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Du The
MAO, TRIBUNE
Want Ad Way
Quick Results
At Small Coat
Tribune
United Press fall Uuad Win
United Pi
Full Leased Wit
Thirty-eighth Year
MEDFORD, OREGON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1943
NO. 227
American
f W'.T
0
o
Herb Gray. Mall Ttibuna advertising manager, la shown above with Medford poit Ameri
ean Legion official! aa he received a certificate of honorable mention awarded him in a national
contest for his editorial on 'The American Legion" which apoeared in the Tribune July 25.
Commander Walter J. Reinking made the presentation at the Dec S meeting of the post, Pict
ured above, from left to right are A. J. Anderson, post chaplain J. F. Fliegel, past commanderi
Herb Grey! Commander Reinking, and Fred L. Strang, adjutant. (Photo by Shangle.)
News Behind
The News
By Paul Mallon
Washington, Dec 16 Pant
ing, hot-breathed, the Hawkshaws
on the senate election sub-committee
rushed
forward to In
vestigate the
new Sparks-
b o o k conten-
tions that Wen-
u c ii i 1 1 1 mo
used more than
l 'iAi.J campaign ora
VNJWll fory, in fact
" jljy campaign tria
ls A1 i zuma, to get
nominated in
real Halloa Philadelphia
only, to decide
rather suddenly to postpone' Its
appetite for the facts until "after
the first of the year," not any
special date-of the new-year.
Just some time then. You know
how these things are Christ
mas coming on, Santa Claus
nearly here, the weather cold,
etc., etc.
When "after the first of the
year" comes, there Is more than
an even chance that the com
mitteemen will decide it Is then
too near spring: Indee-, if they
get up enough gumption to seek
money from the senate for in
vestigating, they are likely to
come to a timely end from lack
of funds.
f For, truth be known, 'the In
terwlning wires of politics, in
which they 'already are entan
gled, have discouraged them all
and caused great shaking of the
knees among new dealers, re
publicans, isolationists, demo
crats. They are all looking for
the fellow who thought up the
Idea of a senate Investigation In
the first place.
e e
UI Is Senator Langer, the
North Dakota republican,
whose primary interest In pro
moting the charges of the book
seems to have centered on the
phase implicating Harry Hop
kins, the president's constant
companion.
The book presents a letter
supposed to have been written
ltst August by Hopkins to a
Texan, Dr. . Lee, president of
Southern Methodist university,
implying the White House could
,, (Continued on Pago Eight)
HOLIDAY CLOSINGS SET
FOR RURAL SCHOOLS
. Ten rural schools of the
county have advised the county
school superintendent's office
they will close for the Christ
mas holiday, from Christmas
eve until Monday, January 3.
Most of the other county
schools are expected to follow
suit. The Medford schools will
be closed Dec. 23 to January 3,
Superintendent E. H. Hedrick
has announced. Many of , the
rural schools started late and a
longer vacation would throw
the close of school into next
June, which Is not desired.
J SIDE GLANCES
t By
TRIBUNE REPORTERS
Little Marcia Houghton on
her very best behaviour for the
Belarsky concert and helping
Papa Dwight keep track of pro
gram numbers.
Nell Taylor obllnlmly con
ducting research for the correct
spelling of a title.
Legion Presents Citation
tT'.l i-
l "Vr-
0tv
Tarawa Fight Bloodiest. Say
Returning Wounded Marines
Oak Knoll Naval Hospital. Oakland, Cal.. Dec. 16 U.R)
Wounded marines who fell fighting on Tarawa's coral strands
in the bloodiest battle of the corps' history have returned home.
, ITALY, PORT
Washington, Dec 18 U.B
German bombers in a devastat
ing and virtually 'unopposed' sur
prise attack on the Italian Adri
atic port of Barl sank 17 Allied
ships and caused 1000 casual
ties, official sources said today.
. From official sources It was
learned that the Barl raid was
far more destructive than- was
indicated by Secretary of War
Henry L. Stimson at a news con
ference today. . .
Washington, Dec. 16. (U.RJ
Secretary of War Henry L. Stim
son said today that a German
air raid on Barl, Italy, caused
an estimated 1,000 casualties to
Allied forces and destroyed five
American ships. Two ammuni
tion ships were among those
which were hit
Explosion of the two ammuni
tion ships resulted In the dam
age and destruction of the other
shipping involved.
Ships Unnamed
Stimson said he was unable
to say whether the two ammuni
tion ships were among the five
American vessels destroyed, the
identity of these two ships and
also of the five -American mer
chant ships listed as destroyed
was -not available.
"Fortunately most of the car
goes had been discharged prior
to the attack and the loss of
supplies was accordingly not
great," Stimson said.
Among the casualties were 37
American naval personnel.
Stimson said while the Al
lies maintained definite aerial
superiority over southern Italy
aVid most of the Mediterranean,
the Germans had appreciably
increased their air strength in
this area.
Allied forces have encount
ered sharp fighter resistance
and some heavy bomber raids
have been carried out, in addi
tion to that on Bari.
Bari harbor is the chief sup
ply depot for the British Eighth
army.
Printer Reject
AFL Affiliation
Indianapolis, Dec. 16 01.10
Woodruff Randolph, secretary
treasurer of the International
Typographical union, announced
today Its members defeated a
proposal to reaffiliate with the
American Federation of Labor
by a 1.225 majority.
The total mail vote cast, he
said, gave 24.591 against reaf
filiation and 23,366 for it
MANY DODGE SERVICE
LEGION HEAD CLAIMS
Redding, Cal., Dec. IS. CU.R)
Warren Atherton, national
commander of the American
Legion, said today that too
many young men are "dodging
the uniform of their country."
Atherton told Redding
audience that no Job Is essentia',
for men in the 18-25 age
bracket
en.aeeeeaeee -T.
ll1
o
0
rney were stui reliving ine
horrors of their brief, vicious in
vasion. But as their spirits rose
they called in unison for beer
"cold, American beer," "Pistol
Packin' Mama," and a good look
at a lady marine.
3000 Casualties
The contingent that arrived at
this huge naval hospital was the
battered vanguard of the 3000
casualties who went down hero
ically on the beach at Betio be
fore a murderous rain of Japa
nese machine gun fire, snipers
bullets and exploding shrannel,
. Sgt.. Herman C. Bruton, Denl-
son, Texas, was among the first
to storm concrete barricades
along the-beach. His first two
grenades went too far. .
T pulled the pin of a third
one. My arm hung limp but I
had to get rid of that grenade.
I tossed It feebly and- It bounced
over the barricade, hitting the
lackpot. Then my hip gave way.
or tne next 15. hours I had
ringside seat to the nastiest
oltched battle In history. I saw
landing craft roar into the? beach
and get blown to pieces before
mey got there. I saw men wad
mg toward shore riddled by bul
lets. .-.
. i . Jap Swtaaa Saba 4.
1 saw a Jan officer charee
through our left flank, waving
a saber wildly. He flung himself
at, my ouaay, who was lying on
the beach With both legs bloody.
The officer swung the saber, but
my Duddy blocked It with hie
rine stock. Before he could
swing again, another marine
oasned his head In w th the h-.itt
of his rifle. My buddy got the
saDer.
Pvt. Cllft N. Laperruque, 21.
Los Angeles, said the Jam. tried
to finish off American casualties
siretcnea out on the beach.
TINUATION OF
SUBSIDIES VOTED
Washington, Dee. 16 (U.F9
The senate banking committee
today voted 11 to 5 to continue
the food subsidy program for 60
days pending a final congression
al decision on the Issue after the
Christmas holidays.
The- committee authorized
senate Democratic Leader Alden
W. Berkley of Kentucky to in
troduce a resolution continuing
subsidies and the Commodity
credit Corp. until Feb. 3.
It decided on the temporary
continuance after rejecting a
compromise proposed by Sen.
Robert A. Taft, R., O., which
would permit expenditure of
$600,000,000 for subsidies, but
nan the Butter and meat rollback
programs and fluid milk sub
sidies. The committee also vot
ed 9 to 8 against reporting leg-
islatlon containing a flat ban on
subsidies.
Medford district Community
Chest subscriptions up to last
sight weret
$39,553.99
Ouota la 41711.40.
PENDING DECISION
ranis urn
' inn mm
BRIDGEHEAD ONLY
270 MILES FROM
Troops Charge Ashore at
Cape Merkus; and Nearby
Arawe and Pilelo Islands.
By Brydon C Taves
(United Press Correspondent)
Advanced Headquarters, New
Guinea, Friday, Dec. 17. U.R
American army invasion
forces landed in southwest New
Britain Wednesday behind a
pulverizing Allied bombard
ment by air and sea, quickly
crushed Japanese resistance
while suffering "fairly heavy"
casualties, and established, a
firm beachhead 270 miles from
the island's key base of Rabaul.
Assault units of the United
States Sixth army splashed
ashore in the Arawe area of
New Britain in a dawn attack
which caught the Japanese by
surprise. ' "
. . Fast Action
A front dispatch said .that
live hours alter the fust man
was ashore, all' the primary ob
jectives were taken and the en
tire ' Atawa ' peninsula, ' three
miles long, was in American
hands.
Allied warships and 'planes
blasted the Japanese positions
for 27 minutes before. amphibi
ous tanks spearheading' the land
ing poured onto the beaches in
powerful waves. "
.After the landing had been
secured, a strong force of Japa
nese bombers attacked the In
vasion fleet Two planes were
shot down. 'The Allies lost no
planes or ships.
Commandos Fay Dear
Some units of the U. S .Sixth
army paid high price for the
gallant role they took in the in
vasion. . One force which struck
before dawn in a diversionary
commando thrust was believed
almost half destroyed by a
withering cross fire of Japanese
machine guns and 37-millimeter
cannon.
The commandos never reach
ed the beach, but fought from
the water with tommy guns,
rifles ' and pistols until more
than half of them were dead or
wounded. Only then did they
fall' back In rubber boats or
swim away.
By George E. Jones
United Press Correspondent
Aboard Mitchell Bomber Over
New Britain, Dec. 15 0J.B
American army troops' charged
ashore - on New Britain today
(Wednesday) and established a
bridgehead 270 miles across the
island from Rabaul, the Japa
nese "Pearl Harbor" of the
southwest Pacific.
United States, naval, air, and
land forces under the command
of Gen. Douglas MacArthur
were thrown against the rela
tively small Japanese force de
fending the landing area astride
the communications and supply
lines between Gasmata and Cape
Gloucester. , -
Stirring Strategy
The first boatloads of army
men swarmed ashore Just before
7:30 a. m. on Cape Merkus and
the nearby islands of Arawa and
Pilelo. They now. hold, a strip
of the island keying the Japa
nese defense system throughout
the southwest Pacific. . .
From this twin-engined bomb
er' I saw the American flag
carried Into New Britain. Fly
ing less than 300 feet above the
water in two furious strafing
runs against the Japanese posi
tions. I saw the. bioad mosaic
of our amphibious strategy in
its widest outline.
It was a more stirring exam
ple of that strategy than I had
seen in three previous landings
wtih American forces:
Oa Southwest Coast
The landing was made on the
, southwest coast of New Britain
j some SO miles east of the tip
1 of the Island and about (0 miles
50 Die When Luxury Trains Collide
ALLIES EXPLODE
ITALIANFRONTS
Tanks Spearhead Advances
by 8th and 5th Armies
Bomb Brenner Pass Line.
(By United Press)
Tank-led advances by Anglo
American ground forces and a
smashing American aerial blow
at both sides of the strategic
Brenner Pass supply line put the
allied offensive in Italy back in
full swing today as Russlau
armies turned back the German
tide west of Kiev and rlDDcd
through the Nazi lines in the j
Dnieper bend.
Gen. Sir Bernard L. Mont
gomery's Eighth army veterans
knocked the i main props out
from under the German defenses
along a 15-mlle front below
Pescara with a sudden armored
thrust into the main enemy p.
sit Ions near, the , Adriatic coast
Weather Aids
. The British swarmed across
the vital Ortona Guardlagrele
lateral highway at three points
and captured the village of Ber
aldl, 4V4 miles south of Ortona
Adriatic anchor of the tempor
ary German line in eastern Italy
Front reports indicated ' the
Nazis were tutting up a stub
born defense, but clearing
weather and hardening ground
aided the allied drive.
On the western flank of the si
lied line, Lt.Gen. Mark W.Clark'i
Anglo-American Fifth army
front 'also exploded into action
after a six-day lull imposed by
rain, and mud. American tanks
and infantry overran a strategic
hill SOUthWest Of San Vinronn
rand limited advances were
achieved at several other points
behind a swelling artillery bar
rage that battered the enemy's
defenses.
Bomb Supply Line
Simultaneously, a powerful
force of U. S. Liberators, Flying
Fortresses and Lightning fight
ers struck a three-way blow at
the main German supply line
running through the Brennej
Pass into northern Italy.
In Russia, tierce fightlnc
raged along a broad front from
the middle Dnieper to the Kiev
salient and Moscow reported
that the Red army was on the
attack everywhere. .
1 A violent see-saw battle raged
through the hills at the center
of the Kiev salient where a
German attempt to resume the
offensive appeared to have
broken down after a one-day
success that carried the Nazis
back into ,the Important road
Junction of Radomisl, 48 miles
west of Kiev.
TRAINS COLLIDE
Quebec, Dec. 16 (U.PJ Two
Canadian National Railways
freight trains collided on a sid
ing at St Charles De Bellechasse
today and the brakeman of one
was burned to death when the
baggage car caught fire. '
west of Gasmata. Rabaul lies
at the opposite or northeastern
end of the island. .
Destroyers stooged around
restlessly outside of the inner
ring of transports and broad
bowed landing craft.
Small boats milled around the
latter until the first wave had
loaded. Then they struck out
(or the beach like waterbeetles.
While our bomber formation
roared through the predawn
darkness, many miles away 1
could see naval batteries wink
ing far below us.
As we approached the target
in daylight war vessels and
troop carriers were firing 'iort
bursts of light artillery at the
shore.
HELPS P.O. KEEP
, UP WITH FLOOD
Record Volume of Christmas
Mail Being Handled Here
Crest Believed Passed.
Even though the volume of
Christmas mall being handled
at the Medford postoffice Is the
heaviest in the history of the
office, pre-planning has enabled
the staff to cope with the situ
ation and all mall is moving on
schedule, according to I Frank
DeSouza, postmaster. The post
master stated today that the
bulk of outgoing mall has gone
through the office and that the
great percentage of local resi
dents had heeded the postoffice
warnings and had mailed their
packages earlier than usual.
For the past few days Incom
ing mall has been Increasing
daily, DeSouza said, but so far
the load has not been more than
the staff can handle without
trouble.
New Train Helps ,
Movement of parcel post mall
has been facilitated in this dis
trict by the addition of a South
ern Pacific mail tralp which
makes a trip between ' Ashland
and Dunsmuir, each way, daily,
the postmaster stated. The
train, put Into operation about
a week ago, carries only parcel
post mail and has no passenger
service.
Mr. DeSouza also stated that
a considerable Increase in the
purchase of war stamps and
bonds had been noted at the
Medford office and that many
purchasers volunteered the In
formation that they were using
the stamps and bonds as gifts.
GULF.1ASTGETS
COLD WAVE TASTE
By Untied Press
The cold wave moving across
the nation dipped down to tho
Gulf Coast today where the tem
perature hovered below freezing
from Jacksonville, Fla.. to Lar
edo, Tex.
Jacksonville with 27 degrees
above zero wos colder than ths
center of the nation's ice box
Great Falls, Mont., where the
thetmometer stood at 38.
Caribou, Me., remained the
nation's coldest spot with 21 be
low zero. The Great Lakes.
Ohio valley and eastern sea
board were warming up as tho
cold moved southward.
The temperature rose from bo
low zero to mlnlmums of two
above at Chicago, Minneapolis
and Cincinnati, five above at
Columbus, 11 above at Cleve
land, nine above at Pittsburgh
and 14 above at New York and
Washington.
Last Ditch Fight by Nazis
Is Elmer Davis' Expectation
Washington, Dec. 16. (U.R
Director Elmer Davis of the
Office of War Information was
disclosed today to believe that
Germany probably would make
"a last-ditch fight" because its
military and political leaders
know that surrender would be
"condemning themselves to the
hangman's block."
"Even when the German
people have cracked, as they
may be beginning to do now,
they probably will be unable to
prevail upon their leaders to
ll
CHURCHILL
L ILL
COMMONS TOLD
London. See. Ii (UFO Aa
official bulletin tonight re
ported some improvement In
the general condition of Prime
MlnUter Winston Churchill,
who is suffering from pneu
monia. London, Dec. 16 (U.fO Prime
Minister Churchill, who cele
brated his asth birthday Nov. 30.
has been stricken ill with pneu
monia, presumably somewhere
in the Mediterranean area, a
dramatic announcement In the
house of commons revealed to
day.
"His general condition is as
satisfactory as can be expected.'
a bulletin read by Deputy Prime
Minister Clement R. Attlee to
a stunned house declared.
The bulletin did not disclose
Churchill's present whereabouts,
Second Attack
Churchill only last week con
eluded an historical rounJ of
conferences at Cairo and Teh
ran with President Roosevelt,
Premier Stalin, Generalissimo
Chiang Kai-Shek and President
Ismet Inonu of Turkey. -
Attlee assured the house that
"every modern facility is avail
able on the spot" to treat
Churchill, who, he said, had
developed a "patch of pneu
monia" on his left lung after
being confined to bed with a
cold for several days.
It was the second time this
year Churchill has been strick
en with pneumonia. Last Feb
ruary he was confined to his
home for three weeks during
most of which he continued to
work at high pressure,
TRACK COACH DIES
Bloomington, Ind., Dec. 16.
0).n C. E. (Billy) Hayes, OS,
Indiana university track conch
who was regarded as one of the
most successful track mentors,
died today of pneumonia after
an attack of influenza.
give up," Davis said In an ap
praisal of the war outlook for
the next few months.
The OWI chief pointed out
that the German leaders had
"their own personal skins to
consider." He believed they
would risk annihilation in bat
tle rather than face almost cer
tain death at the hands of Al
lied Justice after the war.
"They know that they will
be tried aa war criminals and,
In all probability, pay with
their lives for their crimes," he
aid. .
DILI
4
N.UI
COME TOGETHER
Derailing of Southbound
Train Cause of Disaster
Bodies Badly Crushed.
Rennert. N. C. Dee. M fll.Pt
At least 50 persons were report,
ed killed today in the disastrous
collision In near-zero weather nf
the north and southbound luxury
streamline trains of the Atlantie
Coastline Railroad, the Tamiaml
Champion, and the East Coast
Champion, running between
r ioriaa and new York.
Mrs. W. F. Barham of the
Red Snrlnas. N. C. Funm-il
Home, where the bodies were be.
lng taken, said at noon that ap
proximately BO bodies had been
brOUBhl in that mnrfitipv an,!
that "more are coming In." ' , ;'
Soldiers. Civilians
"They started bringing them
In at -8:80- this morning," she
said. "We have not had time to
try to identify the bodies. Vic
tims include both soldiers and
civilians. Some of the bodies arc
in horrible shape." -
Atlantic Coastline official's at
Rocky Mount said rennrra InHU
cated the death toll would go to
io. ine number of injured was
rising toward 150.
The accident amimrf at 1-1B
a. m., when three steel can of
the Tamiaml Champion, which
left New Y-rk at 11 -is
yesterday and was due at Tampa,
ib at o:sa p. , m. tonight.
Jumped the tracks.
The speeding northbound East
Coast Champion, en route from
Miami to New York, crashed
into the derailed cars at full
speed, telescoping and Jamming
them into a mass of twisted
wreckage.
ROOSffiPLANE
London, Dee. 16. (U.PJ The
German DNB news agency
broadcast a report today that a
plane carrying President Roose
velt made a forced landing in
the Azores because of motor
trouble.
A DNB dispatch attributed to
Lisbon said that Mr. Roosevelt's
plane "was compelled to make
a forced landing on the Island
of Terceira in view of motor
trouble In order to make re
pairs." The broadcast, lacking sub
stantiation immediately in any
Allied source, said the landing
was made while Mr. Roosevelt
was on his way to Cairo and
Tehran.
He spent a few hours In the
Azores during the trip, it said.
PT BOATS LAUNCHED
WHEN CARRIER SINKS
San Diego, Cal., Dec. 16 U.
Four PT boats being trans
ported in a merchant ship were
saved when their pilots roared
away In them as the torpedoed
merchantman began to sink, a
crew member disclosed today.
Members of the motor torpedo
squadron clambered aboard
their small craft as the cargo
ships deck disappeared under
water, leaving the PT boats'
afloat. The squadron saved four
of its six craft. '
California farms produce
about 200 commercially import
ant crops.