Weather
Partly cloudy to.
Bight nd VednMKtmy, with fog
In morning. Uttl chant In
temperature. Temp.
HIsneBt yesterday 45
Lowest thli morning , 40
precipitation part M nra. M
Thirty-eighth Year
News Behind
The News
By Paul Mallon
Washington, Dee. 21 Con
gressiunal taxmakera entered an
apparent gentleman's agreement
earlier In the
year that they
would soak the
individual in
come taxpayer
no more until
he had a chance
t o straighten
himself out on
the so called
"pay - as - you -go"
the de
vice by which
half- covertly
r.ul Halloa
hiked his war
taxes at least 25 per cent, under
the benevolent guise of letting
him pay currently after 1945.
Members of the house commit
tee, and also senate finance,
agred the individual Just could
not stand more during this trans
ition period of double taxation.
Nothing was written down, but
public statements were issued
by many members to this effect.
Now. after nine months of
searching for new methods of
taxation and failing to consider
seriously a single new method,
not even voting on a sales tax
tor a spending tax, or trying to
'reach the special restricted class
of inflated war incomes senate
finance has submitted a bill:
To hit the same old individual
Income taxpayer and no one else.
again by stealthy method of al
lowing rates to remain the same
while removing two important
exemptions.
Elimination of the 10 per cent
earned income credit will hike
the individuals' tax costs about
$540,000,000 next year; disal
lowance of deductions for excise
taxes will cost $150,000,000
more. In all, this bill raises in
come taxes again by probably
$700,000,000.
UOW did they dare do It?
Chiefly because a thought
lessly false, if not intentionally
deceptive, -propaganda has been
built up before the .public. Tax
makers in their giddiness or frus
tration have come to believe
their own words "the country
can stand more taxes," "people
have money to burn," "danger of
inflation." ,
The truth Is certain war
working people have greatly in-
(Continued on Pagt 81s)
WESIllUSO
E
(DUE 10 ILLNESS
The program planned for to
night at-the West Main USO has
been cancelled due to illness
among staff members, it was
announced today by the direc
tor, Adj. Charles Cox. He states
that the flu epidemic leaves the
center short-handed during this
week's activities, and that some
of the events scheduled are can
celled or changed, but that the
USO would carry on with their
program as far as possible.
Wednesday at 7:45 p. m. there
rill be a special movie shown
In the library, consisting of a
feature picture, "The Amazing
Mrs. Holiday, and several
; Christmas cartoons.
f Miss Burton and the glee club
from senior high school will
entertain with Christmas carols
at 7:15 p. m. Thursday. There
will also be a bingo party.
Christmas evening there will
be special music by Mrs. Eve
Prentice and her Accordiannas,
singing Christmas carols. Dis
tribution of a large number of
presents to servicemen will be
done by the club. Fourteen spe
cial prizes will be given during
the party, including two long
distance telephone calls home.
Refreshments will be served.
Christmas day activities will
Include carols and special mu
sical talent. During the evening
a buffet supper will be served
by Mrs. Cox and senior host
esses from 5:30 to 8 p. m. Three
i large turkeys will be served as
' sandwiches, with olives, pickles,
pumpkin pie and coffee.
f.xppct"churchill to
RESUME ORDERS SOON
London, Dec. 21. (U.R The
condition of Prime Minister
Winston Churchill continues to
improve, an official announce
ment said today, and his cabinet
colleagues expected momentar
ily the resumption of the flood
of directives which normally
pour in when he U abroad.
Medford
United Prau TuU Laasad Wire
fo)
mm
FINAL KNOCKOUT
BELIEVED GIVEN
FRANKFURT CITY
Powerful Fleets Drop Ex
plosives, Fire Bombs on
Mannheim-Ludwigshafen.
London, Dec. 21. U.R) Pow
erful British bombing fleets
hurle'd their greatest assault of
the war against Germany last
night in a shattering double
blow that set the twin Rhtneland
cities of Mannheim-Ludwigshafen
ablaze and may have
knocked the great chemical and
armament center of Frankfurt
out of the war.
The main weight of the night
assault - fell upon Frankfurt,
where a force of 800 to 1,000
four-motored bombers dropped
more than 2,240 short tons of
high explosives and fire bombs
in a concentrated 30-minute at
tack. 40 Times Before
The big chemical center al
ready had been bombed 40 times
and observers believed it was
one of the German cities the
RAF has marked for. total de
struction.
Twin-engined mosaulto bomb
ers followed the heavies in over
t ran Wort to add to the devas
tation and other mosquito raid
ers hammered targets in western
Germany, climaxing a 36-hour
aerial offensive by allied war
planes from Britain and the
Mediterranean that spread ruin
across-1,300 wiles of -axUr Eu
rope. V
42 Planes Lost
Forty-two bombers were lost
in the two attacks, in subsidiary
mosquito raids on western Ger
many and Belgium and in mine-
laying operations. It was the
biggest loss in a single night
since 44 bombers failed to re
turn from a raid on Leipzig and
other operations the night of
Oct. 20.
In the Mediterranean theater,
American Flying Fortresses and
Liberators that ' hit Augsburg
and Innsbruck Sunday, shifted
their assault to the Balkans and
bombarded Sofia and the Eleu
sis airfield outside Athens,
Greece, yesterday.
The raid came at a time when
the Bulgarian government was
reported trying desperately to
find a way out of the war in
advance of any allied invasion of
the Balkans.
Both the Sofia and Eleusls
formations were forced to fight
their way through swarms of
enemy fighters. But the bomb
ers and their fighter escorts
shot down 28 enemy planes for
a two-day bag of 71 aircraft.
TAL1AN MOUNT
Allied Headquarters, Algiers,
Dec 21 (U.PJ American troops
edelna forward as much as a
mile and a half in the snow-
capned mountains of Italy have
captured Mount Spinocclo, 2600
foot peak looking down on the
inland road to Rome, it was an
nounced today.
Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark swung
the right wing of his Fifth army
slowly northwestward, bringing
it In line with the positions on
the coast and in the center, where
the capture of San Pietro had
cracked the core of German re
sistance.
British Tiaht.n Hold
Across the peninsula the Brit
ish Eighth army tightened its
hold on the vital road between
Ortona and Orsonga, twin an
chors of the German line, which
were under direct threat.
(The Cairo radio reported
street fighting in Orsonga, 12
miles inland from Ortona. Al
giers advices Saturday said the
British had driven Into the out
skirts of Orsonga.)
' NO PAPER DEC. 21
In order to conserve paper
under the government's ra
tioning 'program, the Mail
Tribune will not publish on
Sunday. December 26.
New Britain Invasion: Arawe Landing
I CD
t ..v X
11
' (Acmt Radio-Telephto)
Here's the beginning of the latest V. B. Invasion move In the Southwest
Pacific. American troops In "LCV craft anxiously watch approaching
Jap planes, which bomoed and strafed them as the Yanks landed at
Arawe, Mew Britain. Official V. 8. Army Signal Corps Radio-Tele oho to.
Record New Britain Bombing
Hints Further Invasion Aim
'!':-' Br United Press '
Belief - that Gen; Douglas MarArthur mav be about to hurl a
-new invasion force ashore on lewBrltaln to speed .up; Mr . of;
tensive against Rabaul was heightened today by news that Amer
ican fliers ripped the northwest coast of the island with 414 tons
of bombs Sunday in the neaviest
IS REINSTATED
IN NEW TAX BILL
'Washington. Dec. 21. (U.R
The senate finance committee,
in a last-minute change, today
reinstated in the new tax bill
repricing under war contracts
as a means of recouping thigh
war profits.
The committee, which last
week eliminated repricing en
tirely from the bill, reversed
itself as it read the final draft
of the Ull today.
The committee also cut pro
posed taxes on cosmetics from
25 to 20 per cent, lopping an
estimated $17,100,000 from the
bill's new revenue yield.
At lt stands now, the bill will
yield about $2,275,600,000, the
committee said.
Given New Title
Heprlcing was reinserted in
the bill in a new title which
provides that whenever a de
partmental head secretary of
navy, or the administrator of
the Maritime commission or the
War Shipping administration
determines that the price under
a war contract is unfair to the
government, he may require the
contractor to renegotiate and fix
a "fair" price. If the contractor
refuses to agree to a new "fair"
price, then the departmental
head may fix a new price by
order.
STALIN 64
London, Dec. 21, U.R) Pre
mier Josef Stalin of Russia was
64 years old today.
S. F. Newspapers
Cut Ad Space To
Save Newsprint
San Francisco, Dec. 21
(U.R) Due to shortage of
newsprint the San Francisco
News today announced It
would accept no display ad
vertising for Issues of Dec 23
and 24, and would print no
editions whatever on Christ
mas day.
The San Francisco Call
Bulletin said It would con
tinue 1 1 recently-effected
emergency rule ofaccepting
no display advertising for
Saturday editions, for similar
reasons.
MEDFORD, OREGON, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21,
--art M
aerial blow of the Pacific war,
The battered enemy air base
at Cape Gloucester was the tar
get of the record attack, which
followed closely the bombing
pattern that preceded last
Wednesday's American landing
on the Arawe peninsula, on the
southeast shore of New Britain,
" Great fires Set
Hundreds of American heavy
and medium bombers launched
the attack, smothering the Japa
nese ground defenses and setting
great fires in the enemy base.
Seizure of the Cape Glouces
ter area would sever the Japa
nese northern barge line from
new Guinea to Rabaul and
would leave the latter stronghold
entirely deoendent on Truk 800
miles to the north for its sup
plies and reinforcements.
U. S. Sixth army forces con
tinued their advance inland
through the broken Japanese de
fenses In the Arawe sector, cap
turing the Arawe air strip and
extending their lines six to nine
miles northeast of the Arawe
peninsula. .
Gasmata Hammered .
Simultaneously, Allied bomb
ers hammered enemy supnly
dumps and airdrome Installa
tions at Gasmata, 80 miles east
of Arawe, while attack planes
bombed and machine-gunned the
Japanese jungle positions.
In northeastern New Guinea,
Australian tanks and Infantry
drove Japanese troops from the
north bank of the Maseweng riv
er on the Huon peninsula, and
oursued the beaten enemy northward.-
U. S. army troops took over
the Bougainville island offensive
from the marine forces that
staged the original Invasion last
month, and front reports indi
cated the Japanese were prepar
ing to abandon their strongpoints
on the south shore of the Island
withdraw to Buka, northern
most of the Solomons.
WHO'S WHO EDITOR DIES
Evanston, 111., Dec. 21 (U.R)
Albert Nelson Marquis. 88
founder and editor emeritus of
"Who's Who in America." died
today at his home of heart trou
ble. He published the first vol
ume of "Who's Who in America
In 1899 and continued In office
as editor-in-chief until 1040,
when he became editor emeritus.
Medford district Community
Chest subscriptions up to last
ugnt
S40.120.99
Quota is S43.71t.40. .
2
eotest aw
Non-Operating Rail
Plan To Join
s,
IN ESCAPE TRY
'ursuing Reds Reported
Only 40 Miles Northeast
of Old Polish Border.
Moscow, Dec. 21 (U.R) The
Germans were reported officially
today to be abandoning large
quantities of arms and ammuni
tion 'In a precipitate retreat
toward Vitebsk and Polotsk, key
strongholds on the Moscow-Riga
railway guarding the approaches
to Latvia and Lithuania:
The pursuing First Baltic ar
my plunged through a 60-mile
gap in the German defenses be
low Nevel in an advance that
already has outflanked Vitebsk
and carried to within 20 miles
north of the city.
(The London News-Chronicle
said the Russians had driven 15
to 20 miles west of the Vitebsk-
Nevel railroad, which, If true,
would place the Soviets only 40
miles northwest of the old Pol
ish border.) s v ,
Seventy more towns and vil
lages were swept up In the latest
advance, boosting to 870 the
number liberated in the past six
days. Fifteen hundred Germans
were killed when the remnants
of several shattered enemy units
attempted a stand before the
Soviet steamroller.
FINTON DELAYS'
ENTERING PLEA
Earl Finton, Prospect mill-
worker, charged with cruelty to
a child not his own was sched
uled to appear in justice court
this afternoon, to enter a plea.
When arraigned yesterday he
asked for further time. Finton
Is alleged to have beaten with
a strap and a piece of electric
cord, Terry Prather, six-year-
old nephew of his wife, who was
staying at the Finton home. Fin
ton Is in the county jail in lieu
of $1000 bonds.
Inasmuch as the justice court
lacks jurisdiction in the case,, it
is probable following entering
of a plea Finton will be remand
ed to either the juvenile court or
the circuit court.
Robert Elder, county juvenile
officer, who took Terry from
the Prospect school Friday after
having been called to investigate
the case, stated today that sev
eral Medford citizens had offered
to see that the little boy did not
go without presents on Christ
mas. One woman called early
this morning at the Elder home
with package for the little fel
low and three or four telephoned
to say they had presents for him.
Christmas Buying In Record Volume;
Despite Quality Merchandise Lack
By United Press
The nation's department stores,
with four shopping days left, re
ported today that Christmas
sales were up from 10 to 25 per
cent above -last year In one of
the heaviest shopping rushes on
record, despite, a shortage of
quality merchandise.
The huge volume of Christ
mas buying was confirmed by
Dun and Bradstreet, who report
ed sales up 10 to 15 per cent on
holiday merchandise. The peak
buying, according to Dun and
Bradstreet, occurred during the
last two weeks in November.
Early Scramble
An early scramble to get first
choice of the limited merchan
dise, and the problem of mail
ing gifts to relatives and friends
scattered by the war eased the
merchants' manpower problem
Tribune
United " -full
1943.
STILL ON HOOK AS
CONGRESS QUITS
16 Members Present When
House Adjourns, 12 In Sen
ateSpeeches Wind Up.
. i .
Washington, Dec. 21 (U.R)
Congress ran down and stopped
like an unwound clock today.
The first session of the 78th
congress ended at 4:23 p. m.
as the house adjourned until
Jan. 10 with only 16 members
present. Earlier, the senate ad
journed after a dull, 46-minute
session, during which only mi
nor business was transacted.
Quiet Ending
The session, which has creat
ed legislative history anoronrl-
ated astronomical sums for the
war effort, repeatedly chal
lenged and rebuffed the ores!-
dent, and enacted a new depar
ture in lax legislation expired
quietly.
Only, a dozen senators were
on the floor when the senate
adjourned, and attendance to
trie nouse fell off steadily dur
ing a long program of prepared
addresses by member. No legis
lation was considered, although
several members said the house
should not adjourn without act
ing on a senate-approved mus
ter! ng-out pay bill, and Rep.
Edith Nourse Rogers, R., Mass.,
made one belated unsuccessful
effort to bring the bill up.
Apparently mora . than half
the membership had left town
before today's session opened,
and others, baggage in hand, left
soon after, . ,
WILLAMETTE U IS
CLOSED BY FLU
Salem, Ore., Dec. 21. (U.R)
Willamette university closed to
day until further notice because
of a new flurry of Influenza.
University officials acted
after Salem Health Officer W.
J. Stone reported 28 cases of
flu had been reported in , the
navy's V-12 dormitory at ' the
university. . Dr. Stone pointed
out, however, that 25 cases out
of 600 students does not consti
tute a major epidemic.
Marshfield. Ore., Dec.
(U.R) Marshfield schools were
closed today, owing to preval
ence of Influenza cases, but
North Bend schools remained
open although about 20 per cent
of the students were absent.
The Cutthroat trout is so
named from two coral red
splashes of color under its throat,
during the usual last-mtnute
rush.
Although gifts will be plenti
ful, their nature will be differ
ent. Junior will find wearing ap
parel has taken the place of toys
under the Christmas tree. Card
board and wooden toys didn't ap
peal to most adults.
Books set a new record as
gifts for both children and ad
ults Bibles and religious books
were frequent gift choices for
men In service. Scientific vol
umes also were among the best
sellers for service men's pres
ents. Other big sellers for men In
uniform were shoe-shining kits,
sllpoers. money belts, mufflers,
duffle bags and pocket size
games.
Mere Fur Coats
- On the home front, women are
Lttnd Wire
Dec. 30
ATTORNEY GENL
Salem, Dec. 21 (U.R) George
Neuner of McMlnnville, former
U. S. district attorney, today was
Interim attorney general of Ore
gon, filling the unexpired term
h. vaa winkle.
nelt late yesterday
ipolntmpnt of Neu-
resiaeni or uoug-
las county, who served as district
attorney there for several years,
as well as city attorney for Rose-
burg during the same period.
A former assistant attorney
general, Neuner served in the
senate and the house in the Ore
gon legislature. A son, George
Neuner, Jr.) Is an assistant In the
attorney general's off lc.
T
Salem, Ore., Dec. 21. U.R)
The State Banking board today
reappointed A. A. Rogers of
Eugene to a four-year term as
state superintendent of banks.
Rogers was appointed in 1939
during the term of former Gov,
Charles A. Sprague. He was
engaged in banking at Eugene
from 1917 to 1933 when he
went to Spokane with the Fed
eral Land bank. ,
NEW PAROLE DIRECTOR
APPOINTED BY BOARD
Salem, Ore., Dec. 21 (U.R)
The state parole board today ap
pointed H. M. Randall, Portland
deputy city attorney, as director
of parole and probation to suc
ceed Fred Flnsley, who resigned
to enter private law practice at
Fossil, Ore.
Flnsley was appointed direct
or when the post was created
four and a half years ago.
due to receive more fur coats
and jewelry than ever before
partly because of the scarcity of
other merchandise and partly be
cause they advised their hus
bands now would be a good time
to buy and avoid the Increased
taxes on such items.
Heavy buying of utility ar
ticles and staples somewhat bal
anced the purchases of luxuries
as gifts. Mother Is likely to re
ceive some household piece that
the entire family can enjoy. One
of New York's largest publishers
saM book sales were up 60 per
cent. -
The biggest Christmas sales
were in war plant areas. Indian
apolis, Milwaukee and Heient,
Mont., reported sales twice as
big as last year with clothes and
jewelry the preferred items.
V-
! , - ,t 1
Kiiarttiftm&m;i.aMMia
Gearge Neuner
GEORGE NEUNER
NAMED INTERIM
of the late A
Gov. Earl B
announced ajp
ner, a former
Cm The
MAIL TRIBUNE
Want Ad Way
Quick Results
- At Small Cost
NO. 231.
Unions
Strike
E
IN PAY SCHEDULE
Non - Operatives' Decision
For Showdown Follows
Defeat In Congress Effort
Washington. Dee. 91mm
For the third successive day the
White HoilM nnnunoH ' 4h
President Roosevelt and repre
sentatives of 350,000 operating
muway employes nad been un
able to agree on a fnrmiil trwtov
for averting a strike scheduled
rar uec. 311.
Failure of th thlrrf urhMa
House conference between Mr.
Roosevelt and the operating
brotherhoods was announced
after It was learned that repre-
seniauvea 01 1,100,000 non-operating
employes also were con
sidering strike caU for Dee.
30.
Washington TW 1 Jit
Leaders of 1,100,000 non-oper.
ung railway employes expect
to issne' before nightfall an or
der for a atrllra TW an it
learned today; ,
The flva nnorafln k-ntt,.
hoods already have ordered
their 350.000 mtmhan in Kin
a strike on that date.
Disclosure nt ihm nnnj.n.t.
lng strike threat was mad
shortly after President Roose
velt had told his news confer
enca that a railway strike would
oe in worst blow Imaginable
against the war affart Tt.-
president revealed ha h t
compromise proposal for avert-
a nrixe or me live oper
atlng railway brotherhoods by
allowing them four cents an
hour in addition to four cent
awarded by an emergency board.
Representatives Meet
ReoresertatlvM nt ih 1 a nnn.
operating groups met today
wuue executive committees of
the five operating unions were)
meet in a In ha uma hntai
discuss the administration pro
posal, mere was no announce
ment from the non-operating
group, but It was learned that
the officials wera nlnnnlnff n
issue a strike call for Dec. 30. ,
The non-operating unions' de
cision to force a showdown cam
OnlV one dav after thov wara
defeated In their efforts to ob
tain an immediate house vote
on the senate-approved Truman
resolution to boost their hourly
rates by eight cents an hour. '
Understandings Fail
The non-operating leaders, it
was said, complained that while
they had had three understand
ings with the president during
the past six months for settle
ment of their wage dispute,
none had materialized.
They are expected to issue
formal strike call in a later
meeting today. ,
GEN. TWINING CITED
U. S. Army Headquarters in
the South Pacific, Dec 21 (U.R)
The Distinguished Flying Cross
has been awarded to Maj Gen.
Nathan F. Twining, of Char
lotte N. C, and Portland. Ore.,
who directed the Solomons air
force attacks which knocked out
all Japanese airfields on Bou
gainville, the army announced
today.
SIDE GLANCES
TRIBUNE REPORTERS
Greta Sands "In the dog
house" for forgetting an article
greatly needed by daughter Bar
bara. Sam Colton carrying two
packages with great care.
Roy Prultt displaying photos
of several alluring South Sea
island beauties.