Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, December 29, 1944, Image 1

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Medford mail tribune., December 29, 1944, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextNose of Nazi Spearhead Pushed Back 15 Miles by Yanks Weather forecast: Bhowen t o n 1 ff h t. Clearing and colder Saturday. Temp. HI ft) t yeitercUy - 4t Low tit thia morning mi, it Thirty ninth Year. Japs Scent New Philippine Invasion BIG YANK CONVOY IN MINDANAO SEA .30 Transports and 20 War ships Reported Westward Bound; Honshu Bombed. By United Press Tokyo disclosed new Amer ican aerial assaults on the Japa nese home island of Honshu to day and reported that a big American convoy of 30 trans ports and more than 20 cruisers and destroyers was sailing west ward through Mindanao sea, pos sibly for a new invasion in the Philippines. An enemy broadcast said un designated American planes were raiding the south-central section of Honshu, site of the large in dustrial cities of Kobe and Osa ka, in the wake of three attacks on the same area by single B-29 Superfortresses from bases in the Marianas. Two Raids The Japanese claimed that two of the raids were made on the "eastern sector of the capital," but did not specify whether Tokyo itself was hit. Reported presence of the American convoy in Mindanao sea following recent Japanese speculation that Gen. Douglas MacArthur was getting ready for amphibious landing operations against 'Luzon, principal island of the Philippines. A Tokyo communique claimed that Japanese planes had sunk six large American transports and heavily damaged two others in attacks yesterday. While the Japanese were growing uneasy over the U. S. sea and air assaults, Vice-Adm. Marc A. Mltscher, former .com mander of task force 58, pre dicted at Pearl Harbor that the Japanese fleet would be liqui dated in 1945 "if the present rate of attrition is maintained." Jap Unease Growl "By next summer, the Japs will be sitting on a decidedly un easy seat, in their empire," Mitscher said in his first inter view since returning from Wash ington to Pearl Harbor for a new but secret assignment. Operations in the Philippines went into a temporary lull, with U. S. troops continuing to mop up northwest Leyte. An addition al 912 enemy dead and 16 pris oners were counted Wednesday. There was neither ground nor air activity on Mindoro. The Japanese reported that 10 Lightning and Warhawk fight ers bombed and strafed the sub urbs of Hanoi, capital of French Indo-China for a half-hour yes terday, but claimed only "in significant damage" was caused. FIVE INCHES SNOW IN REGION OF FISH LAKE Five inches of snow fell yes terday and last night at Fish Lake, a telephone report to the Medford Irrigation district of fice here said. This is a sign of possible heavier falls in the higher regions, according to Manager Ed Judd. Fish Lake and Four Mile Lake are the main ir rigation sources of this district. Both flanks of floxy Ann were snow covered today, as were the neighboring foothills, and snow fell in the Siskiyous and the Upper Applegate country. Auto ists were warned to use chains over the Siskiyous as the high way is slippery. SIDE GLANCES B? TRIBUNE REPORTERS The Rev. Harry Hansen un able to account for one day lost out of his reckoning for the week. . Harold Brown explaining the lack of garages on some of his far-flung rentals. The genial P. M. DeSouza giv ing a new reporter a bum steer. Walt and Betty Allen solemn ly asserting they like their hew home. Myrtle Point. Happy New Year, readers (both of you). Medford United Pr TWO U.S. ARMY HOSPITALS BOMBED BY NAZI PLANES Br United Pins Dispatches from the western front today reported that German planes had bombed two American army hospitals, one in north eastern France and the other in Belgium. Both hospitals were marked plainly with Red Crosses, the dis patches said. The crosses on the one in France had been painted by the Germans themselves when they used the same buildings for a hospital during their occupation of that area. American casualties were caused at both hospitals. In the Belgian bombing, the bombs landed on a brick build ing between two big red crosses, burying patients, doctors and nurses under tons of debris. A nearby ambulance from another field hospital was bombed while evacuating battlefront casualties. - The bombing was carried out by two German JU-88's at high altitude on a day when visibility The fact the enemy planes tried twice previously and scored near misses was vlawedby hospital attaches as definite evidence the Germans vyere going all-out in ruthless warfare. This type of warfare during the present offensive already has brought the mas sacre of captured American soldiers and the murder of women, old men and children in captured towns, SOLDIERS ADMIT SALE OF TOBACCO ON BLACK MARKET Paris, Dec. 29 (U.R) .T w o hundred enlisted men and two officers who were arrested by the army's criminal investiga tion department in late Novem ber and early December have confessed receiving more than $200,000 from the sale of stolen American cigarets in the black market, the army disclosed to day. Ma). Gen. Milton A. Reckord, provost marshal for the Europ ean theater, termed the viola tions the worst kind of sabotage and disloyalty. The offenders, he said, would receive .the stiff est possible sen tences in line with army policy which has brought earlier flour ishing black market traffic un der control in Paris. Operations of the arrested men, however, Reckord said, constituted "only a minute frac tion!' of the traffic which early this month caused widespread cigaret shortages on the front and in rear areas and made American cigarets available in most Paris bars, cafes and hotels. Among those arrested, Reck ord revealed, were a few "small time Chicago racketeers," but the majority were simply ordi nary American youths "who succumbed to the temptation for easy money." BY POCKET VETO Washington, Dec. 29 U.R) President Roosevelt today killed by "pocket veto" the bill to abol ish the . 221,610-acre Jackson Hole National Monument in Wyoming. He said abolition of the monument would deprive the the people of the benefit of an area of national significance from the standpoint of naturalis tic, historic, scientific and rec reational values. In a statement Issued at the White House, Mr. Roosevelt said he recognized the seriousness of the tax problem facing Teton county, Wyo., through the, re moval of lands within the monu ment boundaries from the tax books. COOS BAY VOTERS FOR RETAINING NEW NAME Coos Bay, Ore., Dec. 29 (U.R) Map makers were happy to day the new name of Coos Bay for Marshfleld Is going to stay Coos Bay. The newest election followed a lengthy controversy over name changing in the Coos Bay area. An original merger plan for Marshfield and North Bend un der the Coos Bay name was de feated, then Marshfield by it self changed over to Coos Bay at the general election Nov, 7. Petitioners asked the city coun cil to hold one more election, and the count was 684 for re taining the new name and 583 against. full LHHd Wire MEDFORD, was perfect. .. New Schedules On Withholding Taxes Effective Monday Washington, Dec. 29. (U.R) The bureau of internal revenue today reminded employers and employes that new withholding tax schedules will be effective on all wages and salaries paid on or after Jan. 1, regardless of the pay period covered. Under the new set-up, some taxpayers will find more with held from their pay, some will find less and some will find no change. . The Individual's full year tax bill as finally computed will be the same-as heretofore, but there will be less difference than at present between what has been withheld and the amount finally determined as due. The lessening of this disparity will mean that there will be few er adjustments at the end of the tax year. Yank Soldiers of Jap Ancestry Are Praised By Ickes Washington, Dee. 29. (U.R) secretary of Interior Harold L. Ickes said today that American soldiers of Japanese ancestry had 'fashioned a magnificent record of service" and told them that "all good Americans are proud of you " He said their fighting record demonstrated "that Americanism is not a matter of race or an cestry." Ickes went on to say that the recent removal of west coast Ja panese exclusion orders was a well-earned recognition of the evacuees' loyalty "in the severest test that any group of Americans has ever had to face." BROADCASTING SAID TO BE SERVICE TO PUBLIC Washington, Dec. 29 (U.R) Chairman Burton K. Wheeler, D., Mont., of the senate inter state commerce committee said today that any new radio regula tory legislation should be based on the principle that broadcast ing is a public service supported by advertising and not primarily an advertising medium. The public service theory, he said in an interview, is "what the people want and what con gress should insist upon." LESS LENDLEASE Washington, Dec. 29. (U.R) The War Food Administration reported today that lend-lease food deliveries during November dropped one-third below October and were less than half the ship ments during November of last year. The November deliveries totaled 467,500,000 pounds com pared with 1,015,900,000 pounds in November last year. TRAGIC CRASH Sacramento, Dec. 29 U.R) Don Mayo Ellis, 28, of Wapato, Wash., was killed Instantly and his wife, 26, died en route to a hospital following a collision of two cars near Lincoln, 25 miles north of Sacramento. JAP SUB "FATHER" DIES London, Dec. 29 (U.R) The German Transocean news agency reported in a Tokyo dispatch to day that Adm. Nobumasa Suet sugu, known as the father of the Japanese submarine force, died today. No details were given. OREGON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1944 OF LEGISLATURE Speedy Organization, Atten tion to War-time Duty Ex pected; Most Posts Filled. Salem, Ore., Dec. 29 (U.R) Oregon's state legislators are ex pecting to settle down rapidly to a serious war-time session after disposing of the preliminary or ganization, when they meet for the 1945 biennial session. The posts of president of the senate and speaker of the house are virtually assured to Howard Belton, Canby farmer, and Eu gene Marsh, McMinnvllle, re spectively. They are expected to be named at a legislative caucus the day before the ses sion opens. W. 'F. (Fred) Drager, who has held the position of chief clerk of the house of representatives for many years, will open the session, but will be unable to continue the work past the first day. He is now. In war work in Portland. Two Candidate's Chief candidates to succeed Drager are Romeo Goulet and Clarlbel Buff, both of Salem. Goulet is a former representa tive from Marion county. Mrs. Buff was Drager's stenographer during several sessions. ,. Three other of the important house clerk positions are ex pected to go to those who held them last year. They are Patricia Sylvers, Eugene, assistant chief clerk; Edith Bynon Low, Ban don, calendar clerk, and Rich ard Wilson, Salem, reading clerk. Mrs. Zylpha Burns, Portland, seems to be assured of re-election to the post of chief clerk of the senate. Two persons are seeking the job of assistant chief clerk, to succeed Mrs. Elizabeth Glatt, Portland, who has re tired. They are Mrs. Nettle Spalding, Salem, and Miss Gene vieve Cooper, Portland. The job of senate calendar clerk is ex pected to go to Pearl Schaeffer, Portland, while Gordon Barnard, Enterprise, seems assured of the reading clerk's position. He took the job during the 1943 session when Elbert Bede, Portland, had to retire because of ill health. JAP MORALE DIPS Moscow, Dec. 29 (U.R) The government newspaper Izvestia, in a review of the situation in Japan, reported today a marked deterioration in public morale and the political setup as a re sult of Japanese defeats by the American armed forces and Superfortress attacks on Tokyo. Izvestia said Japanese news papers now are calling upon the government to restore civil right. As an example, it said the Asahi recently insisted that the government "renew and re organize various organs In order to guarantee freedom of the press and freedom of speech, and thus provide effective na tional unity." "The time to lecture the peo ple on the national crisis Is past," the newspaper Mainlchi was quoted. "The people don't want to listen to such lectures." MORE HIGHWAY FUNDS WANTED BY COUNTIES Salem, Ore., Dec. 29 (U.R) A bill which would provide that the counties of Oregon would receive 20 per cent of the State Highway Commission road funds, with a minimum of $2, 800,000 yearly, will be Intro duced to the 1945 legislature, the Oregon County Judges ex ecutive committee voted at a meeting here. The counties at present get 15.7 per cent, with a minimum of $2,000,000. Sacramento, Calif., Dec. 29 (U.R) Robert A. Hclnze, second oldest employe of the state prison system, was appointed warden of Foltom prison last night by Gov. Earl Warren. TO ARMY OFFICERS Company Says Records Are Available if Federal Men Wish to Inspect. Chicago. Dk SB Aim Montgomery Ward . and Com pany reiusea toaay to turn over its books to the army officers named bv the ffnvprnm.nt in operate the company's facilities in seven ciues under a preslden trial seizure order. H. L. Pearson. vIpa nrocMunt and treasurer of the wholesale ana retail store firm, said he woiua not give up the books, at least not until he hart tallreri n Sewell Avery, militant chair man or tne board of directors, who has challenged the govern ment's rieht In tnlca n" hs plants. Simultaneously, at a court hearing, attorney for the company said the firm would not compjy witn any mandatory orders for turning over the books but added that they were accessible if the government representatives wanted to come in and' look at them. No Eviction Meanwhile, at Washington Attorney General Biddle said there would be no attempt to evict Avery forcibly. Biddle said Avery was "per fectly harmless.", and -.when ask ed why he . was less harmless now than a few months ago when he was carried out, the attorney general added: "He always was harnless. I guess we are following a new technique this time." Avery had said earlier that the only way the government could keep him from the com pany's Chicago headquarters would be to throw him out or "fence" him out . Portland, Ore., Dee. 29 (U.R) Assurances of cooperation from union officials and man agement heads today produced "business as usual" conditions at the Portland branch of Mont gomery Ward & Co., seized by the army yesterday along with Ward properties in other major cities. Army officers will be on duty at the Portland plant 24 hours daily but the company officials will be in their usual capacities and the only evidence of the seizure were sentries at the en trance and notices on the doors. MILWAUKEE IS FIRST TO REACH WAR BOND QUOTA Washington, Dec. 29 (U.R) Milwaukee is the first among eight competing metropolitan centers to attain 100 per cent of its Sixth War Loan E Bond drive quota, the treasury reported to day. The competition will continue until final figures for the Sixth War Loan are issued after New Years. Ickes Disgruntled By F.D.Rs Policies May Quit, Says PM Washington, Dec. 29. (U.R) The newspaper PM reports edi torially that Secretary of Inter ior Harold L. Ickes' is so dis tressed, by some of President Roosevelt's policies that he may resign from the cabinet if the situation fails to change. The report states, specifically, that Ickes considers himself "muzzled", by . the state depart ment and therefore has been compelled to decline an Invita tion publicly .to. denounce the Spanish government of General issimo Francisco Franco at a Madison Square Garden rally to be held next week This rally is being organized to sponsor a demand for a break in diplomatic relations with Madrid. In response to a United Press Inquiry whether he had been in vited to speak at the anti-Franco rally, Ickes replied. "I have been invited and if I were not holding an official position I would be glad to co up and say what I ns Full Our Turn HAHiiT TJnethTS T Uuvolii maajtricht -t Sr. Trend Tenant j Etckwtllirf ' Wovre AACNlhi iMIin Hmtol L yl yf Ironist. Molmd7'f V.ndrei.. VC0rl9n0V .Vlrtoi. "" o .'oM'"V i'o FRANCE Jf American counter-blows nip off Up of German drive toward Meuse, en circle a panzer lorco between Celles and Rockelort, while to southeast Third Army drives Into fiastogne to rescue Americana and score other (ami in flank. Germans are revealed holding Echternach. Attorney Denounces Chaplin As Liar. Despoiler of Women Hollywood, Dec. 29 (U.R) In as lashing a denunciation as has ever been aired In a courtroom, 77-year-old Joseph Scott today assured jurors that Charlie Chap lin : was the father of - Joan Barry's baby and a reptile, a runt, a cockneyed cad, a liar, a Svengali, and a despoiler of women in the bargain. - Hammering away at his final argument In the movie struck red-head's paternity case with a torrent of oratory that echoed down the long corrldars of the OFFICES, STORES In observance of New Year's Day almost all places of busi ness In Medford will be closed Monday. The county courthouse, city offices and banks will be closed as well as most shops. Some federal offices, Including the Rogue River National Forest service and the Crater Lake Na tional Park service, are required to remain open for business un der a wartime ruling, the only holiday for the year being Christmas. There will be no Is sue of the Mail Tribune. Celebrations are planned by lodges and churches for New Year's Eve and Monday, and the annual New Year's Eve party of the Elks lodge, for Elks only, will be held at the temple Sat urday night. Many dinners and other gatherings will be held in valley homes Sunday ana Mon day. have thought for some time about that gentleman. But in view of my official position, I have declined." PM does not suggest that the state department actually Inter fered with any address Ickes had prepared, or that he even had sought its advice. The implica tion is that Ickes took one look at the men placed in charge of the state department by Mr Roosevelt since the election and decided it would be futile to ex pect them to approve what he would like to fay about Franco. Ickes was one of the new deal stalwarts frustrated when Presi dent Roosevelt gently balked at accepting Vice-President Henry A. Wallace as his 1944 running mate. His unhappiness and that of many other top flight ad ministration supporters was .In creased when Mr. Roosevelt nominated to high state depart ment office a number of men who did not even claim to be new dealers. 6UNE Leassd Wire NO. 237. to Attack hall of Justice, Scott stormed, stomped, and spat as he told the awestruck seven women and five men of the jury that Chaplin was ji genius with a lousy mem ory, while Miss Barry, although uncommonly pretty, was a girl of very limited intelligence and could not possibly have made up her story. Chaplin, he said, was a strut ting tin god to whom intimacy with a woman meant no more than a plate of ham and eggs to anyone else. "Sex," Scott lisped . as he minced before the Jury box in sarcastic mimicry of Chaplin. "is not that important In my life." "It happens so often with so many different people." "All this girl wanted was for this man to give the child a name . . .'please . . . please , please," he wept as he swept from rage to tears. With Scott's argument con cluded, Defense Attorney Charles E. MilUkan will begin his final argument Tuesday Then comes rebuttal. Not before Wednesday will the jurors get a chance to decide whether Chaplin is the father of baby Carol Ann, Scott said. SLIGHTLY BETTER Slight Improvement In the condition of Judge Herbert K Hanna, a patient in St. Vln cent's hospital, Portland, was re ported this atternoon from that city. A wire dispatch from United Press stated "condition Judge Hanna very slightly im proved, but . remains seriously ill. Doctor has some hope." Judge Hanna, presiding judge of circuit court in this district, was taken to the Portland hos pital Wednesday after having been a patient In a Medford hos pital since Sunday and was placed under the care of Dr. Laurence Selling there. One Case Typhoid On Health Report One case of typhoid fever. In Ashland, and two cases of scar let fever, both In the Prospect area, were reported to the coun ty health officer during the week ending December 22, the weekly report shows. Other diseases reported were two cases of measles, one In Prospect and one in Medford three cases of pneumonia, two In Medford and one in Ashland one case of chicken pox in Gold Hill and three cases of septic sore throat, two in Medford and one In Ashland. Reported from Camp White were three cases of recurrent malaria and five cases of trench mouth. 9 PAWS ARMY AT F0TC FLANK) Threat to Meuse River Line Definitely Lifted; General Withdrawal May Follow,! Paris. Dee. 29. (U.R) Amort. can forces todav nunnhri tha nose of the German salient back a good 13 miles, lifting any cur rent threat to the Meuse rivnr line, and Lt. Gen. George S. Pat ton's fighting third army ham mered solid blows Into the under llank of the German bulge in an effort to force a general Ger man withdrawal. By United Press American forces nnunrfoA 4nfn the flanks of the German salient in Belgium from north nnH nnh today, closing to within less than 10 miles ot a junction, which WOUld- SDlit the ennmv m half and cut off all the troops In the western part of the bulge. The Germans were under pres sure from three sides along the ISO-mile perimeter of their cor ridor as they fell back from the Meuse and faced the advance ot First army troops from the, Grandmenil-Manhay area In the north and the third army from Bastogne in the south. Reds in Budapest Two red armies In Humum were moving toward the Aus trian border on a 90-mile front on both sides of the Danube as a battle of annihilation con tinued Inside Riirianoct nrlln said massed Russian artillery ana airplanes naa opened a de vastating bombardment of tba capital. The trapped German garrison mew up all bridges over the Danube and whnln of the city were In flames. The Italian front was reported quiet on all sectors. Field dispatches from tha western front said the Germans naa lost the initiative every, where around their Belgian Luxembourg corridor and were struggling to pun back Into' sj better defensive position. " Elimination of a pocketed Nazi panzer regiment of about 3,000 men east of Celles was re ported with tha los its armor and transport. Mora than 1,000 Germans surrendered and the greater part of the others were believed tn hm k..H killed. LI COL GREENE EON LEAVE Terminating 34 months' duty in the South Pacific, Lt. Col. Fred W. Greene arrived in Med ford yesterday for a brief leava with his wife, son and daughter, at the family home, 1716 East Main street. Col. Greene reports January 7 at the Command and General Staff school, Ft. Leaven worth, Kan., where he will ba stationed for a time. The colonel, with the army quartermasters' corps, spent two months in the Philippines just before returning home, and suf fered a slight wound from which, he is now fully recovered. Ha left the Philippines for New Guinea and boarded a plane for Honolulu and the United States from there. 586 MARRIAGE PERMITS ISSUED OVER PAST YEAR Marriage licenses Issued in Jackson county during the past year, up to noon today, totalled 588, the county clerk's office re ports. This Is 398 less than in the record breaking year of 1943 when the total was 964. Dan Cupid's business that year was augmented by the nuptials of scores of soldiers stationed at Camp White whose brides cama from all over the land. The 1944 total will likely ba Increased by end of the year ap plications this afternoon and Sat urday. The clerk's office closes at noon Saturday. USE V-MAIL MORE, IS -PLEA VOICED BY OWI Washington, Dec. 29 (U.R) The Office of War Information appealed to the public today to) make greater use of V-mail In 1945 to conserve "critically needed" transport space. V-mail, the OWI said, Is the best way to assure a steady flow of letters to servicemen. NO PAPER MONDAY Following long-established custom tha Mall Tribune will not publish on Monday, New Year's day, In order to permit employes to enjoy the holiday In their homes.