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MEDFORD
United Press
Thirty-ninth Year
Bradley's Yanks Open
RAIL JUNCTION
OF AIL TAKEN
Advances to Northwest Al
most Complete Encircle
ment of LaHaye-DuPuits
. Allied Supreme Headquarters,
London, July 7 (U.R) Lt. Gen.
Omar N. Bradley started a new
American offensive on the mid
Normandy front north of St. Lo
today where his assault forces
. ured t"- rail June" n of
Airel and stormed across the
Vire r'ver for advances of more
than a mile.
Other American forces to the
northwest almost completed the
encirclement of La Haye-du
Puits, narrowing to two and a
half miles the gap between the
t -ngs of an enveloping arc, and
a headquarters spokesman said
it is "now only a matter of time"
until the town falls.
At the eastern end of the
French battlefront, British pa
tiols thrust Into the dock area
of Caen and found it deserted,
giving rise to speculation that
the Germans might be with
drawing from the great inland
port, the most stubbornly de
fended objective of the Norman
dy campaign so far.
The new United States offen
sive some eight miles above St.
Lo was aimed squarely at the
highway hub of St. Jean-de
Daye, some two miles west of
the Vire. Front dispatches re
ported violent fighting at close
quarters in the vicinity of the
town.
Hjnr T. Gorrell, United
Press correspondent on the new
ly opened front, said the offen
sive was launched at dawn after
the greatest artillery barrage of
the French campaign had dazed
the Germans and eased the Job
of doughboys who swarmed
across the river in collapsible
boats. v
Gorrell said the troops were
"making good progress in the
region of St. Jean" at mldafter
noon. They were supported
strongly by allied planes and
artillery hammering the Ger
man positions in their path.
TO
VHERANSJARTY
A real, old-fashinned hay ride
party is the special treat ihis
evening for a group of men from
the Western Personnel Reassign
ment Center Camp White, and
topping this Is the promise of an
lntrodu'-tion to the glamorous
movie star, Ginger Rogers, for
the ride is to end with a camp
fire supper at the Rogers' ranch
above Eagle Point. Miss Rogers
has been at the ranch for the
part twi weeks for a rest and is
leaving tomorrow to return to
southern California.
The hay ride, on wagons
loaned by C-. C. Hoover. Rt. .4.
has been arranged for 50 men.
ail recently returned from over
seas duly, and they will have as
partners 50 voung women of the
valley. Guita's. accordions and
other musical Instruments will
provide a background for songs
and a very gala evening is antici
pated bv the party. Miss Rogers
has promised to Join the group
for a time during the evening.
The star, accompanied by her
secretarv. Miss Penny Pascoe,
arrived at the ranch two weeks
ago in order that Miss Rogers
might rest after completing
' Double Furlough" lor ScUoick.
Full Leased Wire
Holman Weds Lundeen's Widow
I. wmm
Mrs Norma Ward Lundeen, widow of V. S. Senator Ernest Lundecn of
Minnesota, and Senator Rutus C. Holman (R., Ore.), pictured after
their wedding in Minneapolis. They plan to proceed to Oregon by auto.
Pathway to Life Offered
Japs Still on Saipan Isle
FATHER TO DIE
SAME DEATH HE
VISITED ON SON
Pittsfield, Mass., July 7 (U.R)
Still protesting his innocence,
Socialite John F. Noxon. Jr.,
was sentenced today to die in
the electric chair the same form
of death which he dealt to his
six-month-old imbecile son
Lawrence last Sept. 22.
No date was set for the ex
ecution.
The crippled Noxon, 47,
standing with the support of
two canes, flushed as Lourt
Clerk Irene Mason, whom he
had known since childhood,
asked if there was any reason
why the mandatory sentence
of death should not be im
posed. Firmly and stolidly, noxon
answered:
"I want to repeat again what
I said on the witness stand: I
did not kill my son, I am Inno
cent of this terrible charge."
In convicting the lawyer-de
fendant, the Jury rejected his
explanation of Baby Lawrence's
electrocution as an accident, In
favor of the prosecution's charge
that Noxon deliberately killed
the mentally-defective child on
an improvised electric chair
rigged up with a metal sandwich
tray and a trouble cord In the
library of his $45,000 home in
suburban Pittsfield last Sept. 22.
U. A. L. MAN HERE
W P. Mclntvre. United Air
lines station manager at Salem,
is in Medford today on business,
conferring with Jack Myers,
local United Airlines manager.
Mclntyre expects to leave to
morrow. SIDE GLANCES
Br
TRIBUNE REPORTERS
Main street motorists wishing
some city employee would notice
that the traffic signals are "off
schedule."
Eva Segessman offering to buy
a lollypop for a kind ration board
worker.
State Police Sarge Willard
Ruch receiving some good news
for none in return, .
MEDFORD, OREGON,
A, m Talanhntnl
By Rembert James
Representing the Combined
Allied Press.
Distributed by United Press.
Aboard Joint Expeditionary
Force Flagship pff Saipan, July
7. (East Longitude Time) (U.R)
(Via Navy Radio American
military forces opened a path
way to life today for the ten to
fifteen thousand Japanese civil
ians still hiding out on Saipan
Island, while American troops
I moved ahead to deliver the
leath Llow to the shattered and
bat'.lc-bcnumbed Jap garrison.
By declaration of American
commanders, a single highway
was designated as the road to
.urrender for civilians, almost
7000 of whom already have been
i terned.
The rest, including Saipan
business owners, insular govern
ment officials and white collar
workers with their families,
ha.e cowered in hiding places
in the hills and cancbrakes on
northern Siipan.
By word of mouth, and by
pamphlets dropped from air
p!. nes and shot from mortars,
the Americans offered water,
fcod and complete safety to
thos who accept.
Marines Push On
Meantime, marines and army
forces pushed In to destroy the
remnants of the defending
forces under circumstances in
which none could doubt that the
em' of military operations was
!n sight.
The Japanese were penned
1 to the space at the northern
tip of the Island extending
roughly two miles In each direc
tion except for a slim area from
Marpl Point at the northern end
down the western coast toward
Tanapag harbor.
The Japanese already had lost
everything of value on Saipan
except the Marpl Point airfield,
where most of their troops ap
parently have chosen to die at
the base of a sheer cliff 600 feet
high with saw-toothed edges a
rugged and weird setting for
their doomsday.
laps Hold Pocket
Today .hey still held an en
trenched pocket on the west
coast, but were under heavy at
tack by 27th army division
troops there, while marines
pushed on northward.
The Americans on the other
hand held probably nine-tenths
of the island, Including the im-
Iportant Iscly (formerly Aslito)
airport, the town of Garapan
and the harbor of Tanapag, as
well as the island's highest peak
Mt. Tapotchau.
FRIDAY, JULY 7, 1944.
Drive North of
24 KILLED WHEN
IS
E
Six Cars Plunge Down 150
Foot Bank in Tennessee;
Flames Consume 2 Cars.
Jellico, Tenn.. July 7 (U.R)
Rescue workers, cutting with
welding torches into one of six
coaches of a speeding troop train
which spilled into a mountain
gorge 12 miles north of here last
night, reported today that they
could see "seven or eight" life
less forms inside the car, Indi
cating that the death toll would
go to at least 24.
Six cars of the Louisville and
Nashville sleeper plunged from
the tails Just after rounding a
curve and hurtled headlong
down the sheer 150-foot bank of
the canyon. Seventeen previous
deaths were announced 15 sol
diers and two trainmen -rand
over 100 were- injured, many
critically.
Coaches Hold Dead
Every Implement from weld
ing torches and heavy equipment
to old-fashioned cold chisels was
being utilized in an effort to pry
open the steel coach in which
the other bodies were said to be
located. ...
Some of those killed were at
dinner, others were sleeping or
preparing for bed in the train's
washroom. Scattered clothing
made identification difficult.
The train was reportedly
carrying 1,000 troops who had
Just completed basic training
and were en route from Cincin
nati to Knoxville 70 miles
south of the wreck.
One soldier said he had just
finished eating when the crash
came. He thought that the fire
that had consumed the diner
started in the kitchen. The bag
gage car also was consumed by
flames which gave rescuers their
first light to work by. In the
eerie light doctors and nurses
passed among the injured, ad
ministering precious blood
plasma to the most seriously
hurt.
Two soldiers were pinned In a
car, one of whom kept scream
ing: "Please get me out or let me
die."
London, July 7 (U.R) The
Berlin radio said today that Rus
sian troops scored a break
through below Kowel In lower
Poland In powerful thrusts de
scribed by the Nazis as likely to
foreshadow a major Red army
offensive on the southern front.
Ernst Von Hammer, DNB
radio commentator, In acknowl
edging the Soviet break-through
west of Luck, which Is 42 miles
southeast of Kowel, added the
customary propaganda claim that
the wedge was "eliminated by
counterattack."
Fighting was widespread In
the Kowel-Luck-Tarnopol area
of lower Poland, the Berlin
broadcast said, and of such an
intensity as to indicate a brew
ing general offensive.
Other Nazi broadcasts ack
nowledged major reverses In the
main sectors of the eastern
battlefront. They admitted that
the Russians had driven to the
outskirts of Barnowicze in a
drive against the strategic gap In
the westward Invasion route, and
said the Germans had pulled
back to new positions before
Wilno.
Tribune
United Press
Gov.' Dewey Opens
Conferences With
Congress Leaders
Albany, N. Y., July 7 (U.R)
Governor Thomas E. Dewey be
gan s seri-!s -f conferences with
Republican congress' mal lead
ei today to discuss the issues
of his campaign for the presi
dency. The governor said he plans to
c'jta'n the views of as many
R3publican congressmen as pos
sible and, at the same time, offer
his Jvn ideas on important
problems fa(' g the country.
Dewey talked with Senator
Arthur Vandenbcrg of Michigan
on foreign policy for two hours
at the executive mansion last
night, Indicating that interna
ls nal -ffalrs will play an im
port mt part in his drive to oust
ihe Democratic administration
in Washington.
Vandnberg, Republican ex
pert on foreign policy, said he
and the governor were in com
plete accord and that the GOP
porition c uld be stated In 10
words:
"We intend t preserve Amer
ica nd cooperate with the
world."
JAPAN TO FACE
mini
UC
IDLU,
By United Press
Harder blows against Japan's
Inner defenses and along the
road back to the Philippines
were disclosed today as British
Prime Minister Win-Jon Church
ill and MaJ. Gen; Claire L. Chen
nault, .ommander of the 14th
U. S. air force in China, pro
mised the full might of the Unit
ed Nations will - be turned
aga'ist the Japanese after the
war in Europe.
Admiral Chester W. Nlmitz.
in a revised report of U. S. task
force strikes into the Bonin
end Volcano Islands, 650 miles
from Tokyo, announced Ameri
can airmen probably sank 12
Japanese vessels and destroyed
of damaged 113 planes Monday
and Tuesday.
Nlmitz disclosed for he first
time that Chichi Jiml In the
Uonins was among the targets
blasted. Two task force air
groups raided Chichi Jiml, one
attacking the Island proper and
the other raiding Japanese ship
ping 80 miles northwest of the
it land.
Roosevelt Fends Questions
On Political Expectations
Washington, July 7 -J(U.R)
President Roosevelt was pep
pered with political questions at
his news conference today, but
wouldn't give any Information.
He said the answers probably
would be evident some time
around next November or may
bo this month (the democratic
convention meets July 19.)
Meeting for the first time with
reporters since the republican
party nominated Thomas E.
Dewey of New York for presi
dent, Mr. Roosevelt faced a bar
rage of political questions.
"Have you found a candidate
for vice-president yet?" he was
asked.
This, the president said, sound
ed like an unfriendly question.
He declined with a smile to an
swer it.
He then was asked whether he
had reached the point In his
political plans where he could
say something definite about re
ports that he would make a
statement before the democratic
convention opens. The president
said he did not have the faintest
Idea, that he had not thought
of it.
Another reporter wanted to
know what views Mr. Roosevelt,
Full Leased Wire
NO. 90.
St. Lo
CONFERENCE OF
F. R..DEGAULLE
Talks Expected to Produce
Friendly Working Under
standing With French.
Washington. July 7 U.R)
President Roosevelt and Gen.
Charles De Gaulle began a se
ries of business talks today In an
atmosphere of harmony which
officials hoped would produce j
a friendly and efficient working
understanding between this
country and the French commit
tee of national liberation.
Mr. Roosevelt earlier hadi
ruled out any discussion of Al
lied recognition of De Gualle's
committee as the provisional
government of France. But he
told his news conference that
the heretofore controversial
question of government In liber
ated areas of France would be
taken up frankly.
. Victory Seen in '44
The limitation on the scope
of their talks appeared to be
agreeable to De Gaulle or at
least he was Reconciled to It. In
a morning round of activities he
did not refer to his committee as
the . provisional government of
France but did stress American
French interdependence and the
aid this country has provided In
arming and equipping French
soldiers.
At receptions given him by
French missions here, De Gaulle
disclosed that "the French army;
will participate soon in new
battles" and predicted that the
Germans would be defeated in
France by the end of this year.
He said American assistance
would be needed in the recon
struction of France after the
Nazis are beaten.
BASEBALL
American
Detroit 19 1
New York 3 8 0 (
Overmire, Gentry and Swift;
Bonnam ana uaroarn.
Most of America's rubber Is
actually stored In the nation's
garages over a million tons
of it.
"as head of the democratic
party," had about the 1944 plat
form as to what it should contain
and whether It should be short
or long.
The president replied that he
was not writing any platforms.
The question, "Would you
care to say whether you think
Gov. Dewey will be a strong op
ponent?" produced a roar of
laughter In which the chief ex
ecutive Joined.
Instead of answering, he said
he was making notes for history
on the procedure and methods
of White House correspondents.
He said he wanted to know how
the reporters worked out the
method of asking him questions
of this type, and whether they
draw lots. I
"Do you mean you don't want
to answer the question?" the re
porter persisted.
The president shook his head,
chiding the reporter, a woman,
for being a I'ollyanna and a
cheerful little girl.
"When, sir, do you think we
will get the answer to questions
of this type?" he was asked
again.
The president grinned and said
probably some time around
November.
Sasebo, Arsenal Site,
Yawata Steel Center,
Are Bomber Targets
Washington, July 7. (U.R) American superfortresses today
blasted at the great Japanese home naval base of Sasebo and for
the second time hit Industrial plants at Yawata, target of the first
B-29 attack on Japan three weeks ago.
The war department in a brief communique said the giant
bombers of the 20th air force "attacked naval installations at
Sasebo" and added later that "bombs were dropped also on In
dustrial objectives at Yawata."
Both targets are on Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan's major
home Islnds. Sasebo is reputedly the third greatest naval arsenal
and base in the Japanese homeland, and Yawata Is the site of the
empire's biggest steel mills.
Bombed Three Weeks Ago
The attack reported today came Just three weeks and a day
after the June 29 attack which left large portions of the Imperial
Iron and steel works at Yawata a smoking ruin. From that first
raid, four superfortresses failed to return. Two were lost because
of accidents, one was shot down by enemy antiaircraft fire, and a
fourth was reported missing.
Today's communique did not mention U. S. losses, if any. The
planes probably were still over Japan, in fact, when the communi
que was issued.
The attack on Sasebo was designed as a powerful thrust at
one of the great sources of Japanese naval strength at a time when
U. S. sea forces have been giving many of its elements a severe
battering and daring the whole enemy fleet to come out and fight.
This is undoubtedly a period when Japan sorely needs her fleet
repair facilities.
The raid also was timed as American marines and soldiers are
completing the conquest of Saipan island in a flank attack de
signed ultimately to threaten the Japanese homeland itself.
Task Forces Hammering Bases
Powerful U. S. naval task forces have been hammering at
Japanese air and sea strength in the western Pacific and only re
cently chased a powerful unit of the enemy's grand fleet back Into
the relative safety of Philippine waters after Inflicting heavy air
and surface craft losses upon it.
Sasebo Is about 30 miles north of the port and shipbuilding
city of Nagasaki, a U. S. naval publication In 1930 described It as
a closed port and naval station with a dockyard, drydocks, repair
basins, arsenal and moorings for a large fleet.
The war department's communique, as revised to Include the
second attack on Yawata, follows:
"B-29 superfortresses of the 20th bomber command attacked
naval Installations at Sasebo, Japan, tonight.
Industrial Objectives Are Hit
"Bombs were dropped also on industrial objectives at Yawata,
target of the superfortresses' June 15 assault on Japan. Both cities
are on the Island of Kyushu."
Further details of the new attack were expected after the giant
bombers return to their bases.
It was presumed the new raids were carried out by superfort
resses based in western China, as was the case with the first raid
last month.
The bombers took off and landed by daylight, but were over
me target auring darkness in the first raid, and that probably was
the case again.
On the June 15 raid the big American bombers were opposed
both by night fighters and anti-aircraft fire. It was reasonable to
assume that greater opposition might be encountered In this In
stance, both because the Japanese were forewarned by the first
raid and because the attack was directed at a military Installation.
Jap Coast In Three Naval Districts
The Japanese coast Is divided Into three naval districts, each
having its naval port. One Is Sasebo and the others are Yokosuka
and Kure,
At each of these ports there is an arsenal and the general equip
ment of a naval base. The Japanese army likewise has Its own air
service and shore base at Sasebo.
Marx Law has filed on 123
placer claims In the Woodruff
Meadows area of the Prospect
district, according to the rec
ords of the county clerk's office.
The filings embrace 32.000
acres, including a portion of the
Crater Lake highway and tlm
ber lands. Forty tons of min
ing equipment have been trans
ported to Prospect from Reno,
and as much more will bo
shipped In, according to tlestnn
Grieve of Prospect. The equip
ment, he said, Is stored at Pros
pect. It Is proposed to mine for
gold, platinum, and other min
erals. Karl L. Janouch, supervisor
of Rogue Nntlonal Forest re
ports some of the filings were
made several years ago, and re
newed recently along with
some new ones. There Is flake
gold in the area, according to
Janouch, but he said a mineral
ogist report to the forest serv
ice shows it is not in paying
quantities.
RETURN EXPECTED
Albany, Cal., July 7 (U.R)
Clarence Ford, 26, and George
Crawford, 34. ex-convicts, es
caped yesterday from Albany
Jail, but left note asking that
their mall be held for them at
the Jail.
!E)
IN NAZI CELLAR
Rome, July 7 flJ.R) Allied
military authorities today per
mitted the disclosure that a huge
cache of explosives has been dis
covered in a secret cellar on the
grounds of the German embassy
In Rome.
The explosives apparently
were being used by Nazi sabo
teurs who remained in the cap
ital after the German evacuation
to attack Allied military instal
lations. Between June 8 and 23, lt wai
disclosed, 1400 pounds of plas
tic explosives, a large quantity
of other explosives and material
for five radio transmitters were
removed from the embassy In the
presence of a representative of
the Swiys minister.
BOMBERS ATTACK
HEART! REICH
London, July 7 (U.R) Fleets
of American heavy bombers es
timated at more than 1,500
strong made a two-way attack on
the heart of Germany today from
bases in the British Isles and
Italy, setting off wild aerial
battles in which Eighth Air
Force fighters destroyed 79
enemy planes.