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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (July 6, 1944)
t Hitler Changes Leaders on Normandy Front T IS E German Resistance Stiffens On American Front; Nazis Move Up Reinforcements. Allied Supreme Headquarters London, July 6 (U.R) Adolf Hitler announced tonight that he had removed Marshal Karl Von Rundstedt from the su preme command of the breached Atlantic wall defenses, behind which American troops were fighting for the transport cen ter of La Haye-Du Puits In the developing battle of Normandy. Coincident with Berlin's dis closure that Hitler had turned over the "supreme command in the west" to Marshal Guenther Von Kluge, who once command ed an army on the Russian front, Normandy dispatches said German resistance on the American front had stiffened greatly, slowing the U. S. offen sive and stopping it in some sectors. Reinforcements Sent Long columns of German re inforcements were bombed and gunned by allied planes as they moved northward toward the U. S. section of the Normandy battle line, possibly for a full scale effort to rub out the 1,313 square mile beachhead. Marshal Erwin Rommd, In charge under Von Runstedt of two army areas embracing Bel gium and most of France, was not mentioned in the order dis placing Von Rundstedt and pre sumably continued in com mand of the Germans in front of the American and British inva sion troops. There have been reports of friction between Rommel and Von Rundstedt but they never were confirmed by any official or semi-official Nazi source. Rundstedt Militarist Rundstedt, 68, son of a gen eral and an aristocrat, is the epitome of Prussian militarism and is said to neither love nor hate the Nazis, obeying them as I he would any government of the ' irouM in the Polish. French, i groups in the Polish, French, and Russian campaigns always with conspicuous success, and his campaign in the northern Ukraine in 1941 is frankly ! called a "masterpiece. Kluge, 02, entered the army as a youth and was a captain in the general staff at the out break of the first World War. He served with conspicuous suc cess in that war and was made commander -in-chief of the Fourth Pommeranian army dur ing the Polish campaign in 1939. He became field marshal gen eral on July 19, 1940. Headquarters sources said that by latest account the Amer icans still were fighting in the streets of La Haye, apparently after recapturing its rail sta tion, which had changed hands several times, and by-passing the town on each side in gains which captured a number of vil lages and hamlets. 14th U. S. Army Air Force Base, China, June 29. (U.R) Capt. Ralph F. Thompson, a U. S. army chemical warfare intel ligence officer, confirmed today that the Japanese were using poison gas against the Chinese defenders of Hengyang. Thompson found evidence of use of both mustard and Lewis ite gas, he reported on his return from a special trip to Hengyang to investigate Chinese claims that death-dealing gases were being employed by the Japa nese. Though the Chinese on sev eral previous occasions have made, similar claims, this was believed to mark tin first time that they have been investigat ed on the spot and confirmed by an American army officer. (A Chinese high command communique last week charged the Japanese were using poison gas at Hengyang, which since has been encircled. The Japa nese claimed to have captured the city.) SIDE GLANCES By TRIBUNE REPORTERS Mildred Horncckcr enthusias-- tically describing her pet sun-! burn cure. r l .- ! T, ' B'S .l LV7",d, h,lh taking , " of herding a tax.cab. Pvt. Ned Liebman describing the life in a big army hospital. Medford United Press Thirty-ninth Year Briefing Onder shell-pocked roof of former before attack on Nafutan Ridge. Churchill Discloses k. . Ki,,, , A . S&JISW. , I Taken In London By Buzz Bombs; No Interference With War Plan London, July 6. (U.R) Prime Minister Churchill disclosed to day that the Germans were bombarding London with robot bombs at the rate of 100 to 150 a day and in the first three weeks of their assault had killed 2,752 persons, a high propor tion of them in the British capital. Some 8,000 other persons .,., ,, Wnitnliied for in ,,,. K( . ,. rnnrtinn of tn!m w.ere dI"S Sf fiflw niSht- though . number few. days, Churchill told com mons in his long-awaited state ment on the pilotlcss plane at tacks. Many Bombs Fail Altogether, he said, the Gp mans discharged 2,750 flying bombs from their launching platforms on the French coast from the start of the assault June 13 through 6 a. m. today, but a very large proportion of them either failed to cross the channel or had been shot down. "The house will be favorably surprised to learn that the total number of flying bombs launch ed have killed almost exactly one person per bomb," he said. Churchill said he could give no guarantee for he future, but assured the house that the gov ernment was doing "everything in human power and we never have failed yet. "That's the only promise I can make yet," he said. "I must, however, make it perfectly plain and I do not want there to be any misunderstanding about it, thatj we shall not anow me uam. operations in Normandy or the attacks we are making on spe cial targets in Germany to suf fer. Retaliation Urged "They come first and we must fit our own domestic arrange ments into the general scheme of war operations." Churchill thus disposed of the cry raised in parliament and in the press in the past week for some form of retaliation against the Germans, possibly the indis criminate bombing to destruc tion of some of their cities, in cluding those not essential to the war effort. The prime minister also re vealed that: Some 50,000 tons of bombs have been dropped by the allied air forces on flying bomb and rocket targets in France and Germany, the latter objectives including the experimental sta tion at Pcenemunde on the Bal tic coast. As new sites are con structed or existing ones repair ed, new attacks are made. Repairs Rushed Large numbers of building workers are now engaged in re pairing damaged builJings and "copious reinforcements" are ar riving daily from the provinces. Robot bomb casualties hence forth will be announced month ly by the home security ministry "as this battle may be a some what lengthy affair." Churchill's speech drew back the veji 0f official secrecy that has forced newspaper correspon- dents to report only that the 'bot bomb, were falling in "southern England" when actu- n, bombardmcnt of the dcath- loaded robot missiles, The attacki continued even Full Leased Wire Before Battle forSaipan Ridge (Acme Telephotof Jap buildings on Salpan, this Infantry officer briefs his platoon non-comi Their faces, gaunt and grim from strain of endless fighting, the men listen attentively. Signal Corps Dhoto. Heavy Toll while Churchill was addressing commons after a comparatively of explosions were heard indi cating that night fighters de stroyed many robots before they could crash to earth with their 2,200 pounds of explosives. Three hospitals were hit with in 12 hours, the last about dawn. THE LOT SALES In a short routine meeting that lasted less than a half hour, the city council last night ap proved the sale of three lots as recommended by the land ap- "The councii authorized the i. i iu.i tion number 3 to Grace Ed-! wards for $200: lot 15. block 1, 1 Tuttle's second addition to Earl ! M. Harrison for $100, and lot 7, block 3, Medford Heights addi tion to Weldon Zundell for $175. $140 In Fines Report of City Police Judge Ralph Woodford showed that fines and bail amounting to $140.50 was collected in June. There were 45 city court cases. Bids are now being received by the city superintendent for the sale to the city of a new pumper fire truck. The bids will be submitted to the coun cil at the next regular meeting. The sum of $12,000 for the pur chase of a new pumper truck appears in the 1944-45 budget. The meeting was adjourned to July 14 at 8:30 p. m., when the council will approve the count of the votes in the special election to be held that day on the tax levy to raise $62,500 for the construction of a municipal swimming pool. Councilmcn Childeri and Field were absent. DIRECTOR KILLED London, July 6 (U.R) A. M. Salomon, Britain's best known film director who was known to nearly every in Holly wood and London as "Doc," was killed by enemy action in south ern England, it was announced today. Sales to date in the Fifth War Loan Drive S2,555,052 "E" Sales Quota ....$460,744 S600.000 Total Quota for County .12.262.000 MEDFORD, OREGON, THURSDAY, JULY I TO BE SEALED M BURNING SHAFTS Bellaire, O., July 6 (U.R) Mine officials today gave up as dead 64 miners trapped five miles inside the burning Pow hatan coal mine, 14 miles south of here, and began sealing the mine shafts. Hope for the men was aban doned when the fire at one of the four entrances whirh had been extinguished broke out again and forced weary rescue crews to return to the surface. Mine officials said it was necessary to seal the entrances to the-mines to Dut out the fire. ' which began yesterday, before it destroyed the entire mine. Believed Dead Roy Fox, supervisor of the Pawhatan Coal Mining com pany, owner of the mine, largest in Ohio, said that in "my opin ion the men are dead. How they died we do not know. Their supply of oxygen may have run out, or they may have been trapped by the spreading fire." Fox said that if the entrances i i. ,atA,.i,i J ?' bireT 'ore the mine could be entered. Earlier, the doomed men had answered the tappings of rescue workers on a water pipe ning through the mine, some hope was held then their rescue. ON GRAND TOTAL; "E" DRIVE T Jackson county sales In the Fifth War Loan drive were "over the top" today as far as the grand total quota is con cerned, with sales this morning reaching $2,555,052.25, as re ported from the drive headquar ters on North Central avenue. However, the quota on "E" bond sales is still considerably short, according to Charles Clay, Sr., headquarters manager. The "E" talcs totalled $400,744.25 while the quota assigned to the county was $600,000. Mr. Clay stated that the drive headquarters would close to night, and that in the future purchases could be made through banks and other authorized . He urged everyone to agencies. continue buying "E" bonds since the committee members are most anxious to reach this quota also. A boost toward the grand quota of $2,262,000 was received vo.torrfav miih rorint nf rer- tain corporation allotments, Mr. Clay said. The drive officially closed July 8, but totals will not be complete until after July 25, it was stated, when official fig- ures are re'ca?rd through the federal reserve banks. am m MR CAPTURE Fall of German Stronghold Opens Path for Drive in Warsaw Direction. London, July 6 (U.R) The Red army announced tonight that it had captured Kowel, Ger man stronghold 40 miles east of the Bug River defense line on the south-central invasion route to Warsaw, 175 miles to the northwest. Premier Josef Stalin, in an order of the day disclosing the capture of Kowel, attributed the victory to Marshal Konstantin K. Rokossovsky's first army of White Russia, which now an- nnrpnnv haA hlirHlnrl 4 Via P.lnn4. Marshes and won a springboard1 lhe cv ?' thce, 8evTenth anniver for a flanking drive against, i8.1? of e S no-Japanese war, either Brest Litovskor Warsaw, v Front Aflame - Berlin said yesterday that the Germans had evacuated Kowel, 75 miles southeast of Brest Litovsk, and followed through today with a report that the 125 mile front southward from that stronghold to the upper Dnestr river had flared up. Together the Moscow and Ber lin reports indicated that Marshal Stalin now had his vast forces deployed all around the offensive arc stretching from the Latvian border far down Into lower Poland and ' aimed west- ward across the Polish plains at Berlin There was no immediate ex planation of the route Rokos sovsky's left flank troop took to score the victory at Kowel. It apparently swung In below the Prlpct Marshes and took over the positions held by Marshal Gregory K. Zhukov's first army of the Ukraine when action last was reported in that sector three months ago "Troops of the first White Rus-; slan front today took possession of the important stronghold of German defenses and large rail Junction, the town of Kowel," Stalin's order to Rokossovsky said. Cake Appointed On Dewey Committee Portland, Ore., July 8 (UJ!) Ralph H. Cake, republican national committeeman from uregon ana lormcr pre-cam-palgn manager for Wendell Willkie, has been selected to serve on the executive commit tee of 15 which will direct the presidential campaign of Gov. Thomas E. Dewey of New York, it was learned here today. Announcement of Cake's ap pointment to the committee was made by Herbert Brownell, Jr., national chairman of the repub lican party. Jews Herded To Slaughter Is Charge Against Germans London, July . (U.R) Brit irh Minister of Information Brendan Bracken charged today that'e Germans are acting up ' Pub ic slaughterhouses In Eur- Jews are being herded to their deaths. 'This is the biggest scandal in the history of human crime and the responsibility rests on the German people," Bracken said at a memorial luncheon held in honor of the late Brig. Gen. Kisch, a Jewish officer who was killed In north Africa while serving as chief engineer for the British 8th army. 6, 1944 r v on uvoiyjini E IS CHIANJMEDGE Generalissimo Tells Chinese Situation Grave But Fight For Freedom to Go On. By George Wang United Press War Correspondent Chungking, July 6 (U.R) Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek told the people of China today that the nation's military situa tion Is "grave," but he pledged that the war against Japan, now entering its eighth year, will be continued until victory is at tained and lost territory re covered. i' In a message to Free China on Chiang solemnly emphasized the danger posed by the rapid Jap anese advance through the Canton-Hankow railroad. Big Scale Operation "The enemy obviously planned the present campaign with great care," Chiang said. "The scale of operations is the largest since the assault on Hankow and Wuchang in 1938. "It is of no use to Ignore the fact that the enemy made rapid advances in his new drives and that the situation is grave." He said Japan fully realized Us defenses on land and In the j ar are weak and that a "general countcroffensive' from China Is Imminent. ... w.u. "- , " of her peoplo from the gathering threat to her home front, Japan recently mustered all her avail able forces and made a syn chronized attack on our troops in Honan and Hunan." Jap Success Told This drive now has carried Japanese troops approximately 50 miles south of encircled Heng yang in Hunan province, and north of Canton in Kwangtung province. The Japanese have cap tured all but approximately 175 miles of the Canton-Hankow railroad. Chiang said the enemy's three objectives in the present cam paign were: 1. Reduction of Chinese field forces before the Chinese general countcroffensive. 2. Destroy air bases along the Canton-Hankow railway and the Hunan-Kwangsi railway, mini mizing the danger of an air of fensive against the Japanese homeland. 3. Most Important of all, gain ing control of Chinese trunk lines as avenues of eventual Jap- . ancse retreat now in Burma, Indo-China, Thailand, Malaya I and the South Seas islands. "What the Germans are do ing," Bracken said, "is nothing less than setting up abbatoirs in Europe into which are shepherd ed thousands of Jews . . . they are dispatched with the sort of brutal efficiency In which the Prussian delights . . . the Ger man people have the responsi bility, also the German general staff, which could have stopped it. "I hope that when the time comes when exemplary punish ment Is given the people respon sible for thce outrages, the Ger man grncrrl rt-jlf will be the first to be dealt with." BUNE Press Full Leased Wire Legislature Call By Governor Snell Remains Undecided Salem, Ore., July 6 (U.R) Officials today said it was un certain whether Gov. Earl Snell would call a special legislative session to enact legislation as suring Oregon overseas veterans an opportunity to vote at the November election. It was believed, however, that a decision would be made after a meeting of county clerks here next Monday. Snell said he had received a number of letters urging the special session but declined to comment further. More than 7000 requests for November election ballots al ready have been received by the state department. LIEUT. S1NCUTT, SLAYER OF THREE, SUICIDES IN CELL t, . - - Sari Francisco, July 6 (U.R) Lt. Beaufort G. Swancutt, sen tenced to death by an army court martial for the murder of his sweetheart, another girl and his commanding officer at Camp Anza, hanged himself at Letter man general hospital today. After he committed the triple murder at Anza, Swancutt shot and killed a policeman who at tempted to halt him at Arling ton, (Jal. The lieutenant, who rose ud from his table at the Anza ord ers club and committed the wholesale slaughter exactly four months ago today, was f( 11 1 n fl B.l.Iin.l.r) fvnm i wim a Dcusncct around his neck by hospital attaches this morn ing, according to reliable re ports. , Swancutt succeeded In his at tempt despite heavy guards as signed to him at Lcttcrman since his transfer there. Swancutt ended his own life in the same manner prescribed by the army court martial which found him guilty of the murders of Dorothy Evelyn Douglas, 19, Lourdine Liver more, 18, Capt. Aubrey G. Serf ling, 27, Preston, Minn., and Po lice Officer Arthur B. Simpson. A tt w nnlin Kl. Tl l B ' cers' Club, Swancutt left the clubroom and went to the offi cers quarters where he aroused Scrfling, his commanding offi cer, and shot him twice in the abdomen. E Marysvllle, Calif., July 6 (U.R) Camp Bealc authorities today an nounced Pvt. Bill Hensley, 28, of Foresen, Ark., was killed and seven other soldiers were injured In an explosion on the camp's firing range yesterday. Most seriously Injured was Pvt. Harry L. Scott, 20, of Con nersvillc, Ind. reported In critical condition from head Injuries. The six others hospitalized are re covering, camp hospital attaches said. The men were members of lhe 363rd Field Artillery Battalion of the 96th Infantry Division. BLAZE FOLLOWS BLAST IN PENNZ0IL CO. PLANT Oil City, Pa., July 6 ftl.R) Three persons were killed, nino injured and fouf others over come by fumes when fire, fol lowing an explosion, swept through part of the $1,500,000 octane plant of the Pennzoil Co., one mile north of Oil City. Weather Forecast: rafr tonight and 'Friday nlth mild temperature. Temp. Hlgritst yesterday s.1 Lowest thin morrilnf 52 Precipitation past 24 bra. 0 NO. 89. BURNING BIG TOP MATWOl Ten Thousand, Including Many Children, Caught in Ringling Bros. Holocaust. Hartford, Conn., July 6 4U.R) Forty or more persons died un der the burning "big top" of the Ringling Brothers and Barnura and Bailey circus today during a matinee performance before approximately 10,000 persons, including many children, an eye witness reported. A reporter for the Hartford Courant said he had counted at least 40 bodies taken from the ruins of the collapsed main tent and laid out awaiting removal to the morgue. Hospitals Swamped All Hartford hospitals were swamped with the injured taken to them in trucks, passenger cars, busses, horse-drawn wagons every vehicle which happened to he passing the grounds at the moment of the disaster. An eyewitness said the fire broke out In one corner of the tent, one of the largest, if not the largest tent in the world, while the attention of the audience was rlvitcd on the shows in the three big rings. With unbelievable speed, the blaze raced up the walls of can vas and within seconds, it seemed to those beneath, its entire top was ablaze. Then the blazing canvas began falling toward them as ridge poles and guy ropes gave way and there was a mad scramble to get out from under. Panie Held Down Circus authorities, wise In the , way of crowds, took immediate and firm control and were cred ited with holding down the panic, but many were trampled in the rush for the outside. The injured arrived at Hart ford and St. Francis hospitals faster than they could be count ed and hurried calls for all available physicians and nurses were sent out to care for them. Those with only minor Injuries were treated at makeshift first aid stations set up on the circus grounds. Nearby army camps sent fleets of trucks to the scene to help out as they could. The dead were being taken to the state armory. Civllaln defense units respond ed to the calls for volunteers and made use of their painfully acquired knowledge of first aid and stretcher bearing. A circus attendant whose name was not given, said the fire broke out at the end of an animal act and that it was neces sary to shoot several of the lions because trainers could not get them back to their cages. Mrs. George Bisscll, East Hampton, Conn., who suffered burns, said she was sitting in the general admission seats when the fire started under the bleachers and flashed to the top of the tent. "Everybody started for the exits," she said. "It seemed as if they all made for the exits at one time, and the screams were awful." She said she became separat ed from her husband and that families were calling to each other during the mad rush to get away from the flames. PORTLAND WAREHOUSE IS SWEPT BY BLAZE Portland, Ore., July 6. (U.R) Damage from fire that for nearly an hour swept through a waterfront plumbing supply warehouse here was estimated at $12,500.
