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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 1945)
I mm mm. w mi mm iiiiiiliB IK MedfordTribune United Press Thirty ninth Year Reds Near Berlin HOV'S LEGIONS FOR PAYOFF PUSH Konev's Drive Into Branden burg Shields Zhukov's Flank; Concerted Drive R ; London, Feb. 16 U.R The . red army announced tonight that It had encircled Breslau, capital of Silesia, and captur ed more than 200 German towns in that area. London, Feb. 18 U.PJ The Russian army newspaper Red i Star reported today that Rus sian spearheads "striking at the i .. very heart of Germany" were 7 nearing Berlin's suburban vll las and the river Spree. Two red armies were grind ing away the defenses east and southeast of Berlin in a concert ed assault that, appeared tQ.be the first phase of the showdown battle for the capital. 'The nazis reported that they had blocked a thrust against Cottbus, turntable of the defense network southeast of Berlin only 48 miles from the capital. Mar shal Ivan. S. Konev's army was closing on Cottbus in a lightning drive that had turned the Oder river line before the capital. Flank Protected His flank shielded by Konev's push into Brandenburg province southeast of Berlin, Marshal Gregory K. Zhukov now was ready for the payoff drive against the city from his Oder valley positions 30-odd miles to the east. v,.. The signal for the two-way J attack on Berlin's near defenses was suggested by a Red Star dispatch which said: "Only a little distance Is left to the banks of the Spree and Berlin's suburban villas. The air la saturated with the odor of hot gunpowder. The German land is burning and smoking. The smoke from fires and ex plosives darkens the horizon. The terrain and weather favor the enemy, who never fought so stubbornly or so desperately as now that our spearheads are striking at the very heart of Germany." Planes Aid Reds Moscow dispatches said that smashing blows by American and British planes at Dresden. Cottbus and other key points be hind the" German lines had. im peded frantic efforts by the nazis to rush up reinforcements to face Konev's troops. Moscow advices said that be hind Konev's forward positions ,4 dozens of isolated or partly iso lated German groups battled des perately against tightening sov iet rings or to escape the clos ing jaws of red army pincers. The German high command claimed that resistance in lower , Silesia had stiffened, In the same communique, however, it said Konev "was able to enlarge his breach area yesterday." SIDE GLANCES TRIBUNE REPORTERS Allen Curry pleased but won dering how to obtain those sil ver bars for son Neal who wired: "Have received promotion, send six pair bars. Bob Hammond in with a re port on his company's inability to furnish telephones to all ap plicants. Carlos Morris getting crossed up by his typewriter and con tributing a news item which said the group sang "Gold Bless America." Full Leased Wire Flames Gut Heart of Manila Business District ... (Acmt Telephoto) The grim horror of total war is awesomely Illustrated In this dramatic photo by Stanley Troutman, NBA Acme photographer for War Picture Pool, of the burned-out business district of Manila, gutted by flames set by Japanese as they fell back under merciless onslaught of vlotorloua American troooa. Yanks Pierce Main Defense Line ' On Bataan; Avenge Bitter Defeat Manila, Feb. 16 (U.R) Amer ican troops broke' through the main Japanese defense line on Bataan and advanced swiftly Into the southern half of the peninsula today to avenge the United States army's defeat there in 1942 the bitterest of the war. The breakthrough on Bataan came as other Yanks shot and bayoneted their way through the smoke-shrouded streets of Ma- PEGLER SUED BY DREW PEARSON New York, Feb. "16. (U.R) Drew Pearson and the Bell Syn dicate today ' filed' a 'libel suit against Westbrook Pegler in su preme court, asking $50,000 damages, and charging that Peg ler called him a "faker as a news reporter." . Pearson s complaint said Peg ler made his charges on Jan. 30, 1945, in his column in the New York Journal American and other newspapers. Pearson's complaint read: "The defendant labelled the plaintiff a miscalled news broadcaster, specializing in falsehood and smearing people with political and personal motivations, broad casting lies for smearing pur poses and charged that the plain. tiff was malicious and unreliable as a news reporter and if asked to apologize for a mistake would aggravate the original falsehood: that he reported news without investigation or verification and that as a news reporter he was a faker." CALIFORNIA WEALTHY Sacramento, Feb. 16 (U.R) California's general fund had a cash excess of $84,726,268 on January 31, 1945, Harry B. Ri ley, state controller, announced today. The present cash excess over- current obligations repre sents an increase of $10,491,040, over the figure for December 31, 1944, Riley said. TO BERLIN By United Press - The nearest distances to Berlin from advanced allied lines today: Eastern front 31 miles (from Zaeckerick). Western front 294 miles (from Rhine northeait of Kleve). Italy 530 miles (from north of Ravenna). i MEDFORD, OREGON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, Suburban Villas nlla in no -quarter battle against thousands of fanatical Japanese holed up in the south ern half of the city. Vanguards of the U. S. 11th army corps all but sealed the conquest of Bataan yesterday with the capture of the Balanga Pilar area in a five-mile advance down the east coast of the penin sula from Abucay. ' "- Balanga and Pilar formed the eastern anchor of the defense line on which Lt. Gen. Jonathan M. Wainwright's heroic troops made their last stand on Bataan in the dark days of 1942. The fall of the two towns put Gen. Douglas MacArthur's forces astride the only remaining lat eral highway on Bataan, run ning from Pilar to the west coast town of Bagac. With that line cut, the remaining Japanese on the peninsula appeared to have little chance of waging or ganized resistance for any length of time. NAZI SLACKERS TO FACE DEATH London, Feb. 16 (U.R) The Berlin radio said today that the Nazis had set up special courts martial in everv ripfonso ,nn. "threatened by the enemy" and nad empowered them to impose the death penalty on Germans who try "to shirk their duty." A broadcast DND said the Ministry of Justice issued a de cree setting up the courts. Ob servers saw the nrtlnn m a loft handed admission that the Nazis were facing increased restive ness among their own people. The decree gave the courts Jurisdiction over all offenses "which may endanger the Ger man fighting strength or deter mination to fight." Donald Nelson, 55, Weds Ex-Aide, 26 Washington, Feb. 16 (U.R) Dona!t' M. Nelson, former war production chief and now a White House adviser, was mar ried last night to pretty, 26-' year-old Marguerite Coulbourne, his former secretary. Nelson is 55. Judge Thurman Arnold of the U. S. Court of Appeals perform ed the ceremony that united the one-time Sears Roebuck & Co. executive and the former cam pus queen of George Washington University, OPA CHALLENGED BY WOOL STATES ON PRICE CLAIM Washington, Feb. 16 (U.R) Congressmen from wool-produc ing states and representatives of woolen manufacturers' today challenged statement of Office of Price Administration officials that an impending price order would reduce prices of woolen clothing without interfering with wool or mill production. The proposed plan, a joint ef fort of the War Production Board and OPA, is expected to be made public Monday; Wit nesses at an unofficial House Wool Committee hearing said garment manufacturers would be asked to adjust production schedules to include lower-cost clothing articles which have dis appeared from the market. "Nothing in the order would in any way deteriorate quality or force the manufacturer to lower his quality," Jerome Ney, director of the OPA Consumer Goods Price Division, said. "But how can you produce cheaper clothes without using shoddy materials,1 non-virgin wool?" Rep. Compton I. White, D.. Idaho, demanded. The meeting was attended by Reps. Harris Ellsworth, R., and Lowell Stockman, R., Ore. Reprieve Refused Jealous Dog Which Killed Small Baby Los Angeles, Feb. 16. (U.R) Woof, the 35-pound pit bulldog which killed tiny Marguerite Derdengcr in a jealous frenzy, today was denied a reprieve from the death sentence ordered by the child's grief stricken par ents. Staff Sgt. Charles Derdenger arrived here from Camp Berke ley, Tex., to reaffirm his wife's request that their, pet of five years be killed. Woof, pet and playmate of Marguerite since her. birth, sud denly turned on the child Tues day night and bit through the base of her skull. "That must never, never hap pen again," Derdenger said of Woof's attack on the child. Hollywood, Feb. 16. (U.R) Former Film Actress Venlta Ver den today divorced pudgy Jack Oakie, screen comedian, In a brief uncontested hearing, 'de claring tearfully to Superior Judge Thurmond Clarke, "this time it's for keeps," United Press 1945 GEORGE BILL HAS L; F.D.R. WILL 399 to 2 Vote Clears Way For Senate Ballot March 1 on Wallace Nomination. Washington, Feb. 16--0J.R) The house , passed the George bill today and sent it to the White House, thus clearing the way for a senate vote March 1 on the nomination of Henry A. Wallace to be secretary of com merce. The vote on passage was 399 to 2. Passage came after the bill to strip the commerce depart ment of its present vast lending powers narrowly escaped re committal to the banking com mittee. Republicans, with some southern democratic support, had demanded that the bill be sent back for further study. The vote against recommittal was 204 to 196. Had the motion carried, there would have been no possibility of completing , congressional ac tion on the bill before the March 1 senate vote. That would have jeopardized Wallace's chances of confirmation because many senators are opposed to permit ting him to exercise the lend ing powers exercised by retiring Commerce Secretary Jesse H. Jones through the Reconstruc tion Finance Corp. and Its sub sidiaries. The senate - approved bill would remove the RFC from the commerce department. The two voting against the passage were Reps. William Lemke, N. D., and Earl Wilson, Ind., both republicans. NEW AUTO PLATES FOR OREGON DUE IN 1946 Salem, Ore., Feb. 16 (U.R) The Irwin-Hudson Co., of Port- lana today held a state contract for manufacture of 410,000 me tal license plates to be issued to Oregon motorists for 1946. Teacher Shortage in Oregon Acute Due to Low Salaries Salem, Ore., Feb. 16. (U.R) The school teacher situation in Oregon has passed the serious stage there is an acute short age. Every legislative session finds various school bills on the dock et, mostly asking for funds. Main support this year is for an addi tional $5,000,000 appropriation from surplus income tax funds to aid districts faced with heavy student increases, rising teacher costs, continuing maintenance work, and no recourse except to raise property taxes (HB123.) Two other proposals, among about seven In the hopper, would give districts 27 cents per day per pupil (raising about $3,000, 000) and for an additional $10 a year per pupil from the ipcome tax surplus. Most any group can make out a good case before a legislative committee. So the United Press checked up on the teacher situa tion firsthand. The facts are startling. Short 420 Teachers Superintendent of Public In struction Rex Putnam reveals there are about 8200 teachers in Oregon and one out of five must be replaced. The system is short 420 teachers If the overload was reduced to an efficient total. There are 938 teachers who have given notice they will not return next year. More than 800 say they would quit now if a substi tute could be found. A survey showed only 89 new teachers available. And it Is estimated 1656 will be needed as replace ments next term, with less than Full Leased Wire NO. 278. ALLIED AIRMEN SWARM TO HELP IAN FORCE Nazis Massing Everything Available to Guard Ruhr Entrance Against Enemy. Paris, Feb. 16 (U.R) Al lied heavy, medium, and Fighter bombers swarmed in force to the support of the Canadian First army offensive hammering at the gates of the Ruhr today. The Germans threw elements of an Eighth Division into the stand against Gen. H. D. G. Cre rar's offensive, and front dis paches said they were massing everything available to guard the entrance to the Ruhr. Hit Transport Lt. Gen. James H. Doolittle sent more than 1,000 of his Eighth air force heavies to pound Ruhrland transport bottlenecks for reinforcements and supplies to the German divisions battling Crerar's men. When the skies cleared this afternoon, Royal Air Force Mit chell and Boston Mediums dump ed a heavy weight of explosives on the road junctions of Uedem and Weeze in front of the troops edging toward Goch and Calgar. Fighter - Bombers, including three French squadrons, strewed high explosive bombs, rockets, and Incendiaries along the roads linking the' westwall strong holds at which Crerar was aim ing. Mud Slows Drive British unite of the Canadian First army turned back two counter-attacks along the Kleve Calcar road. Vigorous resistance and a sea of mud slowed down the drive, which had cleared a two-mile stretch of the south bank of the Rhine above Kleve. After dealing with the coun ter-blows, the British began moving forward again. Front re ports said it was a bitter battle, foot by foot through the mud and over roads of which long sections were covered with floodwater. 250 being trained in state schools who will be available. Teachers are leaving Oregon for more money elsewhere. The average salary per teacher (in cluding administrators, univer sity, secondary and elementary) is $1959 per year, $141 less than Washington and considerably under California. Teachers are only human and seek the high est paychecks. California Tax Enough California, Incidentally, chang ed from the Oregon plan of sup porting schools from property taxes to a sales tax plan, a dozen years ago, which has returned hundreds of millions of dollars In revenue to completely support the schools and reduce property taxes. State aid to schools is so substantial that salaries are among the highest In the nation. Under the so-called Walker plan, adopted In 1943, Oregon elementary schools received $5,. 000,000 from surplus income tax es but school officials contend this Is insufficient. Most opinion agrees that what Oregon needs is a long-range school program from a fixed source of income, rather than from income taxes, which mo sag or soar, according to eco nomlc conditions, or other vari able funds. There Is no agree ment how state funds should be distributed, which resulted in a compromise six-way allocation under the $5,000,000 plan. Rural districts contend the average dally attendance basis favors city systems and penalizes the sparsely-settled areas. Intense Nine Is Defiant Challenge to Jap Fleet to Come Out Admiral Nlmltz' Headquarters, Guam, Feb. 1 6. (U.R) Ameri can carrier aircraft, swarming than 1,200, kept the Japanese capital In a state of alarm for at least nine hours today, starting fires and mixing with enemy tighter planes in a wild fight, eyewitnesses disclosed. Crouching In a B-29 Superfortress high above Tokyo, Navy Li. (jg) David C. McMillin, 27, San Francisco, watched Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher's dlvebombers and torpedo planes pour explo sives on the metropolis while escorting Hellcat fighters engaged la swirling dog-fights with Japanese interceptors. j BY UNITED PRESS While swarms of American carrier planes pressed home . a massive attack against Tokyo, Japan today served notice on her armies In China and In the by-passed combat areas of the Pacific that they must prepare to operate without help from the homeland. Melbourne radio reported. PILLAR OF SMOKE MARKS BOMBINQ I While 1st Lt. John T. Garvin of Las Vegas, Nev., kept the super fort circling over the frantic capital, McMillan saw the navy pilots pour tons of explosives and high incendiaries on airfields and other key installations. He said a 7,000-foot pillar of smoke rose Into the sky from a small island in Tokyo bay. Some 750 miles south of Tokyo, another big task force) of battleships and other surface craft Joined land-based planes from the Marianas in bombarding the Japanese stepping-stone island hot Iwo. The wave.s of planes attacking Tokyo may have caught major portion of the surviving Japanese fleet in Tokyo bay, either at the big port of Yokohama or in the Yokosuka naval base, 10 and 20 miles respectively south of the capital. FOUR FORMATIONS PARTICIPATE ' Japanese Imperial headquarters reported that the planes) bombed the Tokyo' area from 7 a. m. to 4 p. m, (6 p. m. Thursday to 3 a, m. today, EWT) In waves, concentrating mainly on airfields. .Supplementary enemy broadcasts said the raids extended from Tokyo along the Boso peninsula, on which Yokohama and Yoko suka are situated, Into adjacent Shlzuoka prefecture.' At least four main formations participated, with two of them comprising 300 planes each, Tokyo said. ' . Tokyo said "military Installations" possibly. Including ..the) Yokosuko naval base itself-r-and .transport facilities were attacked on the Boso peninsula. The enemy Dome! agency said the airfields attacked were those) from which Japanese fighters have been taking off to Intercept B-29 Superfortresses. Several dozen airfields altogether surround Tokyo. .......'.- It was believed likely that the carrier planes also bombed enemy aircraft factories and other installations. AIR FORCE DESTRUCTION SEEN AIM "We can see what the enemy is aiming at namely the destruc tion of our air force," one Japanese broadcast said. The simultaneous attacks under the command of Admiral Ray mond A. Spruance, commander of the. Fifth fleet, represented the most daring foray In the history of the American navy, as well as a defiant challenge to the Japanese fleet to come out and fight In its home waters. In the armada attacking Tokyo was the greatest carrier force) the world has ever seen, plus fast battleships, cruisers and de stroyers. It includes most of the 20 combat carriers known to be In commission. i (United Press monitors in San Francisco said Radio Tokyo' overseas transmitters went off the air for a half hour shortly after 3 p. m., Tokyo time. It Is most unusual for Tokyo transmissions) to fail for more than a few minutes at a time, leading to the belief that the raid may have caused a power failure In the enemy capital.) The Japanese communique on the raid made no claim that any planes had been shot down, but said "our air defense units have Intercepted these planes at various localities and have scored con. siderable war results." Pinching Mllw China iSS .Vmkm Sea Ot rfrtyvtujf ' 'rl we ' aeear"'W Relet fl VaaH. ft. Mill. Tokyo reports massive air and sea attacks on Corregidoi. hinting aa American laiicung thcie was near, while General Mar Arthurs troops . thrust rapidly down Bataaa Pcnlmuls on ttotlj lidos.- - Hour Raid over Tokyo In numbers of more) the Mips" Cetklnet uuoia aV CORKEGIDOl",wlN, I (Acm TtUphaf) relet
