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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 18, 1944)
Germans Throw Hoarded Planes Into "Mad Bull" fyunteroffensive ft h Weather ForetMtt Cloudy tonight; partly cunf cloudy Tuetdivi little i Mghit yeitcrday Lowest this morning , . PzeclplUUon . ST hi-FuU LMHd Win . Tribune OnlUd Px United Piatt FuU Lud Wire Thirty ninth Year MEDFORD, OREGON, MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1944 NO. 228. Nagoya and Hankow Plastered By Huge Fleets of Superforts MAJOR JAPANESE PLANE FACTORY BADLYDAMAGED Mitsubishi Works Visited . Second Time in Week Tokyo Disclaims Losses - Washington, Dec. 18. (U.R) Big fleets of B-29 Superfort resses hit two more punishing blows at Japan's war-making capacity, it was announced to day, returning to the big air production center of Nagoya in 100-plane strength, ana striKing hard at Hankow, major Japa nese supply base in China. The Superfortress attack on Nagoya, site Of the big Mitsu bishi aircraft industry was the second within a week on Japan's third industrial city to be car ried out by Saipan-based Super forts. 100 Planes la Raid The attack was begun at 12:30 p. m. Dec. 18 (Tokyo time) or 11:30 p.m. Dec. 17 EWT. It con tinued for two hours. ' About 100 Superforts were believed to have carried out the assault, which Saipan said was carried out in numerical strength equal to that of last Wednesday's initial operation against Nagoya. " The ' Hankow attack was in approximately equal strength. An imDerial Japanese commu nique estimated the strength of the Naeova raiders at "some iu and said they caused "slight damase". ' - The B-29's took off from Sal- pan with a forecast of good weather over their target. Photographic reconnaissance reDorts on the initial Nagoya at tack revealed that the Hatsu doki factory of the Mitsubishi works Was . heavily damaged. Two big aircraft assembly build ings were shown to be largely destroyed while two main as sembly buildings received slight ly less damage. Three oi tne four assembly buildings were believed knocked out and 22 smaller buildings were dam aged. A Tokyo broadcast recorded by United Press in San Francis co failed to claim any Super forts were shot down, merely saying defense units "scored con siderable war results." Wallaca McCamant U. S. AGREEABLE 10 SETTLEMENT POLISHISPUTE Postwar Agreement Between Russia and Poland Okeh If Mutuality Is Obtained 20 E NEEDED IN Paul N. Plank, well known dairy farmer in the Willamette valley is in Medford arranging fnr the taking of the regular 1945 farm census here, he being supervisor of the 4th congres sional district. Mr. Plank wants about 20 local residents to act as enumer ators in this area, and anyone interested is reauested to com municate with his office at 121 East Broadway, Eugene. it l estimated enumerators may be able to earn from t8 to $12 per day depending upon their ability and the nature of their assignment, the pay being on a piece basis, so mucn pei farm-acerage. The enumeration will start about January 15, following a 3-day school of instruction con ducted in this city. Applicants will be paid $3 per day while attending this school. This federal farm census is taken by the government every five years and is conducted by the U. S. Department of Com merce. , All information given by the farmer is held in confidence by this government department, the purpose being solely to secure accurate farm informa tion chiefly for the benefit of the farmers themselves. NOTED POLITICIAN OF COOLIDGE ERA TAKENJY DEATH Portland, Ore., Dec. 18 U.R) Wallace McCamant, 77, who in 1920 was largely responsible for the nomination of Calvin Coolidge for the vice presidency, died yesterday in a Portland hos pital after several weeks' illness. As a jurist, attorney, histor ian and a political figure, he was prominent in the news for over a half-century. ... McCamant was ' involved in stormy politics as' an aftermath of the 1920 Republican national convention, during which ' Mc Camant and the Oregon delega tion started Coolidge on his way to the white house by nominat ing him for the vice presidency. McCamant was master in chancery of the U. S. district court here from 1894 to 1917 and associate justice of the Ore gon state supreme court in 1917 18. Survivors include his widow and a son, the Rev. Thomas Mc Camant of Lewiston, Ida. , FARM CENSUS TO START IN JANUARY Preliminary plans for the tak ing of the federal farm census in this county are now being drawn and the count will be underway by mid-January, ac cording to County Agent Robert G. Fowler. District Manager George F. Plant of Eugene was here today conferring on details, The 1940 federal census snow ed annroximately 3,700 larms in the county. Since then many new DeoDle have settled here, The new census will show how mnnv have started new farms, and how many nave purcnaseu established nlaces. The census blanks . Include two full pages of data, running from the time the farm was first nlowed. number of owners, kind of crops, people residing on the farm, amount of stock and equip ment and other details. Washington, Dec. 18. U.R) The United States in a statement of policy on Poland today said it would have no objective to settlement of the Polish-Russian .boundary dispute before the end of the war "if a mutual agree ment is reached by the United Nations directly concerned. The statement was released by Secretary of State Edward R. Stettinius, Jr., at his regular press conference. It reiterated BRITISH CAPTURE STRONGHOLDS OF GREEKJESISTERS Road Cleared to Piraeus ELAS in Northeast Athens Storm RAF Hearquarters London. Dae 18. (U.R) British official quarters today hailed the Washington state ment on Poland by Secretary of Stat Edward Stettinius as showing "a substantial meas ure of agreement between Britain and the United States." the United States' previous stand for "a strong, free and independ ent Polish state with the untram meled right of the Polish people to order their Internal existence as they see fit. ... r . , Answer to Churchill Referring to the United States' general policy that settlement of boundary questions should await the end of the war, the state ment said this did not mean that certain questions could not be settled by friendly conference and agreement. "In the case of the future frontiers of Poland, If mutual agreement is reached by the United Nations directly con cerned," the statement said. "this government would have no objective to such an agreement which could make an essential contribution to the prosecution of the war against the common enemy." The statement was the United States' answer to Prime Minister Winston Churchill's challenge that it state "with precision" its policy toward the Soviet-Polish dispute. Churchill revealed last ween that Great Britain believed that the Polish government in exile should reach agreement with the Soviet Union on a boundary which would transfer most of eastern Poland to the Soviet Union. Athens, Dec. 18 U.R) British troops captured four rebel strong points in central and southern Athens and cleared the road to Piraeus against slight resistance today, but ELAS forces in north east Athens stormed RAF head quarters and a political prison Some 600 ELAS fighters, sup ported by 75-millimeter guns and mortars, attacked buildings in the RAF. compound, but an RAF regiment and British troops at last reports still were In con trol. Prison Attacked ' Other strong ELAS forces at 3 a. m. attacked Averow prison, in which John Ralls, one of the prime ministers during the Ger man occupation, and some oi nis cabinet members were held In protective custody. The prison was defended by British troops and Greek soldiers and police, and the battle appar ently still was going on at mm- mominff.. Moderate optimism peisisua that peace can be arranged soon In the civil war. which already has caused thousands of casual ties in the past two weeks, A new complication arose, however, with British artd Greek envernment charges tnat nun- dreds of Bulgarians had crossed the Bulgarian frontier Into Greek Macedonia at the invita tion of ELAS to "free" Mace donia. They apparently Bulgarian army deserters. DEATH NOTE LEFT Huge Jewelry Loot Taken By Burglars Palo Alto, Calif., Dec. 18 (U.R) Chief of Police Howard Zink reported today approximately $20,000 in jewelry, including a $3,000 diamond bracelet owned by Mrs. Bernard Rand, Cleve land, O., was stolen last night from the home of Prof. Merrill Snaulding. Burglars entered the house from the roof, and ransacked the bedrooms. Inside Story Of Hitler Shelving Revealed By Tipsy SA Chieftain By Hubert Uxkull United Press Staff Correspondent Stockholm, Dec. 18 (U.R) The free German press bureau claimed today that the first au thentic report of tne timer crisis" which forced the fuehrer from military leadership had been obtained through the in riicrrppt talk of his former ad jutant, SA Chief Group Leader Fritz Brueckner, wno aran uw much at a Berlin dinner party The report said Heinrich Him mi.r minister of interior and rhipf; Pronaeanda Min ister Dr. Josef Goebbels and Field Marshal Gen. Karl von Rundstedt had forced Hitler to hriipate as suDi-eme war lord nnrl "leave the war to generals. It claimed the abdication dated back to the end of August or the beginning of September when the battle of France ob viously was lost and Allied armies were threatening Ger many. Brueckner s account OI wnat haooened, according to free Ger man press, follows: H mmler. Goebbeis ana von Rundstedt drove to Hitler i Obersalzberg villa with a strong armed escort while an entire SS division surrounded the estate and h'.ocked all approaches, For an hour Hitler retusea to see his "visitors," but finally gave in and the conference was held in a large reception hall. The conference lasted six hours, Interrupted frequently by Hitler's angry shrieks and crying and hysterical fits accompanied by carpet chewing which was re ported to have prompted von Rundstedt later to remark: "Rather ten carpets than one more defeat." Hitler's physician was called twice to give him canning in jection. Congress Views Air Armada Gunnery m Vbr a-VYV - - Ar- tmm "If 3. My Vr Tvf f NAZI SPEARHEADS PIERCE U.S. -LINES IN THREE PLACES Doughboys In Effort to Seal Off Penetrations Air Battles Swirl Over Scene (Aemt Telephoto) .h. rfk nf rM p.rri.r nf tha a. S. Pacific Fleet, members of Congress visiting the Paclllo area nbserva the accuracy oi Nav? gunners tiring at a towed sleeve target. In the center of the photo, loo Icing .,..h hwiit.n i Arimirai c. w. Nlmltz. USN. commander of the Pacific Fleet: at bis right Is Congress' man J J Hefferman of New York, chairman of the Congressional Subcommittee: at Admiral Nlmltr left is Cnnzreaswoman Margaret C. Smith of Maine, first woman representative to visit the Central Paclfls wax D. S. Naw obnt Loyal Japs Free To SLOW, Return IS 1CKES PLAN were IS Ann Wood, about 38, was found dead In the Rogue river, behind the Lakevlew Auto court near Rogue River at 4 o'clock Sunday afternoon. Death ap peared to be suicide, accoruins n f!nrln Morris, deputy coro- . . . . M 1 tM n.r a ainciae noie was wuiw tVi hnuse. located across tne highway Jrom the auto court, Mnrri sa d. WOOd. an BUCllon- ----- eers. and nis wue, mauc iu hnmA ot thP auto COUIT. Tha bodv was found in bdouv two feet of watenr lying face down and dressed in a night- imom and hathrobe. Morris said, According to tacts garnered uy Mnrri. her husband. Harvey Wood, left for urants rass aooui 9 o'clock Saturday night. Time of the woman's death was piacea at hptween 9 and 11 D. m. Wood, Morris said, returned to his hnm ahnut 1 oclock bunoay mnmlni? and noticed nis wue not at home. While Wood wan worklne with a shotgun dur ing that time it accidentiy ais- charged ana urea into me ing, Morris said he was told. No Violence Maries Wood renorted his wife missing to state police at 2 a. m Sundav. Outgoing busses were checked. Morris said, and the body was found by state police and the deputy coroner curing rout ne check of the river Thpre were no marks of violence on the bodv. according to tne deputy coroner. Wood is Being nein in in rmintv tail on a drunk charge, and both state police and the sheriff's office are investigating the circumstances surrounding the case, it was revealed. Nevada" over top Reno,Nev., Dec. 18. (U.R) Nevada is over the top in Its s,ixth war loan drive, but the campaign to meet the E bond quota still continues, it was an nounced at state headquarters today. Washington, Dec. 18 flJ.B Secretary of Interior Harold L. Ickes promised today that there will be no "hasty mass move ment" of loyal Japanese-Amer icans back to their former homes on the west coast. He said, however, that the western defense command's rev ocation of blanket exclusion or ders affecting Pacific coast evacuees who are loyal and law- abiding Americans means that such evacuees have a right to go back to their homes if they wish to do so. The war relocation authority, Ickes said, will "intensify its ef forts" to relocate loyal Japa nese-Americans in other parts of the United States, but, he added, "it will also aid those who pre fer to exercise their legal and moral right to return to the west coast. Encourage Dispersal Ickes said it was war's aim "to encourage the widest possible dispersal of evacuees throughout the nation. "Since the mass exclusion or ders have been revoked and the great majority of evacuees are free to establish residence any where in the United States," he continued, "the war . relocation authority will now work toward an early liquidation of the relo cation centers. No center will be closed in less than six months, but "It is anticipated that all will be closed within a year," he said. San Francisco, Dec. 18--U.R) West coast residents today pre pared for the return of Japanese aliens and citizens of Japanese descent after 2VS years of en forced absence, as some Califor nia legislators predicted violence from lifting of mass exclusion orders against the Japanese. Incidents Expected . However, MaJ. Gen. Henry C, Pratt, acting commanding gen eral of the western defense com mand, in announcing -lifting of the 2V4-year-old mass exclusion orders late yesterday, said: "I expect some minor Inci dents but nothing that will re quire military intervention." Mayor Fletcher Bowron Los Angeles warned of the pos sibility of "race riots"' If return ing Japanese attempted to evict tenants. Japanese Rights Upheld in Ruling By Highest Court . J Washington,. Dec.. 8.t4M9t- The supreme court ruled today that the army's removal of Japanese-Americans from the west coast early In 1942 was constitu tional at the time it was carried out, but that citizens must be permitted to return to tneir homes when their loyalty to this country Is established The court thus in effect ord ered what the war department announced yesterday - would be done that loyal citizens of Jap anese ancestry would be permit ted to return to their former homes after 33 months of en forced absence in relocation cen ters. Two Caiei Judged The tribunal acted in two cases. It upheld constitutionality of the removal program by a 6 to 3 decision, and was unanim ous in holding that loyal citizens should be released. Both cases were brought by U. S. citizens of Japanese ances try. 1 DEUELlESlENCE FEAR VIOLENCE ON JAPANESE RET BY BLAZE, SMOKE of TO INDUCT MORE Sacramento, Dec. 18. (U.R) Col. K..H. Leitch, state director of selective service, today an nounced that the quota of Cali fornia men to be inducted into the armed services in January had been increased by 20 per cent. Fire and smoke caused an un- estimated amount of damage at the H. S. Deuel residence, 1100 S. Oakdale Ave., yesterday eve ning, and last night a garage fire at the home of H. R. Bos- worth. 23 N. Orange St., de stroyed a 1930 model A Ford and two bicycles, it was report ed today by city firemen who were called to extinguish the blazes. Apparently caused by a short in the radio connection, the fire at the Deuel home occurred when the family was out of town and a neighbor, Tom Bradley, first discovered the blaze at 6:25 p.m. The living room radio and an arm chair were burned and the floor Joist underneath was considerably damaged by flames while additional damage to fur niture and personal articles throughout the houso was caused by smoke. Mrs. Deuel stated today that no estimate had been made on damage en- curred. The Boswotrh garage fire at 11:05 started in a pile of hot ashes deposited against the back of the garage, and the rear wall of the building was completely consumed, firemen said. No damage was caused by a third fire yesterday, a flue fire at the Karmcl Korn shop, 121 East Main St., at 11:43 am. Portland, Ore., Dec. 18 U.R) A wave of reaction, In which fear of violence alternated with hope of an orderly readjustment was evident in Oregon civic, church and American Legion circles today as the result of western defense command edict that loyal Japanese could return to their west coast homes1 after midnight, January 2. Some civil officials were frankly aprehensive. . Mayor Earl Riley of Portland observed:. "It Is unfortunate that the army is' taking such early action. I don't think that the people are generally prepw-'ed to accept the Japanese. I think they should take more time to prepare for their return." Sheriff Worried Martin Pratt, sheriff of Mul tnomah county, declared: "I'm not so hot about the whole thing, but I'll do my duty to fulfill my oath of office. I'm afraid there will be violence when Japanese return to com munities where relatives of citi zens have died in Paciflo fight ing." Pcnn C. Crum of Hood River, Oregon department commander of the American Legion, said: "There is a great deal of danger that violence will follow return of the'Jaoanese to coastal areas. There Is high feeling against them. I am afraid it is a bad Idea to force them back on the Pacific coast at this time. The stand of the Oregon department of the legion was made clear when the state executive com mittee affirmed a national le- iilnn executive committee reso lution protesting return of the Japanese to coastal areas." Oregon's Governor Earl Snell was noncommittal for the time being. He said: "I want to study the official notification further before I make any comment on the return of the Japanese. Paris, Dec. 18 (U.R) Lt. Gen. Courtney H. Hodges unleashed his American 1st army counter measures today against the bie gest German offensive of Gen. ' Dwlght D. Eisenhower's western campaign, the first Impact of which carried the Germans sev. eral miles across the Belgian and Luxembourg frontiers. Dispatches from the fluid, 70 mile battlefront said Hodges' ' doughboys had sprung to the) v task of sealing off the penetra tions of the American positions by Marshal Karl Gerd Von Rundstedt's co u n t e r-offenstve which plunged at least three) spearheads Into Belgium and Luxembourg. Air Battles Swirl . For the second straight day great air battles swirled over the 1st army front. British Spit fires and Tempests streaked down from the 21st army group region to Join In the fight against the long-hoarded Nazi fighter and bombers showing up by the hundreds in support of the of fensive. Field reports up to early aft. ernoon said that the American and British airmen had destroy ed 20 German planes, probably downed three more, and dam- . aged 13. Three U. S. Thunder, bolts were lost. The Nazis lost 103 planes yesterday against the) Americans' 33, Along with his planes, Rund stedt threw Into his mad bull charge, regarded as an all-or-nothing bid to turn the 1st army's Una and upset Elsenhow er s winter offensive, vicious! array of V-bombs and paratroopers, Supreme headquarters report ed that about 10 more parachute) troops were dropped on the 9th army front, flanking the 1st army -to the left,-last night. Six of them were captured. A complete security blackout blanketed the 1st army front after the day's early reports) were In. The move, a customary one In the first phase of new operations Involving any appre ciable change of positions, waa taken to keep the Nazis from . knowing the whereabouts . of ' their forward elements whose) communications might be cut off, and to obscure from tha enemy standpoint the American countermeasures. Quick to take advantage of the news blackout, Nazi propa gandists sprang the word that the German command "expected that at least in the first phase of the attack the resistance would be greater." To that state ment by the DNB news agency was appended the assertion that "the speedy collapse of organiz ed defense considerably simpli fied the task of the German command, and lt Is not unlikely that the next few days will bring further surprises." DNB said the "northern part of Luxembourg already has been crossed on a wide front." . A United Press dispatch from the front before the blackout was Imposed said German pres sure was strong along most of a HO-mile front, but the Americans were resisting fiercely and had succeeded in keeping a hold on German territory around Mon schau, where the heaviest weight of the Nazi offensive appeared to have been concentratd. Congress Pension Urged By Woman Washihgton, Dec. 18. U.R) Rep. Mary T. Norton, D., . J., dean of congresswomen, recom mended today that house and senate members Who have erved at least 13 years and have reached 65 years of age be retired at half their 110.000 a year salary. Mrs. Norton, veteran of 20 years in the house, said In an interview that she believed a voluntary pension plan should be Included in any congressional i reorganization. SUBMARINES GET 33MSHIPS Washington, Dee. 18. (U.R) American submarines have sunk 3& more Japanese vessels, In cluding 12 warships, in devastat ing further, sweeps against the enemy's supply lines, the navy announced today. The combatant ships sunk were one light cruiser, three de stroyers, six escort vessels, one mine sweeper, and one mine layer. Enemy non-combatant losses in the latest submarine attacks were two tankers, 17 cargo ves sels, artd two cargo transports. With one exception, this was the largest total of American submarine victories ever an nounced in one communique. Jackson County sales to date in the Sixth Wat Loan are "E" Bonds $520,387 "E" Quota $600,000 Total Sales 82,913,031