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Tbirty-eighth Year
MEDFORD, OREGON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1943
NO. 228
. . . ; 1 -
A
i IN LATESTCATCH
Navy Announcement Brings
Total to 524 Hit by Sub
marine's So Far in War.
. Washington, Dec 17. (U.B
American submarines, back
stopping Allied offensive opera
tions in the Pacific by striking
at the enemy's supply lines,
have sunk' eight more Japanese
ships.
The navy announced today
that the latest bag by U. S. sub-
' marines included two large
transports,' two' large ' tankers,
v. three medium freighters and a
0 small freighter.
: These sinkings raised to 824
the number' of Japanese ships
hit by our submarines so far in
the war. This included 374
.. aunki 36 probably sunk; and 114
damaged.
- Secretary . of . Navy . Frank
Knox said recentfy there was
definite evidence that the Japa
nese, are growing-desperately
short of merchant tonnage and
are being forced more and more
' to rely on barges for transport
and supply. . ,
YANKEESPREPARE
V
L
By United Press .
Japan's war-won island em
pire in the southwest Pacific be
gan to fall atiart today as Amer
ican troops consolidated their
invasion beachhead on the south
coast of New Britain and pre
pared for a direct assault on the
once-great enerrry stronghold at
Rabaul, 290 miles to the north
east. ' Waves o? Japanese planes
truck incessantly at the invad-
Inn forces
but Allied fignters
ry reused eve' and
the eround troops rannea oui
swiftly from their landing point
on the Arawe peninsula.
Resistance Collapses
Early reports of the fighting
said the three-mile-long penln-1
aula tell into American nanus
within the first five hours and
that enemy resistance on the
ground was collapsing.
Washington observers said
Gen. Douglas MacArthur's of
fensive, which climaxed a
month-long aerial bombardment
of New Britain, already had
rendered Rabaul useless to the
Japanese as an operational base.
While the enemy garrison on
New Britain estimated at 40.
000 men was expected to put
up a stiff battle, the fall of the
island seemed assured,
j- Most of the available enemy
airfields on western New Brit
ain were believed to have been
knocked out by the Allied bomb
ing, and the Japanese problem
was further complicated by the
fact that their main supply and
reinforcement center was locat
ed 800 miles to the north at
Truk.
Autslos Back Japs
On the northeastern coast of
New Guinea, opposite western
New Britain, Australian ground
troops hurled the Japanese from
strongly- defended positions
around Wareo, ' on the Huon
. peninsula, and launched an at
tack on nearby Lakona villa pe.
Allied planes operating north
west of Australia wrecked two
8,000-ton Japanese transports
loaded with troops and equip-
ment off Timor Island, and prob -
ably damaged a destroyer in the to sound the "no school today"
same area, while American signal. An "unfortunate tad
bombers on Bougainville con-1 dent," said school authorities. -tinued
to pound the remaining I
enemy positions there.
At the same time, a Pearl
Harbor communique disclosed
that U. S. bombers struck again ;
at the Marshall Islands, droo
ping 40 tons of bombs on Taroa
and Wotje Islets. Eighteen In
tercepting enemy planes were
destroyed or damaged and one
American plane was lost, -
Marines Dive
r
fib
Kl'J
Japs misted ferociously at Tanya, Gilbert Mauds, bat wave after
wave of r&Uant U. S. Marines, faclnj death unflinchingly. flht on
ward, until Japs quit Here, at height of battle for airfield. Marines
vlnnce OTer palm-tree alL -.
! 35 Daring Marines Write
Gallant Chapter
(The following story was written by Sgt. Pet Zurllnden, of
Dayton, O., a Marine Corps combat correspondent, and distributed
by the United Press).
Tarawa, Nov'. 22. Thirty-five
marines and their indomitable
"skipper," 1st Lieut. William D.
Hawkins, 30, of El Paso, Tex.,
wrote one of the most - gallant
chapters in. the- conquest - of
Lieut. Hawkins and more than
a dozen of his men are buried
beneath the sands of .bloody
Betio beach, the most hazardous
strip of sand ever bridged - in
combat. But they are the first
heroes of Tarawa and their
deds have been on the lips of
almost "every leatherneck since
Nov. .20 when they struck the
initial blow against the Japs, 10
minutes before the zero hour. -Ticklish
Job
They were, a special "scout
sniper" outfit. Their job was one
of the most ticklish ever assign
ee, any contingent. . They were
told to secure the 600-yard pier
jutting out from Betio beach and
to wipe out all the Japanese ma-
? threatening the
invasion force,
The scouts and snipers walked
into a hornet's nest. The pier was
full of Japs. With a flame
thrower outfit and the aid' of
dynamite, they routed six nests
before our first wave struck the
. Deacn
Then the Japs dynamited one
section of the pier, setting off
several mines near the scout
snipers, and raked them from
the beach with all types of fire,
The marines refused to retreat.
They used grenades almost every
10 yards, and finally it was the
Japs who retreated. ' i
' Get New Orders
The marine advance guard
then got orders to go down the
beach where many hundreds of
marines were pinned down by
vicious machine gun and. mor
tar cross fire. Hawkins pushed
across to the airport, wiping out
as many emplacements as he
could. By now several of his
men had fallen.
Coming to one compound, they
blasted it with hand grenades.
and then mowed down the Japs
who attempted to rush out. From
somewhere a machine gun open
ed up. Hawkins was wounded in
the hand and three more of his
men toppled dead.
Pressing forward, they knock
ed out three more nests.
COP TOO TRUSTING
Lodi. N. J., Dec. . 17 U.B
Students received an unauthor
ized holiday because Patrolman
John Clause, taking the word
of a boy he met on the street
that classes were suspended for
! a day, ordered the town siren
Medford district Community
Chest subscriptions up to last
night weroi ,
S39.735.99
Quota la 143.71 (.40.
In on Gilberts
f' v'-
cMJ
In Tarawa
6 PER CENT LESS
IAN LAST YEAR
. Washington, Dec. 17 flJ.FD
The 'agriculture department, in
its final crop report of the year,
said today that total 1043 pro
duction was six per cent under
last year but five per cent more
than In any season previous to
The corn crop was placed at
3,uyo,13,uuu bushels, second
largest on record. Wheat produc
tion of 836,298,000 bushels was
nearly 100.000,000 bushels more
than the 1932-41 average.
The report showed record pro-
auction of potatoes, beans, peas,
soy beans, peanuts, rice and sev
eral commercial vegetable crops.
The 1943 corn crop was 27
000,000 bushels more than the
1932-41 average and only B5,
000,000 bushels under the 1942
record of 3,131,518,000 bushels
The wheat production includ-
ed 429,606,000 bushels of winter
wheat and 306,692,000 bushels of
spring wheat.
F,
E
Washington, Dec. 17 U.P5
The house passed by a voice
vote and sent to the senate to
day an appropriation bill mak
ing $33,750,000 available for
Lsupplylng and recruiting farm
UDor in
The bill Includes only $27,
000,000 in new appropriations,
an unexpended $6,750,000 from
1943 making up the- balance
Congress appropriated $35,000,
000 for the same purpose in
1043.
Usual Mail Service
On Christmas Day
Washington, Dee. 17 (U.R)
Postmaster General Frank C.
Walker announced . today that
In accordance with the usual
holiday custom there will be no
regular home delivery of mail
on Christmas day.- Gift parcels
and special delivery mail will
be delivered as usual, however.
BETTER-"UNDERSTANDING
London Dec. 17 The London
Daily Mail announced today that
It soon will publish a New York
edition, a digest of the week's
London editions, "as a contribu
tion to the closer understanding
of the British and American
people."
ISA
Massed
IN HAND TO HAND
IT AT PIETRO
Yanks Launch Smashing
Drive to Reach Main Road
to Rome Planes Active.
Allied Headquarters, A'clers,
Dec. 17. (U.R) American troops
have launched a smashing attack
to reach the main road to Rome,
meeting the Germans In a hand-
to-hand struggle at the village of
San Pietro, a mile from the vital
highway, it was announced to
day. Large scale renewal of the
Fifth Army offensive to break
through to the road coincided
with the second major blow In
two days by Flying Fortresses
against Germany's rail supply
lines into itaiy.
Fortresses Busy
In their first powerful blow
against Padua, 25 miles west of
Venice In northern Italy, the
Fortresses dropped 200 tons of
bombs In less than six minutes,
partially wrecking a rail bridge
ana the Padua yards. Five enemv
planes were shot down and not
a bomber was lost.
Across Italy, the Biitlsh Eighth
Army hurled hack strong . Ger
man counterattacks made with
flame-throwing tanks in an effort
to stem uoom 'edsine throuah
the broken Ortona-Guardiagrele
eiense line,
(Cairo radio, heard In London
said Eighth Army troops were
dnly 1.8 miles from Ortona, on
tne Adriatic coast, and that the
town was In flames. Break.
throughs had occurred at
points, me broadcast sald.)i v .
P0ST0FFICE WINDOWS
OPEN TO 6 SATURDAY
Th windows In the post office
will remain open until 8 n. m.
tomorrow, Dec. 18, It was an-
nouncea ioaay by Frank De-
bouza, postmaster. The later
nosing time has been made to
accommodate citizens during the
rusn oi unristmas mall.
" POSTPONE RED VOTE
Moscow, Dec. 17 (U.F9
resident Mikhail Kalinin has
signed a decree postponing elec
tions to the Supreme Soviet until
December, 1944, the third post
ponement of elections since the
war started, It was announced
today.
WACS IN AFRICA
Washington. Dec. 17 01.0
The war department announced
today that 102 enlisted women
and three officers of the Wo
men's Army Corps have arrived
at Allied headquarters In North
Africa to supplement the several
wac companies already servlne
in that theater. '
Roosevelt Home From Conferences
Says Report On Journey Must Wait
Washington, Dee. 1 (U.R)
President Roosevelt returned to
the White House today from his
Cairo and Tehran conferences
and was given a loud welcome
by virtually every important fig
ure in the government.
The first thing Mr. Roosevelt
did after shaking hands with
countless old friends was to hold
a quick conference with his con
gressional leaders and Inform
them that he will not be able
to report directly to congress on
his trip until he delivers his an
nual state of the union message
in early January. . .
Th President did indicate
however, to the congressioal
leaders that he would devote
some of his Christmas Eve ad
dress to a discussion of his con
ferences.
Tumultuous Greeting
As Mr. Roosevelt stepped
from his automobile under the
south portico of the White House
h ww given a tumultuous wel
Red Forces Crack German Lines
War Bulletins
London, Dee. 17 (U.R)
Two U-boats were destroyed
by British air-sea assaults on
a submarine pack which pre
vented a prospective attack; on
two westbound convoys In the
North Atlantic recently. It waa
announced officially today.
Changsha, Dec. 14 (U.R)
Chinese forces, defeating the
Japanese "chiefly by hand-to-
hand bayonet fighting" suffered
14,000 casualties, 3,000 more
than the. Japanese, in recaptur
ing Changteh, but the city is a
vital point in Allied warfare in
the entire Pacific area, Gen.
Hsueh Yueh, commander of
forces which took the city Dec.
9, said today.
JUGO PARTISANS
TURN NAZI DRIVE,
INFLICT LOSSES
London, Dee. 17 (U.R) Mar
shal Josip Brozovich's Partisan
Army of Liberation reported to
day that It had broken a full
scale German offensive in Jugo
slavia and, launching a wide
spread counterdrive, had ad
ministered "heavy defeats" to
the Nazis In a number of sectors.
The Jugoslavs Issued a regular
and a special communique pro
claiming that the tide of battle
had turned in their homeland.
"The great German offensive
against liberated territory has
failed to develop according to
enemy expectations," the spec
la. communique said. "From nil
sectors reports are coming in of
enemy failures and of successes
achieved by Jugoslav units."
The special bulletin closely
followed and amplified the daily
communique from Partisan head
quarters, which aald:
"In the Croatia areas of Kor
dun and BanIJa, the German of
fensive has been fought to a
standstill, and units of the Jugo
slav Army of Liberation have
gone over to the counterof ten
sive. ......
Airplane "Father"
Honored by Nation
Washington, Dec. 17. (U.R)
Orville Wright, the one-time
bicycle mechanic who has lived
to see the "flying contraption"
that ' he and his late brother,
Wilbur, built grow into one of
the most potent forces in war
and commerce, was honored
here today on the 40th anniver
sary of their historic pioneering
airplane flight.
A quiet, retiring man of 72,
Wright came from Dayton, O.,
at President Roosevelt's Invita
tion to receive the plaudits of a
grateful nation. He made one
condition that he not be called
upon to make a speech.
come by leaders of both parties
In congress, cabinet members,
and agency heads.
Mr. Roosevelt looked extreme
ly fit after his long journey. He
wore a rumpled gray suit and a
loud plaid shirt Watching the
protographers as he got out of
his car, he said: "I would have
dressed for the occasion if I had
known about this."
Mrs. Roosevelt, her daughter
Mrs. John Boettiger, and- three
grandchildren, Sis tie, Buzzle.
and little Johnny, met the Presi
dent at the point of his arrival In
Washington and rode with him
to the White House.
The first person to greet the
President at the Whit House
was his secretary, Grace Tully.
Mr. Roosevelt was hit by a bar
rage of "hello" and "how arc
you" from members of his White
House staff.
Byrnes Greeted
War Mobilization Director
James F. Byrnes rushed up to
the side of the presidential car
and Mr. Roosevelt called out
BIG RAF BOMBERS
Blockbusters Spread Fire
ahd Ruin U. S. Flying
Forts Strike at Bremen.
London, Dee. 17 (U.R) Hun
dreds of the RAF's e biggest
bombers resumed the knockout
offensive .against Berlin with a
1.500-ton . block-buster assault
that spread fire and ruin through
the Nazi capital last night, and
the German radio revealed to
day that American Flying Fort
resses damaged Bremen heavily
In a raid on that port yesterday.
The German radio announce
ment was the first disclosure
that Bremen was the target of
yesterday's Fortress raid. The
Nazis admitted "heavy destruc
tion" In the big port city, which
previously had been pounded six
times by the American heavies
and more than 100 times by the
Royal air force. .
Fly Through Clouds
The great armada that struck
at Berlin last night . fought
through thick cloud formations
that blanketed northwestern
Germany, but pathfinder planes
tnat preceded -the raiders laid
their target indicators squarely
on -tne capital. - --.
Thirty miles from thelfTib-
jective the black-winged raiders
swung Into , a path of flares
dropped by enemy night fighters
and followed those flaming
beacons right to the heart of
Berlin. ... . '. i
Tens of thousands of hleh
explosive and fire bombs hurtled
down on the battered city, put
ting a tnunaerous end to the
13-day respite Berlin had en.
joyed, since Its last' Visitation
from the RAF. The German
Transocean newt: .agency- de
nounced the raid as "a terror
attack on a considerable scale."
WASTE PAPER SALES
BRING INDICTMENT
Chicago. Dec. 17. (U.R) A
federal grand jury today indicted
the Thomas Paper Co., and Alvln
E. Sandrtiff. president, for al
leged violation of Office of Price
Administration regulations In up
grading waste paper sold to some
oi tne nation's laraest oaner
manufacturers.
The 47-count Indictment
charged the upgrading of 750
tons of waste paper sold at a $25,-
uuu overcnarge during August
and September. . .
Downey, Cal., Dec. 17 (U.R)
The 10,000th basic trainer built
by Consolidated-Vultee Aircraft
Corp. for the army and navy
rolled off the assembly line here
today, company officials an
nounced. . . .
over the heads of the photogra
phers, James, how are youT '
To the' repeated Inquiries
about how he felt, Mr. Roosevelt
answered over and over again
fine" and "all right"
He then went through the nar
row corridor leading to" the old
diplomatic reception room on
the ground 'floor of the White
House. When the double doors
swung open deafonli.g applause
greeted the President.
Senate Democratic Leader Al-
ben W. Barkley of Kentucky
was the first of the large group
of probably more than 200 offi
cials to grasp the President's
hand. Then the crowd of cabinet
members and congressional lead
ers converged on the Chief Ex
ecutive, elbowing each other to
step up and shake hands and
welcome him home.
. House Speaker Sara Rayburn,
questioned by reporters, said
that an Invitation waa Issued but
'Mr?Rooevelt won't come up to
Capitol HU1 befor his annual
fnessBitg"
Sister Aimee
j " """"" r,
IB
In her first appearance before the
press since ber long Illness, famed
STanitust Aimee scrapie ncrcr
son thanked reporters far their
kindly treatment and annanneed
. that she weald reaame the palplt
ad carry oa an til she died.
G. PASS CAPTIVE
SLAYING OF CPO
Seattle, Dee. 17 U.R) Glen
E, Carriker, 19-year-old seaman
from Bucklln, Mo., was convict
ed of first degree murder today
for the. slaying of a chief officer
during an attempt to escape
from a moving train- Oct. 6.
There was no recommendation
for the death penalty. Carriker
faces a Ufa term in prison.
Carriker, who waa being re
turned to Bremerton, Wash., on
charges, of overstaying his leave
after his arrest In a stolen car at
Grants Pass, Ore., waa accused
of seizing the revolver of a
sleeping guard and making a
dash to leave the train.
Another guard, Chief Water
tender Nathaniel A. Anderson,
Snohomish, Wash., gave chase
and the two exchanged shots.
Anderson waa killed and Carri
ker fled from the train, only to
be captured a few minutes later.
The young sailor was arrested
In Grants Pass and brought to
Medford at the time of his cap
ture on the charge of overstay
ing his leave. He was taken to
Portland under guard of Herbert
Craln, navy recruiting specialist
In charge of the Medford substa
tion, and was en route to Brem
erton, Wash., in the company of
another guard when he killed
him in his attempt to escape.
London, Dec. 17. U.R) The
condition of Prime Minister
Winston Churchill Is Improving
steadily, and there has been no
spread of the pneumonia patch
in one of his lungs, It was an
nounced officially today. :
A bulletin issued at No. 10
Downing street, the prime min
ister's official residence, said:
"There has been no spread In
the pneumonia, and the Im
provement In the prime min
ister's general condition has
teen maintained."
The British Press association,
reporting continued Improve
ment In Churchill's condition,
said the original announcement
of his Illness appeared . to
have aroused an "unjustifiable
amount of pessimism."
farmhomThecord
Sacramento. Dec. 17. U.R)
William J. Cecil, state director of
agriculture, today estimated Cali
fornia farmers would receive a
cash Income of $1,500,000,000
during 1943, "by far the highest"
In history, but said that net farm
Income did not increase proportionately.
BELIEVEDOPENED,
Bitter Battle Still Raging
Nazis Reported Trying Out
New Rocket Gun on City.
London, Dee. 17 U.R The
Berlin radio reported today
that massed Russian forces had
launched an offensive on the
Leningrad front, breaking Into
the German lines at several
places, In what appeared her
to be the first blow of the Red
army's long delayed winter cam.
paign. .
A Nazi ' broadcast said the
Germans had been engaged In
hard defensive fighting near
Leningrad" sine yesterday, and
the bitter battle still waa raging
indecisively, a number of So
viet breakings were "llauldat.
ed,". the radio said.
Waiting Weather
Slffna have been lnrratna
that the Red army was awaiting
only an improvement In weather
conditions and a frozen foothold
to strike In full fore at th
unstable German front. '
Moscow has reported a week.
long bombardment of Leningrad
by German and Finnish guns',
and there have been mysterious
hints that th Nails were trying
out; a new rocket-gun against
the old czarlst capital.
Th Nazis acknowledged thst
the Red army was attn-'tlng not
only on the Leningrad tront but
also against the Kherson bridge
neaa- or the lower ' Dnieper, la
the Klrovograd area of th
Dnieper bend, between th Prt.
pet and Berezina rivers of th ,
upper Dnieper, around Zhlobln
west of Kricher and west and
northwest of NevaL. , .
COLD WAVE EBBS
IN EASTERN AREA
By United Press
Th winter's worst cold wave
began breaking up today, and
the weather bureau pred'eted
general relief from the Arctl
temperatures by tomorrow.
At Chicago, the forecaster said
temperatures would rise slowly
in the east and south tomorrow
after another day of sub-normal
thermometer readings In those
areas.
Greenville, Me,, reported th
coldest weather In the nation,
2 degrees below zero. Earlier
that territory had 21 below.
Farmers In the vicinity of
Larexo, Tex., fought desperate
1 to protect crops from the see
ond day of freezing weather at
thermometers dipped to 29 to set
a record low for the Rio Grand
valley.
Jacksonville, Fla., with a win.
ter average of 82, recorded 24
this, morning. .
SIDE GLANCES
By
. . TRIBUNE REPORTERS
Workers at the City hall per
forming tasks with one hand
while holding their noses due to
mixed smells of paint, incens
and fish oil permeating th
building.
Staff members of the U. S.
National bank being forced to
run the air-conditioning system
of the building after Sam Col
ton dropped a large package,
breaking its contents.
Vern Brophy declaring that
his flock of hen didn't seem to
realize the importance of maxl
mum production for the war ef
fort
Lulu Saulsberry deciding to
emulate the president's decision
on holidays and advance her
Christmas celebration tor th
benefit of ton Jena, .