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