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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 31, 1944)
4il Mr Weather Forecast: Partly cloudy with rain thoweri tonight and Fri day. Cooler Umperaturei. Temp. Highest yesterday .... 90 Lowest this morning 53 Precipitation past 24 hn. Use The MAIL TRIBUNE Want Ad Way Quick Results At Small Cost MEDFORD Tribune United Press Full Leased Wire United Press Full Leased Wire Thirty-ninth Year MEDFORD, OREGON, THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 1944 NO. 137. WW nil Ji LHl I s Drive For Sedan Underway; Patton's Army Chase Nazis Near Belgium. Supreme Rheadquarters, AEF Aug. 31 (U.R) The German battle screen west of the Rhine land broke wide open tonight and front dispatches said Amer ican tanks and infantrymen were pouring through the great breach, almost at the borders of Belgium. In a blazing 37-mile advance from the Aisne river line at Neufchatel, powerful armored columns of the American 1st army burst across tha Meuse river below Sedan and swung up toward that historic city at the entrance to the Ardennes forest. ' It was through the Ardennes forest that the German armies of 1940 swept to turn the Magi not line and overrun France. At the same time, Lt. Gen. George S. Patton's American 3rd prmy forces were reported to have surged far east of Chalors-Sur-Marne, apparently pushing into the Argonne forest in a headlong drive toward Ver dun. Patton's men are riding down hundreds of fleeing Nazis and United Press War Correspon dent Henry T. Gorrell reported that the battle had degenerated into a race to see whether the Germans or Americans would reach the borders of the reich first. The battle of the Meuse on the U. S. 1st army front began and ended in a matter of hours, with the enemy scattering back Into the Ardennes forest in com plete disorder. At one point, an American battle group captured 400 pris oners representing 64 different German units, indicating the enemy no longer was fighting as an organized army. The exact point of the Meuse crossing was not given, but Gor rell said the Americans were pounding on Sedan and the Ar dennes and it was intimated they might already have reach ed the Belgian border. Equally chaotic scenes were reported from the blazing Somme battlefront above Paris where the Canadian 1st army, the British 2nd army and units of the American 1st were 'tear ing apart the German defenses guarding the robot bomb coast. Thousands of Germans were bypassed and facing death or capture in the channel port of Le Havre as the British captured Amiens in a powerful thrust' across the Somme river line and swept on toward Boulogne, Calais and Dunkerque. "It is now no longer a drive against armed opposition but a alized and confused German! armies in France, an authorita tive spokesman told Gorrell at the front. "The battle of France is rapid ly drawing to a close tonight," Gorrell wrote. On the northern front, "all In dications were that the robot bomb coast might be overrun by the allied armies within 72 hours. I Rome, Aug. 31 AJ.P Pilots from the carrier USS Tulagi saw only six German planes during their operations covering the invasion of the southern coast of France and shot down every one of them, the U. S. navy disclosed today. Ensign Richard V. Ventzer, Route 2, Sheridan, Wyo., down ed a Junker-52. while credit for t downing a Hcinkcl was shared by Ensign Advide Robin?on of Chicago and Lt. Cmdr. John H. Sandor. 811 W. 11th St., Walsen burg, Colo. The (Acme Rtuho-Tclrphotot Milling about In a 45th Division prisoner of war camp to southern France are the 946 Germans, Including 17 officers, who surrendered to Lieu tenant Clarence E. Coggins (right) of Poteau. Okla., whom they had captured a short time before. The fast-talking, 24-year-old Oklahoman per suaded the Nazi commander to "give up" by telling him that his men were surrounded, then took the surrender offer over to Allied headquarters to make arrangements for the Germans to lay down their arms and come in their own vehicles. BUCHAREST FALLS INTO RED HANDS; PL 0 BTiABLAZE Russians Near Bulgarian Border Moscow Fires Victory Guns. London, Aug. 31. U.R) The Soviet 2nd Ukrainian army drove southward from the blaz ing oil fields of Ploestl- and en tered Bucharest today, liquidat ing the German forces in the northern suburbs who had been fighting their former Romanian allies for possession of the capi tal. Premier Josef Stalin's order of the day announcing the achievement significantly did not claim the capture of the Romanian capital, which has been held by the Romanians virtually ever since their king s declaration of war on Germany, but said that the Russians had removed the "German threat to Bucharest from the north." The order also directed 24 salvos of Moscow's 324 victory guns for the troops "who en sured the safety of the Roman ian capital." Prior to Stalin's announce ment, Bucharest was reported in the hands of Romanian troops loyal to King Michael, who sur rendered Romania to the Soviets last week and declared war on the country's former ally, Ger many. , In the drive down the eastern Romanian plains, other Soviet columns further cast reached the border of Bulgarian-annexed Dobruja and threatened to cross the prewar frontier of Bulgaria itself. Behind them the Soviet troops left chemical units working feverishly along side Romanian engineers to extinguish the blaz ing Ploestl oil fields. Moscow dispatches said the area for doz ens of miles from the city was enveloped in thick clouds of smoke and flames and that hard ly a street of the city itself was untouched by fire. The same sources said the Russians made their drive on Ploestl with unprecedented speed in an attempt to envelop the city before the Germans completed destruction of the oil fields. They arrived In time to help Romanian troops and the civilian population reduce and confine the conflagration, Mos cow reports said. SIDE GLANCES Bt TRIBUNE REPORTERS Ruth Renkcn performing her daily good deed. T. Victor Williams pleased that his endeavors to have the Ft. Baker road called by its true name of Camp Baker road arc finally becoming effective. Assistant Fire Chief Ed Canooe reclining lazily In a draped position over a fire truck fender after a hard afternoon's work. Lone Yank Came Back- ALEUTIAN BASED LIBERATORS HIT JAP NAVAL BASE Washington, Aug. 31 U.R) Aleutians based Liberator bomb ers and Ventura search planes struck at installations on the big Japanese base on Paramu shiro on Sunday, rounding out a series of three attacks that day on the northern Kurile Island, the navy announced to day. Only meager anti-aircraft fire was encountered and all of the attacking aircraft returned to base. Meanwhile, the American aerial offensive against Japanese bases In the central Pacific con tinued without letup on Monday and Tuesday. Single Liberator bom b e r s struck at Yap and Woleai islands in the western Carolines on both Monday and Tuesday. Anti-air craft fire was described as i meager. Mitchell medium bombers hit' the airfield at Nauru Island, on the southern fringe of the Gil berts on Tuesday, following up a night attack by a Catalina search plane. Marine dive bombers and fighters raked Mili, one of the holdout enemy bases in the east ern Marshals. During the night of Monday Tuesday, Liberators again hit Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, north of the Marianas, where on the same night Pagan Island was bombed. The following day, Pagan was hit again and fires were started amid gun positions and storage facilities. KELLAND SPEECH Washington, Aug. 31. AJ.R) Rep. George E. Outland, D., Calif., today described as "cheap, vicious, rotten and dirty" a charge by Clarence Budington Kclland, Republican National committeeman from Arizona, that President Roosevelt was re sponsible for the Pearl Harbor disaster. Kelland made the charge yes terday in a speech at Montpclier, Vt. Speaking In the house as though addressing Kelland, Out land said: "If you believe what you are saying, sir, you are a fool. If you don't, you are a liar." Democratic Leader John W. McCormack, Mass., eachoed Out land's denunciation of Kelland and criticized Rep. Everett M. Dirksen, R.. 111., for a speech at i Old Orchard, Me., last night in which he accused President Roosevelt of using the navy to get votes as "a new low." GOOD CHAMPAGNE YEAR Epernay, Aug. 31. (U.R) The champagne Industry has suffered little from the war and this looks like another good vintage year, according to wine-makers in thii area, With 946 Prisoners! JULY'S FIGHTING CAUSES GAIN IN CASUALTY TOTAL Heavy Fighting In France Reason All Services To tal 349,523. Washington, Aug.. 31 OJ.R) Late July's heavy fighting In northern France caused a sharp Increase In U. S. army casual ties. Acting Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson disclosed today, swelling the total for all theaters to 284,838 through Aug. 23. This represented an Increase of 23,249 over the total reported a week ago, and Patterson said the increase was "largely re flected In the period of heaviest fighting in northern France near the end of July." Patterson also disclosed that the fighting In southern France, from the landings on Aug. 15 through Aug. 24, had cost the Americans 1.242 killed or mis sing and 5,000 wounded rela tively light losses which he said illustrated German weakness in that area. Patterson's announce m e n t s brought to 349,523 the number of casualties thus far announced here for all services since Pearl Harbor. Navy figures for today show 58,353 navy, marine and coast guard casualties Including 23.544 dead, 20.701 wounded, 9,642 missing, and 4,466 prison ers of war. Of the army total, Patterson listed 53,101 as killed, 142,688 wounded, 44,643 missing and 44, 408 prisoners of war. Of the wounded, 60,314 have been re turned to duty. Patterson revealed that In both northern and southern France, Allied forces thus far have taken more than 235,000 prisoners. "Enemy dead and wounded must greatly expand this figure," he added. In southeastern Asia opera tions since January more than 50,000 Japanese have been killed, Patterson said, and "Jap anese mortality from sickness and other casualties must far ex ceed that figure." Japanese dead counted in cen tral and south Pacific operations now total more than 115,000, Patterson said. Broken Lock Causes 5,000 To Quit Work Cleveland, Aug. 31. (U.R) Production of aircraft bearings was halted completely today when 5.000 employes of the Cleveland Graphite Bronze com pany struck in protest against the discharge of one worker for breaking a 75-ccnt lock in the plant's locker room. The strike, latest of a series of work stoppages at the plant over minor grievances, brought Mat thew Smith, International presi dent of the Mechanics Education al Society of America here from Detroit by plane. New York,Aug. 31 (U.R) Cotton futures opened S to 9 point lower today. ALL SET SPEECH TONIGHT Joplin, Mo., Aug. 31 (U.R) Sen. Harry S. Truman, democra tic vice-presidential nominee, referring to the possible damage to his party's chances should the war end before November, said he did not care what happens along that line." , "rwnnt the war to end as quickly as possible. I'm thinking about those boys who are doing the fighting," he said. The Missourian held a press conference here shortly before he was due to receive formal notification of his candidacy to night at nearby Lamar, Mo., his birthplace. Unemployment, which would accompany the end of the war, he said, "always hurts the party In power. Truman, whose speech of ac ceptance tonight was awaited by political observers as a prob able outline of his party's strat egy for the fourth term cam paign, said that plans should be made immediately to combat unemployment. He said he would stick to the facts in his acceptance speech and added that the facts would bear out his contention that Mr. Roosevelt should be returned to Washington. Truman said he would "do a little hell-raising" in his address, to be broadcast by the four national networks. The notification party arrived in flag-bedecked Lamar this afternoon. Half a dozen bands were on hand from western Mis souri and eastern Kansas towns to add their music to the carni val atmosphere which envel oped this town of 3,000. BILL TO SENATE Washington, Aug. 31 (U.R) The house today passed the re stricted ways and means com mittee version of the George de mobilization bill after heating down all attempts to liberalize unemployment benefits and broaden other provisions. Passage was by voice vote The bill now will be sent to con ference with the senate, Inas much as the house eliminated senate provisions to authorize unemployment benefits for fed eral employes and to set up re employment and retraining ma chinery. I HONOR NAVY MEDICO I Washington, Aug. 31. 'U.R) Undersecretary of Navy Ralph ,' A. Bard today presented the dls I tinguished service medal to Comdr. James J. Sapero, medi cal corps, for his development of malarial control methods in the south Pacific which "drastically reduced" Incidence of the dis ease. Washington, Aug. 31. U.R) Loadings of revenue freight for the week ended Aug. 26 rose 18,278 caxi to 909,74 cars. BRITi: : CAPTURE AMIENS. EN ROUTE TO R0B01 COAST Verdun Reported Evacuated Tanks Cross Somme As Nazis Reel. (United Press) The clandestine- radio station Atlantic said the Germans were evacuating the fortress city of Verdun, 32 miles from the Lux embourg border and less than 50 miles from the German fron tier. Supreme Headquarters, AEF, Aug. 31 U.PJ Powerful British armored forces broke across the Somme river line today, cap tured Amiens and plunged on toward Boulogne, Calais, and the beaches of Dunkerque in a fast-rolling offensive that threat ened to overrun the robot bomb coast within 72 hours. Far to the east, two American tank armies fanned out beyond the shattered Aisne and Marne river lines at top speed in twin drives that unofficial reports said had carried to within 26 miles of the Belgian border and little more than 80 miles from Germany. Battle-hungry British Tom mies, spurred by the prospect of lifting the "rocket-siege" of London within a matter of days, ftwena across the Somme in a burst of power that sent the I Nazis fleeing in disorder from! Amiens. Vanguards of the British 2nd army speared into the city early this morning and at mid-day the main force rode through in pur suit of the enemy. Tanks, guns, and troops were reported pouring across the Somme in an increasing tide and headquarters spokesmen said the new bridgehead on the north bank was firmly established early this afternoon. Simultaneously, Canadian 1st army troopers lunged Into the Seine river port of Rouen and thrust across the Dieppe high way nine miles above Rouen In a drive to seal off the channel town, where a host of Canadians found death and glory In the great commando raid two years ago. "The all-onqucring Nazi hosts are now shattered, hounded by day and night, and they havei lost all semblance of an effective' fighting force," United Press War Correspondent Richard D. McMillan reported from the British field headquarters. j ihey nave only one Idea to drag themselves somehow out of the clutches of their fast-moving British pursuers." ENGLE BILL HITS Washington, Aug. 31. (U.R) Rep. Clair Engle, D., Cal., In troduced a bill today calling for the deportation after the war of all alien Japanese and disloyal Americans of Japanese descent. Engle said his bill was direct ed particularly at handling nllen and disloyal Japanese held in the Tulo Lake segregation cen ter In his district. "There Is nothing In the law at the present time which sets up the procedure for getting rid of these Japanese who because of their dangerous and disloyal attitude have been segregated and kept In the Tulo Lake camp", he said. "If the war should end tomorrow there Is nothing now in the law which would require or authorize the federal government to remove them permanently from this country that is the purpose of the bill." CIO CHIEFS QUIT Woonsockct, R. I Aug. 31 (U.R) Nine members of the Poli tical Action Committee of the In dustrian Trades Union of Woon sockct have resigned on the grounds that the PAC's policy Is "detrimental to the best in teresti of labor," War Bulletins Moscow, Aug. 31. (U.R) Donald M. Nelson, War Pro duction Board chairman, and Maj. Gen. Patrick J. Hurley, reached Moscow today, en route to China as personal emissaries of President Roose velt. They sold they planned to spend several days here in conferences before continuing the trip to China. Sen Francisco, Aug. 31 (U.R) The submarine U. S. S. Trigger today flew a presi dential unit citation flag pre sented for "outstanding per formance In combat during the submarine's fifth, sixth and seventh war patrols against the enemy." London, Aug. 31 OJ.R) The Czechoslovak government in London announced today that almost all Slovakia now Is In the hands of Csech patriot forces. The news was received by a radio message from the field commander of the Ciech forces. E E IS FADING FAST Yanks Herd Foe Up Rhone, French Near Spain; Nice Captured. Rome, Aug. 81 (U.R) French armored columns, In a spectacu lar 82-mlle sweep around the Gulf of Lions, captured Monte plelcr, Bczlers and Narbonne and drove forward unopposed to within less than 50 miles of the Spanish frontier today, while American troops herded the remnants of the German 19th army northward through the Rhone valley Into the Lyon area. Nazi resistance all along the mediterranean coastline vanish ed almost completely, and Amer ican forces at the eastern end of the long Invasion front captured the famous resort town of Nice without a struggle. Only In the Rhone valley, his toric invasion route to central France and the Rhlneland, were the Allied armies meeting ser ious opposition, and it came there from suicidal rear-guard units fighting to cover the re treat of the shattered 19th army. U. S. 7th army troops drove more than 11 miles up the east bank of the Rhone, chopping down Nazi stragglers in their advance, and captured the Im portant road Junction of Val ence. A second column was con verging on the town from Cha bcuil, six miles to the southeast. The fall of Valence carried the American vanguards within 57 miles of Lyon, rallying point for the scattered remnants of the enemy's southern garrisons. Denver, Aug. 31. (U.R) OPA Administrator Chester Bowles asserted today In Denver that "the pinnacle of the pressure group movement" ended last spring, but pointed out that there may be a resurgence of It during the reconversion period. There was a surge of business men to Washington opposing various phases of price controls and rationing, but OPA has suc ceeded In Its program generally, he said. What the reconversion period will bring, Bowles ex plained, Is "anybody's guess now. Most of the nation's citizens, he said, now are Informed on the need for rationing and price con trol measures, and that during the last two weeks on a tour of OPA field offices and local boards, ho found "very little dis satisfaction with the program In general. Washington, Aug, 31. (U.R) President Roosevelt today nomi nated Benjamin J. McKlnney for reappointment as U. S. mar shal for Arizona. GERMANS SUFFER 400,000 SOLDIER LOSS IN81 DAYS Allied Armies Are Five Days Ahead of Schedule, Re port Reveals. Supreme Headaunrters ACT Aug. 31. (U.R) Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme allied com mander, disclosed today that his armies were more than f ivp Havs ahead of schedule in their march across western Europe and re iterated that Germany could be defeated this year if all on the home and war fronts did their duty. Supreme Headntinrtnra AFP Aug. 31. CU.Rk-Gen. Dwight d! uioeiinuwur, reiterating nis be lief that Germany can and will be defeated hefnro vwd'o declared tonight that the Gerl man armies of northern France have been smashed in 81 days of fighting that cost thorn mr,r than 400,000 casualties and a vast store of planes, tanks, and mechanized field equipment. In an Official rennrt nhmiffA to the Joint Anglo-American cnieis or siati, Elsenhower said his allied invasion forces have met and defeated the cream of the German armies and inflict ed a "fearful beating on the Nazi luftwaffe." The equivalent of five German armored divisions and 20 in fantry divisions have been de stroyed, and another six panzer and 12 infantry divisions have been "badly, cut up," his report disclosed. It listed the staggering total of 1300 enemy tanks, 2000 guns, and more than 20,000 motor ve hicles destroyed or captured be tween D-day, June 6, and Aug. 25, along with 3,545 enemy planes destrpyed In air battles or aground. Among the enemy casualties In the period, he said, were more than 200,000 prisoners. (The over-all German casualty figures for the battle of northern France contrasted with an offic ial announcement In Washington that U. S. army losses for all theaters from the beginning of the war through Aug. 13 totaled 284,838 killed, wounded, and missing.) He said 2,378 German air craft have been destroyed In the air and 1,167 on the ground. In addition, 270 aircraft were prob ably destroyed and 1,028 were damaged In the air. Enemy naval losses amounted to some 300 vessels of all classes sunk or heavily damaged by Al lied action. In addition, a num ber of enemy merchant ships were sunk and the Germans themselves scuttled numerous naval and mercantile craft. "The equivalent of five panzer divisions have been destroyed and a further sixth severely mauled, including one panzer grenadier division," his state ment said. "The equivalent of 20 Infantry divisions have been eliminated and a further 12 very badly cut up and have suffered severe losses. Included In this total of Infantry divisions are three of the enemy's crack para chute divisions." These divisions are In addi tion to one parachute division and two Infantry divisions marooned In Brittany ports and another Infantry division In the Channel Islands. Of the German casualties, over 200,000 were prisoners, includ ing 135,000 captured since July 25. "The German 7th army and the newly-formed 5tli panzer army have been decisively de feated and into this defeat has been drawn the bulk of the fight ing strength of the 1st and 15th armies," the statement said. "Three field marshals and one army commander have either been dismissed or Incapacitated by wounds. One army command er, three corps commanders, IS divisional commanders, and one fortress commander have been cither killed or captured." CIO MEET OPENS Los Angeles, Aug. 31 (U.R) The Seventh Annual Stato con vention of the California CIO opened today with addresses by Stato CIO Director Harry Bridges and Steclworkcr James G Thimmcs, state president, X
