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Tribune
United Pitt Full Leaud Wirt
United Pratt FuU Ltutd Wire
Thirty ninth Year
MEDFORD, OREGON, TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1945
NO. 257.
FIGHT IN ST. VITH
;e to
E
Germans in Full Flight in
Rest of Belgium; Planes
Add to. Vehicle Losses.
. Par If, Jan. 23 U.B The
American 1st army fought house
to house through St. Vith today
and' on the rest of Its Ardennes
front pursued German forces in
full flight out of Belgium.
"We are having trouble keep
ing up with them, they are flee
ing so fast," a staff officer at Lt.
Gen. Courtney H. Hodges' head
quarters told war correspond
ents.
Only at St Vith did the Ger
mans make a fight of the last
phase of their withdrawal across
the border of the reich into the
Siegfried fortifications and that
stand apparently was aimed only
at holding open escape channels.
Few Milts Left
The shell-torn wreckage of St.
Vith and a bare few miles to the
east was about all that was left
of Marshal Kara von Rundstedt's
"Christmas holiday" in the west,
As the 7th armored division
rooted the last nazis out of St.
Vith, . the 30th division nearby
moved up about two miles and
the 73th division more than
mile.
American planes were run
rung up anotner mg Dag in tne
second straight day of assault on
the retreating Germans. Early
reports said that in 247 sorties.
464 German motor transport ve
hicles were destroyed and 567
damaged.
British Take Towns
To the north, the British 2d
army captured the four villages
of Valdenrath, Obspringen, Laf
feld and Locken in gains of half
a -mile east of St. Josst and be
yond Ebensweert in the Dutch
Roer pocket.
The capture of Laffeld brought
tne British within two miles of
the big road center of Heins-
herff.
The southern front was re
ported quiet except for two Ger
man counterattacks around Kil
stett near Gambshelm. They
were beaten off in several hours
of stiff fighting.
T SCENE
The circuit court Jury hear
ing in the trial of Fred Marrett
and wife, charged with break
ing and entering the office of
Dr. R. W. Clancy last August
27, inspected the scene of the
crime this morning. They left
the courthouse at 9 o'clock and
were back in the jury box in
time for the regular 9:30 open
ing of court.
The indictment alleges the
burglary was committed for the
purpose of stealing drugs. Dr.
A. Erin Merkel, county physi
cian, was scheduled to be called
as a witness. He has had charge
of the Marretts during their
four months in the county jail.
It is expected the trial will be
concluded by mid-afternoon.
TO BERLIN
.By United Press
The distances to Berlin from
advanced allied lines today:
Eastern front 138 miles
(from Poznan, by German re
port). Western front 298 miles
(from point southeast of Nl
jmegen). Italy 530 miles (from point
north of Ravenna).
SIDE GLANCES
By
TRIBUNE REPORTERS
Don Cruikshank, typewriter
tycoon, wafting down the street
on a cloud, due to arrival of an
eight-pound son.
, County Clerk George Carter
getting ready to notify the rural
areas of coming of the dog tax
collector.
Former Mayor Earl Gaddis
braving the chill to pay a brief
down-town caU.
Senate Committee to Call Wallace
And Jones for Face - to - Face Quiz
NOMINATION DUE
FOR FULL AIRING
OPENTOPUBLIC
Committee Also Eyes Bill to
Divorce Lending Agencies
From Commerce Dept.
Washington, Jan. 23 (U.F9
The senate commerce committee
decided today to call former
Vice President Henry A. Wallace
and Secretary of Commerce
Jesse Jones before it tomorrow.
The committee is considering
both President Roosevelt's nomi
nation of Wallace to succeed
Jones and a bill by Sen. Walter
George, (D., Ga.) to divorce the
government's multi-billion-dol
lar lending agencies from the
commerce department. :
Wallace Untxptiltnctd
The bill was prompted by
Wallace's nomination. George,
one of the most influential mem
bers of the senate, and many
other congressmen have express
ed the belief that Wallace lacks
the necessary financial exper
ience to handle successfully such
agencies as the reconstruction fi
nance corporation.
Chairman Josiah W. Bailey
(D., N.C.) of the commerce com
mittee said Jones and Wallace,
bitter enemies, will meet face to
face in a. hearing open to 'the
public.
Bailey said the committee was
Inviting Jones and Wallace to
testify on the George biU "in
order to get their views." '.
.' Want Wallace Views-
"We will want to hear what
Mr. Jones thinks about re-establishing
these lending agencies as
separate office and get his
advice on the proposed transfer,"
be said.
"What do you expect to get
out of Wallace?" a reporter
asked. -. .
"I don't know what his views
are so I don't know what we'll
get," Bailey answered, adding,
"but we'll get his. views."
The committee chairman said
that, 'of course, we don't know
yet whether they'll come, but
we'll ask them."
Meanwhile, house Republi
cans attacked the Wallace nomi
nation, i
Rep. Carl T. Curtis, (R., Nebr.)
charged that Walace's theories
'are part and parcel of the sys
tem of state socialism, known
as the new deal."
Dewey Quotad .
House Democratic Floor Lead
er John W. McCormack, Mass.,
retorted that every major piece
of legislation passed in the last
12 years ' by the Democratic ad
ministration had received the en
dorsement of Gov. Thomas E.
Dewey of New York, 1944 Re
publican presidential nominee,
in the recent campaign.
Rep. Clare Hoffman, (R.,
Mich.) called attention to the
law forbidding a political can
didate to promise to use his in
fluence to get employment for a
person in return for support dur
ing a campaign.
Hoffman said he wanted At
torney General Francis Biddle
to investigate to find out if
President Roosevelt made such
a promise of employment to Wal
lace.
Rep. Bartel J. Jonkman (R.,
Mich.) told the house that ap
pointment of Wallace to the cab
inet post was part of a new deal
program originated by Wallace
and former braintruster Rexford
Guy Tugwell to "thwart and
prevent recovery from the eco
nomic depression" and "prolong
the country's destitution until
they had demonstrated to the
American people that the gov
ernment must operate industry
and commerce.
California's great Central Val
ley is 500 miles long and con
tains 25,000 wiuue miles. .
Editorial
By United Press
Oregon Journal, Portland,
(Roosevelt supporter in 1944)
The sacrifice of Jesse Jones as
secretary of commerce for Henry
Wallace smells. It admittedly
smells more of politics than of
sound administration . . , the
price is too high,
Portland Oregonian When
the people of the country are
being importuned to devote
themselves more than ever to
the prosecution of the war, it is
shocking to be informed that the
president, for the sake of a politi
cal debt, has forced Jesse Jones
out of the cabinet a position
where he hadjroved himself
and where he Influenced much
of the production of the country
and has asked for the confirm
ation of long-haired Henry Wal
lace. .-
San .Francisco Chronicle
While appointments to the cab
inet have frequently enough been
dictated by political reasons,
never before has a cabinet post
been used so openly as a piece
of change to pay a political debt
. . . the magnitude of the award
is to be gauged solely by Wal
lace's personal idea of what he
can do. He thinks he can han
dle the department of commerce;
therefore, he gets it.
-Hew York Times It is sur
prising to us that Mr. Wallace
should want it on -these terms
. . . and surely, if he is to be
confirmed in this office, it should
be only on the understanding
that he is to be confirmed as
Secretary of Commerce and .not
as head of RFC and its affiliated
activities , It is sound policy
now to divorce the two jobs, and
we welcome the move in that
direction. "
New York Herald Tribune-
It. will be a shock to the reviv
ing hopes of American business
and industry in their peace-time
future . , . Can only create the
gravest fears of waste and mud
dling and misdirected effort . , .
Warsaw's Hour
Polish Army units, serving with Russian
ft? J: ' ilr
v. :
ital. Warsaw, pursuing German forcet fleeing back into the Reich In fact
at Russian biits that hat pushed forward on a M-mile front to within let
muej gi
Comment
In the second place Mr. Roose
velt has flaunted Mr. Wallace in
the face of a senate whose co
operation he needs to make the
peace.
New York Daily Newt If the
business and financial world
doesn't understand it, it is
dumber than we think it is. We
thought everybody .understood
by now that Mr. Roosevelt pre
fers inexperienced and second
rate yes men as cabinet officers.
P M. (T h e appointment)
serves notice that the president
Intended his pledge of 60,000,
000 jobs after the war to be more
than an electioneering promise
. . . the fight against Wallace is
a fight against full employment,
against the concept of an expand
ing economy. It is a fight to
maintain monopoly-as-usual after
the war, to return to a system
of scarcity economics.
Dally Worker We are de
lighted ... It i an opportunity
that Wallace richly deserves . . .
Because he had held so clearly
the vision of full . employment
and full production . , . Because
his thinking embodies the as
pirations of all Americans for
security and a job . . . Because
of his self-effacing campaign for
the president's re-election . .
Because be can do the 30b,
INEflTiON
'-Washington, Jan. 23 (U.R)
Maybe its because , there's not
much left unrationed in the way
of food, .but government food
agencies indicated today that no
new rationing action is contem
plated in the immediate future,
A look at the ration schedule
showed that about, all that is
still point-free are a few minor
canned vegetables, soups, baby
foods, frozen vegetables, and
less popular cuts of meats.
of Venqeanci
(Acmt HaduyTeU photo)
troops, march through their can
Bulla.
E
TO
Bowles and Krug Announce
Program to Keep Ameri
cans "Decently" Clothed.
Washington, Jan. 23. (U.R)
Price Administrator Chester
Bowles and Production Chief J.
A. Krug today announced a syn
chronized, far-reaching program
which they said was designed to
keep American civilians "de
cently" clothed in the face of
rising prices and dwindling sup-
piles of cotton, wool, and rayon.
The drastic new program is
planned to reduce prices of me
dium and low-priced essential
garments by six or seven per
cent In the next few months
This roll-back, plus elimination
of an anticipated price Increase
of a similar amount, if left un
controlled, will save the con
sumer an estimated $500,000,
000 yearly, they said.
Will Be "Tough"
The program should get qual
ity, quantity and prices of es
sential apparel back to -the level
of the first six months of 1943
when the huld-the-line order be
gan to take effect.
Bowles and Krug unveiled
their plan at a joint press con
ference after informing about
100 invited trade representatives
of its details. The officials tald
that the program will be con
sidered "tough" by many busi
ness interests but they told the
industry it will continue to make
profits "well above" their peace
time earnings.
Bowles said that the plan, still
in tentative form, will go into
effect shortly and that in a few
months retailers should have bet
ter supplies of the low and me
dium-priced garments."their cus
tomers want."
The program embraces the en
tire textile industry, from the
mill right through to the retailer
In manv cases, the garment will
bear the retail price marked on
it by the manufacturer.
FIVE SAVED FROM
DEATHJNPACIFIC
Washlnirton. Jan. 23 (U.R)
An alert communications organi
zation and an efficient search by
air and sea brought the prompt
rescue of four crewmen and a
oasseneer aboard an army air
transport commaid plane forced
down 1,000 miles off the Pacific
coast, reports to the war depart
ment disclosed today.
The plane was a twin-engined
transport. It was forced down at
3:30 a. m. January 18 en route
to Australia. Those on board
took to the liferaft after send
ing radio distress signals. -
A radio "fix" was obtained on
the area, and two ATC search
B-247's, a navy 'plane, and a
coast guard plane were dispatch
ed from their bases. The craft
was located by one of the ATC
planes at 3:15 p. m. A naval
vessel guided to the scene res
cued all hands after they had
been adrift only 13 hours.
OP A Approves Ban '
On Sale Of Meats
Washington, Jan. 23 (U.R)
The office of price administra
tion today gave its unofficial
blessing to Mayor Fiorello La
Guardia's ban on meat sales in
New York on Tuesdays and Fri
days, but officials said the mayor
would have to shoulder the en
forcement headache.
In outlining his edict, which
does not affect sales at frank
furter and hamburger stands.
LaGuardla guaranteed strict en
forcement but did not say how
or under what power.
Nazis Admit
. .
I vvVx
jfXX2Jf - POUND J
'"Lit r vfHiwf j
... JlMm MORAVIA lX.
Soviet Armies pound Into German Silesia toward Breslau and Berlin,
driving steadily closer to the chief remaining Polish stronghold of Poznan
and were enveloping East Prussia from two sides in a great encircling,
movement Other units smashed ahead Into East Prussia after capturt
of historic Tannenberg. Until and unless it is stopped, the gigantic Rus
sian winter offensive remains potentially the final one of the war which
will end only with the crushing of Germany.
Hitler Rushes Himmler to Front
To Rally Strength Against Reds
London, Jan. 23 (U.R) Ber
lin reported today that Adolf
Hitler had rushed Gestapo Chief
Heinrich Himmler and other of
his best commanders to the east
ern front and given them "com
plete power", to . rally German
strength against the Russians in
any way they saw fit.
The broadcast signalized Ber
lin's acknowledgment that the
battle of Germany had begun
SIGHT OF VITAL
CLARK AIRDROME
Br United Pratt
American troops drove within
sight of the first of the vital
Clark air strips on Luzon today
while B-29 Superfortresses again
carried the aerial .offensive to
the Japanese home island of Hon
shu.
The war department at Wash
ington said the B-29s hit the
center of industrial Japan." and
Tokyo specifically listed the tar
get as the aircraft center of Na
goya. Tokyo said about 70 Su
perfortresses from. Marianas
hammered the industrial city for
two hours today.
Jap Planes Hit
The B-29 raids followed short
ly after American carrier planes
from the Third fleet destroyed
or damaged 240 Japanese aircraft
In attacks on Formosa and the
adjacent Saklshima and Pcsca
dore islands. The Japanese claim.
ed the carrier raids went into
the second day Monday and said
that Lightning fighters and land
based bombers, apparently from
the Philippines, joined the as
sault for the first time.
In the Philippines, vanguards
of the American 14th corps push
ed within sight of Bamban and
the first of the 11 Clark air
strips, only 53 miles north of
Manila.
PUBLIC LAND GRAZING
FEE AWAITS INCREASE
Washington, Jan. 23 (U.R)
Secretary of Interior Harold L,
Ickes promised today that a
scheduled increase in public
lands grazing fees would not go
into effect until the senate pub
lic lands committee has had an
opportunity to "give the matter
further consideration."
A proposed monthly increase
from five to 15 cents a head for
cattle and from one to five cents
for sheep had been scheduled
for May 1.
NUDISM BAN SOUGHT
Santa Rosa, Cel., Jan. 23 (U.R)
Nudism will become illegal in
Sonoma county effective Febru
ary 21 under an ordinance pass
ed unanimously yesterday by
Uie board of tupuiviwri,
Silesia Crisis
iAcmm TeUnhatat
in the east, since Himmler la
commander-in-chief of the Ger
man home army and command
er of the Gestapo, which Allied
armies have credited with keep
ing uermany in the war.
- Unconfirmed- reports from
Stockholm said Nazi leaders
were fleeing Berlin, and the rest
of the . capital's inhabitants
would be evacuated as soon as
the party bigwigs were safely
away. , . .
A wave of hysteria was tald
to be sweeping the Reich in the
path of the Russian Invasion and
radio Berlin repeatedly blared
out urgent appeals to the Wehr
macht and the people'! home
army for a "now or never"
stand on the eastern frontier.
GI Bill Of Rights
Undergoes Attack
Cambridge, Mass., Jan. 23
iu.pj The GI bill of rights was
under attack today by President
James B. Conant of Harvard uni
versity as not adequately .assur
ing professional training for
those most entitled to it.
Conant charged In his annual
report, issued last night, that
the weakness of the present bill
bases educational opportunity on
length of military service rather
than on demonstrated ability. He
urged that the measure be re
vised to provide advanced edu
cation only for "a carefully se
lected group."
12345
By United Prm
People who like numbers,
and who like to write dates in
numbers, are having a lot of
fun today.
Because the dote is unique
in this century. It's the only
one that ever can be written
by the first five consecutive
numerals: 1'23'45.
Infantile paralysis is no re
specter of wealth, creed or color.
Eisenhower Order Causes
Arrests On Black Market
Paris, Jan. 23 (U.R) A spe
cial,! unprecedented order from
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower has
caused the arrest of six officers
and efforts to bring charges
against many more officers of
the "Millionaire" 716th Rail
way Battalion from which 182
enlisted men were ordered to
trial on black market charges,
headquarters revealed today.
It was disclosed also that Col.
Walter J. Marlin of Los An
geles, commander of the bat
talion, had been relieved of
command, although he will not
be brought to trial. He now is
serving in Belgium.
Announcement of the new ar
rests followed renunciations by
defendant enlisted men who
charged officers fretted them
as "iteycWitircQ," fattlog to is
Capture of Transport Center
Frees Powerful Soviet
Forces; Poznan Attacked,
London, Jan. 23 (U.R) The
red army today stormed the do
tenses of Poznan, Polish bastion
138 miles due east of Berlin and
66 miles to the northeast cap
tured the big transport center
of Bydgoszcz, southern gateway
of the old Polish corridor to the)
Baltic.
Marshal Gregory K. Zhukov!
army, setting the pace in the
great Russian sweep against Ger
many, captured Bydgoszcz in
frontal assault co-ordinated with
a flanking maneuver.
Transport Hub
The fall of Bydgoszcz, hub
from which a score of railroads
and highways radiate, unhinged
the main . German defenses of
northwest Poland and freed
powerful soviet forces to join
in the big push toward Berlin.
Both Moscow and Berlin re
ported that Shukov's left wing
was charging over the ap
proaches of Poznan, last big Pol
ish base on the road to the Ger
man capital.
To the south, Marshal Ivan S.
Konev's invasion forces in Si
lesia were reported to have
reached the Oder river south
east of Breslau. and Berlin tacit-
ly acknowledged that the first
soviet wedge had been driven to
this primary defense line of the
nazl homeland.
Near Konigtberg
In the northeast, the Moscow
radio reported that the red army
"is nearing Konigsberg," capital
of east Prussia which was being;
overrun from the east and south.
Last offcial accounts placed the
soviet vanguard 28 miles from
Konigsberg.
.. Marshal Stalin's first order ol
the day today announced the
capture of Bydgoszcz, "an im
portant Junction of railways and
highways and a powerful strong
hold of the German defense ot
the lower Vistula."
BILL INTRODUCED
TO UP SALARIES
A bill to extend the present
salaries of county officers of
Jackson county for two years
was introduced into the housa
today by Reps. Van Dyke and
Bengtson, according to a United
Press dispatch from Salem.
At the office of George R. Car
ter, county clerk, it was stated
that two years ago the legisla
ture passed a law granting
county officers a 14 per cent
raise in salaries over the old
legal schedule. This is to expire
in June of this year. It is under
stood that the bill just intro
duced by the Jackson county
delegation, would grant an addi
tional 10 per cent increase, ac
cording to Mr. Carter.
DISPUTE CERTIFIED
Washington, Jan. 23 (U.R) -
Secretary of Labor Frances Per
kins certified to the war labor
board today a wage dispute be
tween the Union Oil Company
of California, Los Angeles, and
2,000 employes represented by
the OH Workers (CIO).
sue them ordinary food rations,
condoning and encouraging
thefts, and, on occasion, even
"participating."
A first lieutenant will be tried
on charges ot stealing rations
and of illicit money transactions,
and the others, whose names
and ranks were not disclosed,
will be tried for negligence of
duty, Harris said.
Despite closing arguments by
Defense Attorney Maj. George
Dickson of Atlanta, Ga., and
acknowledgments by the trial
judge advocate that the men's
leadership "was not all lt might
have been," 10 more enlisted
men were convicted yesterday
and sentenced to terms ranging -from
20 to 30 years for stealing
and selling cigarets, cigars,
chocolates and other rations.
t