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.