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Thirty-sixth Year
MEDFORD, OREGON, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1942.
NO. 269.
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News Behind
The News
by Paul Mallon
Washington, Jan. 31. The
White House is doing a little
quiet footwork on some slow-
wittea generais
around the war
d e p a r tment.
They are be
ing kicked up
stairs, where
they will not
be in the way
of the war ef
fort. Whether be
cause of the
Roberts report
or other devel-
Pan Mallon
opments, the president appar
ently has decided to use his in
fluence for the further removal
of war casualties, wounded most
ly by Inertia, near the top, only
he has the influence to do it.
Shifts he has started constitute
White House policy.
Only question is whether he
can er will go far enough. Many
officers who failed in maneuvers
have been given leading posi
tions in camps. There they still
are not beyond a certain ability
to do harm.
US government, without an
nouncement, has turned
loose an army of economists to
think about the second most Im
portant question before us the
post-war world. Most of them
. are still thinking. A few fancy
notions about improving the
world standard of living have so
far fulminated forth, but now
comes the first one with handle
bars on it. - .
- Mr. Hull's respected economic
iy adviser, Herbert Feis, tosred this
one out for the January Issue of
"foreign affairs," just as a per
sonal notion to be debated. He
thinks the trade restrictions
which ruined the world after
the last war could be corrected
If this country created an an
nual foreign exchange fund of
say $3,000,000,000 or $4,000,000.
000 (about one-third of the an
nual new deal average cost of
government) as a basis for for
eign trade operations.
m He would have each nation set
up similar fund. We would
allocate a certain portion of our
fund for their purchases here.
As they used these amounts,
they would have to give us a
credit for an equal amount to
buy from them. (Feis presup
poses all currencies will be re
latively stabilized for these
(Continued on Pag Sii)
War Bulletins
London. Jan. 31. (AP)
Brltiih bombart scored two di
rect hits on the biggest ship
of an 8-ihip German convoy
off the Frisian islands today,
the air ministry announced.
A single German plane
" bombed the Scottish southeast
coait tonight, causing two cas
ualties and slight damage. Day
light raiders attacked a place
In East Anglis but their bombs
fell harmlessly.
Mew York. Jan. 31. (AP)
The British radio said tonight
that Russian submarines have
sunk 43 ensmy vessels total
ing 170.000 tons. The broad
cast was heard by CBS.
London, Jan. 31. (API
The Rome, quoting dispatches
from Stockholm, said today
that a quarter of Copenhagen,
the capital of German-occupied
Denmark, had been des
troyed by fire.
London. Jan. 31. (API
Foreboding tension was re
ported mounting throughout
Norway tonight on the eve of
the delayed ceremony eleva
ting Vldkun Quisling to the
German-designated title of
"prime minister of state."
London. Jan. 31. (AP) A
report received by the army
said today that a heavy rain
storm recently saved a large
allied convoy which since has
arrived at Singapore carrying
planes, troops and materials.
I "Sixty Japanese planes.
the report said, "appeared
menacingly and it looked as
U Just as thay were ready to
swoop down the heaviest rain
storm ia weeks broke and the
ships were blotted out."
mum rat
TO ISLAND FORI
FOR LAST STAND
Causeway Dynamited, And
Long Siege Awaited
Retreat Carried Out. .
By C. Yates McDanlel
Singapore, Jan. 31. ()
Jungle-weary British imperials
gave up the fight in Malaya to
day, withdrew into the hot,
tight little Island of Singapore
and prepared for a long and
wasting siege in a desperate bid
to hold this last inch of the
Malay barrier until reinforce
ments arrive to reverse the tide
of Japanese conquest.
"Our task is to hold this fort
ress until help can come, as as
suredly it will come; this we
are determined to do," said a
proclamation of the Singapore
Commander, Lieut. Gen. A. E.
Percival, who called for ruth
less steps against the enemy
both within and without.
"Any of the enemy who sets
foot in our fortress must be
dealt with immediately," he de
clared. "The enemy within our gates
must be ruthlessly weeded out.
"There must be no more loose
talk and rumor-mongering.
"Our duty is clear: With firm
resolve and fixed determination
we shall win through.
"For nearly two months our
troops have fought an enemy
on the mainland who has had
the advantage of great air su
periority' and considerable free
dom of movement by lea.
"Our task has been to impose
losses on the enemy and gain
tim tn nahle the farce nf the
)fllll tn h mni-entraterl for
this struggle in the far east.
"Today we stand beleaguered
in our island fortress."
The final retreat of Austral
ians, Scottish highlanders, Brit
ish, Sikhs, Gurkhas and Mal
ayan militia was carried out last
night from a line which has ex
tended across the Malay jungles
from IS to 40 miles north of
this Island.
The transfer of this force of
undisclosed size across Johore
strait was aided by units of
the British navy, and under the
protection of the air force, but
the Japanese did little to inter
fere, probably because the sud
den withdrawal was a surprise
to them.
(The British radio said war
ships played an important part
in the evacuation while the
RAF flung a "protective um
brella overhead." The broadcast
was heard by NBC).
Causeway Blown Up
Then when the last truck and
tank had rumbled across, the
mines which had been set under
the half-mile long causeway
connecting the island with the
mainland were set off, and
chunks of the structure were
hurled into the sky.
Defending the approaches to
this fortress on which Britain
has lavished $400,000,000 In re
cent years, the British in seven
weeks of exhausting warfare
had beat a retreat of 350 miles
through the swamps, streams
and rubber groves of Malaya,
regularly outflanked by the in
filtration tactics of Japanese
snipers landed on each coast
each time a determined stand
was made on a natural line of
defense
The Japanese now have all
the rich rubber and tin re
sources of Malaya, and the
question was whether they can
also reduce this fortress and
thereby win a free passage into
the Indian ocean and a strong
position from which to attack
Java, the citadel of The Nether
lands East Indies.
The fall of Singapore would
permit Japanese air and naval
forces to sweep into the Gulf
of Martaban and possibly choke
off not only the source of sup
ply for the Burma road to
China, but also undo the work
which has been accomplished in
building up a threat to Japan's
flank in Burma.
TERRIBLE
New York, Jan. 31. (APV
The war has struck at the very
heart of the winter sports in
dustry it has curtailed skiing
'in Switzerland. ..
Three Arrested in Espionage
i .
,.-a.
Arrest of three residents of Beverly Hills, Calif., Dr. Hans Helmut Gros (right), 34, and his
wife. Frances Goellert Gros (left). 31. and Albert Curt Reutar (center), 56. on charges of espion
age act violation in sending information to Germany was reported by the FBI. All are held in lieu
of $5,000 bond each. The FBI said Dr. Gros, native American, is a
college in Berlin.
NAZI ANCHOR IN
Bf SOVIET DRIVE
- - i iJ ,
Moscow, Sunday, Feb. 1 (AP)
The Russian army has cap
tured Berestovoya, 115' miles
west of German-held Taganrog
and 30 miles north of the Sea
of Azov, in a smashing blow
threatening the southern Ukraine
anchor of the nazi defense lines,
the Red army newspaper Red
Star reported today in a war
front dispatch.
Red Star said a full-scale of
fensive had been in progress on
this southern flank of the 'tre
mendous front for several days,
with the Germans subjected to
day and night pressure.
Berestovoya is 30 miles north
of Ossipenko (Berdyansk), port
on the Sea of Azov, and halfway
between Melitipol and Mariupol.
Apparently the Russian forces
employed in this new thrust by
passed Tanganrog itself in an
effort to outflank and trap the
German garrison there. It was
to Taganrog that the German
forces retired after the Soviet
counter-offensive had blasted
them out of Rostov, the gateway
to the Caucasus.
Earlier reports said Russian
troops had broken through the
German lines in the Ukraine and
are racing forward after cap
turing 200 villages, while in the
northwest ski-mounted artillery
is enabling the Red army to wade
deep into enemy-defended terri
tory, Russian war reports said
today.
OFF CALIFORNIA
San Francisco, Jan. 31 (P)
A blimp patrol was established
over the central California coast
line today, augmenting the alert
watch of attack and bombing
planes and surface craft.
In making the announcement
the navy's 12th district com
mandant observed "it has been
demonstrated that the blimp can
not only spot for and direct
other fighting craft, but has a
definite fighting power of its
own with both bombs and gun
fire."
Especially effective against
undersea boats, the non-rigid
aircraft are referred to by navy
men as the dread of submarine
commanders. They can never,
drift and spot the enemy, and
in spite of severe weather they
can maintain flight for long
hours.
Those based here are 246
footers, driven by two engines.
Depending on the task assigned,
they carry a crew of from seven
to nine men, the navy said, and
they bear depth bombs as well
at ether weapons. - - -
NEW DEAL PLANS
SENATE ADVISED
Secretary WIckard Shows
Hand Senate Bloc Anp
ered By Stand.
Washington, Jan. 31. (AP)
The senate farm bloc heard from
Secretary of Agriculture WIck
ard today that the administra
tion could and would apply pow-1
erful curbs to farm prices should
wartime forces start -them soar
ing. Senators attending the senete
agriculture committee's four
hour questioning of the cabinet
member said they learried that
the administration proposed to
use its power to buy and sell
commodities to hold farm prices
down.
They admitted that this power,
conferred In the price control
bill, was such that farm prices
probably could be held to parity
and their victory in the legisla-1
tive fight over the price con-1
trol act nullified. I
The farm bloc succeeded in
writing into the price control
bill a prohibition against price
ceilings on farm commodities !
lower than 110 per cent of par-
ity. rarity is t!ie price at which
a farm product' has the same
purchasing power in terms of
non-farm products that it had in :
a base period, usually 1909-14. I
President Roosevelt, In sign-
ing the price control bill, said
that "most farmers realize that
when prices go much above par-;
ity danger is ahead."
Some senators obviously were '
angered by what they learned j
from Wickard. j
Senator Smith (D.-S. C.) as
serted that the "new deal" is
taking it out on the farmer
while permitting other prices "to
soar to the moon."
Senator Thomas (D.-Okla.) said
it was clear from Wickard's re
port that the administration In
tended to place government
owned surplus commodities on
the market or dispose of them
in such other manner that the
prices could never rise to the
ceiling position.
"They are circumventing the
price control law," said the Ok-
lahoman. "They are not pro
posing to let farm products even
reach parity."
13 ALERTS 1I DAY
Valletta. Malta, Jan. 31.
(AP) Thirteen alerts were
sounded on this much-bombed
bland fortress within 24 hours
ending at 8 o'clock tonight. No
casualties and only slight dam
age was reponcu. mail, Dimm
ed more than any place on earth,
has had more than 1,500 alerts
since the war started.
Investigation
graduate of the military medical
llf ARTHUR'S FORCE
HALTS JAPANESE,
TAKES PRISONERS
Washington, Jan. 31. (AP)
General MacArthur reported to
day that in addition to holding
off the Japanese, his forces have
been taking some prisoners.
After a 48 hours lull, during
which the enemy made ready for
another large scale assault, there
hap been "sporadic fighting," he
advised the war department.
Determined efforts to Infiltrate
the Batan Peninsula defense line
were rebuffed, and in the course
of these actions the prisoners
were taken. As for a number of
days past, there was virtually
no enemy activity in the air, he
said.
It was MacArthur's first report
of prisoners captured, and some
thought the effect might be to
restrain the Japanese from such
brutal treatment of American
prisoners as the general com
plained of a wee kago.
On Jan. 23, he informed the
war department of "several in
stances" of Japanese violation of
the International convention re
lating to captured prisoners of
war. Japan had announced her
intention to abide by that agree
ment. MacArthur said that on Jan.
12, the body of a Filipino scout,
Fernando Tan, had been found
face down in a stream. His hands
had been bound behind his back
and he had been bayoneted sev
eral times, and he had obviously
been "thrown into the stream to
die."
The text of today's communi
que follows:
"There was sporadic fighting
on the Batan peninsula during
the past 24 hours. Determined
enemy attempts at infiltration
through our lines were frustra
ted. Some Japanese prisoners
were taken.
"Practically no hostile air ac
tivity was noted."
WILL END TODAY
New York, Jan. 31. TV
The British radio said that the
state of war between Germany
and Norway will be declared
officially ended when Vidkun
Quisling is elevated to "prime
minister of the state" today at
Oslo.
The broadcast, heard by CBS.
also said that "ail leaves for
German soldiers have been can
celled." Washington, Jan. 31 (P
Secretary of Labor Perkins said
today that civil non-agricultural
employment In the United States
rose to a record peak of 40,940,
000 in December. -
.? t SNELL WILL
E
Y
Hot Race For Governorship
Seen Home Owners
First, Is Pledge.
Portland, Jan. 31. (AP) Sec
retary of State Earl Snell today
announced his candidacy for the
Republican nomination for gov
ernor." Snell has served two terms as
secretary of state and under a
new law would not be eligible
to seek re-election.
He will oppose Governor
Sprague, who announced last
year that he would seek re-election.
Snell, whose candidacy is ex
pected to result in one of the
warmest GOP gubernatorial pri
maries in many years, served in
four regular and special sessions
of the legislature before being
elected secretary of state. He
was speaker of the house in 1933.
He formerly lived In Arlington
where he was a garage owner
and wheat rancher.
Snell's campaign statement de
clared he favored abolishing the
state tax commission, revising
assessment and tax methods and
giving first consideration to
home owners.
Reduced local taxes and elim
ination and merger of boards and
commissions were included in
his platform.
WARSHIP LEASING
Washington, Jan. 31. W) A
record $26,495,265,474 naval sup
ply bill won approval of the sen
ate appropriations committee to
day, but not before members had
acted to prevent the transfer of
any of the navy's big fighting
ships to other nations.
Because, members said, of re
ports that the administration
planned to lease some war ves
sels to Latin-American countries,
the committee voted to limit pre
sidential authority over the
transfer of ships to smaller types
built under a $1,000,000,000 al
location for emergency construc
tion. The 1,789 vessels In this cate
gory might include destroyers,
mosquito boats, convoy vessels
and others of this type.
Tacoma, Jan. 31. (AP) The
U. S. war production board late
today stepped into the Puget
sound shipyard welders-AFL la
bor controversy with a flat state
ment that the war board expects
all shipyard welders to serve
their country by remaining at
their posts, and declaring "a
strike in the shipyards while our
nation Is at war and American
lives are at stake is Intolerable,"
according to a telegram received
here by R. J. Lamont, president
of the Seattle-Tacoma Ship
building corporation.
TIRE THEFTS" IN
IL
Portland, Ore., Jan. 31. JP)
Police reported Increasing tire
thefts in Portland today.
An automobile store discov
ered 33 tires valued at $600 had
been stolen.
One motorist reported a tire
taken from his car while it was
parked downtown, and a truck
owner said a wheel and tire
were stolen from his yard.
Eugene. Jan. 31 Ot Ed O.
Boehnke, Eugene, announced to
day he would seek the Repub
lican nomination as congress
man from the fourth Oregon
district -
Interpreting
The War News
By Kirke L. Simpson
(Wide World War Analyst)
The united nations-axis strug
gle Is at a crisis on the Pacific
front almost as grave for the al
lies as it was for England in that
black June of 1940 when France
fell.
Even so, the essential fact Is
that England weathered that
storm. The tight little isle
stands today, stronger and better
prepared to fight for freedom
than ever before. It is the sym
bol of Hitler's greatest defeat.
Not even his retreat in Russia
yet has like significance.
Can besieged Singapore or the
menaced Dutch colonial empire
in the far Pacific similarly sur
vive against all the Japanese
have done or can do? That is
the dominant question.
Prime Minister Churchill,
Britain's sturdy and courageous
war captain, did not undertake
to answer it when seeking par
liamentary approval of both his
own leadership and of the
strategy that exposed empire
Pacific outposts. He would
make no promise except that of
ultimate victory. That frank
acceptance of personal responsi
bility, and readiness to take the
bad with the good, lost him no
confidence votes.
Churchill sought no refuge be
hind the several circumstances
in the far Pacific he could have
noted to lighten the gloom. He
did not minimize the danger to
Singapore, to the Netherlands
Indies, to Australia. Nor did he
set out the measures taken or
concerted with Wasl.h.gton to
stem the . ipanese attack beyond
repeating that reinforcements
had arrived in the southwestern
Pacific war zone.
There Is other evidence of
that. The admiralty's acknowl
edgement of loss of an empire
destroyer, in a running fight off
the Malayan coast is one such
item.
Japan also lost a destroyer in
that action. It increased the toll
American - British - Dutch forces
are taking of sea craft which the
enemy can 111 spare in a battle
that has Just begun in those seas.
Tokyo knows that. The very
scope of the expanded Nipponese
drive to master the rich Nether
lands Indies even before the
Singapore and Luzon resistance
centers have been cracked has
an element of desperation in it.
It emphasizes the vital time
element for Japan. It is now or
never for the nazi-minded Tokyo
war pundits. It is all or nothing
for them, and every moment of
delay in Malaya and the Philip
pines or in the passages to the
Java sea is to the advantage of
the allies.
Indianapolis, Jan. 31 OP)
Apparently feeling his commu
nity was too complacent,' a
rnnntv civilian defense director
wrote to Indiana civilian de
fense headquarters:
"Would it be possible to have
a hnmb dronncd in our county
to have the people realize this
country is at war?"
The state committee replied:
"We're saving all bombs for
Tokyo."
BULLETIN
An East Canadian Port.
Jan. 31 JP Thirty-two sur
vivors of the crew of a British
freighter, the latest victims in
the German submarine war
against Atlantic shipping, have
been brought here alter
U-boat sent three torpedoes
Into their ship killing 10 men.
They spent II hours tossing
in an open lifeboat in the
freeiing cold of the north At
lantic before being picked up.
They said the second torpedo
came as they were towering
their lifeboats. One of the
boats was smashed and six
man died o! the concussion
or were so stunned they
drowned. Four ware pulled
aboard the second lifeboat.
Four of them died later of
wounds er exposure.
Survivors said the subma
rine surfaced briefly, than
disappeared.
BATTLE
NAVAL
Scorched Earth Greets In
vadersAllied Supply
Lines Menaced.
Rangoon, Burma, Jan. 81 HP)
The picturesque Burmese teak
and rice port of Moulmeln fell
to the Japanese shortly after
dawn today and British de
fense forces Which hH h.M
out against attack after attack
aroppea Deck to the west bank
of the Salween river.
There apparently they manned
the first main defense line of
surma, mocking the course of
the Japanese-Thai drive toward
Rangoon, port for the road to
Mandalav and the hark-
to China.
Batavla. N. E. I.. Jan. SI im
Furious battle on land, sea and
In the air flamed today between
the Dutch defenders of Ambolna(
me L.asi mates second naval
base, and a Japanese invasion
force which struck with great
strength into the strategic bas
tion on the archipelago's eastern
flank.
(An Australian communique
said Japanese troops were trying
to clinch a beach head from a
fleet of four transports, three
cruisers and six destroyers.)
While the transports edged
close to shore, Japanese cruisers
and destroyers poured shells in
to the island; bombers and fight
ers pounded Ambolna port itself
in furious force and, a com
munique said, "the battle was
raging everywhere."
Asore the Dutch were en-
gaged in a race with time to lay
waste the facilities which in
the hands of the enemy could
menace the main Indies-Australian
communications of the)
united nations and facilitate in
vasion of Java and North Aus
tralia.
Flames from demolitions on
the island licked at the sky and
it was announced officially that
"all preparatory destruction of
vital points In Amboina and vici
nity was ordered and immedi
ately carried out."
The island is in the Molucca
group which forms a barrier be
tween the Molucca passage from
the north and the Banda sea to
the south. On the west Is Cele
bes; on the east, New Guinea.
The Australian naval base of
Port Darwin is 634 miles to the
southeast, Java not much farther
to the southwest and the island
of Timor lies only 350 miles
distant.
By Thursday It was apparent
from reconnaissance that the
Japanese, bleeding from the
pounding they received at the
hands of Dutch and American
planes and warships in their
abortive attempt to force the
Strait of Macassar, direct route
to Java, were maneuvering for
a thrust down the Moluccan
passage.
In the Macassar waters to the
west a Japanese armada had
been battered and halted with
nearly two score warships or
transports sunk or damaged and
Its only achievement an empty
invasion of Balik Papan, east
Borneo oil port where the Jap
anese found oil fields and refin
eries in embers from the torch
of the Dutch scorched earth
policy.
The first attack on Ambclna
began Friday morning with two
hours of assault by Japanese
bombers and machine-gunning
fighters. A church and a school
were destroyed and a radio sta
tion damaged slightly, but the
population escaped casualties.
BAY AREAlARS
AIR RAID ALERT
San Francisco. Jsn. 31. WV
The fourth Interceptor command
flashed a preliminary yellow
alert signal at 7:03 p. m., Indicat
ing that unidentified aircraft
were operating somewhere in
the San Francisco bay region.
At 7:25 p. m. 22 minutes
later the all-ciear was Cashed.