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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (July 5, 1942)
Lt YOUR Ktawt to Bombs b BONDSI Buy Wr Bond tnd lUmpi TODAY Contribute to th nt effort of your nation, ratrlot torn, your own If-protect Ion, demands that YOU do 7001 part NOW! Dh Tli MAIL TRIBUNE Want Ad Way Oulek Results t Small Cost Medford Tribune Full Associated Pratt United Prttt Thirty seventh Year. MEDFORD, OREGON, SUNDAY, JULY 5, 1942. NO. 90. UBffl 1 HE ' I, S MJEW1 News Behind The News By Paul Mallon Washington, July 4 At Egypt goes, so goes the whole middle east theater of war. No more military information than that provided by a world map will tell ;wMi"i.n.m you that axis closure of the Mediterranean will require a whole new concept of the world struggle by the United Nations. A changed strat egy for vic tory will have to be devised. The shipping Paul Malloo distance from New York and London to Basra, at the head of the Persian Gulf, is greater than from San Francisco to Australia. Any middle east defensive cam paign, based on that port (which would be the only feasible one left by Egypt't fall could be sustained only to a very limited and difficult extent. Any effort to keep the tiny dot of Malta in the middle of the Mediterranean would hardly be worthwhile. The navy nearly gave some military expert heart failure the other day by announcing, during the battle of Egypt, that the American air craft carrier Wasp had arrived at Malta with vital plane rein forcements. With Egypt tottering, it was no time for an American air craft carrier to be there. It de veloped the Wasp venture had been carried out earlier. As a matter of fact, it was darned earlier, about last May 1, to be exact. a THE British could have no use for Malta, with Egypt gone, because there would be no land ing place for British or Ameri can convoys to go, through that inland sea. Nor could they use it for planes or subs to bomb or prey upon Rommel's line of supplies, because Rommel's supply route could go straight from Italy to Alexandria, beyond plane range. Malta no doubt would have to go as Egypt goes. A stand might be made in Palestine or Syria for the Near East oil fields, but, as pointed out above, this defense would have to be supported hazardous ly by the circuitous route of tupplies back through Basra, while the Nazis enjoyed perfect interior supply routes back to Germany. Consequently a new theory for distribution of our lend-lease tupplies and our military (Continued on Past Pour) (Br the Associated Press) Despite tire and gasoline shortages 72 persons died on the highways yesterday (Satur day) and 73 others met violent death in other forms as the na tion celebrated Independence day. The figures compared with 182 deaths, 114 of them caused by traffic accidents, last Fourth of July. A toll of 21 lives was taken by drowning. The fact that there were no reports of fatali ties caused by fireworks was largely attributable to heavy re strictions on pyrotechnic dis plays in coastal areas and strict ly enforced local safety laws. Automobile traffic in all sec tions of the country was re ported lighter due to the tire and fuel saving campaigns. California led the states in traffic deaths with a toll of 14 recorded. JAPS AT CENTER ENJOY FOURTH OF JULY PARTY Portland. Ore., July 4. IIP) Japanese at the evacuee as sembly center here observed the Fourth of July with a party to day. They saved sugar from week ly rations for maive cakes mhich were decorated to re semble American flags. More than 3,500 evacuees participated r TRANSPORTS AND Army and Navy Both Reveal Landing of Blows Fog, Rain Handicap Efforts. Washington, July 4 (IP) A flying general reported today on his return from the North Pacific that army and navy air forces had "severely damaged" Japanese ships, air and shore installations in the invaded Aleutians. Brigadier General Laurence S. Kuter, deputy chief of the army air staff, said the bombers in the Aleutian war zone were "carrying the fight to the en emy" and were well equipped but were handicapped by fog and rain. Hit Three Transports The war department made public his statement a few hours after the navy reported Amer ican fliers again had been strik ing at Japanese forces in the Aleutians, including an air at tack onthree transports and their convoys. The navy communique com mented, however, that the situ ation in the chain of islands reaching out from Alaska to ward Japan "has not changed materially" in the last two weeks. This was the first navy com munique concerning the Aleu tians since that of June 21 when it reported the -Japanese had set up "minor temporary struc tures at Kiska. That com munique also reported that army bombers had scored hits on an enemy carrier and sunk a transport. American airmen are devis ing special means to put the Japs within range of fighter planet operating from the Aleu tian bases," Kuter said. "Dis tances are great, and bad weather increases gasoline con sumption, Nevertheles, when ever the weather even approach es 'flyability , our bombers take off to fight the enemy with bullets and bombs. Patrol Kiska Seat Regardless of weather, he said, army and navy air forces operating under unified com mand were keeping the Jap on Kiska island under observation and Datrolling adjacent seas. Kiska is 585 miles west o: the United States navy base at Dutch Harbor. Despite the latest reports from the army and navy there were renewed expressions of concern about the Aleutian sit uation. Delegate Anthony J. Dimond of Alaska said the reports 'shows they're working at the situation," but he added that he was "scared pink for fear we're going to dawdle until the Japs take over "the whole Aleu tian chain." He expressed particular con cern over Kiska, saying that today's navy communique dis closed that the enemy was dig ging in at that spot, to which the Japanese pushed after Its initial landing at Attu on the western most tip of the. Aleu tians. "We ought to throw In at least 500 planes immediately and bomb the hell out of them," Dimond said, referring to the Japanese positions at Kiska and elsewhere in the Islands. By The Associated Press A giant hemlock tree toppled in a sudden wind storm today in the Silver Springs recrea tional area of the Snoqualmie national forest, striking three children attending a family pic nic and killing one of them out right. It wat the worst holiday ac cident in Washington slate dur ing a day that taw at least ten persons killed. Jo Reen Cairo. 11. daughter of Thomas J. Carvo. White Cen ter, Seattle suburb, was killed outright by the falling tree. Her head waa crushed. Yanks Help British at Bottleneck? O 50 - - 7 STATUTE liS'H- Mediterranean Sea MILES p D :?"V EGYPT II Qattara aVI Depression ajj The British announced the repulse of axis attacks at El Alamaln as the battle for Egypt raged In the "bottleneck" between the Mediterranean coast and the Qattara Deprenion. An Italian dis patch claimed several thousand American troops were fighting alongside the British at El Alamein. FOREST SERVICE HAS ALL BUT ONE F Portland, Ore.. July 4 (IP) All but one of approximately 73 small forest fires set by lightning last night In Oregon and Washington were reported under control tonight. The lone exception was a blaze which had burned over about 10 acres on Rountop moun tain in northwestern Washing ton county of Oregon and C. C. Scott, secretary of the forest protective associations, said "it is being brought under control." About 50 fires were in the national forests of Washington, reported C. Otto Lindh, assist ant sixth regional forester In charge of fire control. Twenty nine were in the Wenatchee and 14 on the east side of the Sno qualmle, he said. Approximately 25 fires were out of national forest territory, 10 In Oregon, 15 in Washington. Portland, Ore., July 4 (IP) U. 5. forest service officials said today they had not been informed officially that Oregon and Washington national forests were Included in a western de fense order banning forest camp fires where air raid warning were not available. Issuance of campfire permits, required tince July 1, will be continued in the two states pend lng clarification of the confusing situation, said C. Otto Lindh assistant regional forester. QUIET 4TH FOR MEDFORD FOLK Fourth of July In Medford yesterday wat a quiet affair, wnat with the ban on firecrack ers and fireworks of all kinds and the lock of any sort of form al celebration. Citizens who didn't leave town made the turnstiles click merrily at the four theaters, the ice arena and the baseball game, or simply stayed home and took thingt easy. State police reported that travel on the highways wat "not too heavy," although a consid erable number of cart were seen headed toward picnic grounds In the forests, the laket and Rogue river. Lithia park in Ashland, police said, was a highly popular place for pic nickers. Most of the local stores were closed but construction at Camp White continued unabated at workmen gave up their holiday to patriotically tpeed work at the army cantonment. The lessened July 4 highway traffic was reflected in the state police statement that no accidents had been reported up to last nicht. Oklahoma Pilot Of Raid London. July 4 (IP) The United States army air forces set off their first fireworks in western Europe on this Fourth-of-July with bombs and strafing raids on German airdromes, planes in stallations and enemy airmen in Holland and on nazi patrol ships offshore. The initial raids in a fore-1 shadowed series of American aerial onslaughts aimed at knocking the German luftwaffe off the invasion front produced an outstanding hero-pilot who brought home his battered and tattered plane on one engine atfer it was all but knocked out by anti-aircraft fire. The plane actually was down once on nazl-held soil but It rebounded under the pilot's ad roit control and made its get away, silencing an anti-aircraft tower even as it escaped. The pilot, Captain Charles C. Kegelman, of El Reno, Okla.. promptly was awarded the dis tinguished service cross for gal lantry in action, the first to honored on this front by MaJ. Gen. Dwlght D. Elsenhower, American commander in the European theater. The raid wat undertaken soon after dawn by twelve Boston Douglas light bombers, six of them manned by all-American crews, the others by seasoned RAF airmen. Because they can develop a top combat speed of 350 miles per hour they swept out on their mission without fighter plane cover. Two American-manned planes were missing after the operations but one was officially declared to have been still under control when last sighted over its tar get. The other was shot down by anti-aircraft fire the first American army air casualty on the continent. One of the six British planet also failed to re turn. It wat ttressed In the first two American communiques and in the British air ministry com munique that the raids were carried out Just over the the ground "hedge-hopping." Such expressions at "zero alti tude", "very low level, and minimum altitude were used." 337TH SHIP SUNK BY AX1SJJ-B0ATS By The Associated Pret! The torpedoing of two mer chant ships with the lost of 30 seamen aboard one of them was announced today by the navy, raising the unofficial Associat ed Press tabulation of allied and neutral losses in the Atlantic since Pearl Harbor to 337. Included among the 30 men lost, all of whom were aboard a small Panamanian ship, was the skipper, Captain Anders Weet gaard. Fourteen men survived the torpedoing which occurred June 16 in the Gulf of Mexico. The entire regular crew of 37 and 13 navy gunners sur vived when an axis submarine torpedoed a small American merchantman in the Caribbean tea Juna IS Is Hero On Nazi Bases Divorces, Marriages Show Reno Increase Under War Pressure Reno, Nov., July 4 (IP) The first six months of this war year has brought Reno more divorces and more marriages. Divorce filings are up 30.4 per cent and marriage license issuances have increased 25.5 per cent over the corresponding period last year. There were 1.307 divorce suits filed from January 1 to June 30, as against 1.002 a year ago. Meanwhile 12.204 li censes to wed were Issued, com pared to 9,747 in the first half of 1941. Attorneys are slightly puz zjed at the rush of divorce seek ers. Many expected fewer this war year. "Several of my clients say their husbands are going Into the service and want to get their domestic differences set tled," one lawyer observed. Others believe that increased Incomes have a tendency to hat ten the end of long-smouldering difficulties. U. S. SOLDIER GIVES LONDONERS THRILL London, July 4 (IP) A United States soldier In London celebrated the Fourth of July today in a fashion which left English witnesses a bit breath less. He took a casual dive off London Bridge. Americans Dedicate Independence Day To Speeding Output of War Machines (By Associated Press) America observed Independ ence day with its fighting men deployed the world around, struggling at never before - to maintain the liberties daringly proclaimed 166 years ago. t There were celebrations wher ever the nation's forcet hap pened to be. American fliers chose this significant holiday for their first participation In an attack upon the Hitler-held con tinent of Europe. Meanwhile, at home, the day was dedicated, not to the usual firecrackers, picnics, and motor lourt, but to whirring factory wheelt and busy assembly lines lest, said President Roosevelt, a single hour be wasted, or a single shot withheld. "On the desert sands of Afri ca, along the thousands of miles of battle Unei in Russia, in New Egyptian Drive Loses Momentum; Russian War Machine Gulps Nazis; Yankee Airmen Join RAF in Raid STOP GAP PLAN MAY BE AGREED FOR FARM COIN Would Give Plenty of Funds For July Expense While Senate, House Wrangle. Washington, July 4 (IP) Stop-gap legislation which would give the agriculture department really twice as much money dur ing July at it would receive under a disputed regular ap propriation bill was recom mended unanimously today by senate appropriations tub- committee. If the senate and the house should agree to this plan, the two branchet could wrangle over the appropriationt bill for the rest of this month without causing financial embarrass ment to the department, now technically without funds. Under a simple resolution recommended by the subcom mittee, the department would be allowed to spend thit month at the rate which prevailed in June, the last month of the previous fiscal year. The old law provided $1,127, 623,854 for the 1942 fiscal year. The new supply bill sets up about $680,000,000. According ly the department may have some $93,300,000 available for July spending, compared with about $56,000,000 under the dis puted bill. The subcommittee substituted its resolution for a lengthy bill passed by the house last Thurs day a measure which wat en tirely Inacceptable to the senate leadership. Medford't temperatures for Thursday and Friday continued well above the 100 mark as weather bureau reports thowed mercury at 105 degrees Thurs day and 106 degrees Friday. Minimum for Thursday wat 64 and Friday dropped only to 67 degrees. Hot weather first blitzed Medford a week ago when Sun day, June 29, showed 95 de greet. Monday the mercury climbed another five degreet to 100.5 and Tuesday, 105; Wed nesday, 108; and rounded out the week with 105 and 106 de gree!. Zealand and Australia, and the Islands of the Pacific, in war torn China and all over the seven seas, free men are fight ing desperately and dying to preserve the liberties and de cencies of modern civilizations," Mr. Roosevelt said. "And In the overrun and oc cupied nations of the world, thit day it filled with added signifi cance, coming at a time when freedom and religion have been attacked and trampled upon by tyrannies unequalled in human history. "Never tince It first was creat ed In Philadelphia has thit anni versary come in timet to dan gerous to everything for which It stands. "We celebrate It this year, not In the flreworkt of make believe but in the death dealing reality of tanks and planet and guns and thipt. We celebrate It also by running without interruption Interpreting The War News By Kirk L. Simpson (Wide World War Analyst) The allied world drew an eas ier breath at the end of a week tense with war drama in Egypt and Russia. For the moment at least Brit ish reinforcements appeared to have blocked again the axis drive toward Alexandria. Unquestionably Hitler's prom ised knock-out summer offen sive against Russia Is in pro gress. A German claim to have broken through Russian de fenses testified to that. A crisis is brewing in southern Russia that Is no less urgent than that for the British in Egypt even though the factors Involved, in cluding the time element, are wholly different. Reports Hard To Follow On Mapt Neither Russian nor German reports afford much map data by which to guage the ebb or flow of the huge and growing battle. It aDDears that the main Ger man attack thus far has devel oped along a front of probably 200 miles from northeast of Kursk southward to Kupyansk, 80 miles east and slightly south of Kharkov. That roughly corresponds to the line of the Kursk-Beiogoroa-Volchansk-Kupyansk railroad. Kupyansk was taken by the Germans more than a week ago. Belgorod, like Kursk, remained In German hands throughout the winter and spring. Vol chansk, however, wat the north ern limit of Marshal Tlmoshen ko't drive at Kharkov at Chug nev was its southern extremity. If the Germans now hold all of the Kursk-Kupyansk railroad, therefore, it is clear that they have not enly regained all of the ground Russia won about Kharkov but definitely moved eastward beyond Timoshenko's Jump-off positions Men, Equipment Are Main Factors The territory at yet lost or gained Is of amall consequence rnmnared with the losses In men and equipment for either side. The battle in Russia it a battle of attrition, of destruction of armlet, not for thit or that key point. Its time element can be computed only in weekt or montht. 1000 Pretty Girl Visit Fort Lewis Fort Lewit, July 4 (IP) One thousand pretty glrlt, the maj ority from Seattle, helped thit northwest garrison to appropri ately celebrate the Fourth of July. , . The Junior hostessea enjoyed an afternoon's awlm with the soldiers In American Lake and then climaxed their visit at a dance in the evening. the assembly lines which turn out these weapons to be shipped to all the embattled point of the globe." In keeping with the 1942 spirit of the day. President Roosevelt and many another government official or employ wat at hit desk at usual. In two Important conferences, Mr. Roosevelt reviewed the produc tion effort with Donald M. Nel son, war production head, and then went over the military sit. uatlon with the chiefs of the army and navy. Secretary of State Hull alto Issued a statement The spirit of liberty and freedom which Inspired the founding and de velopment of the nation "it the spirit that will win the war, he said, adding that this spirit should be "revitalized and cul tivated the fullest extent by all of the united nations and their people!." NAZIS STALLED FOR THIRD DAY Reds Consuming Division a Day U. S. Suffers First Europe Casualties. By Richard McMurray Associated Press War Editor The determined British army of the Nile stayed for the third successive day the critical Ger man threat to Alexandria and all Egypt and the axis forces Satur day night thowed signs of wear Inest and lost momentum. In the equally vital battle of the Ukraine, the stalwart Rus sian army met and contained the full fury of a 100-mile wide Nazi offensive and counterat tacked with success while con suming the enemy's mechanized might at the rate of an armor ed division a day. One Retreat In the midnight communique) Issued early today (Sunday) the) Soviets admitted that in one utv. disclosed sector of the Kursk" front Russian troops had re treated and occupied new post tions while stubborn battles proceeded on the Belgorod and Volchansk fronts near Khar kov. And in western Europe, the swiftly growing United States air forces flew for the first time from the British isles in an at-, sault upon German airdromes In Holland and shipping off the Dutch coast. It was a modest be ginning of an immense punish ment which the aroused Amer ican nation had promised Hit ler, for only six bombers man ned entirely by U. S. crews and an equal number of RAF bomb ers took part. Three planes two of them American operated were shot down, accounting; for the first V. S. combat cas ualties In Europe of this war. Aided From Air The sky-ruling British and TJ. S. army pilots supported the stiffened and reinforced British land forces with the greatest aerial onslaugh any continent except Europe has ever seen, and it was this power that was believed to have bogged down the Nazis and Italians Just 65 miles short of Alexandria, al ready within sound of the big gest guns. Then, too, the accurate Brit ish artillery was taking a grow ing toll of the axis armor, and the allies were showing a mora aggressive fighting spirit and greater willingness to take risks to punish the desert fox, Mar thai Rommel. Forty big axis guns were cap tured along with hundreds of enemy troops but the very fact that for three tortured dayt and nights the Germans had been stopped in the El Alamein bot tleneck outweighed these tactic al gains. It was far too early to draw conclusions, tempting though the prospects were. The fox had halted before, and even with drawn in his 350 mile sprint across North Africa, only to rest and strike with great power and surprise which caught the British flat-footed. Momentum Gone But for the first time in this sixth desert campaign, the enemy was stopped and his mo mentum wat gone. All kindt ot reinforcements Including American tanks, guns and other material were stream ing to the front. There were reports that Rom mel was digging in, perhaps to rest and consolidate and await new reinforcements. But there was no disposition by the Brit ish to play his game the Im perials were attacking to des troy. The axis claims of victory degenerated into boasts of repel i ling ' counterattacks.
