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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (June 21, 1944)
Tokyo Claims U. S. Navy Losses Heavy in Marianas Fight FIERCE BATTLE Weather Forecast: Showers this after noon and tonight and Thurs day. Little change In tempera ture. Temp. IflKheftt yesterday 73 Lowest this morning ,. M Precipitation past 2-1 hrs. . .15 Medford TlIBUNE IS United Press Full Leased Wire i Press Full Leased Wire Thirty-ninth Year MEDFORD. OREGON, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 194 NO. 77. Navy Secretary Disclaims ; Definite Information Of Fleets In Contact. fo)fp wtm 7" Pearl Harbor, Juris 21 (U.R) American carrier-baud air craft attacked the Japanese fleet between the Marianaa ' and the Philippine! Mor.day In what may have been the open ing round of a great ihowdown battle between the contesting navies of the Pacific, Admiral Chester W. Nimitr, announced today. An afternoon communique disclosed that the U. S. Fifth fleet, commanded by Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, was closing in on the Japanese navy between the Marianas chain and Luion, principal is land of the Philippines archi pelago, Nimitz did not disclose either American or Japanese losses in the Monday sea-air engagement. It was indicated that the Monday evening action oc curred about 850 miles west pf the American beachhead on Saipan, in a great expanse of "no man's ocean." By United Press "Dokyo radio broadcast today specific claims of heavy Ameri can naval losses In the area of the Marianas islands where Jap anese broadcasts had reported a "fierce" naval battle between large American and Japanese fleets. Apparently engaged in a propaganda war to goad the United States navy into prema ture disclosures of the situation in the Marianas, Tokyo radio broadcast a statement of Admiral Kenisuke Takahashl that "the enemy's landing operations on Saipan has offered u a golden opportunity to smash him with staggering effect. The enemy on Saipan is dependent on his com , munications and will meet with a serious crisis before the full force of our counter-offensive." Admit Losses . A home broadcast of Tokyo radio was heard acknowledging that the Japanese fleet had "suf fered considerable losses of ships and planes." Tokyo broadcast a Dome! dis patch claiming that a 45,000-ton battleship of the Iowa class was "sent to the bottom instantly" near Guam Friday morning. The enemy also claimed two battleships, including one of the 35,000-ton North Carolina class, and four aircraft carriers. In cluding three of the 24,000-ton Essex class and one of the 10,000 Independence class, were dam aged. The Japanese listed one heavy and one light cruiser sunk, and three heavy and one light cruis ers damaged. Washington, June 21 (U.R) The U. S. Pacific fleet "may have succeeded In catching up" with all or a portion of the Jap anese fleet west of Saipan in the Marianas yesterday, Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal said today. He told newsmen that the enemy fleet had been sighted at various times in the last few days, "milling around" from 500 to 800 miles westward of Saipan. Radio Silence He said there was no definite Information that battle had been joined, but only "some indica tion" that our forces have caught up with the enemy armada. He pointed out that the U. S. forces are under strict radio silence. Admiral Ernest J. King, com mander in chief of the U. S. fleet, who has just returned from a visit to the French beachhead and conferences with allies in Britain, was present at Forres tal's conference and said that he was "not worried about the out come" of the current Pacific operations. FOUR BREAK JAIL Denver. Colo., June 21 (U.R) Four prisoners escaped from the Denver county Jail today after overpowering the Jail's physi cian, sawing the bars from an upstairs window and lowering themselves 49 feet by rope. SIDE GLANCES Br TRIBUNE REPORTERS Dave Rees trying to borrow a coat from a neighbor to cushion a circus chair. Clyde Moffitt observing the antics of a circus goer and sug gesting that she be added to the cast. i Bob McCarty, missing the cir cus because of a touch of poison oak. Jl i ,71? I 4 ?1 r COLONEL JOHN J . VAT ' fa : r ' - - O - "efrf atdfa ftamitr- . . . . .. ColonelJohnR. Young Succeeds Gen. Thomas ' As Camp White Chief Camp White, June 21. Briga dier General Amos Thomas, who has commanded this post during most of its two-year his tory, announced his retirement today, and Colonel John R. Young assumed command. Col. Young has been in com mand of the Western Personnel Reassignment Center here un der General Thomas since that installation was activated in February. Coming to Camp White In i October, 1942, General Thomas! directed the activities of the post during a period when thou sands of troops, including two infantry divisions, trained here. He succeeded Colonel Owen R. Meredith, the first commanding officer. To Santa Barbara The general said that he would spend some time in Santa Barbara, Calif., where his fam ily has been living during his tour of duty on the west coast, before returning to their home in Omaha, Neb., where he had practiced law for 30 years prior to being recalled to active mili tary service. He has not yet de cided whether or not he will resume his law practice. Colonel Young was command ing officer of Vancouver Bar racks, Wash., before coming here to take charge of the West ern Personnel Reassignment Center, one of three installa tions of its kind in the United States. He will continue as com mander of that establishment, which is a part of SCU 1913. Young Is Veteran The new Camp White com mander is a regular arm. man, enlisting in the cavalry as a pri vate In 1910. Se. . ing in World War I, he advanced to the rank of captain. After the war he was commissioned in the infantry, later was transferred to the field arfillery. In 1940 he receieved the permanent rank of lieuten ant colonel, and became a colonel in February, 1942. General Thomas, though Wisconsin-born, claims Nebraska as his home. After receiving his d gree from the University of Nebraska, he practiced law in Omaha until this country en tered World War I. He served in France with the 88th Division (currently in battle in Italy) ris ing rapidly through the ranks of captain, major ind " utenant colonel. Returning to Nebraska after the war, he remaired ac tive In military circles, Joining the National Guard. In Legislature He served six years In the Nebraska state legislature. In addition he has been chairman o" the Omaha Municipal Airport and has also se-ved on the exec utive comm'ttc? of the Omaha American Legion post, now the lr.ccst in the country. Maintaining his close army I s?'7 l 17 F R. YOUNG ties, Jie itte:idc ' Arm;- War Col-ge ' 1925, and received h.s ippolntment as brigadier general in 1932. In World War II General Thomas served at Camp Robin sin, Ark.; Ft. Sam Houston, Tex.; Ft. Douglas, XJU h; and as commanding general of the Southern Defense area at Vic-t- ville, Ca'.if., b fo-e iming to Camp White. YANKEE BOMBERS SHELLACK BEGUN London, June 21 (U.R) Amer ican Flying Fortresses and Lib erators were reported by Ger man radios to have carried out a "heavy" attack on Berlin to day for the first time since May 24, when 1000 of the four-en-gined bombers hit the Nazi cap ital. The enemy broadcasts, which described the Berlin attack as a "terror raid," said the Amer ican formations were engaged in violent air battles throughout northern Germany. The German radios had re ported the big bombers over the Reich from the northwest to the pre-war Polish border, where partial formations were said to be flying east and southeast, ap parently into Poland. Although the attack on Berlin by heavy bombers would be the first since the invasion, the Nazi capital has been hit four times by RAF Mosquitoes since Allied troops landed In France. REDS SPEEDPAST CAPTURED V1IPURI Moscow, June 21 (U.R) Tri umphant Red army troops struck out from newly-captured Viipuri today in pursuit of disorganized Finnish columns retreating to ward Helsinki under a hail of lire irom nussian DomDers ana fighters. Marshal Leonid A. Govorov's Leningrad army stormed into the ancient fortress city yester day to complete a rapid 11-day campaign through Finland's strongest defenses in the Karel ian Isthmus and bring the Soviet forces within 135 miles east of Helsinki. Finland's capital. (The British radio said Stock holm dispatches reported from Finland that Marshal Baron Karl Manncwim had taken the initia tive toward forming a new Fin nish government to discuss peace.) LEFT TO VOTERS BYCMNCIL Special Election On Tax Levy To Raise $62,500 Decided After Petition Presented. Medford voters will go to the polls In a special election some time before July 15 to decide whether the city shall construct a municipal swimming pool at an estimated cost of $62,500, the money to be raised by a serial tax levy of three mills for the next two years. This was decided by the city council last night after it was presented a petition, sponsored by the Medford Lions club and endorsed by 15 other civic, Uchool and religious organiza tions with a total membership of approximately 3,500, asking that the election be called. To Set Date The motion that the election be held was made by Council man J. C. Collins and was passed unanimously. An ad journed meeting was called for next Monday night, June 26, at which time date for the election will be set. It was pointed out that unless the election is held before July 15, and the tax levy voted, it cannot be certified for the tax roll this fall. Earl Miller, president nf the Lions club, read the petition to the council. It asked for a thor oughly modern class A pool not less than 50 by 100 feet in di menion, with suitable filtration, clorination and heating plant, under-watcr lighting, bath house and administration building, and with all necessary sanitary fea tures for pool cleaning and han dling the bathing traffic. The petition suggested the pool be located in the city play ground south of Main street and east of Bear creek because of its central location and available to parking facilities. Miller said that "estimates we have made show that such a pool should cost about $62,500 complete with bathhouse, piping, fencing and parking, and that a survey indicates the pool could be self sustaining by charging children 10 cents and adults 25 cents for its use." Would Pay Own Way E. H. Hedrick, city school superintendent who has made an extensive survey of construc tion and maintenance costs of swimming pools, told the coun cil he was certain the pool vould pay its own way, after construction, with intelligent management. His offer to man age the proposed pool for the first year was accepted by the council. Organizations endorsing the Lions club petition were the Business and Professional Wom en's club, Jackson County League of Women Voters, city council of the Parent-Teachers associations, Zonta club. Rotary club, Lady Lions, Kiwanis club, Federated Church Women, Y.M. C.A., Girls' Community club and the Washington, Roosevelt, Lin coln and Junior high school P.T.A.'s. (Also ite Council story on page 3) Soup Ladle Helps Victim of Cave-in Tacoma, Wash., June 21 (U.R) Pierce county deputy sheriffs to day revealed how a Tacoma man, half buried when a well caved in, dug himself out with a soup ladle. Deputies, responding to an emergency call, found Roy L. Stephens, 56, buried up to his hips in the tightly packed earth that avalanched down upon him while he was cleaning the well. Fearing that a shovel would cause further cave-ins, the deputies dropped soup ladel to the Imprisoned man. Armed only with the kitchen utensil, Steph ens dug himself free after nearly an hour's work. FEDERAL HELP IN IS NEED, SAYS SNELL Governor For Acceptance Of Aid, He Informs Federa tion Of Labor Convention Eugene, Ore., June 21 U.R) Oregon should accept federal aid in providing post-war employ ment because it cannot handle the problem alone Governor Earl Snell told the annual convention of the Oregon State Federation of Labor here Tuesday night. In accepting the aid the state must not lose its sovereignty, he added. Nickerson Speaks In discussing the theme of the session, preparedness for after the war, D. E. N'ckerson, execu tive secretary of the organiza tion, said, "No other element is so important in assuring post war prosperity as that of collec tive bargaining." He asserted that the goal of full employment is not unattain able. In the post-war period. La bor means by full employment "the opportunity for every work er to find and hold a Job tor such time as he wishes, and the op portunity to change to another employer or to remove to an other location without a long pe riod of employment," he ex plained. Mor Tells Goal Wayne L. Morse, Republican nominee for United States sen ator, said the goal of labor and management should be to get government out of handling la bor's affairs. Among other resolutions intro duced to the convention and re ferred to committees were res olutions requesting legislation for deportation of all Japanese not United States citizens and other nationals loyal to other countries and one requesting that proceedings of congress be broad cast on the radio. Teamwork between labor, pri vate capital and the federal gov ernment can provide the com bination that will make possible a continued hish level of produc tion and employment In the post war period. Paul J. Raver, Bon neville power administrator, said today in an address before the convention of Oregon State Federation of Labor here.' Fifth Bond Drive One-Sixth of Way Washington, June 21 (U.R) Sales of bonds to Individuals in the first seven days of the Fifth War Loan totaled $864,000,000, or nearly one-sixth of the indi vidual goal of $6,000,000,000, the treasury announced today. The overall goal is $16.000 000,000. Today's report covered the seven days of the drive through June 19, leaving seven days to raise the individual quota. Dewey Support Recognized By GOP Platform Drafters Chicago, June 21 flJ.R) The "Draft Dewey" movement re ceived prompt recognition here today as the republican national convention resolutions commit tee met to draft the 1944 plat form and elected as vice-chairman Miss Mary Donlon, one of New York's two committee mom- Albany, N. Y June 21 flJ.R) Cot. Thomas E. Dewey said today he had been in touch with New York Republican leaders at Chicago for the party's national convention, but declined to comment on what he had said to them or on efforts to draft him for the presidential nomination. Dewey said he talked with Herbert Brownell. his 1940 campaign manager. bers. Sen. Robert A. Taft, Rep., O., was elected chairman. The committee convened short ly after 2 p. m. following t four- Yanks Widen Cherbourg Corridor ! 1111 '""U" ' "y - r,n " ' 'I ' ' -k. ! Js iJ-SisT'jerre Egl se " h i CHERBOURG -St Vook s Av:-::-':: Enqlish Channtl . fly VoloMeii qu,,,iiii " TliBfT-Horbourt J .' MILts TLJ- American troops expand and reinforce their corridor across Normandj Peninsula, trapping some 30,000 Germans in the Cherbourg area, scon new gains toward Valognes In frontal push against the big Normandj pork PARK STAFF GOES TO Crater Lake National Park staff todflv moved it nffiren from the federal building here to park headiuarters for the summer season. E. P. Leavitt, Slinerintpnrlpnt tntp fhtit thn Medford office will be closed for the summer season. - Weather at the nnrlc hn hpen unfavorable for the past several days with snow, rain and hall falling daily, he said. While travel to the lake Is not encour aged, Mr. Leavitt stated that anyone planning to make the trio should wait until rlpnr weather since on other days the irke is often not visible. A few carloads of visitors were at the park Sunday, Mr. Leavitt re ported, the cars mostly bearing out-of-state licenses. The superintendent stated that the road to the rim from park headquarters is in good condition, but that the road around the lake rim is still blocked by heavy snow drifts. Mall intended for the park staff members should be ad dressed to Ft. Klamath, Mr. Leavitt stated, and the phone connection is also by way of that town. BASEBALL American Washington . 3 8 0 New York 4 12 0 Hacfncr and Ferrell; Donald Johnson, Turner and Hcmslcy. The only known quadruped redwood tree Is In Lilley's Grove, Mendocino county. hour postponement of a sched uled morning meeting. Taft im mediately proposed open hear ings for anyone with Ideas to pre sent, and said the Mackinac con ference resolutions would be presented day after tomorrow. Miss Donlon's election as vice chairman was considered signifi cant especially in view of Gov. Thomas E. Dewey's statement that his ideas on postwar foreign relations would be laid before the committee. Meantime, the convention cre dentials committee met this afternoon at the Blackstone hotel to consider half a dozen delega tion contests. The republican na tional committee met briefly In the morning to authorize the con test hearing. The preliminaries opened with certain diversions in disputes in volving former President Her bert C. Hoover, Wendell L. Will kie, and Rep. Clare Booth Luce, R., Conn., the GOP pin-up girl. I Arm) TtUahoto) IN PHOENIX AREA Rain continued to fall in the valley yesterday, with a down pour of almost cloudburst pro portions reported in the Talent end Phoenix districts in the late afternoon and general rainfall in the rest of the valley during the evening and night. From the Southern Oregon Experiment Station at Talent It was reported that 1.10 Inches fell yesterday afternoon and last night. About half an inch fell in half an hour, beginning about 4:15. It is reported that dam age to a considerable quantity of hay down may be extensive, but damage to fruit Is thought to be light as yet. At the federal weather bureau at the airport rainfall measured .15 for the past 24 hours and the forecast for this vicinity was for continued cloudy weather and showers. DIE FOR MURDER Salem, Ore., June 21. (U.R) Robert E. Lee Folkcs, 21, negro dining car cook convicted of the "Lower 13" sleeping car knife murder of Martha Virginia James, today lost his fight to escape the Oregon lethal gas chamber when the state su preme court affirmed the lower court death penalty. The supreme court Justices voted 5 to 2 to uphold the find ings of the Linn county court. Folkcs, of Los Angeles, was convicted last summer of the murder of the young woman aboard a Southern Pacific train in January, 1943. During his trial at Albany, he repudiated a confession in which he had re lated how he stole upon the sleeping woman and thrust a kitchen knife Into her throat when, upon waking to find the negro astride her, she refused to submit to his advances. BUS TRAVELERS Seattle, June 21 (U.R) -W. H. Somers, traffic manager of the North Coast Transportation com pany, reported scores of bus travelers were turning back from Portland because of In ability to get transportation south of there. He said that bus tickets were now being sold in Portland un der the provision they would not be used for four days after sale. Also, ha said, heavy week end pleasure travel had made It necessary to switch coastwise troop movements by bus to mid-week days. Americans Clamp Arc Of Steel About City; Wheel Up Weapons For Finale. Allied Supreme Headauarters. London, June 21 (U.R) The fall of Cherbourg was expected hourly today as American forces clamped an arc of steel against the city and wheeled up their heavy weapons for the final assault on the beleaguered French port. The defense of Cherbourg by the German garrison was de scribed at supreme headquar ters as in its final hours, and field dispatches said the Nazis were speeding up their demo litions and were reported un officially to have begun evacu ating the city. Demolish Docks In view of the Imminence of the fall of Cherbourg to the American invasion forces, the Germans were believed blowing up harbor installations and try ing to sink whatever ships were available to block tha mouth of the harbor. A spokesman at den. Dwlght D. Eisenhower's headquarters said the fighting on the Cher bourg peninsula was compara tively light because the speed of the American advance kept the Germans reeling back con stantly. "The area held by the enemy Is steadily diminishing," the spokesman said this evening. Rome, June 21 (U.R) British 8th army troops have cleared tho Germans from Perugia and ad vanced three to four miles be yond the town, a communique said today, while French and American units of the Allied 5th army on the British left flank pushed slowly northward against bitter enemy opposition. Driving rains slowed the Al lied armies all along the central battlefront and desperate Nazi rear guards were putting up a fierce delaying fight everywhere, but there was no indication that the main German forces had been sent into action. Roma, June 21 (U.R) Amer- ! lean Thunderbolt fighter-bomb ers attacked and seriously dam aged an enemy aircraft carrier In Genoa harbor, believed to ba tho 20,000-ton Italian carrier Rcgola which was seized by the Germans last September, it was announced today. A formation of Thunderbolts led by Lt. Gordon A. C. Moody of Coldwater, Mich., scored fiva direct hits on the warship. The Regola was believed to have been damaged previously and taken to Genoa for repairs and refitting. The attack was carried out without loss to the American planes. Sales to date In the Fifth War Loan Drive S945,164 "E" Sales Quota ....$188,725 .$600.COO Total Quota for County 12,262,000 RAIN SLOWS DRIVE NORTH IN ITALY
