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RIBUNE
United Press Full LMiad Wli
United Press Full LmwI Wire 7
; Thirty ninth Year
MEDFORD, OREGON, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1944
NO. 227.
g m
1 I
Med
MA Nim1
TOWS IN
IN SWIFT DRIVE,
TAKEJCITY, BASE
Jap ' Opposition Weak, Air
Losses Heavy From Car
rier Attack.
: Allied Headquarters, Leyte,
Philippines, Sunday, Dec. 17.
(U.R) American Invasion trooos.
sweeping seven to nine miles in
land on Mindoro island, captured
the town of San Jose and its air
field Saturday and engineers al
ready are at work constructing
air bases at excellent sites, Gen.
Douglas MacArthur announced
today.
The veteran American in
fantrymen smashed five miles in
land from three beachheads
against negligible Japanese op
position to take the town, largest
in southwestern Mindoro, on the
Bugsanga river.
"Construction of bases on ex
cellent sites with favorable ter
rain Is already under way," Mac
Arthur's war bulletin reported.
- San Jose is also situated at a
railroad junction along the Mag
bando river north of Mangarin
bay.
San Jose fell within 24 hours
after the first troops went
ashore to move MacArthur's
lines within ISO miles of Ma
nila. ' Transports continued to
pour men and supplies into the
Mindoro beachheads under en
emy air attack.
Twenty-four enemy planes,
over the beachhead area and al
lied shiDoinc. were shot down
during the fighting while naval
units destroyed a crippled enemy
destroyer seeking refuge in Pan
darochan bay to the south.
. (Adm. Chester W. Nimitz, com
mander in chief of the U. S. Pa
cific fleet, announced in Pearl
Harbor that American carrier
planes destroyed or damaged a
total of 373 Japanese planes in
three days of night and day at
tacks over. Luzon in support of
the Mindoro invasion. The at
tacks, carried out Wednesday
through Friday, blasted air
dromes and installations and
raked shipping caught in adja
cent waters.)
Meanwhile, on Leyte island,
the 77th division pushed north
from Ormoc in closinw i.i from
the rear against Japanese troops
holding the shattered "Yama
shita" defense line and seized the
town of Cogon and its road junc
tion. The Seventh division in the
mountainous area to the north
west of Mahmnag is completing
the destruction of isolated rem
nants of the trapped 26th Jap
anese division.
Suicidal resistance is being
put up by Jap forces who are
unable to withdraw from the
Ormoc corridor. The 32nd and
First cavalry divisions closing in
on the enemy from the north
made -substantial gains in diffi
cult terrain against heavy resist-
nnra
Hanu-to-hand fighting was re
ported as the Americans stormed
enemy strongpoints.
NAZI IDEAXGEI
E
London, Dec. 16 (U.R) All
educational institutions except
boarding schools and orphanages
will be closed in conquered Ger
many until Nazi ideolgoy and
militaristic teaching have been
removed, the German people
were told today in the thirteenth
and last Allied proclamation
broadcast to the Reich.
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower's
nrnplnmntlnn pynlnined that Vir
tually all educational institutions
will be closed until this extirpa
tinn nf N97I militarism. German
schools will remain under the
supervision of the Allied mili
tary government during the per
iod of occupation.
Jackson County tales to date
In the Sixth War Loan are
"E" Bonds $496,721
"E" Quota $600,000
Total Sales
32,876,695
Keeping the
t . 1
LSj -
Winging Its way into the air, this B -
keep Japan's home fires burning. If
the blazes
RUSSIANS SHIFT
London, Dec, 16 (U.R) The
Red army, chifting the weight
of its offensive in southeastern
Europe to Czechoslovakia, yes
terday converged on , the big
Hungarian-annexed rail center of
Kassa (Kosice) from three direc
tions, driving to within 20 and
22 miles of the city on the south
east and southwest. -. "
While Moscow reported gains
of up to five miles through for
est and mountain country below
the strategic 10-way road and
rail junction, ' Berlin reported
that other forces of Gen. Ivan I.
Petrov's 4th Ukrainian army
were smashing toward the city
from the east, where they were
last reported 15 miles away.
The Soviet high , command
meanwhile was silent on- the
progress of battles around two
thirds encircled Budapest. There
also was no news of Red army
forces 36 miles northwest of the
Hungarian capital who Friday
uncorked a two-mile mountain
gap marking the entrance to the
Bratislava plains leading west
ward 116 miles to Vienna.
Southeast of Kassa, key
stronghold of enemy defenses
protecting the eastern areas of
the puppet state of Slovakia, the
combined forces of Petrov's 4th
Ukrainians and Marshal Rodion
Y. Malinovsky's 2nd Ukrainian
army drove to within 20 miles
of the transit city by capturing
Vilany, Moscow announced.
While a lull set in over fight
ing at Budapest, German broad
casts reported a series of jabs
and probes elsewhere on the
eastern front, and London ob
servers believed that there were
incerasing indications from the
Baltic states to southern Poland
that the Red army was on the
threshhold of its winter offen
sive. The Soviet high command re
ported that a heavy raid on the
Baltic port of Liepaja (Libau)
was made by planes of the Red
Banner Baltic fleet Thursday.
Six German transports totaling
24,000 tons were sunk and an
other 5,000-ton transport was
damaged, Moscow said. . ,
AIR RAIDS KEEP
TOKYO ON ALERT
Simarfnrfrp Rasp. Sainan
Dee. 17. (ELT) via Navy Radio
(U.PJ central rionsnu tsiana
nt th .TnnAnpce homeland, par
ticularly the Tokyo bay area, Js
fast becoming a land 01 constant
aii.-i.aM nWt. with American
Superfortresses overhead day
and night
Usually traveling singly, the
21st bomber command's Saipan
based B-29's combine harassing
and nuisance raid tactics with re
connaissance and photo - recon
naissance, besides securing wea
ther information.
More than 10 million acres of
forest land burned in Florida
last year.
Home Fires Burningin Japan
29 Super-Portress takes off from Salpan airstrip, heads for Tokyo to
any of the tires iued stoking, the B-29's bomb loads will help rekindle
In heart of world s fourth largest city. .
JACKSONVILLE IS.
Washington, Dec. 16 (U.R)
The War Shipping Administra
tion revealed tonight that a big
modern tanker, the S. S. Jack
sonville, was sunk in the Atlantic
several weeks ago presum
able the victim of a nazi tor
pedowith all but two of the
approximately 75 personsjiboard
being" lost! ' ."- i
Details of the disaster were
withheld, the' WSA saying mere
ly that the ship went down fol
lowing a terrific explosion,-believed
to- have been caused by
torpedoing."
The Jacksonville, a 16,765-ton
vessel commissioned 23 months
ago, was carrying war supplies
to the European theater at the
time it was lost. The WSA did
not reveal its complement, but
it was believed to' have been
carrying a crew of about 50 and
a navy gun crew of 26 to 28 of
ficers and men.
The Jacksonville , was de
livered at Henry Kaiser's Swan
Island shipyard, Portland, Ore.,
January 13, 1943, and was oper
ated for WSA by -the Deconhill
Shipping Co., San Francisco.
E
SHOOTING AFFAIR
REFUSE COMMENT
Eugene, Ore.,' Dec. 16 (U.R)
Police tonight investigated
the shooting of Miss Pauline
Conradt by her closest friend
and companion, Miss Gladys
Turley, Eugene newspaperwom
an. .'
The shooting took place, in a
Eugene home where Miss Con
radt had gone as ah overnight
guest. Her, friend came to the
house and asked to see Miss
Conradt, who took her upstairs.
Below, the family heard sev
eral shots and rushed upstairs
to find Miss Conradt on the
floor. She was given a good
chance to recover at the hos
pital where she was taken.
The two women, both gradu
ates of the University of Ore
gon, lived together in a small
farmhouse, about II miles south
of Eugene.
Neither woman would com
ment on the shooting, police
reported. Miss Turley has been
turned over to the district at
torney's office for qnestioning
and the possible filing of
charges. , . .
London, Sunday, Dec. 17.
(U.R) The Sunday Times said to
day that the Whitechapel bell
foundry, which cast the Ameri
can Liberty Bell in 1752, had of
fered to recast the cracked sym
bol of American independence
free of charge as a gesture of
Anglo-American friendship.
The bell, which hung in. Inde
pendence hall in Philadelphia,
cracked In 1835 while tolling a
knell for Chief Justice John
Marshall.
BY 44-27 COUNT
Paced by Darrell Riggs, who
collected 10. points, the fast-
breaking Medford high Black
Tornado won thh opening bas
ketball game of the season last
night when they downed Coos
Bay 44 to 27 on the local court.
Medford scored the first bas
ket;. in"the opening seconds ,'of
tne game ana trom tnere on out
held the lead, running up a 16
to 4 edge at the end of the first
quarter and .built it to 28 to 9
at halftlme; End of the third
quarter showed' Medford enjoy
ing a 38 to 22 margin '.; -
Coach Al Simpson used almost
three full teams in an effort to
give them experience for the
coming conference season-. '
- There Was never a doubt of
the outcome of the game after
the first few minutes as Med
ford's fast break and tight de
fense held the Pirates to but
seven field goals, six of them
in the second half. Medford col
lected 21 field goals and made
two out of six free throws. Coos
Bay was given 17 gift tosses and
made 13 of them.
Medford second team beat
Coos Bay seconds 36-33 In an
overtime ' in the preliminary
game.
nil in
S
ON FEDERAL JOB
Washington, Dec. 16 (U.R)
Last Bummer when the deaths
of her husband and only son
were announced less than two
weeks apart, Mrs. Lesley J. Mc
Nair said, "I'll carry on."
Tonight it was learned from
her friends that Mrs. McNair,
left with a pension of only $50
a month, has gone to work. She
is employed afternoons in the
research and publications office
of the state department.
Lt. Gen. McNair, who. as com
manding officer of the army
ground forces devised the train
ing system which turned flabby
recruits into tough soldiers was
killed July 25 while observing
from an advanced infantry post
the aerial bombardment prelim
inary to the St. Lo offensive
in Normandy.
The smokeline used by the
American planes as - a guide
drifted back over U. S. positions,
and McNair whose eagerness
for duty at the front had won
him an undisclosed troop com
mand post was fatally wound
ed. BONOMI TO TALK
Br United Press
Italian Premier Ivanoe Bon
oml will speak on the "program
of his new government" over all
stations in liberated Italy at 12
p. m. (PWT) Sunday, the Rome
radio announced Saturday fn a
broadcast heard by the FCC.
T
THEATERNIPPED
Army, ' Flying, Red Cross
Personnel Involved In
Huge Graft.
New Delhi, Dec 16 (U.R)
An undisclosed number of U. S.
army men are serving stiff sen
tences at Leavenworth, Kan.,
for having participated in a huge
"black market" smuggling ring
which at one time threatened to
hinder military operations in the
China - Burma - India theater, it
was learned today.
The gang was understood to
have amassed $4,000,000 from il
licit, trade over the fabulous
"hump" between India and
China in the past two and one
half years.
American military police, aid
ed by British, Indian and Chin
ese operatives, now are conclud
ing investigations which began
in the middle of 1942 at the
direction of Gen. Joseph W. Stil
well, then CBI commander.
Former members of the famed
"Flying Tiger" group, personnel
of the U. S. army, the China Na
tional Aviation corporation, the
American Red Cross, technical
aircraft representatives, and
Chinese, British and Indian
civilians were reported involved
in the investigation of smuggling
into and selling on China's black
markets n-i 1 i t a r y equipment,
arms, ammunition, -drugs, opium
cosmetics, currency, gold bul
lion, gems and cigarets.
China's utter scarcity of nunv
erous luxury items for civilians
created a fantastic market for
-anyone who could deliver the
goods to Kunming and other
cities.
It was learned that In the sum
mer of 1942 the ring, which in
cluded some of the world's steal-
thiest crooks from all. nations,
undertook operations on such a
scale that they threatened to
break down currency controls,
upset the Indian government's
rationing of scarce drugs and
commodities, and hinder mili
tary operations in this theater.
PORTLAiHOTEL,
NOTED LANDMARK
OF 54 YEARS, SOLD
1
. Portland, Ore., Dec. 16 (U.R)
A Portland landmark for six
decades, the historic Portland
Hotel, has been sold to the
Meier & Frank department
store at an unannounced price,
lt was disclosed tonight.
The property will be oper
ated for the time being for hotel
and restaurant purposes, but
Aaron M. Frank, president of
the purchasing firm, said that
ultimately it would be used as
part of a postwar expansion
program of the store, which oc
cupies an adjoining block.
, The sprawling hotel features
a fireplace in every room, many
chimneys, massive furniture,
wide halls, large rooms and a
courtyard and carriage entrance
fronting on the pioneer post
office park.
President Theodore Roosevelt
dedicated a second dining room
built in the hotel.' Other presi
dents who have stopped at the
historic hostelry included Wil
liam Howard Taft, - Woodrow
Wilson, Calvin Coolldge, Her
bert Hoover and Franklin
Roosevelt.
. The hotel has 280 rooms and
cost $750,000 when opened in
1890 after an interrupted build
ing period since 1884. It occu
pies a full block in what Is now
the center of the downtown dis
trict. .
Chicago, Dec. 16. (U.R) A
half Interest in the $2,000,000 es
tate of William Hale "Big Bill"
Thompson, three-time mayor of
Chicago, was asked today by
Ethabelle Green, who said she
served 13 years as "secretary,
companion, nurse and as a
daughter" to Thompson.
CHURCHILL REPLY
TO CRITICS DUE
OVER AIR TONITE
Premier Wjll Urge Early
Meet With FR and Stalin
On Problems.
London, Dec. 16 (U.R) Prime
Minister Winston Churchill, un
der the fire of his career as
Britain's war time leader, to
night was reported contemplat-
nig a world broadcast, probably
Sunday night, in defense of his
policies which influential critics
charged threatened the whole
fabric of postwar security.
A definite decision on the
Churchill broadcast had not yet
been made but No. 10 Downing
street indicated Churchill was
favorably Inclined to the pro
ject. .
A mass demonstration against
Churchill's policy in Greece Will
be held Sunday afternoon in
Trafalgar Square.
If he speaks the prime minis
ter is expected to issue a strong
appeal for a Greek armistice and
for the quickest possible meet
ing of the "Big Three" Presi
dent Roosevelt, Marshal Stalin
and himself in order that the
widening rifts between the prin
cipal . Allies may ' be healed
without delay. 1 ' : .
Criticism of the prime minis
ter was led by a portentous edi
torial- in the liberal Manchester
Guardian which declared Brit
ain faced a terrible dilemma
which may force her to choose
between Russia and the United
States, thus smashing the tri-
power concept and laying the
possible foundations of third
world war,
The Yorkshire Observer sug
gested that Stalin has 'refused
to , meet with . Churchill "and
Roosevelt again until the Polish
question , is settled in . Russia's
lavor. , -1 ., -,,
SHY BOND QUOTA
Jackson county is still about
$100,000 short of the $600,000
quota on "E" bonds set for the
current war loan drive, commit
tee workers stated yesterday.
With but a few days remaining
in which "E" purchases may be
made to count on the drive.
everyone was urged to buy addi
tional "E" bonds this week if
possible. ,
War Bulletins
Rome. Dec. 16 (U.R) Ger
man troops, battling to retain
their eastern Po valley posi
tions, savagely counterat
- tackad Eighth army troops
holding a bridgehead over the
Canal Naviglio, west of Ra
venna, while to the south
west other Eighth army units
"made appreciable gains" be
low Faensa, allied headquar
ters announced today,
Paris, Dec. 16 (U.R) Gen.
Charles D Gaulle arrived
today by airplane and said
that the text of the Franco
Soviet government, which he
signed in Moscow and which
is expected to be discussed ai
a cabinet meeting tomorrow
morning, would be published
at 7 p. m., Paris time tomor
row evening.
A Superfortress Base, Sal
pan, Dee. 17 (Via navy radio)
(U.R) A single B-29 Super
fortress, unable to reach Nag
oya with Us formation during
the December 13 raid on the
Mitsubishi plan works, sought
out a target of opportunity
and bombed and probably de
stroyed an important enemy
war plant in Hamamaisu,
about- 55 miles southeast of
Nagoya and located in Hikl.
sahoso bay on Honshu island,
it was. revealed today.
A baseball field abandoned 20
years ago is now densely forest
ed although no seeds were
planted, so liberally do trees
spread seeds, s
COUNTY $100,000
New Rhine Push
DUSSHDQRF s
pCOLOONE
fcERMANYj
. VV MAINZ
Y0"Tn
SAAmtUCKIN
Jt f 1
METZ v lUiuniHf
.TRAStOUaO
FRANCE
'COi MAS
MUIHOUSI
'- ' (Acmm TtUphoto)-
C. S. Seventh Army (lower arrow)
smasaes Into Germany's Rhenish
Palatinate after taking Wlssembourg
In war's third Invasion of Reich by
U. s. forces. To north, fierce bat
tles rage In 8aar Basin and Duren
areas, with only small progress re
Dortxa.
SOCIAL SECURITY
FREEZE APPROVED
IN FACE OF VETO
'Washington, bee." 16 (U.R)
President Roosevelt today "re
luctantly" approved legislation
freezing the social security pay
roll tax at one per cent for an
other year, and announced he
would submit to congress soon
a plan "for broadening and im
proving the social security sys
tem." ,' , w' . : v
. Had Mr. Roosevelt refused to
sign, the measure, congress al
most certainly' would have over
ridden his veto. It is the fourth
time congress has enacted legis
lation to maintain the one per
cent rate.
The president said in a state
ment that postponement of the
automatic doubling of the payroll-tax
on January 1, as pro
vided in the social security law,
"merely defers until next year
the necessary fiscal receipts to
pay the benefits.". 1
He added, however, that he
feld certain congress "does not
intend to jeopardize in any way
the benefit rights" of persons
covered by the law. The freeze,
he said, in no way modifies the
benefits provided by the present
law" but makes it essential that
the next congress review thor
oughly "the methods of financing
them."
"At an early date," he said, "I
plan to submit to the congress a
comprehensive plan for broaden
ing and Improving the social se
curity system.
"At that time,.! hope that a
clear understanding of the. gov
ernment's financial responsibili
ties for social security will
emerge and that a long-term plan
for allocating the costs of social
security will be developed.
FORTloTCASE
T
Seattle, Dec. 16. (U.R) The
court martial into the Fort Law-
ton Aug. 14 riot has gone into
closed sessions to ballot on the
guilt or Innocence of 41 mem
bers of a negro port company
charged with rioting during
which 30 members of an Italian
service unit were Injured, and
one hanged. Three of the negro
defendants also faced murder
charges.
BULLETIN
Eugene, Ore., Dec. 16 (U.R)
The University of Oregon made
it two in a row over the Klam
ath Falls Marines, defeating the
visitors 70 to 57, in their bas
ketball game here tonight. Ore
gon won last night, 68 to 65.
Oregon led 34 to 27 at the
half in tonight's game, and was
never seriously threatened.
KEY TOJBAVARIA
Germans Hurl Reserves In
Counters; Rheinish Battle
Shapes.
Paris, Sunday, Dec. 17. 1U.O
U. S. Seventh army troops cap
tured the historic Bavarian city
city of Wlssembourg Saturday
and crossed the Reich frontier at
a third point, but the Germans,
launching a series of diversion
ary counter-attacks to the north,
drove back into Belgium at a
point 50 miles below Aachen.
The German command also
hurled crack reserves, including
a panzer division from another
front, against "Lt. Gen. Alexan
der M. Patch's Seventh army
spearheads,, which had invaded
Bavaria to a depth of two miles
in their crossing of the frontier
between Wlssembourg and the
Rhine on a 12-mile front
Breasting stiff fire from tha
Siegfried line, the Seventh army
captured the French border
town of Lauterbourg. nine miles
east of Karlsrhue, denying tha
hard-pressed enemy a potential
Rhine valley anchor at that
point.
The battle on the Rhenish
plain before the great Industrial
centers of Mannheim and Lud
wigshafen apparently Jiad not
yet been fully joined because
Patch's spearheads were operat
ing under security wraps on the
grounds they had not yet en-"
gaged major German defense
forces.
In the northern Rhineland tha
new American 78th division,
only two months out of tha
United States, and the veteran
second division 1 jointly blasted
another First army breach in tha
Siegfried line 12 mile below tha
original Aachen gap. . .
Beset on both the upper and)
lower Rhine and with tha Third
army pounding relentlessly
against the Saar river section of
the Siegfried line, German tanks
and infantry lashed out in a rash
of small-scale attacks against the
long-dormant hinge between tha
First and Third army fronts. .
These thrusts extended along
a 75-mile front from Duren to
below Trier. Enemy forces cross
ed back into Belgium at Peters-
kirche, 10 miles south of Belgian
St. Vith and 50 miles below
Aachen, where the American
line had extended just over the
German frontier near its con
vergence with the Belgian and
Luxembourg borders.
This represented a First army
setback of about two miles from
the forthest advanced position of
last Autumn although modifica
tions of the line may have been
made since then.
F,
F
(By United Press)
Benito Mussolini, father- of
fascism and head of the puppet
government in north Italy, Sat
urday urged his followers to re
gain their fanaticism and ease
the "unbelievable and ever-increasing
difficulties" facing his
reflme."
The speech, broadcast by the
Nazi-controlled Fascist domestic
radio and reported by OWI, was
made at Milan on the anniver
sary of the assassination of Aldo
Resega, Fascist commissioner of
Milan province.
Monitors said that Mussolini
appeared to be in "good voice."
Mussolini admitted that his
regime was endangered as a re
sult of Allied military advances,
underground activities and a
"moral inertia which events
have produced in many classes
of peoples."
In a bid for greater recogni
tion from his axis partners,
Mussolini declared that the sup
port given by bis regime to the
axis since Italy's capitulation in
September, 1943, was 'far great
er than is commonly believed."