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
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