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Weather
Forecast: Cloudy with occafloa
al rain tonight and Thurtday.
Little change In temperature.
Temp.
Hlfhest yesterday , 42
Lowest this morning 42
Thirty ninth Year
B-29 Bombs
TARGET IN HEAVY
T
Clear Skies Permit Visual
Sighting; 50 to 70 Planes
Engage in Heavy Attack.
21st Bomber Command HQ,
Saipan, Dec. 27 (ELT) (Via
navy radio) (U.R) A sizeable
task force of Superfortresses,
striking at Tokyo for the fifth
time since Thanksgiving, bomb
ed industrial targets in Japan's
capital city beginning t 1:30
p. m. (Saipan time) today,
Axis reports said the force
consisted of 50 to 70 planes.
Reports from early elements
over the target indicated the
huge bombing aircraft were un
loading their explosives . with
visual sighting, indicating the
planes encountered clear weath
er. '
Hit On December 3
The Superforts last hit Tokyo
on December 3 with a strike on
the Musashino plant of the Na
kajima aircraft factory in the
western suburbs of the capital.
(Reports from Washington
suggested that the Musashino
plant again may. have been toe
target today.)
The Superfortress task force
rolled and roared off the long
runways early this morning on
the start of the long and hazard
ous run to dump bombs on the
heart of Japan's industrial em
pire. The Japanese Dome! agency
said that B-29s dropped explos
ive and fire bombs at scattered
points in the Tokyo area shortly
after noon (Tokyo time) today,
but claimed "no effective dam
age" had been done.
"Details of the war results in
flicted against the raiders by
our air and ground resistance
are now being investigated,"
Dome! said.
Another Tokyo broadcast said
downtown Tokyo cheered and
applauded when a B-29 broke
out of formation amid a cluster
of anti-aircraft bursts and "hurt
led" toward the ground.
Hansen's statement disclosed
that the 21st bomber command
had dropped an average of 100,
000 pounds 50 tons of bombs
a day on the Japanese homeland
during the first month of op
erations from Saipan, November
24 to December 24.
japanesTrush
aerial aid for
manila defense
By United Press
Tko .Tnnanese were believed
to have rushed air reinforce
ments from their homeland to
bolster the faltering defenses of
Manila in the Philippines, where
Navy Minister Matsunasi Yonai
told the Japanese diet the "de
cisive battle" in the war would
be fought.
Yonaf- said fierce air battles
were continuing in the Philip
pines and claimed that the
Americans' "persistent opera
tions are concentrated in this
area."
American pilots were meeting
Increasing opposition tn their
almost daily attacks on targets
in and around Manila. Some 50
enemy fighters intercepted an
American raid on Clark Field
Christmas day, but escorting
American fighters shot down at
least 39, and possibly 43 of
them.
A belated dispatch from south
east Asia disclosed that carrier
planes from a British task force
bombed and strafed four Japa
nese bases on the east coast of
Sumatra on Dec. 20. The attack
carried within 40 miles of Singa
pore and drew only token oppo
sition from the enemy,
Medford
United Press
Lady Shoplifter
Gains Knowledge
Chinook, Mont., Dec. 27 U.R
A woman caught shoplifting
in a local store, told the police
Judge that she needed "first
hand knowledge of what hap
pens when a shoplifter is caught
with the goods" for a magazine
story she was writing.
She found out. The judge sen
tenced her to 60 days. '
1
RUSHED TO CITY
FOR MEDICAL AID
Circuit Judge Herbert K. Han
na, seriously ill for the past few
days, is being taken to Portland
this afternoon in the Conger
Morris ambulance where he will
be placed under the care of Dr.
Laurence Selling of that city.
Judge Hanna's Medford physic
ian stated that the judge's con-'
dition was "poor" and since his
illness was not easily diagnosed,
it had been thought advisable to
take him to Portland.
The judge was accompanied
north by his brother, Leon
Hanna, who came up from San
Francisco yesterday, and the
judge's wife. A nurse, Mrs. Rara
Rucker, was a passer.ger in the
ambulance in. order, to caret for.
the patient during the trip north.
The ambulance left shortly after
noon.
Judge Hanna had been under
the doctor's care for several
days. His condition was consid
ered worse Sunday and he was
removed from his home in Jack
sonville to a Medford hospital.
RAIN.lCElOVER
COLD HITS EAST
By United Press
The midwest escaped a freez
ing rain today when the storm
halted its northward course and
began moving to the east.
The rain covered highways
with ice in northern Texas
through Arkansas, Missouri,
Kentucky, and Tennessee, while
the north central states had
snow and rising temperatures.
The Chicago weather bureau
forecast that the snow would
continue early tonight and that
the minimum temperature in the
midwest would be about 20 de
grees above zero.
Sub-zero temperatures hit the
east today as the severest cold
wave of the season arrived there
from the midwest. Lowest read
ing was at Tylertown, Pa., where
the mercury sank to 18 belo.
It was five below at Cleveland.
New York reported 18 above,
Boston 12 above.
SURPRISE ATTACK
Rome, Dec. 27. U.R) The
Germans have launched a sur
prise attack in the western sec
tor of the Fifth Army front,
striking in strength in the Ser
chio valley area, 15 miles inland
from the Ligurian coast, head
quarters announced today.
The attack, made in one oi me
few Italian front areas not
blanketed by snow, was aimed
at the town of Gallicano, a half
mils (mm the Serchio river. A
communique said Americans
were forced to withdraw from
outposts to prepared positions.
The Germans also increased
artillery fire in the central see-
(n. onrl nlnnpa rirnnnerl anti
personnel bombs behind Fifth
Army lines below Bologna.
Eighth army troops, supported
by artillery, ' continued to mop
up German rear guards east of
the Navlglio canal between
eagoacavauo and taenia,
Full Leased Wire
MEDFORD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBT ffi, 1944
Smash
REDS IN EFFORT
TO S P L IT NAZIS'
Germans Blowing Up Am
munition Dumps, Setting
Fire to Railway Yards.
Moscow, Dec. 27. (U.R) Rus
sian tanks and infantry stabbed
into the heart of flaming Buda,
western half of Budapest, today
in an attempt to reach the Dan
ube and split the encircled
enemy garrison.
. A front dispatch to the govern
ment newspaper Izvestia said
the Germans were blowing up
ammunition dumps and dyna
miting and setting fire to rail
way yards, public buildings and
private dwellings as they slowly
gave ground under the powerful
Soviet assault.
Great columns of smoke were
rising over the apparently doom
ed Hungarian capital, Izvestia
said. Red army forces were said
to have captured a trainload of
German officials attempting to
flee to the reich.
- The bloody battle inside Buda,
that part of the capital lying on
the west bank of the Danube, ap
peared to be developing on the
Stalingrad pattern.. .All govern-,
men t. buildings ere in Buda.
- German regiments believed to
be among the best in the wehr
macht were entrenching them
selves in the ruins of the city's
stone houses and the process of
cleaning up Buda may be diffi
cult and protracted unelss a sud
den collapse comes.
A Soviet breakthrough to the
Danube, however, would split
tne garrison and conceivably
hasten its annihilation.
Field reports said the Rus
sians were stepping up the in
tensity and height of their at
tacks in Buda almost hourly.
Siege guns were being brought
up in a solid ring around the
city, ready to pound it to pieces
unless the enemy surrenders.
Red air force planes maintain
ed a constant air umbrella over
Budapest and pilots reported the
squares appeared deserted ex
cept for occasional Germans
scurrying from building to
building. German gun batteries
were said to have been mounted
in the city's parks.
FIRING SQUADS KILL
GESTAPO RINGLEADERS
Paris, Dec. 27. (U.R) Three
firing squads today executed
eight ringleaders of the notori
ous French gestapo, which en
gaged in wholesale treason, tor
ture, murder, and embezzlement
during the German occupation
of France. '
The bloody machinations of
the Gestapo were bared early
this month in a trial of its lead
ers. Buffalo, Dec. 27 (U.R) The
navy department today notified
the Fairview Athletic club that
Gus Lesnevich, light-heavy
weight champion now a coast
guardsman, had been forbidden
to fight his scheduled 10-round
non-title bout with Phil Muscato
here tonight.
Doctor Doubtful Charlie Chaplin
Father of Joan Barry's Baby Girl
Hollywood, Dec. 27 (U.R)
One of three doctors who tested
a drop of blood from the arm of
Charlie Chaplin and a like sam
ple from Joan Barry's baby
Carol Ann, today testified he
believed the British comedian
could not possibly be the little
girl's father.
After droning on for nearly
an hour about red cells and
such, Dr. Newton Evans woke
up the court with the point of
his testimony
"I reached the conclusion,"
he said, that the test showed it
was impossible that Mr. Chaplin
be the father of the child, as
suming that Miss Barry was the
mother."
. Nobody was arguing the lat
Tokyo
GREEK LEFTISTS
BREAK TRUCE AS
ELAS Fire on Warships and
Naval Installations at
Piraeus; Churchill Warns.
Athens, Dec. 27 (U.R) The
second session of a Greek
peace conference broke up late
today with representatives of
Premier George Papandraou's
government professing indig
nation at settlement terms pro
posed by the leftist ELAS del
egates. Athens, Dec. 27 (U.R) Greek
factional leaders today resumed
their peace conference called by
Prime Minister Winston Church
ill under a semi'truce which
ELAS armed forces broke by
firing on warships and naval in
stallations at Piraeus.
Exhorted by Churchill to
cease their civil war and estab
lish a coalition government, the
Greek delegates met for the sec-,
ond session of the conference
after an order to cease fire for
45 minutes along certain streets
permitted ELAS representatives
to enter central Athens.
T 7 Alternative' Told"
Churchill warned that If the
rebels fail to come to terms,
Britain ' will feel bound to aid
Premier George Papandreou's
government in "rescuing Athens
from anarchy and the miserable
conditions now prevailing."
Authorities announced that
10 minutes after the beginning
of the semi-truce incident to the
conference yesterday, ELAS
guns hurled two 75-Millimeter
shells into Piraeus. One landed
near the navy House and the
second in the harbor between
the house and a warship.
The British had agreed to re
frain from air attacks to enable
ELAS delegates to go safely to
the conference site. (Where the
conferees were meeting was not
disclosed, but it appeared to be
in the Great Britain hotel, head
quarters of the British and
Greek government.)
REVEAL NAME OF
LOST DESTROYER
Washington, Dec. 27 (U.R)
The navy today identified as the
2,200-ton Cooper a destroyer re
cently anounced as lost off Or
moc, Leyte, and also announced
the loss of a landing craft the
LSM-20 In the same waters.
Both skippers, Cmdr. Mell A.
Peterson of the Cooper, and Lt.
John R. Bradley of the LSM-20
survived, but Bradley was
wounded, the navy said.
Casualties were not announc
ed. Normal complement of the
Cooper is about 275 men and of
the landing craft, 52
These losses raised to 238 the
total of U. S. naval craft lost in
this war.
ter point.
Lapsing into technical talk,
he said Chaplin was in blood
group "P". Miss Barry was in
group "A", and the baby was in
"BE."
Gist of the rest of his learned
discourse was that an "A" and
a "P" never make a "B." Neith
er "A" nor "B" cells can occur
in a child whose parents lacked
such cells, he said. Therefore,
the babys father must have been
a "B."
Opposing attorneys had ar
gued for several minutes with
the jury out of the room over
admissibility of the medical tes
timony before Superior Judge
Henry M. Willis ruled that it
could be beard.
'. , . vv . v ' :
1 (Acmm Radio-TeUphotoi
In this photo taken from a roll of captured German film, Nazi troops advance during heavy fighting In bit
terly contested break-through Into Beliium. German drive that threatened entire left flank of Allied
western front, ha s been stopped.
Sale of American Gas and Cigarettes
Stamped Out In Paris Black Markets
Paris, Dec. 27 (U.R) A "wave
of black market operations
which threatened to disrupt
American army economy early
this month has been brought
"definitely under control" by
the army, the judge advocate
general's office said today.
As a result, black market of
fenses tiave comprised the small
est percentage of all crimes
brought before the four courts
martial in Paris during the past
week. '
Flourished For Tim
A spokesman acknowledged
Jackson county has over-sub
scribed its quota for the Sixth
War Loan by nearly 59 per cent,
according to an announcement
today by Eugene Thorndike,
chairman for the drive here.
Although final figures are not
yet available it appears now that
this sum is not too optimistic.
Thorndike said.
A special tribute to out-of-
town organizations with local
representation for their gener
ous support of the recently com
pleted drive was voiced by the
chairman. Among the concerns
cited were: Tide Water Associ
ated Oil company , Pittsburgh
Plate Glass, American Fruit
Growers, Inc., Standard Oil
Company of California, Mont
gomery Ward tt Company, The
Oliver Corporation, Karl's Shoe
Stores, Ltd., -Medford Corpora
tion, Southern Pacific company
Pacific Portland Cement com
pany, M. E. Newton, Gilmore
Oil company and the Texas
company.
Further commendation was
paid to F. W. Woolworth, J. W
Copeland, Trowbridge & Flynn,
Pacific Gamble Robinson, Paci
fic Greyhound Lines, Shell Oil
company, W. P. Fuller company.
General Petroleum Corporation
of California, Union Oil Com
pany of California, Zellcrbach
Paper Corporation, Equitable
Savings & Loan association.
Richfield Oil company, United
Air Lines, Trust Investment Co.,
Pacific Telephone & Telegraph
company, American Telephone
& Telegraph company, Foster &
Kleiscr, Firestone company and
Western Auto Supply company.
Portions of War Bond invest
ments of these companies were
allocated to their representatives
In the county and were credited
to the quota here.
Chairman Thorndike also laud
ed the Junior Chamber of Com
merce here, the granges and a
host of volunteer workers for
their local efforts during the
Sixth War Loan. Tribute was
also paid to merchants of this
community for their generous
assistance In advertising the
driva.
WAR BOND QUOTA
Tribune
United Press Full
Nazis Jam Roads in Break-Through
.-'A ff J . jNfc .
that illicit sales of American
gasoline and cigarettes were
flourishing in Paris early in De
cember, but he credited stiff life
sentences imposed on convicted
offenders with successfully curb
ing the abuses.
"We are only picking up two
or three suspects daily now com
pared with- -many-Himes- that
number three weeks ago," the
spokesman sald.
Deputy Judge Advocate Gen
eral Lt. Col. K. G. Avery said
the surest proof that the Paris
black market wave.was subsid
ing was the fact that army un
dercover operatives report mar
ket prices of Illicit goods were
ballooning.
"The price naturally goes up
when there are less such gooas
on the market," he said, "and
in the past week the price of
cigarettes jumped from 60
francs a pack to 150, ($3), while
gasoline which a few weeks ago
brought 500 francs per five-gal
lon can now costs 850.
French Cooperate
In view of the fact hundreds
of French civilians were involv
ed behind the scenes, the French
police cooperated with the army
in gaining control of tne situa
tion. The stiffest sentences included
life terms for gasoline theft and
BIG JAP CARRIER,
26 OTHER SHIPS
.S.
Washington, Dec. 27. U.R
A lorfTa .lannnitip ntrprnft car
rier and 26 other enemy vessels
have been sunk by u. a. sud
marines in their mounting offen
sive against enemy sea power,
secretary oi avy jamcs mr
riwfnl announced todav.
These latest sinkings included
vpn enemv combat shlDS in all.
This latest haul raised to 1000
the total of Japanese ships sunk,
probably sunk, and damaged by
the U. S. underscas fleet.
Forrestal said that the total
nt TT S ftiihmnrtnpV anrnpRKeH In
iVta nnHflp mwri tha nlnkinff of
more than 3,500,000 tons of Jap
anese shipping.
Beside the aircraft carrier, the
other enemy combat ships sent
to the bottoni recently were a
converted light cruiser, a de
stroyer, two destroyer trans
ports, and two escort vessels.
The rest of the ships included
two large transports, 1U medium
vnnl three small carao
ships, a small transport, two me-
dium cargo transports Bna two
medium tanners.
NO PAPER MONDAY
Following long-established
custom the Mail Tribune will
not publish on Monday, New
Year's day, In order to permit
employes to enjoy the holiday
in their homes.
Leased Wire
NO. 235.
10 years for large-scale cigarette
vending.
The judge advocate's office
also acknowledged that there
had been widespread reports of
a black market in currency
with the French paying Ameri
cans to send their money to the
U. S. for safekeeping, but an of
ficer said thls-was virtually im
possible in view of army mail
censorship and the $100-limit on
GI money orders.
UNIONISTS STAGE
WARD CO. STORE
Detroit. Dec. 27. (U.R) A
crowd of alleged store workers'
union members smashed show
cases, overturned counters and
trampled merchandise displays
at Montgomery Ward and Com
pany's Dearborn store today in
a.i outbreak of violence which a
labor leader charged was insti
gated by "Imported strike break
ers." Two persons who, Dearborn
police said, led an estimated 75
union members into the store
and during a 15-mlnute rampage
through Its first floor aisles were
arrested on charges of malicious
destruction of property.
Police Identified the arrested
ring-leaders as Stanley Bukow
sky, 45, Detroit, and William E.
Smith, 32, Dearborn. Police said
that neither had been a Ward
employe, but that they were
members of either the striking
union or the United Automobile
Workers' Union (CIO), which has
been actively supporting the
Ward walkout.
The store management said
that no estimate of damage
would be available until an in
ventory is taken.
Roy Scoggins, Michigan di
rector of the striking United Re
tail, Warehouse and Department
Store Employes (CIO) union, de
clared that the disturbance be
gan when "company imported
strikebreakers attempted to in
terfere with our members who
went into the store for a peace
ful demonstration."
VICTOR LEHMAN HOME
FOR THIRTY DAY LEAVE
A survivor of the "Ellhu
Thompson," merchant ship
which sank in the South Pacific
last fall after striking a mine,
Victor Lehman, GM 3c, is in
Medford to spend a 30-day leave
with his parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Roy Lehman, route 4. Lehman
will report to Treasure Island
upon expiration of his leave.
Lehman has been in the serv
ice two and one-half years and
was last home In March of 1944
Newell, Cal., Dec.27 (U.R)
Seventy Japanese men from
Tule Lake segregation center
were transferred today to the
repartment of justice center for
enemy aliens at Santa Fe, N. M.,
fnllnwintf thair rpniinpiniinn r9
' American citizenship.
I)
f
YANKS RECAPTURE
TOWN OF CELLES;
AIR FORCE HELPS
Clear Skies Enables Heavy
Toll of German Transport
and Armored Eqquipment
London, Dae. 27 (U.R) Tha
Brussels radio reported today
without immediate confirma
tion in an authoritative source
that an American relief col.
umn has broken through tha
German ring around Baitogne
and linked up with the dough
boy defenders of the Belgian
road center.
Paris, Dec. 27. (U.R) Ameri
can forces today jabbed tha
Nazis to a halt four miles east
of the Meuse, recapturing the
town of Celles, and front report
said the American drive into the
southern flank of the German -salient
was "making excellent
headway."
No notable changes of position
were reported but the Germans
were still probing and punching
along the north flank of their
salient from Stavelot to Marche, .
apparently hunting a soft spot
where they could renew their
northwestward thrusts toward
Liege and Namur.
Weather Aids
The weather was again bright
and clear, allowing the Ameri
can air power to turn out in
force, and take a deadly toll of
German armor and transport.
The first allied airborne army
announced that hundreds of ton
of supplies, mostly ammunition,
have been dropped to the power
ful American force holding out
at Bastogne, a Belgian highway
center, which has been under
German attacks for a week.
Paratroops were landed first
In the area to mark out landing
zones, then the supplies rained
down.
Three Towns Taken
No specific report was : re; -
leased on the progress of the
strong American relief column
which has narrowed the gap that
separates them from Bastogne
to less than five miles. However,
John McDermott, United Press
war correspondent with the
American first army reported
that, "at least three towns have
been taken by the Americans"
in this vicinity. In the northern
first army area, he reports, at
least one town was recaptured
from the Germans.
Two night armored engage
ments were fought In the vicin
ity of Celles, which lies four
miles east of the Meuse and due
east of Dlnant.
In one of these battles the
Americans knocked out 12 Ger
man tanks and two self-propelled
guns and at another seven
Mar-5's, one Mar-4, three half
tracks, three armored cars, ten
trucks and two antitank guns.
Transport Trouble
Evidence of German supply
difficulties In the Celles area,
their point of deepest penetra
tion about 50 miles from the
Belgian frontier, was uncovered.
About a dozen tanks and self
propelled guns were found aban
doned by the Germans because
they had run out of gasoline.
Five more, also out of gasoline,
were found elsewhere on the
front, an indication that the
American air assaults were bit
ing into Field Marshal Karl von
Rundstcdt's supply lines.
By noon today the American
ninth air force had flown more
than 30 sorties, blasting 40 tanks
and armored vehicles and 158
motor transports. Five' German
planes were shot down and flv
damaged with a loss of three
U. S. planes.
While the whole picture was .
regarded as measurably brighter
today, military observers cau
tioned that there was every Indi
cation that Von Rundstedt was
preparing to hurl powerful new
blows at our lines.
The Americans were fighting
in really bitter cold.
TRENCH FOOT LICKED
Washington, Dec. 27 (U.R)
The army announced today that
after a vigorous campaign of
educational and preventive
measures it had brought under
control "one of war's most
dreaded crlpplers of men
trench foot."
Radio Highlights
A special program by the
Shrine's Islam temple band.
Chanters and children in the
Shrine's hospital for crippled
children at San Francisco, will
be broadcast tonight from 9:45
to 10:45 o'clock over KMED.
A special Red Cross program
will be given from 6 to 6:30
p. m, Dec 33, ever CBS station.
V