fo)
Mfo)Rfnl
nn
JU
nffl
m
)
Weather
Voreutt Partly 1 o n d y to
cloudy lonlfbt and Saturday
with fog during tht night and
aarly morning; litUa cbanga
in temperature.
Temp.
Highest yesterday 40
Lowest this morning 35
Precipitation trace
Thirty-ninth Year
1 1 - I I TMBti ij irw HHWiiiMSi i , . ' Ty- y88
'-"I 11111'' Jy"
Mem RadioTeU photo) '
French First Army machine gunners and riflemen hug the ground, send replying fire at enemy positions on
French side of Rhine River as Germans frantically try to flee Allied Alsatian trap ana cross into Germany.
Directly across river Is Switzerland, marked Dy Swiss flags. Signal Corps radio-teleonoto.
LAYTON EXECUTED
AT STATE PRISON
FOR RAPE KILLING
Salem, Ore.,. Dec. 8 U.B
tpe-Slayer Richard Harry Lay
i, former police officer of
Monmouth, Ore., today .was ex
ecuted in the lethal gas chamber
at the Oregon state prison.
. Layton was convicted for the
murder of 17-year-old Ruth Hil
debrand of Dallas, Ore., in June,
1943. He is the seventh man
executed by lethal gas in this
state.
- Layton entered the chamber
at 9:05 A. M., the cyanide pellets
dropped Into the liquid at 9:09
A. M. and he was pronounced
dead one minute later..
The condemned man was calm
and apparently not nervous all
the way through the proceed
ings. As the gas struck his face,
he apparently gasped and
breathed deeolv and hard for
about half a minute before he
slumped forward and his head
dropped.
Three-hour sleep
He was clad only in shorts,
room slippers and a black blind
hnirt. His head was shaved.
Warden George Alexander
too. in rharee of the execution
and reported Layton had slept
for three hours trie nigni Deiore.
He had a fried chicken dinner
last night and this morning ate
three boiled eggs, bread, coffee
nH mnked a final cigar.
A few moments before the
execution Layton told the press
that he wanted to say it was a
"false confession" that was used
noinct him.
"That girl did not die by be
ing knocked into the river,
which I am -convicted of," he
stated. He wanted the state
ment oublished "for my
mother."
Camo White Rooms
Will Be Decorated
nnfi hundred feet of garlands,
12 large wreaths and 14 holly
festoons will decorate Lamp
White hospital rooms at Christ
mas time as a gift of the Med
tA ClarApn rluh. according to
jrMrs. C. C. Sater, president of
the organization. The Garden
Club made the Christmas
wreaths yesterday. Miss May
Carlton, Miss Helen Carlton,
Frank McKean and Frank De
Souza furnished evergreens for
the project and R. T. Nickols
donated wire for the wreaths.
SIDE GLANCES
By
TRIBUNE REPOBTERS
Tenor Bill Adams and ac
companist Helen Razum getting
their signals mixed during an
appearance at the high school
bond rally.
Harry Duncan waving at a
not-fully-recognized friend.
Minnie Bryant industriously
publicizing her favorite project
of supplying Christmas presents
for the Children's Farm Home.
MEDFORDrRIBUNE
Suited Pzui Full Leased Wire : i " ' -United Press Full Luud Wire
Bullets Fly Across River
Christmas Buying Scramble
All-Time Record For Nation
By United Press
American civilians are spend
ing approximately $3,500,000,
000 for Christmas gifts and pil
ing up the greatest volume of
retail sales in history, a nation
ally known retail credit organi
zation estimated today.
The estimate complemented a
United Press survey of Christ
mas buying in seven key cities
showing a rush for holiday mer
chandise unprecedented even in
the pre-depression era.
' The retail credit organization
estimated retail sales for Octo
ber, November, and December
would be five to 10 per cent
greater for the country as a
whole than for those months of
last year.
The United Press survey con
firmed this estimate and reveal
ed a much greater percentage
of Increase in some sections, par
ticularly in areas with many
war industries and war workers.
In Atlanta, Ga., for example, re
tail sales for the week ending
November 25 were 31 per cent
greater than for the same week
of 1943 which was the biggest
Washington, Dec. 8 (U.R)
Last-minute moves to give
House members more money for
themselves and for their office
help gathered headway today. -
The House suspended the
rules by a two-thirds vote to be
gin immediate consideration of
a bill to increase the allowance
of each member for office help
from $6,500 to $9,500 a year,
and Rep. Emanuel Celler, D.,
N. Y., introduced a measure to
increase the salaries of congress
men from $10,000 to $12,500 an
nually. v
Offered by Committee Chair
man John J. Cochran, D., Mo.,
the office help measure was ap
proved unanimously by the ac
counts committee less than 24
hours after its introduction.
Cartaret, N. J., Dec. 84U.R)
An immediate trial was in pros
pect today for Daniel Molner, 24-
year-old ex-serviceman who kill
ed four persons and wounded
.two others because he wanted
his estranged wife to give him
their daughter.
When Mrs. Anna Molner re
fused, police' said, the couple
quarreled. In-laws intervened
and a wild gun battle began. Be
fore it was over two policemen,
Molner's father-in-law, and a 12-
year-old Negro girl were dead
and two policemen were injured,
one critically.
Rhine
week In the history of the re
porting stores.
From coast to coast, Ameri
cans were determined to have a
merry Christmas, if money
would buy it. Such a demand
for luxury goods was reported
that there were shortages in
some lines, particularly lingerie.
Furs . and expensive jjwelry
were in demand. There were not
nearly enough grand and jpinet
pianos' to meet the demand.
Shortages existed In many
lines but merchants .believed
generally there was . enough
merchandise to go around If the
public would accept substitu
tions. One large mercantile or
ganization estimated shortage
lines as follows: cameras, 30 per
cent less than demand; luggage,
33 per cent; umbrellas, 59 per
cent; furs, 14 per cent;- domestic
rugs, 28 per cent; blankets, 14
per cent; lamps, 10 per cent;
china and glassware, 23 per cent.
LIEUT. PROCTOR
E
Second Lt. Raymond L. Proc
tor, announced this week as s
casualty in the southwest Pa
cific area, has recovered from
his wounds and has returned to
combat duty, according to his
parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Proc
tor, 134 Portland avenue. Lt
Proctor was wounded during a
Japanese raid on New Guinea
early in September and spent
two and one-half months in an
army hospital. He has been
awarded, the purple heart.
The officer wrote during his
stay in the hospital to praise the
army surgeons who operated on
him to remove many shrapnel
fragments, stating that he was
on an emergency operating table,
set up in his photographic dark
room, within 20 minutes after
the raid. Lt. Proctor, with the
13th A. A.,F has charge of
the field photographic labor
atory.
CHINESEXHASE
KWEICHOW JAPS
Chungking, Dec. 8 U.R) A
Chinese army spokesman said to
day that 4,000 Japanese troops
who entered Kweichow province
had been "routed," eliminating
at least temporarily a threat to
Kweiyang, the provincial- capital
and strategic transport center In
southwest China.
The Chinese recaptured Pa
chai, Hanho, Shiphpanchal and
Tushan, and the Japanese now
are falling back toward Kwang-
si. the spokesman said.
"The threat to Kweiyang Is
temporarily removed, but the
situation continues serious," he
said. "We should not be too op
timistic."
The Chines reported the loss
of Tushan two days ago.
MEDFORD, OREGON, FRIDAY, DEu liER 8,
4 MORTPLACES
Seven Beachheads Now Es
tablished Across Water
Barrier; Fort Driant Taken
Paris, Dec. 8 flJ.R) Ameri
can Third Army troops smashed
across the Saar river at four
places in and southwest of Sar
reguemines today, boosting to
seven the number of bridgeheads
established across the water bar
rier and setting pincers around
Saarbrucken.
Far behind the Third Army
front, the stubborn German
holdout post of Fort Driant in
the Metz Perimeter finally was
captured, with .670 German of
ficers and men. It was at Driant
that the Yanks suffered one of
their few clear-cut defeats of
the western campaign when an
attempt to take the ford by
storm failed before. the capture
of Metz.
35th In Drive
United Press Correspondent
Collie Small reported from the
.Third Army front that elements
of Ma. Gen. Paul W. Baade's
35th "Santa Fe" division storm
ed across the Saar to seize the
four new springboards on the
east bank.
At Saareguemlnes, border
bastion already two-thirds oc
cupied, shock troops swarmed
across the Saar on a railroad
bridge. - To the southeast, as
sault boats carried troops across
at three daces.
The forces who strucK into
the eastern section of Sarregue-
mines, ' 10 miles southeast of
Saarbrucken, were engaged in
bitter house to house fighting.
Seizure of : the new bridge
heads across the Saar gave the
Third Army three northwest of
Saarbrucken and four southeast
of that capital of the mineral
rich Saar basin, and American
assault forces already were
storming that part of the city
west of the river.
May By-Pass Bases
Shnuld the formidable forti
fications of Saarbrucken and
the adjacent Siegfried line case
mates make a crossing at me
citv difficult, lt appeared pos
sible that an expansion of the
bridgeheads on either side of the
city might squeeze out xne uer
man earrison.,
Northwest of SaarDrucnen,
and three miles north of Saar-
lautern. troons of the 90th div
ision who had broken Into the
Siegfried line were counter
attacked for five hours by Ger
man tanks a mile inside the for
tified belt.
Thunderbolt fUhter-bomDers
hit lffht towns inside the Sieg
fried belt between Saarbrucken
Merzis. leaving them in
flames. The planes also launcn-
ed rockets against a German
tank concentration in the area
whwe the 90th division was
fighting.
LI
RESIDENT
Mr. Clara Anna Clark of
Oak Grove district passed away
Frldav morning at a local hos
pital. Mrs. Clark was born Sep
tember 6, 1878, in Germany
and came to this country at the
aee of two years.
She was united In marriage
to Roderick Clark at Cornelius,
Oreffnn In 1895.
In 1899 the family moved to
Jackson County where they
have made their home since.
Mrs. Clark leaves to mourn
her passing, her husband, two
sons, Wilson and Lewis warn,
both of Medford, two daugh
ters, Mrs. Denis Lane of Adel
Oregon, and Mrs. Helen Erlck
son of San Francisco. She is al
so survived by one brother,
Emll Wagner, of Seattle, Wn,
and one sister, Mrs. Martha
Brugger of Portland, Ore., seven
grandchildren and one great
granchild.
Funeral services will be an
nounced later by Perl Funeral
home pending arrival of rela
tives.
L
OPENED AGAINST
LAST LEYTE
96th Division Among Troops
Making Progress Against
Savagely Resisting Foe.
Allied Headquarters, Philip
pines, Dec. 8 (U.R) Seven
American divisions, '. one of
them lashing out from a new
west coast beachhead only three
miles from Ormoc, stormed the
Japanese pocket in northwest
Leyte from all sides today and
complete liberation of the cen
tral Philippines island appeared
to be in sight.
"We will end it and we don't
intend to take too long about
It, either," Lt. Gen. Walter
Kreuger, commander of the
Sixth army, told newsmen as
the final offensive to crush the
last 40,000 to 50,000 Japanese
on Leyte got under way. .
Jap Pocket Split .
The 77th division of Guam
fame already has split the
Japanese pocket with i daring
amphibious landing just south
of . Ormoc, the enemy's main
supply and reinforcement gate
way. The troops went ashore
from a 100-shlp invasion arma
da under cover of a hurricane
air and sea bombardment yes
terday pearl Harbor day.
Joining the 77th division In
companion all-out drives, the
32nd, First Cavalry, 24th, 96th
and Seventh and 17th divisions
were making "fair progress"
against savage enemy resistance
along great siege arc stretch
ing from the Limon area, 20
miles north of Ormoc, to Bal
ogo, 10 miles south.
The Japanese, recognizing
that the fateful battle that well
may seal the fate of the Philip
pines was at nana, maae a be
lated attempt yesterday to re
inforce their doomed troops on
Leyte with a 13-shlp convoy,
but all 13 vessels were sunk
with a loss of perhaps 4,000
troops.
IE ADMIT
SEVERE DAMAGE
BY EARTHQUAKE
By United Press
The Japanese admitted today
that an earthquake, described by
British seismologists as even
more .violent .than the 1923
Yokohama disaster that killed
almost 100,000 persons, rolled
up huge tidal waves and loosed
landslides yesterday across a
150-mile belt of central Japan
extending through the. teeming
Tokyo area.
After withholding all word on
the tremblor for more than 24
hours, the Tokyo radio finally
broke its silence early this morn
ing to announce that the most
populous center of the Japanese
homeland had been hit yester
day afternoon.- - -
The Tokyo broadcasts insisted,
however, that only "slight
damage had been caused and
that practically - none of the
capital district's crowded war
plants were affected.
The Japanese Dome! news
agency said the earthquake cen
tered in the Sea of Enshu
about southeast of -Tokyo
and reported that a great wall of
water rolled inland over the
coastal areas of Shizuoka dist
rict, flooding "some houses."
Farther inland and extending
up to the Tokyo-Yokohama dist
rict landslides caved in streets
and houses over a wide area,
Domel said. . The agency care
fully refrained from mentioning
that Tokyo itself had been dam
aged. Although its account in
dicated strongly that the capital
was within range of the shock,
' Washington, Dec. 8 UR)-
Publlshers of the San Diego,
Calif., Union and ' Tribune-Sun
today asked the Federal Com
munications Commission for au
thority to construct a new FM
broadcast station In San' Diego,
1944
Churchill's Policy Upheld
By Parliament After Fiery
Denunciation Of Mutineers
London, Dee. 8 (U.R) Prime Minister Winston Churchill won
an easy 279 to 30 parllmentary vote of confidence in his gov
ernment's policy in Greece, Italy and Belgium today after he
had challenged the American position on Count Carlo Sporza
and called Greek resistance forces "rebels and mutineers." -
Churchill stood pat on British ,
policy in the liberated countries
of Europe, defending it in one
of his most scathing speeches of
the war. Then he staked the
life of his government on that
unchanged policy and won hand
ily, as was a foregone conclusion.
Stetllnius Unnamed .
Churchill did not refer- to
Secretary of State Edward R.
Stettinius by name but he took
up directly Stettinius' state-
- Washington, Dec. 8 (U.R)
Lord Halifax, British ambas
sador to the United States,
said today there is "a sub
stantlal understanding" be
tween the United States and
Britain on the issue of Allied
policy in liberated territories.
After a conference with Sec
retary of State Edward R.
Stettinius, Jr., during which
the Anglo-American contro
versy over policy toward re
born European governments
was the top subject Halifax
said the two governments
were far from a misunder
standing. ment that the United States had
no objections to Sporza's pres
ence in the Italian, government
and iterating a general "hands
otf" policy toward ths liberated
countries. ' ' '
Churchill referred to the Stet
tinius statement as "the Amer
ican Press release with which
we were confronted a 'tint days
ago."
The House of Commons was
In an uproar much of the time
during Churchill's ' 80-rhihute
address. Laborltes heckeled him
repeatedly and a group of de
monstrators carrying banners
appeared at Westminster; 'urg
ing members to attack the gov
ernment's policy. About '50 of
the demonstrators were allowed
to enter the central lobby where
they exchanged heated retorts
with members.
Churchill Denounced
Tom Driberg, Independent,
answering Churchill, called the
appeal for a vote of confidence
an unworthy piece of black-
mall," pointing out that Church
ill knew that the house would
not overthrow him on this issue,
The house broke into a storm
of applause when Churchill
flayed - the Greek Leftists as
'mutineers" against the allied
supreme ' command and pro
claimed his intention of putting
down the revolt by force of
arms.
"If I am to blame for this
action, I will gladly accept dis
missal of the house," he said,
"but if I am not dismissed, make
no mistake about lt, we shall
persist in this policy of clearing
Athens and the Athens region of
all those who are rebels to the
constituted authority in Greece."
Washington, Dec. 8 (U.R) In
three years of war this country
has suffered no enemy-directed
sabotage, Director J. Edgar
Hoover of the Federal Bureau
of Investigation said today.
Senate Votes Open Hearings
On New State Appointments
Washington, ' Dec. 8 (U.R)
The Senate Foreign Relations
committee voted today to start
open hearings next Tuesday on
President Roosevelt's . disputed
new appointments to the state
department.
Committee Chairman Tom
Connally, D., Tex., said Secre
tary of State Edward R. Stettin
ius, Jr., probably will be the
first witness. The four nomin
ees Joseph C. Grew to be
undersecretary of state and Wil
liam L, Clayton, Nelson A.
Rockefeller and Archibald Mac
Leish to be assistant secretaries
probably will come next, he
said.
President Roosevelt meantime
signed a bill creating two new
assistant secretaryships and as
NO. 220.
AT
E
Athens, Dec. 8 (U.R) Lt
Gen, Ronald Scobie reported to
day that Greek attacks on Brit
ish troops are increasing and
that a general strike has hit
Salonika with no indications
that Elas forces are slackening
their resistance.
Elas partisans were reported
to have opened preliminary ne
gotiations with the Greek gov
ernment aimed at ending the
Civil war but there was no in
dication any rapid progress was
being made.
Elas Filter Back
Scobie reported that British
troops slowly were clearing the
Athens and Piraeus area but
that Elas partisans were filter
ing back and thaj fighting con
tinues. ;. . V
More than 900 Elas officers
and men have been captured by
British troops and turned over
to the Greek government, he
said. '
"Ninety ' per cent of these
were dressed as civilians."
Scobie's 'communique said. "A
number of women were also
captured 'These have' been r
leased after being disarmed. A
majority of the captured weap
ons are German and Italian In
origin."
Scobie said that "unprovoked
attacks on British troops are In
creasing , and . the . rebels have
declared their Intention of hold
ing any. captured British and
Greek troops prisoners. Else
where In the country there are
indications the rebel troops still
are concentrating on Athens."
Stand Of Alaskan
Cypress Trees In
Applegate Region
One of the few stands of Alas
ka cypress trees, -believed in
this state, is located on the north
and west side of Whiskey Peak
in the Upper Applegate near the
California state line according
to Lee Port of the Star Ranger
station. The trees have limbs
like the weeping willow, give
tortn a faint but distinctive odor,
and are a lighter color than
cedar. The grove covers about
200 acres, at an elevation of 5200
to 5500 feet, A few grow along
the Whiskey peak, and across
the state line.
Attorney Kenneth G. Denman
of this city on a hunting trip
came across the grove. He learn
ed it was first reported by John
Wlnningham, a prospector.. It is
thought probable the trees were
sown by the wind and wander
ing birds years ago.
expected nominated James C.
Dunn and Brig. Gen. Julius C.
Holmes to fill the posts. Dunn
now is chief of the department's
division of European affairs.
Holmes is political affairs offic
er of the staff of Gen. Dwight
D. Elsenhower
Connally said it would be up
to the full committee to decide
whether other senators who are
not members of the foreign re
lations committee wll be pet
mitted to ask questions of the
witnesses. A number of such
senators voted earlier this week
to send the nominations back to
tt committee for hearings be
cause they felt that they did not
have sufficient information con
cerning the individual views of
the nominees of current world
problems.
SUPERFGRTS IN
HEAVIEST BLOW
AT JAPTARGETS
Massive Coordinated Attack
Blasts Strategic Base On
Approach to Nip Homeland
Pacific Fleet Headquarters.
Dec. 8 U.R) The U. S. Pacific
fleet, Salpan-based Superfort
resses and army Liberators and
Lightning fighters delivered a
massive co-ordinated attack on
Iwo island, strategic enemy base
on the southeastern approaches
to the Japanese homeland yester
day, Adm. Chester W. Nlmltz
announced today.
it was one of the greatest
simultaneous assaults ever car
ried out against a single target r
by combined sea and air units.
Heaviest B-29 Blow
(Mac R. Johnson, United Press
correspondent on Sainan. said
the Superfortresses struck their
heaviest blow of the war in the
Iwo raid. The airfield was the
main target, he said. The B-29s
were able to carry a tremendous
bomb load 'because of the com
paratively short hop. Iwo lies
approximately 750 miles north
west of Salpan about halfway
to Tokyo.)
A portion of the mlahtv Unit
ed States Pacific fleet stood off
shore and delivered a, thunder
ous bombardment of the volcano
group island, 750 ' miles south
east of Tokyo.
Overhead B-29s roared la
from Salpan and dumped
great load of bombs on the is
land base of Japanese aerial
raiders which have attacked the
Superfortresses installations in
the Marianas.
Results Obscured
(The war department an
nounced, that a "sizeable force"
of Superfortresses dropped rec
ord liyds of bombs on Japanese)
military Installations on Iwo.
The bombing was done by: In
struments through heavy cloudl
and results were not observed. -All
the B-29s returned safely o
base, without encountering eith
er aerial or anti-aircraft opposi
tion.
For the first time Adm. Nimlt
included an announcement of
B-29 activity In his Pacific fleet
headquarter! communique. Ha
described the Superfortress raid
as "heavy.'
The Superfortress raid follow
ed an attack by a "heavy force
of Liberators, and Lightning
which , swarmed over Iwo before
the B-29s arrived.
U: S: CASUALTIES
REACH 552,018
Washington, Dee. 8 (U.R)
U. S. combat casualties for
three years of war have reached
552,018, including 121,363
killed, incomplete official tab
ulatons dsclosed today on the
annversary of Pearl Harbor.
The total was 15,068 greater
than that announced a week
ago.
Secretary of War Henry L.
Stmson said army casualties
through Nov. 22 totaled 474,898,
including 91,625 killed, 268,099
wounded, 58,926 missing,- and
56,248 prisoners of war. Of the
wounded, 126,440 have returned
to duty.
Navy casualty figures re
leased today for the navy, ma
rine corps and coast guard to
taled 77,120, including 29,738
dead, 33,469 wounded, 9,427
missing, and 4,486 prisoners of
war.
MEDFORD BOY IS
LISTED MISSING
Richard Lee, 14, has ' been
missing since noon yesterday
from the home of his parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Lee, at the
Fairgrounds, according to a
state police report. The report
said he is five feet tall, weighs
115 pounds, has dark brown
curly hair and was wearing blue
jeans.
It is thought he may have
gone to the home of relatives in
Bend.
Jackson County tales to date
in the Sixth War Loan are
"I" Bond $362,494
Total Sale '
51,703,901