Medford mail tribune., June 12, 1944, Page 1, Image 1

in
' fl fr
A eUlBMK
AMERICANS LESS
THAN 12 MILES
Weather
Forecast: Fair tonight and
Tunday. Not much chance In
temperature. Temp.
Highest yesterday . 82
Lowest this morning ,,, B2
Precipitation past 24 bra, 0
Tribune
EDFORD
United Pn
Full Leased Win
United Press Full Leased Wire
Thirty-ninth Year
MEDFORD, OREGON, MONDAY, JUNE 12, 1944.
NO. 69.
M
(Acmt Radio-Teleph&ol
OVER THE TOP In this striking scene, reminiscent ol the trench warfare of World War 1, American
doughboys again go "over the top" somewhere on the Invasion coajt as other troops wait in shelter of
trench wall for their orders to ua into action. Slanal Cores radio-teleDhoto from London.
A JAP BASTIONS ON
IES
By United Press
Powerful forces of Allied
carrier and land-based planes
apparently were engaged in a
two-way aerial offensive today
J against enemy island strong-
holds guarding the approaches
to the Philippines.
A strong, naval task force
maintained radio silence today
after moving into the Marianas
and battering that group's three
principal islands, Saipan, Tini
an, and Guam, in an assault
which was within 600 miles of
the big Japanese base at Truk
and 1500 miles from both the
Philippines and Japan proper.
Powerful Fore
The force was described as
"powerful" In the brief com
munique Issued by Admiral
Chester W. Nimitz, but the re
sults of such operations usually
are not disclosed until the unit
has returned to safe waters.
The Marianas were last attack
ed by carrier-based planes on
Feb. 21.
Meanwhile, long-range Llber
i ator bombers made the first
landbased raid on Palau island,
580 miles east of the Philippines
and only 550 miles from American-held
Mokmer airdrome on
Biak island, Dutch New Guinea.
The bombers caught Japa
nese on Palnu by surprise and
destroyed 22 enemy planes on
the ground. The unit returned
to bases without loss. Other
land-based Liberators also at
tacked Truk in the Carolines
for the fifth time this month.
They met heavy opposition
from 30 enemy fighters, but
dropped 60 tons of bombs on
Truk airfields and a seaplane
base. One Liberator was lost.
Hunan Report Bad
While the Allied aerial offen
sive was stepped up, MaJ. Gen.
Claire L. Chennault, command
er bf the U. S. 14th air force in
China, expressed grave concern
over reports that two Japanese
armies advancing in Hunan
province, had broken Into the
outskirts of the main Chinese
A base, Changsha, and were fan
ning out in an attempt to split
the Chinese defenses.
Military spokesmen said the
offensive was one of the heavi
est undertaken by the enemy
since they overwhelmed Canton
and Hankow in 1938, and Chen
nault said that a Japanese vic
tory In the area might cut off
China from her Allies and pro
long the war for years.
SIDE GLANCES
By
TRIBUNE REPORTERS
Minnie Bryant shamelessly
offering to bribe a reporter with
a box of candy.
Carlos Morris meekly buying
Ice cream cones for an entire
office staff upon being instruct
ed to do so.
Pfc. Bob Lanctot of the Camp
White Grenade hammering
away at a strange typewriter
like he knew what it was for.
Half Million French Battle
Nazis; Sabotage Widespread
London, June 12 (U.R) Unprecenented uprisings were re
ported throughout France today in Spanish dispatches from
the French frontier as German-controlled radio stations warn
ed ail patriots they would be shot and said that the big naval
base of Toulon, on the southern coast had been bombarded by
Allied naval vessels.
WEEK-END CAMP
AT DUTCH FLAT
About 70 Boy Scouts of the
Medford district, along with 10
leaders, held a Camporee at
Dutch Flat in the Stirling Creek
area Saturday and Sunday, dem
onstrating camping and Scout
ing skills.
Patrols participating were the
Indian patrol of Troop 1, Flying
Eagle and Pine Tree of Troop 3.
Panther of Troop 4, Eagle of
Troop 5, Flaming Arrow and
Pine Tree of Troop 15, Phoenix,
and Wolf and Panther of Troop
35, Jacksonville.
Honor emblem awards for
good camping were given to the
Indian patrol of Troop 1, spon
sored by the Sacred Heart par
ish; the Pine Tree patrol of
Troop 8, sponsored by St. Mark's
Episcopal church, and the Flying
Eagle patrol of Troop 15. spon
sored by the Presbyterian
churchof Phoenix.
All patrols presented skits at
the Saturday night campflre, and
campfire singing was led by
Scout Glenn Yost of Troop 9.
After the color ceremony Sun
day morning, led by the Indian
patrol of Troop 1, mass was said
by the Rev. Thomas Hamilton at
an altar built by the Catholic
boys, and non-sectarian church
services were conducted by the
Rev. L. L. Michclmore. pastor
of the Presbyterian churches In
Jacksonville and Phoenix.
Special competitive events In
cluding a string-burning and
flapjack-baking contest, won by
the Flaming Arrow patrol of
Troop 8, and a demonstration of
signaling skill, won by the Fly
ing Eagle patrol of Troop 5.
A commando game lasting two
hours Sunday was won by an
"army" of boys from Troops 1. 3,
9 and 35, under command of
"General" Ted Huber of Troop
3. which defeated an "army from
Troops 4, 5, 8 and 15, led by
"General" Dwight Zulaff of
Troop 15, Phoenix. fc
ROOSEVELT, CONGRESS
HEAD FOR NEW BATTLE
Wasihngton, June 12. (U.R)
President Roosevelt and con
gress appeared headed today to
ward another major battle, this
time over an amendment-studded
price control extension bill
denounced by the administration
as a menace to the fight against
inflation.
Prospects that Mr. Roosevelt
would veto the measure threat
ened to upset congressional plans
to recess June 23 or 24 for the
Republican and Democratic con
ventions. The bill has already
been passed by the senate and Is
now before the house.
The reputed attack on Tou
lon and claims of a subsequent
naval engagement in which a
British warship was set afire
were broadcast by the Vichy
radio, but not confirmed by any
other source.
Travellers reaching the Span
ish frontier said that approxi
mately a half million" French
patriots were taking part In the
uprisings, particularly In the
Tarbes and Toulouse areas in
southwestern France, and had
engaged German troops and
French militiamen In bloody
fights.
The patriots were said to be
well-armed, possibly with sup
plies and equipment dropped by
parachute from the Allies. Sa
botage was widespread, It was
said, with main roads and rail
roads blocked or torn up.
Reliable reports reaching
Spain said all communication
between Bordeaux and Paris
had been interrupted, with con
fusion on the seriously dam
aged roads worse than during
the time France fell.
GLOBAL ROUTE IS
AIRLINE APPEAL
Washington, June 12. (U.R)
Transcontinental tc Western Air,
Inc., today became the first U. S.
airline to seek a round-the-world
route when it asked the civil
aeronautics board to extend its
services 20,000 miles, bringing
any point in its proposed world
system to within 38 hours of the
United States.
TWA proposed service from
Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago
and Detroit, Washington, New
York, and Boston to 10 foreign
"key traffic producing areas in
which this country has strong
commercial, diplomatic and na
tional defense interests." The
U. S. cities would be linked di
rectly with European and
Asiatic capitals.
Typewriter Loan
Sought For Boys
in Camp Hospital
Soldier patients In the Camp
White Station hospital ire In
need of used typewriters for
writing letters back home and
Otto J. Frohnmayer, chairman
of Siskiyou camp and hospital
council of the American Red
Cross relating to day rooms and
hospital sun rooms at the camp,
today asked that persons having
such machines lend them for
this purpose.
Frohnmayer emphasized that
the typewriters need not be In
perfect working order, as there
are men at the camp who can
make minor repairs to the ma
chines. The request for the type
writers, he said, comes from Miss
Martha Fogg, assistant field di
rector of the Red Cross stationed
at Camp White.
Fifth Army Races 70 Miles Above Rome
In Pursuit
EACH OTHER
ESCAPE
All Organized Nazi Resist
ance Vanishes in Path of
Rampaging Allied Troops.
Allied Headquarters, Naples,
June 12. (U.R) The triumphant
allied 5th army raced almost un
opposed over the coastal and
mountain highways 51 to 70
miles above Rome today and a
headquarters spokesman an
nounced that the German 14th
army, which once numbered
150,000 veteran troops, "has
ceased 'to exist" as a fighting
force.
All semblance of organized
resistance vanished in the path
of the 5th army columns and
official reports said the Nazi re
treat had become a chaotic rout.
Isolated bands of Germans were
fleeing on foot and in horse
drawn farm carts, battling each
other to the death for trucks
and cars In a panicky race to
escape.
Rear Guards Wiped Out
A few enemy rear guards,
never more than one . or two
companies strong, attempted
vainly to stem the allied ad
vance, but they were annihilat
ed by Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark's
tame crews and riflemen.
Simultaneously, British 8th
army columns drove the bat
tered 10th army in headlong
retreat on a broad front extend
ing from the east bank of the
Tiber 30 miles above Rome to
the mouth of the Pescara river,
on the Adriatic coast.
With their right flank ex
posed by the collapse of Nazi
General Ebcrhard von Macken
sen's 14th army, the 10th army
appeared to be pulling out at
top speed to escape encirclement
In the central and eastern Ap
penines. Near Osbetello
American tank and infantry
forces on the coastal flank of the
advancing 5th rrmy made the
deepest pcnetr.tion Into the
enemy rear. Of'icial reports cov
ering the actirn through yester
day afternoon said they were ap
proaching the port of Orbetello,
70 airline miles northwest of
Rome and about 90 miles above
the capital by road.
At least 20,000 crack troops of
the 14th army already had been
taken prisoner by the pursuing
5th armv and manv nf It. nn
fighting units had been reduced
to 25 per cent of their combat
strength by casualties since the
start of the allied offensive a
month ago.
CALIFORNIA MOTORISTS
GIVEN 6,000 CITATIONS
' Los Angeles, June 12 (U.R)
Nearly 6000 southern Califor
nia motorists today pondered on
what they'd tell the Judge and
their ration board after they
were handed citations In a
series of week-end traffic block
ades conducted by the Califor
nia highway patrol in coopera
tion with local authorities.
The blockade, described as
the largest of its kind ever con
ducted in the nation, stretched
from Sonoma county to the
Mexican border.
CANTON AND F00CH0W
UNDER RUN-OFF WATER
Chaungking, June 12 (U.R)
The port cities of Canton and
Foochow were flooded today by
run-off waters from heavy rains
In southern China, Central News
Agency reported.
Japanese-held Canton was de
scribed as a "great sea", with
enemy fortifications and rice
crops destroyed, and an untold
number of peasants rendered
homeless by the raging Pearl
river.
The Trans-Siberian railway
was completed from Petrograd
to Vladivostok In 1900.
of Wildly
War Bulletins
London, June 12. (U.R)
Prime Minister Churchill vis
ited the Normandy beach head
today, it was learned tonight.
Jan Smuts, premier of
South ' Africa, and Sir Alan
Brooke, chief of the British
general staff, accompanied
Churchill.
21st Army Group Headquar
ters, June 12. (U.R) Seven
thousand prisoners have been
taken so far in the campaign
in Normandy, it was estimated
today.
Washington. June 12. (U.R)
The navy today announced
loss of a 335-ton submarine
chaser, the PC-558, as a result
of enemy action in the Medi
terranean. The ship, which
had a normal complement of
about 60 men. was sunk on
May 9. The navy gave no in
formation as to the extent of
casualties.
London, June 12. (U.R)
Gen. George C. Marshall,
army chief of staff) Gen.
Dwight D, Eisenhower) and
Admiral Ernest J. King visit
ed the Normandy beachhead
today. It was learned tonight.
HELP INVASION
London-, Juno 12i (U.R) More
than 1400 American heavy
bombers the biggest force ever
despatched on a single mission
smashed at 16 German air
fields and six bridges in France
today to lead thousands of al
lied planes supporting the in
vasion campaign in Normandy.
The record fleet of Flying
Fortresses and Liberators was
escorted by strong forces of
Mustang, Lightning, and Thun
derbolt fighters comprising an
armada of probably more than
2150 planes.
Seven bombers and 14 fight
ers were missing, an announce
ment of the mission said. The
i American fighters shot down at
least 17 German planes.
From daybreak until early
evening tho skies over northern
France were black with raiding
fleets taking advantage of wea
ther to bring the full allied
aerial striking power to the sup
port of embattled ground troops.
Surgical Dressing
Progress Shown on
Big Thermometer
A thermometer set up In the
Central avenue window of Lantis
and Johnson's shoe store. Main
atrM BtlH renlpal aonnnn will
record the progress of workers'
mnlrlntf ctirafrnl Hraaln ttr thai
' Jackson county Red Cross this
summer. The thermometer was
Installed this morning and the
marker, a little package of the
dressings, has been set at the 25,-
000 dressing level. It has been'
gauged In 25,000 units and will
be moved up as each set Is com
pleted. According to Mrs. Gus New
bury, chairman of the surgical
I dressings work, quota for the
summer Is 200,000 dressings and
these must be completed by Aug
ust 31. Evening sessions have
been started for the MedfnrH
and Phoenix units In order that
business women and men may
work In addition to the groups
working durin gthe daytime.
Whistles and Sirens Signal
Opening of War Bond Drive
' With shrieking whistles and
walling sirens, Mcdford's fifth
war loan drive opened this morn
ing at 10 o'clock. At the drive
headquarters, 21 North Central
avenue, a crew or volunteer
workers were In readiness to sell
bonds to Jackson county citi
zens and from a loudspeaker pa
triotic and popular music calls
attention to the start of the drive
and to tne headquarters office.
At the office It was raid that
'a goodly number of buyers have
Fleeing German 14th
RUSSIAN DRIVE
. AGAINST FINNS
Pl'CKSf SPEED
New Offensive to Knock Fin
land Out of War; Brings
Nazis, Satellites Threat.
Moscow, June 12. (U.R) Red
armies advanced up the Kare
lian isthmus above Leningrad
with increasing momentum to
day after smashing through the
Mannerheim line on a 25-mlle-wide
front in a new offensive de
signed to knock Finland out of
the war.
Breaking a 31-month lull In
fighting on the Finnish front.
Gen. Leonid A. Govorov's Len
ingrad armies- attacked Satur
day under cover of a three-hour
artillery barrage and In the first
36 hours advanced 15 miles to
within 48 miles of Vlipurl, their
initial objective, and 165 miles
of Helsinki.
Three-Sided Attack
The offensive brought Ger
many and her satellites under
attack from three sides and was
expected to spread gradually all
along the 1700-mile eastern front
from the Barents sea to the
Black sea Coming only four
days after the Anglu-American
invasion of France, lt was be
lieved to have completed the
first phase of the master plan
agreed upon by the "big three"
last winter at Tehran.
Where and when the Russians
will strike next obviously was a
military secret, but observers
would not be surprised If Gov
orotr hurled the southorn arm
of his forces against Narva and
Tallinn In Estonia as soon as the
northern arm reaches the north
coast of the Gulf of Finland.
Mora Moves Seen
All Soviet armies, from Ro
mania to northern Russia, were
known to be standing by for
orders to move against the
enemy.
(Military observers in London
suggested the Russians might at
tack next west from Murmansk
in an attempt to cut across the
northern tip of Finland Into Nor
way and there perhaps effect a
junction with an invading allied
army. The German high com
mand said last night that the
Soviets were probing axis lines
in the Rybachi peninsula area
only 30 miles from the Norwe
gian border.)
RAMSEY CANYON ROAD
FUNDS ARE APPROVED
County Commissioner Arthur
E. Powell of Central Point said
today the federal public roads
administration had approved
funds for the Ramsay Canyon
road, an access road that will
shorten the distance and tap
rich timber holdings In the
Evans valley district.
The county has a force at
work clearing and grading the
right of way, as its share of the
cost. The goferntoent and tim
ber Interests will aontribute the
balance. It Is expected the road
will be ready for traffic by mid
August. already been In today, but as the
drive progresses, daily selling is
I expected to be much heavier.
Plans for several outstanding
events, to be linked with the
drive, will be announced In the
near future.
Jackson county's quota for the
drive is $1,037,000 to Individu
als, including $600,000 In the 'E"
scries, and $1,225,000 in sales to
corporations. The headquarters
office will be open from 11 a. m.
until 8 p. m antl until 9 p. m.
Saturdays, for the present.
18 JAP VESSELS
ADDED TO LIST
OF
Seven Transports, 10 Cargo
Craft and Large Tanker
In Latest American Haul.
Washington, June 12. U.R)
American submarines, striking
with surging fury, have sunk 18
more Japanese ships to raise
their scores announced during
the last month to an average of
two enemy vessels a day, the
navy announced today.
The latest haul included seven
transports, 10 cargo vessels, and
a large tanker, the navy said
Since May 12, the navy has
announced the destruction of 63
Japanese ships by the far-rang
ing, ever-expanding U. S. sub
marine fleet.
This was the second large haul
announced by the navy this
month.
807 Known Sunk
The announced box score of
American submarine successes
against Japanese supply lines
now stands at: Sunk, 607; prob
ably sunk, 30, and damaged 115,
The latter two categories have
remained unchanged for more
than six months, since the navy
stopped reporting the probably
sunk and damaged enemy craft,
The steady attrition of Japan
ese merchant ships is placing the
enemy's position In the Pacific
In an Increasingly critical situa
tion, particularly since Ameri
can air and sea forces are sweep
ing deeper and deeper Into
enemy territory to pound key
bases.
E
Washington, June 12. U.R)
jne American Automobile asso
ciation todav denounced war
workers as a group for alleged
"recklcs use of the highways,
complete disregard for wartime
speed regulations, and notorious
inaiiicrcnce to any ami all mca
sures of car conservation."
The charge was made In a
report to all government agen
cies concerned with motor trans
port. It was submitted in behalf
of the AAA executive commit
tee by Thomas P. Henrv rin.
trolt, president of the motoring
organization. It was said to be
based on observations by an
AAA demonstration unit enrrv.
Ing motor conservation mes
sages around the country.
Henry said a larae mnlnrltv nl
the people were found tn he
Ignoring the 35-mile an hour
wartime speed limit but that
general violations were most
prevalent on highways leading
to and from war plants.
SWEDEN PREPAr1s TO
DEFEND NEUTRALITY
Stockholm. .Tuna 19 fllDl
Sweden mined the territorial
waters off her west coast and
reinforced her frontier guards
today following a new warning
by Premier Per Albin Hansson
that the nation will defend her
neutrality and ! ,,,;..
by any of the belligerent pow
ers.
CIRCUIT COURT JURY
TO REPORT JUNE 19
The circuit court 1 lirv ha.
been directed tn ronnrt inr m,.i
In Judge H. K. Hanna's court
monnay, dune IB. for hearing
pending civil cases. Nn mjt
jury has been drawn. Trial of
the suits listed is expected to
taxe the major portion of the
week.
Entomologists report survival
of boll weevils In southern states
over the winter was lower this
year than tn any year since 1940,
Situation in Normandy "Lit
tle Better Than Satisfac
tory" Is Official Report.
Allied Supreme Headquar
ters, June 12 (U,R) Ameri
can shock troops captured
Carentan, anchor base of the
German defenses across the
neck of the Cherbourg penin
sula, at 8:30 a. m. today after
battling all night through
its streets in violent hand-to-hand
fighting.
Leaving their dead and
wounded behind, the Nasi de
fenders pulled out in the face
of a threat to reduce the re
mainder of the battered town
to dust with a heavy naval
and artillery barrage.
Allied Supreme Headquarters,
London, June 12. (UP) Amer
ican troops have driven 18 miles
inland from the French invasion
beaches, the deepest penetration
of a 60-mile-long allied beach
head, it was announced officially
today, and last were fighting vio
lent hand-to-hand battles in Car
entan, the fall of which was re
ported by the German high com
mand. The situation in Normandy
was described officially as "a
little better than satisfactory" as
the allied armies rounded out
the first week of the invasion
campaign with steady advances.
By-Pass Montebourg
A spokesman at Gen. Dwight
D. Eisenhower's supreme head
quarters revealed that American
troops had by-passed Monte
bourg, 14 miles southeast of
Cherbourg, and were swinging
up the peninsula toward that
great port which field dispatches
had reported less than 12 miles
ahead of them.
Impressive gains by Lt. Gen. .
Omar N. Bradley's army on both
sides of the Carentan "hinge"
of the German defenses rimming
,the allied beachhead posed a
'mounting threat to Nazis In the
upper part of the peninsula with
being cut off beforo they could
be pulled out or relieved. '
Officials agreed that If Caren
tan, strongest German base in
the defenses of the lower Cher
bourg peninsula, had not been
occupied as Berlin reported
it would be soon.
Near St. Lo
Below Carentan the United
States forces registered the big
gest gains of the last 24 hours.
They completed the occupation
of the Cerlsy forest below Llson
and drove almost to St. Lo, big
gest rail and highway hub imme
diately south of the Cherbourg
peninsula. That was the deepest
penetration of any allied spear
head driven Into France.
The Germans were understood
to be packing troops and armor
Into St. Lo, which they must try
to hoid at all costs if they are to
remain on the stubby finger of
Norman land tipped by Cher
bourg, the richest prize of the
invasion's early phase.
Thirty miles east of St. Lo, the
Nazi anchor base of Caen was
threatened with envelopment as
British forces swung around it
to the east, seizing a number of
villages and getting into position
for forging an iron ring around
the stubborn holdout town.
Improving weather enabled
the waiting allied air forces to
resume all-out support of the
allied armies in France with
smashes at Nazi concentrations
along and behind the battlefront.
Air Arm Busy
In the first 18 hours of the
day about 6,000 sorties were
flown, and it seemed likely that
by midnight the total would
mount to 10,000 as warplanes of
all types swarmed across the
channel.
A 1,750-plane force of Flying
F o r t r esses, Liberators, and
fighters spearheaded the daylight
assault. Other American and
British planes by the thousands
hammered incessantly at Nazi
troop concentrations, transport
centers, and columns moving up
to the Norman front.
American units striking down
through the Ccrisy forest from
Llson cut the main road leading
southwest to St. Lo, partially
isolating the base on which the
Nazi defense of the Cherbourg
peninsula depended indirectly.
VILLEGAS DISCLAIMS
TRUNK MURDER GUILT
Chicago, June 12. (U.R)
Soylo Villcgas, who is charged
with murdering his wife and
shipping her body In a trunk to
Los Angeles, pleaded innocent
today.
Dr. William H. Haines, of the
behavior clinic, told Criminal
Jtidge Benjamin P. Epstein, that
Villcgas was sane. Trial was set
for July 13 before Judge Fran
cis Allegrettl.
3