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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 23, 1944)
.0 U lr i U utilJiyj U POWERFUL FORCE E Capture of Troyes, Key Rail Hub, Is Sought to Close Last Direct Escape Route Supreme Headquarters, AEF, Aug. 23 (U.R) Powerful Amer ican tank columns pounded east ward within a day's ride of the German frontier today, striking for the key railway hub of Troyes in a bid to close the last direct escape route for all the Nazi armies of southern France. Lt. Gen. George S. Patton's tanks and motorized infantry men had broken contact with headquarters in their dramatic strike toward the frontiers of the reich, and headquarters maintained strict secrecy on the whereabouts of the advanced American spearheads. Drive Passes Sens Front dispatches revealed, however, that the Yanks were driving at breakneck speed be yond the ancient fortified city of Sens,' which they captured yesterday after a 65-mile thrust around the southern suburbs of Paris, and heading directly for Troyes, 130 miles west of Ger many. With the American break through into eastern France, headquarters permitted corre spondents to state flatly that the battle of France is nearing its end and that the liberation of the entire country is not far off. Far behind Patton's flying col umns, a powerful American tank army massed around liberated Paris, while other American and Allied armies converged on the Seine river line, tightening a great noose around the broken remnants of the German 7th army in Normandy. Only about 93.000 of the more than 400 000 Germans' who de fended Normandy on D-day were alive and uncaptured In the narrowing corridor extend ing from the Channel to the northern suburbs of Paris and from the Seine to the Touques and Vie river lines. And those fleeing remnants were being hounded mercilessly from land and air, bombed and shelled as they raced for the Seine, where Allied planes swept through low-hanging clouds to strafe the river crossings. Canadian, British and Amer ican troops pushing eastward toward the Seine advanced an average of 10 miles all along the line yesterday, with Cana dian units along the Channel coast sweeping into Trouville. only 7V4 miles from the Seine estuary. E London, Aug. 23. (U.R) Two Soviet armies, advancing at the rate of 22 miles a day through the Romanian eastern plains leading to the Galati Gap, gate way to Bucharest and the Ploesti oil fields, captured the German strongholds of Vaslui, Tighina and Akkerman today, Premier Marshal Josef Stalin announced In a communique from Moscow tonight. The 3rd Ukrainian army stormed into the German Dncstr river strongholds of Tiehina 50 miles northwest of Odessa, and Akkerman, 24 miles south west of Odessa, while to the west the 2nd Ukrainian army took Vaslui in the twin drive designed to knock Romania out fo the war and deprive Germany of her last major source of oil. SIDE GLANCES By TRIBUNE REPORTERS George Field demonstrating how to safely eliminate a nor net's ne?t with a vacuum clean- Ed Lyman holding an im promptu reading class In the .works of Damon Runyon. Ellsworth Schuler describing how he was temporarily "adopted" as a ruse to find ho tel quarters in crowded San Francisco. Medford United Press Thirty-ninth Year Droves of Nazi Prisoners Swamp Yank Tabulators WhwmWMMmm ibrokers swarm .WlfSllsft WAR MATERIALS r J&S J jfr P- f " ' VWfPJAt2& I Waits Droves of Nazi prisoners, corralled France beachhead, prove almost too Tropez. More than 14,000 prisoners French Erase Stains on National Honor By Reconquering Capital Lost in 1940 (The writer of the following dispatch was United Press direc tor for France before the foil of that country to the Nazis.) By Ralph E. Helnzen Unletd Press Correspondent The fall of Paris to Gen. Pierre Koenig's army and French patriots wiped out the stains on national honor felt by all Frenchmen since the capital fell undefended June, 1940. At the price of a great amount of blood and enormous suffering the French have won back all the honor lost in the Bordeaux capitulation. It was particularly fitting that Gen. George S. Patton after driving the Germans back In a virtual rout should have circled Paris, then allowed Koenig's gallant army of the French un derground to reconquer their lost capital. All France knows, however, that it was America which freed Paris. Blood Payment When the Prussian armies evacuated Paris in 1871, the Rothschild bankers had paid the then enormous war fine of five billion gold francs. This time, Paris was freed only at the cost of much gallant French blood MARSEILLE FALLS TO FRENCH ARMS Rome, Aug. 23 UP.) French troops stormed triumphantly In to Marseille tonight, capturing France's second city against weak Nazi opposition, while American tanks and Infantry men swept through the hills 120 miles to the north In a lightning drive that carried through Grrn able to the eastern rim of the Rhone valley. Strong German forces en trenched In Marseille quit cold as the French veterans burst through their outer defenses and raced into the city streets. A few Isolated bands of Nazis still held out In the port area tonight, but headquarters spokes men said the French were dig ging them out of their barricades with bayonet and grenade and that all organized opposition had ended. More than 17,000 prisoners have been captured In the first week of the invasion. Gen. Sir Henry Maitland Wilson, fupreme Allied commander, announced in his daily communique. Of these, 12,000 already have been evacuated to Italy and Corsica. Full Leased Wirt (Acme Rmiio-t clcphotn) by hard-hitting Allied Armies pushing northward from their soutnorn numerous for American M. P.'s attempting to tabulate them near St. were taken in first six days of fastest-breaking invasion ever mounted by the Allies. Germans Tricked Into Evacuating Paris Garrison London, Aug. 23 (U.R) A superbly-1 1 m ed strategical maneuver as old as the his tory of war tricked the Ger mans Into evacuating the bulk of their garrison from Paris and enabled French patriot forces to liberate the city un aided, military observers said today. With 5 0,000 well-armed men inside the capital, the French withheld their up rising until the American army reached the suburbs. The American columns fanned out swiftly on three sides of Paris, but carefully left open a narrow gap in the east. Then they began squeez ing in slowly on that gap, tricking the enemy into be lieving they Intended to sur round and assault the city, and the Nazis decided to get out. which real patriots, who spurn ed collaboration shed steadily in the underground war against her conquerors since 1940, The remarkable aspect of Koenig's victory communique is that it showed a general upris ing of the whole of Paris which routed the Germans probably without the destruction of the capital. Paris police have long been traditionally nationalist, EDWIN H. JANNEY TAKEN BY DEATH Edwin H. Janner, for many years president of the Jackson County Abstract company, passed away in a local hospital Aug. 22 after a prolonged Ill ness. Private services will be held Thursday and friends are re quested not to send flowers. TO BERLIN By United Press The shortest distances to Berlin from advanced Al lied lines today: Northern France 520 miles (gain of 75 miles in werk). Southern France 590 miles (gain of 71 miles In week). Italy 602 miles (un changed for week). Russia 328 miles (un changed for week). , Ms- MEDFORD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1944 loyal to all the successive repub lican governments regardless of the political complexion. Their war memorials in the courtyard of the Paris prefecture showed thousands of names of the Paris police who fell in the three wars against Germany. That they fin ally turned against Vichy in a general strike and then rallied to Kocnig proved that finally France was wholly roused against the occupying enemy. Railroads Strategic There are few real military strategic spots in Paris except the railroads, once the Germans retreat. On the other hand Koenig must guard Paris against any possibility of internal dis order, but the military occupa tion of the railroads, the indus trial suburbs, the Champs Elysee, and the Place de la Con corde, Place de la Bastille, and the Place de la Republique, will I suffice to keep Paris quiet. LANDING TOLD London, Aug. 23 (U.R) The Algiers radio said today that French Interior forces had occu pied the ancient fortress city of Perplgnan, on the Mediterra nean, Just north of the Spanish frontier and across the south ern tip of France from Arcs chon, on the Bay. of Biscay, where unconfirmed reports said Allied troops landed this morn ing. Although supreme headquar ters refused to comment on the situation, both the British radio and the London Daily Express carried reports of the landing, which would be the thiid inva sion of France, Guest House Burns On Hearst Estate Yreka, Cal., Aug. 23. U,R) Fire destroyed ono building and burned nearly an acre of land yesterday at Wintoon, remote and palatial estate of William Randolph Hearst, it was report ed today. The flames were brought under control by the Shasta and McCloud fire depart m e n t a. Three firemen suffered minor Injuries. The building burned was "The Gables", a former guest house used as servants quarter. ROMANIA QUITS WAR Administrator Tells Senate Investigators Big Demand Consumer Goods. Washington, Aug. 23 (U.R) Surplus Property Administrator William L. Clayton told the sen ate war investigating committee today that "commission brokers are swarming all over the place" in attempts to buy up surplus government war goods for plants which re-sell the material at high profits. His testimony came as senate floor debate began on the Mur-ray-Stewart-Taft surplus proper ty disposal bill which would cre ate an eight-man board to ad minister an expected $75 000. 0 0 0,0 0 0 to $100,000,000,000 worth of surplus war good. Must Begin Now Clayton said he was trying to curb the activities of commission merchants seeking to buy war goods. Despite their activities, surplus property disposal must begin now, Clayton told the com mittee, In order to protect em ployment and markets after the war. On the sennte floor, Sen. Al len J. Ellender D., La., chal lenged the section of the Murray-Stewart Taft bill which would entitle a four-man Joint committee from the house and senate to attend meetings of the proposed surplus property board. Sen. A. B. Chandler, D., Ky.. answered It was the duty of congress "to undertake the task of keeping the American people informed." Yard Sale Cited J. S. Wilson, maritime com mission assistant, another war investigating committee witness, said that the commission sold a San Jacinto, Texas, shlnvard to the Du Pont Co. for $200,000. A fair price might have been as high as $500,000, he admitted. The sale was made privately without competitive bidding and the property Is to be used as a site for a chemical plant Wilson said In response to questions. Advocating immediate sale of surplus consumer goods, Clayton said there was a big hole In the form of demand for consumer goods right now Into which much of the surplus can be put without hurting employment. HUCKLEBERRY PICKERS ARRIVING AT PATCHES Campers have started to ar rive at the huckleberry patches In the county, Including the fa vorite, Huckleberry mountain, In the Union Creek district, forest service officials said today. Some of the Huckleberry mountain campers have been mnking the trek since they were children. A few arrive early enough to have the same camp site year after year. Residents of the Fort Klam ath area also flock to the place. A number of the pickers have gone there for 50 years or more. The forest service reports the huckleberries have started to ripen and are quite plentiful. The Blue Canyon area beyond Butte Falls is also a favorite spot with pickers. CIGARETTE BLAMED IN STORE AWNING BLAZE Fire, probably started by a cigarette tossed from a window above, according to city firemen, partly destroyed an awning at the Trowbridge and Flynn Elec tric company, 214 West Main street, last night. Firemen an swered the alarm at 8:33 p. m. Tribune United Press Full Leased Wire By United Press THE CLANDESTINE RADIO STATION ATLANTIC SAID TODAY THAT ROMANIA BY ROYAL PROCLAMATION, HAS QUIT THE WAR. LONDON. AUG. 23 U.R THE BRITISH BROADCAST ING CORPORATION SAID TO NIGHT IT HAD INTERCEPT ED A ROMANIAN RADIO AN NOUNCEMENT SAYING THAT THE ROMANIAN GOV ERNMENT WAS WILLING TO DISCUSS PEACE TERMS WITH RUSSIA. HEAVIEST RAID IN By United Press The heaviest raid of a two weeks steady aerial campaign against Halmnhera, stepping stone to the PhilioDlncs. was re vealed today as other Allied ! airmen battered widespread ene my bases through the southwest and central Pacific, A communique from Gen. Douglas MacArthur's headquar ters disclosed that Allied bomb ers dumped 135 tons of explo sives on Halmahera Monday without opposition. The raids were reaching the scope of other aerial "softening up" assaults, which preceded landings as Mac Arthur's forces swept up the northern New Guinea coast to within 600 miles of the Philip pines. Other far eastern air force bombers harassed Japanese bases from the southern tip of the Philippines to deep In the Dutch East Indies. Air patrols bombed Dnvao on Mindanao Island In the southern Philippines Sunday and other bombers returned Monday to score several near misses on an 8000-ton freighter in the harbor. In the central Pacific. Amer ican bombers made a new attack on enemy shipDing at Marcus harbor, only four hours' flying time from Tokyo Two cargo ves sels were attacked In masthead sweeps that left one burning and the other "noticeably slowed" and smoking heavily. Allies Nearing Allied forces fan out hi northern Seine lownrd L Hnvre while other Pari. Orleans and For.talntnirnu ' Swlu bordcf to I (fT tt Afidtlrt I 1 OMTRfS "" (4iuiITl 2fi5Si"J ' JJNjilii I f OMtiNiiUAue Ax NO. 130. ROOSEVELT TELLS CONFEREES LONG PEACEJOSSIBLE Close Friendship of Big Three to Mean Peace for 'Our Grandchildren,' Word Washington, Aug. 23MU.R) President Roosevelt today told delegates to the Dumbarton Oaks International Security con ference that if Britain, Russia and the United States can main tain their new and close friend ships "we may have a peaceful period for our grandchildren to grow up in." Greeting the delegates in his office, Mr. Roosevelt warned in a brief impromptu speech, how ever, that as long as 17-to-20 year old Germans who now are being taken prisoner by Allied forces have anything to say about world affairs, "the peril of Nazism will always be with us." Dulles Agrees Mr. Roosevelt met the dele gates at almost the same time that John Foster Dulles, foreign policy adviser to Gov. Thomas E. Dewey, was telling reporters that ho had reached "a large area of agreement" In lengthy conferences with two leading republican senators. Reporters were not present when the President met the delegates but a transcript of his remarks was made available later in the afternoon. Dulles, here to discuss for eign policy in general and the Dumbarton Oaks talks In par ticular with Secretary of State Corricll Hull later today, met for 80 minutes with Sen. War ren R. Austin, Vt., and for an hour with Sen. Arthur H. Van elenberg, Mich. Both are mem bers of the Senate Foreign Re lations committee. Vandcnberg told reporters he and t!i; GOP presidential nom inee's adviser are "as nearly In agreement as two men can be." New Goals (Arm teirphota) France, pushing along rant bans of spcarneadi rush forward to encircle were sources ot new Uirust toward cut France la ball. F HOISnRI-COLOR Ill-armed Underground Army Slaughters German Rear Guard After 4-Day Fight. London, Aug. 23 (U.R) An angry army of French patriots rebelled against their Nazi con querors and liberated their cap ital city of Paris today. Striking for their own free dom even as a massive Amer ican tank army gathered at tho city gates, hundreds of thou sands of embattle Parisians stormed Nazi barricades, over whelmed the enemy garrison and hoisted the Tricolor tri umphantly over the city. First word of the patriot blow came In a dramatic announce ment from Gen. Pierre Koenig, commander-in-chief of tho French forces of the Interior, that Insurrection had been rag ing through the capital since early Saturday morning, when the call for a general uprising was flashed to the underground In Paris. Four-Day Fight In four days of street fighting such as the ancient city had not seen since the storming of tho Bastille 155 years ago, the in armed patriots routed the bulk of the German occupation forces from Paris and slaughtered tho doomed rearguards left to cover the Nazi evacuation. The rcconquest of the city, tho first of the Allied capitals to bo wreated ba,ck from the Nazis, p was the most spectacular blow struck by Europe's smoldering underground armies since tho German hordes overran the con tinent four years ago. With the capture of Paris tho patriots at a single stroke de- ' prived the Germans of the main railway center in all France and cut off the main escape routes for the enemy troops now scram bling to escape from remote cor ners of tho nation: First reports out of the liber ated capital gave few details of the last hours of the Nazi occu pation, but those sketchy ac counts made lt clear that tho trapped enemy rear guards dug In behind street barricades at scores of points and battled to the death against the vengeance hungry Parisians. Bloody Climax An organized army of 50,000 underground fighters bore tho brunt of the final assault, but all Paris Joined In the uprising before the street battle was more than a few hours old. , The fight reached its bloody climax yesterday when the pa trlots, equipped with light artil lery that apparently had been run Into the city from the Amer ican army massed in tho sub urbs, began shelling the last remaining German strongpolnts. Simultaneously, the entire Paris police force, which had gone on strike last week in a gesture of defiance to the Ger man authority, threw in with the rebels and clinched the vic tory. The gendarmes seized tho police prefecture, cut down tho Nazi defenders and converted tho entire He de la Cite in the middle ot te Seine Into a stronghold. The Germans spent their last strength In a series of bloody and unsuccessful attempts to retake the island, and by night fall all organized resistance In side the city had collapsed. Traitors Rounded Up (There was no Immediate Indi cation whether the famous Notre Damo cathedral, on tho He de la Cite, had been damaged in the fight.) A handful of Vichy traitors who remained behind when tho Germans withdrew their main forces from Paris were rounded up In short order and turned over to the FFI for trial and almost certain death. A proclamation Issued by General Koenig revealed that all of the city was in French hands again this morning, four years and 70 days after the wehrmacht paraded its armored i columns Into the city and raised ! tho swastika over the Eiffel I Tower.
