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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 9, 1945)
P. t il mm m rui M mm 1 Y CANADIAN FIRST SIEGFRIED LINE B nllU -1 A . I l -I 3 Dttiue ui uermany unoer i Way; Nazi Resistance Is Spotty Towns Taken. Paris, Feb. 9 U,R The big push has begun. From Holland to the Alps, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower is hurling American, British and French .troops into the climactic battle of Germany. The aim is to destroy Ger many's fighting forces before summer in conjunction with the red army's offensives in the east. Best guesses place German strength in the west at 80 divi slons. But even these are under strength and probably total few er than a half million men. ., Paris Feb. 9 flJ.R) Armored and infantry divisions of the Canadian first army broke into the northern flank of the Sieg fried line today in a full-scale offensive that carried forward almost five miles on a six-mile front aimed squarely at the Ger man Ruhr and Rhineland. Advancing steadily behind a screen of flame-throwing tanks. veteran British and Canadian in fantrymen spilled over the Ger man border southeast of Nljme- gen and drove several spear heads deep into the Reichswald forest. Vanguards of the attacking force were reported, half-way through the forest early today, imperiling the twin strongholds of Cleve and Goch that form the northern anchor of Germany's west wall. First army paratroops, fight ing as infantrymen, were re ported to have pushed almost five miles into the forest from the west to within about four miles southwest of Cleve and 5V4 miles northwest of Goch. German resistance, . softened and in some places paralyzed by a thundering allied aerial and artillery bombardment, showed few signs of stiffening this morn ing, 24 hours after the start of the offensive that promised to set the whole western front blaze. . Aerial ' reconnaissance Indi cated, however, that the Ger mans were recovering from their Initial surprise and were begin ning to rush reserves into the threatened area. At least seven towns, two of them German, were captured in the first 12 hours of the ad vance and one allied column on the northern flank of the assault line was reported less than three miles from the Rhine crossing town of Mlllingen. Seven towns were captured before nightfall yesterday, two of them on German soil, and more than 1,000 dazed nazl pris oners were rounded up. Heavily - censored field dis patches indicated the allies were moving forward unchecked this morning against spotty resist ance, well beyond the officially announced gains. Headquarters spokesmen made it clear that the big push was on to break open Germany's west ern front in co-ordination with the red army march on Berlin WATER DISTRICTS , J. M. Spencer, Ashland, has been named secretary-manager of the Medford Irrigation Dis- trlct and W. D. Steadman, Phoe nix, has been named to the same position In the Rogue River 'district, both appointments to become effective March 1. Both succeed Ed N. Juddfor IS years manager of both districts. Since 1929 Spencer has been manager of the Hermiston dis trict and prior to that was man ager of the Eagle Point district He has been employed as inspec tor of Reeder dam at Ashland and has been engaged in railroad and highway construction. Steadman for 13 years has been superintendent of the Ro gue River district and is we 1 acquainted with its needs and system and is well-known in the valley. Judd plans to retire to the construction business and will continue to make his home here. t CHECK PRISON RUMORS m Calgary, Alta., Feb. 9 0J.R) Officials today checked re ports that Nazi agents in Ccr man prisoner of war camps killed several fellow inmates to prove that Nazi faith was sacred . wherever Caimani oaths Medford United Pits Thirty-ninth Year First Allied Prisoners Freed I psaal ammammmummimmmimAix& Gaunt young men who had been strapping soldiers when the war started, officers with deep lines carved in their emaciated faces, men hobbling with canes and men too ill to walk, enter the grounds of an evacuation hospital after their daring rescue by American Rangers and Filipino- guerillas from Cabanatuan prison camp, Luion. 15 DEAD IN WORST - STORM IN YEARS Boston, Feb. 9 (U.R) , One of its worst blizzards in -recent times dropped 12 to 14 inches of snow on New England today, paralyzed virtually all transpor tation, and cost at least IS lives. Thousands of ' persons were marooned. Work stopped at many shipyards and war plants. Enormous snowdrifts, piled up by a raging northeast wind, pre vented night shift workers from reaching their homes and day shift . workers from reaching their jobs. The Boston and Maine railroad appealed to the army for troops to clear its tracks. ' Power and light wires were down over a wide area. The Providence, R. I., weather sta tion had been able to communi cate only occasionally during the night with Boston headquar ters. It was. reported that traffic in Providence was severely ham pered. ' Portsmouth, N. H., had no transportation. Workers were unable to reach the navy yard. Even the main highways were snow-clogged. There was neither bus nor taxi service in Portland. Me., and few hardy workers dared the 10-foot drifts in the streets to reach the ..vast New England Shipbuilding Corp. plant in South Portland. Boston had an official snow fall of 14 inches two inches more than in the St. Valen tine's day blizzard of 1940 that crippled the area for nearly a week. The total snow now on the ground in Boston proper was 19 inches. . By United Press The Saigon radio acknowl edged today that "important material damage" was caused in the city and nearby Pnom penh Wednesday when an esti mated 70 B-29 Superfortress raided the French Indo China naval base. The disclosure was contained In an "official" communique broadcast by the Saigoa radio and recorded by FCC. The broadcast said 170 per sons were killed and 490 wound ed in the two cities. Charleston, W. Va., Feb. 9. (U.PJWest Virginia's legislature was on record today as the first state law-making body to recom mend that freedom of the press around the world be guaranteed at the ivemational peace con ference. Full Leased Wire BIG THREE MEET ENDS NEXT WEEK, Moscow, Feb. 9 U.R) The Big Three Conference, it was believed, today, is "amphibious. partly on land , and partly aboard ship: The exact site of the confer ence was still secret beyond its location in the Black Sea irea and was expected to be kept se cret until the meeting is over. Announcement that the con ference has concluded was ex pected next week. ' Speculation on the site varied among dozens .of Black- Sea coastal towns stretching from Odessa to Batum, all far remov ed from possible outside inter ference. Either from shipboard or from shore Marshal Stalin is able to maintain close contact with Su preme Headquarters on the prog ress of the Red army offensive Since a ship could not accommo date all the foreign ministers, chiefs of staff and their staffs it was believed that the conference is "amphibious" with meetings both on land and aboard ship. The American and British am bassadors to Moscow and the chiefs of the Anglo-American military missions here are at the meeting. They are not communicating with Moscow during the confer ence. U. S. Ambassador W. Averill Harriman, accompanied by his daughter, Kathleen, and his staff, went south by rail some time before the opening of the meeting. Sir Archibald Clark Kerr, the British ambassador, followed about a week later. Two More Wives of Conductor Located San Francisco, Feb. 9 (U.R) The box score on the multiple marriages of sad-eyed trolley Conductor Francis Harrison Van Wie rose to 14 today, with dis closure of two more weddings without benefit of divorce, in addition to his admitted 12 wives. California bureau of vital sta tistics records show the "Casa nova of the car lines" married Edna Ruth Eastman, then 31. on December 12, 1917, in Oakland, Cal. the same year he wed ad mitted wife number three, Ade line, In the same city. BACKS BIG THREE Chungking, Feb. 9 (U.R) The Influential liberal Chinese newspaper Ta Kung Pao today editorially urged strengthening of Sino-Soviet relations in view of the "Big Three" conference and Russia's future role in the defeat of Japan, New York. Feb. 9 (U.R) Stocks were narrowly Irregular at uie opening toaay. MOSCOW REPORTS tttttt. a hi 1 1 xv 1 1 x ' a uiuTa -s- ii . n, f h mm mm mm mm. m mm mm m I V- . gVq-.ju-g . . UnlUd Press Full Leased Wire 1 1 MEDFORD, In Philippines 4r CONWAY EXPLAINS LIQUOR PURCHASE, STATES-REASONS Kalpm. Or ' TTph Q HIP) The - Oreznn loint legislative committee, appointed to invest! gate the 1943 purchase of two Kentucky distilleries by the Ore eon and Washington Hmmr ran. trol commissions for nearly $7, 500,000, today considered evi dence presented at its first meet ing. Rav ' Conwav. sprrptflrv anH administrator of the Oregon commission, told the committee. headed by Sen. Paul Patterson, tnat the commission had felt that the law under which it op erated made it mandatory for It to ODtain the liquor demanded by the public. The idea of the nureh as was first originated late in Septem ber of 1943. Conwav sairi. Hp reported that linunr stnrlt. at an all-time low in June of that year, when only 12,000 cases of whiskey were on hand, and the mommy rate of consumption ran around 50,000 cases. He save three chief rpasnns why the deal had been made: i. .Partly to satisfy the large and increasing demand for do mestic Whiskevs whlrh urprp rmf. ting scarcer after tha fariarai government had ordered manu- lacturmg stopped. z. For financial profit. 3. To lessen croulncr hlnpir market operations. The purchase had the appro val of the flt.tnrnev Oregon and Washington, the uregon Board of control and the office of price administration. T P Dr. W. W. F. Kresse, sen tenced from Medford last Octo ber to four years and nine months at McNeill Island for II legal narcotics sales, was criti cally injured recently when hit in the stomach by a flying board, causing an intestinal rupture, according to word received from Mrs. Kresse, who is now making her home at The Dalles. Kresse's condition is such that his wife cannot see him, accord ing to the message received by friends here. He was employed in the carpenter shop at the prison st the time of his injury Rome, Feb. 9 (U.R) Patrols advanced several hundred yards to strengthen fifth army post lions Id the Serchio valley in the west coastal sector, headquarters aid today. Minor clashes were reported along other fronU. OREGON, FRIDAY, FEBI JAPS INMANILA Enemy Herded by Buckeye Division Tokyo Reports New Landing Made. Manila, Feb. 9 (U.R) The Battle of Manila entered its last and bloodiest phase today as American infantrymen swarmed across the Paslg river to root out and destroy the Japanese trapped in the southern half of the city. Doughboys of the 37th (Buck eye) division crossed the Pasig in amphibious tanks and on pon toon bridges late Wednesday and quickly established a wide bridgehead on the south bank opposite the Malacanang Palace. The Japanese put up only weak resistance along the river bank, but they . stiffened later Wednesday night and fought back savagely with mortars, ar tillery and rifle .fire. Their position was rapidly disintegrating, however, and it was believed that all organized opposition would- be crushed within a very few days at most. The advancing 37th was deep into the southern- half of the capital early today and herding the Japanese survivors back slowly into the waiting guns of the U. S. 11th airborne division moving up from the south. , - The main boeV of " tti. llth airborne was reported slightly north of Nichols field Wednes day night. Radio Tokyo Friday Indicat ed that a second column of American troops are on the verge of entering Manila from the south, but the broadcast failed specifically to acknowl edge -that Gen. Douglas Mao Arthur's forces have crossed the Pasig river from the north. Broadcast Glum "It is a hard, cold fact that the city of Manila has not fal len," Arthur Feldman, Blue Network correspondent, report ed in a broadcast from the Phil ippines Friday. "The Japs are fighting hard for Manila. The Jap defenders, while in the death throes of their defense, are nevertheless conducting a reign of terror, death and destruction which still continues. "It should be pointed out that the enemy's program of pillage and destruction is so wanton that it has passed way beyond the stage of destroying Military objectives. "I believe It will be some days before any victory parade swings down the Avenida Risal." T IN KOBE ATTACK Washington, Feb. 9 (U.R) A lone B-29 Superfortress bomb ed Japan's main seaport of Kobe early today, the sixth straight day that one or more of the big bombers has attacked the city, radio Tokyo said. Tokyo also reported that an other B-29 made an hour-long reconnaissance flight over the Kanto district, which includes Tokyo and Yokohama, without dropping bombs. The broadcasts wer recorded by the FCC. From advanced Pacific head quarters came an announcement that army Liberators had bomb ed Iwo, 570 miles south of Tokyo, for the 82nd and 63rd consecutive days Tuesday and Wednesday. Results of the raid were not disclosed. Other bombers attacked Haha island in the Bonins Wednesday and left- three large fires bum ing. Tokyo said both Iwo and Haha also were hit again y?s terday, CIRCULATION GAINS New York, Feb. 9 (U.R) Dally newspaper circulation in the United States reached 45, 954,838 In 1944, a 3.4 per cent Increase over 1943 and a new htpii, according to the 1945 Edi tor li Publisher yearbook. 9, 1945 DEM TALK HELD WORD TO Fl TO BE FIRM WITH JOSEF Or Risk Foreign Policy Dis pute In Congress;Sees To talitarian Trend at Home. By Lyle C. Wilton United Press Correspondent Washtnirtnn. Fph 0 (IIP) Gov. Thomas E. Dewey's Lin coln dav snaerh lnnkprt tnrlav like a warning to President Roosevelt tn driva a firm nnlltl. cal bargain with Premier Josef v. Stalin. The alternative would be to risk a major foreign policy dispute with well organized Re publicans. - Dewey spoke here last night at the Statler hotel before about 1200 party leaders. He made a double-barrelled attack on Mr. Roosevelt's home and foreign policies. He endorsed the foreign policy program of Sen.. Arthur H. Vandenberg, R., Mich., which is under such bitter attack in the domestic communist press as to suggest that Stalin would balk at it. The reaction of congressional leaders In the audinnra tfpnnr. ally was enthusiastic. For ex- AmvtlA Cn' V . l C M oi XNeDrasKa, republican whip, thou Gilt Dewev nut thm Rnnco. velt administration on notice "to do a better job in foreign rela tions." : v. Dewey. didn't (jet a- 100 per cent endorsement, however. Sen. Raymond Willis;- R., Ind was lukewarm on the foreign policy section of Dewey's speech but agreed With his discussion nn domestic affairs. .. Mr. Roosevelt dnnhtUss is aware now of Stalin's Ideas on the Vandenberg plan. He and the Soviet Union leader are in conference in the Blarlr spa arpn with Prime Minister Winston unurcmil. The Vandenberg pro posal was In two parts: 1. An immediate Anglo-American-Chinese treaty to keep Ger many and Japan permanently disarmed. 2. Agreement nnur that nnlltl. cal settlements in Europe made or Deing made In various liber ated countries be subject to gen eral review after the war. The communist press inter prets this latter provision as sabotage of the Teheran ments reached in 1943 by Mr. nooseveit, Churchill and Stalin In their first conference. Some others internrpt It a. tion against communization of a large part of Europe. The com munist press says that is non sense. If Dewey can make the Vandenberg plan stick as formal Republican doctrine, it may be up m me president to obtain Stalin's agreement to postwar re-examination of European po litical questions. The alternative COUld be a bitter anri hml.h. political contest In this country over me snape and scope of post war security machinery, RUSSlANlLIEF CLOTHES NEEDED Governor Earl Snell has call- ea tor aid in the current state wide clothes drive for Russian Relief, labeling "an opportunity to aid humanity mm me unuea war eriort." Snell said, that the return of 70,000, 000 Russian neonle to homes in liberated territory with only the little clothing they are wearing has hdded to an alraariv urgent emergency. ."That the ume 10 act is now is shown in the recent appeal direct from the American ambassador," he concluded, in a statement to the relief committee, E. H. Hedrick, superintendent of schools asserted today that me drive in Medford and Jack son county will close this week in all schools where classroom have made their nuntas. hut will stay open in schools where rooms nave not reacnea meir goals Into next weeX. Chicago, Feb. 9 tu.ru Grain futures displayed a mixed trend today. Catching Up fSr: k1 S. ...... " y George W, Weedon, Laaranda, Ore., special policeman for con tracting firm when he was tax- en by Japs on Corregldor, spends the first minutes of his freedom after rescue from Cabantuan prison camp catching up on his reading. 2 YRS. EXTENSION BIG TRUCK LAWS VOTED BY SENATE New Barber Price Law To Replace Invalid One In troduced, t Salem, Ore., Feb. 9 (U.R) A two-year extension of the "big truck" laws in Oregon pass ed the senate today after a move failed to make the extension for four years. The two year vote was unani mous but the Upper House split id to 1U against a minority com mittee report that war-time ex perience with the larger trucks justified a permanent ex tension. The majority report was accepted and the rulos sus spended to permit immediate passage of the bill (SB42) to the house. Sen. Frank Hilton, Portland, vainly argued the truck and trailer limit of 60 feet in length and 71,250 pounds in weight provided in bill had worked out to. advantage in the three war years and . should be permanent because highway officials agreed no excessive highway damage has been caused. Salem, Ore., Feb. 9 (U.R) The recent Oregon Supreme Court decision that Invalidated the minimum Barber price law brought a new bill (SB18S) Into the senate today to remedy de fects and reinstate minimum price scales. The court held the Board of Barber Examiners was deprived of its powers when 70 per cent of the barbers could petition for minimum prices in a county The new bill, submitted by the Senate Labor and Industries Board, permits- the Board to ac cept petitions and then accept, alter, reduce, or reject the sug gested price scale, or make changes anytime thereafter from investigation of possible inequi ties. Another new senate bill (SB186) would remove graduated scales for Circuit Court Judges salaries to a flat $6,000 per year In all counties. Previously, Judges In counties over 30.000 population received $6,000 be tween 19,000 and 30,000, $5500, and less than 18,000 $5,000. London, Feb. 9 (U S The British radio reported today that W. H. Donald, famous adviser to Gtn. Chiauir r"'-5in:k, had been released froir interment In Manila. ; Weather ForMutt Partly eloody toalffct and Saturday. Foggy Satur day morning. Slightly warmar Saturday. Tmp. ......... ;.iHiH7 a i,owci: urn morning , .. 35 xNO. 272. FRANKFURT, VITAL BERLIN BASTION Frontal Attack on Capital Objective; After Collapse . Oder Defenses. London. Feb. 9. (U.R) Th Soviet high command reported tonight that the red army had surrounded Arnswalde, big rait junction 40 miles southeast of Stettin, and the Baltic coastal town of Elblng In East Prussia. London. Feb. 9. flip) Mna. cow and Berlin reported today that Russian assault forces were storming Frankfurt from bridge heads on the west hank nf h Oder on both sides of the key stone base 33 miles east of Ber lin. ' The fall nf FranVfort .n1J collapse the Oder river defense line before Berlin and bare the capital itself to frontal assault Marshal Gregory K. Zhukov's spearheads across the Oder were probing westward behind an earth-shaking bombardment of Russian artlllKrv ma.,t m a.- east bank of the river, Moscow uispaicnes reported. The German hi oh only reference to the sector be- lore cenin said that the Ger mans "succeeded in narrowing down or eliminating by counter attack several enemy bridge. heads.".... A supplementary Berlin broad cast reported violent battle both north and south of Frank furt, and Moscow dispatches said the Nazis were throwing all available strength Into an effort to wipe out the Soviet foothold Which damned a nlnnm strategic city. on either aide of the Oder Berlin front. Sflvlat irmln. swinging westward to protect iiukuvb nanus, threaten tha Baltic port of Stettin, and hew out expanding pockets west of the Oder In Silesia. Swedish refugees who fled Berlin to their homeland report, ed that inhabitants expect the red army to reach it "within a week or two." More than 300, 000 Berliners have left the city since the Russians arrived at th Oder, they said. The Nazis not only admitted that fierce street fighting was under way in Kuestrin, but said that the Soviets had encircled the fortress town by linking up two bridgeheads on the west bank of the Oder. Kuestrin lie on the east bank 3R mil... An.,t .N, V. . Berlin. SENATE PASSAGE OF GEORGE BILL. CALLEDTRADING' Washington, Feb. 9 (U.R) Rep. Eugene E. Cox (D Ga.), said today that senate passage of the George bill resulted from "horse-trading with the presi dent" on the nomination of Henry A. Wallace to be secre tary of commerce. The bill would divorce tha Reconstruction Finance Corp. and other federal lending unit from the commerce department. It has been passed by the senate and approved by the house bank ing committee. Cox's statement was made during a house rule committee hearing on how and when it should be considered in -the house. The administration force de sire enactment of the bill in be lief that It would clear the way for confirmation of Wallace. Th hparlng was featured b" several verbal clashes between Cox, a rules committee member, and Banking Committee Chair man Brent Spence (D., Ky.) Spence insisted that senate pas saga of the bill had nothing to do with Wallace's nomination although he conceded the nom ination might have prompted in troduction of the bill. The committee finally ad journed after deciding to resume th hearing next Wednesday, . 3
