Weather e0r",u'
forecast: Little ehanfe ta
temperature.
Temperature
Highest Yesterday 41
Lowest this Morning , U
Thirty-sixth Year
News Behind
The News
By Paul Mallon
Washington, Dec. 23. Ho
the British could fare so poorly
in defense of Singapore
against a land
attack for
which they
have been pre
paring at least
IS years Is
the first major
mystery of the
far east war.
The explana
tion being sent
out of that "im
pregnable has
ten" by the
Faol Ma I ton
news-men is
that insufficient
men and material were furnished
by London. This would seem to
be a hand-worn and miserable
excuse.
The truth is they slipped In
only one particular, the most im
portant one. They neglected to
concentrate sufficient pursuit
planes to protect the adequate
troops and material which they
had mustered. They underesti
mated the Jap air force (as has
everyone else). Such fighting
planes could not be flown to the
Orient in view of their short
range, but had to be shipped out
around South Africa. As they
were also needed at home and
elsewhere, the British fell easily
into a critical error,
. e e
IIUR defense of the Philippines
"has relied heavily upon the
British grasp of the Singapore
flank. If the Japs win there,
their fleet and troops can be
turned full on General MacAr
thur. Furthermore, the helpful
rainy season is about over out
there and good fighting weather
will prevail through April. If the
Philippines can be held until
next May they will never be lost.
THE meeting of the maritime
unioneers and ship operators
swiftly got down to business
here. Called by John R. Steelman
of the government's labor con
ciliation service and Admiral
Land of the maritime commis
sion, it developed Immediate
unity. Strikes were barred. War
aid was promised. But then the
(Continued on Pee Six)
Radio Highlights
By Associated Press
(Time is Pacific Standard)
President Roosevelt's greeting
to the nation and Pope Pius'
Christmas message to the world
may be heard on Wednesday.
The president's words will be
carried by all networks at 2 p.
m. The pope's message is to be
sent out by the Vatican City
short wave station at 2:30 a. m.
At 7:30 a. m. the MBS chain
will relay the broadcast in full
from recordings.
Other day-before-Christmas
programs:
CBS, 6:19 a. m., Santa Claus
Is Coming To Town, music:
12:30 p. m., "Night Before
Christmas," drama.
NBC-Blue, 7:45 a. m., carols
from Wall Street, N. V.
MBS, 12:30 p. m., greetings
to travelers at Grand Central
and Pennsylvania stations; 3,
carols from Chicago.
Tonight: CBS, 7:13, Dr. Wil
liam Agar on "War to Victory."
Eugene, Ore., Dec. 23. OP)
An automobile fatally injured
G. O. Haugen, 75, custodian of
the city library, here last night
SIDE GLANCES
BY
TRIBUNE REPORTERS
Retired Bob Newland drop
ping in at the postoffice to
see how hard the boys were
working.
"Rickey" Reichstein watching
Ice skaters from the side lines
and friends wondering when be
was going to try his luck.
mm
i
-i
Medford
SECOND VESSEL
E
Tanker Montebello Victim
All Hands Reported Safe
ly Landed; Spot Not Told.
San Francisco, Dec. 23. VP)
The 440-foot tanker Monte
bello was attacked and sunk by
an enemy submarine at 4 a.m.
today off the California coast,
headquarters of the 12th naval
district announced. Four life
boats carrying survivors have
landed.
The navy said it had no report
of any casualties.
While the Montebello was be
ing attacked, the Richfield tank'
er Larry Doheny was reported
to have encountered trouble
with an undersea raider in the
same general locality, but to
have escaped. The navy said,
however, it had not been in com
munication with the Doheny
since the attack.
Eighth Attack
It was the eighth submarine
attack on American freighters
and tankers in nearby Pacific
waters since opening of the war.
' From 3 a.m. until almost mid-
morning the sound of gunfire
rolled in to shore from action
only a few miles off the coast
Occasionally a deep thunder
ing explosion could be heard,
that rattled windows and doors
in coastal communities.
By noon lifeboats were being
beached at points along 100
miles of coast. The survivors aL'
appeared uninjured.
The navy withheld informa
tion as to the exact spot today's
attack occurred.
The attack on both boats was
apparently made at about the
same time.
The Montebello, built In 1S21
by the Southwestern Shipbuild
ing company of San Diego,
weighed 8,107 net tons.
San Luis Obispo, Calif., Dec.
23. WV-A series of heavy ex
plosions were heard off-shore on
the Pacific coast today.
There was speculation wheth
er it was an enemy submarine
attacking an American freighter,
or an attack by U. S. forces on
an enemy raider.
Los Angeles, Dec. 23. W
An enemy submarine fired on
and sank the Union Oil tanker
Montebello at dawn today off
the California coast.
All hands were reported safe
in a telephone message from
Capt. Olaf Eckstrom to Union
Oil offices here.
Bill Srez, of Westvllle, Mass,
one of the crew, said he did not
know whether the Montebello
was torpedoert.
"There was a hell of an ex
plosion," Srez said after he was
dragged from the surf by Jack
Freebody, and Austin Waltz. "I
know they fired on us from the
deck, however. The fellows in
the other boats were subjected
to machine gun fire, but they
had gotten started away to
shore. We don't know whether
they made it."
Capt. Eckstrom, Srez, John T,
Smith of Torrance, Calif., Edgar
F. Smith and two other men
whose names were not learned,
were so cold and numbed when
they were brought to safety on
a life line they could hardly
talk. Their lifeboat crashed on
the rocks.
Some watchers on shore saw
the shelling of the Montebello.
They said one direct hit caused
the tanker's bow to lurch up
ward and almost immediately
she sank. There had been firing
before this hit, however, wit
nesses said, and flashes of light
could be seen.
Capt Eckstrom said the
Montebello was attacked about
6 t-m.
MESSENGERS STRIKE
Tacoma, Dec. 23. M West
ern Union messenger boys went
on strike today, asking a pay
increase of from 30 cents to 43
cents an -our.
Full Associated Press
NW "iTAINni-7
junim w
15)
u.
War Bulletins
Hongkong, Dec. 23. (TV-
Hongkong's defenders have
"contained" halted and per.
haps surrounded Japanese
forces who made a light
penetration" In their lines on
Mount Cameron on Hong
king island, the British com
mand announced today.
Moscow, Wednesday, Dec.
24. (P) Red army troops,
still driving the Germans back
on the Moscow defense arc,
have occupied the important
railway Junction of Gorbaehe
vo, 150 miles southwest of this
capital, it was announced of
ficially today. The town Is
about 50 miles southwest of
Tula, about mid-way to Orel.
London, Dec 23. P) The
rumble of explosions and bril
liant bursts from anti-aircraft
guns tonight showed that the
RAF had crossed a moonlit
channel and attacked objec
tives along the French coast
PRIVATE FLYING
HALTED BY WAR
ON COAST SLOPE
San Francisco, Dec. 23 JP)
Private flying within 150 miles
of the Pacific ocean from Ore
gon to Mexico was grounded to
day on orders of the civil aero
nautics authority.
Private flying schools and
plane owners had the choice of
moving inland beyond the re
stricted zone or storing their
craft in hangars, where they
must maintain an armed guard
day and night to guard planes
against possible destruction by
enemy agents.
Transcontinental! mall and
passenger airlines were not af
fected by the grounding order
which affects some 2,000 civil
ian pilots and more than 200
airplanes.
Planes belonging to a flying
school in San .Jose were flown
to Reno in the company of an
army escort yesterday. The
CAA announced that the army
would accompany planes grant
ed permission to fly inland.
All aviation ground school
classes in schools and colleges
were also ordered closed.
The order was expected to re
main in effect for the duration
of the war.
LABOR, INDUSTRY
AGREE ON PEACE
Washington, Dec 23. (P)
Labor and management repre
sentatives agreed today to fore
go strikes and lockouts for the
duration of the war and to
settle all disputes by peaceful
means.
The agreement was worked
out by 28 representatives of
industry, labor and the govern
ment after four days of delib
eration.
The conferees also recom
mended that President Roose
velt set up a labor board simi
lar to the one In operation in
the last World war to handle
disputes.
Announcement of the agree
ment -was made by William H.
Davis, moderator of the confer
ence. Davis read to reporters a
letter from President Roosevelt
to the conference in which Mr,
Roosevelt said he was "happy
to accept your general points of
agreement."
The president added that he
accepted without reservation
"your covenants that there shall
be no strikes or lockouts and
all disputes shall be settled by
peaceful means." He said fur
ther that he would proceed at
once to act on the third point
of the agreement, calling for
establishment of a war labor
board.
MEDFORD, OREGON, TUESD AY, DECEMBER 23,
ME FOOTHOLD
GAINED BY JAPS
rief Announcement Fails
To Say If Island Captured
No Word From Midway
Washington. Dec. 23
The Japanese have landed at
last on Wake island, at a cost
known only to themselves and
the sturdy marines who fought
off attack after attack In a
style that has thrilled the na
tion. In fact, since the navy depart
ment communique telling of the
landing today gave no details.
there was still hope that the
tiny Pacific Island was not lost
entirely.
This hope was not inspired
by Wake's importance, for it has
little, but by the almost Incred
ible exploits of men who bat
tled against overwhelming
strength and refused to give up,
There was no mention of
Midway in the communique.
Wake, one of Fan American
Airlines' clipper bases, has been
under repeated aerial assault
and on occasion has been at
tacked by naval units as well
TANKS INTO USE
IN LUZON BATTLE
Washington, Dec. 23. OP)
The war department announced
today that Japanese invasion at
tacks on the eastern shore of
Lingayen gulf 1n the Philippines
were increasing in intensity and
that the invaders were using
light tanks in vigorous attacks
south of Agoo In this area.
A late day communique said
General Douglas MacArthur re
ported enemy war planes had
been particularly active in sup
porting landings and attempts to
advance ashore.
The communique also said
that American army bombers
attacked several enemy troop
ships off Davao, more than 500
miles to the south on the island
of Mandanao, but results were
described as undetermined.
Manila, Dec. 23. 4:lfl p. m.
2:19 a. m. EST) UP) U. S.
army headquarters announced
today that sharp fighting was
continuing in northern Luzon
but said there had been no
change in positions since yes
terday, when the Japanese land
ed strong forces at Santo Tomas,
approximately 125 miles irom
Manila.
The situation In the Davao
area on Mindanao island south
of Luzon, where American troops
have been engaged in sharp
fighting with a Japanese land
ing force, was described omc-
lallv as "obscure."
An armv sDOkesman said u
had not been determined exact
ly how many troops the Japan
ese had been able to land at
Santo Tomas.
FRATERNITY HOUSE HAS
$3,000 DAMAGE BY FIRE
Eugene, Dee. 23. (Pi A fire
starting In a clothes chute did
an estimated $3,000 damage to
the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fra
ternity house at the University
of Oregon today. No one was
injured.
CRASH KILLS SAILOR
Fresno, Calif., Dec. 23. AP)
Vernon Lyle Watt 21, of Hub
bard, Ore., sailor from the San
Diego naval base, died in the
Fresno county hospital last night,
the second fatality of a four-car
highway pileup here Sunday.
Refugio Salcido. 21, Fresno, died
an hour after the Sunday acci
dent in which Watt was injured.
Churchill
i
Wearing Ms reefer and cap, Winston Churchill arrived at the White House with President
Roosevelt and the president's naval aide, Capt John R. Beardall, after his daring and secret Journey
to the United States for another history-making conference with Roosevelt The president met
Churchill In a car it a "nearby airport" They were closeted at the White House to talk war
plans to encompass "the defeat of Hlilerlsm."
Roosevelt, Churchill
Hold
U. S. ARMY. NAVY
Washington, Dec. 23. AP
President Roosevelt called a con
ference for 2 p. m. PST today
with American army and navy i
officials and British Prime Min-!
Ister Churchill and his staff. The
White House said this group
might be called the "war coun-,
cil."
The American group Invited j
Included Secretary of War Stlm-1
son, General George C. Marshall,
army chief of staff; Major gen
eral Henry H. Arnold, deputy
chief of staff for air Secretary of
the Navy Knox; Admiral Harold
R. Stark, chief of naval oper
ations; Admiral Ernest J. King,
new commander of the United
States fleet, and Harry L. Hop
kins, special assistant on lend
lease affairs.
With Britain's prime minister,
who arrived here last night were
to be Lord Beaverbrook, supply
minister; Admiral Sir Dudley
Pound, commander of the Brit
ish fleet; Air Marshal Sir
Charles F. A. Portal, and Gen
eral Sir John Dill, former chief
of the imperial general staff and
now governor of Bombay.
In announcing the conference,
Press Secretary Stephen Early
told reporters: "That group you
might call the war council."
This was to be the first confer
ence between the president and
the entire British mission.
Even before the capital recov
ered from its surprise at Chur
chill's dramatic arrival, the con-
Tribune
United Press
194
- Ann
in U. S. for Conference
!
Council
Confidence
Washington, Dec. 23. VP)
President Roosevelt and
Prime Minister Churchill,
sitting side by side in the
White House, voiced utmost
confidence today In the abil
ities of their countries to
fight' the war to a successful
conclusion.
The two submitted to ques
tioning at a Joint press con
ference, with the British
leader assuming the bulk of
the task of replying and em
phasizing at one point that
the allies were working out
a complete unity of action in
the southwest Pacific.
Asked at the end of the
conference whether he had
any doubt of the ultimate
outcome, Churchill said he
had absolutely none.
He said the allies should,
however, bank on an exter
nal knockout of Germany
rather than on an internal
collapse of the relch.
venations were under way and
the White House had become, for
the present, the G. H. Q. for the
world-wide battle against totali
tarian arms.
From early last evening until
1 o'clock this morning, the
president and the British prime
minister conferred in the oval
study in the White House once
used by another war president
Abraham Lincoln for his office.
The White House said the
president and prime minister
probably would resume their per
sonal discussions late this after
noon.
For most of the time last night
the two were alone. In subse
quent conferences they are ex
pec ted to call in whatever ad
visers they need.
icfiiiio)Mnrp
IMl
J
of War
Telephone Company
Asks Pcblic Not to
Call Long Distance
A request to the telephone
using public to "lend us a hand"
over the holiday season by not
sending greetings by long dis
tance telephone was made today
by R. B. Hammond, manager
here for the Pacific Telephone
and Telegraph company.
"Our lines are carrying a tre
mendous volume of rails In
the last few days the greatest
number in history, Mr. Ham
mond said, pointing out that It
was necessary, of course, that in
all instances the lines readily
be available for telephone calls
Important to defense.
"We want the public to know
that we are meeting this emerg
ency with everything we have,"
he concluded, "and that we
deeply appreciate the public's
considerate thoughtfulness."
E-l
The office of the Med ford cor
poration announced today they
would close down Thursday for
Christmas, but would resume
operations Friday, giving the
workers a one-day holiday.
Timber Products company will
close down Christmas, and Man
ager Floyd Hart said the plant
would not operate Friday and
Saturday.
Manager Hart said It was cus
tomary for the mill to close
down for a week or 10 days at
Christmas time for repairs but
this year all repairs had been
previously made.
Not Expensive
lb smalt Want Ads are oo
tut wonders then tfaji. Many
people depend upon them to
buj, sell, trade, find, rent, etc,
end ere dellchted with results.
Thee ere not expenslre end
they do prodoee splendid re
sult t. Why not try themt
NO. 236.
EXPECTED LUNGE
THROUGHFRANCE
Move Toward Spanish Fron
tier Reported in Switzer
landForce Not Large.
Berlin, Dec 23 (And!
Agency to AP) German
sources asserted tonight that
the United States and Britain
had designs on Spain and Tur
key and were responsible for
the "unfounded rumors" el
Nasi plans In those two coun
tries. (By Associated Press)
Authoritative reports that Ger
man troops were moving west
ward through occupied Franc
to the Spanish frontier were
received tonight in Switzerland,
and it thus appeared that Hit.
ler's expected new lunge might
be taking the form of an at
tempt to break Gibraltar and
enter north Africa.
A new German effort to re
trieve the Nazis' reverses In
Russia had been widely antici
pated since Hitler's decision to
oust his top military command-,
er. General Field Marshal von
Brauchltsch, and take upon him
self the responsibility ol unique--
personal command.
His troop movement through
western France was not large
so far as could be learned, and
the exact nature of its equip
ment was not ascertained. There)
was some speculation that the
Intention might be to attempt
to ship men from Spain to north
Africa.
LI
DELAYED BY WAR
Salem, Dee. 23. W Because
of an expected shortage ol ma
chinery and paper, the State De
partment of Agriculture an
nounced today that its sanitary
milk cap regulation, which was
to have become effective Janu
aty 1, would not be enforced un
til further notice.
The regulation provided that
nil grade A dairies tinder the
department's supervision roust
provide mil- caps covering vm
pouring lip of the bottle.
"Those dairymen who have se
cured their bottling equipment
and caps may proceed to use
them, and dairies using the re
quired equipment will not be
penalized In any way for ltt
use," the department said.
Portltsd Psptrs U?
Ssbscrlp.!:- r.;!:j
Portland. Dec. 23. UP) Both
the Oregonlan and Oregon Jour
nal announced today Increases)
In monthly subscription rates.
effective Jan. 1, from 65 to 85
cents for the daily editions and
from $1.05 to $1.25 for daily
and Sunday.
The newspapers said operat
ing expenses had increased.
HITLER NERVOUS AND
EYES ARE INFLAMED
London. Dee. 23. WV-The
Moscow radio said today in
broadcast heard here that Adolf
Hitler bad consulted "the famous
German doctor Schuster" and
was told he was suffering sever
nervous exhaustion and inflam
mation of the eyes.
Hitler's eyes have troubled
him since he was gassed In the
first World war.
WOULD AVZNOB SOU
Portland. Dee. 23, WO
liara T. Nugent 43. applied to
day for enlistment In the navy
to replace his son, Thomas, kill
ed In the Dee. 7 attack on Pearl
Harbor. The veteran of the first
World war is city fireman in
chart of the Baker first- car.
i