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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (July 3, 1944)
Yanks Launch New Drive Along Cherbourg Peninsula MEN GO OVER TOP T Both Sides Reported Mass- ing For Major Collision in Caen Area; Weather Bad. Allied Supreme Headquarters, London, July 3. (U.R) Lt. Gen. Omar N. Bradley launched a new American offensive south ward along the west coast of the lower Cherbourg peninsula to day, sending his-troops over the top at dawn in a driving rain which had turned the battlefield into a sea of mud. Two days after mopping up the Cherbourg region, the Unit ed States first army struck out in the westernmost sector of the Normandy battle-front, keeping the enemy off balance there even while both sides were massing forces for a full dress fight in the Caen area. On Narrow Front Bradley mounted the offen sive along a fairly narrow front south of St. Sauveu-L Victomte, where the main core of Nazi re sistance was smashed in the original U. S. drive across the peninsula. The Americans were wallowing through the mire toward Le Maye-Du Puits, trans port hub seven miles south of St. Sauveur and six miles in land. (A British broadcast quoted by CBS said the Americans ad vanced in two columns one Just south of a narrow strip of solid ground between the coast at Portbail and the marshes two or three miles inland, and the other some 10 miles inland.) Wallow in Mud United Press Correspondent James McGlincy reported from field headquarters that the at tacking forces were "slithering and sloshing through some of till wnrst mild cpan cmpa iha The attack followed a heavy artillery bombardment of the German positions ahead of the Americans. The weather pre vented aerial support. A lashing ; rain began during the night, and continued this morning. 'The battle was of the foot slogging type fought in World War I, with the Americans fight ing the same kind of mud their fathers' did," McGlincy reported. Indian Type Battle "The terrain of the battle area was the same Normandy hedgerow country in which the previous battles have been fought. It was Indian type war fare, with no room for tanks to maneuver and with infantry fighting almost hand to hand battles in orchards and fields along the endless hedgerows." The drive was aimed in two directions. One force took off at 5:30 a. m., the other at 6:30 a. m. The battle mounted in intens ity during the morning as the Germans found themselves up against the same slashing at tacks as those which marked the early operations in Norman dy. Bradley's tactics have called for driving spearheads forward as fast as possible, bypassing and encircling strong points for later mopup. AUT0S.DR0WN1NGS TAKE EARLY TOLL By United Prett Traffic fatalities, drownings, and other accidents took at least 125 lives in advance of the Fourth of July holiday, a United Press survey showed today. In the first two days of the four-day holiday weekend, 66 persons died in traffic accidents. 33 were drowned, and 28 were killed in other accidents. With thousands taking advan tage of the long weekend for a summer outing, the loss of life ran almost true to form. The national safety council had pre dicted that 160 persons would die in traffic accidents Saturday and Sunday and that 250 would be dead by midnight Tuesday. California showed the largest loss of life, with 16 persons dead, 15 of them in automobile acci dents. Mother and Giant . Baby Doing Well Chicago. July 3. (U.R) Mrs. Patricia Frontzak and her 14-p-und, 9'4 ounce baby, born yesterday at the American Nor wegian hospital, were reported "in good condition" today. It was the 12th child for the moth er who is five feet 10 inches tall and weighs 295 pounds. The baby was 24 Inches talk Coconut production in Puerto Rico is approximately 24,000, 000 coconuts per year. M United Press Thirty-ninth Year Saican Casualties Heaviest in Pacific Fighting A Navy chaplain reads burial services for Marines who died on Salpan and were burled at sea Jrom uwTtroop transport.. Buddies of the dead Leathernecks act as pallbearers. The .battle for Salpan has been costing u. 6. armed torces 765 casualties a day highest in Paclllc flihtinn. Marine Cores ohoto. American Guns Over Garapan, Marianas Capital City T WHEN LOG TRUCK WHEELS OFF ROAD James Nunes, 36, of Ashland was confined in Medford Com munity hospital today with crit ical injuries and Maurice Wood son, 32, of Ashland, with less serious hurts they suffered in a logging-truck accident on the Dead Indian road 22 miles from Ashland Saturday morning. Nunes received a severely crushed arm, a bad laceration of the chin and neck and cuts on his nose and head. Hospital attendants said today his con dition was critical. Woodson, whose condition was described as good, suffered right shoulder and arm hurts. State police, who are continu ing their investigation of the mishap, said that the logging truck operated by Woodson, and in which Nunes was a passen ger, met another truck on the mountain, and that in avoiding a collision the vehicle ran off the road. Logs on the back end drove forward, through the driv er's cab and pinned Nunes against the dashboard, police said they learned. The injured men were brought to the Medford hospital by Ross Hardin, operator of the other truck, hospital attendants stated. TO The road around the north side of Crater Lake is now open and travellers may take this route to Diamond Lake or to the Dalles-California highway if they wish according to E. P. Leavitt, superintendent of the Crater Lake National park. The rim road Is not completely cleared, however, Mr. Leavitt reported. The superintendent stated that a goodly number of people visited the lake yesterday, most of the visitors being servicemen. The weather is excellent, he re ported, with a fine view of the lake possible. Mr. and Mrs. Leavitt are in Medford for a brief time from park headquarters. Argentina Deals Strengthen Ties Washington, July 3. (U.R) Improving commercial ties be tween the United States and Argentina appeared today to foreclose any immediate break in diplomatic relations or the Imposition of economic sanc tions against the Argentine government. EDFORD Full Leased Wire Mi&WMk Spread Mass By Richard W. Johnston United Press War Correspondent , , (Representing the Combined Allied Press) Aboard Joint Expeditionary Flagship off Saipan, July 3. (U.R) (Via Navy Radio) -A mass of flame, which illuminated the sea I through the night, spread over Garapan today in mute evidence of pin-pointing firing from naval guns and artillery and mortars ) in the heights overlooking the city. U. S. AIR FORCES TEAM OP TO I London, July 3 (U.R) Amer ican heavy bombers of the Britain-based Eighth and Italy based 15th air forces teamed un for the first announced time to- day in a powerful attack on oil facilities in Romania,. Hungary, and Yugoslavia. Eighth air force heavy bomb ers flew from Italy as "guests" of Major-Gen. Nathan F. Twin ing's 15th, a Rome announce ment disclosed. Big bombers of Lt. Gen. James H. Doolittle's Eighth arrived in Italy last week at the end of the first Britain - to-Russia-to-Italy trian gle shuttle bombing of Axis targets. Oil refineries, storage depots and transportation f a c 1 1 i t ics scattered across a broad reach of the Balkans were the objec tives of the combined bombard men today. Nazi broadcasts said more than 500 American planes at tacked Budapest this morning. The daylight bombing of the Balkans followed a night as sault by RAF heavy bombers on the Prahova oil refinery at Bucharest. ALLIES UPROOT Rome, July 3. (U.R) Allied troops broke open the German defenses all across the 160-mile belt of the Italian peninsula to day, capturing the key highway center of Siena on the road to Florence and driving rapidly up both coasts toward the big sea ports of Livorno and Ancona. French colonial troops storm ed into Siena this morning on the heels of the retreating Nazis, who began evacuating the medi eval art center late yesterday under a storm of shell and mor tar fire, leaving only a small rear guard to cover their with drawal. The fall of Siena, coupled with the American advance a ioss the Cecina river farther west, deprived the retreating Germans of their last lateral highway line before the Pisa Florence road and uprooted the strong defenses covering their long-prepa'ed "Gothic line" across the peninsula from PUa to Rimini. MEDFORD, OREGON, MONDAY, JULY 3, of Flame It was an awesome spectacle to see from the bridge of this ship. Through a glass, many fires were discernible, but to the naked eye they merged into one immense orange glow into which floating tracer shells from the warships vanished. Lightning Adds To Scene Nature added to the gro tesqueness of the scene, in al most symbolic heraldry of the fall of the first Japanese city in the Pacific. Flashes of lightning split the horizon, streaking from black and purple clouds, while occa sional rolls of thunder sounded during the staccato artillery blasts. From the razored ridges of Mt. Tapotchau, the tireless sec ond marine division fought its way down to the heights above the city against fierce Japanese resistance. On the plain below, other units of the same division rolled through southern Garapan over the rubble of concrete buildings and the crazy tumbled wreckage of still burning and flimsy wall ed, paper-windowed houses. Salvage Possible The fall of Garapan will make Tanapag harbor available and permit investigation and possi ble salvage of many Japanese ships sunk there by U. S. air and naval strikes which preced ed the invasion pf Saipan. With the disclosure of the units on Saipan, it now can be revealed that the 2nd and 4th marine divisions landed abreast in the invasion and suffered the major share of the casualties. The 2nd turned up the coast and through the highest moun tains, while the 4th struck di rectly across the Island and secured heights surrounding Magicienne bay after savage fighting. The 27th army division land ed a few days after the initial assault, circled the southern tip of the island, captured Aslito (now Isely) airfield without heavy losses, but became in volved in bloody fighting for Nafutan Point. Equipment Stolen From Playground, . Manager Reports The wire enclosure where squipment is kept at the chil dren's playground on Bear creek was entered Saturday night and several items were stolen, Lottie Burger, manager, reported to city police Sunday. Missing, she told police, was large first aid kit, a box of candy, a pair of sun glasses, a pair of pruning shears and large number of comic books. The enclosure, located under the bridge, was entered by scal ing the wire. RED PINCERS Tl 4 EATEN THOUSANDS OF BATTLE -WEARY GERMAN SOLDIERS AT TULECENTER Man Formerly in Insurance Business at Sacramento Victim; To Investigate. San Francisco, July 3. (U.R) Yaozo Hitomi, 44, Japanese alien formerly in the insurance busi ness in Sacramento, Calif., was found stabbed to death last night at the Tule Lake segregation center where he was interned, the War Relocation Authority announced today. Hitomi's body was discovered at 10:45 p. m. by his niece, Fumi ko Hitomi. He had been stabbed through the throat with an ap parently long-bladed knife, WRA spokesmen said. The body was found In a bar racks building on the porch of an apartment adjoining Hitomi's r- .rtment. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the segrega tion center hospital. Prior to evacuation Hitomi was an agent for the Sun Life Insurance Co., a Chinese con cern at Sacramento. At Tule Lake Hitomi was gen eral manager of the Copoerative Enterprises, Inc. He was sur vived by his wife, two sons, 16 and 14 years old, and a daughter 12 years old. The entire family lived at Tule Lake... . " WRA spokesmen said diaries Lederer, district attorney of Mo doc county, had started an inves tigation of the stabbing. NAZIS STEP UP London, July 3 (U.R) The Germans, taking advantage of bad weather over the Channel, stepped up their robot bomb at tnclf nn aniithern England in daylight today, after RAF night: fighters and antl-aircrnu -guns took a heavy toll of the flying weapons during the night. After a lull that lasted most of Sunday, the Germans resumed the robot attacks shortly after nigntfall and sent an increasing number of the pllotlcss planes over soJthern England in day light. . . The Germans apparently also used piloted planes in the night ; attacks. In one district a few minutes after a flying bomb I dropped and caused some dam age, the engines of airplanes were heard followed by four ex plosions The lull yesterday following nearly 48 hours of almost con tinuous attacks, In which a chll- rtrona hncnltdl nffain WHS listed Saturday night as among the buildings hit and damaged by the bombs. Except for broken glass, however, the hospital es caped severe damage. The kitchens of San Francis co's Palace Hotel can feed 5,000 persons at a time. Dispute Over Wearing Ties Knots Bus Station Business Chicago, July 3 (U.R) A dis pute over whether a ticket-seller should wear a necktie spread today, tied up business at three bus stations, and gave the U. S. Labor Conciliation department a problem as knotty as a bow tie. E. R. McDonald, of the De partment of Labor's Concilia tion service, summoned the dis putants to a meeting to untan gle the necktie problem which arose when the company oper ating the Union Bus terminal told 14 ticket sellers they must wear ties while at work. The ticket sellers declined to put on their ties, and the com pany refused to let them work In open-throated comfort. The ticket sellers, affiliated with the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks, said they had been locked out. rest 1944. Dewev Plans Camnaion Strategy in- rtW Vita '4 ' (Acmm Tetephoto) Gov. Thomas E. Dewey (left), a. O. P. presidential nominee, charts his campaign wun HerDeri Brownen Jr., 0-year-old New York attorney and long-time personal friend, who was elected new chairman of the Repub lican National Committee- Dewey To Work Hard as Governor During Campaign for Presidency Albany, July 3 (U.R) Gov. Thomas E. Dewey, refreshed after his first real rest since accepting the Republican presidential nomination, today began disposing of state business which piled up during his absence. ETO Washington, July 3. (U.R) The Democratic party, rapidly completing arrangements for its July 19 convention at Chicago, appeared determined today to match or outdo if it can the accent on youth and feminine benuty that highlighted the Re publican convention Inst week. Hoping to out -glamor the blonde splendor of the Republi cans' congrosswoman-playwright, Mrs. Clare Boothe Luce, the Democrats have in mind a cou ple of striking brunettes on whom they will throw their con vention spotlight. One Is Mrs. Helen Gahagan Douglas, former screen star. The winner of a California congres sional primary, the statuesque brunette will be a delegate to the convention and is slated to mnke a major address. The Democrats also have Mrs. Dorothy Vredcnburgh, 28-year old southern beauty now serving' as the party's national secretary. She will read announcements from the platform. The Democrats announced over the weekend that the per manent chairman for their con vention would be the freshman Democratic senator from Indi ana, 49year-old Samuel D. Jack son. Their keynoter will be Gov. Robert Kerr, 47, of Oklahoma. NO PAPER TUESDAY In accordance with long established custom there will be no Issue of the Mail Tri bun TnsHny. July 4th. Other employes of the main bus terminal and two sub-stations walked out in sympathy with the ticless ticket men. Lines were formed by pickets, nearly all of whom wore neck ties. Bus service, crammed with July Fourth business, continued, but riders climbed Into the busses at the curb and rode free to points outside of Chicago where they bought their tickets. One traveler said the tie dls puto tied him up for 24 hours. Ho couldn't find an Information clerk to tell him which bus to take to Toledo. A lady traveling from Phoe nix, Ariz., to Madison, Wis., with four small children and five suitcases searched the sta tion in vain for a porter, with or without a necktie. BUNE Full Leased Wire V.r.!i Except for a scheduled press conference, the governor said he would devote himself exclusive ly to affnlrs of New York state during the next few days In an effort to catch up on several pressing matters. ' Dewey has no immediate cam paign plans and Intends to move slowly on his schedule, although lie will be in touch witn Herbert Browncll, Jr., Republican na tional chairman. He will con tinue to "work hard" at being governor during the campaign, a policy followed by Franklin D. Roosevelt In 1932. During his talks with Brow noil, it was reported, the gov ernor Intends to discuss make up of the 19-man executive com mittee, which will be announced soon. Ho said the committee will comprise men from all factions of the party. RED CROSS CHIEF OF STROKE Washington, July 3. (U.R) President Roosevelt and other high officials today mourned as a "great loss" io the country the weekend death of Norman H. Davis, 65, chairman of the Amer ican Red Cross and holder of Important diplomatic posts under three presidents. Davis, who died at Hot Springs, Va., early Sunday morn ing of a stroke, will be buried Wednesday at nearby Alexan dria, Va. Funeral services will be conducted In historic Christ's church. Red Cross chairman since April 12, 1938, by appointment of Mr. Roosevelt, Davis had been In poor health In recent weeks and had gone to Hot Springs to recuperate. A cerebral hemor rhage, suffered the day before, caused his death. Bearing Workers Return to Plants Canton, Onlo, July 3 (U.R) Members of the United Steul workcrs of America (CIO) began returning to work at four plants of the Tlmkcn Roller Bctring Co. today after a five-day strike which cr'pplcd vital wnr produc tion and spread to two other plants of the company at Colum bus, Ohio. The strike, worst at the Tlm kcn plants since 1937, was called off last night when union mem bers at a mass meeting voted to return 'as quickly as production facilities will allow" after ex pressing confidence (hat a per manent arbitrator of disputes would be named by the national War Labor Board. RADIO OWNER DIES Eugene, Ore., July 3. (U.R) Funeral services will be held Thursday for Frank L. Hill, owner of radio station KORE, who died Sunday. fx?: h NOON EDITION NO. 87. 30010 FACING IF Only Secondary Roads For Escape; Red Armies Re ported 54- Miles Apart. Moscow, July 3. (U.R) Red armies opened a frontal assault on almost-isolated Minsk today and hammered forward the jaws of a giant pincers that converged behind the White Russian capi tal and threatened to trap hun dreds of thousands of battle- , weary German troops. (London military sources esti mated that 300,000 or more Nazis were in the Minsk pocket, and pointed out that their en trapment would rival the Ger man disaster at Stalingrad, where some 320,000 were killed or captured.) Massive columns of Soviet ar tillery wheeled Into position on the assault arc around Minsk and began pounding the inner defenses of the biggest Nazi bas tion guarding the Invasion route to Rarsow and Berlin. Only 12 MUes Away The frontal assault on Minsk was launched from positions less than 12 miles distant. Out dated reports revealed that the Soviets had seized outposts ot the city to close against lt for the greatest victory of their lummpr offensive. At the same time the red armies which had cut the last railroads and all highways ex-. cept secondary roads west of Minsk were pounding toward each other. Last accounts placed them 84 miles apart and advanc ing at a pace that promised com plete envelopment of Minsk in a matter of hours. Red air force fighters, fighter bombers and other planes had complete mastery of the air, front dispatches said. They ham mcred incessantly at the German lines of retreat, swooping down to treetop level to rake the en emy, who was able to throw up only feeble anti-aircraft fire if any. Thousands Surrender Thousands of Germans were emerging from the White Rus sian forests where the tide of battle passed them by. Surren dering In wholesale lots, the gaunt and dazed Nazis gathered along the roads to await any Russians who had time to take them In. Front reports said that In one ector the Russians found groups of Germans who had been killed bv their colleagues to keen j them from denouncing the per- pt-irniors or atrocities in many villages. No Pop This Year For Firecrackers Are War Casualty Johnnie and Susie can go swimming tomorrow and eat as much Ice cream and cake as In past years, but one big thing will be missing for this 1944 July Fourth, mainly, the noise. Gone for the duration Is the familiar banging and popping of the big and little red firecrackers which were once the Joy of every child's heart. A casualty of the war, America's traditional July Fourth fireworks will be heard no more until peace returns. This Is the second year that the youngsters are without firocrackers. A few were to be had lost year, but this year will be truly a quiet Independ ence Day with not even the back-firing of flag-covered cars to be heard. Sales to date la the Fifth War Loan Drive 82,030,276 "E" Sale .... $406,168 $600.000 Quota Total Quota for County ..$2,262,000
