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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1944)
HI! Weather Forecast: Clear to partly cloudy tonight and Wednesday. Little change In temperature. Temp. Highest yesterday , Ixiivest this morning 52 Precipitation past 24 hrs. . 0 Thirty-ninth Year Yankees Cross Strike Toward Heart Of France CANUCKS, BRITISH ALSO SHARE N E Other American Forces Fight Way Back to Percy; Nazi Left Wing Crumpling. Supreme Headquarters, AEF, Aug. 1 (U.R) American forces raced Into Brittany toward the heart of France today, spearing across the Selune river in gains of 4Vt miles below Avranches, while Canadian troops opened a new attack south of Caen at the other end of the swaying French front. Supreme Headquarters an nounced that the entire German west wing sagged back before a general American advance, as British forces extended their gains to ten miles in the Cau- mont area, and the Canadians stormed Nazi fortifications around Tilly La Campagne, four miles south of uacn. Cross Selune Lt. Gen. Omar N. Bradley's armored units smashed across the Selune at Pontabault and Ducey, 3V4 and 4V4 miles south and southeast of Avranches, crashing the last water barrier on which the routed and dis organized Germans might have blocked the breakout from Nor mandy. Mopping up behind the spec tacular armored thrusts, other U. S. forces fought their way back into the key base of Percy, and the Americans cut the Av-ranches-Villedieu highway just south of the latter town and pushed across the Villcdieu Percy road. American and British forces were broadening and deepening their wedge behind Tessy-Sur-Vire, the British driving across the river Souleuvre, 10 miles south of St. Lo. Headquarters said the Germans around Tessy were in a position already ser ious if not precarious. Vire Threatened The sudden British spurt across the Souleuvre river ap proached Le Beny-Bocakcs and established a firm bridghcad half a mile wide on the south side of the Vire tributary, open ing a new threat to the town of Vire from the northeast. The new positions represented gains up to 10 miles since yesterday, the speed indicating a hurried German withdrawal. United Press Correspondent William Wilson reported from the Caen front that Canadian troops launched a scries of at tacks against heavily defended German positions south of Caen early today. He said the attacks had not yet attained the scope of a general offensive. German broadcasts reported flaring ac tio below Caen and said a large scale drive "can be assumed to have been launched." The Canadians charged out of their slit trenches three hours be fore dawn, after a heavy artil lery barrage, and drove forward in a heavy fog. Wilson said one Canadian attack centered south of Hubert-Folie in the area of Tilly La Campagne, which the Canadians captured last week but lost after a short time. Other supporting attacks were opened on the flanks of this thrust. SIDE GLANCES By TRIBUNE REPORTERS M Sst. Lendon Scott going Into raptures over the tourna ment performance of his WAC Softball team. Clyde Caton, after an hour's strenuous softhall playing with fellow Ashland Elks, resem bling a casualty frcm a six-day bike ride. Lt. Don Gillespie very glad to be home after a year on a navy carrier and easerly look ing forward to a whole month in Medford. MEDFORD United Press Finns Make Mannerheim President In Action Looking Toward Peace Stockholm, Aug. 1 (U.PJ The Swedish Telegraph Agency re ported from Helsinki tonight that President Risto Ryti of Finland had resigned and Baron Karl Von Mannerheim was made presi dent by a special parliamentary decree. The report of Rytl's resignation followed persistent rumors of a gathering political crisis in Finland and unofficial speculation here that is revolved around renewed Finnish determination to get out of the war. ' The Swedish agency said Premier Edwin Linkomies offered a motion in parliament to make Mannerheim, commander-in-chief of the Finnish armed forces, president to succeed Ryti, and it was adopted. 1 The agency's report was based on what it described as an of ficial announcement in Helsinki. I LOCKED IN BATTLE FLORENCE AREA Rome, Aug. 1. (U.R) British and German forces locked in a swaying battle of tanks and in fantry almost in the outskirts of Florence today and official re ports said the 8th army veterans were slugging forward yard by yard against some 50,000 to 75, 000 crack Nazi troops manning the last hill defenses below the city. (London dispatches intimated that the fall of Florence was imminent, reporting that Gen. Sir Harold R. L. G. Alexander, allied commander in Italy, had appealed to patriots inside the city to prevent the retreating Germans from blowing up bridges and communications.) An allied communique re ported that heavy fighting raged along the entire Florence front throughout yesterday, with the 8th army making "slow but methodical progress." (The German DNB news agen cy said Nazi forces evacuated 'some parts of Pisa In order to spare its historical monuments from destruction. It was indi cated that German troops still ! were holding out in some sec-i tions of the city on the north bank of the Arno river.) CHAPLIN FATHER MB. DAUGHTER Hollywood, Aug. 1U.R) Charlie Chaplin's fourth wife presented him late last night with his fourth child. Physicians at St. John's hos pital in Santa Monica said the mother, 19-year-old former Oona O'Neill, and the child, a six pound 1 1V& ounce daughter, were doing well and that deliv ery was normal. Everything was normal, in fact, except the way the news was announced. Chaplin's harried butler, who had his troubles when his mas ter was Involved in the Joan Barry paternity case which still is to come to trial report ed early in the evening that the newest Mrs. Chaplin wouldn't be going to the hospital until next weak. About that time Dr. Sheldon Payne said he was getting ready to drive her to St. John's. The infant was born at 11:12 p. m.. and the butler was called to the phone again to announce: "We're all asleep here and we've got nothing to say." The 54-year-old comic eloped with the sloe-eyed daughter of Playwright Eugene O'Neill a year ago last June, when he was In the midst of trying to dodge Miss Barry, who accused him of being the father of her yet-to-come child. Washington, Aug. 1 (U.R) Sergio Osmena today was sworn In as the second president of the Philippine Commonwealth, suc ceeding Manuel Quezon, who died earlier in the day at Sar anac Lake, N. Y. Full Leased Wire MEDFORD, OREGON, TUESDAY, AUGUST Selune River To T By United Press A successful American landing on Sansapor on the north Dutch New Guinea coast put Gen. Douglas MacArthur 200 miles closer to the Philippines today while predictions were made In London that Britain soon would send a large proportion of her naval strength to the Pacific for the gathering battle with Japan. Allied forces under MacAr thur, in a brilliantly executed amphibious operation, landed on Sansapor Sunday, by passing 15,000 Japanese troops at Sar ong, 68 miles down the coast. The movement was undetect ed by the enemy and little oppo sition has developed, MacArthur said in his communique which disclosed his forces had secured their beachhead, advanced to a strategically important river and had started construction of an airport, 600 miles from the Phil ippines. Other American forces, In the same operation, seized the near by islands of Middlcburg and Amsterdam. An Allied spokesman said the operation brought all of New Guinea under Allied control and removed for good the threatened security of Australia. CORDON SPEAKS IGHT Guy Cordon, Roseburg, United States senator from this district, will speak In Medford Thursday night at a Chamber of Commerce meeting, it was announced today by Frank Hull, manager. The meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p. m. at the Chamber of Com merce building. Senator Cordon will discuss projects and problems of this dis trict affected by legislation, Hull stated, and the meeting is open to anyone Interested. It is understood that Senator Cordon will meet with Grants Pass citizens at noon. Premier in Exile Must Deal First With Moscow Poles Moscow, Aug. 1 (U.R) Pre mier Stanislaw Mikolajczyk of the Polish government-in-exile, who arrived from London last night, was believed in informed circles here today to face the prospect of having first to deal with the Polish committee of na tional liberation recently set up in Moscow before discussing Russian-Polish problems with Pre mier Josef Stalin. Foreign observers, critical of Mikolajczyk for having delayed too long in seeking an under standing with the Soviet govern ment, thought the Polish govern ment in London had Moscow in an awkward position and that Mikolajczyk must find some ba sis of agreement with the Polish committee first. TIRE SHORTAGE THREATENS CUT IN LOG HAULING Lumbermen and Loggers to Confer Here Thursday With Senator Cordon. Facing a reduction in truck tire supplies of approximately 65 per cent, lumbermen and loggers of this district are this week making a survey of their supplies and drafting plans to make available tires last as long as possible. Throughout lumber sections of Oregon and Wash ington it is being predicted that if the curtailment is prolonged, production of lumber will be cut down as much as 50 per cent. Southern Oregon lumbermen are planning a conference here Thursday with United States Senator Guy Cordon of Rose burg. Cordon, with Congress man Harris Ellsworth of Rose burg, met with OPA officials in Portland last week to discuss the situation and at that time lt was announced that a five man advisory committee had been appointed to work with the new truck tire panel iu Portland through which all ap plications for truck tires must now be channeled. Named to the committee is Donald F. Call of the Medford Office of De fense Transportation. Quotas Cut Deep Oregon's quota for truck tires for August has been set at 1318, while in past months it has been in the neighborhood of 3800. The reduction was brought about by Increased demands of the army and navy and follow ing the OPA conference with Cordon and Ellsworth, the lat ter was quoted as having de clared, "the army has to make up its mind whether they in crease the stockpile of rubber in the warehouses or whether they get lumber." Both Cordon and Ellsworth were quoted to the effect that unless the tire re lease is increased, the logging industry will be faced with a virtual shut down. B. L. Nutting of the Medford corporation stated yesterday that his firm was making a complete canvass of all truck operators to ascertain the con dition of their present tires. He pointed out that his firm brings in about half its supply of logs by railroad and that the remain ing half is trucked in. "Some truckers failed to realize the seriousness of the situation," he declared and added that one an swer to the problem might be in better distribution of avail able tires. Nutting had dis cussed the problem with War Production Board officials who stated that at least a 25 per cent production cut would result from the tire shortage. 50 Per Cent Cut Seen A. A. Lausman of the Tiller Mill and Lumber company re turned over the week-end from Seattle where he met with rep resentatives of the West Coast Lumberman's association and of the Pacific Northwest Loggers' association to discuss the tire shortage. He said public trans portation In Seattle was being curtailed because of the bus tire shortage and that at the lumbermen's meetings predic tions were to the effect that production would be down 50 per cent in 60 days. He urged loggers and lumbermen to an swer questionnaires which they are receiving from the associa tion dealing with the tire short age. Timber Products company Is also surveying truckers' tire supplies and gathering figures for the conference with Senator Cordon according to the mana ger, C. H. Herman, who thought something useful would result from the meeting. Charles Skeetcrs, one of the county's large operators of log ging trucks, predicted last night that 75 per cent curtailment 1, 1944 American rr At --- v, T"! H - ( r, " HE? American tanks steamroller through Coutances In slx-mlle drive to the sea to form a new trap for thousand! of Germans retreating down the coast alter smashing a llerce counter-attack below St. Lo In tne biggest U. a armored victory since Lt. Gen. Georee 8. Pattou Jr. sollt Sicily. Signal Corps radlo-telephoto. T IS BELIEVED NEAR London, Aug. 1 (U.R) Hun dreds of German nationals fled from Turkey today and their embassy staff prepared to fol low them, as Allied sources pre dicted that the Turks, defying Nazi threats of reprisals, would break relations with Germany within the next 24 hours. United Press Staff Corre spondent Leon Kay reported in a dispatch from Ankara that the Germans were crowding aboard trains at Istnbul in an effort to get across the frontier into Bul garia before the break. Kay said the parliamentary group of the republican peo ple's party the sole political party in Turkey was sched uled to meet in Ankara this aft ernoon, presumably to discuss Turko-German relations. Travellers from Sofia, he add ed, reported Bulgarian political sources expect the break to come as a result of Turkey's reported decision to grant mili tary bases to the Allies and to expel German agents and Fifth columnists from the country. In event the rupture brings Turkey into the war, he said, the Bulgarians are expected to remain neutral. The Turks, meanwhile, ap peared to be ignoring a Nazi warning that a diplomatic break would have "very grave conse quences" for Turkey, and Kay reported the Nazi embassy staff was packing for an apparently imminent departure. Attendance Sparse As Congress Opens Washington, Aug. 1. (U.R) Congress officially ended its summer recess at noon today, but faced at least a temporary delay in the job of passing re conversion legislation In prep aration for possible collapse of Germany. Despite the prodding of War Mobilization Director James F. Byrnes and both Democratic and Republican leaders, attendance at the opening session was sparse in the senate and house and both chambers soon recessed until noon Thursday. would result in a few weeks If more tires are not forthcoming and declared he thought the re lease would be increased short ly. Retail lumbermen are appar ently of the opinion that the freezing of all No. 4 common and belter lumber, which goes Into effect today, was not espe cially tied in with the logging in dustry emergency, since the or der was worked out for the pur pose of controlling the use of tho lumber rather than curtail ing its use. In the future per sons wishing lumber must have a certification from one of three war agencies and In this way it is thought available lumber will be chanellcd to points where it will be most useful. United Press Full Tanks Smash Through Rex Bell Aspires To Congress Seat Reno, Nev., Aug. 1. (U.R) Rex Bell, one-time hero of the cowboy movies of silent days, who now operates a pure-bred Hereford ranch in southern Ne vada, today announced his can didacy for the Republican nom ination as representative in con gress. Bell, who shortly after his re tirement from the screen to be come a working cowboy, instead of playing tho part before a cam era, married the then famed "It" girl of- the silent screen, Clara Bow. For the last 15 years Bell has devoted his entire time to his ranching and to his wife. JAPS ON T POCKET ON TIP Pearl Harbor, Aug. 1 (U.R) American forces, striving to com plete their conquest of Tinian island, repulsed a scries of Japa nese counter-attacks, killing 300 enemy troops and containing the remainder in a small pocket at the extreme southern tip of the island, Pacific fleet headquar ters announced today. Other marine and army troops on Guam now control the south ern half of the island, and are preparing a drive northward from a new line established across the island's center, the communique disclosed. Adm. Chester W. Nimllz, Pa cific fleet commander, confident ly predicted the destruction of enemy resistance on Tinian. "The enemy on Tinian now has little means of resistance and no means of escape," he said. Postwar Lineup For World Peace Shows United States To Lead Sea, Air Power By Virgil Plnkley UP Staff Correspondent London, Aug. 1. (U.R) This is the way qualified allied ob servers see tho postwar military lineup: On land Russia, the United States, Great Britain, France, China. On sea United States, Great Britain, France, Russia. In the air United States, Great Britain, Russia, France. These observers told the United Press that if that power ful alignment worked together and kept peace among its mem bers, no major war could occur for 50 years or possibly a full century. They based that supposition upon tho expectation that Ger many and Japan will be ruth lessly smashed. They also said that the united nntions probably would keep up research to strengthen their armed forces. It is inconceivable, the ob servers said, that the Soviets will relinquish the land lead they BUNE Leased Wire NO. 111. Coutances CAMP ABBOTT IS BEING DISBANDED; LAND UP FOR SALE Washington, Aug. 1 (U.R) Camp Abbott, near Bend, Ore has been declared surplus by the army. It was learned today at the war department. Samuel M. Husband, a mem' bcr of the Board of the Recon struction Finance Corp. and the corporation s director of surplus properties, said former owners of the 45,000 acres comprising the camp most of them farm ers were being notified that the camp is being disbanded. They will be afforded an opportunity to repurchase their former land at prices set by RFC appraisals, he said, if they so notify the agency within 15 days of re ceipt of the notice. He said no decision had been reached yet regarding disposal of buildings and other installa tions erected at the camp, but said they would be removed in some fashion. He also said the army would undertake to clear unexplndcd shells from 10,000 acres that were used as an artil lery practice range. Husband said Col. M. J. O'Bryho, chief of the RFC's real estate section, had just conclud ed a survey of the area and is en routo back to Washington to re port. London, Aug. 1 U.R) The DNB News Agency reported to night that a reward of 1,000,000 rcichmarks had been offered for the capture of Dr. Karl Gocr deler, 00, former lord mayor of Leipizg, who is wanted for com plicity in tho July 20th attempt to assassinate Hitler, already hold. Red Army Toughest Despite enormous losses the Russians have maintained a man power pool even exceeding that of the United States. The Rus sians have been fighting a total war for a longer period on their homeland than any other group, and this has created the toughest army in the world. Russia uses four to six million fighting men at the same time so that, proportionately, the Russian soldier gets far more combat experience than any other soldier. The Russians still have great manpower reserves, tho ob servers stated, such as 2,000,000 unused winter ski fighters and 8,000,000 youths of near military age. Another point toward Russian land superiority, according to the experts, is that the Russians have fought and conquered in virtually every type of terrain and under all weather condi tions. On the sea, the United States PALL OF SMOKE WRAPS CITY AS Russians Storm Across Vis tula; Nazi Officials, Civil ians Leaving Capital. London, Aug. 1 (U.R) The) Russian government organ Izves. tla reported today that Warsaw was enveloped in a great pall of smoke and the Germans ap parently were putting the torch, to the city preparatory to aban doning it to Soviet assault troopi battling through the eastern suburbs. As the battle for Warsaw roar ed toward a climax, Berlin said the Red army had stormed across the Vistula river 55 miles to the southeast, and Moscow gave) tacit support to the enemy re port that the last big water bar rier east of German Silesia had been forced. An Izvestia dispatch from lha front indicated that Warsaw, Polish capital already onca martyred in this war, was ablaze under the rolling mass of smoke. Nazis Evacuate The United Press dispatch from Moscow quoting the Izves tia account said earlier reports reaching the Russian capital had told of the evacuation of Nazi officials and German civilians from the capital, bearing out signs that Adolf Hitler had given up hope of holding the capital of the first nation he seized by force of arms. The exiled Polish government in London received underground reports from Warsaw today that the Germans had evacuated 25, ooo German civilians, leaving; only army troops and gestapo agents in the city. Polish troops were fighting; side by side with the Russians in the suburbs of Warsaw along the east bank of the Vistula, and Izxestla said the civilians wera pelting the liberators with flow ers and garlanding the giant tanks crashing in through the German defenses. Soviet front dispatches report ed fierce and bloody fighting in the suburbs, with some villages defended house by house. Red army artillery and tanks were taking the leading roles in the break-through to Warsaw, while cavalry slashed at the enemy flanks and chopped up the rout ed Nazi units. Hurry To Berlin "We are pushing forward quickly because it is very urgent that we get to Berlin quickly, and that is why we shall be there very soon," a Moscow broadcast said. Polish underground reports to the exiled government here said calm had been restored In the German ranks Inside Warsaw "after several days of confusion and panic." They said 25,000 un derground soldiers were main taining contact with the Soviet forces In the district of Kielce, 90 miles southwest of Warsaw. The Germans were reported by the underground to have taken many valuable pieces of art and furniture to Berlin from the Royal Palace of Lazienki and Belvedere Palace, both state owned. TO BERLIN By United Press. The shortest distances to Berlin from the advanced al lied lines today: Russia 330 miles. Italy 607 miles. France 623 miles. took the lead from England in the experts' opinion, because the U. S. government undoubtedly will want to keep at least a two ocean navy afloat, augmented by strong naval, land, and air forces, to protect new territorial acquisitions or protectorates In the Pacific. May Fade France Although France lined up as the third naval power, the ex perts said Russia may edge the French out In the future with the soviet combined Baltic and Black sea fleet and an Atlantic fleet operating from ice-free ports. -Expanding Russian foreign trade, they said, will result in a huge Russian merchant ma rine. Great Britain, according to the observers, will bo in second place and should keep her navy large. Canada and Australia will strengthen Britain's sea forces. U. S. productive capacity has given it a leadership in the air which is not likely to be chal lenged for many generations.
