MA
fo)fUl
miui
i
Medford
United Prau
Thirty ninth Year
Foil Athens Plot to
OF
CONFERENCE SPOT
Discovery of Fused Explo
sive Beneath Hotel Made
Shortly Before Gathering
Athem, Dee. 26 (U.R)
Allied and Greek leaden met
today, a few houn after the
thwarting of a possible plot
against Prime Minister Win
ston Churchill by discovery of
a dynamite cache under the
Great Britain hotel, for a mo
mentous conference aimed at
ettling the civil war in
Greece.
Athens, Dee. (?) (U.R) A pos
sible plot to assassinate Prime
Minister Winston Churchill was
thwarted today with the discov
ery of nearly a ton of dynamite
under the Great Britain hotel,
British and Greek government
headquarters, while a confer
ence aimed at ending the Greek
civil war was reported shaping
up.
The dynamite was found in a
sewer under the hotel a few
hours before a planned convoca
tion of British and Greek fac
tional leaders, and the fused
cache was removed.
Greek government s o u f'c e s'
said representatives of all ele
ments of the civil war were in
vited to a conference at which
Churchill and Foreign Secretary
Anthony Eden were expected to
make their supreme bid to iron
out the difficulties which threat
ened the make-up of the British
coalition government.
(An Athens dispatch of the
British Exchange Telegraph said
a car carrying a white flag left
government headquarters at the
Great Britain hotel to fetch
ELAS delegates for the confer
ence.) Two hundred civilians gather
ed near Constitution Square
houting "Churchill" and
"Roosevelt". They dispersed
good naturedly at the request of
police. A ragged column march
ed away behind giant British
and Greek flags.
Themistocles Sophoulis, elder
statesman and liberal party lead
er, said he had been invited
to the conference, but was ask
ing for further details. He said
he did not want to attend a
meeting where the communists
were represented, considering
them rebels with whom negotia
tions were Impossible.
Canned Vegetables On Ration List Again;
Point-Free Meat Rationed After Sunday
Washington, Dec. 26 (U.R)
Warned by Price Chief Chester
Bowles that many of the nation's
food supplies are at the war's
lowest ebb, housewives today be
gan paying out blue points
again for most canned vege
tables and prepared to dole out
red points beginning Sunday for
meat that has been point-free
for many months.
Would-be hoarders were
caught unawares by the sudden
ness of the OPA's move, which
was advanced at least 24 hours
due to premature circulation of
reports that OPA was going to
broaden the food rationing pro
gram. The situation, in brief, is this:
As of last midnight all ration
free vegetables are now back on
the ration list. This includes
asparagus, green and waxed
beans, corn, spinach, and peas.
Asparagus, beans, and spinach
are 10 points and com and peas
20 points for No. 2 cans.
Meat Not Hoarded
Beginning Sunday 85 per cent
of all now ration-free meats will
go back on the ration list. The
OPA was not too worried about
hoarding of meat because it Is
too difficult to keep. Meats in
cluded are utility beef, better
grades and cuts of veal, bacon,
Full Leased Wire
Drama in Chaplin Trial
1 - (Acme TelepholoJ
Joan Barry kisses her 14-month-old child, Carol Ann, before returning to
stand In Los Angeles court to continue the story of her love affair with
Charlie Chaplin, who she claims is the father of the child. This Is the
first time Joan and baby nave appeared together in court.
TUNNEL
TO ESCAPE CAMP
Phoenix, Ariz., . Dee. 28 U.R)
The 25 prisoners of war w h o
broke out ofthe Fapago park In
ternment camp near here Christ
mas eve escaped by way of a
200-foot rock tunnel, it was an
nounced today by Col. William
A. Holden, camp commanding
officer.
Holden disclosed that the
nazis, led by Naval Capt. Jue
regsn Wattenberg, dug their way
under the inclosure fence
through solid rock, emerging
near an irrigation canal.
Only six of the escapees have
been recaptured so far.
Preliminary reports indicated
the Germans including 12
naval officers scattered after
leaving the desert camp. It was
considered likely, however, they
had a definite plan of action,
calling for a flight to Mexico,
about 150 miles due south
through uninhabited desert.
pork shoulders,-spare ribs, beef
and veal liver, some sausages
and meats in tin or glass con
tainers. Point values will range
from one to 13.
All red and blue ration stamps
validated before December 1 are
no longer valid. All sugar
stamps except No. 34 are no
longer valid. A new sugar stamp
will be issued February 1, but
it will be good for five pounds
over a three months period in
stead of the present two and a
half months.
Butter is up from 20 to 24
points.
Necessary Decision
Bowles said the decision had
been "difficult to make" but ne
cessary "because civilian sup
ples of sugar, butter and com
mercially canned fruits and veg
etables are at the lowest point
since the war began and meat
supplies are declining."
"When Americans understand
the facts back of today's action
that prospective supplies are
smaller and that it will help
each one to his his fair share
I am sure tiiey will welcome the
action," Bowles said.
Republicans laid the tight sit
uation to the administration's
failure to apopint a food "czar"
with full power to handle all
MEDFORD, OREGON, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 26,
Assassinate
MIDWEST CHILL
HEADS FOR EAST
By United Press
The cold wave which brought
temperatures as low as 22 de
grees below zero to the midwest
headed eastward today, still in
sub-zero strength.
The Chicago weather bureau
said the cold would diminish
somewhat as it moved east but
that temperatures about five be
low could be expected, particu
larly in parts of Pennsylvania.
Elsewhere in the east, the mer
cury was not expected to rise
far above the era mark.
Meanwhile, the weather bu
reau reported, the midwest will
have "some relief," with tem
peratures rising to about 20 de
grees above zero tomorrow.
The lowest temperature read
ing today was at oRckford, 111.,
where the mercury dipped to 22
below at 7:30 a. m. and then be
gan to rise slowly.
phases of the food Industry, and
indicated they might renew
their fight for such an official
in the new congress.
Customers Rush
Smaller Stores
To Use Stamps
. Small neighborhood grocery
stores enjoyed a rush business
yesterday from customers who
learned the night before that
drastic food ration changes were
being made by OPA. With all
larger food stores closed for
Christmas, the few stores open
were emptied of canned vege
tables, butter, cheese, fish, su
gar, and similar items on which
points were being raised, return
ed or back stamps cancelled.
Today store staffs were be
sieged by customers who want
ed more details and harried
clerks had no official Informa
tion to offer.
At the local war price and ra
tion board it was said that only
meager Information about the
changes had been received in
wires from headquarters and
that official new point charts
would probably be received later
this week.
. f y - '
Churchill
LI
BEFORE JURY FOR
Comedian Expressionless As
Joan Barry Holds Tot Two
Yards From Him in Court
Hollywood, Dec. 26 (U.R)
Whitp-hnlrpri RA-vpnr-nlri pnme-
dian Charlie Chaplin and the
curly-haired, 14-month-old baby
that Joan Barry says is his today
linrfprwpnt n twruminntp apni-
tiny by the jury hearing Miss
carry s paternity suit.
An pvnrpssinnlpsa flhnnlin
stood before the jury box and
Miss Barry held the baby Carol
Ann about two yards from him
whilp. tha tpnlpsmpn tripH tn
see whether there was any facial
resemblance.
The joint appearance of the
two principals in the case, for
which Miss Barry's attorney,
Joseph E. Scott, had been ar
euine since t.h stnrt nf thp trial
came after a conference of at
torneys in Judge Henry M.
Willis chambers. -
Ordered by Court
"The court deems it proper
that you should be given the
opportunity to look at the child
and Mr. Chaplin together,", the
judge told the jury,.. -
Scott recalled Chaplin to the
witness stand to show him pic
tures which the comedian iden
tified as those of his two sons,
who he said were two or two
and a half years old at the time.
Judge Willis sustained an ob
jection by Chaplin's attorney,
Charles E. fPntl Millikan hnn.
ever, when Scott attempted to
introduce ine pictures In evi
dence. '
, Miss Barrv earlier had ifonliwf
under re-direct examination by
bcott, that she ever was intimate
with Hand Reusch, writer whom
ChaDlin's attorneva anirl thv
wanted to bring from New York
to tesmy in their case.
"Did you have anv Intimate
relations or anything else im
proper with Keusch on the night
of December 30 or early on the
morning of December 31?" At
torney Joseph Scott asked.
"No," she answered.
"Did you at any other time?"
he said. "
"No, sir," she answered.
Scott called Miss Barry to the
stand for a hripf ruir.t v.
amination , following hew ap
pearance on tne stand at the
opening of the eighth day of the
trial when Attorney Charles E.
(Pat) Millikan called her back
to continue his cross-examination.
She told the Jury, In answer
to Scott's queries, that she was
intimate with Chaplin four
times durine the month nt rA-
cember, 1942 one the night of
uec. iu, tne night of Dec. 23,
the morning of Dec. 24, and the
night of Dec. 30.
The red-haired former drama
protege of Chaplin was calm as
She took the stnnH nflor a
day Christmas recess wtilch
came just in time to save her
from complete collapse under
the relpntlpee nrnc.ni.nn4l
v.vdrMucavivuiiiK
of Millikan.
BOMBERS ATTACK
London, Dec. 26.-(U.R) Al
lied heavy bombers today at
tacked concentrations of German
troops and armor in the St. Vith
area of Belgium, two rail yards
in the Coblenz area, and rail
road bridges between Coblenz
and Bonn.
Lancaster and Halifax heavy
bombers of the Royal Air Force,
escorted by Spitfires, hit the
Germans in the St. Vith area In
the northern sector of the enemy
salient In Belgium.
American Flying Fortresses
and Liberators earlier bombed
the Rhineland targets handling
traffic for the German forces on
the break-through front.
TttBUNE
OniUd Press FuU
194
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10
The German drive across Belgium, halted for a short time near
Habiemont and Monschau, has again gotten out of hand, according
to today's reports and a Nasi spearhead it within four miles of the
raeuse river line, just east or tne
Southward the enemy smash has
can counterattacks. The U. S. troops have taken high ground three
mues west oi tne L,uxemrourg-tterman frontier.
Norwegians Impatient For
Invasion by Allied Forces
"" London, ifJec. 28 (U.PJ JJor
wegian Prime Minister Johan
Nygaardsvold, broadcasting to
Norway, disclosed tonight that
the "impatient" Norwegian gov
ernment has been urging an al
lied invasion of Norway.
He also , announced that his
government will resign at the
first meeting that can be held
in Oslo palace after the libera
tion of Norway.
Nygaardsvold said Norwegian
forces are too small to Invade
Norway without help, but said
his government realized that al
lied military leaders must de
cide where allied forces can best
be employed to inflict a decisive
defeat on the Germans.
RUSSIANS REACH
London, Dec. 26 (U.R) Mar
shall Fportnr T. Tnlhnkhln'. third
Ukrainian army smashed to the
uanurje northwest of Budapest
today, competing the encircle
ment of the Hungarian capital
Into which soviet assault forces
already were driving.
A soviet high command com
munique tonight announced the
forging of an iron ring around
Budapest, trapping whatever
part of its axis garrison that
failed to flee between tha pinn
ing jaws of the pincers clamped
on me capital.
Annihilate Foe
A battle of annihilation against
the trapped defenders already
had begun. Storm troops of two
soviet armies were battering
through the city's defenses.
Tolbukhin's troops reached
the Danube 21 miles northwest
of Budapest and captured the
town of Esztergom on its right
bank. Across the river were the
troops of Marshal Rodlon Y.
Mallnovsky's second Ukrainian
army who had swung around the
city to the north along the
course of the Danube.
The Moscow communique said
the Russians had captured Lug
Hgct, western suburb of Buda
pest and terminus of the city's
tramway system.
The Russians captured 2,304
prisoners west and southwest of
Budapest yesterday, the soviet
command reported.
VET BENEFIT UPPED
Washnlgton, Dec. 26 (U.R)
Brig. Gen. Frank T. Hines, ad
ministrator of veterans' affairs,
announced today that benefit
payments to veterans who have
lost a leg, arm, or eye during
peacetime will be Increancd from
$18.79 to 926.29 t month.
Leased Wire
NO. 234.
ulich
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GERMANY
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"trance3" Ay
Merxig
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Belgian tortress city ot Ulnant.
faltered under powerful Amerl.
HIGH OFFICERS OF
AIR FORCE LOST
IN TOKYO ATTACK
Headquarters, 21st . Bomber
Command, Saipan, Dec. 4 (U.R)
Col. Byron Ellas Brugge, de
puty commander for operations
and training of the 21st bomber
command, and Col. Richard
Thomas King, Jr., commanding
officer of a Superfortress unit,
failed to return from yesterday's
B-29 raid on the Musashina fac
tory of the Nakajima aircraft
works in Tokyo.
(Editor's note This dispatch
filed by United Press War Cor
respondent Mac R. Johnson on
Saipan, has been held up since
December 4, presumably pend
ing notification of the next of
kin.)
Four other officers and six en
listed men were abroad the Su
perfortress which information
indicated was shot down by Ja
panese fighters over Tokyo.
Brugge, 36, lived at 109-23
87th street. Ozone Park, N. Y.,
and his wife, Madeline Tinker
Brugge and two sons, David and
Stephen, at 2907 Coachman ave
nue, Tampa, Fla.
King, 36, was a native of
Georgetown, S. C, where his
parents now live. His wife.
Clairee Swanson King, lives at
804 V4 Piatt street, Tampa. Fla.
They were the highest-ranking
officers ever lost In the raids
on Japan.
WARD STORE SEIZURE
WAITS ARRANGEMENTS
Washington, Dec. 28 (U.R)
Seizure of Montsomerv Ward A
Co. properties in Detroit for non
compliance with war Labor
Board directives was understood
today to be awaiting completion
of necessary papers for simul
taneous court action against
Sewcll Avery, company board
chairman.
The justice department was
said to be preparing to ask fed
eral courts in Detroit and Chi
cago for temporary orders re
straining Avery and other com
pany officers from interfering
with presidential agents as
signed to operate the stores.
Washington, Dec. 20 (U.R)
The Office of Price Administra
tion announced today that resi
dences in Eugene and all of
Lane county, Ore., will come
under OPA rent control on Jan
uary 1, 1944, as the maximum
rent date.
Hitlerites Pound For Meuse
Despite Air Force Assaults;
Further Gains Are Expected
By J. Edward Murray.
United Press War Correspondent
Paris, Dec. 26. (U.R) Field Marshal Karl von Rumdstedt'a of
fensive, backed by two and possibly three full German field armlet;
advanced west today, despite continuous American air assaults, and
a Nazi spearhead was planted within four miles of the Meuse river
line, just east of the Belgian fortress city of Dinant. '
The most forward points reached by the Nazis were Celles,
four miles east of Dinant, representing a gain of 11 miles from
Rochefort, and Clney, ten miles northwest of Bochefort, about
eight miles from the river Meuse.
An allied military spokesman at supreme headquarters, allied .
European force, said the offensive had been personally planned by
Adolf Hitler and was designed to crush the allied forces In the
west.
EXPECT FURTHER GERMAN GAINS .
He said the initial objective of the Germans was the Meuse river
line and the fortress cities of Liege, Namur and Dinant. The plans
had been thwarted, in measure, he said, but further German gains
must be expected.
Von Rundstedt has hurled the seventh German infantry army
Into his attack and is employing the fifth German panzer army and
possibly a second panzer army.
With the crumbling away of the American positions in the cen
ter ot the German salient the Nazis were pounding hard for the
Meuse river, despite fresh tactical assaults by the ninth air force.
The ninth had flown 325 sorties by noon and destroyed six Ger
man tanks and damaged five. They had also shot down 22 Ger
man fighters with one probable and five damaged. Four American
planes were lost.
HITLER CREDITED
OF
T
By James McGlincy
United Press War Correspondent
Paris, Dec. 26 (U.R) Supreme
headquarters reported today
that Adolf Hitler personally
conceived and planned the pres
ent all-out German offensive
during the rumor -clouded
months when the world was
swamped with reports that he
"Was dead, .gravely 111, ox Insane.
After Hitler had set up the
grand attack now beating at the
approaches of the Meuse line
and the French border region, he
turned over us execution to
Marshal . Karl Von Rundstedt
and the marshal's chief of staff,
Von Westfall, a staff spokesman
said. ... : .
Rumors Hide Plan
The overall nazi strategy was
reported whipped into shape
under cover of the smoke screen
of "Hitler rumors" craftily
thrown up by nazi propagan
dists, the first authoritative ap
praisal of the planning behind
the offensive indicated.
It was an audaciously brilliant
as well as fundamentally simple
operation which Hitler was de
scribed as mapping with the aim
of destroying the allies in the
west.
Already committed to it were
one infantry army, one panzer
army, and possibly a second
panzer army, supreme headquar
ters reported. The immediate ob
jective of the original plan was
me une of the Meuse river as
defined by the great fortress
cities of Liege. Namur and
Dinant.
The original plan was renort-
ed frustrated in its initial phase
Dy me lauure of the Amer rnn
First army to collapse, but more
German gains are to be expect
ed before the full picture of one
of the most confused military
situations of the entire war
emerges.
Third Pair Twins
To Arrive Here In
Month Born Today
Third pair of twins to arrlv
In Medford during the month of
uecember were born this morn
ing to Mr. and Mrs. Leonard
nreve, 738 Oak street. The
twins, both boys, weighed five
and seven pounds. This brings
w uve me number of sons In
the Shreve family, their first
three children being aged nine,
eight and four years. Mr. Shreve
is a salesman for Fluhrer's bak
ery here.
First twins of the month were
a boy and girl born December 4
to Mr. and Mrs. Furman Ever-
nam, oia Mayette street. The
next day twins were born to
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Lowe, S25
uaicoia avenue.
EX-SEN LEE DIES
Norwood, Md., Dec. 26. (U.R)
Former Sen. Blair Lee, for
more than 60 years a power In
Marylan dDemocratlc circles and
the first U. S. senator elected by
popular vote, died at the home
of a son here last night at the
age of 87. Lee, a native of Sil
ver Spring. Md., was elected to
the senate in 1913.
Gain In South
On the southern side of th
German salient, where the
Americans have been throwing
in powerful counterattacks, our
troops registered slight gams,
taking high ground near Eppel
dorf, four and a half miles south
east of Dlekirch and three miles
west of the Luxembourg-German
frontier.
Eighth air force Flyina Fort
resses and Liberators again join
ed uie Dauie, smashing at tha
Nazi supply route and freight
yards along the Rhine.
Flying conditions were not
quite as good as they had been,
but most of the bombing was
done visually.
At supreme headquarters It
was acknowledged that the bat
tle oi tne Meuse already had be
gun, with German tanks and mo
bile Infantry riding Into the ap-
p.uutueB oi jjinani in an 1 1-mile
spurt. - .-.-, ..v.-"
Both the German prongs at
Celles and Ciney ran into allied
troops, and the fight to stop
them short of the Meuse was let
ting under way.
British Join In
(The specification of "nint
troops rather than Americans of
the First army suggested the pos
sibility, which was not clarified
ir the supreme headquarters dis
patch, that elements of the Brit
ish second army had moved
down to join in the battle of Bel
gium). On the outcome of that battle
depended whether the Germans
would read, the first big objec
tive of their winter offensive
the Meuse river line. The possi
bility of their rushing across the
river faded when their original
plan to have paratroopers seize
key bridges was thwarted.
But SHEAF sources conceded
that it would be a major victory
If the Germans -ould extend
their salient to the river line,
giving them a chance to strength
ei their corridor while pausing
fcr the next phase of the of
fensive. CATTLE CEILING
BILL ADVOCATED
Washington, Dec. 26 (U.R)
Rep. Emanuel Celler, D., N. Y.,
calling the cattle bloc "stronger
than the government," said to
day that he will offer a bill In
the new congress to compel the
government to put price ceilings
on cattle.
The office of price administra
tion hearings will be held In Chi
cago on Wednesday and in Kan
sas City on Thursday.
Celler charged that the cattle
bloc "lines its pockets with nice
profits, while retail butchers
must sell at runlous prices."
"Cattle producers and feeders
can no longer remain 'untouch
able as far as the OPA and tha
WFA are concerned," Celler said
in a statement.
SIDE GLANCES
By
TRIBUNE REPORTERS
Editor Moore Hamilton find
ing a long-lost piece of newt
copy In the depths of the family
davenport.
Jack Moran refusing to tell his
age in his phone call to Santa
Claus. '
Jack Meyer inventorying his
new daughter's good points for
the benefit of admiring friends.
Frank R o w e unblushingly
maintaining that he could con
coct wonderful clam chowder.