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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (July 23, 1944)
Weather Forecast: Clear with thunder storms In bills Sunday. Little change In temperature. Temp. Highest yesterday " Lowest this morning 4B.0 Precipitation past 24 hrs. 0 Use The MAIL TRIBUNE Want Ad Way Quick Results At Small Cost Medford United Preit Full Leased Win United Press FuU Leased Wire Thirty-ninth Year MEDFORD, OREGON, SUNDAY, JULY 23, 1944 NO. 103. V II IT feHWTRIBUNE MB VSAIPANWILL BE SPRINGBOARD FOR ' BOMBER ATTACKS Adm. King and Nimitz Con fer on Operations In West Pacific. Pacific Fleet Headquarters, Pearl Harbor, July 22 4U.R) United States forces which are now in a position to strike Japan and the Japanese empire any where along a huge arc in the f western Pacific are planning widespread future operations against the enemy who is al ready feeling the most serious ness of the situation, Adm. Er nest J. King and Adm. Chester W. Nimitz said today in a joint press conference. The two admirals one re sponsible for the navy's opera tions throughout the world and the other in supreme command of joint operations in the Pa cific met the press shortly af ter returning from a trip which took them to America's most ad vanced base at Saiparr. "The primary purpose of my trip here is to confer with Nim itz and his staff," Admiral King said, "in connection with cur rent and future operations some involving quite long range." Range Increased He pointed out that the seiz ure of Saipan makes it possible for U. S. forces including the Pacific fleet to operate on a " 120-degree arc over a 1500-mile ' radius. Admiral Nimitz Indicated that Saipan would be used as a heavy bomber base, thus making pos sible more frequent and heavier strikes against the Japanese homeland. Admiral King, commenting on the Saipan campaign and its re lation to the future, said: "I feel strongly that measures taken to overrun Saipan in the briefest time practicable were essentir.l for the nature of the operations to follow." Admiral King said he was im pressed with the mobile base es tablishments at Majuro, Eniwe tok and Kwajalein in the Mar snails which are partly respons ible for the enormous success of U. S. fleet trains supply ships and auxiliaries in keeping the fleet operating for long periods in the most forward areas with out returning to bases. In response to questions of the possibilities of Saipan for land-based aircraft, Nimitz called attention to the fact that the U. S. has used each new base to extend heavy bomber operations ' farther west. His statement Indicated that heavy bombers could be expect ed to strike from Saipan and Guam against other Japanese bases, including the southern homeland and the Philippines. Progress Pleases Nimitz said American forces had suffered fewer casualties in the landings on Guam than at Saipan and said progress was satisfactory thus far but that he was unable to predict the sever ity of fighting still to be met. 'There are indications the Japanese defending force is not as large as at Saipan but it is , probable we have not encoun tered the full force yet." Commenting on the Japanese cabinet shnkcup when asked if he thought Premier Hidcki Tojo was really "out" or if the change was merely a smoke-screen, Nim itz said: "If the situation has been re ported correctly, I think Tojo has actually stepped out. "And I don't think he would have stepped out if the situation was satisfactory. I think they are concerned in Tokyo." Asked if he thought the Japa nese navy would Take another attempt to hit our fleet during the Guam operations, he said it was reasonable to expect the Japanese to use every opportu nity to damage the U. S. fleet while it is tied down protecting the landings. Sales to date In the Fifth War Loan Drire "E" Sales $567,175.50 County Quota .. $600,000 Senator Truman and Family A-i 1 A . v . ?VWA ... f Acme Telephoto) Senator Harry Truman, Missouri senator, who Is Wallace's chief contender for Democratic convention nomination as vice presidential candidate, chats with his wife (right) and daughter. Margaret, as battle for hotly contested position threatens to split party wide open. I E E LITHUANIA KEYS London, July 22 (U.R) Mar shal Konstantin K. Rokossov sky's 1st White Russian army, covering almost half the dis- tanc from the Dnepr river to Berlin In the first month of the Red army's summer offensive, today captured the Polish city of Chelm, Nazi bastion guarding the fortress of Lublin. Soviet troops also broke Into the streets of Pskov, the south ern gateway to Estonia and the last German-held city in Russia, and on the Finnish battlcfronts reached the border of Finland established in 1940 after the winter war, Moscow's opera tional communique announced tonight. Chelm was seized as Soviet tanks, cavalry and infantry raced across flat Polish plains toward Lublin, one of the pri mary Nazi strongholds on the road to Warsaw. Simultaneously, Gen. Ivan C. Bagamian's 1st Baltic army cap tured the rail junction of Pano vezys in Lithuania, 86 miles south of Riga, which Marshal Josef Stalin described in an order of the day as "an import ant German defense base cover ing the main ways from the Bal tic to East Prussia." Panevezys was taken in a 33 mile advance west along the Daugavpils-Memel railroad from last reported Soviet positions at Skapiskis. Panevezys is 43 miles east southeast of Siauliai, junction of the Riga-Konigsberg and Daugavpils Mcmel rail roads. The Riga-Konigsberg railroad is the main railroad es cape route for an estimated 30 odd German divisions in the Baltic states. firstTadyTays visit to coast Los Angeles, July 22 flJ.R) Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, looking fresh and rested after a visit to San Diego, arrived today but re fused to talk to reporters who met her at Union station. "I have nothing to say," she said and went directly to a hotel She did not disclose how long she plans to remain or where she will go from here. Mrs. Roosevelt was accom panied only by her secretary, Malvina Thompson. However, she was met at the station by se cret service agents. The first lady paid surprise visit to the San Diego naval hos pital yesterday bringing a spe cial message from the president to wounded veterans. MEXICO FILM STRIKE Mexico City, July '22 (U.R) A strike by the electricians and technicians' section of the Mex ican Cinema Workers' union to night virtually halted production in the republic's film industry. 4 MILES OF GOTHIC LINE KEY Rome, July 22 (U.R) Amer ican doughboys drove up the Tyrrhenian coast today to with in four miles of Pisa, western anchor of the Nazi Gothic line, while other units advanced 4V4 miles along the road to Florence to within 14 miles of that mid Italian rail center. Battling toward Pisa the Americans encountered large numbers of circular concrete pillboxes, placed at strategic road junctions and behind sharp curves and from which "stand-or-dle" Nazi units fired auto matic weapons from horizontal slits. The ancient Tuscan city, birthplace of famed Italian as tronomer and experimental phil osopher Galileo, stands only six miles from the mouth of the Ar no river on the Tyrrhenian coast. It would be a prize for the Al lies, not only as an important river port, but as a springboard against the bristling Nazi Gothic line eastward across the penin sula to Rimini on the Adriatic. Reconnaissance along the Ar- no river, which combat patrols forced yesterday, revealed large concentrations of German artil lery on high ground to the north. Other patrols probed both sides of the Antifosseto and Ar no canals and Highway 1 be tween the wrecked port of Livor no (Leghorn) and Pisa. RATION VALUE OF BUTTER BOOSTED Washington, July 22 U.R) Price Administrator Chester Bowles tonight boosted the ra tion value of creamery butter from 12 to 16 red points a pound, effective at midnight tonight. Bowles said the higher point value was necessary because civilian consumption was run ning at the rate of 20 per cent over the July allocation of 100, 000,000 pounds. Butter has been pegged at 12 points since April 30. Before that date the ration value of 16 points had prevailed since last Oct. 3, Farm butter will continue at eight red points a pound and processed butter will remain at four red points a pound. BULLETINS Philadelphia, July 22 U.R Frank McCormick's home run with two on base In the seventh and Steve Mesncr's single in the ninth with two out and Ray Mueller on second base gave the Cincinnati Reds a 4-3 triumph over Philadelphia in the first of a four-game series here tonight. San Francisco - 8 IS 1 Seattle 1 10 4 Gibson, Joyce (4i and Sprinz; Turpin, Tincup (8; and Spindel. DEMOCRATS PLAN PLEA JR VOTES Heavy Registration Urged; C. I. 0. Backs Truman "Bess" Kelly Talks. Chicago, July 22 (U.R) Sid ney Hillman, political spokes man of the CIO, threw to the Democratic Roosevelt - Thuman ticket today the support of two independent political commit tees which have a potential cam paign war chest of $6,000,000. Democratic Headquarters, Chi cago, July 22 (U.R) The demo cratic party tonight pitched its campaign to re-elect President Roosevelt on keynote that mass voting is the secret to success in November. That was the theme of Chair man Robert E. Hannegan's final instructions to the closing meet ing of the Democratic National committee. It was the essence of a brief speech to the committee by Sen. Harry S. Truman of Missouri, new vice presidential nominee. Hannegan, re-elected unani mously, predicted ultimate vic tory for the Roosevelt-Truman ticket but warned that It would not be easy. "People are not registered," he said. "The republican party is not interested in doing any thing about it. The more votes cast the better It is for us. We must wage a vigorous lampaign of registration. The only way to do it is a door-to-door campaign. Truman, a product of the once- powerful Kansas City Pender gast machine, reminded the com mittee that, "I am a practical politician and I know what I talk of when he warned tnem: "This campaign is not Just words. Let s get the votes out. They drew confidence from the unqualified endorsement of Truman by Chairman Sidney Hillman of the CIO political ac tion committee, who had sup ported renomination of Vice President Henry A- Wallace in the bitter vice presidential con test. Treasurer Edwin W. Pauley of the Democratic National com mittee reported, however, that he was closing the convention with a cash balance on hand of only $116,000 and a warning that "it's a very small amount to have on hand for a campaign year. Despite the intensity of the vice presidential contest, the meeting closed on a note of harmony with Mayor Edward J. Kelly of Chicago absolving Han negan of charges that he used his hieh office to scuttle Wallace in favor of Truman, his personal friend and political mentor. RAYBUlAILS IN TEXAS COUNT Dallas. Texas. July 22 flJ.R) Rep. Sam Rayburn, speaker of the house of representatives, trailed a vigorous, hard-hitting state senator tonight on the ba sis of scattered returns from six of the seven counties In his north Texas district In the first Demo cratic primary. The 10 o'clock tabulation by the Texas election bureau gave Rayburn 4043 votes to 4611 for G. V Morris, a third candidnte. George T. Balch trailed with 156. At least seven of the state's 16 congressmen who sought re election were confronted with the possibility of defeat or of being forced into a run-off elec tion. Only a smattering of the anticipated 900.000 ballots cast had been counted, however. The state cast a comparative ly light vote despite the powder keg possibilities presented by supreme court permission of Ne groes to mark ballots. SEM. DOWNEYlriRM Sacramento, July 22 'U.R) Sen. Sheridan Downey, Califor nia, said today he does not be lieve testimony at Central Val Icy project hearings will alter his opposition to applying a lfiU acre limit to lands which will be served from project irrigation facilities. OF JAPS ON GUAM Marines Capture Roads and Heights Enemy Tanks Blasted. Pacific Fleet Headquarters, Pearl Harbor, July 22 (U.R) Tank-led American marines and army forces on Guam, support ed by air, naval and artillery bombardments, smashed two Japanese counter-attacks Friday morning and expanded their beachheads on the western coast with the capture of strategic heights and roads from Agana to Piti Town, it was announced today. Adm. Chester W. Nimitz re vealed in a communique that approximately 270 Japanese were killed and at least five tanks knocked out when the two enemy attacks were re pulsed. As the severity of fighting on Guam increased around the two beachheads, seven miles apart on both sides of the Orote penin sula, the marines and army troops cut across the coastal road between Agana Town and Piti, the largest town on Guam. Both beachheads now cover areas of approximately two and a half miles. In the southern sec tor, troops pushing a mile and an eighth inland captured Mount Alifan, a low-lying peak. The northern and southern forced now are In a position to drive toward each other for a juncture to cut off the Orote Peninsula and Its 4700-foot air strip. The peninsula already is threatened by American control of Cabras island opposite the peninsula. STEADYlAf OF BRITISH CITIES London, Sunday, July 23 (U.R) London and southern Eng land early today rocked under a continuation of the Nazis' fly ing bomb offensive following Saturday's steady rain of the deadly missiles against the Brit ish civilian front. Germany's Internal strife failed to lessen the intensity of the terror attack as the Germans today Increased the tempo of the "roblitz," as yesterday saw more of the flying bombs land among the embattled civilians in this area than on the first day of the attacks five weeks ago. Anti-aircraft batteries, some of them newly established, scored many successes as they blazed away in a spectacular concentration of fire while fighter added to the toil of ro bots shot down. Reports from some sectors along the civilian front Indicat ed that yesterday's death toll was not as heavy as might have been expected, although houses and shops suffered extensive damage. RUSSIA COMES ACROSS Urclton Woods, N. H July 22 (U.R) Russia tonight raised Its quota to the International bank for reconstruction and develop ment by $300,000,000 and dele gates to the United Nations monetary and financial confer ence immediately voted to raise the capital of the bank by that amount to a total of $9,100,000, 000. War Bulletins By United Press The Stockholm newspaper Dagens Nyheter reported from Berlin that the geitapo had arretted two generals and "several colonels" of the staff of Field Marshal Albert Kes telring, German commander-in-chief In Italy, Ketselring's own position Is precarious, the dispatch said, and he has not yet returned to Italy from an urgent conference at Hitler's headquarters. IS HOI FRONT SAGS Military Operations of Next Weeks Held True Guage of Situation. Washington., July 22 U.R Military observers maintained a cool reserve tonight toward growing signs of internal com-. bustion in Germany and point-i ed to the Nazis' military opera- tions of the next few weeks as the true gauge or wnat is nap pening to Adolf Hitler's empire. Until Germany battlelines be gin to weaken, Washington offi cials warned, the purported de terioration of the Nazi home front will mean little to the con duct of the war in Europe. Steady reports of domestic strife were pieced together with cautious optimism by observers who, recollecting the sudden German collapse of World War I, sought a clearer picture of what really goes on in Berlin. Mingled with the hope that such developments as the re ported German naval uprisings at Kiel and Stettin would evolve Into a case of history repeating itself was the reminder that Ger many still had shown no signs of pulling punches on the battle field. But optimism tinted the steady piling up of reports portraying the German people as a seeth ing populace weary of war, fearful of the Gestapo and on the brink of throwing aside Nazi rule. The reported execution of Field Mnrshal Gerd von Rund stedt added new encouragement, causing speculation that the one time western commander was eliminated by Hitler for deliber ately weakening Normandy de fense to accelerate the fall of Nazilsm. In analyzing the report that von Rundstedt has been killed, observers recalled that, while initial invasion casualties of the Allies were significant, they fell below orlglnnl estimates. The Germans under von Rundstedt, if they had wanted to, could have inflicted greater losses on the Allies, they said. SKY Tires PLOESTI FIELDS; London, July 22 (U.R) A great sky train of possibly 1.500 Italian-based American war planes blasted the Plocstl oil field in southern Romania today. RAF bombers and fighters in relatively light strength struck through low-hanging storm clouds at Nazi robot bomb in stallations In northern France late today and the German radio said small raiding formations were over northwestern Ger many, but the bulk of the British-based striking power was carthbound throughout the day. The German radio said later that Allied "nuisance raiders" were stabbing at Berlin for the second straight night. An estimated 750 American Flying Fortresses and Liberators sparked the shattering blow at Ploesti, the 11th assault of the war on that number one source of Axis oil production. Long range Mustang and Lightning fighters, possibly In equal strength, accompanied the giant raiders and fought off swarms of German fighters that slashed at their formations all across southern Romania. Returning crewmen said the Germans put up a desperate de fensive battle over the battered oil center. FDR PRAISES Bretton Woods, N. II , July 22 (U.R) President Roosevelt to night congratulated dclegotes to the United Nations Monetary and Financial conference on their work and said they had prepared "two further founda tion stones for the structure of lasting peace and security," $20,000 NEEDED Tuesday night, July 25th, Is the deadline for "E" war bond purchases to be credited against Sth war loan quotas. Although Jackson County has substantially exceeded its bond purchases for the drive, with a total of $2,079,440 In all types of bonds, there still remains a balance of $20,000 in "E" bonds if the quota for these smaller bonds is met in this area, Eugene Thorndike, chair man for the 5th war loan campaign here, Issued an urgent plea Saturday for local citizens to buy extra "E" bonds so that Jackson County will not fail In meet ing its "E" bond quota. Pur chases may be made at the local postoffice, banks, build ing and loan offices and other authorized bond snles depots. CANADIANS WIPE GERMAN SALIENT, CAPTURE MALTOT British Fighting In Deep Mud Gain Heights-Battle, Says. Allied Supremo Headquarters, London, Sundny, July 23 (U.R) Canadian troops virtually elim inated the German salient south of Caen Saturday by capturing the village of Etnvoux, on the east bank of the Orne four miles below Caen, and recapturing Maltot. AlllaS CnnrniT, a T-T.nr1n1int-tfrN London, July 22 (U.R) British troops, fighting through morasses of mud like those in the last war, have won com- mnnrlinff hnlffhta InnlHft Trnam. German stronghold seven miles east of Caen, and 14 enemy lanxs have been knocked out in scat trrpd actions across the wind and rain-swept front, It was dis- nineAH tnrinv The Germans launched two limited counter-attacks Friday despite the soggy weather, one south of St. Andrew-Sur-Orne on tim Tnnn front and the other on the St. Lo-Pericrs highway . T1.ll. In the American sector, umn were thrown back with severe enemy losses. Thi, 11:30 n. m. Allied com muniquo said a "number" of enemy counter-attacks had been thrown back. The British entered Troarn fnr th third time Saturday and won the western half of the town before a torrential downpour caused a half-hour suspension of fi.,Mlnff SmnshlnB across the wooded rise just outside Troarn against fierce machine-gun ana light arms opposition, they won high ground dominating the re maining German positions In the eastern half of town. Otherwise, the battle had hnifoxH down, but German broadcasts sold that Allied guns in fhn fflpn nrpa were drum ming out a preparatory barrage for "a large-scale auacK in me near future. BY London, July 22 (U.R) One of the largest German convoys ever attacked by the coastal command totaling 40 mer chantmen and escort vessels was reduced to a mass of flam ing wreckage off Helgoland last night by British Bcaufighter planes firing rockets, torpedoes and cannon, the air ministry an nounced today. Four freighters were tor pedoed, two of them left sink ing; five escort vessels burned to the water line, and every re maining ship In the convoy was extensively damaged by cannon and rocket fire, the ministry said, basing Its statement on battle photogrnphs. The entlro Bcaufighter strike force returned safely, and went out again today to sink two heavily armed German trailers off the Frisian Islands, Holland, with the loss of one plane. NAZI IRON FIST TO HALTJEVOLT Hitler Begs Troops to Fight On Powerful Generals Shot; Many Rumors. London, Sunday, July 23 U.R) Stockholm dispatches quoted a Berlin admission today that the plot against Adolf Hitler was centered In the high command's Bcndlerstrasse headquarters in the capital and that some of the plotters held key positions there. (OWI quoted Stockholm re ports that a "state of emergency" tantamount to martial law had been declared In Konigs berg, capital of East Prussia, where Russian war prisoners were said to have revolted after receiving arms from Soviet planes.) London, Sunday, July 23 (U.R) Adolf Hitler begged of the Ger man army Saturday to fight on until victory is achievejd "in spite of everything" and began placing the armed forces on the war fronts, like those at home, under the Iron fist of Nazi party fanatics in what appeared a des perate attempt to stamp out re bellion. Reports said that Field Mar shal Kail Gerd von Rundstedt and Walther von Brauchltsch, as well as scores of lesser military lights had been put to death as conspirators In the revolt and Hitler appeared to have won the first round of a struggle within Germany unprecedented since the Internal collapse of 1918. But It was at a cost of declaring a war to the death on the pow erful Junkers officers group which, although It had elevated him to power, had always been potentially the greatest menace to his regime. While some reports, of doubt ful authenticity, said that open civil war was raging In parts of Fast Prussia, Bavaria, former Polish Silesia and the Munich area, late Swiss dispatches said that southern Germnny was oulct Saturday. Traffic Into Switzerland was functioning nor mally and ordinary movement of German vessels on Lake Con stance was resumed. (NBC heard a report by the clandestine radio Atlantic that the Lufthansa commercial air line would resume service to neutral capitals Saturday night and that the "antl Hitler revolt had ended." The Atlantic station has carried some of the most sensational details of the situa tion Inside the country In the last few days and the fact that It should abruptly announce that the turmoil had subsided might be regarded as significant. (A BBC broadcast, on the oth er hand, quoted reports eman ating from the German embassy In Madrid that formations of the regular army were fighting S3 Elite Guards In southern Ger. many.) Following swiftiv on the plac ing of Gestapo Chief Helnrlch Himmler In command of the Ger man domestic army. It was learned at Allied headquarters thnt Gen. Paul Hausscr. a strict SS general of the early Nazi prowling days, had been placed In command of the Seventh Ger man army on the western front. The Seventh army Is one of the two German army groups under Field Marshal Erwln Rom mel, himself a devout party ad dict, opposing the Allied Inva slon armies. The placing of Hausscr at Its head appeared to be the beginning of a drastic, program to bring the army un der the party's fist. Hinting at the type of reor ganization the Wehrmach Is now undergoing, the Nazi party or g a n Voclklscher Beobachter, quoted by Berlin, said that Himmler's appointment "guar antees that the task of mastering future revolts will be mastered." Extending this policy to occu pied territory, German police have been ordered to stand by In Norway for "any emergency" and special restrictions have been placed on regular German army troops, according to a dis patch by the Norwegian Tele graph Agency. 1
