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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 3, 1945)
Yanks Seen Girding for Full Scale Drive Against Bulge Weather pMveast: Partly cloudy tonifht. Fog or low clouds Thursday . momlni, clearing in after -. boob. Littlt chaog In tem perature. Temp. Hlghect yottorday 44 , LowMt this moraine 21 Thirty-ninth Year JAP WAR PLANTS ARE CHURNED IN ; SUPERFORT RAID B-29's Drop Explosives On r Nagoya, Osaka, Hamam : atsu; Nips Admit Damage ' Pacific Flt Headquarters! Purl Harbor. Jan. 3 (U.R) Fleet Admiral Chaitar W. Nlmlt'i announced today , ear rier-based aircraft itruck at ntmr installations on For mosa and Okinawa Jima ys- ; Washington, Jan. 3 (U.R) B-29 Superfortresses crashed hundreds of tons of bombs on the Japanese war production ceners of Nagoya, Osaka and Hamamatsu today in the open ing blow of the 1945 air offen iive against the enemy home land. A Japanese communique in : directly admitted some fire dam age to "vital facilities and fac tories" In the Nagoya and Ham matsu areas. I A brief U. S. war department announcement said only that Saipan-based B-29s had attacked Industrial targets on the capital island of Honshu, but the enemy communique identified the three war . centers as the targets of "about 90" Superfortresses. - Nagoya Hard Hit ' The main force concentrated on the big aircraft center of ' Nagoya, the Japanese communi que said, while other units raid mA thm Osaka area. 89 miles to - the southwest, and the Hama matsu area, 90 miles . to the southeast. The planes struck about 2 p. m. (Tokyo time). "Although there was some damages Inflicted in the Nagoya and Hamamatsu areas by the enemy Incendiary bombs," the communique said,,' ''there '' was almost no damage inflicted upon vital faculties ana lactones. ' The' communique claimed that 17 -B-29 had been shot, down and 29 damaged by Japanese fighters. Two Japanese planes "have not yet reported back," It added. ; : ' . Osaka Main Target . An earlier Tokyo transmission heard by the United Press in London had said Osaka, Japan's second largest city 250 miles southwest of Tokyo, was the main target. .A "small number" of fire bombs were dropped on the Osaka area during an hour and a half raid starting 'at 2 pi m. (Tokyo time), but ground instal lations were not damaged ser iously, London quoted Tokyo as saying. The broadcast claimed "several" Superfortresses were shot down or damaged. -- Osaka, Japan's biggest indus trial center, produces tanks, planes, guns, explosives and ships for the Japanese war ef fort and had a 1940 population of 3,252,340. It lies 250 miles southwest of Tokyo. ' By United Press " In the southwest Pacific, navy ' Liberator bombers from bases in the Philippines struck into the Formosa area Sunday to set afire five coastal vessels and shoot down four planes east of the big Japanese stronghold. The attack, which carried the bombers some 700 miles north of the nearest American base on Mindoro, was the first land-based raid against the Formosa area since the Superfortress attacks from China last October. - Medium bombers again hit northern Luzon above Manila. Fires and explosions were start ed at the west coast port of Laoag, while a 2,000-ton mer chant ship and a gunboat were sunk off the coast. On the continent, British troops entered the Burmese road and rail town of Yeu to bring the allied lines within 65 miles north of historic Mandalay. American fliers of the 14th air force continued widespread at tacks on rail installations through north and central China and destroyed 10 Japanese loco motives. CURRENCY RULE EASED Washington, Jan. 3 (U.R) The treasury today relaxed re strictions on the movement of U. S. currency between the United States and Mexico. Per sons crossing the border hence forth may carry currency in de nominations of $20 or lest- MED Uniud Pi Nimitz Chats Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimits (left), photographed for the first time wearing his new five-star insignia, confers with Admiral William Halsey aboard Halsey's Third fleet flagship. 1,700 WARPLANES London, Jan. 3 U.R) More than 1,700 American heavy bombers and fighters from the Eighth air force hammered Ger-i many for the 12th straight day today, lashing at rail and road centers at a dozen different fronts behind the western front. The assault, which set a new winter aerial offensive record, was carried out by more than 1,100 Flying Fortresses and Lib erators escorted by about 600 Mustangs and Thunderbolts. More than 1,000 BAF planes had made a triple strike at rail and industrial targets in Berlin, Nurnberg.and Ludwlgshafen last night. The American bombers dump ed hundreds of tons of bombs on Germany's strained supply linos from the Karlsruhe area to near the Belgium-German border. .. The attack was concentrated in the same , general area which was pounded by 3,000v other American aircraft yesterday. JOE EARLEY HEAD OF Medford Kiwanis club install ed officers for the coming year at their noon meeting in Holland hotel today. Taking over the gavel as new president was Joe Earley with Glen L. Fabrick as vice-president and Paul McDuf fee as secretary-treasurer. Board of directors named for 194S- are Jimmie Bolton, J. Ar thur Cunningham, E. B. DeVoe, Al Downs, Frank Humphrey, Paul Selby and Ernest E. Kofoed, retiring president.' Dr. C. H. Paske conducted the installs, tion. Kofoed thanked the club for their co-operation during the past year as he turned the gavel over to Early. Perfect attendance .awards were given by Kofoed to Fabrick. McDuffee, Earley, Ko foed, Les Ternahan, Tony Man no and George Fry. , ' Guests were Stan Tonnison Portland, and Art Cannon, who was wished God-speed on his venture into' the navy. CAMPBELL TAKES SEAT. IN COUNCIL Donald Campbell took his seat last night as councilman from ward 4 at the first meeting of the city council for the New Year, Campbell succeeds Elmer Child ers. The council appointed Larry Shade, chairman for the next two years and reappointed all department heads, the city re corder stated. The group con firmed the appointment of Dr. A. E. ,Merkel as city health. officer. Business transacted at this first meeting in 1945 Including changing of the zona at lot 10, Morey Addition, from a condi tional business property - to business zone. No sales of city properties were reported. FORD -full Luitd Wirt MEDFORD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY. With Halsey FOLKES DEFENSE IN LAST EFFORT Salem, Ore., Jan. 3 U.R) An appeal for a writ of habeas cor pus for Robert E. Lee Folkes, 22, condemned to die Friday morning for the famous "lower 13" murder two years ago, was made to the state supreme court In a surprise move today. The court took the appeal un. der advisement, while they de termined whether it can accept jurisdiction. L. Nicholas Granoff, attorney retained by Mrs. Clara Folkes, the condemned man's mother, presented the arguments. Folkes was , convicted of the January, 1943, knife slaying of young Mrs. Martha Virginia James as she, member of a prom inent Virginia family, slept in her lower 13 berth aboard a Southern Pacific train. ARMY BUSY WITH Chicago, Jan. 3 (U.R) The army took off its gloves today and settled down to operating Montgomery Ward properties in seven cities with characteristic thoroughness,, demanding an oath of allegiance from execu tes of government-seized stores and ousting those who refused to take it. Maj. Gen. Joseph W. Byron, army officer in charge of the properties seized last Thursday to enforce war Labor Board di rectives regarding wages and maintenance of union member ship, ordered the dismissal of non-cooperating employes yes terday and threatened the mail order firm with seizure of ad ditional properties. E PATERNITY CASE HollywoodJan. 3 CUM A jury of seven women and five men- today began deliberating Joan Barry's paternity suit against Comedian Charlie Chap lin after 35 minutes of detailed instructions on what to consider and what to ignore from 11 days of testimony and argument. The sole issue, Superior Judge Henry M. Willis said, Is whether Chaplin is the father of Miss Barry's chubby little daughter, "Your verdict must be," he said, "we the jury find the de fendant, Charles Spencer Chap lin, is or is not the father of the plaintiff, Carol Ann Barry." britainTendTfleet TO BATTLE JAPANESE By United Press The new British Pacific fleet, including aircraft carriers, a screening force of cruisers and destroyers, and other warships. has arrived at Australia under the command . of Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser, an NBC broadcast from the Philippines said today, The Australian squadron which has been operating under Gen. Douglas MacArthur s su preme ( command will continue to fight with the Americans, the OPERATION broadcast sua. CONGRESS OPEr' WARTIME UNITY RAYBURN'S PLEA Speaker Urges Joining With Other Democracies in Ef fort to Bring World Order. Washington, Jan. 8 (U.R) Speaker Sam Reyburn voiced a plea for wartime unity as the 79th congress convened today. He called on this country to Join with other peace-loving democracies iln using "all the force necessary to bring about an ordered world." The Texas Democrat address ed the house shortly after being elected to his third full term as speaker. Calling for American partici pation in a peace backed - by force, Rayburn asserted that civilization could not survive in definitely the shock of war every 29 years. In Sombsr Mood Rayburn's speech reflected the somber mood in which the new congress came Into being. In the two years of its existence it will have to carry a tremen dous burden of legislation deal ing not only with war but with the future problems of peace. Both houses met at noon, swore in new members, and pre pared to receive President Roosevelt's state of the union address on Saturday. Rayburn was elected speaker by a roll call vote of 224 to 168 over Republican Leader Joseph W, Martin, Jr., Mass., who told the house that Democrats and Republicans alike were working "for a better America and a bet ter world." The house listened solemnly and silently as Rayburn, intro duced by Martin, spoke of the critical years ahead. "Today we are being tested," he said, "as to whether free gov ernment will continue to live and civilization - will continue." Rayburn warned of "danger ous men and women In this country who- preach disunity." He said that "disorder and dis unity" preceded the collapse of other nations now being liberat ed by the allies. Saying that there will be "a lot of hard fighting in the east and in the west before we come to victory," Rayburn put the question: , "After the war, what then?" After the last war, he said, we walked out on the rest of the world and came home and stuck our head in the sands and said, 'Let the rest of the world go by'." ' POLES IN WARNING ON EXILE REGIME Lublin, Jan. 3 (U.R) The pro visional government of Poland served notice to the governments and business firms of the world today that it would not honor any financial undertaking, com mitment, or loan negotiated by the rival exile regime in London. . The notice was in a decree that proclaimed the provisional government the sole legal au thority expressing the will of the Polish people and carrying out the task of liberating the re mainder of Poland from the Ger mans. The decree was designed to cut off the exile government from any financial support at a time when it hardly was in position to realize any revenue from Poland Itself. It appeared bound to have far-reaching con sequences In future economic re lations between Poland and the United Nations, principally the United States, Britain and France. ' NAZI LINES IN ITALY PROBED BY YANKEES . Rome, Jan. 3 (U.R) Ameri can raiding parties and patrols probed deeply into enemy posi tions at various points along the Fifth army front while at least two strong German thrusts were repulsed, headquarters an nounced today. In the central sector below Bologna, Fifth army units coun terattacked and recaptured an outpost which a German patrol had overrun north of Llvergnano Monday night UARY 3, 1945 .NAZIS IN COSTLY EFFORT TO FREE E Armored, Infantry Divisions Lash at Red Lines; Rus sian Threat Spurs Action London, Jan. 3 (U.R) Coun ter-attacking German armored and infantry divisions lashed out against the Red army lines north west of Budapest today in a new and costly attempt to rescue an estimated 80,000 nazis cor nered In the shell-torn city. Goaded by a Red army procla mation that the nazl SS guards in Budapest would be slain to a man and their - commanders hanged for the murder of two soviet emissaries, the Germans flung two tank divisions and thousands of riflemen into the attack, striking down from Komarno on the Danube, 45 miles above the capital. Reds Hold Firm Heavy fighting was still under way early today, with the Rus sians holding firm all along the line and piling up heavy losses in enemy men and material. Inside Budapest, meanwhile, the trapped German and Hun garian garrison carried its sui cidal defense into the eighth straight day with no sign that it was ready to capitulate. Nazi resistance appeared to have stiffened following the "no quarter" proclamation, and Mos cow admitted the fighting had become "deadlier and costlier" than ever. T E Improvement was noted the past 24 hours in the condition of Judge Herbert K. Hanna, ac cording to a report received from Portland this afternoon. The daily bulletin on the judge's con dition stated that the "periods of normal consciousness are longer." Yesterday the United Press report on the judge was to the effect that he was in a semi-comatose condition with periods of normal consciousness between. The judge, presiding head of. circuit court for this district, has been in St. ,Vincent's hospital in Portland for the past week and has been seriously ill for nearly two weeks. NEW COLD WAVE FOR : NORTH PLAIN STATES By United Press . A new cold wave, originating in Canada and sweeping east ward across the nation on the heels of yesterday's icy blasts, was forecast today for the north ern plain states, the upper Mis sissippi valley and the Great Lakes region, with the mercury dipping to 15 and 20 degrees be low zero tonight. Drafting of Young Farmers Planned to Furnish Army and Navy Requirements Washington Jan. 3 U.R) The government today sought to cancel as many as possible of the 364,000 agricultural defer ments held by men 18 through 29. The action followed pleas from heads of the armed forces for induction of more youths in that age bracket. Army request for more young replacements was believed to reflect, In part, losses suffered in the German offensive in Belgium and Luxem bourg. In a letter to Selective Service Director Lewis B. Hershey, War Mobilization Director James F Byrnes made it dear that it was a question of taking men who now hold agricultural defer ments or men In the next age group 26 through 29 who hold occupational determents. Plant Men Needed The War Production Board Chairman J. A. Krug had ad vised him, Byrnes added, that the alternative would make It "extremely difficult" to meet critical war demands. Byrnes noted that President Roosevelt had authorized him to call on Hershey ior cancellation RIBUNE United Press Full FBI Nabs German Spies ft fn rj - - . 1 Erich Gimps!, 35, a German cltissn. and William C. Colepaugh, 28, a discharged U. S. Navy man, German spies. They are accused German submarine. Allied Headquarters Refuses To Divulge Casualty Totals By James McGlincy United Press War Correspondent Paris, Jan. 3 (U.R) Supreme Allied Headquarters remained adamant today in its refusal to tell the American public one of the bitterest results of the German breakthrough on the western front the extent of American casualties. E Ethel A. Selken, 18-year-old gfl from Vancouver, Wash., was held in the county jail Tuesday afternoon for shoplifting, ac cording .to a police report. She was charged with petty larceny today. Miss Selken who was shop ping with a friend admitted, ac cording to police, that she put four towels and wash cloths in her purse while in the J. C, Penney store. later, she told police, she picked up lingerie at Montgomery Ward s. In the M & M store she took a dress which attracted her, putting it under her coat and walking out. The saleswoman followed her outside and asked her what she had under her coat Store authorities summoned the police who arrested her at 3:14 p. m. The stolen items were found on the girl's person at the police station and have been returned to the stores, a police officer said today. Miss Selken who has rived in Medford since last February 29, when she came to see a soldier in the 96th division, has six brothers and three sisters in. Vancouver, she told police. In her statement to the police department she stated she had never been in any other trouble, of as many 18-29 agricultural de ferments as would be permitted under the so-called Tydings amendment providing for defer ment of legitimate agricultural workers. Because of the opera tion of this amendment, it was uncertain how many of the young farmers actually would be drafted. , Byrnes pointed out to Her shey, however, that the Tydings amendment does not provide blanket deferment to farm work ers, and quoted its sponsor Sen. Millard Tydings, D., Md as say ing during its consideration that it only provides deferment, un der certain conditions, "until a replacement can be found." Byrnes wrote Hershey that he had been advised by Secretaries of War Henry L. Stlmson and of Navy James Forrestal "that the calls from the army and navy to be met in the coming year will exhause the (present) eliglbles in the 18 through 29 year age group at an early date." "The army and navy," he ad ded, "believe it essential to the effective prosecution of the war to Induct more men In this age group. Leased Wlr NO. 240. held by the FBI in New York as of landing in this country from a Under the same -news policy, Shaet has so far refused to clear up the question of changes in the Allied High Command if any. American newspapers have been printing statements from neutral capitals that Field Mar shall Sir Bernard Montgomery has been named deputy supreme commander. . . Buck Passed Supreme Headquarters is now passing the buck on releasing any confirmation or -denial of reports on American divisional casualties to 12th army group, saying it is up to the group to issue any statement. Twelfth army group, is subordinate to Shaef and subject to Shaef or ders. : - The Germans- already have claimed that four American di visions, including the 108th, were destroyed and six others cut-up in their smash through Belgium and Luxembourg. Some 30,000 prisoners were taken alone and the number of dead and Wounded ranged even higher, German accounts said. 1 Germans Know Whether these figures were pure propoganda or not, the German command obviously knows how many prisoners it has captured, how many dead it has recovered, and probably could make a shrewd guess as to how many were dead and wounded were taken way by the retreating Americans. But Supreme Headquarters still bans any detailed dis closure of casualties despite the fact that Americans at home have been told that production and draft calls will have to be Increased to replace losses suf fered in the counter-offensive. . He said War Food Administra tor Marvin Jones had advised him "that although we still need all of the food we can raise, the loss of production through -the induction Into the armed serv ices of the physically qualified men in this 18 through 29 year age group who do not fall clear ly within the scope of the Tyd ings amendment should not re sult in a critical condition." Major Need Cited "I have reported these facts to the president," Byrnes wrote. "He has found that the further deferment of all men now de ferred in the 18 through 29 age group because of agricultural oc cupation is not as essential to the best interests of our war ef fort as is the urgent and more essential need of the army and navy for young men. By way of contrast with the 364,000 agricultural deferments for young men, a White House spokesman said that only 39.000 to 40,000 men In the 18-29 age bracket are deferred in Industry and medicine An undetermined number of other deferments cover men in the merchant marine. SINK SPEARHEAD FIVE MILES IN MICHWS AREA Ardennes Salient Swept by Heavy American Artillery Fire Fighting Violent. Paris, Jan. 3 (UP) Amer ican forces have lost all ol their bridgeheads In Germany along a 55 mil stretch be tween the Sarr Guemlnes area and the Rhine In a with drawal to northeastern Franc dictated by developments else whir, front dispatch re vealed tonight. (Th "developments else where" which sucked th American 7th army out of lis German footholds appeared to be the Ardennes breakthrough, against which the American 3d army swung formidable forces from positions on th left flank of the 7th.) Paris, Jan. 3 (U.R) The American 3rd army drove a spearhead to the Michamps area five miles northeast of Bastogn today and swept the Ardennes salient with heavy artillery fir as front dispatches hinted at an Imminent, full scale offensive against the German bulge. Lt. Gen. George S. Patton's forces threw the Germans out of four more towns in the gen-., eral area of Bastogne where th south flank of Marshal Karl Von Rundstedt's salient was gashed deeply. Fighting Violent Violent fighting raged in the zone east of Bastogne, and west of the transportation center the German high command reported that about eight American di visions, half armored and half infantry, were massed fof action. Supreme headquarters reveal ed belatedly that the Germans had driven American forces out of Germany in the Sarregua mines area of the Saarland, ad vancing up to three miles and eliminating a doughboy bridge head five miles wide and three miles deep in the relch. Up to 48 hours ago, SHAEF disclosed, . the Germans , had smashed at the Biles river line -in the Sarreguemines area six times, and had forced a crossing at Bliesbnick, three miles west of Sarreguemines. 35 MUs Aetlv German attacks were flaring with unspecified Intensity and effect along a 39-mile front from Sarreguemines to th Rhine, but the latest reports said nothing of any recurring nazl thrusts in th Saarbrucken area of th Saar. The tenseness reported pre valent in the . Belglum-Luxem-' bourg theater ' recalled recent assertions by supreme headquar ters sources that the time was at hand for Rundstedt to decide whether to get out of his salient or renew his attack. Latest indications were that the nazis were prepared to con test any American thrusts from the north but were content to pull back slowly before the trip hammer blows raining on the south flank. Already Patton's advanced spearhead northeast of Bastogn was gouging past the village of Michamp to the area of Bourcy and Bois Du Malster about a mile beyond. Armored outriders were a minimum of five and a half miles beyond Bastogne and strong units were not far behind. Fight For Hill Along a line two to 11 miles west of Bastogne, the 3rd army captured Senochamps, Mande, Gerimont, and Bonnerue. Patrols speared into St. Hubert but with drew. The heaviest fighting west of Bastogne was around a hill between Bonnerue and Tillet. The Germans held the hill, but the doughboys gained half a mils to its right, putting them a quar ter of a mile from Tillet. Armored elements in the vi cinity of Harzy, four miles east of Bastogne, were reported fight ing off heavy armored and in fantry counterblows. Bad weather grounded tha tactical air forces this morning. More than 1,700 American bombers and fighters from Brit ain swarmed to the support of the ground armies, hitting trans portation centers scattered be hind the battle lines from Bel gium to the Karlsruhe area of the upper Rhine. SIDE GLANCES ' By TRIBUNE REPORTERS Maud Brault buying hambur gers without any hamburger In them. Dr. Bert Elliott fearlessly terming a reporter "bird brain." Roland Beach admitting he is addicted to eating three time daily.
