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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 25, 1942)
Glance Through Keep 'Em Flying Buy Defense Stasias or non from jeer tank. Han. sapor ctrrUn, at poet mat. tan mat ate. Mebford RIBUNE reaalag the taat soso, wky M flue thtM( th Wut Adit Ton wUl fin tham tatw eetlnf. Who knows ?oe Maj floe th nrj thing yea ksn km looking lor. Full Associated Prose Unitod Prow Thirty-6lx th Year MEDFORD, OREGON, SUNDAY, JANUARY. 25, 1942. NO. 263. M A fo) fo) fnl fo) imieiaien.pnM PEARL Kelly's Comment from Washington. D. C. Lifetime Habit Will Be Changed Whiskey Makers Face Curtailing -as, Br Joba W. Kelly - Washington, D. C. Jan. 24 Resident! of the northwest will . soon find their habiti of a llfe time' dislocated by the war, and a year from now they may be referring to this date as "the a good old days." The country O has been precipitated into war so suddenly that there is natural confusion. In the first world war the nation stepped in gradually and went about its preparations deliberately. Now everything began the crack of a gun at Pearl Harbor. The famed M-day program, evolved for more than ten years by the war depart ment, has been scrapped; Instead of mobilizing troops at fair grounds, schools, auditoriums, tantonments have been built more will be constructed for the assembling and training of soldiers. Three civilians two from Ore gon and one from Washington, working under army engineers, had a complete record of every Ironworks, shipyard print shop, pulp mill, sawmill and all other industrial units In the northwest states. They knew what each could do, what the machinery was fit for under war condi tions; sealed orders were placed in the strongboxes el hundreds Oof plants and the plan was in tended to attain the maximum of production while at the same time not particularly disturbing the even tenor of the ways of the people. Louis Johnson, then assistant secretary of war, was placed in charge of this indus trial program and he performed a wonderful Job Little business was taken care of as well as big business. For some unex plained reason this plan to util ize the industrial resources of the northwest was cast aside, (Oontlnuftd on Fas SU) STALEMATE OVER Washington, Jan. 24. (JP) Directors of the General Federa tion of Women's Clubs today tabled a resolution approving military and economic aid to Russia because they could not agree on how to express their opposition to Communism. As a result the resolution will hold over until the annual national convention next May in Fort Worth, Tex. In the past. the federation has been strong in its condemnation of Com munism. The first move to table was defeated, but as the discussion continued heatedly past the lunch hour, a second motion prevailed. The women turned to the resolution stage of their meet ing after hearing from Mrs Franklin D. Roosevelt a sugges tion that the federation interest more women's groups in con tinuance of national youth ad ministration aid for college youth. ' As assistant civilian defense director, the president's wife presided last night at the na tional defense forum, sponsored by the General Federation of Women's Clubs. Mrs. Roosevelt said she fa vored cutting out NYA aid to high school students. But she said that she would consider it very serious if this aid for college students were dispensed with. INCREASE FORCE Portland, Jan. 24. AP-A 25-man increase on the police force to boost the total to 432, largest in Portland's history, was recommended today by Mayor Earl Riley. He said the war emergency made an enlarged force necessary. FAILEDJO HEED Errors of Judgment Charged In Report Blame Fixed Final Warning Failed To Arrive Contributory Causes. Washington, Jan. 24. (IP) A presidential board of Inquiry today attributed the success of the Japanese attack on Pearl harbor primarily to "dereliction of duty" on the part of Lieu tenant General Walter C. Short and Admiral Husband E. Kim mel. the commanding officers of the army and navy in that area. They had been adequately Informed from Washington that war was imminent, it found. They had been warned to pre pare against an air raid, iney failed to confer upon the warn ings and the measures to be taken under them. They refused to believe an air attack possible. Consequently the Japanese raid was a "complete surprise." One result of their lack of collaboration, the board said, was that Short believed the navy was operating reconnais ance flights far off shore, when it was not, and that Kimmel thought the army was operating devices which would detect the approach of planes, when these were- actually in service only a few hours each day. Factors Listed . But, while the board pinned major responsibility upon . the two officers, it found numerous other contributing factors: Effective Japanese espionage which could not be adequately countered under peace time conditions. Japan's disregard of Interna tional law in making the attack before declaring war. Emphasis In warning mes sages sent from Washington on sabotage and the possibility ol a Japanese attack In the western Pacific rather than, at Pearl harbor. However, the blame was placed squarely upon Short and Kimmel, who In the opinion of the board "failed to make suit able dispositions to meet such an attack" and "failed properly to evaluate the seriousness of the situation." It added: These errors of Judgment were the effective causes lor the success of the attack." , Striking Incidents It noted. ' too, two striking Incidents. A destroyer and an airplane teamed up to sink a small Jap anese submarine lust outside Pearl harbor, 43 minutes before the attack. It was reported to the chief of staff at the naval base. No additional alert orders were issued. The army's aircraft detectors were operated four hours daily from 4 to 7 a. m. On the morn ing of the attack they shut dowu as usual at 7, 43 minutes lief ore the Jap airplanes struck. At one of them a non-commissioned officer, learning to use the de vices, was given permission to continue operating. At 7:02 he discovered what appeared to be large flight of planes north- (Continued on race HUM) MYSTERY DEATH TO Grants Pass, Ore., Jan. 24. W A rural mall carrier dis covered the body of H. E. Stew art, 67, In mysterious circum stances near his home south of here today. The body, with bruised face and hands, was found in shallow pit 1000 feet from the house. Blood was found on bed pillow and on two doors. A kerosene lamp had been tip ped over the body, which was unshod and had only one sock Mail and papers at the house had been unclaimed since Jan uary 19. British Attack in Malaya MA1ACCA vTM i MlL" V i V ': u7 Ztmcrsino , OMCNOAM ' ' " Bf NUT. ''"" ... JU H o be L ' " J mawai( British forces la Malaya engaged la a counter-offensive against Jap spearheads In Buklt Payong area (arrows, 1.) North of Merslng the British ambushed enemy troops moving south from Endau (arrows, 3) and at Singapore (4) five Jap bombers were shot down. 32 NIPPO PLANES RANGOON BATTLE Rangoon. Burma, Jan. 24. (AP) The skilful American and British pilots who defend the modern road to Mandalay won another spectacular air com bat over the Rangoon area to day, annihilating an entire bomb er squadron and totaling up a 2-day bag of 32 Japanese planes. Military secrecy, meanwhile, covered the land action In south ern Burma's watch-fob append age, where the British were shortening their land line east of Moulmeln, Kipling-esque port which lies across the broad gulf of Martaban from Rangoon. Thousands of delighted Bur mese saw the wua, mia-aay oog tlght in the sky in which every one of a seven-plane Japanese flight of heavy, two-motored bombers was shot down, and four of their protecting fight ers were sent plummeting In flames toward the rice paddles about the city. Yesterday the combined fight er force of the RAF and the AVG American volunteer group of former U. S. army and navy pi lotsknocked down 21 out of more than 80 raiders. ' All the united nations' flyers got back to base in safety today. Two were lost yesterday, one an American. By contrast the Japanese bombers today apparently lost every man of their 8-man, crews. None was seen to escape by para chute. Their fighter escorts failed miserably to protect them from the savage allied attacks. ORDERED PUT UP San Francisco. Jan. 24. (AP) The weather bureau ordered storm warnings up at 3:30 am. today from Point Conception, Santa Barbara county, to the Oregon line. The bureau announced that winds occasionally reached SO miles an hour off shore this morning. ORDER 34 SIRENS Portland, Jan. 24 OP) Mayor Earl Riley has ordered 14 addi tional sirens, at an estimated cost of 310,000, to give Port land an adequate air raid warn ing system. AMBITION Hollywood. Jan. 24. (APV StarM Marilyn Hare has an am bition to kiss 10,000 soldiers. Need It be added that the boys art coopers Urg 10,000 peg sent? BY REVELATIONS Oil SNEAK ATTAuK Honolulu, Jan. 24 (if) Hono lulu was astonished by Associate Justice Owen J. Roberts special commission's report, which was even stronger medicine than some of the wildest "rumors" concerning reasons why the Jap anese caught Oahu flat-footed in the December 7 raid. Both Admiral . Husband - E. Kimmel and Lieut. Gen. Walter C. Short, whom the commission accused of "dereliction of duty1' in failing to make specific preparations for the attack, left Honolulu some time ago and there was no official comment here on the report. Intensely Interested service men and civilians bought out newspaper extras by the thou sands. It was like hearing 'that other shoe" drop to the floor In the room above after the long, anxious wait since Kimmel and Short were relieved of their commands. Particular amazement was caused by the commission's revelation that although a Jap anese submarine was sunk off Pearl harbor more than an hour before the raid, no general alarm was sounded. Besides verifying many ru mors that had been afloat here persistently since the attack, the report brought out many facts which had not even been whis pered outside high official circles. The most common unofficial reaction could be summed up in tnis way: "It's a good thing. It will clear the air and clear the decks for the hard Job ahead. The report contains a lesson for all. It will make the entire Hawaiian area mora alert from now on." One unofficial criticism of the report expressed by numerous persons was that it failed to tell what happened that morning at reari harbor. RIGHT TO CRITICIZE Boise, Idaho, Jan. U.VP) voluntary censorship of war news will have the cooperation of Idaho editors, but a resolu tion of the Idaho Editorial as sociation today declared the right of the press to "construct ive criticism." LOANS PAID Washington, Jan. 24. OP) Oregon borrowers of the Home Owners' Loan corporation have repaid fl,320,71, or 43 per cent of their Indebtedness, the corporation announced today. SAVINS TIRES Klamath Falls, Jan. 24. (JP) The Klamath county class B basketball leegue has abandoned Its regular schedule because of i tirs sad automobile shorts its. IN PHILIPPINES IN CRUCIAL FRAY Atrocities Laid To Japs- Enemy Strength In creases; Ground Yielded. Washington, Jan. 24 Fighting in the Philippines ap parently' reached an extremely critical phase today with Jap anese warships off the China sea coast of Batan peninsula shelling General Douglas Mac Arthur's weary and battered fighting -men and fresh enemy troops pushing them back at a number of points. Under cover of the warships the Japanese were landing ad ditional troops on the western coast of Batan In an attempt to roll back .the American-Filipino left flank and perhaps also to Infiltrate behind the defenders' main line. Despite this obviously peril ous situation, MacArthur found time to forward the war de partment advices of Japanese atrocities against prisoners, re porting specifically that a Fili pino had been found with his hands bound and his body bayo- netted. This, it was noted, was a fla grant violation of International agreements to which Japan Is a party concerning treatment of prisoners. The war department added: "However floutly the enemy act, the general states that he wlU abide by -decent concepts at humanity and civilisation. ' -r Heavy losses oa both . sides were reported by the war de partment In summing up the situation. And, it added that although fatigued from constant fighting, the American and Fili pino soldiers continued a stub born resistance, and by fierce counter attacks had recaptured some oi xneir lost positions. But the enemy held to some points won from the defenders, and Its numerical superiority was constantly increasing. Rein forcements were landing at Sublc bay, close by MacArthur's left flank, where, the army said, the Japanese attacks were heaviest. All in all, the communique aroused grave apprehension here as to how long Mac- Arthur's men might be able to continue their resistance. The department's announcement con tained no note of optimism other than that "the enthusiasm, courage and devotion" of the men were "undiminished But In a war of machines, this is not enough, and the cap ital was prepared for the worst. EVERY AUSSIETO FIGHTNEEDED New York, Jan. 24. UP) Every Australian man, woman and child will turn soldier. If need be, to protect his land from Japanese aggression, Aus tralia s prime minister, John Curtln, declared today in broadcast recorded by CBS. Asked if any Australian city would be surrendered to pos sible Invasion to avert death and destruction, Curtln replied with an emphatic. "No, "Should Japanese aggression come to this country, Australia will duplicate the British policy of 'every village a strong point, every town a fortress, and every man, woman and child soldier'," Curtln said. London. Jan. tVPh-The British admiralty aaaeaaced tonight that British warships bad "Intercepted and ees tared" the SAOO-toa Italian vessel Dochesaa D'Aosta. Mainour no. Jan. 24 V Australian Army Minis toe Francis M. Fordo ordered mobilisation of home defenses sad acceleration of the draft ing of married man under the age of 33 and single asea Ba ser 41 teas. War niillptiiiQ 1 RUBBER AVAILABLE ejssjiweoowoooj rn lO AS FLIGjff GROWS British Envoy Predicts Sov iet War With Japan 'Inevitable.' (By Associated Press) . Russia presented solid new proof last (Saturday) night, If any further evidence were need ed, that the unending German retreat to the west Is neither a line-straightening withdrawal, as Berlin once liked to explain, nor the process necessary to establishment of a "fluid front," which was the latest bit of Berlin rationalizing. - The proof was piled up tn the form of vast stores of provisions and war materiel which have been seized in the course of a Russian drive that has dislodged the northern anchor of the Ger man line, virtually encircled Rzhev, another key Nazi posi tion, and, according to a British broadcast, threatened Smolensk itself, where Adolf Hitler at last report was said to have estab lished his headquarters. The Russians pointed out the captured stores were so large they were, In themselves, proof the Germans had meant to hold on throughout the winter In positions from which they now have been routed. Coupled by coincidence with the Soviet account of this latest smashing triumph was a pre diction by Sir Stafford Crlpps, returned from It months as British ambassador to Russia, that war between the Soviet and Japan Is inevitable. Sir Stafford did not elaborate on this statement. But ha did report that he Russian army, with 0,000,000 men under arms, is confident It will have crushed the Germans completely by the winter of 1943. On the African front,, the crucial battle which only a few days ago had been expected to develop near El Aghella was spreading out SO miles to the northeast in a triangular area some 400 miles square. There, In a sector bounded roughly by Agedabla in the west, Antelat to the north and Saunnu to the ea.it, German General Erhin Rommel had split his African army into sev eral columns, aach with tanks as its spearhead. The Nazi com mander's strategy appeared to be the destruction of British supply depots built up. Ironi cally, by the British in the expectation they would be hold ing the Initiative, rather than the defensive, in the fight CHINESE ATTACK JAP RAIL CENTER Chungking, Jan. 24. violent Chinese attacks on a Japanese base and a railway junction along the Pelplng-Han-kow railway In north China were announced tonight by army headquarters. The righting still Is In pro gress, the communique said, and Japanese supply lines In the area have been cut. . One point of assault Is Slao kan, 40 miles north of Hankow, and Hwalyuan, between Slao- kan and Hankow. The latter has an Important airdrome while Hwalyuan Is a Junction of great strategic value. FOR GIRDLES, ETC. Wsshlngton, Jsn. 14. (JP) Cheerio, girls, you'll be able to get girdles after all. The war production board an- nounced today that It would act within a few days to make "limited amount" of crude rub ber available for the manufac ture of girdles, corsets and other foundation garments, To Prison MOanJKHbMmn -, William Du'ter Feller ('ore- rround), leader el the Silver Shirt organisation, steps from the elevator that brought hint from Jail to the court room at AshevlUe. N. C whore he was eeataaaeoV ta sane two ta throe years US sioar Juoge r. uon Phillips who ruled that PeUey had violated terms ol a suspend ed sentence alter his convtcttaa. a years ago of using moans ol fraudulent advertising to sell stock, i A deputy sheriff is behind Poller. ... . Washington, Jan. 14. -- (JP) Government rationing of sugar, it was announced tonight, will begin early next month with each person limited to about a pound a week. Announcing the program. Price Administrator Leon Hend erson said it was proposed, too. to recover excess stocks from persons who have hoarded sup- The prospective allowance ox one pound per person a week compares with average per capi ta home consumption of about 1 Vi pounds a week In 1V41. Henderson said there was an actual shortage of about one- third In the sugar supply, and that this, rather than hoarding. necessitated this first foodstuff rationing of the war. Rationing books nsva deslsned and printing of them will be started In a day or two. ha nlil Then. In a direct word oi warning to hoarders, Henderson averted: "Those who have stocks on hand are advised to start using them now. "Consumers who are ra poe onion of abnormally large twka of auiar are warned that they will not be permiueo. to gain an advantage from their supposed foresight." He did not amplify this state ment, but OPA officials stressed It as one of the most Important In the rationing announcement Action against hoarders will be an important part of the ration ing program, they saio. JAP SUB SUNK London, Jan. 14. VP) A British shin operating In the far east has destroyed a Jap anese submarine, the admiralty announced todsy. POOL RESOURCES Msrshflcld, Jsn. 24 m Southwestern Oregon machine shop owners, seeking war con tracts, have agreed to pool re source VICTORY TO HAW jiemy Convoy Suffers In Macassar Straits Battle Quell Atlantic Menace. Wsshlngton,' Jsn. 14. UP) The navy announced today that United States destroyers la a night attack on aa enemy con voy In the Macassar straits had made several torpedo and close range gun hit on destroyers and transports, blowing up one enemy ship, sinking another and severely damaging some other vessels. The United States destroyers received only slight damage, the navy department said la a communique, and their only casualties were four man wounded, .one seriously and three slightly. The Macassar straits lead north end south between Bor neo and Celebes la the Dutch East Indies. They afford the most direct route, about 1,000 miles, between Davao la the Philippines, now used as a Japanese naval base, and the Island of Ball In the Java see. The text of the communique. No. 32, based oa reports re ceived up to 2 p. m. PST today. rar east: The uvy department ha been advised by the commander in chief, Asiatic fleet, that United States dostroyen aaada a- night- attack on an enemy convoy la th Macassar straits.' Our forces aaada several tos pedo hits and close rang gua hits oa destroyer . sad trma ports. Th affect ol th attack was that on large enemy chip Mown up: another was sunk; a third was listing heav ily when last sighted, and eon slderable damage was Inflicted upon other vessels. "Our destroyer received only slight damage. Our only casual- were four men wounded. on seriously, and thr slightly. "Atlantic arsai "Enemy submarines are oper ating off th east coast of the United State as far south aa Savannah, Ga. Counter ' meas ures against their activities are continuing with favorable re sults." TANK BATTLE 111 LIBYA III DOUBT Cairo. Jan. 24. AP Mobil - columns of th British eighth ar my smashed tonight at the coun- ter-attacklng forces of Nazi Gen eral Erwln Rommel ta a hard and sprawling battle of tanks oa th eastern side of th Clrnai an desert hump. The engagement was on a bat tlefield of great size, la a triangla bounded by Agedabla, Saunnu, 42 miles to th east and Antelat, 30 miles to the north. British Middle-Eastern head quarters was without word of prods results, but tt felt able to report that th strong RAF forces in th desert bad don 'great execution" la bombing and strafing assaults on th ene my's mechanised transports all around Agedabla. SEEK STRIKE END Portland, Jan. 14. ( Th war labor board was asked yes terday to Intervene la a three-week-old strike that has throws 1,300 workers at th Doern- becher Manufacturing company into Idleness. GRAIN NEAR TOP Chicago, Jan. 24. (JP) A lata rush to buy today lifted grata futures prices back to near top levels for th past five years, reducing losses Inflicted by pro fit taking since those peaks wer established earlier la th weak. SNAO Otendale, Jan. 14. AF Clyde A. Waterman, 41, Ingham Lumber Company woods boss, tras fatally crushed yesterday by a snag, toppled by th branch at . falling i 1 v 1
