Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, December 21, 1944, Image 1

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Weather
Forecast. Cloudy with occasion
al light rain tonight and rrl
day; little change In tempera
ture. -J
Temo.
Highest yesterday ..- 55
Lowest this morning 31
Precipitation .02
Thirty-ninth Year
Reds Unleash Western
GERMAN DEFENSE
PIERCED IN NEW,
HEAVY ONSLAUGHT
At Least 10 Divisions Dash
at Enemy in Area 32 Miles
Southwest of Budapest.
London, Dec. 21 (U.R) Ber
lin reported today that the Red
army had its offensive in west
ern Hungary between Lake Bal
aton and the Danube, throwing
at least 10 divisions of more
than 100,000 troops into an on
slaught 'which breached the
German lines.
Nazi broadcasts said the main
weight of the new Soviet drive
was centered in the area of
Szekesfehervar, 32 miles south
west of Budapest and midway
between Lake Balaton and the
Danube.
"The German defense react
ed Immediately," a DNB dis
patch said. "Several local
breaches were sealed off, and
strong counterattacks hit the
enemy's flank. It must be ex
pected that the battle will
mount In fury."
Stiffened resistance along the
45-mile line between Budapest
and Lake Balaton had stalled
the Soviet push in western Hun
gary which now appeared to be
renewed in full force. -....--
The Hungarian capital al
ready was flanked to the south
west by the drive which consti
tuted the lower arm of a pincers
whose jaws were reported less
than 20 miles apart, bringing,
the last rail line out of the city
under Soviet artillery fire. '
. To the northeast the Russians
battered through stiff opposi
tion in the southern Slovak
mountains. :
FORTUNES GOING
FOR FRIVOLITIES
By Delos Smith
United Press Correspondent
New York, Dec. 21. U.R
Fortunes are pouring into the
coffers of the perfumed, richly
carpeted salons of Fifth avenue
for fur coats, Jewels, lingerie
and the like to brighten the
Christmases of the nouveau
riche, . but the storekeepers
aren't talking.
These select retailers of the
most expensive merchandise in
America, feel it is. a matter that
should be referred to in whis
pers what with the sixth war
bond campaign still underway
and war wives who have no
Jewels or fur coats or husbands
home for the holidays.
But a recognized Jewelry
trade authority a manufactur
er and designer who wished to
be anonymous lest he anger his
colleagues said that never in
his experience had there been
such a market as this one.
"We can sell anything any
thing at all," he said. "The big
gest demand, and it seems with
out limit, is for items retailing
at $500 to $2,000. The demand
for the really expensive stuff
from $75,000 up is the greatest
, since 1938. I don't see how they
do it, especially with the 20 per
cent luxury tax added."
SIDEGLANCES
TRIBUNE rI:POHTER9
Alfred Carpenter generously
passing out aspirin tablets be
fore opening a meeting.
V. Aubrey Norris running
Father Time a dead heat in de
livering a news item,
i .
Senator Earl Newbry threat
ening to serve his guests salads
topped with pennants declaring.
"Pears courtesy Newbry Orchards."
MEDFORD
Unlttd Press
23,000-Ton Navy Tanker; Sunk in Pacific
-JUa
' (Acme Telephoto)
A billow of smoke marks spot where 23,000-ton naval auxiliary oiler,
Mississippi, went down In Central Pacific by enemy action. Normal com.
plement of ship is about 250 officers and men, about 80 per cent ol
whom were rescued by nearby ships. Navy did not disclose nature ol
enemy action.
Mukden's War Production Plants
Hit By American Superfortresses
By United Press i
American Superfortresses carried the-Pactfie War to the Jap--
anese again today, hitting the war production center of Muk
den in Manchuria, and Tokyo reported additionally that
Darien, in southern Manchuria
pairs of B-29's dropped bombs
Honshu, one of the Japanese home Island.
The Japanese admitted slight
damage was caused at Mukden,
Manchuria s largest city, but
claimed that four American
planet were shot down. ,
The raids, which were aug
mented by Liberator assaults on
the Japanese staging bases In
the volcanos, came as Gen.
Douglas MacArthur's forces on
Leyte, In the Philippines, com
pleted the destruction of the
Yamashita line and pursued the
isolated enemy groups into the
Guerilla-infested hills In the
northwest corner of the island.
Yanks Converge
Two American columns on
Leyte were reported only a mile
apart after capturing the town
of Libongao, 11 miles north of
Ormoc, and Kananga, two miles
farther north.
An indication of the favor
able situation on Leyte was seen
in MacArthur's report that "the
battle is rapidly drawing to an
end."
In China, Chinese troops were
reported closing in on the rail
hub of Hochih in northern
Kwangsl province while another
column reached the vicinity of
Chinchengkiang, 180 miles of
Liuchow.
THREE JUVENILES HELD
ON CHARGE OF LARCENY
Three more boys around 18
years of age, are held in the
Juvenile ward of the county
Jail, charged with larceny of
parts from an auto. Bail was
fixed at $500. All live in this
city.
County officials said other
arrests for the same reason are
expected and signs indicate an
other "boy gang" has sprung
up here. Recently three local
boys were sent to the reform
school for bicycle and other
thefts.
COLORADO UNIONS WIN
FIGHT AGAINST REPORT
Denver, Dec. 21 (U.R) Colo
rado's organized labor groups to
day won a distinct victory in the
long-awaited ruling of the Colo
rado supreme court on the so
called "labor-peace" law.
The tribunal held that two
sections of the law which
would have forced labor unions
of the state to incorporate and
file annual reports, much the
same as corporations are forced:
to do were unconstitutional.
Last vear. 1.030 Puertn PI.'
cans, the majority skilled work
men, obtained Jobs in the Unit
ed States, according to the war
manpower commission.
Full Leesed Wire
i
C ". I
.
at 4
3
rmmwft- aae
also was attacked and that two
in two districts of south-central
BOYS OVERSEAS
ALSO IN DARK, IS
OF
Washington, Dec. 21. (U.R)
Rep. Forest A. Harness, R., Ind.,
one of 15 congressmen Just re
turned from a tour of the Euro
pean theater, said today that "a
two-way censorship Is keeping
our boys overseas from knowing
what is going on here in the
states Mid keeping our people at
home from knowing enough of
what is going on in Europe."
Harness and other members of
the group made an informal re
port on their observations to Sec
retary of War Henry L. Stimson.
Acting Chairman John M. Cos
tello, D., Calif., said afterward
that although the Germans have
won a considerable success on
the western front, "there is no
doubt of ultimate allied victory."
Harness said U. S. war corres
pondents told . him they were
sending "back to the country
stories which never get publish
ed." Fault Unfound
"I don't know whose fault this
is," he continued, "but I don't
t..ink it's entirely the army's.
Maybe army censors won't pajs
the stories, but it could be that
the American papers won't pub
lish them."
As an example of what he
called "faulty information, Har
ness said the U. S. public "Just
doesn't know how powerful the
counteroffensives in Italy have
been." As an indication of faulty
information being supplied to
the army overseas. Harness said
the army publication Stars and
Stripes in France was suggest
ing that congress was respon
sible for shortages of ammuni
tion. "How could that possibly be?"
he asked.
Harness suggested that U. rem
edy the situation authorities
should permit "some of the large
American papers to publish
Paris editions." He said "there
have been plenty of applica
tions." NO PAPER MONDAY
Following long-established
custom the Mail Tribune will
not publish on Monday,
Christmas day, In order to
permit employes to enjoy the
holiday In their homes.
i
MEDFORD, OREGON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21,
Hungary Drive
BAD IN SOME OF
State Health Officer Says
Surveys Reveal Serious
War-Time Deterioration.
Portland, Ore., Dec. 21 flJ.R)
Shockingly bad conditions in the
milk industry in several Oregon
towns exist despite efforts to
control them. Dr. Frederick D.
Strieker, state health officer,
said today.
State milk sanitation surveys
made by the sanitary engineer
ing department of the state
board of public health in several
communities at the request of
local officials reveal that milk
tested was extremely poor in
comparison with standard rat
ings recognized by the federal
public health service.
Pendleton Bad
Top rating under the federal
system is 100 per cent with 90
per cent listed merely as a pass
ing grade. . -
An initial survey made In Pen
dleton last July revealed that
raw milk retailed was 62 per
cent of standard, although this
had Improved to 85 per cent by
October when second survey
was made. ' X " '
The rating on raw milk -whlh
reached pasteurizing plants was
61 and 88 per cent in Pendleton
during the two test periods. The
combined rating on pasteurized
milk there rose from 53 to 73
per cent between the t.wo sur
veys. : ' '
The poor grade was held by
Dr. Strieker to be accountable
for much of the undulant fever
reported in the state. .
r War Blamed
Blame for the situation was
placed by Kenneth H. Spiess,
acting state sanitary engineer,
upon wartime shortages, espe
cially of trained help, lack of
testing and lack of care in hand
ling milk.
The state's mobile laboratory
unit has tested milk in La
Grande, Baker, Hood River,
Coos Bay and Rbseburg and tests
are contemplated in Medford
and Astoria. Tests now are in
progress at Bend, Madras,
Prineville and Redmond.
Results of surveys made in
cities other than Pendleton have
not been announced, but Spiess
commented that Hood River and
La Grande were the worst.
Chaplin's Attorney Trips Girl In
Testimony On Amorous Interludes
Hollywood, Dec. 21 U.R)
After breaking down and re
covering under rapid-fire cross
examlnation, Joan Barry
tripped today as she described
amorous interludes with Come
dian Charlie Chaplin during De
cember, 1942, the month she
says he left her with a baby to
bear alone.
Attorney Charles E. Millikan,
defending the British comic in
the paternity suit, listened to
her testimony that she had been
intimate with him at his home
on Dec. 10, 23, and 30, and then
read back a deposition she gave
earlier.
'We did not have relations
on the 10th," he read.
"Is that the answer you
gave?"
"Yes, she said quietly,
"that's the answer I gave."
Witness Breaks.
She had broken down com
pletely on the stand as Millikan
asked her about her associations
with other men.
Weeping and wringing her
hands, she - wailed to Judge
Henry M. Willis:
'This man keeps bringing In
all these names that mean noth
ing here."
"In a paternity case," Judge
Willis said, "the entire life of
the party in any relations re
sulting in pregnancy is open to
question."
Questioning resumed after a
lady juror had handed the dis
TO FIGHT GREEKS;
ITINYJSITED
House of Lords Told Men
May Refuse to Carry Out
Orders; Reject Truce Idea
London. Dec. 21 (U.R) The
house of lords defeated a mo
tion of censure aga'nit the
government over the Greek
situation today after debate
was enlivened by a warning
from Lord Faringdon that mu
tiny might break out among
British troops In Greece be
cause of their unwillingness to
fight the Greeks.
London, Dec. 21 (U.R) Lord
Faringdon told the house of lords
today that mutiny might break
out among British troops in
Greece because of their mount
ing unwillingness to fight the
Greeks.
Cries of "monstrous" came
from the floor when Faringdon
brought the word "mutiny" into
a discussion of the Greek crisis.
"I should not be surprised,"
he said, "if our commanders had
not already met with cases of
men who show the greatest un
willingness to fight the Greeks,
and who may have refused to
bomb Athens..
May Have Mutiny -'
"It may be that this will go
further, and we shall have mu
tiny among our men in Greece
and refusal to fight the Greeks.
'The first thing must be an
armistice and I would suggest
most earnestly to t h e govern
ment that the proposed condi
tions of an armistice put for
ward by Gen. Scobie (Lt. Gen.
Ronald Scobie, British com
mander) , are not armistice
terms."
Lord Samuel rebuked Faring
don for his reference to mutiny,
saying that "such language
ought not to be used in this
house."
In commons, Foreign Secre
tary Anthony Eden tacitly re
jected a suggestion for a Christ
mas truce in Greece.
Eden was asked by Arthur
Greenwood, labor party leader,
whether a Christmas truce might
be arranged as one way of help
ing solution of the Greek crisis.
Eden replied that it was Brit
ain's object in Greece "not to
end it for a week, but to obtain
a final solution of this business."
traught Miss Barry, who says
Chaplin fathered her 14-months-old
daughter, a handerchief.
The freckled Brooklynite,
who said her child resulted
from a rendezvous with Chap
lin Dec. 23, 1942, burst Into
anguished sobs when Millikan
asked her about a note she had
left in the apartment of Hans
Reusch, a writer.
"That," she said, "was on the
night I was going to kill my
self." The note, previously Intro
duced, said in part: I love
Charles, I can't get him out of
my system."
Oil Man Paid Bills
Questioned only briefly by
her own attorney, Joseph Scott,
before she was turned over to
Millikan for cross examination,
Miss Barry previously admitted
that she had spent a week In
Tulsa, Okla., about- Nov. 15,
1942, and that J. Paul Getty,
the millionaire oil man, had
paid her bills.
Millikan brought up the name
of Lionel Vasco Boninl, a wine
salesman now In the army. She
was alone with him for some
time on Dec. 30, she said, but
knew what she was doing all
the while despite having taken
sleeping pills.
"I can't explain everything,"
she pleaded to Judge Willis at
this point.
Later that night, she said, she
yielded to Chaplin on his living
room rug.
Tribune
Doited Pri Full
1944
Showdown
i NtiH r "s
St. Vith. f
ULLUIUIYl
y " WMW.Ber
f w.. tfrx ,;,,;;,
i LUXEMBOURG v o w
Counter-attacking Germans plunge to Stavelot, 30 miles uutde Belgium,
recapturing the Important base of Malmedy. Other Nasi advances were
made In Luxembourg. Exact progress of enemy drive Is cloaked In sc
our! tv silence. Shaded portions on map Indicate American position!
before nresent counter-assault ooened.
Setback On Western Front
Is Worst Since Philippines
Editor's note: The veil of
away trom tne uerman counter-offensive on the western front,
Here, for the first time, James McGlincy, United Press cor
respondent at supreme allied
full weight and potentialities
sources and front-line die patches.
ICKES REVEALS
REASON JAP BAN
SUDDENLY LIFTED
Washington, Dec. 21.-4U.R)
Secretary of Interior Harold L.
Ickes boasted today that the
executive branch "beat the su
preme court by approximately
24 hours" in revoking orders ex
cluding persons of Japanese an
cestry from the west coast.
Asked at a press conference
why the ban was lifted at this
time, he replied:
"It was time to issue the
order; the Japanese had demon
strated that they were entitled
to their full rights as citizens."
Then he laughed and said
"We wanted to beat the supreme
court to the punch."
The court had before lt two
cases on the exclusion issue, and
on Monday ruled that loyal citi
zens of Japanese descent could
not be further detained after
their loyalty had been establish
ed. The revocation order, how
ever, had been announced the
day before.
WORSTCOLDHITS
PRAIRE STATES
By United Press
The season's worst cold wave
gripped the prairie states from
the Canadian border to the
Texas Panhandle today, usher
ing in the winter season, which
begins officially at 6:15 p.m.
CWT, with temperatures rang
ing from 17 degrees below zero
at International Falls, Minn., to
30 above at Amarillo, Tex.
The cold wave, which is mov
ing across the nation in a south
easterly direction, extended
from the Rocky Mountain area
to the Atlantic coastal states,
with the coldest weather predict
ed for the east tomorrow or Fri
day, the federal weather fore
caster at Chicago said.
Below zero temperatures pre
vailed in the Dakotas, Minne
sota, northern Iowa, northern
Wisconsin and upper Michigan
today, and the coldest weather
of the season was forecast for
Illinois and Indiana tonight.
Jackson County sales te date
In the Sixth War Loan are
"E" Bonds $561,431.25
"I" Quota $600,000
Leased Wire
NO. 231.
Battle
cotociNi
PVMN .
leKwieeew,
A UtKMANT
rum 6'l" .
Kecks
MJIw
id
(Acmt Telephoto)
censorship slowly Is being torn
headquarters In Paris, assesses the
of the nazl effort from official
By James McQllncy
,,UnItert Press Correspondent
f Paris, Dee. 21 KU.fQ This Is
the payoff.
The United States army has
suffered in Belgium and Luxem
bourg its worst setback since the
loss f the Philippines in 1942.
The Germans still are advanc
ing, and their counter-offensive
probably has yet to reach Its
peak '. , ;
- Supreme headquarters ack
nowledges that the situation Is
grave and that it may become a
lot graver before the tide of bat
tle turns.
"We are confident that we are
going to win this battle," an
official spokesman at supreme
headquarters said last night,
"but we are not going to win
lt this week and probably not
next week."
Sea May Be Goal
In the first three days alone,
the Germans penetrated deeper
into Belgium than we have been
able to drive into Germany In
three months. Luxembourg, cap
ital of the Duchy that was
thought secure, already may
have fallen.
The German command has
thrown so much Into its assault
152,000 to 225,000 men and
perhaps as many as 600 tanks
that it may aim to slash through
to the North sea, a development
that might set the allies back
six months.
The troops are the finest In
the German army veterans of
battles on the eastern, southern
and western fronts. Gone are the
old men and young 'boys who
fell back before the first breach
in the Siegfried line.
Dec. 21 Shortest
Day of Year, Sun
Starts Northward
Today, Dec. 21, is the shortest
day of the year. We have nine
hours and seven minutes of pos
sible sunshine compared with
the longest day of the year, June
21, when we have 15 hours and
14 minutes of daylight, accord
ing to the United States weather
bureau. "The shortest day oc
curs when, in the language of
the layman, the sun reaches the
southernmost point, vertically
above the Tropic of Capicorn,
the meterologlst said. Tomorrow
the sun starts Its Journey back
and the days will become grad
ually longer again.
Irate Woman Owns
112 Packs Cigarets
Somervllle, Mass., Dec. 21.
(U.R) When a woman loudly
berated a tobacco store clerk
who told her he had no cigarets,
State Tax Inspector Joseph
Cacclatiore stepped forward to
explain the shortage and discov
ered she already had 112 pack
ages In a shopping bag.
PANZER FORCES 1
KNOCK BIG HOLE ,
IN YANKEE LINE
Main Lateral Highway Sev
ered by Fast Enemy Drlva
Yank Flanks Stabilized
London. Dee. 21 U.R) A -
Transocean News Agency dis
patch quoting German mili
tary sources, said tonight that
six United States divisions had
been "annihilated" In the Bel
gian - Luxembourg offensive. '
They were described as four
infantry and two tank divi
sions. Parts. Dec. 21 U.R) German
armored snearheads hnvn Hrlvi.it
30 miles inside Belgium, su
preme allied headquarters re
ported today, severing the main
lateral Lieee-Arlnn hlahwnv in
a drive which had knocked a
noie of 25 miles or,-more In
American 1st army lines in south,
Belgium and the northern hi
of Luxembourg. ;
ine 5HAEF renort was baaed
on operations up to noon Toes-
dav--48 hours nan. Prnnt rennrftf
and German dispatches indicate
ea mat nazl progress has con
tinued since that time although
the northern shoulder of the 1st
army flank, protecting Liege,
nas stuienea and Malmedy,
Stavelot, and Butgenbacb. are
In American hands.
Flanks Stable
SHAEF reported that both
flanks of the 60-mlle nazl of
fensive front are becoming
stable a favorable factor but
characterized the center which
is pointed for-the Ardennes Gap)
and Sedaa as "still most fluid.
The deepest German penetra
tion reported up to noon Tues
day was at Habiemont, 14 mile '
west of Malmedy and three miles
west of the important Liege-Bastogne-Arlon
highway which.
Is the principal lateral communi
cations rout back,o Jhe central
1st army front. .' ' '
The German high command)
communique said that this high
way was crossed on "a broad
front" and that 20,000 American
prfsoners had been taken. Nazi
tanks were said to have overrun
American supply columns fall
ing back to the Meuse.
SHAEF reported that Field
Marshal Karl Von Rundatedt'a
attack was being directed along
six main directions within the
60-mile front. . -;
- Paratroops Aid
The capture of Habiemont,
SHAEF revealed, was preceded
by a new night attack "by Ger
man paratroops who were drop
ped southwest of the city during
the night of the 18th-19th, pre
sumably with the objective of
setting up roadblocks and harass
ing American efforts to move
up reinforcements. .
Along the east-west line Just
north of Habiemont the 1st army
was erecting a fairly stable
front. It had recaptured Stave
lot, held the nazis outside St.
Vith. While, according to SHAEF
accounts, the 1st was fighting
hard to recapture Malmedy,
fresh front reports asserted Mal
medy never had fallen to the)
nazis.
The situation to the south, In
the eouthern corner of Belgium,
and in Luxembourg itself was
more obscure,
SHAEF reported that Ger
mans had made gains of un
specified nature west of Gons
dorf which is 13 miles from the
city of Luxembourg. There have
been strong Indications for 48
hours that the Germans may
have seized the Luxembourg
capital In their surging panzer
rush.
Gain 13 Miles
SHAEF reported that the nazi
column which crossed the Lux
embourg frontier at Vianden
had penetrated to a point Just
east of Wlltz, a gain of about
13 miles, and seven miles to the
northeast had reached Clerf, five
miles west of the frontier.
At the souther l end of the
nazl drive American forces still
held the Luxembourg border
town of Echternach under severe
nazi pressure.
The American forces at Ech
ternach, SHAEF reported, have
been reached by relief columns
after fighting a desperate battle
against German panzers which
surrounded them.
A second American group la
surrounded In the vicinity of St.
Vith but there was no fresh In
formation on their position.
For the third straight day al
lied air forces were virtually
grounded by bad weather which
held them impotent to Join the
battle against the nazi panzers.
The word "magician" Is de
rived from the "Magi" or Zoro
astrian priests of ancient Iran.