Medford mail tribune., December 28, 1941, Page 1, Image 1

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Time To Check
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tlm to check tb Want Ads.
There mr many people, huaj
flaring the week who hava tins
to InTMtixita jour offrr on
Sunday. Be nir to ha your
ateuaffo on tba Want Ad pag.
Medford
Tribune
Full Assoc..! Press
Ualtad Praia
Thirty-sixth Year
MEDFORD, OREGON, SUNDAY, DECEMBER, 28, 1941.
NO. 239.
o)(l A W MAM
A: J
1)1 MTR
I fill . II I l i. III 1 I I
L
"I S-ll
News Behind
The News
By Paul Mallon
- Washington, Dee. 27. The
handshake which Mr. Roosevelt
negotiated between business and
labor unforunately still has a
concealed thistle between its
clasped palms. The prickly issue
of the closed shop is still there.
The deal is called "an agree
ment." Insofar as there was a
mutual determination to avoid
labor strife and settle issues
through still another new Roose
velt board, it
was. But what
happened 1 n
the four days
of yet unset
tled arguing
between man
agement and
unioneers has
been wisely
glossed over
and ignored by
F D R. in pro-
Paul Million
claiming a
happy Christmas settlement.
Untold was the record of four
votes taken by the 12 repre
sentatives of business and 12
of labor, each of which ended
12 to 12. First tfie joint CIO
AFL plan failed by a tie, then
the plan of Industry, thirdly the
Thomas compromise, and finally
the employers counter proposal.
All involved one sole point of
disagreement. Industry wanted
to freeze the closed shop issue
in status quo until after the war,
and labor leaders refused.
MR. Roosevelt had designated
last Friday night as the
time limit for agreement and
said he wanted it unanimous.
Three days after the deadline, J
and with no agreement (unanl
mous or otherwise) in prospect,
the peace conference pushed its
problem up on F.R.R.'s desk.
Industry said it would leave its
case for freezing the closed shop
problem up to him.
Shocked were the Industrial
representatives when the presi
dent came back with a letter
praising the conference for its
agreement, mentioning the three
points upon which there was
no discussion (no strikes, peace
ful settlements, a new board)
and ignoring the only point at
issue. Without mentioning the
closed shop specifically, he
wrote that the government
could not concern itself with
other generalities.
The employers felt tricked.
Charles Hook staggered out of
the meeting, long-distanced le
gal counsel of his national man
ufacturers association, and
screamed, in substance: "We've
been robbed." But all they could
do was to issue statements sug
gesting they had not abandoned
their closed strike position.
The main assurance left to
(Continued on Page Six)
RAIN SLOWS DOWN
LIBYAN OFFENSE
Cairo, Egypt, Dee. 27 (VP)
More than two days of rain have
slowed down the British pace
but the conquest of Libya Is
rolling relentlessly westward
and the main remnants of the
axis forces are being harried
now in the Agedabia area,
about 80 miles south of cap
tured Bengasi, the middle east
headquarters announced today.
Its bulletin emphasized the
"very bad going" as a result of
the weather and mentioned
only minor mopping-up opera
tions but said that even in these
several hundred axis prisoners
were taken and a large enemy
ammunition dump fell Into
British hands.
One major axis pocket, ap
parently, was in tha Bengasi-Ghemines-Soluch
triangle on the
road to Agedabia. This area also
was subjected to British air and
artillery pounding and the com
munique said British bombers
scored "good results" in heavy
attacks on enemy armored fight
ing machines.
Axis air losses up to Decem
ber 23 were put at 478 destroy
ed and captured against 195 for
the RAF since tha drive started
November 18.
OFFER OF TOKYO
TO CEASE FUG
New Troops Arrive To Aid
Defenders Walled City
Hit Damage High.
By R. P. Cronin. Jr.
Manila, Monday, Dec. 28. flP)
The Japanese bombed undefend
ed Manila savagely (or more
than three hours Saturday, leav
ing the heart of the capital in
flames, and then belatedly of
fered to consider the city open
on condition that the Filipino
army "cooperate" with them
and "cease all resistance."
This manifesto was broadcast
by the Tokyo radio and ad
dressed to President Manuel
Quezon of the Philippines as
bomb-pocked Manila heard the
heartening word that reinforce
ments have been dispatched to
outnumbered defenders battling
Japanese invaders bearing down
from both the north and south.
(It was not immediately clear
whether the agreement to con
sider Manila an open city would
be conditioned upon the accom
panying demand that the Fili
nino army lay down its arms.)
(A CBS broadcast from Ma
nila said the Japanese oiierea
by radio to consider Manila an
open city on two conditions:
first, removal of all military
camps and establishments from
the city, and second, that Fili
pino forces cooperate with the
Japanese invaders and halt all
resistance.)
The Tokyo broadcast, which
demanded that the Filipino
army "cooperate wim ine jap-
anese army and cease -11 resist-
ance was greeiea wnn acuru
and derision by Filipino listen
ers. The Filipinos are taking a
major role in defense ut islands
against the invaders.
It came over the air In Eng
lish. Tagalog (Filipino dialect)
and Spanish as Manila residents
angrily watched red pyramids
of fire rising Into the skies
from the heart of their bombed
capital.
The Japanese airmen, waiting
until the city had been stripped
of its anti-aircraft guns and
other defenses in accordance
with Gen. Douglas MacArthur's
declaration of Manila as an open
city, swarmed overhead shortly
before noon Saturday and in an
almost leisurely assault laid
waste entire blocks of the his
toric walled town of Spanish
churches and schools, buildings
of the commonwealth govern
ment and sections of the modern
shop district.
There were so Known aeao
and no one would venture a
guess as to how many more
might be buried under the
tumbled and flaming buildings.
A conservative estimate early
today placed the damage at
least at $2,500 000.
While flames still shot sky
ward last night Mayor Juan
Nolasco met with city author
ities to formulate means of
maintaining order.
City officials also took steps
to tighten Manila's conformity
to the definition of an open city
under international law.
Police and constabularymen
were ordered to cease firing
their sidearms at Japanese
planes circling overhead. This
futile gesture was observed dur
ing a visit of Japanese planes
Friday night.
Details were lacking meats
while on the strength of rein
forcements sent to the northern
a. id southern fronts where heavy
fighting continued.
In the southern sector, a
Japanese advance guard moving
west from MauDan, on imon
bay, was said to have reached
t.uisiana. 18 miles inland, while
another detachment moving in
land from Atimonan was saia
to have reached Sahaya, 28
miles to the west.
The latter is only eight miles
northwest of Lucena, capital of
Tayabas province, and reports
said the provincial capital had
been transferred to Dulores.
Engineers, meanwhile, were
said to be dynamiting bridges
in the line of the Japanese
advance.
In the Ria Don Manila scores
of men and women firemen at
their posts, government em
ployes, nuns In the ancient con
vent quarters were killed and
wounded,
Injured in Ship Torpedoing
i Hit! i .
. '- ' fa I v V 1
f 'A
Herbart J. Staphans (left), seaman, suffered Injuries to hit
right lag whan ha was struck by shifting cargo, and Frank
Johnson (right), fireman, was burnad on tha right arm and
both hands in the torpedoing of tha freighter Abtaroka off tha
California coast by a Japanese submarine.
STATE RESOURCES
FEEL WAR THROB;
Portland, Dec. 27. UP)
Rapid development of Oregon's
resources under stimulus of
war contracts greatly enriched
the state this year.
The - Portland Chamber of
Commerce estimated that at
least $250,000,000 had been au
thorized for expenditure in the
Portland area, including Van
couver and Longview, wesn.,
and Troutdale and Fairview,
Ore., aluminum plaits.
Oregon shipbuilders contract
ed for at least $113,808,400,
and additional millions went
into army, navy and maritime
commission contracts.
The chamber of commerce
said Portland bank clearings
for the first 11 months of the
year increased from $1,723,309,
957 in 1940 to $2,324,268,389,
Building permits were up to
$13,559,055 from $9,696,115 last
year.
Despite the fact that only
1120 ships called at Portland
compared to 1494 last year,
cargo tonnage dropped only 5
percent to 4,930,000 short tons.
Inbound cargo Increased to off
set an export decrease.
Customs collections for Ore
gon increased during the 11
months from $893,067 to $1,
161,163. -
Columbia river locks at Bon
neville reported a cargo in
crease of 46 percent to a total
of approximately 918.000 short
tons and Willamette river locks
at Oregon City noted a 60 per
cent increase, mostly in lumber,
which totaled approximately
420,000,000 board feet.
SPAIN REPORTED
New York, Dec. 27. UP) An
antl-nazi, anti-Vichy radio sta
tion operating from a secret
place in France broadcast to
night that mass movement of
German troops was under way
toward the Spanish frontier.
The station, heard here by
CBS, said one troop train after
another was carrying the nazl
forces southward through
France. The announcer Identi
tied the station as "radio In
connu" (the unknown radio).
DUTCH CONTINUE
(By Associated Press)
Pacific war fronts found the
British and Japanese both mov
ing reinforcements into the
jungles of Malaya while the
quiet but effective Dutch East
Indies forces continued their
successful attacks on Japanese
shipping with the sinking of two
more, butch commentators ask
ed only for reinforcements to
widen their successful harrying
of Japanese water-borne trans
portation. With their record of "one-a-day"
the Dutch have knocked
out three Japanese warships
and 13 other ships with at least
five others, including three war
ships, damaged. Given more
ships, planes and anti-aircraft
equipment, the blows could be
even more powerful, they said.
Nevertheless, despite the
losses they have sustained in
Sarawak, northern Borneo, the
Japanese said they were plan
ning on 700 tons of oil daily
from this British protectorate.
On the Malay peninsula the
Japanese were reported being
held, at least temporarily, 300
miles from Singapore although
Japanese pttrols were said to
be operating perhaps 100 miles
closer.
Australia made It plain that
the war In the Pacific was a
life and death struggle for her
which could not be subordinated
to the war in Europe and Prime
Minister John Curtin, in a news
paper article, said the island
commonwealth' put its chief re
liance in the United States,
"I make It clear that Aus
tralia locks to America, free
from any pangs about our tra
ditional links of friendship to
Britain," he said. ... We know
that Australia can go and Brit
ain still will hold on. We are
determined that Australia shall
not go."
NAM HONEYMAN BETTFR
Portland, Ore., Dec. 27. UP)
The condition of Nan Wood
Honeyman, district customi col
lector and former Oregon con-
cress-woman, was much Im
proved today. She was stricken
ill Christmas day.
FCRD GIFT
Detroit, Dec. 27. (IP) The
Red Cross announced today
gift of $100,000 from tha Ford
Motor company and the Ford
Foundation, exr-lusive of dona
tions from Ford employe.
ROOSEVELT SAYS
Nation To Be Told All
Allies Strengthened
Churchill-F.D.R- Confer.
Washington, Dec. 27.-
President Roosevelt reported
"excellent progress" in his dis
cussions with Prime Minister
Churchill and representatives of
other allied nations tonight and
said they had strengthened the
allied position "immeasureably."
In a formal statement he
said the conversations would
continue and promised the na
tion as soon as possible a "more
detailed accounting of all that
has taken place," insofar as one
can be made without revealing
information of military value to
the enemy.
The statement was issued af
ter a day which saw Mr. Roose
velt and Mr. Churchill conduct
ing a long series of conferences
with representatives of the Brit
ish dominions, the American
republics and of all nations at
war with the axis, including
those which are German-occupied.
These successive meetings led
up to another session of the
British-American war council.
originally scheduled for late in
the day, but postponed later
until tomorrow morning.
Noting that the conferences
included the Russian and Chi
nese ambassadors, the Canadian
prime minister and The Nether
lands minister, Mr. Roosevelt
said In his statement:
"As a result of all - these
meetings, I know tonight that
the position of the United States
and of all the nalons aligned
with us has been strengthened
immeasureably.-
We have advanced far along
the road toward achievement of
the ultimate objective t h e
crushing defeat of those forces
that have attacked and made
war upon us."
He went on to say the con
ferences would continue for an
indefinite period and added his
promise that as soon as possible,
he would make an accounting
to the people of the country.
NAZIS TAKE REST
E
New York. Dec. 27 (AP)
Uniformed German soldiers ar
riving at the Turkish border in
Bulgaria are only there for a
sort of "rest cure," according
to a radio version heard by NBC
tonight.
The Vichy-controlled Mar
tinique radio said that in a re
cent face-to-face conversation
President Ismet Inonu asked
German Ambassador Franz Von
Papcn why there were so many
German soldiers along the Turkish-Bulgarian
border.
To which the diplomat was
said to have replied: "Why, it's
very simple. The German high
command was merely using the
southern Balkans as a rest re
sort of German units tired after
hard fighting In Russia."
Turkey, the Martinique radio
observed, is puzzled over why
all tha "patients" are arriving
in tanks and armored cars.
ALIENS TO YIELD
CAMERASJADIOS
Seattle, Dec. 27 UP) Enemy
aliens in the ninth corps area
were ordered today to surrender
all cameras and radios which
receive short wave broadcasts,
on penalty of arrest and forfeit
ure of such property.
The order was Issued by the
department of Justice in Wash
ington, D. C, and transmitted, to
U. S. district attorneys in Wash
ington, Oregon, California, Ida
ho, Montana, Utah and Nevada
It applies to natlonls of Ger
many, Italy and Japan.
The aliens were given until
II p. m. Monday to give up the
contraband articles.
IN LUZON SLOWS
Prime Citadel of Allies Still
Secure Russia Looms
As Menace.
By Kirke L. Simpson
(Wide World War Analyst)
Three weeks after that black
Sunday when Japan struck
there are few bright spots to
lighten the gloom in the Pacific
war theater, but those few are
definitely heartening.
It is still a defensive fight
against a ruthless aggressor. Yet
the prime citadel of allied hopes
of soon reversing the odds in
the China sea, the Singapore
base, remains secure.
And a gallant American-Fili
pino delaying action on Luzon
is slowing the hydra-headed
Japanese Invasion of the Philip
pines. It grants British defenders ot
Singapore that much longer
respite from meeting a concen
trated Japanese attack on that
vital pivot of allied sea power
in the far east. It is more time
gained for the rallying of Brit
ish-American relief forces on
scale adequate for decisive
action, whatever the strategic
form it is taking.
Meantime Japan Is dotting all
approaches to the China tea
with menacing outposts in an
attempt to seal it against ex
pected Anglo-American fleet in
cursions.
There seems small doubt that
the main Japanese fleet strength
Is deployed in that area now,
supplemented by Japanese -Pa
cific island outposts In the north
and now by captured Guam and
Wake. That is the vulnerable
Japanese flank.
If an Anglo-British counter
attack comes from the south,
to reach the China sea through
the Sulu tea, the Japanese fleet
would have the shorter China
sea inside route to meet it.
Nor is that all. Japanese In
vasion ot Davao to control the
big gulf of that name at the
extreme southern tip of Min
danao island, most southerly of
the Philippine group, affords a
northern base to screen the Sulu
sea route; Japanese landings In
north Borneo provide a southern
portal. And the passage be
tween Mindanao and Borneo Is
bit narrower than that be
tween Formosa and Luzon.
There remains only the strait
of Malacca, between Malaya and
Sumatra, to give entranre to the
China tea. This Is the route for
British approach to Singapore
from the Mediterranean and
Indian ocean. And Japanese
forces hammering at Singapore's
defenses are now on the north
ern side of the mouth of that
strait and In Thailand, close
enough for air action.
That Is a rough outline of the
problem of allied strategists in
planning where to strike with
best chances of successfully dis
rupting Japanese tea and air
control of the China tea.
A victory-elated Russia stands
In Siberia within easy air strik
ing distance ot the Industrial
heart of Japanese traditional
foe. The German retreat has
already freed Moscow of danger
for months to come.
FOR JAP ATTACK
New York, Dec. 27 UPy
"Singapore is working at high
speed to get its civil defenses
organized in a thorough work
ing order, the British radio
said today In a broadcast heard
by CBS.
A Chinese defense council
has been formed to organize
the Chinese Inhabitant who
form the greater part of the
population, the broadcast con
tinued.
The Associated Press at 1 p.
m., P.S.T., had been without
communication from Singapore
for 18 hours. British news agen
cies In London reported that
they, too, were without direct
dispatches from Singapore
There was no indication in the
broadcast as to how the British
I radio had received It report
War Bulletins
Honolulu. Dec. 27 (AP)
Fourteenth naval district
headquarters announced that
12 survivors from the freight
er Maninl. sunk about Dae. 17
ware brought into Pearl Har
bor this morning.
Singapore. Dec. 27. AP)
Japanese bombers concen
trated thair fire on tha Kuala
Lumlur district yesterday and
badly damaged one of Ma
laya's largest and finest mos
ques located In tha very heart
of tha capital city of tha fed
erated Malay states, 180 miles
north of Singapore.
Tha bombers struck on a
Moslem prayer day and killed
three of the worshippers who
ware In tha mosque.
Unofficial reports said that
several government buildings
in Kuala Lumlur also were
damaged in tha raid.
London, Dec. 27 (AP)
Severe railway traffic restric
tions have been ordered
throughout Italy, according to
an Exchange telegraph agen
cy dispatch today from Zu
rich, Swltierland. The dis
patch, based on information
received from Roma, said 81
trains had bean cancelled in
the Milan district alone.
New York. Dec. 27 (AP)
The British radio reported
today that Yugoslav patriot
forces had dislodged German
contingents from positions
held for tha last six months
In watt and central Serbia.
Tokyo. Dec. 27 (Official
Broadcast Recorded by AP)
Tha newspaper Asahl report
ed today that on tha day at tax
tha Japanese occupation of
Hongkong, the streets of the
British colony ware Uttered
with Hongkong dollars in
use under British tula and
that no one bothered to pick
them up.
New York. Dee. 27 (AP)
The Leningrad radio re
ported tonight that Gen. Ru
dolph Schmidt, commander oi
the German forces in tha
Leningrad sector of the Rus
sian front, has bean relieved
of his command and replace
by Gen. Arnheim.
London. Dec. 27.-AP)
The Berlin radio, quoting a
DNB dispatch from Buchar
est, said that a Rumanian de
stroyer had sunk a Russian
submarine in the Black Sea
the second reported de
stroyed this month by the Ru
manian navy.
New Delhi. India. Sec. 27
(API One American pilot
whose identity wa kept se
cret was credited today with
shooting down four Japanese
planes during the Christmas
day enemy air raid en Ran
goon. Burma.
Moscow. Dec. 27. (AP)
The' first large shipments of
medical supplies and hospital
equipment purchased with
fund collected in the United
State and contributed by tha
American Red Croat arrived
recently at a Soviet port
London, Dae 21 (Sunday)
(AP) Determination to win
back the crown colony of
Hongkong was voiced today
by Lord Moyn. colonial sec
retary, in a massage to Singa
pore for "transmission by any
available means to Sir Mark
Young. Governor of Hong
kong." HEAD OFF BOOST
IT
Washington. Dec. 27. UP)
The Office ot Price Administra
tion acted tonight to head off
a prospective general Increase In
the wholesale price of rigareit.
After the American Tobacco
company announced an Increase
of 87 cents a thousand in tne
price of It popular brand. Price
Administrator Leon Henderson
sent requests to nine other lead
ing tobacco companies asking
them not to follow American's
lead.
He also asked representatives
of American to come here Mon
day to discus that firm s action,
In another action, the price
administration established
new schedule of ceilings on 39
grade of green coffee.
Heavy Fighting At Kalinin
Axis Forces In Africa Plan
Tripoli Stand.
Moscow, Dec. 28. (Sunday).
(AP) The Russians announced
today the fast-striding Soviet of
fensive has rolled the German
back on broad, 180-mile front
along the southern flank ot tha
Moscow defense arc.
By the Associated Press
Russian forces swept on Into
Likhvln, on the Oka river, B0
miles west of Tula; Novosll, 45
miles east of Orel and Tim, 45
miles southeast of Kursk as they
pushed back against the southern
flank of the German forces near
Moscow, an official communique
announced.
At the same time British
sources suggested that a Russian
move to counter-attack in tha
Crimea was under way.
An Italian dispatch reported
heavy fighting on tha Russian
front, apparently in the Donets
area, after the Russians launched
an offensive the day before
Christmas.
The Soviet communique,
which mentioned heavy fighting
in the Kalinin sector 60 miles
northwest of Moscow and in the
Kaluga area 110 miles to the
southwest, made no mention ot
the Crimean push, but London
reports indicated the Russians
were attempting to move troop
across the Strait of Kerch be
tween the Sea of Azov and the
Black tea. .
The Germans have announced
that four Russian transport
were sunk and other damaged
In thl area by Nazi bomber.
In Africa, where Germans-
have been retreating with their
Italian comrade in arm, there
were indication that the force
of Gen. Erwin Rommel waa plan
ning to counter-attack with Ger
man and Italian reinforcement
being tent to Tripoli.
The British said rain had bog
ged the chase of the axis force,
the "remnants" ot the 150,000
men attacked by the British
when the offensive began.
MPOSTER BILKS
Albany. Ore.. Dec. 27. UP)
An Albany mother, apparent!
victimized by a man who posed
as her dead ton, entered the
hospital tonight in state of
semi-collapse.
She was Mrs. Aldred Martin,
who was informed by the navy
department that her ton, Rol
land, a United States tailor, had
been killed in Pacific action.
Yesterday, however, tele
gram arrived from San Fran
Cisco, reading: "Alive, but in
dire need $79. Letter follow.
Rolland."
Overjoyed, Mr. and Mr. Mar
tin sent the money. The Red
Cross today reported the $73
telegram had been cashed, but
that Rolland Martin could not
be located in San Francisco or
aboard the ship named by the
man who sent the telegram.
The father left for San Fran
dsco tonight for further Inves
tigation.
HUSBANDS ENLIST
TO SPITE WIVES
Philadelphia, Dec. 27. UP)
The army' recruiting office let
It be known today it' having
trouble with men enlisting to
spite their wives.
"A man will have a quarrel
with his wife and then try to
enlist to spite her," lamented
Col. Frederick Schoenfeld, of
fice chief. "Perhaps she call u
on the telephone, and then we
have to put him out They are
giving us headache.
Kallspell, Mont., Dec. J?
(api r.i sihlev. 21. waa burn
ed to death shortly after mid
night In his bom in uiacicr
park. r