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