe; so- Wage Earners pNs'TTf-- ,:S,.7;r'JLi-; J rrJ ' Billion Dollar Monthly Goal .Announced Chicago, Dec. 17. JP) The nation's 33 million wage earn ers must buy as many defense savings bonds as they possibly can afford, Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau said today. In a prepared address before a national meeting of state de fense bond sales chairmen end administrators, Morgenthau said that "token contributions" from the wage earners would not be enough and added: '1 mean a real Investment, the very limit that each person can afford without actually taking food and other necessi ties from himself and family." Intensification of the defense bond sales Is necessary, Mor genthau said, If the government Is to succeed In financing the expanding costs of the war War Bulletins llCITY TO PURCHASE London. Dec. 17 (P Large scale Red army maneu vers are In progress near the Japanese Manchukuoan bor der in Siberia, the Chungking radio reported tonight in quo ting a broadcast from the Sov iet station at Khabarvosk. London, Dec. 17. OTV British bombers attacked the German naval base of Wll helmshaven In force last night and blasted at Bremen and other towns in northwest Ger many, the air ministry an nounced today. Large fires were left burning among the Wllhelmshaven docks, the announcement said. Buenos Aires, Dec. 17. W) A German plot to halt the export of Bolivian tin and lead to the United States by sabotaging railways running to the Chilean ports of Arica and Antofagasta has been thwarted, according to infor mation received here today. It alio was learned that the Bolivian government had im posed a rigid censorship but whether this was connected with the reported nasi plot was not clear. Execntive Board for Red Cross Campaign Named by B.E. Harder B. E. Harder, chairman of the Jackson county chapter Red Cross war relief drive, announc ed today members of the execu tive committee for the county. The drive is to raise $12,000 in Jackson county for the fund, part of which will be retained locally for war relief work. Members of service clubs hava been appointed to the executive committee and ap pointments thus far Include: E. C. Corn, Rotary club; Ed Mann, Lions club; Ernie Kofoed, Ki wanls club; Ted Norby, Rotary club, Ashland, and Ralph Bil lings, Ashland. The members met at 8 p. m. today at the Chamber ot Commerce for an organization session. MEN FLOCK TO NAVY AFTER HAWAII BLOW Washington, Dec. 17. W) Enlistment of 11,303 men In the navy In tha eight days immedi ately following the Japanese at tack on Hawaii was announced by the navy today as "indicating the response of the nation's man power to the threat against the nation." Must Go Limit "while avoiding the Immense and dangerous evils of Infla tion." We are In reality fighting two wars one, the great strug gle on all the continents and all the oceans, and the other the war against an Insidious enemy here at home. That en emy is Inflation. . . . "The most effective course for us, as we have known from the very beginning, has been to enlist current Income and to di vert excess spending, to per suade our people to set aside a part of their pay every pay day in defense bonds and stamps." . r Farmers as well as wage earners are expected to make regular purchases of bonds In the drive to make "every pay day bond day." House-to-house canvasses and I voluntary payroll deductions ADDITIONAL LAND T USE One Ten-Acre Parcel To Be Bought Two Other Par cels To Be Optioned. The city council last night voted to purchase two addition al pieces of land for use In con nection with the expansion and improvement of the municipal airport. The council sanctioned pur chase of ten acres of tha land owned by Miss Eleanor F. Maule for $2,500, the deal also Including a one year option and a two year option on two more ten-acre pieces of the land at the same price. It was explained by J. C. Collins, chairman of the airport committee, that the land purchased was needed to ac commodate taxi strips, the property now jutting out into the field south of the hangar. The council also voted to buy 6.87 acres of the J. H. and Vlda T. Carkin property on Bear creek for $1,742.50. It was ex plained that this property will be used as a gravel pit and will serve as a sponsor's contribution under WPA projects by furnish ing gravel for airport Improve ment. The land adjoins the city' present nine-acre gravel pit. Lot Sale Approved Tha council approved sale of a lot on Earhart street near Riverside avenue to Mr. and Mrs. Ted R. Flurry for tha ap praised price of $150. - - - A letter written to tha council by Charles W. Tower, secretary of the Building and Construction Trades Council, was read Into the record. It follows: I take pleasure in advising you that at the regular meeting of tha Medford Building Trades Council held tha evening of Wednesday, December 10 our council, by unanimous consent, pledged the full cooperation of organized labor in this vicinity to you and all other officials of the city of Medford. Wa stand ready to assist in every way within our ability and will do our utmost to see that this pledge is kept by members of organized labor." t Thanks From Bean In a letter to tha council, Capt. Theron W. Bean, con structing quartermaster, ex pressed the army's thanks for use of the armory during the pre-planning of tha proposed Medford cantonment and voiced the army's appreciation of cour tesies extended to the construct ing quartermaster's office while it was operated here. Absent were Councllmen Larry Schade, who has been sick, and M. N. Hogan. Council man Collins arrived near the end of the meeting. PLANE CRASHES Spokane, Dec. 17. W Mai Gen. Millard F. Harmon, com manding general of the second air force, said today "an air plane returning to Cleger field for an emergency landing crasn ed." No details were given. on Bonds; will form the basis of nation wide drive to get everyone Into the habit ot buying defense sav lngs bonds. A sales goal of $1,000,000,000 a month was announced yester day at a conference of represen tative of the 48 states and treas ury officials. Through the canvasses all citizens will be asked to sign printed pledges to buy bonds. Under the payroll plan wage earners will authorize their em ployers to make regular deduc tions from their pay to pur chase bonds. The billton-e-month goal for sale of all types ot bonds was set by Harold N. Graves, as sistant to the secretary of the treasury. He set the goal tor sale of small bonds, with an Is sue price of $18.73 and matur ity value of $23, at $400,000, 000 month. ALL NOT WELL IN i, AFRICA Russia Proclaims Series of Smashing Victories; Mos cow Leningrad Relinked, By tha Associated Press Russia proclaimed a series of smashing new victories in the war with Germany today, and for the first time Adolf Hitler's high command wryly acknowl edged that tha German Invasion armies were "shortening their lines" along the Soviet front and were hard-pressed on the defensive in north Africa. The extent of the German re treat along the whole 1,200 mile Russian battleline was high lighted by a British broadcast reporting that all communica tions between Moscow and long- sieged Leningrad had been re established. Nasls In Rout Soviet dispatches said tha red armies were pushing a vast counter-offensive from Lenin grad to the Black sea, capturing hundreds ot villages and towns In one sector after another, and that in soma instances tha Ger mans were running without a fight. In perhaps the gloomiest Nazi communique of the entire war giving tha German people at least an Inkling that tha tide ot conquest has been thrown Into reverse the high command re ported: "In tha course of transition from aggressive operations to stationary warfare for tha win ter months, necessary Improve ments involving tha shortening of lines now are being system atically undertaken on various sectors of tha eastern front." But Soviet dispatches pictured tha Germans In headlong flight, by no means effecting a strate gic withdrawal, with a Moscow communique declaring: The fleeing enemy Is being pursued and annihilated by our troops. Red army soldiers who recap tured strategic Kalinin, 93 miles northwest of Moscow, said they found that German troops had built four-tiered plank beds in houses throughout tha Kalinin zona "evidently Intending to spend tha winter there." British Progress On tha north African front. British imperial headquarters reported that heavy British pres sure was being maintained on the left flank of Hitler's battered desert armies and that new pro gress was registered despite fierce sandstorms during tha past 24 hours. Tha German high commana gave this terse summary of the fighting, which clearly appeared to be turning into an axis ae bacle: . "A heavy defensls battle west ot Tobruk continued yes terday. Strong enemy attacks near Bardia were repulsed with considerable . losses to the en emy." Premier Mussolini's high command said particularly heavy fighting raged all day yesterday In tha Gazala sector. 40 miles west ot Tobruk. with the British continually throwing fresh forces Into the battle. STORM REVEALED San Francisco, Dee. 17. (D Now It can be told. Northern California was battered by the winter's worst storm the first of the week, but until today It was a military secret. Since naval officers and weather bureau observers, who guard the weather from Japan ese spies, agree that 24-hour-old weather wouldn't do the enemy any good. It's safe to report that a nine-Inch rainfall in three days filled the Sacramento river and its tributaries to their banks. Highway crews worked throughout sections of the northern part of the state to clear blocked roads,
