Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 2, 1945)
Terrified Nazis Barricade Berlin Streets for Final Stand Weather Forecast: Occasional light rain tonight ana Saturday. Slight ly cooler. Temp. " Blfhfllt yetterday 60 lowest this morning 45 precipitation past 24 bra., .34 Thirty-ninth Year Army Chaplains L. V i,ss, j. i nriiT I i iii miiiiijijii ii i all " slrf slsisasl ....Among the 510 Allied war prisoners retcued from Jap-held priton camps on Luton by Amer lean Runaor. and Filioino cruerillas were these tnree army cnapiains, tkom Corregidor. Left to right: Lt. Col. Alired Oliver, Washington. Niagara Falls. N. Y.. and Captain John J. Ougan, Boston, Mass. REJOICE AT NEWS OF LUZON RESCUE 'Additional names of men res cued from Cabanatuan prison-of-war camp on Luzon Island were received by United Press wire today and are posted in the window of the Tribune office, i About 108 names will be- added later, United Press states. - - - Two Medford families rejoic ed today over the news that Ffc. Lome B. Cox and Cpl. William X. Davis were among the Amer ican soldiers released from the Japanese . prisoner-of-war camp at Cabanatuan in the Philippine islands during a commando raid Wednesday night. Neither Davis or Cox were on the first lists an nounced but were included in later listings. Also on the list of released prisoners was SSgt. John F. Batcheler of Ashland and Pvt. Willis C Vincent, formerly oi Medford and later of Klamath .Falls. 7 ; ' Father Elated E. R. Davis, Box 428, Route 2, Joe-Jack Road, father of Cpl. Davis, found his son's name on the United Press list of released prisoners at the Tribune office this morning and exclaimed with Joy and relief over the good news. Cpl. Davis, he said, was on Corregidor when the fortress fell to the enemy and only rou tine messages had been received from the soldier, the last coming about a year ago. Cpl. Davis, in the army about 10 years, had been in the Philippines about a year serving with the 60th Coast artillery. Before entering the army Davis worked in Medford for hii great uncles, J. T. Davis, 1112 East Main street and Pearl Davis, 135 S. Grape street, in their transfer company. An aunt, Mrs. Nina Craig, lives on Front street and an uncle, Art Davis, at 403 South Central avenue. Brothers In Service Three brothers of the corporal. Pvt. Kenneth Davis, Dwight Davis, CM2c, and Pvt. Elton Da vis, are all on duty in the Pa cific. Pvt. Cox, whose father Is John B. Cox of 513 Jackson boulevard, was also on Corregidor when taken prisoner. He entered the army in May of 1940, was trained a. anarmy cook and had been in the Philippine Islands several months when war was declared. His father and step-mother re ceived two or three routine prl-soner-of-war messages from him, the last arriving in November of 1944. Pvt. Cox attended Medford senior high school and St. Mary's Academy here and prior to his induction was working as a bak er in Chiloquin, Ore. ; WRONG LST LISTED , Washington, Feb. 2 U.R The navy said today a landing ship it reported lost in a com munique should have been identified as the LST749 instead of the LST759. The landing craft was lost in operations in the Philippine area. MedfordJ United Prats Rescued in Daring Brutality, Starvation Under Japs Told by Captured Men By Frank Hewlett ..( , United Press War Correspondent General MacArthur's Head quarters, Luzon, Feb. 2 (UP.) Capt. Ralph Hibbs of East Oska loosa, Iowa, said today at least 20 American and Filipino prison ers had been executed and hun dreds! perhaps ' thousands, of others, had died of neglect In prison camps on Luzon. - Hibbs, among the 510 allied prisoners rescued from the Ca banatuan prison camp by Ran gers in a daring commando raid, said 27,000 Filipinos and : 100 Americans died of various caus es in the O'Donnell prison camp alone and more than 100 Amer icans died at Cabanatuan. Beaten with Sticks Prisoners often were beaten with sticks which they called "vitamin sticks," Hibbs said. When men fell ill, the Japanese often refused to release nfedical supplies for them, he said. Once 100 men died of diph theria before they were given anti-toxin. Another 100 died of dysentery, he said. Hibbs said that in a camp at Bilibid, the ancient Manila pri son, the Japanese gave prisoners rotten vegetables covered with manure. American officers had to use clubs to keep the starving prisoners from eating them, he said. Funny to Japs "The Japanese laughed at the sight," he added. Hibbs served with the 31st In fantry at Bataan. Another rescued prisoner said the Japanese "used to treat us pretty cruel." "We had to snap to or they used rifle butts on us," he said "We had to kowtow to the sons of guns all the time. We got a handful of rice and comotes for meals. "Occasionally the Japs would slaughter a caraboa but they gave us only the head and bones. They gave us 30 cans of evap- CAMP EMPLOYE CHARGED WITH ILLEGAL DUMPING Charles E. Bennett, a Camp White employe, charged with dumping garbage on a public highway, is scheduled to enter a plea in justice court Tuesday. Bennett through his .wife, ap peared Wednesday and asked for a continuance. The complaint stated that he dumped refuse on the Midway Highway. Addressed envelopes found in the pile of tin cans, led to' the arrest, authorities said. LACK OF NEWSPRINT CUTS SIZE OF TIMES Los Angeles, Feb. 2 (U.R) The Los Angeles Times has an nounced another decrease in size with today's issue because of a cut in newsprint allotted by the War Department Board. The Times said the reduction was necessary because its allot ment now had to stretch over an all-time high in circulation due to increased population in the Lot Angeles area. Full Leased Wire MEDFORD, Luzon Raid (Acme Telephoto) oi Bataan and D. C. Col, John K. Borneman, orated milk a week for the inva lids." At one time, he said, there had been 6,000 prisoners at the camp but he believed most of them had been taken to Japan, Formosa and China. YANKS CONVERGE ON MANILA JAPS FROM TWO SIDES By United Prets ' American forces converged on Manila today from two direc tions, advancing to within 20 miles of the Philippines capital and by-passing the Jap defense system in southern Luzon. A surprise new landing 13 miles below Manila bay at Na sugbu bay, 41 miles southwest of Manila, gave the Americans a new road to the capital. Manila Fall Near Japanese reports claimed that the American forces had not yet met the main body of Jap anese defenders, but the rapid ity with which Gen. Douglas MacArthur's forces were closing in indicated that Manila's re capture might not be long de laved. Radio Tokyo reported that a single B-29 bombed Osaka today while other Superfortresses ap peared over Honshu island and Korea,, apparently on reconnais sance missions. The B-29 op .rations followed up a major assp.dlt by India-based Superforts upon the Japanese naval base at Singapore, where the 855-foot floating drydock, largest in the world, was re- rtorted sunk. Chungking reported growing uneasiness on the part of Jap anese puppet governments in China due to fear that the allies may land on the China coast It was said that the puppets now realize that the U. S. fleet is powerful enough to ram spear heads into the China coast, de spite any effort by the Japanese to halt such attacks. SAN JOAQUIN FLOOD IS WORST SINCE 1937 Fresno, Cel., Feb. 2. (U.R) With breaks in the south wall ofthe swollen Kings river ex pected momentarily, due to three days of heavy rainfall, farmers, volunteer crews and U. S. bureau of reclamation officials today were frantically pooling their equipment to combat the worst flood menace confronting the San Joaquin valley since 1917. TO BERLIN By United Press ' The nearest distances to Berlin from advanced allied lines today: Eastern front 30 to 39 miles (from northwest of Ku strin, by German report). Western front 296 miles (from point southeast of Ni- JmegenJ. a A OREGON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1945 SENATE TO GET MANPOWER BILL No Further Hearings Plan ned on Work or Fight Legislation, Solon Says. Washington, Feb. 2. (U.R) Chairman Elbert D. Thomas, D Utah, of the senate military af fairs committee today predicted that the house-approved "work or else" bill probably would be ready to send to the senate to morrow. After a closed committee ses sion during which several amendments were adopted, Thomas told reporters there would be no further hearings requested by both labor and in dustry because both the sen ate and house military affairs committees have considered na tional service legislation for two years. i Washington, Feb.. 2. (U.R) Under the May work-or-else bill passed by the house: Men 18 to 45 if employed In essential industry or agriculture could leave their Jobs only with local draft board approval. Men 18 to 45 in non-essential jobs could be directed to take war jobs, such jobs to be as near their homes as possible, Veterans would have a pre ferred status, and selective ser vice could postpone directing them into war work. , Physically fit men of service age who left essential jobs wltn out draft board approval or re fused to take war jobs when directed to do so would be Ua ble to induction, as they are now Others (4-F's and men 38 to 45) who violated the bill's provis ions would be liable to five years in Jail or $10,000 fine. Any mai directed into war work would have to be given "a reasonable choice" of em ployers. He would have right to anneal. . Local draft boards would be responsible for determining whether a Job-holder should stay in his job or take a more essen tial one. 17 DIE IN CAGE ACCIDENT Timmins, Ont., Feb. 2 (U.R) At least 17 miners Were killed today when a cage in which they were riding down the shaft of the Paymaster mine broke loose and plunged 1,500 feet when a cable snapped at the 1,000-foot level of the North ern Ontario gold mine. The exact number of lives lost was unknown as no check was made of the number of men who boarded the big cage when it stopped at the 1,000 foot level. The men were coming off shift when the accident occurred. Rescue workers had to de scend to the bottom of the half mile deep shaft by ladders to reach the tangled wreckage. The coroner's office an nounced 17 bodies so far have been recovered. Vacationists Chill In Florida Region By United Prats Temperatures over most of the nation were rising today, taking eastern states from the grip of a severe cold wave, but winter vacationists in Florida faced temperature readings as much as 20 degrees below normal. From the Rocky mountain re gion to the Atlantic coast, tem perature readings continued to moderate although the weather remained below freezing in the northern portion of the area. COURT IMPOSES FINE ON DRIVING CHARGE - John William Stone, 23, was fined $50, had his drivers li cense suspended for one year and received a suspended 30 day jail sentence in local court today, after being charged wltn driving a vehicle while under the influence of intoxicants. Stone borrowed a car from a local garage and went for a Joy ride, according to police rec ords. He was arrested on West Main street early this morning, Senators Argue Livestock Term Applied to Hens Salem, Ore., Feb. 2 U.R) The senate today argued for nearly an hour on whether chicken should be Included In the definition of "livestock." Arguing on a house bill to protect chicken owners from depredation of dogs, some sen ators - felt that . the . measure would be too severe on dogs. The bill was re-referred to committee. - Sen. Thomas Mahoney raised the question Sen. Patterson an swered by saying he thought "that a dog would discrimi nate between feathered chick ens and the other variety." (J. S. SUBS SINK T Washington, Feb, 2 (U.R) American submarines have sent ten more enemy merchant ves sels to the bottom1 In far eastern waters, the navy revealed today. ' The bag announced today in cluded two medium cargo trans ports, three tankers, three cargo vessels and two transports all vital to Japan's efforts to main tain tenuous sea lanes - to its stolen empires in the south. This latest haul brings to 889 the number of enemy' vessels sunk by U. S. subs in this war. Of the 989 sunk, 104 were com batant ships and 885 non-combatant, i Since Jan. 1, the navy has an nounced the sinking of 65 enemy vessels by American submarines. The unrelenting war of at- trition against Japan's battle and merchant fleet is hot without cost, however. Only yesterday the navy had to scratch the 36th U. S. submarine from its list, the Growler. By United Press The Ankara radio reported to- aay mat Mince Cyril of Bui garla, former Premier Bogdan Filov, and Lt. Gen. Nikola Ml- kov, former regent, were ex. ecuted in Sofia last night after being condemned for treason by a people s court. The Sofia radio reported ear ner tnat tne court passed death sentences on tnree former re gents, 22 cabinet members, nine king's counselors, and 66 former members of parliament. The regents were Cyril, broth er of the late King Boris and uncle of the boy king, Simeon II; Filov and Mikov. BLIND WRESTLERS Needham, Mass., Feb. 2 (U.R) Though all its members are sightless, the wrestling team from the Perkins Institution for the Blind defeated the Needham high school team in a match, 16-8. BULGARIANS KILL TREASON LEADERS Red Army Rescues Thousands From Nazi "Murder Factory,, in Southwest Poland By Henry Shapiro United Press Staff Correspondent Moscow, Feb. 2 (U.R) The semi-official newspaper Pravda reported today the Red army had saved several thousand tor tured, emaciated Inmates of the Germans' greatest "murder fac tory" at Oswlecim In southwest Poland. All of them were "ghost-like apparitions, blown to the ground by the slightest breeze, almost ageless and sexless," Pravda's Correspondent Boris Polevoy reported from Oswieeim. "They can tell the whole story of this gigantic death plant, equipped with the most modern Nazi technology of torture and extermination." 1.500.000 Killed Fragmentary reports Indicated that at leas' 1,500,000 persons were slaughtered at Oswieeim Polevoy said. During 1941, 1942 and early 1943, he said, five trains arrived dnily at Oswlecim with Russian, Poles, Jews, 5. .ted Pint full ALSACEBASTION Fall of Colmar Seen Certain; Eisenhower and Bradley Meeting Significant. Paris, Feb. 2. (U.R) Allied armies broke into the ble Alsa tian stronghold of Colmar and the outer crust of the Siegfried line today coincident with the disclosure that Gen. Dwight D. Elsenhower and his commanders had been conferring on current operations. American and French forces overrunning-the German pocket on the Rhine in lower Alsace crashed into Colmar, its biggest city, alter gains foreshadowing the 'doom of this enemy bridge head left behind in the early winter push through most of the eastern strip of France. The Franco - American push wiped out the northern section of the Colmar pocket along the Rhine, and the allies were fight ing within mortar range of the big Neubriesach bridges behind the Germans holding out in the mountains northwest of Colmar. To the north, three American armies were wedging Into the rim of the Siegfried defense belt on a broad front in the border region of Germany, Belgium, and Luxembourg. The First and Third armies, fighting below the Ninth army sector, were closing on the Sieg fried line's main works along 35-mile front. , Supreme headquarters an nounced that Eisenhower and his staff had conferred with Lt. Gen Omar N. Bradley, IZth army group commander, but permitted little speculation about the gath ering!. . Its importance was Indicated by the fact that lt was announced t all, for the usual meetings between commanders go unher alded. The announcement speci fied that the principal members of the supreme commander's staff were present, another indi cation that big things were cook ing. Bill Would Give . Road Commission ... Air Field Power Salem, Ore., Feb. 2. (U.R) A bill was introduced in the sen ate today to authorize the high way commission to acquire and develop aviation fields. The bill provides that the com mission may act in this alone, or In cooperation with the fed eral government and its agen cies, or with the Oregon board of aeronautics. A senate memorial asking con gress to restore 2,000,000 acres of Oregon land to mineral entry was presented. Chicago, Feb. 2 (U.R) Dr. Irving S. Cutter, 69, health edi tor of the Chicago Tribune and former dean of Northwestern University's medical school died today at . Passavant hospital where he had been a patient several weeks. Czechs, French, and .Yugoslavs jammed In sealed cars. The trains always left empty. "The first shock of Oswlecim is Its enormous size," Polevoy said. "Dozens of square miles are saturated with human blood and literally blanketed with hu man ashes. This was a great in dustry with many wings and sec tions, each specializing in a cer tain function. 'Smelting Furnace' "There were offices for sort ing the victims, each according to his age, strength and whether he could perform some labor before execution. The main de partment was the 'smelting fur nace' where, after elaborate tor ture, victims were burned." Dissatisfied with early meth ods of execution by which vic tims were machine-gunned in trenches which they themselves had dug, the Germans "Increas ed production" by mechanizing the murder plant, he said. Perhaps the most elaborate ap paratus was an electric convey EBUNE Leased Wire NO. 266. Kin of Rescued May Send Wire Up to 25 Words Washington. Feb. 2 4U.R) The immediate families of the 510 Americans freed from a prison of war camp on Luzon may send a 25-word telegram to tneir liberated relatives, it was learned today at the war depart ment. The message, which must be addressed in care of the army adjutant general's office, Wash ington, D. C, for forwarding to Luzon, should specify the rela tionship of the liberated man to the sender and include his rank and serial number. Only messages from immedi ate families will be accepted. REA NOMINATION MAY ALSO BRING CONGRESS FIGHT Washington, Feb. 2 (U.R) "Strong opposition" to the nom ination of Aubrey Williams to be rural electrification adminis trator has made it necessary to hold public hearings on the nom inee's qualifications, Chairman Elmer Thomas, D., Okla., of the senate agriculture committee said today. President Roosevelt's nomina tion of Williams to the REA post appeared likely to set oft another controversy comparable In heat edness to that which exploded over his nomination of Henry A. Wallace to be Secretary of Com merce. Meanwhile, the National Grange asserted in a letter to Thomas that Williams is "unfit ted for 'this position because of his . lack of experience in this particular field." UNDER JAP RULE Thirty million Koreans are starving under a strict Japanese wartime rationing system which already has cost the lives of millions, three Korean students who deserted from the Japa nese army declared today. Thousands of Koreans have committed suicide after murder ing Japanese oppressors, and more thousands have revolted In small-scale unsuccessful rice riots, the trio of deserters from the Japanese 65th division in North China said after a two months' trek to Chunking. The three whom I interviewed arrived at Chungking in a group of 47 Koreans seeking the pro tection or tneir provisional gov ernment in the Chinese capital. An estimated 10,000 Korean con scripts have successfully desert ed from the Japanese army. Brussels, Feb. 2 (U.R) Virgil Pinkley, vice-president and general European manager of the United Press, today an nounced the appointment of Walter L. Cronkite, Jr., as UP manager for the low countries. er belt on which hundreds of persons could be electrocuted simultaneously. Then moved on the-belt directly into furnaces "They were burned almost in stantly, producing fertilizer for nearby cabbage fields, Polevoy said. Gas chambers also were built, he said. "But liberated prisoners say death was most merciful com pared to the ordeal of hunger, cold and bodily torture to which victims were subjected prior to execution," he added. "I saw leather-covered steel rods which had been made wholesale In the Krutz factories at Dresden for beating prisoners. I saw zinc-lined benches with leather straps on which victims were beaten to a pulp. "I saw heavy oak chairs on which victims were killed after their backs were broken. I saw rubber truncheons with the trademark 'Krutz' for crushing heads and sexual organs." REDS FAN OUT AS FORCES GET SET FOR WEST DRIVE New, Tremendous Battles Expected In Oder-Warths Bend Northeast of Berlin. London, Feb. 2 (U.R) The red army announced tonight that lt had driven within 81 miles of Berlin and ten milts ( of the Oder, on which the Ger- . mans reported strong soviet forces were masting after their flrtt attempt to cross the latt natural barrier before the capital. London, Feb. 2 (U.R) T h a Germans reported today that powerful Russian forces massing along the Oder east of Berlin were trying to smash across that last big barrier before the cap ital, In the streets of which the terrified civilians were throwing up barricades. The German high command . said strong red army units had reached the Oder on either side of Frankfurt, 38 miles due east of Berlin, and northwest of Kustrin, where the Oder elbow points down within 30 miles of the city. Close on Frankfurt A nazl military commentator reported that the first effort by Marshal Gregory K. Zhukov'a first White Russian army to force the Oder was made at Kustrin, 42 miles east-northeast of Berlin. Moscow dispatches said Zhu kov'a armor and mobile infantry were flooding across a broad reach of the German border east of Berlin and now were closing in on Frankfurt and Kustrin to exploit the gains of armored spearheads blazing the soviet trail to Germany's "Rhine of th east." Both flanks of the red army which had raced from the Vis tula to the Oder In three weeks were fanning out in strength as the forces at the center of Zhu kov'a offensive front massed on me oaer. Big Battle Looms ". - The German Transocean New agency reported .that .''new and tremendous - battles" were im minent in the Oder-Warthe bend northeast of Berlin and in Si lesla, where both sides were) throwing In fresh forces and de cisive tests of strength were prospective. Stockholm relayed a dlanateh from Berlin saying: v. "Berlin now is a front Una city in the fullest meaning of the term. Berllners have been made to realize that they must expect naming in me streets. "Barricades are beln hnile feverishly in a number of streets, un-iuaing me center or tne city in the presence of the bewildered onlookers. The explosions from blowing up bomb-wrecked houses are adding to the fateful atmos phere, and might soon merge with the thunder of guns in the east. "Berllners are deeply impress ed by the sight of marching volkssturm (home guard) unita with their rifles and tommy guns. A general tension is notice able. People tear newspapers from the hands of the vendors." U. S. CASUALTIES T0TAL737,342 Washington,- Feb. 2. (U.R) Total U. S combat casualties as officially recorded by the war and navy departments here .reached 737,342 today. This fig ure was 35,392 higher than the last overall compilation on Jan. 25. The new total Included 650, 420 army casualties and 86,922 navy casualties since Dec. 7, 1941. Of the total army casualties, 121,676 were listed as dead, 379, 638 wounded, 91,573 missing, and 57,533 prisoners of war. Of the wounded, 186,026 have re turned to duty. Patterson said. The navy total Included 32, 889 dead, 39.807 wounded, 9.7C0 missing and 4,476 prisoners of war. SIDE GLANCES By TRIBUNE REPORTERS . Vic Mllnes unconcerned over the fact that he had unknowing- -ly swapped overcoats with Bob Rucker but crying over the dis appearance of pack of cigar- , ettes. Mariel Farrell groaning over a description of a delicious din ner, she being on a diet. ' Tony Manno having wonder ful time at the Berlni concert and scarcely able to restrain him self from joining in the vocallv ing. 1
