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
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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
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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