Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, October 20, 1944, Image 1

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Medford mail tribune., October 20, 1944, Page 1, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextGen. M'Arthur Leads 250,000 Men Back to Philippines Weather Medford Tribune T Forcemtt Cloudy this afternoon: occasional rain tonight and Baturday; cooler Saturday. Temp. Hlch.it yesterday -...... 76 Loweit thlt morning 41 PACIFIUSSAULT Troops Swarm Ashore Under Vast Naval Bombardment Resistance Light. United Press Full Leased Wire United Press Full Leased Wire Thirty-ninth Year MEDFORD, OREGON, FRIDAY .OBER 20, 1944 NO. 179 Formosa Hard Hit By U. S. Fleet n ' u tts i 1 T .. . 1 ' T T 3 quarters, Leyte, Philippines. Oct. 20 (U.P.) Gen. Douglas Mac Arthur today led an army of pos sibly 250,000 men back to the Philippines in a 600-ship armada, the greatest of the Pacific war, and drove inland on Leyte is land to within gunshot of the ex cellent Tacloban airfield against light Japanese resistance. MacArthur himself stepped on to Philippine soil in the bright sunlight only a few hours after thousands of American assault troops swarmed ashore under cover of the greatest naval bom bardment yet to blast the Japan ese. Two Landing Veteran jungle troops, includ ing every living survivor of MacArthur's epic journey from Bataan and Corregidor, landed on the 75-mile east coast of Leyte island, in the central Philippines. They made two principal land ings, one about a mile and a half south of Sacloban, capital of the Island, and a second at Dulab, 12 miles farther south. In tanks, bulldozers, and light armored cars 'the American as sault waves smashed through the feeble Japanese resistance to ward the Tacloban airfield and the capital city itself, a metro polis of 30,000 persons. The invasion went well from the start, catching the Japs off guard and reeling under the 10 day air and naval attack of the naval forces of Admiral William F. Halsey which razed their de fenses from Ryukyu islands just below the Japanese Archipelago through Formosa to the Philip pines themselves. Splendid Progress ( I n Washington President Roosevelt released a message from MacArthur which said the invasion was making splendid progress, had been accomplished nn schedule and with extremely li?,ht losses.) ( The attack on Leyte was pre ceded by a three-day naval bom bardment which was followed up by the landing of assault troops, heavy artillery, tanks, flame (hrowers, and amphibious trucks. Within an hour after the first Americans touched shore and while the thunder of 14, 15 and 16-inch shells still was crashing down on Japanese positions, the assault spearheads were racing for the Tacloban airdrome, a field which will give the Ameri can air forces fighter and bomb er strips 6000 feet long. Jap Vets Fie Shells from the battleships California and Pennsylvania rained down on the Japanese. Some of the Japs were veterans of Bataan and Corregidor but they turned and fled under the American attack. American casualties were ex tremely light, although Japanese mortar fire scored four hits on landing ships as they were edging into the shore. Americans wiped out with a bayonet charge the few Japanese who survived the shore bombard ment. Then destroyers and light er naval vessels moved in closer to work over the region just be yond the beaches before our jungle fighters drive forward. Naval planes provided air rover for the operation, dive bombing Japanese positions and ground-strafing areas of possible Japanese concentration. Boats Fill Waters Under this cover the waters off the island quickly filled with churning small personnel boats, tank carriers, and amphibious machines which rumbled up on to the shore, their 75 mm. guns blazing. In the first assault .wave of MacArthur's campaign for re conqticst of the Philippines were about 100.000 men, backed by possibly another 150.000 for the weeonn ana succceoing waves nu as many more men behind them as will be needed to finish the job. MacArthur set foot on Philip pine soil for the first time since he left Corregidor accompanied by his chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Richard Sutherland, who like MacArthur had gone through the biack days of Corregidor. He was also accompanied by Lt. Gen. George Kenney, command er of the Far Eastern Air Force, Sergio Osmcna. president of the Philippines, and ,rig. Gen. Car lo Rnmulos. resident commis sioner nf the Philippines. Sacramento., Oct. 20 jU.P) The California State GranRe to day reaffirmed a resolution adopted at its 1943 convention demanding "the return of all Japanese aliens and persons of .TRpan"lo ancestry to Japan at the rl"e of the war." Japnneae planes with the Rising Sun on their wings were caught on the ground at Kagi, Formosa, October II, 1944, by warplanes of the U. S. Pacific fleet's fast carrier task force. Large hanger shows effects of attacks. Industrial sheds in the upper left corner billow clouds of smoke at bombs explode from a warcraft just pulling out of its dive. Ninety-seven Japanese aircraft were destroyed on the ground during this day of raids on Formosa. Official U. S. Navy photo. ' Attack on Philippines Most Incredible Of War; Japs Fail to Resist Landings R Gordon Walker (Representing Combined Ameri can Radio Networks.) Distributed by the United Press With Gen. MacArthur's Troops In the Philippines, Oct. 20 OI.R) (By Radio) This long-awaneo. attack on the Philippines is without doubt the most incredi ble invasion of this war. I have just come down from a trip, with one of the invasion ships here in the central Philip pines. Through glasses I watched tens of thousands of American doughboys plunge into the black smoke which still crowds the two full landing beaches on Leyte island. Right now out there in front of us they are pushing swiftly into the interior of the enemy's defenses. No Resistance ' tv,. mni amaiiiic nart of this 'invasion is the fact that up to this time, when the troops waded ashore, the enemy had made no attempt to interfere with this gravest threat to their conquered empire. For days huge convoys of ships converged from dozens of American for ward bases scattered over the central and southwest Pacific. Last night they rendezvoused off the central Philippines and with the first crack of dawn, hundreds of ships of every type began filing slowly through the entrance of Leyte gulf. On the upper deck, steel hcl i. onri nfp nreservers were ready for the expected enemy ; attack. One Jap Plane Seen Shortly after dawn, a single twin-engined enemy bomber winged down through a terrific antiaircraft barrage and drop ped a single bomb comically into the water. Then the enemy Size of Invasion Surprises World London, Oct. 20 (U.P.) The Evening Star said editorially to day that the world was sur prised by the size of the Ameri can Philippines invasion force and by "the weight of this blow 6,000 miles from America." "Japan tried to win the game with loaded dice at Pearl Har bor." the Star said. "She will have to pay the price of treach ery that failed." SIDE GLANCES By TRIBUNE REPORTERS County Clerk George Carter strutting a bit under the stimu-j lus of word of arrival in Boston, of a new granddaughter. Fourteen Democrats unable to give the first name of one of their prominent county hench men. Betty Allen sprawling over the floor at the wrestling matches last nicht when some-! body removed her chair during the excitement. "I HAVE RETURNED" By United Press "I have returned. By the grace of almighty God, our force stands again on Philip pine soil, soil consecrated in the blood of our two peoples." With those words, Gen. . Douglas. MacArthur pro claimed to the people of the Philippines by radio today that his armies had returned to liberate them and avenge Bataan and Corregidor. bomber, itself, plunged into a watery grave. But this really couldn't be called an attack. It was hardly aggressive. Of course, enemy air craft may sweep over the moun tains here at any minute. To night after dark they are almost sure to make some sort of an attack on the hundreds of ships milling around us in the gulf. But the fact remains that up to now the enemy has not made a single concerted effort either with submarines, planes or mo tor torpedo -boats, to interfere with this history-making invas ion. As far as Is known now not a single American ship has been lost. It is as though a protective shield were held over our in vasion convoy. Men Pushed Inland Right at this minute in front of me, Invasion craft continue to disgorge "the men and mecha nized equipment. They are big i craft with rolling bulldozers, jeeps, tanks, and Bll the imple ments of American (mcchanized warfare. Already the spearheads of our BY TWO SOLDIERS Floyd E. Porter, driver for Yellow Cab company, was held up and robbed of approximately S60 by two soldiers who had hired him to drive them to Camp White last night. Accord ing to state police report one man held a knife against Por ter's back while the other, with a handkerchief over his face, used a nickleplated revolver. Investigation is being made by the Provost Marshal's. office at Camp White. According to another report on file at state police headquar ters Fred J. Batty, whose true name is said to be Harry Park hill, is held in Seattle for Jack son county sheriff's officers. He is wanted here on a forgery charge. Two sailors, AWOL from Camp Shoemaker, Calif., since Aug. 18, were found hiding In the brush at Ruch by state offi cers last night. They are being held in county jail awaiting nav al authorities. attack columns are pushing in' land toward the city of Taclob- an in the north and toward the cluster of enemy airfields at the lower end of Leyte island. Preliminary reports state that our casualties have been un believably low. There may be tough days ahead before Gen. MacArthur leads his troops down the streets of Manila. But up to now the combined skill of the American army and navy in the Pacific has caught the enemy completely off balance. The American flag flies once again on her Filipino soil. CITRUS CROP LOSS FIFTY Orlando. Fla., Oct. 20 U.P.) Central Florida, its rich citrus groves a scene of twisted desola tion which may take years to re pair and Its anticipated 1944 profits cut an estimated $50,000, 000, today began to clear away hurricane debris strewn across thousands of square miles. Charleston, S. C, Oct. 20-4U.R) With the waterfront area partly flooded and after a night with out electric power or lights, Charleston early today still was buffeted by dangerous gales on the fringe of the tropical hurri cane which left death and de struction In its sweep across Cuba and Florida. Police reported widespread damage to windows, "drowncd out" automobiles and high water seepage into waterfront business houses. No deaths or injuries, however, had been reported since the storm first whipped across the vicinity of Charleston. Washington, Oct. 20 U.R The weather bureau reported to day that the Atlantic hurricane is diminishing as it moves north ward from its center 40 miles southeast of Columbia, S. C, but wacned that It Is still a "severe" storm and will move Into the Raleigh, N. C, area by mid-afternoon. Hull to Undergo Physical Survey Washington. Oct. 20 UR) Secretary of State Corclell Hull, who has been absent from his office for more than three weeks, will enter Die naval hos pital soon for a physical check up before returning to work, it was announced today. Undersecretary Edward R. Stettinlus, Jr made the an nouncement at a press confer ence and added that Hull's phy sicians did not consider his con dition serious but thought It wise to make a complete checkup. nam mm Mam m w NARCOTICS TRIAL IH JURY'S HANDS THIS AFTERNOON Judge Orders Acquittal on One Count of Eleven in Physician's Indictment. Attorneys for the defense In the trial of Dr. R. W. Clancy rested their case in federal court this morning, arguments were to be presented immediately after the noon recess and the case was expected to be in the hands of the jury by the middle of the afternoon. The Medford phy sician Is on trial for alleged vio lation of the Harrison narcotics' act. Shortly before noon Judge James Alger Fee ordered thatinowhad V?, djv's'on" ingu ,hc a verdict of acquittal be return ed for one count of the 11 nam ed in the doctor's indictment when council for defense enter ed a motion to that effect on the ground that testimony has shown the one count to be untrue. He denied council's motion for acquittal on all 11 counts on the ground that the prosecution had failed to show substantial evi dence In proof of the allegations In the various accounts. Doctors On Stand Yesterday afternoon Dr. Clan- cy underwent cross-examination j t the hands of William Lang- ley, government attorney trying the case and stated that he treat ed the prosecution's witness. Fred S. Marrett, known as Fred Martin, for a kidney ailment and not for addiction to the drug habit and answered ques tions as to the accepted dosage for morphine sulphate. Other witnesses for the de fense were medical men of Ash land and Medford and Medford citizens and police officers. Dr. Charles A. Haynes, Ashland, Dr. Ernest A. Woods, Ashland, Dr. W. W. Howard, Medford. ind Dr. W. W. P. Holt, Medford. were called as defense witnesses. Each offered testimony concern ing use of morphine and Haynes and Woods testified that Dr. Clancy's reputation was "good". Respected Citiien Larry Schade, Medford, testi fied this morning that Dr. Clan cy was known as a "respected citizen" after Judge Fee had ruled that lay witnesses could not properly testify as to a doc tor's ethical practices. Allison Moulton, Medford attorney, was brought to the stand and asked a question regarding Clancy's consultation with him concern ing a matter Involving drugs but was not allowed to answer. Chief of Police Clatous Mc Credic and Sheriff Syd I. Brown said that the defendant was known as a "law-abiding citizen in the community." Walter J. Rcinking, city police officer, was put on the stand to testify concerning the alleged robbery of Dr. Clancy's office of a quan tity of drugs and stated that Maxine Marrett had told him she robhed the doctor's office of,1" 2,4 . " compared with 212 a quantitv of drugs. Dr. A. F. W. Kresse. Medford physician, also under Indictment on a similar narcotics' charge, was on the stand briefly and told ! of examining the prosecution's; witness, Joseph E. Goode, nar- cotics agent and of finding symptoms of bronchial asthma. : Robbery Described The defendant was then re- CBlled to the stand to answer' questions concerning the rob-1 bcry, stating that his office had been robbed during the night of I August 27-28, that he reported the matter promptly and police Investigated. Under cross exami nation he identified drug order forms and copies of his office drug Inventory which showed T B OLOGHABATTLE Six Divisions Bolster Defense of Vital Point; Allies With in Nine Miles of City. Rome, Oct. 20 41.R) The Germans threw from six to seven new divisions into the battle for Bologna today as British and In dian units of the 8 army entered Cesena, industrial and communi cations center of the Rimini Bologna highway. Both the 5th and 8th armies were advancing on Bologna with their forward units less than nine miles from the city, and front reports said that the Germans Salient which the allies have driven north of Poggioll on route 65, At the beginning of the drive the German strength there was estimated at from three jo Jqut divisions. Canadian and New Zealand troops, advancing from the east established, and later' joined bridgeheads across the. Plscla tello river. The bridgehead ex tended for four miles from rdute nine northeastward to Maccrone with a depth of a mile and a half. Americans of the 5th army took the village of Poggloi on rmite 65j tluls crvlng out an- other quarter of a mile from the distance separating them from Bologna. Other American units drew abreast of Pogglolo nn the right flank by capturing Monte Vigna and the village of Lorenzone, two and four miles respectively to the east. Heavy fighting was reported In the vicinity of Monte Bel monte. Rights and Lefts Battle in Athens Athens, Oct. 17 U.R) More than 600 members of the Right ist Edes party were barricaded in five downtown hotels today to stand off an attack by Leftist Earn members after a street clash Sunday, which resulted In 30 deaths and the wounding of many more. The clash started with flying hand grenades and rifles and pis tols fired during an Edes parade. The Edes members withdrew to the hotels after the skirmish and turned them Into political arse nals where they have remained three days without food and water. REP. FULMER DIES OF SUDDEN HEART ATTACK Washington, Oct. 20-r(U.R) Funeral arrangements were be ing completed today for Rep. Hampton Filts Fulmcr, D., S. C, 69-year-old chairman of the house agriculture committee who died laic yesterday of a heart attack. Fulmer's death lowered the Democratic stiength in the house Republicans. : the quantities of drugs which he had used over certain periods, On the stand for the prosecu- tion's rebuttal this morning were Dr. Norman A. David, professor of pharmacology, University of Oregon medical school, and Dr. Harold Lyman of the United States public health serviee. both of whom said they examined the prosecution's witness, Goode. last night and this morning for bronchial asthma. Dr. David also answered a number of technical questions about morphine and its uses, standard dosage, etc. Goode was riefly recalled to the Und by Langicv as a buttal witnen. re- TO BERLIN By United Press The shortest distances to Berlin from advanced allied lines today: Western front 298 miles from point near Nijmcgcn. Un changed in week.) Russia 315 miles (from Warsaw. Unchanged in week.) Italy 539 miles (from point south of Bologna. Gain of mile in week.) BELGRADE TAKEN Y REDS AND SLAVS London, Oct. 20 U.R) Rus sian and Yugoslav partisan troops captured Belgrade today In a final rush which stamped out the last German resistance In the streets of the capital of Yugosalvia. Premier Josef Stalin an nounced the capture of Belgrade in a special order of the, day broadcast from Moscow tonight soon after he had reported the fall to the red army of Debre cen, Hungary's third city. "Troops of the 3d Ukrainian army, together with troops of the Yugoslav people's army of lib eration, as a result of stubborn battles, completed the annihila tion of the German garrison of Belgrade and today liberated the capital of our ally, Yugoslavia, from the German invaders," Stalin reported. Stalin ordered a salute of 24 salvos by 324 of Moscow's vic tory guns for the 3rd Ukrainian army under Gen. Fedor Tolbu khin and the Yugoslav forces which cooperated in the capture of Belgrade. The twin loss of Belgrade and Debrecen was regarded In mili tary quarters as a terrific blow to the Nazi clinnccs of stabiliz ing the Balkan front, now sway ing perilously northwestward toward the approaches of Aus tria. Radio Highlights Today: Vice President Henry A. Wallace, Omaha, Neb., Blue network, 5:55-6:00 p. m., PWT; Gov. Thomas E. Dewey, Pitts burgh, NBC, 6 0:30 p. m. PWT. Saturday: President Roosevelt, from New York, 6:30 to 7:15 p. m. PWT (chain ungiven). Japanese Jittery As Yanks Start Philippine Campaign Washington, Oct. 20 (U.R) The "co-prosperity" which Ja pan Imported to the Philippines boiled down to Inflation, profi teering, hoarding and graft, and the "independence" conferred upon the conquered Islanders was regimentation In disguise, the offire of war information said today In a report issued I soon after lien. Douglas Mac Arthur announced that the lib eration of the Islands had begun. Japanese occupation policy In the Philippines, OWI said, was a combination of shadow and substance, based on looting and subjection camouflaged by the forms of se.f g o v c r n m e n t through b puppet regime. Given "Independence" Shno Murata. appointed Jn pmiese "ambassador" to Manila aMer the Japanese accorded the islands their "independence" Oct. 14, 1943, was quoted by the Japanese news agency, Domcl, last Thursday as saying that "considerable apprehen sion" existed In the "linds of the people." Filipinos are suffering short OF RUBBLE ALL THAT'S LEFT OF MAJOR CITY Gen. Hodges' Forces Pound 'Last Nest of Nazi Die hards; Bruyers Stormed. Supreme Headquarters, AEF, Paris, Oct. 20 (U.R) The AmerU can 1st army completed the mop up of Aachen today, crushing the last nazl resistance in th western outskirts of the first great German city to fall to the allies. "The great pile of rubble that once was Charlemagne's capital now Is entirely in American hands." United Press Corre spondent Jack Frankish reported from Aachen. Ten-Day Stand Only a small pocket of resist ance outside the city remained to mark the hopeless stand of tho German garrison that 10 days ago rejected a surrenderor-die ultimatum. Lt. Gen. Courtney H. Hodges' assault forces were pounding1 that last nest as he announced that the cleanup of Aachen it self was finished. At the opposite end of the western front, American and French troops smashed forward and laid open three passes lead ing through the Vosgcs to th Upper Rhine valley. Troops of the American 7th army stormed through the key transport center of Bruyeres, dominating one of the Vosgcs passes, and neared the entrance to another while French forces on their right plunged into a third. Canadians Go Well Early reports on the new Canadian attack northeast of Antwerp said It was "going well." It was described at su preme hcadquartcn as designed to case the pressure on the fiercely contested B e v e 1 a n d causeway to the Islands north of the Schclde estuary, as well as drain off German resistance from the Tilburg front. In connection with the Cana dian attack, 40 Marauders of the lh air force attacked the 14 span rail bridge over the estuary where the Waal flows into tho sea at Moerdijk, as well as an important bridge at Gccrtruld enberg. ages of rice, principal Item of diet for 75 per cent of the peo ple, fish, soya beans, quinine, charcoal, gas, kerosene and clothing. Further results of Japan's loot ing of the Islands under the label of "economic adjustment" are a flood of virtually worth less currency and unemploy ment, the OWI reported. The Ja panese reduced wages of day la borers from the equivalent of 50 cents a day to 20 cents a day. Forced To Labor The Japanese Issued and cir culated at par with the regular peso an estimated 60.00,000 mili tary pesos (equivalent to $30, 000,000) which Immediately be came known to Filipinos as "apa" after a small rice cake worth virtually nothing. Since last March, compulsory labor of all able-bodied has been the rule in the Islands. Men and women from ? 6 to 60 have been conscripted for work in dis charging Philippine "obliga tions" as a -Member of "Greater East Asia" and attain economic self-sufficiency for the island.