Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, December 20, 1943, Image 1

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Medford mail tribune., December 20, 1943, Page 1, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextWeather Foncut: Cloudy, orauloaal light nliu tonight. Timaay partly cloudy with occasional (hovrra. Utile chance In tem perature. Temp. Hlghrft jrertcrday 4S Lowrtt thli morning as PredpitaUoa put M an. . T Dw The) MAIL TRIBUNE Want Ad Way Quick Results At Small Cost Tribune Cnired Press fail Leased Win Or q iim ma Leased Wire Tbirty-eigith Vear MEDFORD, OREGON, MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1943. NO. 230. MEL TB mm News Behind The News By Paul Mallon . Washington, Dec. 20. No one here has exhibited more than casual diplomatic politeness to - conceal the displeasure of State Secre tary Hull and our foreign policy makers (possibly In lucluding Mr. Roosevelt him self) over the treaty Stall a has concluded with Benes of C z e choslova kia. real MalloB You may have noticed the state department gave out inocu ous comment when asked about the matter, saying it was some thing that long had been under consideration and was not un derstood to be in conflict with , general post-war security. They would have put a question mark after that comment if they had been expressing sincerely their doubts. " Truth is, before Tehran, Hull Intervened and held up conclu sion of the treaties. Indeed, no other position is possible here in view of Mr. Hull's assurance to congress in his report after his Moscow conference, that there would be no alliances and no spheres of influence or balance . of power in the future world. The agreement, therefore, can not be interpreted as one of the deeper meanings of the Tehran nt K,.f 1 must ha anpnnlorl na the first public indication of what Jtussiq. wants fpr( post-war Europe. : . Indeed, the treaty itself says It is offered as a pattern to other adjoining nations, meaning cer tainly Poland (not this exiled Polish government, however), Hungary, even Austria and pos sibly Rumania, but not the Bal tic states which Stalin intends to take over as part of Russia, pre sumably along with Finland.. r'S language sounds generous, promising "non - interference in the inner affairs" of either nation by the other, and "mutual respect for. their independence and sovereignty." Probably no stronger promise could be written in reasonable (Continued on Pig Four) L Washington, Dec. 20 (U.R) Lt. Gen. Brehon a. somerveii chief nf the nrmv service forces, told the senate's Truman com i A w mittee today that rresmem Roosevelt has approved the ar my's $134,000,000 Canol oil de . velopment program. T Somervell made the statement Mn reply to questions by Sen. Harley M. Kilgore, D., W. Va, during a committee hearing on the much-criticized Canol proj ect Somervell said he wants to expand it, despite recommenda tions by the navy, the War Pro duction Board and Petroleum Administrator Harold L. Ickes that it be abandoned. "Did the president ever ap prove this project?" Kilgore asked. "Yes," Somervell replied. - "When?" asked Kilgore. No Commercial Future "I don't know just when," Somervell said, "but I do know that St-cretary Ickes answered a letter from the president on the subject June 22. 1942." f ' Somervell admitted that the V- project never could be Justified as a commercial venture and was launched solely on the basis of military strategy while the Japa nese were threatening the west coast. He justified its post-war value, however, with testimony that in stead of the originally-anticipated 2.000.000 barrels, the poten tial production of the normal wells fields is between 58.000, 000 and 100.000.000 barrels, making it the biggest oil discov ery la toe world In 13 yean, - F AFTER SMASHING NAZI "IRON WALL" American Forces Burst Out Into Liri Valley on Road on Rome Reich Blasted. Moscow, Dec. 20. (U.F9 Gen. Ivan K. Bagraman's Baltic front army of Siberian veterans swung south westward and out flanked Vitebsk today after crashing the German "iron wall" line below Nevel In a great break-through touching off the long delayed Russian winter offensive. Paced by powerful armored units and ski detachments, tough Red shock troops who fought at Stalingrad, before Moscow, and on the Don, chopped a hole 30 miles wide and 19 miles deep in the thick network of de fenses in which the Germans had set themselves up for the winter. (By United Press) A massive Red army winter offensive ripped through the northern flank of the long Rus sian front today and American troops and tanks burst out into the broad Liri valley on the main road to Rome, while con verging American bombing fleets from Britain and . the Mediterranean blasted enemy targets deep In western and southern Germany. 500 Towns Taken . ' More than BOO-'towns and villages--were engulfed in the. Soviet advance and Swiss re ports said the Nazis had ordered the evacuation of all civilians from the Polish - and Baltic border regions in the path of the onrushing Red army now only 61 miles from northeastern Poland and 70 miles from Lat via. Berlin, admitting its forces were in retreat before the new Russian offensive, said the Red army had hurled 250,000 men and huge tank forces into the Nevel front. 20,000 Killed Moscow reports said 20,000 Germans had been killed in the five-day advance and that the Soviets had taken 2,000 prison ers and destroyed or captured 106 tanks, along with huge quantities of German war ma terials. ' The offensive appeared de signed to clear the way for an all-out blow against Riga, 230 miles to the northwest, and the encirclement of perhaps hun dreds of thousands of Nazi troops drawn up below Lenin grad and in the Baltic states. On the Italian front, Ameri can infantrymen -and armored forces drove past captured San Pletro and advanced two miles Inter the Liri valley to throw a siege line around the town of San Vittore. Front reports indicated that German resistance in the area was cracking, after one of the bloodiest battles since the land ing at Salerno. The Nazi re treat from San Pietro, - which opened the gateway to the Liri valley and the main Invasion highway to Rome, was said to have been so precipitate that the enemy had no time to bury his dead. Blast Augsburg United States heavy bombers lashed out from their bases in Britain by daylight today to batter unidentified targets In northwest Germany, after Mediterranean-based American heavies bomber Augsburg, in their second raid of the war on southern Germany, and Inns bruck, at the Austrian side of the Brenner Pass. Eleven Fortresses and Libera tors were lost in the twin at tack, but some were believed to have landed safely In Allied ter ritory, and the Augsbiirg raid ers and their fighter escorts de stroyed 37 to 50 of 100 a tuck ing enemy fighters. Medford district Community Chest subscriptions up to last eight wares 840,063.29 Quota Is S43.71t.4a. i - Pro-Ally Bolivian Government Overthrown In Bloody Revolt nciioiis H1YHN, E. Finton, Millworker, Jailed on Charge of Mistreat ing Wife's Sister's Son. ' Earl Finton, 30, Prospect mill worker, was to be arraigned in the court of Justice of the Peace W. H. Coleman at two o'clock this afternoon on charges of "cruelty to a child not his own." The child In question is six-year-old Terry Prather, a nephew of Mrs. Finton, who had been left in the Flnton's care by his par ents, neither of whom juvenile authorities have been able to lo cate as yet. Finton was arrested in Med ford yesterday by Robert Elder, county juvenile officer, who stated this-morning that Finton had admitted using both a strap and a piece of electric light cord to whip the child "because he wouldn't mind," but added that "he was sorry he lost his tem per and knocked the boy off the porch." Elder stated that the child's body was a mass of bruises and welts, some evident ly Inflicted a considerable time ago and others appearing to be recent, and that he was appar ently suffering from malnutri tion. v Beatings Told The Juvenile officer investigat ed the case Friday upon word from Prospect school authori ties. Terry was brought to Med ford for questioning and Mr. El der stated that the little fellow was so badly frightened that it was some time before a coherent story could be obtained. He told of the beatings. Mr. Elder said, and stated that Mr. Finton had threatened to kill him the night before. A mark on his neck, Ter ry told the officer, was made when Finton wrapped the elec tric cord around his neck and threatened to hang him but "choked me instead." Mr. Elder stated that teachers of the Prospect school, where the boy Is In the first grade, had suspected for a considerable time that he was being abused, but that Terry had refused to answer questions, and apparently was thoroughly intimidated. How ever, his condition Friday morn ing upon arrival at school was so bad that his teacher sum moned Mr. Elder. When brought to Medford the boy wore nothing but a cotton shirt and a pair of overalls, the officer said, and pointed out that the weather in Prospect has been very cold. Five of Owa The Flntons have five children of their own, the eldest seven years old. Part of the children are in Klamath Falls with a rela tive and Mrs. Finton, confined to a Medford hospital last week, was taken to Klamath by her husband Saturday upon her re lease, upon his return to Med ford. Finton was arrested by Of ficer Elder and lodged in the county jail. Terry's parents are said to be Mr. and Mrs. James Prather and Elder was informed that the mother was thought to be in Portland and the father some where in Montana. Mrs. Prather and Mrs. Finton are sisters and Mrs. Prather had left her son in the Flntons care. Terry, placed temporarily In a foster-home by Mr. Elder, was more cheerful today and is hop ing some kind person will tell Santa Claus where to find him. CHURCHILL'S PROGRESS CARRIES PAST CRISIS London, Dec. 20. AJ.FD A brief official bulletin said today that Prime Minister Winston Churchill is "making satisfac tory progress" in his fight against pneumonia. It was Indi cated that he had successfully weathered the crisis and if on tb way to Kfoyery, Med ford Marks ' 60th Birthday The city of Medford Is to day celebrating its 60th birth day, it was pointed out this morning by city officials. The original plat of the city was filed in the county clerk's office Dec. 20, 1883, by P. P. Prim. At the time the city was founded, it was estimated that about 300 or 400 people maejipJhjopiUUion TALKS MAY BRING IN RAIL DISPUTES Washington, Dee. 20. (U.R) The House Interstate Commerce committee today voted tenta tively to strip Stabilization Di rector Fred M. Vinson of all authority over railroad wages, but postponed final action until Jan. 10. The house committee decision came - as indications Increased that President Roosevelt's con ferences with rail management and representatives of 330,000 strike-threatening operating em ployes, might result in a blanket solution of all rail-wage griev ances. The president's efforts, begun at a White House confer ence : yesterday, were urmer stood to center on an overtime proposal to boost earnings. -. The threatened strike of the operating employes, set for Dec. 30, ' resulted from Vinson ap proving a wage increase of only four cents an hour for them. In another phase of railroad labor disputes, Vinson refused to approve a labor-management agreement " for an eight-cent raise for 1,100,000 non-operat ing employes. The senate passed resolution to validate this agreement despite Vinson. Washington, Dec. 20 (U.R) After 350 days of political rebel lion, the first session of the 78th congress will adjourn tomorrow having substantially repudiated administration leadership on do mestic issues. Legislators will have a three- week holiday with the voters back home. The second session will convene Jan. 10 to continue the domestic front battle into the presidential election year. President Roosevelt, dikewise, is taking a holiday to be at his Hyde Park estate for Christmas. The congress adjourning to morrow was elected on Nov. 3, 1942. Its successor will be elect ed next November. Republicans insist and some others agree that the next congress will be Repub lican, at least in the house and possibly In the senate. Russians Cheer as Germans Hanged for Mass Butchery Kharkov, Dec 20. (U.R) Amid cheers from some 50,000 Russian men, women and chil dren, three German army offi cers and one Russian traitor convicted in the first war crim inal trial of World war II were hanged today in the mar ket square of this war-bUfted city. ' w At 11:13 a. m., four Cord trucks moved away from the gallows, leaving the condemned men dangling at the end of the nooses to which they were sentenced for participating in the mass butchery of thousands of Russian prisoners and civi lians. Stand Oa Stools A vengeful crowd pressed against a cordon of Red army officers as, the doomed men a GeUjo can tain. storm troop IN SODDEN COUP Nationalistio Group Pledges Continuance of Support For United Nations. s La Paz, Bolivia, Dec.' 20 (U.R) The pro-ally Bolivian govern ment of President Enrique Pena randa was overthrown today In a bloody four-hour revolution of young nationalistic army offi cers who announced at once that they would continue to support the united nations in their fight against the axis. Indicating that the overthrow of the Penaranda government left Bolivia's relations with the united nations unchanged, the central 'revolutionary command proclaimed by radio: Will Support Allies "The new government, which has the sympathy of a majority of the nation and the army, will respect the International situa tlon, supporting the united na tions in their fight against the axis." " . The spark plug of the revolu tion was 36year-old Victor Paz Estensoro, lawyer and, politician who became chairman of the committee which took over from Penaranda. ' The, outgoing gov ernment signed a pact with the united nations last May and de clared war against the axis two weeks ago. ...... (A British broadcast quoting advices from Bolicia said Pena randa had been arrested, along with two cabinet ministers an$ number of army officers.) The full extent of casualties In street fighting in the capital was not available at once. An an nouncement said only that some fatalities occurred. PULL UP STAKES Stockholm, Dec. 20 (U.R) German authorities are on the noint of ordering complete evac uation of Berlin to avert total destruction of the city by bomb ing, neutral diplomatic sources said today. t . Only dissension between Ger man Minister - of the Interior Heinrich Himmler and Propa ganda Minister Josef Goebbels was delaying a final decision on whether to evacuate, it was re port ed. Goebbels reportedly has' de manded that the bomb-wrecked capital be evacuated immediate ly to avert a threat of wldespreaa epidemics. For unknown reasons, diplomatic sources said, Himm ler opposed the move. commander, a police corporal and a Russian chauffeaur for the Nazis were driven into the square in closed trucks. Youngsters sat on the roofs of nearby buildings and others watched from the windows as guards made the four stand on stools mounted on the trucks, tied, their hands behind their backs and fitted the nooses. The Russian traitor, Mikhail Petrovlch Bulanov, 26, lost his nerve and almost lost conscious ness. Guards supported him on his stool. The Germans, wearing the uniforms of their rank and over seas caps and decorations, ap peared more composed.. They were Capt. William Langheld, 52, of the Gestapo, Hans Ritz, storm troop commander, and Police Corporal Bernhardt Ratx Iw, 38. New Yank Invasion: It's New Britain This Time jlfifijp . ",m , . Mem Ittmphoto) A new digger was pointed at the heart of Jap-hsld Rabaul when American forces under General Douglas Mac Arthur landed on Cipe Merkus, Mew Britain island, and the Islands of Arawa and Pllell, thus cutting the vital supply Una from Qasmata and Caps Gloucester. Mapped here are the new landing points and . general view of the area. Allies Use New Torokina Air Field To Challenge Defenders of Rabaul AMERICAN DRIVE NEARS AIRFIELD By United Press Gen.. Douglas MacArthur's headquarter announced today that U. 8. 6th army troops were driving rapidly inland ' from their bridgehead on the south west coast of New Britain, and were nearlng the enemy airfield four miles east of the Arawe peninsula. While the airfield had been rendered useless to the Japanese by the month-long allied aerial bombardment that preceded the invasion of New Britain, it was believed the Americans could restore it quickly and use the strip to aid their advance toward Rabaul, 250 miles to the north east. .. i Widen Beachhead On Bougainville Island, Unit ed States marines and army troops extended their arm of the allied pincers on Rabaul, moving across the Torkina river in force to widen their beachhead to eight miles. A heavy artillery barrage preceded the American thrust, and the advancing troops found only dead Japanese troops and wrecked pillboxes on the north bank of the stream. : Australian tanks and infantry operating on the Huon peninsula hi northeastern New Guinea moved northward across the Sanga river, 15 miles above Finschhafen, and advanced on enemy troops entrenched along the Maseweng river, a mile fur ther north. Dr. Soule't Auto , Narrowly Miste$ 200-Foot Tumble Dr. A. A. Soule will probably take great care in the future to see that the brake on his car is properly set. Sunday evening the physician parked his car at the Sacred Heart hospital, while he called on patients, but failed to set the brake tightly. The car, fluid driven and having no gears, rsn away. It backed through the parking lot near the entrance to the hospital, nar rowly missing other cars, ran over a small tree, uprooting it and finally came to rest against a six-inch tree Just over the edge of a 200-foot embankment with one door hanging open.' A wrecker from a Medford service station was summoned to pull the run-away car from Its resting place against the tree and It Is now In the shop for repair of the slight damages. Bf James T. Lowsry United Press Staff Correspondent '. 1 Torokina Air Field, Bougainville, Dec. IT. (U.R) Nearly 100 ' navy, marine and New Iceland pilots .challenged the Japanese , in meir own backyard' today. ln"therflrst landbased fighter sweep-x over naDBiu naroor, dui mo iiaps Only ten enemy planes Iefti the ground to defend the Nip ponese ' Pearl Harbor" of the South Pacific. Thirty to forty others were seen sitting idle on one field 'alone. ' .' 81m Shot Down Indicating what might have happened, bad the Japanese fought In full force, a hi of the ten Nipponese planes which took to the air were shot down. Only two allied planet were lost. The fighter sweep was not only the first from the newly constructed Torokina air field In the Empress Augusta bay bridge head on Bougainville island, but it was the largest of the south Pacific campaign.- Perhaps it was timed to prevent tho Nip, ponese from hitting the Ameri can sixth army which Invaded the Arawe peninsula at the op posite end of New Britain Island Dee. 15. (Tokyo radio, In a broadcast heard by United Press in San Francisco today, claimed that Japanese planes bombed the runways and ground defenses of the Torokina air field the night of the 17th. Such an attack, If made, was carried out under cover of darkness in retaliation for the fighter sweep over Rabaul.) GULF OF MEXICO Washington, Dee. 20, U.R) A new foray by a German sub marine Into the Gulf of Mexico was revealed today when the navy announced that a medium' sized United States merchant vessel was torpedoed and sunk there early In December. ' Only one other ship hss been reported sunk In the gulf area this year. That was a small Norwegian ship lost In April. Prior to that the last sinking In the gulf was In September, 1842. The latest ainking brings to 40 the number of ships sunk in the gulf since the submarine of fensive started. The navy gave no details about the latest sinking except to say that the ship was tor pedoed by an enemy submarine. . MO PAPER DEC. 21 In order to conserve paper under the government's ra tioning program, the Mail Tribune will not publish on Srndaypcembe26 reiusea lo Hgnc Washington, Dee. 20 (U.R) New and more stringent meth ods of determining quotas of ra tloned foods for such establish ments as hotels and restaurant were announced by the Office of Price Administration today in a move presaging larger supplies of meat and processed foods for those who dine at home. Price Chief Chester Bowles said the new program would go into- effect March 1 and would add to the supply of foods for householders by trimming down on the rations of soda fountains, roadside stands, night clubs and similar establishments which In some Instances have been re ceiving larger allotments than restaurants and cafes dealing solely In food. Service to Decide At the present time food quo tas for commercial and institu tional establishments are deter mined by the total number of customers, whether they buy food and refreshments, or re freshments alone. But after. March 1. quotas will be based only on the number of persons to whom food is served. Meanwhile Sen. Alexander Wiley. R., Wis., announced he had written to Bowles In favor of an Immediate lifting of pork rationing to relieve a glutted market and put an end to wast age In stockyards and in farm ers' pens. SIDE GLANCES TRIBUNE REPORTERS John Mann all worn out from the excitement of the arrival of hi first grandchild. Justin ("Doc") Smith recom mending some of the more bril liantly colored pills In case of flu. - . Arnold Green taking to hi bed to avoid giving a news hawk a munch-wanted story. L. C. Taylor making plan to trim the overhanging bough of his trees, at the request of J. W. McCoy.