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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 17, 1944)
Weather Forecmit: Continued partly cloudy Monday with little change In temperature. Temp. Highest yesterday 70 Lowest this morning . 49 Precipitation past 24 hrt, T Uft The MAIL TRIBUNE Want Ad Way Quick Result! At Small Coit Tribune f 7 Unlt.d Press Full Leased Wire United Press Pull Leased Wire MEDFORD, OREGON, SATUSdAy, SEPTEMBER 16, 1944 Thirty-ninth Year NO. 150. 1 LJr Medfordm '"" nlTC r - r . . mm T Americans Within 25 Miles Of Cologne Siegfried Line Pierced. Allied Supreme Headquarters, London, Sunday, Sept. 17 (U.R) American troops, fanning out over Germany from at least five gaping breaches in the Siegfried line, smashed Saturday to with in 25 miles of Cologne end sent the battered German armies of the west in retreat to the storied Rhine for a last-ditch defense of the Reich. (A Berlin broadcast heard by Blue Network Saturday said that "the west wall no longer exists as an active defense line.") The invasion of Germany now was progressing along an unbro ken 100-mile front, extending the full length of the country's frontiers with completely liber ated Belgium and Luxembourg, and penetrations as deep as 15 miles had been made. New bor der crossings Saturday resulted in the capture of the German villages of Kaltenberberg, eight miles south of Roetgen, and Eschfeld and Luetzkampen, across from the Luxembourg frontier. Street fighting raged In the southeastern and southwestern outskirts of encircled Aachen after patrols entered the main city only to retire underheavy enemy fire. An American col umn which had by-passed Aachen speared more than 12 miles east of the town, reaching within about 25 miles of the Rhine at Cologne. To the north, another U. S. column which Berlin Identified as part of Lt Gen. William H. Simpson's new Ninth army crossed the Maas river In force north of Aachen and put the Yanks' north flank on German foil. Field dispatches said that Adolf Hitler was reported to have restored Field Marshal Karl Gerd von Runstcdt to com mand of the western front ar mies for the battle of the Rhine as the Allies ground forward ev erywhere on a 500-mile front from Holland to the Swiss fron tier. American troops fought through the two defense belts of the Siegfried line at three points In their drive from Luxembourg and blasted a fourth breach in an unspecified sector, making a total of five complete penetra- tions of what had been regarded as tne most formidable fortifica tion system in the world. The line was pierced in the brief span of 45 hours at what appeared to be an incredibly light cost in American lives. Allied pilots reported a sud den surge of enemy traffic east ward from the Siegfried forts from Strasbourg to the Aachen area, with the Germans appar ently intending to abandon the entire line where it passes west of the Rhine in order to reform behind the river for their battle. On the U. S. First army's front east of Luxembourg, how ever the Germans were report ed throwing every available man, from Elite Guard troops to convalescents, into a desperate effort to hold the central sector of the Siegfried line as a pivot for the withdrawals on either end. To the south, the fierce battle of the Moselle valley drew to a climax as American armor bat tered its way to a point due east of the big bastion of Mctz. where a German garrison now was vir tually surrounded as another column of Lt. Gen. George S. Patton's Third army by-passed the city on the north. East Oregon Roads ( Good, Baldock Says Salem, Ore., Sept 16 (U.R) Highways in eastern and central Oregon particularly the main thoroughfares are in excellent condition, considering wartime traffic and impossibility of new construction, State Highway En gineer R. H Baldock reported today upon return from a four day tour with the highway commission. Yanks on Road to Aachen Troops of Gen. Hodpces First Army march into Ueiu.anjf on road to Aachen, the first Yanks to fight on Nazis' "holy soil, as assault arc was closed on three sides ot city. This first picture ol American troops In Sany was made by Andrew Lopez, NEA-Acme staff Photographer for War Picture Pool, transmitted by Signal Corps radlo-telephoto. OF NEW DEALERS Spokane, Wash., Sept. 16 (U.R) Gov. Thomas E. Dewey, pledging cabinet representation for the west if he is elected president, charged tonight that the Roosevelt administration would block post-war industrial expansion if it continued in of fice. Dewey hurled the charge dur ing a press conference when asked to comment on reports that Democratic National Chair man Robert E. Hannegan and Sen. Claude Pepper, D , Fla., I have been spreading the word j throughout the northwest that the Republican presidential can didate is allied with eastern mo nopolists. "That Is a most astonishing statement to come from an ad ministration committed to the very policies to which they now charge to us." Dewey said. "For the New Deal to sudden ly discover the west after 12 years without cabinet represen tation Is a little late. I have been convinced for years that there is unlimited opportunity for eco nomic development in the west but it can come only under a Republican administration which is committed to expansion of the west and full opportunities for employment which will be need ed after the war." Dewey recalled that President Roosevelt declared several years ago that the American industri al machine is built and the job now is one of equitable distri bution of the proceeds. It was the second press con ference of the day in which Dewey stressed his views on economic expansion of the west. (See Editorial Page Story) FORD TLANSWAGE BOOST WHEN ABLE Washington, Sept. 16 (U.R) Henry Ford, long a non-conformist among industrial leaders, an nounced tonight that he intend ed to raise wages as soon as the government will let him. Thus in effect he Joined the leaders of organized labor in asking a revision of wartime wage ceilings in the face of the almost unanimous opposition of industry spokesmen. Ford's announcement was re leased here as government labor and stabilization officials were wrestling with labor demands for a relaxation of wage controls and the prospective impact of reconversion developments on existing wage policy. V, JOB CAUSES CIO T Kansas City, Mo., Sept. 16 (U.R) The night shift of 600 men, employed making artillery shell casings for the army at the General Motors Corporation here, struck again tonight, the second time in three days. It was explained by the UAW-CIO local that the night shift struck because the com pany returned a foreman to his job. The strike Thursday night re portedly was caused by the company dismissal of an em ploye who had engaged in a fight with the foreman two days earlier. The employe's dis missal was announced Thurs day. It was understood a meeting was to be held late tonight in an attempt to break the dead lock. Chicago, Sept. 16 (U.R) Two railroad brotherhoods an nounced today that member employes of two railroads will strike at 4 a. m. Monday to en force long-standing demands for a nine-cent hourly wage boost. Union officials of the Broth erhood of Railway Trainmen and the Brotherhood of Loco motive Firemen and Enginemen said their members will strike against the Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee road and the Aurora & Elgin line. Hydaburg, Alaska, Sept. 17 (U.R) The first lap of Indian hearings on ancestral claims in volving Alaska's valuable fish ing, mining and lumber indus tries was over today after white represetnatives of the industries testified at initial sessions here yesterday and Friday that the department of the Interior had no "legal authority" to call the sessions. Declaring Alaska's $50,000, 000 fishing Industry would be tied up if "Ickes turns Alaska into an Indian reservation," W. C. Arnold, spokesman for the canneries, termed the hearings "unfair" to the whites In the territory and asked that they be dismissed. Los Angeles, Sept. 16 U.R) Two children were believed burled in a landslide at an I abiindcned sand pit In the Lomita district, sheriffs deputies re-i ported tonight. ' E RAGES AS NAZIS F Berlin Defiant of Orders .to Move, Ignore Agreement Open Attack. London, Sept. 16 (U.R) Un declared war raged between Fin land and Germany tonight as the Nazis began sabotaging Finnish harbors and minefields and min ing shipping lanes, precipitating scores of clashes. Berlin defiantly announced that its troops, ordered out of Finland by Sept. 15 under the agreement which ended Russo Finnish hostilities, needed more time to evacuate and would now fight their way from the coun try. A Finnish declaration of war third against Germany by its formei satellite partner ap- nonrpn Imminent. Both Finnish nnH Pnccinn forces were renorted in action against tne seven vi , eight German divisions still in I German attempt to invade strate-1 gic Suuarsaari island In the Gulf j of Finland and Stockholm dis patches reported another Nazi I Invnsinn fleet was moving toward Porkala, 25 miles south west of Helsinki. Moscow dispatches said that should formal war break out be tween Finland and Germany lt naturally, would produce an at mosphere "more favorable" to the Finns who now have a dele gation in Moscow discussing armistice terms. (The Swedish radio said that the Finnish Interior minister, Haarlo Henrik Hillilae, had an nounced there hod been a po lice round-up of German mili tary men in southern Finland and that Finnish police were searching all Helsinki hotels for Germans.) The Berlin high command, In a special communique, mean while said that on Sept. 2 Fin land "surprisingly" sent a de mand for Germany to withdraw by Sept. 15 its divisions as pro vided In the Russo-Finnish agreement. The Nazi bulletin said that at the time the Germans "defend ing" central Finland under the leadership of Gen. Lothar Rcn dulic were about 250 miles from the Gulf of Bothnia harbors and 375 from the northern Finnish Norwegian border. L AT SEA BY NAZIS FALL ON London, Sept. 16 (U.R Si rens wailed here just before dawn today for the first time in 15 days and shortly afterward flying bombe, apparently launched from Helnkel HE-11 bombers far out In the North sea, droned over London and southern England. The persistent screech of the sirens sent many Londoners hur rying to shelters In the chilly early morning hours and fol lowed pronounced warnings by British officials that Hitler's at tacks on the metropolis still were possible. Lord Woolton, reconstruction minister, asserted yesterday that evacuees should remain where they were until an official all clear was Issued. This morning's flying bomb attack was met by Allied fighter patrols and the air ministry an nounced that numerous suc cesses were scored. One pilot shot down two of the missiles on one short patrol. LEADERS HONORED Quebec, Sept. 16 (U.R) De grees of doctor of laws 'honoris J caus,a" were conferred upon Prime Minister Churchill and President Roosevelt today by McGIU University In a colorful ceremony on the citadel terrace j overlooking the St. Lawrence river, BULLET Night Gar Hollywood . .. Sacramento Blanton and Y ley, Powers (4), 4 S 7 , Beas f" (6) and Sterner, .t v Washington, ,6-J(U.R Boston staged sing in the eighth inning night when they were tru.. r one run to put over eight ruuj and take a commanding lead Roger Wolff and Mike Ryba had been having a pitchers' battle till the Sox fell on Wolff in the eighth to win, 11 to 5. SIEGFRIED LINE Troops Think of Berlin as They Hang Socks On Vaunted Line. Behind the Siegfried Line, Sept. 16, 5:30 p. m. (U.R) We're handing up our wash on the Siegfried line tonight and the G. I.'s are starting to think about Berlin, The British coined the Sieg fried laundry song back in the days of the "phoney war" but it was the Yanks who made it come true, actually hanging up their socks Inside the vaunted west wall. We're more than ten miles In to the Reich right Ihrouim and beyond the Innermost pillboxes of the line and hear only a sprinkling of small arms fire as a reminder that Germans still stand between us and the Rhine. As I left the regimental com mand post after spending a day with them I noticed one of our officers pouring over a series of new maps. I looked over his shoulder and saw a map labelled "city plan of Berlin." I guess lt can't be long now. The west wall as I saw It to day consisted of a series of forti fied zones rather than a con secutive line. There were end less rows of famous dragon's teeth backed by cast Iron rond blocks, long prepared anti-tank ditches and barbed wire trench works. There were dozens of bunkers and pillboxes to tin left and right of us, some times so well hidden we could have walked right up to them and not known of their presence. They were everything the Germans had boasted they were. They were cleverly distributed on hillsides In such a way as to command every yard of the winding high way. Nevertheless, our Infantry went through them with ease this morning and In many cases found the fortifications un manned. I0NAL SESSION STARTS Chicago, Sept. 16 (U.R) A vanguard of 'Legionnaires, In cluding National Commander Warren II. Athcrton, laid the groundwork tonight for the 26th annual convention of the Amer ican Legion, which opens a three-day session Monday, Selection of Atherton's suc cessor and consideration of more than 700 resolutions were the principal orders of business facing delegates who will open formal meetings at 9 a. m. Mon day. John Steele, McLeansboro, 111., who served as chairman of Atherton's special committee on the G. I. bill of rights for vet erans of World War II, and Ed ward N. Schelberling, Albany, N. Y., were leading candidates for the national commander post. 8AM HAYES MARRIED San Dingo, Sept. 16 (U.R) Stewart "Sam" Hayes, radio an nouncer and commentator, was married today In Tijuana, Mex ico, to Rosamond Frances Hub bard, of Grothom, Conn., now a film cutter at Universal Studio la Hollywood. T VALUES OF ED FOODS BOOSTEDBY OPA Move To Absorb Excess Points Effective Today No Changes on Meats.- Washington, Sept. 16 (U.R) The office of price administra tion tonight sharply increased point values of virtually all pro cessed foods which will still be I rationed this week-end in order I it absorb the excess of points in consumer hands when 17 addi I tional foods go off the ration list tomorrow. From tomorrow through Sep tember 30, canned tomatoes will be 20 points instead of five; pine apple juice will have a new value of 50 points, an increase of 25, and canned peaches, pears and pineapple will be up to 80 points a can from 43. Tomato catsup jumps 20 points to 50 while tomato juice goes to 20 points from six. Sunday also will mark the be glning of the end for the more than 1,000,000,000 blue tokens which have been circulating as rationing change-makers since last February. They will be re tired on October 1, but until then will not be given as change and will be acceptable only in units of 10. None of the rationing changes effective tomorrow apply to ra tioned meats which will keep their - present point values throughout September, OPA said the new point value Increases will not cut into the amount of still-rationed process ed foods the consumer can buy. This will, however, prevent de piction of stocks from overbuy ing by point-wealthy consumers. Only processed food Items which will remain under ration ing after tonight will be canned fruits, grape, pineapple and to mato juice, canned tomatoes, to mato catsup and chile sauce. HITLER OFFERED RUSSIANS PEACE Stockholm, Sunday, Sept. 17 (U.R) The newspaper Morgon tldnigen, in a dispatch purport edly emanating from Berne, said today that Adolf Hitler extended a peace offer to Russia recently through Hiroshl Oshima, Japa nese ambassndor to Berlin, who was asked to forward the pro posal to Moscow. The offer reportedly carried a German renunciation of all German interests east of the 1039 demarcation line In Poland. Germany, the reports said, also renouncd all political interests in Finland and the Baltics and In the Balkans except for Hun gary. Simultaneously, Morgontldnl gen said, Tokyo was reported to have asked the Russians to Mediate peace between Japan and the Anglo-Americans, T Portland, Ore., Sept. 16 (U.R) The Portland speech of Gov. Thomas E. Dewey next Tuesday night will be broadcast by many Oregon stations, it was revealed tonight. In addition to the National Broadcasting company network, the speech will be heard over KOIN and ALE In Portland; KM ED here, and all state sta tions. Eugene, Ore., Sept, 16 (U.R) A 20 minute train stop will per mit Gov. Thomas Dewey, the republican presidential nom inee, to address several thousand Eugene citizens next Wednesday afternoon, War Bulletins London, Sunday, Sept. 17 (U.R) RAF heavy bombers in strength roared out toward the east coast of Germany last night, beginning at 10 p. ra. By United Press The Braiiaville radio, quot ing a Paris broadcast, said Saturday that the German garrison at Brest had capitu lated. The broadcast heard by CBS, said that. 12,000 Ger mans had been made prisoner. There was no official confir mation. Allied Supreme Headquar ters London. Sept. 16 (U.R) Fighters of the 8th U. S. Air Force dive-bombed and strafed German transport to within 160 miles of Berlin today, fur ther hampering the enemy's already badly snarled lines of communications around Fi'ank furt and Bremen. London. Sept. 16 (U.R) Yugoslav Partisans, sweeping the Germans from the four main Dalmatian islands below the key Adriatic port of Skoplje, have captured Kor cula, Mljet, and Hvar after previously liberating Brae, Marshal Tito anonunced to night in a broadcast communi que. RUSSIANS ENTER SOFIA; SHUT OFF GREECETEUTONS Warsaw Encirclement Opens Contact Balkan Patri ots Bulgars Gay. London, Sunday, Sept. 17 (U.R) Russian troops yesterday entered Sofia, capital of Bul garia, and drove westward to ward Yugoslavia in an apparent drive to Isolate some 200,000 Nazi troops In Greece and the Aegean islands, while other Red army forces moved Into posi tions for an encirclement of War saw. The Soviet entry Into Sofia, 16 dnys after Red nrmy forces marched Into Bucharest, the first formerly pro-Nazis Balkan capital to be liberated by the Russians, Indicated the effect oc cupation of most of Bulgaria, presently negotiating for an ar mistice with the Soviet units. The Red army, driving through Romania, In control of Bulgaria and reportedly In contact with patriot forces both In Czechoslo vakia and Yugoslavia, rapidly was sealing the fate of Adolf I Hitler's Balkans empire and that of German forces remaining in , the southern Balkans. Sofia Is one of the most Im portant communication centers in the Balkans. A five-way rail Junction on the Bcrlin-Bugdad railroad it controls one of the two possible German escape routes from Greece. It also is only 67 miles from the Athens- Berlin railroad, the most Im-l portant trunk line out of the southern Balkans reportedly al ready cut by Marshal Tito's partisans, and 80 miles from the big Yugoslav rail Junction of Nis. Soviet forces in Sofia also were only 20 miles from the Yugoslav border below the Dan ube river. North of the Danube. 135 miles northwest of Sofia, Marshal Rodion Y. Malinovsky's 2nd Ukrainian army stands at the Yugoslav border at Turnu Scvcrin. DEVERS RITES SET Portland, Ore., Sept. 16 (U.R) Funeral arrangements were pending today for Arthur H. Dcvcrs, prominent Portland bus iness man who helped organize the Oregon Manufacturers asso ciation. He died Friday night. SMOKE BAN ASKED Los Angeles, Sept. 18 (U.R) Voluntary action on the part of offending Industrial plants to abate smoke and fumes In the area was urged tonight by the A 1 1 a d e n a Property Owners' league PETERSON REALTY HEAD Gcarhart, Ore., Sept. 16 (U.R) The Oregon Association of Real Estnte Boards today chose Earl H. Peterson of Eugene as presi dent at the end of a two-day convention. E PELELIU AIRBASE; FOE QUITS DAVAO Japs Fear American Drive On South Philippines Fierce Fray Rages. U. S. Pacific Fleet Headquar ters, Pearl Harbor, Sept. 16 (U.R) Marine veterans of Guadal canal have captured the 4200 foot Peleliu airdrome in ad vances of 1.500 yards acainst stubborn resistance, beating off several strong counter-attacks and taking a toll of more than 1,400 Japanese doad, Adm. Ches ter W. Nimitz announced tonight. The excellent figure-four shape airfield fell during bitter fighting Friday (west longitude) time) after the lcrthernecks clamped a three-way pincers on the airdrome In a drive aided by the blazing guns of field artil lery, tanks, warships and carrier aircraft. The American troops have ex tended their beachhead to two and one-quarter miles and oc cupy the entire southern end of the island with the exception of two small bulges on the extreme) tip. The biggest penetration was 2,000 yards, while gains alone; the entire front ranged from 200 to 1,000 yards In the 24-hour period covered In the communi que, Indicating the tough resis tance being encountered. The Japanese launched several strong counter-attacks against the U. S. positions, but wera thrown back each time, Nimitz communique said, and tha marines opened their drive on the field Friday morning. Determined to take the vital airstrip main objective of tha Peleliu Invasion the marines drove steadily ahead through well-orgnnized defenses In depth. Warships hurled heivy shells) Into enemy positions and air craft bombed and strafed tha Japanese while tanks paced tha drive which broke through tha defenses and overran the air field. By nightfall, the communlqua said, the marines had counted more than 1.400 enemy dead. Several Japanese tanks wera destroyed In the day-long battle, which came after the marines) cut across the narrow neck of Peleliu, by passing Japanese forces In the southern sector. Severe fighting still raged on the Island while carrier planes bombed airfield Installations at Babelthauap Island, northern most of the Palau group, appar ently aiming ot preventing any Japanese air attacks against tha marine forces. The capture of the alrdroma was announced as Japanese broadcasts Indicated Increased fear of nn American drive Into the southern Philippines. Tokyo radio announced that the city of Davao on Mindanao was belnaj evacuated by civilians and turn ed Into a fortress. Peleliu air drome Is only 590 miles east ol Davao. The communique reported continued strikes against enemy bases In the Kurilcs and Marian as. Paramushlru was bombed Sept. 12 and again Sept. 14, while Pagan In the Marianas was hit Sept. 14. Dublon and Moen Islands lr the by passed Truk atoll far to the east of Palau was hit with 72 tons of bombs Sept. 14 and bombers hit other scattered tar gets In the central Carolines and the Marshall!. The Peleliu battle appeared still far from won, with heavy fighting in prospect against tha Jupancse defenders. 4 MILliilLE Washington, Sept. 16 (U.R) With the defeat of Germany, U. S. war production will bo cut back at least 40 per cent and some 4,000,000 workers will have to find new Jobs, but re sponsible officials were confi dent tonight that Industry will bo able to take in stride the re conversion and reemployment problems thus posed. QUIT
