Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, December 16, 1942, Image 1

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Medford mail tribune., December 16, 1942, Page 1, Image 1

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Newspaper Page Text, Let TOUR Answer Te Bomb Bo kONDSI Bay War Bonds see Stamp TOIlAV Caautkute u the in Ifort at feat nalloa Patriot Urn, roar own arir-protect loa. dentandt that IOU to four part NOWI Dm The MAIL TRIBTJIfB Want Ad Way Quick Raiulla At Small Coat Medford Tribune United Praia full Lauad Win United Pr Full Laaaed Wire Thirty-seventh Year. MEDFORD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1942. NO. 230 iacj mess tkbieei mm Keliy'r Comment From Washington, D. C No Fourth Term Wanted by F.D.R. McNutt Can Rule Job and Wage Wooden Ship May Be Built Br John W. KallT Washington, D. C, Dec. 16 Most important political report in the national capital is that Franklin D. Roosevelt will not seek a fourth term as president. That such is the decision of Mr. Roosevelt is stated on the high est authority. The people are tired of the new deal; the president realizes the significance of the up surge of the Republican party last month; realizes that it may be come the dominant party in 1944, and he could not bear to be defeated. For these reasons Mr. Roosevelt does not intend to run again. White House famil iars have been so informed, and from them the information has leaked to friends. Until Mr. Roosevelt himself makes a pub lic statement, however, this will continue to be a rumor, subject to various interpretations and much skepticism. Despite the Gallup poll, which predicted there would be no change in congress and the new dealers would continue their large majority, and despite the statement by Vice-President Wallace that only the wealthy voted in the last election and the wealthy are Republicans, the president has been doing some thinking on his own ac count. He was furious when Jim Farley, former postmaster gen eral and campaign manager for FJXR. in 1932 and 1936, de clared in a St. Louis interview that the people were fed up with the new deal. (Farley had defeated Mr. Roosevelt's candi date for the New York guberna torial nomination a few weeks earlier.) The November election dis posed of some of Mr. Roosevelt's most loyal supporters in con- sress: other Democrats, taking a hint from the returns, have de nounced government agencies on the floor of the house and nat .the rule of bureaucrats and the slio-shod methods of conducting the war. In the past month congress, instead of pass in 1-sislation the president de manded such as extending his (Continued, on Paja Six) Float Millers See Peril In Ceilings Unrtland. Dec. 18 (U.R Static' price ceilings on bread and flour, coupled With rising wheat prices, threaten to smoth er the entire flour milling Indus try Into total inactivity, local millers warned today. The inability to purchase wheat at its current price and to sell the flour at a profit under price ceiling levels was the simple explanation advanced by the millers. BAPTIST FREED Salem. Ore., Dec. 16. U.B A conditional commutation of sentence became effective today for J. O. Palmer, who had served 18 years of a life sen tence for rape, convicted in Douglas county. Governor Charles A. Sprague signed the order yesterday on recommenda tion of the State Parole board. BRITISH WHINE LESS New York. Dec. 16 U.R Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt said today that she heard less com nlainine about war conditions by British people who have had three years of blackouts and sleeping in shelters than she has head in the United biaies. SIDE GLANCES By TRIBUNE REPORTER Mrs. Curt Hopkins In search ceived this succinct message of a dozen of so electric popcorn 'rom the unit commander which poppers to be loaned to Service stormed the village: "Buna bust Club No. 1 at Camp White for . . use on Christmas eve. dirf enemJ tir' which, surprisingly, caused only Arch Work dodging into theia small number of casualties. sanctum and out again with nose in air as though on hot trail, UN HARASS OF AFR1KA KORPS British Eighth Army Pushes Close on Heels of Retreat ing Germans and Italians. (By United Press) The Allied army In Tunisia gathered strength today for an assault on Bizerte and Tunis, and in Tripolitania the British eighth army pushed more than SO miles west of Its break through point at El Agheila. American bombers and fight er-bombers raced ahead of the eighth army, battering the re treating Afrika korps. The main body of the Axis army apparent ly was about 65 miles west of El Agheila. Allied patrols In northern Tunisia were reported to have Price on Rommel London, Dec. 16 (U.R) A price of $40,000 was placed to day on the head of Marshal Er win Rommel dead or alive. Charles E. Lee telegraphed the offer to his grandson Capt. Ed gar Lee Gibbons, whose unit now is believed to be chasing Rommel Afrika Korps across Tripolitania. Lee said the offer was good for any man In his grandson's battalion. found that the Germans had abandoned some of their ad vanced positions there as air pressure became heavier. A London commentator estimated tl.at the Axis now had fewer than 200 combat planes operat ing Lorn Tunisian bases. Jap Bases Pounded Marine corps dive bombers pounded Japanese air bases at Munda and Buin in the Solo mons without opposition, the navy announced in Washington. Allied pressure waj heavy all along the north Airfcan front, Spanish reports estimated the combined strength of the Afrika korps and the German Tunisian army at 100,000, and said Mar shal Erwin Rommel had arrived in Tripoli to plan the defense of the Axis toeholds in Africa. Allied air activity against the German reinforcement ports in Tunisia increased, and British planes from Malta joined in the assault. The gp'hering strength of the Allied forces in Tunisia indicated that the grand assault might start as soon su the roads, soggy with rain, dry sufficiently to permit the free movement of mechanized equipment. Flare-up In Russia There was a flere-up of activ- ity on the long, snowy Russian front v.',ere th! Carmans threw in tank feinforcer.ienta in the Stalingrad and Rzhev sectors in an attempt tj retard the Soviet o' nsive. The Russians admit ted that the Germans had made slight penetrations, but said ar tillery attacks had halted the tank assaults. West of Rzhev the Russians reported they had captured an enemy-held village the third in 24 hours. Capture By FRANK HEWLETT United Press Staff Correspondent With American Forces at Buna, Dec. 14 (Delayed) (U.R) Eager young American soldiers, bayonets glistening In early morning sunlight, stormed and captured Buna village, a key Japanese base, today In the first all-Americaa show of the New Guinea cam saian. The attack was opened at 7 a. m. with an artillery and mor tar barrage only 100 yards ahead of the advancing infantrymen. Its climax came at 9 a. m. when tne colonel In command re I the Americans fought through pill boxes and machinegun nests War Bulletins London. Dec 18 (U.R) Gar- man raiders flying singly un der low clouds hanging over the English channel carried out thair meat extensive daylight raids In several weaks today. attacking soutn ana souineau English coast towns. New Delhi. Dec. It (U.R) Japanese bombers raided Chit tagong twice yesterday. In flicting negligible damage and losing three planes In clashes with RAF fighters, an Allied communique said today. Casu alties were reported "extreme ly light." OF ARMOR PLATE Washington, Dec. 16 (U.R) CIO President Philip Murray charged today that the army, the war production board, and cer tain large steel producers have been guilty of an "inexcusable wastage In the armor plate pro gram of critical materials such as nickel and molybdenum." In a statement prepared for the Senate small business com mittee, the WPB has refused to order the elimination of nickel from the steel which goes into armor plate for tanks and armor ed vehicles. His statement was read to the committee by J. Raymond Walsh, CIO research director. 'There Is no technical con troversy Involved," Murray said. Three- important steel com panies successfully melt steel that - is fabricated Into armor plate without any use of nickel, and with a smaller use of moly bdenum." He noted that an official in the tank and combat vehicle section of the war department ordnance division, Reuel E. Warriner, Is the son-in-law of President R. C. Stanley of the International Nickel Co., who is also a mem ber of the board of directors of United States Steel. WLB REPRESENTATIVE HERE FOR QUESTIONS Nelson English, representative of the War Production Board in Portland, is in Medford today and tomorrow morning for the purpose of answering questions which may arise In regard to pri orities. Those interested in con tacting English may telephone the Chamber of Commerce, 2294, for an appointment. He plans to leave Medford on the noon Unit er Mainliner tomorrow. CITY COUNCIL AMENDS ORDINANCE ON BONDS City council members ad journed at an early hour last evening after conducting rou tine business. Council raembers also amended a bond ordinance for correction of transcript and another for extending option for sale of city lots. All members were present with the exception of Councilman Larry Schade. of Buna to attack the main enemy force from two u2s. Gather Souvenirs They Joined in the village. The firing dwindled gradually until there were only spasmodic ma chinegun bursts and single rifle shots. A few hours later the colonel had to tell his soldiers In the vil lage to stop hunting souvenirs and start hunting Japanese strag glers and snipers in the surround ing country. Now, at 8 p. m- some Yanks are wearing Japanese shirts and trousers. Others have Jspanese belts and mess kits. Most popu lar are the rubber-soled tabis, the Japanese canvas shoes with a special big-toe section, designed especially for tree climbing. The victory today was no push- over. It was possible only be cause It was well-planned and executed. Particularly outstanding in the PATTERSON TELLS VAST PURCHASES Undersecretary Reveals $25 Billion Worth Bought This Year; $5 Billion in 1941. Washington, Dec. 16 CU.R) Dollar value of military supplies acquired for the army In 1942, including all munitions and equipment, will amount to $25, 000,000,000 compared with $5, 000,000,000 worth acquired in 1941 and $1,000,000,000 in 1940, Undersecretary of War Robert P. Patterson said today. Patterson told before the sen ate committee investigating the war program that munitions ex clusive of aircraft acquired by the army this year will amount to $11,000,000,000. This, he said, represented 90 per cent of ex pressed requirements for U. S. forces as well as the Allies. New Industry Mass production of weapons of war was a new Industry for America, Patterson said, but its success is illustrated by these production figures: More than 23,000 tanks, more than 3,000 90-mm. antiaircraft guns, 8,000 40-mm. antiaircraft guns, more than 300,000 .50-cali-bre machineguns and more than 500,000 machineguns of all types. Explosive and shell loading plants were brought into produc tion on schedule, and our ammu nition lines are daily turning out great quantities tf ammunition,' he said. "Small arms ammunition is being produced at a rate In excess of 1,000,000,000 rounds a month. Patterson described as absurd recent charges that the military was moving in on civilian econ omy and taking over the indus try of the country. A group of men, registered with selective service board num ber two In the city hall, have been accepted for induction in the army and are now home on a short furlough before leaving for their tra.nlng at an army camp. Loren Hugh Shlllabarger, Cloyd W. Jones, Leo Schindler and Herbert Earl Stovall pro ceeded to Fort Lewis, Wash- without taking furlough. The accepted men include: Glen O. Watson, Dee O. Parker, Howard W. Payne. Walter H. OToole, William L. Peterson, David M. Barker. Chester Lind, Gerald J. Verschoor, Clarence C. Campbell, Hugh Glass, Simon D. Johnson, Perry A. Polk, Harvey C. Maxson, John E. Jacobs. Also John R. Hamacker, Da vid C. Betchel, Roy K. Byrd, Donald R. Shough, Clyde L. Ashcraft, George Slade, Donald M. Case, Harold K. Parker, Charles V. Boatwright, William Acord, Harry L. Oliver and Jesse L. Groves. First days before the assault was the countersniping of the Americans. Our marksmen shot down many Japanese from the banyon trees. The Americans have little re spect for the Japanese snipers' marksmanship and are not fail ing for the enemy booby traps and other tricks. Capture Important The capture of Bugs means that the Americans now hold a substantial beachhead at the riv er mouth, the best landing for boats in this area. Moreover, a substantial number of troops have been freed for new drive on nearby Buna Mission and the final cleaning out of the ene my In this area. The victory came after three weeks of fighting In which both sides suffered substantial casu alties and nine days after a small American party punched through to the sea and Isolated the village from the Japanese t)ome stic Strife Due To Drinking, Actress Asserts Hollywood, Dec. 16. (U.R) Blaming "terrific domestic quarrels which made me look 10 years older," Hun garian Film Actress Ilona Massey today divorced Alan Curtis, actor. Miss Massey told the court that Curtis "liked to drink and argue and the combina tion was so hard on my nerves I finally had to be placed under a doctor's care." "I tried everything I could to keep the peace," she testi fied, "but the moment he started drinking there was not much I could do." SINCERE THANKS GIVEN CONGRESS I Washington, Dec. 16. (U.R) The 77th congress, which pro vided the money and the laws to meet Axis aggression, cleaned up odds and ends in its final session today and received a letter of "sincere thanks" from President Roosevelt for its work. The senate adjourned at 2:19 p. m. EWT. The house was ex pected to finish later in tne afternoon. Mr. Roosevelt sent identical letters to Vice President Henry A. Wallace and House Speaker Sam Rayburn. saying: "On the final adjournment of the 77th congress may I send to the members of the senate (of the house) my truly sincere thanks for ail. that they have accomplished during these dif ficult two years; and also my good wishes for a happy Christ mastide." Republican Leader Joseph W. Martin, Jr., of Massachusetts SDonsored a resolution In the house expressing that body's ap preciation to Rayburn for "the able, Impartial and dignified" manner in which he has pre sided. The resolution was adopted unanimously and mem bers followed with speeches complimenting one another. After the senate had confirm ed routine nominations, Barkley brought smiles to the faces of his colleagues as he said, II dared. I would ask you all to loin in the chanting of that popular song, 'White Christ mas." Hirohito Silent On Solomon "Success' (By United Press) A Berlin broadcast reported today that Emperor Hirohito had received and decorated Jap anese admirals for successes in the Philippines, Netherlands East Indies and Australian zones, but nothing was said of the Solomon Islands. Tokyo, revealing another shift in key men of the Japan ese navy, announced that Vice Adm. Masao Kanazawa had been appointed chief of the Bureau of Naval Installations, succeeding Vice Adm. Shiro j Koike. Nothing was said of Koine s late. All-American forces at the Mission. It rained even harder than usu al last night, eve of the attack, and the track to the rear was knee deep in mud at some places. Going up to the front were many lean, tired, dirty soldiers, lugging heavy cases of hand grenades, mortar shells and ma chinegun and rifle bullets to re plenish the supply, depleted by a day of heavy fighting. Doughboys Move Out Exactly at 7 a. m. today, the mortar men put down a barrage as precise as that of fixed field guns on the enemy positions ana the American doughboys moved out. As they stormed and over whelmed the pill boxes and ma chinegun nests the mortar bar rage rolled ahead of them, and then began blasting the village proper. Within 10 minutes nearly 400 heavy 81-milllineter (3.19 inch) HEAVY DRINKING OF ARMYCAPTAIN All-Male Jury Hears Testi mony in Trial of Colonel's Daughter For Murder. Blsbee, Ariz., Dec. 16 (U.R) An all-male jury heard testi mony today that heavy drinking at a Mexican border resort pre ceded the fatal shooting of Capt. David Carr by his secret bride, pretty red-haired Margaret Her liny, daughter of an army colonel. Francisco Panco Pedroza, bar tender at the Agua Prieta resort, testified at the trial of Miss Her lihy on charges of murdering Capt. Carr that the army officer ordered strong drinks for his vivacious wife, personally seeing that they were mixed with double shots. Each Had Four Each had four stiff' drinks. Pedroza testified. He said the couple on previous occasions had one or two drinks and then left. On this occasion they remained for "two or three hours" and also danced. First witness called was Dr. M. V. Alessl of Douglas, Ariz., in charge of the hospital to which Capt. Carr was first taken. Dr. Alessl said the wounded man pleaded: "Doctor, don't let me die." He recounted how Carr was brought to the hospital aboat 1:30 a. m., last Aug. 13 with two gunshot wounds, one In the right side of tha neck and the other in the right chest. The first bullet severed the spinal cord and left Carr para lyzed but able to speak. In his opening address to the jury Assistant Prosecutor Nor man Herring said he would in troduce witnesses who heard screams from the Herlihy car as It drove through town en route from Agua Prieta, Mex. Attorneys fof the army colo nel's daughter contend that she fired the fatal shots In self de fense and that Carr had beaten and threatened to kill her be fore she grabbed the .32 revolver and started firing. Married Men Face ' Draft In Canada Ottawa, Dec. 16. (U.R) Can ada prepared today to begin drafting men, regardless of when they were married. -Labor Minister Humphrey Mitchell announced last night that the military service act had been amended to permit con. script of married men and that notices would be sent to the 19- year-old class next monin. SAVED FROM SEWER New York, Dec. 16 (U.R) Po liceman Sol Pollack heard a fran tic tapping beneath a manhole cover on a Brooklyn storm sew er. Raising it he discovered three youths in a 25-foot rowboat and rescued them. They had been fishing The tide had swept them from the bay 10 blocks up the sewer. Show of shells rained on the village. While the mortar shells arched high over our heads, the ma chinegunners and tommygun ners chattered from In front, punctuated by the occasional ex plosion of a hand grenade thrown into a Japanese pill box or ma chinegun nest. About half an hour after the attack opened, tagging the colo nel in command, I was kneeling In the mud behind a clump of bushes, dodging snipers, when a blast nearly knocked me over. Then came another blast. A young lieutenant fell on his face in the mud less than 13 feet away. He was wounded only slightly and was able to walk to a dressing station. Artillery joined In the fire. peppering the Buna Mission to make the Japanese keep their heads down there. Jspanese mortars fired from Pinkley Lecture At Nine O' Clock Saturday Night Time of the lecture of Vir gil Pinkley, United Press executive, who will speak In the high school auditorium this Saturday night, has been set back a half hour. Origin ally the lecture was set for 8:30 o'clock but many re quests to the sponsoring or ganizations to have the hour made even later resulted in the change. It was pointed out that due to the Christmas season al most all business houses In the city are remaining open later than usual and it was thought the nine o'clock hour would permit many more in terested persons to attend the free lecture. AS PEACE MAKER F( Washington, Dec. 16 U.R Economic Stabilizer James F. Byrnes may be called upon soon to ' iron out some difficulties Secretary of Agriculture Claude R. Wlckard Is having on the new wartime food program with the War Production Board, the Of fice of Defense Transportation and the Office of Price Adminis tration. President Roosevelt named Byrnes as his agent to be. the judge In disputes between Wlck ard, as the new food adminis trator, and other government of ficials. Tha new powers leave virtually no phase of the war ef fort, as it affects civilians, out side Byrnes' scope. Wlckard and WPB have clashed over production of farm machinery for 1943. Wlckard or iginally called for an output equivalent to 50 per cent of 1941 production. .WPB proposed 25 per cent. A compromise of 37 Vi per cent appeared agreeable, but at the last minute it was low ered to 20 per cent. Wickard has complained that that low percentage is a threat to the food program. Unless WPB yields it may be one of the first disputes to be decided by Byrnes. Byrnes orders wuold su persede any to the contrary is sued by WPB's two top men Chairman Donald M. Nelson and Vlce-Chalrman Ferdinand Eber stadt. LAVAL .UNINJURED IN AUTOMOBILE SMASHUP Stockholm, Dec. 16 (U.R Pierre Laval, chief of the Vichy government, escaped uninjured from a serious automobile acci dent en route to Paris yesterday when his machine was smashed near Pouilly, the Swedish Tele graph Agency reported today from Vichy. PROMOTED U. S. Air Base for China Burma-India, Dec. 15 (Delayed) (U.R) Col. Robert C. Oliver, commander of the air service command, was promoted today to brigadier general. Guinea across the bay were causing some trouble. We moved Into the village be hind the shock troops, past the enemy pill boxes at the edge ef the trail. Village Battered The village was filled with bomb craters. It had been bombed for four months and all the cocoa palms were scarred. Before the battle, the Japa nese forces had been split. Pos sibly some Japanese had evacu ated the village, but plenty re mained and I saw an occasional freshly killed enemy soldier. The Japanese equipment was not their best, but the fixed de fenses. Including the pill boxes built to defend the village from attack by land or sea, were ex cellent. Some were strong enough to survive a direct hit by a mortar shell. In several pill boxes were clean blankets, spread out, and !NK VAN DYKE ( UNABLE TO SERVE IN LEGISLATURE Representative Now in Army Officers Training Notifies Court of Inability. Frank Van Dyke, Ashand at torney, elected to the Oregon house of representatives at the) last election, has notified the) Jackson county court that ha will be unable to serve during the coming session of the legisla ture. Mr. Van Dyke has become a member of the armed force since his election, now being! stationed at officers' training school, Camp Roberts, Calif. Judge J. B. Coleman of tha county court stated today that ha had received a wire from Mr. Van Dyke stating that he would be unable to serve during tha coming legislative session and that he was Informing the secre tary of state of this fact. As soon as official word Is received from the secretary of state the court will appoint a successor to serve until Van Dyke Is available. William Briggs, Ashland at. torney, was named by tha Ash land city council Jast month to succeed Mnf Van Dyke as Ash land city attorney. Orison Baby Deaths Lowest ta Country; 7 New KSexieo Highest; Washington, Dec 18. U.R) The Census bureau reported to day that only six countries had a lower Infant death rate than the United States in 1940, and the three Axis nations had a much higher rate. Infant deaths In this country totaled 110,984, or 47 for each 1,000 live births, the lowest rata ever achieved here. Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands, Aua. tralia and New Zealand re. ported rates ranging between 37 and 39, and the rata In Switzer. land was 46. .Extreme was Germany with 65, Italy with 104 and Japan with 112. The bureau said these figures probably have In creased in tha last two years. The Infant death rate in the United States was 72.9 for ne groes and 43.2 for whites. Among the states the lowest rate was 33.2 in Oregon and Minnesota and the highest 100.9 in New Mexico. NEW YORK NEWSPAPER . STRIKE TO WLB HANDS Washington, Dec. 16 (U.R) Secretary of Labor Frances Per kins today certified to the War Labor Board a st ike which has prevented general circulation of most of New York City's news papers since last Sunday night. FOUR MINERS KILLED Montgomery W. Va., Dec. 16 (U.R) Four men were killed and nine others injured today when a hoist at the Wyatt Coal com pany plunged 800 feet out of con trol down a hillside. Campaign numerous loaded, well-kept ri fles. There was little else. With an occasional sniper's bul let whistling past, we inspected the village. The largest hut apparently had been used as headquarters. Another hut on the western side, used as a hospital, proved the fallacy of reports that the Japanese neglect their wounded. All the wounded had been evacu ated, but a quantity of medical equipment was left and Is being used by the Americans. A doctor told me he had never seen such fine blood transfusion equipment. He showed me a sur gical saw comparable to an American saw but only one-third the size. I am writing this dispatch with tha aid of a flashlight in blacked-out tent A friend who leaves at dawn will deliver it to the field censors in the rear.